Sunday, 16 February 2025

Week 7 of 2025


It is another nice cool morning with the temp being 19C, but we are looking at another hot one, just not as hot. My BGL was 5.1

This morning, I changed the sheets and doing so caused me to break out in a sweat, I also washed the ones that came off the bed and hung them over the clothes hoist.

The heat didn’t set in till around 1pm when I turned the air con on.

Steps: 5,824

It is another nice cool morning with the temp being 21C, it is only supposed to reach 24C today.

I sent Sue message at 8am and when she didn’t reply by 9.20am I sent her another text. I rang her at 9.50am as I still hadn’t heard from her and was concerned, she was still asleep, as she had a rough night.

Tim home for a few hours as no work between school runs.

It’s started to rain around midday, so when I went to meet Sam at 2pm I wore my rain poncho just in case but of course it didn’t. Although at 1.30pm it pissed down for about 5 minutes.

Didn’t need the air con on at all today.

Steps: 9,588    

It is another nice cool morning with a temp of only 19C. My BGL was 5.1

Last night I started having terrible pain in my left hip, making standing and walking difficult I am wondering if I have bursitis in the hip again. I made a doctor’s appointment for Monday at 9am if things don’t improve.

I can hear thunder as I sit here but so far, no rain, also some lightening.

By 7am it started to rain, and it is heavy rain, so I had Sam ask his mum to walk up and wait with her this morning.

Tim came home as his sporty was cancelled, due to the lightening.

I had a phone call from Audika they changed my appointment from Thursday till next Wednesday as the tech is still off sick.

Not much in the way of steps as I am resting my hip.

Steps: 1991

It is another nice cool morning with a temp of only 19C. My BGL was 5.1

I slept well enough, had some pain with the hip.

I went to print something, and I was out of ink and when I went to change the ink, I realised I had ordered the wrong of the ink. So, I have had to order more.

Something I ate this morning has made me feel yuck, and I haven’t felt good all day.

I have hang a couple of photos

I walked down to post some letters, and it was exhausting but I did it.

I really don’t feel well so I expect I will be having an early night.

Steps 3,400

It is another nice cool morning with a temp of 21C. My BGL was 5.0.

I am feeling better this morning and the pain in my hip has lessened.

My printer is still printing but only in colour.

By 1pm it was it was 29C and I had to turn the air con on.

I lent Blain $50 he needed money for his lactase and to buy his girlfriend flowers for Valentine’s Day.

Steps:2,094

NATASHA’S BIRTHDAY

It is another nice cool morning with a temp of 21C. My BGL was 5.0 and I have no pain in my hip.

I gave Natasha a pair of earrings that look like her cat as well as a small hanging ornament that also looks like her cat.

It got to 29C and I turned the air con on at 11am.

I still have no pain in my hip.

Steps:6,398                   

Another nice start to the day, I didn’t feel like getting up at 5am but after I had a shower I felt better. It is currently 21C and it is 6am.

Tim and I went to Mount Hutton, Tim to cash in some bottles and me to do some shopping, for the first time in years I wore shoes and after a couple of hours my feet started to hurt, and I was happy to get home and take them off.

I cancelled my doctor’s appointment for Monday as the pain in my hip has gone.

I woke after a couple of hours sleep thrashing about dreaming that I was driving. This caused the pain in my hip to return. I laid in bed for an hour but couldn’t settle again. So I got up for a bit.

 

 

 


Friday, 14 February 2025

Jordan's National Anthem

 


The Royal National Anthem is the national anthem of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The translated name literally means "Peace be upon the King of Jordan". As-salamu alaykum is the greeting in Arabic, therefore the name of the anthem can also be regarded as a Royal Salute.

In 1946, the National Anthem was written by the late Abdul Munim Rifai, a renowned Jordanian poet who later served as prime minister. Abdul Qader Tannir composed the music.

The first version of the lyrics was very short, as it only contained the first stanza of the current version.  Since then, the anthem has been expanded. The abridged version of the anthem is usually used, while the full version is reserved for special occasions.

The lyrics are below.

 

Long live the King!

Long live the King,

His rank exalted,

His flags flying high,

In sublimity.

 

We realised our aspirations,

When you regenerated for us

A renaissance that motivates us,

A renaissance that towers

Above the high, rising stars.

 

O King of the Arabs,

You are greatly honoured

By being a descendent of

The best Prophet,

A great lineage

That all major books spoke of.

 

The glorified youth

Are your devoted soldiers.

