A celebration of positive ageing

What constitutes successful ageing is a complex concept. Attention was directed towards this notion in the 1980s when Rowe and Kahn defined the three criteria required for successful ageing: 1) a low probability of disease, 2) maintaining a high level of physical and cognitive function, and 3) an active social life.

The Successful Ageing model (Rowe & Kahn, 1999) demonstrates that older people need to be proactive, in a number of areas, to maximise their chances for prolonged independent living. This requires: maintaining cognitive and physical function, and close personal relationships; undertaking productive activities; and retaining functional independence.

1. Maintaining a high level of cognitive and physical function
The various elements of the model are interrelated, and engaging in novel learning experiences enhance cognitive functioning. It follows that people may be revitalised late in life with appropriate training.

... it may be prudent, practical, and commonplace to recommend cognitively-stimulating activities as a way of preventing dementia. (Alzheimer’s Disease newsletter, 2007)

If we focus on only one element of the model it should be maintaining a regular exercise routine of: stretching, strengthening, balance, and cardio-vascular exercises. These exercises form the bedrock of a successful ageing programme. Physical exercises have wide-ranging physiological benefits that including cognitive functioning. People who exercise moderately to vigorously at least once a week are 30 per cent more likely to maintain their cognitive function than those who do not exercise that often. It is clear that exercise is a behaviour that people can change.

2. Maintaining an active social life and undertaking productive activities
The importance of social networks is one of the most enduring findings from social science research. A small cadre of friends is essential to maintain well-being throughout life. Without  friends we run the risk of entering a downward spiral of depression, leading to ill health, depression, and the loss of independent living.

Intellectually challenging and socially invigorating activities for people to be productively engaged are infinite in number. People working or volunteering and people who live with someone are 24 per cent more likely to maintain cognitive function in late life. Seek and ye shall find.

3. Promote a low probability of disease
Retaining independence is a function of a healthy lifestyle to promote a low probability of disease. We all  know the story. It is clear that smoking is a behaviour that people can change.

Australian asylum seeker policies and practices

Some 20 years ago, I returned to Australia to study the administration's asylum seeker policies and practices. I was appalled by what I observed. I was appalled by what I read. I was appalled by what heard. I was indoctrinated into the language of the generosity of this land; whereas the reality of the response was miserable in every which way, and continues so to this very day. I could not reconcile this situation with my understanding of the Australian character. Not at all.

In so many areas of Australian life, the reputation of a decent society is deserved. After all, this is where, long before Europe and North America, the struggles of ordinary people achieved a legal minimum wage, an eight-hour working day, pensions, child benefits and the vote for women. All of which makes the mistreatment of the refugees an even greater crime, and the world should know.
John Pilger, 2001, In the remotest parts of Australia's great outback, refugees are incarcerated, insulted and abused.

How is it possible that in 2011 these vulnerable people are so poorly treated in Australia of all places? Inhumanely in fact. It is clear that a significant chapter of the Australian constituency are not of the decent society but rather racist extremists. And it is these people's votes that politicians have in their sights. It is their quest for power - the drive to retain, regain or acquire power - that is the only possible answer. Everything else is bullshit: we must control our borders from this menace, people smugglers, they are queue jumpers. All of this is a gross hoax. How can so few desperate and miserable people (worthy and deserving of our help) cause so much irrational fear other than by a pack of lies. These nasty despicable lies are designed to scare and reinforce the base xenophobic, unsophisticated, ill-informed attitudes of people residing in a few 'marginal' constituencies that ultimately decide elections' outcomes.

To succeed with their lies an acquiescent media is there on tap: immediate and unchallenged.  Their brazen lies are never challenged. As people have become more aware, propaganda has become more and more sophisticated.

My upcoming projects

I have three exciting projects that are upcoming in Australia, and one terrifies me: learning to paraglide in the Spring of 2011 in Bright, Victoria. However, that's subject to my successfully persuading a trainer to accept me as his student. He and his two colleagues had considered me too old.

It's Mystic Lane that takes you up to Mystic Hill with its launching pad from which paragliders launch themselves into the blue-yonder. The sky awash with their vibrant colours, and I was smitten by their effortless beauty, grace and serenity!

The other two projects involve long-distance walking: The Great South West Walk of 250-km in Victoria is scheduled for March 2012 (a group walk); and the following month I plan to leave for Perth, Western Australia to walk solo to my Woodend home in Victoria - a distance of some 3,300-km. I will push some 50-kg of gear in a Baby Jogger Performance pram that is similar to the one used by Deanna Sorensen to cross Australia from west to east in 2008. The vehicle is essential to carry sufficient food, water and other paraphernalia given the paucity of available supplies and accommodation along vast human-absent tracts of the route.

I’m temporarily shifting my attention away from my outstanding journey to Jerusalem, Israel but not entirely. If all goes well, I hope to resume that in 2013.

Walking access in the England, Wales and Australia

In England and Wales, public rights of way are paths on which the public have a legally protected right to pass and re-pass. These rights of way exist where they are so designated (or are able to be designated if not already). Furthermore, under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act of 2000 the public also has a right to walk away from rights of way on designated "access land." This right is in addition to rights of way. In the United Kingdom long-distance paths are typically existing rights of way (over private land) "joined together" (perhaps with specially-negotiated linking sections) to make a named route.

Whereas, in Australia there are no public rights of way over private land, that I'm aware of. Passing private land requires the owners permission in all instances. Walking is confined to public roads and the many parks and reserves in Victoria, for instance.

