BELATED BIRTHDAY THOUGHTS

“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” - Abraham Lincoln
 

The older one gets, the less attention one pays to birthdays. They tend to follow each other more quickly it seems than when one is young. And one definitely does not one want to make a song and dance about it, with birthday parties, cakes, presets and such like, less likely to be afforded much importance or prominence. Well-wishes and a card are the main expectations or perhaps a dinner out. Gift giving is likely to be confined to close family members and the day passes quickly into obscurity.

The birthdays of our childhood are memories, which time has gilded and sugar coated. Parties, cakes, presents and carefree laughter seem to be things of the past that are more difficult to attain or which certainly have lees of a lustre of excitement and enjoyment than one remembers from one’s younger years. It is part and parcel of growing older, more mature and perhaps even wiser one would think. It is a shift away from the “me” mentality to the “we” mentality, maybe.

A birthday dinner with the special people one shares one’s life with may be the most apt and enjoyable birthday celebration. Personally, I am now loath to engage in excesses of social interaction associated with birthdays. Parties have become tiresome and even a formal dinner party can be quite an effort, especially if it is attended by people one only marginally knows or likes. Small intimate gatherings of people one loves, likes or shares common interests with are much more preferable.

Each passing year makes us older, each year added to our age makes us wiser, hopefully. Each year brings us closer to the inevitability of death, so perhaps there is the reluctance to acknowledge our birthdays the older we get. It is important for us to make the most of time, enjoy what we can, do as much good as we can and pay less attention to our age. A life well-lived is a life well spent. Birthdays have nothing to do with it. Some people live a short but eventful and useful life, while some elderly people die and lament their wasted lives…

TRANSIT OF VENUS

“Venus favours the bold.” - Ovid
 

The world’s been rather a-buzz with excitement over the past couple of weeks regarding the rare event of the transit of Venus. A transit of Venus occurs when the planet Venus is observed to move across the face of the Sun. The first transit since 1882 occurred on 8th June 2004. The next transit occurred today, on 6th June 2012, was visible in many places around the world. In Australia, for example, the transit was visible Sydney from beginning to end, starting at 8.16am (1st contact) and ending at 2.44pm (last contact). Part of the excitement and the hype surrounding this event is that the following transit of Venus won’t occur until 2117, which is certainly beyond the lifetime of most people around during this transit.

Although it was quite overcast in Melbourne and thus we were unable to watch the transit of Venus first hand and “live”, a number of excellent photographic records of the event have been published and it is good to be able to witness this event, even second-hand, through technology. Some of the photographs that are being published are quite spectacular and fuel my fascination with all things astronomical.

There is a connection with Australia as far as the transit of Venus is concerned. On June 3rd, 1769, British navigator, Captain James Cook, British astronomer Charles Green and Swedish naturalist Daniel Solander observed and recorded the transit of Venus on the island of Tahiti during Cook’s first voyage around the world. This unusual astronomical phenomenon takes place in a pattern that repeats itself every 243 years, so there was considerable scientific interest in the event in Cook’s time. The event includes two transits that are eight years apart, separated by breaks of 121.5 and 105.5 years. These men, along with a crew of scientists, were commissioned by the Royal Society of London for the primary purpose of viewing the transit of Venus. Not only would their findings help expand scientific knowledge, they would help with navigation by accurately calculating the observer’s longitude. At this time, longitude was difficult to determine and not always precise. A “secret” mission that followed the transit included the exploration of the South Pacific to find the legendary Terra Australis Incognita or “unknown land of the South”.

After finishing his task in Tahiti, Cook proceeded to New Zealand, where he took formal possession of areas from both the main islands and accurately charted 3860 km of coastline for the first time. During 1770 he the discovered the east coast of Australia, which he charted and claimed for Great Britain under the name of New South Wales. The rest of course is history!

The image above is provided by NASA. The SDO satellite captured an ultra-high definition image of the Transit of Venus across the face of the sun on June 5th from space.

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY - 2012

“In all things of nature there is something of the marvellous.” – Aristotle

Today is World Environment Day, which is an annual event that is aimed at being the biggest and most widely celebrated global day for positive environmental action. World Environment Day activities rightly take place all year round, but the climax is on the 5^th of June every year, involving people all around the world. The celebration of World Environment Day began in 1972 and since then has grown to become the one of the main ways that the UN stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and encourages political attention and action.

Through World Environment Day, the UN Environment Programme is able to personalise environmental issues and enable everyone to realise not only their responsibility, but also their power to become agents for change in support of sustainable and equitable development. This day is also a day for people from all walks of life to come together to ensure a cleaner, greener and brighter outlook for themselves and future generations.

Everyone can become involved in celebrating World Environment Day: Organise a clean-up in your home, workplace, neighbourhood or community; stop using plastic bags and get your community to do the same; plant a tree or better yet organise a collective tree planting effort; walk to work or use public transport instead of driving; start a recycling drive; reduce your carbon footprint; grow your own vegetables and fruit; use solar power and other renewable energy sources; conserve water, and lots more. Your local council can provide you with a host of other idea around green living, conservation and sustainability.

The 2012 theme for World Environment Day is Green Economy, into which everyone can contribute, not just politicians and economists. A Green Economy is one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. It can be thought of as an economy, which is low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive.

