blamebrampton: 15th century woodcut of a hound (Default)
blamebrampton ([personal profile] blamebrampton) wrote2008-09-01 08:11 pm
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They think I jest ...

For anyone who has ever read any of my Australia: it'll kill ya posts and thought to themselves "Oh Brammers, you and your comedic exaggeration for effect ..." , I bring you this genuine news story from what passes for quality press in these parts. And you can have the link as is, since the untouched humour is immediately apparent.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/jogger-attacked-by-kangaroo/2008/09/01/1220121130240.html

You expect this sort of thing in the rural glades of Canberra (which is quite a nice city, so long as you either like roundabouts or are in no hurry), but not in Melbourne. [livejournal.com profile] tomatoe18 , your teacher told the truth!

It is the first day of spring here and Sydney turned on a splendid day of sun and blue skies. I still have influenza, because it's influenza. The chap at work, where I was vaguely functional for six hours, kept telling me that he'd had a really bad cold recently. "Yes," I said, "but I have flu, which is not the same."

"That's just a bad cold, isn't it? Are you on antibiotics?"

"Influenza is a different virus family to the set of viruses that cause colds, but both are viruses so neither respond to antibiotics," I told him, a little testily.

"Gosh, how do you know all this stuff?"

I resisted the urge to cough on him.

But I have to confess that is more than I did this morning on the train when a man decided that he could fit into the over-crowded carriage if he just leapt at my back and sent me careening into a (fortunately sturdy and understanding) young woman. I was fortunate to be pointing my face away from her, so my gasp of virus-laden air went over his outstretched hand, not any part of her. And then, I am ashamed to say, I sighed deeply over the side of his face. Be alive little viruses!

The train home made up for it, though. At Wynyard the sweet sound of a girlish soprano spilled pop ballad through the underground station, taking me back to one of my early Australian summers where I was on a train that stopped at St James to encounter a five-part harmony a cappella version of Like A Prayer. There is something very lovely about the sound of children singing (and the acoustics of underground stations are enough to tempt me, too).

I stopped to pay my Visa bill since I was at the nearby station rather than waiting for the train that stops across the road from my home. While I was in the bank I decided to change the PIN to something I can remember without having to look at the slip of paper hidden cunningly in one of the many books on my many shelves. I accomplished this, but not before the bank girl attempted to lend me half a million dollars and asked for my advice on successful relationships. That was an odd conversation, even by my standards.



[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2008-09-01 11:44 am (UTC)(link)
That's entirely the story of my academic success ;-)

You know, I think I DID import last year's Sydney flu epidemic from New Zealand.

[identity profile] tomatoe18.livejournal.com 2008-09-01 11:45 am (UTC)(link)
I just read in Wiki! :O But what does it mean that "they have no fear"? ^^;; They're just not scared of anything? Doesn't feel threatened by humans/other animals?

[identity profile] tomatoe18.livejournal.com 2008-09-01 11:45 am (UTC)(link)
But, come to think of it, I'll stick to cats for petting and cuddling, thanks. :P

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2008-09-01 11:46 am (UTC)(link)
They stare down cars, and one chased me through a national park in the early hours of a morning ...

[identity profile] libby-drew.livejournal.com 2008-09-01 11:46 am (UTC)(link)
And they let you travel freely?

[identity profile] deensey.livejournal.com 2008-09-01 11:47 am (UTC)(link)
They aren't threatened by anything. Including by motor vehicles going at 100K an hour. When hit by said vehicles, the wombat often walks away, and the car usually doesn't/

[identity profile] tomatoe18.livejournal.com 2008-09-01 11:49 am (UTC)(link)
I am in awe of this animal.

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2008-09-01 11:50 am (UTC)(link)
Well, it was going to make it here eventually, there's not a lot separating us. And some bastard took it from Hong Kong to New Zealand before that ... I wasn;t aware I;d succumbed till halfway through the flight, and then it was very evident.

I have, in the past, not caught planes because I had been exposed to contagious diseases, but this one got me without close contact. Bastard!

[identity profile] tomatoe18.livejournal.com 2008-09-01 11:50 am (UTC)(link)
You were... chased by a wombat? *giggles* (SORRY!)

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2008-09-01 11:51 am (UTC)(link)
Giggling is an appropriate response.
ext_14590: (Default)

[identity profile] meredyth-13.livejournal.com 2008-09-01 12:23 pm (UTC)(link)
At least you weren't caught up in the disaster that was the Harbour Bridge traffic this morning, right? *looks hopeful*

My brother was, trying to get my mum to the airport. She missed her plane. Fortunately she was flying with Virgin and not Qantas, and phoned them as soon as she realised they were stuck. Virgin were awesome - they bumped her immediately to the next flight, passed her straight through check-in, and didn't charge her to move the flight. Very impressed.

It's been bloody windy here, and apparently despite some reasonable rainfalls over winter, our water storage is now lower than it was this time last year. We'll all be ruin't.

I'm still giggling over your description of Canberra. I am an ace round-about driver these days, and curse the native Melbournians who cannot negotiate one to save their lives. I wish they'd learn and save mine. They universally drift to the left lane mid turn when turning right, and I have missed messy and sudden death/dismemberment/inconvenience by the skin of my incredibly skinless teeth.

