Some people can do amazing things with their bodies, and Hitesh Petal is one of them. I didn't know this tune at all, and it seems a bit viral. Is being a bit viral like being a bit pregnant?
I feel so sad for our country and by all accounts a very decent woman, who happens to be an independent politician. Dr Helen Haines, member for the federal northern Victorian electorate of Indi, was attacked by a driver in 4WD not once but twice or more, mashing her legs between the front of his large vehicle and her own. It is horrific to try to even imagine what that would be like for the victim.
The alleged culprit was initially apprehended by a local businessman, then along with others until police arrived to arrest him. It may turn out to be a terrible mental episode. Umpteen authorities are investigating and the law will prevail in due course.
I have never heard such respectful words about any politician from all political directions than I have today about Dr Haines. I am not a believer in bagging politicians because they are politicians. There are some very honourable people in politics, of course with some not so honourable.
I am not sure about other countries, but aside from perhaps the Prime Minister and high profile politicians who have a security detail, generally our politicians can get about freely in the community without threat, and I hope this doesn't stop that and we give in to the haters.
Helen is in a serious but stable condition, no doubt being treated the best doctors in Australia. With such trauma, she will initially be treated as a public hospital patient at no cost. She was flown by helicopter to Melbourne's Alfred Hospital and has had one leg amputated as the surgeons try to save her other leg. As she recovers, she can choose rehabilitation between public or private care.
This will be life changing for Helen, and if you wonder what it is like to suddenly become an amputee, you could hear, read and listen to what my acquaintance James O'Brien in Sydney has to say about it, along with his interviews with amputees, in his Limb Shift writings and interviews.
Good luck Helen. You need it.
Another post that has hung around unpublished for some time. At least I've ticked one thing off. I'm over it, and publish as is.
In the last years before I retired, I was constantly worried about whether I would have enough money to retire. I did have enough, and then the government gave me a portion of an old age pension, the extra benefits being of many things being discounted.
Before Ray died, we had paid half for our apartment to be repainted and recarpeted. It was a long discussion about whether to change to timber boards, but we decided on carpet.
While I delayed it for a couple of months after Ray's death, it was done.
Then money from my mother's estate came through, which meant I had money to spend on what I now see as neglecting our place for some years.
In no order over two years;
New microwave.
New dishwasher (the old one failed).
New French door fridge.
New range hood.
New dinner service.
New chair cushions.
A stand for the desktop screen to ensure I keep my head held high, and a new mat for the computer chair, and then another after the first broke, plus a new desk chair...so comfortable.
Living area venetian blinds cleaned ( a waste as I replaced them the next year).
Bedroom of Phyllis and Kosov window tinting redone.
Living area blinds replaced.
Living area and a couple of bedroom window tinting redone (it decays over twenty years).
New lounge chairs.
Range hood fan replaced (the old one failed).
Extra benchtop lighting added.
New split system air con.
A robot vacuum cleaner.
The future may see new fan lights in the living room and at installation, have the hard wired smoke detectors replaced, done. While the fan lights are very practical, my living area lights are very old fashioned and to modernise would be adding about ten recessed LED lighting fittings. While these would make the place more modern, I don't want the bright lighting and I'm quite happy with my lamps. Fan lights are what I want.
I might have new floor tiles laid over the top of the old kitchen, bathrooms and toilet tiles. Smart looking in 2026 is quite different to 1998.
I am adding value in some areas to my home, but I don't care about that and nor am I out to impress anyone. I am spending money to please myself.
See what Sami and others come up with for Monday Mural.
Another Sammy became a famous seal a visitor to a town down on along our west coast.
Today, Sunday, Kosov had a long driving lesson. He still needs work with roundabouts and turning right at traffic lights, and while he could drive on his own, he isn't yet ready to sit his driving test.
I've booked a weekend away for us in a couple of weeks. Ostensibly it is a birthday gift for Kosov, but it is also travel I will enjoy doing. I've gone a bit upmarket this time but for not much more than I would normally pay, owing to the isolation of the accommodation.
I asked HH if she would like our monthly lunch catch up to happen this coming week, and she said yes, but the only day she was free was Wednesday, which was fine with me. When we took some birthday cake down to her last week, she was busy trying to sort out her finances. She is trying to hand all control over to her son, but with shares and other investments, it is surprisingly difficult. She said it was doing her head in, but later said, I can get back to it now after having some company. She is far more social than I am.
As I type, Phyllis is in the kitchen cooking up a storm and talking loudly on his phone handsfree, with the exhaust fan roaring away. I would expect 8.40 on a Sunday night to be quiet at home. No doubt I will get to eat some of what is being cooked at some time.
Jass had a bath and a haircut on Friday. Her grooming was really well done, even though I thought it was a waste of money, but it wasn't my money. She is looking much smaller now. She certainly isn't a big cat.
