Who’s Hungry?

I’m starting to make dinner for the family about one night a week or more if I can.

Three of my more recent dinners were a caramel chicken recipe I found online and adapted, a “spiced-batter fish” one and a marinara mix stir fry.

1. Caramel chicken

Ingredients

• Chicken thighs/ breast, thinly sliced
• Garlic
• 1 red or brown onion
• Vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• Chopped vegies of your choice
• Rice

Method

1. Chop up chicken and choose, wash and chop vegies
   NB. Vegies for stir-frying are good
2. Heat oil in a wok or frying pan and cook chicken, in batches, stirring, until golden. Transfer to a bowl/plate to wait.
   NB. Start cooking with the pan with the heat set to ‘high’, then turn down to medium or medium-high as needed, once the pan’s hot. This is particularly useful if your stove takes a while to warm up; it also allows for quicker cooking.
3. Add onion. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic. Cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
4. Add vegies and begin cooking them.
5. In a separate pot, add rice to water with a bit of salt. The ratio is usually 2 cups water to 1 cup rice I think. Cook. It should take about 15 minutes.
   NB. This can be done in the microwave, but you’ll need to stop it half-way and stir it.
   NB. If you don’t want gluggy rice, then you’ll need to stir it on the stove and keep an eye on it as you’re doing the rest of the meal. It’s great if there’s someone else to help!
6. When vegies are mostly cooked, return chicken to pan. Add soy sauce. Cook, covered, for 5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Add sugar. Cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture is bubbling. Add fish sauce and juice. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until sauce thickens.
7. Wait for the rice to finish, plate up and serve! More or less vegies alter the effects of the sauce on the chicken, I think.

2. Spiced-Batter Recipe (for Fish)

Ingredients

• Fish pieces
• Flour
• Water
• Spices (I used mixed spice and tumeric)
• Salt
• Pepper

Method

1. In the bottom of two containers, mix a good amount of flour with salt, pepper and spices. Add water to the mix of one of the containers.
   NB. Remember to think about the ratio of flour to spices (you want it to be “just right”, not too spicy or too ‘weak’).
2. Dip and cover the fish into the ‘dry’ mix then into the ‘wet’ one.
3. The fish are battered – now it’s time to cook.
4. Use a deep pan to fry the fish as that will hold more pieces. Depending on whether you want to deep-fry or shallow-fry it, use more or less oil.
5. Serve with salad and rice/potatoes.

3. Marinara Mix Stir-fry

Ingredients

• Vegies
• Marinara mix (can be bought at most supermarket delis, it’s a mix of seafood)
• Vegetable oil
• Soy sauce
• Fish sauce
• Oyster sauce
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Chili
• Onion
• Rice/ potatoes

Method

1. Cut up vegies. I used carrot, pumpkin, zucchini, purple cabbage, cauliflower and bok choy. They were cut up into sticks or thinly sliced some other way.
2. Put oil into wok – enough to thinly coat the bottom. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent. While it’s cooking, add a teaspoon each of garlic, ginger and chili.
3. Add vegies and cook.
4. Add sauces; a tablespoon/teaspoon of each, to taste.
5. Add marinara mix and cook until done.
6. Remember to coat everything with the flavours by mixing through from bottom to top with a large kitchen spoon.

7. Meanwhile, cook rice/ potatoes.

8. Serve.

Something like that, anyway.

Bang! Three recipes. 🙂

Remembering the Mockingbird

Last week, Harper Lee died. The news of her passing made me think and remember.

It was in Year 10 that I was first introduced to her work – To Kill A Mockingbird. It was one of the year level texts at my school. I remember reading it, the summer before school started for the year, as I usually did with class texts.

I’m a fast reader, so it didn’t take me too long to read. Maybe a day? (It helped of course that it was summer, so I simply planted myself on my bed, with the fan in the bedroom and read the day away.)

I even know, thanks to my diary, what day it was (Thursday 23rd Dec) and how I felt after reading it. Here’s what I wrote about it:

I just finished reading ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’. I can’t really describe what it’s about – there are lots of meanings and I wouldn’t be able to explain them properly here.

All I can say is it really is a classic.

A quote: ‘Shoot all the bluejays you want, but it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.’

I cried at the end of the book, it was so touching.

As you can see, I was still processing the book’s contents when I wrote that, unable to properly articulate my feelings about it. All I knew was that it had touched me, deeply, in that indescribable way that books can. I knew that it was a book that would stay with me.

To Kill A Mockingbird‘s message did stay with me. It stuck, well and truly, like that other quote from it: “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view […] until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” and “Before before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn’t abide by majority rule is a person’s conscience.” and a hundred other gems, little darts of wisdom going straight for the heart.

