Twitter Etiquette – how to keep yourself nice

Posted on October 15, 2013 by Newschick

Nudge, nudge, wink, wink – I really AM fun!!

I have a love/hate relationship with Twitter. When I first took it up about two years ago (like Bridget Jones in her new diary) I couldn’t grasp it at all. I think I issued one useless Tweet and then abandoned the whole thing. It wasn’t until six months later, when it seemed the whole world had gone Twitter mad, that I felt compelled to follow suit and jump on board.

Then I became a Twitter addict. I avidly read my Twitter feed every few hours, keeping up to date with everyone’s business and views, now matter how dull and trivial. At the time it actually seemed interesting. And if you have something to promote, it really can serve a purpose. (i.e. – like a Blog!)

Now I’m so busy with various projects, I haven’t got the time to scan the information flow quite as regularly, but I’ll still check in every couple of days to try and keep in touch with the Twitter universe. I mean, Twitter has become so HUGE, it’s all a bit daunting.

Today more there are more than FIFTY-FIVE MILLION Twitter users and about FIFTY-EIGHT MILLION Tweets are issued every day.

Follow me

Which is why I think it’s time someone laid out some ground rules. I know I need to be reminded of them myself. After all, you never know who is reading your Twitter feed and once you post something, it’s out there for good. Yes, you can delete a Tweet once it has been sent, but if a reader has already opened their Twitter feed and seen it, it’s too late…

Here are my Top Ten Twitter Rules:

1. Remember that Twitter is more of an information tool than a way of communicating personal messages to friends. That’s why we use emails and text messages. i.e. To ask your friend on Twitter, when they expect to arrive at the party you’re heading to, is not the slightest bit interesting to the rest of us.

2. DON’T Tweet when drinking alcohol. Very dangerous. Not only might you say something insulting and potentially libellous, you’ll probably spell it incorrectly too.

3. Don’t boast about a great night out with friends if you can help it, because that’s more of a Facebook thing. That’s where you can put up a whole album of happy snaps for people who might be interested. But if it’s a night out and you mention the VENUE you’re at in a positive light, that’s a different matter. Then you’re helping others with a positive recommendation of somewhere to go.

It’s not a popularity contest…

4. Unless someone has been particularly unkind to you, it’s nicer NOT to ‘UNFOLLOW’ people. This is a tricky one, because some Twitterers can become a tad annoying and it’s tempting to push a button a delete them from your time line. But really, if you just scroll a bit faster, you can skip their rubbish and avoid hurting feelings. It’s also a tricky issue because Twitter has been known to unfollow people from our accounts without us knowing – leading to all sorts of problems… I rarely ‘unfollow’, so if it appears that’s I’ve ‘unfollowed’ YOU, let me know. I’m sure it’s a Twitter glitch!

5. Don’t retweet compliments another follower writes about you. You just look like a complete wanker.

6. Do not Tweet what you had for breakfast. Yeah, we all know that, right? Nup, people still do it. Actually, I should have added that to Point Four. You are allowed to ‘unfollow’ someone if they Tweet what they had for breakfast.

7. If your Tweet gets dozens of responses, you don’t have to reply to them all. One or two maybe, but to fill up our feeds with twenty ‘Thank you’ messages is really dull…

8. Don’t BUY followers to try and look popular. When your follower numbers skyrocket from two thousand to eighty thousand overnight, it’s kinda obvious… and sad.

I’m huge on Twitter!!

9. DO let us know if you see a great show, a fantastic movie or find a new restaurant that’s brilliant.

10. DO Tweet about politicians who smack people in the face – with pictures. The more evidence we get to get rid of them, the better.

So there you go – my Top Ten Twitter Etiquette tips. Have you got any more I can add to the list?

Birthday Greetings – the difference between girls and boys

Posted on October 9, 2013 by Newschick

It’s my birthday today – Happy Birthday to me!

I love celebrating my birthday and I stand by the reasoning that life throws too many curve balls our way, so if there’s cause to celebrate, grab it with both hands and shake it damn hard.

One of my favourite parts of a birthday celebration is getting birthday cards from my children. Or from anyone, in fact. I’ve hoarded a sentimental stash of them from when I was six years old. Even better, I’ve forced my kids to MAKE hand-made cards for me for years, and it’s such a treat when they rush into the bedroom in the morning with presents and cuddles, to see what they’ve come up with each year.

This year proved an exceptional vintage from my offspring. It might sound sexist, but I think the cards from Veronica and Tom reflect a general attitude from the female and male species, about birthdays. Take a look for yourself:

(1) Veronica’s card: She spent hours, painstakingly decorating the paper with glitter glue, cut out textured paper and birthday iconography.

