#best australian medical schools

[medicalschoolinaustralia]

Medical school student explains what to expect in Year 1

You’re headed to medical school. Want some insider tips?

Year 1 JCU MBBS student Maximilian was kind enough to to participate in a webinar with us recently, and he shared his insights about what it’s like to be a medical student at James Cook University in sunny Queensland.

Here’s a peek at what he covered:

All about JCU & the MBBS: Everything from what profs are like to outlining your Year 1 schedule.

Living in Queensland: Finding housing, the vibe in Australia, and where to get some good grub.

Stories: About bugs, eating Vegemite, and his thoughts about hanging laundry.

Q&A time!

Learn more about studying medicine in Australia!

[nuzipilled]

THE GANGS ALL HERE 🗣️🔥‼️ information below the cut, “B” cast ( Doll, Lizzy, Thad) have not been included yet as they dont have a role in the main story yet. feel free to ask any questions, me and @kylelily123abc4 will do our best to answer them (:

UZI

Uzi is a 21 year old woman with an undergraduate in medical engineering, which she was coaxed into by her parents (Namely Khan). She is incredibly adept and smart and prefers the technicalities of weapons engineering, and majors in art on the side. She would like to do it full time, however her parents insist it’s not a “real job.” She volunteers at the local hospital N, V and J are relocated to from overseas so they can continue inpatient care until they are stable enough to be discharged and resume physio / psychotherapy as outpatients. She meets N during his time there and immediately clicks with him, and eventually begins to visit him on her off hours, and continues to visit him even after her contract ends. They end up establishing a relationship together and, after finding it is much less expensive commuting to school, moves in with N, V, J, Cyn and Tessa in their apartment for the semester.

She spent most of her childhood moving around and being bullied—the most significant moment having been when her first kiss was stolen by someone who only dated her because he was dared to.

Uzi is a big fan of all things anime, edgy humor, hot topic, and nightcore. she’s got the soul of an unabashed 2000s emo girl stuck in the modern day.

N

Private first class Nate (all his friends call him N) Is a 23 year old man who was fostered from a family in Utah alongside his sister Cyn under Tessa, another childhood friend, and the Elliot family in Melbourne Australia from the ages of 8-18. When of applicable age, he went back to the United States to enlist in the marines and live with Cyn, a former child prodigy who was scouted and given multiple scholarships due to record breaking academics and reflexes on simulator games.

He was severely traumatized during his first deployment overseas along with his other childhood friends, V, and J, after their humvee hit an IED during a routine supply run. All three were critically injured and the sole survivors of their team of 6. He, along with J and V spent a total of 12 hours alone in the desert before they were airlifted to an emergency hospital in germany, then, once stabilized, returned to the states to resume inpatient care in Salem, Oregon.

Despite his honorable discharge and severe ptsd diagnosis, N does his best to remain upbeat and positive, almost to a fault, oftentimes repressing “bad” thoughts or feelings.

He ends up meeting Uzi in the hospital and they form a relationship together, her eventually moving in and living with V, J, Him, Tessa, and Cyn in their flat after they’re discharged from the hospital.

J

Sergeant Jane (Only preferring J when around close friends) is a 26 year old trans woman who was fostered from an immigrant afghan family under Tessa, another childhood friend, and the Elliot family in Melbourne Australia from the ages of 4-18, having realized she was a woman very early in life. She began socially transitioning at 12, and began HRT as soon as she aged out of the system. She was the first to be involved with the Elliots and was pushed to enlist in the australian military, quickly moving up the ranks to sergeant and was eventually posted in the united states to assist in training other cadets. She was severely traumatized during her second deployment overseas along with her other childhood friends, V, and N after their humvee hit an IED during a routine supply run. All three were critically injured and the sole survivors of their team of 6. she, along with J and V spent a total of 12 hours alone in the desert before they were airlifted to an emergency hospital in germany, then, once stabilized, returned to the states to resume inpatient care in Salem, Oregon.

Having been their squad leader, J often blames herself for the incident, even if she doesn’t talk about it or say anything out loud. J is an ass kisser. She will do anything and everything to succeed and has a Holier Than Thou personality, often very uptight and not about any bullshit. Her relationship with N specifically is horrible, and she harbours lots of jealousy and resentment from their time growing up due to favoritism.

She has a long standing, massive crush on Tessa Elliot, her longtime confidant and friend, though it went unrequited for their entire childhood and into their early adult life, J often being subject to Tessa’s dating endeavours and crushes in the meantime.

V

Lance Corporal Victoria, (Who prefers to go by V present day) 4-18 who was fostered from a family in Vermont under Tessa, another childhood friend, and the Elliot family in Melbourne Australia from the ages of 8-18. She enlisted in the military alongside J and eventually N, and was transferred to the states to assist in training procedures for new cadets with J.

She was decommissioned during her second deployment overseas along with N and J after their humvee hit an IED during a routine supply run. All three were critically injured and the sole survivors of their team of 6. She took the brunt of the blast, sustaining the most severe wounds and was airlifted to an emergency hospital in germany, then, once stabilized, returned to the states to resume inpatient care in Salem, Oregon.

The doctors operating on her told her she would never walk again--V proved that wrong by walking the next week. It was a miracle—however V simply states it was due to “having that dog in her.”

She is very resilient, but is often grumpy with a dry sense of tone and humor. She used to have feelings for N when they were kids, but it's since faded as they grew and disappeared during their time in active duty. Though despite this, she still cares for him as a friend, even if she rarely shows it.

She is the first to be discharged, having been set up in an apartment downtown by Tessa, who lives with her and eventually is joined by N, J, Cyn, and eventually Uzi. She is a gym rat with a heavy workout regimen that she will make everyone else's problem if its interrupted.

CYN

Cynthia (Who ONLY goes by Cyn present day) is N's little sister. She is still in active duty in the military air-force. She was a child savant who graduated highschool at 14 and college at 18, moving on to become one of the best UAV operators in history, with successful missions reaching into the hundreds. Cyn is autistic and physically disabled, having been born with cerebral palsy, and uses forearm crutches as mobility aids--but make no mistake, she is incredibly intuitive and adept. often knock-kneed and walks with an awkward gate, and speaks with very ‘robotic’ mannerisms. She sometimes struggles to show empathy in a ‘socially normal way’ or have a conversational filter. She has a very dark sense of humor as well, that for those not used to her may find jarring or off putting. Cyn hates being referred to as a child or incompetent because of her appearance or her disability, she will even go to an extent to prove the point that she does not need assistance. Tends to be protective of N, to a lesser but still protective of V and J and much later down the line Uzi becomes a close friend of hers.

In her off time she enjoys painting warhammer figurines, collecting cards and playing video games. She has a very kitsch, macabre sense of interest, often owning eclectic, odd knick knacks and memorabilia, namely a taxidermied wombat she’s affectionately named “Suzie.”

TESSA

Dr Tessa James Elliot is a very talented surgeon working out of a public hospital in Brisbane, Australia, descending from a very rich family. She is N, V and J’s childhood friend and frequently travels to different parts of the world to assist in surgeries or specialist care. Tessa paused all of her work when she learned of their incident overseas, flying to America to personally attend to their care–with some bribery and finagling due to HIPPA not allowing biased treatment. She just cares too much to not do anything. Tessa is a joyful, social butterfly. Excellent bedside manner and a good sense of humor but sometimes comes off as socially awkward. She is J’s lifelong crush despite not being aware of it, having spent some time dating around but nobody ever seems to be the right fit. She often complains about her recent dating endeavors to J much to her chagrin.

