Monday, September 30, 2013

We really need to know who we are.

We need to know the truth of our divinity  because knowing who we are is important to how we see ourselves on the earth plane while we are here.   We are hear as beings of light slowed down to a solid by gravity and magnetism to a solid earth being.  The Atum is shining on us now.


This truth of our divinity was taken from us with violence and torture and hoarded in a strong hold to the anti Christ establishment otherwise known as the Vatican.   They sold us a lie of death and hell.

The crusades were nothing more than an excuse to pillage and plunder all civilizations of this knowledge so it could be kept for themselves at the expense of the masses who they enslaved into bondage to serve only them.


They murdered almost a million Cathars and stole all of their sacred Holy texts.  They called them heretics and sentenced them to the most painful deaths.  Now all we have left are remnants of these ancient texts that survived destruction and the rest was stolen by the anti-Christ Catholics to be put together in a twisted version of scripture which they then used to lull the herd into a false belief of themselves and the reality in which they exist.


Their agenda is to keep us in bondage to the physical plane  so we cannot move into our ethereal body. They do this by giving us a perception of limit and lack about ourselves. We are told that we are beings who are finite and that we will die and we will go to heaven if we are on our knees to them or we will burn in hell to burn in Eternity, and even worse still some have gone down the more foolish path of thinking there is no higher God consciousness and they are not accountable for anything they do.











The truth is we are all immortal but as with everything it comes at a price and we must be worthy of that immortality and  we have accountability for our gift of life and this is how the universe sees our expression of soul.  The truth is that we really do need to be a good soul and we need to have lived an honest life with good intent towards all fellow man and creatures then your immortality will be assured. 

Images @ Eminpee Fotography
Enhanced by Zemanta

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Abbott Government tries to shut us down!

The Abbott government wants to make boycotts and any sort of protest action an illegal act, criminalizing our attempts to bring justice and education to the general public and to crush our ability to hold corporations to account when and where  they jeopardize our health and or our environment.

IMG  GLENUGIE BLOCKADE
Police working for Mining Companies not protecting the people. Protecting large corporations.

Sign the petition now to tell the Australian government not to criminalize consumer boycotts.


Under the proposed law, it would be illegal to call on another individual or company to boycott a product because it was unsafe or destroying the environment. Landmark campaigns like those that have saved Tasmania's forests and challenged live animal exports would suddenly be illegal.  Residents groups have been billed for protest actions that have held up productivity with mining companies.  This was eventually thrown out in the Environmental Courts.  This is why they want to change these laws now.

It's explicitly designed to silence groups like Greenpeace and SumOfUs , and any Protector based groups with the environment and peoples health as their priority.  Liberal Senator Richard Colbeck went on record to say that he is "very concerned" about what environmental groups were doing, and that he wants to stop them.

The head of a forest industry association even said the new law was needed to stop "market sabotage" by environmental groups like us.

We can't let this attack on free speech and environmental protection go unchallenged. Senator Colbeck hasn't committed to the new law yet -- he's testing the waters to see what reaction he gets. Let's come together now to demand the Abbott government drops this crazy assault on our rights.

Companies to get protection from activists' boycotts, From The Australian, 23 September 2013

IMG  GLENUGIE BLOCKADE
CONSERVATION groups seeking boycotts of products linked to alleged poor environmental practices may soon be liable for prosecution under consumer law.

The move, which could severely hamper market-based campaigns by groups such as Markets for Change and GetUp!, is to be pursued by the Abbott government.
 Parliamentary secretary for agriculture Richard Colbeck told The Australian the move would prevent green groups from holding companies to ransom in their markets.

Monsanto March in Bellingen Photo by Solveig Larsen
"We'll be looking at the way some of the environmental groups work because we are very concerned about some of the activities they conduct in the markets," Senator Colbeck said. "They have exemptions for secondary boycott activities under the Consumer and Competition Act. We are going to have a complete review of the act.
"And one of the things I'd be looking at would be to bring a level playing field back so that environment groups are required to comply with the same requirements as business and industry."
The move has strong backing within the Liberal and Nationals parties, as well as among sections of the ALP, concerned about groups targeting the customers of timber and agricultural products in campaigns against old-growth logging and live-animal exports.
Section 45D of the act prevents action to hinder or prevent a third person supplying goods to, or buying them from, another person. The law restrains business from unfair dealings and trade unions from dragging third parties into industrial disputes via sympathy strikes or trade boycotts. However, section 45DA exempts people from the secondary boycott provisions if their actions are "substantially related to environmental or consumer protection".

The timber industry has long complained about green groups organizing boycotts and campaigns to pressure their customers not to accept products sourced from so-called high-conservation-value forests. The tactic has been used successfully in Australia and in Japan to pressure timber companies such as Gunns and Ta Ann to shift out of contentious forest areas and to adopt top-flight green certification.
Senator Colbeck also told The Australian the Coalition would push ahead with its policy to ask UNESCO's World Heritage Committee to rescind the recent Gillard government listing of an additional 100,000ha of Tasmania's forests. "That was our commitment to the Tasmanian people and we intend to carry through with our commitments," he said.
"So we will sit down with our departments and work through processes, as far as that is concerned, and look to see how we go about doing it."
He was not swayed by calls from the timber industry - including the CFMEU forest union, Ta Ann and the Forest Industries Association of Tasmania - for the policy to be scrapped because it would jeopardize environmentalists' support for the sector.
The Tasmanian Forest Agreement - a landmark peace deal three years in the making - has seen the peak green groups join industry on joint trade missions to win back markets lost during the so-called forest wars. However, signatories to the deal fear seeking to unwind the World Heritage listing at the heart of the agreement would destroy it.
Images @ Eminpee Fotography

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Woop Woop March arrives in Ebor NSW on route to Canberra

Here in Australia we have a saying: " When the going gets tough, the tough get going!  This is what is unfolding as the Franklin Horses ride to the nations capital to tell the politicians who are so unconnected to the people that we have a crisis on our hands and it needs to be addressed.

