POSTSCRIPTUM. Now more than ever.
This Christmas season of rising interest rates and cost of living going through the roof may have unintended consequences other than the record profits of the big retailers: a decrease in consumption, an increase in imagination, a decrease in meaningless gift-giving, and hopefully an increase in more meaningful conversations that lead to more engaging relationships. One such conversation could just be about David Foster Wallace’s commencement address to Kenyon’s graduating class 2005, “This Is Water,” excerpt below:
“Of course the main requirement of speeches like this is that I’m supposed to talk about your liberal arts education’s meaning, to try to explain why the degree you are about to receive has actual human value instead of just a material payoff. So let’s talk about the single most pervasive cliché in the commencement speech genre, which is that a liberal arts education is not so much about filling you up with knowledge as it is about “teaching you how to think.” If you’re like me as a student, you’ve never liked hearing this, and you tend to feel a bit insulted by the claim that you needed anybody to teach you how to think, since the fact that you even got admitted to a college this good seems like proof that you already know how to think. But I’m going to posit to you that the liberal arts cliché turns out not to be insulting at all, because the really significant education in thinking that we’re supposed to get in a place like this isn’t really about the capacity to think, but rather about the choice of what to think about. If your total freedom of choice regarding what to think about seems too obvious to waste time discussing, I’d ask you to think about fish and water, and to bracket for just a few minutes your scepticism about the value of the totally obvious.”
–David Foster Wallace, on the purpose of a liberal arts education, from his commencement address to Kenyon’s graduating class 2005: “This Is Water”
IDEAS. David Foster Wallace unedited interview (2003). The full unedited interview David Foster Wallace gave to the German television station, ZDF, in 2003. From Manufacturing Intellect, posted 26 Dec 2016.
IDEAS. The Roots Of Identity Politics [Making Sense Podcast] | Sam Harris and Yascha Mounk. In this 2-hour conversation Yascha and Sam dive deep into the murky waters of identity politics to offer some clarity as to how and why we got here.
BOOKS. 2023. The Identity Trap: A Story Of Ideas And Power In Our Time by Yascha Mounk. “The origins, consequences and limitations of an ideology that has quickly become highly influential around the world.”
“For much of their history, societies have violently oppressed ethnic, religious and sexual minorities. It is no surprise then that many who passionately believe in social justice have come to think that members of marginalized groups need to take pride in their identity if they are to resist injustice.
“But over the past decades, a healthy appreciation for the culture and heritage of minorities has transformed into an obsession with group identity in all its forms, one that has quickly become influential around the world. A new ideology – which Yascha Mounk terms the ‘identity synthesis’ – seeks to put each citizen’s matrix of identities at the heart of social, cultural and political life. This, he argues, is the Identity Trap.
“Mounk traces the intellectual origins, consequences and limitations of these ideas, explaining how they have been able to win tremendous power over the past decade and why their application to areas from education to public policy is proving to be deeply counterproductive. In his passionate plea for universalism and humanism, he argues that the proponents of identitarian ideas will, though they may be full of good intentions, make it harder to achieve progress towards genuine equality.”
POST-POST-SCRIPTUM. “We feel acutely the repudiation of our peoples and the rejection of our efforts to pursue reconciliation in good faith.”–From the Open Letter penned by First Nations Indigenous Leaders post-referendum
Knowing the score of the referendum by division, by polling place, by city suburb, by township, by remote community…, is as important as its outcome and the manner by which this outcome was won, if not more important from this point on in informing the reconciliation process for non-Indigenous Australians and the First Australians.
It is significant to note that in spite of the active opposition wielding disinformation campaigns capitalising on ignorance, indifference, prejudice and vested interests, four of ten Australians supported the Uluru Statement’s call for constitutional recognition by enshrining a First Australians Voice to Parliament.
The division of Macnamara voted 64.6% Yes, with polling places St Kilda & St Kilda West voting as high as 80+%. I reckon members of our community lead with the heart.
To close this with an even more positive note, I’m off to Acts Of Pleasure on Thursday, 7 December. Moira is all heart.
Gerome Villarete, Secretary
POST-SCRIPTUM:
DOCUMENTARY TALK SHOW. David Frost 1969-72
ART. Ignorance = Fear x Silence = Death (detail) by Keith Haring (4 May 1958 – 16 February 1990). HIV Still Matters by Thorne-Harbour Health.
DOCUMENTARY. Queen–The Final Act (2021) on ABC iView until 3 Jan 2024
DOCUMENTARY SERIES. A Life In Ten Pictures | Freddie Mercury (2021) on ABC iView since July 2023
MUSIC. Somebody To Love | Queen
Live at Hammersmith Odeon London 1979
Live at the Forum Montreal 1981
Live at Wembley 1992 (with George Michael)
Then… and then now. Jenner then… and then Jenner now (2017). More on Jenner on Olympics.com.
POST-SCRIPTUM:
ART. MUSIC. BOOKS. Hares & Hyenas? That’s the bookstore tucked under the stairs at the Victorian Pride Centre.
Hours: 10am to 5:00pm –Monday to Saturday. 11.30am to 5:00pm –Sunday.
