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.

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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.

And now, from the people who brought you Paris Hilton and the mankini, please welcome... Bikijeans! Or Bikini Jeans Or "Avert thine eyes because you are about to be frightened severely" These jeans were actually invented by a Japanese company that obviously thought the tacky g-string showing-over-the-low-rise abomination wasn't enough. Let's be honest here. I don't care if you're Elle Macpherson, if you wear these jeans it's going to be hideous. And here's food for thought...try sitting down in them. This would of course, introduce a new aspect to the Bikijean - the added bonus of a butt crack! This just keeps getting better and better. These jeans should come with various warnings such as: "please refrain from sneezing" "avoid any seating areas with backless chairs" "do not eat while wearing these jeans" "avoid stores with metal racks and sharp objects or you might find yourself caught in a rather embarrassing bind" Old ladies beware - you are going to get a whole lot grumpier. Actually, I'm beginning to agree with them. I am a grumpy young woman and proud of it! Now, to continue my grump... This picture above shows a very skinny model in these jeans. It doesn't show her walking, because that would be quite difficult unless you have recently had a Brazilian or don't mind flashing the 'ole sidewinders. What you see in the photograph is a myth. When you go down to the local fish and chip shop or milk bar you are almost guaranteed to be confronted daily by a Kath & Kim style frightmare. This will not end prettily. ...and you know it won't stop there. I shudder to even ask the question "what's next?" Apparently these jeans are marketed for an exclusive audience - the "very thin". Hmmm, you know what? I think someone's got a thing about seeing girls' bits. It took a bit of digging but I think I'm on to it now... Seriously, the Bikijean. Yes or No?

technorati tags: bikijeans bikini jeans japanese fashion denim

My partner told me about how amazing an eggplant parmigiana can be when cooked properly. We decided to try out a 'counter meal' as they are known in Australia - basically a pub meal. The special was eggplant parmigiana and we arrived with anticipation of a mouth watering culinary experience.

WRONG!!

When the meal arrived, we suspected something was not quite right. For a start, my partner received about 4 chips while I received a larger pile. The nearby chicken parmigianas came complete with a mountain of chips and a parmigiana large enough to be a small car's hubcap. Our meal on the other hand, was quite different. The eggplant parmigiana itself was tiny, perhaps the size of an average person's palm. Oh well, I thought, quality not quantity. After tasting the eggplant, I was literally eating my words.

The knife provided was woefully ineffective, I found myself sawing away at this strange piece of boot leather and making little progress. Perhaps a local tree lopper would have come in handy at this point. The eggplant was dry, leathery and thin. It consisted of soggy layers of "batter", eggplant with the skin left on (which had the consistency of old boot) and another layer of soggy batter.

I could not bring myself to finish the meal, instead I dissected it out of curiosity and left it for the waiter to collect. When dissected, I noted it resembled Dalek innards (Dr Who fans will know what I'm talking about!).

When cooked properly, an eggplant parmigiana is thick, juicy, trimmed of skin and crumbed and fried. This science experiment was thin, skin heavy, microwaved back to life (or perhaps the undead), possibly frozen and grilled to within an inch of its life. It is my fond hope that pub meals will include vegetarian food more regularly in their menus and employ qualified chefs who have the expertise to er... cook.

If anyone out there knows a great eggplant parmigiana recipe, please enlighten me...

technorati tags: eggplant parmigiana recipe parma pub meal old boot