Tessa is, for the lack of a better word, weird. Think Cyn with a little more charisma, often not having a conversational filter or saying things out of the blue. She is not disturbed by otherwise off putting things like death, bodily fluids, nudity, gore etc, and has a bit of a dark sense of humor that she portrays very upbeat and positively. She is incredibly smart and adept bookwise, however socially she comes up a bit short.

there is an alternative version of these guys however it is 18+ for nudity. you can see it on bluesky here and twitter here

[afeelgoodblog]

The Best News of Last Week - January 15, 2024

🎊 - As we embark on another journey around the sun, I am thrilled to bring you the first newsletter of the year, packed with inspiring, informative, and sometimes downright amusing stories.

1. Marijuana meets criteria for reclassification as lower-risk drug

Marijuana has a lower potential for abuse than other drugs that are subjected to the same restrictions, with scientific support for its use as a medical treatment, researchers from the US Food and Drug Administration say in documents supporting its reclassification as a Schedule III substance.

2. South Korea passes law banning dog meat trade

The slaughter and sale of dogs for their meat is to become illegal in South Korea after MPs backed a new law. The legislation, set to come into force by 2027, aims to end the centuries-old practice of humans eating dog meat.

3. After 20 years in a tiny cage, these 'broken bears' are finally feeling the grass beneath their paws

These bears, termed "broken bears" due to physical and psychological trauma from years of abuse, are treated at the Tam Dao rescue center with individually tailored diets, physiotherapy, and medical care. The bear bile trade, which involves extracting bile for traditional Asian medicine, has been illegal in Vietnam since 2005, but a black market still exists.

4. France just got its first openly gay prime minister.

Gabriel Attal is France’s youngest-ever prime minister at age 34 and the first who is openly gay.

5. Australian ‘builders without borders’ repairing war-torn homes and schools in Ukraine

Manfred Hin, a 66-year-old builder from Townsville, Australia, spent most of 2023 volunteering in Ukraine to rebuild homes and schools damaged by Russian attacks. Having contributed to over 50 house and a dozen school renovations, he worked with Ukrainian charity Brave to Rebuild, mentoring young volunteers and sourcing three tonnes of donated tools.

Inspired by Hin's story, Tasmanian carpenter Hamish Stirling also joined the efforts, learning Ukrainian, traveling to Europe, and volunteering for three months to help rebuild homes.

6. The age-standardized death rate from cancer has declined by 15% since 1990

The age-standardized death rate from cancer declined by 15%

Cancer kills mostly older people – as the death rate by age shows, of those who are 70 years and older, 1% die from cancer every year. For people who are younger than 50, the cancer death rate is more than 40-times lower (more detail here).

7. Germany Reached 55% Renewable Energy in 2023

In 2023, 55 percent of Germany’s power came from renewables — an increase of 6.6 percent, according to energy regulator Bundesnetzagentur, reported Reuters. Europe’s biggest national economy has a goal of 80 percent green energy by 2030.

---

That's it for this week :)

This newsletter will always be free. If you liked this post you can support me with a small kofi donation here:

Buy me a coffee ❤️

Also don’t forget to reblog this post with your friends.

[fox-mulder-gets-pegged]

Been spending my time lately thinking of a House MD au where, through a series of accidents and lies and a bet he didn't rly intend to win, House ends up as a registered foster parent (he's still addicted to Vicodin and his normal dickish workaholic self but for some reason he cleared the requirements and trust me he's as stunned and mildly concerned as everyone else is).

Through further Shenanigans™, he ends up accidentally getting handed fostership of not one, not two, but three hellish but brilliant kids:

1. This total smartass 16 year old named Robert Chase who yeah he's a bitchy teenaged boy and a former rich kid and Australian with enough mommy and daddy issues to reawaken Freud after his dad dipped and absconded all parental rights and his mom drank herself to death, but he's also got a nice car left over from his rich kid days and an eye for detail and weirdly enough his best friend/mortal enemy (some other teen named Eric Foreman) and his on again off again girlfriend (Allison Cameron, totally won't last if u ask House) both work at the hospital as a candy striper and after school in the cafeteria respectively so House can get all the inside gossip from Chase. Plus Chase has no problems breaking and entering into patient's homes which helps bc since he's not employed by the hospital Cuddy can't complain as far as House is concerned.

2. A 14 year old girl who only answers to Thirteen (House knows he could look her name up in her file but honestly it drives Chase nuts that she won't tell him her real name and that's good enough for him) and who's dad was declared unfit after the death of his wife to Huntington's devastated him. She's a total nightmare, snarky and quick witted and freakishly smart even tho she puts most of those smarts towards things like shaving Chase's entire head (eyebrows included) bc he's trying to grow a sucky teenage mustache, and trying to take House's wallet bc she keeps calling him Old Man and he informed her he's actually only 25 but the stress of fostering has aged him prematurely and she's like 95% sure that's a lie but she wants to check his license and make sure bc everyone lies. She loves tormenting Chase by telling him his best friend and/or his girlfriend is hot and asking if they're single.

And 3. This 6 year old boy named Lawrence Kutner who's weirdly cheerful considering his parents got killed in front of him. He's way too chatty and excellent at puzzles and the only morning person in the entire house and therefore frequently tries to make breakfast (he likes to be helpful and he hasn't burned the place down yet so House doesn't feel the need to stop him). Once he told House he was gonna build a Death Star in the living room and House said lol sure go ahead whatever, only to return home from work to discover Kutner called himself out from school and has a huge wooden frame made of broken furniture in the living room. House rly can't argue since he did say go ahead. Benefits of fostering a 6 year old are 1. The babes love it, 2. Free excuse to leave work early/come in late/not show up at all, and 3. Justification for buying juice boxes and Ritz crackers. The neighbor kid Taub is his go to babysitter bc his mom volunteered him forcibly and Taub is lowkey praying that babysitting Kutner could lead to an in at Princeton Plainsboro once he graduates high-school and finishes medical school (it won't, House doesn't believe in nepotism unless it benefits him).

The adventures of House and his Foster Ducklings mostly revolve around being a Found Family, but do involve frequent plots such as:

House fired his brand new fellows again (he tosses em every three or so months, he hasn't found The Right Team yet) and will sometimes bring his foster kids in, hand em doctors coats, and tell patients that they're just a bunch of medical savants here to consult yes even the 6 year old he's actually Harvard's youngest graduate ever.

House sends the kids to break into a patient's home. They refuse. House tells them the first one to find black mold or lead paint or a dead animal or whatever gets $20. They agree. Chase drops Thirteen and Kutner off at a bus stop across town and drives over himself so he can get an hour and a half head start (ultimate fuck them kids moment, however Thirteen did steal his wallet so guess who's paying for lunch and their taxi ride to the patient's house? Net loss.)

Cuddy demands House does his clinic hours. House sends his foster kids to do his clinic hours for him. Tfw you go to the free walk in clinic for a sore throat and a cough and your doctor is a 6 year old boy who keeps asking for help with spelling whilst filling out your chart.

Wilson babysits them one (1) time since House doesn't trust Chase not to throw a party or sell his foster siblings on eBay if left as the one in charge. He wakes up with a big strip of hair poorly bleached right down the middle. Chase crushed up stolen sleeping pills and mixed them into a juice box, which Kutner 'innocently' offered to Wilson. Thirteen was going to bleach and dye his whole head blue (for practice, she wants to dye her hair but she's certainly not gonna fuck up her own hair until she has the method down) but Wilson woke up pretty quickly due to years of House drugging him. Wilson has not offered to babysit again.

