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
Readers of yesterday’s thread will remember a lively discussion about temperatures. It is repeated here with an update under it:
‘Extraordinary example of temperature inversion today in Austria as a cold layer is trapped under a warm layer of air.
At our apt at 400 metres the temperature was minus 3 centigrade, as we drove along the flat it dropped to minus 6.
As we drove up to 1100 metres in a 20 minute drive the temperature rapidly rose and at 1100 metres the temperature was plus 7.5 centigrade.
This reminds me of the time we arrived one time at Salzburg airport in December to go skiing, to be told by the pilot as we touched down that it was plus 21 degrees centigrade.
Our son was joining us the next morning so we were concerned his ski experience would be non existent.
However on driving to the airport the next morning to collect him it was snowing heavily and minus 2 centigrade.
The most extreme example of Sudden Stratospheric warming I have ever witnessed.
When previously researching English temperatures from hundreds of years ago I came across 3 reports of similar SST’s”
We decided to go by train to a local lake side town today, around 25 minutes from our apt in Austria.The weather forecasters here like to do 14 day forecasts and in common with the UK met office also believe they can do 100 year forecasts that in their eyes provide proof of catastrophic global warming.
The forecast today was sunny and a chilly two degrees centigrade but with the strong sun here that would feel quite warm so we dressed accordingly.
On arrival it was thick fog which lasted all day with a temperature of minus four centigrade so after lunch we headed for the train and our holiday apt as We were freezing our socks off.
We then checked the weather for where we had just been and was assured it was gloriously sunny and around three degrees centigrade, which we knew was complete nonsense.
As most will be aware weather stations don’t actually exist in most places so a computer models The weather for the place selected, partly based on barometric pressure.
Presumably the nonsensical computer forecast and temperature will now be enshrined in the records as factual rather than the real world circumstances that we actually encountered
Which makes me wonder how many real world and how many laughably nonsensical computer models now make up the global weather records
222
This inversion thing could well have affected the records from Canberra. Spent a lot of my life there riding motorcycles. One thing i have noticed to be very true on a cold morning is this inversion from the link under the heading “Temperature and altitude”. Just thinking about how the earliest thermometer readings in Canberra came from a site that may now be under lake Burley Griffin near the Lennox crossing. The road called Lennox crossing rd is now shorter. It went from Acton peninsular across the Molongolo river past Lennox Gardens near the Hyatt to Commonwealth avenue. That 20 degrees would be degrees F.
Sydney Mail Wed 16 Apr 1913 Page 15 The Climate and Weather of Australia.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/158477714
The Author Clement Wragge is the man who from 1887 began to cover Queensland with Stevenson screens.
Nowadays the temperature is reported from the eastern side of the airport which is closer in a direct line to the site of old and warmer temperatures from Queanbeyan bowling club.
102
I’ve lived on my current globe spot for 40 years.
It’s the nastiest sustained icy cold ever.
In the warmest year ever.
I should keep my not a scientist trap shut and accept that weather is not climate.
There’s probably feedback. And a loop of some sort, causing a vortex that’s caused by carbon.
And that Biden’s economy is actually good.
And that men can birth children.
And the Russians are still coming.
And it was Safe and Effective.
And that famous Hollywood personalities know a lot about Science and politics.
330
Here in Northeastern Ohio, USA, we are having having some very cold days, also. They are forecasting -4F [-20c] for Wednesday morning. Where’s that Globull Warming when you really need it?
170
Ric,
I tell friends that live in NE Ohio there is a significant difference in cognition between living there and one of OH’s correctional institutions, namely the folks in the prison realize they are being punished.
70
John,
It could be worse. I could live in Minneapolis, Minnesota where it is supposed to get down to -20F [-29c].
70
Biden Pardons Fauci, Milley, and Whole Jan 6th Committee
“To get a pardon, you are supposed to plead guilty and show remorse. I am not sure a preemptive pardon is even legal. Now, what I would do is subpoena these people to testify. They cannot be prosecuted now, so they have NO FIFTH AMENDMENT privilege against self-incrimination. I would then ask them to explain their crime and name everyone else who assisted them who is not pardoned. To accept these pardons CONFIRMS that they are guilty of high crimes against the United States. They may not be sent to prison, but they can now be interrogated like any criminal getting a plea deal.
Biden just opened the door really wide. Otherwise, you would have had to prove Fauci was guilty; now he is Pardoned, so he is guilty of a crime to accept a pardon. Fantastic!!!! Thank you, Biden, for your final act of corruption. It may help to bring down the corruption more than anything else.
The Biden Administration will go down in History as the MOST corrupt in American History!”
See link for more.
https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/international-news/politics/biden-pardons-fauci-miley-and-whoile-jan-6th-committee/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=RSS
[Snip. Exceeds fair use copyright limitations. – LVA]
180
To the Blog Moderator.
This post is from Martin Armstrong’s free Blog. What copyright?
50
©2025
That one?
30
Not a Mod, just “A bit of legalese”.
Copyright extends to the original author. Not to any other publisher who may, or may not, have the right to publish original content.
That a blog is “free” has no bearing upon the legal rights of the original author.
Copying “copyrighted content” from any source, does not negate the legal rights of the original author.
Publishing copyrighted content in excess of “fair use” quotations on Jo’s blog makes her legally responsible for any lawsuit regarding the unauthorized publication of protected content.
