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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Statistics
What about those further bank failures, you know the ones which were bailed out by other banks.
28
Is that a question?
30
He may be talking about reinsurance, which leaves other banks exposed, as seen during the GFC. The general feeling on this occasion is that its ‘unlikely to cause, or amplify, systemic risk.’
12
Lazy Sunday afternoon?
50
Some say I do not reserve my laziness just for Sunday afternoons. I’d like to disagree, but that’d be quite a lot of effort.
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Still time for a Brian May outro.
https://youtu.be/Ql6dtueIKbc
21
Anyway , I’m at work , as usual , so I’ve been thinking.
What if the Swiss people won’t back the Swiss government to backstop the UBS “lifeline ” to Credit Suisse?
What then Oh grasshoppers?
171
Start jailing the corrupt bankers like Iceland did?
140
Too late if the contagion has already set in.
81
lock ’em up in an ig (cold house without a toilet)
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For bankers read banksters.
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farmerbraun – may I respectfully correct you. It is no longer referred to as Credit Suisse – I prefer the more factually correct Debit Suisse
140
The other thing that I’ve been thinking about is these” Nucular ” subs that you’re getting yourselves in hock for .
What are you actually going to do with them?
I mean , what are you going to use them for?
132
They’ll make great fish attraction devices (FADS) 50 years down the track. Oh, I forgot about the reactor.
61
This defence spending on Virginia Class subs to be followed by a British design is a load of bullsh.t. You would think there is some evil intent to send this country broke just like Sri Lanka to be rescued by the UN. 200 missiles won’t get you far either in a high stakes shootout either. Clowns like Sheridan at the OZ wet their pants at all of this hardware as well as further cuddling up to those neo cons and Washington oligarchs. But what can I say, they’re experts.
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“200 missiles won’t get you far either in a high stakes shootout either.”
Yep, Russia has 6000 nukes, China about 350… enough to sterilise the world, that’s for sure. ..although I see think tanks in the USA are happy that we can have a limited nuclear war and they will come out on top.
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“.although I see think tanks in the USA are happy that we can have a limited nuclear war and they will come out on top.”
I guess that they got that from an array of climate models?
130
“You would think there is some evil intent to send this country broke”
You got in one, Glen.
90
The NDIS will cost ten times the cost of the AUKUS plan over the same time frame, and with China sabre rattling at the moment, we need the Subs more than NDIS in its current form.
10
Well, some politicians think that they will win the next election for them.
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World peace today is as fragile as it was in the 1930s. Where would Britain have been if everyone thought the Spitfire was a waste of money then? Fortunately it was in squadron service in 1939.
171
But it is 2023, in case you have not noticed.5
10
These subs are costing $368 BILLION. They can fire a salvo of ~200 missiles at e.g. China, a country of 1.3 billion people, before they have to sail all the way back to Australia to reload. If you want to understand how useless this is, remember that Putin has fired over 5000 missiles at the Ukraine, a small country of 40 million people, and they’re still fighting. Firing 200 missiles at China is like having a mosquito bite it. It will just p*ss China off, and result in the instant death of the mosquito. These subs arent Spitfires, they cant win the “Battle of Australia”. They are a waste of money.
93
A few more subs and Germany would have starved Britain in spite of the RAF.
The same could be done to China. Australia, India and Indonesia could choke them in the Malacca Strait. China’s navy is not really blue water, more green.
73
Not anymore, Putin will feed China and supply it with gas and oil. Thats a Biden own goal. China is more likely to choke Australia in the Malacca Strait (green water) now that we have closed all our oil refineries. Where do you think all our refined oil (petrol) comes from? You guessed it – Singapore.
130
Spot on, Rob.
As far as being a market for their exports, China couldn’t care less about Australia. We are a mere blip on their balance sheet. However, they are very reliant on their imports of coking coal from us, and temporarily at least, on our iron ore.
So the “stationary aircraft carriers” on the Spratly Islands are there, not to blockade shipping coming in, but rather to ensure the vital supply line of raw materials coming in stays open.
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The new defence pact will be a counterweight for Chinas substantial territorial ambitions in large parts of the areas that Oz would consider its backyard. The agreement also covers cyber defence. China is a major threat to the stability of the area.
20
Mobile battery chargers for electric frigates?
121
The RAN operates 6 built in Australia conventional diesel electric submarines equipped with the same technology apart from nuclear weapons and SMR as US nuclear subs.
With China/CCP threatening and already imposing trade sanctions, have built island forts near sea lanes that are vital shipping areas for many nations including Australia, and for a very long time the ADF have trained and operated with allied forces primarily US Forces, RAN replacement subs for Collins Class makes nuclear a best choice, much faster submerged, can remain underwater for months and therefore coastal Australia, Asia Pacific Region patrolling superiority, And ability to be embedded with US Forces and other allies to keep China in check, or worse.
The first for the RAN will be US Navy operational Virginia Class while RN, RAN and USN develop a next generation nuclear submarine future replacement for all three allied nations and built in all three, US technology and identical.
Collins Class x 6 will be refitted and remain in service for another decade or two, they are still formidable and useful for many operational activities where speed and endurance is not as important. Some say but that would be coastal Australia. Not so, latest satellite technology spots surfaced vessels within minutes and Collins Class needs to surface often, and to take on diesel fuel and supplies from RAN supply ships.
There is no need for every naval vessel to be nuclear armed, US and UK have submarine missile launchers and ships and Air Force stealth bombers, and of course land based missile silos.
Nuclear is a deterrent because if one side launches the other side follows within minutes and no side wins.
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The deterrent factor of MAD has been greatly weakened over the past two decades by the US policy of attaining and maintaining nuclear primacy, by the Russian and Chinese response, and by other states developing nuclear weapon delivery systems.
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RAN Collins Class submarines are being equipped with US Tomahawk Cruise Missiles immediately.
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Strategic deterrence; cementing our alliances; future industrial base.
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With no nukes to aim at somebody from close to their coast they have no realistic deterrent value. With only 8 and probably 3 in service at any given time they will be so useless that they won’t even be high value targets.
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“future industrial base.”
The current “industrial de-base is going to change then?
90
Most of my working career was in manufacturing industry related positions, the last for approaching 25 years where the public company board of directors offered to assist in a management buyout of the consistently profitable company because it was no longer a fit with the board’s future group expansion plans, but had been a very useful source of cash flow for them since acquisition 15 years earlier. My Business Plan warned us not to proceed as the since 1975 signing of the UN Lima Protocol agreeing to allow the transfer of most manufacturing industry to UN developing nations, like China, over time, had reached the point of no return and for manufacturing in Australia rapidly becoming uncompetitive against imports. The costs involved in factories being closed, machinery removed, leased premises being restored in accordance with lease conditions, and more, would have wiped out the after tax profit estimates for the period in between reaching the decision to stop manufacturing. A foreign buyer acquired the business, I stayed on under contract for 18 months and left of my own accord based on contractural arrangements, and about 10 years later the new owners closed the factories.
