Anzac Day and the Australian Identity

Anzac Day street march 2013,Sydney, massed pipe bands

Anzac Day held on the 25th April each year - a day of increasing national commemoration of the service of Australians in war - has in many respects become something of a national identity day being imbued so heavily with service, sacrifice, honour, bravery and tumultuous international events such as two world wars. The significance of the 25th April is simply marking the day in 1915 when the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps forces landed on the Gallipoli beaches in Turkey as part of the ill-fated Dardenelles campaign, initiated by the then First Sea Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill. The purpose of the expedition and landings was to force the Ottoman Empire, an ally of Imperial Germany out of the First World War. It was an extraordinary failure and the Allied Forces retreated and left the region by 20 December 2015 having lost 53,000 killed and 96,937 wounded. Of these figures Australia's casualties were 8,709 dead and 19,441 wounded whilst New Zealand lost 2,721 killed and 4,752 wounded. There was no lack of bravery on the battlefield and from this event the Anzac legend has been crafted. However it was a defeat and the Australian forces on the Western Front in contrast performed just as bravely but with greater success and contributed to the victory and the end of World War 1. It remains a somewhat perverse practice to have this focus on the Gallipoli landings rather than the Australian successes on the European battlefields.

As a sombre reality the first Anzac Day was held in 1916 with the objective of raising funds to support wounded soldiers returning from the frontlines. With the creation of the Department of Veterans' Affairs and special pension and health schemes for servicemen and women in later years this activity was no longer required so Anzac Day evolved into a form of memorial day covering all wars. With the First World War veterans now all gone, the Second World War and Korean War veterans dwindling and much smaller numbers of service personnel from later conflicts, it may be that the future of this day will become more of an Armed Services Memorial Day.   

Festival of Dangerous Ideas - All Women Hate Each Other

The Festival of Dangerous Ideas at the Sydney Opera House held over the October long weekend again brought a range of interesting, if slightly askew topics to be discussed, debated and questioned by panels of recognised public commentators and advocates. One of the larger events held in the Concert Hall of the SOH was the topic of "All Women Hate Each Other" with panellists Eva Cox, Germaine Greer, Tara Moss and Danielle Miller. Although the panel were not in  agreement with the premise of the topic they managed to deliver many insightful, frequently amusing observations on corporate power and culture, the structure of society, men's relationships with women, body image, feminism, Julia Gillard's size and dress sense, UK journalist Samantha Brick's story about being beautiful, women in film, and how males oppress females. Not surprising the two most experienced women on the panel, Eva Cox and Germaine Greer, made the most telling and often amusing contributions to the debate again underscoring their formidable life experience and public contribution to the wider society over many decades. Eva Cox is now 74 and Germaine Greer, 73 and their experience spans the period of the 1960s to the present day which was clearly on display at the Festival. 

The cult of celebrity - when sense equals nonsense

Photographers and media at a launch

The advent and then expansion of the all pervasive electronic media in the late 20th and early 21st century has propelled many people in the entertainment industry and other society circles into a much broader public exposure than would otherwise be possible in earlier decades. Matched with the cult of celebrity which has evolved concurrently, many of their opinions are published, quoted, republished, discussed and given a greater level of credence than would otherwise be the case. Some of the opinions given by celebrities are, in reality, grounded in little fact or evidence. Examples of these statements listed by the charity, Sense About Science, include Heather Mills claiming that meat stays in the gut for 40 years, putrifies and then leads to disease which can be fatal. Actor Roger Moore claimed that foie gras causes Alzheimers disease and actress Suzanne Somers criticised the contraceptive pill on the basis of whether it was safe to take a chemical every day which prevents ovulation. Rocker, Suzi Quatro addressed the issue of sore throats by using a daily colon cleansing powder in her fruit juice on the basis that helping the colon would stop sore throats.  There is little actual data sitting behind these views but the celebrity status of the people making them often allows uncritical broadcasting.

Board & executive remuneration - the 2 strikes rule

Investment commentators, stockholders and corporate governance professionals are probably more familiar with Australia's two strikes rule relating to remuneration reports for Board members and executives than the general public. As a result of the Corporations Amendment (Improving Accountability on Director and Executive Remuneration) Act 2011, a stock exchange listed company will be required to hold a spill vote of its Board if the remuneration report receives a 25% 'No' vote two years in a row. The remuneration report details the payments for Board members and top executives and is tabled at corporate Annual General Meetings each year and subject to a vote by shareholders.

