Russia vs Ukraine

After a month since the conflict started a lot of what’s reported makes increasingly less sense. Russia has undoubtedly large military might and as suppliers to Ukraine will know what they have officially and unofficially too. Are there large strategic weapons from the cold war era that are located within the borders of Ukraine possibly kept from the west “in reserve”.

Here in the West, we are guilty of prejudice and discrimination against “Russia” being that we still consider Russia to mean cold war era Soviet USSR to which we always just called “Russia”. So we still treat them with the same fear, distrust and distain as we did in the past due to our knowledge which was all American biased. Of course we in the west don’t get news from Russia ever nor speak the language or comprehend the culture, so whatever the news says is what we believe no matter what. Despite the governments of the west constantly lying to the public, we see much with covid information being proven fake within months and ”support” for sufferers of covid and disasters taking time to word and create policies and laws to force people into debt or worse in exchange for support. I weep for any refugees thinking Australia is a good safe destination for them as their lives will be ruined forever. The Australian government has been Grooming students to come to Australia where they find they are not free to travel as they’d like or access service or support that the Departments claim is available. The same lying politicians are still spreading and amplifying the col war “facts” about present day Russia. Not just diplomatically does this impact on the world stage. not a single indication anyone considers that Russia was telling the truth about the situation and Ukraine are the bad guys here. No facts are being presented. Normally where there are wars or conflicts there are teams of journalists on the ground showing live the situation presenting the facts as they witness them. But here we are seeing low-resolution webcam images where nothing identifiable can be seen nor can when, where or what is happening and certainly not why. A month in and things just don’t add up. reports have gone from bein framed as certain facts though nothing presented to back that up to now they are talking more about things being unconfirmed, the uncertainty of the truth is finally being seen in reports. Russia absolutely has the military might to dominate or destroy the Ukrain yet its not happening.

They aren’t really using aircraft despite having the skills and equipment to rival every air force on the planet. The only thing they have really achieve decisively was to secure the Chernobyl power plant and that is a sensible course of action to protect all of europe from Ukranians using it as a giant dirty bomb which it is. The power plant remains are as hermetically sealed as possible, its NOT hardened against any form of attack and on small “accidental” attack can see tons of radioactive dust launched into the sky to poison europe and possibly the world. Ukraine of course has always had easy access to Russian military equipment so they can easily launch a stray missile and blame it on Russia. So it may transpire in the long run that Russia is actually protecting the world right now and there’s no point trying to explain it when no country has ever been prepared to treat Russia as good guys ever even if they are. You can bet America will threaten the use of nuclear weapons in a similar situation. Maybe Russia has no evidence to present that the world will believe at this point, so they have to stay their course of keeping insurgents from getting in range of Chernobyl to use their weapons

Go watch Wag The Dog.

I think it’ll e decades before the truth of whats going on comes out its clear the western governments are tainting the information being give to the worlds public. and they are all deparate to position themselves to profit directly from higher fuel prices which are often percentage taxed for profit and hoping to put on a friendly supportive front to acquire political IOUs. This puts things in a dangerous position if the west is forced to support the bad guys to keep the current narrative viable in line with whatever the US and UK wants.

