Melbourne City Newspaper - April 2010 by MC News

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MONTHLY NEWSPAPER | Vol 01, Issue 02, April 2010 | www.mc-news.com.au

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Melbourne 55,000 copies

City Newspaper Postal Address: PO Box 582, Collins Street West, VIC 8007 | Toll Free: 1300 80 40 33 | e-mail: info@mc-news.com.au

photo: Getty images

Govt internet ﬁlter plan is modest measure not censorship SYdNEY, April The federal government’s plan to bring in a mandatory internet filter is a modest regulatory measure that will combat illegal activity, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy says. In a speech to The Sydney Institute on Monday, Senator Conroy again defended the plan against opponents who believe it’s akin to censorship. “The internet is an incredible piece of technology and in our lifetime it’s unlikely we’ll see anything like it again,” he said. “But for all its technical brilliance, the internet is a distribution and communications platform. “Having no regulation to combat illegal activity actually weakens all that is good about the internet.” The federal government’s $128.8 million Cyber Safety policy includes legislation to block access to certain websites and blacklist offensive material.

MilEy CyrUS iS MarryiNG liaM HEMSWOrTH page: 3

The policy has been widely criticised by internet and software companies and free speech supporters. But Senator Conroy said it can’t remain largely unregulated.

Page 12

The Stylish do it with style Page 10

last chance for free laugh at Fed Sq Page 7

“With great opportunity, comes even greater responsibility, and having sensible, appropriate protections in place is also the role of government,” he said. “There are some who want to argue that on the internet, people should be able to publish anything they like - regardless of whether it contravenes laws in the off-line world.” Senator Conroy said ISP level filtering alone was not enough to help fight child pornography or keep children safe online, which was why the government supported the block of content such as child sexual abuse imagery and material advocating terrorism. “This is a modest measure, which reflects long held community standards about the type of content that is unacceptable in a civilised society,” he said. “Those who claim the government’s approach is akin to the sort of political censorship practiced by authoritarian regimes are simply misleading the Australian public.” AAP

Promising signs from the Paciﬁc Page 26

NEWS

photo: Getty images

A runner falls as people attempt to break the Guinness World Record for ‘The Most People Running in High Heeled Shoes’, in Melbourne on April 10, 2010. Raced over 80 metres, the attempt was unsuccessful but raised money for a foundation which helps support young adults with cancer.

Editor-in-Chief: Paul McLane Staff Writer: Rebecca Ponsford Designer: Rakesh Maharjan Webmaster: Ryoko Morimore Marketing: Tracy Sliger Dir. of Marketing: Pummi Sooden Photographer: A.P.Guru Production Manager: Lisa Stathakis, Stream line press P/L Distributor: Rayon Gunn & Ian Thopes Contributer: Michael Liue, Adam Scotts, Rachel Green, Steve Perish, Jeffrey Kings, Intaj Khan & Kevin Rose You can be a part of the Newspaper family. Write, report, freelance editorial and feedback. E-mail: info@ mc-news.com.au Disclaimer MC NEWS and web MC-NEWS.com. au due care in the preparation of the publication but is not responsible or liable for any mistake, omissions or misprints. MC NEWS prints advertisements provided to the publisher, but gives no warranty and makes no representation as to the truth or accuracy of any description and accepts no liability for any loss suffered by any person who relies on any statement contained herein. MC NEWS reserves the right to refuse, abbreviate or delete any advertisement at any time. Advertisements are responsible for advertising copy by virtue of the Trades Practices Act and advertisements are published in good faith. All logos and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Images are for illustrative purposes only.

Emotive TV ad to target female smokers MELBOURNE - An emotive advertisement targeting women who smoke will hit television screens in Victoria from Sunday.

Lung cancer overtook breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer death in among women in the state in 2006, and remained the top killer in 2007. About 811 Victorian women died from lung cancer in 2007, more than in any previous year. The TV advertisement shows a woman learning from a doctor she has lung cancer,then having to break the news to her children. Quit executive director Fiona Sharkie urged smokers to think about the impact on their families. “Although the number of smokers is now in decline, the deadly legacy of the years when female smoking rates were at their peak is only now

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becoming apparent,” she said. “More women and families in Victoria are dealing with a lung cancer diagnosis than ever before, most of those because of smoking. “Smokers need to realise this could happen to you and your family.” Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre nurse co-ordinator Mary Duffy said she was seeing a growing number of women with lung cancer. “Young children who come in often don’t know what cancer is or why mummy is sick,” she said. “All they know is that their universe has been disrupted by hospital visits, treatments and the presence of strangers. “For women with young children who rely on them for everything, there’s probably nothing worse.” AAP

PM Rudd says no GST rise for health BRISBANE - The GST rate will not be increased to pay for an overhaul of the national health system, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says. Mr Rudd toured the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital on Monday to announce details of the aged care and primary healthcare planks of his national health plan. Asked whether the government would consider raising the goods and services tax to pay for the plan, Mr Rudd said: “Our commitment in relation to GST has been fundamental and we believe the setting is absolutely right.” Mr

Rudd said the health reforms would be achieved through new financial arrangements between the commonwealth and the states. “Remember, what we are doing is saying to the states and territories, here is a proportion of your GST payments dedicated to a new national hospitals fund,” he said. “And, secondly, we, the Australian government, are becoming the dominant funders of the future growth of the system as well. “That, I believe, is the basis of a reasonable arrangement for the states and territories.” AAP

AGL aquired Boilerland MELBOURNE AGL Energy Ltd has bought a boiler and thermal services firm that already provided services to the company’s major customers.

AGL head of carbon management services Marc Barrington said Boilerland would help the company provide an expanded range of services to major customers.

AGL said it had acquired Brisbane-based Boilerland, which has operated for 23 years and specialises in programmed maintenance and manufactures new steam boilers. Boilerland also makes hot and warm water systems.

“Boilerland’s business operates nationally allowing our southernbased technicians to provide additional boiler installation and maintenance services,” Mr Barrington said in a statement. The business will be known as AGL Boilerland. AAP

Bachelor gorillas to have new pad at Werribee Zoo MELBOURNE - Bachelor gorillas will have a new pad this summer at Werribee Open Range Zoo. The state government is kicking in $1.5 million towards a new exhibit that will initially house the silverback male Motaba and his two young sons, Yakini and Ganyeka. It will include more males once they are old enough. “Motaba has already sired five young, so the silverback Rigo has been introduced to the zoo’s family group with a view to breeding with the four females,” Environment Minister Gavin Jennings said. “Gorilla family groups are polygamous in nature with only one silverback breeding male in the group at a time.” Mr Jennings said construction of the exhibit was expected to start mid-year and be completed during summer. “The new exhibit will be located on an island close to the entrance of Werribee Open Range Zoo and be a major feature of the zoo,” he said. The three bachelors are currently housed in an area of Melbourne Zoo, which is earmarked for redevelopment. AAP

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Spice

Celebs on

Pamela Anderson asked to cover up for TV show

twitter

photo: Getty images

Former Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson has been asked to cover up during her stint with hit TV show Dancing With The Stars as producers fear a major wardrobe malfunction.

Kim Kardashian : I might understand it LOL RT @CarlaDiBello So jet lagged. Just realized after about 5min of this movie I was watching the spanish version...

TV bosses have presented Anderson with a list of requirements to make sure she doesn’t slip up and slip out on the show, reports contactmusic.com. “They continue to tell Pam that she must make her costume designs more modest, or she has to wear a bra and pasties,” said a source. “They live in fear of a Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction,” the source added.

Eve : In Australia, thanku in advance for the LOVE!!! Demi Lovato : It’s crazy... Everytime I look at my little sister madison, it seems like she just gets older and more beautiful. Stop growing baby girl! :(

Kesha apologizes to Britney, Justin

Justin Bieber : Oprah is looking for my Biggest Fans!!!! Amanda Bynes : My name is Miss Amanda Laura Bynes. Most of my family calls me Chicky because I was very skinny (chicken legs) :)

Pamela Anderson launches her vegan milkshake at Millions Of Milkshakes on April 9, 2010 in West Hollywood, California.

Kelly Clarkson : Watched a couple ‘parenthood’ episodes today and it’s becoming my favorite show, it makes me happy :)

Miley Cyrus is marrying Liam Hemsworth

Nate Robinson : RT @SlickNick1990: I love my mom. Will do anything 4 her 2 make her happy.#Uaintneverlied #wordaapp

Is Miley Cyrus already planning a trip down the aisle with her boyfriend Liam Hemsworth? If today’s Totally Believable Gossip Item is to be believed—and really, why not?—the answer is yes.

Terra Naomi : Hey guys! Testing 1,2,3...here’s my song ‘Up Here’ - a demo from London. Song #1 of ??? http://trkurl.com/Hi0mE4 #TFAT

According to a source who no doubt has intimate knowledge of all of the Hannah Montana star’s plans, Cyrus will wed her The Last Song co-star late this year, once she’s nice and legal:

Shaquille O’Neal : The devil is a liar his father is a liar, and if he had a momma she’d be a liar to.......

“She’s convinced she’ll spend the rest of her life with him. She’s talking about a wedding as soon as she turns 18. She’s even asked her mom if she can wear her wedding dress.”

Alicia Keys : I’m relaxing/catching up on all the things I couldn’t when i was to busy on tour;-) bout to take a nice nap in my hammock though!;-)

From cafés and restaurants, to takeaway favourites, discover a world of fantastic flavours.

> UNIVERSITY HILL FARMERS’ MARKET Saturday 8 May, 8.30am - 1.30pm

And since the “Party in the USA” songbird recently confirmed that she’s purchased a home for herself, we might as well go ahead and start checking our mailboxes for the wedding invitations.

> > > >

Ke$ha has apologized after landing herself in hot water for insulting Britney Spears and Justin Bieber. The controversy started when Ke$ha blasted Britney’s lip-synching, telling the Scottish Daily Record, “I think if you are going to be a singer, you should sing. No offense to her specifically, but people have asked me before to mime. I have been up at 3 o’’clock in the morning for a television show with jet lag, but I refuse to mime.”

Degani > Cerezo Deli-Café > Uni Sushi > Fancy Fillings Hot Rock Grill & Burgers > Subway > Flakey Jakes Nando’s > Donut King > Azurea Café Restaurant > BB’s Café Cold Rock Ice Creamery > Kyoto Style > Kamil’s Kebabs

2 Janefield Dve (off Plenty Rd), Bundoora t 9467 9165 www.brandjunction.com.au

Vol 01, Issue 02, April 2010

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metro

Chris Rock’s Good Hair finishes on April 21 Good Hair Chris Rock’s hilarious take on the role of good hair in the lives of African Americans is screening until April 21. Hurry or you’ll miss ...

photo: Michael Cogan, coganm8@gmail.com

Serenity in the heart of the city

Last weeks to gaze at Mars Touching the past and looking into space photo: Barry Adcock, Royal Botanical Gardens, Melbourne

Bulgari on Film Three classic films showcasing the relationship between the exquisite jeweller and Hollywood are showing until April 18. Tickets are $13 and $10, or you can see all three films for $30 and $24 concession. Come September Robert Mulligan’s 1961 comedy features Gina Lollobrigida at her glamorous best playing opposite a dashing young Rock Hudson on the Italian Riviera. The VIPs A resplendent Elizabeth Taylor and then-husband Richard Burton star in Anthony Asquith’s lively melodrama about a group of jet setters fog-bound at Heathrow. The cast includes Louis Jourdan, Maggie Smith, Rod Taylor, Orson Welles and Margaret Rutherford at her dotty best. Prêt-à-Porter Altman’s humane satire set at the height of the Paris fashion season features Sophia Loren, Julia Roberts, Forrest Whittaker and Tim Robbins as well as cameos from fashion designers including Jean Paul Gaultier and Christian Lacroix. The Living Cinema of Akira Kurosawa Starting on May 12, ACMI presents three Wednesday night screenings of films from the Japanese master. On offer are the Oscar-winning Rashomon, as well as Scandal, The Hidden Fortress, No Regrets for Our Youth, High and Low and the rarely-seen The Most Beautiful. This is just a sample of the cinematic delights on offer at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in coming weeks. Tickets for most session are $13 and $10 concession. Full program available at www.acmi.net.au

Busking celebration in Acland St St Kilda comes alive on Sundays with the second annual Busking Festival already in full swing. Running for one more week at the St Kilda Sea Baths, the mobile celebration of open-air talent will light up bustling Acland Street every Sunday from April 25 to May 23. The free festival is a great opportunity for adults and children alike to see some of Melbourne’s best singers, dancers, acrobats and wildly ‘unconventional’ entertainers and take in some afternoon sea air at the same time. No busking festival would be complete without living statues and this year’s crop has proved more popular than ever. Also reprising his great success is last year’s main attraction, the “King” himself in the form of one of the town’s best Elvis impersonators. 1.00pm to 5.00pm, Sundays, St Kilda Sea Baths April 18 Acland Street, St Kilda April 25 to May 23 City of Port Phillip: (03) 9209 6777 www.stkildabuskingfestival.com.au

Vol 01, Issue 02, April 2010

A dedicated group of office workers start every Tuesday feeling rejuvenated after free T’ai Chi in Federation Square. Expert instructors provide guidance in the Chinese martial art devoted to health and relaxation. The cool morning air, the Melbourne skyline, and the breeze from the neighbouring Yarra provide the perfect atmosphere for relaxing and regrouping. Wednesday lunch time sessions are also available. No bookings are necessary and everyone is welcome to come along. Tuesday Wednesday Main Square (The Atrium when it rains) Urban Garden - The Amphitheatre 7.30am - 8.30am 12.00pm to 1.00pm

Hey dee ho at the Children’s Garden

The past and the future at the Old Melbourne Observatory By Rebecca Ponsford My best memories of my childhood in 1970s Brisbane are bound up with the visits of my Great Aunt Cecily from her adopted home in Colorado.

photo: Royal Botanical Gardens, Melbourne

Cinematic delights at ACMI

out and about

She’d married a US Air Force officer after World War II and my siblings and I never tired of telling anyone who’d listen that “Our Uncle Lee in America works for NASA”. It never seemed quite real, though, until the day in 1976 when Aunty Cecy arrived bearing a swathe of large glossy photographs of red dust and rock stretching out forever under a still black sky. Thanks to Uncle Lee, whom I confess I barely remember, four unruly (some would say ‘feral’) children in backwater Brisbane had the privilege of poring over some of the first images of the Mars surface ever to reach human eyes. The second of the Viking Landers that transmitted those images delivered its last transmissions in November 1982. Since 1990, of course, we’ve all been privy to the spectacular and utterly unprecedented images of the universe provided by the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope ... but I don’t think I’ve ever recaptured the sense of awe inspired by those shiny photos of Mars. The Red Planet is back in the southern skies this month and children have been flocking to the Old Melbourne Observatory to peer at its volcanic surface through the gigantic old telescopes that have been mapping our corner of the galaxy for over 160 years.

