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| R2 Valentine’s day Reviews | |
| Cotton Ward | |
| From wedding bells to leaving and hating, Cotton Ward follows the journey of the heart.
WedServ When preparing for wedding bells, visit WedServ. An interesting feature is the virtual table top where you move your mouse over a placesetting, putting the plates and glassware exactly where you want. You can then print this out for your caterers. Download the free wedding planner software, build your own Web site, get yourself organised with a calendar, track RSVPs, do seating arrangements and keep a list of the gifts you’ve received. The New Homemaker Family www.newhomemaker.com/family/relationships/10ways.html Getting married is easy; staying married is the hard bit. Here’s a list of 10 ways to keep your marriage together. Great suggestions include kissing your partner whenever you walk out the front door, going on a special weekly date and allowing each other a 30-minute break to unwind after work. Relationships Australia It’s not easy to maintain a loving relationship when you’re up to your elbows in dirty nappies. The advisers at Relationships Australia warn that coping with kids is likely to be one of the most difficult times you will have. There’s also a "pre-parenthood relationship check-up service" and a quickie online questionnaire. Hating The Avenger’s Front Page This is the direct path to revenge. One popular online prank is to whack a naughty photo and bitchy story about your ex up on the Web. It will practically never be removed due to the international nature of Web site hosting and the cost of taking legal action in every country. Plenty of other vengeful tactics here, too. Just heed the site’s warning: when you go down the road of revenge, remember to take two coffins. Jerry Springer Show Hank has 15 personalities and finally convinced his *bleep* wife to move back home with him. But the trouble is that she’s brought her new *bleep* boyfriend with her! And she’s gonna *bleep* dump Hank flat! Yeah, whatever. Before your ex contacts Jerry to appear on his Down Under edition, launch a pre-emptive strike by clicking on the Dear Jerry link and emailing your details. Leaving Ways to Affair-Proof Your Marriage http://marriage.about.com/people/marriage/library/blquinfaffproof.htm Based on the theory that the best way to avoid an affair is acting before it starts, this site suggests you spice up your sex life, support each other and don’t let problems fester. It even suggests that "if you feel tempted to have an affair, try and figure out why. Discuss it with your spouse". That’s certain to squash those fantasies! Reflect on your commitment to one another and remember why you fell in love. Or join the Cheating Chatters’ forum and get it off your chest. Philanderers International The other grass still looking greener? Try the checklist to see if you’re really ready to dive into someone else’s bed. Are you good at sticking to a plan over an extended period of time? Do you think clearly in stressful situations? These are some of the talents you’ll need to master. You can meet prospective partners on an anonymous bulletin board and swap tips on how to make sure your affair lasts. Tao of Divorce Your partner has forgotten your birthday, is spending a lot of time at the office and has bookmarked Philanderers International. Hmmm … time to do some snooping around. The Tao of Divorce offers suggestions that range from sensible – checking the numbers on your phonebills – to Machiavellian – consult with the best divorce lawyers in town so they won’t be able to accept your partner’s business due to a conflict of interest. Dear Peggy.com http://www.dearpeggy.com/affairsmenu OK, you or your partner have been caught having a fling on the side. Peggy Vaughan’s husband had numerous affairs. When he finally owned up, she wrote a book, The Monogamy Myth. To recover from an affair, she suggests you answer all questions, build trust through actions and be honest. She also advises, "Most people remain in a state of shock … after learning of a mate’s affair. It’s essential that they wait until their emotions are under better control before deciding the future of the relationship." DivorceSupport.com Divorce links galore. You can split up and still be friends, according to "How to divorce as friends". One wounded heart cries "My husband left me after 30 years for my sister!" And the divorced woman’s response? "Once she dies, if you are a believer in the Almighty, then she will answer for all of her actions!" That could be a long wait. |
Living in the 70s
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| Living in the ’70s | ||
| R2 The ’70s Reviews | ||
| Cotton Ward heads back to those halycon days when people wore platform soles and hot pants – without irony.
