Blog

Well, for a start, it’s the 358th day of the year (359th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with just seven days remaining of 2010. And certainly in the western world,  the day is commonly known as Christmas Eve.  Now I wanted to remind myself as to just what was the Gregorian Calendar [some call it the Christian, or Western Calendar]?  This is the interpretation I found recently somewhere, and we might accept it as ‘close enough’. The Gregorian Calendar is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter gravissimas. The reformed calendar was adopted later that year by a handful of countries, with other countries adopting it over the following centuries. From here, I could go on with a description of the motivation for the Gregorian reform, but I might leave that to the scientific types out there who could digest with little difficulty that explanation far better than I could ever explain it.

Of course in the Christian world, it’s celebrated as the eve of the birth of Jesus Christ, so you will see a plethora of prayers and verses such as the following, being quoted within religious circles of the many denominations and ‘sects’ of the Christian Church.

Lord God,
we thank you for making this holy night shine
with the true light of your Son.
As we celebrate his birth as a human child,
fill us with the joy of heaven.
For he lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever.

Meanwhile, I want to turn to a more secular source of literary culture, as might be applied to Christmas, for those who are interested.  An artistic piece of verse, going back to so-called ‘olden times’ comes from the pen of one writer named Sir Walter Scott.  This is about as graphic as you could get in those times!  Have a read!

On Christmas Eve the bells were rung;
On Christmas Eve the mass was sung;
That only night, in all the year,
Saw the stoled priest the chalice rear.
The damsel donned her kirtle sheen;
The hall was dressed with holly green;
Forth to the wood did merry-men go,
To gather in the mistletoe.
Then opened wide the baron’s hall
To vassal, tenant, serf, and all;
Power laid his rod of rule aside,
And Ceremony doffed his pride.
The heir, with roses in his shoes,
That night might village partner choose.
The lord, underogating, share
The vulgar game of ‘ post and pair.

All hailed, with uncontrolled delight,
And general voice, the happy night,
That to the cottage, as the crown,
Brought tidings of salvation down!

The fire, with well-dried logs supplied,
Went roaring up the chimney wide;
The huge hall-table’s oaken face,
Scrubbed till it shone, the day to grace,
Bore then upon its massive board
No mark to part the squire and lord.
Then was brought in the lusty brawn,
By old blue-coated serving-man;
Then the grim boar’s-head frowned on high,
Crested with bays and rosemary.
Well can the green-garbed ranger tell,
How, when, and where the monster fell
What dogs before his death he tore,
And all the baiting of the boar.
The wassail round in good brown bowls,
Garnished with ribbons, blithely trowls.
There the huge sirloin reeked: hard by
Plum-porridge stood, and Christmas-eye;
Nor failed old Scotland to produce,
At such high-tide, her savoury goose.
Then came the merry masquers in,
And carols roared with blithesome din
If unmelodious was the song,
It was a hearty note, and strong.
Who lists may in their mumming see
Traces of ancient mystery;
White shirts supplied the masquerade,
And smutted cheeks the visors made;
But, oh! what masquers, richly dight,
Can boast of bosoms half so light!
England was merry England, when
Old Christmas brought his sports again.
‘Twas Christmas broached the mightiest ale;
‘Twas Christmas told the merriest tale
A Christmas gambol oft could cheer
The poor man’s heart through half the year.’

In order to investigate the origin of many of our Christmas customs,  we need to really go back to our ‘mother country [Great Britain]  – though in many cases, the Australian climate, and the gradual move towards a more secular, and multicultural society, means some of these customs are not so relevant any more  –  nevertheless, I will quote from an unnamed writer, who was looking at the question from an English viewpoint.

In this article, we are told that:-   “It becomes necessary to wander far back into the regions of past time, long ere Julius Caesar had set his foot on our shores, or St. Augustine preached the doctrines of Christianity to the men of Kent. We have frequently, in the course of this work, had occasion to remark on the numerous traces still visible in popular customs of the old pagan rites and ceremonies. These, it is needless here to repeat, were extensively retained after the conversion of Britain to Christianity, partly because the Christian teachers found it impossible to wean their converts from their cherished superstitions and observances, and partly because they themselves, as a matter of expediency, ingrafted the rites of the Christian religion on the old heathen ceremonies, believing that thereby the cause of the Cross would be rendered more acceptable to the generality of the populace, and thus be more effectually promoted. By such an amalgamation, no festival of the Christian year was more thoroughly characterized than Christmas; the festivities of which, originally derived from the Roman Saturnalia, had afterwards been intermingled with the ceremonies observed by the British Druids at the period of the winter-solstice, and at a subsequent period became incorporated with the grim mythology of the ancient Saxons. Two popular observances belonging to Christmas are more especially derived from the worship of our pagan ancestors—the hanging up of the mistletoe, and the burning of the Yule log.

We’ll look at the first one here, because in Australia, it’s highly unlikely that anyone will be sitting around an open fire at Christmas time [although looking at December 2010, there may be even some doubt on that idea!].

