out on a limb

Every year most of us seem to bring in the new year by swearing we will adopt positive behaviours, drop bad habits and generally try and be better humans. I realised a few years ago that new years resolutions don’t usually work for me.
After all, gym’s are at their busiest in January, and at their most quiet during February, when we all stop exercising again, right?

So a few years ago I adopted a new philosophy; I try to focus on taking a few risks in the new year. things that I’ve been avoiding, or that require sacrifice, or that just plain scare me. This year, I’ve signed up for acting classes! I’ve always loved performance, and spent lots of time as a public speaker. I feel that these acting classes, $100 each, and covering a 6 month period, will push me to grow new skills, enthuse me with confidence, help me to be ‘in the moment’ and introduce me to a brand new community. Plus, the ratio of men to women is almost 2:8, pretty good odds really.

Our community, Imagine has also decided to take a few risks. We’ve been gutted as we’ve learnt about the statistics in our country for suicide in relation to young gay men. This group of people is 5 times more likely to commit suicide, and the statistics for those who have a religious upbringing or connection to a faith community are even higher. So we’re hosting a forum called “what becomes of the broken hearted” to begin asking some questions about how church leaders can be part of the solution, and not the problem. It’s an emotionally charged issue. No doubt activists for gay marriage and gay ministry will want to push the conversation in their own direction, while more conservative people will regard the whole thing with a bit of suspicion. We run the risk of being mis-understood & ineffective at best; blacklisted and burnt at the stake at worst. But we figure if just one young gay person finds hope & community because of our efforts, it’ll probably be worth it.

So life looks like becoming pretty exciting in the next few months…just the way a new year should be!

10} District 9

9} Mao’s Last Dancer

8} The Reader

7} Public Enemies

6} Where the Wild Things Are

5} Sunshine Cleaning

4} Rachel Getting Married

3} Defiance

2} Capitalism: A Love Story

1} Avatar

There has been far less time to read this year than I would have liked; none the less, here are some books I really enjoyed reading

10} The selfish capitalist, Oliver James
James links our new found western prosperity with our new found melancholy, prescribing our self-indulgence as a direct link to our sense of unease and the rise of mental illness. He basically argues that the wealthiest countries are also filled the most miserable people, whereas the poorest, and often those that have not embraced the joys of the free-market, are actually more content. Worth the read. Not a communist book either.

9} The gospel according to Tony Soprano, Chris Seay
I discovered the Sopranos this year, and loved this book as a companion to unpack and process all that I was seeing on screen. A great companion to a brilliant, if sometimes disturbing show.

8} Jesus wants to save Christians, Rob Bell & Don Golden
This book is about “what it means to be part of the church of Jesus in a world where some people fly planes into buildings and others pick up groceries in hummers; where churches spend $20 million on buildings in cities where one in five live in poverty.” I really enjoyed it.

7} Guerilla Art Kit, Keri Smith
A really simple guide to embracing your inner artist, in a subversive and imaginative way. Great resources, ideas, and inspiration for making the world more beautiful

6} Sway: the irresistible pull of irrational behaviour, Ori & Rom Brafman
A really great series of anecdotes about why normal, everyday people do stupid and bizzare things. Some really great stories, and worthwhile insights into humans.

5} The road, Cormac McCarthy
A haunting tale of a Father & Son trying to survive in a world where they have lost everything they love, and everyone has become sub-humans. You keep asking the question “will the good guys win?”

4}Wide awake, Erwin McManus
A great book about the power of every person to live a life that’s bigger, richer, bolder and profound. Worth the read for anyone who dreams.

3} The starfish & the Spider, Ori Brafman & Rod Beckstrom
A brillant book for leaders, managers, and actually anyone who has a job…This book basically pits two models of leadership against each other, represented by the spider and the starfish. Destroy a spiders head & it will die, because it’s a top-down creature. slice up a starfish, and it will grow new legs because it’s a decentralized creature and can re-produce itself. same with any organization; if it’s top down, it’s easier to kill, but if it’s decentralized, it can reproduce itself.

