Friday morning Joan woke up to find a painful swelling between her nose and upper lip. She had been warned to be careful of any infections during chemo and rang the oncologist for advice. His advice was to see her GP as soon as possible. She managed to get in to see her doctor at 5.30pm and it was diagnosed as a sinus infection and went immediately onto antibiotics.
Yesterday we attended a family gathering in Mandurah and during the course of a few hours her face swelled more and a red, blotchy mark appeared on her cheek. This morning it seems to be getting a little worse. We will watch it today for any major changes and hope the antibiotics knock it out by tomorrow.
The family gathering was to welcome Ann and Doug. Ann is my cousin originally from Narrogin Valley who married Doug and they live in Canada. We have visited them in their small town of Mission in BC. Ann tries to return home for a visit every couple of years.
The gathering was at a very nice house on one of the canals in Mandurah. The house is maintained and let out to short term holiday makers, by another cousin, Coral and her husband, Alby. The owner is happy about Coral and Alby using the house when it is not rented. Good deal! It has its own jetty and a couple of crab nets hanging off the jetty caught a few crabs whilst we were there.
Mandurah is about 75 kilometres from Perth and is a thriving city. Once a retirement destination for many farmers, the development of canals and housing has caused a major population increase. A bit too expensive for us to buy into.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Rule 26
Joan's Chemotherapy treatment is ever changing. Last week she was managing well...no real nausea or diarrhea. This week she is experiencing new symptoms....teeth and jaws aching, extreme sensitivity to cold and tiredness. She had a bad day where she broke down and did a bit of yelling. I can understand that...I was just not expecting it. We have few if any arguments.
We have a friend in New York who has just completed her chemotherapy for breast cancer. She wrote to Joan suggesting she invoke rule 26. Rule 26 says that the husband must not later bring up the topic of what was said (or yelled) to/at him during chemotherapy. Seems like a good rule!
We both go to the same medical centre. My GP knew about my father's bowel and liver cancer and had me get a colonoscopy regularly every 18 months or so. Joan's GP(s) should have known about her family history of bowel cancer, but somehow it slipped through and she never had a colonoscopy until she was diagnosed. I may suggest that a red warning label be attached to the front of patient files telling of family history of such diseases. Maybe Joan could have been diagnosed at an earlier stage?
A court case just finished, has a music copyright holder winning a case against the band 'Men at Work' for the supposedly pinching of a very small riff of an old Australian kids' song Kookaburra sits in the Old Gum Tree and weaving it into their immensely succesful piece 'Down Under'. Down Under was used as the theme for Australia's successful challenge of the America's Cup. I expect that Men at Work merely wanted to make their song as Australian as possible, but the b------s who now own 'Kookaburra' which was written in the 1930s are going to sue the band for millions. Kids in schools, on scout camps all know 'Kookaburra' and they should now rally behind Men at Work and punish these litigious shites.
We have a friend in New York who has just completed her chemotherapy for breast cancer. She wrote to Joan suggesting she invoke rule 26. Rule 26 says that the husband must not later bring up the topic of what was said (or yelled) to/at him during chemotherapy. Seems like a good rule!
We both go to the same medical centre. My GP knew about my father's bowel and liver cancer and had me get a colonoscopy regularly every 18 months or so. Joan's GP(s) should have known about her family history of bowel cancer, but somehow it slipped through and she never had a colonoscopy until she was diagnosed. I may suggest that a red warning label be attached to the front of patient files telling of family history of such diseases. Maybe Joan could have been diagnosed at an earlier stage?
A court case just finished, has a music copyright holder winning a case against the band 'Men at Work' for the supposedly pinching of a very small riff of an old Australian kids' song Kookaburra sits in the Old Gum Tree and weaving it into their immensely succesful piece 'Down Under'. Down Under was used as the theme for Australia's successful challenge of the America's Cup. I expect that Men at Work merely wanted to make their song as Australian as possible, but the b------s who now own 'Kookaburra' which was written in the 1930s are going to sue the band for millions. Kids in schools, on scout camps all know 'Kookaburra' and they should now rally behind Men at Work and punish these litigious shites.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
1st Fremantle Sea Scouts..100 years young
On Sunday we; a few good friends and I, went to the riverside HQ of the 1st Fremantle Sea Scouts. The occasion was a celebration of 100 years of service to the local community. It was a big gathering, maybe three hundred people.
I started at the 1st Fremantle (then named the 69th Fremantle) sea scouts as a Cub Scout aged 11 and finished as a Rover Scout at the age of 21, just prior to heading off to New Guinea to start a teaching career.
The scout group had a campsite at Garden Island and every holiday we sailed to Garden Island in open cutters in any weather. I don't understand how parents let their young kids go to sea in bad weather with inadequate safety gear. We didn't lose any kids in all those years. Many got terribly seasick and felt like jumping overboard and no doubt some had upset tummies because of the food we prepared. Good character building stuff.
There are no private campsites on Garden Island now as the Royal Australian Navy has commandeered the whole Island as a base.
At the gathering, memories were tested as oldies debated events and argued over who did what.
I felt my age as the younger people talked about their experiences and we bored them with tales of adventures from long ago.
It was a great day!
I started at the 1st Fremantle (then named the 69th Fremantle) sea scouts as a Cub Scout aged 11 and finished as a Rover Scout at the age of 21, just prior to heading off to New Guinea to start a teaching career.
The scout group had a campsite at Garden Island and every holiday we sailed to Garden Island in open cutters in any weather. I don't understand how parents let their young kids go to sea in bad weather with inadequate safety gear. We didn't lose any kids in all those years. Many got terribly seasick and felt like jumping overboard and no doubt some had upset tummies because of the food we prepared. Good character building stuff.
There are no private campsites on Garden Island now as the Royal Australian Navy has commandeered the whole Island as a base.
At the gathering, memories were tested as oldies debated events and argued over who did what.
I felt my age as the younger people talked about their experiences and we bored them with tales of adventures from long ago.
It was a great day!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Aliens take over the world
Yesterday Joan went to the cancer clinic to get the pump removed and the PICC line flushed. She dropped me off in the city where I met up with a friend for a counter lunch and a few beers. Pete was on the same teacher training course as me in Papua New Guinea in 1961 and we have kept in contact over the years. He is back in Perth from his teaching job in Vietnam.
Nice crisp beers and a pleasant seafood lunch .
It was a pleasant get-together until he moved on to the 'Aliens' in the last half hour at the pub. He told me how all the technological advances of the last 20 years were done by the aliens and the next two years would be unbelievable. I asked why 2012? He explained that all the calendars of the world will finish in 2012. There is a theory that the Mayan calendar finishes in 2012 and the world will end. Can't find any other calendars finishing in 2012 and Mayans sort of caved in to the Spaniards.
He also mentioned that the TV series Stargate where people lept through a ring and time travelled was used by the Germans in WW2. Hmm!
He told me that the aliens have space ships 15 miles long and two miles wide . I reminded him that he had told me of his astral travels on such a space ship when he visited us during the 1990s. He refuted that saying that it was someone else, not him???
When I came back from the toilet he said that he remembers talking about another friend who had astral travelled on such a space ship and maybe I had thought that he was referring to himself. At the time when he told me about his travels, he rushed out to the kitchen to tell Joan about it as well.
In Papua New Guinea in 1961 news was spread far and wide about an imminent total eclipse. The Australian administration tried to explain what was to happen, but confusion reigned and most villagers go the message from fundamentalist preachers that the world would end when the darkness came. Throughout the country, villagers killled and ate their pigs etc, stopped gardening and generally waited for the end. And to back up the theory, it actually happened....at least the darkness part.
It is easier to see how a primitive people could believe such a prophesy which actually happened on the predicted day. There was a period of hardship after the event when villagers realised they had no food to carry on with.
I can understand that, but aliens and spaceships.....nah!
Nice crisp beers and a pleasant seafood lunch .
It was a pleasant get-together until he moved on to the 'Aliens' in the last half hour at the pub. He told me how all the technological advances of the last 20 years were done by the aliens and the next two years would be unbelievable. I asked why 2012? He explained that all the calendars of the world will finish in 2012. There is a theory that the Mayan calendar finishes in 2012 and the world will end. Can't find any other calendars finishing in 2012 and Mayans sort of caved in to the Spaniards.
He also mentioned that the TV series Stargate where people lept through a ring and time travelled was used by the Germans in WW2. Hmm!
He told me that the aliens have space ships 15 miles long and two miles wide . I reminded him that he had told me of his astral travels on such a space ship when he visited us during the 1990s. He refuted that saying that it was someone else, not him???
When I came back from the toilet he said that he remembers talking about another friend who had astral travelled on such a space ship and maybe I had thought that he was referring to himself. At the time when he told me about his travels, he rushed out to the kitchen to tell Joan about it as well.
In Papua New Guinea in 1961 news was spread far and wide about an imminent total eclipse. The Australian administration tried to explain what was to happen, but confusion reigned and most villagers go the message from fundamentalist preachers that the world would end when the darkness came. Throughout the country, villagers killled and ate their pigs etc, stopped gardening and generally waited for the end. And to back up the theory, it actually happened....at least the darkness part.
It is easier to see how a primitive people could believe such a prophesy which actually happened on the predicted day. There was a period of hardship after the event when villagers realised they had no food to carry on with.
I can understand that, but aliens and spaceships.....nah!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
At last, some good news
First bit of good news yesterday. Joan commenced the third round of chemo and a CT scan showed reduction in liver tumour size which wasn't expected at this stage.
At least this shows that she is in the 42% of recipients who get good benefit from chemo.
At least this shows that she is in the 42% of recipients who get good benefit from chemo.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Round three chemotherapy
We are off to the cancer ward again today. First we see the oncologist and he will let us know how things are going (we hope) and with luck he could tell us that the tumours are reducing in size. We are not sure about that as this latest CT scan may just be a base marker for the trial. We were told not to expect any significant improvement at this stage.
After the consultation, Joan starts round three of chemo and I will collect her around 6pm.
I have been collaborating with a couple of welfare people setting up computers for indigenous people. All the other machines I have previously given to people are given ready to go with basic instructions on the Mac operating system. This new collaboration is somewhat different with me actually travelling around the Perth Metro area and setting up their internet connection. I am not really into that part and I try and get the new owners to select an ISP and let the ISP talk them through connecting to the WWW. Mostly it doesn't seem to be working and I am the fall guy who has to do more thinking than a 70 year-old should have to do. I will have to rethink things before I stress out.
After the consultation, Joan starts round three of chemo and I will collect her around 6pm.
I have been collaborating with a couple of welfare people setting up computers for indigenous people. All the other machines I have previously given to people are given ready to go with basic instructions on the Mac operating system. This new collaboration is somewhat different with me actually travelling around the Perth Metro area and setting up their internet connection. I am not really into that part and I try and get the new owners to select an ISP and let the ISP talk them through connecting to the WWW. Mostly it doesn't seem to be working and I am the fall guy who has to do more thinking than a 70 year-old should have to do. I will have to rethink things before I stress out.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Mining towns
I finally finished setting up a Mac computer with a wireless connection to the WWW for an elderly Aboriginal lady. I took her deceased husband's slow PC in an attempt to download any documents and personal data which she may be interested in. He had tied things up fairly well with hidden password protection and it seems that he hasn't left those password details in the usual little black book in a desk drawer. Not a big problem, as he passed away over three years ago and there is no current stuff on the machine.
A good friend visited yesterday. He is on annual leave from his position as Deputy Principal at a Senior High School in a large mining town in the north of Western Australia. He is one of three deputies at the school and his role is as Deputy of Discipline. He told some harrowing tales of fights and out of control kids and parents. During his holiday period he had to fly back north twice to be a witness at court cases involving students and parents.
This mining town is awash with money from high wages. The students whose parents work on the minesite have pocket money to burn and don't bother to collect change at the school canteen. Rent is astronomical....$3,000 per week for a 3 BR house! My mate lives in a house bringing in $2,500 per week for its owner. Fortunately the Education Dept. subsidises his rent and he pays only $250. per week. Houses that would sell for $350-400,000 in the city sell for $1.5M.
My friend has met a young Indian man who works on the minesite. Before he arrived in Australia he was working for the equivalent of $0.90 a day. He now has a mining job earning $90.00 per hour. He owns two houses pulling in lots of cash.
A good friend visited yesterday. He is on annual leave from his position as Deputy Principal at a Senior High School in a large mining town in the north of Western Australia. He is one of three deputies at the school and his role is as Deputy of Discipline. He told some harrowing tales of fights and out of control kids and parents. During his holiday period he had to fly back north twice to be a witness at court cases involving students and parents.
This mining town is awash with money from high wages. The students whose parents work on the minesite have pocket money to burn and don't bother to collect change at the school canteen. Rent is astronomical....$3,000 per week for a 3 BR house! My mate lives in a house bringing in $2,500 per week for its owner. Fortunately the Education Dept. subsidises his rent and he pays only $250. per week. Houses that would sell for $350-400,000 in the city sell for $1.5M.