Be honest with yourself, have you ever lived in Ukraine? have you even ever met anyone from there? Don’t forget the Ukraine is a young independent country that has long been a part of the communist grouping of countries and its government and people may have been under pressure the West doesn’t have and so the people have their own way of living which we wouldn’t find acceptable. Bribery has been the norm there and the population have gotten use to diverting funds for the public good to their own pockets and outright thefts of opportunity. Sounds like Putin right?. Don’t forget the Chernobyl disaster that happened in Ukraine, not Russia, yes the government in control was Moscow and the main staff involved were educated in Soviet Russia, but the builders, police, firefighters, suppliers etc were all Ukrainians. And of course, the guards to the area that took bribes to let people into the region also Ukrainian and the people who looted the city of Pripyat were all locals, that is Ukrainians. Because of these thieves, god knows how many people have and will die from radiation poisoning due to all the personal items looted and spread out into the country or further. Think again if you think Ukraine is the innocent utopia you think there are because of the way the current situation is being portrayed. The same culture of thefts and bribes and the large shared border today with Russia presents an opportunity for Ukraine to obtain Russian weapons not only during the Soviet era but since becoming independent. I don’t think there is any truth out there yet to pick a side and its worrying that picking a side is part of the Western agenda, could that be because the west want access to russian oil? maybe land to build bases to cover off Russia or China, never forget America cant exist with an enemy to fight, they never have and never can. Whether its real or not America always bullies others in the hope they strike first, Pearl Harbour, middle east and 9/11 were all done that way, They currently have China and north Korea (which the Americans created too) as potential warzones to declare if they cant insinuate themselves into fighting Russia. But yet again what if Russia are being good guys in this conflict? there is evidence of that as I mentioned but even so the west will have to perpetuate further lies to keep the story that Russia is bad, that’s a dangerous game as nuclear warfare and disaster is highly likely in that event.

LM Dialog Focus 3 vs Lamy Dialog 3

WARNING: China is producing a fake version of Lamy’s high end fountain pen the Lamy Dialog 3. Its not just a copy, it has the Lamy brand name on it. as well as on the nib the markings are identical. It will be common for us to see scammers selling these as the real thing for high prices.on the second hand market. Not only deceiving people but marring the good name and quality reputation of Lamy themselves.

 
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I was intrigued after seeing a YouTube review in seeing how a Chinese fake Lamy Dialog 3 holds up on its own and against the genuine Lamy. Living with the constant struggles of hemiplegia meant everything including the simple pleasures of fountain pens has become a hardship for me, So began my quest for a grail pen for a disabled person with only one working hand. Though I quickly found the Pilot Vanishing Point I still keep an open mind for improvements and good design. I eventually I saved and got the Lamy Dialog 3 which is a good pen but its twist motion proved too firm for my reduced dexterity and its clip to be too shallow too, I wear t shirts so I want a pen I can clip to the neck and be ready immediately. I later got the Curidas too but for me overall its still long below the Pilot. Anyway the Lamy Dialog 3 is a curious pen. its unique twist to expose/hide the fountain pen nib is distinctive. Its price tag makes it a gamble for most users who can afford it and just too pricey for most of us period. So it tends to remain an unknown experience. I think its still about $600 retail (of course prices vary from RRP to sale prices across all retailers. However those clever Chinese, The leaders in fakery have created a copy at around $60, known as the LM Dialog Focus 3. So I was curious and grabbed one. I dug out my Lamy and washed and inked up both pens, been using them for about a week or so now alternatively just to see how they compare from a practical point of view.

First up, like most Chinese fountain pens, this one came without a box or any presentation, just the pen in a plastic condom sleeve. My Lamy is the Piano White colour option so i got the same option for the copy. Clearly the Chinese just copied the name and don’t translate to understand that Piano White should be glossy as fuck. The copy is a very dull white and not a very good white. The paint is obviously poorly, thinly and unevenly applied to the metal body and the top half of my pen is darker in appearance because the metal is showing through. Whereas the real Lamy is highly glossy with a strong white that’s uniform across the whole pen. The fake had a couple of small marks on the white surface too. After use the real Lamy is unblemished and the fake has not picked up any more either. My pens are for use not for babying because of their price. Doesn’t mean I abuse them, but I will toss them onto the desk when done writing and the nib protected. Second thing is the two tone nib didn’t show the gold well. under magnification the fake one has thinly applied gold that’s uneven and blotchy. Very ugly compared to the smooth uniform gold on the Lamy. Feel in the hand the Lamy is obviously a premium product, the fake clearly isn’t.

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The fake is faked all the way through, so it works the same. The Lamy has very tight fitting tolerances and high quality machining so its action is firm (not loose) and smooth so it twists around nicely and the nib fully extends. Its quiet and on its own just shows its a quality product. However the fake shows the ordinary machining used and it twists unevenly with a slight grinding sound and feel as a result. The nib requires forcing the twist beyond where it feels its at its limit to get it to extend fully. Having the Lamy yo compare I knew the nib should extend further than it seemed to on the fake. I don’t know others would notice it .

