Mikeatmainbeach

Leatherback Turtles have a life span of forty five years some say up to as long as ninety years but two in a week is a bit sus surely! This large leatherback turtle was washed up dead at Avoca Beach just north of Sydney. The second in a week! These are such beautiful creatures that can live so long and grow to two thousand pounds in weight with a length of up to seven feet. But I fear this could be a case of ocean pollution and not old age.  All turtles are the most at risk for extinction from bycatch in fishing gear, the changing climate, degradation of nesting habitat, ocean pollution and vessel strikes. We should all be concerned. I always have a sad feeling when I see young turtles digging their way to freedom from the depths of sand incubation where there mother lays them with such care. An instinct engrained in them for many thousands of years.  Against all odds that's what often comes to mind when I see a turtle. Against all odds. They are so so vulnerable with only a t...

As many would know by now, I guess, I am writing these many and varied blogs..my thoughts..sometimes crazy.. from Australia where I live. If anyone has any questions: maybe thinking of holidaying here now that Covid is "somewhat" under control...or at least vaccinations enable more people to travel...or even moving here to live for a while or for work purposes just get in contact with me. I guess I sort of know the place well enough or I will try to put you in touch with people that do...if I don't have the answers! I have contacts here where I live with Real Estate Agents etc., so just a thought...a P.S. to my thoughts today. I live in Sunny (though not today😀) Queensland by the way... Wishing you all well and most of all Wishing Peace in the World...

As an outsider looking in...as it were...does anyone really think there could be a second coming of  Donald Trump as President once again? Have to admit I'm surprised nothing has happened yet regarding the January 6 2021 insurrection when a mob of more than two thousand Donald Trump supporters stormed the capital building in Washington. Five people have since died and many were injured. It was just shocking vision and we were all amazed that could possibly be allowed to happen. To see the capitol building wrecked, so much damage done and the place locked down, lawmakers, numerous staff quickly ushered to safety. Nothing has still been proven that the election outcome was false but the unending questions and conspiracy theories continue to this day some fourteen months later.  President Trump at the time at a "Save America" rally in The Ellipse, sometimes referred to as President's Park just south of the White House, repeated unproven claims of election irregularities ...

President Biden had a successful trip to NATO countries meeting with other world leaders, American soldiers stationed west of Ukraine, humanitarian workers and refugees. It ended with a signature, powerful, speech and he said what so many have thought... if not spoken out aloud  saying...President Putin was a butcher the way he has slaughtered and injured so many innocent Ukranian people and he "cannot remain in power". It was called a seismic statement.  Of course the decision has to be one the Russian people themselves make, the White House quickly added, but do they have a free choice that is the question? Many would would say not... It's just what so many want and have said privately but were too afraid to actually say out loud. I have lost count the number of people that have said to me similar things..but much more bluntly. You can only guess...I wouldn't like to repeat them here as I would most likely be banned. While talking of President Putin he famously said...

I watched an interesting documentary just out on Netflix last night titled 'Bad Vegan'. A little misleading as the vegan in question was good but it was when someone she met took over her life; that was the bad vegan part. A successful, attractive, restaurateur in Manhattan, New York, Sarma Melngailis  owned a busy restaurant named Pure Food and Wine and was also an author of two successful books.  It was at the start of the raw food movement and was frequented by high profile business people, movie stars and fashion icons. Everything was good with future plans to expand; there was already another shop selling natural food and drinks called The Lucky Duck. It was when she met a mysterious man in 2011 that seemed to cast a spell over her and he manipulated her into giving him money and that eventually led to stealing money from investors and employees. He said he had a secret life and that he was involved with "black ops" and was constantly travelling.  Sarma was never...

It's now been four weeks since President Putins bad decision to "try" to take Ukraine against much local resistance. More than he or his generals ever expected. There were no flowers and and open arms from the populace waiting to be rescued "from the dreaded nazis" as was told to the Russian people as an excuse for the attack. One mans ego has changed everything and still, at this stage, we are on the edge of world war 3. We all pray that won't be the case. To date 6.5 million people have been displaced within Ukraine and in excess of 3.6 million have already left the country as refugees to surrounding countries where an unknown future awaits them. One quarter of the entire population of 44 million have been forced from their homes. Their lives changed from a normal daily family routine to becoming displaced people, losing their homes, their loved ones, their men taking up arms to fight. Many never having held, let alone used, a gun in their lives. As the wo...