Anyways this is my House Foster Ducklings au which I'm thinking about actually writing. Thank u 🫡

[nenelonomh]

the university masterlist

there are many excellent universities around the world, each offering unique programs and opportunities. here are some highly regarded institutions to consider (and what subjects they're renowned for):

united states:

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ massachusetts institute of technology (mit): renowned for its programs in engineering, computer science, and physical sciences.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ harvard university: known for its law, business, and medical schools.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ stanford university: excels in business, engineering, and the sciences.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ california institute of technology (caltech): focuses on science and engineering.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ university of california, berkeley (ucb): strong in a wide range of disciplines, including engineering, business, and the sciences.

united kingdom:

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ university of oxford: offers a broad range of programs and is known for its rigorous academic environment.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ university of cambridge: excels in sciences, engineering, and humanities.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ imperial college london: specializes in science, engineering, medicine, and business.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚london school of economics and political science (lse): focuses on social sciences.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ university college london (ucl): offers a wide range of programs and is known for its research output.

australia:

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ university of melbourne: known for its strong research programs and diverse academic offerings.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ australian national university (anu): excels in research and offers a wide range of programs.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ university of sydney: offers comprehensive programs and has a strong research focus.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ university of queensland (uq): known for its research and teaching excellence.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ university of new south wales (unsw): strong in engineering, business, and sciences.

canada:

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ university of toronto: offers a wide range of programs and is known for its research excellence.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ university of british columbia (ubc): strong in research and offers diverse academic programs.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ mcgill university: known for its medical and law programs.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ university of alberta: offers strong programs in engineering, business, and sciences.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ university of montreal: known for its research and diverse academic offerings.

when applying to and considering universities, it’s important to consider what programs and environments best suit your interests and goals.

do you have a specific university in mind?

instagram | pinterest | blog site

[sunskate]

tw: graphic sexual assault

the article, through google translate:

SEXUAL AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE INVESTIGATION After a rape complaint, an ice dancer faces the inaction of the authorities

In December 2023, French athlete Solène Mazingue denounced a rape of which she was allegedly the victim at the hands of an American athlete. Neither her coaches nor the federations concerned reacted. Unable to get back on skates, she filed a complaint in April.

The atmosphere is apparently relaxed at the Westin Hotel in Zagreb, on December 9, 2023. After several days of ordeals, professional skaters from all over the world are unwinding. Among them, Solène Mazingue experiences this international competition as a comeback. Suffering a fractured skull and a brain hemorrhage after a serious fall in training two years ago, the 21-year-old French skater could have remained paraplegic. Miraculously, Solène Mazingue resumed ice dancing after several operations at the Ice Academy of Montreal. One of the best private schools in the world, which she joined to pursue her dream of participating in the Olympic Games. Since 2022, she has been skating in a duet with her Estonian partner, Marko Jevgeni Gaidajenko, with whom she was Estonian champion and is participating in this competition in Croatia.

"We all had dinner together at the restaurant, then ended the evening between athletes in a hotel room," recalls Solène Mazingue, who decided to go to bed around midnight. According to her account, she was accompanied home by Australian athlete Holly H., as well as another athlete, Russian, Ivan Desyatov. The skater feels confident. She maintains a cordial relationship with Holly H. and considers Ivan, who has been skating under the American banner for several years, "a friend". Once in her room, Solène takes a powerful sleeping pill. A ritual that has remained unchanged since her accident, the young woman living with cognitive after-effects and suffering in particular from memory and sleep disorders. After taking her medication, Solène remembers that Holly and Ivan leave the room before she falls asleep. The rest is contained in a rape complaint filed at the Saint-Germain-en-Laye police station.

"Around 3 a.m., I woke up because I felt that there was something inside me. By the time I came to my senses, I noticed that there were at least two fingers inside my vagina." She then immediately recognized Ivan, naked at her side, thanks to one of his tattoos. According to exchanges consulted by Mediapart, Solène locked herself in the bathroom. At 3:31 a.m., Ivan asked her if she was okay. Solène did not answer. When she came out of the room an hour later, the ice dancer had left the room. The next day, Ivan Desyatov, who did not answer Mediapart's questions - and Solène exchanged on social networks. "Why were you in my bed?", Solène asked. "Your door was closed, but not locked. And I couldn't be bothered to go back to my room," Ivan replied, who initially tried to minimize the facts. Solène insisted. "I remember your hands coming down. Just tell me the truth." Ivan finally confessed: "I did it. And then you woke up [...]. I'm sorry." He then suggests, at 7 p.m., meeting Solène to talk. Which she refuses.

A forgotten testimony After that night, Solène confided in Emili Arm, a former Estonian athlete who is now a judge, who said she had "passed the information on to the federation". Although she is still licensed with the French federation, Solène has been competing for several years under the Estonian banner, the nationality of her sports partner Marko Jevgeni Gaidajenko. In the case of duet dancing, both athletes must represent the same nation. Following these confidences, Solène was however surprised "to have no news". The Estonian ice sports federation now explains that since it was not contacted directly by Solène regarding the assault, but "by a third party", it does not have a complete view of the case and has not contacted other sports organisations without her authorisation".

In addition to Emili Arm, Solène confided in her mother Delphine, but also in her coach and in Marie-France Dubreuil, one of the head coaches of the Ice Academy of Montreal. In a message, Solène's mother reminded Marie-France Dubreuil of the seriousness of the situation. "We will report it to Skate Safe and to the leaders of Team USA," replied the coach. On its web page, Skate Safe, a federal American program responsible for collecting testimonies and alerts concerning sexist and sexual violence, reminds that "all adult participants (coaches/instructors, athletes, officials, volunteers, club and program leaders, etc.) are required to report any suspicion of child abuse and/or sexual misconduct to the U.S. Center for SafeSport and local law enforcement."

Did Marie-France Dubreuil make this report? When asked about it, she did not answer our questions. "Our values ​​charter and our commitment to due process, fair play and creating a safe environment for all of our skaters and staff guide our actions. We ask all of our skaters and staff to respect the code of conduct they agree to when they join the school," explains Jamal Othman, Executive Director of the Ice Academy of Montreal.

According to our information, the only report sent to the U.S. Center for SafeSport regarding Solène Mazingue is dated September 26 and was sent by Solène Mazingue herself. "It's extremely disappointing," says Delphine, Solène's mother, today. The Academy knew that she had already had a very serious accident, that she was taking medication, they should have been particularly vigilant.

A forced speech In the absence of support, Solène filed a complaint in April 2024 at the Saint-Germain-en-Laye police station for rape committed on a vulnerable person: "Ivan could not ignore the after-effects I suffer and he knew that I was taking medication to sleep."

Contacted, the Versailles prosecutor's office (Yvelines) indicates that the case is still ongoing. On September 16, 2024, she publicly mentioned this case for the first time via a video published on her Instagram account, where she is followed by 90,000 people. While messages of support poured in in the comments, no official reaction has been published since then either by the French federation - some members of which contacted Solène privately - or by the Estonian federation, or by the international federation.

Ten days later, Solène sent a report to SafeSport. "I have nightmares and when I go out in the street, I always have a sort of feeling that someone is following me."

"Solène had to put herself in danger by exposing herself publicly for the authorities to react, while Ivan continued to compete internationally," says Félix Ladusse, co-founder of an influence agency that manages Solène's image. Ivan Desyatov, who had been continuing his career since that evening of December 9, was temporarily suspended on October 18 by SafeSport for inappropriate behavior.

Contacted, neither the federation American or SafeSport have not wished to comment. For several months, Solène has put her career on hold. "It was very difficult for her not to receive any support. In high-level sport, logic dictates that you leave your problems at home and be 100% physically and mentally," her boyfriend Mathieu analyses. "It's very complicated emotionally," confirms Solène. "I have nightmares and when I go out in the street, I always have a sort of feeling that someone is following me." She did not respond to late messages of support from the Estonian federation and the Ice Academy of Montreal. "It was in January that I needed them."

end of article

omg. she reported to Emili Arm, who was the Estonian judge on the panel for ice dance at Golden Spin. Arm reported to the Estonian fed, who did nothing. they didn't approach Solène, they didn't try to find out what support she needed or if she needed medical attention. they did nothing.