My point is future of manufacturing in Australia. There are many roadblocks and top of the list UN based: Lima Protocol, Agenda 21 now 30, Kyoto and Paris emissions reduction targets now net zero emissions, for example. The rising cost and unreliable supply of electricity, and natural gas. Tooo many government legislated and other imposed regulations and compliance costs. Tax system including payroll tax the States promised to abolish in return for GST revenue and failed to do so. Many other roadblocks. However, there remains a growing military equipment design and manufacturing sector: Bushmaster armoured vehicles and a smaller 4WD, Bushmaster now equipped with multiple missile launcher from the US. Boeing Australia Loyal Wingman/Ghost Bat drone jet fighter force multiplier to fly with or without RAAF piloted aircraft carrying missiles/bombs or equipped for other tasks, 9 now flying and under development made in QLD. A new AUV large drone submarine being designed in NSW by a US firm to be made here and exported as Ghost Bat will be. Small drones including swarming capability carrying grenade-style bombs and capable of many other tasks, already supplied to Ukraine forces. A tracked and armoured mobile artillery vehicle from South Korea being made here. Long range missile (hypersonic?) made here under US licence. More.
And don’t ignore the space technology research and development investment by the Federal Government (Morrison) that many scoffed at ignoring what space technology is becoming and the future, Australia cooperation with US, UK and others.
ANSTO (Lucas Heights nuclear reactor Sydney operator) and research, they have completed recycling of uranium fuel and one customer is Rolls Royce UK for their SMR based electricity generator “kit form” ex-factory range.
Nuclear submarine maintenance and later building them in Adelaide SA will open up a wide range of manufacturing opportunities here.For example, BHP developed special steel for the Collins Class submarines where they were built in Adelaide, another example was locally sourced materials for the batteries that included copper expanded instead of lead core, batteries made here.
There are many things to do by our governments to make a future manufacturing sector expanision happen, but the opportunities are developing.
Consider revival of an old plan, steel mills on West and east coasts, railway line from coast to coast to carry iron ore one way and coal the other way?
Revive ship building industry based on submarines and related industries, South Korea is a major ship building nation with a high standard of living and importing Australian iron ore and coal to produce steel.
Australia never had a large enough local motor vehicle market to support one manufacturer but at the end around 2014/15 there were three here, GHM, Ford and Toyota, but earlier Chrysler, Leyland/BMC, Mitsubishi for example, but they closed down earlier. Of Austraian-made motor vehicles 8 in every 10 new vehicles were government fleet purchases, exports were not many. Volvo Sweden has a huge number of countries and consumers not far away.
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A good read.
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Dennis
You forgot one item. COST or wasted taxpayer $$$. Any manufacturing for the military is profitable no matter where it happens. It may take a lot of time and lobbying effort to become a recognised military supplier but once done you can ask what you like and when it comes to ongoing maintenance, upgrades etc the sky is literally the limit.
I sold designed and made in Aus electronics for the Land 121 Project and did very very very very well out of it.
Yes we can build military gear in Australia but it comes at a huge cost that is well over and above and that premium is pay by the long suffering Aussie taxpayer.
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Dennis. Sounds gr8 conceptually but for the reason we are losing our manufacturing industries currently-pending, expensive intermittent unsustainable energy!
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Make sure you guys buy the extended warranty.
https://www.forces.net/qe-class-aircraft-carriers/hms-prince-wales-second-shaft-problem-adds-repair-list-aircraft-carrier
Sits and quacks.
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It could be worse, it could be an Admiral Kuznetsov class carrier from Russia.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/navy-ships/a43063850/admiral-kuznetsov-russian-aircraft-carrier-leaves-drydock/
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I think Kuznetsov taught them that they could never compete with America in carriers, so they went for carrier-killer missiles instead.
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Not much.
The Navy is having trouble supplying crews for the six that we have.
We still have 6, don’t we?
40
Some media sites are now asking users to provide an image of themselves. Do we really want private companies that know our political views to also have an image of us from which biometric data could potentially be extracted? Given the conduct of many in the media over the past few years, I’m choosing to opt out.
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One of my recent shots;
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Joe_Biden_presidential_portrait.jpg
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Eww, what a slimy SOB that was.
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Joe, I knew that was you!*
This is me from my science license.
Since this photo, have gotten hair plugs from the same guy you used.
I’m doing much better with the Freshpersons.
https://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/Scitech/876/493/mann_treering.jpg?ve=1&tl=1
*Though you could add one more K as a nod to your good, now deceased friend and colleague, Robert Byrd.
Do you still drive a semi and go to Mass every morning at the Black Church after breakfast with Nelson Mandela.
It is good to have more hair on your head than on your legs, don’t you agree?
40
An Israeli company developed software to imperceptibly alter photos to make them unrecognisable by biometrics. Humans can easily recognise the face but facial recognition engines can’t.
https://techcrunch.com/2020/05/26/d-id-the-israeli-company-that-digitally-de-identifies-faces-in-videos-and-still-images-raises-13-million/
See video: https://youtu.be/_4jeQrZslNk
However I looked at the company website and they don’t seem to offer that product any more.
https://www.d-id.com/
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I’m going to give this one a try:
https://sandlab.cs.uchicago.edu/fawkes/#code
I’m going to run my image through it and then run it through a second time. Let’s just hope the altered image doesn’t happen to have the biometrics of someone on the most wanted list. I’m going to use the image to attempt to reactivate my account on a particular far-left media site.
50
No way.
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Well, a guy in the States was selling silicon masks of his face than anyone could buy, so there could be thousands of him running around..
That’s the other option, make one face so common it becomes meaningless.
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Huh, or hmm, er no, more likely to be hrr or ( crikey mite – thers no word for that new non binary thingy) Well I was just thinking about all those Kar dash Ian type fotos on tiktoc or whatever which you see down the side of one Daily newspaper online. where we farmers can recognise a Cheviot sheep or Angus cow, I find great difficulty in recognizing and differentiating between individuals in various other coloured ethnic folk.
Well after this past few years running around like Bandits, I’ll just run around with that great big smiley / cheery Disney character to mousey around, calling it ‘ taking the Mick’
30
…..we farmers can recognise a Cheviot sheep or Angus cow…..I’ll just run around with that great big smiley…
A great big smiley like this Holstein Friesian bobby calf, and don’t say this isn’t just so cute.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2023-03-16/happy-holstein-calf-born-west-gippsland-smiling-face-markings/102104040
Tony.
