Today’s Guest Author is Ian, who has offered the following tale as his first thread-starter. Ian, thank you. Your wisdom has helped me so often, and your words today have given me refreshment and hope. I hope other readers have a similar experience.
(Photo credit: © Gernot Heiser and Trudy Weibel 2007)
Once, long ago, I met an old man at a billabong. I was there to catch a fat barramundi. He, to reflect on the loss of his wife. She had passed, peacefully, some time before. He never said when. It was me who assumed it was recent. It was me that assumed he was sad in his grief. He told me his story:
I always come to this place. As a boy, as a young fella. As a man. This waterhole is me. Memories, as deep as my soul and beyond, come to me here. Memories that give me the strength, not to lift a heavy rock, but to move the mountain. I see with a clarity that understands that the shadows of past can and must shed light on the future. I saw and felt none of this until I saw her.
I was sitting on the rock you’re on now. Like you, I too, was after a fat barramundi. I had more success than you’re going to have. The day was warm, balmy, a hint of breeze. The kind of day when leaves gently sing, lizards skitter about on their most urgent business, lethargic birds perch and doze and fat, sleepy barra leave the live bait to their fate. I must have drifted into a light, warm snooze, because a splash woke me. I thought maybe a big barra was on the prowl, but it was her.
Swimming. Naked.
Never before had I understood what the old women and men meant when they talked of the purity of beauty. The shining light of innocence. The strength of heart, the depth of soul. All this came to me in the first glance. I was overwhelmed. Emotions flooded to the fore. Most I understood, some I didn’t. All were necessary. I understood then that an ego that ensures a closed mind could never fill an empty heart. Only a light can do that. A bright light. A pure light.
I left her to her privacy. I went home. I was a changed man. I proposed to the girl I loved. We had a wonderful life and at times, together, or with the children, we spent many happy times here. I always waited, for just an extra couple of minutes before leaving, to see if the she’d appear. She never did.
I just wanted to thank her for showing me how strength can move a mountain, yet struggle with a rock. How battles can never be won with tactics and weapons alone. The heart, the soul, the essence of your quest are just as essential. How the gentlest of us can also be the strongest.
How can a glimpse of strength change a life? Simple.
If you have the strength to love and accept love honestly there are no mountains, no darkness and no fear.
A woman with red hair taught me that a long time ago.
Good luck.
(Photo credit: Nitmiluk Tours Pty Ltd)
did I imagine t comma said she was going to be on q and a
puff I cannot find you on twitter
I thought I did but it wasn’t u
Fiona, googling Assange and Newhaven shows various references to indicate that Assange’s stepfather may have been involved with the Hamilton-Byrne cult that was associated with Newhaven. When the relationship ended, Assange’s mother lived in hiding and ‘on the run’ with the children for several years.
Most seem to point to page 6 of this article in the New Yorker from 2010 as the source for this: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/06/07/100607fa_fact_khatchadourian
I do not know if they will be able to do it, there is a pretty strict ban on anything even remotely political at football matches.
[ austingmackell Austin G Mackell 38m
Australians to hold “sorry” signs at Australia-Iraq soccer (football) match. #Auspol pic.twitter.com/cKRiCGMDUe
puff this would not be agood idea this side of an election
hope u get that through to them
Puffy…I believe you are suffering badly from “stones” in your gall bladder…I had to have an operation several years ago for kidney stones…I was reffered for an operation to Modbury Hospital by the specialist…it was only overnight stay…(Keyhole surgery)…very quick, very clean and I went in with the philosophy that ; “If it twer to be done, best it be done quickly”…no regrets….and I detest ALL THINGS medicinal!
Good luck!
thanks jaycee,
I am chasing up the specialist to find out what is going on.
denese
do a search for PuffyTMD
Poll here: http://www.theage.com.au/national/coalition-to-deport-refugees-convicted-of-nearly-any-crime-20130617-2oekn.html#poll
The federal Coalition announced on Sunday that, if it was elected, foreigners convicted of crimes punishable by more than one year in jail would have their visas cancelled automatically, even if they were sentenced to less than a year’s imprisonment.
…
This follows Bureau of Statistics figures in March that showed asylum seekers living in the community on bridging visas were about 45 times less likely to be charged with a crime than members of the general public.
Just got home, and see that there is no Newspoll this week. Now if that is not rigging I don’t know what is. Samantha Maiden has it on twitter ‘It is not unusual for Newspoll to skip a public holiday week and last week of parliament next week’.
I though public holiday week was last weekend and that never stopped them before. I grant it, they did skip a week at times to avoid colliding with Nielsen, but this is might convenient to skip a weekend without public holiday after such a bad week for right wing movement.