Pleasing to read in our local state newspaper an explanatory article about teeth whitening. No commenter had praise for bright white tombstones. With a minimum of words, one commenter put it perfectly, "Meanwhile, on the other side of the world...".
But then the paper became political.
"Not only do Democrats seem headed for success in the midterms, fuelled by a swell of Americans who see Trump as a crook, enriching himself while costs rise for everyone else, but the president’s inner circle is going up in flames. Aides are turning on one another and sinking in a cauldron of corruption and boneheaded policies."
As has happened around the world, Australia is dangerously close to a swing to the extremist far right, with our political party One Nation. The party is led by Pauline Hanson who has been in and out of politics for decades, with little success. Her fame first rose in the 1990s and put fear into recent immigrants as she gave permission for racist views to be expressed.
One would think that with her long time political partner and sorter of everything, James Ashby, that she would be pro gay rights and gay marriage, but no.
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Her views are very Trump like, pretty well anti everything about progressive society, along with being anti renewable energy. 'Build more coal fired power stations', she cries. "Let's look at nuclear energy".
Her speech at the National Press Club was very revealing. Let's have a look at what Hanson's policies are and could be implemented if she was in a position of power if her extremist party should have enough members elected to influence government policy.
Our multicultural society must become a monocultural society. The ship has sailed on that one, honey.
As she stated in her speech, Australian must reduce immigration, and the party has now released a policy that would see more people leaving Australia than arriving to Australia. That's a decrease in our population. To those with simple thinking may think this is a good idea. Instead think, geez, there will be no one to wipe our arses in our old age care homes.
Before any public event speech, there will be a welcome to country, often performed by an elder of our Aboriginals, but not always. Some can be too long in my opinion, but she will ban the Welcome to Country speeches.
She will shut down our multicultural tv broadcaster SBS, and make our ABC national media broadcaster subscription only for metropolitan users, but still free for country consumers of ABC. Ah, she does not know how pro our public media ABC supporters can come out in force when our treasured ABC is in danger.
She stated only late term abortions were acceptable, if the mother's life was in danger. Back to the mid twentieth century with dangerous backyard abortions for the poor, and richer women having obliging and expensive doctors.
It seems she thinks Australian workers have too many rights, are lazy, don't come to work, spend too much time on their phones and don't deserve pay rises. Bosses can't sack workers (they can't unfairly sack workers. There is a process). She wants a complete overhaul of industrial relations, no doubt to the disadvantage of average workers.
In there 1990s the fish and chip business owner's cry was, we are being swamped by Asians. She was then gaoled for electoral fraud and dishonestly obtaining electoral funding Now her cry is we are being swamped by Muslims. My old school racist mother's favourite nurse was Muslim.
Australia's richest woman, the execrable Gina Reinhart, bought Pauline a rather smart aeroplane, and the party headquarters will move into a building owed by Reinhart. Reinhart has also donated $$$ to the party. She made her money by building on her father's mining business, plus other ventures. Do you think Reinhart won't want payback should Hanson be in a position of power? Reinhart is revving up to mine more of the Amazon.
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The finances of Pauline's party, One Nation, seem very obscure and I would not be surprised if it is later discovered that there has been some illegal funny business going on.
I conclude with is god help us if Hanson's One Nation party wins enough votes to be in any kind of position of influence in my state and in Australia.
Later edit. I had forgotten this one, that domestic violence is a two way street. Then a cartoon was published making fun of a fellow female parliamentary who spoke in parliament about her own difficult reproductive health at an older age. Hanson really is a horror show.
It was not a significant birthday, but one people might make jokes about. I was told not to plan anything for the day by Phyllis and Kosov, so I didn't. I did go out earlyish for coffee and to collect some medications before they arose, and for the rest of the day I relaxed.
HH had left me a gift on the doorstep, a terrific little guide book about the laneways of Melbourne.
The lads went into town and returned with gifts for me aplenty.
An Italian sauvignon blanc from Calabria, with a French accent over its name. I was so excited! Alas, I noticed the name Marlborough. It is from New Zealand, but that is ok.
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My preferred brand of scotch.
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Chocolate cake. We took a large slice down to HH, and stayed half an hour chatting.
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And flowers.
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Be ready to go out at 6.15, they told me. We caught a tram to town, and then another to Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. Phyllis made us wait on the street as he had confused a twenty four hour clock with a twelve hour clock and booked us for 17.00 (5pm) rather than 7pm. Up we travelled in the lift.
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It was cool, so the overhead heating was welcome.
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Looking down on another rooftop bar at what may have once been called The Bullring.
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Slightly challenging but what a cool venue name, Naked for Satan.
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The rest are just photos I took from the rooftop. Naked for Satan is a great venue and I highly recommend it.
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You did well, my lads.
Some people can do amazing things with their bodies, and Hitesh Petal is one of them. I didn't know this tune at all, and it seems a b...
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