Category: Other (Page 9 of 24)

Taking a break from bushcraft. Have torn the tendon to my right bicep. Trying to finish building my van before the wet weather hits. Trying to rearrange life to work around rehab on the knee and now the arm. Lots more pain killers. The posts will probably become more intermittent. Cheers.

EDIT;

Started off Sunday night with a pop in my arm, by the next day I was in hospital having scans to confirm a tear. By Thursday I had severe swelling to three times the size of my arm which they thought was compartmental syndrome and transferred to a larger hospital to make sure I wasn’t going to loose the arm. 100mg of fentanyl to bring the pain level down to a 6 out of 10. Then released Friday morning. Saturday morning woke up with extreme bruising and another hospital trip and they thought could have been arterial damage. Lots of endone.

EDIT 30th May

Went into hospital midweek for a check up on the fluid in my lungs and was kept there for a week trying to reduce the fluid. While I was in there Saturday night, felt a weight on my chest and when the ward doctor turned up two hours later and did bloods I was told I was having a heart attack and transferred from respiratory to cardiology. Ends up I was having right side heart failure. An interesting two weeks.

EDIT 11 June

Still in hospital and will be here another week. They finally found the bug in my chest and I require a full 14 day dose of intravenous antibiotics. Been on oxygen for two weeks and it got to a stage I didnt think Id get off it again. Went from struggling to do two spits of two and a half minutes on the bike on two litres of oxygen to 2.5 spits up to 20 minutes on one litre of oxygen. Lost 6 kilo in body weight , so all the work on rehab Ive done over the past 6 months is gone. I have to start all over again. Spent two hours off the oxygen today and it knocked me about. Ive got to work all week to get my lung strength back to make it off the 02.

EDIT 24th June

Was out for the weekend and de-saturated and back in hospital Six weeks now in hospital.

With the Australian Government and by that I meant the four major players. Labour, Liberal, Greens and Nationals supporting one another in forced Covid Vaccinations, Digital Money, Digital ID and Internet Censorship I begin to wonder after having our gun rights dissolved in 1996 by John Howard. The same Prime Minister that was never was never charged for crimes against humanity for invading another country along with Tony B and Blair and George W Bush. I begin to look into how many governments have committed mass genocide. Not counting the forced vaccinations and the relation to gun control. Just something to think about and in these current times if it is worth trying to fight to abolish all firearms laws made since 1996 in this country.

In 1911, Turkey established gun control. From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
Germany established gun control in 1938 and from 1939 to 1945, a total of 13 million Jews and others who were unable to defend themselves were rounded up and exterminated.
China established gun control in 1935. From 1948 to 1952, 20 million political dissidents, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
Guatemala established gun control in 1964. From 1964 to 1981, 100,000 Mayan Indians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
Uganda established gun control in 1970. From 1971 to 1979, 300,000 Christians, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
Cambodia established gun control in 1956. From 1975 to 1977, one million educated people, unable to defend themselves, were rounded up and exterminated.
Defenseless people rounded up and exterminated in the 20th Century because of gun control: 56 million.
How has gun control helped Australia
Australia-wide, homicides are up 3.2 percent.
Australia-wide, assaults are up 8.6 percent.
Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent)!
In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300 percent. Note that while the law-abiding citizens turned them in, the criminals did not, and criminals still possess their guns!
While figures over the previous 25 years showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12 months, since criminals now are guaranteed that their prey is unarmed.
There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the ELDERLY. Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety has decreased, after such monumental effort, and expense was expended in successfully ridding Australian society of guns. The Australian experience and the other historical facts above prove it.

With guns, we are ‘citizens’. Without them, we are ‘subjects’.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_genocides
https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/opinion/guest-opinions/2015/05/16/disarming-regular-people-can-lead-genocide/27250187/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overview_of_gun_laws_by_nation
https://davekopel.org/2A/Foreign/gun-bans-and-genocide.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_and_weapons_of_mass_destruction

Burma/Myanmar: (state-led)

Since 2021
Targeted Group: Non-combatant civilians suspected of opposing the military junta
Perpetrator: State security forces

This latest mass killing began shortly after the Tatmadaw—the country’s ruling military junta—seized power on February 1, 2021. Following the coup, civilians began protesting peacefully, to which the Tatmadaw responded with excessive force. Since then, demonstrations have continued and the conflict landscape has become increasingly complex, with old and new conflicts overlapping.

Ethiopia: (state-led)

Since 2020
Targeted Group: Tigrayan civilians
Perpetrator: Ethiopian and Eritrean state security forces

A civil war that started in November 2020 in Ethiopia’s Tigray region has devolved into a brutal conflict that threatens the well-being of millions. The conflict includes multiple armed actors, several of whom are alleged to be committing mass atrocities. From the beginning of the war, witnesses reported the intentional targeting of civilians, often along ethnic lines.

