Patrick O'Brien
29 April, 2012
Gallery (4)
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Copyright 1976 © Patrick O’Brien
Filling in some gaps on my time line — an addition to the personal gallery
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RELATED POST:
28 April, 2012
On prayer (5)
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— Copyright 2012 © Patrick O’Brien —
“Work as if you were to live a hundred years.
Pray as if you were to die tomorrow”
~ Benjamin Franklin ~
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27 April, 2012
On love (6)
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Image 2012 © Jeevay
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“The true revolutionary is guided by
a feeling of great Love . . .”
~ Che Guevara ~
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26 April, 2012
About (8)
On the run . . .
In 1978, haunted, hunted, traumatised and scared, I resigned the police and fled New Zealand — a price on my head and lucky to be alive — the legacy of my work for Criminal Intelligence.
For thirty years I travelled the world, running and hiding, running and hiding, yet never able to lose the demons that rushed around in my head.
At one point in the late 1980s, on a visit to New Zealand and desperate for help, I underwent a psychiatric assessment. The psychiatrist, a specialist consultant for the police department’s undercover programme and an expert in the field of PTSD who also worked with veterans from the Vietnam, Korean and Second World wars, diagnosed my condition as being chronic “post-traumatic stress disorder” resulting from my work as an undercover agent — and yet the police department absolved itself of any responsibility and refused my ask for assistance.
Their refusal was a blessing because my life of wandering continued, and, over the course of the next 20 years, this path led me to four gifts that changed everything.
25 April, 2012
ANZAC DAY
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Lest we forget . . .
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Image 2012 © Patrick O’Brien
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‘For The Fallen’
..“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
…Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
…At the going down of the sun and in the morning
…We will remember them.” ~ Robert Laurence Binyon
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● ANZAC DAY
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24 April, 2012
It’s a girl thing . . .
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Copyright 2012 © Patrick O’Brien
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. . . don’t ask!
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23 April, 2012
My cooker
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Copyright 2012 © Patrick O’Brien
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— MSR XGK-EX —
In an earlier post on Life’s little Pleasures I spoke about tea being my preferred drink — plain, black-leaf tea, served boiling hot with lots of sugar. Pictured here is my cooker, boiling up the billy for a brew.
The XGK-EX multi-fuel stove is a serious bit of kit, designed for use in the most extreme conditions and a popular choice of those on expeditions — or travellers such as myself who are equally serious about making cups-of-tea under all conditions.
I purchased this cooker in late 2007 to replace my older (equivalent) model, the XGK-II which had served me well since around 1993, and, while I love the simplicity of design and trouble free use (it does exactly what it says on the box) I wouldn’t recommend this particular model for general backpacking or outdoor use. Here is a downloadable stove comparison chart showing which MSR models are better suited for any intended purpose.
XGK-EX technical details, performance specs, schematic diagrams, plus an owners manual in PDF format with instructions on its maintenance and use, are available from the manufacturers Web Site, here:
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RELATED POST:
Some thoughts on tents . . . their purchase and use
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21 April, 2012
On fear (4)
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“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark —
the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light”
~ Plato ~
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20 April, 2012
– 4:20 –
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PROTESTING AMERICA’S WAR-ON-DRUGS ™
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“. . . Happy 4.20 . . .”
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This year, for the first time, New Zealand will be joining many other
countries in celebrating 420 at 4.20 on April 20 – and the venue for
Auckland is Potters Park, corner of Dominion and Balmoral Roads:
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Then God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed
that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit
yielding seed; it shall be food for you.” ~ Genesis 1:29
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19 April, 2012
G-Plus vanity URL
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– How to create a G-Plus vanity URL –
Last September I wrote about leaving Facebook and moving to Google-Plus — a shift that’s left me no regrets. A minor issue for some G+ users is their inability to create vanity URLS which has given rise to a few Startups offering some clumsy alternatives.
Yesterday, while playing around, I discovered an easy way . . .
Simply use the “name” in your Gmail address that’s associated with your Google-Plus account. It also works using the “About” extension, as shown in my example, here:
● http://profiles.google.com/patrick.john.obrien/about
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18 April, 2012
On silence (3)
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“Be still, and know that I am God”
~ Psalms ~
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Image 2012 © Patrick O’Brien
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17 April, 2012
‘Palestinian Prisoners Day’
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Today is Palestinian Prisoners Day:
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Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons — including children — are subject to harsh and illegal treatment that violates International Law, and the Fourth Geneva Convention to which Israel is a signatory.
Today, around 1600 Palestinian political prisoners commenced an open-ended hunger strike to protest their illegal detention and I have posted a selection of related Links and resources on my Wall at Google-Plus, here:
17 April, 2012
‘Global Day of Action on Military Spending’
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Image: Art Young
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Last year the world spent more than $1,738,000,000,000 on war . . .
