[Edited extract from public address]
Best wishes for less Suffering, more Happiness with Good Health and Time to Enjoy it. Welcome to Chinese calendar year of the Wood Snake | 中国日历 AH 4722.
Sharing a timely aspiration:
"In any negotiation, both sides have to understand that you don’t make peace with your friends. You make friends with your enemies.”
Juan Manuel Santos, Former president of Colombia, 2016 Nobel Peace Prize, current Chair of the Elders (1951- CE)
If having no reason to celebrate this month, here are 3 prepared earlier:
- 2 October: International Day of Non-Violence (International)
- 17 October: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (International)
- 24 October: World Development Information Day (International)
This edition, we reflect upon the time after hostilities cease. The Wounded Swan is a story from Ancient India over 2,600 years ago.
As a child, Hindu Prince Siddhartha with his cousin/step-brother Devadatta, petitioned the Kings’ Ministers to hear and adjudicate over who owned a wounded swan.
Devadatta reasoned that he was the one who shot the arrow that downed the swan so he owned it.
Siddhartha reasoned he owned it as he was the one who found it hurting, saved it, was interested in tending the injury and would set the healed creature free.
Resulting in much discussion until a Sage judged that “Everyone values their life more than anything in the world. Therefore, the swan belongs to the person who tried to save its life, not to the person who tried to take its life away.”
Remember: information may contain misunderstandings, deliberate omissions and complete fabrications. Accept nothing blindly. Test for usefulness: if useful keep; adapt for personal circumstances if necessary; or if unuseful discard. Be your own guiding light.
Read on intrepid Mixers, and let's see what is to discover this edition. Subscribers decide if anything is useful.
Topics List
1. Guest Sings
Approx 5 min presentation
2. Street Jives
Approx 2 min presentation
3. Wisdom Reconciles
- Daily Grind vs Compassionate Team Work (2 mins)
- Gardening Australia: Unused Melbourne Building Becomes 50 New Homes (12 mins)
- Dr. Ramani: Revealing How Healthy People Manage Their Emotions (11 mins)
- Amanpour and Company: Jerrod Carmichael on Love, Sex, Honesty and His Special “Don’t Be Gay” (19 mins)
- Mapster: Indigenous Wisdom - Songlines (16 mins)
4. Media Writes
Approx 5 min readsIntro
James Hughes explores childhood, parenting and engaging recounting how "Other kids sometimes teased me about my dad’s job. But we enjoyed the spoils” via The Age
Jane Rocca explores audience, timing and delivery with "Jimmy Rees: ‘My 10-year-old son is the harshest critic of my comedy’” via The Age
Henry Rajendra explores identity, society and cohesion responding to reasons why "Three young men told me I didn’t belong here, but they’re wrong” via WA Today
Intra
Thomas Mitchell explores balancing parenting, work and life in "‘Every rom-com needs a little tragedy’: Miranda Tapsell on Top End Wedding follow-up Top End Bub” via The Age
Jamila Rizvi explores identity, migration and acclimation recalling why "I was an adult before I truly understood where my father was from” via The Sydney Morning Herald
Sandra Thom-Jones explores identity, exploration and neurological diversity recounting "I went from high school dropout to professor. What I did next shocked my colleagues” via The Brisbane Times
Inter
Benjamin Law talks dicey topics Religion, Politics and Bodies with Aaron Pedersen when "‘Thou shalt listen’: commandments for good acting – and living” via WA Today
Benjamin Law talks dicey topics Money, Religion and Death with M Gessen and "‘The flavour of the forbidden’: Russian-born author’s unusual teen rebellion” via The Brisbane Times
Carolyn Webb explores childhood, reality and dreaming in "As bombs rained down, Nikita fled his home. Now he’s written a grand interstellar adventure” via The Sydney Morning Herald
Multi
Bronte Gossling explores graduating, interning and advantages when "Thirty thousand people applied for Stephanie’s finance job. Two ‘soft skills’ sealed the deal” via The Brisbane Times
Kerrie O’Brien explores gender, access and opportunity reviewing how "These women shook off the shackles of expectations – and told their stories their way” via The Age
Bridie Smith explores learning, engagement and collaboration "This school’s ‘KISS and catch up’ approach became its secret to success” via The Age
All
John Bailey explores identity, interconnectedness and initiative and why "‘Social media is designed to atomise us’: Viral sensation Jack Toohey” via The Age
Angus Holland, Jackson Graham and Angus Dalton explores science, technology and cool computing in "Chandeliers, ‘qubits’ and Schrödinger’s cat: Inside the bizarre world of quantum computing” via The Sydney Morning Herald
Jen Vuk explores childhood, parenting and aging reflecting "I spent all my younger years trying not to be like my mother. And, yet, here we are” via WA Today
Togather