Burma/Myanmar: (state-led)

Since 2016
Targeted Group: Non-combatant Rohingya civilians
Perpetrator: State security forces

State violence against the Rohingya population in Rakhine State escalated sharply in late August 2017, in what a top UN human rights official called a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing.” Total fatalities in the campaign of violence—which included killing as well as incidents of rape and other sexual violence, arbitrary mass arrests, enforced disappearances, and forced displacement—are estimated in the thousands. The latest campaign has forced approximately 700,000 refugees to neighboring Bangladesh. We back-date mass killing onsets to the first year when more than 100 civilians were killed in the campaign; thus we mark the start of the episode in Burma/Myanmar as 2016 based on UN reporting suggesting that the total was at least in the hundreds that year.
Philippines: (state-led)

Since 2016
Targeted Group: Non-combatant civilians accused of using or selling drugs
Perpetrator: State security forces and associated vigilante groups

The government of the Philippines’ state security forces and associated vigilante groups began cracking down on suspected drug users and sellers (along with other suspected political enemies) in a coordinated campaign of mass killing in 2016. In July 2016, the government launched “Operation Double Barrel” to carry out the president’s campaign promise to wipe out all “drug personalities.” Human rights groups estimate the death toll since President Rodrigo Duterte took office to be well into the thousands.
Ethiopia: (state-led)

Since 2015
Targeted Group: Non-combatant Oromo civilians
Perpetrator: State security forces

In response to a perceived government-sponsored land grab and subversion of Oromo rights, mass public protests broke out across Oromia Region in November 2015, to which Ethiopian security forces responded with violence and repression against civilians.

South Sudan: (state-led)

Since 2013
Targeted Group: Non-combatant civilians suspected to be rebel supporters/co-ethnics
Perpetrator: State security forces

From the start of a civil war in December 2013, government forces loyal to President Salva Kiir, mostly from the Dinka ethnic group, have killed supporters of rebel leader Riek Machar and members of the Nuer ethnic group.
Central African Republic: (non-state-led)

Since 2013
Targeted Group: Mostly Muslim non-combatant civilians perceived to support Séléka/ex-Séléka rebels
Perpetrator: Various armed groups, including anti-Balaka

In the course of the violent conflict in the Central African Republic (CAR) since 2013, Séléka/ex-Séléka rebels and opposing anti-Balaka armed groups have carried out systematic attacks on Christian and Muslim civilian populations, respectively. While many groups have been involved in violence, it is clearest that anti-Balaka militias were responsible for more than 1,000 civilian fatalities.
South Sudan: (non-state-led)

Since 2013
Targeted Group: Non-combatant civilians perceived to support the government of South Sudan
Perpetrator: Machar supporters (SPLM in Opposition, Nuers, and others)

From the start of a civil war in December 2013, forces loyal to rebel leader Riek Machar, mostly from the Nuer ethnic group, have killed perceived supporters of President Salva Kiir and members of the Dinka ethnic group.
Syria: (non-state-led)

Since 2012
Targeted Group: Non-combatant civilians perceived to oppose ISIS
Perpetrator: ISIS and other associated militias

Some of the forces opposing the government of Syria in its ongoing civil war have committed atrocities against Syrian civilians, including the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIS), which took advantage of the chaos by seizing territory in the spring of 2013. ISIS and its affiliates have waged a campaign of persecution and horrific brutality against religious communities and others who do not ascribe to its brand of extremism.
Syria: (state-led)

Since 2011
Targeted Group: Non-combatant civilians suspected of opposing the government of Syria
Perpetrator: State security forces

Since 2011, the government of Syria has systematically attacked civilians opposing Bashar al-Assad’s rule and populations presumed to be supporting rebel forces. The Syrian civil war is the most destructive humanitarian crisis since World War II. More than half of Syria’s 22 million citizens have been driven from their homes, at least 500,000 have been killed, and tens of thousands have disappeared, been detained, or been tortured.
Nigeria: (non-state-led)

Since 2010
Targeted Group: Non-combatant civilians perceived to support the government of Nigeria
Perpetrator: Boko Haram

Boko Haram formed in the early 2000s in northern Nigeria and began an armed conflict with the government of Nigeria in 2009. Over the following years, Boko Haram expanded operations, pledging support to the self-proclaimed Islamic State in 2015. Boko Haram’s attacks have targeted both military installations and civilian communities, including village raids and bombings.
Nigeria: (state-led)

Since 2009
Targeted Group: Non-combatant civilians suspected of supporting Boko Haram
Perpetrator: State security forces

In its effort to defeat Boko Haram’s insurgency, Nigerian government forces have intentionally killed civilians suspected to be supporting the group in the northern regions of the country, especially in Borno State.

