Good news story, kind of

This was a major headline media story because it is a very unusual thing to happen.

Benjamin Phikhohpoom (by his name I guess he is of Thai heritage) was abducted in a well to do area while walking home from a very good school in the local area of Caulfield in the greater area of Glen Eira. This is dominantly a Jewish area. Is that relevant? Maybe. But I can't see Benjamin as being a target by hatred of Jews.

Media informs me that the fifteen year old lad was pulled into a car by three teenagers who demanded his phone and personal belongings. He was stabbed, thrown out of the car and dragged for 150 metres and then, run over. 

He spent a long time in a coma but eventually recovered but not quite to the full extent. The television news subtitled his speech last night. But I could understand him easily. 

He is back at school, albeit part time. 

Photo from the Herald Sun.

What a marvellous country Australia is, clean, green, neat and safe.

From the English Daily Mail.

The three teenagers who allegedly carried out the attack were arrested and charged following the incident. 

All three have been granted bail and are set to face a children's court at a later date.

One of the alleged offenders, a 14-year-old boy, faces 70 charges relating to several armed robberies and multiple counts of theft. 

The reasonable part of my brain says if convicted, the perpetrators should serve a gaol sentence, understand the gravity of what they did and undergo rehabilitation before being released back into society.

The emotional part of my brain says why attack an innocent kid on his way home from school? Lock the fuckers up and throw away key for these wasters of society.

It will be interesting to see what the courts decide and you can bet the sentences will be mild.  

Point Lonsdale and experiencing shocking wind

C'mon lovey. We've got a train to catch. 

We had a bite to eat and coffee in Queenscliff and headed down the hill to the train station. The steam train wasn't operating this day, so the carriages were pulled by a diesel powered locomotive. We've taken the trip before and R enjoyed it. This time he made it plain he did not, mostly because the train was chockers with families and many children. The train doesn't run daily and it was school holidays, so it was to be expected to be busy. "Don't ever ask me to do that again", was his summary. 

There are some nice views along the way.

The engine at Lakers Siding.

It was terribly windy that day. As R rested in the afternoon, I took myself and Coco off in the car for a beach walk. I've seen rougher seas at Point Lonsdale Beach but they were unusual. The photos don't tell how rough the sea was.

Dinner was at the Queenscliff Brewhouse. In the outdoor area I found this interesting. I had a lovely huge bowl of mussels in a nice sauce with a nice bread.

Monday Mural

I am joining in with Sami and others for Monday Mural. 

Artist Lushsux is quite a prolific muralist. You can read a bit about him here and see some of his work here.

It's a pity about the graffiti over this work of his. 

Im Peach him

I like.

I would never call anyone ugly, unless I judged them as uglier on the inside than there obvious external old and plain visage. What a shocking and despicable human being. I bet he would kick dogs out of his way.

To black people in the US, no matter the obstacles put in your way, please get out there on election day and vote 'correctly'. 

Point Lonsdale and a curry

OMG, on the Wednesday did it rain in the morning! As happened at Christmas, there was a moat at the front door but not quite as large and we could step over it. We drove to Barwon Heads and after eventually finding a parking space, we walked up and down the main drag and back near we parked the car, we found a cafe that has dry outdoor seating and each f us had a monster sausage roll, that I couldn't finish, and coffee. 

There was a lookout at Barwon Heads but we quickly remembered we had been there before, the last time with Mother. On the way home we found some really nice lookout points in Ocean Grove. It was nice sitting and gazing out to sea and admiring some very nice looking housing above. 

I had a fancy for Indian food and it was only 13 minutes drive from Sister's to Tandoori Lovers in Ocean Grove and we had a very nice meal. It was up a step of stairs, no disabled access, and had nice views and with a monster Norfolk Island Pine at window level. 

Jo's room doesn't really have any bare walls now, and nor does if have any shelf space, the shelves been filled with her various collections.

Fortunately there are sheets of laser lighting? above the grape vine outside so we don't get wet. With so much rain we could almost watch the grass and the vine grow. If you enlarge the photo you can see a couple of vine tendrils and after four days the upper tendril had reached the other side and the lower one had begun wrapping itself around the back of the chair. 

There have been so many shipwrecks in the dangerous waters.

From the look out at Barwon Heads towards Queenscliff.

I wouldn't mind owning one of these Ocean Grove homes.

The view from Tandoori Lovers in Ocean Grove. Good food.

A futile attempt by Coco to rearrange the solid cushion interior. 

Having a laugh

After yesterday, I needed a laugh. Australia Day was worse than I thought and has been underreported by tv media, at least. 

Apparently there are a few words Scots find very difficult to say and they are especially hard for Glaswegians. I read that somewhere and then I was down the proverbial rabbit hole. I learnt rather a lot about the origins of Scottish and it was quite interesting. But you know me, in one ear and out the other.  Now I have to learn how to insert TikTok clips. 

Google tells me these phrases are difficult for Scots, but I can't see why. "Purple Burglar Alarm", is a well-known one that often trips up anyone with a Scottish accent.

While the second and less known one is "Irish Wrist Watch". The rabbit hole tells me it is about one of the origins of Scottish. Ryan is quite entertaining.  I can see how young people get addicted to TikTok. Of course his looks, charm and humour have nothing to do with my interest. 

In case the clip doesn't work, 

https://www.tiktok.com/@rsullivan1991/video/7149585358404029701?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

I watched this TikTok by Ryan too. This one is based on the word beaver and is rather cheap humour but I think the word beaver with a certain meaning crosses The Atlantic. If you are easily offended by cheap smut, please watch the clip and then express your outrage. I am sure Matilda Murgatroyd Municman from Upper Kombuctor West will make her views known.

Divisive Day

Well, I am supposed to  say Happy Australia Day I guess, but I really don't feel like it. The day no longer instills any pride in me for my country on the day I may have once quietly be very glad to be born in. It has become such a divisive day, I just don't want to hear any more about it. 

Without doubt it needs to be moved to a day that's agreeable to most of our indigenous population To those who will never accept a celebration of the day, I don't blame you. It was an invasion, the general mistreatment, the massacres, yes, I know all about it but it was quite a long time ago now and now I can only say, tough titties. We are here and we don't belong anywhere else.

I am certainly not going to speak to my jingoistic Tradie Brother today. He may well be hosting a barbeque to celebrate, where people will drink too much. 

Thankfully I've only heard of two of the deplorables on the radio, and the second one was a conservative politician, declaring we are the greatest country in world. The former who said the same may be ignorant and needs to travel more to see what the rest of the world does better than we in Australia do, and the politician was just being a politician.

Happy Republic Day to India.

Meanwhile in Melbourne some have made there displeasure at the day of 'celebrations known by public vandalism.

Queen Vicky's visage must have been extra grumpy looking after she was spray painted with metaphorical blood. 

It was quite an achievement to chop down Captain Cook at the ankles with an angle grinder, even if they had the wrong culprit. Blame Governor Phillip of the Colony of New South Wales who led the First Fleet from England with ships full of Prisoners of His/Her Majesty.

And as one wag described it on Twitter, what could be more Australian on Australian Day than being passed out and flat on your face in a public park   

Would you like a little Aussie music on this day? There are a few I could choose from but this'll do.