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About usCreated from a unique fusion of cross-media print and digital technology, The Newtonian brings together residents, visitors and local businesses for an immediate interactive experience, putting written and video interaction on the same page, literally, to benefit one and all.The Newtonian is a ‘first of its kind’ newspaper that delivers both a printed and online version, that incorporates Facebook, YouTube, Twitter plus 2D scanning code technology, enabling readers to connect to information and advertising web-based services instantly.This is your Newtown, your NEWspaper, tell us what you think. Email: info@thenewtonian.netWebsite: www.thenewtonian.netFollow us on Twitter: @TheNewtonian for news, updates and special offers.Become a Fan on Facebook: Newtown NewtonianSubscribe to our YouTube Channel: TheNewtonianSydney

Newtown resident and dare I say celebrity, Megan Evans, has been a leading light in the world of Opera for the better part of seventy years.

As a celebrated repetiteur, she has guided and taught generations of opera singers through the intricacies of the art form, enabling many to reach the dizzy heights of international stardom.

She recently celebrated her

ninetieth birthday and among many of the celebratory events held in her honour, was a recital at St Pauls Burwood. The recital, attended by family, friends and opera stars, both past and present, enjoyed a wonderful afternoon celebrating Megan’s life, in both word and music.

Alan Jones presided and in true Megan style, was given a hurry up for his troubles!

Performances by famed artists John Bolton-Wood, Jose and Tarita Carbo, Warwick Fyfe, Catherine Carby and many more, created a joyous occasion, where we were given insights, into Megan’s legendry career, and treats of a more personal nature, as her son Ian regaled the hushed throng with a poem their father wrote on her forty fifth birthday, which, titled, “Good Heavens” recalled the birth of his beautiful red haired daughter. We also heard messages of warmth and congratulations from Dame Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge.

Still working with artists in her ninth decade and no sign of a let up, Megan’s hard working roots shine through. Her father, a Welsh Minister that spent much of his time in mission work within the city laid the foundations for a life well spent in pursuit of excellence.

I wonder if the bright eyed vivacious young Megan who won the under fourteen piano solo competition at the 1933 Sydney Eisteddfod, would have dreamt that she would have helped realise the dreams of some many talented singers over such a period. A wonderful legacy. Happy birthday Megan.

City continues support for Earth Hour

City of Sydney Council has again pledged its support for WWF’s Earth Hour event on Saturday 27 March to promote action against climate change.

The City has sponsored Earth Hour since its inception in 2007, and Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP has taken the message to audiences around the world.

“I am proud to announce that the City of Sydney will once again partner with WWF to take action on climate change by sponsoring and participating in Earth Hour 2010,” Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP said.

“Sustainability is the issue and we need to take action now. This was the message I took to Copenhagen and with other world cities we have pledged to make real reductions in carbon pollution to keep global warming below two degrees Celsius.

“Earth Hour is a great example of people working together to show they care about a sustainable future and that behaviour can be changed,” said Ms Moore.

In its first year Earth Hour mobilised two million people, while last year more than one billion people in 4,400 cities worldwide united to switch off lights for the event.

The event has grown to become an ‘Earth Hour, Every Hour’ campaign which aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions, tackle climate change, inspire behavioural change and showcase Sydney as a leading environmental performer worldwide.

“This year, we ask that the global community not only switch off their lights but make a few simple changes to their everyday life to make lasting differences that will help our planet every hour,” Ms Moore said.

The City will lead by example by switching lights off for one hour in all council buildings on March 27 at 8.30pm.

‘Earth Hour, every hour’ links in with City of Sydney’s 2030 Sustainable Sydney vision for a green, global and connected city.

For more information go to www.earthhour.org.au and turn off your lights on March 27, 2010 at 8.30pm.

Opera’s Leading Lady

Centrelink, Housing NSW at the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre Every Thursday Afternoon

Every Thursday afternoon, it all comes together at the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre. Centrelink, Housing NSW, Inner West Tenants’ Service and the Aboriginal Women’s Legal Centre are all holding outreach services at the same time in the same place. It is the start of a one-stop shop at the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre where people will be able to solve a wide variety of issues and get the assistance they need. “Having Housing NSW, legal advice, tenancy rights, aboriginal services and Centrelink all on hand makes it so convenient. It enables people to resolve many issues, even complex matters where you need one agency to talk to another,” says Lisa Burns of the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre. The afternoon event is called The MATCH because the aim is to match a person to

the services and supports they need. Over the months ahead, the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre is hoping to add other services to the MATCH. “We want to make MATCH the place where people can go to take care of all their business,” explains Ms Burns.

The MATCH is held on Thursdays from 2;00-4:00pm. The Newtown Neighbourhood Centre is located at 1 Bedford Street, Newtown in the old Town Hall building of Newtown across the street from the train station. For more information on The MATCH, contact the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre at 9516 4755.

The MATCH of the Day

RSPCA PETS OF THE MONTHName: Starsky

Age: 1 Year

Breed: X Kelpie

Gender: Male

Tag Number: 019 0272

Starsky is $300 to adopt, and is desexed, microchipped, vaccinated, wormed and health tested. The RSPCA is open six days, closed Wednesdays, for adoptions. For more information please visit: www.rspcansw.org.au <http://www.rspcansw.org.au/> or call 9770 7555.

Name: Ying & Yang

Age: Both 1 Year 7 Months 3 Weeks

Breed: Domestic Short Hair

Gender: Female

Tag Number: 019 0678 & 019 0679

Ying & Yang were brought to the RSPCA as two lost cats. They stayed at the shelter in the hope their previous owners would reclaim them but unfortunately they couldn’t be found. They are best friends and are hoping to find a new loving home together. They are both smoochie and affectionate girls who enjoy spending time together. Ying & Yang are most happy when curled up together having a nap. They both have short coats which would require a regular brush to rid any loose hair and keep them looking beautiful. Ying & Yang are gorgeous girls and would both be a great addition to any home.

Ying & Yang are $160 each to adopt, and are desexed, microchipped, vaccinated, wormed and health tested. The RSPCA is open six days, closed Wednesdays, for adoptions. For more information please visit: www.rspcansw.org.au <http://www.rspcansw.org.au/> or call 9770 7555.

THE NEWTONIAN, Volume 1 Edition 5 3

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Cool style is a highly exclusive attribute that is reserved for people who have striking features and a wad full of cash.

This is the belief that Sydney University student Josh Whiley, 20, is challenging.

Armed with a disposable camera and an eye for cheap clothing, Josh started up Peaches and Luigi, a low-fi fashion blog with a philosophy that in the real world “you can’t buy cool”.

The site features a collection of photographs Josh has taken of his friends decked out in cheap garments from his personal wardrobe.

“The whole idea came about because I like taking photos and I like dressing people,” said Josh.

“So with the blog, I wanted to infuse the two to create something that was as much about being young and spontaneous as it was about the cheap and non-professional side of fashion.

“The fashion industry doesn’t have to be solely devoted to just the beautiful and the wealthy.”

Josh spends hours meticulously trawling opshops and vintage clothing stores all over the city to add to his collection.

However it’s up and down the coast where Josh finds the most outfits, labelling the locations “untapped resources”.

“Often I like going to places like Newcastle and Wollongong because they’ve got these massive opshops with hardly any people in them.

“Newtown is great, but there are just too many cool people here. Something will go on the rack at King St Vinnies and within 10 minutes it’s gone.”

The other key component of the blog is the photographic element; something that Josh admitted can be difficult, especially

when only using disposable cameras for his shoots.But as he explained to me, there is concept behind the cheap

camera choice.“They have a really good texture that I don’t think you can get

from a lot of lower quality films.“I think it also adds to the whole ethos of the site in that you

don’t need an amazing camera to look good.”As a resident of Newtown, Josh finds himself constantly

inspired by the area’s people just as much as the landscape. “I love Newtown. You can say what you want about

gentrification, but it does do some good things,” said Josh.“Newtown is a really big inspiration for me. A lot of the time

I’ll just be walking down the street and see something I like and think ‘I’m going to use that’.

“That is also something that fits with the blog, drawing inspiration from the street and the fact that I’m just shooting everyday people.”

Everyday people indeed, the models used in Josh’s photos are made up of his neighbours and friends.

“Sometimes I like to force them a little out of their comfort zones, but in a way that I know will work for them.

“It’s funny; usually the best photos are of the people I force most out of their comfort zones.”

Peaches and Luigi is a photographic blend of style and youth culture.

In his utilisation of the internet, Josh has been given artistic freedom to promote the pros of low-fi fashion and certainly prove that cash is not a necessity for one to look cool. www.peachesandluigi.blogspot.com - Emmanuel Hastings

On the 26 of February, Julia Gillard announced systematic mercenary warfare on the English language. Errant commas will be terminated, loose prepositions liquefied and split infinitives reunited in prelapsarian linguistic calm.

But that’s if it all goes to plan. Although the phasing out of grammatical study over the past thirty years has spawned a generation of Australians ill-equipped to express themselves, the Rudd government has failed to deliver on many of its Edenic promises.

In her National Press Club address, Gillard claimed that

“over the last 20 or 30 years, a mixed curriculum ideology shifted teachers attention away from what all students really need to know. The Deputy Prime Minister’s new school curriculum, (whacked on the internet by a tech-savvy cabinet on the 1st March), will standardize the states curricula in math, science, history and English. That parents and teachers can review and critique the curriculum at www.australiancurriculum.edu.au over the next three months is laudable. Also, students moving states won’t have to repeat a year.

Unlike its wooly predecessor, this curriculum

will specify achievement standards, so that students abilities can be gauged. And of course, grammar, that damned defector, will be taken to trial, to rapturous cries of embittered English teachers everywhere.

Then again, a public whose confidence has been rocked by the 16.2 billion-dollar Building the Education Revolution debacle and the Emissions Trading Scheme has got to take it with a sack of salt.

Will the next stage of the Government¹s education revolution be as mismanaged as the last? A curriculum of ‘true rigour’, (i.e. slightly more specific than the last), is

still a document. It outlines a theoretical educational system, which has to be transformed into a reality by capable teachers and functional schools. The death of adequate facilities, and the disastrous reality of the BER program will prevent a curriculum, however solid, from having any real effect.

All that Gillard has done is drop a smokescreen in front of an empty educational battlefield. So if the darling of the Rudd government was sent out to feed an angry public a palliative, she may have to swallow a bitter pill herself.

- Kate Simonian

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

(17th March)

IRISH SODA BREAD

(Makes 1 large or 2 small loaves)

INGREDIENTS

500g= 4 cups plain flour (sieved)

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

15 fl oz (buttermilk) or sour milk

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

Small drop of fresh milk

1 rounded tsp baking powder

25g sugar

METHOD

Heat the pot/oven and grease with a little lard.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a basin and make a well in the centre.

Pour in nearly all the milk and egg; gather in the flour and mix to a soft dough, adding more milk if necessary.

With floured hands, knead lightly on a floured board or table and flatten out. Cut a cross on top.

Place dough in pot/oven; cover with heated lid. Place hot coals on top to give all round heat.

Alternatively bake in a greased round pyrex dish with lid, pre-heat oven (4250F, 2200C or gas 7 for 40 minutes).

(To keep the bread soft, wrap in a clean damp tea towel when it is taken out of the oven.)

youcan’tbuycool

Julia Gillard’s War on Error

THE NEWTONIAN, Volume 1 Edition 5 4

Each Sudoku has a unique solution that can be reached logically without guessing. Enter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Every row must contain one of each digit. So must every column, as must every 3x3 square.

Easy

Hard

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winners are displayed on our website!

Complete the Sudoku puzzles correctly and send to PO Box

422 Newtown.

Beware the Ides of March!The ides of March, famous from the play by Shakespeare, and famous as the day Julius Caesar was assassinated in the Theatre of Pompey, Rome. In the month of March, the ides fell on the 15th day of the month.

More than just the lover of Cleopatra, the conqueror of Gaul, and for a time Dictator of Rome, Julius Caesar was a man of brilliance in an era of brilliant men.

As well as being a great general, he was an accomplished lawyer, politician, engineer and scientist. With the assistance of Egyptian astronomer priests he reformed the Latin Calendar into it’s Julian form, and in his honour the fifth month of the Latin calendar was renamed – Julius, or July.

So imposing was his reputation, that his name came to be a title for the later Emperors and was the origin of the German title Kaiser, and the Russian Czar.

- The Wiki

Pure PoetryMarrickville sleeps tonight around

its generous streets, and

Peaceful people slumber tucked

up inside

Houses, flats, boarding houses and

bedsits

Even the cats in the cattery sleep

and breathe deeply.

Marrickville chatters and roils

through the day,

Then gracefully passes to silence

After the Mascot curfew

And before the dawn over

Sydenham. - Sarah Newton- John

Cool Sitesthesydneyfringe.com.au/collettedinnigan.com.aumadeinphoto.frlocalsydney.com/Any more? we would love to hear what blogs you visit or what you dig!

UNI IS BACK

and if you have

a room to rent

out, please let The

Newtonian know !

We can place your

classifieds and get

someone to pay

the rent.

Info@thenewtonian.net.

Chuck Norris counted to infinity - twice.Chuck Norris does not hunt because the word hunting infers the probability of failure. Chuck Norris goes killing.Chuck Norris has already been to Mars; that’s why there are no signs of life there.They once made a Chuck Norris toilet paper, but it wouldn’t take shit from anybody.A blind man once stepped on Chuck Norris’ shoe. Chuck replied, “Don’t you know who I am? I’m Chuck Norris!” The mere mention of his name cured this man blindness. Sadly the first, last, and only thing this man ever saw, was a fatal roundhouse delivered by Chuck Norris.

It’s Sunday morning.Enmore Road, Church and King Streets, and all the other arteries running through Newtown, begin to pulse with life again.You walk. The stifled squish of soggy cigarette butts has pass below your shoes, the soles of which are moist with the remains of numerous beverages that dribble silently from the sea of discarded bottles on the footpath.As you kick aside the sixth kebab wrapper you’ve seen, and a plastic bag seeping with a substance you’d rather not inquire about, you can’t help but feel guilty for not picking them up.This can mean one of two things - either your Saturday night wasn’t half as good as everyone else’s in Newtown, or it’s the 7th of March and it’s

GET DOWN AND DIRTY FOR CLEAN UP AUSTRALIA DAYClean Up Australia Day again.Since the first official Clean Up Australia Day in 1990, Australians have picked up over 200,000 tonnes of rubbish. For those competent in mathematics, you might notice that 2010 marks the 20th anniversary of Clean Up Australia Day, and everyone is being urged to make it the most successful one to date.Yet according to Elizabeth Maynard, the Marketing and Communications Officer for Clean Up Australia, only two sites in Newtown have been officially registered to participate - Camperdown Cemetery and Camperdown Memorial Rest Park (which are adjoining). And on the website for this site, there appears to be only thirteen volunteers so far! To use an unavoidably tempting pun, why are these two sites the dead centre of the Newtown’s Clean Up Australia Day activities?Are Newtonians about to earn themselves an un-environmentally friendly badge of dishonour?Fortuitously, Friday, March 5 is the official Clean Up Day for schools, and Newton High School of the Performing Arts (NHSPA) is holding its

annual ‘World Earth Day’ festival. While the event is not exclusively related to Clean Up Australia Day, the theme of the day is ‘Simple Steps to Sustainability’, and Mr Lazendich, teacher and Environmental Committee Coordinator at NHSPA said: “We are celebrating all sustainability initiatives such as recycling, we will have a stall dedicated to minimising ground pollution.”Given that 2009 saw over 2 million pieces of rubbish collected, if every Australian picks up just one piece of rubbish this year, we’ll have picked up 10 times more than last year - around 20 million pieces.Despite Newtown’s seemingly redundant participation in the earthly event for 2010 thus far, if every Newtownian bends down to pick up just that one piece of rubbish this Clean Up Australia day, they might just be redeemed – and help to break a record at the same time!So don’t let this Newtown slump become a Newtown dump – if you haven’t volunteered this year, why not roll up your sleeves and do your one little bit now, even if it means simply disposing this paper thoughtfully.