A Green Economy is one whose growth in income and employment is driven by public and private investments that reduce carbon emissions and pollution, enhance energy and resource efficiency, and prevent the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. These investments need to be catalysed and supported by targeted special government budget-driven initiatives, legal and policy reforms and regulatory changes. Citizens can also contribute to this by lobbying politicians, joining action groups and supporting industries that prescribe to Green Economy ideals.

Oh, and perhaps the least you could do today is hug a tree!

MOVIE MONDAY - TWO HANDS

“The punishment of criminals should be of use; when a man is hanged he is good for nothing” - Voltaire
 

We watched an interesting and rather amusing (in a black humour sort of way) Australian film last weekend, which we enjoyed. It was Gregor Jordan’s 1999 “Two Hands” (), starring Heath Ledger, Bryan Brown and David Field. It is set in Sydney and one sees the seamy side of this metropolis with all of its wheeling and dealing, crime and ruthless “settling of accounts”. There is an interesting set of characters and the film is very Australian, and some things may seem a little strange to those people seeing it abroad. However, overall, it was quite a good film although there are some violent scenes in it, one particularly that made my stomach churn and ever more wary when I am driving...

The plot concerns Jimmy (Heath Ledger), who is given a simple job by underworld “boss” Pando (Bryan Brown) delivering $10,000 to a particular address. However, when no one answers the door Jimmy decides to take a dip at Bondi Beach to pass the time, but he notices that his clothes on the sand have been messed up and the money that he has stupidly left unattended, is gone. Jimmy rings Pando to tell him the problem, but not surprisingly Pando doesn’t want to hear what he thinks are Jimmy’s lame excuses. Pando and his boys try their best to locate Jimmy in order to “take care of him”, just as they took care of his brother (unbeknownst to Jimmy). Jimmy goes into hiding and decides to join another two inept criminals to rob a bank to get Pando’s money back. Throughout these trials and tribulations, he meets innocent and sweet country-girl Alex (Rose Byrne) and together they try to deal with all sorts of “situations” that arise.

The film is shot in Sydney and Kings Cross gets quite a showing, with all of its glitz and tinselly showiness. Although there are no koalas or gum trees in the movie, it is very much Australian and Bryan Brown does a great job of portraying the typical Aussie bloke who while being an underworld kingpin manages to be a good father and husband in the suburbs. Heath Ledger does an excellent job of portraying the naïve but honest (in a dishonest way!) Jimmy, while Rose Byrne is perfectly cast as the young ingénue that provides a romantic interest. One cannot help but feel involved with Jimmy’s plight and despite the crookedness of his actions, one feels that all he needs is the love of a good woman (aka: Alex) to bring him back on to the straight and narrow.

There is an interesting thread of the supernatural injected into the film as Jimmy’s brother’s ghost enters the story now and then to comment on the proceedings and lend a protecting hand to Jimmy. The subplot involving the two teenagers that steal Jimmy’s $10,000 is poignant and dark and essential for the films dénouement.

We enjoyed this film, although some scenes could prove challenging for some viewers who are sensitive to violence and strong themes. It is best classed as a “black comedy” and it paints a fairly realistic picture of small time criminal life in a big city, although the naïveté and unlikeliness of some of the plot twists can be seen to be artistic licence to make for a more engaging movie.

ART SUNDAY - MARTIN JOHNSON HEADE

“Joy in looking and comprehending is nature's most beautiful gift.” - Albert Einstein
 

A relatively little-known artist for Art Sunday today, who during his life did not command much attention, also. Martin Johnson Heade (August 11, 1819 – September 4, 1904) was a prolific American painter known for his salt marsh landscapes, seascapes, and depictions of tropical birds (such as hummingbirds), as well as tropical flowers and other still lives. His painting style and subject matter, while derived from the romanticism of the time, are regarded by art historians as a significant departure from those of his peers.

Heade was born in Lumberville, Pennsylvania, the son of a shopkeeper. He studied with Edward Hicks, and possibly with Thomas Hicks. His earliest works were produced during the 1840s and were chiefly portraits. He travelled to Europe several times as a young man, became an itinerant artist on American shores, and exhibited in Philadelphia in 1841 and New York in 1843. Friendships with artists of the Hudson River School led to an interest in landscape art. In 1863, he planned to publish a volume of Brazilian hummingbirds and tropical flowers, but the project was eventually abandoned. He travelled to the tropics several times thereafter, and continued to paint birds and flowers.

Heade married in 1883 and moved to St. Augustine, Florida. His chief works from this period were Floridian landscapes and flowers, particularly magnolias laid upon velvet cloth. He died in 1904. His best known works are depictions of light and shadow upon the salt marshes of New England. Heade was not a widely known artist during his lifetime, but his work attracted the notice of scholars, art historians, and collectors during the 1940s. He thereafter became recognised as a major American artist. Although often considered a Hudson River School artist, some critics and scholars take exception to this categorisation. Heade’s works are now in major museums and collections. His paintings are occasionally discovered in unlikely places such as garage sales and flea markets.

I like his botanical paintings quite a lot as they remind me of a natural history textbook that we used in primary school. There is a strong feel of erudite and nostalgic 19th century naturalism in these paintings and part of their appeal is that while they are botanically accurate, they are also beautifully artistic and highly decorative. The “Orchid and Hummingbird near a Mountain Waterfall” of 1902 shown here is characteristic of Heade’s work in the natural history genre, but the other major part of his work, landscape, is also hinted at by the broad vista behind the main subject.

