octave

Ye, I totally agree. I would describe us as being on the woke end of the scale. Mrs Ocatve and I have regular conversations about how the system could be better, although we don't come up with much. One of our neighbours worked with someone who knew of this woman, and they said she went to an exclusive school and her father is a retired policeman. The nature of the operation seemed to change with time. At first, we would see her walking out a few steps behind hard-looking men. We put it to Housing that perhaps she was being manipulated. After about 6 months, it became clear that us neighbours were reporting things to the police. The "hard men" seemed to visit less, and she began to be the one coming and going with minions following her. We suspect that she started to play a bigger part and was ambitious. In our meetings with housing, there was a lot of info that they had, but for privacy reasons, they were unable to pass on. At one stage, she did have a legitimate job and was sacked. She took her employer to court for unfair dismissal and lost; however, she did appeal, and on the day of the appeal did not turn up. A lot of information came out at the VCAT hearing. After many warnings from housing, they told her that they would find her a new housing property, which apparently they did, and she turned it down. The presiding member (judge) asked her why she turned it down, and she said, "too many druggies in that suburb" She was also offered counselling, which she started and then stopped, but she claimed that the week before the hearing, she had resumed counselling. We were not sure that we would win the case. History shows that VCAT is very reluctant to evict anyone, and I understand that. The case for the housing department was put by a housing officer with no particular legal training, and the tenant had a lawyer from a housing advocate group (in fact 2 of them) Our local serious crime squad detective sergeant gave evidence first. We didn't hear his evidence because you can't go in until you give evidence, and then you can stay for the rest of the hearing. When he came out, he had a quiet word with us. He said, "Don't get hung up on the evidence, it has already been presented. emphasise the emotional toll" When I gave evidence, the member asked her legal team if they wanted to cross-examine me. The lawyer said, "No, we don't want to add further trauma to the neighbours. I started to feel more optimistic. They were not questioning the evidence. They put it to VCAT that the eviction was not fair and proportional Then came the beautiful part. She wasn't down to speak, having declined the opportunity. She suddenly changed her mind, and she did speak in her defence, but she really started to incriminate herself. She said that the people who visit are hardened criminals and that she is scared of them. Her defence was that she was a victim along with us neighbours. The presiding member was pretty switched on. He asked her why these people visit her. She tried to chage the subject, but he persisted. "What is the motivation for these criminals to come to your house?." She said, "Because I'm a soft touch", she said. She then went on to say that she would often stay at her mother's house because she was scared to be at this property. In the verdict the member said "you say you are afraid to be at your property and you stay with your mother, you dont seem to want to be a anciallye property and your neighbors are suffering, the best thing is for you to vacate (14 days) of course it was more like a month because she did not even start moving until the police came to say that she would be physicall removed on monday. As to what can be done about this kind of problem, I don't really know. Housing can not vet anyone; if you qualify financially, then you are on the list. This woman, I believe, is back on the list and has a high priority. There are stories in the press about others who find themselves in this situation, and often the neighbours just have to move. We decided we would dig in. Some neighbours did give up and move. The police were pushing housing to move her to a particular area. I am not sure of the details, but I believe that it was about herding all the hard cases into one area where they could be more easily policed. I feel that even if housing offers properties to the hard cases that it needs to at least have a few strings attached. Perhaps you could earn your way into a better property with time and good behaviour. Although we are woke bleeding heart lefties, we don't feel too concerned. She has family in the area, and indeed, sometimes we would not see her for days. There would be times when she did not have others staying, and then things would be quiet, but this would not last long. Anyway, all is well, trauma gone, and the property is being sold to someone we know. We believe the outcome was fair and just; however, it took way too long and way too much effort on our part. Being retired helped, but sometimes we would put in a whole day's work looking through hours of doorbell footage and sending it to housing and the police. We know our evidence got several people arrested. We did wonder if there would be reprisals; however, it has been 2 months. These people were pretty dumb, and I suspect they have moved on. There is a saying about successful dealers don't use the products themselves or "don't get high on your own supply" The detective who arrested one of them told me that "he was as dumb as a speed bump" Here is a picture of Knife Man. (deidentified) Knife Man was high on some kind of upper and spent about 2 hours polishing his pushbike. We noticed that he had a scabbard attached to his bike. He wasn't being aggressive, in fact, a neighbour told him to keep the noise down, and he said "sorry mate" We called the police and they did apprehend him briefly, searched him and confiscated the knife.

