# ****ASF Breaking News****



## noirua (21 September 2008)

A bomb attack has hit the Marriott Hotel in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, killing at least 31 people.

A blast created a 6 meter deep crater, and destroyed the entire front of the hotel.

A lorry approached the hotel and a blast occurred in a suspected suicide attack.


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## subaru69 (21 September 2008)

Does this mean the Australian Cricket Team will have to find somewhere else to stay?


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## kitehigh (21 September 2008)

Apparently it was at least a ton of explosives which is a massive bomb.  It is also a worry when the lorry gets past the security check point out the front which included a sniffer dog.  I suppose they could have brought them off, or just plain incompentance, both just as likely.

I don't think the Australian cricket team will be touring Pakinstan any time soon.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7627135.stm


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## 2020hindsight (22 September 2008)

severe weather warning for Sydney... later this afternoon and/or this evening


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## mayk (22 September 2008)

It looks bad....

http://www.bom.gov.au/gms/IDE00035.200809220430.shtml


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## white_goodman (22 September 2008)

gotta love the care factor for pakistan


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## noirua (23 September 2008)

Reports say that there has been a shooting at a school in Kauhajoki (a vocational school), in NorthWest Finland and many are dead. The gunman is still inside the building.

The level of gun ownership in Finland is among the highest in the world.


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## noirua (23 September 2008)

noirua said:


> Reports say that there has been a shooting at a school in Kauhajoki (a vocational school), in NorthWest Finland and many are dead. The gunman is still inside the building.
> 
> The level of gun ownership in Finland is among the highest in the world.




Reuters reports that 9 students are dead. A 20 year-old-man is in hospital with a gun shot wound to the head.  He entered the college with an automatic rifle and wearing a ski mask.


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## korrupt_1 (2 October 2008)

*U.S. Senate Approves $700 Billion Financial-Rescue Legislation  *

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a_Em8au.tjQs&refer=home


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## noirua (3 October 2008)

korrupt_1 said:


> *U.S. Senate Approves $700 Billion Financial-Rescue Legislation  *
> 
> http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a_Em8au.tjQs&refer=home




Only the Upper House vote. Lower house votes again on Friday.


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## noirua (7 October 2008)

Iceland's entire economy is in peril. The possibility of the collapse of the entire economy. The Prime Minister is just making a statement, in Icelandic, at this moment.
Shares in all six banks are suspended.

The Iceland Government has ordered all banks to sell all their foreign assets immediately.

Iceland is to cover losses for domestic account holders.  Foreigners are limited to AU$33,000.  There has been a run on Icelandic Banks in the UK as they limit payment to foreigners.


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## noirua (7 October 2008)

Iceland have secured a US$6 billion dollar loan from Russia to bail the country out.  The Government has frozen all bank accounts in Iceland and abroad.  They may be about to backtrack on promises to cover all accounts. The countries Prime Minister said that Iceland is facing "national bankruptcy."

The UK's Royal Bank of Scotland, the countries third largest bank, fell 40% this morning before recovering to a 32% fall, on rumours the bank is in trouble.


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## noirua (8 October 2008)

The UK's Chancellor of the Exchequer is to make an announcement at 7am BST Wednesday (5pm AEST), before the markets open.
Barclays Bank, Halifax Bank of Scotland, Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds TSB are to be partially nationalised and could not continue without a cash injection of more than AU$140 billion to bail them up.
The Bank of England is thought to have taken a stake in all the Banks in return for First Preference stock.


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## noirua (12 October 2008)

The world financial system is teetering on the "brink of systemic meltdown", the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned in Washington.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn said rich nations had so far failed to restore confidence, but he endorsed a new action plan by the G7 group.

He also said the IMF was ready to lend to countries in dire need of capital.

Mr Strauss-Kahn spoke after talks with US President George W Bush, G7 finance ministers and the World Bank.


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## noirua (12 October 2008)

An earthquake in the southern Russian republic of Chechnya has killed at least 13 people and injured more than 100 more, officials said.

The magnitude 4.7 quake damaged roads, power supplies and communications across the Caucasus, and was felt as far away as Georgia and Armenia.

It was centred 40km east of the Chechen capital, Grozny, said the US Geological Institute.

A rescue team has been sent from Moscow to co-ordinate the relief effort.


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## noirua (13 October 2008)

The European Union has agreed to safeguard Europe's Banks and buy-in stock for cash injections following the UK's lead. The United States will also follow that lead safeguarding the US Banks.
Europe is continuing with discussions overnight in France.

The UK (FSA (equivalent to ASIC), UK Treasury and Bank of England),  is continuing with meetings with the Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays, Halifax Bank of Scotland and Lloyds TSB.
This meeting will continue overnight with plans to make an announcement at 7am BST (5pm AEST) Monday, before markets open in London.

The Chief Executive of RBOS, Sir Fred Goodwin, will resign on Monday. 

The meeting in London is expected to announce that RBOS will require AU$45 billion, HBOS AU$27 billion, Lloyds TSB AU$20 billion and Barclays AU$10 billion. Details will be announced concerning part nationalization of these banks.


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## Doris (14 October 2008)

*Wall Street is going green* - at last!

Currently up and rising... 10:35am there...

8971.69 - up	520.50 -	6.16%


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## noirua (27 November 2008)

Trading in Woolworths shares has been suspended and the company put into administration. 
The companies board will meet at 6pm BST to make the formal decision.

Deloitte will be appointed as administrators to the store chain and also to Entertainment UK, which supplies books and DVD's to supermarket groups.

The move will put tens of thousands of jobs under threat in the UK.


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## pacestick (27 November 2008)

noirua I am sure glad you put the last bit about the UK un there my pacemaker started going bezerk not that I hold shares in wow but if i missed that coming what else have i missed


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## 2020hindsight (27 November 2008)

noirua said:


> Trading in Woolworths shares has been suspended and the company put into administration. ...    in the UK.






> noirua I am sure glad you put the last bit about the UK un there my pacemaker started going bezerk not that I hold shares in wow but if i missed that coming what else have i missed




just what i was gonna say pacestick lol 
WOW indeed.


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## Sean K (27 November 2008)

Terrorists currently going nuts in Mumbai.

At least 25 dead.

They've even attacked Leopolds! Shantaram readers will understand.


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## noirua (27 November 2008)

noirua said:


> Trading in Woolworths shares has been suspended and the company put into administration.
> The companies board will meet at 6am BST to make the formal decision.
> 
> Deloitte will be appointed as administrators to the store chain and also to Entertainment UK, which supplies books and DVD's to supermarket groups.
> ...




Following the collapse of Woolworths with 805 stores: MFI Warehouse a company with 110 stores providing house furniture, kitchen and bathrooms has also just been put into administration in the UK.

Just in case our vote collapses please make sure you vote for *Aussie Stock Forums* at
http://www.thebull.com.au/the_stockies/forums.html

*THANKS*


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## Miner (27 November 2008)

Noirua

You just beaten me on WOW. Who knows the scene at ASX this morning

Any way I am adding this one

Woolworths concerned over JB Hi Fi takeover talk
Wednesday November 26, 2008, 10:38 pm

*Woolworths has released a statement to the stock exchange pouring cold water on suggestions it is in takeover talks with JB Hi Fi.*

Woolworths says it is concerned about continued speculation over supposed discussions with the retailer.

It says it is not in talks of any kind with JB Hi Fi.

It also says it has no intention to hold any talks with the company and there is no offer to buy it.

Woolworths closed 0.4 per cent higher on the share market today, while JB tumbled nearly 14 per cent.


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## Miner (27 November 2008)

kennas said:


> Terrorists currently going nuts in Mumbai.
> 
> At least 25 dead.
> 
> They've even attacked Leopolds! Shantaram readers will understand.




Got worsened

Now 80 dead and 250 injured. The real figures are always worse than official figures. 
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...bai_80_dead_many_hurt/articleshow/3761410.cms 

Mumbai is the finance hub for India and with two top grade hotels Taj and Oberoi affected too means Dalal Street (same as Wall Street) in Mumbai will send nervousness in share prices there too !

Why can't they just shoot the terrorists or send them to China just to be tortured to get secret news and then shot any way. Amnesty must not speak in favour of these psychologically sick killers creating terrors worldwide.


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## noirua (27 November 2008)

Miner said:


> Noirua
> 
> You just beaten me on WOW. Who knows the scene at ASX this morning
> 
> ...



Hi Miner, a bit of confusion here as my post was not about WOW it was about the UK Woolworths.
Collapse of the UK Woolworth is becoming worse than thought and the downturn in the UK is proving very serious.

Anyway, don't forget to vote for ASF today guys at http://www.thebull.com.au/the_stockies/forums.html


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## xyzedarteerf (30 November 2008)

WTF were they thinking? or doing for that matter.

source



> Naked at the wheel
> 
> * November 30, 2008
> 
> ...



*
no suspicious circumstances*  right!


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## noirua (15 December 2008)

Following the AU$75 billion potential losses due to the fraud by Wall Street fund manager Bernard Madoff, Banks and institutions around the world are now admitting their losses.

The Royal Bank of Scotland has AU$1 billion at risk and Sandander AU$4.5 billion, HSBC AU$1.6 billion and Paribas undisclosed sums.


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## noirua (17 December 2008)

The US Federal Reserve has slashed interest rates from 1% to a range between 0% and 0.25% as it battles the countries recession.

The Central Bank's key rate, the target rate for overnight Federal Funds, is at its lowest since records began in 1954.

In its statement, the Federal Reserve warned that "the outlook for economic activity has weakened further."

It predicted that rates would stay at the current exceptionally low levels "for some time".


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## Aussiejeff (17 December 2008)

noirua said:


> The US Federal Reserve has slashed interest rates from 1% to a range between 0% and 0.25% as it battles the countries recession.
> 
> The Central Bank's key rate, the target rate for overnight Federal Funds, is at its lowest since records began in 1954.
> 
> ...




As a result, Wall St has erupted into an orgasmic frenzy of stock buying..... totally and utterly predictably 

LOL


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## noirua (7 January 2009)

The death of Adolf Merckle, the worlds 36th richest person, points to the serious problems in Germany and Europe. He committed suicide on Monday this week.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Merckle
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/10/2ORL.html
http://news.aol.co.uk/credit-crunch-prompted-suicide/article/2009010616263868689039


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## CoffeeKing (7 January 2009)

Electronic warfare at it's best...

You don't know when and you don't know where

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=709620


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## Glen48 (7 January 2009)

he was mixed up in VW share which took a dive he topped himself and now VW are on the way up again.
Such is life


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## joeyjoejoe (7 January 2009)

http://www.boerse-frankfurt.de/EN/c...ort_298x144&timespan=m3&typeID=8&exchange=ETR

I heard he shorted the VOW shares right before the spike then closed the postion and lost approx $750million


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## noirua (27 January 2009)

The Icelandic Government has collapsed: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/01/26/iceland.government/index.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7851415.stm


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## noirua (27 January 2009)

Worker around the world face losing their jobs as several big corporations announced more than 70,000 job cuts in one single day.

The US Caterpillar construction company has announced it would cut jobs by over 20,000.

European electronics group Philips, financial firm ING and UK steelmaker Corus have announced cuts.

The announcements underscore the depth of the global recession, CNN and the BBC have announced.


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## MrBurns (27 January 2009)

noirua said:


> Worker around the world face losing their jobs as several big corporations announced more than 70,000 job cuts in one single day.
> 
> The US Caterpillar construction company has announced it would cut jobs by over 20,000.
> 
> ...




Yes it's all bad news but we only see it on TV at the moment but very soon it will hit us, looking forward to it, the meda speculation and Rudds scare stories cant be as bad as the real thing.


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## noirua (28 January 2009)

MrBurns said:


> Yes it's all bad news but we only see it on TV at the moment but very soon it will hit us, looking forward to it, the media speculation and Rudds scare stories cant be as bad as the real thing.



Sadly I think that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's scare stories are not as bad as it's going to get. Not that there will be all losers, only that the losers will come off very badly. 
Whether unemployment reaches only 10% or if it goes on to 16%, may depend on how much cash is ploughed into the economy. It needs to be mega-massive.
The UK has put AU$5 billion into the car industry today to save it from total collapse.

3rd Feb, I think, is the date for the next interest rate reduction. Probably needs to fall by 3.25% to 1%.

Honda has cut production by 50,000 cars in North America and Japan, reported by CNN.


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## wayneL (28 January 2009)

noirua said:


> Whether unemployment reaches only 10% or if it goes on to 16%, may depend on how much cash is ploughed into the economy. It needs to be mega-massive.
> The UK has put AU$5 billion into the car industry today to save it from total collapse.




Well, is borrowing from our children to pay for us to live beyond our means kosher?

I think not.

Let's let this nonsensical period work out of the system an them let's get producing, saving and build a surplus economy again.

It's pain of our own making, let's take it like real men and women.


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## Aussiejeff (28 January 2009)

wayneL said:


> Well, is borrowing from our children to pay for us to live beyond our means kosher?
> 
> I think not.
> 
> ...




Unfortunately for the World, "bankers" and "big business men" are notorious for being averse to [size=+1]_pain_[/size] - especially if it involves THEM. Apparently, the bigger the bulging hip-pockets of a Banker or Big Business Man, the bigger the twinge they will feel!

Oooh! Poor sods. Imagine having to downsize from a Ferrari to Lambo. Or from a 25 bedroom Riviera-Condo to a 20 bedroom Pommie Manor House. Or worse still, a 15 bedroom Vaucluse Penthouse. Oh, the SHAME of it...


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## GumbyLearner (28 January 2009)

This is becoming more ridiculous by the day.

First, it was $1400 trash cans being purchased at Merrill Lynch and the $1 million dollars used to renovate CEO John Thains office.

Now Citigroup have to be told by the new Obama administration to cancel the purchase of a corporate jet. 

I wonder if Peter Schiff would say that the Government should get out of the way and let the private sector choose how they use their failout taxpayer dollars, that are getting thrown at these people living in la-la land. Citigroup and Merrill must think we are still in a thriving liquid bull market. 
Yeah thriving on taxpayers dollars! 
And I agree with WayneL too, to be paid by generations to come. 

I do agree with Schiff on the financials though, when decisions like this are released by the media, it gives me little faith in a bank executives grounding in reality!  

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iydnbB6rVcQmAEJiHzEn0XqDfp8g

*Citi grounds plans for corporate jet*
1 hour ago

NEW YORK (AFP) ”” Citigroup said Tuesday it had "no intent" to take delivery of a new corporate jet, news of which had stirred ferocious opposition from the White House and Capitol Hill.

*Citi, which has received 45 billion dollars in US government capital to help it weather the financial crisis, had indicated earlier in the week plans to reduce its fleet of corporate aircraft and purchase at least one that is more fuel efficient.

The New York Post reported the banking giant was readying a purchase of a 50 million-dollar French-made Dassault Falcon 7X, with a plush interior, leather seats, sofas and a customizable entertainment center.*

"We have no intent to take delivery of any new aircraft," a Citi spokesman said.

On Monday, the company said it had intended to accept delivery because of "millions of dollars in penalties" if it had refused.

Democratic US Senator Carl Levin on Monday had assailed the plan.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs had also said that President Barack Obama believed "that great care should be used anytime the taxpayers' money is being used," referring to the bank rescue funds.


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## CAB SAV (28 January 2009)

GumbyLearner said:


> This is becoming more ridiculous by the day.
> 
> 
> http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iydnbB6rVcQmAEJiHzEn0XqDfp8g
> ...




Who said - Pigs can't fly.


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## CanOz (28 January 2009)

CAB SAV said:


> Who said - Pigs can't fly.




Thats very funny Cab Sav! lol!

CanOz


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## Bushman (28 January 2009)

GumbyLearner said:


> This is becoming more ridiculous by the day.
> 
> First, it was $1400 trash cans being purchased at Merrill Lynch and the $1 million dollars used to renovate CEO John Thains office.
> 
> ...




A leopard cannot change it's spots. 

Now that Citi has been effectively nationalised, maybe they can strap some guns on that bad boy and send it to Iraq? With all the hot air in the cabin, I am sure it will save on fuel costs! 

PS: This thread is so quaint - I love it! Can we get some sound bytes attached so it makes that Channel 9 news sound when you open it?


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## noirua (29 January 2009)

wayneL said:


> Well, is borrowing from our children to pay for us to live beyond our means kosher?
> 
> I think not.
> 
> ...



If the pain was evenly spread I would go along with what you say.  Unfortunately some suffer badly in a recession as I did in 1987 - 94.  This time round I'm a lot better off and can sit back watching how it all plays out.

A lot of money seems to have evaporated this time round and a recession looks likely, in my view, to go on until 2013 - 2014 and recovery around 2017 - 2018.


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## wayneL (29 January 2009)

noirua said:


> If the pain was evenly spread I would go along with what you say.  Unfortunately some suffer badly in a recession as I did in 1987 - 94.  This time round I'm a lot better off and can sit back watching how it all plays out.
> 
> A lot of money seems to have evaporated this time round and a recession looks likely, in my view, to go on until 2013 - 2014 and recovery around 2017 - 2018.



Yeah, the pain is never inflicted upon those that most deserve it (I'm thinking of Central and Institutional Bankers, politicians and the Wall Street cheerleading squad). But with this Keynesian nonsense, the little people will pay for both the bw@nkers transgressions PLUS their own follies.

I can afford to sit back and watch too, but their ####ing hand is going to be in MY pocket to bail THEM out. When they've finished with me, they'll have their hands in our kid's pockets to pay off THEIR debt.

As a generation, WE'VE ####ed up. WE should have the balls to bear the consequences without passing it on to the next generation of innocents.


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## MrBurns (29 January 2009)

wayneL said:


> Yeah, the pain is never inflicted upon those that most deserve it (I'm thinking of Central and Institutional Bankers, politicians and the Wall Street cheerleading squad). But with this Keynesian nonsense, the little people will pay for both the bw@nkers transgressions PLUS their own follies.
> 
> I can afford to sit back and watch too, but their ####ing hand is going to be in MY pocket to bail THEM out. When they've finished with me, they'll have their hands in our kid's pockets to pay off THEIR debt.
> 
> As a generation, WE'VE ####ed up. WE should have the balls to bear the consequences without passing it on to the next generation of innocents.




Agree and whats left and more will be spent by KRudd to experiment with his economic theories of bailout is best.


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## sassa (29 January 2009)

wayneL said:


> As a generation, WE'VE ####ed up. WE should have the balls to bear the consequences without passing it on to the next generation of innocents.



Ahhh!Wayne,when I read that first sentence above,I thought you were generalising.But,reading on,I see you are only referring to the mere males of the generation.


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## noirua (5 February 2009)

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has suggested the World is heading for "depression":  http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5660573.ece

Icelandic retailer Bauger collapses:  http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/retailing/article5663617.ece


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## Ageo (5 February 2009)

noirua said:


> UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has suggested the World is heading for "depression":  http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5660573.ece




Its funny how if the leader of a major country comes out and says we are going into a depression everyone cries (vica versa) so it really doesnt matter what the leaders say as most of them have donkey advisors.

Its good to see thow finally 1 leader come out and speak some sense, lets see what his plan is thow


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## investorpaul (5 February 2009)

Just what we need, more negative news!


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## Aussiejeff (5 February 2009)

Ageo said:


> Its funny how if the leader of a major country comes out and says we are going into a depression everyone cries (vica versa) so it really doesnt matter what the leaders say as most of them have donkey advisors.
> 
> Its good to see thow finally 1 leader come out and speak some sense, lets see what his plan is thow




However, this was followed in the article by ...



> A No 10 spokesman said that Mr Brown's use of the word "depression" was not deliberate. "And he does not think it."




Thus, the bounce in UK share market overnight. It was an "honest mistake" and all is well now.


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## noirua (13 February 2009)

Germany, Europe's largest economy, has reported a 2.1% downturn in the last quarter of 2008, compared to the third quarter. This followed declines of 0.5% in both the second and third quarters. The drop of 2.1% was the worst quarterly performance since 1990, at the time of the reunification of Germany.

The French economy shrank by 1.2% in the same quarter  and Italy reported a 1.8% contraction, the steepest drops since 1980.

The data puts pressure on the European Central Bank to cut interest rates.


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## GumbyLearner (18 February 2009)

*Post-Dramatic Press Disorder*

http://emac.blogs.foxbusiness.com/2009/02/17/post-dramatic-press-disorder/

Citigroup is in the process of laying off 72,000 workers–and hopefully Citi is not doing more than that, despite a recent memo from its Human Resources department.

An unfortunate typo in a Feb. 13th memo from Citi’s Human Resources Dept. emailed to staffers last Friday kindly tried to remind employees that Citi has a number of programs to help workers deal with misfortune, noting “other resources are available through the EAP link below.”

The memo then directs employees to Citigroup’s *“Employee Assassinate Program.” *   LOL

Maybe they can't relocate some of the fired staff to one of their numerous tax haven shelters in Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, The Caymans or The Virgins. 

So much for transparency.


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## noirua (3 March 2009)

6 dead in attack on SRI Lankan cricket team
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/03/02/pakistan.srilanka.attack/index.html


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## noirua (7 March 2009)

Merrill Lynch announced in London just a few minutes ago that a rogue trader has struck at its London office.
More news as it comes in.


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## noirua (7 March 2009)

As stated on the ASF "Zimbabwe thread":  Susan Tsvangirai has been killed in the head-on car crash in Zimbabwe.
****A further report on the condition of the PM is expected very shortly.****


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## noirua (7 March 2009)

noirua said:


> Merrill Lynch announced in London just a few minutes ago that a rogue trader has struck at its London office.
> More news as it comes in.



Investment Bank Merrill Lynch has been reported by the BBC to have 'lost a minimum of *AU$180 million'. The Foreign Exchange trader has been named by the BBC at the link below. They are investigating irregularities at its London Trading Operation.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7928943.stm
*=as announced by BBC News 24 as at least £85 million


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## noirua (12 March 2009)

Fifteen people have been killed - 12 pupils and 3 teachers - after a teenage gunman went on the rampage in South-West Germany, officials say.

Most of the dead are thought to have been pupils at the Albertville High school in Winnenden, north of Stuttgart.

The gunman, a 17-year-old former pupil, is also dead, police say.

The teenager, who was said to have been wearing  black combat gear, was chased by police after fleeing the school into the centre of the town of Wendligen, where he barricaded himself in a supermarket . He died in the shoot-out 40km away from the High school.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/03/11/germany.school.shooting/index.html


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## GumbyLearner (13 March 2009)

Cramer vs. Jon Stewart to go head to head

2007 - 2008 US Financials Ramper vs. Funny-as-all **** comedian to smash it out

http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2009-03-11-cnbc-cramer-stewart_N.htm

NEW YORK — One of the most intriguing, and potentially important, interviews of the week will take place Thursday night without either a journalist or a newsmaker. Fans of finance and entertainment are salivating to see how CNBC's Jim Cramer holds up when he appears on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
The host of Mad Money likely will have to provide the No. 1 business news network's most pointed defense yet against criticisms that, during the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, it has been too hard on President Obama's stimulus package and too soft on CEOs.

Cramer also will have to answer for misguided stock predictions — including some last year urging investors to buy and hold Bear Stearns just before the investment bank collapsed.

"Here's a guy who may have his career on the line," says Bob Gold of public relations firm Bob Gold & Associates. "His credibility has been brought into question. NBC Universal (CNBC's parent) will have to draw a line. Trust is at stake."

anyway here's a cool Youtube vid to watch

Jim Cramer on Stock Market Manipulation


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## GumbyLearner (25 March 2009)

China blocks Youtube

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7961069.stm

China is reported to have blocked the YouTube video-sharing website because it has been carrying video of soldiers beating monks and other Tibetans.


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## noirua (6 April 2009)

Earthquake hits Italy (updating): http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/04/06/italy.quake/index.html

North Korean satellite was successfully launched:  http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/04/05/nk.questions/index.html?iref=mpstoryview


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## robots (8 April 2009)

hello,

more bloodshed in the US:

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25308952-663,00.html

wow, what a place

thankyou
robots


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## GumbyLearner (10 April 2009)

About ****ing time someone is honest enough

VOTE 1 - THE RECESSION PARTY

*Indian comedian starts pro-bribe political party*

A PROMINENT Indian comedian is taking aim at the country's notoriously corrupt political elite by starting up his own party that promises to bribe as many voters as possible.
Jaspal Bhatti, known for his biting satire on Indian TV shows, unveiled his new party and field of candidates today - saying he hoped to give the big parties a run for their dirty money.

"The world is talking of economic slowdown but there is no recession for our politicians, who are spending millions to win seats in parliament," Bhatti said.

He said his new "Recession Party" did not have enough cash to outspend the big political players, but would instead handsomely reward contributors if elected.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25316041-12377,00.html

Cheers Rupe


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## Solly (23 April 2009)

*Freddie Mac's Acting Finance Chief Is Found Dead*


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124040188797343215.html


http://www.wcbs880.com/Freddie-Mac-Chief-Commits-Suicide/4249204


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## noirua (20 June 2009)

"Drug-Trial cancer patients recover" - Prostate cancer reported cure for advance cases:  http://news.aol.co.uk/drug-trial-cancer-patients-recover/article/20090619222103257173150


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## noirua (23 July 2009)

Saad Bin Laden is reported to have been killed:  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8164763.stm


----------



## noirua (3 August 2009)

There has been an outbreak of pneumonic plague in North West China, Ziketan in Qinghai Province. Two people have died and town is sealed off.  
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=an1ZefCR5b5M


----------



## Garpal Gumnut (3 August 2009)

noirua said:


> There has been an outbreak of pneumonic plague in North West China, Ziketan in Qinghai Province. Two people have died and town is sealed off.
> http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=an1ZefCR5b5M




That is quite serious mate, its a real killer.As the article says its in a very isolated area so hopefully it can be contained.

gg


----------



## Buckeroo (3 August 2009)

Garpal Gumnut said:


> That is quite serious mate, its a real killer.As the article says its in a very isolated area so hopefully it can be contained.
> 
> gg




Man, if it doesn't rain it pours!

The financial crises, the economic downturn, climate change, bird flu, swine flu, plague....whats next?

Mmmmm....sounds very much like the bible was right about the last days being upon us. I think Nostradamus also predicted around 2012 being the defining year. Good times ahead

Cheers


----------



## moXJO (3 August 2009)

noirua said:


> There has been an outbreak of pneumonic plague in North West China, Ziketan in Qinghai Province. Two people have died and town is sealed off.
> http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=an1ZefCR5b5M




Thats a couple days old now


----------



## xyzedarteerf (4 August 2009)

Counter-terrorism raids across Melbourne

source

August 4, 2009 - 9:02AM

Counter-terrorism raids in Melbourne have foiled a sustained suicide attack on Australia's military personnel that could have "claimed many lives", police say.

Four Australian citizens have been arrested after the pre-dawn sweep by several agencies across Melbourne’s north targeting the alleged plot by Islamic extremists.

Australian Federal Police acting Commissioner Tony Negus and Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Simon Overland spoke about the raids in Melbourne this morning.


----------



## trainspotter (4 August 2009)

*WARNING* *STOP THE PRESSES* *WARNING*

ASF is addictive for people with OCD. Don't say you haven't been warned.

*WARNING* *STOP THE PRESSES* *WARNING*


----------



## gav (4 August 2009)

trainspotter said:


> *WARNING* *STOP THE PRESSES* *WARNING*
> 
> ASF is addictive for people with OCD. Don't say you haven't been warned.
> 
> *WARNING* *STOP THE PRESSES* *WARNING*




And you would know, averaging 22 posts per day!


----------



## trainspotter (4 August 2009)

gav said:


> And you would know, averaging 22 posts per day!




LOLOLOL *Thanks gav for the info*


----------



## noirua (7 August 2009)

"Taliban Chief Killed in US Strike":  http://news.aol.co.uk/taliban-chief-killed-in-us-strike/article/20090807022816466761795


----------



## noirua (8 August 2009)

Birthplace of Emperor Vespasian - who built the Colosseum - has been found in Italy: http://news.aol.com/article/birthplace-of-roman-emperor-vespasian/607781


----------



## noirua (26 August 2009)

Senator Edward "Ted" Kennedy has died at the age of 77.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Kennedy


----------



## noirua (29 August 2009)

Michael Jackson's death ruled as homicide due to intoxication by anaesthetic, an LA coroner has said.

Jackson had lethal levels of a powerful anaesthetic, propofol, in his body when he died, a coronor's office documents have shown.

CNN news:  http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/08/28/jackson.autopsy/index.html


----------



## MrBurns (29 August 2009)

*Dick Smith*

Dick Smith Nunawading is up for lease - 

http://www.realcommercial.com.au/cg...ldsize=Max&lfk=or+enter+PropertyLook+LUK+here

This is a premier store in a prime posirion, one of the best in the State.
They have been there for over 10 years.

Does this mean there's trouble there ? My guess is yes.

I don't even know if they're listed, cant seem to find anything.


----------



## pacestick (29 August 2009)

Dick Smith is owned by WOW has been for decades


----------



## MrBurns (29 August 2009)

pacestick said:


> Dick Smith is owned by WOW has been for decades




Thats right thanks, forgot.

I know from experience that to let a location like this go means only one thing .....trouble.


----------



## Solly (30 August 2009)

*Teetotallers more likely to be depressed*

Who needs sertraline, venlafaxine, paroxetine, fluoxetine, amitriptyline, when you have......BEER

*
http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/teetotalers-more-likely-be-depressed-24553.html*

.


----------



## Solly (31 August 2009)

* Schwarto attacked with jug.*

More here;

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/30/2671024.htm


----------



## Solly (9 September 2009)

*Solo sailor Jessica Watson hits ship, forced to turn back*

(But she's OK) 

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26047924-952,00.html


----------



## noirua (7 February 2010)

Not breaking news really but Australian commodities are likely to be affected increasingly by the 'PIIGS': http://uk.news.yahoo.com


----------



## noirua (10 April 2010)

Polish President, Lech Kaczynski  his wife and senior members of his Government are thought to have been killed in a plane crash: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8612825.stm


----------



## noirua (10 April 2010)

noirua said:


> Polish President, Lech Kaczynski  his wife and senior members of his Government are thought to have been killed in a plane crash: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8612825.stm




Report on the death of the Polish President: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/04/10/poland.president.plane.crash/index.html


----------



## Solly (23 May 2010)

*World Land Speed Record for a lawnmower has just been broken*
http://www.projectrunningblade.co.uk


----------



## noirua (2 June 2010)

It has been reported from Whitehaven, Cumbria in the Lake District in England, that a Taxi driver has gone berserk and shot dead 11 people. He is still on the loose having abandoned his car. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7459669.stm


----------



## noirua (3 June 2010)

noirua said:


> It has been reported from Whitehaven, Cumbria in the Lake District in England, that a Taxi driver has gone berserk and shot dead 11 people. He is still on the loose having abandoned his car. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7459669.stm




The number of people confirmed killed has risen to 12 with unconfirmed reports citing total number as 25.


----------



## GumbyLearner (3 June 2010)

noirua said:


> The number of people confirmed killed has risen to 12 with unconfirmed reports citing total number as 25.




very sad news.


----------



## subasurf (3 June 2010)

Pretty shocking really. Especially for that area of Britain.


----------



## $20shoes (11 June 2010)

Shows just how perilous a sailing journey can be. 

Abby Sunderland (16yo) who is trying to complete a round the world solo yacht trip activated two EPIRBs yesterday. She is in the middle of the Indian Ocean. 

It looks like she suffered several knockdowns and then no contact. Search and Rescue are trying to get a visual; ships are still a day away from the EPIRB location. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abby_Sunderland


----------



## $20shoes (11 June 2010)

Could hardly have happened at a more remote location, more's the pity.

http://goo.gl/rdby
[links to Google Maps]

Hopefully she's hauled up in a hull compartment and riding it out.


----------



## Bushman (11 June 2010)

$20shoes said:


> Shows just how perilous a sailing journey can be.
> 
> Abby Sunderland (16yo) who is trying to complete a round the world solo yacht trip activated two EPIRBs yesterday. She is in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
> 
> ...




Why do parents allow 16 year old's to sail solo around the world?


----------



## $20shoes (11 June 2010)

Bushman said:


> Why do parents allow 16 year old's to sail solo around the world?




As a parent I wouldn't. And this is the reason why...imagine knowing your daughter is lost in the middle of the Indian Ocean and you can do nothing more to help her. How bloody frantic would you be. 

Maybe it comes down to the experience she's had previously. But being 16, I would still question what possible previous experience could brace you for a global solo trip.


----------



## pacestick (11 June 2010)

1. I call it child neglect. Welfare really needs to be on to this and take the children off the parents  ( That should get some of you going )
2. Why dont such attempts at dangerous activities involve the people concerned putting up funds to be used for the cost of search and rescue I object to taxes being used  because someone is on an ego trip and it goes pear shaped on them


----------



## Bigukraine (11 June 2010)

Bushman said:


> Why do parents allow 16 year old's to sail solo around the world?




 $2-3 million in the bank after the book and the new idea type stories thats why


----------



## gordon2007 (11 June 2010)

They have found her alive and well.


----------



## Julia (11 June 2010)

> Veteran Australian sailor Ian Kiernan, who held the Australian record for solo circumnavigation of the world, said Sunderland's trip was badly planned, given the mountainous seas and huge wind strengths of winter in the area.
> 
> "I don't know what she's doing in the Southern Ocean as a 16-year-old in the middle of winter. It's foolhardy," Kiernan said.
> 
> ...




There has also been criticism that her boat was an inappropriate design for the voyage.

Anyone have any idea of the cost of the search and rescue effort all up?

Would be nice if these children were unable to set forth unless they had obtained some sort of insurance policy to pay for their rescue if it all goes bad.


----------



## pixel (12 June 2010)

Julia said:


> There has also been criticism that her boat was an inappropriate design for the voyage.
> 
> Anyone have any idea of the cost of the search and rescue effort all up?
> 
> Would be nice if these children were unable to set forth *unless they had obtained some sort of insurance policy* to pay for their rescue if it all goes bad.




I hope no insurance company will underwrite the risk - at least none that I intend to hold shares in.
I'd much prefer them to be obliged to deposit, say, $1M in a trust account *in every country they come past* that might be required to rescue them from the results of their folly. By all means, let them roll it forward as their journey progresses; so, once they're out of India's or Sri Lanka's waters and approach Australia, close the account in the country they leave and roll the $1M forward to Australia. From there to New Zealand, etc...
Alternatively and/or in addition, get the international marine authorities to create a law that makes the country of origin responsible for the costs of rescue. I'm sure the signatory states will follow-up quick smart with laws of their own, making those kids repay any expenses they incurred. And given the profits they stand to make from interviews and pictorials in the likes of No Idea or Women's Daze, they could easily afford it.

Just consider little old Oz, tucked away in this corner of the world with Millions of square miles of open water where ships can/ will come to grief. Calculate square miles per head of population or per $ of GDP. Then compare the result to countries like UK - that idiot Bullimore came from there and needed us to rescue him *TWICE!* Likewise that French woman ... And how many Yanks? Those countries have many times the number of nutters, and a commensurate surplus of $$$, compared to Australia. Yet they allow them to "test their limits" in our backyard and expect us to pay for their stupidity and under-preparedness.

Makes my blood boil!


----------



## Julia (12 June 2010)

That's an excellent solution, pixel.  Have you put it up to the appropriate Minister?
I don't care how it's done, but I'm damned if ill-prepared people should not have to take responsibility for funding their rescue if they get into trouble.


----------



## pilots (12 June 2010)

They have just sent a jet out from Perth again, it is going to hang around until help arrives, would love to know just how much that well cost us tax payers for that.


----------



## todster (12 June 2010)

pilots said:


> They have just sent a jet out from Perth again, it is going to hang around until help arrives, would love to know just how much that well cost us tax payers for that.




Well you could buy Qantas shares


----------



## noirua (24 June 2010)

Wimbledon: Longest tennis match in history, 59 games to 59 in the final set and still playing.  Have played for 10 hours played exactly - 6 hours 50 mins in the final set alone.

John Isner (United States)  v  Nicholas Mahue (France)

Score 4 - 6, 6 - 3, 7 - 6, 6 - 7,  final set 59 - 59.  Due to darkness match suspended, until tomorrow. Isner wanted to continue.


----------



## noirua (25 June 2010)

noirua said:


> Wimbledon: Longest tennis match in history, 59 games to 59 in the final set and still playing.  Have played for 10 hours played exactly - 6 hours 50 mins in the final set alone.
> 
> John Isner (United States)  v  Nicholas Mahue (France)
> 
> Score 4 - 6, 6 - 3, 7 - 6, 6 - 7,  final set 59 - 59.  Due to darkness match suspended, until tomorrow. Isner wanted to continue.




Match continues Final Set.  John Isner 65 games (106 aces)  -  Nicholas Mahue 64 games
Mahue serving 
10hrs 35m played


***Updating every few minutes


----------



## noirua (25 June 2010)

noirua said:


> Wimbledon: Longest tennis match in history, 59 games to 59 in the final set and still playing.  Have played for 10 hours played exactly - 6 hours 50 mins in the final set alone.
> 
> John Isner (United States)  v  Nicholas Mahue (France)
> 
> Score 4 - 6, 6 - 3, 7 - 6, 6 - 7,  final set 59 - 59.  Due to darkness match suspended, until tomorrow. Isner wanted to continue.




Game in play:  John Isner 68 frames - Nicholas Mahue 67
Mahue serving 40 - 15
11 hours 05m in play
Position is that Isner serves too well, but can't move very well. Mahue serves quite well but can't move quite well enough.


----------



## noirua (25 June 2010)

noirua said:


> Wimbledon: Longest tennis match in history, 59 games to 59 in the final set and still playing.  Have played for 10 hours played exactly - 6 hours 50 mins in the final set alone.
> 
> John Isner (United States)  v  Nicolas Mahue (France)
> 
> Score 4 - 6, 6 - 3, 7 - 6, 6 - 7,  final set 59 - 59.  Due to darkness match suspended, until tomorrow. Isner wanted to continue.




Isner wins 70 games to 68 in final set.
Match lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes.


----------



## nomore4s (25 June 2010)

noirua said:


> Isner wins 70 games to 68 in final set.
> Match lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes.




What an insane match. How about the crowd for a match on an outside court, it was packed.


----------



## Miner (25 June 2010)

nomore4s said:


> What an insane match. How about the crowd for a match on an outside court, it was packed.




Besides the match time think of the following :

probably world record of a longest match.

Strength of the two players to duel for such a long time. 

Crowd expected to pay for two hours and saw a match for 11 hours at the same price.

Sales increased at vendors stalls .
Sponsors get more out of the exhibition for their investment

Only looser IMO  will be the organiser to pay for more operating expenses and the waiting crowd for the next games.


----------



## Solly (1 July 2010)

*Three arrested, Bentley motor vehicle trashed in Gold Coast brawl*

This reminds me has anyone heard from GG lately?


----------



## Aussiejeff (4 July 2010)

Humdinger of a headline blooper on the Heraldsun's breaking news website.. 



> 6:37PM (AEST)*Petraes makes pubic debut in Kabul*
> http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news





"Look away, kiddies. Look away NOW!!"

LOL


----------



## noirua (2 November 2010)

Gasp gasp, cough cough, wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze, puffed out, GOOD GRIEF!


              Yes

The vote at The Bull, yes you've noticed it, ASF have dropped 2 percentage points after the weekend. Can you make it over to: http://www.thebull.com.au/the_stockies/forums.html


----------



## pedalofogus (2 November 2010)

Done and done.

Now everyone else needs to get over there and get voting!


----------



## noirua (7 November 2010)

noirua said:


> Gasp gasp, cough cough, wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze, puffed out, GOOD GRIEF!
> 
> 
> Yes
> ...




Again we have the dodgy weekend in play where votes are hard to come by and all a bit of a worry.


----------



## Slipperz (7 November 2010)

Voted!

 I'm pleasantly surprised to see ASF well in front.

Defintely a case of quality over quantity!


:twak:


----------



## Tink (13 November 2010)

Voted too 

http://www.thebull.com.au/the_stockies/forums.html


----------



## Solly (27 June 2011)

Anonymous bidder buys:

.38 'POLICE POSITIVE' REVOLVER AT AUCTION FOR £67,250/ $109,079/ €75,656

Sources inform, lot being FedExed to Public House in vicinity of Ross Island.

http://www.christies.com/about/press-center/releases/pressrelease.aspx?pressreleaseid=4893


----------



## Glen48 (27 June 2011)

That explains the angle grinder as well as the gun oil, those serial No. go down deep.
 Did hear a rumor about some stockings and a Bently heading to Manny's house


----------



## noirua (7 July 2011)

Sydney woman lay dead at home for 8 years:

http://news.aol.co.uk/world-news/story/woman-lay-dead-for-years-at-home/1872917/

It is amazing how some organisations are so robotic, incompetant and pathetic.


----------



## Julia (8 July 2011)

That's just so sad.


----------



## noirua (18 August 2011)

Markets across the pond are in meltdown - banks down 10% - it's a slaughter as gold stocks weaken as well.

Blood on the streets!


----------



## Aussiejeff (19 August 2011)

noirua said:


> Markets across the pond are in meltdown - banks down 10% - it's a slaughter as gold stocks weaken as well.
> 
> Blood on the streets!




Time for the weekly "Tin Hats On" drill....


----------



## Aussiejeff (19 August 2011)

Terribly sad news this morning...

*



			Veteran ABC journalist Paul Lockyer, pilot Gary Ticehurst and cameraman John Bean are believed to have died in a helicopter crash in remote South Australia.
		
Click to expand...


* http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-18/abc-helicopter-crashes-at-lake-eyre/2845962

I flew numerous times with Gary during my Army Aviation service in the 70's. He was a great guy, a great pilot and did some fantastic work after his Army career during flood and fire disasters.

Condolences to all family members of the deceased.

A sad, sad day


----------



## Solly (19 August 2011)

Aussiejeff said:


> Terribly sad news this morning...
> 
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-08-18/abc-helicopter-crashes-at-lake-eyre/2845962
> 
> ...




Agreed, a very, very sad time. Just a bit more about Gary.....

http://www.filmhelicoptersaustralia.com/


----------



## noirua (16 November 2011)

ASF are way behind in the polls and be it not for me to complain, BUT, few helping.  Needs a bit of the forgotten spirit of 1915 to get back into this - you know what I mean.


----------



## noirua (30 October 2012)

Wall Street will be closed for two days - all trades will still settle on due dates. This is the first time since 1888.

The Great Blizzard of 1888: Weather Extremes : The Great Blizzard of 1888; America’s Greatest Snow Disaster | Weather Underground
http://www.wunderground.com/blog/weatherhistorian/comment.html?entrynum=65


----------



## bellenuit (8 December 2012)

*Nurse duped in Kate Middleton prank found dead*

http://www.independent.ie/world-new...-kate-middleton-prank-found-dead-3318952.html


----------



## Aussiejeff (8 December 2012)

bellenuit said:


> *Nurse duped in Kate Middleton prank found dead*
> 
> http://www.independent.ie/world-new...-kate-middleton-prank-found-dead-3318952.html




Why do young Australian larrikins think its kewl to act stoopid on the world stage in this new age where every mis-deed can be scrutinised by millions via insta-media?

Beats me....is it some weird Ali G wanna-be syndrome? 

Talk about giving Aussies a bad rep......GROW UP!!!!


----------



## Tink (8 December 2012)

Why would they ring there -- how stupid

Looks like legal action was in process on the radio station, and now she has taken her life.


----------



## MrBurns (8 December 2012)

It's about time that station was shut down.....Kyle Sandilands was bad enough but this is ...........


----------



## DocK (8 December 2012)

I'm tired of Aussies in general getting a bad rap due to the idiotic actions of a few attention-seeking types.  Time for the "shock jock" era to end I think.


----------



## Miss Hale (8 December 2012)

Those two are idiots but you can't seriously blame them for this nurse taking her own life.  It was a dumb joke but not something to kill yourself over surely.


----------



## DocK (8 December 2012)

I believe the woman who committed suicide (allegedly) was the receptionist who put the call through, not the nurse that was heard on the call.  I read that neither the royal family nor the hospital had made any complaint nor criticised her directly, so agree that you'd think she surely must have been troubled in some way already and that perhaps the media attention or similar was enough to "push her over the edge".  Very sad for her and her family, but I agree that even our idiotic radio jocks would never dream their actions would result in such drastic action.  I still think it was a dump prank though, in poor taste, and does nothing for the rep of Aussies in general overseas.  

Sometimes it would be nice to turn on the radio and get music or news - not "personalities" seeking notoriety or cheap laughs.


----------



## Miss Hale (8 December 2012)

DocK said:


> I believe the woman who committed suicide (allegedly) was the receptionist who put the call through, not the nurse that was heard on the call.  I read that neither the royal family nor the hospital had made any complaint nor criticised her directly, so agree that you'd think she surely must have been troubled in some way already and that perhaps the media attention or similar was enough to "push her over the edge".  Very sad for her and her family, but I agree that even our idiotic radio jocks would never dream their actions would result in such drastic action.  I still think it was a dump prank though, in poor taste, and does nothing for the rep of Aussies in general overseas.
> 
> Sometimes it would be nice to turn on the radio and get music or news - not "personalities" seeking notoriety or cheap laughs.




It was actually another nurse because the receptionist was not at her desk at that time.  I believe the hospital merely said they were reviewing their protocols to ensure it doesn't happen again which makes sense.

I concur with everything you said about the prank being in poor taste etc. and I too would prefer that radio stations didn't do these sort of things.  Humiliating others is a cheap and cruel way to get a laugh.