Samantha Harris explores identity, connection and belonging recounting "‘I was the shyest girl’: How I almost missed my modelling break” via The Sydney Morning Herald
Elissa Doherty explores gender, determination and skilfulness when revealing "How Alyssa blazed a trail for women in trades” via The Age
Bridget McManus explores collegial, confidence and curiosity when reviewing "How Leigh Sales’ neurodivergent journalism students are bringing celebrities to tears” via The Brisbane Times
Nobly
Victoria Laurie explores distance, motivation and belonging in "Not your average tech bro: The boy from the bush behind a digital juggernaut” via The Age
Catherine Strohfeldt explores education, learning and collaboration in "The secret behind this Brisbane school’s dramatic drop in suspensions” via The Brisbane Times
Thomas Fuller explores vision, building and living in "Does the solution to the housing crisis lie in this upmarket Swiss neighbourhood?” via The Sydney Morning Herald
James Hughes explores childhood, parenting and engaging recounting how "Other kids sometimes teased me about my dad’s job. But we enjoyed the spoils” via The Age
Jane Rocca explores audience, timing and delivery with "Jimmy Rees: ‘My 10-year-old son is the harshest critic of my comedy’” via The Age
Henry Rajendra explores identity, society and cohesion responding to reasons why "Three young men told me I didn’t belong here, but they’re wrong” via WA Today
Intra
Thomas Mitchell explores balancing parenting, work and life in "‘Every rom-com needs a little tragedy’: Miranda Tapsell on Top End Wedding follow-up Top End Bub” via The Age
Jamila Rizvi explores identity, migration and acclimation recalling why "I was an adult before I truly understood where my father was from” via The Sydney Morning Herald
Sandra Thom-Jones explores identity, exploration and neurological diversity recounting "I went from high school dropout to professor. What I did next shocked my colleagues” via The Brisbane Times
Inter
Benjamin Law talks dicey topics Religion, Politics and Bodies with Aaron Pedersen when "‘Thou shalt listen’: commandments for good acting – and living” via WA Today
Benjamin Law talks dicey topics Money, Religion and Death with M Gessen and "‘The flavour of the forbidden’: Russian-born author’s unusual teen rebellion” via The Brisbane Times
Carolyn Webb explores childhood, reality and dreaming in "As bombs rained down, Nikita fled his home. Now he’s written a grand interstellar adventure” via The Sydney Morning Herald
Multi
Bronte Gossling explores graduating, interning and advantages when "Thirty thousand people applied for Stephanie’s finance job. Two ‘soft skills’ sealed the deal” via The Brisbane Times
Kerrie O’Brien explores gender, access and opportunity reviewing how "These women shook off the shackles of expectations – and told their stories their way” via The Age
Bridie Smith explores learning, engagement and collaboration "This school’s ‘KISS and catch up’ approach became its secret to success” via The Age
All
John Bailey explores identity, interconnectedness and initiative and why "‘Social media is designed to atomise us’: Viral sensation Jack Toohey” via The Age
Angus Holland, Jackson Graham and Angus Dalton explores science, technology and cool computing in "Chandeliers, ‘qubits’ and Schrödinger’s cat: Inside the bizarre world of quantum computing” via The Sydney Morning Herald
Jen Vuk explores childhood, parenting and aging reflecting "I spent all my younger years trying not to be like my mother. And, yet, here we are” via WA Today
Togather
Samantha Harris explores identity, connection and belonging recounting "‘I was the shyest girl’: How I almost missed my modelling break” via The Sydney Morning Herald
Elissa Doherty explores gender, determination and skilfulness when revealing "How Alyssa blazed a trail for women in trades” via The Age
Bridget McManus explores collegial, confidence and curiosity when reviewing "How Leigh Sales’ neurodivergent journalism students are bringing celebrities to tears” via The Brisbane Times
Nobly
Victoria Laurie explores distance, motivation and belonging in "Not your average tech bro: The boy from the bush behind a digital juggernaut” via The Age
Catherine Strohfeldt explores education, learning and collaboration in "The secret behind this Brisbane school’s dramatic drop in suspensions” via The Brisbane Times
Thomas Fuller explores vision, building and living in "Does the solution to the housing crisis lie in this upmarket Swiss neighbourhood?” via The Sydney Morning Herald
5. TED Talks
5-20 min presentations- Steven Pinker: How Common Knowledge Shapes the World (14 mins)
- France Villarta: The gender-fluid history of the Philippines (11 mins)
- Sarah Stroud and Michael Vazquez: If you had the chance to be immortal, would you take it? (6 mins)
- Rezza Moieni: How to create tech-driven diversity (18 mins)
- Kailash Satyarthi: How to make peace? Get angry (19 mins)
6. Music Challenges
Approx 30 min presentation + reflection timesIf desired, a short selection of publicly available material on a chosen theme for personal reflection.
