No Sympathy for Matthew Johns
I have no sympathy for Cronulla Rugby League footballer Matthew Johns for him being sacked from his positions in the Australian Rugby League and his Channel 9 Media Role role on the Footy Show after it coming to light about his “gangbang” with a New Zealand woman “Clare” whilst he and his rugby team mates were on tour in New Zealnd.
No matter whether or not it was consensual sex or rape, a person in his role should know that the chances of it being leaked to the media in the future as it finally has, should know better.
The only people I feel sorry for is obviously the victim, but also his wife and his family, can you imagine how his wife must of felt being on A Current Affair as his voiced his shameful apology to millions of people across Australia.
At the moment John’s is stating that he fears for his safety, well of course he would, at the moment Matthew Johns would be one of the most hated people in Australia, and no-one will ever forget what the past antics hae has put upon himself.
I don’t think his relationship with his wife will last too long, unless she is truly a strong woman.
Apparenly the victim showed off about the incident, well maybe she did, but whatever happened, it is news across Australia now, and poor Matthew Johns has lost his job, his reputation and alot more.
I wonder where Matthew Johns will be in a year from now? Waterboy for the Cronulla Sharks maybe?
Or will he have a breakdown and do something stupid?
Let’s wait and see.
Matthew Johns Confession Interview 1
DVA Good Sleep Guide
I am an ex-serviceman and the other day I received an excellent brochure in regards to one of the most important things in life … SLEEP!
Here is some great advice about getting a good nights sleep:
Here is what the experts say…
During the day
Not being able to sleep is a common problem. If can cause worry and lead to more sleep problems.
Often our day and evening routines, and our beliefs about sleep, determine how well we sleep.
- Get up at the same time each day
- Estabilish daily routines for meals, activities, taking medications
- Try and spend at least 30 minutes outdoors each day to help set your body clock
- Avoid daytimes naps, particularly after 3pm
- Try and be more active during the day
During the evening
- Do not sleep or doze in the armchair. Keep sleep for bedtime
- Allow yourself time to wind down during the evening
- If you find yourself worrying, put youe day to rest by writing down your list of concerns. Decide to deal with them tomorrow
- Avoid caffeine, smoking and alcohol near bedtime. They interfere with either getting to sleep or staying asleep.
- Make sure your bed and bedroom are comfortable – not too cold or too warm. Reduce light and noise
- Avoid a heavy meal close to bedtime. If you are hungry, a snack may help you sleep.
At Bedtime
- Have a bedtime routine so your body knows you are preparing for sleep. Try a warm shower, a snack or listening to relaxing music
- Go to bed only when you are sleepy
- Don’t watch TV or use a computer in bed. Only read in bed if it helps you fall asleep
- Enjoy relaxing even if you do not at first fall asleep
- Sleep problems are not as damaging as you might thing. Getting frustrated or worried about not being able to sleep makes it harder to fall asleep
- If you are still awake after about 20 minutes, get up and do something relaxing. Go back to bed when you feel sleepy
- Speak to your doctor if you are frequently getting up at night to go to the toilet.
Medication
Medication is not a good choice for long term sleep problems. It can have serious side effects, increase the likelihoods of having a fall or car accident, and reduce the quality of your sleep.
Sleep medication supplied in hospital generally should not be continued after leaving hospital.
It’s time to talk to your doctor if you:
- Have been taking sleep medication
- Would consider taking less sleep medication
- Would like to try a non-drug approach to help you sleep.
Non-drug treatments work for about 70% of people who try them and are far more effective in the long term than sleep medication.
Did you know?
- People with sleep problems often get more sleep than they think.
- We generally need less sleep now that we did when we were younger
- Worrying about a bad night’s sleep affects us more the next day than the lack of sleep
Attention Australian Ex-Servicemen and Ex Service Women of The Australian Army, Royal Australian Airforce and Royal Australian Navy
The Australian Army
Are you an Australian Ex-Serviceman and Ex Service Woman?
Regardless of how old you are, or how many years you served in the Australian Defence Forces such as The Australian Army, the Royal Australian Airforce or the Royal Australian Navy, it is important that you read this.
My question to you or any ex-service people you may know of such as your Father, Mother, Sister, Brother, Uncle, best friend and so forth, Did you or they suffer from any injuries, disabilities, even psychological injuries such as depression, post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety problems?
ANY INJURY < I cannot state that enough!
