Vote #1 for Social Media

In all honesty and this is something I truly believe everyone is entitled to their thoughts and views. However, I can't help but feel that Social Media has a huge part to play in the various global referendums of late and those still to come.

What I guess I am trying to say it that Social Media reaches an audience that was previously unreachable. On top of that it has given everyone a voice and its all too easy for us to express our strong views whilst hiding behind a computer screen or a smart phone for the world to read. It doesn't matter how we look at it but human beings are gullible and easily influenced by manipulative and propaganda fear mongering techniques used via these platforms from every direction - no one is safe.
For example look at the chaos in the US with their current election nominees constantly demoralising each other via twitter... then the mess caused in the UK with Brexit. Whereas now in Australia the political parties have used fear mongering lies to the most prone and vulnerable population for their advantage to gain political power. All this outrageous behaviour has just turned the world as we know it into utter turmoil.

When you think about it twenty years ago we all just listened/believed to what the controlled media (or should I say the Murdoch media powerhouses etc..) wanted us to hear. They chose to frame the messages, then we did what they wanted us to do like pre-programmed robots. Now since the introduction of Social Media, they have no control to frame any key messages, everyone can frame their own... oh how the times have changed today. It will be interesting to see where the world is 5 or even 10 years from now.

Moral of the story is Social Media is a powerful tool, so I'll leave you with this quote "With great power comes great responsibility". I just hope the engage-rs are ready and can handle that power responsibility.

Passion of Sports especially AFL... from a ladies point of view...

I love sports, I might be a lady but I really enjoy the passion, atmosphere and competitiveness of the games, the bonding experience that creates & develops friendships.

I love to watch all sports from rugby union, tennis and the Olympics (all types) but there is one type of sport that affects my mental, physical and health well being... to the point where I have had to stop watching to let my blood pressure drop and too be honest before last Sunday I hadn't watched a game since my teams significant loss in round 5 to Port Adelaide and that sport is AFL (Australia Football League).

This game is the only game where you are on your seat to the very last second. The game where your team could be winning by 50 points at half time, even 3/4 time and still lose and alas, I have seen it go wrong, oh so many times.

My team I support are the West Coast Eagles. I have been a passionate supporter since inauguration in 1986. During that time I have seen the team through 5 grand finals, witnessing them win 3 of those games. Whilst sharing these experience of the finals alongside with some very dear family & friends.

My family and one of our neighbour's kid Nick watching the 1994 Grand final West Coast Eagles vs Geelong

Last Sunday I attended the WCE match against St Kilda at Etihad stadium. It was the first game football match in Melbourne that I had seen at Etihad as the other games had only ever been at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground). This game was dismal from the start, with the Saints were the better team from the first quarter. Its like my team didn't want to be involved. There were some shocking plays including one where Scooter (Scott Selwood) caught the ball after hand ball pass from Cox and then he hand balled it to one of the Saints players.. I was in shock, I honestly I had my head in my hood covering my eyes the entire game my heart was pumping very fast but then I had conceded a defeat so I calmed down, that is until the last quarter more in particularly the last 10 minutes, that's when it got interesting.

View from my seats at Etihad Stadium

 At the 3/4 break we were down by 13 points and I noticed Cox went up to Woosha and put his hand on his shoulder and I immediately thought maybe he has said "Please don't get angry", I later read in an article he actually said to him at this time "Don't worry we have got this". After that moment you could feel the team was back, you could see it in their pace and stance, their team work and positioning through out the ground. Then Cox got 1 goal, Darling got 2, then with 9 minute & 30 secs left Priddis managed 2 goals and the Eagles were in front for the first time the entire game. By this time all the Eagles fans around me were out of their seats screaming, as we still had a chance to win, (I had goose bumps and even as I write this the goose bumps are making an appearance again) whereas the Saints supporters were abusing the umpires for their "apparent" poor decisions.

Then again, it was a draw then a goal, then another draw, then the saints kicked 2 behinds (1 point each) and then Hurn (who has the best kick in the league) booted that goal up midfield to McKenzie, he had (Maister) chasing him who ended up tripping over his own feet and McKenzie kicked the winning goal with 1 minute & 40 secs left, it was in our hands Embley had marked it, Nic Nat marked it with 20 secs left.

Then the siren went and we won, we had bloody one!  All Eagles fans around me who were complete strangers were hugging each other, and then we started to sing the club song when it was being played through Etihad. Then I felt the nausea kicked in... I felt like I wanted to vomit... This is how the game makes me react... I don't know any other way to handle the adrenalin rush that AFL brings.. but my god this is why I love it. 

No pain, no gain... How far from that do we put ourselves through before its too far from the truth?

I, like the rest of the women in my mum's side of the family, have unfortunately been given the gene that makes you put on weight instantly, my sister some how missed out on this gene. I absolutely love my mother dearly, I don't know where I would be without her but I am terrified I am going to turn into her. I consider myself very food conscious and very active by maintaining my fitness by going to yoga twice a week, walk my dog at least 5km every second day, spin class once a week and this week on Wednesday I decided to attempt a "Body Attack class" (which now I call Body Torture) and I think I have gone too far.

The class was full on, with hopping on one leg which included jumping side to side, jumping in one spot with both legs (which I didn't do as I have dodgy knees I remained stationary just bending my knees), burpies, lunges and also some running around the room and other highly intense exercises. I really enjoyed the high energy and nonstop workout it provided. Though when I got home my calves were felt tight, so I stretched, after dinner had a hot shower let the warm water run on the back of them, put myself into bed and thought I would be fine the next morning but alas I was not okay. I woke up sore, not too bad, so I took some ibuprofen and carried on with my day, one of the guys I work with advised I go for a walk after work. So when I got home I grabbed my dog Molly and we set off...

Apparently my GPS walking app on my iPhone said we ended up doing 10 km in total.  After cooking dinner, I sat on the couch and that attempted to get up and I couldn't. I couldn't get up from the couch, it was like my legs has decided they weren't going to get me up. I could just imagine the look of concern on my face. After a period of time I did manage to get up I was terrified to sit back down again. That's when I put myself to bed, praying that in the morning I would be better so I could catch the train and be able to walk to work. 

I woke up this morning, feeling quite refreshed, as soon as I put my legs out of bed the affliction of pain coming up my legs from my calves was worse now than yesterday. I wanted to work from home today but remembered my laptop was in the office, and there was no way I could walk from the train station especially looking like a fool who couldn't walk properly (it honestly looked like I had had a big night the night before if you know what I mean ;)) through the Melbourne CBD so I decided I was going to drive my car in and pay for the early bird parking right next to the office. 

All day I have been given grief by my work colleagues, and then having them laugh at me. I do have to admit this sort of thing could only happen to me but it was total agony to the point where I was nearly in tears. I had to hold the hand rails whilst walking down the stairs, when I had to go out for lunch I was envious of the people who passed me walking normally as my pace has been reverted to twice as slow as normal. When I had to get up from my chair I had to think of everything I had to do while up so I don't have to get up again for a while. 

This has come to make me think, how far we go to get our dream bodies or just stay fit in light of our fears? Why do we do this to ourselves? When will we accept our bodies for the way they are meant to be? Is it the point of making ourselves so ill that we can't go any further or do we just let it get to the point of no return?