News: 'No gravity, no trouble for beer bubbles' for The Courier-Mail

This is a story that first appeared on The Courier-Mail website, then in the app edition. It can be viewed here. A shortened version also appeared in the print edition, April 8.

No gravity, no trouble for beer bubbles

By Anna Angel

IT might not be long before beer connoisseurs can sip a pint in space, but you probably wouldn't be able to keep it down, or even want to. 
 
A special blend of 4-Pines Brewery's 'space beer' flowed freely at Queensland University of Technology's zero-gravity research facility yesterday, in a trial of the beverage's behaviour in the low gravity of space.

The lab's director Professor Ted Steinberg said the project, which began in October last year, focuses on tweaking the brew's carbonation levels for safe consumption in space.

Interview: Shane Nicholson for Tom Magazine

For TOM Magazine.

Building Bad Machines.

Shane Nicholson is the kind of dad who might carry a crumpled family portrait in his wallet. He’s bursting with cute anecdotes (have you heard the one about the five year-old leading a crowd of 15,000 in an a cappella rendition of ‘Eye of the Tiger’?) and about to embark on a family road-trip when he sits down to chat with Anna Angel. He and his self-professed "travelling circus", which includes wife and Australian country music darling Kasey Chambers, are touring the country following the release of his forth solo record, Bad Machines. He insists it’s going to be "a bit like a holiday", at least in comparison to the six weeks he’s spent away from his brood promoting the album.

"I’m sitting chilling right now, this is as relaxing as it gets," he says, stretching further out on the couch, when the quaint notion of down-time is raised. In fact, he can’t wait to hit the road again. He’ll be co-headlining an extensive regional tour with Chambers, who released Little Bird late last year.

News: 'Real 'service' station keeps paying the Bill' for The Courier-Mail

First day on the job (okay, internship) at The Courier-Mail. Found in the paper on April 5.

Real 'service' station keeps paying the Bill

 Anna Angel
5 April 2011
The Courier-Mail

NUNDAH'S Buckland Auto Service doesn't sell bread or milk, but more than 50 years of old-fashioned service has kept the customers coming back.

Owner Bill Russell and his wife Marilyn have survived offering more than just fuel - they take the time to personally look after each customer - giving something the large service stations no longer provide.

The pair offer full driveway service - filling up motorists' tanks, pumping tyres and greeting each one with a smile and a bit of a chat through the car window.

Mr Russell said it was a simple but rare level of service that keeps their business afloat.

``If you keep them happy they will come back,'' he said.

He said he would be giving the fuel away for free if he tried to compete in the service station price wars.

Instead, as a skilled mechanic, he is able to to provide quality car care and much more than customer fuel vouchers.

``If you've got a little problem with your car, and it's just somebody behind a counter, they're not going to get off their bum to help anyone,'' he said.

He said motoring enthusiasts trust him with their classic vehicles because ``younger mechanics have no idea what to do with them''.

Mr Russell said while many smaller service stations had struggled to compete, the Nundah garage has been in business since 1956 and showed no sign of slowing.

``We make a living, we look after them and they're all happy," he said.

News: 'Child pageants down under?' for Biscuit Magazine

Contribution to Biscuit Magazine's April issue. Read online here, pg nine.

Updates and inspirations: The Courier-Mail

Tomorrow morning I begin a week on The Courier-Mail newsfloor. I'm excited to go back and give it my all, and very excited to be interning in their features department in May.

Feature: 'Now you see it...' for Style Magazine

Here's a few pics from my work in Style Magazine's March  Brisbane and Gold Coast issues. Most of what I did didn't get a (or my) byline, but I thought I'd post a sample of them anyway. It was a really fun office! I'd love to go back again. You can read the issues online here.