#sydney and david are my biggest loss

[kolcheksluver]

Maybe in another universe we don’t end up hating each other

The other universe:

[stainedglassgardens]

Favourite woman-directed films I saw in 2018

It’s funny because when the year started I thought I could never watch 52 films by women, considering that I usually barely watch fifty films a year, total. Then I watched 306 new-to-me films, out of which 105 were directed by women.

I saw so many good woman-directed films that I thought it would be hard to choose ten to make this list, but then I realised that I only had to include those films that absolutely blew my mind, and bam! Ten already.

Winter’s Bone (Debra Granik, 2010)

On Body and Soul (Testről és lélekről, Ildikó Enyedi, 2017)

We Need to Talk About Kevin (Lynne Ramsay, 2011)

River of Grass (Kelly Reichardt, 1994)

The Midnight Swim (Sarah Adina Smith, 2014)

Raw (Grave, Julia Ducournau, 2016)

M.F.A. (Natalia Leite, 2017)

Daisies (Sedmikrásky, Věra Chytilová, 1966)

Always Shine (Sophia Takal, 2016)

Revenge (Coralie Fargeat, 2017)

Very broadly speaking, these ten can be divided into three categories. There’s gorey, imaginative, feminist genre -- Revenge, M.F.A., Raw; there’s visually and/or narratively boundary-expanding cinema -- Daisies, Always Shine, The Midnight Swim, We Need to Talk About Kevin, On Body and Soul; and then there are the indie stories about marginalised people, which might be my favourites of all -- here, River of Grass and Winter’s Bone.

When 2018 started I had only seen one film by Kelly Reichardt, and none by Debra Granik. Now they’re both among my favourite filmmakers. When I saw my first Kelly Reichardt film, years ago, I thought Wow, some people do make films about actual people. I’ve seen all of them now, and I liked all of them, but it wasn’t that hard picking River of Grass for this list -- there’s something so Carson McCullers, so Flannery O’Connor about the story, and visually it is so dreamlike.

I put Debra Granik together with Kelly Reichardt because their stories feel similar in many ways (and both feel similar to Agnès Varda’s), and seeing Winter’s Bone I was just completely blown away. It’s one of those films I would unreservedly call a masterpiece, and recommend to absolutely everyone. What places it above Leave No Trace (which I put as my number one new release of 2018) is the plot, and the ending especially, both completely surreal and mundane, like a cherry on top of spectacular acting and visuals worthy of Dorothea Lange .

Another slap in the face was We Need to Talk About Kevin. Together with a few other films in this list, it made me ponder what film can really do in terms of creating intricate, media-specific experiences that ultimately serve to provide a more rounded understanding of reality and what it means to be a person. We Need to Talk About Kevin was the first of these and probably had the biggest impact on me. Lynne Ramsay really is one of the few people with a completely unique vision.

I put Daisies, Always Shine, The Midnight Swim and On Body and Soul in the same category, although they don’t have a lot in common with each other, because they all have this aspect of visual and/or narrative boundary-pushing. It is so incredible that Daisies still feels like that to a first-time viewer today, even though it came out more than fifty years ago.

I saw Always Shine and The Midnight Swim around the same time and keep associating them in my mind for the nods to David Lynch, indie feel, and non-linear storytelling. Probably The Midnight Swim impressed me more, because it was the first time (and only, so far) that I saw a first-person narrative that looked quite like that.

On Body and Soul belongs in the same area of this mental map mainly because of the dream sequences. Before I saw it I probably would have found it impossible to talk about dreams in a way that didn’t feel recycled, but this managed just that. The juxtaposition of the wild forest animals at night with the cattle in the slaughterhouse during the day walks such a fine line between surrealism and social commentary, and the slaughterhouse sequences are all filmed with such incredible tact -- which only serves to make them more shocking.

Then there are the great genre films. Raw was fantastic, in part because it is so rare for a French person such as myself to find a French film to her liking, but also because everything about it felt so different -- it is firmly set in the horror genre, but it also draws from such a wide range of influences. M.F.A. and Revenge mirror each other in many ways, because they��re both rape-revenge films, a sub-genre I am incredibly glad and grateful that women are tackling in such interesting and challenging ways. I liked M.F.A. better, maybe, because it felt more real, and the ending better-thought-out, but if anything, I’d recommend a double-feature night to watch both.

Great films that didn’t quite make the cut, in no particular order:

Addicted to Fresno (Jamie Babbit, 2015): best sex comedy about actual grown-ups

I Think We’re Alone Now (Reed Morano, 2018): best post-apocalyptic “everyone is gone from the surface of the Earth but us” film

Ginger & Rosa (Sally Potter, 2012): best Cold-War England drama

Meek’s Cutoff (Kelly Reichardt, 2010) : best contemplative Western

Into the Forest (Patricia Rozema, 2015): best post-apocalyptic survivalist feminist film

Vagabond (Sans toit ni loi, Agnès Varda, 1984) : best film shot in my area of France

Khadak (Peter Brosens and Jessica Hope Woodworth, 2006): best science fiction film that takes place in Mongolia

Over time, I’m finding it easier and easier to watch more woman-directed films, both because I know where to look and because I’ll find it easier to relax and get into any genre at all when I know there’ll be infinitely less chance of rampant misogyny ruining an otherwise perfectly good film. It seems barely believable, now, to think that five years ago I didn’t know one single woman director, when clearly the quality and the variety are there, the work is there, and it stands so tall on its own.

Full 105-film list under the cut!

The Bad Batch (Ana Lily Amirpour, 2016)

Gas Food Lodging (Allison Anders, 1992)

Red Road (Andrea Arnold, 2006)

American Honey (Andrea Arnold, 2016)

A United Kingdom (Amma Asante, 2016)

Addicted to Fresno (Jamie Babbit, 2015)

The Selfish Giant (Clio Barnard, 2013)

Novitiate (Maggie Betts, 2017)

Bird Box (Susanne Bier, 2018)

Blue My Mind (Lisa Brühlmann, 2017)

Daisies (Sedmikrásky, Věra Chytilová, 1966)

The Kindergarten Teacher (Sara Colangelo, 2018)

Valley Girl (Martha Coolidge, 1983)

Palo Alto (Gia Coppola, 2013)

Lick the Star (Sofia Coppola, 1998)

The Beguiled (Sofia Coppola, 2017)

17 GIrls (17 Filles, Delphine Coulin and Muriel Coulin, 2011)

The Edge of Seventeen (Kelly Fremon Craig, 2016)

Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story (Alexandra Dean, 2017)

Madeline’s Madeline (Josephine Decker, 2018)

Desert Hearts (Donna Deitch, 1985)

Raw (Grave, Julia Ducournau, 2016)

On Body and Soul (Testről és lélekről, Ildikó Enyedi, 2017)

Mustang (Deniz Gamze Ergüven, 2015)

Revenge (Coralie Fargeat, 2017)

The Spy Who Dumped Me (Susanna Fogel, 2018)

Deidra and Laney Rob a Train (Sydney Freeland, 2017)

Twinsters (Samantha Futerman and Ryan Miyamoto, 2015)

The Trader (Sovdagari, Tamta Gabrichidze, 2018)

The Lifeguard (Liz W. Garcia, 2013)

Lady Bird (Greta Gerwig, 2017)

They (Anahita Ghazvinizadeh, 2017)

Tig (Kristina Goolsby and Ashley York, 2015)

The Deuce of Spades (Faith Granger, 2011)

Winter’s Bone (Debra Granik, 2010)

Leave No Trace (Debra Granik, 2018)

Casting JonBenet (Kitty Green, 2017)

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Amy Heckerling, 1982)

Axolotl Overkill (Helene Hegemann, 2017)

The Firefly (La Luciérnaga, Ana Maria Hermida, 2015)

Beach Rats (Eliza Hittman, 2017)

The Fits (Anna Rose Holmer, 2015)

The Land of Steady Habits (Nicole Holofcener, 2018)

Slums of Beverly Hills (Tamara Jenkins, 1998)

Private Life (Tamara Jenkins, 2018)

The Quiet Hour (Stéphanie Joalland, 2014)

Cameraperson (Kirsten Johnson, 2016)

By the Sea (Angelina Jolie, 2015)

Sweet Bean (あん, An, Naomi Kawase, 2015)

Lovesong (So Yong Kim, 2016)

I Feel Pretty (Abby Kohn, 2018)

