The 26inches.com magazine ran bi-monthly over 8 issues. The first, and still the only, of its kind in Australia, it was based on a mix of written, video and interactive articles. Starting as a web based magazine, it progressed to CD and finally DVD for its last issue. It was ceased as the readership was ultimately not enough to sustain it’s increasing production costs and there was little desire by those involved to do a more traditional print based magazine.
CD 3 symbolised that we were getting comfortable with the medium and we feel was one of the best. This was the last of the CD-R deliveries as after this point we decided to take it a step further and move to an interactive DVD format.
Be warned:
This is the whole CD and nothing’s been cut down. The video content is big, 80Mb+, so it’s best looked at on a big pipe connection.
The presentation uses pop up windows.
The site is housed in a Flash wrapper, so make sure your browser is capable of seeing Flash files.
Written articles are delivered in Acrobat.
[Click here to launch CD3]
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Something which has appeared on the BBC a couple of times now, but not once that I have seen in our own local media, is the Rudd government’s plan to erect a firewall to block Australians’ access to certain websites. The “cyber-safety plan” apparently comprised part of the 2008-09 budget, but was unfortunately overlooked by the Liberals so they could complain about taxes on luxury cars. The plan’s stated aim is to “help protect Australian children from the dangers of the internet” (as seen on the DBCDE website). Sounds good, right?
Well no, actually, it’s not good at all. I don’t care how many government-appointed consultative committees there are, how much they educate young Australians on how to be “responsible cyber-citizens”, how many different groups they insist they will be “working with”, nor how many excuses they offer as to why a mandatory firewall is necessary. Plainly and simply, it is not. This plan is an erosion of our rights, nothing more and nothing less — and should be opposed.
Read more… (774 words)
Here you go, my photos from Wonder Down Under! My favs are the body paintings…the one with the Aussie flag with a koala is Mark Reids, the ragedy anne doll/clown is Yolanda Bartrams and the Purple Wonder Down Under Girl was painted by Lynne Jamieson! Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czO-KHBGGtg
If you like, send in your photos of the convention, and I’ll put them up on the blog!
And, I’d love to hear what you think, so please…leave comments on this post!
Happy Face Painting,
Philadelphia Tivoli
Learn face painting the fun and easy way with FacePaintingTips.com!
Australia, body painting, convention, face painting, Melbourne, photos, Wonder Down Under
Wow! what a match that was. When India was trailing by 2-0 after sydney test match, It is a great come back. I would say the team effort that paid off with a jubilant win. Every one in the team contributed to this match - great batting performance from tail enders like RP Singh and Anil Kumble, unbelievable bowling by batsman - Virendar Sehwag and an all round effort by Irfan Pathan. This win will be remembered for a long time to come, thanks to the self dug grave by aussies. After the first test match of this current series, it looked like Indians will be sent back home with 4-0 white wash by cricketing maestro Australians. But this win will boost Indians self confidence to pull their socks up to gear for the final match of the series at Adelaide.
I would like to congratulate Anil Kumble for his captaincy abilities and also for getting the honors of being the 3rd bowler to get 600 wickets in cricket test matches. Best wishes for him to get more wickets in future.
ARTICLEURL
Saw this on Gizmodo today:
Yesterday ZDnet broke the story that Virgin would be launching the iPhone 3G within two weeks, but without any official confirmation, it was stuck into the “rumour” basket.
Today, Giz can happily confirm that Virgin will be launching the iPhone, hopefully as soon as Friday this week (although that’s not confirmed yet). So if you’re planning on getting yourself an iPhone in the next few days, you probably want to wait, especially if you’re a data fiend.
And if, like me, you just bought an iPhone, what you read below the fold is probably going to hurt a little bit…
From our source:
For $70 per month for 24 months, all Virgin iPhone 3G customers will get:
· An 8GB Apple iPhone 3G for $0
· $520 WORTH OF CALLS & TEXTS
· 1GB OF DATA each and every month
· FREE CALLS & TEXT TO VIRGIN MOBILES!
· FREE VOICEMAIL to receive and retrieve in Oz!
· 40¢ Call Rate per 30 seconds w/ 40¢ call connection
· 25¢ Text to others in Australia, 35¢ overseas
For $100 per month, you can get the same plan but increase your data allowance up to 5GB. Yep, 5 Gigs.