Their resolve will never subside

And die away,

Because from you,

They learn perseverance.

 

O King of the Arabs,

You are greatly honoured

By being a descendent of

The best Prophet,

A great lineage

That all major books spoke of.

 

May you always be

A light, a guide

And a master among people,

Delighted and exalted.

And under your flags,

The glory of the Arabs

Rises high.

 

O King of the Arabs,

You are greatly honoured

By being a descendent of

The best Prophet,

A great lineage

That all major books spoke of.

 

Thursday, 13 February 2025

Phossy Jaw


This week we are looking at an old condition, called Phossy jaw, also known as phosphorus necrosis of the jaw, was a fatal occupational disease that affected workers in match factories. It was caused by exposure to white phosphorus fumes.   The disease affected the poor the most.

I heard about this in the book I just read called Factory Girl which was about a young girl working in a match factory in London in 1888.

This condition, clinically known as osteonecrosis of the jaw, vanished until it recently reappeared in the 21st century. More about that later.


Back in the 19th century these were the Symptoms: 

  • Pain, swelling, and debilitation
  • Dental decay
  • Periostitis
  • Osteomyelitis
  • Unbearable abscesses in the mouth
  • Facial disfigurement
  • Brain damage

The condition was so bad that it was an epidemic from 1858 to 1906, with around  11% of those exposed to phosphorus developing the disease.  The average period from first exposure to diagnosis was five years. It was fatal in about 20% of cases.

The prevention and treatment at the time consisted of the following:

  • Regulations were put in place in Germany, Norway, and Sweden to reduce exposure 
  • In the UK, manufacturers were required to inform the Medical Officer of Health of any jaw swelling or necrosis 
  • Antibiotics, oral analgesics, and mouthwashes are often effective treatments 

Other names: phosphorus necrosis of the jaw, an epidemic of osteonecrosis, and a gangrenous condition of the lower jawbone. 

Phossy jaw in the 21st century is now known as bisphosphonate-induced osteonecrosis of the jaw, or "bis-phossy jaw". It's a condition that causes jawbone necrosis, similar to the 19th century disease of the same name. 

It's now caused by exposure to Bisphosphonates which are a class of drugs used to treat osteoporosis and some cancers. Bisphosphonates inhibit bone resorption. Intravenous bisphosphonates are associated with a much higher risk of bis-phossy jaw than oral bisphosphonates.

Symptoms exposed bone in the mouth, pain, purulence, sequestration, and osteomyelitis. 

When it comes to prevention, patients taking bisphosphonates should inform their dental provider before receiving any dental care.

 

 


Wednesday, 12 February 2025

Forth Scratchley Newcastle's Big Gun

 



 This week we are looking at Fort Scratchley which is where the big guns of Newcastle are located. It was built in 1882 to defend the city against a possible Russian attack. 

However, its guns were not fired in anger until 8 June 1942, when the Japanese attacked Newcastle. Although they were only part of the defence of Newcastle, which included heavy guns at Fort Wallace and Shepherds Hill along with searchlights, radar stations and observation post.

At the time there were some Novocastrians who had mixed feelings about the guns, although during live firing exercises they would crowd the hill to watch the gunner’s blast away at make-shift targets towed behind tugs or other boats.

Because the vibration of the guns would break windows and shake crockery from the shelves residents were given noticed of exercises so they could put fragile goods in safe places.    


After World War II the fort was home to 13 Medium Coast Battery RAA, a unit of the National Service Scheme, which was renamed 113 Coast Battery RAA in the 1960s. The army left the site in November 1972.

The 6-in guns were relocated to King Edward Park, 1.3 km (0.8 mi) away, as a memorial. However, after extensive lobbying, they were returned to Fort Scratchley in 1978.

In the first decade of the 21st century the site underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation and reopened as a museum.


In 2014, History show TV presenter Sir Tony Robinson visited the Fort to produce a segment for his show Tour of Duty  which was aired in 2015.

In 2015, the Fort's sole Nordenfelt gun was restored to fully functional condition and is fired on special occasions from its position in the underground casemate

Fort Scratchley is owned by the City of Newcastle (CN) and managed by volunteers from the Fort Scratchley Historical Society.

There is a guide at the gates who can give you a map to explore the Fort.

Visit the Parade and Ceremony Grounds, galleries and museum collections, learn about our historic guns, however, you cannot tour the tunnel.

Guided tunnel tours are led by passionate Fort Scratchley Historical Society volunteers with a wealth of knowledge and provide unique insight into the history of the site.