So, “fair use” is generally recognized as some 10% to 25% of a copyrighted article (depends upon the court, laws, and nation). Within those limits, a claim might be made that such quotations are made available for discussion, comment, or literary comparison. Beyond those limits, one has essentially “stolen” the rightful ownership of original content belonging to the originator. In other words, excessive quotation of copyright material places Jo and her blog at legal risk for lawsuit. That Martin Armstrong has a “free blog” has zero bearing upon the legal liability of copyright infringement with regard to the original author. Quoting someone who has not gained permission to publish original content is no defense.
80
Surely the Question is “Are the Pardons Valid” given Biden’s Mental Incapacity?
170
I’ve been asking that. I’m sure some closer to power are as well.
20
Yet another question re General Milley’s Pardon
Surely he can be charged for Treason or “Aiding the Enemy”, re Notifying China behind President Trump’s Back by a Military Tribunal
That is not a Criminal Trial
50
https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/236/79/
Burdick v. United States No. 471 Argued December 16, 1914
Decided January 25, 1915 236 U.S. 79 Syllabus
Acceptance, as well as delivery, of a pardon is essential to its validity; if rejected by the person to whom it is tendered, the court has no power to force it on him. United States v. Wilson, 7 Pet. 150.
Quaere whether the President of the United States may exercise the pardoning power before conviction.
A witness may refuse to testify on the ground that his testimony may have an incriminating effect, notwithstanding the President offers, and he refuses, a pardon for any offense connected with the matters in regard to which he is asked to testify.
There are substantial differences between legislative immunity and a pardon; the latter carries an imputation of guilt and acceptance of a confession of it, while the former is noncommittal, and tantamount to silence of the witness.
There is a distinction between amnesty and pardon; the former overlooks the offense, and is usually addressed to crimes against the sovereignty of the state and political offenses, the latter remits punishment and condones infractions of the peace of the state.
The facts, which involve the effect of a pardon of the President of the United States tendered to one who has not been convicted of a crime nor admitted the commission thereof, and also the necessity of acceptance of a pardon in order to make it effective, are stated in the opinion.
40
Subpoena to testify where exactly? A congressional committee, enquiry or similar? If so, what’s to stop these pardoned felons from just lying? Would there be any real consequences?
10
The perjury would occur AFTER the pardon. Not even Biden can give a pardon some time into the future. Darn!
But telling the truth doesn’t effect the pardon. Why lie?
10
I see something else that is relevant to our daily activties. “We ain’t seen nuthin’ yet!”
Biden’s speech giving reason for these “pardons” painted a picture the exact opposite of the status quo. Exact! Same story, names reversed. And beggar the facts.
In the last couple of days I saw, here in Australia, a speech written on exactly the same principle.
So much so that it was likely written by the same writer.
I am trying to recall, but I think it was Albo talking about Peter Dutton.
So, who writes the speeches?
10
Maybe more a what than a who
40
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-14304189/uk-desirable-career-dog-groomer.html
The above comprises the dozen most sought after careers in the UK.
The first is a dog groomer.It seems that the top choices are because you can work alone and can be self employed.
I thought that an ‘ influencer” was highly desirable these days so good to see that personal preferences and satisfaction still come high up
31
When you dumb down the schools you are left with the dumb. Dog groomer, really?
I can see the current generation complaining about the poor wages and they’ll vote for a government that will install a minimum pay rate of $500 per dog so that these people can buy a house.
Anyone see a problem here? Supply and demand issues?
All is good, they haven’t repealed the laws of thermodynamics yet….. or have they?
90
They changed tbe second law of tbermodynamics, or at least it’s now not what I was taught at school. I prefer the old one, partly because the Big Bang Theory looks like it contravenes today’s second law (not that I’m particularly keen to protect Big Bang Theory). Was there space before the Big Bang, or did the Big Bang create space so that it had somewhere to go? If space wasn’t empty, where did all its stuff come from? If space was empty, ….. So many questions.
40
If I have nothing, and then out of the blue, (where did the colour come from?), pops two electrons, one normal matter, the other anti matter, (a positron).
So far, we haven’t broken the rules about conservation of charge and conveniently, spin is also preserved. But what about that matter.
Well, the two particles being opposite charge will attract, they’ll also attract due to gravity. Some people believe that the potential energy stored in the gravity and charge attractions will match the mass, (E=mc^2). It doesn’t.
So where did the mass come from? It turns out that the universe has an energy storage system, (loosely labeled), called the vacuum energy. What it means is that the whole universe is full of a dilute energy background that can be borrowed from. A little like being on a huge sandy beach, it looks empty but every now and then the universe melts a couple of grains of sand and gives you a glass marble. Eventually the marble erodes back to sand. The total effect, from the starting phase to the end phase is zero, (assuming that the energy to make the marble is returned in full by the erosion).
So that’s how the quantum world can spit particle pairs into existence. The bigger the mass of the pairs, the shorter they live for before giving it all back to the vacuum energy state.
So for a universe like ours, is there a matching mass of anti matter somewhere out there? Was there a previously larger vacuum energy state that has been drained down to allow the current matter to exist long term?
And why is there a vacuum energy state? Where did that energy come from?
Thankfully the science is fully understood. CO2 did it.
41
This plan dating from 2019 is currently being debated in the UK parliament
https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2025/01/19/can-the-can/
It was originally intended to lay down the boundaries for net zero around 2040/50
The current govt wants to bring that forward to 2030 so in effect the recommendations need to be implemented from now.
2040/50 was far beyond the electoral cycle of most politicians whereas 2025 is here and now.
The requirements are impossible and draconian.
