Melissa H. Coleman's Blog, page 4

Time flies not only when you’re having fun

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Ahh! Time the invisible force that manipulates our lives from every angle, every minute of our lives. The human instituted concept to bring some organisation and normality to our universe and the everyday.

Yes! Time is 100% man-made. It’s entirely a human concept that only exists because we made it. The sun doesn’t rise or set at any specific time, it rises or sets according to the earth’s rotation and the same goes for the moon.

The nature of time has the most profound effects on our days, weeks, months, and years, as it moves from past to present to future. And like the control freaks we are, we often want to control it, slow it down, capture a moment in time or even go back to change it.

You’ve heard the adage ‘Time flies when you’re having fun’, but this could apply to most everything in our lives.

Time flies when you’re having babies

Time flies when you’re busy at work

Time flies when ……………………………….. (Fill in the blank).

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So, I find it funny that we lock ourselves into these deadlines, mostly for the Matrix, then are totally surprised when we look at our timepiece and think, “Holly Dooley where did the time go?”

Our first encounter with time at the beginning of the day is when our alarm goes off. Time to get up! No matter how long you lay in bed contemplating the day ahead, time quietly flits on its way leaving us humans rather agasp and sometimes rushing in an effort to make it up.

But what would happen if the clock that keeps us all on time all of a sudden stopped? 

Our culture is dependant on time – to the extent, it controls everything we do: when we get up in the morning and when we go to sleep. When we eat breakfast, have a snack, eat dessert. When we stop eating for the day. When we have coffee, tea, a beer or a wine.

When we relax with a good book or in front of the television. When we play with the kids or take the dogs for a walk. When we buy groceries, when we buy clothes.

When we go to work and when we get home. When we post blogs, update our Facebook pages, check our emails, and tweet. When we get paid, register our cars, boats, and motorbikes, renew our drivers’ licenses, pay our bills, and the list goes on and on.

Imagine the utter chaos and horror the majority of people in the world would feel if the Greenwich Mean Time broke down or decided to stop ticking.

Living by this code ensures our slavery to this concept and if you could choose a Super power, most people would eliminate time or at least freeze it.

“Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.”

― Anthony G. Oettinger

It’s time not to take time so seriously. So next time you look at your watch – try to pretend time doesn’t exist. Live in each and every moment and accomplish what that moment needs then move on.

Foutre the Matrix!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gobble-dee-gook

Over the years, I have noticed a continuous deterioration in writing skills, not just among high school graduates but also those in the media. We’ve all noted grammatical blunders in newspapers and magazines, and we’ve seen it first hand on television news updates. (You know, the ‘Breaking News’ text). I’ve made plenty of them!

I recall working at a private college a few years ago. I was employed as a teacher’s assistant and on this particular day, the educator asked for help to support a male student.

The task – to write his English essay on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. After discussing the movie, he drafted his report.

When I read the prose, I was flabbergasted to discover he had written it in text message format. Complete with U and LOL.

Nevertheless, some of the worst writing ever to emerge is from the BLOGOSPHERE.

As a frequent blogger, I take an interest in other blogs, especially those that suggest topics that appeal to me. It seems, though, that many of the blogs are not as strongly written as they once were.

Some of the published subject matter is alright if it isn’t disguised by shoddy penmanship or a common shortfall – finishing a sentence without explaining the meaning or context.

It doesn’t take a lot of time to read the content over and search for flaws. Copy editing also identifies sentences that are ‘mind dumps’ from the author. They make perfect sense to the writer but require several read-throughs before someone else can understand what they are trying to say.

Time and patience are needed to create an exceptional blog. There’s a lot more to it than simply writing your post.

Building a successful blog is hard work, I know because I have two, but the purpose of this article is not to stop you writing blogs, on the contrary, it is to better prose.

You’ll benefit by writing clearly and concisely and your readers will enjoy your work. It’s wonderful to share your experiences and insight with others so please don’t stop writing blogs.

Just stop writing crap.

 

Rudimentary Steampunk 101

From the gothic fantasy of Mary Shelley to the extraordinary voyages of Jules Verne, to the mechanical mastery of Leonardo da Vinci –  It’s plain to see Steampunk has some serious ancestry.

But still, quite a lot of people don’t understand what the genre of Steampunk is in the literary world. I’m here to explain the truth and by that, I don’t mean to sell you a dog.

