Sedition, Reviews, etc.

[tcpip]

We swear by the Southern Cross to stand truly by each other and fight to defend our rights and liberties.

Spent yesterday in Ballarat for the 158th anniversary of the Eureak Rebellion, mostly with the Anarchist Media Institute who have held an annual day of activities for the event for the past thirteen years. Again, this was a fairly well-attended event with a contingent of West Papuan independence supporters joining the contingent. It is also an opportunity to take the seditious oath, which I did this year at the graveyard of the miners; others are suggesting using it as an oath for a republican Australia. Afterwards joined the group at the Ballarat Art Gallery which has a good collection of Eureka-related artworks (including what is left of the flag). In evening attended the annual dinner at the aesthetically appropriate Eureka Stockade Hotel with John Semmens, of a local historical group (which calls themselves the Ballarat Reform League!) speaking. After that went to Sovereign Hill, a reconstruction village, for their Blood on the Southern Cross. In both this show, and the visit to graveyard, there were large numbers of local school kids on excursions; good to see that the young minds are receiving a historical lesson on the dire difficulties experienced in establishing even the nominal democracy we enjoy.

Friday night attended a gig at the Palais; Simple Minds, Devo, and The Church, and have reviewed the show on Rocknerd, a summary version being that The Church sounded the best, but were robbed in time, and whilst all bands played well, the sound quality sucked mightily. Whilst thoroughly enjoying the music of all three bands, my ideological preference is towards Devo who understand Yeats' classic line Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold. In other reviews, have written up a review of GURPS third edition, revised, currently on RPG Review and will be on RPG.net soon. It's somewhat odd given that I've written over one hundred RPG reviews that it's not until now that I have written one of what is my "default" game in many circumstances. Apropos, thoroughly enjoyed flavorwire's recollection of the disturbing original fairy tales. Also, have slightly expanded my review of Hannah Arendt's The Human Condition.

In other matters over the past few days, ran Pendragon on Thursday where the PCs engaged in the Battle of the Plains of Joy and its aftermath, concluding the Fisher King story. Following this will that peculiar expansionist part of the Arthurian legend where, in some versions, he even takes over Rome, which associate with Carausius. On Saturday visited Brendan E., and watched several more episodes of Archer (good collation of the best from the first six episodes on Youtube. Attended St. Michael's on Sunday where Francis McNab spoke about a particular word from his very modern theological perspective. Afterwards convened the Unitarian Philosophy Forum where Dean Edwards spoke on Sexuality and Philosophy; the discussion followed an anthropological and historical review and was going well, although it went a little awry at the end when a homophobic comment was made.

Comments

[fluffyblanket.livejournal.com]

How did you originally discover all these socities? Is Australia uniquely blessed or do their equivalents exist elsewhere, I wonder ? In London I attended meetings of World Congress of Faiths ,the Federation of Anarcho-Pacifists and the Esperantists and here in Spain the equivalent of the WCF , but never anything as esoteric as you enjoy .

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

And there you go, naming groups which are far more esoteric than any of those that I visit :)

[fluffyblanket.livejournal.com]

I'm really glad to have you as a friend because you are so reponsive ! Most of my LJ friends very seldom , if ever , reply to my junk . I still think LiveJournal is light years ahead of the rest of the pack,however. I was just checking up at the LJ Anarchist communities ,of which I am a member but NEVER recive any postings , when I discovered that you are moderator of the active one . How do i receive entries from them ?

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Hmm... You should receive any responses by email; however I believe that's governed by your own settings. I must confess I haven't looked into this for a while myself.

Also, I think it's about time that community had a few more articles and discussions. It's been quiet for a very long time!

Yes, I agree with you with regards to LJ still being the best technically of social media technologies. It's a little thin on the ground with regards to regular participants however.

Oh well, the more active we are, the more people who will participate..

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

I've been speaking about Eureka with my dad this week. It's always been part of our family myth because the first of our clan to arrive on these shores was there. As a History teacher I think it is a much greater national myth than either Gallipoli or Kokoda. It stands for something, as opposed to being in opposition to something and it was our fight, not someone else's.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

One of the points that the good Dr. Toscano keeps pointing out is the flow-on effects from the Eureka battle which impressed itself in both the national consciousness and indeed legislation.

I found myself wondering whether the inclusion of the southern cross on the Australian flag at federations was in any way inspired by Eureka.

[anfalicious.livejournal.com]

The flag had to have the southern cross in it, which is interesting. Not sure if that requirement comes from Eureka, but it's possible.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Well, given that there were five people who won the prize for the design of the flag (they all had similar entries), it seems likely that Eureka was in the mind of at least one of them..

[quirkyslut.livejournal.com]

It's always amused me (in a dark sort of way) that the place where the flag was first flown and the oath was first sworn is now occupied by a McDonalds.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Well, along with several other businesses and a small park and flagpole. But yes, McDonalds prime business is real estate.

[laura-seabrook.livejournal.com]

Have always wondered about the absence of any Chinese in that rebellion.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Now I did as well, but over dinner I spoke to a local historian and told me what is apparently a glaringly obvious possibility; there wasn't any Chinese at Eureka, because they hadn't yet arrived in Ballarat in large numbers (Bendigo was a different story apparently, and a variant of the Eureka flag flew in New South Wales).

According to one tract there were approximately 2000 Chinese in Victoria in early 1854, of which a number would have had to been at Ballarat (the Ballarat Chinese population apparently grew to around 10,000 by the mid-1850s). Despite their absence at the Stockade itself, it is noteworthy that the movement never raised any anti-Chinese demands., even though in the Royal Commission that followed anti-Chinese sentiments were incorporated.

[blind-sublime.livejournal.com]

Nice to see you Friday night. Geez I was disappointed.. still am :/

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Indeed it was good to have an encounter with a familiar face.

Interestingly from the FB material I've read, it seems to be a universal opinion that The Church were the only band that sounded good on the night...

[blind-sublime.livejournal.com]

Devo were good at times, but there were some high pitched noise disasters at times.
Oh well, next is Peter Murphy :)