Mikeatmainbeach

                             I know this photo is only made up but how many wish it were real 😏 All the suffering. The many millions of people that have been displaced throughout Europe. The many, many thousands of innocent people that have been needlessly killed. Their homes and lives disrupted forever!                                After two months of fighting there seems no end to this nightmare...                                                                 #We Stand With Ukraine                                                       ...

I had to go to the transport department for my driving license renewal yesterday. I don't know what it is but not the most comfortable feeling for some reason. Maybe it's people paying fines or they are there for driving infringements but also maybe it's just me. Most likely it's just me... I don't think I would like to work there. The people there do a good job of course it's not that... I guess dealing with some customers it can be stressful. Going in...there are around thirty people sitting there waiting all facing the door so as soon as anyone walks in everyone looks up at them blankly. Of course I had no idea what to do on entry and looked furtively around the room for a ticket person, or something, feeling all eyes on me😨  The security guy seated by the door looked up from checking his 'phone, noticed my confusion, and called..."Just select and press!" as he pointed to a machine with a number of divisions highlighted. I selected the appropri...

Is anyone as shocked as I am that Mr. Musk will pay $44 billion for Twitter to open up the digital soap box, the digital speakers corner, for anyone to say anything? An opportunity for real free speech without constraints. $44,000.000.000 Billion. All those zero's...wow! Mind boggling isn't it! I just think what good that large amount of money would do in the world. Could do FOR all the world. Good luck to him for having plenty of money, it's not that what concerns me, it's just that if Twitter becomes a free for all where anyone can say anything, attack anyone, have no moderation at all surely it could lead to even more violence in the world.  We all know why a certain U.S. President was banned from Twitter. It was said because of the false information he and his followers were spreading and stirring up trouble. Just imagine if it were free reign and anything went. There has to be some kind of a check surely. What if people were able to whip up race riots and gang trou...

We live in a Google or Siri world for sure where a virtual assistant, on instant command, will turn lights on and off, beckoned music appears from hidden speakers around the house and jokes are relayed by a distant metallic voice. It's great when it all works but the setting up can be a worry sometimes... We were at a friends place the other morning and he asked to switch the TV on...when the lights came on instead...great fun!  "Classical music please?"....and the TV comes on again after being switched off previously😖 "Lights?". Maybe...but not all...just some come on...and the TV switches on again ! It's great when it all works it's just the setting up part that takes the time 😏 I often wonder what our grandparents would say of such things where we don't even have to get out of our chair now to actually do anything. Not even a remote control for the TV it can also now be voice activated. Weather, instant news, cooking recipes, set the timer, any ...

I'm no great political knowledge and I don't pretend to be but the general consensus within Australia and by following social media and different TV taking heads we do seem to have "dropped the ball", as it were, with the Solomon Islands. Even though some of those around me disagree 😏 Recently, within the last few days actually, the government of the Solomon Islands has signed a deal that has  "shocked the world" as stated by one newspaper here over a China-Solomon's security pact. The deal could allow Beijing to send military and police personnel to it's new ally and possibly base naval vessels within Solomon Island waters. The region has become a strategic tug of war between Australia, New Zealand, The United States and China for a few years now and this new pact could allow China to establish a military base less than 2,000km from the east coast of Australia. It could be very concerning for Australia as when this was signed it rightly surprised p...

Maybe not the best thing to say to someone that's isn't feeling the best and propped up in bed..."You look just like your mother before she died"! 😄😄  A friend of ours took a photo on her 'phone and sent to her husband interstate while in bed not feeling too well and that was the result. They have a holiday apartment above us here in the building and the lady was here on her own for a couple of weeks organising new furniture and expecting to have a wonderful holiday, catching up with friends and coffee's out and lunches, while husband remained interstate with business and family. Then suddenly the after effects of a recent illness kicked in, that she thought was now behind her, and she felt very poorly indeed.  Maybe it was the flight..or maybe just the stress of  travel who knows. Sometimes it's possible to catch "things" on a flight...even with a mask on! Felt unwell for a couple of days.. I have been 'phoning/texting every day checking i...

All this money spent on private citizens going to space? I really don't understand it. I suppose if you have billions it's not that much to fork out around half million dollars or so for the experience but I think I would rather do more here on Earth either for myself or help others than fly to space. I guess it's a case of "been there done that" they can say to their envious friends but really it leaves me rather cold. I'm pretty sure I heard  just recently the three private cititizen's that are now orbiting Earth on the international space station paid 75 million dollars each for the privilege. Can that be correct? They will conduct experiments while there but even for a billionaire that's still a lot, a huge amount of money, to spend for the experience. Imagine what you could do with that much money? Imagine. The mind truly boggles...your own  private island if you wish with connecting flights by private helicopter or people to care for your every w...