A quiet day in the office, with the ‘boss’ taking a couple of days off to escape her current pressures and turmoils in this environment, a chance for me to reflect on the next few months, and to clean up a few more tasks on my desk!

I noticed that the ‘National Seniors’ organisation recently had an article in which they commented on figures released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) which confirm what many older unemployed Australians already know – that it’s harder for them to find work [I soon discovered that back in 2006 for a few months before I obtained this current position]. The ABS said in the September edition of its publication Australian Social Trends that in the last financial year, one third of unemployed people aged between 55 and 64 years old had been jobless for at least one year, compared with 13% of 15 to 24 year olds. The proportion of unemployed people who had been jobless for at least a year had been lower before the impact of the global financial crisis. “Recent and ongoing changes in Australia, such as growth in women’s workforce participation and the ageing of the population, have placed increasing demands on community services such as child-care and residential care,” the ABS said. The figures showed that over the last decade, the proportion of workers in the residential care industry aged 55 years and over more than doubled from 11% in 2000-01 to 27% in 2010-11.  Well, I suppose those trends are not something I need concern myself about too much from here-on, though the search for some part time work to suit my requirements, and travel preferences [no travel at all] will probably create some problems for me. Time will tell.

Last night, whilst at the Melbourne Recital Centre, and earlier in the Arts Centre, I took collection of the 2012 programs of concerts for various musical groups and orchestras, and am already building up quite a list of potential outings. In reality, for both practical and financial reasons most of the performances that given the option I would like to go to, will not happen. However, the various program schedules provide me with a regular and ongoing ‘concert diary’ for my radio programs, particularly the Sunday morning ‘classical music’ show, in which  I weekly include a ‘concert diary’ of what is happening, both locally, and within the city art centres and concert halls. For someone of my interests, the ideal place for me to live over the next few years would be an apartment within the city CBD itself, but apart from that aspect of location convenience, that is not something I would ever consider, especially after living for the past 28 years out here in Sunbury away from the frenetic non-stop lifestyle of the inner city environment. If I was 40 years younger, and starting over again, perhaps yes I would do that.  In 2011, one has no desire to go to that lifestyle!!  

Susan returned home from her brief visit to Bendigo late this evening, presume she had some ‘course’ related issues to tidy up, although I gather she has basically finished her studies for the year [earlier than originally intended, but still another month’s rent due on the accommodation up there!!].  I will be pleased to see both her and James get into full time employment in the near future, it’s becoming rather expensive meeting the cost of major repairs of cars that are not mine!! Speaking of which, I am going to need to purchase a vehicle for myself ‘very’ soon –  have been ‘spoilt’ with basically the fulltime use of a work car for the past five years during which time, my son Adam has more or less adapted a ‘defacto’ ownership of what once was my car!  I guess I need to learn to say no, more often!!  Earlier in the evening, I had a brief visit from youngest daughter, Jodie, wanting to ‘borrow’ Susie’s computer for a short period.  Apparently her new job, with ‘Life Saving Victoria’ was going pretty well, in it’s days, though I’m not enthusiastic about her daily drive to the western suburbs area through the traffic that enshrines that area!  Yet I do forget  – we all did it, and if we are sensible enough, survive and cope. Jodie comes over as very capable in that respect.

 

A couple of Rugby World Cup results:

 

From yesterday:  –   Wales defeated Namibia 81-7 and Argentina defeated Scotland 13-12

Today’s results: –     Canada and Japan 23-23 [the first drawn result I think]

                                 Italy defeated the USA  27-10

 

It was certainly a full day, and a long one for this writer. At the office it was Committee meeting day, and as has been the norm for the best part of 5 years, there was also some potential drama and/or turmoil to be solved or argued over.  The ‘boss’ was taking all of the recent criticism and attacks on the organisation, and herself, quite stressfully, came in unwell from a weekend of feeling the same, and stayed that way for the day’s duration. Sometimes I feel it would be better for all concerned to leave some of these problems to the side, rather than reacting and gnawing away like a dog with a bone. I’m so glad to be leaving, because while it seems as though the new committee will be a good one, there are numerous external factors and people who are obviously going to continue on their paths of disruption and trouble making.

This was actually the last Committee meeting at which most of those present would not be here again before I finished up. I was hoping to get through the day without any form of joint recognition of that fact – I didn’t have to be at the meeting, and apart from various administrative matters dealing with members throughout the day [mainly handing over expense claims] I was able to keep out of the way generally. But couldn’t escape completely, and mid afternoon, Jackie came looking for me – they want me at the meeting!! I fell for it, thinking there was a query about the finances, but quickly realised it was something else. A farewell and thankyou speech from new Chairman, Russell Castley [from Creswick], and the presentation  of a very nice looking Citizen Eco-Drive Gold Watch – rather appropriate, because I had not had a watch for about 10 years, apart from a promo sample that James gave me a couple of weeks ago.  Anyway, thankfully, the ‘speeches’ and thankyou’s etc took place there and then, rather that each individual chasing me up before they left today [much later than usual] with a lot of ‘mushy’ goodbyes!!! I’m intending to have a quiet small meal with the staff and a couple of tenants I’ve been dealing with since I arrived here [a breakfast actually] on the 18 October, and slip away quietly at the end of that day.

Now tonight, was the final concert for 2011, by the Australian String Quartet, whose concerts I have been a subscriber to for the past 5 or 6 years. Tonight’s concert was called ‘Sunset’ after the Ottorino Respighi cantata performed by guest soprano Sara Macliver in the first half of this program. Sara is best known for her classical and baroque repertoire and her bright upper register, and is considered one of Australia’s most popular and versatile artists. I’ve played her a couple of times on a Sunday morning.  It was a prescient choice because, unbeknown at the time of programming, this tour marks something of a sunset for the quartet, as violinist Sophie Rowell and violist Sally Boud are giving their final performances with the group. After playing together for many years, the last five as the ASQ, the players are finishing their final season together on a high point. A new line-up. Kristian Winther replaces first violinist Sophie Rowell and Stephen King replaces violist Sally Boud.  I had actually already decided not to subscribe again next year, prior to the change of quartet membership – I wanted to spread my interest [and money] around to a few other performances and/or orchestras, etc. If I  do go back to an ASQ concert, it will probably be on those occasions when they have a quest such as tonight – I always enjoy having something extra added to the two violins, viola and cello .It would be the last time I would see in person anyway] Sophie Rowell [violin], Anne Horton [violin], Sally Boud [viola] and Rachel Johnston [cello] perform together on stage.

The program tonight, was as follows.

Haydn: String Quartet op.76 no.1
Respighi: il tramonto (The Sunset)
Golijov: Two Songs for String Quartet and Voice
Ravel: String Quartet in F Major for String Quartet and Voice

Joseph Haydn’s String Quartet was familiar to me, and in many parts is quite a vigorous and happy sounding piece of music, and the girls’ playing of it captured the spirit beautifully at times. The third movement and the finale in particular demonstrated that sense of playful good humour , and as Gordon Kerry writes in the official program ‘Likewise, the menuetto is much more like a boisterous Beethovenian scherzo, and any residual aristocratic grace [from the earlier movements] is dispelled by’  is almost like a waltz. I enjoyed Haydn’s part of the program but I was looking forward to hearing Sara Macliver.  She joined the ASQ for Respighi’s dramatic and declamatory setting of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem Il tramonto (The Sunset).

[From the left, Sally and Sophia, the two girls who are leaving, with Ann and Rachel]

‘The Sunset’ was quite a long and quietly sung romantic piece [though not sung in English] with the four string instruments appropriately fitting that mood with some magical playing. I was impressed with the sharply contrasting  dress outfits on stage, with the four girls all dressed in long black  shoulder less gowns [except for Rachel, who is a little larger than the other girls, and dresses to fit her stature, as the photo above shows]. Sara Macliver came onto the stage in a pure white long dress. Although it was a good match in many ways, some might feel it left the quartet’s black looking a little less appealing. After the interval for her second contribution, Sara had changed her dress, now a sumptuous light bluish colour, I’m sure the blue had a specific name, but that was beyond me!!!  But to the music and song, which was based on an 1816 poem written by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Here’s Gordon Kerry’s words again – ‘In The Sunset, two lovers are walking at twilight. Far from their love being unrequited, however, they have, in Shelley’s tactful phrase, been distracted by the ‘unreserve of mingled being’ and not seen the sunset. The man promises they will see it the next day, but in the morning he is found dead and cold; his lover lives on, eaten away by grief, yearning…only to ‘drop in the deep sea of Love’ and find peace. The text of the song, in English lyrics, is as follows [Sara sang it in Italian].

There late was One within whose subtle being,

As light and wind within some delicate cloud

That fades amid the blue noon’s burning sky,

Genius and death contended. None may know

The sweetness of the joy which made his breath

Fail, like the trances of the summer air,

When, with the lady of his love, who then

First knew the unreserve of mingled being,

He walked along the pathway of a field

Which to the east a hoar wood shadowed o’er,

But to the west was open to the sky.

