The Gate of the Year : The King’s Speech, Academy Awards, and the bookies’ odds #film #poetry

This post was originally published on The Trad Pad on  2 January 2011.  Happy New Year everyone ... particularly to those who did it tough this year.  Please take on board the thoughts of Minnie Louise Haskins

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Happy New Year! May the year be kind to you and bring you blessings, wisdom, peace, and prosperity!  The last day or two has exhibited some coincidence. Firstly, Hay Quaker published, in toto, the poem The Gate of the Year by Minnie Louise Haskins.

 Minnie Louise Haskins

Picture from here

I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year,
"Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown."
And he replied, "Go into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God.
That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way!"
So I went forth and finding the Hand of God
Trod gladly into the night.
He led me towards the hills
And the breaking of day in the lone east.
So heart be still!
What need our human life to know
If God hath comprehension?
In all the dizzy strife of things
Both high and low,
God hideth his intention.

Perhaps readers have heard this poem, or part of it, before.  It was made famous by the Christmas Speech of King George VI delivered in 1939.  You can hear the actual speech – it is quite moving given it is made at the time of the first Christmas of World War II – here.

Picture from here

Secondly, I decided to get out of the house for the first time since  Christmas Midnight Carols and Eucharist at All Saints, Mitcham and go to see the much lauded movie, The King’s Speech. It is the story of the relationship between the Australian speech therapist, Lionel Logue, and King George VI.

The movie is being tipped as a frontline contender for an Oscar. In spite of competition from The Social Network in the bookies’ odds as set out here, it is hard to see how this movie could lose with its high proportion of former Academy Award winning actors.  The UK still produces the best actors – particularly in ensemble work as demonstrated in The King’s Speech – in the English speaking world.  However, it does an Australian heart good – particularly one coming from Queensland – to see and hear Geoffrey Rush mixing it admirably with such a talented cast. To think, this great man of Australian movies was growing up across Brisbane from me in the 1950s!
Those sitting around me in the packed movie theatre were clearly as impressed as I. 
I was however surprised at the ending. I don’t think, in such an historical movie, it is giving away much to describe the ending of this movie.  I thought the movie somehow would finish with the 1939 Christmas Speech. This is arguably the most famous, most remembered, and most quoted of all the King George VI’s speeches.  This doesn’t happen.  The movie concludes with the King’s Speech at the beginning of World War II.

Listen to the original speech here.

ANZ LitLovers LitBlog - Germinal by Emile Zola - the book and the movie

 

I am a frequent reader of Lisa Hill’s ANZ LitLovers LitBlog. Perhaps you won't keep up by reading every book from every post - but at least you will have a good idea of what you should be reading. You will be in the know. 

I subscribe to the blog and get a missive in my email every day.  To-day's looks magnificent: Germinal by Emile Zola An epic tale. But, Gerard Depardieu fan that I am I think I will hunt down the movie after seeing the trailer below.

Make a difference this year: buy your Christmas Cakes, Shortbreads and Gift Hampers from Bumblebee and support some good causes

Memories of Mellah and Chocolate Mousse

Over at Miscellaneous Mum, Karen is indulging herself with Chocolate Mousse.  For me, chocolate mousse always brings back memories from my long ago childhood in the 1950s of what may be one of Australia's first 'instant' desserts, Mellah.  You can pop down to the comments of Karen's post to see my comment.

I went searching the net for Mellah and there is barely a mention - but I did find this...

Jenny Dowell goes to Just Grounds, Lismore ... and then there's the mural

On Twitter, one of the people I follow is Jenny Dowell who is the Mayor of Lismore in northern New South Wales which is a very beautiful part of the world.  This morning Jenny has been out and about purchasing fruit at the local market and drinking Fair Trade coffee.

 I have saved the picture of the mural separately and enlarged it -

because I think it's wonderful.

Please note the kangaroo in the foreground.

Storm - Ringwood - 20111109

Storm photos

Taken approximately 7.40pm

Rain started 7.44pm

Destruction - China First Thermal Coal Mine to destroy Bimblebox Nature Refuge - submit your comments by 7 Nov 2011

HELP PROTECT BIMBLEBOX NATURE REFUGE

As a friend recently said to me, 

'How many pages does it take to say "we're gonna dig a damn great hole?" '

Waratah Coal has finally confirmed that its proposed 'China First' mine would destroy Bimblebox Nature Refuge. The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) clearly states that 52% of Bimblebox would be open cut, and the remainder subject to major subsidence and interference from underground longwall mining. It would set a dangerous precedent for the mining of Queensland's precious conservation areas and contribute 3.3 billion tonnes of CO2 to the atmosphere, on top of a myriad of regional impacts.

NOW IS THE TIME TO HAVE OUR SAY. 

The period for public comment closes on November 7th. We have prepared a submission for people to send in, and have information for people who want to write their own. It is vital that we send a message loud and clear that we will not allow our nature refuges to be dug up for the sake of more coal profits.

Please visit the Bimblebox website HERE to find our how to make a submission.

I really appreciate your time.

Many thanks, 

Paola Cassoni

www.bimblebox.orgbimblebox@gmail.com+61 7 49853474

Bimblebox Nature Refuge

Alpha QLD 4724

Australia

Click to enlarge

Further Reading:

Resourcehouse Limited

Bowen Business Information Forum - PowerPoint type presentation in .pdf format

China First now a major project

Billionaires 'China First' Qld coal mine move

Clive Palmer scores biggest export contract worth $60b

China denies $US60bn coal deal with Clive Palmer's Resourcehouse

Palmer plans coal $6.5b behemoth

Palmer's Resourcehouse gets $1.2bn funding (Lateline transcript and video)

Bird may halt Palmer mine project

Australian Mining - Clive Palmer

Can a sustainable food culture allow the non-stunning slaughter of animals?

Should non-stunning slaughter of animals be part of a sustainable food culture in Australia - or, for that matter, the world.  Please give serious consideration to Lyn White's message below.

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As you know, a big decision will be made this week when primary industries ministers from around the country meet in Melbourne to decide whether to close the loophole on non-stunned slaughter in Australia.

I'm writing to invite you to an important rallyorganised by Animals Australia on Thursday evening at the MCG, where the ministers are due to discuss their decision on this issue. Already 14,000 Animals Australia supporters have written to these ministers imploring them to show mercy and remove the exemptions that are allowing some abattoirs in Victoria and South Australia to cut the throats of fully conscious sheep. We need your help to send one last and all-important reminder as the ministers arrive for their dinner meeting, that caring Australians are depending on them to make the right decision.

• Where: Gate 2, Melbourne Cricket Ground
• When: 5:45pm, Thursday, 27th October (finishing 7pm)
• What to bring: Just yourself, we will have plenty of posters for people to hold
• More information: Call the Animals Australia office on 1800 888 584

Miss, of all the cruelty I have seen inside abattoirs, non-stunned slaughter of animals represents the single greatest cause of distress, pain and suffering I have born witness to.

Fortunately we understand that several ministers are already of the opinion that non-stunned slaughter is unacceptable, which means there is real hope to end this brutal practice in Australia. This rally may be the tipping point that gets the others over the line.

Please join our experienced campaigners for a peaceful gathering on Thursday evening and help us ensure that all animals in this country are extended this most basic legal protection.

I hope you can join us, Lyn White Campaign Director

P.S. You may be aware that the official meeting of the primary industries ministers will be held on Friday morning. We are rallying at their Thursday evening dinner meeting as it is expected that their position will be determined at this time. I hope you can attend, but even if you can't, you can have your say on our website right now.

Musk Farm and Wombat Hill - great Australian gardens