As regards the former of these practices, it is well known that, in the religion of the Druids, the mistletoe was regarded with the utmost veneration, though the reverence which they paid to it seems to have been restricted to the plant when found growing on the oak—the favorite tree of their divinity Tutanes—who appears to have been the same as the Phenician god Baal, or the sun, worshiped under so many different names by the various pagan nations of antiquity. At the period of the winter-solstice, a great festival was celebrated in his honour, as will be found more largely commented on under our notice of Christmas Day. When the sacred anniversary arrived, the ancient Britons, accompanied by their priests, the Druids, sallied forth with great pomp and rejoicings to gather the mystic parasite, which, in addition to the religious reverence with which it was regarded, was believed to possess wondrous curative powers. When the oak was reached on which the mistletoe grew, two white bulls were bound to the tree, and the chief Druid, clothed in white (the emblem of purity), ascended, and, with a golden knife, cut the sacred plant, which was caught by another priest in the folds of his robe. The bulls, and often also human victims, were then sacrificed, and various festivities followed. The mistletoe thus gathered, was divided into small portions, and distributed among the people, who hung up the sprays over the entrances to their dwellings, as a propitiation and shelter to the sylvan deities during the season of frost and cold. These rites in connection with the mistletoe, were retained throughout the Roman dominion in Britain, and also for a long period under the sovereignty of the Jutes, Saxons, and Angles”..

Now, something of more relevance to the children – again, perhaps in past years more than present day,  but as the saying went  ‘Tis December 24, the day before Christmas, and all through the land, families send excited children to bed with a reading of Clement Moore’s classic poem,   ‘A Visit from St. Nicholas”.

Again, from more literary sources than I,

“Moore is thought to have composed the tale, now popularly known as “The Night Before Christmas,” on December 24, 1822, while traveling home from Greenwich Village, where he had bought a turkey to fill the last of several baskets that his family was accustomed to donating to the poor during the holiday season.  Perhaps inspired by the plump, bearded Dutchman who took him by sleigh on his errand through the snow-covered streets of New York City, Moore penned A Visit from St. Nicholas for the amusement of his six children, with whom he shared the poem that evening. His vision of St. Nicholas draws upon Dutch-American and Norwegian traditions of a magical, gift-giving figure who appears at Christmas time, and was likely influenced by descriptions of St. Nicholas appearing in several publications from recent years, including Washington Irving’s ‘A History of New York’ (1809).  Ironically, Moore  is said to have been embarrassed by the light-hearted verse, which was made public without his knowledge in December 1823, and he did not publish it under his name until 1844”.

Back to 2010, and after a shortened day at the office – as with most organisations I imagine, although in my case, it was home to a peaceful afternoon, with no need for last minute shopping [all done and dusted – completed!!!], nor was there anything in the way of an office party to end the working year – beyond all of that!  A relaxing few hours, before heading up to my radio station for our annual ‘Christmas Eve’ live broadcast celebrations  – a night when we try an encourage as many of our presenters as are available to come and join their fellow broadcasters for a few hours of general socialising, Christmas cheer, play a few Christmas songs, and in the main, encourage our listeners to join the atmosphere of the night.  One necessary addition to this year’s program, the need to keep the ‘front door’ closed at all times – we seem to have collected, just near the studio door, on an external part of the building, a ‘bee’s hive’ [hope they’re not wasps], and with the likelihood of some sweet food and drink being on site tonight, we really don’t want a ‘bee’ invasion inside the building! Nor does this presenter want to come in on Christmas morning to be greeted by those little winged creatures!!

And then, time to encourage children all and sundry to the bedsheets and pillow, cos’ it’s time for a visit from St. Nicholas:-

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there….

Clement C. Moore, “A Visit from St. Nicholas”

I must finish with one of  my favourite stories from the history of special events on this day  –  the Christmas truce of World War I. There was a very good European movie made of this event a few years – can’t recall the name,  but it was screened at the Art House Cinema here in Sunbury a couple of years ago, and I had a bit of a ‘blog’ review of the movie at the time.  Here’s a brief paragraph from an article written about the occasion,  which I found on the internet recently, and  I thought it worth sharing here. If only such truces could be an ‘all time’ occasion, and of course, it illustrates the futility of war!

“During World War I in 1914 and 1915 an unofficial Christmas truce took place, particularly that between British and German troops. The truce began on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1914, when German troops began decorating the area around their trenches in the region of Ypres, Belgium, for Christmas. They began by placing candles on trees, then continued the celebration by singing Christmas carols, most notably Stille Nacht (Silent Night). The British troops in the trenches across from them responded by singing English carols. The two sides shouted Christmas greetings to each other. Soon thereafter, there were calls for visits across the “No man’s land” where small gifts were exchanged. The truce also allowed a breathing spell where recently-fallen soldiers could be brought back behind their lines by burial parties. Funerals took place as soldiers from both sides mourned the dead together and paid their respects. At one funeral in No Man’s Land, soldiers from both sides gathered and read a passage from Psalm 23. The truce occurred in spite of opposition at higher levels of the military command. Earlier in the autumn, a call by Pope Benedict XV for an official truce between the warring governments had been ignored” [author unknown].