IMG 4147 Ebor Camp Woop Woop
Franklin Horses having breakfast in Ebor NSW

Largely we are fighting governments and wealthy mining magnates with an agenda of greed.  This is becoming more evident on a daily basis as word of toxic spills  and poor mining practices are swept under the carpet so that the general public are kept unaware of the truth.

We have a government who will bend over for every mining company and let them have their way with the people and the peoples combined wealth that is common.  We live in a commonwealth commonwealth.  There is no COMMON WEALTH, they are just words to make it sound pretty.  The common wealth of "greed mongers international" would be a closer description.

The Franklin crew are ordinary Australians who are so fed up with this they are making a statement regarding this to the country.  Why the mainstream media isn't picking up on this more is a great analogy of real news in this country.  We are told what they want us to know and this story is proof without a shadow of a doubt.  The Franklins Ride should be pictured on the news nightly!  Instead I would say hardly anyone unless you are direct friends with people who know will not know a thing that is going on.

If you read this support them where ever and however you can as this is the ride for all of our lives and this is real and there is clear and present danger to be concerned with.

Images @ Eminpee Fotography
Enhanced by Zemanta

Friday, September 27, 2013

On this day in history: first picture of a tornado in Australia - Australian Geographic

On this day in history: first picture of a tornado in Australia - Australian Geographic

This 1911 picture is believed to be the oldest one of a tornado in Australia. (Credit: Museum Victoria)
MR C. HOSKEN JUST happened to be in his backyard with a camera when a large tornado tore through the town of Marong, central Victoria, on the 27 September 1911.

As the tornado approached his property from the northwest, he began taking photographs. These images are believed to be the earliest photographic records of a tornado in Australia.

"It's almost unbelievable that in 1911 someone had a camera there...and this thing touched down virtually in his back yard," says Clyve Herbert, an avid tornado researcher from Melbourne Storm Chasers.
"I've searched for years and I've never found a photograph of a tornado in Australia as early as that."

A trail of tornado devastation

The storm lasted no more than half an hour. By the time the tornado had passed through Marong, and the thunder and falling hailstones had stopped, one person was dead and dozens more injured. In the nearby outback town of Lockwood, every building was levelled, trees were stripped of their bark, and hundreds of metres of fencing was carried away.

These scenes were also captured on film by Hosken, providing lasting evidence of the scale of damage.
"They found a six-tonne gold crushing machine carried three to four miles into the forest, which gives you some idea of the strength of [the tornado]," Clyve says. "There are not a lot of entries about how many were injured in Lockwood, but the entire town was almost obliterated."

At the time, the Bureau of Meteorology called the Marong Tornado one of the most violent and destructive events in Australia's meteorological history.


The Ballarat tornado of 2007 was one of several large storms to hit the "tornado triangle" in recent years. (Credit: Clyve Herbert)

Tornado rating scale

The Fujita Scale - which rates a tornado between F0 and F5, depending on intensity and destruction - wasn't around in 1911, but Clyve says Hosken's photographs, and a 1911 BOM report, suggest it may have been F3. This same rating was given to the 1976 Sandon Tornado, which touched down a few kilometres to the south of Marong and, according to Clyve, had a similar path and lifespan.

He calls the region bounded by Daylesford, Seymour, Bendigo and Maryborough the "tornado triangle" because of the many extreme weather events that have occurred there.
Enhanced by Zemanta

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Mr Mac Far Que (Macfarlane) is absolutely see through to me and to You!

Macfarlane Sanctions Interventions  . . . Yo.. Mac .. So do we ... SO DO WE.

The Federal Government has decided to intervene in New South Wales to get  the coal seam gas industry reignited.  This is a State issue, not a  Federal  Government  issue.  This hasn't dampened the Feds push for greed and the federal resources Minister Ian Macfarlane said that he has spoken with New South Wales Premier O'Farrell at great length about the so called re-ignition of this Csg Industry.

IMG 2730 Gloucester Chill Out Festival
Litttle Suzie says No to Natural Gas from Coal Seams.

His so called brain wave idea is to form some sort of 'kangaroo committee' in the hope this will allay the fears of the people and that it  will be easier for these crooks to pool together their corrupt ideas and attempt to come up with schrewd new ways in a bid to once again out smart the general public.   These are the mum's and dad's across Australia he is trying to kid, they are the real stake holders in this dire situation.

Most of those stakeholders in communities across the state  are apposing these new moves fiercely. These are the same people who are largely ignored.  O'Farrell calls it the "Gas Challenge".   He doesn't seem to think its right for the real people to have a say, he dislikes any opposition.  He would typically be seen as having issues with control and manipulation and a side issue with forms of bullying.

During the energy summit in Sydney today, he spouted  more lies about jobs being at stake unless the opposition to this sort of mining is beaten down.  He is so worried about the opposition. 

His real problem is the "Protectors".  He knows they will not back down. Macfarlane knows it so well he has practically  owned this by saying it was his 'biggest priority' at the present moment.  

He used emotive language like 'urgent'  and the need to sort this 'quickly' and 'relevant stakeholders'.   So many more people see straight through this rubbish now and are not falling for the rhetoric that is used to induce fear in the people.

IMG 6865 Glenugie Action against Csg
Communities across Australia continue to say NO!
Farmers do not want this industry and have said a resounding no to it.   Macfarlane once again slides in a another snide remark about getting the rigs into places where farmers want this. 