Surely even ultra green politicians do not intend to sabotage their careers by voting through this impossible nonsense?
Presumably Australia has a similar plan but with a bit more leeway in terms of time scales
130
I loved the part about closing all the airports and eliminating the importation of goods from shipping.
In a country that imports large portions of it’s food and energy needs, that would be a sure fire way to eliminate >30% of the population.
My question is, who gets to survive, obviously the green elite but they’ll also need slaves, who picks the slaves and do we need to be friendly to those people just in case this law gets through?
110
Listening to TRUMP’s inauguration speech, he is leading the rebirth of the United States of America.
130
Having just read his address (here) I can see no reason for any “rebirth”. For an exercise in wishful thinking (sic) it is hard to beat (although Albo does his dismal best). On energy there may be some change which will benefit people well beyond the borders of the US. And borders may become somewhat more secure. As for the rest? Oh dear. It’s on a part with Joe Biden’s promise to cure cancer.
And Israel? As some in Israel and beyond have observed: “Israel has two choices. Bad. And worse.”
23
Good to see Biden taken away on Marine 1 (Presidential helicopter).
The trash has been disposed of.
91
Did his handlers go with him, or did they scurry out of town on Friday afternoon?
90
Biden issues pre-emptive pardons for his crime family members.
100
A problem with a pre-emptive presidential pardon which involves a conspiracy, is the requirement that the offence has been committed. Note the perfect tense.
If the conspiracy is on-going, surely the President cannot pardon the offender.
10
Apart from Biden’s own crime family members, he has also pre-emptively pardoned Fauci, Mark Milley and the Jan 6th committee members.
120
Will that backfire? Being instead seen as a confession and guilty plea.
181
“The acceptance of a pardon imputes guilt, while legislative immunity does no such thing. ”
https://courtmartiallaw.com/military-law/if-you-accept-a-pardon-does-it-admit-guilt/
50
Thanks Lance.
Still unclear reading through that twice. Because “When one accepts a presidential pardon, he or she is not admitting guilt or waiving habeas rights.”
Does it mean guilt is imputed but not accepted? Like losing the presumption of innocence?
Lance Pidgeon.
30
There is no chance whatsoever that Biden had anything to do with these pardons beyond putting his signature on them.
A plausible explanation is that his handlers wanted to pardon themselves and buried themselves anonymously under the category of those who worked for the infamous J6 committee. While the names explicitly pardoned will catch the headlines the worst of the worst enablers will try to slither away unheralded.
One Mary McCord gets a mention at https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2025/01/20/forget-general-milley-joe-biden-just-pardoned-lawfare-operative-mary-mccord/
170
With regard to preemptive pardons, let’s hope that this will be before the supreme court before the year is out and a decision made that only actual convictions can be pardoned.
Then start the legal cases and we can all buy pop corn as the show rolls on.
In the good old days, we’d say that heads need to roll but we can’t say that anymore, lest we upset someone who rolls for a living.
So I’ll just think it instead.
130
Are Executive Orders Constitutional?
“The purposes of an executive order should be confined to running the government like any company CEO. Trump should withdraw the security clearance of all 51 people who falsely claimed the Hunter laptop was Russian propaganda. I believe that they are traitors to the country. I would fire each and everyone and strip them of all pensions. That would be a valid executive order, as would firing executive bureaucrats. The president is the CEO of the Executive Branch. He needs Congress’s approval to install judges in the Judicial Branch. When orders are confined to personnel inside the Executive Branch, that is within his Constitutional Power.
What I disagree with are executive orders that circumvent Congress. Biden outlawed gas water heaters. That is a question for Congress – not an executive decision any more than sending in troops or allowing Ukraine to use long-range missiles to target inside Russia. The Constitution gave Congress the power to declare war, not the president.
I will look at what Trump does, and my analysis will be eliminated on those lines. I disagree with FDR’s executive orders to confiscate gold and silver. I think Congress should have decided that.
The major case issued by the Supreme Court striking down a president’s executive order came about in 1952. In Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer, the court held struck down Executive Order 10340, issued by President Harry Truman, for seizing control of the steel manufacturers because of an anticipated union strike in the nation’s steel mills during the Korean War. The court held that President Truman lacked the constitutional or statutory power to seize private property.
The court focused on the fact that the Executive Order was not authorized by the Constitution or laws of the United States, and thus, it could not sand Pp. 343 U. S. 585-589. Moreover, no statute expressly or impliedly authorized the President to take possession of this property as he did here.
Using this criterion, Biden’s outlawing gas water heaters is arbitrary and absurd. It was unconstitutional, as many of his antics demonstrated that he assumed dictatorial power. Still, the Constitution never authorized such an exercise of power outside the administration of the Executive Branch. He has the Constitutional power to issue a pardon, but not pronounce someone guilty and imprison them without a trial in the Judiciary branch.”
https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/international-news/politics/are-executive-orders-constitutional/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=RSS
151
Great points. We have all the same points in Australia where so much of the Green Certificates are utterly unconstitutional, but the big energy companies and their clients are bullied by a extreme left communist and greedy government.
The damage being done is incredible as cheap, reliable, affordable, adequate energy is the essential commodity of the industrial revolution, which is why it is being destroyed by China and its political allies including the Australian Labor Party and Greens and Teals.
241
Where is David+Wojick? He must be dancing around the room in West Virginia with Trump’s announcement that he will end the NE Wind farms. All those whales saved. It’s a dream come true.
