A really funny show but not what this post is about.
New South Wales real civil defence during the second World War was the National Emergency Services (NES).
In 1939, the National Emergency Services (NES) was established in New South Wales (NSW) to provide aid, education, and protection on the home front during World War II. The NES helped to: Install air raid sirens, Construct trench shelters, Build covered trenches, and Construct pillbox air raid shelters.
Newcastle’s NES volunteers organised many kinds of exercises in order to be prepared if the enemy did attack. When the blackouts came into force it was the NES who had to make sure people took it seriously.
Many of the NES volunteers were women.
By the end of the war, 115,418 people had volunteered with the NES, with nearly half of them serving as wardens.
The NES was disbanded six months after the war ended.
This week we are looking at the dhole, it is a canid native to South, East and Southeast Asia. It is anatomically distinguished from members of the genus Canis in several aspects: its skull is convex rather than concave in profile, it lacks a third lower molar, and the upper molars possess only a single cusp as opposed to between two and four.
It is a highly social animal, living in large clans without rigid dominance hierarchies and containing multiple breeding females.
This highly elusive and skilled jumper is classified with wolves, coyotes, jackals, and foxes in the taxonomic family Canidae. Dholes are unusual dogs for a few reasons. They don’t fit neatly into any of the dog subfamilies (wolf and fox, for instance).
They are very social animals that live in packs of 5–12 members, but packs can be as large as 25 members. They can also be cooperative with a few splitting off from the pack to hunt together. They are apex predators that are highly skilled hunters, they are agile, strong, and can leap up to seven feet vertically and are also excellent swimmers and have high endurance.
It is believed that they are one of the most talkative canid species, using a variety of vocalizations to communicate, including whistles, clucks, screams, growls, yaps, and squeaks.
Since their territory is often shared with larger predators like tigers and leopards, the pack must be alert at all times.
They are a medium-sized wild dogs about the size of a border collie. They have a rusty red coat; they are born with a brownish colour which turns more reddish when around three months old. They can also have dark, almost black bushy tails.
They are not generally dangerous to humans and are usually docile and skittish and will typically retreat when they see a person. However, dholes can attack livestock, and humans may retaliate by poisoning the carcasses. This can lead to the deaths of entire packs of dholes, as well as other carnivores and scavengers.
Well let’s move from Egypt to Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, it’s a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the southeast, and South Sudan to the south.
Sudan is both an African and Arab country, with Arabic being the most widely spoken language. Over 97% of the population are Sunni Muslims with a small Christian minority.
The Sudanese pound is the currency of the Republic of the Sudan. The pound is divided into 100 piastres. It is issued by the Central Bank of Sudan.
Khartoum or Khartum is the capital of Sudan. With a population of 6,344,348, the metropolitan area is the largest in Sudan. It is located in the centre of the country, at the point where the Blue Nile and White Nile rivers meet.
The population of Sudan is estimated to be 50,467,278 in 2024, with a population density of 21.3 people per square kilometre.
The flag of Sudan was adopted on 20 May 1970 and consists of a horizontal red-white-black tricolour with a green triangle at the hoist
The national flower of Sudan is the hibiscus. The hibiscus flower is also known as the Sudan rose or Hibiscus sabdariffa. The flower’s dried petals are steeped in water to make an herbal tea called karkade, which is popular in Sudan, South Sudan, and Egypt.
I searched for Sudan’s coat of arms what I found was their national symbol which follows the rules of heraldry (whatever that is) it could be considered a national coat of arms instead of a national emblem.
It shows a secretary bird bearing a shield from the time of Muhammad Almad, the self-proclaimed Mahdi who briefly ruled Sudan in the 19th century.
Two scrolls are placed on the arms; the upper one displays the national motto, the English translation is “Victory is ours”, and the lower one displays the title of the state, which is Republic of the Sudan.
The coat of arms is also the Presidential seal.
It is not a safe country to visit due to A civil war between two major rival factions of the military government of Sudan, the Sudanese Armed Forces under Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and its allies under the Janjaweed leader Hemedti, began during Ramadan on 15 April 2023.
Had a good night work twice but settled back down pretty quick it is 12 degrees at 5am and my BGL is 4.9.
Tim working today and he will not get home till around 11pm so a long day for him.
It got to 25 degrees, I had to turn the ceiling fan on.
Didn’t exercise much today, just did 20 minutes in the morning.
