National Anthems

 

	National Anthems

 

   

I have decided to do a new Friday series on national anthems of different countries, but first we will start with this.

The Netherlands has the oldest national anthem in use today, Wilhelmus van Nassouwe, also known as Wilhelmus. It was written between 1568 and 1572 during the Dutch Revolt, but it wasn't officially adopted until 1932. 

Anthems were originally devotional verses sung during religious services. One of the first songs to be called a "national anthem" was Great Britain's "God Save the King". 

Here are some other facts about national anthems:

• Most national anthems are either hymns or marches.
• Anthems are usually in the country's national or most common language.
• Some countries have multiple versions of their anthem if they have more than one national language. For example, Switzerland's national anthem, the Swiss Psalm, has different lyrics for each of the country's four official languages.
• Some national anthems were written by famous composers. For example, Germany's Das Lied der Deutschen uses a melody written by Joseph Haydn. 

I will start with the first country next week.

 

 

ADHD

 

Today we are having a look at ADHD a condition my grandchild Sam has, I also have a niece with it.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects a person's behaviour and learning. It's characterized by symptoms like:

• Inattention, or difficulty focusing
• Hyperactivity, or excess movement
• Impulsivity, or acting without thinking 

It is often first diagnosed in childhood, but some people don't discover they have it until they're older. The exact cause of ADHD is unknown, but it's thought to be caused by differences in the brain that impact attention and behaviour. 

It can impact a person's life at home, school, and with friends. Treatments include:

• Behavioural therapies, like psychotherapy or talk therapy
• Medication, which can help manage impulses and actions

Sam was diagnosed when he was in kindergarten and had to be medicated before he was allowed to attend a full day at school later, she moved on to a full week. When Sam first started school, she was only going two half days a week.

It is one of the most common mental disorders affecting children. Symptoms include the following:

inattention

hyperactivity

impulsivity

finding it hard to sit still

constantly fidgeting.

being unable to concentrate on tasks.

excessive physical movement.

excessive talking.

being unable to wait their turn.

acting without thinking.

interrupting conversations.

Yes, Sam has all these symptoms.

Usually, the most difficult times for persons with ADHD are their school years these are the years when children are faced with the widest range of tasks to do and the least opportunity to escape from the tasks that they struggle with or find to be boring.

You cannot outgrow the condition but as you age you learn how to control it or yourself and your symptoms, it is likely you may need some form of medication even as an adult. My niece is in her 30’s and was only diagnosed this year and is now on medication and coping much better than she was.

It tends to run in families, and, in most cases, it's thought the genes you inherit from your parents are a significant factor in developing the condition. Research shows that parents and siblings of someone with ADHD are more likely to have ADHD themselves.

Sam’s father has ADHD

 

SS Allara

 

Now for a bit more about Newie during the second world war, about six weeks after the Japanese shelled Newcastle the city experienced another example of the realities of war, however, only those who were connected to the waterfront were permitted to know about it.

The Japanese hoped to isolate Australia and New Zealand from their allies, to do this they tried using subs against merchant shipping. Of course, the Aussies used anti-sub patrols and a convoy system for shipping, didn’t stop the Japanese from sinking some ships using torpedoes and mines.

The powers that be decided that people didn’t need to know this, and many things were not allowed to appear in papers. One such thing was the torpedoing of the SS Allara a freighter owned by the Adelaide Steamship Company.

On a run from Cains to Sydney with a cargo of sugar on the SS Allara on the 23 July 1942 when at 5.15am it was unlucky to encounter the Japanese sub I-175 about 25 nautical miles of the coast of Newcastle. The sub fired two torpedoes one hitting the ships stern blowing off the propeller, rudder and wireless antenna. This was directly under where 22 men were sleeping it killed four men outright and injuring three others, with one of them dying later.

The crew struggled to the deck with their injured mates while the sub surfaced and the Japanese fired a shell from a deck gun across the Allara’s bows, signalling the Ausie’s to abandon ship. The Japanese thought the ship would sink so dived and left the area, however, after an hour in lifeboats the ships crew realised that the Allara wasn’t going to sink, so they returned to the ship.