What is with the PIGS and BRICS and why have they been in the news recently, and what has it got to do with us here in the Inner West?PIGS is an acronym for the Mediterranean countries of the EU or specifically, Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain. BRIC is an acronym (don’t we love acronyms!) meaning the major developing economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China.The PIGS have had a bit of press recently thanks to the government debt woes of Greece. Italy, Spain and Portugal also have high levels of government debt although not as critical as Greece’s situation. I won’t go into detail about Greece’s debt troubles except to say that they are only a very small part of the EU in terms of GDP and they may be lucky enough to receive a helping hand from Germany or France.The BRICs on the other hand are frequently talked about as the economies that the world is looking to, to drag the big developed economies

out of recession. The BRICs have recently posted strong GDP growth and all look as though they will continue to do so. Whilst there is some speculation that China’s growth ‘bubble’ might burst if it isn’t carefully managed, reports indicate the Chinese government are controlling the flow of money and in particular lending to help stabilise things.So why is this relevant to us?Having both BRICs and PIGS amongst other assets demonstrates one of the key principles of smart investing – diversification. Diversification is not having all of your eggs in one basket and it is achieved in investment terms by investing across countries, industries and, asset classes (e.g. fixed income, shares, cash and property).So what has Greece’s financial woes go to do with the economy in Brazil and the ‘price of tea in China’? Not a lot… or it would appear more accurately ‘not enough’ to have an impact on a well diversified investment portfolio.It is critical when developing your superannuation or investment plans that you keep an open mind and consider a well diversified portfolio. Diversification helps to minimise the impact of shocks like Greece or

a potential bubble in China or even the ‘never say die’ Sydney housing market (that could be catastrophic!). For instance investors that only invested in financial shares would have really felt it over the last 2 years. However if you had also invested in developing economies, a little bit of cash, some property and fixed interest your investment returns will have been much more respectable.So get to know your superannuation portfolio, find out if there are any PIGS or BRICs and before you make changes seek professional advice from a financial planner.

Lincoln Johnson is an Authorised Representatives of AXA Financial Planning (ABN 21 005 799 977 Australian Financial Services License No. 234663) Phone: (02) 8060 2175 or Visit www.teamfa.com.au DisclaimerThis editorial provides general information only. Before making any investment

decisions, we recommend you consult a professional financial planner like Lincoln Johnson to

take into account your particular investment objectives, financial situation and individual needs. AXA Financial Planning and its Authorised Representatives do not accept any liability for any errors or omissions of information supplied in this editorial.

These are the facts

PIGS and BRICs?

Medium

THE NEWTONIAN, Volume 1 Edition 5 5

On April 14th a promising new Australian stage play titled PROXY opens at Sidetrack Theatre and is set to confirm that independent theatre is alive and well and capable of producing exportable, original and innovative productions.

Directed by NIDA graduate Subra Velayutham PROXY is the story of a female author, her agent husband and the imaginary heroine of her novel, MAXINE; three characters locked in a relationship, which is ultimately tested by their inner desires for freedom.

The storyline is an acrobatic feat that juggles drama, suspense, mystery and comedy with such balance, that PROXY qualifies as a modern piece for this zeitgeist.

“PROXY is packed with such sexual vigour and employs a unique theatrical device, to explore the inner worlds of the protagonists' minds to a level of effectiveness; it is bound to leave the audience tongue-tied.

Sidetrack Theatre, 142 Addison Road, Marrickville

April 14th – May 2nd 2010

Wednesday-Saturday: 8pm / Sunday: 7pm

Adult: $28, Concession: $23

Bookings: 02 9550 3666

For more information:

WEB: www.proxytheplay.com <http://www.proxytheplay.com/>

FACEBOOK: (Proxy the play): PROXY

King Street is well known for its eccentricities and effervescence, which can cause some non-native Newtonians to find it a little ‘hairy’. But come mid March, this notorious street will become increasingly bald.

No, this is not a reference to the takeover of yet another community crushing, social order shattering property development scheme. This month it is the Leukaemia Foundation’s World’s Greatest Shave that has Newtownians by their hair.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare estimated that 9792 Australians would be diagnosed with a type of leukaemia in 2009 - that is the equivalent of at least one every hour. So it is no wonder that participants in World’s Greatest Shave are motivated by personal

encounters with the devastating disease.

“I’m doing it because of my grandmother who currently is undergoing her second lot of chemo [chemotherapy] treatment for Lymphoma. Once her hair started falling out in patches she asked if I could shave her head…it was a very heartbreaking experience,” said 30 year-old Newtown resident Kristen Egan-Leigh. This year will be the second year that she has participated in the event.

World’s Greatest Shave first-timer, 23 year old Kesia Walsh, has a similarly personal compulsion. She is set to take the stage at the Vanguard jazz and blues restaurant in Newtown where she works to have her locks lopped on Saturday, March 6.

“I have had two close friends

die from Leukemia and others who have been diagnosed but have so far survived. To have seen the impact of the disease not only on the ill person but also the loved ones supporting them is something you don’t forget,” she said.

Both of these inspirational women have a fundraising goal of $2000 which they are very optimistic about reaching – and rightly so. Since 1998, the event has raised in excess of $92 million, which has helped to fund blood cancer research, and the development of free services that support patients and families living with leukaemia and related blood disorders.

Many schools will hold Crazy Hair Day For Kids to raise money, although, disappointingly, Newtown Public School and the

Performing Arts High don’t appear to be participating (which obliterates their opportunity to pull off the most peculiar assembly pictures yet!).

If going bravely bald seems a little too bold this year, there is also the option to colour your hair crazily for a cure. Or, if both these options make your hair stand on end, you might at least consider sponsoring those who dare to dye or de-hair.

If all else fails, these words from Kesia Walsh will cull your concerns and convince you to jump in the barber’s booster before you can say, “raise the razor”:

“To those who are unsure as to participate I would like to remind them that this cause matters more than vanity. Bald is just as beautiful!” - Michelle Rumery

Innovative stage play moves centre stage

TheWorlds

GreatestShave

The successful and rapidly expanding brand has quickly evolved taking its authentic thin-crust, quality pizzas to greater heights and new locations in NSW. Doughboy Pizzas offers its customers the utmost in quality and service using fresh, quality ingredients. The Petersham store provides its customers with a friendly and enjoyable atmosphere where children are welcome, guaranteeing a fun and relaxed dining experience.

The Doughboy Petersham store is now open, serving piping hot pizza from 5:30pm – 10pm from Monday – Saturday. It is open on Friday lunch times from 12pm – 3pm. Doughboy are launching a store in Abbotsford at the end of the month.

Workshop Schedule April – June 2010

Please find below the calendar for upcoming workshops delivered by The Watershed.

All workshops are FREE! Bookings essential!

For bookings, please contact The Watershed on 9519 6366 or watershedworkshops@marrickville.nsw.gov.au.

* Composting workshops are booked through Michael Neville on 9246 7803 or mneville@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au.

Workshops are held at local venues including: The Watershed: 218 King Street Newtown;

Newtown Library: 8-10 Brown Street Newtown;

Tom Foster Community Centre: 11-13 Darley Street Newtown;

Rosebery Community Centre: 78 Harcourt Parade Rosebery.

April 2010 • Topic • Date • Time • Venue

• Worm Farming • Tuesday 6th • 18.30-20.30 • Newtown Library

• No Dig Gardening • Saturday 10th • 10.00-12.00 • Tom Foster Community Centre

• Natural Baby Care • Saturday 17th • 10.00-12.00 • The Watershed

• Natural Cleaning & Home Detox • Saturday 17th • 10.00-12.00

• Newtown Library

• Composting & Worm Farming • Sunday 18th • 10:00-12:30

• Rosebery Community Centre

• Sustainable Eating • Tuesday 20th • 18.30-20.30 • Newtown Library

Doughboy Rising The Watershed

• Web Design + Development • Graphic Design + Branding • Print + Distribution • Photography

www.leftfieldstudios.com.au 9526 6625 office@leftfieldstudios.com.au500 COLOUR BUSINESS CARDS

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THE NEWTONIAN, Volume 1 Edition 5 6

Sydney Fringe FestivalComing to Newtown in 2010 • Calls of submission NOW • twitter.com/sydneyfringe • thesydneyfringe.com.au/

THERE’S a lot I miss about Australia. But, right now, with my leftover pasta supper congealing in the dish, there’s one thing I really miss. The food!

Not all of it, I hasten to add. I mean, who came up with the idea of Vegemite? It’s the food of the devil! I have seriously tried to like this Australian treasure, I really have.

I thought when it came to my visa application there might be a question asking if I was a fan of the stuff, with a negative response resulting in my form being shredded, me being blacklisted, and my presence in the country never being welcome again.

The love of my life thought it would be funny while out on a road trip one day to smear her lips with the V-word. My desire for a kiss overcame my dislike for Vegemite…but it was days before I finally rid myself of that awful taste.

Yet, when I spotted the little jar lurking in my local supermarket back here in Teesside, for some unfathomable reason I figured I’d give it another go. However, I soon found out it tastes just as bad whichever hemisphere you’re in.

As a recent convert to vegetarianism – ten months and loving it – I was in awe of the range of options available when I dined out in Newtown. You can eat your way around the world…and I did try! Vietnamese, Thai, Mexican, Chinese, African…my tastebuds were well and truly tickled.

Dining out in Teesside is a less than thrilling experience. I’m used to seeing an exciting-looking menu with just one or two token vego options which are often bland and tasteless. And my nearest vegetarian restaurant is 13 miles away, not

just the short stroll which I got used to while in Newtown.

Even my family have found it hard to cater for my new veggie requirements. I was feeling slightly nervous when my elderly parents invited me to Sunday lunch. After all, on a previous occasion when my young veggie niece was visiting for tea, they were debating what they could give her… and finally settled on a lettuce sandwich.

So I was feeling pretty relieved – and impressed – when I saw my mum was serving me up a veggie bake with a selection of vegetables … until she then proceeded to pour gravy all over it, which, being a traditional housewife, she had, of course, made with the meat juices.

This presented me with a serious moral dilemma. Should I be grateful she had made the effort and just eat it? Or should I point out the fundamental fact that being a vegetarian means not eating any meat products?

I went for a third option… and surreptitiously scraped off as much of the offending gravy as was humanly possible.

Being veggie, though, does mean I can’t eat the traditional Teesside dish…the parmo! If you’ve exhausted all of the international tucker in your vicinity and want to sample a taste of the North-east of the UK…here’s what you do. Take a chicken breast and beat and smash it until it is completely flat, then smother it in breadcrumbs and deep fry it. Next, cover it with bechemel sauce and then a layer of Cheddar cheese before grilling it. This cholesterol-ridden, calorie-laden local ‘delicacy’ needs to be served with greasy fries… and a side salad.

And with this dish as the best the town can offer, do you need to ask why I’m vegetarian?

-Julie Gibson

(SYDNEY, AUS) January 27, 2009. THE SYDNEY FRINGE, a multidiscipline cultural event set within the theatres, galleries, clubs and public spaces of the inner west and showcasing the independence and irreverence of Sydney’s creative community today announced the opening of the submission process for the 2010 festival.

From January 29, artists will be able to visit thesydneyfringe.com.au and submit their project. Disciplines include theatre, comedy, dance, musical theatre and cabaret, physical and visual theatre, music, visual and digital arts, film, craft, food, family, special events, literary and Fringe In Process. Submissions will remain open until April 1, 2010.

“We want to create a submission process that artists will find easy to manage – we really just want to hear what has excited them in the project and why they want to get it before an audience,” said Kris Stewart, director of the Sydney Fringe. “There will be a lot of opportunities across a range of disciplines, so we want to hear directly what people are interested in creating.”

Announcing Calls For Submissions For Fringe 2010

Of love, wisdom, truth and reality spoke the Ancient Greek philosophers, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. In more modern times, one character of the cinematic screen offers his own brand of wisdom. My Big Fat Greek Wedding’s Gus Portokalos says, “There are two kinds of people - Greeks, and everyone else who wish they was Greek.’’

With the release of a vibrant ‘Opa,’ the 28th annual Greek Festival of Sydney will hit town, featuring an exciting line up of 30 events from March to April, that promise to entertain Greek, Greek-Australians and everyone else who wants to be Greek.

More than 30,000 revellers will experience the rich essence of the ancient culture with the festival’s two-day launch event at Darling Harbour on Saturday 20 March, 3-11pm, and Sunday 21 March, 10am-10pm. The celebrations will bring the foreshore to life with music, food, dancing, children’s activities, art and of course, Greek-style passion.

Greek Festival Youth Committee member, Karly Pantoulis, welcomes people of all cultures to come and celebrate the best of her own.

“We want to share the festival with everyone,’’ Ms Pantoulis said. It’s for anyone and everyone who enjoys Greek culture.’’

The launch marks one of the most popular days on the Greek calendar, Independence Day, which falls on 25 March. More importantly to Ms Pantoulis, the Sydney event provides young Greek-Australians with the opportunity to connect with their roots.

“We want the Greek culture to continue in Australia. The youth is the next step. It is very important for young people to carry out our traditions.’’

As the festival attracts massive numbers of young people each year, ‘’it’s obvious that the culture is being passed down’’. But thanks to the opening event’s new youth stage, introduced in 2009, young Greek-Australians now play a stronger role in keeping the culture alive.

“The youth stage brings activities to a younger generation who weren’t born in Greece…Young people in the Greek community now have the opportunity to express themselves through the festival and to do things that are specifically just for them. It makes

me feel really proud that we are contributing something to the community.’’

Young people, aged 30 years and under, will perform comedy, dance, music and theatrical routines on the stage in front of IMAX on the Sunday afternoon. Auditions for the youth talent show will be held on Saturday 6 March at the Greek Community Club, 206-210 Lakemba Street, Lakemba, from 11am-4pm.

“Any talent that you want to show us, we would love to see. So come along and have some fun. We are all looking forward to seeing young people getting involved in the festival and being proud to be Greek.’’

Registrations beforehand are essential. Email neolaia@live.com.au or call Ms Pantoulis on 0402 604 851.

Highlights of the 2010 Greek Festival of Sydney:

- A Music Tribute to Greek Cinema at the Enmore Theatre, Newtown on Tuesday 18 May at 6.30pm. This free event is presented by the Greek Festival of Sydney and Marrickville Council. Bookings are essential. Call 9750 0440.

The Book of Vilah at The Vanguard, Newtown on Thursday 27 May. Doors open at 6.30pm. This classic tragedy will be told through dialogue, music and painting. Cost is $20 for adults and $16 for concession. Booking fees apply. Call 9020 6959.

GREEK FESTIVAL

At this weeks Council Meeting Marrickville Council resolved to support fundraising efforts for the flood affected Portugese island of Madeira.

In late February, the island, and in particular the capital city of Funchal, was badly damaged by floods and landslides. At least 42 people perished and over 250 were injured. Many people have been left homeless and key infrastructure such as roads, bridges, communications and public buildings were damaged.

Marrickville Council has enjoyed an active sister city relationship with Funchal since 1996 with regular exchange through delegations. The Madeiran community in Marrickville is a very dynamic one, with the Madeira Club and

local folkloric groups regularly participating in community activities and Council events, especially the annual Bairro Português Food and Wine Fair.

This year’s Fair will host António Fernandes da Silva Braga, Secretary of State of the Portuguese Communities in the XVIII Constitutional Government, along with his Chief of Staff Dr Pedro Oliveira and his Legal Adviser Dr Carla Freire.