From their shelves: Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure, presented by the artist’s family, and Queen Uncovered by Peter Hince.
State of the Art – Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat (1986). illuminationsmedia.co.uk
With East Village exhibition, the art of Jean-Michel Basquiat comes home. PBS Newshour | Canvas. “More than 30 years after his death, Jean-Michel Basquiat remains one of America’s most influential contemporary artists. He carved a unique style that challenged traditional views of race, poverty and politics in the U.S. Now, his work has come home, to Basquiat’s old stomping grounds in New York’s East Village, in a brand-new, private museum owned by the Brant Foundation. Jeffrey Brown reports.”–PBS
ART. Jean-Michel Basquiat | King Pleasure (1987, detail). “Jean-Michel Basquiat was an American artist who rose to success during the 1980s as part of the Neo-expressionism movement.”–Wikipedia
Jean-Michel Basquiat died from a drug overdose in August 1988, aged 27.
“2,231 drug-induced deaths were reported in Australia in 2021, with 1,675 of these deaths unintentional.”
“Overdose deaths are not spread equally through society. Over one third of all unintentional drug-induced deaths occurred among residents from the most disadvantaged areas. The rate of unintentional drug-induced deaths among Indigenous Australians was almost four times that of non-Indigenous Australians (20 per 100,000 population, compared with 5.9 per 100,000 for non-Aboriginal people). Males are also over-represented, with 70% of unintentional drug-induced deaths in 2021 being men.”–Australia’s Annual Overdose Report 2023
“There were 1,559 alcohol-induced deaths recorded in 2021, a rate of 5.4 deaths for every 100,000 people living in Australia.”
“Alcoholic liver disease was the highest underlying cause that contributed to alcohol-induced deaths (1,008 deaths) in 2021 (Table 1). This is followed by mental and behavioral disorders due to alcohol use (327 deaths), accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol (118 deaths), and exposure to alcohol, undetermined intent (3 deaths) and intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to alcohol (1 death). The remaining 102 alcohol-induced deaths have resulted from cardiomyopathy, degeneration of nervous system, acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis, myopathy, polyneuropathy, gastritis and Cushing’s syndrome.”–Alcohol-induced deaths in Australia, FARE
ART. Hungry Ghost (2006, detail) by Helen Norton. Australian artist Helen Norton was born in St Kilda in 1961.
“In Buddhism, hungry ghosts, or pretas, are beings who are tormented by desire that can never be sated. (…) The preta realm is defined by attachment, and the truth that we can never end the suffering of unquenched desire, no matter how much we consume.”–Lion’s Roar
BOOKS. In The Realm Of Hungry Ghosts by Dr Gabor Maté. “The question is not why the addiction, but why the pain.”
“From street-dwelling drug addicts to high-functioning workaholics, the continuum of addiction cuts a wide and painful swath through our culture. (…) Countering prevailing notions of addiction as either a genetic disease or an individual moral failure, Dr. Gabor Maté presents an eloquent case that addiction – all addiction – is in fact a case of human development gone askew.”
Next time you walk our streets, it may be helpful to look at the homeless and roughsleepers from a different lens.
When you come home, it may be helpful to look at members of your household with the same lens.
Gerome Villarete, Secretary
POST-POST-SCRIPTUM:
MUSIC. Palestine by Yann Tiersen | Live in Berlin Tempelhof Airport ARTE Concert. “Passengers invites Yann Tiersen under the steel canopy of Tempelhof Airport. An expansive setting for the sound of album 11 5 18 2 5 18 the electronic version of his album Kerber, an ode to the Breton island of Ushant.“
IDEAS. Louise Adler on the place of politics in the arts. Laura Tingle | 7.30 Report, 4 Dec 2023. “Louise Adler AM is an Australian publisher. She was CEO of Melbourne University Publishing (MUP) from 2003 until 2019, when she became editor-at-large at Hachette Australia. In March 2022 she took up a three-year appointment as director of Adelaide Writers’ Week, starting with the 2023 edition of the event. Louise Adler was born in Melbourne to Jacques and Ruth Adler, Jewish immigrants from Paris, France, who arrived in Australia in 1949.”–Wikipedia
MUSIC. Be Free by Ten City (Emmaculate & Shannon Chambers Mix). “The pursuit of happiness is a basic right. The right to live with dignity, why would anybody want to take that from me? How about I’ll respect you, then you’ll respect me. Then Together–Life, Love, Laughter and Liberty. I expect that. And I want that. For everybody.”
Also from Ten City for lovers old and new for this Valentine’s Day, Wednesday 14 Feb, That’s The Way Love Is. “There’s no use in pretending what’s behind the curtain lol.”
POST-SCRIPTUM:
ART. MUSIC. BOOKS. Hares & Hyenas? That’s the bookstore tucked under the stairs at the Victorian Pride Centre.
Hours: 10am to 5:00pm –Monday to Saturday. 11.30am to 5:00pm –Sunday.
From their shelves: Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure, presented by the artist’s family, and Queen Uncovered by Peter Hince.
