Friday

10 out of 10 based on 16 ratings

161 comments to Friday

  • #
    TdeF

    Well, I’m in trouble with Pope Francis. I may not be welcome at Mass. Along with a growing list of 166 Australians from the 1600 total, now including John Clauser, last year’s Nobel Prize winner in Physics.

    The pope has also expressed his opinion that any skepticism regarding an alleged “climate emergency” is “perverse.”

    Among the skeptics of the climate crisis decried by Francis are over 1,600 prominent scientists, including two Nobel Prize winners, who issued the “World Climate Declaration” last August, refuting the existence of a so-called “climate emergency.”

    “There is no statistical evidence that global warming is intensifying hurricanes, floods, droughts and suchlike natural disasters, or making them more frequent,” the document declared. “However, there is ample evidence that CO2-mitigation measures are as damaging as they are costly.”

    “There is no climate emergency,” it concluded. “Therefore, there is no cause for panic and alarm.”

    I would add that only 3% of CO2 is fossil fuel and in rapid transit into the ocean, but as Australian engineer and a leader of the declaration Viv Forbes said, not one person in a thousand would understand the use of Radio(active) Carbon Dating to prove this.

    As 98% of CO2 is in the vast oceans, slight warming causes additional CO2 in the air, which is great news as explained by Prof Will Happer and his CO2 coalition, including Dr. Clauser. Additional CO2 in the air does not cause warming. Evidence is the increase of CO2 in the ocean surface which by Henry’s law increases CO2 in the air. No oceans are acid or ever could be acid.

    This is the point of science, to discover, understand and explain and communicate the truth, as Jo does here every day of the year. Jo lives entirely on your donations. Please help keep her going with your generous donations.

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    • #
      David Maddison

      Francis has become an idol of the Left due to his extreme Left / communist views.

      He even once blessed / worshipped an idol of the Incan pagan earth goddess Pachamama (see ref.), equivalent to Greco Roman Gaia / Terra, so beloved by many Leftists in their worship of the earth / nature.

      It’s all part of the Left’s “long march through the institutions”.

      Ref: https://projects.iq.harvard.edu/francisclooney/blog/pope-amazon-and-pachamama

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      • #
        Simon Thompson M.B. B.S.

        They lost me at the zombie cannibalism rituals…. I always got the wafer with the pubes!

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    • #
      Steve of Cornubia

      It truly is a defining characteristic of lefties that they simply cannot EVER put their politics away, no matter what they’re doing, whether they’re at a dinner party, in the workplace, on holiday, running a charity, managing the armed forces, making kids’ movies or heading the Catholic faith.

      I suppose this relentless focus is admirable in a way and explains why they seem to be winning the culture wars. In the meantime though, hitherto highly respected positions and institutions are, one by one, being hijacked and turned into leftist weapons.

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      • #
        Ian

        “I suppose this relentless focus is admirable in a way and explains why they seem to be winning the culture wars.”

        Possibly partly but primarily because the Right have no culture worth a mention.

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        • #

          The Right have a culture of free speech, justice, laws and democracy. They freed the slaves.
          The Left used to have a culture of compassion and free speech, but have become the culture of “Victimhood” which disguises the parasitic corruption that they have become.

          The Right keeps civilization running and the Left freeloads on it without grace, gratitude or honesty.

          The Left “win” the culture wars by bullying, namecalling, and using righteous indignation to silence the good well mannered people on the Right. Now that good people are waking up, the Left has to resort to cancel culture, silencing, and increasingly — jail to stop people saying the obvious.

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          • #
            Ian

            “The Right keeps civilization running and the Left freeloads on it without grace, gratitude or honesty.”

            And how, precisely, does the right keep civilisation running? By banning abortions as has just occurred in the US primarily in Republican states while the Left President Biden has made it plain he will do everything in his power to fight back and protect reproductive health?

            By employers, who are primarily Right wing, still pay women 7% less than men for the same job?

            By right wing conservative groups that ban LGBTQ members?

            Far from keeping civilisation running “The Rght” is intent on reversing the changes made to civilisation by Left wing groups that have benefitted women and those who are less less fortunate.

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            • #

              Dear Ian, unwittingly you serve up the limited worldview of the Left. The existence of our civilization depends on energy, minerals, food, water, and stuff made in the regions and designed by engineers.

              That you reach for “social constructs” says it all. Though in the long run, civilization depends on babies, and I do believe women should have the right to choose (and pay for their choices themselves). And anti-abortion people should also be allowed to give them roses and polite information to help them decide. In the end, if there are genes for being selfish freeloaders, I presume those genes will be reduced, outcompeted by genes that like babies, and have a sense of duty.

              Employers are not “Right wing”. You are serving up a social order of 40 years ago. The largest corporate employers donate far more to the Left where they can rig the regulations to keep out the small competitors. Think facebook…

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        • #
          Skepticynic

          the Right have no culture worth a mention.

          Peoples and nations have cultures regardless of their awareness of it or their ignorance, and regardless of their position on the Left/Right axis.

          The difference is, the Left generally want to smash cultures in favour of their devotion to The State and their dogma, while the Right generally want to conserve and honour their culture.

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    • #
      Annie

      Yes, Jo needs your support with donations. We did a couple or so days ago. Thanks Jo for everything you do, much appreciated.

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  • #
    David Maddison

    No one I know believes the official inflation rate of 3.6% in Australia. Everyone I know who actually buys real groceries in a supermarket or anything else agrees it’s around 25% to 30%.

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    • #
      TdeF

      And I am thrilled to see the success President Milei of Argentina has had in combating runaway inflation. The sole cause of inflation is a government printing money. His first move was to fire the entire public service. And this week for the first time in 30 years, food prices did not go up.

      Australia could offload the doubling in public servants under Daniel Andrews and the Wuhan Flu, especially as there is a real crisis in the availability of trained professionals such as nurses. And Unions such as the CFMEU run riot under Labor.

      But the impact of hidden and illegal Climate Certificates and Carbon Taxes for which there is no electoral mandate is killing all businesses and funneling money overseas. We are being robbed by the UN and friends. Australians voted NO to all climate taxes. But the mandarins of Canberra have created endless taxes, laws and new departments. All with their own CEOs and boards and staff to oversee Clean Energy, the total destruction of electrical power, manufacturing and agriculture.

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      • #
        TdeF

        And it is not just the Labor party playing false. It was John Howard in 1998 who banned nuclear power. And in 2000 legislated compulsory Green Certificates in your electricity bills. Denis Napthine in Victoria who banned the $200Million Exxon gas hunt in Victoria with the real potential of discovery of major gas fields in Gippsland. All the apparatus of Climate taxes have been embedded in laws by both parties, even though we were promised “there will be no carbon tax in a government I lead” when all governments have supported fake Clean Energy and promoted UN and WEF policies.

        We need politicians to remove all the carbon taxes. They are strangling Australia. 98% of all Australian CO2 is from overseas. Why are we taxing ourselves to death?

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        • #
          CO2 Lover

          John Howard in 1998 who banned nuclear power.

          This was because Australia was and still is a major coal exporter and it seems that coal would continue to provide electricity well into the future.

          The ban was to get a deal done with the Greens at the time

          In 1998 and the John Howard-led Coalition government agreed to a Greens amendment to the National Radiation and Nuclear Safety Act (1998) to gain Senate support for a new research reactor at Lucas Heights. That amendment prohibited development of other nuclear facilities.