Radius (Caroline Labrèche and Steeve Léonard, 2017)

Irreplaceable You (Stephanie Laing, 2018)

The Feels (Jenée LaMarque, 2017)

Breathe (Respire, Mélanie Laurent, 2014)

Galveston (Mélanie Laurent, 2018)

Octavio is Dead! (Sook-Yin Lee, 2018)

M.F.A. (Natalia Leite, 2017)

Aloft (Claudia Llosa, 2014)

The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond (Jodie Markell, 2008)

A New Leaf (Elaine May, 1971)

Dude (Olivia Milch, 2018)

The Dressmaker (Jocelyn Moorhouse, 2015)

I Think We’re Alone Now (Reed Morano, 2018)

Woodshock (Kate and Laura Mulleavy, 2017)

Girl Asleep (Rosemary Myers, 2015)

Tout ce qui brille (Géraldine Nakache and Hervé Mimran, 2010)

I Am Not a Witch (Rungano Nyoni, 2017)

Ginger & Rosa (Sally Potter, 2012)

Beneath the Harvest Sky (Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, 2013)

Angels Wear White (嘉年华, Vivian Qu, 2017)

Cargo (Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke, 2017)

We Need to Talk About Kevin (Lynne Ramsay, 2011)

You Were Never Really Here (Lynne Ramsay, 2017)

River of Grass (Kelly Reichardt, 1994)

Old Joy (Kelly Reichardt, 2006)

Meek’s Cutoff (Kelly Reichardt, 2010)

Night Moves (Kelly Reichardt, 2013)

Certain Women (Kelly Reichardt, 2016)

Into the Forest (Patricia Rozema, 2015)

Before I Fall (Ry Russo-Young, 2017)

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (Lorene Scafaria, 2012)

The Riot Club (Lone Scherfig, 2014)

Cracks (Jordan Scott, 2009)

Everything Beautiful is Far Away (Pete Ohs and Andrea Sisson, 2017)

Waitress (Adrienne Shelly, 2007)

Laggies (Lynn Shelton, 2014)

Outside In (Lynn Shelton, 2017)

Berlin Syndrome (Cate Shortland, 2017)

Lipstick Under My Burkha (Alankrita Shrivastava, 2016)

The Midnight Swim (Sarah Adina Smith, 2014)

Buster’s Mal Heart (Sarah Adina Smith, 2016)

The Lure (Córki dancingu, Agnieszka Smoczyńska, 2015)

Always Shine (Sophia Takal, 2016)

Shirkers (Sandi Tan, 2018)

Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong (Emily Ting, 2015)

Kedi (Ceyda Torun, 2016)

Cléo from 5 to 7 (Cléo de 5 à 7, Agnès Varda, 1962)

Vagabond (Sans toit ni loi, Agnès Varda, 1984)

Love, Cecil (Lisa Immordino Vreeland, 2018)

Jupiter Ascending (The Wachowskis, 2015)

Mr. Roosevelt (Noël Wells, 2017)

Woman Walks Ahead (Susanna White, 2017)

Khadak (Peter Brosens and Jessica Hope Woodworth, 2006)

Salesman (Albert Maysles, David Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin, 1969)

[junker-town]

7 best bets for NFL-CFB win total comparisons

We’ve got options for Patriots-Alabama, Browns-Ohio State, Raiders-UNLV, and more!

July is a quiet month for football, and that applies to oddsmakers as well as regular fans. The folks at Las Vegas oddsmaker CG Technology has come up with a fun opportunity for both NFL and college football fans around the country.

NFL and college football win totals have been developed over the offseason, and now CG is offering a cross-sport win total opportunity. They have picked pairs of teams based on either geographic similarity, or in the case of the Patriots and Alabama, the perception of them as the frontrunner for their given league.

Our writers took a look at the list and came up with their favorite bets. Betting on a team at -1/2 means you need that team to win one game more than the other team. Betting on a team at +1/2 means you only need the teams to finish with the same number of wins to win your bet.

David Fucillo: 49ers (-1/2) over Southern California

This is a fascinating comparison in light of the possibilities for both teams in 2019. The 49ers win total is sitting at 8 and the big question is what to make of Jimmy Garoppolo. He’s returning from a torn ACL, and has yet to start a full season in the NFL. Add in an overhauled defense, and the 49ers range of possible outcomes is significant.

On the other side, USC is installed at 6.5 wins and they could an even larger range of potential outcomes. Bill Connelly previewed USC heading into 2019, and pointed to nine straight potential one-score games, including four straight to open the season. The Trojans’ season could be made or broken a month in.

I’m a big fat 49ers homer, so I’ll stick with the 49ers as the more likely candidate to rebound in 2019. Graham Harrell is a solid addition at OC for the Trojans, but I’m not seeing them hitting their ceiling this year.

Christian D’Andrea: Raiders (-1 1/2) over UNLV

The poor Rebels. Once the only game in town, they’re soon to be replaced by another 2000s-era doormat when the Raiders get to Las Vegas for their tentative 2020 debut. Everything about Oakland’s move southeast is meant to overshadow its collegiate counterpart.

The Raiders will bring three league championships to town, along with a $2 billion state-of-the-art stadium and a $100 million head coach. The Rebels have three all-time bowl wins — two, according to the NCAA, actually — and will only get to leave the sun-baked confines of Sam Boyd Stadium thanks to the NFL’s nascent arrival.

While UNLV has made modest improvements to jump from the two-win realm and become a steady four- to five-win threat, Jon Gruden went out and gave his team 2019’s biggest overhaul. A hollowed-out four-win squad added players like Antonio Brown, Trent Brown, and LaMarcus Joyner in an attempt to load up on talent prior to the team’s upcoming move. Combine that with one of the league’s easier schedules (aside from four games against the Chiefs and Chargers), and Oakland is set for a revival this fall.

UNLV, on the other hand, has a nearly nonexistent passing offense and one of college football’s worst defenses. While the Rebels will also benefit from a soft schedule, Bill C. only sees them as favorites in four games this fall. I’ll give Gruden the benefit of the doubt for a six-win season in 2019.

Adam Stites: Alabama (PK) over Patriots

Rooting against Alabama or the Patriots is a waste of time. The evil empires of their respective domains just win, win, and win some more. Including bowl victories, Alabama has 11 consecutive double-digit win seasons. The Patriots’ streak of reaching at least 10 wins — albeit with a longer schedule — is at 16 years.

The good news for the NFL is that eventually Father Time will slow Tom Brady down. That’s how it works for every other human, at least. He turns 42 in August and that’s well past the point any quarterback has played at a high level. Prior to Brady’s 29-touchdown 2018, no 41-year-old quarterback ever topped even 10 touchdown passes in a season.

There’s no end in sight for the Crimson Tide’s dominance, though. Alabama had the No. 1 recruiting class this spring, something they’ve had in eight of the last nine years. The best you can hope for is for Alabama to lose a couple games per season.

The rub here is that the win totals do not count any bowl game or College Football Playoff victories. So the maximum victories for Alabama on this prop is 12 wins. You can count on at least 10, probably 11, possibly even 12.

The Patriots won 11 games during the 2018 regular season — their lowest total since 2009 — but still finished as NFL champions. In the months since their Super Bowl victory, Rob Gronkowski retired, Trey Flowers and Trent Brown left in free agency, and Tom Brady — well — got older. They offset some of those losses by adding Michael Bennett in a trade and veteran free agents like Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Jared Veldheer, and Demaryius Thomas.

But getting 11 or more wins is going to be difficult. If Brady’s plays drops off even a little, Alabama should be able to top New England’s win total this year.

James Dator: Browns (+1/2) over Ohio State

I’m not going to tell you how to bet, because I am an atrocious bettor. I had a fake ID when I was 16 years old, went to the casino in Sydney on a regular basis, and didn’t learn a thing. What I do know, however, is what’s funny — and the fact we can have any bet that puts Ohio State against the Browns and it carries a meager 1⁄2 line is the best thing I’ve heard this year.

If you went back in time five years and told someone about this bet they would slap you — and you’d deserve to be slapped. That said, give me the Browns on this one. Partially because I love dumb things, and also because look, I actually think this could happen.

There’s no doubt the Browns would need to reach their upper ceiling for this to happen. They went 7-8-1 last year, while Ohio State was 13-1, but have you seen how garbage the 2019 Browns schedule is?