ART. 1987. Jean-Michel Basquiat | King Pleasure (detail)
Jean-Michel Basquiat died from a drug overdose in August 1988, aged 27.
“2,231 drug-induced deaths were reported in Australia in 2021, with 1,675 of these deaths unintentional.”
“Overdose deaths are not spread equally through society. Over one third of all unintentional drug-induced deaths occurred among residents from the most disadvantaged areas. The rate of unintentional drug-induced deaths among Indigenous Australians was almost four times that of non-Indigenous Australians (20 per 100,000 population, compared with 5.9 per 100,000 for non-Aboriginal people). Males are also over-represented, with 70% of unintentional drug-induced deaths in 2021 being men.”–Australia’s Annual Overdose Report 2023
“There were 1,559 alcohol-induced deaths recorded in 2021, a rate of 5.4 deaths for every 100,000 people living in Australia.”
“Alcoholic liver disease was the highest underlying cause that contributed to alcohol-induced deaths (1,008 deaths) in 2021 (Table 1). This is followed by mental and behavioral disorders due to alcohol use (327 deaths), accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol (118 deaths), and exposure to alcohol, undetermined intent (3 deaths) and intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to alcohol (1 death). The remaining 102 alcohol-induced deaths have resulted from cardiomyopathy, degeneration of nervous system, acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis, myopathy, polyneuropathy, gastritis and Cushing’s syndrome.”–Alcohol-induced deaths in Australia, FARE
ART. Hungry Ghost (2006, detail) by Helen Norton. Australian artist Helen Norton was born in St Kilda in 1961.
“In Buddhism, hungry ghosts, or pretas, are beings who are tormented by desire that can never be sated. (…) The preta realm is defined by attachment, and the truth that we can never end the suffering of unquenched desire, no matter how much we consume.”–Lion’s Roar
BOOKS. In The Realm Of Hungry Ghosts by Dr Gabor Maté. “The question is not why the addiction, but why the pain.”
“From street-dwelling drug addicts to high-functioning workaholics, the continuum of addiction cuts a wide and painful swath through our culture. (…) Countering prevailing notions of addiction as either a genetic disease or an individual moral failure, Dr. Gabor Maté presents an eloquent case that addiction – all addiction – is in fact a case of human development gone askew.”
Next time you walk our streets, it may be helpful to look at the homeless and roughsleepers from a different lens.
When you come home, it may be helpful to look at members of your household with the same lens.
Gerome Villarete, Secretary
POST-POST-SCRIPTUM:
MUSIC. Palestine by Yann Tiersen | Live in Berlin Tempelhof Airport ARTE Concert. “Passengers invites Yann Tiersen under the steel canopy of Tempelhof Airport. An expansive setting for the sound of album 11 5 18 2 5 18 the electronic version of his album Kerber, an ode to the Breton island of Ushant.“
IDEAS. Louise Adler on the place of politics in the arts. Laura Tingle | 7.30 Report, 4 Dec 2023. “Louise Adler AM is an Australian publisher. She was CEO of Melbourne University Publishing (MUP) from 2003 until 2019, when she became editor-at-large at Hachette Australia. In March 2022 she took up a three-year appointment as director of Adelaide Writers’ Week, starting with the 2023 edition of the event. Louise Adler was born in Melbourne to Jacques and Ruth Adler, Jewish immigrants from Paris, France, who arrived in Australia in 1949.”–Wikipedia
MUSIC. Be Free by Ten City (Emmaculate & Shannon Chambers Mix). “The pursuit of happiness is a basic right. The right to live with dignity, why would anybody want to take that from me? How about I’ll respect you, then you’ll respect me. Then together–Life, Love, Laughter and Liberty. I expect that. And I want that. For everybody.”
POST-SCRIPTUM:
BOOKS. THEATRE. Qui a tué mon père (Who Killed My Father) by Édouard Louis. “Four years ago, during the first months of the pandemic, German director Thomas Ostermeier premièred a one-man stage adaptation of Qui a tué mon père at the Théâtre des Abbesses in Paris. The production had its Australian première at the Adelaide Festival on 8 March this year, to a warm reception and standing ovations.”–Patrick Flannery ABR Arts, 12 March 2024
Writer Édouard Louis weaponises the autobiography | The Saturday Paper | Dee Jefferson. “When Édouard Louis says theatre saved him, it’s more than a figure of speech. For Louis, who grew up below the poverty line in the remote, rural, working-class town of Hallencourt in northern France, theatre was a lifeline as well as his ticket out of town. It also liberated him from a violent childhood. “Every day people were calling me faggot,” he says. “People at school were spitting on me … my father was telling me every day that I was a sissy, that gay people deserve to be killed.””
2021. The Batty effect: How one woman changed the conversation on domestic violence | Monash University Lens | Lisa Wheildon & Asher Flynn
LGBTIQA+ Family abuse and violence | White Book 5th Edition | RACGP Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
“LGBTIQA+ people experience family violence at higher rates than non-LGBTIQA+ Australians, in the form of intimate partner abuse/violence (IPAV) and violence within families of origin.”
“LGBTIQA+ Australians with other diverse identities – such as being multicultural or multifaith, having a disability, or Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people – may be at higher risk of family violence due to cultural sensitivities and marginalisation.”
