The origin of mankind

[Jim D.]

Nungali, I wondered if you live as an Aborigines? I made an assumption about this thought a few threads back. I also wonder if you have the skills to survive in a harsh environment. Would you have made it to the mountain? I have seen a reality show where a man and a woman volunteer to be dropped into the wilderness and be challenged with staying alive. I think, if I remember correctly, that at least one of them has some kind of skill about surviving in the wilderness.

 

But how about you Nungali? Tell me a story where you have met the challenge of surviving under harsh conditions. It would make for good reading. Thank you.

 

And then I will tell you my story.

[Nungali]

Just being me.  What more can I say?

 

 

- dont ever change  !  

 

 

[Jim D.]

So, Nungali, how about an answer to my question. If you walk the talk let me know and everybody know that you stand for what you believe and argue for.

 

And I will tell you a stroy about being out on the perimeter standing guard with my M14 in the dead of winter.

[Nungali]

I was giving an example of the likely hood of that occurring to me. The planet does not spring to my defence, it does not sustain me, it neither brings me food nor shelter, clothes nor water. That's precisely the point. I must do these things for myself. I must figure out how to survive, absolutely nothing on the planet tells me what to do. I can take what I have learned from my own experiences and knowledge from other men, but there is no 'harmony' about it. This is precisely the situation that all men face. We have to make the best of it, we cannot go around trying to figure out if our actions are in harmony, our only thought is to survive, or to give up.

 

But you are still doing it Karl ; this does not happen for me, this does not happen to me , I cant do that . Not every one is like you Karl.   It isnt  ......  all about you. 

 

" absolutely nothing on this planet tells me what to do "  ?    Serious ?    Dude, now I feeling sorry for you  .   Maybe its the wording, I can see it as being told what to do , or I can see it as taking the  advice from the signs I see.   Even in my decadent modern lifestyle ( that is a bit feral and rural ) .  You might call it 'observation of factors and applied learning' ?   Black cockatoos 'tell me what to do' .... I see a certain number of them flying together , in a certain way, making a specific sound set, I know that in 3 days time we will get rain.  I know that when the caterpillars all join together in a long line and go off on a trek, you can go to the rock wall where this river  I live by meets the sea and catch a big load of bream.

 

And I wont even bother going fishing until the Moon is in the right spot, because the fish wont even bite otherwise.  In a way, its ALWAYS telling me what to do .  

 

 

Time too wake up !  

 

I dont think you re seeing the big picture , you need to step out of yourself a bit. 

 

 

Take this statement ; " We have to make the best of it, we cannot go around trying to figure out if our actions are in harmony, our only thought is to survive, or to give up." 

 

Indigenous people living a traditional lifestyle do not go around with a head space like the one you are showing here, if they did they would be doing what you describe . I am not sure you can see the catch you are in here, but anyway , I will go on - 

 

The only thought IS to survive but they figured it out long ago and apply what they did learn as 'culture' - as I said previously (if you didnt skip over things again )  . Their cultural systems were based on survival , their mores and taboos and all the structure of their culture is an attempt (sometimes greatly successful over a long period of time, sometimes not that long) to make their environment sustainable by both modification and understanding what it is doing and working with it. 

 

Such cultures are  big holistic system that virtually have their own lives .... I am NOT talking a  about some half arsed new ager  floundering around the rainforest trying to figure out how to 'be in harmony' with mother earth . 

 

I am not eve sure you CAN get what I am talking about, as you keep bringing it back to what Karl could and could not do as your examples

 

 

Another example is that is exactly what the indigenous attitude is with some here  .   Attitude can be VERY important. You are gonna hate this but the exact words  were  "You want something, you just ask Mum (nature ) and she will give it to you . " 

 

Tooly might be able to sing the turtle song and somehow the turtles swim up and stick their necks out the water and he nabs them , obviously this is a process that has sooooo many not understood (by me )  factors in it  ( his 'unconscious' application of knowledge , everything from right  place , season and timing, approach to the water hole and heaps of stuff that developed over 10s of 1000s of years ... beats me  !,   but they got turtle for dinner .   

 

If one goes out there not realizing, not understanding ,  not knowing , battling against nature, forcing  nature to give up the turtles with your will against the 'turtle will'    ......   no, you wont be 'told' what to do ... and you end up , as they say   " a very hungry white fellah ." 