Steps:5,696
SUE’S BIRTHDAY SHE IS 55 TODAY
Had a good night didn’t wake at all, it is 14 degrees and my BGL is 5.0
It’s a really hot day, Tim home from 9.30 to 1.30. Tim turned the ceiling fan on, but I think it is making the room hotter.
Around 2.30pm it started to rain and that cooled things down a lot. It didn’t rain for very long.
Got a text from Dawson with photos of mum & dad’s old house and how it looks now inside and out as it is up for rent and the photos are with the rental listing. It does look very different.
Slept all night waking at 4.30 to pee and back to be till 5am, up showered and dressed for the day.
It isn’t supposed to be as hot as yesterday at the moment it is 16 degrees with a top of only 20 degrees expected. My BGL was 5.0
A cool morning and a warm afternoon.
I am very dyskinetic this afternoon.
I am having trouble sleeping, got up at 11.20pm used the Powerfit for 10 minutes, then just sat for 10 minute now I am going back to bed.
Steps:8,120
Slept alright after going back to bed at 11.40pm, I was woken by the alarm. It is supposed to be a hot day at the moment it is 15 degrees and by BGL was 5.1.
Finaly order the calendars for next year only took me two days to do them. By using a Groupon voucher, I got 5 A3 calendars for only $45 and not the full price of $176.
I haven’t done much today just no motivation but that’s ok I can have such days.
Steps:3,905
DAVID’S BIRTHDAY HE IS 46 TODAY
Slept well didn’t wake at all it is a pleasant 15 degrees, my BGL is 4.0, I am hoping it doesn’t get too hot, but we will see.
Yes, it got hot, I turned the air con on for a bit but got cold so turned it off after 30 minutes, opened the doors and closed the curtains to block out the heat.
Tim had an early start and had to get up at 3am, he will be home at the normal time which around 5.30pm.
I went to at 8.30pm as I was so very tired, I woke at 10.10pm sweating and with jerky movements, so I got a read some blogs the jerking has got worse will use the powerfit and go back to bed as I am still very tired
Steps:7,173
After returning to bed last night, I slept through to the alarm went this morning.
It is 16 degrees and my BGL was 4.4
When I walked up with Sam it started to rain and of course I forgot to wear my raincoat.
It didn’t rain for long and turned out to be a nice day, not to hot just warm.
I slept for 90 minutes then had to pee, went back to bed and slept for 60 minutes woke up with uncontrollable moving so got up and used the powerfit for 20 minutes then decided to update this before going back to bed.
Steps:9,261
After returning to bed last night, I slept through to the alarm went this morning. I didn’t get back to bed till 2am and was at 5am, I had to have a short nap around 8am. Why was I up so later Jess came over after she got home from work and sat talking with her dad and me. I left them talking when I went to bed.
Tim has gone to help Tasha return her TV which is playing up but covered by warranty, it will not fit in her car.
I asked if he could get a few things for me, he forgot somethings even though he had a note and what he did get wasn’t right. He doesn’t read I do not and have never liked coffee, so no I will not drink caramel coffee.
There are two conditions that are associated with Parkinson’s Dyskinesia and Dystonia, I am not sure which of the I suffer from.
Dyskinesia is the involuntary movement of a body part or the entire body that you can’t control.
Dystonia is the involuntary stiffening or contraction of a muscle.
It can sometimes be difficult to tell the difference between the two, but dyskinesia more often looks like jerky movements of an arm, leg, or face.
The symptoms of dystonia are as follows:
Involuntary and rapid blinking that you can’t stop.
A sudden tightening or turning of the neck to one side, particularly when you’re feeling fatigued or stressed.
Difficulty speaking.
A tremor in your voice.
Symptoms that worsen with tiredness, stress, or lots of physical activity.
Dyskinesia can involve one body part, such as an arm or leg, or the entire body. The symptoms are as follows:
Fidgeting, writhing or wriggling
Head bobbing or body swaying.
It tends to occur most often during times when other Parkinson’s symptoms, such as tremor, slowness and stiffness, are well controlled.
Both conditions are made worse with stress, so when the uncontrollable movements start I try to take my mind off it by focusing on something, also I find using the powerfit helps why it helps I do not know but it does.
Today we are going to have a look at Newcastle, New South Wales in 1939 when World War 11 started.
It was considered by some that the part Newcastle was to play in the national war effort was inevitably this was due to the city’s heavy industries represented the vital heart of the country’s ability to fight fire with fire.
It wasn’t long before BHP, its subsidiaries and a surprising wide array of smaller industrial plants were flat out making shells, gun barrels, bombs and parts for everything from tanks to aircraft.
