Solo Ventures

 News this morning about a new golf type being established out of Saudi Arabia, called the LIV Tour. Australian lead folder has defected from the lucrative PGA tour for the payment of $140 000 000. Tiger Woods, a largely burnt out US folding hero was allegedly offered three quarters of a billion dollars.  How does Saudi Arabia make it's money? Petroleum.  Yep, fuel for the world's cars, jets & co. Why do they want to invest in golf? Well, the Saudis will have done the math & are confident that through the mechanism of video broadcasting (television or live streaming), the Saudis can profit massively from advertising sales & online gambling. The Middle East, as do others, want you to passively view those ads for many hours & days,  they also want you too buy goods from their advertisers & gamble your hard earned dollars.   You can be assured that the investors will be confident of regaining their outlays plus profits.  That's a lot of people,  sitting for

 People,  I'm talking about people.  Everyday discrimination is compulsory; I'd sail my boat in the mouth of a river, but never put my head in the mouth of a lion.  It's something we all do,  everyday.   But,  I was just reading about discrimination among individuals.  Corey Mortensten in "Lost" describes the social standards in a Median hostel : "International prejudices in this community seemed not to exist. Citizens of the world: flags means everything to some and nothing to others ".  I struggled to accept the policies of our previous government led by Scott "Sports Rorts" Morrison who " turned the (refugee) boats back ". This catch phrase led to Draconian policies which allowed,  nasty encouraged,  discriminatory abuse of people from certain Middle Eastern, African and Asian countries. Anyone from those same countries that arrived with a suitcase of cash on an aeroplane were welcome but if you were low income, you would be "

Western media distracts  with the pursuits of criminal findings against the last US President.  Even without a criminal trial any casual observer is witness Trump's vices.  "First enumerated by Pope  Gregory I  (the Great) in the 6th century and elaborated in the 13th century by  St. Thomas Aquinas , they are (1)  vainglory , or pride, (2)  greed , or covetousness, (3)  lust , or inordinate or illicit sexual desire, (4)  envy , (5)  gluttony , which is usually understood to include drunkenness, (6)  wrath , or anger, and (7)  sloth ". (Ref: Wikipedia. NB: A founding member of Wikipedia, Julian Assange is being pursued by US government for honesty). Trump does it all! While the Side Show drowns the media with attention-grabbing headlines & soundbites, a major catastrophe is unfolding in less wealthy, & non-Christian nations; China, Africa & Pakistan. Millions of people are experiencing losses; of life, abode & employment. Many of these losses will be perman

 Hello Friends,  This week I joined Australian Friends of the Camino. For  $30 pa I get a newsletter,  information,  a support network & access to a "Pilgrim's Credencial". I also become a supporter pf the Caminos.  I'm now waiting on an Information Package. And AFOC wished me a buen camino! My first ever.   -  z z z z z z x  - News from the Camino Portuges - Coastal is that numbers of pilgrims post Covid are bursting & finding a bed in an albergue is hard.  - x x x x x x x - I've read some & viewed some of BEAU MILES' work.  Once an extreme type adventurer he now focuses on smaller stiff like walking 87k to work over 30hrs, or paddling overgrown & polluted canals,  creeks & rivers to work. Great guy.   As a college adventure lecturer he is quite scientific in his quests. At one point he recalled being encouraged to COUNT YOUR STEPS AS YOU WALK. I cannot recall the reasons why.  Vaguely,  something to do with navigation & data gatherin

 During September last year I was in the midst of a cycling drive. Relatively new to "cycle touring" or "bikepacking", I had splurged on a couple of used bikes & begin regularly riding out for 20 & then 30 kilometres rides.  A Children's Cancer Research fundraiser served to motivate me to push through the 30k barrier.  I set an ambitious mileage, 500k for the month.  It wasn't about the money,  but the mileage.  I did hear about a toddler with brain tumours that kept reproducing despite a plethora of risky operations to cut them out.  That little girl had been given a dour prognosis.  That motivated me in the tougher moments.   This September I've signed up for 90k of walking. I'm not ready to do such a mileage,  so today with a desperate need to get cracking,  I walked.   With three dogs in tow,  I went out the front door.  No water, no snacks, no idea where we would go.  As usual I madder it up as we went.  Down our step road,  north along

 For some time The Camino had been simmering on my back burner.  I have read a few books & casually perused Brierly's guide to the Camino Santiago de Compostella, but nothing had solidified.  As always,  when a mental seed is planted,  or sits quietly below the surface taking root.  Without nourishment, that seed may rot & perish.  This seed seems to be taking root.  For the past two weeks I've been listening to "The Camino" podcast, inspired.  Yesterday I went to buy a Kindle book & realised I had already bought it.  I rarely spend more than about $6 so it's not unusual that I might have a three dollar book on a topic I enjoy reading about. I splurged & bought the audible add on for $3, read by the Scottish author,  a middle-aged empty nest teacher.  I'm not doting on every word,  just soaking up the vibe.  In days to come I will listen again & again & come to recall each passage before hearing it.   I suspect that being stood down fro