Best foodies in Sydney

Some rose, some fell and plenty were rewarded for throwing their hat into the ring in a tough year for restaurants.

In the snakes and ladders world of Sydney dining, 27 restaurants gained at least one chef's hat at The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide awards last night while 12 restaurants were shucked of their prestigious toques.

The great Italian diner Buon Ricordo leapfrogged the city's other great trattoria, Lucio's, the latter losing one of its two long-held hats and the former gaining one back to became a two-hatter.

However, it was a night to celebrate a slew of newcomers, who braved proclamations of the death of fine dining and the closure of at least a dozen top Sydney eateries to open restaurants.

A flurry of openings resulted in the highest number of metropolitan new entries in the history of the guide, among them Bar H by the former Kylie Kwong protege Hamish Ingham, Matt Moran's Chiswick and Star casino newcomers Balla, Black by Ezard and Momofuku Seiobo.

And despite the Restaurant of the Year award going to Peter Gilmore's Quay, it was a memorable year for Momofuku Seiobo, which completed the most astronomical rise ever seen by Good Food Guide editors Terry Durack and Joanna Savill.

The first Momofuku outside New York for the Korean-American chef David Chang, recently named one of Time magazine's 100 people who most affect our world, shot straight into the exclusive three-hat club after it opened in the Star last year.

The tiny 30-seater, headed by chef Ben Greeno, joins five other three-hatters: est., Marque, Quay, Rockpool on George and Sepia.

Despite their restaurant not joining the three-hat club, tattooed, rockabilly chefs Ben Milgate and Elvis Abrahanowicz, of Porteno, were named chefs of the year for being "great innovators that are steering the course with their own style and incredible talent", Savill said.

In previous years, the annual awards night has been the scene of tears, barbs and high-profile demotions - among them the shock move for Tetsuya's from three to two hats in 2010, where it remains this year - but there was "not a lot of blood on the floor this year," Savill said. "It's a celebration this time."

WHO'S WHO OF HATS

Three hats
Est, Marque Restaurant, Momofuku Seiobo, Quay, Rockpool on George, Sepia

Two hats
Aria, Bentley Restaurant & Bar, The Bridge Room, Buon Ricordo, Claude's, Four In Hand Dining Room, Gastro Park, Guillaume at Bennelong, Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, Longrain, Ormeggio at the Spit, Pilu at Freshwater, Porteno, Rockpool Bar & Grill, Spice Temple, Tetsuya's, Universal

One hat
A Tavola, Aki's, The Apollo, Arras, Assiette, Balla, Bar H, The Bathers' Pavilion, Billy Kwong, Bistro Moncur, Bistrode CBD, Black by Ezard, The Boathouse at Blackwattle Bay, Buzo Trattoria, Cafe Sopra, Catalina, China Doll, Chiswick, Clareville Kiosk, The Devonshire, Fish Face, Flying Fish, 4Fourteen, Foveaux, Glass Brasserie, Jonah's, Lucio's, Ms.G's, The Ortolan on Bayswater, Oscillate Wildly, Otto Ristorante, Pendolino, Sake Restaurant & Bar, Sean's Panaroma, Sixpenny, Three Blue Ducks, Tomislav, Uccello, Ume, Xanthi

I beg young people to travel

I beg young people to travel. If you don’t have a passport, get one. Take a summer, get a backpack and go to Delhi, go to Saigon, go to Bangkok, go to Kenya. Have your mind blown. Eat interesting food. Dig some interesting people. Have an adventure. Be careful. Come back and you’re going to see your country differently, you’re going to see your president differently, no matter who it is. Music, culture, food, water. Your showers will become shorter. You’re going to get a sense of what globalization looks like. It’s not what Tom Friedman writes about; I’m sorry. You’re going to see that global climate change is very real. And that for some people, their day consists of walking 12 miles for four buckets of water. And so there are lessons that you can’t get out of a book that are waiting for you at the other end of that flight. A lot of people—Americans and Europeans—come back and go, ohhhhh. And the light bulb goes on.

- Henry Rollins

Did somebody say "Brunch"?

Breakfast is the perfect meal for catching up with friends and starting the day. Here are some of Sydney's top spots.






Kitchen by Mike (85 Dunning Ave, Rosebery)
Here's how it works at Kitchen by Mike: you take your enamel plate and point to the things you want to put in your mouth. The chefs behind the counter pile your plate and you just pay for each item individually once you're ready. It's kind of like a big party buffet, only made by an ex-head chef of Rockpool.

