AUSXIP Network - Site News

I'm very pleased to announce the birth of a new site on AUSXIP. AUSXIP Lesley-Ann Brandt News & Multimedia. This time it's a little bit different from the norm. Lesley-Ann Brandt, Naevia, on Spartacus Blood and Sand has approved the site to become her official site.

The site will feature news and multimedia - what you normally expect from an AUSXIP site but it will also have a blog by Lesley-Ann to keep you all updated about Spartacus and other projects. You can also send mail to Lesley-Ann through the fanmail web form and other goodies.

Click here to view the new site and to read Lesley-Ann's Blog

I'm a huge Girls Aloud fan and one of the best sites out there is called Girls Aloud Media. It is a SUPERB site - the mecca of all things GA. Truly a magnficient site run by the dynamic Hayley.

I do enjoy this site a great deal which has everything from up to the minute news, pictures, videos...EVERYTHING.

I've added Girls Aloud Media to the AUSXIP Affiliate / Favourite links section.

Click here to visit the site

Hayley also has a mega video site dedicated to Girls Aloud - another superb site.

In addition to all of that Hayley has a Girls Aloud Forum

I've been a big Girls Aloud fan ever since a certain someone (my mate Christa) introduced me to their music. LOVE their music (and I'm sure my neighbours know the lyrics to the songs now since I've played their music so many times) :)

Cheryl Cole, one of the talented women that make up Girls Aloud, Cheryl's first solo single, "Fight for This Love", was the fastest-selling single of 2009 up to that point when it entered the UK Singles Chart and Irish Singles Chart at number one, becoming the fourth best-seller of the year. Her debut solo album 3 Words achieved similar success.
(source Wikipedia)

For those not familiar with Cheryl:

Cheryl Ann Cole (née Tweedy; born 30 June 1983) is an English singer, songwriter, dancer, model, and television personality. Basically an all round talented lady.

I've now added a video channel dedicated to Cheryl's videos on AUSXIP Video.

Check out the two videos currently online:

"Ella would be so proud."

Jane Thompson stood in the atrium of Starship children’s hospital at the opening of Ella’s Cuddle Corner on Wednesday and spoke about her beautiful little girl who had loved animals.

In 2003, five-year-old Ella Mackie died of an inoperable brain tumour.

"The prognosis was days, weeks or months," Mrs Thompson says.

Knowing they only had a short time left with Ella, her family did all they could for her.

"Anything she asked for, we gave her." That included bringing Kevin into Starship. Kevin was the family’s much-loved cat.

They managed to smuggle him in, and Ella’s health temporarily improved.

"It meant a lot to her, although she was very sick. It made her feel a lot better," Mrs Thompson says.

Ella died on February 26, 2003, and seven years later her legacy lives on in Ella’s Cuddle Corner.

Mrs Thompson has been working towards this since Ella died.

Now in the atrium there is an area where Starship’s long-term and critically ill patients can spend time with their pets.

Read More

The following "petition" was initiated by Paris Jefferson at the 2010 Xena Convention for a 2012 Xena Convention in Auckland.

This the facebook page

LET'S TAKE THE PARTY HOME' As Paris Jefferson suggested, we are trying to generate interest in a Xena convention in NEW ZEALAND for 2012. If we can get more then 200 people seriously interested then Creation will look into organising the event. So join us, and let's take Xena back to her roots.

You will need a facebook account to add your name to the list. Currently there is 181 fans willing to make the trek to New Zealand.

Click here for more info

I'm back home and it's hot and humid...back to normal programming. One thing I have to do before recapping my visit across the pond and that is to apologise. I love snow. I love watching snow fall. What I don't enjoy is watching the effects of a snow storm and frankly that has never happened to me so I had no idea what harm it causes. That is what happens when you don't live in an area where snow is as regular as bushfires.

I wished for snow and I finally got my wish up Crystal Mountain but I also saw the mayhem it brought to the US east coast. Also saw mates stranded in LA unable to get home because of the snow causing airports to close etc. I know I had been jokingly begging for snow; it's not a joke. So my wish now is for my mates to travel back home and for these snow storms to end.

