Sunday 29 July 2018

DOWNLOADABLE DEATH



Downloadable guns petition

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Please sign and share this petition, time is of the essence. This issue transcends countries, religion and politics. A gun that doesn’t show up on metal detectors that any person can make:







https://www.change.org/p/stop-defense-distributed-from-releasing-downloadable-guns?recruiter=392994855&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=tap_basic_share&utm_term=triggered

Tuesday 24 July 2018

“PARTY GIRL”


If any video doesn’t open, click on the link below it. 

All photos are copyright Runningonempty.








RIP Amy Winehouse, the world has lost a great musician.


 I was watching a video unrelated to alcoholism recently, and came across a complaint about England, from an immigrant from South Africa to UK. He said there was nothing to do there much, except (something else, I forget what) and going to the pub. He said, the weather is so bad, that they are the only places to go. That’s his opinion. I do know from TV, there is a big pub culture in the UK, and that that is the main place where people socialise, their local. So, today I went Googling to see if there is a drinking problem in Britain. It seems there is. I’m wondering if the pub culture is to blame or if there are other reasons?


Beyond the health risks and potential harm, that’s the more insidious aspect of Peak Booze: the mental baggage. A fair few of us are more dependent than we’d like to be on that cold glass of white wine or cheeky gin and tonic at the end of the day. It’s important to me to know that drinking is a choice, not a need. But if I choose not to drink for one night out, I find myself rambling an explanation, assuring people that, no, I’m not pregnant. The fact that staying sober for a month is seen as a feat of willpower and the subject of charity campaigns such as Dry January shows just how embedded alcohol is in our lives. It’s the grease that keeps many of our days moving.”

- BBC.


That’s from a very interesting article, which you can read at the end of the post.


In Brigid Jones Diary , she is trying to cut her drinking, but she and her friends mostly meet in pubs and bars. The book is very funny. An excerpt from the film:


Warning, a graphic reference to sex is at the beginning of this, if offended skip the first twelve seconds (not including any ads):





https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=smxGSlqjZNk







https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=gJLIiF15wjQ



 We have an alcohol problem here in Australia too, indeed many countries do, but there are many more places to go here than pubs, even indoors. 


Here in our small town, we have 6-7 cafés, in addition to our two pubs. Many of the men at my husband’s job do go to the pub on a Friday night, after work which is fine, but we seldom drink alcohol, and don’t like standing in a crush, so we go to the library more often, or cafés. 




The quality of the coffee and food in cafés here is excellent, which is a big drawcard. 






People are to be seen socialising in these coffee shops, sitting with friends or family chatting for quite long periods of time. (Photo taken before they redecorated)




In the smallest café, run by an Italian/Australian, 

(photo taken before he redecorated)




total strangers chat and laugh together, with the staff, which is convivial. He also has regular groups that meet there. 



One never sees scenes such as bar fights in cafés. We don’t often see them in pubs in Australia that much, since the responsible drinking laws were enacted, and every bar staff member had to get qualified in how to refuse alcohol to drunks. Most alcohol problems in the community, to my first hand knowledge, especially from neighbours here and in Sydney, seem to be due to the 2 for 1 offers on take-away alcohol. I read somewhere that Scotland had clamped down on that, and improved their situation with alcohol related community problems. 


I know it’s hard to ditch alcohol, as an alcoholic, when your friends all drink, and pubs and bars are where the party scene is. 


Дария Ставрович «Chandelier» - Полуфинал - Голос - Сезон 5 :





https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ltV1yoeIoPM



I do empathise. Being in bars can lead to unbearable cravings, for an addict.


The cafés here in town are shut at night, and some on Sundays, but my husband and I have never been refused a coffee or soft drink in the pubs. If I were an alcoholic I wouldn’t go there, however, as that’s not recommended. I would go to cafés though, with or without my friends, also the cinema, bowling, yoga, line dancing, to play a game of squash, to see a show, a museum, a library, etc., all the things that are available indoors in Australia. My family often pop into the local free art gallery, or antiques shops. When we travel we like to visit attractions. We have visited wine growing areas, and found other things to do besides wine tastings.