Ronnie’s birthday card

Her message inside is also heartfelt and sweet – although open to interpretation. To say that ‘God doesn’t make mothers like you anymore’ isn’t necessarily a compliment – although I do think she meant it as one. And she did also point out that I DO have ‘flaws’. We’ll debate that one later.

Ronnie’s words

Tom, on the other hand, went to an ENORMOUS amount of NON-effort. Take a look at this. From a (believe-it-or-not) FIFTEEN year old. Black texta on white paper and a stick figure??

Tom’s birthday card

Does this mean he couldn’t care less about birthdays? Doesn’t he love me at all? Hang on – read the message inside and judge for yourself. Food for thought indeed…

Tom’s witty words

I think it’s actually a clever way of excusing ones self from being incredibly lazy, But it did make me laugh.

Given what I am doing for Tom tonight, though, I think I deserved more. I am making a grand sacrifice. On my birthday night, when I SHOULD be celebrating with friends, I am GOING TO CHURCH!!! Yes, ME, going to CHURCH on my birthday!

That’s because Tom’s school has very inconveniently organised a house Chapel Service and dinner tonight, without taking my birthday into account. So thoughtless… What we do for our kids… All I can say is that Tom had better come up with a bloody brilliant card next year.

My Kinky Mother’s Day Present

Posted on October 4, 2013 by Newschick

When I first saw the mother’s day present Fletch had chosen for the kids to give me this year, I can’t really tell you what I thought… I took off the wrapping paper to reveal a weird looking S-Shaped purple plastic device – what the hell???

Fletch holding the Backnobber

Fletch held it out proudly, declaring he’d discovered the solution to my back pain woes. He’d bought me a BACKNOBBER. And not just any Backnobber. It was the Backnobber MARK TWO. I smiled nicely, trying to appear enthusiastic and failing. How on earth could something so simple actually help with the complex physical condition I was enduring that related to disc issues and nerve endings? What a STUPID present… It didn’t even come with batteries.

Sure, I’ll give it a go…???

But it was a mother’s day present. I had to try. It took a while to get the positioning right, but after several attempts, it started to make sense. If you hold one end of the S-shaped device in one hand and get it on the right spot where you feel the discomfort, then pull down on the curve in front of your body, the pressure applied actually DOES have a massaging effect.

Applying the Backnobber pressure…

You can also move the Backnobber around very easily to treat various spots on the back and feel the instantaneous relief. I was amazed. It actually worked! Sometimes the key to a successful gadget really does lie in its simplicity.

So THAT’S how it works…

So why, might you ask, have I decided to blog about something that was a gift WAY back in May? Well, it just so happens that I’m on holiday right now with the kids and didn’t pack my Backnobber and my back is missing that simple purple device. Which must be proof that it actually does work. Given that 80% percent of the world’s population suffers from back pain at some point in their lives (according to Dr. Jeffrey Katz, M.D., M.Sc., a leading back specialist at Harvard Medical School) then I reckon there’s plenty of readers who might like to know about this. Fletch first learnt about the amazing Backnobber from his on-screen wife, Jackie Woodburne (aka Susan Kennedy), and let’s face it if TWO wives of a well-regarded doctor think something works, then we MUST be on to something.

Backknobber II

If you’d like to find out more about the Backnobber, Fletch bought it from The Massage Warehouse in at 361 North Road, South Caulfield, Victoria. (PH: +61 (03) 9502 7693) Or you can visit the company website on http://massagewarehouse.com.au and order a Backnobber on-line. Right now, they’re on sale – reduced from $65 to $56. And no, I don’t get a commission. I’m just sharing because I hope it helps. Good luck.

California Dreaming… at Paramount Studios

Posted on September 18, 2013 by Newschick

There’s a new chapter about to open in my life and one that I’m pretty excited about. It’s the reason I haven’t been ‘Blogging’ as consistently these past few months and that’s because I’ve been investing a lot of time in several projects that mean I’ll be taking on a new role in the world of film production – behind the scenes as a writer and producer.

(But more about that later… )

So naturally, I was very happy to be heading off to Los Angeles two weeks ago for a combination of personal and work reasons. While I’ve been to LA many times over the last decade, this trip was doubly enjoyable because a pack of Melbourne buddies were there at the same time which meant we could hang out, shop and play. Last week we decided to do a very ‘touristy’ thing – take a tour of Paramount Pictures studios.

