BE  STRONG

Purveyors of fine oddities live on after the New Zealand Christchurch 22nd February Earthquake.

407 Selwyn Street Addington Christchurch the old Church Hall comes alive with an eclectic array

of rescued grandmas’ materials, “antique” cloth, cushions lovingly recovered, hand stitched restoration by Caren Butler.

Not Forgotten

Creative ideas person and associate Brigid Ryan continues on with eighteen years of knowledge under the belt , despite the devastating earthquakes, rescuing oddities to the interesting exercise of sourcing old wooden beer crates ( boxes) for the use of the local parish priest to pack Christmas goodies in as a gift to members of the parish community.

Stencilled on the side using black paint a touch of artistic flair Caren Butler added Latin quotes, for example Memorabilia : Latin : meaning ” Things to be remembered ” Matters deserving record.

Veritas vincit : Latin : meaning “Truth conquers”

Recovery by restoration.

Lighting up the gloom of the building is a magnificence display of restored/rescued antique chandeliers, by Era Antiques owned by Julian Hobday . Chandeliers of all shape and sizes suspended from the ceiling, as one walks around gazing upwards: it is a study of a glistening cave of crystals, casting light and a rainbow of colour that lifts the spirit.

An eclectic partnership reflecting the hard work, dedication, against all odds soaring above the destructive rubble,dust, liquid faction of the Christchurch City 22nd February 2011 earthquake.

A Stich in time ... Caren Butler

Light reflection

On the back of .....

Christchurch City Council boss CEO Tony Marryatt accepts a $68,000.00  pay rise. Christchurch citizens have vented fury and labelled this pay rise as “indecent”.

Marryatt’s 14.4 per cent pay rise has reignited debate over the issue. The increase took his pay from $470,400 to $538,529 a year, effective from July 1, 2011.

A pay – rise of gross indecent proportions when City Council tenants of Christchurch :a few days after the 22nd. February 2011 earthquake, received a 2.2 increase on the rent. For market value. What market value. The truth is as follows ….

This rent rise is on the back of a previous rent rise to carry the burden of Dave Henderson who Christchurch City Council bailed out of seventeen million dollars. For buildings (Dave Henderson too old and no intention to buy back or in a position that he could )but the Christchurch City Council handing him seventeen million dollars saying he would.

However, after battling liquefaction, finding a portaloo, being without power, water, sewage,telecommunications one was somehow suppose to find a newspaper, to look for an article or notice from the Christchurch City Council that the rent had gone up.

Year later 2012 ………..

Rate -payers,council tenants:  especially those still unable to return home or to their council flat : are justifiably distressed at Tony Marryatts’ indecent pay-rise. He talks publicly about how good he is and his team .. what team… don’t see them or hear of them… doing what? Tony Marryatt tells the public he works hard, so does the council worker in a ditch of sludge, mum and dad caring for the distressed elderly in the neighborhood,  the  children digging out dehydrated liquefaction, Salvation Army giving vouchers for food.

At the coal face Christchurch people are suffering. Also working hard on all fronts.

Plenty of expensive beautifully printed pamphlets, or instructions “go on line” or go to Welfare, who give a pamphlet, and answer no to funds, or instructions to “go on line” People have lost employment, homes, live in dire circumstances in temporary accommodation , double expenses.

Tony Marryatt, what does he do? never heard of him, until this pay rise became public, that could support at least three families, or food to the food bank, many are hungry in Christchurch .. food would be good.

So who needs people like Tony Marryatt, and those who worked for EQC and defrauded the system whilst employed with EQC. Or those with excessive wages per day of a $1000 plus.

The city of Christchurch is a dysfunctional mess. EQC ( earthquake commission ) dysfunctional and confrontational to the victims, use of language one needs a lawyers to interpret, insurance companies for business for example with excess rises of 2,400% , Government engineers strolling around the city and suburbs saying the red zone is now green, …… many homes deemed to be a re-build… what lift the house for remedial re-piling on shonky land, repair, then when shattered again the insurance is not paying out again? Or the excess so great who could afford the insurance.