Sorry, that was a typo, I meant to say we are definitely NOT anti-public housing, being that only 5% of tenants are problematic. I think the problem is that the system works, but very slowly. Checks and balances are necessary, but they need to move faster. Our neighbour was charged several times with drug possession, which is not enough to get you evicted. Drug dealing is enough to get you evicted; however, this drug dealing is but video of someone selling drugs is not enough. The police have to catch the person in possession of a certain amount of drugs, and these people know how to carry only this amount. If a tenant commits a serious crime, they can be evicted, although they have to be prosecuted and have been found guilty in court. A tenant is also responsible for the behaviour of her visitors. Here is a good example. One morning, a man turned up looking for the tenant and shouting abuse. One of our neighbours told him to keep the noise down. The man (allegedly) lifted his shirt to reveal a pistol in his waistband. This was reported to the police, but by the time they got here, the man had left. When it was reported to the housing department, they said (and it is true) that they can not act without evidence. The tenant denied knowing the man. I think it is fair and correct to give people a second chance, just not a fourth or fifth chance.

Here is something that Mrs Octave and I are still celebrating two months on. In 2017 we moved from our beautiful 44-acre bush block with its own crystal-clear river. After 21 years, we were thinking of what it would be like living there as elderly people. We had many neighbours who had grown old and needed people to shop for them, given it was 20 km to the nearest town. We did not want this for ourselves, being that we are fiercely independent. We also did not want to work until we were old and knackered. At 55 years old, we sold up and bought a small unit. For seven years, we would say that “it was a bit of a risk, but not once have we regretted it.” Then we found out that the mysterious premises next door was owned by the Housing Department—public housing. Eventually, they moved someone in. “Hi, I am Sonia,” she said as she introduced herself to my wife, “if I am ever too noisy, just let me know.” We consulted with another neighbour and suggested to him that she may be dealing drugs. The first night, there was a procession of lowlifes coming and going. The other neighbour confirmed this when he said that he had confronted her and she had admitted it. Her defence was that it was not her fault—it was the people who visited her and she could not stop them. Whilst this was plausible, 20 months of observation suggested she was a willing participant. The next six months became hell for us and our other neighbours. We and other neighbours installed doorbell cameras. The first call to the police we made was on a Sunday morning when two testosterone-fuelled morons were being noisy. My wife confronted them, but this made no difference. She did note, however, that they appeared to be switching number plates between two vehicles. A quick search on VicRoads showed that they were putting a plate from a registered car onto an unregistered car. We called 000, and they had someone on scene within about 20 minutes. Result: one arrested, one got away. This turned out to be the least of our problems. Over the next six months, we had several police raids (the use of a ram to bash the door down type affair). A man climbed onto our roof to evade the police. Another man stood outside our place, waving around a savage-looking hunting knife. We called 000, and by the time they arrived, he was on the road leaving the premises, but was detained and searched and had his weapon confiscated—though not arrested. As he came back to the premises, he was shouting, “If I find out who dobbed me in…” Another was arrested and tackled to the ground with a stolen motor scooter. A woman was viciously assaulted. A man was arrested (and jailed) with a loaded gun. (Earlier, I had confronted this creature, but at the time I did not know he was armed.) I think there were around six or seven full-on raids in total. Naively, we thought that this would prompt the Housing Department to evict the tenant. At first, we thought they just did not care. Mrs Octave and I did our research and found that the Housing Department cannot evict anyone directly—VCAT makes the order, and it comes with many second chances. A search of the net suggested that people in a similar predicament had given up, sold up, and moved. There was no way we were going to do that. We printed large signs warning of video surveillance and that drug activity would be reported, saying “deal drugs elsewhere.” This really ruffled feathers, but was quite effective—they started dealing further away. Although things improved, we were not prepared to tolerate it. We had two allies, one in Housing and one in the Serious Crime Squad. Whilst we felt they were ineffective (due to the limits of their power), we made daily incident reports to Housing and many, many Crime Stoppers reports (we lost count at 80). If I detail every dramatic thing that happened, this post would be way too long. There were several aborted VCAT cases. The problem is that the Housing Department does not have the budget for legal representation, whereas the tenant had free legal representation. VCAT tends to be reluctant, in this climate of homelessness, to put someone out on the street—and I can understand that. After one aborted case, the frustrated housing officer, Jessica, came out from the hearing, burst into tears, hugged us, and told us that she was determined to get rid of this tenant. We arrived home one day to be approached by an ashen-faced detective asking if he could have our doorbell cam footage. Of course, we sent it to him, and as we ourselves watched it, we were horrified to