sands and sea and big sky...

Sands and sea under big sky always seem to soothe the savage spirit...Beautiful...

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) January 2, 2022

David Milner's latest 'ouch'...

The state of Australian federal politics, David Milner's uncut version.
Notice the introductory spew of alliteration:
'a rapey, racist, rorty rabble', describing 'Canberra's disease' in the political chambers of power so graphically.
It's worth a read... https://t.co/Or6FP81fAU pic.twitter.com/UcjV3t7I1N

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) December 3, 2021

Utterly brilliant as always...
For me, the standout comment: 'We are a nation entrapped by the myths we tell ourselves about ourselves... We are conditioned to love our coal and disdain our brains.'
Overall, the article = a fantastic 'ouch', scorching a burnt political desert.👏

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) December 3, 2021

I normally cherry-pick one or two sentences from your piece to retweet but this week’s entry is overladen with exquisite gems and excoriating truth-bombs. It must simply be read in its entirety as a magnum opus.

— Queen Cersei (@QueenCerseiX) December 3, 2021

I wouldn't wish Morrison merry syphilis, so Albo is a much bigger man than I.

— Claude Tozer (@claudetozer) December 3, 2021

Australian politics and media poll...

I only chose the state of Australian politics as being more depressing than the state of Australian media because it is the rampant shenanigans of too many politicians that feed the media. Cut the political antics and thereby starve the media of reporting shonky political games.

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) October 8, 2021

post lockdown anxiety...

Yes...I'm especially anxious because when my school opens more at end of October, I will be travelling to an area currently a hotspot (+ no sign of change anytime soon). My mask will be worn at all times. One consolation, many student emails re vaccinations=missing remote class.

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) October 6, 2021

so sad...but...see the good news at the end...

Reported yesterday: 1,763 new local cases and 0 cases acquired overseas.
- 35,253 vaccines administered
- 62,189 test results received
- Sadly, 4 people with COVID-19 have died

More later: https://t.co/OCCFTAtS1P#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/V9dumLMJ2A

— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) October 4, 2021

everyone else is hit-by-a-truck exhausted, yeah? that's a thing going round right now, yeh? 😵‍💫

— David Milner (@DaveMilbo) October 5, 2021

Be kind to yourself.

Eat something forbidden
Watch some goofy comedy
Sleep when you need it
Read a book
Ring a friend
Have a huge whinge

Check in with us tomorrow and let us know how you are.

— Chris whatsername, fully vaxed, WA cave dweller (@LimespringsB) October 5, 2021

Yes totally - and all the weird stuff happening - the earth quake, the superspreader riots, bot attacks, the ‘live with the virus’ BS, nuke subs, resignations, ‘save Australia’ nuts, fb mega crash - it’s like we suddenly went from things going well to trump crazy land

— Masked in Vic 😷 (@StoptheVirus5) October 5, 2021

Victoria Case Numbers by LGA
Casey more than doubled in a week#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData #COVID19Aus pic.twitter.com/8pUChepcee

— Citizen Science (@DeadInLongRun) October 5, 2021

This last information really bothers me...I will be back working in this LGA end of October...

My beautiful people of Australia
We are have now surpassed the US in terms of % of the population vaccinated with at least 1 dose. And we haven't lost steam.
We are on our way to be among the most vaccinated places on earth. And to a much better year in 2022!! pic.twitter.com/09nizulMoM

— Nancy Baxter MD PhD (@enenbee) October 5, 2021

Wow that sounds like it would be amazing. Thanks! Would be more than happy 😀

— CovidBaseAU 🦠📊🇦🇺 (@covidbaseau) October 5, 2021

earth tremor 5.4-6.0 magnitude...

MORE SURPISES: I think a quite significant earth tremor just occurred on the Mornington Peninsula.
(2 significant house movements + floor shaking. In fact I held the table for stability.)
I am in Dromana on the hillside of Arthurs Seat.

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) September 21, 2021

My daughter lives in the Riverina, Temora southern NSW...She is saying people in her area felt it too...even though she did not...

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) September 21, 2021

According to the Temora Community on Facebook, the tremor was felt right from NSW central coast to Melbourne...https://t.co/W2vjT1hOYp

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) September 21, 2021

Earth tremor Chapel Street South Yarra #tremor #melbourne #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/CSNlgUPlmT

— Nella Horsburgh (@TriestinaNella) September 21, 2021

This morning's large #earthquake (up to 6 magnitude) has been felt in #Tasmania, #SA, #NSW and of course #Victoria. #Epicentre was in #Mansfield, NE of #Melbourne. No tsunami threat, but there are early damage reports from parts of Victoria. pic.twitter.com/8OAImejQkd

— Madre Swift Justice - Cave Dweller (@JayStill4) September 22, 2021

It is being said that this is the biggest earthquake in Melbourne for 100 years...

