Don’t Criticise the Volunteer

There's been a lot of stuff about emergency response in Australian media in the last couple of weeks. It's been chaotic in both Queensland and New South Wales, with incredible amounts of rain and astounding floods destroying homes, towns, and properties. Sadly, there have been many reports of people remaining stuck in dangerous, and sometimes … Continue reading Don’t Criticise the Volunteer

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The Challenges of 2021

Every second word last year seemed to be 'unprecedented.' When 2020 ended, there were many memes, comments, and hopes that 2021 would be better, and that the issues of the pandemic would be over. I remember at the time, thinking that those hopes would be proved to be futile, because the simple change of date … Continue reading The Challenges of 2021

Catastrophe

At the end of 2019, much of eastern Australia had been in drought for three years. Then a huge portion of it burned down. It was a fire season of epic proportions, with huge swathes of land completely burnt out. Smoke blanketed huge portions of NSW and Victoria, and some days, all you saw or … Continue reading Catastrophe

Is 1.5 Episodes Enough To Do A Review?

I'm a huge Terry Pratchett fan. So I was quite excited to see that some of my favourite Pratchett books were getting their own series. The Watch. I've been a Pratchett reader for many, many years. My favourite characters (in no particular order) are Vimes, Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and Tiffany and Susan. I"m also … Continue reading Is 1.5 Episodes Enough To Do A Review?

It’s Hot…Again

It's 10.54am as I type these first words. It's already passed 38 degrees on a day forecast to reach about 45 degrees in our town. (Celcius!) That would be 113 degrees Fahrenheit for those who are not au fait with degrees C. Our local fire danger is listed as 'Severe' while further south, areas are … Continue reading It’s Hot…Again

Drought, Governments, and City-Centric Focus

I live in rural NSW. Although I'm not a farmer, I know quite a number who are, both in my personal life and my professional life. As a town dweller, I can bemoan how dry the countryside is, but it doesn't have quite the same impact on me that it does on my farmer contacts. … Continue reading Drought, Governments, and City-Centric Focus

The End of 2014 and the Writing Year Ahead

As I sit here, buried under the cat (The cat MUST sit on me every time I write, and because it's hot he's extra cuddly) typing away, I'm pondering the past year. I'm sure nearly every blogger in the world will write a retrospective post, and to a certain extent, so am I this year. … Continue reading The End of 2014 and the Writing Year Ahead