“Health professionals need to understand that the experiences of discrimination, violence and abuse of LGBTIQA+ people in Australian society are associated with significant disparities in physical and mental health.”
2022. Study finds LGBQ people report higher rates of adverse childhood experiences than straight people, worse mental health as adults | Vanderbilt University Medical Centre TN USA | Jake Lowary.
“A new study led by researchers at Vanderbilt found that 83% of lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer (LGBQ) individuals reported going through adverse childhood experiences such as sexual and emotional abuse, and worse mental health as adults when compared to their heterosexual peers.”
2024. The Impact of Trauma on Gay Men’s Mental Health | Psychology Today | Chris Tompkins
“Minority stress continues to cause clinically significant negative health outcomes for LGBTQ+ people. “These negative outcomes include depression, eating disorders, and substance abuse.”
“Crystal meth use is a silent epidemic among gay men throughout communities across the United States. Lack of access to culturally competent care can hinder efforts to address substance use disorders effectively.”
2019. Suicide & self-harm monitoring | LGBTIQ+ Australians: suicidal thoughts and behaviours and self-harm | AIHW Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
“LGBTIQ+ communities have been identified as priority populations under The National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement (Cth of Australia, 2022) and for data development as part of the National Suicide and Self-harm Monitoring System. Under the agreement, governments have a responsibility to support priority populations, who may be at higher risk of mental ill health and suicide due to vulnerability caused by social, economic, and environmental circumstances.”–AIHW”LGBTIQ+ communities have been identified as priority populations under The National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement (Cth of Australia, 2022) and for data development as part of the National Suicide and Self-harm Monitoring System. Under the agreement, governments have a responsibility to support priority populations, who may be at higher risk of mental ill health and suicide due to vulnerability caused by social, economic, and environmental circumstances.”–AIHW
aihw.gov.au/t/Public/views/PL3Latrobe/PL3
Gay Hate Decades: 30 Unsolved Deaths | SBS | Rick Feneley
“The NSW Police Force has admitted its officers may have made serious mistakes while re-examining potential gay-hate murders among a list of 30 unsolved deaths.
“An SBS investigation has uncovered a failure by police to check even basic details for some of the men, resulting in an erroneous assessment being provided to NSW State Coroner Michael Barnes.”
POST-POST-SCRIPTUM:
Vale Phil Carswell | Thorne-Harbour Health (March 2024). “On 12 July 1983, Phil was the convenor of the Victorian AIDS Action Committee, and the organisation’s first President as it became the Victorian AIDS Council a year later. Phil went on to serve in a number of leadership roles at both the state and federal level through the height of the HIV and AIDS epidemic in Australia.”–THH (In 2018 the Victorian AIDS Council was renamed Thorne-Harbour Health.)
Honouring the Memory of Phil Carswell OAM | Monday 22 April 2024 from 3pm at The Edge, Fed Square.
MUSIC. Born This Way (1977) by Carl Bean | Pontchartrain’s Pride Edit (2015) | SoundCloud.
Carl Bean, singer of LGBT pride anthem I Was Born This Way, dies aged 77 | BBC | Mark Savage (9 September 2021)
MUSIC. Born This Way (2011) by Lady Gaga (Live from A Very Gaga Thanksgiving)
MUSIC. Born This Way (2021) by Lady Gaga (Iconic performance at Westfield)
Peace now.
Be free.
Don’t worry be happy.
Encore: Folamour at Sugar Mountain, track at 54:41
Gerome Villarete, Secretary
Art saves lives.
The Present Moment by Jayasāra. Text by Thich Nhat Hanh
“Everyday we are engaged in a miracle, which we don’t even recognise. A blue sky. White clouds. Green leaves. The black curious eyes of a child. Our own two eyes. All is a miracle. So smile. Breathe. And go slowly.
“Walk as if you’re kissing the earth with your feet. Drink your tea slowly and reverently as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves. Slowly,, evenly, without rushing toward the future.
“Many people think excitement is happiness. But when you are excited you are not peaceful. True happiness is based on peace. The mind can go in a thousand directions, but on this beautiful path I walk in peace. With each step the wind blows. With each step a flower blooms. Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.
“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive you will see it. Life is available only in the present moment. How can I smile when I am filled with so much sorrow? It is natural. You need to smile to your sorrow. Because you are more than your sorrow. The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don’t wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy. Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile. But sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy. To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.”–Thich Nhat Hanh
POST-SCRIPTUM:
“Every year on 26 May, National Sorry Day remembers and acknowledges the mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed from their families and communities, which we now know as ‘The Stolen Generations’.”:–Reconciliation Australia
COMMUNITY. Sorry Day Lunch, hosted by Port Phillip Citizens for Reconciliation. Tuesday 28 May 2024, 12:30pm–3:00pm, South Melbourne Community Centre, Corner Park St and Ferrars Place, South Melbourne. RSVP by Wednesday 22 May.
