I’m really excited to announce that I will be discussing Social Media Monitoring at the panel discussion “A Weapon of Mass Discovery” at THE digital marketing event of the year, Adtech Sydney.
In the Spring of 2011, a number of Army Reserve soldiers of the 9th Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment (9RQR), along with 37 Indigenous students committed a week of their school holidays to participate in a 102km walk, over 5 days, from Kilcoy to Cherbourg.
The inaugural 2011 walk was organized by Yalari.org to commemorate the original journey completed in 1902 by Aboriginal people who were forcibly relocated to the Cherbourg community.
I was privileged to have exclusive access to interview the organizers and participants and capture some of their insights, expectations and highlights of the commemorative experience.
Their stories are enlightening, humorous and inspirational.
Brisbane City Council hosts Diwali Festival of Light (Deepavali/Devali) 2011 in King George Square, City Hall.
For Hindus Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes.
Diwali (also spelled Devali or Deepavali in certain regions), popularly known as the “festival of lights,” is a festival celebrated on the one new moon night, between mid-October and mid-December for various reasons.
The festival starts with Dhanteras on which most Indian business communities begin their financial year. The second day of the festival, Naraka Chaturdasi, marks the vanquishing of the demon Naraka by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama.
Amavasya, the third day of Diwali, marks the worship of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth in her most benevolent mood, fulfilling the wishes of her devotees.
Amavasya also tells the story of Lord Vishnu, who in his dwarf incarnation vanquished the Bali, and banished him to Patala.
It is on the fourth day of Diwali, Kartika Shudda Padyami, that Bali went to patala and took the reins of his new kingdom in there. The fifth day is referred to as Yama Dvitiya (also called Bhai Dooj), and on this day sisters invite their brothers to their homes.
Diwali marks the end of the harvest season in most of India. Farmers give thanks for the bounty of the year gone by, and pray for a good harvest for the year to come.
Traditionally this marked the closing of accounts for businesses dependent on the agrarian cycle, and is the last major celebration before winter. Lakshmi symbolizes wealth and prosperity, and her blessings are invoked for a good year ahead.
There are two legends that associate the worship of Lakshmi on this day. According to the first legend, on this day, Lakshmi emerged from Kshira Sagar, the Ocean of Milk, during the great churning of the oceans, Samudra manthan.
The second legend (more popular in western India) relates to the Vamana avatar of the big three Vishnu, the incarnation he assumed to kill the demon king Bali. On this day, Vishnu came back to his abode the Vaikuntha; so those who worship Lakshmi receive the benefit of her benevolent mood, and are blessed with mental, physical and material well-being.
The Australian Body Art Carnivale is Australia’s premier body art event, attracting artists and spectators from across Australia and overseas.
Amazing artworks and music are performed all weekend and along with a sensational Sunshine Coast Street Party, with multi-cultral food stalls and local produce and craft markets.
The Carnivale was a ‘A Festival of Colour’ centred around body art in its many and varied forms.
It is nothing short of phenomenal to watch the human canvases take shape during the competitions.
For artists the carnival presents an opportunity to showcase their creativity, experience the amazing atmosphere of the Carnivale and compete for over $16,000 in cash and prizes.
The Australian Body Art Carnivale is held annually in Eumundi, the dates for 2012 are from Saturday 12 May and Sunday 13 May.
The 2012 theme is “Under the Sea”, providing an absolute wealth of inspiration for artists.
The Queensland floods have devastated many communities. This one is particularly close to my heart. I could not access the all-too-familiar grounds of the UQ campus, where I attended university, as the water was yet to recede.
It was heart breaking to see St. Lucia in this state.
These streets look very different to how I remember. The stinking grey wash is in absolute contrast to the vibrant colours of the trees, homes and buildings that normally, represent so much hope for the future.
It was amazing to see just how high the water level had risen. The distinct line of grey mud along the trees and bushes was the best indicator. As so many of the residents had managed to get in and start the clean-up of their homes.
It was obvious that the Australian Defence Force had played an integral part in the quick response. Thank you guys, you are doing an awesome job!
Many communities have been devastated. Some families have lost everything.
You can help make a difference by donating to the Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal. http://www.qld.gov.au/floods/donate
Check Natalee-Jewel up on stage at the Ultimate Success Summit in Sydney with Sir Richard Branson, Anthony Robbins, Mark Bouris and the Success All Stars.
It was a great opportunity to catch up with some REAL LIFE professional Bloggers, Darren Rowse of Digital Photography School fame and Yaro Starak the BlogMasterMind!
Natalee-Jewel & ProBlogger Darren Rowse
I extended the invitation to a client of mine, who shares an interest in Blogging and Internet Marketing.Top10System’s, Tony Barlow, whose slogan is “Software not Menswear” :{) came along as my “Wingman” to drinks with the probloggers.
We were both excited and curious to be face-to-face with such online-successes but were pleasantly surprised to find everyone was really down-to-earth, approachable, friendly and insightful.
Both Darren and Yaro were keen to learn about everyone’s ventures and generously passed on a couple of hints and tips.
The evening was also a great opportunity to mingle and make some new acquaintances. Obviously, like any business – networking is simply part of a Bloggers success.
You never know who you are going to meet? It could be your next JV partner, or simply someone who has that final piece to the puzzle, you have been racking your brain over! Regardless, it is always interesting to discover what weird and wacky things others are blogging about and to also share the challenges and highlights of your experiences.
Thanks Darren for giving up your time to organize the get-together and share your insights; and to Yaro for the invite! It is always surreal when you meet your heroes and people you admire. Thanks for not disappointing me 🙂
Natalee-Jewel has a ferocious curiosity about human behaviour, how the universe works and the psychology of success. As a self-confessed Seminar Junkie, Natalee-Jewel decided to help others learn about and share these ideas. Natalee-Jewel created Seminar Junkies Anonymous to help others navigate the mine-field that is the personal development and wealth creation industries, and provide an open and honest forum, for all to discuss their experiences, concerns and insights.