As well, the 2010 Bairro Português Food and Wine Fair will raise money through the sale of commemorative ribbons, and patrons at the Fair being encouraged to donate gold coins.

The Mayor of Marrickville Councillor Sam Iskandar said with Marrickville’s strong Portugese presence, it was

obvious that Marrickville Council should have a sister city in Portugal.

“I was deeply saddened to hear of the devastating floods and mudslides on Madeira. We have a substantial number of Portuguese people living in the Marrickville local government area, particularly in Petersham, and many of them had an agonising wait for news from loved ones.

“I have written to the Mayor of Funchal Miguel Albuquerque, and the President of Madeira’s regional government Alberto Joao Jardim, and offered our sincere condolences and profound sympathy,” Councillor Iskandar said.

“This Bairro Português Food and Wine Fair is important to the people of Marrickville. It

brings us together to celebrate the cultural traditions of a significant part of our community. The Fair sets a wonderful example of fostering cultural tolerance and harmony, especially to our young people who should be proud of their cultural backgrounds.

“This year the Fair takes on an even greater significance. I urge Marrickville residents to donate a gold coin and purchase a commemorative ribbon at this year’s event,” Councillor Iskandar said. Marrickville Council will donate $5,000 from the Sister Cities budget to the fundraising effort.

The Bairro Português - Petersham Food & Wine Fair will be held on Sunday 14 March 2010, 10am - 6pm, on Audley and Fisher Streets in Petersham.

Marrickville Council to raise funds for Sister City

THE NEWTONIAN, Volume 1 Edition 5 7

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CASUAL DINING AT ITS BEST

Scan Me!

Erskineville

- Tales from the

Village Green

Meet Ernie, he’s from Erko. When we say from Erko we mean it, born and raised here, right up to his tender age of 92. Ernie’s folks came straight from England to Erskineville, so he’s been around right through the working town days.

Ernie has seen it all and seeing less with age. Nowadays, the gleam in Ernie’s eye is from the pub lights reflecting off his bifocals. Don’t worry though, Ernie’s got plenty of thoughts and observations that he will share with you each month, in his own special way.

Erskineville has changed a lot in the long time I’ve lived ‘ere – and not all for the better. Take the other day....

My day starts as usual, as the lads and I say.... wake up every morning at nine and reach for that day’s paper. You look at the obituary page and if your name’s not on it, get up.

So, I’m up, and sure my hearings’ almost packed it in, but one thing I can hear clear as a bell are those damned planes. You’re whistling dixie if you think they’re training pilots like they used to, this lot can’t even stay on course where they’re meant to up around King St and Stanmore way. If I ever met one of ‘em pilots there’d be a rhubarb on.

So loud them planes are that they disrupt my daily wireless program – missed which horse won so ‘course I had to get myself back down to the Kurrajong TAB.

But on the way to the Kurra, great London! there’s another new problem round ‘ere – dodging dogs – there’s so many dogs they could have their own footpath, which I tell ya they could share with all the prams. A fella can’t get to the bar for all the prams!

But, you’re darn tootin’ it’s not all bad, on me way home I see them free plants the council boys put out nowadays for us, ‘bout time too, ‘cause I’ve killed the ones from Christmas. So here they’re rolling out the metal troughs and orange Marigolds are on offer. Now, what I’m really after is a good ol’ English rose – can anyone tell a fella where I put my order in?Cheers, Ernie

-Lara McCabe

The Village Idiot.Fonzo Journalism

It’s strange when Reclaim The Streets (RTS) goes down a gear and becomes Reclaim The Lanes. Nonetheless the whole concept had been so sorely missed we were happy to welcome anything – Reclaim The Neighbour’s Driveway would have been an exciting venture back into Newtown’s bolder past.

So we turned up, many a bit more jaded and world-wearing than we were at that original RTS over a decade ago when no-one had really known what to expect, just to meet in Camperdown Park. By day’s done we’d annexed Newtown’s arterial hub - the groin where King Street and Enmore Road jut out like hairy legs and the torso moves up towards City Road.

We’d taken it all from the Dendy down and turned it into a street party, throwing in Wilson Street for good measure. At later RTS’ we’d taken everything from the street outside Villawood Detention Centre on one occasion to the whole of George Street on another, outside the Sydney Town Hall and Woolworths – turning the CBD into a little

piece of freak culture. Sure a few times things got ugly with the cops, like when we took over the freeway below the Art Gallery of NSW, and said CBD endeavours. They’d manage to find some breach relating to rubber lesbian vampire nurse, nun or most dangerously police-drag, outfits.

While police-party relations were all cool this time a kind of reverse police drag is what I couldn’t help but notice as we stood in the Enmore back lane, a band competing with DJs in garbage bins and people of all hues dancing in day-glo Reg-Grundies. I spotted the strange occurrence of the feral cop. Later as I took a breather at the Queens Hotel so my enviro-photographer friend could review his work I got to examine pictures of this urban Sasquatch more closely. These were young, tall, lanky guys in dirty dungarees and Blunnies or Volleys, and raggedy worn-

out t-shirts, like the civilians dancing around them, except that these cats had official NSW Police baseball caps and a utility belt, Batman style, with a radio and a large, black handgun hanging from it.

The sight was so odd that for a second I wondered if they were cops or just very militant ferals. I decided on the former. But where, I began to wonder, do they get

these guys? Are some nice, clean-cut kids at Goulburn Police Academy trained up to pass as inner-city freaks?

“OK gentleman,” says the dreaded trainer, “now Smith has smoked some Lebanese Blonde and mixed it with the GBH. You’ll notice that suddenly the music of Squarepusher begins to make sense to him. While Johnson over here’s on hash-oil and MDA and is being really affected by his mother’s old Carpenters LPs. Now you kids, Digby and Wiggim, are taking a walk in the Anna Woods, so brace yourselves.”

Either that or the opposite occurs and they recruit students and hippies. Imagine an ominous knock at a share-house door.

“Hi we’re from the NSW Police and we’ve got a special

offer for you kid. How would you like to protect young people. We’ll give you a walkie talkie, a baseball cap, and a big black gun with bullets in it.”

“Wow, intense. Can you get my Austudy renewed?”

“Done and done kid. We can even talk to that tutor you been having trouble with, catch him with a little Lebanese blonde thing in the teachers’ lounge if you like. Now what’s your Blundstone size?”

Either way it seems to be working. The only thing that wasn’t working in Reclaim The Lanes favour was Sydney’s new and greenhouse-gas improved monsoon season. By the time my friend and I dragged ourselves from happy hour we ended up losing them somewhere between the rain and the Bedford Street tunnel. But I’m sure they wetly ended up somewhere, perhaps reclaiming someone’s kiddie pool.

“It ain’t Reclaim The Streets,” my friend said, “but it’s a start.” “As long as they were enjoying themselves,” I said, “and got some dancing in.”“The kids?”“No, the feral cops of course.”

Benito Di Fonzo.

Market Update – March 2010There is no doubt that we are experiencing the best selling conditions that we have seen in many years. There is still very little on the market around the Inner West, and with plenty of buyers looking to secure something, premium prices are being achieved.

There are a record number of buyers attending open homes which gives us confidence that prices will continue to climb as more and more people are looking to enter the market, acquire more property or move onto something else within the area.

Top ten sales for February in the Newtown AreaAddress bed/bath Land Size Sale Price

• 33 Hopetoun Street, Camperdown 3/3/1 137sqm $2,900,000

• 7 Warren Ball Ave, Newtown 4/2/2 219sqm confidential

• 55 Forbes Street, Newtown 4/2/2 242sqm $1,550,000

• 86 Rochford Street, Erskineville 2/1/4 271sqm $1,340,000

• 9 Pemell Street, Newtown 4/2 335sqm $1,200,000

• 22 Lambert Street, Erskineville 3/1 102sqm $940,000

• 30 Cannon Street, Stanmore 3/1/1 225sqm $850,000

• 99 Albermarle Street, Newtown 2/1/1 112sqm $813,000

• 18 Marian Street, Enmore 3/1 116sqm $750,000

• 17 Bennett Street, Newtown 2/1 152sqm $745,000

If you have had any thoughts of selling or would simply like a complimentary appraisal on your property, please call me on the number below.

Kind regards,

Renee Francis

D: 9565 5833

M: 0422 806 727*Results were sourced from Australian Property Monitors on 1st March 2010 and are results from all agents, we do not guarantee its accuracy.

THE NEWTONIAN, Volume 1 Edition 5 8

When I talk about healthy eating for children I usually get comments from parents saying “but he doesn’t like

vegetables” or “he just won’t eat what I give him unless it’s junk food”. In reality, your child can and will eat what you give them if they are hungry. Children rarely refuse to eat long enough to starve themselves, if they are hungry enough most children will eat anything. Problems arise when parents give in to their child’s demands for ‘junk food’ for fear they will starve, or fear of being seen as neglectful parents because their child has not eaten an evening meal and may have gone to bed hungry because they refused to eat the healthy meal you provided. There are lots of reasons why parents give in and allow their children to eat what they want. Whatever the reasons, parents should be aware that too much ‘junk food’ is not good for anyone in the long term.

If you introduce your child to healthy foods at a very young age they are more likely to continue eating healthy foods throughout their lives. The most important thing to remember is that if you don’t introduce junk foods, your child will never know they exist until they are a little older and are already eating healthy foods most of the time. There is no harm in allowing your child ‘treats’ occasionally, but in moderation, and ‘junk foods’ or ‘treats’ should only be introduced once a healthy eating pattern is established in your child. Once unhealthy eating habits have been developed in children it is very hard for parents to un-introduce them. Unhealthy eating habits can last a lifetime if your child is not encouraged to eat healthy when they are young.

Most of us know what healthy and unhealthy foods are, and if you are unsure about what foods are healthy for your children you can discuss recommended healthy foods with your family doctor, baby health nurse, or look up you local public health facility, they can provide you with reliable information and ideas, you can find them on the internet. There are also some good websites with information you can print and keep on the fridge, these websites usually have some good recipes and ideas on how to present the food so children find it interesting as well as fun and tasty.

Try to avoid meal times becoming a traumatic event for the

whole family, avoid spending too much time trying to make your child eat their food, give them a reasonable amount of time to eat their food then take it away, or when it’s clear they’ve had enough or are not going to eat it. Don’t put too much food on the plate, small amounts and more variety is helpful to remember. If they complain of being hungry afterwards and haven’t eaten a reasonable amount of their meal give them a piece of fruit instead of the usual ‘treat’ or desert after their meal, it helps parents to know they are not starving their children and alleviates the dreaded ‘parental guilt trip’, while not giving in to your child’s demands for less healthy meals. Most children will eat healthy food if no other options are given and parents remain consistent in providing the healthier food choices.

Encourage your children to help with preparing and cooking meals. Children are often proud of themselves and love to eat the finished product when they’ve helped to make it, choose cooking activities appropriate to your child’s age and skill levels, make it fun, make faces or patterns with the food on the plate when dishing it up. Depending on your child’s age allow them to help decide what to cook, and what to buy in the supermarket, all of these activities have extra benefits for you and your children by spending quality time with them while building strong positive relationships, it also boosts your child’s development of gross and fine motor skills, and helps build confidence to attempt new things. There are also many other benefits to your child’s development when regularly eating healthy food.

When packing school lunches for your children, try to add healthy snacks like, carrot or celery sticks, pieces of their favourite fruit, or a piece of cheese, instead of bags of crisps, chocolates, soft drinks, etc. Children will be more focused in the classroom when they are eating and drinking healthy foods during the day, replacing sandwiches with a piece of chicken or light crisp bread every now and then, adds to the variety of ways you can brighten up your child’s lunch box with healthy foods.

Happy parenting - Lynda Williams

Recommended websites for healthy food and recipe ideas for children: www.kidspot.com.au, www.healthykids.nsw.gov.au www.freshforkids.com.au

Healthy Eating Habits in Children Develop Healthy Eating Habits for life…

Book Review By Mike Lafontaine

Relationships are tough, and our unnamed narrator in Joe Pernice’s new novel is having a hard time. Our hero is your prototypical Gen X slacker, gifted musician/waiter who has fled his day old bride in New York City and arrived at his sister’s doorstep with no money, job or other prospects, determined for a fresh start.

I was really looking forward to reading this novel as I thought the themes of futility and loss, love gone bad and ennui, are right up my alley (Shameless plug for my Trouble and Desire column in this issue). The narrative is simple and straightforward although it frequently retreats into cliché, the dialogue is realistic enough and our narrator is clearly and accurately portrayed although we never get a whole sense of what and why he is running away from life.

Music is constantly mentioned in the narrative

and we through the writing the author tries to express how lonely he is when he hears a Del Shannon song his feelings seemed to be tied up with the music he hears on a day-to-day basis.

Although saying this, the novel does picks up steam when the protagonist starts babysitting his nephew and meets a young woman from the neighbourhood who is damaged by life, but not irrevocably, and they connect in a fundamental way that profoundly changes his life as he gravitates between the notions of responsibilities and freedoms.

It Feels So Good When I Stop is not a bad book, far from it, I enjoyed reading it but afterward I was hard pressed to recall its affect on me and in the end my final thoughts on the book is it promises more than it delivers.

It Feels So Good When I Stop by Joe Pernice is published by Riverhead books and is out now $35.00 RRP.

Scan Me!

THE NEWTONIAN, Volume 1 Edition 5 9

All you need to know is at www.cityrail.info

At www.cityrail.info you can find information about:

• CityRail timetables• CityRail network maps• Fare calculator and ticket information• Transport and special events• Trackwork (you can even get trackwork information sent to you free every week by email!)• Trip planner• New initiatives• Information for students• Suggestions for day trips• Eating out with CityRailJB

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www.cityrail.infoTransport Info 131 500TTY 1800 637 500(Teletypewriter service for hearing and speech impaired customers only)

Scan Me!

Scan Me HappyWhat exactly are these odd looking square shapes?

They are 2 Dimensional Barcodes. They quite cleverly unlock interactive content right from the newspaper page.

How to use them?

Well to begin with, you will need a phone with camera and internet enabled. Visit: www.i-nigma.com and download one of the most widely used mobile barcode readers available. Once installed on your phone, simply click the “app” icon to start the 2D Barcode scanner and scan the barcode using your phones camera. The scanned image will unlock the content behind the code and take you to the unique URL. Note that internet access

charges may apply.

Why would I want to?

Well, it allows you to connect with the content behind the code without the need to type a www.address, or access a computer.

So, there you are enjoying a coffee, or sat on the train when you see a code that sits inside a story, or promotional advertisement that is of interest to you.

You scan in, and there you are, hey presto. Smart technology that enables you to go that bit deeper on a story or promotional offer, but only if you want to.Take the journey!

Scan Me

Despite being 126 years old, The Sandringham Hotel or “The Sando” as it is more affectionately known to locals, is still ripe with vast mix of musical talents. And Wednesday, February 24 was no exception.

As prospective spectators sauntered around the main bar on the ground floor, as 8.30pm struck they slowly pursued the sounds of electro rock that poured down the stairs from the entertainment venue above. Eight dollars later, and they stood before the Pixilated Pirates, a band with presumably the strongest local following out of the two bands that followed

(which was not too difficult given that one band was from the Sutherland Shire).

Rumour On Florence was up next, with their very powerful vocals and slightly Incubus-sounding rock, again with the presence of solid supporters.

And then Alloway, which despite their foreign presence to the Newtown scene brought with them a crowd of very vocal, and exceptionally encouraging fans of their refreshing coastal rock rhythms. Calls for encores were not a rarity, even before the band had finished its set.

Though the upstairs entertainment venue is set to be

extended to cater for a capacity of 300 people, for a venue which plays host to a wide variety of artists that are not always well known, the smaller setting was perfect.