My friend has met a young Indian man who works on the minesite. Before he arrived in Australia he was working for the equivalent of $0.90 a day. He now has a mining job earning $90.00 per hour. He owns two houses pulling in lots of cash.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Bach
Today has been quite busy with friends visiting and 4 computers collected by an Aboriginal gal who redistributes them mainly to family. I don't mind that as they are getting out there and she is Mac savvy, so that means any problems are fielded by her. I remind myself to Give Without Expectations.
Our friends, Brian and Marg, dropped in and stayed for lunch. Very pleasant visit!
I returned to the Optus shop to purchase a wireless modem for Vera, the Aboriginal lady I am helping get back online. She has no real experience on the computer and so rather than try an resurrect her ancient (10 YO PC), I am setting up a Mac with a cheapo wireless deal. Her machine sat idle for three years after her husband died and we don't know his password etc, so I thought it better that I give her a much faster Mac and I can get her up to speed on its use.
I told her that I would pay for it and she could reimburse me the $199. Not so easy! I had to have my credit rating checked, sign up as the contract holder and I guess, be the bunny if she eventually defaults after the one year contract is up. I am sure there is a way to transfer the billing to her letting me off the hook.
Th $199 deal includes the modem and 12 months of 1Gb of downloads per month. Any excess on the 1Gb is charged @ $o.06 per Mb. She is only going to use it to keep in contact with friends throughout Australia and maybe the occasional search with Google, so 1Gb should be plenty.
I will attempt to collect all the personal data from the PC and burn it to disk.
Whilst at Garden City Shopping Centre I noticed that the music store was closed and a note on the door read BACH IN 5 MINUTES. I was going to wait to see him, but I am sure he died long ago.
Our friends, Brian and Marg, dropped in and stayed for lunch. Very pleasant visit!
I returned to the Optus shop to purchase a wireless modem for Vera, the Aboriginal lady I am helping get back online. She has no real experience on the computer and so rather than try an resurrect her ancient (10 YO PC), I am setting up a Mac with a cheapo wireless deal. Her machine sat idle for three years after her husband died and we don't know his password etc, so I thought it better that I give her a much faster Mac and I can get her up to speed on its use.
I told her that I would pay for it and she could reimburse me the $199. Not so easy! I had to have my credit rating checked, sign up as the contract holder and I guess, be the bunny if she eventually defaults after the one year contract is up. I am sure there is a way to transfer the billing to her letting me off the hook.
Th $199 deal includes the modem and 12 months of 1Gb of downloads per month. Any excess on the 1Gb is charged @ $o.06 per Mb. She is only going to use it to keep in contact with friends throughout Australia and maybe the occasional search with Google, so 1Gb should be plenty.
I will attempt to collect all the personal data from the PC and burn it to disk.
Whilst at Garden City Shopping Centre I noticed that the music store was closed and a note on the door read BACH IN 5 MINUTES. I was going to wait to see him, but I am sure he died long ago.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
The Biami people of PNG
Having taught in Papua New Guinea for almost ten years spanning the early 1960s to Independence in 1975, I have an insatiable interest in all things PNG.
A couple of days ago I found a YouTube video which is part of a David Attenborough documentary called ' A Blank in the Map'. That segment dealt with a 1968 patrol into what was then new territory and was indeed a 'first contact' with the Biami people. None of the Biami spoke the lingua Franca, Pidgin English (Tok Pisin), English or any other common language.
During the 'conversation' between the two groups; the Biami and the government patrol, Attenborough pointed out the universal human facial expressions and gesticulations with which the Biami used to communicate. Interesting...not surprising, but interesting.
Well worth a look here.
Joan is scheduled for a CT scan this Thursday.We should get some positive feed-back the following week when we see the oncologist again.
A couple of days ago I found a YouTube video which is part of a David Attenborough documentary called ' A Blank in the Map'. That segment dealt with a 1968 patrol into what was then new territory and was indeed a 'first contact' with the Biami people. None of the Biami spoke the lingua Franca, Pidgin English (Tok Pisin), English or any other common language.
During the 'conversation' between the two groups; the Biami and the government patrol, Attenborough pointed out the universal human facial expressions and gesticulations with which the Biami used to communicate. Interesting...not surprising, but interesting.
Well worth a look here.
Joan is scheduled for a CT scan this Thursday.We should get some positive feed-back the following week when we see the oncologist again.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Spiders
Joan's oncologist adjusted the anti-nausea medication and this round of chemotherapy has had no bad effects. Good stuff!
We have lots of small spiders outside and inside the house. I can handle the outside dwellers, but the inside ones seem hell-bent on giving me the poos. I can't see how they can possibly think..(do they think?)...that a single silk thread across a doorway could catch any insects. It certainly catches me and I find it very annoying. In the ten years living in Papua New Guinea we saw many wonderful spiders and I didn't spray a single one, but these little Kev annoyers get the Mortein treatment.
Here is a picture of a pretty spider from Madang New Guinea from a blog named Madang-ples bilong mi which translates as Madang my place. You will need very good screen resolution to see this pic in detail.
Australia Day is coming up and already the tradies and patriots are flying the Australian flag (made in China) on their cars. Most of them wouldn't have even heard of Nuremberg, but to me this ultra patriotism smells of nationalism on a grand scale. I don't like it.
We have lots of small spiders outside and inside the house. I can handle the outside dwellers, but the inside ones seem hell-bent on giving me the poos. I can't see how they can possibly think..(do they think?)...that a single silk thread across a doorway could catch any insects. It certainly catches me and I find it very annoying. In the ten years living in Papua New Guinea we saw many wonderful spiders and I didn't spray a single one, but these little Kev annoyers get the Mortein treatment.
Here is a picture of a pretty spider from Madang New Guinea from a blog named Madang-ples bilong mi which translates as Madang my place. You will need very good screen resolution to see this pic in detail.
Australia Day is coming up and already the tradies and patriots are flying the Australian flag (made in China) on their cars. Most of them wouldn't have even heard of Nuremberg, but to me this ultra patriotism smells of nationalism on a grand scale. I don't like it.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Six degrees of separation
Early today I went to the local shopping centre and the optical dispenser where I get my glasses. I had broken one of the wings off my unscratched pair of glasses and the lady there offered to replace it with another wing even though it was not exactly the same as the original. I went for it as I figure that you can have different wheel trims on each side of a car without people being able to see both sides at one time and glasses can be the same. Works for me!
Whilst in the shopping centre I scooted into BigW and bought two Tshirts for $8 each. Joan was unkind when she pointed out the fact that the pockets on the shirts don't line up with the print pattern. I reckon I couldn't find the pocket if it blended into the pattern.
In the afternoon, I had a welfare woman take me to the home of an Aboriginal elder who wanted to restart using her husband's computer not used since his death three years ago. She has been paying a monthly ISP fee to Telstra Bigpond for all that time without any use whatsoever. Aussies hear this...Bigpond is bad! I was asked to check out the computer and try and find why she cannot connect. I sat down, cranked up the machine and the User Name popped up as John Budby. I was amazed as I knew John when we both taught at Maprik, Papua New Guinea in the early 70s. Joan taught with John at Maprik High School. John's wife Vera was delighted that I knew her late husband and it brought on a few tears.
The computer will need another session before it is up and running and there might be a few telephone lessons on its operation.
Old Yiddish New York saying 'A nickel will get you on the subway, but garlic will get you a seat'.
Whilst in the shopping centre I scooted into BigW and bought two Tshirts for $8 each. Joan was unkind when she pointed out the fact that the pockets on the shirts don't line up with the print pattern. I reckon I couldn't find the pocket if it blended into the pattern.
In the afternoon, I had a welfare woman take me to the home of an Aboriginal elder who wanted to restart using her husband's computer not used since his death three years ago. She has been paying a monthly ISP fee to Telstra Bigpond for all that time without any use whatsoever. Aussies hear this...Bigpond is bad! I was asked to check out the computer and try and find why she cannot connect. I sat down, cranked up the machine and the User Name popped up as John Budby. I was amazed as I knew John when we both taught at Maprik, Papua New Guinea in the early 70s. Joan taught with John at Maprik High School. John's wife Vera was delighted that I knew her late husband and it brought on a few tears.
The computer will need another session before it is up and running and there might be a few telephone lessons on its operation.
Old Yiddish New York saying 'A nickel will get you on the subway, but garlic will get you a seat'.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
2nd round Chemo
Today Joan starts the second round of Chemotherapy. We have to be at the oncologist's rooms at 1pm and after an assessment of the blood test done yesterday, she will start the four hours infusion of what Joan calls the weed killer. The pump will be attached and deliver the remaining 100ml of the chemo slowly over 46 hours.
I will collect her around 6pm.
I wrote to the organisers of a 50 year reunion of PNG teachers to be held in May saying that it is unlikely we could attend, but Joan has since done all the calculations and if she can control the nausea, there is a window of 4-5 days at the time of the reunion and we will go. It is in Brisbane and we have enough Qantas frequent flier points to get return cattle-class fares. We'll see how successive rounds go.
Whilst I am killing time until 6pm I am going to a viewing of a large auction starting tomorrow. There are few Mac items up for bids and I may try and get a MacBook for our daughter.
Earlier this morning I visited John at the nursing home. He was up and about and I had to do a tour of the home to find him. Let me tell you; to visit or work in a nursing home as residents start to greet the new day would be extremely difficult if one had a weak stomach. He didn't know who I was and took some coercing to get him to sit for a haircut. Usually he is more responsive to suggestions and attempts to converse. Today nothing! Most probably his early morning medications have an initial numbing effect. There was no point in just sitting with him and he was unaware that I left.
Head, ears and eyebrows and he looked much better. I'm not yet able to tackle the nostrils.
I will collect her around 6pm.
I wrote to the organisers of a 50 year reunion of PNG teachers to be held in May saying that it is unlikely we could attend, but Joan has since done all the calculations and if she can control the nausea, there is a window of 4-5 days at the time of the reunion and we will go. It is in Brisbane and we have enough Qantas frequent flier points to get return cattle-class fares. We'll see how successive rounds go.
Whilst I am killing time until 6pm I am going to a viewing of a large auction starting tomorrow. There are few Mac items up for bids and I may try and get a MacBook for our daughter.
Earlier this morning I visited John at the nursing home. He was up and about and I had to do a tour of the home to find him. Let me tell you; to visit or work in a nursing home as residents start to greet the new day would be extremely difficult if one had a weak stomach. He didn't know who I was and took some coercing to get him to sit for a haircut. Usually he is more responsive to suggestions and attempts to converse. Today nothing! Most probably his early morning medications have an initial numbing effect. There was no point in just sitting with him and he was unaware that I left.
Head, ears and eyebrows and he looked much better. I'm not yet able to tackle the nostrils.
Monday, January 11, 2010
The Proposition
Last night I watched an Australian movie on ABC1. Brilliant! It is named The Proposition. Set in the Australian outback in the 1880s. It is a real shocker!
Lifted from TripleJ Film reviews is this excerpt....." It is filled with uncompromising violence, compromised morals and an unflinching look at the racism and class exploitation - the horror - Australia was founded on. There is no romance here.
Movies don't come much better than this.
5 stars."
Get it out and be entertained; horrified, shocked or drained (strike out that which does not apply).
Today I had a visit from a welfare person and a young (16yo) Aboriginal girl who came to collect a lapbook to help her in her new venture as an Aboriginal artist. Her parents haven't talked with her for several years, she has a (lovely) eight month old baby and welfare are securing accommodation for her. Despite those difficulties she is bright and outgoing. A couple of years ago she found that she had painting skills and has been encouraged to combine them with traditional ideas in contemporary paintings. She has sold quite a few to prominent people.
The machine I gave her is a bit slow, but she was obviously over the moon about getting it. She gave me a couple of her miniatures as a gift.
Lifted from TripleJ Film reviews is this excerpt....." It is filled with uncompromising violence, compromised morals and an unflinching look at the racism and class exploitation - the horror - Australia was founded on. There is no romance here.
Movies don't come much better than this.
5 stars."
Get it out and be entertained; horrified, shocked or drained (strike out that which does not apply).
Today I had a visit from a welfare person and a young (16yo) Aboriginal girl who came to collect a lapbook to help her in her new venture as an Aboriginal artist. Her parents haven't talked with her for several years, she has a (lovely) eight month old baby and welfare are securing accommodation for her. Despite those difficulties she is bright and outgoing. A couple of years ago she found that she had painting skills and has been encouraged to combine them with traditional ideas in contemporary paintings. She has sold quite a few to prominent people.