The characters, too….I remember how we discussed, in class, the roles of Atticus and Calpurnia (a surrogate mother for Jem and Scout, despite or perhaps because of her role as a maid) and other characters. We also discussed Tom Robinson and Boo Radley, racism and ignorance.

It occurred to me when I was writing this that, though my diary entries don’t show it, I have a clear memory of comparing the mockingbirds of the story with present-day mockingbirds. They are asylum seekers and Indigenous Australians and African-Americans and Muslims and other groups historically and currently disadvantaged because others fear and hate them. When I read the book in Year 10, I was beginning to think critically and politically about issues. Perhaps that’s why the book’s truths about injustice and people and power stuck with me and continue to do so. The problems outlined in the book haven’t gone away and the truths haven’t turned false.

Of course, we now have Go Set A Watchman adding meaning and detail. I confess, I haven’t read it yet (though I’ve heard about its contents) – a combination of wanting to wait out the hype, uneasiness over its discovery and just plain forgetting to borrow it out. I’ll have to get on to that, I suppose.

Have a read of this bookriot article here. It puts an American spin on things. The author of that piece, Ms. Schingler makes a good point. It’s up to us to be the change. She says,

“Set the idea of Atticus aside. We are our own watchpeople. We should be, should always be trying, to work to protect and defend Tom Robinson, in all his modern incarnations, ourselves.”

Like Ms Schingler, I, too, say: Goodbye, Boo (Harper Lee) – and thank you.

WT&TT: Personality Affecting Writing Process? (reblogged)

A while ago, I took the Myers-Briggs test online. (We were taking a different set of comprehensive personality tests in my psych subject for analysis and I was doing a bit of background research on personality tests in general.)

I’m supposedly an ENFJ/ENFP…the difference between the J and P ‘scores’ wasn’t enough to distinguish one or the other, so I’m both. 😛 Make of that what you will…I suspect each of us has at least one characteristic like that.

The first thing I’d say about personality tests (esepecially online ones) is to always take them with a little grain of salt (at least) and remember that personality is changeable. We can have set basic tendencies, but life experiences and whatnot shape actual personality. As well as how good one feels about themselves on the day of taking the test.

Anyway…they’re good for a general overview of potential strengths/ weaknesses. Looking at another blogger’s ideas for ENFP and ENFJ authors is quite amusing, as I can see myself in the descriptions.

Also, the tests are good for character development. It’s interesting to think about. Once I finish doing their ‘F Words’ (which is throwing up backstory surprises of its own), I’m taking the test ‘as’ them. (I’ve got the big list out and everything.) This puts things into perspective.

As a total Potter nerd, I also found this blog post, if you’re so inclined, matching Hogwarts House qualities with Myers-Briggs ones. The blogger makes some good assessments, including a breakdown of primary and secondary traits (leading to Houses) which may also prove useful for analysing your characters.

Writing Tip Tuesday #30 – Jami Gold & Andrea Wenger by Evolet I’ve been slacking a bit on the writing tips because I’ve been reading a lot of the same things lately. A lot of rehashed content or stuff I’ve already posted about. And I’ve been working on other Internet-y things. But after finally getting around to reading some of the posts I’d saved in my Inbox, [tag]Jami Gold[/tag]’s answer to the question Does Our Personality Affect Our Writing Process? intrigued me enough to finally post this month. Have you ever taken the Myers-Briggs personality test? I remember doing so at the last long-term job I had. The 7 people in our department took it and the third party consultant who administered it came in and explained everything. It was truly enlightening and it made sense why my manager and I got along so well. We were very similar. According to Jami, this test can provide a better understanding of how our personality traits might help us develop a writing process that works for us. One suggestion of Jami’s that I may take into consideration at some point, if I feel the need to delve deeper into my characters, is to take this test from a character’s POV to create a story arc.   Read more by clicking on the title of the piece above.

The Importance of Sight (reblog)

I have hyperopia or long-sightedness. Also, when I was very young – maybe three or so – I had an operation and other treatment to correct a ‘lazy eye’ or “strabismus” (I learnt a new technical word for this post! Cool!). That means eye muscles in one eye had to be tightened a bit for me to focus properly because it was letting the other eye do all the work. That determined which eye was the dominant eye and from that point on (I think), I’ve worn glasses.

Due to the degree of hyperopia in different eyes, one glasses lens is slightly thicker than the other. When I was in primary school in particular, if I tried to read or do anything close-up without my glasses on I’d get read bad headaches. Now, thanks perhaps to me working with computers, as well as genetics, I have a bit of myopia (short-sightedness) too. Don’t ask me to read smallish print at distances greater than two-three metres or less.

Why am I blathering on about this? Because (as discussed below) our sight is important so we need to protect it.