Your generosity, warmth, and sharing & loving nature will always be treasured by your surviving six children, and wife, Betty, who has been at peace with you now for 20 years.
A little tribute to my father, who passed away this morning, some 41 years ago. Still seems like yesterday

I noticed in the media the other day, reports of  the funeral of Gus Mercurio. I don’t know if readers from outside Australia will know who Gus was  – in fact, he was born in the USA, and apparently came out to Australia with the US boxing team for the 1956 Olympic Games at Melbourne, and never left!  Mercurio was the father of dancer and actor Paul Mercurio, who starred in the hit 1992 film Strictly Ballroom.  I saw a report that Paul had posted a message on his website yesterday before his father’s ”fairly major” operation: ”My dad is at this very moment [lying] on a table in a hospital getting cut open to fix an aneurysm in his chest. Spare a thought for him if you can. He is a tough old bugger, so he should be fine. However, he is getting on – 82 and has become a little frailer over the last few years.”  Unfortunately, he apparently wasn’t tough enough to survive that particular battle.

With a distinctive ‘gravelly’ voice, he was described by one commentator as a ‘have-a –go-man’. Born into a boxing family, he served three years in the US Marines where he put his ring skills to good use, as the marines looked after their fighters, and later became a professional boxer, was injured in his last two fights, was treated by a chiropractor and decided to become one. He was a have-a-go man.  As well as working as a chiropractor, he will be remembered for his efforts in the boxing ring as a top referee, commentator and administrator.  His natural talents spread to other areas, and brought him to the attention of Australian television studio networks.  Mercurio starred in several Australian TV series, including Cash and Company, Tandarra and the miniseries Power Without Glory.  He played guest roles in Australian TV police series, including Homicide, Division 4 and Matlock Police.  Meanwhile, film appearances included The Blue Lagoon, The Man from Snowy River, Turkey Shoot, Crocodile Dundee II, Return to the Blue Lagoon and Doing Time for Patsy Cline.

Paul Mercurio and his dad. Photo: John Woudstra

As described in the ‘Age’ on Tuesday,  ‘There were cowboy hats, broken noses, and a few familiar faces in Diamond Creek yesterday as about 300 people, many from the worlds of boxing and entertainment, gathered to farewell August Eugene Mercurio’.  His partner’s words at the funeral included the comment that ”He was the first to admit his was a man-made face,” she said. ”Boxing was his first love, it was his means to escape his underprivileged youth … It granted him his dream to join his boxing mates in coming to the Olympics here in 1956, when he first fell in love with this country”.  Meanwhile, Paul Mercurio, who was the MC at the ceremony in Diamond Creek {Melbourne] on Monday had this to say about his father:-

”Dad had lots of different families, but probably the greatest love in his life was boxing,” Gus was the product of a brutal home in Milwaukee, and that upbringing cast a long shadow. Paul recounted an episode from his father’s childhood when Gus arrived home to find ”his mother bloodied at the bottom of the stairs, and his father standing at the top”.  ”His father was a very hard man, and he instilled that toughness in Dad,” Paul said. ”[Dad] could be a hard man, he could be a mean man, he could be a tough man and often he could be a difficult son of a bitch. But he was also a generous man, and a loving man, a committed man, a unique man, a talented man and a very courageous man, and we all loved him.” 

As did many ‘fans’ around the country over the past 30-40 years as his popularity developed in the many fields he became involved in. I recall him, simply because he always seemed to be turning up somewhere. In fact, I’m sure one of our local radio presenters  interviewed him via the telephone a few years ago, perhaps as part of the sports show, can’t remember.

For today’s little contribution, I thought I might look at some of the end of year messages from a selection the organisations and other groups that I have ‘dealings’ with throughout the year, either through employment or other general interests.  Things have slowed down on the office front, the phones have almost stopped, and the ‘boss’ has come down with the flu!!  We told her to stay away  –  don’t need any viruses spread around as we prepare for a brief Christmas/New Year break – and for me, the need for my voice to remain healthy with various radio commitments coming up over the next week or so!!

Anyway, looking at some of the organisations that have played a part in my 2010 activities, we shall begin with the accounting profession, which has certainly being a major part of my work involvement through most of my working life.

From the CPA President [Certified Public Accountants] – his  message for members CPAs at the end of  2010

‘]”I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on the many and varied achievements of 2010….when we looked at how the organisation could do some things better while continuing to innovate and add value to members…………….As the year draws to a close, I have reflected on the organisation’s performance for 2010 and I believe that this year’s  performance  reflects the ongoing strength of our organisation and our continued commitment to our members. Our brand is very important to us. What each of us says. What each of us does. And how each of us behaves affects our brand. The way we act professionally, the integrity we exhibit and the pride we take in whatever we do enhances the brand for all of us”.   [a philosophy which could and should apply to any reputable organisation!].

From ‘The Refugee Council of Australia & A Just Australia

“Thank you for your continued support of AJA and the campaign to secure fair treatment for asylum seekers and refugees to Australia. We have had a very mixed year, some wins to celebrate and some incredible lows we had hoped not to see again in Australia – and, of course, the tragedy on Christmas Island just last week. In response to calls from the media, we issued a statement last week about the terrible tragedy on Christmas Island. Details are still coming to light and it could be days or weeks before we have the full picture. What we do know is that desperate people have suffered enormously in this incident and Australia must show compassion to them and create policy change to prevent this happening again. It is very sad that on the airwaves, blogs and online commentary there are people saying those on board were “queue jumpers”, “that they knew the risks”, “that the incident is the result of ‘soft’ policy by the government” and more. It is vital that you add your voice to this national discussion and inject some fact, humanity and rational debate to the issues. Call your talkback radio stations, check online commentary on news pieces, write to editors. Be a part of the voice for change”.  [Certainly, I shall be commenting on this and other issues of the refugee situation in an article planned for Facebook over the next few days]..