----------



## pixel (8 December 2012)

Miss Hale said:


> Those two are idiots but you can't seriously blame them for this nurse taking her own life.  It was a dumb joke but not something to kill yourself over surely.




Exactly!
Time for us to grow up, become a Republic, and stop all the nonsense with royal adoration.
William and Kate are a couple like Billions of others; they tried to make a baby, also like Billions of others.
If they claim special status and fame, they have only themselves to blame if some pranksters beat them at their own game. Irrespective of whether the prank was in good taste or bad, the call itself was NOT a reason to commit suicide. The presumption of importance and publicity on one hand versus demand for privacy on the other, that's the real madness - and it seems to be infectious enough to drive innocent bystanders to suicide.

Comparing the amount of media coverage wasted on one woman's morning sickness, to how little has been written to celebrate the life and achievements of the late Dame Elizabeth Murdoch - enough to make one retch.


----------



## Julia (8 December 2012)

DocK said:


> Sometimes it would be nice to turn on the radio and get music or news - not "personalities" seeking notoriety or cheap laughs.



There's a pretty simple solution.  Avoid that radio station.  If you turn on Classic FM you'll get some great music and no one feeding their own ego.



pixel said:


> Exactly!
> Time for us to grow up, become a Republic, and stop all the nonsense with royal adoration.
> William and Kate are a couple like Billions of others; they tried to make a baby, also like Billions of others.
> If they claim special status and fame, they have only themselves to blame if some pranksters beat them at their own game. Irrespective of whether the prank was in good taste or bad, the call itself was NOT a reason to commit suicide. The presumption of importance and publicity on one hand versus demand for privacy on the other, that's the real madness - and it seems to be infectious enough to drive innocent bystanders to suicide.
> ...



Your reaction of course reflects your own attitude.  But millions of people are still royalists and anyone involved in the care of the royal family in London would presumably take their responsibility very seriously.  So much so that apparently one poor young woman felt overwhelmed by what she must have seen as her stupidity in being taken in by the call.

Awful for her, obviously, and for her family, the hospital, everyone concerned.
I'll never understand why "Aussie larrikinism" is almost revered by some.


----------



## McLovin (8 December 2012)

pixel said:


> Exactly!
> Time for us to grow up, become a Republic, and stop all the nonsense with royal adoration.




Sadly, republics are not immune to this silliness. Infact, I think the disease only gets worse.

Give me U, give me an S, give me an A.


----------



## pixel (8 December 2012)

McLovin said:


> Sadly, republics are not immune to this silliness. Infact, I think the disease only gets worse.
> 
> Give me U, give me an S, give me an A.




Conceded, McL;
I'm not saying that a republic makes people more intelligent. Your example is proof of it.

Julia is right: There are Millions of Royalists, who treasure the royal family. 
Most of them are harmless. 
They buy paraphernalia and support a huge industry, providing employment for thousands.

In the USofA, there are Millions of gun owners, who treasure their right to bear arms. 
Most of them are harmless. 
They buy paraphernalia and support a huge industry, providing employment for thousands. 
And they accept that a small minority will misuse that right and act irresponsibly. They consider it "lateral damage" and find a few casualties quite acceptable a price for Society to pay for the benefits to the overall economy and their own pleasure.


----------



## Smurf1976 (8 December 2012)

DocK said:


> Sometimes it would be nice to turn on the radio and get music or news - not "personalities" seeking notoriety or cheap laughs.



Agreed. I gave up on breakfast time radio long ago for this very reason. Likewise anyone with lots of celebrity "news" that nobody with any intelligence gives a damn about.

But as for this case, well I'll put it this way. If the Queen, Prime Minister or any other such person were to phone me at work then I'd assume the call to be a hoax unless proven otherwise. I would have thought this to be a commonsense assumption for anyone who doesn't normally receive calls from such people.


----------



## MrBurns (8 December 2012)

Was driving the kids to school way back when and some cow came on the radio with a filthy joke, I almost ran off the road trying the switch her off.

That woman would have felt humiliated globally and just couldn't handle it.

The juvenile idiots who caused her death have now scurried away to hide somewhere.


----------



## Calliope (8 December 2012)

MrBurns said:


> Was driving the kids to school way back when and some cow came on the radio with a filthy joke, I almost ran off the road trying the switch her off.
> 
> That woman would have felt humiliated globally and just couldn't handle it.
> 
> *The juvenile idiots who caused her death* have now scurried away to hide somewhere.




It was a harmless prank. Fallacious reasoning;

_*post hoc ergo propter hoc*_


----------



## YMI (8 December 2012)

bellenuit said:


> Nurse duped in Kate Middleton prank found dead




When I heard about the ‘joke’ I immediately thought that will cost her job – now I sadly realize I was wrong. This radio station is not the only one that thinks this kind of stuff is funny. 
In school it’s called bullying, they think it’s funny!

My heartfelt sympathies go to the nurse's family and friends.


----------



## pixel (8 December 2012)

Calliope said:


> It was a harmless prank. Fallacious reasoning;
> 
> _*post hoc ergo propter hoc*_




+1
Doesn't make me any less sympathetic to the poor woman's family and friends. She got caught up in a storm too big for her to handle. Quite similar to innocent victims of a road accident or cyclone Bopha...


----------



## MrBurns (8 December 2012)

Calliope said:


> It was a harmless prank. Fallacious reasoning;
> 
> _*post hoc ergo propter hoc*_




Suicide follows prank.

Suicide follows bullying.

Not harmless, they did this expecing it to work and It did making a fool of someone in front of the Royal Family, her workmates and the world.


----------



## MrBurns (8 December 2012)

> Coles and Telstra have pulled advertising from Sydney radio station 2Day FM after the nurse who answered a royal prank call by the station's presenters was found dead.




I hope more follow, it's not just this but Sandilands is a creep and was let off easily for his last "funny" stunt.

I know this was unintended but someone's dead as a result of it, no escaping that.



> British media turns on Kyle Sandilands after 2Day FM royal radio prank






> Australia radio station which staged pregnant Kate phone prank forced girl to confess to her mother she was raped when she was 12





http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...chess-prank-forced-girl-confess-raped-12.html


----------



## MrBurns (8 December 2012)

> Radio network Austereo has reportedly suspended all advertising on 2Day FM amid a fierce backlash over a prank phone call made to a London hospital, and the death of the nurse who answered it.




This is to prevent further embarassment when others pull out, this way it looks like THEIR decision.


----------



## pixel (8 December 2012)

MrBurns said:


> I hope more follow, it's not just this but Sandilands is a creep and was let off easily for his last "funny" stunt.
> 
> I know this was unintended but someone's dead as a result of it, no escaping that.




Not *as a result of* the prank, but rather *as a result of* the irrational hype and pretense that one little peanut, one particular woman's womb and resulting nausea, should deserve more attention, yet at the same time, privacy, than any other. Why is it that family and fans of an otherwise healthy, although somewhat anorexic-looking, woman relish the attention in news and pictures *when it suits them*, yet incite outrage at the thought of somebody trying to do something slightly different. 

As I said before, this death is tragic, but IMHO* a result of* people's obsession with royalty and the resulting double standard of who is allowed to publish what and in which context.


----------



## MrBurns (8 December 2012)

pixel said:


> Not *as a result of* the prank, but rather *as a result of* the irrational hype and pretense that one little peanut, one particular woman's womb and resulting nausea, should deserve more attention, yet at the same time, privacy, than any other. Why is it that family and fans of an otherwise healthy, although somewhat anorexic-looking, woman relish the attention in news and pictures *when it suits them*, yet incite outrage at the thought of somebody trying to do something slightly different.
> 
> As I said before, this death is tragic, but IMHO* a result of* people's obsession with royalty and the resulting double standard of who is allowed to publish what and in which context.




I really think you're stretching a point there, this has nothing to do with the Royals, it could have been Obamas wife or anyone famous.

The ridulous hype around the pregnancy is annoying, the Sunrise show dedicated an entire show to "we'll cross for the latest" and so on.


----------



## MrBurns (8 December 2012)

I feel a bit sorry for the presenters but this radio station has a long record of stunts gone wrong, this one tops the lot, be it their "fault" or not where there's smoke there's fire. They need a big shake up, think things through before you pull a "stunt" it's not funny it's not clever and can have dire consequences sometimes if you just do these things without thinking.


----------



## dutchie (8 December 2012)

pixel said:


> Not *as a result of* the prank, but rather *as a result of* the irrational hype and pretense that one little peanut, one particular woman's womb and resulting nausea, should deserve more attention, yet at the same time, privacy, than any other. Why is it that family and fans of an otherwise healthy, although somewhat anorexic-looking, woman relish the attention in news and pictures *when it suits them*, yet incite outrage at the thought of somebody trying to do something slightly different.
> 
> As I said before, this death is tragic, but IMHO* a result of* people's obsession with royalty and the resulting double standard of who is allowed to publish what and in which context.




+1

I was sick of "the pregnancy" after one day of sensationialism and fawning of the media.

Bring on the republic!


----------



## Miss Hale (8 December 2012)

pixel said:


> Not *as a result of* the prank, but rather *as a result of* the irrational hype and pretense that one little peanut, one particular woman's womb and resulting nausea, should deserve more attention, yet at the same time, privacy, than any other. Why is it that family and fans of an otherwise healthy, although somewhat anorexic-looking, woman relish the attention in news and pictures *when it suits them*, yet incite outrage at the thought of somebody trying to do something slightly different.
> 
> As I said before, this death is tragic, but IMHO* a result of* people's obsession with royalty and the resulting double standard of who is allowed to publish what and in which context.




Or maybe simply as a result of someone being in a fragile state of mental health. 

(I do agree there was too much hype about the preganancy though  )


----------



## Calliope (8 December 2012)

Miss Hale said:


> Or maybe simply as a result of someone being in a fragile state of mental health.
> 
> (I do agree there was too much hype about the preganancy though  )




+1. As bellenuit pointed out on another thread, who knows what could be the consequences for those with a fragile state of mental health, following Gillard's hoax broadcast forecasting the end of the world.

However if we all had to consider "cause and effect" before we made any decisions we'd all go loopy.


----------



## Smurf1976 (8 December 2012)

I agree that the radio prank isn't funny but is that the real issue here?

We have someone answering phones at a hospital where a member of the Royal family is being treated. 

I'd have thought that fact in itself would warrant a significant level of security.If it hadn't been this prank then it could easily have been something else. The risk of a security breach is ever present in situations like this.

Either the management didn't have proper procedures in place or they weren't followed. The radio station prank resulted in those security holes being identified and proven, but didn't cause them in the first place.


----------



## Julia (8 December 2012)

pixel said:


> Why is it that family and fans of an otherwise healthy, although somewhat anorexic-looking, woman relish the attention in news and pictures *when it suits them*, yet incite outrage at the thought of somebody trying to do something slightly different.



I think that's quite unfair as far as the royal family is concerned.   They are who they are.  I've never had the impression that they invite or desire all the attention paid to them.  On the contrary, it must be hell on earth living under the constant media spotlight.
In this instance, William and Catherine have expressed much sadness about what has happened.  They can't be held responsible, neither have they or any member of either of their families demonstrated "outrage".




Smurf1976 said:


> I agree that the radio prank isn't funny but is that the real issue here?
> 
> We have someone answering phones at a hospital where a member of the Royal family is being treated.
> 
> ...



Finally, someone gets to what should be the main focus of respoonsibility.
I'd imagine anyone from the royal family wanting to enquire re Kate's health would have someone on their staff contact the appropriate administrative person at the hospital.  Hardly likely that Prince Charles and/or the Queen would be phoning the hospital directly.

Probably the receptionist who was temporarily absent from her post would be properly trained in how to handle enquiries, and it has just been incredibly unfortunate that the now dead girl happened to be passing and picked up the phone.

I feel for everyone concerned except the stupid attention seeking idiots who find amusement in mocking others.


----------



## MrBurns (9 December 2012)

Agree there but there was no physical threat, you can bet security would be all over the place.

This was more a breach of privacy.

Pranks such as this can have consequences, what if the woman concerned was passing the phone, which she was, puts the call through, which she did, and because 2 people dealt with it it would seem likely that the Royals had actually called the hospital before though I would have thought that unlikely, perhaps they weren't sure which Royal they were supposedly talking to.

Now these nurses could well have lost their jobs over this anyway...........consequences...........so even though the actual result was unforseen these pranks are potentially very hurtful to those targeted.

The fact that the presenters gloated about their success only adds salt to the wounds, the global fallout from this continues and we havent heard the last of it.

Southern Cross Austereo chief executive Rhys Holleran came out to say they havent done anything illegal, he completely misses the point and should be brought to account.


----------



## Tink (9 December 2012)

Sadly, its taken the death of the nurse to stop them airing it.
While they gloated about what was coming, she died.


----------



## Calliope (9 December 2012)

MrBurns said:


> Southern Cross Austereo chief executive Rhys Holleran came out to say they havent done anything illegal, he completely misses the point and should be brought to account.




Closing down some of these rubbishy FM stations would be a good start.

[video]http://video.heraldsun.com.au/2313867921/2DayFM-confident-no-laws-were-broken[/video]


----------



## MrBurns (9 December 2012)

Calliope said:


> Closing down some of these rubbishy FM stations would be a good start.
> 
> [video]http://video.heraldsun.com.au/2313867921/2DayFM-confident-no-laws-were-broken[/video]




Be interesting to see how ACMA allows them to squeeze out of another stuff up.


----------



## Calliope (9 December 2012)

Oh, the poor little pets.:fan



> RADIO presenters Mel Greig and Michael Christian were receiving medical assistance last night amid growing fears for their "physical and emotional wellbeing".
> 
> The 2DayFM duo, described as "deeply shattered", went to ground to escape the outrage over the suicide of the nurse who answered their hoax call, Jacintha Saldanha.




http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/wave-of-outrage/story-e6freuy9-1226532820481


----------



## DocK (9 December 2012)

Actually I can empathise with Mel Greig & Michael Christian too - it's just a tragedy from many angles.  IMO it's unlikely that the nurse concerned ended her life due solely to the hoax call, but it certainly seems to have been a contributing factor.  I'm sure the radio duo never dreamed that there could be consequences so dire to one of their pranks, and it will no doubt stay with them for the rest of their lives.  To be fair to them, they were simply doing what seems to have become common practice for that industry, and their station in particular - and that's what I think needs a shake-up.  It's a cop-out to say the they're simply catering to the type of humour the listening audience is tuning into - the typical "prank-call" generally relies on belittling or humiliating it's target - even the so-called harmless prank calls usually leave someone embarrassed and shamefaced.  It's cheap humour in my opinion - just like a stand-up comedian who gets his laughs by belittling others - I find the clever ones far funnier than the cruel.


----------



## MrBurns (9 December 2012)

> "Then to discover that, not only had this happened, but that the call had been pre-recorded and the decision to transmit approved by your station's management, was truly appalling."




The buck stops with management, no judgement there at all, probably the problem behind previous bad taste and intrusive "pranks"


----------



## DB008 (9 December 2012)

Terrible tragedy. Must have been the straw that broke the camels back. 

Sky news has a good story on it with Steve Penk, a radio Dj who is famous for his pranks. 

http://news.sky.com/story/1022751/kate-prank-call-could-end-radio-wind-ups

Also, I wonder if this lady felt.....
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1piuJzS7H-4


----------



## waza1960 (9 December 2012)

I agree with P Fitzsimons opinion  
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/a-tragedy-but-who-is-at-fault-20121208-2b29q.html

As a student of human nature I find it very difficult to believe that the poor woman was not bullied/ridiculed by her boss despite whatever PR  they put out after the event. Just look at his body language during interviews.
  Does anybody really think she would have committed suicide if she had proper support from her employers/workmates?


----------



## Aussiejeff (10 December 2012)

> Amber Petty, a 2DayFM breakfast presenter for more than four years, said *humiliating stunts were "very much a part of the culture" at the station*.
> 
> "It's not all commercial radio, it's that company (2DayFM)," she said.
> 
> ...



http://www.news.com.au/world/radio-...y-to-face-public/story-fndir2ev-1226533223652

Oh yeah. All starting to come out in the dirty washing now.....

IMO "the fabric of commercial radio" needs to be dry-cleaned and hung out to dry. Where are the REAL regs governing behaviour of these shock jocks? Ah, of course. Self-regulation is the cheapest option gummint could come up with.


----------



## MrBurns (10 December 2012)

The more I think about it, it's not the presenters who are to blame, the prank was pre recorded and it was up to management to ok it's airing which they did.

People in charge of the station were responsible for this going to air.

Toxic is the only word to describe the culture at that place and the management should go along with that grub Sandilands, I doubt the 2 presenters who did this would ever go on air again, this will follow them for the rest of their careers.

On the point of illegality, isnt there a law somewhere that says it's illegal to impersonate ?

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120303131144AAInuhZ


----------



## explod (10 December 2012)

MrBurns said:


> The more I think about it, it's not the presenters who are to blame, the prank was pre recorded and it was up to management to ok it's airing which they did.
> 
> People in charge of the station were responsible for this going to air.
> 
> ...




Should be regarded as delving into private and personal affairs and a lot of press is generated by stalking from what I see.

Such laws exist in some statutes but cross border issues will be the problem


----------



## Tink (10 December 2012)

I thought there was a law that they werent allowed to replay anything on radio, unless they ask you first, has to be with your permission, I could be wrong.


----------



## Miss Hale (10 December 2012)

waza1960 said:


> I agree with P Fitzsimons opinion
> http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/a-tragedy-but-who-is-at-fault-20121208-2b29q.html
> 
> As a student of human nature I find it very difficult to believe that the poor woman was not bullied/ridiculed by her boss despite whatever PR  they put out after the event. Just look at his body language during interviews.
> Does anybody really think she would have committed suicide if she had proper support from her employers/workmates?




The Peter FitzSimons article is a pretty good analysis I think.

As to whether she was bullied at work, I didn't get that impression myself but it's of course a possibility.  It's also possible the nurse may have had personal issues that we are not aware of.  The other nurse involved has not taken a similar course of action so to say the prank phone call resulted in this woman's death is taking things way too far IMO.


----------



## Tink (10 December 2012)

Tink said:


> I thought there was a law that they werent allowed to replay anything on radio, unless they ask you first, has to be with your permission, I could be wrong.





''A licensee must not broadcast the words of an identifiable person unless:

a) That person has been informed in advance or a reasonable person would be aware that the words may be broadcast.

b) In the case of words which have been recorded without the knowledge of that person, that person has subsequently, but prior to the broadcast, expressed consent to the broadcast of their words.''


----------



## jancha (10 December 2012)

Miss Hale said:


> The Peter FitzSimons article is a pretty good analysis I think.
> 
> As to whether she was bullied at work, I didn't get that impression myself but it's of course a possibility.  It's also possible the nurse may have had personal issues that we are not aware of.  The other nurse involved has not taken a similar course of action so to say the prank phone call resulted in this woman's death is taking things way too far IMO.




Not totally but possibly tipped her over the edge. Doesn't say much for mental health or support within the hospital. She'd been working there for four years and would be reasonably expierenced with her job. Her work mates and staff would know her personally. Poor girl they probably gave her curry. Human nature unfortunately.
 I just wonder had they pranked on the 1st of April would that have been exceptable and got the radio station off the hook? 
I dont think the panksters would be feeling too good about themselves either. Pranks will always be around it's just unfortunate that the wrong person answered the phone. That's where i think management of the radio station are at fault. Know who your pranking. You wouldn't prank someone you knew that was unstable would you now?


----------



## McLovin (10 December 2012)

MrBurns said:


> On the point of illegality, isnt there a law somewhere that says it's illegal to impersonate ?




I don't know about impersonation (and I wouldn't trust Yahoo Answers to tell me what colour the sky is with any real certainty) but the NSW Listening Devices Act makes it pretty clear you can't record someone without their knowledge. I've never understood how they get around this rule. There must be something I'm missing, because radio prank calls are dime a dozen.



> 5   Prohibition on use of listening devices
> 
> (1)  A person shall not use, or cause to be used, a listening device:
> 
> ...


----------



## pixel (10 December 2012)

alright. Different slant on an old topic.
Here is proof I do have friends who are Royalists ... and we respect our different opinions 

*A really clever collage of morphing pictures has been posted here:*

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=E8nJhG1xE5o

Enjoy watching.


----------



## MrBurns (10 December 2012)

pixel said:


> alright. Different slant on an old topic.
> Here is proof I do have friends who are Royalists ... and we respect our different opinions
> 
> *A really clever collage of morphing pictures has been posted here:*
> ...




Saw that it's incredible isnt it


----------



## jank (11 December 2012)

I admire the Australian **** headedness at times, its why you win at sport so much. Great to have the confidence but unfortunately like a young bull its can all blow up in your face. Bad winners and bad losers come to mind. Very little humility. 
TBH, the press here is crap beyond belief. For such a rich and prosperous nation much of the press is pure gutter tabloid and that has crossed into the main stream TV and Radio. Today tonight and a current affair crap are good examples of this.


----------



## DB008 (11 December 2012)

DocK said:


> IMO it's unlikely that the nurse concerned ended her life due solely to the hoax call, but it certainly seems to have been a contributing factor.




+1
Highly unlikely (but still probable), that this person ended her life because of this one incident.

Contributing factor, yes. Single factor, probably not. 

1) I'm sure that the hospital would have given her a bollocking over this incident, despite what they are saying.
2) 'Devoted mother' wouldn't do this to her kids/family. More behind the scenes than is been reported.


----------



## burglar (11 December 2012)

pixel said:


> ... Enjoy watching.



Hi pixel,

A really clever attempt to change the topic.
Just a pity it did not succeed!


----------



## DB008 (11 December 2012)

DB008 said:


> +1
> Highly unlikely (but still probable), that this person *DID NOT* ended her life because of this one incident.




**TYPO**

Added *DID NOT*


----------



## bellenuit (11 December 2012)

DB008 said:


> **TYPO**
> 
> Added *DID NOT*




Sounded right the first time. Your correction changes it to what you didn't mean to say, although I would change "probable" to "possible".


----------



## DB008 (11 December 2012)

bellenuit said:


> Sounded right the first time. Your correction changes it to what you didn't mean to say, although I would change "probable" to "possible".




Double  LOL.

Anyways, as l said before, there is definitely more to this story than we are lead to believe.


----------



## MrBurns (12 December 2012)

Radio station giving half a mill to the family..............blood money.

There's an admission of guilt if ever there was one.

The management should be sacked for authorising the broadcast without prior permission, nothing less will do.


----------



## DB008 (16 December 2012)

More info emerging from the nurse involved in the prank death.



> Prank call nurse Jacintha Saldanha was already 'disappointed' with the London hospital
> 
> THE nurse who killed herself after taking a prank call for the Duchess of Cambridge had been involved in a long-running "personal disagreement" with a colleague, Scotland Yard has been told.
> 
> ...


----------



## Tink (17 December 2012)

I dont think the hospital would have been immune to pulling her up about the protocols, not to mention the other staff. It would have been alot of factors, including her being indian, she probably wouldnt have understood the joke as such, took the family a while to understand what was going on.

A sad situation all round.


----------



## bellenuit (18 December 2012)

As some of us noted last week, Gillard making the end of the world video for Triple J was ill considered at best and positively dangerous at worst considering she had no control over the state of mind of those who might see it, irrespective of whether it was intended as a prank only or not.

_*Mayan fears behind Chinese school attack*

THE man who slashed 22 Chinese children in a popular school with a knife carried out the attack fearing the world would end this week.

Fears prompted by the Mayan calendar - which runs out this Friday - have swept China, prompting panic buying and dozens of arrests for "spreading rumours" of the world's demise.

It was reported in China yesterday that Min Yingjun, 36, admitted to local police he carried out his schoolyard attack on Friday morning because he was scared of the Mayan projections.

Mr Min is accused of entering the Chengpeng Village Primary School, in the Henan province south of Beijing, armed with a stolen knife and of slashing 22 children, seriously injuring some.

Students were forced to barricade themselves in classrooms and hide during an attack that has shocked China. He fled but was caught and could face the death penalty.

State news agency Xinhua reported that police nationwide were warning the public to be wary of "end of the world" scams.

"The approach on Friday of so-called doomsday, based on the ancient Mayan calendar, has caused some unrest and panic buying," it said.

*Some users of Weibo, the Chinese micro-blogging service, last week shared the spoof video that Julia Gillard recorded for Australian radio station Triple J, confirming that the Mayan predictions could come true.*

China has detained dozens of people, some of whom it terms doomsday cult members, as part of a nationwide crackdown on rumours about the supposed apocalypse.

Authorities have detained 52 people for spreading predictions of a "doomsday". The predictions have received widespread coverage in China, thanks in part to the success of the Hollywood disaster film 2012.

Additional reporting: AFP_

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...se-school-attack/story-e6frg6so-1226538636048


----------



## DocK (20 December 2012)

http://bigpondnews.com/articles/TopStories/2012/12/20/Swan_says_budget_surplus_now_unlikely_828453.html



> Swan says budget surplus 'unlikely'




Finally Swanny sees what blind Freddie could see months ago.....


----------



## sails (20 December 2012)

DocK said:


> http://bigpondnews.com/articles/TopStories/2012/12/20/Swan_says_budget_surplus_now_unlikely_828453.html
> 
> 
> 
> Finally Swanny sees what blind Freddie could see months ago.....




I think you mean that Swanny finally *admitted *what blind Freddie could see months ago...

I doubt he and Gillard actually thought they could pull off a surplus - they like to spend too much for that! And have very little to show for the billions of dollars they have run up in debt in a very short space of time.


----------



## DocK (20 December 2012)

sails said:


> I think you mean that Swanny finally *admitted *what blind Freddie could see months ago...
> 
> I doubt he and Gillard actually thought they could pull off a surplus - they like to spend too much for that! And have very little to show for the billions of dollars they have run up in debt in a very short space of time.




Indeed.  Twas very fortuitous for Gillard to be on leave when the world's best treasurer was left to make the announcement solo....  She's a very canny polly to be sure!


----------



## McLovin (20 December 2012)

In another news, the sky is blue.


----------



## DocK (20 December 2012)

McLovin said:


> In another news, the sky is blue.




Yes, that is where I heard that Gillard was on leave - but they make a very good point - I doubt the timing of the announcement was incidental, it's pretty smart of her to do her best to hitch the lack of surplus to Swanny and absent herself.  Sometimes (or most often) in politics perception means more than fact.


----------



## MrBurns (20 December 2012)

Now that that pretence is over with she can resume wasting money........to get votes.


----------



## dutchie (20 December 2012)

sails said:


> I think you mean that Swanny finally *admitted *what blind Freddie could see months ago...
> 
> I doubt he and Gillard actually thought they could pull off a surplus - they like to spend too much for that! And have very little to show for the billions of dollars they have run up in debt in a very short space of time.




Actually I think DocK got it right.
Swanny is a little slow.


----------



## sails (20 December 2012)

dutchie said:


> Actually I think DocK got it right.
> Swanny is a little slow.




Yes, I think you are both right...


----------



## noirua (21 December 2012)

Big Midwestern Snowstorm Leads to 25-Vehicle Crash - SKYE on AOL
http://weather.aol.com/2012/12/20/big-midwestern-snowstorm-leads-to-25-vehicle-crash/


----------



## Logique (21 December 2012)

Just for everybody's information, the timing for *today's end of the world by the Mayan calendar* has been firmed up to:

In *Australian Eastern Daylight time*, the universe supposedly switches its lights out at *10.11pm today*.  

http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/apocalypse-now--or-at-1011pm-to-be-precise-20121220-2bpgi.html


----------



## MrBurns (21 December 2012)

Well I'm going shopping and if the world ends I want a refund


----------



## explod (21 December 2012)

Wheuff, puff, that was close,

we survived


----------



## Miss Hale (21 December 2012)

Logique said:


> Just for everybody's information, the timing for *today's end of the world by the Mayan calendar* has been firmed up to:
> 
> In *Australian Eastern Daylight time*, the universe supposedly switches its lights out at *10.11pm today*.
> 
> http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/apocalypse-now--or-at-1011pm-to-be-precise-20121220-2bpgi.html




Ah thank you, that explains why I woke up this morning


----------



## DB008 (24 December 2012)

**Even more info emerges about the nurse......




> *Radio prank call nurse Jacintha Saldanha 'on anti-depressants after two suicide attempts' - reports*
> 
> THE nurse who committed suicide after answering a hoax phone call about the Duchess of Cambridge reportedly made two attempts to kill herself a year ago and had been prescribed antidepressants.
> 
> ...




http://www.news.com.au/world/radio-prank-call-nurse-jacintha-saldanha-on-anti-depressants-after-two-suicide-attempts/story-fndir2ev-1226542581126


----------



## noirua (28 December 2012)

Obviously a problem in New York and set to hit the Aussie landscape: Tompkins County | News | | Detail |
http://www.tompkins-co.org/news/detail.aspx?ContentID=2162


----------



## Smurf1976 (28 December 2012)

In the past (in Australia and elsewhere) used transformer oil, which contained PCB's (seriously nasty stuff) was quite routinely sprayed on roads for dust suppression etc.

To this day there are detectable levels in otherwise "pristine" environments where this was done. I'll avoid stating exactly where, other than to say that electric utilities obviously had plenty of waste oil from transformers and some of those electric utilities also maintained gravel roads. 

Somewhat more alarmingly, I've heard stories of the stuff being blended with diesel fuel and used in road vehicles. This was never done by electric utilities in Australia so far as I'm aware, but was done by private individuals and a few rogue operators. I'd take a guess that it ends up not burning too well and just falls out and settles on the ground over a dispersed area. It's certainly not the "proper" method of disposal that's for sure.

Then there's the incineration of the stuff, mixed with fuel oil in boilers. In theory that might not be too bad, though if you've ever seen a large boiler running on heavy fuel oil then you'll know that it doesn't burn completely but emits clouds of smoke. Hmm.....


----------



## DB008 (31 December 2012)

Paedophile Dennis Ferguson found dead
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-12-31/paedophile-dennis-ferguson-found-dead/4447984


----------



## stewiejp (1 January 2013)

Thanks DB8, what a great way to start the new year - best news I've heard in ages..


----------



## DB008 (1 January 2013)

Interesting....



> *Australian Muslim cleric meets Hamas leader*
> 
> The Mufti of Australia, Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammed, is leading a delegation of Australian Muslim scholars to Gaza.
> 
> ...




http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-12-31/senior-muslim-cleric-meets-hamas-in-gaza/4448206


----------



## DB008 (3 January 2013)

Worldwide Muslim Riots MKII



> *French weekly prints Prophet Muhammad drawing*
> 
> A French satirical magazine, whose offices were fire-bombed after it published cartoons on the Prophet Muhammad last September, has published a 64-page special issue with cartoons on the life of Islam's founder.
> 
> ...


----------



## pixel (3 January 2013)

DB008 said:


> Worldwide Muslim Riots MKII



 Just imagine how they'd react if Monty Python had made a "Brian"-style "Life of Ahmed" movie 

Get over it, guys! One man's religion is another man's belly laugh!


----------



## DB008 (6 January 2013)

How low can people go?



> Aaliyah Boyer was watching midnight fireworks outside a home in Elkton, Maryland, south of Philadelphia, when she was struck in the head by a falling bullet.
> 
> Adults initially believed Aaliyah had passed out and hit her head, but the bullet wound was discovered when she arrived at hospital.
> 
> ...


----------



## Garpal Gumnut (6 January 2013)

DB008 said:


> Worldwide Muslim Riots MKII






pixel said:


> Just imagine how they'd react if Monty Python had made a "Brian"-style "Life of Ahmed" movie
> 
> Get over it, guys! One man's religion is another man's belly laugh!






> French weekly prints Prophet Muhammad drawing
> 
> A French satirical magazine, whose offices were fire-bombed after it published cartoons on the Prophet Muhammad last September, has published a 64-page special issue with cartoons on the life of Islam's founder.
> 
> ...




This is what all the kerfuffle is about.

Excuse the pun, but extreme Islamists need to get a life.

gg


----------



## DB008 (6 January 2013)

Careful GG, you might have just got a Fatwā issued to yourself.

Depicting the "prophet", even though no-one knows what he looks like.......


----------



## MrBurns (6 January 2013)

This bloke seems to sum it up well.


----------



## noirua (14 January 2013)

Aaron Swartz, Internet Activist, Dies at 26 - NYTimes.com
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/13/t...tml?pagewanted=all&src=ISMR_AP_LO_MST_FB&_r=0


----------



## Logique (14 January 2013)

Thanks Noirua,
Aaron Swartz, what a waste of talent at just 26. Such a gifted programmer, but a link with depression, and city hall came after him, which wouldn't have helped.


----------



## dutchie (17 January 2013)

Hostages taken at BP plant in Algeria

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...plant-in-algeria/story-e6frg6so-1226555541732


This could be the start of something big.


----------



## noirua (20 January 2013)

dutchie said:


> Hostages taken at BP plant in Algeria
> 
> http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...plant-in-algeria/story-e6frg6so-1226555541732
> 
> ...




Yes, and Algeria just wants to damage the rebels and their previous reputation. They know paying a ransom does the opposite. Many countries see ransoms paid without it coming directly from their exchequers so they can say they never pay ransoms. Algeria needs to hit the rebels fast and to hell with short term niceties.


----------



## DB008 (20 January 2013)

Holy s**t

Assassination *attempt* on Mr Ahmed Dogan - Belgium politician, last night. Caught on film. Holy Moly

(Little bit of violence)



BBC Link


----------



## So_Cynical (20 January 2013)

DB008 said:


> Holy s**t
> 
> Assassination *attempt* on Mr Ahmed Dogan - Belgium politician, last night. Caught on film. Holy Moly
> 
> ...





I think they need to get some real security, pretty pathetic.


----------



## sptrawler (20 January 2013)

So_Cynical said:


> I think they need to get some real security, pretty pathetic.




Belgium has real problems, muslims make up a huge proportion of Brussels population. There is even talk of splitting Belgium between France and Holland.


----------



## MrBurns (20 January 2013)

So_Cynical said:


> I think they need to get some real security, pretty pathetic.




Wasnt a real gun, a gas gun of some sort.

Security and the crowd beat the hell out of him.


----------



## DB008 (20 January 2013)

sptrawler said:


> Belgium has real problems, muslims make up a huge proportion of Brussels population. There is even talk of splitting Belgium between France and Holland.




How would that work? How would the split the country?


----------



## McLovin (20 January 2013)

sptrawler said:


> Belgium has real problems, muslims make up a huge proportion of Brussels population. There is even talk of splitting Belgium between France and Holland.




Except that was in Bulgaria, not Belgium. Unless Belgium has started using the cyrillic alphabet.


----------



## Garpal Gumnut (20 January 2013)

McLovin said:


> Except that was in Bulgaria, not Belgium. Unless Belgium has started using the cyrillic alphabet.




lol 

Belgium, Bulgaria, Belorussia, Bamaga, Bordertown, Bolivia.

What's the difference?

gg


----------



## Some Dude (20 January 2013)

sptrawler said:


> Belgium has real problems, muslims make up a huge proportion of Brussels population. There is even talk of splitting Belgium between France and Holland.




That split has been been a long standing issue. How the muslim population will factor into that cultural split is an interesting question.

Edit: Are we sure this was Belgium and not Bulgaria?

Just noted this..



McLovin said:


> Except that was in Bulgaria, not Belgium. Unless Belgium has started using the cyrillic alphabet.


----------



## pixel (20 January 2013)

McLovin said:


> Except that was in Bulgaria, not Belgium. Unless Belgium has started using the cyrillic alphabet.




correct:
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/...ogan-in-bulgaria/story-fnd11ay0-1226557480017



> BULGARIAN police have detained a man after he pointed a gas pistol at an ethnic Turkish party leader delivering a speech at a party caucus in the capital.


----------



## Some Dude (20 January 2013)

pixel said:


> correct:
> http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/...ogan-in-bulgaria/story-fnd11ay0-1226557480017




Thanks, I kept reading and noticed that. Appreciate the correction. A lesson to read to the end of the thread before responding.


----------



## noirua (21 January 2013)

AOL.com Video - Family Hopes Iowans Will Listen to Hannah's Story
http://www.aol.com/video/family-hopes-iowans-will-listen-to-hannahs-story/517646566/


----------



## sptrawler (21 January 2013)

Some Dude said:


> Edit: Are we sure this was Belgium and not Bulgaria?
> 
> Just noted this..




My apologies.


----------



## noirua (23 January 2013)

Sarkozy moving to London to avoid French taxes: report - The Tell - MarketWatch
http://blogs.marketwatch.com/thetel...-move-to-london-to-avoid-french-taxes-report/


----------



## DB008 (23 January 2013)

*Dick in Trouble*

Dick Smith ad pulled - can only get a CAD PG rating. Looks like the fun police have arrived - "Lock, Stock and Barrel" 

http://www.danilic.com/dick-trouble/


Dick Smith Foods Australia Day Ad - UNCENSORED


----------



## CanOz (23 January 2013)

Its a little over the top...almost ri-dick-ulous...

Sorry....i just couldn't resist...


----------



## noirua (24 January 2013)

Tina Marie Alberson, Stepmom, Gets 85 Years In Dehydration Death Of Jonathan James
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/...s-dehydration_n_2526905.html?utm_hp_ref=crime


----------



## DB008 (24 January 2013)

$20 trillion shale oil find surrounding Coober Pedy 'can fuel Australia'

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/business/companies/trillion-shale-oil-find-surrounding-coober-pedy-can-fuel-australia/story-fnda1bsz-1226560401043#ixzz2IpMnfLxf



> SOUTH Australia is sitting on oil potentially worth more than $20 trillion, independent reports claim - enough to turn Australia into a self-sufficient fuel producer.
> 
> Brisbane company Linc Energy yesterday released two reports, based on drilling and seismic exploration, estimating the amount of oil in the as yet untapped Arckaringa Basin surrounding Coober Pedy ranging from 3.5 billion to 233 billion barrels of oil.
> 
> ...


----------



## CanOz (24 January 2013)

Wow....shale oil and gas technology is uncovering some amazing new resources.

Saudi Australia ?

CanOz


----------



## MrBurns (24 January 2013)

CanOz said:


> Wow....shale oil and gas technology is uncovering some amazing new resources.
> 
> Saudi Australia ?
> 
> CanOz




It's worth trillions, might even pay off Labors debt.......


----------



## DB008 (24 January 2013)

I think "value" has to be taken with a handful of salt.

Is it worth 20 trillion when the price of oil is $40 or $100 or $200?

Still, LNC was up 9% yesterday.

I hold BPT and might get in on Santos, they are all doing stuff in that area. My view only. I could be wrong (and possibly am).


----------



## burglar (24 January 2013)

DB008 said:


> I think "value" has to be taken with a handful of salt.
> 
> Is it worth 20 trillion when the price of oil is $40 or $100 or $200?
> 
> ...




QUEENSLAND has been floating on oil shale since late 1970's.
Greenvale asx:GRV, Esperance asx:ESM, and East Coast asx:ECM had shares in the "Alpha" field.
Greenies would not allow refining in Australia. Apparently it was a polluting process.

Greenvale asx:GRV
Update on Moratorium on Oil Shale Exploitation in Queensland:

http://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20121019/pdf/429hbt3hnl0ljk.pdf


----------



## DB008 (24 January 2013)

I find this fascinating.

Driverless Cars.

Google has been working on this project for a number of years (since 2005).

Self-Driving Car Test: Steve Mahan - 95% blind




Wiki on Google driverless cars - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_driverless_car

And interestingly - only 2 accidents during this trial, and both of them were caused by humans.



> In August 2011, a human-controlled Google driverless car was involved in the project's first crash near Google headquarters in Mountain View, CA. Google has stated that the car was being driven manually at the time of the accident.[9] A second incident involved a Google driverless car being rear-ended while stopped at a stoplight.[10]




3 states in the USA now allow driverless cars - Nevada, Florida and California (Sep 2012). Hawaii is also preparing laws for driverless cars.

Toyota and Audi are bringing out driverless cars and unveiled them at last weeks CES show in Vegas.
http://technorati.com/lifestyle/autos/article/lexus-releases-their-own-driverless-car/

Huge advances in technology.


----------



## DB008 (24 January 2013)

burglar said:


> QUEENSLAND has been floating on oil shale since late 1970's.
> Greenvale asx:GRV, Esperance asx:ESM, and East Coast asx:ECM had shares in the "Alpha" field.
> Greenies would not allow refining in Australia. Apparently it was a polluting process.
> 
> ...




Thanks burglar


----------



## noirua (25 January 2013)

Body of European king long buried in America heads home | Fox News
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/0...g-buried-in-america-heads-home/?cmpid=prn_aol


----------



## noirua (25 January 2013)

Rare Lynx Sighting In Colorado Photo Goes Viral (PHOTO)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/24/rare-lynx-sighting-in-col_n_2543765.html

Catholic Hospital Argues Fetuses Are Not People In Malpractice Suit
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/23/catholic-hospital-argues-_n_2534383.html

New Mexico Bill Would Criminalize Abortions After Rape As 'Tampering With Evidence'
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/...on-bill_n_2541894.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular


----------



## noirua (27 January 2013)

Exxon Mobil Overtakes Apple To Become Most Valuable U.S. Company
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/25/exxon-mobil-overtakes-app_n_2551404.html

Egypt Riot After Soccer Violence Verdict Kills 27
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/26/egypt-riot-after-soccer-v_n_2557113.html

300-Million-Year-Old Tooth Wheel Found In Russian Coal: Scientists
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/23/300-million-year-old-tooth-gear_n_2527424.html


----------



## noirua (28 January 2013)

Brazil Nightclub Fire 'Kills At Least 245 People' In Town Of Santa Maria
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/201...icid=maing-grid7|uk|dl1|sec1_lnk2&pLid=149340


----------



## CanOz (28 January 2013)

noirua said:


> Brazil Nightclub Fire 'Kills At Least 245 People' In Town Of Santa Maria
> http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/201...icid=maing-grid7|uk|dl1|sec1_lnk2&pLid=149340




Struth...how awful...


----------



## MrBurns (28 January 2013)

Why they still allow bands to use pyrotechnics on stage is beyond me
This has happened a number of times before


----------



## noirua (29 January 2013)

Violence Flares In Egypt After President Declares State Of Emergency In 3 States
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/28/egypt-violence_n_2566735.html

Queen Beatrix To Abdicate Dutch Throne April 30
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/28/queen-beatrix-to-abdicate_n_2567717.html?utm_hp_ref=world

5 Murders In Chicago Overnight, Woman Loses 4th Child To Gun Violence [VIDEO] | Breaking News for Black America
http://newsone.com/2168404/shirley-chambers-sons-dead/?omcamp=aolhomepage

Mexico Violence: 8 Bodies Found In Well Near Monterrey
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/28/mexico-violence-bodies-well_n_2566940.html


----------



## noirua (30 January 2013)

Syria Massacre: Group Says At Least 65 Found Shot In Head, With Hands Bound In Aleppo
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/29/syria-massace-aleppo-report_n_2572910.html


----------



## noirua (31 January 2013)

BBC News - Israeli 'air strike on convoy on Syria-Lebanon border'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21264632

Hadiya Pendleton Dead: Chicago Teen Who Performed At Inaugural Events Fatally Shot
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/30/hadiya-pendleton-dead-chi_n_2581309.html

Phoenix Office Shooting: Multiple Injuries Reported In Attack At Arizona Workplace
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/30/phoenix-office-shooting_n_2582832.html

South Korea Rocket Launch: Satellite Reaches Space Weeks After North Korea Test
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/30/south-korea-rocket-launch-space-satellite_n_2580678.html


----------



## Calliope (31 January 2013)

What an obnoxious clown Anthony Mundine is. 

[video]http://video.heraldsun.com.au/2330569333/Mundine-says-he-was-robbed-in-loss-to-Geale-311[/video]


----------



## MrBurns (31 January 2013)

Former Labor MP Craig Thomson has been arrested by NSW Police


----------



## noirua (1 February 2013)

Price Middle School Shooting: Multiple Injuries In Attack At Southeast Atlanta School
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/...hool-shooting_n_2592672.html?utm_hp_ref=crime

Peregrine CEO Russell Wasendorf Sr. Sentenced To 50 Years In Prison
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/...-sentenced_n_2591758.html?utm_hp_ref=business

Jackie Long: Caught on Camera: Senior Rabbi Telling an Alleged Victim of Child Sexual Abuse Not to Go to the Police
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/jac...cid=maing-grid7|uk|dl12|sec3_lnk3&pLid=150606


----------



## DB008 (1 February 2013)

noirua said:


> Syria Massacre: Group Says At Least 65 Found Shot In Head, With Hands Bound In Aleppo
> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/29/syria-massace-aleppo-report_n_2572910.html





Surprised that there isn't a thread on "Syria". 

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2013/01/intense-battle-scenes-from-damascus/100450/

I don't understand the situation well enough to comment on Syria. Terrible situation from what I've seen in the news/media so far. I've seen some very graphic pictures on what is happening there. Shocking.


----------



## CanOz (1 February 2013)

Just heard on the Bloomy that former NY mayor Ed Koch has passed away, at 88. I felt a bit sad as i have spent many hours listening to his radio show...Seemed like good bloke.

RIP Ed....

CanOz


----------



## CanOz (1 February 2013)

There has been an explosion out the US embassy in Turkey....


----------



## Garpal Gumnut (1 February 2013)

CanOz said:


> There has been an explosion out the US embassy in Turkey....