Individuals, families and groups of less than 12 people can purchase tickets at the Fort Scratchley shop. Schools, clubs or other social groups of 12 or more people should email booking requests through our contact page.


Unfortunately, due to the narrow stairs and hallways, the tour is unsuitable for wheelchairs, walkers, prams and strollers.

 There’s also a shop with ice creams and drinks, souvenirs and gifts.

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, 11 February 2025

Crab-eating fox

 


This is week we are looking at the crab-eat fox, also known as the forest dog, wood fox, bushfox or maikong, is an extant species of medium-sized canid endemic to the central part of South America since at least the Pleistocene epoch. Like South American foxes, which are in the genus Lycalopex, it is not closely related to true foxes. 

They can be found in the ranges in savannas; woodlands; subtropical forests; prickly, shrubby thickets; and tropical savannas such as the caatinga, plains, and campo, from Colombia and southern Venezuela in the north to Paraguay, Uruguay and northern Argentina at the southernmost reaches of its range.


They can be solitary but can also form couples or even families of up to disturbed by human activities. The species gets its name because during the wet season it searches for crabs on muddy floodplains.

Crab-eating foxes are omnivorous; their diet includes many fruits, vertebrates, insects, amphibians, crabs and other crustaceans, birds and carrion.


The crab-eating fox is predominantly greyish-brown, with areas of red on the face and legs, and black-tipped ears and tail. It has short, strong legs and its tail is long and bushy. The head and body length averages 64.3 centimetres (25.3 in), and the average tail length is 28.5 centimetres (11.2 in).

They reach sexual maturity within 9–10 months. Adult females give birth to one or two litters per year, depending on the climate and the availability of food. The reproductive period most often begins in November or December, and again in July.

The birth of offspring follows after an approximately 56-day gestation, typically in January, February or sometimes March then again from September to October. If giving birth to one litter, they typically give birth in the early spring. The parents are monogamous and raises the pups together, which are weaned at around three months old and become independent of their parents around 5–8 months old.

 

 

Monday, 10 February 2025

Jordan


This week we are looking at Jordan an Arab nation on the east bank of the Jordan River, is defined by ancient monuments, nature reserves and seaside resorts. It’s home to the famed archaeological site of Petra, the Nabatean capital dating to around 300 B.C. Set in a narrow valley with tombs, temples and monuments carved into the surrounding pink sandstone cliffs, Petra earns its nickname, the "Rose City."

The population is around 12 million.


The capital is Amman, which is a modern city with numerous ancient ruins. It is one of the region's principal commercial and transportation centers as well as one of the Arab world's major cultural capitals.


The Jordanian dinar has been the currency of Jordan since 1950. The dinar is divided into 100 qirsh or 1000 fulus. It is pegged to the US dollar. The Central Bank of Jordan commenced operations in 1964 and became the sole issuer of Jordanian currency, in place of the Jordan Currency Board.

The country’s official language is Arabic, everyone in the country, including the minority communities, speak Arabic in their day-to-day dealings.

In addition to the Arabic language, English has become a significant component in the school curriculum. While Arabic remains the official language in Jordan, English has been taught in Jordan's schools and universities since the independence of Transjordan as a Kingdom.


The flag of Jordan is made up of three horizontal bands of black, white, and green, with a red chevron and a white seven-pointed star in the middle of the white band. The flag was adopted on April 16, 1928.

The colours and the star represent the following 

  • Black: Represents the Abbasid Caliphate
  • White: Represents the Umayyad Caliphate
  • Green: Represents the Fatimid Caliphate
  • Red: Represents the Hashemite dynasty and the Arab Revolt
  • Star: The seven points of the star represent the seven verses of the opening chapter of the Quran, the Al-Fatiha. It also represents the unity of the Arab people, faith in one God, humility, national spirit, virtue, social justice, and aspiration.

More than 92% of the population are Muslims and approximately 8% are Christians. Most Christians belong to the Greek Orthodox Church; but there are also Greek Catholics, Roman Catholics, Syrian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and a few Protestant denominations.


Jordan is a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral National Assembly. The king is the head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The prime minister is the head of government and is responsible for carrying out the day-to-day tasks of the executive branch. The judicial branch is independent of the other two branches. Which are the executive branch and the legislative branch.

The government operates comprehensive health facilities, including a national health insurance program. The government supervises and coordinates social and charitable organizations. 

The government has the power to block and censor websites. 

Although the constitution provides for the freedom to practise one's religion in accordance with the customs that are observed in the Kingdom, unless they violate public order or morality.