Solène then tells Marie-France, who assured Solène's mother that she would report to the US Fed and SafeSport. not only did Marie-France not answer the reporter for this article, Jamal Othman's non-answer is tremendous bullshit - these are the values in our charter, and we ask our skaters and staff to respect this code when they join?? - Solène certainly didn't violate this code, the question is why aren't you living up to the code and protecting her?

in January when Solène was seeking their support, IAM was in the middle of figuring out how to manage the situation around Nikolaj Sorensen and ended up supporting him. the hypocrisy.

and USFS being "no comment" for this article. did Marie-France report to them? why did Soléne end up having to report to SafeSport herself? why didn't MF or USFS make the report?

any response from the feds or IAM just looks like PR damage control now. they all failed miserably

on a human level, the lack of care extended to Solène is awful. so terribly sorry for what happened to her and how she was then left to navigate the aftermath alone

the perpetrator is despicable. justice for Solène

[claraameliapond]

For Australia, 26th January is invasion day, and that's literally it.

Today is a horrifically sad day in Australian history. Invasion day.

That's literally all it is.

Please please please do not join in the chorus of racism wishing anyone a "Happy Australia day" on the 26th of January

We can, have and are moving forward together as a country,

But we cannot truly do so if a celebration of our country and identity is held on the literal anniversary of the brutal and long-standing invasion, massacre and occupation of Australian aboriginals, the first peoples of Australia.

This invasion and subsequent violent Colonisation was full of many horrors that lasted well into the late twentieth century, and the long-standing repercussions of which have lasted to this day.

The stolen generations , in which generations - multiple generations of young aboriginal children were literally stolen by white colonists from their families, sent to missions, (detention boarding "schools ") , in which they were converted to Christianity and prepared for menial jobs, punished if they ever spoke their own languages, and subsequently put into the service of white families, with the intention to be bred out, never to see their families again. Never to be educated about their home, their families, their land, their culture, their languages, their history; they are the oldest continuing culture on earth. The last of these missions were in effect until 1969. By 1969, all states had repealed the legislation that allowed the removal of Aboriginal children under the policy and guise of "protection".

The indigenous health, longevity and poverty gaps still exist. Access to medicine, medical care, healthcare, a western education, all things we deem human rights by law, are not accessible to many rural communities still. They are provided, but in western ways, on western terms, with a gap of understanding how best to implement those services for an entirely different culture , that we do not have a thorough understanding of - that was what the referendum was about: , how best to implement the funds that are already designated to provide those services, because it's not currently working or usable by those communities. Our aboriginal communities are still not treated equally, nor do they have the same access we all enjoy to things like healthcare services, medicines and western education.

It is horrific and insensitive to therefore celebrate that day as our country's day of identity, because it's literally celebrating the first day and all subsequent days of the invasion, the massacres, the stolen generations, the subjugation and mistreatment, the inequalities that still persist today. It celebrates that day, that act committed on that day, of invasion , violent brutal massacres of Aboriginal people, as a positive, 'good' thing. As something that defines Australia's identity and should define an identity to be proud of.

That's nothing to be proud of.

Our true history is barely taught in our school curriculum, in both primary and secondary school. Not even acknowledged.

It needs to be.

We cannot properly move forward as a country until that truth is understood by every Australian, with compulsory education.

January 26th is Not 'Australia day'. It's Invasion day. It's a sorrowful day of mourning.

Please do not wish anyone a "happy Australia day " today.

It's not happy and it's not Australia day.

Australia day should be at the end of Reconciliation week that is held from the 23rd May to 3rd June.

A sentiment that is about all of us coming together as a shared identity within many identities, accepting and valuing each other as equal, a day that actually acknowledges Australian aboriginal peoples as the first Australians - because they are.

This is literally about acknowledging fact - that is the truth of Australian history. Aboriginal cultures should be celebrated and embraced, learnt from, not ignored, treated as invisible and especially not desecrated by holding celebrations of national identity on anniversaries of their violent destruction.

Australian aboriginal peoples, cultures and histories, should be held up as Australia's proud identity of origins, because it literally is Australia's origins.

That's a huge, foundational integral part of our shared identity that must be celebrated and acknowledged.

Inclusivity, not offensive exclusivity. Australia day used to be on 30th July, also 28th July, among others. Australia Day on the 26th January only officially became a public holiday for all states and territories 24 years ago, in 1994. It's been changed a lot before. It can certainly be changed so it can be a nonoffensive , happy celebration of our shared Australian national identity for everyone, that respectfully acknowledges and includes the full truth of our whole shared history, not just the convenient parts.

There is literally no reason it can't be changed, and every reason to change it.

#Always Was Always Will Be

[thewondermentofillustration]

Arthur Streeton - The River, New South Wales, 1896, Australia, oil on canvas; The Purple Noon's Transparent Might, Sydney, New South Wales; The Murray and the Mountain, 1930, oil on canvas

Sir Arthur Ernest Streeton (1867–1943) was a great Australian Impressionist landscape painter. He was born in Duneed, Victoria, Australia. Aged 15 years, he began night classes at the National Gallery of Victoria School of Design. He also learned the rudiments from studying art manuals and photographs.

At age nineteen, he began an apprenticeship as a lithographer. He also joined a painting group where he painted plein air, alongside Tom Roberts, Frederick McCubbin, and Louis Abrahams. He soon became a full time painter and developed a friendship with Charles Conder. The group of artists often camped and painted outdoors at Box Hill, Heidelberg, and the Yarra. They also provided art lessons and formed the Heidelberg School. During the 1890s, Streeton traveled further inland in New South Wales to explore the outback and the Hawkesbury River.

Streeton traveled to England. He took some time to adjust his artistic identity and become acquainted with very different landscapes. His best market was sending his English works for sale in Australia. Gradually, he began to win recognition in England, France, and the United States.

In 1915, Streeton served as a private in the Australian Army Medical Corps. After three years, he was appointed an official war artist and painted the Western Front in France. After the war, Streeton returned to painting romantic visions of the Australian landscape. By this time, he was a well-established painter. In 1937, was knighted for services to the arts.

[tststststtststtstststs]

Please help me. My best friend has been going through alot of medical treatment on and off sense she was six, Taylor's music was allways there to help her. She was extreemly bullied through school to the point where she had to transfer school twice due to the bullying again, Taylor's music was allways there for her. My friend and her mum went to Taylor's first ever Australian show years ago, sense then they have seen Taylor a total of 96 time arround the world. They have seen every show, have travled thousands of miles. She had also seen the Eras tour 7 times in America, is going to every Australian show and is seeing another 7 dates in the 2024 shows *and has made over 3000 friendship bracelets*. I know this sounds excessive but late last year she was told she has 2-3 years left due to her medical condition so she is trying to go to as many as possible. She has also seen the Eras tour Movie 12 times. My best friend is the most beautiful person, she is so smart and on the night of the last Melbourne show she is graduating medical school as well as having her birthday. @taylorswift @taylornation is there any way I could organise her getting the 22 hat? It would mean the world to her. Please message me.

[spicybees]

congrats on getting top surgery soon! May I ask how the process went for getting the consultation and all that? And what sort of options you had going into it if it’s not too much to ask… I’m hoping to get top surgery myself in a couple years and I don’t know where to start. Thank you so much!

THANK YOU SO MUCH I still can’t believe it’s happening I keep having to pinch myself. I’ll explain below the read more because it gets quite long but I’m more than happy to answer!