As the war progressed the NSW government pressed Newcastle back into shipbuilding and repair business.
BHP chief Essington Lewis had anticipated Japan’s entry into the war and the cities industries were ready to accelerate production after the attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941.
War activity reached hectic levels in 1942 when Japanese submarines prowled of the east coast sinking ships and attacking Newcastle and Sydney.
It was during this time that the RAAF established a base at Williamstown in order to defend the oh so important industries in Newcastle. A seaplane base was also established at Rathmines which is part of Lake Macquarie and the US-built Catalina aircraft did long-range patrols and anti-submarine work.
During the war years military and civil defence infrastructure appeared all over the Hunter, also air raid shelters popped up in streets and tank traps were established on beaches and slit trenches were dung in schools and parks.
Blackouts were enforced and many households dug their own shelters.
Of course, many men signed up to serve their country, going overseas to fight, while U S troops arrived in the city.
Women also went off to war with many joining the Land Army as well as other military forces, operating searchlights and working in radar and communications installations. While others filled the caps left by the men gone off to fight, this was radical change that continued well into the postwar years.
Well, here we are at another Monday and time to look at another wild dog, this week it is the Australian Dingo.
Dingoes have a lifespan from as few as 3yrs to usually around 16yrs but some have been known to live for 20yrs.
The dingo is an ancient lineage of dog found in Australia, however, compared with the skull of the dog, the dingo possesses a longer muzzle, longer carnassial teeth, longer and more slender canine teeth, larger auditory bullae, a flatter cranium with a larger sagittal crest, and larger nuchal lines.
The dingo’s three main coat colourations are light ginger or tan, black and tan, or creamy white. The skull is wedge-shaped and appears large in proportion to the body.
The dingo is closely related to the New Guinea singing dog. The oldest remains of dingoes in Australia are around 3,500 years old.
A dingo pack usually consists of a mated pair, their offspring from the current year, and sometimes offspring from the previous year.
Dingoes do not bark like a dog but howl, chortle, yelp, whine, growl, chatter, snort, cough and purr.
Dingoes are largely terrestrial carnivores they have a broad diet including fresh meat, fish, eggs and carrion they occasionally eat plants and fruits. They’re opportunistic hunters but will also scavenge food. The bulk of their diet is made up of meat: they eat kangaroos, wallabies, feral pigs, wombats, small mammals (rabbits, rodents), birds and lizards.
Their strong jaw and large canines permit the dingo to procure and machinate rather tough prey, allowing them to tear meat from carcasses and crush bones to obtain calcium and fat.
Dingoes have a strict social hierarchy and regularly mate for life. Female dingoes have one annual breeding cycle, March to June. The dingo pack helps with the rearing of pups which are weaned at about 2 months, at which time the pups may be abandoned or can stay with the parents for up to a year. Dingo pups are fully grown by 7 months.
They are primarily killed by humans, crocodiles, and sometimes by other canid species, such as jackals and domestic dogs. They are also killed by Dingoes from other packs. Pups may be taken by large birds of prey.
They are highly intelligent and intuitive animals that have a high capacity to solve problems and plan.
With this high intelligence and foresight comes a strong sense of self-awareness and independence.
Well, we are moving out of Europe and into North Africa this is the second largest and second most populated continent after Asia. North Africa is naturally the northmost region of the African continent it is separated from the rest of Africa by the Sahara Desert.
Egypt is one of the most populated countries in Africa and the Middle East, a great majority of the population live near the banks of the river Nile. It is famous for its ancient civilisation and some of the world’s most famous monuments such as the Pyramids and Great Sphinx.
It is a country linking northeast Africa with the Middle East, dates to the time of the pharaohs.
The capital, Cairo, is home to Ottoman landmarks like Muhammad Ali Mosque and the Egyptian Museum. It is set on the Nile River. At its heart is Tahrir Square and the vast Egyptian Museum, a trove of antiquities including royal mummies and gilded King Tutankhamun artifacts. Nearby, Giza is the site of the iconic pyramids and Great Sphinx, dating to the 26th century BC. In Gezira Island’s leafy Zamalek district, 187m Cairo Tower affords panoramic city views.
The Egyptian pound is the official currency of Egypt. The 10 and 20-pound notes are made out of polymer plastic paper as of July 6, 2022.
The official language of Egypt is Arabic, and most Egyptians speak one of several vernacular dialects of that language. As is the case in other Arab countries, the spoken vernacular differs greatly from the literary language.