Acknowledging the Stolen Generations on National Sorry Day | Behind The News | Jack Evans (May 2023)
2008. National Apology To The Stolen Generations (2008). “On 13 February 2008 Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made a formal apology to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, particularly to the Stolen Generations whose lives had been blighted by past government policies of forced child removal and assimilation. The journey to National Apology began with the Bringing Them Home report – the findings of an inquiry instigated by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission in 1995.”–NMA
The Case Against Children | Harper’s Magazine | Elizabeth Barber (March 2024)
“One way to tell the story of antinatalism is to say that it begins with the beginning of the world, or with the beginning as it is described by most major belief systems—with the creation of a universe that contains misery, and whose inhabitants eagerly await their chance to be released from it, to rest in the arms of the divine, to transcend the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Pratima Naik, one of the founders of Childfree India, a support group of sorts for antinatalists in the country, told me that she was drawn to antinatalism in part by the Hindu and Buddhist satsangs she heard as a child, which suggested that “the main purpose of life is not to be happy” and “to come out of the cycle of birth and death.” (Schopenhauer was notably moved by both faiths, which he found told the story of existence not unlike he did.)
““I do not think that one should have children; I observe in the acquisition of children many risks and many griefs, whereas a harvest is rare, and even when it exists, it is thin and poor,” the Greek philosopher Democritus is supposed to have said. He thought people should adopt, as “one can take one child out of many who is according to one’s liking.” In The Childfree Christ, published in 2021, the Belgian antinatalist Théophile de Giraud argues that the Bible is an antinatalist text, a view emphatically held by Kierkegaard, who found it obvious that the Bible instructs the Christlike not to have kids. Jesus gave his followers lots of examples of how to be good in the world, but one thing he did not do was start a nuclear family. Instead, he collected a spiritual family, like that replicated in nunneries and monasteries.
“Some Christian sects—most famously, the Cathars, who were sentenced to death by Pope Innocent III in the thirteenth century—later found cause to conclude that the Christly thing to do was not to procreate. “Better than both is the one who has never been born, who has not seen the evil that is done under the sun,” writes the author of Ecclesiastes. “May the day of my birth perish, and the night that said, ‘A boy is conceived,’ ” says the miserable Job. Likewise, the Talmud has it that “it would have been preferable had man not been created than to have been created.””:–Harper’s
The Case for Not Being Born | The New Yorker | Joahua Rothman (November 2017)
“The knee-jerk response to observations like these is, “If life is so bad, why don’t you just kill yourself?” Benatar devotes a forty-three-page chapter to proving that death only exacerbates our problems. “Life is bad, but so is death,” he concludes. “Of course, life is not bad in every way. Neither is death bad in every way. However, both life and death are, in crucial respects, awful. Together, they constitute an existential vise—the wretched grip that enforces our predicament.” It’s better, he argues, not to enter into the predicament in the first place. People sometimes ask themselves whether life is worth living. Benatar thinks that it’s better to ask sub-questions: Is life worth continuing? (Yes, because death is bad.) Is life worth starting? (No.)”:–The New Yorker
The Fight to Choose: The politics of abortion after Roe v. Wade | Harper’s | Andrew Cockburn
“The ubiquity of local anti-abortion laws is all the more striking given equally ubiquitous polls showing that abortion in some form enjoys wide support, though the level varies according to the circumstances. Some 60 percent of Americans, for example, told Gallup that they support abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy, a number that dropped to 28 percent regarding abortion in the second trimester. Many people do not understand the restrictions already in place where they live. In the twenty-two states currently enforcing abortion restrictions, 70 percent of those polled were either unaware or unsure that these measures were on the books.”:–Harper’s
The Right to Not Be Pregnant: Asserting an essential freedom | Harper’s | Charlotte Shane
“I’ve never wanted to be pregnant, and I’ve been pregnant three times. Each time I learned the news, my commitment to what I’d already known was confirmed viscerally and instantaneously—with the unshakable certainty of no. I say “no” often. I think “no” frequently. I am no stranger to “no.” But this refusal lived at a different depth. It saturated me. It constituted me like my lungs and my limbs and my mind. No, I do not want to be pregnant, I do not want to give birth, I do not want to have children. I wasn’t choosing because there…”:–Harper’s
POST-POST-SCRIPTUM:
How Consumerism Destroys Our Minds | George Monbiot | Double Down News (March 2021)
“The dominant force in our lives is something we scarcely talk about as a force. It’s called consumerism.”
Consumerism Is The Stifling Of Our Moral Imaginations | George Monbiot
“It destroys our relationship to each other. Because when we commodify ourselves, we commodify other people as well. We start to think: what can they do for me rather than what’s it like to be with them. We start to monetise our relationships, even our relationships to the natural world. This whole natural capital agenda, which says, “Oh we won’t value things until we have put a price on them.” So, a primrose has to have a price. An elephant has to have a price on it. Otherwise, it’s not worth anything and we can’t account it. Everything becomes a consumable. It’s consumerism driven by the demands of capitalism, extends into every aspect of our lives, and the lives of those around us. It destroys our humanity. It destroys our place in society. It destroys our place in the present, in the past and in the future. It detaches us, it removes us, it objectifies us. It destroys our minds.”:–George Monbiot
Reexamining Desire by Joseph Goldstein, Clip from Mindfulness in Daily Life, Waking Up
What is the value of your lifestyle? Does it have a price? Is it called cost-of-living?
