home again home again jiggidy jig

Had an interesting time in Darwin...saw all the people who say they want to see me again...of course. takes a lot to get me in focus. LOL

But went to the BEST oils workshop I have been to in AGES. used water based oils, which takes away half the problems with the ventialtion. Experimentation is the best thing....like playing with new blocks.

still sore and sorry. it can only get better. The knees are the worst thing at the moment. Both are so swollen...they look angry. I don't think they are, but I think that they could very well be, I would be if I hurt that much LOL

tis a long weekend this weekend here, Darwin Show Day, then another one the next weekend for Picnic day.

one of the men in my life.

thank you for your support. I headed to the yahoo group, thank you for that.

I am heading into "town" 3ookms up the road, to see my rheumy; my dentist; my optomotrist; have a mammogram; have a facial (mmmmmm) I am going in tomorrow, to do an Oils Workshop, that should be great, I miss talking art.
I am staying at the YWCA, so I have packed the amusements (PSP(I can only play one game... LOL and one movie!), MP3, Radio. Books) Hmmmm. wonder what I would do without technology.

I love going into town,
I don't go in that often by myself anymore, I ususally head in with my husband and stay at the Casino. It is tough when you have to FORCE the man to take time off....

The poor man is a serial workaholic. SEVEN days a week, and usually TWELVE hours a day. He works in the mine, and is a superintedant of the mill (best yorkshire accent) "...trouble at mill" He has worked there for fourteen years, he has taken a TOTAL of TEN WEEKS vacation in that time. There have been reasons for this. The last time he asked for time off he was refused, and the time before that and the time before that.....and this is because he is really really good at his job. I wish he wasn't, then he would just come home and switch off. He NEVER talks about work at home....neither do I.....and no one really understands why I know nothing about it! He does tell me that things are going to busy, this usually means that he might leave for work at 4.00am. He comes home, I cook him dinner and he falls asleep....small wonder he doesn't talk about work. Que sera, sera!

Chronic Pain

I am having a whinge.
I need to.
I don't usually talk about it, but it has been driving me mad.

I have psoriatic arthiritis. I take a number of medications that at the moment don't seem to be working, personally I call them my poisons, as they are taken to prevent the immune system from attacking itself. The goal of treatment for psoriatic arthritis is to control inflammation. Skin symptoms and joint symptoms are usually treated at the same time.

They don't always work...

There are 78 major joints in the body and psoriatic arthritis can affect any one of these.

I have experience different patterns of pain. Sometimes it affects just one or two joints such as a knee or ankle, but often several joints, both large and small and on both sides of the body, are involved.

I also have a painful, stiff back or neck caused by inflammation in the spine. This is called spondylitis. This is there all the time.

I am just having a whinge. I don't care if no one listens I just needed to say it "out loud"

common sense ways to reduce your fuel consumption

first the obvious

Observe the speed limit

Use your cruise control

Avoid routes with a lot of stop signs and red lights

Avoid unnecessary hills

Remove excess weight from your trunk

Check your tire air pressure frequently

Carpool or take public transit

Combine errands (remember, the most efficient drive is the one avoided)

Ride your bike or walk to the store at least once a week

and now the icing

Reducing the use of roof racks

Rolling up your windows and turning on the air conditioner at higher speeds, typically above 50kmp

Replacing a broken or missing front air dam

Lowering your vehicle

Running narrower tires

Choosing smoother wheels (ideally, flush discs like those on vehicles trying to set land speed records)

aha

"No one who cannot rejoice in the discovery of his own mistakes deserves to be called a scholar."

Bill Clinton Sadly Folds First Lady Dress Back Into Box

CHAPPAQUA, NY—After months of tirelessly supporting his wife on the campaign trail, devoted spouse and former president Bill Clinton breathed a resigned sigh Monday and carefully folded the charcoal silk, fitted sheath dress he had hoped to wear as first lady during next January's inauguration and placed it back in its beautiful box.

Enlarge Image

The former commander in chief takes one last look at the most beautiful first lady dress in the whole wide world.

The 61-year-old Clinton, who has appeared on the covers of both Time and Newsweek and has recently been lauded for his work as an outspoken advocate for human rights, purchased the Christian Dior gown earlier this year after wife Hillary announced her bid for the presidency. Though he has promised to stand by her until rival Barack Obama is officially named the Democratic nominee in August, Clinton told friends that he "could not bear" to look at the dress any longer.

"A beautiful gown like this shouldn't be wasted on any but the most special of occasions," said Clinton, who, before packing the garment away, spent a quiet moment running his fingers over the expert stitching and delicate cascade of ruffles. "No. This dress deserves to be worn by a real first lady."

After slowly tying the original silk bow around the box and clutching it to his chest for 45 seconds, the former world leader gently placed the dress inside his so-called "first lady hope chest." Sources close to the Clintons have confirmed that the chest includes items the 42nd president had planned to bring with him to a Hillary-led White House, among them a pair of unworn white satin gloves, some hand-blown glass Christmas ornaments, a pewter locket bearing a portrait of his mother, a pressed daisy, two pearl drop earrings, and a handful of wallpaper and fabric swatches.