The national flag of Egypt is a tricolour consisting of the three equal horizontal red, white, and black bands of the Egyptian revolutionary flag that dates back to the 1952 Egyptian Revolution. The flag bears Egypt’s national emblem, the Egyptian eagle of Saladin, centred in the white band.
While looking for the country’s national animal I got two responses one being the Dorcas Gazell the other being the Steppe Eagle, which is the country’s national bird.
The national flower of Egypt is the Egypt Lotus Flower. This stunning flower has been an important symbol in Egyptian culture for thousands of years, and it is often associated with rebirth and regeneration.
Football is the most popular sport in Egypt, by football I mean soccer many Egyptians gather around to watch various Egyptian clubs and the Egyptian national football team play on an almost daily basis. Zamalek and Al Ahly are amongst the most popular in the country, both of which are based in Cairo.
Throughout much of ancient history Egyptian religion was polytheistic, meaning it recognized many gods and goddesses, as well as a variety of other divine beings.
Now days most experts and media sources estimate approximately 90 percent of the population is Sunni Muslim and 10 percent is Christian. Scholars and NGOs estimate Shia Muslims comprise approximately 1 percent of the population. There are also small numbers of Dawoodi Bohra Muslims and Ahmadi Muslims.
Had a good night although when the alarm went off, I didn’t want to get up, but I did and after a wash and getting dress, I felt the same way nothing had changed.
It is currently 17 degrees and raining, my BGL was 5.5
At 7.30am the internet dropped out but after a while it was ok, and I managed to do the grocery shopping.
Tim is working this morning he should be home around 1pm
I am so very tired that even though it is only 7.45pm I am off to bed.
Steps: 5,830
Had a good night, even though I was in bed early I slept all through the night.
The temp is 16 degrees and my BGL is 4.8
I have had a decent morning did a load of washing and hung it out to dry, ran the dishwasher and unpacked it, vacuumed of course. I also wrote a couple of letters and did some blogging.
Both Sue and Tasha got me stamps
It has been a cool day the temp got up to 20 degrees.
It is 8.30pm and I am done, falling asleep so off to bed I go.
Steps: 7,108
Had a good night, woke once but settled back down pretty quick. It is only 14 degrees this morning and my BGL was 4.9
After a cool morning it warmed up nicely and around 9.30am I changed into shorts.
I felt like I did stuff this morning, like folding the clean clothes and putting them away, vacuuming, taking rubbish out to the bin, blogging and writing letters.
I am not as tired this evening so it
Steps:6,094
Had a good night, didn’t wake at all and was dreaming when the alarm went off, I wonder if that has anything to do with me having a headache and feeling heavy headed.
It, is 12 degrees and my BGL was 5.0
I finished answering the letters I had here and walked down and posted them myself. Haven’t done that in years.
Tim will be home later than usual he arrived home at 7.40pm.
Steps: 7,383
Had a good night, didn’t wake at all and was dreaming when the alarm went off, I wonder if that has anything to do with me having a headache and feeling heavy headed. This morning is a repeat of yesterday morning.
The temp is 17 degrees and my BGL is 5.0, I was reading that there is something called the dawn phenomenon which is when between the hours of 3 and 8am when someone’s blood glucose level rises why this happens, I don’t know and neither do the so-called experts.
A warm day it started to rain around 3.30pm
Tim later home again around 7.15pm, he is off tomorrow and Saturday but is working Sunday
Steps:6,781
Had a good night, didn’t wake at all, I do like those type of nights.
Tim is off today, so I was able to take my time in the shower this morning, which I liked.
It is 12 degrees and my BGL 4.9
Tim and I went to the shops; to pick up scrips and we have reached our safety net, which brings down our medication from $31.60 to $7
after that Tim went to a doctor’s appointment with the diabetes doctor.
Then at 4.15pm he had an appointment with our GP
Steps:7,159
Had a good night, woke only once and went straight back to sleep. It is 13 degrees and my BGL is 4.7
Tim is up at 7am which is early for him
Tim and I went for lunch at the Eastern Tiger all you can eat place with my sisters Sue & Jeannie and my brother Dave and his wife Leigh and their daughter Liarna as well as Dave’s son Dawson. It was a good outing I enjoyed my self and there was a lot of laughing.
When I was getting ready to go, I realised I have only two decent tops and neither of them went with the skirt I was wearing.
We realised this afternoon that Tasha was driving an unregistered car, she was thinking it was due next month, we have paid the CTP but she still needs to get her rego check done.
Jo-AnneRamplings 