DEO GRATIAS

“Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.” - Henry Ward Beecher

Another Saturday that was filled with the usual routines, chores and a wonderful evening that was quite special. And now as night darkens more and more, it appropriate to be grateful. Here is Johannes Ockeghem’s “Deo Gratias”, expressing these feelings of gratitude in quite a joyous and majestic way.

Johannes Ockeghem (also Jean de, Jan; surname Okeghem, Ogkegum, Okchem, Hocquegam, Ockegham) (1410/1425 – February 6, 1497) was the most famous composer of the Franco-Flemish School in the last half of the 15^th century, and is often considered the most influential composer between Dufay and Josquin des Prez. In addition to being a renowned composer, he was also an honored singer, choirmaster, and teacher.

Ockeghem enjoyed a stellar reputation among contemporary musicians as well as his employers. He apparently knew Gilles Binchois, composer to the Burgundian Court, for whom he composed the lament Mort, tu as navré in 1460. In turn, Antoine Busnois, singer of the count of Charolais (soon to be Duke of Burgundy) honoured Ockeghem with the motet In hydraulis in 1465-1467. Johannes Tinctoris, theorist and composer, called Ockeghem the first among all the most excellent composers of his time, and even Duke Galeazzo Maria Sforza of far-off Milan sought his assistance in the recruitment of singers. Upon Ockeghem’s death, laments were composed by some of the greatest figures of his age, including poets (Guillaume Crétin and Jean Molinet), composer (Josquin Desprez), and thinker (Erasmus of Rotterdam).

FOOD FRIDAY - LOUKOUMADHES

“Tart words make no friends; a spoonful or honey will catch more flies than a gallon of vinegar” - Benjamin Franklin

For Food Friday, some more comfort food for a winter’s breakfast today. Loukoumadhes, a deep fried pastry, is the Greek version of a doughnut. This sweetmeat is also prepared in Turkey and is known as lokma tatlısı or simply lokma; In Cyprus, it is called lokmades and in Middle Eastern Countries known as: luqmat al-qadi (Arabic: لقمة القاضي; Persian: بامیه bamiyeh). In Greece there are shops that specialise in this sweetmeat and in Athens one may find shops that sell nothing else except this delicacy, so popular is it. It is quite easy to prepare at home.

Loukoumadhes (Greek Doughnuts)

Ingredients

• 1 (7 g) packet dry yeast
• 2 cups lukewarm water
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• honey
• ground cinnamon
• vegetable oil for frying

Method

• Dissolve yeast in the water and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Sift flour and salt together.
• Make a hole in flour and pour in yeast mixture gradually, mixing gently all the while.
• A soft, sticky dough should be formed.
• Cover dough with clean, damp dishtowel and let dough double in size.
• Heat oil in deep fryer. Use a tablespoon to drop batter into hot oil.
• When batter floats and is golden and puffy, remove to drain on paper towel.
• Pour warmed honey over hot doughnuts and sprinkle with cinnamon.

This post is part of the Food Friday meme,

and also of the  Food Trip Friday meme.

WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY, 2012

“It’s easy to quit smoking. I've done it hundreds of times.”  -  Mark Twain

May 31^st is designated as World No Tobacco Day in an effort to alert people to the dangers of tobacco use and induce as many smokers as possible to quit smoking. Tobacco industry interference is the theme of this year’s World No Tobacco Day, and the campaign focusses on the need to expose and counter the tobacco industry’s brazen and increasingly aggressive attempts to undermine global tobacco control efforts. Developing countries are especially vulnerable and strategies need be worked out to provide their citizens and organisations wit the means of effective resistance to the pro-tobacco lobbies and industries. Nearly 80% of the world’s one billion smokers live in low- and middle-income countries. In some countries, children from poor households are frequently employed in tobacco farming to provide family income. These children are especially vulnerable to “green tobacco sickness”, which is caused by the nicotine that is absorbed through the skin from the handling of wet tobacco leaves.

Tobacco kills up to half of its users, which adds up to nearly six million people each year, of whom more than 5 million are users and ex-users and more than 600,000 are non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke. Unless urgent action is taken, the annual death toll could rise to more than eight million by 2030. Consumption of tobacco products is increasing globally, though it is decreasing in some high-income and upper middle-income countries. Tobacco control refers to a range of comprehensive measures to protect people from the effects of tobacco consumption and second-hand tobacco smoke.

Tobacco is made from the dried leaves of the tobacco plant. The majority of tobacco consumed in Australia is in the form of cigarettes. After the leaves are dried they are treated with around 4000 different chemicals before being made into cigarettes. Many of these chemicals are known carcinogens (cancer causing), and tobacco smoke itself is carcinogenic. Tar is the name given to the yellow-brown substance that stains smokers’ teeth, fingers and lungs. It is made up of many different chemical particles and is the main cause of throat and lung cancer in smokers. All cigarettes contain tar.

Nicotine is a drug that is found naturally in tobacco and it makes cigarettes and other tobacco products addictive. When nicotine is absorbed in the body it can cause a number of effects, including stimulating the nervous system, increasing heart rate, raising blood pressure and constricting small blood vessels. It is also highly toxic and was once used in pesticides.

Some of the other chemicals that are common in cigarettes are carbon monoxide (a deadly poison), toluene (an industrial toxic solvent), ammonia (a poisonous gas), acetone (paint stripper), arsenic and cadmium (poisonous metals) and many other poisons, irritants and allergens.

