Why oh why do I have so many train stamps?
394. Puddle With Gum Leaf
November 30, 2009
Photograph, October 2009.
Spring, in south eastern Melbourne.
Slavery
November 21, 2009At church this evening, they spent some time exploring the issue of modern day slavery. I guess it’s one of those things that sits in the back of my mind. It’s a surprise that slavery is still a very real, very common practise. Surely, in this day and age, we would think ourselves enlightened enough to completely abolish such evils. So, when I learnt that slavery is most certainly extant across most of the world, it was really quite troubling.
Not having the knowledge nor expertise to formulate a commentary, I simply list here a couple of links that might prove useful for the reader who wants to learn more.
http://www.worldvision.com.au/ourwork/Solutions/DontTradeLives.aspx
http://www.joyfulheart.com/misc/newton.htm
http://www.melbourne.anglican.com.au/main.php?pg=news&news_id=18665&s=1470
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/abolition/slavery_business_gallery_05.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/wilberforce_william.shtml
(All links accessed 21 November 2009.)
Shocking – Melbourne Cup 2009 Winner
November 5, 2009G1 VRC Melbourne Cup 3200m 2009 Results
SHOCKING (b h 4y Street Cry (IRE) – Maria Di Castiglia (GB). Trainer: M A Kavanagh) 51 (C W Brown)
CRIME SCENE 53 (K Mc Evoy)
MOURILYAN 54.5 (G Schofield)
Master O’Reilly 55 (V Duric)
Harris Tweed 52.5 (C Newitt)
Alcopop 52.5 (D Tourneur)
Viewed 58 (B Rawiller)
C’est La Guerre (Nicholas Hall)
Kibbutz 52.5 (Chris Symons)
Newport 52.5 (Peter Wells)
Daffodil 51.5 (C Munce)
Munsef 53 (Z Purton)
Gallions Reach 52 (D Dunn)
Leica Ding 50.5 (Craig Williams)
Ista Kareem 53.5 (L Nolen)
Allez Wonder 50.5 (Ms Michelle Payne)
Capecover 51.5 (N G Harris)
Basaltico 51.5 (D Nikolic)
Zavite 53 (M Zahra)
Spin Around 52 (M R Du Plessis)
Roman Emperor 54 (J Bowman)
Fiumicino 55.5 (S R King)
Warringah 52.5 carr 53 (D Oliver) last.
Scr: Changingoftheguard.
3/4 len, 1-1/2 len. Time: 3:23.87. (Last 600m 36.60).
Most years I sit down and do a little study into the pedigrees of the horses running in the major Australian horseraces. I am not remotely interested in betting, but I do appreciate a good horse and get a lot of enjoyment linking history and horses. Thoroughbreds are of particular interest to me – and if you ever get a chance to see it, I do have a bookshelf devoted to tests the history of Thoroughbred, Arabian and Standardbred horses in Australia!
Unfortunately, this year I did not get a chance. Otherwise I might have taken more notice of the eventual winner, Australian-born Shocking (b h 2005 Street Cry (IRE) from Maria Di Castiglia (GB), by Danehill (USA)).
As I have to run out the door to do some errands, I cannot ponder too much longer on this; but I pose this question: what kind of impact have descendants of Danehill (USA 1986) had on the major Australian horseraces?
In restrospect it does not seem a huge surprise that a horse of Shocking’s calibre would take out Australia’s major horserace. A grandson of Danehill on his dam’s side, and a direct male line descendant of Native Dancer (USA gr h 1950), he carries some high quality bloodlines!
One thing that fascinates me is that every name in a horse’s pedigree is a tie to the history. Every one of those horses has been bred for a purpose, linked to people who perhaps tied their hopes and dreams into their animals, and many of these Thoroughbreds carry an impressive genealogy of major race winners with them. If only I had more time to explore these ideas, but more pressing priorities await!
References:
http://melbournecup.racingandsports.com.au/
http://www.studbook.org.au/Horse.aspx?hid=895792
http://www.studbook.org.au/Horse.aspx?hid=616135
http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/horseracing/2009/11/04/1257247659785.html
http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/native+dancer
393. Leaf Litter With Rose Petals
October 27, 2009
Photograph, April 2009.
I was really taken with the bright red rose petals on the brown oak leaves.
391. Horse With Sunglasses
October 20, 2009
Sharpie marker on yellow cloth-textured paper, August 2008.
390. Horse On Yellow Paper
October 15, 2009
Sharpie marker on yellow ‘cloth-textured’ paper, August 2008.
389. Galahs
October 13, 2009
Photograph, May 2008.
Galahs - Eolophus roseicapilla albiceps
Galahs are very common in our local area. I think they’re cute!
