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Copyright 2008 © Patrick O’Brien .
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“O soul at peace!
Return to your Lord,
You well pleased with God,
God well pleased with You.
Enter in my servants
And enter My heavenly garden”
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An animated clip of this image which I’ve
uploaded to my YouTube channel:
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it ends.
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This Blog is a gift for my sons — Nicolas & Shannon — a year-in-the-life of their dad. It comprises 12-months of daily posts which I commenced on the first day of Spring back in 2011. Tomorrow, our Southern winter comes to an end, and so will this Blog, my work here complete.
Blogging software (its calendar) provided a useful platform to record all those events, anniversaries, people and places which comprise the canvas of my life, and still leave me plenty of space for additional comments on hitchhiking, photography, and people.
Being a leap-year, I even got an extra day!
My initial plan was to keep this Blog Private — which changed when, unrelated, a dear old friend had sat me down and told me straight up that she didn’t know how I ticked. Maybe this Blog will help correct that.
With love . . .
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PLEASE NOTE:
For those readers using browser add-ons or
security software that blocks Web tracking:
.Image 2012 Patrick O’Brien
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RELATED POSTS
● Notes to myself
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Copyright 2008 © Patrick O’Brien
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RELATED POSTS:
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“The best among you are those who are best
to their wives.” ~ Prophet Muhammad
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Copyright 2001 © Patrick O’Brien
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Copyright 2001 © Patrick O’Brien
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New beginnings . . .
Today is my birthday and this is the final of my About posts — a collection of small pieces that I’ve posted at irregular intervals over the past year, vignettes, peep holes to my world.
This new leg of my journey is a beautiful and humbling experience. A giant wave of Love (yes, Love!) has picked me up and carries me on, to the objective, I assume. There is a song in my heart, I hear it — and I often catch myself humming its tune.
Five favourites from the year that was . . .
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Copyright 2011 © Patrick O’Brien
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• In a series from the Street
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Favourites from the year that was . . .
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Copyright 2011 © Patrick O’Brien
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This is hitch. He’s my hitchhiking buddy. I found him in
a muddy puddle beside the road, many years ago . . .
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• From a series on my Road-gear
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Favourites from the year that was . . .
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— Copyright 2012 © Patrick O’Brien —
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SOCIAL COMMENTARY:
• From a photo essay
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Favourites from the year that was . . .
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Copyright 2012 © Patrick O’Brien
“The true object of all human life is play”
~ G.K. Chesterton ~
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• From a series on Children
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Favourites from the year that was . . .
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Copyright 2011 © Patrick O’Brien
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• From a series on Nuns
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Self-portrait ~ Copyright 2011 © Patrick O’Brien
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The tabloid press picks up my story . . .
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August 16 – “A former cop who claims he lied to get more than 100 court
convictions is prepared to face his demons and go to jail for his deceit . . .”
http://www.truth.co.nz/lying-cop-comes-clean {broken}
http://frankbeuken.wordpress.com/2012/08/17/lying-cop-comes-clean/
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RELATED POST
My open letter to the Chief Justice of New Zealand:
“… I am of this place …”
Image: Maniapoto
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From my Mother-of-mothers, Wahine o Ngati Maniapoto, I was born of this Land:
● Ngati Maniapoto
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RELATED POST
From the Celt:
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Today is International al-Qud Day — which, by tradition, is the last Friday of Ramadan. The Day of al-Quds, or Jerusalem Day, is not a religious occasion but rather a human rights event open to all people, both Muslims and non-Muslims alike, an opportunity to stand with the Palestinian people in their resistance of Israel’s cruel, brutal and illegal occupation of their Land.
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RELATED POSTS:
● Free Palestine
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Copyright 2012 © Patrick O’Brien
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“. . . my woman, my wife, my love, my life . . .”
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COMMENT:
In an earlier post I wrote about sitting at cafés with the Gelfling as being one of the little pleasures in my life, and how we rarely speak — quite content with the silence in each other’s company, she pictured here, quietly reading a magazine, me fiddling with my cameras or simply watching the world go by . . .
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RELATED POST:
“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways …”
● 21 Years
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Image 2012 Israeli Peace Movement
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This poster from the Israeli Peace Movement depicts Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, and Ehud Barak, the minister of defence, both of whom are currently engaged in a battle of wills with their own Commanders to launch an attack on Iran. Here’s a selection of related articles on my Wall at Google-Plus:
● Israel ― the enemy of all humanity
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MY RELATED POSTS:
● Iran
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Copyright 2012 © Patrick O’Brien
“Everything in the Universe is within you. Ask all from within.”