I love travelling up north to Seattle; it's such a beautiful part of the world and this time was no exception. My mountain (aka Mount Rainier) looked absolutely majestic and the entire Cascade Mountains are just so beautiful. One of the funniest things I've done is standing outside, falling snow around me, my ears freezing (no hat) and watching for a squirrel that was playing hide and seek.

This trip has been about catching up with mates and making new friends, getting people lost (don't EVER ask me to navigate) and just enjoying the company of people who I simply adore.

At the con I was invited to cut a cake for the 15th Anniversary and this was hosted by Penny, a spitfire Aussie whose energy is just incredible. Penny organised the Amphipolis Vs Potadeia softball game which raised an incredible $1700 for Starship (Amphipolis won). The girls played in the rain...seriously, it was coming down hard that day and they still played. I also want to thank those who attended for their kindness. The cake was just beautiful. Not sure about my cake cutting skills :)

The convention was pretty cool; the guests were all very entertaining. It was quite an emotional event. Some of my favourite moments are Lucy, Renee, Lucy and Renee's play (hysterical), Elvis Sears rocking the cabaret, the karaoke, rocking to Lady GaGa at the dessert party, Adrienne and William Gregory Lee, Steven, the fantastic music videos, Hudson being Hudson, Brittney being cool, the Spartacus panel...Peter watching...Moira doing her sonny and cher...it was just sheer fun and of course my mates who made this con so so special.

I also watched the Superbowl...what a great game. Reminded me of Rugby League with pads. I finally understood it around the second half. I was so stoked that the Saints won because it meant so much to what it would do for the city and to friends who were passionate Saints fans. The bar was jam packed with Saints fans and the lonely souls going for the other team were brave :) It was all good fun.

Mesh held down the fort and did an EXCEPTIONAL job. Amazing considering the Spartacus PR firestorm which was intense. Many thanks to her and the rest of the AUSXIP team in Barbara, Lori and Roger for keeping everyone updated including myself :)

So now it's back to normal. Coming up in March is the annual AUSXIP Auction which will have some fantastic stuff for everyone; lots of goodies from Lucy, Renee, Xena, Spartacus, Battlestar Galactica, Venice, Crystal Chappell, Spartacus, Bitch Slap and lots more.

Battle On!

Today is my last day here in LA and it hasn't followed the usual pattern of it being quiet and allowing me to decompress for the long flight back home. The reason for this is two words.

Crystal Chappell.

I had the great fortune to be able to meet with Crystal (and get to see some of the Days of our Lives set) for a while and get to know her a little. I was impressed before I met her with her acting as Olivia on Guiding Light (got a crash course in Otalia while I was in Seattle - and can I thank the person/s concerned who took time to create all those great youtube videos and put them in order..I don't know who you are but you are amazing. Incredibly hard work but very useful to newbies) and in Days of Our Lives as Carly. I came away thinking this woman is an incredibly intelligent, savvy, talented, creative woman.

As many of you know AUSXIP does have a Crystal site (crystalchappell.ausxip.com) run by Mesh / Lori as well as an Otalia and Venice sites (otalia.ausxip.com and venice.ausxip.com). There will also be a fanfic section dedicated to Otalia and Venice. More news about that in the coming weeks. It's all good :)

For Crystal/Otalia/Venice fans...there are going to be some exciting stuff coming up in the AUSXIP Auction in March. Seriously exciting stuff that will be available...I'm stoked just thinking about it and I'm a newbie fan (haven't been a newbie for such a long time). Crystal is a very generous soul.

For those not familiar with Guiding Light (and the Otalia storyline) you can go to: otalia.ausxip.com

For those not familiar with Venice The Series - check out the official site..

and of course if you don't know who Crystal Chappell is...well hop on over to the AUSXIP Crystal Chappell site to find out all the info, look at the pics and things. Crystal's Official site (gorgeous site) is gorgeous.

You can also follow Crystal on Twitter

So thank you Crystal for being so generous with your time.

Catch you all later after I get back home.

MaryD