DON’T SELL ME A DOG

This phrase meant “Don’t lie to me!” Apparently, people who sold dogs in the day were prone to passing mutts off as purebreds. Ha, not somthing we’d do today is it!

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STEAMPUNK

/ˈstiːmpʌŋk/

noun

WHAT IS IT?

Steampunk literature is set in or around the Victorian age showcasing science fiction or fantasy technology.

Alternative history stories have always been popular in this genre. The ‘What if?’ Its purpose is to take established events and bend and twist them to suit. In effect altering history. Think of mixing the old with the new and modifying modern technology in sophisticated ways.

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Sometimes this method is conveyed in a subtle way, other times its flamboyance is quite prevalent.

Airships, ray guns, mythological creatures, empires in space, heroines. And not to forget fashion!

HEROINE

Traditionally, science fiction revealed a masculine bias, appealing predominantly to the male readers, however, Steampunk with its emphasis on aesthetics lends a more positive representation of women. Attracting both male and female readers.  Steampunk heroine’s are some of the most industrious, ruthless and forward-thinking women, whose camaraderie with men equals them.

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They’re independence exhibits similar attitudes to their male counterparts – even within sexual relationships. Steampunk woman have choices and they can be anything they want to be.

GADGETS, AUTOMATONS

AND VEHICLES

George Méliès, a French film maker practiced magic and build automatons (mechanical robots).  He brought his magical view of the world to film. In 1902, A trip to the Moon, loosely based on Jules Verne and H.G Wells novel’s, depicted six adventurers on a trip to the moon who were attacked by ‘Moon Men’. They escaped in their rocket. This short film was so popular a sequel was produced in 1904, The Impossible Voyage. 

A super solar submarine, a train launched into space attached to balloons and an inconceivable automobile – epic Steampunk transportation.

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At this stage, Steampunk has largely come from the American and British culture, with tricklings from France and Japan.

NEXT WEEK

Steampunk in Japan. Rising to host imaginative worlds of retro-futurism. Their unique perspectives and creative intelligence encompass a broad range of degrees of Steampunk. The Steampunk Evolution.

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JUDGY BITCH

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Your perception of me

Pre-existed from some

Moment in history

Your prejudice mind

Reasoned that way

Jealousy?

Immaturity?

Listening to a rumour?

I. Stand. Accused. Of.

Being who I am

Saying what I believe

Seeing the world as I perceive

Think of me as a tree

In a vast forest of sycamores

I may bend toward the East

I might not be strong – I’m the shrubbiest

My leaves; a different shade of green

But I still belong

And my trunk has knots as you can see

But. I. Am. Still. A. Tree.

Do you not agree?

WE are also miracles on Earth

Look in a mirror

Take a good look at yourself

The smug niche you have shelved

We are both human beings

With faults that make us

Who. We. Are. Today.

To discriminate

Alienate

Perpetrate

Pains me more than I can say

If only you would

Show self-love first and know

It’s the only way you will grow

SO

When you see this tree

Please accept it as me.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF GRATITUDE

 

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Being grateful for all that we have is one of the keys to true happiness.

Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for tangible or intangible gifts an individual receives.

It’s the spotlight we shine on otherwise invisible blessings or that beaming smile that radiates from our hearts and swells with joy and love on the people who give freely to us or when we give freely.

But is there more to gratitude than meets the eye?

Over the years gratitude has been a neglected virtue but it seems through spiritual practices this virtue is making a come back.

Our daily life is fast-paced and with it comes many distractions which makes forgetting the importance of gratitude easy.  It’s true, and we’ve all been guilty of not showing appreciation at one time or another.

My guru said that gratitude is not an attitude; it is something that flows out of you.

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If it is a cultivated attitude, one of little meaning, mumbled in passing or mentioned without looking up – it is not of much significance, like the magic words thank you most of the time; those words are over-rated sometimes.

Gratitude is when you are overwhelmed by something or somebody’s gesture.

It’s a moment or many moments strung together where you are touched by an experience and it doesn’t necessarily find expression in the form of eloquence; it could be a quick glance, a soft touch, or a teardrop.

The only way for us to be truly grateful is by understanding and recognising all the wonderful things we have in our lives.

Think of your breath, the food you eat, or the sun rising and setting, a dark starry night, the full moon beaming white light to the earth, aren’t these things worthy of your gratitude?

Feel Gratitude

In our busy world, take three minutes to experience peace, love and an overall connectedness with everything – feel gratitude.

