We Are Soldiers || Danny Danziger

A fascinating, frank and revealing insight into life on the frontline, as told to an award-winning journalist and bestselling author by everyday heroes.

What is it like to drive a Challenger tank over desert terrain for six days in a row? Or hover an Apache AH1 attack helicopter a hundred metres above enemy ground? How quickly can a Sapper clear a field of unexploded devices, or build a bridge - or blow one up? What is it like to fix bayonets, and engage in hand to hand combat, or train a 5.56 mm SA80 sniper sight on an enemy soldier, and pull the trigger?

How do you find out what a soldier must learn on his way to war...? Ask him.

In this extraordinary book, Danny Danziger interviews the people who fight our wars for us, providing a unique insight into the reality of what we ask of our armed forces. Groundbreaking and utterly compelling, WE ARE SOLDIERS takes the reader to the heart of the 21st century soldier's experience.


ISBN: 9781847443977
Category: General
Format: Paperback
Publication Date: Dec 2010
Publisher: Sphere
Country of origin: GBR
Pages: 416

Tap water bottle heralds ‘Quench Couture’ trend (buying water is so 2010)

(I just had to include this. It's the most outrageous PR I've seen for a while. But then, maybe I just don't get out much?)

quench couture (eco-) n. 1. paradigm reimagining tap water as a symbol of social status. 2. Trend towards treating tap water as an integral fashion or home accessory exhibiting style acumen and social responsibility (e.g. ‘My bag’s by Alexander Wang and the bottle’s 321 Water’; ‘The chairs are Kartell and the water’s 321’)

AN innovative designer water bottle is transforming tap water into summer’s style statement du jour, channelling fashion and eco imperatives in the local dawn of the ‘quench couture’ trend witnessed at New York and Paris Fashion Weeks.

Launching in time to accessorise for December’s social calendar, Australian made and designed 321 Water is as stunning as it is functional. With translucent Aegean blue accenting BPA-free casing as clear as a mountain stream, the 500ml bottle is perfect for throwing in your Longchamp tote for a day adrift off St Tropez (or Palm Beach) – or toting to on shore soirees.

“We set out to prove that you can be enviably stylish, healthy and socially responsible at the same time – you don't need to choose,” says Melbourne-based 321 Water founder Gretha Oost, of the feat of fashion-conscious form and function.

To keep the Bollinger blur at bay, simply place your 321 Water bottle under the tap, and plunge, for clear, pure, refreshing filtered water.

It was only a matter of time before eco impera tives rendered trendy bottled waters passé and the ‘premiumisation’ of water filtered into the reusable segment. Australians alone pour some 80,000 tonnes of bottled water plastic into landfill each year.
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At New York and Paris Fashion Weeks, the style set toted tap water in Vivienne Westwood-designed reusable water bottles, filled at tap stations dotted around the shows. Parisian civilians are also quaffing eau de ordinaire, queuing to drink from a fountain the city installed in September to position tap water as stylish (naturally theirs is carbonated). Venice is also challenging the world’s biggest bottled water consumers with chic reusable bottles given to households.

321 Water transcends aesthetic persuasion to truly make tap water healthy and delicious. It is also among the first Australian reusable drink bottles to eschew harmful chemical BPA. Cue health cred.

The concept has struck a chord, with the equivalent of over 8,000 advance orders taken ahead of launch. The trend will only gain momentum as discerning consumers demand that their eco and wellbeing efforts reflect not only their attitudes, but their sense of style, according to Oost, who notes that ‘green’ is not a primary motivator for purchase.

By sampling nature's nectar from the 500ml vessel, sippers reduce carbon emissions, save water (321 Water represents the ratio of water required to make one litre of bottled water – three to one), and whittle their grocery bills. A modest water habit of four bottles a week costs around $600 a year – more than enough for that Hermes beach towel. Australians spend a whopping $500 million on bottled water annually.

But what about those with a serious aversion to the taste of tap water?

“I will challenge anyone to try tap water in this bottle, and then tell me honestly that they prefer store-bought bottled water to water the y bottle themselves,” Oost says.

Beyond its obvious appeal as hand-candy, the handbag-sized bottle offers handy BYO quality control at your favourite cafe or park, and will challenge your MacBook in the desk top style stakes.

The replacement 100-use filters also double as décor, with a schedule of local art and design talent commissioned to dress the eco-friendly boxes. The first design is by Flatland OK’s Tim Fleming.

Fittingly, 321 Water launches Day 1 of summer (December 1).

Available at www.321water.com, Top3byDesign, and selected homewares retailers. RRP: Bottle $39; Pack of 3 replacement filters $18.