Cornersmith (314 Illawarra Rd, Marrickville)
Cornersmith's ploughman’s changes almost daily – it depends on what is in season. It could involve a chorizo scotch egg, sardines, black lentils and beetroot, zucchini and fetta salad, figs, free-range ham, aged cheddar married with a spicy house made tomato chutney, crusty rye bread and maybe even pear slices for a palate cleanser.

Reuben Hills (61 Albion St, Surry Hills)
Take a seat at the blue-tiled communal table out the back and check out the hot floor staff as they serve up some of the area’s best coffee.
Try a baleada while you’re here. The Honduras dish is a tortilla filled-then-folded with black beans for the veggos or pulled pork for the carnies. It’s a hefty number, and will most likely keep you going all day.

Double Roasters (199 Victoria Rd, Marrickville)
Taking up residence in an old warehouse that faces onto Victoria Road, Double Roasters aims to pack as much of the good stuff onto a slice of bread as is humanly possible. The croque monsieur is a monster of a toasted sambo on inch-thick pieces of bread with cheese sauce and ham in the centre and a golden cheese crust.

Joe Black (27 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills)
Tucked up on the business end of Commonwealth Street, it’s not about what’s on the menu, but how they do it at this inner-city hideaway. The usual suspects are all there - BLAT, bacon and egg sambo, granola - as well as the thoughtful additions of a roast veggie sandwich for meat-free types, and a savoury, vegan-friendly option of mushrooms and hummus on rye bread.

Four Ate Five (485 Crown St, Surry Hills)
This unassuming place is doing exceptional food, great juices, Single Origin coffee, and top of the line sangas. Order the pulled pork sandwich with striations of sweet, sweet meat that meld seamlessly with cooling fresh cucumber and apple spiced up with tomato chutney and slathered with aioli on dark sourdough.


Flour and Stone (53 Riley St, Woolloomooloo)
Who doesn't like brekkie dessert? Nadine Ingram, the master baker behind designer cookie business Cookie Couture, has opened up a new bakery right in the heart of Woolloomooloo. Think lemon drizzle cake, chocolate tarts, cinnamon buns, and a hazelnut torte that will leave you weak at the knees.

Revolver (291 Annandale St, Annandale)
This Annandale cafe does a big breakfast that is a thing of wonder: a veritable feast of house-made baked beans, mushrooms, bacon and pork sausage topped with two baked eggs, served in a cast iron pan. Starring alongside the breakfast is ‘flavoured oil' - Revolver's riff on chimmi churri – that should be applied liberally to anything within reach.

bills (433 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst)
Bills is one of those rare Sydney cafés that offer the whole package – we're talking service, food and interiors. Sit at the massive communal tablea nd order the classics such as the ricotta hotcakes with honeycomb butter and banana or the creamy scrambled eggs and the oft-emulated sweet corn fritters. It's a classic for a reason.

Fratelli Paradiso (12-16 Challis Ave, Potts Point)
The menus on the chalkboard are all in Italian, but not to worry – there’s a swathe of hot waiters to translate for you. Either drop by in the morning for the baked ricotta with stewed fruit or a fresh pastry; or if you aren't averse to a little pasta for breakfast order the amazing lasagne.

Stuff We Use Everyday That Was Invented From The Space Program

A list of things invented as a direct result of NASA’s space program:



1.The hand-held vacuum cleaner

2.Air-cushioned trainers
In the early 1980s, a process known as “blow rubber molding” was used to produce space helmets. Using this technology, former Nasa engineer Frank Rudy pitched an idea for an in-trainer shock absorber to the Nike Corporation. He envisaged a trainer with hollow soles filled with shock-absorbing material to cushion the impact of running. Rudy’s idea included a pad of interconnected air cells and the resulting trainer was called the Nike Air.

3.Firefighter breathing apparatus
Before 1971, the average weight of breathing apparatus was more than 30 pounds. Carrying the extra weight was so physically grueling that some firefighters opted to attack flames without any equipment. However, engineers at Nasa adapted the life-support systems used in spacesuits for use by emergency services. Four years later, experts had designed apparatus that weighed a third less and offered better fit and visibility.

4.Blankets for marathon runners
In 1964, Nasa developed a material capable of reflecting heat very effectively – a thin sheet of plastic coated with a metallic reflecting agent, usually gold or silver in color. Used as a blanket, it reflects about 80 per cent of the wearer’s body-heat back to them. It’s used to keep accident victims warm, and by marathon runners after the finish.

5.Safer runways
Nasa researchers discovered that cutting thin grooves across concrete runways reduces the risk of an aircraft aquaplaning after landing. Excess water drains along the grooves, increasing tire friction in wet conditions. The expertise has been adopted by airport operating authorities around the world.