Okay so first of all I live in Australia so the process is drastically different than other countries like the US (sorry if you don’t live there either lol) but I can share my experience of the Australian process!

I could have just called up a surgeon without a referral if I chose to but if I did that I wouldn’t receive a Medicare rebate (which takes about 1k off the surgeons final price) so I went to see my GP first and asked for top surgery lol. Keep in mind I had not brought up my chest dysphoria at all to my GP in the 18 years she has been my doctor so it was quite a shock to her. And idk about other states but in Queensland they do require a year of supporting documentation to be considered for top surgery. But I got my way around that with sharing photos of me wearing a binder from when I was 14 LOL. That and my psychologist knowing a tiny bit but really nothing more that I was unhappy so mostly the photos.

I don't have private health so this was done uninsured which means I pay out of pocket for everything but honestly it wasn't too bad all things considered (private health wouldn't cover this anyway so I wasn't losing much) it totaled to about 9.3k for the surgeon, 2.6k for the anaesthetist and 2.8k for the day hospital. That with my rent and bills and food on top totalled to about 17k overall, but it would be much cheaper if you don't need to take as much time off as I do. I get a rebate from Medicare of about 1k (maybe more for the anaesthetist I don't know yet) so when I get that back in my account I would have only spent 16k.

I got asked some basic questions such as if I had any other parts of my body I was unhappy with in a similar way but it really wasn’t that invasive or much. I got my referral and received a call from the surgeons office the next day booking in my consult for the following month! I got asked if I had anyone specific in mind at my gp appointment and before I even replied she suggested the person I was about to say lol, turns out they were in the same year at medical school!

At my consult I explained what I was there for (she was unsure if she had it right bc I do identify as a woman socially and that’s not going to change) but she was amazing and understood exactly what I was looking for! She let me know I needed a psychiatrists letter of approval within 3 months of my surgery date just saying I’m like.. mentally stable and making an informed decision but I knew that already so I had my psychiatrist booked in the following day! I also had my surgery date booked the day of the consult (consult was 29th of August and surgery date is 25th of October) which was tentatively locked in until I got my psychiatrist letter. I also received my estimated cost for everything on consult day.

When I saw her the next day it was my last sorta time I had to explain like yes I’m a girl yes I know what I’m doing which had at this point become kinda annoying but luckily she was cool with it and wrote me the letter. I emailed that to my surgeon and then I got sent my admission paperwork and a bunch of forms I needed to return lol. I also got my pre op appointment booked and got told when I needed to pay by.

At my pre op appointment (earlier this week) I got measurements taken for my compression binder I have to wear 6 weeks post op and I also got pictures taken (awkward), and I was able to ask as many questions as I needed about the process. I suggest writing down a little list because you will forget in the excitement of it all (I had my best friend Shannon come with me for my pre op appointment to ask questions as well because they are going to be my caretaker post op).

Since that’s done and I’ve paid my surgeon I just need to pay my anaesthetist and hospital but that’s done closer to the surgery date. All future costs related to my surgeon such as post op appointments are all covered by the initial cost I paid, but if I need revision surgery that is an additional cost later down the line.

Now for procedure specific things..

Because of my breast size I was able to get keyhole and periareolar as well as double incision as options. I did end up going with double incision purely because I do not want to keep my nipples lol and the scars are meaningful to me. I was happy to know I had the options though! Felt really nice. She explained the options for scar placement and shape and asked whether I wanted to achieve a flat look or more a pec like look too. It was nice to work with someone who understood exactly what I am going for in this and it was really euphoric.

My surgeon does do drains BUT they do not need to be emptied or ‘milked’ as some people say online. She laughed and said that was an American thing and that I just need to monitor the output once a day. She also said I’ll be pretty tender but honestly won’t feel too shitty after and that I don’t need to worry about doing T rex arms lol, and to just work within my bodies limits. If my body hurts I don’t do it essentially.

As for time off from work I do work a physically demanding job that requires me to do heavy lifting, so I needed at least 6 weeks off. I ended up taking 9 off because it was leading up to Christmas and I don’t want to risk stretching my scars. I am going to be very short on money because of this but my health comes first. My boss was super chill about it and I have already sorted out a replacement for my hours since I am a manager and do need to be covered consistently lol.

Outside of that it’s really just waiting now! Shannon is taking 3 weeks of work themself to care for me but I really don’t think I’ll need their help physically for longer than a week, but the moral support is everything. My friends are also helping me out food wise the first week or so :3

I’m happy to answer any other questions people may have but do keep in mind I haven’t actually had my surgery yet so.. I only know so much right now.

[medicalschoolinaustralia]

Former OzTREKK student named Junior Doctor of the Year

Meet Dan, a former OzTREKK student originally from Vancouver. He decided to move to Australia to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor.

After graduating from UQ’s Doctor of Medicine program, he undertook his Internship at Rockhampton Hospital in Central Queensland where he was named the 2022 Junior Doctor of the Year. He is now an Orthopaedic Senior House Officer at Sunshine Coast University Hospital.

Clinical Placements in the UQ MD Program Opportunities are embedded in the program for you to undertake international placements or elsewhere in Australia. These include the Observership at the end of Year 1, the Elective during Year 4, and for international students, the Rural and Remote Medicine placement that can be undertaken at a rural location in Canada.

Here’s what Dan had to say about staying in Australia after graduating from medical school, and what to expect in your first and second years as an intern!

Would you like to watch the full webinar with Daniel? Please reach out to the OzTREKK medicine team at medicine@oztrekk.com.

[tunglo]

repost of an old blog post for my new Ken era...

Today [March 13th] is Ken Day! Kenneth Sean "Ken" Carson first hit store shelves in 1961 and, in a move that preceded reality TV by a decade or three, we all got to watch as Barbie met the man of her dreams.

Since then Ken has gone through almost as many incarnations as Barbie herself and had over 40 different careers. In celebration of all that fantastic plastic, here are just ten of the top Ken dolls produced over the years...

--

The 'fun' of shaving Ken has been a staple of his repertoire over the years; there are versions from 1996, 1999, 2010, and 2019.

But, as ever, it's the original that's best. Here is 1979's Sport & Shave Ken. Not only did he come with this spiffing tennis outfit, he also had a shaving mug, two 'razors', and a marker pen of your very own to draw on Ken's facial hair...

According to the brochure: "It's Ken with a whole new look for the 1980s. He's athletic. He's all man."

Indeed.

--

Cool Times Ken.

Never has a name been quite so misleading.

There's a reason Pixar went with this Ken era for the Toy Story movies, and it certainly wasn't because of Ken's close relationship with the concept of cool.

--

Sometimes your problem is not that Ken has too much facial hair. It's that he just doesn't have enough. Luckily 1972's Mod Hair Ken had you covered. The same idea was utilised again in 1975 for The Now Look Ken, except this time around his hair was longer to capture the true essence of mid 70s cool.

--

Ken has been a doctor many times - 1963, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2011, 2018 - but 1987's offering beats the rest hands down. Not only is Ken a doctor, but you can fold the lapels of his shiny nylon medical coat down and he's ready for a night of wining and dining!

What a doll.

--

What more can I say?

--

--

According to Keeping Ken, this shot with Wedding Day Alan was an official Mattel postcard

In 1993 Mattel redesigned Ken to fulfil little girls' requests that Barbie's beau be cooler. Ken was now so cool he was attracting interest from all quarters, including the US gay community who were sure Ken's cock ring necklace came straight - heh - from the club scene. As a result Earring Magic Ken sold out for Christmas '93, and remains the best selling Ken doll of all time in spite of Mattel discontinuing and recalling the doll once they realised Ken's secret was out of the closet...