6 steps to save your sight

• HEALTH, MEDICAL CONDITIONS,NUTRITION,PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
• BLINDNESS, BOOK,DIABETES, SMOKING,VISION
• 2 COMMENTS

 

When we think about prevention in health care, we tend to focus on the worst diseases, those that threaten life- cancer, heart attacks, stroke, violence. But non-fatal conditions can also “threaten life”, putting the quality of our lives in danger.

Limited vision contributes to severe and significant loss of function and well being. If you include people whose vision problems are corrected with glasses or contacts, it may be the most common disability in the world. But even excluding those people, vision loss still affects millions of people in the world.

Courtesy: National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health (NEI/NIH)

Here are some key facts about vision loss from

WHO (World Health Organization)

 

• 285 million people are estimated to be visually impaired worldwide: 39 million are blind and 246 have low vision.
• About 90% of the world’s visually impaired live in low-income settings.
• 82% of people living with blindness are aged 50 and above.
• Globally, uncorrected refractive errors are the main cause of moderate and severe visual impairment; cataracts remain the leading cause of blindness in middle- and low-income countries.
• The number of people visually impaired from infectious diseases has reduced in the last 20 years according to global estimates work.
• 80% of all visual impairment can be prevented or cured.

A refractive error is a very common eye disorder. It occurs when the eye cannot clearly focus the images from the outside world, causing blurred vision.

The four most common refractive errors are:

1. myopia (nearsightedness): difficulty in seeing distant objects clearly;
2. hyperopia (farsightedness): difficulty in seeing close objects clearly;
3. astigmatism: distorted vision resulting from an irregularly curved cornea, the clear covering of the eyeball.
4. presbyopia: which leads to difficulty in reading or seeing at arm’s length, it is linked to ageing and occurs almost universally.

Refractive errors are commonly corrected with glasses or contact lenses, or refractive surgery. 

Read more by clicking here: http://watercresswords.com/2016/02/01/6-steps-save-sight. 

WT&TT: Your 2016 Authorial Mandate (reblogged)

Another one of Chuck Wendig’s great posts about writing. Simply? You call the shots – no-one else. Warning for language. Read on:

Your 2016 Authorial Mandate Is Here: Be The Writer That You Are, Not The Writer Other People Want You To Be by terribleminds That blog title is way too long, but fuck it. A handful of weeks ago, some presumably well-meaning tickledick posted a comment here at the blog. It was a comment that I chose not to approve because, really, I don’t need your shit, Rando Calrissian. This blog is my digital house, and I don’t let strangers inside just so they can take a dump on my kitchen table, especially so we can all sit around, smelling it and discussing it. But the comment was a splinter under my nail, working its way up into the finger-meat. And then reading George R. R. Martin’s end-of-the-year message about not finishing the newest SOIAF also was something that crawled inside me and starting having thought-babies. Being here on the Internet is a bit like hanging out on a clothesline — some days are sunny and warm, other days are cool and breezy. Some days it pisses rain and the wind tries to take you, and other days it’s daggers of ice or a rime of snow or smoke from a wildfire or some pervert streaking across the lawn and stropping up against you with his unwanted nasty bits. Being on the Internet means being exposed. You’re just out there. A squirming nerve without the tooth surrounding it. That’s good in some ways because you’re exposed to new people, new ideas, new ways of doing things. You’re not an isolated creature here. You are an experiment being observed and are in turn an observer of countless other experiments, and that makes a subtle-not-subtle push-and-pull. But can also be erosive or corrosive — it can wear off your paint a little bit. As a writer in particular, it has its ups and downs, too. Here, you’ll find yourself surrounded by a gaggle of ink-fingered cohorts who know what it is to do what you do. You’ll have a herd, a cult, a clan, a tribe. You’ll have smaller communities who know what it is you write or want to write, too, whether it’s young adult or epic fantasy or erotic sci-fi cookbooks. And here on the Digital Tubes, everybody is has an opinion, everybody is an expert. And that’s extra-true with writing. Other writers have their processes and their hang-ups and their wins and their losses, and they share it all. Which is, on a whole, a good thing. Information is good. Camaraderie is good. That, though, can muddy the waters at the same time. This Person is doing This Person’s thing, and That Person is doing That Person’s thing, and Other Person is really loud about what WILL SURELY WORK FOR EVERYBODY (translation, will probably only work for people who are or are like Other Person). And advice gurgles up around your feet like rising floodwaters. Do this, do that, don’t do this, don’t say that, don’t write this, this isn’t selling, that is a no-no, publish this way, sell that way, don’t publish that other way, drink this, wear houndstooth jackets with elbow patches, drink that, snark here, snark there, with a fox, in a box, wearing socks, eating rocks, with a bear, without hair, anywhere. We have a whole lot of writers trying to figure out who they really are, and in the process, do a very good job at also telling you who you should be in order to conform to their notions of who they want to be. To confirm who they are, it’s easy for them to also confirm who youshould be, too. That’s not sinister. That’s just human nature. It’s easier to become something when others are along for the ride. And it’s also the joy of confirmation bias — what worked for me confirms that I WAS RIGHT AND SO YOU ARE A HEINOUS DIPSHIT IF YOU DO NOT FOLLOW PRECISELY IN MY FOOTSTEPS. I do it. You do it. Most of us do, I think. Read more by clicking on the title above.