How anyone can call themselves Green (as in concerned naturalist, not communist) and support the mass killing of whales and raptors and bats is beyond logic and emotion.
230
Song from Sydney (Australia) band the Rumjacks to be released Feb 7. YouTube vid three days ago.
Link:
Vs what is actually happening:
“BOSTON – Sunday, January 19, 2025 – Mayor Michelle Wu today announced a cold weather advisory and winter safety tips ahead of the bitterly cold temperatures forecast for Tuesday, January 21 – Thursday, January 23.”
https://www.boston.gov/news/mayor-wu-urges-caution-bitterly-cold-weather-arrives-week
40
If that YouTube link does not work.
“The Rumjacks feat. Ken Casey of Dropkick Murphys – Cold Like This [official video]”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAS3hnlzSH8
01
TRUMP said “drill baby drill“.
Meanwhile, Australia is shutting down its energy supply and, also, drilling and fracking are illegal over much of the country.
160
David see Comment 24 below – https://joannenova.com.au/2025/01/tuesday-92/#comment-2825821
10
Stephen Grenville becomes a climatologist now he’s not a Reserve Bank bureaurat-
“The public agrees on climate, so why can’t our politicians?…how has public opinion shifted? First, there is a consensus that climate change is happening and that we should respond…renewables (solar and wind), these should form the core of the replacement capacity. The daily fluctuations in renewables generation should be smoothed with batteries and pumped hydro… renewables, by themselves, cannot provide assured reliability. In sustained periods of low renewable generation, additional generation capacity will be needed…this gap will be filled by gas generation. Climate transition will not be possible without a key role for gas –”
So, coal bad, gas good and to hell with CO2. The double-think runs deep amongst the anointed.
The only part he got right was-
“Will electricity be cheaper for households? Probably not.”
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/the-public-agrees-on-climate-so-why-can-t-our-politicians-20250117-p5l55z.html
121
“The public agrees on climate,… ”
He starts out in the boonies, and then jumps into the swamp
with both feet — getting wronger and wronger {so to say} and finally gets, correctly, to “a key role for gas.”
That’s rather amazing!
100
On English pronunciation
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8fwXf41aaje5_-sf85Ce_FFNqWE8GKjsa3uHxxbrOPjgAoi7Ms8Q5AxWt8fRF0SA747g4eu6WzwWgXAbeZsJ2pfrqcUfdGKnTW8d4ZqDiFHcxbqJyuJd2EDZYKyxhsHJRyfIcl5CYXWaSLdQPXYGW_3eR__OkbWVjG059INguy4Mr4bkb0VXw_0BxVY/w221-h400/Meme%20-%20English%20is%20the%20queerest%20language.png
40
I expect it is because English has three major roots, Latin, French, German and a lot of Dutch, Norse. So you get Regal, Royal, Sovereign for the same thing. And words which sound similar and so are similarly may come come from different languages and in those languages, a different plural is formed.
Plus the committees for adjusting spelling, which actually wrecked simple spelling. Through, tough, bough, bought, cough etc. The Saxon coff became cough. And all the swear words were low class non French, Latin but common Anglo-Saxon. As Monty Python noted, you could say derrier, sit upon, backside but not bum.
And weird non phonic spelling to make Saxon seem more French. Theatre, Centre, Colour where Daniel Webster who had to teach immigrants English in America changed them back to theater, center, color.
Plus new materials like Aluminium is really spelled aluminum in the US.
And the plurals. Sheep. Food. Bread. Fish. The second in Australia at least is becoming Foods as food has become a major immigrant industry. And has changed from British and German stodge to Italian, Turkish and Asian.
Plus the collective nouns, for which a strange definitive list was published in the 19th century. But the one which was not on the list and I enjoy is the collective noun for a group of lawyers, a greed. Electricians could be a spark? Perhaps a Spanner of engineers? But a murder of crows is appealing.
70
Don’t forget that chinese have no plural, which explains all their shop signs.
“We sell mobile phone.
Battery.
Case.”
Foreigners often struggle to learn english due to inconsistencies and contronyms.
Contractions:
Can not = can’t
Must not = mustn’t
Shall not = ?
The word “run” has over 600 meanings!
I’ll stick with hex.
40
‘another’ way, perhaps
See if this with open in a new tab or window works:
English is the Queerest Language
00
Could somebody please explain how aluminium can be smelted at a competitive price with no taxpayer subsidies using “green” wind and solar electricity? This is now government policy and they are spending $2 billion of our hard-earned taxes to do it…
200
Easy. All you need is a really, really big battery. You know, the size they don’t make yet.
150
The Fairy Godmother will wave her wand and bingo…after she sorts out how renewables could be made to work which she is hard at studying in her tropical vacation – provided from some Clown who handed her $2 billion (less commission).
60
What is extremely annoying here, and of no surprise at all, is that our dearly beloved MSM go straight to discussing which electorates and work force contingents will be perturbed if the smelters (4/5 owned by Rio) move offshore.
Not one MSM outlet examines the engineering reality of attempting to run potlines off wind and solar. This is because these people have absolutely no idea of the geological, engineering and logistical parameters of mining and refining bauxite – and they have no intention of attending to their ignorance. So they discuss straw men ad nauseum.
170
“All Australian smelters are struggling with the aluminium price at around $1,750/t, but due to international corporate structures their finances are opaque.
However, on the assumption that US$30/MWh is internationally competitive
electricity pricing, then A$40-50/MWh delivered to the smelter is the target to
provide BSL a platform for success.