More about this next weeka    

Coyote

 

This week we are looking at the coyote, also known as the American jackal, prairie wolf, or brush wolf, is a species of canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the gray wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf.

An animal that many of my American friends would be familiar with.

Some people think that they are wolfs and in places where their range overlaps, it may be hard to tell the difference between a coyote and a wolf because of their somewhat similar appearances. But while they do look similar and are closely related, there are several ways to tell them apart. For starters, their size. Wolves are much bigger than coyotes.

In captivity, coyotes can live 13 to 15 years but in the wild, most die before they reach three years of age. The oldest confirmed wild coyote so far in this research was an eleven-year-old alpha female, Coyote.

Although coyotes have been known to attack humans (and pets) and as such are a potential danger to people, especially children, risks are minimal, and we feel that the majority of attack incidents could be reduced or prevented through modification of human behaviour.

Great horned owls, bald and golden eagles, wolves, and bears all have been known to prey on coyotes. Coyotes are quick to respond to increases or decreases in prey.

Coyotes are social animals that often live in family groups called packs. A pack is usually led by an alpha male and female pair and includes other coyotes such as young from the previous year, or coyotes that have been accepted into the pack. A pack usually consist of between 3 and 7 coyotes.

Coyotes are very vocal and use a variety of calls to communicate, including howls, barks, yips, growls, whines, and whimpers.

They have fewer pups when food is scarce, or they can have large litters when hares are abundant.

However, coyotes can also live alone or in loose pairs. Solitary coyotes are usually young coyotes (six months to two years old) or older individuals who have left packs. Coyotes also sometimes hunt cooperatively with other species, such as badgers or crows.

 

 

Libya

 

Good morning, everyone, this Monday we are looking at Libya another country in Northern Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad to the south, Algeria to the West and Tunisia.

It is a country blessed with oil but not with water, it has a population of 6.8 million most of who live in the two major cities of Tripoli which is the capital and Banghazi.

It’s man-made river project it the biggest of its kind in the world. Generally known as The Great Man-Made River is a network of pipes that supplies fresh water obtained from the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System fossil aquifer across Libya.

The flag consists of a triband red-black-green design, the central black band being twice the width of the outer bands. A white star and crescent is located in the center of the flag. The flag was designed by Omar Faiek Shennib and adopted in 1951 after Libya's independence. It was abolished in 1969 after the monarchy was overthrown by Col. Muammar al-Qaddafi. Qaddafi implemented several different flags, including a plain green flag in 1977 to symbolize the "Green Revolution". The flag was reinstated in 2011 after the fall of Qaddafi. 

The currency is The dinar it divided into 1,000 dirhams

Libya's climate is influenced by the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Sahara Desert to the south and, as a result, abrupt transitions of weather conditions are experienced across the country. The Mediterranean coastal strip experiences dry summers and relatively wet winters.

The Government of National Unity is a provisional government for Libya formed on 10 March 2021 to unify the rival Government of National Accord based in based in Tobruk. Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh is Prime Minister of the unity government and was selected in the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum on 5 February 2021. This is a de facto backed by the governments of Turkey, Qatar, Algeria and Pakistan.

Wondering if you should visit Libya well the advice online is, do not travel to Libya due to crime, terrorism, unexploded landmines, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed conflict. Country Summary: Crime levels in Libya remain high, including the threat of kidnapping for ransom.

It is not on my list of places to visit.

The majority of Libyans are of Arab or mixed Arab-Berber descent. The Sunni branch of Islam is the official and nationally dominant political, cultural and legal force. Imazighen, who retain the Tamazight language and customs, are indigenous to North Africa and constitute the largest non-Arab minority.

Islam is the main religion in Libya, with the majority of the population identifying as Sunni Muslim. Libya's religious freedom is limited, and there are restrictions on the ability to practice other religions: 

There is no law that allows people to choose or change their religion 

The criminal code prohibits proselytization and missionary activities 

The criminal code prohibits insulting Islam or the Prophet Muhammad, and can result in the death penalty 

Authorities have restricted the liberties of religious minorities 

Libya's ancient Jewish population has been gone since 2002, when the last community member died.