Out of division they play the AFC South, NFC West, and AFC East. Yes, there are a few good teams in that lot — but not exactly the most terrifying outside of the Patriots and Rams. I believe in the Browns, and that is the only time you’ll ever hear me utter the phrase “I believe in the Browns.”

Sarah Hardy: Ohio State (-1/2) over Browns

I have nothing but respect for my colleague James Dator and I’m not saying that he’s wrong. But if you’re asking me to put my trust in either Ohio State football or the Cleveland Browns, I’m picking the Scarlet and Gray every time.

It’s alternate universe-level weird that Ohio State and the Browns are in similar situations entering the new season. A first-time head coach who made a name for himself in a short period of time last year. A roster dripping with high-potential, if still somewhat unproven, talent. A fanbase that’s hopeful but knows there are plenty of questions to answer.

It’s even MORE bizarre that it’s the Browns who have a stable quarterback situation. Here’s what the top of Ohio State’s QB depth chart looked like last year: Dwayne Haskins, Tate (Tathan, if you’re nasty) Martell, Matthew Baldwin.

None of those guys will be back in 2019. Haskins is in the NFL, and the other two transferred out.

Luckily for the Buckeyes, dual-threat quarterback Justin Fields decided to leave Georgia after his freshman year and was granted immediate eligibility. He’s now Ohio State’s highest-rated recruit ever and, barring injury, will be the starting quarterback even if it hasn’t been announced yet (I mean, c’mon). He’ll join an offense that has three-year starter J.K. Dobbins leading a deep running back group, veteran receivers like K.J. Hill and Austin Mack, and a freshman who can make catches like this:

Team Scarlet strikes back‼️@GarrettWilson_V goes UP to pull down the TD pass from @matthewb_12 All tied up at 7⃣#GoBucks | https://t.co/He7w8aQLnY pic.twitter.com/HvwfGSN5YM

— Ohio State Buckeyes (@OhioStAthletics) April 13, 2019

The defense, despite its struggles last season that Haskins was mostly able to mask, was able to cut Greg Schiano loose this winter. It also returns Chase Young (likely Ohio State’s next top-10 draft pick) at pass rusher, has what should be a shutdown secondary with players like Jeff Okudah and Jordan Fuller (Sinbad’s nephew!), and welcomes in top defensive end recruits Zach Harrison and Noah Potter.

Sure, Ohio State had to replace a coach who never lost more than two games in a season during his time in Columbus, and Ryan Day is still a bit of an unknown. It’s also Ohio State. The Buckeyes always reload with four- and five-star recruits who will one day be playing in the NFL. In the last 17 years, they’ve failed to reach double-digit wins only twice. And they get to play Rutgers every year.

The Browns are dealing with high expectations for the first time in decades — longer than Ohio State’s players have been alive — and Freddie Kitchens will have his hands full keeping the drama at bay. It won’t be as easy as it might seem for the Browns to get to nine or more wins. They certainly can do it, but will they?

I want to believe in the Browns. Really, I do. I already believe in Ohio State, though.

Morgan Moriarty: Florida (1) over Jaguars

I have betted a total of like three times in my entire life, so I can’t say that I’m exactly a pro when it comes to this. In fact, I recently won 60 cents at a Pittsburgh casino, if that tells you anything you may need to know about my gambling abilities.

Give me Florida on this one because 1) As a UF alumnus (GO GATA) this is an extremely biased bet with my heart that I’m sure isn’t proper strategy, but YOLO. However, Florida’s got a real shot to make it to the SEC Championship Game this year, as long as it wins one between LSU and Auburn, and can finally beat Georgia. That should get them to at least 10 wins by the end of the regular season. Sure, Feleipe Franks (or Emory Jones?) has to get his shit together, but I feel cautiously optimistic about the QB position under Mullen in Year 2.

I’m aware of the hype that Nick Foles brings to Duval, but the Jags’ schedule doesn’t do them any favors. In 2019, Jax will face the Chiefs, Saints, and Chargers. Not to mention the Jags have some brutal road stretches, including three of four weeks away from home during Week 2 through Week 5, and consecutive road games during Week 15 and 16, facing Oakland and Atlanta, respectively. Don’t get me wrong, Jacksonville is in good shape for the future, but the schedule doesn’t do it any favors in 2019.

Vijay Vemu: Michigan (-1/2) over Bears

There is optimism to be had for both the Chicago Bears and the Michigan Wolverines. Last season, they used their stingy defenses as the backbone for their teams. Chicago, with Khalil Mack, had one of the top defense in the league while Michigan finished in the top 20 in the country in opponents points per game. Even though both had questions surrounding their quarterback play (I still believe in you, Mitchell Trubisky), their offenses did their part as well.

Heading into the 2019 season Chicago is expected to be competing for the NFC North title while Michigan is expected to be one of the top teams in the country.

Chicago is facing a much tougher schedule this fall. Last season it took everyone by surprise and finished with a 12-4 record. This year might not be as easy. The Bears have to play the Rams, Chiefs, Chargers, and Saints this season along with four crucial division matchups against Minnesota and Green Bay. Chicago should be up to the task but given the chaotic nature of the sport, one or two bounces could go against Chicago, costing them some wins.

The same can’t be said about the opponents Michigan will be facing. Their toughest games this season will be against Notre Dame, Penn State, and Ohio State. Their first two games will be non-conferences ones against Middle Tennessee State and Army. Michigan is the cream of the crop in the Big Ten and they have massive expectations. They do get home field in both of their rivalry games (Ohio State, Michigan State) and project to have a top defense according to S&P+.

It’s not often I’m negative against the Bears. But given Michigan’s schedule, they have a better chance of reaching 12 wins than Chicago.

NFL-CFB cross-sport win totals

Raiders; 1½; UNLV Patriots; PK; Alabama Notre Dame; PK; Packers Georgia; 2; Falcons Oregon; PK; Seahawks 49ers; ½; Southern California Steelers; PK; Penn State Ohio State; ½; Browns Michigan; ½; Bears Texas; PK; Cowboys Saints; 1; Louisiana State Florida; 1; Jaguars

[thegloober]

Dr Kerryn Phelps Wins Wentworth By-Election. Here’s What It Means For Australian Climate Change Policy…

Independent candidate Dr Kerryn Phelps wins the crucial Wentworth seat over Liberal candidate Dave Sharma, a seat held by former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for 14 years.

A safe Liberal seat since 1944 and comfortably held by a margin of almost 18 percent, the unprecedented voter swing of more than 20 percent against Liberal candidate David Sharma is being touted as the biggest in Australia’s political history, breaking all federal byelection records. Phelps’ victory was helped by preferences from Labor and minority parties who strongly urged their members to vote for the high-profile doctor and politician.

Phelps’ win also pushes the Liberals into minority government. With a crossbench of six members in the House of Representatives, and Labor holding 69 seats to the coalition’s 75 (one short of a majority) her victory means that the Liberals will now need the support of one of the six crossbenchers to pass its legislation. 

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The Wentworth electorate is home to large numbers of well-educated voters suburbs like Bondi, Paddington, Double Bay and Vaucluse, and the huge upset makes it clear that Liberal voters were punishing the government for ignoring climate change concerns and its political party in-fighting which prompted the Liberal leadership spill. The spill ousted Wentworth’s much loved parliamentary member Malcolm Turnbull from the top job as PM, replacing him with Scott Morrison, a coal-carrying climate change sceptic.

To an ecstatic crowd at North Bondi Surf Lifesaving Club, Dr Phelps delivered her victory speech:

“I said that if we won the seat of Wentworth we would make history. And my friends, we have made history tonight. More than anything, this is a great moment for Australian democracy. This win tonight should signal a return of decency, integrity and humanity to the Australian government. And let’s hope for a bit of common sense on climate action.”

In her speech, Phelps also addressed “any young people, any women, any aspiring Independents out there – if you are thinking of running for parliament or running for public office: yes, it can be tough, yes, the road can be hard, but it is so worthwhile that we have the right people stepping up to represent Australia.”

Dr Phelps is no stranger to historic wins. She was the first woman and first LGBT person ever to be elected president of the Australian Medical Association.

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As a highly respected doctor serving the Wentworth community for almost 20 years, and her roles as City of Sydney Councillor and Former Deputy Lord Mayor, Phelps’ developed a deep understanding of Wentworth constituents and understood that they wanted climate action. In response to their concerns, Dr Phelps released an ambitious climate plan ahead of the Wentworth byelection which helped her secure early support.