So strange that this happened right after Daniel Andrews' early morning 8:15am presser (tremor @8:45am) where he said that the construction industry has been locked down for 2 weeks because it has 350 cases across 150 sites = larger number of cases than in aged care...This was the only industry allowed to remain open during the pandemic...But now he said that the industry needs a 're-set' - which could easily be translated as a 'shake-up' (and Mother Nature obliged to stand by him?) 

I agree, thousands of tradies were saved from falling off scaffolding today. Bravo!

— Roland Gesthuizen (@rgesthuizen) September 22, 2021

Further interesting scenario, a 6.3 earthquake occurred in Chile just hours beforehand...The earthquake impacted Chile and Argentina...https://t.co/0sd8TniujF

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) September 22, 2021

Some nervous humour is emerging out of all this...It's a coping mechanism in these crazy times...

No more horses of the apocalypse, please. Hope everyone OK. #earthquake

— Chief Health Officer, Victoria (@VictorianCHO) September 22, 2021

I think they accidentally summoned them when they sang Horses on the Westgate bridge yesterday...

— 🕯Jessy Vee🕯 (@vaxwell) September 22, 2021

How nice to forget about pressers and COVID! For a few seconds...

— fpvlfc (@fpvlfc) September 22, 2021

Well it helped me forget about the global pandemic for the first time in almost 2 years 😂

— Ange (@angi_grace) September 22, 2021

My sons friend (15) was getting his first dose as it happened!

— Paul B (@PaulBuc98617840) September 22, 2021

Victoria, the place to be. Who needs a TV 😆

— Dan®💉💉 (@Tills9) September 22, 2021

It's a slap in the face if WA doesn't open up to the national earthquake

— David Milner (@DaveMilbo) September 22, 2021

UPDATE:

Here's the latest from Geoscience Australia:
- Initial #earthquake: magnitude 5.8 (downgraded from 6.0) at a depth of 10km at 9:15am
- Aftershock: magnitude 4.0 at a depth of 12km at 9:33am
- Aftershock: magnitude 3.1 at a depth of 6km at 9:54am

— Chelsea Hetherington (@chelsea_hetho) September 22, 2021

DONE...I felt it was the right thing to do for research purposes. I still can't believe the strong shaking of walls and floor vibrations I felt TWICE (one wave after the other, seconds apart) here in Dromana...Yet nothing fell from shelves...Totally weird...

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) September 22, 2021

When the police said they were deploying 'different tactics' in response to the Melbourne protests, firing up the earthquake machine was not something I had on the pick list. #earthquake #Melbourneearthquake

— Peter Clarke (@Renegadecrafts) September 21, 2021

Update: Today's earthquake in VIC has been updated to North of Rawson, VIC .

— Geoscience Australia (@GeoscienceAus) September 22, 2021

Ok. I’m done. This storyline has just gotten ridiculous. I believed the bit about pandemics and ok, maybe the riots. But earthquakes? We need new writers for this show.

— Robyn (@robynbryant33) September 22, 2021

UPDATE: Friday 24th September, 2021

Here's a map showing reported and calculated shaking intensity as collated by submissions to @EarthquakesGA - More info at the event page: https://t.co/UcZK6v0dRy pic.twitter.com/OrlvkYIPOh

— Seismology Centre (@AusQuake) September 24, 2021

Victoria's Road Map to Christmas...

Melbourne’s Lockdown will end October 26 @abcmelbourne #springst

— Bridget Rollason (@bridgerollo) September 19, 2021

Victoria expected to hit its peak of 1400-2900 daily cases (7-day average) between 19-31 October.

A second peak expected over mid-December.@abcmelbourne #springst

— Bridget Rollason (@bridgerollo) September 19, 2021

some big numbers on deaths and cases under Victoria's reopening roadmap, as modelled by the Burnet Institute

even *maintaining* VIC's current lockdown restrictions could see daily cases grow to 1900 within a month, Burnet sayshttps://t.co/ioKwYc5wH8 pic.twitter.com/Wex8ezJYQg

— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) September 19, 2021

Hope+despair...tears+relief...a melting pot of 'I dunno's'...But I'm a high school teacher staring at the next nightmare of re-adjusting lessons to a staggered return to school...I think I'd better try to use this holiday break well+cultivate some super energy to keep going...

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) September 19, 2021

Lots of faith here in Dan Andrews too. Even the tone of his voice is reassuring. As for chocolate, I am kidding myself along that chocolate-covered caramels, (Cadbury Pascal), are not so bad as a large block of chocolate. Just don't ask how long it takes me to eat a bag of them.

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) September 19, 2021

I can't believe it...The presser started at about 12:30pm and ended at 2:24pm...Just on 2 hours...(Poor Dan...The tough just keep marching the tough road)...At least most of the journalists' questions were a little more informed and respectful than usual...That was a pleasant surprise... 

our rainbow of light...