With Kate McGrath and Anna Byrne at Paramount Studios

I was as excited as a child visiting Disneyland. The history and filmic achievements of Paramount are epic, so with my absolute passion for film, it was akin to visiting a holy temple. I knew it would be fun, but in fact, I was blown away by the gorgeousness of it all. An experienced friend advised us to take the 2-hour tour, as opposed to the much more expensive four and a half hour version, and he was right – it was just the right amount of time to soak up the magic and history.

Touching the gates for good luck…

On arrival, we were greeted by our tour guide, Katy, who directed us to a buggy and we set off. First, through the majestic Paramount gates which we are touched for good luck – a Paramount tradition. (We’re all confident we are now headed for epic success!)

The famous Paramount Theatre

To list all of Paramount’s famous movies would take weeks, but just a handful include the likes of Rear Window, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Psycho, Love Story, The Great Gatsby (1972), Terms of Endearment, American Gigolo, the Godfather movies, Pretty in Pink, all the Star Trek movies and Titanic.

The foyer of Paramount’s Theatre

Most of the them probably had a screening at Paramount’s famous on-site theatre, where we stopped and sat inside to hear a very entertaining history of the studio from Katy. Even the foyer of the theatre is stunning and is often used in movies where a bit of stage dressing can turn it into a hotel lobby.

A buggy ride took us everywhere bar New York

Driving around in our buggy, we packed in a full tour – the only section we couldn’t see was the New York area, which was locked off while a TV commercial was being filmed. I also liked the fact that our tour was quite intimate. The three of us and another family meant there were only seven people demanding Katy’s attention.

The door to what was once Katherine Hepburn's dressing-room...

The door to what was once Katharine Hepburn’s dressing room…

We stopped at many famous doors along the way. And while it was disappointing not to actually venture inside, I still appreciated seeing them and learning the history. Here’s the door to what WAS Katharine Hepburn’s dressing room. She’d apparently ride to work on her bicycle, taking an alternative entrance to the studios to avoid the paparazzi.

The door Lucille Ball had concreted…

And here’s a door we couldn’t have walked through even if we’d tried… It was cemented up after Lucille Ball discovered her husband Desi Arnaz’s philandering ways.

Katy gives us the low-down on the back steps used for the beach house scene in Top Gun

Here are some steps you might recognise. Remember Top Gun? These were used for the scene where Tom Cruise (Maverick) sits on the back patio of Kelly McGillis’ (Charlie’s) beach house while they talk and drink wine.

Sitting on Forrest Gump’s park bench

And I just had to have a photo, sitting on the very park bench where Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump) delivered his famous line, ‘Mama always said life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.’

It was incredible to see the car park which can be turned into an ocean, filled with water from the massive tank above – it takes nearly a whole day – with projected images of beaches or other locations coming to life on the huge screen to the left. Of course, the cars have to park elsewhere on those days… The magic of cinema indeed.

The car park that can be transformed into an ocean…

For those who love a good ghost story, you’ll feel a tingle passing the allegedly haunted STAGE NINETEEN. Child actor Heather O’Rourke, who died from cardiac arrest at the age of 12, is rumoured to haunt the studio as her filming days were apparently the happiest of her tragically short life. Heather was discovered by Steven Spielberg at the age of five and went on to star in the 1982 horror movie, Poltergeist, as well its two sequels.

What’s being filmed at Paramount

Nowadays, there’s more TV shows than movies being filmed at Paramount. Here’s a look at what’s being filmed on site right now.

We stopped briefly at Dr Phil’s door and peeked inside the studio…

The door to Dr Phil’s studio

All Glee props and staging are kept under wraps

And while I’m not a Glee viewer, I’d happily have shown you the set. Except that it’s one show that keeps everything strictly under wraps. Even the props that are left outdoors are covered in black plastic so passers-by can’t guess from the sets, what might be coming up in the story-lines. Sorry…

Ah yes, a memorable day indeed and one I would highly recommend to anyone visiting LA.

Paramount Pictures is legendary – who could resist it’s magic? Even the tour tickets are beautiful, featuring the shot below. And this is how I will end my story because who could say it better than Cecil B DeMille?

Cecil B DeMille’s famous quote

Which Celebrity Chef is lending a hand to save children in Cambodia from trafficking?

Posted on September 2, 2013 by Newschick

TV Celebrity Chef, author, naturopath and all-round good soul Janella Purcell first learnt about the charity, Connecting Hands, when they contacted her to see if she could contribute to their celebrity cookbook.

