Twitter Can Hurt Your Reputation

If any of you have been on Twitter any time in the past 24 hours, you may have seen the trending hashtag #HasJustineLandedYet .

I logged on about two hours ago and was greeted by crazy backlash to a tweet posted by an apparent employee of PR Company IAC, Justine Sacco.

The tweet was this:





Whether or not it was real or a PR stunt, it was an extremely tasteless thing to post on one of the most prominent and public social-media websites of today. Immediately after posting this tweet, Justine Sacco was said to have boarded her flight to South Africa.

Since then, she has deleted her original Twitter account, however the backlash from the post continues, with around 40 tweets containing the hashtag #HasJustineLandedYet rolling in every minutes.

One thing is for certain...if this tweet was, in fact, real, then the racist messages behind it are undeniable. Twitter users are questioning legitimacy and whether Ms Sacco will still have a job after this social-media PR disaster, or even ever get a job again into the future.

The rest of the story is guaranteed to come out within the next few days. Until then, remember to always think about the consequences of what you're putting up online!

The Plough's Ex-Head Chef Takes to The Company Twitter Account in Outrage

Never let your employees control your social media account. This is something that British pub The Plough learnt the hard way. After firing their head chef just over a week before Christmas, he took to Twitter to vent his outrage.

Unfortunately for The Plough, the Twitter account he used wasn't his own, but instead the account for his ex-employers.

Since then, this topic has gone completely crazy on Twitter, with people expressing both their disgust of firing an employee a week before Christmas, and their love of the way the ex-head chef got his revenge.

Of course, I wouldn't suggest doing this, just in case your ex-employers have a good knowledge of the law and how to best sue you. Also, as funny as this is, we don't know the full story or even why the guy was fired. Until we do, it makes for a funny anecdote and I wish this guy all the best in finding a new job in the future.

The Best Marketing is No Marketing- Beyoncé’s New Album!

The other day, the internet went wild. It wasn’t because Miley Cyrus performed another dance where she couldn’t put her tongue back into her mouth, and it wasn’t because Robin Thicke wrote a sexist song. It went crazy for a different reason.

Pop music royalty, Beyoncé did something that no one expected. Armed and dangerous with an abundance of loyal followers, Twitter suddenly became the platform on which Bey would announce that she had secretly released an album on iTunes without anyone knowing anything about it.

Now that’s what I call a successful album release! The self-titled album Beyoncé by Beyoncé suddenly just appeared on iTunes, with brand 14 new songs and a large number of videos. It wasn’t even given a release date, that’s how secret it was! But it wasn’t leaked early, and basically all of the advertising for her new album has been done via word of mouth in the Twitterverse.

And it all started with one tweet from Columbia Records:

This started the spark, sending Twitter users into overdrive and opening up iTunes to see what new and amazing songs Bey had given us. And you won’t be disappointed! This album is full of amazing lyrics and really relaxing yet catchy music. It’s typical, commanding and awesome Beyoncé, but in my opinion it’s more of a personal album. The fourteen new songs are already a hit with fans, and have already regained the number one throne on iTunes.

I think this post on Tumblr says it all:

Something Needs to Happen Regarding American Gun Legislation

One year on from the Sandy Hook Massacre and the United States of America still hasn't learnt its lesson regarding gun control legislation. Exactly one year ago, killer Adam Lanza murdered 20 children and six teachers in cold blood with a semi-automatic assault rifle.

Some argue that gun control laws are not needed, and that they would be taking away the fundamental, constitutional rights of Americans. How is this the case when so many lives would be spared from early deaths? In the past year, many Americans have blamed the USA's lack of a public healthcare system. More than a few times, I've heard mental illness described as being the key factor in many US massacres, and not the guns.

How, then, can citizens of the USA not see that guns are to blame. Yes, the lack of a proper healthcare system means that those suffering from mental health are not receiving proper treatment. But the fact that anyone is able to buy a gun is scary.

Even if the USA had a working healthcare system equivalent to that of Australia or Canada's, there would still be a major gun problem. Gun violence is not just from the mentally ill. Gun violence can occur when anyone who owns a gun decides to use it to the detriment of those around them. Yes, if healthcare was improved, maybe the situation with guns would improve also, but healthcare cannot be blamed in its entirety.

Another argument which I've heard is that criminals would still have guns, whereas the honest-to-God, true-blue citizens would be left to fend for themselves with nothing but baseball bats for protection.

Gun laws became an issue in Australia after the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, and since then, crimes involving shootings have dropped dramatically. As for the fact that criminals would be the only ones with guns, I think that Australia needs to be recognised once again.

Gun violence is never going to completely disappear, but Australia serves as a reminder that our mass shootings and gun murders in general have gone down since stricter legislation was implemented. There will always be ways for criminals do get guns, however ordinary citizens should not be able to carry a gun for 'protection'. After all, culture permitting violence only encourages more violence. The reason why so many US citizens feel the need to own a gun is because everyone else owns a gun. It is a self-perpetuating cycle which needs to stop.

