On Thursday I went to Twin Waters, with a few casual clothes with the intent of running 10km in the Mooloolaba Half Marathon…. this is what I ended up doing!

Activity 1 (Friday)

The charity function was awesome; I even had my photo taken with Mark Beretta from Sunrise (Channel 7) who was our host at the event.

Tell you what I’m quite over all Anna Bligh’s pre election promises being lies.

I hope all the people that voted for the ALP due to all the free money and lies they were throwing about at election time are adding up how much more it is now costing the whole population to have them in power! 

Why anyone would vote the ALP in when they already had us $64 billion in debt before the global financial crisis was even heard of is beyond me!

We are certainly paying far more than any stimulus package could possibly compensate. Greed should not override commonsense at election times as a dishonest government in power will leave you out of pocket!!! (Karma)

Click here to sign the e-petition!

Stop the fuel tax petition

The State Government plans to scrap Queensland’s 8.35 cents a litre fuel subsidy from July 1 – despite specific assurances to the RACQ and the broader community ahead of the March election that the subsidy would be retained.

Combined with increases in vehicle registration of 17 to 22 percent from July 1, this extra fuel tax will cost most Queensland families and businesses several hundred dollars a year, while also pushing up the prices of other goods and services. 

With GST, it will add 9.2 cents a litre to petrol and diesel and will hit families in the outer suburbs and regional areas hardest, as people in these areas have less access to public transport and, often, longer distances to travel…. click here to read more and sign the e-petition!

[Info via RACQ & news.com.au]

The 4^th Annual Forget Me Not Children’s Orphanage Charity Ball was on again last night at Kingfisher Bay Resort on Fraser Island. 

I attended the Ball with Fraser Coast Regional Mayor, Mick Kruger and my friend Naomi Wood.
The ball started this year from the Marina cruising on board the Spirit of Hervey Bay enjoying alcoholic beverages on route to Fraser Island. We then proceeded to the function room at Kingfisher Bay where we enjoyed a three course alternative drop meal plus free beer and wine. 

We listened to Lars Olsen founder of the orphanage and viewed plans for the projected further development, buildings and stages involved.

This was followed by 6 live auctions raising $19K +. Quite a lot of testosterone could be felt in the room as alcohol infused men bid big dollars & egged each other on. 

20 people from the floor also took to the front stage to pledge a donation of $500 each with over a third of the people at the ball being from Bundaberg. 

As the night progressed and the drinks & dollars flowed it looked like over 80% of Stage 1 of the proposed 6 stage plan would be achieved just from the donations at this one ball! The response was overwhelming. 

I won an Award for ‘Best Fancy Dressed Female 2009′ and I wasn’t even in fancy dress, that’s how I was dressed normally!!!! (How Funny!)

Next we had an Amazing performance from the very talented Jon Stevens. I had hoped to have a photograph taken with Jon after his performance as it was mentioned he would be coming out to mingle. Disappointingly we never saw Jon again with some commenting on his appearance as being brief even though it was well over an hour far longer than he had been booked for!! (Nice job Jon!) Time flys by when your having FUN!!!! (Luckily we had snapped a couple of shots while Jon was on stage).

Once again a very professional and successful night for the Forget Me Not Children’s Orphanage team and a sensational job by organiser Debbie Haigh from Haigh’s Jewellers.

Donations
$35K Rush QLD /NT
$30K McDonalds Bundaberg, Gympie, Hervey Bay
$19,600K+ live auctions on the night
$15K Private Donation
$15K Cardno (in services to build)
$14K + Silent auctions
$13, 800K + Ticket Profit
$10K in $500 lot donations from 20 ball attendees (the 500 Club)
$5K Hotondo Homes
$2,900K +  Haigh Jewellers emerald & diamond pendant
$1K The Pier Pavillion
TOTAL RAISED $166,000.00

Ticket cost went up from $120  to $195 this year, it has not been mentioned yet whether some of this cost will also be donated.