Super Seventies RockSite! Find out where those ’70s stars are now, with features about “’70s stars in the news today” and a birthday section. Answer 100 music trivia questions (with multiple-choice answers), read the almanac with a summary of the biggest events each year and review the “classic 150 songs”, “top 100 singles” and “greatest album covers”. Bad fads museum Platform diva Hippies in polyester The traditional hairdressing page Dozens of hairstyles are documented for those who want to fiddle with curlers, perms, rollers and pincurls. Recapture the look of hair heroines such as Jaclyn Smith and Farrah Fawcett. A fan of the Farrah flip painfully recalls: “I used a large bag of brush rollers every night. At first sleeping with so many rollers was hard, but winding them firmly and closely together helped a lot.” The Farrah Fawcett ring Number 96 Meat Loaf UK Fan Club KISS Online Digital watches The Six Million Dollar Man Olivia Newton-John ABBA Report M*A*S*H www.mash4077.co.uk Liam’s Digital Disco Club Pet Rocks Lava lamp inventor dies in London Cool wheels Chrysler in Australia Panelvan Heaven If the van’s rockin’, don’t bother knockin’. This site involves a different type of passion – lustful enthusiasts. Read the editor’s account, including photos, of his restoration of a Sandman, that included “rear interior removed, bullbar/bumper swap and undercarriage rust proofed with bitumastic paint. New windscreen inserted, new front loop pile carpet, thermo fan, chrome air filter and GTS mirrors sprayed in Supermint Green”. There are 27 small pictures of panelvans on one page from the “Van Nationals” held in Port Augusta earlier this year, which involve car races and shows. Scroll through a list of the “best panelvan” winners since 1976 with names like: Street Legal, Bad Ass and The Beast. Fairlane Club of America Dedicated to the preservation, restoration and enjoyment of 1962-76 Fairlane/Torino cars. The club has technical advisers, regular events and a magazine and sells decals and numberplate frames. It has a huge FAQ telling you how to value your car, and how to get a photo of it on the club’s site. Past imperfect The ’70s was an era when the Vietnam War finally ended, Gough Whitlam was dismissed, inflation skyrocketed, unemployment was high and oil prices soared. But there wasn’t a VCR in every home. See, the good old days weren’t that great after all. |
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| FOUR ILLUS: Thank you for the music: megastars of the era ABBA (above) and KISS (below, left). Family affair: the Partridges (above) embodied all that was wholesome, while Olivia Newton-John (right) tried to back away from her saccharine image when starring in Grease opposite John Travolta. |
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Let’s talk about ASX
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| Let’s talk about ASX | ||
| cyber tour | ||
| Cotton Ward | ||
| With its timely bulletins, online forums and easy-to-navigate Web design, OZeStock is a good place for beginner investors to start researching, provided you don’t mind a little smut. Cotton Ward reports.
OZeStock’s Web site banner claims it is "the hub of Aussie investor discussion". To promote this, the site (at ozestock.com.au) is free and offers live stock quotes, ASX company announcements, company profiles, a free email account and discussion boards. There are market editorials, as well as information on upcoming floats and professional financial market summaries from sources such as S&P ComStock (real-time stock quotes), AAP (news and market editorials) and ASX company announcements. Editorial content is provided by Editor.com and Cyberstox.com.au The only catch is that you have to register if you want live quotes, and you have to promise to truthfully give your home address and real name, as an ASX requirement. Disappointingly for an Australian site, it asks for your "zip" rather than your "post code". Money filled in two pages of details that included salary, net worth, age and frequency of share trades. The lowest number of trades available was "three or fewer" a month. This was presumably an attempt to encourage frequent trading and not in keeping with the site’s image as a haven for novice investors. But the site did promise that Money wouldn’t be bombarded with unsolicited advertising. An hour later, OZeStock sent an email to confirm registration and recommended a visit to the site to activate membership. Money was then able to log on to the home page, enter a stock quote and click on "real-time". The quote appeared instantly, along with the five most-recently posted messages and five most recent ASX company announcements. A sensible warning, that "users might use the noticeboard for personal gain and you should approach postings with appropriate scepticism", appeared. It was hard not to be sceptical when contributors have names such as Maykamint, Sillybilly, DaveO and Indolence. When reviewed, most of the discussion was along the lines of: "Does anyone know when’s a good time to jump on again?" And the replies were usually, "Yes, I’d include this one in my retirement portfolio", or "Let’s wait and see". There appeared to be relevant information, such as this comment about a mining company: "They’ve struck diamonds but cannot mine them yet [as it’s raining too heavily]." Bluff or bonanza? You decide. The message board has an "ignore" option, so you can censor the discussions and navigate your way through your favourite boards and track favourite members. An excellent feature is the "most active message boards" graph, which also shows whether there has been a relevant ASX announcement in the past 72 hours. Unsurprisingly, the most popular board was the SEX forum (this is the ASX code for Sharon Austen, an erotic products business). "I love SEX" gives you an idea of the level of discussion. Overall, the site is pleasantly designed and easy to navigate. Download times were quick when visited. OZeStock.com.au has obviously analysed other successful financial sites and wisely included many of their best features on this site. And the biggest bonus is that entry is free, so it’s an ideal spot for beginners. |
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| Caption: | ||
| Illus: Quick click … the OZeStock Web site is fast, uncomplicated and, best of all, entry is free. |
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Queer anarchists – challenging racism
Went to “Diverse City: Challenging racism in our communities” held by ACON’s Racial Harmony Working Group and QARC (queers against racists committee).