What is the value of your life? Does it have a price on it? What is the price of a life lost to war? Is there value in that.
Art Saves Lives. So does peace. Work for peace.
Gerome Villarete, Secretary
Honesty by David Whyte, from Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment And Underlying Meaning Of Everyday Words
POST-SCRIPTUM: Men’s Health Week 2024, Monday 10 June to Sunday 16 June 2024.
Victoria reports record number of suicides in 2023 | Orygen (February 2024)
“A record number of people died by suicide in Victoria last year, with 801 deaths recorded across the state in 2023. This figure is up 5.3 per cent on 2022, outstripping population growth and representing 40 additional deaths.
“The findings, released by the Victorian Coroner’s Court in the Annual Suicide Data Report, show a significant increase in deaths amongst the 35-44 demographic (from 129 in 2022 to 168 in 2023), and an 85.7 per cent increase in suicide amongst under 18s (from 14 deaths in 2022 to 26 in 2023).“
Men’s Health Week 2024, Monday 10 June to Sunday 16 June 2024.
“International Men’s Health Week is celebrated every year around the world in the middle of June. It is an opportunity to highlight the importance of men’s health, and to promote and support the health and wellbeing of men and boys in our communities.
“Men’s Health Week focuses on not just physical health, but also men’s mental health and emotional wellbeing. During the week, we highlight the health challenges faced by men in Australia and worldwide and run events that can be replicated year-round to improve the physical, emotional and mental health of men and boys.”
The 5 Risk Factors of Male Suicide | AMHF Australian Men’s Health Forum (September 2020)
1. Relationships: The majority of men who kill themselves are either not in a relationship or recently separated. Research shows that nearly 3 in 10 male suicides are linked to separation and as many as half of all separated fathers experience thoughts of suicide.
2. Work/Unemployment. The majority of people who die by suicide are not employed and 3 in 10 suicides are associated with unemployment. Unemployed men are 2.5 x more likely to die by suicide than unemployed women and nearly 10 x more likely to die by suicide than men in employment. Common factors in work-related suicides include stress, conflict and bullying.
3. Finances: As many as 1 in 5 male suicides are linked to financial issues and male suicide is 5 times more likely to be linked to finances than female suicide. It is well established that male suicide in particular increases during economic downturns.
4. Men’s Health. Around 50% of men who die by suicide have at least one physical health issue and men with a disability are a higher risk group that are generally overlooked in suicide prevention initiatives. Signs of depression in men, which are associated with 1 in 3 male suicides, are often missed by health professionals.
5. Alcohol and other drugs. According to the Australian Burden of Disease study, men account for 87% of the loss of life and health from alcohol-related suicides. Around 40% of male suicides are linked to alcohol and other drug problems, with men accounting for 4 out of 5 suicides associated with alcohol and substance abuse.
10 ways male suicide is different from female suicide | AMHF Australian Men’s Health Forum (September 2020)
“In 2018, suicide killed 3046 people in Australia. A total of 726 or 24% were women and the remaining 2320 people or 76% were men and boys.
“As has been widely reported, suicide kills 8 people a day in Australia, six men and two women (ABS 2019). Here are 10 ways male suicide is different from female suicide.
“81% of suicides linked to relationship separation. 83% of suicides linked to financial issues. 85% of suicides linked to pending legal matters. 86% of suicides linked to recent or pending unemployment. 87% of work-related suicides. 87% of health lost to alcohol-related suicide. 98% of suicides involving firearms.”
COMMUNITY. NOW. Two Melbourne mates are using their experience to help save lives | 7 News Australia
New suicide data reaffirms a call from Beyond Blue for urgent mental health system reform | Beyond Blue (September 2023).
“Australia’s approach to mental health and suicide prevention needs to change and change soon. There needs to be appropriate levels of support for people in crisis, just as there needs to be appropriate support for people before they reach crisis point,” Ms Harman said.
“We need to ensure that people don’t end up trapped in feelings of distress and that they can get support early when they need it. This is how a mental health system that invests in earlier intervention can make a real difference.
“Suicide is complex – and both our mental health and the pressures we face day-to-day can influence suicidal thoughts, intentions and plans.
“That means we need to look beyond the mental health system for solutions, while ensuring the system is set up not only to support people during and after suicidal crisis, but in a way that prevents them from getting there in the first place.”
What does the evidence tell us about suicide for men? | Life In Mind. Suicide Statistics | Lifeline
“Of the over 3,000 lives lost to suicide each year, approximately 75% are men.
“Statistics on male suicides are released annually by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. In 2022:
“A total of 2,455 men died by suicide (18.8 deaths per 100,000 population), compared to 794 women (5.9 per 100,000).
“Men aged over 85 years had the highest male age-specific suicide rate, although accounted for the smallest proportion (2.9%) of male suicides.
“Men aged 45-49 had the highest rates of those aged under 80 years, and accounted for the largest proportion of male suicides (10.7%).”
