I lie on the damp earth under a multi-hued canopy.  Sunlight plays around and over me, as do the many insects.  My clothing, derived form earth-sucking plants, again soaks moisture from the ground, but I can draw no physical nourishment from this. (more…)

I love the changing seasons we experience in Melbourne.  I like change.  Change brings challenges and keeps me alert and alive. (more…)

Reading is not always a pleasurable pursuit.  Recently I have been working through a number of books which are not entertaining but certainly worth the effort.  In fact, they are important books and the reading of them can lead to positive changes in our society. (more…)

Sarah’s Last Wish: a chilling glimpse into forced medicine
Eve Hillary
2010
ISBN: 9780980662900
$29.95
348 pp with images + references

I have found this book very difficult to read, because it is so well written.  It is the subject of the book that has gripped me by the throat and made breathing difficult.  Eve Hillary is a masterful storyteller and this book is a fine tribute to a courageous girl and her family and a powerful condemnation of professional incompetence and negligence, unethical behaviour and bureaucratic excesses. (more…)

“Bang! Pht-pht.”   Silence.  “Bang! Pht-pht.”   The dogs are trying out the new dog flap in the back door.  The last one was translucent and this one is clear, so it’s a new experience.  They follow each other in and out several times to make sure, then they get on with other dog games, like destroying a cardboard box. (more…)

The Quest for Justice
Ken Crispin
Scribe 2010
ISBN: 9781921640438
$35
290 pp + notes

This is above all a thoughtful work.  The author assumes the reader to be intelligent and he treats the reader with respect.  It is not a dispassionate book – Ken Crispin’s hopes and aspirations for society are clearly stated.  He also expresses little patience with those who would impose their prejudices and bigotry on others. (more…)

Breastfeeding welcomed here.  A simple, small sticker on the door of a café, letting mothers know that they are not going to be harassed if they show a bit of flesh.  Across the road, at another café, four young women are sitting around a table in intimate discussion.  They are leaning forward, their breasts almost falling out of their tops.  And, by the way, breastfeeding is not welcome in this café. (more…)