Finally, the Second Amendment is always the fundamental issue. According to many Americans, taking away guns is the equivalent of taking away their fundamental human rights. Incorrect. The guns which were available to citizens when the United States Constitution first came about were vastly different to the guns of today. In fact, the semi-automatic assault rifle used in the Sandy Hook massacre was capable of firing 20 shots every 3 seconds. This is an extreme difference to guns which used to take 30 seconds to load up only one bullet.

America needs stricter gun laws. Despite the fact that I live in Australia and don't really deserve a say, everyone needs to realise that America's gun law are outdated and that ordinary citizens should not feel the need to own nor carry a gun.

At this point, I think that the bravery of both the teachers and children at Sandy Hook Elementary should be recognised. The actions of the brave people in that school, many of whom lost their lives, meant that many more lives were saved. But for what? One year later and there is still no legislation limiting gun ownership.

Whilst some still like to fantasise that the whole thing was a hoax, it was definitely not the case. The Sandy Hook massacre was entirely real, and that is why, one year on, families are still trying to come to terms with the deaths of their friends, family and loved ones. No more.

So the High Court doesn't agree...

This is a follow up post to my blog from earlier on in the week entitled 'Everyone Deserves the Right to Marry'.

Apparently the High Court doesn't agree. 

Even though it doesn't affect me, today Australia took a step backwards when the High Court repealed the Marriage Equality Law in the ACT was repealed. Unfortunately, as much as we hoped this wouldn't happen, it did.

In my opinion, everyone deserves the right to marry, and the definition of marriage has changed dramatically from when it first came to light. No longer should marriage be defined in the biblical sense as solely between a man and a woman. No, we are smarter and more advanced than that. 

The world has changed and we need to change and adapt with it. 

In an article by The Australian, they say that the High Court wanted to ensure that the laws were concurrent with Federal legislation and that states and territories did not operate as separate countries when it came to marriage legislation. 

Fair enough. But going so far as to repeal the law altogether? Why not just fix the Federal laws so that everything is concurrent and that everyone in Australia is entitled to the right to marry. Sure, it might be difficult, but as the saying goes: 'I'm not saying it's going to be easy...I'm saying it's going to be worth it.' Australians need to work together to encourage the government to develop laws which aren't seen as unconstitutional and that can be recognised as concurrent with legislation.

In the end though, the spark left behind by the Marriage Equality Law has lit a fire. Though the  law has since been repealed and the marriages that have occurred in the past week aren't legally recognised, I highly doubt that it will stay this way forever. Times are changing and we need to keep up. 

I think this picture says it all. Underneath everything, we are all human.

For the link to the article in The Australian that I mentioned, click HERE

Everyone Deserves The Right To Marry

The chiming of midnight in Canberra this morning marked a momentous occasion for homosexual couples from around Australia. The Australian Capital Territory's Marriage Equality Law is currently still in the process of being challenged by the Australian government. But really, we all know what this means!

It means that Tony Abbott has struck again. Despite the fact that his sister is a lesbian who is happy with her life, Mr Abbott cannot come to terms with the fact that homosexuality in this day and age is widely accepted and that the church should have no place in political decisions. 

I dream of a day when homophobic comments
like the one at the top no longer exist.

However, whilst the law is being challenged in validity, there was no denying that it officially came into effect at midnight. There were two couples scheduled to marry in the ACT at 12:01am this morning, with approximately 40 more over the weekend from states and territories across Australia.

Whilst their marriage is legal in the ACT for the time being, many are questioning whether it will stay that way after the High Court's decision, predicted Thursday. Whatever the outcome though, it has started a spark in Australia that can never be extinguished. Though this new law may fail (though hopefully it won't!), Australia has had a taste of the future and there is no going back.

In the meantime though, this is a time for celebration for all of those same-sex couples in the ACT who have waited patiently for it to be their turn. I wish these happy couples the best of luck and the happiest of lives together. They've earnt it! 

For more information, check out this ABC article HERE

Source: Upworthy

It's December... which means Christmas!

What. What happened to the rest of my year?

I'm sitting here trying to remember what happened to all of the months in between January and December this year. Racking my brains furiously isn't working at all, and I've finally come to the conclusion that I must have some sort of Amnesia.

Because it's December, and we all know what that means.

Welcome to the month of way too much food, holiday road rage and Christmas shopping. It's finally the festive season!

Don't take this as me being a Grinch! No! Take this as well-meaning advice with only the best of intentions! Let's face it, as good as the holiday season is, there are always those little things to look out for and avoid.

Bad drivers are notoriously bad at this time. I don't know what it is about this time of the year. Blame something in the air or water or food. But drivers seem to lose the ability to drive properly and it becomes a time where indicators, speed limits, road rules and common curtesy seem to be optional.

I'm not saying that every driver loses their cool at this time of the year, nor am I saying that I am perfect. However, I am saying that this holiday season, it'd be nice if we checked ourselves and didn't overreact to tiny, insignificant things. If we make it home safe at the end of the day, that's the main thing.

