March Bulletin

Gee, hello there.
I was going to begin this Bull tin by remarking that the year is marching on, but that would be just too corny, so instead of starting by saying that the year’s marching on, I’m starting by saying that I’m not starting by saying that the year’s marching on.

Oh! Are you still with me?

Were you appalled by the latest from East Timor? I am ashamed to admit that for just a moment I thought they should go back to being part of Indonesia because they seem to be more interested in guns than politics – but, of course, I slapped myself on the wrist and told myself to get real. You may be interested in an article on the political parties in East Timor in 2001 – fifteen of them in all: hardly evidence of indifference to the political process. Here’s the link:
http://www.yale.edu/gsp/east_timor/ppp1.doc
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While we’re on matters of great moment, you may recall that I emailed a link to GetUp last month re The Apology, and drew attention to a document answering frequently asked questions. Since then I have become aware that some people were unable to download the document. It is included here as the next post. I am aware of the huge percentage of Australians who think the apology should not have been made. The percentage is so high that I have to assume that a significant number of people receiving this email from me are of that opinion. I would ask anyone so disposed to read the the next post, and, after that, if you still think the apology should not have been made, email me with your reasoning on the matter. I undertake to enter into a respectful dialogue with you. Let me explain my motive here. I do not presume to have the answers. This is me taking personal responsibility for my opinion on the matter. You see, if you really do not believe the apology should have been made, you almost certainly know something I don’t know. That’s why I want to hear from you about it. I just want to be as fully informed as possible. You will be doing me a favour.

There is a limitation on this offer. It applies only to people who received this bulletin directly from me by email, i.e. I will not respond to anyone to whom it has been forwarded. The point being that I have a personal relationship with the fifty people in my monthly email group. I can expect that anyone taking up my offer will do so in good faith. I cannot know that other people will.
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The pictures of Wooli are now up on Flickr. There’s too many of them, but I just couldn’t help myself. Don’t try to work your way through all of them. Just click on the group icon at the right hand side of the screen and scan the thumbnails for shots you might want to take a closer look at. There’s also pictures of soft toys I have made. Too few of them, but there will be more in due course. Here’s the link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7899872@N08/
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We’ve watched a film recently called Mountain Patrol by Lu Chuan, about an attempt to save Tibetan Antelope from poachers. If the subject sounds a bit, you know, Byron Bay, it’s actually not about how we can save the world by eating organic food and having colonic irrigation. The story about volunteers opposing poachers is really only the vehicle for a harrowing meditation on what it means to be human. Five stars from me. It’s available from Video Ezy.
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I did a lightning trip to Sydney on 9-10/2 to collect John’s work from the Graduate Exhibition mentioned in my last Bull tin. It was the most wonder full trip. Yes, trip! If you’d like to read about it, see my blog (link below). While I was driving I listened to, among other things a recording of James Joyce’s Finnegan’s Wake. OMG!!! What a triple tripping triumph. Have a read of my thoughts about it, if you like. It follows my account of the trip to Sydney. Warning – the writing about the Wake is even more weird than normal. Purposely.
http://twogreytoes.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive.html
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Now here’s something you might really be interested in – talk about keeping the good wine till last. The link below will take you to a Nicholson animated cartoon called Sorry Lot. When the cartoon ends there will be a dialogue box which enables you – if you want to – to receive notification of new cartoons. They’re free and usually too good not to know about.
http://media.theaustralian.news.com.au/nich/20080222_sorry_lot.htm
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Go jollily.