It’s been nearly a year….who’s next???

 

So, it’s been almost a year since I shaved and cut my hair. The World’s Greatest Shave is coming around again soon. I won’t be shaving this time, but I’ve already seen a few “Sponsor Me” badges and pages. If you’re shaving or colouring your hair, well done and good luck! I hope lots of people support you. If you’re not, I hope you support someone who is.

Remember, all money raised goes to the Leukaemia Foundation, so they can support people with blood cancer and other blood disorders as well as fund research and other things, talked about below in the email I’m reposting here.

If you or anyone you know is planning on shaving or colouring, let us know in the comments!

View the web version of this email.

Hello Clare, Today in Lifeblood, we bring you news of an exciting therapy breakthrough – aided initially by the Leukaemia Foundation’s generous supporters – which is offering new hope for people with the most common type of leukaemia. We tell you how you can download our new blood cancer drug access guide and share many ways you can support our work, including by joining our World’s Greatest Shave hairy challenge from March 10-13. Thank you for sharing our Vision to Cure and Mission to Care. Breakthrough therapy gives hope for new leukaemia treatment In a world-first clinical trial, resulting from an earlier breakthrough aided by Leukaemia Foundation supporters,  Melbourne medical researchers have shown that people with an advanced form of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) can achieve complete remission with a novel tablet treatment. Learn more about the new anti-cancer drug Venetoclax Demons ruckman takes on hairy challenge for World’s Greatest Shave Australians are being asked to accept the hairy challenge of getting sponsored to shave or colour their hair from March 10-13 to help people with blood cancer. Melbourne Demons ruckman Jake Spencer has signed up to honour a friend, and we’d love you to get involved too. Find out why Jake Spencer has joined World’s Greatest Shave and how you can register today New guide to accessing blood cancer drugs Thanks to our supporters, the Leukaemia Foundation has developed a new booklet called Accessing non-PBS Funded Blood Cancer Drugs in Australia. It is a guide to navigating the complex system of accessing blood cancer drugs that are not PBS listed in Australia. Learn more about accessing blood cancer drugs – get your copy today Run the NYC Marathon on November 6 and support Aussies with blood cancer The New York City Marathon is considered one of the best road marathons in the world and, in November, Trish Davidson will pound the pavement in honour of her daughter’s two year marathon treatment for ALL. Determined to help others, Trish is fundraising to help the Leukaemia Foundation improve treatments and find cures for blood cancer. Read Trish’s story and find out how you can register for the New York City Marathon “After seeing my friend Nigel go through such a long journey with blood cancer and the impact it had on his family, friends, and the local community I’m looking forward to supporting the Leukaemia Foundation’s efforts.” Jake Spencer, Melbourne Demons ruckman. Click here to sign up to shave or colour your hair for Word’s Greatest Shave and help us find better treatments and cures for blood cancer. Nic’s Cradle Challenge for “a true champion forever in our hearts” At 26, Nic Easton dreamt of cycling from Sheffield to Cradle Mountain and back with his dad, after his treatment for leukaemia was over. Sadly, Nic passed away before he could realise his dream but on Sunday February 28, more than 70 cyclists will honour his memory with Nic’s Cradle Challenge fundraising bike ride. Limited places are still available if you’d like to join Nic’s Cradle Challenge Ride As One cyclists ready for New Zealand’s South Island challenge Preparing to brave the elements of New Zealand’s South Island on February 22nd, Steve Quinn is one of a 35-strong Ride As One cycling team raising funds to help the Leukaemia Foundation support people with blood cancer. Find out why Steve Quinn is ‘hooked’ on Ride as One and help spur him across the finish line

REBLOG: Not Doing Lent

For those who commemorate it (like me) today marks the start of Lent – Ash Wednesday. When I was in primary school, the thing that I’d always give up would be chocolate. Simple and basic, but hard at times … it got into a routine, but was good for young me. In Year 12, I forbade myself from going to certain websites which were major distractors to study. That was helpful then. Over the past few years I’ve tried to do something different instead. I try to be kinder to certain people I tend to get annoyed at, or something like that.

This year, I’ll be following the advice given below…looking at what I really love and why, then trying to do more of that and less of other things. As well as practice my sense of situational awareness.