Can you post a link

Can't see it mentioned in Drudge, NYT or Bloomberg.

gg


----------



## CanOz (1 February 2013)

Garpal Gumnut said:


> Can you post a link
> 
> Can't see it mentioned in Drudge, NYT or Bloomberg.
> 
> gg




Yeah mate, its there now...click on the blue text


----------



## pixel (1 February 2013)

CanOz said:


> There has been an explosion out the US embassy in Turkey....




http://www.itv.com/news/story/2013-02-01/explosion-us-embassy-ankara-turkey/

Information is still sketchy. ABC News not yet on the ball.


> Reports: Several wounded in explosion at US embassy
> 
> Several people have been wounded in an explosion outside the US Embassy in Ankara, according to Turkish TV.


----------



## pixel (1 February 2013)

CanOz said:


> Yeah mate, its there now...click on the blue text




http://bigstory.ap.org/article/turk...ts-explosion-front-us-embassy-turkish-capital

apparently, a suicide bomber blew himself up and took a couple of guards with him.


----------



## noirua (4 February 2013)

Eddie Ray Routh Charged In Murder Of Chris Kyle, 'American Sniper' Author
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/03/eddie-routh-chris-kyle-murder-navy-seal_n_2611117.html


----------



## MrBurns (4 February 2013)

> North Korea hints nuke test is imminent
> 
> North Korea has hinted that a nuclear test is imminent, saying leader Kim Jong-un has made an important speech to the country's military commanders




http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-04/north-korea-hints-nuke-test-is-imminent/4498530

Looks like it wont be an asteroid that wipes us out but this idiot.

I think an international fund should be set up to finance the US so it's doesnt fall behind China in world domination, once the US goes we're sunk.


----------



## bellenuit (4 February 2013)

*Michelle Grattan quits*

http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2013/02/michelle-grattan-quits.html


----------



## Julia (4 February 2013)

Good luck to her.  I don't think she owes Fairfax anything.
Despite an obvious innate Left bias, she has usually provided a fair analysis of most political situations.

It's not clear if she will still make the morning appearance on Fran Kelly's Breakfast program on RN.
They started 2013 off with combining Grattan with the awful Paul Bongiorno, who makes no attempt at all to disguise his blatant left bias.  If Kelly's morning chats with the Press Gallery are in future going to be restricted to Mr Bongiorno, the whole program will massively lose credibility imo.


----------



## sptrawler (4 February 2013)

I wonder how long before Ross Gittins joins her?


----------



## CanOz (6 February 2013)

North Korea has posted a strange video on YT...PLease if someone could post the link....

CanOz


----------



## burglar (6 February 2013)

CanOz said:


> North Korea has posted a strange video on YT...PLease if someone could post the link....
> 
> CanOz




http://www.businessinsider.com/nort...e-channel-the-13-strangest-videos-2012-7?op=1


----------



## DB008 (6 February 2013)

*Denmark shooting: Gunman targets Islam critic Hedegaard*

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21341878



> A prominent Danish critic of Islam, Lars Hedegaard, has been targeted in a gun attack in the capital Copenhagen, police say.
> 
> The 70-year-old writer and historian was not injured in the shooting.
> 
> ...


----------



## noirua (9 February 2013)

Massive Blizzard Begins Pounding East Coast - 
http://weather.aol.com/2013/02/08/nyc-new-england-brace-for-massive-blizzard/

Sandy-Battered Region Faces Another Weather Blast - SKYE on AOL
http://weather.aol.com/2013/02/08/sandy-battered-region-faces-another-weather-blast/


----------



## pixel (11 February 2013)

*"A fox took my baby!"* 

http://www.skynews.com.au/topstories/article.aspx?id=844458

Doesn't have quite the same ring to it as a dingo, but it's scary enough for London!


----------



## sptrawler (11 February 2013)

pixel said:


> *"A fox took my baby!"*
> 
> http://www.skynews.com.au/topstories/article.aspx?id=844458
> 
> Doesn't have quite the same ring to it as a dingo, but it's scary enough for London!




I saw some of the news presentation, there seemed to be 4 or 5 foxes in a backyard scrounging, that is asking for trouble.
I also thought I heard, residents were feeding them, I can't be sure I was posting on ASF at the time.lol


----------



## noirua (11 February 2013)

Pope Benedict has resigned -- will leave office on 28th February 2013.

This has been confirmed by the Vatican: Pope Benedict XVI to resign - Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/the-pope/9862194/Pope-Benedict-XVI-to-resign.html


----------



## DB008 (11 February 2013)

noirua said:


> Pope Benedict has resigned -- will leave office on 28th February 2013.
> 
> This has been confirmed by the Vatican.




Saw this...


> I wasn't aware the Pope could resign/abdicate/retire. I thought it was 'til death. Anyone know if this has happened before?
> 
> 
> > Pope Gregory XII resigned way back in 1415.




German media sources say its health reasons....


----------



## noirua (12 February 2013)

noirua said:


> Pope Benedict has resigned -- will leave office on 28th February 2013.
> 
> This has been confirmed by the Vatican: Pope Benedict XVI to resign - Telegraph
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/the-pope/9862194/Pope-Benedict-XVI-to-resign.html





Who Will Be Next Pope After Pope Benedict XVI's Resignation?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/11/who-will-be-next-pope-benedict-resignation_n_2661803.html


----------



## bellenuit (12 February 2013)

noirua said:


> Who Will Be Next Pope After Pope Benedict XVI's Resignation?




I hope they don't continue to discriminate on religious grounds and opt for an atheist this time. That would put an end to all those silly "Is the Pope a Catholic?" jokes.


----------



## dutchie (12 February 2013)

bellenuit said:


> I hope they don't continue to discriminate on religious grounds and opt for an atheist this time. That would put an end to all those silly "Is the Pope a Catholic?" jokes.




Now that's what I call "thinking outside the box".

Well done bellenuit.


----------



## burglar (12 February 2013)

bellenuit said:


> ... "Is the Pope a Catholic?" ...




Used to be "Is the Pope Italian?", until that Polish chap came along!


----------



## Calliope (12 February 2013)

bellenuit said:


> I hope they don't continue to discriminate on religious grounds and opt for an atheist this time. That would put an end to all those silly "Is the Pope a Catholic?" jokes.




An atheist woman would be ideal. I nominate Julia Gillard.


----------



## CanOz (12 February 2013)

> (KR) Artificial seismic activity detected in North Korea - financial press - Source TradeTheNews.com




N.Korean Nuclear test detected.....


----------



## MrBurns (13 February 2013)

> Breaking news
> Serial sex offender Robert John Fardon will be released from jail in Queensland tomorrow.
> 
> The first convicted criminal to be detained indefinitely in Queensland, sex offender Robert John Fardon, will be released from jail tomorrow.
> ...




http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-13/serial-sex-offender-fardon-granted-jail-release/4516270

What a waste of taxpayers money and puts the public at risk, I really think these judges need to be replaced by people with a bit of common sense.


----------



## MrBurns (14 February 2013)

> Breaking news
> Sex offender Robert John Fardon will not be released from Qld jail today. Appeal to be heard on Feb 27




About bloody time , throw the judge in jail who even considered it.


----------



## dutchie (14 February 2013)

Paralympic gold medallist Oscar Pistorius has shot and killed his girlfriend, South African media are reporting.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/oscar-p...dead-report-20130214-2efj6.html#ixzz2KrtbSfTz


----------



## MrBurns (16 February 2013)

> Russian panic as meteor shower rains down
> 
> A blazing meteor has exploded over a city in central Russia, with flying shards of glass and debris leaving hundreds of people injured.




http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-15/russians-panic-as-meteor-shower-rains-down/4521958

No this isnt April fools day


----------



## dutchie (16 February 2013)

Nick Xenophon detained in Malaysia. Deemed a security risk and refused entry.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nat...ects-deportation/story-fn59niix-1226579358593


----------



## noirua (16 February 2013)

Christopher Dorner Cause Of Death: Ex-Cop Killed By Gunshot To Head, Sheriff Says
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/15/dorner-cause-of-death_n_2698501.html#slide=2102688


----------



## noco (18 February 2013)

Julian Assange believes there is more than one way ti skin a cat.

I wish him success and I am sure there are a lot of Australians who think alike.


http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/...esult-in-freedom/story-fncyva0b-1226579769631


----------



## Julia (18 February 2013)

noco said:


> Julian Assange believes there is more than one way ti skin a cat.
> 
> I wish him success and I am sure there are a lot of Australians who think alike.



Can he really elude his present situation so easily?   Anyone with some understanding in this area?
I surely wouldn't be voting for him for any position of responsibility in Australia, the Senate very much included.


----------



## noco (18 February 2013)

Julia said:


> Can he really elude his present situation so easily?   Anyone with some understanding in this area?
> I surely wouldn't be voting for him for any position of responsibility in Australia, the Senate very much included.




I would say he is a damned side more intelligent and smarter than 90% who are currnetly holding a senate ticket.

He appears to have planned his escape from the UK with precision and has a lot of backers in Australia.

Don't underestimate Julian Assage's capability


----------



## MrBurns (18 February 2013)

Assange is a career fugitive, his future lies in deep interviews, writing books and running and hiding.


----------



## Macquack (18 February 2013)

noco said:


> Julian Assange believes there is more than one way ti skin a cat.
> 
> I wish him success and I am sure there are a lot of Australians who think alike.
> 
> ...




I have something to agree with you noco.


----------



## pixel (18 February 2013)

Macquack said:


> I have something to agree with you noco.





> I would say he is a damned side more intelligent and smarter than 90% who are currently holding a senate ticket.



Naturally, I strongly object to the cat-skinning reference. Yikes and 
But in every other regard, I totally agree.
This is one of those extremely rare occasions where I come close to regretting that I'm not a Victorian.


----------



## Duckman#72 (18 February 2013)

Macquack said:


> I have something to agree with you noco.




Julian has lost the plot. He is too full of his own self importance. However promising and refreshing he was when he burst onto the scene, he now believes he is above the law. And apparently he has started talking in the 3rd person when referring to himself.

Duckman


----------



## Julia (18 February 2013)

noco said:


> I would say he is a damned side more intelligent and smarter than 90% who are currnetly holding a senate ticket.



That is probably not hard.



> He appears to have planned his escape from the UK with precision and has a lot of backers in Australia.
> 
> Don't underestimate Julian Assage's capability



I don't underestimate either his intelligence or his ingenuity.  I question his fundamental motives.  Duckman's post below appropriately describes these.



Duckman#72 said:


> Julian has lost the plot. He is too full of his own self importance. However promising and refreshing he was when he burst onto the scene, he now believes he is above the law. And apparently he has started talking in the 3rd person when referring to himself.
> 
> Duckman


----------



## So_Cynical (18 February 2013)

Sweet, thats my Senate vote sorted out.


----------



## noco (19 February 2013)

The marriage between the Greens and the Labor Party has ended in divorce as of today.


----------



## Country Lad (19 February 2013)

noco said:


> The marriage between the Greens and the Labor Party has ended in divorce as of today.




They are probably afraid of some of the poll results painting them with the same brush.  I can't see them voting with the opposition on the floor though.

Cheers
Country Lad


----------



## Julia (19 February 2013)

noco said:


> The marriage between the Greens and the Labor Party has ended in divorce as of today.



Can you elaborate on this?  In "The World Today" I heard Christine Milne lamenting Labor's lack of green values or something but then she went on to say the Greens would continue to support the government in supply etc.  There must be something I've missed.


----------



## MrBurns (19 February 2013)

Julia said:


> Can you elaborate on this?  In "The World Today" I heard Christine Milne lamenting Labor's lack of green values or something but then she went on to say the Greens would continue to support the government in supply etc.  There must be something I've missed.




There you go........

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-19/milne-says-labor-has-reneged-on-agreement/4527252


----------



## Julia (19 February 2013)

Thanks, Burnsie.  I don't see that anything will actually change and agree with Country Lad that it's a gesture by Milne in an attempt to distance the Greens from the current polls on Labor.

Ms Milne does make some good points, eg 







> "We risk farmers being driven from their land by mining companies, without any resistance from the Parliament."
> 
> She has questioned how Ms Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott can voice support for Australia becoming a "food bowl", but at the same time support coal seam gas mining projects on agricultural land.


----------



## MrBurns (19 February 2013)

Julia said:


> Thanks, Burnsie.  I don't see that anything will actually change and agree with Country Lad that it's a gesture by Milne in an attempt to distance the Greens from the current polls on Labor.
> 
> Ms Milne does make some good points, eg




Yes Julia you're right, she is no longer aligned with Labor but wont de stabilise the Govt  it's true now a day doesnt go by without things getting worse for Gillard.
Labor Govt's so often end in high drama.


----------



## McLovin (19 February 2013)

Julia said:


> Thanks, Burnsie.  I don't see that anything will actually change and agree with Country Lad that it's a gesture by Milne in an attempt to distance the Greens from the current polls on Labor.
> 
> Ms Milne does make some good points, eg




That's what I thought. If they continue to support the government on no confidence and supply bills then this is just maintaining the status quo, unless I missed something.


----------



## MrBurns (19 February 2013)

McLovin said:


> That's what I thought. If they continue to support the government on no confidence and supply bills then this is just maintaining the status quo, unless I missed something.




No she said quite clearly that while she rejects Labor she wont support Abbott.


----------



## DB008 (19 February 2013)

Seems that Greet Wilders made it to our shores.



> Protesters call Dutch MP Geert Wilders a racist as he calls for end to mass migration from Islamic countries
> 
> PROTESTERS have pushed people to the ground as they tried to stop a Melbourne speech by controversial Dutch MP Geert Wilders.
> 
> ...


----------



## FxTrader (19 February 2013)

DB008 said:


> Seems that Greet Wilders made it to our shores.




Once again the misused term "racist" is rolled out by the ignorant to brand someone as a race hater when he is expressing a view about a religion.  Since when are race and religion synonymous terms?

While most religions are poisonous, faith based nonsense they are not equal in terms of their threat to modern society.  Islam has become the most dangerous religious dogma confronting civil society and rightly regarded as a threat.

As for Wilders, whatever his other political views may be, I find common ground with him on the issue of Islamism and its ultimate aims.  When Wilders says things like "Islam is a fascist ideology and the prophet Mohammed a pedophile and murderer" and "Islam is totalitarianism ... Islam and freedom are incompatible," it my sound overly confrontational and intolerant but it's also inconveniently true.  It's naive in the extreme to think of Islam as just another benign religious creed.  Far from it.


----------



## Miss Hale (19 February 2013)

DB008 said:


> Seems that Greet Wilders made it to our shores.




Saw this on the news. If protesters want to protest - fine, but blocking the entrance and pushing people to the ground is not on. 

Anybody else see the item on "7.30" last night?  It left me gobsmacked.  Protester saying what Gilders is saying is hate speech not free speech.  Hello?  Have you seen what some muslims leaders have said about infidels needing to be beheaded?  Have you heard what they have said they will do to Wilders?  Has Wilders ever said he wants to kill muslims?  I don't believe he has.  Others were making placards saying 'Australia welcomes muslims not racists', OK so what about muslims that are racists?  Never heard Gilders say anything racist in any case.  Then they went on and on about how secretive the Q Society is who are hosting Gilders visit despite the fact that they had someone on the show prepared to talk about the society and be named and identified, yet they had an unidentified muslim (voice disguised, silouette) making accusations against the society?  Now who is being secretive? 

I don't know all Wilders views on everything but from what I have heard him say so far I can't find anything to disagree with him on as yet.


----------



## CanOz (19 February 2013)

FxTrader said:


> Once again the misused term "racist" is rolled out by the ignorant to brand someone as a race hater when he is expressing a view about a religion.  Since when are race and religion synonymous terms?
> 
> While most religions are poisonous, faith based nonsense they are not equal in terms of their threat to modern society.  Islam has become the most dangerous religious dogma confronting civil society and rightly regarded as a threat.
> 
> As for Wilders, whatever his other political views may be, I find common ground with him on the issue of Islamism and its ultimate aims.  When Wilders says things like "Islam is a fascist ideology and the prophet Mohammed a pedophile and murderer" and "Islam is totalitarianism ... Islam and freedom are incompatible," it my sound overly confrontational and intolerant but it's also inconveniently true.  It's naive in the extreme to think of Islam as just another benign religious creed.  Far from it.




Well said....+1


----------



## IFocus (19 February 2013)

CanOz said:


> Well said....+1




+ 2...............


----------



## DB008 (19 February 2013)

FxTrader said:


> Once again the misused term "racist" is rolled out by the ignorant to brand someone as a race hater when he is expressing a view about a religion.  Since when are race and religion synonymous terms?
> 
> While most religions are poisonous, faith based nonsense they are not equal in terms of their threat to modern society.  Islam has become the most dangerous religious dogma confronting civil society and rightly regarded as a threat.
> 
> As for Wilders, whatever his other political views may be, I find common ground with him on the issue of Islamism and its ultimate aims.  When Wilders says things like "Islam is a fascist ideology and the prophet Mohammed a pedophile and murderer" and "Islam is totalitarianism ... Islam and freedom are incompatible," it my sound overly confrontational and intolerant but it's also inconveniently true.  It's naive in the extreme to think of Islam as just another benign religious creed.  Far from it.




+3

Miss Hale, yes, I agree.

You only have to go to Google -> search images -> Muslim placards....


----------



## Julia (19 February 2013)

MrBurns said:


> No she said quite clearly that while she rejects Labor she wont support Abbott.



Ms Milne was questioned on this on  "7.30" this evening and made it quite clear if the Coalition is elected to govern at the next election the Greens will work with them.
I find it a bit hard to imagine, however.  On both sides.



FxTrader said:


> Once again the misused term "racist" is rolled out by the ignorant to brand someone as a race hater when he is expressing a view about a religion.  Since when are race and religion synonymous terms?
> 
> While most religions are poisonous, faith based nonsense they are not equal in terms of their threat to modern society.  Islam has become the most dangerous religious dogma confronting civil society and rightly regarded as a threat.
> 
> As for Wilders, whatever his other political views may be, I find common ground with him on the issue of Islamism and its ultimate aims.  When Wilders says things like "Islam is a fascist ideology and the prophet Mohammed a pedophile and murderer" and "Islam is totalitarianism ... Islam and freedom are incompatible," it my sound overly confrontational and intolerant but it's also inconveniently true.  It's naive in the extreme to think of Islam as just another benign religious creed.  Far from it.



+4.


----------



## dutchie (19 February 2013)

+5 What FxTrader said.


----------



## DB008 (20 February 2013)

BHP boss Kloppers resigns



> Mr Kloppers will retire as chief executive and director on May 10, and will leave the group on October 1.




http://www.smh.com.au/business/bhp-boss-kloppers-resigns-20130220-2eq88.html


----------



## noirua (22 February 2013)

Las Vegas Strip Shooting: 3 Dead After Shootout Leads To Multi-Vehicle Crash, Police Say
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/21/las-vegas-strip-shooting_n_2733188.html

Libyan Weapons Arming Al Qaeda Militias Across North Africa, Officials Say
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/...rica_n_2727326.html?utm_hp_ref=world&ir=World

Death Valley Named Largest Dark Sky Park - SKYE on AOL
http://weather.aol.com/2013/02/21/death-valley-named-largest-dark-sky-park/

Watch: Rare Desert Snow Falls in Phoenix - SKYE on AOL
http://weather.aol.com/2013/02/21/watch-rare-desert-snow-falls-in-phoenix/


----------



## Julia (22 February 2013)

Student indecently assaulted in accommodation at Macquarie University.
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/sex-assau...-seekers-to-be-questioned-20130222-2evgl.html


> A female student was assaulted while sleeping in her in her Macquarie University accommodation.
> 
> A female student was assaulted while sleeping in her Macquarie University accommodation. Photo: Michel O'Sullivan
> 
> ...


----------



## Country Lad (22 February 2013)

Senate inquiry rejects 'offends and insults' law

_



			A Senate inquiry has rejected the Federal Government's plans to prohibit conduct that offends or insults, saying the move could limit freedom of expression.

The draft includes a clause stating that unfavourable treatment of another person includes conduct that offends, insults or intimidates.

But the Senate inquiry, which received more than 3,000 submissions, has recommended the clause be removed altogether.

The inquiry says the clause may have unintended consequences, including making it illegal to offend someone.

The Federal Government is not making any promises about agreeing to any of the recommendations.
		
Click to expand...


_
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-...troversial-anti-discrimination-clause/4532960


----------



## noirua (22 February 2013)

George Galloway storms out of Oxford University: 'I don't recognise Israel and I don't debate with Israelis' | Mail Online
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ont-debate-Israelis.html?ICO=most_read_module

George Galloway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Galloway


----------



## noirua (23 February 2013)

Video Wednesday: Secretary of State John Kerry’s First Major Public Address | Diplomatic Courier Blog
http://www.diplomaticourier.com/blo...state-john-kerrys-first-major-public-address/


----------



## dutchie (23 February 2013)

Friday, 22nd February 2013

Reuters has reported that in a landmark decision Ian Kiernan has announced that *Clean Up Australia Day* has been moved to 14th September for this year.

Kiernan was quoted to say :
“Enough is enough, it is time the Australian public had a voice in how dirty Australia had become. Major changes needed to be made with the way in which the rubbish in Australia was distributed. For more than half a decade one company had been despoiling Australia and this had to change to avoid Australia becoming covered with rubbish.

Australia needed to go back to previous methods and previous successful companies to rid itself of the rubbish accumulated over the last five years or so.”

Kiernan added:
"Australia could make a good start to cleaning up the mess by coming together and rallying to the cause on September 14th.  It is important for citizens to bring gloves, bags, shovels, cricket bats, and  baseball bats to make sure all the rubbish was cleaned up properly and thoroughly so that it would not return for a very long time.”

Many commentators have suggested that there should be a major celebration and all night party at the end of the clean up day because Australia deserved a little joy. Firecrackers and cheering in the streets would help kick start a new era!


----------



## DB008 (23 February 2013)

Google Glass
http://www.theverge.com/2013/2/22/4013406/i-used-google-glass-its-the-future-with-monthly-updates


----------



## noirua (24 February 2013)

Yes, rubbish is an increasing problem worldwide. Packaging is a disaster and, going back a bit, two of my Great Grandfathers kept pigs that ate all of the rubbish - no packaging those days. Then they ate the pigs and that was the time to gather the neighbours round.

These days safety laws don't allow pigs to eat all the waste and I remember a school owning their own pig. I think thoughts are that eating pigs that eat all the rubbish might not be fit for consumption?


----------



## DB008 (27 February 2013)

Data leaked after ABC Wilders interview

http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/national/abc-hacked-after-wilders-interview/story-e6frfku9-1226586794146


----------



## DB008 (27 February 2013)

Muslim cleric Man Haron Monis loses bid to have charges over offensive letters quashed



> A SELF-styled Muslim cleric accused of sending offensive letters to the families of slain Australian soldiers has lost a High Court bid to have the charges against him quashed.
> 
> Man Haron Monis, also known as Sheik Haron, was charged in 2011 with 12 counts of using a postal service in a way that a reasonable person would consider menacing, harassing or offensive.
> 
> ...





http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/muslim-cleric-man-haron-monis-loses-bid-to-have-charges-over-offensive-letters-quashed/story-e6frg6nf-1226586784899


----------



## DB008 (27 February 2013)

Very sad

*Journalist Peter Harvey 'has days to live'*

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/journalist-peter-harvey-has-days-to-live-20130227-2f4p7.html


----------



## DB008 (4 March 2013)

*Child born with HIV cured by US doctors*

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/mar/03/us-doctors-cure-child-born-hiv



> Medical history made with first 'functional cure' of unnamed two-year-old born with the virus but now needing no medication
> 
> Doctors in the US have made medical history by effectively curing a child born with HIV, the first time such a case has been documented.
> 
> ...


----------



## DB008 (4 March 2013)

DB008 said:


> *Child born with HIV cured by US doctors*
> 
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/mar/03/us-doctors-cure-child-born-hiv




Better source

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130303172640.htm


----------



## DB008 (6 March 2013)

Venezuela's Hugo Chavez dies aged 58

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-21679053


----------



## noco (8 March 2013)

After an hour and a half seige in the Brisbane Mall, a gunman has been shot, wounded and taken to custody at 12.45pm.


----------



## DB008 (10 March 2013)

North Korea provoking again. They are like the naughty kid in the corner having a temper tantrum, aren't they?

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/02/13/graphic-dprk-intentions/


----------



## DocK (10 March 2013)

DB008 said:


> North Korea provoking again. They are like the naughty kid in the corner having a temper tantrum, aren't they?




With one major difference - most naughty kids don't have nukes - North Korea's temper tantrums have the potential to be catastrophic.:frown:


----------



## MrBurns (10 March 2013)

DocK said:


> With one major difference - most naughty kids don't have nukes - North Korea's temper tantrums have the potential to be catastrophic.:frown:




I agree, it's acary.


----------



## tech/a (10 March 2013)

Well they are teasing a much bigger kid.
Frankly the Nuke wouldn't get 500 km before it was taken out.
And you can bet there is a sub less than 500 km away from
the kid.

Reminds me a lot of Hitler.


----------



## DB008 (10 March 2013)

And if they launch a nuke, then what? 10 come back and they are finished.

I think their food shortage/famine is worse than what we think. They are desperate to get food supplies.


----------



## chops_a_must (10 March 2013)

Hmmm...


----------



## DB008 (14 March 2013)

*Attempt to kill Jong-un took place in 2012: Source - Kill*



> North Korean leader Kim Jong-un faced an assassination attempt in Pyongyang last year during a power struggle in a military bureau, a Seoul-based intelligence source told the JoongAng Ilbo Tuesday.
> 
> “The authorities are paying special attention because the attempt was made in downtown Pyongyang, not during one of Kim’s regional trips outside the capital city,” said the source, who is well-informed about North Korean affairs.
> 
> ...






> "They are afraid that the public will be very agitated by forthcoming food shortages in April,” another official said. “Kim Jong-un doesn’t want to start a war. He just wants to escalate tensions to unite his people and find a way through the tightened sanctions.”
> 
> The official also said the North is likely to stage an attack that cannot be conclusively blamed on it.




http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/Article.aspx?aid=2968561


----------



## DB008 (14 March 2013)

*JOKES*....



> North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un waves from one of his naval ships


----------



## CanOz (14 March 2013)

DB008 said:


> *JOKES*....




She's a beauty !


----------



## DB008 (15 March 2013)

*More HIV 'cured': first a baby, now 14 adults 
*
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23276-more-hiv-cured-first-a-baby-now-14-adults.html?cmpid=RSS|NSNS|2012-GLOBAL|online-news


----------



## noirua (24 March 2013)

BBC News - France confirms death of Islamist commander Abou Zeid
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21912281


Senate approves Democratic budget after marathon 'vote-a-rama' | Fox News
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...rst-budget-proposal-in-4-years/?cmpid=prn_aol


Playing It Safe With Kids And Cars
http://autos.aol.com/article/car-seat-installation-NHTSA-kids-children/


----------



## Gringotts Bank (28 March 2013)

HC are setting up a fighting fund, so that when members get sued by companies for slander, they get financial aid for legal support.

Something wrong about that and I can't work out exactly what it is.


----------



## Country Lad (28 March 2013)

Gringotts Bank said:


> Something wrong about that and I can't work out exactly what it is.




1. It means that HC acknowledge they do not effectively moderate
2. Members will feel emboldened to be even more provocative
3. It rewards anti social behaviour
4. Human behaviour dictates that nowhere near enough would be collected for effective legal defence
5.
6.

Cheers
Country Lad


----------



## Gringotts Bank (28 March 2013)

Country Lad said:


> 1. It means that HC acknowledge they can not effectively moderate
> 2. Members will feel emboldened to be even more provocative
> 3. It rewards anti social behaviour
> 4. Human behaviour dictates that nowhere near enough would be collected for effective legal defence
> ...




Thank you.


----------



## MrBurns (28 March 2013)

> Live: Two dead after Melbourne wall collapse
> 
> Two people have been killed as a wall collapsed on Swanston Street in the Melbourne suburb of Carlton.
> 
> ...




http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-28/wall-collapse-in-swanston-street/4600194


----------



## Aussiejeff (28 March 2013)

DB008 said:


> *JOKES*....




Note the top secret Anti-Submarine Harpoon launcher at bow of warship....


----------



## MrBurns (29 March 2013)

> North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reportedly ordered the country's rocket units to be on standby to attack US military bases in South Korea and the Pacific.




http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-29/north-korea-prepares-rockets-for-us-strike-report-says/4601258

I wish to US would just blow this clown off the face of the earth.


----------



## pilots (29 March 2013)

Rolf Harris arrested on sex charges, looks like he was tied up with Jimmy Savile.


----------



## MrBurns (29 March 2013)

pilots said:


> Rolf Harris arrested on sex charges, looks like he was tied up with Jimmy Savile.




Oh no.........


----------



## MrBurns (29 March 2013)

MrBurns said:


> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-29/north-korea-prepares-rockets-for-us-strike-report-says/4601258
> 
> I wish to US would just blow this clown off the face of the earth.







> Nuclear-capable stealth bombers drill over Korea



http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-28/us-stealth-bombers-run-drills-over-s-korea/4600660
.....


----------



## pilots (29 March 2013)

MrBurns said:


> Oh no.........




Could it have been that extra leg that got him in to trouble.


----------



## Aussiejeff (29 March 2013)

pilots said:


> Could it have been that extra leg that got him in to trouble.




Two little boys??


----------



## MrBurns (29 March 2013)

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/2013/03/29/11/08/man-arrested-in-jimmy-saville-sex-probe


----------



## MrBurns (29 March 2013)

The ABC follows - 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-29/82yo-man-arrested-in-savile-abuse-investigation/4601546


----------



## Boggo (29 March 2013)

ha ha, onya Pickering


----------



## noirua (31 March 2013)

Not breaking news really. As they say though, "If you think you have a problem, then you have - GET IT SORTED NOW":

One In 10 'Have Experienced Potential Signs Of Cancer' Survey Finds
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/201...icid=maing-grid7|uk|dl5|sec1_lnk3&pLid=165338

Health and Wellbeing | CSIRO
http://www.csiro.au/en/Outcomes/Health-and-Wellbeing.aspx

Welcome to Cancer Council Australia - Cancer Council Australia
http://www.cancer.org.au/


----------



## DB008 (31 March 2013)

North Korea. Running out of bluffs. Propaganda machine in overdrive.

*Full war declaration statement from DPRK (via KCNA):*
http://live.reuters.com/Event/North_Korea/70001409


*N.Korea to strike back if provoked - Pyongyang*
http://english.ruvr.ru/2013_03_30/N-Korea-to-strike-back-if-provoked-Pyongyang-203/


> Reports about Pyongyang declaring war on South Korea resulted from a mistranslation with the original text saying only that the North  was  entering a "state of war" with its southern neighbor, and that it would act accordingly only in case of provocations, which could degenerate in a full-scale war and even a nuclear one.
> “From this moment on relations between North and South enter a state of war,” a statement carried by the North's official KCNA news agency said. The statement jointly issued by the North Korean government, political parties and public organizations, added that in case of enemy provocations, the Northern armed forces would respond by striking out at US bases in the Hawaii, Guam, South Korea and also at South Korean military bases and the presidential residence in Seoul.


----------



## Logique (1 April 2013)

> North Korea. Running out of bluffs. Propaganda machine in overdrive.




Might be time to go short.


----------



## noirua (3 April 2013)

Mike McLelland, Texas District Attorney, Shot 20 Times: Report
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/...istrict-attorney-shot-20-times_n_3001790.html

Jay Hileman, Federal Prosecutor, Leaves Aryan Brotherhood Case Amid 'Security Concerns': Report
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/...s-aryan-brotherhood_n_3002012.html?ref=topbar

Shain Gandee Dead: 'Buckwild' Star Dies At 21
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/...ar-dies_n_2992740.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular


----------



## noirua (8 April 2013)

AOL.com Video - How to Treat Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
http://www.aol.com/video/how-to-treat-carbon-monoxide-poisoning/517734596/

Matthew Warren, Son Of Rick Warren, Commits Suicide
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/06/matthew-warren-suicide_n_3029792.html


----------



## CanOz (8 April 2013)

> (UK) Former UK PM Thatcher has passed away - Source TradeTheNews.com






CanOz


----------



## Julia (8 April 2013)

Not sure quite why, but I'm really sad to hear that.


----------



## Knobby22 (8 April 2013)

I thought Thatcher dragged Britain out of the mire. 
I have read her books and have great admiration for her. 

From the ABC:

_As Britain's longest-serving 20th century prime minister and the only woman to have held the job, Lady Thatcher presided over a decade of radical change in Britain. 

From the day in May 1979 that she arrived in 10 Downing Street with her trademark handbag, the grocer's daughter used no-nonsense rhetoric and a steely power over her male acolytes to take stagnant Britain on a journey of economic reform. 

She was also one of the few prime ministers to have an ideology named after her: Thatcherism's appeal was to the individual, its rhetoric was all about freedom and an end to class division, about less state control and more private enterprise, about smashing anything that believed in collective power, from trade unions to the Soviet bloc._


----------



## sptrawler (8 April 2013)

Julia said:


> Not sure quite why, but I'm really sad to hear that.




I'm not quite sure why, also?


----------



## chops_a_must (8 April 2013)

Might have to bring out the young ones.

She obviously didnt help out the kids. Or get dexys midnight runners in the library.


----------



## Logique (9 April 2013)

CanOz said:


> CanOz



Malcolm Farr also jumped on board a false claim about Thatcher: 


> Paul Bongiorno on Radio National today repeats a half truth about Margaret Thatcher: She was convinced of the science of global warming..
> 
> ..But Bongiorno, in praising the speech and noting Thatcher was a trained chemist, neglects to add that Thatcher later changed her mind after studying further evidence.
> 
> Read more: http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/...cher_was_far_smarter_than_the_warmists_claim/


----------



## MrBurns (9 April 2013)

> Former HSU boss on money-laundering charge
> 
> Former union boss and Labor Party president Michael Williamson has been charged with another two fraud and corruption offences.
> 
> ...




http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-04-09/former-hsu-boss-on-money-laundering-charge/4617914


----------



## JTLP (9 April 2013)

Knobby22 said:


> I thought Thatcher dragged Britain out of the mire.
> I have read her books and have great admiration for her.
> 
> From the ABC:
> ...




Found it pretty poor that people were singing and dancing in the streets at the news of her passing.

Sure - they may have had some fiery clashes...but let the dead lie in peace.


----------



## Boggo (9 April 2013)

JTLP said:


> Found it pretty poor that people were singing and dancing in the streets at the news of her passing.
> 
> Sure - they may have had some fiery clashes...but let the dead lie in peace.




Agree entirely.
She did have some significant faults and Britain is no better off now because of her but dancing in the streets because she is dead is probably taking it a bit far. Is this a reflection of britain today  perhaps ?
I tend to think that there seems to be an element just waiting for an event so they can go on a rampage and destroy other peoples property etc. (come to think of it though, isn't that what the now defunct british empire was built on ?)

Working class communities were devastated in Britain because of her policies.
Her role in international affairs was equally belligerent whether in support of the Chilean dictator Pinochet, her opposition to sanctions against apartheid South Africa; and her support for the Khmer Rouge.


----------



## Julia (9 April 2013)

Boggo said:


> Agree entirely.
> She did have some significant faults and Britain is no better off now because of her



How do you know that?  Britain was a basket case, run by the unions, before she took over.

She was, at least, a politician of genuine conviction, unlike the "change with the political wind" individuals we endure these days.


----------



## Boggo (9 April 2013)

Julia said:


> How do you know that?  Britain was a basket case, run by the unions, before she took over.
> 
> Agree, the unions had to be brought to heel, are they any better off as a country today though ?
> 
> ...




Three sides to every story, both the opposites and the facts.


----------



## noirua (10 April 2013)

History shows that Britain was controlled by the three main unions and governments had to negotiate deals -- Jim Calaghan was PM In 1979 there was the 'winter of discontent' when rubbish was left in the streets for months and the Labour party was replaced by the Conservatives under Margaret Thatcher.

James Callaghan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Callaghan

Winter of Discontent - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_of_Discontent

Margaret Thatcher - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Thatcher

Without Mrs Thatcher Britain would have given up the Falkland Islands to Argentina. It was a major standing point: Falklands War - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falklands_War

Thatcher decided not to negotiate with the unions and in 1984 the coal miners under leader Arthur Scargill called a national strike without a ballet of members. The Nottingham area decided not to join the strike without a ballet of members.
The fault lay with Scargill who made himself President for Life and miscalculated the will of Mrs Thatcher in what became a struggle that they were bound to lose.
After the strike many coal mines in the North of England were closed putting whole towns and villages out of work and they have never forgiven her to this day.

Arthur Scargill - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Scargill

My view is that if you lose then tough you get the consequences from that.

Thatcher saved Britain from disaster and from penal tax rates up to 98%. Britain moved on and as a society has a mixed race system which seems to have worked despite the Banks lending in America, going bust or virtually bust, and losing about $2 trillion or so. Tough again, if you get it wrong you lose, get over it somehow.

Thatcherism: Thatcherism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thatcherism

BBC News - Europe and Baroness Thatcher: The great divide
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22072992


----------



## Logique (10 April 2013)

Mark these three names, they had the courage to stand against the empty-headed viciousness of the Melbourne Uni Students Council's stamping on a great PM's grave. Thatcher's crime? The unthinkable, she stood up to the Unions.

Well done lads.

Against:
Matthew Lesh (NOW!/Liberal) 
Charles Cartney (NOW!/Liberal) 
James Duncan (NOW!/Liberal)

http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/...her_always_had_more_courage_than_her_critics/


----------



## Logique (10 April 2013)

This blogger has a strong opinion: 







> http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/...atcher_a_racist_no_carr_a_fraud/#commentsmore
> 
> Thatcher achieved great things - she saved Britain and contributed to the liberation of eastern Europe without a shot fired. She was a giant amongst pygmies.
> 
> ...


----------



## noirua (14 April 2013)

Manda Packing Company Recalls 468,000 Pounds Of Meat Over Possible Bacterial Contamination
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/13/manda-packing-company-recall_n_3077348.html


Obama To Name Volunteer Fund After George H.W. Bush
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/11/obama-george-hw-bush_n_3060631.html

George H. W. Bush - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_H._W._Bush


----------



## DB008 (16 April 2013)

*Boston Marathon hit by explosions*



> Two explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon race have left an unknown number of people injured.
> 
> Video and photographs from Boston show a scene of confusion, with emergency services descending on the scene and bloodied spectators being taken to a medical tent.
> 
> ...




http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22160691








*Boston Marathon Live Feed FINISH LINE*
http://boston.cbslocal.com/2013-boston-marathon-finish-line/


----------



## noirua (16 April 2013)

Follow on news of the tragedy: Three Killed As Boston Marathon Hit By Explosions (VIDEO, PHOTOS)
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/201...icid=maing-grid7|uk|dl1|sec1_lnk2&pLid=172042


----------



## noirua (17 April 2013)

Climbers Recover Body of Boy from Alaska Glacier - SKYE on AOL
http://weather.aol.com/2013/04/15/boy-falls-into-alaska-glacial-hole-feared-dead/

Judge Judy: 4 More Years And $180 Million? - Careers Articles
http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/04/11/judge-judy-contract/


----------



## noirua (18 April 2013)

Gary Reitnauer Apparent Suicide: Pennsylvania Man's Death By Carbon Monoxide Kills 3 Others
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/17/gary-reitnauer-suicide_n_3099310.html?ref=topbar

Quinn Boyer Shooting: 5 Teens Arrested In Killing Of Off-Duty Paramedic
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/17/quinn-boyer-shot_n_3099609.html?ref=topbar

Kim Lene Williams, Wife Of Ex-Judge, Arrested In Kaufman County District Attorney Murder Case
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/...rested-texas-murder_n_3100409.html?ref=topbar

Regions Hospital In Minnesota Apologizes For Mishandling Stillborn Baby, Mistaking It For Laundry
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/17/regions-hospital-stillborn-baby_n_3100544.html?ref=topbar


----------



## Logique (18 April 2013)

What a horrific tragedy.



> Gary Reitnauer Apparent Suicide: Pennsylvania Man's Death By Carbon Monoxide Kills 3 Others
> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...tml?ref=topbar
> 
> ...Bucks County District Attorney David Heckler said Tuesday night that a state police investigation indicates that Gary Reitnauer went to the garage of an adjacent home on the family's property on Monday and started the car following a disagreement with his wife, Michelle.
> ...


----------



## noirua (18 April 2013)

Texas Explosion: Fatalities Reported In Blast At Fertilizer Plant (VIDEO)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/18/texas-explosion-west-fertilizer-plant_n_3105341.html


----------



## Logique (19 April 2013)

CAIXIN ONLINE April 18, 2013, 9:08 p.m. EDT
*China banker jumps to death in Beijing*
By Yang Lu
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ch...ath-in-beijing-2013-04-18?link=MW_latest_news



> BEIJING (Caixin Online) ”” In an apparent suicide, a high-level executive of a state-owned investment company leapt to his death in downtown Beijing.
> 
> Wang Shiqiang, 60-year-old chairman of the board of supervisors for China Jianyin Investment Securities Co., appeared to have jumped to his death on the afternoon of April 16 from the top of the office tower that houses China Jianyin.
> 
> In an issued statement, China Jianyin said the suicide was due to personal issues in Wang’s life, refuting online speculation that the death was tied to heavy losses incurred by gold investments...


----------



## noirua (19 April 2013)

BBC News - Major police operation in Boston area after shooting
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22211764


----------



## noirua (19 April 2013)

noirua said:


> BBC News - Major police operation in Boston area after shooting
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22211764





Boston policeman shot dead and explosions in Watertown chase | World news | guardian.co.uk
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/19/boston-policeman-shot-explosions-chase


----------



## noirua (19 April 2013)

BBC News - US police chase Boston Marathon bomb suspect
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22212946


----------



## noirua (19 April 2013)

Watertown | Page 7 | Liveblog live blogging | Reuters.com
http://live.reuters.com/Event/Watertown


----------



## noirua (21 April 2013)

China Earthquake: Dozens Killed, Hundreds Hurt In Rural Earthquake (PICTURES, VIDEO)
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/04/20/china-earthquake-dozens-k_n_3121610.html

Elation: Scene of Watertown Capture of Marathon Bombing Suspect - Watertown, MA Patch
http://watertown.patch.com/articles...wn-capture-of-second-marathon-bombing-suspect

India: Five-Year-Old Girl Brutally Raped In New Delhi
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/201...icid=maing-grid7|uk|dl1|sec3_lnk2&pLid=173373


A UK problem brought about by severe losses by major banks. Those at the bottom are hit by a crap performance at the top: Benefit Cuts Caused Disabled Yorkshire Man Nicholas Barker To Take His Life, Rules Coroner
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/201...icid=maing-grid7|uk|dl1|sec3_lnk3&pLid=173373


----------



## noirua (22 April 2013)

Boston Bomber Suspects Had Attended Cambridge Mosque, Officials Say (UPDATE)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/20/boston-bombers-mosque-cambridge_n_3125192.html


----------



## DB008 (22 April 2013)

Chrissy Amphlett (Divinyls) dies at 53 after losing breast cancer battle


http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/chrissy-amphlett-dead-at-53-after-losing-breast-cancer-battle/story-e6frfn09-1226626029214#ixzz2RB4kfZSh


----------



## noirua (22 April 2013)

Abdella Ahmad Tounisi, U.S. Teenager, Arrested Over Alleged Al Qaeda Links
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/...sted-al-qaeda-chicago-teenager_n_3125096.html

West Fertilizer Co. Failed To Disclose It Had Unsafe Stores Of Explosive Substance
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/20/west-fertilizer-company_n_3121110.html

Lindsay Sandiford Offers £6,000 Jumper To Foreign Office Minister To Help Fund Death Penalty Appeal
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/201...icid=maing-grid7|uk|dl1|sec1_lnk2&pLid=173640


----------



## noirua (23 April 2013)

Alleged terror plot thwarted by arrests in Ontario, Quebec - Politics - CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2013/04/22/pol-terror-plot-ontario-quebec-arrests.html


----------



## DB008 (23 April 2013)

noirua said:


> Alleged terror plot thwarted by arrests in Ontario, Quebec - Politics - CBC News
> http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2013/04/22/pol-terror-plot-ontario-quebec-arrests.html




Can anyone spot a trend developing here????


----------



## bellenuit (23 April 2013)

DB008 said:


> Can anyone spot a trend developing here????




Everyone can except for some in the ADF hierarchy who will miss the trend due to political correctness gone mad. Shame that this could happen......

*Australian Defence Force disciplines Reserve Intelligence Officer for discussing Islam*

http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/201...ntelligence-officer-for-discussing-islam.html


----------



## DB008 (23 April 2013)

bellenuit said:


> Everyone can except for some in the ADF hierarchy who will miss the trend due to political correctness gone mad. Shame that this could happen......
> 
> *Australian Defence Force disciplines Reserve Intelligence Officer for discussing Islam*
> 
> http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/201...ntelligence-officer-for-discussing-islam.html




Wow. That is crazy. What a joke we have become. PC Overboard...thought police have arrived...


----------



## noirua (25 April 2013)

DB008 said:


> Can anyone spot a trend developing here????




