Ewen Bell 📸
Surreal to be living a normal life here in Australia, planning shoots for clients and thinking about the business and working out which cafe to meet a friend for lunch next week and shopping for a new USB hub...

And then I see posts in my feed about Ukraine and Iran and Gaza and Minnesota and I remember how much of the world right now is experiencing the absolute worst existence imaginable.

It's just so surreal to be alive in 2026 and be totally aware of so much stuff happening around us. I feel as powerless as when I was a child, watching the world at war on TV.

It breaks my brain to think about how lucky I am.
Mar 11 at 9:30amWeb
Show threadkcpMar 11

@ewen I'm here too and feel the same.
Totally weird

I remember back in the gulf war 1 it was wall to wall reporting on every news outlet. Every headline everywhere.
This one, its all just a footnote almost!

Show thread☮ ♥ ♬ 🧑‍💻Mar 11
@ewen the line between safe and not safe can be measured in metres and centimetres. I like you love the fact it’s K kilometres.
Show threadEwen Bell 📸Mar 11
@peterrenshaw

Pretty glad we don't live anywhere near Pine Gap either.
Show thread☮ ♥ ♬ 🧑‍💻Mar 11

@ewen “It’s function is not yet known?”

One day I’ll tell you a story how I busted the precursor to 5EYES Echelon. Did this talking to my advanced maths tutor about a conversation I had with a USA mate I played basketball with. His Dad ran that terminal at Simpsons Barracks, now, School of Sigs and 4th Brigade HQ.

The article shown appeared about 4 years after I let it slip in conversation. Made it to Opposition Cabinet level.

Brian Toohey confirmed the real use as a key Intel terminal with a connection straight to Fort Meade USA. (As well as the UK ‘6’ Station in HK and a few others) This was the precursor to Echelon. <https://johnmenadue.com/post/2024/03/pic-pine-gap/> My source told me it was a download terminal for ISR covering Iran.

<https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/66c6ac7f315df6f37a7ac4be>

Show threadEwen Bell 📸Mar 12
@peterrenshaw

"Australian government claims about Pine Gap’s role ... have been ... more or less correct, misleading, anachronistic, or simply mendacious – but always obfuscating."

Have been thinking a lot lately about how it's simply impossible to live your life with peace and kindness, so long as others on the planet choose the opposite. I think this will be the fatal flaw in the evolution of life on this planet.