He quickly added some other notions about geology and water being right to for work to go ahead.  What he does not understand is the water and the geology in all places is compromised by this type of powerful injection to create a mini earthquake deep in the ground.  It is the $2.00 shop mining, cheap and nasty!

The Federal Government's farcical kangaroo committee is supposed to consist  of farmers, gas producers, consumers and other stakeholders. These people hand picked by industry and perfectly placed to streamline decisions and paper work.  This is corruption at its most blatant, we can be assured of this. 

I am almost certain there will be the token 'aboriginal sell out' on this committee as well.  The government has become quite brazen with the use of the indigenous people in this manner to get what they want when they want it.   Its all about fast tracking the projects across N.S.W. and the rest of the country.   If they don't get caught playing dirty tricks they think it is ok.  This time though they are losing site of themselves with all of their self importance here.
"We're not stepping in over anyone. This is a co-operation between all people involved in the gas industry," Mr Macfarlane said.
Ian Macfarlane would like to see NSW turned into the mess that Queensland and the Northern Territory are in because of this filthy industry.   They have not got it right in Queensland and so this is a ludicrous proposal.  Wanting buffer zones that conform right across the country, he talks about it like its a football game and they are deciding on the rules of a game while they play on.  The serious problem here with this  analogy is there are no referee's to enforce any rules.   In football, a game can quickly turn to anarchy with out a referee to enforce the rules fairly.  They should remember this from their private school footy matches.

IMG 8274
Metgasco thinks they are on the in again.  Are they kidding?
He  called this rubbish "harmonisation".   Put simply, these are just more words  used as an attempt to fool the general public.  The protectors however are adamant and are confident this will have little benefit to the government in the long run.  The truth will continue to come to the surface one protector said.

N.S.W. Energy and Resources Minister Chris Hartcher fails miserably as usual with attempts to rally personal support for the N.S.W. Government in  this situation by playing the role of the bad guy in this.  He does this by saying he is happy to work with the Federal Government to see CSG investments in NSW but they won't be relaxing any rules for this to happen.  This is his vain attempt to look like he is standing up for the state.  He has no credibility here  and so this was taken with a grain of salt also.

The rules as he alludes to are not sufficient in the form they are in at present.   The so called buffer zones are not fool proof and are leaving many people high and dry  to getting any sort of resolution to issues that arise on or near their land.

IMG 8454
There is a need to look at this.  Need before Greed.
Tony 'the phoney' Abbott chimed in saying he hopes that N.S.W. can follow what Queensland is doing siting that the Newman Government knows what it is doing up there.  This could not be further from the truth at present with sick children and pages of unanswered questions from the communities on the ground where the gas push is happening now.   Put this together with the destruction of the Great Barrier Reef around Gladstone and the dredging of the harbor there and the bulldozing of precious sacred burial lands of the traditional peoples of that area on Curtis Island and you can clearly see they haven't got it right as he said.
Prime Minister Tony the Phoney Abbott said "There is little doubt that we have done better in Queensland. The Newman Government seems to have been very good at ensuring that land holders are reasonably content with the arrangements that have been entered into for gas extraction on their property,"
Protectors from all over Australia were present at the Energy Summit to support farmers and land holders who had not been listened to by any of the levels of government in Australia at present.  These protectors were headed up by farmer David Quince who when interviewed today spoke many home truth's about this insidious corrupt industry. 
"CSG mining will cause damage to farmers. It's not about securing gas for Australia, it's about shooting it offshore so a minority of people who will make an extreme amount of money at the detriment of a lot of other people, especially farmers," he said. 
David Quince was also quick to add that this so called committee is supposed to have farmers as representatives.  He said this was not the real case, he said real farmers had been overlooked.

IMG 9298 Call to Country
Water is woman's business and the woman are rising up all over the country
Mr Pepe Clarke  the chief executive of the Nature Conservation Council of NSW had this to add:
"This is not about gas supply for NSW, this is about accelerating the development of an export industry."
Images @ Eminpee Fotography
Enhanced by Zemanta

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

The SUPER DAIRY SALE NEEDS ATTENTION!

We really need to be proactive about this in our own area of the Bellingen Shire.  We do not need super companies coming in here to buy this.  This land is Gumbayngirii land and it should be claimed as such.

IMG 0442 The Simple Life!
COW IMPRESSION
 This used to be a lot of little dairies that were bought up by a consortium.  It is now classed as a 850 Hectare property and it is to be marketed by Colliers International.

The entire scam has already been sold into the shire by the promise of future jobs for locals.  How many times to they fall for the same story.  This was the promise when the NZ consortium first arrived also.  Did that come to fruition?  No,  it didn't.


Raleigh cows.
China has been rumoured to have been sniffing around the venture.  They usually buy farms like this to ship the produce back home.   The President of the Dairy Farmers Assoc. Mr Noel Campbell said this was unlikely to occur as most Northern New South Wales and Southern Queensland Dairies are for domestic consumption.

That begs the question of just where are these so called Chinese specific dairies at?

Mr Campbell is really trying to throw off in my opinion and lighten the shock at the end of this parade of absolute in your face "We are taking your local land and lets see you stop us", episode that is about to unfold.
I would like to see this land given back to the original peoples of this area.  After all it is their land.  It is the area they were herded to when white man came here.  This of all places is the last connection right there.

If this family has that much money couldn't they just forget about it and give it back.  After that would be fair I think.
Enhanced by Zemanta

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

FIRO-B & Belbin ... Groups and Teams and the Roles played

While I was researching group dynamics, I found this snippet. I thought to save it for its contemporary stance.  It clearly shows some of the roles people take on in most group situations. 

Pictured below is a bodgy "facebook conversation" showing thesw roles . I have  added the theory behind this further on.