Fuel Barges Explode On Mobile River, Injuring 3 (VIDEO)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/25/fuel-barge-explosion_n_3151541.html


----------



## noirua (27 April 2013)

Jesse Jackson Jr. Sentencing: Prosecutors Could Factor In Ex-Congressman's Bipolar Disorder
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/26/jesse-jackson-jr-sentenci_n_3165447.html

Mark Zuckerberg Reaped $2.3 Billion On Facebook Stock Options
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/26/zuckerberg-stock-options_n_3166661.html?utm_hp_ref=business


----------



## DB008 (27 April 2013)

noirua said:


> Mark Zuckerberg Reaped $2.3 Billion On Facebook Stock Options
> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/26/zuckerberg-stock-options_n_3166661.html?utm_hp_ref=business





*Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg sold shares to pay tax bill*



> FACEBOOK chief executive Mark Zuckerberg reaped a gain of nearly $US2.3 billion ($A2.24 billion) last year when he exercised 60 million stock options just before the online social networking leader's initial public offering.The windfall detailed in regulatory documents filed on Friday saddled Zuckerberg, 28, with a massive tax bill.
> 
> He raised the money to pay it by selling 30.2 million Facebook Inc shares for $US38 apiece, or $US1.1 billion, in the IPO.
> 
> ...




http://www.perthnow.com.au/technology/zuckerberg-sold-shares-to-pay-tax-bill/story-fnhod56e-1226630522896


----------



## Logique (28 April 2013)

How can the commercial airlines even operate in WA, with all the UFO's flying around the place.

*Hundreds of UFO pics captured over Perth by Darlington man*
TREVOR PADDENBURG THE SUNDAY TIMES APRIL 27, 2013 9:33PM 


> http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/wes...y-darlington-man/story-fnhocxo3-1226630795224
> Unidentified alien spacecraft, a quirk of digital photography or a case of extra-terrestrial fraud?
> 
> These are some of the hundreds of "UFOs" that a biochemist-turned-school teacher says he captured on his $600 digital camera from the veranda of his Darlington home in the Perth Hills..
> ...


----------



## noirua (29 April 2013)

Einstein 'Proven Right' After Experiment Spanning 7,000 Light Years
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/04/26/einstein-proven-right-aft_n_3160369.html


----------



## DB008 (1 May 2013)

Video footage emerges of 747 crash in Afghanistan



> Video footage has emerged purportedly showing a civilian cargo plane crash in Afghanistan which killed all seven crew members on board.
> 
> Rescue teams rushed to the scene after the 747 crashed inside the boundaries of Bagram airfield, a US-run base which is a key transport hub for US-led military operations in Afghanistan.
> 
> ...




http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-01/video-footage-emerges-of-747-crash-in-afghanistan/4661632

RIP to all who perished.


----------



## MrBurns (1 May 2013)

My nephew is a Qantas captain and he told me tonight the plane had 5 armoured vehicles on board, the load in all probability shifted and while taking off they have full power , nose up, the pilots, not knowing the load had shifted, (head phones on and full power) probably lifted the nose to get more altitude but that only stalled the plane, if they'd known the load had shifted they would have eased up on the power and levelled out.

He says pilots must ALWAYS check these things personally before take-off.


----------



## noirua (2 May 2013)

Boston Police Announce 3 More Suspects In Custody For Marathon Bombings
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/01/more-suspects-arrested-boston-bombings_n_3193423.html


Bill Roache, 'Ken Barlow' Coronation Street Actor Arrested On Suspicion Of Historic Allegation Of Sexual Assault
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/201...icid=maing-grid7|uk|dl1|sec1_lnk2&pLid=176212


----------



## noirua (4 May 2013)

Chaudhry Zulfikar Dead: Lead Pakistan Prosecutor In Benazir Bhutto Murder Case Shot To Death, Police Say
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/03/chaudhry-zulfikar-dead-pakistan-prosecutor_n_3205565.html

Hiring Up, Jobless Rate Falls To 7.5% - Careers Articles
http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2013/05/03/employers-add-165000-jobs-april/


----------



## noirua (4 May 2013)

Camarillo Wildfire Burns Path Toward Malibu (VIDEO, PHOTOS)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/03/camarillo-wildfire-burns_n_3209246.html

David Eger Reported Tiger Woods' Illegal Drop During The Masters: Report
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/03/david-eger-tiger-woods-illegal-drop-masters_n_3209206.html

Israel Launches Airstrike Into Syria, U.S. Officials Say
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/...icid=maing-grid7|uk|dl1|sec1_lnk2&pLid=177091


----------



## DB008 (5 May 2013)

Huge explosion hits Damascus

Israeli strike on Damascus - and/or - reports of a downed Israeli fighter jet.

A huge explosion has hit Damascus, the capital of Syria. 20 seconds into this video. Claims of a downed Israeli fighter jet are emerging. 





*BBC - 'Israel rockets' hit Jamraya facility in Damascus*

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22417482


----------



## noirua (5 May 2013)

Following on from the last post: Israel Confirms Airstrike Against Syria
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/04/israel-airstrike-syria_n_3214128.html


----------



## bellenuit (5 May 2013)

noirua said:


> Following on from the last post: Israel Confirms Airstrike Against Syria
> http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/04/israel-airstrike-syria_n_3214128.html




The admission relates to a different air strike than the one you posted.


----------



## chops_a_must (5 May 2013)

Anwar Ibrahim is claiming victory in the Malaysian elections on his Facebook page.


----------



## Julia (5 May 2013)

chops_a_must said:


> Anwar Ibrahim is claiming victory in the Malaysian elections on his Facebook page.



What's your reaction to that, chops?


----------



## chops_a_must (5 May 2013)

Julia said:


> What's your reaction to that, chops?




Positive.

But it would have been healthier 15 years or so ago.

Unfortunately, the stranglehold on power has led to the radicalisation of many opposition groups.


----------



## Julia (5 May 2013)

chops_a_must said:


> Positive.



+1.


----------



## noirua (7 May 2013)

Ricardo Portillo Dead: Utah Soccer Referee Punched By Player Dies
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/...ee-dies_n_3219305.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

Video: Horror at Madrid air show as plane crashes and explodes in fireball - AOL Travel UK
http://travel.aol.co.uk/2013/05/06/...icid=maing-grid7|uk|dl2|sec1_lnk2&pLid=177431

Loch Ness Has Competition: Underwater 'Monster' Filmed in Ireland - PawNation
http://www.pawnation.com/2013/05/06/loch-ness-has-competition-underwater-monster-filmed-in-irelan/


----------



## dutchie (7 May 2013)

Bernard Tomic's training partner flings his nose at Tomic senior's forehead and gets headache.

http://www.skynews.com.au/topstories/article.aspx?id=869954


----------



## noirua (11 May 2013)

Malcolm Shabazz Dead: Grandson Of Malcolm X Killed In Mexico
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/09/malcolm-shabazz-dead_n_3249313.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

Newtown Panel: Tear Down Sandy Hook Elementary School, Rebuild
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/10/newtown-tear-down-sandy-hook_n_3256761.html

Sister Megan Rice, 82-Year-Old Nun, Will Receive Sentencing With Other Activists For Damaging Nuclear Site
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/09/sister-megan-rice-sentencing_n_3246071.html

I Lost Weight: Theresa Borawski Wanted To Control A Painful Health Condition And Lost 276 Pounds
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/...orawski_n_3061234.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

AOL On - Young Brothers Fight For Their Lives After Contracting E.Coli
http://on.aol.com/video/young-broth...racting-e-coli-517774970?hp=1&playlist=127167


----------



## DB008 (13 May 2013)

*UAE rape victim jailed*



> Gali was using her laptop in the hotel’s staff bar when her drink was spiked. She awoke to a nightmare beyond belief: she had been savagely raped by three of her colleagues. Alone and frightened, she took herself to hospital.
> What Alicia didn’t know is that under the UAE’s strict sharia laws, if the perpetrator does not confess, a rape cannot be convicted without four adult Muslim male witnesses. She was charged with having illicit sex outside marriage, and thrown in a filthy jail cell for eight months.




http://au.news.yahoo.com/sunday-night/features/article/-/17094076/abandoned/


----------



## MrBurns (13 May 2013)

DB008 said:


> *UAE rape victim jailed*
> 
> 
> 
> http://au.news.yahoo.com/sunday-night/features/article/-/17094076/abandoned/




What aren't the Australian media all over stories like this ?

This and other stories like it should serve as a strong warning for counties such as ours.


----------



## dutchie (13 May 2013)

MrBurns said:


> What aren't the Australian media all over stories like this ?
> 
> This and other stories like it should serve as a strong warning for counties such as ours.




Any person going to this country (and others with the same sort of laws) must have rocks in their heads (especially women). Just asking for trouble.

Qantas must be desperate.


----------



## DB008 (13 May 2013)

Disgusting !!!

SMH article defends serial gang rapists, suggests that their long sentences are due to racism: "Thirty or 35 years' imprisonment is a crushing sentence for a young man, and an inhumane deprivation for parents and siblings."

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/a-mothers-tale-of-heartache-20130511-2jeiq.html




> *A mother's tale of heartache*
> 
> Baria el-Skaf, 52, begins this Mother's Day in the same way she has for the past 12 years.
> 
> ...






Lets have a look at some of the things they did -


Thursday 10th August 2000 - group of up to fourteen Lebanese Australian Muslims led by Bilal Skaf offered a ride and a portion of cannabis to two teenage girls aged 17 and 18. The women were taken by the attackers to Northcote Park, Greenacre where more collaborators were waiting. The women were then forced to fellate eight males.



Saturday 12th August 2000 - A 16-year-old girl was brought to Gosling Park, Greenacre by someone who she believed was her friend, 17-year-old Mohammed Skaf. At the park she was raped by Mohammed's brother Bilal Skaf and one other man, with twelve other men present who she said were "standing around, laughing and talking in their own language". The second man held a gun to her head and kicked her in the stomach before she was able to escape.



Wednesday 30th of August 2000 - Another woman was approached by attackers at the Bankstown railway station, who proposed she join them in smoking some cannabis at another location. She agreed and went with them, however she was taken to three separate locations by the men and raped 25 times by a total of fourteen men in an ordeal that lasted six hours. After the attacks the woman was hosed down with a fire hose. The woman, who was known during the trial as 'C' to protect her identity, later told her story to 60 Minutes. She told of how the attackers called her an "Aussie Pig", asked her if "Leb c**k tasted better than Aussie c**k" and explained to her that she would now be raped "Leb-style"



Monday 4th of September 2000 - Two women, both 16, were taken by the attackers from Beverly Hills railway station to a house in another suburb, where three men repeatedly raped them over a period of five hours. One of the victims was told that "You deserve it because you're an Australian"


What about the victims?

What must they be going through?

A 35 year sentence too much? I think not!


----------



## CanOz (13 May 2013)

It makes my blood boil just thinking about this....

To angry to comment properly....unfair?


----------



## db94 (13 May 2013)

I dont know how someone could look at it in the way that guy did. they should be thankful they didnt get life or if in another country, death penalty. theres some scum out there


----------



## noirua (15 May 2013)

A bit of light relief from all the bad news, relaxation time with pleasantries.
Your Daily Russian Dashcam Story, Feel-Good Edition
http://autos.aol.com/article/russian-dash-cam-dashcam-video-insurance/


----------



## noirua (20 May 2013)

Bill Gates Reclaims Title of World's Richest Person: Video - Bloomberg
http://www.bloomberg.com/video/bill...V1SgNPSa2ffEUm_S6zaQ.html?cmpid=taboola.video



Michael Jackson child molestation claims by choreographer Wade Robson are 'outrageous and pathetic,' says lawyer - NY Daily News
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nat...jackson-molested-court-docs-article-1.1337872

Jermaine Jackson -- SHOCKED Over Nephew Taj's Molestation Claims | TMZ.com
http://www.tmz.com/2013/05/16/jermaine-jackson-taj-nephew-shocked-molestation-wade-robson/


----------



## noirua (21 May 2013)

Alleged 'PayPal 14' Hackers Seek Deal To Stay Out Of Prison After Nearly 2 Years In Limbo
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/18/paypal-14-hackers_n_3281768.html

Tornado in Oklahoma City Suburb Causes Destruction - SKYE on AOL
http://weather.aol.com/2013/05/20/mile-wide-tornado-churns-through-oklahoma-city-suburbs/


OJ Simpson Weight Gain Is Thanks To Pork Baked Beans From Prison: Report
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/20/oj-simpson-weight-gain-beans_n_3306332.html

Salt Wars: How Low is Too Low for Sodium Intake? - Heart Health Center - Everyday Health
http://www.everydayhealth.com/heart...0.aspx?xid=aol_eh-news_1_20130520_&aolcat=HLT


----------



## DB008 (21 May 2013)

Problems with 'youths' in Sweden now....



> *Youths burn 100 cars in north Stockholm riots*
> 
> Youths rioted in northern Stockholm on Sunday night, setting fire to cars and throwing rocks at police, in what is believed to be a protest against the fatal police shooting of a machete-wielding man in the suburb last week. "At 10pm we sent out staff to an address in Husby", explained Lars BystrÃ¶m of the Stockholm police to the Dagens Nyheter newspaper.
> 
> ...




Lets take a look at this sentence...
*a protest against the fatal police shooting of a machete-wielding man in the suburb last week.*

What are the police meant to do? Let this maniac lob their heads off?

Also, for those not in the know, 'youths' describes young Muslim mean in Europe.


----------



## DB008 (22 May 2013)

DB008 said:


> Problems with 'youths' in Sweden now....
> 
> 
> 
> ...






*2nd Day of Riots in Stockholm Suburb Shakes Sweden*


http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/arrested-riots-stockholm-suburb-19223257#.UZyA7iv88WV



> Some 200 youths hurled rocks at police and set cars ablaze in a largely immigrant suburb of Stockholm on Tuesday, the second day of rioting triggered by the fatal police shooting of a man wielding a knife.
> 
> Dozens of windows were smashed, 10 cars and several containers were set on fire, and seven police officers were injured. Cars and containers were also set ablaze in another of the Swedish capital's suburbs, Fittja, although police said it was not clear whether the two events were linked.
> 
> ...


----------



## MrBurns (23 May 2013)

Oh hell ..........



> Ford Australia poised for 'important announcement' amid shutdown speculation
> 
> Ford Australia says it is poised to make an "important business announcement", amid speculation that the car-maker will confirm an end to all Australian manufacturing.
> 
> ...




http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-23/ford-poised-for-important-announcement/4707960


----------



## db94 (23 May 2013)

http://www.smh.com.au/world/terror-...hacked-to-death-in-street-20130523-2k1s0.html

soldier hacked to death in broad daylight in the streets of london


----------



## MrBurns (23 May 2013)

MrBurns said:


> Oh hell ..........
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-23/ford-poised-for-important-announcement/4707960




This will start the ball rolling, suppliers will go broke, GMH will follow for sure....game over.

I wonder if a recession is round the corner for us ?


----------



## DB008 (23 May 2013)

HAZEL Hawke, who was a popular first lady as the former wife of Labor's longest serving prime minister Bob Hawke, has died.


http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/hazel-hawke-passes-away/story-e6frfkp9-1226649462337#ixzz2U6ZKz9wn


----------



## noirua (24 May 2013)

More breakout news really -- a life saver: The List #0147: Escape a Car Underwater - Autoblog
http://www.autoblog.com/2013/05/21/the-list-0147-escape-a-car-underwater/


----------



## DB008 (24 May 2013)

DB008 said:


> *2nd Day of Riots in Stockholm Suburb Shakes Sweden*
> 
> 
> http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/arrested-riots-stockholm-suburb-19223257#.UZyA7iv88WV




Wow. 

From the BBC


*Stockholm riots throw spotlight on Swedish inequality. 'Five nights of rioting in the suburbs of Sweden's capital Stockholm have raised the national debate about immigration, unemployment and social inequality'*



> It's hard to discern a pattern in the violence that has wracked the Swedish capital Stockholm for five nights.
> 
> Rioting in the city's suburbs has raised the national debate about immigration, unemployment and social inequality.
> 
> ...




I have lost all respect for Sweden. PC overboard.


----------



## Julia (24 May 2013)

DB008 said:


> I have lost all respect for Sweden. PC overboard.



I don't think it's confined to Sweden.  Seems to be a whole Western phenomenon.


----------



## noirua (25 May 2013)

America's oldest veteran to spend quiet Memorial Day at Texas home | Fox News
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/2...iet-memorial-day-at-texas-home/?cmpid=prn_aol


----------



## noirua (26 May 2013)

French soldier stabbed while on patrol near Paris | Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/25/us-france-stabbing-idUSBRE94O09420130525


----------



## MrBurns (3 June 2013)

> Child awarded $9k after being sexually abused by another child at day care
> 
> Updated 3 minutes ago
> 
> ...




http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-03/child-gets-payout-after-being-abused-at-day-care/4729884

Bizzare


----------



## MrBurns (6 June 2013)

> Former House of Reps Peter Slipper being sued over unpaid legal fees
> 
> Former House of Representatives speaker Peter Slipper is being sued over hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid legal fees.
> 
> ...




http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-06/slipper-being-sued-over-unpaid-legal-fees/4736420

What a total sleezbag and all round useless user, how do these cretins get on the public payroll in high positions in the first place........though look at Gillard, how did she get there ?
The system has huge flaws in it, public life seems to attract the worst in society, ok, BUT they get in that's the worrying part.


----------



## CanOz (6 June 2013)

MrBurns said:


> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-03/child-gets-payout-after-being-abused-at-day-care/4729884
> 
> Bizzare




Where would a child get those ideas from to enable them to think that what they were doing was right?


----------



## noirua (6 June 2013)

Not exactly breaking news but shows the collapse of the British National Health system, not helped by mammoth losses by banks. Looks like First World hospitals feeding patients with Fourth World methods - total disgrace:
NHS watchdog to tackle malnutrition in hospitals | Society | guardian.co.uk
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/mar/03/nhs-watchdog-malnutrition-hospitals

Are any States in Aus as bad as this?


----------



## waza1960 (7 June 2013)

Anna Bligh has got cancer according to an article in the SMH.

  She asks for privacy but then gives an interview...


----------



## noirua (14 June 2013)

Dale Cregan Given Whole Life Sentence For Policewoman Murders
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/201...icid=maing-grid7|uk|dl1|sec1_lnk2&pLid=187004


----------



## pixel (14 June 2013)

At last! Sanity has prevailed: http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sc...tentable-us-supreme-court-20130614-2o7tx.html

The US Supreme Court has ruled that Human DNA is not patentable.

That may be bad news for some biotech companies, but I've always felt uneasy about someone else "owning" parts of my blueprint. (and I don't hold any MSB shares either  )


----------



## DB008 (16 June 2013)

*BBC - Iran election: Hassan Rouhani wins*

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22921680



> Reformist-backed candidate Hassan Rouhani has won Iran's presidential poll outright, avoiding the need for a run-off vote.
> 
> There was a high turnout among the 50 million Iranians eligible to vote for a successor to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
> 
> ...


----------



## Tink (19 June 2013)

Congratulations to the Socceroos, well done 
Off to Brazil we go for the World Cup in 2014

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-19/osieck-books-brazil-trip-with-masterful-substitutions/4763960


----------



## DB008 (22 June 2013)

I'm placing this article here because l'm taking a wild guess that the average age of ASF users, well, might need this sooner rather than later  

*Viagra maker Pfizer faces competition from generic rivals as patent expires*



> Viagra maker Pfizer faces competition from rival drug makers this month when the UK patent for its blockbuster drug expires, opening the door for generic imitations that could be sold for as little as 85p.




http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/pharmaceuticalsandchemicals/10095251/Viagra-maker-Pfizer-faces-competition-from-generic-rivals-as-patent-expires.html


----------



## noco (26 June 2013)

Bill Shorten has deserted Gillard and is now backing Rudd.


----------



## noco (26 June 2013)

Rudd wins over Gillard 57 to 45 votes.


----------



## DB008 (3 July 2013)

*'Here's $10,000 for the burger and fries, keep the change,' says B.C. lotto winner*




> It started with a burger, fries and a little conversation.
> 
> It led to an act of kindness that one Saskatchewan man with a daughter who’s facing cancer will likely never forget.
> 
> Cliff Luther was working at his restaurant in Chamberlain, Sask., when one of his customers asked for a pen to pay for his burger and fries by cheque. The amount Bob Erb wrote down was $10,000.




http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/overwhelms+restaurant+owner/8584002/story.html#ixzz2XywePcA2


----------



## CanOz (3 July 2013)

DB008 said:


> *'Here's $10,000 for the burger and fries, keep the change,' says B.C. lotto winner*
> 
> 
> 
> ...




well done Erb....sorta sounds like herb?


----------



## CanOz (3 July 2013)

Should be interesting for oil....



> (EG) Egyptian military said to take control of state TV broadcasting building - press (related EGPT GAF ) - Source TradeTheNews.com


----------



## MrBurns (7 July 2013)

> British TV legend Sir Michael Parkinson has revealed he is battling cancer.
> 
> 
> The 78-year-old chat show host told UK newspaper The Sun he had just started intensive radiotherapy treatment after being diagnosed during a routine check-up.
> ...




http://news.ninemsn.com.au/entertainment/2013/07/07/14/40/michael-parkinson-reveals-cancer-fight


----------



## sptrawler (7 July 2013)

MrBurns said:


> http://news.ninemsn.com.au/entertainment/2013/07/07/14/40/michael-parkinson-reveals-cancer-fight




Yes, very sad, I couldn't find anywhere that said what type. Hopefully it's a non aggressive type.


----------



## MrBurns (7 July 2013)

sptrawler said:


> Yes, very sad, I couldn't find anywhere that said what type. Hopefully it's a non aggressive type.




It's prostate so maybe not so bad..........hope he's ok.


----------



## tech/a (7 July 2013)

sptrawler said:


> Yes, very sad, I couldn't find anywhere that said what type. Hopefully it's a non aggressive type.




Prostate


----------



## sptrawler (7 July 2013)

MrBurns said:


> It's prostate so maybe not so bad..........hope he's ok.




Yes at his age if they have caught it early, shouldn't be too much of an issue, which would be good news.
Always seemed like a really nice guy, I still chuckle thinking about the time he had Billie Connolly and Aussie the Ostrich on. Magic



The next guest was Billie Connolly and Rod Hull thought he would pull a similar prank.

Billie said "If that bird comes anywhere near me I'll break its kneck and your bloody arm"

It was a classic moment, I think Parky adopted Billie after that moment.

Poor old Rod Hull (aussie) fell off a roof while ajusting an aerial in 1999. RIP


----------



## MrBurns (7 July 2013)

He has great admiration for Ali (I almost said had)


----------



## DB008 (8 July 2013)

Yesterdays Asiana plane crash at SFO caught on film.

http://edition.cnn.com/video/?/vide...ane-sf-plane-crash-on-cam.courtesy-fred-hayes


----------



## MrBurns (13 July 2013)

> A local US TV news station has been forced to make an embarrassing apology after being tricked into reporting incorrect, racist names for the pilots who crash landed at San Francisco airport.


----------



## Boggo (13 July 2013)

Not breaking news but an insight to the Asiana accident background.
A bit of light reading associated with how they do things up there (Google or I can explain some of the tech bits if anyone needs them).

_Interesting read in relation to the Asiana 777 incident taking the pilot training in Korea...it's from A.net...
//
Written By Suresh A.Atapattu-Article Editor/Airliners.net....

After I retired from UAL as a Standards Captain on the B747–400, I got a job as a simulator instructor working for Alteon (a Boeing subsidiary) at Asiana. When I first got there, I was shocked and surprised by the lack of basic piloting skills shown by most of the pilots. It is not a normal situation with normal progression from new hire, right seat, left seat taking a decade or two. One big difference is that ex-Military pilots are given super-seniority and progress to the left seat much faster. Compared to the US, they also upgrade fairly rapidly because of the phenomenal growth by all Asian air carriers. By the way, after about six months at Asiana, I was moved over to KAL and found them to be identical. The only difference was the color of the uniforms and airplanes. I worked in Korea for 5 long years and although I found most of the people to be very pleasant, it’s a minefield of a work environment ... for them and for us expats.

One of the first things I learned was that the pilots kept a web-site and reported on every training session. I don’t think this was officially sanctioned by the company, but after one or two simulator periods, a database was building on me (and everyone else) that told them exactly how I ran the sessions, what to expect on checks, and what to look out for. For example; I used to open an aft cargo door at 100 knots to get them to initiate an RTO and I would brief them on it during the briefing. This was on the B-737 NG and many of the captains were coming off the 777 or B744 and they were used to the Master Caution System being inhibited at 80 kts. Well, for the first few days after I started that, EVERYONE rejected the takeoff. Then, all of a sudden they all “got it” and continued the takeoff (in accordance with their manuals). The word had gotten out. I figured it was an overall PLUS for the training program.

We expat instructors were forced upon them after the amount of fatal accidents (most of the them totally avoidable) over a decade began to be noticed by the outside world. They were basically given an ultimatum by the FAA, Transport Canada, and the EU to totally rebuild and rethink their training program or face being banned from the skies all over the world. They hired Boeing and Airbus to staff the training centers. KAL has one center and Asiana has another. When I was there (2003-2008) we had about 60 expats conducting training KAL and about 40 at Asiana. Most instructors were from the USA, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand with a few stuffed in from Europe and Asia. Boeing also operated training centers in Singapore and China so they did hire some instructors from there.

This solution has only been partially successful but still faces ingrained resistance from the Koreans. I lost track of the number of highly qualified instructors I worked with who were fired because they tried to enforce “normal” standards of performance. By normal standards, I would include being able to master basic tasks like successfully shoot a visual approach with 10 kt crosswind and the weather CAVOK. I am not kidding when I tell you that requiring them to shoot a visual approach struck fear in their hearts ... with good reason. Like this Asiana crew, it didnt’ compute that you needed to be a 1000’ AGL at 3 miles and your sink rate should be 600-800 Ft/Min. But, after 5 years, they finally nailed me. I still had to sign my name to their training and sometimes if I just couldn’t pass someone on a check, I had no choice but to fail them. I usually busted about 3-5 crews a year and the resistance against me built. I finally failed an extremely incompetent crew and it turned out he was the a high-ranking captain who was the Chief Line Check pilot on the fleet I was teaching on. I found out on my next monthly trip home that KAL was not going to renew my Visa. The crew I failed was given another check and continued a fly while talking about how unfair Captain B was.

Any of you Boeing glass-cockpit guys will know what I mean when I describe these events. I gave them a VOR approach with an 15 mile arc from the IAF. By the way, KAL dictated the profiles for all sessions and we just administered them. He requested two turns in holding at the IAF to get set up for the approach. When he finally got his nerve up, he requested “Radar Vectors” to final. He could have just said he was ready for the approach and I would have cleared him to the IAF and then “Cleared for the approach” and he could have selected “Exit Hold” and been on his way. He was already in LNAV/VNAV PATH. So, I gave him vectors to final with a 30 degree intercept. Of course, he failed to “Extend the FAF” and he couldn’t understand why it would not intercept the LNAV magenta line when he punched LNAV and VNAV. He made three approaches and missed approaches before he figured out that his active waypoint was “Hold at XYZ.” Every time he punched LNAV, it would try to go back to the IAF ... just like it was supposed to do. Since it was a check, I was not allowed (by their own rules) to offer him any help. That was just one of about half dozen major errors I documented in his UNSAT paperwork. He also failed to put in ANY aileron on takeoff with a 30-knot direct crosswind (again, the weather was dictated by KAL).

This Asiana SFO accident makes me sick and while I am surprised there are not more, I expect that there will be many more of the same type accidents in the future unless some drastic steps are taken. They are already required to hire a certain percentage of expats to try to ingrain more flying expertise in them, but more likely, they will eventually be fired too. One of the best trainees I ever had was a Korean/American (he grew up and went to school in the USA) who flew C-141’s in the USAF. When he got out, he moved back to Korea and got hired by KAL. I met him when I gave him some training and a check on the B-737 and of course, he breezed through the training. I give him annual PCs for a few years and he was always a good pilot. Then, he got involved with trying to start a pilots union and when they tired to enforce some sort of duty rigs on international flights, he was fired after being arrested and JAILED!

The Koreans are very very bright and smart so I was puzzled by their inability to fly an airplane well. They would show up on Day 1 of training (an hour before the scheduled briefing time, in a 3-piece suit, and shined shoes) with the entire contents of the FCOM and Flight Manual totally memorized. But, putting that information to actual use was many times impossible. Crosswind landings are also an unsolvable puzzle for most of them. I never did figure it out completely, but I think I did uncover a few clues. Here is my best guess. First off, their educational system emphasizes ROTE memorization from the first day of school as little kids. As you know, that is the lowest form of learning and they act like robots. They are also taught to NEVER challenge authority and in spite of the flight training heavily emphasizing CRM/CLR, it still exists either on the surface or very subtly. You just can’t change 3000 years of culture.

The other thing that I think plays an important role is the fact that there is virtually NO civil aircraft flying in Korea. It’s actually illegal to own a Cessna-152 and just go learn to fly. Ultra-lights and Powered Hang Gliders are Ok. I guess they don’t trust the people to not start WW III by flying 35 miles north of Inchon into North Korea. But, they don’t get the kids who grew up flying (and thinking for themselves) and hanging around airports. They do recruit some kids from college and send then to the US or Australia and get them their tickets. Generally, I had better experience with them than with the ex-Military pilots. This was a surprise to me as I spent years as a Naval Aviator flying fighters after getting my private in light airplanes. I would get experienced F-4, F-5, F-15, and F-16 pilots who were actually terrible pilots if they had to hand fly the airplane. What a shock!

Finally, I’ll get off my box and talk about the total flight hours they claim. I do accept that there are a few talented and free-thinking pilots that I met and trained in Korea. Some are still in contact and I consider them friends. They were a joy! But, they were few and far between and certainly not the norm.

Actually, this is a worldwide problem involving automation and the auto-flight concept. Take one of these new first officers that got his ratings in the US or Australia and came to KAL or Asiana with 225 flight hours. After takeoff, in accordance with their SOP, he calls for the autopilot to be engaged at 250’ after takeoff. How much actual flight time is that? Hardly one minute. Then he might fly for hours on the autopilot and finally disengage it (MAYBE?) below 800’ after the gear was down, flaps extended and on airspeed (autothrottle) . Then he might bring it in to land. Again, how much real “flight time” or real experience did he get. Minutes! Of course, on the 777 or 747, it’s the same only they get more inflated logbooks.

So, when I hear that a 10,000 hour Korean captain was vectored in for a 17-mile final at SFO and cleared for a visual approach in CAVOK weather, it raises the hair on the back of my neck._


----------



## Smurf1976 (13 July 2013)

I'm no airline pilot, the closest I've come to that is an ex-girlfriend who is a pilot, but I can certainly relate to the "automation causing loss of skills" problem as it affects other industries too.

There are plenty of people these days in "technical" fields of employment who basically don't know what to do in a system failure scenario. There are exceptions of course, but an awful lot of things which suffer a minor fault are these days completely replaced for the simple reason that the knowledge base exists to install a new one, but not to fix something that is broken. The same goes for operating a system - lots of people who can operate when everything is working, but not so many who know what to do when the fancy electronics suddenly fail.

Just about any pilot will do when everything goes to plan. It's when things go wrong that real experience counts. The same goes for many other professions and trades - it's when something unexpected happens that you find out who really knows their stuff (and who knows how to think for themselves) and who doesn't.


----------



## MrBurns (13 July 2013)

Smurf1976 said:


> Just about any pilot will do when everything goes to plan. It's when things go wrong that real experience counts. The same goes for many other professions and trades - it's when something unexpected happens that you find out who really knows their stuff (and who knows how to think for themselves) and who doesn't.




My nephew is a Qantas captain and I can tell you experience and training are the only things between you and probable death in an emergency.


----------



## sptrawler (13 July 2013)

Smurf1976 said:


> The same goes for many other professions and trades - it's when something unexpected happens that you find out who really knows their stuff (and who knows how to think for themselves) and who doesn't.




Absolutely, I find it scary thinking of people who were let go and now have senior positions. 
The skills shortage was obviously a lifeline to some.


----------



## DB008 (18 July 2013)

Norwegian women reported rape in Dubai: - Convicted of sex outside marriage

Link - http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=&sl=no&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vg.no%2Fnyheter%2Futenriks%2Fartikkel.php%3Fartid%3D10105411



> A Norwegian woman has been sentenced to imprisonment for one year and four months in Dubai after she reported a rape.
> 
> - The woman reported a rape to the police in Dubai, but was not thought of this. We have been told that she herself was instead sentenced to one year and four months. The judicial system here has obviously taken the information she has given them and meant that she is guilty of anything, says Gisle Meling, a priest in the Seamen's Church in Dubai.


----------



## basilio (19 July 2013)

The city of Detroit has filed for bankruptcy. It will be a big deal for everyone ut in particular Municpal bondholders and the pension funds on cities  police, teachers, officials etc.

Be interesting to see the effect this has on other struggling cities.



> *Detroit becomes largest US city to file for bankruptcy in historic 'low point'*
> 
> *Michigan governor laments lowest point in city's history
> after emergency manager fails to broker deal between city's bondholders and pension funds*
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/18/detroit-formally-files-bankruptcy


----------



## Tink (23 July 2013)

*It's a boy: baby prince born to William and Kate *
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-23/baby-born-to-duke-and-duchess-of-cambridge/4836654

Congratulations to them both


----------



## Julia (23 July 2013)

Yes, all the best to them.  Any bets as to the name?
I'll go for George.  There hasn't been one of these for some time.


----------



## tech/a (23 July 2013)

Julia said:


> Yes, all the best to them.  Any bets as to the name?
> I'll go for George.  There hasn't been one of these for some time.




Richard
John


----------



## Tink (23 July 2013)

Julia said:


> Yes, all the best to them.  Any bets as to the name?
> I'll go for George.  There hasn't been one of these for some time.



Yes, George seems a favourite.

I will go for Jonathan, Alexander or David.
Couldnt decide between the three : )


----------



## Calliope (24 July 2013)

PRINCE William says his son "is a big boy" with a healthy set of lungs who *"thankfully" has Kate's looks*...HUH?


----------



## burglar (24 July 2013)

Calliope said:


> PRINCE William says his son "is a big boy" ...




King size! :


----------



## Tink (25 July 2013)

*George Alexander Louis*

Very nice, and good on them. 
At least they didnt wait too long to name him.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-25/new-prince-named-george-alexander-louis/4841960

All the best to them.


----------



## Julia (25 July 2013)

The difference William has made to this family is incredible,  Then his great choice of an apparently lovely young woman, and now a baby will set the Australian Republican cause back a few years.  
I'm especially pleased for the Queen who withstood some dreadful years with complete dignity.
Must be just awful living through family dysfunction in the glare of the press spotlight.
Best wishes to all of them.  Even Camilla seems to have fitted in pretty well now.


----------



## dutchie (31 July 2013)

ICAC finds Labor corrupt.


http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/eddie-obeid-ian-macdonald-acted-corruptly-icac-finds-20130731-2qy67.html


----------



## MrBurns (31 July 2013)

dutchie said:


> ICAC finds Labor corrupt.
> 
> 
> http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/eddie-obeid-ian-macdonald-acted-corruptly-icac-finds-20130731-2qy67.html




I hope they throw that scum in jail and lose the key.


----------



## pixel (31 July 2013)

dutchie said:


> ICAC finds Labor corrupt.




*Labor?* How about quoting verbatim:


> Eddie Obeid, Ian Macdonald acted corruptly, ICAC finds
> 
> Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/eddie-obe...-icac-finds-20130731-2qy67.html#ixzz2aaOvXshz



That those guys were crooks had been public knowledge for yonks; hardly surprising then that ICAC arrived at the same conclusion.


----------



## MrBurns (31 July 2013)

Watch these low life's now use the legal system to get off.


----------



## noirua (3 August 2013)

U.S. Issues Worldwide Travel Alert
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/02/us-worldwide-travel-alert_n_3695836.html


----------



## DB008 (27 August 2013)

*Saudis offer Russia secret oil deal if it drops Syria*



> Saudi Arabia has secretly offered Russia a sweeping deal to control the global oil market and safeguard Russia’s gas contracts, if the Kremlin backs away from the Assad regime in Syria.
> 
> The revelations come amid high tension in the Middle East, with US, British, and French warship poised for missile strikes in Syria. Iran has threatened to retaliate.
> 
> ...




http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/oilandgas/10266957/Saudis-offer-Russia-secret-oil-deal-if-it-drops-Syria.html


----------



## Country Lad (19 September 2013)

*ASX directors resign over US share scandal*

_Two directors have resigned from the Australian Securities Exchange board this morning after becoming caught up in a share trading scandal in the United States.
Russell Aboud and Shane Finemore have resigned from the ASX board after their hedge fund, Manikay Partners, was fined by the US corporate regulator after an investigation of illegal short-selling practices. _

http://www.theage.com.au/business/asx-directors-resign-over-us-share-scandal-20130919-2u0qi.html


----------



## noirua (3 October 2013)

Nathan Verhelst, Belgian Man Dies By Euthanasia After Failed Sex Change Operation
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/201...id=maing-grid7|ukt4|dl2|sec1_lnk3&pLid=212906


----------



## noirua (4 October 2013)

Hundreds dead, missing as migrant boat sinks off Italy | Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/03/us-italy-migrants-idUSBRE9920AX20131003


----------



## DB008 (4 October 2013)

I'm surprised someone at "Team ASF" hasn't posted on this...


*Water 6,700 times more radioactive than legal limit spills from Fukushima*




> TOKYO -- Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant has suffered yet another leak, spilling out 430 liters of contaminated water thousands of times more radioactive than legal limits, its operator said Thursday.
> 
> Tokyo Electric Power Company, or TEPCO, said the water which spilled from the storage tanks had radiation readings as high as 200,000 becquerels per liter -- almost 6,700 times higher than the legal limit of 30 becquerels.
> 
> ...




**Edit** Link - http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/03/20797895-water-6700-times-more-radioactive-than-legal-limit-spills-from-fukushima?lite


----------



## MrBurns (22 October 2013)

> ACT passes historic same-sex marriage laws




http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-10-22/act-passes-same-sex-laws/5037674

The single mothers forced onto New Start that have undernourished children will be thrilled to hear our Govt has put so much effort into this important project.


----------



## DB008 (2 November 2013)

*Muslim women can be forced to show faces under new West Australian law*



> A new law requiring Muslim women to remove a burqa or niqab to prove their identity to West Australian police has been passed by the state's parliament.
> 
> The legislation was drafted in response to public outcry about the case of mother of seven Carnita Matthews who wore a burqa, and had a conviction of knowingly making a false statement quashed.
> 
> ...





http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/01/muslim-women-forced-show-faces


----------



## DB008 (5 November 2013)




----------



## DB008 (7 November 2013)

Now this will help the peace process......

The Mossad involved?

More than likely....



*Exclusive: Swiss study says polonium found in Arafat's bones*



> *Scientists find at least 18 times the normal levels of radioactive element in late Palestinian leader's remains*
> 
> PARIS ”” Swiss scientists who conducted tests on samples taken from Yasser Arafat’s body have found at least 18 times the normal levels of radioactive polonium in his remains. The scientists said they were confident up to an 83 percent level that the late Palestinian leader was poisoned with it, a conclusion that they said “moderately supports” polonium as the cause of his death.
> 
> ...




http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/11/6/swiss-study-poloniumfoundinarafatasbones.html


----------



## MrBurns (7 November 2013)

> Breaking newsAustralian woman found in distressed state in Dublin is free to leave protective custody.



 ABC Web site.

The ABC are really struggling now we have stable Govt.


----------



## noirua (1 December 2013)

Plane crash in Alaska, four dead | News.com.au
http://www.news.com.au/world/breaki...aska-plane-crash/story-e6frfkui-1226772141239

No Aussies caught in helicopter pub crash | News.com.au
http://www.news.com.au/world/breaki...copter-pub-crash/story-e6frfkui-1226772156140
In pictures: Police helicopter crashes into Glasgow pub - ITV News
http://www.itv.com/news/2013-11-30/in-pictures-police-helicopter-crashes-into-glasgow-pub/

Aust set to assume chair of G20 | News.com.au
http://www.news.com.au/national/bre...ume-chair-of-g20/story-e6frfku9-1226772142252




ASF needs you!  - link below to the stockies competition, now live - Australia needs you and so does ASF --


----------



## noirua (1 December 2013)

Eight announced dead in Glasgow, Scotland, with death toll expected to rise sharply
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/201...icid=maing-grid7|uk|dl1|sec1_lnk2&pLid=226938




The Stockies Competition is underway and ASF wants to give it ago this time - ASF needs your vote


----------



## MrBurns (5 December 2013)

Holden to pull out of Australia from 2016, according to senior Government ministers

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-05/holden-to-pull-out-of-australia-from-2016-17/5138942


----------



## Logique (6 December 2013)

Nelson Mandela is dead. Announced this morning.

Out, out brief candle.


----------



## Garpal Gumnut (6 December 2013)

Logique said:


> Nelson Mandela is dead. Announced this morning.
> 
> Out, out brief candle.




A great loss to us all.

gg


----------



## Agentm (6 December 2013)

as a person whos consciousness was raised the south africas apartheid, i speak for those of us who fought against it and supported mandela when he was in prison

it is such a sad sad day today

no one can truly realise what apartheid is and what it does unless you have been part of it..

"I stand here before you not as a prophet but as a humble servant of you, the people. Your tireless and heroic sacrifices have made it possible for me to be here today. I therefore place the remaining years of my life in your hands."

which he did


----------



## trainspotter (6 December 2013)

Nelson Mandela was a great man. His ex wife was something completely different altogether. Anyone remember "Stompie"?


----------



## CanOz (6 December 2013)

Favorite Mandela quote....



> "What I am condemning is that one power, with a president who has no foresight, who cannot think properly, is now wanting to plunge the world into a holocaust."




- about then-US president George W Bush on the build-up to Iraq war in January 2003.


----------



## Tink (7 December 2013)

A great man, who at 95, can now rest in peace.


----------



## basilio (8 December 2013)

Very insight story on Nelson Mandela from John Carlin (He wrote the book which was the basis Invicitus - the story of Mandela)

It's a long story but very insightful.



> *Nelson Mandela: the freedom fighter who embraced his enemies*
> John Carlin knew Mandela in the tumultuous years just after his release. Here he tells of the private meetings that proved he was a master at winning over even the most implacable opponents
> 
> 
> ...



http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/07/nelson-mandela-freedom-fighter-john-carlin


----------



## bellenuit (13 December 2013)

*The most touching Mandela tribute came from the least expected place*

(From Yahoo South Africa)

A South African chain store has laid on one of the most touching tributes to Nelson Mandela we've seen in the past week – and it was in the form of a flash mob. Woolworths teamed up with the Soweto Gospel Choir, who posed as shoppers and store workers at the Parkview store in Johannesburg.

The choir then began an "impromtu" rendition of Asimbonanga [We have not seen him], singing:

_Asimbonanga [we have not seen him]
Asimbonang' uMandela thina [we have not seen Mandela]
Laph'ekhona [in the place where he is]
Laph'ehleli khona [in the place where he is kept]

Asimbonanga
Asimbonang 'umfowethu thina [we have not seen our brother]
Laph'ekhona [in the place where he is]
Laph'wafela khona [in the place where he died]
Sithi: Hey, wena [We say: hey, you]
Hey, wena nawe [Hey, you and you]
Siyofika nini la' siyakhona [when will we arrive at our destination]_

The song was written during Mandela's incarceration as a call for his freedom.


----------



## ghotib (13 December 2013)

bellenuit that's beautiful. Thank you. 

Totally different and not news (it's been up for 18 months), but glorious: 






bellenuit said:


> *The most touching Mandela tribute came from the least expected place*
> 
> (From Yahoo South Africa)
> 
> A South African chain store has laid on one of the most touching tributes to Nelson Mandela we've seen in the past week – and it was in the form of a flash mob. Woolworths teamed up with the Soweto Gospel Choir, who posed as shoppers and store workers at the Parkview store in Johannesburg.


----------



## basilio (20 December 2013)

Why does David Cameron look like Catherine The Great ?

Because they are (relatively closely) related.



> *: David Cameron IS related to Catherine the Great*
> 101 Comments	17 December 2013 16:26 Steerpike Follow @MrSteerpike
> 
> 
> ...




http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/steerp...eron-the-great-pm-is-related-to-catherine-ii/


----------



## noirua (22 December 2013)

No proper news so: Do you suffer from back pain or that pain in the leg? Think about this, on visiting a zoo have you ever seen a gorilla or monkey holding their back or leg? Well, here is your answer:

Quite wrongly we are told to hold our shoulders back or stand up straight and do you see our nearest relations doing this, NO, they are not that stupid.
Walk with your shoulders forward and arms dangling, also bending the knees. Hard to walk like a gorilla as they have short legs but do your best.


----------



## DB008 (30 December 2013)

Several Bombings in Russia.

Could be more before the Winter Olympic games begin.....



*The moment a bomb blast hits Volgograd train station*



> A female suicide bomber attacked a train station in a southern Russia city on Sunday, authorities said, killing at least 13 people in the deadliest such blast outside the volatile North Caucasus region in nearly three years.
> 
> The explosion just two months after another suicide bomber struck in the same Russian city will bolster fears of attacks by Islamist militants as Russia prepares to host the 2014 Winter Olympics in the Black Sea city of Sochi in less than six weeks' time.
> 
> Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee said in a statement a female suicide bomber was to blame for Sunday's explosion. At least 13 people died in the attack, a spokesman for Russian investigators said in a statement.