Click here to read Lars Olsen’s Quick News.

Some more exciting news from organiser Debbie Haigh…!

a)    The final figure which was a straight donation from every ticket purchased was $107 per ticket!!!

b)    Jon was given a private transfer & a drive around the Great Sandy Straits & over to Kingfisher by ‘That’s Awesome’ which he totally loved (totally sponsored)

c)    Jon was given a private transfer off the island by MI Helicopters & they gave him an aerial tour on the way to the airport.(totally sponsored)

d)    FMN had a Chef travel onsite to cook a fantastic meal for the Ball Committee & Jon & his crew on the Friday night – It was a great night (totally sponsored)

e)    Jon, Dion & Adam (the guitarists), Tommy (the sound engineer) & Simon (his manager) were very impressed with Hervey Bay & Fraser Island. They were also very impressed with the generosity of the people on the night.

f)     Jon does a lot of charity work, but not in venues this small. He did it only because of Lars & Forget Me Not – They were very taken with the organisation.

g)    Jon had personally waived his performance fee for this event - but we still had costs from the rest of his crew, which were covered by our platinum sponsor  *‘Harris Dental Boutique’ Bundaberg & three gold sponsors *McDonalds –Bundaberg, Gympie, Hervey Bay *Bay Dental Care – Hervey Bay *ABN AMRO Morgans – Bundaberg

h)    Jons Performance – was 85 minutes

i)     Jump in ticket price included; Private transfer over & back … alcohol all night … headline entertainment plus a much larger donation per ticket from last year

Related story, Related story

I have now finished reading A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle, the 6 million copy worldwide best seller book that I hope will sell over 100 million copies!
(That would be nice for Eckhart!)

What an intuitive, perceptive and enlightening book on how the masses think in an unconscious way creating their own depression based on their own ego. Living their life in a negative manner by constantly complaining, stressing, hurting  / demeaning others and seeking drama in their own lives as they believe this brings them attention / acceptance, makes them feel important  which they need to fuel on their ego. These people are blind not realising they are creating for themselves and those around them more negativity, drama, unhappiness and depression and continue to live a mundane existence being that of a repetitive self destructive cycle.

This book helps you realise how to live your life with true openness and freedom, find out who you really are, by being present through living you life in the now. Stop searching for happiness in the future and material objects, or in recognition / approval from others; true happiness is already within YOU and can be found every day by being conscious in your thoughts, actions and precious timeless moments.

This book is a must read, it’s time to become more awakened!!!

Building on the astonishing success of The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle presents readers with an honest look at the current state of humanity: He implores us to see and accept that this state, which is based on an erroneous identification with the egoic mind, is one of dangerous insanity.

Tolle tells us there is good news, however. There is an alternative to this potentially dire situation. Humanity now, perhaps more than in any previous time, has an opportunity to create a new, saner, more loving world. This will involve a radical inner leap from the current egoic consciousness to an entirely new one.

[Images & Information via Eckhart Teachings]

This morning I attended an amusing, informative, intelligent and enlightening breakfast and talk with guest key note speaker Dr Shelley Sykes (The Happiness Guru) who is An Expert by Experience, Empowering & Educating People to Re-Learn How to Live Happier Healthier Lives.

As a Speaker she has shared the stage with Anthony Robbins, spoken to audiences of 20,000 people at conferences for the Fortune 100 and  500 Companie as well as huge international Network Marketing corporations. 

“Shelley is one of the very few people who are giving happiness the importance it deserves. I strongly commend her efforts in this direction.”
Edward de Bono – Lateral Thinking Expert 

Dr Shelley is a Best Selling & Multi Award Winning Author of Business, Inspirational Books, CD’s & DVD’s and was kind enough to autograph the two books of hers I purchased – Sexy, Single and Ready to Mingle & The Happiness Bug. To view or buy any of Dr Shelley’s books please click here.
10% of each product and service sold is donated to the Happy Charity Shelley Sykes’ Happiness Foundation. Currently represented in over 133 countries. 

