The Australia Sri Lanka Buddhist Association of Canberra cordially invites us all to 30 Jenke Cct, Kambah:
This year Sri Lanka Buddhist Vihara in Canberra will celebrate the Vesak on Saturday, 11 May 2013 from 5.30pm onwards.
You are cordially invited to enjoy:
- Illumintated Vesak Pandol
- Colorful Lanterns
- Traditional Vesak Celebrations
- Traditional Dance
- Drama and Devotional Songs
This [...]

The theme for this the 30th International AIDS Candlelight Memorial is “30 Years in Solidarity”.
The 30th International AIDS Candlelight Memorial at the National Gallery of Australia 6.00pm – 7.00pm on Sunday 19th May.
The event is to honour, support and advocate for those affected by HIV – Friends, Family, Colleagues and the community. Please [...]

You could do something wonderful today …
You could bid on an auction to win something you really covet – like a signed Brumbies jersey, a champagne breakfast, memorabilia signed by the Prime Minister, a luxury getaway, support for your business valued at over $800 – and at the same time know that all proceeds [...]

People seems to be concerned that the Diversity ACT Hub would not be a significant source of rainbows for the residents of Kambah.
To allay your fears, here are some snaps to show those Diversity ACT people are miles ahead of us.
Hopefully, rainbow pedestrian crossings are next on the Diversity agenda.
Welcome to Kambah, LGBTI Community. [...]

The Candle Lighting Ceremony hosted in Canberra by the Domestic Violence Crisis Service (DVCS) was held last night. The National Candle Lighting Ceremony, held on the first Wednesday of May each year, is in remembrance of those who have died and also acknowledging the profound impact each of these deaths have on thos left [...]

DISH@Oatley is inviting everyone to a Free Friday Funday event.
* What’s happening?: using found and gathered materials including: sticks, plant fibre, fabric, yarn etc, make a bush doll, wrapped, tied, stitched and decorated as you wish…
* Finished dolls [...]

A national day to remember those who have died because of domestic and family violence.
The ACT Domestic Violence Crisis Service will be conducting a Candle Lighting Ceremony
1 May 2013
5:45pm
Garema Place, Civic

Perhaps racing to Parliament House dressed as Storm Troopers would have more effect, but as it is a Saturday and Parliament isn’t sitting, I am not expecting our elected representatives will take too much notice.
ON 4 MAY, STAND UP FOR: OUR JOBS, OUR CITY, OUR FUTURE
ACT Unions: Celebrating May Day and 100 years of [...]

Gelato Mio, has opened at the Hyperdome which sells locally produced Gelati and claims them to be authentically Italian. I have missed having reasonable access to good Gelati and so have vested and deeply selfish interest in encouraging this one to commercial success.
After braving the delights of shepherding some younger relatives through their retail [...]

As the revisions to the Mental Health (Treatment and Care) Act 1994 seem to cover a lot of issues including treatment orders, search and frisking powers and, arrest without a warrant, some people may be interested in being involved in this consultation.
Consultation on the Second Exposure Draft: Wednesday 17 April – Tuesday 28 May 2013.
The [...]

Red Cross are in need of volunteers for the Community Visitors Scheme (CVS).
CVS is for residents of aged care facilities in the ACT and South East NSW region who are socially isolated and whose quality of life would be improved by friendship and companionship. Volunteers are matched with a client for social visits for about [...]

Down near the newish Kambah Superschool there is an almost secret commercial, community and religious centre, with temples and medical services and a fitness center.
On Saturday, the Sri Lanka Buddhist Vihara opened its gates for one of its regular Food Festivals. The air was full of spicy scents and the sense of purpose from [...]

Record store day came and went, I celebrated with a visit to Songland at Cooleman Court. The vinyl on offer was all donated and was generally what you would expect.
I picked up some groovy tunes (6 records for $10) and now just need to work out how to play them; otherwise I will [...]

Dropped by the Rose Cottage Markets on Saturday, hoping rather than expecting a small but bustling hive of locally produced goods nestled amongst the gardens of the Old Rose Inn.
The site has always had a chequered commercial history, never quite hitting the mark as a destination location and not really en route to anywhere. [...]

LifeCircle ACT presents a Life Matters Event Final Gifts: understanding the special awareness and needs of the dying.
A one-day gathering of speakers, community organisations and business specialising in palliative care, advanced care planning and end of life care.
Southern Cross Club
9:00-2:30pm
Saturday, July 6 2013
MC: Clair Hochstetler, Head Chaplain, Pastoral Care, Canberra Hospital
Program :
- Welcome to Country [...]

Genevieve Wauchope, Executive Director of the Canberra Environment Centre, is inviting us along to think about and discuss what Canberra should look like for the next 100 years.
Does the Canberra you want to live in have higher density living areas? Does it have community vegetable gardens in public parks or recycling stations throughout Civic? [...]

