JoNova
A science presenter, writer, speaker & former TV host; author of The Skeptic's Handbook (over 200,000 copies distributed & available in 15 languages).
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Oh. How did this happen? No-one around, must be a 404 sort of error or some dastardly hack by those Russkis!
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We’ve all been arrested by the thought-crime police.😎
Actually I was out shopping followed by some sunbaking – cooked nicely!. No time for no steenkin’ internet.
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LOL KP. Maybe most people are out doing their Christmas Shopping.
And as Johnny Carson once said –
Mail your packages early so the post office can lose them in time for Christmas.
Mind you, they will likely lose them anyway.
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I hope that’s not the case, I’m waiting on a Claymore from Esford Amoury for one of my sons.
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Ok, someone doesn’t like historical swords.
10
“The Biden Express is up and running”
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FkNH81GXoAEyaMv?format=jpg&name=small
https://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2022/12/really-thats-the-best-ya-got-joe.html
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A gift from Gavin Newsom. The only fast train he could get going. Sadly no stops in California though.
20
This DC party invite shows all the money to be made off the Ukraine war
A Ukrainian Embassy reception, sponsored by America’s biggest weapons makers.
Dec 16, 2022, 7:00am EST
The invitation said the quiet part out loud.
The Ukrainian Embassy hosted a reception last week in honor of the 31st anniversary of the country’s armed services. Events like this are part of the social calendar of Washington’s smart set, with hobnobbing diplomats, think tankers, journalists, and US officials. Guests took photos with the Ukrainian ambassador. Even Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley showed up.
But there was something so overt it led some observers to laugh out loud at the gathering’s invitation.
The logos of military contractors Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Pratt & Whitney, and Lockheed Martin were emblazoned on the invitation as the event’s sponsors, below the official Ukrainian emblems and elegant blue script that said the Ukrainian ambassador and defense attaché “request the pleasure of your company.”
“It’s really bizarre to me that they would put that on an invitation,” one think tank expert told me. “The fact that they don’t feel sheepish about it, that’s interesting,” explained an academic. (Both spoke on the condition of anonymity and regularly attend embassy events in Washington.)
That Ukraine and those US military contractors have a strong relationship isn’t surprising. America’s allies and partners around the world bought some $50 billion in US weapons last year. These four companies produce some of the most high-profile missile defense systems and anti-tank missiles that President Joe Biden has sent to Ukraine since Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded in February.
Neither is it surprising that Ukraine’s government, which says its country has already suffered hundreds of billions of dollars in damage, might not want to deplete its coffers.
But the explicit sponsorship indicates how intimate major military contractors have become with Ukraine, and how much they stand to gain from the war.
The invitation is a clear expression of how the war in Ukraine has been good for business.
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War may be good for the wealth of certain Corporations, but for a lot of people involved in a war, it is usually bad for their health.
160
War is.a tragedy for many people, families are devastated, tears flow for years and years and children have lost parents and brothers and sisters, parents have lost sons and daughters…..gone….. nothings gonna bring them back ….
120
Says it all really.
41
It’s got to the point where the masses just don’t care about political corruption anymore. The recent uncovering of the FBI’s control of social media to direct political narratives proves this as it has been met with silence.
Was it Solzhenitsyn that said: They lie, We know they lie, They know we know they lie
This might not be the exact quote but you get the idea.
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Germany’s Gas Reserves “Emptying At Record Speed” As Country Struggles To Keep Warm, Lights On
Germany’s gas reserves are emptying at record speed: 1% per day as the current wind/solar energy lull means more gas gets burned for electricity, heating.
16. December 2022
Pleiteticker.de here reports how Germany’s natural gas reserves “are emptying at record speed” because wind and solar power have been on the scarce side over the past few weeks. This means gas turbines have had to jump in to pick up the slack in electricity production – not one the German government had hoped as it wrestles with the heightening energy crisis.
“Germany is converting gas into electricity in record quantities,” pleiteticker.de reports. “Thanks to high pressure system ‘Erika’, the current December is colder than it has been for years. […] In recent days, gas storage facilities have therefore been emptying much faster than before. From December 12 onwards, more than one percent was withdrawn from gas storage facilities in Germany every day.”
“Last week, almost one third of all electricity was generated from natural gas. These are record figures,” writes pleiteticker.de.
If the cold persists through the winter, gas reserves threaten to become extremely tight before spring arrives.
But instead of blaming the energy woes on failed government policies, federal network agency head Klaus Müller criticizes the situation on the consumers, and worries “the gas storage may not last the whole winter.”
The Future for Australia under Elbow & Bowen-Head – Over 800 million euros paid for unproduced energy in 2021
The problem with wind power is that either too much or too little is produced, due to the weather. As mentioned above. the past weeks have seen little wind power being produced, and so gas turbines had to be fired up to keep the grid supplied.
But when it’s too windy, something needs to be done to keep the grid from being overloaded: wind turbines have to be shut down. That’s costing Germans 807 million euros this year because the excess electricity that could have been fed into the grid by the wind parks legally has to be compensated.
Pleiteticker here writes: “For the amount of electricity that the operators could have fed into the grid, they still receive compensation from the grid operators according to the statutory tariffs. And this sum is higher than ever this year: 807 million euros. Record value. For electricity that never existed.”
And the problem is getting bigger, according to the Federal Ministry of Economics.
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Current status of gas supply in Germany
Status report (as at: 1 PM, 16 December 2022)
. Since 23 June 2022 the alert level of the gas emergency plan has been in place.
. The gas supply in Germany is currently stable. The security of supply is safeguarded at present. Overall, . the Bundesnetzagentur still views the situation as tense and cannot rule out a further worsening of the situation. The Bundesnetzagentur is monitoring the situation carefully and is in close contact with the system operators.
. Gas is mainly being taken out of storage. The total storage level in Germany is 90.23%. The storage level at the Rehden facility is 91.15%.
. Gas consumption in the week beginning 5 December 2022 was 5,2% lower than average consumption in the past four years and up by nearly 11,8% compared with the previous week. Consumption was well above that needed to meet the gas saving target. Temperatures were 2.7°C lower than in the previous years.
. The temperature-adjusted consumption in the weeks beginning 28 November and 5 December was just 12% lower than the reference value of the past four years and is thus in the critical range.
. Temperatures this week are forecast to be -3.18°C and thus in the critical range, so significantly higher consumption is expected.
. Wholesale prices are fluctuating greatly and have recently seen a slight decrease. Businesses and private consumers must continue to adapt to a significantly higher price level.
. The Bundesnetzagentur stresses the need to save gas. Avoiding a national gas supply emergency this winter depends on three things: cutting gas consumption by at least 20%, LNG terminals starting operation at the beginning of next year, and the winter decrease in imports and the increase in exports – which are currently at a particularly low level – being relatively small.
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Global Coal Consumption Hits Record High Amid Green Agenda Induced Energy Crisis
Don’t Tell Elbow & Bowen Head! – summed up by Nigel Farage
‘We’re Led by Idiots’ – Farage Slams Green Agenda as Reserve Coal Power Stations Fired Up
Global use of coal climbed to a record high this year as the energy crisis in Europe saw some supposedly ‘green’ countries forced to burn coal amid reductions of natural gas flows from Russia.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its annual report on Friday that global coal use surpassed 8 billion tonnes in a single year for the first time on record after increasing by 1.2 per cent in 2022. The Paris-based agency said that when looking at current market trends, the energy source will likely remain steady through 2025 and therefore remain the most common form of carbon dioxide emissions “by far”.
Europe, which has been heavily impacted by Russia’s sharp reductions in natural gas flows, is on course to increase its coal consumption for the second year in a row. However, by 2025, European coal demand is expected to decline below 2020 levels.
“The world is close to a peak in fossil fuel use, with coal set to be the first to decline, but we are not there yet,” said Keisuke Sadamori, the IEA’s Director of Energy Markets and Security.
“Coal demand is stubborn and will likely reach an all-time high this year, pushing up global emissions. At the same time, there are many signs that today’s crisis is accelerating the deployment of renewables, energy efficiency and heat pumps – and this will moderate coal demand in the coming years. Government policies will be key to ensuring a secure and sustainable path forward.”