[Nungali]

.....   not that I expect you to believe ANY of that         

[Nungali]

Gotta' have an irony board if one is going to use irony.

 

 

Isnt Daobums the irony board ? 

 

 

 

Hey Marbes ... I think Jim is worried that I am giving you a hard time or something     

 

I hope I havent been too rough on you ... I know you had a delicate upbringing    

 

 

 

Edited August 6, 2016 by Nungali

[Marblehead]

Isnt Daobums the irony board ? 

 

Interesting question of perspective.

 

I suppose it could be fairly viewed as such.

[Nungali]

Because we don't know everything-unlike you who believes he has a super natural connection with the planet that tells him what exactly he must do, most of us have to figure out for ourselves what works, that doesn't always mean we have the perfect solution, we might need to adapt it over time. Sometimes we don't know we shouldn't piss into the wind, but we do it the first time.

 

It's your continued use of words like 'rely' on the planet and 'live in harmony ' with the planet that reveal your position. Please clarify exactly what you mean and how you would achieve it for everyone in the entire world. How would it work in practice. Let's have your thesis belt and braces without the pretty lines.

 

 

There ya go again !      I do not have  " a super natural connection with the planet that tells him what exactly he must do, "   you made that are up and are projecting it on to me - again .     It isnt super natural , but extra natural, it isnt 'the planet' as if it some entity but it is an holistic reaction to a set of learned signs from nature that I can choose to observe or not, to act on or not. It is nearly never 'exact' most of it is interpretation ,  and there is no MUST about it .... I can ignore the whole thing and stumble around in some type of chaotic forcing if I want to   .

 

Indigenous trad lifestyle is NOT about 'figuring out yourself what to do '  , I cam see you know little about such things. If anything it is about figuring out what to do considering a set of circumstances you are in and signs you observe.  Again you are bringing it all back to the individual, we can piss in the wind and have it blow in your face , or grandfather can say "Dont piss in the wind, it will blow in your face "  (then you can run off alone and try it  , just to see ... yep, Grandpa was right ). 

 

You want my thesis here  !    Wow .....   whatta post that would be    

 

Aside from the fact that you have already set the goal posts into outer space, which is not the target of my thesis at all . :

 

" how you would achieve it for everyone in the entire world "             get real Karl ! 

 

However my  'thesis'  does outline steps into cultural decline, postulates a type of 'law' in operation , cross culturally, and  shows some remedies that can be applied .  It  was not accepted at Uni , like my other two . But , funnily enough, that and another one of mine that were rejected back then, seem to be coming ' fashionable' in the field over the last 10 years .  

 

1. is the remedy for cultures in crisis - the Kaidilt Aboriginals are an excellent example (of my thesis in action AND the recovery ). I am serious here ...  the last indicators of  cultural decline, the final stages are destruction of the 'individual cultural units' , as they are termed - the people - and this is done by self mutilation  until eventually ,  death.  . They have been bought back from the brink by applying the remedy.  

 

2. relates to early hominid fossils  and their  reconstructions by  artists and  concepts related to them being more advanced than thought and having bread with variant human types  ... it was considered rubbish back when I was studying  ( before the  discovery of the Denisovan gene - fail ! )  Now it is at the fore front  . 

 

 

The other thing here is ... and on this one, I may be more in line with your thoughts ?  -  ....

 

... actually I will prefix it with this ; briefly the remedy (which I already outlined ) is to reintegrate the old culture or develop a new culture that  'does the job'  considering the new influences or developments that caused the disruption in the first place.  That is why cultures have shamans, prophets , seers, etc . 

 

The kaidilt began recovering when they 'got their culture back' (it was suppressed and not allowed ) . Many tribes in North America dudnt survive the Euro contact and settlement.  Now one  (and I wish I could remember the details - nearly all of this is off my head ... I could make longer referenced posts , but when I did that before I was asked if I could write anything myself  without  copying and pasting everything - cant please everyone ! ) tribe had a very good shaman ... he nutted out the whole thing and gave them the new instructions about what to do and how to live blending their old way with this new influence. They became successful and survived relatively well , compared to some others . Cultural adaptation.  

