One of the sites I use when doing research for my IL lecturer is on hiatus this week and posted some you tube videos about war, emissions and protests. I found them fascinating and recommend you look at them if you can. You can even sing "Kill the wabbit" for the 1000 years of war video if you like.

Liss was one of the girls I helped out when I lived at the boarding school in Goulburn several years ago. I had to share this letter she wrote to Cadbury:

There are times I am convinced a jinx has been placed on me. There are times when I look at other people and think, "They don't seem to have to face the obstacles that I do". And there are times when being Australian makes me so ill I could weep. Sometimes all three of these things occur at once.

I have been getting further this year with my applications and interviews than before. This year, for the first time, I have made it through to the final round of a government department graduate scheme. I was very happy about this. I did as requested. I answered all their emails, filled out the paperwork, scanned it and returned it to them ( with some help from the generous unfoldedreality</lj> ) and got one of my law lecturers to fill out my referee report.

I tried to ignore the signs. I thought I would visit the beautician but she is on holiday for two weeks. I developed a pain in my right hand on Tuesday that feels like writer's cramp and I am now applying anti-inflammatory cream. My insomnia intensified too. 3am was my nodding off time last night.

The final straw has just occurred. I have spent all week waiting for my flight details. My nerves peaked around 5pm so I emailed them. The response was:

Our records indicate that you currently reside in the ACT and therefor will not be requiring flights, can you please confirm these details.

I checked my application. It has my Perth address. The form I had to return to them has my Perth address on it. They have had this form for one week. 

How on earth could this possibly happen?

<sigh>

This doesn't happen to other people, does it? Because from where I sit I appear to be putting in twice the effort and getting half the results. Seriously, why does this not happen to other people and always me?

Addendum: This morning (Saturday) I made an enquiry on the official Facebook page of this organisation. I now have a ticket and all is safe and sound. Apparently I am not the only one who was affected by this. Some chap in Adelaide who is also due to be interviewed on Tuesday hadn't received his details.

Helen Keller had scarlet fever as an infant which  left her blind and deaf.

At the age of 24 she became the first blind and deaf person to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Radcliffe University. She is best remembered as a public speaker, author and advocate for people with disabilities and died at the age of 87.

That is the last of the spreading sunshine posts as it is the last day of the month. I hope it helped you as much as it did alias_sqbr . Perhaps some of you know of some simlar stories and would be willing to share them. If so just leve a note in the comments section.

Simon Wiesenthal spent four and a half years in Janowska, Plaszow and Malthausen during WWII. He was one of 54 Jews chosen to be executed in honour of Hitler's 54th birthday and was one of the final three men left when he was summoned to paint signs for the camp.

After the war he was reunited with his wife and they had a daughter. He is best remembered as the greatest Nazi hunter of the 20th century, with his motto of "justice, not vengenace" and was responsible for helping to catch more than 1000 Nazi War Criminals, including Karl Silberbauer - the man who arrested Anne Frank.

Dr Haing S Ngor was one of seven doctors left in the entire country of Cambodia when the Khmer Rogue fell from power. He hid his glasses for four years and pretended to be one of the many uneducated masses in order to survive. He was a gynaecologist who in a very cruel twist of fate lost his wife and baby in childbirth. She wouldn't let him attend or save her and their baby as she knew that his abilities would expose him and result in instant death, meaning that he lost his family.

After surviving the Cambodian genocide and emigrating to the United States as a refugee he was chosen to play Dith Pran in The Killing Fields, despite having no acting training or experience. He went on the win a Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his debut performance and is one of two non-professionals to do so.

If you have the time watch his acceptance speech. The man has Khmer as his L1, French as his L2 and English as his L3, and in my opinion gives a better speech than most native English speakers.

1. Please help my niece, Claudia, with her quest to become a VJ. Follow this link and click on the heart in the bottom of the right corner. If you are having troubles with the video then you can see it below.



2. I hate to brag but I have the best ex-bf in the world. He and I have been catching up on each other's news and trying to organise a catch up. Have a look at the lovely stuff he said to me:

Very good to hear from you.  I may be slow (take that however you want!) but I have at least got around to emailing.  And despite my lack of attention I enjoy your company and thoughts so hopefully I'll keep it up a little more than I've been known to.

I can't believe someone as talented and educated as you can't get a job, or at least one you like.  We have some graduates on rotation here and a couple of them have Law backgrounds.  Still, that's ancillary to our role here, but all knowledge is useful.  Congratulations on your new Masters, you're still well ahead of me. 

Aren't I lucky?

Jimi Hendrix, one of the most renowned guitarists of the 1960s, was expelled from schools due to poor grades and attendance. Which subjects did he fail? Music.

Got the following email this morning:
How are you?
Missing you! Bug hug,
Anne

Thank you Anne the Magnificent for spreading sunshine in my day.

One of the greatest examples of bouncing back when you are down took place on this day in 1915. Remember the Anzacs - the Turks knew they were coming but they fought and fought and did not give up. Lest We Forget.

Winston Churchill not only was defeated in every election he contested until the age of 62, when he became the Prime Minister of the UK, but he also failed the 6th grade.