For best results, sit comfortably with a straight back, have headphones in a shared space, after each clicked link, allow a little reflection with your personally-held view before clicking on the next link.
Get ready to Reflect!
Choose your playing level:
Be introduced at 1.
Be soothed at 2-4.
Be shocked at 5.
Be inspired at 6.
Fuller illumination 1-6.
You be the judge. Or not.
Cryptic Clue:
What to do after hostilities have ended?
- Inspire
- Perspire
- Collaborate
- Engage: Test for personal circumstances, if useful keep, if unuseful discard, if exceeds needs, share mindfully
- Endure: Adapt for present times without sacrificing intent
- Endear: (Inspiring Others To Tend the Flame) live/ demonstrate/ inspire/ teach experience with others
making
[mayke’ing]
From Old English macian, of West Germanic origin, from a base meaning = fitting; related to match.
noun
hostilities
[hoh’still’lee’tees]
From late Middle English: from French hostilité or late Latin hostilitas, from Latin hostilis; from hostis = stranger, enemy.
noun
pact
[pakt]
From late Middle English: from Old French, from Latin pactum = something agreed, neuter past participle (used as a noun) of paciscere = agree.
noun
deplete
[deh’pleet]
From early 19th century (earlier (mid. 17th century) as depletion): from Latin deplet- = emptied out, from the verb deplere, from de- = (expressing reversal) + plere = fill; from plenus = full.
verb
destroy
[des’troy]
From Middle English: from Old French destruire, based on Latin destruere, from de- = expressing reversal + struere = build.
verb
ceasefire
[seece’fyer]
From Middle English: from Old French cesser, from Latin cessare = stop, from cedere = to yield + Old English fȳr (noun), fȳrian = supply with material for a fire, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch vuur and German Feuer.
noun
construct
[con’strukt]
From late Middle English: from Latin construct- = heaped together, built, from the verb construere, from con- = together + struere = pile, build.
verb
armistice
[arm’ih’stiss]
From late 17th century: from French, or from modern Latin armistitium, from arma = arms + -stitium = stoppage.
noun
[mayke’ing]
From Old English macian, of West Germanic origin, from a base meaning = fitting; related to match.
noun
- the process of making or producing something. Ie, the making of videos. Ie, decision-making.
- the essential qualities needed for something. Ie, the student had the makings of a great teacher.
- (North American English) Australian and New Zealand English informal paper and tobacco for rolling a cigarette. Ie, the smoker reached for their tobacco tin and makings.
- (informal dated) earnings or profit. Ie, the makings off the last contract was enough for a short holiday.
hostilities
[hoh’still’lee’tees]
From late Middle English: from French hostilité or late Latin hostilitas, from Latin hostilis; from hostis = stranger, enemy.
noun
- hostile behaviour; unfriendliness or opposition. Ie, their hostility to all outsiders.
