1 International Day for Older Persons
4-10 World Space Week
6-14 Mental Health Week
10 World Day Against the Death Penalty / World Mental Health Day
13 International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction
14-20 Anti-Poverty Week
17 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
19 – 28 Queensland Children’s Week
24-30 Disarmament Week
Single File is a temporary artwork trying to turn the tide. Made up of several filing cabinets mounted on the bank of the Brisbane River, artist Warraba Weatherall’s installation explores notions of buoyancy within the city’s landscape. Strategically placed near the cultural precinct, Weatherall questions the Museum as a disciplinary institution where its archives reaffirm the rhetoric of colonialism. As an institution which retains a large collection of Indigenous artefacts and ancestral human remains, western interpretations render Indigenous cultures as ‘knowable’ and ‘possessable’. The artwork aims to encourage conversations around cultural repatriation.
Presented as part of Co-MMotion, Brisbane City Council’s 2018 Temporary Art Program, produced by people+artist+place.
This installation is best viewed at low tide. Expected low tides during the installation period are as follows:
Saturday 8 September: 2.55pm
Sunday 9 September: 3.44pm
Monday 10 September: 4.30pm
Tuesday 11 September: 5.15pm
Wednesday 12 September: 5.56pm
Thursday 13 September: 6.38pm
Friday 14 September: 7.21pm
Saturday 15 September: 7.31am and 8.08pm
Sunday 16 September: 8.11am and 9.02pm
Today I went along to a seminar on Wills and Bequests. I really don’t expect to have much left in the account when I start climbing that Stairway to Heaven so bequests aren’t really an issue. My will I suspect will primarily contain details of my Requiem desires and enough for a decent wake.
I am happy to send out final shout outs in the document so let me know if you would like to be included in the life credits roll call.
Today’s session included a chat with the State Library Foundation staff and arrangements for an assessment of my personal memorabilia as a possible donation in lieu of a bonfire or extra trip to Vinnies. Part of pre death planning is to archive what is fast becoming a major collection of digital images.
Not sure if I want to continue having an online presence post ashing although I suspect I will continue to get into a google search for birthdays I can’t attend. Open to volunteer social media geeks who want to keep me posting into eternity.
It’s really challenging when you don’t have heirs as such for whom you are responsible or who can lay claim to your physical heritage. Add to that the tyranny of distance which probably inhibits extended family members travelling interstate to lay claim to your microwave or fridge. Pity the poor executor with all those trips to Vinnies
So now it’s off to write the document and make sure it is legit with witnesses, signatures and no cartoons. I’m tempted to include my own eulogy and some background music for a series of public readings.
There is probably a little irony in doing this seminar on #RUOK Day
Welcome to the August retrospective of news and social media presence across the platforms I use.
Gallery of Family and friends
August included travel with opportunities to catch up with old friends and new. There were themes to explore including Multiculturalism and my status as a senior citizen.
My travel took me to Sydney and to my birth city of Geelong for a school reunion and a family celebration. With my new leisure time available as a retiree I decided to take the train using my NSW Discovery Pass which gives me three months of travel from Brisbane to Melbourne and lots of places along the way. Travel hint: pack your own snacks and nibbles as the trip to and from the diner car can be an obstacle course if the train suddenly turns a corner.
While visiting Sydney I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried the latest in hostel type accommodation at The Capsule Hotel, Sydney It’s another one for the bucket list but unlikely to be a repeat experience.
This slide show is a montage of people, faces and places that all have a story. A few shots in my purple hoodie are from a visit to my birth city of Geeelong. I got along to an “old Boys” reunion of St Joseph’s College Geelong, where I jumped in front of the lens with Des Podbury, one of the oldest former collegians and John Mildren, former ALP politician for the seat of Ballarat. My other Geelong old boy catchup was with Russell, with whom I went through St Pat’s Geelong West as well as “Joey’s”. The last pic in the purple hoodie was a family get together with my late’s father’s brother and sister in law, Chris and Margaret.
The lady wearing the Geelong footy scarf is my late mother’s only surviving family member, Majella Tracey FMM. Religion pops into a few of the other pics with a selfie taken with Bishop Vincent Long and a series of heads from St Mary’s Cathedral as well as a memorial plaque to Gough and Margaret at St James Church.
The pick of the pics is the one where I am wearing my Keffiyeh with a young Middle Eastern guy. I was in Parramatta and popped into the local Macca’s for a coffee, Ahmed, the young man in the pic noticed me and made a point of coming over to chat. He had never seen an Aussie wearing a Keffiyeh. We chatted and he introduced himself as a Muslim from Lebanon. We talked politics, religion and peace and embraced each other in a quiet suburban space of harmony.
The group shot was taken as part of Rainbow Seniors Free Screening of Victor Victoria.
Photography
Politics
How do we have respectful disagreement with politicians like Peter Dutton or media moguls like Rupert Murdoch?
How do we tell Senator Fraser Anning he is not just wrong but offensive?
How do we tell John Howard he was a liar about the Iraq invasion and Tampa?
How do we tell Malcolm Turnbull he is a gutless weak political leader?
How do we have a respectful disagreement with #Indonesia about the genocide and transmigration policies in West Papua?
How do we have a respectful disagreement with weapon manufacturers and the government s like ours that support them?
How do we have a respectful disagreement with Donald Trump?
September is
1-7 Spina Bifeda Awareness Week
2-8 Legacy Week / Child Protection Week
3-10 National Threatened Species Week
3 – 9 National Stroke Week
9 – 15 Disability Action Week Queensland
10 World Suicide Prevention Day / RUOK Day
15 International Day of Democracy
16 International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer
16-23 World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel
29 Death of John Pat in Roeburne Prison (1983) prompting the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
Welcome to the July retrospective where I look back at highlights from my posts on social media for the month. This selection acts both as an archive and a reference for those who may have missed some of this material.
Photography
Because of her, we Can (NAIDOC 2018)
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday
Boundary to Boundary Walk 2018
Updated Albums
Readings
Religion
St Christopher
Events
Thanks to Stephen Mam for last month’s invitation to join the staff and students at KGSC celebration of First Nation People and Black History Month with a tour of their Indigenous Garden – Jagum Barrambin.
The students were well prepared to take guests on tours and a couple tested my attention with a great Q&A session at the end of their presentation. Spot me with my hat in a few of the pics of the day!!
As a card carrying senior member of the community I love opportunities like this to engage with young people working for understanding and respect of cross cultural values.
Politics
Laugh of the Month
