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
he argues that he disrupted drivers, who couldn’t fill up at the motorway services for a few hours afterwards, “as an act of care”. https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/south-west-doctor-jailed-smashing-9851830
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Has he been at some of his ‘medications’.
70
Did anyone ask him how he got to the service station on the M25?
Did he walk there? Ride a bike? Did he take a trip in a car fueled by carbon based fuels, whether directly or via the electrical grid?
I’m sure that the drivers on the M25 appreciated his acts. Maybe they can get some satisfaction knowing that the quack is going to get some one on one time with Bubba for the trouble he caused. If we’re lucky, it’ll be something that he’ll remember, damaging the property of others has consequences.
I’m glad he didn’t glue himself to the low tide mark on the pier and protest the rapidly rising sea levels. Oops, have I just given the protestors another idea?
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“I’m glad he didn’t glue himself to the low tide mark on the pier and protest the rapidly rising sea levels. Oops, have I just given the protestors another idea?”
Now there’s a top idea for those protesting sea level rise, can’t wait to see the first one.
20
A simple case of too many brains leading to stupidity. Far better to be dumb with common sense.
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Clever Judge
“While his defence could not use a moral case to back up his plea, the judge did allow Dr Hart the chance to address the jury about why he carried out the action,…”
The Jury gets to see that he might offer more “care”. From his own words in the court the General Medical Council gets to ponder the same. Jailed for 12 months.
60
Clever judge, let the perp hang himself.
10
And still the media perpetuate the “Exxon Knew” lies:
The stunt was part of a protest by Just Stop Oil activists against Esso, whose parent company Exxon has been found to have concealed the findings of its own climate scientists in the early days of research into global warming.
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Anon author, confessed previous climate alarmist now repenting https://escapekey.substack.com/p/a-climate-chronology
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8D Information to be published—how (and to whom) information is to be published
Scope
(1) An agency must publish information that is required or permitted to be published under this Part in accordance with this section.
How (and to whom) information is to be published
(2) The agency must publish the information:
(a) to members of the public generally; and
(b) if the agency considers that it is appropriate to do so—to particular classes of persons or entities.
https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A02562/latest/text – just wondering if Canberra has realised that all Agencies must come off social media themselves if there are restrictions accessing said social media for under 16s – general information must be published to members of the public generally – ie to include under 16s
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Since I don’t use FB or X, does that mean that I’ve been missing out on important emissions from the government?
All this time I’ve been missing out on the latest news, opinions, changes to the law, permitting, etc.
Wow, my life hasn’t changed one bit for the loss. Now how can I go the next step and stop them from bothering me ever again? And, can I stop that incessant tax grab?
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Why are Leftoids so upset about TRUMP wanting to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of Anerica? (Apart from the fact that the want all of Mexico and beyond to illegally walk across the border to help destroy the US.)
Do they not know their geography?
The Gulf is in the Americas, not specifically in Mexico.
Plus America provides military patrols and rescue operations there that others benefit from and it is the “third coast” of the United States.
It makes perfect sense.
And supposedly satire or not, it was previously proposed to be renamed to Gulf of America by a Demon-rat, Stephen Holland in 2012. https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2012/02/09/146643464/call-it-gulf-of-america-not-gulf-of-mexico-mississippi-lawmaker-says
If Leftoids don’t like the name and it “triggers” them, they can continue to call it El Golfo de México. Better yet, why don’t Leftoids of the United States move to Mexico or even better, the Leftoid paradises of Cuba or Venezuela?
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Seems we have no issue with place names changing with language, so why not I guess.
Lake Geneva becomes Lac Léman or Genfersee depending on the speaker. I have never understood what was so hard about saying Firenze, but we have to call it Florence. The Indians had a field day renaming places as they asserted themselves, now a country name change is being pushed by some.
80
Nor why we continue to say “Rome” for Roma, or “Venice” for Venezia. But we aren’t alone in this – the Germans say “Nizza” for Nice.
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Name changes happen all the time. The recent fires at the Grampians are an example of name changes, only those who knew where it was could attend to help put out the fires. A big thanks to all involved.
Beyond a photo opportunity or two, did anyone see the woke helping? Maybe the use of the proper name prevented the new woke to show up and helping.
Well that’s the best reason I could come up with, surely it wasn’t be because they don’t care or actually wanted the place to burn. Maybe they had to be home for dinner at 5:30.
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One never sees the woke doing hard work, volunteer work or charity work.
I also do a lot of bushwalking and never see the wokesters in the bush and certainly not doing voluntary invasive weed removal or rubbish removal.
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David, do “wokesters” have a sign around their necks? ToM
20
It’s easier enough to tell, they don’t take long to start telling you their opinions. And green or purple hair or a septum nose ring are also good indicators….
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“It’s easier enough to tell, they don’t take long to start telling you their opinions.” followed by opinion, “And green or purple hair or a septum nose ring are also good indicators”
15 words apparently.
