In an octopus’s garden…

… in this particular bit of occy ‘country’ – you need to bring your own shade!  Don’t believe me? Go and have a look-see for yourself:

You can find the full story over at on the National Geographic News website; it’s an interesting read. I don’t know what your own experiences with Octopuses have been, but as a fella who has grown up on the coast and had spent most of his younger days following the critters that inhabit the reef platform across the tidal zone, the octopus was the King (and Queen) of the Reef.

Sure, you have all the other bigger predators and all, but as far as actual brains go – the octopus had it all over the other critters on the reef!  I remember a yarn about a fella who kept multiple marine aquariums.  He had a re-occuring problem; at reasonably regular intervals his crustaceans would disappear in his crab tank.  He felt sure that the fact that he’d separated his octopus in another tank – all on it’s own – well sealed and physically separated from the other tanks, was enough to guarantee his critters safety, in their own tank.

A late foray one night – after weeks of frustration – led him to discover the octopus dining in with his crabby treats.  It had broken out of it’s own ‘enclosure’, ’suckered’ it’s way down to the bench-top, clambered over to the appropriate ‘treats’ tank, and slipped into it’s own salt-water alfresco dining area.  To top all this off – it had chosen the night hours to do so and would be safely ‘tucked up’ – back in it’s own tank – by the morning.  No mean feat for a critter that needs to get it’s oxygen supply from it’s water. Occies sure do like their crab!

I once had one ‘mug’ me for a crayfish I was holding whilst I was under the water.  I was in a good spot; wedged under a reef shelf, with my head in a hole – holding my breath and reaching for a second cray – when I felt something creep over the top of my hand. When I ducked my head out to see what it was, I saw this occie reaching over the back of my hand with three of it’s tentacles, to get to the crustacean I’d hoped would help feed two of us that night.  Have you ever tried to fight off something with eight appendages – in it’s own environment and firmly focused on it’s tucker – with only two of your own?

It all was rather embarrassing – the octopus only needed to hold on with two of it’s tentacles and I needed to breathe!  I had to give up my first cray (which was enveloped in tentacles in a moment), lost my grip on the second and gave up the lot to get back to the surface!  The little bugger had no fear!  All to the spluttering laughter of my best mate bobbing up beside me – no damn help at all.

All I can say is ‘God help us’ if Occies learnt to construct themselves a ‘wet’ breathing apparatus set – we’d be stuffed! The buggers would take over the world…

Belongum – Out!

When’s the last time…

… you gave in to that secret ‘kidlet’ part of you, the part often buried deep down inside your ‘adult’ body?  I’ve just ‘tripped over’ the Red Swing Project Podcast, thanks to the our very own Bernadette Young and the team behind Perth’s Afternoons – ABC Local Radio.  If you ask me – there should be more of these type of projects out there – ‘randomly’ providing pleasure for all manner of ‘kids’ – needed or otherwise. Go on – go over and have a look – I’ll wait (click on the image below)…

the el- chicago, illinois, usa

So – what’d you think? I’ve got that wonderful little ‘Australianism’ “the duck’s nuts!” ringing in my ear! An absolutely brilliant concept – brought to us by Andrew – who developed the idea whilst completing his studies in America. I’m in awe of the bloke, a little idea grows and before you know it, others roll it out across so many different countries and communities it’d boggle your mind! A bit of wood, some rope – a lick of fire-engine-red paint – and Robert’s your mother’s brother. Frankly, that’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.

I’m inspired.  So much so I’d like to go out and ‘guerilla’ me up some of these Red Swings myself. I’m all for people going about their day to day business, with a smile on the face. One of the things you might not know about remote and regional Australia is that there are a hell of a lot of very unhappy people living out there.  Most of these people live very basic lives – or – they live lives that are all about day to day survival and they do so simply because they have to, not always because they ‘want’ or deserve to.

The one thing they could possibly have in common with most other Australian’s in this country, is that they too need to smile; everyone – and I do mean everyone – should have moments they can smile about.  Regardless of where you sit in our bizarre Australian societal pecking order, you – like me – need to have yourself a really good laugh. A healthy laugh – one of those one wrapped about a notion of absolute joy – not those that often come at the expense of others.  If you’re not a happy person for at least one moment in your day (for the tiniest thing), you’re soon going to become an empty person.  A shade of your former self.

So you can’t eat a swing.  It wont make your community wealthy, it can’t bring back those you’ve lost and it won’t necessarily keep you safe from those who might prey upon you.  But it might make you smile. Just a simple moment – snatched back to you from all the times you couldn’t. Perhaps this isn’t much in the big scheme of things; a tiny insignificant little something to some perhaps, but it just might encourage you to step sideways for a ’smally while’ and allow you the right to enjoy yourself, right under everyone else’s noses.  You could lose yourself maybe. You might remember yourself or, you could reinvent yourself and think free thoughts for a tiny slice of time. Wouldn’t that be an amazing thing?