          Nuclear power is prohibited in Australia, principally by two pieces of Federal legislation – the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act); and the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Act 1998 (ARPANS Act). These laws effectively prevent the construction or operation of nuclear facilities for power generation, as well as facilities for the fabrication of nuclear fuel, uranium enrichment and the reprocessing of nuclear waste. Individual states have also from time to time introduced legislation preventing nuclear developments.

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          • #
            TdeF

            Yes, understood. There is always a wedge. In Victoria they were worried about farmers in Gippsland being hostile for more gas. The problem is that expediency has consequences, not unforseen. And when the Liberals were in power, they reversed nothing.

            The Brumby Government’s decision to stop the export of $400Million in brown coal to India for example. People around the world would be happy to buy Victoria’s coal, but we are not allowed use it or sell it. Or pick up sticks in the forest. Or cut trees. Daniel Andrews bought a sawmill with public money and then shut it down.

            These insane and perhaps illegal actions all have consequences. They amount to public robbery. And we are all paying the wages of the workers at Portland to pretend it is economic to make aluminum. The bipartisan rot runs deep. No one stands up to the Greens.

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            • #
              KP

              Ah, the complete failure of democracy, so obvious to see-

              “And when the Liberals were in power, they reversed nothing.”

              “And we are all paying the wages of the workers at Portland to pretend it is economic to make aluminum.”

              “The ban was to get a deal done with the Greens at the time”

              “And it is not just the Labor party playing false.”

              Politics and power attract the most disgusting of us all, immoral, grasping, and criminal without a thought, yet people still tell me democracy is the best way of running a country. Its politicians and bureaucrats against us, not one party against another. Its the unproductive parasites working to steal even more from those of us who generate the wealth to start with, masking their actions by trying to divide us into “rich buggers” and “Poor hard-working Aussie battlers”. The latest is “Boomers” against “Millenials”,carefully crafted propaganda that is sent through women’s pages and ‘weekend reads’ in the mainstream media.

              It gets like man-made global warming, obviously not happening yet you can’t shake some people’s belief in it. Give me an honest dictator any day!

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    • #
      CO2 Lover

      Here is the increase in rentals in the People’s Socialist Republic of Victoriastan

      Annual increase to March quarter 14.6% vs long term average of 3.7%

      This is a big deal if half your income goes into paying your rent.

      Rental Report statistics – March quarter 2024
      According to the March quarter 2024 Rental Report, median rents increased over the quarter, both in metropolitan Melbourne (by $30, to $560 per week) and in regional Victoria (by $15, to $445 per week).

      The Melbourne Rent Index (MRI) increased by 4.6 per cent over the March quarter, and by 14.6 per cent over the past year. The annual increase is the same as that in the March quarter 2023 and well above the long-term average annual increase over the last 10 years (3.7%). It continues a trend of higher-than-average annual increases since the March quarter of 2022.

      https://www.dffh.vic.gov.au/publications/rental-report

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      • #
        OldOzzie

        State land tax hikes ‘a threat to jobs’

        Land tax bills for some businesses have increased more than tenfold over the past five years, as the Victorian government scrambles to rein in its rising debt.

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      • #
        OldOzzie

        Meanwhile continuing to throw Australian Taxpayers Money Away with Gay Abandon

        Albanese Labor government announces almost half a billion in funding for elite athletes ahead of 2024 Paris Olympics

        The Albanese government has announced almost $500 million in funding over two years for elite athletes ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

        From the Comments

        – So we borrowed half a billion dollars which we will be paying compound interest on so we can hold a press conference to pat ourselves on the back. Yep sounds about right in the meantime I can’t remember the last time my car had a full tank of petrol.

        – could have been funded by the Voice $$

        – Wow, this mob is right on the big ticket issues of life.
        Never mind nursing cut backs, homelessness and interest rate hike.
        Oh well, if I lose the house at least I can watch the Olympics, well until the wind drops or the CCP-made roof panels stop working.

        – Do something for the elite, stuff the rest typical Albo

        – Oh Magoo, You’ve done it again.
        Wouldn’t that $500 million be better spent on providing shelter and accommodation for the homeless ? You really are a wasteful goose Magoo

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    • #
      Honk R Smith

      Your inflation rate is 3.6 %.

      There was a Global Pandemic of zoonotic origin for which a safe and effective vaccine was produced that no one was forced to take.

      This is the hottest year EVER.

      Because ’Science’ can determine the GAST a thousand years ago to an accuracy of 1 degree with ‘Science’.

      The same way we know the oceans are boiling.

      Catastrophic boiling SLR is threatening the Maldives at this very moment.

      Joe Biden won fair and square.

      January 6th was an Insurrection.

      The Universe started as an infinitely tiny dot, not to be confused with nothing, after which stuff started crashing into other stuff, and after 14 billion years randomly out popped a Lamborghini Countach.

      And …
      Renewable Energy is cheap and we’ll achieve Net Zero before John Kerry and Joe Biden retire.

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    • #
      John Hultquist

      Inflation Rate (IR): The rate of change of prices (as indicated by a price index) calculated on a monthly or annual basis. USA numbers below:
      IR2021 ~ 7% {prices would double in 10 years}
      IR2022 ~ 6.5%
      IR2023 ~ 3.4%
      IR2024* ~ 3.3% {prices will double in 21.8 years}
      So, while “rate of change” has come down, Prices are up about 20% for an average basket of goods since December of 2020 – meaning some things might have gone up by 40%, others not so much.

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      • #
        David Maddison

        For true US price inflation, this was just posted on Twitter.

        A person pressed the “re-order” button for their shopping list from two years ago to get the current price for the same list.

        Short video in Tweet.

        With Twitter under the former Leftist regime, this Tweet probably would have been censored so close to the election.

        https://x.com/charliekirk11/status/1806364370349531325

        A man reorders his identical Walmart shopping list from 2022 for 45 items.

        2022: $126
        2024: $414

        The same basket of goods nearly quadrupled in price in just two years!!

        We need more people to run this same exercise and share your videos.

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        • #
          RickWill

          To answer his question. All that cheap VRE making stuff cheaper. In the USA it is driven by the inflation reduction act. In Australia it is driven by Labor governments.

          The cost of consumer goods, including food, simply reflects the energy that went into its production. When energy prices go up, the food prices go up. I have noticed big price rises in what I regard as optional such as potato chips, ice cream and chocolate, which all have a high energy component. Ice cream has ongoing energy costs so if it is not being turned over, its real cost is increasing.

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        • #
          DD

          A particular grocery item I buy weekly went from $9 to $10 overnight. The supermarket cunningly put it ‘on special’ at $8 during the week in which the price was hiked. Oh, and did I mention that they are out of stock at the moment. Next week the price reverts to $10. I’m sure they’ll have stock in by then!
          Also, small tins of pet food that were $1.60 a couple of years ago are now $2.20.

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    • #
      OldOzzie

      David,

      Building Insurance paid 16 June 2024 – 28.1% Increase – OK slight decrease on Last years 34.8% Increase

      Gas from 30 June 2024 Red Energy

      Service to property 69.990c per day to 78.000c per day = 11.114% Increase excl GST
      Step 1 3.280c/Mj to 3.608c/Mj = 10% increase
      Step 2 2.780c/MJ to 3.058c/Mj = 10% increase
      Step 3 2.555c/Mj to 2.810c/Mj = 10% increase
      Step 4 2.480c/Mj to 2.728c/Mj = 10% increase
      Step 5 2.200c/Mj to 2.420c/Mj = 10% Increase

      Momentum Energy Electricty Increases 1 July 2024 – Note I am on TOD and they are dropping Shoulder & Off Peak Bands to one Off Peak band with large increases

      Your current rates and charges GST Inclusive

      Daily Supply Charge ($ per day) 1.6357
      Peak usage ($ per kWh)0.4367
      Shoulder usage ($ per kWh)0.1958
      Off Peak usage ($ per kWh)0.1782

      Tariff timings:

      Peak Usage : 2pm-8pm Mon-Fri. Shoulder Usage : 7am-2pm and 8pm-10pm Mon-Fri and 7am-10pm Weekends. Off Peak Usage : all other times.