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/10541169/The-moment-a-bomb-blast-hits-Volgograd-train-station.html










*Consecutive Volgograd suicide bombing kills at least 14 (PHOTOS, GRAPHIC VIDEO)*



> A terrorist attack in the Russian city of Volgograd has killed at least 14 passengers on a trolley bus. The explosion comes a day after a suicide bombing in the city which killed 17 people and injured scores of others.
> 
> Read RT's live updates on the terrorist attacks in Volgograd.
> 
> ...



http://rt.com/news/russia-volgograd-trolley-blast-957/


----------



## CanOz (5 January 2014)

An interesting chance to provide some good will to a couple of stricken Ice Breakers....



> US icebreaker called to rescue ships, Akademik Shokalskiy and Snow Dragon, stuck in Antarctic ice




The US Coast Guard to the rescue!

The polar Star is a heavy ice breaker, recently refurbished and ready for action on this, its first big expedition since. It left from Sydney...

The Chinese might lose a bit of face over this, but i hope they see the good side.


----------



## bellenuit (29 January 2014)

*Maddie cops in Portugal 'to arrest three suspects'*

http://www.independent.ie/world-new...rtugal-to-arrest-three-suspects-29960940.html


----------



## CanOz (8 March 2014)

Malaysia Airlines 'has lost contact' with plane bound for Beijing



> A Malaysia Airlines flight carrying 239 people bound for Beijing has lost contact with air traffic control after leaving the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
> 
> A statement from the airline says flight MH370 disappeared at 2:40am local time.
> 
> ...




God bless all those on board.


----------



## Bill M (8 March 2014)

Very very bad new CanOz. The latest on ABC24 is that there was 6 Australians and 2 New Zealanders on board. They also report that The Vietnamese Navy are saying that the aircraft went down 250 kms from their border over the water. My God, terrible tragedy. More at this link:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-08/live-blog-malaysia-airlines-flight-missing/5308006


----------



## McLovin (8 March 2014)

Horrible stuff. Just, horrible. Hopefully the wreckage can be located as quickly as possible.


----------



## DB008 (8 March 2014)

Very sad.

Reports of hull loss...


----------



## So_Cynical (8 March 2014)

Strange that nothing has been found yet, a whole day gone and nothing found in a very populated part of the world?


----------



## CanOz (8 March 2014)

So_Cynical said:


> Strange that nothing has been found yet, a whole day gone and nothing found in a very populated part of the world?




Agree, this is strange...whatever happened seems catastrophic.


----------



## sptrawler (8 March 2014)

CanOz said:


> Agree, this is strange...whatever happened seems catastrophic.




Apparently, there was no distress call.


----------



## rumpole (8 March 2014)

CanOz said:


> Agree, this is strange...whatever happened seems catastrophic.




The ocean is a big place. It could take days to find them if they don't know exactly where they went down.


----------



## CanOz (8 March 2014)

rumpole said:


> The ocean is a big place. It could take days to find them if they don't know exactly where they went down.




Agree again, but this only flew over the Gulf of Siam and then the gap between Vietnam and Hainan, about the size of Hainan, they've had nearly 9 hours of search time easy....

Recall the South American outbound Air France A330 a few years ago? Now that was a big ocean!

How long did it take to find the signs of wreckage?


----------



## So_Cynical (9 March 2014)

CanOz said:


> Agree again, but this only flew over the Gulf of Siam and then the gap between Vietnam and Hainan, about the size of Hainan, they've had nearly 9 hours of search time easy....




Yeah no way the plane has gone down more than 150k off the coast, not serious ocean and there are fishing boats and coastal traders all over that area...12 hours of day light gone and no one saw nothing?


----------



## Smurf1976 (9 March 2014)

CanOz said:


> Agree, this is strange...whatever happened seems catastrophic.




Most "conventional" causes of a crash seem unlikely when thinking about this.

Out of fuel - unlikely as they'd have had plenty of time to know that they didn't have enough fuel and either land somewhere or at least inform someone of the situation. Even if they didn't realise until the engines actually stopped, they'd still have had communications until they hit the water / ground and shouldn't have simply "disappeared".

Captain has a heart attack etc - the First Officer had quite a bit of flying experience and could most likely have landed the plane at an airport. At the very least, the automated systems could have kept if flying whilst he sought advice from someone on the ground in regard to anything he was unsure of or needed help with. It wouldn't have simply disappeared.

All the engines stopped working - they should still have had power to the communications systems and could have issued a "mayday" call. And the plane wouldn't have simply disappeared without first losing altitude.

So my thoughts are that something drastic has indeed happened to this plane. 

Catastrophic electrical failure / fire causing loss of power to all systems and no ability to communicate or control the plane.

Catastrophic structural failure - plane snapped in half, exploded, blown up deliberately (bomb on board) or something like that. In that case there might not be anything resembling a plane to actually find. If it basically "blew up" in the air then there's just going to be lot of small bits scattered over a very wide area and nothing resembling a plane to actually find.

Plane was hijacked by someone who knew how to disable communications. In that case, and with a lot of fuel on board, they could have flown it (assuming they knew how to at least control it to some extent) a very long distance before either crashing somewhere once the fuel ran out, ditching it into the water or possibly even landing on flat land in the middle of nowhere. In that case the plane or wreckage could be nowhere near where it was last known to be, it could be a very long way away.

I should add that I intend no disrespect to those who have presumably lost their lives in speculating as to what's happened. But I'm thinking that the assumption that there's all, or at least most of, an intact plane to be found in the ocean somewhere near where it was last known to be might not be correct in view of everything that has been reported thus far.


----------



## McLovin (9 March 2014)

Smurf1976]Captain has a heart attack etc - the First Officer had quite a bit of flying experience and could most likely have landed the plane at an airport. At the very least said:


> I should add that I intend no disrespect to those who have presumably lost their lives in speculating as to what's happened. But I'm thinking that the assumption that there's all, or at least most of, an intact plane to be found in the ocean somewhere near where it was last known to be might not be correct in view of everything that has been reported thus far.




I think you're correct. A bomb or explosive decompression seem like they'd be at the top of the list of causes.


----------



## sptrawler (9 March 2014)

McLovin said:


> A first officer can absolutely land a plane. They both have to pass the same type rating. The often used method is that the first officer performs the landings and takeoffs and the captain "supervises".
> 
> 
> 
> I think you're correct. A bomb or explosive decompression seem like they'd be at the top of the list of causes.




Yes, apparently there was no distress call.


----------



## rumpole (9 March 2014)

sptrawler said:


> Yes, apparently there was no distress call.




It could have been deliberately or more likely, accidentally shot down during a military exercise. It's happened before.


----------



## DB008 (9 March 2014)

Australians among 239 people on board missing Malaysia Airlines flight to Beijing




> As Malaysian Airlines released more information about passengers on board the plane, it emerged two passengers were traveling on stolen passports.
> 
> Luigi Maraldi, 27, was listed as the sole Italian national aboard the missing flight, but according to his father, was not on the plane.
> 
> ...




http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/australians-among-239-people-on-board-missing-malaysia-airlines-flight-to-beijing/story-fnizu68q-1226848860442


----------



## sptrawler (9 March 2014)

rumpole said:


> It could have been deliberately or more likely, accidentally shot down during a military exercise. It's happened before.




If that was found to be the case, there would be pne hell of an outcry.


----------



## rumpole (9 March 2014)

sptrawler said:


> If that was found to be the case, there would be pne hell of an outcry.




Especially as there are Americans aboard.

Seriously though, after watching "Air Crash Investigation" a number of times, there are any number of possibilities of things that could have gone wrong, from a bomb to structural failure, a window blowing out  causing decompression, some sort of pilot error, who knows. 

Wait and see.


----------



## Julia (9 March 2014)

McLovin said:


> I think you're correct. A bomb or explosive decompression seem like they'd be at the top of the list of causes.



+1.



> As Malaysian Airlines released more information about passengers on board the plane, it emerged two passengers were traveling on stolen passports.



Terrorism?


----------



## rumpole (9 March 2014)

Julia said:


> +1.
> 
> Terrorism?




Not many refugees flee to freedom in China so terrorism is the most likely probablity.


----------



## So_Cynical (9 March 2014)

The plot thickens..Stolen passports.



> Authorities searching for a missing Malaysia Airlines jet are investigating the possibility of foul play after an Italian and an Austrian thought to have been on board were revealed to have had their passports stolen...The stolen Austrian passport belonged to a 30-year-old man who reported the theft in 2012 in Phuket, Thailand, the foreign ministry said. He was contacted and found to be "well," said Martin Weiss, a ministry spokesman. Luigi Maraldi, an Italian national also shown on the manifest, didn't travel on the plane, Foreign Ministry spokesman Aldo Amati said.
> 
> Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/missing...orism-fears-20140309-hvgpg.html#ixzz2vQn5bzZV


----------



## rumpole (9 March 2014)

Although if it was terrorism, someone has usually taken responsibility before now.


----------



## McLovin (9 March 2014)

It's a bit disgusting having all those cameras shoved in the faces of people who have just learnt their loved one has died.


----------



## db94 (9 March 2014)

For all of you who are interested, heres the important updates:

http://www.reddit.com/r/aviation/co...irlines_loses_contact_with_mh370_b772/cfx9w6v


----------



## db94 (9 March 2014)

rumpole said:


> Although if it was terrorism, someone has usually taken responsibility before now.




Perhaps only those two people were in on it (unlikely), or maybe a small group? maybe they had bigger plans and failed? You dont know. They still havent found anything solid and its been more than 34 hours IIRC. Sad sad stuff


----------



## bellenuit (9 March 2014)

It's looking more and more like something nefarious happened.

Malcolm Moore, China correspondent for the Daily Telegraph, is confirming that the men holding the stolen passports of Austrian Christian Kozel and Italian Luigi Maraldi purchased their tickets together. They also both had tickets to Amsterdam aboard the Dutch carrier KLM, and were scheduled to leave Beijing at 11:55am local time on Saturday.


----------



## rumpole (9 March 2014)

bellenuit said:


> It's looking more and more like something nefarious happened.
> 
> Malcolm Moore, China correspondent for the Daily Telegraph, is confirming that the men holding the stolen passports of Austrian Christian Kozel and Italian Luigi Maraldi purchased their tickets together. They also both had tickets to Amsterdam aboard the Dutch carrier KLM, and were scheduled to leave Beijing at 11:55am local time on Saturday.




So if they were suicide bombers,  they bought tickets for a flight they would never catch ? OR they accidentally detonated the bomb.

With all the increased security these days, one wonders how they got a bomb on board in the first place.

or perhaps they took over the cockpit and flew into the ocean. Time will hopefully tell all.


----------



## McLovin (9 March 2014)

rumpole said:


> With all the increased security these days, one wonders how they got a bomb on board in the first place.




Airport security has never caught anyone trying to get a bomb on board. It's the biggest waste of time ever. The mushrooms who fly once a year take comfort in it though, so well all have to put up with it.


----------



## Smurf1976 (10 March 2014)

ID is checked more thoroughly to enter a music festival, nightclub or even a city pub than it is to get on board a domestic flight in Australia. At least it is in my experience.

Also I do wonder about the screening differences between countries. Eg in the US you have to take your shoes and belt off, no exceptions at least in my experience. Here in Australia belts are only an issue if it actually sets off the metal detector, and shoes aren't an issue unless they're made of metal. Why the difference? 

Anyway, I'm still hoping that it wasn't a bomb or other act of terrorism. I can't personally relate to what it would be like, but if I lost a friend or family member in a plane crash then I'd expect that coming to terms with a genuine accident or something caused by nature would be easier than knowing that it was deliberately done by someone and was thus completely avoidable. At least that's my thoughts on it anyway.


----------



## McLovin (10 March 2014)

Smurf1976 said:


> ID is checked more thoroughly to enter a music festival, nightclub or even a city pub than it is to get on board a domestic flight in Australia. At least it is in my experience.




In all seriousness, what does it matter? Does checking ID prevent anything but the laziest terrorist from getting onboard? Fake ID's aren't that hard to come by.


----------



## McLovin (10 March 2014)

The RAAF is sending two Orions to join the search.


> Australia will send two RAAF aircraft to help search for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet.
> 
> Prime Minister Tony Abbott says his Malaysian counterpart has accepted an offer of the P-3C  long-range maritime surveillance aircraft. One plane left Darwin on Sunday night and the other left on Monday morning.




Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...irlines-jet-20140310-34eyd.html#ixzz2vWO5nofA


----------



## prawn_86 (10 March 2014)

McLovin said:


> Airport security has never caught anyone trying to get a bomb on board. It's the biggest waste of time ever. The mushrooms who fly once a year take comfort in it though, so well all have to put up with it.




Yep, the illusion of safety


----------



## Smurf1976 (10 March 2014)

McLovin said:


> In all seriousness, what does it matter? Does checking ID prevent anything but the laziest terrorist from getting onboard?



I don't doubt that it's of limited effectiveness and that fake ID's are available pretty easily.

But I still find it strange to be having one level of security often used at places of entertainment and a _lower_ level of security used at airports. I just think that, will all the fuss about aviation "security" since 9/11, it would be logical to expect more such measures would be used at airports than anywhere else and yet that is not the case.


----------



## McLovin (10 March 2014)

Smurf1976 said:


> I don't doubt that it's of limited effectiveness and that fake ID's are available pretty easily.
> 
> But I still find it strange to be having one level of security often used at places of entertainment and a _lower_ level of security used at airports. I just think that, will all the fuss about aviation "security" since 9/11, it would be logical to expect more such measures would be used at airports than anywhere else and yet that is not the case.




But ID checking at nightclubs is so the owner of the nightclub doesn't get a big fine for letting in underage drinkers, it's not really about "security" and more about them covering their ar$e.

Most prevention of terrorism is by spooks who you never see or hear about. Because, let's face it, if you really want to inflict massive amounts of damage and terror with little problem with security, you'd hit somewhere like Town Hall train station at 6pm on a Friday.


----------



## CanOz (10 March 2014)

Malaysia Airlines flight MH370: Vietnam search planes find possible aircraft debris in sea

This could speed things up, if the debris is from the flight then it may not be long before they locate the bulk of the wreckage (assuming it is MH370) and hopefully soon after the flight data recorders. The water in that area is not really deep (45-80m), as it was for the Air France flight in 2009 off the coast of S.America in the Atlantic (1000's of meters).


----------



## trainspotter (10 March 2014)

Must just be me then? Stopped in L.A. airport where a rather large Negro lady security guard packing the 45 went downtown on my hand luggage and could not get it in her pin head that "men" actually wear cologne. I had a bottle of parfum' Calvin Klein Truth in my backpack and she DID NOT LIKE IT !!! She repeatedly asked me what it was ... I went to show her that you spray it on your body and she immediately backed up and went for the gun and stated "I would not be doing that if I were you Sir!" 

I SHAT and complied with her wishes ... QUICK SMART !! Backpack through the X Ray machine, bottle of cologne separately through the X Ray machine and me through the stand up X Ray machine sans belt, shoes, watch, wallet you know the drill. "Have a nice day Sir" after she emptied everything out of the back pack AGAIN and I had to put it all back and continued on my journey. 

I think the Malaysian Airline is a tragic accident and a coincidence that 2 stolen passports were used. I do not see any terrorist organisations lining up to claim responsibility? Or is it too early yet??



> The FBI is also being sent, although officials stressed there was no evidence of terrorism yet.
> Concerns have been expressed that the flight may have been targeted by an anti-Chinese group such as the Uighur militants from China’s restive Xinjiang province in the country’s northwest but, again, there is no evidence or claim of responsibility so far.
> In fact, sources told NBC News that only “wackos” had so far claimed to be behind the incident, as often happens in the wake of global catastrophes.
> Known terror groups such as al Qaeda traditionally seek credit after perpetrating attacks but have stayed quiet, with no “chatter” — or intercepted communications — picked up by intelligence agencies about the plane.




http://www.news.com.au/world/malays...fter-it-vanished/story-fndir2ev-1226849847203


----------



## CanOz (10 March 2014)

trainspotter said:


> Must just be me then? Stopped in L.A. airport where a rather large Negro lady security guard packing the 45 went downtown on my hand luggage and could not get it in her pin head that "men" actually wear cologne. I had a bottle of parfum' Calvin Klein Truth in my backpack and she DID NOT LIKE IT !!! She repeatedly asked me what it was ... I went to show her that you spray it on your body and she immediately backed up and went for the gun and stated "I would not be doing that if I were you Sir!"
> 
> I SHAT and complied with her wishes ... QUICK SMART !! Backpack through the X Ray machine, bottle of cologne separately through the X Ray machine and me through the stand up X Ray machine sans belt, shoes, watch, wallet you know the drill. "Have a nice day Sir" after she emptied everything out of the back pack AGAIN and I had to put it all back and continued on my journey.
> 
> ...




They can really go over the top in the US can't they! lol...

I would have thought that if this was a terrorist event that someone would have claimed responsibility by now, unless they are so stupid that they're really not sure what happened to the plane either and are waiting for some confirmation.


----------



## trainspotter (10 March 2014)

Troy Buswell goes into meltdown and resigns from Cabinet.

http://www.news.com.au/national/wes...wn-quits-cabinet/story-fnii5thn-1226850029901

Not a good look for the Libs with the state election on 5th April


----------



## rumpole (10 March 2014)

trainspotter said:


> Troy Buswell goes into meltdown and resigns from Cabinet.
> 
> http://www.news.com.au/national/wes...wn-quits-cabinet/story-fnii5thn-1226850029901
> 
> Not a good look for the Libs with the state election on 5th April




Getting rid of him can only improve the LNP image.

Would be better if they dis endorsed him


----------



## sptrawler (10 March 2014)

rumpole said:


> Getting rid of him can only improve the LNP image.
> 
> Would be better if they dis endorsed him




Yes it would appear, if Troy has a 'good night out on the turps', his exploits hit the headlines the next day.IMO


----------



## sptrawler (10 March 2014)

sptrawler said:


> Apparently, there was no distress call.




So, if there was no distress call, could that be because, it was a catastophic explosion, or somebody didn't want to make the call, or the call couldn't be made?

One of the stolen passport users has been identified, it may narrow down the possibilities.


----------



## sptrawler (11 March 2014)

So now, apparently suspicions turn to pilot or mechanical error.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/11/us-malaysiaairlines-flight-idUSBREA2701720140311

So the absence of a distress call, becomes more poignant.


----------



## CanOz (12 March 2014)

sptrawler said:


> So now, apparently suspicions turn to pilot or mechanical error.
> 
> http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/11/us-malaysiaairlines-flight-idUSBREA2701720140311
> 
> So the absence of a distress call, becomes more poignant.




If that's true, it adds a whole new dimension to this mystery and lets in the possibility that the plane has been hijacked or stolen....


----------



## sptrawler (12 March 2014)

CanOz said:


> If that's true, it adds a whole new dimension to this mystery and lets in the possibility that the plane has been hijacked or stolen....




Yes, the fact a distress call wasn't made, really puts the focus on an explosion or catastophic failure.

If that wasn't the case, it puts the focus on a pilot not making the call.

Most people in a position of responsibilty, like a pilot, are grilled to report a situation that could cause an abnormal event, especially if it is unrecoverable.


----------



## rumpole (13 March 2014)

Cowan guilty of Morcombe murder

Is a twice convicted child sex offender

Hope they never let him out.


----------



## noirua (2 July 2014)

http://sportinglife.aol.co.uk/tenni...icid=maing-grid7|uk|dl5|sec1_lnk2&pLid=275785

Teenager Kyrgios stuns Nadal - The 19-year-old Australian romped past the second seed to set up a quarter-final clash with Milos Raonic, then revealed mother Norlaila had predicted a Nadal victory.


----------



## pixel (15 December 2014)

BREAKING NEWS: Hostages pressed against window in Sydney cafe
Read more at http://www.9news.com.au/national/20...n-in-sydneys-martin-place#vz55ZHL5ozBSc41t.99


----------



## SirRumpole (15 December 2014)

pixel said:


> BREAKING NEWS: Hostages pressed against window in Sydney cafe
> Read more at http://www.9news.com.au/national/20...n-in-sydneys-martin-place#vz55ZHL5ozBSc41t.99




Bl**dy Muslims


----------



## Joe Blow (15 December 2014)

Please post any detailed discussion of today's Sydney siege in the Has the 100 year Jihad (war) begun ... ??? thread. Thanks!


----------



## Value Collector (16 December 2014)

Sydney cafe siege is over, police entered the building at shortly after 2am. Firing live rounds and throwing distraction grenades.


----------



## noirua (16 January 2015)

Swiss-Franc Move Cripples Currency Brokers - WSJ
http://www.wsj.com/articles/swiss-franc-move-cripples-currency-brokers-1421371654?mod=trending_now_3


----------



## Tink (1 February 2015)

Congratulations, Socceroos, well done.

Australia has won its first Asian Cup title with a historic 2-1 extra-time victory over South Korea in Sydney.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-31/asian-cup-final3a-australia-v-south-korea-live-blog/6059790


----------



## pixel (2 February 2015)

Peter Greste on his way home 
http://www.smh.com.au/world/jailed-...reste-is-on-his-way-home-20150201-133fpy.html


----------



## dutchie (18 March 2015)

*Abbott makes another gaffe.*


The ABC has reported that Prime Minister Tony Abbott has made another gaffe.

When being interviewed by Fran Kelly on RN Breakfast the Prime Minister was heard to say – “Good Morning”
Kelly quickly jumped on this utterance and questioned the Prime Minister on the fact that he had insulted the “afternoon” by implying that it was bad.

A spokesman for the “afternoon” criticised Abbott for impinging on the respectability of the “afternoon” and that he should not go around the country continually dishing it.

The opposition has also released a statement deriding the Prime Minister for damning the “afternoon” over and over. They reiterated that Abbott was not fit to be Prime Minister.

A Fairfax journalist has blamed Abbott for WW1, WW2, all conflicts in the Middle East, all cyclones which have done damage to the world and the economic mess Labor left behind because of this gaffe.


----------



## Smurf1976 (24 March 2015)

*Plane Crash in France*

148 People on board, all assumed dead. Airbus A320 plane has crashed.

http://www.themercury.com.au/news/w...s-in-french-alps/story-fnj3ty5y-1227277119430


----------



## Ferret (26 March 2015)

Smurf1976 said:


> *Plane Crash in France*
> 
> 148 People on board, all assumed dead. Airbus A320 plane has crashed.
> 
> http://www.themercury.com.au/news/w...s-in-french-alps/story-fnj3ty5y-1227277119430




Sounding like the co pilot did it.  

This is too similar to the MH370 disappearance.  Perhaps two cases of a rogue pilot bringing down a plane.  

It seems too easy.  Perhaps all large passenger aircraft need a minimum of three flight crew in the cockpit?


----------



## Tisme (27 March 2015)

Ferret said:


> Sounding like the co pilot did it.
> 
> This is too similar to the MH370 disappearance.  Perhaps two cases of a rogue pilot bringing down a plane.
> 
> It seems too easy.  Perhaps all large passenger aircraft need a minimum of three flight crew in the cockpit?




I'm thinking only secular bachelor pilots?


----------



## SirRumpole (27 March 2015)

Ferret said:


> Sounding like the co pilot did it.
> 
> This is too similar to the MH370 disappearance.  Perhaps two cases of a rogue pilot bringing down a plane.
> 
> It seems too easy.  Perhaps all large passenger aircraft need a minimum of three flight crew in the cockpit?




Maybe they need to carry a psychologist, financial advisor, marriage counsellor, and a priest of each pilot's religion.


----------



## explod (27 March 2015)

SirRumpole said:


> Maybe they need to carry a psychologist, financial advisor, marriage counsellor, and a priest of each pilot's religion.




Back to camel trains,  walking and sailing ships.


----------



## Boggo (27 March 2015)

Interesting if true !

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/201...rmanwings-airbus-co-pilot-was-muslim-convert/


----------



## So_Cynical (27 March 2015)

Tisme said:


> I'm thinking only secular bachelor pilots?




I think men are about twice as likely to suicide, perhaps only female secular bachelor pilots that are pre menopausal.?


----------



## Tisme (27 March 2015)

So_Cynical said:


> I think men are about twice as likely to suicide, perhaps only female secular bachelor pilots that are pre menopausal.?




Yes, with mini skirts


----------



## bellenuit (27 March 2015)

Boggo said:


> Interesting if true !
> 
> http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/201...rmanwings-airbus-co-pilot-was-muslim-convert/




I have been researching that story and my initial conclusion is to take that article with a grain of salt. The writer, Michael Mannheimer, and the blog, PI, appear to be anti-immigration (into Germany) and anti-Muslim. The FB page is just a page "honouring" the co-pilot and could be created by anyone with the intention of blaming this act on Islam.

I would prefer to see some more reputable sources before attaching any credence to the rumour.


----------



## Boggo (27 March 2015)

bellenuit said:


> I have been researching that story and my initial conclusion is to take that article with a grain of salt. The writer, Michael Mannheimer, and the blog, PI, appear to be anti-immigration (into Germany) and anti-Muslim. The FB page is just a page "honouring" the co-pilot and could be created by anyone with the intention of blaming this act on Islam.
> 
> I would prefer to see some more reputable sources before attaching any credence to the rumour.




Tend to agree, haven't seen anything else yet along the same lines.

These guys/gals will be on to it ahead of most I think.
http://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/558654-airbus-a320-crashed-southern-france.html


----------



## noco (28 March 2015)

The Liberal Party have won the NSW election.


----------



## So_Cynical (19 April 2015)

Mysterious disease kills Nigerian patients within a day



			
				aljazeera.com said:
			
		

> "Common symptoms were sudden blurred vision, headache, loss of consciousness followed by death, occurring within 24 hours,"




Not a virus, this could be interesting...WHO officials investigating.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/...ills-patients-24-nigeria-150418141505569.html


----------



## SirRumpole (19 April 2015)

So_Cynical said:


> Mysterious disease kills Nigerian patients within a day
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Nerve gas probably


----------



## Tink (2 May 2015)

*It’s a girl! *

Duchess Kate gives birth to a healthy princess
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/wo...healthy-princess/story-fni0xs61-1227332059609

Congratulations to them both


----------



## Tink (5 May 2015)

Tink said:


> *It’s a girl! *
> 
> Duchess Kate gives birth to a healthy princess
> http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/wo...healthy-princess/story-fni0xs61-1227332059609
> ...




Royal baby named as *Charlotte Elizabeth Diana.*

Very nice. 

Lovely that they have mentioned Diana.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/enterta...-elizabeth-diana/story-fni0b7je-1227335326932


----------



## noco (6 May 2015)

Christine Milne has resigned as the Greens leader and will not contest the next election.


----------



## pixel (6 May 2015)

noco said:


> Christine Milne has resigned as the Greens leader and will not contest the next election.




Who's next ?  Hanson-Young ?


----------



## explod (6 May 2015)

pixel said:


> Who's next ?  Hanson-Young ?




Agree,  a number of others far ahead of De Natala in my view.  

Hanson-Young would havd been my pick


----------



## wayneL (6 May 2015)

I would've preferred Hanson-Young also.

She would've had the same effect as Stott-Despoja(sp?) Had on the Dumbocrats, viz the destruction of the party.


----------



## Logique (15 May 2015)

It's looking bad for Canadians, who now have shorter attention spans than goldfish.



> https://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dai...portable-devices-our-attention-165215074.html
> 
> *Canadians have shorter attention span than goldfish, Microsoft says*
> By Nadine Kalinauskas | Daily Buzz – Wed, 13 May, 2015
> ...


----------



## tech/a (26 May 2015)

Malaysia Airlines go into liquidation.

http://www.traveltrends.biz/ttn555-malaysia-airlines-placed-into-administration/


----------



## SirRumpole (26 May 2015)

Carlton sacks Mick Malthouse


----------



## DB008 (26 May 2015)

tech/a said:


> Malaysia Airlines go into liquidation.
> 
> http://www.traveltrends.biz/ttn555-malaysia-airlines-placed-into-administration/




Re-structure.

Just like U.S. Airlines that did chapter 11. AA/Delta/US


----------



## dutchie (28 May 2015)

Holly Molly - Fraud, bribes, money laundering in FIFA

http://www.news.com.au/sport/footba...money-laundering/story-fndkzvnd-1227371402996

Who would have thought that possible.

Football the wonderful game .............. for low life crooks.

**************************************************************

Aggressive Chinese


Over Islands, which are over 1200 kms from China, that actually lie between Malaysia, The Philippines and Vietnam.

China has reclamation projects at the Spratly Islands and is placing arms on them.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ruction-middle-sea-similar-building-road.html


----------



## McLovin (28 May 2015)

dutchie said:


> Holly Molly - Fraud, bribes, money laundering in FIFA
> 
> http://www.news.com.au/sport/footba...money-laundering/story-fndkzvnd-1227371402996
> 
> ...




Breaking news? I think not.


----------



## DB008 (28 May 2015)

Qatar to host, yeah right. Everyone knows they bribed their way in.


Some of the sponsors have been copping it.


----------



## noirua (1 June 2015)

Uzbek human rights defender Azamjon Formonov sentenced to five additional years in prison: FIDH - AKIpress News Agency
http://www.akipress.com/news:559669/


----------



## dutchie (7 July 2015)

Glenn Lazarus has come out of the closet.


----------



## DB008 (13 July 2015)

*Mexican drug lord Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman escapes (again...)​*



> (CNN)After Mexico's most notorious drug lord stepped into a shower and slipped into a tunnel to escape from a maximum-security prison, authorities vowed it wouldn't be long before the Sinaloa cartel chief was behind bars again.
> 
> Prison security cameras last recorded images of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman on Saturday night, just before he apparently crawled through a hole in the shower area of his cell block at the Altiplano Federal Prison.
> 
> ...





http://edition.cnn.com/2015/07/12/world/mexico-el-chapo-escape/​


----------



## Tink (20 July 2015)

*Mick Fanning attacked by shark during event in South Africa*

_Aussie surfing champion Mick Fanning was attacked by a shark on live television during the final of a world tour event in South Africa on Sunday night._

Good seeing them helping each other.

http://www.news.com.au/sport/sports...-in-south-africa/story-fno61i58-1227448371150


----------



## CanOz (20 July 2015)

Tink said:


> *Mick Fanning attacked by shark during event in South Africa*
> 
> _Aussie surfing champion Mick Fanning was attacked by a shark on live television during the final of a world tour event in South Africa on Sunday night._
> 
> ...




Good grief, that was a close call!


----------



## trainspotter (20 July 2015)

SHF ...ARK !


----------



## Wysiwyg (20 July 2015)

Lucky that wasn't a white pointer, lucky the legrope was severed so he wasn't dragged below water. lucky his desperate action scared the shark off, lucky number 7


----------



## Gringotts Bank (29 September 2015)

Water on planet Mars.  Life also?


----------



## gordon2007 (1 October 2015)

And yet another australian icon, Larry the Lobster about to come crashing down.  

A sign of the times?  http://www.coastalleader.com.au/story/3389165/larry-on-last-legs/?cs=1189


----------



## MrBurns (2 October 2015)

> A former director of the failed white goods firm Kleenmaid has been sentenced to seven years in jail for fraud and insolvent trading.
> 
> "Westpac suffered a direct loss and innocent creditors were collateral damage as a result of propping up a sinking ship," he said.




7 years for defrauding a bank, meanwhile  -  4 years for murder - 

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...d-till-late-2017/story-e6frg6nf-1226755745383



> THE grief-stricken parents of Thomas Kelly say NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell must act on alcohol-fuelled violence following the "shocking and lenient" sentence given to his killer.
> 
> Kieran Loveridge was sentenced in the NSW Supreme Court today to serve four years in jail for Mr Kelly's manslaughter in July 2012.
> 
> Speaking outside the Supreme Court in Sydney, Mr Kelly's father, Ralph Kelly, said the sentence had left his family "cold, shocked and just beyond disbelief".




http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...d-till-late-2017/story-e6frg6nf-1226755745383

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-...ailed-over-offences-ahead-of-collapse/6824154

Molesting a child ? probably a bond.


----------



## Gringotts Bank (19 October 2015)

We're nearly back to the future, guys.  

21 Oc 2015.

Fire up the Delorean.


----------



## CanOz (20 October 2015)

Canada has a new Government and a Trudeau back in Ottawa.

Hooray to the Liberals who look to form a majority government!


----------



## skc (20 October 2015)

Oops.. 



> High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0546944a-7682-11e5-a95a-27d368e1ddf7.html#ixzz3p5K7Hisz
> 
> Deutsche Bank paid $6bn to a hedge fund client by mistake in a “fat finger” trade on its foreign exchange desk this summer that raises fresh questions about its operational controls and risk management.
> 
> Germany’s biggest bank recovered the money from the US hedge fund the next day. But the incident in its London-based forex team was an embarrassing blow to the bank, which is already under intense scrutiny from regulators.




And here's Zerohedge take on it.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-...ly-paid-hedge-fund-6-billion-fat-finger-error

It is scary to think what this slip up actually means in terms of their systems and controls (or there lack of!).


----------



## Gringotts Bank (20 October 2015)

skc said:


> Oops..
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Lack of, exactly.  I can't make a small transaction to an internationally-based bank account without Westpac calling my mobile and asking if it's ok.  And it happens immediately.  It's very reassuring.

I like to steer clear of financial companies who are not fiercely strict with processes and protocols.


----------



## Gringotts Bank (27 October 2015)

Processed meats no good for you.  Includes ham, bacon.  Quite strong statements from WHO.  Even normal red meat looks to be not great for health.  Will kill some industries.

http://money.cnn.com/2015/10/26/news/red-meat-processed-cancer-world-health-organization/


----------



## MrBurns (27 October 2015)

Gringotts Bank said:


> Processed meats no good for you.  Includes ham, bacon.  Quite strong statements from WHO.  Even normal red meat looks to be not great for health.  Will kill some industries.
> 
> http://money.cnn.com/2015/10/26/news/red-meat-processed-cancer-world-health-organization/





I hear the result is very small compared to total consumption.

50,000 worldwide is not something to get alarmed about ...


----------



## tech/a (27 October 2015)

Gringotts Bank said:


> Processed meats no good for you.  Includes ham, bacon.  Quite strong statements from WHO.  Even normal red meat looks to be not great for health.  Will kill some industries.
> 
> http://money.cnn.com/2015/10/26/news/red-meat-processed-cancer-world-health-organization/




Hasn't stopped Smoking or Drinking or Drugs
or Driving or Eating Rubbish.
Wont stop consumption.

We all think we are bullet proof until we are the ones who get hit.


----------



## pixel (27 October 2015)

Gringotts Bank said:


> Processed meats no good for you.  Includes ham, bacon.  Quite strong statements from WHO.  Even normal red meat looks to be not great for health.  Will kill some industries.
> 
> http://money.cnn.com/2015/10/26/news/red-meat-processed-cancer-world-health-organization/




Never fear: Barnaby will set the record straight and sort them out.
He was already quoted on ABC Radio on this issue.

"Life itself is a sexually transmitted, fatal disease."
Anon


----------



## dutchie (10 November 2015)

Russians cheat in athletics. Who would have thought.



http://www.news.com.au/sport/more-s...g-program-report/story-fndukor0-1227602508814


----------



## Tisme (10 November 2015)

dutchie said:


> Russians cheat in athletics. Who would have thought.
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.news.com.au/sport/more-s...g-program-report/story-fndukor0-1227602508814




Just the POMs trying new ways to win something? 

I'm glad the USA are still clean as they have always been


----------



## pixel (10 November 2015)

Gringotts Bank said:


> Processed meats no good for you.  Includes ham, bacon.  Quite strong statements from WHO.  Even normal red meat looks to be not great for health.  Will kill some industries.
> 
> http://money.cnn.com/2015/10/26/news/red-meat-processed-cancer-world-health-organization/




... and now we're being warned about vege oils being carcinogenic. Back to good old butter.

http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2013/03/06/3708514.htm


----------



## Gringotts Bank (10 November 2015)

pixel said:


> ... and now we're being warned about vege oils being carcinogenic. Back to good old butter.
> 
> http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2013/03/06/3708514.htm




Somatic illness and disease is created in the mind.  These 'bad' foods are in fact used as 'medicine'.  Sugary, fatty and salty foods pump up brain dopmamine stores.  Remember that last horror trade you made?  Why did it make you reach for the chocolate, junk food or alcohol?  Because as far as your mind is concerned, "big loss" = "bad person".  And a "bad person's" brain won't release dopamine.  That's the way the mind works whether you admit it or not.  Good and bad judgments are functioning almost constantly in the pre- and subconscious.  

The lack of dopamine is caused by failure to succeed, which itself is caused by poor mental habits.

As usual, researchers are confused about how it all works.  They will be ****ing around for another 50 years before the penny drops, and then they will be saying what I'm saying here, only this time it will be with the headlines "new ground-breaking discovery".


----------



## dutchie (14 November 2015)

Multiple terrorist acts in Paris at moment. At least 40 dead. Hostages taken at concert hall.


----------



## Wysiwyg (14 November 2015)

I'm watching FOX news and they just said more explosions and shootings are happening around/in the concert hall where people are held hostage.


----------



## MrBurns (14 November 2015)

dutchie said:


> Multiple terrorist acts in Paris at moment. At least 40 dead. Hostages taken at concert hall.




From Ninemsn




> A man who was inside the theatre when the gunmen entered told a French radio station that the men shouted 'Allah Akbar' as they opened fire.
> 
> He added: 'The men came in and started shooting. Everyone fell to the ground. It was hell. I took my mum, and we hid. Someone near us said they have gone, so we ran out.
> 
> ...


----------



## qldfrog (14 November 2015)

7 different coordinated attacks.State of emergency declared in France , border closed and school closed on Monday


----------



## MrBurns (14 November 2015)

I've got an uncomfortable feeling of anger.

We all know France has been heavily populated by Muslims, where Muslims go so does Islam, this is their reward for tolerance.


----------



## MrBurns (14 November 2015)

From the net - 



> The total number of Muslims in the European Union in 2010 was about 19 million (3.8%). The French capital of Paris and its metropolitan area has the largest number (up to 1.7 million according to The Economist) of Muslims than any other city in the European Union.


----------



## qldfrog (14 November 2015)

May Australia learn from this and control who comes in: The jihad is worldwide, one side is fighting with deep hatred while the other opens its arm..well very Christian attitude but the results are clear.
By the time this ends, we will have more than 100 innocent bodies and that might only be a begginning.
How long will the people stay docile, there is so much one can take and there are plenty of immigrant hostel to burn for the vengefuls: I fear  sparks of civil war for Europe


----------



## dutchie (14 November 2015)

qldfrog said:


> I fear  sparks of civil war for Europe




Self inflicted, unfortunately.


----------



## dutchie (14 November 2015)

Death toll rising (140)


----------



## dutchie (14 November 2015)

Thank god for the UN.

Update - U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon condemns "despicable attacks" and *demands* immediate release of hostages in Bataclan theatre


----------



## MrBurns (14 November 2015)

This is a game changer for me.

Islam is not a peaceful religion.

How many have to die before Govts do something ?


----------



## Gringotts Bank (25 November 2015)

http://www.techradar.com/au/news/in...e-li-fi-proves-to-be-100-times-faster-1309676

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/lifi-inter...ge-boasts-speed-100-times-faster-wifi-1530021


----------



## dutchie (3 December 2015)

Blade Runner found guilty of murder by Appeals Court.


----------



## qldfrog (3 December 2015)

San bernado massacre:
The suspects have been identified by police as US born Syed Farook, 28, and Tashfeen Malik, 27.

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/wor...-shootings-20151202-gldy8p.html#ixzz3tFbWZ2fL


----------



## dutchie (4 January 2016)

Two gutless cowards in Brisbane should get life.

Pair in custody over senseless bashing in Brisbane as teen dies in hospital

http://www.news.com.au/national/que...l/news-story/c9271e709dade7b28e504ae887385f96


----------



## SirRumpole (4 January 2016)

dutchie said:


> Two gutless cowards in Brisbane should get life.
> 
> Pair in custody over senseless bashing in Brisbane as teen dies in hospital
> 
> http://www.news.com.au/national/que...l/news-story/c9271e709dade7b28e504ae887385f96




I wonder when we will actually live in a civilised society.


----------



## CanOz (4 January 2016)

SirRumpole said:


> I wonder when we will actually live in a civilised society.




This type of thing used to enrage me before I had a son, now the emotions I feel are even stronger, but more varied....I can't imagine how a family must feel to lose a child in such a senseless fashion. Rest in peace Cole...:frown:


----------



## MrBurns (4 January 2016)

Throw away the key on those bastards, I think everyone has had enough, I just cant believe there's been another death like this.


----------



## Craton (4 January 2016)

Without knowing the full facts but sounds like a bunch of gutless wonders kowtowing to the mob mentally without scant regard for life. Allowing those responsible for yet another heinous act, allowing them to live is too kind IMHO.


----------



## wayneL (4 January 2016)

My wife took a booking for a new client... Vet referral, have to shoe a 3* eventer to x-rays.... which is gobbledegook to most of you, but the client is somehow related to the victim. 

It's outrageous when you see this in the news, but damn it becomes more real when you know the connections to the people. Haven't met the client yet but sheee-it!!!


----------



## Logique (6 January 2016)

Just a note to posters that tomorrow Thursday 7 Jan 2016 is *International Silly Walks Day*

There's an International Silly Walks march being organized, check to see scheduling in your local area.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SillyWalkBrno/


----------



## CanOz (6 January 2016)

Boy wonder at it again....



> 0:10(KR) 4.2 magnitude earthquake detected within 30km of known nuclear test site in North Korea; Might be an explosion - Korean press- South Korea holding emergency meeting to determine if this was a nuclear test; Says highly likely more... (related USD/KRW EWY EEM) - Source TradeTheNews.com


----------



## DB008 (10 January 2016)

Wow

This is crazy

$1.3 Billion

Imagine that!!!

*NO WINNER IN POWERBALL; WEDNESDAY'S JACKPOT EXPECTED TO BE $1.3 BILLION​*


> DES MOINES, Iowa -- There was no winner in Saturday night's Powerball. Wednesday's jackpot will grow to $1.3 billion with a cash value of $806 million.
> 
> Powerball announced the six winning numbers for a record jackpot of nearly $950 million on Saturday, setting off a scramble among hopeful lottery players across the country to check if they held a lucky ticket.
> 
> ...




http://abc7ny.com/hobbies/no-winner-in-powerball;-wednesdays-jackpot-expected-to-be-$13-billion/1152682/​


----------



## SirRumpole (10 January 2016)

DB008 said:


> Wow
> 
> This is crazy
> 
> ...




I wonder if non US residents can buy tickets.


----------



## CanOz (10 January 2016)

SirRumpole said:


> I wonder if non US residents can buy tickets.




Sure, just get a mate in the US to buy on and send the photo to you with an email saying its your ticket....agree to give him 25%...or so...what a mere 125 million between friend hey...(tax)


----------



## Wysiwyg (10 January 2016)

DB008 said:


> Wow
> 
> This is crazy
> 
> ...



Considering Australia has way less participants in Australian Powerball than America, it is incredible that the combination hasn't been hit with the 5  + powerball game yet. I am sure the number of combinations bought would be massive. Very strange.


----------



## Boggo (11 January 2016)

RIP David Bowie !!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Gringotts Bank (11 January 2016)

Ashes to ashes, funk to funky.  Great musician/character.


----------



## DB008 (13 January 2016)

SirRumpole said:


> I wonder if non US residents can buy tickets.




*Aussie punters given green light to play for world's biggest lotto of $1.3b​*


> Australia could soon have a new billionaire, as lottery company Lottoland has given Aussies the green light to play for the world’s biggest jackpot prize of $1.3 billion USD.
> 
> The Powerball Jackpot is the largest ever, where the winner will automatically be placed in Forbes infamous rich list.
> 
> ...




https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/30553290/aussie-punters-given-green-light-to-play-for-worlds-biggest-lotto-of-1-3b/​

Here is the site to purchase your winning numbers from Rumpy

https://www.lottoland.com.au/​
I purchased from a website that was 18 pounds for 5 games. Lottoland is $70 for 5 games (I think). Good luck


----------



## SirRumpole (13 January 2016)

Very interesting, thanks DB008, I'll have a look.


----------



## trainspotter (14 January 2016)

> A winning ticket in Wednesday night's record $1.5 billion Powerball jackpot was sold in suburban Los Angeles, a spokesman for the California lottery says.
> 
> It could take several hours before officials know whether any winning tickets were sold elsewhere. The winning numbers were 4-8-19-27-34 and Powerball 10.
> 
> One winning ticket was sold at a 7-Eleven in Chino Hills, California, said Alex Travesta, a spokesman for that state's lottery. The identity of the winner is not yet known.




http://abc7chicago.com/finance/powerball-lottery-jackpot-at-$15b;-winning-numbers-drawing-wednesday/1155977/

I bet he/she will be known once they figure it out. Below is the train bringing all the relatives out of the woodwork ...


----------



## pixel (14 January 2016)

trainspotter said:


> http://abc7chicago.com/finance/powerball-lottery-jackpot-at-$15b;-winning-numbers-drawing-wednesday/1155977/
> 
> I bet he/she will be known once they figure it out. Below is the train bringing all the relatives out of the woodwork ...
> 
> View attachment 65532




well spotted, TS


----------



## syllable (14 January 2016)

Iran released 10 United States navy sailors and a video of american sailors apologizing.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/14/world/middleeast/iran-navy-crew-release.html?_r=0
http://abcnews.go.com/International/iran-releases-images-tense-us-sailors-detained/story?id=36266300


----------



## SirRumpole (14 January 2016)

syllable said:


> Iran released 10 United States navy sailors and a video of american sailors apologizing.
> http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/14/world/middleeast/iran-navy-crew-release.html?_r=0
> http://abcnews.go.com/International/iran-releases-images-tense-us-sailors-detained/story?id=36266300




It's better than holding them hostage for months like in the "old days".