20
There is talk that the Gulfs name change is because Biden banned oil exploration in the Gulf of Mexico. I agree with you Dave, if you’re going to change it, it should be the Gulf of the America’s.
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Given the number of mexicans in the US, leave it as the Gulf of Mexico.😎
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I’m pretty sure the Gulf of Mexico was part of the Confederacy was used for the slave trade.
So the name has to be changed.
30
We are about to get a rare planetary alignment (already started).
Video: https://youtu.be/TuXRMRmiQRM
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https://in-the-sky.org/solarsystem.php
You might need to zoom out a little. Say 25 AU.
There isn’t an alignment of the planets, just an alignment in our view of the sky. It’s not unusual, the planets all reside in almost a neat, singular plane, (so they will always be in one arc across the sky. If they are, (for example), to the left hand side of the Earth, (as viewed from above the planetary plane), then the planets will all be in the sky together.
If the planets were all in a line, from the Sun outward, then Venus and Mercury would be on the daytime side of the sky, directly between us and the Sun, (basically invisible due to the Sun’s glow. And the other planets would be overhead, in a single point, at midnight.
Since the planets aren’t aligned like this, then it is easy to see that the planets are just aligned for viewing, not aligned by orbit.
And for interest, Jupiter and Saturn are almost 90 degrees apart in the orbits at present. They won’t realign, (Sun, Jupiter and Saturn in a line), for some time.
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Ok, “alignment” was the wrong word at least given the possible interpretation that it meant the planets were aligned, as opposed to an alignment in our field of view.
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Yip and the increased msm reports of quakes has already started. I qualify with “msm reports” because we all know the earth has ongoing shiverings which don’t “need” to be reported as they might cause leftard climate change people to stop and think about how fragile our existence here is and there are natural powers that we have NO CONTROL or INFLUENCE OVER.
Shaken not stirred…..
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Yes, the most recent planetary alignments (relative, not in a straight line) were in 1982 and 2000. A book was written in 1974 called The Jupiter Effect which predicted widespread catastrophe for the 1982 alignment but no castrophes occurred. None occurred in 2000 either, at least none attributable to the planets.
The relative alignment of the gas giants in the late 70’s and 80’s was the motivation for a “Grand Tour” mission of Voyager 1 and 2.
I wrote an article about them.
https://www.siliconchip.com.au/Issue/2018/December/%22The+Grand+Tour%22%3A+the+incredible+Voyager+missions
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More on the Los Angeles fires.
“The 2024-25 California state budget, which Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law in June 2024, slashed funding for wildfire and forest resilience by $101 million as part of a series of cutbacks according to an analysis by the state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office.
However overall, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)’s wildfire protection budget has increased sharply from $1.1 billion in 2014 to $3 billion in 2023, much of which took place after Newsom became governor in 2019.
Speaking to Newsweek, a spokesperson for Newsom said that under the governor’s “leadership” the CAL FIRE budget had doubled from $2 billion in 2018-19 to $3.8 billion in 2024-25, whilst the department’s personnel went from 5,829 to 10,741 over the same period.”
So in the style of Daniel Andrews, the number of administrators doubled but the actual ability to fight fires was dramatically reduced. This is the socialist way, public service jobs equals Democrat/Labor voters which means much more taxation and far less ability to get the job done.
It is the hallmark of socialist states. Hire more, pay more, tax more, do less. Which is why socialist schemes self destruct. You pay more people more money. And they have to economise, so they cut the actual fire fighting budget!
In the EU the farmers are still the taxation and regulation target to pay for explosive growth in socialist administrators. For a better, more eco friendly, more diverse, more equitable, more inclusive and more peaceful world where there is no food and no ability to defend what you have.
And in left dominated universities, half the salaries are for administrators and 97% of all staff vote Democrat. It’s clearly a requirement. And in an age where computers have automated most administration tasks like accounting and scheduling, what do they actually do?
Donald Trump and DOGE are about to reverse this. Zero fire fighting ability, zero water in Los Angeles is a wakeup call to all of America. How can you have 11,000 full time people in the State Fire Department and no water in the hydrants in a city which contains 36% of the population?
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When the Left spend other people’s money they ALWAYS spend more and get less.
When Musk took over Twitter, which waa run like a government department as they were partnered with the US Government to distribute propaganda and suppress conservative speech, he discovered he could get rid of a majority of staff with no change in productivity. In other words most of the Leftoids “working” there were basically useless.
Same applies to Government departments.
And in Australia, back in the day, you would even hear the fake conservative Liberal Party complain about excessive government expenditure, taxes and regulations. These days they are silent about that. If they get elected it will be more of the same, perhaps slightly less bad than Labor.
Spend less and spend smarter, don’t spend more.
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Some of the most staggeringly wasteful government departments I have seen in Australia involve those where a young, inexperienced and incompetent DEI quota hire has been put in charge. Also, then their focus becomes simply to get more DEI hires, not perform the true job function. The results are disastrous.