Her six-point climate plan includes:

a transition to 100% clean and renewable energy with a target of 50% by 2030

ban political donations by fossil fuel companies and establish a register to force all Senators and Members to disclose meetings with fossil fuel companies and their lobbyists.

restore a credible scientific based Climate Change Authority

no approvals to build new coal-fired power plants

stop government subsidies of new fossil fuel developments, including the proposed Adani coal mine

meet Australia’s climate change commitments to the Paris Agreement

With severe droughts facing Australian farmers in NSW and QLD, record-breaking storms destroying homes and decimating coastlines in the United States  and other parts of the world, and the recently released Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report forewarning catastrophes if global warming isn’t limited to 1.5-degree Celsius, it’s clear that Phelps’ climate action plan and the Liberal’s dismissal of climate facts was a key contributing factor to their historic loss in Wentworth.

Her win also sends a clear message to Prime Minister Scott Morrison; that climate change could very well be a deciding factor in next year’s federal election.

Leaving the Invictus Games to appear at the Liberal gathering in Double Bay after the votes were counted, Morrison delivered his own speech. “Today’s a tough day, but the great days are coming,” he declared. “The result today is on us the Liberals, not on David Sharma.”

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He also reiterated his party’s stance on issues such as welfare and job creating: “We believe that the best form of welfare is a job. We believe that it’s every Australians duty to make a contribution and not take a contribution.

“The Liberal party has paid a big price tonight for the events of several months ago. What’s happened here in Wentworth is not unexpected. Liberals are angry… we listen, learn and accept the blows.”

The Morrison government and its Liberal Party hold conservative views; some of its members in the far-right faction including former PM Tony Abbott were instrumental in getting rid of centre-leaning Malcolm Turnbull.

Phelps, however, holds progressive views. Aside from her plans to protect the environment and fast-track clean energy investment, she is also committed to improving Medicare and Australia’s health services, pushing for humane treatment of asylum seekers on Nauru and Manus Island, encouraging entrepreneurship and business investment, fighting for social justice and inclusion and promoting a secular government.

In my professional life, I have always taken a common sense approach to solving even the most complex problems… And I promise to behave like I have always done, with decency and respect for the people I represent.” – Dr Kerryn Phelps website, October 2018.

To learn more about Dr Kerryn Phelps, click here.

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Recommending reading:

Title image credit: Dr Kerryn Phelps.

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Source: https://bloghyped.com/dr-kerryn-phelps-wins-wentworth-by-election-heres-what-it-means-for-australian-climate-change-policy/

[squidneezy]

“Intensity-seeking is an enslavement of our own perpetuation. When we step out of the delirium of always seeking someone new, and meet the same old sad and lonely child within, our healing journey begins. Exhausting ourselves with novelty is a defense against our deepest pain, one that we cannot outrun. But once we stop and feel our losses, we can begin our healing journey and be the authentic, joyous person we were born to be.”

— Alexandra Katehakis, Mirror of Intimacy: Daily Reflections on Emotional and Erotic Intelligence

Who were you before the world taught you WHO and HOW TO BE?

When you believed in magic.

When you had total faith that you were taken care of.

When you knew you came here to ENJOY your most extraordinary life.

In total joy, ease and DIVINITY.

Join me for a 4-day IMMERSION to become fully embodied as the visionary SOUL that you are.

  The REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE RETREAT is designed for visionaries, consciousness activators and transformation agents seeking to release anything and everything in their way sharing their gifts with the world and living their most powerful, extraordinary lives NOW.

  This immersion entails deep facilitation of a transformative curriculum guiding you in inner child healing, somatic release, vision embodiment and intuitive mastery to amplify your integrative well-being, worthiness and JOY in all the ways you desire most.

Begins 4pm Thursday July 26th – until 3pm Sunday July 29th.

Playa Tamarindo, Costa Rica

Apply To Attend

Space is limited to 8.

“Prior to the retreat my biggest blocks were fear of success and fear of the unknown – these beliefs kept me in a holding pattern, keeping me stuck without any change. I was freezing and in a constant state of inaction. 

After the retreat I went into two auditions and had a completely different experience with showing up – I felt like my authentic self, unafraid to share who I am, and there’s nothing I can do or be to change any outcome – I trust that I am taken care of. I felt liberated.”

— Rebecca, Singer/Songwriter + Performer, New Jersey

It’s time to unleash your true genius. Powered by your infinite soul. Embrace your power. Make fear your best friend. Learn to masterfully dance with your ego. And fully embody the visionary soul that you are.

This work is truly game changing and foundational for absolutely any kind of transformational shift you’re desiring to cultivate – more freedom, more prosperity, more intimacy, more pleasure, more FUN. What do you WANT? And by when are you willing to RECEIVE IT?

Let’s start NOW.

This retreat is for you if:

You are deeply desiring to become fully embodied in your power – to stand up as the RADIANT leader that you know you are

You are ready to ANCHOR INTO your SOUL PURPOSE and live in alignment with precisely what you came here TO BE (and all you came here to GIVE)

You’re DONE with letting your OLD PROGRAMS acquired from ages 0-3 run your life, such as: codependency, abandonment, low self-esteem, comparison, perfectionism, scarcity, lacking self-trust and lacking trust in the universe, negative self-image, chronic disempowerment, addictions and inability to intimately connect with yourself and others, inability to listen to or TRUST your intuition, addiction to worrying and unmanageability..etc.

You’re READY to live an abundant life full of love, EASE, grace, JOY and divinely inspired creativity. You are committed to living a LIFE of EXAMPLE and BEING a ripple who goes forth to illuminate SO many others in your path.

You are deeply dedicated to service and TRUTH = you’re feeling the call to release the deep-set blocks in your way from being in your full capacity of LIGHT.

You are committed to integrating the immense upgrades you will receive throughout this powerful retreat experience in your everyday life, following a disciplined practice of implementing new tools, actions and OUTLOOKS going forward.

“I am knowing myself on a deeper level than I ever have before. If you’re on the fence about doing this retreat – just do it. If you feel like you are genuinely to meet your truth in the EYE, and step into transforming yourself through that, then you should 100% without a doubt attend Sydney’s retreat.”

— Elizabeth H., Writer, Actress + Director, New York City

Apply To Attend

Inner child work and soul-retrieval have been some of the most healing parts of my journey—the catalysts that have opened me up to the infinite potential I now share with the world.

This experience entails:

Intimate group setting limited to eight to allow for deep 1:1 support throughout the weekend processes and exercises.

Two 30-minute coaching sessions with Sydney before and after the experience to support you in preparation and integration.

Expertly curated transformational content and customized tools to make your unconscious conscious, heal core wounds and get to know YOU at a deeper level than ever before.

Facilitation to integrate into your transformational work and all relationships that will elevate your experience of intimacy, consciousness, love and joy on all levels.

Activation of your infinite creative inspiration and internal well of visionary resources that you have barely scratched the surface of.

Luxury accommodations in a private estate in the Hollywood Hills.

Delicious high vibe meals prepared by our private chef throughout the weekend.

Connection and growth alongside a diverse community of visionary change agents and conscious leaders who are the next-level torch bearers of global transformation and liberation.

“A person who never learned to trust confuses intensity with intimacy, obsession with care, and control with security.”

—John Bradshaw, Homecoming: Reclaiming and Healing Your Inner Child

If you are 1000% willing to DIVE into this work with me, and if you FULLY receive what is on offer, you will absolutely feel ACTIVATED to your full potential and experience life ALIGNED with your soul TRUTH. Most of all, you will FEEL more ALIVE than ever before.

Apply To Attend

“Since attending this retreat I feel more open hearted, more in flow, more peaceful and observant. What helped me most was how Sydney kept repeating the direction to tune into how I feel in the moment. My core wounds are my window into how I can best help others. I am empowered in my wounds from now on.  I now desire fun and play and I see how I deserve to give that to myself. 

Sydney puts herself fully out there with utter transparency and shares her experience, strength and hope on the table – balls to the wall. She’s not holding back at all. She has transformed from her experiences and she can talk WITH you not TO YOU in a way that’s very inviting, inclusive, compassionate, relatable.

If you’re thinking about joining this retreat: It’ll be a heart-changing event for you if you show up.”

— David S., Executive, New Jersey

When I dove deep into this work I TANGIBLY….