Want the 16 Gig version? Then that’ll be $4 extra a month on the Cap 70 plan, but no extra on the Cap 100 plan.
Since the mutinous days of Captain Bligh, Tahiti and French Polynesia have symbolized paradise for South Pacific travelers. The soaring volcanic peaks, white sand beaches, and emerald lagoons continue to feed escapist dreams. French Polynesia also caters to adventurers and sightseers, and the colorful histories of ancient Polynesia and French colonialism have produced many vestiges to explore. Culturally, the happy combination of Tahitian warmth and French style have engendered a milieu only enhanced by the natural beauty of the islands. French Polynesia is not an inexpensive destination but it seldom disappoints its visitors.
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| The top thing to do in Tahiti? Relax. |
Thing to Do in Tahiti
Tahiti is French Polynesia’s biggest, most famous and historically interesting island. Most people arrive at Faaa International Airport on the outskirts of French Polynesia’s capital city, Papeete. Boulevard Pomare curves glamorously around Papeete Harbour, with yachts on one side and black-pearl boutiques on the other. The “Real Polynesia” is encountered at Papeete Market in the heart of downtown with flower and vegetable vendors downstairs and handicraft hawkers on the balconies above.
In the fashionable Vaima Center nearby are upscale shops, restaurants, cafes, and airline offices. Tahiti visitors can tour history museums, go hiking in the Faananu or Vaipoe valleys, or follow in Captain Cook’s footsteps at Point Venus. For a superb view of northern Tahiti and the silhouette of Moorea, the sunset dinner tour to the Belvedere Restaurant high above Papeete cannot be beat. The classic circle Tahiti tours include a stop at the Gauguin Museum in southern Tahiti where the painter’s final years in Polynesia are documented. Jeep safaris up and over Tahiti’s razer-sharp spine are also offered.
Things to Do in Moorea
Tahiti’s neighboring island, Moorea, has it all, including sparkling coral beaches, clear lagoons, archaeological sites, swanky resorts, intimate pensions, and some of the most striking scenery in the world. A 60-kilometer road circles the island with a sideroad to the Belvedere View Point high up in the mountains. The ruins of old Polynesian temples and compounds are scattered among the chestnut trees just below the view point. Exciting four-wheel drive safaris take visitors up dirt tracks to other high points around the island.
Those with a taste for culture can enjoy a spectacular Tahitian feast and show at the Tiki Theater Village. Moorea is famous for its marinelife and there are snorkeling tours, shark and ray feeding expeditions, and dolphin watching trips. One can swim with huge manta rays in the wild or be photographed with captive dolphins in an enclosure. Picnic trips by motorized outrigger canoe and sunset sailing cruises are available. In addition there are half a dozen scuba diving shops on Moorea and all the resorts have large watersports departments.
Things to Do in Bora Bora
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| Rooms with a view in Bora Bora |
After the island of Tahiti, Bora Bora is French Polynesia’s (and the South Pacific’s) most famous island. On its reef, a chain of narrow islands surround a lagoon large enough to shelter a whole naval fleet (which actually happened during World War II). Sheer volcanic peaks soar from the lagoon, creating what James Michener called the “most beautiful island in the world.”
Exploring Bora Bora is fun. Circle-island tours by “le truck”, Polynesia’s breezy public transportation, follow the road around the island in a couple of hours. Alternatively, you can join a 4WD safari and roar up rugged bush tracks to spectacular viewpoints over the lagoon. Yet the best experience of all awaits you out on the lagoon. Join a motorized outrigger canoe tour and you’ll soon be snorkeling with sharks and manta rays as the animals are fed by experienced guides. Those looking for tamer stuff can stare at huge schools of tropical fish from a glass bottom boat. The two dozen large international hotels on Bora Bora aren’t cheap, but there are also lots of small family-operated pensions for budget watchers.
Things to Do in Raiatea & Huahine
If you have the time, it’s well worth stopping on Raiatea and Huahine on the way back to Papeete. Raiatea is French Polynesia’s most sacred island, the site of Marae Taputapuatea, one of the largest Polynesian temples in the South Pacific. All of the island tours call here. For something different, take a four-wheel drive jeep safari to places the tour buses can’t reach, available on both Raiatea and Huahine.