Regardless of whether or not you served in a warzone or just in Australia during any form of Peacetime, you or they maybe entitled to some form of compensation, disability payments, medical treatment or even a White Card or a Gold Card.. or do you think … it all too hard! I won’t get nothing! Or maybe your just too proud like most ex veterans are.
Royal Australian Navy
Did you ever break your leg playing football in the armed forces, or maybe break your arm, or wrist at work.
You maybe be medically fine at this present moment, but maybe when your in your 60’s that previous injury you received in the Defence Forces may come back and haunt you, via arthritis etc.
It does not matter what injury or injuries you received, but you need to know that you can claim for compensation for injuries received.
It is a long process to put in a claim to the Department of Veteran Affairs, and also a very frustrating process, you’ll get letter after letter, and will have to attend Doctors Appointments, Medical Appointments, maybe have to get X-Rays taken, or if you have psychological injuries, you will need to have appointments with a pyschiatrist or pyschologist. But please do not let that deter you.
Royal Australian Airforce
If your unsure how to fill out forms, there are plenty of DVA Advocates who will help you with your claims, these Advocates are usually Ex-Servicemen or Women and have alot of experience themselves in helping ex-service people get disability pensions and compensation payments.
I myself will soon become an Advocate and Welfare Officer which will enable me to help Veterans and Widows for their claims.
For more information the best resource for forms is
If you are an ex Service person of the Australian Defence Force and you are currently suffering from any form of Mental Illness, such as Depression, PTSD, Anxiety and so forth, you are entitled to free counselling via the VVCS program
All Australian veterans are eligible for treatment of Anxiety or Depression at DVA’s expense. A relevant specialist (e.g. psychiatrist) is required to confirm your diagnosis with DVA so we can approve your treatment. Treatment is available for these conditions regardless of your service.
Free and confidential counselling is also available through Veterans Line on 1 800 011 046.
Please do not let the “Veterans” or “Vietnam Veterans” turn you off, that is just the name of the program, if you served in the Australian Defence Force, you are still a Veteran regardless of if you served overseas or not.
If you are planning on putting in a claim to DVA, it is best to get a copy of your Australian Defence Force Medical Records and go through your medical records carefully and note down any minor or serious injuries, even Tinea!
Get a copy of your Medical Records and even your Service Records as follows:
Service Records Service Medical Records
Army
ADF Health Records Office – Army
GPO Box 1932R
MELBOURNE VIC 3001Navy
ADF Health Records – Navy
Queanbeyan Annex 2
CANBERRA ACT 2600
RAAF
ADF Health Records – RAAF
Queanbeyan Annex 2
CANBERRA ACT 2600or email: For medical record enquiries, please email health.records@defence.gov.au.
Service Records
Proof of identity or Next-of-Kin relationship is required and all requests require a signature. Due to privacy restrictions, specific regulations apply to the distribution of confidential personnel records.
Contact Contact Details Postal
Navy -
Personnel Records RAN Phone: +61 2 6266 5962
Fax: +61 2 6266 5851 Queanbeyan Annex 2,
Department of Defence Canberra ACT 2600Army -
Central Army Records Office Phone: +61 3 9282 5393 or +61 3 9282 6235
Fax: +61 3 9282 5434
E-mail: caro.hq@defence.gov.au GPO Box 393 Melbourne VIC 3001Air Force -
Personnel Records RAAF Phone: +61 2 6266 5965
Fax: +61 2 6266 5851 Queanbeyan Annex 2,
Department of Defence Canberra ACT 2600Historical service records –
WWI and WW2
National Archives of Australia Phone: 1300 886 881
E-mail: ww1prs@naa.gov.au
http://www.naa.gov.au
There is so much more to say! I could write alot more, I urge you to please read what I have said and visit the above websites for more information! Pass this information onto your friends and family members who may be unaware of what they may be entitled too!
Sponsor a World Vision Australian Aboriginal Child!
Sponsor an Aboriginal Child? No you can't!
Isn’t it strange when on television in Australia and most likely in other Western Countries, we are bombarded with advertisements from religious and aid organisations trying to make us feel sorry for malnourished and starving african children and ask us to Sponsor a poor African Child, or a South American Child, or a child from a poor Asian Nation.