And from the University of Melbourne – Alumni Relations team  –

In recent communication, reference has been made to a newly developed ‘Welcome to Melbourne’ campaign, and the comment made that  –  ‘If you’ve ever started life in a new city, or just passed through on your travels, you’ll know a local connection can mean the difference between just scratching the surface of a new city or really feeling at home in the community. For the University of Melbourne’s international AusAID students, a local connection also means knowing there’s someone close by who can offer support, advice or just a friendly face. Since 2009, the Alumni Welcome to Melbourne program has helped make the transition to Melbourne a little smoother for these students by pairing them with an alumnus host for a home-cooked meal’.  [Certainly, an interesting approach and indicative of similar type programs in many like organisations].

Alternative Technology Association [ATA] –  continuing progress on sustainabililty programs 

From my previous employer, still publishing their quarterly ‘Renew Magazine’,  their December E-News contribution reminds members and readers that:-

“ReNew celebrated 30 years publishing on sustainable living this year, topped off when ATA received a Highly Commended in the Small Publisher of the Year Award as part of the Publishers Australia Excellence Awards. And we took sustainability on the road with the Renew Open House Day in Castlemaine, showcasing examples of retrofitted, recycled, state of the art and shared sustainable dwellings. Next year we’ll keep a closer eye on the policies that help and hinder sustainability at home, plus all the regular DIY articles, Q & A, buyers guides and reader competitions. Thanks for supporting RFeNew this year and we look forward to being part of your sustainable future in 2011”

[I have always supported the work that the ATA carried out during my 4/5 years with them, but I could never become quite as fanatically enthused about the whole process of sustainable living that some of my co-workers at the time exhibited, virtually living 24 hours on the topic!! Way over the top!  However, I continue to be interested enough to recognise the importance of their work, and to read the many interesting articles which appear in their quarterly magazine, but I doubt I will ever be converted to their obsession with the subject matter!]

And from Genes Reunited [a family history research organisation]: 

 they are the genealogy organisation that I am a basic member of [along with Ancestry.com] – Genes Reunited have despatched a little pre-Christmas promo, looking for more sign-ups! Fair enough. I agree with their comment about the ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ TV program, such as the episodes referred to  –  as an amateur genealogist myself, I find the programs quite fascinating, but also find them a little disconcerting, in that the people who are featured in the program [usually celebrities, etc] have a pretty easy run in their particular family search – everything is prepared and ready for them in advance, and the family searches always appear so easy to achieve, and quickly solved!  Not quite so, in reality as all fellow genealogists will agree – as we battle the passing of older generations and their knowledge, and the practical difficulties [and costs] of finding records, etc.

However, Genes Reunited had this to say: –         “On Sunday night’s episode of ‘Who Do you Think You Are?’ on SBS, singer Tina Arena went on the emotional journey of tracing her Italian ancestry. Amongst other things, she discovered a reason why her grandfather was such a difficult man. After his father died, he was sent to work in the sulphur mines at the tender age of 6, and had an incredibly hard life; she commented that if he were still alive today she would ‘kiss him to death’. These emotional journeys & amazing discoveries are not just restricted to celebrities; you too can discover your own family history easily using Genes Reunited”……………….[ahhh, yes, it all sounds so easy. And of course, no mention is made of the costs involved in becoming an upgraded member, with all available privileges and benefits – a common theme with most organisations I guess!!  But then, life wasn’t meant to be easy!].

From the Carlton Football Club  –  my preferred Australian Rules football team

 

The 2010 season has come and gone, and with it another finals appearance – and while the end result was disappointing, there were undoubtedly a number of positives to emerge from the year.
Since our final game in 2010, the Carlton family has been able to share in the glory of Chris Judd’s Brownlow Medal triumph. What a grand result for a truly wonderful player and great Club leader, who  was only too keen for all Carlton people to share in the victory.

The response to the 2011 Membership Campaign, “No Passengers”, has been extremely pleasing. Membership is at a pre-Christmas all-time record as the Club strives to secure an all-time record number of 50,000 members in 2011, and as the slogan suggests, “No Passengers” is all about getting everyone involved.

The Carlton team of 2011 first takes to the field on Saturday, February 12, in what is the opening round of the NAB Cup. In the revised format we meet both Richmond and Collingwood at Etihad Stadium, commencing at 7:15pm, with the Carlton Family Day confirmed for the following day, Sunday February 13th, at Visy Park.
The real action begins on Thursday, March 24, when Carlton will once again kick-off the AFL season against Richmond at the MCG, and it goes without saying that we expect a massive turnout of Carlton supporters for what shapes as a vital game at the home of football. On behalf of the Directors and everyone at the Carlton Football Club, I wish you a very safe and happy Festive Season and look forward to your support of the mighty Blues in 2011.

And finally, from the AMRAP organisation, who provides some of the ‘local’ content music for one of my radio programs, we had ‘season’s greetings’ from them also:-

 

“AMRAP would like to thank you for sharing our vision of getting great Australian music national airplay faster and we wish you the very best this holiday season. In place of a traditional Christmas card this year, AMRAP has donated the amount it would have cost to send you a card [by post] to Oxfam’s ‘Close the Gap’ Campaign. Close the Gap is Australia’s largest campaign to improve Indigenous health.  Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can expect to live substantially shorter lives than other Australians – up to 20 years less in some cases. For more info about the campaign visit www.oxfam.org.au   We look forward to working with you in 2011”.

