Coffee

A building in a country town somewhere in the south of the state.

 Out of touch with reality I've seen my spiritual home - Tomsk in Siberia - but I wouldn't last five minutes there. And prosecution as a hooligan is a risk.  Will the Orthodox church ask for leniency instead of two years for Pussy Riot?

Talk about justice.  Australia's treatment of refugees is oppressive and unlawful.
Right, I'm a 'bleeding heart', and have noticed the tactics of some who seek refuge; dodgy practices by Indonesians who turn a blind eye to people's movements;  all the many troubles, yet I am still very ashamed of the lastest policies on refugees that send people to gulags on the Pacific Islands.
How would the USA rate on that score?  I have found out a little more about that country these past few years and there is much more to it than I thought which is a bit of an understatement. Sterotypes left the wrong impressions.  Not only does it have Giant hickory horned devil caterpillars but outstanding characters like Rachael Carson and Andy Warhol among many others.  The scale would be impressive with very large established centres with people, education, culture and arts throughout the land as a true novelty to a visitor from here. And miles of natural beauty. Sigh.
Very bleak places also hold some appeal.

Shoal Bay shores. White ant's nest.
The first crop of cherries is always celebrated round Christmas time but, darn it, imported cherries were on the shelves recently.  And think of the food miles. I sampled one and they were rather good. 

I want to see more...some...examples of streets, avenues, drives, bridges, landmarks named after women. Just another dangerous idea of mine. It's a man's world.

Spring is in the air despite the expectation of a touch of snow to other parts of the state.  It is probably rare to see blossoming fruit trees in our city but these are going strong and were humming with bees 

Billions of Novocastrians make up the bigger picture and become incorporated into branding a hotel.

Fundraiser on September 15 with a terrific line up of African talent.
An opportunity to donate without risk of confronting problems or of threatening our comfortable existence.
Buy a ticket and placate any feelings before leaving on that next African safari.  Oh, I'm forgetting, safaris support the survival of wild animals.

The funds go to rebuilding an African orphanage.
Hugh numbers of orphan children exist in Africa. A generation of young adults, parents, the able bodied, have died.
Orphans are not a high tech problem  and high tech gets the attention says an expert.
How well will these kids develope those neural pathways before they turn four, escape problems of stunted growth, how will they thrive and flourish without emotional attachments? 

Coffee making ceremony.

Ethiopian dance, from this exponent, is all about shoulder movements that agitate and spread at a terrific pace and show us a unique action packed tradition.  Migrants are keeping their culture alive.

We know we can't live in the past
But the past lives on in us.
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Power to киска Riot.  Defy the standover tactics.

Celebrating Ethiopia. Green yellow red, hats cakes and eats.
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Power to  бунт киски.  Real tough love - das Putin 

Hummers in camouflage will take you on a desert fantasy in the Stockton sand dunes.  Mad Max and the War on Terror mythologisers will take you there.

 

Taming the Dunes.  There is no getting away from the law.
The breathalizer squad tested me today - no worries. 

The 'road' to the Stockton sandhills is high wide and handsome and improvements are under construction. A subtle building will be situated at the turn off the main road. I believe the Worimi people are custodians of the ocean park. It took them a long time to get this role and is in keeping with their long term use of the area before European settlement. 

The 'fatal shore'.  Stockton Beach is quite long and virtually uninhabited and the beach almost disappears into the distance. This is looking south ultimately to the entrance of the Port of Newcastle. Along its length, the high sandhills or dunes are similar to a desert landscape and the dunes menace the hinterlands.
Exploration of the dunes is popular.  Once our family overnighted there in the warm sands and naturally the night grew cool and the breezes became sea ladened along with a few fears of sleeping in the path of a 4x4 but all that was the challenge.     

An open the sunroof kind of day.  A pretend to need TomTom kind of day.

Who could forget the way to Nelson Bay on an idyllic kind of day.

A mobile calls.

In the middle of winter these trees make a very welcome appearance.

Splendid record breaking competitors are winning at the games.
So go Aussies -go for Silver!
http://thisuntidycity.wordpress.com/2012/07/29/stop-honeysuckling-and-think-big/  where a local blogger is promoting Pittsburgh as a source of ideas to help change a city like ours.

A backup crew of 7 mechanics travel in this as part of the West End Outback Odyssey.

What with entrants in the odyssey 

in vehicles built prior to 1985 the mechanics would be kept busy.

The ralley from Adelaide to Noosa over thousands of kilometres via remote locations is a fundraiser for a childhood charity.

 Real men drive The Mongrel.

The destination of Noosa is not far from Maroochydore in recent photo where the old Bedford bus would be at home. 

How do prominent busy people; the gurus; writers or entertainers find enough time to 'look after' the elderly in their families. Do the decision makers become personally involved at the workface of services for the older generation?
The interface between state and federal services is a hurdle. 
One after another we have seen our relatives through change to their lifestyle and it is challenging.  A 'lottery'.
The younger generation spend time with their oldies but unless they are quite observant some may not get to know much about the little likes and dislikes and the way the oldies like to live their life.  Next thing it is too late and a relative stranger sits before you. Take care!

Post Card: Seaspray Guest House, Maroochydore, Queensland.  From the twenties or thirties or earlier?
Did the cattle-country squatters take their holidays on the coast?  Will guest houses make a come back?
I had a holiday in Terrigal in a guest house when I was small and the family drove from the country arriving there during a wild thunderstorm.  A lagoon by the beach was a great place for canoeing particularly when the seaside was a novelty. When we were leaving we found we had made a mistake and had failed to stay at the right place we had booked and made a down payment on!   

Rankin Park
It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good. Bluntly, the malady, Tuberculous,  for all its problems has given us both hospitals and music.
Musically, poor Mimi, in the opera La Boheme succumbed to TB (most likely) and continues to charm us right up to her last gasps in a delightful soap opera that exploits duets, trios and quartets for all they are worth.

To live you whole life without loving an opera is a terrible misfortune.

Now that TB is 'stamped out' we have in New Lambton Heights, Rankin Park hospital available for the new round of problems that are taking us out.  The old building is substantial and pleasant compared to the recent counterparts nearby, is even there for the long haul and the lawns and mature trees offer a retreat from the adjoining chaos.

 Opera Australia has given us a multicultual Boheme and paired Takesha Meshe Kizart (American) with Ji-Min Pak (South Korean) to give La Boheme a wonderful 'lift'. (ABCTV).

 A placid dog. 

Never forget the dreaded 'blind spot'.  This is the result.  Another car pulled away from the curb as red car was blithely driving past. And the other car's right corner looks worse.

Good on ya Aussies.  Go for gold!
Good on ya Boris!

 Foggy morning.

More trains more dust No 4th coal terminal proclaim the posters all over town.  (Electric light poles come in handy for protestors).

People are asking that coal be covered during its transportation all around the 'valley'.  The AMA is focused on the harmful effects of pollution including coal dust.

Local researchers have dared to announce findings around higher incidence of cancer in workers on Kooragang with its coal loading facilities and other industries.  (Announcements to this effect were made and are the extent of my knowledge)     

Mr Abbott: Denounced ambassador. Re-education is called for. Jeopardizing our trade?  Surrender leadership now. 

Raj's Fashion.  Raj curry house extended next door and then next door again for groceries and fashion. Indian food never fails to appeal, the saltiness less so.

We all love our favourite foods and this is demonstrated by the items in the alternative shops for those of other heritages.  We use many of the items in common with them and which are found in our supertmarts.  But for that special familiar flavour almost identical foods are imported. The same with highly preserved, salted, canned and pickled foods that are imported and marketed. It seems buyers are not tempted by the adundant fresh produce or probably combine both forms.
One small difference is that corn flour is correctly made from corn while, strangely, we mainly use corn flour made from wheat but am not entirely sure what its made from. I doubt we were into corn in a big way and doubt the British were into corn crops and that must have been an influence.  Who knows?

This book shop has customers so it seems we still read books (print copies).

I feel like a stranger in my own land when flag waving swaggering folk are on the scene. Same with uniformed bikies and the Shooter's Party. Gee, thanks a lot for permitting hunting with guns in National Parks. What are they thinking?  Why ever would anyone want to emulate gun toteing folk who take themselves very earnestly.

Reports are of bikies who are into drugs and gun fights. Reports of shootings in Sydney have increased lately even one victim in the backwaters of the....Wine Country currently with police protection at The John (hospital).  'Real' men and their games. 'Tough' guys. 

Other than that, why are small children or babies taken to a midnight movie show to an unsuitable movie at that?  

Snow Bound in Syria WW2.  In the Lebanese mountains, troops became snow-bound for days at a time during their one severe winter there.  The scene is at Aley, within sight of the Mediterranean, where the clearing of the road to Damascas was directed by Australian engineers.
Our land is very very ancient and has dreaming stories as an oral account.  Syria. Just imagine recorded annals from the eighth centruy BC when it seems the prophet Isaiah was having a rant to impress the people of Judah and was calling them to conversion...again. The threat was not from over the border. Conversion is ongoing...trying again. His drastic description is new to me as is the context.

The Lord said, 'Damascus will not be a city any longer; it will be only a pile of ruins. The cities of Syria will be deserted forever.  They will be a pasture for sheep and cattle, and no one will drive them away.  Israel will be defenseless, and Damascus will lose its independence. Those Syrians who survive will be in disgrace like the people of Israel.' 
Isiah 17, 1-3 Good News Bible. Good news? And Australian War Memorial publishing, 1942.

 

Last night, Le Tour de France was seen speeding into Chartres. (SBS)

Heritage. Some areas favour timber carving -  surely the best medium and the carvings at Cathedrale de Chartres are lovely examples of seemingly medieval art and a long series enclose the choir area. This contrasts with the awesome (filled with awe) stained glass.
Early centre of pilgrimage and UNESCO World Heritage site.

The entrance to the Bogie Hole is unsafe and is fenced off and curious markings have appeared nearby.  But that was during stormy weather last month.  Are there plans for car access again and extension of the loop that Sunday drivers love.  The road was closed not long after the time of the convicts and the governor who swam. 

Mr Abbott, leader of the Opposition, don't return, stay on in Wall Street.
Even at that distance, we can't get away from him on the news.  

Caught by a Viking these Scottish Kippers are very very tasty after a long absence from the diet for no good reason - well, they are high in salt. 
Foreign companies have taken over our food processing and most things.  Dick Smith, in a small way, takes a stand against the tide.
Will the food companies have to contend with the cost of carbon?  Food prices have upped considerably these last few years as it is.

No more processed foods in this household - that is ninty percent of supermarket items, and a difficult strategy to adopt.  Some say Aldi sells a lot of Australian foods but so do the other stores. We will try and do more shopping at Aldi for a change although I am not mad about their stores. At least the company is not into poker machines.  Do they rip off the farmers?

Hopes are held for a terrific harvest of wheat and other grains to add to reserves and make up for the crop failures because of drought in the northern climes of the world. 

New playground at Blackbutt.  The focus was on fun and games. We are so fortunate by and large.  Not many troublespots on our front.  So much to share.
And what about adult equipment to get more of us active? 

Tweaking the traffic cameras near Tudor and Beaumont Hamilton.  Is the current state one of reduction or of proliferation of red light cameras?  Difficult to keep up with.  Without speed.
How much data is reaped from our smart phones, not counting gps?  Facebook, e-readers and all the rest are on task for personal data collection.

@please speed up change to a new leader of the Opposition.  We all know more than we need about some politicians.

Furniture of the Colonial days strongly typified by a red cedar table and balloon backed chairs.
Well, that's my description, rightly or wrongly. Maybe the upholstery is not exactly kosher.

Bring on a Rum Rebellion and oust the leader of the opposition, now!

Silverware.
Institutions of learning have been making the headlines but it's not all bad.  Newcastle choirs were right up there in the silver medal count at the World choir games in Ohio.  Cool.  And a gold medal went to a local choir Hunter Singers, outside of academia.

Reported on the choir blog was this little insight (prior to Ohio) : ...When we eventually performed, we were delighted to be met with all sorts of approval at even the strangness of our songs.  It was nice to have an audience that didn't seem confused and bewildered by the shouts and harmonics, but which took them all in their stride and were delighted...
Whan else can you expect of us ingrates?
With the time difference, it seemed the results were published on the internet before the choirs performed! So to speak.

Institutions are full of power and tendency to become a law unto themselves.  Parliament, for instance.  Mr Abbott please step down, we need a new leader now.

Near Katoomba, Blue mountains area.  These are 'mountains' of a different type, not a matter of high alpine country with majestic peaks but a nature area with gorges and rock formations that also offers a minor change of climate, nothing extreme in the land of the 'dumb drunk and racists'.

Dear Liberal party: You don't have my support but we can't escape your leader.  Please replace Mr Abbott.  A Boris Johnson clone is welcome.

A printed cotton dilly bag from another more indulgent age before the business model took over. The University Union ran a long list of activities on campus before times changed.  We always need to lift our game but is there any need to mirror the industriousness of certain overseas countries.

A path to a profession is made a university degree program so as to reap certain benefits and is then pressured and fast tracked to reach graduation as fast as possible. Certain  insights, aspirations about quality, development of a creative approach and ideas to improve a profession become less likely in a pragmatic atmosphere that fails to promote any depth or to sell the benefits of all that to the students.  Education was a time for gratuitous debate and development.

 Undergraduates adopt old ways by taking up part time work in the profession to either support themselves while on the small student allowance or to give themselves a foot in the door (that might be seen as obligatory) with the result that they are less likely to improve standards and are short of time to capitalise on a university education and defeat a lot of its purpose. They may not yet know how a broad education might better equip them to achieve long term job satisfaction along with good work conditions.
So what, professionals can be recuited from overseas.
Thanks John Howard back when.

Wanted: Alive: A new leader of the opposition. Abbott clones need not apply