Following Jesus – 5 – Dehydrated Broccoli
October 12, 2009Genesis 2:16 “And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden…” NIV
Genesis 9:3-4 “Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything… But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it.” NIV
Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” NIV
Food… ah food. What an incredibly divisive thing it can sometimes become. No doubt there will be a touch of hmm… irony? Probably not the correct term… but I write as a long-term vegetarian, so if I complain about people making a big deal out of food, it may well seem hypocritical. Sorry if it comes across that way, because that’s not my intention!
Here’s a quote from a book I read recently when researching for a university assignment: “The world now features more overweight than underweight people… This absurd situation is led by the US, where over half its citizens are clinically overweight. It possesses more people on diets than ever before, yet ever-more overweight people, too. Obesity-related illnesses and deaths, often brought on in major measure by gorging on oversized fast foods and drinks, are a major drag on the nation’s economy. In certain countries, fatty foods could eventually cause as many additional premature deaths as from AIDS. The UK has proposed a “fat tax” targeting obesity-related foods such as burgers.”
(From: Myers, N. and Kent, J. (2005). The New Gaia Atlas of Planet Management. London: Gaia. P. 67.)
That was published in 2005; the last I heard it was we Australians who top the list for fattest nation on the planet. Not a proud title, to be sure. I can’t find a straightforward statistic on that, unfortunately.
So, here we are: fat, diseased, obsessing over diets. What does this have to do with being a Christian, you may well ask? As the above Scriptures say, God is the ultimate creator and source of food. The Bible shows that, in the beginning, humans were given “green plants” to eat. As history progressed, and God interacted and intervened with His creation, food was often a part of His instructions – animals as food, but without consuming blood in Genesis 9; Leviticus detailing a lot of rules regarding food; and the New Testament exhorting us to not worry about what we eat, because it’s not the main part of life. God does not ask us to separate the physical and spiritual realms (which is, I believe, an aspect of Gnosticism). He created our bodies, with all their fascinating functions and purposes.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” NIV
However, it is certainly a significant issue. What made me think of it was when I caught a clip on a tv show recently, where the presenters were hailing the ‘newly discovered’ health benefits of broccoli. Then the presenters debated – and I hope it was a joke, but it probably wasn’t – how to get children to eat this magical new form of cancer-preventing, life changing broccoli. The solution was to dehydrate, powder and turn into tablet form a kind of broccoli that children will actually eat. Like I say, I hope it was a sad joke – but the way people around me talk, in their day to day lives about food – one would think that vegetables can only be consumed in tablet form.
Now, perhaps my family is a bit odd. We are vegetarians, after all. But my young children eat broccoli without a fuss. They also eat myriad other vegetables and fruits. We certainly don’t need to give them vegetables in tablet form. They eat all sorts of things – last night (as I write) it was fresh olives, avocado, mixed vegetable patties, and a slice of wholegrain bread. No powdered vegetable tablets. No ice cream or milkshakes or other junk. Just a mixed platter of mostly fresh foods.
Sometimes I wonder if our attitudes to food reflect the way we view the rest of our life. I am sympathetic to the philosophy that food is becoming bland and homogenised and too sped up. Where is the time to enjoy the variety, the flavours, the time spent with family and friends over a good meal?
Instead, we seem to be looking for a quick fix, an easy way out. Stuff down that fatty hamburger and soft drink and appease the guilt with a powdered broccoli pill. We look for cures for terrible diseases that may well be prevented through lifestyle changes. We consume more than we need while millions are dying from starvation throughout the planet. It’s not a surprise that “gluttony” is considered one of the seven deadly sins. It encompasses the concept of complete lack of self-control combined with a withholding of possessions from the needy.
Now, I offer no simple solutions to this. I am not a nutritionist nor a social scientist (not yet!). But I do offer a couple of ideas based on what seems to be working for my family:
a vegetarian or (in the case of some family members) mostly vegetarian lifestyle
eating a variety of different fruits and vegetables
eating plenty of grains – not just wheat, but rice, polenta, rye and many more
including legumes / beans in our daily food intake
sitting down together at the dining table for all meals
trying to allow the time to prepare meals
being aware of seasonal produce
buying local, where possible
not telling our children that we don’t expect them to like broccoli!
ensuring we have a deliberate source of B12
not leaping on fad diets that promise ‘instant’ weight loss
walking or exercising regularly
switching off the tv
menu planning in advance – and trying something new
incorporating many different styles of cooking – we aren’t interested in tofu substitutes for meals normally consumed by white, middle class Australians, we are looking to try often natural vegetarian meals derived from a variety of cultures.
These aren’t just health options; they are also, we hope, beneficial for the environment – which encompasses the dimension of seeking to help our fellow humans by not destroying the world just to get a fast food hamburger. It also inspires compassion towards God’s creatures. Hmm. That’ll do for now. I’m hungry…
388. Ummm
October 8, 2009
Pencil on paper, April 2008.
I think this is more of a concept piece than a finished artwork! It was just some mucking around with my pencils!
