Where is your Olympic Spirit?

If there is one thing that has struck me in the first few days of the London 2012 Olympics, it's the way the Australian media is crucifying athletes who don't "perform".

This snippet of a piece on James Magnussen being the favourite for his next race, by staff writers at News Limited, is just one example:

"But that is all under doubt now after he and his teammates bombed in the final of the 4 x 100m relay, finishing a disappointing fourth despite heading into the race as hot favourites."

Sorry, what? When did training hard for years, making the Australian team, qualifying through the heats to make the OLYMPIC FUCKING FINAL and coming fourth constitute bombing out?

These people are the best our country has to offer and yet we're being told they are not good enough. I'm not suggesting they all get participation medals like a school sports carnival where no one is allowed to lose lest our kiddies get upset, I'm suggesting a little credit where credit is due.

And now I'm going to pull the what-is-this-teaching-our-kids card because surely that's what a Mummy Blogger should do. What type of example is this to all the kids watching the Olympics? If you win at the highest level you will be held up as the golden girl/boy of Australia... and if you come second or heaven forbid don't even make the podium, you're "disappointing".

How is promoting the "If you're not first, you're last" and "Second place is the first loser" mentality ever a good thing? 

From these types of statements, which are all over the media right now and being made by the commentary team, am I meant to conclude that anyone who didn't make the final is a loser? That anyone who didn't make the Australian Olympic team is pathetic?

No wonder they're all breaking down this year! They're being told that unless they're perfect, breaking records, weighing the right amount and winning gold IT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH. Give them a break already, last time I checked they were human.

And yet, only a few hours earlier though, the exact same media outlet slammed a US comedian for joking on Twitter that the female Australian swimmers had "amazing cocks". So it's not OK for a comedian to make a joke about our Olympians but it's just fine and dandy for a journalist to crucify them? Double standard, much?

What ever happened to the Olympic Spirit?

Do you find it "disappointing" when someone tries their hardest and doesn't win? Or are you just in awe at the amazing talent of these people?

I came, I saw, I got a swag box

Oh look another Blog event that I got drunk at! Well knock me down with a feather!

Apparently, I'm a small brown marsupial. Not following? Well, it's WOMBAT. Some people will have you believe it stands for Website and Online Media, Bloggers And Tweeps, but after meeting up I'm of the firm belief it actually stands for We Only Meet when Booze is On Tab. Because, well, it's true.

LOVED meeting Yvette and Karen

The Jive and I don't pass up an opportunity to go out, particularly when someone else is paying. For him it's  because he's a poor student and a night of not eating two minute noodles is quite glamourous. For me, it's because I'm a poor excuse for a once-was-party-er and a night of not changing nappies is as good as it gets these days.

Fabulous ladies: Georgia, Lani, Sarah, Catherine and Taryn

He headed to mine for the time honoured tradition of "getting ready together" which is really code for "I don't want to show up alone for fear of looking like a loser". It consisted of him standing in my bathroom drinking shoddy wine whilst watching me dry my hair and put on makeup.

Swag bags are sooo 2011, swag boxes are the next big thing

I applied a little extra oomph to the ensemble with false eyelashes in the hope that having sparkles around my eyes would leave people so entranced that they wouldn't notice my drunken shenanigans. Though as I've found out many a time, no matter how much effort you put in, after six glasses of champagne it's highly likely you'll turn in to a pumpkin with smudged makeup by midnight at a bar in Leederville trying really hard to figure out what the guy with the incredibly thick Irish accent is actually trying to say. Or *ahem* so I've heard.

It was awesome to catch up with old mates and I loved meeting the people I've been cyber-stalking following, and putting faces to names and Twitter handles. We ate, drank, got some freebies, met an incredibly drunk Ricky Gervais wannabe with an intense stare, drank a bit more, posed for shocking photos and left after being asked to go to Leederville with some lovely, random people that had become entranced by our swag boxes.

Artichoke love

I have two new Bloggy crushes in the form of Chantel from Bossy Mummy and Cie from Pathetic to Pin up (who rocks a cowgirl hat like nobody's business, let me tell you). I had fabulous conversations with them both, though they may think differently since they were of the cringe-worthy drunken confessional variety.