The machine I gave her is a bit slow, but she was obviously over the moon about getting it. She gave me a couple of her miniatures as a gift.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Australian Bush Flies
Last night we celebrated out 44th wedding anniversary by going for a meal with my brother and sister. We went Chinese to a restaurant we have been to a few times before. Usually an indication of how good a Chinese restaurant is by observing the number of Chinese Australian patrons seated. Last night as we were seated, it was obvious that there were no Chinese people there. Oh Oh! It turned out to be excellent food and service at a very reasonable price. Better still, my bro and sis paid for the meal!
The fly season here in Western Australia. The flies are much worse than in previous years and that is put down to the lack of Spring Dung Beatles. The government needed to shell out $700,000 to import them from Spain. The Minister for flies reckons that they are not a good deal and didn't get them in time for spring. Hope he tries to have a BBQ at his place with lots of guests. Check out Dung Beetles here.
Some facts about Australian Bush Flies..
*They have small but smart brains.
*They wait until the victim has both hands full carrying things before heading up a nostril.
*Only farmers and politicians on TV can ignore them.
*Only old ex-farmers can catch them in their hands.
*The new breed of fly doesn't go for flypaper strips.
*Amateur fishermen stab themselves when attacked by flies when filleting fish down the back yard. ( I made that 'fact' up)
The fly season here in Western Australia. The flies are much worse than in previous years and that is put down to the lack of Spring Dung Beatles. The government needed to shell out $700,000 to import them from Spain. The Minister for flies reckons that they are not a good deal and didn't get them in time for spring. Hope he tries to have a BBQ at his place with lots of guests. Check out Dung Beetles here.
Some facts about Australian Bush Flies..
*They have small but smart brains.
*They wait until the victim has both hands full carrying things before heading up a nostril.
*Only farmers and politicians on TV can ignore them.
*Only old ex-farmers can catch them in their hands.
*The new breed of fly doesn't go for flypaper strips.
*Amateur fishermen stab themselves when attacked by flies when filleting fish down the back yard. ( I made that 'fact' up)
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Married 44 good years
It is 44 years ago today that Joan and I were married. We are hoping to be able to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary.
I have been given the task of giving Joan a daily injection of Clexane which is supposed to fight the blood clots in her lungs. Fortunately the needle is very fine, probably a third of a millimetre in diameter. It is administered subcutaneously in the stomach. Unfortunately though it makes Joan prone to bruising and the area where I inject is black with bruising.
I have injected myself before. Once in Papua New Guinea I had to give myself a course of injections of Procaine Penicillin. PC is quite viscous and needs a large diameter needle which as I remember, was around 2.5mm in diameter. Ouch!!
My sister is up in Fremantle from her home in Esperance. She is staying at our brother Graham's house this time and we are all going out for a Chinese meal tonight.
I have been given the task of giving Joan a daily injection of Clexane which is supposed to fight the blood clots in her lungs. Fortunately the needle is very fine, probably a third of a millimetre in diameter. It is administered subcutaneously in the stomach. Unfortunately though it makes Joan prone to bruising and the area where I inject is black with bruising.
I have injected myself before. Once in Papua New Guinea I had to give myself a course of injections of Procaine Penicillin. PC is quite viscous and needs a large diameter needle which as I remember, was around 2.5mm in diameter. Ouch!!
My sister is up in Fremantle from her home in Esperance. She is staying at our brother Graham's house this time and we are all going out for a Chinese meal tonight.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Dutchman's Pipe creeper
This morning early I was out watering the garden and had a rethink about the 'Dutchman's Pipe' (Aristolochia spp) creeper near my vegie garden. I know that it is a killer plant, it nearly strangled a nearby Bauhinia tree ( I should have let it have its way on that one) before I untangled its stranglehold on the tree.
The flower is very attractive and resembles a smoking pipe (you remember them don't you?). It is very attractive to butterflies especially the Queensland Richmond Birdwing Butterfly. The Birdwing lays its eggs on the creeper and the larvae are poisoned by the toxic plant.
So, I reckon it has to go. Some pics....
A couple of days ago I had a call from a friend who went through Teachers' College with me in 1961. He is teaching English as a foreign language in Vietnam. I don't know why, because he is financially secure with a large riverside house here in Perth. We had an hour long conversation which ended fairly suddenly when he started telling me about the aliens. These aliens aren't the people who front up to Australia's shores on a boat; these aliens are from another planet. He told me that they have caused all the recent wars, also brought about the recent financial crisis and have control over Barack Obama. We wouldn't recognise them amongst us, but they control everything.
In 2012 they will invade the earth and take control. They will be benevolent and will not harm us, but fix everything. Everyone will have wealth and happiness.
He is in Aus. for a month and I have agreed to meet for a pub lunch and a few drinks. I agreed to this before the aliens were mentioned. He is an intelligent man.
I was reminded of his mistrust of the Rosicrucians even back in 1961. They were trying to control the world's economies. The Rosicrucians, along with the Masons et al come in for a fair bit of muck from the conspiracy theorists, who by and large, seem to be rednecks.
The flower is very attractive and resembles a smoking pipe (you remember them don't you?). It is very attractive to butterflies especially the Queensland Richmond Birdwing Butterfly. The Birdwing lays its eggs on the creeper and the larvae are poisoned by the toxic plant.
So, I reckon it has to go. Some pics....
A couple of days ago I had a call from a friend who went through Teachers' College with me in 1961. He is teaching English as a foreign language in Vietnam. I don't know why, because he is financially secure with a large riverside house here in Perth. We had an hour long conversation which ended fairly suddenly when he started telling me about the aliens. These aliens aren't the people who front up to Australia's shores on a boat; these aliens are from another planet. He told me that they have caused all the recent wars, also brought about the recent financial crisis and have control over Barack Obama. We wouldn't recognise them amongst us, but they control everything.
In 2012 they will invade the earth and take control. They will be benevolent and will not harm us, but fix everything. Everyone will have wealth and happiness.
He is in Aus. for a month and I have agreed to meet for a pub lunch and a few drinks. I agreed to this before the aliens were mentioned. He is an intelligent man.
I was reminded of his mistrust of the Rosicrucians even back in 1961. They were trying to control the world's economies. The Rosicrucians, along with the Masons et al come in for a fair bit of muck from the conspiracy theorists, who by and large, seem to be rednecks.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Queen Victoria Building
Joan woke this morning feeling quite well, but that soon changed and nausea came back. At the moment she is feeling reasonable and relaxing with a book. She is an avid reader and even when feeling sick, I see a smile on her face as she enjoys her book.
I subscribe to Shorpy and get a daily dose of historic photographs, mainly of the U.S., going back over 100 years. This morning one of the pics was of the Cleveland Arcade taken in 1901 and later in 1966. It is a magnificent building remarkably like the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney. I guess it was an architectural style of the 1890s.
The QV Building in Sydney town is on four levels and very upmarket indeed. Luckily saved from the wreckers ball in the early 1960s.
Here is a link to more photos and information about the QV Building
I recommend Shorpy to anyone slightly interested in the past....it is absolutely free and as the header says 'Always Something Interesting'.
I subscribe to Shorpy and get a daily dose of historic photographs, mainly of the U.S., going back over 100 years. This morning one of the pics was of the Cleveland Arcade taken in 1901 and later in 1966. It is a magnificent building remarkably like the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney. I guess it was an architectural style of the 1890s.
The QV Building in Sydney town is on four levels and very upmarket indeed. Luckily saved from the wreckers ball in the early 1960s.Here is a link to more photos and information about the QV Building
I recommend Shorpy to anyone slightly interested in the past....it is absolutely free and as the header says 'Always Something Interesting'.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Levels of information
This morning we rang the hospital for advice and we were told to come in for a new dressing and advice about Joan's vomiting and diarrhea. Good personal service! The chemo coordinator redressed the PICC line entry and ran a few more facts about FOLFOX6 chemotherapy past us.
Yesterday, Joan didn't eat and slept for 20 of the 24 hours until this morning. Previously we hadn't been warned about this likelihood. The coordinator explained that steroids are part of the FOLFOX regime and for the one day after chemo one expects to feel very good and as the steroids fade, tiredness comes on. Gotta live with that one, but she stressed exact times for taking the anti-nausea medicine and Gastrostop for the diarrhea. Seems to be working this afternoon.
There seems to be several levels of information we are being fed. Firstly the surgeon who told us that he could not operate and sent us to the oncologist who told us what he was recommending as treatment, the head nurse at the chemo ward who gave us lots of info about the mechanics of chemotherapy, the nurse who gave the first infusion and the nurse who removed the pump and flushed the PICC line and now the coordinator who slipped us the info about the extreme tiredness and combating nausea and diarrhea. We haven't had any advice from the little nun who patrols the waiting room asking everyone the same questions.
Let's hope that now we know exactly what to expect; next session, Joan can fall into a routine and sleep for a day.
Yesterday, Joan didn't eat and slept for 20 of the 24 hours until this morning. Previously we hadn't been warned about this likelihood. The coordinator explained that steroids are part of the FOLFOX regime and for the one day after chemo one expects to feel very good and as the steroids fade, tiredness comes on. Gotta live with that one, but she stressed exact times for taking the anti-nausea medicine and Gastrostop for the diarrhea. Seems to be working this afternoon.
There seems to be several levels of information we are being fed. Firstly the surgeon who told us that he could not operate and sent us to the oncologist who told us what he was recommending as treatment, the head nurse at the chemo ward who gave us lots of info about the mechanics of chemotherapy, the nurse who gave the first infusion and the nurse who removed the pump and flushed the PICC line and now the coordinator who slipped us the info about the extreme tiredness and combating nausea and diarrhea. We haven't had any advice from the little nun who patrols the waiting room asking everyone the same questions.
Let's hope that now we know exactly what to expect; next session, Joan can fall into a routine and sleep for a day.
Friday, January 1, 2010
A gentle New Year
New Year's Eve passed quietly for us. Our guests went home quite early and we didn't mark the end of 2009 with any cheers and fireworks. Fine food and a few drinks and lots of good conversation from our close friends. A couple of friends who normally come along for New Year's eve were in Sydney and Wendy rang to wish us all well for 2010.
This morning Joan woke up nauseous and had a long bout of vomiting and diarrhea. She is sleeping now and if it continues when she wakes, we will ring the cancer ward at St John's for some advice. The anti nausea tablets didn't get a chance to work.
Yesterday I had an email from a teaching colleague from my New Guinea days. The last time we saw each other was 48 years ago. Age breeds nostalgia. I hope we can continue to keep in contact.
We were penciled in to attend the first reunion of teachers from that year in PNG, but now it doesn't seem like the chemo regime will allow a trip to Queensland for at least six months and the reunion is in May this new year.
This morning Joan woke up nauseous and had a long bout of vomiting and diarrhea. She is sleeping now and if it continues when she wakes, we will ring the cancer ward at St John's for some advice. The anti nausea tablets didn't get a chance to work.
Yesterday I had an email from a teaching colleague from my New Guinea days. The last time we saw each other was 48 years ago. Age breeds nostalgia. I hope we can continue to keep in contact.
We were penciled in to attend the first reunion of teachers from that year in PNG, but now it doesn't seem like the chemo regime will allow a trip to Queensland for at least six months and the reunion is in May this new year.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
The first (long) day of chemo
Yesterday was a long day for Joan. Fortunately she sent me home to wait for her phone call.
We arrived at St John's at 8.20am and she finished up at 4.20pm. The infusion goes like this....Oxalplatin and Leucovorin (3 hours) Avastin (1.5 hours) and home with the pump for 46 hours of Flourocil. The Avastin prevents the growth of tumour blood vessels so they can't grow or spread. We go back to the hospital on Thursday to remove the pump and change the PICC dressing and see the Oncologist. A week later Joan has to have the PICC line flushed and then a few days off until it starts again.
Our son Martin gives a lot of thought to selecting presents. This Christmas even though he is rather depressed, he gave us great presents. To me, he gave this lovely book of reminiscences of growing up in Fremantle. Most of the characters in the book are well known and although they were some 15 years older than me they were still around and legend when I was a young fellow. Fremantle doesn't seem to have character it had back then. I doubt if any of the characters of the last 20 years will be remembered like Sand-shoe Willy or Shiner Ryan etc etc.
In pre-war times Fremantle was a bit rough and it was said that to mention that you lived in Fremantle wasn't the thing to do in polite society. During the war we lived in Fremantle in several rental properties, but in 1947 Dad finished building our house in Bicton and we shifted out there around 6 Kilometres from Freo. During the war years, accommodation in Fremantle was scarce and 'key money' was a way landlords cashed in on the shortage.
We arrived at St John's at 8.20am and she finished up at 4.20pm. The infusion goes like this....Oxalplatin and Leucovorin (3 hours) Avastin (1.5 hours) and home with the pump for 46 hours of Flourocil. The Avastin prevents the growth of tumour blood vessels so they can't grow or spread. We go back to the hospital on Thursday to remove the pump and change the PICC dressing and see the Oncologist. A week later Joan has to have the PICC line flushed and then a few days off until it starts again.