Tobacco smoking is the largest cause of preventable death and disease in Australia, contributing to the death of around 15,000 people each year. More people die from smoking-related diseases than from illicit drugs, alcohol and road accidents combined. Smoking affects both the interior and exterior of the body; some of these effects are immediate and others can occur later in a smoker’s life. Some of the consequences of smoking are: Blindness, infertility and impotence, stroke, cardiovascular disease and other diseases of the arteries, gangrene, often resulting in the loss of limbs, various cancers, especially lung cancer, less oxygen to the brain and heart (leading to degenerative changes), shortness of breath, increased blood pressure, gum disease, bad breath and stained teeth, increased wrinkling of skin and premature ageing.

SAD: THE WINTER BLUES

“I had the blues because I had no shoes until upon the street, I met a man who had no feet.” - Denis Waitley

I came home rather late this evening and as I start very early in the morning it made for a very long workday. As we progress into Winter, with the days shortening, it is very much a case of leaving home in the dark and returning home in the dark. Unless I pop out at lunchtime, all the daylight I see is through my office windows, but I guess I am lucky in that respect as I realise that many workers work in buildings or offices that don’t have access to external views or natural light. Fortunately I’m not prone to SAD…

SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder is now a well-described psycho-medical entity, although it first appeared in the literature only in 1985. SAD is a depressive illness that has a seasonal pattern. It’s characterised by mood disturbances that begin in winter and usually subside when the season ends. It’s typically diagnosed after the person has had the same symptoms during Winter for a couple of years. SAD is about four times more common in women than men, and the average age of people when they first develop this illness is 23 years of age, however, people of all ages can develop seasonal affective disorder.

While most people experience mood swings and some disturbance to their normal daily and life patterns with the onset of Winter, SAD is a great deal more serious and can involve the following symptoms: Craving a lot more sleep than usual; overeating, especially carbohydrates, which leads to weight gain; having less energy; and, becoming more solitary, not wishing to spend time with others. The SAD symptoms make the sufferer look like they are going into “hibernation”. The disorder is now recognised as a form of depressive illness.

It is believed by researchers that the cause of the disorder is a lack of exposure to light. There is a much higher prevalence of SAD in countries with shorter days and longer periods of darkness such as Finland, Alaska and northern parts of Russia (although interestingly, SAD is less prevalent where there is a great deal of snow cover). The pineal gland, located in the depths of the brain responds to darkness stimuli picked up by the eyes, by secreting melatonin, a hormone that regulates daily biorhythms including the sleep/wake cycle. It’s believed that when melatonin secretion is out of balance, SAD can occur. Some people are more prone to melatonin imbalance than others and these persons would be the worse affected.

One the best ways to regulate your normal biorhythm is to expose yourself to morning sunlight and have a good daily exercise plan. An early morning sunrise walk or aerobics session would be ideal! Phototherapy (treatment by exposure to light) is commercially available in the form of light boxes, which are used for approximately 30 minutes daily. The light required (fluorescent tube light is fine) must be of sufficient brightness, approximately 25 times as bright as a normal living room light. Contrary to prior theories, the light does not need to be actual daylight from the sun. It seems that it is quantity, not necessarily quality of light that matters in the light therapy of SAD.

Drug therapy may be required in some severe cases of SAD, which extend beyond Winter and in patients who may be prone to suicidal behaviour. Antidepressant medications, particularly those from the serotonin selective reuptake inhibitor family (SSRI) family, have been found effective treatment for SAD. Examples of SSRIs include fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine (Paxil), and citalopram (Celexa). Acupuncture may be an alternative treatment to antidepressant medications, particularly in pregnant women, for whom medications may be contraindicated.

Active changes to behaviour can also help people deal with the “Winter Blues” as SAD is sometimes called. Taking up a new hobby, meeting new people, joining special interest groups engaged in activities one is interested may help. Regular exercise, especially so in a well-lit room in the morning or evening is also beneficial.

ILLEGAL ORGAN TRADE

“Each one sees what he carries in his heart” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

It was with horror that I read in one of our papers a report regarding organ trafficking, which apparently is rife in developing countries. The illegal trade in kidneys has risen to such a level that an estimated 10,000 black market operations involving purchased human organs now take place annually, or more than one an hour, World Health Organisation experts have disclosed.

People in need of a kidney transplant are reported to have paid up to $200,000 in countries such as China, India and Pakistan, where organs are harvested from vulnerable people who may receive as little as $5,000. It is reported that an organ broker in China advertised his services using the slogan “Donate a kidney, buy an iPad”, saying that the operation could be performed within 10 days. Kidney transplants account for about of 75% of illegal organ transplantations.

There is an increased demand for organs, especially kidneys, in Western countries as people are living longer, and disorders such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease are causing kidney failure in larger numbers of people. At the same time, organ donation rates amongst the population are remaining steady or even falling, the local supply not being able to keep up with the demand. The result is that the illegal trade benefits the wealthy Western patients who can afford to pay for the organs, is a lucrative trade for the doctors and hospital administrators who perform the operation and of course the middlemen and the traffickers make a killing...

Selling kidneys and other organs is illegal in many countries, and comes with great risks. Performing even a legitimate transplant is an incredibly complex procedure involving scrupulous medical tests and a range of measures to prevent infection and organ rejection. Purchasing a kidney from the black market offers no guarantees about the quality of the organ supplied or patient safety. It is advised that illegally purchasing a kidney should not be considered by those in need of a transplant, as it places them at great risk, with possibly even a fatal outcome.

