We’re all normal to ourselves. I write. Hates hustle, loves shiny objects. Can’t even influence an ant. Anthropology & sociology graduate. Author of books.

Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Joined February 2012
Another LDN study is being published that was not designed well. They dosed too high and too fast for most people with ME. Something we warn about constantly. Now we’ll have another paper to push back on with our doctors.
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Vanessa Smith retweeted
For my job provider. I also have to pick up glasses that I’ll need transport for. This is why we need to address poverty as it impacts health as I’m spacing out appointments and prescriptions
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“It should be the government's highest priority to ensure that inflicting this pain on people in poverty is ended entirely, not making it lawful, but at the very least she should be taking responsibility for upholding the law.”
Despite strong continued opposition from experts and advocates, the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations will today resume certain elements of the controversial compliance scheme that underpins Australia's employment services system: buff.ly/qwygNvZ
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Vanessa Smith retweeted
i want everyone to know brazil just won against fascism despite them having the media on their pockets and the elites on their side despite millions of dollars of american interventionism despite totally unrealistic odds if we can do it, so can you
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Vanessa Smith retweeted
I would suggest the media has played a significant role in raising the temperature of discourse in this country and amplifying hateful content for clicks #insiders #auspol
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Why is the word violence used when a protester in France smashes a window, but not used when French police assault protesters? Is it somehow no longer violence if the action is committed by an employee of the state?
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Vanessa Smith retweeted
Meghan Markle is getting more heat for being the daughter of an alleged paedophile than (Prince) Andrew got for actually being the alleged paedophile.
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Vanessa Smith retweeted
This country is responsible for the attack on Helen Haines. Not the individuals, the country, the system. And it’s not the first time it’s eaten one of its own.
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Wayside Scribbles is a small, independent project – powered mainly by grit and an unsubstantiated hope that things will one day get better. If you – for some reason – happen to like my scribbles, you can help keep my pen above water: buymeacoffee.com/waysidescri… Love and thanks 🖤
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The way to get a calmer, more cohesive society is to ensure everyone's needs are being met and to strive for equity among all sectors. Big business and all media platforms need serious regulation. There are far too many people profiting from price gouging, and selling conflict.
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Vanessa Smith retweeted
Anyone in the #ME community, patient, carer, HCP etc who might be upset about the ‘ push through and be positive’ approach that Miranda seems to be advocating for #pwME during her appearance on Celeb Traitors, might like to contact her for clarification. 👇 Her agent.
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Vanessa Smith retweeted
People who insist exercise is medicine have the burden of proof. That is their assertion and therefore their obligation to prove it…or not. People who ask for proof do not have the burden of providing it because they are not making the assertion. Them’s the rules. That is all.
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They can call for "turning down the heat" all they like, but they are the ones adding fuel to the fire. There are no words for the hypocrisy at the heart of all of this, that stems directly from those in power.
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My favourite part of this is that they know they did it because they'll contact you about it. They know why they did it. But they still want you to retraumatise yourself so they can decide if *you* deserve to be compensated for *their* illegal fuck-up. The cruelty is the point.
🚨 For people in the mutual obligations system If your payment was incorrectly cancelled from 2020, you may be eligibile for compensation You don't have to wait for the Department to contact you. Check your eligiblility and make a claim here: dewr.gov.au/assuring-integri…
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Vanessa Smith retweeted
🚨 For people in the mutual obligations system If your payment was incorrectly cancelled from 2020, you may be eligibile for compensation You don't have to wait for the Department to contact you. Check your eligiblility and make a claim here: dewr.gov.au/assuring-integri…
A compensation scheme for incorrect payment cancellations under the Targeted Compliance Framework will begin soon. If your payment was cancelled between 12/20-12/25 because of a "mutual obligations failure", you may be eligible. Check out our factsheet: buff.ly/tAGaQxS
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Why are we disabled claimants expected to justify every need while governments aren’t held to the same standard for failures in healthcare, social care and employment access? Accountability must apply to those making policy as well as those living under it. #DisabilityJustice
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Vanessa Smith retweeted
there's grief over the life you had before disability &/or what might have been had you not become disabled
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Replying to @ArtistAffame
How much more fucking effort do we need to make? Because whenever we do? We speak? "Shut up" We do? "Not disabled" There's a real fucking mentality of "just be the tool we need you to be, not a real human" from every fucking Party and they all need to be burned down.
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Vanessa Smith retweeted
Really excellently articulated and sobering from @BethDobbin. I’ve now had two very close family members read this and say ‘That is how you have described the illness’…which is worth it’s weight in gold as far as understanding and solidarity goes. #ME bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/ar…
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Vanessa Smith retweeted
1) A survey of 6607 patients with autoimmune diseases found that women were more likely than males to report that their autoimmune disease had been attributed to psychiatric (43.3% vs. 32.7%) and psychosomatic causes (33.9% vs. 21.5%).
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