Movin’ and groovin’ in the Royal Botanical Gardens The hey dee ho team from the Mornington Peninsula has been evolving music programs for toddlers since 1987. Their franchises now extend nationally and programs begin this year in Chong Qing, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Melbourne ‘tinies’ have not been forgotten, however.

But time is running out – the fourth planet will move out of range at the end of May. For the next few weeks though, the Observatory is offering booked viewing sessions on Monday nights.

Three sessions still remain for singing, music and movement amid the trees and flowers of the Children’s Garden at the Royal Botanic Gardens in South Yarra.

It’s an excellent opportunity to see ‘up close’ one of the most intriguing spheres in the solar system and make contact with the city’s rich astronomical history at the same time.

The Wednesday morning music and play sessions are strictly limited to 1-2 children, so bookings are essential.

When: 8.00pm to 9.30pm, Mondays until the end of May, except April 26 | Where: Melbourne Observatory, near Observatory Gate on Birdwood Avenue. | Cost: $18 adult, $14 concession, $50 family (2 adults and up to 3 children) | Telephone: (03) 9252 2429

Where: The Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden, Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne

When: 10.00am to 10.45am, Wednesdays May 5, 12 & 19

Telephone: (03) 9252 2429

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mElbourNE livE

mEtro

Julie Forsythe plays Queen Elizabeth I of England as we have never seen her before in Malthouse Theatre’s Elizabeth, Almost by Chance a Woman. Renowned Italian satirist Dario Fo (Accidental Death of an Anarchist) sends one of the most famous women in history on a surreal roller-coaster ride in a hilarious theatrical freefall that pillories political chicanery then and now. When the Nobel Prize winner wrote the play in 1984, audiences quickly recognised everything reprehensible in the policies of Thatcher and Reagan in the Commedialevel pomposity, pretension and paranoia of Fo’s fractured ‘Court of Elizabeth’.

Julie Forsythe creates an Elizabeth I that spins history like a top

photo: CUB Malthouse

Director Michael Kantor and his cast (Forsythe, Billy Brown, Mark Jones and David Woods) navigate this masterpiece of irony in a way that can make us all a little less afraid – and a little more gleefully contemptuous – of the political bogey-men of the twenty-first century. CUB Malthouse Southbank VIC 3006 April 3 to 24 Check theatre for times Bookings: (03) 9685 5111

Tiny Hell goes to the Tate Gallery By Rebecca Ponsford

tiny unfunded gallery in Richmond will be reincarnated as a pop-up installation in the Turbine Hall of the renowned Tate Modern in London this May.

“It excludes people who can’t afford the fees, or who aren’t good at writing (funding) proposals,” Jess said. They were also responding to a certain formality they felt

Young Melbourne actress Rowena Vilar is playing the lead in the international hit musical, Fame, which opened at the Regent Theatre on Wednesday night. The Australian-born Philipina appears alongside veterans Andrew McFarlane (The Sullivans; Underbelly) and Brian Wenzel (A Country Practice) in the stage remake of the now-classic 1980 film about a group of young New Yorkers studying at the famous High School of Performing Art. Vilars is no stranger to the limelight. Still in her 20s, the classically trained dancer has already performed with Hugh Jackman in The Boy from Oz and impressed audiences and critics alike with her performance as Anita in the 2008 production of West Side Story. As the glamorous and ambitious singer, Carmen Diaz, Vilars recreates the role made famous by Irene Cara in the original film. Since the first production in 1995, nearly four million people around the world have seen Fame: the Musical. Dynamic young casts and energetic, innovative choreography have ensured its lasting popularity.

Fame is running at the Regent Theatre for a strictly limited 8-week season wednesday 1.00pm & 8.00pm

discouraged broader layers from attending galleries and other art events. “There weren’t a lot of places you could relax so we wanted to create an environment we’d like to hang out in.” And that environment happens to include a lot of things “you’re not allowed to do in art galleries”. Forget cold white strip lighting: the Hell domain is a comfortable, rambunctious environment made for celebration. Thanks to the small bar, impressive BBQ, outdoor TVs and rousing entertainment from local bands and DJs, the ‘opening’ crowds at Hell typically party until the small hours. Conjured from the discards of the more ‘official’ Melbourne art world, the little gallery is an important extension of their art practice. It’s altogether fitting that their contribution to No Soul for Sale will be a life-size cardboard popup version of the unique space. Johnson and Marani work full time as installers for some of the larger Melbourne institutions in order to sustain Hell and both admit the task is a demanding

Vol 01, Issue 02, April 2010

one. However, Johnson says, “In all honesty we’ve been quite happy not having to answer to anybody. It (funding) might change the way we do things – and we like having that freedom to do whatever we want.” That aside, the pair is grateful for the ‘helping hand’ extended by Arts Victoria. The Tate can’t cover transport costs for No Soul for Sale participants and a timely grant means the pair can ‘concentrate on the work’ without the added stress of finding two air fares to London. Hell will be hosting a onenight-only send off on April 23. Entertainment will be provided by local bands and music artists including Duck Juggler, The Ooga Boogas, Jenson Tjhung (Deafwish), Cinnamon Dynamo. Hell Gallery, 5a Railway Place, Richmond (behind Coles on Swan St) 12.00pm to 5.00pm, Saturdays or by appointment Ph. Jess & Jordy 0431974578 email: hellgallery@gmail.com

thursday

8.00pm

Friday

8.00pm

Saturday

2.00pm & 8.00pm

Sunday

1.00pm & 6.30pm

Bookings:

1300 795 012

Groups of 12 or more call:

Jordie Marani, artist, curator and proud BBQ owner

03 9299 9030

Red Stitch unearths another dynamic young playwright Polly Stenham was only 19 when she wrote her awardwinning play, That Face. After its Royal Court premiere in 2007, one critic dubbed it ‘the most astonishing debut I have seen in 30 years’. Adjectives like ‘remarkable’, ‘unforgettable’, and even (from The Guardian) ‘gob-smacking’ emerged in review after review from the notoriously hard-toplease London critics. Thanks to the courageous team at Red Stitch Actors theatre, Melbourne audiences will have a chance to see what all the fuss is about. Directed by Sarah

Giles, the darkly sardonic – and very funny – tale of parental alcoholism, boarding school and bitchiness opens at their East St Kilda theatre on April 28 for a four week season. NIDA graduate Giles has worked as an assistant director at the Melbourne Theatre Company and directed for the National Playwrights workshop in Canberra. Like Red Stitch itself though, she has a track record of producing excellent theatre equipped with a minute budget and woefully underpaid talent. Last year her shoe-string production of The Herbal Bed for The New Theatre won high praise from the Sydney critics.

photo: Red Stitch

For three days the Tate will be transformed into a free global art fair featuring interventions, structures and interactive installations from 60 international not-for-profit organizations and artists’ collectives. The invitation is a fitting tribute to the talent, dedication and generosity of spirit that inspired local artists Jess Johnson and Jordie Marani to transform the bottom floor of their home into a free art space two years ago. They were frustrated that a lot of the more interesting work they encountered wasn’t being seen around town. Unlike Johnson’s native New Zealand, where government subsidies mean some galleries can pay fees to exhibiting artists, most Australian spaces have to charge practitioners in order to cover the rent.

Rowena Vilar stars in Fame

The fresh, exciting choreography for the Australian production was created by So You Think You Can Dance’s Kelley Abbey.

Two richmond artists will represent australia at the london art celebration

The creators of Hell Gallery have been invited to join independent artists from New York to Reykjavík for the famous institution’s tenth anniversary celebrations.

Red Stitch Actors theatre Rear, 2 Chapel Street, St kilda (Opposite Astor Cinema, behind All Saints Church) April 28 to May 29 wed to Sat 8.00pm Sun 6.30pm Bookings: (03) 9533 8083

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comEdY fEStival SpEcial

mEtro

Around the world with You can take Aindrias de Staic the boy out of Warrnambool... By Rebecca Ponsford In the sort of Festival where ‘off-beat twists’ become almost predictable, Tom Ballard’s Cogito Ergo Some Funny features one of the most original – and hilarious – openings for a stand-up show. According to a PunCast interview with Matt Smith it was inspired by his earliest theatrical influences – community musical theatre in his home-town of Warrnambool. It really has to be seen to be believed. And yes, that is a fractured Descartes reference in the title. The 20-year old law school dropout can certainly bend your mind a little – but he still has plenty of time for some very funny riffs on religion, Facebook, and perennial favourite masturbation, as well. Don’t be fooled by the impossibly fresh face: this is an accomplished performer who’s been wowing audiences since he was fourteen. Ballard was a Class Clown national finalist three times before he turned 17; he made the RAW finals in 2006 and last year he became the youngest person ever to be named Best Newcomer at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. From performing at Late’N’Live in Edinburgh and the invitation-only Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal to supporting Charlie Pickering and Fiona O’Loughlin here at home, his stage career has gone from strength to strength. In 2010, between his breakfast show co-hosting duties for national youth radio triple j and his regular television appearances on Good News Week, The 7PM Project, AD/ BC, Studio A and jtv we should probably be grateful the impish, laconic comedian has time for stage at all.

photo: Token

A token Event Cogito Ergo Some Funny Tom Ballard Arthur’s Bar (at Rosati), 95 Flinders Lane 7.15pm nightly until Sat April 17; 6.15pm Sun April 18 Full, $24.90; Conc & Laugh Pack $21.90 (no conc Sat) Bookings: comedyfestival.com.au, Ticketmaster 1300 660 013 or at the door www.tomballard.com.au

Tom Ballard: tall, lean and funny ... and he can dance a little

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“Irish Gypsy” Aindrias de Staic By Rebecca Ponsford Maybe Aindrias de Staic was always meant to be in Australia.

It’s not difficult to account for the ongoing popularity of ‘the little show that could’.

The charismatic Irish story-teller and fiddler remembers reading Peter Carey’s classic tale of Australia, Illywhacker, back in his native Galway, when he was eleven years-old.

Storytelling is one of the great Irish pastimes and de Staic has been described as ‘one of the best’. He’s a master fiddler too and he weaves his own glorious musical evolution around the ever expanding anecdotes about his travels: from the dark, energetic Gypsy music he learned in Eastern Europe to the Italian, Greek and jazz violin he learned in Fitzroy.

“I just got it, like,” he says. And the country seems to get him too. In the space of two months he’s been awarded distinguished artist residency, had yet another hit season (his third) at the Adelaide Fringe, and kicked off his third Melbourne Comedy Festival season. Somewhere in there the Adelaide-produced Tropfest film, A Moment of Grace, in which he served as actor and narrator, scored a 2010 Bright Spark award.

But de Staic thinks Australian audiences relate particularly well to the way Around the world has developed simply through the retelling. “There’s a real tradition of jokes and poetry in Ireland and it’s been an influence here too,” he says.

Next month he’s heading back to the northern hemisphere for a European tour and the lead role in a new Irish documentary about the last of the Druidic Bards.

“My grandfather would tell the same story 30 times a year and in the retelling it becomes refined and distilled: it starts to fall into its own rhythm.

For one more week, though, Melbourne audiences have the chance to share in his rollicking fiddle-accompanied tale of his travels around the world battling his love of the drink and a general tendency for mischief in a moving – and hilarious – quest for love and happiness.

“In Australia people do seem to respond well to the cyclical nature of the tale … and I can mirror that with the music”.

The show about a colourful journey has had a colourful journey of its own. Since its inception in Galway in 2006, Around the world on 80 quid has played to Irish clubs in Boston, theatres in Berkeley and San Francisco and at the International Arts Centre in lower Manhattan. It won the Sweet Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2007 and attracted rave reviews on the Australian fringe circuit the following year. In 2008 it was also named Best Solo Show at the Wellington Fringe.

I’d love to recount the story of the Irish Gypsy fiddler who went to Budapest and woke up tied to a tree without a passport – but you’re really better off hearing it from the man himself. Aindrias is presenting the latest incarnation of his award-winning Around the world on 80 quid for one week only at the Northcote Town Hall. Studio 2, Northcote town Hall 189 High Street, Northcote tickets: $10 to $17 12 to 18 April Mon to Sun, 7.45pm Bookings 9481 9500 Northcotetownhall.com.au

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comEdY fEStival SpEcial

By Rebecca Ponsford

he latest offering from noted Melbourne playwright Kate Herbert is a darkly sardonic tale of work, friendship and resentment rooted in the theatrically fertile worlds of local football, jurisprudence and narcotics. Lawyers, Drugs and Money is playing at La Mama Courthouse as part of The Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Inspired by some remarkable anecdotes from Herbert’s lawyer husband, Jo Calleri, the play began its life as The Dinner for the 2008 Short and Sweet Festival. Seven drafts and some original music later, the sharply amusing conflict between two very different lawyers has been crafted into a 75-minute exploration of modern life that is “lively and energetic as well as funny”. Herbert describes it as “very much a sex, drugs and rock and roll play about lawyers and footballers behaving badly”. The universal appeal of the piece – and probably a lot of its comedy as well – comes from its grounding in familiar truths about the complex relationships we all have with old jobs, old friends and old images we have of ourselves. Over nearly three decades, Herbert’s revealed a remarkable range as a writer.

She started out writing some very funny material in the 1980s but subsequent ABC Radio commissions and stage plays have been as likely to be compelling dramas as comedies. To some extent Herbert credits her impressive improv pedigree for her ability to create lively, engaging work across a range of genres. Over many trips to the US and Canada (including one funded by an Australia Council Fellowship Grant in 2003) the writer and performer has trained and worked with the world’s best practitioners of the art, and improv guru Keith Johnstone has been an important influence. “He’s pretty obsessed about comedy”, Herbert notes, “but with him it also has to be intimate, lively and engaging.” She also thinks this sort of work has contributed significantly to her craftsmanship. In 2005 she achieved her VCA Masters of Dramatic Arts in Direction with an entirely improvised version of Shakespeare. “To do that without it just being a parody, I really had to understand the structure of narrative and styles in theatre. It means with my scripted plays I’ve got that capacity to really think and write on my feet.”

‘lawyers and footballers behaving badly’ This probably accounts for the references to “spontaneity” and “immediacy” that seem to crop up in almost every review of a Kate Herbert production – be it comedic or poignantly serious.

need to do something standing on your head in a bucket of water on top of a building while speaking text backwards ... and if you can put in a bit of digital imagery so much the better.”

It’s probably that dedication to craft, along with a demonstrated drive to explore all aspects of human life that makes Herbert quite philosophical about the fact that, despite her impressive track record, support from arts funding bodies has been less than forthcoming.