Or if you are in a shopping mall, and their is a World Vision stand asking people to “Sponsor a World Vision Child”
Next time you see one of these stands in a mall, why don’t you ask, “Can I sponsor an Australian Aboriginal Child?” and see what they say or do… most likely a bit stunned and stuck for words.
The Australian government spends billions of dollars on tourism promoting Australia as the most beautiful country in the world, in the advertisements you will see beautiful crstal clear beachs, with never ending beaches of pure white sand, and al the other pretty things.
If you ever come to Australia and are planning on travelling to the Northern reach of Australia, prepare yourself for some of the most beautiful land and scenery in the world, but I must also warn you, prepare yourself for people living in third world conditions.
It will scare you, it will shock you, it will frighten you and it will no doubt it will disgust you when you see Aboriginal people stumbling around the streets in drunken stupors, fighting, screaming abuse at each other, aboriginal men bashing up their female partners over cigarettes or the last mouthful of wine or you’ll see aboriginal men and women begging for money, sleeping under trees amongst thousands of empty beer cans, wine casks, and much more.
Places like:
-
- Broome – Western Australia
- Kunnanurra – Western Australia
- Port Hedland – Western Australia
- Fitzroy Crossing – Western Australia
- Alice Springs – Northern Territory
- Darwin – Northern Territory
and hundreds more small isolated Australian towns
You’ll see alot of aboriginal kids too, at roadhouses, getting their chips or pies for lunch, you wont see many of those kids having anything healhty, like fresh sandwhiches, vegetables, salads, fruit and so on.
You’ll see many young small aboriginal kids who look sick, have snotty noses, infected sores like scabies on their face, feet, hands, arms and so forth, and aboriginal kids with shaven heads to get rid of the lice they have had in their hair.
Alot of these kids live an awful childhood, their parents are alcoholics, and no doubt these kids will follows their parents unwanted footsteps. Suicide rates are out of control and the life expentancy of Aboriginals is in the 50 – 60 year range.
These Aborigines who living in the far Northern reaches of Australia, such as Western Australia, The Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia are likely to be 100% Full Blooded Aboriginals, without sounding racist, their skin is Black, very black, they speak in their own tongue in different Aborignal languages depending on their local place of birth is, the language which is probably their last link to their ancient past.
These days many Full Blooded Aboriginals no longer live in the Desert fringes, hunting and gathering for food and water in a nomadic way, living like they did so only 100 years ago, the way they did for 100,000 years or more before white man arrived and took away their ancient culture and beliefs. They now live as fringe dwellers living on the outskirts of towns which are wealthy and and full of prosperity, from your tourism dollar, or from the Australian Mining Industry.
Living Conditions of Aboriginal People is Shameful
The Living standards of Aboriginal people, whether full blooded aboriginal (True Aborginal Blood) people or half – caste aboriginal people (Half Caucasion – Half Aborignal) in Australia is absolutely disgusting, and I won’t deny it is the same for many poor caucasion Australian people and Australian people of other nationalitys.
When I was a child living in my small rural Australian town, we had a few Aboriginal families living in my town, racism was rife, and unfortunately still is, it will never changed as racism is passed down from one generation to the other.
The local aboriginal families in my town and most likely in all other rural australian towns were fringe dwellers, they were only allowed to live on one side of the railway track and the white people lived on the otherside of the railway track.
Times have changed, they are now allowed to live amongst the white townsfolk, which is good, but nethertheless, still never given the chance gain respect amongst many of our townsfolk.
But unfortunately just like many other Aboriginal races around the world, such as the North American Eskimos, alcohol has played a major part in their loss of traditions, lifestyles, respect, the cultures and so much more.
It is shameful and most likely in my opinion near the point of no return. They have lost their culture, their past, their respect and so much more.
Not all Aboriginals live like this, some live good lives, some find god, some are employed in the tourism industry, or work on cattle stations, or even have their own businesses.
I feel so sorry for these people, especially the upcoming generations of small and teenage children, they don’t have much to look forward to, once their childhood has past them, then they will likely enter a world of despair.
If World Vision started a global or Australian advertising campaign asking Australian people to sponsor Aboriginal Children, just like they do for African kids, then the uproar would be heard all over the world …. sponsoring kids in a Western Country .. now thats not right!
a Typical Northern Australian Aboriginal Home
13 Months without Alcohol!
No Alcohol Permitted in my Life!
It’s been 13 Months now since I decided to give up drinking and since I had my last drink.