WHO officials say that there had been a decrease in “transplant tourism” back in 2006 and 2007, but it is now evident that “trade may well be increasing again” given the stakes are so high for potential recipients and the huge profits that such desperation can produce for criminal gangs. The reality of the situation is that donors are putting themselves at great risk for a small amount of money and/or goods, driven to this by economic hardship. It may even be simpler than that – a simple desire to attain some of the goods of Western technological development, such as a smartphone or a tablet computer. The pressures from the West on vulnerable developing country citizens is twofold: Huge advertising and marketing of commodities that are attainable to the great majority of Western citizens and out of reach for the great majority of Indians, Chinese, Pakistanis, Afghanis, etc; and then the great pressure to engage in illegal organ trafficking, seen as a means to attain these by the ordinary citizen of a developing country.

The ethics of this illegal organ trade is fraught with moral dilemmas. A parent seeing their child dying because of lack of a suitable donor kidney and being unable to donate one himself/herself may go to almost any length to procure a suitable organ. Someone who is wealthy and has the means to pay for an illegally obtained organ may have few qualms if their life is at risk. Being quite detached, geographically and socially from the plight of the poor citizens of developing countries is enough for many people to accept without too many questions an illegal organ. Other individuals who travel to a foreign country in order to avail themselves of an illegal organ transplant, the so-called “organ tourists”, may not have second thoughts about the morality of what they are doing. Some may even argue that they are doing “good” by injecting funds into the coffers of poorer people/countries.

As well as being illegal, for me, the ethics of this organ trade is deplorable. To place another human being at risk in order to save one’s own life or simply to make one’s life more comfortable is not a valid excuse. I have nominated myself as an organ donor after my death and I think that this is the answer for our woes – to convince more of our fellows to do this. If left unchecked, illegal organ trade will escalate to become a threat to basic human values and compromise our humanity. One even hears of extreme cases of children being abducted from developing countries in order to have their organs harvested for transplant. And in this case we are not talking of a single kidney, but rather the killing of a child to supply heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, eyes to a group of recipients…

Our consumer society is making everything a commodity to be sold and bought at a price. Today it is human organs, what will we see in the future? The return of slavery? Selling of people as “mat for consumption” to satisfy the appetites of deranged, rich cannibals? Some things are illegal because they threaten our social fabric and our basic human and moral values. Illegal organ transplant should be stamped out and instead we should be looking at increasing the level of organ donation. In Australia, we still have a small proportion of people donating their organs after their demise, especially when compared with similar statistics internationally (see: http://www.transplant.org.au/Statistic_s.html). A number of ways of raising public awareness and having the drivers license system linked to the Australian Organ Donor Register (AODR) or sending out ADOR forms when a first-time driver obtains their license are just some strategies. We need to do more in this area…

MOVIE MONDAY - BLEAK HOUSE

“Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall” - William Shakespeare 

As the weather last Saturday was wintry and not conducive to much activity outside the house, we sat and watched an excellent BBC adaptation of one of the most famous of Dickens’ novels for TV. It was the Justin Chadwick and Susanna White mini series of 2005, “Bleak House” which was produced by a team that has quite a good track record for period dramas. This version did not disappoint, in fact it was engaging and true to the original with excellent screenplay and wonderful acting. It starred Anna Maxwell Martin, Gillian Anderson, Charles Dance, Denis Lawson and Carey Mulligan.

The plot centres on the never-ending courtroom litigation of Jarndyce versus Jarndyce, the dispute being over different versions of a will that will not allow claimants of the Jarndyce fortune to take possession of it. However, as well as the courtroom scenes (of which there are few, come to think of it – but enough to demonstrate the grossly inefficient, time wasting, costly and exasperating system of 19th century justice), there is plenty else to keep the viewer enthralled: Romance, murder mystery, human frailty, friendship, corruption, guilty secrets and greed. It is a rich tapestry of incident and characterisation, philosophy and social commentary, as well as being a biting satire of a corrupt and wasteful legal system.

The casting is ideal for this adaptation, with Charles Dance as the lawyer Tulkinghorn, being the personification of evil and corruption. Gillian Anderson as Lady Dedlock, manages a coolly restrained but intense performance, doing justice to the fragile and enigmatic character she portrays. Anna Maxwell Martin, a fresh young face turns in one of the top central performances, while the beautiful and innocent Ada is portrayed to great effect by Carey Mulligan. As with any Dickens novel there are a host of richly characterised eccentrics with Pauline Collins as Miss Flite stealing a few scenes, Johnny Vegas excelling as the drunken Krook and Philip Davis as relishing the role of Smallweed and Burn Gorman being an effective Guppy. However, there was no trace of overacting, so easy a trap to fall into with Dickensan dramas.

The production values are very high and the period atmosphere has a rich ambience and visual authenticity. There is a sumptuousness running right through the series, with sets, costumes and hairdos looking like the real thing. I found fascinating the genuine look of grime on the hands of many of the characters (where it was called for) complete with ink stains, broken fingernails and callouses. The dark and dreary depiction of some of the poverty-stricken neighbourhoods that Dickens was deploring adds to the genuineness of the production, where one can see history books being brought to life with the rich veneer of the Victorian age being stripped to reveal the rotten core of the British Empire’s capital city.