 

A modern example of this on a global scale could be the Baha'i religion - an interesting phenomena; a, now accepted 'world global religion'   based on the new 'global society'  and 'multiculturalism'  .

 

- back to that other thing .... it that now, this is a whole new ball game . 'My' remedies  are for cultures , now, as point out, it seems the whole world is becoming one culture , there are multi cultural sub sets ... but we never encountered anything like this before, its a giant jump !   I dont even know how to term it ... maybe the   'culture' of A.I.  ,     Communication Technology ,   I.T. ?  ?  

 

The AICTIT Era ? 

 

Still ....  taking THAT into account I cant see any system that will  be  the best  " for everyone in the entire world."    

 

That is a pretty high bar to make dude ! 

 

[Nungali]

Creating a false dichotomy and boldly proclaiming the other guy has taken one end is a familiar modus operandi.

 

Well, I find it familiar FROM some  .. It may be familiar TO you,  FROM some  ... yet I have not seen it FROM you. 

 

[Karl]

But you are still doing it Karl ; this does not happen for me, this does not happen to me , I cant do that . Not every one is like you Karl.   It isnt  ......  all about you. 

 

" absolutely nothing on this planet tells me what to do "  ?    Serious ?    Dude, now I feeling sorry for you  .   Maybe its the wording, I can see it as being told what to do , or I can see it as taking the  advice from the signs I see.   Even in my decadent modern lifestyle ( that is a bit feral and rural ) .  You might call it 'observation of factors and applied learning' ?   Black cockatoos 'tell me what to do' .... I see a certain number of them flying together , in a certain way, making a specific sound set, I know that in 3 days time we will get rain.  I know that when the caterpillars all join together in a long line and go off on a trek, you can go to the rock wall where this river  I live by meets the sea and catch a big load of bream.

 

And I wont even bother going fishing until the Moon is in the right spot, because the fish wont even bite otherwise.  In a way, its ALWAYS telling me what to do .  

 

 

Time too wake up !  

 

I dont think you re seeing the big picture , you need to step out of yourself a bit. 

 

 

Take this statement ; " We have to make the best of it, we cannot go around trying to figure out if our actions are in harmony, our only thought is to survive, or to give up." 

 

Indigenous people living a traditional lifestyle do not go around with a head space like the one you are showing here, if they did they would be doing what you describe . I am not sure you can see the catch you are in here, but anyway , I will go on - 

 

The only thought IS to survive but they figured it out long ago and apply what they did learn as 'culture' - as I said previously (if you didnt skip over things again )  . Their cultural systems were based on survival , their mores and taboos and all the structure of their culture is an attempt (sometimes greatly successful over a long period of time, sometimes not that long) to make their environment sustainable by both modification and understanding what it is doing and working with it. 

 

Such cultures are  big holistic system that virtually have their own lives .... I am NOT talking a  about some half arsed new ager  floundering around the rainforest trying to figure out how to 'be in harmony' with mother earth . 

 

I am not eve sure you CAN get what I am talking about, as you keep bringing it back to what Karl could and could not do as your examples

 

 

Another example is that is exactly what the indigenous attitude is with some here  .   Attitude can be VERY important. You are gonna hate this but the exact words  were  "You want something, you just ask Mum (nature ) and she will give it to you . " 

 

Tooly might be able to sing the turtle song and somehow the turtles swim up and stick their necks out the water and he nabs them , obviously this is a process that has sooooo many not understood (by me )  factors in it  ( his 'unconscious' application of knowledge , everything from right  place , season and timing, approach to the water hole and heaps of stuff that developed over 10s of 1000s of years ... beats me  !,   but they got turtle for dinner .   

 

If one goes out there not realizing, not understanding ,  not knowing , battling against nature, forcing  nature to give up the turtles with your will against the 'turtle will'    ......   no, you wont be 'told' what to do ... and you end up , as they say   " a very hungry white fellah ." 

I don't hate that you think these things. I dislike that you lack the honesty to admit that this is what you think.

