Neshamah Comments

Time Suck 1

noreply@blogger.com (Neshamah) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Hours sucked away

searching

Files lost

Frustration so high I could cry.

Morning After

noreply@blogger.com (Neshamah) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:01:00 +0000

Things that pass for early morning thoughts

float fluffy and muddled.

Early morning talking

slicing the silence

wounding words

that don’t need to be said

Jam

noreply@blogger.com (Neshamah) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 12:29:00 +0000

Jam

Winds Whistling

Whispering freedom

Sweat sticking

And I feel

The steering wheels slick grip under my finger tips

The bird on my dashboard

wants to bob out to the hills

while I melt further through the cracks

Showing off my poetry

noreply@blogger.com (Neshamah) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 12:26:00 +0000

I cal myself a poet. I call myself a social commentator. I consider myself a free thinker.. and all this time I have had this blog, I've been too scared to share my poetry.

So - in true style - my new years resolutions - 10 months late.. is that I will publish a poem of some sort every fortnight.. well .. I'll try...

Socialism - A simple explaination

noreply@blogger.com (Neshamah) — Tue, 11 May 2010 23:06:00 +0000

I'm not sure if this actually happened - but it demonstrates a point.... though perhaps its too simple?? Comments anyone?

An economics professor at a local college made the statement that he had never failed a single student before but had once failed an entire class.

That class had insisted that socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.

The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class on socialism. All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A.

After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B.

The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy.

As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little.

The second test average was a D! No one was happy.

When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F.

The scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else.

All failed, to their great surprise, and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.

It could not be any simpler than that.

This profound message says it all

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it." Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931

Validation

noreply@blogger.com (Neshamah) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:27:00 +0000

One of the best short films you'll see.. will bring a smile to your face and a tear to your eye....

Cancer.... a little story

noreply@blogger.com (Neshamah) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 12:59:00 +0000

Sometimes its really hard to explain cancer to people - and its not only children who need it spelled out in simple terms..

This is an excerpt from Richard Wildmans wonderful radio segment "The Adventures of Chemoman". I've put the link to it at the bottom.

One day, an innocent, happy little cell, lets call him Joe, is happily doing his thing. All seems well, but what Joe doesn't know is that something has happened to his DNA.

The DNA is like a set of instructions for how to make a new copy of a cell. They all have 'em. So, anyway, Joe doesn't know, but his DNA has become damaged. It's like some of the instructions have been lost or changed. Now Joe reports in for copying. This is where new copies of him are made, based on his DNA. Blissfully aware that his DNA instructions contain errors, he happily sets to work creating the next batch of Joe cells. He finishes this and blammo, cancer!

Well, you see, there are certain things that make an evil, stinking cancer cell different from an innocent, hard working, normal cell.

Firstly, they don't die when they are suppose to. They just try and live forever. Second, they don't make a sensible number of copies of themselves, they keep on cranking out more and more, faster and faster.

Finally, they don't stay where they are suppose to, they go and invade the homes of other cells. Now, that is just rude.

Everything that a cell does is determined by his DNA, his instructions, Okay? So, if Joe makes a copy of himself and the DNA is not right, then his copy, lets call him Joe2, may not do what he is meant to. If the right instructions are messed up, then what you have is cancer. Joe2 arrives on
the scene. Joe and the rest of his body recognise Joe2 as being one of them, but Joe2 isn't interested in doing an honest days work and striving to make the body a better place to love. No. He he is bad. He has darker thoughts and goals. He wants to multiply, invade and live forever.

Usually, Joe2 and his rapidly copied buddies keep themselves to themselves, all hidden away, growing and copying. Smug and confident that no one knows they're there. Every so often, one of them may leave the group and go out to set up his own little group elsewhere, thus spreading the cancer around. When cancer starts getting cocky and effecting the cells around it, the bodies owner may start to notice. Sometimes it'll be a pain or a cough that won't go or a lymph node swelling up and not going down. Cancer always gets greedy and gives away its position.

from The Adventures of Chemoman, by Richard Wildman.

Please do go and look at his blog. Its updated now by his wonderful wife and I can't stop a tear running down my cheek everytime I go over to it.

I felt compelled to share this snippet and hope you pass it on to anyone who may need it.

The Girl who Silenced the world for 5 mins

noreply@blogger.com (Neshamah) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:38:00 +0000

She addressed a UN Meeting on issue of environment....man - she rocks...It is humbling to hear her speak.. I don't care if she wrote the speech or not - its beautifully crafted and delivered in an incredible way. I only hope that the people in that room listened to her message.

and I hope she becomes head of state in Canada.. perhaps there is hope for the world if more kids are like her....

Homebirth In Australia ILLEGAL in 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Neshamah) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 10:54:00 +0000

The guts of this is that there has been a Maternity Services Review Report in Australia and it has recommendations which suggest Home Birthing (with an independent midwife) will be illegal from mid 2010 onwards.

Image via Wikipedia

Freebirthing (no midwife) and those birthing on the side of the highway because the funding has been taken out of rural hospitals and maternity services will not be charged.......but that is another rant all together...

The main issue surrounds the requirement for all midwives to have professional indemnity insurance to be able to register to practice, unfortunately NO insurance company offers PI insurance to midwives in private practice, so they will not be able to register to attend births at home.

Please consider joining the facebook group and writing to every member in the parliment.... and PLEASE look ( and sign) at this important petition:

"Save Private Midwifery and homebirth choices"
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/australianhomebirth?e

FACEBOOK

articles on it are:

NINE MSN

The Australian

Homebirth Ban

I cannot put it any clearer than two activitists who have written the following letters - so many thanks Bruce Teakle and Sarah Langford - I have copy and pasted your emails and plonked them right here... thank you for your words and passion - I really couldn't have said it any better....

Sarah says ( amongst other things...)

The latest maternity services review in Australia is removing the rights of Australian women by refusing to publically fund home births, thus restricting the availability of home birth to many Australian families. Further the review proposes to force independent midwives to be part of a national registration scheme. This registration will include mandatory professional indemnity insurance for all midwives, the alternative is to practice midwifery unlawfully.

In order for midwives to access professional indemnity insurance they must work within a "collaborative team", however no definition of "collaborative team" has been provided in the review. It is possible that "collaborative team" could mean not working independently (as many homebirth midwives do) in which case insurance would not be available to these midwives and their decision to attend homebirths could lead to prosecution and incarceration.

Witch hunts anyone??? will we also burn them at the stake??? ( ahh - thats me - Sarah didn't write that)

Of particular concern is the fact that the review clearly states that the recommendations regarding home birth were made based on presumptions of risk. The relevant medical evidence attesting to the safety of home birth were not considered when making these recommendations.

Ultimately this maternity services review has lead to The Australian Government furthering obstetricians' monopoly over maternity care and has prioritised the obstetric model of maternity care over the midwifery model, despite the fact that the midwifery model is the safer model for the majority of women. By further empowering the already powerful players in Australia's maternity system, The Australian Government has aggressively restricted the rights and freedoms of birthing women. Perplexing behaviour for a government committed to raising the national birth rate!

The review is little more than cultural propaganda which discriminates against midwives in private practice and families who wish to birth at home and therefore infringes upon the human rights of Australian citizens. Activists around the world will not stand for this!