The place has a really good vibe. It’s a really intimate live music venue with a great sound engineer. We’d definitely like to come back,” said Marc Malliate, the drummer for Alloway.

“The Sando” is quickly becoming recognised as a place where young bands can start out, which sets it apart from other venues in the same area and makes it increasingly appealing to its younger audiences. - Michelle Rumery

Ok, I’ll admit it! I was a little ROLY-POLY pork barrel when my new parents adopted me. Twenty-two solid kilos – loveable but lumpy! Life was a daily struggle to negotiate the couch, the kitchen bench, and the queen-size ensemble where I planned to sleep each night.

My motives for shedding unwanted lard may not have been pure but I was lucky to find a family that wanted their precious pooch to be trim, taut and terrific. Access to food is much easier when you’re agile and there’s the added benefit of chasing a damsel through Sydney Park without fearing

cardiac arrest.I used to just

lie down in the middle of the road when I got puffed – which is not a good look for someone trying to attract a bit of fluff - but since I’ve lost FOUR, repeat FOUR kilos, I’m almost ready to leap tall buildings. If only my legs

were longer!Even pedal-bins used to be

an effort but we’ll get to them later!

So what’s my secret? Basically I have to eat what I’m given although there’s room for creativity and dry retching if something’s too disgusting for consumption. I can cope with tinned sardines in olive oil, raw eggs, uncooked chicken giblets, kangaroo mince, apples and bananas plus an occasional treat to alleviate the boredom.

I’ve also discovered that if I fudge the results – like emptying my bowels before weigh-in – I can happily steal

food without a conscience. I managed to eat half a pizza the other night and some home-made meat pies, which were definitely worth chastisement.

And if I really put on my sorrowful, poor-me expression and suck in my tummy I can score a banana smoothie in the morning and end the madness of only one meal a day.

Betta Meats in King Street is also helping me to keep my winning smile with bones to die for and if I strategically bury them in the backyard I can dig ‘em up when I’m desperate.

I’m still only getting one walk a day so I’m on the lookout for a personal trainer – pro bono of course in return for good company and affection.

My only argument is that while I’ve lost FOUR, repeat FOUR kilos and am nearly up to FIVE, my keepers are challenging their bodies most nights with gourmet calorific cooking. What’s good for them is my bag too so I’ve taught myself to place a paw on the pedal, duck as the bin-lid takes off , then bury my head in the discarded leftovers. Absolutely delicious!

Want some of my recipes on how to access better food? Email me at editor@

ALLOWAY GO ALL THE WAY AT THE SANDO

March is Facebook Month at Sarah-Jane

BECOME OUR FACEBOOK FRIEND and have

a chance to WIN one of ten

$50 Gift vouchers.

In Facebook, type in “Sarah-Jane 133 King St” and “Sarah-Jane Clearance Store” to join our groups.

Ten lucky winners will be drawn out of a hat on Easter Monday.

Whiskey

THE NEWTONIAN, Volume 1 Edition 5 10

Since recovering from a cerebral hemorrhage in 2007, French chanteuse Charlotte Gainsburg’s career has moved in leaps and bounds. She had a star turn in Lars Von Trier’s deeply

disturbing film ANTICHRIST last year, and now delivers IRM, just her third album in a career that has spanned some twenty years. Even with Jarvis Cocker at the songwriting helm, 2006’s

5:55 received somewhat mixed reviews from music critics, many of whom felt the album was too similar to the work of father Serge.

Gainsburg has much in common with fellow icon Marianne Faithfull. Both have come from intriguing family histories, been vindicated in the press, recovered somewhat miraculously from life-threatening illness, tried their hand at acting and, in spite of their limited vocal capabilities delivered credible musical output. While Gainsburg’s voice lacks the unmistakable haggard beauty of Faithfull’s, it possesses a steely resilience and authenticity. And like Faithfull, Gainsburg has proven herself to be a masterful interpreter of others’ work.

IRM is a musical collaboration with Beck (who collaborated with Marianne on 2002’s KISSIN’ TIME), and plays out like a tour through Beck’s entire back catalogue and beyond. There’s ODELAY-era Beck (‘Looking Glass Blues’), SEACHANGE-era Beck (‘Me and Jane Doe’) and, surprisingly, even references to MIDNITE VULTURES (the punky groover ‘Greenwich Mean Time’). Beyond that, the duo deliver gothic folk (‘IRM’), chamber pop (lead single ‘Heaven Can Wait’) and even a nod to Gainsburg’s heritage

with ‘Le Chaut de Cafe des Artistes’. There is a cinematic quality to much of the album, particularly ‘Vanities’ which sounds more like a film score than an actual track.

The album is a gritty, industrial affair, and lyrically ploughs the depths of human despair and emptiness. The opening track ‘Master’s Hands’ sees Gainsburg pleading “Give me a reason to feel”, while on ‘Me And Jane Doe’ she laments “Down in the city so cold/Shining like razors in the sun/You can go there anytime you like/And try to find happiness with a gun”. But for those who find Faithfull’s musings on human suffering too depressing, Gainsburg provides relief from the darkness with infectious grooves - see ‘Greenwich Mean Time’ or the latin-tinged ‘Voyage’ for evidence. At times the jaunty percussive work blatantly contrasts with the darkness of the lyrics, as is the case with the chant-style ‘Master’s Hands’.

As well as being Gainsburg’s best album yet, IRM also ranks among the best work Beck has done in his extensive career. The tracks have a somewhat timeless quality, and ultimately are an excellent case study in how expressing despondency through music can rejuvenate the human spirit. - Dane Hodges

After penetrating the mainstream dance market with 2006’s THE WARNING, Hot Chip’s follow-up MADE IN THE DARK somehow came off sounding cold and clinical as opposed to fresh. Sure, dancefloor stompers such as ‘Out At The Pictures’ and ‘Ready For The Floor’ appeased the electro set, but at times it felt like the group had settled nicely into their niche.

It quickly becomes obvious that MADE IN THE DARK is an altogether different story. The drum loop-driven ‘Hand Me Down Your Love’ has a distinctly Motown feel; ‘We Have Love’ is tribal dub; while the delicate ‘Slush’ verges on gospel. In fact, the group’s new sound owes more to the likes of Pet Shop Boys than current electroclash stars Simian Mobile Disco and Justice. (Although of course the Pet Shop Boys’ influence on all modern dance cannot be underestimated). This is dance music with surprising substance and death, even if Alexis’ Taylor’s vocals are not quite as engaging as Neil Tennant’s. Taylor himself has described the album as the band’s most ‘homely’, and when he sings the refrain of “Happiness is all we want” in the album’s opening track ‘Thieves In The Night’, it’s strangely uplifting. ‘Take It In’

is probably the most Pet Shop Boys-inspired moment, and is also the closest the group get to replicating the sound of THE WARNING here.

Thankfully, ONE LIFE STAND is also free of the slightly self-indulgent ballads that marred MADE IN THE DARK, and loses none of Hot Chip’s trademark warmth as a result. Tracks like ‘Keep Quiet’ and ‘Brothers’ still have a cinematic quality, but for the most part the group keep the tempo moving, maintaining listener interest with consistently changing textures and thoughtful melodies. Even when they revisit 1990s eurotrash on ‘I Feel Better’, it feels more like passing nostalgia than cheesy imitation (a la Calvin Harris).

Fans who were disillusioned with MADE IN THE DARK are strongly advised to give ONE LIFE STAND a listen. It’s an absorbing, addictive and surprisingly moving album It’s more a Sunday afternoon album than a Saturday night one, but that’s only because it requires your undivided attention to appreciate its brilliance. 2010’s first important dance record (with new releases from Massive Attack and Goldfrapp on the way) - and guaranteed to be one of the year’s best. - Dane Hodges

Pick Up A Copy Of From Fish Records

Newtown

Hot Chip, ‘One Life Stand’

Indie darlings Spoon produced one of 2007’s best albums in GA GA GA GA, and in doing so scored their most commercially and critically successful album to date. Singles such as ‘The Underdog’ were at once accessible and complex, and earned the group many new fans while appeasing long-term devotees. Their follow-up TRANSFERENCE is an altogether more subdued affair, and intentionally so - the band themselves claim that the majority of the cuts are original demos. Right from the opening track ‘Before Destruction’ the album has a raw feel, which on first listen seems to walk a fine line between being authentic and unfinished - but as the band’s supporters will tell you, it is foolish to judge a Spoon album after hearing it only once.

Spoon have always been somewhat minimalist - after all, they emerged out of the early 1990s grunge era - but music lovers who were swayed by the added flourishes of GA GA GA GA may not find as much to appreciate here. The album reads more like a love letter to Spoon’s long term fanbase, and may not match its predecessor’s success as a result. That’s unlikely to bother Brett Daniel and co though, who have never

appeared too concerned with mass adulation. That said, radio-friendly rockers ‘Mystery Zone’ and ‘Got Nuffin’ both have the immediacy of GA GA GA GA’s best tracks, and have already been on high rotation on Triple J.

Beyond that, there is plenty of trademark Spoon brilliance on display here. ‘Written In Reverse’ beats Cold War Kids at their own game (not surprisingly given Daniel produced the Kids’ ‘Loyalty To Loyalty)’, while ‘I Saw The Light’ benefits from its delightfully surprising tempo shift mid-song. The short but sweet ‘Goodnight Laura’ is Spoon’s attempt at a lullably, while the gentle funk of ‘Who Makes Your Money’ is evidence of how effective Daniel’s voice is with little accompaniment.

There are moments such as ‘Out Go The Lights’ and ‘Nobody Gets Me But You’ when Daniel’s songwriting appears to lack purpose, but on the whole TRANSFERENCE is a worthy addition to Spoon’s catalogue. It’s not as immediate as GA GA GA GA, but is probably a more accurate representation of the band’s sound, and will likely see the band once again make several critics’ top-ten lists come the end of 2010.

- Dane Hodges

Charlotte Gainsburg, ‘IRM’

Spoon, ‘Transference

THE NEWTONIAN, Volume 1 Edition 5 11

RIPPLES ON THE WATER, LINES IN THE SAND opens at Depot Gallery (Dank Street, Waterloo) in celebration of International Women’s Day during Art Month Sydney. The new exhibition features the best new work of two of Australia’s most revered female Aboriginal artists, Kathleen Petyarre and Joanne Currie from March 9-21, 2010.

Currie will represent and honour Australian Indigenous women by climbing Sydney Harbour Bridge on March 8 for International Women’s Day before attending her exhibition opening night with Petyarre the following evening on March 9.

Presented by Waterhole Art in conjunction with Coo-ee Aboriginal Art Gallery, Bondi, the exhibition will be a unique opportunity to see important new works by Petyarre, who is in her seventies and nearing the end of an illustrious career, and Currie, whose paintings are exhibited for the first time in Sydney by a commercial gallery. This is an opportunity to see the best examples of Indigenous art from the remote communities of Mitchell, Central Queensland and Atnangker, Northern Territory; the places where Currie and Petyarre respectively come from.

Telstra National Aboriginal Award Winner Petyarre, and AGNSW Wynne Prize Winner Currie have cemented their names as two of Australia’s most talented indigenous artists. They continue to inspire Australians with their spiritual paintings, revealing poignant insights into traditions and ancestral heritage through their art. Drawing on childhood and their connections to the land, the artists explore the dreamtime, connecting their ancient histories to the modern day; hiding their sacred cultural laws amongst incredible art works, and at the same time revealing their successes as contemporary Aboriginal artists.

“This is a unique opportunity to see the works of two stars of Indigenous art. They are proud to be representing Aboriginal women for International Women’s Day, and are both true survivors and fitting role-models for Australian women of all backgrounds” says Jenny Hillman of Waterhole Art.

Both Petyarre and Currie have overcome hardship to flourish in the Australian and international art environment. Brought up in the remote country of the Northern Territory, Petyarre travelled the distance of her vast 200 square kilometre homeland by foot in search of seasonal food and water. Currie has memories of early life on the banks of the Maranoa River in Central Queensland: a seeming no-man’s land of kerosene lamps, Government issued blankets, and of witnessed physical and substance abuse.

According to indigenous art consultant and curator of Coo-ee Aboriginal Art Gallery, Adrian Newstead, “The excitement of Kathleen’s work lies in its aesthetically beautiful surface and her stunning technical mastery. While her paintings are completely indigenous in their inspiration and sacred meaning, her canvases have a ‘refined’ international appeal. They occupy a space between the archaic and the absolutely avant-garde”.

In reflecting on Currie’s work Newstead notes, “Joanne’s highly charged individual style is instantly recognisable as Aboriginal, yet speaks of her journey as an artist moving within cultures – her artwork holds to tradition yet sits confidently in the here and now”.

EXHIBITION DATES & TIMES: From 9-21 March 2010. Gallery opening hours 11am-6pm, Tues-Sun

VENUE: Depot Gallery – 2 Danks Street, Waterloo

MORE INFO: www.2danksstreet.com.au / www.waterhole.com.au

ICMG are a specialised fit out and refurbishment company operating across

the commercial, hospitality, retail and medical sectors.

ICMG specialise in the refurbishment of pubs, bars and hotels and have recently completed the refurbishment of The Warrenview Hotel featured in this article with SJB Architects

Established in 2000, Integrated Construction Management Group (ICMG) business is construction management and head contracting of commercial l fit-out and refurbishment projects.

ICMG have a number of well established clients with whom we have delivered

numerous successful projects. These projects Can be delivered utilizing a negotiated or tendered lump sum, construction management or on a design & construct basis.

ICMG have the people, systems and experience to ensure that any fit out or refurbishment project is a success for all parties involved.

If you would like to see more about ICMG please refer to our website www.icmg.com.au or contact me on any of the contact details.

Rod Jamieson |National Business Development Manager I C M G | w: (02) 8399 3655 f: (02) 8399 3455 m: 0411 070 013| rodney@icmg.com.au

Sydney: Suite 6, 181 Lawson Street Chippendale NSW 2008 | Melbourne: 12 James Street

The Warren View HotelRecently refurbished by ICMG

IMPORTANT “WOMEN’S BUSINESS”

Ripples On The Water Lines In The Sand

THE NEWTONIAN, Volume 1 Edition 5 12

ST RS for Newtonians editor@thenewtonian.netH H

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Aries21 Mar – 20 AprilYour patience is about to be rewarded, Aries, as the pace of life picks up and you’re able to get the ball rolling forward again. As the Spring Equinox approaches, your confidence level receives a boost and you’re able to find the direct line between what you want and how to obtain it -- now is the time to put new initiatives and big ideas into action.Taurus21 April – 21 MayYour passion is aroused in unexpected and spontaneous ways this month, Taurus. A release of pent-up emotions and energy engages the gears of change and enables you to get new projects up and running now.Gemini22May – 22 JuneYour primary focus this month is on solidifying your status, Gemini, focusing on your career and public rather than having a good time. Your decision-making skills are especially keen now, so you can trust your inner voice and follow your hunches toward success. Cancer23 June – 23 JulyTurning your vision for the future into action is a key theme of this transitional month, Cancer. There’s fresh energy in the air, bringing the motivation and material you need to fuel your ambitions. While unresolved issues and unfulfilled desires may surface, change is the natural order of things. Leo24 July – 23 AugHold on to your hat, Leo, because the winds of change are blowing in your direction this month. The waiting period is over and you’re more capable of making forward progress now. Self-expression and truth sit in the spotlight, allowing you to communicate with confidence to get results. Best of all, be prepared for a spring thaw in your love life!Virgo24 Aug – 23 SeptRelationships are in the spotlight this month and the intensity of your desires are put to the test. A frisky attitude hits as you pursue new pleasures and potential financial rewards, and a more direct way of communicating helps you get straight to the point with those around you. Libra24 Sept – 23 OctTaking care of business has you on the move this month. While there is also time for romance, expect a rollercoaster ride with a few low points mixed in with the high ones. Though life, ambition and ideas have been stuck in a bit of a lull lately, the clouds are now parting and it’s time to start making forward progress again.