Our son Martin gives a lot of thought to selecting presents. This Christmas even though he is rather depressed, he gave us great presents. To me, he gave this lovely book of reminiscences of growing up in Fremantle. Most of the characters in the book are well known and although they were some 15 years older than me they were still around and legend when I was a young fellow. Fremantle doesn't seem to have character it had back then. I doubt if any of the characters of the last 20 years will be remembered like Sand-shoe Willy or Shiner Ryan etc etc.
In pre-war times Fremantle was a bit rough and it was said that to mention that you lived in Fremantle wasn't the thing to do in polite society. During the war we lived in Fremantle in several rental properties, but in 1947 Dad finished building our house in Bicton and we shifted out there around 6 Kilometres from Freo. During the war years, accommodation in Fremantle was scarce and 'key money' was a way landlords cashed in on the shortage.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
The Kindness of Strangers
This TV program screened today on ABC1 was not made for the peasants.
Giving without expectations and altruism real or not was the theme (I think?).
It was set post-tsunami and looked at some individuals who volunteered to help the victims. Their work was the backdrop to a discussion by some very smart individuals on altruism and the place of altruism in evolution.
One argument was that altruism would not fit true evolution where survival of the fittest would be the norm.
I normally feel good about refurbishing computers and giving them to needy people, but it was suggested that that feeling of being altruistic might well be aimed at getting a ticket to heaven. Indeed one of the volunteers is a Hungarian(?) fellow who said that when he was engaged in these works his heart felt good. He also mentioned Angels!
It made me do a little rethink of the direction I should be heading with my project. 'Giving without expectations' will be my motto from now on.
It was a complex and most interesting program covering many aspects of giving. I will watch the re-run on ABC1 this coming Tuesday 30th at 12.30pm Western Australian time and try and learn more.
Giving without expectations and altruism real or not was the theme (I think?).
It was set post-tsunami and looked at some individuals who volunteered to help the victims. Their work was the backdrop to a discussion by some very smart individuals on altruism and the place of altruism in evolution.
One argument was that altruism would not fit true evolution where survival of the fittest would be the norm.
I normally feel good about refurbishing computers and giving them to needy people, but it was suggested that that feeling of being altruistic might well be aimed at getting a ticket to heaven. Indeed one of the volunteers is a Hungarian(?) fellow who said that when he was engaged in these works his heart felt good. He also mentioned Angels!
It made me do a little rethink of the direction I should be heading with my project. 'Giving without expectations' will be my motto from now on.
It was a complex and most interesting program covering many aspects of giving. I will watch the re-run on ABC1 this coming Tuesday 30th at 12.30pm Western Australian time and try and learn more.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Christmas Day at the Locks
Xmas Day went very well. 15 guests including rellies and partners.
Brother Graham has just quit his job at a seafood wholesaler and his bonus included lots of fresh seafood for Chrissie day. Joan baked a turkey and made a wonderful Frozen Christmas Pudding using a pudding with ice cream mixed through with cherries, almond slivers and choc bits. Re-frozen it was a great finish to the meal. Others brought salads, fresh fruit and a lovely ham. Just the stuff for 35c temperature. And everyone seemed pretty happy with their pressies.
Joan starts Chemo on Tuesday morning. An early start to get the PICC inserted and then an anti- nausea drug and two hours of chemo and we bring another 46 hours of chemo home in a pump, then back to the hospital the day after to return the pump and have the PICC flushed out. The PICC also needs a weekly flush out in the 11 days leading up to the next round. I can see lots of waiting in treatment rooms over the next six months.
Brother Graham has just quit his job at a seafood wholesaler and his bonus included lots of fresh seafood for Chrissie day. Joan baked a turkey and made a wonderful Frozen Christmas Pudding using a pudding with ice cream mixed through with cherries, almond slivers and choc bits. Re-frozen it was a great finish to the meal. Others brought salads, fresh fruit and a lovely ham. Just the stuff for 35c temperature. And everyone seemed pretty happy with their pressies.
Joan starts Chemo on Tuesday morning. An early start to get the PICC inserted and then an anti- nausea drug and two hours of chemo and we bring another 46 hours of chemo home in a pump, then back to the hospital the day after to return the pump and have the PICC flushed out. The PICC also needs a weekly flush out in the 11 days leading up to the next round. I can see lots of waiting in treatment rooms over the next six months.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
FOLFOX6m
Yesterday Joan received a call from the oncologist saying that he has received a waiver to allow her onto the the SIRT trial. The SIRT trial is a random trial of injecting small radioactive particles into the bloodstream of the liver at the same time as the initial chemotherapy....sort of a double whammy!
Of the selected group half will get the dual treatment and half just the chemo. We leapt through all the hoops this morning and we agreed to participate in the test. Unfortunately later this afternoon we were advised that Joan was 'randomised' and she will not get the dual treatment, just the FOLFOX6m Chemotherapy. I guess they pull names out of a hat?
We are not too concerned because she will get the SIRT as a last resort in the treatment regime.
The oncologist has put forward the start of Chemo to Tuesday morning. It involves waiting, a blood test and then 30 minutes of an anti-nausea drug, then two hours chemo infusion and off home with a pump which slowly feeds in the rest of the dose over 46 hours and then back to the hospital to remove the pump and flush out the PICC (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter). This is repeated every two weeks for six months. Evaluation is made through scans and blood markers.
Another bit of bad news today was the discovery of blood clots in her lungs. I have been shown the correct method of injecting a drug into the fatty tissue of the stomach and will be doing it daily for ever.
We have family coming for Christmas and we are having friends around for New Year. Lately we don't last long enough to see the new year in and fade by about 10.30pm.
Of the selected group half will get the dual treatment and half just the chemo. We leapt through all the hoops this morning and we agreed to participate in the test. Unfortunately later this afternoon we were advised that Joan was 'randomised' and she will not get the dual treatment, just the FOLFOX6m Chemotherapy. I guess they pull names out of a hat?
We are not too concerned because she will get the SIRT as a last resort in the treatment regime.
The oncologist has put forward the start of Chemo to Tuesday morning. It involves waiting, a blood test and then 30 minutes of an anti-nausea drug, then two hours chemo infusion and off home with a pump which slowly feeds in the rest of the dose over 46 hours and then back to the hospital to remove the pump and flush out the PICC (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter). This is repeated every two weeks for six months. Evaluation is made through scans and blood markers.
Another bit of bad news today was the discovery of blood clots in her lungs. I have been shown the correct method of injecting a drug into the fatty tissue of the stomach and will be doing it daily for ever.
We have family coming for Christmas and we are having friends around for New Year. Lately we don't last long enough to see the new year in and fade by about 10.30pm.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Waiting, waiting and more waiting
We spent nearly 8 hours at the hospital today, but it was eventually productive.
We arrived at 8am, parked the car in the multistorey carpark, and went for a blood test which was done promptly. We then walked to the radiology clinic (outside the hospital) for a 8.45 appointment. We were early for this so were prepared to wait, but at 8.30 I was ushered into a cubicle, told to put on a gown and left there, sitting on a very hard wooden bench with no reading material. By 9.15 I was a mess. No-one had come near me, I had heard the CT machine operated twice on people who had turned up after me and we had been advised that processing the films and preparing the report would take at least two hours when I had a 10.45 appointment with the oncologist. I was really stressed out.
Finally, they were ready for me and the scan started at 9.40. More problems. I needed to have a dye infusion and they couldn't pump it in - first one arm, then the other and a third attempt on the original arm. Success at the price of an aching arm because I had to hold it up straight while all this was going on. The scan itself took almost no time.
More waiting faced us, but we decided to walk down to Subiaco Square and have a coffee rather than sit in the waiting room. We collected the films at 10.30 and went to the oncologist's rooms. More waiting. At least this time Kevin had something interesting to read - he had spent over an hour waiting for me with only New Idea and Woman's Day available as reading material (he reckons he can now answer any quiz question on Brangelina) - but the oncologist has aviation magazines.
By the time we left his rooms at 11.45 we had received some more bad news (there are some small tumours on my lungs) but had treatment organised for the whole shebang. I am to start chemotherapy on New Year's Eve for the first of 12 fortnightly cycles. We were advised to make an appointment at the chemotherapy suite for an information session. We asked for one today, not wanting to drive all the way back, but could not get one before 2pm. So, yet more waiting. We had lunch at the hospital restaurant - quite nice sushi - then sat outside under shade for an hour and a bit.
When we fronted up we had to wait a bit longer - and fill in another set of forms! The oncologist rang on my mobile - he had got a waiver for me to take part in a clinical trial of a new treatment. This involves radiation as well as chemo. We have another appointment for tomorrow morning at RPH.
The information session took over an hour. A bit of information overload. The really good thing was that they swapped our parking ticket for a fully paid one, so no parking fees today. They would have mounted up, too, at $2 hour.
We arrived at 8am, parked the car in the multistorey carpark, and went for a blood test which was done promptly. We then walked to the radiology clinic (outside the hospital) for a 8.45 appointment. We were early for this so were prepared to wait, but at 8.30 I was ushered into a cubicle, told to put on a gown and left there, sitting on a very hard wooden bench with no reading material. By 9.15 I was a mess. No-one had come near me, I had heard the CT machine operated twice on people who had turned up after me and we had been advised that processing the films and preparing the report would take at least two hours when I had a 10.45 appointment with the oncologist. I was really stressed out.
Finally, they were ready for me and the scan started at 9.40. More problems. I needed to have a dye infusion and they couldn't pump it in - first one arm, then the other and a third attempt on the original arm. Success at the price of an aching arm because I had to hold it up straight while all this was going on. The scan itself took almost no time.
More waiting faced us, but we decided to walk down to Subiaco Square and have a coffee rather than sit in the waiting room. We collected the films at 10.30 and went to the oncologist's rooms. More waiting. At least this time Kevin had something interesting to read - he had spent over an hour waiting for me with only New Idea and Woman's Day available as reading material (he reckons he can now answer any quiz question on Brangelina) - but the oncologist has aviation magazines.
By the time we left his rooms at 11.45 we had received some more bad news (there are some small tumours on my lungs) but had treatment organised for the whole shebang. I am to start chemotherapy on New Year's Eve for the first of 12 fortnightly cycles. We were advised to make an appointment at the chemotherapy suite for an information session. We asked for one today, not wanting to drive all the way back, but could not get one before 2pm. So, yet more waiting. We had lunch at the hospital restaurant - quite nice sushi - then sat outside under shade for an hour and a bit.
When we fronted up we had to wait a bit longer - and fill in another set of forms! The oncologist rang on my mobile - he had got a waiver for me to take part in a clinical trial of a new treatment. This involves radiation as well as chemo. We have another appointment for tomorrow morning at RPH.
The information session took over an hour. A bit of information overload. The really good thing was that they swapped our parking ticket for a fully paid one, so no parking fees today. They would have mounted up, too, at $2 hour.
cancer and chemotherapy
We are back from a consultation with an oncologist. He is a pleasant enough bloke with a good straightforward attitude to the case. I didn't like that much because he didn't soften the blow when it came to possible outcomes. Chemotherapy, he said, gives roughly 40% good results. 30% reasonable results and the rest poor results. Not much joy there!
He wants us back tomorrow very early to have another blood test and a CAT scan of Joan's lungs. I guess by that he is saying that it may have spread to the lungs???
He outlined the treatment which is going to have the best outcome. There are two possibilities. 1. straight Chemotherapy (one day of infusion and two days of carrying a pump to load up with the rest of the dose.) and repeating the whole thing after another 12 days ...for six months, or 2. Getting her on a trial using SIRT + Chemo. This trial is testing an infusion of irradiated material into the liver at the start of the chemo through a catheter in the groin.
Tomorrow early we head up to Wembley for an 8am blood test and then a CAT scan, wait for the results and take them to the oncologist for the final assessment on the treatment options.
He wants us back tomorrow very early to have another blood test and a CAT scan of Joan's lungs. I guess by that he is saying that it may have spread to the lungs???
He outlined the treatment which is going to have the best outcome. There are two possibilities. 1. straight Chemotherapy (one day of infusion and two days of carrying a pump to load up with the rest of the dose.) and repeating the whole thing after another 12 days ...for six months, or 2. Getting her on a trial using SIRT + Chemo. This trial is testing an infusion of irradiated material into the liver at the start of the chemo through a catheter in the groin.
Tomorrow early we head up to Wembley for an 8am blood test and then a CAT scan, wait for the results and take them to the oncologist for the final assessment on the treatment options.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Private health cover
Joan's colonoscopy went well and the surgeon told her that the bowel tumour is quite small and not causing any blockage. He is going to leave that tumour so that chemotherapy can start almost immediately. Had he opted for surgery the chemo would have to be delayed for six weeks. Let's get started and the bowel can be done later!