The Maternity Services Review Report: no more homebirth?
Bruce Teakle 8 March 2008

The recently released report of the Federal Maternity Services Review proposes some promising reforms. It could, if implemented in the most positive spirit, bring huge breakthroughs in many areas of maternity care.
The Report recommends improving women’s access to midwifery care and information about pregnancy and birth. It proposes culturally appropriate care for indigenous women, better support for women in pregnancy and postnatally, and more collaborative relationships between caregivers.
Its ultimate goal for Australian mothers is “safe, high-quality and accessible care based on informed choice” (page iii).
Australia has waited a long time for the reforms proposed in the Review. However, there is a dark side to the Report.
The Report proposes an end to women’s access to midwifery care for homebirth, except possibly within state-run services. If the Report’s recommendations are followed, homebirth midwifery could become illegal in 2010 with the introduction of National Registration of health caregivers.
The full Report can be downloaded from this website:
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/maternityservicesreview
Below are some key points, with quotes from the Report, to help women who want to lobby for their right to access safe, legal homebirth in Australia:
1. Women choosing homebirth are a trivial minority:
A strong point is made of the small number of homebirths which occur in Australia:
P16: shows a graph of declining numbers of homebirths in Australia from 1991 to 2006.
P16: “Homebirths account for a very small number of births in Australia. In 2005, homebirth accounted for 0.22 per cent of all births in Australia,28 compared with 2.7 per cent in England and Wales,29 2.5 per cent in New Zealand,30 and 0.6 per cent in the United States.” 31
P20: “New Zealand maternity data for 2004 found that, while 4.5 per cent of mothers had planned a homebirth, only 2.5 per cent actually experienced a homebirth.”
The reasons for the small Australian numbers are not explored, in particular the great difficulty most Australian women have accessing information or care for homebirth.
No comparison is made with other minority choices, such as caesarean section on request, and there is certainly no consideration of banning these choices.
The Reviewers acknowledge the high number of individual submissions from women who desired greater access and funding for homebirth. Despite this, it appears the Reviewers have been more responsive to the input of those who want to control women’s choices.
2. Homebirth will not be retained as a choice for women:
The Report is very clear that it does not support reforms which increase or fund women’s access to homebirth:
Pp20-21: “In recognising that, at the current time in Australia, homebirthing is a sensitive and controversial issue, the Review Team has formed the view that the relationship between maternity health care professionals is not such as to support homebirth as a mainstream Commonwealth-funded option (at least in the short term). The Review also considers that moving prematurely to a mainstream private model of care incorporating homebirthing risks polarising the professions rather than allowing the expansion of collaborative approaches to improving choice and services for Australian women and their babies.”
P21: “While acknowledging it is a preference for some women, the Review Team does not propose Commonwealth funding of homebirths as a mainstream option for maternity care at this time. It is also likely that professional indemnity cover support for a Commonwealth- funded model that includes a homebirth setting would be limited, at least in the short term. It is likely that insurers will be less inclined to provide indemnity cover for private homebirths and, if they did provide cover, the premium costs would be very high. Indemnity issues for midwife care more broadly are considered in Chapter 6.2.”
The Report proposes Commonwealth support for Medicare and indemnity insurance for midwives, but only working in non-homebirth practice. Midwives working outside these restrictions would not be able to legally practice, due to impending reforms:
P53: “For privately practising midwives, it is not currently a requirement in most jurisdictions to have professional indemnity cover in place before registration is granted. However, this situation is expected to change under the proposed new National Registration and Accreditation Scheme.”
The consequence of all this is that homebirth practice by private midwives (most homebirth care) would not be insured, and would be illegal under national registration laws, scheduled to take effect in July 2010.
State-run homebirth services (currently operating in NT, NSW, SA, and WA) might also be forced to close, if non-homebirth maternity services attract Commonwealth funding (through Medicare for midwives) but homebirth services do not.
3. Scientific evidence does not inform the recommendations regarding homebirth:
Although some reference is made to scientific evidence on some issues in the report, no reference is made to evidence regarding the outcomes of homebirth. It appears that medical opposition alone informs the Review’s position:
P21: “The Review also considers that moving prematurely to a mainstream private model of care incorporating homebirthing risks polarising the professions rather than allowing the expansion of collaborative approaches to improving choice and services for Australian women and their babies.”
4. The safety of women birthing without a caregiver can be overlooked
P21: “Of concern to the Review Team is the number of submissions and other evidence that suggests a small number of Australian women are choosing homebirths without the support of an appropriately trained health professional. Accordingly, as with any other maternity care model, the Review Team considers that appropriate standards, monitoring and evaluation should be integral components of any service involving homebirth.”
Women choosing to birth at home without a trained caregiver will not be helped by “standards, monitoring and evaluation”, because they are outside the system. The Review Team appear not to understand that these women are within neither a “maternity care model”, nor a “service involving homebirth”.
Maternity Coalition’s experience is that most women birthing at home without a trained caregiver do so because they are unable to access midwifery care at home, and unwilling to use hospital-based services. It is frequently a choice made in desperation. The way to help these women is to provide them access to a high standard of midwifery care in their preferred venue.
The Reviewers overlook the likelihood that the loss of homebirth midwifery care will push more women into unattended homebirth. This would ensure an absence of standards, monitoring or evaluation of any homebirth outcomes.
5. Medical extremists will become more cooperative if they are given a veto on women’s choices
The proposed reason for preventing homebirth midwifery is that it “risks polarising the professions”. The implied strategy seems to be for Government to restrict midwifery practice, against scientific evidence, against the principle of women’s informed choice and against the safety of determined homebirthing women. The presumed intention – for less collaborative doctors to become more respectful of the evidence, principles of informed choice, and women’s perspectives on safety; seems a highly unlikely outcome. The Reviewers reinforce a subordinate position for midwives relative to doctors by proposing to restrict midwifery practice in line with the prejudices of less collaborative doctors. This undermines the relationships they hope to enhance.
The Government must make it clear that the needs, interests and autonomy of women come first. Healthcare policy and services should not be corrupted by the prejudices of health care professions, which prosper on taxpayer funds.
Fear or leadership?
The Minister, Nicola Roxon, is aware that significant modernisations of the healthcare system have historically been met with protest, threats, and predictions of disaster by extreme medical voices. Reforms of Australia’s maternity care system will always provoke this sort of reaction. Those reforms include normalising midwives’ access to public funding and insurance, and women’s access to options including homebirth.
It appears that the Reviewers have conceded to fear of extreme medical voices, over the interests of women. Hopefully the Minister, who is directly accountable to women, will be braver.
Speak out now!
The Review Report has been prepared by Department of Health staff, to advise the Minister for Health, Nicola Roxon. The Minister will decide which of the Department’s advice she will take. If there is enough community outcry about the proposed loss of homebirth, the Minister may decide to act in the interests of choice.
Every Australian has a Federal Member of Parliament (MP), whose job is to represent their interests. Every person who cares about maintaining homebirth choice should contact their Federal MP, preferrably by both letter and with a personal visit.
To find contact info for your MP:
Go to http://apps.aec.gov.au/esearch/ and enter your locality in the “Search Federal Electorates” window.
In the next window, click on the name of your electorate for more information.
On the electorate page, click on “profile and map”.
For contact info for your MP (“Current Member Details”), click on the “Parliament of Australia Website” link.
Write to your MP and tell them how important it is to you that women can choose homebirth. Ask them to contact the Minister for Health on your behalf. Recognise the good sides of the Review, and expect them to help you.
Meet with your MP. Phone their electorate office and ask for an appointment, to talk about the Federal Maternity Review. Take some friends from the same electorate. Tell them why women should have choice.
Your MP is expecting a letter or visit from a mother, not a professor. Tell them why birth and choice are so important to you. Talk about scientific evidence or policy processes if you want, but you are the expert about your own story.

