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Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, a land where religion rules, but the people all live as one. Where Colonial Britain can be seen in the buildings, but their culture can be found on the streets. A place where the forest engulfs the roads and the mountains are on level with the clouds. Food to be found in endless markets and tastes far better when it’s shared – fingers are their forks. Sri Lanka, a place where the people are humble and lives are lived simply.

Arts blurred lines of child Pornography

We live in an age where children are being sexualized and art is pushing the boundaries to the point of breaking. No better example is the Bill Henson saga. Henson is an Australian world-renowned artist whose images have graced galleries for thirty years. A man who has shown the evolution and awkwardness of adolescence through risqué photography On the 25th May 2008 those boundaries were to be tested with the Federal Police raiding Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery and confiscating his work. The debate between Art and Child pornography drew sides and Henson’s work became the focus.

Melbourne Moves the rest are Morons
Traffic congestion in our cities is not just a daily annoyance it’s become a financial burden to the Australian economy. Government findings show that congestion is costing 11.1 billion pa and set to balloon out to 20 billion by 2020. Melbourne is addressing this problem, and one angle of attack is the humble pushbike. Melbourne is moving to make cycling a real transport alternative by investing infrastructure with 2400km of lanes, paths and ‘’economic routes” feeding their business and commerce areas. Perhaps this is why Sydney costs to its local economy is almost double Melbourne’s at 7.8 billion.

Walk against warming
Sunday 15th of August saw the streets in our capitals and regional hubs turn into a human message as up to 90,000 people demanded action on climate change. Melbourne drew the largest crowds with 40,000 converging on the capital and forming a human sign saying ’save climate, do it’. Many environmental groups such as Greenpeace and Sustainable Population Australia were present and hopes that with an election fast approaching politicians will take note of this very large and loud voting bloke from both the Right and Left side of politics.

Gulf spill
On the 20th of April the blue seas in the Bay of Mexico became black as BP America became part of the worst man made disaster. A BP oil rig had exploded with first reports of 1000 barrels entering our seas to a later finding from BP of 100,000 be day. The public and government took aim and BP and Minerals Management whose role was to maintain safety checks where the first to be shot. Although one must wonder if demand by the consumer wasn’t so high then would BP be drilling in such dangerous and hazardous conditions?

The Melbourne Cricket Ground, or MCG or better still lovingly known to locals and Aussie’s alike as the “”G’’ has been around since 1838. What better way to spend Sunday afternoon than watching Richmond Tigers take on Sydney Swans at Australia’s historic ‘G’. A place that is deep rooted in our culture and grew alongside our own Sports such as AFL and cricket. Crowds as large as 100,012 were seen at the 2008 finals between Geelong and Hawthorn and even our Queen has been to the grounds twice. So when Richmond came from behind and kicked the winning goal in the final minutes you know you’re watching history.

Friendly reminder to all Victorians
Your capital city is one you need to frequent; it’s not voted as the third most livable city by London Based Economist Intelligent Survey without good reason. Not only is it home to your favourite sport AFL, but many others as well, including the most watched horse race the ‘Melbourne Cup’. It has 9 different theatres, cultural hubs such as the Art Precinct and Federation Square. It has endless festivals for the mind and music for all tastes. In addition to all these amazing things, it has the restaurants to dine you and the clothing shops to dress you. So remember to go and support it.

You feed them they breed them
Africa a beautiful land with beautiful souls inhabiting it. But as Africa’s population is fast reaching 1 billion people on the second driest continent this land and lifestyle is under threat from overpopulation. In the last 60 years 1 trillion dollars in foreign aid has reached the continent, but people still live in poverty and the humanitarian’s ideal of feeding them just means Africa’s breeding them. If money is going to be given let’s give it in a way that doesn’t create dependence on foreign aid and that in return for aid expect action on overpopulation by addressing birth rates and allowing the elderly to support themselves without the need of large families.

A friendly reminder to the State of Victoria.

If you’re unaware or have become oblivious, you have something that lays down the road or a few k’s down the Hume. A place where Western Culture meets the Australian lifestyle and has managed to spit out endless arts through the National Gallery, museums, memorials and range of Theaters. Where a single horse race can stop a nation and neighbouring suburbs are at war during footy games. Where food and fashion is found down little streets and inner suburbs. It’s Melbourne, Victoria and it’s like none other.

