Category: General news

Sunshine Coast firm Sola Mia is flogging a line of leather aprons for cafes and restaraunts on the basis that the savings on laundry bills soon pay for the cost of an apron. Starting at $80 for the little lap numbers and heading north from there. The latest line is now available in navy, hunter green, turquoise, red, terracotta, bone, camel, tan and dark tan.

“These aprons will save anywhere from $208 – $364 per staff member each year in laundering fees. They’re stylish, hardwearing and don’t shows the signs of use cotton and denim aprons do,” Solo Mia Designs Director, Ms Sanam Arthur said.

Solo Mia Designs has now also added a side loop on their aprons to hold cloths and tea towels.

The aprons can be cleaned with a damp cloth and can be occasionally conditioned with leather conditioner, which is readily available in supermarkets.

Logo embossing is also available for cafes, restaurants, bars, hotels and the like. Australia Post delivers all aprons and depending on location will arrive between two – three business-working designs. (Bespoke and logo embossing aprons will take longer depending on order.)

Sola Mia owner Ms Sanam Arthur said, “having been the owner of a busy gourmet café for many years, I was inspired to create a product that would service the hospitality industry by providing a unique new line of aprons that would be practical, comfortable, look stylish and only need minimum maintenance.”

Solo mia designs’ business goal is to help empower women, and as such we are committed to supporting Hand in Hand, a charitable trust based in Tamil Nadu, India which has a focus on child labour elimination, education and the empowerment of women through micro business. If you would like to find out more about Hand in Hand, check out our Facebook page.

Righto, enough already!

You can all stop going into Three Monkeys and telling Ralph Stamos you are sorry to see the end of a West End institution and it is sad to see the old place close. Ralph is moving on but the Three Monkeys stays. Not only that, it stays the same.

Ralph’s brother will be working closely with the new owner Marie Hanson to ensure that the atmosphere of this local institution is carefully preserved.

Ralph called the Westender asking us to set the record straight. So many of you have been popping in to say good bye he felt a little like Mark Twain after reading his obituary in the New York Journal. Twain famously commented, “Rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”

Ralph and the Three Monkeys are very much alive, as is The Westender. Thanks to all of you for letting Ralph know how much you appreciate the work he has put into building a local institution. Thanks too for reminding the local business community just how many of you are reading the paper, now in its twenty second year.

Today is the first day of the Brisbane Comedy Festival . Thats right! There’s nothing between you and a month of shameless, snorty laughter.

Work yourself into giggle-frenzy with brand-spanking new shows from Wil Anderson, Stephen K Amos, and Hannah Gadsby. Go off like a prawn in a hot sock with Sam Simmons, poke fun at Campbell Newman doppelgänger Tom Gleeson, and hear how Nick Cody survived a ferocious bear attack. The gags continue with funsters Rhys Nicholson, Glenn Wool, Alex Williamson and more.

The Festival opens today with Frank Woodsley’s Fools Gold, Jack Druce in Adventure Peach and Dave O’Neil with Back in My Day. At least another three shows round out the opening offerings.

Hannah Gadsby’s The Exhibitionsist will run from 11th March until 16th. In 2013, Hannah performed comedy art lectures in London, New York and Far North Queensland. She also discovered she had convict ancestry.

The Gruen Transfer’s Wil Anderson is back with a brand-new show running from 18th March until the 23rd.

The Sun Herald  described him as “a masterclass in comedy… he may be one of our biggest comedy exports, with a national profile on radio and television, but flying solo on stage is where Anderson truly shines… the man is on fire.”

With a line-up of over 50 comedians in the building and at the bar, we say… go forth and photo-bomb! #BrisComedyFest

Monday February 24, 2014 – Melbourne, Australia — At approximately 1936 AEDT yesterday, the Japanese whaling fleet launched an unprovoked six-hour night attack on the Sea Shepherd conservation ship, The Bob Barker. The harpoon ships, Yushin Maru and Yushin Maru No. 3, crossed the bow of The Bob Barker a total of thirty-three times at close range during the assault, dragging 250-metre and 150-metre steel cable, respectively, across the bow of The Bob Barker in an attempt to disable the conservation ship’s propellers and rudders.