FIRO-B  = Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation-Behaviour


The Trouble Maker
The Bait Taker
The Chime In
The Lazy Activist
The Bro
The Peace Maker
The Embarrassment
The Random Acquaintance
The Thoughtful One

References: The Happy Place

Today I spent all day processing my photos and catching up on a weeks worth of blogs for both this blog and Sentimental Rox. That is a lot of catching up.   I was being a good team member for myself.   As individuals we do this also, that is another subject though.

I was first exposed to "The Roles" in "Groups and Teams", as a subject I studied when doing Community Services Welfare Cert IV.  Incidentally,  I passed with a Distinction.

The personalities of team members influence their team’s effectiveness. Individuals will tend to play a role within the team,  and this will be dependent upon certain personality aspects they harbor. 

People play different roles in groups. People also play multiple roles in groups.
 
If there is some understanding of these "roles" members take on can lead to a much more satisfying and deeper understanding of team effectiveness and team development.

IMG 2748  Gloucester Chill Out Festival
Radha and Lei and Simmo at Gloucester.

Detailed from the PGA Group for Assessing & Developing People for Results
 FIRO Team Role  Description
Clarifier Presents issues or solutions for clarification, summarizes discussion, introduces new members to the team, keeps team members up to date, provides the group with facts and data.
Tension-Reducer Helps move the team along by joking or clowning at appropriate moments, redirects the group at tense moments, builds on common interests in the group.
Individualist Is not an active team player, sees meetings as unnecessary or distracting, may work on other tasks or hold side conversations during meetings, may not follow through or cooperate with group decisions.
Director Pushes for action and decision-making, may interrupt others or monopolize the ‘air-time’ in meetings, may be unrealistically optimistic about what can be accomplished.
Questioner Seeks orientation and clarification, is a constructive critic of the team and its members, may use questions to postpone closure or decisions.
Rebel Struggles to establish a position within the group, may criticize others, challenges the status quo, may refuse to comply with group decisions, provides alternative ideas but may have difficulty with follow-through.
Encourager Builds the ego or status of others, is friendly, responsive, warm, diplomatic, may sacrifice the truth to maintain good relationships.
Listener Maintains a participatory attitude and interest non verbally, is involved in group goals, shows interest by receptive facial and bodily expressions.
Cautioner Expresses concern about the direction of the group, relays doubts about the success of initiatives planned, shows reluctance to get swept up in group energy, provides careful analysis of potential problems, may play devil’s advocate.
Initiator Suggests procedures or problems as discussion topics, proposes alternative solutions, is the ‘idea person,’ actively encourages others to share in discussions.
Energizer Urges the team toward decision-making, insists on covering the agenda, prods the team to action.
Opinion-Giver States a belief or opinion on all problems and issues, offers predictions based on past experiences, works independently from the group, does not try to become part of the leader’s inner circle.
Harmonizer Agrees with the group, reconciles opposing positions, understands, complies, and accepts.
Consensus-Tester Checks for agreement, brings closure to discussions, confronts unacknowledged feelings in the group, wants to build a close-knit, powerful team.
Task-Master Tries to keep the group focused on its central purpose and required outcomes, ignores social chitchat, believes that the team members do not have to like each other to do the job, reminds the group that this is business, not a family.

IMG 2233
"The Living End's" Double Bass.
Belbin Team-Role Description
Co-ordinator
[Chairman]
Specifies controlling the way in which the team moves towards the group objectives by making the best use of team resources, recognizing where the team’s strengths and weaknesses lie, and ensuring that the best use is made of each team member’s potential.
Shaper
[Shaper]
Specifies shaping the way in which team effort is applied, directing attention generally to the setting of objectives and priorities, and seeking to impose some shape or pattern on group discussion and on the outcome of group activities.
Plant
[Plant]
Specifies advancing new ideas and strategies with special attention to major issues, and looking for possible breaks in approach to the problems which confront the team.
Implementer
[Company Worker]
Specifies turning concepts and plans into practical working procedures, and carrying out agreed plans systematically and efficiently.
Teamworker
[Team Worker]
Specifies supporting members in their strengths (e.g. building on suggestions), underpinning members in their shortcomings, improving communications between members and fostering team spirit generally.
Monitor Evaluator
[Monitor-Evaluator]
Specifies analysing problems, and evaluating ideas and suggestions so that the team is better placed to take balanced decisions.
Resource Investigator
[Resource Investigator]
Specifies exploring and reporting on ideas, developments and resources outside the group, creating external contacts that may be useful to the team and conducting any subsequent negotiations.
Completer Finisher
[Completer-Finisher]
Specifies ensuring that the team is protected as far as possible from mistakes of both commission and omission, actively searching for aspects of work which need a more than usual degree of attention, and maintaining a sense of urgency within the team.
Specialist New team-role added to the original taxonomy. The Specialist provides knowledge and skills in rare supply. Single-minded, self-starting, dedicated. Contributes only on a narrow front. Dwells on technicalities.


Task roles, maintenance roles and hindering roles are all important roles for facilitators to be aware of and recognize.

Task Roles  - By Ann Porteus
 
Task roles refer to the actions of individuals that help move the project, decision, task along.

Initiating
  • What: Proposing task or goals; defining a group problem; suggesting procedure or ideas for getting the task accomplished.

  • When: At the beginning of a meeting, when the meeting bogs down, or when the group needs direction or new direction.

  • How: Define the task; suggest a method or process for accomplishing the task; provide a structure for the meeting.
    "It seems like we are being asked to ...",
    "Does it seem like a good idea to begin by...?"
Information or Opinion Seeking
  • What: Requesting facts; seeking relevant information about a question or concern; asking for suggestions, ideas or opinions.