[Karl]

There ya go again !      I do not have  " a super natural connection with the planet that tells him what exactly he must do, "   you made that are up and are projecting it on to me - again .     It isnt super natural , but extra natural, it isnt 'the planet' as if it some entity but it is an holistic reaction to a set of learned signs from nature that I can choose to observe or not, to act on or not. It is nearly never 'exact' most of it is interpretation ,  and there is no MUST about it .... I can ignore the whole thing and stumble around in some type of chaotic forcing if I want to   .

 

Indigenous trad lifestyle is NOT about 'figuring out yourself what to do '  , I cam see you know little about such things. If anything it is about figuring out what to do considering a set of circumstances you are in and signs you observe.  Again you are bringing it all back to the individual, we can piss in the wind and have it blow in your face , or grandfather can say "Dont piss in the wind, it will blow in your face "  (then you can run off alone and try it  , just to see ... yep, Grandpa was right ). 

 

You want my thesis here  !    Wow .....   whatta post that would be    

 

Aside from the fact that you have already set the goal posts into outer space, which is not the target of my thesis at all . :

 

" how you would achieve it for everyone in the entire world "             get real Karl ! 

 

However my  'thesis'  does outline steps into cultural decline, postulates a type of 'law' in operation , cross culturally, and  shows some remedies that can be applied .  It  was not accepted at Uni , like my other two . But , funnily enough, that and another one of mine that were rejected back then, seem to be coming ' fashionable' in the field over the last 10 years .  

 

1. is the remedy for cultures in crisis - the Kaidilt Aboriginals are an excellent example (of my thesis in action AND the recovery ). I am serious here ...  the last indicators of  cultural decline, the final stages are destruction of the 'individual cultural units' , as they are termed - the people - and this is done by self mutilation  until eventually ,  death.  . They have been bought back from the brink by applying the remedy.  

 

2. relates to early hominid fossils  and their  reconstructions by  artists and  concepts related to them being more advanced than thought and having bread with variant human types  ... it was considered rubbish back when I was studying  ( before the  discovery of the Denisovan gene - fail ! )  Now it is at the fore front  . 

 

 

The other thing here is ... and on this one, I may be more in line with your thoughts ?  -  ....

 

... actually I will prefix it with this ; briefly the remedy (which I already outlined ) is to reintegrate the old culture or develop a new culture that  'does the job'  considering the new influences or developments that caused the disruption in the first place.  That is why cultures have shamans, prophets , seers, etc . 

 

The kaidilt began recovering when they 'got their culture back' (it was suppressed and not allowed ) . Many tribes in North America dudnt survive the Euro contact and settlement.  Now one  (and I wish I could remember the details - nearly all of this is off my head ... I could make longer referenced posts , but when I did that before I was asked if I could write anything myself  without  copying and pasting everything - cant please everyone ! ) tribe had a very good shaman ... he nutted out the whole thing and gave them the new instructions about what to do and how to live blending their old way with this new influence. They became successful and survived relatively well , compared to some others . Cultural adaptation.  

 

A modern example of this on a global scale could be the Baha'i religion - an interesting phenomena; a, now accepted 'world global religion'   based on the new 'global society'  and 'multiculturalism'  .

 

- back to that other thing .... it that now, this is a whole new ball game . 'My' remedies  are for cultures , now, as point out, it seems the whole world is becoming one culture , there are multi cultural sub sets ... but we never encountered anything like this before, its a giant jump !   I dont even know how to term it ... maybe the   'culture' of A.I.  ,     Communication Technology ,   I.T. ?  ?  

 

The AICTIT Era ? 

 

Still ....  taking THAT into account I cant see any system that will  be  the best  " for everyone in the entire world."    

 

That is a pretty high bar to make dude ! 

 

It was a bar you set not me. I said there was no way to know, that we all had to get on and figure out how best to survive, what we needed, what principles would be the best way of doing so.

[Nungali]

Nungali, I wondered if you live as an Aborigines?

 

No Jim I dont.  (PS the plural is Aboriginals )

 

I made an assumption about this thought a few threads back. I also wonder if you have the skills to survive in a harsh environment.

 

Which one and what type ? 

 

Would you have made it to the mountain?

 

Would I have ? Maybe .  Could I now ?  No way ..... I am having a hip replacement  in about 2 months. You and Marbles would have to carry me after the first 300 meters.