On Raiatea, you can board a motorized outrigger canoe for a ride up the Faaroa River or out to a black pearl farm in stilts over the lagoon. Huahine is French Polynesia’s undiscovered gem, its single large international resort inaccessible by road. The Maeva archaeological area on Huahine contains dozens of restored Polynesian temples, some on the mountain and others by the lagoon. Huahine is actually two large volcanic islands connected by a bridge and the circle island tours do a figure eight around it all. If you missed the motorized outrigger tours on Bora Bora and Raiatea, take the Huahine picnic cruise to get an entirely different look at the island.
Things to Do in the Tuamotu Islands
The Tuamotu Group is a chain of 78 coral islands and atolls stretching 1,500 kilometers across the South Pacific Ocean. Rangiroa, one of the largest atolls in the world, is a scuba diving paradise with strong tidal flows through the two passes into its lagoon. Divers from afar come to drift with the current back into the lagoon through schools of sharks, dolphins, and other fish.
Manihi and Fakarava atolls offer similar experiences. Manihi is the most accessible of French Polynesia’s major pearl farming areas and there are tours which demonstrate the pearl farming process. Motorized outrigger tours to isolated reef islands called motus are possible on all of the atolls with tourist accommodations. When you’re not diving, snorkeling is the thing to do here. Be aware, however, that there are no mountains to climb in the Tuamotus and few shops to visit, and those uninterested in watersports should choose another destination.
Things to Do in the Austral Islands
Few travelers reach the volcanic islands of the Austral Group south of Tahiti where the climate is cooler than in the rest of French Polynesia. The best time to go is in June and July when pods of humpback whales swim to Rurutu and Tubuai from Antarctica to bear their young. Each island has a dive shop which organizes whalewatching tours. Tubuai and Raivavae each have rings of reef islets around the main island, which makes them ideal for those into watersports. Rurutu is great for hikers with tracks to many scenic seaside viewpoints and few inhabitants. Lonely little Rapa, the southernmost island in the South Pacific, has intriguing Polynesia fortresses on its hilltops but the island is only accessible by infrequent ships.
Things to Do in the Marquesas Islands
The legendary Marquesas Islands are among the most prized destinations in the South Pacific. This chain of high volcanic islands, 1,400 kilometers northeast of Papeete, is an expensive plane ride or long boat trip from Tahiti. The Marquesas has its own unique Polynesian culture exemplified by the large stone tikis standing at archaeological sites on Nuku Hiva and Hiva Oa.
Whenever cruiseships call, the Marquesans stage Polynesian dance shows and prepare island feasts. The best way to go is on the passenger-carrying freighter Aranui, which calls at all six inhabited islands once or twice a month on 16-day cruises from Papeete. On the island of Hiva Oa, shore excursions visit the graves of French painter Paul Gauguin and French chanson singer Jacques Brel.
-David Stanley
Planning a trip? Browse Viator’s tours & things to do in Tahiti, from Moorea tours to things to do in Bora Bora and Papetee.
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Today we got the news that our application to move to the Illawarra has been accepted. Being a new area the house is exceptionally new and has very few, if any flaws. Personally I am yet to see the place physically, but the raw emotion and excitement that has come from those that have leads me to believe I will be very happy with the move.
Now for some photography of the place.
That is it folks. I am sure looking forward to getting into this place now across the Australia Day long weekend. We will though be doing the ocker thing on Australia Day and will be bludging the day away at the beach in anticipation of some fireworks. The days surrounding that Saturday though will be hectic.
I probably will be unable to blog on those days, so am now going to formulate some scheduled posts for the period. Rest assured it will become increasingly cheaper to advertise on my Entrecard for those of you interested.
National media have been very clear. The Democratic candidates need Texas to secure their party’s nomination. Both parties have gone to the media proclaiming their massive efforts to reach young voters. The Democratic Party needed something big to grab attention (and voters) for the Texas primaries and both the Clinton and Obama campaigns had big plans for Texas.