Somalia: (non-state-led)

Since 2007
Targeted Group: Non-combatant civilians perceived to oppose Al Shabaab
Perpetrator: Al Shabaab and associated militias

Al-Shabaab and other violent extremist groups in Somalia have deliberately targeted civilians through bombings and other terrorist tactics. These attacks escalated in 2007, after Ethiopian forces expelled the Islamic Courts Union from Mogadishu.
India: (non-state-led)

Since 2004
Targeted Group: Non-combatant civilians accused of collaborating with the government of India
Perpetrator: Naxalite-Maoist rebels

With its current phase beginning in 2004, India’s Naxalite-Maoist insurgency includes several groups with communist ideologies. Maoists have intentionally targeted civilians and also allegedly killed and tortured civilians after accusing them of being police informers. The ongoing conflict is currently most concentrated in Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Bihar, and Jharkhand states.

Sudan: (state-led)

Since 2003
Targeted Group: Non-combatant civilians of non-Arab ethnic groups in Darfur
Perpetrator: State security forces and associated militias

Beginning in 2003, the government of Sudan and associated Arab janjaweed militias have attacked civilian populations in Darfur that they suspect of supporting rebels. Targeted groups include the Fur, Zaghawa, Masaleit, and other non-Arab peoples of the Darfur region.
Iraq: (non-state-led)

Since 2003
Targeted Group: Non-combatant civilians perceived to oppose ISIS
Perpetrator: ISIS and associated militias

Beginning in the 2003 conflict, armed groups, including Al Qaeda, its ally Ansar al-Islam, and their various precursors, have intentionally targeted non-combatant civilians in Iraq. Since a major escalation of conflict between the government of Iraq and ISIS in 2014, ISIS has carried out a campaign of violence against civilians, including through suicide bombings, IEDs, fire fights, etc., in territory controlled by the group.
Pakistan: (non-state-led)

Since 2001
Targeted Group: Non-combatant civilians perceived to support the government of Pakistan
Perpetrator: Taliban Movement of Pakistan and associated militias

In attempts to enforce Sharia law, fight against international forces in Afghanistan, and oppose the Pakistan Army, the Taliban Movement of Pakistan (TTP) and other extremist groups have deliberately killed civilians suspected of supporting the government.

Democratic Republic of Congo: (non-state-led)

Since 1998
Targeted Group: Non-combatant civilians in the northeast
Perpetrator: Various militias in the northeast

The Second Congo War (1998–99) marks the beginning of large-scale violence against non-combatant civilians in the country’s east, which has continued in varying forms to the present day. Insurgent groups in the Kivus intentionally target civilians as part of the ongoing series of conflicts. DRC presents a case where, although the Early Warning Project is able to conclude that nonstate groups have systematically targeted civilians on a large enough scale to qualify as a mass killing episode, information does not allow us to identify a single perpetrator group.

North Korea: (state-led)

Since 1948
Targeted Group: Non-combatant civilians suspected of opposing the government of North Korea
Perpetrator: State security forces

The government of North Korea represses and intentionally targets suspected political opponents. Policy-induced famines and a sprawling system of prison camps continue to kill unknown numbers of civilians.

Burma/Myanmar: (state-led)

Since 1948
Targeted Group: Non-combatant civilians from ethnic minority groups
Perpetrator: State security forces

In its long-running armed conflict against various non-state armed groups, the government of Burma/Myanmar has intentionally targeted ethnic minority groups—including the Karen, Kachin, Ta’ang, Mon, Lisu, and Shan—in the country’s east since 1948.

A woodcutter had stumbled into a clearing upon which he found an injured witch. He offered his help to the witch being a good man.The witch wanted to know what the man wanted in return for saving her life and he replied nothing, then he turned around on leaving and said. Well there is one thing.Pass it forward, I helped you and now you have to help five others and they in turn have to help five of their own. The witch agreed. The woodcutter said it will always change you. The witch felt great energy from the woodcutter that shouldn’t have been there.
Many years past and the witch was flying on her broom stick and saw a young girl in distress and flew down with the intention to eat her or use as a slave. Then she remembered her oath and offered the girl help. At first the young girl didnt understand, this witch was known to be one of the meanest in the country.
The witch had offered to fly the girl home to her village on her broomstick with an injured leg. However all of a sudden huntsmen jumped up, it was an ambush. However after listening to the witch and why she was trying to help the young girl the huntsmen released the with and the girl offered the with an amulet that had been passed down from mother to mother for centuries to ward off evil on the condition that the witch never removed it.
Hundreds of years past and the with was with her covenant when local villages were approaching in attack for retribution for destruction on their village. As the villages approached the witches turned on seeing the witch wearing the pendant they all bowed.
The witches didn’t understand, they said they didn’t attack the village but why bow to them. The villages explained that they were bowing to the quest witch. The story of the quest witch had been passed down from parent to child for many generations.
The witch in turn said the story of her failure. She had tried many thousands of times to full-fill her oath and yet never helped one person. The villages explained that at first it was a joke that she had tried to help and could not full-fill just one act of goodness. Then it was pointed out to them that the witch no matter how many failures had never given up and the tale emerged as a bed time story for their children how how they should never give up and this had saved many lives of the village.
The other witches upon hearing this vowed destruction on the quest witch and they aim all their power toward the quest witch. The people gathered around the witch to protect her. The quest witch had never experienced this. So many willing to give their lives for her even though she was evil. As the spell of the covenant hit the quest witch something unexpected happened.
The spell was absorbed by the pendant and the quest witch started to turn white.Even though the quest witch had never fulfilled one act of her five she had helped many generations of people find faith in themselves. That act alone turned the quest witch from an dark witch to a white witch.
The old woodcutter now appeared out of the crowd and the quest witch recognized him and said you were the one that started all this how are you still alive. The woodcutter responded I was not always a wood cutter . Before that I too was a very evil warlock one of the most powerful. However I too had to fulfill the oath of helping the five and it also changed me. That is how I met my wife and I discovered something even more powerful that the dark within myself. The strength of a father caring for his family.