I Don’t Want To Do Lent This Year by Michael K. Marsh As I write this reflection it’s the third week in Epiphany and I’ve been thinking about Lent for a couple of weeks now. I am thinking about Shrove Tuesday; the pancake supper, the palms we will burn, and the ashes we will prepare for the next day’s liturgy. I am thinking about the fragility of life, mortality, and the ashes that will mark our foreheads on Ash Wednesday. I am thinking about the Church’s invitation “to the observance of a holy Lent by forty days of self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.” The old voices in my head are asking, “What are you giving up for Lent this year?” I’ve been thinking a lot about Lent and the truth is I don’t want to do Lent this year. Now maybe that’s something a priest isn’t supposed to say but I did and I mean what I said. I don’t want to do Lent this year. I don’t want to just get through Lent. I want Lent to get through to me. I want Lent to do me. … Read more by clicking on the title.

WT&TT: Alert! Breach of copyright! (reblog)

Uh oh. Rosie Malezer has discovered something disturbing. In light of her discovery, she says, “To all of you who have put copyright works out there, whether as a PDF, ePub or through Amazon Kindle, I strongly recommend that you do a weekly search on Google and on YouTube for your name.” 

Read more below. This is not on!

Rosie Malezer usually has a very important story to tell about being an author who is survivor of domestic violence who is blind and deaf. She is also an Indigenous Australian woman and currently an ex-pat. She has told – and continues to tell – her story through her writing in her books and on her blog. Please check her out. Her messages are sometimes hard, but necessary to hear. I’d recommend one of her latest posts especially to those in the health profession. Below are a collection of several posts from Rosie. She’s discovered something rather disturbing for authors and readers.

The “….” notate where there’s more of the blog post to read which I haven’t put up here, given I was putting several posts together. Read more by clicking on the linked title or date.

ALERT: Breach of Copyright!

JANUARY 27, 2016 / ROSIE MALEZER

Authors beware.  More and more, I have been finding companies who quite happily supply your copyright materials (books, music, comics) to their paid customers, even though they have no right to do so.  In breaching copyright, these companies take away all of your income from hard-earned work by we artists, writers, musicians and pocket it themselves.

Some of the worst offenders are sites called BEST BOOK LIBRARY, BOOKS DEITY, eBOOKSLOVER, BINSEARCH.net and BOOK RIDDLE, which not only supply your works illegally to the public, but hide the work under a different author’s name.

….

You are worth it.

FEBRUARY 6, 2016 / ROSIE MALEZER

 

….To all Kindle authors out there, please take the time to check your DRM settings, as two of my books (one not yet released, but with many pre-release sales pending) had the DRM changed to the dreaded second setting, allowing a free-for-all and costing me all income which could have been gained over the past six months.  If you have fallen into the same trap, you will also have to unpublish your book and re-publish from scratch. 

….

Stolen eBooks warning

FEBRUARY 6, 2016 / LEAVE A COMMENT

Recently, I blogged about the fact that many of my books were appearing “for free” on paid web sites in which the web site owner (and not the author) were profiting from the books.  I listed a few examples so that authors could check that their own work had not been stolen, breaching the very copyright at the beginning of their book.

I have one more site to add to that list:

http://www.epublibraries.com

Again, many books (including my own) have been found which are not free-for-all and the authors are missing out on their payments.  The first giveaway that this site was not honest was all the spelling errors, followed by the fact that so many of the books they are supplying are new release.  Then the final piece of the puzzle that they are gimps comes from the fact that they were stocking my books, when I had never provided it to them to begin with!

If you are an author and you are followed by a Twitter user called “@epublibrary,” you might want to do yourself a favour and block them from your site immediately.

I urge you, readers, do not go to these sites.  They steal from the writer, disguise themselves as honest sites, and ask you to spread the word and link to them all over the many social media sites online, encouraging you to help further empty the authors’ pockets.  It’s unfair to anyone who writes for a living.  Kindle books are inexpensive, do not harm the environment, and are provided to you with trust that you will not share the book illegally to others.

Last week, I inadvertently discovered how these sites are taking our “secured” work from Amazon Kindle and are turning them into free documents for distribution, and it has everything to do with the Digital Rights Management (DRM) setting with Kindle.

….

 

 

I #StandforSanctuary

Across Australia this evening in over forty towns and cities there are gatherings in support of asylum seekers threatened with deportation. Below is some text I’ve copied from GetUp’s page about the event, since I couldn’t screenshot it. This includes a list of the towns and cities participating. There are more cities involved in the actions than listed, too, so have a squiz around your town tonight!

Also, check out the list, right at the bottom, of organisations supporting these actions. We will not stand down!

Stand for Sanctuary

This is an emergency.

A High Court ruling on Wednesday means 267 people – 37 of whom are babies, including those in the photo above – could be sent to the abusive detention camps on Manus Island and Nauru within days.¹

Together, we must stand in the government’s way.

We can’t waste any time. The government is ready to put these vulnerable men, women and kids on planes to hell – and only a huge public mobilisation is going to stop that happening.