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It’s a female , so why is it a bobby?
Doesn’t make sense.
Maybe the word has changed its meaning .
A bobby calf was a calf of either sex that had no value as a herd animal , and went to be slaughtered for a bob in payment.
A bobby calf in NZ still gets” bobbied “.
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The owners and author are referring to the calf as “he” or “him” throughout the article so I assume it is a male.
The phrase Bobby Calf hasn’t changed meaning as far as I know. It’s always applied to both male and female. However, for many farms only male calves were bobbys because the males are useless on a dairy and females were usually kept to add to the milking herd or replace older cows. So it’s more typical that a bobby is a male but not exclusive but some female calves are surplus and became bobbys.
On our place we always referred to calves we were hand feeding as poddy calves. We weren’t dairy and the poddy calves were only being hand fed because either their mother had some milk issue or had died. These were raised to a reasonable beef production age. As opposed to the bobby which had been removed from from a milking mum and moved on at a young age.
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Bobby calves get poddied.
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Watchdog Group Launches Investigation Into Biden’s ‘Woke Army’
The Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) is launching an investigation into a recent executive order the group called an “unprecedented scheme” they believe violates the democratic process.
FGA announced that their investigation will include filing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests targeting the 23 agencies addressed in the Equity EO, including the Departments of State, Justice, Defense, Labor, Transportation, Social Security, Education, and Health and Human Services.
The group will share the information they gather with Congress, the states, and the American people, according to their press release.
We cannot allow this new ‘woke army’ to force un-American philosophy into all corners of our federal government. They will degrade our nation’s capabilities and effectiveness, while undermining our liberty and security.”
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/watchdog-group-launches-investigation-bidens-woke-army
We NEED an organisation like the FGA here and not just for the loony wokeness.
One with real teeth.
An FGA that could F the TGA for starters.😆
70
Vera Sharav, holocaust survivor, has released a 5 part documentary series “Never again is now global”.
No doubt a must watch to see how history repeats.
https://neveragainisnowglobal.com/
I’ve been watching History Channel on youtube for the past 2 months as it does an excellent job of documenting the rise, crimes and collapse of the N@zi regime.
51
I went to a community function today and of course there was the compulsory “welcome to country ceremony” and we were told by an Anglo-Celt looking woman who identified as Aboriginal that among a long list of things that the Aborigines were first at in their “65000 years plus” here were the first scientists, lawmakers, astronomers, farmers, engineers, explorers, navigators, botanists, diplomats and artists and probably some more I can’t remember.
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Everybody knows where that “face” on the moon came from. It’s been there for at least 65,000 years.
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They believe in tell a lie often enough———-
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What was for lunch.
Michael Smith has an early takeaway menu for when the neighbouring nation visits.
Evidently the Gundagai aborigines didn’t have a ‘beef’ with the early European settlers.
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David,
surely you didn’t believe that? It is obvious from the claim that the earliest aborigines were public servants because after 65,000 years they were still wandering around with little clothing, no transport, and spending a lot of time looking for food, or entertaining themselves with group chanting, and painting arcane signs on cave walls.
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Although it’s not been repeated, an academic studying the issue found that Australia was first settled by humans about 150 though years ago. Then along came aborigines about 65 thousand years ago and wiped them all out. Now they call themselves “first” and a “nation”, even though they were neither. And they demand that we pray at their altars called “welcome to country”.
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The voice related activists now claim 300-plus First Nations countries.
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How can you have 300 Nations? We’re all individuals!
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They had 300 languages.
20
With very few words. Even Maori was about 400 words.
How do you become fluent in a language which had no words for most of the things you see in a given day?
Signposting an airport must be absurd. What’s the aboriginal for snow?
20
Eqinsu Ocha
00
Welcome To Country ceremony at the opening of Parliament Canberra every time was a gift from Labor Prime Minister Gillard to Labor’s 2010 after election lost to the Abbott Coalition Opposition alliance members who helped form the alliance minority Labor Government that stayed in office clinging on.
Independent for Lyne Rob Oakeshott asked for the ceremony and his request was granted, like Greens carbon tax and rarely mentioned renewable energy surcharge, both 10% each, onto our electricity bills, plus GST 10% on total of bill.
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I think it was practiced in our universities long before Gillard.
00
I am waiting for our First Nations remaining 300-plus countries to announce their defence contributions.
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There are 537 councils Australia-wide, 300 more should be easily incorporated of mostly useless desert country or hot crocodile infested places.
We can afford to spend billions on armaments, fair enough, just let First Nations people return to country and sit down.
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Here is an example of the genre.
‘Ngaanyatjarra lands cover roughly 3% of the Australian landscape, a territory as large as that of the United Kingdom. Predominantly desert, they lie 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) away from the two nearest towns of Alice Springs and Kalgoorlie.’ (wiki)
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There are more than 30 Aboriginal Land Councils in Australia formed to manage lands under Native Title legislation (Mabo decision that continuous occupation must be proven) and that in total covers around 50 per cent of the country already with some still under negotiation.
There are many other “voices”available to the primary responsibility for Aboriginal Affairs State Governments (Territories are of course Commonwealth/Federal) including directly to Prime Minister and Cabinet.
The referendum to change the Constitution should be rejected, the Federal Government already has the legislative power to appoint voices following the 1967 Referendum and changes to the Constitution for this purpose.
100
‘The referendum to change the Constitution should be rejected …’
I second the motion.
The danger is that the MSM might champion causes and sway politicians, which may not be in the national interest.
30
Broken glass, spittle – oh, and if the Chinese invade with female soldiers, the aboriginal men will know exactly how to fight them.
50
Last time I went to the orchestra, the ‘welcomer’ told us that aboriginal people participated in orchestras for tens of thousands of years.
Never before have so few been idolised by so many for achieving so little in 65,000 years.
210
The conductors were known to shout out at the players: “why didgeridoo that?”
20
As a Pre Clovis American I am triggered by the word ‘aboriginal’.
I am retreating to my Cry Cave.
To work on my salad graffiti until I feel safe again.
I am relieved by modern hominidism.
It was stressful being the apex predator.
110
‘Expiring Money’: EU’s CBDC to Include ‘Negative Interest’ Trap
The European Central Bank (ECB) is readying a digital currency that features negative interest rates, a tool that erodes the value of your money, or wipes it out completely, according to the Digital Euro Association (DEA) think tank.