Tony Marryatt claims returning from holiday in Australia that his $68,000.00 pay rise was a reflection of his performance and the market rate for the job. What performance? Market rate, well go back to Australia or anywhere else and he would probably find he would not get a job.

( Another quake……. 5 …or was that a 6 just then………. where are the portaloos, the street is a river of liquefaction, the car has sunk in a hole of sludge, the power is off again.)

Never heard of the bloke.

People living in tents protesting corporate greed…. in New Zealand.. perhaps they have a point.

Play it again Sam

How much did one hear and see, yet was deaf and blind?

The audio bombardment and effects of the global movement is so demanding how much does one actually hear or see and retain or recall with accuracy..on demand.

It is widely known two people in the same situation at the same time will hear and see differently, for example a traffic accident.

Communication technology is so vast it is “Play it again Sam ” tune so the individuals desire to be enabled finding a quiet space, a full stop in life to listen and absorb, or sort information.

Riviera for Skype is a Skype call recorder (for Windows.) a tool which automatically records Skype calls and conversations to MP3 files. Record interviews, tech talks, conferences, audio casts, pod casts for learning later, a valuable tool holding information one can listen to at leisure and ponder on.

Help your business or that life on the run……….. work/life balance You may play call recordings with built-in player or any other external MP3 player. Consequently a level of accuracy is retained and can be repeated for clarification.

The audio armchair : the demands of an ever increasing technological life, in business and life itself,an opportunity to relax, listen … sort information at leisure in a demanding world, great value for the ears.

Discover hear and see: try the link below……

http://jiteco.com/skype_call_recorder.html

Once upon a time, in an earthquake devastated city called Christchurch South Island New Zealand Bureaucratic Paper Tigers :

Tell the truck driver to move on, but his reply is he has not been paid and unable to purchase the diesel for his empty tank so he can move on. He is offered counselling, or told he could get a Red Cross grant, apply on line, but he has no computer, he could get a government fuel grant, which he has to pay back, that is if he is eligible. The Red Cross Grants are no longer available.

The community spirit is such who hear of the truck drivers plight, he receives a food parcel, kindly help from the Salvation Army, and other community spirited people.

The process of the paper war directed by the Bureaucratic Paper Tigers costs is far greater than if the truck driver had been paid for his work/ or dues in the first place, he would have bought his diesel and moved on. .

Same with the builder, eagerly sought , who can no longer build or continue repair work as the client is still waiting for the Earthquake Commission pay out, so the client can pay the builder, the builder has run out of money unable to purchase any more material.

The builder is also offered counselling and other means to cope with the after-shock stress.

Families in temporary accommodation financial relief ceases to exist. Yet still have pay the rent or mortgage on a place they cannot reside in either because of structural damage, or total content loss/or both. So costs are double, food grant for the year used up from welfare not eligible for any more so the merge provisions in the bottom of their supermarket trolley make the Wall Street protests in United States of America  perfect,logical, objective sense.

The Bureaucratic Paper Tigers well paid, well funded, swamp a crippled city, with meaningless gestures, rhetoric, arrogance , strangling the people who are the phoenixes’ willing, intelligent people desiring the legitimate means enabling the rise from the rubble and ashes to re-build.

The Earthquake Commission seem to be busy doing a re-enactment of shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Or it reminds one of the story of Queen Marie Antoinette who said to a starving population “Let them eat cake” if there was no bread. Neither could be made there was no flour or means to achieve cake or bread.

What is Love?

The philosophical context love, is a virtue, human expression of compassion and affection.

St Thomas Aquinas defined love as “to will good of another” or the desire for another to succeed.

The religious view expands to the “all being”  as God is Love, that love is not just a virtue.

Impersonal love relates to an object ( teddy bear ) goal  or a cause.

Interpersonal love relates to the love between human beings.