The meat of the pens though: writing. My Lamy is a F nib, the fake an EF. and I inked up both with the lubricating Noodlers Polar Blue and line widths on regular paper seem the same, So I don’t know what nib sizes mean to the Chinese or if there’s a difference on quality paper both seem to write like a gel pen with no line variation. Both are smooth writers and over a weeks use both pens have proved reliable to write with Can’t say much more they are pens and they work, pretty much all you need from a pen so no comparison samples of my appalling shaky handwriting. As a tool in the hand though, the Lamy just feels so much better and the glossy finish is grippy while the fake ones dull finish is slipperier. So overall I’m more confident with the Lamy in my hand, but its only a small margin. At no time however with the fake did I feel I was holding a quality item.

The Lamy weighs 6g heavier than the LM and the densely packed mechanism makes them both heavy pens. Solid and firm unlike many plastic body pens. The Lamy is uniformly 13.7mm wide everywhere along its length while the fake is sometimes 13.7mm and 13.6mm. I can’t tell if that’s entirely due to uneven paint thickness or variations in the machining of the metal body itself.

So at this point I’m in two minds about this clone. So much of it offends me in so many ways. Its existence as a fake (every identifier on it, its name, nib markings, etc. say Lamy and are identical to the Lamy. Its a fake in every sense not a mere clone. It gives others a false sense of what a real Lamy would be like and Its a joyless experience, It des work as a pen but for around $60 its way overpriced for the result of what it is. I couldn’t possibly recommend it as an alternative or “try before you buy” option for the Lamy. There is enough uncertainty around buying a Lamy Dialog 3 as it is and I would say save a bit longer and buy the real thing. The Lamy Dialog 3 is in every way pleasurable to own and use, its not a revolutionary writing experience and ideal pen so its hard to say who it is best for, its not an every person pen. The LM Dialog Focus 3 is poorly made, looks poorly, operates poorly and I just couldn’t recommend it to anyone, buy a variety of Pilot Metropolitans instead for $60, they work feel and write nicely and you can probably buy four or five of them in different colours for your favourite ink colours.

Being disabled is nothing medical it seems

I was forced out of my public service job of 14 yrs six months ago (before covid stuff). It was clear my presence was not welcome in the workplace especially by the management staff changes who decided my support in the workplace was unacceptable. Six months I’ve been made to feel like a sideshow freak by Services Australia in my extensive ordeal of trying to apply for disability support. Turns out in practice my financial circumstances and work history are key to defining me as having a physical disability and they use that as the excuse to deny me any possible support. They have their processes to follow and they are utterly inflexible and certainly not compassionate in any way. Everyone thinks there are support systems in place by law but the reality of how government functions is that the public wording of these support systems is ambiguous and on the surface appear to be sound but when you come to need them the processes don’t often work in practice. There are odd little requirements tacked on and checks made by third parties that contradict public statements made by the politicians. It works to reduce people ever getting access to essential services thus saving money come budget time, plus using third parties they can claim publicly they don’t Means Test people because technically they don’t, its a third party they don’t control.

Upshot is I’m not considered disabled because I don’t pass one of these third party requirements. At no point did any one ever want to meet me or ask me to undergo a medical assessment. Nope, I’m considered not disabled because I failed to be looking for work during the past 18 months via CentreLink, a period during which I was full time employed. So fucking sorry I wasn’t psychic to know I should have been looking for work a year and a half before I was forced into redundancy. No wonder suicide is the only viable option for many people let down by the Australian Government’s support systems. Nor does it surprise me the lack of any form of support by so-called friends and relatives, they all think its someone else’s job to provide support. Reality is there is none at all. Fuck you all.

Desperately Seeking..

