G’day and welcome to the March 26, 2008 edition of our Carnival of Australia. Thanks for hopping on back here. This fortnight we are celebrating with a brand new home for the Carnival: The new Imaginif corporate blog. What do you think? 

Imaginif is jumping in this fortnight for Lightening Online. Having to hit the frog and toad interstate at short notice, she is “offline” and unable to host. We’ve simply swapped our turns around. Lightening is facilitating for my scheduled turn next fortnight.

As is my Carnival hostessing practice, let’s begin with a post from the last host:

Duncan Macleod. Duncan poses a question that has more to do with beliefs than chocolate eggs: Should we keep Good Friday as a public holiday? posted at Pacific Highlander, saying, “How do we respond to suggestions that Australia ditch Good Friday as a public holiday?” Duncan goes on to expand our Aussie culture and the benefits of a four day weekend: “Easter, although associated with a Christian tradition, is a key part of the Australian culture. Most Australians, regardless of beliefs or ethnic backgrounds, enjoy having an extra long weekend, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday observed on Monday. People get to travel, see family and just have a relaxing time. ” What’s your response to Duncan’s question?

Albert Foong presents The Art of Giving What You Don’t Have » Personal Development – The Urban Monk posted at Urban Monk.

Kathie Thomas presents The Torn Curtain posted at thomases.org

GrrlScientist presents Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted): A Kiwi in Washington DC posted at Living the Scientific Life. Not quite Australian but seeing as our Duncan is a Kiwi, I’ve allowed it in: GrrlScientist offers, “An endangered bird species from New Zealand hatches at the National Zoo in WashDC — only the fourth chick of this species to hatch outside of NZ.”

Char (one of my fellow Cairns bloggers) presents Backyard Psychology Observations with the Birds posted at Psych Matters, saying, “Linking birding and psychology to apply critical analysis and observational skills.” Hey, seems the birds are getting into the birds here….Go you beautiful birds!

Business

David Hunkar presents ADR Universe: Australian Bank ADRs !! posted at ADR Universe, saying, “There are four Australian bank stocks that are available in the US as ADRs for investment.”

Current Affairs

Gavin R. Putland presents Apply your razor to the FHOG — surgically posted at /etc/cron.whenever/.

Family

Suzie Cheel presents The Journey, Making a Real Difference with Children posted at The Abundance Highway, saying, “The Journey is making a difference in lives of many children.  See how children so openly share about how they have healed and grown.  See how schools are using the Journey to help children! The Journey is making a difference in lives of many children. See how children so openly share about how they have healed and grown.  See how schools are using the Journey to help children!”

PlanningQueen presents 10 circuit breakers to prevent those family melt down moments! posted at Planning with Kids, saying, “Some things that we do in our house when it all gets a little crazy…..”

Mattg presents Do You Get Twitter? posted at Matt Garrett, saying, “Twitter is really a fast growing community site and providing a good environment to interacting with people of same thinking or business line. So, go and get a twitter, now.”

Carole Fogarty presents Top Eight Must Know Feng Shui Success Habits: posted at THE HEALTHY LIVING LOUNGE, saying, “The feeling, vibe or atmosphere filling your home is simply energy. The quality and way in which this energy moves throughout your home directly effects the flow of your life. You are not separate from the energy filling your home and it is not separate from you. You are both exchanging energy continuously. Stuck stagnant energy in your home creates obstacles and setbacks whilst light gentle moving energy allows your life to flow with greater ease. It’s that simple.” Carole, I need you to come and move in with me. I have feng shuied my office as best I could but all the globes keep blowing and the three talk doctors remain stressed. We want you to have a Bali retreat in Cairns – we’ll all book in (Megan).

Allison from Three Times Kewl, asks, Was that a big dream? A fantastically wonderful woman and blogger who I just know I would love face to face, she just returned (exhausted) from a holiday in Victoria. A lone parent of three tiny and hilarious girls, Allison’s partner died, and the girls all miss him dreadfully. While away on holidays, the girls soaked up some culture, stayed up late at night (oh ah…don’t tell your Mum girls) and on the third day, Daddy almost rose again: after dancing till midnight (almost – well not almost, just seemed like that to the wee ones) under the silvery moon Miss F approvingly enquired, “Is this what daddy does all the time now, mum?”

Outback

Lightening presents Shearing posted at Lightening Online, saying, “We’re not quite “outback” but here’s a little sneak peek into shearing time on our farm. . Loved it Lightening. Hope all went well with your quick interstate trip.

Sport

Duncan Macleod presents AFL writes The True History of Australia posted at Duncan’s TV Ad Land, saying, “AFL (Australian Football League) has launched a campaign to mark the celebration of 150 years of Australian football, with a TV ad, ‘The True History of Australia’, tweaking the currently accepted view of Australian history. Most of the footage was shot and recreated in camera, including the recreation of the first game of Australian Football in 1858. Australian actor, Bill Hunter guides us through the story in a documentary style.”

Walkabout

jen presents  In case of emergency posted at Semantically driven.

Machione presents Pete’s View In Melbourne, Australia posted at What I See Out My Window. What a really lovely idea.

I’m going to Sydney for All for Women’s third birthday party on May 11. Would love to meet up with a few of you sheilas at the gala do and perhaps with the blokes at the pub. We’re staying in Annadale so we’ll be central and close to public transport – I take the “if you drink and drive, you’re a bloody idiot” messages VERY seriously.

Really off the path well travelled here (I’m super good at that!): I’m on a mission to start a network between bloggers in my beautiful home town of Cairns. Do you know any? Here’s who I’ve collected so far (below). Get to know them, invite them into our social networks and perhaps some of them can be added to our two elite blogging lists: the top 100 Australian blogs index and the top 100 Australian women’s  blogs.

Cairns Bloggers

• Andrew Griffiths
• Big Little Sister
• Birdwing Therapies
• Cairns Action for Sustainable Transport
• Cairns Blog.net
• Cairns Unlimited
• Jean Burman (artist)
• Psych Matters
• Spasmodic Dysphonia (this is my mother’s blog)
• Tropical Passions

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of carnival of Australia using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page. And women, don’t forget the All Women blogging Carnival - it runs weekly: every Monday.

If you haven’t already signed up for our automated Carnival reminders, do it now. You will only ever receive two emails a fortnight from me: one to remind you to post and a second to tell you that the Carnival is up and where to go to check your links.

Upcoming editions:  
Apr 09, 2008, Lightening Online
April 23, 2008, Aussie Bloggers
May 07, 2008, Semantically Driven (you should see what Jen can do with Photoshop: AMAZING!!! Jen it’s our wedding anniversary this month and I’ve ordered Photoshop).

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