In an incredible show of compassion and solidarity, churches around the country have opened their doors to offer sanctuary to the 267 people Malcolm Turnbull wants to deport. We stand with them.

On the evening of Monday 8 February, thousands of people will rally in capital cities and towns around the country to stand for sanctuary, and demonstrate that together, we will do everything we can to keep these babies, children, men and women safe. We will demand that the government let them stay.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD POSTERS TO PRINT AT HOME

On this page, you’ll find all the events we know are being organised. Some are being organised by GetUp! and our partners, others are grassroots mobilisations. If you can’t find your local town or community on this page, and would like to hold Stand for Sanctuary event, just shoot us an email at standforsanctuary@getup.org.au and we’ll put it up on the page!

MAKE SURE YOU’VE SIGNED THE PETITION

Community organised events

ALICE SPRINGS
Where: John Flynn Uniting Church Lawns, Todd Mall, Northern Territory
When: Monday 8 February, 6pm
RSVP here

APOLLO BAY
Where: Great Ocean Road, Apollo Bay, Victoria
When: Monday 8 February, 5:30pm
Organised by: Apollo Bay Rural Australians for Refugees

ARARAT
Where: Ararat Performing Arts Centre, Cnr Barkly and Vincent Street, Ararat, Victoria
When: Monday 8 February, 6pm
Organised by: Rurual Australians for Refugees, Grampians/Gariwerd

ARMIDALE
Where: Central Park, Armidale, NSW
When: Monday 8 February, 5:30pm
Organised by: Armidale Rural Australians for Refugees
RSVP here

BALNARRING
Where: St Mark’s Church, Balnarring, Victoria
When: Monday 8 February, 7pm
RSVP here

BEECHWORTH
Where: Beechworth Post Office, Corner Camp St and Ford St Beechworth, Victoria
When: Monday 8 February, 6pm

BEGA
Where: Littleton Gardens, Bega, NSW
When: Monday 8 February, 5pm
Organised by: Bega Rural Australians for Refugees
RSVP here

BENDIGO
Where: Rosalind Park, Bendigo, Victoria
When: Monday 8 February, 7pm
Organised by: Rural Australians for Refugees, Bendigo
RSVP here

BIRREGURRA
Where: Birregurra Drapery Courtyard, 69A Main St, Birregurra Victoria
When: Monday 8 February, 6pm
Organised by: Birregurra Traders Association
RSVP here

BLUE MOUNTAINS
Where: Leura Uniting Church, Leura, NSW
When: Monday 8 February, 5:30pm
Organised by: Blue Mountains Refugee Support Group

BOAT HARBOUR BEACH
Where: Meet in front of the boat sheds, Boat Harbour Beach, Tasmania
When: Monday 8 February, 6:15pm

BUNBURY
Where: Anzac Park, between Library and Senior Citizens building, Bunbury, Western Australia
When: Monday 8 February, 6pm

CASTLEMAINE
Where: Victory Park, Castlemaine, Victoria
When: Monday 8 February, 6pm
Organised by: Rural Australians for Refugees, Castlemaine

CENTRAL COAST
Where: Gosford Waterfront (near Gosford Swimming pool)
When: Monday 8 February, 6pm
Organised by: Central Coast for Social Justice

DUNKELD
Where: Dunkeld Town Park, Victoria
When: Monday 8 February, 6pm
Organised by: Dunkeld Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support Group
RSVP here

EMERALD
Where: Emerald Community House Hall, 356-358 Belgrave- Gembrook Road, Emerald, Victoria
When: Monday 8 February, 7pm
Organised by: Emerald Community House
RSVP here

GEELONG
Where: Crn La Trobe Tce and Ryrie St
When: Monday 8 February, 4pm
Organised by: Combined Refugee Action Group

GERALDTON
Where: The Law Courts
When: Monday 8 February, 7pm

GLEN INNES
Where: Dunkeld Town Park, Victoria
When: Monday 8 February, 6pm
Organised by: Refugees Welcome Glen Innes Support Group

HORSHAM
Where: Horsham Botanical Gardens, Horsham, Victoria
When: Monday 8 February, 6pm
RSVP here

LITHGOW
Where: Cook Street plaza, Main street, Lithgow, NSW
When: Monday 8 February, 5pm
Organised by: Lithgow Asylum seeker and refugee support group

MAGNETIC ISLAND
Where: Alma Bay, Magnetic Island, Queensland
When: Monday 8 February, 6pm
RSVP here

MANSFIELD
Where: Meet at the horse trough in the Medium strip near the roundabout outside Mansfield Hotel
When: Monday 8 February, 6pm
Organised by: Mansfield Rural Australians for Refugees
Wear White