“In other countries there’s a real tradition of very famous playwrights who were critics as well. George Bernard Shaw and Bertolt Brecht wrote reviews and I think David Mamet does as well. But I think it throws people a bit here because they’re not really used to it.” She feels another stumbling block may be her somewhat “unfashionable” commitment to sound narrative structure and textured character development. “I’m not abstract enough,” she says with a chuckle. “In order to get funding you

Young and old are flocking to the free comedy at Fed Square

Last chance for free laughs at Fed Square By Rebecca Ponsford

“It’s partly because I’m a critic as well,” she says. (She’s been reviewing local theatre and music since 1992 and currently works for both The Herald-Sun and 3MBS’s The Source.)

photo: Marcel aucar

photo: la Mama

mEtro

KaTE HErBErT Veteran Melbourne playwright

If your preference is for funny, insightful theatre that doesn’t need gimmicks to get your attention, this is probably up your alley.

La Mama Courthouse, 349 drummond Street, Carlton April 7-25, 2010 Wed / Sun at 6.30pm, Thurs / Fri / Sat at 8.00pm duration: 80 mins approx. tickets: $25 / $12 (conc.) Bookings: 9347 6142 / www.lamama.com.au / ticketmaster 1300 660 013

Comedy, acrobatics and some much-needed plain homestyle silliness is free on-tap for one more weekend at The Big Laugh Out in Fed Square so grab a coat or a blanket and don’t miss out. Barry Award nominee Asher Treleaven is fitting in some gigs in between his show at the Town Hall and local favourite The Birdman is showing people of all ages how to drink tea through their nose. Award-winning clown Fraser Hooper is making his last Australian appearances before he jets of to the UK for the Brighton Festival at the end of the month and The List Operators have plenty of kid-friendly material that hits the spot with ‘old people’ as well (it’s guaranteed not educational and they do allow dinosaurs). Acrobats Sébastien Tardif and Vincent Dubé and Australia’s world record breaking Hula Hooper Jess Love are also appearing. Main Square, Federation Square - FREE Friday April 16: 5.30pm Saturday April 17 & Sunday April 18: 2.00pm Asher treleaven can also be seen at the Melbourne town Hall Backstage Room, Cnr Swanston & Collins Sts, Melbourne April 2 to April 26 Tue to Sat: 8.30pm, Sun: 7.30pm Tickets: $18 to $22 ($15 for Tue) Bookings: Ticketmaster 1300 660 013 or at the door

chinese & tibetan antique furniture contemporary furniture | decor, gifts & statuary

N E W A R R I VA L S 240 Hoddle Street, Abbotsford Phone 9417 0466 www.livingred.com.au Vol 01, Issue 02, April 2010

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Melbourne live

Metro

Dennis Hopper and the New Hollywood

Three years before his ground-breaking film role thrust him into the limelight, the 28-yearold actor compiled a photo-journal of Martin Luther King Jnr’s civil-rights march from Selma to Montgomery. Today his images of Dr King are among the most enduring in the world. The current display shows his ongoing efforts to make a visual chronicle of political protest whenever he encounters it.

is performance as Billy in Easy Rider shot Dennis Hopper to fame and he’s rarely been out of the public eye since.

Along with Peter Fonda and Terry Southern, Hopper co-wrote and produced the film that came to epitomise the rebelliousness and iconoclasm of late 1960s counter-culture. There’s nothing trivial about Hopper’s continued celebrity – it’s rooted first and foremost in his ability to maintain a critical approach to contemporary culture through all the shifts and upheavals of the past halfcentury and communicate that through his work in film, painting and photography.

Also included are his internationally renowned portraits of Paul Newman, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Julian Schnabel. Of course, his impressive body of film work as both actor and director is on offer as well, most notably Rebel Without a Cause (1955), Blue Velvet (1986), Apocalypse Now (1968) and the Australian production Mad Dog Morgan (1976).

photo: Easy Rider Productions

It’s a body of work enriched by Hopper’s collaborations over the years with a wide range of artists, musicians, actors, architects and filmmakers, including Francis Ford Coppola, Marcel Duchamp, Frank Gehry, Jack Nicholson, David Lynch and Wim Wenders.

Open daily: 10.00am - 6.00pm Event details Date: Friday 9 Apr to Sunday 25 Apr Time: 10.00am Location: ACMI Contact details: ACMI, +61 3 8663 2200 Further Information: www.acmi.net.au

Dennis Hopper and the New Hollywood, a tribute to his accomplishments across all media, is nearing the end of its run at ACMI. The highlight photography.

EGYPT

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Visit the beautiful Luxor and Karnak Temples Stay overnight in Luxor, once known as Thebes, the centre of ancient Egypt Visit Edfu home of the magnificent Temple of Horus, the Falcon God Enjoy a late afternoon visit to the riverside temples of Kom Ombo Explore the laidback town of Aswan where our touring includes the beautiful Temple of Philae, the Unfinished Obelisk and the incredible High Dam Relax on an afternoon cruise on the Nile in Aswan on a traditional felucca sailing boat Visit the stunning temples of Ramses II and Queen Nefertari at Abu Simbel. This is a must-see while in Egypt, which most other companies offer only as an optional extra. We include it! Spend two nights in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria. Our sightseeing includes Pompey’s Pillar, the catacombs, the modern New Bibliotheca and the Citadel of Qaitbey Spend a full day touring El Alamein, site of the famous WWII battle between Rommel and Montgomery Enjoy a final night in Cairo with a wonderful dinner cruise on the Nile

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Vol 01, Issue 02, April 2010

258 Park Street South Melbourne VIC 3205

All prices shown are per person based on twin share. Single rooms are available at a supplement, check our website for details. Prices are correct at time of print but are subject to change. Note air supplement may apply depending on airline availability. Lic No TTA 149 286 Bunnik Travel Pty Ltd

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lifEStYlE

partY toWN

MARTIN BELL GOES TO HELL Local art lovers, Kyla, Lisa and Steve

Hungry for art and hungry Jordie’s barbie - the crowds flock to Martin Bell’s exhibition

photos: Hell Gallery

Lovers of life and art crowded into soon-to-be-famous (see article page 5 ) Hell Gallery in Richmond for the launch of Martin Bell’s Skull Gully. In keeping with the proud tradition of Hell, the rambunctious sausage sizzle ran to the wee hours with entertainment from James Eisen, The Promise Land, New Zealand band, Terror of the Deep and DJ Emilliomzzz. The three-week exhibit introduced a whole new audience to Bell’s expansive, anarchic, intensely intricate landscapes. If you missed it, you can sample his highly imaginative attempt to grapple with the inner and outer world at www.martinbell.com.au

Jersey drape and boots to die for

Celebrating

CURVES AT FASHION WEEK Stunning plus-size model Laura Wells led the charge at the Style Salon launch for m line’s autumn/winter range. Fashion-lovers packed into the Malvern Town Hall as Wells and a team of gorgeous women sizes 12 to 24 showcased sexy, edgy clothes for the young and style conscious. M line is a fresh, bold face that’s backed by skill and experience. The brain-child of a new design team at Maggie T, it combines style, daring ... and that all important perfect fit.

A new take on the must-have white shirt

Top model Laura Wells sizzles in red knit and jeans

photos: Style Counsel

Vol 01, Issue 02, April 2010

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THE STYLISH

do it with style Fashionistas flocked to The Docklands Alumbra for The Sound of Fashion 2010 Wrap Party to celebrate the end of another L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival. Postcard’s lauren Phillips puts a new spin on “coffee with friends”

Entertainment for was provided by celebrity DJ Fuzzy, John Course, TV Rock, Franky D, James Belias, Simon Digby and Apap. To celebrate the end of Melbourne’s week of fashion and glamour, Local and international party goers danced through the night to tracks provided by celebrity DJ Fuzzy, John Course, TV Rock, Franky D, James Belias, Simon Digby and Apap. Additional mojo came via the coffee-based “Espressotinis” flowing from the luxe Lavazza A Modo Mio bar. LMFF ambassadors and song writing sisters Liv and Mim Nervo joined MTV reality TV star Whitney Port on the dance floor while the young neighbours cast enjoyed the buzz and the coffee. Postcard’s presenter Lauren Phillips was totally at ease in the fashion crowd – she’s also the National Ambassador for Myer and the face of NF by Nicola Finneti.

Mim Nervo dances up a storm

Dancing to the wee hours

Songwriters and lMFF ambassadors, liov and Mim Nervo The kids from Neighbours out in force

Maria Nowakowska, Miss Poland 2010 joins in the fun

Celebrity DJ Fuzzy recharges at the Modo Mio Bar

Vol 01, Issue 02, April 2010

photos: Pr Edge

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homE aNd hEarth/ SaviNGS

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$21 Challenge in bookstores now

The average family spends $300 a week on groceries ... but it doesn’t have to be that way By Rebecca Ponsford

our years ago Barbara Kane’s husband handed her $20 when she asked for the grocery bill. The mother of two knew it was a joke, but she was already a member of online ‘money-wise’ community, Simple Savings, so she decided to take up the challenge.

The $21 Challenge. Mother of two (and a half) Fiona is the founder of the Simple Savings website and a widely acknowledged queen of thrift. To the one million readers of her regular column in That’s Life! Magazine, Jackie is better known as “Penny Wise”.

She found one dollar in her purse and, with her own planning and determination, along with a lot of tips and hints from the Simple Savings website, she made it to the end of the week ... and nobody went hungry!

They’ve added their expertise to produce a book packed with recipes, menu plans and tips. In short, all the strategies you need to stop rushing off to the shops every five minutes and start making use of the food you already have in your fridge, freezer and pantry.

Barbara’s experiment is the inspiration behind the bestselling new book by Fiona Lippey and Jackie Gower,

With a plethora of “budget tips” books out there at the moment, it’s great to know that this one is based on strategies already

tested by hundreds of budget conscious Simple Savings members over the last four years. Of course, nobody is suggesting it’s possible to feed a family of four for $21 every week. As Jackie says, some families spend that on milk and bread. It’s a strategy that works in those weeks when the family needs a little extra money, or when they want to save for something special. There’s also something refreshingly unfanatical about the authors’ approach. Jackie points out that just trying it one week a month – or even just limiting the dinners budget to $21 a week every now and then – can still add up to hundreds of dollars in savings over a year.

How one woman changed her life a thriving interactive hub for the budget-conscious

The stylish blond runs a hectic online business providing luxury hampers from her home in Melbourne’s northern suburbs and all thoughts of stern austerity are dispelled by the sight of her colourful array of baskets laden with seasonal fruit, luxury tapenades and King Island cheeses. She freely admits to a great zest for life and admits that before her two daughters came along she’d always baulked at any mention of budgeting. “I had always been a high income earner along with my husband. The old saying ‘The more you earn the more you spend’ had become our life,” she said. But the joy of having Alexi and Phillipa (now 9 and 11) in their lives was marred by escalating money problems. “We often found ourselves with credit card debt. We were clearly spending more than we earned and quite frankly couldn’t figure out where it was going,” she explained. That pressure has vanished since Sharyn joined Simple

The $21 Challenge is published by Pan Macmillan Australia ISBN: 9780980653304 RRP: $24.99 AUD Available in bookstores or online at www.simplesavings.com. au/21dollarchallenge Support website: www.21dollarchallenge.com

8 steps to happiness from the founder of Simple Savings 1. STOP

By Rebecca Ponsford haryn Polatos is living proof that Fiona Libbey’s “Simple Savings” approach to money is about freedom and choices, rather than deprivation.

For even more help taking up the challenge, anyone buying the book can also access free downloadable resources and backup support available at the $21 Challenge website.

A marketer or salesperson’s job is to make you think you need something that five minutes earlier you didn’t know existed.

Savings two years ago, and the Polatos clan is enjoying life more than ever. “It’s an empowering feeling to take control of your finances as opposed to letting them control you.”

Think for a minute. Engage your brain so you are the one making the decision.

The site contains so many tips and hints, from saving on phone and energy bills to great ideas for affordable holidays, that Sharyn believes her membership “paid for itself within minutes of joining”.

Our bodies get confused between the desire for food and inedible objects.

The food and shopping tips alone have saved Sharyn $5 000 a year ... and brought other benefits besides. (see box) “We eat better and we have more time to spare,” she says. She also likes the fact that Simple Savings doesn’t just list “formulas for success” like a lot of money-saving websites.

2. arE yOU HUNGry? Sharyn Polatos “If one of the members writes in because they’re worried about their electricity bill, immediately, five other members will email to share their experiences and explain the solutions that worked for them.” It’s also important that the small fee means Simple Savings can remain advertising free and therefore completely independent.

Rather, the website is an interactive hub for “like-minded people who are willing to share their wealth of knowledge to assist others.”

“When Fiona started having children she really noticed how much advertising pressure there was on young women – to try to convince them to buy things they just don’t need.”

Back in the Queensland head office, Naomi Bruvels thinks it’s the interaction and collaboration that makes the site so special and so popular.

Helping people differentiate between a useful feature and a sales gimmick is another invaluable Simple Savings service.

“The members really support each other in their goals and ambitions,”she says.

“Fiona’s background is in industrial design, so she’s trained to see through the marketing hype.”

Vol 01, Issue 02, April 2010

Hunger impairs our decisionmaking processes. Eat something and wait 15 minutes.

6. WHaT Will yOU lOSE? If you are lucky, the only thing you lose is cash, and the time it took you to earn that money. Work out everything you will lose. 7. a BETTEr Way? Shop around for a good price and work out the smartest way to buy it. Do your research and work out how to get the best value in the minimum time possible?

8. iS THE CaSH rEally ‘SParE’? Nothing is worth burdening yourself with debt for. Most of the time, buying things on credit is stupid. So if you don’t have the cash, remain free, walk away and live happily ever after. If you don’t have the spare cash, go home and save until you do. www.simplesavings.com.au

3. alTErNaTiVES? There are so many other things you could achieve with this money. Be sure this is the one thing you want. 4. WOrTH THE EFFOrT? Every $15 you spend is an hour you are going to have to work. Do you want this enough to earn back the cost? 5. WHaT Will yOU GaiN? It is important that you are really sceptical. Will it improve your health and happiness or genuinely give you more free time? How?

FiONa liPPEy Founder of Simple Saving

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NEWS fEaturES

ENviroNmENt

Skippy could help save the planet The benefits of eating kangaroo meat go way beyond a little help with our cholesterol levels. Dr George Wilson, of the Institute of Environmental Studies at University of NSW thinks a shift away from lamb and beef and towards the abundant marsupial could bring significant benefit to the environment. In a paper published in the online journal Conservation Letters, Dr Wilson estimated a 30 per cent reduction in Australian livestock numbers would produce an important drop in methane emissions.

photo: Fir0002/Flagstaffotos

Methane, like carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to global warming. Worldwide, ruminants such as cows, sheep and goats produce over 60 per cent of methane emissions. Kangaroos, however, emit only one-third the methane of ruminants.