Sat next to QR peeps E (Asian), P and mathematician N.
The idea for the forum was to discuss racism incidents that keep occurring at gay venues, particularly by stage performers and staff who don’t serve Asians at bars.
A doco was shown about how local queers had had negative experiences when socialising and how they feel their body types will never measure up to the “ideal” and will always be rejected.
We were divided into five groups and as an icebreaker had to pick out a card from about 20 pictures laid out on the floor – mountain, polar bears, masks, people kissing, fences – and explain why we’d chosen it.
“I feel like I’m putting on a mask when i deal with certain people.”
“I feel like this whole issue is a huge mountain.”
“I wish we were all like a group of polar bears – all the same colour, no differences or prejudices.”
Then we discussed our experiences. A group of dyke porn publishers said they’d organised a gig where a performer had applied “black face” makeup and sung negro songs. “We said this was insensitive and she complained out us censoring her. Next time she performed at our gig, she didn’t do the songs, but her supporters in the audience wore offensive Swastika armbands to protest against our “censorship”. We’re just wondering where and how do you draw the line? Why couldn’t they see it was offensive?”
-“I think only black people should sing negro songs cos they share the whole slave legacy – it’s their history.”
Then an Asian actor said he often applies for acting jobs that advertise for a “25-year-old male” to “deliberately fuck with the system”. When he turns up, they say: “But you’re Asian” and he challenges them saying: “But Australia is a multicultural society – deal with it”, but doesn’t get any acting work.
Also, he doesn’t like it when he tells people he’s gay and Asian and they automatically start gushing with sympathy. “Why? I’m happy with being what I am. I work part-time in a sex shop and get heaps of sex. There’s no problem.” But he also advises Asian clients in another job and says he has to “wear a mask” then and feels he has to hide the fact he has “been in an open relationship for seven years with a man”.
Had a break, then went back into our groups and split into smaller groups of three to discuss what we could do to overcome racism in the community.
Person 1: “I’m fucking sick of all the prejudice.”
Person 2: “Can you please stop using the F word so often?”
Person 3: “Are you serious?”
2: “Well, partly. Mostly not.”
3: “I have a friend who’s geeky – like you -and he hates the F word too. Maybe it’s a thing about geeks. He teaches physics.”
2: “It might be a stereotype thing.”
3: “There are some positives to stereotypes.”
2: “Yeah. I was always viewed as being nerdy, but when I came out as being gay, I could take on the witty and stylish aspects of the stereotype. They seemed to override the nerdy image.”
3: “I’m geeky and I play on the positive aspects of that stereotype. Maybe there are some positive aspects to the Asian stereotype. [Turns to Person 1 who’s Asian] Do you work hard?”
1: “I fuck like a rabbit.”
3: “Are there any positive stereotypes about Asian rabbits? [Long pause as we all think about it]. What about cooking? Can you use that?”
1: “Nah, I’m a crap cook. I mainly get approached for drugs.”
3: “Why?”
1: “All the drug dealers are Asian in TV crime shows. The stereotype that really cheeses me off is that we all have close extended families – not all of us do. I don’t. Everyone assumes that.”
Then workshop facilitators from the five groups reported back on our top three suggestions. Our group’s were: rating niteclubs on whether the staff or performers are racist or welcoming; media monitoring of press reports and responding to negative reports; and alternative porn featuring a variety of skin colours/body shapes/ethnic cultures.