Your capital city always ranks among the best in the world with London-based Economist Intelligent Survey claiming it was the third most livable city in 2010. Perhaps it’s the designated cultural hubs such as the Victorian Arts Precinct or Federation Square, which provide a meeting place for the arts. Perhaps it is the theatres showcasing local performances, international theater productions or the renowned Melbourne International Comedy Theatre. There are at least nine different theatres including the Regent Theatre and the Australian Centre for c
Contemporary Art. Maybe it is the many festivals which are shown throughout the year like the ‘’Melbourne Writer’s Festival which is on at the moment bringing together over 400 writers.

Even if you are a Victorian who is more about the sport, then your most popular sport AFL, finds its home in Melbourne along with every other code of footy as well. Let’s not forget the Spring Carnival, which includes the most watched horse race in the world ‘The Melbourne Cup’.

Adding even more colour and variety to the city are the buskers, the restaurants the live music and shopping which is found in every nook and cranny. Coda chief Shaun Kelly said it perfectly ‘Melbourne has around 5000 restaurants and cafes, if you’re a foodie then Melbourne is for you’.

Melbourne City-Get it into it- By Luke Spring

Coda Resturant
http://www.codarestaurant.com.au/

Melbourne Tourism
http://www.visitmelbourne.com/

AFL Games and times
http://www.afl.com.au/

Spritual Sri Lanka

markets

As the government lifted its ceasefire back in December 2007, our plane made the slow rattling decent into the eerie calm of Colombo. We had arrived in Sri Lanka during a ceasefire with the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan army. The normally bustling streets remained empty with the only noise coming from vans and utes as they passed hesitantly through the capital. We piled into a late model van and joined the procession of traffic making their way out of town.
Sri Lanka is a land of 21 million people, in a country smaller than our state of Tasmania. It is a land where their people are living amongst many religions with Buddhists, Hindus, Christians and Muslims living as if they shared the one belief. Most parts of the country during this time prohibited foreigners and for good reason – war or the potential threat of attacks has plagued this land.
As we made our way amongst horn tooting drivers and the landscape of the city makes way to rainforest that begins to engulf the winding bitumen passage, you begin to see the true beauty of this land. From charming formal English Colony towns such as Kandy, where Colonial buildings sit in the surroundings of Mosques and temples to vibrant market towns and tea terraced hill towns the post Colonial Sri Lanka combines new and old.
We saw mountains in the Nuwara Eliya area where tea was picked amongst clouds and the green from trees spread further than the eye could see. In the Matale District past civilisations had carved their temples and pools into Sigiriya rock which was reached on narrow stairways where ancient paintings remained visible on the rock face.
The food found is one where fingers replace forks and curries are displayed out on shared plates, each using one core ingredient and only being mixed when your heart so wishes to combine a new combination. The people are friendly and charming.
So as the guns now lay silent, Sri Lanka is a country of charm and vibrant energy and one that is worth the rattling planes and vans to see.

Sri Lanka Tourism
http://www.srilankatourism.org/

Government
http://www.priu.gov.lk/

Sri Lanka- A journey By Luke Spring

Wacky Woodford

On the Journey

Woodford Folk Festival is an annual ritual for some and a pilgrim for others. This year will be its 25th anniversary and it has grown from humble beginnings as the Maleny Folk Festival where gates opened back on 1st of March 1987. Back then the crowds swelled to 800 to come and enjoy music and performances from the folk community. The event has since moved and held on the annual dates from 27th December to the 1st of January and crowds have grown enormously. In 1994 Woodford delighted 60,000 and last year it saw 110,000 through the gates to experience one of the premium music festivals in the country.

Woodford is situated 80km north of Brisbane, and nestled on 500 acres of lush green bush. The Queensland Folk Festival now owns the old cattle property. One organizer and festival goer, Lars Kunhne, who has been attending since he was a child says, ‘it’s an amazing site, both for me spiritually and physically knowing that its grown to what it is today thanks mainly to the volunteers’.

Last year saw 2800 volunteers, who created 22 music stages to welcome some of the biggest acts on our shores and internationally, like the John Butler trio and Lisa Mitchell. A hippie like town is built which features food from all kinds of nations. Market stalls that offer you anything from alternate medicine to Australian bush plants abound and entertainers walk the dusty paths. You can join in political debates, talk with Tibetan monks or choose from many other activities that are offered. Every year is finished with a final fire event which marks the end to a long travelled journey for some and the start of the New Year for all.