see the video of him parking behind a car under the neighbour’s carport, behind a suspect car. This car reversed into the unmarked police car, the detective leaping out of the way and escaping death by inches. The car managed to escape. (We do have an exciting video of this.) When the case was scheduled and the tenant and her “cockroaches” had obviously received a copy of our (and our neighbours’) evidence, about 7 AM, two of her female hangers-on were riding scooters up and down outside shouting, “We know your names, WE KNOW ALL OF YOUR NAMES.” and in fact mention my wife by name, this was gold for the VCAT case. By this stage, we had learned that these morons were too messed up to carry through any kind of threat. Fast forward to July 1. We were at VCAT along with one of our braver neighbours. The local Detective Sergeant gave evidence (they usually don’t bother with VCAT matters). We felt the case was airtight, but VCAT tends to side with the tenant. We all gave our evidence, which was stressful. She was not going to address VCAT, but at the last minute, she changed her mind. It was beautiful—ten whole minutes of self-incrimination. The verdict - Fourteen days to move out. Of course, she did not. So, a week after the 14 days, the police knocked on her door with a “we are coming to throw you out by force on Monday.” On Sunday night at 11:30PM, she and some of her people drove up in a van. They finally left about five minutes before the police arrived. They did leave most of their stuff (other than the meth, I would imagine). Whilst this was occurring, we did suffer anxiety. The sound of a car in the middle of the night would cause me to sit up in bed and grab my phone to see what was going on outside. Even during a trip to New Zealand in April, when staying in a hotel, the sound of a car would cause me to jump. Eight weeks later, this has all gone. There have been upsides as well. We are now very good friends with most of the neighbours. We started a WhatsApp group and would provide instant (and sometimes hilarious) intel about what was happening. We have become very good friends with our closest neighbour. When this neighbour moved in, they were clearly female, but they have transitioned. I wanted to make contact earlier, but I think this person assumed that because I was of a certain age, I would be anti—which could not be further from the truth. Now we go out to lunch together every few weeks. And for the icing on the cake, we put to the Housing Department: how do we know we won’t be put in a similar situation in the future? We also engaged the local state MP. We pretty much said, “We will not put up with it.” We then received an email that sort of suggested they would sell the property rather than go through this again. That sounds good, but who will buy it? Last week we had a BBQ to celebrate, and cheekily we had it on the porch of the now empty offending property (dancing on their f*****g grave). One of our neighbours admitted that she has made an offer for the property. She has a few properties in the street that she rents, and all her tenants are top-notch. The end of this story could not be better for us. Just a few points I would like to make. We are definitely anti–public housing. During this period, it became a full-time job collating evidence and making reports as well as researching the law. In Victoria, we found that there are serious complaints against less than 5 per cent of public tenants. This is very small but very serious, and solutions need to be found. These people are a problem for their neighbours, both public and private. In situations like this, although it is easy to direct anger at those you feel could instantly fix your problem, usually, you are unaware of their limitations ans difficulties. Don’t make enemies—make allies, even if they frustrate you at times. Don’t listen to people who say it can’t be done. Don’t whinge and say “poor me.” Either work out how you are going to fix the problem and, if that is not possible, how you are going to live with the problem (we had a “live with” plan). Don’t be afraid to ring 000. Although there are ads that say if you need us but you don’t need lights or sirens, ring another number, we were initially reticent. But we were told by our friendly detective that you should not worry that it may not be serious enough. I would usually start a 000 call by saying, “No one is in immediate danger but…” Our detective assured me that 000 triage calls, and we were well aware that they may or may not attend. 000 calls, even if not acted upon, create a record that can help build a case. Overall, we were happy with the police, given the stress they are under, although I do have some suggestions that I might pass on. Something we found useful was the welfare check. You ring up the police and say you think your neighbours are doing drugs, and someone sounds like they may be in distress. The police don’t really do much, but it did give the neighbours a fright to have the police knock on their door. Above all, do not surrender to emotion. It is rational, intelligent thinking that will solve the problem. Some of the dramatic occurrences that we caught on video A man on our roof is trying to flee the police (he fell off) Man with a rather large knife (we got him detained) Man arrested carrying a homemade pistol - jailed Man flying a drone over our place at 3 AM Numerous obvious drug deals (it was like a McDonald's drive-through for crystal meth.) At least 6 dramatic raids IE door smashed in. Detective narrowly escapes a car ramming Anyway, we are pretty proud of ourselves, and although it took too long, the result could not be better. This is ultimately a story with a happy ending. We have gigabytes of extremely dramatic footage that I probably shouldn't share, but here is testosterone man (we came up with names for all of the characters) assaulting a woman.