      Your new rates and charges effective 1 July 2024

      GST Inclusive

      Daily Supply Charge ($ per day) 1.4399
      Peak usage ($ per kWh) 0.495
      Off Peak usage ($ per kWh) 0.2673

      Tariff timings:

      Peak Usage: 3pm-9pm, Mon-Sun (1 November to 31 March and 1 June to 31 August). Off Peak Usage: all other times.

      So Daily Supply Charge = 13% Drop – over 3 months Billing Cycle say 93 days = saving $18.21

      But in a Household of 7 people with 2 Kitchens, Pool Spa, – Power consumtion is high, so saving $18,21 over 3 months is irrelevant to rest of Electricty Bill

      Peak usage ($ per kWh)0.4367 to Peak usage ($ per kWh) 0.495 = 11.6% Increase
      Shoulder usage ($ per kWh)0.1958 to Off Peak usage ($ per kWh) 0.2673 = 35.6% Increase
      Off Peak usage ($ per kWh)0.1782 to Off Peak usage ($ per kWh) 0.2673 = 50% Increase

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      • #
        OldOzzie

        Forgot NSW Labor Government State Land Tax – 13.4% Increase – to Tenants 6.4% Increase, as one has to be realistic about peoples ability to pay.

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      • #
        Richard C (NZ)

        Old Ozzy >Daily Supply Charge ($ per day) 1.4399

        Ouch!

        I thought we were hard done by in NZ; supply charge now NZ$1.20 per day.

        I feel much better now.

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    • #
      Robert Swan

      No one I know believes the official inflation rate…

      Nobody should believe inflation figures. They’ve been government spin for decades.

      I think it was during the Howard years (but maybe earlier) that they removed two things from the inflation “basket of goods” because they were distorting the figures: home mortgage and petrol. What a joke. The joke got properly funny a few years later when a storm took out most of the banana crop. Didn’t worry most people too much, but the politicians were all wailing and gnashing about the effect on inflation. That’s right, they’d taken mortgage and fuel out of the basket, and substituted bananas. To them we’re little more than monkeys, and they’re the organ grinders.

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      • #
        KP

        “they removed two things from the inflation “basket of goods” because they were distorting the figures: ”

        Oldest (and most expected) trick in the book, all Govts do it. The things that really affect the public are not included or quietly removed year by year and rubbish is put back in. Same for John H above I am sure-

        “Prices are up about 20% for an average basket of goods since December of 2020”

        In my life time manufactured goods have come down in price as technology improved, but all Govt services have relentlessly climbed up, every year, with no more service to show for the money. Inflation should be based on how much Govt takes in taxes, borrows and prints, and I’m afraid taking some off because cars now have ‘Lane-change-assist’ does not count as anti-inflationary. Other reasons for explaining how much more we received for our inflation cost were just as imbecilic.

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    • #
      John Connor II

      MAGA – Make Australian Groceries Affordable

      Oh look – another (endless) duopoly half price sale, as the suppliers go bust due to razor thin margins.
      Maybe when the abo’s take the whole country back they’ll become farmers and MAGA as above.

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    • #
      MeAgain

      ABS only started to measure inflation quarterly in the past few years.

      For the past few decades Australia has been contributing to World Bank Statistical Development programmes that support developing nations to produce monthly inflation figures for use by decision makers.

      What do you reckon – are Australia’s decision makers up to dealing with the increased frequency? Bad times ahead I reckon

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  • #
    David Maddison

    For overseas readers Fort Denison is an historic colonial fortification structure in Sydney Harbour, Australia.

    Tides have been recorded there since 1857 but I think the Official Narrative only allows those recorded since 1914. See http://www.bom.gov.au/ntc/IDO70000/IDO70000_60370_SLD.shtml

    Fake “fact checkers” (sic) / propagandists get wildly triggered at any mention of Fort Denison tidal data, just do a Goolag search of “fort Denison fact check” without quotes and see the number of fake “fact checks”.

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    • #
      TdeF

      Snopes.

      “Carly Shabot with California Sea Grant told Snopes that one “cannot compare photos without more information as they may have been taken at different tides or times.”

      Well, yes. They were taken 100 years apart.

      She should check her generalization. Sydney Harbour is not the Thames which has a tidal range of 7 metres. The Australian coast has a tidal range of about 2 metres. And Sydney Habour has half that extreme, which is why it is a Harbour. This is a large and very deep sheltered body of water with a narrow opening. And the sea levels at Fort Denison is clearly not significantly changed in 100 years, which is the only point.

      You get the impression that the point of fact checkers is to declare unwelcome things false. I declare fact checkers false.

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      • #
        TdeF

        I was fact checked by RMIT/ABC in a telephone call to debunk my science statements. It was very funny. Ultimately the student was happy to learn the truth. You don’t get much truth in public science anymore. It’s all twisted around to support political objectives. As it was in the time of Galileo. The ABC has now dumped RMIT as fact checkers. That’s the problem with student fact checkers, they are happy to learn.

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      • #
        David of Cooyal in Oz

        Perhaps the ABC is waking up?

        https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-28/fact-check-final-wrap-11-years/104033004

        Or am I being too optimistic?

        Cheers,
        Dave B

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        • #
          Graeme#4

          The ABC should have closed the Fact Check section after the debacle of the false claims about certain countries being 100% renewables.
          I still see folks claiming that Tasmania is 100% renewable, but in fact it’s a net energy importer.

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    • #
      Sambar

      Similar situation with the Port Arthur Isle of the Dead tide marker, still there, still visible after all these years of SLR.

      P.S. Good to see that nobody sleeps, used to think it was just me.

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      • #
        Graeme#4

        There was an attempt by the universities of Southampton and Tasmania in 2002 to disprove this mark. These claims were refuted by an excellent article by John Daly in 2003, who went into great detail as to why the tide mark was still accurate. See “Tasmanian Sea Levels: The ‘Isle of the Dead’ revisited”, 2 February 2003.

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    • #
      Hanrahan

      No photographic evidence such as Fort Denison or Port Arthur, but 70 years ago I lived in a low lying part of town. King tides would flood some roads and come up the concrete gutter in front of the house. Our back yard would get wet so Dad put a couple of inches of fill on it.

      The king tides still cover the same bits of road and our old house is still liveable, I assume with a dry back yard. Trees and lawns are not being killed by salt inundation.

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    • #
      Graeme#4

      The tide gauge at Fremantle WA has been operating since 1896, 128 years. It has been moved about 100 metres from its original position to the end of the wharf near the WA Maritime Museum, and its results are available online. Over that time, the average annual SLR has been 1.7mm/year.

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    • #
      OldOzzie

      SYDNEY, FORT DENISON – https://psmsl.org/data/obtaining/stations/65.php

      About Us

      Established in 1933, the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL) has been responsible for the collection, publication, analysis and interpretation of sea level data from the global network of tide gauges. It is based in Liverpool at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC).