Sarah Palurovic, the executive director of the DEA think tank said during an appearance on the Poundcast podcast that the ECB wants to “keep the possibility open for tiered remuneration” after it introduces the digital euro because the ECB wants to have “measures that incentivise or disincentive people to hold more or less CBDCs.” She added that one of the measures the ECB is considering is negative interest rates.
The potential scope of a currency with negative interest rates is vast. The euro has around 341 million daily users and is the official currency of 20 Western countries. The EU would have the power to devalue your savings at the flick of a switch, or make it worthless unless spent of products and services that they approve of. Globalist institutions such as the World Bank are big fans of expiring money because they see it as a “monetary policy tool” that can “make money costly to hold and would thus pressure people to spend it quickly.”
https://www.visionnews.online/post/expiring-money-eu-s-cbdc-to-include-negative-interest-trap
…and this is why the Eurozone is in an economic death spiral. Next year: boom!
110
Jim’s Mowing has a business competitor.
You can now rent sheep to mow your lawn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymSt03SQ280
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Baaackyard ok?
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Lambentable pun
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That depends on the Wether of course.
70
Reminds me of the country hour ABC some years back when the reporter who covered the lamb sale at Tenterfield called ex breed eeweee’s. ( Cross- bred ewes). What a laugh.
20
We keep a handful of sheep to mow and manure our 2 smaller paddocks. They get hooves trimmed, are sheared and given their pour-on and drench once a year. They look very pretty until their coats grow long and scruffy again. I think one of the old girls probably won’t be around by the next time their treatments are due.
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Yummo
80
Release those Progressives immediately!
Slavery is illegal.
They have a right to vaccination.
90
I am assuming that at least you are already providing gender reassignment and affirmation surgery … as you should.
50
International warrant out for Putin now ‘because of the children’ –
Sounds like the Kuwaiti ‘incubator babies’ story…
When all else fails, ‘the children!’
FAIL ❌
160
I believe it is real. Who are you quoting?
21
I think the evacuations are real enough, the rest of the claims, well, why should anyone believe them when many governments, and the MSM is nigh on 100% anti-Russian?
82
Ukraine and Moldova/Transnistria are the poorest countries in Europe. For good reasons. It should be a rich place, but everything is stolen. Ukraine is run by a fascist kleptocracy which attracted the likes of the Biden clan.
And tuberculosis is rife, people are freezing and starving and this war has been raging for more than a decade. Cities are derelict.
There are orphanages like there were in Australia last century. An orphanage in a war zone? It sounds like removing ophaned children is a rescue, not theft. And everyone speaks Russian and Eastern Orthodox, not Catholic or Muslim. It’s not a different culture! This is not about reeducation.
This is an entirely fabricated stunt by lawyers in a court not recognized by either Russia or the US.
So is the flagged arrest of Donald Trump on Tuesday on belated charges from the 2016 Election brought at a State level on an alleged Federal election offence in which the Justice Department was not interested years ago. It is all lawyers about getting noticed.
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Who are you quoting that says these are all orphans?
I am not defending Ukraine, I agree that they are criminals but I refuse to believe Russia is their saviour. Stealing the children IS genocide.
31
From, the Telegraph in London
“The cots stood empty, the row of cubicles crammed with toys and small shoes. On the walls were children’s drawings; in the distance the thud of shelling.
A British barrister, in flak jacket and helmet, stared round the abandoned Ukrainian orphanage whose children are thought to be among thousands abducted by the Russians.
As a father of three, Karim Khan was visibly moved. As prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, he could do something about it.”
– – – – – – –
As with everything being reported, you have to remain skeptical. This odd report could be read many ways.
Firstly “In the distance, the thud of shelling.” Not a great place for an orphanage then?
And I read “abandoned” and “orphanage” and “thought to be” as applying serious doubt to everything. A cover all statement like ‘some scientists say’ which indicates it can be completely wrong, but nobody knows. Superficially it looks like one man’s crusade against Putin or perhaps seeking his own fame and glory. Who knows what the real story is?
“As a father of three”, is a worrying statement as it is not relevant to the story. Stalin had six children.
And Karim Khan does not sound very British. What is his background and what is his agenda?
What was he doing, a British barrister in a war zone, in an abandoned orphanage and presumably in the company of Ukranian hosts if not looking for a reason or excuse to indict? He was no curious tourist. It’s all too contrived. He was likely escorted there with intent to find the evidence to support prosecution, so I do not buy the emotional story of casual observation as a father and independent fact finding observer. This was likely his purpose in the trip. And ‘thought to be’ is not evidence.
This was a decade old breakaway civil war on until Russia and then Britain, Germany, France, Poland and the US intervened. And these very foreign countries have been the traditional enemies of Russia for hundreds of years. Germany has sent 300 tanks, a sight some will still remember in the streets of Kiev and on the steppe.
Ukraine was a creation of Russia after the defeat of the Cossacks and was largely empty two hundred years ago. Most of the people I have met have at least one parent who was Russian. And in Western Ukraine, most are Russians. Even Zelenky’s native language is Russian.
But any adverse comment against Putin and Russia is immediately accepted without question. There is enough in this article to make you consider that this is a stunt. And it cannot be ‘genocide’ if they are the same people and they are all alive because they were rescued by the Russians. The first casualty of war is the truth. There are many people with vested interests here.
141
“On 17 July 1998, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court was adopted by a vote of 120 to seven, with 21 countries abstaining.
The seven countries that voted against the treaty were China, Iraq, Israel, Libya, Qatar, the U.S., and Yemen.” And Russia.
What actual authority the ICC has in any country like Australia is debatable.
So it’s a big jump onto the world stage to issue an arrest warrant for the President of Russia. On the basis of evidence like ‘thought to be’?
Again this looks like a PR stunt.
61
Like that sick joke after a solicitor and a shark attack in WA, somebody suggested signs along the beach warning sharks lawyers swim here.
30
Tell us now, how did it come about that “everyone speaks Russian or Eastern orthodox?”
10
Maybe US napalming of South Vietnamese hamlets will cure you. Invade Iraq WMD’s fabrication. Destabilize several Mid East nations leading to millions of deaths. US artillery and Warthogs levelling Fallujah with countless children buried in rubble. Rub thy hands together.
11
Yeah, laughable! Who didn’t sign the International Criminal Court’s agreement? The Yanks of course! They would have every president since WW2 in jail, so they are not affected, as neither is Russia, they didn’t sign.
Its just a stupid little ploy the Yanks have bullied Europe into doing. Medvedev said its just toilet paper…
122
Pity they didn’t lay the same claims against Zelensky, the 2 Bushs, Obama, Blair, Howard, Rudd, Gillard, Abbott, Morrison, and Albanese, and many others while they were at it.