Next is the visit to the oncologist on Monday.
Without private health cover Joan would have had to wait 10 days to see this surgeon. It is a shame that to benefit from years of paying out one has to be seriously sick.
And now something different. A picture of power lines in the street of Ko Samui, Thailand. I reckon there would be a bit of power theft amongst that lot. It looks like my fishing line after a day on the water.
Next is the visit to the oncologist on Monday.
Without private health cover Joan would have had to wait 10 days to see this surgeon. It is a shame that to benefit from years of paying out one has to be seriously sick.
And now something different. A picture of power lines in the street of Ko Samui, Thailand. I reckon there would be a bit of power theft amongst that lot. It looks like my fishing line after a day on the water.
Friday, December 18, 2009
colonoscopy
Yesterday Joan reacted badly to the 'Pico Prep' colonoscopy preparation drink and had to go to hospital. We were warned that this might be on the cards. It has never happened to me when I have taken it and I guess that is because I don't (didn't) have a tumor in my bowel.
The specialist had arranged for Joan to go into hospital if she did have a bad reaction to the prep. They hooked her up to a drip and gave her an anti-nausea shot and she was able to keep it down. She rang me earlier this morning feeling comfortable and ready for the colonoscopy at 2.30pm.....very hungry after a diet of 'clear liquids'.
We are getting over the initial shock of the diagnosis. First reaction was that it should have been me with the cancer as my father died of bowel and a secondary liver cancer. That was a long and very traumatic trip over three years. We have been assured that modern chemo is much better that the 1990s stuff. We certainly hope so.
On Monday we talk with the oncologist to plan the chemo strategy.
We have decided to carry on as normal as is possible with life and the blog. I shall report developments as well as, I hope, interesting reading.
The specialist had arranged for Joan to go into hospital if she did have a bad reaction to the prep. They hooked her up to a drip and gave her an anti-nausea shot and she was able to keep it down. She rang me earlier this morning feeling comfortable and ready for the colonoscopy at 2.30pm.....very hungry after a diet of 'clear liquids'.
We are getting over the initial shock of the diagnosis. First reaction was that it should have been me with the cancer as my father died of bowel and a secondary liver cancer. That was a long and very traumatic trip over three years. We have been assured that modern chemo is much better that the 1990s stuff. We certainly hope so.
On Monday we talk with the oncologist to plan the chemo strategy.
We have decided to carry on as normal as is possible with life and the blog. I shall report developments as well as, I hope, interesting reading.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Liver Cancer
Yesterday my dear wife Joan was diagnosed with advanced bowel and liver cancer.
It followed a series of tests to find what was causing the ongoing nausea, dizziness and diarrhea. Her GP ordered a CAT scan because a few of the markers for cancer were present and early yesterday morning we had a phone call from the GP for Joan to attend her rooms. I was called soon after to share the bad news.
She had made a plan of attack and had booked us in to see a Colorectal surgeon. Wow, some heavy news with lots of tears! That afternoon we met with the surgeon, who explained the whole thing including the fight would be a chemotherapy one as there was too much of a spread of the liver cancer for surgery. He arranged for Joan to have a colonoscopy on Friday afternoon to determine if the bowel was being blocked by the tumour. If it is, then he would do a resection of the bowel almost immediately.
We are booked in to see an oncologist on Monday to set out the plan of attack. We have been warned that cure is not on the cards, but there is every chance that the modern medicines will give us a few more years together.
Two hard days!
It followed a series of tests to find what was causing the ongoing nausea, dizziness and diarrhea. Her GP ordered a CAT scan because a few of the markers for cancer were present and early yesterday morning we had a phone call from the GP for Joan to attend her rooms. I was called soon after to share the bad news.
She had made a plan of attack and had booked us in to see a Colorectal surgeon. Wow, some heavy news with lots of tears! That afternoon we met with the surgeon, who explained the whole thing including the fight would be a chemotherapy one as there was too much of a spread of the liver cancer for surgery. He arranged for Joan to have a colonoscopy on Friday afternoon to determine if the bowel was being blocked by the tumour. If it is, then he would do a resection of the bowel almost immediately.
We are booked in to see an oncologist on Monday to set out the plan of attack. We have been warned that cure is not on the cards, but there is every chance that the modern medicines will give us a few more years together.
Two hard days!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Then and now
Click on the Pics to enlarge them.
This is the house we owned for almost 30 years on Canning Highway, Bicton. It was built in 1897 and we were the second owners.
This is our house circa 1900 with Canning Highway as a dirt road and kids dangerously playing amongst the horse poo on the highway. The hotel in the valley is the Leopold Hotel before it was 'modernised'.
And here it is today. The house is still there in excellent condition behind all the greenery on the right. The Leopold is still trading as a pub and it is one of the reasons we decided to sell up and shift. The kids are long gone.
This is the house we owned for almost 30 years on Canning Highway, Bicton. It was built in 1897 and we were the second owners.
This is our house circa 1900 with Canning Highway as a dirt road and kids dangerously playing amongst the horse poo on the highway. The hotel in the valley is the Leopold Hotel before it was 'modernised'.
And here it is today. The house is still there in excellent condition behind all the greenery on the right. The Leopold is still trading as a pub and it is one of the reasons we decided to sell up and shift. The kids are long gone.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Diarrhoea or Diarrhea take your pick
Yesterday I rang my contact for the Noongar Aboriginal Centre in Albany. We had previously installed some computers there in the hope of keeping aboriginal youth in touch with the world.
In Albany, there is a lot of absenteeism by aboriginal students at both primary and secondary schools and an alarming number of youth suicides. We asked that the community centre people report back to inform us as to whether the computers are being used and if it is thought that more machines would be useful. I was pleased to hear that they are being used and that they do need plenty more. I arranged to take a trip to Albany in late January with another ten iMacs.
The iMacs I am setting up are not speed machines, but are still working well and screen resolution and sound system is great. Being all-in-one machines they take up a lot less room than 'tower' computers. They were all manufactured in 2000, installed at the University of W.A., then Murdoch University and lastly at the CYO Institute where I collected them for further distribution. All they need is a PRAM battery of which I have ordered 50 from HK.
The only real problem with them is the size of the hard drive. They all have a 6+GB hard drive. The latest iMacs have a 2 Terrabyte disk. It isn't a great problem as I don't think there will be a lot of storage space taken up with documents...more likely is storage of photos.
To ensure that no private data is left on any machine I am doing a 'clean install' of the operating system which wipes all previous data. Games and word processor packages are also loaded.
Joan is again showing the symptoms of Campylobacter jejuni....nausea, dizziness and Diarrhoea.
The GP has ordered more blood and poo tests and the results will be available on Monday. Hope it is nothing serious.
I had a call from 'my' renal specialist saying that the latest urine test showed an increase of protein in the sample. Previously he suggested that my slightly high blood pressure may be causing this extra protein. He prescribed a beta blocker to lower my blood pressure...it worked! He now thinks that my low blood pressure is doing the same and has taken me off the beta blocker. Can't figure that one out. Another test late next week should shed some light.
Ah, getting old...it's great!
In Albany, there is a lot of absenteeism by aboriginal students at both primary and secondary schools and an alarming number of youth suicides. We asked that the community centre people report back to inform us as to whether the computers are being used and if it is thought that more machines would be useful. I was pleased to hear that they are being used and that they do need plenty more. I arranged to take a trip to Albany in late January with another ten iMacs.
The iMacs I am setting up are not speed machines, but are still working well and screen resolution and sound system is great. Being all-in-one machines they take up a lot less room than 'tower' computers. They were all manufactured in 2000, installed at the University of W.A., then Murdoch University and lastly at the CYO Institute where I collected them for further distribution. All they need is a PRAM battery of which I have ordered 50 from HK.
The only real problem with them is the size of the hard drive. They all have a 6+GB hard drive. The latest iMacs have a 2 Terrabyte disk. It isn't a great problem as I don't think there will be a lot of storage space taken up with documents...more likely is storage of photos.
To ensure that no private data is left on any machine I am doing a 'clean install' of the operating system which wipes all previous data. Games and word processor packages are also loaded.
Joan is again showing the symptoms of Campylobacter jejuni....nausea, dizziness and Diarrhoea.
The GP has ordered more blood and poo tests and the results will be available on Monday. Hope it is nothing serious.
I had a call from 'my' renal specialist saying that the latest urine test showed an increase of protein in the sample. Previously he suggested that my slightly high blood pressure may be causing this extra protein. He prescribed a beta blocker to lower my blood pressure...it worked! He now thinks that my low blood pressure is doing the same and has taken me off the beta blocker. Can't figure that one out. Another test late next week should shed some light.
Ah, getting old...it's great!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Nigerian scams
After searching on the WWW for the cheapest batteries for the collection of iMacs I am working on I finally decided to buy a 50 Pack of Half AA 3.6v Lithium batteries from China on eBay. Instead of the best Australian price of $10. each these were $2.62 which includes postage from Hong Kong. I have bought quite a bit of stuff from China, both Hong Kong and Mainland China and never had anything but good service and products.
Our daughter has given up selling her iPod Touch on eBay after a scammer spent a fair bit of time working up to a con job. In the end the person who had offered to buy her iTouch told Helen that she had a lot of cash she needed to get out of the country and that Helen was the only person she could trust to help her...for which she thanked God. Typical Nigerian scam! Helen reported it to eBay security and they are investigating what must be one of hundreds of these scams.
And now a bit of science wonder...http://goodheartextremescience.wordpress.com/ This page is worth signing up for an email subscription...it's free.
Our daughter has given up selling her iPod Touch on eBay after a scammer spent a fair bit of time working up to a con job. In the end the person who had offered to buy her iTouch told Helen that she had a lot of cash she needed to get out of the country and that Helen was the only person she could trust to help her...for which she thanked God. Typical Nigerian scam! Helen reported it to eBay security and they are investigating what must be one of hundreds of these scams.
And now a bit of science wonder...http://goodheartextremescience.wordpress.com/ This page is worth signing up for an email subscription...it's free.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Many Macs
Just when I thought I would take a break from refurbishing computers I have been given another two lots of Macs. Yesterday Martin, our son, helped me collect 19 iMacs and some PCs along with boxes of cables...remember when they were hard to get?, and lots of bits and pieces most of which are unknown to me. The place we collected them from was the CYO'Connor ERADE Village Foundation. At this stage I am unsure what the Foundation does apart from research. It is associated with Murdoch University. I am to get a copy of their annual report soon so should then know exactly what they research. The 'village' has three two story admin blocks and the computers and other gear, had to be taken one at a time down steep stairs. Good exercise for me.
These machines are working well, but all of them need a new PRAM battery which costs $10. each. The PRAM battery maintains date and time and printer selection. It is not that important, but things do run more smoothly with a good battery. Batteries and fuel are the only costs to me in this project. On Sunday next I am collecting 8 eMacs from a print firm in Perth. Their National IT Manager is a young chap who will have given my project a total of 18 eMacs when I collect them on the weekend.
This eMac was amongst all the iMacs...all it needed was a replacement DVD drive. eMacs are a beautiful piece of design. I tend to open them up for the silliest of reasons..... just to admire the way they are built.
Yesterday I went to a specialist as a follow-up to what was thought to be a kidney problem. The first visit cost around $240 of which Medicare gave us back $127.55. Yesterday's visit cost $160 and Medicare is giving us $149.25 because we have reached a threshold and the benefit was increased to 80%. The specialist is a young Chinese Australian who is going to end up very wealthy. Makes me wonder why a medico would remain a GP rather than specialise. Anyway, the man now thinks that my kidneys are not causing the pain and will have me do a bone scan in the new year. He did ask quite a few questions about the results of my Radical Prostatectomy.
These machines are working well, but all of them need a new PRAM battery which costs $10. each. The PRAM battery maintains date and time and printer selection. It is not that important, but things do run more smoothly with a good battery. Batteries and fuel are the only costs to me in this project. On Sunday next I am collecting 8 eMacs from a print firm in Perth. Their National IT Manager is a young chap who will have given my project a total of 18 eMacs when I collect them on the weekend.
This eMac was amongst all the iMacs...all it needed was a replacement DVD drive. eMacs are a beautiful piece of design. I tend to open them up for the silliest of reasons..... just to admire the way they are built.
Yesterday I went to a specialist as a follow-up to what was thought to be a kidney problem. The first visit cost around $240 of which Medicare gave us back $127.55. Yesterday's visit cost $160 and Medicare is giving us $149.25 because we have reached a threshold and the benefit was increased to 80%. The specialist is a young Chinese Australian who is going to end up very wealthy. Makes me wonder why a medico would remain a GP rather than specialise. Anyway, the man now thinks that my kidneys are not causing the pain and will have me do a bone scan in the new year. He did ask quite a few questions about the results of my Radical Prostatectomy.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Nigeria scam variant
I will hold off posting more random images for today to tell an interesting eBay story.