Scorpio24 Oct – 22 NovIn some ways your year is just now starting, Scorpio: progress picks up and it’s easier to get new projects off the ground now. Creative communication is a key factor this month, as facts are colored by feelings, allowing you to get your messages across with subtlety and style. Romance is now bathed in a brilliant light of self-discovery that sparks spontaneity in your interactions with others.Sagittarius23 Nov – 21 DecYou have ambitious ideas about your next move, Sag, yet getting your ideas off the ground has been a slow, if not dead, process. The energy switches this month to finally get the ball rolling, but a bit of patience is still required. As the weakest links in your plans are exposed, creativity is heightened to help you revise your ideas with out-of-the-box solutions. Capricorn22 Dec – 20 JanBe forewarned, Capricorn, doors open and shut quickly this month. There’s an urge to experience new activities and opportunities, yet your desires could run into a wall of resistance and you may be tempted to call it quits. Nonetheless, there’s a surge of amazing new ideas hitting you, and sharing them with others could be the first step in successfully applying them to your professional life.Aquarius21 Jan – 19 FebMarch brings the movement you’ve been craving, yet it may seem as if each accomplishment also brings another obstacle to surmount. Fortunately, you’re motivated to reach your goals and have the stamina to apply yourself now. Expect to find fresh ideas about making money, but be careful you don’t end up promising more than you can deliver.Pisces20 Feb – 20 MarFinancial issues are likely to be at the forefront for you this month, Pisces. You may feel a strong urge to spend impulsively now, yet there’s also encouragement in the air to find new ways of making money. This is a time to be inventive and bold by pushing ahead into unfamiliar territory rather than playing it safe and waiting for the world to come to you. Jeff Jawer is the co-author of Barnes & Noble’s ‘Your Astrology Guide 2010.’ A professional astrologer since 1973, his articles have appeared in astrology journals, magazines and Web sites around the world. He holds a B.A. in The History and Science of Astrology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and teaches and lectures both in the United States and abroad.

The Newtonian would like to apologise for last months stars. They were not from Malcadabra and we apologise for this mistake.

Dear Ivan....

This month’s question has not been printed for reasons of anonymity. Newtown and it’s surrounds, is a close knit community, but needless to say the subject of the question was ‘bullying’.

Bullying is a universal problem and very distressing whether you are young or old, at school or at work. I would like firstly to discuss why the bully becomes so, why do they need to do it! Usually it is to try to overcome their feelings of inadequacy, the bully is usually the one who does not achieve in the same way that the bullied person does. The bully would feel less confident, less secure, less able, less intelligent, less pretty and so on. The bully may covet just about anything you have, but they would never have the courage to admit it and own their problem. Their way of dealing with their problem is to bring you down.

At school the bullying may take the form of name calling, fighting physically or stealing your homework or gym

equipment.

At work, and as you get older, the

bullying takes a more subtle and more manipulative form, far less

obvious. You arrive at work

in an up market cafe wearing your newly pressed and

laundered black apron, as you walk into the kitchen, unseen by any other member of staff, the bully wipes his hands, full of flour and fat on your

apron. You complain, but are immediately

threatened. No one has witnessed this scene, should complain to the manager he cannot be sure of the truth, the more bizarre the act, the less he can believe it really happened. Two or three complaints and you are labeled a troublemaker, not a team player and ‘he has to let you go’. Horrible isn’t it. But it happens. The bully has achieved his goal, he has removed what he saw as a threat.

It’s an appalling act, no one admires this lousy behaviour, the perpetrator is weak with very low self-esteem. If you recognise yourself as a bully, help is out there. You don,t need to live in this mentally destructive manner. You can achieve, have good friends who care about you, become a valued member of society. Counsellors can provide you with the tools you need to improve your mental health.

To those who are suffering from bullying - tell someone, your mum, your manager, your colleagues. You do have recourse, you don’t have to suffer alone. This is a recognised issue, you are not being a nuisance!

It’s bedtime As a stylist I have been into countless bedrooms that tell

many different stories.What story would your bedroom reveal about you?Ever had one of those days where you wake up and it’s a case of dragging yourself out of bed and heading into the day.

Leaving the bed unmade and not give it a fleeting thought until weary from another day we return to find the bed dishevelled, unmade and withexhaustion fall into it in the hopes of getting a good night’s sleep!

As tempting as it may be to think of our bedrooms as purely a place to catch some z’s and enjoy other explorations, our bedrooms are more than just this.

Our bedrooms are our sanctuary and escape from a busy and often demanding world. We need to consciously care about this space like we would say care about the health of our teeth. Would you leave home to begin the day without brushing your teeth?

Making the bed before leaving the house is really important, it puts a close to the evening before.

Do you like the bed that you are sleeping in? Is it comfortable? I am

constantly amazed at the number of clients who confide they aren’t happy with their beds. Recently a client was sleeping on the floor astheir bed wasn’t supporting their back!

You may laugh and think this would never be your story and it may not be but let me ask you, what other areas in your bedroom are you putting up with?

Do your curtains block out all the light so that you get a goodnight’s sleep? Or do you keep thinking I must look into getting some better curtains? Does your door shut properly, does it have a lock on the inside, so if you have kids and are being intimate there’sno chance of them barging in at an inopportune time! Op’sHave a think about how your bedroom feels and looks and then pick up next months issue of the Newtonian where I will share tips on creating the bedroom of your dreams.La end - Jane Brown

Ivananswer

THE NEWTONIAN, Volume 1 Edition 5 13

pedroTV has switched on the FEEL-GOOD RADAR for March and we’ve noted 2 “incoming” blips in particular that are striking and pulsing with potential.

First appearing is one of our favourite Sydney painters,Johnny Romeo showing at NG gallery in Chippendale. Renowned for his energetic and colourful pop-paintings, his new series riffs on Ned Kelly,celebrity,crime and justice. This is a must-see show as Romeo often works with overseas galleries and so can be hard to keep track of. Endlessly creative and influenced by beat poetry,pop culture and identity,catch Johnny and his new darker,more disturbing work at the opening on the 9th of March.

Highly collectable in print form as well,his paintings are completely up to the minute and superbly handled with the added “Romeo-twist of satire and humour”.

Now a tale of another talent, Morganics.pedroTV first caught this rapper at the Vanishing Point as DJ and performer for the group show about refugees.

He had us all enthralled with his amazing,multi-lingual stylings. Hepcats from the

street-art paint shop next door were swingin’ from the fences.Dudes were frantically texting friends to come down and catch this.It was magic especially with some beatbox help from LC Beats! Next Morganics graced our mainstream TV screens in the ABC’s “Bush Slam” poetry program.He lit up Lightning Ridge like a bolt of very lit-up lightning! Now catch him and his crew at CARRIAGEWORKS Platform 3 hip-hop festival March 19-20.As always pedroTV shall endeavour to interview the artists and showcase their work.

Lastly we enjoyed a bicycle tour of the Inner West’s art galleries organised by MASSBUG,a group of local riders who regularly plan such events.Setting off from The Hub, 40 or so riders headed south along Enmore Road,stopping at Polymorph,Defiance,Ivan Goodacre,Hardware,UP gallery,ESP,SNO,the Red Rattler among others and ending up

at the Vanishing Point for a BBQ...wonderful sunny day discovering and filming new spaces and artists....so STAY TUNED and CHECK LOCAL GUIDES. Adios Amigos till next time.

Pedro tv

Pics: Geoff Sirmai

-Peter McGuiness

I have always loved the ability of a satirist to bring out the subtleties of their target, in a manner which both entertains as well as exposing their foibles. This somewhat niche art form, is one in which Max Gillies is the master. In a career spanning four decades, he has parodied just about everyone who has populated the Australian public landscape and gamely raised his or her head above the parapet. The uniqueness of his ability to capture both the physical appearance, along with the nuances and voice, have had audiences rolling around laughing, while at a somewhat deeper level, you witness the deft artist scratching away at the veneer.

So where did it all start? Max tells the story of “its origins being lost in time” And how as a schoolboy, he “transitioned from the boy ridiculing the teachers”, to where his talent became focused on the “pollies of the day and listening to them on the radio and mimicking their voices”. During this developing phase his appreciation of comedy was building with Mort Sahl and Lenny Bruce influencing Max. This appreciation being built on with the arrival of Barry Humphries and his unique approach and “wicked ear” for extracting gems.

And who were the favourites down the years? “Too many, and of course like a father, with a brood, you like them all, albeit they move in and out of favour”. Max did however mention a few that obviously struck chords along the way. “Joh B (naturally!), Russ Hinze, Amanda Vanstone, Bob Hawke” and of course his long time target, John Winston Howard. Of today’s crop, Max expressed an artist’s approval that characters such as Barnaby Joyce and Joe Hockey were currently in the sandpit and available to play with.

Along with long time collaborator Guy Rundle, Max arrived into town with “Godzone” at the Seymour Centre, which promised to be as irreverent as one might expect. Borne from a questioning of, the current state of the world, with the Zeitgeist movement afoot, we need to understand what is the “meaning of life”. There’s a fervour in the revivalist tent, where Reverend Kevin of Rudd Ministries, in a sermon from the German translated via Mandarin, tells his congregation that religion is the new politics and vice versa. It promised to be an evening of entertaining and thought provoking enjoyment and it was.

The audience were introduced to all sides of the discussion with Rev. Kev, Julia Gillard, Christopher Hitchens and Tony Abbott all making on stage appearances. We were also feted with Andrew Bolt, who, it has to be said, was clearly not recognized, but once into his stride had us praising wholeheartedly the righteousness he espoused.

While the advancing years may be making the ability to visually connect with the character more difficult, the content was sharp and delivered in style. I particularly enjoyed

meeting the slovenly though unquestionable intellect of Christopher Hitchens and pious Father Tony Abbott. The interludes whilst Gillies swapped one tub of latex for another, were filled with a televisual experience that pulled at the political heartstrings and left you feeling, never quite sure, if to feel sorry for poor old Malcolm Turnbull or have a sense of pity for him. Not to worry though, life goes on and thank heavens Barnaby Joyce has the answers for all issues great or small. Thank the lord. - Pat Brennan

Sydney Town Hall Collection to go on public display

A treasure trove of intriguing items from around the world will go on public display in Sydney Town Hall from tomorrow to help celebrate the official reopening of the iconic building.

UNVAULTED will feature fascinating items from the Sydney Town Hall Collection, many on public display for the very first time, including a lock of Napoleon’s hair, a chair from the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and a lamp from one of the Japanese submarines which attacked Sydney Harbour in 1942.

“There are some 3,500 invaluable items in our unique Sydney Town Hall Collection which is the largest civic collection in Australia,” said

Lord Mayor Clover Moore MP.“We look forward to sharing

this eclectic mix of official gifts and some of the fascinating stories behind them. This Collection demonstrates the City’s rich 160-year history and some of these items have been kept in vaults for over a century.”

UNVAULTED is curated by City of Sydney historian Margaret Betteridge and will be the inaugural exhibition in the newly refurbished Lower Town Hall, designed to highlight the Sydney’s newest multifunctional exhibition venue within the iconic Sydney Town Hall.

The exhibition will help celebrate the return of Sydney Town Hall to City communities, following a $40 million essential service, internal safety and fire services upgrade.

Max Gillies... The Irish Saint… Who Wasn’t- The Wiki

March 17. A great day for the Irish, and the day for the wearing of the green (and a pint of Guiness or ten), and the feast day of Ireland’s Patron Saint, Patrick.

The only problem is, St Patrick isn’t Irish! He was a child of a Roman couple and was born in Kilpatrick in Scotland, from where he was kidnapped as a fourteen year old boy.

Patrick (or Patricius as his mum would have called him) was sold into slavery in Ireland where he worked until his twentieth birthday. After a dream from god he escaped to the coast where a group of sailors took him home to Britain.

Over the next several years he studied for the priesthood and was ordined by Saint Germanus. Patrick then returned to Ireland to bring the good word to his former captors. For 40 years he preached, worked miracles and taught the Irish (and of course drove those pesky snakes away!)

The shamrock, his symbol, was a favourite teaching aid to St Patrick who used it as a metaphor for The Trinity.

Several properties around Sydney to this day have a small trench around their border filled with Irish soil. This was brought over and laid around the home to keep snakes away, in the belief the soil blessed by Saint Patrick would hold it’s power.

So as you down your Guiness on 17 March to honour Saint Paddy’s Day, you may want to have a haggis as well, and maybe a little bowl of pasta. After all, you’re drinking to a Scottish born Roman.

The Patron Saints of the UK

Ireland – St Patrick (17 March)

England – St George (23 April)

Scotland – St Andrew (30 November)

Wales – St David (1 March)

The weird and wonderful

THE NEWTONIAN, Volume 1 Edition 5 14

.. by Neal Whittle & Ravindra Jai Balakrishnan

All of life’s lessons can be learnt from the game of cricket. This is what we are told at the beginning of the book and made to believe by the end. Pain, loss, triumph, honesty ‘walking’ and so much more.

Our protagonist, Ravi Balakrishnan or, Ravi Boy, as he is affectionately known by his cricket mad Uncle, Sanjay, takes us on journey through his young but his amazingly eventful life.

Ravi, who is English and Indian by heritage, comes to Australia on a cold January morning in 2001, after his dad is offered a lucrative business deal to leave their Wimbledon home in the U.K.

Not initially impressed with being uprooted, Ravi soon develops a great admiration and love for his cricket mad Uncle. However, their relationship is tainted by Sanjay’s second love, drinking. Young Ravi sees the immediate destruction this causes and the demon drink constantly interferes in their otherwise blossoming partnership.

Recounting memories from such a young age, our author/protagonist easily holds your attention with his story telling. Captivated by his accounts of Uncle Sanjay’s crazy antics and the re-playing of some of Australia V. India most magnificent test displays, it is a book you’ll not easily put down. Evoking a cache of emotions in each page, I caught myself with a grin from ear to ear, laughing so loudly, that my roommates could hear, as the frowning Uncle Sanjays madcap actions in despair in his young protégé..

References made to the Karate Kid and Mr Miyagi and the partnership of Uncle Sanjay and Ravi Boy keep you smiling but also give an insight to the psyche and persona of Uncle Sanjay. His position as a great master and teacher, of life’s lessons.

Ravi Boys joy for developing such a strong bond with his Uncle, as well as discovering his inspired passion for cricket take a turn for the worse when he is struck down by a mystery illness the doctors cannot diagnose. This leads us on another journey of whirlwind events, where Ravi must turn into a man and become the master of his destiny.

Spanning across the globe, his ‘magical’ journey is one of self discovery and realisation. It’s a journey that asks questions of the reader’s own experiences, one where the impossible is made possible and miracles happen … if you believe.

9/10. A book for all people at any age.Howzaaaaat! Is published by Little Rock - Richie B

A tale from Pushkar in the Rajasthan province of India.

Rob Miller, the owner of Sarah Jane Boutiques in King St, has not long returned from a trip to Rajasthan. Along with a swag of memories, he brought home this story of the Gypsies of Pushkar.

