Received a reminder to blog…

It is a good thing Word Press gives me these reminders or I may lag even further behind. Life is settling down. I can drive again. I am walking about 3 kms most days. Mainly to op shops in the city to find items to sell in my eBay store during slow winter days. I enjoy it. I’m not making my fortune but at least it is coffee money.

I’m still working my way through The Dangers of Female Provocation by Zoe Coyle. I am almost done. The premise of the story is Odessa has a husband she loves. He leaves her and gets his work colleague pregnant. Odessa has 5 good friends. They lead an influencer’s life in London. Coffees, gyms, lovely cars, lots of shopping. Each of her friend’s husbands are successful and Odessa doesn’t like the way they treat their wives. So individually she sets each of the husbands one by one in a compromising situation then blackmails them into being better husbands. She has a lot of rage inside her.

It is a book I’m sure many women would get a kick out of it. I am finding it a bit tedious. There is too much rage and the lengths Odessa goes to seem a bit much. I don’t believe in interfering with another’s relationship. No one really knows what the stories are of others. But this is a bit over the top. I’m almost done with it and will begin New Zealand author Eleanor Catton’s book, Birnam Wood soon. It is our book for August book group.

This past week we attended the Fullers book launch of Trump’s Australia which we really enjoyed. Author Bruce Wolpe was in discussion with previous premiere David Bartlett about the effects a Teump presidency had on Trump’s presidency in the U.S. They also compared the various parts of democracy between U.S and Australia. Australia has quite a few safeguards compared to America and some of the things happening in America couldn’t happen here. You’ll have to read the book to learn more about that. I will paste the recent blurb about the book below. The audience had a lot to say about this topic too and we found the discussion quite enjoyable. There weren’t any Trump supporters in the audience that was certain or they hid their feelings very well.

The blurb…

Trump’s Australia

How Trumpism changed Australia and the shocking consequences for us of a second term by Bruce Wolper

Trump (or a Trumpist) could well win the 2024 US presidential election, and if he does, American democracy as we have known it will probably come to an end. Australia’s best-informed commentator on US politics sends a chilling warning about the implications for Australia.

What if Trump (or a Trump-like candidate) becomes US president in 2024?

Leading expert and US and Australian politics insider Bruce Wolpe reveals the many ways in which Australia was damaged by Donald Trump’s presidency. Seeping into Australia from above and below, Trumpism contaminated public debate, emboldened local political and religious extremists, diminished Australia’s economy and international relations—and much more.

Wolpe predicts America’s democracy won’t survive a second Trump term. The implications for the world and for Australia are shocking. He explains how Australia can draw on its strengths to protect its democracy, economy and society from Trumpism, and where Australia is vulnerable and needs to build guardrails. He warns Australia might also face an existential question about ties with its most important ally.

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We also attended the launch of Line in the Sand by author Dean Yates. He worked for Reuters news for many years and went to war affected countries and as a result suffered PTSD. This book was about his journey in receiving health after telling us about some of his more harrowing experiences. A discussion of the lack of mental health services ensued as St Helen’s hospital (main hospital for mental health and also mothers and babies struggling with parenthood) in Hobart recently shut its doors with little notice and left all the patients in the cold with no support. The conversation that followed was passionate and we heard from audience members who have been affected by ptsd, disability service workers, police officers, ambulance personnel. Governments continue to recognise or do anything to provide services to the many who need it.

I am happy to report my heart withstood the passionate discussions of both mental health in crisis and Trump possibly being reelected again. If that doesn’t give a person heart damage I must be on the mend. Just keep getting out in nature and walking and concentrating on more positive events.

That’s me for the moment. This is a long post but I had a long weel. Happy weekending everyone.