Dr Wilson, who has over 35 years’ experience in wildlife management, thinks Australians can do their bit by eschewing our more familiar meats for the native variety. He’s supported by UNSW Dean of Science, Mike Archer. Speaking to Cosmos last year, Archer commented, “Eating more kangaroo has an incredible array of benefits, for our environment, for dietary health and as a tasty red meat.

WSPA Wildlife Programmes Manager, Dr Jan Schmidt-Burbach, and Collingwood Captain, Nick Maxwell launching the campaign in Melbourne. The striking mural was created by local artist and fellow Bricks for Bears supporter, Sam Jones.

ou have to be tough to captain an AFL team, but it’s obvious the Collingwood chief is genuinely moved by the suffering endured by dozens of sloth bears still trapped on the notorious bear-baiting circuit in Pakistan. For over a year now Nick Maxwell’s been an ardent supporter of World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA)’s Bricks for Bears campaign. With a target of $500 000, the project aims to build a sanctuary so that rescued bears can live out their lives in peace.

“The soft padded feet of kangaroos are far kinder to the land than the hooves of sheep and cattle, which have caused untold damage and consequent land erosion.”

By Rebecca Ponsford

An island emerges out of a mangrove one day and two countries spend 30 years huffing about planting flags and landing gunships and generally being complete pillocks about who ‘owns’ the mud-flats. Then – whoosh – suddenly the island sinks back down into the sea from whence it came and everyone involved looks really silly. It could have been anyone, but in this case the two countries were India and Bangladesh and the vanishing isle is/was New Moore Island in the Ganges River Delta. It all seemed quite amusing until I started noticing all these really annoying details. For example, two million people live in the Ganges Delta. For every square mile of land swallowed by the sea, that’s about 520 people who won’t have anywhere to live anymore. Tens of thousands have already been displaced in the region: New Moore was the fifth island to disappear in the Sundaraban Island chain in the Bengal Basin, where sea levels

If there could be said to be anything ‘positive’ about such an event, at least it’s refocussed attention on an issue that was largely ignored at Copenhagen. While the practices of the world’s richest nations are mainly responsible for rising sea levels, it is almost invariably the world’s most impoverished countries that have to deal with the problem. A little closer to home, the Maldives are only eight feet above sea level. As luck would have it their government has been able to make enough out of tourism to begin building Hulhumale, an artificial island for the local population to move to. Tuvalu, a tiny island between here and Hawaii, isn’t so fortunate. Experts predict the Pacific will swallow the little country within 50 years. The government can afford to subsidise 75 people a year to move to New Zealand – but there are 11 000 people on Tuvalu. You do the math. this isn’t something Australia can ignore. Between 2003 and

Vol 01, Issue 02, April 2010

2006, South Sea Islander applications for migration to New Zealand skyrocketed from 4 000 to 17 000. So far the Australian government has made no ofﬁcial offer to help. These people are our neighbours, their countries are sinking, they have to live somewhere ... and they won’t all fit in Aukland. What’s really disturbing is that this, if you will forgive a truly dreadful pun, is only the tip of the iceberg.

At this stage this aspect of global warming is having its most dramatic impact in these very low-lying regions, where a 10 centimetre rise can cause problems. But some experts predict that the thermal expansion and glacial melting produced by global warming could lead to seas rising as much as seven metres. This would have a devastating impact on China, Vietnam, Bangladesh and India ... and quite a few people live there too.

A lifelong animal lover, Nick had been a regular WSPA donor for a few years. About a year ago when he decided he wanted to do more he gave them a call and that’s when WSPA’s Rose Johns filled him in on the bears’ plight campaign. “They’d already saved 40 bears before I came along, but that still leaves 70 behind. I’m concerned that we’re still only $30 000 into a $500 000 campaign.” Every “Brick” in the campaign is a $50 donation towards the sanctuary. Nick says, “If 50 000 people just buy one brick each, that’d fix the whole thing.” The issue is an urgent one – those last 70 bears can’t be saved until there’s a safe place for them to go. For them, Maxwell says, “Every single day counts.” When he explains exactly what these animals have to endure, it’s easy to see why he’s been such an ardent supporter of the campaign. “I couldn’t believe what was going on – that it was still happening these days,” he said. “The bears are stolen from their families when they’re babies and smuggled across the border into Pakistan. Their teeth are pulled out; their claws are filed back; their very sensitive noses are pierced and rings for chains are put through them. Then they get to spend the next 15 years, if they live that long, being torn apart in fights with vicious dogs. He corrects himself and explains that it can hardly be called ‘fighting’, since the bears have no way to left to defend themselves.“Can you imagine watching human beings being put in a situation where a bunch of people were trying to kill them and they had their hands tied behind their back – that’s what these bears have to go through every day.” Even when they’re not being mauled by savage dogs, Maxwell says the conditions confronting the bears are “horrific”.

photos: ﬂickr.com/photos/nattu/

have been rising more than three centimetres a year.

“it isn’t sport. it’s animal cruelty.” Nick Maxwell

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation has been urging an international reconsideration of agricultural practices for some time. In 2008, the UNFAO determined that livestock are responsible for 18 per cent of global greenhouse emissions. That’s more than transport.

The sky isn’t falling – but we may be sinking t sounds like something out of Jonathan Swift ... or Terry Pratchett.

Collingwood Captain campaigns for tortured bears in Pakistan photo: Courtesy of WSPA

Female Eastern Grey Kangaroo and joey

“Their injuries are not even treated,’’ he says. You know his love for animals is a big part of his life when he describes himself as “married with two dogs”. The “children” he’s referring to are his beloved LabradorCavalier cross, Ralph and Labrador-Cocker Spaniel cross, Maisie. To donate to the campaign go to: bricksforbears.org.au To find out more about other WSPA initiatives go to: www.wspa.org.au

The glorious Maldives are only 8 feet above sea level

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techno

3D television

the latest TV innovations

Avatar and Ice Age 3 have shown that 3D is required. To transport this stunning film experience and the home theater, several vendors at the CES show that is possible: Samsung, Viewsonic, Panasonic and many others presented their “3D-ready” devices. 3 things a person needs for 3D TV, Blu-Ray player and glasses Panasonic Full HD 3D calls his threedimensional pleasure and is in addition to several TVs and Blu-ray players, including wireless speakers in front, with which can achieve surround sound without expensive installations. The TV will be delivered directly to the needed glasses. Because the default format is compatible to RealD3D, which is used in many cinemas, probably without delaying the upcoming 3D films, even come right in the space-filling format on the market. Also the Samsung BD-C6900 is the 3Dcompatible Blu-ray standard Samsung is presenting a whole range of TVs with a special 3-D chip and the Bluray Player BD-C6900, the discs after the already sanctioned 3D Blu-ray standard TVs and projectors corresponding to reflect. The

iPhone owners ! now you can unlock iPhone 3G/3Gs easily G

ood news for all owners of an iPhone 3G/3Gs External. Iphoneland has released the new software that can unlock iphone 3g/3gs or 2g easy.The solution is easy to implement the release of the iPhone 3G 3.1.3. The process is really simple and allows all iPhone owners worldwide, who are not lucky enough to buy factory unlocked iPhone by how we Italians but we have to use iPhone 3G iPhone OS 3.0 update with any sim card. The new tool is called ultrasn0w and essentially does not change shape and method of action than its predecessor yellosn0w. Gone are the old days when the release of ZiPhone iPhone was done with a click: Apple has improved the protection but the DevTeam, for now, can bypass. As noted above, ultrasn0w is nothing but the evolution of yellosn0w is still a daemon that can run in the background with the ability to continually deceive your iPhone 3G in order to make him believe that the SIM is the official one. As in yellosn0w from conceptual point of view this is not a real release: that is fine but if it is the only method to unlock iPhone 3G updated to version 3.0

Position Vacant Office Coordinator - Part Time 40k Pro Rata + super Melbourne CBD 4 Hours 3 days per week.

Contact : Paul Mclane, MC News MC News (Melbourne City Newspaper) is independent media company. Roles: Business Communication & Management Need to be exceptional writer and editor. Must have experience. E-mail your CV to info@mc-news.com.au

Vol 01, Issue 02, April 2010

CEA, host of the CES, has rewarded this product even with a “Best of Innovations 2010″ award. The prices for the 3D products are not fixed yet, but the devices should already be available from March. With the projector, such as the Viewsonic PJD6531W, can transform one’s living room in a 3D cinema Viewsonic has several devices for use on the computer in the program. These displays, including three models from 48.3 to 61 cm (19 inches – 24 inches) with LED backlight, and the projectors (DLP six variants) are compatible with the stereoscopic 3D technology from NVIDIA. With its refresh rate of 120 Hertz, they enable users of shutter glasses in games, entertainment or presentation area realistic 3D graphic representations. In 2D mode is the fast frame rate benefits the fluent movements. The top model of the projectors is the widescreen model PJD6531W with HDMI.

HTC Desire Review F

irst of all, it has some really nice features not under its body: a Qualcomm CPU 1GHz, 512 MB ROM and 576 RAM. Regarding connectivity mention HPSA support and Wi-Fi. Other features include a joysticktype optical trackball, a 5 megapixel camera and 3.7-inch AMOLED display. All packed in 135 grams of weight and dimensions of 119 x 60 x 11.9 millimeters. Of note is the redesigned user interface HTC Sense. Desire should land on the market in April, at a price not yet announced. The HTC Desire was introduced by HTC 2010 along with HTC Legend on the MWC. The HTC Desire is broadly consistent with the Nexus One except the Sense UI. According to HTC, the Desire is specially designed to meet the needs of all potential users of their smartphone to exploit intensively. Thus the device provides extensive functionality for the visually news, contacts with friends, photos, Favorite places and all other important things to experience on a smartphone. The HTC Desire is available from April and costs about €499 ($673 US dollars). These prices are without subscription. You can get it for a cheaper price if you agree to sign a longer contract with a telecommunications company. HTC Desire follows the footsteps of Nexus One. A month after its release in store,

the Nexus One by Taiwanese company HTC (High Tech Computers) presents the HTC Desire, much like the phone that Google has launched with bullying in the market for smartphones. Along with the HTC Mini and HTC Legend is one of 3 phones so far by HTC officially presented during this Mobile World Congress. Like the companions it runs on Android operating system (while the HTC Mini relies on Windows Mobile 6.5). The HTC Desire has a 3.7-inch AMOLED touchscreen, a 1GHz of Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, WiFi connectivity, Bluetooth 2.1 and GPS, FM radio and a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and flash. On the software, in addition to remembering Android operating system 2.1 (Eclair),

very interesting is the interface HTC Sense, already models HTC Hero, and according to the studio itself, designed to allow maximum customization possible, certainly much more than the Nexus One. Also in terms of software will be FriendStream, application can aggregate content from several different social networks, and Adobe Flash 10.1 (it is one of the first smartphone to support it). It will be on sale in Europe from the second quarter of 2010. HTC announced that it is bringing its top-of-the-line Desire smartphone to the continent exclusively through Telstra. The handset is set to hit the market at some point in April at a still undisclosed price — all we know is that pricing will be announced “closer to launch.” »» 1 GHz processor by Snapdragon »» 3.7 inch AMOLED touchscreen capacative with multi-touch support »» Resolution: 480 x 800 WVGA »» Platform: Android 2.1 with HTC Sense »» Memory: 512MB ROM + 576MB RAM »» Expandable memory: microSD expandable to 32 GB »» Bluetooth 2.1 and WiFi 802.11 b / g »» 3G/GPRS/EDGE »» Battery: 1400 mAh »» 119 mm x 60 mm x 11.9 mm »» 135 grams »» Network: HSPA / WCDMA: 900/2100 MHz GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz »» 5.0 megapixel camera with auto-focus, LED flash and face recognition »» Optical trackball, GPS »» 3.5 mm stereo audio jack, FM Radio »» Tethering – share your Internet connection d.m.v. USB

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Science & Health

The surgical ‘dream team’ that made medical history

Breakthrough surgery promises a transformation in medical transplant technology A

n international team of surgeons performed the world’s first tissue-engineered windpipe transplant on a ten-year old boy at University College London Hospital (UCLH) last month. Speaking to BBC online, team leader Dr Martin Birchall said, “It is the first time a child has received stem cell organ treatment, and it’s the longest airway that has ever been replaced”. The child, who suffers from a rare congenital condition called Long Segment Congenital Tracheal Stenosis was born with a trachea measuring only one millimetre in diameter and had struggled for breath his entire life.

Professor Mark Lowdell Professor Martin Birchall Professor Martin Birchall is Professor of Laryngology and Consultant Laryngologist at the Royal Nose, Throat and Ear (RNTE) Hospital. Along with Professor Paolo Macchiarini of the University of Barcelona, he led the European team which successfully performed the world’s first stem-cell based, tissue-engineered organ transplant, in 2008. He is working towards the day when it will be possible to replace the larynx for persons in whom it is destroyed by trauma or cancer. Professor Birchall believes his team’s integration of recent developments in stem-cell/ tissue-engineered airway replacements and laryngeal transplantation is “opening up new vistas for organ replacement in years to come”.

Professor Paolo Macchiarini A specialist in general thoracic and peripheral vascular surgery, Professor Macchiarini is currently head of the General Thoracic & Regenerative Surgery & Intrathoracic Biotransplantation Department of Hospital Clinico, University of Barcelona. He served as Head of Thoracic Surgery from 2005 to 2009. Following his medical training in Pisa, Macciarini undertook fellowships in France and the United States before becoming research director at Paris-Sud University in 1998. Since 2005, along with Professor Birchall, he has become recognised as a pioneer in the emerging field of regenerative medicine.

Doctors are optimistic he will recover quickly from the surgery since the use of the boy’s own stem-cells in preparing the donor trachea for implantation obviated the need for anti-rejection drugs and their often debilitating side-effects.

A specialist in juvenile leukaemia, Professor Mark Lowdell has long campaigned against political interference that blocks the development of potentially life-saving medical technologies.

They were encouraged by the results of the first operation of this type in a 30 year-old woman in Barcelona in 2008. Dr Birchall and Italian cardio thoracic specialist Dr Paolo Macchiarini, who also participated in the UK operation, successfully replaced the trachea of Columbian national Claudia Castillo, whose left lung had collapsed due to long-term tuberculosis.

In 2004, his influence helped bring about a speedy reversal of an EU ban against Donor Lymphocyte Infusion (DLI), which had been shown to save the lives of 10% of leukaemia patients who had relapsed after bone marrow transplants. The procedure, which uses white blood cells from the same bone marrow donor to boost the life-saving effects of the original transplant, was under threat due to the sort of political pressures that have hampered stem-cell research. His current research involves finding the ‘trigger’ for the body’s NK (Natural Killer) cells which have been shown to attack leukaemia cells in patient’s bone marrow.

