Author: jkirkby8712

Made yet another ‘urgent’ call to the ‘Garden Bag’ people this morning  – my ‘garden bag’ [a paid garden refuse pick up service] was due to have been replaced last Tuesday, and despite numerous phone calls over the past couple of weeks, no one is bothering to reply. My work in the back garden has been put on hold, while I attempt to get this situation remedied. This has been a good ‘service’ in the past, so I have been somewhat disappointed at the lack of response to my attempts to speak to the business owners over recent days. Obviously not a good time of year to get any kind of trades people – am also trying to get somebody in the business of replacing windscreens [for Shirley’s car] to respond to a phone call!!  I mean, just how difficult is it to at least pick up a phone, even if you decided to ‘stop work’ before Christmas.  My opinion of the attitude of many trades people has not improved over the years – poor response, high charging however!!

By mid afternoon, I’d given up on the above phone calls – no-one got back to me! Simply pathetic service. If somebody’s ‘accountant’ acted in that manner they would end up in court over some trivial claim, but the ‘tradies’, they can get away with any attitude, because most people chasing them up, do so because they need a job done, which they can’t, or are not qualified to do!!  And the public complain about ‘monopolies in the media’!!!

Anyway, enough of that, let’s try and retain some Christmas ‘spirit’. Speaking of which, we don’t have one of the ‘real’ Christmas trees in the house this year – I have usually purchased them annually from the local Scouts, but when I suggested I would do so again to Susie, a couple of weeks ago, she wasn’t interested – too much ‘mess’ from pine needles, and effort in decorating, etc, etc!! Unexpected response but as she is the regular ‘decorator’ and always does a great job, I let it be! However, a few days ago, the small artificial tree which she has used in other parts of the house previously, suddenly appeared one night, decorated and all lit up, so we finally do have a little ‘tree’ on display this year, plus a few decorations around the lounge room area, and the Christmas spirit is back at 6 Fisher Court!

Now as someone who ‘lives with diabetes’, I noticed a recent item which claims that a ‘diabetes epidemic is on the rise’.  Here in Victoria, local communities are being asked to take urgent action, as new data reveals rates of diabetes have soared in the past ten years. Figures recently released by Diabetes Australia – Vic., show that 252,000 Victorians are now know to be living with diabetes [up from 2% of the Victorian population in 2001, to 4.5% this year], and this figure is increasing by 73 new cases each day.  At the international level, recently released data from the International Diabetes Foundation, confirms that the diabetes ‘pandemic’ continues to worsen – the number of people with diabetes in 2011, estimated at 366 million!!

DA-Vic’s CEO,  Greg Johnson was recently quoted as saying that ‘We are in the midst of a diabetes epidemic and it is imperative that local communities understand the impact and take action. Communities and local government can play an important role in prevention’. The number of Local Government Areas [LGAs] considered diabetes ‘hotspots’ has increased dramatically from only 1 in 2001 to 64 in 2011, presumably based on medical records. An area is designated a ‘hotspot’ when more than 4 per cent of it’s population has diabetes. One of the highest metro areas includes the City of Hume into which Sunbury falls, although we are located on the rural fringe of the municipality, so I think the bulk of the problem would be in the more urbanised parts of the municipality. Australian Medical Victorian President Dr Harry Hemley, called on doctors to be aware of the diabetes epidemic. He said “Doctors must be aware of the growing rates of diabetes in Victoria…..it is one of the most significant challenges that doctors face in the 21^st century. Doctors in general practice need greater resources to better co-ordinate the complex, multidisciplinary care for people with diabetes in their practices”. As a side note, it will be 60 years in 2013, since the origin of Diabetes Australia – Vic was formed – in 1953, at a meeting at the Melbourne Town Hall which supplied the impetus to develop an association for people with diabetes that provided education, advocacy and support, together with things like regular holiday camps for families of diabetic children.  Of course, one possible reason for the vast increase in diabetic cases in the last decade, is that it is probably more in the public’s eye these days – in the past, many of the symptoms of diabetes, were probably put down to some other ailment. Today, our medical people, and the public generally, are more educated as to the signs, causes and treatment of the complaint!!

Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party, Julie Bishop, submitted on her social media site this week, her reflections of  the world as it was in 2011. I found this a useful précis of some of the events of the past 12 months, particularly because there was, in my view anyway though some of her readers obviously cared to disagree,  no real negative political overseas towards the local scene or government policies in general, that we have come to expect from the Liberals over the past 18 months or so. So I decided that the nature of the contents were worthy of sharing on this page, as a reminder of some of major events [usually of a tragic nature, sadly], that occurred around the world over the past 12 months. And in including this, I note on today’s news from New Zealand, that country has faced more earthquakes in Christchurch today, the city so devastated earlier this year.

Meanwhile, from Julie Bishop:-

‘It was a year in which we hardly caught our breath’  –

According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2011 was the year of the Golden Rabbit, a year in which you are meant to catch your breath and calm your nerves. There were many events during this past year that tested that astrological prophecy to the limit.

Natural disasters such as the earthquake that struck Christchurch in February and the earthquake and tsunami that devastated coastal Japan in March captured the world’s attention with dramatic footage of the ravaged landscapes. Massive floods occurred in Pakistan, South-East Asia, Australia, South America and the United States. The impact of these events will influence the decisions of government and communities for many years as they struggle to find ways to prevent a repeat of the aftermath of these tragedies. The damage to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear energy plant, for example, has changed the dynamics of the global nuclear debate.

However, it is the actions of people during 2011 that will arguably have the biggest impact on world history.  The universal human desire to live in freedom erupted with a vengeance in the form of the pro democracy uprisings or “Arab Spring” beginning with the fall of the Tunisian regime in January. Civilian protests forced Egypt’s long-serving dictator Hosni Mubarak from office in February. After the strong results in support of Islamic parties in the November elections, there are concerns about the potential for a confrontation between the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces and the leaders of the Islamic parties including the Muslim Brotherhood. Events in Egypt are of particular importance because of that country’s peace treaty with Israel, the Suez Canal (through which about 8 per cent of global trade is carried) and its long-standing military links with the United States. Any Egyptian government more hostile to the West and to Israel would pose an enormous strategic challenge for the world, and particularly for Europe and North America.\ Protests erupted in Bahrain, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Syria and other nations throughout the Middle East and North Africa.  Libyan rebels supported by NATO airstrikes fought for months against the forces of Muammar Gaddafi and took control of the majority of the nation by late August.  Gaddafi was eventually killed in late October, ending a brutal reign that began with a military coup in 1969.

The ongoing violence in Syria has marginalised the regime of President Assad from even its strongest supporters and led to condemnation from and suspension from the Arab League. There have been ongoing reports of thousands killed, captured and tortured and detained indefinitely. Defections from the armed forces have increased the potential for full-blown civil war and there is currently no prospect of a breakthrough to end the cycle of violence that has gripped the country for months.  The short, medium and long-term implications of the uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East are far from clear.

The War on Terror launched in the wake of the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington reached a beachhead with the killing of Osama bin Laden by United States Special Forces in May.  In recent days, the death of Kim Jong-il has created deep unease around the world about the transition to a new leader in his 28-year-old son Kim Jong-un.  The secretive Stalinist regime has launched unprovoked attacks on South Korea in recent years and there is grave concern that the new leader will repeat these provocations in an attempt to prove himself to North Korea’s military commanders 

Against this backdrop of instability, the slow-moving European sovereign debt crisis has continued to weigh heavily on global markets and the world economy.  There were repeated attempts to deal with the crisis by providing large bailout packages to various nations, but with the apparent effect of delaying what appears to be an inevitable crunch at some point in time.\ The struggling United States economy and doubts about the sustainability of China’s high growth rates have added to concerns about a recovery in the short term.

Australia has continued to make important contributions to the maintenance of global and regional peace and security with members of our armed forces working in dangerous and remote locations.  The largest contingent by far is the 1550 on deployment to Afghanistan, where we have sadly lost 32 soldiers since 2002.  Australia has 380 troops in East Timor, 80 in the Solomon Islands, 25 in Egypt’s Sinai region, 17 in South Sudan, 12 in Jerusalem and two in Iraq.

As we look back at the events of 2011 and then head into the flamboyant and tempestuous Year of the Dragon it is timely for us to remember those in our armed forces who are serving overseas in support of the enduring ideals that underpin our society.  Perhaps, as Sigmund Freud once said, “One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful”  [by Julie Bishop, Dec 2011]

 

One of the universities with whom I completed one of my qualifications all those years ago, the University of Melbourne, have just sent me their annual generic Christmas greetings, and a bit of self promotion. Probably well deserved – as the oldest university in Melbourne, it’s status and success continues to dominate much of the tertiary sector in Melbourne, and I’m always happy to support their promotions, even though my ‘support’ as such,  is absolutely minimal these days.  Anyway, that greeting included the following advice about the past year in the life the University and it’s Alumni groups of which I’m a member. I do recall commenting on the achievements referred to, in a blog some months ago.

“This year has been a remarkably successful one for the University of Melbourne, thanks largely to your continuing support and involvement.  Alumni are actively engaged with the University, through mentoring, volunteering, teaching, providing internships and employment as well as attending events and reunions.  This year witnessed the formation of the Alumni Council following a highly anticipated election. Having met for the first time in December, we look forward to the Council tackling a comprehensive agenda in 2012.    The alumni community and friends contributed generously to the Annual Appeal, pledging a record $1.46 million to further support students, teachers and research across the University of Melbourne. Funds raised will go towards a number of faculty and university priorities, particularly immediate and long-term assistance to students. We thank you for your gifts.  The University works hard to fulfil its ambition to be one of the world’s finest universities. The 2011 Excellence in Research for Australia Survey confirmed the strength of the University’s research, with 99 per cent of our projects rated at or above world standard. We focused heavily on industry partnerships and were honoured to open the historic IBM Global Research and Development Laboratory in October. Working closely to improve community links, we also sealed agreements to share leadership and management expertise with local groups in Carlton and the Goulburn Valley.  These achievements have culminated in Melbourne being recognised as the leading Australian university in the three most cited international rankings. Your contributions and advocacy help make these achievements possible, and assist the University in its pursuit of academic and research excellence, and its desire to remain a public-spirited institution”.