There now the sun had sunk, but lines of gold

Hung on the ashen clouds, and on the points

Of the far level grass and nodding flowers

And the old dandelion’s hoary beard,

And, mingled with the shades of twilight, lay

On the brown massy woods – and in the east

The broad and burning moon lingeringly rose

Between the black trunks of the crowded trees,

While the faint stars were gathering overhead.

“Is it not strange, Isabel,” said the youth,

“I never saw the sun? We will walk here

To-morrow; thou shalt look on it with me.”

 

That night the youth and lady mingled lay

In love and sleep – but when the morning came

The lady found her lover dead and cold.

Let none believe that God in mercy gave

That stroke. The lady died not, nor grew wild,

But year by year lived on – in truth I think

Her gentleness and patience and sad smiles,

And that she did not die, but lived to tend

Her agèd father, were a kind of madness,

If madness ’tis to be unlike the world.

For but to see her were to read the tale

Woven by some subtlest bard, to make hard hearts

Dissolve away in wisdom-working grief;

Her eyes were black and lustreless and wan:

Her eyelashes were worn away with tears,

Her lips and cheeks were like things dead – so pale;

Her hands were thin, and through their wandering veins

And weak articulations might be seen

Day’s ruddy light. The tomb of thy dead self

Which one vexed ghost inhabits, night and day,

Is all, lost child, that now remains of thee!

 

“Inheritor of more than earth can give,

Passionless calm and silence unreproved,

Where the dead find, oh, not sleep! but rest,

And are the uncomplaining things they seem,

Or live, a drop in the deep sea of Love;

Oh, that like thine, mine epitaph were – Peace!”

This was the only moan she ever made.

 

After the interval, we moved on to a night world of hushed urgency and fragile ecstasy in two songs, by Emily Dickinson, and Rosalia de Castro, with music to them composed by Osvaldo Golijov [a contemporary composer, born in 1960]. ‘How Slow the Wind’ is a musical setting of two short Emily Dickinson poems – the composer described it as a response to an accidental death of a friend. He wrote “I had in mind one of those seconds in life that is frozen in the memory, forever – a sudden death, a single instant in which life turns upside down, different from the experience of death after as long agony”.  Sara sang these two pieces in English.

How slow the Wind

how slow the sea

how late their Fathers be!

And

Is it too late to touch you, Dear?

We this moment knew.

Love Marine and Love terrene

Love celestial too

 

The other song, from Rosalia de Castro’s ‘Lua Descolorida’ [English translation being ‘Colourless Moon’] defines despair in a way that is simultaneously tender and tragic. The translation was done here by the composer himself. Although the actual words of this and the previous were quite short, the actual presentation with the help of the Quartet’s contribution created a much longer and beautiful interpretation of Golijov’s music, and the poet’s words

Moon, colourless

like the colour of pale gold:

You see me here and I wouldn’t like you

to see me from the heights above.

Take me, silently, in your ray

to the space of your journey.

Star of the orphan soles,

Moon, colorless:

I know that you don’t illuminate

sadness as sad as mine.

Go and tell it to your master

and tell him to take me to his place.

But don’t tell him anything.

Moon, colorless,

because my fate won’t change

here or in other worlds.

If you know where Death

has her dark mansion,

Tell her to take my body and soul together

To a place where I won’t be remembered,

Neither in this world, nor in the heights above.

It’s difficult to describe the singing of these words through Sara’s beautiful soprano voice. One review I noticed commented that it would have been well worth attending this concert just to hear Sara’s  a breathtaking account of Osvaldo Golijov’s setting of that poem by Rosalia de Castro. In that reviewer’s words [for my description couldn’t do equal justice] –  ‘From first note to last, the five musicians wonderfully evoked the haunting, melancholic, valedictory essence of the work, informed by an inward raptness that sounded intuitively right. Sara Macliver’s vocals were exquisitely wrought and the ASQ players responded to the score with an at-times ineffably beautiful kaleidoscope of muted-tone colours and impressive security of line. Here, as in Respighi’s rarely heard The Sunset, a setting of a poem by Shelley, all five musicians took up interpretative positions at the emotional epicentre of the music. The apparent effortlessness belied the enormous self-discipline required’.

Tonight’s concert concluded with Maurice Ravel’s String Quartet in F Major. I have to admit to feeling a little disappointed with the ASQ’s rendition of this, almost sounded tired, as though they had played it too many times, and the Quartet was bored with the music [although they had commented that it was one of their favourite pieces having played it together in their first performance I think].  Anyway, I’m sure that wasn’t the case, in fact maybe it was this listener feeling tired by this stage [although traditionally, I tend to feel any tiredness or sleepiness during the first item on an ASQ program, and come to life after that]. Certainly a couple of contrasting opinions came to my attention  –  one writer saying that ‘from the outset the players captured the right sound world for this elusive music, which ranged from delicate intimacy to orchestral grandeur’, while another was of a view not dissimilar to my own, with the comment that  the music ‘was given a less uniformly successful reading. The focus was not as sharp as one might have hoped and there were lapses of intonation in the first violin line’.

Anyway, whatever, the ASQ received a prolonged standing ovation for this, there final concert together in Melbourne [they still have the same concert to perform in Brisbane and Sydney over the next two nights], and of course, out came the huge bunches of flowers, and a farewell speech from the Chairman of the Australian String Quarter. The quartet will continue but in a new format next year.

Like this contribution, my day/night was not over yet. From the city, I drove back to Sunbury, but not to home – to the radio station, where I undertook a truncated version of my Monday night 3 hours Smorgasbord of music and entertainment.  I  can’t recall if I was tired or not, but I do know I thoroughly enjoyed that 2 hours –  the change of music genre [well, this program features ‘all’ genres] from where I had just spent the previous 2 hours. In fact, I think the ‘highlight’ piece of the program was an 11 minute track from Miles Davis, with some other special and varied selection from a veteran Angola singer named Bongo [his music suited his name], and old jazz favourite from Dexter Gordon ‘They Say That Falling In Love Is Wonderful, a great soul/blues number by young Melbourne singer, Ashleigh Southam [‘Beautiful Friend’;], and amongst others, a good old style brass band from New Orleans –  The Dirty Dozen Brass Brand and with Dr John and their rendition of as song which was apparently the first track recorded by the Rolling Stones, ‘It’s All Over Now’!!  No phone calls, but that’s nothing new for this presenter!!

Needless to say by the time that I got home,. Fed the cats [Susan had gone up to Bendigo for about 36 hours], and then found myself a meal, watched a full episode [for the first time] of ‘The Clinic’, a UK series based in a medical practice which another presenter at the station had told me about  –  well, after all that, it was 1.30am!!!  I will back up by 6am!

 

 

After watching last weekend’s documentary/movie called Mrs Carey’s Concert, I was inspired to use one of the pieces of music featured in that program, on this morning’s radio show – so I did.  Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No.1 in G Minor, Opus 26, which is considered by many to be one of the most popular violin concertos of that repertoire of classical music. I do tend to feel that much of that ‘popularity’ tends to be based on the 3^rd [and final] movement of the concerto, as it tends to get the most airplay.. In any case, it’s Bruch’s most popular piece of music, and most violinists would probably aim to play it at some stage of their career. He composed two other concertos, but they didn’t reach the same level of popularity. I must chase them up, and see for myself.

This morning during my Sunday Classics program, I played the complete concerto, and thoroughly enjoyed doing so. The concerto was first completed in 1866 and the first performance was given on 24 April 1866 by Otto von Königslow with Bruch himself conducting. The concerto was then considerably revised with help from celebrated violinist Joseph Joachim and completed in its present form in 1867. The première of the revised concerto was given by Joachim in Bremen on 5 January 1868 with Karl Martin Rheinthaler conducting

While obviously, the role of the solo violin is central to the composition, it is also scored for  a standard classical orchestra consisting of two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, timpani, and strings. It is performed over three movements. The 1^st and 2^nd movements are linked, and through much of the 1^st, there is a feeling of anticipation of what is to come.  The 2^nd movement is much slower, and has being described by some critics as the ‘heart’ of the concerto. We still have the solo violin but with much input from the orchestra.  Wikipedia describes the 3^rd  [final] movement as follows  – ‘the finale, opens with an extremely intense, yet quiet, orchestral introduction that yields to the soloist’s statement of the exuberant theme in brilliant double stops. It is very much like a dance that moves at a comfortably fast and energetic tempo. The second subject is a fine example of Romantic lyricism, a slower melody which cuts into the movement several times, before the dance theme returns with its fireworks. The piece ends with a huge accelerando, leading to a fiery finish that gets higher as it gets faster and louder and eventually concludes with two short, yet grand, chords’.