Using material taken from her hip bone, Castillo’s stem cells were sent to a laboratory at the University of Bristol, for cultivation and eventual transfer to a denuded donated trachea. When the potential replacement tissue was prepared it was placed in a special machine designed by scientists in Milan so the new cells could ‘reprogram’ the cartilage. Professor Martin Elliott Professor Martin Elliott is a leading specialist in paediatric cardiac surgery. He has been Consultant CardioThoracic Surgeon at The Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, since 1985. photos: courtesy of University College London Hospital

This stage of the procedure has been crucial to the success of these sorts of transplants, since the cells lining the trachea serve a crucial immune system function, fighting off diseases that enter the body through the airways. There is general consensus throughout the medical world that the use of stem cell material in this new field of ‘regenerative’ medicine will greatly increase transplant patient survival rates, and drastically reduce recovery time. In the case of Ms Castillo, British medical journal, The Lancet, reported at the time that she was quickly able “to resume normal life” with her two children.

photo: Nerada Tea

Tea is even better for us than we thought T he classical Chinese philosopher Lao Tse called it ‘the froth of the liquid jade’ and since the tenth century BC human beings have been sitting down to relax and reflect over a cup of hot tea. Only in the last five years, however, have scientists proven what the exponents of traditional Asian medicine have been claiming for centuries: the regular consumption of tea has a direct positive impact on our state of health. The general health benefits of tea have been known for some time. A good source of flavonoid antioxidents, it has similar benefits to a raft of latter-day miracle-foods like honey, garlic, apples, onions,

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beans, spinach, buckwheat, strawberries and blueberries. All of these foods have scientifically established anti-bacterial, anti-viral, antitumour, anti-inflammatory, antiallergenic, and vasodilatory effects. That is to say: they are good for our immune system, they probably help ward off cancer, and they can contribute to good cardiovascular health.

So far though, tea is the only one proven to reduce the time it takes the body to relax after a stressful experience. Certainly, we always knew we felt more relaxed after a hot cuppa, but for a long time the effect was attributed to any number of factors from the pleasant aroma of the familiar beverage to the circumstances

in which we tend to indulge in a quiet sip.

Then in 2006 a group of University College London (UCL) researchers subjected 75 males to a six-week double-blind study to measure differences in stress-recovery times between those drinking six cups of tea a day and those given a substitute engineered to smell and taste exactly like the real thing. The results, published in Psychopharmacology, reported that 50 minutes after performing stress-inducing tasks, cortisol levels had dropped by an average of 47 per cent in the tea drinking group compared with only 27 per cent in the fake tea group. Even more dramatic results

emerged from a 2007 study coconducted by The University of Western Australia School of Medicine and Pharmacology, the Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, and the School of Exercise, Biomedical and Health Science, Edith Cowan University. Over a thousand women aged 70 to 85 were monitored over a five year period to determine the possible effects of tea drinking on loss of bone density. The non-tea drinkers lost an average of 4.0% of their hipbone mass over the course of the study – more than twice as much as the tea drinkers, who lost only 1.6% in the same period.

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red carpet

photo: Getty images

Robert Pattinson

‘Fame is a Burden’, says he doesn’t deserve it The pressures of fame are wearing down Robert Pattinson. In a recent interview with The Sun, Rob talked about his fame and his fans: Being well known is a real burden. I’m less open and have noticed that I’m actually getting paranoid. If people push themselves on me I find it gruelling and repulsive. If I even think someone wants to approach me I feel the need to scream, ‘What do you want of me’. Then later I think, ‘What if this person only wanted to be nice?

Fans pose for photographs with the Robert Pattinson wax figure during its unveiling at Madame Tussauds on March 25, 2010 in New York City.

Pattinson also says he doesn’t feel that he has worked long enough as an actor to deserve the level of fame he has achieved.

New Show for Oprah Shakira’s helping hand for haiti NEW YORK - Daytime US superstar Oprah Winfrey will be moving to nighttime to host a show on her new cable channel. The network announced that the hour-long show, Oprah’s Next Chapter, will release her from the studio and her longtime talk-show format for conversations and travel around the world. The show is expected to be a key ingredient of the Oprah Winfrey Network, and guarantees Winfrey will regularly appear on the 24-hour network she’ll be largely programming from behind the scenes. A joint venture of Winfrey’s Harpo Inc and Discovery Communications Inc, the network signs on January 1 in approximately 80 million homes. Winfrey will end her weekday syndicated talk show at the close of its 25th season in late 2011. AP

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Hip-shaking Colombian pop star Shakira is meeting with Haitian earthquake survivors living in makeshift camps and she says she is searching for suitable land to build a school for needy children. Arriving on Sunday 11th April, the singer waved to onlookers and greeted infants living on a Haitian golf course that has turned into a sprawling makeshift camp for 50,000 quake survivors. Her Barefoot foundation provides nutrition to more than 6000 children in Colombia, and she is member of the ALAS foundation that advocates for children across Latin America. Shakira was greeted by actor Sean Penn, who is providing humanitarian aid at Haitian refugee camps. The two stars spoke about challenges confronting Haiti since the January 12 disaster. AP

Willie Nelson’s and face drugs charges KENANSVILLE, North Carolina - A North Carolina prosecutor says he still plans to prosecute six members of guitarist and singer Willie Nelson’s band on drug and alcohol charges. Duplin County District Attorney Dewey Hudson said substances seized from the band’s bus in January are being tested at the state crime lab in Raleigh. Nelson was not on the bus at the time. Hudson has faced criticism for pursuing the case, but says he has to show that famous people are not above the law. The six members of Nelson’s band were charged with possession of either marijuana or untaxed liquor before a concert that Nelson cancelled because his hand hurt too badly to play.

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GLAMOUR Singer Rihanna performs onstage at Nickelodeon’s 23rd Annual Kids’ Choice Awards held at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion on March 27, 2010 in Los Angeles, California.

US R&B performer Justin Timberlake performs as a guest at the concert of Grammy Award-winning record producer, singer and rapper Timbaland in Manila on March 27, 2010.

Singer Beyonce Knowles at Madison Square Garde March 17, 2010 in New Yo

performs en on ork City.

photos: Getty images and AAP

Miranda Kerr, Candice Swanepoel and Alessandra Ambrosio celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the Victoriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Secret Swim Catalogue at the SLS hotel on March 25, 2010 in Los Angeles, California.

Australian singer Gabriella Cilmi poses for photographs in Sydney, Wednesday, March. 31, 2010. Cilmi is promoting her new album Ten.

Australian actors and Logie nominee Jessica Marais (left) and Esther Anderson pose for photographs at the Logie nominations in Sydney, Monday, March. 29, 2010. The Logie Awards celebrate Australian television.

red carpet

DANNII TO RETURN TO X-FACTOR LONDON - Dannii Minogue is poised to sign a deal paving the way for her return to hit British talent show X Factor. Speculation had been mounting about whether the pregnant singer would return as one of the showâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s four star judges given she is due to give birth half way through the new series in July. But Minogue is due to return to Britain from Australia this week to sign a deal that will allow her to work as a judge from her home in Melbourne for part of the series. The 38-year-old will study video of aspiring stars auditioning for the show from next month before returning to her judgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seat in September. A source within ITV, which broadcasts the show, said producers would meet Minogue this week to discuss logistics.

photo: Getty images

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want her back, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a question of how, as sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll give birth in the middle of things,â&#x20AC;? the source told The News of the World. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about working out how to work that into the show.â&#x20AC;? AAP

Heidi Montag claims she was assaulted by â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Hillsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; producer H

eidi Montag and Spencer Pratt have revealed that Heidi suffered abuse from an executive producer while on the set of The Hills. Hm, we would be more sympathetic if we hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t heard a similar bombshell story from Nicolette Sheridan earlier this morning.

Television personalities Spencer Pratt (L) and Heidi Montag arrive to host an evening at the Pure Nightclub at Caesars Palace early February 14, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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Heidi told Perez Hilton that she was â&#x20AC;&#x153;pushedâ&#x20AC;? by a female executive producer while filming. She claims it was the same unnamed producer who had Spencer removed from the Hills set for threatening the

producerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life. Heidi also says that this producer asked Spencer to punch his sister Stephanie Pratt in the face. Apparently this was what sent Spencer off on the producer and caused him to threaten her. Well, at least we now know that there is one thing that Spencer isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t willing to do for fame and it involves beating up the sister he reportedly hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t spoken to in seven months. The guy has ethical principals! Very, very loosely defined ethical principals.

Heidi also told Perez that she tried to complain about the alleged â&#x20AC;&#x153;assaultâ&#x20AC;? but that the producer lied about the incident. Heidi offered to take a lie detector test (because weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sure MTV has a few of those on hand, just for fun) but the rest of the crew refused to believe her complaint. Now Heidi and Specer are looking to take legal action against the executive producer and possibly MTV because of the alleged incident.

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From p.p twin share ex Mel Price includes Airline Fuel Surcharge $140 & Tipping $67 (subject to change)

From p.p twin share ex Mel Price includes Airline Fuel Surcharge $235 & Tipping $89 (subject to change)

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â&#x20AC;˘ CHINA â&#x20AC;˘ VIETNAM â&#x20AC;˘ INDIA â&#x20AC;˘ KOREA â&#x20AC;˘ TIBET â&#x20AC;˘ MONGOLIA â&#x20AC;˘ CAMBODIA â&#x20AC;˘ LAOS â&#x20AC;˘ THAILAND â&#x20AC;˘ NEPAL â&#x20AC;˘ BHUTAN â&#x20AC;˘ HONG KONG â&#x20AC;˘ SINGAPORE â&#x20AC;˘ BORNEO Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt

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rEd carpEt photo: aaP

TERESA PAlMER laughs off new ‘Mad Max’ role and talks ‘Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ Australian actress Theresa Palmer first broke into Hollywood in the Adam Sandler comedy “Bedtime Stories,” but this summer she reunites with Walt Disney Studios for Jerry Bruckheimer’s “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.”

Zach Braﬀ Honors Gisele Bundchen with Supermodel Award

Scrubs director and star Zach Braff speaks at a panel at the Vail Film Festival in Colorado over the weekend.

Palmer appeared with co-stars Nicolas Cage and Jay Baruchel at San Francisco’s WonderCon this weekend to promote “Apprentice.” The fantasy flick finds the 24-year-old actress playing a childhood friend (or is that sweetheart?) of Baruchel’s who gets caught up in the battle to save the world from an evil sorcerer.

After a full day of skiing at Beaver Creek, Zach, 35, picked up his “Renegade” Award from the festival and joked about plans for his own awards ceremony - the “Brazilian Supermodel Awards” to take place at his home and honoring Gisele Bündchen this year. Ha!

Speaking to the film’s director, John Turtletaub, earlier this week, the filmmaker heaped tons of praise on Palmer but also revealed she’s expected to appear in George Miller’s upcoming fourth “Mad Max” film. When asked by HitFix about the project on Saturday, Palmer laughed and said she couldn’t discuss it or whether it existed, but her reaction clearly reveals the truth.

Zach now in London to celebrate his 35th birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ZACH.

Megan Fox as Lara Croft?

Katie Price: I nearly killed myself when Pete threatened to leave me

Megan Fox hasn’t officially turn down the role of Lara Croft, Tomb Raider sources say. Last week it was reported that Megan Fox had turned down the role of the infamous grave robber because she didn’t like being compared to Angelina Jolie (star of Tomb Raider 1 and 2). A rep for Megan Fox was quoted a saying “This is made up”. So it looks like we might still be able to get our geek on as it has been rumored that Paramount has been looking for the next young female action star to reboot the series, and Megan Fox seems to be the leading choice.

Katie Price has admitted she considered killing herself in a car crash the first time ex Peter andre threatened to leave her.

Now we just need to throw in a bisexual Anna Paquin, and we’ve got ourselves a blockbuster.

heir turbulent four-year marriage ended last year but for the first time, Price has opened up about just how bad it got after she had her son Junior.

Now that’s one lucky fox…

Speaking to OK!, Katie revealed all about her suicidal thoughts, her post-natal depression and the misery the split with Pete caused her.

Megan Fox and a fox looking foxy!

The 31-year-old said: ‘My depression got so bad that I actually turned to drugs. I was desperate to get out of my head. After I took it I thought this feels good.’

photo: Getty images

She admits the drugs led to her worrying that she was going to die though. ‘Shortly afterwards, I considered killing myself after Peter threatened to leave when I told him I’d taken a drug. ‘Thinking I didn’t have Pete any more, I was distraught and desperate. What am I going to do? I’ve ruined everything. I seriously thought, shall I just end it now?

photo: PTi

‘Drive into this wall and kill myself. Then I thought, what is wrong with me? You can’t do this to the kids, to Pete, to your mum.’ The glamour model confessed that this experience had forced her to spend time at the Priory which she claims helped clear her head. Katie, who has always said she has a spiritual sense about her, said that a medium once predicted she’d die young. The mum-of-three was also criticised in the press for her speedy marriage to cage-fighter Alex Reid. They wed in a Las Vegas ceremony at the start of the year and are set to have a wedding party in the UK this summer. In the interview Price blames her quick marriage on her post-natal depression and the fact that she was told she’d have a short life. It’s got to be handed to her, she sure can turn a story around.

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Katie Price attends the 18th Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Award Party at Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood.

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rEd carpEt

GEoRGE ClooNEY

Still dating someone who isn’t us ? photo: Getty images

In a striking blow to female fans everywhere, George Clooney is slamming reports that he’s split from his girlfriend, Elisabetta Canalis. Way to ruin our fantasy life, George! Want to kick our puppy while you’re at it? “Once again, the story is made up, spread to other outlets and now denied,” Clooney said in a statement, reports People. “But don’t let facts get in the way of a good story.” Whispers that the genetically-perfect pair had parted ways have been circulating for a few weeks, fuelled by the fact that they haven’t been photographed together since the Academy Awards. The rumours ramped up this week after a source told UK’s Grazia magazine, “They’d been on the rocks since February, but held on to make it through awards season.” Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your Cloonatic levels), the reason for the couple’s separation has more to do with scheduling than scandal. Canalis has landed a role in TNT’s Leverage, while Clooney is busy in Hawaii filming is The Descendants, (not to mention starring in our dreams).

Cheryl Cole ‘is doing Sharon Osbourne is so well’ since split the master of insults from Ashley says Coleen Rooney on US Apprentice Cheryl Cole has been offered support by fellow WaG Coleen rooney whilst she continues working on her solo career in a bid to put cheating ashley behind her.

