Lying eternally in a cradle of splendor ...

-From the Brazilian national anthem

That's how this book I just read started. "Cradle Of Splendor" written by a Texan called Patricia Anthony six years prior to the invasion of Iraq. I would say it's the best book that I have read for a while except that just before it was Terry Pratchett's "Going Postal" (Diskworld's take on coorporate ethics).

For those of you who are amazed that I have blogged so soon after my last effort I offer this explaination. Meh.

Been feeling pretty crappy rhe last couple of weeks, crying and getting angry or sulky or suicidaly depressed for no readilly explainable reason. Hope it doesn't mean that I'm due for another change of medication as this particular one has been most effective and kinder than most when it comes to side effects. The withdrawal effects of efexor are a killer (not so much lethal as just making you wish they were) as I have found out when I have neglected to renew my script for a week or so. Also in my experience it takes several tries to find one that actually does a half way decent job. So I hope there is no change needed.
I realise that some people see the reliance on medicines for mental health as a weakness. It's all right for them to reffer to the meds as a crutch but if they lost a leg I'm sure they'd use one (a crutch that is). It's this kind of thinking (differentiating between mental and physical wellbeing) which leads to people either ignoring mental health issues or in the cases where they cannot be ignored locking the sick away. Admittedly unless you have had a mental illness or have been close to someone who has, then it is hard to understand. Whereas it takes no real effort to extrapolate from your worst bout of sickness (even if it is only a mild flu) to any number of diseases. Or from a stubbed toe to having your leg blown off by a landmine.
This lack of empathy is even worse in those who have power, as it is neccesary to gave a certain level of sociopathy to climb to the top over the (metaphorical) bodies of others
(P= fs where P is power {political or business or financial or some other form} s is sociopathy {or in extreme cases psychopathy} f of course being som mathematical or sociological formula or function {or something}). Indeed the "Let them eat cake" (not that MA actually said it, although her fate should indeed be shared by many modern politicians {not that she was actually a politician either} ) attitude of so many politicians leaves me constantly astonished at the stupidity of the populace in reelecting them time after time. Take Phillip the Rediculous as an example. The man responsible for inflicting the "Pacific Solution" on people fleeing persecution. I once saw him on the idiot box talking about depression and how he didn't believe that it was a real disease (in this case reffering to detainees but implicitly all of the clinically depressed) and nor did the rest of Australia (or words to that effect since I was so enraged and disgusted that I didn't take notes). The attitude that people with mental ilness are "bunging it on" or should "pull thier socks up" or just "get over it" or maybe even "cheer up" is not uncommon. Admittedly the profile of MI has been raised a lot in recent times, especially with prominent figures revealling thier suffering (sadly in some cases by attempting suicide).

I've gotten to the point where I can't remember what my orriginal point was so another rant peters out without getting anywhere. Sorry about this. Here's some quotes stolen from the web which may or may not have little or no bearing on what I was talking about.

Intellectual dishonesty in religion only increases the number of smart
and angry atheists. This is not especially a good thing. -- Louann Miller

"Natural laws have no pity."

I personally think we developed language because of our deep inner need to complain.
- Jane Wagner

I have found some of the best reasons I ever had for remaining at the bottom simply by looking at the men at the top. - Frank Moore Colby

ABROAD, adj. At war with savages and idiots. To be a Frenchman abroad is to be miserable; to be an American abroad is to make others miserable.
- Ambrose Bierce : The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary

The idea of an incarnation of God is absurd: why should the human race think itself so superior to bees, ants, and elephants as to be put in this unique relation to its maker?... Christians are like a council of frogs in a marsh or a synod of worms on a dung-hill croaking and squeaking "for our sakes was the world created."
- Julian the Apostate

Government, today, is growing too strong to be safe. There are no longer any citizens in the world; there are only subjects. They work day in and day out for their masters; they are bound to die for their masters at call. Out of this working and dying they tend to get less and less.
-H.L. Mencken

And what is a good citizen? Simply one who never says, does or thinks anything that is unusual. Schools are maintained in order to bring this uniformity up to the highest possible point. A school is a hopper into which children are heaved while they are still young and tender; therein they are pressed into certain standard shapes and covered from head to heels with official rubber-stamps.
- H.L. Mencken

"We have been fortunate enough to live to a time when virtue, though it
does not triumph, is nevertheless not always tormented by attack dogs."
--Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the Gulag Archipelago.

Nympholepsy: Definition: Original meaning: frenzied emotions resulting from being captured by nymphs or, for weaker souls, simply seeing them; current meaning: emotional anxiety brought on by attempts to attain the unattainable.

"The biggest liar in the world is 'they say'"
--Douglas Malloch

"Our society finds truth too strong a medicine to digest undiluted. In its purest form, truth is not a polite tap on the shoulder. It is a howling reproach."
--Ted Koppel

"Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless
means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral." - Freire / OXFAM

"Blessed are they who learn from their mistakes, for they shall make,
if not necessarily fewer of them, different and more interesting ones."
--Dorothy J. Heydt

"Even when violence is not the answer it certainly puts
the question in a way that is difficult to ignore."
-  Simon Carr

Stockbroker (John Cleese): Well, speaking as member of the Stock Exchange I would suck their brains out with a straw, sell the widows and orphans and go into South American Zinc.
- Monty Python: "Sex and Violence"

That's enough quotes for now.

For those who perservered this far and are wondering about the results of my heart check up. I have an "Occasional ectopic atrial beat" which is apparently nothing to be worried about.

HAPPY NEW POST (YEAR,WHATEVER) .

Well, christmas shopping turned out to be less traumatic than I feared. Just as the rude, aisle blocking, trolley ramming, que ignoring, loud, obnoxious, etc, crowds were about to make me lose the plot Mon takes me aside and buys me a chocolate thick shake and a giant melting moment biscuit.

Was the first time in years that both sisters and thier husbands and offspring were going to be in Downsville for the occasion but Mon and I were going to Nebo for christmas. Everybody understood etc, what a shame I couldn't be there with the whole family for the first time in ages. Then we decided not to go to Nebo and stay home instead. That was when I got the brilliant (misguided) idea to keep it secret from everybody else and then surprise them with our presence (and presents). Well long story short, I won't be doing something like that again any time soon. A substantial part of a successful christmas seems to be preparation.

And now it has passed. New year was nice, Mon's birthday was on new years eve. Small party with fire engines roaring past just before (or was it after, things got a little blurred towards the end) midnight as some enlightened soul thought that starting a bushfire for the new year was a good idea (no it wasn't me, not even so much as a candle in a bucket [ask the Simonster or Jimbo to explain if you're curious, don't know me and happen to know the two mentioned above {that's probably just you emmajeans, though it's likely that I'm overanticipating any actual curiosity}]).

Foolishly exposed myself to the addictive (I can give it up any time I want, really) evil known as ebay in my search for gift ideas. Got some nice presents for people. Got some duds. Got some shit I didn't need, including a razor sharp axe (for a decorative item it really is ridiculously sharp) which I inteligently (what the hell was I thinking) mounted above the phone. No prizes for guessing what happened there, fortunately the wound was small and the bleeding easily staunched (now it has been turned around so the blade is not right above the reciever).

Had a great storm last night, lots of thunder and lightening and pouring rain. First decent shower that we've had for ages. More fuel for Downsvilles justifiably feared humidity (perhaps not quite so fearsome as just plain uncomfortable, insidious and annoying [why didn't I head down to Canberra with everybody else?]). Waiting for the promised follow up rain but it's looking less and less likely.

G.P. tomorrow to see if this irregular heartbeat of mine is worth looking into.