Following Jesus – 4 – The Name
October 5, 2009Jesus – what image comes to mind at His name? In my childhood, it meant that white guy hanging on the cross statue in our Church. I knew He was a miracle worker and that He taught people a highly moral lifestyle. I knew He was called the Son of God and that He was part of a Trinity. Still, it was merely head knowledge. In my teen years, He became symbolic of what I thought was a dead religion that persisted despite ’scientific evidence’ to the contrary… a religion that was authoritarian and legalistic. In my early years as a university student, He once again became a good moral teacher. I knew a few people who called themselves His followers; and they managed to demonstrate this in their words and actions. Their lifestyle intrigued me – I wanted to know what made them so different. Their example drew me in. Of course, I tried to deflect their influence – I had hundreds of questions, many I thought would be devastating to their Christian faith, but they patiently gave answers (1 Peter 3) and treated me with a kindness I knew I did not deserve.
Maybe, when we hear Jesus’ name, the image that comes to mind too often is that of His followers. And not the ‘good’ ones. It’s the weird ones who go a bit ultra-mystical. Or the sort who seem to think the Good News of the Gospel is all about making more money. Or the types who seem to take delight in their moral superiority and use it to attack non-Christians. Maybe it’s the type who think Christianity is an excuse to judge someone else, ask people to ‘pray for that bad person,’ and then tell that person that they’re praying that they’ll escape God’s judgement. Or perhaps it’s the ‘Christian’ whose outlook seems to be fairly racist, bloodthirsty and committed to their own culture’s version of ’success.’
Still, I don’t want to be negative, and I don’t want to pretend that somehow my own Christian walk has been exemplary. See, the thing that scares me is that maybe, for the many people in my life who do not believe in Jesus, when they hear the name ‘Jesus,’ they’re going to think of me. My life. My example. My words and actions. How have I treated them? Have I come across as narrow and judgemental? Or materialistic? Or moralistic and legalistic?
One scary thing about being a follower of Jesus is that my own life and example could have an impact – whether positive or negative – on the people around me. When some social issue comes into a conversation – some political thing, or maybe a moral issue like abortion – how are they going to interpret my response? Will I be loving and merciful, like my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, or will I be the hellfire and brimstone Bible thumper that leaves them wishing they hadn’t asked?
I don’t know how right it is, but I like to point people to Jesus Himself. As He is described in the Bible. Perhaps not enough people have read the Four Gospels these days for me to assume that people know the records of His life. The Bible records that, as a child, He and His family had to flee the violent ruler of their nation and seek refuge in Egypt (Matthew 2). As an adult, He worked at the family trade – carpentry (Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3) – before beginning His ministry; which was marked by miracles (Matthew 11:20; Mark 6:2; Luke 19:37; John 10:25), astounding teachings (Matthew 7:28; Matthew 13:54; Matthew 22:33; Luke 4:36);and violent persecution (Matthew 26:4; Mark 14:1; John 7:25). He was murdered, but He rose again to life (Luke Chapters 23-24). Then, shortly after His resurrection, He ascended to Heaven (Acts Chapter 1). He then sent the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, to Earth to inhabit His followers and empower them to live their lives for God (Mark 1:8; Luke 11:13; John 14:26).
One of the most astounding things Jesus said about Himself was this:
John 14:6 (NIV)
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
I used to think that rather offensive a statement. In my early Christian walk, I then tried to provide elaborate reasons and explanations for it. Lately I’ve been more inclined to suggest that there’s only a couple of ways to take this statement:
If Jesus is truly God Incarnate, the Creator, Sustainer, Saviour, and Redeemer of all Creation, then He is well within His rights to make a statement that, coming from a mere mortal, would be ridiculous – or a sign of insanity. That is, God is well within His right to be the decider of issues of eternity and salvation.
If He is insane, then one must wonder how He also managed to revolutionise the way that humans treat each other. We may well take for granted His teachings on justice, mercy, kindness, charity, forgiveness and goodness – but these values are not particularly intrinsic to humans, are they? Look at the broken down world, where one side of the world is dying from starvation and the other is dying from diseases resulting from overeating; where racism and war and hatred are daily occurrences; where the elderly are beaten and the young are abused and the unborn are routinely murdered; where people engage in incredible acts of cruelty towards our fellow creatures; where the wilderness is butchered for profits; where we know the right way to live but choose the selfish, hedonistic options instead.
With more than a little hint of C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity, I am convinced that Jesus is either Lord, Liar or Lunatic. His amazing lifestyle, teachings, and descriptions of Himself don’t leave room for much else.
385. Donkey Dreamscapes
September 29, 2009
Ball point pen on music manuscript paper, August 2008.
I have some pretty weird dreams. Often I try to draw them or write them afterwards – they tend to prove useful for my drawing ideas and creative writing inspirations!