Pizza Hut delivers the world's first edible Facebook gift

Social networking is exploding at a rapid rate and now in an exciting world first, Pizza Hut Australia rewards you and your friends on Facebook with FREE PIZZA in the new Pizza Hut 'Feed a Friend' campaign. 

Every time you place an order at www.pizzahut.com.au you receive two virtual slices – one for you and one for a friend on Facebook. When you or your friends collect four virtual slices, you get one free real pizza from Pizza Hut. The more your order, the more virtual slices you can collect, and the more of your favourite pizza you get for free!

Pizza Hut Australia marketing director Valerie Kubizniak said: "Pizza is the ultimate social food and Facebook is by far the most popular social networking site, so this is a great combination – we want to reward not only our most valued online customers but also their favourite friends on Facebook too."

'Feed a Friend' is the latest cutting edge digital launch from Pizza Hut. The campaign follows hot on the heels of Pizza Hut's iPhone app, which sizzled with over 200,000 downloads in the first eight months of launch.

The augmented reality function or 'GPS Store Finder' provides iPhone 3Gs users with the ability to find their nearest Pizza Hut store by utilising GPS technology. People hold up their iPhone 3Gs, the camera opens and the screen shows not only what is in front of the user, but small tabs highlighting the direction and distance of Pizza Hut locations nearby. In the coming weeks Pizza Hut iphone customers will also have the ability to customise their pizzas and add their favourite toppings.   

For further information or your own taste of the world's first virtual gift, visit www.pizzahut.com.au.

RICKY MUNDAY FIRST WESTERNER IN YEARS TO GET WITHIN 30M OF PAPUA PROVINCE PEAK PUNCAK TRIKORA

THE FIRST OF 3 PEAKS HE WILL ATTEMPT IN THE AUSTRALASIA 3 PEAKS GLACIER EXPEDITION

London, December 2, 2010 - Ricky Munday reported last night that after a two day delay due to problems finding a safe route, he finally climbed Puncak Trikora solo (4,730m) and got to within 30m of the summit.  The last 30 meters was simply too exposed and dangerous to continue alone, particularly given the extreme remoteness of the region.  Very few people have climbed Puncak Trikora and little is known about this remote peak in Papua Province.  A recent expedition in July 2008 only succeeded in getting to within 200m of the summit.

Munday was forced to trek for nearly two days through difficult rainforest to find the best route to climb the mountain, helped by a guide.  After sheltering from heavy rain in a cave at the base of Puncak Trikora, Munday will trek back to Lake Habbema and then travel to Wamena to begin his journey to meet the Carstenzsz Pyramid expedition team in Jayapura.

Named after the Dutch explorer Jans Carstensz, Carstensz Pyramid is the highest island peak in the world and the highest in Oceania.  It was first climbed in 1962 by Heinrich Harrer on whom the film 'Seven Years in Tibet' was based on. 

Munday reports that, after negotiations, he has now secured a permit to climb Puncak Mandala but he now will have to do this last, after Carstensz Pyramid. On November 24 Munday was asked by the headman or Kepala Desa of the district to depart from the village of Bime when he first arrived to climb Mandala.  He had to fly back to Jayapura and begin new negotiations with the headman for access.

Mandala can be reached on foot from Bime in two days.  The mountain is about the same height as Mont Blanc and is extremely steep with sharp limestone above the tree line.  The temperatures will fall well below zero and Munday will need a large team of porters for this, the most challenging of the three peaks.  Bruce Parry and Mark Anstice were the last Westerners to climb Mandala.

An expedition in Papua Province is one of the most difficult that can be undertaken anywhere.  The jungle terrain is extremely remote and inhospitable; getting permits to access mountains is fraught with complexities and there are very few locals willing and able to act as guides and porters in the mountainous regions.

Ricky Munday still remains focused on his goal to be the first to attempt to summit the three peaks in one expedition.  He is also raising funds for the Raleigh youth programme and providing photographs for the Alpine Club of Canada, who part funded the expedition, to show the extent of glacial recession around the three peaks. 


The expedition website is www.aus3peaks.com/a3p



Notes:

Papua Province, Indonesia, forms the western part of the island of New Guinea.  The eastern part of the island is Papua New Guinea (PNG).  The terrain in Papua Province is challenging with lush rainforests and mountains. Many local tribes have never seen Westerners and still live as hunter-gatherers, observing ancient tribal rituals.  The Discovery Channel documentary 'World's Lost Tribes' compellingly illustrated the daily lives of the Kombai and Mek tribes as Olli Steeds and Mark Anstice coped with several months of total immersion with them.

The Australasia 3 Peaks Glacier Expedition will depart for Papua Province from Indonesia's capital, Jakarta.   The peaks will be attempted in the following order: Puncak Mandala, Carstensz

Pyramid (Puncak Jaya) and Puncak Trikora.