--

In 2010 Mattel released Sugar Daddy Ken, so named - they say - because he owns a little dog called Sugar.

Hmmm.

--

Back in 2004, just in time for Valentine's Day, Barbie ditched Ken in favour of Australian surfer dude, Blaine. Blaine O'Hare - or at least his face sculpt - began life in 1998 when Totally Yo-Yo Skipper was initially set to gain a new friend called Zach. Though he never actually made it into production, his features were used for 1999's Generation Girl Dance Party Blaine.

The Generation Girl line followed Barbie's time at high school in NYC, introducing a variety of new friend dolls and spawning another Blaine in 2000. When he returned in 2004 Blaine had wisely dropped the 'curtains' hairstyle and traded in New York for California. In this continuity the pair met through Blaine's younger sister, Summer, who was good friends with Barbie.

In fact, voting was held through the Barbie.com website to determine who Cali Girl Barbie ought to go for - Ken, Blaine, long time pal Steven, another newcomer named Diego, or stay single. We all know how that went. Ken went away to lick his wounds for a couple of years, but in 2006 he was back with a new look. It wasn't enough for Barbie to take him back though and the pair remained 'just good friends' until another PR campaign saw them get back together in 2011.

--

The Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse webseries is awesome.

Launched in May 2012, it pokes fun at the entire Barbie mythos and did more to give Ken a personality than any other Mattel project. We learn that Ken loves inventing, is addicted to sherbet, and suffers from Hyper Cuteness Sensitivity Disorder...

--

This year Ken is finally taking control of his own destiny. Well. His own laundry, at any rate...

[yasemins]

𝐘𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍 𝐄𝐃𝐀 𝐀𝐊𝐌𝐀𝐍 — ​​🇲​​🇪​​🇱​​🇮​​🇸​​🇦​ ​🇦​​🇸​​🇱​​🇮​ ​🇵​​🇦​​🇲​​🇺​​🇰​

THIRTY-FIVE YEARS OLD; CIS WOMAN; REAL ESTATE AGENT; has lived in WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH since march 2021

"You only feel it when it's lost, gettin' through still has a cost. Quietly, it slips through your fingers, love. Falling from you drop by drop;"

older twin by fifteen minutes, and spent most of her life trying her best to be as different as she possibly could from her sister Hazal. got married right after high school to who she thought be the love of her life, but, immaturities and incompatibilities started showing as the years passed, so yasemin started feeling really suffocated in her marriage, and a few years into it, she filed for divorce and then moved to london for a post-grad course, to keep focusing on her career. she moved to nyc after, where she worked for the marketing section of a multinational company, but ended up having a serious meltdown due to burnout. after spending a few weeks in the psych ward, yasemin decided to change careers and eventually got a real estate license, where she could put to good use her expertise in marketing and sales. moved to wilmington when she was offered to become the responsible for the wilmington branch of the company she works for. has tattoos on her arms and thighs, two forward helix, a daith and three australian piercings on her right ear, a nostril diamond piercing, wears her wavy hair either down or in a high ponytail, never leaves the house without her grandmother's diamond earrings or the necklace her father gave her on her graduation day. cannot live without music, scented candles and wine.

information —

triggers for — mentions of car accident, divorce and burnout

Born in Portland, Maine to Turkish parents, Yasemin Akman spent most of her early childhood running around with her sister on the outskirts of the beautiful, New England city. Her parents, a very dedicated accountant, and a strict cardiologist both made sure that their girls were not only raised with love but also, with ambitions and eyes set on building themselves stellar careers. So Yasemin grew up with this greed for things; She’d always wanted more than she had been given, and obviously, she knew she would have to work hard to make things possible for herself.

Such greed, in Yasemin, was mixed with a compassion instilled in her by her father, especially after than man had suffered a car accident that landed him on a wheelchair. From that day on, Bekir Akman became his daughters’ guiding light at home whereas their mother Cemre filled the girls lives with stories of improvement and encouragement.

At the age of fourteen, her family moved to Orange County, California due to a promotion that had been given to Dr. Akman, to work as the chief of Cardiology in the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. In California, Yasemin blossomed even more as both a young woman and the academic prodigy she’d started to work on back in New England. It was also in California that she began trying to be as different as possible from her twin sister, Hazal. She started dying her hair, wearing too much eye make-up, lashing out at people… eventually, it stopped.

It was towards the end of her high school years that she met someone who possibly became the most significant turning point in her life. From the moment they met, they seemed to be connected at the hip, and with time, that friendship and care turned into love. They seemed to work well together, she helped him with his studies and with his social skills and he---well, he gave her love. Pure love and companionship. He seemed to be her biggest supporter and for someone who aimed as high as Yasemin did, she could use all the support from around her. Her family had practically adopted him too, and from the time they had graduated high school, a marriage proposal knocked on her door, swooped her parents off their feet too, and there she was, having the cutest little end-of-the-summer wedding with her first love.

College life wasn’t as hard as most people made it out to be. Yasemin got accepted into Berkeley to study Marketing, and while her husband didn’t have the same luck to be accepted to the same university, he still followed her to Northern California to give their love a chance. So, since she had the academic part of her life already decided, it wasn’t hard for Yasemin to focus on what she needed to focus. The best part was that her husband, despite not going to the same University as her, also seemed interested in academic life, so all the pressure their friends were putting on them, asking about babies and all that, she could push to the back of her mind and focus on what mattered.

However, as time passed, Yasemin started feeling like she was trapped. It wasn’t like she didn’t love her husband, because she did. She truly did, but their lives came to a point where his life revolved around hers and hers revolved around something else: her career. Yasemin began feeling suffocated and unhappy, which was not ideal for marriage. Her career was going great, her social life was amazing and yet, there was still pressure to start a family and Yasemin didn’t know if it came from within herself or from the ones around her and it was taking a toll on her mental health.

When the opportunity to spend a few months studying in London showed up, Yasemin figured it was time to sit down and have a much-needed conversation with her high school sweetheart. Finally, she and her husband signed the divorce papers and she moved to London to do continue focusing on her career.

While in London, Yasemin moved on to study Consumer Behavior in a Master's course once again, focusing on building herself a career and thinking of herself as smarter than the others in the room despite her love life had fallen apart. Everything in her life seemed to happen so fast and so intensely that Yasemin didn't seem to be surprised by the curve balls and obstacles that life seemed to throw her way. In fact, she seemed to be determined not to let them stop her. She moved back to the United States, more precisely to New York City to work as the Marketing Chief of a multinational company. It was also in New York where she had a medical emergency due to burnout, which led her to a complete change in her career.

Both her therapist and her Psychiatrist had her step out of work, but, as stubborn and unstoppable as she was, Yasemin started taking getting her realtor’s license and from there, the sky was the limit. A friend gave her the opportunity to join a rising real estate company, and with her expertise in sales, consumer behavior, and sweet talking, it didn’t take long for Yasemin to start closing deals on millionaire properties and getting herself big commissions out of them. Soon enough, she was scouted to join a really big and important real estate agency with offices all over the United States, where she could create a solid network and make a bigger name for herself.

What brought Yasemin to Wilmington was the chance to oversee the Wilmington offices of the agency she works for. She still drives to Raleigh once or twice a week for important meetings, but for most situations, she’s able to do those online. She bought herself a small beautiful house facing the ocean in Wrightsville Beach and has been living there for the last three years.

[thefabelmans2022]

so much respect for the adhd people who don't take medication because they feel like it makes them not feel like them or dulls their sparkle or w/e but i can't relate at AAAALLLL. i can't do anything without my meds, i struggle so much with motivation and for me the best thing the meds do is just getting me started doing what i need to do. they streamline my thoughts it's like my brain is the ocean in finding nemo and there's clownfish and jellyfish and dory and schools of salmon and sharks and boats and they're all talking over each other all at the same time and not getting anywhere and then the meds are the east australian current that puts them on a simple path to where they need to go. it's so good.