~ Rumi ~
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Self-portrait ~ Copyright 2012 © Patrick O’Brien
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“The condition upon which God hath given
liberty to man is eternal vigilance . . .”
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COMMENT:
And so it was, that, in the 1970s, when the New Zealand Police first established covert surveillance squads to spy on its citizens, I was a member of that first team.
We worked in secrecy, and because bugging devices were illegal at that time, we simply smuggled their components into the country and had them built by our own technicians.
There was no provision in law for their use — so we simply burgled the homes and premises of our targets to plant them.
Remain vigilant … mindful our Governments are the enemy of our liberty and freedoms.
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RELATED POST:
“NZ police caught out illegally filming
citizens in privacy of their own homes”
● Jackboots over New Zealand
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Image © Dan Carino
“The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops
— but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.”
~ Masanobu Fukuoka ~
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The ten most terrifying words in the English language are
— “I’m from the government and I’m here to help you”.
~ Ronald Reagan ~
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Image © Dekiwallpapers
“. . . only the US Government does this to humanity . . .”
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Seal of New Zealand Parliament
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In 2004, a group of police officers admitted what countless New Zealanders already knew from first hand experience — New Zealand police tell lies in court. The officers, around 50 in number and collectively known as The USED Group, appeared on National Television and told how the New Zealand police administration had trained them to use drugs, tamper with evidence, tell lies and commit perjury to obtain convictions.
The sworn affidavits of these officers were tabled in the Parliament and so I wrote to the House in 2008 and asked three simple questions:
◦ Was this matter investigated and, if so, by whom?
◦ Was the result of this investigation reported back to the Parliament?
◦ What has the Parliament done subsequently?
I’m still waiting for a response. Here’s my correspondence on the matter:
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RELATED POST:
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Copyright 2012 © Patrick O’Brien
Seen beside the road today — spring will soon be here:
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RELATED POST:
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Image © Dekiwallpapers
“. . . only the US Government does this to humanity . . .”
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The author ~ Image © New Zealand Herald
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We hitchhikers grow to love our backpacks, which is just as well given that we spend our lives in their company — many a long hour standing beside the road, or crammed into cars, and, come the night, we lie down beside them to sleep.
One’s choice of backpack is a personal matter. I use Macpac designs after switching to them in 1993 because, at that time, they were the only company manufacturing canvas bags with twin compartments.
Here’s how I pack my bag:
The bottom compartment is for clothing and change of footwear — the former rolled, not folded, for more efficient use of space and less creasing of the garments.
The top compartment is for stowing my heavy gear, listed here (from the top down) in the order of which I use it come the end of day: two ground sheets; my tent; sleeping bag (loosely stuffed, not bagged); cooking gear; a reserve fuel tank.
There 
are front and lid compartments on my pack and these hold my sewing kit, first aid kit, toiletries, and other sundries. A water bottle and sleeping pad are strapped to the sides.
I also carry a front pack, or day bag, which serves as my office, and this attaches to the main harness, as shown (click to enlarge).
Once a week I thoroughly examine each pack, looking for any wear or tear . . .
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RELATED:
A full list of my road kit is available here:
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Image 2012 Gioconda
“Forget safety.
Live where you fear to live.
Destroy your reputation.
Be notorious.”
~ Rumi ~
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— Ignatius Loyola —
Ignatius of Loyola was my boyhood hero and, for a young boy growing up, there was much to admire — a dashing knight in the service of his king, his skill and courage in combat, plus suggestions of a love for poetry, vice and pleasure.
Life changed dramatically for Ignatius one day when he had a vision while lying in his hospital bed, recovering from the wounds of battle. Renouncing his worldly status and all the trappings of a privileged life, Ignatius began a life of poverty where he developed a strange dominion and command over devils.
His biographer, Ribadeneira, accounts “he lived amongst the meanest sort of people, being despised and contemned, and desirous to be so: his desire was to be mocked and laughed at by all, and if he would have permitted himself to be carried on by the fervour of his mind, he would have gone up and down the streets almost naked, and like a fool, that the boys of the town might have made sport with him, and thrown dirt upon him.”
Over time, men of similar mind gathered themselves around Ignatius and their Company of Men went on to become that what we now know as the Jesuits. In 1965 I assumed the name of Ignatius at my Confirmation.
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“If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough.”
~ Meister Eckhart ~
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Patrick O'Brien 