The mum-of-one told Hello magazine that the pair keep in contact via text message and she thinks the Girls Aloud beauty is trumping on. Man United ace Wayne Rooney’s wife said: ‘I do keep in touch with Cheryl. Occasionally we will drop each other a text.’ ‘Cheryl is just so nice and doing so well.’ Mrs Rooney suffered her own relationship problems when it was alleged that Wayne had been visiting brothels behind her back. ‘It’s hard when you just want to be

The former X Factor judge told the Celebrity apprentice stars that they were as entertaining as ‘watching ice melt’, leading to a frosty atmosphere in her team.

dealing with it behind closed doors in your surroundings.’ Meanwhile Cheryl, 26, has spent Easter in Los Angeles with her hunky dancer friend Derek Hough who has been her shoulder to cry on since her split from husband Ashley Cole last month. The singer is recording in Tinsel Town but she managed to put some time aside to enjoy an evening of fine wine and food with Simon Cowell in his LA mansion.

‘Without Cyndi, this would be the most boring thing,’ she said, referring to singer Cyndi Lauper, her one ally on the programme. The 57-year-old then pointed to swimmer Summer Sanders and actress Holly Robinson Peete and added: ‘You guys would be like watching ice melt.’ When Robinson Peete protested she had not ‘come to be entertaining or funny’, Osbourne snapped: ‘You couldn’t be.’ Despite the friction, the all-female team won their challenge.

Sarah Jessica Parker is a Sexy Mum In the City The actress is one stylish mama out in New York. Where Sarah Jessica Parker leads, we follow. And strolling around New York she’s as cool as ever, carrying one of her twin daughters in a stylish BabyBjorn baby carrier. In classic grey cords and simple T-shirt, Sarah Jessica completes her look, not with her usual Manolo Blahniks, but with this season’s must-have clogs. It’s not a look that we’d expect to see her Sex And The City character Carrie Bradshaw wearing, but SJP proves that being a mum to 10-month-old daughters Marion and Tabitha doesn’t have to ruin your style. SJP’s so often seen in the latest designs, sexy cocktail dresses and killer heels, it’s actually refreshing to see her looking relaxed and casual in her other role as mum. And who knows, if the baby rumours surrounding the release of the new Sex And The City 2 movie out in May are true, maybe Carrie will follow SJP’s lead and bag herself a classy baby carrier for her mini Big! The Sex And The City 2 movie is out on 28 May.

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Sean Penn sued for threatening photographer

Celebrities may consider the paparazzi to be lower than cockroaches, but as Sean Penn was reminded today, they can still file lawsuits just like anybody else. According to Popeater, photographer Jordan Dawes is suing the two-time Oscar winner over an altercation in October 2009, in which Dawes claims Penn attacked him and threatened his life. During the incident, caught on video by TMZ, Penn charged toward Dawes, kicking and punching at him while yelling at him to “get out!” In the papers filed, the photographer claims that Penn had no reason to react this way, as the photographer was actually just filming a documentary about the paparazzi themselves. Regardless, Dawes alleges that Penn threatened him, saying, “The next time I see you, you will be in a box.” In addition, the photographer claims he had to have surgery on his knee following the reported assault. The civil suit only adds to Penn’s legal woes; in February, the actor was formally charged with battery and vandalism stemming from the incident, and he could get as much as 18 months in jail because of his temper. Luckily, Penn is probably used to this kind of thing. In 1985, he received a suspended sentence after he pleaded guilty for assaulting British journalists who were following him and then-wife Madonna; two years later, he served a month in jail for punching an extra on the set of Colors who was taking pictures of Penn without permission. You’re a grownup, Sean – use your words.

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red carpet

21 photo: Getty images

Justin Bieber wants to date Kim Kardashian

Justin Bieber is only 16 years old, yet he’s already talking like he has the biggest game in Hollywood. The pint-sized Canadian singer told Chelsea Handler recently that he should be dating Kim Kardashian. On the The Chelsea Handler Show on Thursday night, Bieber claimed he would like to go out with Kim Kardashian. But after Handler asked him how much he weighed (a whopping 110 pounds), she warned him, “you need to wait another 40 pounds before you’re handling that stuff.” Making fun of his tender age, Handler also said she accidently walked in on Bieber getting a B12 booster shot in the butt the last time he was on the show. Biebz (as his adoring, psychotic fans like to call him) later joked around with the host herself for not going out on a date with him. He bragged about the Range Rover Usher had given him for his 18th birthday, and when Handler asked when he would get to drive it he replied, “on our date tonight.” And even though Chelsea Handler has been known to rob the cradle once or twice, this was one baby face she had no probem resisting.

Brad Pitt looks beat at Kick Ass Premiere Brad Pitt arrived at the premiere of Kick Ass in London looking like jet lag kicked his ass! The dad of six hopped a flight from Italy (where Angelina Jolie is filming The Tourist) to the U.K. for the premiere of the movie he helped produce. He must have forgotten to pack his hairbrush and razor for the quick trip, since he showed up sporting the same old billy goat beard and hat. To be fair, he has been pretty busy with daddy duty... In addition to recently taking the girls shopping in Paris, he also brought the brood to visit Angie on the set and shuttled the kids to Johnny Depp’s for a playdate this weekend. Sounds like he deserves a nap!

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UNHCR goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie (L) and US actor Brad Pitt visit refugees in the village of Medjedja, near the eastern Bosnian town of Visegrad, 70 kilometers (43 miles) east of Sarajevo on April 5, 2010. Film stars Angelina Jolie and her husband Brad Pitt flew into Bosnia on a surprise visit to meet refugees still suffering from the brutal 1992-1995 civil war, an official said on April 5, 2010.

Is Angelina Jolie Expecting Baby No. 7?

Lindsay Lohan’s Father Engaged to Kate Major?

Could it be true? Is Angelina Jolie expecting another gorgeous babe with partner Brad Pitt? According to Star, the 34-year-old Girl, Interrupted star is 2 1/2 months along with her seventh child. “Yes, Angie is pregnant,” a family insider reports. “They’d been trying for another baby for months, but it was still a total shock when she found out. Brad and Angie have been fighting Lindsay Lohan’s father Michael so much lately, it just didn’t seem possible.” Lohan and Kate Major are Another source close to Angie confirms that she is about two and a half months along. “She’s engaged. thrilled. She said she knew she was pregnant before the test confirmed it!” The former love of Jon Gosselin brought Michael Lohan to meet her father in Florida over Easter Weekend to get his approval. Lohan, who turns 50 in late April, has a history of addiction, a prison record and Twitter-fights with his At last! We’re so glad when the Oscar-winner daughter Lindsay. Every father’s you’ve come out of hiding was going to come out of dream. to tell the world the hiding! She’s been in virtual

‘There is no Sex Tape!’

TRUTH, Sandy!

Sandra Bullock is finally talking for the first time since news of husband Jesse James’ multiple affairs broke on March 17 – and she’s coming out with both fists blazing to deny the existence that she and her cheating husband have a sex tape! “There is no sex tape,” the 45-year-old actress told People in a statement April 6. “There never has been one and there never will be one.” We were wondering

seclusion since In Touch Weekly broke the story that Jesse, 40, was cheating with stripper Michelle ‘Bombshell’ McGee. But now that she’s speaking – and accepting visitors (pal George Lopez dropped by her West Hollywood home on April 5 for a second time) can we hope that Sandra is emerging from her seclusion? We certainly hope so! Like we keep saying, Sandra has NOTHING to be ashamed of!

The 27-year-old PEOPLE:

Major

told

I’m ecstatic. I’m very happy. Michael and I have known each other for four years, and it’s meant to be. The scariest part of this news is from US Magazine: While Major, 27, isn’t expecting now, she and Lohan do eventually plan to have children. “That’s one of the things I spoke to her dad about. I’m not getting any younger and Kate wants to have children,” Lohan says.

www.mc-news.com.au

rEd carpEt

Break-Up Innovation ! Jim Carrey & Jenny McCarthy announced split via Twitter

Jessica Alba has plans for adoption

photo: Getty images

ctress Jessica Alba’s love for kids is prompting her to adopt a child. Alba revealed on ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ that she wants to adopt in the near future, according to People.com.

Way to be on the cutting edge of relationship-dissolving, Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy! The Mask actor and the former Playboy model may have become the celebrity couple to announce their breakup via Twitter, tweeting separately that their relationship of five years had ended. Carrey was the first to break the news, tweeting, “Jenny and i have just ended our 5yr relationship. i’m grateful 4 the many blessings we’ve shared and i wish her the very best! s’okay! ?;^>” And lest anyone think that this was a prank executed by the funnyman, McCarthy confirmed shortly after on her own Twitter account, noting, “im so grateful for the years Jim and i had together. i will stay committed to [Carrey’s 22-year-old daughter] Jane and will always keep Jim as a leading man in my heart.” And to think, less than three months ago, they were expressing their love for each other via the ancient art of sky-writing. Sounds like they caught up on technology in a hurry. No word on the reason for the split, though it may be related to the fact that Carrey was spotted kissing a pretty young thing several months ago.

Kristin Kreuk Gets Hitched! Former Smallville star Kristin Kreuk takes pictures with fans after arriving at LAX airport in Los Angeles. The 27-year-old actress will soon shoot the CBS comedy pilot called Hitched, which centers on a newlywed couple, Rachel (Kreuk) and Brett (Jack Carpenter), dealing with their family and friends. Sharon Lawrence was recently cast as Rachel’s prim, well-meaning but nosy mother. Hitched was co-written by Matt Miller and Josh Schwartz

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“If you have the love, and the capacity to love children, you should just adopt and I plan on doing it,” The New York Daily quoted the ‘Valentine’s Day’ star as saying. Alba already has a 2-year-old biological daughter, Honor Marie, with husband Cash Warren. According to the actress, her mother grew up around a large family and always wanted to add to her brood. ‘’I was like, “Why don’’t you just adopt?” ‘’ Alba says on the show. In an episode of “Extreme Makeover,” Alba helps build a home for a 15-strong Texas foster family.

Ashley Tisdale will carry on the ‘High School musical’ franchise all by her awesome self Fear not, High School Musical fans; Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens may have moved on to bigger things, but the HSM brand will live on, thanks to the efforts of a plucky actress known as Ashley Tisdale. The Tiz will be reprising her role as drama junkie Sharpay Evans in an upcoming film, which she’s also executive-producing. (Way to go, Tizzy!) In the movie, which will be called Broadway Bound (recently changed from he original title, Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventures), Tisdale will lead a cast of unknowns as Evans leaves East High behind for the bright lights of Broadway, where she finds herself squaring off against a rival starlet and will no doubt apply all of her diva powers to vanquishing her new foe. The film begins shooting in Toronto on June 1 for a 2011 release. Is the Tiz ready to carry the High School Musical franchise on her shoulders? Sound off in the comments section!

www.mc-news.com.au

aussies in film

red carpet

Sundance winner opening in May

ext month general audiences will finally get a chance to see David Michôd’s award winning film Animal Kingdom. The crime thriller shot entirely in Melbourne teams newcomer James Frecheville with veteran Australian actors Ben Mendelsohn (Baz Luhrmann’s Australia), Joel Edgerton (Smokin’ Aces), Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential, Memento, The Hurt Locker, The Road), Luke Ford (The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor), Jacki Weaver (Picnic At Hanging Rock) and Sullivan Stapleton (December Boys, Underbelly). Anyone lucky enough to catch

her extraordinary performance in MTC’s ‘After the Rain Stops Falling’ last year will be also welcome the presence of Anna Lise Phillips in an already impressive ensemble cast. The intense exploration of the city’s underworld won the Jury Prize for Best World Cinema Dramatic Film at the Sundance Film Festival in January and US critics are already comparing journalist-turned-director Michôd to Martin Scorcese and Quentin Tarantino. The film was produced by Sydney’s Porchlight Films with just $250 000 funding from Film Victoria.

photo: Madman

James Frecheville (far left) with Jacki Weaver and Ben Mendelsohn

A fresh face and a Tribute to a courageous campaigner refreshing attitude

As the lead in a Sundance Award Winning film, he can afford to be philosophical about his somewhat shaky start in a notoriously fickly industry. Frecheville (pronounced ‘freshville’) won the lead in David Michôd’s debut feature, Animal Kingdom before he finished high school and the film’s critical acclaim has already translated into Hollywood film offers for the young Victorian (see ‘Sundance winner opening

in May’). We’ve seen this sort of success play havoc with some quite mature egos after the years so it’s refreshing to see how calm, clear and down-to-earth Frecheville has remained. In an interview for Youth Central, he revealed that his greatest dream is to host Saturday Night Live from the New York sound stage. “They’re just so funny. I wish I could get up there and do it,” he said. The young actor doesn’t have cable, and he certainly hasn’t seen the show in the studio. He became a fan via the well-worn path followed by most of his generation – through the weekly clips uploaded to YouTube.

avid Wenham (Van Helsing, Three Dollars) and Hugo Weaving (Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings) star opposite Oscar-nominated British actress Emily Watson in a new film from veteran television director Jim Loach.

7 000 children, some as young as 3, were forcibly separated from their families and sent to Australia where many were subjected to harsh treatment by families who often saw them as little more than a source of cheap farm labour.

Currently in post-production, Oranges and Sunshine is based on the true story of Margaret Humphreys, a social worker from Nottingham who uncovered the UK practice of deporting children in care throughout the Commonwealth in an effort to boost ‘good white stock’.

There are records of single or widowed mothers, forced to leave their children in state care while they went away to work, returning to the institutions to find their children had been transported in their absence. The misery and heartbreak of the separations haunted parents and children for decades. Loach’s film traces Humphreys’ efforts to bring the practice to

Between 1920 and 1967 when the program was finally ended,

ast month Nerve magazine voted Naomi Watts one of their ‘Top 20 people who have grown more attractive with age’.

ccording to a March 27 interview with Gosh!TV, Miley Cyrus fell for young Australian actor Liam Hemsworth when he opened the door for her when he auditioned for a part on the teen sensation’s television show, Hannah Montana.

Not bad for the 41 year-old who gave birth for the first time just over a year ago. Mother and Child, her first film since the arrival of her son, received warm reviews at the Toronto Film Festival last September and is due for local release next month. Marcus in Channel 10’s teen fantasy-drama, The Elephant Princess. Based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks, The Last Song marks a change of pace for both its young stars. Cyrus plays a budding classical pianist in battle with her father (Greg Kinnear) following his divorce from her mother. Hemsworth plays a local ‘jock with a heart’ who manages to help bring father and daughter together again.

Vol 01, Issue 02, April 2010

photo: Hopscotch Films

Australian audiences probably remember Hemsworth best from his role as Josh Taylor on Neighbours. He also played

Emily Watson stars in Oranges and Sunshine

The 20-year old Melbourne actor plays the romantic lead opposite Cyrus in her new film The Last Song which opened in the US at the end of March.

A co-production of See-Saw Films Pty Ltd and Sixteen

Films, Oranges and Sunshine culminates with Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s 2010 apology to the remaining victims and his announcement of a £6m fund to aid family reunion.