However, such things as wanting to convert from Islam to another religion isn’t allowed and are not recognised as anything other than Islam and are still considered legally Muslims and face immense societal pressure.

There are many restrictions against religious minorities such as.

  • Jordan's government may deny recognition to a religion.
  • Baháʼís are not permitted to establish schools, places of worship or cemeteries.
  • Aside from Christians, all other non-Muslim minorities do not have their own courts to adjudicate personal status and family matters.
  • Muslim women may not marry non-Muslim men, such as Christians, unless the men legally convert to Islam.
  • Since Muslims are prohibited from converting to other religions according to the Sharia law, converts from Islam cannot change their religion on governmental records. However, converts to Islam are required to change their religious identification to "Muslim" on governmental records and civil documents.


When it come to women’s rights, they suck, females over the age of 15 need a male guardian’s permission to marry for the first time. A marriage to a non-Muslim is not recognised.

They cannot travel abroad with their children without the consent of a male guardian or having judicial consent. They are subject to restrictions when it comes to employment and general prohibited from night work.

 

 

Sunday, 9 February 2025

Week 6 of 2025


It is a nice cool start to the day with a temp of 20C but is supposed to reach 27C which is pretty warm.

I found Jessica’s washing hanging on my clothes hoist when I got up, I am guessing her washing machine died.

Tim and I went to Lake Fair to do some shopping, I was exhausted by the time we got home.

Thankfully we turned the air con on before we left, so the house was nice when we got home.

Jess came over just for two eggs, and yeah her washing machine died, she has ordered a new one which should come soon.

Steps:6,581

It is a nice cool start to the day with a temp of 20C but is supposed to reach 28C which is pretty warm.

Sue is driving Sandy and her kids around as her car is still at the mechanics, and Dave’s car has now broken down also.

I have both Syd & Summer here for the day.

By 4pm I started to feel really tired but stuck it out till 8.30pm and now I am off to bed.

Steps: 7,075

Another nice cool start to the day with a temp of 20C but is supposed to reach 30C which is hot. By BGL was 5.5

I waited till Tim left for work to have a shower; I woke up with a shocking headache.

Sandy and Skylar turned up they had walked to the high school to get Landon’s uniform.

It has been a pretty hot day with a top temp of 32C

Steps: 11,229

Another nice cool start to the day with a temp of 20C but is supposed to reach 33C which is hot. My BGL was 5.2

Sue called in and picked up some letters I need posted and will post them for me today.

By midday it was 33C, I turned the air con on in the bedroom as well it was that hot.

Tasha came home early from Tafe due to the heat and having no working air con it the classroom, she said everyone was dripping in sweat and the teacher sent them outside a few times to get out of the extremely hot room but by I think 1.30pm she had enough and sent them home. 

Steps:5,080

First day of school for the year.

A good night when the alarm went off at 5am, I felt like I had only not long been in bed.

It is a cool but muggy start to the day it is currently 21C and we are looking at a top of 28C.

By 1pm it was 27C but no need for the air con today, thankfully.

Denni & Landon called in on their way home from school, Sue and Sandy picked them up from here at around 4pm.

Steps:9,733

It is another nice cool morning at 21C before turning into a damn hot day with a top temp of 29C. My BGL was 5.1

Got a message from Sue, Sandra has Dave’s car back, so she won’t need Sue to drive her around anymore.

By midday it was 29 and I had to turn the air con on. 

Steps:9,487    

It is another nice cool morning with the temp being 19C, but we are looking at another hot one. My BGL was 5.1

Tim is working today and tomorrow.

I have been feeling blah most of the day, just not really feeling like doing much. So I didn’t do much, I did vacuum twice, got the clothes off the hoist, folded and put away, tidy the kitchen feed the birds, wrote a letter and read some blogs but that’s all.  

Steps: 5,060

 

 

 

 


Friday, 7 February 2025

Israel's National Anthem

 

This week’s Hodgepodge is here: https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2025/02/hodgepodge-because-its-thursday.html



This week we are looking at the national anthem of the country Israel.

The anthem is a song called Hatikvah (The Hope, it was written in 1878 by Naftali Herz Imber, a Jewish poet. The theme of the song reflects the 2,000-year-old desire of the Jewish people to return to the Land of Israel which is not the country but refers to the traditional Jewish name for an area of the Southern Levant. As in a biblical reference, to the Land of Canaan, or the Promised Land also known as the Holy Land.