It was another beautiful day as the locals were thinking

cricket and how much Warnie was being paid, but oh how good was the flamboyant Ozzie and worth every rupee, when out onto the pavement stepped Rob in a quest for local fabrics. It was only seconds before a pair of Pushkari Gypsies approached Rob. Not any old Gypsies mind you, but a couple of beautiful almost Goth style Gypsies and who were intent on painting

Rob’s hands with henna. Well, as these things do happen, one thing led to another and the girls saw in Rob a kindred spirit. The encounter was topped off with the girls dancing their tribal dance and agreeing to take Rob a little deeper into their Gypsy world the following day. At the appointed hour, Rob met with Anita and Gita, who then took him to meet the rest of the clan who eked out their existence in an arid area of desert outside of town. The hospitality afforded to Rob was

disproportionate, as is often the way in the third world, to their meager circumstance. In travelling that little bit further into their culture, Rob realized that this outcast tribe had considerable skills in fashioning jewellery. In a pre-destined act of Karma, the chance encounter allowed Rob to find a ready source of merchandise, and which in return, allowed one of the Gypsies, a mother of four, Cheerme, to dramatically improve on her ability to shelter her family.

Howzaaaaat!

Gita

Anita

Destination Saigon is simply one of the most charming travel books I’ve read.

Walter Mason is a Sydney-sider who fell in love with Thang, a Vietnamese- Australian.

In 1994 Thang took Walter to Vietnam and he spent his “first three days there locked in a room crying, the place terrified me so much.”

Then something clicked and Walter became obsessed with Vietnam and the Vietnamese.

This book recounts Walter’s experiences with the country and its wonderful people.

Friends like Ricky, Ky and Kien allow Walter and us an intimate peek inside their lives.

Kien’s hair dressing salon would be worth seeking it out in Ho Chi Minh City.

Walter’s self deprecating humour is delightful and his anecdotes touching and eye opening as well as hilarious.

THE NEWTONIAN, Volume 1 Edition 5 15

We would like to give a special thanks to The Newtown Jets for all their help over the years. We couldn’t have come this far without them, and really appreciate their efforts.

As members of the South Sydney Junior Rugby League we would also like to thank Souths Juniors for their continued support, and the Camperdown Bowling Club as well!

Regular Events: • Wednesday and Friday Members’ Draw and meat raffles.• Thursday Texas Hold ‘Em Poker – register from 6.30pm for 7.00pm start.• Village Markets. 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month, Camperdown Call Dianne on 9660 6934 for details!• Monday to Friday, 12pm – 3pm Happy Hour with $3 schooners!• Barefoot Bowls

Our sponsors include the Sydney Airport Corporation, Westpac Surrey Hills and Newtown, Kylie Brennan from McGrath Real Estate, Birds Smallgoods, The Petersham RSL, Metro Shopping Centre Marrickville and Kelly’s on King.

The Camperdown Bowling Club

Visit our Golden Bowling Ball Resaurant and choose from our range of Chinese and Australian dishes... prices start from

$4.50...

PROUD SPONSOR OF THENewtown Junior Jets and Camperdown Dragons Rugby League Football Clubs, the Junior Jets Cricket Club, and the Newtown Jetettes!

The Newtown Junior Jets would like to thank our supporters and sponsors for a great

2009 season!

All enquiries for Christmas functions or events Call 9519 7961 or go to... www.camperdownbowling.com.au

THE NEWTONIAN, Volume 1 Edition 5 16

Weds 10 MarchWASHINGTON @ The VanguardWashington teased the audience with her soft and melodious tunes and husky voice. Washington’s almost bashful demeanor adds to the deliverance of her poetically original melodies’ Fasterlouder JAN 2010Thu 11 MarchSAVING GRACE @ The VanguardSaving Grace will be headlining a show to raise money for the Australian Indigenous Mentor-ing experience (AIME) on March 11 at The Vanguard. AIME is an Indigenous Corporation and a not-forprofit charity that uses a unique style of structured educa-tion mentoring to link university students in a one-on-one relation-ship with high school Indigenous students. For more Information on AIME head to: http://www.aimementoring.com/Fri 12 MarchWASHINGTON @ The VanguardHaving just finished an amazing run of summer festival shows in Australia including Falls, South-bound & Sunset Sounds, it is with great pleasure that Washington announce their first ever headline tour in support of the much-loved How To Tame Lions EP. These 5 intimate shows will provide the last opportunity to catch Washing-ton before the band travel to the US to play the prestigious SXSW Festival.AL DI MEOLA WORLD SINFO-NIAl @ The Enmore TheatreA bona fide guitar hero, perennial poll-winner and virtuoso of the highest order, Al Di Meola has also been recognized over the past 30 years as a prolific composer and respected artist with over 20 recordings as a leader. His creative output to date is stagger-ing, whether it’s with his current World Sinfonia band or past musi-cal endeavors – A must see!Sat 13th March TUBULAR BELLS FOR TWO @ The VanguardBack by popular demand, Daniel Holdsworth (Dan Leonard) and Aidan Roberts (The Maple Trail) return to the Vanguard in 2010 to perform their remarkable two-man version of Mike Oldfield’s seminal 1973 masterpiece Tubular Bells. Audiences in 2009 have had nothing but smiles and praise for the show, and this very rare repeat performance is not to be missed!DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT @ The Enmore TheatreFrom the perfection of the wall of noise that was ‘Strapping Young Lad’ to the brilliance of ‘The Devin Townsend Band’, HevyDevy has embarked on his most ambitious project yet; a series of four albums under his new moniker ‘Devin Townsend Project’. In what seems like an eternity, long-suffering Devin Zombies finally get their chance to witness the Devin Townsend Project in Australia.Sun 14th MarchMojo Juju and Geordie Malone present BLOOD BEANS @ The VanguardA series of events showcasing their favourite performers of Dirty Blues, Dusty Twang and Other songs for sinners. These shows are set to take place at The Vanguard on the following Sundays - Feb 28th, March 7th and March 14th.Tue 16th March THE LIBERATORS @ The Van-guardBuilding from the blueprints of 1970’s Nigerian Afrobeat and American Funk and Soul, The Lib-erators have mixed the ideas from the new generation of African, Latino and Persian Australians and turned out some seriously heavy and unique grooves and melodies. Wed 17th March JOHN KENNEDY Plus Special Guest Den Hanrahan and Band @

The VanguardJohn Kennedy’s 68 Comeback Special is bringing their Urban and Western sound back to The Vanguard following the success-ful launch of their new CD late last year. After the recent tours to Brisbane and Melbourne the band is in fine form and ready to rock. As this gig falls on St Patricks Day, Kennedy an Australian interna-tional of Liverpool Irish descent, might even play a few Irish tunes. Thu 18th March STEVE MERRY - The Fumes @ The VanguardRenowned for his deft playing, slide, and unorthadox finger pick-ing styles, Steve will be drifting between the harsh blues blats of his usual self entanglements, some silly /sad piano, and new country ballads of his own raconteur style. Sure to leave signatory slack jaws and wagging tongues in his wake.’ You can catch Steve Thursday 18th March in the sexy surrounds of the Vanguard in Newtown.Fri 19th March SNARSKI VS SNARSKI @ The VanguardYes, the Snarski brothers are back for another trip through an ever expanding catalogue of work, spanning decades, dimensions and some personal demons.The Snarskis have also just put the finishing touches on the long awaited Chad’s Tree compilation ‘Crossing Off The Miles’, a 2CD retrospective which is due out in March through Memorandum/Fuse Music.Fri 19 MarchGRINSPOON @ The Enmore TheatreGrinspoon’s sixth studio album Six To Midnight has received a tre-mendous response so far, debuting at #4 in the ARIA charts and winning mountains of praise from fans and reviewers alike. The first single Comeback, the latest single Summer, have both received huge reactions, gaining high rotation on most major TV & radio sta-tions, with the latter destined to be one of this summer’s biggest hits.Sat 20th March KIM CHURCHILL @ The Van-guardGuitarist and songwriter Kim Churchill’s style is explosive, with intricate finger picking, percussive beats on the body of the guitar and two-handed tapping intertwined with an earthy stomp box, power-ful blues harmonica melodies and a soulful voice.Kim’s music speaks beyond his years. He is living and breathing the vision he has had from child-hood – performing his music to the masses – and right now he has the world at his feet.Sun 21st March HOULETTE ALBUM LAUNCH Bless Bless Tour @ The VanguardHoulette gleans a mix of folk and early french-pop influences, featuring rich female vocals, inter-woven with minimalist modern-pop arrangements and punctuated with bursts of dark intermissions. This cross-styling of genres, filter-ing the old and new, brings about a sense of nostalgia, whilst main-taining a sonic freshness within Houlette’s music...RocKwiz @ The Enmore TheatreThe RocKwiz Live show will feature all the usual kwiz mayhem, plus more music and more guests. Brian will conduct his pre show selection quiz to find contestants from the audience, there will be two mystery “Who Can It Be Now” guests, as well as a special “Snob’s Choice” performance in each show.Wed 24th March RANGER SPACEY @ The Van-guardSydney’s quirky ‘alt-country rock and roll for the soul’ quartet, RANGER SPACEY, are back with a bang. For one night only Ranger

Spacey will perform songs from their 2009 debut E.P. World o’ Wire plus some old rarities and a handful of NEW TRACKS before going into recording mode for their forthcoming debut album. You can also expect an appearance from Ranger Spacey’s guest fiddle extraordinaire AntheaMulder and some special surprises as well.Thu 25th March ABBY DOBSON @ The VanguardAbby Dobson returns to Sydney to her old stomping ground ,The Vanguard, for one night only. This will be an intimate show where she will perform songs from her highly acclaimed album ‘Rise Up’ as well as a few Leonardo’s Bride songs, plus some new songs not yet recorded.BRAND NEW @ The Enmore TheatreListening to Daisy is like crossing a dilapidated wood and twine bridge over the most magnificent and scenic waterfall. Swinging wildly and fluctuating unexpect-edly… Scary, yet so thrilling and ultimately rewarding; as they take you to the brink and then deliver you lovingly to safety, song after song.The live setting, however, is where Brand New shine brightest. Fri 26th March ORGAN IN ROCK @ The Van-guardIn the mid 60’s and 70’s bands such as Deep Purple, Procol-Harum, The Small Faces, The Doors, Steppin Wolf and many more realised Rock Music wasn’t all about guitars and drums. All of a sudden every band were try-ing to get their hands on the new sound that was The Hammond Organ. THE DEAD WEATHER @ The Enmore TheatreHorehound, the band’s debut LP, was released earlier this year and features a hybrid of styles with each member’s distinct contribu-tions creating a sound like no other. Their onstage presence reflects the raw energy sparking from their collaborative talent and is a performance certainly not to be missed!Sat 27th March PLAYJERISE @ The VanguardThe band returns in 2009 with their new album Better Lifewhich is an album that builds on their acoustic beginnings, but explores a new musical direction for the band.Whilst Better Life is a well pro-duced and polished album, it is an album that has been entirely produced from home – with most songs being recorded completely out of the boys’ home studio in the Blue Mountains. Playjerise will be touring the east coast of the coun-try through April and May 2009.Sun 28 MarchORQUESTA BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB®@ The Enmore TheatreResponsible for the highest ever selling world music record, Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club® is the formidable thirteen-piece band direct from Havana, featur-ing legends of Cuban Music and the stars of the Buena Vista Social Club film and World Circuit’s much acclaimed albums! Folks – this is the genuine article, the real deal – transporting audiences to the heart of Havana’s clubs and dancehalls. Tues 30 MarchJEFF BECK @ The Enmore TheatreBeck, who was admitted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year, is universally hailed as one of the greatest guitarists ever, mentioned in the same breath as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page, and listed by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the 15 most influential lead guitarists in rock.Thurs 1st AprilBUDDY GUY & his Band with special guest TajMahal& his Band @ The Enmore TheatreBuddy Guy is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, a chief guitar influence to rock titans like Hendrix, Clapton, Beck, and

Vaughan, a pioneer of Chicago’s fabled West Side sound, and a living link to that city’s halcyon days of electric blues. While firmly ensconced in his blues roots, Guy has always tried to keep his music looking forward – even at the risk of alienating lovers of traditional blues sounds. His last album, Bring ‘Em In, found Guy trading licks with the likes of Carlos Santana and John Mayer on a set of songs featuring covers of classic soul songs.Let the good times roll !!!Sat 3rd April ONE LOVE A TRIBUTE TO BOB MARLEY @ The VanguardOne Love presents the beauty known as Bob Marley. Led by the sensational voices of Daniel ‘Scrim’ Okoduwa and Obi Kanash, backed by a live band, One Love-perform the best Marley songs (Is This Love, Stir it Up, Concrete Jungle e.t.c) live. JOOLS HOLLAND & HIS RHYTHM & BLUES ORCHES-TRA @ The Enmore TheatreAustralian audiences can get set for a real treat when Jools and his 20 piece band reach our shores along with the two stunning British soul singers who featured on his last album The Informer: Ruby Turner and Louise Marshall. Expect a delirious blend of both original songs and classic covers – a celebration of feelgood British soul, rollicking boogie-woogie and sassy swing.Sun 4th April THE WISHING WELL @ The VanguardThe Wishing Well are an inspira-tion to any indie band and all those with their ear to the ground for breathtaking new music and have demonstrated that great songs and hard work cannot be resisted.THE GIPSY KINGS @ The En-more TheatreNEW SHOW JUST AN-NOUNCEDThe Gipsy Kings are that rare thing – a household name famous solely for their music. Without peer, they are the planet’s most successful world music artists, and probably the best flamenco guitar artists in the world too! As the Gipsy Kings continue their epic musical journey, expect to hear lots from their new album, Pasajero, as well as all your favourites - ‘Bomboleo’, ‘Volare’, ‘Baila Me’, ‘BemBem Maria’ and ‘DjobiDjoba’. This show will set your soul on fire !!Weds 7th AprilNEWTON FAULKNER @ The Enmore TheatreIt’s safe to say that Newton Faulkner is one of the family now, and following his recent sell out promo tour in August of this year, our favourite young folk hero is coming back to make himself at home on our stages for the fourth time in three years. With each visit, Newton Faulkner brings something bigger and bolder and wins over new fans. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience the acoustic guitar as you’ve never heard it before, when he tours Australia in Easter 2010.Thu 8th April SAL KIMBER AND THE ROLLIN WHEEL @ The VanguardContinuing on Australia’s tradi-tion of producing world class roots music, Sal Kimber& The Rollin’ Wheel are emerging as a front-runner in the new wave of alternative country music. Sounding rural and rootsy but with urban savvy, their live shows are authentic and exciting, regal-ing audiences with tales of ghost towns, rebels and romance.This Sydney show comes only a week after an appearance at the National Folk Festival in Canberra.BEBEL GILBERTO @ The Enmore TheatreTime spent in Jamaica, a new mar-riage and a deal with Verve were the driving factors for her latest album All In One released in Sep-tember 2009. This album conjures the classic bossa nova sound that’s clearly in Bebel’s blood, and con-

tinues her winning combination of samba and bossa with pop, jazz and electronic that has become her trademark.Book now for a rare opportunity to immerse yourself in Bebel’s sultry sounds.Fri 9th April GEOFF ACHISON @ The Van-guardGeoff Achison is known as a jaw dropping guitar virtuoso who creates a myriad of sound effects without the aid of pedals or gadgets. A master of both acoustic and electric styles, Geoff has made a habit of hiring the best musi-cians in whatever location he finds himself to form his With Geoff ’s heartfelt blues at the founda-tion, The Souldiggers deliver an exciting mix of funky grooves, improvised solos and thoughtful lyrics.ROGER HODGSON @ The En-more TheatreAs the legendary voice of Super-tramp’s greatest hits that led to more than 60 million record sales, he gave us “Give a Little Bit,” “The Logical Song,” “Dreamer,” “Take the Long Way Home,” “Breakfast In America,” “Fool’s Overture” and so many others that have be-come the sound track of our lives. And don’t think it’s all in the past.Special guests tonight are music legends 10cc. With over 26 million album sales you’ll be sure to hear all their chart-busting hits such as ‘Dreadlock Holiday’, ‘I’m Not In Love’, ‘Rubber Bullets’, Things We Do For Love’, ‘Wall Street Shuffle’ and many more… !!!Fri 9th April STRIPPED BACK - LATE SHOW @ The VanguardStripped Back is The Vanguard new late night hang. Every Friday night after the main show we will have new acts coming on after.