Adjusting and adapting to public transport

Since returning to Australia in September 2008, I have adjusted and adapted from being a car owner in London to a user of public transport in Australia. Of course, when in London, I used public transport as well as my car. There are many (most?) Australians who boast of never using public transport. The car forms a central component of unquestioned, unexamined popular (dominant) culture, and it’s many sustaining myths. The most significant that happiness requires consumption in its many guises such as car ownership.

I enjoy walking (I have a bicycle that remains largely unused.), and Victoria's public transport system is great. Also my lifestyle teaches me:

Patience
Public transport isn't always on time: trains, buses, trams may breakdown and systems fail. But, so what.

Walking
Victoria's public transport's reach is limited (particularly in a huge country like Australia), so I walk more than most, and that's great. What is not great is that it's viewed by many as odd, and that's unfortunate. I remain in good shape, and deal with the weather and other situations as they arise. It’s wonderful.

Living frugally
My lifestyle permits me to live frugally. I'm not poor.

Living sustainably
I haven’t cut my emissions down to zero (and, have no plans for doing so), but by giving up a car, I've cut my use of resources and emissions more than most will by recycling, buying less, turning down the thermometer, switching of lights, using less paper.

Social tolerance
Public transport involves rubbing shoulders with strangers who at any time may be: smelly, annoying, loud, odd and plainly nuts. In other words, with people. This is a reminder that we come in all shapes and sizes.

Illusions
Car ownership alludes to freedom, control, status through clever advertising, public relations, and such like. Of course, car ownership requires the holding of conflicting ideas simultaneously with the reality of choked roads, road trauma, car operating costs and its enslavement. Whereas, public transport use teaches that things are not under my control. I'm at the mercy of timetables, drivers, system failures, breakdowns. This requires adaptability, on my part, to let go of illusions and deal with the reality of changes as they arise.

A nostalgic yearning for the pilgrimage experience

I left my home country the Netherlands to emigrate to Australia and later to emigrate to the United Kingdom and later, once more, to emigrate to Australia—pieces of myself are scattered over these three countries, so that no place is ever completely satisfied, there is always a nostalgia for the places left behind. Equally, my recent attempt to complete my journey to Jerusalem leaves pieces of myself scattered over the route of countries so far crossed. I began that journey from my north London home and so far reached Bari, Italy. My determination to complete the journey is largely a nostalgic yearning for the pilgrimage experience and the route left behind. I had previously penned the following paragraph:

I had experienced the archetypal yearning to practice the type of embodied spirituality that is to be found by going on pilgrimage. I have a stirring that leads me to want to walk in the footsteps of earlier pilgrims and directly experience holy places. No matter how weak and far from the Christian religion I may feel before going on pilgrimage—during the time on the road I'm changing and experience lightness and freedom despite the hardships and ongoing uncertainties (the availability of nice nutritious vegetarian food is high on my list of ongoing uncertainties), and the monotonous routine of repetitive long-distance walking and daily chores. I explore new horizons. I'm in contact with God.

Adolf Hitler’s oak trees

Jesse Owens and US track team mates holding the four oak tree seedlings he was presented by Adolf Hitler at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

Dawn Roe, Associate professor of Art at Rollins College, Florida, and Ann Sheldon, photographic artist from New Zealand are visiting artists in residence at La Trobe University's Visual Arts Centre, Bendigo campus. Yesterday's public lecture by these two academics was clearly not aimed at the lay photographic enthusiast, such as myself, and that was unfortunate.

Yet, I was amazed to learn that the 130 gold medal winners of the 1936 Olympics in Berlin were presented with oak tree saplings by Adolf Hitler. Some of the oak trees disappeared without trace, but others were dispersed around the world and grew  into mighty oaks trees such as the one in Ann Shelton's home country that was presented to Jack Lovelock for winning the men's 1,500 metres event. She has been on a world-wide quest to locate and photograph these oak trees and so far has recorded some 60 locations and photographed 30 trees.

Conflict with Google Chrome and Java

My email account was hacked a few days ago and I did all the recommended things (change passwords, run virus and malware scans, and such like) but ended-up with a fresh install of Windows 7 Ultimate. It was time, anyway.

I was encouraged to switch from the Firefox browser to Google Chrome 13.0.782.1 dev-m. However, some webpages took forever to load, and a message would appear with the option to either “wait or kill pages.”

My research indicated, among other things, a common and on-going conflict situation with Google Chrome and Java. I solved the problem by disabling Java. However, doing may cause problems for those applications that require Java. This is a wait and see situation. Google boffins sort this matter!

My email account was hacked

This has spoiled my day! My email account has been compromised and it appears that spam messages were sent to all names in my address books. I have changed my password and ran Avast!, Windows Defender and Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware but nothing untoward was found. I will continue to search for a solution, if one is available. It's my plan for a compete fresh reinstall of the operating system.

My arrogant mind

A good many years ago, I was on retreat with my teacher Ayya Kema. This amazing remarkable mystic woman  told me to my face to let go of my pride, my arrogance, my theories. She said, "You will never succeed spiritually unless you do." Anyhow, soon after I experienced losses of a magnitude that totally and absolutely floored me. My world collapsed around me. I was shattered. Yet, until that moment I was deluded by my arrogant mind - after all, I had practiced long and hard and was able to face and deal with anything with equanimity. Those experiences shaped how I live my life. I'm not there but I may be just a little more humble - but not always. It's a difficult path, and one not for the fainthearted.