In order to make it home safe, you've got to survive a shopping centre at Christmas. If you're like me, and often leave your Christmas shopping until the last minute, then you'll know what I'm talking about.

Crazy and frazzled mothers with prams, rude business people who talk on the phone whilst surreptitiously pushing in front of you in the line and screaming kids all make for those joyous and fun-filled shopping trips at Christmas time. To avoid this scenario though, there is a quick-fix solution!

Ready?

Don't leave you Christmas shopping until the week before Christmas. That is a week when good driving is especially optional, parking is impossible and you're huddled like penguins beside the checkouts in what kind of is, but isn't really, a queue. This a week when, if you must go shopping, you shouldn't go to browse. You should be like a lion spotting a gazelle on the Serengeti.  You should have your eye on the prize and not stop for anything else. Your trips to overcrowded shopping centres with pretend 'Christmas' sales during this week should consist of you going in, paying and leaving. If you choose to skip the second step, that's illegal and you will probably get caught.

So Christmas Day. Relatives and food. It's up to you with how you deal with relatives, but all I can say about food is just enjoy yourself. Christmas comes once a year, so don't stress about your diet, alcohol consumption or wasteline. It's one day, I'm sure it'll be fine!

All in all, remember to stay calm and have a good Christmas! It'll be over in no time (until next year!)

Ten Things to Know About Moving Out of Home

The world is a big scary place, so here is a list of ten things to know about moving out of home.
(This list depends partially on the kindness and generosity of your parents, so bare that in mind!)

1. When you parents ask you if you are running low on anything, always say yes.
At first, it may seem 'cool' or 'AWESOME' to be able to walk/drive/take public transport by yourself to the store and buy shampoo and conditioner. Or toothpaste. But trust me, that stuff is expensive. And when you're on a limited student budget, the last thing you want to be doing is wasting your money on necessities. Why would you do that when there's partying to be done?! So if your parents are there, right in front of you, offering to buy you things. Don't hesitate. Don't feel bad. Just accept their generosity!

2. Never do laundry until there is no other option.
I don't mean turning your underwear inside out to wear it again (guys, we're looking at you!). No, I mean run yourself down to your last outfit, pair of underwear and socks and then do washing. If you're that stuck, I guess you could wear a dressing gown to the laundry and then get dressed in clean-yet-soaking-wet clothes. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

3. It is possible to survive on two-minute noodles and Mi Goreng.
Don't listen to your parents. Sometimes, they're wrong. Not often, but sometimes! See the thing is, if you're on a student budget and either 1) You can't cook or 2) The food provided by your college/Halls of Residence is terrible, then sometimes there is literally no other option. But you will get sick of noodles. If this results, switch to Oreos. It never fails.

4. You don't have to clean your room if you don't want to.
But bare in mind that if you want to have people over, this might be the best way to impress. Living away from home means that there are no parents to tell you when your room needs cleaned, so you're absolutely more than welcome to live in a pigsty. Welcome to university life!

5. You will never go to bed before 12am.
It's extremely unlikely. This is the situation that happens to me every, single night. At 9pm I look at the clock. 'It's still too early,' I say to myself. Five lives later in Candy Crush and after couple of episodes of the TV show of the week, it's suddenly 1am. Oh well, better go on Twitter.
The point of this is that apparently we need to be responsible adults and go to bed when we feel tired. YOLO!

6. It is possible to party every night of the week.
I just don't recommend it. Or condone it. It's just a fact. It is possible, just you need to limit yourself. Also, if you are going to do it...don't tell your parents!

7. You need to exercise.
Living away from home can cause you to put on weight for a number of reasons: your diet, alcohol and stress, just to name a few. And so, if you thought you were limitless and had an awesome metabolism in high school, don't rely on it when you start living off noodles and partying every week. Take up a sport or go running or swimming or be creative with your own ways to exercise!

8. Make lists of things you need to do.
Even better, invest in a calender or make your own. I guarantee that without your parents around to remind you, you'll forget about important events and happenings!

9. Your parents will always love you no matter what.
Well, mine will. I hope yours will too. Make sure to phone them, Facebook them or visit them. Because I can guarantee that they miss you a lot.

10. Remember to study.
Living away from home means that there is noone to nag you to study when you have exams coming up. It's up to you. And so, instead of studying right now (at 12:04am in the morning), I am blogging. It's obviously not the sensible thing to do. Mum...Dad...can you tell me to study please?!

No to Privatising HECS!

Dear Mr Abbott and Mr Pyne,

I am a current university student. I am in my first year of a 5.5 year degree, and I have no qualms in telling you that by the end of my degree, my HECS debt will be upwards of $45 000. Why am I telling you this?

Well, the thing is, I came to university under the premise that, when I graduated, I would have interest free loans to pay back later on in life. However recently I've read that you want to privatise HECS? What is this?

Do you want to prevent high school students from transiting on to university because they know that the fees for university would only grow if HECS debt was to be privatised? If you have a heart, then the answer is no.