Why I hate motorways

noreply@blogger.com (Ragellion) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:22:00 +0000

There are few things that I can truly say I don’t appreciate. Most of life’s little annoyances I can handle if not with grace, with a certain stoic fortitude. But I’ve decided that I hate the traffic on the gateway motorway. Every Wednesday I travel from Ipswich to Sandgate to teach, along with just about every car that has rolled off a production line since Henry Ford decided pushbikes weren’t his thing.

We head north in a sick mechanical parody of wildebeests crossing a river, all converged nose to tail going nowhere fast while the more assertive ones make horn noises and jostle for position. We travel on a road optimistically marked 90 at around the speed of a pre toddling toddler creating long lines of blinking red stop lights and smokey exhausts.

But this I can handle, its part of city life nowadays and peak hour traffic is a fact of life. What I detest, passionately, is the return trip.

One would think that once the majority of the cars had reached their destinations and traffic density drops to a mere fraction of the herd, one would be able to enjoy the motoring sensation of moving forward at a reasonable speed; of seeing the needle pass 60 and in a way that justifies owning a vehicle that can travel faster than you can walk.

But it is not to be. Roadworks spring up along with signs, heavy machinery and lots of flashing lights. Clogging the road and turning the whole motorway into a strobed nightmare of delay and frustration.

First they close one lane, backing up traffic and forcing us to merge (careful to avoid being trampled by trucks) as we pass some bloke whose job appears to be to wave an illuminated cone up and down. Then they close the other lane and we all move to the other side, again testing the skill and tactical competence of my fellow motorists.

Now as I was conducting this mechanical gumby ballet two things occurred to me, firstly, that when I’d travelled this road a few hours earlier it had seemed in perfectly functional condition. I should know, as at the speed we’d been moving I got a long look indeed. The second thing that struck me was that while I was passing signs and hundreds of plastic witches hats, utes with flashing arrows and police cars with their lights on, I didn’t seem to be passing anyone who was actually doing anything to the road. There’s a certain oxymoron to the term “road work” when no ones actually repairing the road. I considered perhaps they meant the road was working, but again this wasn’t the case as all the activity and bother had it functioning somewhere between a parking lot and a spruiker for panel beaters.

Its frustrating. And my frustration wasn’t helped by their signs, apart from the odd speed sign suggesting that in the distant past this tarmac torment actually facilitated travel there are ones such “please drive carefully” and “end roadwork.” The latter I can only imagine is probably needed since it wasn’t like I could detect anything happening. It had no beginning, no middle and no end, at least as far as the “work” part was concerned. And all brightly illuminated with flood lights and generators to remove any lingering doubt that there was a purpose to it.
But the one that really got me riled was the large billboard that read “speed kills”! Steam started coming out my ears, I started ranting “how would you possibly know that, were moving at speed where if your theory was correct driving a hearse out here would raise the dead” I mean didn’t their bloody parents teach them not to play in traffic! Mine did. And now I know why. Clearly if you don’t beat this habit early in life people move on to clog highways dressed in “high visibility” fashion disasters and hardhats. I passed a long line of large machines, looking somewhere between a combine harvester and a mining truck, all doing nothing. A lone tetra-bloke stood waving his cone in an up and down in a gesture that looked a little too similar to sexual self abuse to be taken in good grace.

I’m not sure if he was being self descriptive of it was aimed at us, their hapless motoring prey!
Then they closed both lanes! Yep they detoured (derived from the latin dēterrēre meaning to prevent or hinder) us off the highway and into the darkened mess of eagle farm. Here we struggled around more high visability light wankers and a mass of signs with helpful information such as “Detour” (just in case some of us thought our bloody homes had moved in the time it was taking us to reach them. Continental drift was certainly occurring at a similar speed I’m sure.) At one stage I was passing boats!

But by far the worse part, the bit that really got to me was on rejoining the motorway I passed five signs, two police cars and five large industrial road machines without seeing any anything happening. I was starting to look for any sign that this wasn’t some sick joke when I saw him. Dayglow sloth man! Clad in a retina assaulting yellow jumpsuit he leant against the guard rail. This bastard wasn’t even supporting his own body weight! And from the look of it he was serenading the shovel he had lovingly crooked in his arm. As my car slowly crawled past at the legally enforced parody of speed he made no detectable movement at all. If it wasn’t for the odd blink and movement of his lips he could have been a mannequin. I actually entertained running the bastard over, just to see if he would move, but I suspect there are laws against that. How else could his particular blend of lethargy and sloth have been successfully passed down through the generations.

At this point the sheer idiocy of the whole situation became blindingly apparent. Whats the point of repairing a road if were all going to spend time moving along it at 40? People can run faster than that! I mean you can navigate a goat track at that speed, if they aren’t going to let us move any faster than it doesn’t matter what the road surface is like! I think I’m going to write to the gateway motor corporation and ask for my money back. Damned if I see why I should pay toll to use a motorway when it doesn’t function as one. And maybe to the mains roads department. Those little sighs that warn of upcoming sign holders (???) should be changed from alert stick men briskly brandishing signs to something more recognizably related to reality. Turn the sign upside down, have the stick man leaning on it and scratching his bum! At least we’d know what to expect@!

Motherisms

noreply@blogger.com (Neshamah) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 10:22:00 +0000

So – what does a mother utter every day? I’ll bet that a good number of these chestnuts either spring to mind or are your mainstay arsenal… and where did they come from? Our mothers and theirs before them.
These were collected after listening in ( no I was NOT eavesdropping) at supermarkets, mothers groups and in cafes.
It takes effort and a conscious mind to pull yourself up from automatically using them, so if you recognize the over use of some – don’t beat yourself up – congratulate yourself that you recognize the pattern and then choose to change the words to something more upbeat, or positive or in a way that will assist , rather than inflame the situation.
Have a read and count up how many you would actually use on a daily basis – might be surprising. There are some cringe worthy ones here, though I will not pass judgment here – but please feel free to either blog your reaction or comment here.
Also – at the bottom of these delightful utterances - check out the U Tube performance – A Mothers Day in 3 mins. I have laughed and laughed watching this – make sure you forward it on to girlfriends.

Close the door you weren’t born in a field and I should know, I was there.

Close the door! You don't live in a barn.

If it had teeth, it would have bitten you.

If you stick your tongue out again it will fall off/ the wind will change and you’ll be stuck like that.

If you're too sick to go to school, you're too sick to play outside.

Shut the door! I'm not heating (air conditioning) the entire neighborhood!

Shut your mouth and eat.

How do you know you don't like it if you haven't tasted it?

You Don’t have to like it, you Do have to eat it.

Did you brush your teeth?

Do you think I'm made of money?

Do you think your socks are going to pick themselves up?

Don't eat that, you'll get worms!

Don't go out with a wet hair, you'll catch a cold.

A little "bird" told me!

Beds are NOT made for jumping on.

Don't make me come back there!

Don't pick that scab, it'll get infected/ go gangrenous/your limb will fall off.

Eat your vegetables, they're good for you.

Enough is enough!

Go play outside! It's a beautiful day!

I brought you into this world, and I can take you right back out!

I didn't ask who put it there, I said "Pick it up!"

I don't care what "everyone" is doing. I care what YOU are doing!

I hope someday you have children just like you.

