Se7en

Australians have come out on top as the world's most envious people in a tally of the seven deadly sins.

BBC magazine Focus found Australians also scored highly for the other six sins, making Australia the 'most sinful' country on Earth.

"Sin-prone" Australia was followed by the US, Canada, Finland and Spain.

Researchers used a points system to determine which countries committed the seven deadly sins (lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride), the most.

The tally compared national statistics for plastic surgery (pride), theft (envy), violent crime (wrath), number of annual holidays (sloth), annual salary (greed), money spent on fast food (gluttony) and porn (lust).

Australians ranked first for envy and third for lust and gluttony.

Despite a fondness for the occasional sickie, sloth was was identified as the sin Australians were least likely to commit, with eight other countries considered lazier.

Six nationalities were considered more wrathful and three more greedy or proud.

Highest in each of the sin categories were the US (gluttony), Mexico (greed), South Korea (lust), Iceland (sloth and pride), Australia (envy) and South Africa (wrath).

from Yahoo 7

Walton Ford: Pancha Tantra

Fantastic Menagerie

The sinister majesty of Walton Ford's wildlife

"Audubon-on-Viagra..."
—New York Magazine, New York

At first glance, Walton Ford’s large-scale, highly-detailed watercolors of animals may recall the prints of 19th century illustrators John James Audubon and Edward Lear, and others of the colonial era. But a closer look reveals a complex and disturbingly anthropomorphic universe, full of symbols, sly jokes, and allusions to the 'operatic' nature of traditional natural history themes. The beasts and birds populating this contemporary artist's life-size paintings are never mere objects, but dynamic actors in allegorical struggles: a wild turkey crushes a small parrot in its claw; a troupe of monkeys wreak havoc on a formal dinner table, an American buffalo is surrounded by bloodied white wolves. The book's title derives from The Pancha Tantra, an ancient Indian book of animal tales considered the precursor to Aesop’s Fables.

This large-format edition includes an in-depth exploration of Walton Ford’s oeuvre, a complete biography, and excerpts from his textual inspirations: Vietnamese folktales and the letters of Benjamin Franklin, the Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini and Audubon’s Ornithological Biography.


About the artist:
Walton Ford, born 1960 in Larchmont, NY, graduated in filmmaking from RISD, but switched to large-scale watercolor painting. His work has been widely exhibited, including shows at the Whitney and Brooklyn museums. He lives and works in Massachusetts.


About the author:
Bill Buford is an author and New Yorker staff writer, as well as the founding editor of Granta, which he edited for 16 years. His books include Among the Thugs and Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as a Kitchen Slave. He lives in New York City with his wife and two sons.

from Taschen

Horse Slaughter continues

Racing Victoria extends talks on future of jumping

GREG BEST

20 Jan, 2010 10:39 AM

RACING Victoria yesterday added further intrigue into the future of jumps racing by revealing it would continue discussions with supporters about reversing a decision to end the sport in 10 months.

Jumps racing's white knight, Melbourne Racing Club vice-chairman Mike Symons, yesterday made a submission to the RVL board, urging it to ensure the sport's future beyond this year.

In the submission, industry participants agreed the sport needed to be judged on the rate of falls, fatalities and the number of starters per race.

They also outlined a need for changes to the obstacles and a series of other initiatives aimed at preventing horse falls and fatalities.

Late yesterday RVL chief executive officer Rob Hines issued a three-paragraph statement announcing no decision would be made on the sport's future after the meeting.

"A decision has not yet been made on the proposal and we will continue our discussions with Mike Symons," Hines said.

"As discussions remain on-going, no interviews or further statements will be made on the matter at this time."

RVL communications manager Shaun Kelly refused to be drawn on what the delay in an announcement meant.

"You read into it what you want," he said.

Warrnambool Racing Club chairman Marg Lucas believed the delay could be promising.

"I can only hope it is a positive thing and there are things in the proposal they weren't aware of that they can get some comfort from in making a decision to continue jumps racing," she said.

Lucas believed the 100 per cent support from the racing industry, which was outlined in the submission, was a positive the board had to consider.