Tomago Aluminium CEO Matt Howell was recently quoted as saying Tomago did not have a future at A$70/MWh for firmed renewables but he indicated that a price of around A$45/MWh would work if the supply was reliable and the plant was not exposed to “freezing in an uncontrolled manner.”
https://ieefa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Aluminium-Led-Energy-Renewal-for-Central-Queensland_September-2020-.pdf
Bargain prices that won’t exist for delusionables.
100
$45/MWHr may be survivable but is it profitable in the eyes of the owner corporations.
I’d suggest not. If you sat on the board of one of these owners you would look at the portfolio and determine within a matter of minutes that there will be no new development in Oz. You’d also work out that the best place to run a smelter is where the power is cheap AND will remain so. And in a few minutes, across the back of an envelope, you’d determine that a new smelter in Indonesia could be built and paid for within 5 years.
Anyone want to guess how long Oz smelters have left to run?
And I’m still betting on the Portland smelter closing this calendar year.
110
Ian,
The Portland smelter is surrounded by wind turbines . If it closes you can say “there’s your problem” . If they are being forced to shutdown due to lack of electricity their turbines must be being used to feed the grid . Most times when I have been in the area (mostly offshore) a lot of them have been rotating but I don’t know how much power they have been generating . Refining aluminum is not a process you can easily stop and start….
80
Mr Goat,
I’ve been an engineer involved in the construction of smelters and refineries for years, (not Portland though), you are very, very correct to say that the smelter cannot easily start and stop BUT it can be paused. You just have to make sure that pause happens when the pots are hot and preferably all very full of aluminium. That pause must also be short enough to keep the pots liquid. If they set, (aluminium AND the cryolite), then it’s time to get the jackhammers out. Your work crews will be exposed to aluminium Fluoride, (and other Fluorine combinations), none of which are good for your health. In Oz it would likely be near impossible to get a safe work place approval to commence the work to the scale of a pot line.
The amount of electricity used to produce aluminium had been estimated to be around 30% of the state’s electrical generational. Those windmills out the front of the smelter wouldn’t keep the pots warm and certainly no where near the energy requirements to run the smelter.
As a guide, a pot line is often around a thousand volts DC and often 300,000 amps. For an example, EACH POTLINE, let’s say 1000V 300kA, this is 300MW. A typical, large windmill has a capacity of around 2MW, (nameplate, not actual). Thus you would need 150 of the large ones to run the smelter.
When you next see a group of windmills, count them. 150 is a big number for a single potline. Portland smelter has TWO potlines. Also, those windmills have a 30% coefficient, so you’d need, (on a long term average), around 450 of them, per pot line.
Due to long term wind droughts, windmills could not power a smelter, the pots would cool too much on a calm day. And even when the wind was blowing, it could not absorb excess power and bank it for later.
In short, I’d love to see how Bowen plans to end the aluminium industry in Oz. The question really being, how long will it take.
130
I think the aluminium industry will shut down soon and we’ll send the bauxite and coal (for electricity) to a sensible country for producing aluminium.
In fact, there’s no incentive for any industry to remain in Australia. We’ll be an exporter of rocks, food, education from dumbed-down universities; and coffee shops inhabited by idle purple and green haired freaks.
The scientific and engineering ignorance of our politicians is remarkable.
150
“The scientific and engineering ignorance of our politicians is remarkable.”
No, It is stunningly ignorant and stupid, willfully absent of fact, history, reality, or plausible future impacts. Quite simply idiocy incarnate.
It is truly rare to see such incompetence in ideology or in fact or in effect.
Unless one compares such idiocy with the last 4 years of USA gaslighting, global theft, and abandonment of Law. Truly, an absurd bastardization of all legal, scientific, and moral theories of the last 1000 years.
121
Lance,
It looks like you may be a little undecided on this issue.
Could you add a little more detail, maybe even get off the fence with your feelings toward the parliaments of Oz.
/s Of course.
David,
With regard to shipping bauxite overseas, I think you are correct, we won’t even produce alumina, (the half way point from the ore to the metal).
50
That process has been going on for most of this century and it is not only Australia giving up on producing aluminium. This list will show you why:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aluminium_smelters.
Gove no longer even refine the bauxite. China has good bauxite resources but is importing from Australia.
The technology for aluminium smelting has evolved with ever larger cells improving efficiency and productivity. Some of the old pot lines are not conducive to pleasant working conditions. Hence newer lines offer better conversion efficiency and better working conditions.
40
America is getting its best Government ever, or at least the best in a very long time.
Australia now has, without question, its worst ever. Not only federally but in all states.
170
We’ve cleaned house in QLD.
33
As the old joke goes:
“That’s the trouble with cleaning. You do it and 6 months later you have to do it again”
80
And in the NT.
00
Preemptive Pardon bites back! Mr Milly’s portrait has already been removed from the hallowed halls of The Pentagon Gallery of Greats. Shame baby Shame
110
Trump Plougher Power! Kevin O’Lemon reporting to Albo-Tross and advising to hold off on the “Green Aluminum Project”. Thanks again Spooner! Nice one!
80
Dear Jo and everyone,
It looks like a dozen or so knowledgeable and committed people on this blog day in, day out tell each other some self-evident things.
Like a useless, no – wrong World temperature notion…
Should not there be a way out of this Groundhog Day?
Can someone outside this group be found and worked on to achieve, even if a small but defined goal?
I suggest Standards Association of Australia and the goal – to change the method of temperature measurement.