113
Dead right. So much shenanigans going on.
01
Watching video of the “violent insurrection” on Capitol Hill, which resulted in some of those involved being convicted and imprisoned for up to TEN YEARS, it inevitably led me to contrast the reaction to that prompted by the BLM riots where cars were burned, shops looted and police violently assaulted – which were described as “mostly peaceful”. In the footage from the Capitol Hill Senate building, the “violent insurrectionists” are seen being ASKED by police to leave the chamber, whereupon they all file out without so much as raising their voices. As they walk out, police are heard tanking them for complying, and the “insurrectionists”, including the so-called ‘QAnon Shaman’ who has been jailed for three and a half years, thanking the police in return. The tenor of the episode is a bunch of gawping tourists, like those you might see visiting the Colosseum in Rome.
This led me to reflect on how little effective support those men have received from the rest of us, and to wonder if the Left (whoever and whatever they are) have truly won the battle to control, then destroy, western democracy. I have said before that a weakness on the conservative side of politics is our individualism and reluctance to ‘organise’ against the enemies of modern society. I don’t know how that could be achieved, but having participated in some of the anti-lockdown protests, I am more than happy to do more, albeit limited by my age.
“When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.”
Edmund Burke, 1770.
151
“wonder if the Left (whoever and whatever they are) have truly won the battle to control, then destroy, western democracy.”
Yes and yes.
More than a decade ago, in fact.
Although “globalist elites” would be a more accurate description than “the Left”, these days. “The Left” are “just useful fools” to quote Stalin, and that includes he the WEF and the CCP.
140
The state punishes crimes against itself more harshly than crimes against citizens.
UK magistrates will happily jail an OAP for being unable to find the last £100 of the council tax, but a knife wielding serial mugger will often as not get one more chance.
100
Lambentable pun
30
Did not mean to repeat my terrible joke, sorry.
30
you took a…gamble? No need to feel sheepish.
80
Drone deliveries without the noise – a fascinating video, but, at 21 minutes, far too long.
10
You could do worse with the time.
10
In some Christian traditions, today is the Fourth Sunday in Lent and traditionally is called ‘Refreshment Sunday’ for that is when people living and working in small communities returned to the ‘Mother Church’ for spiritual refreshment. It was a time when young men and women, working in service in big houses, could go and see their families. It was also a time when the lenten fast was suspended and so they often took a special cake home to share with their families. It is quite likely that the wealthy employers provided the ingredients for the ‘Simnel’ cakes. As you can imagine, this tradition developed into ‘Mothering Sunday’.
We held this tradition in our little parish this morning. It provided a great oppotunity to give thanks for the love of our mothers and for motherhood in general. We also had simnel cake.
I really liked the second line of the pen-ultimate prayer: “as a mother feeds her children at the breast…”
When we were in Gloucestershire, it was easy to imagine how the tradition developed. We had nine little churches in our benefice, some within walking distance of each other. There was a big church in the nearby town, presumably the Mother Church.
100
My theological advisor pointed out that ‘devolped’ should be developed and ‘moher’ should be ‘mother’.
70
A covfefe moment.
10
Analysis by Stan Grant on AUKUS and those subs.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-19/keating-wong-china-aukus-subs/102114304
15
Not a good analysis. The western economies are not, as the article claims, “being left behind”, they are self-destructing through an insane mix of policies that include denying themselves reliable energy while importing everything they can from the country – China – which is making the stuff by vastly expanding its use of the energy that the western world spurns. It’s not too late, but if the west doesn’t go back to reliable energy very soon then it will be. The overridingly important consideration is that while the western democracies bear no-one else any malice, China’s leader has made it very plain that he intends to crush democracy everywhere he can.
120
” China’s leader has made it very plain that he intends to crush democracy everywhere he can.”
Welll… crush America anyway, and those damm Poms that started the opium wars.. Maybe “crush the Anglos” but I don’t think he holds anything against the political system of democracy, within the CCP he gets voted in as leader.
61
The vote for Xi Jinping was 2,952 for, 0 against, and 0 abstained. The CCP is not even pretending its a democracy anymore. This did appears to have provoked some sarcasm on the Chinese internet which prompted the CCP to take down any mention of the vote or even from showing a screen shot of the vote tally board.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGmwitQ71u8
See time s7:50 to 8:56
90
I have read that 75% of countries are military dictatorships. But all have elections. Many are as absurd as this.
In Xi’s case when you have your chief rival escorted from the room by police in front of the TV cameras, you are making a statement. Stalin used to execute all those who voted against him and their families. And the first to stop clapping. Voters quickly understood.
80
Elections are far too important to leave the outcome up to voters. Way too much at stake:
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/03/watch-rasmussen-reports-mark-mitchell-tells-steve-bannon-they-elected-kari-lake-as-the-governor-of-arizona-by-eight-points-according-to-new-poll/
30
“…Not a good analysis…”
Well, it is Stan Grant and the ABC, so this is par for the course.
60
At least he can offer the aboriginal view on the value of nuclear subrmarines. It’s why we need a Voice in our constitution.
41
To test whether Stan Grant is an insightful journalist or just woke?
‘America is a long way from the beacon of democracy it promoted last century.
‘It is a tired, divided country. Its wealth gap is obscene. The opioid epidemic, gun violence and suicide …’
02
FWIW
“There Will Be No Soft Landing
The high price of years of low interest rates.”
https://patriotpost.us/opinion/95801-there-will-be-no-soft-landing-2023-03-18
30
FWIW
“Macgregor: The Gathering Storm”
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/macgregor-gathering-storm
30
I have been looking at the AEMO dashboard especially the dispatch overview. When Liddell closes, I am not sure of the exact figures, but over 1 Gw of dispatchable generation will be removed from the NSW grid. As NSW always runs at least 1 Gw in deficit, where is the reliable power generation coming from?
100
How do they keep getting away with this?
100
Hopefully when Liddell closes, everybody will learn that “they can’t keep getting away with this”.
150
Sadly they are already laying the groundwork for their excuses, Grogery.
Haven’t you heard? The problem is we haven’t been building solar panels and windmills fast enough. Nothing that a few more tens of billions of taxpayer’s money won’t fix.
And by the time it becomes apparent that that won’t work either, the current crop of lying, thieving politicians and bureaucrats will be comfortably retired on their taxpayer funded Future Fund superannuation, and a new crop of lying, thieving r soles will be robbing us blind with a new crop of lying, thieving schemes for a new crop of their billionaire rent seeker benefactors.
Life, like climate, is cyclical.