Mum Naomi returns to the screen

Neighbours star a US hit

“I’ve been in LA three years and haven’t seen that. I turned to the director and said, ‘He’s got the job; he’s hot and he opened the door’,” she told the e-zine.

the attention of the world, as well as her unstinting efforts to reunite families torn apart by the program.

photo: See-Saw Films

eventeen year-old James Frecheville’s professional debut ended up on the cutting room floor. During a skit for ‘The Hamish and Andy Show’ he lost track of the newspapers his character was loading in and out of a basket and the disrupted continuity made the footage unusable.

Naomi Watts and Samue L Jackson in Mother and Child

Fans of American independent film will know writer-director Rodrigo García from such gems as Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her. The former cinematographer has also directed some of the most highly regarded series on US television, including The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, and Big Love. His latest film features Watts as a steel-cold lawyer dealing with her first meeting with

the mother who gave her up for adoption three decades before (played by Annette Bening). Samuel L Jackson, in a rare romantic role, and Jimmy Smits play two of the men who become entangled in the lives of two damaged women trying to come to terms with themselves and with each other. British-born Watts began her acting career at 20, six years after she and her mother, widow of Pink Floyd sound engineer Peter Watts, settled in Australia. She first came to international attention for her memorable performance as ‘Jet Girl’ in 1995’s cult hit, Tank Girl. Critical acclaim followed in 2001 with her complex, sensual portrayal of an aspiring actress in David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive, for which she won both the Australian Film Industry (AFI) and Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) awards for best actress.

www.mc-news.com.au

travEl

WHALE SHARK ADVENTURE at Isla Holbox

very summer the waters around Holbox Island Mexico are teaming with giant hungry feeding sharks. So why are so many people getting into the water with these ravenous beasts? No special cages or protection are used yet thousands of people flock from around the world to take their chances swimming with sharks! While many people may think the idea is crazy, swimming with Whale Sharks is actually very safe and a once in a lifetime experience. Whale Shark season is from mid May to mid September off the Coast of Holbox Island near Cancun Mexico. The largest

fish in the world reaches lengths of over 40 feet (13 meters) with a weight in excess of 21 tons. Whale Sharks return to the waters around Holbox year after year due to the unique environment and timing of available food which occurs each spring and continues through most of the summer. The Whale Shark is a filter feeding fish with a primary diet of plankton and other microscopic plants and animals and has been observed on occasion feeding on very small schooling fish. The conditions around Isla Holbox are ideal during the summer months as it is uniquely situated near the merger points of the Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. This joining of

Vol 01, Issue 02, April 2010

three oceans creates a rich seasonal explosion of life.

Mexican island location have been featured by National Geographic, The Discovery Channel, Shark Diver Magazine and many others.

The Whale Shark poses no threat to humans on a snorkel or diving expedition; in reality it is a wonderful opportunity to change the false perception that sharks are man eaters. The Whale Sharks around the Island of Holbox actually seem to enjoy and welcome the human interaction and are quite gentle and slow moving. The experience of swimming with these magnificent fish is awe inspiring.

The typical Whale Shark swimming experience requires only a snorkel, fins and mask though most tour operators also require and provide a life vest. After a briefing on guidelines and safety you’ll take an early morning boat ride from Holbox Island to the feeding areas of the Whale Sharks where they lazily graze on plankton near the surface. You are then escorted in small groups or pairs with your biologist guide into the water where you swim along side one of natures oldest and largest creatures, it truly is a Jurassic experience!

Isla Holbox provides the ideal and closest land location in the world to experience an encounter with these very large majestic and peaceful creatures with access only 20-60 minutes from the island by boat. Tours and expeditions from this

The calm and slow swimming pace of the Whale Shark makes access to these great fish easy for most people, kids as young

as 5 years of age and as old as 90 have swam with the Whale Sharks. The direct interaction with these incredible animals is a once in a lifetime experience. Getting to the sharks is an adventure in itself with schools of dolphin common and a variety of tropical birds including; Flamingos, Pelicans, Cranes and a wealth of others indigenous to the area. If you are interested in this amazing experience there are a number of wonderful hotels on the island, from luxury boutique hotels to cabanas on the beach, a night or two at least on Holbox is worth the trip. Isla Holbox is a friendly fishing village hosting a population of around 1500 permanent residents, mostly fishermen, hoteliers and tour operators. Golf carts are the preferred mode of transportation on this sleepy Tropical Island and natural playground.

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tive The lovingly restored locomo k wee a e twic s still run

Reviving the romance of steam railway travel

photos: Michael Cogan coganm8@gmail.com

daY trippiNG

travEl

The Romance of

OLD-TIME TRAVEL

Ride by steam train through the Victorian goldfields

By Michael Cogan

ocated in the historic Central Goldfields region of Victoria, just two hours’ journey from Melbourne, the Victorian Goldfields Railway (VGR) offers a nostalgic step back in time to the days of steam engine rail travel. Kids and adults alike will enjoy a day riding in beautifully restored carriages pulled or pushed by a genuine steam locomotive. Running between the townships of Castlemaine and Maldon, the railway brings visitors into contact with a wide variety of heritage buildings, fascinating old machinery and workshops, and amazing scenery. Travellers have been setting out from the Maldon Railway

Station Complex since 1888, and even the devastating fires last October were unable to put the steam trains out of action. Fortunately the heritage-listed building sustained no major structural damage during the blaze, and repairs on minor damage to sections of roofing and some interior fittings are nearing completion. Dedicated train buffs can explore the Maldon Rail Yard before the journey and, for an extra $30, ride part of the trip with the engine crew. The experience has been enriched this year by the addition of two magnificently restored first class carriages from the early twentieth century.

Passengers can enjoy spectacular views of the Victorian countryside while ensconced in the art nouveau elegance of the “Parlour Car”, Tambo.

passengers can experience the rush of the afternoon air as the train chugs along the tracks. The buffet car, Lowanna, provides a unique and refreshing experience for those more accustomed to contemporary railway dining. Meticulously restored private compartments for two or four people offer a luxurious and secluded atmosphere in which to enjoy the champagne and cheeses on offer.

Over nearly two years of restoration missing light fittings, hooks, catches and even signs were replaced with reproductions carefully matched to the original. Then the Queensland Maple interior was nourished and buffed back to its earlier glory so that its mellow lustre evokes the very essence of the traditional “gentlemen’s lounge”.

The first class service is surprisingly affordable and it comes with a touch that completes the experience of old-time luxury: attendants are on hand to serve refreshments to your seat.

The VGR has also added a viewing platform at one end of the carriage – complete with intricate iron-work – so

The steam train journey takes approximately two hours. There are two services a day on Sundays and Wednesdays, except on days of extreme fire danger when the steam locomotives are replaced by diesel engines. (Check the fire-alert status before you book.) Inquiries, gift certiﬁcates & group bookings: (03) 5470 6658 Email: marketing@vgr.com.au web: www.vgr.com.au Excursion fares: adult $29.00; concession $26.00; child (4 to 15yrs) $13 First Class Experience (travelling in Tambo or Lowanna): adult $40.00; concession $36.00; child (4 to 15yrs) $23 Family fare (two adults & three children or one adult & four children): excursion, $60; first class, $93 USEFUL CONTACTS : Mount Alexander Accommodation Booking Service: 1800 171 888 Castlemaine Visitor Information Centre, Phone : (03) 5471 1795 Email: visitors@mountalexander.vic.gov.au Maldon Visitor Information Centre Phone: (03) 5475 2569 Email: maldonvic@mountalexander.vic.gov.au Web: www.maldoncastlemaine.com

SoluTioNS CROSSWORD

OP T I M I S K H O I A L A C A R T Y T N T E X C E S S I D H N AGOG T R M EMA N A T E D L N M I R K E D U O B S S C R AW L S R C A E S K I MO

WIZWORDS

T E

R V E P S K I NC K PO F A F

C L UM O E H A V A T L HO T S I H OWM M E N EW A H A NG R H I GN A U S F E C T

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S Y E N A R E L I E N G E E D I N T E E D

UND E RWO V O N R T I ND I A S L A GE ND A R G P I R I S O T T O A O H S AMP A N S S I E A C AME L O A A L UN I ON J A Z D N R P E T E E D

SODOKU

R L D OS L O A D U P E NN E S S E E T C I N ME L E E K S R A E NORMA N S E L A F A S C I S M R C E B E R D E E N C A L C K C A T H Y L H E N T E R A L L E N

3 6 7 5 9 4 2 8 1

5 9 2 1 8 3 6 7 4

8 4 1 6 2 7 3 9 5

4 5 6 7 1 9 8 3 2

7 3 8 4 5 2 1 6 9

2 1 9 3 6 8 4 5 7

6 7 3 9 4 1 5 2 8

1 8 5 2 7 6 9 4 3

9 2 4 8 3 5 7 1 6

X-FACTOR

CAL KURO

3 1 4 2

2 4 1 3

1 2 3 4

4 3 2 1

MCN QUIZ 001 1. The World Wide Web 2. Four 3. Madras 4. Jeff Bridges 5. Q and Z 6. None 7. Forty 8. Austria 9. Q 10. Steve Tyler

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viEWiNG

photo: Bobby-Jo Vail

Promising signs from The Paciﬁc

We can’t get enough of Pathi Harn

photo: Seven Network

On and off-screen talent produces exceptional television by Rebecca Ponsford

his week’s back-to-back screening of Parts One and Two of the Hanks-Spielberg epic gave viewers an underthe-helmet view of the early days of US involvement in World War II. Regardless of the machinations in Whitehall and Washington, for ordinary American volunteers it meant being plunged into four months of hell trying to defend the strategic air strip on Guadalcanal. The ten-hour series is based on the published memoirs of three veterans: sports writer Robert Leckie (James Badge Dale), Italian-American boxer, John Basilone (John Seda), and Eugene B Sledge (Joe Mazello), the son of an Alabama GP who was just 18 when the US entered the war. You may not come away from this series understanding any better than you did before why at least 50 million people died in the 1939 to 1945 conflagration, but it’s already showing

signs of higher-than-average insight into the impact it had on the lives of ordinary men and women around the world. That’s largely due to the input of a host of creative minds from the HBO stable. Think of Big Love, Six Feet Under, The Sopranos, and the brilliant John Adams. The writers and directors behind these programs have produced some of the most textured, acutely observed drama seen recently in any medium – and a lot of them worked on The Paciﬁc. Upcoming instalments follow the traumatised and exhausted young soldiers as they travel between the theatre of war and furloughs in the US and Australia. Indications are the glimpses into the lives of civilians affected by the conflict may be as insightful as those relating to the combatants. The Paciﬁc screens 8.30pm, Wednesdays on 7 and 7HD

A six-month feast for ﬁlm buﬀs World Movies kicked off 25 Filmmakers you must see before you die with Yojimbo (The Bodyguard), the vigorous samurai tail from Japanese master Akira Kurosawa, and Jean Renoir’s acclaimed 1937 anti-war film, Grand Illusion.

The special presentation of Network Seven’s The Zoo gave a behind-the-scenes look at the precarious early days of Taronga Zoo’s baby elephant, Pathi Harn. The half-brother of Melbourne Zoo’s baby Mali surprised everyone when he was born on March 10. His mother Porntip had been in labour for six days and even international elephant expert Dr Thomas Hildebrandt, who played such a crucial role in Mali’s birth was convinced he had died in the womb.

Channel Seven’s cameras were given exclusive rights to film the newborn and Monday’s special was the public’s first chance to see him interacting with his mother and the rest of the Taronga Zoo elephant family in his first days.

The classic films have set the tone for a series offering six months’ of brilliant films from the last 50 years.

Logie-nominated Melissa Doyle hosted the program and guided viewers through the calf’s life so far, from the anxious days when elephant keepers and vets lost all hope of a successful birth to his wobbly first appearances and through to his recent official christening as Pathi Harn. Appropriately, the name is Thai for “miracle”. There are thought to be only 33 000 Asian elephants living outside captivity. Since only half the 22-month pregnancies succeed in the wild, the recent successes of the Australian zoo breeding programs have brought hope to elephant watchers around the world.

Next up is Federico Fellini’s poignant Nights of Cabiria. The film stars the director’s wife, Giulietta Masina in the title role as a prostitute aching for love. In 1957 it won Fellini his second Best Foreign Film Oscar® in a row – he’d won the year before for La Strada. April finishes on a high note with Luis Buñuel’s 1972 Oscar®-winner, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie. Buñuel’s film was his aesthetically articulate answer to the brittle individualism of the nouvelle vague generation. His film provides a witty, surreal journey into the hearts and minds of three wealthy friends and their relatives as they pursue an ultimately fruitless quest for an evening meal.

As recently as 2006 it seemed that elephants were set to disappear from urban zoos. Wildlife campaigners argued that the only humane place for captive elephants was on large, semi-rural reserves. After a disease prevalent among captive elephants lead to the deaths of several animals in British zoos, it looked like the days when any city-dwelling child could see these magnificent creatures close to home were coming to an end.

In May, viewers can look forward to films from Jean-Luc Goddard, Luchino Visconti, Guillermo del Torro, and the too-often overlooked Jean-Pierre Melville.

Vol 01, Issue 02, April 2010

roving that everyone loves a happy ending, millions around the country tuned in for Miracle at the Zoo when it aired on Monday night.

So unsteady on his feet he was immediately nick-named “Mr Shuffles”, there were grave doubts the little “miracle baby” would survive, and it was days before the shiny chocolate brown infant was deemed strong enough for a public appearance.

by Rebecca Ponsford

World Movies’ 25 Filmmakers you must see before you die runs Saturday nights at 8.30pm with encore screenings on Sundays A full list of the films on offer is available at www.worldmovies.net

by Rebecca Ponsford

Toshiro Mifune as the wandering ronin, Sanjuro in Kurosawa’s classic Yojimbo

Now little Pathi Harn joins Melbourne’s Mali in helping to reverse that trend.

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braiN traiN

CROSSWORD 1

You’re the natural entrepreneur, and it’s time to show your intrinsic initiative. The person without a plan is like a rudderless boat, so know what you want, and go for it. The clue is – it’s new! Time moves in one direction. It’s not going backward, unless you are, to the possibilities of the future. Make the cut on something that will lift a weight off your shoulders.

11 12

TAURUS March 21 - April 20 17

If you’ve been down for the count, there’s been good reason. Taking time out for rest, relinquishment and rejuvenation is essential to all of us. You’re rising from the ashes, but with a different look and manner. This is the right time for an image makeover. Live by the motto that first impressions count, as you’re capable of really delivering the knockout goods.

