The smiling faces on the masses thronging to Australia Day events throughout the country speaks volumes for what it feels to be an Australian living in the lucky country in the 21st century.
And clearly we have a lot to be thankful for.
Weather most people would die for (well, not literally), a strong economy – which means jobs for anyone who really wants one - and a truly multicultural population coming to grips with a freshly elected government with a lot of new ideas on how we as a country think about ourselves and where we actually fit on the world stage.
It is indeed an exciting time to live in.
However, the news of Heath Ledger was particularly troubling in the sense that we all started to ask ourselves: “How can some one so overtly talented, living the life he seemingly wanted so much, have it snuffed out so senselessly?”
I would hasten to say that, like everyone else, the exact details of his death are unknown to me, however that is not what is so troubling. Whatever the cause, self inflicted or otherwise, the sad fact is a young life so tragically ended. Do only the good die young?
The choice of country boy Lee Kernaghan for Australian of the Year is a particularly good one in the sense that Lee typifies many of the characteristics we have long associated with being authentically Australian.
In the Slim Dusty tradition Lee has struggled over decades to establish himself as one of Australia’s pre-eminent country singers and for many this accolade is a much deserved recognition for someone, who just like many people we all know, has made the best use of their own natural but not excessive talents, and put in the hard yards to achieve their ultimate success.
The fact that Lee champions the struggling farmers and rural communities whenever he can, and has single-handedly raised $1million for the drought stricken families, is particularly commendable, but his unassuming and modest deflection of the spotlight from himself and his deep sense of helping the often neglected in our community is reminiscent of a Kiwi (who should have been an Australian) Sir Edmund Hillary who also left us recently.
I would suggest that with examples like Sir Ed and now Lee our talented younger people do in fact have some ‘home grown’ examples of how to harness the often arbitrary and fleeting attributes of early fame to live a truly balanced, fulfilling and meaningful life.
Both have shown us in trumps: it’s a truly great life … if you don’t weaken!
Your Opinion Counts. CLICK HERE >>>>>>>>>>>>>> And now with Video
YOC e-magazines now have the capability of delivering VIDEO-on demand within its HTML newsletters utilising Flash 8 technology and our video sharing portal www.yoctv.com
This means readers with broadband will be able to view a video by clicking direct from the message in their Inbox – it will be displayed as a new window from the browser - but don’t try this with Dial-Up.
Check out the YoY jokes on the Flash Player Window below >>>>>>>>>>>>
As far as YOC are aware this is a first for mass distribution e-zines in Australia and we hope you all like the innovation.
Your Opinion Counts. CLICK HERE >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Once is enough!
Last week YOC commenced publishing our weekly e-magazines using a new content management system; unfortunately in some areas multiple copies were delivered in error – please accept our apologies.
We do not anticipate this will be an on-going problem and ask all readers to persevere in the meantime, but if you continue to receive multiple copies in the weeks ahead please do not hesitate to email me on : andrewc@youronlinecommunity.com.au The year of the Super Mum … or Dad
As announced last week YourOnlineCommunity is launching a radical new approach to handling sales of its SmartPages directory listings in 2008.
Based on a successful UK model a team of House Mums and Dads is being recruited in each of our three communities and, after initial training, they will start hitting the phones in the first week of February.
Usually in their twenties or thirties many of the young parents have backgrounds in sales or customer service but they all are community minded, have outgoing personalities, and are looking for an opportunity to not only keep their work skills up–to-date but also to supplement their family incomes by working from home while at the same time managing their primary role as child carer.
If you are interested in discussing a position or perhaps know someone who might be, email me on : andrewc@youronlinecommunity.com.au
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