2} Tribes, Seth Godin
Another great book on the power of leaders and the amazing role those who challenge the status quo can play in society. If you haven’t read anything by Godin, you’re probably part of the staus quo…but you’ve got nothing to lose by checking him out…

1} A whole new mind, Daniel Pink
The era of left-brain dominance, and the Information Age that it produced, are giving way to a new world in which right-brain qualities, like inventiveness, story-telling, meaning and empathy are going to reign. At least thats the contention of this book.
Left-brain activities – memorizing facts, mastering technical processes, calculating formulas and sums – these types of tasks and skills were highly rewarded in the 20th century. The age of science made technical skills and left-brain professions highly lucrative & handsomely rewarded. But culture has shifted.

We have a rising middle class around the world, and out increasing Abundance means that most of us can afford things we couldn’t afford previously. Automation has made some left brain activities redundant, as we can now find machines to build our cars, do our sums and complete our technical processes. The rise of Asian Economies, such as India and China, has also meant that many of the left brain professions can now be outsourced to workers in Mumbai or Shanghai, for a fraction of the cost it would take to hire someone of equal skill and experience in San Francisco or Melbourne.

Abundance, Automation And Asia. These three trends have totally changed the working landscape in our life. Where none of these trends have made inroads however, is in right-brain activities.

A computer cannot think creatively.

A worker in Mumbai finds it hard to empathize with someone living in a totally different culture.

Our increasing abundance means that design and touch are just as important as technical specifications; just witness the revolution apple created with ipods and iphones.

The right-brain can do things that the left brain can’t. And it just so happens that our culture is craving right brain functions. So a whole new mind has emerged.

So for those of us who realized at teens that we can’t ask santa for a new brain…it seems culture may have provided us with one anyway…

10} Hilltop Hoods: State of the Art

9} David Guetta: One Love

8} Black Eyes Peas: The E.N.D.

7} Coldplay: Left, Right, Left, Right, Left

6} Passion Pit: Manners

5} Jay Z: The Blueprint

4} Paramore: Brand New Eyes

3} The Yeah Yeah Yeahs: It’s Blitz

2} John Mayer: Battle Studies

1} Florence & the Machine: Lungs

There was a quote from a documentary that has stuck with me. A young girl looks dead into the camera and says “I want to make movies that people remember forever”

These are the movies I saw this year that fit that criteria.

They mightn’t be the highest grossing, the ones with the big budget or the classy stars, but they stuck with me long after the credits finished.

No car-sponsored robots on this list, or vampires, or box office smashers.

But plenty of brilliant movies.

10} Gran Torino
Clint Eastwood churned out a grumpy old bad-ass who found redemption in his prejudice. It had depth, humor, was culturally insensitive yet at the same time explored the ideas of community, selfishness, race, religion and coming of age. And this ending was absolutely brilliant.

9} Revolutionary Road
Kate & Leo back together again, except this time the sinking ship was a marriage torn apart by cowardice, despair, reluctance and the grind of suburbia. The mad man is revealed to be the most sane person, as he is the only character without a facade. It doesn’t have a happy ending, it’s not a date movie, but it is worth seeing.

8} Seven Pounds
So I’m a sucker for redemption stories. A wonderful weaving narrative, capturing the struggles of all kinds of people and slotting them together in an almost magical way. It could see the end coming, but I didn’t mind at all because the story was worth telling.
Plus, I wanted to see what was going to happen with the box jellyfish, and I wasn’t disappointed.

7} The Wrestler
Had Sean Penn not been propelled by gay-rights campaigns, Mickey Rourke was a shoe-in for the oscar. And he deserved it, as the story of a washed up old man trying to squeeze some redemption mirrored his own life. Proof that the oscars are about more than the best performance, in case any one was wondering…

6} Paris 36
I can’t think of a brighter, more beautiful story to tell than this one. It made me wish I could speak french, and live in France, and make French movies. The most under-rated movie of the year in my book.

5} Moon
It was one actor, and a computer, and a magnificent story. It was beautiful, heart-breaking, suspense filled, and set on the moon. Sam Rockwell was the everyman, and I lived through his experiences as if they were my own. A high task for a solo actor.

4} Inglorious Basterds
Cracking dialogue.
Rich characters.
A war movie.
A brilliant plot.
A fitting ending.
Tarantino rarely leaves me disappointed, and this one was no exception.