Woodford a Journey- by Luke Spring

Check it out the site
http://www.woodfordfolkfestival.com

Mates of Woodford
friends.woodfordfolkfestival.com/home

Arts blurred lines of child pornography

Artist Bill Heson

Art has long pushed the boundaries, provoked thought and created controversy, but some art may have pushed a little too much and shown more than what is legal. A no better example is the Bill Henson affair, a man regarded as a visionary who has for the last 30 years has used obscure landscapes and adolescence awkwardness to depict the evolution of a child becoming an adult. His pictures often depict bare emotions taken when the child looks most vulnerable. However just as art pushes boundaries, in some people’s opinions, Henson may have pushed the boundaries till his images verged on child pornography. The result was that the NSW police raided Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery pulling down parts of his display and the then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd calling the images ‘revolting’.
So as Henson’s photos went from the Gallery to the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions, one must beg the question when does art of children become pornography? Laws in Australia prevent nipples being shown on magazine covers let alone other parts of women’s bodies, but the photos in question, showed a girl with fully exposed breast and a glimpse of other parts that would normally be wrapped inside the plastic cover of a ‘Playboy’ magazine. When speaking with lawyer Ceaser Mendita explained that child pornography’s definition is ‘the sexual exploitation or sexual content of a child under 16 or 18 depending on the state’. A further difficulty is that there are no set guidelines.
So if you cannot appear naked in a men’s magazine until you are18 years of age, but for artistic purposes you can use children in naked images, it seems that the use of children for artistic purposes is being left up to the interpretation of the individual. To safeguard our children should we as a country have laws in place that give us the guidelines that let us cross check if a picture is in breach of Child Pornography laws as the have in Britain? Or perhaps we should be addressing the people in our society who are offended by art such as this and take from it a sexual message rather than an artist depicting the natural evolution of adolescence.

The blured lines of Art and Child porn- by luke spring

Not going to the ‘G’ is blasphemy

The Melbourne Cricket Ground, or MCG or better still lovingly known to locals and Aussie’s alike as the ”G’’ has been around since 1838. What better way to spend Sunday afternoon than watching Richmond Tigers take on Sydney Swans at Australia’s historic ‘G’. A place that is deep rooted in our culture and grew alongside our own Sports such as AFL and cricket. Crowds as large as 100,012 were seen at the 2008 finals between Geelong and Hawthorn and even our Queen has been to the grounds twice. So when Richmond came from behind and kicked the winning goal in the final minutes you know you’re watching history.

(Richmond Tigers; 89-85; Sydney Swans)

The G-by Luke spring

Not going to the G is blasphemy

Tigers

As Sydney takes to the field, Richmond supporters let rip with a roar of disapproval. A quick reminder of whose town they are visiting. It’s a sunny winter’s afternoon at the Melbourne Cricket Ground or more commonly known as the MCG, but to the locals, and anyone who’s experienced the stadiums energy- it’s known as passionately as the ‘G’.

The ‘G’ is not just a stadium, it’s a piece of the story of Colonial Australia, its part of the evolution of our Greatest Sports, which call this beauty home. Tiger supporter Lars Kuhne could not said it better ‘mate the ‘G’ is sport’. From humble bush beginnings at its birth in 1838, the once dirt pitch hosted the world’s first International Cricket match. We won’t mention the flogging that the little colony of Victoria received at the hands of the English. Today Melbourne Cricket Club calls it home, Melbourne Rules which became Victoria Rules and later known as AFL evolved with the stadium in 1859 with many teams still proudly calling the stadium home. Even our Queen has treaded on this sacred Ground.
Nowadays the stadium still stands tall with crowds flocking to see any number of events being held at the ‘G’. Take the 2008 grand final between Geelong and Hawthorn where crowds swelled to capacity reaching 100012. Another event held was ‘Sound Relief’ to raise funds for the Bush Fire Appeal, where bands like Midnight Oil sang for our 173 people who lost their lives in the fire.