It was rather a chilly morning when I left home today, and I can’t say that it warmed up a great deal ‘inside’ the studio. However, the pleasure gained from the music I was playing soon over-rode any climatic discomfort. However, the day improved as time went on – enough to allow your writer to get out and mow all the lawns and try and tackle at least one little piece of the garden!!

 

I have a couple of friends who swear by the opinions and views of expat Australian journalist, author and filmmaker John Pilger, though personally, I have always found his views to be overly aggressive, and in some cases, almost dangerous!  However, when you read the following bio, my opinion almost becomes petty.

John Pilger launched his first newspaper at high school, then completed a four year cadetship with Australian Consolidated Press. He became chief foreign correspondent and reported from all over the world, covering numerous wars, notably Vietnam. Still in his twenties, he became the youngest journalist to receive Britain’s “Journalist of the Year” and was the first to win it twice. Moving to the United States, Pilger reported the upheavals there in the late 1960s and 1970s. He marched with America’s poor from Alabama to Washington, following the assassination of Martin Luther King. He was in the same room when Robert Kennedy, the presidential candidate, was assassinated in June 1968. His work in South East Asia produced an iconic issue of the London Mirror, devoted almost entirely to his world exclusive dispatches from Cambodia in the aftermath of Pol Pot’s reign and followed up with the documentary, “Year Zero: the Silent Death of Cambodia”. In 1994, he travelled under cover in Indonesian-occupied East Timor to make a documentary about the struggle for independence. His numerous documentaries on Australia, notably “The Secret Country” (1983), the bicentary trilogy “The Last Dream” (1988) and “Welcome to Australia” (1999) dealt with the ‘forgotten past’ of indigenous Australians and their present-day problems. His latest film is “The War You Don’t See” (2010), which was premiered in London both in the cinema and on television. Pilger was born and grew up in Bondi.  Reading all that, one might suggest, what’s wrong with the man?  Perhaps it’s simply the fact that I like to look at both sides of an  issue, whereas with Pilger, I’m left with the impression, that you are either with him,  or ‘you’ are wrong! That kind of ‘impression’ has always annoyed me, despite the fact that I can’t deny that the details of the bio above, reveal much good, in what he has revealed through his impressionistic journalism. 

Pilger recently delivered an address at the Byron Bay [NSW] Writers Festival, and the little promo reviewing that talk, described him as being in ‘a consistently dark and disappointing place’ which in light of my [maybe] ‘petty’opinion was a perfect description. I’m not doubting that he has done a lot of good work through his journalism etc, but to me, he is one of those people who is always looking for the ‘evil side’ [or aim] of virtually anything. Take the following comment, which came out of his Byron Bay keynote address  –

 ‘Pilger takes aim at various Australian and world political leaders on the left and the right. George W Bush was a “criminal on a magnitude we can’t imagine”. The military is at the centre of American government. Barack Obama is nothing more than a brand. And, no more than a “cigarette paper” separates the major Australian political parties.  “The rulers of the United States at every level are so far to the right, so extreme from the views of the population, that any kind of formal democracy, that is those elected representing the people, has virtually ended,” is how Pilger sees it. But, he saves some of his strongest words for Australia’s political leaders, claiming Australia has become a satellite state of America. “If this is going to be a socially and culturally proud society … two things have got to happen. First, nationhood has to be given back to the first Australians – second, (we need to) start speaking as a nation, not as a satellite state of the US.” Other subjects in the wide-ranging discussion include drone warfare, Julian Assange, asylum seekers and mandatory detention. Pilger gets a standing ovation from the Byron audience and a “ten out of ten and a koala stamp” from his questioner, ABC Radio National stalwart Phillip Adams.

 

Finish the day’s notes with a couple of sporting results [how unusual of me!!]  –  the other Sunbury football team [the Sunbury Kangaroos] who compete in the more local competition, called the Riddell & District Football League, played in their grand final at the weekend. And like their associates, the Sunbury Lions who went down by 3 points the previous weekend in the Ballarat League GF, the Kangaroos stormed home, but just fell short, by two points – 12.10.82 to 11.14.80. In fact, it was a bad weekend for the Kangaroos  –  playing in three football grand finals and two netball finals [out of 6 matches], the Sunbury Kangaroos lost every one of them!!!  There would, I imagine, have been a massive drowning of sorrows at the end of that day!

 

Rugby World Cup update:  matches played on the 25^th September saw:

• Samoa defeated Fiji 27-7
• Ireland defeated Russia 62-12

 

Meanwhile, in the F1 Singapore Grand Prix held later today, it was third win in a row for Sebastian Vettel, as he races away to an unbeatable lead, most probably, in the Championship ladder:-

 

     Singapore Grand Prix Race result                                   2011 F1Championship position

1. Sebastian Vettel                                            1. Sebastian Vettel………………309 pts
2. Jenson Button                                                2.JensonButton…………………185 pts
3. Mark Webber [Australia]                              3. Fernando Alonso…………..184 pts
4. Fernando Alonso                                           4. Mark Webber [Australia]….182 pts
5. Lewis Hamilton                                             5. Lewis Hamilton……………168 pts

 

 

 

I switched off last night, just prior to the start of the delayed rugby coverage between Australia and the USA, the game Australia had to win to remain in the tournament.  But I did watch the game, having avoided hearing the result before I did so!! I watched part of the delayed World Cup Rugby game between Australia and the USA but became frustrated with Channel 9’s delayed telecast which they took advantage of by inserting at least three breaks in the first half of adverts. Usually a telecast would run sraight through with very brief ad breaks if a score is made, but no, the channel had to insist on destroying the telecast. I switched off before halftime in disgust, though did leave the tape running!  Obviously, from the game point of view, I missed all the fun, as far as the Aussies were concerned – Australia romped away with the game in a record breaking 67-5 scoreline, biggest ever winning margin against the USA ‘Eagles’ team.  Perhaps I will have a look at the tape! When I switched off, I think the score was 22-5 [at which it remained at halftime], and it did seem as though the Americans were still in with a show, but things obviously changed quickly, soon afterwards. Today’s two  include the New Zealand-France game which I see Channel 9 are telecasting almost direct!!! Certainly got their priorities in order, as usual  –  not!!!
 
Susan went off early to her new casual job this morning – I should have realised it would be an early start for her, as she was in bed before me last night. Rare!! Yesterday she had a car service – it seems my savings have been put aside to repair the ‘kid’s’ cars at present, following the huge bill for James during the week, and the fact that Susie’s car apparently needs a few major items attended to next week!!!  Will it never end!!
 
On a brighter, and more interesting note [I believe], the rural weekly newspaper ‘The Weekly Times’ is currently running a series on the 100 Greatest Country Australians, and Part 1 last week gave us No’s 81 to 100. That list alone produced some famous Australian personalities so it is going to be very interesting to learn who else is in the Weekly Times listing over the next few weeks. I will refer to those names as they are published, and if any readers are interested in learning a little about each individual, just let me know through here, and I shall ‘feature’ that person in a future blog.  Okay then, numbers 81-100 as follows.
 
81.  Haydn Bunton Senior 1911-1955  [Footballer]
82.  Vida Goldstein 1869-1949 [Suffragist]
83. Pro Hart 1928-2006 [Artist]
84. Norman Lindsay 1879-1969 [Artist, Writer]
85. Albert Jacka 1893-1932 [Decorated Soldier]
86. Eddie Mabo 1936-1992 [Land Rights Activist]
87. Steve Moneghetti 1962 –  [Long Distance Runner]
88. Lauren Jackson 1981 –  [Basketballer]
89. Quentin Bryce 1942 – [Governor-General]
90. Mortimer Brothers – Steve 1956-, Peter 1957-. Chris 1958-  [Footballers]
91. David Foster 1957 –  [Woodchopper]
92. Bill Roycroft 1915-2011 [Equestrian]
93. Pat Rafter 1972 – [Tennis]
94. John Williamson 1945 – [Musician]
95. Tommy Woodcock 1905-1985 [Phar Lap’s Strapper]
96. David Fletcher Jones 1895-1977 [Clothing Entrepreneur]
97. Cathy Freeman 1973 –  [Runner]
98. John Furphy 1842-1920 [Industrialist]
99. David Williamson 1942 – [Playwright]
100. Judith Wright 1915-2000 [Poet, Author]
 
It is noted that of the 20 names above, 9 are associated with sporting activities, and 5 with the Arts. No politicians, apart from the current Governor-General.  I am very keen to see the top 80 names, with no’s 61-80 presumably due next week.  Space does not permit any elaboration here on each person, but as indicated, am  quite happy to make space for individual requests. Many of the names above, I’m a fan of myself, and have followed or studied their respective ‘careers over the years. 

Meanwhile, more football this afternoon, to see which team plays Collingwood in next weekend’s Grand Final. This afternoon, at the MCG, it’s Geelong [favourites] versus West Coast Eagles [the team that finished last of 16 teams in 2010, a remarkable turn around to get to the second last week of the season!]. I managed to get ‘some’ of the jobs I’d intended today, before it was time to sit down and watch the game. A bit annoyed that my laptop seems to be frozen today, switched on, won’t go any further, can’t even turn it off!!!  I seemed to have locked it up somehow?