If God had wanted you to have holes in your ears (eyebrows, tongue, etc.) He would have put them there!
So it's raining? You're not a sugar mouse. -- you won't melt.
Its all fun and games till someone loses and eye.

What if everyone jumped off a cliff? Would you do it, too?

What part of NO don't you understand?

When will you be back?

When you have your own house then you can make the rules!

You can't find it? Well, where did you leave it last?

Always wear clean underwear in case you get in an accident.

Bored! How can you be bored? I was never bored at your age.

Don't put that in your mouth, you don't know where it's been.

I don't care who started it, I said stop!

If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.

If you don't clean your plate, you won't get any dessert.

If you don't stop crying, I am going to give you something to cry about!

If you're too full to finish your dinner, you're too full for dessert.

I'll treat you like an adult when you start acting like one.

I'm going to give you until the count of three...

Leave your sister (brother) alone!

Hands and feet to yourself.

Now, say you're sorry...and MEAN it!

Think of those poor starving children in India... (or China, or Africa.)

When did your last slave die?

When I was your age...

You just ate ten mins ago!

If you're not hungry for an apple then you aren't hungry.

You'd forget your head if it wasn't screwed on.

You're the oldest. You should know better.

Click to go to the Utbue site - its classic!

Mothering in 3 mins

History of Christmas Candy Canes

noreply@blogger.com (Neshamah) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 06:16:00 +0000

For the first time this year I heard of the so called meaning of the candy canes associated by Christmas.

Our family went to a Christmas carols hosted by the combined churches in the area. (and although I am not a Christian, there is a certain wholesome and wondrous feeling when you are with hundreds of other people waving candles and lights around singing childhood songs. I am also not about to impress my beliefs into my kids and will allow them exposure to a variety of religious experiences and allow them to make their own minds up )

Santa appeared and handed out candy canes to all the children as the pastor narrated what they symbolized for all Christians. A student of history with a keen cynical streak, I could not help but wryly listen to the dogma being spewed out. I am very impressed - despite of myself, with the catholic church and the way they can twist and wind any sort of symbolism into whatever is around them to suit their own purposes. Symbolism is the most ancient and powerful forms of indoctrination and even the most unaware persons mind is open to accepting and integrating it into their lives.

Apparently, according to the pastor ( and other Christians I asked afterwards) they were designed as ‘J’s for Jesus, the three red stripes symbolizes the holy trinity. The red also symbolizes the sacrifice Jesus is about to make and the white for his purity. The hardness of the candy cane symbolizes the rock solidness of the church. I did hear something about the peppermint flavour of the candycanes too – but can’t recall it – I might do some internet search and see if its out there.

I can’t help but think the Catholics went a little overboard here – mixing up Easter messages and Christmas – intertwining the birth and death in one tiny sweet.

After a very quick search on the internet I found that candy canes originated in 1600s as a long lasting sweet to quieten the younger members of the choir as they sat waiting for their next hymn. The sweet was a white stick of harden rock. Until past the 1900s they remained in this form – many Christmas cards depicting them this way. The next few paragraphs are directly from several websites – they all say the same thing -

The traditional candy can was born over 350 years ago, when mothers used white sugar sticks as pacifiers for their babies. ( WHAT?????!!!) Around 1670, the choirmaster of Cologne Cathedral in Colonge, Germany, bent the sticks into canes to represent a shepards staff. He then used these white candy canes to keep the attention of small childern durring the long Nativity service.

The use of candy canes during the Christmas service spread through out Europe. In northern Europe, sugar canes decorated with sugar roses were used to brighten the home at Christmas time.

In the mid 1800's, the candy cane arrived in the U.S. when a German-Swedish immigrant in Wooster,Ohio , decorated his spruce tree with paper ornaments and white sugar canes. The red stripe was added to the candy cane at the turn of the century, when peppermint and wintergreen were added and became the traditional flavors for the candy cane.

So all very interesting huh?

I found a reference to say that when mechanics popularized the sweet making industry, an inventor made a way to make the hook – symbolizing the Shepherd’s crook. It was by pure mistake that red became part of the cane as it was a left over colour from another item he had been making.

So just goes to show – you can take a nice little tradition and make it mean anything you like…. Bit like the original Christmas and Easter huh?

Expectations of kids

noreply@blogger.com (Neshamah) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:20:00 +0000

I took four small children to a Christmas concert yesterday, hosted by the State Orchestra. We have been going for years – ever since the eldest was a baby. Each year I see proud mums drag their little darlings along bedecked in tinsel in hair and handmade Christmas outfits. I watch just about every other child stand and dance in rhythm to the music,clap and sing along to well known tunes and generally interact with the show.

I watched my four charges carefully yesterday. The 13 month old was the only one totally engaged – wriggling and clapping to the music. The other three sat in a row – staring directly forward with little expression on their faces. I stopped myself begging them to enjoy them selves, or asking them to stand up and join in.

The program was designed for small people – full of interesting information about the Orchestral instruments in a story format, interlaced with well known Christmas tunes and interaction with the crowd by a well known children’s presenter.

I desperately wanted my kids to look like they were enjoying themselves or taking in the rich music presented. As I looked about the room full of twirling Christmas fairies, a cold knife stabbed deeply into the mother guilt heart. Perhaps if I had played classical music to the more as babies or whilst in the womb they would be enjoying the excerpts from the nutcracker. Perhaps if I had enrolled them in toddler dance classes they would feel more confident to stand and twirl with the rest of them. Perhaps if I made the time to sew frocks bedecking them with ribbon and appliqué, then I too would look like a mother who cared about the development of her children. Instead as I looked down at my food encrusted shirt I was certain was clean when I got in the car to come, I look like a skanky harassed hag. At least I wasn’t nagging them to stand up – but if telepathy existed their brains would have been fried with my inner shouts and pleas.

I then thought of the autistic kids I used to teach and sent a blessing to those parents – thinking about what they must go through – the unconditional love they must hold for their kids. Feedback is such an important aspect of a relationship - and I was gaining little to no feedback from the three stooges as they stared into space within the concert hall.

The concert ended and I had ensured that I had sung Christmas Carols loudly and had clapped and cheered at he end even if the plebs I took did not. AS I buckled the kids into the car, I hesitatingly asked if they had enjoyed the morning; whilst calculating what other things I might have done instead of wasting money on these tickets.

Oh Mummy I liked the songs

No – the drums were best

I liked the horn player

That man was silly with his reindeer horned hat wasn’t he?

SO – You did like the concert then?

Oh yes – the resounding replies were. Can we go next year?

I reflected as we drove off on whose enjoyment I was expecting. My kids are very introspective in any case – but I might have expected at least one of them Miss Show Off to have joined in the fairly ring which had spontaneously erupted in front of us during one of the tinkling songs.

You just never know do you? Who am I to place what I believe is enjoyment onto their beliefs? I was just trying to placate the mother guilt beast and to show off myself – to all the other show off mums; all of us desperately trying to convince the other that we are good parents.

Eating Live Fish

noreply@blogger.com (Neshamah) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:51:00 +0000

It was enough to turn this meat a saurus into a vegan immediately. Now I am not squeamish and I feel that I am a responsible meat eater – that is to say – I grew up on a farm and know how to slaughter an animal and prepare it for eating.

I saw a cooking show on TV tonight that made my stomach turn and I still feel sick about it. Unsurprisingly You Tube is full of home videos of (mostly) American tourists in China filming this dish. To explain – take one very live fish and serve it to diners in under two mins. The fish must still be alive and wriggling, its mouth opening and gills fanning whilst it is at the table and being torn apart.