- acts of warfare. Ie, the wise called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
pact
[pakt]
From late Middle English: from Old French, from Latin pactum = something agreed, neuter past participle (used as a noun) of paciscere = agree.
noun
- a formal agreement between individuals or parties: the countries negotiated a trade pact with each other.
deplete
[deh’pleet]
From early 19th century (earlier (mid. 17th century) as depletion): from Latin deplet- = emptied out, from the verb deplere, from de- = (expressing reversal) + plere = fill; from plenus = full.
verb
- use up the supply or resources of. Ie, reservoirs have been depleted by years of drought. Ie, The Team started the game with a depleted side.
- diminish in number or quantity. Ie, supplies are depleting fast.
destroy
[des’troy]
From Middle English: from Old French destruire, based on Latin destruere, from de- = expressing reversal + struere = build.
verb
- end the existence of (something) by damaging or attacking it. Ie, the room had been destroyed by fire.
- ruin (someone) emotionally or spiritually. Ie, the ex-spouses are determined to destroy each other.
- defeat (someone) utterly. Ie, The Visitors have the batting to destroy our team.
- kill (a sick, savage, or unwanted animal) by humane means. Ie, their terrier was destroyed after the attack.
ceasefire
[seece’fyer]
From Middle English: from Old French cesser, from Latin cessare = stop, from cedere = to yield + Old English fȳr (noun), fȳrian = supply with material for a fire, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch vuur and German Feuer.
noun
- a temporary suspension of fighting; a truce. Ie, the latest ceasefire seems to be holding. Ie, a ceasefire agreement.
- • an order or signal to stop fighting.
construct
[con’strukt]
From late Middle English: from Latin construct- = heaped together, built, from the verb construere, from con- = together + struere = pile, build.
verb
- build or make (something, typically a building, road, or machine). Ie a company that constructs solar panels.
- form (an idea or theory) by bringing together various conceptual elements. Ie, poetics should construct a theory of literary discourse.
- (Grammar) form (a sentence) according to grammatical rules. Ie, these rules tell us how to construct a grammatical sentence in a given language.
- (Geometry) draw or delineate (a geometrical figure) accurately to given conditions. Ie, construct a square equal in area to a given circle.
- an idea or theory containing various conceptual elements, typically one considered to be subjective and not based on empirical evidence: history is largely an ideological construct.
- (Linguistics) a group of words forming a phrase. Ie, the appropriateness of the grammatical construct is illustrated.
- a physical thing which is deliberately built or formed. Ie, a transgenic construct.
armistice
[arm’ih’stiss]
From late 17th century: from French, or from modern Latin armistitium, from arma = arms + -stitium = stoppage.
noun
- an agreement made by opposing sides in a war to stop fighting for a certain time; a truce. Ie, the opposing governments signed an armistice with each other.
7. Acknowledgments
Reconciliation
- Acknowledging traditional inhabitants of City of Port Phillip are the Boonwurrung, Bunurong and Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nation. Respect is offered to past, present and future elders of all spiritual traditions.
- Services and program delivery is culturally safe to people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, aesexual and questioning (LGBTIQA+).
- May we find together a generous way to accommodate those in need of refuge. Let us be cool, strive individually and together to overcome inequality, violence, disengagement, tragedy and injustice wherever it may be. Let us honour, savor and enjoy results of mindful effort so more thrive peacefully with less effort in our place called home.
Invitation to Support Content Creators
The music/stories/videos have been sourced from public domain. If you like any of the content, please consider buying directly from online marketplaces to support creators and truth telling in the public interest.Caretaker Disclosure
Words and concepts are conditional things that point to a 'reflection of experience'. They are limited and do not adequately describe the 'full lived experience'. Like the moon's reflection on a lake's surface, it is not the moon, nor the experience of gazing up at the darkened sky transformed by the presence of a full moon. It is in the eyes/ears/nose/mouth/touch/cognisance of the beholder.This curation is an interpretation of the universal basis of re:lig:ion (Latin = again:uniting:energy) or bodhicitta (Sanskrit = Awakening Consciousness). This email invites a sharing of countless thoughts, words and actions wishing, causing and receiving less Suffering and more Happiness. For benefit initially of the individual increasing in beneficiaries until it includes all across the 3 times and 10 directions. Or not. As each case may be.
It is not personal, it is just the way things are.