      PSMSL Overview:

      Learn much more about PSMSL, including an overview of the data sets and reporting structures, as well as others other activities of the service

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    • #
      RickWill

      This is the April 2024 report from SeaFrame:
      http://www.bom.gov.au/ntc/IDO60201/IDO60201.202404.pdf

      In this data set from around Australia Lorne has the lowest annual increase of 2.4mm/year. Thursday Island is the highest at 13.8mm/year. The levels are relative to the ground, not absolute. They show that ss Australia moves northward, it is making a slow dive.

      Figure 13 on page 24 is interesting because it shows the difficulty of pulling trends out of data with large seasonal swings. That means trends are still being influenced by the starting point in the seasonal cycle.

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  • #
    David Maddison

    With the open borders of Europe, Canada and Biden’s America, and to a certain extent Australia, one wonders what the limits are. Will it not stop until the entire Third World has relocated from their countries of origin to advanced countries? Nothing to do with supposed “racism” or being “far right”, the standard Leftist ad hominems directed toward anyone who asks such questions. It’s a practical matter of having the ability to physically and culturally absorb such people and the lack of infrastructure to support them, especially as many or most don’t wish to assimilate, work or accept Western values which are utterly alien to them. But of course, they’re all future voters for Leftist parties which is ultimately the whole purpose of this madness.

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    • #
      CO2 Lover

      Australians greatest enemy is not China or Russia – It is the Australian Labor Party and the Australian Greens.

      Do not vote for these traitors (unless we have another Turnbull or ScumMo as PM)

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    • #
      KP

      “especially as many or most don’t wish to assimilate, work or accept Western values which are utterly alien to them.”

      Ah, but the amusing thing is, they are the future soldiers for the wars with Russia and China.. All the Western countries are failing in their intake targets for their military, and I cannot see many of these immigrants signing up to die for a culture they don’t respect, don’t wish to be part of and don’t share the values of. The ‘tight’ societies, ones who have not allowed mass immigration, will have citizens who believe in them and are willing to fight for them. They won’t be Western…

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      • #
        Vladimir

        Bands of 11-17 year old ones born here are roaming Brighton streets at night, afraid of neither God nor human authority.
        They will not work (study) 9 to 5 for their own good and you think they would volunteer their lives to the service of the country they hate?

        Btw, at the moment the hunting time starts about 7 pm. You would not read it in the papers or see on their TV: a week ago Brighton Grammar teacher walked into new sports building and surprised a gang of marauders inside. Luckily as a good runner he was not seriously damaged.

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  • #
    CO2 Lover

    How Australian nearly got a Nuclear Power Reactor at Jervis Bay (which is Commonwealth Territory)

    In a 1969 election speech John Gorton declared: We shall, during the next Parliament, take Australia into the atomic age by beginning the construction of an atomic plant at Jervis Bay, to generate electricity. We believe that Australia will make increasing use of atomic power in the years ahead and that the time for this nation to enter the atomic age has now arrived

    By December 1969 expressions of interest were sought for the construction of the Jervis Bay nuclear power plant. Tender documents were issued the following February, with tenders closing in June. The operational start date was nominated as 31 December 1975. Fourteen tenders were received from seven “leading nuclear energy engineering” organisations from four countries (US, UK, Germany and Canada). The 1970-71 Budget set aside $2.4 million for work on the power stationi. (You can see more details on the proponents, ownership and operational arrangements via the Australian Atomic Energy Commission’sii 1969-70 annual report.)

    As a result of the government’s moves, in February 1970, the Illawarra Mercury proclaimed:

    “The power station will be the first of 20 atomic plants costing more than $2,000 million to be built in Australia by 1990.”

    https://www.energycouncil.com.au/analysis/nuclear-power-for-australia-a-potted-history/

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    • #
      CO2 Lover

      Corection: Jervis Bay is now owned by Australia’s “Third Nation Peoples” like 80% of the rest of Australia

      In 1915, the land now comprising the Jervis Bay Territory was surrendered to the Commonwealth Government by the state of New South Wales. It was proposed that it would become a seaport for the new federal capital under construction at Canberra, which would be Australia’s only inland capital.

      In 1995, Jervis Bay National Park and Botanic Gardens were handed back to the Wreck Bay Aboriginal community. In 1997, the community, who jointly manage the park with the Commonwealth Government, decided to rename it Booderee National Park and Botanic Gardens.

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    • #
      David Maddison

      I actually specifically went to Jervis Bay to look at the site of Australia’s nearly first nuclear power reactor to consider what once may have been.

      Of course, Australia had the HIFAR research reactor since 1958.

      The fake conservative Liberal Party has cancelled nuclear power in Australia twice, the second time when that pathetic weasel Howard outlawed it in legislation.

      In fact most of Australia’s worst anti-energy policies originate with the Liberals and are eagerly followed by Labor.

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    CO2 Lover

    I am sure our Energy Minister will be eager to give the incoming Labour Government in Pommieland advice on how to completely screw up your country.

    Never has a proposed Whitehall taskforce been so aptly named.

    Election 2024: Labour to create new office for net zero in government to push green transition

    In the famous BBC Sitcom “Yes Minister”, MP Jim Hacker and his adversary Permanent Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby ran the “Department of Administrative Affairs”, a fictional Whitehall ministry which had poorly defined responsibilities and achieved nothing significant during the entire series.

    But “Office for Net Zero” beats “Department of Administrative Affairs” in terms of implied uselessness. I mean, there’s a vague expectation the “Department of Administrative Affairs” might actually be expected to achieve something. But “Office for Net Zero” – can you imagine a “Net Zero” progress report?

    Labour leader Keir Starmer’s imminent administration was always destined to be a comedy special – radical green politicians using Karl Marx as their guide to fixing the economic failures of Britain’s energy market.

    https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/06/27/british-labour-considers-office-for-net-zero/

    Reform UK may not win this election – but you can bet they will win the next one.

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    CO2 Lover

    Never a dull moment in the People’s Socialist Republic of Victoriastan

    CFA strike: Volunteers refuse to fight wind, solar and transmission line fires
    The Weekly Times
    Peter Hunt
    18 June 2024

    At least 24 CFA brigades are taking strike action, refusing to fight fires on land hosting high-voltage transmission lines, solar or wind farms, over what they call the Victorian Government’s “reckless renewables expansion”.

    Most of the brigades are in communities that are being carved up by the 500kV Victoria-NSW Interconnector and subject to more wind and solar farm developments, as the Allan Government rushes to generate 95 per cent of the state’s electricity from renewable sources by 2035.

    The volunteer firefighters have written to Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes and CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan stating they would “restrict turn-out commitments to incidents at electricity generation and transmission infrastructure sites to ‘property perimeter defence’,” only entering the site if lives were at risk.

    The brigades’ letter calls for “an immediate halt” of all current and proposed high voltage transmission lines and renewable energy infrastructure projects, and demands the government give “genuine consideration of concerns and acknowledgment of the negative impacts to our people and communities.

    “Further action will be considered and taken as deemed necessary,” the letter stated.

    https://stopthesethings.com/2024/06/27/no-deal-country-firefighters-refuse-to-fight-wind-turbine-and-solar-panel-fires/

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    Richard C (NZ)

    How Toyota New Zealand is making its hydrogen dreams a reality

    https://www.drivencarguide.co.nz/news/how-toyota-new-zealand-is-making-its-hydrogen-dreams-a-reality/

    There’s virtually no hydrogen refuelling infrastructure in NZ for public use yet, but Toyota has Mirai FCEV (fuel cell electric vehicles) on the road here as part of a City Hop car-share trial scheme.