The fish is held and scaled, then cut in several places. It is then quickly deep fried in a vat of oil – the head held out of the oil. The fish is then placed on a plate – flapping in agony and covered with a sauce and taken to the diners – who then strip its skin off and eat the flesh – a prize is the still thumping heart. Are you sick yet? Here is one of the ‘better’ videos on you tube – but search there yourself.

I know fish don’t have much of a brain – but nothing deserves this treatment. Its horrific in the most evil ways. Am I being prissy about this?

Hoax Missing kids emails - put a stop to them

noreply@blogger.com (Neshamah) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:31:00 +0000

They seem to come round like a rash – you know the type the "please help us find our missing child."

They tug at your heart strings – so you – being busy – forward it on to everyone in your mail box, thinking you have done a good dead. Sadly, all you have done is forward on a hoax and blocked up the internet for a nanosecond.

The imbeciles who first launched these hoaxes have got to be completely unthinking and uncaring – thinking that this is some sort of entertainment. It sickens me that some person could be so mean spirited as to write and launch a hoax about a fictional missing child in a world where so many real children have disappeared. You only have to look at a milk bottle or on the corner at the flapping pages of yellowed paper to see the beautiful eyes of precious children who have for one reason or another gone missing for real.

The one that is going round at the moment is the Evan Trembly one - and he started it himself as a joke ( kinda got out of hand) there are plenty of hoax checking websites to see if the email you have gotten is a hoax or not - but check out this one to see the full story on hoax missing kid emails here

I cannot believe it has been 5 years now that Daniel Morcombe went missing – just before Christmas. He has become like a little brother to so many Australians – his smiling face plastered everywhere - the horror of what unknown fate befell him after an innocent bus ride to buy presents for his family.

For more info on Dan see here I truely hope for his families sake that some sort of answer is found soon. I cannot image how horrific it must be to stumble through your days hoping for a scap of information to come through.

Another sickening one is Madeline McCann see here

Seeing her little face brings a wave of despair across my body and I am sick to the pit of my stomach, tears still form in my eyes thinking about that family and what they have gone through – especially with the media – only out for a sensational story – be it true or not.

Hoaxes like these missing kids emails are not harmless. They weaken the power of email and the Internet as a tool for disseminating information about genuine missing person cases. It stops the trust in the goodness of a stranger – of reliable information.

If you receive these hoax types email, please do not forward it to others. If you are compelled to forward info on - just google it first - you can easily find out if its true or not with a few clicks of your keyboard.

The nanny state begins

noreply@blogger.com (Neshamah) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:20:00 +0000

Is it just me – or are we being herded down the path of communism and the nanny state?

In Australia, Broadband Minister Senator Stephan Conroy has announced plans to make censorship of the web compulsory by forcing internet service providers to install filters to prevent access to illegal material. The filtering will be compulsory and will ban things such as euthanasia, pro anorexia sites and sites which contains adult material. However at this stage, they are unable to filter exactly what is pornographic or undesirable ad the programs are unable to analyze sites or pictures context. Breast cancer advice would be flagged as pornographic material and disallowed.

I am sorry – did I lose the vote to my free choice and just didn’t remember it? I certainly support parents making choices for their family and installing programs to filter certain websites – but to blanket this decision for all Australians.. its just not Australian!

This sort of filtering is already in Government departments where if any words are contained in the website or emails it is barred. This is particularly problematic for those who work in the health industry. I have a friend in womens health and she is unable to access their own website on breast examination tips as it contains too much pink colouring on the page– thus banned.

Do people have such short memories? If you live in China , I believe it is still impossible to google Tiananmen Square and come up with anything other than a tourist guide and happy snaps of sunshine falling on the stoned area. Their government is protecting the populous against inflammatory information… hummm

Once again this is a bull in the chinashop/ knee jerk solution, - not fully thought through or tested. I read an article looking into the filters and almost two thirds of website traffic is peer to peer, where filters won’t monitor it at all. People can go complexly offshore where there are no filters and they are then able to bring encrypted data in. It won’t stop people accessing the “wrong” type of material ( and who gets to chose what this material is?). It seems to be the same as when they legislating guns – it hasn’t stopped illegal guns or people shooting others. It has just ensured that only the criminals have access to guns now.

Of particular disturbance is that the government own figures indicate that all the systems trials would impact on the internet performance as well as the availability of legitimate services.

ISPs will have no choice but choice to pass on the increased cost to customers, as well as having he access speeds being slower. The conservative estimate is a 3 percent slowing of access, but that would depend upon how much material is going to be filtered out. Obviously more material, will mean slower access.

So to get this straight – the government wants to introduce filtering which they cannot really control, that if you are IT savy you can circumnavigate, it will make the painfully slow speeds available in most parts of Australia much slower AND they will be charging us for it.. did I get that right?

Comments anyone?

If you agree with what I have just said please visit the following site No Censorship

Here is some aussies on youtube discussing the issue..

Here and Here

Oh and there is a facebook group which has a good forum and some up to date info on rallys etc.. please join! Here

On Death

noreply@blogger.com (Neshamah) — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 22:44:00 +0000

Its crap that a dead person looks like they are sleeping. There simply is no spark, no essence, they truly are a husk – nothing left but the outside. Its horrible looking at the face of a loved one and knowing that they just aren’t there – its like looking at a bad portrait painted quickly and without adding the details.

An elderly aunt of mine died this week and today was the funeral. Our family is wide spread – but traveled from overseas to be there today. We are not the kissy huggy type and many of us do not write or ring or even send Christmas Cards. I went alone – not wanting to take my children – not to protect them – but out of respect. A funeral for me is not a circus nor somewhere that you get ‘seen’. If the kids had known Aunty, then it would have been appropriate to take them – but they had only met her a few times fleetingly. Her influence on me was when I was growing up and as a young adult.

As I wandered up the grassy slopes of the cemetery and toward the chapel, I saw relatives I hadn’t caught up with in over 20 years. We all looked older fatter and just a bit bedraggled. Sunglasses were the order of the day.

What a celebration of her life the Eulogy was. A tribute to the life and love of my aunt. Her story alone needs to be told in a book. She was 15 when the war broke out. 8th in a family of 10 – her sisters and younger brother took over running the dairy and pig farm while her brothers and father enlisted to go and fight overseas. Her son had such grace and love as he read out stories which made us laugh recalling family favourite tales of her youth and romance. How over the years of the war a young delivery trick driver who picked up the mile every day fell in love with the young farming girl.

I always wondered how our family who never touch except to say good bye ( and only some of us do that) it the kiss she started – she refused to let her brothers go to war without a kiss. She forced her children to kiss each other every time they parted – no matter how long it was. At the Graveside, words were spoken as the coffin lowered. As it slowly sunk down, everyone took out a white handkerchief and began to wave it. I have tears in my eyes thinking of the image right now. This was another thing she always did at every parting. She had a white linen handkerchief which she waved madly at every parting. I can see her in the distance waving that handkerchief and I am still crying. “ Until we see each other again”

Spontaneously the family erupted into “shes a jolly good fellow” along with the traditional howls and elongated ‘felloooooooowwww” that happens at family gatherings when this is sung. As it died out, the sobs started.

The universe works in strange ways and I wanted to share this experience with you as well. In the crowd I stood with a lonely lady who introduced herself to me asking if I were a relative. She said she was once a relative – but kept in contact with the family and was still very much part of it.