…availed myself to deeper intimate experiences and connections (new relationships and healthier boundaries on friendships and professional connections = no more drains).

…got a major book deal without even trying.

…5X’d (and then 10X’d shortly thereafter) my prior average monthly revenue because I healed my abandonment WOUNDS which had been blocking my ability to RECEIVE and TRUST (guess what: life CAN be easy).

…started speaking my truth like never before – launching programs I’ve dreamed about launching, creating MAGNETIC content, opening up to my true channeling abilities.

…stepped fully into BEING the MASTERFUL coach that I am whose not afraid to make people uncomfortable and activate them into LIFE CHANGING transformations.

…called in my COSMIC SOUL PARTNER who I am joyfully celebrating being able to spend the rest of my life with – INFINITE LOVE beyond my wildest dreams!

And I’m just getting started.

What’s POSSIBLE for you when you start living in alignment with your TRUTH?

Apply To Attend

“I felt like I received a psychic, energetic download that just comes through her that I can hear. Through interacting with Sydney I’ve gotten immensely clear on my blocks, what they are and how I can move through them with grace.

My results since the retreat have been as follows: I feel connected; I feel clear on my next steps in my life; I feel grateful for having experienced so much truth and honesty; The only true move is the most necessary one – you already know the answer!

If you’re considering joining the retreat – Absolutely. Just do it. Don’t even think about it. You’re going to learn something. I could promise you if you go that you might not experience what you think you need, but you are going to SHIFT and get so much out of it you can’t even imagine.“

— Kelly M., CEO + Entrepreneur, NYC-Based

Program Snapshot:

Thursday 7/26

4pm Guest Arrivals

5pm Opening Ceremony + Cacao Ritual

7pm Dinner

8:30pm Visionary Embodiment + Yin Yoga

10:30pm Quiet time

Saturday 4/27

8am Poolside Yoga + Meditation

9am Breakfast

10:30am Workshop: Meeting You: Unlocking Your Soul Essence

1pm Lunch

2:30pm Workshop: Alignment Alchemy + Shadow Transmutation

5:30pm Rest/Relax/Reflect

7pm Dinner

8:30pm Sound Healing Meditation with Special Guest

10:30pm Quiet time

Saturday 7/28

8am Poolside Yoga + Meditation

9am Breakfast

10:30am Workshop: Activating Your Soul Vision

1pm Lunch

2:30pm Workshop: Authentic Relating Deep Dive

5pm Breath-work

7pm Dinner

8:30pm Cacao Ceremony + Ecstatic Dance with Special Guest

10:30pm Quiet time

Sunday 7/29

8am Poolside Yoga + Meditation + Sound Healing with Special Guest

9am Breakfast

11am Closing Ceremony

1pm Lunch

3pm Departures

Logistics

Location: Playa Tamarindo, Costa Rica

Timing: Begins 4pm Thursday July 26th – until 3pm Sunday July 29th.

Investment: $2.4K

Payment plans available upon request. A $600 Deposit is required to secure your space with full balance due by or before 7/15.

Are you IN?��

E-mail Sydney to schedule a call.

“I experienced a shift in my thinking from: doing this kind of work means there’s something wrong with me and I need to fix it in order to be accepted, to be good enough, to be loved. I never realized this until after i left the workshop – I realized that instead this is like going to the gym – it’s pleasurable for me to do this work on myself because I can feel good!

Specifically, just being in Sydney’s presence and energy is so powerful. This retreat was such a gift – exactly what I needed – amazing jumpstart into my next phase.

If you’re considering going on her next retreat: Don’t be afraid. HEALING CAN BE FUN! This is deep and enjoyable – but is FUN!”

— Catherine J, International Development Specialist, Vermont-Based

Meet Your Retreat Host, Sydney Campos

Sydney Campos is a Transformational Coach, Intuitive Advisor, International Speaker and Author of The Empath Experience: What To Do When You Feel Everything. Sydney guides visionary leaders to live in alignment with their soul purpose while embodying next-level power, pleasure and prosperity.

Through all her endeavors, Sydney is fiercely committed to awakening consciousness across the planet while creating new paradigms of well-being and interconnectedness.

In addition to being a seasoned Business Strategist and Certified Holistic Health Coach, Sydney is also a 200-Hour Registered Yoga and Meditation Teacher, Reiki Energy Healer, and Certified Akashic Records Practitioner. Sydney shares her multifaceted teachings through writing, her Visionary Souls Podcast, teaching, international retreats and 1:1 mentoring.

An avid adventurer, Sydney is likely to be found in Bali, Venice Beach, San Francisco, New York, or anywhere in Mediterranean Europe. Sydney has been featured in Forbes, MindBodyGreen and New York Magazine.

  Apply To Attend

 REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE RETREAT Testimonials

“I was Sydney’s previous client and simply knew I needed to be in Sydney’s space in person. I didn’t pay attention to too many of the retreat details – I just knew I needed to be here.

I was craving more depth in the personal development work I had been doing on my own – I needed support in deepening my experience and getting back on track. My meditations had started to feel a little disconnected and superficial. I was clear that I have some deep trauma blocks that I haven’t been able to access. And it was starting to occur to me that there was something spiritual going on around my physical injury – I was guided to go deeper in my spiritual work to resolve it fully. I knew my next chapter of transformation was going to require an immersion.

In other transformational programs I’ve participated in, which have been substantial, I wasn’t able to access my 3-year old self where many of my biggest challenges originate from. I was able to access this precise point through my work on the retreat in a way I never had before.

After this retreat, I came home with a very open channel, unlike I’ve ever experienced. 

What else did I experience as a result of the retreat?::

I identified that my physical malady is directly connected to a spiritual issue – now I am empowered to take care of myself holistically as though its a spiritual practice

I uncovered a deeply rooted pattern of how I haven’t spoken up for myself in my truth – which has resulted in physical trauma and various other injuries and hardships

The retreat was able to help me convene with my 3 year old self and see the root of my issues.

I am open to more compassion and more love – for myself and others as a result. 

Sydney is great at establishing in her words and actions early on that we were in a sacred space, setting expectations for the retreat and the participants as well to connect intimately and honestly – making it easier to connect deeply and quickly whereas elsewhere or with other people I might not have had such breakthroughs/connections.

Sydney models the concepts she teaches and embodies the practices she is teaching and guides in a way that makes it really easy to TRUST her and feel safe to go really deep.

I’ve never been on a retreat like THIS but I’ve been on many retreats. The small group made a huge difference in how deep we were able to go. 

The way Sydney carries herself gives me permission to put myself first and check in with myself – which has been instrumental to healing my self-worth and self-esteem. 

The exercises and activities we did felt very cohesive. Sydney gives people permission to work on a very deep level and get incredibly intimate quickly. 

Clearly Sydney works in the space of radical authenticity and honesty – I don’t need to concern myself with how I carry myself or how I sound, which avails me to a clearer perspective on myself. I am learning from Sydney how to embrace and embody what I believe to be true for me and live authentically.

I am knowing myself on a deeper level than I ever have before.

If you’re on the fence about doing this retreat – just do it, 100%. If you feel like you are genuinely to meet your truth in the EYE, and step into transforming yourself through that, then you should 100% without a doubt attend Sydney’s retreat.”

~ Elizabeth H., Actress, Writer + Director, NYC-Based

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“Prior to the retreat my biggest blocks were fear of success and fear of the unknown – these beliefs kept me in a holding pattern, keeping me stuck without any change. I was freezing and in a constant state of inaction. 

After the retreat I went into two auditions and had a completely different experience with showing up – I felt like my authentic self, unafraid to share who I am, and there’s nothing I can do or be to change any outcome – I trust that I am taken care of. I felt newly empowered to take aligned steps into the direction of my actual dreams. It felt so good to give myself that gift. I went into the auditions without any kind of fear or self-doubt – plus I Had a great time and didn’t care about the outcome. I felt liberated.

With Sydney’s retreat, in addition to being there with a partner who I really trust, felt extremely comfortable. I had an amazing time connecting. My results since attending the retreat have included: heightened energy, better positive mood, amplified senses – sense of sight and sound in particular, all my feelings feel very close to surface – rawness, but open and safe feeling, I feel the confidence and motivation to move forward are now present; and I don’t feel fear of success or failure – I am confident to start taking action in the direction of what I desire.