6.Pill transmitters
Pill transmitters swallowed by astronauts to check their temperature and blood pressure are undergoing trials to be used as a way to monitor the health of fetuses in the womb. These pill-shaped gadgets can be used to monitor body temperature, pressure and other vital signs.

7.Faster racing cars
Carbon fiber was invented by the British in the 1960s (at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough), but was given a boost by its use in space flight. Carbon-fiber-reinforced graphite is used in the nose cone of the Space Shuttle. Strong, light and heat resistant, it is found in everything from tennis rackets to Formula One racing cars

8.The roof of the Millennium Dome
A flexible yet durable Teflon-coated fiberglass material was developed in the 1970s for use on astronauts’ spacesuits. Teflon-coated fiberglass is now used for the roofs of many buildings worldwide, including the Dome in London.

9.Greenliving
It may seem strange, but the green movement owes a debt of gratitude to the rockets that blasted off into space. Efficient solar-power technologies – in which silicon crystals grown in a laboratory convert light into electrical energy – were first developed by Nasa in the early 1980s. The same technology is now widely used by companies manufacturing solar panels.

10.Personal storm warning system

11.The most impressive soundbite of all time
Neil Armstrong setting foot on the moon on 21 July 1969 was one of the most historically important moments of the 20th century. His proclamation, which was heard by radio audiences around the world – “that’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind” – remains one of the most famous statements ever uttered.

12.Better sunglasses
Nasa invented a special coating using a form of diamond-like carbon to protect its astronauts’ helmets from being scratched by space particles. A modified form of this substance – which decreases surface friction and therefore reduces scratching – has since been used by many sunglasses manufacturers, including Ray-Ban, since 1988.

13.First detailed map of another planet
In 1971, the Mariner 9 probe arrived at Mars and beamed a total of 7,329 images of the planet back to Earth. It provided the first global map of the surface of the Red Planet, including detailed views of its system of canyons and volcanoes, Valles Marineris.

14.The potential to preserve priceless art
After being first tested by Nasa, “polyamides” – incredibly strong and heat-resistant polymers – have been researched by the J Paul Getty Trust, which has discovered that one in particular may protect bronze statues from corrosion.

15.Car crash technology
“Explosive” bolts that can be remotely detonated to destroy them were used to free the Space Shuttle from its rocket boosters on blast-off. The technology has been adapted to create quicker and more powerful equipment to cut people out of car crashes. The cutters employ the same pyrotechnic “power cartridges” used on the Shuttle.

16.Longer golf shots
Wilson – one of the world’s biggest golf ball manufacturers – has improved the performance of its golf balls by implementing technology used to test the aerodynamics of the Space Shuttle’s external fuel tanks. These balls have a variety of specially configured dimples, which the company claims makes them travel further than conventional balls.

17.Plane wing-tips
Ever seen the vertical tip at the end of an airplane wing and wondered what it is? It’s a called a winglet and was originally developed at Nasa’s Langley Research Center. The winglet produces a degree of forward thrust (to help the plane in take-off and flight), operating much like a boat sail, and reduces wingtip drag. The winglet has been in service since the 1970s, and is found on all types of aircraft.

18.Freeze-dried meals
Nasa developed freeze-drying technology for the food carried by the Apollo missions. After the process, the product retains 98 per cent of its nutritional value and weighs just 20 per cent of its original weight. Snacks based on this technology are exported by Nasa to many countries, with sales running to several million pounds a year.

19.Baby food
Through Nasa research on algae (which it was hoped could generate oxygen in space through photosynthesis), it was found that certain algae contain two essential fatty acids present in human breast milk. These acids play an key role in infants’ mental and visual development. A synthetic ingredient that contains these acids is now added to baby food in 66 countries.

20.Warmer feet
Battery-powered thermal boots used by skiers are adapted from designs developed to keep astronauts warm during the Apollo space programme. Rechargeable batteries are worn inside the wrist of a glove, or the sole of a ski boot, and heat is generated by a small electrical circuit.

21.Increased understanding of the beginning of life
In 1995 the Hubble Space Telescope beamed images of the “Pillars of Creation” – columnar clouds of gas found in the distant Eagle Nebula – back to Earth. As well as being some of the most impressive images of space, these pictures changed scientists’ understanding of the beginnings of life in the universe.

22.’Anti-gravity’ treadmill
British marathon runner Paula Radcliffe has a stress fracture to her left leg, but aims to compete in the Beijing Olympics. She hopes to achieve this by training on a special “anti-gravity” treadmill developed by Nasa to help astronauts exercise in space. The machine operates in a high-pressure chamber which, in effect, cuts the weight of the user.