As a part of my current ‘retirement “Spring” cleanup, I guess I really should do something about ridding myself of those university notes, etc from the 60s and 70s – like so much other material, I have retained my study notes, etc, but to what purpose these days I’m not really sure.  Certainly, over the past few weeks, I have ‘got rid of’ a lot of paper and other material, that a year or so ago., I would never have considered disposing of. And as the weeks advance, that process will [and must] continue, just haven’t got to the university years as yet!!!  I haven’t made as much progress as I would have planned prior to Christmas, however things are slowly been sorted and/or discarded.  My ‘bower bird’ reputation remains with me though, in many respects, but quite obviously, when and if I downsize my living arrangements, that particular side of my ‘personality’ is going to change.

Meanwhile, this year, I am building up a reasonable collection of Christmas card greetings from friends and family – although might I say, I probably wouldn’t have received many that I did, had I not got in first, and sent those people a greeting!! Not that it really matters  – I do like the opportunity that Christmas gives one to once again, get in touch with old friends in particular, although I prefer that kind of communication to be on a more regular basis than just once a year. In some cases it is, while in others, well, I do like to simply let people know I’m still around  – and, it’s good to hear back, but if not, not to worry, I’ve done my bit!!  My late mother was a wonderful communicator in that respect, and I remember the Christmas after she died, receiving a few cards for her, generally after Christmas from friends who were surprised and/or worried that they had not heard from her that Christmas.  Sadly, I was the one who then had to pass on the belated news – we had always thought that we had contacted everyone who would have wanted to be advised of Mum’s passing that year, but there will always some of her former contacts, that we would not have been aware of. As time passed, they gradually became known.

After yesterday’s wasted trip to the major shopping complexes, and their chaotic parking situations, I actually finished most of my ‘Christmas’ shopping in Sunbury yesterday  – perhaps not the best deal always in terms of price, but I balanced that up against fuel, and traffic and parking headaches, by leaving my car in one part of town, and walking from one shopping area to another – probably the equivalent of a major shopping centre in any case, as far as distance and area covered was concerned! Since 1983, when we came to Sunbury, the retail shopping and other facilities have grown enormously, and for many aspects of shopping, there is becoming little need to travel to suburban Melbourne and the larger retail areas.  Obviously, the latter do offer much more choice and competitive prices, but for someone who is not a keen or regular shopper [apart from supermarket & grocery needs], this town suits me just fine.

A busy household tonight  – I was continuing with my reallocation of resources [referred to above], while Susan, home for the evening, was throwing herself into a ‘late Spring cleanup’ of her ‘computer’ room [or 3^rd bedroom in the house] which she generally has the main use of.  Then I ended up with the rare occurrence of watching a movie on SBS TV into the early hours of the morning – rarely do that, but just happened to ‘come across’ this one as I was preparing for bed!!  Bit of a trap!!

One of the universities with whom I completed one of my qualifications all those years ago, the University of Melbourne, have just sent me their annual generic Christmas greetings, and a bit of self promotion. Probably well deserved – as the oldest university in Melbourne, it’s status and success continues to dominate much of the tertiary sector in Melbourne, and I’m always happy to support their promotions, even though my ‘support’ as such,  is absolutely minimal these days.  Anyway, that greeting included the following advice about the past year in the life the University and it’s Alumni groups of which I’m a member. I do recall commenting on the achievements referred to, in a blog some months ago.

“This year has been a remarkably successful one for the University of Melbourne, thanks largely to your continuing support and involvement.  Alumni are actively engaged with the University, through mentoring, volunteering, teaching, providing internships and employment as well as attending events and reunions.  This year witnessed the formation of the Alumni Council following a highly anticipated election. Having met for the first time in December, we look forward to the Council tackling a comprehensive agenda in 2012.    The alumni community and friends contributed generously to the Annual Appeal, pledging a record $1.46 million to further support students, teachers and research across the University of Melbourne. Funds raised will go towards a number of faculty and university priorities, particularly immediate and long-term assistance to students. We thank you for your gifts.  The University works hard to fulfil its ambition to be one of the world’s finest universities. The 2011 Excellence in Research for Australia Survey confirmed the strength of the University’s research, with 99 per cent of our projects rated at or above world standard. We focused heavily on industry partnerships and were honoured to open the historic IBM Global Research and Development Laboratory in October. Working closely to improve community links, we also sealed agreements to share leadership and management expertise with local groups in Carlton and the Goulburn Valley.  These achievements have culminated in Melbourne being recognised as the leading Australian university in the three most cited international rankings. Your contributions and advocacy help make these achievements possible, and assist the University in its pursuit of academic and research excellence, and its desire to remain a public-spirited institution”.

As a part of my current ‘retirement “Spring” cleanup, I guess I really should do something about ridding myself of those university notes, etc from the 60s and 70s – like so much other material, I have retained my study notes, etc, but to what purpose these days I’m not really sure.  Certainly, over the past few weeks, I have ‘got rid of’ a lot of paper and other material, that a year or so ago., I would never have considered disposing of. And as the weeks advance, that process will [and must] continue, just haven’t got to the university years as yet!!!  I haven’t made as much progress as I would have planned prior to Christmas, however things are slowly been sorted and/or discarded.  My ‘bower bird’ reputation remains with me though, in many respects, but quite obviously, when and if I downsize my living arrangements, that particular side of my ‘personality’ is going to change.

Meanwhile, this year, I am building up a reasonable collection of Christmas card greetings from friends and family – although might I say, I probably wouldn’t have received many that I did, had I not got in first, and sent those people a greeting!! Not that it really matters  – I do like the opportunity that Christmas gives one to once again, get in touch with old friends in particular, although I prefer that kind of communication to be on a more regular basis than just once a year. In some cases it is, while in others, well, I do like to simply let people know I’m still around  – and, it’s good to hear back, but if not, not to worry, I’ve done my bit!!  My late mother was a wonderful communicator in that respect, and I remember the Christmas after she died, receiving a few cards for her, generally after Christmas from friends who were surprised and/or worried that they had not heard from her that Christmas.  Sadly, I was the one who then had to pass on the belated news – we had always thought that we had contacted everyone who would have wanted to be advised of Mum’s passing that year, but there will always some of her former contacts, that we would not have been aware of. As time passed, they gradually became known.

After yesterday’s wasted trip to the major shopping complexes, and their chaotic parking situations, I actually finished most of my ‘Christmas’ shopping in Sunbury yesterday  – perhaps not the best deal always in terms of price, but I balanced that up against fuel, and traffic and parking headaches, by leaving my car in one part of town, and walking from one shopping area to another – probably the equivalent of a major shopping centre in any case, as far as distance and area covered was concerned! Since 1983, when we came to Sunbury, the retail shopping and other facilities have grown enormously, and for many aspects of shopping, there is becoming little need to travel to suburban Melbourne and the larger retail areas.  Obviously, the latter do offer much more choice and competitive prices, but for someone who is not a keen or regular shopper [apart from supermarket & grocery needs], this town suits me just fine.

A busy household tonight  – I was continuing with my reallocation of resources [referred to above], while Susan, home for the evening, was throwing herself into a ‘late Spring cleanup’ of her ‘computer’ room [or 3^rd bedroom in the house] which she generally has the main use of.  Then I ended up with the rare occurrence of watching a movie on SBS TV into the early hours of the morning – rarely do that, but just happened to ‘come across’ this one as I was preparing for bed!!  Bit of a trap!!

 

I referred yesterday to a monthly magazine that I read – ‘Crosslight’ [published by the UCA] –  there was another article in the December edition which I considered worthy of retaining, and sharing, and while I have some reservations as to whether the basic argument expressed in that article is as extensive as suggested [I still think there is a lot of good ‘journalism’ around, not just ‘opinion’ pieces,    there were a number of interesting points which will no doubt, in a future edition, lead to some controversial and/or  varied responses or reactions.  The following is the item I’m referring to.

Titled ‘Media – Information or misinformation’ from Crosslight, Dec, 3^rd, 2011 written by Penny Mulvey

“Have you noticed a change in the way news is presented? Mainstream media no longer seeks objectivity, instead dwelling on the superficial, the argumentative – almost relishing the fight. Our media has fallen in love with combat and so too have we, the consumer. A feature article on commentator Andrew Bolt in the Good Weekend (19/11/11) neatly encapsulated the way our news media has been hijacked by opinion. No longer is news driven by beautifully researched and crafted pieces of journalism, instead it has been reduced to a series of sound bites and headlines.   Journalist John van Tiggelen, in writing about Bolt, said: “He (Bolt) became particularly adept at recasting almost any political debate, be it on reconciliation, refugee policy, conservation, multiculturalism, the judicial system or global warming, into an ‘us versus them’ conflict.”

According to the article, more than five million Australians tune into Bolt’s blog each week. He blogs all day, pouring out his opinion on everything and anything from five in the morning til midnight, each and every day. Some of those people then contribute their own strongly worded opinion on Bolt’s rant. The heat rises and rises and whatever the facts might have existed become increasingly irrelevant.

The spring edition of the Quarterly Essay featured an extended paper by academic Robert Manne titled ‘Bad News, Murdoch’s Australian and the shaping of the nation’. In it he forensically argued that the Australian newspaper had become a right wing voice piece for its owner Rupert Murdoch. Manne was one of a few academics invited to give evidence to last month’s fleeting Media enquiry in which he repeated his deeply held concerns about the News Limited empire’s near media-monopoly in Australia of.  Manne’s essay is a strongly evidence-based attack on the national paper for its perceived anti-government, anti-climate change, strongly ideological viewpoints. In his introduction, Manne writes: “The Australian is ruthless in pursuit of those who oppose its worldview – market fundamentalism, minimal action on climate change, the federal Intervention in indigenous affairs, uncritical support for the American alliance and for Israel, opposition to what it calls political correctness and moral relativism.”

