Wow, what a change. Right on cue, 1 March, the season has switched from summer to autumn, almost winter in fact. The sky is clouded over, it’s quite cool enough to be wearing a pullover and it’s been raining, a lot.

About an hour ago there was a flash of lightning and less than a second later came the thunderclap. That was close. But apart from another weak flash five minutes later, no more. Odd. Anyway, what a change. I slept all night on top of the bedclothes with the fan running, but I wouldn’t do that now. Too chilly. And my washing’s on the line too, getting a good rainwater rinse.

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I’m feeling a bit depressed at the number of posts I’m seeing on F/B and in all the news reports of people I know or knew who have been struck down with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. It seems to be much more prominent these days, although it’s probably because it’s out in the open now, whereas it used to be hidden by relatives.

This is a serious disease. I’m sure there are many researchers working as hard as they can and as funds permit to find a cure. Let’s hope one day we’ll be able to vaccinate against it as easily as we can for measles, pneumonia or shingles, not to mention COVID.

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“It’s one thing to sit in cabinet, the ministry, or the party room with colleagues who have no apparent compunction about using public money for partisan gain. It is quite another to sit next to a man who is accused of raping a schoolgirl but won’t stand up and face up.”

These words are written by Michael Bradley in Crikey.com. He’s their legal affairs writer and is a lawyer himself. He’s referring to the allegations against a sitting cabinet minister in this damnable federal Liberal government. One of the sixteen men sitting at the cabinet table has been accused of anally raping a sixteen year old girl in 1988, before he became an MP. She suffered the consequences so badly that she killed herself last year, but not before making a written complaint to police.

Unfortunately, her death means the likelihood of a prosecution succeeding died with her. However, the charge still stands and means that one of the most prominent men in the Liberal government committed that rape and is responsible for the death of this woman last year. Yet he stays silent! And so does the prime minister, who must know who he is. From the article, the crime was committed in Adelaide when they were in education together, so that narrows it down. Some journalist will out this guy sooner or later.

What will happen then? The government lost the vaccination-sceptic and climate science denier Craig Kelly to the cross benches last week, and so lost their one seat majority. If this rapist is forced to resign – and he should leave parliament – they will lose the balance of power. Therefore there is a strong incentive for the PM to hush things up, but how long can that last? What a crap mob.

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This is a head strap for the CPAP mask I wear to bed. In Australia, it costs me $65 for a replacement. Daylight robbery! But from Wish.com I can buy it for A$4.55 + $1.38 postage. Guess which one I choose. They’re identical as far as I can see. That means ResMed in Sydney has been ripping me off for the last 20 years. I need to replace it about once a year, so that’s 20x($65-$5.93) = $1,181 I’ve been overcharged. Bloody robbers, ResMed.

Likewise the mask itself. From ResMed I paid around $250 for an Ultra Mirage mask in 2008. But —

From Wish.com, A$38.54 + $15.62 post = A$54.16, roughly one fifth of ResMed’s price. I have actually bought one of these. ResMed, no wonder you’re doing so well on the stock market, ripping off your customers like this. And I haven’t got on to the blowers – average price in Australia, $1500, but on Wish.com from China, around $450 + $6 postage. Another saving of $1,000. I bought one locally last year. I felt I had to buy the genuine article as I was nervous about quality and warranty, but I still think we’re being badly ripped off.

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Aaaaarrrrgh, I am fed up with noisy, rasping, thundering motorbikes and cars. One has just gone by and it drowned out the music for 10 seconds or more. Yet to do anything about it I would have to have number plates and dates and times. Not feasible. Grrrr.