120
Yes, the sun’s not shining. So more solar panels are needed.
And the wind’s not blowing. So double the number of windmills.
More useless massive waste. Zero benefit.
And you have to doubt Malcolm Turnbull’s other gift to the country, Snowy II, will ever be finished. I doubt it.
So far they have managed to bury a 2,500 tonne drill in its own length. At a cost exceeding the original budget.
140
The tunnel boring machine is “bogged” and not far into the mountain.
I understand that Snowy 02 was part of the original Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric Scheme but was abandoned for not being cost effective, and because of the difficulties presented tunnelling in the unstable conditions presented?
70
It’s all Florence’s fault.
00
I’m so old that I can remember a time when “keeping the bastards honest” was the sacred duty of every Australian.
120
Mission impossible.
30
I read in German news about millions of dead fish in NSW, Darling River because of ACC and the resulting heat and missing oxygene in the water, and of course flooded areas that are in retreat now.
60
My Country: a land of droughts and flooding rains …….
60
It was as the rivers dried up in the drought that the fish died. Now in the floods they breed up again.
It was ever so, except that now with the dams the rivers don’t dry up so often.
10
Similar events from:
1916 Grafton and Richmond.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/194817653
1929 Darling
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/46567558
1951 Darling
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/265237025
Is it worse this time around due to wind turbines, solar panels and environmental flows?
30
For your information;
In a referendum held on 27 May 1967, Australians voted to remove references in the Australian Constitution discriminating against First Australians.
The changes to the Constitution included the repeal of 2 sections, Section 51 (xxvi) and Section 127. This enabled the Australian Parliament to:
make special laws for First Australians
include First Australians in the national census.
50
Aborigines were not the only people with no right to vote in 1901. Half the population could not vote.
“The Commonwealth Franchise Act 1902 gave all women (with the exception of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in some states) the right to vote and stand for parliament.”
This was an act of parliament, not a change in the constitution. So was Mabo which was about Torres Strait Islanders, not aborigines but parliament extended the judgement to aborigines, which was puzzling as there was no such conclusion that aborigines had settled and farmed the land for generations. This was the start of the huge Sorry industry which has been endlessly rorted without obvious benefit to the rural communities. Remember ATSIC?
So I am suspicious of the need to change the very power structure of government from democratic, one man one vote. There is enough proportional representation of aborigines by members of the democratic parliament already for 3% of the population. Plus the hundreds of land councils. Changing the constitution is about taking rights away from the 97% and giving them to tiny minority. That is anti democratic. And another rort in the making.
The new and legally dangerous claim of National Sovereignty as pushed by former Green Senator Linda Thorpe and friends is an absurd concept for scattered stone age family groups but that it the clear objective. No aborigine had a clue where they lived or that Australia was mostly an island in the South Pacific or that the world was round.
The settling of the continent and the subsequent creation of Australia in 1901 was not a military invasion but a peaceful mass migration over more than a hundred years, a process which continues today. In history there is no legal basis to the idea that the first to arrive owned the entire place. Especially if they did absolutely nothing, built nothing in 50,000 years. Now they want to charge rent.
130
“The new and legally dangerous claim of National Sovereignty”
This is simply the age-old policy of tyrants everywhere – Divide and Rule .
Just wait until an aboriginal dialect becomes the official language of Australia . Then the division can really ramp up.
80
Even more ridiculous, as explained in the Sydney Daily Telegraph recently in an article written by one of the activists, treaties and sovereignty recognised for each of the “300-plus countries of First Nations here”.
30
“Just wait until an aboriginal dialect becomes the official language of Australia”
There’s always Pidgin, just ask Niu Gini with its six hundred dialects.
Mike laikim dispella tok. Toomas!
60
The key to the voice objectives is “Treaty”, and other demands by Aboriginal activists spanning back to the 1960s activist via universities and US-style politics why Negro activists there, during that time activists here conducted similar protests including a freedom bus ride to promote their political agenda. Many of the present day activists are very well educated graduates from the 1960s and 1970s.
The Native Title period is another example and then the Treaty and related demands were again promoted, including that Australians who are not of indigenous ancestry effectively would be second-class citizens, guests in this country, permanent residency in return for paying compensation including renting out own land, public lands subject to rentals fees and much more. Senator Lidia Thorpe alluded to much of this recently following that she “resigned” from the Greens. Voice is also based on United Nations Indigenous Peoples, example North American “First Nations”.
Voice is racist and divisive.
80
No, NZ is the best example of where the UN is leading us. They Maoris are a decade or two down that path already, they ‘own’ the beaches, the rivers, the lakes, the National Parks, much Govt land and have managed to get their hands on some private farms as well. The latest is taking over all Council water assets and the Health system.
NZ will have the Maori elite that has already got its nose buried in the trough to the tune of billions, and ‘the rest’ of the Maoris, who will not need to work because everything anyone else touches will have a rent attached to it.
If Australia can’t stop the madness now, the Aborigines will be given control of everything and you will be slaves. I can’t see why people worry about China with this happening in their own country!
110
Winston Peters MP and NZ Maori was interviewed on Sky News Australia and warned us not to go down that path.
80
Why should a Left-wing Australian government invest in war technology instead of telling the communist Chinese: We’re shutting you down economically unless you back down from ever mentioning the name ‘Taiwan’. Yes, we will suffer a bit, like losing some money, but it will be cheaper than buying nuke subs, and waging a bloody war, by far.
Apple, by the way, has moved to India for their new gizmos, and winding down their China operations. Way to go free world.
70
Because Australia does not have a monopoly on minerals and energy or food products?
50
I think that the question is rather : “Why would the current government of Australia NOT shoot the country in the foot , if not the head?”
40
Because China started directly and seriously threatening Australia, building allies and military bases through the Pacific and directly and exclusively punishing Australia for questioning the origin of the Wuhan Flu. We are reacting to serious direct threats from the President of China.
And a left wing Australian government is doing exactly what the previous progressive government did. Left wing governments are not automatically friends. Hitler was a socialist, head of the German National Socialist Workers Party which we, not he, called the NAZIs. He told everyone what he was going to do long before he did it.
90
“China started directly and seriously threatening Australia, building allies and military bases through the Pacific and directly and exclusively punishing Australia for questioning the origin of the Wuhan Flu. ”
I thought that the U.S had recently established a base in Australia.
Did I get that wrong?
Did China think that Australia was calling for an “inquiry” into the “China virus” perhaps?
As opposed to an inquiry into the Moderna/Fauci virus?
As if Australia had no idea where the virus came from in the first place?
Somewhat disingenuous , one might think.
China reacted predictably, sensing a kangaroo (sic) court perhaps.