1. Screaming in Georgia's ear  2. Intense "Ricky" before he tried to steal a swag box
3. Gorgeous Cie  4. RJT, Chantel and I laughing it up

It was a fabulous night thanks to some fab organizing peeps and awesome sponsors Bubbler, DP and Nuffnang.

What did you get up to? Photos or it didn't happen.

Apple, sultana, cinnamon and oat muffins

My mother used to always bake when the weather was bad and as a result whenever it rains I always feel like having scones for afternoon tea and a roast for dinner.

Since the start of winter this has translated in to a constant hunger and lots of opportunities to play with recipes, modify them and sometimes, when I'm feeling particularly smug, create my own.

Sweet or savoury, it doesn't matter. I must bake and I must eat.

Apple, sultana, cinnamon and oat muffins

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cup of SR flour, sifted
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup oats
• 115g butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 apples, peeled and cored, finely diced
• 1/2 cup sultanas
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Really unattractive action shot

Method

• Combine flour, sugar, oats and cinnamon
• Add in the fruit and stir it around to coat the pieces - this makes sure they don't sink to the bottom of the batter
• Add in the butter, eggs and milk and stir until just combined
• Spoon in to a muffin tray and bake at 180C for 20 minutes

If you want to be a little bit more indulgent, before you put them in the oven, sprinkle them with some extra brown sugar and a few extra oats - when it melts together it creates a great little caramel crunch!

I went walking, what did I see?

I live in a bit of a dodgy suburb. It ranks pretty high up there with the top areas for welfare benefits and crime.

With that in mind though, I've never been scared around here in general. Oh sure there was that time Map Guy came face to face with a would-be burglar through the glass door and the time the dog chased an intruder down the side of the house. Both of those times I shat myself, but other than that, I'm not one to just be afraid.

I feel safe walking the streets around here because I know a few of my neighbours and because I know the liklihood of being attacked by a stranger is minimal. Plus I normally have a big fuck-off dog with me.

It's a good thing, because when I do go walking, well, I find some pretty interesting things...

A spelling mistake that has been in the window for over 12 months.

Maybe they are sorry their accessories are shit?

An awesome ride on digger... out for bulk rubbish collection

(yes I checked before taking it)

An organ, dumped in the middle of the Open Space

perfect for impromptu dog recitals

The word "Tricky" drawn in to fresh cement...

What? I totally found it like that! *shifty eyes*

A burnt out car at the bottom of our street

There's been three in that exact spot

An unusual inscription on a painting

in a local office

I will spare you the used condom photo.

What weird stuff do you see in your neighbourhood?

How to use chalk to colour your hair

One of the annoying things about having a dark hair colour is that colouring the tips is major pain in the arse involving bleach, strange orange colours and normally, for me, ends up looking like I've just dipped the ends in a bucket of vomit.

But there is a way! Hair chalking!

I tried it out with some subtle pink (well, it's subtle next to my purple at least) and really liked it so decided to go contrasting blue too:

Ever heard of it? It's been big in the US for a while and is gaining popularity over here rapidly. So how do you do it? It's SO easy, just grab yourself some artist's chalks and go for it:

As you can see from the pic, I have heaps of vibrant colours in my chalk box and I can't wait to try them all out. You can also use eyeshadow pigments for this - I have some loose MAC colours from my days as a makeup artist so they'll be next on my list.

As soon as you've finished, clean the massive mess of chalk that has fallen around you or it might stain. It's also best not to wear your fave clothes or sleep on your expensive white pillowcase because the fallout is pretty bad.

It is really hard to style your hair afterwards because the chalked sections feel like they have half a can of hairspray in them... plus every time you touch it your hands will come away a little tainted. I ended up looking like I'd been inappropriately dealing with a Smurf.

Yet another downside to this is that if you do it more than a few times in a row it will seriously dry your hair out. Make sure you have a good conditioner on hand to repair! But for the price of a box of chalks ($10-15 at a local art store) it's a cheap way to get quick, vibrant, one-night colour.

Will you try chalking?