Dr Shelley charges $30,000 an hour for her motivational talks so to have the opportunity of attending this event for $25 in beautiful Hervey Bay was an opportunity not to be missed. The fabulous event was organised by Linda Benn from Heart Light Energy a new business to the area that will be distributing a new well being magazine throughout Hervey Bay next Thursday. I will be in Fiji so can somebody please secure me a copy! A big thank you to Shelley and Linda for touching my heart and giving me new amazing things to think about! “Whoo Hoo!” Can’t wait to read my books!  

The delicious breakfast was held at Buddha’s Table (Restaurant), 486 the Esplanade Hervey Bay with what looked like at least 100 people in attendance!

A couple of interesting reviews on the Andrew Johns Group Sex Scandal

Yes does not mean yes

But bad judgment is not the only problem with insisting only on “consent”, not morality.

Consent also means it’s every man for himself. That you can do whatever you can force some silly or intimidated woman to agree to, however much it will hurt them.

If this teenager consented to group sex, there was nothing more for Johns and his mates to know. Indeed, none seemed to think they had a duty to protect this young woman from what degraded them all. … click here to read the full story.

Does group sex make men fearless? Or are they just gay and frightened?

While it is hard to imagine my wife doing a female tag team in the hotel with the concierge, it is equally hard for me to understand why groups of men do this. Am I the only one that thinks it is totally gay? I don’t mean gay in some kind of pejorative sense, I mean gay as in homosexual. I may be behind the times but I cannot understand why any man would want to be in a room with five of his best mates in all their tumescent glory….. click here to read the full story.

One of the boys

These athletes rarely ever show remorse for the morality behind the deed. They only seem to be sorry for the subsequent embarrassment and pain it caused after they were caught. Are any of them sorry for the actual behaviours, regardless of whether they get busted or not?

When was the last time an athlete came out and said something like “my actions were disgraceful and I should not be engaging in that sort of behaviour in the first place because it is just plain wrong?”…. click here to read the full story.

[Image via The Sydney Morning Herald]

Friday night my friend Naomi & I booked into Jupiter’s Casino to watch Lady Salsa!!! What a sensational, electric & high energy performance. We thoroughly enjoyed the show and even went up on stage and did some Salsa! The show is a must see!

Shake your maracas and shimmy on down for the sauciest stage show in Jupiters’ history.
Hit the steamy streets of Havana and take a dip in the red hot world of Rumba, Mambo and Salsa for the dancing revolution that changed the world.
Lady Salsa is a stunning dance spectacular that charts Cuba’s vibrant and amazing history through the music and rhythm of this intoxicating island.
This whirling kaleidoscope of dazzling colour and seductive glamour features the red-hot rumba, mambo, cha-cha-cha and the sensational salsa. Gorgeous dancers in an incredible array of glittering, sexy costumes and an impossibly funky band, transport you to the steamy streets of Havana and the world of Salsa, rum and revolutions.

Saturday it was off to DouDouLe Latin Dance Camp 2009 for a full day of dance workshops plus a party and some amazing performances!!! This camp is organized by Jean-Luc Lambs whom I met and found to be an extremely pleasant, professional and helpful person. The thank you speech at the end of the night seemed to sum up his personality with the comment, “Heart of Gold!” What Jean-Luc is doing for the Australian Latin Dance Community is sensational and even with all the pressure of organising such a huge event he displayed no signs of stress. The 368 Latin enthusiasts in attendance had the choice of over 20 different Latin workshops in a range of levels throughout the day, followed by a huge party with the Sauciest & Hottest Latin Dancing I have ever come across.

The Party included performances from some of Australia’s most famous and talented Latin Dancers. It was an amazing experience to be part of such a huge Latin dance event and to feel the electric energy run through your body. I can’t wait for next year’s camp!!! 