23.Hang gliders
In 1957, Nasa began testing various forms of wing for its Gemini space capsules. The wings’ simplicity of design, ease of construction, along with their capability of slow flight and gentle landing characteristics, was picked up by hang-gliding enthusiasts. The hang glider the enthusiasts designed became the most successful in history and formed the basis for the more streamlined hang gliders used today.

24.Straighter teeth
Nitinol, an alloy used by orthodontists to wire teeth braces, was tested in satellites that needed to spring open after being folded into a rocket. Nitinol is durable and springs back into shape after bending.

25.Heat-absorbing sportswear
Athletes can perform more strenuous activity without becoming overheated, thanks to new sportswear inspired by the cooling systems used in astronauts’ spacesuits. The clothes have packets of heat-absorbing gel positioned near parts of the body where the most heat is emitted.

26.Heart surgery
Bypass surgery is not the only means for doctors to deal with a blockage in the coronary artery. Nowadays, precise lasers can be used to clean arteries with extraordinary accuracy, while not damaging the walls of blood vessels. The lasers were originally developed by Nasa to monitor gases in the atmosphere of the Earth.

27.Life support for patients
Project Mercury, the first US human spaceflight program, which ran from 1959 to 1963, developed sophisticated monitoring systems to track the physiological status of its astronauts. The same technology is used today in intensive care units and specialist heart units.

28.Medicinal light- emitting diodes
The light-emitting diode (LED) technology used in plant growth experiments on board the Space Shuttle has led to the development of hand-held LED units used for the temporary relief of muscle and joint pain, as well easing the symptoms of arthritis, stiffness, and muscle spasms. It is that hoped use of LED technology will spread to aid bone-marrow transplant patients in the near future.

29.Artificial limbs
Robotic technology has been used to create more dynamic artificial limbs. New foam technology – used as a shock absorber by Nasa – has brought about more natural-looking prostheses and has helped reduce wear and tear.

30.Intelligent underwear
A new bra developed as a space spinoff aids the detection of breast cancer by employing water flowing through tubes to cool the skin surface. When used in conjunction with thermography – a heat-detecting technique used to detect tumours – this adapted clothing, improves image resolution and makes it easier to pick up any cancers.

31.Detection of forest fires
Nasa fire-detection wizardry developed in the early 1990s is now used by the authorities in the USA to detect forest fires that might not be spotted soon enough on the ground, and pinpoint their location. Infrared technology identifies the extent of a fire so firefighters can be sent to the right places to tackle it.

32.Plant research
Nasa research into possible bases on the Moon and Mars is looking into the use of plants to provide food, oxygen and water, reducing the need for outside supplies. The research is based on hydroponics, in which plants grow in a liquid instead of in soil. It could be used in food production on Earth.

33.Chromosome analysis
Using Nasa image-processing technology, human chromosomes are being photographed via cameras mounted on microscopes. The images can then be digitized, allowing doctors to enhance the pictures. The technique can be used to detect infant abnormalities.

34.Less rubbish
Derived from technology on the Space Shuttle, a waste compactor that needs no electrical power has been developed for boats and recreational vehicles. The device has hand-operated ratchets that drive a pressure plate with a compressive force of 2,000 pounds – a more than ample amount to crush cans, for instance.

35.Better skiing
Nasa developed the know-how to keep spacecraft windows clear of condensation before launch by applying two thin coatings of a special detergent oil mix to them. This has since been applied to stop ski goggles, deep sea diving masks, spectacles and vehicle windows from steaming up.

36.Better brakes
Studies of high-temperature space materials allowed the development of more resilient and cheaper materials for brake linings. These substances are now found in truck brakes, cranes and passenger cars and make for better and more reliable braking at high speed.

37.Improved air quality
A US firm has created an air-quality monitoring system based on a Nasa scheme. The monitor can analyze the gases emerging from chimneys and determine the amount of individual gases present, helping to ensure that buildings meet emission standards.

38.Life-saving heart technology
One benefit of Nasa’s work in telemetry – wireless control of devices – has been the creation of a heart pacemaker that can be controlled remotely. With no invasive procedures, a physician communicates with the pacemaker via a wireless device held over the patient’s chest.

39.A possible end to water shortages
Research into using bacteria as a means to remove impurities and purify water is being still being undertaken by Nasa. The system makes use of scant resources by turning waste water from respiration, sweat and urine into drinkable liquid and it’s hoped that this could help poorer communities in developing countries.

40.More competitive swimming
Some of the swimsuits favored by professional swimmers utilize technology found in spacesuits. The rubber is covered with barely visible grooves that reduce friction and aerodynamic drag by modifying the flow of water over an athlete’s body. These suits are 10 to 15 per cent faster than conventional swimsuits and could give an athlete the winning edge.