The Australia Institute is inviting us to a conversation between Richard Denniss and Bob Brown.
Since the last time Bob Brown spoke to Politics in the Pub he has resigned from Parliament, created the Bob Brown Foundation which aims to help front-line environmentalists, as well as led a Sea Shepherd anti-whaling mission.
In an election year [...]

Still cleaning out my camera and found this poorly conceived and executed sign from Gold Creek Hair and Beauty. I imagine Chenille of Chenille’s Institute de Beaute’ & House Of Hair Removal would entirely approve of this sign.
I regret never peering inside to discover the nature of the “Treatments”.
[Got an image of Canberra you [...]

The Canberra Archaeological Society has been active in local archaeology and heritage protection for most of its 50 years.
At this presentation, Helen Cook will start with a panoramic view of Canberra Archaeological Society involvement in identifying, recording, excavating, conserving and promoting cultural heritage in Gungahlin, including embarrassing photos, the ghosts of history past and [...]

[ 19 April, 2013; 7:00 pm; ]

The Mt Stromlo Observatory in conjunction with the Canberra Astronomical Society invite all of us to attend their public observing night.

Come and see the rings of Saturn, the craters of the moon as well as beautiful star clusters and nebulae. On the night attendees will be taken on a ‘tour of the universe’ with talks [...]

This one rattled into my inbox and so I thought the Canberra community might like to know they can [and maybe would like to] vote for their favourite gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer identifying Canberran, business or organisation.
The People’s Choice award is an annual event which recognises nominees’ contributions to the LGBTIQ community [...]

Red Cross is looking for new volunteers for its MATES program, which assists socially isolated people in reconnecting to their community in the ACT and region. Volunteers are matched with participants one-to-one and meet regularly – usually for an hour or so a week or fortnight – to undertake social activities in the community. Volunteers [...]

Are you interested in becoming a Foster Carer?
Marymead’s next information session will be held at
– Marymead
– 255 Goyder Street Narrabundah
– 18 April at 6.00pm.
Children are always welcome and light refreshments are provided.
If you are unable to attend an information session but are interested in finding out about foster [...]

Another lovely day and so off to the Cuppacumbalong Open Day, which was part of the Tharwa 150th Anniversary. Happy birthday, Tharwa!
I was there just around noon and it seemed to be a quiet and very civilized event, with people picnicking on the lawns, playing a spot of badminton on the tennis courts or sauntering [...]

Feeding my insatiable desire for cheap and quirky stationery means I spend a lot of time in the discount shops. This creates a pretty high tolerance for poorly crafted advice and signage.
This new sign by Top Bargain in the Tuggeranong Hyperdome has raised the ambiguity bar beyond my wildest expectations.
Good job.
[Got an [...]

A dear friend of mine irregularly sends me snaps of the charity token bins at his local Waitrose supermarket in Suffolk. After discovering a similar arrangement at The Good Guys we did a brief desktop analysis.
The major findings were that:
— Tuggeranong likes Jamie Oliver better than Suffolk;
— The English support historic and [...]

Really not a lot to say about this, other than I find evidence of the constant battle between the not-very-passive aggressive people and the purely lazy people to be a source of mild amusement.
I am firmly in the latter camp and so too idle to research whether the presence of evil plastic bags precludes [...]

It seems to me that if the Government requires me to shell out an inconvenient amount for parking – like $9 – then they should:
– provide machines that work,
– provide machines that accept notes,
– provide machines that give change, and
– if part of the instructions are in bold, italic and [...]

While wandering into a lunch at The Ginseng at the Hellenic Club in Woden, my colleagues and I saw the remnants of what was clearly a very significant chess event in the Olympus Room.
After checking the boards and notes it seems Canberra again hosted one of Australia’s most significant weekend chess events – [...]

Driving some lads home from a buck’s night last week, I was delighted to zip by what looked to be a smallish Tyrannosaur prowling outside the dinky little shops at Mannheim St in Kambah.
Over the extended weekend we wandered back to find it was a life sized Postosuchus, in Kambah! He is the “frontman” [...]

The Canberra Times reports that serial thief and drug abuser Skye Joyce is seeking an early release from the Alexander Maconochie Centre on the basis she is due to give birth next month, the prison does not provide facilities for mothers and babies, and she believes she will be separated from her baby if it [...]

Spotted this morning at the Hyperdome – Mother Nature is swathed in black plastic with black spray-paint advising Closed for Renovations.
I think most Tuggeranong regulars have noted that the Mother Nature here has been circling the drain for quite a while – prices went up, quality down, range reduced, registers not working properly, staff numbers [...]