In the chapel I sat with a lady and her small family. We exchanged pleasantries. Within a few words of the speech , she was overcome with emotion and they left to stand at the back .

During the service the two women bothered me – I knew them somehow ( obviously they were relatives but who and where did they fit?) It was at the gravesite that I worked it out. When I was 12, cousins we had not met before came to visit. I have vivid memories of playing on swings and having a wonderful time with them – an older girl – the same age as I and twin girls. Months later we had news that a drunk driver had knocked the older girl from her bike killing her instantly and that one of the twins was severely injured. I was really affected by that news and still have stabbing pains as I think of it – and yet I only knew her for such a fleeting moment.

Rightly or wrongly, I sought out the two ladies and introduced myself again relating my story. It was a really lovely moment to share with them. My cousin, strangely enough was buried in the graveyard we were standing in.

I don’t know if there is closer with death. I saw my aunt being lowered down, earth being thrown on the top of her coffin. They use fine sand now – so that there isn’t the heavy thud noise. Its all too sad…. Can’t write any more.

When work and social life clash.

noreply@blogger.com (Neshamah) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:17:00 +0000

I’m not talking about when your social life is just too busy to include work – or when you are too busy checking facebook and answering personal emails at work that you have no time to do your own actual work ..

When does the rights of your personal life interfere with that of work? How much control aught your work and employer have over what you do and how you conduct yourself in your personal and private times?

Thinking of extremes, perhaps a religious (i.e priesthood), early childhood or educational worker ( teachers etc) aught not have a public second business in pole dancing or S& M services – however, once you have clocked off from work – what right does your employer have on what you do and where you go in your social life?

I understand that there is a n element of trust in certain roles and jobs. In the not too distant past teachers had a code of conduct to adhere to – not being seen in bars and hotels and the like. Women had to leave when they fell pregnant and or got married in many jobs.

I also have seen the fall out when people talk a little too lossly on their blogs – so it pays to be careful about what you write on your blog – There are all sorts of searches when you go for a new job – often the interviewer will check your facebook and blogspaces – If they don’t like what you write – or have an issue with they way you present your self –then it can affect the outcome of that interview. (rightly or wrongly) It would be naïve to think that employers don’t look at what you are up to and the photos within the public space.

Anyways- what is on MY goat is that my brother – a hard working normal bloke within the construction industry has just been booted from the company he has been with for 13 years. He is a foreman and has loved his job and traveled all over to be with the same group. Officially his separation certificate states that there was a downturn of work - however as coincidence would have it…… this is what happened.

I am not hiding the fact he likes to have a few parties at his rented house. He makes them big and loud and lots of people are invited. He is s wicked cocktail maker and likes to have costume parties and lots of fun. The local police know him… and Saturday night goes something like this…. 11 pm – they turn up – knock on the door and he will turn the music down – they wave and all is fine. Sometimes the neighbors will put a note in the letterbox with a returned beer bottle or piece of pizza that had been thrown over the fence accompanied with a ‘cleaning bill” of $50 - $100 –which he just pays to keep them happy.

Last Sat night was no different. However on Monday – he was hauled into the main office and put on speaker phone to the State Manager – who then ripped shreds off him about being irresponsible and putting the company in disrepute. Then on Friday he gets the separation slip and told not to come back on Monday – to hand in his mobile, keys and ute asap. Nice.

So – what place does the social life reflect on a companys image – when that party is in out of office or work hours? Has it got so crazy that you can’t socialise with workmates? Seems to me the State Manager has been tipped over the coals by someone else – and its all just a big political thing – who knows….

The inequity of parenting

noreply@blogger.com (Neshamah) — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 09:09:00 +0000

How is it that two perfectly normal, sensitive and apparently spiritually progressive people can tumble into the stone ages when the role of parenting breeches the walls of their love?

I had thought I had escaped the Victorian codes of conduct I grew up with when I met and married my dearheart. He had lived on his own for many years and was independent ( big tick) Yes when we live together the chores are equally divided, yes you cook and I’ll clean and then the next night we will swap, yes – lets go shopping for food together, yes you can choose to keep your maiden name when we marry, yes you can choose a natural birth, yes you can choose to work or stay at home when you become a mother, yes we will breastfeed on demand, yes our sex life will stay the same during pregnancy and afterwards forever.... and then baby arrives. You stumble through the days, aware of day or night, bleary eyed and constantly weeping. And everything starts to change.

It happens gradually, but it happens. Dishes pile up, washing stays on the line for a week or in the basket moldering. The house hasn’t been vacuumed for weeks and you can’t remember when the sheets were changed last. You are a stay at home mum, looking after children and apparently having a wonderful time because you don’t work and lets not forget the big one – you no longer earn any money. All that freedom and liberation you thought you had earn when you worked slips from your fingers like sand and just as impossible to regain as attempting to catch quicksilver.

Great lists of things to do, jobs and errands to run being piling up and you wonder when you had the time to work before you had children. Plates don’t get lifted from the table and washing piles in corners. (I have always refused to iron so at least that’s not an issue) I swing between scrupulously cleaning and tidying till the house shins like a new pin and giving up because I am the only one who seemingly cares or does anything about it. It wouldn’t be so bad except I get constantly snipped about the state of the house if I am the “I don’t care mode.”

And yes – I have tried a number of strategies – starting way back when my first was only a very new baby and hubbys job was to bathe him. I let it go for three days – baby had not been washed – despite me putting out all the gear and readying everything. Its still an issue – when I go out to my classes I need to ensure the kids have been bathed and dinner is in front of them – otherwise I come home and they are still racing round at 9 pm on a school night as dirty as pigs and eating biscuits. I keep thinking that its just me – and my high standards; so I do it all..

I doubt that its my own dearheart that is the only male guilty of this slippage back into the 1950s set of gender roles.

I read in forums and on the internet how parents share the roles, but in my circle of friends in my own experience, this is not happening. I wonder if these people are telling the truth for fear of being abnormal – or if I really am the only one? Breastfeeding was not a joy at 3 am in the middle of winter – creeping about not trying to wake hubby because he had to work the next day. I fear I have set the feminist movement back 50 years and am at a loss of how it happened or how to make it stop. I am sure many men underestimate the importance of and necessity for a strongly-involved male parenting role and the self-satisfaction one derives from it. Don’t get me wrong – I love being a mum – and really wouldn’t swap it for quids.

With some digging, I found that this was not always the case. Until the early 1800s, most child-rearing manuals were directed at men, who had the majority of the say about child-rearing. With the advance of industrialization, the father was more and more removed from the home. This resulted in females making more of the house and child rearing decisions. Ultimately this meant that men lost an integral part of the whole human experience with the shift in these decision making processes.

Many movies and television programs are now often showing the joys and pleasures of male parenting, and schools are now providing much-needed parenting training. I wonder however if this is enough – as there are just as many anti male role models ( The Simpsons, Californication, Marriage with Kids to name a few) although men are now becoming more emotionally available to their children than their fathers were, we have a long way to go.

Blog Action Day - End Poverty

noreply@blogger.com (Neshamah) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 04:50:00 +0000

Writing for Blog Action Day

A few hours ago, the Blog Action Day 08 campaign officially began. This year the theme is "Poverty", and I encourage fellow bloggers around the world to once again explore this issue on your blogs on October 15th. How about you join too?

View and hear a jazzy video here or here at (via Change.org). You can copy the link to it at Vimeo and Brightcover.TV and email it to friends and get the code to embed it on your own website pages and blogs.