Anyway, today’s football mtch – well, as the quarter by quarter scores indicates, it was a game much different from the last couple of finals, quite one-sided, and I guess, the result an indication that the two top teams through the year, have made it through to next week’s Final.

Geelong Cats:              5.7.37        8.11.59           15.14.104      FINAL:   17.15.117

West Coast Eagles:       2.3.15        5.4.34              7.6.48          Final:     10.9.69

The AFL Grand Final for 2011 next Saturday afternoon will be Collingwood versus Geelong.

 

To the ‘other’ football – the National Rugby League Preliminary Final  –  I simply can’t find a team to support, that is winning at present  – Melbourne Storm lost tonight, to the New Zealand Warriors 22-12 in front of a record crowd in Melbourne [not generally considered a rugby city in Australia]. So the NRL Grand Final next Sunday in Sydney will be between the New Zealand Warriors and Manly [who defeated the Brisbane Broncos last night].

In the other code, today’s results in the Rugby [Union] World Cup were:

England defeated Romania 67 – 3

New Zealand defeated France 37 – 17

Two more games to be played [tomorrow] before the second round of the competition continues.

 

Thinking on a different level for a while, I notice that my favourite art gallery [in Ballarat] has an exhibition from the Art Gallery of New South Wales over the October/November period, with works by people such as Sidney Nolan, Brett Whitely, Russell Drysdale, Grace Cossington  Smith, and the lady who died a few weeks ago, Margaret Olley, together with a series of portrait paintings. I think I have already decided that I will making a visit in November to have a look at that display.  Apparently, many of the works which will be on loan to the Ballarat Art Gallery, never leave the venerable walls of the NSW Gallery. As one spokesman said ‘These are key works which are normally on permanent display in Sydney. This remarkable opportunity has come about solely because the Art Gallery of New South Wales is refurbishing.’  But while Ballarat is fortunate to play host to such an important collection, the quality of the Art Gallery of Ballarat’s collection, which allows the inclusion of works of similar significance to the NSW collection, is a crucial factor. ‘It is not hyperbole to state that no other regional gallery in the nation could do this’.  I can vouch for the standard of Ballarat’s normal displays – they are always worthy of a visit!

 

 

I noticed on the screen last night,  Facebook was set for a massive overhaul overnight as it positions itself as the prime player in the social sphere. ‘  It was been reported the changes will take place at 3am AEST. Apparently, ‘these changes will make it so you know your friends better than you ever thought you could’.  I wonder if we really want that?   Anyway, I switched on this morning – before that rather nervous visit to the dentist – and wondered whether the changes would be so significant, that I would have my usual problem of not understanding what was going on!  I could see differences, but initially, couldn’t see a great deal of change – perhaps all shall be revealed as time proceeds, and I try and do things I used to do in the past!

In the meantime, the Federal Government had plans yesterday of trying to force a vote on the refugee issue in parliament, but it didn’t quite work out that that way. Prime Minister Julia Gillard has subsequently  accused Opposition Leader Tony Abbott of blocking a speedy vote on the government’s seemingly doomed attempt to resurrect its Malaysian people swap deal.   Federal parliament on Thursday began debating the government’s draft laws aimed at restoring its power to send asylum seekers to third countries, put in doubt by the High Court last month. But the coalition’s decision to list 40 MPs to speak on the bill has helped ensure a vote will not take place until parliament returns from a two-week break in mid-October. In question time on Thursday, Ms Gillard accused Mr Abbott of filibustering. “The nation’s interests today require that we deal expeditiously with the migration amendments which are before the parliament and that the legislation is passed,” she said. “Instead of that, the leader of the opposition in this place is filibustering that debate; the leader of the opposition in this place is determined to defeat offshore processing. The leader of the opposition in this place is determined to see more boats landing on Australia’s shores.” Ms Gillard’s comments came even though Labor had originally intended to delay debate on the proposals until next month. Mr Abbott called on Ms Gillard to resign over what he termed her inability to protect the nation’s borders.

“A prime minister who is incapable of protecting the borders of our country is a prime minister who has manifestly failed in the highest task she has,” Mr Abbott told parliament.  The government is hoping to attract enough crossbench support to push its amendments through the lower house but the coalition and Greens are set to vote them down in the Senate.  Mr Abbott says he will only support the legislation if the government accepts an amendment that would rule out Malaysia because it is not a signatory to the United Nations Refugee Convention. The government has ruled out supporting that amendment. Still, Immigration Minister Chris Bowen is refusing to concede defeat. “Mr Abbott has a chance to act in the national interest here,” he told reporters in Canberra. “He’s indicated he won’t be doing that but that’s a matter for him. “Obviously the crossbenchers are considering their positions.” Two of those crossbenchers – Greens MP Adam Bandt and Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie – both accused the major parties of a “race to the bottom” on asylum seekers. Neither will support the government or coalition legislation.  Independent Tony Windsor said he thought the Malaysian deal was “worth a go” and he would support the government’s bill.  Fellow independent Rob Oakeshott said he would move his own amendments to better reflect the regional protection framework agreed to by 33 nations part of the so-called Bali Process. “The regional solution is the real solution,” he told parliament. It is not known how he will vote when his amendments fail. A Senate committee will hold a public hearing into the Malaysian deal on Friday.

Personally, as I have made note of before, I’m glad of this delay, and continue to be disillusioned by this persistent desire by both parties to push for off-shore processing. I’ve always maintained that the processing of refugees who reach Australia, should be done in Australia, and I  wonder at  Mr Bowen’s reference to the ‘national interest’  – is the national interest assumed to be Labor Party policy?  I don’t believe it is, as more and more opposition  grows to these pushes to process in places like Malaysia, etc. I must say that I’m disappointed with the ongoing tone of the whole refugee issue debate. I don’t believe it enhances Australia’s position as a humane and welcoming nation, and looking at the debate from outside Australia, I’m sure that’s how it must appear. In this month’s edition of ‘Crosslight’ [publication of the Uniting Church in Victoria & Tasmania], Carla Bergmeier writes:

‘August marked the 10 year anniversary of the Howard Government’s questionable response to the Norwegian vessel MV Tampa, carrying 438 asylum seekers. This was followed by even more controversial approaches to deal with the arrival of potential refugees – all of which failed to meet basic humanitarian obligations. With no real solution in sight [to the current situation], the Australian public is taking matters into its own hands. At a protest rally earlier this year Julian Burnside urged Australians to see beyond political rhetoric and remember that asylum seekers are completely within their rights to be seeking refuge in Australia. “We forget the boat people who come here to ask for protection are not illegal in any sense –  they are exercising the right which every person has in international law to seek asylum in any country they can reach”. Two months later, the Refugee and Immigration Legal Centre took the Federal Government to court, over it’s decision to send asyl.um seekers to Malaysia in exchange for ‘genuine’ refugees. The Legal Centre claims asylum seekers will no longer be guaranteed protection if processed offshore. In the same week the case hit the High Court, a strategy paper titled A New Approach, Breaking the Stalemate on Refugees and Asylum Seekers was released by the Centre For Policy Development, with suggestions that would have mandatory detention phased out within two years.  The strategy was endorsed by prominent business and union leaders.  The Uniting Church also wrote to the Federal Government, urging it to take notice of recommendations made by the Australian Human Rights Commission – resulting in 500 unaccompanied minors being moved into community detention instead of detention centres. With recent polls showing the majority of Australians are in favour of asylum seekers been processed onshore [53 per cent], it seems the public’s heart is softening. Hopefully this compassion effect won’t take long to reach the government’……………………………..I’m not so sure that either the government or the opposition are listening to that 53%!

On the global economic front, we are again being bombarded with threats of ‘danger times’ ahead of us, and while Australia’s economy is still considered to be relatively secure in comparison with the USA and many European nations, the affects are starting to erode into our system, as this report from an hour or so ago shows.

‘The Australian share market is down by 1.7 per cent on Friday and nearing its global financial crisis lows as world markets tumble on fears of another global recession At 1028 AEST on Friday the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was down 64.3 points, or 1.62 per cent, at 3,900.6 while the broader All Ordinaries index was down 71.2 points, or 1.76 per cent, at 3,973.5.  On the ASX 24, the December share price index futures contract was 56 points lower at 3,910 points, with 18,327contracts traded. World markets plunged overnight on growing fears the global economy is headed for another slump, and concerns policymakers may be ill-equipped to prevent it.  After Asian markets, including Australia, fell on Thursday, European markets tumbled in response to the US Federal Reserve’s downgrading of its outlook for the US economy. London’s FTSE-100 index dropped by 4.7 per cent, Frankfurt’s DAX 30 lost 3.53 per cent and in Paris the CAC 40 shed 4.07 per cent. The losses then flowed through to Wall Street, where the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 391.01 points, or 3.51 per cent, to close at 10,733.83.  Downbeat economic data from China and the eurozone also weighed on global market sentiment.  Burrell Stockbroking director Richard Herring said the early losses on the local market were not as bad as futures trading had pointed to, meaning some investors were likely taking advantage of attractive share values after big falls this week.