The Bob Barker was sailing six nautical miles behind the factory vessel, Nisshin Maru at 73° 08’ S 175° 33’ E when the attack commenced. The assault was an attempt to deter The Bob Barker from blocking the slipway of the Nisshin Maru, where it was preventing the whalers’ ability to load whales poached from the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

The Nisshin Maru was located early on Sunday morning for the third time this season by The Steve Irwin’s helicopter. However, the whaling vessels delayed an attack on The Bob Barker until Sunday night, launching their onslaught on the conservation vessel under the cover of darkness.

Captain Peter Hammarstedt of The Bob Barker reports: “I radioed the harpoon ships to let them know that our operations are completely lawful and that any aggressive action on their part would be reported to the Australian government and New Zealand Search and Rescue, and that Australian Environment Minister Greg Hunt had been contacted. I have nine Australians and one New Zealander on board as part of my brave crew who have endured this ruthless assault. We maintain unwavering dedication in the face of an increasingly vicious onslaught from the poachers, the last line of defence standing between these criminals and the protected whales they are targeting to kill.”

The harpoon ships crossed the bow of The Bob Barker fifteen times from port to starboard during the attack in violation of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS)

The whaling fleet’s crew threw ice at the crew of The Bob Barker small boats, which were launched to defend the conservation ship from the onslaught. The whalers also blinded The Bob Barker Bridge with powerful searchlights, impairing vision and endangering navigation. At 0100 AEDT, the Nisshin Maru was lost from The Bob Barker’s radar.

The Bob Barker is currently within close range of the Yushin Maru and the Yushin Maru No. 3, and can confirm that the two harpoon vessels are unable to whale. Since locating the Nisshin Maru early Sunday morning, the Sea Shepherd Fleet was able to chase the factory vessel out of the Ross Sea. The Steve Irwin and The Sam Simon are trail-free and shadowing the Nisshin Maru.

It is the second time this month that The Bob Barker has been attacked by the Japanese whaling fleet without provocation. On February 2, the conservation ship was struck by the Yushin Maru No. 3 in a nine-hour attack on the Sea Shepherd ships, during which the harpoon ships crossed the bows of the Sea Shepherd ships a total of 86 times.

In December last year, the Australian government committed to sending an aircraft to monitor this year’s whaling operations. Earlier this month, New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs, Murray McCully, indicated the possibility of “relationship consequences” between New Zealand and Japan as the result of an incursion by the Shonan Maru No. 2, the Japanese whaling fleet’s security vessel, into New Zealand waters.

Managing Director of Sea Shepherd Australia, Jeff Hansen, said, “The Bob Barker is in the Southern Ocean to defend the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary from the illegal Japanese whalers. Both Australia and New Zealand are parties to the Sanctuary. Both the Australian and New Zealand governments have legally challenged the Japanese whaling operations at the International Court of Justice. So were are these governments now, when their citizens and the Sanctuary are under attack from these poachers?”

In just one month’s time, Australia’s annual Meat Free Week will return bigger and better from 24-30 March. The national week is dedicated to raising awareness of the amount of meat Australians eat and the impact it has on human health, the environment and the welfare of animals.

Australians eat twice the recommended dietary guidelines of meat (a whopping average consumption of 113kg per person per annum)[1] and almost three times as much as the world average[2]. This consumption compromises our health, and with global meat production predicted to double within six years, it also raises serious concerns about long-term sustainability and animal welfare.

Participants of Meat Free Week are sponsored to go without meat, including seafood, for seven days in order to raise funds for one of three leading charities – Bowel Cancer Australia (health), The Australian Conservation Foundation (environment) and Voiceless, the animal protection institute (animal welfare).

The 2014 campaign will be supported by a raft of famous faces including musician Ben Lee and actor Krew Boylan, as well as respected experts in the areas of health, the environment and animal welfare. Leading chefs Simon Bryant, Belinda Jeffery and Bill Granger are among many who have provided a range of delicious meat-free recipes, which can all be found on the website – www.meatfreeweek.org – along with information on how to take part.

Meat Free Week was launched in 2013 to raise awareness of excessive meat consumption and the animals harmed by factory farming. Through their research and discussions with a wide range of experts, founders Melissa Dixon and Lainie Bracher realised the negative impact the large amount of meat we consume has on our health and the environment.