The G’ is more than just a stadium or a place to hold an event, it iss where the community has bound together, through joy and victories, tears and tragedy. It’s a founding rock in our National culture and proud past times. So as the afternoon rolls into the final quarter it’s been neck and neck between the Tigers and Sydney. Sydney has been running the footy well, but it’s the Tigers who sank the final blow, kicking the winning goal in the dying minutes. The stadium is alive with cheer. Its Sunday arvo at the ‘G’ and its a win for the underdogs.

(Richmond Tigers; 89-85; Sydney Swans)

Melbourne Marches for Walk against Warming.

The people speak

Sunday 15th of August saw the streets in our capitals and regional hubs turn into a human message as up to 90,000 people demanded action on climate change. Melbourne drew the largest crowds with 40,000 converging on the capital and forming a human sign saying ’save climate, do it’. Many environmental groups such as Greenpeace and Sustainable Population Australia were present and hopes that with an election fast approaching politicians will take note of this very large and loud voting bloke from both the Right and Left side of politics.

Event Organisers:
http://www.walkagainstwarming.org/

Break down of minutes during march:
http://www.environmentvictoria.org.au/blog/posts/live-blog-walk-against-warming-2010

Melbourne Marches for Walk against Warming.

Land once green.

Melbourne Marches for Walk against Warming.
As Sunday awoke in Melbourne, the masses mounted for the “Walk Against Warming” rallies in our capital cities and regional hubs. There were scenes of 90,000 environmentalists engulfing the streets with crowds swelling to 40,000 in Melbourne. Sydney saw 10,000 vocal environmentalists. At least 2,000 people packed the lawns of Parliament in Canberra with a colourful demonstration, which included stilt walking birds demanding action. Some people represented larger environmental lobby groups like Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth. Others were just fed up citizens though they all shared the one view – a call to action on climate change from our politicians. This needs to be done through real action of tackling the big polluters, by sustainable development and the establishment green of industries.
Some sceptics and politicians may still wonder about climate change, but with the masses armed with signs and songs, you cannot ignore this as an issue that people want addressed and with Federal elections looming, politicians best take note. The message rang true during the scenes in Melbourne where the march evolved into a human sign displaying ‘’save climate do it’’. Sustainable Australia spokesman James McManus said, ‘through action like this it shows that people want action to stop climate change and to show to the politicians that if you want to run Australia then you need to hear this voice to get in’.
So as Melbourne turns from day to night debate is really heating up. People want to see real action on climate change, from the young, the old, the right and left. With the election fast approaching if you want the top job in the country then you better listen to the people. As James McManus ‘proclaims ‘if the politicians don’t act now then they better prepare for election defeat’.

Melbourne moves, the rest are morons

Another day another dollar, so the old saying goes, but that only applies if you actually make it to your office. Traffic congestion in our cities is at an all time high with 14 million vehicles registered and ready to sit in traffic. Government findings have costed congestion at a around $11.1 billion to the economy and ballooning out to 20 billion by 2020 in its ‘’ Estimating urban traffic and congestion cost trends for Australian cities’’.

Solutions and action needs to be taken and Melbourne is aggressively addressing this issue by making Melbourne the most bike friendly city in the country – not just for its Sunday cycler but also to make it a viable transport alternative. In Victoria ‘s ‘Bike Plan’ outlined by State and Local Government, commuting by cycling has risen with an aim to make it 10% of all CBD transport by 2011. 2400km of dedicated lanes and paths connect in the city, with” Economic routes’’ laid out to directly feed central business areas with dedicated painted lanes, traffic signs and signals.

Financial banker and cyclists Travis Anderson has witnessed first hand the increase. “I’ve been riding to work for 5 years and in that time, I’ve seen the construction of designated paths for cyclists and it takes me 10 minutes less with these.”. A recent Government finding showed that 3476 cyclist commute during peak times to work and there is a push to make offices provide shower and change facility through government incentives which would encourage a further increase.

You only have to look at the limited bike paths in Sydney compared to Melbourne ‘s extensive network to see part of the reason why by 2020 congestion will cost Sydney 7.8 billion and Melbourne a dramatic 3.4 billion less. Australia and its Governments need to make our cities move again, great minds cannot achieve greatness when stuck in traffic and any mind would see this is a shocking waste of potential money and opportunity.

Comparing Sydney and Melbourne bikeways

Economic routes

Shared bike lane