Australian media isn’t covering this but what’s happening in Cuba is dreadful. Trump signed an executive order cutting off Cuba’s last oil supply. Ten million people are paying with their lives. Sewage systems are failing, food is rationed, it’s getting worse.
I notice Walid says @KarenMMiddleton “Karen is right” rather than “I agree with Karen” - subtle I guess but is it unconscious misogyny? Giving a woman a tick rather than deferring to her opinion as stated #Insiders
Please stop comparing dying from poverty to Darwin’s “survival of the fittest.” Poverty is a social construct driven by wealth hoarding in the post industrial age, not by any natural shortage of resources.
“Apparently there are still people who get a kick out of killing things and taking the lives of others, which is something I find incomprehensible” ~ Sir David Attenborough.
#DavidAttenborough 💯.
Re-conceptualizing mental health as something that everyone seeks out and actively works on throughout their life, would be a huge step toward eliminating stigma. 🫶
Well Done Netherlands 🇳🇱.
This is not just about fireworks. It is about a country making a clear choice.
Starting from the New Year period of 2026 to 2027, the Netherlands will ban citizens from buying and using fireworks nationwide. This is not a small change. It shifts a long tradition into something more controlled and safer.
For years, New Year nights in the Netherlands brought chaos. Streets filled with smoke. Emergency rooms crowded with injuries. Fires breaking out in neighborhoods. Police and firefighters stretched to their limits.
But there is another side that often gets ignored.
Animals across the country go into panic during fireworks. Dogs shaking inside homes. Cats hiding under beds for hours. Birds flying into buildings in the dark. Shelters filling with lost pets the next day.
They do not understand celebration. They only feel fear.
This decision is meant to reduce that harm. Citizens will no longer be allowed to buy or set off fireworks. Fewer random explosions in neighborhoods. More control over how celebrations happen.
Professional shows may still take place. But the loud, unpredictable noise in residential areas will be reduced.
This is what change looks like when a government responds to years of pressure from safety experts, emergency workers, and animal welfare concerns.
Less chaos. Less harm. More peace.
And for animals, a quieter night is everything.
Sources:
- NL Times... Dutch Senate votes in favor of national fireworks ban
- Euro News... Going out with a bang? Dutch shoppers snap up fireworks before nationwide ban
#netherlands #fireworks #pet
Vale one of Australia’s greatest authors, David Malouf.
David was a great man of letters. A master of his discipline, admired and cherished the world over for his poetry, fiction, opera, and memoir.
He was also a chronicler of our nation. A storyteller who captured and distilled our Australian spirit, collective memory and way of life into something pure.
Also a great Queenslander. A great Australian. He will be deeply missed.
Hi! I don’t Tweet but I do post stuff elsewhere -
Instagram for music, dog pics: https://t.co/8QT6vZG2ES
Substack for news, essays, music recommendations: https://t.co/phxYdVUSjs
YouTube for music videos: https://t.co/HDajt2L1OI
Heartbreak. Such an insightful, creative artistic genius. Sorely missed. #ValeJonKudelka
"Jon Kudelka, much-loved Australian political cartoonist, dies aged 53"
https://t.co/Ck9Xy0jRu5
@DavidCrisafulli My husband is a descendant of holocaust survivors. Tomorrow he will be on the streets protesting the visit of Herzog, along with many other Jews. The lesson he took from the holocaust was that "Never again" meant never again for EVERYONE. And everyone includes the Palestinians.
6 year ago today, Dr. Li Wenliang passed away of COVID-19.
He warned the world about a virus outbreak in Wuhan. The government silenced him.
The rest is history.