Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

Best wishes for 2011

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Some people grow old, I would also like to grow wise.

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  4. Ron Pike says

    Happy New Year Jennifer.

    We gain comfort and support from those who agree with us, but as long as we keep an open mind we gain wisdom from those who do not.
    Pikey.

    WISDOM.

    All growth is a spontaneous leap in the dark;
    An unpremeditated act, sometimes for a lark.
    Fearlessly let intuition be your guide.
    Develop the strength to swim ‘gainst the tide.
    For courage like muscle is strengthened by use.
    Be not subdued by others verbal abuse.
    Skeptical searching is the path to being wise,
    Mind always open and so to our eyes,
    To history and science and so to subsume,
    The nurturing of thoughts and never assume,
    That personal beliefs are so sacrosanct.
    That wisdom and truth are somehow outranked.

    Pikey.

  6. el gordo says

    If this winter in the UK is the coldest since 1683, the authorities will have to admit it’s climate, but I don’t support the notion that its ‘close to being the chilliest in nearly 1,000 years.’ Pure tabloid.

  7. val majkus says

    Great words Ron “We gain comfort and support from those who agree with us, but as long as we keep an open mind we gain wisdom from those who do not.”

    And happy New Year Year to all and especially in this time the flood victims

  8. Debbie says

    Happy New Year to you Jen,
    It is encouraging to know that there are people like you in the world who are prepared to speak up and ask serious and well informed questions about popular beliefs.
    Thankyou for everything you have done in 2010 and all the best for 2011.
    Let’s hope the tide is turning now that “Mother Nature” has decidied to wiegh in on the debate in a big way.

  9. Jennifer Marohasy says

    Thanks everyone.

    And Ron Pike – for your poem.

    But Pikey you write:
    “Fearlessly let intuition be your guide.” and then a bit later
    “That personal beliefs are so sacrosanct.”

    How often is intuition guided by personal beliefs?

    Best, Jen

  10. Ron Pike says

    Hi Jennifer,
    Are you affected by the floods up there?
    Intuition is usually guided by personal beliefs but should be motivated by a desire of the heart.
    However what I say in the poem is:
    “never assume, that personal beliefs are so sacroscant,
    that wisdom and truth are somehow outranked.”
    What I am saying is that constantly throughout life we have to be prepared to temper or change our beliefs in light of new information or changing circumstances.
    We always need to have a question mark against all that we take for granted.
    The basic test if intellegence is the ability to sceptically question all and adapt to the emerging truth and changing circumstances.
    We all learn more from our own mistakes than we do from the mistakes of others.
    It is only from our mistakes and the acceptance of change that wisdom is developed.
    Enough philosophy for day one of 2011.
    All the best.
    Pikey.

  11. Avatar photojennifer says

    Ron,

    The Fitzroy has been racing for weeks now. Might peak Tuesday, sooner or later the road will be cut from the south.

    No flooding where I am living – about 30km north of the where the Fitzroy enters Keppel Bay and about 40 kms east of Rockhampton city. Its a nice spot with a view to Great Keppel Island.

    The shelves at the local Foodworks have been emptying. Milk is being rationed. But hey, the worst might be black tea with cold ham – most of the large Christmas ham is still in the fridge. And I still have a stash of chocolate.

    Food might be barged in through Rossyln Bay.

    When I lived in Toliara, SW Madagscar, through the late 1980s, there was rarely any fresh milk… a zebu was killed each morning and cuts of meat available if you got to market earlier enough, and if it was a good day there was fish in the market in the late afternoon. There were often rice shorages but I always had a good stash. I only ever used to become anxious when my supply of cartoons of imported cigarettes dwindled… sourced from South African tugs that occassionally docked at the local port. I’ve since given up smoking. 🙂

    best wishes,

  12. spangled drongo says

    Jen,

    That’s a great spot looking out on Keppel Bay. I recall that before Rosslyn Bay was dredged and improved it was a difficult anchorage. But great sailing out to all those islands and coral reefs.
    My grandfather had a bit of success with a gold mine there at Cawarral a long time ago.
    Land of adventure and oportunity!
    But we’ll soon be hearing how the reef’s all dying again as a result of the big run-of, not to mention Coral Sea temps rising and bleaching the coral.
    Interesting that the Coral Sea lost the tug-of-war with the Arafura Sea and the cyclone went west again.

  18. Jennifer Marohasy says

    Spangled,
    Correction, I’m looking out at Keppel Island – not Keppel Bay. The bay is further south.

  19. Schiller Thurkettle says

    I would posit that intuition is guided by ‘implicit’ personal beliefs, in contrast with deduction, which is guided by explicit knowledge.

    Oh, and also, that lack of vigor is all too often mistaken for maturity.