Puncak Trikora

Puncak Trikora was first climbed in 1913, 402 years after its discovery by the developed world, during the hazardous 'Third South New Guinea Expedition' undertaken by Dutchmen following several failed attempts.



Puncak Jaya aka Carstensz Pyramid

Puncak Jaya, formerly called Carstensz Pyramid, named after the 17th century Dutch explorer Jans Carstensz, is the highest island peak in the world and the highest in Oceania. It was climbed for the first time in 1962 by Heinrich Harrer, on whom the movie 'Seven years in Tibet' is based. The mountain was included in the 7 Summits project by Reinhold Messner, the first man to climb 14 of the world's highest peaks.



Puncak Mandala

Ricky Munday will be the first to attempt to summit Puncak Mandala from the north face since 1996 when an Australian team failed, finding the north face approach too difficult. The first successful ascent from the north face was the 1959 Dutch Star Mountains Expedition. A 1999 two-man British expedition discovered evidence of cannibalism during its attempt to climb the south face of the mountain.  A documentary was made charting the ascent of Mandala called 'Cannibals & Crampons'.  Mark Anstice, one of the expedition members, wrote a book about the expedition called 'First Contact.'  Puncak Mundala was also summited by Bruce Parry, the producer of Tribe (2005-2007).



The Expedition sponsors and equipment partners are:  BDL Management, Spectra Group, Inmarsat, Montane, GoLite, Nite Watches, Aquapac, CRUX and Think Tank Photo, The Jeremy Willson Charitable Trust, The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Travelling Fellowship and the Alpine Club of Canada.

Battle begins for 2010 Drive Car of the Year award

Final judging for the prestigious 2010 Drive Car of the Year awards is taking place this week, under the watchful eyes of an expert panel of judges from the motoring industry.

The awards provide a comprehensive consumer guide to the best cars on the Australian market, with thorough criteria followed for testing each vehicle to find the 2010 Drive Car of the Year. Judges test each car in a range of driving conditions, from speed humps to country roads and torturous dynamic exercises conducted in a controlled environment. More than $3 million worth of new cars will be rated for real-world performance, safety, value, running costs, practicality, re-sale and driving dynamics.

Motoring experts with a combined 100 years of road testing and motoring knowledge have scrutinised 47 nominees in 14 categories across 20,000km of testing in the most extensive trials of their kind in Australia.

One winner is chosen in each category spanning the entire new-car market, and the vehicle that offers the best overall package will be named the Drive Car of the Year 2010. The winners will be announced at an awards breakfast in Albert Park on November 25.

"This is the biggest and most comprehensive test of its kind in Australia," Judge and Drive National Editor Toby Hagon said.

"We look at every facet of the most impressive new cars on sale today and put them through an arduous testing process that looks at everything from how good the cup holders are and whether you really can fit seven people inside to its driving manners and environmental friendliness."

Testers spend six days putting each of the 47 cars through their paces on a specially chosen road loop that takes in smooth freeways, lumpy back roads, stop-start suburban driving and country cruising, as well as dynamic assessment in an approved testing facility.

Drive Car of the Year 2010 contenders:

·         Best City Car: Ford Fiesta LX defends its title against Hyundai's i20 Active, Nissan's Micra and Volkswagen's Polo 77TSI.

·         Best Small Car: 2009 Car of the Year, Volkswagen Golf 118TSI, takes on Mazda3 Neo and Renault Megane.

·         Best Medium Car: Mazda6 Classic tries to repeat its 2009 success against previous champion Ford Mondeo Diesel and Suzuki Kisashi XL, Toyota Camry Hybrid and VW Jetta 118TSI.

·         Best Large Car: Holden Commodore Omega Sportwagon is trying to unseat 2009 category winner Nissan Maxima ST-L.

·         Best Luxury Car Under $60,000: Germany vs Sweden as Volvo S60 takes on Volkswagen Passat CC and Mercedes-Benz C200 CGI.

·         Best Luxury Car Over $60,000: 2009 champion, Jaguar XF 3.0d, is joined by stablemate Jaguar XJ 3.0d to fight off the German challenge from BMW 535i and Audi A8 4.2 FSI.

·         Best Performance Car Under $60,000: Volkswagen Golf GTI defends a perfect record against Renault Megane RS250, Subaru Impreza WRX, Ford Focus RS and the V8-powered Holden Series II Commodore SS-V.

·         Best Performance Car Over $60,000: Can the potent Porsche 911 Turbo unseat the FPV GT, Audi RS5 or the double category champion, BMW 135i Coupe.

·         Best Convertible: The top is down and the gloves are off as Porsche Boxster takes on Nissan's 370Z Roadster and Mercedes-Benz' E250 CGI.