51
Vladimir,
On the Groundhog Day problem, I’ve suggested a couple of times that Jo abolish new daily open postings and replace them all with a permanent unthreaded. Newest comments are shown first, so there won’t be the unseemly rush to get in early each day (often repeating something said yesterday) to gain the best harvest of thumbs.
Meanwhile, the interesting postings that Jo puts so much work into would continue to have threaded discussions. Might give them a bit more longevity (not just amongst the thumb-suckers). It’s sad that they rarely last into a second day.
On temperature measurement, in this day of but you’re not a climate scientist credentialism, I doubt anybody can be found to override the BoM.
41
Thanks Robert.
Indeed, I have no “scientific qualifications”. I say more: there was a chance for scientific career but I am not sure at all it could have been productive.
However today, of all days (does not matter if you are anti- or pro-Trump) a person is allowed to think about self being greater than institutions.
The BoM (and ABC, and Universities, and Judiciary, and Unions, and…) will be reformed – not necessary by the next Government, but they will. I hope the change will be from inside which is much faster and less “bloody”.
USSR defeated itself, at the pinnacle of its visible might.
41
Vladimir,
I’m with you.
I believe what we have is a thoroughly unaccountable bureaucracy. Politicians are meant to be the accountable ones. Over the last few decades, this accountability has made them shy away from decisions that might be unpopular, a standard tactic being to create some independent authority to look after the decision (Rule1: see “independent”, read “unaccountable”). Politicians can then point at the authority and pretend their hands are tied. Of course the decisions most likely to be unpopular are also the most important, so politicians have, little by little, been making themselves irrelevant.
After so long, it’s pretty messy. More and more people are sick of hearing this “hands are tied” excuse. Many of today’s politicians believe their hands really are tied. Many of today’s bureaucrats also believe the politicians’ hands are tied. It’s not true, but might as well be true while everyone believes it.
As you say, something’s gotta give. I’m less optimistic than you about it happening from within with minimal pain. It’s already obvious to people within the machine here, but I suspect they’re just hoping the music won’t stop while they’re in it. Look how much further Argentina went. All the same, the rise of Milei and the return of Trump may give them pause.
Here’s hoping.
30
A single static mega unthreaded?
Nope, don’t like that idea.
#1. Because of the sheer size and time to reach the bottom of a perpetually growing comment-blob. ie readability issues
Some sites have such a concept but have split it into pages, one site now at 13,000 pages.
Who seriously wants to go through that!?
#2. Unthreaded comments often temporally link to adjacent posts making correlating information easier.
#3. Viewers of such a gargantuan thread may also be facing processing and rendering issues.
#4. What if someone posts a comment to a really old post? Makes finding and reading the original post a real pain, even if split into pages.
Nope, sorry, not a good idea.
90
John Connor II
Thank you for some concrete feedback. Much more informative than a thumb.
#1 Yes, I did leave out that it would need to be paginated at 30?, 50?,… comments. A big benefit that you may have missed: since the most recent comments list first, as you scroll down, the moment you see a comment you’ve already read you know that *all* new comments are before you. No more missing that little gem tucked four layers deep in Tuesday’s comment #33. (Getting geeky, software could easily store a “last seen” cookie in the browser so seen/unseen styling or a boundary could be displayed)
#2 I don’t see a problem with what you describe. These are listed in temporal order, so they’ll be adjacent.
#3 Not with pagination. The CPU challenged would have simpler layout since there’d be no nest indenting.
#4 Are you thinking I want to turn off comments on Jo’s topical postings? Definitely not; it’s a pity there isn’t *more* activity on them. I’m suggesting she replace the multitude of generic day-of-the-week postings with a permanent (paginated) unthreaded for chit-chat.
The main postings should continue to have active comments for as long as Jo want’s them to live. I think this might help them live longer. ATM the topical posting more or less turns into a pumpkin at midnight as eyeballs turn to the next daily unthreaded.
02
Plus people typically don’t search more than a few pages worth of results in a search engine due to laziness so won’t be scrolling for minutes let alone 10’s of minutes.
Plus putting all the content on a single page is a frowned upon practise in webmaster circles.
Provide an into then a link to the expanded full thread.
Would you rather turn pages on a newspaper or convert that newspaper and the past few years worth into a VERY long toilet roll style?
#4 – no I’m not suggesting that.
In fact that makes no sense as a cumulative open thread is the issue not topic specific threads.
No, let us not go to Camelot.
’tis a silly place.
Hint.
00
John Connor II,
Limited value replying the day after, I suppose, but I’ll give it a go…
I like your sense of humour, but I think you need to read a bit more carefully. What do you think I meant by “it would need to be paginated to 30? 50? comments“?
You’d only see the most recent N comments on the first page, but there’d be a “Next” button to take you to possibly thousands of older comments (N at a time).
Two main benefits:
1. The single open topic gives more room/less distraction for Jo’s topical postings.
2. The flat unthreaded structure makes it easier to be sure of reading *every* comment in unthreaded.
Those seem desirable to me, but may not even be possible with the forum software Jo’s using. It’s certainly used in some forums.
Jo might also be reluctant to rock the boat (despite the Zeitgeist with Milei, Trump, …)
00
Groundhog Day indeed. It gives rise to a groupthink which is incompatible with a “sceptical by definition” site.
I can always get some red thumbs when I talk about the GBR. 😀
04
I was involved with the generation of a global standard that is at the heart of a technology in common use today. I witnessed how that “standard” could be generated that favours one company and their products. Please don’t believe that the best standards are generated by a “meeting of the minds”, it can be more political than politics.
