Thursday's Hodgepodge

 Thursday's post can be found here: https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2024/11/is-this-brown-hodgepodge.html

Shortages and Rationing

 

This week we are going to look at shortages and rationing during WW11. Naturally Australia wasn’t the only country to have shortages and rationing.

After blackout rules became more enforced due to the submarine attacks found and increase in the demand for torches and batteries. However, it was next to impossible finding them.

At other times during the war there was shortages of a wide variety of goods, including some items most people don’t think of such as flannel underwear and woollen trousers, considered vital for men working in heavy industries.

A chronic worldwide shortage of shipping meant many goods generally imported were no longer available, substitutes could be found for some things but often people just had to do without.

Petrol was rationed and tyres were hard to find as rubber was diverted to the war effort. Many cars were converted to run on charcoal gas, these cars were hard to miss due to the big gas bags on their roofs. Petrol rationing was introduced in 1940.

Also is short supply were coins and by the end of 1942 pennies and half-pennies were almost unprocurable.

During 1942 rationing was introduced for food and clothing this meant having a ration book and coupons and in 1943 you needed a coupon for household furnishings.

Naturally this resulted in a thriving black market especially in waterfront places like Newcastle.

Here in Newcastle, there was a housing problem as the house building was placed on hold during the war. Public transport was also in short supply due to funding and rationing of petrol.

As a result of the fuel issues horse were brought back into service although fodder was also in short supply and Newcastle businesses lobbied the government to provide rail wagons to carry stock feed from country areas to keep freight moving.

Red Wolf

 

This week we are looking at the red wolf this is a canine native to the southeastern United States. Its size is intermediate between the coyote and gray wolf.

They have wide heads with broad muzzles, tall, pointed ears and long, slender legs with large feet. Red wolves stand about 26 inches at their shoulder and are about 4 feet long from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail. Adult red wolves range in weight from about 45 to 80 pounds.

American red wolves are critically endangered and the most endangered wolf in the world due to poaching, trapping and habitat loss. According to the USFWS, there are less than 20 American red wolves living in the wild in North Carolina. 

They are shy and elusive, however, they top predators. Potential danger lies in their becoming habituated to humans, particularly if people provide them with food.

Their home territory can stretch about 200 miles in diameter.

They live in packs which are family groups that typically have five to eight members, including a breeding pair and their offspring. 

The young stay with the pack until they reach adulthood, when they leave to form their own packs. They are highly social animals that mate for life. They are also great parents and will sometimes care for other wolves' pups.

The packs travel up to 20 miles per day to hunt for small mammals like rabbits and raccoons, and sometimes deer. Although pack animals the do not hunt in packs.

Wolves howl for many reasons, including to assemble the pack, find a mate, protect their pups, and identify each other. 

As they are considered a top predator, also called an apex predator, and has no known predators except humans. Some competition between coyotes and gray wolves can lead to killing of the red wolf but it is not due to predation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Somalia

 

This week we are looking at Somalia, I was asked by Debby over at https://myshastahome.blogspot.com/ if I was going to post about Somalia so that’s what I am doing.

Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continent of Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, the Gulf of Aden to the north, and the Indian Ocean to the east.

The population is 18.14 million it has two official languages Somali and Arabic.

Based on gross domestic product, in 2021 Somalia was the third-poorest country in the world (after Burundi and South Sudan). In international assessments of its business climate, Somalia regularly lands on one of the last places.

The Somali shilling is the official currency of Somalia. It is subdivided into 100 senti, cents or centesimi.

The capital is Mogadishu, locally known as Xamar or Hamar, it is the most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Ocean for millennia and has an estimated urban population of 2,610,483.

The Somalia flag features a blue base with a white five-pointed star at its center. The flag was adopted on October 12, 1954 and was inspired by the flag of the United Nations. Somalia gained independence from Italy in 1960 and united with the former British Somaliland to form the current Somalia.

The national animal of Somalia is the African leopard. Leopards are commonly seen in Somalia and are featured on the country's coat of arms.

The national flower of Somalia is the endangered King Protea flower which symbolizes change and transformation.

The coat of arms of Somalia was adopted on October 10, 1956 and features a golden framed shield of the Somali flag supported by two Leopards standing on spears. The Leopard is a common animal seen in Somalia. Leopards are a common motif in Somali culture.

Somalia's current constitution, the Provisional Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia, was adopted on August 1, 2012. It was created as a provisional document and has been under review for a long time. 

The constitution was based on a political settlement that included: Federalism, Clan power-sharing, Regular elections, and an inclusive spirit to build consensus. 

The constitution established Somalia as a parliamentary system of government, with the President as head of state and the Prime Minister as head of government. It also established Islam as the state religion and required all laws to comply with shari'a. 

In 2022, President Mohamud pledged to create a new constitution and said that further delays were "not an option". 

The majority of people in Somalia are Sunni Muslim, with the Federal Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs estimating that over 99% of the population identify as such. The country's constitution makes Islam the state religion, and converting to another religion is illegal in some areas and socially unacceptable in all.

Christianity is a minority religion in Somalia, In 2020, the US Department of State estimated that there were about 1,000 Christians in Somalia. Most modern-day Christians are from the Bantu ethnic minority group or are descended from Italian colonists. 

Christians in Somalia have faced persecution, including the kidnapping and rape of Christians in 2008. The Somali Church was driven underground during the Islamist uprising of 1991. There is one Catholic diocese for the entire country, the Diocese of Mogadishu. Orthodox Christianity came to coastal areas of the Somalia in early 2nd and 3rd century.