If a remuneration report does receive a 'No' vote at two successive AGMs, the second AGM will have to vote on a spill motion for the Board itself. If the spill motion receives a simple majority, the company will, within 90 days, have to hold a general meeting to vote on whether to keep the existing directors. A managing director will not be subject to the spill motion however shareholders will be able to put forward their own nominees for consideration at that spill meeting.

Much gnashing of teeth and dire predictions of corporate instability followed from leading business identities however research from the Australian Institute of Company Directors has found it was much ado about nothing. Only 15 of 176 companies listed on the ASX 200 Index registered a vote of 25% or more. The vast majority of companies had their remuneration reports adopted by the majority of shareholders. A few notable exceptions are shown below -

Company	2011 voting % against
Austar United Communications	29.2%
Bluescope Steel	38.8%
Cabcharge Australia	40.6%
Coca Cola Amatil	29.9%
Crown Limited	55.5%
Pacific Brands	52.8%
Rio Tinto	25.6%
UGL	29.0%

Christmas 2011

The Christmas Tree - a pagan ritual or pious belief ?

Towards the end of the calendar year, the Christmas celebration occurs annually on December 25, an event which has variable practices stretching from the exchange of goodwill and a generous spirit of sharing to the rampant purchase of consumer goods, the hanging of an array of gaudy decorations and the profligate display of inflated images of Saint Nicholas (named Santa Claus), a sled with some reindeer. Generally the event is recognised  as a religious and cultural holiday across the globe. Christmas however at its origin remains a feast central to the Christian liturigical year, closing the Advent season and initiating the twelve days of Christmastide. 

The precise day of the birth of Jesus is unknown occuring somewhere between the 7th and 2nd Century BC however in the early-to-mid 4th century AD, the Western Christian Church placed Christmas on December 25, a date which was also adopted later by the Eastern Church. Since then however a number of additional practices has been added including the display of a Christmas tree, considered by some religious scholars as the adoption of a pagan tradition and ritual surrounding the Winter Solstice. This involved the use of evergreen boughs with the adaptation of pagan tree worship. The figure of Santa Claus is also partly pagan as the current form is a combination of Saint Nicholas of Myra (a 4th Century Greek Christian Bishop) and Odin, the Norse God whom was also worshipped in Northern Europe including Germany and Holland. At any rate, the value of Christmas is the annual pause in the transactions of life, the focus on others and the end of year reflection whether this occurs through religious worship or the provision of a civil holiday and recreational rest.

2012 - A new year with old problems

As 2012 draws close, the world will carry forward a range of major challenges with no easy solution in sight. Foremost among these remains difficult economic conditions with a flat US economy and the European Union struggling to avoid a full scale recession. Arguably the European Union is, in fact, already in a recession with the continuous risk that Greece will ultimately default on its loans. Portugal which earlier had seemed to be a further fiscal risk to the EU has been able to manage its economic situation effectively within domestic policy and is no longer listed with Italy, Spain and Greece as requiring a bail-out. With China's forecast that its double digit growth is now over the international economy will be flat at best but more likely be marginally negative. Australia is unlikely to avoid a level of downturn as well given the reality that it is China which is propping up the balance of payments and Australia's trade position.

In international relations, the conflict in Afghanistan continues with no likely negotiated settlement with the Taliban and a continuing level of instability in Pakistan. The so-termed 'Arab Spring' which has brought to a conclusion several repressive dictatorships, nonetheless has uncertain outcomes in Egypt and Libya. Only Tunisia where the uprising commenced has there been a largely peaceful and successful result. So 2012 opens with little promise but an overhang of the end-play of existing events.

Chocolate at Easter.... to eat, or not to eat, that is the question

At this time of year around the Easter celebration period, many people face the question of having a guilty conscience through indulging in a splurge of chocolate eating. Various conflicting messages from a variety of studies point either to negative health effects or to some potential positive value of chocolate consumption. A study from the world renowed Karolinska Institute found that -

"Heart attack survivors who eat chocolate regularly may cut their long-term risk of dying from heart disease. The study, which is published in Journal of Internal Medicine, was conducted on more than 1000 heart attack patients in Stockholm County during the period 1992-1994. A follow-up survey was made after eight years. The result shows that chocolate consumption may be associated with lower cardiac mortality, as those heart patients who ate chocolate several times a week cut their risk of dying from heart disease about threefold compared to those who didn't eat chocolate at all..."