The simplest form of yoga is Namaskar or better known as Namaste. It’s closing your palms together and if you look at someone or something with loving attention, you will naturally begin to feel happier, more peaceful and gracious.

Your palms have a lot of nerve endings something medical science agrees with.

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When you place your hands together; your likes and dislikes, your cravings and aversions, your yin and yang, your polar sides all level out. There is a oneness as the energies function together.

WHAT ARE YOU GRATEFUL FOR TODAY? Ask yourself…

There are many studies that have found that recognising your blessings on a regular basis not only leads to feeling more optimistic and enjoying a greater overall satisfaction with life, it can also have some pretty amazing physical and emotional benefits.

Enhances empathy and reduces aggression
Increases self-esteem
Lower levels of depression
Increases resilience, better able to cope with stress
Improves mental alertness

This is only a short list, there are plenty more side effects of gratitude, actually, quite a comprehensive list can be found if you want to take the time to GOOGLE.

The point is once you become aware of all the things you have to be grateful for, you’ll find you begin to appreciate the simple pleasures in life more and things that you previously took for granted.

Gratitude is not just a reaction to getting what you want, but cultivate an all-the-time gratitude; the kind where you notice the little things like the colour of a flower or a butterfly flitting by, or a smile from a stranger, a gesture of kindness to be next in line at the checkout, or where you see the positive in unsavoury situations.

Start giving today to experience gratitude!

Namaste xx

Gracious Anjali Mudra

I opened the front door one early morn so crisp

The sunburnt sky bought a curve to my lips

I breathed in the cool air as the new day gave birth

And walked down the stairs to the waiting green earth

I stood barefoot upon the fresh soft grass

And looked to the sky as birds flew past

The smell of roses red, yellow and pink

Swayed in the delicate breeze

While I took a seat

I sat with my legs crossed beneath my body

And raised my palms to begin my samadhi

My face angled up as I breathed in deep –

immersing myself in a dreamless sleep

I gave gratitude for my children

For keeping me young

I showed gratitude for my health

Because it allows me to live fully sprung

I was thankful for my career

Which helps to feed my family

And showed thanks for my garden

And the produce it supplies me

I was thankful for my loving sisters

Who make me spiritually complete

By sharing their experiences so divinely sweet

Be open to see and feel magic in your life

By keeping a tree in your heart and

Inner light as the source of your life

I offered Anjali Mudra and whispered Namaste

Before walking back up the stairs

To start my blessed day…

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EARTH HOUR

SHOW GRATITUDE FOR GAIA

From the high peaks of the mountains

To the fertile valley floors

The sparkling rivers that flow

Into the vast oceans and shores

Open wide your arms and embrace

As you let your deeply held connection

To Mamma Gaia

Hold space

Nourish and entwine your Gaian soul of

Creative expression

To make you whole

Then let self-exploration heal

And connect your celestial pole

Become the embodiment of your inner fire

The fabric of all life on Earth – Mama Gaia

ON SATURDAY 24 MARCH 2018, MILLIONS OF PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE GLOBE CAME TOGETHER FOR EARTH HOUR. FROM COLOMBIA TO INDONESIA TO AUSTRALIA, EARTH HOUR 2018 MOBILIZED PEOPLE TO CONNECT2EARTH AND SHARE WHAT NATURE MEANS TO THEM, IN THE PLACES THEY LIVE IN AND CARE ABOUT.

Our home has some of the most iconic and breathtaking natural landscapes and wildlife in the world. But just like many of the natural wonders across our blue-green planet, we’re facing massive threats to our biodiversity due to climate change.

That’s why millions of people in over 180 countries turned off their lights for Earth Hour as a symbolic gesture to show the need for stronger action.

But how did we fair on a local level? Did our hometowns and communities take part or just laugh at the thought that this movement is ridiculous and won’t make a difference?

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Let’s take a look at the facts about climate change.

If average global temperatures rise above 2°C, it is expected that most coral systems like the Great Barrier Reef will not survive. A temperature rise of 3°C will see the effective destruction of coral reefs such as Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and the Ningaloo Reef.

With 4°C of warming, the most extraordinary heatwaves experienced today will become the norm and a new class of heatwaves, of magnitudes never experienced before, will occur regularly.

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Wheat growing is strongly affected by rainfall and temperature. As well as reduced production, we may also see lower dietary value with lower levels of protein and important micronutrients like zinc and iron.

With a temperature rise of 3°C, irrigated agriculture in the Murray-Darling Basin (which produces ⅓ of national food supply) is likely to lose half its annual output.