Yet it was arguably decades of foolhardy pursuit of implementing a green agenda across Europe that left it vulnerable to the energy crisis sparked by the war in Ukraine.
Countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom, among others, have banned fracking for natural gas domestically while attempting to transition to unreliable energy sources such as wind and solar — both of which are heavily dependent on Communist China.
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I recommend that Prime Minister Albo (decisions on the Trot) and Minister Bowen (Blackout Bowen Prince of Darkness) fly to Germany immediately to advise.
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Time to restart those Coal fired Power Stations and Nuclear Power Stations. Whoops and that may not be possible in the short term.
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The power companies understand that the system we have got does not conform to rational economics. They know very well that the set of rules under which they are operating is corrupted by politics.
Their biggest fear is that the politics might change, disrupting their established business plans.
Therefore immediately after closing a power station they commence demolition to ensure that the coal station cannot be started up again to produce cheap power. The last thing their business plans want is having to compete with cheap power.
We should campaign strenuously against that demolition policy. Eraring must not be demolished. Even Liddell.
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OldOzziesays:
December 18, 2022 at 10:46 am
Eight big batteries to be built by 2025
Rachael Ward
Eight large-scale batteries to store renewable energy will be built around Australia to support the grid and help keep energy prices down, the federal government says.
The government-owned Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) will provide $176 million in funding to the projects, Energy Minister Chris Bowen announced on Saturday.
It’s estimated the batteries will lead to a tenfold increase in storage capacity, with Mr Bowen saying it would revitalise the energy market.
“Some people say the sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow and that’s true, but we can store renewable energy for when we need it.”
“Renewable energy is the cheapest form of energy, the more renewable energy we have in the system, the cheaper bills will be,” Mr Bowen told reporters outside the Transgrid battery in Western Sydney.
The batteries will come online by 2025 and together would be big enough to power Tasmania for about three hours.
Three will be in Victoria – at Gnarwarre, Moorabool and Mortlake – while one will be at Liddell in NSW.
Queensland will be home to two, at Mount Fox and Western Downs, while South Australia will also have two, at Bungama and Blyth.
They range from 200-300 megawatts each and will have grid-forming inverter technology, which provides stability to the grid usually offered through coal and gas.
<a href="“>The government estimates the total value of the projects at $2.7 billion.
Mr Bowen said the projects would be some of the biggest batteries rolled out in Australia in the near future.
ARENA CEO Darren Miller said the batteries could underpin the transition to renewable energy in Australia.
“This pipeline of grid-forming projects will help move us closer to an electricity grid that can support 100 per cent renewable energy in the (National Energy Market),” he said.
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But Tasmania is just over 500,000 people. The NEM serves 22 million people. So those 8 batteries would power the eastern grid for a whole 8 minutes and then take how long to recharge without fossil fuels.
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That’s just it, Rex..
They WILL be recharged with fossil fuels.
All this will do is smooth out the demand, and thus save the coalies having to ramp up and down as much.
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I understand that the City of Dandenong has a bigger population than Tasmania
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Ops, I think that should be a whole 4 minutes.
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You have obviously misread the figures. The batteries will store enough power to supply the entire population of Australia for 3 weeks and can be recharged within 20 minutes by three super wind turbnes or overnight by the use of only 10 solar panels.
You obviously don’t understand the miracles of green technology which is 30.8 times more powerful than conventional technology and manages to sidestep conventional physics.
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Chris Bowen? is that you?
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I agree, those figures require a miraculous collection of impossible assets. In my experience the word miracle is only used by religious extortionists.
00
And how many modern Coal Fired Power Stations could be built with 2.7 billion dollars? Reliable 24/7 baseload electricity as well.
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“Megawatts” is not a measure of battery caoacity .
It shuold be “Megawatt hours.” .. possibly ?
I just wish they would all get the facts straight.
Also, these are supposed to be “Austrailian technology and manufactured” ??…..but what tech, and from where ?
$2.7 bn would suggest $1.35m per Megawatt hour ?…thats more expensive than other “Tesla” batteries installed recently in Gellong.
And yes. 8 x 200-300 MW.. ( 2000MWh ?) ..wont even scratch the surface of the storage needed for “Net Zero”
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” $2.7 bn would suggest $1.35m per Megawatt hour ?…thats more expensive than other “Tesla” batteries installed recently in Gellong.”.
Chad,
You forgot about the cost of the laundry.
30
I wish, just once, when they say things like “Eight large-scale batteries to store renewable energy will be built around Australia to support the grid and help keep energy prices down, the federal government says.”
They would explain the mechanism by which these installations will “keep prices down” Those prices which arent down in the first place , so using weasel words like “keeping” them down is patently dishonest.
With this explanation there should be a full costed financial analysis to support the claim. I’ll just wait over here with the tattered remnants of investigative journalism. Please annotate to describe all assumptions.
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By definition, batteries will only increase the cost of electricity. Firstly, they operate at 80% efficiency, losing 20% of the energy that comes in, compared to what goes out. Secondly, if these devices are to be profitable, they must also pay for their capital costs. The challenge there is they only have a useful life of about 10 years.
To do that, they must be able to charge with low cost electricity. Unfortunately, renewables don’t provide that, otherwise why would prices continue to soar as coal plants leave the NEM? Fortunately, renewables don’t work all the time, so that is when batteries will make their money. Also, renewables cause voltage and frequency instability on the grid, and as the Hornsdale battery has found, it is much more profitable devoting most of its capacity to FCAS services.
Aren’t renewables great!
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Yes its interesting what they leave unsaid. The spruik billions of dollars on batteries promising cost savings. The average person, quite reasonably I think, can really only understand capacity and thinks they fill a gap somehow. They have no clue about DCAS and arbitrage games.
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The generation costs have little to do with the retail cost of electricity.
That is primarily due to the reduced supply as coal is shut down without enough new generation to replace it. So you have a supply/demand market forcing up prices,
Limiting coal and gas prices will not change the retail cost of electricity.
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“They range from 200-300 megawatts each” I presume you meant 200-300 megawatt hours. Then the comment would make some sense.
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Eight batteries enough to power Tasmania for 3 hours – Tas demand averages about 1,200 MW, so proposed battery capacity is about 3,600 MWhr.
The statement says 8 batteries each 200-300 MW, but seems they expect them to deliver just 150 MW each for 3 hours, or 75 MW for 6 hours.
Balance is likely to be used for grid stability. so unlikely to make much difference when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing across the AEMO grid. And just another $2.7 billion to add to our electricity prices.
The Tesla 129 MWhr battery in SA rarely delivers more than 20 MW for an hour during the evening peak, although rated at 100 MW, and once in the last week it delivered 80 MW.
50
Total lunacy, at 3,600MWh a day x 365 days x 10 years at 2.6 billion is .20 per kWh. Capital expense not including efficiency lose and generation.
Coal generation and delivery is less that just the capital cost.
Wow just stupid.
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These thieving dingoes will studiously ignore the enormous (and enormously expensive) three-phase inverters and transformers and transmission lines that will, allegedly send this magic to the mug punters.
Science in Australia was brutally murdered, quite some time back.
BTW: are these miracle devices based on Lithium technology? Spontaneous ignition of a big bunch of that stuff, as seems to be happening with monotonous regularity, these days, is NOT a way to ensure stable electricity supply.
Start collecting firewood, boys and girls. If you want a reference situation, try this:
Back in the last Great Depression, there was poverty of cash and resources.
In many placed, some folk worked out that the trains of the time were hauled by steam locomotives, usually government run.
Enterprising “free-thinkers” would dispatch their children track-side to throw small stones at the passing trains.
The locomotive crew would thoughtfully respond by chucking bad chunks of combustible black “rock”, which the children would gather up and take home.
This ploy will not work well with diesel or electric locomotives, however, if the sociopaths have their wicked way, there will ne NO electricity or diesel fuel and the handful of surviving steam locomotives may have to be dusted off for a last hurrah. The total number of them is tiny as is the number of people who can operate and maintain them. How one operated signals and points remotely without electrickery is another challenge. The possession of wood-fueled “gassifiers on vehicles will become a capital offence for private individuals. (Not that there will be ANY “privacy” left, either.