Saturday Nights Performers: 
1.     Jaime Jesus & Mary (Jaime organises the Sydney Salsa Congress)
2.    Latin Motion Rising stars
3.    Kevin & Chelsea
4.    Carlos & Elli (Australian Salsa Cabaret Champions)
5.    Csaba & Val
6.    Kadu & Larissa (who made Zouk famous in Australia)
7.    CDA Samba
8.    Modus Vivendi
9.     Oliver Pineda & Luda Kroitor  (the current 5 times World Salsa Champions from ‘Dancing With The Stars’) 

Right on the beautiful beaches of the Gold Coast….DouDouLe Latin Dance Camp was founded in 2008 by Jean-Luc Lambs , who is also the Organiser for Brisbane Number 1 Latin Club “Casablanca Sunday Salsa Seduction”. Jean-Luc is also the Official MC to many Latin Parties, Festivals , Congresses and Concerts around Australia and has built himself a reputation for being partly involved in bringing the Latin Community together in his home town Brisbane.

DouDouLe Latin Dance Camp is designed to bring all Latin Dancers from different schools and cities under 1 roof, in a different setting and environment to your Dance Halls. A relaxed, Holiday environment makes this Latin Event one of its kind and it’s right on the Beaches of the Famous Gold Coast. His ideas of everyone together under 1 roof is to bring Unity and Love and also bring Dancers closer together by sharing more personal time together and the Passion that everybody brings with them , which is Latin Dance. For more information please click here .

 [Info via Jupiters Casino & DouDouLe Latin Dance Camp]

My latest read; ‘The Power of Now‘ by Eckhart Tolle.

What an extraordinary book by an inspiring, exceptionally wise and intelligent author!

This is a truly amazing book and has been recommended to me at the perfect stage of my journey, thanks Jamie. This book clarifies what I have been experiencing in my mind for the last three and a half years, an awakened consciousness. Repetitive thought, negativity, one’s conditioning and sense of self derived from the past no longer controls my life, emotions or actions, I do.

I have just started reading A new Earth and have also bought Stillness Speaks and Practicing the Power of Now. All these books are essential reading for spirituality and living your best life! There is always so much more to learn, grasp and put into practice… especially to live in the Now!

The Power of Now has been widely recognized as one of the most influential spiritual books of our time. A #1 New York Times bestseller, it has been translated into over 30 languages. The book has helped countless people around the globe awaken to the spiritual dimension in their lives, find inner peace, increased joy and more harmonious relationships.

To make the journey into The Power of Now we will need to leave our analytical mind and its false created self, the ego, behind….

ARE YOU READY TO BE AWAKENED?

When you are present in this moment, you break the continuity of your story, of past and future.
Then true intelligence arises, and also love.
The only way love can come into your life is not through form, but through that inner spaciousness that is Presence.
Love has no form.

Please click here to read Oprah’s interview with Eckhart Tolle.

[Images & Information via Eckhart Teachings]

My Book Store HERE!

What a pleasure to be able to converse with Mr Lawrence Springborg MP last night, Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the LNP. Earlier in the week I had received an invitation from our local LNP member Mr Ted Sorensen to join local candidate colleagues for drinks with their special guest Mr Springborg at the Wheelhouse Restaurant in Hervey Bay. He had flown in earlier in the day in his helicopter and was staying the night at the Mantra.

Lawrence was easy to talk to and well articulated, some of the different things we discussed in conversation were:

Pure Blonde low carb beer and calorie counting -
“Calories aren’t bad it’s the carbs that kill you, if you don’t burn the carbs they turn into fat. One must cut out cabs at night. Carbs are killers!”

What was Lawrence drinking?
“Apple juice, low GI”

Why did he have writing on the palm of his hand and not a notebook like myself?
“That is my notebook I write on my hand all the time.”

What do you think of the recession?
“Big excuse for why Rudd failed”

What do you think of the Traveston Dam issue?
LNP would not go ahead with the Traveston Dam, not now, now ever.