Snow cover is projected to reduce to zero in most Australian locations that currently experience a significant snow season if warming reaches 2.9°C above 1990 levels by 2050

Warming of 3°C will mean 55% loss of Eucalyptus core habitat.

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So as you can see even these few significant issues raise concerns – there are many more.

Earth Hour and the importance of learning about the accelerating climate change and the staggering biodiversity loss which threaten our planet is something we all should take part in and do our best to protect wherever we live. Be it a small remote town or suburbia.

Afterall this is our planet.

 

 

Boulia – Home to the Min Min lights

 

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The road to the town with the famous Min Min Lights. Photos: Melissa North

I live in Mount Isa, a mining town located in North West Queensland. The Glencore MIM mine is one of the biggest operations in Australia.

The great community spirit,  the annual rodeo, and the relaxed living conditions all make this place home but the best thing about living in the outback is being able to explore.

Recently I visited a charismatic old town called Boulia.  It’s about 300k north-west of Mount Isa.

The name of the town, in the language of the local Pitta Pitta Aborigines, was ‘Bulla Bulla’ meaning either ‘waterhole’ or ‘clear water’.

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The scenic way to Boulia is worth the drive.

The picturesque country drive is under four hours if you’re towing a caravan but it’s worth taking the time to see the transformation of the landscape from Mitchell grass and spinifex plains to rocky ridges and flat grazing land.

Once you arrive in town, its plain to see Boulia is famous for its connections with the mysterious Min Min lights.

No-one has been able to explain these orbs of glowing light but they’ve appeared to travellers for decades.

The lights are often sighted just after dark and are said to start as a small ball then sometimes grow as big as car headlights and often follow travellers for kilometres before disappearing into the darkness. Some even say they even have an intelligence about them.

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Boulia local Deb Murphy has seen the Min Min Lights several times in Western Queensland. Picture: Adam Head

The first recorded sighting was in 1890 at a Cobb and Co staging site in the Boulia Shire.

According to the Min Min Connection (Picture below), the intensely bright floating balls first appeared near the site of the old Min Min Hotel which is located 73 km east of Boulia. The old hotel is now in ruin. It burned down in the early 1900s and the publican and Miss Lizzy were buried on site.

One night a horseman was travelling passed the site and saw a strange light. Terrified he kicked his horse into action only to have the orbs follow him all the way to Boulia before disappearing.

However, some stories about the hovering orbs have pre-dated European settlement as part of Aboriginal Dreamtime.

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Min Min Encounter – Boulia 

Aboriginal people suspected them of being spirits and believed that if the light ever caught up with you, you would disappear inside them forever.

Much like any natural phenomenon, conspiracy theories have surrounded the Min Min lights with the more extreme ideas being they are some kind of UFO.

The last known sighting of the Min Min lights was in October 2017.

 

Poetry by Mel

UPGRADE THE HUMAN BEING

Upgrade the human being

Is. There. An. App. For. That.

I’m concerned!

We

Don’t need

A new

iPhone

A new gun

To

Shoot

Anyone

A new technology

That claims

It. Will. Solve. All. Our. Problems.

We need to get involved

Elevate ourselves

Open our damn eyes to

Get a clear view of our lives

Every human being should

Stop

Wearing. Love. As. Make-up.

Where is the harmony?

The bliss and the joy

When will humans attain the mastery of

The. True. Feeling. Of. Love.

The basis of existence

It’s a choice only you can make

When you learn to appreciate

Opening your eyes each morning

Hearing a child’s jolly laugh

Waving at a stranger as they pass

Hearing your furry friend bark

The. Smile. Of. That. Special. Some, One.

Despite all which divides us

We are fundamentally equal

You can experience the true value

The vibrant force

Of transforming into a human being full of love

Undreamed of

Of. Course.

(C) MHNorth2018

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THE POWER OF INTENTION

You have the power to achieve

Anything you desire in this life

To change your circumstance

Be spiritual

If. You. Would. Just. Set. Your. Mind. To. It.

You have a purpose

A direction in mind to

Achieve

An aspiration

If. You. Would. Just. Set. Your. Mind. To. It.

You have the power to make

Your dreams a reality

Live positively

Determined

If. You. Would. Just. Set. Your. Mind. To. It.

What do you want in your life?

Today?

This month, this year?

The journey is yours

If. You. Would. Just. Set. Your. Mind. To. It.

