Prepare For What If
Daylight saving for myself a pain in the butt. But that aside what about the kookaburras, natures. clock, to kick off the natural as daylight emerges, and to shut it down as dusk blacks it out. That beautiful call to wake us up and then it’s time to go to bed, an era long forgotten. Can recall in the sixties and early seventies working in the bush or milking those cows up at four but generally back in the cot by eight p.m.
The industrial revolution and in recent times the tech revolution but now can’t believe the speed that this A.I. madness is sweeping the world. Already a problem, but the fear that A.I. Will provide the tools for criminality and scams could not be underestimated. Your life saving, shares bank deposits, etc etc will become fair game. The cost to prevent infiltration via increased sophistication will be enormous.
With the valley so green and suddenly another nice fall of rain many have been saying no bushfires this year. Let’s hope so, but don’t count those chickens before they are hatched. Yes, still green following a period of light falls, but below the surface very dry, via my recordings only half the average rainfall for the year to date. The river level tells the story and up in the bush can’t recall the amount of leaf litter on the ground. With an unprecedented EL Nino event predicted (hot and dry) and November December January the danger months, plenty of time yet, so don’t let complacency set in and prepare for what if.
Yes, on the 9th for Pauline and myself 61 years. Had to decide, should we celebrate or grieve. Some great times and some tough times, mixed and enjoyed the company of some marvellous people, sadly many who are no longer with us.
We witness a totally different world to-day. We decided to celebrate.
Darcy Browning
Dorrigo Mechanics Save Holiday
Recently, while holidaying in Dorrigo, our 4WD developed a problem with the handbrake. As it was late in the week, we had visions of spare parts being unavailable until the following week, but Noble Auto Repairs was able to quickly help us late that afternoon despite being booked out six weeks ahead for major works and vehicle servicing.
I am writing to let the people of Dorrigo know how appreciative we are of the help provided which enabled us to complete our visit to the National Park, enjoy the waterfalls walk, and continue our travels with minimal disruption of our plans.
Brian Cooke
Waramanga 2611, ACT
In response to Michael Casey
It can be difficult to understand when a transgender person born with a male body identifies as a girl or woman, they do not choose this, they were born that way, just as you did not choose to identify as male, (I presume).
Anyone who understands and accepts this will not be worried if a transgender girl or woman goes into a womens’ only area.
Ultimately we are all human beings first, with complex inner lives that cannot be fully described by our physical characteristics. Our bodies are part of us, but they don’t tell the whole story of who we are.
Knowledge, understanding, respect and acceptance is needed.
Rosey Neilson
Respect (yet again)
I welcome Michael Casey (October 8th) to the discussion about respect and disrespect in how we treat members of our community, the real point of my last letter. My ongoing replies to Mr Browning’s letters, over many years, have consisted almost entirely of factual corrections (usually over forests or climate) or appeals for less violent language and more respect for the young, for women, for Council workers, for political opponents and the less “normal” in our community. This central point of my latest letter Mr Casey completely ignored, taking up instead my criticism of Mr Browning’s perspective as “profoundly ignorant”.
My throwaway line about Professor Browning’s expertise, or lack of it, was perhaps harsh but literally true. I assume Professor Casey also lacks the advanced training in any of the disciplines that might bear on the subject such as endocrinology, fetal development, pediatrics, psychology, sexuality and gender or any of the myriad other specialisations full of people who have devoted their careers, their skill, their intelligence and empathy in treating people who need it. I also lack that advanced training but I know how to read science and I recognise experts. Instead we hear from a pair of non-experts who appear to think that sex and gender are both binary (they’re not), that they are both totally biological and clearly identifiable at birth or childhood (they’re not) and they don’t change over time (they can). This subject is clearly beyond the scope of a letter to the Editor, but if all that’s needed is a gut feeling and the belief that your “common sense” is literal truth then remind me not to take Dr Casey’s cardiology advice.
Finally, I return to my main point, both of this letter and that to which Mr Casey replied, the importance of acceptance and respect for others. It should not be tolerable within this community for members of it to be singled out for shame, disparagement or ridicule on the basis of personal characteristics. Fat, short, black, Asian, woman (trans or otherwise), old white farmer, old white socialist, I don’t care. Transphobia is being whipped up for political advantage and it’s not right. To couch it in terms of women’s safety, when the ever-present danger to women and girls from straight men and boys is daily around us, is contemptible. To argue that the human rights of any of us should be removable at the whim of the majority is equally wrong. Do better.
Sean Tuohy, Brierfield