Dalai Lama speaks out on 'hell on earth' (frontpage of today's AGE)

Tibetan life 'hell on earth'
Matt Wade, Dharamsala
March 11, 2009

HALF a century after being forced into exile, the Dalai Lama has cast aside his conciliatory "middle way" approach to China and accused the communist Government of putting his people through "hell on earth".

In remarks certain to infuriate an already hostile Beijing, the Tibetan spiritual leader accused Beijing of "repressive and violent campaigns" that had killed hundreds of thousands of Tibetans and destroyed the region's cultural and natural heritage.

"These 50 years have brought untold suffering and destruction to the land and the people of Tibet," he said.

The Dalai Lama said that over five decades Tibetans had been thrust into such hardship that "they literally experienced hell on earth". He warned that Tibet's religion, culture, language and identity was "nearing extinction"...

(click here for this article at THE AGE)

Media seeks end to Tibet harassment
Beijing
March 11, 2009

MEDIA and rights groups have called on China to end harassment of the press, after more than a dozen foreign reporters were detained or stopped while trying to cover events surrounding tense Tibet.

"These detentions must stop," said Jonathan Watts, head of the Foreign Correspondents Club of China. "By locking up and blocking reporters, the security forces raise suspicions about their actions...

(click here for this article at THE AGE)

Anniversary Prayer

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Backgrounder: Basic facts about Tibet
Special Report: Focus on Tibet
2009-03-09 14:42:10

LHASA, March 9 (Xinhua) -- This year is the 50th anniversary of the Tibet's Democratic Reform. In 1959, Tibetan serfs and slaves, who accounted for more than 90 percent of the region's population, were freed after the central government foiled an armed rebellion staged by the Dalai Lama and his supporters. Here are some key facts and figures about Tibet...

(click for more from China View)

China on alert as Tibetans set to mark uprising
Karl Malakunas,
Beijing March 9, 2009

CHINESE authorities have imposed a security lockdown in Tibet as the Himalayan region this week marks the 50th anniversary of a failed uprising that sent the Dalai Lama into exile.

Beijing is desperate to prevent protests by monks and nomads after violent unrest last year embarrassed the leadership just ahead of the Olympics in the Chinese capital.

The Dalai Lama has called on his Buddhist followers to remain true to his non-violent cause, while also warning that worsening Chinese repression could provoke further confrontations...

(click for more from The Age)

It's happening again

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You were looking at a drawing :
a woman lying unconscious on the floor between two televisions.

Slowly she raises herself
sits up
revives.

She is trying to tell us something.

She switches ON one of the projection-spaces :

It's happening again.

WFMU (click here)

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Production crew at bLOGOS/HA HA listen to wfmu
and to it's many years of program audio archives.

Favorite programs include
Stochastic Hit Parade with Bethany Ryker (click here)
and Kenny G (click here)

Kenny G is wfmu's court jester. He (Kenneth Goldsmith) is also
the founder of UbuWeb, another great heap/archive/resource
much appreciated at bLOGOS/HA HA

If you haven't checked out UbuWeb, do yourself a favour (click here).

Illuminated Shroud : The Viewing

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A beautiful sight

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This photo of last week's Musk Vale fire was taken by local resident Pete Woods. Daylesford township is in the foreground, the fire is five kilometres south.



Perhaps the detail below will provide a better sense of scale in the image above : the old chimney (visible in both images) is in the grounds of the Daylesford Museum, home and archive of the Daylesford and District Historical Society. The Post Office is on one side, the Primary School on the other.



Yesterday all Victoria was on emergency alert with Fire Danger Index ratings off the scale, many times the 'extreme' index number. We were warned that strong north winds would blow all day, with gusts up to 12okm/hour, to be followed by a dangerous SW change late in the day. The winds did get to 12okm, and did blow all day, but by good fortune and great management the major fires still alight since Black Saturday were held and the few new starts were stopped.

Today is cool and there has been some rain. C and J and Susie the dog have returned from their third evacuation in two weeks. There is much general relief. Tonight, at the Daylesford Town Hall, I'll attend my seventh fire safety meeting since February 7.

The caption to this post refers to the beautiful sight two days ago of a team of Canberra firefighters (below) on the road opposite our overgrown gully - yes, we've been lobbying for more than ten years! - as they took up a waiting position to the north of Hepburn Springs. Big thanks, guys! The same to all the crews we've seen around town over the past week. Seeing one from Wallan, for instance, I realised that crew have probably been in the thick of their own massive fire for the last three weeks.

3 Mar 2009 ... The Kilmore East - Murrindindi Complex North fire is still going and is currently about 165,000 ha in size. The weather forecast for today is ...

The best sight of all was my brother 'Red' at the door yesterday morning. He'd come from Bendigo (where 50+ houses were lost on Black Sat) to face the day's potential with me. He ain't heavy!

Act & Re-Act

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Theatre of the Actors of Looking is proud to present Madame Marie Curie as the Actor of Looking.

Theatre of the Actors of Looking is also proud to present Master Junior's "meta-Act after Madame Marie Curie: Actor of Looking".

THANK YOU

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Victoria's savage fire season continues. Five days ago it visited upon this district too, with an outbreak at Musk Vale, 5 kilometres south of Daylesford. This grab from The (Ballarat) Courier shows the initial plume as it rose over Daylesford's former projection-house, The Rex.


In a few hours it grew to more than 2000 hectares. Only by the Herculean effort of the many teams of firefighters, including aerial water bombers and fixed wing spotters, plus a great number of support bodies, was the fire officially contained before the predicted return today of another peak weather event.

It is now Friday night. Five days of 24 hour-a-day preparations have proven successful: so far today there have been no breakouts from any of the ongoing fires. The photos below show the window display of the Daylesford Pharmacy (to the left of the NewsAgency shown above) and the all encompassing THANK YOU that so many, including yours truly, very gratefully endorse.

HOW TO...

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Today, a bLOGOS/HA HA special!
to inaugurate our new HOW TO... category.



Next time, .HOW TO... Build a Billboard