Sat 10th AprilJASON ISBELL - USA - EX DRIVE BY TRUCKERS @ The VanguardMuscle Shoals and their collabo-rators fused the vocal passion of African-American soul and gospel to an Anglo-Saxon storytelling tradition which goes back at least to Beowulf: Tough, hard, passionate, unflinching songs, unrepentant in their sense of place and direct in their stubborn Southernness.The songs will stand on their own.Sun 11th April GRACE BEFORE MEALS @ The VanguardMore often than not they exist as a four piece featuring piano, xylo-phone, percussion, clarinet, voice, viola, bass guitar, trumpet, huluz and all manner of found things.They combine their love for soft, creepy, beautiful music, with mad-dened carnival stomps.

Lime & Steel, The Lurkers, and Ben Connor The Harp Hotel, Tempe, Sunday the 7th of March, from 2pm. $8Hailing from the Blue Moun-tains, Lime & Steel play original folk songs with a healthy dose of driving bluegrass banjo and a nip of lilting irish whistles and pipes. www.myspace/limeandsteelThe Lurkers are a three-piece of ol’ time hillbilly subversives who have been sticking it to the man from Marrickville to Copenhagen. Close harmonies, banjo, double bass and acoustic picking. www.myspace/getlurkedBen Connor is an alternative/roots singer-songwriter.http://www.myspace.com/bencon-normusicDinki - Di Music at The Hive BarFor more information www.myspace.com/dinkidiacoustic

gig guide

Tim WalkerLocal singer-songwriter Tim Walker’s new single, Only A Grey Day, is out on the Home Grown Roots Vol4 album, released in late 2009. The release comes after the issue of his debut CD, Fellow Traveller, which he describes as ‘a roadtrip through the Australian psyche’. The material is folk-pop with a hint of electro, plus carrying a touch of rock and roll with a wisp of blues. The melodies and lyrics are well constructed and for a first album Tim can feel justly proud of his achievement. I caught Tim at a live gig in Surry Hills where he performed a number from the album as well as a new track, ‘still a nowhere boy’, which tells the tale of John meeting Paul. “Highway lover” and “Sydney looks pretty in Blue” are memorable tracks and while you can hear the influences on Tim’s writing coming through, he has crafted a really neat album that sits squarely within the folk –pop genre, with genuine originality and an elemental ‘Paul Kelly’ style of charm.

The album can be found at Fish in King St, JB outlets or through Tim’s myspace site – www.myspace.com/timwalkermusic, where you can check out Tim’s sound.

THE NEWTONIAN, Volume 1 Edition 5 17

Leading Australian theatre producer John Frost today announced the all-star cast of

women who will bring the British hit comedy CALEN-DAR GIRLS to life on the Australian stage. Australia’s “Calendar Girls” are Lorraine Bayly, Rachel Berger, Rhonda Burchmore, Cornelia Frances, Jean Kittson, Anna Lee and Amanda Muggleton.John Frost said, “We searched far and wide, talking to nearly every actress of ‘a certain age’, and have found an incredible group of woman to bring the most successful British comedy of the past decade to the Aus-

tralian stage. Calendar Girls is not only hilarious but also profoundly moving and uplift-ing. UK audiences couldn’t get enough of the show and we’re sure Australian audiences are going to fall in love with it too.”CALENDAR GIRLS is based on the very successful film of the same name starring Helen Mir-ren and Julie Walters, which in turn was based on an uplifting and inspiring true story that is quirky, poignant and hilarious. A group of ordinary middle-aged women, members of a very ordinary Yorkshire Women’s Institute, do something quite extraordinary. They spark a global phenomenon by per-

suading one another to pose for a charity calendar with a differ-ence! As interest snowballs, the Calendar Girls find themselves revealing more than they’d ever planned...CALENDAR GIRLS has played to sold-out audiences on the West End for well over a year, and is the fastest selling regional tour in British theatre history. It has recently been nominated as “Best New Comedy” at the 2010 Oliver Awards. Audiences have been effusive in their praise for the play and its ensemble cast. Critics have said:“A marvellous, uplifting night at

the theatre” (Daily Mail)“A show whose feelgood factor is sky-high” (The Guardian)“One of the most enjoyable evenings recent theatre has produced” (London’s Evening Standard)CALENDAR GIRLS opens in Brisbane on April 8 at QPAC then transfers to Sydney’s Theatre Royal from April 29 and to Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre from June 17. Single tickets are available now for the Brisbane season, and go on sale in Sydney and Melbourne on February 22. www.seecalendargirls.com.au

By Kathleen Hrayssi

One of England’s finest musical exports return to Australia after a six-year absence, with Massive Attack set to delight trip hop fans with Sydney concerts on March 15 and 16.

Both shows are certain to be sellouts as Massive Attack bring their unique style to the Opera House Forecourt

“They will bring to Australia something they don’t have,” Mas-sive Attack fan Gary ?? said.¶

The Bristol band have been working on their new album “Heli-goland” since 2003. It also features singer Martina Topley Bird, Damon Albarn and the usual collaboration of Horace Andy.

A perfectionist, Massive Attack’s lead singer Robert Del Naja is known for spending hundreds of hours on finding the right sound. At least two albums have been panned since their most recent release seven years ago, reflecting the band’s relentless drive.

A collaboration of such talents made Heligoland a masterpiece, recalling the darkness while also revealing Massive Attack’s new direction since “Mezzanine”.

Despite the huge success of their first album “Blue Lines” released in 1991, Massive Attack have never disappointed fans, with each release since bringing a festival of electronic sounds, purest voices and influencing the trip hop scene.

Besides being a musical reference in trip hop since the end of the 80s, the band is also known for its involvement in human rights and global affairs and is currently performing in England in aid of the Hoping Foundation, a charity which provides grants to community projects working with children in Pales-tinian refugee camps.

Using their musical popularity to send a message, Del Naja and Robert Grant are certainly hoping to make a difference and awake the spirits from ignorance.

Pioneers of Trip Hop in town

Jets pre-season trialsJets Kick-Start the New Season with a number of pre-season trial games.

In what looks a promising start to the season, the Jets have started the campaign in reasonable form.

The Newtown Jets easily accounted for North Sydney 38-6 in the NSW Cup trial match played in extremely wet conditions at Henson Park on Saturday evening.

Newtown had supplied four players to the Sydney Roosters for their NRL trial match in North Queensland on Friday night, with the Jets only using a total of 18 players against the Bears.

Jets coach Greg Matterson cautioned Newtown supporters against getting overly-excited about a comfortable trial match win in early February. He noted that all of these players have a lot of Rugby League in front of them between now and early October, and that trial match results are long forgotten once the competition rounds get underway. Matterson was still pleased with several aspects of his squad’s performance, with particular reference to their enthusiasm and fitness plus their commitment in defence in restricting the Bears to

only one try late in the third quarter.

Newtown 38:

Paul Kiely, Dylan Sharp, Brad Barrett, Richard Kambo, Chris Afamasaga, Charlie Herekotukutuku, Drew Lanston tries;

Charlie Herekotukutuku 5 goals defeated

North Sydney 6:

Sosaia Fifita try, Jarryd Hogan goal.

Heatwave Meltdown for the Jets against the Magpies. – We’ll give em that one.

The heatwave conditions clearly didn’t suit the Newtown Jets as they turned on a lethargic display in losing 24-4 to the Western Suburbs Magpies, in the NSW Cup trial match played at Henson Park on Sunday afternoon.

Newtown’s enthusiasm and sharpness of the previous weekend was just a memory as the Magpies took control of the game in the first quarter and never let the Jets back into the contest. Wests dominated the battle of the rucks and they rattled Newtown’s midfield defence with repeated darting runs from dummy-half. The Magpies shrugged off the

sweltering heat as they ran away to a convincing five tries to one victory. Wests led 4-0 after twenty minutes, 16-0 at half-time, 24-4 at three-quarter-time and there were no points scored by either side in the final quarter as both sides struggled to cope with the energy-sapping atmosphere.

Newtown’s Greg Matterson acknowledged that while this was only a lost trial game, there was a lot of improvement needed and hard work ahead of this squad to be ready for round one of the NSW Cup competition. Matterson conceded that this had been a disappointing performance and a number of players had not enhanced their ultimate selection chances. The ‘Pies certainly provided an abrupt and timely reality check following Newtown’s impressive trial win against Norths.

Jets Win Easily Against Defending Premiers

The Newtown Jets rediscovered their mojo in recording a strong 44-14 win against Canterbury-Bankstown The Jets had looked more than a little ragged when they had been well beaten by Western Suburbs on the previous weekend, but on Saturday Newtown led from the front

and stayed in command in what was an impressive win over the 2009 NSW Cup premiers.

Newtown dominated possession early in the match and assisted by a run of penalties ran up a 14-0 lead early in the first half. The Jets led 18-4 at half-time and added a further five tries to blow the score out to 44-8, with the Bulldogs posting a converted try late in the game.

Among Newtown’s better players were forwards Ryan Verlinden, the team captain Jason Wells and the Brown Bomber, James Koloamatangi. Hooker Nick Doig made a useful debut after missing the first two trials because of a calf muscle injury. Centres Troy Savage and Tu’u Maori regularly tested the Bulldogs defence, while the young Roosters Toyota Cup winger Andrew Haines scored two tries in the first half, one of which would have done credit to the great Martin Offiah.

Coach Greg Matterson was obviously pleased with his team’s much sharper performance but he cautioned his players that the team’s overall completion rate would have to improve markedly in the upcoming competition rounds.

THE NEWTONIAN, Volume 1 Edition 5 18

The winning Poems and Answers to last months SPD.

1. Wristwatch2. apes eye on shirt3. white bit on gas mask4. black dot next tosykos left shoulder5. finger holding spraycan6. dot above sykos righthand7. pentagonal shapeabove sykos right hand8. black rectangle nextto sykos left knee9. grey smudge belowaformentioneddifference

Syko The poem

Syko, a fish among da fumes,all the power to you brother!Your charming brand of street art makes me swoon like a dawgI am such a dog.Syko, a bird among the plumes, all the strength to you friend!The detail in your street art makes me weep like the dog I am.oh, I am such a miserable dog to everyoneIf only I could create work similar to yours, then I could be liked... by even one soulI am of as much worth as ...a dead dog.Oh Syko, how elaborate do you wanna make

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Spot The Difference 8 March 2010: 99th International Women’s Day

ARRRRRRRAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!

Let the century turn on a dime. What would I think if somebody told me he knew a young teenager who was not allowed to wear trousers, to cut her hair the way she likes, to wear make up or to free her legs from the constriction of a long skirt? I would probably start to think to any fundamentalist family I heard stories about; but that’s not her case. That girl could have been my neighbour, had I been 18 years old during the ‘60s in Europe.

We see ourselves as proud citizens of a democratic culture and moulded by our recent history we easily take for granted; things that have been achieved with years of rebellion. So while I’m here writing this article, I want to light a candle in my mind to remember how much effort, frustration and even repression our predecessors bared to free us. And yet, is that how I feel? I would answer yes if I could not consider what can be called a paradoxic effect. When later in the ‘70s and in the ‘80s liberalism met feminism, women have been so free to show with pride their body that at times it has become hard to recognise, whether a nude look is declaring independence or is pleasing men’s appetite. I’m not a conservative angry woman who sees the present as an indecent era, but I find it always profitable to stop for a while and think to my feminine essence. I think that what makes precious a treasure is the fact that it has been hidden and what makes a woman respectable shouldn’t be her ability to imitate men’s behavior. We are neither devils in Prada when we reach the highest job positions, nor desperate housewives when we choose to put our families first: we need to find our way and to impose a new female perspective in the world that surrounds us.

Every generalisation, every category, every ready-to-use stereotypes erodes our self-esteem and awareness. I found it very sad whilst I was baby-sitting a couple of kids, brother and sister, that the girl was trying to be more aggressive than the boy himself in order to be accepted in her brother’s games.

I think we are still building our common identity and I think our younger siblings deserve to be proud of being a woman. In this year that opens a new decade for the century, we should gather and work together to tackle old rhetoric and clichés, while fostering a new feminine image that doesn’t borrow men’s peculiarity.

On the occasion of the International Women’s Day, Sydney is hosting several interesting meetings that could be a great start: on March 8th it’s possible to join the Afternoon Tea of the Women’s Federation for World Peace, at the Dining Room of NSW Parliament from 14:00 hrs on March 10th the association Women on Boards will launch the Art Prize for Women Artists at TAP Gallery, 1/278 Palmer St, Darlinghurst NSW; on March 13th come to attend “Today’s Women”, a one day seminar at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre in Darling Harbour, from 8.00a.m to 6 pm. For a fully detailed program of the events in Sydney please visit the website: www.internationalwomensday.com/ - Marina Freri

THE NEWTONIAN, Volume 1 Edition 5 19

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For some reason when I was at school, kids with red hair were often branded ‘ginger’. I sometimes wondered what this was about. The plot further thickened when I would have a sore throat or cold and me mam would make up some delicious honey and ginger tea. When I got into cooking and the culinary properties of ginger became apparent. Still not sure about the link to people with freckles and red hair, but what a great product to be associated with…because ginger is awesome!

Whilst often being labeled

a root, ginger is actually an underground stem - or rhizome - of the plant Zingiber officinale, which generally thrives in hot tropical climates. Medicinally one of the world’s oldest and most universal natural healing products, ginger has been used as a remedy for morning sickness, motion sickness, stomach upset, nausea, cold, flu, pain relief to name but a few. It’s even reputed to be an aphrodisiac - I mean what’s not to like. In fact King Henry VIII ( the nutter who liked beheading his lady friends) thought it could cure the plague...and I guess if you’re on that guys’ good side you must be doing something right! But I digress..

Native to China and India, ginger is absolutely essential to oriental cookery. You’ll find it in everything from mains like stir-fries and curries, to appetisers and desserts. In the West, ginger is associated mainly

with sweeter products such as gingerbread, gingersnaps, ginger beer or Yorkshire Parkin cake. It’s also brilliant food preservative for flavor and bacteria killing properties, and used in many a chutney or pickle.

I love ginger for the unmistakable flavor and bite it adds to dishes. Mixing with coriander and some lemon zest adds a lot to the flavor of things like quail, eggplant, pumpkin or chicken. Try mincing with onion and garlic, pour in some soy and honey, or some wine and use as a base or marinade for meat dishes. Buy or make some pickled ginger – it really is an exquisite flavor and a great garnish on meals or cleanser of the palate between helpings of the freshest sashimi. It’s one of those products that’s just great to experiment with, and that really is the joy of cooking!

Pickled Ginger

• 250g fresh ginger

• 1 and a half tsp salt

• 55g caster sugar

• 3 tsp rice wine vinegar

Method

1. Peel ginger and cut into very thin slices. (use a mandolin slicer if you have one)

2. Blanch ginger in boiling water (around 20 seconds). Drain well.

3. Place in a bowl and sprinkle with the salt.

4. Wait around 10mins for excess liquid to be drawn out. Stand for 10 minutes to draw out excess liquid in the ginger.

5. Wisk the sugar into the vinegar and spoon over the ginger. Seal in a jar and refrigerate. (Will last around a month depending on the freshness of the ginger).

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8 March 2010: 99th International Women’s Day

THE NEWTONIAN, Volume 1 Edition 5 20

Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor

Cannot believe that The Newtonian could publish such rubbish. How can a human (a ‘Mom? Australians call their mothers ‘Mum’, not ‘Mom’) speak for an animal. This poor animal has been made into a ‘humanoid’ for its owner’s satisfaction.