At a recent conference Lachlan Harris, former press secretary to Kevin Rudd, spoke of what he described as ‘the opinion cycle’ replacing ‘the news cycle’. If you have been scratching your head wondering why it is so difficult to find news in The Saturday Age (predominantly replaced by feature, opinion and colour pieces), Harris explained why. Opinion rules.   Journalists no longer even attempt to provide objective reporting. Our politicians speak in five-second sound grabs. Policy has been replaced by entertainment. It becomes increasingly difficult to separate fantasy from reality, even our politicians become confused, as we see our Prime Minister appearing as a special guest on Junior Master Chef, and the Opposition Leader slicing fish at the fish markets or shovelling dirt at a mine just for the cameras.  Former federal minister for finance, Lindsay Tanner, in his book Sideshow, dumbing down democracy (published earlier this year), looks at the symbiotic relationship between politicians and journalists. He quotes veteran journalist, David Salter, who believes that editors don’t want to scare off readers with too much information:  “Frightened that readers and viewers might be bored by any substantial treatment of policy issues, editors and producers now reduce politics to little more than opinion polls, gossip and gaffes.” Ideas are presented in black and white terms, there is no room for nuance or shades of grey.

How does the Uniting Church, a church of nuance and complexity, present more considered thinking. The only way to be quoted is to have an extreme view and to present it in a colourful manner. If the church wants to give a more thoughtful response to such important societal issues as our response to asylum seekers and refugees; our care for the environment; or prison reform – which we all know are emotive but complex – there is no room for it. If the church tries, its views are reduced and caricatured.  Eric Beecher, chairman of Private Media, in talking about this ‘dumbing down’ of information, says it is a story of how not enough people care about ideas ahead of money.  “The future of serious journalism is under threat in large part because it has been replaced by entertainment at the heart of the media power edifice,” Mr Beecher said.

Ideally, the media should act as our canary in the mine. At its best it provides the prophetic voice.  A free press plays a vital role in our society. Without it we become a China, an Egypt, or a Libya. An independent media in whatever form it might take (online, print, radio or TV), but one that has ethics and integrity and transparency, that questions and prods. I don’t want censorship; it is what makes our democratic society.

We need our media, for it is trained, articulate and independent journalists who will keep our leaders honest”

So what do we think, has the ‘news cycle’ being replaced by a constant ‘opinion cycle’  – we are no longer getting the news, but what writers think the news should be saying to those who are listening or reading?   I really don’t think it is that bad  – admittedly, the weekend papers for example do these days include  a lot of ‘opinion’ type pages and features, perhaps more so than in the past, and the writers concerned, do in many cases have considerable influence on public perceptions, etc. I don’t think that is new however – maybe a bit more prevalent, in view of the way in which the availability of news and opinions has changed with the advent of the internet, etc,  I will be interested to see what reactions there are to  Ms Mulvey’s article, although if those responses simply come from readers of Crosslight, they will probably be more prepared to accept her findings! We shall see!!

I undertook an afternoon ‘Christmas shopping’ trip across to a couple of major shopping centres today – and virtually came back frustrated and empty handed, couldn’t find what I was looking for, or more to the point, wasn’t sure what I was looking for!! [Not as unlucky as daughter Jodie – bought a few gifts this afternoon, and promptly had them stolen from her car while she and Susie were playing volleyball!!]. I also found myself getting quickly annoyed with the traffic, the parking, and a left ankle, which was not yet taking too kindly to too much ‘exercise’ after the weekend’s mishap!   So I returned to Sunbury late afternoon feeling a little dissatisfied, and determined that my Christmas shopping was going to be completed in Sunbury despite the obvious wider choice in bigger centres. Despite schools gradually winding down, this time of year meant the traffic on most of the roads was fairly chaotic, and since leaving the daily peak hour grind in October, I’m not keen on tolerating too much of it these days.  I think the only useful thing I did upon returning to Sunbury [apart from cooking a late meal for myself and Susan, who was eating at home for a change after a late game of volleyball] was another quick visit to the radio station to help out a presenter on air who had a minor technical query  – that should bring a laugh to anyone who knows me, Bill helping someone with a technical problem!!!!

I’d been up at the radio earlier this morning – quite early in fact, from just before 6am – filling in for the regular Wednesday morning presenter, from 6am to 9am. Whilst it may have been a little difficult to get up initially, after another poor and restless sleep, I thoroughly enjoyed that 3 hours – a mix of music, sport, news, weather, etc, etc!!! I didn’t have the interviews that Ron normally conducts – he had told them all that he would be away for a few weeks, and they were probably glad of a break also, and I was not too concerned either…………………..as readers will have gathered by now, I do enjoy my time behind the microphones at the radio station!!

 

Today’s weather has been quite pleasant actually, and, has really only warmed up considerably during the afternoon. I think I spent about four hours in Sunbury today, with various tasks on the agenda of ‘potential achievement., and I think that by the end of the day, I was feeling reasonably satisfied with progress.  Even managed a  ‘coffee date’ with a friend from the church, who, despite my permanent absences over the past year or so, still keeps me up to date with regular copies of the newsletters, and the UCA’s Crosslight Magazine.  I’m still there [at the Church] in spirit, if not in body!!

In actual fact, the December edition of ‘Crosslight’ which Helen gave me today, contains  an interesting perspective on the four Gospels of the New Testament [from the Christian Bible] describing them as ‘Four movements in the Christmas pastoral symphony  – using Beethoven’s  Sixth Symphony [the ‘Pastoral’ Symphony] as a comparative point. I won’t try and go into that article here, but it is basically talking about the four different approaches of St, Mark, St, Matthew, St. Luke & St John to how they treat and refer to the ‘Christmas story’ in their respective Gospels. Written by Randall Prior and Gary Deverell, the introductory paragraph, puts the subject of the article into a précis style context. While I accept that many readers may not have any interest in the content of what was written,  I’ve discovered that I can share it anyway, as the description of the four different approaches by Matthew, Mark, Luke & John, do actually make quite interesting reading in ways that I, for one, had not previously taken much note of.  So from the December 2011 edition of the Crosslight Magazine ass produced by the Uniting Church in Victoria and Tasmania, this is the ‘Christmas Reflection’ on that subject.

Four Movements in the Christmas Pastoral Symphony.

Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral Symphony’, the sixth of his nine symphonies, was recently performed by the Australian Chamber Orchestra. It is a wonderful symphony. It was inspired by Beethoven’s deep love for nature, experienced on walks through the woods of Germany’s Heillingenstadt. Through the varied movements of the symphony, Beethoven captures nature’s beauty, diversity and activity, so as to evoke in its hearers, that same love for nature which he feels.

We may consider the four gospels of the New Testament as comprising a ‘pastoral symphony’, but pastoral, not in the sense of nature’s varied landscape, but in the sense of the news of God’s life-giving Word spoken into the varied contexts of the early church. In distinctive and different ‘movements’, the four gospel writers have been inspired by the ‘landscape’ of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Each in their own unique way has put pen to paper so that readers may also be inspired by a timely pastoral word.

This article considers the Christmas stories of each of the four gospels and how we in our time might be inspired by a pastoral word spoken into our human life and history from the diversity of their unique accounts.

St Mark

It may seem odd to refer to a gospel which, in the case of St Mark, contains no account at all of the Christmas story. However, the absence of such an account and the way in which this gospel writer ‘paints the landscape’ of Jesus is instructive for appreciating the birth stories which appear in the other gospels.

St Mark begins by telling us that he is writing a ‘gospel’, a declaration of ‘good news’. What we therefore find in this writing and, indeed, in the writings of the other three ‘gospels’, is not a biography, telling the life-story of Jesus from his birth to his death. Nor is a ‘gospel’ primarily a history book, recording memorable events of Jesus’ life so that these may be preserved in time. A ‘gospel’ is a declaration of good news, not about who this man Jesus was who lived a long time ago, but about who this man Jesus is as one who is risen from the dead.

The ‘gospel’ of St Mark – as also the ‘gospels’ of Saints Matthew, Luke and John – was written in the light of the Easter event and sets out why people of all generations might therefore consider his story as genuinely gospel for their own lives.

For these reasons, St Mark tells us nothing of the first thirty years of Jesus’ life. After setting Jesus’ life in the context of Old Testament prophecy and John the Baptist, he moves swiftly through the baptism and temptation accounts, to the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, announced with the words: ‘The time has come, the kingdom of God is near, repent and believe the good news’. In other words, what has happened in the life of Jesus of Nazareth is nothing less than the arrival of the long-awaited coming of the presence of God’s kingdom.

Thus, as St Mark writes his gospel, the events and stories he records set out the ways in which God’s rule brings new life to a world plagued by evil, suffering and death, with the climax coming in the Easter event. The centrality of the Easter event is indicated in the fact that, after omitting any reference to the first thirty years of Jesus’ life, Mark devotes his last eight chapters to record the events of Jesus’ final days.

The particular focus which Mark gives to his record of the Easter event is also important. For Mark, the ‘good news’ about Jesus is that in his life, death and resurrection, God engages with the reality of evil, suffering and death, in its most hellish forms. Thus, Mark records in detail the experience of Jesus’ own suffering and anguish, climaxing in the cry of dereliction from the cross ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ The resurrection of this forsaken Jesus becomes God’s protest against, and victory over, the forces of evil and death that plague and dehumanize the world. In other words, in Jesus of Nazareth, God embraces the worst of all human suffering and hell, and determines that the last word is life. He who was raised from the dead was he who descended into hell, says the Apostles’ Creed.

What then of St Mark’s ‘symphonic movement’ and the Christmas season?

St Mark would have us remember that we cannot come to the Christmas stories without seeing them through the spectacles of Easter. It is the good news which is grounded in the Easter event which gives shape to the Christmas stories in each of the gospels. It is artificial and unhelpful then to separate in time the Christmas and Easter stories. They are one and the same.