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Our local council once had two women in the office doing everything, at a time you had to physically go to the office to pay your rates. Today, population not that much bigger, there’s, I don’t know, a lot.
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Mid North Coast Council has 330 staff in its new headquarters of the old Masters store. The staff have access to a quiet room just in case they have to speak to an irate rate payer. In 2007 when I first moved here my rates were $1400. Now they are over $3000. The increase was to pay for upgrades to roads and bridges. There are some new bridges but all seem to have been paid for by government (State or Federal) upgrade or safety grants. Our roads are still a series of over-patched potholes with broken edges so all that our rates seem to go to employing more paper shufflers in the head quarters with an unpronounceable Aboriginal name. Strangely the staff refer to the HQ as Masters. Could be a play on words too.
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Lawrie, would that be Taree by any chance.
10
A lesson for Australia Labor/Greens/TEALS summed up by the Wall Street Journal
California’s Climate Time for Choosing
Sacramento tilts at reducing temperatures while its cities burn from failure to adapt to a variable climate.
By The WSJ Editorial Board
The Los Angeles wildfires are awful to behold, and perhaps they are bad enough to cause some rethinking by California’s political class.
Instead of trying like Don Quixote to change the climate, they could spend their money on mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change.
Democrats blame the L.A. blazes on the changing climate, which is a convenient excuse as citizens rage against the failures of state and local government.
The evidence doesn’t support the climate explanation since (among other reasons) California has had a dry climate and Santa Ana winds, even with hurricane-force gusts on occasion, for centuries.
If the Democrats who run the state believe their own advertising, why not spend money in useful ways rather than on a green-energy transition to nowhere?
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An Incredibly Articulate Young Man Enunciates the Problem Perfectly
This is how D.E.I. destroyed LA Fire Department’s ability to deal with the LA fires.
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Says it all very clearly.
The LA fires are of sufficient scale to get global attention. Climate has always changed and always will. Nothing anyone does in California is going to alter the rate of change of the climate; it will do what it has always done – change.
The UN has done and will do nothing to mitigate the damage caused by the LA fires. California’s woke adherence to the UN globalist agenda has screwed their priorities. Calidfornia’s action is no more useful than our local council here in SE Melbourne declaring a climate emergency and spending 5 minutes of every meeting welcoming attendees to “country”.
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Excellent. Although I disagree with one of his final comments that the climate is changing although he qualifies that by saying we might disagree with the extent. Also he transposed the words “equal” and “equivalent” when he said men and women are equal not equivalent.
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If Dutton, pretend leader of the pretend conservative Liberal Party had a clue, he would be giving examples of massive wastes of taxpayer money, say what he’ll do about it and create a DOGE department, to be solely funded by waste savings in other areas, not new expenditure.
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How would a Japanese leader handle the California fires?
By Richard Kantro
As California burns, I am near-speechless with indignation as I watch Newsom and Bass in their lamentable interview performances.
These two self-satisfied political miscreants cause my hands to clench into fists of trembling rage, as spoken words fail me (cf. Billy Budd v. Claggart). So I’m writing them instead.
Gavin Newsom is a plain sociopath, to whom no whiff of shame can attach.
There is no blameworthiness he cannot deflect, via either vicious counterattack or pathetic excuse.
Blame Trump for politicizing. Blame the “local folks” for their dry hydrants. Do we not yet see that he is incapable even of awareness, much less contrition?
As for the execrable Karen Bass — as sorry an excuse for an American big-city mayor as we’ve had in decades, and that includes some recent real stinkers in places like New York and Chicago — I guess jetting off to Africa on the public dime, as the L.A. fire alerts were ramping up, must have seemed a good idea to her.
I.Q. tests for public office, anybody?
Neither of these two solipsistic unworthies has resigned yet.
Given the way barnacles cling to the political hull these days, neither is likely to.
Yet just a month ago, according to multiple online articles, the president and executives of Japan’s Shikoku Bank have vowed in writing, should they ever be found guilty of financial fraud or embezzlement, to commit seppuku.
The pact was reportedly signed with the signatories’ own blood.
This is a dramatic gesture, to be sure, and a ghastly one, alien to us in America.
Yet their unequivocal acceptance of prospective ultimate responsibility proclaims that their duties have meaning to them.
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That’s a brilliant piece OldOz, and so true .
It should be front page of the national rag.
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Wonder why the CCP hates Japan so much…
The corrupt chinese would never possess such integrity. Ever.
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“The corrupt chinese would never possess such integrity. Ever.”
Hey, don’t hit on the Chinese, the Australians are no different! When did a politician last accept the blame for what they caused and resign from politics?? Its far more likely they deflect the sh1t to someone else and only move when they get pushed sideways, to reappear a few years late.
20
Sunday music.
Symphony orchestra plays theme music from Gerry Anderson’s Thunderbirds (1965-66).
The music was originally composed by Barry Gray.