Then, the coal mines will be obliterated. Apparently, walking is good exercise. “Pack” animals will also be “prohibited” on the grounds of “inhumane treatment”. ALL bases are covered, as has ALWAYS been the plan.
What a jolly Brave New World these psychopaths envision, but only for the good of Gaia, and themselves, of course.
And a Merry, Holy and THOUGHTFUL Christmas, to all ans sundry, even the Kool-Ade” guzzlers that pop up here, from time to time.
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The lowest cost available* source, while it’s subsidised by competing sources.
*Availability limits apply
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Twitter’s top ranks riddled with ex-FBI employees
Twitter’s top ranks were riddled with ex-FBI agents and executives, stitching the company even closer to the federal agency now under fire for leaning on Twitter to meddle in the 2020 elections.
More than a dozen former feds flocked to the company in the months and years prior to Elon Musk’s purchase of the social network in October.
The Post found FBI influence was considerably more significant than just James Baker, the FBI’s former general counsel who later worked in the same role for Twitter. He was recently fired by Musk for interfering in the billionaire’s efforts to come clean about past transgressions at the company.
The news comes on the heels of the latest Twitter Files disclosures which show how the agency dedicated dozens of agents to pressuring the company to remove political tweets it found objectionable.
In some cases, the former G-men and -women held positions that would have put them close to company leadership directly involved in censoring The Post’s Hunter Biden coverage in October 2020.
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I wonder what the retainer is from the FBI? or maybe they do it out of patriotic duty or TDS.
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UKRAINE WAR
3 reasons why the CIA will not order Putin’s assassination
[snip]
Here are three reasons why.
First, the US Constitution prohibits the use of lethal force outside of armed conflict zones unless it is used against an individual who presents a concrete, imminent threat of grave harm to the United States and is participating in hostilities against the homeland — and only as a last resort. Putin does not meet this requirement.
It is true that the Central Intelligence Agency has targeted foreign leaders for death in the past. In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, for example, the CIA maintained a top-secret counter-terrorism assassination program against high value targets such as al Qaeda commanders. Authorized by former President George W. Bush, this covert mission was performed by private paramilitary contractor firms that employ ex-Special Forces operatives.
Second, even if the CIA did get authorization for such an operation, it would be extremely difficult to execute. Putin and the members of his inner circle are under constant protection by the Federal Security Service. Putin himself is protected by guards from the Presidential Security Service, or “People in Black.” National Guard — or Rosgvardia — is responsible for the survival of Putin’s entire regime.
Third, as an operative with decades of service in the KGB — one of the world’s most brutal intelligence services — Putin is highly primed for an attempt on his life, and he has likely concocted various contingency plans to ensure his survival.
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UKRAINE WAR
From 1945 till approximately 1970s, the CIA ran covert operations targeting foreign leaders deemed a threat to the US. Among the targets were Cuban leader Fidel Castro, Congo’s first prime minister, Patrice Lumumba, Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo, President Sukarno of Indonesia and President Ngo Dinh Diem of South Vietnam. Lethal viruses, explosive cigars and other spy-thriller type tactics were all used.
Around 1954, the CIA had 58 names on its “A” hit list of those to be assassinated, as part of its covert $2.7 million program code-named PBSUCCESS, aimed at the overthrow of Guatemalan President Jacobo Arbentz.
But, following President Gerald Ford’s 1976 executive order that banned political assassinations by US government employees, the agency largely got out of this dirty business.
A year prior, an 89-page report titled “Summary of Facts – Investigation of CIA Involvement in Plans to Assassinate Foreign Leaders” was removed from the National Archives.
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..and the REAL reason is that Putin is not some third-world President without a sophisticated military, so an assassination of him will start a tit for tat on Presidents in the West.
None would be safe…. I love that idea!
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that sounds more realistic than 1 – 3
50
Not sure about assassinations achieving anything except giving politicians even more reason to isolate themselves from the public. In Australia, I like the fact that we can see most state and federal politicians around town doing normal things while not being surrounded by security.
However, being able to hold politicians to account would be a big step forward.
I don’t expect perfection – everyone makes mistakes, but accountability for ridiculous policy decisions would be nice. Sure, in theory, we can vote them out, but the reality is, they are still unaccountable and have zero incentives to really represent their electorate, let alone make sensible policy decisions.
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Back in the good old days of the Soviet Union two friends were standing in the daily bread line to get their ration. After 20 minutes of slow progress one says to the other how he has finally had enough and is going to immediately go and kill the leader. Within 5 minutes the friend was back and rejoined the queue. When challenged that there was no way he could have killed the leader and returned so quickly the friend replied “I didn’t try. The queue was three times as long as this one”.
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Liberal journalists suddenly care about Twitter censorship — because they’re the ones banned!
By Post Editorial Board
“Twitter’s suspension of several journalists last night was unprecedented,” the Axios newsletter said Friday. “There’s never been an attempt by a major social media platform to suspend so many journalists all at once.”
Axios must have gone to the Jennifer Lawrence school of “there’s never been a female action lead before me,” because that’s just baloney.
Remember when Twitter banned an entire newspaper — this one?
That happened two years ago, and the response of the rest of the media at the time was “aw, too bad, anyway . . .” The New York Times called it a “misinformation test,” even though our coverage of Hunter Biden was 100% accurate.
Flash forward two years and most of the press, including the Times, completely ignore The Twitter Files, which detailed how the social media company arbitrarily, and in many cases wrongly, censored and banned conservatives. Not a story, they say.
Then Thursday. Elon Musk bans some journalists from Twitter for sharing the location of his private jet.
The media LOSE THEIR MINDS.
Suddenly, statements fly about how terrible this is for a free press, how dangerous for Democracy, how vital the media are. It’s a crisis!
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Corporate Media Can Stomp And Cry All It Wants, Its Special Twitter Privileges Are Ending
Corporate media ‘journalists’ are crying like children because they no longer get special permission to dox their political enemies.
Before Elon Musk bought Twitter, corporate journalists freely persecuted their political enemies by posting their identities and locations to enable in-person harassment, but not anymore. This week, Musk decided he’s no longer allowing anyone, including journalists, to jeopardize people’s safety via Twitter, and he began temporarily suspending the accounts of offending members of the press.
“Everyone’s going to be treated the same. You’re not special because you’re a journalist,” Musk wrote in a Twitter post.
The crackdown on doxxing is personal for Twitter’s CEO. On Wednesday, Musk reported that his 2-year-old son named “X” was followed by a “crazy stalker” who had mistaken X for Musk. According to Musk, the stalker blocked the car driving his son and “climbed onto the hood.” The incident motivated Musk to suspend several high-profile journalists guilty of doxxing.
This caused the corporate media to fly into hysterics. “Elon Musk censors the press,” said one CNN headline.” “[U]nprecedented,” stated the flabbergasted Axios. “Twitter suspends journalists who wrote about owner Elon Musk,” alleged The Associated Press. “Musk has begun banning journalists who have criticized him on Twitter,” whined Washington Post TikTok reporter Taylor Lorenz.
All this outrage is performative. Firstly, Musk made it clear why the journalists are suspended, and it’s not because they “criticized” him, as Lorenz said. “Criticizing me all day long is totally fine, but doxxing my real-time location and endangering my family is not,” wrote Musk.
Secondly, the propaganda press doesn’t care about freedom of the press or free speech. They cheer on and instigate the de-platforming of competing journalists and news organizations. The only thing the media cares about is losing its monopoly on digital discourse and the special treatment it received from pre-Musk Twitter staff.
Before Musk, the corporate media enjoyed gross privileges awarded to them by their ideological allies at Twitter. When Lorenz outed the identity of the formerly anonymous woman who runs the “Libs of TikTok” Twitter account, Lorenz was never disciplined. As the “The Twitter Files” reveal, if Twitter staff did try to sanction left-wing users for violating Twitter rules, senior executives at the company would swoop in behind the scenes and protect them.
Meanwhile, countless conservative journalists were subject to random suspensions, locked accounts, and bans for harassment-free thought crimes.