My negative thoughts tell me exercise was HUGE for me..because I am so hard on myself in general. As I was saying these out loud to my partner I was sobbing, I was very emotional. It almost felt like someone else was saying them to me. It made me so sad. How dare I let myself talk to myself that way – I don’t deserve this. In terms of my self-worth, I healed this part of myself in a hugely powerful way. 

I am now existing in a new paradigm – how can my gifts heal and help others? Believing this now – this is seeing how a naturally insecure person who is so hard on herself who is so dependent on everyones approval growing into an independent, powerful, inspired visionary. Now I am free to detach from the results because I am free of expectations and a need for approval and validation. My entire outlook has shifted.

I was so impressed by the way Sydney was able to keep everyone engaged and just hold a space for every single person. I could definitely feel like certain people wanted to check out at certain moments as things were heating up but Sydney always managed to get everyone together and get connected – holding their attention, not in a direct or commanding way but inviting and encouraging everyone to participate – clear invitation to unite. I learned a lot from watching her with the way she was so open with listening – so carefully and non-judgementally. 

Sydney never gave direction – she never told anyone what to do or how to fix it, let everyone come to their own conclusions. Sydney is intuitively powerful in zoning in on what makes us uncomfortable and how to connect beneath the surface level. She can see you.

Considering doing this retreat? DO IT. Don’t think about it. I’m glad I didn’t know it was an inner child workshop – then I might have overthought it. It was amazing. I’ve never done anything like this before – for me being a first-timer, it wasn’t easy, but it was the gifts and rewards were beyond anything I could have imagined.”

~ Rebecca W., Musician + Healer, NJ-Based

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“I came to this retreat specifically because I was really impressed with what Sydney shared about her transformation. I was impressed with her ability to be facing intense issues in her youth. Initially I was sending Sydney’s information to my partner and then realized I was feeling very called and knew I needed to be there.

I had the intention to live fully in inspiration, spending more time writing, really listening to what coaching and writing and being of bigger service to others looks like. There feels like theres a chunk missing from my life although I am showing up in so many capacities. In my time away from work I don’t spend my time in a journal or in a book writing and vision boarding my goals and setting myself up for my next level – I’ve had a lacking commitment and motivation to create clarity. I know this has been missing for me and I was ready to break through this to live in more alignment with my purpose.

The weekend retreat illuminated to me my own lacking self-love. I’m now connected to my inner child and taking guidance from this space now – how do you want to play? How do you want to have fun? I want my life to look like a playground – with intentional creativity and fun. 

In terms of other transformational experiences, I’ve experienced the work of Ecker Peak Performance and Neogenesis NLP training among others things – which Sydney feels familiar to.

Even though this weekend experience was very intimate and small – it was very powerful. I was really impressed by how Sydney can observe and witness when other people are stuck in their story she can help by just listening and help them see themselves more clearly. 

Since attending this retreat I feel more open hearted, more in flow, more peaceful and observant and outside of my current job – I am clear on my new entrepreneurial direction for my “take 2.” I’m not ignoring the noise that’s been blaring at me for quite awhile now. I want to complete a book that’s been in my brain for the last 8 years. I want to help men with living empowered, healthy, clear, loving lives. 

What helped me most was how Sydney kept repeating the direction to tune into how I feel in the moment. The metta meditation we did looking at different ages of my life was very helpful. My core wounds are my window into how I can best help others. I am empowered in my wounds form now on.  From some of our other exercises, I was able to get clear on how inspirational writing and sitting down to actually write my book or read is going to light my soul up.

I now desire fun and play and I see how I deserve to give that to myself. 

Sydney puts herself fully out there with utter transparency and shares her experience, strength and hope on the table – balls to the wall. She’s not holding back at all. She has transformed from her experiences and she can talk WITH you not TO YOU in a way that’s very inviting, inclusive, compassionate, relatable.

If you’re thinking about joining this retreat: It’ll be a heart-changing event for you if you show up.”

~ David S., Business Executive, NJ-Based

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“I came on this retreat to be in an intimate space with other people and I had history with Sydney, having witnessed her transformation online and in person is incredibly magnetic. I was enthralled by the possibility of being in her space. Her no-shame spirit was reflecting back to me how I had more work to do. I get the message from others often that I live a magical life but I sensed I had more work to do.  I was also specifically drawn to the inner-child focus. Sydney’s vision spoke to me. I was actually considering going to Landmark Forum before joining Sydney’s retreat.

Prior to the retreat, I was feeling challenged by menopause. I know my body and my soul needed to be integrated. I felt like doing major transformational work. I was ready to grow and evolve in new ways. My body was demanding I return to it and listen to it.

I’ve looked for coaches but its hard to find someone that inspires me – I never thought a 29 year old, my friends daughter, would be the one.

I am stepping into embodying so much of the work I have done over the decades. I am a trained facilitator in many modalities and have studied and guided others through transformation forever – but now its time for me to receive guidance and experience the work in a new way.

I was considering Landmark because I am encountering a lot of family issues at the moment. My mother is turning 80 and my siblings and I are being called to show up for each other and for my mother in new ways that are challenging our connection and history in all sorts of ways. I was seeking support with navigating that process in more integrity and leadership. 

I’ve done innumerable trainings and I see so many coaches projecting their own issues into the work they take others through. Sydney pulled me in at a time when I was feeling the pull for a deep dive. I didn’t know that I needed a psychic intervention, which is what Sydney definitely offers. I’ve been reading her emails, and every time I read them I get a buddha smile on my face – I get a meditation type feeling just in connecting to her writing. 

I felt like I received a psychic, energetic download that just comes through her that I can hear. Through interacting with her I’ve gotten immensely clear on my blocks, what they are and how I can move through them with grace.

My results since the retreat have been as follows:

I feel connected.

I feel clear on my next steps in my life. 

I feel grateful for having experienced so much truth and honesty. 

The only true move is the most necessary one – you already know the answer!

The flow of the experience was amazing. Sydney’s ability to read participants in a very clear way with lots of permission and space for them to receive is astounding. Sydney has a nice balance of telling her story and not projecting her own issues – she expertly tells her story for service and connection. Sydney’s capacity to keep her energetic level steady is incredible. She stays energetically in service so consistently – its profound. Her ability to hold space is incredible. People want what she has. 

If you’re considering joining the retreat – Absolutely. Just do it. Don’t even think about it. You’re going to learn something. I could promise you if you go that you might not experience what you think you need, but you are going to SHIFT and get so much out of it you can’t even imagine. If you’re asking me – I can promise you you’re going to get SO much out of this. Whatever you’re looking for will be right in front of you.”

~ Kelly M., CEO + Entrepreneur, NYC-Based

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“I came on this retreat because I was feeling stuck in my story around being single. I didn’t understand how this was going to change. I was very caught up in scarcity and lack of possibilities when it came to relationships and intimacy. I was in a conundrum about what i needed to do to attract the right person, and I was mad about why I needed to change. I was unhappy and making myself unhappy because of this external thing that I don’t have any control over. 

I had been feeling this way since March. I had taken a big leap from last summer through last fall and over the winter and then landed in the Spring of this year wondering what was going to happen. I was considering doing the Human Awareness Institute (HAI) program before the retreat. It’s a series of seven workshops specifically around love, intimacy, self-love and sexuality.  I’ve been in therapy for a long time. I’ve also worked with Miranda and Jana Saunders – amazing transformational coaches. I’ve done retreat and personalized 1:1 coaching with them.

From this retreat experience I’ve received the support I need to move forward. In the past I needed to experience more wallowing and processing wounds – what’s working now is really focusing on the positive and doing work to seek love, fun, connection. I am getting more support to move towards positive. 

Sydney’s ability to do the guided meditations is awesome. Her language is so beautiful and really helped me to connect deeply to my inner child. Sydney’s authenticity deeply resonates with me and helps tune me into a deeper state of connection with myself. Sydney created an amazing balance between structure and flow that I found very comfortable. I loved connecting to my various stages of age in our work and meditations. A lot of my work in this area has focused on a particular range – this retreat helped me hugely in connecting to new age ranges and experiences that tuned me into more fun, love and happiness. 

My results since attending the retreat include:

I feel more alive to my happiness. I feel more alive to fun.

I am more aware of my desire to feel connected to other people. 

I had such a powerful experience connecting with our retreat group. 

I am more of an introvert, more of an isolator and now i feel very connected to be with people and do healing with others. I found that experience so supportive and powerful – in community. 