  • When: Problem solving, decision making, action planning, group discussion.

  • How: Ask for more facts; collect data; seek individual opinions, ideas and suggestions. "What are the likely solutions?",
    "Mary, what do you think of that idea?",
    "What else do we need to know before we can proceed?"

Clarifying 

  • What: Interpreting or reflecting ideas and suggestions; clearing up conclusions; indicating alternatives and issues before the group; giving examples, defining terms.

  • When: Any time the group discussion becomes too vague, too general or lacks focus; when a lot of information has been put out.

  • How: Ask for clarification of an example; build on the ideas of others; clarify an idea based on your understanding; try to develop timid suggestions and half stated ideas into fully developed possibilities. "What I think I hear you saying is ___",
    "Robert, can you explain your idea a bit more,"
    "Cecilia, do you see how that idea relates to what Luis said earlier?"
Summarizing
  • What: Pulling together related ideas; restating suggestions after the group has discussed them; offering a decision or conclusion for the group to accept or reject.

  • When: At each transition in the meeting, when many different ideas or proposals are being considered, when the group gets off track; at the end of a meeting/ discussion.

  • How: Restate the points, decisions, action plans or common themes of the discussion; remind the group of the process or method being used. "Let's take a minute to look at the main themes that are arising in our discussion"
    "It looks like the main points being raised are ___"
    "Remember that each person needs to offer a suggestion before we begin an open discussion."
Consensus Testing
  • What: Checking with the group to see how much agreement has been reached and how ready the group members are to consider a decision.

  • When: Problem solving, decision making, action planning.

  • How: Poll the group on an issue or decision to determine whether a consensus already exists. "Are there any objections to using creative brainstorming to identify potential solutions for our problem?"
    "Is there agreement that...?"


Maintenance roles refer to the actions of individuals that help preserve the relationships in a group.
Encouraging
  • What: Being friendly, warm, and responsive to others; accepting others and their contributions; regarding others by giving them an opportunity to contribute or be recognized.

  • When: Regularly.

  • How: Give recognition for contributions to the group, point out the accomplishments of the group. "That was a really good suggestion, Chris. Thanks."
    "We have accomplished a lot today. Thanks."
Harmonizing
  • What: Attempting to reconcile disagreements; reducing tension, getting people to explore their differences.

  • When: When the group cannot reach consensus, when conflict of ideas, opinions or personality is preventing progress.

  • How: Articulate the common elements in conflicting points of view. "What can we do to get you to support this? What can we all agree on?"
    "We seem to be stuck. What can we do to move the discussion along?"
Expressing Group Feelings
  • What: Sensing feelings, mood, relationships within the group; sharing one's own feelings with other members.

  • When: When the group is having trouble making a decision, when you sense a conflict in the group, as a check-in to see how the group is doing.

  • How: Verbalizing what you see as the feelings, mood, tension in the group. Openly acknowledging your own feelings about what is going on in the group. "I am sensing that there is some tension in the room. does anyone else feel it?"
    "It seems like some people have withdrawn from this discussion. Is that something we need to discuss?"
Gatekeeping
  • What: Helping to keep communication channels open: facilitating the participation of others, suggesting procedures that permit sharing remarks.

  • When: Whenever you want to hear from the more silent members of the group, whenever you want to prevent a participant from dominating the discussion.

  • How: Ask an individual for their opinions or the information; be sensitive to the non-verbal signals indicating that people want to participate; when a person monopolizes the conversation, ask others for input "Jeff, did you want to share something?"
    "Thanks for your input, Robin. I would like to know what the rest of you think."
Compromising
  • What: When your own ideas or status is involved in a conflict, offering a compromise which yields status; admitting error, modifying ideas in interest of group cohesion or growth.

  • When: When the group is stuck, when trying to make a decision and there are opposing views.

  • How: Offering suggestions for getting unstuck; asking the group members to figure out a compromise. "I guess this method may not be the best for accomplishing this task. Shall we try Kim's idea?"
    "I feel like we are stuck with two opposing views, what can we do to reach a compromise?"
Standard Setting and Testing
  • What: Checking whether the group is satisfied with its procedures; suggesting new procedures when necessary.

  • When: When the group first meets together, whenever the norms that are developing prevent the group from functioning effectively.

  • How: Help group define its ground rules; remind group of the standards they established for themselves anytime when those rules are ignored or broken. "How do we want to operate as a group?"
    "Seems like our ground rules have been forgotten. Should we take a few minutes and revisit them?"
    "I just want to remind you of the ground rules we set up in the beginning."



Hindering Roles

Hindering roles refer to actions of individuals that hinder the group's process and progress.

Dominating
  • Behavior: Asserting authority or superiority to manipulate the group or certain members; interrupting contributions of others; controlling through use of flattery or patronization.

  • Solution: Establish a procedure whereby each person contributes one idea to the discussion and then must wait until every other group member does the same before contributing again; interrupt the dominator, ask him/her to summarize the point quickly so that others can add their ideas, too. "Thank you for giving us all those ideas, Erin. Let's hear from others in the group now."
Withdrawing
  • Behavior: Removing self psychologically or physically from the group; not talking; answering questions only briefly.

  • Solution: Do not let conflicts remain unresolved; talk with the person privately to find out what is happening; direct questions to and solicit ideas from the avoider so this person stays involved. "Carol, I have noticed that you haven't been as involved in the group lately. Is everything O.K.?"
Degrading
  • Behavior: Putting down others' ideas and suggestions; deflating others' status; joking in a barbed or sarcastic way.

  • Solution: When your group first gets together, review your contract and ground rules with them, highlighting the rule that all ideas will be accepted; the first time someone criticizes another person, reinforce this rule. "You have a point, but we need to solve our problem, not attack each other's ideas."
Uncoooperative
  • Behavior: Disagreeing and opposing ideas; resisting stubbornly the group's wishes for personally oriented reasons; using hidden agenda to thwart group progress.