Note that the background video clips have scenes from all of Anderson’s productions, not just Thunderbirds.
https://youtu.be/M9-qkRpDWN8
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FWIW
There are several cups of coffee worth of reading in today’s Coffee and Covid newsletter (IMO)
https://open.substack.com/pub/coffeeandcovid/p/unconditional-saturday-january-11?
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That was a great read. Thanks.
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All C&C Saturday articles at link very worthwhile – thank you. The ESG Texas ruling is very interesting as it has elements of being the total opposite of the Australian REST Super case started back in 2017/18 when Mark McVeigh, a 23-year-old ecology graduate and council worker from Brisbane, initiated legal action against REST, a $50 billion superannuation fund, over its lack of transparency regarding climate change risks. McVeigh sought information about how REST managed financial risks caused by climate change and what actions they were taking to address these risks.
The case aimed to change the way major asset owners address climate change risks when managing other people’s money. Initially, the case sought only to have the super fund disclose information on climate risk. However, in 2018, McVeigh filed a new claim alleging that REST had breached its obligations to protect his retirement savings from the financial devastation that would flow from climate change.
As I read it McVeigh initially wanted more thought given to not investing in industries say like coal mining or say coal fired infrastructure because the move to net zero meant any return, along with the initial investment, would ultimately be lost/greatly reduced.
The implied counter claim therefore would be that wind and solar farm investing/backing is the go. REST appear to have accepted the argument because as part of the 2020 out of court settlement apparently, they committed to:
-Take steps to ensure investment managers actively consider, measure and manage relevant ESG risks
-A long-term objective to achieve a net-zero carbon footprint for the fund by 2050
-And “pledged” to align its portfolio with the Paris Agreement
Having never risen above bush lawyer status I will leave it there and ponder the other question of whether a class action has ever been brought against an individual?
Oh, and that other current dilemma of who would be a Californian insurance company if you couldn’t (just in time) cancel/withdraw your fire policies so who would be an Australian super fund if you couldn’t invest ALL your customer’s money ONLY in bank cash deposits?
You will own nothing and be happy.
00
FWIW –
A lesson in “How not to”
“Stunner: Why Was Pacific Palisades Reservoir EMPTY? It Gets Worse.”
https://pjmedia.com/victoria-taft/2025/01/11/why-was-pacific-palisades-reservoir-empty-n4935875
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More of that “wonderful red tape”
“Carolla: CA’s Government Started These Fires, and Has an Evil Surprise Coming”
“Trainer/host of The Biggest Loser Gillian Michaels confirmed that, saying that when her home was burned down by another regularly-scheduled disastrous wildfire years ago, it took her a full year just to get the permit to…
Bulldoze the wreckage of her destroyed home.
Not to rebuild the home. That would take another gauntlet of permit approvals.”
https://hotair.com/headlines/2025/01/11/carolla-cas-government-started-these-fires-and-has-an-evil-surprise-coming-n3798704
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THE PERFECT PHOTOGRAPH
From 2016
This wildlife photographer took 720,000 pictures of kingfishers trying to get this particular shot and finally succeeded.
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Yesterday we had a yellow robin hovering against our window, all day long. He’d sit on the plant nearby then come, tapping on the glass than dart off, then come back again. I sat for hours trying to get it on my iphone in slo-mo. Failed and gave up. Great patience is required for animal photography.
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I raise!
https://64.media.tumblr.com/84fd30df078b2ad16a3d6760ecabea9b/6b539ab1b095911d-d4/s1280x1920/3fbaa9d7dd435d0db99d7d892e08a6fe87681c1e.jpg
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In 1871 Mrs O’Leary’s cow kicked over a lamp and started the Great Chicago fire.
In 1896 an earthquake preceded the Great San Francisco fire. 3,000 people died and 80% of the city was destroyed.
Now in 2025 in Los Angeles, the Great Los Angeles fire occurred in a modern city with modern building materials and 11,000 full time people employed to prevent and control fires. For a century people will ask how it was possible. The Santa Anna 100mph winds happen perhaps 20 times a year, always in the same direction.
But the Getty Museum survived surrounded by flames.
Director Fleming: Extensive brush-clearing over the last year, Fleming said, had been completed with the knowledge that fire is a way of life in Los Angeles, and that the region’s frequent periods of drought made a massively destructive fire inevitable.
What did they know that 11,000 full time State fire prevention staff did not know?
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Everyone denies it was their job to ensure that there was water in the fire hydrants.
You have to love that “the Fire Chief’s tasks do not include any mention of actual fire prevention or fire fighting. It’s all about diversity. Like that NZ ship which hit a coral reef while on auto pilot. Which is odd given that 99.999% of the Pacific ocean has no obstacles.
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No one was responsible for making sure there was water in the hydrants but there was no problem making sure someone was responsible for painting the hydrants with LGBTIQCAPGNGFNBA* rainbow colours. Priorities!
*LGBTIQCAPGNGFNBA is the latest wokester acronym, not a joke.
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What does it stand for?