Janella Purcell

‘It’s a really beautiful book. They did a great job with that. People love cookbooks and it looks really pretty,’ she said. The book was launched last November and includes recipes from a range of high profile chefs, including Maggie Beer, Neil Perry, Poh Ling Yeow, Pete Evans and Marion Grasby.

But while most people would think they’d done enough by contributing a recipe, Janella has gone above and beyond in terms of helping Connecting Hands in their mission to help free children and women from trafficking and give them a future.

The Food for Life Cookbook

Since the book was published, Janella’s involvement has escalated to the point where she’s just returned from a trip with the Connecting Hands team to Cambodia, plus she hosted a cooking workshop in Sydney yesterday where all funds raised from ticket sales went to the charity as well.

Janella was keen to go to Cambodia so she could see for herself how Connecting Hands’ latest project – building a teaching cafe in Cambodia – was progressing.

The idea is that, once completed, the cafe will give the girls training in hospitality, employment with on-going jobs, and a safe place to live.

The Connecting Hands message – excerpt from Celebrity Chef cookbook

For Janella, it was an unforgettable experience. ‘A lot of people just put their heads in the sand over this, because it is a really hard issue to look at. I love what Connecting Hands is doing – the practicality of it. This cafe is really going to make a difference.’

When the cafe is finished, Janella says she’d like to return to Cambodia, possibly for three months, to help train the girls in hospitality. I asked her why she was so passionate about the cause.

‘Where do you start?’ she said. ‘What’s the difference between those young girls and our own children? I mean, we’re all the same. I believe in equality and injustice really upsets me at every level. They’re not being given a fair chance and that’s just appalling. And no one really wants to know about it – it’s all too hot for them to touch and I’m not scared of those sorts of things.’

Like myself, Janella wants to know why governments aren’t stepping in to do more. ‘The sexual trafficking of children is actually one of the biggest money-spinners on the planet. It makes more money than anything else. I don’t really understand why we don’t hear more about it. That’s a lot of money and a lot of children.’

‘It’s a really hard issue and I think a lot of people just want to pretend that it isn’t happening. Why else could it be?’

Janella Purcell

The title ‘celebrity chef’ is something Janella thinks first began with the success Masterchef. In her view, she’s really a naturopath who’s also a foodie. Still, she has been on TV continuously for fifteen years now, (Channel Nine – Mornings with Kerri-Anne Kennerley; Channel Seven – Good Chef, Bad Chef, and Channel Ten – Biggest Loser) so she’s well and truly earned the title.

Now living in the Hinterlands in Byron Bay, Janella runs clinics near home and in Sydney. She regularly writes magazine articles and her diary is packed with media commitments. But it’s her work in the clinics she finds most rewarding. ‘Consulting clients, one on one. It’s really beautiful, I love that work,’ she said. ‘I deal with all sorts of health issues, from cancer and libido-immune deficiency issues to fertility and skin problems.’

Can naturopathy really address all these complaints? ‘Of course,’ said Janella. ‘We make people better. It’s not that hard. For so many people, it’s a matter of taking chemicals out of your life – from your food, your skincare, your cleaning products. So many people become well once they do that. Chemicals are causing so many problems in our life. And then take out all the processed food from your diet.’

Janella’s top tip for natural skincare is the Pure and Green organic range. She also prefers to buy organic wine. And while it’s her preference to go organic generally, it’s not something she’s fanatical about.

After our chat, I was starting to feel quite exhausted. How does she keep up the pace, fitting all these commitments into her life? But wait, there’s more!

Janella Purcell

Janella is also working on her own TV show. It’s a show focusing on eating food without using meat and refined foods, but still making meals that are beautiful to taste. (watch this space!)

AND she’s working on her next book. It will be called Whole Foods for the Whole World, with recipes for every age, from babyhood to the elderly.

AND she’s shooting a TV commercial for OxFam about awareness about food waste.

Little wonder she has been named in the top 40 inspiring women in Australia, in Prevention Magazine.

If you’d like to do just a little something to help Connecting Hands, here’s a couple of ideas. You can still purchase the cookbook by going to the charity’s website at http://connectinghands.com.au

And you can buy tickets to Connecting Hands annual fund-raising dinner, at which I will be MC. It’s in St Kilda at The Great Provider on Saturday, October 19th. I’d love to see you there!

The Official Jennifer Hansen Website

Thoughts, news and updates from writer & media personality, Jennifer Hansen

Category Archives: Opinion

Twitter Etiquette – how to keep yourself nice

Birthday Greetings – the difference between girls and boys

My Kinky Mother’s Day Present

California Dreaming… at Paramount Studios

Which Celebrity Chef is lending a hand to save children in Cambodia from trafficking?