Rod Ritchie

That time of the year.

Another year and these are blooming again.

Planted in the trunk opening of a very old Crepe Myrtle.

Orchid time again.

Azaleas and geraniums along with kangaroos in the morning sun.

Hibiscus blooming.

This is an epiphyte called Staghorn Fern.

Mid-winter here. Just a grasshopper that landed on the verandah rail!

These Grevillias are native to Australia.

Well, the peach tree is flowering. Finger’s crossed for a good crop.

Bluesky’s Quest to Build Nontoxic Social Media

Navigating Patient Vulnerability During Medical Procedures Recently, I had my ninth (9th) procedure since my Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) diagnosis in 2017; it was the third procedure involving a port and the sixth (6th) or maybe seventh (7th) l…

A PLEA TO RAISE THE BAR ON PATIENT COMMUNICATIONS

The author describes how healthcare workers failed to understand patient vulnerability and exercise basic human rights during a simple procedure.

nohalfmeasures.blog/2025/03/31/n...

Making the most of cancer: My journey from diagnosis to advocate | LBBC Discover Bob Riter's journey from male breast cancer and prostate cancer to lifelong advocacy. Learn how a CHEK2 mutation shaped his path and what genetic testing means for cancer care.

My colleague and friend Bob Riter makes no distinction between cancers and ditto between genders when it comes to advocacy.

“Having had both breast cancer and prostate cancer, I can’t help but compare the two of them. They are biologically similar in many ways…”

www.lbbc.org/blog/making-...

Yes, they are very melodious. And quite gregarious. 👍🏼

Well, I had going a closeup of the hibiscus’s when the Butcherbird landed on the rail for a singing session. So, here’s the pic.

This is a repeat pic. The Lilly Pilly is flowering again. Acmena smithii.

Sexualizing Breast Cancer = Everyone Loses The author critiques Super Bowl commercials by Novartis and Pfizer for their insensitivity towards patients suffering from breast cancer. She argues these ads sexualize a serious illness, neglect m…

POOR TASTE
“The Novartis ad may have sparked conversation, but it’s time for all of us to think beyond the spectacle and focus on what truly matters: the real-world impact of breast cancer and the fight for equitable care and resources for all those affected.”

nohalfmeasures.blog/2025/02/17/s...

Commiserations, for sure. 😮

No Half Measures Living Out Loud with Metastatic Breast Cancer

CLUMSY SUPERBOWL MESSAGING
“The commercial ignored all of these people and could have made it even harder for men to have their concerns addressed -- if people are only focusing on the young, bouncing breasts, it sidelines everyone else, the people who need help.”

nohalfmeasures.blog

Excellent. 👍🏼

Crepe Myrtle time again in the garden.

Good luck. It’s flowering is a stunning event

Actually, it’s the Jade Vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys)

Here it is on location.

This was at an open garden day not far from me. Will find more info.

The Jade Plant flowering.

Looking More Closely at Breast Cancer in Male Patients Although breast cancer has historically been associated with female patients, the rates of men with breast cancer have been increasing over the past decade.

“Men with breast cancer are often left to fight the disease in silence. This silence has led to psychological and emotional distress in conjunction with illness-related stigmas.”

www.oncnursingnews.com/view/looking...

Here’s our Bangalow Palm (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana) fruiting profusely. Bonus is to see these two wompoo Pigeons (Ptilinopus magnificus) having a feed.

Lilly’s appearing in the pond.

Okay. Take it easy. How far is it?