Our daughter Helen was given an 8GB iTouch. She wanted a 32GB model and decided to see if she could sell it on eBay. It originally cost A$246 and she advertised it at a 'Buy Now' price of the same amount. She received am offer to buy from a woman in the US, who supplied an email and postal address. Once Helen was to advise her of her PayPal details she would transfer the funds Helen would post the iTouch and deal done.
This morning she received an email from this 'woman' saying that for an extra $150, could she post it directly to her brother in Nigeria as a Xmas present?
Nigeria?? The home of all scams! We will follow this one through to see how the 'buyer' contrives to scam Helen.
Our daughter Helen was given an 8GB iTouch. She wanted a 32GB model and decided to see if she could sell it on eBay. It originally cost A$246 and she advertised it at a 'Buy Now' price of the same amount. She received am offer to buy from a woman in the US, who supplied an email and postal address. Once Helen was to advise her of her PayPal details she would transfer the funds Helen would post the iTouch and deal done.
This morning she received an email from this 'woman' saying that for an extra $150, could she post it directly to her brother in Nigeria as a Xmas present?
Nigeria?? The home of all scams! We will follow this one through to see how the 'buyer' contrives to scam Helen.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Wartime Fremantle photos
I have decided to post what I consider interesting photographs instead of lots of text for a while.
Should you wish to add photos to my blog, please feel free to email them to me at kalock@iinet.net.au.
These first three photos were taken just after WW2 hostilities finished in 1945. They were taken by a Fremantle photographer Saxon Fogarty and are part of a wonderful collection of glass-plate negatives I had the privilege to scan some years ago. All three are taken in Fremantle harbour. First is a British mother ship HMS Adamant and her submarines, a Dutch submarine, the Tjigerhaai (Tigershark) with crew on deck and U.S. navy subs. Fremantle was a very large submarine base during the war.
(click to enlarge)
Should you wish to add photos to my blog, please feel free to email them to me at kalock@iinet.net.au.
These first three photos were taken just after WW2 hostilities finished in 1945. They were taken by a Fremantle photographer Saxon Fogarty and are part of a wonderful collection of glass-plate negatives I had the privilege to scan some years ago. All three are taken in Fremantle harbour. First is a British mother ship HMS Adamant and her submarines, a Dutch submarine, the Tjigerhaai (Tigershark) with crew on deck and U.S. navy subs. Fremantle was a very large submarine base during the war.
(click to enlarge)
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
70 years and starting on the 71st
My 70th Birthday bash went off very well. Plenty of food and drink and good company. Daughter Helen and her man James did a great job heating and serving food. Another friend Margaret took it upon herself to help out with the food serving. Thanks Marg.
We specifically asked that people didn't bring presents, but I was pleasantly surprised at some of the gifts. Joy gave me a biography by Frank McCourt, 'Teacher Man'. McCourt gained world acclaim with his first book 'Angela's Ashes'. Joy wrote a note saying that I would enjoy Teacher Man because I was a similar teacher to McCourt. It wasn't until I was about a third of the way through the book that I realised that I had had many similar experiences to McCourt.
I taught at a few tough high schools....Kwinana, Rockingham, Cecil Andrews and a short time after my retirement at a doozy...Nth Lake Senior Campus. My 13 years at Willetton Senior High was the highlight of my Australian teaching.....wonderful tone, great kids and staff.
Frank McCourt taught at several New York high schools which sound like they were similar to some of my postings.
When I retired I was urged to do two terms at North Lake Senior College teaching English to Year11 trade boys, all of which were for some reason or other rejects from regular high schools.
Reading Frank McCourt's book reminded me of the earlier encounters with those lads. On the first day, the boys acted up something bad to impress the new teacher.....I finished the day telling the boss that I didn't need the money and certainly didn't need the grief. He talked me into staying on and over a few weeks things improved as I modified my teaching methods to try and get to these lads. We were analyzing the movie, Sureshank Redemption and they had viewed the video about six times already and couldn't think past creating their own words for the gang rape of the main character. I asked them to give me an adjective describing that act. Most didn't know what an adjective was, but when I explained what one was they rattled off dozens of them, lots of which couldn't be written on the blackboard. After looking at the movie again with adjectives in mind we assembled a blackboard of adjectives describing every scene of the movie. Yes you can have too many adjectives, but they did enjoy using plenty of them. They actually liked using adjectives in their speech and ventured into adverbs etc. I imaging some of them did a bit of big timing to their younger siblings and parents.
They also learned a few words which they didn't really know the meaning of, such as institutionalised, describing one of the characters who couldn't live on the outside after spending so many years in prison. Necessity is the mother of invention and teachers have to change their methods to suit the situation or go down in a heap.
I never made close friends with those young blokes, but at the end of the school year I got all of them a pass in English...with a little judicious modification of some results and we parted on good terms.
We specifically asked that people didn't bring presents, but I was pleasantly surprised at some of the gifts. Joy gave me a biography by Frank McCourt, 'Teacher Man'. McCourt gained world acclaim with his first book 'Angela's Ashes'. Joy wrote a note saying that I would enjoy Teacher Man because I was a similar teacher to McCourt. It wasn't until I was about a third of the way through the book that I realised that I had had many similar experiences to McCourt.I taught at a few tough high schools....Kwinana, Rockingham, Cecil Andrews and a short time after my retirement at a doozy...Nth Lake Senior Campus. My 13 years at Willetton Senior High was the highlight of my Australian teaching.....wonderful tone, great kids and staff.
Frank McCourt taught at several New York high schools which sound like they were similar to some of my postings.
When I retired I was urged to do two terms at North Lake Senior College teaching English to Year11 trade boys, all of which were for some reason or other rejects from regular high schools.
Reading Frank McCourt's book reminded me of the earlier encounters with those lads. On the first day, the boys acted up something bad to impress the new teacher.....I finished the day telling the boss that I didn't need the money and certainly didn't need the grief. He talked me into staying on and over a few weeks things improved as I modified my teaching methods to try and get to these lads. We were analyzing the movie, Sureshank Redemption and they had viewed the video about six times already and couldn't think past creating their own words for the gang rape of the main character. I asked them to give me an adjective describing that act. Most didn't know what an adjective was, but when I explained what one was they rattled off dozens of them, lots of which couldn't be written on the blackboard. After looking at the movie again with adjectives in mind we assembled a blackboard of adjectives describing every scene of the movie. Yes you can have too many adjectives, but they did enjoy using plenty of them. They actually liked using adjectives in their speech and ventured into adverbs etc. I imaging some of them did a bit of big timing to their younger siblings and parents.
They also learned a few words which they didn't really know the meaning of, such as institutionalised, describing one of the characters who couldn't live on the outside after spending so many years in prison. Necessity is the mother of invention and teachers have to change their methods to suit the situation or go down in a heap.
I never made close friends with those young blokes, but at the end of the school year I got all of them a pass in English...with a little judicious modification of some results and we parted on good terms.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
70 years of age
Well, today is the day. I was born 70 years ago on November 29th, 1939. I didn't really think I would get to this stage with all my mind in one piece and most of my limbs still active. Yesterday was the 40th birthday of our daughter Helen. Joan made her a wonderful quilt and we delivered it to her at her own backyard party. She loved it. Joan made a label for the back of the quilt and we hope that it lasts long enough to be a curiosity to whoever ends up with it. It is well made and should last a very long time.
I received a great present from Joan and Helen which took me by surprise. I have had a lifetime love of aircraft and our house is in a flight training path of Jandakot Airport. Their present was a one hour training flight in a Royal Aero Club Cessna. Perfect! I did however warn Joan that this could cost a lot more than the initial trial flight. If I get the bug, a private licence and subsequent flying could cost us our superannuation.
Don't think I'll take up the offer of aerobatics though.
Last night we had a family meal with my sister Shirl and my surviving brother Graham at a Chinese restaurant....cheap, good service and average food. When we returned home I had a 9.15pm phone call from a friend in NSW, Graham Egan. We knew Graham from our time teaching in Papua New Guinea. He rang to tell me that I was already 70 according to his eastern states daylight saving calculations. He also informed me that when I die, my death will occur the day before it does in Western Australia. Should somehow be able to capitalise on that?
Graham, is the ultimate wordsmith and ...in a nice way, a pedant! He kept a daily diary of his time in PNG and last night he read from his diary the entry of February 4th 1970. where he noted the fact that the new Vocational Centre teacher had arrived, one Kevin Lock, and that 5 years previously he had been at Arehava in the Gulf District of Papua. I am pleased to tell that he gave me a good/very good assessment. Graham is a walker.....the length of Great Britain, The Grand Canyon etc etc. We just hire a car! I think he will try a climb of Everest before long.
Further report on today's bash with some photos coming.
I received a great present from Joan and Helen which took me by surprise. I have had a lifetime love of aircraft and our house is in a flight training path of Jandakot Airport. Their present was a one hour training flight in a Royal Aero Club Cessna. Perfect! I did however warn Joan that this could cost a lot more than the initial trial flight. If I get the bug, a private licence and subsequent flying could cost us our superannuation.
Don't think I'll take up the offer of aerobatics though.Last night we had a family meal with my sister Shirl and my surviving brother Graham at a Chinese restaurant....cheap, good service and average food. When we returned home I had a 9.15pm phone call from a friend in NSW, Graham Egan. We knew Graham from our time teaching in Papua New Guinea. He rang to tell me that I was already 70 according to his eastern states daylight saving calculations. He also informed me that when I die, my death will occur the day before it does in Western Australia. Should somehow be able to capitalise on that?
Graham, is the ultimate wordsmith and ...in a nice way, a pedant! He kept a daily diary of his time in PNG and last night he read from his diary the entry of February 4th 1970. where he noted the fact that the new Vocational Centre teacher had arrived, one Kevin Lock, and that 5 years previously he had been at Arehava in the Gulf District of Papua. I am pleased to tell that he gave me a good/very good assessment. Graham is a walker.....the length of Great Britain, The Grand Canyon etc etc. We just hire a car! I think he will try a climb of Everest before long.
Further report on today's bash with some photos coming.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Campylobacter jejuni
Joan has just returned from a visit to the GP regarding her illness. The tests carried out show that she has Campylobacter jejuni and the Doc has put her on some very smart antibiotics with the hope that a couple of days should see improvements. If nothing improves by Saturday morning she is to return to her GP. The antibiotic is Roxin ( Norfloxacin) and the GP had to call some government bureaucrat somewhere in Aus to get permission to issue it.
Letters to the Editor in the daily newspaper are certainly showing an unsympathetic side of the average Australian about the refugees heading for safe haven in Australia. Of course what Australia faces is nothing to what Europe faces with literally hundreds of refugees walking across borders daily. A common call from the average letter writer is that Afghan 'queue jumpers' should go back to their own country and fight against the insurgents instead of letting our soldiers do it for them.
Now that we have Sri Lankan Tamils trying to get into Aus, similar calls are made to send them back. Jeez, if in either situation, I would try and get to Australia by any means possible.
A recent bit of biffo at the Christmas Island Detention Centre between Afghans and Sri Lankans spawned a couple of letters suggesting that if the two groups can't get along inside the detention centre, 'we don't want them in Australia'. I would suggest that the strife was probably because the Afghans heard about the preferential treatment the Australian Government was forced into giving the Tamils. See here.
My sister Shirley is heading up to our place from Esperance on the south coast for my 70th birthday bash. She is busing it up arriving at approximately 5pm at Armadale about 20 kilometres from our place. This morning she rang to remind me to collect her at Armadale. Joan told her that she had arranged to come up on Friday not Thursday and Shirl knew that because she had fronted up at the bus station with all her gear only to be told by the driver that she was booked on tomorrow's bus. Red face!
Every time we visit Bali, we buy a few copy watches. Bali doesn't seem to have any treaties with anyone when it comes to fake watches....well they aren't fake watches, just fake names on them and pirated DVDs. For around A$7 or $8.00 you can buy a very close copy of most expensive brands. Today I dropped one of my Rolex Oyster Perpetual watches and all the numbers and minute divisions fell off the face and ended up at the bottom of the face in a heap. I have another five or six watches to choose from so don't need to try a shaky hand glue-back of all the bits. In the bin!
Letters to the Editor in the daily newspaper are certainly showing an unsympathetic side of the average Australian about the refugees heading for safe haven in Australia. Of course what Australia faces is nothing to what Europe faces with literally hundreds of refugees walking across borders daily. A common call from the average letter writer is that Afghan 'queue jumpers' should go back to their own country and fight against the insurgents instead of letting our soldiers do it for them.
Now that we have Sri Lankan Tamils trying to get into Aus, similar calls are made to send them back. Jeez, if in either situation, I would try and get to Australia by any means possible.