At the current time, I am living away from home and studying at university. Already, just one year into my degree, I have the financial strain pressing down on me simply from living away from home. However, if you were to privatise HECS, then this strain would increase exorbitantly because I doubt that the loans would continue to be interest free. I highly doubt that there would be a high threshold set so that we don't have to pay back those loans until we start earning that amount.

And you know what... Why us? Why us when you politicians get paid holidays left, right and centre which come from OUR tax dollars. Why the university students of today? Why should it be us to suffer? We aren't the ones who have 'broken' the budget. For that, you have only yourselves to blame.

Therefore, the privatisation of HECS is not a good thing for the future of education in Australia. You expect every kid out there to have parents who are wealthy enough to pay their way through university or pay back their loans when they're done, however, this isn't the case! Privatising HECS would widen the gap between rich and poor, because you're basically saying that only the rich deserve to go to university.

As a past public school student, I take offence. The only difference between kids who go to private schools and kids who go to public schools is the amount of money their parents can afford to pay. You have astounding, bright and incredible kids who come out of public schools and go on to top their university course because they've worked just that little bit harder to be there. Especially in Queensland at the moment, where getting a good OP depends on how your cohort does at QCS. But let's not talk about that.

Let's talk about the fact that you want bright and educated individuals entering the job market in Australia. Now tell me how this is going to happen if these bright and educated individuals end up living on the street because you privatised HECS? Even worse, what if these bright and educated individuals decide not to go to university in the first place because of the loans which will only grow each year during and after their degree finishes?

What then? Are you really doing what's best for Australia? Or are you doing what's best for you? Selling off HECS won't fix the budget problems. Instead of receiving payments each year from individuals earning over the threshold and paying their HECS back, you'll receive a lump sum payment for HECS which I guarantee will be spent as soon as you get it and won't fix any problems.

So please, for the sake of past, present and future university students, don't privatise HECS. It's not worth it.

Kind regards,

Georgina

I want to be a Disney Princess!

Tonight, in the midst of my procrasti-Facebooking, my sister messaged me.
'You have Disney Princess eyes,' she said. She went on to link me to a picture of myself and said 'You're a Disney Princess.'

Now, isn't is every little girls' dream to be a Disney Princess? I was quite happy to accept the compliment, but it got me thinking...would life as a Disney princess really be that amazing?

When I asked my sister who she would be, she replied forlornly 'I kinda wanted to be Pocahontas, but that didn't work out.'
Why?
'Because she's tanned and Pocahontas-y,' said my sister, the palest person in Australia.

But me? As a self-proclaimed (though admittedly fake) blonde, I think the Disney princess I would most like to be would be Rapunzel. Not the whole 'locked up in a tower' bit, but the strong, independent women bit.

Think about it. This girl lives by herself and fends for herself. Then one day, she decides to venture into the unknown, very scared but still willing. Isn't that what life is all about? To try new things and to venture outside your comfort zone?

However that isn't the only reason that I'd like to be a Disney princess! No way.

Who doesn't want to be rich and famous? To be in control of a kingdom and talk to animals? To be looked after by fairy godmothers and know that you're always going to meet Prince Charming?

All of these things sound too good to be true, and it's unfortunately also true that they are too good to be true. It's unlikely that you're going to marry a prince. Talking to animals in real life will only get you landed in a mental asylum. And don't even get me started on fairy godmothers! But I guess your grandma's baking is just about the next best thing to help you recover from a broken heart when you're trying to get over that guy who wasn't actually Prince Charming.

As much as real life can suck though, it does have its virtues. It's highly unlikely that you have a wicked stepmother and evil stepsisters who will destroy your dress before a ball. And wicked witches with poisoned apples only exist in fairytales, right?

Plus, there's the satisfaction of knowing that women in real life have the opportunity to go to university and be successful career women. This is unlike a Disney princess, whose only role, it seems, is to be a caring and gentle wife, mother and Queen. This is, of course, with the exception of Mulan.

I don't agree completely with the Disney stereotype of the women only having one role. Most of the Disney princesses could be soooo much more if they were just given the chance!

So yes, I'd like to be a Disney Princess, but probably not forever. I'd love to try it out though. Pick me Disney!

But to see a hilarious song about life after Disney for some of the Princesses, check out this song by youtuber Paint (aka Jon Cozart):

'Royals' by Lorde is not racist

Um what?

For those of you who are a little bit behind (like me), you may not yet have heard about a blog post which is causing a stir around the world. Entitled 'Wow, that Lorde song Royals is racist' and published by Veronica Bayetti Flores on her blog 'Feministing', it's not hard to understand the main concept of this post.

For those of you who haven't heard the lyrics to Royals, it's basically about consumerism. Over-exaggerated, overblown consumerism.

However Ms Flores does not take it that way. No, she believes that it's extremely racist.

I Hate Ticket Scalpers

Thank you Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Thank you for proving, once again, that you do care. You care about recycling old clothes, you care about gay marriage...and now, you're taking a stand on ticket scalping.