 

and get this . Karl may make up stuff about me here about how I am not appreciating or acknowledging modern culture achievements (or my situation ) , but get this ;  

 

they put to me sleep, cut my leg open dislocate my hip, saw off the top of the femur  rheem out and screw in a new socket, glue and screw it back together . 95% success rate , walking on it in 3 days  ..... all free !   The hospital the operation, the spare parts, the food and accommodation , the physiotherapy , they are going to out me up somewhere as my bush cabin dont have the right facilities and lend me recovery aids equipment .. all free . Also I have been getting a pension for a few years because of it .   The nurse that arranged all this  for me even asked if I was lonly and if I would like  a 1/2 kilo of Lebanese blond hash and a blowjob . 

 

Okay, I made the last bit up, but the rest is true. 

 

I have seen a reality show where a man and a woman volunteer to be dropped into the wilderness and be challenged with staying alive. I think, if I remember correctly, that at least one of them has some kind of skill about surviving in the wilderness.

 

Yeah , I have a mate that works on Survivor , he gets to travel all over the world  with it . Know what he does ? he is a chef. 

 

Its a tv show !  Someone is filming it .     I was once watching a 'documentary' about surviving in the wilderness. My friend goes "Wow, that guy is doing it tough, it must be scary all alone out there , trying to survive ! "

 

Me ; "Yeah , just him ... and the film crew , and the caterers  and the 'craft chill tent '     

 

But how about you Nungali? Tell me a story where you have met the challenge of surviving under harsh conditions. It would make for good reading. Thank you..

 

I will tell you two stories if yuo tell me the full story about you being in a woman's prison     - now some might say that is off topic. I say :

 

if there are anything like the "gods of Evolution" or the big man or god or what ever, or if we are ever asked what the purpose ofit all was or the point of the final outcome , I do believe you could answer ;  "Well, once I somehow got into a woman's prison to teach something I  wasnt qualified for, and the women knew, and they covered up, and instead we did ..... but they covered up for me .

 

such 'gods' would ; " .... hmmmmm ... well THAT was a pretty good outcome, maybe it WAS all worth it  .... but that "....."  bit, come on man!   The Gods want the DETAILS on that !  " 

 

1. Once I was upstream, had a 1km walk up a river bank that was a steep slippery smooth slimy rock face inter spaced with overhanging  giant thorn prickle bushes. below the river was rocks and raging torrent. I could not go back, too hard, went on and on and it just got worse.  Then a thunder and lightning storm, flash flood river rising .  I eventually found a bit I could jump down into, and cross the rapid by using the currents (after observing them for a while ) I managed to get out on the other side and tried to get out the stone steep sided narrow valley by going up to the back of a crevasse and scaling a dead tree that had fallen in. half way into the narrow crevasse . I noticed a strange 'geology' on the walls and lots of 'bugs' flying around in the darkness in there .  Just as it got narrower and I was virtually pressed naked up against the sides . I realised I was actually in a gigantic wasp colony.  So had to go back. That route wasnt going to work.

 

I eventually made it downstream on that side and got out a bit further down. I started walking along the higher side of the little valley and the storm passed and the sun came out. Got back just before sunset, saw the other s down below at the big rock pool (with the stone shoot water slide going into it. There was a deep pool above it so I did a Tarzan yell jumoed down into the pool, swooshed down the waterslide and into the bottom pool. 

 

Everyone was "Where the hell have you been all day  ?  We were about to send out a search party, We were worried as those mushrooms we ate turned out to be really strong ."

 

Me; "Yup, they were ! "

 

"What have you done to yourself ? "   I looked down, I was  mass of scratches, scrapes, blood, thorns, leeches .   

 

But finding I had found my way back (and just up and down a little river ! )  and that jump in the pool and waterslide down and swoosh into the swimming hole ... was one of the biggest buzzes I have had .

 

2. Alone camping , got food poisoning, another giant flood. had to abandon nearly all my gear and seek civilization and help. I thought I would die if I stayed there .  before that I had a one week paradise in the same spot.  had to lasoo a tree  and tie one end to my belt to get across the swollen creek, Walk 10 km (as sick as a dog nd on day 4 of food poisoning , the runs etc and still a giant storm, no energy or food for 4 days . Got to the road to hitchike then realised the plave I was in only had 2 rad accesses and both were over a weir that would be flooded. so no cars .

