The 300

Came across a criticism of this movie from the point of view of an historical analysis of the Persian – Greco wars.

Naw Ruz

Today was Naw Ruz which is the old Persian New Year, and also the Baha’i New Year. We celebrated with lunch for those family members who could make it from nearby towns.

Remote Aboriginal Housing

It has been very disappointing to hear that the Australian Government has decided not to contribute any further to remote housing for Aboriginal peoples. Speaking to an aboriginal woman from central Australia at the airport out of Albury the frustration was evident. She told me even when they are doing housing they won’t listen to us. ‘Because we live in a dry area, they built houses in a flood area against our wishes and this year we had heavy rains and all the houses flooded.’

The tax payer and the politicians often complain about the waste. The process for solving the waste is well known. The government has control over that process. The inability to use the appropriate process is the fault of the government. I have to ask, what does the government think it is achieving by neglecting due process. It is very unjust.

National (Australian) Rural Health Conference

Just back from the 9th National Rural Health Conference was held in Albury, NSW. It was a great conference with a strong analysis of Australian rural health from ground to policy, and included a fabulous arts stream all from artists based in Albury. I joined the conference choir of about 30 men and women and we sang for the close of the conference. I was pleased to meet Tim Metcalf, a passionate doctor-poet, with whom I had correspondence leading up to the conference. When I find out details I’ll place a plug for Tim’s works which includes edited works of poetry from Australasian health professional poets. You can find my piece of performance poetry about the conference on the Poetry page. I am hoping to make a video performance for youtube and connect to here, shortly.

Baha’i Fast

It is fasting period for Baha’is. Begining 2nd March and ending on 20th March. The 21st March is the Equinox and the Baha’i New Year. The fast is from food and drink from sunrise to sunset – about 12 hours.
I am sitting here wondering how to talk about my experience of the Fast. I have been doing it for over 20 years now. Some years I haven’t completed the whole fast due to circumstances – usually travelling. This year will be one of those as I am away this week attending the National Rural Health Conference.

It has been interesting observing my changed attitude to the fast as I have gotten older. I always thought I would become more relaxed towards it. Yet I find that with a change in physical prowess, I have become slightly more nervous about it.

I remember 20 years ago doing a full days work driving a tractor and side-fertilising a field of young maize while fasting, with just a nap at lunch-time. 20 years later I find myself tiring after a morning of physical work and really enjoying a couple hours sleep in the afternoon when I can get it. So I have this little anxiety that I might not do my work as well as I might. On the other hand that anxiety has never been proven, and, as the cool of the late afternoon moves in I sometimes find that sunset has well and truly gone by before I realise.

Although it takes a bit of discipline to get up that hour or so earlier to have breakfast before the sunrises, I greatly enjoy saying the fasting prayers with my wife as the dawn builds. Today the overcast skies receded and the farming valley our house looks across looks marvellous at dawn.

Against violence to Women

The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Australia has released a statement, “Beyond Legalities” on eradicating violence against women.

New Poetry Book arrived

Just arrived through the local bookstore that only opened a few months ago, “80 Great Poems – from Chaucer to Now” by Geoff Page, published by Uni NSW, Australia, 2006. I’m now reminding myself about all those intricacies of poetry – iambic pentametres and such.

Education

On this question of learning and the circling the burning bush attitude we get about it. Even abstract things are not really esoteric but have real purpose in our lives. The purpose of learning is the future of humanity. The future is unknown. So how does learning provide for the unknown? It has to prepare us for as many consequences as are likely. This is easier in the short term than the long term. So there must be a broad platform in learning that not only helps us function in immediate society, but helps us veer a course over our lives, but then also ensures as many possibilities or even more for the next generation. So our learning platform gets bigger each generation, not smaller – the wings of the bird spreads but grows bigger with every beat. For me this is exactly the platform Baha’u’llah has created. Each of us in the Baha’i Faith have come from cultures whose mindset around knowledge and learning had become like a stilletto heel upon the planet. It is therefore no wonder we are stamping deep holes in it everywhere. So we do need to vigorously reengineer our mindset. This is a painfuil experience, for some who take more to heart than for others. To take on this pain is the only way forward for humanity.