Last year I met this young lady while I was in Canberra Hospital. She was great help to me and I’d love to get in contact with her to thank her and find out how things went for her. Any help please contact me but dont bother trying to sell your dodgy services I have zero money. Help besides you can and its he right thing to do.

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Under The Knife

Another day in my life and Fuck You to those arrogant assholes who think they have the slightest clue what I struggle with constantly in order to appear normal.

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Computer beyond repair

My main computer has finally fried beyond repair after 15yrs of hard work and help keeping me productive post stroke. No money to replace it, don’t want to spend existing donations towards a new machine but I doubt I’ll get any more. People are not that kind.. Still a computer is my lifeline so please donate if you can.

Good riddance

Deleted my few social media accounts and good riddance to the poison.

World War Pink

  

 

 

Adding to my obsession with Egg Scale models (small cute cartoonish style) is this Meng M4A1 Sherman tank. Described as a snap together (or glueless) kit I found I had to use glue too much. It's glueless just like every plastic model kit can be but the parts don't stay put under handling. Plus it's not even trying to approach the engineering the Bandai puts in their truly glueless kits. There is a fair bit of flashing in this one to clean up and some poor placement of sprue runs causing visible whitening of plastic under stress. Since the plastic is moulded in pink plastic and purple rubber tracks some may want to paint anyway. My decal sheet had scratches on the surface (or cracking?) inside its sealed bag that was undamaged. This resulted in several decals splitting on the model immediately, and it took lots of softener to get decals to start to conform to slight surface curve.

Overall it's a cute and quick build. But really lacks quality control and modern production advantages possible. Stick to Bandai and Hasegawa until Meng learn the old corner cutting ways don't work in today's industry.  

 

Brain Injury Awareness month? pfft

Those of us who’ve suffered some form of brain injury are aware 24 hrs a day, 365 days a year until we kill ourselves of our brain injury and its effects. We dont need patronising politicians using our suffering for their own publicity boosting gains. Why not fucking listen to people who suffer their entire lives with visible and invisible symptoms from their disabilities. Support whats required by all these people, show some compassion and understanding and help simplify not add complexity to our lives. Do some actual good for once. These are issues that never heal or go away on their own in time. The pain and discomfort is constant. theres no off switch or 2 weeks holiday from it a year. So when you take away rights and ad further restrictions its NOT help. We have the same regular “problems” all you selfish assholes have as well as a whole pantheon of new ones we never knew existed. You need to support not force change and progress opportunities.

Since you haven’t a clue you need to start by reading the posts on The Brain Fairy website. She is good at properly communicating the real problems so many people are expected to endure. I have to work full time still and can’t qualify for any existing support. Plus my health insurance that i no longer have refused to help and my government refuses to allow me to access my superannuation savings (my own damn money) so i can seek treatment overseas that they won’t allow me to have in my own country. Yes they all have excuses to hide behind, but moral or ethics? Nope none of that, stuff your useless sympathies, they wont help either. The governmental stance is to keep people alive (regardless of suffering or quality of life) and being passed from one area of the health care system to another around and around. Its all about revenue for the government. They can claim taxes and levies from the sufferers as well as each step in the system they all hide behind. We are officially tortured prisoners. Its a captive system we cant escape and are denied (directly or financially) the treatment that can make us productive contributors to society. Sure there will be scammers just wanting free money but everyone is punished as a result. Hypocritical that all politicians retain their freebies and priveleges always even when their scammers and liers are found out. The whole system is broken and corrupt.

The video that started it all...

About time I tried to add some great content links somewhere. Here i hope is Andy “The Brain Damaged Baron” with his awesome video that says well what life is like for people with brain injuries of any type. Want to know some of the struggle I face daily to remain alive? Watch this video and pay attention. Don’t wait for the twist or punchline, its plain, to the point and honest. Deal with it peopleand stop burdening people who are fighting every second of every day without bitching about it. Living with brain injury is a constant chore whether it looks like it or not, its a very real problem unlike you worrying about what colour clothes to wear. The assumptions people make are vastly wrong and little is accurately communicated to convey what its like as there is nothing comparable in a “normal” life. If you think a few minutes of your time to watch something educational is a waste then you deserve to be stricken with some form of brain damage in your life, and odds are good you will.