Well now, they are just a sample of some of the places I communicate with [or vice versa] throughout the year – there are various others, such as ‘Frontier Services’ which I refer to now and then,  the Melbourne Recital Centre, Art Gallery of Ballarat, the Arts Centre [Melbourne], Ancestry.com, Melbourne University, National Seniors, the Genebase [DNA] organisation,  and so on/……………………it all makes life a little more interesting from time to time!!

 

A few days ago, I agreed in broad terms to a ‘Statement ‘that the ‘Get Up’ pro-active organisation here in Australia, wanted to send to ‘America’ as a kind of protest against that nation’s perceived persecution of the Wikileaks promoter, Julian Assange, and the organisation itself that he was heading. Apparently that ‘statement’ appeared as a full page ad in New York times last Thursday – I haven’t read, I think GetUp want $15 from me for that privilege, or at least, all my personal postal contact details – no doubt so that I can be bombarded with a lot more material than I already get through email from GetUp.

I did willingly sign up with them of course, because I felt that some of the causes that they have promoted over the past year or so, of a political nature had some value to them, and were important issues. But along the way, like other pro-active organisations I’ve become interested in, I have at times felt their actions and motives over stepped the line a bit, and occasionally used tactics that my more conservative [careful if you like] approach did not want to go along with. Example prior to the Federal election, I felt the tactic of ‘pulling out’ isolated statements made by Opposition leader Tony Abbott, usually in a totally different context to the way they were used against him, in really poor taste, and an unnecessary use of a typical negative attack.

So while the ‘statement’ to the USA, was in broad terms aimed at standing up to safeguard freedom of information and the rule of law, and as a so-called ‘sober and poignant appeal to Australia’s ally, the United States’  –  in GetUp’s opinion, a continuation of the ‘fight for free speech, a free press and freedom of information in a global, modern and interconnected world’ and their desire to ‘continue to stand up for the rules of law, due process, and the democratic values that are often threatened in times of uncertainty’ –  all of this in broad terms I have no real concerns about.  But I do maintain that in certain circumstances, individuals should expect to be able to become involved in private conversations about issues of concern to them as individuals without those conversations been assumed to be ‘public property’ – which is far as I can see is what WikiLeaks is doing –  ‘everything’ in their view is ‘public property’ and if we want to talk about democratic values, that attitude to me seems to be negating such a philosophy!  I’m not sure what the broad opinion on all this is  – it ‘appears’ to be on the side of WikiLeaks, indicating the view that that ‘machine’ is doing no wrong in any situation. If that’s the case, it seems I’m in opposition to the main stream view. Perhaps if there is a threat to international relations and/or security [though we don’t need to rely on WikiLeaks for such threats to occur]  there is probably a case, but in view, some of the reports that we have been reading over recent weeks, well their release for world wide consumption is a total over-reaction, and a ‘cruel’ indictment on many innocent people.

I guess I would like to actually ‘see’ what the Statement in the New York Times said but that means releasing my personal  information to GetUp – probably perfectly harmless, but it’s my democratic freedom to make that choice, and I’m sure if I’m really desperate to read the statement,  the NYT is on the web!

Call it what you like, it was officially the  day of our ‘Staff Strategic Planning Session’ – review of the year’s activities, and plans for 2011.  Considering there are only three of us on the staff, in many ways it was an unnecessary waste of resources, but to conduct these things, looks good on the resume of the organisation [and probably doesn’t do any ‘harm’ to the resume of the boss either!!!

Nevertheless, some useful ideas came out of the few hours devoted to that task this Monday – I was a little surprised that no real consideration had been given to the possibility that I might actually retire next year, perhaps it was assumed that Bill will go on forever!  My indication as an aid in overall planning for the year] that I intended to finish full time work, come next 18 October, seemed to come as a bit of a surprise!! Oh well, I’ve brought it out in the open now, and as someone suggested, those next ten months will no doubt pass a lot quicker than might be anticipated just now!  Anyway, putting all of that aside, the highlight of the day was our three-person strategic planning lunch down at Ahmed’s Clifton Cafe in  the bustling little neighbourhood of Clifton Hill, 15 minutes walk down the road [though we didn’t walk on this occasion – don’t think we do on most occasions, though most of the basic services we use are located in that area].

The other pleasing point about today – in fact about the next few weeks  – school holidays have commenced, and from hereon, a lot of workers and businesses will also be on ‘holiday’ over the Christmas/January period – at that means less traffic on the roads and freeways. Already noticeable this morning!!

Perhaps it’s part of a world thing, this rather unusually cool Summer we have begun – over in the northern hemisphere, in both Europe and the USA, they seem to be experiencing a severe early approach to their Winters, so in this part of the world, I guess we shouldn’t be surprised at the strange affects of the current weather patterns. Anyway, gardens and lawns here are growing and flourishing at a much faster rate than twelve months ago – too fast in fact with respect to the latter. A note I make, whilst just having been advised that my lawn mower which I lent to the ‘other half’ of the family a few days ago, seems to have stopped working, and has not been returned to me. I really would have liked things to have been looking just a touch  tidier out front, as Christmas Day approaches. It seems like a new mower might be on the expense agenda – after the last service, my ‘mechanic’ suggested that the machine was getting to the point where replacement was becoming a more economical option than further maintenance.  Why do mechanical innovations always have to eventually ‘wear out’??