22
The U.S. now stations troops and B52s in Darwin, at the top of Australia, closest to Asia. The next move is to rotate some nuclear subs through Garden Island, a naval base close to Perth in Western Australia. Fremantle, the port for Perth, was also a base for U.S. submarines during WW2. Both Garden Island and Fremantle are regularly visited by the U.S. navy, but not so often now after the Vietnam conflict finished.
50
United States Defence Force have been using Australian Defence Force bases in Australia for a very long time, since 1990 from memory and possibly earlier, I know that the NT Pine Gap Base has been a US operation for much longer time and has many operations including communications for US purposes in this Asia Pacific Region, intelligence gathering, monitoring communications for terrorism and other purposes and a lot more not for publication.
In more recent times there has been a build up that is increasing with examples being RAAF Tindal Base in the NT runways being extended to accept USAF stealth bombers, and new fuel storage and handling facilities, UAF Raptor F-22 stealth fighters rotating through Tindal regularly, and many other USAF movements. USN to Darwin and other Ports and Bases. Army personnel and assets. New or upgraded offshore bases at East Timor and Manus Island PNG for example.
Major military exercises conducted in Northern Australia, every two years I understand, and other allies participating, Germany recently sent jet fighters and air to air tanker refuellng aircraft to an Air Force exercise.
ADF are trained and equipped to operate as part of US Forces and have been for a very long time, RAN ships and submarines equipped with US technology.
AUKUS, if we are ever told all of the arrangements, strengthens the ties between the three allied nations.
70
As I understand the situation the Albanese Labor Government had little choice but to continue with AUKUS.
Please consider this brief outline: During the early 1990s Japan, United States and Australia signed a mutual support defence agreement, the Japanese PM travelled to Washington to sign and returned via Canberra where Labor PM Keating signed for Australia. The agreement includes the US and Aust accepting Japanese citizens for temporary asylum if it becomes necessary because of threats to Japan, no mention from where.
1997-2007 the Coalition Howard Government increased defence spending considerably and for 2006/07 budgeted to increase defence expenditure by a real 3 per cent increase every year for the following 10 years. This was abandoned by Rudd Labor after they formed government in November 2007, and they cut defence spending.
Clearly Australia and allies realised there was a potential threat up until Rudd Labor ignored it.
Fast forward ……. Prime Minister Morrison and President Trump revived the Quad defence arrangements between India, Japan, Australia and United States, later after a state dinner in Washington Morrison was taken to the Trump estate for private discussions over a couple of days, media speculation was of course negative towards both leaders.
I believe that AUKUS was conceived during those discussions and from then on negotiated, not so much defence between the three major allies but a long list of immediate and longer term future planning that extends beyond the present threats to peace. Like design and construction of a new generation nuclear submarine for our three navies, identical design with US technology as the present UK nuclear submarine carries and our Collins Class submarines do as well. But much more, a US Congressman recently described AUKUS as the beginning of a very long future of three friends cooperating closely forever.
So what else could Prime Minister Albanese and Cabinet do but continue the agreed future planning finalised and announced publicly in the UK at the time of the Glasgow Climate Conference?
50
‘We are reacting to serious direct threats from the President of China.’
We are threatening him.
‘The former Australian prime minister Paul Keating has accused two of the country’s biggest newspapers of “the most egregious and provocative news presentation” in five decades, after they published front-page stories warning the country faced war with China within three years.’ (Guardian)
20
Have you ever heard of Bouvet Island?
From Wikipedia:
Bouvet Island (/ˈbuːveɪ/ boo-VAY; Norwegian: Bouvetøya [bʉˈvèːœʏɑ]) is an island and dependency of Norway, and declared an uninhabited protected nature reserve. It is a subantarctic volcanic island, situated in the South Atlantic Ocean at the southern end of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, making it the world’s most remote island. It is not part of the southern region covered by the Antarctic Treaty System.
50
there are larger even more remote places…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerguelen_Islands
20
Lake Argyle is at 120% capacity and spilling 390,000 litres of water a second , which is about what Perth uses each day .
70
Canals or pipeline?
And next dam the rivers across the top end from WA to QLD and create new irrigation farmland extending the Ord River Irrigation Area existing, identified by the CSIRO, promoted by the Abbott Coalition Government 2013-2015, and also harvest wet season rainfall for the lower parts of Australia.
50
When in Phoenix, noted the large canal bringing water across the desert from a branch of the Colorado River, a long way from Phoenix. Seems to be working for them.
50
One interesting development that did not reach many media outlets was the NSW Coalition Government announcements about cooperation with Israel on desert country irrigation and the second the conversion of worked out open cut mining pits for potable water storage and to be used for recreational water based purposes.
60
Dams went out of fashion in Australia when Flim Flammery told the Government it was never going to rain again…and there hasn’t been a new significant dam built since.
70
Yes Dennis we need a visionary government though , when you think about how much water could have been stored in the Fitzroy river gorge area if a dam was built your looking at a heck of a lot of water . There are issues with water transfer to the east but they have done it elsewhere .
40
Together the Abbott Federal Coalition Government and the Newman QLD LNP Government did manage to overturn QLD legislation “Wild Rivers” that locked up all of the QLD Northern Rivers.
Yes, the Fitzroy River recent example is a good one.
50
390,000 litres of water a second ,”
When I was a boy it was cusecs So, let’s divide by 28.4, that makes 13.732 cusecs. Seems low.
10
Apparently coffee is “racist” now.
Well, what isn’t something the Left allege to be supposedly racist.
They have made racism an almost meaningless term.
https://afru.com/coffee-industry-racism-white-supremacy/
60
You reminded me of years ago when racial discrimination was a political hot potato in New Zealand, then Prime Minister Muldoon boarded a flight from Wellington to Auckland and after take off was asked if he would like a coffee or tea.
He asked for tea and the flight attendant replied “black or white”, an “Piggy” Muldoon responded “brown please”.
70
I hear that a local University faculty has been tasked with the development of a new “Wite” species of coffee.
50
The same thing happened with chocolate when the Cadbury family, Quakers like all the chocolate makers, bought a newspaper and started expressing political opinions. So they were cancelled as slavers.
This was the absurd notion that providing employment in other countries must be done on the same wages or it is effectively slavery.
How then does any country get on its feet if all they have to offer is cheap labour? Plus the argument was that Cadbury bought beans from a company in Africa which used ‘near’ slavery conditions, thereby endorsing slavery. Which was a great slander but effective.
These were days when slavery was slowly vanishing from Africa as a way of life across the continent. However no slander is too great if an industrialist owns a rival newspaper and dares to question the politicians of the day.