The human owner who pretends to speak for her poor ‘captive’ animal might see herself as the animal’s ‘Mom’ but it is, as yet, impossible for a human to produce a dog offspring. She is not the dog’s ‘Mom’ (Mum?). This animal did have a mother - a dog mother - but was taken from its natural mother and siblings to satisfy the nefarious needs of a human. Dogs are taken from their own ‘natural’ mothers at the age of six weeks. No human would allow their

own offspring to be taken from them at the age of six weeks. It would be considered cruel and abusive to do so but pet owning humans think it is all right to deny animals their rights to be raised in their own natural environment with their own parents and siblings.

Should this dog be allowed to travel on public transport? Of course not because this is not a free animal living in its own natural habitat. This animal has become its owner’s ‘cutie’. Poor dog.

Why should one type of ‘captive’ animal be allowed to travel on public transport but not other ‘captive’ animals? If ‘captive’ dogs are allowed on public transport, then of course all types of other ‘captive’ animals should also be allowed on public transport. Why should dogs be given precedence? If dogs are allowed on public transport then other ‘captive’ creatures such as snakes, ferrets, bats etc. should also be allowed on public transport.

Let logic and empathy prevail. Humans subjugating animals to a ‘pet’ status for their own ends (guard dog, companion etc.) need to have a rationality check. They need to imagine themselves being

the ‘pet’ they have subjugated. Only then will they understand the wrong they have done.

Dalmeny Michie Newtown

Dear Editor

I was driving through one of Newtown’s wider streets last Sunday, cars parked on both sides. It was in between those many showers, out of the corner of my eye I saw two young children about eight years old come out of a house on my left. They sat down on the kerb and proceeded to devour a bag of chips each. A car was also approaching from the other direction.

Now the bloke in the plumber’s ute behind me, presumably saw nothing other than the rear of my car, as he was so close. I slowed as I passed the two kids, just in case, and then I slowed again to let the other car pass. Fifty meters further I slowed again to turn right into my driveway – the hide of me! The bloke in the plumber’s ute gave me the finger, hurled abuse and tooted his horn.

I would just like him to know that those kids have a right to exist in a safe and peaceful environment and oh, by the way, SO DO I!

by Sarah Grochala

17 March – 10 April

If survival meant complicity with a brutal regime, what would you sacrifice for someone you love? May’s revolutionary idealism has earned her a job as prison photographer for the Organisation. But as the faces of the regime’s enemies pass her unflinching lens, will they shake May’s belief in the world she helped create? Winner of the Amnesty International Protect The Human Playwriting Award and inspired by the history of Cambodia’s S-21 prison under the rule of the Khmer Rouge, playwright Sarah Grochala strips humanity bare in this compelling new play.

S-27, the second play in Griffin Independent’s exciting 2010 season of new international works, is an evocative exploration of human cruelty and the abuse of power, by Grochala, an award winning playwright and the author of several plays including the 2006 Edinburgh Festival hit Waiting for Romeo.

S-27 marks the directorial debut for actress Caroline Craig, currently on stage for the Sydney Theatre Company in Optimism, and most widely known for her starring role in the hit TV series Blue Heelers and more recently Underbelly. Craig said, “What

excites me most about this show was best put by Sarah Grochala herself when she said that ‘it is about the impossibility of love, the inevitability of death and what happens when good people do bad things.’ I found S-27 in London and was absolutely blown away. I knew it was a play I wanted to direct, and I’m thrilled to be working with such a phenomenal team”.

Two Birds One Stone is a new theatre company formed by fellow 1999 NIDA graduates, Caroline Craig and Emma Jackson. While Caroline has worked consistently in Australia, Emma has been collaborating with top theatrical artists in the US, including Anne Bogart of The SITI Co and the Wooster Group. With Two Birds One Stone they focus their combined experiences to create bold and dynamic work. The powerful themes and moving story of S-27 guarantee a deeply-affecting experience brought to you by the Two Birds One Stone and Griffin Independent.

“A blistering account of the things we will do to save our own skins, and the way the human heart betrays us.” – The Guardian

Venue SBW Stables Theatre | 10 Nimrod St, Kings Cross

Previews 17 & 18 March

Season 19 March – 10 April

Prices Tickets $30/$26/$23 (booking charges may apply)

Booking 8002 4772 or griffintheatre.com.au

Marrickville Council will celebrate the contribution made by older people to the community with a program of events to mark Seniors Week in late March.

The theme of 2010 Seniors Week is ‘Live Life’. According to recent studies, Marrickville can look forward to growing numbers of people who will choose to stay here in their later years. Council has responded to this by developing its Ageing Strategy, which is based on a number of principles.

These include that all Australians regardless of age should have access to appropriate employment, training, education, housing, transport, cultural and recreational opportunities and that older Australians should have access to care services that are appropriate to their diverse needs.

Seniors Week is an opportunity to really say thank you to older people in Marrickville.

Marrickville Library

Marrickville Library will host a short talk What’s happened to libraries and where have all the books gone? on Friday 19 March 10.30-11.30am to introduce the latest technologies and services available at the library and help make a visit to the library more fun and enjoyable. Light

refreshments will be served after the presentation. Contact 9335 2165 to make a booking. Marrickville Library is at the corner of Marrickville and Petersham Roads Marrickville beneath Marrickville Town Hall.

Luncheon and Concert

The ‘Feet First’ Concert will feature local entertainment and showcase the talents of older people. There will also be a short talk on foot care. Marrickville Council would like to acknowledge the NSW Seniors Week Grant from the Minister for Ageing Paul Lynch. Petersham RSL on Tuesday 23 March, phone 9335 2143 to book.

Active Fun Fair at Mary MacKillop Outreach

Mary MacKillop Outreach will host a day of fair games and prizes, and performances from the Fort Street Jazz Band, CelloKate, Bethlehem College Performers, and Amera’s Palace Belly Dancers. The day, on Wednesday 24 March from 10am to 2pm, will also feature a Harmony Music Workshop and an art exhibition and sale. Mary MacKillop Outreach is a special work of the St Vincent de Paul Society and is located at 1B Thomas Street, Lewisham. To book, phone Kimberley on 9568 0248.

Marrickville Town Hall Expo

Marrickville Aged Services Interagency and Council staff will host an expo at Marrickville Town Hall on Tuesday 30 March from 10am-1pm. Hand massages, gentle exercise, jewellery making, digital TV and set top box demonstrations, and environmentally friendly household tips will all feature. There will also be short talks on the benefits of exercise, safety for seniors, and energy efficiency. The library will have Family History Research access to databases such as Ancestry, featured on the SBS show Who do you think you are. Local service providers will have information on how older people can maintain their independence, how to choose a nursing home, and much more.

Marrickville FEASTING

The Metro Migrant Resource Centre received a small community grant from Council in 2009 to establish a lunch club for older people who would like to come together once a month to enjoy a healthy meal at a local restaurant, make new friends and improve their quality of life. Marrickville Feasting will begin with a launch on Wednesday 31 March. For more information about the project or if you would like to join Marrickville Feasting, contact Maria Lemos on 9789 3744.

Enjoy the ‘Best Rack in Town’ at the Ruby L’otel in Rozelle every Thursday

Ruby L’otel is the culinary destination of choice every Thursday night. Launching ‘Baby Back Ribs’ for $19.90 1kg, the venue’s delicious, premium rack of ribs are grilled in special recipe basted sauces and expertly prepared by the venue’s talented chefs.

James Miller, owner, states ‘Our exceptional chefs have created an appetizing menu at Ruby

which caters for all occasions and appeals to everyone. Customers can indulge in a variety of weekly meal offers including Yum-Cha, Curries and Burgers. We are excited to compliment our menu with our Rack of Ribs special every Thursday, which is unique to the Rozelle area and is proving to be extremely popular’.

Ruby is a favourite among savvy diners and locals for lunch or dinner with friends, family or work colleagues. The freshly revamped venue is in close proximity to the city, consisting of a fantastic outdoor restaurant and a stylish new beer garden. The classic cocktails, delectable cuisine

and huge variety of beers and wines offer the ultimate dining experience. The staff is efficient and friendly giving breath to its life and personality.

Ruby L’otel’s comfortable modern fit-out and affordable menu with fresh, robust flavours provides for the ideal night out. The new ‘Baby Back Ribs’ every Thursday scintillate the palate and are definitely the ‘Best Rack in Town!’.

Ruby L’otel opening hours: Sunday to Tuesday -11am to 10:30pm Wednesday to Saturday – 11am to 12 midnight Ruby L’otel address: 68 Victoria Road Rozelle 2039 NSW

Seniors Week in Marrickville

Anthony Gooley, an Enmore local, is one of Sydney’s most talented up-and-coming actors and he plays the lead in Two Birds One Stone and Griffin Independent’s production of S-27.

Since graduating from NIDA Anthony has been very busy with TV roles in Underbelly 3, Packed To The Rafters, Satisfaction and Home and Away and is currently performing on stage in Griffin Independent and Cry Havoc’s production of Orestes 2.0. Would you be interested in having a chat to Anthony about S-27 and his character in the play, life as an inner-west local and what he loves most about Newtown?

Two Birds One Stone and Griffin Independent present

S - 27

THE NEWTONIAN, Volume 1 Edition 5 21

A SINGLE MANThe directorial debut of a fashion heavyweight was always going to be a bold and lavish affair. So it comes as no surprise that Tom Ford’s A Single Man ticks all the expected boxes while he juggles the additional duties of writer and producer to boot.

The story is a stream-of-conscious narrative adapted from Christopher Isherwood’s novel and is set in 1962 in Los Angeles. Cold-war paranoia and the threat of annihilation permeate the human psyche as a lone British college professor, George (Colin Firth), grapples with sexual alienation and the grief resulting from the death of his long-term partner, Jim (Matthew Goode), that occurred eight months prior.

The film takes in a day in the life of this gentleman, as he contemplates suicide to ease his crushing pain and sorrow. Colin Firth puts in a dignified performance (one worthy of that recent Oscar nomination), and carries the film through some of its shallower moments where we only scratch the surface of these beautifully complex, yet human characters. Firth is ably assisted by Julianne Moore who plays Charley, his close friend and former lover who is working through her own slew of issues. But hers is a different kind of coping mechanism, because while she is frightened of growing old and alone, she acts churlish and questions George’s love for the late Jim.

The art direction is magnificent with Ford showing a great aptitude for cinematography and visual aesthetics. He achieves this by taking audiences back to the early sixties with accurate set designs and impeccably dressed characters.

Many lingering, slow motion shots are combined with close-ups and haunting orchestral music to lend things an elegant but subtle poignancy. And by experimenting with colour and texture Ford is also able to mirror the raw emotions being performed by the film’s stellar actors.

A Single Man is a slow-burning existential drama that almost serves as a maudlin epitaph for a depressive struggling for meaning in a black and white world. At times it will leave you thinking its execution could have been improved, but there is no denying that the basic human emotions of loss and despair still resonate and serve to remind us to cherish those all too fleeting moments with our loved ones. - Natalie Salvo

Shutter Island Scorcese’s latest release, Shutter Island is a visionary delight and not his normal genre of gangster movie. The psychological thriller is set on an island in Massachusetts, reserved only for a hospital for the most dangerous and crazy of criminals.

Based on the novel by Dennis Lehane, who also wrote Mystic River, Shutter Island is set in 1954 where two U.S. marshals Edward Teddy Daniels (Leo DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) go to the hospital to investigate the disappearance of a patient. As a storm hits the island their departure is put on hold and they appear trapped. The plot accelerates and the marshals make some intriguing discoveries about the hospital with concerns of experimentation on the patients. Leonardo DiCaprio provides a convincing and troubled character and others include; Ben Kingsley’s Dr John Cawley, Emily Mortimer as the missing patient, Rachel Solando and Michelle Williams character; Dolores Chanal, Teddy’s manic-depressive wife.

Without blowing the intrigue for those who haven’t already rushed out to see Scorcese’s latest work; I’ll just say that the

plot twists and turns constantly and before we have a chance to contemplate one loose end another one arises. Despite the initial unpredictability of unfolding events, the narrative becomes erratic and un-original. Some may find the ending a little disappointing when we have hopes for a different conclusion or even a more intelligent final twist. Regardless, we love our hero Teddy and DiCaprio gives yet another stunning performance.

Although not on par with the likes of Taxi Driver, Goodfellas and The Aviator, to name just a few of his previous masterpieces; credit should be given for Scorcese’s attempt at a different genre and setting other than his usual gritty city backdrop. The film also has ‘Hitchcockian’ elements in terms of music and cinematography. For example, one of the early scenes the ocean background looks positively artificial and the atmosphere tells us there is something awry. Unfortunately the use of typical flashbacks as a method of disclosing the unravelling and twisted plot is not sophisticated or original enough for today’s viewer.

Having said that, one can’t be disappointed with the other elements of the film and purely

on an entertainment level, it’s still a ‘must-see’. It’s definitely one to watch again and possibly more pleasing the second time around. It should be noted however that once you have seen the film, you could never watch it in the same way a second time – e.g. ‘The Sixth Sense’ syndrome.

Shutter Island is atmospheric, intriguing, entertaining,

exciting, suspenseful, challenges our belief structures and poses the question – “does the camera ever lie?”

Martin Scorcese’s new film – ‘Silence’ is due to come out in 2011 and stars Benicio Del Toro and Gael Garcia Bernal!

- Lyndsay Kenwright

Shutter Island

Set in Baghdad 2004, The Hurt Locker is no typical war movie. A rare window into an unseen world experienced by the military’s bomb squad and directed by Kathryn Bigalow, whose previous work includes Point Break (1991) has outdone herself this time.

At the centre of the Iraq war Sergeant J.T. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) are trained to disarm home made bombs or IEDS (Improvised Explosive Devices). The film is structured around the 38 days they have left in Baghdad in which the soldiers’ aim is to disarm and the bombs and survive in the process.

As Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner) joins as head of the team, Sanborn

and Eldridge are stunned by his reckless behaviour and nonchalant attitude. His need for adrenaline and unflappable approach for safety regulations appears to increase hourly and his peers fear the consequences and bloodshed in such a volatile environment. The team fear their luck running out and James is seen as more of a lone wolf than a team player. His peers attempt to discover whether he is really brave or really stupid, as he takes on more ridiculous risks that put them all in danger.

The film is both raw and as realistic. You will find no over-glamorised soldiers unaffected by violence and murder. This story is told as a more accurate portrayal of the true horrors of war, the nitty gritty and the

lives of soldiers affected in ways we may never have thought of. No focus on reasons, politics and responsibility for war are even touched upon, but more of an attention to detail to specific situations, that mainly include bombs and artillery. At times, the style appears almost documentary in nature, due to moments of handheld filming adding to its realism. The Hurt Locker is a completely different take on a war-movie and refreshing in its approach.

Extremely original and exciting, the audience is completely transported into the horror and unpredictability of war and weaponry. As the movie progresses, the viewer warms to the Sergeant’s character as we discover his emotions, his fears and what

drives him to chase such a dangerous job. Is he as numb and soulless? Or a true selfless hero? The constant contrast between danger and relief is both gripping and exhausting as we bat for our anti-hero. Acclaim goes to the presence of realistic reactions, emotions and fear, instead of the usual unrealistic, perhaps even, inhumane, unaffected trigger-happy war hero.

The Hurt Locker is fascinating, intense, compelling, exciting, original, shocking, informative, dramatic, and humorous at times, with vivid imagery and gripping performances.

For someone who isn’t so fussed about war movies – I rate it as simply - awesome! A sure must-see! - Lyndsay Kenwright

The Hurt Locker

Lara’s Locals: Pic by Lara McCabe

THE NEWTONIAN, Volume 1 Edition 5 22

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THE NEWTONIAN, Volume 1 Edition 5 23

Pic: Lara McCabe

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