41.The self-righting life raft
Developed for the Apollo program, the raft fully inflates in 12 seconds and is stable during extremely adverse weather conditions. The craft are now used by coastguards around the world.

42.Home blood pressure kits
When Alan Shepard became the first American to fly in space some 37 years ago, Nasa scientists had to invent an automatic measuring device to find out how blasting off affected the astronaut’s blood pressure. Blood-pressure kits based on this design subsequently went mainstream.

43.Hydraulic rescue cutters
A rescue tool used by fire departments across America uses battery technology first employed by Nasa. The cutting technology – used to free accident victims from wreckage – employs a miniature version of the power cartridges first used on the Space Shuttle and is 50 per cent lighter (and 70 per cent cheaper) than previous rescue equipment. The cutters work more quickly than conventional ones and were used in the aftermath of the 1995 Oklahoma Federal Building bombing.

44.Satellite television
On 10 July 1962, a television transmission showed the American flag fluttering outside a communications center in Andover, Maine. It was made possible after Nasa launched its Telstar satellite, the world’s first active communications satellite, at 4.35 that morning.

45.Voice-controlled wheelchairs
Voice-controlled wheelchairs make use of Nasa robot voice recognition technology and are fitted with microcomputers that can respond to oral commands. The chairs help people with severe disabilities to perform daily tasks such as turning on appliances.

46.Mine-clearing technology
A type of surplus rocket fuel favored by Nasa has been used to create a device that can destroy land mines safely. The gadget uses the fuel to burn a hole in the mine’s casing and to burn away the explosive contents, making it easier to clear land of mines.

47.Long-life tires
The technology used to make parachutes to land exploratory probes was adapted by tire companies to create tires five times stronger than steel. Such technology, pioneered for use in tires by Goodyear in the late 1970s, employs long-chain molecular structures to increase tread lives by 10,000 miles, meaning that we can all drive further for less.

48.Eye screening
Nasa image-processing techniques are used to detect eye problems (errors in refraction, or the bending of light on to the retina) in children. An electronic flash from a 35mm camera sends light into the child’s eyes, and an image of the patient’s optical reflexes is then produced.

49.The personal alarm system
The pen-sized ultrasonic transmitters used by prison guards, teachers and the elderly and disabled to signal for help is based on technology derived from space telemetry. The pen transmits a silent signal to a receiver that will display the exact location of the emergency, enabling help to be sent.

50.The first photos of Saturn’s rings
In 1977, the probe Voyager 1 took almost 16,000 images of Saturn, its moons and its rings. The resulting photographs detected the presence of “spokes” within the planet’s ring patterns, which led scientists to reconsider theories about their formation.

Free Tasting Table Summer Cookbook 2012

Free Tasting Table Summer Cookbook 2012

Get your cook on...
- Cherry-cola popsicles
- Crostini with zucchini pesto
- Mexican chocolate chip cookies

Click here to download:

Common regrets of the dying

At the end of our days, each and every one of us will be forced to stop and face up to the life we have lived. In this moment of reflection, many will ask, "Is there anything I would do differently?"
This question is the subject of The Top Five Regrets of Dying by Australian palliative care nurse and singer, Bronnie Ware.
Initially written as a blog, Ware self-published the book at the end of last year. By the beginning of this year, the sharply meaningful messages had ricocheted around the world and, by March, Hay House publishers had picked it up, released it internationally and had it translated into 25 languages (and counting).

It shares Ware's experience of being with people as they prepared to die. "People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality," she wrote.

"I learnt never to underestimate someone's capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them."

As she sat "around having a yarn" with her patients, she would ask about their regrets and whether they would do anything differently. Despite vastly different stories and circumstances, common themes began to emerge. The book shares the most common five, listed below.
It's not hard to see why it has resonated so strongly with so many, why people post it on their Facebook pages, email it to loved ones and talk about it with friends.

It is about taking the road less travelled to pursue dreams - one that requires courage and conviction.

It is the path Bronnie Ware has taken. An aspiring musician, she spent eight years as a live-in palliative care nurse. Not having to pay rent gave her the financial freedom to pursue her musical ambitions on the side, part of the reason she took the job.

But, as she spent time with the people she was caring for, she became deeply affected by their insight. While not all her patients had regrets, it was the regrets that had the most profound impact on her personally. They give her the strength to make hard decisions when she needs to, she says.

"I know how profound it is to be [at the end] and regret and not be able to do anything about it," she says.