I experienced a shift in my thinking from: doing this kind of work means there’s something wrong with me and I need to fix it in order to be accepted, to be good enough, to be loved. I never realized this until after i left the workshop – I realized that instead this is like going to the gym – it’s pleasurable for me to do this work on myself because I can feel good! I’ve had a major shift in focusing on the positive and benefits not the negative or “what’s wrong with me,” I go to the gym and yoga because I know I will feel good. Now I feel like I’ve shifted from personal development and healing work which used to be like “i need to fix something that’ wrong” to “I love to do this because its fun and I will be happy, I will feel good. There’s nothing wrong with feeling good!”

Specifically, just being in Sydney’s presence and energy is so powerful. This retreat was such a gift – exactly what I needed – amazing jumpstart into my next phase.

If you’re considering going on her next retreat: Don’t be afraid. HEALING CAN BE FUN! This is deep and enjoyable – but is FUN!”

~ Catherine J, International Development Specialist, Vermont-Based

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Apply To Attend

  Remember Who You Are Retreat July 2018: Join me for a 4-day IMMERSION to become fully embodied as the visionary SOUL that you are. #costarica #rememberwhoyouare #freedom "Intensity-seeking is an enslavement of our own perpetuation. When we step out of the delirium of always seeking someone new, and meet the same old sad and lonely child within, our healing journey begins.

[brisbanelife]

Five things we learned from round four of AFLW

Updated February 26, 2018 14:01:58

Photo: Bonnie Toogood kicked three against Carlton, but her haul was overshadowed by Brooke Lochland in the Dogs' big win. (AAP: David Crosling) Related Story: Dogs' demolition of Blues highlights the seismic gap between AFLW's best and rest Map: Melbourne 3000 There were records broken in the AFLW this week, we had the first draw of the season and a big upset in Alice Springs has given us two clear teams at the top. But the continuing unpredictability means anyone who says they know how this season is going to go are definitely going the (too) early crow. Look back on what we learned from round four of the AFLW. Dogs, Lochland in devastating form Perhaps appropriately on the final weekend of the Winter Olympics, it was a former speed skater who delivered the star performance of the round. External Link:Western Bulldogs AFL tweet: "#AFLW is too low scoring" Hold my drink: #AFLWDogsBlues #AFLWPrideGame Brooke Lochland was one of the original code-hoppers for the 2017 season, but Friday night was her breakout game as the Western Bulldogs smashed Carlton by 73 points at Whitten Oval. She had 17 disposals, four marks, four tackles and booted an AFLW record seven goals, including four in the second quarter alone. Lochland could have had an eighth, but one kick from deep in the pocket was touched on the line, as the Bulldogs racked up a record total of 86 points for the game. The Bulldogs onballers had a field day, with Ellie Blackburn having 18 disposals and a goal and Emma Kearney racking up 26 possessions, six marks and five tackles. The Dogs had eight marks to one inside 50, giving their potent attack too many solid shots at goal as they shifted into favouritism for the flag. Were the Dogs that good or were Carlton that bad? A bit of both, but you can't argue with the Bulldogs' ability to hit their targets and make use of their opportunities. Carlton again showed they struggle to kick a winning score their two wins have come with scores no bigger than 30 points but it's not just a forward problem as the Blues were well beaten around the ground. Pies regain Hope with upset win over Dees

Photo: Moana Hope (C) delivered when needed for Collingwood in the Magpies' big win over Melbourne. (AAP: Tracey Nearmy) On a hot night in Alice Springs, Collingwood raised the temperature with a big upset with a 34-point win over Melbourne. It was a team performance from the Magpies, which would have encouraged under-pressure coach Wayne Siekman after a tough start to season two. The Demons went in as solid favourites, but it was Collingwood who proved stronger. There were no standout stats, just improved efforts from the likes of Moana Hope who kicked two goals and set up another and her partner up forward, Christina Bernardi (12 disposals, six marks, one goal). The biggest surprise, perhaps, was that Collingwood's midfield got on top of the Demons, with Daisy Pearce held to nine touches while the Magpies' Jaimee Lambert and Stephanie Chiocci had 19 and 17 disposals respectively. The loss could be extremely costly for the Demons, who slip a game back from the leaders they now face a must-win game against the Lions at Casey Fields on Friday night. Other results meant that the Pies remain bottom of the ladder after four rounds, but if they bring this kind of effort in the next three weeks, their standing will surely improve. Teams using alternative targets in season two Top scorers after round fourBrooke Lochland - Western Bulldogs - 9 (7)Jess Wuetschner - Brisbane Lions - 7 (2)Phoebe McWilliams - GWS - 6 (0)Katie Brennan - Western Bulldogs - 5 (0)Tegan Cunningham - Melbourne - 5 (0)Richelle Cranston - Melbourne - 4 (0)Moana Hope - Collingwood - 4 (2) The Dogs' Lochland is 158cm, proving you don't need tall timber to get scores on the board in AFLW. Hope provided a big target for the Pies on Saturday, but she had plenty of help to spread the load. For the Lions, Sabrina Frederick-Traub has been in strong form, although her kicking accuracy is lacking. She has, however, been used more as a target to bring the ball to ground for Brisbane rather than as a sharpshooter. External Link:AFL Women's tweet: GOAL! Jess Wuetschner pushes the ball over the line for her second! #AFLWLionsFreo Mobile forward Jess Wuetschner, however, has been a solid producer of goals for the Lions (seven for the year). She has previously shown her ability to score from difficult angles, this week she demonstrated her awareness of conditions and goal-poaching ability she will be extremely important if Brisbane is to make a run for the flag. The Crows' Sarah Perkins has failed to crack the scoreboard in season two after booting 11 goals last year although the conditions in her game this week made it difficult for any target forward (see below). Carlton's Darcy Vescio has had a second-season slump, and while skipper Lauren Arnell stepped up with two goals, the Blues need to cultivate more ways to goal. Wet weather a dampener on open play If the AFL was looking for more open play, the last thing it needed was downpours at two of the matches in round four. At a sodden South Pine Sports Complex on Saturday, the Lions and the Dockers ran themselves to a standstill, but struggled to convert in miserable conditions. External Link:AFL Women's tweet: Ebony Marinoff broke the #AFLW recordwith 21 tackles against the Giants. She's earned the Play of the Day. #StayStrong A day later at Blacktown, it was the Giants and Crows' turn to have to handle the rain. A standout performer in the wet was Adelaide's Ebony Marinoff, who continued her strong season, racking up a record 21 tackles against GWS. Neither contest produced what you would call champagne football, with a total of five goals scored in Brisbane and four majors kicked on Sunday afternoon. But expecting free-flowing footy in a downpour is a bit much the most you could say is that some players made poor choices trying to target teammates in the conditions. An exception was right at the end of the Giants-Crows match, and the game tied. With GWS on the attack, a solid defensive mark close to goals and a couple of excellent disposals by foot helped run the clock down and ensure the Crows didn't concede a game-winning score to the Giants. Where we are after round four The Western Bulldogs arguably have one foot in the grand final after their big win puts them a game-plus-percentage ahead of the third, fourth and fifth sides in the comp. Having said that, they will play a newly-confident Magpies side next week, and if they happen to slip up, they still face a potential crunch game in round seven against Melbourne at Whitten Oval. The Lions will fancy their chances of going one better than last year's runner-up finish, but nothing is guaranteed, with Melbourne and Fremantle in particular just waiting for an opening to jump into the top two. The draw between the Giants and Crows means it is highly unlikely but not yet impossible that last year's champions Adelaide will reach the grand final again. But the first four rounds have shown that predictions are highly dangerous in this league, so watch this space! AFLW ladder after round fourTeamWLD%PtsWestern Bulldogs31020012Brisbane Lions310137.712Melbourne Demons22099.48Fremantle Dockers22088.48Carlton Blues22055.78GWS Giants12189.26Adelaide Crows12173.66Collingwood Magpies1301004Topics:sport,australian-football-league,melbourne-3000,vic,sydney-2000,nsw,brisbane-4000,qld,perth-6000,wa,adelaide-5000,sa,australia First posted February 26, 2018 12:33:25 http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-26/five-things-we-learned-from-round-four-of-aflw/9483964

[footyplusau]

Rohan Connolly predicts the 2017 AFL season final ladder

Few things a football writer churns out have the capacity to embarrass them quite as much as a season preview. Trust me, I know.