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2008-09-01 12:32 pm (UTC)(link)
I catch the train, so aside from it being cheek-to-jowl, there was no drama. The train crew at North Sydney were actually great, ferrying down the bus passengers and clearing them out as efficiently as possible. They just opened the ticket gates and let people through with bus tickets at the City stations from what I heard. Good thinking! Wish I'd seen the chopper landing on the bridge, though.

Do not talk to me about motorists on roundabouts ... the number of times I was nearly wiped out when I used to cycle ... I lost count. GO MERE'S TEETH SKIN!

[identity profile] sarcasticpixie.livejournal.com 2008-09-01 01:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Australia sounds like Boston -- mad drivers, rude people who are convinced they have an inalienable right to get on this train, people who jog at strange hours -- but with wildlife. I am intrigued!

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2008-09-01 01:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Similar, save that where most major cities have great architecture, Australian cities have marsupials.

[identity profile] aldehyde.livejournal.com 2008-09-01 05:53 pm (UTC)(link)
hehe spreading your little germies, tsk :P i've done the same to ppl who pushed me on buses though, hee hee.

[identity profile] blindmouse.livejournal.com 2008-09-02 01:44 am (UTC)(link)
What? How is ... what? How are there kangaroos in the suburbs? I feel cheated. I've never seen a kangaroo in the suburbs here.

[identity profile] blindmouse.livejournal.com 2008-09-02 01:47 am (UTC)(link)
where most major cities have great architecture

I'll have you know that the Sydney Opera House came up as a modern wonder of the world on the sixties BBC radio quiz they play at 5.30am on Radio National, yesterday morning :D

... god those are weird. Can you imagine a quiz show airing now where you got marked down for grammar, incorrect usage of the word 'Nazism' and repeating the sentence subject?

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2008-09-02 02:06 am (UTC)(link)
Clearly you need to take up early morning jogging ;-)

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2008-09-02 02:07 am (UTC)(link)
I know, I feel so wrong, and yet I couldn't help myself.

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2008-09-02 02:15 am (UTC)(link)
It is pretty spectacular, and there are a few other good buildings here, just as there are in each state capital and Canberra, but there's a lot of dross, too.

Wasn't the SOH only finished in the 70s? I only have a vague memory of Paul Robeson singing for the builders (from newsreels, not actual memories). That BBC researcher knew good architecture when they saw it in progress! And I think we ought to be allowed to mark down politicians for incorrect grammar.

[identity profile] blindmouse.livejournal.com 2008-09-02 02:17 am (UTC)(link)
Well, it may conceivably have been a seventies quiz. I only ever hear the last ten minutes of it :-) It rotates with things like the Goon Show and I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again ...

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2008-09-02 02:24 am (UTC)(link)
Ah ABC Radio ... I hope it never changes. It's hard to think of many pieces of today's popular culture that we'll want to listen to in 30 or 40 years.

[identity profile] daybreaq.livejournal.com 2008-09-02 07:35 am (UTC)(link)
You are absolutely correct that antibiotics won't work for influenza. Antibiotics are for bacteria. And until very recently treatment for viruses was pretty much to let the body do it's job and support the body to do it's job by reducing stress on it. (i.e. Lots of rest and fluids and good nutrition. You really shouldn't be working. I know that's often impractical; believe me I know. A few years ago I tried to mask influenza symptoms by pretty much overdosing on ibuprofen so I could keep working. My kidneys kinda started to rebel a bit ... no permanent damage fortunately. It was an incredibly stupid thing for me to do and I knew better.) In recent years, there have been much development in antivirals including ones for influenza. The current antiviral of choice is oseltamivir. It's called Tamiflu in the US. Since it is still under patent, it is probably Tamiflu in Australia as well. The twist is you need to start taking it within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms or it doesn't really work so it's probably too late for this particular bout. Still, I figure it's worth you knowing for the next time. As you pointed out, it's usually easy to tell the difference between a cold and influenza. So next time as soon as you feel those telltale aches and chills coming on, call your doctor to get an antiviral.

[identity profile] blamebrampton.livejournal.com 2008-09-02 10:21 am (UTC)(link)
You know, I did a story on Tamiflu last year and it never even occurred to me that I should seek a script for myself. I can be a little thick that way.

I stayed home and slept again today. So far the long periods of unconsciousness interspersed with fluids and vegies with eggs have been helpful. Will see how things look in the morning, another early night tonight.

Thanks for the very good advice, I'll do my best to follow it. At least I'll never accidentally overdose myself, drugs feel so weird in my bloodstream that I tend to say no, so a couple of paracetamol is the extent of things, particularly after last week's four aspirin (I am SO hardcore!). Very glad to hear that your ibuprofen experience caused no lasting damage!

[identity profile] cinnatart.livejournal.com 2008-09-28 12:29 pm (UTC)(link)
but not before the bank girl attempted to lend me half a million dollars and asked for my advice on successful relationships. That was an odd conversation, even by my standards. I'm sorry...what?


man those kangaroos are freaking dangerous. best be careful...or something. *snickers* =P

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