When the State of Israel was established in 1948, "Hatikvah" was unofficially proclaimed the national anthem. It did not officially become the national anthem until November 2004, when an abbreviated and edited version was sanctioned by the Knesset in an amendment to the Flag and Coat-of-Arms Law (now renamed the Flag, Coat-of-Arms, and National Anthem Law).

In its modern rendering, the official text of the anthem incorporates only the first stanza and refrain of the original poem. The predominant theme in the remaining stanzas is the establishment of a sovereign and free nation in the Land of Israel, a hope largely seen as fulfilled with the founding of the State of Israel.

The lyrics are below.

Kol od ba’le’vav p’nima,Nefesh yehudi ho’miyah.

U’lefa-atei mizrach kadimah,

Ayin le’Tziyyon tzofiyah.

Od lo avda tikva-teinu,

Ha’tikvah bat sh’not al-payim

Lih-yot am chofshi b’ar-tzeinu

Eretz Tziyyon v’Yerushalayim.

Translation:

As long as within our hearts

The Jewish soul sings,

As long as forward to the East

To Zion, looks the eye –

Our hope is not yet lost,

It is two thousand years old,

To be a free people in our land

The land of Zion and Jerusalem.

 

 

Thursday, 6 February 2025

Apology to stolen generation

 


Hi everyone, Debby from My Shasta Home, she can be found here: https://myshastahome.blogspot.com/ asked to know more about the apology for the stolen generation.

On 13 February 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd offered a formal apology to Australia’s Indigenous peoples, particularly the Stolen Generations, on behalf of the nation at Australian Parliament House.

The Apology was presented as a motion for voting to the Chamber. It acknowledged that ‘the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments had resulted in the forcible removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families and ‘inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians’.

Between 1910 and 1970 thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were forcibly removed from their families and communities by churches, welfare organisations and governments. The exact number is not known. However, is estimated that, anywhere from 1 in 10 to 1 in 3 Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families and fostered or adopted by non-Indigenous families or raised in institutions. These children are known as the Stolen Generations. Many experienced neglect, physical and sexual abuse and exploitative labour, and were denied contact with their families.

In 1995 a National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families was established by  then Attorney-General, Michael Lavarch. The Inquiry – conducted by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission – received nearly 800 submissions, including evidence from 535 from Indigenous individuals and organisations.

Below are a couple of the statements given to the inquiry.

Lots of white kids do get taken away, but that’s for a reason – not like us. We just got taken away because we was black kids, I suppose – half-caste kids. If they wouldn’t like it, they shouldn’t do it to Aboriginal families.

Confidential evidence 357, South Australia
Bringing Them Home, 1997

The Government has to explain why it happened. What was the intention? I have to know why I was taken. I have to know why I was given the life I was given and why I’m scarred today. Why was my Mum meant to suffer? Why was I made to suffer with no Aboriginality and no identity, no culture? Why did they think that the life they gave me was better than the one my Mum would give me? And an apology is important because I’ve never been apologised to. My mother’s never been apologised to, not once, and I would like to be apologised to.

Confidential evidence 139, Victoria: woman removed at 12 months in 1967
Bringing Them Home, 1997

On 26th May 1997 the Inquiry’s Bringing Them Home report was tabled in Parliament. The Report documented the grief and loss caused by the breaking of cultural, spiritual, and family ties, and the intergenerational impact on the lives and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, as well as their resilience and dignity:

For individuals, their removal as children and the abuse they experienced at the hands of the authorities, or their delegates, have permanently scarred their lives. The harm continues in later generations, affecting their children and grandchildren.

Bringing Them Home, 1997

A key recommendation of the report was the need for an official acknowledgement of and apology for the forcible removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

Below is what the apology says.

I move:

That today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.

We reflect on their past mistreatment.

We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations—this blemished chapter in our nation’s history.

The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia’s history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.

We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.

We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country.

For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.

To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry.

And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.

The Hon Kevin Rudd
13 February 2008

The National Apology is considered a milestone step toward reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

The Prime Minister’s speech was met with applause, tears, and relief from many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, including members of the Stolen Generations, present in the House of Representatives. Thousands of people gathered throughout the country to watch a broadcast of the Apology, including hundreds watching from the Great Hall and thousands on the lawns outside Parliament House.