“If you look at a relative basis, where indices are from the GFC onwards, we’re only 600 points off our all-time low,” he said.  “That is compared to the Dow, which is about 4,000 points off its low, so I think we are bouncing along the bottom and there’s some pretty significant value there.” Mr Burrell said the market was likely to remain more than one per cent lower for the remainder of the session, but did not expect the main indices to hit record lows’.

Now I’m not really up with the shares market, or particularly familiar with many of the stock exchange terminology currently being thrown around, or used in the above paragraph. But it is a concern that the world’s ‘supposedly’ most powerful nation, the USA, seems to be out of control in economic terms – so much so, that apart from the financial implications, the situation seems to be putting grave doubts on Barak Obama’s chances of being re-elected for a second term of office, as President. I’m heard an interesting comment this morning from an expert in these areas  –  at one time, it used to be said of Australia, ‘that every time the USA sneezed, Australia would catch cold’, That appears to be no longer the case, because in both 2008, and in this current potential economic crisis, we seem in a position to come out of things much better than the States is likely to.

Of course the other big ‘financial market’ event here, over the past couple of days, is the likelihood of Australia’s most iconic historical brewer of beer  – Fosters – being taken over by the South African firm  SAB Miller. I find that disturbing, but then I’ve expressed that view previously – concern about the way in which so many Australian iconic businesses in various sectors, as well as land grabs, are being ‘allowed’ to be taken over by foreign investments, etc.  That feeling is probably a bit ironic in view of the fact that my brother works for a major bank, where his role is centred on achieving success in the financial negotiations to ensure such takeovers or other forms of major  investment in Australian industries and enterprises are successful!!!  Think I should bite my tongue!  It was back on Tuescday last, that Mark Colvin on the ABC suggested that ‘the stockmarket was buzzing today with speculation that another big name Australian brand could be heading into foreign ownership. Media reports say that two of the world’s biggest brewing companies have their sights set on Foster’s’. How right he was!.  It seems that the company has been under performing for some years, partially caused during the reign of former Carlton President, John Elliott, with his expansion of the company in the banking area [Elders], and later, an unsuccessful diversification in the wine retailing area. Many opinions today suggest that Fosters should have stayed with what it did best – brewing and selling beer! 

As reported in the ‘Brisbane Times today  – ‘SABMiller boss Graham Mackay during an analyst call in which SABMiller discussed its $12.3 billion takeover of the Australian beer-maker on Wednesday night said: ”We believe Foster’s has been underperforming for a number of years, with suboptimal brand support and inferior category management.”  He noted how some of Foster’s key brands had been ”unloved”. Mackay also managed to denigrate the past and current management of Foster’s without intending to do so.  ”I wouldn’t want to and I don’t denigrate at all the current management team – but of course they haven’t been in there very long and there’s been considerable churn in the management and with it lack of focus on the brands, the portfolio and, in fact, the whole business by the generations of management which preceded the current one,” he said.  Mackay also noted how the Foster’s beer portfolio had been ”very heavily” extended in recent years and how it had not been ”particularly well thought through”.  Mackay at least seems happy about Foster’s range of beers.  ”VB is a truly iconic brand, occupying a world-recognised position in beer,” he said’.  Mind you, the average beer drinker, particularly of Foster’s VB [Victoria Bitter] brand probably won’t really care who owns what, just so long as they can continue to get their beer supply!!

Meanwhile, this evening over in New Zealand, Australia faces a critical match in the Rugby World Cup  – after last weekend’s shock loss to Ireland, the Wallabies must win this game, otherwise they will be out of the tournament, a competition, that we must have been one of the favoured teams!! What a situation to be in!   Will Genia is set to become the 78th Australian Test captain after being appointed as leader of the Wallabies team named today to face the United States at the Rugby World Cup in Wellington on Friday night. Genia is the 13th player to lead Australia, in what will be the country’s 36th Rugby World Cup match since the four-yearly tournament commenced in 1987. The 23-year-old Queensland halfback, who made his Test debut in New Zealand three seasons ago, has been handed the reins for what will be Australia’s 528th official Test match, standing in for squad skipper James Horwill. Horwill is being allowed to by-pass the match. “It’s a huge honour, a big responsibility and an occasion that I’m really looking forward to,” Genia says.  “We’ve got a big job ahead of us. The United States showed against Ireland that they are a totally committed opponent, and our own performance against Ireland, which was not up to the high standards we set for ourselves, will only have offered the Americans further encouragement.”  Unfortunately, as is usual with networks like Channel 9,  we here in Victoria won’t be allowed to see the telecast of the game until 11.30 pm [about five hours after it is finished!].

Something I referred to a day or so ago –   injured Brisbane iconic rugby league player, Darren Lockyer has made the wise choice, and decided not to risk permanent injury by playing in the NRL Preliminary final tonight at the Sydney Football Stadium.  It’s great to be brave and tough, but do those attributes fit in with foolishness?  Lockyer decided not!   This weekend’s National Rugby League Preliminary Finals see Manly Sea Eagles versus Brisbane Bronchos [tonight] and Melbourne Storm versus New Zealand Warriors, tomorrow night in Melbourne. Do we dare believe that we might be shown that game live?  I do believe we might!!  

As for my visit to the dentist – not quite the outcome I didn’t want  – just a filling today, which pleased me, as I have cared for these teeth for over 60 years, and really don’t like to lose any unless it is considered professionally necessary.  Mr Ferris apparently considered not today. Back again in a few weeks for a bit of a followup, something I’ve never done before – my visits to the dentist have been very occasional trips, once every ten years or so, seldom a  much shorter period!

Tonight in Melbourne, it’s the AFL’s 1^st Preliminary Final match, with the winner into next weekend’s Grand Final.  Collingwood versus Hawthorn, and while my team has been eliminated, I’m looking forward to relaxing in front of the TV tonight to watch that game. Collingwood would  have to the favourites, having shared the competition’s leading position all season with Geelong [who play tomorrow], but for many people, it would not surprise got up as the underdogs!   We will know in a few hours!

 In the first half, a tight match, with Hawthorn looking the more effective team and just perhaps, there was an upset on the way. I didn’t really expect so however, and anticipated a much more powerful effort by the Magpies in the second half.  The third quarter saw a challenge from Collingwood, but Hawthorn managed to hold them off, and further increase the lead in a low scoring game. I expected a desperate fight back by Collingwood in the final quarter – only lost 2 games in the whole season, would it end with 2 losses in the last 3 games. I’m sure my brother and sister up in Brisbane would not be feeling too confident at three quarter time!!  And yes, as expected, a thrilling last quarter, and with 30 seconds to play, the result still in doubt!!!  But, Magpies get up, and like Carlton last week, the Hawks went down by 3 points.   Quarter by quarter scores were:

• Collingwood Magpies:     2.3.15    3.5.23       5.6.36        Final:   10.8.68
• Hawthorn Hawks:            2.4.16     4.7.31       7.11.53      Final:   9.11.65

 

I got off to another quick start this morning, though was a little annoyed that despite, there were still major traffic holdups towards the city end of the freeway. Can I survive a few more weeks of this? Anyway, it was good to get into the office and have some quiet time there before anyone else arrived. I would spend a large part of the day trying to tidy up a few files etc, so that things were in reasonably up to date condition for my successor. The way things are going, I will be gone before he or she arrives,  because of the need we had to readvertise following a poor response to the first attempt. Oh well, I’m sure the place will keep going in my absence, although the ‘boss’ is starting to panic as little!!!

Meanwhile this afternoon, we had what will probably be my last ‘staff meeting’ – beginning to say that about a few events lately – I must admit that I am starting to ‘slow down’ as the weeks pass, and the day of departure gets closer. While I am hoping to pick up the occasional spot of part time work eventually, it is also a feeling of apprehension that sits over me, with the realisation that I will soon be out of the work force, after 46 years or so. There is actually a growing trend in Australia for people to work well beyond the official retiring age of 65, but because of the various external interests I have, and the fact, that to be honest, I’m basically tired of the full time commitment, and the traffic [commented upon on numerous occasions], I won’t be one of them!