Therefore, we are invited to hear within the Christmas stories, the symphonic sounds of Easter, which for Mark, is the music which declares that, in Jesus Christ, God has come amongst us to engage with, and to overcome the worst of evil, suffering and hell in human life. That just may be a timely pastoral word for us.

St Matthew

Unlike St Mark, St Matthew gives detailed attention to the birth of Jesus. He opens with a genealogy, not primarily as biographical family tree but as ‘gospel’. Beginning with Abraham, the father of the chosen people Israel, this genealogy traces forty-two generations to Jesus. The birth of Jesus marks the beginning of the seventh lot of seven generations, where the number ‘seven’ symbolises perfection or completion. Already we see a glimpse of Matthew’s unique picture of Jesus. St Matthew declares: Jesus is the one in whom the call to Abraham, and the hopes and promises of that call, are finally fulfilled, not only for Israel, but for all nations. The ‘symphonic movement’ which is Matthew’s gospel gives expression to this bold declaration of good news, climaxing in the Easter event which establishes Jesus’ authority over heaven and earth and authorises a mission to all nations.

Dominant in the birth story told by Matthew is the way in which he parallels this with the story of the exodus of the people of Israel. So striking are these parallels that it is clear that Matthew wants to make it clear that Jesus is both a new ‘Moses’ as one who delivers people from all forms of oppressive slavery, and a new ‘Israel’ as one who is uniquely faithful to God’s calling.

Making use of frequent quotations from Old Testament prophecies, Jesus is presented as liberator from sin , where ‘sin’ refers to all things which imprison human life; he is ‘Immanuel’, God with us and for us, not least in very dark times, when it seems we are dominated by threatening powers. The hostile forces represented in Herod, the escape to Egypt under threat of murder, the killing of all male children under the age of two years and the subsequent departure from Egypt are all echoes of the Exodus story of the people of Israel.

Following this Exodus theme into Jesus’ ministry, Matthew records Jesus’ baptism as a parallel to Israel’s passing through the Red Sea, the temptations for forty days in the wilderness parallel Israel’s forty years in the wilderness, and the sermon on the mount parallels Moses’ ascension to Mt Sinai to receive the law. In all this, it is clear that Jesus’ birth and life constitute a fulfilment of what has gone before. Jesus marks a new beginning, not only for Israel, but for all nations. Therefore, the appearance of the wise men from the east is a key element of Matthew’s account. For these star-gazing magi, their life’s journey finds its own form of fulfilment in the birth of Jesus. No wonder they are ecstatic, ‘rejoicing exceedingly with great joy’. These magi represent the wisdom of all the Gentile nations whose wisdom leads them to the cradle of Jesus where they bow down in worship and offer up the riches of their own life and culture.

We cannot hear the symphonic sounds of Matthew’s gospel without hearing the trumpeting  sounds that, in Jesus of Nazareth, there is liberation from all forms of sin and oppression, accomplished for all peoples and all nations, and now to be received as a gift. That just may be a timely pastoral word for us, evoking unimaginable ecstasy.

St Luke

While St Matthew’s genealogy traces Jesus’ origins back to Abraham, St Luke goes further back – to Adam. This is not accidental, it is gospel. For Luke, Jesus is a new Adam; he will mark the beginning of a new humanity, reversing the failures represented in the Genesis account of the story of the first Adam. Jesus will show what it means to be truly human as one who obeys God right to the end, His final words even in death will be, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’.

Not only does Jesus represent what it means to be truly human, but he is the one who makes the gift of this same humanity available to others. The diverse forms of broken humanity, seen as the legacy of a disobedient first Adam, are visited and healed by Jesus in such a way that people are welcomed into a new and hitherto impossible realm of life.  And it comes purely by the graceful embrace of a loving God.

This is the thrust of the whole of Luke’s gospel. It is represented in the many provocative and controversial stories, unique to Luke, in which this new humanity is given to people who have no claims to it, nor any possibility within themselves of acquiring it. The stories of the Prodigal Son and the Good Samaritan come quickly to mind, each of them depicting immeasurable acts of compassion and grace. The conversation between Jesus and the criminal on the cross is a further striking example whereby the criminal, justifiably destined to death, is welcomed into paradise. Jesus’ words from the cross, praying for forgiveness for the murderous crowd, provide a final example before Jesus breathes his last.

 This same symphonic theme threads its way through Luke’s report of the birth of Jesus. The story as Luke tells it is a story of astonishing grace which makes the impossible possible.  The focus is on Mary, a woman of teenage years, not yet married, who is to become ‘the mother of God’. Her simple and faith-full obedience brings with it the vision of the powerful cast down from their thrones with the lowly being lifted up.

In Luke, there are no wise men from the East but shepherds from sheep-scattered fields. These ordinary rural folk are drawn into the dramatic joy of Christmas and find their lives transformed by the glory of God in the presence of the new-born Jesus. This same glory which is for Jew and Gentile alike brings a lasting peace to Simeon and a deep sense of fulfilment to the ageing prophetess Anna.

The symphonic sounds of this gospel present a spring-like landscape where new life finds its way into the crevices of a broken world and where we discover that God’s fulfilling gift of peace bursts gracefully into ordinary human life, making the impossible possible. In all the ordinary-ness of our own broken world, this word of hope may just be a timely word for us.

 St John

It is St John’s gospel which records the most unusual but most extravagant account of the birth of Jesus. It is rightly the final ‘movement’ of the pastoral symphony represented by the four gospels. In John, there is no mention of a birthplace, no Mary or Joseph, no angels, no shepherds and no wise men.

St John begins his account with his own version of a genealogy, beginning not with Abraham, nor with Adam, but going right back to the beginning of creation. ‘In the beginning’ quotes the very first words of the book of Genesis and reminds his readers of the story of creation in seven days.  In doing so, it opens the way for John’s claim that in Jesus of Nazareth, there is a new beginning for all creation.

Instrumental for this new beginning is the word of God. For the people of Israel, whenever God speaks, it is a creative event, it brings life. In Genesis 1, God brings creation into being with his speaking (‘God said, let there be …’), so Jesus as ‘logos’ will be God’s way of speaking creation into new life.

Equally, the term ‘logos’ addresses the gentiles. For them, ‘logos’ constitutes divine wisdom which provides the foundation, the order and the meaning of life. Access to this wisdom has been limited to a privileged few who are able to scale the ladder to wisdom through special knowledge and insight.

In a most profound and succinct statement of gospel, to both Jew and Gentile, it is this ‘logos’ which ‘becomes flesh’, (where ‘flesh’ is not simply the physical part of our human body but the fullness of our human lives in all their ambiguity and alienation). In making this claim, St John declares that Jesus is both the presence of God’s life-giving speech and the human embodiment of God’s wisdom, available to all. This ‘logos’ takes up residence in the kitchen of our human life. God’s truth gracefully resides with us all.

Thus, through the remainder of this gospel, Jesus is depicted in earthy life-giving forms: he is the bread of life for the hungry, the light of the world for the blind, the living water for the thirsty, the good shepherd for the aimless, the resurrection and the life for those lost in death.

Jesus’ own death becomes the climax of this new creation. It is through Jesus’ death that God’s victory over the powers of evil, sin and death is finally won, and all people are drawn into communion with God and with each other. This is bread, light, water, and resurrection life for all.

These are the particular symphonic sounds of St John’s gospel, resounding in the birth of Jesus, climaxing in the death of Jesus, and now filling the auditorium of the whole of creation.  In the context of a world of uncertainty and fear, that just may be a timely pastoral word for us.

And so we come to the end of the Christmas pastoral symphony – four very different but complementary gospel movements. Each in their unique way have inspired hearers, down through the generations, to attune their own individual and social lives with their rich harmonic sounds. There is an urgency that this happen also in our time, for the sake of the world.                                         [ Randall Prior and Gary Deverell],

 Meanwhile, the international news of interest dominating the media over the past 24 hours, was the report of the death of Leader of North Korea. As reported by Jean H Lee in statesman.com, Kim Jong Il, North Korea’s mercurial and enigmatic leader whose iron rule and nuclear ambitions dominated world security fears for more than a decade, has died. He was 69.  Kim’s death 17 years after he inherited power from his father was announced on Sunday by a tearful female reporter, on state television from the North Korean capital, Pyongyang. The country’s “Dear Leader” — reputed to have had a taste for cigars, cognac and gourmet cuisine — was believed to have had diabetes and heart disease.  North Korea has been grooming Kim’s third son to take over power from his father in the impoverished nation, which celebrates the ruling family with an intense cult of personality. South Korea put its military on “high alert,” and President Lee Myung-bak convened a national security council meeting after the news of Kim’s death.

In a “special broadcast” on Sunday,, state media said Kim died of a heart ailment on a train because of a “great mental and physical strain” Saturday during a “high intensity field inspection.”  Kim is believed to have suffered a stroke in 2008, but he had appeared relatively vigorous in photos and video from recent trips to China and Russia and in numerous trips around the country carefully documented by state media.   Kim Jong Il inherited power after his father, revered North Korean founder Kim Il Sung, died in 1994. He had been groomed for 20 years to lead the communist nation founded by his guerrilla fighter-turned-politician father and built according to the principle of “juche,” or self-reliance.  In September 2010, Kim Jong Il unveiled his third son, the twenty-something Kim Jong Un, as his successor, putting him in high. Certainly, as a consequence of this announcement, a new heightened world tension has arisen as the likely outcome of the new leadership is attempted to be assessed by world leaders.  The death of Kim Jong-il even caused markets to falter on fear the North Korea’s leadership may be in question, and that that in turn, could cause unrest in a nation which is believed to have nuclear weapons capability. The US dollar rose against most major peers after North Korean state television said national leader Kim Jong Il died, spurring concern instability may increase in the region and boosting demand for the U.S. currency as a haven.  The South Korean won tumbled to a two-month low as an official at the defense ministry said the nation boosted border and coastal defense after Kim’s death. The yen dropped against the dollar for the first time in three days amid concern a destabilization of the Korean peninsula will dim the outlook for Japan’s economy and security. We will watch all columns over the next few days to try an gauge the direction of the future North Korea >>>>>>>

This was the Editorial in today’s Australian Newspaper –

“NOT that the concept would mean anything to them, but the people-smugglers who pocketed $10,000 for every man, woman and child who drowned off the Javanese coast early yesterday are morally culpable for the deaths. Without a skerrick of concern for the safety of the passengers or crew, a fishing boat never intended as a passenger vessel was loaded with about 250 people, mainly from Afghanistan and the Middle East, bound for Australia. Like the overcrowded boat that splintered off Christmas Island a year ago, the vessel was a deathtrap. Those who survived by clinging to its debris until they were picked up by fishermen have told how panic among those on board made the vessel even more unstable as it lurched from side to side before breaking apart.