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Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer/Questioning, Curious, Asexual, Pansexual, Gender-Nonconforming, Gender-Fluid, Non-Binary, and Androgynous.
Everything except heterosexual.
Oh, they missed out another I just became aware of “symbiosexual”.
10
So curious is a gender. What part of the anatomy is affected?
10
And what exactly is gender fluid?
10
What doesn’t it stand for?
10
Sanity.
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“What does it stand for?”
in the real world NOT MUCH
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It is shorthand for ” I am not normal but I cannot afford going to a shrink because they might tell me an unpalatable truth. I’m an idiot and I want to be noticed. “
00
For a change of pace –
“Kurt Vonnegut tells his wife he’s going out to
buy an envelope:
“Oh, she says, well, you’re not a poor man. You
know, why don’t you go online and buy a
hundred envelopes and put them in the closet?
And so I pretend not to hear her. And go out to
get an envelope because I’m going to have a hell
of a good time in the process of buying one
envelope. I meet a lot of people. And see some
great looking babies. And a fire engine goes by.
And I give them the thumbs up. And I’ll ask a
woman what kind of dog that is. And, and I don’t
know. The moral of the story is – we’re here on
Earth to fart around. And, of course, the
computers will do us out of that. And what the
computer people don’t realize, or they don’t
care, is we’re dancing animals. You know, we
love to move around. And it’s like we’re not
supposed to dance at all anymore.”
https://accordingtohoyt.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/ggeumozxgaaqn53.png?w=606
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Someone wrote yesterday that nothing would stop houses in LA being burned with such high winds, no firebreak would be effective.
That would mean that the entire city, every building, all areas, will burn to the ground. Let us see. I think not, the houses burned so far are those closest to the vegetation and mountains. Getting back from the flame zone is always a good idea.
This is a planning disaster, ignoring risk in good times. It’s human nature to do this. Look at Lismore, NSW. At least they have not rebuilt some of the lowest houses destroyed in the last flood. But that town is in the wrong place and should be moved.
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Here is solid proof that a man with a plan in the Pacific Palisades can beat the fire:
https://youtu.be/7-qeaSePudA
The vast majority of fuel for the fires was man made. The fires started in scrub land but most of what burnt were houses. And the houses were well spaced.
The old fellow in the video provides proof that these were relatively low intensity fires. Nothing like the crowning fires that are experienced in eucalyptus forests where you will not survive without a fire rated bunker.
There are videos of people inside houses with spot fires breaking out before they evacuated. The fires were at ground level just burning buildings materials and contents. They were not intense crowning fires with 100m high flames and exploding oil liker seen in Australian forrest fires.
30
A fine example of guts and determination at work, he didn’t say where he got the water from but he had a decent hose.
I would love to see more about the bloke who saved his home by bucketing water out of his jacuzzi then his pool, he saved his own home plus the neighbours on either side, he was on the beach I think.
Think of all the swimming pools full of water and no one had the common sense to use it.
America, leaders in technology, trying to fight fires with no water, no help and no idea.
As we know, there’s something seriously wrong with the USA.
30
Friends who border onto Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park Northern Sydney, have swimming pools and petrol powered pumps to use to take pool water & protect their houses – basic bush fire prevention
20
Kalifonistan is infested with millions of eucalyptus trees. They were first imported as seeds, over a century ago.
The terrain and soil suits them. Look closely at a lot of the recent video footage; Very distinctive structure ans canopy, all over the place, many of them seriously tall and “healthy-looking”.
BTW, California is NOT the only place to have large stocks of feral eucalyptus. Italy, especially around Venice, and Viet Nam, down along the south-East coast. In BOTH places, the Gum trees predilection for re-engineering the soil has become a problem. Probably the world’s biggest invasive weeds. In BOTH places, the trees were planted to ‘dry-out” areas of high soil moisture, something the do quite well. However, once established, they drop a steady rain of leaf and bark litter. As this detritus breaks down, it acidifies the soil and leaches remaining nutrients from the top soil; further denying growing opportunities to other species.. I understand that in both Italy and Viet Nam, the locals have also worked this out.
You can also spot them when they burn; BLACK smoke; not the traditional grey. This is the eucalyptus oil burning off from the leaves; be they green ones in the canopy or the “dead” ones al over the forest floor.
In Oz, places like NaffDanistan have been steadily losing their “fluffy” rain forest remnants to eucalyptus for generations. The heat from the burning ‘dry sclerophyl” Eucalypts cooks the adjacent “rain-forest (wet sclerophyl) species. In the aftermath, the eucalyptus seedlings sprout FASTER in the ashes of other species. Gum-tree seed pods are VERY hardy, so much so that most need the heat of a passing understorey fire to germinate. First one with viable seedlings is probably going to dominate the scenery.
10
From my observation of the aftermath, the few big trees are still there. It was the houses and contents that provided most of the fuel.
There was leaf and bark litter that may have contributed to the rapid spread but the fire was not anything like the crowning forest fires seen in Australia.