----------



## Tisme (15 January 2016)

With Alan Rickman passing @ 69 too. I'm wondering if it's the new black


----------



## bellenuit (15 January 2016)

Tisme said:


> With Alan Rickman passing @ 69 too. I'm wondering if it's the new black




Tisme, this is a genuine question not a comment. What does the expression "xxx is the new black" mean. There is a TV series, that I haven't yet seen, called "Orange is the new black" and there was a banner ad in The Australian today saying something or other is the new black. I can't recall what it was, but I think it was a product of some sort. I have also heard it used in relation to other things. None seem to relate to race or oppression or anything political in any way, so I just can't fathom the meaning behind the expression.


----------



## trainspotter (15 January 2016)

bellenuit said:


> Tisme, this is a genuine question not a comment. What does the expression "xxx is the new black" mean. There is a TV series, that I haven't yet seen, called "Orange is the new black" and there was a banner ad in The Australian today saying something or other is the new black. I can't recall what it was, but I think it was a product of some sort. I have also heard it used in relation to other things. None seem to relate to race or oppression or anything political in any way, so I just can't fathom the meaning behind the expression.




Background: Since black is always in style in the fashion industry, saying something is "the new black" means that it is the hottest new thing. :star:


----------



## Tisme (15 January 2016)

trainspotter said:


> Background: Since black is always in style in the fashion industry, saying something is "the new black" means that it is the hottest new thing. :star:




Yes I think it's the LBD contrast


----------



## Tom32 (15 January 2016)

DB008 said:


> *Aussie punters given green light to play for world's biggest lotto of $1.3b​*
> 
> 
> https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/30553290/aussie-punters-given-green-light-to-play-for-worlds-biggest-lotto-of-1-3b/​
> ...




I guess these are hypothetical questions that only keep the likes of myself up at night:

1. Do you win as if you were an additional participant in the lottery; ie if there were 3 winners of the underlying lottery you get only 1/4 of the winnings?

2. Why tax as an American when it's Lloyds paying it out. I'm guessing it's not taxed as an American but instead they short pay if you were Australian.

3. Amazing how much diff state tax can make in the US. You buy ticket in high tax area of you pretend after winning you are in low tax, where you pay tax?

Anyway, don't expect answers but it interest me how these shadow lottery systems would work.


----------



## DB008 (21 January 2016)

*Astronomers say a Neptune-sized planet lurks beyond Pluto​*


> The solar system appears to have a new ninth planet. Today, two scientists announced evidence that a body nearly the size of Neptune””but as yet unseen””orbits the sun every 15,000 years. During the solar system’s infancy 4.5 billion years ago, they say, the giant planet was knocked out of the planet-forming region near the sun. Slowed down by gas, the planet settled into a distant elliptical orbit, where it still lurks today.
> 
> The claim is the strongest yet in the centuries-long search for a “Planet X” beyond Neptune. The quest has been plagued by far-fetched claims and even outright quackery. But the new evidence comes from a pair of respected planetary scientists, Konstantin Batygin and Mike Brown of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, who prepared for the inevitable skepticism with detailed analyses of the orbits of other distant objects and months of computer simulations. “If you say, ‘We have evidence for Planet X,’ almost any astronomer will say, ‘This again? These guys are clearly crazy.’ I would, too,” Brown says. “Why is this different? This is different because this time we’re right.”
> 
> ...




http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/01/feature-astronomers-say-neptune-sized-planet-lurks-unseen-solar-system​


----------



## DB008 (17 February 2016)

*Scientists make possible cancer breakthrough, use patients' own cells to treat leukaemia​*



> Scientists in the United States may have made a cancer treatment breakthrough, releasing results of trials using a patient's own immune cells to treat leukaemia.
> 
> Professor Stanley Riddell, an immunotherapy researcher at the Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center in Seattle, found using treated immune cells wiped out cancer in 27 of 29 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in one trial.
> 
> ...





http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-17/immune-treatment-offers-hope-for-cancer-patients/7176164​


----------



## Boggo (29 February 2016)

Father Jack RIP (feck)

18 years to the day after Father Ted !!!!!!!!!!

http://www.joe.ie/movies-tv/actor-f...n-father-ted-has-died-at-the-age-of-77/532782


----------



## Knobby22 (29 February 2016)

Boggo said:


> Father Jack RIP (feck)
> 
> 18 years to the day after Father Ted !!!!!!!!!!
> 
> http://www.joe.ie/movies-tv/actor-f...n-father-ted-has-died-at-the-age-of-77/532782




I was taught by a Christian brother who was a bit similar. Great character.


----------



## Tink (22 April 2016)

Queen Elizabeth II celebrates 90th birthday

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...lotte-and-george-share-the-spotlight-in-offi/

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-21/queen-elizabeth-celebrates-her-90th-birthday/7344226


----------



## SirRumpole (24 April 2016)

Was it just me or did this site go missing yesterday ?


----------



## noco (24 April 2016)

SirRumpole said:


> Was it just me or did this site go missing yesterday ?




Rumpy, I had the same concern.....ASF either had a problem or were shut down for maintenance.


----------



## SirRumpole (24 April 2016)

noco said:


> Rumpy, I had the same concern.....ASF either had a problem or were shut down for maintenance.




I hope it wasn't cyber attacked by those dirty Fabians.


----------



## Logique (24 April 2016)

SirRumpole said:


> Was it just me or did this site go missing yesterday ?



It wasn't just you


----------



## noco (24 April 2016)

SirRumpole said:


> I hope it wasn't cyber attacked by those dirty Fabians.





The FABIANS???????????????....No they would not think of anything like that or would they?


----------



## Gringotts Bank (26 April 2016)

Apparently there's billions available for foreign aid and for re-housing asylum seekers, billions available for those on welfare (benefits paid have absolutely skyrocketed in line with open border immigration policies) and yet these poor kids with a rare genetic condition are denied an expensive drug which would reduce pain symptoms and prolong their lives....  Am I dreaming????  What the f#ck is going on in this country?


http://tenplay.com.au/channel-ten/t...s-regarding-access-to-vimizim-for-the-horders


----------



## CanOz (4 May 2016)

Canada's oil town Fort McMurray is being evacuated due to wild fires....


----------



## pixel (4 May 2016)

CanOz said:


> Canada's oil town Fort McMurray is being evacuated due to wild fires....



http://globalnews.ca/news/2677885/m...-fire-situation-in-fort-mcmurray-intensifies/
Sounds very desperate.
I hope none of your friends and rellies are affected.


----------



## Gringotts Bank (4 May 2016)

Aldi making a smart move, opening multiple stores right across Melbourne, in line with a rocketing population growth.  

I've never seen change happen so quickly as it is in Melbourne in the last 5 years.  Massive apartment blocks popping up everywhere.  I can walk 10 minutes in any direction and come across 10 residential bulding sites.  I can drive 10 minutes in any direction and come across 1000+ (5x200) new apartments.


----------



## CanOz (4 May 2016)

pixel said:


> http://globalnews.ca/news/2677885/m...-fire-situation-in-fort-mcmurray-intensifies/
> Sounds very desperate.
> I hope none of your friends and rellies are affected.





yeah me too


----------



## CanOz (5 May 2016)

RBA's Glenn Stevens replaced by Philip Lowe!

WTF???


----------



## pixel (5 May 2016)

CanOz said:


> RBA's Glenn Stevens replaced by Philip Lowe!
> 
> WTF???




It won't happen until September when GS's 7-year term of tenure is due to end.
Looks like reasonable succession planning to me.


----------



## Tisme (5 May 2016)

CanOz said:


> RBA's Glenn Stevens replaced by Philip Lowe!
> 
> WTF???





Doing a Campbell Newman and putting barnacles and barriers in place for the incoming Labor Party


----------



## CanOz (5 May 2016)

pixel said:


> It won't happen until September when GS's 7-year term of tenure is due to end.
> Looks like reasonable succession planning to me.




Ahh yes i see that just now on TTN, i guess it was tipped all along...false alarm!


----------



## CanOz (5 May 2016)

Tisme said:


> Doing a Campbell Newman and putting barnacles and barriers in place for the incoming Labor Party




What the heck would you know?

This doesn't involve Unions....stick to your political threads...


----------



## Tisme (5 May 2016)

CanOz said:


> What the heck would you know?
> 
> This doesn't involve Unions....stick to your political threads...




I take it you are on drugs? Stick to the topic please, If you want to talk unions go to that thread.


----------



## sptrawler (5 May 2016)

CanOz said:


> What the heck would you know?
> 
> This doesn't involve Unions....stick to your political threads...




Don't get too out of shape, the avatar could just as easily be Chucky.


----------



## dutchie (7 May 2016)

Australia/Fiji defeat New Zealand  16 - 0 in Rugby League Test last night.


----------



## pixel (11 May 2016)

Home lending fell 1.2% in March: http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/5609.0?OpenDocument
That accounts probably for the Top200 index dropping back off early Highs.


----------



## Tisme (11 May 2016)

sptrawler said:


> Don't get too out of shape, the avatar could just as easily be Chucky.




Ouch that hurt, especially coming from a girl.  How does your boyfriend handle the superior wit?


----------



## noco (2 June 2016)

Billy Gordon Labor MP for the state of Queensland caught last night for drunken driving and without a drivers license.

What a great example set by a Labor MP.....


http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/que...n_code=nocode&promote_channel=social_facebook

*Queensland MP Billy Gordon has been charged with unlicensed and drink driving.

It's understood Mr Gordon had been drinking while watching State of Origin before driving his partner's car home in far north Queensland.*


----------



## pixel (2 June 2016)

noco said:


> Billy Gordon Labor MP for the state of Queensland caught last night for drunken driving and without a drivers license.
> 
> What a great example set by a Labor MP.....
> 
> ...



Aww! Grist on the Labor-Haters mill!

Don't pretend that type of thing doesn't happen on the other side as well. Does the name Troy Buswell ring a bell? He even used his taxpayer-funded government car to do the damage, and the Police didn't even dare investigate.

It took memories of his customary loutish behaviour (bra-snap, chair-sniff) to finally get rid of him. And still no adequate prosecution - unless any retribution has been utterly hushed-up.


----------



## noco (2 June 2016)

pixel said:


> Aww! Grist on the Labor-Haters mill!
> 
> Don't pretend that type of thing doesn't happen on the other side as well. Does the name Troy Buswell ring a bell? He even used his taxpayer-funded government car to do the damage, and the Police didn't even dare investigate.
> 
> It took memories of his customary loutish behaviour (bra-snap, chair-sniff) to finally get rid of him. And still no adequate prosecution - unless any retribution has been utterly hushed-up.




Billy Gordon will eventually face the same fate......He has been in more strife than a monkey with a basket of eggs.


----------



## Gringotts Bank (23 June 2016)

http://www.businessinsider.com.au/b...onomic-ticket-sales-problems-2016-6?r=US&IR=T

https://www.statnews.com/2016/02/05/postpone-rio-2016-olympics-zika/

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/2016-olympics-rio-declares-public-calamity-financial-crisis-mounts-1566131

Not a good prospect.  Would be better to cancel the Games right now rather than walk straight into trouble.


----------



## SirRumpole (5 July 2016)

Chris Evans steps down as presenter of Top Gear, unknown if the others will continue.

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-36707266


----------



## CanOz (15 July 2016)

At least 70 feared dead as truck slams into crowd in Nice


----------



## MrBurns (15 July 2016)

CanOz said:


> At least 70 feared dead as truck slams into crowd in Nice




This isn't going to end, these creeps are using religion to justify violence, they should be executed when caught but only after interrogation to get some info out of them


----------



## Wysiwyg (15 July 2016)

Still several snakes in the populace that remain undetected. They must be being covered by the community they live in because any sane person would be alerting authorities to suspicious activity.


----------



## qldfrog (15 July 2016)

Wysiwyg said:


> Still several snakes in the populace that remain undetected. They must be being covered by the community they live in because any sane person would be alerting authorities to suspicious activity.



Of course they are, and it is not a question of sanity, but of total war...except only one side is wagging it while the western world is in denial:How can they loose?


----------



## Tisme (15 July 2016)

MrBurns said:


> This isn't going to end, these creeps are using religion to justify violence, they should be executed when caught but only after interrogation to get some info out of them




You have to bury them quick smart or they might not get to paradise..... I suspect the authorities comply with this?


----------



## pixel (15 July 2016)

Tisme said:


> You have to bury them quick smart or they might not get to paradise..... I suspect the authorities comply with this?




The French may need to rethink their generous offering of "Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity" to all comers.
On the basis of those three, it is even illegal to profile by ethnicity, religious beliefs, or heritage. At least used to be illegal; maybe they've woken up since Charlie Hebdo and made some exceptions. But I doubt it.


----------



## DB008 (16 July 2016)

Military coup in Turkey taking place right now.

Erdogen is out


----------



## MrBurns (16 July 2016)

DB008 said:


> Military coup in Turkey taking place right now.
> 
> Erdogen is out





http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-16/live-blog-attempted-military-coup-underway-in-turkey/7634654


----------



## Tyler Durden (16 July 2016)

DB008 said:


> Military coup in Turkey taking place right now.
> 
> Erdogen is out




Not sure if the coup has been successful or not, some reports I've read label it as an "attempt".

Should've bought the gold I was considering yesterday.


----------



## Tisme (16 July 2016)

Better watch out if Putin gets involved



> The President has reiterated his claims that the group who initiated the coup attempt are supporters of Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is based in the US. He labelled the attempt an act of treason.


----------



## MrBurns (16 July 2016)

Tisme said:


> Better watch out if Putin gets involved





From the ABC web site, wouldn't you expect them to check for errors before publishing ?



> Turkish TV stations taken off air by armed forced before resuming broadcast


----------



## Wysiwyg (16 July 2016)

Looks like the coup is over. Saw video of soldiers hands up surrendering.


----------



## Wysiwyg (16 July 2016)

So the high ranking military are going to be imprisoned and in themselves become reason for continued instability. Surely this attempt will not be in vain.


----------



## dutchie (29 July 2016)

Russia to hold its own Olympics - they will be known as the Dopey Games


----------



## Bill M (4 August 2016)

Emirates plane bursts into flames after emergency landing at Dubai airport

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-03/emirates-airline-plane-crash-lands-at-dubai-airport/7687860


----------



## SirRumpole (4 August 2016)

> Police are exploring the possibility of terrorism in a central London knife attack which has killed one woman and left up to six people injured.
> 
> Police were called to the scene at 10:33 pm (7:33 am AEST) after reports that a man seen with a knife was injuring people at London's Russell Square.
> 
> ...




http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-04/london-stabbing-leaves-one-dead-six-injured/7689632


----------



## Tisme (4 August 2016)

SirRumpole said:


> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-04/london-stabbing-leaves-one-dead-six-injured/7689632




Apparently Oz and UK share third place in the terror target stakes, it's just that we are good at thwarting the acts.


----------



## SirRumpole (4 August 2016)

Tisme said:


> Apparently Oz and UK share third place in the terror target stakes, it's just that we are good at thwarting the acts.




Some Islamic thug who attacked a policeman has just been released on parole.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-...-of-jihadist-to-be-released-on-parole/7688816


----------



## Gringotts Bank (22 August 2016)

http://www.syn.org.au/node/33088

Melbourne has the highest number of food allergies in kids in the world.

Interesting watching the "experts" talk about what foods to avoid.  

It's the only kids of stresshead helicopter parents who get allergies.


----------



## noco (16 September 2016)

Senator Stephan Conroy has resigned from parliament.


----------



## explod (16 September 2016)

noco said:


> Senator Stephan Conroy has resigned from parliament.




Good news in my view.


----------



## dutchie (19 September 2016)

ASX , et al, not open yet this morning because of technical problems.

opening not known at present.


----------



## pixel (19 September 2016)

dutchie said:


> ASX , et al, not open yet this morning because of technical problems.
> 
> opening not known at present.



Banner running across ASX website:


> ASX advises that there will be a delay with the opening of the ASX equities market. We are working to resolve this matter and updates will be provided as they become available.


----------



## blue0810 (19 September 2016)

dutchie said:


> ASX , et al, not open yet this morning because of technical problems.
> 
> opening not known at present.




11.30 am


----------



## pixel (19 September 2016)

pixel said:


> Banner running across ASX website:




Restart scheduled for 11:30 with shortened 2-minute stagger between groups.
All stocks to go into Pre-Open at 11:10.


----------



## pixel (19 September 2016)

pixel said:


> Restart scheduled for 11:30 with shortened 2-minute stagger between groups.
> All stocks to go into Pre-Open at 11:10.




Still more problems.
The Group 5 (codes S-Z) will only start trading at 12:00 noon.

Maybe ASX employ  the same programmers as the Census people did.


----------



## SirRumpole (19 September 2016)

pixel said:


> Still more problems.
> The Group 5 (codes S-Z) will only start trading at 12:00 noon.
> 
> Maybe ASX employ  the same programmers as the Census people did.




Maybe the Bears are having another picnic.


----------



## explod (19 September 2016)

SirRumpole said:


> Maybe the Bears are having another picnic.




Getcha money out of the bank and buy gold


----------



## pixel (19 September 2016)

... and again:







> Please be advised that all ASX Trade markets have been placed back into an 'ENQUIRE' session state. As a result trading and market data is unavailable. This may also affect the Chi-X market.
> ASX are working on resolving the issue as an urgent priority.
> We will keep you updated.



latest email from my Broker, Openmarkets.


----------



## qldfrog (19 September 2016)

pixel said:


> Still more problems.
> The Group 5 (codes S-Z) will only start trading at 12:00 noon.
> 
> Maybe ASX employ  the same programmers as the Census people did.



Probably outsourced to India, and once again on a monday morning at 10AM in Oz, not much support available while India is still in week end
Have a quick look at when the s#t really hits the fan and you will discover a pattern on Monday morning
my 2c


----------



## pixel (19 September 2016)

qldfrog said:


> Probably outsourced to India, and once again on a monday morning at 10AM in Oz, not much support available while India is still in week end
> Have a quick look at when the s#t really hits the fan and you will discover a pattern on Monday morning
> my 2c




Can't wait to hear what Pauline has to say about that ...


----------



## McLovin (19 September 2016)

pixel said:


> Can't wait to hear what Pauline has to say about that ...




She probably thinks the stock exchange is where you swap your cows.


----------



## Boggo (19 September 2016)

pixel said:


> Restart scheduled for 11:30 with shortened 2-minute stagger between groups.
> All stocks to go into Pre-Open at 11:10.




Seems to be down again at 15:48 est ????


----------



## McLovin (19 September 2016)

Boggo said:


> Seems to be down again at 15:48 est ????




It's been down since 2pm. The called the day over at 3:15.


----------



## qldfrog (19 September 2016)

pixel said:


> Can't wait to hear what Pauline has to say about that ...



or the national debt status with all these greedy australian former IT guys now playing baristan instead of being overpaid and taxed at 50%, while the "business travellers" based O/S get the dollars
small thinking, big effects...
Nevertheless, a bit pathetic not to be able to bring a site back in a day while the crash happened at opening, not mid transaction day which would have been much worse technically
Anyway, have to live with it; like it or leave it, Pauline would say


----------



## SirRumpole (19 September 2016)

As a matter of interest, how many trades do people average in a day ?

I'm basically a buy and hold type, and sell usually a year or so later when I need the cash.


----------



## qldfrog (19 September 2016)

SirRumpole said:


> As a matter of interest, how many trades do people average in a day ?
> 
> I'm basically a buy and hold type, and sell usually a year or so later when I need the cash.



Not saying it is a great strategy but between 800/1000 buy or sell a year here


----------



## qldfrog (19 September 2016)

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/five-suspected-explosive-devices-found-near-new-jersey-station-20160919-grjs9u.html
another version of: we do not know anything about it but IT IS NOT an islam related attack, 
DO NOT  vote Trump...or anger our Saudis allies
For whatever reason something big was planned in NY and did not eventuate;

Conspiracy theory version: it is Trump/the CIA/the military lobby/the Mossad, anything else?

More realistically: another salafist loony who decided to do his internet researches and tried to blow up the bad infidels, who if arrested will be described as mentally instable.


----------



## pixel (19 September 2016)

qldfrog said:


> Not saying it is a great strategy but between 800/1000 buy or sell a year here




yeah, about that ballpark here as well


----------



## qldfrog (20 September 2016)

qldfrog said:


> More realistically: another salafist loony who decided to do his internet researches and tried to blow up the bad infidels, who if arrested will be described as mentally instable.



And the winner is:
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/world/five-suspected-explosive-devices-found-near-new-jersey-station-20160919-grjs9u.html
based on LeMonde newspaper, has been arrested after gunfire exchange with police.


----------



## DB008 (25 September 2016)

*First Ever Quadriplegic Treated With Stem Cells
Regains Motor Control in His Upper Body​*


> For the first time ever, neuroscientists have treated a total quadriplegic with stem cells, and he has substantially recovered the functions of his upper body only two months into the process.
> 
> The Keck Medical Center of USC announced that a team of doctors became the first in California to inject an experimental treatment made from stem cells, AST-OPC1, into the damaged cervical spine of a recently paralyzed 21-year-old man as part of a multi-center clinical trial.
> 
> ...





http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/first-ever-quadriplegic-treated-stem-cells-regains-motor-control-upper-body/​


----------



## bellenuit (13 October 2016)

*Nobel Prize for Literature Awarded to Bob Dylan. 
*
http://www.wsj.com/articles/nobel-prize-in-literature-awarded-to-bob-dylan-1476356723?tesla=y/


----------



## moXJO (13 October 2016)

Thai king is dead.


----------



## CanOz (13 October 2016)

moXJO said:


> Thai king is dead.




The Baht will take a beating, but lets hope thats all that happens and the country doesn't go to pieces...


----------



## moXJO (13 October 2016)

CanOz said:


> The Baht will take a beating, but lets hope thats all that happens and the country doesn't go to pieces...



I think it will go to pieces.
The king was widely loved (not so much by the red shirts).
But his son Prince Vajiralongkorn is not. I've heard a lot of rumours about this guy behind closed doors.


----------



## noco (13 October 2016)

What on Earth is going on in Russia......Putin has told everyone to return back to their home land immediately.


https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/3288046...rn-to-home-amid-fears-of-new-world-war/#page1


----------



## moXJO (13 October 2016)

Thai and China relations have been souring for a bit as well.


----------



## Bill M (14 October 2016)

moXJO said:


> I think it will go to pieces.
> The king was widely loved (not so much by the red shirts).
> But his son Prince Vajiralongkorn is not. *I've heard a lot of rumours about this guy behind closed doors*.




This link will will explain those rumours it a bet better.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/13/thailand-maha-vajiralongkorn-crown-prince-king


----------



## Wysiwyg (14 October 2016)

noco said:


> What on Earth is going on in Russia......Putin has told everyone to return back to their home land immediately.
> 
> 
> https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/3288046...rn-to-home-amid-fears-of-new-world-war/#page1



There is a higher level of fear invoking media reporting happening. Equities crashing, the Brexit implosion, Chinese growth continues slowing, Noco hasn't showered for three days


----------



## noco (14 October 2016)

Wysiwyg said:


> There is a higher level of fear invoking media reporting happening. Equities crashing, the Brexit implosion, Chinese growth continues slowing, Noco hasn't showered for three days




I don't you have slept for 3 days......What the hell are you raving on about?


----------



## CanOz (14 October 2016)

noco said:


> What on Earth is going on in Russia......Putin has told everyone to return back to their home land immediately.
> 
> 
> https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/3288046...rn-to-home-amid-fears-of-new-world-war/#page1




More fear mongering...i'd suggest Snopes but you debunked the debunkers already


----------



## CanOz (21 October 2016)

> 15:12(JP) Japan Magnitude 6.6 Earthquake Shakes Tottori region - Japan press (related AUD/JPY CAD/JPY EUR/JPY EWJ GBP/JPY JGB JOF JPY/EUR JPY/USD USD/JPY) - Source TradeTheNews.com




6J spiked huge...


----------



## noco (24 October 2016)

The SG Justin Gleeson has done the honorable thing and resigned......Gillian Triggs should follow suit.


----------



## Gringotts Bank (28 October 2016)

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-28/scott-morrison-criticises-proposed-welfare-changes/7974130

"The newspaper report uses the example of a *single parent, with four children aged between 4 and 13, receiving about $52,500 tax free* from the parenting payment, family tax benefits, rent assistance and the energy supplement". 

Australian government departments are run by complete f#cktards.  Imagine running a business that way.

There should be a law against having children without a nuclear hetero (mother father) family structure, with a combined earned income of >50k.


----------



## SirRumpole (28 October 2016)

Gringotts Bank said:


> There should be a law against having children without a nuclear hetero (mother father) family structure, with a combined earned income of >50k.




Yep, too many people already. If people can't afford kids without other people paying for them, don't have them.


----------



## pixel (28 October 2016)

SirRumpole said:


> Yep, too many people already. If people can't afford kids without other people paying for them, don't have them.




How short our memories are. Wasn't John Howard the Greatest PM ever in the opinion of some? 
Yet he started the Baby Bonus nonsense, creating a generation of single parent families with large TVs and a sense of entitlement to be supported by the Taxpayers because "You're worth it."

What goes around comes around.


----------



## Boggo (28 October 2016)

Not the same John Howard that said it was unfair to label any group because of a few individual terrorist acts but it was ok to label all law abiding firearm owners as potential assassins after one loonie in Port Arthur !!!!


----------



## bellenuit (28 October 2016)

Boggo said:


> but it was ok to label all law abiding firearm owners as potential assassins




Source?


----------



## Tink (31 October 2016)

6.6 magnitude quake hits central Italy

http://www.skynews.com.au/news/top-stories/2016/10/31/6-6-magnitude-quake-hits-central-italy.html


----------



## qldfrog (4 November 2016)

a liitle bit of common sense and light in this gloomy world;
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-04/qut-racial-vilification-judgment/7996580


----------



## Logique (6 November 2016)

qldfrog said:


> a liitle bit of common sense and light in this gloomy world;
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-04/qut-racial-vilification-judgment/7996580



Imagine the hell these QUT students have been put through.

And for what? The judge may as well have said the claim was vexatious. 

As for the HRC, asleep at the wheel, and should have known the prosecution had no chance.


----------



## Tisme (6 November 2016)

Logique said:


> Imagine the hell these QUT students have been put through.
> 
> And for what? The judge may as well have said the claim was vexatious.
> 
> As for the HRC, asleep at the wheel, and should have known the prosecution had no chance.




It's a disgrace that we have sunk to the same level that we once lampooned the USA for. (Usually mixed blood) Racist people using the courts to pursue peoples they don't like because their appearance differs from their preference.

And we wonder why the Trumps, Abbotts, Hansons etc are popular:


"The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers" so that anarchy and chaos can have a chance to put things back in their rightful place.


----------



## noco (9 November 2016)

Donald Trump has claimed victory.


----------



## Boggo (11 November 2016)

RIP Leonard Cohen.


----------



## noco (13 November 2016)

Just had an update that one of the injured workers at Cleveland this morning has now lost permanent sight in one eye after being hit by a rock from one of those brats this morning.... and over $200,000 in damages... and who pays??? Us.. again!!!! Bloody Sunrise make a huge deal about s car-jacking in SA, but ppl in Townsville have to live with it on a daily basis and the media don't bat an eyelid...


----------



## noco (28 November 2016)

The Obamas are about to divorce once the Presidents time is up.

Barack appeared to be a naughty boy with the women in extra marital affairs. 


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...sident-using-Secret-Service-hide-affairs.html


----------



## Tisme (28 November 2016)

noco said:


> The Obamas are about to divorce once the Presidents time is up.
> 
> Barack appeared to be a naughty boy with the women in extra marital affairs.
> 
> ...





I recall the rumour years ago that she would divorce him if he ran for a second term. And before that if he ran for political office at all.


----------



## SirRumpole (28 November 2016)

noco said:


> The Obamas are about to divorce once the Presidents time is up.
> 
> Barack appeared to be a naughty boy with the women in extra marital affairs.
> 
> ...




I'm amazed that Trump's wife has stayed with him considering his public statements about his fidelity.


----------



## luutzu (28 November 2016)

SirRumpole said:


> I'm amazed that Trump's wife has stayed with him considering his public statements about his fidelity.




You're assuming that she's the type that like people of character and substance; would only ever marry for love.

She knew what she was getting herself into, and have exit clauses on when it's best to get out.


----------



## noco (28 November 2016)

SirRumpole said:


> I'm amazed that Trump's wife has stayed with him considering his public statements about his fidelity.




Melanie likes money and so does Michelle and Hillary.


----------



## CanOz (28 November 2016)

noco said:


> The Obamas are about to divorce once the Presidents time is up.
> 
> Barack appeared to be a naughty boy with the women in extra marital affairs.
> 
> ...





You sensationalist noco....that article is from 2014....

Pathetic.....more rumor mongering....what do you do, scour the depths of the Web for trash to post???

Maybe you're the cause of the fake news trends!


----------



## Tisme (28 November 2016)

CanOz said:


> You sensationalist noco....that article is from 2014....
> 
> Pathetic.....more rumor mongering....what do you do, scour the depths of the Web for trash to post???
> 
> Maybe you're the cause of the fake news trends!




 having a duh moment there CanOz?


----------



## pixel (28 November 2016)

CanOz said:


> You sensationalist noco....that article is from 2014....
> 
> Pathetic.....more rumor mongering....what do you do, scour the depths of the Web for trash to post???
> 
> Maybe you're the cause of the fake news trends!




I was thinking what you're thinking, CanOZ 
I just couldn't be bothered to give a troll any more oxygen.


----------



## McLovin (28 November 2016)




----------



## noco (28 November 2016)

Tisme said:


> having a duh moment there CanOz?




I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens after Obama's term has expired.


----------



## Wysiwyg (28 November 2016)

Tisme said:


> having a duh moment there CanOz?



Fell out of the chair laughing.


----------



## Gringotts Bank (28 November 2016)

Wysiwyg said:


> Fell out of the chair laughing.




FOCL?


----------



## noco (28 November 2016)

CanOz said:


> You sensationalist noco....that article is from 2014....
> 
> Pathetic.....more rumor mongering....what do you do, scour the depths of the Web for trash to post???
> 
> Maybe you're the cause of the fake news trends!




This article is May 2016....been updated.

http://www.thepoliticalinsider.com/shock-massive-bombshell-obamas-marriage-2017-d-word/


----------



## SirRumpole (28 November 2016)

noco said:


> This article is May 2016....been updated.
> 
> http://www.thepoliticalinsider.com/shock-massive-bombshell-obamas-marriage-2017-d-word/




So what ? It's their business even if it is true which I doubt. 

The guy has just spent 8 years in the Presidency and with the pervasiveness of the gutter press esp Murdoch one would have thought something substantial would have come out by now if it was true.


----------



## pixel (28 November 2016)

noco said:


> This article is May 2016....been updated.
> 
> http://www.thepoliticalinsider.com/shock-massive-bombshell-obamas-marriage-2017-d-word/




That, too, is over 6 months old, noco.
Those guys aren't any better than the Gutter Mail you quoted earlier: mudrakers of the worst kind. Read and applauded by America's ultra-right nutty fringe.







> Q: "Is the Political Insider a reliable source?"
> A: "If you believe in fact-based journalism, the answer is clearly no. If you believe in unsourced claims and wild rumors that feed right-wing conspiracy fantasies, this is your new most trusted source of information!"


----------



## SirRumpole (28 November 2016)

pixel said:


> Read and applauded by America's ultra-right nutty fringe.
> 
> View attachment 68938




And Australia's.


----------



## pixel (28 November 2016)

SirRumpole said:


> And Australia's.




I thought they fancy the Dreary Mail.


----------



## noco (28 November 2016)

SirRumpole said:


> So what ? It's their business even if it is true which I doubt.
> 
> The guy has just spent 8 years in the Presidency and with the pervasiveness of the gutter press esp Murdoch one would have thought something substantial would have come out by now if it was true.




Obama is the great PRETENDER.


----------



## Gringotts Bank (28 November 2016)

noco said:


> Obama is the great PRETENDER.




He meant well.  Affordable Care Act was a very good start.  

But the constant pretending to be a cooool duuude was very hard to watch.  I just wanted him to be himself instead of acting a role.


----------



## McLovin (28 November 2016)

pixel said:


> I thought they fancy the Dreary Mail.
> 
> View attachment 68942




You mean the Daily Heil.


----------



## Tisme (28 November 2016)

McLovin said:


> You mean the Daily Heil.




Are they coming here with 417 visas? I don't like queue jumpers, especially jews with german accents,  but if the LNP says it's ok I guess it's alright by me.


----------



## noco (28 November 2016)

Tisme said:


> Are they coming here with 417 visas? I don't like queue jumpers, especially jews with german accents,  but if the LNP says it's ok I guess it's alright by me.




No date on that clip....Looks pretty old from its appearance.

Was it around WW1 or WW11?


----------



## luutzu (28 November 2016)

noco said:


> No date on that clip....Looks pretty old from its appearance.
> 
> Was it around WW1 or WW11?




I think the Jews weren't yet made enemy of the states during WWI, so must be WWII.

Oh ey, Arab and Muslim refugees fleeing the ME for some reason.


----------



## pixel (29 November 2016)

noco said:


> No date on that clip....Looks pretty old from its appearance.
> 
> Was it around WW1 or WW11?




Google "Herbert Metcalfe". The event happened in 1938. It's not Rocket Science.



> *September 15, 1938	*
> 
> LONDON (Sep. 14)
> 
> ...



http://www.jta.org/1938/09/15/archi...o-sentenced-refugees-denies-bias-against-jews


----------



## McLovin (29 November 2016)

noco said:


> No date on that clip....Looks pretty old from its appearance.
> 
> Was it around WW1 or WW11?




You were around then. You tell us.

One has to wonder about someone who needs to know which world war led to Jewish refugees fleeing Germany.

Perhaps the toilet hasn't spilt forth its full contents yet. Wait 'til you find out what happened to the Bolsheviks in '89.


----------



## noco (29 November 2016)

McLovin said:


> You were around then. You tell us.
> 
> One has to wonder about someone who needs to know which world war led to Jewish refugees fleeing Germany.
> 
> Perhaps the toilet hasn't spilt forth its full contents yet. Wait 'til you find out what happened to the Bolsheviks in '89.




Pixel just told us it was 1938 and yes I was around then.


----------



## noco (30 November 2016)

Tomorrow is the last sitting day of Parliament for the year.

I wonder what we can expect in breaking news tomorrow?

Maybe Bill Shorten suspending standing orders to criticize the government for having a win on the ABCCC or will it be some demonstration by the CFMEU thugs outside parliament?


----------



## Tisme (30 November 2016)

noco said:


> Tomorrow is the last sitting day of Parliament for the year.
> 
> I wonder what we can expect in breaking news tomorrow?
> 
> Maybe Bill Shorten suspending standing orders to criticize the government for having a win on the ABCCC or will it be some demonstration by the CFMEU thugs outside parliament?




The LNP just handed the likes of Lend Lease and Brookfield Multiplex an open cheque. Those big organisations have a special understanding and strong EBAs in place with the unions. They now have closed shop status and protected sites.


----------



## noco (30 November 2016)

Tisme said:


> The LNP just handed the likes of Lend Lease and Brookfield Multiplex an open cheque. Those big organisations have a special understanding and strong EBAs in place with the unions. They now have closed shop status and protected sites.




Are you quoting the State or Federal Government?


----------



## Tisme (30 November 2016)

noco said:


> Are you quoting the State or Federal Government?




Feds. 

I'm guessing I will have to dust of the National Code of Conduct we all (in the industry) had to sign last time around if we knew what was good for us, which was basically a pledge similar to the brown shirts in Germany where we could be pinged for consorting with the enemy.... you know, freedom of the individual that the LNP likes to trumpet, but made to join the chorus.


----------



## noco (30 November 2016)

Tisme said:


> Feds.
> 
> I'm guessing I will have to dust of the National Code of Conduct we all (in the industry) had to sign last time around if we knew what was good for us, which was basically a pledge similar to the brown shirts in Germany where we could be pinged for consorting with the enemy.... you know, freedom of the individual that the LNP likes to trumpet, but made to join the chorus.




What do you think of this deal by the Victorian Government?

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nat...s/news-story/971faac1bdf23a4f3ffaf180064e8669


*State-funded infrastructure *projects could be 5 to 15 per cent more expensive, costing taxpayers in Victoria and Queensland hundreds of millions of dollars, because of spiralling union-backed wage rises.

The Victorian government will pay workers on the metro trains project an allowance of $70 a week in return for industrial peace, the Herald Sun reports today. Builders in Victoria have commissioned *research that warns some projects may be shelved as a result of the extra costs.

The findings of the Deloitte *research come as the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union and about 20 big builders struck a deal for a 15 per cent wage rise over three years that employers fear will soon become the *industry norm for large projects.

Deloitte warned taxes will have to rise, or spending in other areas slashed, to pay for the extra costs as the rest of the population bears the burden of outsized remuneration in the construction sector with building workers’ earnings now outstripping all but doctors.

Union deals are leading to *carpenters earning $163,000 and labourers $152,000 — twice the award wage — in Victoria and *between $145,000 and $161,000 in Queensland, adding hundreds of millions to construction costs.Queensland construction workers are expected to see an *annual 5 per cent wage growth, but the Liberal National Party claims it could build *infrastructure for 5-15 per cent less.

Putting (Labor) people firstOMore: Putting (Labor) people first

“Agreements for higher wage levels involve real trade-offs for taxpayer funds,’’ the research warns, saying wage growth could also force the shelving of some public and private projects. “And, if the projects do proceed, then taxes would need to be higher (or other public spending reduced) meaning the broader public was partly funding the higher wages in the construction sector.’’

Brookfield Multiplex, L.U. *Simons, Hickory, Built Constructions, and Probuild are among those who have signed the CFMEU enterprise bargaining agreement.

Brookfield Multiplex is building the $125 million Bunjil Place development in Melbourne’s southeast and the Department of Justice’s $180m Hopkins Correction Centre at Ararat in western Victoria, which was funded by a public-private partnership. Built Constructions is developing the Melbourne Park Administration and Media building for Major Projects Victoria

Labor leader Bill Shorten sidestepped questions on the issue, instead raising bankers’ salaries in his response.

“What we see in the remuneration system ... in banking is *another reason to have a royal commission into the banking sector and financial services industry,’’ he said. “We see excessive remuneration ... at the same time as we see literally tens of *thousands of consumers being ripped off.”

Builders in Queensland have also expressed concerns about the effect of spiralling wages in the unionised building sector.

“Queensland has more strikes in the construction industry than the rest of the country — the situation is getting out of control,” Master Builders director of construction policy Corlia Roos said.

“It is hurting our state’s economy and reducing our attractiveness for vital investment in infrastructure, tourism and other business opportunities.”

Queensland Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace will not take steps to limit the risk of cost blowouts, with a spokesman saying wages negotiations in the private sector were a matter for the industrial umpire.

The Australian has obtained agreements arranged by the CFMEU in NSW demanding a raft of extra payments and perks. A greenfields agreement with Lend Lease covering 2012 to 2014, forced the employer — and subcontractors — to give staff “industrial relations training leave”. It also provided for “non-*cancellable ‘WorkCover Top-Up” and income protection insurance as “an additional lump sum” over payments offered under the NSW statutory scheme.

The workplace deals also *demanded Lend Lease make contributions to non-statutory retirement and a union “drug and alcohol” charity, with paid time off to attend union meetings.

Agreements struck between Lend Lease and the CFMEU over the $6 billion Barangaroo project in Sydney included a demand that $77 per employee was paid into a union-linked redundancy trust.

A source familiar with the NSW deals said the pattern agreements were “evidence how extra cost get built into agreements, and the power of the unions to *demand these sorts of benefits”. “This is how you get absurd wages and conditions on construction projects,’’ the source said.

The EBA deal struck this week between the CFMEU and employers including Brookfield Multiplex, Probuild, and L.U. Simons will see Victorian construction workers boost their wages even further with a 5 per cent wage rise in each of the next three years and 3 per cent the year after.

CFMEU state secretary John Setka, speaking at a meeting to endorse the deal, likened the prospect of “productivity” clauses in the EBA being actually triggered as akin to winning the lottery. The union is now expected to try to foist the EBA as a pattern agreement on the rest of the unionised construction sector in Victoria.

The Master Builders Association of Victoria, which commissioned the research, said “there are no winners associated with this proposed agreement, with the construction sector and Victorian taxpayers, having to foot the enormous bill”. The research finds that the level of growth in construction wages above the rest of the economy would add $621m to the state’s infrastructure spending over four years. In private sector construction the cost is even higher amounting to $2.2bn over four years across the projected $75bn worth of forecast construction activity.*

http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/201...ation-in-on-cfmeu-barangaroo-development.html


----------



## noco (1 December 2016)

Tisme said:


> The LNP just handed the likes of Lend Lease and Brookfield Multiplex an open cheque. Those big organisations have a special understanding and strong EBAs in place with the unions. They now have closed shop status and protected sites.




Do you have a link to your post regarding this open cheque you posted?........I cannot find anything to back it up.


----------



## McLovin (1 December 2016)

noco said:


> W
> 
> http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/201...ation-in-on-cfmeu-barangaroo-development.html




You are the gift that keeps on giving. I think this should have been put in the fake news thread though...

*Australian grovelling to get Clinton Foundation in on CFMEU Barangaroo development*

You can't make this **** up.


----------



## noco (1 December 2016)

McLovin said:


> You are the gift that keeps on giving. I think this should have been put in the fake news thread though...
> 
> *Australian grovelling to get Clinton Foundation in on CFMEU Barangaroo development*
> 
> You can't make this **** up.




So why do you maintain it is all fake news?

Obviously the truth hurts unless of course you can prove it is false.


----------



## Tisme (1 December 2016)

noco said:


> Do you have a link to your post regarding this open cheque you posted?........I cannot find anything to back it up.




Trip trap, trip trap ........ I think you should stay under your bridge and let those with actual on the ground knowledge talk the talk and walk the walk...trip trap, trip trap


----------



## Tisme (1 December 2016)

noco said:


> *What do you think of this deal by the Victorian Government?
> *
> 
> State-funded infrastructure *projects could be 5 to 15 per cent more expensive, costing taxpayers in Victoria and Queensland hundreds of millions of dollars, because of spiralling union-backed wage rises.
> ...





I can't talk about Victoria and made up yarns with any authority.

The poor piece of Newscorp journalism we have come to expect is a classic example of some one with NFI trying to craft a conspiracy for sensationalism and fame . If you want to know what the EBA pays on construction sites you should get a copy of each relevant agreement. 

Chippies don't earn ~$160k for base hours, unless they are a seasoned site foreman, which is one of those strange situations of the lowest rung in the technical trades directing the highest rungs. 

Sparks for instance are on about $95/hour with all allowances included. General rates for non EBA is about $75 - $85/hour. Domestic electrical contractors with no desire to cooperate with each other cut their throats at $45/hour and live poor as a result, preferring the thrill of being their own boss while their family does it tough.

Now Noco, by troll friend, read the following very carefully and do some easy research to verify the voracity of what I'm saying:

1)My post about EBAs and a couple of the major building companies goes to indicate that the new "get tough" building code legislation is a shadow of its former self. It is just fluff that had to be had to satisfy the LNPs election promise. People like yourself will swallow the LNPs success story without knowing the truth.

2) Now the legislation enshrines EBA and construction industry codes of practice, those organisations who already have the agreements and conciliation in place don't have to do anything and have a distinct advantage of offering clients stability of work sites. Contrast this with builders who be dragged, kicking and screaming into having to consider their workforce and sub contractors.

3) Sub contractors are now seeing a glimmer of hope of payment, instead of being held to ransom by those lower rung trades I mentioned before. Security of payment and banked guarantees combined with things like tripartite agreements gives hope that the feudal system that permeates the construction industry might just get the bullet it deserved hundreds of years ago.


Amen


----------



## Tisme (1 December 2016)

News flash, Turnbull is on telly right now and conceded Lend Lease et al are indeed quarantined from the legislation for at least 2 years..... and (my prediction) by then the Labor govt will kill it.


----------



## noco (1 December 2016)

Tisme said:


> I can't talk about Victoria and made up yarns with any authority.
> 
> The poor piece of Newscorp journalism we have come to expect is a classic example of some one with NFI trying to craft a conspiracy for sensationalism and fame . If you want to know what the EBA pays on construction sites you should get a copy of each relevant agreement.
> 
> ...




Yes Tisme ...I am aware of that......That is old hat...You need to put a new dress.


----------



## noco (1 December 2016)

Tisme said:


> News flash, Turnbull is on telly right now and conceded Lend Lease et al are indeed quarantined from the legislation for at least 2 years..... and (my prediction) by then the Labor govt will kill it.




Have you got a clip on that?


----------



## noco (1 December 2016)

Tisme said:


> Trip trap, trip trap ........ I think you should stay under your bridge and let those with actual on the ground knowledge talk the talk and walk the walk...trip trap, trip trap




The usual Fabian ridicule reply to silence your opponent and ain't gonna work sonny.


----------



## luutzu (1 December 2016)

Tisme said:


> News flash, Turnbull is on telly right now and conceded Lend Lease et al are indeed quarantined from the legislation for at least 2 years..... and (my prediction) by then the Labor govt will kill it.