😲 Last night I had a visitor at 4.30am! Two actually...and they were in my bedroom!! Curious? I was scared... It was a dream...of course...more like a nightmare! Have you ever had that dream...that feeling...of being utterly fearful, frightened for your own safety and totally helpless. Silly I know but often a dream can feel so very real and the people so real, often waking up in a cold sweat and so utterly relieved to know it was....just a dream. I have to admit I have had them before, not that often thankfully, where you just can't call out. You want to but nothing comes out. Nothing. I wasn't running away from anyone, falling, or climbing stairs racing to get away from someone chasing me. I've had that one before and just getting to the door and closing it before "they/it" reaches me. That's exhausting enough this one was different. I was in bed of all places and I knew there were other people in the room as I felt someone grab hold of my leg; then someone...

                                                                       End of an era... Today it was something quite different. It was the scattering of a friends ashes, on an outgoing tide,  combined with the ashes of his partner Malcolm.  The two drifting out to sea together on yet another journey. Peter was an older man who, lets say, was at a complete loss when his partner of around sixty years died several years ago. They had spent a lifetime together since meeting in their twenties. They left New Zealand  in 1961 as young men on a lifetime adventure to England together by ship. It was a time when to be two males in a relationship was not understood, was not accepted, as it is mostly today.  Their life took on directions I'm certain would fill a book. Businesses, many beautiful homes t...

 This truly touched my heart 😢😢  this morning on Twitter. This is quoted directly from a Tweet by a journalist from Ukraine: "I grew up here. The house of my family has stood here for almost 2 decades. Now this village is occupied by Russians, homes are burned down, dead bodies are on the streets where I used to skate. My three dogs are alone at home. I will never forgive." I just cannot imagine...cannot imagine! My heart breaks truly 💔 I feel their pain although I am a million miles away I still feel their pain. None of this should be happening but for the cruelty of one man. One man that can create so much death and destruction is just beyond any belief. Some people say you should forgive your enemies. I really don't know how anyone could forgive..ever! I know I couldn't that's for sure. How could you possibly forgive? We see it constantly on our TV screens but are sanitised from the smell of death and suffering in the air. If only the People of Russia were a...

I know my blogs here are not earth shattering, life changing, maybe some are thought provoking they are just my thoughts. Mikes thoughts as I call the header; just things that come into my mind. Some stranger than others.. but the following may have no interest to anyone outside of Australia and the U.K..maybe the U.S. Most likely many have not even heard of Benny Hill. Let me explain: Benny Hill was a British comedian, a very successful comedian, from the early 1960's to the late 80's. His TV show was an amalgam of slapstick, burlesque and double entendre in a format that included live comedy and filmed segments. He would do things, makes jokes, dress up chasing buxom ladies...then they chasing him. Things that would, most likely, not be appropriate these days.   I'm sure they can be found on YouTube if a search was made. It's worth a look,,and a laugh! I was on Twitter..as I tend to do...the other day and I found this absolutely brilliant compilation of photos mixed i...

What brave, brave, men these three are: The Prime Ministers of the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovenia are travelling to Kyiv, by train amongst almost continuous bombing, to show their solidarity with the Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.  The first foreign leaders to visit  Kyiv since the invasion began. "They want to show their support for independence and freedom," the Czech Prime Minister said. I am sure we all wish this terrible suffering and destruction will cease soon. It should never have begun in the first place due to one mans ego and quest for power. With over two million refugees fleeing the country mostly women, children and their belongings packed into a bag or suitcase it is truly heart breaking...truly. A human rights group estimates that nearly 15,000 protesters have been detained in Russia at rallies since the invasion of Ukraine began on Feb 24. Two dozen independent Russian media organisations have been forced to shut down or chosen to stop operations...

I have to admit how surprised I am at comments coming from some of  the right wing groups and one commentator especially on U.S. TV supporting Russia and President Putin. It's well known and widely reported that a commentator on Fox news in the U.S,  has been saying the "right things" to please Russia so much that they have even been translated and shown on Russian state TV to be used as propaganda against the west. Does anyone think this is okay? Surely even the far right in politics..I mean..how can they support what is happening at the moment in Ukraine? There are plenty of them it seems. I just watched a You Tube of Ukrainan  Diplomat Olexander Scherba.  I have enclosed the link.  It is self explanatory..      https://youtu.be/GJYbO-R7Fi8 As a person on Twitter just said has anyone ever noticed that this commentator hardly ever shows any support or solidarity with Ukraine. Which seems strange on an American TV show? It's quite...

