Three of my favourite magazines

Dorit Elisha

Yesterday, I received a copy of a new book written and illustrated by my friend, Dorit Elisha. Dorit is a mixed media artist. I met Dorit on a great Yahoo group called UKPaper Arts. I joined the group while I was living in Israel. It transpired that Dorit actually grew up in the city where I was based - Haifa. However, she has lived in the USA since 1988. Dorit visited Haifa a couple of times during the time that we lived there. Her parents operated a busy photographic supplies shop in the downtown Hadar area of Haifa. We had visited the shop many times before Dorit made contact via the Paper Arts Group - so it was a wonderful coincidence to connect with Dorit and make the connection with her parents. I like her work very much so it was a delight to receive a copy of her book.
Dorit's website is : www.doritelisha.com

Prayer for the Baha'is arrested in Iran

Iron Man

Rescue Dawn

Happy birthday godmother Meg!

Today is another happy birthday for Noel's god mother Meg Howard. She lives in Victoria and we were able to spend a few hours with her when we recently visited Melbourne.

Then She Found Me

National Baha'i Convention

Waru o Noema Panapa and Michael Day

J. Jannu, Trish Jannu, Judy Navidi, Edward

Betsy Dere and Safoura Chittleborough

Michael Day and Kevin Habibi

Edward, Kevin and Michael

David Bailey and Erica Davidson

Edward with Paula Fotopoulos

Edward with Judy Hassall

Edward with Astrid Stark

Edward, Astrid Stark and Peter Rose

I attended the Australian National Baha'i Convention that was held at the Sydney Baha'i Centre over the weekend. I met many friends from around the country, some of whom I had not seen for several years.

LARS AND THE REAL GIRL

Circular Quay, the Bridge and the Opera House

In between movies at Opera Quays I went for a walk to the Opera House, and although the light was fading, I decided to take a few photos.

Un secret.

The work of Fiona Hall

Holdfast (macrocystis angustifolia/giant kelp) 2007 tin, aluminium

This morning, my first stop was a visit to the Museum of Contemporary Art down at Circular Quay. It is one of my favourite Galleries. The main focus of my visit today was the work of one of my favourite artists - Fiona Hall. It was a wonderful exhibition - a survey of her work that featured some of her photography, sculpture, installation and video works from the 1970s to the present day. Although Hall was born in Sydney in 1953, she is currently based in Adelaide.

Quoting from the MCA booklet of events and exhibitions - "... Hall's art reflects a sustained fascination with the wonders of nature and in recent years has shown an increasing concern at the impact of humans on it. Her work draws upon fields as disparate as literature, politics, finance, science,media, sexuality and gardening. Seductive to the eye and challenging to the mind, Hall transforms everyday materials into complex and allusive art works."

Gone Baby Gone

I meet Angela for coffee at the QVB

I arranged to meet Angela Thomas for coffee at the Queen Victoria Building. I had not seen her for about 3 years so it was great that she could spare some time out of her busy lecturing schedule. It was also exciting to learn of the success of her recently published book - 'Youth Online: Identity and Literacy in the Digital Age'.

World Press Photo 08

I spent an hour visiting the World Press Photo 08 Exhibition at the State Library of NSW in Macquarie Street. It is an excellent exhibition of what is considered to be examples of the world's best photojournalism.

The Domain

After lunch at the Art Gallery, I walked across the Domain towards the city. It is always a very busy place during lunch time, as city workers go for a run, play football, or just enjoy sitting on the grass to eat their lunch in the sunshine.

Bill Viola at the Art Gallery of NSW

Heading towards the entrance of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

This morning I took the bus and train into the city and my first stop was at the Art Gallery of NSW where I particularly enjoyed a video by Bill Viola which he created as part of 'The Tristan Project'. He is a pioneer in the medium of video art and he is internationally recognised as one of today's leading artists.

Visiting Aunt Marion in Sydney

I have arrived in Sydney and I am staying with my aunt, Marion Hyland and my cousin, Suzanne. I always enjoy my visits with Marion and Suzanne.

Laser show and the Shrine of the Bab on Mount Carmel

Our friend Daniel Price sent some photos of the recent laser show that was held to celebrate Israel's 60th Anniversary. They are spectacular images of the Shrine of the Bab on Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel where the Baha'i World Centre is located. Noel and I lived across the street from the Shrine for 7 years.