MUSIC. 2018. Lin-Manuel Miranda & Ben Platt | Found/Tonight (Official Video).
“Have you ever felt like nobody was there? / Have you ever felt forgotten in the middle of nowhere? / Have you ever felt like you could disappear? / Like you could fall, and no one would hear?
“Well, let that lonely feeling wash away / ‘Cause maybe there’s a reason to believe you’ll be okay / ‘Cause when you don’t feel strong enough to stand / You can reach, reach out your hand.”
BOOKS. NOW. Elegy For An Elephant by Ryan Abramowitz (2023). “Elegy For An Elephant is a healing and hopeful picture book crafted as a therapeutic resource for readers (aged 7+) who have lost loved ones, and those communities and caretakers supporting them through their mourning.”–Ryan Abramowitz
MUSIC. NOW. Forgive Me If I Don’t… by Alexander Mills (2024). Alexander Mills is a Singer Songwriter from Barbados living in Australia.
ART. There’s Something About Harry by John Hillier | Archibald Prize 2023 finalist (acrylic on canvas) “In 2022, John Hillier watched professional boxer Harry Garside being interviewed by Paralympian Kurt Fearley on the ABC’s One Plus One. The interview was called “The ballet-dancing boxer”. I was intrigued, says the Melbourne-based artist, a first-time Archibald finalist. Watching it, I couldn’t believe how impressive this young man was. He finds the good in everyone, and his inner strength in occasionally showing his feminine side is especially brave considering he’s a boxer. I decided to follow his journey. As luck would have it, my friend Trent Langlands trains Harry in his Sydney gym. Trent arranged an introduction, and I was on a plane two days later. Harry and I spoke about what he should wear. We tried a few options–a skirt and bare chest, sitting, standing–but, in the end, I was captivated by his amazing bone structure, piercing eyes and hairstyle. So, the decision to paint a close-up of his head and shoulders was easy. The pale pink background juxtaposes with Harry’s masculine stare.”
Olympic boxer’s ex-girlfriend’s luxurious Bali life as she waits to fight domestic violence charges | news.com.au | Lauren Ferri. Ex-girlfriend of Australian boxer Harry Garside charged with common assault | The Guardian. Boxer Harry Garside has domestic violence charge withdrawn | Sydney Morning Herald | Sarah McPhee. Harry Garside on toll of domestic violence allegations | nine.com.au | Neil Mitchell
We are fighting the same battles our grandmothers did | The Saturday Paper | Chanel Contos (May 2024)
“While women [and the men?] express fear and anger over the many already murdered this year, national cabinet’s resolutions have failed to confront the ways in which activities such as sport, gambling and drinking can exacerbate male violence.
“In 2018, a La Trobe University study found domestic assaults increased on average by more than 40 per cent in New South Wales on the nights of State of Origin games. Similarly, AFL grand finals bring spikes in domestic violence in Victoria. The link between competitive sports and unhealthy forms of masculinity is an unfashionable topic but one that’s surprising to no one in the violence prevention sector, especially when combined with the gambling and alcohol consumption often associated with such events.
“Underlying all of these factors is men’s mental health. Men can turn to excesses in activities such as gambling, alcohol and porn when happiness is missing in other forms of their lives. When men are hurt[ing], they can hurt others.”–Chanel Contos
They can also hurt themselves.
“No blame. No reasoning. No argument. Only understanding.”***
The problem with advocacy and activism is the tendency to tunnel vision, to be partial to the extent of being one-sided, leading to further polarisation, if not alienation.
No Separation.
Gerome Villarete, Secretary
Art Saves Lives.
PO-PO-SCRIPTUM: TO BE IN THE NOW OF CREATION
MUSIC. 2023. Clear Water by Meshell Ndegeocello. LYRICS. Clear Water by Meshell Ndegeocello, Deantoni Parks, Jeff Parker, Sanford Biggers. “Don’t be fooled by the myth of control.”
Meshell Ndegeocello opens the lid on her self-contained world | NPR Music | Nate Chinen. “This legacy of searching Black invention, Ndegeocello seems to imply, is the center of her realness. There’s freedom and agency in it, but also vulnerability and surrender. “Don’t be fooled by the myth of control,” intones the artist Sanford Biggers at the top of “Clear Water,” as Ndegeocello’s bass line kicks in. “Be at peace / Within the chaos / And constant rebirth of the creative mind.” What ensues is a relaxed yet forward-tilt jam that calls to mind the laid-back side of George Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic. (The funk is another thing that shan’t be faked.)”
MUSIC. 1995. Jeff Buckley – Hallelujah (Official Video). Live at MTV Japan, Tokyo, January 1995 [Posted October 2009: 223M views]
MUSIC. 1994. Jeff Buckley – Lilac Wine (Official Recording), from the album Grace (August 1994)
MUSIC. 1995. Jeff Buckley – Lilac Wine | Live at Cabaret Metro in Chicago (1995)
PLACE. ARCHITECTURE. From 1764. The Panthéon, Paris, France. “The Panthéon houses the remains of scores of famous French figures, from Victor Hugo to Marie Curie. History aside, the breathtaking architecture draws a crowd.”:–Traveler
“In 1744, during the War of the Austrian Succession, Louis XV fell seriously ill in Metz and invoked the protection of Saint Genevieve, patron saint of Paris. Miraculously recovered, the king went on a pilgrimage to the abbey located on Sainte-Geneviève mountain. He promised the monks the reconstruction of their ancient church, which had been dedicated to the patron saint of Paris and France for nearly a thousand years. But everything was not so simple, the state coffers were empty. How to finance such a big project? A huge royal lottery was organised. On September 6, 1764, nearly 20 years later, the first stone was laid by the king himself.”