 

What to do ... I perceviered. I amstill here . I learnt a lesson , yes in away Karl is right , but I prefer to say , a man cant survive without the right culture. people have lived in that spot for 1000s of years before I tried to. They would have been able to tell when a storm like that was coming, they would have gone somewhere else before the shit hit the fan, bt no one is immune from everything.

 

here is a REAL story, watch this JIm ... it is highly acclaimed , a fantastic and emotive film . 

 

 

 

 

 

And then I will tell you my story.

 

 

Cant wait ....  !     

 

[Nungali]

So, Nungali, how about an answer to my question. If you walk the talk let me know and everybody know that you stand for what you believe and argue for.

 

 

 

Sorry Jim  what answer, what question?   I dont get the post really  " If you walk the talk let me know and everybody know that you stand for "  you will have to explain what this means and what you want. 

 

I hope you have been basing this on what I have written and not what Karl is claiming about me ?     I have been saying a LOT of what I ' stand for ' ... if I understand you terminology ?  I am not sure because of the wording of that sentence. 

 

Do you want me to show some proof of the ideas I have been putting out ?

 

I did this  following on from your 'make oxygen ' comment ,  people seemed upset that I quoted some science and formulas on it ? 

 

I am not really sure what you want ? But if you ask a clear question then I will answer it as best I can. 

 

just a reminder. I am not coming from this subject as Karl made out.  I actually started off being fascinated by Anthropology at a young age and started it ever since. I did study it non-grad at Uni . I just happen to live here and have one of the last remaining remnant cultures  at 'my fingertips' . 

 

Actually it isnt really a surprise, even in professional circles world wide, I see people up against issues and problems , and I constantly have to remind them that in many cases we still have a living example of the very thing they are trying to postulate about from our ancient past.  I find that pretty amazing , I cam walk around a bend in the river (at the right place, whose location I am not going to reveal, most people are nit allowed there ) and I may as well be back 20,000 ya. It hasnt really changed. It a strange experience to  come across a space like that, and see the  traditonal built gunya, the  campsite, the kangaroo meat hanging over the fire and wild eyed Tooly still making stone axes early neolithic style !  with grass tree gum glue and binding ... and then realize that he is a mate that last week you were sitting around the fire having pizza with downriver . 

 

But I am not in a fantasy ... they got flooded out from there too !   Tooleys 'place'   (whwre I am NOT allowed to go or even know about, is even rough on him  sometimes, he got stuck there in 2012 floods he says "Even my OWN place is hard to be at at times . "   But that is thing, they were never restricted to one place. 

 

2012 here was a massive flood, heaps of property damage ... I was evacuating from a film set on mount tambourine in Queensland  (I told em not to go up there , there was bad weather coming , but as you can see , no one listens to me as I talk such BS   .  I was first out and left the rest of the idiots t(that were truing to 'force nature' and not be in harmony with her  - heck they could have changed the schedule, they do ait all the time, I suggested we do that week in the studio and do location the week after that, It turned out that week was beautiful weather . Their forcing and obstinate stupidity cost a bunch of people about  $ 600,000 ... but, as the bosses said, "Meh ... a pittance when ya got $92 Million to play with ! "   (and all of that to spend on a movie about a cartoon dog ! ) 

[Nungali]

Here is a song for you and Marbles   

 

 

http://www.jango.com/stations/113453158/tunein

 

ETA; Dang ! That keeps linking to the wrong song 

 

Its by Syd Straw ;

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

... called 'Crazy Americans' .

Edited August 7, 2016 by Nungali

[Nungali]

I don't hate that you think these things. I dislike that you lack the honesty to admit that this is what you think.

 

and you posted that after I freely admitted what I think after you asked me . Then you stated that I lack the honesty to admit that 'this' is what I think ? 

 

or are you saying I lack the honesty to admit 'this' (as you define it ) is what I  think . 

 

and what a response I get from  all my efforts of trying to explain it to you , yet again.

 

I was actually expecting a response something like this maybe : "  Nungali , in a way you just said in your own words al Lot of what I was trying to get across to you ." 