Victoria is truly blessed in these rugged, dark times...
Just to name some public figures...
(+ there are many behind the scenes)...
Dan Andrews
Jeroen Weimar
Martin Foley
Brett Sutton
The Sikh community
Father Bob
frontline medical staff...
We are wrapped in a rainbow of light🙏 pic.twitter.com/jg3rwZws5g

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) September 12, 2021

And Victorians have our own special voice...
Our voice=David Milner @DaveMilbo...
He's more than an award-winning journalist...
We have an expressive writer who senses the atmosphere of 'the room' of the everyday Victorian...
He speaks loudly in 'The Shot'+on Twitter...🙏🙏🙏

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) September 12, 2021

slimy things...

This is one Father's Day gift that has the potential to keep on giving... https://t.co/ZFhHKpOsN6 pic.twitter.com/VMGyCipaPz

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) September 5, 2021

smirking milk dregs...

PASSING THOUGHT: Not motivated to do supermarket shopping that should have been done yesterday. Trying to find+activate some hope beyond lockdown seems somehow more important. But the milk dregs are 'smirking' at me. The little left may not give me a morning coffee tomorrow. 🙄

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) August 15, 2021

Just love David Milner's 'turn of phrase'...Always nails the mood, the climate + kickstarts a smile... 

Anyone got any exciting plans for between this lockdown and the next one? I was thinking about going outside.

— David Milner (@DaveMilbo) August 15, 2021

old v. new world realities...

You just have to laugh wryly at @DaveMilbo's ironic contrast of old and new world realities...The 'image' could symbolise the status of any one of us...
The only bleak alternative is to indulge in a Munch 'Scream' by day and a wolf's howl at the moon by night... https://t.co/2WBzgPnrgT pic.twitter.com/cm58fm3TwK

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) August 12, 2021

school return after lockdown?...

VCE students I'm quite sure will be back+possibly junior primary as you say...That is similar to the last school return after lockdown...Not convinced all students return in one hit because of the sudden school-time parent drop-off...There's more to schools than the students...

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) July 26, 2021

no news...

PASSING THOUGHT: Never thought I would see news facing a blank page straitjacket...
Somehow the old thought that 'no news is good news' has a rather hollow, smirking ring to it... pic.twitter.com/sK400v7FW3

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) February 18, 2021

Your article is smiling sweetly on my Facebook timeline as we speak/read...

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) February 18, 2021

exhausted Melburnians but...

David Milner beautifully represents the stamina of Melburninans... https://t.co/c1QcAQlL4T

— Gemma Wiseman - on Bunurong land, Kulin Nation (@AuraGem) February 14, 2021

from side-show alley...

Dave's brilliant final words on side-show alley='What does Scott Morrison do? He does the appearance of things. Stare too intently and the illusion shatters – just like any good piece of marketing. He is the appearance of a Prime Minister.' Our man in the iron mask - upside down. https://t.co/AdJBIW2Z39 pic.twitter.com/WXAJBGRPmC

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) November 19, 2020

a ruined tweet = great news...

August 2 - DM's original tweet:
11am = not terrible
After 12pm = bad
Wearing a suit = real bad news
Sports jacket = moderately bad news
Northface jumper = it's the weekend
Wearing a suit on the weekend after 12pm = shit's fucked

***And this ruined tweet = brilliant news https://t.co/IOQqs9Ugv7

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) October 26, 2020

He’s seen it, for sure. It’s a deliberate response to YOU. Doubly doubly sure

— Lilian Darmono (@liliandarmono) October 26, 2020

100% knew about this. He’s playing chess and wer are all playing checkers

— Tim (@thunderwilson23) October 26, 2020

David Milner...folk hero...

Uh, wow. Cannot begin to describe how strange being online is at the moment. https://t.co/QkX504WpuO

— David Milner (@DaveMilbo) October 22, 2020

Melbourne's David Milner has risen above 'voice of the people' these days...A humble, honest, 'keep trying' hero... And wow do we need such a rare species in these manic waves of 2020... https://t.co/cnczY7Tsng

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) October 22, 2020

The Shot...

Never, till 2020, have I looked closely at the cogs grinding our political machine. But 2020 = any old political trusts binned + voices (David Milner) in unexpected places respected. He brings empathetic, commonsense hope to a political wasteland + praise only for deserving ones. https://t.co/7qy0bF2FeT pic.twitter.com/AUWMN0DQWv

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) October 20, 2020

the Universe is unfolding as it should...

YES...
'And whether or not it is clear to you,
No doubt, the Universe is unfolding as it should...'
under the watchful eye of a handsome little Ironman... https://t.co/nOXjx6W4QQ

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) October 17, 2020

Twitter lifeline...

I have to grudgingly admit that beyond the social connection, (I'm shy at the best of times out in the world), Twitter is my 'go to' for inspiration, to keep my creative sparks alive... Yes...That means that Twitter is a lifeline in these times for me in more ways than one... https://t.co/sPsmdOJilo

— Gemma Wiseman (@AuraGem) October 13, 2020