“Meat Free Week quickly became a hot topic, creating debate in both traditional and social media,” says Bracher. “Ultimately, our goal is to get Australians thinking and talking about the amount of meat they eat and how it’s produced. When it comes to our eating habits, a small change can make a huge difference.”

During the 2013 campaign, Greens NSW MP Dr John Kaye introduced a motion to the NSW Legislative Council congratulating Meat Free Week and calling on all members of the Upper House to support this important initiative. Dr Kaye adds: “Excessive meat consumption in Australia is contributing to poor health outcomes, environmental degradation and unacceptable rates of animal mistreatment. The 2014 Meat Free Week campaign is great opportunity to raise awareness of these issues.”

For further information, visit www.meatfreeweek.org

Bowel Cancer Australia

Bowel Cancer Australia is a national charity with a mission to decrease the impact of bowel cancer in our community through advocacy, awareness, education, support and research. www.bowelcanceraustralia.org

Bowel Cancer Australia’s Community Engagement Manager Claire Annear said that the charity was excited to be involved as the health partner for Meat Free Week: “Following on from the wonderful success of last year’s campaign it is lovely to see Meat Free Week expand its supported causes to include health concerns, and Bowel Cancer Australia was thrilled to be selected as the Meat Free Week health charity”

“It is estimated that changes to diet and physical activity could reduce the incidence of bowel cancer by up to 75 per cent [1],” Ms Annear said. “There is convincing evidence that consumption of red meat and processed meat are causes for bowel cancer, so Bowel Cancer Australia is very happy to be involved in raising awareness and funds through Meat Free Week [1].”

[1] Bowel Cancer Australia 2013. Reducing Bowel Cancer Risk: Diet and Lifestyle.

The Australian Conservation Foundation

The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) stands for ecological sustainability. We get to the heart of environmental problems by tackling the underlying social and economic causes. We work across society to influence urgent, transformative action to deliver lasting change on the scale required to secure a sustainable environment. We bring people together to champion the true value of our environment and its critical role in sustaining all other systems and in achieving human wellbeing. www.acfonline.org.au

“The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) is proud to be the environment partner of Meat Free Week 2014,” said ACF Fundraising Manager Jonathan Storey. “To ease the pressure on our environment, including reducing our water usage and pollution, we support consuming less meat. When you do buy meat, choose pasture or grass-fed over grain-fed ones. And be sure to support hardworking families in your community by buying from local farmers (with the added benefit of reducing your ‘food miles’).”

Voiceless

Voiceless is a not-for-profit think tank that drives reform and helps build the animal protection movement by offering grants and prizes, creating influential networks, promoting informed debate and conducting research to expose legalised cruelty. After the tremendous success of Meat Free Week 2013, Voiceless, the animal protection institute is delighted to be supporting this wonderful initiative again for 2014 through the Voiceless Grants Program. www.voiceless.org.au

“Australians all over the country have shown their willingness to embrace the Meat Free Week message of compassionate consumerism: a trend both retailers and industry are noticing,” said Elise Burgess, Voiceless Head of Communications. “Australians are now seeing the truth behind factory farming. Factory farming causes the most suffering to the largest number of animals in Australia – more than 500 million every year. They have no voice, cannot defend themselves and are legally classified as ‘property’. Instead of being acknowledged as sentient beings, they are treated like commodities in a production line and their pain and distress is disregarded in the pursuit of profit.”

[1] Australian Dietary Guidelines, 2013
[2] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report, 2012

Local food distribution system, Food Connect, has entered 2014 with a bang and a new website and ordering system.

Happiness manager, Emma Kate Rose said “we did it because many of you gave us feedback about the limitations of our old ordering system.  You wanted a system that would allow us to celebrate our food and farmers more meaningfully, and create a more dynamic and practical ordering experience for our customers.”

here are some major changes in the way that orders are placed and processed, which she hopes will make customer’s experience more enjoyable.

“It is different, and will keep us on our toes – in a good way!”

She said that many customers are asking if Food Connect’s business has changed

“No way! We are the same social enterprise operating with the same vision and the same business model to bring about a fairer food system. We just have a new ordering system integrated with our website (they used to be two separate systems) which we believe will help us to sell more of our fabulous farmers’ food.”

She said the aim is to spend less time on back-end administration and improve the company’s engagement with it’s customers.  The entire aim of the compani is to give customers a greater connection to the farmers growing our food and the community we share it with.