I guess some pigs are more equal than others.

How do they managed to be "quarantined" like that without upsetting somebody.


----------



## SirRumpole (1 December 2016)

Tisme said:


> News flash, Turnbull is on telly right now and conceded Lend Lease et al are indeed quarantined from the legislation for at least 2 years..... and (my prediction) by then the Labor govt will kill it.




So you don't see Turnbull surviving the next election ?


----------



## Tisme (1 December 2016)

noco said:


> Have you got a clip on that?




ABC24 site him being interviewed at time I posted. I watch things live if I can


----------



## noco (1 December 2016)

Tisme said:


> ABC24 site him being interviewed at time I posted. I watch things live if I can




I have been through 10 pages of ABC news twice over the past 24 hours and I don't seem to have noted anything about what you posted about Malcolm Turnbull.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/justin/?page=1


----------



## Tisme (1 December 2016)

SirRumpole said:


> So you don't see Turnbull surviving the next election ?




Night of the long knives is already in play.


----------



## Tisme (1 December 2016)

noco said:


> I have been through 10 pages of ABC news twice over the past 24 hours and I don't seem to have noted anything about what you posted about Malcolm Turnbull.
> 
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/justin/?page=1





I'm starting to think you are being lazy with your searches. Literally took 30 seconds: (you should be happy with Malcolm's exceedingly clever opening statement about the ALP ownership ... really clever mind has Malcolm)

Another polly afflicted with the inability to pronounce "negotiate"

http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2016/s4584986.htm


----------



## noco (1 December 2016)

Tisme said:


> I'm starting to think you are being lazy with your searches. Literally took 30 seconds: (you should be happy with Malcolm's exceedingly clever opening statement about the ALP ownership ... really clever mind has Malcolm)
> 
> Another polly afflicted with the inability to pronounce "negotiate"
> 
> http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2016/s4584986.htm




*Turnbull is on telly right now and conceded Lend Lease et al are indeed quarantined from the legislation for at least 2 years..... and (my prediction) by then the Labor govt will kill 

*

Tisme, I have just listened from beginning to end the 29.58 minutes of that ABC link.

Michael Brissenden interviewed Malcolm Turnbull and they talked about about the ABCC, the back packer tax, Climate Change, terrorism laws and the more news on  OPEC oil, Donald Trump and the expected heat wave.

I did not hear anything on Lend Lease....Did I miss something or did you fabricate the story?...I will listen again and if it was something I missed I will apologize.


----------



## noco (1 December 2016)

noco said:


> *Turnbull is on telly right now and conceded Lend Lease et al are indeed quarantined from the legislation for at least 2 years..... and (my prediction) by then the Labor govt will kill
> 
> *
> 
> ...




Tisme, I did check it out a second time and there was one brief mention of Lend Lease but nothing about an open cheque book except there would be a time lapse of 9 months for things to fall into place but DAREEN HINCH had it amended to 24 months.....It was like if you blinked, you missed it......So I still do not know what you are referring to.


----------



## Tisme (2 December 2016)

noco said:


> Tisme, I did check it out a second time and there was one brief mention of Lend Lease but nothing about an open cheque book except there would be a time lapse of 9 months for things to fall into place but DAREEN HINCH had it amended to 24 months.....It was like if you blinked, you missed it......So I still do not know what you are referring to.





not surprised.


----------



## SirRumpole (5 December 2016)

NZ Prime Minister John Key has resigned.


----------



## Tisme (5 December 2016)

SirRumpole said:


> NZ Prime Minister John Key has resigned.




Weekly World News outed him for tryst with Aliens?


----------



## SirRumpole (5 December 2016)

Tisme said:


> Weekly World News outed him for tryst with Aliens?




Maybe he's going to concentrate on his hobby of pulling girl's pigtails.


----------



## pixel (5 December 2016)

SirRumpole said:


> NZ Prime Minister John Key has resigned.




Why is it the Kiwis have all the luck? :
Surely, it must be time for us to get such a lucky break!


----------



## noco (5 December 2016)

SirRumpole said:


> Maybe he's going to concentrate on his hobby of pulling girl's pigtails.




Maybe Cory Benardi has recruited him to run the new Conservative Party in Australia......


----------



## CanOz (5 December 2016)

pixel said:


> Why is it the Kiwis have all the luck? :
> Surely, it must be time for us to get such a lucky break!




You think it's good because???

Keys was highly regarded...I guess he's not socialist enough for you pixel???


----------



## SirRumpole (22 December 2016)

A terrorist attack on the Australian Christian Lobby ?

Van filled with gas bottles explodes after ramming Australian Christian Lobby headquarters in Canberra

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-...by-headquarters-rammed-by-burning-van/8140804


----------



## Tink (22 December 2016)

Must be the new 'tolerance' the left keep talking about -- bombing, killing and shooting.

Don't they know how to use words?


----------



## SirRumpole (22 December 2016)

Tink said:


> Must be the new 'tolerance' the left keep talking about -- bombing, killing and shooting.
> 
> Don't they know how to use words?




Use of the word "Left" in this context is absurd. Whoever did this was a looney, the act does not require or imply a political motive.


----------



## Tisme (22 December 2016)

SirRumpole said:


> A terrorist attack on the Australian Christian Lobby ?
> 
> Van filled with gas bottles explodes after ramming Australian Christian Lobby headquarters in Canberra
> 
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-...by-headquarters-rammed-by-burning-van/8140804




Apparently the ACL is a political machine that gets constant threats because it mixes good stuff in with the antagonistic stuff in an attempt to push a Catholic line on things like women's rights to abortion, etc.


----------



## SirRumpole (22 December 2016)

Tisme said:


> Apparently the ACL is a political machine that gets constant threats because it mixes good stuff in with the antagonistic stuff in an attempt to push a Catholic line on things like women's rights to abortion, etc.




Oh yeah they are a political lobby group all right, just like the LGBxyz's .

I just heard on the news that police had interviewed a seriously burnt man who drove the van and were satisfied that "there were no political, religious or ideological motives" to the incident.

So what the f he was doing, who knows.


----------



## McLovin (22 December 2016)

SirRumpole said:


> Oh yeah they are a political lobby group all right, just like the LGBxyz's .
> 
> I just heard on the news that police had interviewed a seriously burnt man who drove the van and were satisfied that "there were no political, religious or ideological motives" to the incident.
> 
> So what the f he was doing, who knows.




So you mean it wasn't the left bombing shooting and killing?


----------



## Tink (22 December 2016)

Tisme said:


> Apparently the ACL is a political machine that gets constant threats because it mixes good stuff in with the antagonistic stuff in an attempt to push a Catholic line on things like women's rights to abortion, etc.




And?

You make excuses for a place being bombed?


----------



## Tisme (22 December 2016)

Tink said:


> And?
> 
> You make excuses for a place being bombed?




Not at all Tink. My first reaction was whom ever it was deserved to forfeit his/her life if the act was to take or maim another's.

The news of it not being what we would all assume to be case was fairly quick on the initial reporting. The group itself offered up the constant threats scenario, therefore knowing their actions and propaganda was a flame for nutter moths. I assume they have taken steps to abate the risk to themselves and staff.


----------



## SirRumpole (22 December 2016)

McLovin said:


> So you mean it wasn't the left bombing shooting and killing?




I assume you are tongue in cheeking with that remark ? 

I just object to the broad perjorative "Left" as being responsible in the minds of some for everything evil in the world. When a Muslim bombs something the "Left" is responsible. The "Left" is also responsible for our massive deficit that has tripled under the "Right".


Now I consider myself to be slightly "Left" of centre economically, in that I believe in government control over essential services and big infrastructure, but I'm also a social conservative that believes that the traditional family  
; mother , father and their biological children is the best family unit, so I'm not likely to go round firebombing Lyle Shelton.

The idea that everyone who may vote Labor is a greenie, LGBxyz , anti capitalist terrosist is b.s. I'm just as afraid of these people as I am of big business shills like Turnbull and co who try a paint a camoflage brush over corporate bastardry.


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## McLovin (22 December 2016)

SirRumpole said:


> I assume you are tongue in cheeking with that remark ?




Of course it was. 

I get sick of this left right rubbish. The world is a nuanced place. I'm suspicious of anyone who sees the world in black and white, left and right, good and evil.


----------



## pixel (22 December 2016)

SirRumpole said:


> I assume you are tongue in cheeking with that remark ?
> 
> I just object to the broad perjorative "Left" as being responsible in the minds of some for everything evil in the world. When a Muslim bombs something the "Left" is responsible. The "Left" is also responsible for our massive deficit that has tripled under the "Right".
> 
> ...




Now you're talkng, Sir.
I could've written that - every word of it.
With regard to LGBetc, I probably might have added that I don't mind rainbow people, as long as they don't make "it" compulsory. In most cases, the traditional "core" family works best, provided parents take parenting seriously. But plenty of single parents do so as well, so I'm prepared to move with the flow. I see the public conflict between the
two sides more as a chicken-and-egg problem: If the Traditionalists would lay off and stop demonising minorities, the minorities wouldn't need to be so vocal and "in your face". And vice versa.
Bullying, Child and Partner abuse are the true scourge that needs to be stomped out, regardless whether the abusers are AC, DC, religious of any persuasion. As long as that is a given, it's nobody else's business how two (or three, four, seventeen...) mature persons decide to conduct their social life. All the Mrs Grundys and Messrs Bernardis out there: Go fly a kite!


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## SirRumpole (22 December 2016)

pixel said:


> Now you're talkng, Sir.
> I could've written that - every word of it.
> With regard to LGBetc, I probably might have added that I don't mind rainbow people, as long as they don't make "it" compulsory. In most cases, the traditional "core" family works best, provided parents take parenting seriously. But plenty of single parents do so as well, so I'm prepared to move with the flow. I see the public conflict between the
> two sides more as a chicken-and-egg problem: If the Traditionalists would lay off and stop demonising minorities, the minorities wouldn't need to be so vocal and "in your face". And vice versa.
> Bullying, Child and Partner abuse are the true scourge that needs to be stomped out, regardless whether the abusers are AC, DC, religious of any persuasion. As long as that is a given, it's nobody else's business how two (or three, four, seventeen...)* mature* persons decide to conduct their social life. All the Mrs Grundys and Messrs Bernardis out there: Go fly a kite!




I also agree with you pixel with the priviso that we are talking about consenting adults.

 I really can't come at intentional artificial procedures to produce children denying that child the knowledge of one of their biological parents. Anthony Albanese's story about his search for his father shows how strong that bond is and to force that search on people is a violation of their rights imo.

I acknowledge that children raised in loving single parent/ gay parent families can succeed all else being equal, I just don't think it's the ideal. But we don't live in a perfect world do we ?


----------



## wayneL (22 December 2016)

Sheeeit, it must be the Christmas spirit, agreeing with Pixel and, dammit, ever so nearly agreeing with Horace.

But Ffs McLovin, there IS left and right, but also a full spectrum between the two.


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## Smurf1976 (22 December 2016)

SirRumpole said:


> I acknowledge that children raised in loving single parent/ gay parent families can succeed all else being equal, I just don't think it's the ideal. But we don't live in a perfect world do we ?




I know one gay couple (female) who do have children, two of them ages 6 and 4. So far, so good it seems although the kids do have contact with their father on a regular basis (no it's not me for the record )

Obviously I don't know all the details but from what she (the mother) has told me she's only had one real hassle and that was the reaction from another parent at the school the 6 year old goes to. Long story short, other child wasn't allowed to attend a birthday party and the parents being gay was the reason. Other than that one incident, no apparent impacts on the children thus far. Plenty of other children attended the party.

I can see some non-ideal aspects certainly but they are more related to how society views it across the spectrum than to any real practical issues as such. Take that aspect out and the practical aspects aren't overly great.

For the record, I say that as someone who has never met his own father. Not ideal but by no means the worst that could have happened in life thus far.


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## McLovin (22 December 2016)

wayneL said:


> But Ffs McLovin, there IS left and right, but also a full spectrum between the two.




Of course there is, but they're not two homogenous, discrete entities. It's nuanced like I said with a big overlap. I'm fairly certain that "the left" (why is the definite article even used?) do not condone crashing vans laden with gas tanks into the offices of those with whom they disagree with.


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## Smurf1976 (22 December 2016)

pixel said:


> If the Traditionalists would lay off and stop demonising minorities, the minorities wouldn't need to be so vocal and "in your face". And vice versa.




Very strongly agreed there.

Once attacked most will seek to defend themselves. What ought to be simply a difference of opinion ends up as a virtual war expending vast effort to achieve nothing.

I've seen that basic scenario play out in quite a few situations over the years and it's pointless really.



> [Bullying, Child and Partner abuse are the true scourge that needs to be stomped out




Yep.

Bullying in particular is far more entrenched in society than most seem willing to accept. Put someone in a position of power and many will abuse it. Sadly, the workings of society (business, government, many things) are such that doing so very often is the quickest way to the top if that's your aim.


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## wayneL (22 December 2016)

McLovin said:


> Of course there is, but they're not two homogenous, discrete entities. It's nuanced like I said with a big overlap. I'm fairly certain that "the left" (why is the definite article even used?) do not condone crashing vans laden with gas tanks into the offices of those with whom they disagree with.




Yes, overlap. Many traditional Labor voters have right wing views, likewise Liberal voters left wing views.

However, there is the phenomenon of attitude polarization which pushes people out to the relative extremes. Most people either identify as either left or right, Horace being a very good example. A fair few of his could be considered fairly right, yet he strongly identifies with the left.


----------



## Joe Blow (23 December 2016)

BREAKING NEWS: ASF Changes Forum Software - World Shocked!


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## PZ99 (23 December 2016)

Looks good. Never seen this forum software before but it looks clean and easy to use 

Are the formatting commands the same?


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## Joe Blow (23 December 2016)

PZ99 said:


> Looks good. Never seen this forum software before but it looks clean and easy to use
> 
> Are the formatting commands the same?



Mostly, although I am fairly new to it as well. Take a look at the help section for BB codes: https://www.aussiestockforums.com/help/bb-codes

The posting interface should be relatively familiar, but if you have any specific questions please feel free to ask.


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## Smurf1976 (23 December 2016)

wayneL said:


> Yes, overlap. Many traditional Labor voters have right wing views, likewise Liberal voters left wing views.




Personally I'm somewhat to the Right when it comes to economics and somewhat to the Left when it comes to social issues.

Freedom, personal responsibility, genuine free markets etc are things I'm in favour of.

But there should be a welfare safety net for those who, for whatever reason, find themselves in need of help. Likewise nobody in Australia should go without medical care regardless of their financial circumstances - in a reasonably wealthy country we ought to be able to look after those who are sick. As for issues like gay marriage, well rationally I'd expect a political party which supports freedom, personal responsibility etc to be a strong supporter of that one or at the very least not to oppose it.

If an election were held tomorrow then:

Federal - I'm undecided. Neither major party impresses me at the moment. If either side comes up with a credible long term vision and a realistic plan to implement it then they'll have my vote. 

State (Tas) - Labor certainly. Not that I'm overly keen on the present Labor leader at the state level but I do think he's learned something from his past mistakes so may as well give him a fair go. If the Liberals weren't trying to hide the deficit then I'd have a more favourable view of them but I'm none to keen on this caper of shuffling problems into the future for whoever is in government at the time to deal with.


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## wayneL (24 December 2016)

Joe Blow said:


> BREAKING NEWS: ASF Changes Forum Software - World Shocked!



I like it Joe.

I like the like feature after being on FaceAche for so long now.

I wish there was a feature where you could like the fact that someone liked your post.


----------



## bellenuit (24 December 2016)

wayneL said:


> I wish there was a feature where you could like the fact that someone liked your post.




Wouldn't that be a given? Wouldn't everyone like that someone else likes their posts?


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## wayneL (24 December 2016)

Yeah but where's the coding challenge in that?


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## Joe Blow (24 December 2016)

wayneL said:


> I like it Joe.
> 
> I like the like feature after being on FaceAche for so long now.
> 
> I wish there was a feature where you could like the fact that someone liked your post.




Honestly, this software is like a breath of fresh air. vBulletin had become a stale, festering remnant of another age that has long since past. While in its day it was great, the company that owned vBulletin (Jelsoft Enterprises) got taken over in 2009 by a company that didn't have a clue (Internet Brands) and ever since then it has been a very slow, painful ride down to the bottom. Towards the end, I learned to hate the software and was counting the days until ASF could migrate to Xenforo.

Incidentally, the developers of Xenforo are the very same developers who originally developed vBulletin but left after Internet Brands bought out Jelsoft Enterprises. They saw the writing on the wall and started work on Xenforo - got sued by Internet Brands (of course ) - and eventually triumphed and now Xenforo has become the market leader in the field.

For the first time in quite a while, I'm excited about the future of ASF. I love this software and every day I discover new features that I had no idea existed. When I get the time, I think I'm going to start a thread highlighting as many features as I can to use as a reference for both existing and new users.


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## SirRumpole (29 December 2016)

wayneL said:


> Yes, overlap. Many traditional Labor voters have right wing views, likewise Liberal voters left wing views.
> 
> However, there is the phenomenon of attitude polarization which pushes people out to the relative extremes. Most people either identify as either left or right, Horace being a very good example. A fair few of his could be considered fairly right, yet he strongly identifies with the left.




I don't "strongly" identify with "The Left" at all, because again you assume that one who agrees with some ideal of what you could call "Left" policy agrees with them all.

I said I believe in State ownership of essential services and public infrastructure, power/gas/water . I would prefer to have a government elected by us run these things that some shareholders offshore who don't give a stuff about us, or their own backsides when it comes to election day.

I dislike political correctness, welfare bludgers, loud minorities putting their hands out, I prefer traditional family values, but I do appreciate a balance between ecology, industry and sustainability.

I think we should be using tariffs to level up the playing field . If other countries taxpayers subsidise their exports to us, then I think we have a right to apply a subsidy tariff. If other countries exploit their workers then I think we can apply an exploitation tariff etc,

Considering these views I think I'm pretty much in the mainstream, ie the Centre, one who couldn't be described as either "Left" or "Right" in the overall spectrum.


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## explod (29 December 2016)

Agree Sir Rump, our most basic needs of food and a place to live should be available to all and ensured by our Government.  This probably sums up my political position also


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## DB008 (7 January 2017)

Shooting at Fort Lauderdale airport baggage carousel/collection area

5 dead
8 injured 

Gunman - ex-military, Hispanic, Muslim, ISIS inspired.


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## MrBurns (7 January 2017)

DB008 said:


> Shooting at Fort Lauderdale airport baggage carousel/collection area
> 
> 5 dead
> 8 injured
> ...




A history of mental illness


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## wayneL (7 January 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> I don't "strongly" identify with "The Left" at all, because again you assume that one who agrees with some ideal of what you could call "Left" policy agrees with them all.
> 
> I said I believe in State ownership of essential services and public infrastructure, power/gas/water . I would prefer to have a government elected by us run these things that some shareholders offshore who don't give a stuff about us, or their own backsides when it comes to election day.
> 
> ...




I'd say we're pretty close then, agree 99% with the above


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## SirRumpole (7 January 2017)

wayneL said:


> I'd say we're pretty close then, agree 99% with the above




I forgot to mention that I believe in human induced climate change, so I guess that's spoiled the party. 

I don't see why this has to be a Left/Right issue. The evidence is pretty clear to anyone who makes an unbiased assessment of it.


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## Smurf1976 (7 January 2017)

This was brought to my attention a short time ago. Map shows radiation monitoring data for the USA. Note the abnormally high reading over 100 and an "alert" at a site in the north-east of the country.

The original is here (constantly updated) http://radiationnetwork.com/

I can't confirm the accuracy of any of this one way or the other, just posting it as something that might be happening. Either the data is wrong or there's a nuclear issue happening of some sort. Hopefully it's just a measurement error.

PS - Tried posting an image of the map but had issues. For reasons unknown it kept changing once posted, despite being just a cut and paste image, making reference to any specific values a bit pointless. Hence I've removed it and just posted a link.


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## SirRumpole (7 January 2017)

2 days ago...

*Mass. officials worried about safety at ‘overwhelmed’ Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant*

http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2017/01/05/mass-officials-worried-about-safety-at.html


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## pixel (8 January 2017)

Smurf1976 said:


> For reasons unknown it kept changing once posted, despite being just a cut and paste image,



Copy/paste may have brought the live chart across; it is being updated by the minute at the site you linked to. I've just taken a snapshot (Alt-PrtScrn) and turned it into a stable graphic. It's no longer above alert level, but still rather scary.


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## So_Cynical (8 January 2017)

Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant, 134 Alert level....shocking place to have a nuke plant...


----------



## SirRumpole (8 January 2017)

Smurf1976 said:


> This was brought to my attention a short time ago. Map shows radiation monitoring data for the USA. Note the abnormally high reading over 100 and an "alert" at a site in the north-east of the country.
> 
> The original is here (constantly updated) http://radiationnetwork.com/
> 
> ...




It would be interesting to see a Time Series of the levels in the area of Pilgrim plant. They seem to be back to normal now, but they went up to 123 that I saw. 

Measurement error ?


----------



## SirRumpole (8 January 2017)

more news

*Pilgrim nuclear plant still shut down after leaking valves found*

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2...nd-thursday/zf7sXizWFLUMXZa82pEeCI/story.html


----------



## pixel (8 January 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> Measurement error ?



IMHO highly unlikely, albeit remotely possible.
A more palatable explanation would be (a) plant Shutdown, (b) valves have been fixed.

PS Edit: After reading the latest link, it appears to be (a)+(b). As the radiation source was mainly steam, the wind would have quickly dispersed it. Currently, the live chart displays levels in the range 12-17, which looks far better than the readings in central and western areas.


----------



## Smurf1976 (8 January 2017)

Seems like it was nothing too major, just a minor leak from a nuclear plant.

Still not good though. Things like that never are although at least it seems to be just a minor issue not a disaster.


----------



## Knobby22 (8 January 2017)

Smurf1976 said:


> Seems like it was nothing too major, just a minor leak from a nuclear plant.
> 
> Still not good though. Things like that never are although at least it seems to be just a minor issue not a disaster.



Trump will fix this. His decision to put the guy who wants to close the EPA in charge of it means he can close down the testing facilities thereby ensuring that no one will be thrown into panic when future leaks occur.



wayneL said:


> I'd say we're pretty close then, agree 99% with the above


----------



## wayneL (9 January 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> I forgot to mention that I believe in human induced climate change, so I guess that's spoiled the party.
> 
> I don't see why this has to be a Left/Right issue. The evidence is pretty clear to anyone who makes an unbiased assessment of it.




Well Horace, I also believe that changes in climate of late have some anthropomorphic causation and have stated so on many occasions. I believe I am just more objective about it and refuse to buy into politically sponsored alarmism.


----------



## SirRumpole (9 January 2017)

wayneL said:


> Well Horace, I also believe that changes in climate of late have some anthropomorphic causation and have stated so on many occasions. I believe I am just more objective about it and refuse to buy into politically sponsored alarmism.




If you are talking about Tim Flannery saying things like "the dams will never fill again", then I agree with you, however the dividing line between truth and alarmism seems a bit blurred.


----------



## Tisme (9 January 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> If you are talking about Tim Flannery saying things like "the dams will never fill again", then I agree with you, however the dividing line between truth and alarmism seems a bit blurred.




 Was Tim a politician? I wondered why John Howard pinned an Oz of the Year gong on him, he's obviously an undeserving closet Liberal crony !!

I must say I feel like the cat that got the cream when I see posts from both sides of the argument implying hysteria belongs to the other camp, when both are guilty of indignation because of the ignorant impudence of the other.

Blind Freddy could see things are changing, even when the denialists (now the precedentalists)  said nothing was happening and they stuck to that wrong right upto the untenable. So it's hard to take anyone seriously who just insists on polar denial or armageddon out of a bloody mindedness ...  like some TROLLS who always harp about political evil being owned by the working class.


----------



## Logique (18 January 2017)

This kangaroo is a misogynist!


> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-17/kangaroo-attacks-woman-in-melbourne/8188408
> 17 Jan 2017 - A Melbourne fitness trainer who was injured when she was attacked by a kangaroo while on a run in the city's north-east says she feared for her life during the encounter.
> Debbie Urquhart was running near long grass in Templestowe at 6:00am on Saturday when she said a kangaroo came out of nowhere.
> "All of a sudden … a massive kangaroo came out at me and he knocked me over, knocked me down and took the wind out of me," she said.  "I was rolling over and protecting myself and he got my arm and my neck...


----------



## Tisme (18 January 2017)

Logique said:


> This kangaroo is a misogynist!





I had a big buck go me after I tried to shoot him LOL. He was hissing and carrying on and friggen scary, so I feel for the woman.


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## SirRumpole (18 January 2017)

Tisme said:


> I had a big buck go me after I tried to shoot him LOL. He was hissing and carrying on and friggen scary, so I feel for the woman.




You expected him to shake paws after you tried to shoot him ?


----------



## Logique (18 January 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> You expected him to shake paws after you tried to shoot him ?



You've got your avatar right SirR.  A '_Chateau Thames Embankment_' toast!

Kangaroos should not wantonly attack our bullbars on desert roads, I would suspect that Tisme was provoked.


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## SirRumpole (18 January 2017)

Logique said:


> You've got your avatar right SirR.  A '_Chateau Thames Embankment_' toast!




It keeps me astonishingly regular !


----------



## SirRumpole (19 January 2017)

Mike Baird is retiring from politics ABC TV reports


----------



## PZ99 (19 January 2017)

Good catch  

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-19/nsw-premier-mike-baird-announces-retirement/8193362


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## SirRumpole (19 January 2017)

PZ99 said:


> Good catch
> 
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-19/nsw-premier-mike-baird-announces-retirement/8193362



Baird is obviously pretty pi$$ed off. He's leaving Parliament immediately after the new leader is elected.

The furore over the greyhound racing ban and the pub closing times have left their mark.


----------



## PZ99 (19 January 2017)

Agreed. Credit where credit's due in the finances. AFAIK, NSW is the only state in the country with zero debt. While this can be attributed to large stamp duty and GST revenue it's the controlled spending that allowed such large surpluses to happen.. something for other Govts to aspire to


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## SirRumpole (19 January 2017)

PZ99 said:


> Agreed. Credit where credit's due in the finances. AFAIK, NSW is the only state in the country with zero debt. While this can be attributed to large stamp duty and GST revenue it's the controlled spending that allowed such large surpluses to happen.. something for other Govts to aspire to





Plus selling off the 'poles and wires'. I'm not sure that's a great idea.


----------



## PZ99 (19 January 2017)

I actually voted against that. Events in SA last year reinforced that view. Cheap power towers folding down in 100k winds was a disaster.


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## Bill M (19 January 2017)

*NSW Premier Mike Baird announces retirement*
*NSW Premier Mike Baird has announced his retirement from politics.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-19/nsw-premier-mike-baird-announces-retirement/8193362

-----------*
Nice Speech, sad to see him go.


----------



## Tisme (19 January 2017)

Bega Cheese has acquired Vegemite in a $460 million deal announced this morning.


----------



## pixel (19 January 2017)

PZ99 said:


> Agreed. Credit where credit's due in the finances. AFAIK, NSW is the only state in the country with zero debt. While this can be attributed to large stamp duty and GST revenue it's the controlled spending that allowed such large surpluses to happen.. something for other Govts to aspire to



It's easy to have zero debt when you suck it out of the other States.
Like 70% of WA's GST ... 
Doesn't leave much leeway "for other Govts" to do the same, does it.


----------



## Bill M (19 January 2017)

Tisme said:


> Bega Cheese has acquired Vegemite in a $460 million deal announced this morning.



Crikey, bringing it back for the country? Man, they are going to have to sell a lot of it to re coupe that $460 Million.....


----------



## SirRumpole (19 January 2017)

Bill M said:


> Crikey, bringing it back for the country? Man, they are going to have to sell a lot of it to re coupe that $460 Million.....




Not just Vegemite apparently.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-19/bega-buys-vegemite-mondelez/8193268


----------



## PZ99 (19 January 2017)

pixel said:


> It's easy to have zero debt when you suck it out of the other States.
> Like 70% of WA's GST ...
> Doesn't leave much leeway "for other Govts" to do the same, does it.



QLD, SA, TAS, ACT and NT all get more cents in the dollar than NSW on a per-capita basis.
NSW gets 98c... we're clean 

My last CTP was $700. Rego $500. How much was yours?


----------



## PZ99 (19 January 2017)

Interesting article.

*Millennials urged to consider share market investment over home ownership*

_Investment advisers say a record number of young people are entering the share market and evidence suggests there are plenty more to come.

And despite the volatility, Urbis chief economist Nicki Hutley thinks they should actually be investing more in the share market._

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-...nsider-investing-in-shares-not-houses/8192008


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## Smurf1976 (19 January 2017)

pixel said:


> It's easy to have zero debt when you suck it out of the other States.
> Like 70% of WA's GST ...




WA might be disadvantaged by the system now but for most of Australia's history the state has been a net beneficiary of assistance from others.


----------



## Tisme (20 January 2017)

pixel said:


> It's easy to have zero debt when you suck it out of the other States.
> Like 70% of WA's GST ...
> Doesn't leave much leeway "for other Govts" to do the same, does it.




That old chestnut.

Fiscal equalisation still didn't stop WA pocketing $7bn in 2014/15 that should have been distributed to the nation. Barnett has used that 30% in typical sandgroper style of a them and us wedge to make himself popular. He is the one that put the bite on BHP and RIO when Gillard was about the mining tax in a deliberate move to skew the grants amount, but it all came unstuck when the ore prices plunged and the mining tax withdrawn.

Barnett took the gamble that whatever money he drained out of the miners, the commonwealth would reimburse the miners via the mining tax. in that way skirting the equalisation grants formula. Prior to him wiping out concessions and raising the royalty take, the royalties were less than $3bn (10% of its annual income).... big fail.


----------



## Wysiwyg (20 January 2017)

According to South Korea, North Korea has two ICBM's on mobile launch pads and readying for a launch.


----------



## McLovin (20 January 2017)

Wysiwyg said:


> According to South Korea, North Korea has two ICBM's on mobile launch pads and readying for a launch.




Right on time ay. New guy in the White House, sound him out.


----------



## tech/a (20 January 2017)

I heard there were going to be a fireworks display.
Korea look like they are a big fan of Trumps, who needs
Beyoncé, etal. No expense spared here!


----------



## explod (20 January 2017)

Dreadful crisis in the Melbourne CBD when a motorist runs people down in the Bourke St Mall.


> LIVE
> 
> PRINT
> LICENSE ARTICLE
> ...


----------



## explod (20 January 2017)

For above:    http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/l...s-heard-in-melbourne-cbd-20170120-gtvf3x.html


----------



## explod (20 January 2017)

One of the fatal s was a baby in a pram.  The offender arrested at the scene.  Arose from a domestic dispute where he seriously injured his Brother at 2am this morning.


----------



## ThingyMajiggy (20 January 2017)

explod said:


> One of the fatal s was a baby in a pram.  The offender arrested at the scene.  Arose from a domestic dispute where he seriously injured his Brother at 2am this morning.




I don't understand why someone would take out random innocent people over a domestic dispute. At least they got him I suppose.


----------



## Garpal Gumnut (20 January 2017)

ThingyMajiggy said:


> I don't understand why someone would take out random innocent people over a domestic dispute. At least they got him I suppose.




Usually Amphetamines/Ice are involved. His domestic dispute I would bet did not occur in the ordinary meaning of domesticity.
Either high or withdrawing or craving. Life meaning life imprisonment should be the punishment. 

gg


----------



## Smurf1976 (20 January 2017)

explod said:


> One of the fatal s was a baby in a pram.




A truly terrible incident.

First heard about it on radio this afternoon when details were limited and they just did a non-scheduled news announcement saying there had been an incident in Melbourne with around 20 people run over and more info was to follow when available. My first thought was that a tram or heavy road vehicle had lost its brakes or something like that. 

It makes me feel sick now that I know it was deliberately done.


----------



## Tisme (21 January 2017)

Smurf1976 said:


> A truly terrible incident.
> 
> First heard about it on radio this afternoon when details were limited and they just did a non-scheduled news announcement saying there had been an incident in Melbourne with around 20 people run over and more info was to follow when available. My first thought was that a tram or heavy road vehicle had lost its brakes or something like that.
> 
> It makes me feel sick now that I know it was deliberately done.




Dimitrious “Jimmy” Gargasoulas ... got God on his side ... Greek ancestyr with Islamic Kurdish leanings rumoured


----------



## SirRumpole (27 January 2017)

Amazing how someone can rise so high so fast and then sink so low again.

Must be something about easy money that people don't know the value of.

*Bankrupt mining magnate Nathan Tinkler applies to travel to US for job interview, family commitments*

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-27/bankrupt-mining-magnate-nathan-tinkler-travel-to-us/8218164


----------



## Tisme (1 February 2017)

X Factor has been given the flick! yeh
now let's hope The Block, et al go the same way.


----------



## SirRumpole (1 February 2017)

Tisme said:


> X Factor has been given the flick! yeh
> now let's hope The Block, et al go the same way.




Sorry, what you talking about ?

I only watch Fabian TV.


----------



## Tisme (1 February 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> Sorry, what you talking about ?
> 
> I only watch Fabian TV.



Is that the same station that half owned by Murdoch, Newspoll consistently publishes an annual high value rating from the "ABC Appreciation Survey"?

I think in 2016 it was nearly 90% satisfaction and about 50% considered it highly valuable.

The ABC is always around 80% approval rating for national news coverage compared to about 40% for commercial ... you know ... the Andrew Bolts etc.


----------



## SirRumpole (1 February 2017)

Tisme said:


> Is that the same station that half owned by Murdoch, Newspoll consistently publishes an annual high value rating from the "ABC Appreciation Survey"?
> 
> I think in 2016 it was nearly 90% satisfaction and about 50% considered it highly valuable.
> 
> The ABC is always around 80% approval rating for national news coverage compared to about 40% for commercial ... you know ... the Andrew Bolts etc.




Yep, I only watch quality.


----------



## noirua (2 February 2017)

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull refuses to comment on a conversation with President Donald Trump who says he'll study 'dumb' refugee deal. Samantha Vadas reports.
http://www.aol.co.uk/video/trump-re...g-grid7|main5|dl1|sec1_lnk2&pLid=628444617_uk


----------



## SirRumpole (2 February 2017)

noirua said:


> Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull refuses to comment on a conversation with President Donald Trump who says he'll study 'dumb' refugee deal. Samantha Vadas reports.
> http://www.aol.co.uk/video/trump-reviews-dumb-refugee-deal-with-australia-after-worst-call-5892e5501c689942c6c8eaa2/?icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl1|sec1_lnk2&pLid=628444617_uk




So what should we do ? Insist that the US keep to the agreement that Trump didn't sign, or just say "ok if that's how you feel, the deal is off".

If the latter , then no one can complain if we pull out of dumb deals that the US pulled on us, like our "Free" Trade agreement.


----------



## bellenuit (2 February 2017)

What I find interesting is the reaction to some on the left to this news.

1. Many are hoping the deal falls through, which shows they care little about the interests of those on Manus and Nauru, in spite of their constant bleating.

2. Many also are agreeing with Trump that it is a bad deal and admonishing Turnbull for entering into this "bad" agreement to begin with. But this is a non-sensical reaction. They want these people in Nauru and Manus to be settled in Australia instead. But Trump thinks it is a bad idea because they would be brought to the US instead. So if they are using Trump's rational, their suggestions are even worse than what Turnbull tried to achieve by entering the agreement in the first place.


----------



## noirua (2 February 2017)

*President Donald Trump 'slammed Malcolm Turnbull over refugee deal, accused him of trying to "ship the next Boston bombers" to the U.S. then HUNG UP on their hour-long call after just 25 minutes' *


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...m-Turnbull-worst-call-ever.html#ixzz4XWYODsLo 
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...p-slams-Malcolm-Turnbull-worst-call-ever.html


----------



## CanOz (8 February 2017)

http://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/pr7528-17

Fxcm banned from trading in the US!


----------



## cynic (8 February 2017)

CanOz said:


> http://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/pr7528-17
> 
> Fxcm banned from trading in the US!



I was talking with a friend about this just today (having read minwa's post in one of the forex threads on this issue a day or two ago). My friend and I were in agreement that the penalty was far too lenient. 77 million in ill gotten gains and they only have to pay a paltry 7 million fine and accept deregistration! Why aren't those two FTSErs in gaol?


----------



## sptrawler (8 February 2017)

Smurf1976 said:


> WA might be disadvantaged by the system now but for most of Australia's history the state has been a net beneficiary of assistance from others.




Jeez, that's a bit rough, coming from Tassie.lol


----------



## Smurf1976 (8 February 2017)

sptrawler said:


> Jeez, that's a bit rough, coming from Tassie.lol




No offence intended to anyone but to my understanding it's factually correct. For most of the time since Federation WA, SA, Tas and Qld have all benefited from a transfer of wealth via taxation from NSW and Vic due to the underlying basis which assumes a higher cost of service provision in states with a smaller population.

I do think that things ought to have been done differently with regard to the mining boom in WA and its effect on how those calculations are done but that doesn't change history.

On the other hand, if you measure contribution in terms of overseas exports then it's a very different picture with WA, Qld and Tas historically carrying NSW and Vic. SA roughly paid its own way on that measure. (Basing this on historic trends over several decades, I'm not sure of the latest figures).

In the event that someone finds a huge oil and gas field in Tas or something else brings about a major WA-style boom then I've no objection to the current formula staying in place such that the whole nation gets some benefit from it. Seems fair enough to me - give and take, that was the basis of Federation to start with.

Likewise I'm pretty sure that WA will be more than happy with the present arrangement when the ore runs out or if the price tanks in a big way.


----------



## sptrawler (9 February 2017)

I think the only sensible answer, is to tax per ton of ore removed, I said this years ago in the Gillard thread when super profits taxes were suggested.
As you said W.A will be happy with the current arrangement, when the ore runs out, which it will.
The problem is we are getting a pittance for it, while it is easy and cheap to extract, just another example of dumb politics.IMO
We will all suffer when we have nothing left to sell.
All our minerals should be bench marked against our competitors, and if we have a substantial advantage with extraction cost, we should add a tax, taking into consideration exchange rates and shipping.
At he moment, the companies are ripping it out and giving it away, because they still have an advantage over higher extraction cost Countries.
The problem is sooner or later, our easy to extract resources, will be gone.
Then the mining companies will go also, it will then be, suck it up princess.lol


----------



## wayneL (9 February 2017)

Tisme said:


> Is that the same station that half owned by Murdoch, Newspoll consistently publishes an annual high value rating from the "ABC Appreciation Survey"?
> 
> I think in 2016 it was nearly 90% satisfaction and about 50% considered it highly valuable.
> 
> The ABC is always around 80% approval rating for national news coverage compared to about 40% for commercial ... you know ... the Andrew Bolts etc.



The ABC is an echo chamber

Critical thinkers watch commercial

The facts behind the stats boys


----------



## Tink (9 February 2017)

Agree with you there, Wayne.
In my view, they are out of touch with society

Every prediction they have had has been wrong, and are just pushing their own agenda.

ABC is Political
https://www.aussiestockforums.com/threads/abc-is-political.23929/page-128


----------



## SirRumpole (9 February 2017)

Tink said:


> In my view, they are out of touch with society




 As Tisme pointed out, the ABC consistently comes out on top of polls about reliability and trustworthiness of the media.

So maybe you just aren't living in the same society as the rest of us.


----------



## PZ99 (9 February 2017)

*Man allegedly mistakes police helicopter for UFO *

A Melbourne man who allegedly mistook a police helicopter for a UFO is now facing serious charges. Police said the 42-year-old *Brigh*ton man shone a laser at a police helicopter about 1:30am. He was arrested a short time later. He is expected to be charged on summons with conduct endangering persons and interference with crew or aircraft.
http://www.*abc.net.au/news*/2017-02-09/man-allegedly-mistakes-police-helicopter-for-ufo/8254288
Well that was honest!


----------



## wayneL (9 February 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> As Tisme pointed out, the ABC consistently comes out on top of polls about reliability and trustworthiness of the media.
> 
> So maybe you just aren't living in the same society as the rest of us.



I damn well hope not 

I hate echo chambers


----------



## Ves (9 February 2017)

wayneL said:


> The ABC is an echo chamber
> 
> Critical thinkers watch commercial
> 
> The facts behind the stats boys



Critical thinkers don't watch TV in the first place.

So by default those polls must be of people who are...   (I'll leave you to fill in the rest in case someone here gets offended).


----------



## wayneL (9 February 2017)

Ves said:


> Critical thinkers don't watch TV in the first place.
> 
> So by default those polls must be of people who are...   (I'll leave you to fill in the rest in case someone here gets offended).



BOOM!

Modern TV certainly leaches IQ, no argument from me there.


----------



## Tisme (9 February 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> As Tisme pointed out, the ABC consistently comes out on top of polls about reliability and trustworthiness of the media.
> 
> So maybe you just aren't living in the same society as the rest of us.




And what's more I'm one of the critical pseudonyms who corresponds with them, calling them out for being fine purveyors of fake news on a regular basis. LOL That of course doesn't mean they aren't the lessor of the two (commercial/public) evils. 

I really got a hiding from one american guest and I'm waiting for the vapid response from high and mighty american tart who works for a Liberal Party think tank who appeared on QANDA Monday..... the Jewish one who turned her back on the two Syrian boys.


----------



## SirRumpole (9 February 2017)

Tisme said:


> And what's more I'm one of the critical pseudonyms who corresponds with them, calling them out for being fine purveyors of fake news on a regular basis. LOL That of course doesn't mean they aren't the lessor of the two (commercial/public) evils.
> 
> I really got a hiding from one american guest and I'm waiting for the vapid response from high and mighty american tart who works for a Liberal Party think tank who appeared on QANDA Monday..... the Jewish one who turned her back on the two Syrian boys.




Even though I think the ABC is the best of our news organisations I'm fairly pi$$ed with them too.

Months ago I wrote to them via their official website form and requesting an answer as to why they no longer have reader comments on their own line stories like The Guardian and SMH etc.

I'm yet to receive a reply. It may come in time, but for now it's a demonstration of the contempt with which they treat their readers. Or maybe we are all supposed to use Face thingy these days.


----------



## pixel (9 February 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> Or maybe we are all supposed to use Face thingy these days.



That's one thingy I won't do. I won't have my face in any book, and as DonTrump proves over and over again: *Tweeting is for Twits.*


----------



## Tisme (9 February 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> Even though I think the ABC is the best of our news organisations I'm fairly pi$$ed with them too.
> 
> Months ago I wrote to them via their official website form and requesting an answer as to why they no longer have reader comments on their own line stories like The Guardian and SMH etc.
> 
> I'm yet to receive a reply. It may come in time, but for now it's a demonstration of the contempt with which they treat their readers. Or maybe we are all supposed to use Face thingy these days.




Remember how they started to censure our topics and posts back before even the Abbott govt curbed their freedom to report unpalatable LNP facts? Remember how indignant we were on all battling sides of the war?

I use Twitter to attack and tease them  and the faces on the telly do bite and bite hard LOL


----------



## SirRumpole (9 February 2017)

Tisme said:


> Remember how they started to censure our topics and posts back before even the Abbott govt curbed their freedom to report unpalatable LNP facts? Remember how indignant we were on all battling sides of the war?




Ah yes, those were the days. I miss my jousts with rob1966, and Tezzles of course. We had a good community there before the bureaucracy stuffed it up.


----------



## Jason Rogers (14 February 2017)

CanOz said:


> http://www.cftc.gov/PressRoom/PressReleases/pr7528-17
> 
> Fxcm banned from trading in the US!






cynic said:


> I was talking with a friend about this just today (having read minwa's post in one of the forex threads on this issue a day or two ago). My friend and I were in agreement that the penalty was far too lenient. 77 million in ill gotten gains and they only have to pay a paltry 7 million fine and accept deregistration! Why aren't those two FTSErs in gaol?




Hi Everyone,

While I can't comment on the NFA or CFTC complaint specifically due to the nature of our settlement, I can say that we have settled with the NFA and CFTC without admitting or denying any of their allegations or claims. I can also say that Effex Capital is no longer pricing FXCM's NDD forex price feed. It's worth noting that FXCM would not have suffered more than $200 millon dollars in losses during the SNB flash crash had it been taking the other side of client trades – unlike so many of the DD firms in the industry.

Part of our settlement with the NFA and CFTC was to close our US subsidiary, but there will be no changes for clients outside of the US.

Since FXCM US has not been a contributor to overall profits for the firm over the past few years, FXCM will target significant cost cutting by closing the US entity. Specifically, withdrawing from this business will free approximately $52 million in capital. We will use the proceeds from any sale of the US accounts, as well as the large amount of regulatory capital currently tied up, to reduce the balance of our loan from Leucadia.

With the reduction of this loan balance, along with sales of non-core assets that were previously announced, FXCM could be in a position to fully pay off the Leucadia loan before the end of this year. With this exit, FXCM will be in a better position to service our international customers and focus on our profitable subsidiaries including FXCM Australia.

Our full financials can be found here and we will announce our Q4 and full year 2016 financials in the next few weeks.

I can also discuss with you FXCM's execution practices outside of the US. FXCM uses 16 liquidity providers to create a best bid best offer price stream for clients. LPs selected to price retail clients are forced to adhere to an extremely high standard of execution beyond just price – including consistently low rejection rates, low latency, minimum quote sizes and high fill ratios even during market events.