I’ve recently being looking at this question of retirement, and some of the theories that writers, and various professionals have attached to that aspect of life. One article, titled ‘Health Consequences of Early Retirement’, written in 2009 by Clemens Tesch-Römer, aarpinternational.org makes a couple of contrasting points at the  beginning, where it is stated that  –   ‘For many people – especially those who have had long working careers – this passage from the “second phase of life” (labor force participation) to the “third life phase” (retirement) can be a crucial event. The move to retirement can impact leisure activities and social networks, and challenge self-images and ambitions, in addition to necessitating adjustment to changed material circumstances. The passage to retirement and its health implications is a subject abounding with assumptions, conjectures and myths. Three questions may hint at prototypical theoretical approaches of the passage into retirement: Is retirement a loss? Is it a gain? Or is retirement just irrelevant to health (an “epiphenomenon”)? Involuntarily exiting from the labor force, on the other hand, has lasting negative repercussions on subjective health’  Putting the health aspect aside, I was interested in their basic theories about the first two factors which were described as follows.

 

. § Passage into Retirement as a Loss: One of the earliest gerontological theories perceived retirement as a critical loss. Since the career role is a pivotal element of identity, at least for those in employment, the loss of this role entails not only the loss of employment but also the status and sense of purpose that comes with a career. Should the passage into retirement not be superseded by alternative fields of activity, the gerontological activity theory postulates similar consequences. 
§ Passage into Retirement as a Gain: Where the late phase in life is soundly cushioned by material provision, the positive aspects of the transition to retirement are often emphasized. Retirement heralds the start of a “late freedom.” The burden of employment is cast aside, time and hierarchical constraints disappear – and the retiree has the opportunity of structuring the time ahead according to his or her own wishes. 

Certainly, during those periods of unemployment I suffered over the past 20 years due to a couple of retrenchments, I did not feel any particular pride at ‘not working’, in fact in many ways, it was at times humiliating to be seen around the streets when I would normally be working [this completely ignores the reality, that many people these days worked shift hours, and could quite likely be out and about at times others are working. But I always felt uncomfortable, sometimes almost guilt.  So how, I wonder, am I going to feel, to be more or less permanently ‘not working’? At the same time however, I can look at it equally from the other direction –  a new found freedom to do all of those things that full time employment has restricted over the years, but without the guilt of feeling that I really should be ‘at the office’ or wherever. I have paid my taxes for 46 years, and have earned to right to ‘retire’ and do what I want to do!  I read somewhere that if ‘the focus of employment is money, then money is also a focus of the absence of employment. Undoubtedly, economic resources, whether plentiful or not, influence the quality of life in the condition of retirement’. Some of  us a prepared, financially for retirement, others not quite to the same extent.  Unfortunately, because of past circumstances and decisions, I’m probably more likely to fall into the latter category – which means I’m probably safe from having to fight off a bevy of women looking for a rich old man to marry and live off his life earnings.

Anyway, enough of that for now; no doubt I will most likely return to that subject at a later date.  By coincidence, I have a day off tomorrow, but not really for the kind of reason I would willingly choose  –  my absence is to allow me to visit a dentist!! First time in 6 years, and not really looking forward to that little activity.

Last night, I sent off a copy to friend Bev, of the newspaper article that came out following our visit to Charlton at the beginning of the month  –  short little reply came back today –  “That get together for your ancestor was certainly successful, by the article. Thank you for sending it.  I expect that you now have a few more people you can call family”.  Very true, and in fact overnight, I got in touch with a couple of them. Today, I also sent off to the Castlemaine Historical Society, copies of some certificates relating to my original ancestors – the people in Castlemaine had suggested that they may be able to find some clues from the certificates, that I had missed.  No harm in letting them try, I decided.

Well, my football team are finished for the year, following last week’s loss, but club news continues on. .  Three players have finalised negotiations with the Carlton Football Club that will ensure they remain with the Blues for the foreseeable future.  Midfielders David Ellard and Dennis Armfield have re-signed for two years alongside athletic ruckman, Shaun Hampson who has re-signed for three years. He missed most of this season, recovering from an injury.     Meantime, since last weekend,  already a number of players have undergone various operations to ensure their readiness for the 2011-’12 pre-season period. Amongst them is Marc Murphy, who following consultation with the club’s football and medical departments, checked in for arthroscopic surgery on his knee on Tuesday. While Murphy didn’t miss any football during the year he did have some soreness and there was some slight swelling so the decision was made by the medical team to have the surgery to ensure he is right for pre-season.  Murphy, the 24 year-old midfielder who racked up an average 29 disposals over 24 matches in what was his most consistent season to date, was one of four players – together with Michael Jamison, Matthew Kreuzer and Simon White – who underwent a similar procedure and are expected to resume on schedule.  Jamison, Kreuzer and White were this season confined to 14, 12 and six senior appearances respectively, again, principally due to injuries. Jamison is the only one of the three to play in Carlton’s two finals appearances.

In the other football code, the Rugby World Cup update, shows that today’s match in the competition saw the championship holders [from 2007] have a huge win against their neighbours  –  South Africa  87 defeated Namibia  0 – rather convincing!!!  Australia plays it’s next game tomorrow, against the USA.

Not sure what I would think of this, but I can imagine the reaction of some friends  –  from the ABC site, news that British philosopher and public intellectual AC Grayling is considered the “nice guy” amongst the world’s leading “anti-religion” advocates … less cool and clinical than Richard Dawkins and more polite than Christopher Hitchens. Now, the mild-mannered atheist author has created a secular Bible, distilling the wisdom of the great non-religious traditions as a guide for life.   When it comes to God, Grayling is doggedly opposed. But he doesn’t put his book in the same league as Dawkins’ “The God Delusion” and Hitchens’ “God Is Not Great”. It doesn’t attack religion and is unfailingly optimistic, for one. But that doesn’t mean it won’t upset many Christians.   “The Good Book” is a manifesto for rational thought, but mirrors the Bible in both form and language. Grayling explains he has spent several decades on his ambitious project, distilling what he considers “the best that has been thought and said by people who’ve really experienced life, and thought about it”.  Anyway, apparently he spoke at this year’s Sydney Writers Festival, and was reasonably well received.  I imagine that before I can give an honest opinion, I should try and read the book. Do I want to bother?  Probably not!

Incidentally, AC Grayling is an author, a United Nations human rights activist and professor of philosophy at Birkbeck College, University of London. He has been a regular contributor to many UK newspapers and a frequent and popular contributor to radio and television. Grayling is the author of thirty books including “Thinking of Answers”, “Liberty in the Age of Terror”, “Descartes”, “Toward the Light of Liberty” and “Among The Dead Cities”.   I can’t claim to have read any of them [yet].

I listened to a brief video tape of an interview given to CPA Australia’s Alex Malley tonight – wish there had been a printed version of his comments available. If there is a current Australian I admire above others these days, it is Tim Costello, current CEO of World Vision, Australia  [and brother to former Liberal Treasurer, Peter Costello].  The interview included reference to his ‘foundational’ childhood, which often included two-hour discussions of ideas, at the dinner table with his teacher parents.  Tim noted that his 10 year school mates considered his family ‘strange’!!  He also explained how the whole concept of justice has always been a driving force for him.  Short but interesting perception of this man to continues to try and do so much good for others in need.

The new Spring season of horse racing basically gets underway this week, and while I have not been following the form as closely this year, apart from the odd bit of interest, it is always an exciting time of year here in Melbourne. I took a phone call yesterday from a former housing tenant committee member, with whom I used to engage in an occasional chat about the horses, and the best tips for the coming weekend or whatever. Admittedly that interest occupies large part of Geoff L’s life these days, so it was no surprise that he was overflowing with enthusiasm and excitement for the next couple of month’s horse racing. Thankfully, on this occasion he was actually ringing to speak to somebody else, so I didn’t get caught in a long discussion about hot tips and best chances.  With a large number of Group 1 races due over the next few weeks, there will no doubt be more coverage than normal on free to air television.

Meanwhile, I have been following the progress of the Australian Football League through the season, the National Rugby League is also well into it’s finals part of their season, and in fact Melbourne Storm is featuring in final this weekend, which if they win, will put them into the Grand Final.  They have already won the Minor Premiership this year, a great effort after being suspended for the season in 2010 [as far as earning any points was concerned]  and being stripped of their two previous premiership wins – because the Club had exceeded [deliberately, it seems] the relevant player salary caps].  Some might have expected a quite different outcome in 2011 after the drama of last year, but no, they continue to prove what a magnificent rugby team of players they are, a team that doesn’t need to depend on cheats at the administration and management level. While on the NRL, there’s another story happening this weekend, hopefully not with adverse consequences.  As reported online,  Brisbane Broncos playmaker, Darren Lockyer, faces insurmountable odds to play in this Friday’s Preliminary Final against Manly. Medical experts have warned Lockyer against playing, as further damage to his fractured cheekbone could result in potential damage to his eyesight and damage him for life. In recent times, Brett Kimmorley received similar injuries in 2009 as the Bulldogs made their charge towards the finals. After initially being ruled out for four weeks, he only missed one week – Lockyer has less time to prepare.  To illustrate the serious nature of the injury, Lockyer has been advised by medical specialists not to fly. But in true superstar fashion, he has arrived in Sydney by helicopter. Current odds for the match are Manly at $1.55 and Broncos at $2.45, but if Lockyer is ruled out the Broncos are likely to go as high as $3.  Lockyer is generally treated almost like a ‘god’ by his fans after a very successful rugby career. One hopes he is not taking too great a risk in not wanting to disappoint his team, fans or himself, by risking more serious injury.