First, UT students and staff received the great news that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama would be debating on the University of Texas campus in the Recreational Sports Center. Shortly thereafter they received the bad news. It would be a closed event, invitation only. Reactions across campus ranged from disbelief to outrage. How could the party that so vehemently talked up the importance of youth participation lock out the students of the campus hosting their debate, particularly in a building that’s funded 100 per cent from student fees? Students didn’t just feel swept aside, many felt insulted. When 
asked why the broadcasters, CNN and Univision, could not use a larger venue, since there were several to choose from in Austin, CNN claimed they couldn’t use a larger space without sacriï¬cing audio quality.
Finally there came a decision from the Dean of Students to hold a lottery for 400 seats to the event. It was a small victory but at least a percentage of students would get to participate in such a pivotal event.
‘The LBJ school was instrumental in bringing the debate here, so when we were talking to folks about this, we felt it was important to have our students be involved,’ said LBJ School Dean James Steinberg, to the Daily Texan (February 15, 2008).
While this placated some students and staff members, it actually created more hard feelings for others. Many students felt it was far too little, too late. leaving them sensing that their participation in this event (and the campaigns ahead) simply weren’t important to the Democratic Party. (The Texas Democratic Party had 100 tickets to give away for their drawing.)
The Senate of College Councils, the Ofï¬ce of the Dean of Students, and IntegrityUT came through with a better plan. The debate coincides with the IntegrityUT Week, so a screening was scheduled to be part of the series of events held in celebration of academic integrity at the university. Live music from Texas Renegade was also scheduled. 
Just in case that wasn’t enough of a draw, Chelsea Clinton was scheduled to make an appearance late in the evening. Unfortunately, her appearance was later cancelled as she was running late from the debate already.
In all, over 600 students were turned away when the ballroom ï¬lled to capacity. As Emily Ramshaw stated in her coverage of the event for The Dallas Morning News, there was ‘No Youth Apathy Here’. Energy and enthusiasm ran high. Obama and Clinton supporters sat and cheered next to each other. As many speculated, a better time was probably had this and other screening parties than at the debate itself. This screening event and the various blogs that covered the debate are all examples of students and student organizations pulling together and making their own rules when it comes to the political world and their participation in it.
As the event wrapped up with ‘The Eyes of Texas Are upon You’, many in the audience could no doubt sense the irony as the America watches Texas and wonders, as Texas goes, so goes the nation?-M. K. Johnson
M. K. Johnson was Lucire’s ï¬rst beauty editor in the 1990s to the early 2000s and serves as a regular correspondent.
About a month back we included ddpesh’s remix of Cut Copy’s “Far Away” in one of our DJ sets, but up until now we weren’t allowed to release it. Well today Ddpesh gave us the ok so check out this very unique take on a blog classic. I don’t really know what to liken the sound too, I just know I really like what these guys have done with this track. Ddpesh is currently working on their 1st set of original releases, due to come out in early ‘09. Stay tuned here, we should have a preview of the new stuff between now and then.
Cut Copy - Far Away (ddpesh Remix)
-J
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Those of you lucky (and old?) enough to have frequented music festivals back home will remember when ‘Oxegen’ was called ‘Witnness’ (nick-named Wetnness due to the good ol’ Irish rain and mud!) and it was the festival to be seen at! Nowadays, the Electric Picnic is the chilled out festival, pumping out the funky tunes and the most excellent bands. Was fairly bummed to have missed it in 2006, and when I realised I wouldn’t make it back on time for the 2007 Picnic, I realised I would have to get my ‘festival fix’ elsewhere. Cue The Byron Bay Blues & Roots Festival.
Byron Bay, Australia - Easter 2007. Picture it in your minds. You’re imagining sun, sea, surf and lots of chilled out individuals with funky hair, brighly coloured clothes and guitars…right? Well, you’re nearly there. It definitely has the hippie factor and the chilled out happy vibe! Alas though, the sun did not have its hat on!
Hands up who has spent time in Australia? A LOT of people I know have - and most of them have spent a full year here living it up on the working holiday visa. So why is it then, that when they all come home with stories and photos and memories, no one mentions the rain?? Its always sunny photos at the beach, surfing pics, barbeques on the patio in t-shirts and shorts, tales of sunburn and sunstroke!
I have a theory. There’s a “Men in Black’ type guy at the departures lounge at every international airport with one of those memory blanking pen-like things (the official name of this fictional device escapes me). European backpackers are asked to ‘look into the red light’ and all memories of rainly, winter days in Sydney, windy visits to Melbourne and foggy trips to Adelaide are wiped from their memories! Sure why not, there are always plenty of great memories remaining, and why risk damaging the tourism industry when it revolves around the sunny beach/surf lifestlye!