    Toyota NZ is the official distributor for these hydrogen generators [Fieldays exhibit], currently built by a European company called EODev.

    Inside, the generator has the same fuel cell (which converts hydrogen and oxygen to electricity, simple as that) as a roadgoing Mirai: 80kW, although it can run at up to 88kW under full load. It used between 20-24kg of hydrogen on site at Fieldays, which Toyota NZ says saves about a tonne of CO2 compared to a diesel generator.

    “We’re really down the road, really close to three confirmed sales already,” says Lala. “They’re about 10 times more expensive than a diesel generator, so we’re hoping to tap into EECA. But we’re forecasting to sell another another six over the next 12-15 months. We believe it’ll be a game-changer. For events, you can’t get any better, because it’s so quiet.”

    Toyota NZ is also starting to supply fuel cells to heavy transport. “We’ve got two going into a truck in the South Island and there’s bus infrastructure in Christchurch with a company called Global Bus Ventures,” says Davis.

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    Kalm Keith

    Thanks to TdeF for putting up the link to the World Climate Declaration above.

    I spent seven years at uni with a mix of full and part time study that included a few fails and repeats.

    So many facets of the climate craziness were covered there and it finally makes me feel rewarded for all that effort to understand the truth.

    Strangely the Pope, with all his resources, is less equipped to see the truth than myself.

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      yarpos

      You assume he is interested in the truth, rather than just looking “good”

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        KP

        “You assume he is interested in the truth, rather than just looking “good””

        He is the head of a vast wealthy organisation that exists only to pressure people to believe in a completely unproven and unprovable theory.

        I’d say he’s the perfect person to head the climate change mafia.

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          CO2 Lover

          100% spot on.

          The Climate Cult is a new age religion and needs to be understood as such – rational debate is wasted on the Climate Cultists.

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    another ian

    FWIW – another ABC fail

    “MTG Plays Hacky-Sack With Aussie Anchor’s Head”

    https://pjmedia.com/lincolnbrown/2024/06/27/mtg-plays-hackey-sack-with-aussie-anchors-head-n4930206

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        OldOzzie

        Loads – TUCKER CARLSON WITH KAT WONG AN IDIOT AUSTRALIAN FEMALE REPORTER – JUNE 2024

        and

        Tucker Carlson scorches ‘stupid’ Australian journalist during Canberra visit

        An exchange between colourful US political journalist Tucker Carlson and a Canberra reporter has gone viral in America.

        even the Washington Examiner – Tucker Carlson spars with ‘stupid’ reporter about immigration: ‘Whites are being replaced?’

        Tucker Carlson asked how the media could have “people this stupid” after he tore into a reporter’s “absurd” and “disingenuous” questions at a speaking event on Tuesday in Canberra, Australia.

        Australian Associated Press reporter Kat Wong questioned Carlson about his immigration views and said that he has “talked” about the “Great Replacement Theory” on his show regarding how “white Australians, Americans, and Europeans” are being replaced by “nonwhite immigrants.”

        “Whites are being replaced? I don’t think I said that,” Carlson pushed back.

        “Well, it’s been mentioned on your show 4,000 times,” she said.

        “Really? When did I say that whites are being replaced?” he responded.

        Wong insisted he had “said that before.”

        Carlson challenged her to “cite that” while he went on to lay out what he has said publicly about immigration in America.

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          OldOzzie

          Blaze Media – ‘Castrated robots’: Tucker Carlson dismantles liberal journalist in front of Aussie crowd

          Following his speech, Carlson fielded questions, including from a pair of antagonistic journalists. Despite their efforts, neither journalist was able to successfully land their attacks.

          Kat Wong, a journalist with the Australian Associated Press, opened her attack with, “So, you talked a little bit about immigration, and, in the past, you’ve talked about how white Australians, Americans, Europeans, are being replaced by non-white immigrants in what is often referred to as the Great Replacement Theory.”

          “Well,” responded the liberal journalist. “It’s been mentioned on your show 4,000 times.”

          It’s unclear how Wong came up with her number. It may have, however, been a gross misunderstanding of a much smaller figure. The New York Times indicated in 2022 that Carlson had broached the topic in over 400 episodes of his former program “Tucker Carlson Today.”

          “Really? When did I say that?” asked Carlson. “I said, ‘Whites are being replaced’?”

          When Wong insisted he had discussed replacement in racial terms, Carlson challenged her understanding of the facts and once more asked for a single citation. After Wong failed to produce even that, Carlson clarified his views on the matter.

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            OldOzzie

            From the Comments

            Kat Wong is doing her best impression of a woke liberal white woman. Do they have an assembly line factory somewhere where they mass produce these woke female clones? They are like robots who all parrot the same stupid woke garbage. No originality. No ability to think for themselves. All the same old hackneyed, contrived anti-white straight male cliches .

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      OldOzzie

      ‘Are you even a serious interviewer?’: ABC’s Sarah Ferguson skewered by US Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene

      US congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has come to blows with the ABC’s Sarah Ferguson when an interview about Julian Assange’s release went south.

      James Harrison Digital Reporter

      US congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has come to blows with the ABC’s Sarah Ferguson after an interview about Julian Assange’s release took a shocking turn culminating in the politician exclaiming “people like you can’t be taken seriously”.

      The Republican politician sat down for an interview on the ABC’s 7.30 for what started out as a discussion about the Wikileaks founder’s release – something she’s strongly advocated for throughout her political tenure.

      About nine-and-a-half minutes into the otherwise civil interview, Ms Ferguson pivoted the conversation to the congresswoman’s allegiance to presidential frontrunner Donald Trump, questioning if Americans would be hesitant to vote for him after his hush-money conviction.

      “We have no reservations about voting for Donald Trump because the convictions are fake and they are a complete perversion of our justice system,” Ms Greene said.

      When Ms Ferguson continued to question on the Trump line and brought up Ms Greene’s denial of the 2020 US election results, the US Congresswoman shot back.

      “Sarah aren’t we talking about Julian Assange? Sarah are you even a serious interviewer?” she rebutted.

      “I thought we were talking about Julian Assange here today, that’s what you were asking me to come on your Australian news show.

      “I don’t usually do interviews like this because people like you can’t be taken seriously.”

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        OldOzzie

        From the Comments

        – Another excellent example ( if we needed one) of why we should defund the ABC and use the money to build nuclear power stations.

        – What an astute politician – most Australians don’t take the ABC seriously either. I wish the Coalition would sell the ABC and put the money from the sale and future projected budget it would have received towards Nuclear. That would be a win for Australians.

        – Time to get serious and put an end to this biased broadcaster and the waste of over 1.5billion p/a for what???? presenters like Ferguson pushing their individual ideology and lefty agenda and we are expected to pay & just suck it up. Please take it to the election Mr Dutton and let the Australian people speak…..there will be more votes to shut it down than keep it!!!! MAGA 🇦🇺

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        Mayday

        Definition of hypocrisy; The Australian Prime Minister has been all over Julian Assange like a rash, smiling and taking credit for helping to release a free speech warrior, while at the same time the PM is legislating to crush free speech with misinformation and disinformation laws.

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        Hanrahan

        MTG and Carlson have drawn the same conclusions re Australian interviewers.

        Americans are experienced scrappers.

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    Robber

    How do we spread this story?
    Record global energy consumption, with coal and oil pushing fossil fuels and their emissions to record levels.
    Global coal consumption has risen from 60 Exajoules in 1960 to 100 in 2000 to 160 Exajoules in 2023, with virtually all of the growth occurring in Asia Pacific.
    The rest of the world has reduced coal usage from 50 to 40 Exajoules.
    Total global primary energy consumption is 620 Exajoules, and wind and solar contributed just 17 Exajoules.