This video shows Via De La Paz just north of Gelsons shop on Sunset Boulevard..
https://www.msn.com/en-us/public-safety-and-emergencies/natural-disasters/this-is-how-the-worst-fire-in-pacific-palisades-history-became-possible/ar-BB1rhyN7
There was not a single eucalyptus tree in the street as fas as I can tell from Google maps and yet it is now all rubble..
00
And southern Africa. Plus Australian acacias there.
00
Plastic wheelie bins, plastic pool furniture, kids toys, trampolines, timber decking and timber fencing, it all burns well and will spread to your house fast.
00
Several people have saved their homes simply by being there and dousing spot fires as they appeared, not for everyone though, most ran screaming down the road because they were told to.
50
Only 5 percent of US car buyers want an EV, according to survey by Deloitte
The consulting company gathered data from more than 31,000 people across 30 countries as part of its 2025 Global Automotive Consumer Study, and some of the results are rather interesting, as they pertain to technologies like new powertrains, connectivity, and artificial intelligence.
Among US consumers, internal combustion engines (ICE) remain number one, with 62 percent indicating that their next car will not be electrified. Another 1 in 5 would like a hybrid for their next vehicle, with a further 6 percent desiring a plug-in hybrid. (The remaining survey respondents either did not know or wanted some other powertrain option.)
By contrast, only 38 percent of Chinese consumers want to stick with ICE; meanwhile, 27 percent of them want a BEV next. That’s a far higher percentage than in other large nations—in Germany, only 14 percent want a BEV; in the UK and Canada, only 8 percent are BEV-bound; and in Japan, the number is a mere 3 percent.
Meanwhile, hybrids are far more attractive to consumers in most countries. While only 16 percent of Chinese and 12 percent of German consumers indicated this preference, 23 percent of Canadians, 24 percent of UK consumers, and 35 percent of Japanese consumers replied that they were looking for a hybrid for their next car.
50
Chinese cities have really bad air pollution. Not just theoretical, it’s noticeably bad. I would suggest that is a major motivating factor behind those statistics.
30
My petrol mower is in dire need of replacement.
Most new mowers for sale in stores are battery powered. Take a look at any Bunnings store. At least 75% are battery powered.
So…I thought to myself, get rid of my preconceptions about battery mowers and do some research with an (almost) open mind.
End result, It will be a petrol powered mower for my next mower thankyou.
Battery powered mowers, like BEVs will suit some people but it is not fit for purpose for me.
BTW. I have a neighbour on a corner block who purchased one of those small Ryobi battery powered mowers. He has to recharge the battery 3 times to mow his lawn. Some people buy without any thought of the requirements.
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I’ve actually got one. 36v, two tool batteries, anything less would be no go. But it’s ok.
Doesn’t have the power of the petrol but does the job on medium tough terrain here, not manicured lawn, pick up sticks before cutting though. It’s a different cut, large clippings. Lasts about 20 minutes roughly, cut time, not total so you don’t pull the mower back n forth, just straight ahead and cut.
I also have a ride on, but get sick of turning your head all the time going back n forth ini tight places and on slope. Our petrol mower was crappy and starting it a nightmare. Had batteries so the mower was cheaper. The thing I do like is it’s light and you can turn it upside down to clean the underside and keep it from rusting.
But the thing that goes on mowers is those crappy plastic wheels. Once they go you’re done. And they all have that except for the more expensive ones.
10
Lithium Ion powered lawnmowers? Just the thing to store in the garage beside the Tesla.
Watching some of the “ground-level’ video from LA, occasionally visible were sustained, isolated “flares” of fire in a vast field of smoking destruction.
Compromised gas mains / CNG tanks? Or “overheated” EVs that were not rescued in time?
21
Given the affluency of the area and the voting demographic of the inhabitants I was wondering what the net effect of the no doubt numerous EVs in the area was/is to the destruction. Oh and the other thought how many of those EVs left at home or abandoned in the ensuing road grid lock occurred because the car wasn’t charged or the charge ran out?
Maybe another historical lesson/experience to be ignored in our future. Cheers.
00
FWIW
Another “According to Hoyt”
FWIW – LA fires in summary
“Libs of TikTok O
@Libsoftiktok
Subscribe
Don’t you hate it when climate change
appoints a DEI hire to run the fire dept, gives
away fire equipment to Ukraine, stops critical
controlled burns, defunds the fire dept,
refuses to build more water reservoirs and
store water, cancels fire insurance,
mismanages forests and brush, and fires
firefighters for refusing an experimental
vaccine?
Last edited 19:48 • 1/8/25 • 469K Views
0 681 02.7K 0 11K 451”
https://accordingtohoyt.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/fb_img_1736428897158.jpg?w=480
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But let’s blame it on climate change anyway.
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FWIW
“The Illusion of Knowledge”
“The problem with totalitarian states is a problem of information, or lack thereof. No one wants to tell the boss that things didn’t turn out the way he planned. And there’s a hierarchy of bosses before the ultimate boss. At each level, the information is corrupted.”