What did he think of “The Biggest Loser”, reality TV show?
I don’t watch it but my wife and daughter love it.

Do you come to Hervey Bay often?
Yes over the years my mother in law lives in Hervey Bay. I have been coming here since 1987.

Did you meet your wife in Hervey Bay?
No Brisbane….

Just after 7pm after being introduced by Steve Dixon the Wide Bay Chair for the LNP who stated, “I want to live in a Queensland I feel proud of” …then Ted Sorensen MP  who said, “I want to get our fair share of the money coming into Queensland”…..a very fit looking Mr Springborg took the stage.

He spoke about being here to support the cause of LNP Queensland and especially our Hervey Bay candidate Ted Sorensen stating he is a decent representative that doesn’t take people for granted. He is a community champion that will fight for the area and how he needs our support to get him across the line. He believes Queensland is the best state in Australia and that we can make it even better. If we support Ted and with 21 other seats elected the LNP will win for Queensland at the next election.

He also touched on how Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Premier Anna Bligh are talking people into an economic depression.  People deserve better they have been let down by 10 years of Labor Government. There is eight months till the next election.

The invitation said this is an ideal occasion for you to raise the issues that you may have concerning Hervey Bay and our State of Queensland. I really wanted to hear what the new policies for our area would be as to date I have heard nothing. How can one decide who to vote for when you don’t know what their policies are? Mr Springborg’s policies are online here but I’m eager to learn what Teds are for the Fraser Coast area…..

In June I purchased a ticket for $2,505 to personally meet one of my all time business idols Donald Trump at the TRUMP in Australia seminar which now looks like it will not go ahead.

Billionaire property tycoon Donald Trump has blasted an Ipswich businessman whose “inexperience” and lack of money has lead to the collapse of a $2.5 million speaking tour of Australia…. Mr Quinn’s company, The Concept Store, went bust on Tuesday after selling only 1500 of a possible 8000 tickets to the series.

Brisbane Times

I was also looking forward to hearing from Sarina Russo at the seminar who I also admire as she is a powerful Australian business woman and I enjoyed her autobiography ‘Meet Me at the Top!’  

In my opinion Mr Quinn got cold feet and backed out too early. He should have aggressively promoted the seminars again closer to the date.

Trump is one of the most powerful business men in the world and if Quinn thinks he’s going to negotiate out of a contract with Trump for the remaining one million owing, he’s an even bigger fool…. 

Wow what a big night was had at the ballroom of the Sofitel in Brisbane for the Queensland 2008 Telstra Business Awards. Design House Fraser Coast was one of the 28 finalists out of over 4,500 applications statewide. Our host was Anne Fulwood and we were a Finalist in the Palm Micro-Business Award for businesses with five employees or fewer. We were first onstage for the evening to receive our Finalist Award.  

A big ‘Congratulations’ to Mumentum who won the category and the two other finalists hottie.com.au and River City Cruises.

I’m glad our category was announced first as I could then relax and enjoy the evening knowing I didn’t have to do a speech in front of 500 people! The food was delicious, the drinks flowed and the conversation lively and interesting. Afterwards I spoke with Anne Fulwood about her Media Consultancy Company and Lote Tuqiri who was staying at the Sofitel to play football today (Wallabies Vs the All Blacks) Go the Wallabies!

 Click here to view more images.

Michael Phelps just won his record eighth gold medal at the Beijing Olympics as a member of the victorious US 400m medley relay team, breaking a tie with Mark Spitz for most golds in a single games.
Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, Phelps and Jason Lezak won in a world-record of 3 minutes, 29.34 seconds, lowering the old mark of 3:30.68 set four years ago in Athens. 
Australia took the silver in 3:30.04
Japan earned the bronze in 3:31.18

 ”I don’t even know what to feel right now,….There’s so much emotions going through my head and so much excitement. I kind of just want to see my mom.”
Phelps said.

