Damn Trump.......

Australia backs 'immediate, unconditional and permanent' Gaza ceasefire Australia has joined the overwhelming majority of countries and voted in support of an "immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire" in Gaza at the United Nations' General Assembly.

Such good news! Now to make the ceasefire real.

www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12...

Ban on puberty blockers to be made indefinite on experts’ advice Existing emergency measures banning the sale and supply of puberty-suppressing hormones will be made indefinite, following official advice from medical experts.

Australian health authorities still ignore evidence backed doubts about the safety of puberty blockers for young people but the UK has extended its ban.

www.gov.uk/government/n...

Gender: A Luxury Belief The decadence of transgerism

Gender: A Luxury Belief
open.substack.com/pub/juliebin...

Joel J Miller on Substack A gorgeous painting by Kaoru Yamada.

substack.com/@joeljmiller...

I grew up playing sport in country towns, competing with or against boys. Sport was fun then.

Thanks for your reply. I am not scientifically trained so can't comment on papers like this. International sports bodies perhaps need to get their act together, however. I have seen compelling arguments about the physical advantages held by trans athletes in high level competitive sports.

Victoria to introduce Australia’s strictest poker machine rules, with $1,000 limit to be slashed by 90% Andrews-era reforms to be introduced in state parliament on Tuesday will cap load-up to $100, $400 less than in New South Wales

Good news, with carded play and pre-commitment across the entire state in 2027. A trial across 40 venues with begin next year. VicGov attributes staged introduction to technological impediments.

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

Labor ministers contradict each other on reasons why gambling ad ban has stalled Anika Wells says not all stakeholders accepted the Albanese government proposal but Andrew Leigh blames failure to secure numbers in Senate

One of Labor's deepest shadow sides has always been gambling. The party is captured. There is no excuse for delaying a complete ban on sports gambling ads.

www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

I still have little idea about some of the operational basics of this place but there is no urgency.

You saved June's life. I was so taken by that story that I've followed you since.

‘I thought, geez, this is a happy story’: Helen Garner on her footy book The acclaimed writer spent a season watching her grandson play football. The result is a story of love in the face of time’s passing.

The wonderful Helen Garner whole I have followed since my youth

www.theage.com.au/culture/book...

Why the rush to Bluesky? Alison Barrett writes: Asked why they are abandoning the social media platform X for Bluesky, public health and human rights

Croakey Health - why the rush to Bluesky?

I am a small scale user, seeking to share and discover information on topics of interest. X changes to my feed were insupportable.

www.croakey.org/why-the-rush...

'Seismic blasting' near little penguin colonies under the microscope as bill to abolish permits tabled in parliament More than 21,000 people have signed a petition to abolish the permits, and now two MPs from different parts of the political spectrum are trying to get them banned too.

This is so important.

www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11...

Mary, you can enable adult content under:
Settings - Moderation

I am finding BlueSky very different and less intuitive to use than X used to be. You have to work at finding solutions!
It is still better for me than X

"Always, Rachel reveals for the first time the nearly crushing family and physical burdens under which Carson wrote Silent Spring - that she was dying of cancer as she was writing the book that was to change our view and use of environmental toxins."

Always, Rachel by Rachel Carson | Open Library Always, Rachel by Rachel Carson, Martha Freeman, Dorothy E. Freeman, 1994, Beacon Press edition, in English

I deeply admire Rachel Carson & at present am almost at the end of the Audible version of these letters. By this time, Rachel has breast cancer metastases. She shares the impact of these hopefully & tenderly with her friend, Dorothy Freeman. Very moving listening.

openlibrary.org/books/OL1100...

No-one's really sure how age verification will work on under 16s social media ban | Riotact In its attempt to shed light on how age verification will work with its proposed social media ban for under…

After watching young commentators on Q&A on Monday evening, I'm quite doubtful about the effectiveness of the social media ban. Many young people under 16 use social media for essential communication and information. Did the Government consult with young people?

the-riotact.com/no-ones-real...

The Unforgettables choir helping families navigate dementia through the power of music A Newcastle choir group known as The Unforgettables is providing a creative outlet for people with dementia, as well as support and friendship for their carers.

Wonderful story. The power of music and mutuality.

www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11...

True! I was a librarian once and my home looks like a library now. I haven't read all my books by any means but they are essential to me well being.

Dear friends and colleagues 😅
Is there a 'BlueSky for Dummies' guide yet?
It's a warmer and more welcoming place than it seemed when I first joined but there are some basics I don't get.
e.g. How does one delete a post?
Also. I thought I'd retweeted few things but they have simply disappeared 🤥

I don't exactly have landscape views from my home in inner urban Melbourne. Backyard trees instead. But the soundscape of birds at different times of the day is divine. 💗

Abla looks almost affectionate 😀

In 1968 I could cook toast, but the rest of Margaret Fulton would have been of immense value. I didn't know about her then. Just checked with eBay and Amazon. You can still buy her main best seller!

Beautiful 💗

A sky serpent?

I am expecting a date for surgery on the other knee in the near future, maybe even before Xmas. Both were bad but I am encouraged by the apparent success of the first op. What a year 2024 has been!

Yesterday, 12 weeks after knee replacement surgery, I walked down the stairs and across the car park without a stick! In fact, I was better without it. #notquiteright yet but progress is pleasing. Now I have to manage overall fatigue but that has to get better too.

I thought I was familiar with the the Gaian Death card but just noticed the two butterflies on the lower right side 🦋

I thought I knew the Gaian 13 but just noticed the butterflies down on the right 🦋