·         Best Ute: Australia invented the ute and this is an-all Australian affair: Holden Commodore SS Ute vs FPV Falcon GS Ute.

·         Best SUV Under $40,000: Unanimous 2009 choice, Subaru Outback, is challenged by Honda CR-V Sport, Kia Sportage SLi and Nissan X-Trail ST-L.

·         Best SUV Over $40,000: The Swedish incumbent, Volvo XC60 D5, takes on the German challengers, Porsche Cayenne Diesel and BMW X5 xDrive 30d.

·         Best People Mover: Honda Odyssey takes on Nissan Dualis Ti Plus 2 2WD and Volkswagen Caravelle.

·         Best 4WD: A two-horse race as the rugged new Toyota Prado GXL diesel takes on 2009 champion, Land Rover Discovery 4 TDV6 SE.

·         Green Innovation: Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Toyota Hybrid Camry, E-85 Holden Commodore

·         Safety Innovation: Volvo Pedestrian Avoidance Technology, Ford Mondeo Titanium, BMW 7 Series

·         People's Choice: Open to all category nominations

·         Car of The Year: Overall automotive excellence for 2010


For more information, go to www.drive.com.au/Drive-Car-Of-The-Year.

BARNFIND BUGATTI MAKES OVER SEVEN TIMES LOW ESTIMATE AT BONHAMS AUSTRALIA AUCTION

AND BEST OF BRITISH: 1925 BENTLEY 3-LITRE SELLS FOR AUS$329,500 AND 1949 JAGUAR XK120 ALLOY ROADSTER ACHIEVES AUS$249,200
 
On Saturday (13.11.10) a packed saleroom in Sydney witnessed spirited bidding on a number of motor cars at Bonhams Collectors' Motor Cars, Motorcycles and Automobilia auction which made a total of AUS$1,180,583.   The highlight of the sale was the 1926 Bugatti Type 38 restoration project – completely dismantled, incomplete and lacking engine and body – which realised $110,400 (£68,000), some seven times it's pre-sale auction estimate. Seven telephone bidders fought against six absentee bids and five people in the room with a northern hemisphere telephone bidder victorious. When Robert Glover, Bonhams Head of Motor Cars Australia, informed the lady owner how much the car sold for there was a stunned silence followed by a tearful thanks.
 
And Britain had success on Australian soil – perhaps an omen for the upcoming Ashes cricket series – with a 1925 Bentley 3-litre Speed Model VdP Tourer and an ultra rare right hand drive 1949 Jaguar XK120 Alloy roadster selling very well at $329,500 (£203,000) and $249,200 (£154,000) respectively.
 
Over 75% of the lots offered in the Automobilia and Motor Car sale found new homes with buyers from the USA, UK, France bidding against the home market.
 
Robert Glover said, "Given the strength of the Australian dollar against other world currencies we were pleasantly surprised by the level of overseas bidding at the sale. Whilst the Australians often won out, it clearly demonstrates the reach and importance of Bonhams global motoring network."
 

Elephant To Hollywood : Michael Caine

It's been a long journey for Maurice Micklewhite - born with rickets in London's poverty-stricken Elephant & Castle - to the bright lights of Hollywood.

With a glittering career spanning more than five decades and starring roles which have earned him two Oscars, a knighthood, and an iconic place in the Hollywood pantheon, the man now known to us as Michael Caine looks back over it all.

Funny, warm, honest, Caine brings his insider's view of Hollywood (where there's neither holly nor woods). He recalls the films, the legendary stars, the off-screen moments with a gift for story-telling only equalled by David Niven.

Hollywood has been his home and his playground. But England is where his heart lies. And where he blames the French for the abundance of snails in his garden. A plaque now celebrates him at the Elephant in London. His handprint is one of only 200 since 1927 to decorate Hollywood Boulevard. The man who has played everyone, yet always remained himself, THE ELEPHANT TO HOLLYWOOD is the remarkable full circle of Michael Caine's life.

Sir Michael Caine CBE has been Oscar-nominated six times, winning his first Academy Award for the 1986 film Hannah and Her Sisters and his second in 1999 for The Cider House Rules. He has starred in over one hundred films, becoming well-known for several critically acclaimed performances including his first major film role in Zulu in 1964, followed by films including The Ipcress Files, Get Carter, Alfie, The Italian Job, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Educating Rita, and more recently The Dark Knight, Is Anybody There? and Harry Brown. He was appointed a CBE in 1992 and knighted in 2000 in recognition of his contribution to cinema. Married for more than 30 years, with two daughters and three grandchildren, he and his wife Shakira divide their time between England and the United States.

* H&S Non Fiction
* 9781444700022
* $35.00
* Paperback - C Format
* October 2010
* 416 pages
* Biography: General