The reality which is never mentioned is that while Christianity gave the moral grounds for the abolition of slavery, it was totally coincident the industrial revolution which made that possible!
So while the extreme left condemns capitalism and fossil fuels/CO2, these were the two factors which ended slavery, not leftist ideology.
40
See Noha’s son Ham, “the curse of Ham”
Although one might question whether or not these ancients were Christian.
10
Australia should have been drought-proofed decades ago but due to the regressive policies of the Green/Lib/Lab Uniparty and the billions of dollars literally thrown to the wind on unreliables, it will never happen.
In fact, think nothing good will ever again happen in Australia, a country more fanatically committed to self-destruction than most, with the key to that destruction, the destruction of the energy supply.
110
Trigger warning – this might actually be a positive story!? Back in 2016 a Bollywood movie star started something called the Paani Foundation Cup; a competition between villages in the Indian state of Maharashtra to see who could build the best water conservation projects. They set up training seminars, and over a number of years thousands of villages competed, seemingly many achieving water sustainability. Then covid struck, and things went quiet for a couple of years, but it has been revived as the Farmers Cup, with trainings in improving farming methods and village co ops. It looks like the combination of co operation and competition might be working in this situation?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDMnbeW3F8A&t=85s
30
Sounds good. People get inspired when they prove that they can provide for themselves.
00
Nothing can improve while people on the land are dismissed as agri-socialists.
10
Maybe the best thing to happen will be China does take it over & builds coal-fired power stations, dams, pipelines, mines, roads, railway lines and all the things a developing nations needs! We don’t seem to be doing too well with America running it..
10
Paranoid ponderings: The chem trails are back in the sky over this region. They don’t behave like regular clouds. They spread out out like a smokey haze to eventually form a wide vail over the sky. It will be interesting to see what the weather brings.
11
I’ll have to disagree with you on this one St.John.
So-called “chemtrails” are no more than aircraft contrails.
Why would the government choose such an inefficient method to harm us when they are already severely harming us in so many other far more efficient ways?
40
In a Chiefio comments a while back there was something (IIRC) about a new finding about ice crystals in this. Maybe I can get a prompting.
00
Pilot son is pretty dismissive re. ‘chemtrails’. They are ‘contrails’ (condensation trails, i.e. water).
40
As Albo sat in the Russian built India Air Force jet fighter apparently he asked if it was one of the high seed jets that creates rain.
sarc.
10
Thank heavens he had his breathing apparatus on so we couldn’t get everything he said.
10
Relax, it’s probably just nature.
10
Earth Cycles, do they come with batteries yet?
10
FWIW – Ukraine
“SITREP 3/19/23: AND Weekend Mailbag Answers Extravaganza”
https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/sitrep-31923-and-weekend-mailbag
And a map
“Western Propagandists Have Trouble Reading the Tactical Situation in Bakhmut”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/03/western-propagandists-have-trouble-reading-the-tactical-situation-in-bakhmut/
20
There is something wrong with General Milley, the Deep State Trump hater, the one who called President Xi directly to tell him that Donald Trump was not able to launch missiles. He should have been tried for treason. And so far everything he says about the war is demonstrably wrong. How is that possible?
60
Ah- yes, so typical.. Scream about Putin being a war criminal, but make sure Americans can never face the same.
“John Bolton also threatened to sanction the Hague for the same. In fact, the US literally passed the American Service Member Protection Act, which—I kid you not—gives the US the legal right to ‘invade the Hague’ should they prosecute American soldiers.
This authorization led to the act being colloquially nicknamed “The Hague Invasion Act”, as the act allows the President to order U.S. military action, such as an invasion of The Hague, where the ICC is located, to protect American officials and military personnel from prosecution or rescue them from custody.[2][3]”
..and as for the Hague Court itself..
“Kim DotCom claims that Karim Khan, the ICC prosecutor, helped get his convicted pedophile brother out (of jail) 9 months early. The same Karim Khan who just issued an arrest warrant to Putin for the crime of ‘deporting/trafficking Ukrainian children’. “
20
FWIW… Its worth a lot Ian, a very informative article for anyone who wants an alternative view of the Ukraine war rather than the Anglo’s propaganda. Right down to the possible secret weapons lined up to be used in the comments section.
It looks like it all depends on the next month, either the Ukrainians have a successful spring offensive and push the Russians back to a point where there is a ceasefire, or they lose and NATO put troops in to take on Russia directly. Then we might see Russia’s nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed cruise missiles that can fly right around the world a couple of times before hitting their target..
10
FWIW
“This Just In – Western Nation Central Banks Organize to Provide Daily Liquidity of Dollars in The Event of Contagion Bank Collapse
March 19, 2023 | Sundance | 21 Comments”
“This is rather remarkable and tells us something about the current status of the “western” financial system. The last sentence in today’s announcement from the FED is particularly laughable. Check this out [Source]:”
More at
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2023/03/19/this-just-in-western-nation-central-banks-organize-to-provide-daily-liquidity-of-dollars-in-the-event-of-contagion-bank-collapse/
40
This is a few days old. Maybe mentioned before? NZers questioning the worst cyclone ever.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Luzf-4mFZMA&t=171s
10
Yet another doom and gloom report from the UN. Reported in today’s Oz. Who is Dr Bradshaw?
10
That would be the Climate Council’s Director of Research Dr Simon Bradshaw echoing the IPCC most recent final warning to humanity to sacrifice itself lest it be sacrificed.
20
Kevin McCarthy, Speaker US House of Reps, Tweeted:
Here we go again — an outrageous abuse of power by a radical DA who lets violent criminals walk as he pursues political vengeance against President Trump.
I’m directing relevant committees to immediately investigate if federal funds are being used to subvert our democracy by interfering in elections with politically motivated prosecutions.
80
The swamp have two enemies, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. And one friend, President Xi. They have been bought, from the Bidens to McConnell to the Clintons. The US under Nixon and Kissinger was meant to bring China into the fold. China maintains a very different view of the arrangement.
40
Td there is no need to assert evil malice when incompetence will do!
Is today’s America just the outcome of the beast it has always been, now past its ascendancy? Capitalism’s final outcome from controlling Govt gives a few exceeding rich individuals and a generally poor peasantry. Sufficient wealth within the whole society means no-one strives and they spend their time in leisure pursuits like 57 types of sexuality. Politicians seizing the power to print money from thin air instead of a gold standard means helicopter money destroys the savings of the masses, and a currency that is declared necessary for the world’s trading gives a free ride to America plus the ability to spend on the world’s largest military budget.
You don’t need China for this, it just evolves naturally with the people we put in power.
10