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 [...]

Nerom Eneas has found the heart of Canberra, which is apparently out the back of the Canberra Centre in Braddon, and is amused to find it empty.
Now come on guys, this is embarrassing. Where were we all that night? Why weren’t any of us hanging out at an intersection behind the mall at 11pm on [...]

For Belconnen residents ( and business owners, workers or students over the age of 16) who are eligible to vote at tomorrow nights Special AGM, I will be supporting the following candidates for the following positions:
President – Matt Watts
Vice President – Damien Haas
Secretary – Victoria Robertson
Treasurer – John Simson
There may be other candidates, but [...]

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 [...]

The irresistable Melanie Poole has sent through details about an upcoming conference:
‘Let’s Get Loud’ is a conference that will bring together NGOs, academics and students to
tackle critical issues in women’s rights. We will provide a deeper understanding of the
global and Australian context in which attacks on women’s rights occur.
Over the course of one day attendees [...]

[ 4 May, 2013; 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm. ] The Canberra Gay & Lesbian Qwire invites its friends, family and the wider community to a fundraising trivia night. The Qwire is a not for profit organisation which relies on fundraising events such as this to assist in covering the costs associated with the community programmes/performances we run/give. The night promises to be a fabulous [...]

Katrina has mailed this in raising some pretty fair questions:
Hi, just want to make the public aware that the BBQ’s (near the park and carpark) at John Knight Memorial Park are out of order!
Just what we needed when we arrived to host a kids bday party for 27 kids!
No sign and when I [...]

The War Memorial is explaining their changes and re-arrangements as they pursue their status as a museum rather than a memorial to the greater glory of Brendan Nelson:
This week the Sinai–Palestine and Western Front galleries will temporarily close to the public. A suite of newly redesigned galleries will be launched in this space early [...]

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 [...]

Ben_Dover was roaming in the wilderness when he came across this startling piece of evidence:

Down at the foot of Mount painter, some imbecile has vandalised the park care sign. One can only wonder why? Protest at tree culling? Anti-rabbit control vendetta? Just hipsters being their usual PITA?
Who knows? The old crumblies who work on [...]

CEO of RSPCA ACT Michael Linke would like to remind people looking to buy puppies to check out the RSPCA’s Smart Puppy Buyers Guide before they make their purchase.
Apparently they’re developing a Smart Kitten Buyers Guide at the moment, but why would any smart buyer want a kitten, when they could have a [...]

In 16 years of reading ACT media releases I have never once seen an MLA go their own party at Federal Level quite like new MLA Yvette Berry is getting stuck in to the Gillard Government:
Member for Ginninderra Yvette Berry MLA, is this evening calling on her Federal Labor colleagues to reconsider its decision to [...]

Chief Minister Gallagher is taking credit for Canberra’s good rankings on immunisation of children:
ACT Chief Minister and Minister for Health Katy Gallagher MLA has welcomed the ACT results in the report on Immunisation coverage rates in Australia released by the National Health Performance Authority (NHPA).
“The report shows that the ACT has high immunisation rates for [...]

This just in from Chris at Make Hack Void:
Hi RiotACT,
As some of you already know, Make Hack Void (The Canberra Hackerspace) has been given October as the formal date Bulldozers will come knocking. The Downer Business park, where MHV resides, will be redeveloped into affordable units/housing plus a commercial district.
A possible site option in [...]

This year’s March Lifeline bookfair was arguably the most successful ever, with high attendances, high sales and a good spread of visitors and buyers through the whole weekend. Volunteers also reported that it was remarkably well organised in the setup and preparation. It comes as a shock, and an unexpected one, to all volunteers that [...]

[ 13 April, 2013 to 14 April, 2013. ]

Word reaches us that the Canberra Lapidary Club is holding their Rock Swap this weekend at EPIC:

The Canberra Lapidary Club’s Rock Swap is a fun day out for all the family.

It will be held on 13-14 April 2013 from 8.30am to 5.00pm at Wagtail Way, EPIC.