Any health value appears to be linked to dark chocolate only... so no luck for milk chocolate or white chocolate fans!

Good Friday and the buns

On Good Friday during the Easter celebration, hot cross buns are traditionally toasted or eaten hot with the cross on the bun symbolising The Crucifixion of Jesus. There is some evidence to suggest that hot cross buns actually pre-date Christianity, although generally it is acknowledged that the first reference to 'hot cross buns' was in 1733. However the use of a cross on bread or buns has a wider use than with the Christian festival and similar buns were eaten by Saxons in honour of the goddess Eostre as the cross represetned the four quarters of the moon. Whether correct or not is unknown although the term "Eostre" is probably the origin of the name "Easter". Apart from people of devout faith or belief, it is doubtful that many of those consuming the buns are aware of its actual meaning.

2011 - A new year and a new direction ?

As a new year beckons, its often an appropriate time to reflect back on what has transpired over the past twelve months (and in some cases further back than just a year) and formulate resolutions for the next year. Some larger questions to come to mind: will the international financial system experience further 'aftershocks' from the Global Financial Crisis with the US economy still stunted and the European Union bailing out weaker member states ? Shall the war in Afghanistan reach any milestone or achievement progressing to a point where the planned US withdrawal  appears viable? Will there continue to be some intra-state progress with environmental controls and carbon emission reduction ?  And where will technology lead us in the next year with the convergence of communication, media and computing hardware and software. These larger macro questions all have an impact on the micro individual level and even disciples of game theory would find it difficult to accurately predict the year ahead.

Christmas 2010

Christmas each year through the celebration of the Christian calendar provides an opportunity to share the holiday spirit and reflect on the past year's events and the coming year's challenges. For many people, notwithstanding the joy of sharing over the festive season, the awareness of life's passing moments and the passage of time can be a confronting experience. It was interesting to read media reports that in 2010, the major charities are reporting that volunteers are at a record high to assist at this time, and  in fact that charities have had to turn potential volunteers away. Some in fact, filled their volunteer quotas in advance some months ago. The motivations of all people have a basis in sharing and generosity but mixed with this altruism is just a tinge of guilt about having some good fortune in life when many others do not. In this sense, a feeling of being useful is often a counterpoint to match this uncomfortable feeling in what can be, in general terms, a remarkably uncomforatable period of the year.

The Easter Bunny hops again in 2010

Easter once again has come around for those with pious religious conviction who celebarate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The New Testament teaches that the resurrection of Jesus, is a foundation of the Christian faith. For most others, Easter represents chocolate Easter eggs and a multitude of chocolate bunnies.

And where did Eggs come from? Apparently as a symbol of the rebirth of the earth in celebrations of spring, the eggs were adopted by early Christians as a symbol of the resurrection of Jesus. According to academic literature, the oldest tradition is to use dyed or painted chicken eggs (which is still the case with many Orthodox Christian Churches), but a modern custom is to substitute chocolate eggs, or plastic eggs filled with confectionery such as jelly beans. For children, these eggs are often hidden, allegedly by the Easter Bunny, to be found on Easter morning (which is Easter Sunday).

The Easter Bunny is actually not originally an Easter symbol but has origins in Alsace and the Upper Rhineland, both then in the Holy Roman Empire, and southwestern Germany, where the practice was first recorded in a German publication in the early 1600s. The first edible Easter Eggs were made in Germany during the early 1800s and were made of pastry and sugar. So there is nothing particularly religious about the Easter bunny which in most respects has taken on a wholly commercial identity in the modern world.

Film Festivals - reflections on our wider society

The Sydney Film Festival for 2009 concluded on Sunday 14 June, after a relatively modest run this year - shortened by a week to reduce costs. There are now dozens of film festivals across the World with the most famous being Cannes and Sundance but several others such as Berlin, Venice, Toronto, Tribeca and Moscow are also well known and patronised. Film Festivals, particularly for alternate, art-house cinema often are reflections on societal trends, attitudes and current historical events. In many respects due to their non-block buster nature and limited expectations on commercial returns, this genre of film making can address topics which audiences may find difficult to accept - family dysfunctionalism, political issues, relationships, illnesses and even death are familiar themes. By using the medium of moving image, film conveys messages and provides stories with dimensional structure which other forms of communication do so with less success. The Sydney Film Festival in 2009 was no different with a selection of art-house films across the spectrum of features, documentaries, animation and docu-dramas. This year, films of interest included the black comedy '500 Days of Summer', 'Bronson', 'In the Loop', 'Louise-Michel' and five hours of Steven Soderbergh's view of the life of revolutionary, Che Guevara - screened in two parts.