20
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/01/19/federal-reserve-withdraws-from-global-climate-coalition/
Albo-Tross and Blackout Bowen et al will need a truck load of smelling salts and humility. OH, The ignominy
50
And my favorite picture from the Inauguration.
140
Both told the world that things were just great. And now the new President has declared two emergencies, immigration and power.
Trump’s speech was an urgent agenda to fix what these two have done to America.
And now the election is over, the truth is out, the voters are solidly behind Trump’s agenda, especially on these two issues. Woke, DEI, ESG, BLM, LBGTIQ++ have burned Hollywood to ashes, a fiery image of what these villains have done to America.
80
Agreed except for one small change. Not what these two have done, but what others have done in their name.
I don’t believe the two of them were more than spectators.
120
MAGA for Australia. “May America Guide Australia”..?
81
Make Albo Go Away
70
OH, the shame. I think they are headed for the naughty corner.
I saw a flicker of intelligent thought from Biden when asked the question on who brokered the Gaza ceasefire:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVOO7xMFIyE
But Biden should have responded that it was a team effort because:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/16/gaza-ceasefire-deal-hamas-israel-biden-trump-credit-press-conference
20
The current White House Chief of Staff had a similar expression while having to watch the President sign all those Executive Orders. Priceless.
10
FWIW – to temper your temptation
” ‘Lab-Grown’ Meat Increases Blood Pressure, Inflammation, Depression: Study”
https://pjmedia.com/benbartee/2025/01/20/lab-grown-meat-increases-systemic-inflammation-blood-pressure-depression-study-n4936152
50
Another Good Reason to get rid of TEALs – Zali Steggall Warringah MP – “The Brain Dead Lady who says we don’t need Base Load Power”
I have fantastic news to share with you!
Thank you for writing to me in the past about Petroleum Exploration Permit 11, known as PEP11. On Friday, Minister Husic announced that the Commonwealth-New South Wales Offshore Petroleum Joint Authority has refused both gas exploration licenses for PEP11—a significant victory for our oceans and coastlines.
I have been steadfast in opposing PEP11 for over four years, tabling numerous bills in Parliament and presenting several petitions. However, it was ultimately the determination and unwavering support of the community that made this outcome possible.
Thank you for your dedication to protecting our precious marine environments. Together, we’ve ensured a brighter future for our coastlines and ocean
PS I am not Dumb enough to write to Zali Steggall
140
US to withdraw from Paris Climate Accord
There were massive cheers as Mr Trump signed the order to pull the United States out of the Paris Climate Accord, with Mr Trump arguing that America would save over one trillion dollars through this action.
He also signed another executive order transmitting to the United Nations an official letter making clear that he had taken a decision to withdraw America from the Paris climate deal.
160
The Paris Accord requires one year’s notice but why wait? No doubt America’s energy liberation will be started immediately. What’s the UN going to do?
And what happens to America’s windmills and solar farms? They harvest tax credits as subsidies. Will the tax credits be stopped?
70
This is not Trump 2.0, it is NewTrump 1.0. Having been burned once he is serious this time.
102
The cheers he is getting compared to here, the EU and the UK.
“BRAVO! Trump EXITS Paris Agreement and VOWS to end EV mandates | MGUY Australia”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2vSGll7mGA
30
TRUMP’s first executive orders:
152
2nd batch of EOs starting with
Evict the United Nations from their NY sanctuary to a more appealing environment, let’s say, northern Greenland… or Broken Hill.
/s
100
The UN site in New York is international territory. Trump would not have the authority to evict the UN from the site. He could probably require all non-citizens to depart the country or declare the UN a terrorist organisation, which most people have known for some time.
Who but a terrorist would frighten the kiddies with such outlandish outcries that the “oceans are boiling”.
90
How about Gaza?
50
Common Greg, not Broken Hill, what about that place on the North Island Whakatane, how’s that pronounced again?
30
TRUMP just withdrew from the WHO.
180
Tedros Adhonom should be on trial for crimes against humanity. He declared the China virus was not infectious human to human.
160
He has a lot more to answer for as well.
101
Sorry David, accidental red.
00
Bravo, well done.
30
This link goes to the actual EO:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/withdrawing-the-united-states-from-the-worldhealth-organization/
I have not seen any mention of that. It is something he planned toward the end of 2020.
40
Evening Rick,
The SMH has reported it:
” Another order withdrew the US from the World Health Organisation, saying the global health agency had mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic and other international health crises. ”
All the executive orders Donald Trump has signed https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/all-the-executive-orders-donald-trump-has-signed-20250121-p5l64o.html
Cheers,
Dave B
10
Fauci’s pre-emptive pardon dates back to 1st January 2014.
Is that when he started funding covid gain-of-function “research”?
110
Wouldn’t it be nice if he started just a week earlier.
How many people would backdate an invoice just to make that a reality?
My fingers are crossed. Alternatively, he broke some laws of a state rather than the republic.
40
David I think this is very blatant and warrants further investigation of exactly what did Fauchi do that warranted a last minute pardon .
50
Very odd to have a pardon when the person has yet to be convicted of a crime. I’m sure that these type of pardons will be challenged.
Apparently, the pardon only works at the Federal level. The States can challenge them so how about President Trump having a nice chat with the Florida Governor…………….
60
Congressional hearings of those pardoned without having yet been convicted could also take place – As well as Civil Proceedings/Class Actions.
Fun times ahead.
50
No, no … we ran out of rocks.