 

I may have made some mistakes in communicating with such loose  terms with you like 'harmony with the planet'  and such, but I have been trying to clarify what I meant  (not what they mean to you ) for some time now. 

[Nungali]

It was a bar you set not me. I said there was no way to know, that we all had to get on and figure out how best to survive, what we needed, what principles would be the best way of doing so.

OH I see, I set the bar did I . I was the one that demanded to know my system that would make every single person in the whole world  ......  

 

LOL  

[Jim D.]

Nungali, I apologize for the misunderstanding. I was remembering a story about an aborigines and making it to the mountain. I wondered if you had the same skills as the aborigines. But now that I know that you are in the movie industry, I have a different impression of you.

[Nungali]

The ones I have stayed with have lost so much of what they had.  But even at this level, some of their skills and understanding and memory and 'brain space' is amazing. 

 

Sometimes a 'real man' will come in from the desert and they are in awe of him !  " See that fellah there ?  He is real blackfellah, compared to him, we are white ." 

 

Somethem will still walk hundreds of kilometers over mountains though bush, across scrub, carrying a 'few sticks' , pick up these large balls of ochre  (after trading ) and walk back home with the ball sitting on their head on a twisted  bark  ring . 

 

Now, One might ask what the motivation is ... what makes that ball of ochre so 'valuable '  ? 

 

 

JIm .... dont you owe me a story ? ? ? 

[Nungali]

 .... I promise not to make a film out of it   

 

 

 

[Jim D.]

Since I promised a story of survival I will tell you of a prison situation. Dwight Correctional Facility for women is located outside a small town called Dwight. I applied for the job as adjunct employed by Lewis University, my alma mater. I started sometime in the 90's. I didn't carry a walkie talkie because I didn't want the luggage, and I did not want the prisoners to think that I was afraid of them, as well as I should have been. But after a few years, I got to know and trust a few of them, like a tiger trainer does. Well, I was assigned to a building where I was to teach. I think the subject was Criminology. There was no C.O. there to protect me if things got out of hand. I was not afraid. I was in control of my class. But one day at the beginning of the semester, I got some students I had not seen before...one of which did not like another veteran student that had followed me for years taking one class after another. She use to remark about my little ass. I never took offense. You pick your battles in prison. Well, as I said the new student did not like the veteran student, and they began to have words. I am at my desk, and these two get up and start moving very quickly toward each other. I come out from behind my desk in get in between them leaving my back exposed to the new student. I am looking the veteran student in her eyes, and talk softly to her asking to look at me...at my face...at my eyes. She started to calm down and eventually became somewhat quiet. I then turned to the new student, and exposed my back to the veteran student and said these words to the new student in a "command presence" tone: "Back away from me now and get back to your seat. If you ever hope to take another class with me, or finish this class you will get back to your seat. She hesitated. And then I said. Sit down or go back to your cottage!" She went to her seat, picked up her things, and left. I knew that when she got back to her cottage she would have to account for my dismissal. She never came back, and I don't remember seeing her again after that. There were approximately 35 -40 women in that room that day. They could have easily beat me down. The worst that would have happened to the offenders would have been Segregation and an extended sentence. Some of the women in my class(es) were in for life.

Edited August 7, 2016 by Jim D.

[Nungali]

Well handled JIm !  The smartest men live by their 'smarts'. 

 

I used to work as a hospital orderly , pager :  "Calling Nungali ... please go immediately to AE  Emergency ! "  < I do >  

 

"Some 30 stone drunk and drugged out Pacific Islander is  trying to smash the place up and bleddin out everywhere .... stop him ... oh, and dont use violence or hurt him . "

 

( Which was okay, as if I was being asked by one of the new imported Irish nurses , they would shout me pints after a hard shift  ...   not that I could ever finish mine first ! )

 

 

I have had a lot of different jobs, not just film industry .    I even used to get paid  $20 an hour to to take the kids from the school next door down the river every afternoon   ,      probably one of the best jobs I had  !

 

Here is the school 

 

 

 

 

The architect designed it to be in harmony with nature  

 

 

 

Here is Nunger's  '  apartment  ' , you and Karl are welcome to stay anytime 

 

 

 

(nah, this 2nd one is a joke )

Edited August 7, 2016 by Nungali

[Jim D.]