For a second year running, on the eve of the Christian season of goodwill, hope and peace, Australians will share the pain of the victims’ families as they grieve for their spouses, children, parents and friends. For the next few days, attention must focus on the rescue operation in the hope some of the 160 missing people might yet have survived. And the survivors must be cared for, especially the children.

Political recriminations would do little to help such a sad situation, but there can be no side-stepping the implications for the debate in Australia. Blunt as a front-end loader, former Labor leader Mark Latham yesterday blamed “so-called compassionate” politicians, who support onshore processing, for the deaths. At the other extreme, Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young’s hand-wringing contributed nothing constructive. It was Cardinal George Pell, a consistent advocate of a compassionate approach to asylum-seekers, who pinpointed what must be the next step when he urged the government and the opposition to agree promptly on offshore deterrents. This is the first time he has endorsed offshore processing, and it is a sign of how far the ground has shifted. The cardinal is right — for mainstream politicians to risk another tragedy by refusing to put political point-scoring aside and take a bipartisan approach in the national interest would be unconscionable.

The Australian also takes a compassionate view, which is why we support Immigration Minister Chris Bowen’s push to increase the nation’s official intake of refugees by 50 per cent from 13,750 to 20,000 a year. As a rich country, we can afford to be more generous. There is nothing humanitarian, however, in failing to do everything reasonable to stop the deadly trade that is now responsible for well over 500 known deaths at sea — including yesterday’s sinking, the wreck that claimed 50 lives off Christmas Island a year ago, the SIEV X tragedy when 353 lives were lost in 2001, and the five people killed when the SIEV-36 exploded and caught fire near Ashmore Reef in April 2009.

Nor is it acceptable that Australia’s borders are now so porous that more than 14,000 people have arrived by boat since Labor abandoned John Howard’s border protection regime.

Australia’s main political players were lying low yesterday, but unless there is an enormous shifting of ground they are unlikely to agree on a site for offshore processing, with the Coalition committed to using the Australian-built facilities on Nauru and Labor favouring the so-called Malaysian Solution that was scuttled by the High Court on August 31. What they must agree on, as soon as possible, is to pass legislation amending the Migration Act to allow the government of the day to enact offshore processing in the location or locations of their choice. Unfortunately, it is now probably too late to recall parliament before Christmas, as we suggested in recent weeks, but an agreement between Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott to pass the necessary amendments as soon as possible would send the necessary signals that Australia is not prepared to remain a soft touch as hardened criminals put more lives in jeopardy. Temporary Protection Visas and increased naval patrols would also help. Australians have been lectured at length against offshore processing by the Greens and social justice advocates, but yesterday’s events render that position indefensible. The people-smugglers are responsible for the deaths, but the onus is on Australia to do everything possible to stop the boats”.

So there we have it, the national newspaper wants our politicians to go back to offshore processing, as if that is going to stop the refugees from getting on unseaworthy boats – if they can’t come here, they will try and go somewhere else in desperation anyway. So what has Australia gained –  oh yes, we have removed the responsibility of having to worry about the  boat people, they are going somewhere else, someone else’s responsibility. We can get back to worrying about gay marriage rights,. And other ‘important’ insignificant issues!! Yes, I am angry, even with friends who seem so willing to accept the spin of politicians and certain media types that refugees are evil people, totally to blame for their own misfortunes!!

Meanwhile, I made a few points on Face Book this morning regarding this issue, following just a simple general reference of sympathy for the victims of the weekend refugee boating tragedy. I guess I took offence [perhaps an over reaction] at the comment of one friend, where she said   ‘Thought the comment on radio interesting also, when one guy said if the folk can spend all that money to the ‘people smugglers / angels’? it’s criminal they don’t also spend a little on life jackets – at least for their children’.

My reaction to that was along the following lines:-  “Interesting comment, yes, but typically prejudicial against the bulk of these desperate people who are generally forced to give everything they have to these people smugglers, there’s nothing left over, and for most, getting on those boats is their only hope of some kind of future – it’s easy to blame the refugees for their own misfortunes, we are not in their position. It’s about time a bit more blame was placed on their homelands that so often create the environments that lead these people to have to ‘escape’ in the first place, as most of them I think you would find, would much prefer to have the kind of ‘choice’ that we in Australia – to remain in our own homes, without fear of persecution, etc”  “And I wonder if that ‘commentator’ bothered to mention that the boat crew took all of the life jackets that were on the boat, with them, as they made their escape, leaving their ‘passengers’ behind!!”  My fellow correspondent conceded that,no he hadn’t!  Friend Ruth at this point, came in with the comment that “Or that the seas were so huge and rough that even with jackets you would not stand a chance- not being sailors, most of us probably cannot comprehend the power of the sea”.

I further noted that “Well. my views have constantly been made on this issue, and people are no doubt sick of them! However, I am disgusted with how gullible many Australians are to be so willing to readily accept the spin of politicians and certain media commentators constantly seeking any minor point to denigrate the refugees of this world. People making those views, and those so quickly prepared to accept them as ‘gospel’, will never be that situation themselves because they were born or live in Australia – so easy to be ready and quick to criticise others who live in the less secure parts of our world, from the safety of your own little loungeroom, protected from the realities portrayed on the TV screen!”  To which, Ruth remarked that “I guess you’ve gathered over the years that you and I vote for different political parties but that is of no consequence. You consider issues as a humane and compassionate person and seek to be well informed. You are, some would say, a true Christian but most of all you are a good man x”.

In an attempt I guess to wind up the ‘discussion’, I noted that “Thankyou Ruth, but sometimes, I would perhaps be wiser, simply to ignore what goes on in the world, let others think what they want, and keep my views to myself!! Find that difficult on this issue, though there is much written in these pages on other matters, that I manage to ‘bite my tongue’ and keep quiet, though what I’m reading angers and disgusts me at the time. Maybe a 2012 resolution for Bill – no more responding, just read, relax, enjoy my music and radio, and my supposed retirement. Let others do the debating, lol :-)”, which maybe wasn’t a bad idea  –  allow myself a much more relaxing lifestyle, not worry about the rest of the world. The reactions to that from my two co-correspondents on this occasion, quickly convinced me, that I ‘simply couldn’t do it!!!  Ruth said: “No, Bill- ” it’s better to burn out, rust never sleeps”  while Christine later added “”simply to ignore what goes on in the world,” NO Bill so many do that…it’s not you and I enjoy being informed by you! I hope Ruth doesn’t think me inhumane or without compassion. We’re a big country and are the hardest for refugees to successfully come to I think. It’s a huge question of HOW we should accommodate them & I was merely reporting what I’d heard this-morning knowing you’d make an intelligent comment! I also heard one say we should just cut out the need for the ‘smugglers’ / angels’ and send planes to Indonesia and Malaysia to bring the refugees here.

On a brighter note, Adam’s ‘harness racing’ horse ‘Dimensions’ raced again this afternoon, up at Maryborough in Central Victoria – competing in Race 3 [the VHRSC Snowball Series Semi-Final for 4 years old & upwards, over 2,190 metres. A field of 10, which Adam described as fairly strong, don’t expect too much from our horse, which finished a good 2^nd up at Charlton last Monday, in a heat of this particular event.  Dimensions stayed up within touch of the front group of favourites, and while not in the finish for a major placing, came in equal 4^th today. I imagine that the Trainer together with Adam & his co-owners, would have been reasonably happy with that outcome.

Meanwhile, the dreaded ‘ankle problems’ – much better this morning, and throughout the day, although I continued to nurse it to some minor degree – anything risky like going for a daily walk, was avoided, as too much pressure was creating elements of pain, and it was obvious that the usual 24 hour cure turnaround was not happening this time!! What  happened on Saturday was as severe has it has been for some 5 or 6 years!  In fact, from memory, it would have been Christmas Eve, around 2004, that I was given a quartazone injection in an attempt to remedy the then problem.  I think I have decided that it might be an idea to have a set of crutches permanently on site at home, in order to avoid the situation last Saturday night, where I was virtually immobile But enough of that!! 

Monday night, saw this writer [and radio presenter] out again for my weekly late night program of Blues, Folk, Country, World, Show and Jazz music amongst other things. One of those ‘other things’ tonight was to read a couple of selections from a 1981 booklet called ‘Outback Christmas’ which had been put together by writer and Pastor Norman Habel, and the now deceased Australian painter, Pro Hart.  As indicated on the inside front cover, this book attempted to portray the nativity of Jesus Christ in the bold images of the Australian outback. Most of our Christmas art and verse have been inherited from English and European sources, but the Christian message is universal, and other cultures commonly portray the characters and events surrounding Christ’s birth in line with local custom. That’s what this book was doing – from an Australian outback perspective. The authors in fact stated that ‘The ideas and images of this book reflect the search of many Australians to make Christianity in Australia an Australian Christianity…..Australians have sought to express their faith in language consistent with the Australian experience’.  The verse art in the book represented a serious attempt top portray a bush nativity as a reality for Australians.  So we see the influence of the Outback beyond Broken Hill [where Pro Hart was located through much of his life, in the far south west of New South Wales] being very evident in the landscapes depicted in the book by the artist, while the evocative ‘down-to-earth’ verse of Norman Habel complements the Australian background to the timeless story of Christmas. The following is the actual description of Jesus’ Birth, as written by Habel, and based on the New Testament reference in Luke 2:6.