Amongst all the sad news lately and I know it can truly get us down, it certainly does me that's for sure, I was transported back to my youth and happier times while standing in line at the checkout at the supermarket this morning. They do play some old but good music don't they. Yes it was music and memories. What would we indeed do without music and memories? As I was standing there singing along I was back in my bedroom playing my old reel to reel tape recorder with the recording mic just in the socket far enough so that I could sing along with amplification. That was long before the days of karioke machines...Oh how I would have loved to have got my hands on one of those! I couldn't afford to buy records so I would borrow and record them. Highly illegal..but you gotta do...what you've gotta do! It was a lifetime ago and so so much has happened since. Many different addresses and different countries a world away. I would sing along hour after hour, night after night,...

 I truly felt sick this morning as I heard about the bombing of a Maternity and Childrens hospital  in Mariupol, Ukraine... What kind of a monster allows this to happen. Could this be a tipping point in the war so far where the west says enough is enough...  I really fear that after this footage is seen around the world this could easily take a far, far more serious turn. Maybe that is Putins intention after all things haven't gone the way he thought they would by all accounts. His invading forces were not welcomed with flowers and open arms to "rescue" the population. If only the ordinary people of Russia could somehow see what is happening instead of just following like well behaved sheep at whatever their leader says. They continually are being told on state television that there is no bombing of civilians. They are fearful to speak out for fear of retribution. There is no opposition media it is all tightly controlled. Any opposition has been shut down completely. Ther...

 As the invasion...yes invasion...although Russia doesn't like to call it that...as the Invasion of Ukraine moves into day twelve and the heartbreaking scenes of fleeing refugees fill our television screens daily of mostly women and children, some even cradling their pets, as they head towards the Polish border. Almost two million of them with just what they can carry.   From then on...who knows? Can they return?  If so what will they be returning to?  Male relatives of fighting age stay to fight the Russians. Sadness personified. As I have mentioned in a previous blog I am so pleased my parents are not seeing what is happening.  I know they would  be absolutely distraught having gone through the bombing of London, England during word war 2. Now eighty years or so later the threat of war in Europe threatens once again.  It is at least comforting to know that there are sanctions being placed on Russia and many companies are now either pulling out o...

 "I find watching the PGA tournament helps cleanse my emotional palate. Calming and Beautiful."                                                                       WHAT ! This was said on Twitter by someone concerning the terribly sad and emotional invasion of Ukraine where there is so much death and destruction. I mean...what the **!   I admit maybe I wasn't as polite as I should have been in my reply and I went to bed feeling guilty at what I'd said. I guess I need to step away more from the news reports as they are truly disturbing.  It's not to necessarily suffer with them, as that's impossible, but at least I feel I need to be aware of what the population of Ukraine are going through in these exceptionally trying times. So many of us support Ukraine and wish we could do more but to buy a ...

 Yesterday we went shopping...MASKLESS 😲 Yes the rules are now being relaxed but I have to admit it did feel strange after wearing them out for the past eighteen months or so. I really don't mind wearing a mask out it's really no great hardship. Some say masks don't work anyway why wear them? N95 masks with AMD Nanofibre filter are trusted by medical professionals world wide. High filtration 99.66%  particle efficiency. Sold in many shops and chemists. I wear an ordinary medical mask but feel quite safe being fully vaccinated plus the booster shot. What I always ask is why are masks worn in hospital in operating theatres if they don't think they work...even my dentist wears a mask? Maybe not an N95 mask I know and not always just to stop a virus but masks of any style must help and most professionals are fully vaccinated anyway. I suggest those that say masks don't work, before they have an operation next, (hopefully never but then we never know) suggest to the the...

  This is a cartoon that applies to Canada but it also applies equally to many countries. There have been so many "freedom"  marches and demonstrations in Australia, New Zealand, U.K. Canada and throughout America...many countries around the world. Do people really have any idea what freedom truly is and what the people of Ukraine are going through? There is really no comparison... I have no idea who drew the cartoon...they just have my admiration. I would willingly acknowledge the artist if I knew and remove it if required to do so. No copyright violation intended. 

Anyone that's "on the edge" at the moment concerned with what's going on in the world is surely to be tipped over that proverbial edge; also just coming through two years of Corona virus as well. Let's hope reassuring help is at hand.... Many have busy lives and don't like to even think outside of their family circle concerning what is happening but anyone, anyone, at the moment must surely have thoughts about the future, I know I do, frequently; now more than ever. Amongst all the sadness that is Ukraine (my few recent blogs are about that if you care to read them) we in Australia are going through horrendous floods. Two years ago it was devastating bush fires where hundreds of homes and millions of animals were lost to the fires...now it's floods. I am fine here and often feel safer living near the beach...not too near mind...but rather here than near a river...especially one that's known to flood.  It was only ten years ago that the Brisbane river f...