Symons and Australian Jumps Racing Association president Rodney Rae could not be reached for comment.

from The Standard

Tim J. Barnes

This article appeared in Sansha's December/January Newsletter available online or instore.

Book Release

The Dance Parents Survival Guide

Posted on 11 December 2009 in Dance Informa Magazine

By Rebecca Martin.

Price: AUD $27.23
Authors Julia Monaghan and Kate Wilson

Choosing dance styles, tuition, costumes and more…

Written with the needs of dance parents in mind, The Dance Parent’s Survival Guide provides up-to-date information and practical advice on all things dance related, from comparing dance styles and schools, to applying stage make-up. The guide contains numerous tips on a variety of subjects, including preparing for dance competitions, dealing with common dance injuries, and selecting and caring for shoes and dance wear, along with detailed instructions on essential skills such as sewing and tying ballet shoe ribbons and making a bun.

Whether your child does ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, national or acrobatics, this well organised, comprehensive book is for you.

Julia Monaghan is a working mother with two girls who are both aspiring dancers. She has been a lecturer in nursing and midwifery at James Cook University and the University of Tasmania, but currently works as an educational consultant for professional nursing and midwifery organisations. Julia has been a dance parent for over 12 years, throughout which she has juggled the demands of work and supporting her daughters’ dancing. Her experiences and the knowledge she gained going from novice to veteran dance parent inspired her to write this book.

Kate Wilson has been involved in teaching dance for over ten years. Prior to a career in teaching, Kate took lessons in classical ballet, tap, jazz, national/character and highland dance. Kate received a diploma in Performing Arts, majoring in Classical Ballet at Dance World 301 in Melbourne and has also studied at the Victorian College of the Arts.

Rebecca Martin spoke with Kate in the lead up to the book’s release.

What was the inspiration for the book?
I was invited to co-write this book with one of my ex-ballet mums, Julia Monaghan, who even as an experienced ballet mum had so many unanswered questions. The book came about because there are so many things for new and existing dance parents to know and it can become quite daunting. Every year when older students stop dancing or begin their professional careers, a wealth of information is lost and not passed on to new dance students and their parents. Also, Julia found that in most cases, the dance teacher is always too busy teaching the dance class to give any information to the parents. Hence The Dance Parent’s Survival Guide.

Where did the book’s research come from?
Julia made a list of everything she would want to know as a beginner dance parent – how to find a good school, where to find dancewear and how to care for it, how to help her child practicse, how to sew ribbons on ballet shoes, how to style hair, etc. We conducted a lot of research by asking other parents at ballet schools what they needed and wanted to know when their child began dance classes. We also used Julia’s daughters and her husband as guinea pigs when it came to testing the descriptions in the book. We also contacted a lot of dance schools and viewed many websites and dance books.

It is traditionally the mother who takes children to dance classes. Is the book directed at both mothers and fathers?
The book is absolutely for fathers as well as mothers! When I was a dance student, it was my dad who assisted in making head pieces for costumes, props (as well as carrying them around back stage!) and he could even put my hair in a bun better than my mum could! I think that fathers have just as much, if not more enjoyment from the dance classes that their child participates in.

Does the book cover information for boys as well as girls?
Boys are mentioned in this book from the very beginning. It was the males who began most dance styles which are studied today by children – ballet, tap, jazz, etc. We have included a section on boy’s dancewear, boy’s costuming and how to help the parent and the male dance student cope with any potential teasing or taunting they may be subjected to because they study dance.

With the constant evolution of dance and dance styles, will the book be updated in keeping with trend changes and product designs?
It has taken the best part of five years to complete the book as there have been so many improvements in all facets of dance during this time – dance tv shows, new schools and companies, the science of dancewear to enhance and improve performance. As these are constantly changing and improving, Julia and I will be changing and improving our book to keep up with the times.

Will dance students find the book useful?
Absolutely, especially those who are at an age where they are starting to take more responsibility for their belongings and dance classes – how to sew ribbons on shoes, how apply stage make up, what to pack for a performance, caring for their own shoes and dancewear, and also how to help with the younger or less experienced students.