  • Solution: Incorporate statements in the original guidelines that deal with cooperation and interruptions, encourage this person to explain reasons behind his/her objection; look for any aspect of the position that supports the group's ideas so that this person moves from left to center field; refocus his/her participation as a recorder or process observer; ask the group to deal with this uncooperative behavior. "It seems like we may be forgetting the ground rules we set up as a group. Should we take a few minutes to revisit them now?" "Sandy, that is an interesting view. Could you explain how you came to those conclusions?"
Side Conversations
  • Behavior: Whispering, giggling and having private side conversations with another person.

  • Solution: Set guidelines and expectations at the beginning of the meeting, stop the meeting and ask those involved in the side conversation to share what they are talking about with the group, stop the meeting and comment that it is difficult for you to hear the other discussion or to concentrate on the topic at hand with side conversations occurring; privately talk with the distracters and discuss their expectations for the meeting's topics; empower others to confront the distracters with how these side conversations keep everyone from concentrating on the group's discussion. "I am having trouble focusing on the discussion with the side conversations going on. Is anyone else experiencing this?"
    "It is difficult to focus on the discussion with side conversations going on. Can we agree that we will all focus on the main discussion?"
    "I sense we are losing people's attention and interest, can we do a check-in to see where people are on this topic?"
___________________________________________________________________________

From my own experience of life and being a person who has sat on many committees and participated fully in all areas in many organizations over the years of my life, namely Football, and The Soup Kitchen to name two from the past.  More recent I joined in with a group of people who are united with Lock the Gate Alliance and this suits me as it is a apolitical group.

At any Blockade, Group, Meeting or team setting there will be people who take on roles such as those outlined above. This is common and it is very clear and evident to the initiated that it is occurring. 

Each morning and evening there were meetings and the roles were out in full force.  The name "Simmo" came from one such instance of hilarity when Peter Simmons was being the JOKER and said everyone could just be 'Simmo'. 

The next morning when the police arrived there were 'Simmo' badges worn by many of the protectors showing this to the world.   Proof that what happens in a group can be taken up and action happens just like that.  I still think Peter Simmons was just the man for this job.

I remember when a video was being played one evening and I was staggered at the groups opinion on how the indigenous of this country were handling the Mining issue,  there was no understanding of the "Sell Out" Aboriginal man who was doing the dirty work for the government.  I was so saddened that I left the group,  that is not helpful.  I realized this later on.  During the time it was happening I was acting on emotion.

IMG 6897 Tactical Natural Response for GLENUGIE
Glenugie Group Meeting in the early morning.

 Images @ Eminpee Fotography
Enhanced by Zemanta

Monday, September 23, 2013

Catching the Country Link Bus from Ulmarra to the Train.

Ulmarra is a lovely little village these days and a shadow though of its former lively glory that it had in the past times'

Ulmarra was established when Thomas Small bought the land in 1857. Small's family had been timber cutters but he tried his luck firstly with general farming - they grew maize - and later (around 1865) with sugar cane.

IMG 4096 Ulmarra Hotel
Heritage Listed Ulmarra Hotel
By 1871 it had a population of nearly 1000 people. Sugarcane failed and eventually dairy farming started to dominate. It was as a result of this that the town developed as an important river port.

By 1900 Ulmarra was a thriving town with four blacksmiths, a bacon works, an abattoir, a hospital, two schools and three policemen.

Suzanna and I wandered through the various little craft shops that were in abundance and I took photographs of the interesting buildings while I had time.

The Bus came too soon and I boarded and waved good bye to Suzanne and headed for the Train Station to catch the train to Urunga and to my home

IMG 4091 Wide River Cafe
The Wide River Cafe Ulmarra
 The train station is at the end of my street and the bus stop is at the end of Suzanne Street in Ulmarra.  If that is not perfect I know nothing.

References: The Sydney Morning Herald Traveller

Images @ Eminpee Fotography

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Mahjong

My second game of Mahjong ever,  last time it was at Varpu's house at Tucabia.  This time we travelled to Sarah and Barry Fletchers house at Glenugie.

IMG 4054 Mahjong
Playing Mahjong with Helen and Varpu and Sarah and Suzanne

Playing this game is quite tricky indeed and it is not an easy game to play first up and I think I have had wonderful coaches along the way here.  All of these woman play every Sunday and it was most gracious of them to let me join in when I am visiting the area.

IMG 4056 Mahjong
The Wall of Mahjong

Equipment

To play mahjong all you need are dice and four of each of the following tiles, for a total of 136 tiles.
Bamboos
b1.gifb2.gifb3.gifb4.gifb5.gifb6.gifb7.gifb8.gifb9.gif
Bamboo suit tiles
In most sets 1-bamboo looks like a bird.
Characters
c1.gifc2.gifc3.gifc4.gifc5.gifc6.gifc7.gifc8.gifc9.gif
Character suit tiles
If you haven’t learned Chinese numerals yet, make sure to play with a set that has Arabic numerals too!
Dots
d1.gifd2.gifd3.gifd4.gifd5.gifd6.gifd7.gifd8.gifd9.gif
Dot suit tiles
Also known as circles, disks, spots…
Dragons
e1.gife2.gife3.gif
Green, Red, and White dragon tiles
These are the Green, Red, and White dragon tiles. If your set has English letters, the green dragon is labeled F, red is C, and white is P or B. In Japanese sets, the White dragons are completely blank tiles. In American sets, the Green and Red dragons may be depicted with a dragon graphic.
Winds
w1.gifw2.gifw3.gifw4.gif
East, South, West, and North wind tiles
If your set has English letters, they are labeled E, S, W, and N, respectively.
If your mahjong set comes with other tiles besides these (usually flowers, jokers, red tiles and/or blanks), then put those extra tiles away. These tiles are used for variations of the game.