MUSIC. 2024. Nina Simone | Resonances | ARTE Concert. Filmed at The Pantheon in Paris. “Six artists celebrate the legacy of Nina Simone.”:–ARTE. “The incredible thing is that I was attracted to music very early on. I was something of a child prodigy. I never studied piano. I learned the lyrics of the traditional spiritual song Sinnerman in my childhood. My mother used to use it at revival meetings to help people confess their sins. I was three years old.”–Nina Simone
MUSIC. 2022. Youn Sun Nah | Hallelujah (@International Jazz Day, 2022)
Nina Simone Our National Treasure | Gagosian Quarterly Spring 2019 | Text by Salamishah Tillet.
MUSIC. 2021. Sting – live session at The Panthéon in Paris – ARTE Concert to mark fifty years of FIP Radio France. “Concert filmé le 6 octobre 2021 au Panthéon-Centre des Monuments Nationaux, Paris.”-ARTE
PLACE. ARCHITECTURE. From 1862. Theâtre du Châtelet, Paris, France
MUSIC. 2015. Youn Sun Nah Quartet au Théâtre du Châtelet. “Na Yoon-sun was born on August 28, 1969, in Seoul. Her parents are musical: her father, Na Young-soo (나영수), is a conductor in Korea and her mother, Kim Mi-jung (김미정), is a musical actress. She studied French literature at Konkuk University in Korea. While she was working for a fashion company, she was scouted by Kim Min-gi (김민기), who was the president of the Hakchon Theater Company (극단 학전). There, she made her acting debut in a musical called Subway Line 1 (지하철 1호선).
Youn Sun Nah Bio
PLACE. ARCHITECTURE. From 1274. Cathédrale de Coutances, Normandy, France. “Coutances is the ancient historical capital of the Manche department. The town is composed of several religious buildings testifying to its past splendor: the Notre-Dame cathedral, the Espace Saint-Nicolas and the Saint-Pierre church.”
MUSIC. FESTIVAL. Jazz Sous Les Pommiers in Coutances, Normandy
MUSIC. NOW. 2024. André Manoukian 4tet, Balkanes & Dafné Kritharas – Jazz sous les Pommiers – ARTE Concert. Filmed 4 May 2024. “Avec Anouch, André Manoukian rend un vibrant hommage à sa grand-mère, survivante du génocide arménien. Ce projet éminemment personnel – trait d’union entre musique classique, jazz et traditions du Caucase – a donné corps à un album éponyme publié en 2022 sur le label PIAS. C’est avec sa malice et sa générosité légendaires qu’André Manoukian délivre Anouch dans une configuration live, à l’occasion de son passage au festival Jazz sous les Pommiers.
“Toute la richesse musicale d’Anouch s’y déploie grâce au talent du pianiste bien sûr, mais aussi celui de Rostom Khachikian (duduk), Guillaume Latil (violoncelle) et Mosin Kawa (tablas). Aux notes de ce quartet s’ajoutent les voix de la chanteuse grecque Dafné Kritharas et du chœur Balkanes, spécialisé dans les polyphonies bulgares a capella.”–ARTE
MUSIC. 1964. Dave Brubeck – Take Five Live in Belgium 1964
Hear HIs Messages To Australia | Dave Brubeck in Australia | National Film and Sound Archive of Australia | Graham Mcdonald. “In 1962 he toured Australia and, before leaving the US, recorded a single-sided 7-inch record with five short ‘Messages to Australia’, to be sent to radio stations as publicity for the tour. A copy of the disc was part of a recent large donation of material to the NFSA from radio station 2TM in Tamworth. Listen to excerpts.”
DOCUMENTARY. 2021. Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America, directed by Emily Kunstler, Sarah Kunstler. “Civil rights lawyer Jeffery Robinson draws a stark timeline of anti-Black racism in the United States, interweaving lecture, personal anecdotes, and interviews.”
DOCUMENTARY. 2022. Everything’s Gonna Be All White directed by Sacha Jenkins. “Explores the history of race in America from the perspective of people of colour, featuring insights from noted historians, cultural commentators, actors, activists and artists.” Available on SBS On Demand until 25 June 2024.
MUSIC. Bon Entendeur : la Passion, Moreau, September 2017. “La pire guerre qui peut arriver sur cette terre, c’est la guerre entre les sexes; mais, ce serait la fin du monde. C’est pas possible.”–Jeanne Moreau
Zen. The Present Moment by Jayasāra, ***Text by Thich Nhat Hahn. “Life is both dreadful and wonderful.”