Duh!

Iron ore train, Pilbara, WA

Crikey, 36degC yesterday, 30degC today, and we’re still six weeks away from official summer. It’s been a quick transition, from needing a jacket two weeks ago to almost needing air-con today. UPDATE: I did run the air-con for a few hours yesterday. Good sleeping weather.

My sleeping is crazy. I can drop off quickly around 11pm to midnight, but I wake after only 30 – 60mins and can’t get back to sleep. Restless legs!! Squirming around, can’t keep still. Horrible feeling.

So I get up and sit at the computer until 3.30 – 4.30am or so, watching YouTube clips. But mainly, watching episodes of Succession. Usually two x hour long episodes. Wow, it’s addictive. I’ve nearly finished series three, and I’m definitely going to need more series. I’m hooked.

Anyway, my sleep has become divided into a short bit at midnight, a longer bit between 4am and 10am, and an afternoon nap between 3.30 – 5pm. But tired all the time. Not good.

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Bloody YouTube, throwing up a screen saying Ad Blockers are not allowed on YouTube. Well, get f–ked! I’m not going to be told what I can’t do like that. Get lost!

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Well, it’s not too much of a surprise, but it’s been reinforced again, you can fool some of the people all of the time. The referendum was defeated by a solid majority of all six states and 60% of the population voting No.

To be clear, 60% of Australians voted that they do not want Indigenous First Nations people to be recognised in the Constitution or to have input to Parliament on matters that affect them.

I find that astounding and shameful.

It sems that the majority of Australians regard themselves as superior to the original inhabitants and owners of this land. They are not willing to let Aborigines have any access to our parliament if it wants to pass laws affecting them. Bloody hell! The arrogance! The apartheid attitude!

One Indigenous commenter said she fears it will take two or three generations before there’s another chance of a new referendum or another attempt at reconciliation. That’s 40 – 60 years! They are hurting, and I don’t blame them.

David Marr, lawyer and well known journalist and commentator, has done extensive research and written a book telling that there was a systematic, official policy of extermination of the Aboriginal race in the 18th and early 19th centuries. There were squads of horse mounted riflemen whose job it was to hunt down blacks and shoot them, murder them, men, women and children. Official, government sanctioned murder squads. Shooting them in the back.

And yet, this year, the Indigenous people held out the hand of love and friendship and asked that they be recognised as the original people of Australia, which is factual, and that they be listened to on matters affecting them.

And Australia said NO.

It is shameful.

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I’ve finally finished volume three of the WA Croft Family History, 1955 – 2001, and it’s off at the printers. It took a lot of hassle to get Photobook to recognise my pre-paid vouchers and I had to pay an extra $41.50 per book, so a total of $76.45 per volume! Very annoying. I’m thinking I may have to start using another company – there’s no shortage of them.

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Next book? I have never done a proper book of my Japan trip, 1992. The photos are timeless, and I’ve found my little spiral bound notebook of every cent I spent on that trip, plus my daily little notes as I went. So I have all the information I need.