Also it is nice of them to hope for bad bad numbers next week to maaaaybe influence the nervous nellies in ALP caucus to do something stupid during the last week. Well News Ltd, I don’t think it will work. Too many smart people in that caucus imo.
Or maybe this is just me being a tad paranoid 🙂
What are the soccer players supposed to be sorry for?
This is people outside the stadium BB, not the players if I am understanding this correctly.
Yeah, OK, thanks…but what are they sorry for?
Posted on Guardian Australia today…
ReadyReader
17 Jun 2013, 4:40AM
Spot the media beat-up…
15/05/2011 – Gillard is dead, politically dead – Peter Costello
06/06/2011 – Gillard gone by December – Andrew Bolt
17/07/2011 – Gillard down for count – Phillip Coorey
01/09/2011 – Labor stalwart says Gillard ‘finished’ – Jeremy Thompson
06/09/2011 – JULIA, resign. Let Rudd resume rightful role – Philip Adams
20/02/2012 – Gillard delusional and in retreat – Dennnis Shanahan
21/02/2012 – Too late for Gillard to save herself – Niki Savva
23/02/2012 – Assassins reap what they sowed – Simon Benson
21/04/2012 – Gillard will be GORN by end of May, Hewson & Richo jointly on #Slynews
30/04/2012 – Credibility gone, PM should fall on her sword , Michelle Grattan
02/05/2012 – Julia’s going: it’s a matter of time – Dennis Shanahan
18/05/2012 – Despite the poll and budget uptick, Gillard and Labor are doomed – Richo
19/05/2012 – String of disasters mean the party’s over for Labor – Piers Akerman
26/05/2012 – A leadership change to Kevin Rudd is the last real option – PvO
28/05/2012 – Lame duck Labor likely to waddle on to term – Gerard Henderson
25/07/2012 – Labor’s choice is Rudd or oblivion – Paul Kelly
12/06/2012 – Determined Gillard may be, but her leadership is looking terminal – Shanahan
14/08/2012 – Pride comes before a fall for Gillard Government – Derryn Hinch
23/08/2012 – Gillard in big trouble no matter what happens – Leo Shanahan
13/10/2012 – Misogyny tactic will backfire – Paul Kelly
13/10/2012 – Gillard’s hypocrisy stripped bare – Chris Kenny
05/11/2012 – Hanging by a thread by Peter Hartcher
24/11/2012 – Knives are out for Gillard – Peter Hartcher
29/11/2012 – Ducking and diving, but PM’s goose is cooked – Piers Akerman
05/01/2013 – Rudd’s support for a challenge edging closer – Mark Kenny
15/02/2013 – An adrenaline charged Rudd increases pressure on Gillard – Michelle Grattan
18/02/2013 – Poor poll for Labor plays to Rudd’s ambition – Michelle Grattan
19/02/2013 – Beware knives of March – Mark Kenny
19/02/2013 – Gillard’s departure is a matter of timing – Peter Reith
19/02/2013 – Final nail in PM’s coffin – David Day
19/02/2013 – Something has to give – sooner or later – Lenore Taylor
19/02/2013 – Desperate caucus eyes leadership switch – Ben Packham
19/02/2013 – PM Julia Gillard ‘gone’ if she struggles in next week’s Newspoll – Tory Shepherd
19/02/2013 – Labor’s critical question: time for a new leader? – The Age Editorial
19/02/2013 – Julia Gillard’s support base is softly slipping away – Simon Benson
19/02/2013 – Kevin Rudd’s odds on leading ALP in September election shorten to $2 – news.com.au
19/02/2013 – Labor in despair over dire poll – Phil Coorey
19/02/2013 – Dead woman walking – SMH
19/02/2013 – Final nail in PM’s coffin – David Day
19/02/2013 – Rudd’s just in storage, waiting for sun to shine – Tony Wright
—>cont
06/09/2011 – “JULIA, resign. Let Rudd resume rightful role” – Philip Adams
…my choice for the most pathetic …
ROTFL, this headline in the SMH tonight says it all:
My italics on the word “anonymous”.
What a pathetic joke Mark Kenny is.
Is there a link to that ready reader post, BB?
Sorry, Mark.
Or better still, do you have a count on the number of Gillard Gone/Leadership stories ? On the story so far (till Feb2013), it’s 41.
Counted it up myself, as far as Ready Reader got (March 2013) over 80. Must be getting close to the century in the three months since.