A short children’s story 1st draft

An example of another useless government department with more bureaucrats than brains.

Contact the QLD Environment and Science Department at the below link to have the bird returned.

https://www.des.qld.gov.au/contactus/feedback-forms/feedback-form-complaint

Save Molly email the QLD Minister for the Environment Leanne Linard at the below contact

https://www.des.qld.gov.au/our-department/about/minister

Received from DESI today.

“Good afternoon,

Thank you for your concern regarding a magpie voluntarily surrendered to the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation.
The Department of Environment, Science and Innovation’s (DESI) key priority is the welfare of the magpie and has explored all options available to ensure the magpie receives the care that it needs, in line with current legislation and relevant Codes of Practice related to the care of wildlife.
Legal advice obtained by the department provides a lawful pathway for Ms Wells and her partner, Mr Mortensen should they obtain the appropriate Licence. for the magpie to be legally returned to Ms Well and Mr Mortensen
The Specialised Licence will include strict stipulations surrounding the return of the magpie including:
• prohibition of any ongoing commercial gain from the bird or its image
• undertaking requisite wildlife carer training from a recognised provider approved by the department
• the leading of public education by the licence holders to encourage people to appropriately care for native wildlife and acknowledging the specialist skills required to care for and rehabilitate wildlife
• ongoing engagement with DESI to ensure the bird is receiving adequate care and enrichment.
DESI is working with the couple who surrendered this animal to ensure they have the appropriate licence and training to properly care for the magpie, with stipulations surrounding the return of the magpie.
In Queensland, magpies and other wildlife protected under the Nature Conservation Act 1992, can only be cared for by licenced carers who have demonstrated to the Department that they have the skills necessary to provide the necessary specialist care.
It is an offence to take or keep protected animals from the wild for longer than 72 hours. Anyone who finds orphaned, sick, or injured wildlife should contact the RSPCA, a licensed carer or a vet as quickly as possible.
The Department of Environment, Science and Innovation is committed to the conservation and protection of Queensland’s native wildlife.”

After becoming disabled I have delt with Government departments for the past 20 years. Everything from police, NDIS, ACCC, consumer affairs,careers etc etc and have yet to find a government department that was actually capable of doing their job with any level of competency. Im still disgusted!

45 Days Later

I now have the rear cargo storage almost finished minus the varnish and a storage rack above the kitchen. One day of carpentry and three days of recovery.

I now have a table and actual seat cushions after 8 months.

Trying some fore-ground shots looking through vegetation.

Playing with the light and shadows amongst the tangled branches of the massive River Red Gums. After the recent hospital stay only managed a 200 meter walk and felt shattered. Had to move the knee or it seizes up after a few days of no activity.

Ive discovered I have a mobile sit spot. My van! It comes down to perspective. I can either be working in it, cooking, cleaning etc or simply sitting enjoying everything around me and having the birds and weather come to me.

I often txt a mate pictures of sunsets as an attempt to introduce him to something else. A state of mind. I sit there most nights watching the sun set and it takes my mind some where else. Ill keep doing this until eventually he sends a picture back to me.

The pics below are of just one night. I sat there for two hours taking pictures and watching the colors change through the spectrum.

The colors just kept getting better and better. The best ones are always at the near end.

My Local camp spot became a little busy and I decided to travel into the hills to find another, to escape the heat. One place after another being filled up. I ended up on a bit of an adventure and turned up in the middle of BUTTF$KNOWHERE at a mates recommendation. Found a great little camping spot , drop pit toilet included. Ended up visiting places I hadn’t been in years. many having changed and no longer recognizable.