Please join in and if you get a little Writer's Block about what to put in your post on Blog Action Day, the site even offers a page of resources to spur your creativity.

To join Neshamah's Blog Action Day*Chain: Post to your blog about joining & include the link to this post so I can find yours.

Your blog link will be added to the Blog Action Day*Chain below....

These Blogs are part of Blog Action Day 08

Please visit them and continue the chain.

Dads Dealing with Daughters

noreply@blogger.com (Neshamah) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:20:00 +0000

In light of the fact that Fathers Day has just happened in Australia, I’d like to comment about the role that Dads have in the lives of their daughters.

Its been a bit of pet project for me in the last few years – dreaming about writing a book – a survival guide for fathers – Dads Dealing with Daughters – but I just haven’t gotten round to it – too afraid of failure I guess. Still on my journey too.

How a father deals with his daughter early in life is going to be a strong indicator of her latter success and how she relates to men during her development.

Ideally daughters rely on their fathers to provide protection, encouragement and a pool to draw self confidence. They need to rely on their fathers to use their power to protect and not harm them. If fathers misuse their strength – either intentionally or intentionally, through trying to dominate, control or intimidate their daughters, these women could go through life fearful and wary of men and their intentions.

Girls long for affection from their fathers or the dominant male figure in the family structure. From their fathers they learn how to be loved– what to expect from love and how to act around men. This is all researched to bits – there is a book by Dr Robinson on Daughters and their Dads which give studies about this. One of them was they there is direct correlation on girls having good relationships with their fathers at the age of 13, and the wellbeing mentally and physically when they are 33. The more a father spends with their daughters in the early years, the more empowered and confident they will be later on.

It seems that it doesn’t matter what socio economic a background a father comes from, similar needs and ‘ inefficiencies’ come about. Fathers have responsibilities as an employee –to their workplace, but equally they have responsibilities to their families – money can’t buy time. This money fixes attitude and approach to parenting ( very prevalent in our new generation) establishes a role model that means such shallow and selfish value systems are passed onto the next generation – often without any thought. No amount of money will replace the quality time and attention a child needs from parents. Children need your presence more than your presents

Good fathering helps girls feel confident, empowered and attractive. Girls will watch how her father reacts and treats her mother and then take this on as her expectation of how she will be treated and what to expect from a life partner.

This is pretty heavy stuff – very significant – especially in our society of either single parent or emotionally absent fathers.

Parenting – especially to men – can seem very alien. As a mother you just don’t get the choice to say – well there isn’t an instruction manual here – I don’t know what to do – you just do it – you just get on with the task at hand and do what you believe is the best. Many men think that early parenting is women’s business – and to an extent - breastfeeding, changing nappies, bathing babies – it can seem like that – but there is always something that can be done in its stead – to support and nurture the mother and to be involved. Fathers need to be involved from the start. Its not too late – as I have learned – even in your 30s to reconnect and get involved. One of you needs to take that first step - no time like the present – you certainly can’t cry over spilt milk.

Detachment is a important for any child’s growing identity, but in particular to girls when they become teenagers. It is here more than any time that they need to feel that they have support when they need it - not to be judged, that they are valued and trusted and be comfortable who they are.

Having positive male figures within a family is important for both boys and girls – but it is with the girls that this importance seems to be glossed over and misunderstood. Men especially need to recognize that every year of your children’s lives are precious and to spend such time with the from when they are babies. I see it in my kids now – and I am a stay at home mother – I wonder what happened to my babies…

Standards set for Babies

noreply@blogger.com (Neshamah) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 23:59:00 +0000

The world has officially gone mad. In the newspaper today was an article with regards to educational standards set from birth – what the hell is going on?

“Babies will be assessed on their gurgling, babbling and toe-playing abilities when they are a few months old under a legally enforced national curriculum for children from birth to five published by the government yesterday.”

For more info check here – The UK Guardian

There is nothing to say that this will not flow on into Australia – or other parts of the world. Education particularly is becoming so entrenched in procedures and marking – its not about the joy of learning or sharing of information any longer. This sort of report makes me remember why I left teaching. We spent more time on individual learning programs and meeting expectations than we did in exploring what the kids were actually interested in. SATs ( a UK standard test done in primary and secondary schools) were a major contributor to stress levels for kids as young as 7 yrs. They understood from that age that if they didn’t measure up – then their scope for school which would accept them into secondary school was limited – and thus if they wanted to do anything further – even less options. That’s a huge amount of stress for a 7 year old – to be thinking about their future education at that age.

In the UK they have set standards now – click here – for the progression and development of children.

I find it astounding that the government thought it necessary to legislate what babies aught to be learning at day care. Apart from the whole debate on who aught to be in daycare and for how long etc – I personally want to know my child had FUN – they painted, they played with playhoh, read books and played with toys. I am absolutely of the opinion that learning happens everywhere and key concepts can be integrated within any activity ( and I do this with my kids) Its natural education – not enforced or pushed.

Julian Greneier comments on her blog about the early years legislation here. here

This framework in the UK was launched in March 2007 and will be enforced this month ( Sept 2008) It covers what carers need to undertake for the development of children until they are accepted into reception (prep – or the year they turn five)

I just have horrific thoughts of regimented learning – children of 2 sat behind desks and told they can’t go and play with the sand pit until they play with the playdoh and create 5 beads in front of them ( or some other ridiculous rigid measuring format)

In Aust Margaret Morrissy ( key speaker for the Parents and Citizens Association) viewed her concerns
here

An well known quote often attributed to the Jesuits is “Give me a child for the first seven years, and you may do what you like with him afterwards.” Intimating that by then all beliefs and habits have been deeply entrenched. I am unsure that’s what the Jesuits actually meant and I know this has been twisted out of context many times… but makes you think…

Something else to think about here too. In most Science fiction worlds where civilizations has been torn apart from within and humans have little free thought or beliefs apart from what the government or state will allow them ….. starts with the indoctrination of children and begins in nurseries, child care.. way before they hit school.. makes me a bit nervous….

Cartwheeling into School yard Dangers

noreply@blogger.com (Neshamah) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:10:00 +0000

Yesterdays news broke with an astounding discovery that a North Queensland School has banned children doing cartwheels.

For reports on this go to :

ABC Report

Brisbane Times Report

At first I thought it may be a knee jerk reaction to a playground tragedy that may have occurred –but none such existed.

Sadly it shows that our commonsense has been saturated with fear. Many bloggers in Australia have commented on this incident and I can only add to the disgust and hopelessness of the whole situation.

Will banning this stop kids doing stupid things? I doubt it. As a school kid, we weren’t supposed to climb trees or walk on the fence or tease the bull over the road – but did we? You bet!

By banning a quintessential activity such as doing cartwheels, it sends the message that children don’t know their own boundaries, they are never allowed to explore them and gather no experience when pushed to test new grounds. We are wrapping them up in cottonwool, never allowing them to grow up, to get hurt, to get over it, to suck it up and get on with life....I never did cartwheels at school or anywhere else – not that we weren’t allowed to – I was just unco-ordinated and pretty non sporty – but I tried, fell on my face a few times and worked out my boundaries were pretty low on the athletics side of the game.
If a child gets no sense of their boundries, they don’t learn about challenges, they never learn to fall and get up again, never get a sense of what their body is capable of.

Many commentators have be cried this decision as Queensland especially faces huge childhood obesity rates and this seems to fly in the face of the move it groove it state where children are meant to undertake physical activities.

