WHY THE @##K WOULD YOU STOP +##**^G SWEARING?

AUSTRALIANS ARE NOT ALONE IN THEIR LOVE OF SWEARING, BUT WE ARE, AND HAVE LONG BEEN WORLD CHAMPION SWEARERS.

ONCE UPON A TIME, THE WORD “BLOODY” WAS THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN ADJECTIVE, BUT WE’VE MOVED ON SINCE THEN TO STRONGER OATHS & CURSES THAT ADD EMPHASIS AND COLOUR TO OUR CONVERSATIONS, OUR JOKES, OUR LIVES. AND THERE’S A GENUINE SPIRIT OF INVENTION DRIVING NEW FORMS OF, AND USES FOR, OUR FAVOURITE OLD ANGLO-SAXON SWEAR WORDS.

NOT EVERYONE APPROVES, BUT IN THE RIGHT CONTEXT, A BIT OF SWEARING IS USUALLY HARMLESS. SO WHY WOULD YOU STOP SWEARING? COULD YOU STOP?

A CHANCE TO GIVE UP THE F WORD, AND ALL ITS CUSSIN’ COUSINS, PRESENTS ITSELF THIS MAY. IT’S CALLED SWEARSTOP. YOU STOP YOUR POTTY-TALK FOR A WEEK IN MAY TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THE SCHIZOPHRENIA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, AND TO PROMOTE UNDERSTANDING OF A FRIGHTENING MEDICAL CONDITION.

DEE MADIGAN WORKS IN THE ADVERTISING GAME, SHE’S A REGULAR ON ABC-TV’S BRILLIANT THE GRUEN TRANSFER, AND SHE’S A DEDICATED SWEARER. DEE’S GONNA GIVE IT UP IN MAY. CLICK THE AUDIO PLAYER TO HEAR WHY SHE’S TAKING THE #&??#@$^%^ PLUNGE.

     

SWEARSTOP RUNS DURING SCHIZOPHRENIA AWARENESS WEEK IN MAY. MORE INFO OR SIGN UP TO STOP EFFING SWEARING AT www.swearstop.com.au

 

CAIRNS ENTERTAINMENT PRECINCT HITS NEW HURDLE

THE PROPOSED CAIRNS ENTERTAINMENT PRECINCT (courtesy Cairns Regional Council)

THE NEW QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT HAS EFFECTIVELY TURNED THE IMMINENT CAIRNS REGIONAL COUNCIL ELECTION INTO A REFERENDUM ON THE PROPOSED CAIRNS ENTERTAINMENT PRECINCT.

The State Government has told the Council it can’t proceed on the project until after the local government elections on April 28. The Council says the delay could compromise the 155 million dollar project, which was based on Federal and State financial support.

Cairns Mayor Val Schier had to use her casting vote to split a tie when Council met to decide whether the project would go ahead. It has strong support in the local arts & entertainment scene, and is generally seen as a generator of much needed jobs in the construction industry. But there has also been vocal opposition to the Precinct based on cost, location, and the existence of other venues around Cairns.

The State Government order to Council is in keeping with election rules that say a council is in “caretaker” mode once an election has been called, and can’t make new decisions. But proponents of the Entertainment Precinct believe the new LNP Government may be backing away from funding commitments made by the previous Labor Government.

CLICK ON THE AUDIO PLAYER TO HEAR CAIRNS MAYOR VAL SCHIER ON THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT

CLICK ON THE AUDIO PLAYER TO HEAR LOCAL GOVERNMENT MINISTER DAVID CRISAFULLI EXPLAIN HIS GOVERNMENT’S DECISION

REPORTING BY BRAD RYAN

 

DEBORAH DE WILLIAMS – RUNNING PINK RIGHT ROUND AUSTRALIA

DEBORAH DE WILLIAMS AND MAGGIE THE BORDER COLLIE

ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT MY JOB IS THE REGULAR OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET INSPIRING PEOPLE – LIKE DEBORAH DE WILLIAMS.

I MET DEBORAH IN DECEMBER 2010 WHEN SHE CAME IN TO ABC FAR NORTH IN CAIRNS FOR A MUCH DESERVED SPELL IN THE AIR CONDITIONING. DEBORAH HAD JUST TURNED ONTO THE HOME STRETCH OF AN 18,000 KILOMETRE RUN AROUND AUSTRALIA, IN THE VERY GOOD COMPANY OF MAGGIE, HER BORDER COLLIE.

DEBORAH AND MAGGIE MADE IT BACK TO THEIR HOME-TOWN HOBART NEARLY SIX MONTHS AFTER OUR MEETING IN CAIRNS. BY THAT TIME SHE’D RAISED $200,000 FOR BREAST CANCER RESEARCH, A DISEASE DEBORAH WAS DIAGNOSED WITH IN 2006.

RUNNING PINK TELLS DEBORAH’S STORY – IT’S A NEW BOOK BY MEGAN NORRIS & PUBLISHED BY FIVE MILE PRESS. IT’S AN INSPIRING STORY – CLICK THE AUDIO PLAYER TO HEAR MY INTERVIEW WITH DEBORAH DE WILLIAMS.

DEBORAH’S NEXT GOAL IS TO RUN ACROSS ANTARCTICA BUT THE RULES DOWN THERE SAY MAGGIE THE BORDER COLLIE CAN’T GO WITH HER. READ MORE ABOUT DEBORAH’S WORK AT www.runningpink.com.au