3} Let the right one in
This movie came out of nowhere; it was showing on a total of one screen in Sydney. Which is really sad. Because it was an amazing story of a young boy trying to fit in at school, and the vampire he befriends. You could feel the cold of the scandinavian snow while watching this movie. So much better than twilight or true blood, it deserves a swag of awards for the brilliant film that it is. Vampire flicks at their best.

2} The boys are back
Finally, an Australian movie that isn’t dark, brooding, depressing and devoid of hope. This movie was filled with warmth and joy, despite the dark storyline of affairs, death, workaholism and fractured family. Every Father should watch this movie for the brilliant insight into fatherhood and growing up male.

1} The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnasuss
I loved the concept that dreams can change a life. I love the storyline of a young girl coming of age, and a mans battle with the devil. I love that Depp, Law and Farrell donated their fees to the Heath Ledger’s daughter. I wanted to enter the Imaginarium, and I thought this was a fitting tribute to a young actor who left the screen too soon.

10} Bruises - Chairlift
Love these guys and their subtle little melodies, especially the alternating vocals and clever little rhymes

9} Change - Daniel Merriweather (feat. Wale)
I don’t know where this guy came from, but I loved this song and it’s perfect blend of rap, horns, beats & melody.

8} Breakeven - The Script
Pretty sweet little tune that captures the angst of break up. Probably got a bit too much air play. But I was hooked the first time I heard it…

7} Sweet Dispositon - The Temper Trap
Cruisy, different, kinda haunting song

6} Little Lion Man - Mumford & Sons
These guys penned one of the lines of the year in song about “it was not your fault but mine….” Not normally my style but these guys are talented

5} Joy Ride - The Killers
Perfect song for cruising down a highway, kicking back over a beer with mates or going for a jog

4} Heartbreak Warfare - John Mayer
The man returns with a more pop/rock sound, and the punters like me love it. The perfect song to kick off a grand album.

3} Drumming Song - Florence + The Machine
Oh my goodness, this song is manic…there’s a drumming noise inside my head…and I kinda like it

2} Little Secrets - Passion Pit
Groovy.

1} (If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To - Weezer
Title of the year.
Lyrics of the year.
Riff of the year.
I love this song.

10 - Funny People
It had people in it, but it sure wasn’t funny.

9 - The box
It really should have stayed in the box; Mr Donny Darko has a lot of work to do before I’ll watch another of his movies.

8 - Pelham 123
I liked the first one better; the reprise was insulting in it’s use of great actors in a dodgy movie. At least Tony Soprano has become Mayor of NYC in this version…

7 - Twilight New Moon
There was a scene in this movie where the camera circled Bella, who sat motionless in her room while the seasons changed outside. See this scene and you’ve seen the whole movie. One of mates says Twlight fans are like swineflu…I don’t understand where they came from, they are now everywhere and we can’t seem to get rid of them

6 - I’ve loved you so long
Full on tragic story that didn’t capture me; it was so dark I’m surprised an Australian didn’t make it

5 - A serious man
I guess even the Cohen Bros have bad ideas, because this movie was either shot exclusively for Jewish people, or while the Cohen boys were taking drugs…possibly both.

4 - Knowing
Can you remember a Nicholas Cage movie from the last say 6 years that wasn’t average? Exactly…

3 - Synecdoche, New York
I posted on twitter that never has a movie disappeared up it’s own arse so slowly.
I stand by that statement 100%

2 - The Watchmen
No plot.
Hollow & callous characters.
Too much giant blue man bits.
Too long.
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay toooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong

1 - The spirit
Even Samuel couldn’t save this stinker. I want my money back.

Tomorrow, my fav songs of the year !

One of the things that has brought mountains of joy into my life has been the discovery of the thrill of taking risks.

I must admit, I’m a natural born coward.

I was petrified of roller-coasters as a kid.

I still hate spiders.

Plus, I hate losing…and not risking is a good way to avoid losing.

So I’ve spent enough time avoiding risks in my life; but a few years ago I realized that without risks, there were whole sections of life experiences that would elude me. I also discovered around the same time the connection between risk taking and courage. Often we assume that people who are courageous have no fear; but in actual fact, courage is not the absence of fear, its the absence of self. People who have no fear are not always courageous… and they’re often foolish. So I began reframing my fears as opportunities to embrace courage, and I’ve loved the thrill of risks that entered my life.