How old are you mate? If that is O.K. to ask.

[Nungali]

Seventeen . 

 

 

 

 

nah  .....  

 

 

I will tell you . But take a guess first . 

 

I thought you may be curious how I dealt with such people in my hospital work , as i think you might understand this.

 

As you  said in your story, certain dynamics are needed, ya gotta play it smart, voice is important -  but moreso; 'presence'  , 'attitude'  'demeanor'  'confidence'  'consistency', honesty and a certain amount of respect , for them and yourself ,  etc   .

 

I was taught by great teachers. I would be told to sit in zazen and hold concentration on my hara.  Yeah ... I got good at that ! 

Then ;  " Okay good, now Nungai, go to the weapons rack and take a bokkan and bring it over to me ."

 

Runs there and back and hands teacher the sword (the right way )  and bows .   

 

' Thank you ... but did you maintain concentration on your one point ? "    ....     Damn !  goes back to position to mediate more . And so on, until . 

 

Move this way, do that do this push you , scream in your face .....   did you maintain hara ?   Back to Zazen , start again ! 

 

Then ; comes zooming at me with bokkan 'blood curdling 'voice'  (ki-ai )   super fast ,,, stops the bokken a hair off my crown  . 

 

" Did you maintain concentration on your ....   "

 

Then ; add a technique , move and take the sword, not be there , or  throw the opponent , or  'melt away ' .   After a while (well, a few years ) one realizes  one is doing it AND  maintaining the inner hara .  One is  enjoying doing it, there is no fear, one is smiling as the person comes in to attack, relaxed, confident . 

 

One learns to 'exude that'   .  of course , the super agro drunk islander would probably cream me in  'real'  .... but he doesnt know that , all of a sudden there s this strange guy in his presence acting  differently , they either sense it ir are so out of it they somehow fuck themselves up then you move in , to 'help' them .  Once a guy was totally immune, totally crazy, totally agro, trying to escape intensive care, I was called to take him to the pyche ward . One look I knew my tactics would not work, he was too out of to know who I was so I just helped him escape .... and get his pants on first , he would never had fund his way out if not for me  ... but dammit , I lead him on a wrong turn ... straight into the psyche ward   . 

 

here is another funny thing . I show the guys at training that stuff , including our 'instructor' .  I also have shown them how to simply reverse and step back mid step forward  when attacking and 'slice' my arms or hands off.   But they dont do it . 

 

Some other dynamic is going on .  I even showed them if you time the move right and the attacker is moving forward predictably , in a way they are trained to do , one can just add a slap across the face as the hand moves around to take the sword.  Its a series if complex movements and body placement  / movement  ... but it looks like this ferocious  sword wielding maniac is coming at defenseless decrepit old  me , smiling and relaxed and I just slap his face and take the sword off him   ... such is the art of the 'demo'.   Then I ask them "Why didnt you just step back mid attack and cut me ." 

 

and they  .... " Doh ! " 

 

No, is not some type of ki / chi  magic , I believe they are picking up a LOT of info and signals unconsciously. 

 

- anyways, mostly nowadays , I am a hermit. 

[Jim D.]

I think that you are in your 50's. It sounds like you are or have studied Iaido. I liked how you redirected the nut case to the psych. ward. He was so absent minded he didn't know what hit him.

 

I am currently studying Mugai Ryu, a combative style of Iaido. The stye means nothing on the outside. So, it is not flashy. It is effective. Other styles of martial art I have studied have been Win Chun and Modern Arnis.

 

I really like the pictures of the school and house. When I saw the third house I felt such saddness. And then you told the truth. The Third House reminds me of the "Shot gun" shanty homes down in Philadelphia Mississippi. They call them "shot gun" because when you open the front door, there is a back door to run out of if someone is trying to shoot you.

 

Seiza is very difficult for older people because of their knees and lack of flexibility. When ever I cannot do something I work at it until I can. Fortunately, my body has cooperated with me.

 

I love nature and plants. I just set up an indoor pond using an acquarium. Need to get some more pond plants for it. Maybe one more, or two.

 

Good night Nungali

[Marblehead]

 

 

 

 

 

And some people wonder why I have become an Anarchist.

Edited August 7, 2016 by Marblehead