Kerry-Anne Walsh is about the only Press Gallery reporter being completely honest
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4754598.html
not the players BB, Aussies saying sorry for invading Iraq. Maybe Iraq people will see the signs during the live coverage, though I do not fancy the chances of them getting anything inside the stadium, and we could get into heaps of strife over it, if they did. It is a good idea though.
There is only one suppurating boil in that story and it Kenny. It can’t be lanced because his hide is too thick.
them = people with signs.
denese i saw your email, i have not replied yet sorry but will get around to replying to my emails soon. 🙂
Dincha know, the poisoned gnome (is it my eyes or does he have funny hands?) has castigated Lefties for being mean to him over his perfectly reasonable comments on Insiders on Sunday. And the ABC made him do it because they had Sattlergate on the list of topics he was forced to talk about. Bad ABC, mean Lefties. (damned women). Poor Peers.
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2013/06/study-conservatives-more-likely-liberals-avoid-cognitive-dissonance
Title describes it.
Good Morning Stout and Steady Pubketeers! 🙂
After a biiiig sleep I am now bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!
Morning C@tmomma, I have been up for a couple of hours. Not fair when you go to sleep early and then wake up too early. = no more sleep than usual. 🙂
Good morning Dawn Patrollers.
It will be interesting to check offf the names of people caught up in this against the list of political donors to the Libs.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/ato-declares-war-20130617-2oej7.html
This simply stinks and some people need to spend time in jail over it.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/pressure-on-asic-over-cba-fraud-20130617-2oei6.html
Thats news?
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/public-concern-over-media-standards-amid-review-20130617-2oeil.html
Read this disgusting proposal from the Coalition and then look at the poll that follows. What is happening to our country?
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/coalition-to-deport-refugees-convicted-of-nearly-any-crime-20130617-2oekn.html
Section 2 . . .
A microcosm of corporate welfare at its worst.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/dees-have-hurt-league-demetriou-20130617-2oejl.html
This is a good read on attitudes to women.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/twisted-ideas-about-sex-and-power-still-rule-20130617-2oebj.html
Ben Eltham skewers the likes of Jones, Sattler and Bolt.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jun/17/feminism-australia-gillard-sexism
Section 3 . . .
Alan Moir has had enough of children AS in custody.
http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/opinion/cartoons/alan-moir-20090907-fdxk.html
David Pope devastantingly trots out the SkyWhale to line up the ridiculous Alan Jones.
http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/opinion/cartoons/david-pope-20120214-1t3j0.html
MUST SEE! Rond Tandberg says it all about mysoginistic bullying.
http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/opinion/cartoons/ron-tandberg-20090910-fixc.html
David Rowe with a cynical look at the Syrian situation.
http://www.afr.com/p/national/cartoon_gallery_david_rowe_1g8WHy9urgOIQrWQ0IrkdO
BK,
In that Pope cartoon, they’re not breasts hanging down by any chance are they?
Darren Cheeseman is not helping matters. I heard on the radio that he was saying that his only chance of winning Corangamite is if Rudd was leader.
I kind of understand why all 4 of my grandparents think he’s an idiot, even the non-political ones. He was a “look at me!” type even on the Ballarat council before he entered parliament.
WOW Kennet in Victoria is so concerned about the ALP wants PMJG to step down to stop an ALP slaughter. How generous is he!!!
And from the Land of the Free –
Palin in waiting?
http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2013/06/17/video-miss-utah-responds-in-palinese-to-a-question-about-income-inequality/
This will upset the Tea Baggers!
http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2013/06/17/supreme-court-arizona-citizenship-proof-law-illegal/
Some excoriating cartoons on the Repugs’ war on women.
http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2013/06/17/cartoons-of-the-day-gops-war-on-women-still/
This is disgusting.
http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/lawsuit-mcdonalds-forced-workers-take
And so is this!
http://occupyamerica.crooksandliars.com/diane-sweet/chicago-hospital-accused-cutting-throa
From the Bush crony stacked Supreme Court.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/17/supreme-court-silence_n_3453968.html
I can’t count! I blew the links quota again so here we go.
And from the Land of the Free –
Palin in waiting?
http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2013/06/17/video-miss-utah-responds-in-palinese-to-a-question-about-income-inequality/
This will upset the Tea Baggers!
http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2013/06/17/supreme-court-arizona-citizenship-proof-law-illegal/
Some excoriating cartoons on the Repugs’ war on women.
http://thepoliticalcarnival.net/2013/06/17/cartoons-of-the-day-gops-war-on-women-still/
Section 2 . . .