The Objective

For every hand, your basic goal is to be the first player to get a hand composed of four sets and a pair. Each set can be either a pung, chow, or kong.
A pung is a set of three identical tiles.
b4.gif b4.gif b4.gife2.gif e2.gif e2.gifd8.gif d8.gif d8.gif
These are pungs
A chow is a set of three tiles of the same suit and consecutive numbers.
b1.gif b2.gif b3.gifc6.gif c7.gif c8.gifd7.gif d8.gif d9.gif
These are chows
Dragons and winds can't be used in a chow. A chow cannot loop from 9 back to 1.
w1.gif w2.gif w3.gifd8.gif d9.gif d1.gifb2.gif c3.gif d4.gif
These are NOT chows
A kong is a set of four identical tiles.
e3.gif e3.gif e3.gif e3.gifc3.gif c3.gif c3.gif c3.gif
These are kongs
Each set can either be concealed or melded. Concealed sets are made of tiles from your initial hand and tiles you draw from the wall. Melded sets are formed by claiming discard from other players and are explained later in the special moves section. Concealed sets are not shown to other players unless you win the hand. Melded sets are immediately shown when they are formed.
As explained earlier, the goal is to get four sets and a pair. The first player to reach this goal wins the hand. Most of the time, the winning hand will have exactly 14 tiles. If the hand includes kongs, it will have more than 14 tiles. The following are all valid winning hands:
Example 1
d1.gifd2.gifd3.gif d4.gifd5.gifd6.gif d7.gifd8.gifd9.gif d4.gifd4.gifd4.gif w4.gifw4.gif
chow chow chow pung pair
Example 2
e1.gife1.gife1.gife1.gif c4.gifc4.gifc4.gif b7.gifb7.gifb7.gif c7.gifc8.gifc9.gif b1.gifb1.gif
kong pung pung chow pair
Example 3
b2.gifb3.gifb4.gif d5.gifd5.gifd5.gif c2.gifc3.gifc4.gif b5.gifb5.gifb5.gif d9.gifd9.gif
chow pung chow pung pair

Building the Wall

Get three friends and sit randomly around a table, facing towards the center. Ideally you want to play on a square table that's small enough that you can reach across easily.
Each player will be assigned a wind. A good analogy is to think of this as board game, but instead of being assigned a colored token you are assigned a direction for your seat.
Randomly assign one player to have the East seat wind. The rest of the players assume seat winds as specified by the image below: the player to the right of east is South, the player across is West, and the player to the left is North. This assignment of winds DOES NOT match the cardinal directions on a compass.
seating.gif
Playing order: East, South, West, North
Dump out your tiles on the table. Turn all the tiles face-down and swirl them around with your hands to shuffle them. After the tiles are shuffled, each player makes a wall 17 tiles across and 2 tiles high. Each player's wall should look like this:
Wallone.gif
One wall
All players move their walls towards the center of the table, making a big square like this:
Wallfull.gif
Bringing all four walls together

Breaking the Wall

The East player starts by rolling three dice and adding up the sum of the rolls. East uses this number to determine whose wall to break and where to break it.
Counting himself as number one, East counts off players counter-clockwise around the table until he reaches the sum. This determines whose wall he will break. For example, if East rolled 12, then he would break North's wall.
1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10  11  12
E   S   W   N   E   S   W   N   E   S   W   N
Next, starting from the right side of the indicated player's wall, East counts off stacks clockwise until he reaches the sum. He then takes the next two stacks (four tiles) after the last stack he counted. South takes the next two stacks, West takes the next two, then North takes the next two. All players continue to take stacks in turn until each player has six stacks (12 tiles). Note: players take turns going counter-clockwise, but tiles are drawn from the wall going clockwise. This applies when dealing tiles and during gameplay.
Lastly, the players take their final tiles as shown below. East takes his two tiles, then South takes one, West takes one, and North takes one. After this step, east should have 14 tiles, and the rest of the players should have 13.
lasttiles.gif
The last five dealt tiles
Here is what the tile distribution would look like if East rolled a sum of 12:
Tiledist.gif
Breaking North's wall at the twelfth tile from his right.

Gameplay

East starts the game by discarding one tile from his hand and placing it face-up in the area in the middle of the walls. If nobody claims East's discard, then play resumes with the player to his right, South. Remember, players take turns going counter-clockwise. For most turns, you will simply draw a tile and then discard a tile.
Many of the moves below require you to "use the most recently discarded tile." That refers discards from other players, not your own discards. For example, you can't discard a tile and then immediately claim it for a melded pung.
If you claim a discard to make a melded set, that melded set cannot be integrated back into the concealed part of your hand. The melded set remains visible until the end of the hand.

Normal Turn

At the beginning of your turn, you can
  1. Claim the most recent discarded tile to make a melded pung, melded chow, or big melded kong, OR if you can’t or choose not to, you can
  2. Draw a tile from the wall.
If you claim the discard, follow the corresponding procedure in the Special Moves section.
If you simply want to draw a tile, you must:
  1. Draw a tile from the wall. Remember, take tiles from the wall going clockwise. If the next stack in the wall is two tiles high, take the top tile. Otherwise, take the bottom tile.
  2. Optional: Declare a concealed kong or a small melded kong. (These are explained in the special moves section.) If you declare one of these kongs, DO NOT go on to step 3. Instead, follow the procedure listed under Concealed Kong or Small Melded Kong.
  3. Discard a tile. If nobody claims the discard, play resumes with the player to the right.