"My, my, would you just look at this—all dressed up and no place to go," said Clinton, removing a ruby brooch from a small box marked "Final Iraq Pullout." "I suppose the American people want better for their first lady than some pie-eyed boy from Arkansas with a head full of dreams and all the grace of a peeled potato. I only hope Michelle [Obama] or Cindy [Hensley McCain] will have the courage to change those hideous drapes in the Lincoln Bedroom."

While Clinton has vowed never to wear the outfit publicly, he admitted to removing the gown from its box once before, after Hillary won the California and New York primaries. On that occasion, Clinton reportedly stood before his bedroom mirror, held the bodice to his torso, straightened his posture before extending a gloved hand outward and, in honeyed, lilting tones, repeated the line, "Oh, this old thing? Prime Minister Fukuda, you do go on."

Despite her husband's charm and optimism, Sen. Clinton was unable to gain enough delegates to secure the Democratic nomination and will return to her seat in the U.S. Senate. After she announced the suspension of her $212 million campaign, former president Clinton told reporters he was "devastated" that he would never have the chance to stand before the American people on the Capitol steps in the timeless elegance of Dior.

"It was silly of me to waste so much money on such an extravagant outfit, but when I saw it in the store, I thought to myself, 'Bill, that's your inauguration dress,' " Clinton said. "I suppose it's for the best, though. Knowing me, I would have spilled champagne all over it. Still, can you imagine?"

Clinton has denied rumors that he will wear the high-necked, cap sleeve frock at an upcoming gala at Arkansas Children's Hospital. He has also refused to give the one-of-a-kind gown to his daughter, Chelsea, saying she is still years away from getting married and "doesn't have the waist for it."

Clinton added that the most upsetting aspect of packing the tailored first lady dress away was that it meant recognizing that his decades-old dream of being first lady would never come true.

"I remember watching President [John F.] Kennedy's inauguration," said Clinton, clasping his hands to his chest and staring off into the distance. "It was Jan. 20, 1961. He placed his hand on the Bible as everyone watched and took the oath in front of God and Chief Justice Earl Warren. And there beside him was Jackie. Oh, Jackie. In that pillbox hat and that glorious Oleg Cassini masterpiece in greige wool melton. She was a wonder."

"I remember thinking, 'Someday, I'll be president,'" Clinton continued, "'and then, eight years later and largely owing to my own massive public appeal, my wife will become president and I can be the prettiest first lady there ever was.'"

At press time, Clinton was seen in a low-cut black evening gown holding two bottles of champagne as he attempted to gain access to Sen. Barack Obama's campaign bus, telling reporters he only wished to discuss a "key domestic issue" with the presumptive Democratic nominee.

life really can be interesting

China is the world's largest importer of chicken feet and the United States is the world's largest exporter

It is physically impossible for pigs to look up to the sky.

A polar bear's skin is black. It's fur is not actually white, but clear.

More people are killed annually by donkeys than die in air crashes.

You burn more calories sleeping than watching television.

35% of people who use Personal ads for dating are already married.

Leonardo da Vinci invented scissors.

Lemons contain more sugar than strawberries.

Boanthropy is a disease in which a person thinks thay are an ox.

Babies are born without kneecaps. They do not appear until the child is about 2 - 6 years of age.

Because of the rotation of the earth, an object can be thrown further if it is thrown West.

The average human body contains enough fat to make seven bars of soap.

The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.

People say 'Bless you' when you sneeze because when you sneeze, your heart stops for a millisecond.

In the course of an average lifetime you will, while sleeping eat 70 assorted insects and 10 spiders.

The pupil of an eye expands as much as 45% when a person looks at something pleasing.

An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.

By law, every child in Belgium must take harmonica lessons in primary school.

While performing her duties as Queen, Cleopatra sometimes wore a fake beard.

Did you know that you share your birthday with at least 9 million other people in the world?

The shortest war in history was between Zanzibar and England. Zanzibar surrendered after only 38 minutes.

just another day in paradise

Now we come to the crux of my issue for today:

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has unveiled a plan aimed at boosting the number of Indigenous Australians in the force.

"One of the things we need to do, by addressing the skill deficiencies people might have, put them in a position where they can pass the entry requirements," he said.

"That's a key objective we have whether it be for people in northern Australia or people in Redfern or in Fitzroy."

Mr Snowdon says ADF has a lot to offer Indigenous Australians including education, employment and health care.

"If we can provide people with some experience wearing a uniform, doing some of the work that they might acquire whether that be Army, Air Force or Navy then that will provide them with an insight as to what's expected of them," he said.

While no specific targets have been set, Mr Snowdon says the challenges of health, education, culture and isolation can be overcome.

I suppose the defence department could provide all these things, but are we offering a jump from the frying pan into the fire?

The Northern Territory's Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Tony Fitzgerald says the Federal intervention into remote Aboriginal communities should be abandoned and the legislation underpinning it should be repealed.

Mr Fitzgerald says the intervention has caused confusion, unfairness and inconvenience in remote Territory communities.