Do not travel to Somalia due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, health issues, kidnapping, piracy, and lack of availability of routine consular services. Country Summary: Violent crime, such as kidnapping and murder, is common throughout Somalia. Illegal roadblocks are widespread.

 

 

My Birthday

What to read about my birthday, then go here:https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2024/11/it-was-my-birthday.html

Week 46 of 2024

 

I slept right through the night and woke up tired, what is with that, it’s so damn annoying when that happens.

It is 16 degrees this morn my BGL was 5.0

It did get pretty warm but with front and back doors opened it was nice inside. Although by 5pm it started to get pretty cool in fact I started to get cold and asked Tim to turn the fan   off which annoyed him. I had to go and put some longer pants on.

Steps:9,558

I had a so so night was a bit restless around 11pm so got up for an hour or so, on returning to bed I slept well till the alarm went off.

It is 18 degrees and my BGL was 4.2

It is a coolish start to the day warmed up to about 22 degrees. I found myself real tired around midday so had lunch and folded clothes and put them away tried to do something online, it wasn’t working so gave up and exercised instead then I went to meet Sam now trying to decide what I want to do next.

The plumber came to fix Jessica’s toilet, it turned out that the problem was tree roots, he said he was putting a report into housing as the problem will return, he did say what has to be done but I don’t remember what he said.

Steps: 8,542

I had another so so night was a bit restless around 11pm so got up for an hour or so, on returning to bed I slept well till the alarm went off.

The temp is 19 degrees and my BGL was 4.5

I am starting to feel real tired and it’s only 6.15am, I am dosing off while trying to do stuff here at the computer.

Sam walked in at 7am she spent some time here before going home to get ready for school and returned at 7.40am. I walked up with Sam as it looked like it might rain again.

No rain till after Sam got home from school, so a nice day with a top temp of 22 degrees.

I had a good night, slept straight through till the alarm went off. A wet morning, it was raining when Tim left for work. 

It is 18 degrees, my BGL is 5.0

By 9am it had warmed up and by midday it was 25 degrees.

At 4.30pm it came over real dark and there was some thunder and lightning followed by a downpour, it didn’t last long about 15-20 minutes.

It is 11.550pm and I am restless will use the powerfit then go back to bed.

Steps: 6,2450.

I had a rough night, when I went back to bed at 1.15am, I found it difficult to settle tossing and turning for an hour or so.

When I got up, I found Tim already up.

The temp is 17 degrees and my BGL was 4.9

Sue and I went over to Lake Fair and did some shopping, I bought a pair of denim shorts, some light weight pj bottoms which I will wear as house pants and a pair of black slip of dress shoes all fit although the shoes  are tight across the toes but I will wear them around the house for a few minutes at a time to stretch them a bit.

It warmed up enough to wear shorts when I got home from shopping.

Steps: 11,044

I had a good night went to bed at 9.20 slept through the night till 5am.

Looking outside the ground is wet so I hope it doesn’t rain. The temp is degrees and my BGL was 5.6.

Sam’s phone went straight to voicemail, so I had to ring Jess to make sure Sam was up.

I walked down and posted my mail this afternoon.

It was a cool overcast day.

Jess is in for a long night she is doing OT and won’t be home till around 5am tomorrow.

Steps:9,983

MY BIRTHDAY I AM 62 TODAY

I had a good night went to bed at 9pm slept through the night till 5am. It is raining this morning, so I don’t want to go out. It was 19 degrees when I got up.

By 7am I had a headache

Tim left for work at 10.15am he will be home late.

I received many birthday wishes from my siblings and blog friends and pen friends via the phone and Facebook.

Kathy and the girls came over to see me and sung happy birthday to me, not long after they left Jess and Sam came over and did the same.

Steps:8,117

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Insomnia help list

 

Ok here were with that list of things that are supposed to help with insomnia, how many of then actually help I do not know

Create a sleep-friendly bedroom: Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool. You can use curtains, blinds, an eye mask, or ear plugs. Yes, I sleep in such a room

Stick to a sleep schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, even on weekends. Yes, I do that as well

Avoid electronics before bed: The light from TVs and smartphones can disrupt your sleep cycle. Yep, do this too

Exercise regularly: Try to get at least 5 to 6 hours of physical activity during the day. No bloody way I am that active during the day

Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol: These substances can make it harder to sleep. Can’t say I do this, but I don’t have a lot of caffeine

Avoid naps: Naps, especially in the afternoon, can make it harder to fall asleep at night. I get this but sometimes I am so tired I have to close my eyes for a bit 

Relax before bed: Try reading a book, listening to music, or taking a bath. Nope don’t do any of these things

Manage stress: Try writing down your worries before bed. I generally just hand my worries over to God when I go to bed

Check your medications: Some medications can contribute to insomnia. I am on top of this, and not an issue with me

Try relaxation techniques: Try meditation, imagery, or muscle relaxation. Yeah, I often meditate when going to bed 

Use magnesium: Magnesium can help muscles relax and relieve stress. I do take magnesium

Try massage: You can try self-massage or have a partner or friend give you a massage. Nope never tried this 

Get out of bed if you can't sleep: If you can't fall asleep within 20 minutes, get up and do something non-stimulating until you feel drowsy. Yes, I do this as well

Ok how many of these tips do you do?