I notice amongst my regular messages from the Liberal Party that our esteemed Opposition leader, Tony Abbott is not resting on his laurels, and just before Christmas, is back on the ‘attack’ against the ‘new’ Labor Government at the Federal Level.  There was a column in the ‘Australian’ newspaper a few days ago, where I see he was already  highlighting what he refers to as the continuing failure of the Gillard Government. Fair enough, I guess that is his job, but I do much prefer the positive over the negative approach, and I think that despite the ‘negative’ approach to this particular contribution, there was more of an element of the Coalition’s [Opposition]  plans for next year. Here’s a brief précis of his comments, as reported to me from the Liberal website on the 15^th December.

He said:

“Labor is in government but it’s far from clear whether anyone is actually in power. There is little evidence a government that had notoriously “lost its way” has actually found it again. If anything, it seems to be going from bad to worse.   “The Prime Minister’s declaration that 2011 would be the year of “decision and delivery” represents the triumph of hope over experience. The worse the government gets, the more important it is that the opposition be a credible alternative. When the government is the despair even of its supporters, the opposition carries the hopes of nearly everyone.

“Our task is to use the coming year to establish political ownership over moves towards lower taxes, fairer welfare, better services and stronger borders by showing that they are backed by well-developed policies that could be swiftly and competently implemented.”   People who don’t normally support the Coalition have to believe that a change of government would be good for the system. The opposition can’t run the country from the wrong side of the parliament but it needs to show leadership for people at least to believe that change for the better is possible. During the election campaign, I said that voters who wanted to “end the waste, repay the debt, stop the big new taxes and stop the boats” had to change the government. The positive aspect of this refrain was a commitment to better services, lower taxes and stronger borders.  The Coalition had strong policies to inject more community control into the running of schools and hospitals, to move from a welfare state to a participation society and to take practical steps to improve the environment. These policies addressed systemic problems in ways that reflected liberal and conservative values and will be fundamental to our appeal at the next election”.

True enough Tony, in your suggestion that the Coalition can’t run the country from the Opposition benches, and your intimation that the people must be able to be convinced that a change of government will be good for the system and nation overall.  I actually feel that the Opposition has been ‘sitting back’ a little more in the past few months, not quite as much on the attack as in the twelve months leading up to the August election, although admittedly, the seemingly few weeks since then that our politicians have actually spent in Parliament House may also be a contributing factor to that impression. Or maybe our Federal leaders are taking a leaf out of the approach of the successful Victorian Liberals in the recent State election – they did not really stand out as an alternative government prior to the election, was almost a case of coming from behind in the ‘last quarter’ with a leader who at first impression to many, including myself, appeared to lack the necessary drive and ‘attack’ mechanism to take charge of a government. He just remained ‘himself’ throughout that campaign, and it seemed to have worked, though I guess time will tell over the next four years if the Victorian electorate made the right choice.

Mind you, Tony has not gone right back into his shell, as these words from his article suggest – “the Prime Minister’s declaration that 2011 would be the year of “decision and delivery” represents the triumph of hope over experience. The worse the government gets, the more important it is that the opposition be a credible alternative. When the government is the despair even of its supporters, the opposition carries the hopes of nearly everyone”.

Interesting to see how those words and methology change after the period of the Christmas & January break  – while government continues of course, the thrust and bustle of the ‘parliamentary’ side of politics sits in limbo for a few weeks, again!

Meanwhile, the 3^rd Cricket Test finished today, almost 2 days early, with a ‘surprising’ win to the Australians – certainly, early on Day 2 [Friday] it looked almost a certainty that the English were heading for a second win and the Test series, but some great Australian bowling, which continued on into the English second innings last night and this morning, turned that around very quickly. At least now, as we head towards the traditional Boxing Day test here in Melbourne this coming weekend, the series remains open to victory by either side.  Final scores in the 3^rd Ashes Test saw:   Australia: 268 and 309 defeated England: 187 and 123

Today, during a few spare moments, I finished reading a book given to me for my birthday, last October – called ‘Outback Spirit’ and put together by Sue Williams, it told a series of stories about a number of Australia’s unsung heroes, those men and women who in various aspects of life, help many of those people who inhabit the outback and remote areas of Australia. One had to feel very humbled at some of the feats and achievements of these ‘volunteers’ and ‘heroes’  –  as Sue Williams describes them, embodying the ‘spirit of the outback’, ignoring personal discomfort at great sacrifice in many cases to help others in need of assistance, where such help would not otherwise be available. While many of the stories related to Indigenous families and individuals in Australia’s frontier regions [both as recipients, and as the ‘hero’], all aspects of Australia’s more remote communities are represented.

I have to admit, that in reading of the stories of many of these characters, and their deeds, tears were brought to my eyes.  And humbled, with the realisation of the magnitude of the tasks many of them undertake.  As Sue herself writes in the ‘acknowledgement’ section at the end of the book

“This time we decided to extend the celebration of all the greatest qualities of Outback people to include both men and women [Sue’s other book, of this nature, was called ‘Women of the Outback’ – she’s actually written 11 books]. This book is therefore a tribute not only to the incredible people described on its pages – to each of whom I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude for opening up their lives to a stranger – but to everyone who confronts and overcomes the challenges of Outback life for themselves and those around them who need a helping hand”.