The Dance Parent’s Survival Guide can be ordered from www.danceparentsguide.com.au
Very soon it will also be available from Sansha Australia.
17 Glen Eira Road, Ripponlea, Victoria 3185
Phone: 03 9528 6066
info@sansha.com.au www.sansha.com.au

Swan Lake – Melbourne Dance Theatre

Swan Lake - Melbourne Dance Theatre

Posted on 23 September 2009 in Dance Informa
360 Centre, Lower Plenty

Friday August 28^th

By Rebecca Martin.

Melbourne Dance Theatre (MDT) claims to be more than purely a dance company by collaborating different art forms into its performances. Their production of Swan Lake, however, was essentially a dance piece with only a hint of acrobatics and voice. This is not a bad thing, as Michelle Sierra’s modern take on the ballet classic was a delight. MDT stayed true to the original theme of love and betrayal and kept the traditional Tchaikovsky score, but presented a version that was set in the current day with night clubs and celebrities.

Matt Dillon as Prince Siegfried was a standout, with his clean technique and strong presence keeping me captivated for the entire piece. As with all Swan Lake versions, unfortunately the men do not take centre stage, so I look forward to seeing Dillon in a piece that showcases his talents to a greater extent in the future. Paris Hodson was a beautiful Odette, however her performance was reserved, a problem which will no doubt be overcome with maturity. In Act 3, Kathleen Skipp was a revelation from her first entrance on stage as the celebrity guest. Her sensuous performance in a striking red and black costume was a highlight. She is certainly a dancer to watch.

The corps de ballet were the only disappointment in the performance. Although they created some wonderful moments and executed the challenging choreography quite well, at times the lines were messy and steps were forgotten. Opening nights are often fraught with nerves, so I am sure the following shows were much cleaner.

Michelle Sierra’s choreography was daring and blurred the lines between classical and contemporary dance. While almost all of the dancing was performed on flat and the steps generally stemmed from a classical perspective, the movement vocabulary was vast. The swan costumes borrowed liberally from Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, with the dancers in white feathered pants and white tops for the women or bare chests for the men. In the second act, the costumes were more elaborate in keeping with the night club theme and brought the stage to life with their colours.

Melbourne Dance Theatre’s Swan Lake is a bold production that needed just a little more incubation. Pushing the boundaries in the Australian arts scene is so essential, particularly when it comes to dance. We need more choreographers who are brave enough to try something new, and we certainly need the support of audiences and funding bodies. Melbourne Dance Theatre should be applauded for staging shows that challenge the audience as well as the dancers, and their season of Swan Lake was no exception.

The sound of live music grows quieter...

The Tote Shuts Its Doors

by Paul Cashmere - January 19 2010
photo by Ros O'Gorman

After 27-years, iconic Melbourne rock and roll pub The Tote has closed.

Thousands gathered at the Collingwood venue yesterday for last drinks. For many, the closing of The Tote is seen as a nail in the coffin of live music.

Licensee Bruce Milne blamed new liquor laws that meant added security and additional costs as the last straw. By keeping inner Melbourne “safer” and controlling the out of control bar scene in the Central Business District, The Tote in the fringe suburb of Collingwood also had to abide by the new regulations.

This would have meant adding two security guards at $40 a head whenever a live band was playing. When the bands inside are unsigned and the punters are getting a free gig, it was just too much. Dan Kelly, The Drones, Dave Graney and Eddy Current were amongst 26 acts who farewelled The Tote from 2.20pm yesterday.

Melbourne has lost out, live music has lost out and the music fans have lost out.

Article courtesy of Undercover

Oh Haiti.

Desperately poor, socially benighted and politically volatile, Haiti could scarcely be less well equipped to organise a massive relief effort after an earthquake.

Things were already bad enough.





We have to help.

Just call me crazy.