The Wallabies this past weekend revealed the power of healthy risks. Our national rugby team had for the last decade been coached by people who have preserved the status quo, and the result has been average performances in most major competitions. This weekend, our new coach was forced to roll the dice after a string of injuries to key players. He picked some bold, brash players who were untried & inexperienced, but full of passion & talent.The result?A stirring victory against the English, at Twickenham, the home of Rugby!

Some friends of mine at Pepperdine University in California started their own little risk taking society a few months back. I’ll let Jason Jaggard explain it in his own words:
“We got together once a week for four weeks and answered one— and only one— question: what’s one risk we can take this week to make the world a better place? Some people engaged in hard conversations, long overdue. Others gave money away. Some wrote songs and sang them to girlfriends. Others moved forward in their dreams for their future careers. We laughed a lot (the risks didn’t always go as planned). We cried some (some risks went better than we had hoped).

All of us grew.

And Sparks were born.

Sparks are clusters of friends who add just a little more proactivity and healthy risk to their social circles.

They meet once a week. 4 weeks. For 1 hour. 1 question: What’s one risk you can take this week to make the world a better place?”

You can read the full article by Jason just by clicking here

Have you ever noticed that most new years resolutions dont work?

A few years ago I decided that instead of committing to dodgy resolutions that I couldn’t fulfill, I would instead take one risk before Jan 31, to get the year off on the right note.

One year, the risk was doing a full backflip off an 8 foot wharf; I executed perfectly

The next year, it was walking into work, first day back from summer holidays, and resigning; an awesome experience!

Another year it was asking out an amazing woman; it was awkward, but she said yes…and although we never went on another date it was better than always wondering.

So now is the time of year where I’m once again looking for a healthy risk to take in January 2010.

I wonder what it will be this year?

I wonder if you’ll join me in taking risks?

Australia has been battling what our media describe as boat people for the last ten years. It seems both sides of the political spectrum are happy to score points with conservative, middle class voters who feel these people are a drain on our nation and someone elses problem. I love Australia, and much of what it stands for; but I think the way we perceive and treat refugees reveals a lot about our self-obsession and subtle racism.

Most global economists have noted that Australia has lost the least and recovered quickest of all western nations from the GFC: thus we’re surely best positioned to assist those who are genuine refugees. Not only that, we have a proud tradition of immigration that has seen us become a multicultural society, though one with tensions.

Lets not be a nation of arrogant, cowering racists. Lets not villify people born into circumstances less than us. Lets remember that we’re taking the liberties and freedoms that our soldiers died for, away from these people. Lets also remember that we reap what we sow, and in our lifetime, it might be India or China rescuing Australian boat people.

The following is orignally taken from a fact sheet by GetUp, an activist group here in Australia. You might not agree with my assessment, but at least in reading this, you’ll be slightly more informed.

Who are asylum seekers? The terms ‘asylum seeker’ and ‘refugee’ are often confused: an asylum seeker issomeone who has fled their home and is seeking protection from another countrystating that he or she is a refugee, but whose claim has not yet been evaluated(1). In Australia, asylum seekers must prove they are refugees before they are granted avisa. They must prove to government agencies that if they return home they facepersecution, imprisonment or harm for reasons of race, religion, nationality, their socialgroup or political opinion.

Myth 1 – Australia takes in more than its fair share of asylum seekers
Contrary to what the media and many politicians are saying, Australia is not being swamped by asylum seekers. From January to August this year, Australia took inbelow average numbers of asylum seekers compared to previous years and globalintakes(2). The UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has calculated that Australia?s fair share for the first 6 months of 2009 should be 4,197 rather than the 3,666 we have taken so far.(3) In comparison Canada, which has a population of just over 33 million compared to Australia?s 22 million, received 6 times the number of lodged applications (18,722).(4)
In a global context, the average rate of asylum seeker intake according to population ranks Australia 20th out of 44 countries worldwide, behind countries such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada and Malta which tops the list.(5)

Myth 2 – Boat people are swamping our shores
The vast majority of asylum seekers arrive in Australia by air. Last year, of the 13,500 people granted asylum in Australia only 206 of those arriving without visas came by boat; 2,291 came by plane – well over 90%.(7)There is also data to suggest that people who arrive by boat are more likely to be legitimate refugees. Of asylum claims made by people who arrive by aircraft, 55% are rejected. Only 2-15% of claims made by people arriving by boat are denied.(8)

This number is also small when compared to the number of people who over-stay their visa in Australia each year, particularly those on travelling visas, the majority of whom are English-speaking tourists. Conservative estimates suggest that, on average, 50,000 people stay in Australia without the proper documentation each year(9).