Gallagher's Tepee at Lilydale

Today we visited our friends, the Gallagher's who have a property at Lilydale. It was a Baha'i Feast day and today we celebrated the Feast of Grandeur. Afterwards we went for a walk across their yard to visit the beautiful Tepee that they have constructed. From the site of the tepee there are delightful views across the rolling hills of pastures and bushland of Lilydale.

Fears for Baha'is arrested in "sinister" dawn raids

SYDNEY, 15 May 2008

The Australian Baha’i community has expressed its alarm about the arrests in Iran yesterday of six key Baha’is who coordinate the activities of the Baha’i community in that country.

The arrests are yet another indication of the Iranian government's determination to extinguish the 300,000 strong Baha'i community there, said a spokesperson for the Australian Baha’i Community, Natalie Mobini-Kesheh.

Dr Mobini-Kesheh said officers of the Intelligence Ministry arrested the Baha’is after conducting extensive searches of their homes in early morning raids on 14 May 2008.

The officers then took the Baha’is to the notorious Evin prison in Tehran. The seventh member of the group has been in prison in Mashhad since she was arrested on 5 March 2008.

“We are extremely concerned because such sweeping arrests of key Baha’i figures in Iran have not occurred since the terrible events of the early 1980s,” Dr Mobini-Kesheh said.

Abductions and executions

On 21 August 1980 all nine members of the national Baha’i administrative council in Iran were abducted and disappeared without a trace.

On 27 December 1981 eight of the nine members of a reconstituted council were executed by the authorities.

Dr Mobini-Kesheh said the Baha’i community of Iran was a demonstrably peace-loving, law abiding and non-violent community.

“The Baha’is are Iran’s biggest religious minority and have now been made more vulnerable through this wholly unwarranted action,” she said.

Those arrested are:

• Mrs Fariba Kamalabadi
• Mr Jamalu'd-Din Khanjani
• Mr 'Afif Na'imi
• Mr Sa'id Rida'i
• Mr Bihruz Tavakkuli
• Mr Vahid Tizfahm.
  

“The Australian Baha’i community today asked the Australian Government to take steps to protest against this sinister action of the Iranian authorities,” Dr Mobini-Kesheh said.

“We are very grateful to the Australian Government for its efforts in the past in defence of the human rights of the unjustly treated Baha’i community in Iran.”

Read the report from the Baha'i World News Service

Background information on the persecution of Baha'is in Iran

Dog, Cat, and Rat

Our dear friend Pat Yackanich who lives in Hammond, Indiana sent me the link for this amazing video. This is a video of one of the homeless in Santa Barbara and his pets. They work State Street every week for donations. The animals are pretty well fed and are mellow. They are a family. The man who owns them rigged a harness up for his cat so she wouldn't have to walk so much (like the dog and himself). At some juncture, the rat came along, and because no one wanted to eat anyone else, the rat started riding with the cat and often, on the cat. The dog will stand all day and let you talk to him and admire him for a few chin scratches. The mayor of Santa Barbara filmed this clip and sent it out as a Christmas card.

The Black Balloon - Trailer

Some family snaps

Hespa, Noel, Caleb and Zachary

Edward, Hespa, Caleb and Zachary

Noel, Hespa, Caleb, Zachary and Sarah

Caleb and Hespa came to Zach and Sarah's for a short visit, so I took the opportunity to take some family photos from Zach and Sarah's deck.

Farmer's Market at Collingwood Children's Farm

This morning, Zachary and Sarah decided to visit the Farmer's Market at Collingwood. They invited us to go along too. It was a beautiful morning to enjoy a stroll around the various stalls. We also enjoyed looking at the poultry in the Collingwood Children's Farm.

Country Life for City Folk

Only 5km from the centre of Melbourne, nestled on a bend of the Yarra River lies seven hectares of paddocks, gardens, orchards, rustic buildings and shady trees.

Established in 1979 the Collingwood Children's Farm is a not-for-profit community resource providing country experiences for city people.

Open every day of the year. Visitors can milk the cow at 10am and 4pm, bottle feed young lambs (seasonal), wander around, feed the animals, help with farm chores, go into the paddocks with the sheep and goats, cuddle a guinea pig, waddle with the ducks, feed the chooks, look for eggs or just sit and unwind under a shady tree or on the banks of the Yarra river.