Ah, there's nothing like making light of mental illness. Technically I am allowed to because I have it. I've conquered depression and anxiety but I'm still stuck with a little Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It ain't like it used to be when I was a young, neurotic child. I don't experience OCD in the intense constant-hand-washing or light-switch-flicking way, but more in a general need for tidyness and aesthetic symmetry. Fortunately, I don't think the world is going to end if I don't put the dishes in the sink or arrange the cans of vegetables alphabetically*. I just prefer things to be this way in my home. You can do what you like in your place.


*I don't actually do these things. It's hypothetical.

I guess while I'm here having a rant, I may as well voice what bothers me most about mental illness in popular culture. And that's the stigma and accompanying ignorance. It's ok to say you have diabetes at the dinner table and consequently refuse a piece of chocolate mud cake, but say you have a mental illness and refuse a glass of wine due to the medication you take and one instantly becomes a social leper. Double standards much?

I understand that mental illness in all it's shapes and sizes is essentially beyond the comprehension of most of us. If you see someone with blood oozing out of their knee, it is easy to identify and heal. The blood is visible, the pain understandable and the cessation of the bleeding an obvious resolution. Yet the inner turmoil of a mentally ill mind, the pain and the (sometimes unachievable) cure are neither visible nor understandable.

I recently read the following article from The Age newspaper, published January 1st 2010.

The thought of the audition notice makes me giggle. I imagine it posted on pub walls and reading, "Singer wanted. Must have rocking vocals, performance experience and be craaaazy." Only this band - Melbourne's BiPolar Bears - really means it. Then there's the reason why they need a new singer. Their old one got off drugs and got her head together.
Yeah, I know. You're not meant to laugh about mental illness. But I'll confess an urge to chuckle whenever I see these little green tins of liquorice mints labelled "Mental" in an old milk bar. And a fondness for the phrase "crazy in the coconut".
It's a modern myth to say that there's nothing funny about mental illness. People who've had it know that. As actor, comedian and reported bipolar sufferer Robin Williams says: "Freud: If it's not one thing, it's your mother."
The members of the BiPolar Bears - a 15-year-old band featured in a new SBS documentary that has played everwhere from the Sydney Opera House to psych wards and with rock gods from Tim Rogers to Russell Morris - know all the shades of black. Many of their lyrics are written by Dan McGuiness. Diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager, Dan speaks about the friendly voices in his head, the ones who suggested he fly to New York and kept him so busily engrossed in chat that he forgot to be scared while living on the streets there for six months. Another band member describes driving and hearing a voice so distinct that he switched off the radio, listened, looked around and, when it continued, came to the conclusion that he was receiving divine communication.
There's more from singers auditioning for the band - a stunning woman with anxiety that getting to rehearsal is almost overwhelming. Or the winger who feels as if she's "constantly on show" or "being watched", not with the band, it turns out. Narrated by Tex Perkins, this series sometimes feels like a community service announcement (band members reveal statistics on Bob Dylanesque cards) and though they rock solidly, they are unlikely to set the charts on fire. There's the list of famous musos who've suffered from bipolar disorder - from Beethoven to Britney Spears - that will spark chicken-and-egg discussions about head health and the rock lifestyle. More striking are the interviews about having schizophrenia or taking 2700 pills a year.
Maybe it's because these guys are managing their helath well and can reflect on it lucidly. Maybe it's because this isn't ostensibly a show about mental illness, but rather a look at their band. But it's rare to see such relaxed and candid interviews about the subject. These are not the psycho villains usually seen on our screens.
There have been responsible examinations of teen suicide (Australian Story) and the entertaining personalities played by Toni Collette in United States of Tara. But The BiPolar Bears has a levity and clarity to it, perhaps because its players have found something that drummer Rob describes as better than sex and drugs: rock'n'roll. - Lucy Beaumont.

No, the mentally ill are not psycho villains that live in the screenplay of script writers. They are your friends, family, the person you work with.
Laughing about mental illness may be offensive to some, but it isn't to me. Laughing at a person with mental illness is as funny as laughing at a person with a physical illness. But laughing alongside them to help them (and those around them) cope is great. Along the way, this laughter may break down some barriers and get people talking.

Tune in and make up your own mind. Secrets and Lives: The BiPolar Bears screens on SBS One starting Thursday January 7.