A recent bit of biffo at the Christmas Island Detention Centre between Afghans and Sri Lankans spawned a couple of letters suggesting that if the two groups can't get along inside the detention centre, 'we don't want them in Australia'. I would suggest that the strife was probably because the Afghans heard about the preferential treatment the Australian Government was forced into giving the Tamils. See here.
My sister Shirley is heading up to our place from Esperance on the south coast for my 70th birthday bash. She is busing it up arriving at approximately 5pm at Armadale about 20 kilometres from our place. This morning she rang to remind me to collect her at Armadale. Joan told her that she had arranged to come up on Friday not Thursday and Shirl knew that because she had fronted up at the bus station with all her gear only to be told by the driver that she was booked on tomorrow's bus. Red face!
Every time we visit Bali, we buy a few copy watches. Bali doesn't seem to have any treaties with anyone when it comes to fake watches....well they aren't fake watches, just fake names on them and pirated DVDs. For around A$7 or $8.00 you can buy a very close copy of most expensive brands. Today I dropped one of my Rolex Oyster Perpetual watches and all the numbers and minute divisions fell off the face and ended up at the bottom of the face in a heap. I have another five or six watches to choose from so don't need to try a shaky hand glue-back of all the bits. In the bin!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Being 'in Care'
On Sunday I joined my cousin's extended family for a get together at Matilda Bay on the river's edge. Val is the Matriarch of the McComishes and does a good job of it! 19 in all including me. It was a good show as I hadn't caught up with her kids for many years. Kids!? They are all in the vicinity of 50! Some of the grandkids I had never met before. Plenty of tucker and conversation. Joan couldn't make it as she was, and is still, sick with vomiting and Diarrhoea. Let's hope she gets over it for my 70th birthday gathering on Sunday.
Joy, John's wife, spends much of her week visiting John in care. In the time he has been there Joy has made a few observations. One observation caused her to write this moving piece. I have changed the name with Joy's permission.
Rebecca
Rebecca sits in a comfy chair
Her walking frame is near
I wanna go home’ she constantly says,
Not realizing home is now here.
She must have been feisty in earlier days,
And still has the fire in her eyes,
Help me, help me, help me’
Is another one of her cries.
At times she is quiet and offers a smile
Next moment we hear a roar,
I want a cup of tea’ she says,
A hundred times or more.
This tall, proud lady of long ago
Remembers little of life gone by
No doubt an irascible nature was hers,
But so was the beauty and fire
We cannot say, we do not know
If this is us in years to come
What traits of ours will survive our mind
Will it be anger, anxiety or fun
Lets hope it is happiness that rules
A life with few regrets, lived long
Not sadness for the ones we miss
Or lost remembrance for the words of our song
Joy, John's wife, spends much of her week visiting John in care. In the time he has been there Joy has made a few observations. One observation caused her to write this moving piece. I have changed the name with Joy's permission.
Rebecca
Rebecca sits in a comfy chair
Her walking frame is near
I wanna go home’ she constantly says,
Not realizing home is now here.
She must have been feisty in earlier days,
And still has the fire in her eyes,
Help me, help me, help me’
Is another one of her cries.
At times she is quiet and offers a smile
Next moment we hear a roar,
I want a cup of tea’ she says,
A hundred times or more.
This tall, proud lady of long ago
Remembers little of life gone by
No doubt an irascible nature was hers,
But so was the beauty and fire
We cannot say, we do not know
If this is us in years to come
What traits of ours will survive our mind
Will it be anger, anxiety or fun
Lets hope it is happiness that rules
A life with few regrets, lived long
Not sadness for the ones we miss
Or lost remembrance for the words of our song
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Johnny Depp
Our son's vinyl flooring went down yesterday. I did contemplate doing it myself, but had a man do it for me. When I inspected the job, I could see that there was no way I could have done such a neat job. Saved myself a bit of swearing as well.
Joan's virus is still taking its toll. Still not able to eat much. She had a test last night....a glass of bubbly and managed to keep it down. She's getting better!
In this morning's paper I see that Johnny Depp has been declared 2009's The Sexiest Man Alive. The title was bestowed by People Magazine whose reps apparently didn't check out our place in Bibra Lake. Being the sexiest man alive is a bit like being the world's fastest runner. That title should in all probability go to some African bloke making a speedy escape from a lion.
Tomorrow we are joining my cousin's family on a picnic lunch in Matilda Bay on the Swan River. It is a big family and I think we are going to be hard pressed to remember all the grandkids' names. Should be good as we haven't caught up with them all for years.
Joan's virus is still taking its toll. Still not able to eat much. She had a test last night....a glass of bubbly and managed to keep it down. She's getting better!
In this morning's paper I see that Johnny Depp has been declared 2009's The Sexiest Man Alive. The title was bestowed by People Magazine whose reps apparently didn't check out our place in Bibra Lake. Being the sexiest man alive is a bit like being the world's fastest runner. That title should in all probability go to some African bloke making a speedy escape from a lion.
Tomorrow we are joining my cousin's family on a picnic lunch in Matilda Bay on the Swan River. It is a big family and I think we are going to be hard pressed to remember all the grandkids' names. Should be good as we haven't caught up with them all for years.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Of poos and employment
Yesterday a childhood friend, a good mate and Kev went to a tavern for lunch. We try and get together several times a year for a lunch with a few laughs and a couple of beers....it's a good day. He told me about a five day bout of regurgitation and evacuation he had experienced a week before. By evening, Joan had the same. Today she has been vomiting and suffering with diarrhoea, not feeling like food and therefore greenish bile production at each upchuck. She is still sleeping at this stage and I will let her get as much sleep as she needs before I try and tempt her with some dinner.
I mean; if you are going to chuck up. you need something to chuck.
Today was the day that Martin, our son's unit (it's really our unit) gets new vinyl flooring in two areas. I went down and checked out the floor to make sure he had cleaned it up ready for the floor covering. Just as well I did.
The carpet areas need a steam cleaning and over the weekend I will hire a machine and get him to do his carpets. He doesn't use the nice dining table we bought him and eats on his couch whilst watching TV. Pity he doesn't have some pets to eat the food that falls on the floor.
Daughter Helen rang tonight to tell us that she has a full-time job next year teaching at South Padbury, which is a fair hike from her house, but will probably get her permanency with the W.A. Education Dept. Coincidentally she was looking at the Australian Customs Service website for positions in the Graduate employment intake. Now she doesn't know whether to apply for the Customs' job or not. Her worry is that Canberra is a bit boring for a single 40 year old. It is also very bleak during the winter. I reckon Customs, in the higher echelons, could be a bit of an exciting and glamour job.
I reckon she will stay with teaching as the holidays are pretty damn good.
I mean; if you are going to chuck up. you need something to chuck.
Today was the day that Martin, our son's unit (it's really our unit) gets new vinyl flooring in two areas. I went down and checked out the floor to make sure he had cleaned it up ready for the floor covering. Just as well I did.
The carpet areas need a steam cleaning and over the weekend I will hire a machine and get him to do his carpets. He doesn't use the nice dining table we bought him and eats on his couch whilst watching TV. Pity he doesn't have some pets to eat the food that falls on the floor.
Daughter Helen rang tonight to tell us that she has a full-time job next year teaching at South Padbury, which is a fair hike from her house, but will probably get her permanency with the W.A. Education Dept. Coincidentally she was looking at the Australian Customs Service website for positions in the Graduate employment intake. Now she doesn't know whether to apply for the Customs' job or not. Her worry is that Canberra is a bit boring for a single 40 year old. It is also very bleak during the winter. I reckon Customs, in the higher echelons, could be a bit of an exciting and glamour job.
I reckon she will stay with teaching as the holidays are pretty damn good.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Beating the System
Every time some person or company produces something 'foolproof' someone comes up with a System Beating getaround.
Computer printers, especially Canon branded printers, were nice to people like me who refilled the print cartridges. Their cartridges didn't have an electronic chip on the cartridge like other brands and I have been happily refilling an old Canon printer for years. It is a bit messy and I always end up with multi-colour fingers for a couple of days after refilling.
Over the last few years, all Canon print cartridges have a 'chip' which makes it a bit difficult to refill.
In my computer refurbishing project I get given lots of different printers. Epson is a brand which has a chip on each cartridge. Fortunately some boffins made a cheap chip resetter for the Epson printers I have in the shed, so I can refill them with cheap ink and reset the chip with the System Beater.
Some pics...
Epson cartridge showing the 'Chip'.
The Chip resetter...
Aligning the setter with the chip...
The red light blinks; it turns green and the cart can be inserted in the printer.
Epson.com doesn't sell this chip resetter.
Computer printers, especially Canon branded printers, were nice to people like me who refilled the print cartridges. Their cartridges didn't have an electronic chip on the cartridge like other brands and I have been happily refilling an old Canon printer for years. It is a bit messy and I always end up with multi-colour fingers for a couple of days after refilling.
Over the last few years, all Canon print cartridges have a 'chip' which makes it a bit difficult to refill.
In my computer refurbishing project I get given lots of different printers. Epson is a brand which has a chip on each cartridge. Fortunately some boffins made a cheap chip resetter for the Epson printers I have in the shed, so I can refill them with cheap ink and reset the chip with the System Beater.
Some pics...
Epson cartridge showing the 'Chip'.
The Chip resetter...
Aligning the setter with the chip...
The red light blinks; it turns green and the cart can be inserted in the printer.
Epson.com doesn't sell this chip resetter.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
70 and contemplating
This morning I visited our friend John in his nursing home. Not sure if he knew me, but he was very animated and he talked at length on dozens of topics which made little sense and lacked continuity. I have long ago learned to agree when it seems appropriate and nod in the right places and respond positively. He enjoyed having me to tell a few stories to.
I took in a couple of 'stubbies' of a beer that in times past, we both used to consume copious amounts together...Emu Bitter, a local brew which has the reputation of tasting like ducks' water. I can report that it didn't taste like ducks' water and we both enjoyed it. It was approaching lunch time when I found John, so I joined his table and assisted with his meal. I had forgotten that he is left-handed. I wondered how it is that some of his functions are almost automatic and not forgotten like so much else. I suppose that it would be quite difficult to eat using his right hand and also he has a lifetime of using his left hand.
Half way through the meal a very dignified lady, entered the dining room holding a plate exclaiming loudly that.. 'someone has stolen the other two plates'. It was a bit Faulty Towers and I never worked out if her plates had actually been stolen, but I do know that John has a penchant for a bit of purloining.
I am soon to turn 70 and as soon as I feel that I am losing my marbles and not enjoying life I will see if I have the courage to top myself. Yesterday I replaced a low voltage downlight in our kitchen. Joan commented on how difficult it will be when I go to get such jobs done. My reply was along the same lines except it was me worrying about how I will manage the finances when Joan goes. I won't go into care!
I have a nice 1892 .44 Winchester which would do the job nice and quickly. Have to do it out in the garden to avoid a mess in the house.
I took in a couple of 'stubbies' of a beer that in times past, we both used to consume copious amounts together...Emu Bitter, a local brew which has the reputation of tasting like ducks' water. I can report that it didn't taste like ducks' water and we both enjoyed it. It was approaching lunch time when I found John, so I joined his table and assisted with his meal. I had forgotten that he is left-handed. I wondered how it is that some of his functions are almost automatic and not forgotten like so much else. I suppose that it would be quite difficult to eat using his right hand and also he has a lifetime of using his left hand.
Half way through the meal a very dignified lady, entered the dining room holding a plate exclaiming loudly that.. 'someone has stolen the other two plates'. It was a bit Faulty Towers and I never worked out if her plates had actually been stolen, but I do know that John has a penchant for a bit of purloining.
I am soon to turn 70 and as soon as I feel that I am losing my marbles and not enjoying life I will see if I have the courage to top myself. Yesterday I replaced a low voltage downlight in our kitchen. Joan commented on how difficult it will be when I go to get such jobs done. My reply was along the same lines except it was me worrying about how I will manage the finances when Joan goes. I won't go into care!
I have a nice 1892 .44 Winchester which would do the job nice and quickly. Have to do it out in the garden to avoid a mess in the house.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Australian Fromelles Project Group
The Australian Army has a unit called The Australian Fromelles Project Group which is engaged in trying to identify the exhumed remains of WW1 Australian soldiers buried along with British soldiers in a mass grave in Pheasant Wood, Fromelles, France. The dead were buried by German troops. Recently the discovery of German Red Cross records show that 163 men and probably 16 missing Western Australians were buried there.
The Army's Fromelles Project Group recently contacted the families of the missing soldiers and have asked for DNA from families in the hope of identifying the remains and eventually giving them a proper burial. Our friend Wendy has been asked for a DNA sample and the group is forwarding a DNA kit to her. It seems that female DNA is more viable in such cases.
DNA is not going to be conclusive in many cases and the group is also relying on discovered artifacts. One piece of clothing contained a rail ticket for the Perth-Fremantle line.