Because this annoys me.

How is it fair for companies to go onto the websites and nabs scores of tickets, with the sole purpose of selling them at an exorbitantly higher face value than what they were originally worth? The short answer: It's not.

Ticket Scalping is ILLEGAL. In Australia, the states and territories have laws to prevent illegal acquisition and resale of tickets for the sole purposes of making money. This is definitely fair.

If you've sat on the Ticketek website hitting refresh for the twenty minutes leading up to a ticket release, you know how it feels. You know how much is at stake; how much depends upon how fast you can click buttons and enter your credit card details. However there are those that don't pay by the rules. Instead of buying tickets for their own enjoyment, they buy them to make a profit.

In Australia, these tickets often end up on sites like ViaGoGo or EBay or Gumtree. For example, Imagine Dragons are playing in a few states in October. Sold out Australia wide, tickets are available for up to $160 per ticket. And do you know how much they were originally? $66 (correct price from OzTix for the Brisbane Show).

$66. That's basically $100 profit.

So for all of those kids who are relying on their parents' credit cards, or waiting patiently for their parents to get home from work so that they can buy tickets, they often can't because of ticket scalpers and their greed for profit.

In 2011, One Direction played a limited number of shows in Australia. From my memory, because they were just gathering momentum, tickets were about $60. One was being sold on EBay for $4000.

Four. Thousand. Dollars. For one ticket. It's crazy.

So whatever you do, don't let the ticket scalpers win. Just wait for the band to come back to Australia, try to win tickets or buy them from a reputable source.

And to all those ticket scalpers:

Find a real profession. You'll only get caught.

Social Media is Ruining My Life!

We're stuck in that era. Where technology is the only way to keep up with the new trends that only seem to originate on social media. Do we like it? Do we not?

So here's what happened today.

So I finally did it. I took the leap today and spent my time signing up for both Pinterest AND Tumblr. It's sad, right?

I know I swore that I'd never get Tumblr, but please don't judge me. We must work through this together. It will require effort on both out parts to help me out of this 'social media crisis'.

But maybe I don't want help?

In my opinion, in the few hours I've spent on both of them so far...they're actually fun. I stand corrected. However, signing up for Tumblr did make me somewhat embarrassed. I now feel like a tween. I don't want to be one of those twelve year old girls who posts about One Direction and Justin Bieber. No, I refuse to do that. Instead, and I believe somewhat better, I will post inspiring pictures and cute quotes.

I think that's better?

On the other hand, Pinterest is actually really engaging! I plan to use it to find good recipes, places to travel to and other amazing fashion things. In a way, it feels like the Tumblr for adults.

So we will see how these social media sites go. I figured that since I want to be a journalist, I should maybe try out all of them just for a while so that I can at least say I know how to use them. However, I said that same thing about Twitter and over 600 tweets later I'm still using it.

Social media is the present and it's here to stay. Whether we like it or not, it's only going to get more prominent in our lives. We can either embrace it or shun it, but whatever we choose to do, we at least need to keep track of it. It's the conversation topic of the twenty-first century.

What do you think?

Look for the good in people!

With all of the negative stories floating around at the moment regarding bombs and politics, it's often easy to forget that there are genuinely good people out these in the world. Over the past few weeks, the Twitterverse has turned over, in particular, four amazing stories of kindness and compassion which I want to share with you.

1. Dairy Queen.

A manager of a Dairy Queen store in the USA saw a blind customer drop a $20 note. A 50-60 year old woman reached down and picked it up, however, instead of giving it back to the blind man, placed it in her purse as he hadn't realised that he'd dropped it. The manager asked the lady to give it back or please leave the store. She claimed that she had dropped it and left. The manager then went over to the blind man and said this:

'Sir, on behalf of Dairy Queen I would like to give you the $20 bill that you happened to drop on the ground as you walked away from the counter. I realize that this is not the $20 bill you dropped, because the older woman stole it but it does still have the same face value.'

The manager gave the $20 out of his own wallet. A customer was so in awe that they wrote to central management, the good deed went viral, and the manager will be rewarded!

2.  Diamond ring.

A homeless man returned a diamond ring to a couple after it was accidentally dropped into his cup. Despite getting the ring priced by a jeweler at $4000, he managed to find the owners of the ring. In return, the family started a fundraiser for him, raising over $190 000. He now has a house and a car, and reunited with his family!

3. Money in backpack.

A homeless man from Boston found a backpack containing almost $45 000 worth of cash and travelers cheques. Another man started an online fundraser which has since raised $135 910!

4. Lottery Ticket.

Finally, a man in Spain found a winning lotto ticket. He didn't claim it for himself because he wanted a clear conscience, however the good news is that if the authorities fail to locate the rightful owner, the money will go to the finder!

So whenever you feel like noone in the world ever does anything good, just think of these stories. Just because these are the ones which people noticed, don't forget that there are millions more that go unnoticed but still affect people in amazing ways. So remember...PAY IT FORWARD!