And you didn’t … and now you have all the rocks we threw.
Throwing rocks is bad.
It must stop.
And you are terrible for perpetuating rock violence.
10
Pardons definitely only work a Federal level, that’s why Trump can only wish he could rid himself of these turbulent priests.
But according to almost every (D) SCOTUS has granted Trump absolute immunity so instead of wishing for German Generals, he should wish for Henry’s noblemen.
00
Trump Day 1 & A New Day Dawning
“Donald Trump was sworn in and became the 47th president of the United States. He said he would reverse America’s “horrible betrayal” and instead usher in a “golden age” while taking on “a radical and corrupt establishment.” At least this time, he is fully aware of Washington’s corruption, and I wish him all the luck. Our model does show that he will succeed going into 2026 before there will be challenges on the international scene as Europe desires war. Note that the Oath of Office is to protect the country from both foreign and domestic enemies.
After listening to his inauguration speech, it was hard not to be optimistic about a New Dawn for America. President Trump is restoring common sense where there are only two bathrooms and restoring “In God We Trust,” which the Republicans adopted after the Civil War against the Democrats who rejected it back then as they have with abortion again advocating it as birth control. As he listed so many things that had to be reversed that have been a total disaster, it was hard not to notice that Biden and Kamala were sitting right there. Their legacy is nothing but a failure and tainted by corruption and last-minute pardons to even all of his family members, yet claiming they did nothing wrong. This is very strange. To obtain a presidential pardon for a felony, you must submit a formal application to the Office of the Pardon Attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice, typically five years after completing your sentence. The application will be reviewed, and the President has the final authority to grant or deny the pardon.
President Trump pledged to tackle residual inflation by declaring a “national energy emergency” to encourage domestic fossil fuel production, with policy changes that would enable new oil and gas development on federal lands and roll back Biden-era climate regulations, which have been disastrous and this entire net-zero culture has wiped out the European economy. In all honesty, I have stood and watched how this climate policy undermined the German economy, which is reminiscent of how Spain fell from the wealthiest nation on the planet becoming a serial defaulter beginning in 1557, followed by 1570, 1575, 1596, 1607, and 1647 ending in a 3rd world status without hyperinflation. German climate change policy and its own refusal to turn on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline has undermined its economy and that of all of Europe, as no leader is even willing to discuss peace.”
More at the following weblink –
https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/international-news/politics/trump-day-1-a-new-day-dawning/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=RSS
61
You have a red JR, is KP lurking?
00
And I believe that if all the lawfare failed, Washington still had assassination as a backup. They didn’t have to hire anyone, just not do their jobs. And shoot the assassin. Betrayal 101. It worked before and nearly worked this time too.
Many political commentators were openly disappointed. And a lot of people who had been told endlessly that Trump was Hitler, even by the Head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Milley. He publicly called Trump a fascist. What does that make Milley, a treasonous general?
He bypassed the Commander in Chief to privately call America’s greatest enemy and say that Trump was unable to respond to danger. That was a military coup. Milley really needed the pardon. He can live without his portrait. Everyone can. In most countries he would be executed for high treason.
120
The cold was convenient. Trump must be the most careful President ever.
30
Nothing says “trust the science” more than a preemptive pardon.
/article 2, section 2 of the US constitution.
No-one can be pardoned without first being charged.
40
If SCOTUS backs that ruling then the wax models of Biden will be heavy with pins!
20
Many a slip ‘twixt cup and lip. There will millions of billable hours in the top legal firms of the nation, plus a few bright newcomers putting this through microscopes.
Is there such a thing as a lawfare led recovery?
10
FWIW
Trump mightn’t realise it but he’s got competition in the number of signing stakes –
From Sam Weller’s “Bastards I’ve Met”, chapter on “Main Roads”
“I signed my name three thousand times one morning between 7 o’clock and 10. You reckon that’s worth sending to Guinness?
How it came about was that I was in charge of stores and purchasing and the only one authorised to sign petrol ration tickets.
When I got to work there were three truckies waiting for 50 x 44s each (that’s 150 x 44s) and the largest denomination I had in my box was a 5. That meant 8 x 5s and 2x2s for each drum (1500) signed front and back which equals 3000 times. A rubber stamp wasn’t acceptable.
I was bloody pleased that my name wasn’t McGillicuddy or Featherstonehaugh or something like that. Weller rolls off the pen nice and easy.”
And being WW2 rationed petrol it probably rated high in national importance too
40
FWIW
On “Trump Day” these have showed up in the last little while –
“UK/EU VETO on Trump-Putin talks. Part 1”
https://rumble.com/v6bqeiv-ukeu-veto-on-trump-putin-talks.-part-1.html?e9s=src_v1_ucp
“Starmer agenda, defeat and destroy RUSSIA. Part 2”
https://rumble.com/v6bqk7g-starmer-agenda-defeat-and-destroy-russia.-part-2.html?e9s=src_v1_ucp
And
“The Russian-Iranian Partnership Might Be A Game-Changer, But Only For Gas, Not Geopolitics”
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/russian-iranian-partnership-might-be-game-changer-only-gas-not-geopolitics
Looks like “somebodies” are going to get a lesson in playing in the “big boys sandpit” – OR
10
Oh dear, the two Alex’s. I had forgotten these two Ru trolls existed. Why did you do this? Before the war I watched them believing I was getting a European POV. I was a Ru POV.
I listened for a bit and surprisingly the say Ukraine can’t possibly survive. Best I do the tiresome /s thing.
10