A man wakes up in the hospital, wrapped head to toe in bandages. The doctor walks in and says, “Mr. Jenkins, you’re lucky to be alive. You’ve been through a horrific accident… but you’re going to make a full recovery.” The doctor hesitates. “That said… there’s no easy way to tell you this. We couldn’t save your penis.” Mr. Jenkins’s eyes widen in horror. The doctor quickly adds, “But! I’m a specialist in penile reconstruction. I can build you a brand-new one—fully functional, maybe even better than the original. Custom size, top shelf. The only catch? It’s $1,000 per inch.” Jenkins, still rattled, says, “Well, I’ve got $9,000 saved up. So… I could go all in for nine inches?” The doctor nods. “You could—but I suggest discussing it with your wife first. I mean, nine inches is… ambitious. She might have opinions. No point investing in something she’s afraid to ride.” Jenkins agrees and says he’ll talk to her. The next day, the doctor returns. “So, what did the wife say?” Mr. Jenkins sighs. “She said she wants a new kitchen.”

The blood test for a heart attack is to measure Troponin. Troponin is a protein released by damaged muscle tissue. Unfortunately, it is a measure of the damage already done; however, it does mean that treatment can begin, and further damage can hopefully be avoided.

But when it is not, the consequences can be bad. In a way, it is lucky if a heart attack is stereotypical because the extreme pain prompts most people to seek treatment. The silent heart attack has all the negative outcomes without the strong warning signs. "Approximately 45% of heart attacks are estimated to be silent, meaning they occur without the classic, noticeable symptoms like intense chest pain. These silent heart attacks can be identified through diagnostic tests like electrocardiograms (ECGs) and are associated with a similar risk of future death as heart attacks with noticeable symptoms"

On the subject of heart attacks, a problem is that we tend to have this dramatic idea of what a heart attack is like. Movies and even health adverts tend to show the victim clutching their chest and in severe pain. This is not always the case. Silent Heart Attack

I know right, there is no one more surprised than me. I think 12 years ago, I decided to try and exercise most days of the week, and because gaining fitness is a slow process, it crept up on me. Nah, I am way too lazy for that. I agree, but I would caution that we are primed to notice the typical heart attack, but many heart attacks are not typical. The crushing pain can be oesophageal spasms (I get this off and on), and also, you can have a heart attack without the crushing chest pain. If in doubt..... What I would say is that calling an ambulance or going to ER with something that does not turn out to be a heart attack will not be treated with derision by the medical folks.