My decision to give up drinking started around 2 years ago when I was sailor in the Royal Australian Navy and I was suffering from depression and turning to alcohol to make myself feel good. Everynight I would get drunk, not blind drunk, but just drunk enough to dull the pain of depression and despair I was going through.
I had excellent support for my depression whilst I was in the Navy and if I needed psychological help, I could just ring up the “Psychs” and see someone almost straight away.
I won’t divulge what caused my depression because that is a bit too private, what I say here is already saying alot.
It got to the stage where alcohol was getting me into trouble, not through any means of violence or anything like that, but just like sleeping in and being late for work, not having any drive for excelling in my career, not caring, being grumpy towards my work colleagues and evn some superiors, and thinking about suicide more and more, thinking about just taking off to someplace where no one would find me.
Everyday after work I would go into town and buy myself a few kingbrowns (750ml Bottles of Beer) and maybe a few bundy or bourbon and coke mixers, and then head back to my place for a quite night of drinking and surfing the net to around 1am in the morning and go to bed in a hazed state of happiness and sadness and then wake up the next morning full of anxiety, sadness, guilt and shame.
Throughout the day at work my anxiety would rise and fall, but most days it would hit a massive peak, and the only way I could make myself feel better was to go and have a nice long hot shower at lunchtime, and feel that warmth of hot water soak my skin and take away the anxiety. It really worked for me, it’s amazing what a nice hot shower or hot bath does for the body, but you could only stay in the shower of bath for a certain period of time before your skin starts to wrinkle up.
I also had XANAX tablets which I could rely on for panic attacks, so if I felt that coming on, I could just pop one in my mouth and it would take away some anxiety, but those tablets are addictive and was worried about XANAX becoming part of my life like alcohol was.
I was not really much of a social drinker, I’d rather have a drink by myself or with a couple of trusted friends, I hated drinking in crowds of people, nightclubs and even pubs, and when I did so, I would binge drink to get my confidence and ability to socialise properly… just like most people binge drink, to get some form of confidence, that is until it’s all too late, and they make a fool out of themselves.
I remember once I visited a mate at his place around 30 minutes where I lived, I drove up and saw him and did the usual, started drinking beer, anyhow to cut a long story short, it was time to go, so I left his house and on the way back, I popped into a bottle shop, grabbed a takeaway beer and hit the road home.
When I got to the main road I just put my foot on the pedal, and overtook this car, I would have been doing around 180kms and after I overtook them, and I nearly lost control, yes I was over the limit and drunk, I was testing my “risk factor”
I felt a lot of fear inside of my body, and later, the next day later, it hit home to me, and I thought,
What the hell are you doing?
Why are you getting drunk all the time?
Why are you taking stupid risks?
The next day at work I told my Navy Psychologist, the whole story and how I was drinking way too much, more than I can write here and how I felt so suicidal, and was told I had a couple choices, either continue the way you and lose are or gain control of my life and win.
Obviously I wanted to win and I was sick and tired of being a closet drinking loser, so I chose the second option, and I immediately I threw away all the alcohol in my possession, (carton of beer, and a few bundy and coke udl’s) and all reminders and past reminders of alcohol, and I started a plan.
My plan and goal was to give up the alcohol for at least a year. I had done it previously for three months, and fell back into it.
So that weekend, I bought myself a Kayak, so I could get out and get some good decent exercise, and that I did.
Everyday I would go Kayaking before work and after work, I even kayaked on my lunch break when I had an hour to spare, off I would go kayaking for around 45 minutes, and have enough time to shower and get back to work, it was great, it gave me the opportunity to get some exercise, to think, to plan goals and to clear my head and clean my body from alcohol.
It really worked, I did this for around 8 months, feeling on top of the world everyday, my depression improving, and then guess what happens?
I meet a girl…. who drinks alcohol.
I tell her my story about give up drinking for a year, she is fine with that, but a little disappointed that I was not a “drinker” and one day I go and visit her, and she makes a nice meal, and then the old bottle of red wine is introduced!
Temptation strikes at my heart, and yes, being good old me, I fall into the trap and have one sip of the wine… 8 months of hard work goes down the drain and I start getting into my old habits again.
I don’t blame her one bit, maybe I could push the blame on me, or maybe it was meant to be.
Twelve months later that relationship is over and it has been decided by the Navy that my depression is not warranted in the Navy, so I am medically discharged from the Navy. I was happy actually, to get away from that environment of the armed forces after 13 years in the Australian Defence Force.