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Planning – 5 wks to go
“Let’s go round in a circle and introduce ourselves.” There are always new faces.
Main agenda item – the convention.
The search is still on for a building to squat that can be broken into easily, then sealed up like a fortress against prying neighbours and the cops.
“Let’s have the Building meeting at the Townie [hotel].”
“Nah – it’s too bright.”
“What about the Bank?”
“Too many rules.”
“What rules??”
Shrugs. “Too many rules and regulations!”
“Did you see the huge Reclaim the Streets graffiti on King St?
“Awesome!”
“Where?”
“It takes up the front of the old Trocadero building.”
“It’s on next Saturday.”
“Will people please stop mentioning possible squat venues on the list? Someone mentioned the old mardi gras site, and now security have boarded up the ground floor windows. Don’t discuss it.”
“Someone might have leaked it to them.”
“Anyone could be reading our [email] list.”
“I saw a building with a dodgy-looking rollerdoor. A couple of jacks would open that.”
“It’ll take a full day to bump all our stuff in. We can break in the night before.
“Once in, you have to stay in the warehouse – cos then you feel like you’re in a bubble. Time, reality changes to Bubble World.”
“I only showered twice during the last conference.“
“I’m going to have to pop home to feed my cat.”
“The cops might come during the night, but they probably won’t if there’s 100 of us. It’s too much trouble.”
“I’m unemployed. I’ve got lots of time on my hands. I used to be with SCAN [squatters network] and I have all the council dates for when they pick up old furniture. In Leichhardt and the North Shore suburbs. We won’t have to buy anything – give me a list – my friend has a ute. I just need storage.”
“Under D’s house. There’s plenty of room.”
“What time should we set aside for lunch at the convention?”
“When we get up.”
“Nobody gets up before 1.”
“It’s better to force people to get up earlier. Otherwise the whole day slips away.”
“Our body clocks are going to be all out of whack – we’ll be living in Bubble Time.”
“Some people will jump up at the crack of dawn like they always do.
“How long should we have it?”
“We’ll have the complaints and grievances meeting at 11.”
“And lunch straight after.”
“For two hours? 12 til 2?”
“It’ll take ages to cook for more than 100 people.”
“It’s all vegan. My contacts are all in organic wholefoods.”
“Let’s have jazz on the first day. And some Spoken Word.”
“Spoken Word! We don’t want to scare everyone away. Call the Spoken Word something else – Mega Mike nite.”
“We’ve got to set the pace with some hard core cabaret performances on the second night. Get us in the right mind space.
“Then bands on Friday. And bands on the first night? Don’t worry about the neighbours – when we go in, they’ll know we’re there. Might as well be full on from the start.
“Some low chill music. Maybe jazz?”
“I don’t know any jazz bands.”
“When’s the Sex Party? Sat?”
“The Mother-of-All Parties will be on Sat. Let’s have the Sex Party on Monday.”
“We should have it once we’ve got to know each other.”
“Nah – have it on day one!”
“”Yeah, and the girls will have theirs six days later after they’ve gotten to know each other.”
“Sexist!”
“It’s true!”
“We’ve got to factor in a rest day.”
“There’s Fair Day on Sunday. We’ll be hot and tired after staying out in the sun all day.”
“We’ll need some people to stay at the squat in case the cops come. And we’ll need about 50 people to stick together at Fair Day and be on hand to rush back.”
“Let’s have the Sex Party on Monday.”
“Or Saturday.”
“We’ll have films after Fair Day. Then more films and an art show during the Sex Party – there has to be an alternative. Not everyone will want to do the sex thing.”
What about visitors from overseas? Will they need translators?”
“Nah – the Germans all speak English.”
“I’ve contacted the Asian groups I know and only the Philippinos were interested. But they freaked out at squatting. They don’t want to be over here doing something illegal.”
“We can put a button on the Web site in different languages asking if they need a translator and they can click it if they need one.”
“So we’ve got four weeks to learn other languages?”
“Just give them a phrasebook.”
“We can customise them.”
“Yeah – this is how you phonetically say `I want to go to the post office’ – Wil yew fuk mee pleez?
“Last supper and big clean up on Tuesday. Sometimes it takes three days to bump out.”
“And everyone disappears at clean up time. Make them earn their supper and spend at least five minutes cleaning before they go.”
Cotton Ward 