Love is not just a virtue ( moral excellence ) it is a trait that is deemed to be excellence in the act of living daily life promoting individual and collective well being, for example to quote from the movie  Hotel Rwanda:

“when the world closes its’ eyes, who opens their arms “ the true story of Hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina. He opened his arms.

Love is being awake to conditions around one. Impersonal and Interpersonal behavior  is a balancing act through  the journey  called  life.

Balance

Both behaviors captured in metaphysical easy simple read, encapsulating positive thinking, visualization, religouse, philosophical, virtues of excellence the book of The Wisdom of Florence Schovel Shinn.

No matter the canvas you paint for life it is ABC. Action, Behavior ,Consequence.

http://florencescovelshinn.wwwhubs.com/

Poem………………By MC Hazledine-Barber

Love is like a leaf

it is a shade for the working bee

a swing for the naughty ant

and a restaurant for a worm.

Shouldering Mankinds Burden

Jesus Christ was born and died 600 years before the birth of Muhammad. Jesus Christ’s life was witnessed and documented. That is called evidence.

Muhammad was illiterate and recited his revelations, his sayings were compiled and written down in the Qur’an based on texts from 130 to 300 years after his death. That is heresay..

In 1391 an expressed passionate view of the Emperor Manuel 11 Paleologus one of the last Christian rulers before the Fall of Constantinople to the Muslim Ottoman Empire:  Quote ……..

“Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman,such as his command to spread by sword the faith he preached”

Muhammad and Jesus, two significant leaders, both men accepted the Old Testament as God’s Word, and acknowledged Abraham. Christians believe God’s promise is through Abraham’s son, Isaac. Muslims believe it is through Abraham’s other son, Ishmael.

The Qur’an proves Jesus is the Messiah and Muhammad acknowledge this fact and he (Muhammad was a mere man and a prophet ) did not replace him as there can be only one Messiah. Jesus did the Messiah;s work opening heaven 550 years before Muhammad was born. So it is written.

Prophet Muhammad passionate about God believed Jesus was the Messiah, Gods messenger, so Muhammad set about in his way deliverance of that message and mankind should obey by a set of rules.

Although Jesus Christ and Muhammad views of God’s nature were different, both men believed in and taught about one true God who is sovereign, infinite, all-knowing, the ultimate judge of all mankind.

Jesus Christ taught by love and grace, Muhammad by the sword. Both men of God, however sadly both Christian and Muslim have picked up the sword, to excert will upon others.

St Thomas Aquinas defined love as “to will good of another” or the desire for another to succeed.

As does the Muslim faith for the good of mankind.

History in philosophy, religious debate, a window to the world past through evidence by the way of documents, artefacts, the modern world with aid of technology we know so much, yet so little. For every question there is an answer, for every answer there is a question.

For the One God as Jesus Christ and Muhammad told mankind existed, does it matter how one travels in life to believe and conduct life in a God like manner irrespective of race colour or creed? as taught by Jesus Christ or Muhammad, so for Gods’ sake, what is love and what are we fighting for ?

Even if you do not believe in God ask one self, how many times have you asked Him for help when alone in the night, alone in your bed?

Muhammad

The means to the end.

Capitalism vs Co-Operatives or is it the Art of Responsible Capitalism?

Capitalism sources the means to keep the end whereas Co-operatives source the means to share the end.

Pressure is applied to capitalism for greater profits for shareholders who share nothing and applied nothing to means or energy to the success of the profit. Except a degree of financial risk wise or otherwise.
Co-operatives source the means, share the energy, share the end: profitable or not, however democratically share the financial risk. The pressure for co-operatives, as in all aspects of life the consideration of variables in individuals human desires, is growth.

A leaf from both books perhaps would be the principle of a new beginning in responsible capitalism: a share, like co-operatives being conscious of the reason for the means, for the means to the end taking in account the desire and dreams from cradle to grave “culture” of mankind.

From the cradle

Shared wealth is health as health is wealth, rather than sit inside with a bowl of hot soup afraid of those shut out in the snow, cold and hungry banging on your door is it not?