Click here to find out more…

[Image via CBA. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) ] 

If all of you people ‘don’t care’ about anything Perez Hilton says, then why do you go to his page? … as offending as this American can be, avid bloggers keep going back for more to keep up with all the celebrity goss and to read Perez’s point of view… Perez Hilton!

Mario Armando Lavandeira, Jr. (born March 23, 1978) is an American blogger and television personality. His blog is Perezhilton.com (formerly PageSixSixSix.com), which he writes under the pseudonym Perez Hilton. On his website Lavandeira posts gossip items about musicians, actors and celebrities. He often posts tabloid photographs over which he has added his own captions or “doodles.” His blog has garnered both positive and negative attention for its brash attitude, its active “outing” of alleged closeted homosexual celebrities and for its role in the increasing coverage of celebrities in all forms of media.
Wikipedia

Click here to find out more on Perez Hilton from Rolling Stone….The Queen of Mean

 [Image via Perez Hilton!.] 

Last night I was so excited to see one of my all time favourite performers the legendary Jimmy Barnes!!!

I saw Jimmy perform twice before over ten years ago, so I couldn’t wait to see if he still had the same venom!
To mark the occasion I made special promo shirts to wear and the ladies in the crowd were asking me if I brought mine at the merchandise stall so they could buy one.

The show started with Jimmy’s daughter Mahalia as the support act. Although I found Mahalia to have a beautiful and strong voice, I was alittle disappointed with the overall performance and heard alot of similar comments. Her appearance looked like she had just woken up and she wore what appeared to be a blanket with holes for limbs, inside out with the tag hanging out the back! (Unless this is a new trend I don’t know of yet) She also did not really work the stage or engage the audience and we spent most of the performance looking at her back.

After a short break my disappointment quickly disappeared when her father appeared and the stage came to life!

Now Jimmy was dressed to impress, oozing confidence and professionalism working the stage and crowd at the same time! He told us a story before each song of when they were written, where and what they were about. His voice and high powered scream had me mesmerised and my legs couldn’t stop tapping as I just wanted to dance like there was no tomorrow making it very hard to sit still.

His musicians were extremely skilled especially a guitar player on the right that was very charismatic and amusing working the stage around Mr Barnes. The two and a half hour nonstop performance from a man, who had recently undergone heart surgery, was engaging, entertaining and enthralling creating an electric atmosphere!
The crowd was screaming, singing, cheering, whistling, applauding and full of diehard fans from our Fraser Coast.

The man is a Legend, a true performer!

by Jeanette Maynes

Today I was officially invited to attend the community Cabinet Official Luncheon held in the Fraser Room at the Hervey Bay Boat Club with the Hon Anna Bligh MP Premier of Queensland and the Cabinet.

Finger food and light refreshments were served as the guests mingled with the politicians asking questions of relevance and raising suggestions and issues of concerns within our area.

Anna seemed in high spirits and on the mend from her fall / recent injury. Anna was very articulated and interesting speaking confidently in front of the crowd.

Two local Police officers were presented medals of honour from Judy Spence Minister for Police, Corrective Services and Sport for their long service within the Queensland Police department and the local community.

The Premier presented Fraser Coast Regional Mayor Mr Mick Kruger with a cheque for 4.9 million from the government to go towards the proposed Waterpark. We were able to view the actual plans of the Waterpark that will be located at the end of Main Street next to the seafront oval.

The Mayor was also presented a beautiful photograph of the harbour area in Hervey Bay taken in 1973.

Nancy Bates editor of the Chronicle was mentioned for her 20 years service to the area. The longest period a woman has been an editor in Australia.

Anna also personally autographed my official invite stating, “You go Girlfriend!”

I also met and shook hands with Mr Kerry Shine the Attorney-General and Justice and caught up with our local politicians Andrew McNamara MP for Hervey Bay and Chris Foley MP for Maryborough.