Some media have been misquoting data that last year 13,500 asylum seekers were granted refugee status. The Department for Immigration & Citizenship has responded that the vast majority of these in fact came to Australia on valid visas as part ofAustralias dedicated offshore refugee resettlement program or were proposed as special humanitarian program entrants - largely, they were not asylum seekers, withover 11,000 visas granted before entry to Australia through proper processes.(11)

Myth 3 – the Government?s changes in policy have made Australia a soft target

2,504 people lodged asylum applications in Australia from January to June this year,an increase on the same time last year, and this increase is in line with global trends.(12) However these numbers are far below those in 2000 and 2001. In 2000, there were over 13,000 claims in the first half of the year, with over 12,000 in 2001.(13) This highlights the continuing fluctuations globally in the number of people seeking asylum caused by changing world events that force people from their homes.
While some are claiming that the abolition of detention debt (in August 2009) and temporary protection visas (August 2008) have made Australia look like a soft target, this isnt the case. Since temporary protection visas (TPVs) were introduced in 1999, they have had very little impact on the number of people seeking asylum in Australia.
In the two years following its introduction over 8,455 asylum seekers arrived in Australia by boat(15) compared to the 2,504 people this year.They have also had very little impact on the number of people being granted refugee status. According to the Department for Immigration and Citizenship, nearly 90% of the people allocated temporary protection visas were granted a visa that gave them Australian residency. Only 3% (or 379 people) granted temporary protection visas departed Australia.(16)

Myth 4 – Refugees are a burden on our economy
Refugees offer potential for our economy – they are not a burden. Claims that refugees cost the taxpayer $628 million were made by some media sources in the last week, but they are baseless, with Centrelink, the government department in charge of providing welfare, stating that there is simply no data to support this figure.(17)
Centrelink also highlights that only about 3% of Centrelink customers who were in receipt of a Newstart Allowance income support payment at 30 June 2009 held a refugee and humanitarian or permanent protection visa.(18) The Department for Immigration and Citizenship states that immigration currently provides 60% of our population growth, but within the next few years it will be the only source of net labour force growth in Australia.(19)

Myth 5 – Boats are bringing terrorists to our shores
Some politicians have stated that arrivals of boats are likely to be a perfect cover for terrorists entering Australia.(20) In reality, the threat of terrorists entering the country in this way has been described by counter-terrorism experts as infinitesimally small.(21) Asylum seekers arriving by boat may face years of delay before gaining entry into Australia – as opposed to those arriving by air. All asylum seekers arriving in Australia undergo thorough security checks from ASIO in conjunction with Indonesia. Comparisons with the US found that those involved in the terrorist activities of September 11 arrived on valid US visas.(21)

Myth 6 – Asylum seekers are illegal immigrants
Under the Refugee Convention, which Australia has signed, all people have the right to seek asylum in Australia.(22)
They may be found to be genuine refugees, and they may not – but seeking asylum is not illegal under Australian law or international law. The term illegal immigrant, just like the term queue jumper, is designed to make asylum seekers seem alien and unworthy of sympathy.