In an Introduction to the book, Australia’s present Governor-General, Quentin  Bryce, who herself, grew up in the outback central west of Queensland, wrote that “It’s  been a real pleasure to introduce this new book celebrating the spirit of the Outback I came to love; and the commitment, generosity and courage of those who are today helping improve the quality of people’s lives in rural and remote Australia”. And that’s what these people featured in the book do – so often,  make an enormous contribution to people’s lives, and in so doing,  generally improve the quality of people’s lives through a myriad of ways and means, using their own talents and abilities, and time in doing so.

Just a sample of the examples referred to in the book  –  ‘Cheryl flies sick patients from rural areas to emergency medical treatment in cities; Sue is often the only one between life and death for her patients in the Kimberley; Ricky trades city comforts to connect with kids through sport in remote communities while Eileen overcomes great challenges to protect remote land for generations to come, Yvonne, who lost her son through suicide and now helps men in rural areas develop relationships and basic life skills in order to prevent them from suffering a similar fate to that of her son. Also in here is the remarkable story of Paul, who assists Indigenous communities by providing much needed repairs to homes through his Healthabitat service [I mentioned this story in a blog a few days ago]    – these are some of the characters who embody the spirit of the Outback’.  I read one review which suggested that each story is like watching an episode of  the ABC’s TV series ‘Australian Story’, very true!

During the course of this morning, I managed to complete most of my Christmas shopping  –  something that I doubt I have ever achieved ‘a week before Christmas’ – felt quite pleased with myself as well!!! And with most of my Christmas greetings also despatched [as far as normal postage mail is concerned], I feel I can devote my attention to other things for the next few days  – such as family history research, which seems to be occupying a fair degree of time lately. One annoyance this weekend, is that my internet connection seems to be down, which is proving a bit of an inconvenience! But with the weather up and down again, it is the opportunity to get other tasks attended to.

As for the Test Cricket, Australia has ended Day 3 in quite a strong position – with still two days of play available, the Aussies only need 5 more English wickets, while England, with half it’s team back in the dressing rooms, needs a further 300+ runs to achieve a victory. Has been a good fightback by he Australian team, despite some individual failures, while for my English friends, it is probably a lucky break for them, that my internet service is currently down!!!  By stumps on Day 4, the situation was as follows:   Australia:  268 and 309.  England:  187  and  5 for 81.  We really should win this one!!

Yes, there were a couple of birthdays in the extended family today. The children’s Mum was having her birthday, think she has got to 59, lol, , and there was a bit of a family celebration at lunchtime on this occasion – changed from the usual evening function because she had a work function to attend this evening.  Which meant I couldn’t get there – 40 kms away at the office, but probably a good idea, because I’m not usually up to coping with a big lunch these days!!

Meanwhile, the first of my various nephews and nieces was born on this date back in 1969  –  ‘young’ Bruce, who has spent most of his life up in Brisbane, with my sister and husband moving up there from Ballarat when he was quite young. From memory, I think that Bruce’s birth was ‘hurried’ along a little by the trauma of  our father’s car accident, which had occurred two days earlier, on the 15^th. Unfortunately, Dad never lived to see his first grandchild, and he died from his accident injuries on Christmas  Eve following.

So for myself, it was another rather long tiring day at my workplace  –  I think the end of the year, and another brief break can’t come quick enough for me.  It was quite a pleasant day outside, although as the afternoon proceeded, it seemed to cool a little, and in fact, as I left the city area later on in the afternoon, we had another of those brief rain storms. At least however, the run out from the city on the freeways, etc,  to the Sunbury area, was a lot quicker than last night’s effort!!

Meanwhile, the principal news stories of the day still centred around the refugee boat tragedy of Christmas Island of a couple of days ago, and on that topic,  I shared a couple of brief views on Facebook overnight.    After watching the news coverage last night, I was moved to make a short contribution to that site

“Disturbing viewing of the Christmas Island boat tragedy from yesterday. Desperate measures to escape persecution always mean the possibility of dangerous outcomes, this time the gamble failed for those people”.

Ruth responded   “It is so awful Bill, I’ve been thinking of them such a lot – and when on earth will their families back home find out?”

I followed up with the remarks that   “Looking at some of those scenes tonight, many had their families with them – young children & babies in the water. That’s why I maintain, that you have to be desperate to put your family at that kind of risk – yet our political leaders [both sides] keep pushing the ‘labels’ onto the public about ‘queue jumpers & illegal immigrants’, no emphasise on compassion for these people, as victims, it’s all about the people smugglers, stopping the boats – if we were in their position, with our families, our lives, our culture threatened if we stay where we are, we would take the same options offered if that was the only means of escape – but most of us, in our comfortable safe livestyles, can’t see or accept that [the old it won’t happen to me syndrome, so ignore it, and these ‘cheating freeloaders trying to beat the system’].
Meanwhile, I think I would feel the same kind of trauma and guilt, as many of those Christmas Island residents, who witnessed the drowning of those people, yet could do little to save them, were feeling today. As one said, you felt like you needed to jump off the cliff into the water to help, but reality meant that would bring about your own certain death, with no good result for those in the water already, because of the atrocious conditions.
I do think the questions need to ne asked however as to why the boat in question was allowed to get so close to the island in the first place – much is made about ‘stopping the boats’ but it didn’t happen this time!”