Blurred Lines...I don't think so!

Law students from Auckland, New Zealand have stood up for women's rights by way of a parody of Robin Thicke's hit song: Blurred Lines. 'Defined Lines' is the feminist approach to Thicke's catchy song, and I definitely think that the lyrics are much improved!

Tequila Mockingbird by Shake and Stir

For those of you who are fans of Harper Lee's novel To Kill a Mockingbird, you will definitely appreciate the production arranged by Brisbane based theatre group Shake and Stir.
It opened last Thursday on the 21st of August, and will run until the 7th of September at the Cremorne Theatre (QPAC) in Southbank, Brisbane. My friend and fellow Journalism student Conall Crowley attended the performance on Friday, August 23rd. Here are our opinions!

The Best Quote in the World!

'Think Different'...a campaign started by Apple in on the 28th of September, 1997 that spawned a worldwide movement, not only in buying Apple products, but also, in the most literal sense of the phrase- thinking differently.

It's not ok when the media gets involved in politics!

So normally I don't get involved in politics if I can help it, but the front cover of the Daily Telegraph a couple of days ago made my blood boil. Featured was this image:

Take me back to the twenties?

But is that really such a good idea?

"New York, 1922. The tempo of the city had changed sharply. The buildings were higher, the parties were bigger. The morals were looser and the liquor was cheaper." - The Great Gatsby (2013)

Gatsby was released earlier this year, a brand new rendition of an old film and an even older book. Directed by Baz Luhrmann, it made girls around the world envious of the fashion, the parties, and the way boys looked. For example, instead of pants hanging down around their ankles, exposing boxer shorts, think well-pressed suits with perfectly trimmed facial hair and slicked hair.

And then the girls. Flapper dresses, fancy cocktails and rich men. The areas of East and West Egg appealed to all of us. But as my friends and I gushed over all of the splendour of the most recent Gatsby film, we had to stop and wonder...Was it really a good life for the women of the twenties? Are the movies telling it like it is, or did the glitz and glamour gloss over the fact that these women might have lived their lives as male possessions? Would we, as girls in the twenty-first century, enjoy living a life possibly dominated and dictated by the male gender?

#1letterwrongmovie Trend

Snapes on a Plane

So...It's 12:59am and a new trend has just hit twitter that I think really deserves to be blogged about. It's the hashtag #1letterwrongmovie , and it's been amusing me for about half an hour now. Basically, the point is to take a movie title and change one letter to make it obscene, hilarious, or just down right stupid. If you don't have twitter, I really suggest that you get it immediately. But otherwise, I have created a list of my favourite movie titles that have been altered by this trend so far! I've added in some of the twitpics too! None of them are mine and none of them are designed to offend, merely to entertain!

Coffee Shop Culture

On the Sunshine Coast, in Queensland, Australia, the coffee shop culture is changing. The reigning period of giants like Starbucks and Gloria Jeans is coming to an end, instead being replaced by unique and individually owned artistic coffee hotspots. Sitting here in The Birds and the Beans in Buderim, I’m writing this new piece. I aim to inspire coffee lovers everywhere to escape from the norm, to rid yourselves of coffee conglomerates and focus on getting back to the personal aspect of coffee. The coffee shop culture that we all love, but often forget about when faced by the bright lights of the Starbucks signs on Every. Single. Street. Corner. On this entire planet!

I hate university election time.

It’s that time again. The time when you turn your eyes to the ground and try to walk along as inconspicuously as possible. You try to find shelter in the UQ Union area, but everywhere you turn you are accosted by those annoying individuals who have given up their souls in exchange for blue or yellow shirts that yell societal conformity.

It’s time to vote.

It all started today, and we unfortunate University of Queensland students have to endure another two weeks of incessant campaigning about stuff we really couldn’t care less about: Who gets to run the UQ Student Union in 2014. But come on, the campaigners have to realise that the only reason that half of us will vote will be to get the free food vouchers. We care about that! But first, we have to wait out two weeks before the big vote. The decider. The one day where you make a decision THAT WILL EFFECT YOUR ENTIRE LIFE. Lol jokes. It’s just a vote about who’s going to run UQ Union.

Today, a friend asked me to meet her in front of the Lolly Shop. It’s basically the typical place to meet on campus, right? So I, in my innocent and forgetful state, stupidly agreed to meet at the UQ Union area. I dragged myself out of bed (because why would I bother getting up when I don’t have university on a Monday?!) I tried to mask the fact that I hadn’t washed my hair in a couple of days by wearing a hat. I put my sunglasses on even though it was cloudy and I packed an umbrella. I was ready.

And then, just as I arrived at the university…it hit me. I saw the blue shirts first, sporting the name REFORM in capital letters. I managed to make it to within 50 metres of the Lolly Shop, and then it happened all at once. Swarms of Fresh supporters in yellow shirts ran up to me, waving flyers and telling me that they would bring Max Brenners to campus if once again elected. The Blue shirts tried to drown them out by telling me that they’d give me free breakfast for 8am classes.