The school, education department and State Government have been quick to back up their ban citing child safety as the main issue and that litigation was not a concern at all. There is a report about "Mellennium Kids" being disruptive, inattentive and undermotivated. On the one hand we are told that children need to get away from the computer games and television, get outdoors, exercise and actually engage with another human being. But on the other hand we are being told that exercise is being restricted or eliminated because of litigation and insurance fears

What sort of injury risk is really there? Thousands of children across Australia cartwheeling their way through the schoolyard every day with very few reported injuries.

A study on childhood school based injuries can be found

Here

The department is citing the cartwheel as an unstructured and unsupervised gymnastic activity. Perhaps this is so – but are they suggesting that there will be no free time for children to explore their capabilities? Some have suggested that activities be put in place at the break times. As a past teacher I shudder – for the children and for the teachers. They both need time away from each other to gather wits and to breathe….It’s a sad day when child's play becomes "unsupervised gymnastic activities".

Olympic Integrity

noreply@blogger.com (Neshamah) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 05:42:00 +0000

As with just about everyone on the planet who has a television, we have been watching the Olympics. Its been limited to being taped and watching only events we are interested in like the swimming, gymnastics, running and equestrian events.

Seriously though – what is softball doing in the Olympics? Or for that matter Football? And who has ever heard of handball?

I have always questioned the role of the journalist hovering at the sidelines of match games or events, pouncing on the breathless athlete as they have completed a grueling game or competition and asking inane questions. Who can think straight after your body has just gone through hell, you are exhausted and all you want to do is to fall in a heap in the shower?

A few days ago an Australian runner, Tamsyn Lewis was stalked as she completed her 800 metre run. She had been doing well in her heats and then it was obvious her spirit just gave out as her legs were too exhausted to keep up the pace. My heart went out to her as she powered on – coming in last. A note here –I beleive that there was 4 seconds between the winner and her time. Not taking away from the other competitiors - I mean you have to be a top athlete to even get on the team anywhere - but man that girl has worked hard for years.... Her heart is the only thing that kept her upright and powering on. what an inspiration to all...You can find more out about her on her website - http://tamsynlewis.com

The idiotic journalist – I think he is a pretty well known commentator for one of the major television corporations - Channel 7 – leapt over to her and sent a barrage of questions at her. She was sobbing with frustration, anger and disappointment. The world could see her tears streaming down her face as she attempted to give meaningful answers and appear positive. I wished I had a big cyber stick as he would have been beaten to death with it for being such an obnoxious, unsympathetic pratt. He kept asking what her words to Australia would be – since they had pinned their hopes on her. The poor girl sobbed asking for them to forgive her and that she honestly had given 100%. What on earth is Australia going to do to her when she comes back – electrocute her?

I was so angry at the reporter afterwards, but then thought perhaps he was like that with everyone – unfeeling and completely devoid of feelings. Later that day, I caught an interview by him with a male competitor who had done similarly by coming last in a final heat. The temperature in our house rose many degrees as the reporter soothed the ruffled ego of the male competitor and basically said – don’t worry about it Australia will understand how competitive it is out here. What an appaling lack of respect, integrity and outright sexual discrimination!

Correct me if I am wrong – but you don’t get to the Olympics by being a slug? You are the best in your country. You have trained for years, your parents have given up early morning sleep to take you to the pool or to the track, driven you for miles to go to competitions and probably sewn uniforms or done countless fundraisers to send you to far away places in pursuit of excellence. No-one goes to the Olympics thinking they might go out there and only do 50% of their best. A high percentage give nearly 150% of their PB, nearly killing themselves to achieve the very best for themselves, their sport and their country. I am still dumbfounded by the audacity of the reporter to ask those inane questions and to put a top athlete like Tamsyn on such a downer. I haven’t seen his reports lately and shudder to think of any other unfortunate ‘failures’ who come under his scrutiny.

I understand that the public are desperate for personal stories and to hear first hand on how personalities feel about a certain subject or event; however there needs to be some stricter guidelines in media integrity… and don’t get me started on the whole Princess Diana incident (and phenomena) Where is the line of human integrity blurred and entertainment come into it? Another topic for later on….

What is Normal?

noreply@blogger.com (Neshamah) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 02:56:00 +0000

I came across Joy through a variety of links on blogs. Her message is fresh, insightful, honest and positive. I loved her leaving message on living now, the way your wished you did 10 years from now. As she suggested, I looked back at photos of me at uni and at high school, when I thought I was dreadfully fat, ugly and unattractive. I see a blossoming beauty whose body I wish I had now. I wish I had been brave enough to get naked photos done of me then. I wish I had worn skimpier clothing, shown my legs off and gotten out of those baggy t-shirts. And yet I hesitate to go now and get saucy photos taken. I am lucky to have a handful of photos taken of me a year. I rush past mirrors and only look into them to look for grey hairs or to focus on putting make up on. Will I really look back on those few photos I have now and wish I had allowed more film to be shot of me?

Another point I have come across in a number of blogs which link to Joys is the notion of our society ‘normalising obesity’. Well, to go the other extreme, are we normalising anorexia? Are we just ignoring everyones pleas for recognition and becoming selfish altogether?

The reality is, yes there’s more and more fat people in our society. One must stop for a moment and wonder why this has come about. Certainly the access to low cost low nutrition, high calorific foods as a major contributor. Our bodies have a need for a certain amount of nutrition, minerals and vitamins in order to keep it ticking on. One reason behind overeating is not that you are hungry, but your body is starving for proper nutrition, so it keeps stuffing whatever it can into it searching for the missing elements.

My perception, especially speaking for myself, is that people don’t wake up one day and think – you know what? I am going to get as fat as I can in the next few years – you know, just for kicks. Our society rewards effortless perfectionism. The fantasy of being unaware or unable to do a certain thing or skill one day and then suddenly, being perfect at it the next. It is compounded within our education system with reading and writing, with many learners paralyzed as they cannot read or write in their first week or schooling and then deciding that they cannot do it for the next few years. It is the inability of society to allow others to make mistakes in order to learn, to only reward the winner and not to celebrate personal bests or those who ‘also ran’.

It is the perfectionism that especially women are striving for. I don’t know too many women who believe that they are too thin – and I know some very slender lasses. There are very few overweight people who are celebrating their fatness and totally at peace with what they look like. The Alter of the Anorexic is thick with offerings and prayers. One only has to pick up a copy of a stars or glam magazine to see the painfully thin adored visages of young actresses and singers, better suited to advertising the plight of an African famine campaign. It has become the expected norm for new mothers to bounce back into an incredible shape after birthing. This is where normalizing anorexia has become entrenched in our society.

Overweight people get that way because they’re striving for a beauty ideal that is virtually impossible and inaccessible. The media promotes anorexic twelve and thirteen year olds as the icons of beauty to women who are pushing thirty. These girls are idolized as they are freaks of nature, statuesque, willowy and whippet thin and over all, young. The more the media ensures that this beauty ideal is totally inaccessible, the more people are going to diet or go to drastic measures to attempt to regain, reclaim or achieve this ideal. The beauty industry is a mulit billions dollar venture and extremely unlikely to back peddle or to promote thins that would contravene these ideals. I have heard it said that ninety eight percent of people who diet, gain the weight back and more within several months of losing it. The vicious cycle begins once again. Joy also says in one of her videos that overweight and fat people are the only group who is discriminated against who truly believe that it is justified. We believe that we are due all of the hate, the discrimination, the taunts and the looks.

You know what? I might have to go and get some photos of me right now right here…. Just as Joy suggests. Wanna join me?