One small irksome feature of the production was the gimmicky camera work and “whooshing” noises accompanying some scene changes. They weren’t features too distracting on first viewing, but I know if I watch this program again, they will prove to be quite annoying. Still, the pros are way too many and neutralise these few cons. We recommend this to anyone who enjoys intelligent, adult drama. It may be a “Victorian soap opera” (according to a few of its detractors, however, it is a “soap opera” of quality and in which art has been injected.

ART SUNDAY - ROUALT

“What moves those of genius, what inspires their work is not new ideas, but their obsession with the idea that what has already been said is still not enough.” - Eugène Delacroix
 

It is the anniversary of Georges Roualt’s birthday today, so Art Sunday is dedicated to this highly original and unconventional French artist. Georges Henri Rouault was born in Paris on May 27, 1871. His first introduction to art took place within his family, as his grandfather was an art collector and his father was an artisan. After an apprenticeship as a glass painter Georges Rouault studied under Gustave Moreau at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris from 1891 - 1898.

At first Rouault studied under Elie Delauney until his early death and then under Gustave Moreau, with whom he had a close connection. After Moreau’s death in 1898 Rouault was appointed curator of the Musée Moreau in 1903, in which he maintained the memory of his teacher’s work. 
Rouault’s early work was influenced by his teacher as well as by the artist’s fascination for medieval art. Both never ceased to have a great influence on Roualt. From around 1902 the artist created watercolours and gouaches in expressive colours, which founded his reputation as a Fauvist painter.

Early subjects, such as workers and farmers reflect the artist’s philosophical leanings and his strong social engagement. Encouraged by his art dealer Ambroise Vollard, he concentrated on graphic art between 1917 and 1927. One of the most famous series of this period is the extensive cycle “Miserere” which was finished in 1927 and published in 1948. Towards the end of the 1920s Rouault discovered impasto painting, a technique in which paint is applied in thick textured layers, which is so typical of the painter.

He now concentrated nearly exclusively on religious subjects, which he interpreted in an icon-like austerity, with intensively brilliant colours reminiscent of medieval stained glass windows. Rouault’s artistic oeuvre was much acclaimed from an early date. In 1894, for example, he was awarded the first prize at the Concours Chenavard, but his work also often gave rise to controversy due to his unorthodox style. His first one-man exhibition took place at the Galerie Drouet in 1910. Large retrospective exhibitions followed at the Museum of Modern Art, New York in 1945 and at the Kunsthaus Zurich in 1948. 
Georges Rouault died at the age of 87 in Paris on February 13, 1958.

The painting illustrated is his 1928 “Les Trois Clowns”, which exemplifies his style admirably. The resemblance to stained glass is evident, with the strong blocks of colour, the heavy black outlines suggestive of the leading and the highly figurative style typical of the great medieval cathedral windows. Even if the title suggests the circus, there is an almost religious tone int his work, which could well be used to illustrate a biblical passage.

A RAINY SATURDAY

 “I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape. Something waits beneath it; the whole story doesn’t show.” - Andrew Wyeth

The weekend is here again and another Saturday filled with the blessed routine of doing chores around the house and some shopping for essentials. Otherwise, the weather has been too bad for gardening or any other seriously outdoor activity. Instead, it has been a day of staying inside and luxuriating in the warmth and cosiness of home. We watched a movie, read, listened to music and generally relaxed.

What better than some Antonio Vivaldi to finish the day off? Here is his Concerto for Two Violins in A Minor (RV 522) from L'Estro Armonico, Op.3.No.8. This is a favourite of mine, but it also was a favourite of J.S. Bach’s as he transcribed it for keyboard. It is a very dramatic concerto with wonderful melody, harmony, and much incident that is inventive and adventurous. Perfect for the blustery winter season, illustrating some wild weather, but also the pleasures of a warm fireside!

A WINTRY TREAT

“In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.” - William Blake

It was a real winter’s day today with almost non-stop rain, wind and cold temperatures. As the rain lashed the windows at work, some colleagues that had braved the elements came back wet, and through chattering teeth, mumbled: “It’s ghastly out there, today!” I had occasion to attest to the veracity of this when I went out to the bank at lunchtime. The street was full of people walking quickly with unfurled umbrellas and the traffic was quite chaotic (really, I do believe that rain dissolves the brain of most car drivers)!

In the afternoon we had a work social function at Docklands and we all walked there despite the weather, as we are all taking part in the Global Corporate Challenge and we have to clock up at least 10,000 steps per day each. We laughed and joked through the rain and wind and battled with umbrellas that turned inside out. I must say that this new job is great so far with a fantastic set of co-workers and a great company ethos and policies…

I got home later in the evening and it was wonderful to come into a warm house where some Mozart was playing and where smells of delicious cooking wafted through from the kitchen. We had a delicious meal, not the least part of which was a classic, good, old-fashioned, wintry dessert:

Apple Crumble
Ingredients
1/4 cup plain flour
1/3 cup soft brown sugar
1/4 cup raw sugar
3/4 cup oats
1/2 cup desiccated coconut flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves
1/2  cup of melted butter
6 cooking apples (Granny Smith are fine), peeled, cored and sliced

Method
Slice apples and place on bottom of a buttered pie dish.
Mix all the dry ingredients well and add the molten butter, mixing well so the mix is crumbly.
Put the crumble on top of the apples.
Bake at 180°C for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

This post is part of the Food Friday meme,

and also the Food Trip Friday meme.