Special Moves

Melded Pung

If you want to use the most recently discarded tile in a pung, you must already have two concealed tiles in your hand that match the discard. You must:
  1. Declare “pung”.
  2. Take the discard. (Do not place the discard in your hand).
  3. Lay down the three tiles of the pung face-up as a set in front of your hand. This set is called a melded pung.
  4. Discard a tile. If nobody claims the discard, play resumes with the player to the right. Note: some players might get their turns skipped.
z1.gif z1.gif + d3.gif = d3.gif d3.gif d3.gif
Two concealed identical tiles + discarded matching tile = melded pung

Melded Chow

If you want to use the most recently discarded tile in a chow, you must already have two concealed tiles in your hand that would make a chow with the discarded tile, and the discard must come from the player to your left. You must:
  1. Declare “chow”.
  2. Take the discard. (Do not place the discard in your hand).
  3. Lay down the three tiles of the chow face-up as a set in front of your hand. This set is called a melded chow.
  4. Discard a tile. If nobody claims the discard, play resumes with the player to the right.
Example 1
z1.gif z1.gif + b6.gif = b4.gif b5.gif b6.gif
Concealed 4- and 5-bamboo + discarded 6-bamboo = melded chow
Example 2
z1.gif z1.gif + b5.gif = b4.gif b5.gif b6.gif
Concealed 4- and 6-bamboo + discarded 5-bamboo = melded chow

Big Melded Kong

If you want to use the most recently discarded tile in a kong, you must already have a concealed pung in your hand that matches the discard. You must:
  1. Declare “kong”.
  2. Take the discard. (Do not place the discard in your hand).
  3. Lay down the four tiles of the kong face-up as a set in front of your hand. This set is called a big melded kong.
  4. Draw a replacement tile from the back end of the wall. (Replacement tiles are explained later.)
  5. Optional: Declare a concealed kong or a small melded kong. If you declare one of these kongs, do not go on to step 6. Instead, follow the rules concerning the concealed kong or small melded kong.
  6. Discard a tile. If nobody claims the discard, play resumes with the player to the right. Note: some players might get their turns skipped.
z1.gif z1.gif z1.gif + c1.gif = c1.gif c1.gif c1.gif c1.gif
concealed pung + matching discard = big melded kong

Small Melded Kong

If you draw a tile that matches a melded pung you already have, you may promote the pung to a kong. Note that you DO NOT have to promote the pung. If you do want to promote the pung, you DO NOT need to do it on the same turn you drew the matching tile. You can declare a small melded kong on any of your turns, but only immediately after you draw a tile from the wall or a replacement tile. You must:
  1. Declare “kong”.
  2. Add the matching tile to your melded pung. This set is called a small melded kong.
  3. Draw a replacement tile.
  4. Optional: Declare a concealed kong or a small melded kong. If you declare one of these kongs, do not go on to step 5. Instead, follow the rules concerning the concealed kong or small melded kong.
  5. Discard a tile. If nobody claims the discard, play resumes with the player to the right.
w4.gif w4.gif w4.gif + z1.gif = w4.gif w4.gif w4.gif w4.gif
melded pung + drawn matching tile = small melded kong

Concealed Kong

If you draw a tile that matches a concealed pung you have in your hand, you may declare a concealed kong. Note that you DO NOT have to use the tiles as a kong. If you do want to use the tiles as kong, you DO NOT need to do it on the same turn you drew the matching tile. You can declare a concealed kong on any of your turns, but only immediately after you draw a tile from the wall or a replacement tile. You must:
  1. Declare “kong”
  2. Lay down the four tiles of the kong face-down as a set in front of your hand. This set is called a concealed kong.
  3. Draw a replacement tile.
  4. Optional: Declare a concealed kong or a small melded kong. If you declare one of these kongs, do not go on to step 5. Instead, follow the rules concerning the concealed kong or small melded kong.
  5. Discard a tile. If nobody claims the discard, play resumes with the player to the right.
Note: if you wish to use a concealed kong as one of your sets but you do not declare it, then you will not have enough tiles to complete the four sets and the pair you need to win.
z1.gif z1.gif z1.gif + z1.gif = z1.gif z1.gif z1.gif z1.gif
concealed pung + drawn matching tile = concealed kong

Order of Claims

If players claim the same discard, a pung or kong will supersede a chow. However, a claim of mahjong trumps all other claims. If two or more players claim mahjong, then the next player counterclockwise from the discarder gets the discard to win.

Replacement Tiles

When you declare a kong, you must draw a replacement tile from the back end of the wall. That is to say, you draw a tile from the end of the wall you normally WOULD NOT draw tiles from. If you don't get a replacement tile, you won't have enough tiles to make the four sets and a pair you need to get mahjong.
Players may not declare kong when the wall is exhausted and there are no replacement tiles to take.

Mahjong

When you have a hand that requires only one more tile to make four sets and a pair, then your hand is ready. If you draw the last tile you need, then you can declare "mahjong" to win by self-draw. If another player discards the last tile you need, then you can declare "mahjong" to win by discard.
If you declare mahjong, reveal your entire hand so that everybody else can see it and verify that your hand is valid. After you win a hand, typically you would calculate your score and make your opponents pay. If you want to learn a simple scoring system, I suggest you look up the scoring rules for Hong Kong Old Style.
For the next hand, rotate the dealer and seat winds counterclockwise. The South player of the first round becomes the new East, and the other players change seat winds accordingly. Shuffle the tiles, rebuild the wall, and start again!

Draw

If no player has won and there are no more tiles to take from the wall, then the hand is a draw and nobody wins. Shuffle the tiles and start a new hand. All players keep their current seat winds.

Images @ Eminpee Fotography