See: The Brain Damaged Baron

Another great source of well communicated information to help people understand is The Brain Fairy.

See: The Brain Fairy

Source: https://www.facebook.com/andy.nichs/videos...

Royalty?

Working on my family tree it turns out that Queen Victoria was the paternal grandmother of wife of half uncle of husband of 1st cousin 1x removed of wife of stepson of half 1st great aunt of wife of half brother of husband of 2nd cousin 2x removed of ME! Rolls off the tongue right?

Neil or Nintendo DS

Size

DS fits in pocket easily, Neil doesn't

DS: 90
Neil: 10

Weight

At under 10kg the DS is lightweight to carry, at over 10kg Neil isn't.

DS: 90
Neil: 10


Graphics

Neil is considerably higher resolution, plus in 3D without needing extra screens or equipment. Colour rendition is also superb.

DS: 40
Neil: 95


Sound

Neil provides 3D directional soundscapes of highest fidelity including thundering bass, DS is regular stereo but does come with headphone socket.

DS: 40
Neil: 95

Networking

Both devices provided limited networking capabilities though both are wireless out of the box. The DS is limited to early wifi protocols with poor security though Neil is adaptive and can use current networking standards and most protocols.

DS: 30
Neil: 90

Expandability

The DS comes with two expansion slots. While one is used for the game cartridge that leaves only one possible for expansion options (GBA cartridges or custom game controllers for example). Neil on the other hand can expand considerably if required without need for dedicated ports.

DS:  55
Neil: 90 


Ergonomics

Easy and comfortable to hold with one hand though gloss plastic surface can make it slide out of a pocket easily. Operation requires use of two hands however leaving one armed cripples like me unable to enjoy to the fullest. Neil can be operated with one hand is needed and even no handed via built in voice operated capabilities.

DS: 45
Neil: 90


Design

The DS is well designed and compact with needless ugly external protuberances. Third party options in the form of stickers can be used to personalise your DS without voiding warranty or impeding function. Neil is designed on the generally accepted male platform. Build quality is functional with no silly finshes such as teak or carbon fiber. Neil also comes with third party options for personalisation. Both piercings and tattoos though are considered permanent and as such will void warranty. Piercings may inhibit or enhance performance and as such not a DIY personalisation, qualified installers are essential. An infinite array of external coverings are available for the Neil for decoration and protection.

DS: 60
Neil: 90 (-10 for aesthetics)


Performance

The DS performs well for its games, with little to no visual artifacts gameplay is consistently smooth. Neil performs fast at commonly used tasks but performance can be inconsistent with internal and external factors possibly impacting it. A good feature of the Neil is the adaptive learning allows performance to improve on task repetition.

DS: 50
Neil: 80


Cost

The DS was competitively priced at release date (unknown) and is available on the second hand market even cheaper if you look. Neil was cheap to manufacture but ongoing costs to bring it to its current configuration were considerable. Given further ongoing costs are needed to keep Neil operational and no known models are available on the second hand market its hard to compare cost effectiveness. Though on straight dollar costs the Neil seems to many a poor choice but the right owner will find Neil exceptional value for money.

DS: 70
Neil:  0*(see comment)

Battery life

DS peforms for several hours before shutting down requiring a few more hours of dedicated charging before ready again. Neil has a charging downtime cycle though is able to operate at any instant. Performance may suffer if overused and food/bed for recharging unavailable. Operator care is required to not overstress Neil and withhold downtime.

DS: 60
Neil: 80


Practicality

The DS is able to entertain using a wide variety of games which are widely available for the platform. Its battery life may be an issue on long journeys or destinations without electricity. Ditto the Neil. Neil is self mobile so luggage space to stow it is negated.

DS: 50
Neil: 55

Conclusion

A surprising result considering obvious bias towards electronic gadgets. Neils autonomous and learning capabilities really edged him ahead in this comparison.

DS: 680
Neil: 785