This knowledge has driven her to become a mum for the first time at 45, release two albums and relocate back to the area she grew up in order to be close to her aging mother.

"I never thought I'd settle back there," she says. "But, I wanted my child to know her grandmother and I knew I'd regret it if I didn't."
The message to live authentically and without regrets has also affected many of the books readers.

People from around the world contact Ware to tell their tales. They say they now have the strength to retire, to take time for holidays, to make peace with long-term friends or to quit their jobs.

Such decisions are rarely easy. But they are the ones most likely to make a difference in how we answer that final question.

For Ware, of course, it was on the road of struggle that she stumbled upon the stories that inspired her work and have now lead to her creative success. When it comes her time to reflect, it seems unlikely that Ware will want to do anything differently.

The top five regrets, in Ware's words are:
1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me

This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.

2. I wish I didn't work so hard
This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.

3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings
Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends
Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier
This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/life/common-regrets-of-the-dying-20120716-224y2.html#ixzz20kZ2Nyvm

The Surprising Truths About Income Inequality in America GQ

Amber Waves of Green
http://www.gq.com/news-politics/big-issues/201207/amber-waves-of-green-jon-ronson-gq-july-2012

Quotes

"Live life fully while you’re here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You’re going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don’t try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human." - Tony Robbins

"Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity." - Unknown

"The truth that makes men free is for the most part the truth which men prefer not to hear." - Herbert Agar

"Because we don't think about future generations, they will never forget us." - Henrik Tikkanen

"There are people who think that everything one does with a serious face is sensible." Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742 - 1799)

"The trouble with being punctual is that nobody's there to appreciate it" - Franklin P. Jones

"There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line." Oscar Levant

"If at first you don't succeed, find out if the loser gets anything." - Bill Lyon

"We can learn much from wise words, little from wisecracks, and less from wise guys." - William Arthur Ward

"Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm." Publilius Syrus

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear." Mark Twain

"Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric." Bertrand Russell (1872 - 1970)

"We are not in the commodities business, we are in the shareholder returns business" - Marius Kloppers (BHP)

"A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones that need the advice" - Bill Cosby

"The reason there are two senators for each state is so that one can be the designated driver." - Jay Leno

"Interestingly, according to modern astronomers, space is finite. This is a very comforting thought -- particularly for people who can never remember where they have left things." - Woody Allen

"He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever" - Chinese Proverb

"You may delay, but time will not" Benjamin Franklin

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." Will Rogers

"How many people here have telekenetic powers? Raise my hand." - Emo Philips

"When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators." - P. J. O'Rourke (1947 - )

"Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened." Winston Churchill

"Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday." - Don Marquis

Quotes

25 Kickass Inspirational Quotes about Life

1. Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself – George Bernard Shaw.

2. Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover – Mark Twain.

3. Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant - Robert Louis Stevenson.
4. We don’t see things the way they are. We see them the way WE are - Talmud.

5. I have found that if you love life, life will love you back - Arthur Rubinstein.

6. The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be – Marcel Pagnol.

7. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step – Lao Tzu.

8. Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it. Because what the world needs is more people who have come alive – Howard Thurman.

9. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better – Ralph Waldo Emerson.

www.heymissawesome.tumblr.com

10. Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like – Will Rogers.

11. I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been - Wayne Gretzky.

12. Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional - Anony-mouse.

13. Every man dies. Not every man really lives – William Ross Wallace.

14. Life isn’t a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, latte in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming ‘Woohoo WHAT A RIDE’!

15. There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle - Albert Einstein.

16. Uncertainty is the only certainty there is, and knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security – John Allen Paulos.

17. You are not in this world to live up to other people’s expectations, nor should you feel the world must live up to yours – F Perl.
18. How you do one thing, is how you do everything. Be aware.

19. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing – Helen Keller.

20. Life is not about kissing a**, it’s about kicking a**!

21. The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it – Henry David Thoreau.

22.  Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life; define yourself - Harvey Fierstein.

23. Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are – John Wooden.

24. In the end, it’s not going to matter how many breaths you took, but how many moments took your breath away - Shing Xiong.

25. Dance like the photo’s not being tagged. Love like you’ve never been unfriended. Sing like nobody’s following. Share like you care. And do it all like it won’t end up on youtube!

25 Inspirational Quotes about Love & Happiness

26. The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and let it come in – Morrie Schwartz.

27. You cannot be lonely if you like the person you’re alone with - Dr. Wayne Dyer.

28. Happiness is like a butterfly.
The more you chase it, the more it eludes you.
But if you turn your attention to other things,
It comes and sits softly on your shoulder.
 - Henry David Thoreau

29. I think everyone should be told they’re beautiful until they believe it - Unknown

Yes, you. Pass it on to someone you think is too.