[maranofamilylawyers]

Australian Family Lawyers

Australian Family Lawyers are able to provide you with legal advice and assistance in resolving your family law matters. In most cases, it is recommended to attempt specialist family mediation before proceeding to court.

The treatment, weight and inclusion or exclusion of expert evidence is critical to judicial decision making in Australian family law. This is particularly the case in cases involving allegations of domestic violence.

Child Support

In Australia, child support is paid to help with the cost of raising a child or Australian Family Lawyers. It is determined by a court order and the amount will depend on the care and expenses needed to raise your child. It is important to have an Australian Family Lawyer assist with determining child support arrangements as it can be a complex process.

It is also important to be aware that a respondent who fails to comply with a court order can be found guilty of contempt of court and face criminal penalties including fines or imprisonment. It is crucial to seek advice from an Accredited Specialist Family Lawyer to ensure the best outcome for you and your children.

The team at Sarah Bevan Lawyers is committed to providing legal services that are not only compassionate and sensitive, but also affordable. Our family lawyers are proud of their participation in the Children’s Rights International (CRI) organisation whose mission is to enhance, promote and protect the rights of children globally. Managing Partner Sally Nicholes is a board member of CRI and regularly travels internationally on behalf of the organisation to support its work.

Property Settlement

Australian Family Lawyers are able to help you decide how to share your assets. This can be a complicated process, particularly where there are a number of different assets and interests to consider. These can include property, superannuation, business interests and other investments.

In determining a property settlement, the court will take into account a number of factors including future needs and contributions (both financial and non-financial). This is known as being ‘fair’.

Our lawyers are able to advise on and assist with the re-structure of family assets following separation, including those located both in Australia and overseas. Our team also advises on arrangements for children and can document these by way of binding child support agreements.

Child Custody

During separation or divorce, parents must decide how they will share the parenting responsibilities and time with their children. A custody arrangement is determined by the courts and takes into account a variety of factors outlined in the Family Law Act.

Australian Family Lawyers are trained to help you achieve an outcome that suits your specific circumstances. We can work with you to develop a parenting plan, file an application to the Family Court, and attend mediation to help you reach a resolution.

In Australia, child custody is referred to as parental responsibility and it involves decisions that impact the long-term well-being of your children such as where they live, schooling, religious upbringing and major medical issues. The statutory presumption is that both parents will share equally in the decision-making. However, if there are extenuating circumstances such as domestic violence, one parent may be granted sole custody. Regardless of which parent has custody, both parents will continue to be financially responsible for the support of their children.

Abduction

Abduction is a very serious issue and one that our firm has Legal advisor Sydney an interest in for some years. Parental child abduction is prohibited by the Family Law Act and a

breach of this prohibition can be a criminal offence in some circumstances.

International parental child abduction is determined by the Hague Convention and its Regulations (as enacted in Australia) as well as Family Court case law and policy. The application process is complex and requires the help of a specialist lawyer.

Our office can assist with a “recovery order” which empowers the Australian Federal Police to coordinate with international agencies and track down the child and abductor. The recovery order can also include a request to place the child’s name on the Family Law Watchlist so that the child cannot leave Australia again until the matter is resolved by the Court. The family law courts in Australia are bound by the Rules of the Hague Convention and the Family Law (Child Abduction Convention) Regulations to ensure that applications under the Hague Convention are decided fairly and quickly.

[harvardbk87]

*17/11/2024 (Nov. 17th, 2024): I am getting reports that our smart-farm team (including smart-mine and smart-fish-farm) is doing an excellent job in the Western countries that we are helping. Our government officials and civilian engineers are absolutely sure that we can help our Western allies not only with installing digital devices but also with alleviating poverty in these regions.

Generally speaking, the majority of the world – the Chinese (1.4 billion people) see as Koreans as worthless ethnic minority who won’t concede to their rule, but still a significant part of the world (0.45 billion EU people + 0.3 billion Americans + 0.04 bn Canadians + 0.026 bn Australians + 0.005 bn New Zealanders = 0.821 billion Westerners) sees Koreans as outstanding and hard-working.

We have received so much military, economic, and psychological support from the people of these countries not just during my time but also during my grandfather’s time. We are very glad we can help the children and grandchildren of all those who risked their lives to protect the freedom of the Korean people.

***

To Harvard Law School Professors with Administrative Powers – Thank you so much for considering having me at HLS. Like I always say, you won’t regret having me as a student :) . There’s an agency under my jurisdiction in Seoul that takes care of all my personal affairs. If you decide to send me someone in person, you can contact the US embassy in Seoul and have them have a diplomatic agent accompany him or her to this agency to reach me. You can ask the US Embassy Seoul to have a diplomat fetch you my email address and phone number through this agency.

I would have to delay my official entrance to HLS to Fall 2026 or Fall 2027 for medical reasons, as the specialist of my medical condition happens to be in Korea. I’m 80% cured, but the doctor needs to see me once every week for therapy. I can make a 5 day trip to Boston if you call me over, but I can’t move out of Korea to Boston for the 2-3 years. If you let me know what documents to prepare and what I should do regarding HLS entrance, I will do my best to prepare them.

To Former President Obama – We need to set up a website for our corporate tax reform project, so economists across the US and corporate lawyers with tax loophole experience can sign up for the project. We’ll collect their email addresses so we can send them the time+place info about our meetings. On the website, we should also announce the progress we’re making, so countries of similar situation can follow suit.

We should invite IRS agents as guest speakers so they can provide us with guidance on implementation of the reform. How much money do you think we can raise for various fees such as website management?

***

<북한에서 근로자 모셔오기>

몇 년 전, 제가 한국의 작은 기업을 고용한 일이 있었는데요. 5명의 한국 분들과 1명의 후진국 근로자로 구성돼 있었습니다. (후진국 대신 순화된 개발도상국이라는 표현을 쓰겠습니다. 이하 개도국) 다들 우리나라 분들 특유의 세심함과 성실함으로 일하셨는데요. 그 중에 일하던 개도국 분이 어떤 부품이 떨어진 것을 보고, 그냥 다시 끼우면 되는 부품이라는 것을 못 알아보고 하수구에 휙 버리더군요.

우리나라에서는 표준화 되어 널리 쓰이는 부품인데요, 개도국에서는 쓰지 않아서 못 알아봤나 봅니다. 서구에서는 부자들만 쓰고 가난한 사람들은 못 쓰는, 작고 기발한 부품이었습니다.

제가 “아니 그걸 버리면 어떡하냐” 하니까, 그 개도국 근로자가 자기 나라 말로 느릿하게 “내가 손 대기 전에 원래 그렇게 돼있었다.” 대답했습니다. 전쟁 끝나고 우리나라에 머물며 뭐든지 편리하고 깨끗하고 친절한 데에 익숙해 있다가, 개도국에서 자주 겪은 그런 마인드를 오랜만에 보니 기가 막혔습니다.

우리나라 기준으로 보면 게으르고 무책임한 것이죠. (외교관들은 “일에 대한 가치관이 다르다”라고 표현합니다.) 제가 사장이었으면 화를 버럭 냈을 것입니다. ‘아, 남한 사장님들이 개도국 사람 잘못 썼다가 악덕기업 낙인 찍히는 것은 한순간이겠구나!’ 이런 생각이 들었습니다.

요즘 일손 부족을 겪고 계시는 소기업 중기업 대기업 분들에게 좋은 대안이 있습니다. 바로 통일부에 연락해서 북한에서 근로자를 모셔오는 것입니다.