Ruth’s retort to that  by noting that  “I wonder if stopping the boats in that way is realistic – frankly, the sea is big and the coastline of even an island, long- just what are our surveillance resources like anyway? Yes, I agree, these are desparate and terrified people.”     [Ruth and I have long held a special interest and concern for the issues of refugees].

Well now, with a week still to go before Christmas Day actually arrives, I believe I have completed most of my Christmas shopping for the season, and sent out in the mail, the bulk of required Christmas greetings  –  just for a change, I’m not doing all of those activities in the final two days!!!  Organised for a change. Meanwhile, quite a bit of online correspondence of recent times with others like myself, interested in the family history – in fact at present, I’m communicating with 4 or 5 people [whom a few weeks ago, didn’t know] and we are all basically interested in chasing up the same research and family details, even if coming from ‘different directions. I’m continuing to find the whole process both interesting and at times, rather frustrating, as bits of information lead to other queries and doubts about the accuracy of certain records, or in fact, lead us off into another direction!  Of course, all of this activity, and communication, is forming a part of my overall research into the material I’m needing for the book I’m currently drafting on the family history! Whereas a few weeks ago, most of my attention was on the family origins back in Scotland, at present, the main emphasise is on getting the facts right about the first generation here in Australia  – information learned over recent weeks has thrown a new perspective on some of the early family members. All will be revealed at the appropriate time.

In the meantime, Day 2 of the Third Cricket Test continued today, and in an amazing turn of events, we have already seen 23 wickets fall in just the first two days..  Yesterday, Australia at one stage for 5 wickets for 69 runs, after the ‘batsmen’ in the team failed, and left the run scoring up to the middle order batsmen and some of the bowlers. It was a good effort by those players to get the team score up to a reasonably respectable score of 268. Today, England seemed to be cruising along until a great spell of  bowling by the previously out of form Mitchell Johnson, turned the match around,.  England were 0 for 78, when the left-arm bowler  (who finished with bowling figures of 6-38) turned the game on its head with a spell of four wickets for seven runs, a performance that eventually saw the English team bowled out for just  187 runs.  At Stumps on Day 2, Australia in it’s 2^nd Innings had moved to 3 for 119, after three of our leading batsmen failed again  – giving the Aussies a lead overall of  200 runs with 7 wickets in hand. This innings will basically determine the outcome of the Series – if England win, or draw the Test [a draw is highly unlikely now], they will retain the Ashes.  To win the Ashes, Australia must win the next three Tests, including this one. For a team out of form, a big call!!

I felt quite disturbed when the news came through yesterday of the tragedy off Christmas Island [Australia’s main offshore refuggee processing centre]  – with the wrecking of a refugee asylum seeker boat on off rocks just off the Island. It’s believed the boat was carrying up to 70 asylum seekers [mostly from Iran and Iraq] when it crashed into the limestone cliffs near Flying Fish Cove early yesterday morning. In today’s papers, we read of Christmas Island residents rushingto the scene to help, but in the main, unable to provide assistance to the drowning victims inthe ferocious water conditions and because of the steep nature of the cliff face. It’s believed that up to 30 passengers died in the disaster, the rest were rescued by the Navy.  Thankfully, for a brief change, the Government and Opposition parties have put aside political rhetoric over the refugee situation, with total priority been given to rescue, recovery and treatment of survivors in this instance. However, no doubt, it won’t be long before the political battleground is reinvigorated.

I’ve made various comments on Australia’s refugee policies, etc, and the attitude of many Australians to refugees, in my blog contributions over the years. Those views haven’t changed, and I firmly believe that the broad overall policies of both sides of politics have generated a major distrust of refugees and asylum seekers.  This kind of disaster only intensifies my concerns for our attitudes and approach to the refugee question.  Quoting from today’s ‘Age’ newspaper, we read that ‘Horrified residentswho stood on Christmas Island’s lethal limestone cliffs – their efforts to rescue children drowning below thwarted by  roaring winds that threw back life vests, and waves that pounded a slintered hull – were deeply traumatised last night. They are visibly disturbed. You can’t ignore people calling out for help – and to not be able to help……there was nothing we could do to save them’ said one woman’.   These people who constantly denigrate the asylum seekers as queue jmpers and illegal immigrants  –  one has to try and imagine the degree of desperation that leads a man to bring his family on what are generally unseaworthy boats through dangerous ocean waters, and unknown destinations and/or future in the frantic hope of a new life. We should not be condemming these people but jointly, at all political levels, seeking better options to assist them. The potential for a tragedy such as this one, is always there, and in the past 24 hours, that potential, has sadly been realised. I’ll have more to say about all this later, as it is a subject that won’t go away.

Meanwhile, over in Perth this afternoon, the 3rd Cricket ‘Ashes’ Test between Australia and England got away. If Australia don’t win this Test, they will have lost the Ashes to England, after just 3 Tests, and for the first time in Australia for 24 years.  And England will have won 3 out of the last 4 Ashes series’!  Disappointing statistics!  It gets worse  –  at lunch on Day 1, Australia, sent in to bat, had lost 4 wickets for 65 runs  –  which included another failure by Cricket captain, Ricky Ponting, Though he was not on his own, in that respect!~