And then there were the socialists, yelling ‘FUCK Fresh! We want a democratic Student Union.’ People were dancing and blasting music and overall, the experience was really just too overwhelming for a Monday. I didn’t need fifty people from each party telling me why they were better, stronger, faster, or fitter. It’s just a university election. You’re not running the country; you’re running an educational institution. It’s not survival of the fittest in the campaign world. You’re turning it into a competition between UQ students to see who can avoid the campaigners for the longest period of time.

Obviously I lost. Maybe I’ll just skip university for the next two weeks until the elections finish. It’s just way too much pressure for week 2.

Maybelline New York "The Mega Plush Volum' Express~ Waterproof"

Yes...another beauty review...

So I opened the August edition of Cleo mag the other day, and the very first page was advertising Maybelline's new mascara, the Mega Plush Volum' Express. It's only new in Australia though! I bought it in the USA in 2012 (for like half the price aswell!) and today I'm writing a review for all of you who have yet to try it out!

I, personally, love this mascara. I have quite a few different mascaras (this isn't even all of them in the picture), because in the past I've had difficulty finding ones that apply properly. But the Mega Plush mascara  goes on really well and defines each of you eyelashes as a single lash, instead of clumping which can often happen. I also love the Maybelline Falsies range, because I never, ever have to wear false eyelashes when I'm wearing Maybelline Mascaras!

The thing I find difficult with the Mega Plush mascara is applying the right amount to make my eyelashes look huge, so what I do is combine Maybelline One by One, Maybelline The Falsies, and Maybelline Mega Plus (in that order), and then I reapply them again. This makes my eyelashes long and thick, so I don't even really have to wear eyeliner!

In conclusion, you should really invest in this mascara. It stays on really well and does what it's supposed to! I love it!

'Daisy by Marc Jacobs- Sunshine' Review

So one of the best things about travelling overseas is being able to buy duty free in the airport, and in this case, I mean cheap perfume!

Look for the Magic in Life!

Sometimes, life is just about what you make of it. Whether it be good or bad, it all depends on the way that you see it. For example, the other day I went to visit Victoria in Canada. And I saw the building that is currently on the left of your screen. 

During the day, it looks pretty, right? I mean, it's the parliament building in a fairly old city, so of course it's built with gorgeous infrastructure and building is something that would look at during the day, take a couple of photos and then walk off.

But at night, this building is a whole different story. It was just by chance that I got the chance to see this building at night. My friend had lost his glasses at the beach nearby, so we drove back to the city at night to find them. Luckily we did, but as we were driving home, I saw the next picture. Like seriously, look at this building at night! It looks like a fairytale castle!

And so it got me wondering. What else am I missing out on? What other things might I see as completely normal, but others might see as a work of art?

And in some ways, that's what I absolutely love about social media sites like Instagram! It brings out the best images from life and putting filters helps to increase the magic.

And who doesn't want a bit more magic in their life? I absolutely love browsing my news feed for those photos that just give you an absolute buzz and make me realise that everything in the world isn't all bad, despite it sometimes seeming like it! And so, this week, I encourage you to look for magic in your life. It is everywhere, and sometimes you just need to open your mind more in order to see it. I did, and I got some of the best photographs on my phone camera that I've ever taken!

(Isn't it always the way! You don't take your camera and suddenly there's the perfect opportunity for pictures!?)

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Get Psyched for Stereosonic!

Get excited for Stereosonic. It’s that time of year. The time of the year when the lineup for one of Australia’s biggest and best music festivals is released. Followers were constantly hitting refresh until the long-awaited list was finally released.

And boy, is it good!

So you know how usually, Australian music festivals are lucky if they can get one headlining act who is known on an international scale? Well not this time!

In case you’ve been living under a rock, let us give you a quick rundown of some of the main names. Stereosonic will hit the Brisbane on December 7th and 8th at the RNA Showgrounds. In my opinion, the 7^th has a slightly better lineup, with David Guetta, Calvin Harris, Empire of the Sun, Tommy Trash, Labrinth and Nicky Romero being some of the biggest names ever to grace Australian shores. And then, the lineup maintains the same frantic and electrifying atmosphere for the second day, when we have Armin Van Buuren, Afrojack, Stafford Brothers and Alesso, just to name a few.

This festival is guaranteed good times and a party atmosphere for the entire weekend, and you’d be crazy to pass up on tickets for this. They come on sale from Ticketmaster at 9am on August 1^st, so get saving and we will see you at Stereosonic! It’ll be awesome and incredible and you can’t not go!

(I need to work out a way to do Taylor Swift and Stereosonic on the same weekend…any ideas!?)

For more information, click here: http://stereosonic.com.au/

Body Shop ~ Vitamin E Range ~ 3 Item Review

For my birthday, my sister gave me three items from the Body Shop Vitamin E Range. These are so much fun and so useful that I've decided to write a review!