임금은 남한 분들과 똑같이 주기는 해야겠지만, 남한 사람들처럼 성실하고 책임감 있기 때문에 그만큼 가치가 있을 것입니다. 북한에 들어가있는 남한 중공업 기업인들이 가끔 북한 공장에서 일하는 근로자들의 동영상을 찍어 인터넷에 올리는데요, 묵묵하게 일하시는 모습이 남한 근로자들과 다름없었습니다.

또한 그렇게 하면 저의 경제통일 정책에 큰 도움이 되어 주시는 것입니다. 북한에서 근로자를 모셔오는 것에 대한 더 큰 틀의 경제적 이유는 다음과 같습니다.

1. 현재 북한의 경제 구조는 일본인 공장장 – 북한인 근로자의 구도로 돼 있습니다. 서구 외교관들과 서구 경제학자들의 말마따나 일본인들의 경제력에 한계가 있어서, 이렇게 놔두면 1인당 국민소득 14,000-18,000달러 구간에서 정체할 것입니다. (현재는 1인당 9,000달러 정도 됩니다)

2. 90년대에 남한의 어떤 경제학자가 한 말을 인용한 것을 책에서 봤는데요, 북한과 국민성+지리적 조건이 같은 남한이 1인당 국민소득 20,000불 단계에 진입하려면, 임금을 받는 근로자가 아닌, 기업을 경영하는 경영인들이 많아야 한다고 합니다.

3. 북한 근로자들이 남한의 소기업, 중기업, 대기업에서 단순 노동이라도 고용이 돼서 기술과 경영을 배우면 수년 후 북한에 돌아가 자신들만의 기업을 따로 ��릴 수가 있어, 북한의 1인당 20,000불 수준을 성취하는데 큰 도움이 될 것입니다.

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<북한 원로 분들께: “제국경영대학” 설립 (평양본교, 동북분교, 서북분교, 남부분교)>

(경영: 經營 기업이나 사업 따위를 관리하고 운영함. Imperial Business School)

이제 북한의 소기업, 중기업, 대기업 경영인을 대규모로 양성하기 위한 대학을 짓는 것이 좋을 것 같습니다. 고종황제가 돌림병을 뿌리뽑고 서양식 수술법을 상용화 시키기 위해 의과대학을 지어 서양의학을 배운 의사들을 대규모로 복사기처럼 찍어냈듯이, 저도 북한인 경영인들을 대규모로 양성하기 위한 경영대학을 세우고자 합니다.

(일본 정부는 당시 10년 먼저 서양식 병원을 짓기는 했지만, 젊은이들을 전쟁터로 내보내고 다치면 다시 고쳐서 전쟁터에 보내기 위해 병원을 지었습니다. 고종황제의 정책은 그 당시 서구 국가들을 통틀어서도 엄청난 복지 정책이었죠)

1. 평양이나 평양 외곽에 어렵게 가르치는 4년제 대학을 짓도록 합시다. (석사+박사 과정 가능). 그리고 동북 관할 1곳 (평안남북도+자강도), 서북 관할 1곳 (함경남북도+량강도), 남부 관할 1곳 (황해남북도+강원도) 이렇게 3곳에 더 지어, 3년제로 해서, 보통 수준의 학생들도 교육과정을 따라올 수 있게 쉽게쉽게 가르치는 대학을 세우도록 합시다.

2. 입학 조건: 고등학교 전 과목 70점 이상 (화학,물리,영어 우수 성적자 우대), 그리고 교장 선생님의 추천서만 있으면 됩니다. “이 학생은 근면하고 성실하며 좋은 경영인이 될 자질이 있다.” 이런 내용이면 됩니다. 나이 제한 없이, 일본인 공장에 일하시던 분은 어렸을 때 고등학교에 찾아가서 성적표와 추천서를 떼오시면 됩니다.

3. 경영에 필요한 과목들을 가르칩니다. 마케팅, 회계, 기초 경제학 등 남한+서구 경영대학에서 가르치는 과목들로 합시다. 남한에는 훌륭한 기업인이 많은데, 책에서보다는 실전에서 경험으로 실력을 쌓아온 것입니다. 학자가 되는게 아니므로 전 과목 60점 이상이면 졸업이 가능하게 합시다. 물론 재수강도 여러번 할 수 있습니다.

4. 학생들은 1+2학년 혹은 3학년 초기에 필수로 1달동안 남한에 가서 홈스테이(homestay)를 하면서 남한의 소기업, 중기업, 대기업을 구경해야 합니다. 워킹 홀리데이(working holiday)를 하면 더 좋고요. 또 한 학생당 재학 중 한번씩은 서구 국가에 1주일 이상 머물며, 서구에 있는 남한 공장과 Radioshack 등 중공업 판매 경로를 구경해야 합니다. (서구 1주일 견학 비용: 비행기표 + AirBnB 5일 묵으면 총 미국달러 500불 + 1끼 식사 비용 20달러 + 버스 대절비 등 해서 1인당 3,000 미국달러)

4. 3학년 후기에는, 학생들이 공부한 것을 바탕으로 사업계획서를 제출합니다. 그리고 그 학생을 가르치고 같이 여행도 해본 교수 6명이 그 학생에 대한 인격검증서를 제출합니다. “이 학생은 이윤만 쫓아서 서구의 악덕기업인처럼 자국과 동맹국 정부나 시민들을 괴롭힐 기질이 있는가?”, “많은 돈이 왔다갔다 하는데 탈세 등 악덕 행위를 할 가능성이 있는 성격인가?” 이렇게 5명 이상의 교수가 괜찮다고 하면, 위원회가 이 학생의 사업계획서를 실현할 초기 창업 비용으로 8,000 미국달러를 줍니다.

(교수의 사업가인격검증 제도가 왜 가장 중요한지는 언젠가 <미국 경제를 장악한 악덕기업들>이란 제목으로 블로그에 올리겠습니다)

북한 관료들께서는 남한 통일부에 연락해서 이 프로젝트에 관심 있을 관료들과 교수들을 보내달라고 말씀하시기를 바랍니다. 또한 얼마 정도 예산이 들지 계산해보시고, “경제통일을 위한 경영대학 건설+운영에 쓸 비용인데 얼마나 보태줄 수 있나” 물어보시기 바랍니다.

1년에 50학생 x 4학교 x 서구 견학 비용 3000 미국 달러 x 남한환율 1400원 =  8.3억원(남한돈)

1년에 40학생 x 4학교 x 창업 비용 8000 미국 달러 x 남한환율 1400원 = 17.92억원(남한돈)

해서 1년에 26.22억원(남한돈)을 보내달라고 하면 될 것 같습니다. 교수 월급이나 학생들 기숙사 난방비 등은 북한(대한제국 북방의 준말) 정부가 다른 대학교 운영하듯이 하면 되니까, 현재 재정으로는 충분히 직접 대실 수 있으리라 봅니다.

만에 하나, 1년에 26.22억원(남한돈)을 다 못 보내주겠다고 남한 통일부에서 그러면, 학교 건축을 몇 년 미루고, 필요한 돈을 저축하기 시작하시기를 바랍니다. 북한 수출 기업들이 세금을 낼 수 있을 때까지 (법인세), 10년 동안만 남한 기업에게서 기부금이라도 걷어달라 부탁하시기를 바랍니다. (또한 제국의 체면이 손상되니, 학교 이름에서 ‘제국’을 빼고 다른 이름으로 하기로 합시다)

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북한에 경제연구소 설치에 일조하신 모든 분들, 그 동안 수고 많으셨습니다^^ 북한 축산업 발전팀과 함께 경제통일을 위해 열심히 계속 일해봅시다.