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The thing is that none of them are proper journalists anyway so who cares? The corrupt Guv’ment and their Agencies and the corrupt MSM that’s who……………………
90
The people who doxxed Elon Musk, thus facilitating his assassination were banned. Doxxing is a clear violation of Twitter rules.
And the Left and the Deep State certainly do want to kill him due to his promotion of free speech and also exposing old Twitter’s involvement with the Deep State and election interference. He has already had a child seriously threatened and attacked. He has every right not to be doxxed.
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“And the Left and the Deep State certainly do want to kill him”
DM, there’s a queue.. Space-X would go broke, so there’s NASA, hundreds of bureaucrats associated with NASA in other parts of US Govt, Boeing, General Dynamics and most of the military complex that can’t stand someone upsetting their cosy little boats. So many people would make a lot more money without him around.
Tesla would go broke.. well, which electric car manufacturers wouldn’t want that? There’s another few thousand people who would like him to disappear.
Add in all the brainless on Twitter and there’s probably over a million!
90
Not bans, seven day suspensions as I read it.
40
The media lies to us again – the people banned aren’t journalists, they are activists first and foremost.
They have a mission to be banned repeatedly because Elon is their new worst enemy.
100
Another thing I don’t like about crypto currency is that if you lose the access code nobody can get the currency.
I heard of a case of someone who passed away and they never told anyone the code and so the family could not get (inherit) the crypto. Nobody could or ever will be able to access it.
200
The same with all stashes David.
A considerate bloke just passed away with a loaded handgun in his safe. An interesting plot for a contested inheritance.
God knows what is buried in PVC pipes around properties, you just hope they are not booby-trapped.
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At least with cash or any other assets, a court can always make a ruling about who can get it if the original owner passes away. And it is not rendered permanently inaccessible like crypto without the code.
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I once read a story about some people who bought an old upright piano. As many people know, pianos are heavy buggers so, when it was moved, the weight probably felt about right. However, upon dismantling the thing for renovation/cleaning, a significant stash of gold bullion was found within. Can’t recall whether they returned it to the seller or not. I wonder what the legalities are?
10
New evidence confirms the Blob’s hawkishness
Proximity to Washington leads to more support for military intervention
Washington’s foreign policy circle is a famously tight network. Comprising government officials, academics, and think tanks, this group (known as the ‘Blob‘) has developed a reputation for hawkishness and support for high levels of military spending.
There are hundreds of think tanks based in Washington, making it difficult to tell where the policy comes from: the White House or unelected officials. During the Reagan era, for example, there were almost 200 employees at conservative think tanks who served as government officials or consultants for his administration. But what do they actually believe?
New research by Richard Hanania and Max Abrahms has found that think tanks are much more hawkish than International Relations scholars, even controlling for ideology.
Taking a comprehensive survey of the most influential scholars and top 20 think tanks, the two researchers discovered that the closer a think tank employee was to power (both geographically and professionally), the more likely they were to be militarily interventionist. According to Hanania and Abrahms, for all the think tanks located within three miles of Capitol Hill, every mile further away is associated with a -0.48 deviation in militant internationalism:
The researchers posit that the reason for this is the increased likelihood of socialisation with government officials:
[snip]
50
I wonder how many of these officials, academics, consultants, scholars etc who so favour the use of military power have ever spent any time at all on the ground at the bloody pointy end of those choices. I expect its very few and its a very abstract exercise for most of them.
10
OldOzziesays:
December 18, 2022 at 11:47 am
The mess we’re making of energy presages a national decline
State ownership, regulation and higher taxes are suddenly back in vogue and we will all pay the price.
Tim Wilson and Jason Falinski
Australia’s self-made energy crisis won’t be solved until it dawns on business that it is downstream from the political demography that’s already consuming Canberra and state capitals.
If Churchill was right and Americans only get it right in war after trying every other option first, then the same quip is true in Australia’s contemporary approach to energy.
The speed at which we are decommissioning reliable energy is only matched in the volume of ministerial press releases announcing insufficient small-scale renewable projects, but never in gigawatt hours.
During a cost-of-living crisis, the government had to choose between being the bad guy and taking the gas industry to the cleaners, and it is unsurprisingly passing the buck. Now it has added coal to the docket.
A country that faces a choice between being a fossil fuel superpower or a renewable one is struggling to be either.
Instead, we are concurrently surrounded by an abundance of the world’s cheapest energy resources from the ones that carry an extraction cost to those that can be captured, yet we have some of the world’s most expensive supply.
The problem with Australia’s energy market is not a gluttony of greed, but a gluttony of stupidity.
– Inaccurate costings
– Generational dynamics
– Winter is coming for business
If you want to know what that’ll be like, don’t look back to the Gillard years – look to the Greens’ current demand for rent capping. As they say in Game of Thrones: Winter is coming for Australian business.
Click on Link to read Full Article
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No need for the last person to turn out the lights when they leave. The lights will go out by themselves with the light switch still in the ‘on’ position.
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4 GREAT MEN’s COMMERCIAL’s 1 Min 58 Secs
Not sure about the Toyota Man’s decision, but the Beer ads were great
Never seen the – BeerTender from Heineken and Krups B90 Home Beer-Tap System – before
. Home beer-tap system for use with a 5L Heineken DraughtKeg
. Silent cooling system keeps 5L keg at ideal serving temperature of 38 degrees F
Memories – Aussie Beer Commercial – Best Ad Ever – 59 Secs
and
B@gger – BANNED Toyota TV commercial – Both ads – 1 mins 11 secs
60
A friend of mine in Queensland has something similar to the Heineken Beer Tender. He buys his beer from a very small local brewery who specialize in gluten free beers which taste really nice. They sold him the tender so they must be available here.
50
Video: A US congressman talks about Twitter and FBI censorship of the Hunter Biden laptop scandal and interference in the 2020 election which had Joe Biden installed in a coup d’état.
https://fb.watch/hujbuKkyrE/
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This is Senator Charles “Chuck” Ernest Grassley, Senior Senator from Iowa.
He was first elected in 1981. He was re-elected in 2022. He is 89 years old and still going strong.
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“If These Walls Could Sing’ opens the doors to Abbey Road Studios
Lots of people believe that recorded music also began with the Beatles, and the studio they made famous via the title of their last album, Abbey Road. Regarding the latter, not least of whom was Paul McCartney’s 53 year old daughter, Mary McCartney, before she began working on her new documentary, If These Walls Could Sing, now streaming on Disney+:
I had no idea that Abbey Road Studios had first opened 90 years ago, and when I was asked to direct this documentary, I spent the first part of the process learning all of the history, all of the artists that had gone through there. There was way too much to put into a feature documentary, but I picked the famous names like the Beatles and Pink Floyd when they did Dark Side of the Moon. I was also really happy to explore the lesser known artists like Jacqueline du Pré and peppered it with stories that I think will surprise and entertain the viewer.
All Those Years Ago
Abbey Road had a rich history dating back to the year it opened, 1931, long before John, Paul, George, and Ringo first walked through its doors in 1963, which Mary McCartney highlights, with clips of Edward Elgar christening the studio in 1931 by conducting the London Symphony Orchestra performing “Pomp and Circumstance March No.1,” and an interview with a spry-looking Cliff Richard, age 82. Richard’s success in England in the late ‘50s and early ’60 as a British answer to Elvis sent George Martin looking for a Cliff Richard of his own, which led to Martin signing an obscure but enthusiastic young Liverpool band in 1962. (You probably know the basics of how that story turned out.)
If These Walls Could Sing | Official Trailer | Disney+
50
Summing up America Today
ROGER SIMON: Has American Democracy Been a Hallucination for Nearly 60 Years?
Call it a democracy, call it a democratic republic, call it a constitutional republic, call it anything you want—it doesn’t really matter what America is if there is truth to what Tucker Carlson was reporting the other night via a source who had “direct knowledge” of still-hidden documents concerning the Kennedy assassination, implicating the CIA.
If indeed the CIA was in any way involved in the assassination of JFK on Nov. 22, 1963, then anything that has happened in the public sphere in our country since that day has basically been a hallucination created by an intelligence agency far deeper than most of us—certainly me, since I was never much given to conspiracy theories—ever imagined.