Wendy's Uncle, Adolf Knable was a 22 year old teacher when he volunteered for service in WW1. He was killed in what has been called 'the most costly and futile conflict ever involving Australian troops'.
The Army's Fromelles Project Group recently contacted the families of the missing soldiers and have asked for DNA from families in the hope of identifying the remains and eventually giving them a proper burial. Our friend Wendy has been asked for a DNA sample and the group is forwarding a DNA kit to her. It seems that female DNA is more viable in such cases.
DNA is not going to be conclusive in many cases and the group is also relying on discovered artifacts. One piece of clothing contained a rail ticket for the Perth-Fremantle line.
Wendy's Uncle, Adolf Knable was a 22 year old teacher when he volunteered for service in WW1. He was killed in what has been called 'the most costly and futile conflict ever involving Australian troops'.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
A bad feeling about this one.
A few weeks ago I had a request from a Government Welfare Officer for one of my freebie Mac computers for a young single mum with some psychological problems. She is running an online business selling hair adornments on eBay.
I made quite a few attempts to call her and finally talked with her and arranged a time to deliver and set up the computer. Today I delivered it to the place she has moved into in the Perth suburb of Gosnells. Gosnells is certainly not on our list of preferred places to live, but hey, she is not too flush with cash so I guess it is OK for her.
I drove there on the chance that she would be at home as she hasn't been answering her mobile phone. She wasn't home, but the door was answered by a humungous German Shepherd and twenty or so blowflies. The guy who opened the door told me he is a gamer and that seemed to be his principal occupation, collecting benefits and playing online games. The house is quite large and has heaps of clothes and gear on the floor. In the dining room there was a wood turning lathe which was obviously in use as lots of wood shavings were scattered around the table. I confess I didn't ask if they had just shifted in...maybe they were still settling in?
I had to put the computer gear on the floor in her bedroom. There was no desk or table.
Is this going to work? I will contact her Welfare Officer and suggest that if it is all too difficult I could collect the computer gear and give it to someone else.
Of the probably 70 plus machines I have placed, I don't have a good feeling about this one.
When trying to contact her. I have talked a couple of times to her father and mother. I sensed a level of detachment so I am thinking that there has been friction in the family. Sad, but we also know about that.
I made quite a few attempts to call her and finally talked with her and arranged a time to deliver and set up the computer. Today I delivered it to the place she has moved into in the Perth suburb of Gosnells. Gosnells is certainly not on our list of preferred places to live, but hey, she is not too flush with cash so I guess it is OK for her.
I drove there on the chance that she would be at home as she hasn't been answering her mobile phone. She wasn't home, but the door was answered by a humungous German Shepherd and twenty or so blowflies. The guy who opened the door told me he is a gamer and that seemed to be his principal occupation, collecting benefits and playing online games. The house is quite large and has heaps of clothes and gear on the floor. In the dining room there was a wood turning lathe which was obviously in use as lots of wood shavings were scattered around the table. I confess I didn't ask if they had just shifted in...maybe they were still settling in?
I had to put the computer gear on the floor in her bedroom. There was no desk or table.
Is this going to work? I will contact her Welfare Officer and suggest that if it is all too difficult I could collect the computer gear and give it to someone else.
Of the probably 70 plus machines I have placed, I don't have a good feeling about this one.
When trying to contact her. I have talked a couple of times to her father and mother. I sensed a level of detachment so I am thinking that there has been friction in the family. Sad, but we also know about that.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Where is the sub-editor?
In the last post I wrote about the exhumation and imminent reburial of Catholic clergy in a crypt at St Mary's Cathedral in Perth. The reporter who wrote the story made a bit of a blue when he mentioned descendants of the clergy.
I thought that there would be a few letters to the editor pointing out that Catholic Bishops and Archbishops wouldn't have descendants...but nothing.
In this morning's paper there is a full page report by the same journo telling of the exhumation (he seems to be into exhumations) of Australian soldiers from a mass grave in a French WW1 battlefield. It is a good report except for another word which sounds fine but doesn't mean what it should. The West should have a dictionary on every one of the hundreds of computers sitting on journos' desks and the sub-editor should have picked up that error. Maybe the sub-editing is outsourced to India?
Here is a definition of ignominy.
Also mate....artifacts is the way we spell it here in Aus.
BTW Joan is my sub-editor.
Here endeth this week's rant.
I thought that there would be a few letters to the editor pointing out that Catholic Bishops and Archbishops wouldn't have descendants...but nothing.
In this morning's paper there is a full page report by the same journo telling of the exhumation (he seems to be into exhumations) of Australian soldiers from a mass grave in a French WW1 battlefield. It is a good report except for another word which sounds fine but doesn't mean what it should. The West should have a dictionary on every one of the hundreds of computers sitting on journos' desks and the sub-editor should have picked up that error. Maybe the sub-editing is outsourced to India?
Here is a definition of ignominy.Also mate....artifacts is the way we spell it here in Aus.
BTW Joan is my sub-editor.
Here endeth this week's rant.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Ooops!
In this morning's newspaper, The West Australian, there is an interesting article about the exhumation and reburial of the remains of three archbishops who led the Catholic church in W.A. over a period of 140 years. They are to be interred in a new crypt constructed below St Mary's Cathedral.
The article describes the exhumation and artifacts found in the coffins. The author of the article is named Joseph Catanzaro who this morning, is probably a little red faced about this paragraph in the paper....
And I thought it was only medieval Popes who had descendants.
The article describes the exhumation and artifacts found in the coffins. The author of the article is named Joseph Catanzaro who this morning, is probably a little red faced about this paragraph in the paper....
And I thought it was only medieval Popes who had descendants.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Magic Box
Car efficiency scams are as old as cars. I recall reading very old Popular Mechanics magazines from the 1940s touting fuel pills. They were even on sale in service stations in Aus in the 50s. I never tried them at the time. Even at 17 years of age I felt that they had to be a scam.
Fast forward to the 90s and on and we have two home grown scams here in Aus. Australia's hero racing driver, Peter Brock launched an Energy Polarizer, a little magic box that was to bring amazing improvements to car performance and economy. It even allowed you to run your tyres at a lower pressure. Here is a press release for the Energy Polarizer....
"An Energy Polarizer transmits a high energy mainly generated by the vehicle to which it is attached.
This high energy field - A.B.A. Energy - causes all molecules in it's sphere of influence to be aligned or polarized to the direction of the high energy transmission, and are held in a linked or aligned state.
These molecules are subject to a vibratory rate dictated by the Polarizer.
The printed circuitry in a Polarizer causes a multiplicity of frequencies to be transmitted, affecting each molecule and allowing that molecules and it's environment to absorb specific vibration levels including noises, vibrations resonance and impact harshness which are always present in any vehicle and also to dampen out the effects of imperfect manufacture of vehicle components.
The overall effect on a motor car is to absorb road shocks more completely and quietly, to reduce overall vehicle noises - both inside and outside - to achieve greater efficiency of the power train and steering systems, improving the engine and suspension performance and to create a more pleasant environment for the driver and passenger.
Certain frequencies have not been "tuned out" as they are necessary for increased road safety.
The energy transmitted from the "Energy Polarizer" always flows to that area most effected. That means a major problem area still remains a problem, and the energy is effectively wasted on that area since the overall vehicle is deprived and consequently is less enhanced. So a correctly manufactured and maintained vehicle will always be superior to one that is not, but all vehicles benefit from the fitment of an Energy Polarizer.
It should be noted a vehicle which normal requires high octane leaded fuel is then able to operate on low octane (92) unleaded fuel, without any ill effects whatsoever, when an Energy Polarizer is fitted.
Tyre pressures must be lowered to maximise the effect of an Energy Polarizer. Recommended tyre pressure:-
Later, FirePower was a fuel tank pill and the floating of the company lost lots of Australian investors (read: suckers) around $100M. Neither worked, but I am unsure if the 'inventors' of both 'scams' didn't actually believe in their product.
When I wrote in the last post about the winner of the Melbourne cup being whipped by the jockey after the horse went over the line,I wondered if I was the only person who noticed it on TV. The RSPCA also noticed it and has been on his case and the Jockey's whatever club has suspended him (after the racing round is over).
Windows 7 has been released with its biggest innovation being a taskbar where the user can drop applications into and open them from there.....just like Mac's Dock which has been part of every OS10 since 2001.
Fast forward to the 90s and on and we have two home grown scams here in Aus. Australia's hero racing driver, Peter Brock launched an Energy Polarizer, a little magic box that was to bring amazing improvements to car performance and economy. It even allowed you to run your tyres at a lower pressure. Here is a press release for the Energy Polarizer....
"An Energy Polarizer transmits a high energy mainly generated by the vehicle to which it is attached.
This high energy field - A.B.A. Energy - causes all molecules in it's sphere of influence to be aligned or polarized to the direction of the high energy transmission, and are held in a linked or aligned state.
These molecules are subject to a vibratory rate dictated by the Polarizer.
The printed circuitry in a Polarizer causes a multiplicity of frequencies to be transmitted, affecting each molecule and allowing that molecules and it's environment to absorb specific vibration levels including noises, vibrations resonance and impact harshness which are always present in any vehicle and also to dampen out the effects of imperfect manufacture of vehicle components.
The overall effect on a motor car is to absorb road shocks more completely and quietly, to reduce overall vehicle noises - both inside and outside - to achieve greater efficiency of the power train and steering systems, improving the engine and suspension performance and to create a more pleasant environment for the driver and passenger.
Certain frequencies have not been "tuned out" as they are necessary for increased road safety.
The energy transmitted from the "Energy Polarizer" always flows to that area most effected. That means a major problem area still remains a problem, and the energy is effectively wasted on that area since the overall vehicle is deprived and consequently is less enhanced. So a correctly manufactured and maintained vehicle will always be superior to one that is not, but all vehicles benefit from the fitment of an Energy Polarizer.
It should be noted a vehicle which normal requires high octane leaded fuel is then able to operate on low octane (92) unleaded fuel, without any ill effects whatsoever, when an Energy Polarizer is fitted.
Tyre pressures must be lowered to maximise the effect of an Energy Polarizer. Recommended tyre pressure:-
Later, FirePower was a fuel tank pill and the floating of the company lost lots of Australian investors (read: suckers) around $100M. Neither worked, but I am unsure if the 'inventors' of both 'scams' didn't actually believe in their product.
When I wrote in the last post about the winner of the Melbourne cup being whipped by the jockey after the horse went over the line,I wondered if I was the only person who noticed it on TV. The RSPCA also noticed it and has been on his case and the Jockey's whatever club has suspended him (after the racing round is over).
Windows 7 has been released with its biggest innovation being a taskbar where the user can drop applications into and open them from there.....just like Mac's Dock which has been part of every OS10 since 2001.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
W.A. Islamic Council
The Melbourne Cup is over. To my uninterested eye, it seems that fashion once again was the winner over the horses.
Then later in the day we watched trainer Mark Kavanagh tell us how shocked he was that he won the Melbourne cup. I guess we could call it a team effort.
I understand why, but cannot condone, the silence of Muslim Clerics about the senseless murder of their own in the name of God.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Melbourne Cup
Saturday was Halloween. We had a couple of groups of pleasant kids visit and they were rewarded for their dress-up efforts.
Tomorrow is the running of the Melbourne Cup. Australia shuts down for the race and food and drink. Tomorrow night there will be the usual footage of drunk young fillies (the girls) staggering around with spikes in hand.
We both enjoyed Cup day when we were working, but haven't given it much thought since retiring. The most publicity has been around a successful trainer named Bart Cummings. Bart is in his 80s and sports a wonderful set of eyebrows. Such eyebrows have traditionally been the prerogative of Australian Prime Ministers.
And now a racehorse story.
A bloke towing a horsefloat is exceeding the speed limit on the new highway to Bunbury when pulled over by a cop. 'Any excuse for speeding' asks the cop. "I have to get these horses down to Bunbury for the races' explains our man.
The cop looks in the back and says 'There aren't any horses in here mate!' 'Oh damn, they've given me the scratchings again!' says the punter.
Tomorrow is the running of the Melbourne Cup. Australia shuts down for the race and food and drink. Tomorrow night there will be the usual footage of drunk young fillies (the girls) staggering around with spikes in hand.
We both enjoyed Cup day when we were working, but haven't given it much thought since retiring. The most publicity has been around a successful trainer named Bart Cummings. Bart is in his 80s and sports a wonderful set of eyebrows. Such eyebrows have traditionally been the prerogative of Australian Prime Ministers.
And now a racehorse story.
A bloke towing a horsefloat is exceeding the speed limit on the new highway to Bunbury when pulled over by a cop. 'Any excuse for speeding' asks the cop. "I have to get these horses down to Bunbury for the races' explains our man.
The cop looks in the back and says 'There aren't any horses in here mate!' 'Oh damn, they've given me the scratchings again!' says the punter.
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