30. People were created to be loved. Things were created to be used. The reason the world is in chaos, is because things are being loved, and people are being used.

31. Dear Heart, fall in love only when you’re ready, not when you’re lonely – Anony-mouse.

32. ”It’s impossible” said pride. “It’s risky” said experience. “It’s pointless” said reason. “Give it a try” whispered the heart - Anonymous (via Tad).

33. To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance – Oscar Wilde.

34. Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage - Lao Tzu.

35. When in doubt, choose Love.

36. Your task is not to seek love, but to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it – Rumi.  

37. Happiness always sneaks in a door you did not think was open – Anony-mouse.

38. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. But anger is like fire. It burns it all clean – Maya Angelou.

39. Be happy while you’re living, for you’re a long time dead - Scottish Proverb.

40. The minute I heard my first love story, I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere. They’re in each other all along - Rumi.

41. Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. It means that you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.

42. Whoever said money can’t buy happiness didn’t know where to shop – Gertrude Stein.

43. The appearance of things change according to the emotions and thus we see magic and beauty in them, while the magic and beauty really are in ourselves - Kahlil Gibran.

44. You’re at the zoo, you have a popsicle, how can you be unhappy? - Dewey, Malcolm in the Middle.

45.  Find the guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot, who calls you back when you hang up on him, who will lie under the stars and listen to your heartbeat, or stay awake just to watch you sleep. The one who turns to his friends and says, “thats her” – Anony-mouse.

46. Don’t worry. Be happy.

47. Self-worth comes from one thing – thinking that you are worthy.

48. Be helpful. When you see a person without a smile, give them yours – Zig Ziglar.

49. My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet I’m happy. I can’t figure it out. What am I doing right? – Charles Schultz (probably # 50!).

50. Happiness is a choice. Choose happy.

25 Inspirational Quotes about Change & Growth

51. If you’re going through hell, keep going – Winston Churchill.

52. Feelings come and feelings go. There is no need to fear them and no need to crave them. Let them come, and then let them go. No feeling is your permanent reality, no matter how intense it is.

53. No matter what, no matter how, where or who - you can almost always turn around and get a second chance - Anony-mouse.

54. When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us – Alexander Graham Bell.

55. The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man - George B Shaw.

56. You cannot solve a problem with the same mind that created it - Albert Einstein.

57. Do or Do Not. There is no Try - Yoda.

58. We must let go of the life we had planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us - Joseph Campbell.

59. You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face - Eleanor Roosevelt.

60. When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves – Viktor Frankl.

61. Change is inevitable. Progress is optional – Tony Robbins.

62. Be smart enough to hold on, be brave enough to let go. Sometimes, we need to hold onto faith while letting go of the outcome. Open your hand and hold your dreams gently, don’t try to grab them.

63. If you are irritated by every rub, how will you be polished? - Rumi

64. If there is anything that we wish to change in the child, we should first examine it and see whether it is not something that could better be changed in ourselves – Carl Jung.

65. I’ve developed a new philosophy. I only dread one day at a time – Charlie Brown

66. Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there – Will Rogers.

67. The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving - Oliver W Holmes.

68. The harder you fall, the higher you bounce – Unknown.

69. I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I’ve ended up where I needed to be  - Douglas Adams.

70. The best way to predict the future is to create it.

71. People will hate you, rate you, shake you, and break you. But how strong you stand is what makes you – Unknown.

72. We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand - Randy Pausch.

73. You’ve got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was – Irish proverb.

74. You are who you are and what you are because of what has gone into your mind. You can change who you are and what you are by changing what goes into your mind - Zig Ziglar

75. Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right - Henry Ford.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference – Reinhold Niebuhr. (The Serenity Prayer rocks!)

William Parrish in Meet Joe Black

"Love is passion, obsession, someone you can't live without. I say, fall head over heels. Find someone you can love like crazy and who will love you the same way back. How do you find him? Well, you forget your head, and you listen to your heart. And I'm not hearing any heart. Cause the truth is, honey, there's no sense living your life without this. To make the journey and not fall deeply in love, well, you haven't lived a life at all. But you have to try, cause if you haven't tried, you haven't lived." 


"I thought I was going to sneak away tonight. What a glorious night. Every face I see is a memory. It may not be a perfectly perfect memory. Sometimes we had our ups and downs. But we're all together, and you're mine for a night. And I'm going to break precedent and tell you my one candle wish: that you would have a life as lucky as mine, where you can wake up one morning and say, "I don't want anything more." Sixty-five years. Don't they go by in a blink?"