He is critical of the one-off, short-term health checks and income quarantining measures, and says the suspension of the Northern Territory and Federal race discrimination legislation can never be justified.

Meanwhile, the head of the Northern Territory branch of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) says he does not know of any cases of child sexual abuse that have been uncovered by the medical checks introduced as part of the federal intervention.

"It's disappointing for people who had hoped that the financial muscle of the Commonwealth Government would create significant improvements in the lives of these Aboriginal citizens," he said.

"Particularly in such prosperous times for our nation it simply doesn't seem right to see Aboriginal people living 25 to a house and living in a certain level of despair about their futures."

"Eight hundred additional Commonwealth public servants doesn't seem to me like a good investment when Maningrida, the largest community in the Northern Territory, can't have a dentist or a child protection worker or a youth worker."

It could be just angry locals? so I serached some more:

An expert on Indigenous policy who has just returned from a visit to Maningrida in Arnhem Land says the intervention has not eased overcrowded housing.

Jon Altman from the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research at the Australian National University spent 10 days in the Aboriginal community.

He says he saw no evidence that housing has improved in the 12 months since the intervention began.

"Maningrida is one of the largest Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory. There is about 3,000 people out there living in about 200 houses - 15 per house.

"I certainly didn't see a new house built in the last 12 months."

So where does the money go?

An independent review of container accommodation used as part of the Northern Territory emergency response has found a serious need to clarify the roles of Government business managers.

The review, commissioned by the federal Department of Families and Community Services, looks at a number of issues around the Government's response to traces of formaldehyde being found in staff accommodation this year.

The report's author, Tony Blun, says communication problems between Government business managers and community employment brokers were highlighted by the formaldehyde incident.

Mr Blun goes on to call for a need to clarify the roles and priorities of the Government business managers and for objective and transparent performance appraisals to be carried out.

He also recommends a review of the level of resourcing for the managers as part of the intervention.

The Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin, has accepted all 16 recommendations.

Is this still my paradise? a rambling connection

In a series of rambling thoughts, and connections that might or might not be really connected, I have come back yet again to the problem of the returning soldiers from conflicts that we as part of the "war on terror". They have done their job. It is a legitimate job. "We" sent them to these places, and as part of the "we" that sent them off to do a job that is too hard for the rest of us we should do something about it.

This video report is taken from the New York Times, and discusses the pointy end of an endemic problem.



In the video the mother of one of the boys states that her father was a returned Korean veteran, and "we knew not to discuss it" so we didn't. How far have we travelled? PTS casualties were shot in WW1, in WW2, they were called cowards, and vilified or ignored into a bottle. Korean and Vietnam vets were treated with disdain into a bottle.

Even the BBC has a mention of the dissatisfaction of their service personel. Hard to imagine that the stoic British would complain...

Almost half of UK military personnel are ready to leave the forces, a Ministry of Defence survey suggests.

Some 47% of Army and Royal Navy respondents and 44% of those in the RAF said they regularly felt like quitting.

Among the concerns raised by the 9,000 servicemen and women surveyed were the frequency of tours, levels of pay and the quality of equipment and housing.

The Ministry of Defence said the survey revealed "areas of concern" but that conditions were being improved.

In the English army the 16 year olds (really? do I want to send my son to war?) have a pay scale comparable to traffic wardens...
It is a job fraught with risks - but critics say the sacrifices of a soldier's job is not matched with rewards.

All the soldiers need is a bit of recognition. But recognition needs to be real, not a fleeting parade or one day of saying "thanks for that"

And here in australia

A day after the nation honoured its veterans, an ex-special forces soldier has criticised the support provided to members of the Defence Force as "useless" and "token".

Australia Defence Association executive director Neil James concedes that improvements needs to be made in mental health support for soldiers.

"Certainly the position of the Association is that the psychological care of the returned soldiers could be better, but you've really got to be careful about drawing general lessons from individual experiences," he said.

He says that cases of returned soldiers feeling unsupported often boils down to a case of numbers.

"It very much depends on where he served, how he served and how the unit was debriefed," he said.

"The system can't be absolutely perfect in 100 per cent of cases, and this may be one of the cases where the care was inadequate."

the dragon...

the dragon is pen and ink. It is built of trees and leaves.
Dragons are wonderful....as you can imagine it took a while for me to draw this. You don't notice that you have spent so much time, until you stand up, the old adage: "Time flies when you are having fun!" really is true.

a forest dragon

the pictures

I was thinking after I wrote that I would like show how I feel about the area that I live in.
I painted this series of paintings about four years ago. Watercolours

These are the six seasons of Kakadu.

the names are taken with permission from Gagadju language.

The bottom image is one from my soul.

Energy flows.

It is beauty and strngth and love.

I no longer have this picture. It went to a good home.

Pastel, monochromatic.

the beginning

I live in paradise. Others come here to visit, and I am one of those who live here.
Sometimes I don't like living here, but most of the time I do.
It is a small town.
A mining town.
A tourist town.
A changing town.

We came here for two years fifteen years ago.
Still here.


Still smiling


Just.