The affairs of the day—RNC chief Ronna McDaniel revealed to be a profligate spender on her own luxury travel, not on Republican candidates; Donald Trump releasing self-aggrandizing NFT pseudo-art as a fundraiser (rest in peace, Johannes Vermeer); even Elon Musk’s exposure of the multiple mendacious censoring creeps behind Twitter, although that has an eerie similarity—pale by comparison to CIA involvement and, therefore, massive coverup for decades in the JFK assassination.
That former CIA director Mike Pompeo declined to appear on Carlson’s show to discuss this is not insignificant. We all know about 51 intelligence officials—John Brennan and others who fallaciously claimed two years ago the Hunter Biden laptop was Russian disinformation. They have to have known otherwise. Now this?
Why are 3 percent of the Warren Commission documents on the assassination still being hidden after those nearly 60 years with all the major players dead, if not to hide something of serious importance from the American public?
It’s time to reconsider Oliver Stone’s “JFK” that, though I admired Oliver’s filmmaking, I originally thought to be a crackpot.
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OO,
There has been a lot of Beatles mention on recent radio talkback.
Today I played the CD of Herbert von Karajan with Berlin Philharmoniker, Beethoven Symphony 9, “The Choral”. We like this symphony. We had some of the last movement played at our 1964 wedding.
By contrast, Beatles music is at kindergarten level. This symphony has technical mastery that I doubt many modern composers could understand, let alone compose into a competitive symphony for choir and full orchestra. What do the Beatles offer to the advancement of music with stuff like “I want to hold your hand” and its simple and repetitive tune and beat?
Beethoven manages many contrasting factors like loud/soft, high/low pitch, fast/slow, soothing/stirring and so on, into a complex whole that weaves through by the range of human emotion in a way that few others ever achieved.
What is the attraction of the cult of Beatles followers? Is it like gastronomic laziness that prefers a Big Mac to a more complicated cordon bleu or Peking duck? Have the cultists never realised that there is a bigger world of musical enjoyment beyond drum beat after drum beat?
Geoff S
60
Actually the Beatles liked and appreciated some of the classics, even though they were not brought up with them. Five of their songs, Penny Lane, Because, Blackbird, Elanor Rigby and and A Day In The Life are based on the classics https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/beatles-songs-inspired-by-classic-music-beethoven-bach-because/
50
Ditto.
20
Geoff
lovely new animated video to accompany Beatles song “Here there and everywhere”-go a little way down the page from the link and press the red button
https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/music/1707120/The-Beatles-new-music-video-Here-There-and-Everything-Revolver
Lennon and McCartney wrote many cutting edge and intricate songs performed by the great orchestras of the day. They were writing in a different age to Beethoven and introduced many classical themes in their works whilst driving modern music forward. I am an opera fan and as far as ‘lyrics’ go, the lyrics and plot of classical operas (and ballet) is absurd and certainly often rates as kindergarten level. Enjoy each type of music in their different ways.
52
“What do the Beatles offer to the advancement of music with stuff like “I want to hold your hand” and its simple and repetitive tune and beat?”
The Beatles weren’t trying to advance music. They wanted to make music that appealed to the teenagers of the time and enjoyed the money and freedom to do something they loved. For many, music isn’t an intellectual pursuit but an emotional journey.
I can vividly remember hearing The Beatles as a young teenager for the first time and it was like a volcano of energy and fun had burst onto the pop music scene.
30
its a quite silly cherry picking comment really when you consider the breadth of their work over time, focusing on one item from the early days of a career. I wonder how many of us would stand up to that sort of logical summation of our work?
00
Geoff,
You have put a pretty hefty finger on the scales in your comparison. If Beethoven’s 9th was better than I Want to Hold Your Hand, that says that Beethoven’s most sophisiticated works were more interesting than the Beatles’ simplest. Hardly a surprise. Beethoven composed quite a bit of “kindergarten level” himself, and the Beatles got away from the brightly coloured building blocks now and then too.
30
OO,
There has been a lot of Beatles mention on recent radio talkback.
Today I played the 1963 CD of Herbert von Karajan with Berlin Philharmoniker, Beethoven Symphony 9, “The Choral”. We like this symphony. We had some of the last movement played from vinyl at our 1964 wedding.
By contrast, Beatles music is at kindergarten level. This symphony has technical mastery that I doubt many modern composers could understand, let alone compose into a competitive symphony for choir and full orchestra. What do the Beatles offer to the advancement of music with stuff like “I want to hold your hand” and its simple and repetitive tune and beat?
Beethoven manages many contrasting factors like loud/soft, high/low pitch, fast/slow, soothing/stirring and so on, into a complex whole that weaves through by the range of human emotion in a way that few others ever achieved.
What is the attraction of the cult of Beatles followers? Is it like gastronomic laziness that prefers a Big Mac to a more complicated cordon bleu or Peking duck? Have the cultists never realised that there is a bigger world of musical enjoyment beyond drum beat after drum beat?
Geoff S
23
THE WEEK IN PICTURES: DIE HARDER EDITION
The spectacular fall of leftist poster boy Sam Bankman-Fried is another reminder that leftist dreams die hard, which is a good reminder that it is time once again to screen the Greatest Christmas Movie Ever Made. After all, Bankman-Fried fell harder than Hans Gruber from the top of Nakatomi Tower. Meanwhile Musk continues to annoy the left, which ought to inspire lyricists everywhere to come up with new verses for “The Twelve Days of Christmas”—”On the first day of Christmas/My true Musk gave to me/an online free speech decree. . .” Better than Trump trading cards I think.
61
I did like this Tesla Number Plate
40
Video, Tucker Carlson is Asked Trump or DeSantis for 2024? The Response is Refreshingly Authentic
December 17, 2022 – Sundance
During the Turning Point USA America Fest, Fox News contributor and #1 rated cable news host, Tucker Carlson is asked about Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump. Who would Tucker Carlson endorse in the 2024 GOP primary? {Direct Rumble Link}
The answer Carlson delivers to that question is the best 9+ minute dialogue on both men you will hear. Referencing his recent interview with Mike Tyson, Tucker begins by outlining the baseline premise inherent in questions around endorsements.
The essence of the question implies an individual’s opinion of their own self-importance, which Carlson eloquently explained is irrelevant.
Tucker then delivers a very accurate encapsulation of both leaders and frames the context for both amid a scenario that no one should predict. WATCH:
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Video – Governor Ron DeSantis Advocates for Politicians to be Owned by Billionaires, Laments Campaign Finance Limits
December 17, 2022 – Sundance
As soon as this information gets mainstream, watch for an entire tribe of ‘conservative’ pundits to suddenly find advocacy for the benefit of billionaires controlling politicians. Indeed, there will likely be a benefit to bookmarking this post.
Against the backdrop of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis receiving 94% of his campaign support from multinational corporations, billionaires and Wall Street tycoons, there has been a debate about whether DeSantis would be a purchased GOP nominee for the presidency in 2024.
Based on current available evidence, the announcement of a 2024 presidential bid is a mere formality, likely to surface later in 2023, as all the background datapoints reflect the strategic and financial team behind Ron DeSantis have been positioning an announcement since late 2021.
One visible datapoint has been his campaign office, specifically his then spokesperson Christina Pushaw, reaching out to a group of Florida influencers and organizing a meeting on January 6, 2022.
By the late spring of 2022 the branding and management of the pending Ron DeSantis presidential bid was strongly underway, and by early August 2022, not coincidentally timed with the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago, after an unusual five days in a bunker, a new national campaign team was announced and launched. Everything from that national image launch has been carefully managed, organized and constructed.
With the Florida legislature set to change the law permitting DeSantis to run and remain as governor; and with the intentionally elevated profile and controlled national branding in place; the office of the Florida governor has transformed from a state executive focus to a launch vehicle for higher office.
State policies and office advocacy now run through the priority prism of national politics, as the announcement of the DeSantis book launch is simultaneously positioned.
[SNIP]
60
And you will likely be watching a lot of potential De Santis voters going elsewhere
00
How did we survive?