After the long anxious ride

through the smothering heat

to Bethlehem;

after the long loud night

                                       of shouting stockmen in the pub,

                               of brave old drinkers hanging on,

                                      of shearers telling wild tales,

                                   of endless baudy bush songs;

after the last slow dingo howl,

the last call of a hopeful bird,

the last long vicious pain

that broke my body open,

the night was silent

 

In the silence of dawn

Jesus burst from my body,

gasping for life

and shedding his robe of blood,

Joseph grasped the warm child,

cut the pulsing cord

that still bound me to my son

and wiped the blood from his face.

We wrapped strips of torn cloth

around his soft shivering body

and laid him in a feed box

where the horses eat their hay.

 

In those few moments,

Jesus felt the first plunge

                                              of air into his timid chest,

the first splash of light

into his womb-blind eyes,

the first brush of rough male hands

against his quivering flesh,

the first odour into his lungs

                               of horses, straw, and last night’s beer,

the first open space

                                      of a wide threatening world

                                      outside his mother’s body.

 

The Silence was broken,

my son had been born

and God was a parent

………………………………………….at last.

As the ‘authors’ note in their Preface to the story ‘In the last analysis these paintings and poems also reflect the Australian background of their authors: Pro Hart as a lover of the Outback beyond Broken Hill, and Norman Habel from Western Victoria where bushfires could rage at Christmas time’. I don’t really know if anyone heard my reading tonight, as there was no acknowledgement of the fact, but it was a little part of the program that I wanted to include on this last Monday night before Christmas.

 

 

 

The weather has caused havoc in the southern Philippines this weekend, with hundreds of lives lost, and no doubt thousands of others affected and suffering from severe storms, mud slides and floods – ‘mother’ nature seems to care little for the human race in many parts of the world, as we have seen particularly over the past twelve months. I’ve had numerous ‘online’ friends from that part of the world over the years, hoping they have not been affected by this latest disaster. Meranwhile, the sinking of another overcrowded refugee boat, off Java, is another tragic consequence of the ‘lifestyles and political environment of countries like Iran and Afghanistan, which constantly forces their peoples to flee their homelands in search of security and peace elsewhere. Initial reports indicated that a heavily overloaded boat packed with about 250 Iranians and Afghans seeking new lives in Australia sank off Indonesia, with bad weather and high seas hampering rescue effort The vessel was following a well-worn, and occasionally disastrous, route from the southern coast of Java to the remote Australian territory of Christmas Island when it sank on Saturday, officials say.  The vessel was following a well-worn, and occasionally disastrous, route from the southern coast of Java to the remote Australian territory of Christmas Island when it sank on Saturday, officials said. I think the numbers of the boat are possibly much higher than that initial figure. I won’t comment any further, but in tomorrow’s contribution, intend to include the Editorial from Monday’s Australian newspaper on this matter.

Well, for a while overnight, I was unsure whether I would be in a fit state to get up to the radio station this  morning\ for my Sunday program, but a bit of sleep overnight, despite the discomfort of a painful ankle, and a slight improvement in it’s condition this morning – at least I could take a few painful and slow steps on it – encouraged me to be out and on my way, and able to start a little earlier, at 6.15am. Mind you, that was all I would do of a physical walking nature all day, as certainly, by the time I left the radio at 9am,, the foot had deteriorated a little again, so decided the only way to solve the problem was by resting it for the rest of the day!! Nevertheless, I was glad I’d been able to get out this morning – today’s program was planned as my pre-Christmas show of classical ‘Christmas orientated’ music, and one that I really needed to go ahead with. It included the second part of Beethoven’s 9^th Symphony, which I’d begun last Sunday.

One thing I did complete was a book of ‘light’ readings, called ‘The Turning’.  The Turning is a collection of short stories by acclaimed Australian author Tim Winton. It was published in April 2005 by Picador.  Many of the 17 short stories included interweave in their respective narratives, creating an intriguing and twisting central plot-line that generally centers around protagonist Vic Lang. Several recurring themes characterise the book, including sentimentality, regret, companionship and drugs. The collection was adapted into a play, The Turning, for the 2008 Perth International Arts Festival.    I liked a review comment by the Sydney Morning Herald when the book was published, in 2004  –  “Each of these 17 stories is a self-contained whole – as all good short stories should be – yet the sequence reveals striking connections among seemingly disparate lives and experiences. The result is at times mysterious, moving and occasionally deeply unsettling”. As that review put it, ‘Most of the stories are set in a place Winton calls Angelus, a small, wind-swept coastal community, formerly a whaling station, in the south-west of Western Australia. Some of his characters have never left the town; others make their way back there to try to make sense of their lives or to let wounds heal.   Almost every one of them, those that stayed behind as much as those that left, find disappointment only, or confirmation that they will never escape, no matter how far their lives seem to have taken them from Angelus. For that reason, most of these stories deal with the painful experiences of childhood and adolescence’.  I have to agree with the comment that Winton’s book depicts what is .  ‘not a pretty world. Winton’s characters are unremarkable men, women and children. Their lives are nasty, brutish and, for more than one of them, short. In the hands of a less accomplished writer, such concentration on disappointment and frustration could have led to tedium and also to a sense of condescension or sentimentality’.  In fact, I found many of the stories quite depressing, and were it not for the later inter-connecting of one story to another, would have finished the book totally dissatisfied with the manner in which I considered most of the stories ended – without solution, incomplete, unanswered questions  – and yet, perhaps this is a true indication of life for many people, who live out their lives with unresolved issues, and regrets!!! Certainly, that is what comes across in this book.  Perhaps it’s me, but I can’t find the ‘beauty’ referred by the UK Literary Review comment that ‘A raw and urgent book, brimming with danger…But there is nevertheless plenty of beauty in these haunting, finely written tales’!! Perhaps the Observer explains it better  –  “Captivating….The beauty of Winton’s work lies not in the hope to which some characters awaken [just some mind you], but in his skill at making grief palpable to readers who may be unscathed by the agonies that his characters suffer…His stories artfully clarify life’s abrupt turns…….”

Anyway, that was a part of my ‘relaxation’ today, resting that dammed ankle! – watched as bit of TV –  including a televised version of Puccini’s opera ‘La Boheme’  – perhaps I’m a little prejudice, but I find the story lines of many of these traditional operas to be somewhat ‘far fetched, almost childlike in the way they are presented – no questions about the brilliance of the singing and the music, but the story itself, is what turns me off a little – Don Giovanni, the other night, had a similar affect. Anyway, glad I watched that this afternoon  –  will continue to enjoy the music from La Boheme, but won’t bother to spend any money going to see a live performance!!   Briefly, the story deals with a group of Bohemians, a carefree band of friends fighting for survival in the Latin quarter, and gaudy twilight of 1920s Berlin. When cabaret star Musetta sings, she is the most beautiful woman in the world. When the idealistic writer, Rodolfo meets the innocent seamstress, Mimi, the passion blazes in their hearts. But for all involved, love alone won’t pay the rent. I think this afternoon, I gained the most emotional affect was watching the audience, and the performers, doing the lengthy curtain calls, at the end of the opera. Obviously, it took place in Europe, where opera is more of a ‘national passion’ than a place like Australia, and the ‘adoration’ displayed by the audience was truely remarkable  –  I did not recognise the names of any of the performers, but they were almost being treated likes Gods up there on the stage!!  In fact, the lead female role [who, as with most traditional operas, dies at the end] almost appeared as though she was still totally engrossed in the role she had just finished, almost appeared to be emotionally affected by ‘her own tragic’ circumstances just performed on stage!! One or two others gave a similar impression, indicative no doubt of the quality and passion of their performances.    Later tonight, I also watched a final episode of ‘Upstairs, Downstairs’ I’d never watched that program previously, but was now beginning to wish I’d shown an interest in it, in earlier years. Quite enjoyed tonight’s episode, set during the time that the King of England abdicated his throne for ‘Mrs Simpson’!  Interesting1

Susan went out early this afternoon, did not return until late this evening. I’d been hoping she would return earlier, ass intended to get her to bring home some dinner for us both, as there was not really a great deal of choice in the fridge, as I’d stayed away from the shops today!!  Alas, soon realised she’d eaten elsewhere, so I made do with a meal of vegetables [which I prefer these days anyway, just hadn’t felt in the food for preparing anything]…………………………

.

 

After a morning shopping, and wandering around the Sunbury streets [and stopping for an iced coffee at one stage], it was good to get back home and relax briefly before heading off again. Probably our warmest day since last summer, and as I would discover later, not the most opportune of times to spend too much time sitting in the car!!

Drove over to the Goonawarra Recreation Reserve, where Adam’s team was playing a one day game – they were fielding, so I watched for an hour or so, before deciding to call over at Shirley’s place [the family home], wish her a Happy 60^th Birthday’  – she was busy decorating a rather large  ‘Australian’ style Christmas tree, think it was of the gum tree variety, was a bit hard to tell what was underneath all of those decorations!! Shirley always does these things in a big way!!  Called over to the flat to see Mrs S, who promptly refused to take any money from me for this year’s Christmas dinner  – will have to find another means of making my contribution. Discovered the lawn mower [mine] had been damaged partially whilst been used over here yesterday  – thank heavens I mowed my lawns on Thursday before I loaned it!!!  Meanwhile, Jodie was apparently home  – but incognito – suffering from a hangover apparently from her work Christmas party last night!!  As I think she would comment on Face Book later ‘I didn’t learn from last year’!!  No Jodie, you didn’t!!  A bit of discussion with Shirley & her mother about tonight’s dinner at the Bowling Club – I was looking forward to meeting up with her brother, Barry, and his family again, as I’d not seen very much of them for over 10 years now. Meanwhile the only person not coming tonight would be Adam – it was his cricket club’s annual Christmas party. Actually, there was another ‘party’ I’d been invited to for tonight also – the one I seem to miss every year for one reason or another – the Wesley [WYA] annual Christmas barbeque reunion, to be held at Brian James & Joan’s place this year [think Don is away travelling], but I’ve had to decline again.