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      Graeme#4

      Would have like to see more of a focus on energy sources used to generate electricity.

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      RickWill

      Global coal consumption has risen from 60 Exajoules in 1960 to 100 in 2000 to 160 Exajoules in 2023, with virtually all of the growth occurring in Asia Pacific.
      The rest of the world has reduced coal usage from 50 to 40 Exajoules.

      This is the energy transition in motion.

      You do not have to be particularly savvy to realise that when you spend bucket loads of money on anything, you are going to be burning a lot of coal to make it. The sad fact is that spending on weather energy extractors for a dispatcheble power network is a net energy loss game. The extractors and associated batteries would need to last 200 years to provide an energy return – about 10 times the present design life.

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        Vladimir

        I am not serious distribution engineer, but my limited (within a single plant) experience shows you never win on transmissions and conversions. The fight is for few percentage points … and here we are talking about GWh and Exajoules…

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    noisemarine

    I am an engineer at a company that builds ships. I work with Naval Architects. I was looking at their professional association’s (Royal Institution of Naval Achitects – RINA) website and noticed that they released a free, digital supplement to their member’s magazine:

    Offshore Wind Vessels 2024 Supplement

    It looks at offshore wind from a perspective that most probably haven’t thought about – the ships that are used to construct and service them – construction service operation vessels (CSOVs, SOVs).

    From a sceptic’s pov, this magazine is fascinating. While they tend to treat offshore wind as a good way to generate more orders for ships, there’s some lucid evaluations of risks (such as public sentiment and nuclear). Definitely check out the section on floating wind. It explains how it’s done, the types of ships needed, and why investors are baulking at ordering any of the ships.

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      Graeme#4

      Thanks. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it looks like the data in this report was generated before the UK and U.S. rejected most bids for new offshore wind builds.

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      Graeme#4

      Thanks for the link. So despite the claims for more renewables, only another three large offshore service vessels were ordered worldwide in 2023? Doesn’t exactly sound like a confidence vote for offshore wind.

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        Graeme#4

        I’ve mentioned this here at Joanne’s site a number of times.

        The comment at this link from four weeks back is the most recent, and includes a link to some images of these construction ships, which I don’t think will be visiting Australia any time soon. There’s no other way to construct offshore wind without them.

        Tony.

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          Graeme#4

          Thanks Anton. I knew that somebody had commented on how few suitable ships were available, but couldn’t remember who. Have now saved your previous comment. I believe that most of these ships are already fully committed.
          Won’t matter anyway. I seriously doubt that we will ever see any offshore wind installations in Australia.

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        Honk R Smith

        Is this a dog not barking?
        More evidence of the charade we must endure daily.
        One of many.

        If not careful, a person could get cynical.

        I must retire now, to not watch the US POTUS ‘debate’ charade.
        I’m sure CNN will give equally flattering lighting and microphone sound mix to the fellow they’ve been openly lying about for nearly a decade.

        Trump seems fearless.

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    Hanrahan

    How many politics tragics like me will be watching the “Great Debate” this morning?

    Being a work day will limit the number but I don’t think many Aussies grasp the gravitas of it. I’d venture to say that it is more important for us than our own elections.

    If nothing else US politics is the greatest show on earth and we watch it for free. 😀

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      John Connor II

      As I said before – no point watching it, except for low grade entertainment.
      Watch the Tucker/Oz media classic instead.

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    Richard C (NZ)

    Took another closer look at the IPCC’s Reflected Solar Radiation at TOA graph showing model comparisons. Model projection begins 2014. The series is inverted by convention, this comment is not in respect to that but takes the graph at face to look at climate model performance.

    Here’s the graph:

    (a) Global Mean Solar Flux Anomaly
    [Observations vs Models 2014 – 2017]

    https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/figures/IPCC_AR6_WGI_Figure_7_3.png

    Zoom in and trace each model run from 2014 onwards.

    The red Model Mean gives the impression that the models reproduce observations reasonably well but that is an illusion. The resemblance is merely coincidental as an artifact of averaging.

    Each model exhibits a random walk more or less.

    One model goes on a wild excursion before returning to near o anomaly which is well below (convention) or above observations (real).

    So in only 4 years of projection the models are hopelessly unable to track observations.

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    OldOzzie

    SHOULD ELECTRIC VEHICLES BE ILLEGAL?

    From ESPN: “Randall Cobb, family ‘lucky to be alive’ after house fire.”

    Wide receiver Randall Cobb and his family escaped a fire at their Nashville, Tennessee, home this week, with his wife, Aiyda, posting, “we are lucky to be alive.”

    Aiyda Cobb posted to her Instagram story this week that a Tesla charger “caught fire in the garage late last night and quickly spread” through their home.

    “We got out of the house with nothing but the clothes on our back and no shoes on our feet,” she wrote.

    The Cobbs have three young sons.

    Electric vehicle batteries, like the large batteries used to store electricity from inept sources like wind and solar, are prone to burst into flame. And those fires are hard to extinguish.

    Out of curiosity, I googled “battery fire.” Here is a sampling of news headlines from the last 36 hours:

    And, if we go back just 72 hours: Lithium battery factory fire kills 22 in South Korea.

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    Philc

    I don’t know if any one has posted this but the link bellow is worth a read from the Daily Sceptic. it is fairly long but worth the read.

    The Devastating Charge Sheet Against Pfizer

    https://dailysceptic.org/2024/06/27/the-devastating-charge-sheet-against-pfizer/

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    David Maddison

    This quote is rather pertinent in light of massive social(ist) media censorship…

    We do not believe any group of men adequate enough or wise enough to operate without scrutiny or without criticism. We know that the only way to avoid error is to detect it, that the only way to detect it is to be free to inquire. We know that in secrecy error undetected will flourish and subvert. – J Robert Oppenheimer.

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    OldOzzie

    Comprehensive – Something One Nation & Advance Australia should chase as well as Dutton & Littleproud

    27 Devastating Points

    We’ve extracted the main points from the Kansas City Attorney General’s legal report on the case against Pfizer that we first mentioned in ‘Due Process‘ — all quotes are taken verbatim.

    This is a lengthy post, and we’d recommend having an anger management strategy to hand while reading.

    If you are making a comment, use the numbering to highlight which points you are referring to, and do let us know if we’ve missed anything.

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    Gee Aye

    This sure is some sort of “debate”.

    God really needs to bless America.

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      RickWill

      Biden’s minders could be charged. Two choices come to mind (a) elder abuse or (b) treason.

      (a) Elder abuse is “a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person.” . The way out of that is to point out that Biden was not distressed; rather confused.

      (b) Treson could only be pursued on the grounds of aiding US enemies. Biden’s minders could get off that by claiming they were acting in the interests of the USA by exposing Biden’s inability for coherent thought for everyone to see.

      I expect Biden’s chance of gaining the DNC presidential nomination in August is now less than 50/50. There will be a lot of shuffling deck chairs Democrat meetings. Biden may even pull out. or appear to pull out of his own accord.

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        KP

        “Biden may even pull out. or appear to pull out of his own accord.”

        Chances are pretty high he will die… or may have already.

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      Leo G

      God really needs to bless America.