Back when I was a nipper, my mum used to wipe my face with some spit and a hanky.
None of those fancy antibacterial wipes.
Spit? You were lucky! When we were tykes, twas battery acid, and we were grateful.
Battery acid? Luxury.
…😁
110
Sunday “aaaawwww” post.
Deer and cherry blossoms in Japan
https://ve.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_qaufsnYFsD1vmobp0.mp4
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A bit slippery at the moment.
Fetch! Good boy.
https://va.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_r4u8logRK01vmobp0.mp4
😁
60
The manager of Canada’s response to COVID has dropped dead at 35, without one word about it from the “free press”
https://markcrispinmiller.substack.com/p/the-manager-of-canadas-response-to
Another one bites the dust…
Maybe his specs were too tight. Lame medical excuse #83.
110
Why not Trudunce?… Although he probably got given a set of placebo doses!
40
Peter Zeihan: The End of the World
00
I’ve listened to hours of Zeihan vids – interesting but a one trick pony. Note that he believes that the mrna vaxx was/is a roaring success and that fact is core to why China is about to collapse next week – month – year. They didn’t use it you see. lol
40
In other green news…
Customers are advised that if they eat a Coles Kitchen branded salad and don’t start seeing green goddesses the product is probably counterfeit and should be returned to Earth for a full refund.
😀
80
You have reminded me of an earth moving contractor who was preparing the ground for a floating concrete slab for my then new shed, I had asked him to remove some shrubs and other not needed things around the property. He called me and showed my some plants with white trumpet shaped flowers at the back fence alongside a since demolished small cabin occupied earlier by a tenant who had been evicted by me.
He asked if I wanted to keep those plants and I said no, and he gave me a strange look and asked if I was sure I wanted them removed, and I repeated that I did and he explained they are used to make hallucinogenic “tea”. I had never heard that before.
60
Angels’ trumpet
https://www.britannica.com/plant/angels-trumpet
00
My neighbour had a South African shrub that was popular in nurseries in the 70s. Turned out to be used to also make a tea based on drugs. Found out when “visitors” kept turning up asking to gather leaves. Solved the problem by chopping it down.
40
Datura was a well known hallucinogenic in my youthful days but I remembered it being feared to some degree because an overdose was said to cause blindness. No one could be sure of the amount of datura to get “high” on, and how much would get you blind. And was the blindness permanent or temporary?
40
What’s the market like for these batches? .
20
We went to no1 son’s place for a pre Xmas BBQ as he works that period. We decided to forgo the hallucinagenic salad and went with chips instead. Could have made for a wild drive home though.
40
reminds me of a bloke who started growing one salvia divinorum plant. As it’s basically illegal in Australia, I don”t know how he got his hands on some, but evidently it was not a simple process.
He came to work one day, devastated. I asked him what was wrong, and he said “ah, a terrible tragedy at home”. I wondered why he had come to work, but, it seems the tragedy was that his dog had eaten the plant (with no ill effects on the dog).
60
No fatal effect, but surely his pet began to see green doggesses?
00
What exacty is the contaminant in the Coles spinach?
20
Today’s info in The Australian says that tests are continuing.
00
Cybersecurity analysts find Fancy Bear sniffing around US satellite network
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recently discovered Fancy Bear, a hacking group with suspected links to the Russian government, stalking a US satellite communications provider. The discovery was made following reports of suspicious behavior within the identified networks.
CISA analyst MJ Emanuel, who discussed the incident at this year’s Cyberwarcon cybersecurity conference, has reason to believe the hacking group, also known as APT28, infiltrated and was present on the victim’s networks for several months prior to discovery.
The attack isn’t the first of its kind. Earlier this year, the National Security Agency (NSA) and analysts from the Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d’information (ANSSI) investigated satellite-based internet disruptions coinciding with Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine. The security organizations suspect the disruptions were also the work of Russia-backed cybercriminals intending to weaken Ukraine’s communications during the invasion.
The increase in satellite communication-related cyberattacks highlights the need for enhanced and standardized security practices across the aerospace industry.
https://www.techspot.com/news/97008-cybersecurity-analysts-find-fancy-bear-sniffing-around-us.html
Like I said a week ago, satellite networks aren’t safe and have been compromised.
Most hacks aren’t discovered for 3-12 months after the event…
30
you really have to assume all public networks are compromised, whatever the media
the issue is what you do to protect yourself and also detect intrusion.
much of the physical and technology protection in secure areas is as much about knowing that a breach has occurred as it is trying to absolutely prevent it.
sooner or later you run out of convoluted systems and have to trust a small group of individuals, then you get into the fantasy land of how you vet and monitor those people
certainly a growth area for the young uns coming through IT, but really requires in depth rather than generic skills and knowledge. Really for the top few percent to do it properly , rather than have a job title and look good for a while.
00
From Chiefio
“Vitamin K2, Diet, & Bonus On Sweet Potato Leaves”
https://chiefio.wordpress.com/2022/12/17/vitamin-k2-diet-bonus-on-sweet-potato-leaves/
40
Concise statement by current grad student on the Woke takeover of the Academy.
She is being asked sign a Woke pledge of ideological allegiance.
https://www.bitchute.com/video/DQLogLzK0tfL/
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To all, an update on MAiD. The Canadian, “Medical Assistance In Dying” program.
Mental Illness was to become a sole medical condition for a person to access MAiD post March 17 2023.
Under the current law, Canadians whose only medical condition is a mental illness, and who otherwise meet all eligibility criteria, will not be eligible for MAiD until March 17, 2023.
Link:
https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cj-jp/ad-am/bk-di.html
The Department of health released a report October 22 2022.
Entitled:
“Medical Assistance in Dying and Mental Disorder as the underlying condition: An interim report.”
link:
https://www.parl.ca/content/Committee/441/AMAD/GovResponse/RP11995101/441_AMAD_Rpt01_GR/DepartmentOfHealth-e.pdf
On the 15th December 2022, This statement has been made:
December 15, 2022 – Ottawa, Ontario – Government of Canada
“Under the current MAID law, eligibility for MAID will be expanded to persons whose sole medical condition is a mental illness as of March 17, 2023. Listening to experts and Canadians, we believe this date needs to be temporarily delayed.”
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-justice/news/2022/12/statement-by-ministers-lametti-duclos-and-bennett-on-medical-assistance-in-dying-in-canada.html
OK this is a vexxed issue. We all have our opinions.
I can only give mine.
If I had had the chance to tap out solely because of my mental condition (6 years ago), I would have considered this path. I would have wanted it.
If my treating doctors had not helped to save my life and instead said I had another option “MAiD”.
I would not be here now.
We need to be very, very careful with this issue.
90
Search for wind and solar being the cheapest and there are many websites supporting that claim, I did a search after hearing references on television news last night, and of course Albanese Labor Government Ministers make this claim regularly.
But here from past reports and on other websites where renewables are not given lots of support and praise they are not the cheapest when all costs are accounted.
For example, Liddell coal fired Power Station NSW is due for closure in 2023 and has a Capacity Factor from 4 generator units of 1,800MW, by comparison Capital Hill Wind Farm in NSW has 67 Wind Turbines promoted as Nameplate Capacity of 140MW but Capacity Factor would be at best 35 per cent or 49MW. That installation occupies 15,000 acres of land.
To supply 1,800MW would require 37 x 67 Wind Turbines = 2,479 Wind Turbines and land area 555,000 acres.
Add firming back up equipment, transmission lines to main grid and foundations, installation and connection costs.
As compared to a ultra super critical thermal power plant technology replacement for Liddell.
Or Small Modular Nuclear generators from Rolls Royce also on order by the UK Government that could be installed on the Liddell site.
For Wind Turbines add the cost of a second and third removal and replacement about every 20 years as compared to the 50 years Liddell has been operating and well maintained could operate for a longer period, SMR for at least 60-70 years.
Am I wrong?
120
And don’t forget the planned new dedicated for wind and solar second electricity grid costs and land areas.
90
And I think you have shown up one problem with our beloved, all knowing Minister Chris Bowen in that he doesn’t differentiate between theoretical figures and actual. So that meaningless Capacity figure for renewables he assumes is what will be delivered every day.