I discharged from the Navy and started my new life as a civvy.
Other bad things had happened to my family and I in that last 12 months, my Mum suffered a major stroke and was hospitalised, she undergoes operations and rehabilitation and is eventually well enough to go back to her home with my elderly father who has Parkinson’s Disease.
I leave the Navy on my medical discharge to go home to care for my parents.
The stress of looking after my parents builds to a bursting point, I am drinking probably more than ever, not during the day, but at night by myself. And one night after a heavy drinking session, I am sitting on the verandah on a warms summer night, and the alcohol starts talking to me.
-
- Your useless!
- You should be ashamed of yourself!
- Your a complete and utter failure!
- Life is too hard!
- This life is not worth living!
- Take the pain away!
- No more sadness!
- Go on end it all!
I think about it, not over a long period of time, not hours, but in minutes.
In a drunken blur I go through my prescription tablets, grab a half bottle of bourbon or what ever I was drinking at the time, and swallowed a lot of various tablets with 4 or 5 mouthfulls of bourbon.
Thats it…. so easy, waiting, waiting …. things go all white, people moving.
Next day there I am in hospital, can’t remember anything, with faint memories of a couple of nurses putting a catheter in my penis sometime the night before… it’s all a haze.
A Nurse comes in asking me if I want some more Valium …. never had valium before, but I must of had some that night in the hospital, I had heard of valium before, good things and bad things, my addictive personality says “yes please” .
Throughout the day asked for more, not because I felt I needed more, but because I felt I might as well make the most of it, and I was given more.
I’m a nice decent bloke, but I was treated kind of like a criminal in that hospital, all because I had attempted suicide.
I had no shoes, only one visitor, my brother in law, no one else, I think they were too ashamed to see me maybe.
I asked if I could go down the street to get some new shoes, I was allowed and I walked down the street like a zombie, with bare feet, a white hospital wrist band on my wrist, and wearing the clothes I came in the ambulance in, it’s all a blur. I walk past a pub, and go in the pub, with bare feet.
I would never do that, go into a pub with no shoes on.
I’ll blame it onthe drug overdose only the night before and the valium which the nurses gave me.
I chat up the backpacker barmaid, as I sit at the bar with bare feet, and a white wrist band on my wrist, trying to talk normal, saying that I am just passing through … with a hospital wrist band on my wrist.
I have one beer and grab a couple of take aways and then go to a shoe shop and buy some thongs (flip-flops) and walk back to the hospital with the new thongs on my feet and a couple of beers in my hand.
WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING! YOU’VE JUST RECOVERED FROM ATTEMPTED SUICIDE AND HERE YOU ARE WITH BEER IN YOUR HAND?
I drink half a beer and throw the rest in a bin, just outside the hospital enterance.
I stay in hosptital for another few days, alcohol free and then go home.
Thankfully because I have been looked after by the Navy medically my medical care was and still is paid for, and around two months later I was referred to Hollywood Private Clinic to undergo an Alcohol Rehabilitation Course, and this time I swore black and blue that I was dedicated this time.
I stayed at the hospital for around 2 months, I did art therapy, relaxation, meditation, heaps of talking, alot of group therapy.
It was hard work, I actually was more anxzious than ever, maybe it was some kind of withdrawal thing.
The hospital was like a five star hotel, the food was great, I made great friends, the staff was amazing and what I learnt on the Alcohol Rehabilitation Course was quite life changing.
Before my admission into Hollywood, I had also met another girl, Natalie, I told her my story about what had happened and that did not scare her one bit, she gave me no stigma, only lots of love and support, and she visited me every day whilst I was in hospital, apart from the days when I asked to be alone, and she respected that.
So dedicated to me Natalie has been, she too also had given up drinking, not that she had an alcohol problem, but it was just one of the ways she has supported me over the last twelve months, she’s been wonderful.
So its been 13 months now since my life changed for the better, no alcohol, the depression is still there, but under control, and without the alcohol it has made a huge difference to my life.
So many things which are of benefit for me…
-
- No more hangovers
- Clear thinking
- Healthy diet
- Better off financially
- Money to spend on other things
…and much more.
I still have my faults, my other bad habits, but at least I don’t have alcohol in my life anymore, and I am quite proud of that.
Thats my story, and cheers to you all as I raise up my cup of tea.