AUTUMNAL ASCENSION DAY

“I’m singing in the rain, just singing in the rain; What a wonderful feeling, I’m happy again.” - Arthur Freed
 

Today is Orthodox Ascension Day. The Ascension of Jesus (anglicised from the Vulgate Latin Acts 1:9-11 section title: Ascensio Iesu) is the Christian teaching found in the New Testament that the resurrected Jesus was taken up to heaven in his resurrected body, [Acts 1:9-11] in the presence of eleven of his apostles, occurring 40 days after the resurrection. In the biblical narrative, an angel tells the watching disciples that Jesus’ second coming will take place in the same manner as his ascension.

The Ascension of Jesus is professed in the Nicene Creed and in the Apostles’ Creed. The Ascension implies Jesus’ humanity being taken into Heaven. The Feast of the Ascension, celebrated on the 40th day of Easter (always a Thursday), is one of the chief feasts of the Christian year. The feast dates back at least to the later 4th century, as is widely attested. The account of Jesus ascending bodily into the clouds is given fully only in the Acts of the Apostles, but is briefly described also in the Gospel of Luke at 24:50–53 and in the ending of Mark 16 at 16:19.

If it rains on this day it is purported to be a very good omen as the heavens opened up to receive Christ and any rain that falls down is holy.  Rainwater gathered and used for bathing has curative properties for all sorts of complaints, but especially so for eye disorders.  Well water from holy wells if gathered early on Ascension morning has similar properties.  Ascensiontide and Whitsuntide are favoured days for “well-dressing” so as to ensure a plentiful supply of water over the next year.

We are experiencing a wet and cold Autumn this year and there is no shortage of water falling from the heavens. Our water storage dams for the metropolitan area of Melbourne are 65% full this year, as compared to 54% last year at the same time. This is wonderful news as only a few years ago we were experiencing terrible droughts and ravaging bushfires. More rain is predicted for the next few days and it is wonderful to look out of the window and see the sheets of water falling down.

GOODBYES

“Don’t be dismayed at goodbyes, a farewell is necessary before you can meet again and meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.” - Richard Bach
 

Saying goodbye is hard. Especially if you know it’s adieu and not au revoir. It was officially my last day at work today and after handing in my keys, credit card, taxi card, phone, computer, and all things corporate, I made my goodbyes to the staff. It was a little melancholy, there were many nice words said, a lot of earnest hand-shaking, some hugs and the turning of a page that signified the end of an era and the beginning of another.

Walking down the stairs for the last time after closing the door of my office I knew that this was really the last time I would be there as an employee and henceforth, any time I chanced in the building again I would be a “member of the public”. While I had a good relationship with everyone, it was a small number of people that I considered closer than others and certainly none that I would class as friends. Work relationships are mostly purely professional and most people would not have it any other way.

Sad though the occasion was, once this chapter ended another begins and the new job beckons. That is the happy part. In all endings there are beginnings, in all partings there are also the promises of new relationships.

DON'T COMPLAIN!

“You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have roses” - Ziggy (Single panel comic strip created by Tom Wilson) 

I am an early bird and get in at work at about 7:00 am. As I was walking into work this morning it was dark, windy, cold and showery. I mumbled something you don’t want to know about as I walked resolutely on, and grumbled quite a bit. However, I immediately bit my tongue and chided myself as I thought about where I live and how lucky I am to live my life the way I do. A quick reckoning of the pros and cons quickly convinced me that I am indeed very fortunate to enjoy the quality of life I do. A cold, late autumn early morning is a minor inconvenience – a useful and interesting punctuation mark perhaps in an otherwise peaceful, pleasant and quite wonderful existence.

I live in what I think is a very beautiful city: Melbourne is a lovely clean, safe city, blessed with many magnificent public buildings, great facilities for entertainment, education, leisure, public gatherings, theatre, arts, sport. It is a city that is easy to get around in, has a good standard of living, nice people (mostly :-) and has a good climate – not too hot during the summer not too cold during the winter. It is a hub of culture, the arts, sport and has a good, year-round selection of fresh produce available in its many markets. There is a wealth of interesting cafés and restaurants that are of very high quality and the cost of living is not excessively high by world standards.

I am lucky enough to have a rewarding, satisfying job, good friends and loving family and a stable, comfortable life that offers me what many people around the world can only dream about. It is churlish to sit and think that my life is unpleasant or beset by problems and countless issues. In evaluating all I have the only feeling I can muster is gratitude. I am indeed blessed with a life that is wonderful.

It is a good thing to stop and do this little evaluation whenever we feel down, displeased with our lot, angry or exasperated. Bringing to mind the millions of people around the world that have much more pressing, or even life-threatening problems to cope with every moment of the day is enough to make one a little more circumspect about complaining and grumbling about non-issues, relatively speaking…

MOVIE MONDAY - RED RIDING HOOD

“Fear makes strangers of people who would be friends.” - Shirley MacLaine

Lately, there has been a renewed wave of interest in all manner of things supernatural and fantastical and occult. I guess the trend started in earnest with the Harry Potter phenomenon, which generated a host of imitators, and then the Twilight saga that spawned another rush of vampire books and movies, the ever-popular comic superheroes that never really went away and now a flow of fairy tale reinventions that have been retold to appeal all the more to an older audience.

We saw last weekend Catherine Hardwicke’s 2011 movie “Red Riding Hood” with David Johnson guilty of writing the screenplay and starring Amanda Seyfried, Lukas Haas, Shiloh Fernandez, Max Irons and Gary Oldman. The film is a rewrite of the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale, this version trying to cast the tale in the Twilight mould (and cash in on the fans of that saga). Red Riding Hood is not “Little”, but rather a nubile young village girl that is menaced by a werewolf and whose affections are vied for by two young village lads.