25 Things I’ve Learned In My 20s

25 Things I’ve Learned In My 20s « Thought Catalog

25 Things I’ve Learned In My 20s

May 21, 2012

1. You can’t date a jerk and expect to turn them into a good person. Jerks are fully committed to being unpleasant. Those brief moments of tenderness they give you are designed to trip you up and give you false hope. It’s best to stay away altogether.

2. The rumors are true: your metabolism does slow down as you get older! That means if you’re still eating whatever you want, there’s a good chance you’ll start to gain an awkward amount of weight. It won’t be too drastic but your clothes will start to hang differently on your body and you’ll feel an overall feeling of unattractiveness. Start to be conscious of what you eat and strive to live a healthier lifestyle if you want to get your teen body back. (Let’s be real though, that might not ever come back.)

3. You’re going to lose touch with a lot of your friends. With some people, it will be expected but with others it will feel like a punch to the stomach. No friendship is truly safe in your twenties. You’re undergoing so many personal and professional changes that there’s bound to be some casualties along the way. Don’t worry though. You’ll end up with the ones that matter. If someone’s no longer in your life, it’s for a reason.

4. You’ll be jealous of everyone who’s more successful than you. That’s okay. Just transfer that jealousy into something productive, like working really hard so you can one day eclipse them and make them feel jealous of YOU.

5. You’ll question every decision you make and never feel completely certain that you made the right choice. It’s pointless to wonder though. You’re here now so you might as well make it be the right decision.

6. You’re going to give your heart to a few people who don’t deserve it. Then, one day you’ll come to your senses and ask them to give it back.

7. You’ll see your parents get older. You’ll come home during Christmas break and see new lines developing on their faces. One day it’ll just hit you that your parents are old and going to die. There’s nothing you can do about it, besides treat them with kindness and visit as much as your budget permits.

8. You’ll have a boss who makes you feel like you’re nothing. It doesn’t have to be in a Devil Wears Prada way. The cruelty can be much more subtle. Don’t let them get to you though. They have no idea who the hell you really are and you’re probably going to have their job someday so…

9. Doing drugs is fun until it’s not, until it starts affecting your life in negative ways and leaves you feeling guilty and wrecked. If that happens, you should stop doing them.

10. You’re going to puke in public. It’s fine. No one cares. Just puke.

11. You’ll know how to make twenty dollars last an entire week because you spent almost all of your paycheck on groceries at Whole Foods and drunk cab rides. This lesson in frugality will serve you well.

12. You’re going to betray your convictions. You’re going to feel shame. You’re going to continue to put yourself in situations that aren’t good for you. And then, slowly but surely, it will become less frequent. It might not ever go away completely but it won’t be as bad. In the meantime, stop shame spiraling about it. It gets you nowhere.

13. Loving yourself is hard. Hating yourself is harder.

14. You’re going to hook up with someone who you would never touch in the daylight sober. Just don’t freak out too much about it. Consider it to be your good deed for the day.

15. You’re going to have people in your life who are toxic. They may say that they love you, they may say that they have your back, but they don’t. Get rid of them.

16. You’ll have moments with someone that are so intense, it’ll feel like you’ve been electrocuted back to life. You’ll hold on to these moments for a long time. They’ll give you hope when you’re going through the motions.

17. You’ll always care about your first love. That doesn’t make you crazy, it just makes you human. When relationships end, it’s not so cut and dry. You carry everyone you’ve ever loved into every relationship thereafter.

18. You’ll enter your twenties as a fashion disaster and (hopefully) leave them looking fantastic. If you don’t know how to put yourself together by then, I really don’t know what to tell you.

19. You’ll realize that the Internet can be a cruel son of a bitch but, you know, www.whatever.com.

20. So much of what you think matters doesn’t actually matter at all. It’s kind of rude. Like, thanks for making me believe in things that are ultimately so inconsequential, you jerk.

21. You’ll treat someone terribly. Whether it to be a lover or your friend, there’ll be someone whose feelings you take for granted. We focus too much on whether or not someone is hurting us. The reality is that we might actually be the one who’s hurting someone.

22. Doing “grown-up things” doesn’t make you a grown up. Shopping for housewares, buying a plant, embracing domesticity — these things don’t create maturity. If you’re still a baby who hasn’t figured things out, you’ll remain a baby, no matter how many times you pay your rent on time.

23. Don’t force yourself into loving anyone. If it’s not working in the beginning, it’s probably not going to work ever.

24. You are so lucky to have everything that you have. Stop crying about an unreturned text message and get some perspective.

25. Don’t go too long without having sex. Ever.