I’ve never been part of a ‘Red Army’ before.  I wonder what my military mates might think of such a thing?  Not that I’m saying I am mind – nor am I telling you that I’ll be rushing right out to make many of these ‘Red Swings’ happen. Such a thing would be a confession of my intent and might be viewed by certain people as my being complicit in such an event (should it actually happen). I’d hate to think that my un-abashed admiration for such a project could incriminate me in this way – because that’d be a terrible shame. However, I can see how such a thing could attract certain followers, those who would love to ’stick it to the man’ just a little in their lives. For all that, I could sure think of worse ways to go about doing it!

Look – I just like the notion and can see how easily it might make a small amount of difference in some peoples lives.  I can see too, those who might look down their noses at such a thing.  I could see a group of people sitting around a conference type table complaining about the ‘riff-raff’ that this type of project would bring. I can see – quite clearly – the actions certain authorities might take, to prevent such happy gatherings and moments from occurring and I know of at least one Law in this state that would be employed to spoil their fun.  It’s not that surprising here in WA – but I could see it happening all to easily.  We can’t be having youth gathering to enjoy themselves now because that’d be a public nuisance and cause nothing but trouble!

And all I can think of when I hear such things uttered by our ‘representatives’ in positions of power is:

What a bloody shame!

Belongum – Out!

Able Seaman Medical Assistant Kate Nesbitt…

…was awarded the British Military Cross through her actions in providing medical aid to Lance Corporal John List during an ambush in Nawa – Central Helmund Province – Afghanistan.

Medical Assistant Kate Nesbitt receives the Military Cross from the Prince of Wales during investitures at Buckingham Palace in London today

(Image received by email – source unknown)

Kate is the only woman in the Royal Navy to have been awarded such an award.  I suspect Kate is one of very few women to have been awarded this type of award as a result of front-line service and that this might well fly in the face of many of those who believe that in general, women don’t belong in our Defence Forces.

All but five feet tall apparently – 21 years old and at the time of this ambush – 3 weeks shy of completing her tour.  Reported by the BBC to have said; “I can’t believe I am worthy of anything like this and I can’t believe anyone would go out of their way to thank you in a more formal way. It was so overwhelming just to have a pat on the back really so this is just completely out of this world.”

As far as Kate was concerned – she was ‘just doing her job’.

Her job on this particular day looked a little like this:

Kate Nesbitt - reportedly after the ambush

(Image received by email – source unknown)

Well – afterwards at least.  I doubt anyone could really capture what her job looked like – when the incident actually happened.  The thing you need to understand is that Naval personnel aren’t trained to be engaged in Infantry style combat.  They might provide a support role and this might mean being put ‘in harms way’ so to speak – but it’s up to an individual unit to determine how best to prepare those who are attached to them in specific support roles such as this one – and often this really means learning ‘on the job’.

Listening to Kate speak to a reporter when she got back home, you’d be amazed to think that the young lass yarning to you on the screen was involved in such an action in the first place.  Let alone try to imagine her hands moving with the certainty of one who is well trained and completely confident of her abilities to do the job she was employed to do – saving other peoples lives!

An ordinary person – taken from her ordinary life – chucked right into the deep end and by all reports – simply doing her job.

Is is just me – or am I the only one that thinks we could learn a thing or two from such people like Kate Nesbitt here?

I’m not just talking about our military personnel.  Have you seen the huge price our personal carers pay in devoting their lives to the ones they love? How about those who volunteer their time to NGO’s who provide medical aid and support in places where their very lives are at risk each and every day? What do you say to the unknown by-stander who climbs into the back of a burning car to pull out a trapped passenger, renders first aid and waits for the ambulance – then simply just walks away? How about the young woman who stands up to her heavy handed man and says “No more” to protect her child? Everyday people – living everyday lives and boom – something changes – they ’step up’ and they ‘act’.

We speak on courage being a ‘thing’ that you gather up in yourself, in order to follow through or stand up to a difficult time or set of circumstances.  I believe courage is simply something we call it AFTER the event – much later when we reflect on it – trying to understand the nature of what made us do such a thing. At the time – you just act.  I don’t know how you explain such a thing – and it continues to amaze me – each and every time.

I like that Kate Nesbitt – whilst clearly an extraordinary person in the world – isn’t really all that alone.  If you look about you, you might recognise a little of the same quality in the people nearest and dearest to you – but I bet they’d deny it, through and through. As odd as it might sound – there are people amongst us who simply don’t realise how truly amazing they are and I remain pleasantly surprised when I stumble across them.

We couldn’t begin to gather enough nickel in this country to award those of our society for their bravery and courage.

I salute you Kate Nesbitt and all those like you – Bravo Zulu!

Belongum – Out!