Last year wasn’t a great one for me on the prognostication front. So bad, in fact, I managed to leave both eventual grand finalists out of my forecast top eight. Yep. Really.

Hope to heartbreak: Where to now for the Swans? Photo: Getty Images

In my defence, the Western Bulldogs after 22 games were only three spots higher than I’d placed them. And before the finals, who seriously thought the seventh-placed Dogs, nursing a truckload of injuries and facing a road trip to Perth, could actually win the premiership?

But as much as a qualifier, that’s a good example of just how difficult this tipping business has become. To adapt American industrialist Henry Ford, history, increasingly, is bunk.

So much so that, headed into the 2017 premiership season, there are only two teams I’m prepared to say categorically won’t be playing finals: Brisbane and Carlton.

Some teams you can’t discount (but I’m about to)

Before I run through my top eight, another qualifier … we’ve had 17 seasons since the turn of the new millennium. In only one of those have there been fewer than two changes to the final eight. In 11, the top eight has changed by at least three teams. And if ever a year looked capable of tossing up a repeat, it’s 2017.

That said, I’m sorry fans of North Melbourne, Geelong and Adelaide, finalists all last year. It’s nothing personal.

Admittedly, I’m not sure North Melbourne will fall quite as far as some are predicting. While there’s certainly been a massive clearing of the decks, the Roos have plenty of promising talent still to have much of a go. I like their trade-ins, too, Nathan Hrovat a real talent up forward, ditto Marley Williams out of defence. I’ve got the Roos 11th. That’s not necessarily outright failure. But nor is it a vote of confidence.

Harry Taylor playing forward for the Cats: Inspiration or desperation? Photo: Getty Images

Geelong worries me, even coming off a top four finish. Zac Tuohy is a good pick-up, I like the look of newcomer Tom Stewart, but Corey Enright remains a big loss defensively.

There’s plenty of talls besides Tom Hawkins, but how reliable are Zac Smith and Rhys Stanley? Will Mark Blicavs be as effective with the abolition of third man up? And is Harry Taylor playing forward inspired, or a move borne of desperation?

In the midfield they have a crack duo – Dangerfield and Selwood. But Geelong to me seem to have lost much of the x-factor. The Cats will need Steve Motlop and Nakia Cockatoo both pulling out special seasons to help recapture it, and another level reached by Cam Guthrie, Mitch Duncan, Sam Menegola and Scott Selwood. And they’re big asks.

Adelaide’s firepower is the envy of most. The Crows have Rory Sloane and Scott Thompson in the midfield; their backline is solid indeed. But several players – Richard Douglas, David Mackay, Matt and Brad Crouch, Rory Atkins, perhaps even a forward thrown into the pivot in Charlie Cameron – are going to have to rise to another level.

So who makes the eight?

At the bottom of the top, I’m including three newbies (two precocious up-and-comers and one habitual tease) who weren’t in the eight last year – and one who was.

A fit Jamie Elliott will add even more potential to a healthy Magpies attacking line-up. Photo: Getty Images.

Collingwood? I can see the eye rolls from here. But surely they are overdue a bit of luck on the injury front.

Importantly, the Pies have pumped another year’s experience into a considerable army of younger players. Jordan De Goey, Brayden Maynard, Josh Smith and Tom Phillips are just a few who have shown good signs in pre-season.

Not everyone has been a fan of their top-ups from other clubs. But former Docker Chris Mayne and Giant Will Hoskin-Elliott could make a difference up forward, alongside a healthier Jamie Elliott and Alex Fasolo, enough support for the very promising Darcy Moore.

The defence still looks a little thin for height and strength. But there’s no denying the class and depth of the Pies’ midfield now. Daniel Wells would be merely the icing on the cake for the likes of Pendlebury, Treloar, Sidebottom, Adams, Greenwood, Crisp and so on. I give the Pies another chance.

If they don’t make it this year, coach Nathan Buckley has conceded he’s as good as gone. I might be in a bit of trouble, too, after going out on a limb for them once again.

New co-captain Jack Viney leads an imposing group of tough young Demons. Photo Getty Images

It’s been coming a while for Melbourne. But I reckon they’re ready, and not just because of an impressive JLT series. An already decent midfield bats deeper now with Jordan Lewis and Jake Melksham. Michael Hibberd offers more valuable defensive run.

Mostly, though, it’s about a number of players looking ready for career-defining years. Christian Petracca is the most obvious. But throw in Jesse Hogan up forward. Christian Salem, Clayton Oliver. Their younger stars are tough, too. Think new co-captain Jack Viney and Angus Brayshaw. It’s an imposing blend.

There’s some enthusiasm out there for writing Hawthorn off. I don’t share it. Of course Mitchell and Jordan Lewis are major losses. But Tom Mitchell and Jaeger O’Meara pretty handy replacements. Then there’s a “recruit” called Jarryd Roughead who has a profound impact both up forward and on the ball when unleashed.

Yes, some players are going to have to go up a cog or two. But you don’t lightly dismiss any team with names still like Rioli, Gunston, Burgoyne, Gibson, Birchall, Smith and Breust.

Like the Demons, St Kilda look ready. Perhaps more ready. The Saints were close enough to taste it last year. Now, in my view, they have the requisite midfield depth given the pick-up of Koby Stevens and Jack Steele to assist Steven, Armitage, Ross, Weller, Dunstan and co. Not to mention a more imposing-looking defence thanks to the arrival of Nathan Brown and return from suspension of Jake Carlisle. I think they may be a little more consistent than Melbourne.

Steele reinforced: The Saints now have the depth to stake a top eight claim. Photo: Getty Images

The top four

In the disappointment of that elimination final loss to the Bulldogs, it was easy to forget that West Coast won nine of 10 games in the lead-up. The Eagles’ biggest weakness has been midfield depth. And they have done a lot to remedy that with the recruitment of Sam Mitchell, who should take an enormous load off Matt Priddis and Luke Shuey particularly.

The Western Bulldogs? Well, Luke Beveridge’s coaching performance last year may well go down as close to the best of all time considering the catalogue of injuries suffered along the way.

New Bulldog Travis Cloke’s got a point to prove. Getty Images 

On paper, at least, they should be better again, particularly up forward, where a team that was only the 12th highest-scoring outfit in 2016 now boasts an All-Australian key forward in Travis Cloke keen to prove a sizeable point to Collingwood, and, back from suspension, Stewart Crameri.

We already know there’s depth, evenness and a great coach. It’s psychology which may prove the Bulldogs’ biggest challenge trying to back up a premiership for the ages.

The runner-up

The juggernaut that is Greater Western Sydney is certainly going to take some stopping. No one beats the Giants for depth of talent. Still in the bottom half of the AFL in terms of age, GWS now boasts the fourth-most experienced squad in terms of average games per player.

Besides the glut of experienced youth, GWS have nailed all their experienced recruits, too, going back to Callan Ward, then Shane Mumford and last year, Steve Johnson. Perhaps Brett Deledio will prove a similarly inspired pick-up. But are they as dependable, week in, week out as the team I’ve tipped to win it? Not necessarily.

And that team is … (drum roll)

They are such a perennial we tend to take them for granted. I certainly did this time last year.

But who is as reliable as Sydney? The Swans have missed finals just once in the past 14 years, and played in five grand finals over that period. They finished 2016 on top of the ladder, and despite some very untimely injuries and not a lot of luck, were still within one point of a grand final lead with just seven minutes left to play.

Up forward, they have not only Lance Franklin, whose pre-season has looked ominous, and Kurt Tippett, but potentially a revitalised Sam Reid, and now some decent ground-level goalkicking support in Tom Papley.

Can Lance Franklin break his premiership duck with the Swans? Photo: Getty Images

The midfield remains the AFL’s most consistent. Tom Mitchell’s ball-winning ability is a loss. But Isaac Heeney (once he recovers from glandular fever) might provide a touch more class in there. Ditto Callum Mills should he spend more time there.

And while Heath Grundy and Jarrad McVeigh aren’t getting any younger, the reinforcements keep coming. Aliir Aliir in the key post, Zak Jones to provide run off half-back. Coach John Longmire has more flexibility than perhaps he’s known at his disposal now.

And after two grand final losses in the space of three years, he and his list have motivation to spare. I have a hunch it might be third time lucky for this band of Swans.

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