MOUNT GAMBIER
Where: Cave Gardens
When: Monday 8 February, 5:30pm
RSVP here
MYRTLEFORD
Where: Myrtleford Piazza, Clyde St, Myrtleford, Victoria
When: Monday 8 February, 7:30pm
Organised by: Myrtleford Refugee Support Group

NEWCASTLE
Where: Wesley Uniting Church, 150 Beaumont Street, Hamilton, NSW
When: Monday 8 February, 6pm
Organised by: Hunter Asylum Seeker Advocacy
RSVP here

NOOSA HEADS
Where: Lions Park, cnr Noosa Parade and Noosa Drive, Queensland
When: Monday 8 February, 5:30pm
RSVP here

NORTHAM
Where: Northam Uniting Church, Duke St, Northam, Western Australia
When: Monday 8 February, 7pm
Organised by: Northam Welcomes Asylum Seekers

QUEENSCLIFF
Where: Queenscliff Uniting Church, Corner of Hesse and Stokes Street, Queenscliff, Victoria
When: Monday 8 February, 7pm
Organised by: Queenscliff Uniting Church
RSVP here

RYE
Where: Rye Community Playground, Point Nepean Rd, Rye Victoria
When: Monday 8 February, 6pm
RSVP here

PHILLIP ISLAND
Where: St Philip’s Anglican church, Thompson Ave, Cowes, Victoria
When: Monday 8 February, 6pm
Organised by: Rural Australians for Refugees – Phillip Island

PICTON
Where: Town Square, Argyle St, Picton, NSW
When: Monday 8 February, 6pm
Organised by: Picton Uniting Church

SEMAPHORE
Where: Semaphore foreshore, by the angel war memorial, Semaphore, South Australia
When: Monday 8 February, 6pm
RSVP here

SHOALHAVEN
Where: 59 Junction Street, Nowra (outside Federal MP Anne Sudmalis’ office), NSW
When: Monday 8 February, 6pm
RSVP here

SOUTH GIPPSLAND
Where: Wonthaggi under the mine whistle in Murray St, South Gippsland Victoria
When: Monday 8 February, 6pm
Organised by: South Gippsland Rural Australians for Refugees

STAWELL
Where: Big Hill, Stawell, Victoria
When: Monday 8 February, 6pm

TALLAROOK
Where: Picnic at CWA Park, cnr Railway Pde and Main Road, Tallarook, Victoria
When: Monday 8 February, 6pm
RSVP here

TAREE/MANNING
Where: Fotheringham Park, near the clock, Victoria St, Taree, NSW
When: Monday 8 February, 6pm
Organised by: Rural Australians for Refugees, Manning

TENTERFIELD
Where: Bruxner Park, Rouse Street, Tenterfield, NSW
When: Monday 8 February, 6pm

ULVERSTONE
Where: Otto’s Grotto, Fairway Park, Ulverstone, Tasmania
When: Monday 8 February, 5:30pm
Bring stuff for a BBQ

WOLLONGONG
Where: North beach, Wollongong, NSW
When: Monday 8 February, 6pm
RSVP here
OR
Where: Serbian Orthodox, 82 Kenny st, Wollongong Where: Monday 8th February 6pm
Organised by: Serbian Ladies Auxiliary

Keep checking back – we’ll be listing all the community organised events we hear about here.

Organising your own event (or thinking about it)? Awesome! Click here to let us know!

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References
[1] ‘Asylum seeker families face deportation to Nauru after High Court ruling’, SBS news, 3 February 2016

City events

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Sydney

Where: Town Hall Square
When: Monday 8 February, 6pm
RSVP here or via Facebook

Melbourne

Where: State Library
When: Monday 8 February, 6pm
RSVP here or via Facebook

Adelaide

Where: Pilgrim Uniting Church
When:Monday 8 February, 6pm
RSVP here or via Facebook

Perth

Where: St George’s Cathedral
When: Monday 8 February, 7pm
RSVP here or via Facebook

Darwin

When: Monday 8 February, 5:30pm
Where: Nightcliff Swimming Pool
Organised by: Darwin Asylum Seeker Support and Advocacy Network
RSVP here or via Facebook

Canberra

When: Monday 8 February, 6pm
Where: St John the Baptist Church, Reid
RSVP HERE or via Facebook

Brisbane

When: Monday 8 February, 5:30pm
Where: St John’s Cathedral, 373 Ann Street, Brisbane
Organised by: The Ecumenical Social Justice Group
RSVP here or via Facebook

Hobart

When: Monday 8 February, 6pm
Where: Parliament Lawns, The Esplanade, Hobart, Tasmania
Organised by: Welcome to Australia (Hobart)br>RSVP here or via Facebook

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These events are supported by:

Amnesty International
Apollo Bay Rural Australians for Refugees
A Red Letter Day
Armidale Rural Australians for Refugees
ASU NSW & ACT (Services) Branch
Asylum Seekers Centre
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
Australian Kurdish Association
Australian Progressives
Australian Women Supporting Women on Nauru
Australian Jewish Democratic Society
Bathurst Refugee Support Group
Bendigo Action Collective
Blue Mountains Refugee Support Group
Breathing Space Women’s Choir
Brigidine Asylum Seekers Project
The Brisbane Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support Network
Burgess Bookings
Cabramatta Vineyard Church
Campus Advocacy for Refugees
CARE Australia
Catalyst Co-Lab
Catholic Diocese of Toowoomba
Central Coast for Social Justice
Central Victorian Refugee Support Network
Campaign for Australian Aid
ChildFund Australia
ChilOut
Christchurch Anglican Cathedral
Church AT: Collective
Combined Refugee Action Group
Common Grace
Communist Party of Australia
Council for Civil Liberties NSW
Courage to Care NSW
Darwin Asylum Seeker Support and Advocacy Network
Diaspora Action Australia
Dunkeld Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support Group
Earth Charter Australia
Eastern Hills Community Church
Echo International
Echo Shout
Emerald Community House
Enough Room
Familyworks
Fighting with Peace
Free the Children Nauru
Free Mojgan
The Gandhi Experiment: World peace through education
Geelong Combined Refugee Action Group
GetUp!
Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand
Gosford Anglican Church
Grandmothers Against the Detention of Children
Greek Ambassadors
Hunter Asylum Seeker Advocacy
I Am A Boat Person Inc
The Greens
Jewish Labour Bund
Joyous Birth
Jump Up and Down 4 Kids
Justice for Refugees SA
Law Institute of Victoria
Law Students for Refugees
Lebanese Muslim Association
Love Makes a Way
Mansfield Rural Australians for Refugees
Medical Association for Prevention of War
Mercy Refugee and Asylum Seeker Network Victoria
Multicultural Youth Affairs Network
Mums 4 Refugees
Music for Change Inc
Music for Refugees
Myrtleford Refugee Support Group
Northam Welcomes Asylum Seekers
One Community SA
Oxfam
People Just Like Us
People’s Democratic Party
Picton Uniting Church
Pilgrim Uniting Church
Pitt Street Uniting Church
Queenscliff Uniting Church
Refugee Action Coalition
Refugee Action Collective
Refugee Action Committee
Refugee Council of Australia
Refugees Welcome Glen Innes Support Group
Regal Records
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) Queensland Regional Meeting Inc
Right Now magazine
Rural Australians for Refugees
Rural Australians for Refugees – Bega
Rural Australians for Refugees – Bendigo
Rurual Australians for Refugees – Grampians/Gariwerd
Rural Australians for Refugees – Manning
Rural Australians for Refugees – Phillip Island
Save the Children
Serbian Ladies Auxiliary
Sisters of the Good Shepherd (Australia)
SKIF
Socialist Alliance
Solidarity
South Gippsland Rural Australians for Refugees
Stand Up
St Cuthbert’s Anglican Church
St David’s Anglican Cathedral
St George’s Anglican Cathedral
Sunday Assembly Sydney
Sydney Alliance
Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS)
Tassie Nannas
United Nations Association
Victorian Allied Health Professionals Association
Wayside Chapel
Welcome to Australia
Welcome to Australia (Hobart)
The Welcome Group
Wesley Uniting Church
Unions NSW
Unitarian Church of South Australia
United Religions Initiative
United Sikhs Inc.
Uniting Church Synod of Victoria
Young Liberty for Law Reform Steering Committee
Young Mercy Links
1 Million Messages To Malcolm

To include your organisation as a supporter, email standforsanctuary@getup.org.au

 

REBLOG from Carly: Help Find Ellen a Flatmate in Adelaide

My online friend Carly is looking to help a friend out. Her friend Ellen is looking for a flatmate in Adelaide…can anyone help???

#AppearanceDiversity: help find Ellen a flatmate in Adelaide Posted: 23 Jan 2016 02:01 PM PST I really want to help a friend out – and think that you lovely, open minded readers will be able to assist. My friend Ellen is looking for a flatmate in Adelaide, Australia. Her fully furnished two bedroom flat is near Adelaide CBD & Flinders university. It has a car space and a garage for storage, plus an Internet connection. And it’s $160 a week. You can find out more about her flat here. Ellen is 24 years old, studying her honours, she is friendly, has a cat and is tidy. She’s so smart and is a good conversationalist (we’ve had some great chats online). Ellen also has a facial difference. She’s had inquires from over 50 potential flatmates since late December, and they’ve all fallen through. Ellen told me this experience has brought up questions about how she manages disclosing (or not) her facial difference. Read the rest of the article by clicking on the title. Clicking on Carly’s name will take you to the rest of her blog.