 

Week 47 of 2024

 

It is 12.50am, I went to bed at 9pm but fully fall asleep I dosed on and off till midnight when I got up to pee. I decided to use the powerfit and now I am starting today’s diary enter as even though I am tired I don’t know if I will fall asleep, so I am staying up for a bit.

I went back to bed at 2am slept ok and when the alarm went off at 5am I got up. The temp is 19 degrees and my BGL is 5.1

At around 8am I went back to bed for an hour; after getting up Tim and I went to the shops.

I have done bugga all today, Tim did cut my hair though.

LEIGH’S BIRTHDAY

I had a good night slept well and woke to a cold wet morning so different from yesterday.

It is 19 degrees and my BGL is 5.0

I walked up with Sam in the rain, thankfully I have my rain poncho, so I didn’t get wet.

Jess came down and said she would take me to Kmart tomorrow to look at dresses.

It stopped raining and warmed up.

I decided I would do a load of washing and hang it up before I go to bed.

Steps:6,950

I had a good night slept well, however, while taking my morning meds I had problems swallowing and this resulted in tablets melting in my mouth, not nice.

It is 18 degrees and fine, my BGL was 4.8. like

Jess and I went to Kmart she bought me a couple of dresses and a nightie she also paid for my face cream.

Blain was supposed to be coming home today but he overslept and missed his flight. Tasha said she has no idea when he will be able to come home since neither her nor Jono have money to pay for his flight.

Tried on the dresses one is perfect and one is a bit big, I am going to see if I can find someone to go and exchange it for me.

Steps: 9,170

I had another good night the temp this morning was 16 degrees and my BGL was 5.2.

I am feeling energic this morning wonder how long that will last.

Sam brought down her mother’s heavy fluoro work jacket and asked me if it could go in the washing machine, we checked the label, and it said do not machine wash. So, I told her to leave it with me, I washed it in the washing machine, but I know how to change the settings so was done on a quick delicate wash.

I sent both Sydney-May and Summer a message this morning, asking how the holiday is going, both replied which was nice. I had a long voice message from Summer, Syd sent a written message it was good hearing from them.

Steps: 9,111

I had another good night the temp this morning was 16 degrees and my BGL was 4.9

It turned out to be a nice day I have done very little as just not a lot of motivation today

Steps:6,884

I had another good night the temp this morning was 16 degrees and my BGL was 4.9

I felt great this morning and managed to not only vacuum and clean the bathroom and my computer desk. I also cleaned the sliding glass doors.

Tim suggested we got to the Eastern Tiger for lunch tomorrow and suggested we ask Sue if she would like to come, she does so I made a booking for 11.30am tomorrow.

Realise when I was folding up the new blue dress to go in a bag that it is size 18 not a 16, we went by what was on the hanger and didn’t look at the dress.

Got the Christmas decorations out and will put the up over the weekend.

I went to bed at 9pm but at 10.20pm I got up and used the powerfit as I was restless.

Steps: 9,894

 

I am having a shocking night, it is 1.15am and I have little to no sleep, if I did does off at any point, I am unaware of it. At 1am I got fed up with the tossing and turning and decided t get up for a while. Thankfully today is Saturday so if I need to go back to bed after I take my 5am meds I can.

Yeah, I did go back to bed for an extra hour, after taking my meds. I felt ok when I got up.

Tim, Sue and I went to the Eastern Tiger for lunch that was great. After lunch I went and exchanged the dress that was a size to big.

The first thing I did after getting home was turn the air con on, it was 30 degrees in the house. It is now around 25 degrees inside the house.

I am feeling worn out and drained and a little sad, nothing that I can put my finger on.

My steps are low today as with the heat and feeling worn out and tired I just didn’t do much.

Steps: 4,289

 

 

 

 

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?