Another problem is that his intelligence is measured with the thickness of short lengths of wood.
100
Dennis, wind turbines have been found to have a life span of around twelve years, because the leading edge of the blades become smashed and broken. This slows the turbine down to the point where it is useless. The blades are unrepairable.
110
Chris:
They can last longer than 12 years but the problem is that the blade damage starts very early resulting in lower output. The effect is cumulative, and along with increasing maintenance costs they become uneconomical.
Some years ago In the UK the average life was 9 years (for on-shore turbines) when they would be “refurbished” usually by installing a larger power unit with new blades. The same problem will occur on those new off-shore turbines in the future. Wind blown salt particles can be quite abrasive. Also occurs in off-shore high powered racing boats.
90
A comment I saw said that wind turbines have to be derated at 12-15 years by 30-50%, to protect against blade failure.
30
Earlier turbines output declined about 1% (of claimed capacity) for some years, then the drop accelerated.
Also the breakage rate of blades is about 1% per annum. Add in the time taken to replace that blade (it was 12 months near Port Lincoln).
30
There is the “bug test” for sailplanes to follow how much surface material downgrades aerodynamic performance.
And the results are why they are washed regularly
10
And there has been suggestions that as the blades age, they spread fibre particles across the ground underneath. If this is grazing land, these fibrea could be ingested by livestock.
40
How often is the Oil Changed in the Wind Turbine transmission and how much Oil is used?
At the moment, the average wind farm has 150 turbines. Each wind turbine requires 80 gallons of oil for lubrication, and this isn’t vegetable oil; this is a PAO synthetic oil based on crude… 12,000 gallons. Once a year, that oil must be replenished.
To sustain a wind turbine, how much concrete is required?
Thirty thousand tonnes of cement were used to build 15 to 20 foot-deep concrete foundations to support all of the 328-foot-high towers with 2-MW turbines. These below-ground support systems required 60 truckloads (750 yd3) of concrete, which was poured in two stages.
https://www.windpowerengineering.com/gearbox-and-oil-maintenance-101/
Common gearbox problems
There are several essential gearboxes in a turbine: the main gearbox, as well as yaw-drive gearboxes that position the nacelle relative to the wind direction and pitch drives that adjust the blade angle of attack. The main gearbox is designed to speed the slow, high-torque rotation into a much faster rotation for the generator.
Factors that may adversely affect the drivetrain gearbox include variations in wind speed and direction, temperature, vibration, and the ingress of moisture. These factors make the gearbox a vulnerable component of the turbine’s drivetrain.
Common problems that occur in gearboxes include scuffing and microppitting, tooth-root breakage, and bearing failure. Micropitting is a starting point for a chain of destructive events, and if left unchecked, results in tooth breakage and the need to replace the gears. Aside from the constantly changing load, micropitting is also caused by insufficient lubricant film thickness, incorrect lubricant viscosity, and foaming.
The cost of gearbox maintenance and replacement, along with the costs associated with the inevitable downtime, are a significant part of wind turbine operation losses. The condition of gearbox oil in the wind turbine is an important factor in saving on these costs.
When to change the gearbox oil
The oil filter in the gearbox should be changed after the first 500 hours of operation. After one year of operation, an oil sample should be taken to determine its viscosity, water content, acid number, contamination with particulate matter, and additive exhaustion. After two years, some recommend a complete oil change, even if its quality approximates the standards.
Periodically analyzing the oil and determining a change schedule based on the analyzed parameters may point to oil changes less than once every two years. It should be noted, however, that using oil with the quality even similar to the standards may still cause failures and damage the gearbox.
Manually changing the oil is a difficult and time-consuming task. Workers lift and lower oil in special canisters using lifting devices (elevators or ladders). This would commonly require a team of three or four and about eight hours of work time.
Time and labor costs can be reduced by using special oil-change equipment that facilitates quick servicing with integrated oil containment and transportation tanks; an oil heater to reduce viscosity and speed oil pumping;
gearbox cleaning with special flushing oil; and mitigation of oil spills and contact between the oil and the environment.
100
Interesting info OO – thanks.
70
Dennis, I believe the govt is basing its “low cost” claims for wind and solar on the faulty CSIRO GenCost figures. However, these figures are LCOE-costed over the shorter lifetimes of wind and solar. When costs are correctly compared over the much longer lifetimes of USC coal, CCGT gas and SMR nuclear using FCOE costings, wind and solasr come out at twice the cost.
As an example, the basic overnight costs per kW are:
Solar: $1100
Wind: $1700
CCGT gas: $1542 based on earlier gas prices)
USC coal: $3600
SMR nuclear: $5316
So, obviously , renewables are cheaper.
But now adjust costs for CF, lifetime and backup required for renewables (Think backup is only 24 hours):
CCGT gas: $4112
USC coal: $4800
SMR nuclear: $5596
Wind: >$12,400
Solar: >$14,900
Note that these figures don’t include the extra transmission line costs for wind and solar.
40
Imagining life out from under the Climate Cloud
Aussies Go 100% Coal!!!
https://canadafreepress.com/article/aussies-go-100-coal
(If Oz was smart, they would go to Coal. )
110
Copied, Expanded and send by email to Liberal Admin and Liberal Manly office
Excellent Article
The real tragedy is what we don’t see. We see billions squandered on wind and solar. Tragic enough, but we don’t see the magnificent electrical infrastructures coal might create if similarly furnished with funds.
With centuries of supply, Aussies should consider coal inexhaustible
Australian electricity demand peaks at 35,000ish MW; therefore, 8 Tuoketuo-sized plants (operating at two-thirds capacity) could meet national needs.
Nature’s most coal-rich tribe, the Aussies, own 165 billion tonnes of recoverable black coal and 433 billion tonnes of brown. Australia’s 94 coal mines yield a mere half-billion tonnes annually.
With centuries of supply, Aussies should consider coal inexhaustible. The Stone Age didn’t end when we ran out of rocks. Uranium will dethrone coal before Australians exhaust their seams; but right now 9,000 coal-fired power plants adorn Earth; a quantum blossoming by hundreds every year.
When life throws you lemons, …make lemonade. Pre-2002 Australians drew 80+% of their electricity from coal. In 2002, decades into the climate hooey, wind power finally captured measurable portions of Australia’s electricity market. Solar surfaced in 2005. Australia’s electricity-by-source scorecard now reads: coal 51%, gas 18%, solar 12%, wind 10%, hydro 6%, and oil 2%.
Net Zero dictates 90% reductions in global coal-burning by 2050. The climate oligarchy’s sacrificial lamb, Australia, must surrender coal-power long before then.
Australia’s top toadies tumble over one another, beckoning the coal-apocalypse closer
On command, Australia’s top toadies tumble over one another, beckoning the coal-apocalypse closer. PM Albanese recently increased renewable quotas 15%, proclaiming:
“Our new ambitious target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 43% below 2005 levels by 2030 will put Australia on track to achieve Net Zero by 2050.” 1
Queensland Premier Palaschuk demands 70% renewable electricity by 2032; …80% by 2035. Given (non-renewable) gas’s role in planned electricity mixes, Palaschuk’s demands spell death for coal-power.
Australians added 5 units to their coal-power fleet post-1999; none since 2009. Several closures are slated for the 2020s. Other closures are being brought forward.
Between 2002 and 2022 generating capacity grew from 36,900 MW to 53,400 MW; however much new capacity is aspirational nameplate capacity configured by solar panel and wind turbine salesmen. Australia’s coal-plants consistently deliver 66% of advertised max capacity, while wind typically delivers 30%; and solar: 10%.
Australia’s 19 coal-plants continue to supply baseload power with 59 aging steam turbines. Bayswater Station draws water from the Hunter River to operate four 660 MW generators. Saltwater-cooled Eraring Station’s four 720 MW Toshibas are fed by local mines. Brown coal monsters, Lon Yang A and B’s 6 generators electrify Melbourne; …also with locally-mined coal.