Let's not romanticise 50 Shades of Grey

Don't judge me. I was bored and wanted to see what all of the fuss was about. Believe me, it's not worth it. If you value your life, your time and your money (well...I read it online, so I didn't actually pay hehe), don't read 50 Shades of Grey.

Gatsby....what Gatsby?

I am so so so so so so so so so SO VERY IMPRESSED with The Great Gatsby. I know that I'm probably a bit late on the uptake with writing about this film, but I am a big believer in reading the book first. So when I had a few days break in between some of my law exams, I quickly read the book one afternoon, and went to see the movie that night.

N.Y.C. Color ~ Magenta

My gorgeous friends gave me a belated birthday present today, which included toiletries bags, Ferrero Rocher, a chocolate orange scented face mud mask (obviously for when I break out from eating the Ferrero Rocher!) and...NYC Color ~ Magenta!

My nails were bare today (shock horror), so I tried it out. It goes on easily and dries quickly. It's really the perfect winter shade for any day, cloudy or sunny, with the perfect amount of class.
You don't even really need to apply two coats, as the first coat is an even colour which isn't too opaque! It's really amazing to find a winter nailpolish that I will be able to wear both during the day and going out at night! I will definitely be buying this brand in other colours to maintain my nailpolich collection!

Pair it with dark jeans, a cute top, jacket, boots, a scarf and big hoop earring for the perfect winter look!

#Random

aka Social Media and the horrific and devastating effect that it has on real life.

Let's talk. It's time. Everyone's confused by it, and I know that noone enjoys this conversation, but it has to happen. Hashtagging real life conversations is not ok!

Things Change

Our old house, with my dad on the roof!

So this blog is about my childhood, and how things change.

Happy Birthday to Everyone!

Well hi again! It seems like it has been ageees and ages since I've blogged, but let me explain! It's not that I don't love it. It's law. And journalism. But mainly law. In the past week, I've had two law exams, which doesn't sound like much, but let me explain...one was worth 65% of my final grade. The other was worth 70%. One was open book, where as the 70% one expected us to memorise about a million...well...maybe 100 cases plus all of the elements of torts, which are things like assault, battery and negligence. So yeah...that's been my life! Another exam on Monday, but let's ignore that for now and I'll write a blog!

The world had literally gone crazy. We reached a stage a while ago, when the days when music belonged to everyone were gone. When everyone had the rights to songs, or genes that could make people better. But things are changing. Things are looking up, and people are finally realising that ownership of some things shouldn't be possible. So let's talk about the Happy Birthday song and Genes.

Is Fangirlism a Real Disorder?

Of course it is! And we're here to help. All of us who are real fangirls. Forget about the fake ones. You know those ones who like to pretend that since they've seen one episode of Doctor Who/Avatar/ Other shows which have a cult following/Etc that they know everything? Or those who have read one of the Harry Potter/Hunger Games/ Twilight (ew)/ Divergent books and pretend that they discovered it? Yeah, they're not like us. We're special. <- Harry Potter reference, don't judge me.

Don't stress, PROCRASTINATE!

I wish Time Turners actually existed!

It's almost that time of the year...exams. Whether it's university finals or high school end of the semester exams, I understand how stressful they can be! So let's look at some stress relief techniques (probably mainly for girls) that might help you to get through your exams...without using Facebook or Twitter or Instagram or Blogspot or Tumblr or Pinterest or any of the other types of social media available. Please don't even mention MySpace, that was soooo 2008!

Save Me San Cisco!

You know when you listen to music simply for the reason that it makes you happy? Well, San Cisco is definitely perfect for that! Up-and-coming, alternative-pop band San Cisco has recently begun their ‘Beach’ tour of Australia to showcase their new album. Beginning on the Sunshine Coast, the group will work their way around Australia in what is sure to be a fun and energetic tour for all those involved!

You Only Live Once

I think that one of my favourite quotes at the moment is: 'You only live once, but if you do it right, once it enough.' To me, this quote is so perfect in that it sums up everything you need to know about life. Yeah, you only get one shot, but there's nothing to stop you from making the best of that one shot. Coming across that quote while wasting my time on the internet got me thinking about other inspirational quotes or just altogether cute quotes that might bright your day! So here we go :)

How to Cure a Book Hangover

a.k.a. Getting Over The Amazing Book That Dominated Your Life for a Short/Extended Period of Time:

Book Hangover: Inability to start a new book because you're still living in the last book's world.

It's just those little things!

The little things that make you happy. It might be a rainy day. Or a sunny day. Or a snow day. It might be seeing muffins rise in the oven, or watching a family ride their bikes together. But whatever it is, when something happens, it immediately makes your day better!


And so, today, I'm not going to write a post about Barbies or Burgers. I'm going to write about what makes me happy. Feel free to comment what makes you happy if you want to! :)

The Right Way to Eat a Burger

a.k.a The Power of Advertising

Barbie Girls of Today

My astonishment at the way some companies choose to market their goods to little girls has just reached a new level.