Much more at
https://accordingtohoyt.com/2025/01/09/the-illusion-of-knowledge/
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No one wants to be the one to pass bad news to their boss, so it gets ‘modified’ on the way up the chain.
00
At one place I worked the Store Manager wrote and kept on a whiteboard outside his office:
“I don’t wanna (sic) hear what you can’t do”.
No he would rather read about it on the company’s Facebook site when for example customers complained of no stock on shelves… and behind the scenes that was because the sought item was actually on a pallet out the back in the dock but the pallet was on the top (3rd highest) storage rack and not every work shift had a rostered person who had been trained and therefore had authority (OH&S) to operate the pallet stacker to get it down. Coupled with that of course was the fact that previous night fill shifts had “let” the shelve dwindle to nothing.
“Excuse me sir (tugging at forelock), I know you don’t want to hear but could you approve the budget to train more people on the pallet stacker so on every shift we can access available stock not on the shelf but high up in the dock?”
00
https://www.travelriskmap.com/#/planner/map/mental-health – Australia in Red
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It does confirm a lot about what I think of the sanity of Western voters..
00
Statistics on car fires, show that EV’s have the least fire incidents, by a long way. Do an internet search, it comes up quickly. Hybrids are the worst.
So what’s the story? I smell a rat. If its true, great, I’m not opposed to EVs in absolute terms, (but am opposed in some terms).
I’ve been around petrol cars for some time now and regard the risk of fire to be near zero, but apparently it’s quite risky. Diesel I fill tractors from a rusty 100 year old on farm tank and smoke a cigarette while doing it. But no, diesel did that Luton fire apparently. Seems my world is different to the one I should be observing. I might write to ferries and tell them they should not be letting those petrol cars on board and only permit EVs, they must not have seen the stats.
80
I used to be a mechanic in a former life and in all that time I’ve only heard, not seen, evidence of two car fires, both caused by owners fiddling, one was a loose fuel pipe, the other an improperly mounted battery which moved and contacted a metal air cleaner housing.
50
Amazing facts about redheads in honor of Kiss a Ginger Day
Red hair is a rare phenomenon, occurring in only about 1-2% of the global population.
On January 12, the world celebrates International Kiss a Ginger Day, a day dedicated to honoring the uniqueness of people with red hair. Red hair is a rare phenomenon, occurring in only about 1-2% of the global population.
Beyond their distinctive hair color, redheads have unique medical and health characteristics that make them an intriguing group scientifically. Here’s everything you need to know about redheads—from skin sensitivity to personality traits.
The origin of red hair
The red hair color stems from a mutation in the MC1R gene, which is responsible for melanin production—the pigment that gives color to skin, hair, and eyes. In redheads, this mutation leads to increased production of pheomelanin, giving the hair its reddish hue, and lower levels of eumelanin, which creates darker colors.
Sensitive skin and sun exposure
Redheads often have very fair skin, making them more sensitive to UV radiation. As a result, they are at a higher risk of skin conditions such as melanoma, a dangerous form of skin cancer. Dermatologists recommend redheads use sunscreen regularly, avoid prolonged sun exposure, and undergo periodic skin checks.
Unique ability to produce vitamin D
On the bright side, redheads’ pale skin gives them an advantage: they can produce vitamin D more efficiently in low-sunlight regions. This helps protect against diseases linked to vitamin D deficiency, such as rickets and osteoporosis.
On this day, people are encouraged to show appreciation for redheads through friendly gestures such as hugs, consensual kisses, or compliments. In countries with high concentrations of redheads, such as the Netherlands, Ireland, and Scotland, special events like community gatherings and redhead meetups are held.
80
Kiss a Ranga Day. This invented by Juliar Gillard who in the event went over to the dark side
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Hope you aren’t offended if I decline your offer Old Ozzie, it’s just a hang up from the olden days when, you know, blokes don’t kiss blokes. Still showed this to the good lady wife who also declined the offer until I have a shower and stop smelling of diesel. Offer of last resort was the bloody dog who simply walked away!
10
I am happy with the Hugs from the Grandkids
20
On a lighter note – happy 2025 for some https://www.lusakatimes.com/2025/01/04/suspects-released-by-drunken-police-officer-to-celebrate-new-year-still-at-large/
10
Here are a few financial manias that have gripped the world. The longest lived is wind and solar subsidy harvesting and it is unique because everyone in society suffers its effects, while “investors” profit handsomely.
With other financial manias it was mostly investors which suffered. Wind and solar mania can and is destroying entire economies.
Tulip Mania 1634-1637
The South Sea Company 1711–1720
The Mississippi Company bubble 1719–1720
Silver Thursday March 27, 1980
Comic book speculation bubble 1985–1993
Wind and solar subsidy harvesting about 1990 to present
Uranium 2007
Cryptocurrency 2016–2017 to present
50
DM,
What of the 1980s US Govt scare with the claim that growth of man-made chemicals would cause a tragic surge in cancer cases? See “The Apocalyptics” by Edith Efron. Geoff S
10
There was a nickel bubble/boom for a while too, in the 80’s.