1 - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646c137.html
2 - UNHCR - Asylum Levels and Trends in Industrialized Countries First Half 2009:http://www.unhcr.org/4adebca49.html
3 - Crikey, ?When it comes to asylum seekers, Australia is no Malta? October 19th 2009:http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/10/19/when-it-comes-to-asylum-seekers-australia-is-no-malta/
4 - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: http://www.unhcr.org/4adebca49.html
5 - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees – The refugee story in statistics:http://www.unhcr.org/pages/49c3646c4d6.html
6 - Crikey, When it comes to asylum seekers, Australia is no Malta? October 19th 2009:Graph 2
7 - ABC Media Watch – Welfare & Refugees, 26th October 2009:http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s2724620.htm
8 - Crikey: http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/10/15/latest-wave-of-boat-people-push-or-pull/
9 - Sydney Morning Herald, Peter Hartcher At last, we have a real leader - pity that it’s not Rudd:http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/at-last-we-have-a-real-leader–pity-that-its-not-rudd-20091028-hl00.html
10 - ABC Media Watch – Welfare & Refugees, 26th October 2009 – Channel 9 News:http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s2724620.htm
11 - Response from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship to Media Watch, 22nd October, 2009: http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/0938_immigration.pdf
12 - The Australian, ?Liberals wrong on refugees? http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25339551-5013457,00.html
13 - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees - Asylum Levels and Trends in Industrialized Countries First Half 2009: http://www.unhcr.org/4adebca49.html
14 - Parliament of Australia, Parliamentary Library: http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/bn/sp/BoatArrivals.htm
15 - Parliament of Australia, Parliamentary Library: http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/bn/sp/BoatArrivals.htm
16 - Response from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship to Media Watch, 22nd October, 2009: http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/0938_immigration.pdf
17 - Response from Centrelink to Media Watch, 22nd October 2009:http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/0938_centrelink2.pdf
18 - Response from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship to Media Watch, 22nd October, 2009 – 5.Centrelink: http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/0938_immigration.pdf
19 - Department of Immigration & Citizenship - Fact Sheet 15 - Population Projections:http://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/15population.htm
20 - ?Terrorists ?hiding? with boat people?, Daily Telegraph, October 23rd 2009:http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/terrorists-hiding-with-boat-people/story-e6freuy9-1225790211002
21 - Dr Michael McKinley quoted in SMH article ?Rudd slams Tuckey’s ‘terrorist’ asylum seeker comments?, October 22nd 2009: http://www.smh.com.au/national/rudd-slams-tuckeys-terrorist-asylum-seeker-comments-20091022- hamt.html
22 - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees: http://www.unhcr.org/3b66c2aa10.html

I was first introduced to jamie Oliver when I was on holidays on the Australian Gold Coast. After a day full of swimming, surfing and other shennanigans in the sunshine, we would return to our apartment and chill out in front the TV, and Jamies cooking show just happened to be on when we came home each afternoon.

We decided to try and cook the stuff he showed us, and by the end of the week we had a few recipes up our sleeves. At that time in my life I was out 6 days and 6 nights a week, and I regularly ate crap food. I decided that once a week, I would cook a big batch of good, healthy, fresh food, and store it for the rest of the week. Monday nights in the kitchen were so much fun, I soon created the sunday roast, and invited bunches of people around on Sundays to eat at my place.

I’ve been a Jamie fan ever since, and what he has done in the ensuing years has really impressed me. Not content to rest on the success of his own shows, he created a foundation to train 15 young at-risk people each year in a restaraunt he owned. Then he starting funding one of them each year to start their own gig.

Then he decided to tackle the terrible british school system, and working from the ground up, starting with just one school, managed to transform not only the diets of the kids in british schools, but also the attitudes of the cooks, teachers and politicians who feed them.

The man is not only a good cook, but an activist as well. None of what he attempted in those projects were purely altruistic, but the benefits to him seem marginal. I remember seeing a clip of Jamie, talking about why he was attempting to change the british school menu; he mentioned that his kids were going to private schools, so it wasn’t about their future. It was that he wanted a smarter, fitter, healthier nation. Quite a noble goal.

Here is a little clip for you

Maybe he is full of himself

Maybe he does carry on like a wanker

Maybe he does love the limelight

But he has changed the lives of countless people:

School kids eating crap food

Teenagers starting restaurants when no one else would give them a job

Ordinary people learning how to cook & end the addiction to fast, crap food that lines the pockets of corporations destroying the plant.

I know a lot of people who are full of themselves, wankers, love the spotlight, etc, etc….and most of them have done nothing for other human beings.

Jamie Oliver has, and thats why I like what he does

A food loving activist, changing the world, and eating well along the way!