In my case, my heart f*****g up was a bit of a lifesaver. Whilst my problem was equal parts lifestyle and genetics (thanks, Dad), it did encourage me to change my lifestyle (12 years ago). Last year, I did a stress test. I did this because I had some chest discomfort and went to ER. All tests proved negative. I had 3 choices: ignore it and hope for the best, have an angiogram (invasive and with a small risk), or have a stress test. I do exercise most days so I wasnt too bothered about this test.. When I am bushwalking and climbing a steep hill, I have often thought that maybe I could drop dead. I am philosophical about this, preferring to drop dead bush walking rather than wasting away in aged care. During the stress test they gradually increase the speed and incline, and you can tell them when you want to stop. After 12.5 minutes, I called it. Then they give you a quick echocardiogram to see how your heart behaves under stress. Although I have some abnormalities, I scored a METS (Metabolic Equivalence of Task) of 15.4, which is excellent (even for a 20-year-old). I keep the full report on my desk as it encourages me to keep up the exercise. This describes my situation: "A 63-year-old individual achieving a 15.4 METs score on a stress test with an ejection fraction of 48% indicates a very good to excellent exercise capacity, especially considering their age and heart function. The ejection fraction of 48% is slightly below the normal range, but the high METs score suggests good cardiovascular fitness and a favourable prognosis." These days, I am less concerned with longevity and more with remaining physically and mentally agile.

Because I have a Pacemaker/ICD, my heart is monitored 24/7, and twice a year the data is downloaded and analysed. Last time they detected a short episode of AFib lasting 32 seconds, which is not particularly noteworthy. This did lead to a conversation with my cardiologist about how long it takes for blood clots to form. In my case, 32 seconds is not enough to warrant treatment. In fact many healthy people have episodes of AFib and never know it.

Atrial Fibrillation is quite common, especially in older people. Around 5% of people over 55 have it, and its incidence increases with age. Many people have it without knowing it, and most people will have short episodes. AFib itself is not usually fatal but can lead to complications such as stroke, and over time, heart failure or cardiomyopathy. Because this condition is reasonably common and often not diagnosed, it pays to be aware of early symptoms. What Is AFib?

How so? A pacemaker is not the same as a defibrillator; it is very different.

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a common heart condition where the heart's upper chambers (atria) beat irregularly and out of sync with the lower chambers (ventricles). This can lead to a rapid and irregular heartbeat, reducing the heart's ability to pump blood effectively. AFib is associated with an increased risk of stroke and heart failure. This is incorrect. How do I know? I have a combined pacemaker/defibrillator also known as an ICD (implantable cardioverter defibrillator) A pacemaker regulates the heartbeat. It can only speed up the heartbeat it can not slow down a heartbeat. Most people with a pacemaker take beta blockers, which slow the heart down so the pacemaker can do its work. The defibrillator senses abnormal rhythms, most importantly ventricular fibrillation, which can lead to sudden cardiac arrest. Afib is of concern because it causes pooling of the blood and increases to risk of stroke. A pacemaker does not work as a defibrillator however, they can be combined (this is what I have). You can have a pacemaker (no defibrillator) or a defibrillator with no pacemaker I know this from 1st hand experience. ICD vs. Pacemaker: What’s the Difference? What is atrial fibrillation?

Just a slight correction I think, instead of atrial fibrillation (Afib) you may mean Ventricular. Afib is relatively common, and the risk it poses is that blood tends to pool and may clot, causing strokes. The treatment, if it is bad enough, is blood thinners. Ventricular fibrillation is the one that usually kills you when having a heart attack. People prone to this are generally treated by having an ICD (defibrillator) implanted.