The plot becomes muddied by trying to be all things to all people and there is an attempt to catch as many slices of the market as it can, but the main audience is the young teen market with its penchant for creepy romances and neo-gothic horror tales. The reduction of the story to a corny love triangle with the (bad CGI) werewolf weaving in and out of the scenes periodically, all set in fake-looking scenery just didn’t hit the spot with us, but probably was OK for the juvenile market.

Add to that very poor acting by the young leads: Seyfried as Red Riding Hood gives a very bland performance (even though the script calls for her to be a little tinged with evil!), Fernandez and Irons as the rival lovers are banally bad (mere eye candy for young teen girls), while the older leads Billy Burke, Virginia Madsen and Michael Shanks have some really corny and trifling lines to deliver and try to do their best with what remarkably poor material they have been given. The best acting came from veteran actress Julie Christie (still looking remarkably attractive at 71 years of age) who played Red Riding Hood’s grandmother and Gary Oldman who camped it up as a sadistic priest, and who didn’t go far enough way out  as the script didn’t allow it…

In case you are interested in the plot, here it is, as supplied by Warner Brothers: “Valerie (Seyfried) is a beautiful young woman torn between two men. She is in love with a brooding outsider, Peter (Fernandez), but her parents have arranged for her to marry the wealthy Henry (Irons). Unwilling to lose each other, Valerie and Peter are planning to run away together when they learn that Valerie’s older sister has been killed by the werewolf that prowls the dark forest surrounding their village. For years, the people have maintained an uneasy truce with the beast, offering the creature a monthly animal sacrifice. But under a blood red moon, the wolf has upped the stakes by taking a human life. Hungry for revenge, the people call on famed werewolf hunter, Father Solomon (Oldman), to help them kill the wolf. But Solomon’s arrival brings unintended consequences as he warns that the wolf, who takes human form by day, could be any one of them. As the death toll rises with each moon...”

Well Warner Brothers, you have not even come close to the Brothers Grimm. The retelling of this fairy tale fell well short of expectations and the climax was a bit of a fizzer. Although, the ending did set the stage for a sequel (heaven forbid!). Don’t bother with this one, watch instead the now classic 1981 “An American Werewolf in London" or for more sexual tension and repressed beastliness see the 1984 “The Company of Wolves".

ART SUNDAY - BRAQUE

“Art is meant to upset people, science reassures them.” - Georges Braque
 

Georges Braque,  (born May 13th, 1882, Argenteuil, France - died August 31st, 1963, Paris), was a French painter, one of the important revolutionaries of 20th-century art who, together with Pablo Picasso, developed Cubism. His paintings consist primarily of still lives that are remarkable for their solid construction, muted colour harmonies, and often evoke a serene, meditative quality.

Georges Braque developed his painting skills while working for his father, a house decorator. He moved to Paris in 1900 to study where he was drawn to the work of the Fauve artists, including Matisse, Derain and Dufy, as well as the late landscapes of Cézanne. Meeting Picasso marked a huge turning point in Braque’s development and together they evolved as leaders of Cubism.

After a brief interlude in which he was called up to fight in the First World War, Braque’s style developed in the direction he was to follow for the rest of his life. In establishing the principle that a work of art should be autonomous and not merely imitate nature, Cubism redefined art in the twentieth century. Braque’s large compositions incorporated the Cubist aim of representing the world as seen from a number of different viewpoints. He wanted to convey a feeling of being able to move around within the painting.

From 1909 until his death, Georges Braque devoted himself to the still life-tabletop arrangements with musical instruments, pieces of fruit, and other objects. Of Braque’s fascination with objects, the painter Juan Gris once said, “In the guitar Braque found his new Madonna.” When the human figure did appear in his paintings, it was treated simply as another shape and was often subordinate to the other objects in the composition.

During the last years of his life Braque was honoured with important retrospective exhibitions throughout the world, and in December 1961 he became the first living artist to have his works exhibited in the Louvre.

The painting here, “Still Life: The Table”, of 1928 (Oil on canvas. 81.3 x 130.8 cm, Chester Dale Collection. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.) highlights many features of Braque’s unique vision of the world through his art. There is the cubist element, the low-key colour scheme, the characteristic focus on inanimate objects, superpositions and contrasts that nevertheless unify the depicted objects and combine them in a complementary fashion. This painting reminds me somewhat of an exercise in meditation and its contemplation can give one a sense of tranquillity and inner peace. The texture of the paint and the colours appeal to me especially and as hobbyist/artist I am fascinated by the painting in terms of technique.

YARRA RIVER BY NIGHT

“Love is the river of life in the world.” - Henry Ward Beecher

A relaxing Saturday today, with the usual morning chores, some grocery shopping, then a relaxing afternoon and a wonderful evening out. Driving back home tonight, I couldn't resist stopping on Boathouse Drive by the Yarra and snapping a couple of shots of the city by night and the Swan St Bridge. The river flowed slowly, the night air was crisp and fresh and the only sounds I could hear were some distant traffic and the gentle lapping of the water. A quiet night as winter approaches and with most people warm as toast at home. It seems that only crazy photographers were out there taking photos...

Here’s Audrey Hepburn singing Henry Mancini’s “Moon River” from what is perhaps her most famous film: “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”.