As long time readers of my blog will know, I have no issue with moderate drinkers. I have no problem with pubs, I’ve featured a few right here, and will feature more. 








It helps if you have a good meal with your alcohol, though that can be expensive for families like us. My Dad paid for this meal:






However, much as pubs are important to Australian life, I can’t imagine considering them the first, or only option for recreation and socialising, at all. 




“When looking at the full costings around this issue, the profits generated from alcohol sales need to be included with a view to implementing a hypothecated alcohol tax. The cost to the NHS should be laid at the door of this industry, pure and simple; polluter pays. Only then will they take responsible drinking seriously.

Cllr Vaughan Thomas 

Labour, Norwich city council


• I don’t suppose the government inaction over alcohol consumption has anything to do with the alcohol industry donations to the Conservative party?

Jake Fagg

Bristol”

The Guardian


https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/jul/26/is-it-time-to-tackle-britains-alcohol-problem


Opinion from an Italian:


Binge drinking in Britain



BBC article:


http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20151102-why-do-the-british-drink-so-much



Alcoholics Anonymous UK


The Link

Monday 23 July 2018

PRICELESS JEWELS 4- Part 5 of our trip to Canberra

If any of the videos won’t play, click the link below them. 
All photographs are copyright Runningonempty, though we don’t own the copyright to any item depicted. 


Continuing my posts on the Cartier exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia, on our recent Canberra trip. 

Walking into the last section, we were greeted by a large screen on which were playing video segments of Marilyn Monroe acting in movies that referenced diamonds. 

I didn’t pay much attention, though, some, including Acerules, did. There were more glittery prizes to seek out. 



Gentlemen Prefer Blondes 1953 "it's a tiara" scene hd:


































Necklace owned by Merle Oberon, with baroque shaped emeralds:














Vivian Leigh’s conmpact:






Your average tiger on a hot day. Owned by Barbara Hutton:














































Les homme préfèrent les blondes - Marilyn Monroe - Diamonds are a girl's best friend:










Maria Felix was a great movie star in her native Mexico, Europe, and elsewhere, but she turned down roles in Hollywood. This is a song written by one of her husbands, it is sad and romantic, about a troubadour coming around at night and making him sad, wondering if the moon is shining on his beloved somewhere too:








Well of course Acerules loved these famous crocodile and snake necklaces of Maria’s. The story goes that she took a live baby croc into the jeweller for inspiration, but they took creative license, and used yellow diamonds on one, and emeralds on the other. She sold the snake and crocs before she died. 












Daisy was also, allegedly, a player. Other people’s boyfriends, husbands, etc, were not off limits. She was allegedly not maternal, and rather caustic with her tongue. But style she had in droves. The colourful Tutti Fruiti necklace on the left was comprised of jewels , sapphires, emeralds, rubies and diamonds, recycled from 3 old pieces, and is now iconic. 















Another of my favourite actresses, so beautiful, and I had a treasured book on her too:

















I asked Ace to pose for the photo for her memories:




Of course, Elizabeth Taylor’s famous jewellery collection, so full of provenance, was sold off to benefit AIDS patients, bless ‘er.

The Mike Todd/Elizabeth Taylor necklace:








One of the most stylish women in the world in the 1930s captured an English King’s heart so that he gave up his crown for her. He then bought her lots of Cartier jewellery during their marriage. Several of the pieces here are very famous, and Cartier are proud. They have adopted the panther as their mascot, and it appears in their ads.










Impossible to show the sparkle with the iPad:








Masterpieces of the jeweller’s art:












Getting Ace to pose with the iconic pieces:


Cartier: The Exhibition:








About Cartier









English translation and meaning of the song with Maria Felix: Noche de Ronda:




Maria Felix’s jewels:




Daisy Fellowes’ amazing necklace: