tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6358179966779664082024-03-12T20:07:51.205-07:00Don J De LeneAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437441769490980292noreply@blogger.comBlogger118125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635817996677966408.post-36813139012364495382016-01-03T15:32:00.004-08:002016-01-03T15:32:56.415-08:00SHOCK, HORROR - A GOOD NEWS STORY!<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><b style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">SHOCK, HORROR – A GOOD NEWS STORY!</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Here is a wonderful true story about an
encounter between an American B-17 bomber pilot and a German pilot of a ME-109 fighter
during WWII and the heart-warming reunion between the two pilots many years
later.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I’m indebted to Traci Lawrence for this
story which appeared in her regular newsletter, Daily Musings, just before
Christmas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Traci is an English teacher, an author
and an editor, among other things, and I heartily recommend subscribing to her
newsletter if you want regular doses of positivity. Here is a link to her
newsletter:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.tracisworld.com/" title="(http://www.tracisworld.com/)"><span style="color: #888888; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 16.5pt; font-weight: normal; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Daily Musings</span></a> <o:p></o:p></h1>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="1"></a><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/gJYKzJ/~3/Izsa2nU5A6g/an-inspiring-wwii-christmas-story.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email"><b><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">An Inspiring WWII Christmas Story</span></b></a> <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #555555; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 140%;">Posted: 19 Dec 2015 11:37 AM PST<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;"><br />
</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8EkmyoG83Q" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #000099; font-family: "Helvetica",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 140%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8EkmyoG83Q</span></b></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
The 21-year old American B-17 pilot glanced outside his cockpit and
froze. He blinked hard and looked
again, hoping it was just a mirage. But his Co-Pilot stared at the same
horrible vision. "My God, this is
a nightmare," the Co-Pilot said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">"He's going to destroy us," the Pilot agreed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">The men were looking at a gray German Messerschmitt fighter
hovering just three feet off their wingtip.
It was five days before Christmas1943, and the fighter had closed in
on their crippled American B-17 bomber for the kill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">Brown's Crippled B-17 Stalked by Stigler's ME-109<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;"> The B-17 Pilot, Charles
Brown, was a 21-year-old West Virginia farm boy on his first combat
mission. His bomber had been shot to
pieces by swarming fighters, and his plane was alone, struggling to stay in
the skies above Germany. Half his crew was wounded, and the tail gunner was
dead, his blood frozen in icicles over the machine guns.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">But when Brown and his Co-Pilot, Spencer "Pinky" Luke,
looked at the Fighter Pilot again, something odd happened. The German didn't
pull the trigger. He stared back at the bomber in amazement and respect.
Instead of pressing the attack, he nodded at Brown and saluted. What happened
next was one of the most remarkable acts of chivalry recorded during World
War Il.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">Luftwaffe Major Franz Stigler<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">Stigler pressed his hand over the rosary he kept in his flight
jacket. He eased his index finger off
the trigger. He couldn't shoot. It would be murder.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">Stigler wasn't just motivated by vengeance that day. He also
lived by a code. He could trace his
Family's Ancestry to Knights in 16th Century Europe. He had once studied to be a Priest. A German Pilot who spared the enemy,
though, risked death in Nazi Germany.
If someone reported him, he would be executed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">Yet, Stigler could also hear the voice of his commanding
officer, who once told him: "You
follow the rules of war for you -- not your enemy. You fight by rules to keep
your humanity."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">Alone with the crippled bomber, Stigler changed his mission. He
nodded at the American Pilot and began flying in formation so German
anti-aircraft gunners on the ground wouldn't shoot down the slow-moving
bomber. (The Luftwaffe had B-17's of its own, shot down and rebuilt for
secret missions and training.) Stigler
escorted the bomber over the North Sea and took one last look at the American
Pilot. Then he saluted him, peeled his
fighter away and returned to Germany.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">"Good luck," Stigler said to himself. "You're in God's hands
now..." Franz Stigler didn't
think the big B-17 could make it back to England and wondered for years what
happened to the American Pilot and crew he encountered in combat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;"> As he watched the German
fighter peel away that December day, 2nd Lt. Charles Brown wasn't thinking of
the philosophical connection between enemies.
He was thinking of survival. He
flew his crippled plane, filled with wounded, back to his base in England and
landed with one of four engines knocked out, one failing and barely any fuel
left. After his bomber came to a stop,
he leaned back in his chair and put a hand over a pocket Bible he kept in his
flight jacket. Then he sat in silence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">Brown flew more missions before the war ended. Life moved
on. He got married, had two Daughters,
supervised foreign aid for the U.S. State Department during the Vietnam War
and eventually retired to Florida.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">Late in life, though, the encounter with the German Pilot began
to gnaw at him. He started having
nightmares, but in his dream there would be no act of mercy. He would awaken just before his bomber
crashed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">Brown took on a new mission.
He had to find that German Pilot.
Who was he? Why did he save my
life? He scoured Military Archives in
the U.S. and England. He attended a Pilots'
Reunion and shared his story. He
finally placed an ad in a German Newsletter for former Luftwaffe Pilots,
retelling the story and asking if anyone knew the Pilot.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">On January 18, 1990, Brown received a letter. He opened it and
read: "Dear Charles, All these
years I wondered what happened to that B-17, did she make it home? Did her crew survive their wounds? To hear of your survival has filled me with
indescribable joy..."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">It was Stigler.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">He had left Germany after the war and moved to Vancouver, British
Columbia, in 1953. He became a
prosperous Businessman. Now retired,
Stigler told Brown that he would be in Florida come summer and "it sure
would be nice to talk about our encounter." Brown was so excited, though, that he
couldn't wait to see Stigler. He
called Directory Assistance for Vancouver and asked whether there was a
number for a Franz Stigler. He dialed
the number, and Stigler picked up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">"My God, it's you!"
Brown shouted as tears ran down his cheeks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 140%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">Brown had to do more. He wrote a letter to Stigler in which he
said: "To say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU on behalf of my surviving
crew members and their families appears totally inadequate."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 140%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">The two Pilots would meet again, but this time in person, in the
lobby of a Florida hotel. One of
Brown's Friends was there to record the Summer Reunion. Both men looked like retired
businessmen: they were plump, sporting
neat ties and formal shirts. They fell into each other's arms and wept and
laughed. They talked about their
encounter in a light, jovial tone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">The mood then changed.
Someone asked Stigler what he thought about Brown. Stigler sighed and his square jaw
tightened. He began to fight back
tears before he said in heavily accented English: "I love you,
Charlie."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 140%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">Stigler had lost his Brother, his Friends and his Country. He was virtually exiled by his Countrymen
after the war. There were 28,000
Pilots who fought for the German
Luftwaffe. Only 1,200 survived. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 140%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;"> The war cost him
everything. Charlie Brown was the only
good thing that came out of World War II for Franz. It was the one thing he could be proud
of. The meeting helped Brown as well,
says his oldest daughter, Dawn Warner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 140%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">They met as enemies but Franz Stigler, on left, and Charles
Brown, ended up as fishing buddies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">Brown and Stigler became pals. They would take fishing trips
together. They would fly cross-country to each other homes and take road
trips together to share their story at schools and Veterans' Reunions. Their
Wives, Jackie Brown and Hiya Stigler, became Friends.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 140%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">Brown's Daughter says her Father would worry about Stigler's
health and constantly check in on him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">"It wasn't just for show," she says. "They really
did feel for each other. They talked about once a week." As his friendship with Stigler deepened, something
else happened to her father, Warner says "The nightmares went
away."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">Brown had written a letter of thanks to Stigler, but one day, he
showed the extent of his gratitude. He
organized a reunion of his surviving crew members, along with their extended
families. He invited Stigler as a
Guest of Honor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">During the Reunion, a video was played showing all the faces of
the people that now lived -- Children, Grandchildren, Relatives -- because of
Stigler's act of Chivalry. Stigler
watched the film from his Seat of Honor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">"Everybody was crying, not just him," Warner says.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">Stigler and Brown died within months of each other in 2008. Stigler was 92, and Brown was 87. They had started off as Enemies, became
Friends, and then something more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 140%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">After he died, Warner was searching through Brown's library when
she came across a book on German fighter jets. Stigler had given the book to
Brown. Both were country boys who loved to read about planes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 140%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">Warner opened the book and saw an inscription Stigler had
written to Brown:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">In 1940, I lost my only brother as a night fighter. On the 20th
of December, 4 days beforeChristmas, I had the chance to save a B-17 from her
destruction, a plane so badly damaged it was a wonder that she was still
flying. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">The Pilot, Charlie Brown, is for me as precious as my Brother
was.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">Thanks Charlie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 140%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">Your Brother, Franz<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437441769490980292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635817996677966408.post-7027543873198590872015-11-18T20:23:00.001-08:002015-11-18T20:26:40.079-08:00JUST IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">JUST
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Just in case you (like me) missed Waleed Ali’s
commentary about ISIS a couple of nights ago, in the wake of the Paris terrorist
attacks, I am attaching a link.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Waleed’s commentary on Channel 10’s, “The
Project” (usually a light weight news program), has attracted 16 million
viewers at the time of writing this. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Apparently most of the responses have been overwhelmingly
favourable. However, there has been the predictable negative reaction from the myopic
right wing press and commentators.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">All I can say is, “Good on you, Waleed. You
have restored my faith in the positive power of the press.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"> <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/paris-attacks-waleed-aly-delivers-powerful-speech-on-why-isis-are-much-weaker-than-it-wants-you-to-a6736411.html">http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/paris-attacks-waleed-aly-delivers-powerful-speech-on-why-isis-are-much-weaker-than-it-wants-you-to-a6736411.html</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437441769490980292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635817996677966408.post-15114907396323849022015-11-04T17:43:00.000-08:002015-11-04T19:50:00.777-08:00TA-TA, TONY!<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">TA-TA,
TONY</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">
<b><o:p></o:p></b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDe_75rTDlKswDRG-s3j2UFJKcylne9rH05BJn3iCHu5usgtcjhO8N_8ZhI6AcupeH1p_ojTCpGg8DFAPOycWY0mC1rggdKg2M7X_Cn9J79Yiuz9Ad_k08Gr9WpH1zI6qnwzlK2emH318/s1600/16632356777_10c0d6bbb1_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDe_75rTDlKswDRG-s3j2UFJKcylne9rH05BJn3iCHu5usgtcjhO8N_8ZhI6AcupeH1p_ojTCpGg8DFAPOycWY0mC1rggdKg2M7X_Cn9J79Yiuz9Ad_k08Gr9WpH1zI6qnwzlK2emH318/s1600/16632356777_10c0d6bbb1_n.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Six weeks ago I was moved to respond to a poll the
day after Tony Abbott was dislodged as Prime Minister by his own party,
replacing him with Malcolm Turnbull.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The first question asked by the pollsters was
to describe, in one word, what respondents thought about the change in
leadership. Without any hesitation, I nominated <b>“RELIEF” </b>as my dominant
reaction. Apparently that was the overwhelming response by most people who were
happy to see Abbott go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">For me, Tony Abbott was a national embarrassment
– a serial promise breaker; a blamer and an attacker; a fear monger and a
purveyor of double-speak.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">He is a denier of mankind’s influence on
climate change. A strong advocate of fossil fuels as the best way of producing
energy and, subsequently, a champion of coal mining.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">In the tradition of many narrow-minded
political leaders, he effectively used fear tactics to draw attention away from
real issues, or to distort the facts as means to force through draconian policies.
For example, the beat up of the evils of budget deficits in order to reduce
benefits to the poor and needy. As well as the unconscionable drastic cutting
of overseas aid.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">And blatantly overstating the threat of
terrorism in order to introduce laws that threatened the rights of all
Australians. Also, his lack of compassion in the handling of asylum seekers by rejecting
refugees and treating them as sub-humans was disgraceful. And the latter from a
committed Christian, who once had aspirations to be a priest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">One should not overlook his gaffes, either. A classic
was reinstating imperial honours and he even awarded a knight hood to the queen’s
hubby, Prince Phillip! Another unfortunate “captain’s call”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Not to mention a succession of ill-considered public
utterances that created confusion and dismay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">As for his successor, Malcolm Turnbull, he
seems to be a progressive, middle of the road conservative. Early days, but he
comes across as a moderate, reasonable, open-minded and accommodating person. A
breath of fresh air compared with his predecessor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">However, he’ll have his work cut out to work
happily with the rampaging right-wing in his own party, as well as the ultra-conservatives
in the National Party, the minority partner in the Liberal National Party
Coalition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">It remains to be seen if he will weather the
inevitable storms ahead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Even though I am a cynically apolitical person,
I hope for Australia’s sake, he succeeds where his predecessors, Abbott, Rudd
and Gillard all failed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Then again, I must keep reminding myself of the
old joke/truism:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">How can you tell when a politician is
lying?<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">When his/her lips move! <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437441769490980292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635817996677966408.post-64393383412282480482015-09-22T21:59:00.002-07:002015-09-22T21:59:48.898-07:00WEST VERSUS EAST<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">AND
THEN THERE WERE FOUR</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRbXgPgYC0p6Ef1KY9YjP0XuVjhA5ADqMOx2sq6JbJ21CZWdej2zXqfdywnnDWVmQ8n0Nsav5aGuIIJrPm1NC7VFFgXR90a2EFz_GCeYMdov4O4tz-Lgg62boQUljsUw1vBMGrdIlS4k/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRbXgPgYC0p6Ef1KY9YjP0XuVjhA5ADqMOx2sq6JbJ21CZWdej2zXqfdywnnDWVmQ8n0Nsav5aGuIIJrPm1NC7VFFgXR90a2EFz_GCeYMdov4O4tz-Lgg62boQUljsUw1vBMGrdIlS4k/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">On Saturday week, 100,000+ spectators will
attend the 2015 AFL Football Grand Final (Australian Rules) at the Melbourne
Cricket Ground. No doubt, the Propaganda Department of the AFL will remind us,
as they usually do, of the millions of television viewers watching the game as
it is telecast live around Australia and to the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Four teams face off this coming weekend to
decide who will play in the Grand Final.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">My side, the North Melbourne Kangaroos,
against all odds, is one of them. The Kangaroos and the Hawthorn Hawks (another
Melbourne-based side and reigning premiers) have to travel west to Perth on the
weekend to try to pull off upset victories in the Preliminary Finals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The Fremantle Dockers and the West Coast Eagles
make up the four sides. They’re both from Perth, Western Australia, and are
favoured to win, setting up a Grand Final confrontation between each other.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Although the bookies and footy pundits
unanimously agree that my team has little chance of beating the flag favourite,
the Eagles, I am quietly confident that we can prove the experts wrong. You
see, we narrowly beat them earlier in the season. Sure, they were under-manned;
sure, it was played on our home ground; and, sure, the game was played in a
gale-force wind that disrupted their game plan more than ours. But, still, we
beat them!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Just to temper my optimism about this week’s
return match, though, I hasten to mention that one of our key defenders has “a
groin” and may not get up for the game. Likewise, there is a question mark over
the fitness of our most potent forward, who has “a knee”. Don’t you just love
that sort of footy shorthand talk?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Regrettably (and I mean this in the most
loving way), all the Eagles’ players seem to be in good shape after a week’s
rest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">You may not be aware that many Western
Australians, marooned and isolated up to 4,000 kilometres from the east coast
of Australia where most Australians live, dislike the dreaded “people from the
east”. As for their football fans, they’re something else again – insanely parochial
and rabidly one-eyed with a collective view that all teams from the east are as
welcome as the coming of the bubonic plague.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">So, the two Melbourne-based Preliminary Finalists
can be sure of a “warm” reception when they run out on the ground in Perth this
weekend.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">By and large, football followers in the east
don’t reciprocate the loathing of Western Australian fans. Sure, we don’t like
their teams very much, but we are much more preoccupied with disliking our
nearest rivals more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">For example, in Melbourne, Collingwood and
Carlton supporters have been at each other’s throats for over 100 years. In
South Australia (which is <u>east</u> of Western Australia), the two
Adelaide-based sides, The Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide, can’t stand each
other. Likewise, in Brisbane (Queensland), the Brisbane Lions and their nearest
competitor, the Gold Coast Suns, don’t see eye-to-eye either.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">However, maybe the easterners’ cool tolerance
of the two Perth-based teams will change dramatically should they defeat the Hawks
and the Kangaroos and qualify for the Grand Final.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">A west versus west Grand Final. Heaven
forbid!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">This would be unprecedented and I suspect the
footy followers of the east haven’t really wrapped their minds around this
possibility yet. If it comes to pass, I predict a seismic shift in their
tolerance levels and their attitude.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">So, heads up all you anger-management
therapists, counsellors, psychiatrists and psychologists in eastern Australia!
We’re looking at a possible tsunami of <u>FPTSD</u> (Football Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder) patients heading your way should the unthinkable happen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">GO THE KANGAS! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437441769490980292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635817996677966408.post-42472492106332522352015-09-22T21:56:00.000-07:002015-09-22T21:56:53.290-07:00Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437441769490980292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635817996677966408.post-67306955892583149832015-09-15T01:13:00.002-07:002015-09-15T01:13:26.579-07:00THE PRESIDENT'S BRIEFING<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">PREP
TALK AT THE WHITE HOUSE</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm63ClT1R3PYB_dwi7mZejK-naH4fkg8456kC5miVKmmEwGVdhMWsjd6ewbecRW_qtgyyBINaBUXMqq5XJwg2OFiWJGXsH4PH3SAwZWOb3Zwx41zVL2eLLgZlOlN-lyZqYpjFhepLJWRQ/s1600/586300-turnbull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm63ClT1R3PYB_dwi7mZejK-naH4fkg8456kC5miVKmmEwGVdhMWsjd6ewbecRW_qtgyyBINaBUXMqq5XJwg2OFiWJGXsH4PH3SAwZWOb3Zwx41zVL2eLLgZlOlN-lyZqYpjFhepLJWRQ/s320/586300-turnbull.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></b> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Scene: Oval Office, White House<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Subject: President’s briefing on scheduled visit by
the Australian Prime Minister<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Well, Bob, what’s on the agenda for my meeting with
Prime Minister --- er --- what’s his name --- er --- Joe Howard?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“No, it’s not John Howard, Mr. President – he was
voted out in 2007 and Kevin Rudd became Prime Minister.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Oh yes, I remember now. So what’s on the agenda with
Prime Minister Rudd?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“No, Mr. President, Kevin Rudd was stripped of the
top job in 2010 in a palace coup and was replaced by Julia Gillard.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Strange name for a guy?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“No, No, Mr. President, Julia Gillard is a woman.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Oh. I’ll have to watch my language then,” replied
the President smiling wryly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Not necessarily, Mr. President, because Julia
Gillard lost the leadership after being toppled by Kevin Rudd in another coup
in 2013.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Whoa! I’m glad you’re all over this Bob, because
it’s a little confusing. So, what will Rudd and I be discussing?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“No, Mr. President it won’t be Kevin Rudd. He lost
the election in 2013 and Tony Abbott took over as Prime Minister.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Goddam! What’s going on down-under? Ok, so what’s on
the agenda with Prime Minister Abbott?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“No, Mr. President it won’t be Tony Abbott, it will
be Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“What the (expletive deleted)!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Tony Abbott just lost the leadership to Malcolm
Turnbull in yet another palace coup this week.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Goddam! You’d better postpone the briefing until the
plane lands in Washington and see who turns up.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Good thinking, Mr. President.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437441769490980292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635817996677966408.post-62255574020207499742015-09-10T22:27:00.001-07:002015-09-10T22:27:14.925-07:00WARNING: SPORTS-HATERS, LOOK AWAY NOW!
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">WARNING:
SPORTS-HATERS LOOK AWAY NOW!</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"></span></b> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3XZU7WSgiXXVCf35WUEYTQQXRGy89Jh05gTu4TLr1VkOgxsq21M0tejJH3wurr70V-CJRWJOg1Oxylp1yGDL9_ll1urzymqheJbjZ2D8ScfN3y8yRCwbRih6dI916zRVu9TqjScHlBEo/s1600/imagesCAZQAPCG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3XZU7WSgiXXVCf35WUEYTQQXRGy89Jh05gTu4TLr1VkOgxsq21M0tejJH3wurr70V-CJRWJOg1Oxylp1yGDL9_ll1urzymqheJbjZ2D8ScfN3y8yRCwbRih6dI916zRVu9TqjScHlBEo/s1600/imagesCAZQAPCG.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">It is football finals time in Australia (Australian
Rules or AFL), commencing this weekend, culminating in the Grand Final on 3
October at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (or the MCG, or the “G”).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">This is an exciting time for footy fans,
especially if your team has made the final eight. Mine, the North Melbourne Kangaroos,
scraped into eighth place and faces an Elimination Final against the Richmond
Tigers (a Melbourne-based club) this coming Sunday. The Western Bulldogs
(Melbourne-based) and the Adelaide Crows (South Australia) compete in the other
Elimination Final.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">History suggests the chances of the winner of
an Elimination Final making it through to the Grand Final are slim, because the
teams finishing in the top four receive a decided advantage. However, Kangaroo
and Tiger fans live in hope (as do Bulldog and Crows supporters).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Two teams from Western Australia, the Fremantle
Dockers and the West Coast Eagles, finished the season in first and second
place respectively, followed by the Hawthorn Hawks (Melbourne-based and going
for three consecutive flags) and the injury-depleted Sydney Swans (New South
Wales).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The two losing teams from the top four get
another chance, should they lose this weekend, and have to face the winners of
the Elimination Finals the following week. The winners from the top four earn a
week’s rest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Got it? ----------- Oh, well!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I, and other footy followers should be
excused from participating in any other topic of thought, conversation, or
entertainment other than footy-speak and footy-talk shows until after the Grand
Final.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Strangely, non-footy fans (including my wife)
don’t seem to understand this and delude themselves that there are more
important things in life than football.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">This is very sad. However, I am very tolerant
of non-believers and, whilst acknowledging they are misguided, I live in hope
that one day they will all see the light.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">GO THE KANGAS!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437441769490980292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635817996677966408.post-24455075852913193302015-09-01T22:17:00.001-07:002015-09-01T22:17:53.050-07:00MY MYOPIA
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">MY MYOPIA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">(Myopia:
a lack of foresight; a narrow view of something)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9DGwO3RieV5xyzbQ-S49mww8l3Czlm0Wflw_xxKUfVTmh9YAJsZEocBGTyzKOV-0Hu0kjiDGk-2ofBBNN9iIujq89YDhbLd1AB33v3FF5XpFAAeHaXT914TnrKfIPaogResRGnk6402k/s1600/You%25E2%2580%2599re-judgmental.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9DGwO3RieV5xyzbQ-S49mww8l3Czlm0Wflw_xxKUfVTmh9YAJsZEocBGTyzKOV-0Hu0kjiDGk-2ofBBNN9iIujq89YDhbLd1AB33v3FF5XpFAAeHaXT914TnrKfIPaogResRGnk6402k/s320/You%25E2%2580%2599re-judgmental.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I was
watching a football match (Australian Rules) on TV last week when one of the
umpires awarded a player a free kick, resulting in a goal, after his opponent
had infringed on the rules.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">One of
the expert commentators was affronted by what he saw as a wrong decision.
However, his fellow commentator leapt to the umpire’s defence, arguing that the
decision was correct. Slo-mo replays of the incident did not resolve their different
opinions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">As
for me, I clearly saw that the umpire got it wrong. I’m sure the fact that the
decision went against the team I support had no influence on my opinion!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">We’ve
all heard the expression: “You only see what you want to see”, and, no doubt,
we’ve seen countless examples of this by us and by others. I certainly have.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I
don’t know what was in the sports commentators’ minds regarding that free kick,
but I certainly know what was in mine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Speaking
from personal experience, how I see things reflects my state of mind at the
time. It reflects what I want to see. Regrettably, too often, it reflects
something I don’t like about myself, that I then project out of my subconscious
mind onto others, manifesting in false judgments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">No,
I’m not talking about superficial judgments about umpiring decisions at
football matches. I’m talking about how quick I am to see fault in others and
judge them harshly to cover up my own perceived shortcomings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">However,
I’ve discovered that projection of what I don’t like about myself onto others doesn’t
work. It only increases my own guilt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Playing
the judgment game for most of my life has certainly caused problems,
misunderstandings, and conflicts. My faulty judgments (of people) have caused
me and others much pain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">What
to do?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I am
beginning to learn that having the <u>awareness</u> I am choosing to be
offended by people in some way and judging them accordingly, having projected
my own stuff onto them – means I can make another choice to prevent me from
making hasty and false judgments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">By
curbing my immediate urge to jump to a wrong conclusion and condemn someone
through judgment, can save me (and others) from unnecessary pain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Still
on training wheels with this new approach and experiencing more spills than
successes. But I keep trying to get back on the bike.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">In
the meantime, I’m still struggling with that football umpire’s grossly unfair
and incorrect penalty!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437441769490980292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635817996677966408.post-58617125515634740392015-08-16T22:23:00.001-07:002015-08-16T22:23:14.793-07:00CALL TO ACTION
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">CALL
TO ACTION!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Desmond Tutu is a South African
social rights activist, Nobel Peace Prize recipient and retired Anglican bishop
who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">At the age of 83, despite some health
problems, he has taken up the cause of climate change by encouraging people all
over the world to sign a petition imploring our political leaders to take
assertive action.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #191d1d; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">“If we stay on our
current course, our world can expect to suffer more deadly storms, heat waves,
droughts, crop failures, water shortages, mass migration, and new threats to
our health and security.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #191d1d; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">This will hurt all
of us -- especially the hungry, the sick, the poor, and the excluded. The
people who benefited least from the burning of fossil fuels are already paying
a steep price.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #191d1d; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">If you are concerned
about our degradation of the planet because of the burning of fossil fuels –
why not sign the petition!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #191d1d; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.5pt;">Click on link below:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">https://www.change.org/p/ban-ki-moon-secretary-general-of-the-united-nations-respond-urgently-to-climate-change-by-setting-a-renewable-energy-target-of-100-by-2050<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437441769490980292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635817996677966408.post-13041729459931777292015-08-09T22:35:00.002-07:002015-08-09T22:35:21.831-07:00MOVER & SHAKER<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">CLIMATE
CHANGE, MOVER & SHAKER – MARJAN MINNESMA<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">In my previous blog I shared my rediscovery of
radio; an opportunity arising from seeming adversity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Well, last night at 10 pm I tuned into Sunday
Nights on ABC radio and heard this splendid interview with a remarkable Dutch
lady, Marjan Minnesma about ordinary people taking effective direct action
about climate change.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">If you’re like me – frustrated because our
political leaders, for whatever reasons, refuse to bite the bullet regarding
carbon emissions and its apparent effect on world climate – I urge you to
listen to the 28 minute interview with Marjan Minnesma. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Very powerful and encouraging! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7021BBJO8rSGj7_7SIajfjmVdHGQxYV5-_B0WIzNb1OQahGd63uWFk7qakY8-B9-oNfwAs4i031xq-ESSSEARLqF76BSAD2hqRTUwBPnzvZ5g7uaUenxDSkqMRJ5GunWP_9AnzlVhY7w/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7021BBJO8rSGj7_7SIajfjmVdHGQxYV5-_B0WIzNb1OQahGd63uWFk7qakY8-B9-oNfwAs4i031xq-ESSSEARLqF76BSAD2hqRTUwBPnzvZ5g7uaUenxDSkqMRJ5GunWP_9AnzlVhY7w/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
</div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="border-color: black currentColor; border-style: solid none; border-width: 3pt medium 1pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 3.0pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 3pt 0cm;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: currentColor; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 7.5pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid black .75pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid black 3.0pt; mso-outline-level: 1; mso-padding-alt: 3.0pt 0cm 3.0pt 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 24pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt; text-transform: uppercase;">The
Interview: Marjan Minnesma<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
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<span style="color: #8c8c8c; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Sunday, August 9,
2015 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #777777; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Interview: Marjan Minnesma, Director of Urgenda <i>| Lateline</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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alt="Audio" style='width:18pt;height:13.5pt;visibility:visible;
mso-wrap-style:square'>
<v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\DON\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.gif"
o:title="Audio"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><img alt="Audio" height="18" src="file:///C:/Users/DON/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.gif" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_2" width="24" /><!--[endif]--></span></b><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 13pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; text-transform: uppercase;">Related Audio:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">The
Interview: Marjan Minnesma<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Download
as </span><a href="http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/local/sundaynights/201508/r1459570_21264686.mp3"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">MP3</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/sundaynights/stories/s4290000.htm"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU; mso-no-proof: yes; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_3"
o:spid="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="Play audio"
href="http://www.abc.net.au/sundaynights/stories/s4290000.htm" style='width:224.25pt;
height:27pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square' o:button="t">
<v:fill o:detectmouseclick="t"/>
<v:imagedata src="file:///C:\Users\DON\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image002.gif"
o:title="Play audio"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><span style="mso-ignore: vglayout;"><img alt="Play audio" border="0" height="36" src="file:///C:/Users/DON/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image002.gif" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_3" width="299" /></span><!--[endif]--></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">In 2013
Marjan Minnesma of the Netherlands thought her country's government wasn't
taking enough action on climate change. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">She and
almost 900 other Dutch citizens took the Government to court, arguing that the
state had a duty of care to protect its people from the harmful consequences of
global warming.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">In June
this year the Hague District Court </span><a href="https://www.rechtspraak.nl/Organisatie/Rechtbanken/Den-Haag/Nieuws/Pages/State-ordered-to-further-limit-greenhouse-gas-emissions.aspx"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">handed down its
verdict</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"> that the
Dutch Government must do more to bring down its country's carbon emissions in
order to keep its people safe. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">The
Netherlands is one of the countries scientists say is likely to be affected by
rising sea levels. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">The Court
agreed with Marjan Minnesma and her fellow plaintiffs, ordering the Dutch
Government to increase its target for reducing emissions from up to 17 per cent
on 1990 levels by 2020, to 25 per cent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">The judge
said, "The state should not hide behind the argument that the solution to
the global climate problem does not depend solely on Dutch efforts. Any
reduction of emissions contributes to the prevention of dangerous climate
change and as a developed country the Netherlands should take the lead on
this."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Marjan
Minnesma is now touring the world telling other groups how to mount similar
actions including in Australia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">She spoke
to Noel Debien of ABC Sunday Nights<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437441769490980292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635817996677966408.post-32546308670631589142015-08-04T20:35:00.002-07:002015-08-04T20:35:08.424-07:00RADIO REDISCOVERED
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">RADIO
REDISCOVERED</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBB7z8zYGI43uEJsaQAkNBH0ZcgesdwN-7vlGgWFmyg6mIb8qrgVuJbnhG28bYdoeNZZCk8qG9vPFpgL3o5uuTwbq9I6FQU7mx9bg3FOV43WSl7BYb7dFtDNeIpoydPEtwtoheSYty0eE/s1600/images6CAVSTXV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBB7z8zYGI43uEJsaQAkNBH0ZcgesdwN-7vlGgWFmyg6mIb8qrgVuJbnhG28bYdoeNZZCk8qG9vPFpgL3o5uuTwbq9I6FQU7mx9bg3FOV43WSl7BYb7dFtDNeIpoydPEtwtoheSYty0eE/s1600/images6CAVSTXV.jpg" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">When I was a young boy in the late 1940s and
early 1950s, listening to the radio was the prime source of home entertainment.
Television wasn’t an option until 1956 in Australia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Our radio (or “wireless” as we called it) was
the focal point for most households providing music, news and a range of
entertainment options. And it did it superbly well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Every afternoon, after school, I would huddle
in front of the wireless listening to the serials. “Biggles”, “Hop Harrigan”,
“Tarzan” and “Jungle Jim” were among my favourites. With only auditory senses
stimulated by this medium, you had to exercise your imagination to visualize
what was going on. It was a bit disappointing to learn, as I grew older, that
the sounds were just man-made effects. For example, the sound of waves breaking on the shore was
only someone sloshing water in a bucket!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Later, after dinner, the whole family would
gather in our cosy little lounge-room and listen to wireless soapies, such as,
“When a Girl Marries” or “Blue Hills”. Or there was the excitement of quiz
shows, like “Pick a Box” or the variable talent of performers on “The Amateur
Hour”. And, of course, usually on Sunday nights as I recall, the dramatic plays
on the “Lux Theatre Hour”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">That crackly old wireless (which later became
a flash radiogram) served us well during the pre-television era and, no doubt,
brought our small family together for at least a couple of hours most evenings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">60 years later, I have rediscovered the joys
of radio, having nearly abandoned that medium after TV arrived on the scene.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">A couple of months ago, our world was turned
upside down, when my wife and I found ourselves in financial difficulties. No
job, little income and mounting debts forced us to vacate our apartment and
turn to our family for support. This eventually involved a move from Melbourne
to Sydney.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Settling in with a family with three
children, 11 years old or less, has been a huge adjustment for all of us. For
example, all of the family are early to bed, early to rise people. Me, I’m a
night-owl. They’re all in bed by 8 pm and get up from 5-30 in the morning. I’m
rarely in bed before 11-30 pm and get up around 7 am.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Also, they have their evening meal at 5 pm.
This is much too early for my wife and me, so we have to prepare, eat and clean
up after our meal by 8 pm. After that, we have to tippy-toe around carefully to
ensure we don’t disturb anyone’s sleep.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Now, don’t get me wrong – I’m not complaining.
It’s just the way it is and it’s up to us to adjust to the requirements of our
hosts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">My wife is happy to go to bed early and read.
However, I’m programmed to stay up until after 11 pm. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">That’s how I rediscovered radio.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">With my mobile phone I subscribed to the ABC
Radio app and found I could listen to an Australia-wide station, as well as to a
variety of local State capital city stations, plus others for sport, classical
music, and so on. In short, a wealth of selections and variety.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I’m now a regular listener to “Late Night
Live” on Radio National, an hourly program commencing 10 pm Monday to Thursday,
hosted by Phillip Adams, an erudite, left-leaning intellectual, social
commentator and humanist. Each night he invariably interviews fascinating
people from around the world, with a fascinating mix of local and international
politics and current affairs; science; philosophy and culture. I’m impressed by
his grasp on so many complex and interesting topics, as well as his gentle and
ironic humour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The rediscovery of radio has indeed been a
blessing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Which just goes to show – <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">out
of adversity comes opportunity</i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">
(even if relatively trivial), </i>provided you’re open and receptive to look
for and appreciate it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437441769490980292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635817996677966408.post-43681850752670306022015-07-29T21:25:00.001-07:002015-07-29T21:25:42.212-07:00GRANDPARENTS' DAY
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">GRANDPARENTS’
DAY</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PRlrNHazVdVzAjZkJ5efaGe1osXf_SpmU5Gowk6crwQ-JzjfQDL011WLQLaYKYJutDjU1loLdNm4SL1TEQwldQkjTY00EMp8RrBFIbooKI9VL7QaaZmi0deJHv7gl2UiuIL4QcDelis/s1600/Grandparents+Brady+bunch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PRlrNHazVdVzAjZkJ5efaGe1osXf_SpmU5Gowk6crwQ-JzjfQDL011WLQLaYKYJutDjU1loLdNm4SL1TEQwldQkjTY00EMp8RrBFIbooKI9VL7QaaZmi0deJHv7gl2UiuIL4QcDelis/s1600/Grandparents+Brady+bunch.jpg" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Last week my wife and I were invited to
“Grandparents’ Day” at the small primary school three of our grandchildren
attend in Sydney. We have previously been to similar functions at the college
of our other two grandsons, back home, in Melbourne.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">As we are currently staying with my wife’s
daughter and family in Sydney, this gave us the opportunity for us to attend
this celebration with them for the first time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The occasion celebrated and acknowledged the
positive roles that many grandparents (and special friends) play in the lives
of their grandchildren.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Lots of nice things were said about
grandparents by the School Principal and by some of the kids representing each
grade. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The formal side of the occasion was very
well-organized and rehearsed – designed to spread a feeling of warm fuzzies and
appreciation to the grandparents who attended.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">However, at the end of the formal ceremony, I
was left with feelings of disquiet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">It concluded with a recording of Louis
Armstrong singing “What a Wonderful World”, with all the kids following the
words of the song with orchestrated body language and gestures. Yes, a bit
schmaltzy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The song capped off the reasons for my
discomfort.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The picture painted of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all </i>grandparents by the Principal and the students was that we were
all wonderful, caring, giving, wise and self-sacrificing people, who would do
anything for our grandchildren.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">This is obviously untrue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I know plenty of grandparents who choose to
have little involvement with their grandchildren, let alone give much of
themselves to them, or anyone else for that matter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">And I know of so many more, who are OK
grandparents (me included), but who fall far short of the treacly, glorified
image projected about grandparents at the school ceremony.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">As for this being a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wonderful World,</i> I regret to say that it is just not true.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">No doubt, many of the kids, from their own
personal observations and experiences, would be aware of the foibles and
fallibilities of their grandparents, as well as of the glaring imperfections of
the world we live in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">So what was the event really about? The
maintenance of a “Brady Bunch” myth about lovable Grandma and Grandpa with
hearts of gold? The fantasy that life is just a bowl of cherries and the world
we live in is la la land ?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">My guess is that we grandparents got what we
wanted that day. We heard things we wanted to believe about ourselves, but knew
they were far from the truth. We wanted to hear that we were caring, loving,
giving people, without flaws, even though we knew it was fantasy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">We wanted to forget about our imperfections,
our self-centredness, our fears and our guilt for a little while and pretend
what was said about us was really true.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Perhaps, we even received a glimpse of the
persons we have the potential to be, not the persons we believe we have become?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Perhaps some of us received a wake-up call to
do better, to reach beyond our perceived limitations and aspire to be the persons
lavishly praised at Grandparents’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Day?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Perhaps, if we do, the world <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">would </i>become a much better place?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Perhaps, it’s never too late to change our
minds, change our lives and change the world? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437441769490980292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635817996677966408.post-65695258985557425872015-07-23T23:03:00.002-07:002015-07-23T23:03:32.569-07:00THE PAST IS OVER
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">THE
PAST IS OVER</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXfaYwKXItuL-zJ_arpP5V8bzWCUOj0pN9QizW1MuQimDG0p2gw6a3NA4VTarKWcAZkSuDimyyVQN_c-RZvTwnFPjo5wUttEhN71gJ0QztHFTUYsW8gCvRrSyjUyufB1QlWB7rpi2pas/s1600/PAST.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXfaYwKXItuL-zJ_arpP5V8bzWCUOj0pN9QizW1MuQimDG0p2gw6a3NA4VTarKWcAZkSuDimyyVQN_c-RZvTwnFPjo5wUttEhN71gJ0QztHFTUYsW8gCvRrSyjUyufB1QlWB7rpi2pas/s320/PAST.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Most of us carry wounds from the past – real
or imagined.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">These remembrances can hold us back from
moving forward, from leaving our pain behind and can stunt our personal growth,
mentally and emotionally.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Take me for example. All of my life I have
harboured grievances over people who I perceived had hurt me way-back-when.
From family members, to teachers, to bosses, to friends and acquaintances.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The trouble with my judgments was that most
of them were ill-conceived. They were just my interpretations and perceptions
of people and events. They weren’t necessarily true – how could they have been?
I was either a kid or an emotionally immature adult and never had all the
facts, but chose to be hurt and placed the blame on others for my pain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Now, that’s not to say bad stuff didn’t sometimes
happen to me. Of course it did. But more the exception than the rule. However,
on reflection, I chose to be hurt even when the evidence against my victimizer
was, at best, very slight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Nonetheless, I chose to place my life on hold
by carrying grudges and using them to justify my cruddy attitude and behaviour
later in life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">It’s only taken 70 years of my life to
realize this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">So, I chose to hang onto the grievances of
the past and dragged this heavy load behind me like a millstone as excuses for
the lack of opportunities or success, or general frustration and unhappiness of
my life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">According to my spiritual guide, a book
called “A Course in Miracles”, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the past is healed in the present.<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“Oh yeah! How does that work?” I asked
myself, having carried a heavy load of grievances all of my life based on what
I perceived had been done to me in the past.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">With study and practice, the penny gradually
began to drop. I started to realize that the choice was up to me whether or not
I continued to hang onto the negative effects of my past experiences, or let
the past go and move on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">First, it was necessary for me to give
serious consideration to the fact that most of the “bad stuff” seemingly
afflicted on me by uncaring people, was my convenient interpretation of behaviour
and events in order to dodge personal responsibility, and place the blame on
others.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I totally convinced myself of my victimhood
because of their unloving words or actions and chose to store these flawed
memories and grievances away in my mind to justify my uncaring and self-centred
attitude towards others as I grew older.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">On reflection, I rationalized that my
cold-hearted behaviour was to protect myself from getting hurt again, but I’m
sure it was as much about getting even with “a cruel, hard world” and with the
shadow figures from my past. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Regardless, what I was doing to others was
self-defeating and emotionally crippling. It was taking me nowhere, except to
anger, guilt, pain and despair.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I’m still working hard to break the shackles
of my past.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Instead of tenaciously hanging onto
grievances, and dishing them out to others in an unloving way – I am now trying
to give love (in the forms of non-judgment, acceptance and unconditional
forgiveness) and through acts of kindness to others (so unlike the old me!).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I don’t always succeed. But when I do, I always
feel more peaceful, less guilty and, whoa, sometimes joyous!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437441769490980292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635817996677966408.post-50308219112313472382015-07-16T22:32:00.000-07:002015-07-16T22:32:32.680-07:00Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437441769490980292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635817996677966408.post-60908525034868744462015-07-16T22:27:00.002-07:002015-07-16T22:33:03.018-07:00FORGIVE & FORGET<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">FORGIVE?
YES.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">FORGET?
MAYBE.</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Nt3Bi0QNnpdadGjZRZRSacbwBuMzSmZyWU2V7LYP3993cG8G2qrT0UQKHY3iZl3nGPH0JXxWjwdlys2FkR2C8OcMY2UyKajHBBXJXe-7-XcyjS62hCgTQkIYlDVJlSihQRCk1phWhIg/s1600/Forgive+and+Forget.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Nt3Bi0QNnpdadGjZRZRSacbwBuMzSmZyWU2V7LYP3993cG8G2qrT0UQKHY3iZl3nGPH0JXxWjwdlys2FkR2C8OcMY2UyKajHBBXJXe-7-XcyjS62hCgTQkIYlDVJlSihQRCk1phWhIg/s1600/Forgive+and+Forget.jpg" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Been thinking a lot about forgiveness lately.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">That’s probably understandable given I am a
student of a spiritual book, “A Course in Miracles”, in which forgiveness plays
a key part in guiding its adherents along the spiritual path to peace and
happiness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I am on the threshold of truly understanding
what the Course’s version of forgiveness is, compared with our conventional
world view of this notion. However, consistently applying forgiveness and putting
it into practice in my daily life is my greatest challenge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">My hard-wired self-centred ego, which prefers
attack, retribution and even vengeance, has other ideas. And, more often than
not, I am tempted to succumb to its temptation to see myself as a victim of
someone else, jump on the bandwagon of blame and justify my harsh judgments and
condemnations as an innocent victim of the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">However, every now and then, I actually
succeed in overlooking someone else’s mistakes (or my perception of their
hurtful behaviour), instead of launching into a self-righteous counter-attack
of revenge. On these still rare occasions, I am astonished by how good I feel,
how peaceful, and, often, how those feelings often seem to be shared by the
person I would usually have attacked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Most of my life I have been sceptical of the
expression: “Forgive and forget”. It always seemed to me that forgiving is
probably a good idea on selected occasions, especially when I can place myself
in a superior position to my offender by doing so. But forgetting the “sins” of
my adversary, that’s a big ask. Surely I could be setting myself up to be
trodden on or offended in the same way in the future?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Now my mind has changed about this. By not being
willing to forget past hurts, I realise I am still nursing grievances about the
so-called perpetrators. I haven’t truly forgiven them at all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">In other words, by not forgetting, I am not
truly forgiving. I am wary, distrustful and unloving as a result, and this
impacts adversely on my peace of mind and my happiness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">In short, by refusing to completely let go of
the hurts of the past, I am impairing my personal growth as well as my progress
along the spiritual path. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437441769490980292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635817996677966408.post-48489290168654205992015-07-10T02:01:00.000-07:002015-07-10T02:01:10.257-07:00GUNS & THE USA<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">GUNS & THE
USA</span></u></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></u></b> </div>
<div align="center">
</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9EOb675APGx-DNYla-8mChelUa_PHsw6ucJIC4-5_GJdB2uEz-3eUdb2Dv5D5i5Uz5m-zxZKUj5aRDj4uxdGu1Z8xlKuJRIipNmNIBlqUpEB1LxdJrPByy0MHDg9UGTBczPk7RYtI-A/s1600/guns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9EOb675APGx-DNYla-8mChelUa_PHsw6ucJIC4-5_GJdB2uEz-3eUdb2Dv5D5i5Uz5m-zxZKUj5aRDj4uxdGu1Z8xlKuJRIipNmNIBlqUpEB1LxdJrPByy0MHDg9UGTBczPk7RYtI-A/s320/guns.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></u></b></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">It’s hard to wrap my mind around the extreme passions that have been
stirred up by the suggestion that some form of gun control should be introduced
in the USA as proposed, yet again, by President Obama. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Observing the situation from
outside the USA, as I am doing in Australia, I have to admit I can’t even begin
to understand where the proponents of laissez-faire gun control are coming
from.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The widespread, vocal (and sometimes rabid) opposition by many in the
USA to placing restrictions the sale of guns is incomprehensible to me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I was living in the USA, I
would be scared witless to know that these extremely angry people are in favor
of a gun-toting society without any restrictions at all on who is allowed to
have guns and the kind of weapons people can have in their possession. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It seems to me that America has
lost its way regarding the right to bear arms since the Second Amendment to the
US Constitution was passed by Congress on December 15, 1791.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It stated:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free
State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, a lot of water has flowed
under the bridge since 1791 and those who hide behind the Second Amendment to
justify no control over guns, should take breath and consider what arms the
early settlers were talking about when the Amendment was passed, and compare
them with what’s freely available now. We’ve gone from single shot muzzled
loaded muskets and pistols to highly sophisticated and lethal automatic weapons
that any idiot can access and wreak havoc with.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, taming the wild frontier
and threats from foreign armies are relics of a long-gone past. It’s time to
put away the guns and leave them in the hands of the armed forces,
law-enforcement officers, security personnel etc. It’s their job to deal with
the bad guys. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, the argument that President
Obama’s stance to tighten gun laws is an infringement of people’s rights
strikes me as ridiculous. Governments are elected to govern and also to pass
laws to protect the people. It seems to me that, after the terrible incident at
Newtown and in South Carolina (and elsewhere), Obama’s government would be
derelict in its duty if it did not pass laws to address this issue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437441769490980292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635817996677966408.post-41159061744275742672015-07-03T19:28:00.000-07:002015-07-03T19:28:08.291-07:00GUILT
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">NAMELESS
GUILT</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7M-JB6OWejSq_tr2fSNy69hlLkOCzoIIJ4YZeNAaDPtMwKI7Fx3IKhykwO_fDAkynj-v0twtnj1dROPoWeOEe6ykSVK3IvQIHNGWbJMTd-Ps1gvC7MpvR1A2jbuD_jTLOTILNu8gIO_k/s1600/guilt1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7M-JB6OWejSq_tr2fSNy69hlLkOCzoIIJ4YZeNAaDPtMwKI7Fx3IKhykwO_fDAkynj-v0twtnj1dROPoWeOEe6ykSVK3IvQIHNGWbJMTd-Ps1gvC7MpvR1A2jbuD_jTLOTILNu8gIO_k/s1600/guilt1.jpg" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b> </div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">A number of years ago my wife, Brenda,
conducted classes in self-awareness and self-development based on the
principles of Attitudinal Healing and on what she had learned from her life’s
experiences. She ran night-time classes every week for ten weeks covering a
range of subjects encompassing meditation techniques designed to assist people
to still their busy thoughts, and look within their own minds to see things
differently in order to find answers to their problems. I attended these classes
to lend Brenda a hand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">A hot topic at one of these particular sessions
was letting go of guilt. Brenda’s view, and mine, was that guilt was the
underlying source of all of our problems and conflicts. Guilt generates fear in
all its guises – anxiety; self-doubt; feelings of unworthiness; anger;
insecurity; debilitating addictions; depression and so on. In our minds, guilt
implies that we deserve, and should expect, punishment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I remember one participant, a man in his 60s
I’d guess, telling the group that all of his life he had wrestled with guilty
emotions, but most times he couldn’t identify the reasons behind his guilty
feelings. He described his experience as “nameless guilt”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">What he said struck a chord with me because
most of my life I’d suffered from the same affliction. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I think I first became aware of these guilty feelings
after reaching puberty, although it was many years later that my suppressed and
denied guilty feelings surfaced into my conscious awareness. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I can now understand, in my teens, how the
changes to my rapidly maturing body, the production of hormones that stimulates
libido, and the concurrent onset of a kaleidoscope of confused feelings and
emotions revolving around sexual urges and sexual impulses, contributed to a shameful
sense that my thoughts, feelings and fantasies were wrong, dirty and sinful. Guilt,
at least at a subconscious level, followed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Like most boys of my generation, my sex
education mainly came from other boys, based on macho, ill-informed,
self-gratifying conversations about treating females disrespectfully as merely
objects to satisfy the sexual desires of testosterone-driven young males.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">On reflection, there were many other causes
of a growing stockpile of guilt that were pushing their way up through my
subconscious to my conscious mind. Other things that made me feel ashamed of
myself because I knew I had done the wrong thing. Like lying or cheating; or
attacking others to save my thin skin; or holding grievances; or seeking
revenge; or selling out in order to be approved of; to name a few.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">By the time I was in my mid-thirties,
“nameless guilt” was plaguing me. Although my ego put up a false front of
bravado, self-confidence and know-it-allness - fooling most of the people most
of the time - the person I thought I was, was a lot different to my phoney
public persona. This was taking its toll on me, with my self-doubts plaguing me
and my shame constantly haunting me. This led to some disastrous relationships,
marriage breakdowns, binge drinking to escape from the person I thought I was
and a slide into despair, anger and depression.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">It’s taken me many years to understand that
my path in life, like most people, is strewn with mistakes, wrong decisions and
poor choices and I can either capitulate under the heavy weight of my guilt and
shame for these errors, or I can look at them honestly, admit my mistakes and
learn from them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The past is over. I can’t go back and change
what has happened. All I can do, is be aware of what I did wrong and be
determined not to repeat those mistakes by making better choices now and in the
future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">“Nameless guilt” has assisted in bringing me
to where I’m now at in my attitude and behaviour. It’s no longer the heavy
weight it used to be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437441769490980292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635817996677966408.post-6787528014906023892015-06-24T20:17:00.002-07:002015-06-24T20:17:48.036-07:00TIME WOUNDS ALL HEELS<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">TIME WOUNDS ALL HEELS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWX8ld4QE-TlK-My0UCeUd3Zw7lOKZwjDgLahjx7dKWc3bPPb-Qi4Zrr5qv6J4LcKSm-eiWEjoAgr8k9wm2fIFZdzyrtvjBrupxKAFYYWtFpRf6YwZQAWYDpcQwvo8DfcQlC06E0VZht8/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWX8ld4QE-TlK-My0UCeUd3Zw7lOKZwjDgLahjx7dKWc3bPPb-Qi4Zrr5qv6J4LcKSm-eiWEjoAgr8k9wm2fIFZdzyrtvjBrupxKAFYYWtFpRf6YwZQAWYDpcQwvo8DfcQlC06E0VZht8/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Time wounds all heels” has been attributed by
many people to John Lennon as his witty and creative reconstruction of the
original saying, “Time heals all wounds”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After finally having his application for U.S.
residency approved by a court in New York in 1976, despite the prolonged and
dogged resistance mounted by the Nixon administration - when Lennon was asked
what he thought of the people who not only tried to thwart him from getting a
Green Card, but also endeavoured to have him deported as an undesirable person
- he quipped, “Time wounds all heels!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No, this wasn’t his original rework of the quote
at all. Apparently it first surfaced in the movie “The Marx Brothers Go West”,
which was released in 1940, coincidentally, the year of John Lennon’s birth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wittingly, or unwittingly, I reckon there is
far more wisdom in the revised version of the saying than in the original. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my opinion the idea that time can heal
emotional wounds is not true. Time does nothing of itself, it only passes. It’s
what we do with it that counts. It’s the action we take that heals wounds, not
just the passing of time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my experience, there is much more
persuasive evidence that “time wounds all heels”. In other words, if you do
something bad to someone, inevitably you get punished. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Continuing the John Lennon theme, his chief
protagonist in the U.S.A. was Richard Nixon, and look what happened to him.
History is strewn with examples of “bad” guys biting the dust big time. To
single out some extreme examples - from Caligula, the depraved Roman Emperor to
Adolf Hitler and more recently, Saddam Hussein and Gaddafi – history always
catches up with the bad guys (Bashar Assad – watch this space!). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Call it the law of “Karma” which implies - whatever
you do comes back to you. Or the biblical proverb, “As you sow, so shall you
reap”, which means - your deeds, good or bad, will repay you in kind. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I look back on my life, I’ve got to say
this has been my direct, personal experience. Focusing on the bad things I’ve
done driven by egocentric, self-interest or self-gratification where I’ve taken
advantage of someone else, and/or hurt someone else – invariably something
happens to me that squares the ledger.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now some people may blame a wrathful God for
inflicting punishment on them when they’ve clearly “sinned”. Or perhaps others
attribute their punishment to some powerful, but mysterious, universal law of
cause and effect. Or, I suspect, many people flatly deny they’ve done something
wrong and declare themselves innocent victims if something untoward happens to
them. I’d clearly put myself in the latter category.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking back on my life experiences, let me
tell you how I believe my bad deeds catch up with me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whenever I’ve done something at someone
else’s expense to satisfy my own wants, or I’ve purposely attacked and hurt
someone with words or actions – my ego initially puffs up with victorious righteousness.
However, guilt over what I’ve done invariably seeps into my consciousness, even
though part of mind fiercely attempts to justify my bad behaviour. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I now know there’s no running away from
guilt - it has to be dealt with, or somehow it deals with me. Most often during
my life, I’ve tried to get rid of the guilt I was harbouring by dumping it onto
someone else through blame or by launching fresh attacks. It’s taken me a long
time to realise that projecting my own guilt onto someone else just doesn’t
work, it only adds to my stockpile of guilt. And because, in my mind, I know
that guilt deserves punishment, somehow at a deep subconscious level I find
ways to punish myself!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seems weird, I know, to think I can’t blame
a mysterious universe or a judgmental God for the bad stuff that always comes
my way, and I’m responsible for attracting it to me. I’ve discovered - although
part of me still deeply resists the notion - that instead of trying to project
my guilt, when I take responsibility for my actions, own up and acknowledge
them through genuinely saying “sorry” and apologising, my guilt diminishes and
the need to punish myself subsides.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other hand, if I do good deeds and
put other people’s needs ahead of my own, or I resist the temptation to judge
people harshly and attack them, I find - without the baggage of guilt to bear -
good things are attracted to me or, at the very least, I have peace of
mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope you haven’t found this posting too
preachy, but my intent is only to share with you what I’m learning, even though
my application of it still leaves a lot to be desired.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d be interested to receive your feedback.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437441769490980292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635817996677966408.post-76394100578440126022015-06-10T21:59:00.001-07:002015-06-10T21:59:39.730-07:00DO NOT MESS WITH YOUNG GANDHI!<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">DO NOT MESS WITH YOUNG GANDHI!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The following anecdote about Mahatma Gandhi is
doing the rounds on the Internet. Worth a read if you have not seen it before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If true, young Gandhi still had some distance to
travel on his spiritual journey. I suspect his responses to his protagonist in
later life would have been far more kinder, if not as entertaining.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Gandhi ...</span></b><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> A lovely little anecdote about
one of life's more interesting characters ...<br />
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--></span><b><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<br />
When Mahatma Gandhi was studying law at the University College of
London, a professor, whose last name was Peters, disliked him intensely
and always displayed animosity</span></b><b><span style="color: #1f497d; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></b><b><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">towards him.</span></b><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <b>Also, because Gandhi never
lowered his head when addressing him as he expected, there were always
"arguments" and confrontations.</b> </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 16pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 16pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span></b><b><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
One day, Mr. Peters was having lunch at the dining room of the
University, and Gandhi came along with his tray and sat next to the
professor. The professor said," Mr Gandhi, you do not understand.
A pig and a bird do not sit together to eat."</span></b><span style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<br />
<br />
<b>Gandhi looked at him as a parent would a rude child and calmly
replied, "You do not worry professor. I'll fly away," and he
went and sat at another table.</b> <b><br />
<br />
Mr. Peters, reddened with rage, decided to take revenge on the next
test paper, but Gandhi responded brilliantly to all questions.</b> <b><br />
Mr. Peters, unhappy and frustrated, asked him the following question:
"Mr Gandhi, if you were walking down the street and found a
package, and within was a bag of wisdom and another bag with a lot of
money, which one would you take?"</b> <b><br />
Without hesitating, Gandhi responded,</b> <b>"The one
with the money, of course."</b><br />
<b>Mr. Peters, smiling sarcastically said,</b> <b>"I,
in your place, would have taken the wisdom."</b> <b><br />
Gandhi shrugged indifferently and responded,</b> <b>"Each one
takes what he doesn't have."</b> <b><br />
<br />
Mr. Peters, by this time was fit to be tied. So great was his anger
that he wrote on Gandhi's exam sheet the word "idiot" and gave
it to Gandhi.</b> <b><br />
Gandhi took the exam sheet and sat down at his desk, trying very hard
to remain calm while he contemplated his next move.</b><br />
<br />
<b>A few minutes later, Gandhi got up, went to the professor and said to
him in a dignified but sarcastically polite tone, "Mr. Peters, you
autographed the sheet, but you did not give me the grade."</b>
<o:p></o:p></span><br /></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437441769490980292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635817996677966408.post-77341638148776239642015-05-25T06:08:00.002-07:002015-05-25T06:08:20.356-07:00PISSED OFF WITH THE DEATH PENALTY? WANT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT?<a href="http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=729266d5f703cb1180655916c&id=357a015ee1&e=35dce29663">http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=729266d5f703cb1180655916c&id=357a015ee1&e=35dce29663</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437441769490980292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635817996677966408.post-26395422601791945312015-05-22T07:54:00.002-07:002015-05-22T07:54:26.629-07:00SYNCHRONICITY
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">SYNCHRONICITY</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBaqmp9w0VGCzP7esaEBvTzq2u73ALv-Dh4KGsgQ5v8IYQxQ7S8P48pkhHiyJw87Ov__Ex0m0TpQ5_SqmU9j8Eer9Pkp8hgA_63Gt89r-AAkCW2_wW4JBH5S-o2qCXWAQ2suJvQBvC8Y/s1600/imagesI1K8ZLPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBaqmp9w0VGCzP7esaEBvTzq2u73ALv-Dh4KGsgQ5v8IYQxQ7S8P48pkhHiyJw87Ov__Ex0m0TpQ5_SqmU9j8Eer9Pkp8hgA_63Gt89r-AAkCW2_wW4JBH5S-o2qCXWAQ2suJvQBvC8Y/s1600/imagesI1K8ZLPG.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></b> </div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "CG Times","serif"; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Synchronicity is at play in every moment,<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "CG Times","serif"; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">and it manifests through our life's experiences,<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "CG Times","serif"; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">wherein we are given repeated opportunities<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "CG Times","serif"; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">to find our path back to God,<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "CG Times","serif"; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">to joy, to inner peace, to true happiness.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "CG Times","serif"; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">It is seen in an event,<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "CG Times","serif"; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">a circumstance,<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "CG Times","serif"; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">a chance encounter,<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "CG Times","serif"; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">an accident,<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "CG Times","serif"; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">a relationship,<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "CG Times","serif"; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">which sometimes literally stops us in mid-stream<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "CG Times","serif"; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">to enable us to confront<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "CG Times","serif"; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">our conditioned way of thinking and our attitudes.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "CG Times","serif"; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">The choice to heed the message of Synchronicity is always our decision.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "CG Times","serif"; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">At times Synchronicity questions our beliefs and our values,<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "CG Times","serif"; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">and threatens to push us to the very edge of our awareness.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "CG Times","serif"; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Brenda De Lene<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; punctuation-wrap: simple; tab-stops: -36.0pt; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Some
considerable time ago I talked about how synchronicity, or meaningful
coincidences, came into play in our lives 20 years ago, resulting in
unexpected, but perfect outcomes. First there was my commitment to leave my
soul-destroying job and do what would make my heart sing, write and teach. Then
there was the public declaration and commitment by my wife, Brenda, to free
herself from the insidious influence of her ex-husband by relinquishing her car
after he had reneged on an arrangement to transfer legal ownership of it to
her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-hyphenate: none; mso-layout-grid-align: none; punctuation-wrap: simple; tab-stops: -36.0pt; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may recall that, after her car was
written off in a bizarre accident, miraculously we managed to obtain the
finance to buy a brand new compact motor vehicle. Well, that wasn’t the only
miracle relating to cars. Let me tell you what happened after that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<h2 style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">For the next two years, Brenda and I struggled to
establish ourselves, running seminars on personal growth subjects and teaching.
However, because of our resistance to correcting our entrenched wrong-minded
attitudes and behaviour, we were unsuccessful in attracting viable numbers of
participants. How could we tell someone else how to run their lives, when we
hadn’t yet sorted out our own stuff?</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></h2>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The upshot of this was we weren’t making ends meet and the payout from
my last job rapidly dwindled, as did the proceeds of my marriage property
settlement. In the end, income from groups wasn’t enough to pay for the
advertising and promotional costs sustained for our programs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All the while I was applying for numerous jobs in senior management, but
without success. You see, this was the time of economic rationalism and
globalisation and many companies and organisations had gone through the process
of downsizing and restructuring to remain competitive in the market place. The
first people downsized were managers over the age of 45, so the chances of
someone in their 50s finding a job in that environment were minimal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For a while we existed on credit card debt, always hoping the next
course we ran, or talk we gave, would attract a crowd and we’d be able to pay
off our mounting debts. In August 1997, we even had to vacate our apartment and
move in with Brenda’s son and fiancee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We were not only broke, but up to our ears in debt as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We kept developing self-improvement programs, not only for the public,
but also for companies and other organisations and although we managed to
present our programs to four or five organisations, we didn’t get their
acceptance to run them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In between time, I got part-time work as a consultant to a
removalist/self-storage company, for a small weekly fee. The warehouse
subsequently burnt down destroying all of our furniture and household effects
that were stored there, leaving the inadequately insured owners broke, and us
without compensation for our losses. Not only had I lost my small income, but
also most of our possessions! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had also written three books that kept being rejected by publishers.
So, despite our efforts, our financial position worsened. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In between time, I continued applying for positions, mainly in senior
management roles and never even received an invitation for an interview. As
previously mentioned, discrimination in the workplace against job applicants,
because of age, was running rampant. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
little car was due for re-financing, or replacement or relinquishment in
October 1998. However, one of the credit card organizations had lost patience
and obtained a judgment from the court against me for the money owed. This, of
course, was a black mark on my credit rating and it was with some trepidation I
returned to the car dealership to see what, if anything, could be arranged.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yes, the finance company had been alerted to the judgment made against
me and refused to re-finance a car until I’d paid off the credit card debt.
This I couldn’t do. Although it was less than $2,000, we just didn’t have the
money. Things weren’t looking good. A car was essential for our dwindling work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not for the first time in my life, help came from an unexpected
quarter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Brenda and I had established a good rapport with the business manager of
the car dealership. He was determined to overcome the tricky problem of the
outstanding debt owed by me to ensure we got a new car and, of course, ensure
his dealership got the sale. He had little to gain from the huge efforts he put
in on our behalf to arrange re-financing of our current car. However, he
wheeled and dealed behind the scenes, until two months later he managed to
persuade another finance company to come to the party. In between time, we had
the use of the car for those two months without having to make any monthly
payments. Just before Christmas too, when money was especially tight. A miracle
indeed!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, there we were driving another brand new little car, perfect for our
needs. Providence was surely smiling on us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, would you believe, here we are 20 years later in similar
circumstances. No job, no money, no permanent place to stay and our car about
to be repossessed. I guess we weren’t open to learn from our previous
experiences and were destined to repeat them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Seemingly, the only thing going for us
(like before) is our hope, faith and trust that things will turn out for the
best. Let’s see if the Unseen Hand of synchronicity comes into play again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Stay tuned. I’ll let you know how things turn out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437441769490980292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635817996677966408.post-31699006176468180412015-05-15T00:30:00.003-07:002015-05-15T00:30:25.937-07:00DON'T LET THEM DIE IN VAIN!
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">ANDREW CHAN & MYURAN SUKUMARAN</span></b><span style="color: #606060; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"> Okay, so the Indonesian President and his government stuffed up,
big-time, by executing two totally rehabilitated drug smugglers who
were now making a positive contribution to their fellow human beings.</span><span style="color: #606060; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Yet again, the ugly side of political populism prevailed over mercy,
common-sense and decency. </span><span style="color: #606060; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">The death penalty is archaic, ineffective as a deterrent and
barbarous.</span><span style="color: #606060; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Let's do something about it! </span><span style="color: #606060; font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="mso-cellspacing: 0cm; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="background-color: transparent; border: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding: 0cm;" valign="top">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Over the weekend, funeral services were held for </span><b><span style="color: teal; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Andrew Chan</span></b><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"> and </span><b><span style="color: teal; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Myuran Sukumaran</span></b><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">. Two men whose lives were cut short for no good
reason.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Myuran’s brother Chinthu spoke movingly:</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">
<i><span style="color: #606060; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"> </span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">“I asked him if he was afraid and he said no. But
I didn’t believe him so I placed my hand on his chest for a few minutes and I
felt his heart beat. And then again on his wrist, to feel his pulse and it
was beating slowly and I knew that he was not afraid.” </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Chinthu also read his distraught mother’s
words: </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">"My son was a good man, he died a good man
and was so loved,"</span></i><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"> Chinthu
said. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">"He got caught up with something bad, and
the anger and shame I felt when he was arrested, was gone a long time
ago." </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">"When it was time for me to say goodbye for
the last time, I didn't want to let him go. I hugged him so tight and he
hugged me ... I watched my son walk away and I will never forget that look on
his face."</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Michael Chan also had powerful words to say about
his brother. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">"People deserve second chances in life,
people make mistakes. He showed us that everyone can change and change for
the better,"</span></i><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"> he said. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">"You have touched so many lives. You have
done me proud and the whole family</span></i><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">"He showed us what dignity is all
about. </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">"One of Andrew's last wishes was that we
continue to fight the death penalty even though we lost the fight. </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">"Those big manly hugs we gave each other,
the sound of your laugh and so much more."</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">At both services, friends and family were united
in their love for Andrew and Myuran, their loathing for the death penalty and
their commitment to its abolition. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Today, we mourn the passing of two kind and
generous souls.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">
<b><span style="color: teal; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tomorrow, we will come together to work towards
ending the death penalty. </span></span></b><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
<br />
Many of you have asked us what can be done and how can you be involved.<br />
<br />
Rest assured you will be hearing from us soon about what we're going to do - </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span style="color: teal; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">with your help </span></b><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">- to try to stop such pointless loss of life happening again. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Our most heartfelt sympathies to their families
and friends. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Our deepest gratitude to all who have
supported them. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #606060; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">We bid farewell to Andrew and Myuran. May they
rest in peace and may they not have died in vain.<br />
<br />
The Mercy campaign team.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</tbody></table>
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<u1:p></u1:p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437441769490980292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635817996677966408.post-89264381592074367742015-04-28T19:35:00.000-07:002015-04-28T19:35:06.094-07:00THE PRESIDENT'S MISTAKE
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">THE
PRESIDENT’S MISTAKE<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Vale,
Andrew Chan & Myuran Sukumaran</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSD3Du0HA3kF9TDi7DTQfYbMN3rBaN0ypirl6QeGoJvcwvhDFvKimdZqcMaymokslfZL9anS5dVhF_pDeP8hgYbQeYGr8vpLdi2gI2bh8mmmU-IcT8T_ebZjv0jR0YjCWkfwEbnx_3I04/s1600/180583-bali-nine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSD3Du0HA3kF9TDi7DTQfYbMN3rBaN0ypirl6QeGoJvcwvhDFvKimdZqcMaymokslfZL9anS5dVhF_pDeP8hgYbQeYGr8vpLdi2gI2bh8mmmU-IcT8T_ebZjv0jR0YjCWkfwEbnx_3I04/s1600/180583-bali-nine.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Politics can be a dirty game, especially when
political leaders are driven by populist opinion, pressure from influential
backers and an inability to see beyond self-interest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Regrettably, it seems that President Joko
Widodo was incapable of seeing the big picture in deciding to push for the
execution of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, convicted drug smugglers, rather
than consider the fact that both young Australian men had turned their lives
around and were totally rehabilitated after 10 years in prison.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">No, President Widodo together with his
single-minded Attorney-General and other prominent ministers chose to disregard
this fact and the positive effect and good work these two men had been doing
helping and inspiring others. Local political expediency and popularity blinded
the President from sparing their lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">This was a grave mistake by President Widodo
and, one that, will inevitably come back to haunt him. You see, I believe in
the Universal Law, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">as you give out you
get back</i>, or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">as you sow you reap</i>.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Regrettably, from the time last night when
the sounds of rifle fire resounded from the island where Chan and Sukumaran
were incarcerated, President Widodo has put himself, metaphorically, under the
gun.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">How the outcome of the President’s mistake
plays out, I do not know. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">I hope for his sake, he will, in time,
acknowledge his error and learn from it so that next time he will see things
through more compassionate eyes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437441769490980292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635817996677966408.post-18209464805902841372015-04-26T23:29:00.000-07:002015-04-26T23:30:10.186-07:00KEEP HOPE ALIVE - LAST RITES?<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">KEEP HOPE ALIVE: LAST RITES?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Amnesty International is calling for an immediate and urgent halt to
plans to execute a group of prisoners in Indonesia, including Australians
Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, following confirmation of 72 hours notice
until the state sanctioned killings take place.</span></b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 4;">
<b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Executions threatening
Indonesia-Australia relations<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">“If these executions go ahead, they'll be a serious stain on Indonesia's
human rights record and Joko Widodo’s Presidency and damage relations between
Indonesia and its friends, including Australia,” said Diana Sayed, Human Rights
Lawyer and Amnesty International Australia Crisis Campaigner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">“Hundreds of thousands of people from right around Australia and the
world have continued to respectfully call for a halt to the executions and
mercy for those on death row.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">"Despite their pleas, it’s deeply troubling the Indonesian
government is apparently determined to push ahead with more killings, despite
showing promise to move away from the death penalty until executions resumed in
2013.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 4;">
<b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Failure to genuinely consider
clemency applications<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">“We urge President Widodo to change course immediately, before his early
human rights record is tarnished further.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">“The failure of President Joko Widodo to genuinely consider clemency
applications on a case-by-case basis, contrary to the Indonesian Constitution,
also raises serious questions about the rule of law in Indonesia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 4;">
<b><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Call for abolition of the
death penalty<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">“Despite the desperateness of this situation, past experience shows us
there’s still time to stop these executions and end the death penalty in
Indonesia altogether.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">“Amnesty International has been campaigning to end the death penalty for
more than 30 years. When we first started, only 16 countries were abolitionist.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">“Now that number stands at 140 countries that have stopped using the
death penalty either in law or practice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">“We strongly urge Indonesia show strong leadership by granting Andrew,
Myuran and all prisoners on death row mercy, ending the death penalty and joining
the global trend moving away from state-sanctioned killings,” Diana Sayed
urged.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO APPEAL TO PRESIDENT WIDODO FOR MERCY, PLEASE USE THE LINK BELOW TO EXPRESS YOUR SUPPORT:</span></div>
<a href="http://www.amnesty.org.au/action/action/36419/">http://www.amnesty.org.au/action/action/36419/</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437441769490980292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-635817996677966408.post-21946617818767735642015-04-24T15:39:00.004-07:002015-04-24T15:48:30.386-07:00EULOGY FOR MY FATHER<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">EULOGY
FOR MY FATHER</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifoHnCzeEImRVPiu7AsBu6Ce8XzpSdKzamIrsmsxCYrc5VVJhig6Uv4l4_rNryWoSEGY3y0x0J_Fw8bQCmGoT1uV20mm0RvvwoNmTSpOrr5qo-azefMOESOHr3vToJlsnKWXCLHeoi44w/s1600/imagesL1XHIY41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifoHnCzeEImRVPiu7AsBu6Ce8XzpSdKzamIrsmsxCYrc5VVJhig6Uv4l4_rNryWoSEGY3y0x0J_Fw8bQCmGoT1uV20mm0RvvwoNmTSpOrr5qo-azefMOESOHr3vToJlsnKWXCLHeoi44w/s1600/imagesL1XHIY41.jpg" /></a></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></b> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">My father passed away at the age of 89
in 2003. My relationship with him was difficult and testy for the 60 years of
my life practically to the end of his. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>From my earliest recollections, dad was my hero. He was the person I
most admired and, for many years thereafter, the person whose approval I craved
and the one I most wanted to please. But unfortunately, his attention,
appreciation, approval and affection never seemed to be directed towards me. Always
towards others, as I saw things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For a long time I thought it was my fault. Maybe I was failing to live
up to his expectations. Maybe I just was not worthy of his love. Many years
passed before it began to dawn on me that, perhaps, dad’s reactions to me were
not necessarily my problem. Perhaps they may have been more his.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You see, despite dad’s long list of good points he was plagued with
self-doubts. Dig a bit deeper and you would find a person who did not really
appreciate himself, his capabilities, or his worth in general.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was another side to dad that few people outside our immediate
family circle were aware. Whenever his self-doubts and frustration with himself
got the better of him, he would explode into anger and threaten and abuse his
nearest and dearest. These outbursts could never be predicted, so we all felt
as if we were constantly treading on eggshells.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maybe I threatened him in some special way, because try as I may, during
my formative years especially, despite my over the top attempts to please him,
it seemed to me that all I got was his indifference or put-downs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No, like all of us, despite our attempts to portray ourselves to the world
in a better light, my father wasn’t perfect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Six months before he passed away, when the doctors and the rest of us
had yet again written him off when he was desperately ill with blood clots on
his lungs and a failing heart, I finally made my peace with dad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For a long time, I had carried a heavy load of grievances against him. The
big one being “How could you reject your own son?” As I sat on his bed holding
his hand, tears rolled down his face as he begged my forgiveness for threatening
and abusing my wife and me, over a misunderstanding, a few years previously.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was the first time dad had ever apologized to me for anything, as I
recall.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I spontaneously forgave him wholeheartedly because somehow I realized he
was apologizing for all of his abuse and anger going back to my childhood. I
asked for his forgiveness for my long-standing hostility towards him as well.
And, of course, he forgave me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We hugged, cried and held each other for several minutes. We had never,
ever done that before. Somehow I felt certain this was to be our last face to
face conversation. And so it turned out to be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At my father’s funeral I attempted to describe my troubled relationship
with him and how we had finally resolved our differences shortly before he
died. Most people there were shocked and maybe, even offended by what I said. The
rest of the relatives except for dad’s last surviving sibling, my aunt, gave me
the cold shoulder immediately after the funeral, as did most of our family
friends, except for an elderly couple who knew my father very well and a
lifelong friend of mine whose own father had been an abusive drunk. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I guess we are all programmed to expect to hear the usual eulogies of
high praise at funerals. Perhaps what is said at many funerals reflect the
denials and hypocrisy of how many of us live our lives. Maybe the revelations
of the other side of my father’s nature so shocked those in attendance they
failed to hear the most important thing I was trying to say. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">That dad and I had resolved our differences
before he died and we had finally forgiven each other.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I
believe, for most of us, our parents give us the greatest opportunities to
learn what we have the potential to become. Sometimes, we can learn from the
positive examples they set. Sometimes, we can learn not to duplicate their
mistakes if we so choose.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having been an addictive approval-seeker
most of my life, I don’t think too many people could imagine how difficult it
was for me to stand in front of all my relatives and family friends and risk
their disapproval by speaking my truth that day of the funeral. And yet, when
it was over, and despite the general disapproval, somehow it was liberating. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Perhaps, at last, I had come of age?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13437441769490980292noreply@blogger.com0