Emit your own frequency

Vibrate enthusiastically

Imprint your intention

On the universe

Synchronicity. Happens. When. You. Do.

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SLEEPING IN THE MATRIX

The machine leeching your life day after day

Breathing in rhythm with your

Demanding heart

Watching in expectation for you

To become

The next desire that presents in your mind

The machine leeching your life takes hold the older you get

Designing your life

Making new claims

Keeping old beliefs held tight

Under an ever-expanding belt

The machine leeching your life day after day is YOU.

The mask you are wearing

Has become your prison

Your daily life is so restricted

Limited in your ability to create opportunities

See possibilities

Maya you have created

Your living in a cell which determines

Your reality

YOU have become the prison.

Over the years you longed to improve your mask

And you did

By succumbing to the whims of society

Fashion

Hollywood

Fads

The illusion of Maya you created perfectly

But you don’t stop there

For your desires are endless and YOU could never be satisfied

You wanted it all

Status

Position

Power

Money

The craving for attention

Sex

Love

The bathroom mirror reflected only what you had become

It did not smile back unless you did

Who are YOU?

One day you cotton on that there’s more

Realise your true nature

And

Want to

Learn who you really are and then you

Express your uniqueness

By overcoming the cravings

Before long YOU

Take off your mask

Piece

By

Piece

And stop decorating your prison

YOU allow your higher will to be done

Knowing the path to freedom is to drop

Self-agenda

Let it go!

And

Wake up from your disconnection

In a world that is in a deep sleep

From a world of duality

YOU become less identified with your human form

Yama

Niyama

Asana

Pranayama

Concentrate on the rhythm of your breath

Meditate

Evaluate

Direct Prana energy to your soul and

Sit in a state of pure awareness of yourself

And the world surrounding YOU.

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Enchanted Gathering

Brownies bustled, sweeping the forest floor

Chimera took charge, baring tooth an claw

Faeries by the dozen, maybe hundreds, in a buzz

As Fuaths, the ugly little jerks, mischievous, poked tongues

 

Gnomes patted the dust from their peaked red hats

While Pixies played the tambourine like aristocrats

A group of Elves stood apart, their noses up high

Pegasus kept a keen lookout high in the sky

 

For the word was abroad in the woodland that day

That the ancient spirits would come out to play

 

Soft music could be heard from far away

Coming closer; the Mountain Nymphs started to sway

Keen excitement, respectful fear, mingled with eager hope

Tingled through the gathering, as a kaleidoscope

 

Of auras surrounded the scene

And the image of the ancients who had been

Present when the Earth was born shone upon them

Giving them love and hope and the energy to become

 

The best creatures they could be in a forest full of ones

Individuals, loving entities, daughters and sons

Live in harmony, pursue your dreams

And praise the earth, the sun and moonbeams.

(C) MHNorth 2018

SLEEPING in the MATRIX

The machine leeching your life day after day

Breathing in rhythm with your

Demanding heart

Watching in expectation for you

To become

The next desire that presents in your mind

The machine leeching your life takes hold the older you get

Designing your life

Making new claims

Keeping old beliefs held tight

Under an ever-expanding belt

The machine leeching your life day after day is YOU.

The mask you are wearing

Has become your prison

Your daily life is so restricted

Limited in your ability to create opportunities

See possibilities

Maya, you have created

Your living in a cell which determines

Your reality

YOU have become the prison.

Over the years you longed to improve your mask

And you did

By succumbing to the whims of society

Fashion

Hollywood

Fads

The illusion of Maya you created perfectly

But you didn’t stop there

For your desires are endless and YOU could never be satisfied

 

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You wanted it all

Status

Position

Power

Money

The craving for attention

Sex

Love

The bathroom mirror reflected only what you had become

It did not smile back unless you did

Who are YOU?

One day you cotton on that there’s more

Realise your true nature

And want to

Learn who you really are and then you

Express your uniqueness

By overcoming the cravings

Before long YOU

Take off your mask

Piece

By

Piece

And stop decorating your prison

 

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YOU allow your higher will to be done

Knowing the path to freedom is to drop

Self-agenda

Let it go!

And

Wake up from your disconnection

In a world that is in a deep sleep

From a world of duality

YOU become less identified with your human form

Yama

Niyama

Asana

Pranayama

YOU concentrate on the rhythm of your breath

Meditate

Evaluate

Direct Prana energy to your soul and

You sit in a state of pure awareness of yourself

And the world surrounding YOU.

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