Tonight was  Family History Society general meeting night – would have preferred to have remained at home, but duty called!!I did find it quite interesting, although these days, sitting around listening to other people talk about their research, does tire this member out rather quickly. Interestingly, Peter Free [our Chairman] gave me a loan of a bulky folder all about the Pennyweight Children’s Cemetery, near Castlemaine, which permanent readers will recall I visited a couple of weeks ago. A brief glance through the quite detailed contents, confirmed the opinion of the researcher at the Castlemaine Historical Society, on the 1^st September, that there was no recorded record of the death and/or burial there, of my ancestor William Kirk’s first child, Mary, who according to her Death Certificate, was buried there. A disappointing little aspect of that part of the research. Nevertheless, it looked as though I had some rather fascinating ‘historical’ reading ahead of me.

Today’s Rugby World Cup result, just the one match – Tonga defeated Japan 31-18  –  as we start to get close to the end of the 1^st round of qualifying matches

 

Australia is often described as the ‘lucky country’ but for many of our people, that is a misnomer. For example one section of the community regularly serviced by ‘Frontier Services’ come to mind.

There is a much larger proportion of the population suffering from mental illness, than we generally care to reflect upon. And this tends to very much worse in remote areas of the nation – where, of course, there are almost no health professionals in close support, if at all, of the people in need. Looking at recent correspondence from ‘Frontier Services’ we learn that people living in remote Australia are more vulnerable to mental health issues, which makes sense when we know that the factors affecting health such as higher levels of poverty, unemployment, substance misuse, child abuse, domestic violence and social isolation affect the people of remote Australia so much more. And when there is little access to services, the situation becomes so much worse..

Rosemary Young, National Director of the organisation, writes as follows.

“We have been working with Dr John Ashfield, a clinical psychologist based in country South Australia, to resource our patrol ministers for their pastoral and counselling role amongst the people they serve. In a technical sense, this is pretty straightforward. John has lots of wonderful advice to provide to patrol ministers and many of them have outstanding counselling skills. And any increase in their knowledge is bound to be beneficial..  The reality is really, really different! So many people are suffering from depression. So many people are reluctant to talk about it.  And so many of their partners are really, really worried.  This is the single biggest issue patrol ministers face. Time after time, the conversation turns, eventually, to anxiety, to sleeplessness, to loss of confidence and interest in – well, everything really. And it’s absolutely draining – exhausting – and challenging. We need to be able to resource the patrol ministers really well with materials, information and personal support, so that they can provide the support their people need…………………The problem sits below the surface. The struggle every day to simply ‘cope’, to just ‘go on’, eventually becomes too great”.

Of course letters of this nature, are part of a call by Frontier Services for financial support. As a non-profit organisation under the auspices of the Uniting Church, the continuation of much of their work depends [like so many other community service and charity organisations] upon donations and/or the sale of small items such as the annual Christmas card and other like ‘gift’ sales. While my personal ‘donation’ is minimal, the regular newsletter and correspondence from the Service are a constant reminder of the generally unacknowledged work and support given to many sectors of our Australian community by such organisations. Also a reminder that for many of our fellow countrymen and women,  a concept of a ‘lucky country’ is but a dream!

Meanwhile, on a slightly brighter, but with also a touch of seriousness, the following little piece which was sent to me recently – I don’t usually appreciate the kind of forwards that continually go around the internet world, I simply discard most of them without much thought.  This one had some value – an interesting way of looking at things – something for us all to think about!!

___________________________________________________________________________

Imagine that you had won the following prize in a contest: Each morning your bank would deposit $86,400.00 in your private account for your use.
However, this prize has rules, just as any game has certain rules. The first set of rules would be:
Everything that you didn’t spend during each day would be taken away from you.
You may not simply transfer money into some other account.
You may only spend it.
Each morning upon awakening, the bank opens your account with another $86,400.00 for that day. The second set of rules:
The bank can end the game without warning; at any time it can say, It’s over, the game is over! It can close the account and you will not receive a new one.
What would you personally do?
You would buy anything and everything you wanted right? Not only for yourself, but for all people you love, right? Even for people you don’t know, because you couldn’t possibly spend it all on yourself, right? You would try to spend every cent, and use it all, right?
ACTUALLY This GAME is REALITY!
Each of us is in possession of such a magical bank. We just can’t seem to see it.
The MAGICAL BANK is TIME!
Each morning we awaken to receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life, and when we go to sleep at night, any remaining time is NOT credited to us.
What we haven’t lived up that day is forever lost.
Yesterday is forever gone.
Each morning the account is refilled, but the bank can dissolve your account at any time….WITHOUT WARNING.
SO, what will YOU do with your 86,400 seconds?
Those seconds are worth so much more than the same amount in dollars.
Think about that, and always think of this:
]Enjoy every second of your life, because time races by so much quicker than you think.
So take care of yourself, be Happy, Love Deeply and enjoy life!
Here’s wishing you a wonderful and beautiful day.
Start spending.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Yes, certainly a thought or two worth considering. Meantime, closer to home, my eldest son called around last evening, with his ever exuberant dog [Murphy] – though, not so much as a visit, but to collect a loan I agreed to give him, to pay for some rather expensive car repairs!!    As I am reminding all of them at present, ‘Dad’ may not be so easily in the position of ‘helping’ out in that manner after this year, but certainly quite happy to do so while I can!!!  I’ve been helped that way in the past by a family member, and certainly try and return the ‘favour’ whenever that is possible. A bonus from that visit – Susan came out of her ‘rooms’ for a brief while, to join us – well to see James and his dog, essentially I guess –  with her home most of the time now [studies up north basically finished and/or given away because of other problems, though Dad is still paying the rent commitment in Bendigo], one might have expected to see more of the girl. It hasn’t really worked out that way, and apart from putting in an appearance for a meal [prepared or provided by ‘yours truly], Susie is spending most of the time when she is home, in one or other of the two rooms she frequents most in the house! At least she has a bit of part time work, while waiting for more permanent options to come along  – she has more or less taken over the part time selling role Jodie had at Bakers Delight, with Jodie now working full time with ‘Life Saving Victoria’ [into her second week now – I wonder how she is coping with the Monday to Friday routine that most of us have to get used to?

Another Monday morning, brilliant early morning sunshine, and Summer like temperatures predicted for today. Followed by a change this evening, with thunderyconditions, high winds, and the odd shower. That all happened actually, after the temperature climbed to around 29 degrees!!

I notice this date has a couple of birthdays – ‘young’ 34 year old nephew up in Brisbane, and also, Bek, the current house mate [former girlfriend] of younger son, Adam [about 6 months younger than Adam]. I sent along my usual round of greetings to all concerned.

One of my ‘pre-occupations’ as will have been ascertained by readers, is family history research. I was reading the Genes Reunited web site last night, and had to be amused by the following little ‘promotional’ blurb………‘Genes Reunited is one of the UK’s most popular family history websites with over 11 million members. Genes Reunited was launched in 2002 as a sister-site to Friends Reunited. Since then it has grown to become one of the UK’s largest family history websites marking a revolution in genealogy by combining historical records with social-networking. Members can build their family tree for free and then discover which ancestors they share with other members. We currently have over 750 million names listed on the site. One new name is added to the site every single second! Whether you are looking to discover your family history, or trying to get in touch with long lost relatives, Genes Reunited can help you. Search over 11 million family trees and 515 million records to find your family. At Genes Reunited you can start your family tree for FREE with our easy to use family tree builder’………………I was amused at the emphasise on ‘For Free’ which is of course far from the truth. I pay a relatively modest annual fee [certainly modest in comparison with the annual fees of organisations such as ‘Ancestry.com’] but I still find that whenever I want to discover something beyond a basic fact  –  ‘ahhhh, you need to upgrade your membership’ to go that extra step…………..nothing is ever truly free!!

Meantime, I notice that the Australian actor Guy Pearce has won an Emmy Award for his role in the  miniseries Mildred Pierce.  He was the only Australian nominated for an Emmy and took home the award for outstanding supporting actor in a movie or miniseries.  His co-star Kate Winslet joined him in the winner’s circle as she was awarded best actress in a miniseries.   Mildred Pierce tells the story of a divorced single mother who decides to open a restaurant business.  Pearce is famed for his roles in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, The King’s Speech and The Count of Monte Cristo.   Of those three films mentioned, I have only seen The King’s Speech, the other two not really being to my taste! But I’ve seen Guy in other productions, though not this show, for which the award was given.

