Autumn leaves now but an Inner-city Quickening is in the air.  Vacant properties in Newcastle CBD  have been purchased by Land Com (to do with State Government) for development.  Links with another commercial development are likely. This is welcome news even when it is something like a take over by strangers.

Take over?  Change. The mining baroness millionaire, Gina R, is buying up Fairfax media shares.  It's the end and will test out editorial independence.  Is nothing sacred?  Was it insider trading?  Today Fairfax announces very hugh drastic changes to its operations.

Flock of cockatoos.  Following the crowd.  What do the ground keepers think?

The old radio is always available whilst occupied doing other things.  Without screen or print.  A couple of entertaining visitors were doing the rounds of the media including ABC radio.

The off beat,  Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? is written by Jeanette Winterson who tells a good story showing off a good deal of wisdom.
It is gratifying when certain hunches are validated.
And even more so from a second interesting character, Ethan Watters, journalist, whose writings are mind blowing. Culture continues to fascinate....dominate.
What would old Persig think?
Is it easy to be flippant and use too much a common sense approach to issues?  Very tempting.

 In Syria, ancient cedar-trees frame this showfield where Australian Infantry skiers practise winter maneuvres.  Published 1942.
And other work in the Syrian campaign WW2.

In WW2 is found another chain of battles that have a somewhat similar outline to those of the first world war. The allies were wresting Syria from Vichy control, for portions of the French Colonial Empire still held loyalty to the Petain Government in Vichy.
Free French forces and many locals were pro allies.  The legendary Foreign Legion was active.  Signs of German involvement were observed in Syria.
The Steep mountain countryside of Syria and a clever enemy resulted in a very slow and difficult war.
Air Force support was very important, for example, Australians flew rakish Tomahawkes against Glenn-Martin bomers, Dewoitine fighters and Potez 63s.
Damascus surrended.
Vichy representatives took part in a cease fire and ended the campaign.

A look at the chain of events since then indicates that unfortunately Syria has had very unstable forms of government. And once made an agreement with the Soviet. Then others in turn.
2012 brings  civil war.
Ref: Photos and information published by Australian War Memorial Canberra ACT during the war years, 1941 etc.

This chautauquan is long.  Lawrence of Arabia continued his time with the Arabian tribes. In conjunction with the allies they fought their way north to Damascus in Syria where an armistice with Turkey eventuated. 
Lawrence and Amir Faisal (son of Husseim of Mecca) and the Beduins fought onwards.  Australian soldiers, along with the rest fought. One tactic was to create trouble on the Railway line and lead enemy forces to defend it and leave other places vunerable.

An incident is recorded with Lawrence and the Australians.  Against expectations, Lawrence did not enter Damascus first at the time of the surrender.  An Australian War Memorial account explains that communications were unclear and Australian Light Horse went ahead before him.  Some say Lawrence was embitted by having been beaten and he downplayed the role of the Australians in the war.
Concessions to Arab nationality stipulated French colonial rule in Syria would be in the coastal regions.

Lawrence went with the Arab delegation to the Versailles Peace Confrence where they fully expected to be rewarded with independence for helping the Allies. Britain and France carved up the Middle East into their Zones of influence and the French even ejected Faisal from Damascus. (History Learning Site)
So WW1 ends. Do they have short memories in the Middle East or is that why troubles brew against the West?

Like most coutries, Syria has an extraordinary history. One rather minor figure was the legendary Lawrence of Arabia, who, as an undergraduate, visited there on an archeological dig and later did a solo walking tour of some 1600 ks to the crusader castles.  Did he see the ruins of the outstanding Roman city?
Lawrence's return to Damascus was far more dramatic in later years of WW1.

Indulging in orientalism, the epic film, Lawrence of Arabia, came to light and is a golden oldie, with wonderful images  streaming with natural light and the pace unhurried. The film is not dumb, somehow realistic with screenplay by Bolt and is an all English production. It has no role for women. 

The original Arab Revolt or Awakening was there in 1916 when the Ottoman Empire (Turks) was a target. Turkey sided with Germany so the English protected various interests, Suez and oil for a start. Somehow French, Indian, Australian and other forces were very involved on those battlefields of the Middle East.
At the time, Lawrence was in the English military and was seriously intergrated into the Arab tribal forces which undertook battles from the south up to Damascus, in Syria  (as far as the film narrative is concerned). 

Luckily, an appointment at the hospital didn't have to be taken too seriously.  As a cosmic mariner - destination unknown - I arrived on the shuttle (bus) then first it was a dose of XRays in a darkend room where the technicians hid behind a force field, then the final page, from the clinic, buzzed on a device, which lit up just when the last chance for nourishment was at hand indicated by a large digital readout showing my fateful number to get the hot liquid from the hissing expresso machine manned by dazed barister robots.

At least I wouldn't starve on this journey.  The buzzing and flashing lights continued as I hurried past the flying saucers overhead, evaded the satellite admission and made it past the chopper as it took off into space.  Just in time, back to rejoin the endless line of citizens seeking a magic cure.

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a bourse of gossip...hotel on the waterfront....port of newcastle...a pale ale at dusk....the end of the week returned to calm conditions

 ...soon I'll hear old winter's song...the days grow long. no, short.

For a long time, a small group of houses has sat beside the sea shore in the path of stormy weather which, this week, destroyed the white fence and not all that long after the fence was renovated.  High tide and pounding waves have caused problems all round.
Below: Cowrie Hole is the name on one house!
 

Very strange.  Wattle is in flower at the same time as autumn leaves make their appearance.  And cats are usually snoozing in a warm corner at this time of day.  It must be climate change!

Another strange fact.  A journalist has been heard to state that he has no part with Facebook or Twitter.  Couldn't this networking be delegated to the minions - before the minions all go?
  

In between formalities during garden nuptials.

High style and class was evident in some of the footage from London.  Royalty, as an institution, is absurd but what an excuse for pomp and circumstance and quality.  Superb fanfares and music, choirs, horses, livery, the Red Arrows and the feu de joie! And was the Duke really ill?

McChesney, who is into the Media, is right onto current issues and one look raises awarness of journalism in independent new online ventures.  One could begin by picking a few sites and 'road testing' them on a regular basis and get with it for I have never become very comfortable about reading wordy material on line but news items are more ok in that form.        

There is no escape from winter. World Environment Day and certain lines of escape from global change are in our hands.

 Strength in Unity!

A terrible week has ended, terrible in parochial terms.
1 Shooting and hunting has the go ahead in National Parks thanks to the so called state Liberal Party. Who cares what's done overseas?  Leave the management of parks to a strong workforce of rangers.
2 State power generation is sold off. Ditto.
3 Certain jobs with the Newcastle Herald (Fairfax Press) will be outsourced, across the ditch to New Zealand workers. Everyman and his dog attended a protest rally (except Nathan T) and expressed disbelief over this drastic policy and questioned the sanity of Fairfax decision makers.

Tranquility theme. 
The cocktail room in the grand old Paragon in Katoomba NSW where the fox trot, the 'all stars', glitter and glamour and sobranie smoke haunt the stillness therein. 
 

Whatever was I thinking in acquiring this large 'masterpiece'!  The mouse indicates the scale.  It could act as an unusual flower vase and is an inexpensive imitation.
Sadly, I had to pass up a samovar - something of a wish list along with visiting Russia, Azerbaijan and all the rest.

Muse.
At Faulconbridge, the works of Norman Lindsay are shown in his former residence, which he left to the National Trust. He was an artist, sculptor, writer, builder, ship model maker, produced etchings, and he led a very eventful diverse life that ended in 1969.
Robust women make up a hugh body of his works. Wowsers were in his sights.
As part of the war effort, Lindsay had painted war posters, so his second wife feared enemy occupation in WW2 and shipped a selection of works to the USA for safe keeping.  Unfortunately, while the crates were on a train they caught fire outside Scranton PA and much of that collection was lost.  The internet reveals the illustrated bio and more, and one link is found here

Trees and boulders were both indoors and outdoors as well as a log fire which warmed up the whole hostel and was nice to have during a gale. Passive solar warmed up the concrete floor slab and stored the heat, so really any anchorite would have a relatively comfortable time  -  not that there were any of those there.  

Youth Hostel (YHA) is on a hill side with an outlook in bushland at Hawkesbury Heights on the lower 'Shan' Blue and is built to withstand bush fires. How many other hostels would be purpose built with that in mind?  Not many?
The building is totally clad in iron and is without gutters and the windows have metal grills, ready to be lowered into place to ward off heat. Rainwater is collected in ground level drains and is diverted to a tank possibly for use in fire fighting.
Solar roof panels are in use to offset the connection to the power grid.  A small suburb is relatively close but is screened off by the bushland. The coastal areas can be seen in the distance on a clear day from a vantage point off the main road at the top of the zig zag.

 Hairpin bends.....Zig zag climbs up to a couple of hundred metres above....'falling rocks do not stop' (!)....a  cyclist in red in low gear seen from above...crawling to dizzy heights at Hawkesbury Heights

Why the urgency?  Why the pressure?  Why are our mineral resources needed yesterday?
Mining at breakneck speed is so taken for granted.
Expansion can be rightly constrained by what the work force can manage to do instead of rushing to bring in workers from here there and everywhere and use any darn fool wasteful exploitative extravaganza as a solution to profit making.

GrowthBusters Hooked on Growth is a doco by Dave Gardner....the culture of growth and the myth of prosperity ...is not delivering good and fulfilling lives...can we re-define progress?.he asks and more in interview on ABC Radio National at: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/ockhamsrazor/growthbusters3a-hooked-on-growth/4030534

Levitating above our planet

Sydney 'basin' was under a white fleecy 'blanket'.

Here's a song of global aspirations.  All patriots: ease up, lighten up, please!

This is my song O God of all the nations
A song of peace for lands afar and mine
this is my home the country where my heart is
Here are my hopes my dreams my holy shrine
But other hearts in other lands are beating
with hope and dreams as true and high as mine.

My country's skies are bluer than the ocean
And sunlight beams on clover leaf and pine
But other lands have sunlight too, and clover
and skies are every where as blue as mine.
O hear my song O God of all the nations
A song of dreams for their land and for mine.
A Song of peace words by Lloyd Stone music by Sibelius.



....trembling on the very edge of transformation....that's Newcastle!....

Follow the city and go to http://www.thenovocastrianfiles.com/  for photos and comment plus a long list of Newy Links
Vocab: novocastrian = newcastle nsw. newy = newcastle nsw!
See Newcastle in Youtube slides by TheVincinia and by video from many others.

North from Merewether Heights on a clear day.  Yesterday's pic gave the opposite view.

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South from Merewether Heights.  Murdering Gulley and beyond where more wild things are.  A green reserve is left over to buffer the sanitation works! 
Newcastle's camino takes the pilgrim along this coastline along a prepared track.
In coastal towns the headland is a typical place for a viewing platform but residences have beat us to it on the city side . A new platform is now above Bar Beach, only accidentally pictured.

Today's surf where things wild are.

Strange Newcastle Slides on Youtube by TheVincinia

Cheers from Newcastle NSW as it was seen this very evening.

Newcastle Slides on Youtube by TheVincinia.

Lambtonparkplayground

The park has interesting new equipment. 

And seems the council has built features using recycled stone slabs. 

 Trockenrutschen/kinderrutschen made by Wiegand,  Rasdorf, Germany.

Macedonian christenings are celebrated in fine style judging by this peep in on the party.   Congratulations Eva!
The band and the distinctive ethnic music was terrific, tones and rhythms completely haywire.

A lifetime of music is out there, to catch up on, as a long lasting treasure.  A lot to discover after my failing to give much attention to it over time and leaving me completely ill informed, except for classical this and that.

Thank you SBS!  Vintage Sinatra was played on SBS TV1 and old film showed us his artistry, the perfect phrasing and ad lib games, hard to go past the slow reflective numbers although, up tempo, New York ditto was outstanding at an outdoor evening concert in his mature years.
The vintage big bands were something else, beautiful style, quite different before the advent of electric guitars and seventies rhythms.  What's next?

Entrance doors at Saint John's Lambton.
Generally, we look in vain for redundant artistry on the local scene.
Kids matter school?!

Community. Taken in very small doses. Yet have noticed that churches are significant for community and are where you will confront the seven ages of humanity in all its glory and struggle.

All the drama is present.

Youthful energy; marriage; births; extended families in a whirl; illness and recovery, ageing as well as the gradual chilling loss of familiar old faces. And our response. The stuff of our existence and sure to ground you.

Can't really say much about the subject of worship except, surely it is not an act of individualism.

True, few children are church goers. There are other ways.

When church going is found to be redundant, then the role of community in our lives is overlooked.

                                                                                                                

Guess what?  It's Newcastle once again.

How would you like a crib room like this?  Vans for the Council workers on location. 

May is a terrific month. Yesterday, sunshine, waves, a giant white cloud, low tide and sand castles.

Pittsburgh to Oz.blogspot: yes, saw your post about Glenrock (or Yuelarbah Walking Track) and glad you liked the nature reserve,  although several of the photos have suffered a wipe out. As well, the chronicles go far and wide during what must have been an action packed time in this region. Hamilton, northern side, is still going strong, some rebuilding, ubiquitous coffee shop etc - I have occasion to visit the suburb.

My blog trivia can't last forever and trust that you follow other blogs from hereabouts. We move on but the past is simultaneous with the present! Over time, my change from one PC to another meant that bookmarks got overlooked and I lost the reference to Pittsburghto so have just caught up with your snapshot and it serves a purpose, I know an Aussie family expatriated to the UK for several months who publish and I like to see their blog diary.

Everyone knows how the USA is a small place (not) so do look out for the Newcastle University Chamber Choir in NY and at the 7^th World Choir Games in Cincinnati!! According to their web page.