00
I am not sure crypto currency is a bubble. It is a real alternative to fiat currencies, especially the US dollar. And especially for criminal activity which is enough in itself for a currency not tied to any government. Gold is still a currency for most countries and governments. And diamonds, but that’s a fake market maintained with difficulty and artificial scarcity.
El Salvador has done extremely well adopting bit coin as its currency.
00
Wildfires – Climate or Criminal?
By Dr Graham Pinn
The year 2024 produced much anguish over fires, with attempts made to blame the regular events on “unprecedented” climate change. The season is just kicking off here but elsewhere, in the Northern winter, things are hotting up early!
Just a few days into January 2025, the season has already started, with a major fire in Los Angeles; typically, the usual “catastrophic” fire season begins around May. Seven fires, including on the iconic Sunset Boulevard, have created significant damage, with tens of thousands evacuated, and only two under control (am 9/01). The city, with a population of 4 million has a massive urban sprawl, resulting in an area 50% bigger than New York.
The cause is yet to be evaluated, with temperatures as low as 3 degrees it is difficult to relate it to excess heat, no doubt some will try; strong winds are exacerbating the damage, with already (Day 2) a thousand homes lost. The timing of onset of fires, and their multiple inner-city sites, are all strongly suggestive of arson.
More at –
https://saltbushclub.com/2025/01/10/wildfires-climate-or-criminal/#more-2917
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The homeless guy with the gas torch, seen lighting fires in a dumpster, arrested by citizens then released by cops, where did he get such a fancy weapon like that, was it ‘gifted’ to him with ‘instructions’.
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Sunday funny: dog treats
https://va.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_spwrejuI1x1z23obp.mp4
Vaxx analogy – you can only be fooled so long. 😆
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Fool me once.
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THE QUICKEST WAY TO TAKE A PERSON’S RIGHTS IS TO MAKE UP A ‘FELONY’ AND DESTROY THEM WITH IT
I just hope and pray that 0n Jan 20 POTUS 47 acts in accordance the he essence of this authoritative article and issues the required Executive Order to “Free the People”
https://richardsonpost.com/howellwoltz/38449/u-s-conviction-machine-goal-is-to-steal-rights-of-americans/
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I want to see what happens to Judge Merchan who has zero regard for the rights of the President. Nothing in his kangaroo court was lawful. He set out to use his position to cause as much damage as possible and should pay a high price.
30
Retro tech Sunday
Everyone remember playing this back in 1976?
https://imgbox.com/T6Mwc2H4
/still more entertaining than season 2 of Squid game.😉
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No!
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Paratrooper I remember. Ping pong. The original IBM PC was built for this market with a cassette input and TV output. The competition was the TRS-80 and the like. But corporate America bought 1,000,000 PCs with floppy drives and monitors and keyboards and Lotus 123.
00
FWIW
“Massive Recovery in Antarctica Sea Ice Unreported by Net Zero-Obsessed Mainstream Media”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/01/10/massive-recovery-in-antarctica-sea-ice-unreported-by-net-zero-obsessed-mainstream-media/
30
The are worried about sea ice melting and raising sea levels. It cannot. Floating ice has the same volume as the water it displaces.
I have always looked for ways to explain this..
Ice weighs exactly the same as the original water.
The force down is still the weight of the water, which is unchanged. The force up is the weight of displaced water which exactly matches that weight down.
But ice is out of the water to the extent that the mass lost under the water line due to 10% lower density exactly matches the weight above the waterline.
I usually prove this with a glass of water and some ice cubes. But it’s good for scaring journalists who don’t believe it. All the Arctic ice is sea ice and could go. All the icebergs could melt. All the Antarctic sea ice could melt. And the difference would not be 1mm.
00
It’s time California Mk 2 proponents went in for the kill! Strike while the embers are hot and burning!
20
Specifically Gavin Newscum (Trump’s name) took $100Million out of the specific Fire Prevention budget. He needs to pay for his criminal actions as the person responsible for 10 deaths and $150Billion in damages.
10
In the American way, sue Gavin Newscum for damages. Simple.
10
Just sayin’ …
if ‘Climate Change’*, is losing general credibility, and skeptics gain it, and Net Zero becomes defunct …
it will not be because we won a ‘science’ debate.
It will because the progressive crusaders went too far with Wokeness, or what James Carville calls “NPR lingo”, and lawfare and gender politics, and general annoying preachyness, and incompetence in prioritizing cultural and ideological puritanism over good governance.
It’s much like the Trump election.
The Progs did it to themselves.
*’Climate Change’ is a political marketing brand name and was never something ‘science’ could prove or falsify in the first place.
We won’t be winning because we trounced them with our facts.
It will be because they alienated their consumer base.
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About those dry LA reservoirs:
https://instapundit.com/695406/
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