I never met Mr. Men in Black man myself. Perhaps he was on a tea-break. Thus I regret to inform y’all that Australia does in fact have a winter. And I have never in my life seen the likes of the rediculous rainfalls that visit Sydney from time to time! Within minutes, temporary rivers are streaming down the roads. Work suits are soaked and those with water collection tanks out the back are smiling. Incidentally, if you want to avoid a Sydney rainfall, try visiting any of the catchment areas which provide the city with water…never seems to rain there - hence the serious drought in most of the country at the moment.
The good news? When the sun shines, it shines, which more than makes up for it! Even if you’re camping at a music festival! I’m no stranger to days of rain dodging at campsites. Hello - Im Irish for heaven’s sake!!! But my God, nothing can prepare you for the torrents of rain that the Australian skies drop on you, even up in Byron, so close to the sunshine state of Queensland.
Every cloud however, is reported to possess a silver lining. And this one certainly did. Lots of them. The 18th Annual Blues and Roots Festival absolutley rocked!! A five day festival, I attended for a mere 3 days with the girls, namely, the lovely Niamh, Denise and Aoife - all from Cork! So in fairness, rain or no rain, it was never gonna be dull…loike!
Along with the amazing artists (Wolfmother; John Mayer; Bela Fleck & The Fleckstones; Ziggy Marley; Ben Kweller; Paulo Nutini; Jack Johnson (who wasn’t on the line-up but turned up to jam with ALO!); Amos Lee and Gomez, to name a few), we were blessed with the chance to hang out with some very cool people!
Big hi to our gracious neighbours at the campsite, who provided us with much needed shelter in their 3-bed semi-detatched gaff! Ok maybe not, but man, when Aussies put their minds to something they don’t do it in halves. Back home, our sinlge, not entirely massive and certainly not waterproof gazebo, always got some ‘oohs’ and ‘aahhs’ of admiration from fellow concert goers. In Oz, it wouldn’t get a mention! Most set-ups included a few large tents, surrounding a large ‘kitchen area’, complete with table, gas stove and a large storage box full of crocery and cutlery, and all this under a massive, heavy-duty, rain-proof tarp! Some even had buckets to collect the rain water to drink! Throw in a few comfy chairs, a music system and a guitar, and you’re about half way there! It was our neighbours tarp that saved us the pain of spending hours at a time alone in our little one/two man tents dodging the rain. It was also our lovely neighbours who advised us on day 2, that our three small, completely inadequate tents were set up in the middle of a potential river of mud! They also kept us sane during the giant, furry yet deadly spider invasion of day 1 (there were many!), and for that we remain eternally grateful!
A further hello to Aussies, Lauren and co. who rescued a wee green frog from the ladies toilet - as in the actual toilet bowl. I shall not name names in case diseases ensued, but high five from the frog community for your drunken bravery! Frogs are one thing, but getting that close to a toilet at a music festival…what can I say…that takes balls! (Sorry mum but it does!)
Big thanks also to our quasi-sponsors for the few days - Jimmy Juice (ie. Jim Bean & Coke) who provided us with lots of cool, free, useless stuff on the condition we drink lots of their product and get utterly, eh…hyper! Girls, you know what Im talking about here…the memories…ahh, the memories! My God, I wish I had memories…
Finally, can I just say that if at some point you’re browsing through my photos and catch a glimpse of me standing in the rain with a blue, plastic “Paddington Bear” type hat, complete with pictures of ickle yellow duckies, know that with that hat, comes special rainy memories of a certain superhero called Ducky and his band of merry men and women! And like Ted (see photo gallery for details), that hat shall travel with me on my journey of exploration, particularly in the Amazon Rainforrest where it shall shield me from the elements and remind me of happy times in Byron Bay, when I was singing along to songs about multi-funtional tents, walking 5km in the lashing rain with my girls and watching a tipsy Aoife attempt to carry that esky (cooler box) of beer and melted ice at 4am! Girls - Jimmy Juice or no Jimmy Juice, there are some moments I’ll never, ever forget! 
Love ye!!
Quack Quack! Chelle x