New years eve 2019. The thin green ribbon of forests, grasslands and bush that skirt the edge of Australia and have been desiccated by drought over the last few years are now burning. Communities have been devastated with an as yet unassessed number of homes/businesses destroyed and a grimly growing death toll. Large numbers of wildlife and livestock have been decimated. It is a National … Continue reading NYE 2019. Nothing happy about it.
The competition was fierce at my niece and nephews place this year as their annual Christmas Eve gingerbread house decorating competition unfolded amidst much high spirited yelling and sugar-rush shenanigans. As co-judge to the event the pressure was on. At risk, the possibility of a total icing, M&M and jelly bean food-fight apocalypse, should an incorrect decision be made. Is he your very first gingerbread … Continue reading The great gingerbread decorating competition of 2019.
People who use charity donation bins as an easy way to dump their unwanted junk! Before reading the evidence I would have bet my transverse colon that 99% of the people doing this know that the junk they are leaving in the bins ( or, more commonly laying all around them) are totally unsuitable and inappropriate to donate to a charity organisation. My colon may be at … Continue reading Things that piss me off #8.
Many parts of Australia are expecting temperatures consistently approaching or above 40 C (105 F) this week. Some areas will top 45 C (113 F). It’s hard enough trying to get our day to day activities done in these conditions, but imagine for a moment if you were trying to sleep through them overnight. For many shift workers this is a reality. Nurses, doctors, police, … Continue reading How do you sleep when it’s 43 degrees Celsius?
Before leaving for work this morning Kelly reminded me: “don’t forget to vacuum the house and mop the kitchen floors today Ian, OK?” A list of things I have not accomplished today: Completed first nude free solo summit of Mt Kilimanjaro by pogo stick. Solved the philosophical so-called ’hard problem’ of human consciousness. Recorded back up vocals track for Lil Uzi Vert’s forthcoming rap album. … Continue reading Things I did not accomplish today.
Travel plans put on hold due to bushfires. Continue reading Ripley under wraps.
In the medical environment, the response called to a medical emergency is known as a CODE BLUE. A code blue is an immediate and intensive interrupter to business as usual. It requires a complete reframe of priorities and activities. EVERYTHING is at stake. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has reported the entire continent Australia received less than 50mm of rain during November. Add this … Continue reading Climate emergency: code blue.
I was on a meditation retreat on an isolated property west of Sydney. It was the evening of day 5 when I first heard it. Somewhere out past the dull yellow splash of light thrown from the meditation hall. Out in the bush. Past the grey shadow trees and tangled ink black scrub beyond. But not too far out. A dog. Barking now and again. … Continue reading Dog in distress.
One of my quiet obsessions is watching videos on environmentally friendly architecture, alternative & self-sufficient living spaces and processes of deep craftmanship (for example THIS is one youtube channel I enjoy). This is probably some psychic grasping compensation for the fact I am illiterate to any building or creating abilities. I tell you that so I can show you this. Ian Trumbull built this circular … Continue reading The house that Ian built.