16 April, 2012
My heroes (2)
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― Maewyn Succat ―
Many travellers assume road names and mine is that of childhood hero and patron saint who was born Maewyn Succat in 387 AD at Kilpatrick, Scotland, the son of Calpurnius and Conchessato who were Roman officials in local government.
At 16 years of age, Succat was kidnapped by pirates and taken to Ireland where he was sold to a Druid high priest in Antrim. Working as a shepherd slave, Succat became fluent in Irish and knowledgeable in Druidism.
After many years of captivity Succat escaped, returning again sometime after 432 AD — an ordained priest and bishop using the name “Patercius” or “Patritius” (derived from two Latin words ‘pater civium’ meaning the father of his people) which was conferred on him by Pope Celestine.
Succat died on 17 March 460 AD and is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. Today, Succat is known as Patrick . . . which is my given name.
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15 April, 2012
‘Welcome to Palestine’
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Free Palestine . . .
‘Airflotilla’
In what has now become an annual event, the world is invited to visit Palestine during the second week of Easter and over 1500 human rights defenders and activists from the International Community are scheduled to arrive between the 15th – 21st April, 2012.
As in previous years, Israel will prevent anyone from challenging their brutal siege of the Occupied Territories and all visitors will be detained on arrival, then deported . . .
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FOOTNOTE:
Some paperwork for tourists visiting Israel . . .
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14 April, 2012
New Zealand is not for Sale!
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An increasing number of New Zealand citizens are becoming concerned about their Government’s policy of selling off the country into foreign ownership or control and I have a posted a list on my Wall at Google-Plus of those organisations who are standing up and speaking out:
13 April, 2012
Friday
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. . . my lucky number . . .
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12 April, 2012
Günter Grass
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Günter Grass
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“What must be said . . .”
Günter Grass, an 84-year old German writer and Nobel prizewinner, has been attacked for daring to speak his mind in a poem about Israel’s intention to bomb Iran. His poem and a selection of related articles have been posted on my Wall at Google-Plus, here:
11 April, 2012
On ‘anti-Semitism’
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My support for the Palestinian cause draws attack from assorted Zionists who equate my criticism of Israel’s brutal crimes against humanity as being anti-Semitism. So, what is anti-Semitism?
Dr Hajo Meyer, who, at 86, is the oldest living survivor of Auschwitz, defines it thus:
“Formerly an anti-Semite was somebody who hated Jews because they were Jews and had a Jewish soul. But nowadays an anti-Semite is somebody who is hated by Jews.” — Source
I will continue to speak out . . .
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9 April, 2012
Deir Yassin Day
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Butchers of Palestine
Lest we forget — today is the 64th anniversary of an Israeli massacre on Palestinian villagers in Deir Yassin and here are some related references on my Wall at Google-Plus:
8 April, 2012
Just for fun (7)
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Something for Easter Sunday . . .
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● Select & Copy the following enquiry:
1.2+(sqrt(1-(sqrt(x^2+y^2))^2) + 1 – x^2-y^2) * (sin (10000 * (x*3+y/5+7))+1/4) from -1.6 to 1.6
● Go to Google search
● Paste enquiry into the Search box
● Press enter/search:
. .or, simply go to the search result — here
● Safe and harmless . . .
6 April, 2012
‘The Easter Message’
Image 2012 © Patrick O’Brien
. . . there is Hope . . .
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5 April, 2012
Portraits of a child (1)
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Copyright 2012 © Patrick O’Brien
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Photography: 101
“We do not take pictures with our cameras, but with
our hearts and minds.” ~ Arnold A. Newman
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4 April, 2012
The ‘metaphor’
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Copyright 2012 Patrick O’Brien
Leaving home . . .
Train tracks have held me fascinated since I was a child — those long straight lines, converging at some far off distant point, an enticing promise of foreign places waiting. This shot was a reject! My subject’s mother had commissioned some photographs of her daughter who was leaving home . . . and . . . well … least-ways the girl “got” it . . .
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3 April, 2012
On simplicity (2)
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Image 2012 © Patrick O’Brien
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“The Fisherman and the Banker”
One of my favourite stories . . .
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An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna.
The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The fisherman replied, only a little while.
The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish?
The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs.
The American then asked, “but what do you do with the rest of your time?”
The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life.”
The American scoffed, “You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat, and, with the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats; eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then Los Angeles and eventually New York city where you will run your expanding enterprise.”
The Mexican fisherman asked, “But, how long will this all take?”
To which the American replied, “15-20 years.”
“But what then?”
The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part! When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions.”
“Millions — then what?”
The American said, “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos . . .”
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~ Author unknown
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1 May, 2012
May Day Strike!
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“Stop contributing to our own demise . . .”
● May Day Strike
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RELATED POST:
“Jobless & Betrayed”
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