      The Democrats, on the other hand, will refer the issue to their Sibylline oracle.
      A possible recent entry in the VP’s diary:

      O Sib … Sib … Sib … Sib … Sib …’ I began.
      She opened her eyes, frowned, and mimicked me: ‘O Ka … Ka … Ka …’
      That shamed me and I managed to remember what I had come to ask. I said with a great effort: ‘O Sibyl: I have come to question you about my party’s fate and mine.’

      Gradually her face changed, the prophetic power overcame her, she struggled and gasped, and there was a rushing noise through all the galleries, doors banged, wings swished my face, the light vanished, and she uttered a hexameter verse in the voice of the Jupiter:

      Who groans beneath the Deep State Curse
      And strangles in the strings of purse,
      Before she mends must sicken worse.

      Her living mouth shall breed blue flies,
      And maggots creep about her eyes.
      No man shall mark the day she dies.

      Then she tossed her arms over her head and began again:

      Three times fifty days and three,
      Ka – Ka – Kamala shall given be
      A gift that all desire but she.

      (apologies to Robert Graves)

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    OldOzzie

    Making the green dream a reality

    A modest proposal to advance the electric vehicle revolution

    A brand-new McKinsey consumer survey confirmed the inconvenience is driving 46% of current EV owners to want to go back to internal combustion. Mr. Biden saw this coming and allocated $7.5 billion for the construction of 500,000 charging stations way back in 2021. So far, seven stations have been completed.

    During an appearance on CBS’ “Face the Nation” last month, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg struggled to come up with a plausible explanation for falling short. “Now, in order to do a charger,” said Mr. Buttigieg, “it’s more than just plugging a small device into the ground. There’s utility work, and this is also really a new category of federal investment.”

    That’s the problem, Mr. Secretary. How can Americans possibly have confidence in the green credentials of their personal transportation devices if they are plugged into a utility grid that might be powered by diesel generators, gas turbines or, worse, coal?

    According to the Energy Information Administration, 79% of America’s electricity is generated by fossil fuels or nuclear power.

    There’s less than a 15% chance any given EV charger’s juice comes from windmills and solar panels — the only power sources approved by Greta Thunberg.

    Congress ought to do something about this by requiring every federally funded EV charging station be solely powered by the sun or the wind. This would eliminate the apparently insurmountable infrastructure hurdle of utility work. Solar panels and windmills could instead be located on site, allowing discerning EV drivers to watch the virtue flowing directly into their cars.

    EV owners would see for themselves just how reliable their favorite power sources can be as they wait to add a few percentage points to their battery before resuming their journey.

    Lawmakers should also consider pausing EV tax credits and related grant programs until the industry can demonstrate the entire chain from the EV factory to the charging station is truly green — that is, powered by locally sourced windmills and solar panels.

    Otherwise, EVs aren’t serving their true purpose of saving the planet. While it may seem regressive to some, this proposal wouldn’t impact the sale of cutting-edge EV technology. A study released this month by the Energy Institute at the University of California, Berkeley confirms the average EV buyer is so wealthy that handouts aren’t necessary.

    Economists reviewed the impact of the $47 billion government giveaway for various green priorities like solar panels and EVs between 2006 and 2021. They found the most privileged Americans have been the ones cashing $7,500 checks from Uncle Sam after adding a Tesla, Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt or Chevy Bolt to their four-car garage.

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    John Connor II

    McDonald’s Admits Customers Reject Fake Meat Burgers

    Americans are rejecting a plant-based future full of disgusting and possibly even toxic fake burgers and sausages. Folks simply want organic grass-fed beef (like how some small farmers and the Amish do) and are quickly realizing to stay as far away as possible from factory-farmed-vaccinated cows.

    The latest sign that the tide is shifting against billionaires like Bill Gates, who advocate for a reset of the food supply chain by ushering in ‘sustainable’ insect burgers and plant-based meat and also push to ban cow farts, comes from McDonald’s US President Joe Erlinger.

    At the WSJ Global Food Forum in Chicago on Wednesday, Erlinger admitted the fast-food chain’s plant-based burger tests across San Francisco and Dallas markets ended in a major failure.

    https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/mcdonalds-admits-customers-reject-fake-meat-burgers

    Share price went from 234 down to 5.😆
    Even the culinary gourmet Macca’s customers don’t want plastic cancer food.

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    John Connor II

    Friday funny: resume writing tip

    Wrong:” I worked at the McDonald’s drive-through”

    Right: “I was an associate at a multi-national firm in the service industry with revenue over $20 billion, and I served as a liaison to the automotive sector”

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    John Connor II

    Words of wisdom

    A wise man was asked “what is the meaning of life?”
    The wise man replied “life itself has no meaning. Life is an opportunity to create meaning.”

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    RickWill

    Did anyone here ever wonder how solar panels and wind turbines are made?

    The sad fact is that no one in Australia actually knows because they come from China. Australia is building an electricity network that is fully dependent on Chinese manufacturing technology.

    Imagine the cost of any manufactured item if it was all made in Australia.

    Ian Plimer’s book Not for Greens goes through the process of manufacturing a teaspoon. I do not think Australia is now able to manufacture teaspoons in quantity. I expect the vast majority now purchased in Australia are made in China. If you know of any Australian made cutlery I would be interested to learn.

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      another ian

      And to think that in WW2 we actually made things like Pratt and Witney R1830 radial engines – among other things

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    Steve of Cornubia

    Biden got hammered by Trump in the ‘debate’ just now. Even with all the concessions made by the Trump team ahead of the event, Biden visibly struggled to deliver a single relevant and articulate reply. The Biden we’re used to seeing, who mumbles, forgets things, loses track of what he’s saying and mixes up his figures was on clear display.

    So now the question is, will the Democrats replace him, or simply tell us (again) to deny our own eyes?

    My expectation is the latter because (a) they apparently can’t agree on an acceptable replacement and (b) powerful figures (those who are actually in charge) rather like having a sock puppet for President.

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      Hanrahan

      I gave it away after the Charlottesville hoax passed unquestioned. It was endless lies.

      Looked at Fox post debate and they were saying it was a disaster for Biden. They would say that. So I switched to CNN and they are panicking, they are giving Biden last rites.

      What will the polls be saying next week?

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      Ross

      I must go re-watch the US version of House of Cards. In Series 5 then incumbent President Underwood (played by Kevin Spacey) goes up against a Republican former young war hero who is likely to win. Frank and his mates manage to engineer a number of events that allowed the result to be overthrown. So, sort of mirroring the 2020 US election when the result was “fortified” by the Democrats. Real life imitating art, you might say. In Series 6, Claire Underwood/ Presidents wife (played by Robin Wright), becomes president after making Frank step down. Based on that, Jill Biden for next US president, sure thing.

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      Steve of Cornubia

      Despite even many Democrats calling the debate a disaster, Their ABC went to great lengths to paint Trump’s performance as badly as possible and repeated the outrageous assertion made by some lefty talking head at the debate that Trump “lied repeatedly”. This statement is of course being picked up all over, without a single example being given. In light of Biden’s reputation as a proven liar – backed up by many, many videos and reports – that’s Olympic-level projection.

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        Hanrahan

        Leftists simply say “Trump always lies”. No examples needed because a million leftists can’t be wrong.

        He is the most lied about man on earth, and there is no hyperbole in that.

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    Lawrie

    Just wondering why I was bumped. I was number 2 this morning and a no show this afternoon.

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    Maptram

    “https://au.yahoo.com/finance/news/dire-sign-in-aussie-dollar-spike-on-the-warpath-065108238.html”

    Just reading the article about the Aussie dollar. Inflation gets a mention

    ” inflation was strongest in tobacco, fuel, insurance and rents over the last year.”