This is disgusting.
http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/lawsuit-mcdonalds-forced-workers-take
And so is this!
http://occupyamerica.crooksandliars.com/diane-sweet/chicago-hospital-accused-cutting-throa
From the Bush crony stacked Supreme Court.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/17/supreme-court-silence_n_3453968.html
Had a chuckle when walking past TV this am and heard ” Rudd backers say he now has the numbers”
Gee. Again?
He’s had the numbers a lot lately hasn’t he?
rnm
They are breasts indeed. And here is Canberra’s SkyWhale.
http://tinyurl.com/kat367l
My theory on Newspoll assuming it hasn’t come out and won’t be out this week is that they are trying to use this Neilson this week and when that fails they’ll trot out an even worse Newspoll next week before the last Caucus meeting
There you go, BK.
I hadn’t seen the Sky whale. I thought the breasts were an allusion to cleavage.
rnm
That would be cleavage PLUS!!
THAT’S how a PM does cleavage!
http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4628494047840924&pid=15.1
Is there anyone around with some Woofle Dust? I could really do with it right now, as I have published a new post. Amazing what a good night’s sleep can do for you. 🙂
BK, do you mind putting your links up again on my new post? You’ll get a big, warm internet hug on a cold winter’s day if you do. 😉
For those still interested in the Julia GORN in The Guardian Australia:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/search/comments?q=15%2F05%2F2011+%E2%80%93+Gillard+is+dead%2C+politically+dead+%E2%80%93+Peter+Costello§ion=search-contributions
and
http://www.guardian.co.uk/discussion/search/comments?q=ReadyReader§ion=search-contributions
is the 18th today ,after morgan I felt quite bouncy about every thing
or it yesterday
newspoll theory have to keep one poll nice ,,
or is it to nice,
any way why care morgan will do why do people hang on the tails of Murdoch polls,, I promoted morgan last night on twitter and so did just about every one ,,,
what surprises me is , that the lib tweeters don’t mention polls
where i tweet any way I don’t see polls mentioned,
I will continue to send that poll to the abc to annoy them
I would be good if we all sent that poll to them to prick the conscious of the abc staff
does anyone think tweeting the cheese man
would help has any one ever explained the dynamic of his nonsence if he was in my electorate id be over there to give him a dam talking to
Before I started catching upon the last 10 hours worth of PUB contributions (a really great way to start the day), I noted on the ABC Justin site that “Former Queensland Labor premier Peter Beattie says it is time Bob Hawke was called in to sort out what he has described as the party’s federal leadership “saga”.
Might I suggest that Peter Beattie refrain from adding fuel to the fire, that is, he should shut up. As for Bob Hawke he should be spending the days running up to Hazel’s State funeral thinking of how he squandered his personal life.
Thanks to some friendly moles at Newspoll and some very large bribes I am able to reveal why there was no Newspoll last night.
First, they never release a poll when Golden Boy has had a bad week. Last week was a doozy with Sattler and then that army bloke telling the whole country about pranks the boys had been giggling over. To make matters worse someone linked it all to the nasty speech That Woman aimed at Our Hero last year. Uncle Rupert did his best, he had Tony’s minders give him extra tranquillisers and then lock him in a cellar on Friday afternoon to prevent any unfortunate outbursts while polling was under way, but not even that worked. The poll fixers rebelled and said not even they, with all their skills, could make such a bad result look good.
Second, Poll callers kept sobbing about weird things happening on their phones and most had to be sent home to recover from trauma. It seems the wives (Newspoll only call respectable, married couples over 50 who live in Liberal voting electorates) of their male respondents (99% of their quota for this poll) kept snatching phones from their husbands and hurling abuse down the line, usually something like ‘Why won’t you ask the women what they think of Tony Abbott? Well, he’s a (insert something unprintable here)’. Due to the extreme distress this abuse was causing callers and coupled with the unfortunate results it was producing (as mentioned above) Uncle Rupert ordered that the poll be taken again next weekend.
Uncle Rupert is now trying to organise some pro-Tony front pages for the Daily Smelly and the OO, and he’s ordered Sky News to run at least three ‘Gillard is gorn tomorrow morning’ stories every day. The first one was up last night – this is it.
http://www.skynews.com.au/politics/article.aspx?id=880416
Followed by this one later on –
http://www.skynews.com.au/topstories/article.aspx?id=880709
Here’s the third, from this morning –
http://www.skynews.com.au/topstories/article.aspx?id=880750
BK was saying how fit Kate Lundy looks:
http://www.katelundy.com.au/about/
Also:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kate_Lundy
Don’t mess with our Kate.
Over here, peoples:
https://pbxmastragics.com/2013/06/18/its-our-bloody-future-not-our-ruddy-future/