Following the speeches, Lorraine Peeters (Weilwun and Gamilaroi peoples), acting on behalf of the Stolen Generations present in the Parliament, presented a glass coolamon to the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and the Leader of the Opposition, Brendan Nelson. The coolamon – made by Bai Bai Napangardi, an artist from the Balgo community in Western Australia – contained a message that said:

On behalf of our people, thank you for saying sorry. In return we give you this gift on behalf of us affected by being taken away from our families. This is our way of saying thank you. The gift is a glass coolamon, fragile yet strong. Coolamons have carried our children. The gift is a symbol of the hope we place in the new relationship you wish to forge with our people. A relationship that itself is fragile yet strong. We have a new covenant between our peoples, that we will do all we can to make sure our children are carried forward, loved and nurtured and able to live a full life.’

The Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition then jointly presented the coolamon to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who accepted it saying:

I gratefully receive this gift on behalf of the House. It will represent a very important point in the history of not only this chamber but our nation.

At the conclusion of the formal proceedings in the Chamber, an event was held in Members Hall, attended by many representatives of the Stolen Generations, Indigenous leaders, Indigenous and other organisations, and current and former parliamentarians. There, Tom Calma, then Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, responded to the Apology. Nominated by the National Stolen Generations Alliance and the National Sorry Day Committee, the two national bodies representing the Stolen Generations and their families, he declared that it was an ‘historic day’, one

… on which ‘our leaders – across the political spectrum – have chosen dignity, hope and respect as the guiding principles for the relationship with our first nations’ peoples’. 

The National Apology and the Coolamon are on display at Parliament House.

 


Wednesday, 5 February 2025

Woman's work in war times

First up there is a new post over here:

https://jamfn.blogspot.com/2025/02/a-sister-like-you.html

Now for today's post.


During the second world war saw many women working in wartime heavy industries in many countries including Australia, here in Newcastle hundreds of women were recruited to replace the men off fighting.

Around 500 men from Lysaght’s workshops alone were gone off fighting, the new spinner shop opened by Lysaght’s to make protective streamlined cowlings for aircraft propeller hubs, they were made of aluminum and had to be manufactured to extremely fine   tolerances.  This was a brand-new enterprise for Newcastle, those working there were taught by having to recondition 60 English made spinners for De Havilland Mosquito bombers, this work continued as a combination of local made and imported parts and by the time the plant finally wound up, they had made 900 spinners for the Mosquitoes, Beauforts and Lincoln aircraft.

The girls had to learn every job so that absences didn’t slow things down, they also had to wear scarves to keep their hair out of the machines, although there were accidents and if someone’s hair got caught in something like a drill chuck, the machine would have to be shut down and they would be lucky if they weren’t scalped.

In fact, women many countries worked in a variety of roles, including in the Australian Women's Army Services (AWAS) and the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF). They performed essential duties that were previously considered to be men's work. 

They operated anti-aircraft batteries, searchlights they also worked with range-finders. Women also worked in intelligence roles and defensive roles. They drove transports and plotted coordinates


Women's contributions to the war effort helped to advance employment opportunities for women after the war, also their work during the war led to the establishment of the Women's Employment Board in 1943.

Women's work during the war led to women receiving 75% of the male wage for the same job.

 


Tuesday, 4 February 2025

Swift Fox


This weeks’ fox is the swift fox.

The swift fox is a small light orange-tan fox around the size of a domestic cat found in the western grasslands of North America, such as Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. It also lives in southern Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta in Canada, where it was previously extirpated. 

It has pale yellow fur with brownish ears and a fluffy tail with a black spot at the base of its tail and at the tip. Swift Foxes are characteristically nocturnal animals, although they are sometimes active during the daytime as well. The leave their dens at night to hunt and rarely move far from their dens.

They are solitary hunters, and their activity varies by season. They are nocturnal in the winter and become more diel in the summer.

Like other foxes they are monogamous and likely pair for life, unless a mate dies.


Swift foxes are charismatic with their alert, intelligent personalities and incredible physical abilities. The species earned its common name from early Western settlers impressed by its speed and agility—the swift fox has been clocked at nearly 40 mph.

They typically live 3-6 years but have been known to live up to 14 years.

The pups are born blind their eyes remain closed for up to 15 days they are dependent on their mothers for the first few weeks of their lives. They are weaned at about 6 to 7 weeks old and stay with their parents for about 6 months.


 

The gestation period is about 50 to 60 days with the average litter size is 4 to 5 pups. Young males become reproductively mature at one year of age and young females usually start breeding when they are two years old.

They are omnivores and eat a variety of foods, including insects, grass, reptiles, and carrion.

 


Week 7 of 2025

It is another nice cool morning with the temp being 19C, but we are looking at another hot one, just not as hot. My BGL was 5.1 This morni...