    No mention that the strongest inflation is in the goods with the extra taxes, and taxes on taxes, like the road tax on fuel and GST applied after the road tax, and rents with hefty increases in land taxes

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    RickWill

    Just watched a news brief on the presidential debate on their ABC. I wonder if Biden will garner sympathy votes. It appeared Trump was taken aback by Biden’s poor mental state. The past President displayeed a hint of anguish for the current President as he stumbled to make coherent speech.

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      RickWill

      Further thoughts on this “debate”.

      1. Biden’s minders should be charged with elder abuse. Proping that sad soul up to front a Presidential debate is beyond sad. Even their ABC USA correspondent felt sorry for Biden.

      2. I wonder if the early debate is to highlight Biden as a lost cause and to push for an alternate at the Democratic convention.

      I expect there will be a lot more talk of Biden replacement before the DNC in August.

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        John Connor II

        https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/1806527820719349906

        Biden’s REAL rating is under 10%.

        “Let’s go Joe”? How about “Let Joe go”.
        Hillary coming up…

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        Honk R Smith

        Biden’s only requirement was to stand up and stay awake.
        And display no greater disfunction than is already visible.

        My prediction, worth nothing and for recreational purposes only, is … Biden remains and ‘wins’*.

        *(Is reinstalled by the Global Dark Consortium.)

        Think about Pandemic … the Dark Consortium was able to stage a global ‘Pandemic’, to the point of convincing masses of ordinary people to self-imprison for nearly two trips around the Big Fire Ball in the sky that has nothing to do with the temperature of Earth.
        People actually allowed ‘government’ to prevent them from visiting dying elderly relatives.
        Cops arrested old ladies sitting alone in parks for not wearing masks.
        City recreational personnel bolted 2x4s over basketball goals.
        People were arrested for walking alone on the beach.
        School musicians performed on stage wearing surgical masks with holes cut in for the mouth and the nose.
        The CDC called one of the most commonly prescribed human drugs “horse de-wormer”.

        It is unrealistic to expect rationality.
        (It is possible that mass hysteria abates, but I don’t know were the elevator goes after ‘men can have babies’.)

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          another ian

          Re replacement –

          With Hilary hovering as a potential replacement runner (“Her Turn”) any potential others might have to think about the Arkanside list?

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    Ken

    A little off topic, but:
    I am sick and tired of walking into a retail store or café with background music playing that is a total turnoff.
    It seems that the most junior of the staff gets to choose the music!
    It is often running at high volume and you have to ask to have it turned down.
    Why can’t they choose some soft, gentle background music or even no music at all.
    When we are out shopping we don’t have to be entertained – we just want to shop.
    If the owners of these stores think they are encouraging us to buy they are sadly mistaken.
    I have immediately walked out of several such cafes, restaurants and stores without a second look.
    What do you think?

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      John Connor II

      Agree.
      Stores don’t seem to grasp the concept of background music, which is what music should be. You, and staff too for that matter, shouldn’t have to try and talk over high noise levels, kitchen clatter etc.
      More clueless managers.

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      Annie

      Hear hear Ken! I hate loud ‘music’, that is often unmusical to say the least of it. I just walk straight out again.

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      KP

      The whole eat-out industry have absolutely no clue on how sound works, the average cafe or restaurant is a terribly noisy place, and because of the lack of sound-proofing every customer talks louder and louder to be heard over everyone else. Soft wall hangings, a carpeted floor, cross-walls with soft furnishings would all mute the background babble, but no, they spent the money on trendy artworks and flashy paint jobs.
      (Disclaimer, son and brother both involved in commercial fit-outs and sound insulation)

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    John Connor II

    Karens are gone!

    Once upon a time Karen was a popular name.
    Now it’s less desirable than Biden.😆

    Karens numbered in the thousands in the late 1900’s but in recent years their populations gave crashed to zero.
    Things look grim for Karens, once found in large numbers at complaints counters in stores around the world, they are on the brink of extinction.
    Read the above para with a David Attenborough voice.😁

    https://www.everything-birthday.com/name/f/Karen

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    RickWill

    What do you think?

    If the store is busy then the music needs to be loud to get turnover. They do not want you sitting around and relaxing over a cup of coffee.

    If the store is not crowded then the music will be slow and soft to encourage to to stay and impulse buy.

    There have been studies long ago to show how music impacts behaviour.

    I expect some select the music based on bookings. If they need you inland out then the music will be intolerable and asking to get it turned down will not get much response. When bookings are low, the music will be more conducive to hanging around and drinking on. My wi9fe will not enter a restaurant or cafe that does not have people in it. She looks for a more crowded alternative; having the view that the level of patronage indicates the value. So it is always good for places to have some patronage.

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      Hanrahan

      To misquote Yogi Berra, commentating on a restaurant: Nobody goes there now, it’s too crowded.

      The inspiration for a cartoon character?

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    Kim

    Tucker Carlson makes journalist look like an ‘absolute fool’ (video)
    Tucker Carlson dismantling an Australian journalist’s question.
    What the heck – it’s Friday 😁️.

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    John Connor II

    Senators move to repeal Australia’s new Digital ID laws citing ‘human rights’ concerns

    A group of Senators is pushing to repeal Australia’s new Digital ID laws over concerns that the voluntary identity framework will become mandatory, which would pose a threat to human rights.

    A bill tabled in Parliament today by vocal Digital ID critic Senator Alex Antic (Liberal) proposes to repeal two Digital ID Acts which were legislated last month, and to reverse amendments to several other related Acts which were pushed through at the same time.

    The Digital ID Repeal Bill 2024 is sponsored by five other Senators including the Liberal Party’s Matt Canavan and Gerard Rennick, One Nation’s Pauline Hanson and Malcolm Roberts, and United Australia Party’s Ralph Babet.

    https://news.rebekahbarnett.com.au/p/just-in-senators-move-to-repeal-australias

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    Steve of Cornubia

    A relative in the UK just uncovered devastating news that an old industrial site a couple of miles from his lovely home is going to be turned into a solar farm. Because it was an old, decommissioned chemical factory (lime production), the site must first be ‘remediated’. This involves digging out enormous amounts of ‘contaminated’ soil, then replacing it with some sort of waste/landfill. Although he lives in a small suburban development with fairly narrow roads, it appears that the trucks transporting stuff from/to the site will nevertheless use those roads, so residents are going to be subjected to heavy truck traffic from 7am each morning. Get this – for FIVE YEARS. This has obviously devastated him and his wife, both of whom are over 70yrs old. Apparently, despite all the required applications and permissions being processed over several past years, he and his neighbours had no idea that this was happening. So much for ‘community consultation’.

    But apart from the outrage of -yet again – citizens being trampled by government bureaucrats, it strikes me that no sane and responsible company would embark on such a project at this time, and the ultimate partner in this is the Indian company Tata – obviously NOT stupid. On straightforward cost/risk/benefit terms, given the timeframe and site remediation costs, it seems a hugely risky venture.

    So, though I can’t find the info, I suspect this is a prime example of a project that simply would not happen without generous, market distorting government subsidies. Nevertheless, this project will doubtless be included in the roll call of examples used by the UK government to claim that there is an appetite for Net Zero.

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    Skepticynic

    Suddenly…. BIDEN HAD A COLD !! ?
    The Democrats’ desperation and feeble excuses are approaching 2020 levels!

    https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4744889-joe-biden-has-a-cold-debate/

    If he’s got a cold why has he given up wearing the mask he always wore?

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