Congratulations to Laura Davies, who won her second Australian Open this week. She is a deserving champion and her swing has to be seen to be believed. Many of the commentators have all but written off the more experienced players, expecting the younger players to automatically win because of their age. Wrong!! You cannot write off players like Laura Davies or Karrie Webb, and you certainly cannot underestimate their ability, creativity and ingenuity to recover and mount a winning charge.

Karrie Webb was visibly disappointed with her performance but she is still Australia's best golfer and no doubt we will see her winning again in no time. She was gracious enough to give me her autograph, even though she probably would rather have been somewhere private to reflect after the game.

During the presentation, I was glad to discover that all proceeds from the Australian Open ticket sales will go straight to the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal. The haze from the fires was still visible throughout the tournament. It was a proud moment and I commend the organisers of the event for their generosity.

A small but important note to the Australian Open organisers: Please set up the will call office/tent at the MAIN entrance to the golf club. This will ensure that people can actually find the entrance and get in. It would also help if the attendant at the main gate had a clue where the other entrances were located so he doesn't send people off in the wrong direction, down the wrong street and headed for nowhere.



Were it not for the extremely kind guy in Car Park B who gave us a lift after we had been walking for at least ten minutes in the wrong direction in hot sun, we would not have found the entrance, which was a poorly marked, unlabeled side street leading to a long dirt road between a football oval and a primary school, at least a couple of kilometres walk from the front entrance. How anyone expected people to find this secret hollow is beyond me. Thank you Car Park B guy, you know who you are and you are a legend.

I received a great lesson from one of the Golf Pros from Drummond and found out much about my swing and the appropriate clubs to use. I didn't realise the importance of club fitting and consultation.

When I swung a hybrid Callaway Diablo for the first time, I realised what I could actually achieve with the right equipment. I was suddenly hitting the ball further than I have ever done in my life. I have always been curious about hybrids for some time, now I realise why they are so popular. It's simple - they are so easy to hit. I also discovered that because of my height and strength, I should not be using standard womens' clubs. Instead I fall in between the male and female clubs categories and I need taller clubs to make them easier for me to hit. I now realise that many of my clubs are probably too short for me. But I can't complain, I got them for $5-$15 each!

I will be shopping for new additions to my set, including the new tour Callaway x-22 and possibly one of the new Diablo drivers. The prices are reasonable at the moment - they can be found for $80-$100 each (excluding the driver!) on sale. I will be checking Drummond Golf and House of Golf for new specials and be sure to check the "Hot Specials" page for new deals this week.

technorati tags: Laura Davies Australian Open 2009 Karrie Webb golf callaway diablo x22

The Red Cross Bushfire Appeal urgently needs blood donations to assist the burns victims injured in the terrible fires throughout Victoria.

If you are between the ages of 16-71 and weigh over 45 kilos, you may be able to donate blood. The process of giving blood takes from 5-10 minutes, not including time for filling out a questionnaire and recovery time.

Please check the Red Cross Blood Service site for further conditions. If you need more information on eligibility, check the FAQ section or take their quick quiz.

technorati tags: give blood donate blood red cross bushfire victoria appeal 2009

Victoria's bushfires have been all over the news but we cannot begin to understand what these people are going through. If you feel the desire to help (as many Australians do!) please donate to the Red Cross Bushfires Appeal 2009. Please be wary of email scams masquerading as this legitimate charity organisation.

According to the Red Cross website:

• Australian Red Cross DOES NOT send unsolicited email to the public requesting donations.
• If you receive an unsolicited email alleging to be on behalf of Red Cross or collecting for Red Cross, immediately delete the message and do not forward or otherwise circulate it.
• Do not respond to these messages or provide any personal details to unsolicited email that you may receive.
• Only make an online donation to an Australian Red Cross Appeal at www.redcross.org.au.

Go to the official Red Cross Website to donate or call 1800 811 700

Please do not call 000 if you are worried about relatives / loved ones. The information line for the Country Fire Authority Victoria is 1800 240 667. Please do not visit the areas just to drive by and look. You will be in the way. Firefighters and investigators need to do their job without interference and the people of these devastated areas need to be left respectfully to grieve and rebuild their lives. Please do not donate clothing or other items to the Red Cross at this time - a cash donation is the most effective way to help during this appeal.

technorati tags: red cross bushfire victoria appeal country fire authority CFA
Photo credit: Shanghai Daily.com

Maybe it was because I was feeling patriotic after Australia Day. Maybe it was because the camera was handy. Or maybe there are some signs you come across that are just too silly to ignore...

Australians all let us rejoice for we are young and free,
With golden soil and wealth for toil...




And in honour of the Australian Open this week...

technorati tags: silly signs funny billboards

At some time or another the time will come when you look at your old Hanimex 35mm and say "well, old buddy, I'm afraid you're obsolete." It will be a sad day, for many that day has already come. For me it came two years ago when I realised that photography and photos were changing so rapidly and that I had to keep up or get left in a big cloud of dust kicked back from the 21st century.

So then you have to go through every catalogue, megapixels screaming at you and confusion racking your tired brain. Let's face it. We could all use a little help. You need to do some heavy-duty research before purchasing a camera. 42nd Street is a digital camera store that reviews and recommends various digital cameras and helps the digital camera shopper to decipher the myriad of options available to them. With concern to safekeeping digital pictures there is a handy section on camera care, warranties and storage. Their prices are reasonable and some savings can be found on many of the models discussed on the site. The range includes cameras for the holiday snapper right up to the serious photographer.



This post brought to you by 42nd Street Photo.