Nine major Australian cities lay within 1,200 kilometres of Queensland’s humongous, high-volatility black coalfields
Ubiquitous deposits incentivize many Australian cities, like Melbourne, to tap adjacent brown coalfields. Strides in ultra-high-voltage long-distance transmission render this strategy obsolete.
70
“If Oz was smart, they would go to Coal. ”
you’ve spotted the problem Lance
A good Occams Razor rule of thumb when considering Australia is if something looks to be going well, it’s more likely to be good luck than good management.
40
Caught faking it
“By now many of us have heard about a recent study which claimed that mass vaccination for Covid saved 3 million lives in the U.S. and prevented over 18 million hospitalizations. What we don’t hear is that this “study” was actually a blog post which expounded on a computer model designed to generate a pre-ordained conclusion. The latest Dark Horse Podcast digs into the background of the study at the 36 minute mark.
In what has to be the quote of the day, Bret calls the creation of the virus, the lab leak and the subsequent pandemic policy response “…the greatest blunder in human history.” ”
(My bold)
https://youtu.be/DB2_AFwoF84
Via SDA
90
This must have got lost in my files because it appeared on 8th December. I’ve long considered that ABC stands for All Bloody Cr*p and this absolutely confirms it. Seems their “misinformation expert” is an expert AT misinformation. Terrifying how the truth is being spun, blocked, ridiculed and ignored. A deadly decision. ToM
https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2022-12-08/covid-misinformation-spiking-on-twitter-elon-musk/101742276
90
Quoting Timothy Graham, the misinformation expert at the Queensland University of Technology:-
ABC misinformation expertise seems to be in reading tweet leavings- like reading tea leaves.
40
I wonder where they have been for the last 3 years or so?
00
No surprise about the background of the UN Secretary General. From Wikipedia:
90
Says it all really.
20
The state of “education”
“NYC Students Refuse To Leave Campus Building Until They’re Given All “A” Grades”
https://www.shorenewsnetwork.com/2022/12/16/nyc-students-refuse-to-leave-campus-building-until-theyre-given-all-a-grades/
Via SDA
80
This actress is facing up to 3 years jail for saying “men cannot be lesbians”.
https://nypost.com/2022/12/15/tonje-gjevjon-faces-up-to-3-years-in-prison-for-saying-men-cannot-be-lesbians/
SEE LINK FOR REST
100
“This time last year, a bunch of scientists, activists and journalists tried to bounce a heavily vaccinated population into another lockdown. Here’s a day-by day reminder of how it happened. ”
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1600453964558139393.html
Via SDA
50
A lot of global warming in South-Dakota…
60
That is some Snow!
11
The Benelux have and parts of Germany from west to east will face an other problem:
after about a week with partly deep frost is now followed by a low pressure system with warm air and rain….
Clear ice and frozen rain will be / are the upcoming dangers, several schools will be closed, accidents, car crashes , not only because of a lot of idiots (not only not-vaxxed people 😀 ) driving as usual will be the consequence.
70
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FkSAlVZXEAcH4df?format=png&name=small
40
“The EV Zero Emissions Scam”
https://amgreatness.com/2022/12/17/the-ev-zero-emissions-scam/
“Two carbon footprints, not just one”
40
Zero Emissions Delusion (ZED) cars?
20
Go easy there – a Mk 3 Zephyr put up with me for a long time
00
Z Cars
http://vermaatonline.com/ford_zodiac/
Was also a UK TV police series that used them
00
“Actuaries Raise Alarm That Australians Are “Unexpectedly” Dying At An Exaggerated Rate”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/12/actuaries-raise-alarm-australians-unexpectedly-dying-exaggerated-rate/
If you are reading this you don’t have to worry – yet
40
That’s a long piece. Not everyone is going to make it to the end.
20
The future is grim.
‘A global survey conducted last year amongst 10,000 children and young people across ten countries, including the US, found that 59% of respondents were very or extremely worried about the climate crisis.
‘Over 50% reported feeling emotions including sadness, anxiousness, anger, powerlessness and guilt. Seventy-five percent of respondents said that they think the future is frightening.’ (Guardian)
30
It’s not that the future is grim, it’s the morons who will inhabit it.
70
I have similar feeling about the luggage handling system at Heathrow
20
You remind me of the time we took some bottles of fizzy back for a wedding. The container was carefully put into a ‘fragile’ crate at MEL. When next seen, it was tumbling head-over-heels out of a chute at LHR. Sigh. Somehow the bottles survived.
00
I think very, very few Australian politicians have the required intelligence, moral decency or general knowledge which ought to be prerequisites for the job.
100
“The Global Imprisonment Begins – Id was right again and again and again. English to American Translations.”
https://noconsensus.wordpress.com/2022/12/18/the-global-imprisonment-begins-id-was-right-again-and-again-and-again-english-to-american-translations/
What a dismal read of things over the weekend!
At least it rained here last night.
20
Yes, Ian , global imprisonment in the form of the 15 minute city.
https://unfccc.int/blog/the-15-minute-city?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxJWiu7mE_AIV8JlmAh39xgj9EAAYAiAAEgLJOfD_BwE
Jane Jacobs viewed the messiness of cities in the past as fostering freedom to innovate, not the UN/Local Govt(ICLEA)
15 minute cities where you will be constrained; get it, CON-STRAINED!
10
If these ‘magic batteries’ are there for lulls in unreliables, what is going to charge them when they need it.
40
The Green blob’s intention is to charge them from intermittents, but we all know they will charge them from the cheapest power source that is available at the time. Which means coal/ gas/ hydro. These batteries are not what they seem, they are simply profit making ventures for the energy companies.
20
So, the energy companies ( and state governments) will wait until the spot price is the greatest, then expend the batteries. Occasionally they might get used to support the lag between systems, but that’s all theatre on their behalf. They will then wait until the spot price or other sources are at their cheapest to recharge said batteries. This is usually in the hours just before dawn and mostly provided by coal. These batteries are great (sarcasm) because not only can you make profit, the construction is also then subsidised by the companies as well.
20
I did a stint in Brasil at one stage, up in the Caatinga in the inland of the north east. About 20 inch rainfall with a northern Australian pattern of about 9 months of little probability. Most common farm size less than 100 ha, a good year produces a crop of corn and beans sufficient for a year. Flavoured with some goat.
As might be expected drought is ever present.
There are some big rivers that flow through the area, so there has been a program of building big dams as part of drought proofing. Check Sobradinho (lat 09 23 41, long 40 54 50) on the Sao Francisco River. These dams are used for low head hydro power. And the drainage pipes for any road fills are often just below the road surface (not at the bottom) so they hold up water for local use.
It has also been pointed out that those big storages are expensive and that often the water is sold off for use before the drought arrives.
As one bloke said, resignedly, “Polticians are not interested in fixing the drought problem – it would take away their drought handout soap box”
Sounds like big batteries.
00
And re the Caatinga – a lot of dense scrub vegetation worse than anyone here has imagined in their worse nightmare.
A straight fence post or yard rail? I never saw one.
For mustering cattle the vaqueiro (cowboy) wears leather chaps, an over-everything leather coat and a leather hard hat. The horse wears leather front armour and head gear. And the good horse goes through the scrub where the cow went. At that time they made the local basic wage if they mustered 7 cattle a week.
Natural vegetation included only two grasses, one a cousin of Mossman River burr. But it converted to buffel grass – with a lot of work.
00
The difference between ‘nameplate and actual’, lets call it Aspirational Capacity.
40
Unfulfilled expectations?
40
Sales and marketing hyperbole and puffery.
00
And the AEMO response is …….
“Thanks for your query. Firstly, under current Australian law, Nuclear technology is not an option
While I cannot comment on the reports of Minister Plibersek claim that renewables are cheaper than power stations and AEMO’s CEO being quoted, I can advise that the construction of any generator by the private sector is a matter for companies to make based on their commercial deliberations.
I hope this is helpful. If so, please accept the resolution email that follows and the call will close. If there are further issues on this call, please reject the resolution email and add your comments. If you do nothing, the call will auto-close in 5 business days.
Regards
Information & Support Hub Officer”
10
Dennis
You never take the first “No” as definitive.
10
Reply and ask if the person still drives behind a person carrying a red flag?
00