17 19

GEMINI March 21 - April 20

26 27

ACROSS: 1. Wishful thinker, 5. Ungainly, 9. From the menu (1,2,5), 10. Cuba's capital, 12. Overmuch, 13. Savoy or Hilton, 14. Very eager, 16. Entertainers, 19. Arise (from), 21. Had prior knowledge, 24. Aggravated, 25. Unmodified, 27. Goes on all fours, 28. Deeply touching, 29. Igloo dweller, 30. Influenced DOWN: 1. Endorsed, 2. Roofing grass, 3. ... & groans, 4. Taking (exam), 6. Abhorrent, 7. Time for eating, 8. 12-month-old horse, 11. Salesmen,15. Series of tennis comp wins (5,4), 17. Second-rate, 18. Listeners' forum, ... radio, 20. Large Australian birds, 21. Start of match (4-3), 22. Shocked, 23. Revised (text), 26. Quarrel

THE PUZZLE THAT MAKES YOU SMARTER !

EASY 3+

+÷x12x

1. Fill in the numbers without repeating a number in any row or column. 2. For a 4x4 puzzle use the numbers 1-4.

3. For a 6x6 puzzle use the numbers 1-6.

12x

4÷

4. The numbers in each heavily outlined set of squares (cages) must combine to equal the number in the top corner using the arithmetic sign indicated. 5. Cages with just one square can be filled in straight away with the target number in the top corner.

All SOLUTIONS in page 25

SODOKU

6. A number may be repeated in a cage but not in a row or column.

Rating: Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9.

4 7 2 3

8 2 7 1 5 4 5 6 2 8 8 1 5 6 7 4 3 1 5 2 6 5 7 8 7 6 2 9 7 Vol 01, Issue 02, April 2010

15 APRIL- 14 MAY 2010

ARIES March 21 - April 20

HoRoSCoPE

Across: 1. Place for organized, crime, or another word for Hades (10), 6. Norwegian port in which, the Kon-Tiki Museum is found (4), 10. Mumbai waterfront, monument, the Gate of ... (5), 11. Given name of The Glass Menagerie playwright, ... Williams (9), 12. French policeman (8), 14. St David’s Welsh, vegetables (5), 16. Italian rice dish (7), 18. 1066 colonisers of England and, eventually, Scotland and Wales (7), 20. Small Chinese boats (7), 22. Mussolini’s right-wing, ideology (7), 23. Animal described as ‘the ship of the desert’ (5), 25. Scottish North Sea port from which the oil industry operates (8), 28. British flag (5,4), 29. Heathcliff’s love in Wuthering Heights (5), 31. Started golf match, ... off (4), 32. He is the subject of the Broadway musical, The Boy From Oz (5,5) Down: 1. Exodus writer, Leon ... (4), 2. Digital videodisc (1,1,1), 3. First to the South Pole, ... Amundsen (5), 4. Toronto’s province (7), 5. Early slide projector, magic ... (7), 7. Everly Bros hit, Wake Up Little ... (5), 8. The magic phrase that protected the forty thieves’ hoard (4,6), 9. What the captain does to bring the innings to an end (8), 13. Famed English racecourse or the salts that purge (5), 15. Surface played on at Wimbledon (5,5), 17. Country that is the home of the sport of kick-boxing (8), 19. Gertrude Stein’s companion in Paris, ... B Toklas (5), 21. Shipping route (3,4), 22. Brown spot on the skin (7), 24. Central American basic crop (5), 26. Russian holiday cottage (5), 27. Country singer, Loretta ... (4), 30. Israeli city, ... Aviv (3)

MCN QUIZ 001 1. 2. 3. 4.

What is Tim Berners-Lee credited with inventing? In ten-pin bowling, how many pins are in the back row? What was the former name of Chennai? Who won the Best Actor award at the 2010 Academy Awards for his portrayal of a has-been country musician? 5. Which two letters are each worth 10 in the English version of Scrabble? 6. Up until the end of 2009, how many men had walked on Mars? 7. When spelled out, which is the lowest whole number that has its letters in alphabetical order? 8. Sacha Baron Cohen’s character Brüno hails from WHICH country? 9. What is the only letter that does NOT occur in any of the names of the US states? 10. Who is the lead singer of the long-standing rock band Aerosmith?

There is pleasure in the pathless woods, rapture on the lonely shores, society where none intrudes. They are the words of poet Lord Byron, but they could just be the calling from your soul. Finding your own center is something currently more important than outward achievement. You may need time alone to rediscover yourself, but the serenity will be well worth it. Relationships will appreciate seclusion.

CANCER March 21 - April 20 The ideal time for checking out new career opportunities. You may have been walking that treadmill too long. Fresh job offers can hold improved potential. A time to take charge of your professional directions. Relationships may have to take a back seat to practical considerations, as in short-term pain for long term gain. Your current strength lies in group situations rather than one-on-one encounters.

LEO March 21 - April 20 As Mars picks up pace in your sign the passion revives. Mars is the impulsive motivator, the fighter for a cause. You’ll want it, and you’ll want it now - especially that which you’ve put on hold in the past. Heaven help those who stand in your way. The pursuit of pleasure can be like an aphrodisiac for some Leos. But thoughtful Mercury and artistic Venus make this a creative time professionally and publicly.

VIRGO March 21 - April 20 Moving from the goldfish bowl into the wide-open seas requires vision. A time of doing things differently and expanding your cultural outlook. You can be eyeing off travel plans now, or beginning self-improvement courses. The key is in widening your horizons and accepting challenges that stretch your potential. In the relationships sense this triggers encounters with those of a different heritage or background.

LIBRA March 21 - April 20 You may have come as far as you can on something, and now need someone else’s approval or support. Diplomacy and the ability to see from another person’s viewpoint are vital. It’s your relating skills that get you to home base. You don’t have to sell out your own principles to do that, it’s more a compromise thing. New energies around relationships can be great news for the lone Libran.

SCORPIO March 21 - April 20 Informative Mercury and magnetic Venus are opening the lines of communication around relationships. In the personal sense this is a time for breaking the ice with newbies, and talking about feelings with others. In the professional scenario it’s a period of successful negotiation, and finding the middle way. A time when relationships can go to a new level and significant agreements can be finalised.

SAGITTARIUS March 21 - April 20 Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9. The diagonal squares must also contain the numbers 1-9.

Inspiration is great, but it must be backed by genuine application. The principle of putting plan to action is one to live by now. The universe says - get practical. If you put your shoulder to the wheel this can be a landmark achievement month. Cultivate associates that keep your mind on the job. You’re cutting through the superficial toward the genuine article.

CAPRICORN March 21 - April 20 Some living conditions can do with an overhaul. Ask yourself whether your current environment is really supportive, and if not make the necessary adjustments. This is a time to draw emotional nourishment from your surrounds, including the people you’re mixing with. There can be a greater reliance on family, or the clan. Your greater domestic awareness can lead to home improvements, or even relocation.

AQUARIUS March 21 - April 20 Information technology runs our lives, how would we live without it? Technology can be outdated in a nanosecond, but enlightening information can be useful for the future. Education is where your strength lies now. Courses, workshops and on the job training are manifestations of this. You can be updating your technology too, that’s par for the course. Intellect rules for Aquarius – update and upload.

PISCES March 21 - April 20 Even for a dreamy Pisces life is full of practical considerations. It pays to adopt that pragmatic approach, especially around your finances, assets and earning capacity. If the buck stops with you, why not be making a buck because of it. This is all about the value that you put on yourself first. It will naturally evolve to more material considerations, which all means you can be richer if you put your mind to it. Consultations: www.edtamplin.com (02) 95341081

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sports

Sports in brief zz MOTORCYCLE PRIX (DOHA) Australia’s CASEY STONER has set the fastest time in practice for Sunday’s season-opening Qatar Motorcycle Grand Prix. Spain’s JORGE LORENZO was second fastest and his teammate and reigning world champion VALENTINO ROSSI third quickest. zz AFL SAINTS (MELBOURNE) St Kilda skipper NICK RIEWOLDT will be missing from the side for two months or longer after scans revealed he has suffered a serious hamstring injury. The star forward has a high grade muscle tendon injury to his right hamstring, which happened as he leapt for a mark during the Saints’ win over Collingwood at Etihad Stadium. zz LEAGUE WARRIORS (WELLINGTON)

photo: AAP

The New Zealand Warriors have signed second-rower LEWIS BROWN for two more NRL seasons, keeping the 23-year-old at the club until at least the end of 2012.

Jockey Stathi Katsidis riding Shoot Out celebrates his win in race seven AJC Australian Derby during Australian Derby Day at Royal Randwick Racecourse, Sydney, Saturday, April 10, 2010. Motorcycle

New quickest time at Hidden Valley

DARWIN Defending champion Josh Waters recorded the fastest ever lap by a motorcycle at Darwin’s Hidden Valley on 9th April Friday, blasting his factory Suzuki to the top of the time sheet in practice for this weekend’s second round of the Australian Superbike Championship. Waters time of 1:07.772 is an impressive 1.083sec under the current Superbike lap record for the 2.9km circuit, and 0.648sec clear of Friday’s second fastest rider, Honda’s current championship leader Wayne Maxwell. “I knew my bike was fast, but I didn’t realise I had that much of a top-speed advantage over the rest,” said Waters. - AAP

A-League issues won’t hurt Cup bid soccer

MELBOURNE - Football Federation Australia boss Ben Buckley has denied the current turmoil surrounding the A-League will damage the country’s World Cup bid.

Gold Coast United joined fellow expansion club North Queensland Fury on the list of A-League franchises facing uncertain futures on Friday the same day competition boss Archie Fraser quit his post. But Buckley said Australian soccer had a “positive story”, and denied the issues surrounding the A-League would hurt the 2022 World Cup bid. “If you look right across the world and football in many parts of the world suffer the same sort of issues that we do on a local and domestic basis,” Buckley said in Sydney on Friday. “Whether that’s clubs who are in financial difficulty, finding ways to increase

crowds, increase the marketing profile of competitions, we’re not unique to those challenges.

Buckley said the contentious issues of stadium availability and obtaining the cooperation of Australia’s other football codes were being addressed. “We’re inches away. We’re getting very close,” Buckley said of the bid. “We’ve had a lot of very positive momentum in the last

zz WC10 TICKETS (JOHANNESBURG) World Cup organisers say 500,000 tickets are unsold and they fear empty stadiums at football’s showcase event in South Africa. Organisers now have less than two months to sell nearly a quarter of the tournament’s total tickets. zz SWIM US ABUSE (LOS ANGELES) ABC News in the United States says at least 36 swimming coaches have been banned over the past 10 years for sexual misconduct with teenagers they supervised. Reports to be aired on the US broadcaster’s “20/20” program cite court documents and interviews conducted with swimmers and their families. zz CRICKET COUNTY (LONDON)

“Many, many countries, even some that are bidding, face those challenges.” Australia and the United States are rated the frontrunners to host the 2022 World Cup. Australia’s bid book - the blueprint for how the nation would host a World Cup - is due on May 14 and the final decision on which nations will host the 2018 and 2022 tournaments will be made in December.

BROWN broke into first grade as a backrower last season after arriving at the Warriors as a hooker, scoring three tries in 15 games and earning himself a call-up to the Kiwis’ train-on squad dor last year’s Four Nations tournament.

Derbyshire’s Australian captain CHRIS ROGERS cracked the first century of the new English county season with an unbeaten 178 helping his side reach five for 306 over Surrey. In his first innings since a fractured left hand forced him to miss the Sheffield Shield final, the Victorian hit 25 boundaries in a six-hour innings through to stumps in the second division fixture.

Football Federation Australia CEO Ben Buckley few weeks, assisted by the government task force. “We’ve worked closely with the task force and the other codes to address some of the issues that we have had. “But we’re getting very close to having a fantastic document to put forward to FIFA.” - AAP

What he said ? “You’re living a life where you are lying all the time. I wasn’t having any fun. Now I have stopped all that and it’s fun again.” - TIGER WOODS on his return to golf and dealing with his off-course issues.

Vol 01, Issue 02, April 2010

www.mc-news.com.au

photos: slattery media group

SPORTS

North Melbourne players celebrate their win in the AFL Round 03 match between the North Melbourne Kangaroos v West Coast Eagles at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne.

Essendon’s Travis Colyer and Carlton’s Bryce Gibbs compete for a ball during the AFL Round 03 match between the Carlton Blues and the Essendon Bombers at the MCG, Melbourne. Kyle Reimers celabrates with his Essendon team mates during the AFL Round 03 match between the Carlton Blues and the Essendon Bombers at the MCG, Melbourne.

Eagles coach John Worsfold addresses his players during the AFL Round 03 match between the North Melbourne Kangaroos v West Coast Eagles at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne. Dean Cox of the Eagles celebrates a goal during the AFL Round 03 match between the North Melbourne Kangaroos v West Coast Eagles at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne.

Jay Schulz of Port wrestles with Josh Drummond of the Lions during their match.

Paul Stewart of Port tackled by James Polkinghorne of the Lions during the AFL Round 03 match between Port Adelaide Power and the Brisbane Lions at AAMI Stadium, Adelaide.

Nick Dal Santo, Adam Schneider and Brendon Goddard of St Kilda celebrate their win in the AFL Round 03 match between St Kilda Saints and the Collingwood Magpies at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne.

Ryan O’Keefe of Sydney during the AFL Round 03 match between the Sydney Swans and the Richmond Tigers at the SCG, Sydney.

Nathan Jones and Ricky Petterd of Melbourne celebrate a goal during the AFL Round 03 match between the Melbourne Demons and the Adelaide Crows at the MCG, Melbourne.

James Frawley of Melbourne evades Brett Burton of Adelaide during the AFL Round 03 match between the Melbourne Demons and the Adelaide Crows at the MCG,

(L-R) Tom Scully, Rohan Bail, Jordie McKenzie, Jack Trengove and Joel Macdonald of Melbourne sing the team song after the AFL Round 03 match between the Melbourne Demons and the Adelaide Crows at the MCG, Melbourne. Jack Trengove of Melbourne kicks his first league goal during the AFL Round 03 match between the Melbourne Demons and the Adelaide Crows at the MCG, Melbourne.

AFL

HIGHLIGHTS Round 3, 9th-11th April 2010

Tom Lonergan and Paul Chapman of the Cats tackle Hayden Ballantyne of the Dockers takes a kick on goal during the AFL Round 03 match between the Fremantle Dockers and the Geelong Cats at Subiaco Oval, Perth.

Barry Hall of the Bulldogs in action

Freo fans celebrate their teamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s win during the AFL Round 03 match between the Fremantle Dockers and the Geelong Cats at Subiaco Oval, Perth.

Western Bulldogs fans celebrate a goal during the AFL Round 03 match between the Western Bulldogs and the Hawthorn Hawks

Stephen Gilham from Hawthorn is tackled by Barry Hall from Western Bulldogs during the AFL Round 03 match between the Western Bulldogs and the Hawthorn Hawks at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne.

Vol 01, Issue 02, April 2010