Omar Khayyam - An Outstanding Philosopher Poet

My son gave me a copy of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam for my birthday via his mother when he was about 18 months old. That was nearly 50 years ago.

In all the years since, I have read hundreds of other philosophical texts, poems etc, and I always return to Omar's work in times when I need to reflect a little.

There are some favourite passages I like because of the stark reality of what Omar says. One is displayed above.

Even as long ago as Omar lived, humankind was trying to deal with the big issues of whether there are gods, lives after death, and a cornucopia of saviours who had been mentioned throughout history. Protagonists whom the late Joseph Campbell referred to in his title: "The Hero with a Thousand Faces." 

Well before Christianity he said, there were dozens of religions that spoke about prophets and heroes who reincarnated to help them solve their problems. They came and went at the same speed as human imagination.

Given the state of our world today, we could certainly do with a contemporary saviour to resolve our thousands of challenges.

Anyway, I hope you like Omar's opinion above. I do.

#Robinoz

A change is as good as a ...

 

A common expression is that a "change is as good as a holiday."

That's obviously not the case when a corporation/institution changes its badging, logo and everything associated with it.

Generally it costs a lot of money to rebadge an organisation. Business cards, stationery, promotional media, internet sites, documentation, signage, clothing, and much more have to be realigned to reflect the new image.

When I first studied at the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ), it was called the Darling Downs Institute of Advanced Education (DDIAE). That was in the late 70s. Later, it became the UniSQ and in the late 90s I completed a Master's degree online as a part-time, external student.

As my degree majored in educational technology, much of my studies had to do with internet design, audio-visual production, computer-aided instruction, and associated topics, so doing it online was perfect.

Back in the days of the DDIAE, it was one of Australia's most recognised distance education universities. In those days, there was no internet available and all external study media arrived in the mail. It was always on time, a week or so before commencement of a semester. It was always excellent quality and the system worked like a medium-priced Swiss watch.

You did the reading, wrote assignments and posted them to your lecturer who responded in due course with your grade and commentary about your work.

Nowadays, much is delivered online and face-to-face if you are lucky enough to be able to attend in person.

I have many fond memories of my days studying with the DDIAE/UniSQ (and two other universities).

The new logo represents a pine cone, very common in Queensland and it's a pleasant change from the now retired coat of arms style logo that preceded it.

Long live the UniSQ.

#Robinoz

The Wonders of YouTube

Part of the craft retreat

I spend more time on YouTube than on any other form of streaming or free-to-air television.

TV has become boring. Apart from the news, which is sometimes depressing. How many fires, stolen cars, and idiots crashing into houses, trees and shops do we need to hear about? 

Then there are the "reality" shows or cooking shows. Half of the decent movies that are advertised I've seen once or twice before. All the repeats are uninteresting.

My beloved wife likes to watch NCIS, a bullshit show about the Navy Criminal Investigation Service that seems to get involved in resolving some of the major terrorist issues in the United States. I must admit to watching the show occasionally and finding several of the characters interesting.

If I'm truthful, NCIS is perhaps my current favourite when I tire of watching something on YouTube. Although, it's usually late at night and I manage to drift off to sleep.

Oh, and I do have to admit watching Home and Away from 7 pm to 7:30 pm Monday through Wednesday and 7 pm to 8:30 pm on Thursdays. Much more interesting that football or The Block.

After Home and Away, I retire to my wife's chock-full craft retreat wherein we have a second television. I switch on YouTube. 

What do I watch?

Usually, I take in a few SkyNews items to keep abreast of the day's stupidity or reality and then branch off into a whole range of different topics. I've even been following a course on typography by a lovely lady called Hope Armstrong.

My teaching and instructional design career took me into the typography and design fields and this is like a revision. As Hope mentions terms, I realise I knew them a decade or two ago and suddenly it all comes back. Memory is a wonderful thing; facts lie dormant for years and pop out when you need them. Kerning? Leading? Yes, I recall what they are.

I watch Every Day Carry shows, UFO, Extraterrestrial, Medical, Health, Food, Ancient Technology, and DIY Carpentry shows, most recently by the amazing Anika who produces a range of excellent wooden products as well as being an electrical engineer. 

I'm a watch fan too, so I spend some time watching reviews of nice watches, most of which I either cannot afford or don't need. How many watches does someone with two wrists really need?

What I like is that one can flip from one show to another and there is such a huge variety.

For many years - decades - my evenings were filled with study and university assignments, marking student papers, lesson preparation, media creation. But since 2012 I've been retired and free to do what I like when I like. It's wonderful.

Anyway, I've go to go now and watch a little bit more of Hope Armstrong's Typography Course.

Let me know what you are watching on YouTube?

#Robinoz

Who'd be a farmer?

Who'd be a farmer? Good question.

It's either fire, rain, drought, disease, fertiliser shortages, or over-under supply that impacts on those people who, working long days against great odds, feed us.

Where I live, there are 72 vineyards - or more and the owners with whom I speak tell me they either aren't getting enough rain, they're getting too much rain or the amount they are getting or not getting is at the wrong time.

Nature has a way of doing its own thing.

Now, I read that the government of our neighbours in New Zealand is implementing some kind of carbon tax on sheep and cattle. Can you believe that? What next, a fart tax on human beings?

It's all mindless, Leftist nonsense. There is no climate emergency, despite the South Australian Government declaring one. C02 isn't a deadly gas. Australian and New Zealand C02 emissions, even if they were a problem - and they're not, are miniscule compared with those of China and India, both countries of which are increasing their coal-fired power station capacity.

Fossil fuels are back in vogue since anyone over 10 years old knows that so-called renewables are unreliable and inefficient at the times when they are needed most. It's a failed experiment.

In Australia, after years of uranium being banned because of the Greens/Left policies, they are now talking about installing nuclear, the only emissions-free power generation tool other tha hydro. 

This won't make much difference to farmers who have other problems on top of high energy costs.

If farmers leave the fields, we will suffer even more food shortages than we are now, so it's in our best interests to ensure farmers survive.

#Robinoz