A merging of both principles, capitalism and co-operatives, collectively forging a new frontier to restore agriculture and industrial progress for the security and betterment of mankind irrespective of which country or culture, requires immense courage, wisdom and initiative for any individual or society to carry the name “Leadership”.

I have moved on : where are you?

New Zealand Returned Soldier

http://www.greatwar.co.uk/poems/john-mccrae-in-flanders-fields.htm

Lest we forget

ANZAC POPPY

The red poppy one of the first blooms from the mud of Flanders Field linked battlefield death since the Great War of  1914-1918.  The famous poem written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae  ” In Flanders Field”  describing this beautiful poppy.

For three decades the Return Service Association have had the poppies made in Christchurch by Kilmarnock Enterprises who employ intellectually disabled people to assemble them. The special nature the red poppies representing the RSA  gives the employees a sense of real purpose for the country, their social integration and funds for the enterprise and are proud to serve NZ in their own special way. Then see with pride the red poppy worn by so many New Zealanders in memory of those that fell on the battlefield.

However: The RSA  Chief Executive has made the decision to out source the red poppy to China for parts and be assembled in Australia.  Because it is cheaper and he can make more profit.!

First to deny these special people whose battlefield is a life time, their NZ Red Poppy to be made in China, then fly the parts to Australia, assembled there:  then fly them to New Zealand the image of a green country ( NZ) being aware of the carbon footprint the Chief Executive needs to be taught the lesson of responsible capitalism.

One applauds the efforts to raise more funds for the returned soldiers as expenses and costs of living rise, yet most New Zealanders would be quite happy to pay more for a poppy keeping production in Christchurch at Kilmarnock Enterprises.

Once again those in power privileged to open doors and do the most good fail and cripple the already challenged and less fortunate because of irresponsible decisions, or have the sense to have a wider view or understanding: of the cause and effect of irresponsible, lack of deep thought of decisions made.

They see the books but not the man at the coal face.

The dinner plate served for the reasoning of the decision is a plausible excuse. Bear in mind excuse means EX meaning “free from”  Cusa meaning ” cause” = excuse. The act of the RSA Chief Executive appears that the decision he made, he is free from the cause and he is not responsible for his actions.

Sustainable living, sustainable design, architecture,agriculture, technological development the answer lies in the land and what ‘Mother Nature’ freely offers.

Harnessing the elements of the land, sun, wind, water, a constant source, only changing with the seasons, adaptation for sustainable living takes the will and a real desire to achieve.

Drop of Water in the Ocean

New Zealand is quipped ‘ a drop of water in the ocean’  ( Land of the Long White Cloud) Aotearoa  the Maori name, rich in offerings of all the elements for sustainable living.

In the hills of Koromiko South Island: with sweeping views of stunning landscape basking in the sun undisturbed by the urban beat, nestles a cabin operating by a solar system backed up with hydro, an enclosed fireplace not only for warmth or cooking ( although LPG gas hob is also installed) that wonderful winter stew,but a back up for hot water heating if required. Internal, external  walls encapsulated with New Zealand wool is a natural cosy answer for insulation.

Ample water supply from a stream falling through the hills pure and clean. Stored in a 2000 litre tank,  filtered to the house,  nicknamed the best drink “Adams Ale” found anywhere in the world.

A Biolytix System which is manufactured in Australia that would handle both sewage and grey water with ease and had a very low power consumption due to the method of processing the waste – Worms!  Eco friendly at its’ best.

Ease of living with constant water, a solar/hydro supply of power source, satellite for internet, as the urban beat thumps or is disconnected by power cuts, earthquakes, floods an unfortunate risk in any country.

For example of Christchurch earthquake. Recovery for the city reliant on non sustainable methods creating angst, technical problems leaving many citizens in disarray for basic living, cooking, grey water matter, laundry and many other factors that are  taken for granted in a modern city.

http://offgridecostay.com/  A project worthy of capture and extended development. Either for living or education.

Last load keep the home fires burning