Back to Adam’s cricket match – Sunbury vs East Sunbury – after an hour or so of his team continuing to field [ a good catch in the outer to Adam] I was beginning to wish I delayed my return a little longer – had left my hat behind, it was hot in the sun, out of the car, while inside, the glare through the windscreen, upon my face, was probably not doing me much good either. Eventually however, the opposition finished their innings at 9 for 127, being the score Adam’s team had to reach. From this point onwards, despite the heat, the game had a bit more interest for me – Adam opened the batting for Sunbury.  He was out there for quite a while, while his fellow batsmen lost their wickets one by one around him. It was a real battle for Adam, had to fight a very long and patient innings to keep his wicket, and the runs were coming slowly. But he remained there, and with 4 wickets down, was joined by a partner who really started to move the score along.  It was around this time, that I suddenly realised I had a ‘problem’. I was out of the car at one stage, when one of Adam’s friends [not playing because of an injury] stopped briefly as he was driving away from the match [to check on progress of the senior team] to have a chat – I walked across to him, and felt a bit of pain in my left ankle [which occasionally gives me a few problems]. As I returned to the car, that ankle went on my completely – don’t know what the reason [in the past, I’d woken in the night with the symptoms of a sprained ankle, and that was today’s sensation] –  whether it was the combined affects of the heat, the confined space in the car’s driving compartment, or another sudden attack of arthritis, and the long-term consequences of breaking that particular ankle in a ‘friendly’ mixed netball game, about  18 years ago  – whatever, your correspondent was suddenly in some extreme pain, and found I could not stand on that foot, let alone walk anywhere!!   Well, with Adam batting, I didn’t want to leave, but I knew I needed to get some pain killers & anti-inflammatory tablets into my system fairly quickly – the latter, I’d found were quite effective in this situation, though it usually meant about 24 hours of discomfort before they worked completely.

Meanwhile, Adam’s score also ‘painfully moved along – he was facing some hostile and effective bowling, yet was still out there, and when they stopped for a brief drink break around 5pm, his score on my count was 24 runs  – made up as follows  –   11121212312232[24]  – he would in fact score one more run after I finally decided that I could not remain any longer  – he was in fact the 5^th wicket to fall when the score was 90 Adam out for 25 runs, and the team eventually went on to win the game, finishing on 6 for 134 runs. At this point I realised a major disadvantage of having purchased a manual motor vehicle.  –  my left foot was needed to operate the clutch. Needless to say, that was a rather painful drive back across Sunbury to home!!  At which point, I practically fell into the house, fielding a left ankle that literally felt as though it had just being broken [it wasn’t, but certainly felt that way]. The condition of my arrival was a bit of a shock to Susie who had been away overnight, returned this afternoon sometime!

You know, I can’t be bothered going on with this story any longer – suffice to say, the continuing pain from my ‘sprained ankle’[which seemed to have arisen from doing nothing!!] completely drained all energy out of me – as in past such occurrences –  and despite attempts to shower, get changed and dressed ready to go out, I simply couldn’t do it. If there had been a set of crutches in the house, an attempt might have been possible, but I soon realised that any attempt to go out to Shirley’s dinner tonight was going to fail, and the pain I was feeling, would probably dampen everyone else’s enjoyment of the night. I was disappointed because I did want to be a part of the evening, and catch up with the members of Shirley’s family I’d not seen for many years. So, sent my apologies with Susan, and via Jodie later. As it turned out, they all had a good night, and I probably wasn’t even missed!! As for yours truly, I didn’t do too much moving around this evening, and if I had to, I probably resembled an injured lizard, trying to drag itself around the house!!! Pathetic sight!!

So perhaps I’d like to forget some aspects of the 17^th December 2011 –   though I recall, that today was also nephew Bruce’s [up in Brisbane] 42^nd birthday today – his birth date came on a little quicker than anticipated, just 2 days after Dad’s car accident [back in 1969], and  7 days before Dad eventually succumbed to the injuries from that accident. This time of year always has certain memories that are not so pleasant.

 

 

Unlike yesterday, I awoke quite early this morning, and, rather than spend another two hours ‘trying’ to get back to sleep, decided to get up and do something useful. Susie was off to work quite early as well, by 7.30. It always was the best time of day, early of a morning, and when I was working, I often took advantage of an early start at the office, or wherever, before the phones and queries, etc, started to come on line. We were in for a rather warmish day, so I also took advantage of the early start to the day, by going for a warm before the heat set in. The walking tracks were fairly quiet at that time of day, basically had things to myself, apart from the bird life of course. Actually, if I’m honest, the walk was a bit of a ‘struggle’ today, and I was rather glad to get back home! A brief period in the front garden  – made a start on trimming some of shrubs along the driveway. I’d prefer to leave them as they were, however Susie feels the branches are scratching her car!!! So a bit of a token effort today, I guess!!

·         At some stage during the day, I heard the disturbing news that TV and show personality, Ian ‘Molly’ Meldrum had been seriously injured. The reports coming through were that he was  expected to remain in an induced coma until early next week, as doctors wait for the bruising in his brain to stabilise before they can operate on his other injuries. The music industry legend is fighting for his life in intensive care at The Alfred hospital after falling 3m while hanging Christmas decorations at his Melbourne home last night.  This afternoon his brother Brian told reporters that doctors needed to stabilise his head injuries before they could tend to his broken shoulder, fractured clavicle, fractured ribs, pierced lung and fractured vertebrae. “They have him sedated … and he will remain that way until early next week,” he said.  “At the moment we’re taking little steps forward but there’s nothing to say things couldn’t go backwards … in that respect, he is not out of danger, as far as his life goes.”  Molly’s brother said he was “devastated” by the accident but “there’s no point falling in a heap”.  “Ian (Molly) wouldn’t and certainly won’t,” he said.  Brian said his brother would be “totally and utterly blown away” by the flood of support from around the world since news of his accident first broke. I must admit, that while at times, Meldrum was a bit ‘over the top’ in his performances at times, he was nevertheless, an extremely popular character around the show business world here in Australia, and the thought of his not surviving, or at the least, suffering some kind of permanent brain damage, was obviously quite disturbing to a lot of people.  Typical of a lot of comments is this one –  ‘We are saddened to hear that Molly Meldrum is fighting for his life after an accident at his home earlier tonight. This man has offered his heart and soul to Australian music and is an absolute legend of a bloke. Get well mate’.

 

I spent another 40 minutes up at the radio station, around midday, and also tried a couple of periods of shopping around Sunbury this afternoon, and this evening – both totally unsuccessful, for what I was seeking, in terms of gifts for Christmas, and Shirley’s birthday on Saturday. The latter was the immediate priority, looks like another trip in the morning. The only real purchase I managed to achieve today, was some ink for my printer!!!  I don’t like shopping!!

Meanwhile, north of Australia, our nearest neighbour were having problems, which one hoped would not deteriorate any further than they already had.  As reported through the day, and over the past 24 hours, Papua New Guinea’s government is in crisis, with two men claiming to be the legitimate prime minister in a row that has embroiled the country’s supreme court and governor general.  Veteran leader Sir Michael Somare was reinstated as prime minister by the country’s highest court on Monday after he had been removed and replaced by rival Peter O’Neill while out of the country having medical treatment. O’Neill has refused to give up power despite the court order and the recognition of Somare’s cabinet by the governor general, Sir Michael Ogio. O’Neill’s MPs have continued to pass legislation recognising him as leader.

The battle escalated when MPs backing O’Neill stormed the governor general’s gates a day after the supreme court ruling that Somare’s removal and O’Neill’s election by parliament in August was unconstitutional. “We are unarmed and we’re the legitimate government,” the Australian Broadcasting Corporation quoted the MPs as telling police.  Somare said on Wednesday that his cabinet had been sworn in by Ogio, who represents PNG’s head of state, Queen Elizabeth II. Somare insisted he did not need to be sworn in himself because the supreme court had already reinstated him as prime minister. “It is regretful that all of government was put on hold but this situation has been diffused by the swearing-in today of my cabinet,” Somare said. The crisis continued on Wednesday, with MPs loyal to O’Neill passing a motion ordering Ogio to swear in O’Neill as prime minister. O’Neill could not be reached for comment but on Tuesday he said he had met with Ogio briefly after the march to the official residence in the capital, Port Moresby.  The supreme court’s 3-2 decision on Monday that ruled O’Neill’s election unconstitutional came after O’Neill’s government passed a series of retroactive laws legalising its decision to dump Somare from office while he was in Singapore recovering from a heart condition.  One of Somare’s first acts when the supreme court ordered his return to power was to reinstate the former police commissioner Fred Yakasa and oust O’Neill’s appointee, Tom Kulunga. Both police chiefs were present at the governor general’s home and held discussions with MPs loyal to O’Neill.  Somare has based himself at the Ela Beach Hotel, where he has set up a cabinet made up mostly of ministers from his previous government.  Somare had been in Singapore for five months between late March and 6 September, when he returned to parliament after three heart operations.  It almost seems like a ‘schoolyard squabble’, and yet wars and revolutions come out of such disputes! When asked by an interviewer on the ABC, this evening,  whether what had happened had damaged the reputation of New Guinea worldwide, Mr O’Neill brushed off the suggestion, indicating that in his ‘naive’ view, no damage had been done. Who is he trying to convince with a statement like that?  Thankfully, at the moment anyway, the Papua New Guinea military forces are insisting that they will stay out of the crisis as a neutral force  – certainly not the way things generally go, in many countries around the world, where such internal situations of this nature, or worse, develop.