Entry is FREE!

Sieve for sapphires, pan for [...]

[ 16 April, 2013; ] Special guests will be sharing their family histories at the National Archives’ Shake Your Family Tree day on Tuesday the 16th.

The annual event is a great drawcard for both experienced and novice family historians, with experts on hand from a range of institutions to share their knowledge. The National Archives is encouraging people to visit [...]

The lovely Renai has signed up for the Live Below The Line poverty challenge of living for five days on $2 a day.
She’s looking for sponsors if you’d like to get on board:
I want to better understand the lives of 1.3 billion people who live in extreme poverty. It’ll be tough feeding myself on $2 [...]

In good news for me the Bureau of Statistics has declared the average ACT woman to be right in the ballpark.
And we’re young too! Happy days!
Sex: Female
Age: 34
Born: Australia
Job: General Clerk

A rather disturbing event occurred this evening that I would like to share with you all and get feedback on.
I was at Woden bus interchange at 6:20pm (9/4/13) and witnessed 3 Westfield security personnel chasing a young girl (approx. 15/16yrs old) through the interchange (the girl was walking fast but not running as such). Curious [...]

Simon Corbell launched the Centenary Heritage Festival today.
“Canberra is an important part of the festival but this year the Capital Region will also feature heavily in the program of events to mark Goulburn’s 150th Birthday and Queanbeyan’s 175th birthday as well as the contribution that other towns like Yass, Bungendore and Braidwood make to the [...]

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 [...]

The Age has a lengthy and intriguing analysis of US diplomatic cables from the 1970′s made searchable by the Wikileaks team.
If you watched Canberra Confidential there are whole new worlds of dodginess on display here.

Mindfulness is a proven technique that goes back thousands of years and is now being widely used to manage chronic pain. Psychologist Randolph Sparks, who gave a very engaging and insightful talk on “Managing Chronic Pain” last year, will talk about how mindfulness can work for you.
WHEN: Monday 15 April, 12.30-1.30 PM
WHERE: Room 9, 2nd [...]

Privi Marketting are looking for more chuggers!
Privi Marketing is Australia’s face to face fundraising agency of choice – for clients, associates, fundraisers, managers and the wider community.
Face to face fundraising? I wondered what they actually called it.
A chugger is a charity mugger for those nop hip with the lingo.
Rioter Notdingers sent us in this [...]

Safe Shelter are looking for volunteers:
The Safe Shelter for homeless men project aims to open inner Canberra church halls one night each week and is looking for volunteers to be trained to work in the project.
A pilot program will start operating on Wednesday nights at St Columba’s Uniting Church in Braddon from early May until [...]

[ 13 April, 2013 to 14 April, 2013. ] Those uppity folk down in Tharwa are reminding us they’re turning 151 this weekend to Canberra’s measly 100.

Anyway check the link out, there’s a lot to do down there.

buggsubique has posted last night’s show at the War Memorial to YouTube for our enjoyment and edification:
The Royal Military College Band played the 1812 Overture, 105mm towed howitzers fired, and the display concluded with fireworks. It rained the whole time.
If you’re new to the piece listen to the strains of Russian and French music contending [...]

So where’s the place to be for two up this year?
It’s been a while since I’ve been.
Last time I went to The Irish Club and it was quite good, but I’m interested in suggestions!

After listing Canberra’s top 100 most “liked” things, Canberra Centenary have just produced a handy resource for companies and events that nobody likes.
You can now print out a poster provided by the centenary and claim you/your business/your band/your cat/your drug habit is the 101st favourite thing in Canberra, with all the authority of the centenary [...]

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 – [...]

This Saturday at Belconnen Skatepark there is a demonstration of skateboarders from the SbA Pro Am Circuit.
Demo is featuring: Reece Warren, Bjorn Johnston, Ryan Wilson and Marty Girotto. Come down at 1pm to watch them shred! Happy Youth Week!