On ABC TV last night, I watched a rather unusual movie/documentary, titled  ‘Mrs Carey’s Concert’, which tells the story set at  girls’ high school, where music director Karen Carey prepares her young students for a concert at the Opera House. Believing in the transformative power of great music, Carey insists upon a classical repertoire, sets a dauntingly high performance standard and requires the participation of every girl in the school. Mrs Carey inspires many of her girls, but some do not share her passion and are not afraid to say so.
 Her greatest challenge will be firing up the unwilling, and her antagonist is 16-year-old-Iris. Waging open warfare against authority, the charismatic Iris is the focal point of student resistance to Carey’s Opera House ambitions, and the only girl who gets seriously under her skin.
Emily is Carey’s star musician and a different sort of headache – a gifted but troubled teenager on the threshold of a brilliant musical career if only…  Mrs Carey wants Emily to solo in a Bruch violin concerto, but to bring out her best, she needs to keep the girl from going off the rails, and then get inside her head. This proves no easy task, because young Emily has her own distinctive take on everything.
Mrs Carey’s Concert is about music making and coming of age, about talent and courage, compliance and rebellion. About those prepared to open their minds and hearts to what the world has to offer… and those yet to discover the potential within.  The end of this ‘movie’, and particularly the playing of Bruch’s violin concerto, by Emily, and the young orchestra, moved this writer to tears as he watched – not sure why, simply I guess the emotion created by this beautiful music, but played by amateur musicians. As I watched this, I wondered whether it was ‘performed’ as it was, or a bit of play acting – I assumed the former, and the following review from David Stratton [of David and Margaret ‘At the Movies’ fame] confirms the reality of it all.

‘This magnificent documentary begins with a teenage girl, Doretta Balkizas, waiting for her cue to play a violin solo at Sydney’s Opera House. This young girl’s emotion-filled face is the starting point for a film about the work that goes into the staging of an annual concert by students at Sydney’s MLC School under the supervision of Mrs. Carey. As preparations for the 2009 concert take place, much of Mrs. Carey’s attention is focused on Emily Sun, who was born in Australia to Chinese parents who suffered under the Cultural Revolution, and who is to be the soloist for the year. In contrast there is Iris Shi, who leads a group of girls who can’t see the point of the concert and who present a discipline problem for the staff.

This astonishing fly-on-the-wall documentary from Bob Connolly and Sophie Raymond is a tribute to teachers and pupils alike. The amazing amount of work that goes into the bi-annual MLC Opera House concert is even more astonishing when you remember that these teenage girls have their regular school studies as well. Everyone’s expected to take part, but the dedicated and talented young musicians have to work extremely hard and overcome misgivings and other difficulties, egged on by their dedicated teachers. Connolly and Raymond obviously had total access, which makes for a rounded and very satisfying film that is both hugely entertaining and incredibly inspirational’

It was interesting to read some comments by readers afterwards – some affected in a very positive way like I was, or David, above,  while others were quite scathing of the production, such as the self serving nature of the women running the program, the attitude of Mrs Carey, that nothing else on the curriculum mattered, the music comes first, or the fact that a wealthy school such as MLC was promoted rather than the music achievements of a small rural school. It really doesn’t matter how ‘good’ or ‘successful’ as production such as this is, there will always be an element prepared to be negative and attack it’s purpose. One comment was that there was too much emphasise on the classical music being played – well, for heaven’s sake, that is what the whole documentary revolved around, and that could be understand from the initial promos!!

 And now, and one of my blog loves [you hadn’t noticed!!!?],  a few sporting outcomes from the weekend!!  Overnight rugby result from Saturday was not a good one, and for myself,  completed a weekend of supporting the losing teams –  the rugby, as reported in the ‘Guardian’ newspaper revealed that –  

‘From a last-gasp defeat to Australia in 1991 to being dumped in 2007 without ceremony, the World Cup has not always been the happiest of hunting grounds for Ireland. But they put that history of disappointment to rights in Auckland, beating one of the favourites of the title, denying Australia even a losing bonus point. It was all the more remarkable for coming on the back of a run of form that was indifferent at best: four defeats in four international warm-up games and a lacklustre victory over the USA. Suddenly Ireland were back to their swarming, passionate best. Sean O’Brien and Stephen Ferris were immense in the back row.  And yet the real damage was done in an even more unexpected area. Ireland have rarely been scattered at the scrummage, but equally, they do not tend to rip teams to pieces at the set piece. They did here, and a special mention must go the front row of Cian Healy, Rory Best and Mike Ross. A special note should also be made of the pincer tackling of Paul O’Connell and Donncha O’Callaghan, the second rows who held up the biggest and strongest of the Australian forwards and forced a scrummage, with the put-in to Ireland. It sounds a forward affair, and so it was, especially when the rain began to fall. There were no tries; just four penalties and a drop goal against two penalties. But there was drama at every turn, with Australia’s attempts to release their running three-quarters running into a brick-wall defence. Or if that was opened up on occasions, by a scrambled defence. Ireland tackled with discipline but also with fury. Tommy Bowe might have sealed the victory with a try in the last minute but he ran out of steam at the end of a 90-yard breakout. It was still a run that ate up the seconds, sending the Wallabies back to their own line, a dispiriting slog for the champions of the Tri Nations.   Ireland’s win shakes up the quarter final composition. Ireland should go through as pool winners; Australia as runners-up. Everything has been shaken up, Ireland the mighty rattle’.

While referring to rugby, let’s have a look at the weekend results in the current World Cup competition, with six matches played since our last report.

Rugby World Cup results for Saturday,  17^th  September

Argentine 43 defeated Romania 8

South Africa 49 defeated Fiji 3

Ireland 15 defeated Australia 6

Rugby World Cup results for Sunday, 18th September

Wales 17 defeated Samoa  10

England 41 defeated Georgia 10

France 22 defeated Canada 16

In the Cricket Test, Australia vs Sri Lanka, Day 2 and 3 –  Australia 316, and partway through Day 3, Sri Lanka were  5 for 340. Another test century to Michael Hussey. By Stumps on Day 3 [Sunday] Sri Lanka were 6 for 428, over 100 runs in front with just two days to play. Australia are going to have to play a very aggressive innings to attempt to win this one!

Results from the Davis Cup World Group playoff between Australia and Switzerland on grass courts at Royal Sydney Golf Club. The deciding match was completed Monday after being suspended by darkness Sunday……………………………Switzerland 3, Australia 2

Sunday/Monday Singles

Roger Federer, Switzerland, def. Bernard Tomic, Australia, 6-2, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.

Stanislas Wawrinka, Switzerland, def. Lleyton Hewitt, Australia, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-4, 6-3.

SaturdayDoubles

Lleyton Hewitt and Chris Guccione, Australia, def. Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka, Switzerland 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (5).

FridaySingles

Bernard Tomic, Australia, def. Stanislas Wawrinka, Switzerland, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.

Roger Federer, Switzerland, def. Lleyton Hewitt, Australia, 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-2, 6-3.

I thought it was a pity that the Australian captain, Pat Rafter, had so vehemently insisted on play being stopped because of bad light last evening – while Lleyton was behind at the time, I felt he was getting back on course, and had more opportunity of saving the match at that point, in preference to coming back this morning. A consequence of that loss means that Australia will remain outside of the top grouping of Davis Cup national teams for at least another 12 months, until 2013. Probably a good outcome in reality – we can’t depend upon Lleyton Hewitt for much longer to pull us through, and apart from young Bernard Tomic, there are not any other ‘top grade’ men players around at present. A position in the top group is probably not justified at present in any case.  My view anyway!!

I’m looking forward to my radio show tonight – have three of great mixed genres of music planned, hopefully there will be a listener or two out there in radio land tuning in with me [says he with faint hearted optimism!!].

 

 

 

 

Today is the anniversary of my Dad’s birth, 90 years ago, what a pity he was not given the opportunity to see 2011.  Some years after my father died, I dreamt that I met him in a city street\, and having my first son with me at the time, I was able to introduce Dad to the only grandchild he would ever meet. Perhaps, somehow, there was a message attached to that dream. I found a poem the other day, which reminded me of that dream – on a slightly different tact, but worthy of inclusion here I felt.  Called ‘Meeting with My Father in the Orchard, written by Homero Haridjis [and translated by George McWhirtier]

Meeting with My Father in the Orchard
Past noon. Past the cinema with the tall sorrowful walls on the point of coming down, I enter the orchard. Show over, all of them have gone: day laborers, dogs and doors. My father is standing in front of a fig tree. My mother has died. The children, grown old. He’s alone, small threads of air weave in and out of his tattered clothes. For fear of getting too close and startling him with my living presence, I want to go straight by, the strange one now with white hair whom he asks, “Who’s that there?” “Father, it’s me, your son.” “Does your mother know you’re back. Will you stay and eat?” “Father, for years now your wife has lain at rest by your side in the town graveyard.” Then, as if he has divined everything, he calls me by my childhood name and gives me a fig. So we met up, the living and the dead. Then, each went on his way.