Then the news came through tonight of the death of   British-born author, literary critic and journalist Christopher Hitchens, who has died, aged 62. He died from pneumonia, a complication of the oesophageal cancer he was suffering from, at a Texas hospital.  As part of one of many obituaries suddenly appearing about him, for most of his career, Christopher Hitchens was the left’s biggest journalistic star, writing and broadcasting with wit, style and originality in a period when such qualities were in short supply among those of similar political persuasion. Nobody else spoke with such confidence and passion for what Americans called “liberalism” and Hitchens (regarding “liberal” as too “evasive”) called “socialism”.  His targets were the abusers of power, particularly Henry Kissinger (whom he tried to bring to trial for his role in bombing Cambodia and overthrowing the Allende regime in Chile) and Bill Clinton. He was unrelenting in his support for the Palestinian cause and his excoriation of America’s projections of power in Asia and Latin America. He was a polemicist rather than an analyst or political thinker – his headmaster at the Leys School in Cambridge presciently forecast a future as a pamphleteer – and, like all the best polemicists, brought to his work outstanding skills of reporting and observation.  To these, he added wide reading, not always worn lightly, an extraordinary memory – he seemed, his friend Ian McEwan observed, to enjoy “instant neurological recall” of anything he had ever read or heard – and a vigorous, if sometimes pompous writing style, heavily laden with adjectives, elegantly looping sub-clauses and archaic phrases such as “allow me to inform you”.  The ABC showed part of an interview with Tony Jones [ABC presenter] conducted last November, he spoke of the disappointment of realising he would not live to enjoy the ‘fruits’ of his success. In an earlier interview on the BBC, he reflected on a life that he knew would be cut short: “It does concentrate the mind, of course, to realise that your life is more rationed than you thought it was.”  It is only in the past 12 months or so, that I had been reading some of his articles, and admittedly at times, I found his ‘somewhat socialist’ views, and his very anti- Christian stance not to my liking, and certainly not all agreed with his views. As one comment I saw tonight noted – ‘One man who delivers a terrible insult is banned from television for life, and another man, who does the same thing, has people lining up with invitations and microphones. In case anyone is wondering, Christopher was that second man’..

Not much in the way of good news tonight, is there!!! Came home this evening from my shopping ‘spree’ [bought 3 sheets of wrapping paper!!!], to find Susie gone out somewhere for dinner, presumably, but with ‘someone else’ as her car was still here.  Apart from a phone call to ask me if I’d bought ‘her’ Christmas present yet, 3 hours later, no sign of her  – then the text message –  I won’t be home tonight, Dad!!!  Ohh well, deserted again!!

Now this would be a nice idea, though none of my family would think of it  –  ‘;For friends or loved ones who would love to hear the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra [MSO] live in concert, an MSO gift card is the ideal festive treat. From Ravel’s Bolero to Handel’s Messiah, a gift card allows you to give the gift of any MSO concert in 2012 subject to availability’.  I would have actually liked to have gone to see the MSO tonight – at my favourite concert venue, the Melbourne Recital Centre.  Their performance –  ‘The Messiah’ –  but I decided a couple of days ago that didn’t feel like making another trip into the city this week, nor spending the money, was actually hoping that ABC FM would be broadcasting the performance  – they are, tomorrow night, when I will be out at Shirley’s birthday celebrations!!  I actually get daily emails in my inbox from the various concert venues promoting one concert after another.  Do they think one has nothing else to do, spend one’s time, or money on? The number and variety of ‘specials’ etc  [like any industry] does indicate at times that they are desperate to fill seats.  I must admit, that at the opera last Tuesday night, I was a little disappointed at the number of empty seats up in the balcony area where I was sitting – don’t know what it was like downstairs, but was certainly nowhere near a ‘full house’!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Woke at 9.46 am!!  What is going on?  Now while I did wake briefly at around 4am, returning to sleep and not waking again until 9.46 am is unheard of in my vocabulary, just doesn’t happen.  Means I managed a rare 8-9 hours of sleep, with just one interruption!  I guess that means I needed it!!

No rest today however. A mid morning phone call from Shirley  – can I borrow the lawn mower today?   Fine, but could we leave it until this afternoon, as I wanted to run over my own lawns, but couldn’t do that until Susan arose, presumably around lunch time!  As it turned out, she went to work earlier than I’d expected, so I had the lawns all completed [their last cut before Christmas] by midday, and followed that up with a lunchtime walk  – all of which fitted in with a request from James about an earlier pickup of the mower  – I was rather glad that he had come for it, and in fact, for a change, did some of the mowing for Shirley – my eldest son not generally ‘available’ to do much of that nature around the ‘family’ home!

Now being a regular reader of the ABC’s Classic FM’s monthly magazine ‘Limelight’, I was interested to receive online advice of the winners of the 2011 Limelight Awards which had been just announced –   more than 4,000 readers and classical music lovers, including myself, voted to let the Magazine  know which recitals, operas, recordings and music personalities impressed us the most this year. The winners selected in each category are listed below, and while not many of my choices were the first selection of the majority, there was some great music talent there in any case.

·         Music Personality of the year  Vladimir Ashkenazy, conductor

·         Best orchestral concert   Australian World Orchestra/Simone Young  – Wagner: Tannhäuser Prelude and Venusberg Music;   Sculthorpe: Earth Cry;  Tchaikovsky: Symphony No 6

·         Best chamber music concert   SynergyXenakis Pleiades (City Recital Hall)   Also nominated:  –  The Australian String Quartet/Li-Wei Qin   Shaker Dances (national tour) –  my choice!!

·         Best solo performance   Fiona Campbell (mezzo-soprano), Haunting Handel, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra

·         Best opera production   Der Rosenkavalier (Opera Australia)

• Best Performance in an opera (new category)    Teddy Tahu Rhodes (baritone), Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro
• Best world music recording  Grigoryan, Slava & Leonard; Tawadros, Joseph & James  Band of Brothers (ABC Classics)      Also nominated: –  Gurrumul: Rrakala (Skinnyfish Music)…[my choice]
  Best Jazz Recording  The Idea of North: Extraordinary Tale (ABC Classics)  [GOOD SELECTION]   Also nominated –  Sarah McKenzie: Don’t Tempt Me (ABC Classics)  [my choice]
  Best new composition  Nigel Westlake.  Missa Solis: Requiem for Eli

·         Best classical recording   Mozart Violin Concertos Vol 2 – Australian Chamber Orchestra/Richard Tognetti (BIS)

·         Best event/festival    Musica Viva Festival, 2011

·          Best Newcomer   Zane Banks, guitarist    Also nominated:  – Sarah McKenzie, pianist/singer [my choice]

 

One of the other organisations I take an interest in, is the Indigenous Hospitality House [IHH], located down in North Carlton. I’ve referred to this previously  – a refresher reminds us that the IHH   offers a peaceful homely atmosphere for Indigenous people supporting a family member in Melbourne’s hospitals. IHH is a project that is overseen by the Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress, and supported by the Church of All Nations as well as Christians of various denominations, other groups, individuals

and volunteers. Since its birth in 2001, the IHH has received over 1270 guests from across Australia via Aboriginal Liaison Officers in a range of hospitals and communities, and it provides accommodation to those guests while they have relatives been treated in Melbourne hospitals.  The most recent newsletter from the IHH included one or two items of interest I’d like to share. A little bit of ‘food for thought’ along the way.

 

1. Here at the IHH we are looking forward to the end of the year and a bit of rest.  It’s been our busiest year ever. 147 guests (with 2 weeks to go, so we’ll break 150), with many longer term guests, which means more guests nights and more guests overall than every before.  In a busy year like this we really appreciate all the support that we receive through churches, individuals, organisations and community groups.  Thank you for your donations of goods, money, and food

 

1. 2.        KATJIRRA (BUSH TOMATO)   KATJIRRAS ARE A FAVOURITE FOOD OF THE CENTRAL AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL PEOPLE. THIS FRUIT GROWS

                ONCE A YEAR IN THE DESERT ON A SMALL PLANT, BUT IT GIVES OUT A LOT OF FRUIT. PEOPLE CAN BUY THE DRIED FRUIT IN SHOPS, AND IT IS ALSO

                BEING USED IN CUISINE, CHUTNEYS, THE CHUTNEYS ARE BEING USED IN A LOT OF RESTAURANTS AROUND IN THE CENTRE. THE ABORIGINAL    

                WOMEN WOULD COLLECT THESE WHILE THE MEN WOULD GO OUR HUNTING FOR BIGGER GAME. THE FRUIT AND BRIGHT YELLOW AND VERY

                SWEET, BUT TO EAT TOO MANY CAN GIVE YOU A BAD TUMMY ACHE. THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE FOODS OF THE DESERT, AND CAN BE FOUND

                NEAR MY HOME INTJARTNAMA, WEST OF ALICE SPRINGS. THE CIRCLE ALWAYS REPRESENTS THE COMMUNITY OR THE PLANT IN ALL PAINTINGS.

               SAMANTHA COOK, ARANDA TRIBE

1. 3.        My Brother

My brother has many faces.

Some white, some black, some yellow and olive.

Yet he is my brother.

My brother has many diseases.

Some starvation, and poverty, some heroin, and greed.

Yet he is still my brother.

My brother has many problems.

Some alcohol, and ego, some depression, and oppression,

Yet he is still my brother.

My brother sometimes does things I disapprove of.

But when I meet my brother,

I will shake his hand,

I will embrace his spirit,

And I will call him my brother.

Tiddas, from the album ‘Inside my kitchen’

 

1. 4.        What’s difficult, awkward, embarrassing about your family? Are there any stories from your family that you’d prefer were kept quiet?

            As Christmas can be a time of great family awkwardness, during Advent a few of us have been doing some Bible studies looking

            at some of the awkward stories from Jesus’ family. Matthew’s gospel begins with a genealogy of Jesus. Most genealogies of the    

            time (for example, the genealogy in Luke’s gospel) would not have mentioned female ancestors, but this genealogy  mentions

            four women besides Jesus’ mother. Interestingly, the women mentioned in the genealogy – Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba

            – are all considered to be non-Israelite and are all  implicated in scandalous stories in the Hebrew Bible. I wonder what kind of

            impact these stories might have had for Jesus as he was growing up? I wonder if they might have come to mind as he and his

            community reflected on their encounters with ‘sinners’ and people from other nations? I wonder what we might see if we reflect

            shameful stories from the history of this country?