The value of social linkers

In his international bestseller book, 'The Tipping Point', Malcolm Gladwell refers to 'Connectors' or people 'with a special gift for bringing the world together'.... 'the kinds of people who know everyone' and their real importance is not only the number of people they know, but the kinds of people they know. In Gladwell's definition, Connectors are 'people whom all of us can reach in only a few steps because, for one reason or another, they manage to occupy many different worlds and subcultures and niches'. Gladwell's description fits a group of people who may not be necessarily known in high end business or political circles or celebrity/social pages of magazines and electronic media however their influence and 'connecting' may be profound. Everyone in their life may run across local connectors and from time to time, and occasionally people who traverse much greater boundaries. 'Connectors' however are not networkers as a connector is someone who can span many different worlds not merely within one profession or industry.

Impressions from the Past

Over the past two years, Egyptologists, Archaeologists, Ancient Historians and generally those with an interest in Ancient Egypt will have been following the recent claimed discovery of the mummy of arguably one of the most important figures of that long passed civilisation, Hatshepsut (pictured) of the 18th Dynasty. Pharoahs in Ancient Egypt passed through male lines as they were meant to be both man and god and although women could and did govern Egypt this was only as Regents where the male heir was deemed too young to ascend the throne. This was not the case with Hatshepsut where, as a woman, she was able to move beyond the position of Regent to the underage heir Thutmose III and actually become Pharoah in her own right and actually co-ruler with Thutmose III when he came of age. Her reign which lasted from 1473 BC to 1458 BC heralded a period of considerable stability and prosperity in Egygt.

As Pharoah, Hatshepsut adopted the normal regal image including wearing a false stylised beard in public and religious ceremonies and the serpents crested crown of Egypt.

Yet in all other ways, Hatshetsup's image was feminine. She remains one of the most intriguing figures of Ancient Egyptian history most notable due to the fact that images of her and references to her were erased from monuments years after her death most likely on the instructions on Thutmose III. Recent research undertaken in Egypt has now shown that references to her as Queen were not erased, only those as Pharoah. Her royal cartouche is shown (at right).

In order to be Pharoah in any guise, Hatshepsut would have needed the acceptance of the priesthood, the army, the nobility and the royal court to succeed. Her story from 3,500 years ago still has a resonance today for women also navigating their way through the corridors of power and business.

Tourists to Egypt can be thankful for Hatshepsut's reign for she constructed many of the most stunning monuments and temples still visible there. Her mortuary temple in the desert at Deir el Bahri remains one of the great wonders of the Ancient World.

How many degrees of separation?

It was in the late 1960s that the psychologist, Stanley Milgram, ran his small experiment to determine how many steps it would take for 160 people living in Omaha, Nebraska to use their social acquaintances to direct a mail package to a stockbroker located in Boston, Massachusetts. On average, he found the exercise took five to six stages of social contacts to eventually result in the mail packages arriving to the stockbroker. This result led to the concept of six degrees of separation.

In an interconnnected world, now dominated by convergent technology in telecommunications and the internet, the six degrees of separation paradigm would appear to be shifting to a series of cross connections which may mean in many respects that six degrees may often be much less.

In a simple example of this new interconnected reality, I placed a simple quiz on one of the latest social networking sites, Facebook and uploaded it to the main directory of the site. The number of quizzes on Facebook runs into the hundreds and so this item could be easily lost. Without any marketing or promotion, just interconnected communities of people, over 42,000 persons undertook the quiz online spread throughout a dozen different countries over two weeks. All of this was effectively electronic word of mouth and social networking.

Valentine's Day in the modern era

Each year, once again Valentine's Day comes around on 14 February. Although its history has stronger religious overtones, from Geoffrey Chaucer's time onward it has been a moment of expressing romance between lovers. However for the 20th and 21st Century, it is a time of the sound of ringing cash registers as ridiculous sums are spent on ridiculously marked up flowers, cards, chocolates, dinners and just about anything with a heart shape. The original meaning of St Valentine's Day has long been lost with the overbearing commercialisation of the day. For many without Valentines (or partners committed to the practice of sending flowers) the day can be a source of frustration and an ever present reminder of singledom.