Trump did confuse Alaska and Russia during his press conference

I had a bit of a search and I believe it is a bit premature to think that over-80s will be banned from driving in the UK. Here are some news quotes from the most alarmist and sensational news sources. https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/2094131/maximum-driving-age-over-80s-banned-roads An expert has suggested that a new “maximum driving age” should be considered, with motorists forced to get off the roads past a certain age. In other words, an expert has suggested it. Experts make all kinds of suggestions that are not put into practice. Ths same article goes on to say: Labour is understood to be looking into a crackdown on road rules, including the introduction of mandatory eyesight testing for over 70s. However, officials are not believed to be looking into a maximum cut-off point for licences, with campaigners believing this was the best way forward.

The Apple air pods are for mild to moderate hearing loss. They work best when paired with an Apple iPhone although I believe they will work with Android but more of a pain to setup I believe.

Here is an interesting opinion from Adam Savage (Mythbusters), who has significant hearing loss.

I saw trolley buses in Wellington, NZ, a few years ago. They ran until 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolleybuses_in_Wellington

Yep, can't complain. They are a little noisy inside. When we fly, which is 4 or 5 times a year we work out the break-even point between train plus Skybus and decide how to travel. During our recent NZ trip, we travelled on an Electric bus from the airport into the city, very smooth and quiet.

Here is a cameo appearance by Jim Lovell in the film Apollo 13. He plays the captain of the recovery ship.

We use SkyBus around 8 times a year, and it gets the job done, but very noisy. I look forward to travelling electric to the airport. SkyBus to go electric in Melbourne

Some electric cars fall short of claimed range by up to 23%, Australian motoring group finds Here are a few relevant points from this article A government-funded program to test the true performance of vehicles has found the driving range of five popular electric cars is between 5% and 23% lower than results from laboratory testing. The Australian Automobile Association tested vehicles from Tesla, BYD, Kia and Smart – the first EVs to be put through its four-year, federally funded Real World Testing Program to give consumers more accurate information on vehicle performance. The extended range variant of the BYD Atto3 had the largest discrepancy, according to the AAA, with a real-world range of 369km, 23% lower than the 480km achieved in laboratory testing. The Smart #3 had the lowest, with only a 5% difference. The Tesla Model 3 had a real-world range 14% lower than the lab test. Tesla’s Model Y and the Kia EV6 both had a real world range 8% lower. Is this just an EV thing? No The results come after the AAA released a summary last month of tests on 114 petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles that showed 77% used more fuel than advertised. One in five also broke noxious emissions that were advertised from lab tests.

Whilst it is early days for this technology, it does show enormous potential in many areas. World’s first metal-free electric motor boosts conductivity by 133%, cuts weight 80% Researchers in South Korea have developed the world’s first fully functional electric motor constructed entirely without metal components. This advancement, utilizing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) instead of traditional copper coils, represents a significant step toward ultra-lightweight transportation systems. The motor exhibits a 133% improvement in electrical conductivity and is 80% lighter than conventional designs.

I think the frustrating thing is that the anti-EV crowd scour the media for anything negative about EVs or, indeed, anything that can have a negative spin put on it. I read an article from Sky News that used terms like EVs were no good for Australia, and it invoked the "wide brown land" stereotype as if the average Australian drives through the outback on a daily basis. You can just imagine a group of journos looking for anything negative and ignoring anything positive. So often, there will be a story about an EV fire, and the comments posted will be along the lines of, "these EVs are dangerous". When it turns out that the vehicle was not an EV, suddenly these people move on, "nothing to see here" The Luton airport carpark fire is a prime example. I don't dispute that quoted ranges often are not achieved in the real world. Indeed, my petrol car no longer gets its stated mileage as it ages. One problem is that people's anxieties about range are exploited by those who, for whatever reason, want to halt EV adoption. Many criticisms may have had some validity a few years ago, but things have moved on since then, and the doubters never seem to update their knowledge. Range continues to increase, prices continue to fall, and infrastructure continues to improve. The doubters really are fighting a losing battle. Electrically driven vehicles are not going away because they are simply a more efficient way to turn wheels. How those motors are powered could be by battery or some other method; only time will tell.