We have made our execution study public in the UK which can be viewed here and is a transparent comparison of FXCM's actual execution vs top tier futures brokers and the interbank market.


----------



## noco (10 March 2017)

Bill Leak died today of a heart attack.


----------



## Tisme (10 March 2017)

noco said:


> Bill Leak died today of a heart attack.




That's a big loss.

I wonder if 18c got him in the end


----------



## dutchie (10 March 2017)

noco said:


> Bill Leak died today of a heart attack.




RIP Bill Leak. 

One of my favourite cartoonists.

(Hounded by Gillian Triggs and The Human Rights Commission)


----------



## Tink (10 March 2017)

RIP Bill Leak

A champion for freedom of speech.

Thank you for your cartoons, I posted a few on here.

Political Correctness -- the poison in our society.


----------



## noco (10 March 2017)

Here is Andrew Bolts tribute to Bill Leak.

 is Andre


----------



## bellenuit (14 March 2017)

Some common sense at last

*EU workplace headscarf ban is legal, says ECJ*

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europ...ng&ns_source=twitter&ns_linkname=news_central


----------



## Logique (15 March 2017)

Belle seems quite the creative writer. I hope she doesn't become a Fairfax blogger.


> http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/re...n/news-story/187169614b483a5cede9f3380837e4d6
> DISGRACED wellness blogger Belle Gibson is back at it, crediting a new fad diet with healing mouth cavities and shrinking her tonsils by 30 per cent.
> Gibson, who faked terminal brain cancer to sell recipe books and health apps, has been spruiking the Master Fast Diet on Facebook, the Herald Sun reports.
> Among several questionable claims, she told followers that since starting the natural eating plan her eyes had changed colour, she had passed a “huge rope worm” and she would “never get a filling again”.
> Gibson is due in court this morning to face judgment over her for false claims she made about curing her terminal brain cancer by eating healthy foods...


----------



## SirRumpole (18 March 2017)

Reknowned sporting commentator Bruce Mcaveney has revealed he has leukemia which could curtail his commentating career.

All the best to Bruce, he certainly is a fixture in the AFL and tennis seasons.


----------



## Tisme (23 March 2017)

London Bombings

ISIS or Sinn Fein ?


----------



## DB008 (23 March 2017)




----------



## wayneL (23 March 2017)

What are we looking at DB008?


----------



## DB008 (23 March 2017)

wayneL said:


> What are we looking at DB008?




Driver of the car in London overnight. I think he was 1 of the 4 that died.

Looks Amish, or a white male to me... ;-)


----------



## Tisme (23 March 2017)

Terrorists better hope they don't wake up a sleeping Lion...... the poms have pedigree and precedence when it comes to putting in the good fight and winning.


----------



## SirRumpole (23 March 2017)

Tisme said:


> Terrorists better hope they don't wake up a sleeping Lion...... the poms have pedigree and precedence when it comes to putting in the good fight and winning.




Too many Muslims in Britain now to win the fight. The mayor of London is one FFS, what hope have they got ?


----------



## Tisme (23 March 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> Too many Muslims in Britain now to win the fight. The mayor of London is one FFS, what hope have they got ?



Kray brothers still around?


----------



## SirRumpole (23 March 2017)

Tisme said:


> Kray brothers still around?




'fraid not. James Bond is their only hope.


----------



## noirua (26 March 2017)

*Wirral Explosion Sees Thirty-Two Injured After Suspected Gas Blast In Bebington, Merseyside, UK*
*‘Massive explosion.’*
 26/03/2017 08:31 BST
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/wirral-explosion-sees-thirty-two-after-suspected-gas-blast-in-bebington_uk_58d76b45e4b03787d3595527?icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl1|sec1_lnk2&pLid=-700833243_uk

*Map of Merseyside, England*
http://www.mapsofworld.com/england/counties/merseyside-map.html

Bebington, Merseyside
http://www.england.mapamundo.co.uk/bebington.html


----------



## pixel (4 April 2017)

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-03/at-l...-russia/8412634

*Bomb blast in St Peterburg's metro kills at least 10;*
a second bomb has been defused just in time.


----------



## bellenuit (7 April 2017)

latest report has 3 dead

*Stockholm incident: Car rams people on pedestrian street*

*http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39531108*


----------



## qldfrog (8 April 2017)

bellenuit said:


> latest report has 3 dead
> 
> *Stockholm incident: Car rams people on pedestrian street*
> 
> *http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39531108*



we all noted the use of *incident*, not attack: sleep sleep little sheeps


----------



## noco (8 April 2017)

bellenuit said:


> latest report has 3 dead
> 
> *Stockholm incident: Car rams people on pedestrian street*
> 
> *http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39531108*



Get used to it folks.......Just a part of every day life.......Just another terrorist act......Civil war is not far away.


----------



## Joe Blow (8 April 2017)

For those looking for the discussion on the chemical weapons attack on civilians in Syria, I have moved all the posts to a new thread. We needed a general thread for the Syrian Civil War. It's not going to be over anytime soon.

https://www.aussiestockforums.com/threads/syrian-civil-war.33074/


----------



## sptrawler (18 April 2017)

This highlights how stupid our politicians are, I have put it here because both sides of politics argree with the idea, both are crazy. They want to overseas companies, to collect the GST on goods under $1000, novel idea.

http://www.smh.com.au/business/reta...ralian-shoppers-over-gst-20170417-gvmkoe.html

Just in case you can't access the link, I have copied the relevant parts, that show the stupidity. IMO
_
The proposed tax treats online sales platforms like eBay and Amazon as the supplier, meaning they would be responsible for applying the tax.

But eBay said that it did not own, hold or distribute goods, nor handle payments. 

"In reality, buyers use the eBay search engine to find goods and choose which seller to transact with," Mr Park said.

"Deeming eBay to be a seller is a fiction designed by the Government to give the impression of raising revenue."
Mr Park also said the proposed tax was overly complex, with goods worth under $1000 having tax applied by the seller while goods worth over $1000 would be shipped tax-free and taxed by Australian customs upon entry to the country. 

"Separate goods in one box would appear to attract both tax treatments," he said. 

Mr Park suggested shipping companies, including Australia Post and its parcel arm StarTrack, be made responsible for tax.

"These companies can require buyers to declare whether a good is new and to nominate a value of the good as part of the pricing of parcel delivery to Australia," he said.

In its submission, Amazon said GST should be levied on all goods to but said it shouldn't have to collecting the tax, agreeing with eBay that shipping companies should be made responsible.  

The July 1 start date for the new tax was "completely unrealistic", with both businesses and government unable to implement required changes by then, Mr Park said._ 

I can't wait to see how this pans out.


----------



## pixel (18 April 2017)

sptrawler said:


> I can't wait to see how this pans out.



My best guess: 
It'll pan out just like most other initiatives of our glorious Gov'mint: It'll FLOP


----------



## noirua (21 April 2017)

*Police officer killed, another wounded in Paris shooting*








Police secure the Champs Elysee Avenue after one policeman was killed and another wounded in a shooting incident in Paris, France, April 20, 2017. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-shooting-idUSKBN17M2I8


----------



## noirua (21 April 2017)

*PARIS SHOOTING 
Paris shooting leaves two policemen dead as ‘terrorists armed with AK47s’ open fire on the Champs-Élysée in Paris*
*https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/f...nt-fresh-shots-heard-policeman-gunman-killed/*

*Paris shooting: Fresh shots heard after policeman and gunman killed*
*https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/f...nt-fresh-shots-heard-policeman-gunman-killed/*


----------



## Gringotts Bank (4 May 2017)

Hopefully all is well in London, at the Palace.  News pending.

Markets won't react well to negative news, since Her Maj and Phil are such strong stabilizing forces.  Icons you could say.


----------



## PZ99 (4 May 2017)

Might have to get 2day fm to ring them up again..


----------



## pixel (4 May 2017)

PZ99 said:


> Might have to get 2day fm to ring them up again..



Hand-over to King Charles and Queen Camilla?
yuck!


----------



## PZ99 (4 May 2017)

*Prince Philip to step down from all public engagements: Bucking-Huge Palace*

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-04/prince-philip-stepping-down-from-public-engagements/8498482

They got up at 3am to say they're not getting up at 3am ever again...


----------



## DeepState (4 May 2017)

PZ99 said:


> *Prince Philip to step down from all public engagements: Bucking-Huge Palace*
> 
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-04/prince-philip-stepping-down-from-public-engagements/8498482
> 
> They got up at 3am to say they're not getting up at 3am ever again...



Dukxit  They're all doing it now.


----------



## Gringotts Bank (5 May 2017)

Highly unusual the whole thing, and no explanation has been offered by the media.  Basically a low-level announcement after an emergency 3am call to staff.  Huh?

So I'll speculate... If anyone else has a better explanation, let's hear it.

I think Palace security might be testing the waters.  I mean, the day will come, right?  Hopefully not for many years but it will come.  Does London go into meltdown?  Do financial markets fall through the floor?  Do the Muslims start dancing in the streets?  They want to know if any special preparations need to be made, I guess.  Unexpected reactions or consequences.


----------



## SirRumpole (5 May 2017)

Gringotts Bank said:


> I think Palace security might be testing the waters. I mean, the day will come, right? Hopefully not for many years but it will come. Does London go into meltdown? Do financial markets fall through the floor? Do the Muslims start dancing in the streets? They want to know if any special preparations need to be made, I guess. Unexpected reactions or consequences.




Yes, the day will come as it has before, but so what ? Others will take over. The demise of 90+ year olds is not surprising.

I can't really see the point of giving a whole nation the jitters with an emergency meeting when they could just make a public announcement at the appropriate time and sent an email to all staff just beforehand.

But then, the ways of the high and mighty are not for the plebs to contemplate while doing the ironing or mowing the lawn.


----------



## Gringotts Bank (5 May 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> Yes, the day will come as it has before, but so what ? Others will take over. The demise of 90+ year olds is not surprising.
> 
> I can't really see the point of giving a whole nation the jitters with an emergency meeting when they could just make a public announcement at the appropriate time and sent an email to all staff just beforehand.
> 
> But then, the ways of the high and mighty are not for the plebs to contemplate while doing the ironing or mowing the lawn.




Yeh life will go on.  Lawns will get mown no matter what.

The symbolism is very powerful, however.  Especially regarding the Queen.  Never any scandal or fuss surrounds her, working into her nineties, she's a class act all the way.  Her values, and the way she has lived provides massive stability to the country.  Now consider the unrest that envelops Europe due to  the immigration of people with totally different lifestyles and values, and you can see the importance.


----------



## PZ99 (9 May 2017)

Last year's Qantas pie chart... 





Last night's...





Fred Nile strikes again. LOL


----------



## Tisme (9 May 2017)

PZ99 said:


> Last year's Qantas pie chart...
> 
> 
> 
> ...




He does look like Fred doesn't he hahaha


----------



## luutzu (9 May 2017)

Gringotts Bank said:


> Yeh life will go on.  Lawns will get mown no matter what.
> 
> The symbolism is very powerful, however.  Especially regarding the Queen.  Never any scandal or fuss surrounds her, working into her nineties, she's a class act all the way.  Her values, and the way she has lived provides massive stability to the country.  Now consider the unrest that envelops Europe due to  the immigration of people with totally different lifestyles and values, and you can see the importance.




I know, crossing all the war zones, the open ocean on a canoe, all to then live off of other people's hard-earned tax dollars, in castles and chauffeured around they they own the place.

What welfare-seeking queens they are, not at all comparable to our blue-blooded royal value of hard work and meritocracy and all that democratic, everyone (except the Royals, the Dukes, the Barons, the Lords, the Ministers) is equal business.


----------



## DB008 (10 May 2017)

Incompetent FBI Director James Comey just got sacked


----------



## Tisme (10 May 2017)

DB008 said:


> Incompetent FBI Director James Comey just got sacked




Once a stink starts it hard to perfume it out:

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-...-stack-resignation-letters-furious-fbi-agents


----------



## bellenuit (10 May 2017)

DB008 said:


> Incompetent FBI Director James Comey just got sacked



He was seen by the far right as incompetent because no charges against Hilary resulted from his investigations. But the reason for that, as anyone who can rise above the fake news knows, is that there wasn't anything substantive discovered that warranted prosecution.


----------



## explod (19 May 2017)

"Sweden drops rape probe against Julian Assange, Wikileaks founder."

It will be interesting to see if he is allowed to walk free though.  My feeling is that he'll be taken in hand and handed to US officials.


----------



## luutzu (19 May 2017)

explod said:


> "Sweden drops rape probe against Julian Assange, Wikileaks founder."
> 
> It will be interesting to see if he is allowed to walk free though.  My feeling is that he'll be taken in hand and handed to US officials.




They're trying to lure him out of the embassy, into the open.

In such open and crime ridden places like London, a "robbery" could have gone bad and oppsy.


----------



## Tisme (20 May 2017)

explod said:


> "Sweden drops rape probe against Julian Assange, Wikileaks founder."
> 
> It will be interesting to see if he is allowed to walk free though.  My feeling is that he'll be taken in hand and handed to US officials.




He's a priority arrest to deflect the spotlight currently on Trump and to muzzle any wannabes who would otherwise release treasonable conversations with Russia


----------



## noco (20 May 2017)

The different scenarios that now face Julian Assange.

I am sure he would prefer to be at home on Magnetic Island off Townsville.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/3557546...-new-life-where-now-for-julian-assange/#page1

https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/3556989...r-chelsea-manning-emerges-on-instagram/#page1


----------



## noirua (23 May 2017)

*Manchester Arena: Police Confirm Deaths After Reports Of Explosion At Ariana Grande Concert*
*http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/ent...grid7|main5|dl1|sec1_lnk2&pLid=-1341824648_uk*


----------



## DB008 (23 May 2017)

Walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it must be a du......no, it's not Mus.......


----------



## DB008 (23 May 2017)

DB008 said:


> Walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it must be a du......no, it's not Mus.......











​


----------



## MrBurns (23 May 2017)

Not sure if I've posted this before but it's from another forum and rings true - 
"""""I would put it to you that immigration has been fabulous for this country right up until the 1980's. The Italians, Greeks and the Asian immigrants worked hard and did much to enrich the countries culture and economy. They also integrated with our way of life by and large.
The immigration post 1980 has been poorly managed and we imported large numbers of culturally dissimilar races with value systems that are in complete conflict with our way of life. As a generalisation they brought little of value to Australia with them, they don't integrate and they seek to enforce their value systems on US. The crime rate has soared, the welfare drain has skyrocketed and social cohesion is crumbling. Australia is NOT a better place as a result of immigration policies post 1980."""""


----------



## Tisme (23 May 2017)

MrBurns said:


> Not sure if I've posted this before but it's from another forum and rings true -
> """""I would put it to you that immigration has been fabulous for this country right up until the 1980's. The Italians, Greeks and the Asian immigrants worked hard and did much to enrich the countries culture and economy. They also integrated with our way of life by and large.
> The immigration post 1980 has been poorly managed and we imported large numbers of culturally dissimilar races with value systems that are in complete conflict with our way of life. As a generalisation they brought little of value to Australia with them, they don't integrate and they seek to enforce their value systems on US. The crime rate has soared, the welfare drain has skyrocketed and social cohesion is crumbling. Australia is NOT a better place as a result of immigration policies post 1980."""""





Here's a turnup. A migrant giving someone the rounds on a bus today :

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-23/racist-train-rant-in-sydney-caught-on-camera/8546886


----------



## noirua (23 May 2017)

*Manchester Arena blast: Live reports and updates*
http://www.aol.co.uk/news/2017/05/2...grid7|main5|dl1|sec3_lnk1&pLid=-1341824648_uk


----------



## DB008 (23 May 2017)




----------



## Tisme (24 May 2017)

DB008 said:


> ​




I wonder if the UK lost its stomach for severe retribution because of the Irish bombers? My feeling is that the world is looking to England for an effective retaliation rather than the constant appeasement of genetically inclined barbarians.


----------



## SirRumpole (24 May 2017)

Tisme said:


> I wonder if the UK lost its stomach for severe retribution because of the Irish bombers? My feeling is that the world is looking to England for an effective retaliation rather than the constant appeasement of genetically inclined barbarians.




Given that they got through WW2, they should be able to handle a relatively small number of barbarians.


----------



## pixel (24 May 2017)

I don't get it.
What's the road toll on British roads?
How many lives lost through drugs - legal and illicit?
How many victims of domestic violence and "normal" murders?
I'm not even looking outside the UK and mentioning the gun victims in the US, street violence in South Africa, ...

Yet the World Press goes to pot when a Criminal murders in the name of Peace...


----------



## Gringotts Bank (24 May 2017)

pixel said:


> I don't get it.
> What's the road toll on British roads?
> How many lives lost through drugs - legal and illicit?
> How many victims of domestic violence and "normal" murders?
> ...




Because of the "it could have been you" factor which always ups the media interest.  As humans we are relentlessly self-interested and self-focussed.  We don't seem to care too much about situations where the "it could have been you" factor is not in play.  That's another tragedy in itself.  Not saying we should feel guilty about self-interest - Nature designed us that way.  But we are destined to overcome it.  Nature might have designed us with a certain predisposition, but it also designed a method to prevent excessive self-interest in us as a species.


----------



## SirRumpole (24 May 2017)

pixel said:


> I don't get it.
> What's the road toll on British roads?
> How many lives lost through drugs - legal and illicit?
> How many victims of domestic violence and "normal" murders?
> ...




Things are being done about those other things, maybe not enough but they are being tackled.

There is a difference between 'accidents' and murder, I'm sure you can see that.


----------



## pixel (24 May 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> Things are being done about those other things, maybe not enough but they are being tackled.
> 
> There is a difference between 'accidents' and murder, I'm sure you can see that.



If by "being tackled" you mean speed cameras and drug busts and politicians grandstanding next to victims of domestic violence, then *No, I don't see a difference.*
Pollies are also grandstanding against terrorism; Police parade hooded terror suspects and ISIL sympathisers past news cameras; ...
Neither make any significant dent in the number of dead and maimed.


----------



## explod (24 May 2017)

pixel said:


> If by "being tackled" you mean speed cameras and drug busts and politicians grandstanding next to victims of domestic violence, then *No, I don't see a difference.*
> Pollies are also grandstanding against terrorism; Police parade hooded terror suspects and ISIL sympathisers past news cameras; ...
> Neither make any significant dent in the number of dead and maimed.



Pretty well spot on Pixel.  No one is looking at root causes, poverty, lack of education, religion, arms manufacture and protecting oil currencies.


----------



## Tisme (1 June 2017)

Only took an hour to carry out risk assessments and equity evaluations, between the Malaysian Air plane landing and the coppers entering the cabin. 

The troops managed to subdue the already bound and disabled wannabe bomber and the brass are rightly claiming a victory for the coppers.


----------



## CanOz (1 June 2017)

Tisme said:


> Only took an hour to carry out risk assessments and equity evaluations, between the Malaysian Air plane landing and the coppers entering the cabin.
> 
> The troops managed to subdue the already bound and disabled wannabe bomber and the brass are rightly claiming a victory for the coppers.




what?


----------



## pixel (1 June 2017)

CanOz said:


> what?



Another nutter - from Dandenong: 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-01/malaysia-airlines-flight-turns-back-after-bomb-threat/8577910


----------



## Ves (1 June 2017)

CanOz said:


> what?



Haha, it's like he was having an imaginary conversation with himself and forgot to post the other side of it.


----------



## Tisme (1 June 2017)

Ves said:


> Haha, it's like he was having an imaginary conversation with himself and forgot to post the other side of it.





I like people to take the discovery journey, with my personal bias baggage in tow.


----------



## Ves (1 June 2017)

Tisme said:


> I like people to take the discovery journey, with my personal bias baggage in tow.



I guess we're all unreliable narrators in our own special ways.


----------



## moXJO (5 June 2017)

Did Melbourne just get hit by the latest loony


----------



## PZ99 (6 June 2017)

moXJO said:


> Did Melbourne just get hit by the latest loony



Yeppers...

4PM > Police respond to a call about an explosion at an apartment building in Brighton
* They find a dead man in the foyer, he appears to have been shot
* They start trying to negotiate with a man inside an apartment, who was holding a woman against her will.

5.41PM > Seven Network Melbourne newsroom gets a call from a woman who says she's involved in a hostage situation
* A man takes over the phone call to say "This is for IS, this is for al-Qaeda."
* Seven calls police to report the call.

6PM > A gunman leaves the building and opens fire on police, injuring three of them
* Police fire back and kill him
* The woman is freed
* Two police officers are taken to hospital with gunshot wounds, a third is treated at the scene.

8PM > Deputy Commissioner Andrew Crisp says police are investigating terrorism as one avenue of inquiry.

SOURCE: Victoria Police, Seven Network > http://www.news.com.au/national/bre...n/news-story/2fd80883c14af93b4878e94389994302


----------



## pixel (6 June 2017)

moXJO said:


> Did Melbourne just get hit by the latest loony



subsequent caller claimed ISIL responsibility.
Why does the press have to give these loonies any airspace? Wouldn't it be smarter to counterbalance the public's "Right To Know" by toning down the publicity those morons crave and depend on? A single paragraph in the petty crime section of the local newspaper is the most they'd rate IMO. And for the benefit of would-be followers, maybe add some "alternative facts", like "the man's body was disposed of unceremoniously with offal at a nearby piggery."


----------



## pixel (14 June 2017)

Channel Ten called in the Administrators.

https://twitter.com/hughriminton?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author


----------



## noirua (14 June 2017)

Fire disaster in Kensington, London. No news yet of the cause:
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/ent...grid7|main5|dl1|sec1_lnk2&pLid=-1231344686_uk


----------



## sptrawler (14 June 2017)

pixel said:


> Channel Ten called in the Administrators.
> 
> https://twitter.com/hughriminton?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author




Yes our Government is locked in a time warp, you can't have access to more than 75% of the population, but the internet has access to everyone. 
What a bunch of idiots, it is easy to see why our economy is on the rocks, the politicians are thick.
Don't worry, when we are down to the ABC as the only free to air, there will be plenty of offshore stations that will start broadcasting. 
I hope we can charge them a licensing fee when it happens.


----------



## sptrawler (15 June 2017)

pixel said:


> Channel Ten called in the Administrators.




I just read this in an "on line article",
 But while Ten can't afford the huge salaries of yore, it doesn't want to lose Waleed Aly or Carrie Bickmore, either.
Well as a TEN share holder, they would be first I would suggest they off load, the ABC could beef up the Q & A panel with them.
How the hell they could keep pushing niche demographic content, at the expense of a broadcasting station, is beyond me, and as I said I'm a share holder. Sadly


----------



## PZ99 (15 June 2017)

People are still watching FTA tellie?


----------



## Tisme (15 June 2017)

sptrawler said:


> I just read this in an "on line article",
> But while Ten can't afford the huge salaries of yore, it doesn't want to lose Waleed Aly or Carrie Bickmore, either.
> Well as a TEN share holder, they would be first I would suggest they off load, the ABC could beef up the Q & A panel with them.
> How the hell they could keep pushing niche demographic content, at the expense of a broadcasting station, is beyond me, and as I said I'm a share holder. Sadly





Most of us ignore saturation advertising content on web pages, so it's a no brainer that revenue source will be low and falling for commercial TV stations. Compounding the problem for Ten, is it's continued targetting of the extreme youth and airheads among the X gens .... viewers who have no desire to concentrate on product messages, they have no desire to absorb anything at all ... just the pleasure of watching talking heads laugh at their own relentless juvenile humour.

Niche marketing has run its cause and mass marketting is the recycled new


----------



## Logique (15 June 2017)

Big spending on US Network shows that nobody watches eg NCIS, Madam Secretary, This is Us. And The Biggest Loser went nowhere.

Only themselves to blame. I'd suggest they'll cling on to The Project right to the very last. So it will be an "._.extreme youth and airheads_" fiesta!

Sandra Sully is Ten's best network asset, and perhaps the only safe job.


----------



## Gringotts Bank (20 June 2017)

The saddest, most horrible news.  The man tortured by North Koreans has died.  God knows what they did to him.  I felt sick reading about such depravity.


----------



## Tisme (20 June 2017)

Gringotts Bank said:


> The saddest, most horrible news.  The man tortured by North Koreans has died.  God knows what they did to him.  I felt sick reading about such depravity.





And put him out like he was trash being exported to the USA. Disgusting behaviour and deserves retribution.


----------



## Logique (20 June 2017)

Tisme said:


> Only took an hour to carry out risk assessments and equity evaluations, between the Malaysian Air plane landing and the coppers entering the cabin.
> The troops managed to subdue the already bound and disabled wannabe bomber and the brass are rightly claiming a victory for the coppers.



Longer, 1:34 as later reported Tisme.

Anyone criticizing Tisme - you try waiting an hour and a half in a landed aeroplane, with a passenger-subdued, probably bomb-toting madman at your feet.

While the keystone coppers mill around rudderless on the tarmac. It's embarrassing for Australia. About as effective as they were at the Lindt Cafe in Martin Place Sydney.

It's not the officers in the field. They are brave beyond description. It's their alleged leaders.


----------



## Gringotts Bank (20 June 2017)

Tisme said:


> And put him out like he was trash being exported to the USA. Disgusting behaviour and deserves retribution.




If they injected him with botox, they need to be wiped off the planet asap.  The use of military force to to prevent extreme cruelty is absolutely justified.  Torture has no place anywhere under any circumstances, ever.


----------



## McLovin (20 June 2017)

Breaking News: North Korea not so nice...


----------



## SirRumpole (20 June 2017)

McLovin said:


> Breaking News: North Korea torture people...




Whoda thunk it ?


----------



## SirRumpole (29 June 2017)

George Pell charged with multiple sex offences. Victoria police.


----------



## MrBurns (29 June 2017)

Mate of mine called this 3 months ago, inside knowledge - 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-29/cardinal-george-pell-to-be-charged/8547668

The ABC confirms that it is expected that Cardinal George Pell will be charged with multiple counts of child sex offences today.


----------



## Value Collector (29 June 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> George Pell charged with multiple sex offences. Victoria police.



Is it weird that it annoys me that the police officer giving this press conference keeps referring to him as "Cardinal Pell"?

He might be "Cardinal Pell" to the members of his cult, but to the rest of us, and to the government he is just "Mr Pell", It seems to be another case of affording religious folk unearned respect.

If I ever get charged with anything I want the police to refer to me as "Grand duke of the realm of the flying spaghetti monster"

http://www.smh.com.au/national/card...ith-serious-sex-offences-20170628-gx0v8y.html


----------



## SirRumpole (29 June 2017)

Value Collector said:


> Is it weird that it annoys me that the police officer giving this press conference keeps referring to him as "Cardinal Pell"?




I suppose you could call him "Cardinal alleged Sin" if that makes you feel better.

Maybe it's the same principle as retired generals still being called "General" or retired doctors still being referred to by their titles ?


----------



## Value Collector (29 June 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> Maybe it's the same principle as retired generals still being called "General" or retired doctors still being referred to by their titles ?




A General is a part of a government department, being called Dr refers to an academic study you undertook.

But religious titles are just made up Titles from fantasy land, and people tend to pick and choose which cults they will honour the titles for.

I doubt they would respect my position as the "Grand duke of the realm of the flying spaghetti monster"


----------



## SirRumpole (29 June 2017)

OK so Mr Pell has issued a statement saying he will return to Australia as soon as possible pending medical advice.


----------



## MrBurns (29 June 2017)

_pending medical advice.
_
Wait for it


----------



## Value Collector (29 June 2017)

MrBurns said:


> _pending medical advice.
> _
> Wait for it



This song seems appropriate again


----------



## bellenuit (30 June 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> I suppose you could call him "Cardinal alleged Sin" if that makes you feel better.




Might be too confusing. There is/was an actual Cardinal Sin in the Philippines


----------



## luutzu (30 June 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> OK so Mr Pell has issued a statement saying he will return to Australia as soon as possible pending medical advice.




They got specialised, medically equipped planes now. Get your azz back here Pell.


----------



## Tink (1 July 2017)

Value Collector said:


> A General is a part of a government department, being called Dr refers to an academic study you undertook.
> 
> But religious titles are just made up Titles from fantasy land, and people tend to pick and choose which cults they will honour the titles for.
> 
> I doubt they would respect my position as the "Grand duke of the realm of the flying spaghetti monster"




To become a priest takes many years of study, and why they get their title.

As I mentioned, Universities started in monasteries.


----------



## luutzu (1 July 2017)

Tink said:


> To become a priest takes many years of study, and why they get their title.
> 
> As I mentioned, Universities started in monasteries.





I thought Universities model themselves on Aristotle's Academia [school?]? Where he taught people to think, question and be annoying little gnat like his teacher Socrates.

The only Academic thing that came out of Monasteries were Mendel's genetics studies. And that's because he got bored of Bible studies


----------



## Tink (2 July 2017)

We are always learning in here, Luutzu.

I mentioned it in the education thread.

https://www.aussiestockforums.com/threads/chaos-in-australian-education.25851/page-10

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University

--------------------------------------

_Many of the structures and traditions of modern universities trace their origins to the Middle Ages.  The modern academic gown, still worn for graduations and other ceremonial occasions, has its origin in the gowns worn by medieval students and most still have a tab on the back which is the vestigial remains of the hoods on late medieval outer garments._


----------



## Tisme (2 July 2017)

luutzu said:


> I thought Universities model themselves on Aristotle's Academia [school?]? Where he taught people to think, question and be annoying little gnat like his teacher Socrates.
> 
> The only Academic thing that came out of Monasteries were Mendel's genetics studies. And that's because he got bored of Bible studies




And the self imposed monastic guy who was bonced by a falling apple.


----------



## Value Collector (3 July 2017)

Tink said:


> To become a priest takes many years of study, and why they get their title.
> 
> As I mentioned, Universities started in monasteries.




I am sure years of study of your cults teachings means something to members of your cult, but it means nothing to the rest of us.

I mean, should we give special titles to those that have spent years studying tea leaf reading, Big foot or Astrology???

Think about it, has a person that spent 30 years studying Astrology really earned a title? of course not because their entire field of study is fake, so the only people that it means anything to are those people they have tricked into believing their nonsense, same with the Catholic Church charlatans.

Your religion is just as bogus as Astrology.


----------



## Value Collector (3 July 2017)

Tisme said:


> And the self imposed monastic guy who was bonced by a falling apple.



Notice that it's the non religious concepts that have had the most positive affects on humans society. Even thinking about apples falling from trees proved to be a more effective use of time than reading religious texts.

Tink likes to claim that universities started as religious establishments, But the fact that as they have become less and less religious they have generated more and more high quality science seems lost on her.

It's like we are sitting here talking about how good the modern Jet engine is, and Tink is like "don't forget the Nazi's invented the Jet engine, so that means Mein Kampf is a good book, and we have to respect Nazis"


----------



## Tisme (3 July 2017)

Value Collector said:


> Notice that it's the non religious concepts that have had the most positive affects on humans society. Even thinking about apples falling from trees proved to be a more effective use of time than reading religious texts.
> 
> Tink likes to claim that universities started as religious establishments, But the fact that as they have become less and less religious they have generated more and more high quality science seems lost on her.
> 
> It's like we are sitting here talking about how good the modern Jet engine is, and Tink is like "don't forget the Nazi's invented the Jet engine, so that means Mein Kampf is a good book, and we have to respect Nazis"




Shameless segue ... there is a book by Elizabeth Tynan named "Atomic Thunder" that is well worth reading on who really was the force majeure behind the bomb development versus deployment.

Similarly the jet plane was well advanced by Glocester Aircraft Company and Frank Whittle's Power Jet LTD in ~1936. As usual the POMS have a terrible track record of sharing technology with their potential enemies and the world as a whole ..... empire thinking.

FinTech is the next big thing and Oz would have been well poised to join the coming London experience had not the likes of Newman, Howard, Abbott etc decided the redundant three Rs were as tech savvy as we needed to be for a mining town country.


----------



## Value Collector (3 July 2017)

Tisme said:


> Similarly the jet plane was well advanced by Glocester Aircraft Company and Frank Whittle's Power Jet LTD in ~1936.




The Nazis clearly had the first Jet Plane, and deserve our respect, we should all praise the Nazis next time we fly qantas (just ask Tink)


----------



## SirRumpole (3 July 2017)

Value Collector said:


> The Nazis clearly had the first Jet Plane, and deserve our respect, we should all praise the Nazis next time we fly qantas (just ask Tink)




I suppose we can praise German engineering, they did put man on the moon after all.


----------



## luutzu (3 July 2017)

Tisme said:


> And the self imposed monastic guy who was bonced by a falling apple.




Newton? I thought he was just a weirdo, not a monk. Same difference? 

Also thought the apple fell on him during those years he escaped London's literal plague.

Yea I know, he attribute his genius to no more than interpreting God's laws and wonder... One need to suck up like that to get anywhere in that world. That and not be thought of as a Warlock.


----------



## luutzu (3 July 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> I suppose we can praise German engineering, they did put man on the moon after all.




They were no longer German by that time. They were all either Team America or Team of the People of the Soviet Union


----------



## Tisme (4 July 2017)

luutzu said:


> They were no longer German by that time. They were all either Team America or Team of the People of the Soviet Union





No it was three mixed race women and Kevin Costner.


----------



## basilio (4 July 2017)

Tisme said:


> No it was three mixed race women and Kevin Costner.




Yeah. And in fact that movie on the role of (coloured) women calculators as key components of getting the first men into space was pretty accurate.  Eye opener for me.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/space/rockets/a24429/hidden-figures-real-story-nasa-women-computers/


----------



## Tisme (4 July 2017)

North Korea success with ICBM


----------



## SirRumpole (4 July 2017)

Tisme said:


> North Korea success with ICBM




So what have S.Korea and Japan got in the way of retaliatory capability ? Not much I suspect.

They might have to take it to the Security Council, which probably won't do them a lot of good it terms of stopping further launches.


----------



## Tisme (4 July 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> So what have S.Korea and Japan got in the way of retaliatory capability ? Not much I suspect.
> 
> They might have to take it to the Security Council, which probably won't do them a lot of good it terms of stopping further launches.





Well I guess you do the numbers: e.g. if war XXX millions of life lost and misery for a region; if absolute west trade blockade of N Korea and China XXX millions of life lost and misery for North Korea


----------



## McLovin (5 July 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> So what have S.Korea and Japan got in the way of retaliatory capability ? Not much I suspect.




They could flatten NK. Take away NK's sort of ICBM (the IC bit still hasn't been proven) and they have a lot of old artillery and not much else. The other two could run sorties over NK with impunity. Seoul won't be flattened by old Soviet artillery.

I still think NK is trying to get a guarantee of safety similar to what Cuba received during that missile crisis. While China probably doesn't control NK the way the West would like to believe it does, it probably sees no need to rein it in just yet, and might try and get some sort of compromise in the South China Sea. Either way, any action against NK will require China's approval. If they OK it then the US could park a carrier group off the coast and finish the job in a couple of days. If China's not on board then that carrier group will be at the bottom of the ocean in a few hours.


----------



## Tisme (5 July 2017)

McLovin said:


> They could flatten NK. Take away NK's sort of ICBM (the IC bit still hasn't been proven) and they have a lot of old artillery and not much else. The other two could run sorties over NK with impunity. Seoul won't be flattened by old Soviet artillery.
> 
> I still think NK is trying to get a guarantee of safety similar to what Cuba received during that missile crisis. While China probably doesn't control NK the way the West would like to believe it does, it probably sees no need to rein it in just yet, and might try and get some sort of compromise in the South China Sea. Either way, any action against NK will require China's approval. If they OK it then the US could park a carrier group off the coast and finish the job in a couple of days. If China's not on board then that carrier group will be at the bottom of the ocean in a few hours.





I thought ICBMs were redundant hardware these days. Because they unwieldy, they were only ever civilian targetted weapons and meant to terrify the populations with mass murder.  

Surely ground and sea interceptors would take out ICBMs very quickly, which makes me wonder why they didn't on this occasion.


----------



## SirRumpole (5 July 2017)

Tisme said:


> Surely ground and sea interceptors would take out ICBMs very quickly, which makes me wonder why they didn't on this occasion.




Maybe because they don't have the capability that you suggest, or they are currently not in place?

ICBMs move very fast and high and it takes a lot of technology to track them and get an interceptor missile onto the target.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-ballistic_missile


----------



## Tisme (5 July 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> Maybe because they don't have the capability that you suggest, or they are currently not in place?
> 
> ICBMs move very fast and high and it takes a lot of technology to track them and get an interceptor missile onto the target.
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-ballistic_missile




55% kill rate tested. That would mean, say, four of them fired at the same ICBM would give a probability of ~95% kill rate?


----------



## SirRumpole (5 July 2017)

Tisme said:


> 55% kill rate tested. That would mean, say, four of them fired at the same ICBM would give a probability of ~95% kill rate?




Just heard on tv that the South Korean President had rejected the installation of an anti ICBM system. Don't know why, he may be regretting that now.


----------



## PZ99 (5 July 2017)

Weren't we were going to put one here in 2001 or thereabouts? 

Wouldn't be surprised if that gets revisited.


----------



## McLovin (5 July 2017)

PZ99 said:


> Weren't we were going to put one here in 2001 or thereabouts?
> 
> Wouldn't be surprised if that gets revisited.




It would be the greatest white elephant ever indulged in by an Australian government. A conventional ballistic missile defence (the Aegis system the RAN has can be upgraded to that capability), maybe, but ICBM defence would cost billions to set up and hundreds of millions to maintain. Just the rockets themselves cost $20m-$30m. If someone is taking a shot at Australia with a nuclear ICBM then the game is either up or close enough to being up that the cities are probably in a state of ruin and deserted already.


----------



## luutzu (5 July 2017)

McLovin said:


> They could flatten NK. Take away NK's sort of ICBM (the IC bit still hasn't been proven) and they have a lot of old artillery and not much else. The other two could run sorties over NK with impunity. Seoul won't be flattened by old Soviet artillery.
> 
> I still think NK is trying to get a guarantee of safety similar to what Cuba received during that missile crisis. While China probably doesn't control NK the way the West would like to believe it does, it probably sees no need to rein it in just yet, and might try and get some sort of compromise in the South China Sea. Either way, any action against NK will require China's approval. If they OK it then the US could park a carrier group off the coast and finish the job in a couple of days. If China's not on board then that carrier group will be at the bottom of the ocean in a few hours.




I heard that if North Korea is ever attacked, its conventional artillery will flatten Seoul within hours. And there's nothing Seoul or Washington can do to prevent that.

It's one of those Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) strategy we all thought is a good idea. Better build stronger desks for the kids to duck and cover though. Just to be safe.


----------



## McLovin (5 July 2017)

luutzu said:


> I heard that if North Korea is ever attacked, its conventional artillery will flatten Seoul within hours. And there's nothing Seoul or Washington can do to prevent that.




No way do I believe a city the size of Seoul can be flattened in months, let alone hours by artillery. Most of NK's artillery isn't even in range of Seoul. With air and ground superiority it'll be over very quickly to the South's favour.


----------



## luutzu (5 July 2017)

McLovin said:


> No way do I believe a city the size of Seoul can be flattened in months, let alone hours by artillery. Most of NK's artillery isn't even in range of Seoul. With air and ground superiority it'll be over very quickly to the South's favour.







Seoul is some 30KM from the DMZ? 

Seems that NK's only defence against any invasion would be those from the South. China and Russia aren't likely to be doing it. Now... wouldn't you, as a North Korean general, be concentrating all your firepower at Seoul so that if the proverbial hits the fan, you too can take out the other side too?

What has NK spent its money on? Not feeding its people that's for sure. So unless SK and the US know where all those artilleries are, and can somehow managed to take them all out within minutes of the initial strike... maybe Seoul won't be flattened, just be another Mosul with a the rubbles still piled high instead of blown away. 

But let's not gamble with that shall we. I mean, if China would still intervene against the US way back when it was a pimple of an economy, there is no way it'll just let NK be flatten without it saying so.


----------



## So_Cynical (5 July 2017)

luutzu said:


> I heard that if North Korea is ever attacked, its conventional artillery will flatten Seoul within hours. And there's nothing Seoul or Washington can do to prevent that.




Tactical nukes are low yield nuclear weapons suitable for totally destroying small areas, they can be carried by cruise missiles so delivered with great accuracy, 6 or 7 of them would pretty much wipe out NK conventional forces.

This i believe has always been the plan if the North was stupid enough to invade or shell Seoul, pretty much the only way to get an instant, fast and low risk result.


----------



## luutzu (5 July 2017)

So_Cynical said:


> Tactical nukes are low yield nuclear weapons suitable for totally destroying small areas, they can be carried by cruise missiles so delivered with great accuracy, 6 or 7 of them would pretty much wipe out NK conventional forces.
> 
> This i believe has always been the plan if the North was stupid enough to invade or shell Seoul, pretty much the only way to get an instant, fast and low risk result.




For sure. There's no doubt that if NK were to hit Seoul or any part of Japan, all the comrades in Pyongyang will be vaporised along with the entire NK state. 

So unless they're suicidal, which I don't think they are, they won't be starting a war. Rattling their ICBMs, threaten nuclear annihilation... all to get some attention and a bit of payoff. Things like not sanctioning against them, say. 

I guess North Korea isn't on that Axis of Evil list for no reason. Funny how they're just like Iran... being sanctioned, can barely feed themselves, yet always wanting to nuke someone. Funny how the poorest countries in the world are always the greatest threat to world peace, always the ones that's going to take over the world. 

That's not to say that Iran or lil Kim are good or nice. Just you know, Hitler was Hitler because Nazi Germany has all that engineering and military hardware that was decades ahead of his peer competitors. An idiot can be greedy and evil all they want, without a proper military that can kick azz and take names, they're only harmful to their own people.


----------



## McLovin (5 July 2017)

luutzu said:


> Seoul is some 30KM from the DMZ?




Yes it is, well the outskirts. I've been to the DMZ, from the north side.  It's flat and open. Not the best place to put all your eggs, so they don't. The North Koreans aren't dumb.



luutzu said:


> Seems that NK's only defence against any invasion would be those from the South.




They have enough to slow a ground invasion and cause a fair bit of damage to an invading ground force, but that's not the same as flattening Seoul. Nor does the bulk of their artillery have the distance to reach Seoul, as I said. I'll try and dig up some info later.



luutzu said:


> So unless SK and the US know where all those artilleries are, and can somehow managed to take them all out within minutes of the initial strike




You can't flatten a city of 20m people with 170mm shells, dude. Well you can, if you've got a few years. You can put holes in buildings and start fires, but as soon as you start firing you reveal all your hidden positions will be picked up by radar and have fire and brimstone reigned down them. All your known artillery batteries will have long been blown away by SK and the US.

All this is also predicated on their ancient equipment still working.


----------



## luutzu (5 July 2017)

McLovin said:


> Yes it is, well the outskirts. I've been to the DMZ, from the north side.  It's flat and open. Not the best place to put all your eggs, so they don't. The North Koreans aren't dumb.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Dig up info? You mean you didn't have a notebook to record stuff while up north? 

Don't know what damage they'll do, but as that general told McCain, if any of those 4000 artillery or rockets lifts off, there's no way they can be stopped. Well, unless the US spend a few more billions and maybe there's a solution. 

I guess Harvard and West Point don't teach diplomacy. It's either starve you to death or carpet bomb you to pieces. 

But the NKoreans don't have the US to worry about though. They'd just have to put up with the sanctions and the periodical parades. It's the South and Beijing that's in the crosshair if that peninsular ever goes off.


----------



## Value Collector (5 July 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> Just heard on tv that the South Korean President had rejected the installation of an anti ICBM system. Don't know why, he may be regretting that now.




You don't need an ICBM to hit South Korea if you are firing from North Korea, Much smaller missiles would do the trick, an ICBM is used to carry payloads very long distances, this is about putting fear into nations very far away.


----------



## Value Collector (5 July 2017)

McLovin said:


> You can't flatten a city of 20m people with 170mm shells, dude. .





Not with conventional High explosive rounds, But with nuclear shells you could, artillery are capable of delivering many types of rounds, including atomic weapons.


----------



## SirRumpole (5 July 2017)

Value Collector said:


> Not with conventional High explosive rounds, But with nuclear shells you could, artillery are capable of delivering many types of rounds, including atomic weapons.





Well, I never knew that. I thought atomic bombs were much larger eg Fat Boy, Little Man.


----------



## So_Cynical (5 July 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> Well, I never knew that. I thought atomic bombs were much larger eg Fat Boy, Little Man.




Tactical Nukes are often referred to as suitcase nukes, small enough to fit in an averaged size suitcase.


----------



## basilio (5 July 2017)

Tactical nuclear weapons which are designed and intended for use on selected military targets have evolved considerably. For example the early atomic cannons for example would be replaced by highly accurate nuclear tipped cruise missiles.

The Lowy Institute wrote an analysis  on this development. It was published in September 2016 before Donald Trump became President. Be interesting to see what  policy strategists now see as the risk of international tensions escalating into a tactical nuclear war.

*Tactical nuclear weapons in the modern nuclear era*
In this Lowy Institute Analysis, Brendan Thomas-Noone argues that advances in technology are making tactical nuclear weapons more precise and potentially more usable. He argues that new arms control measures are needed to promote greater transparency about the development of these weapons.

https://www.lowyinstitute.org/publications/tactical-nuclear-weapons-modern-nuclear-era

____________________
Check out Davey Crockett. This was an early version of a battleground nuke.  Never went into service Check out the video and guess why...

http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/this-is-what-it-looks-like-when-the-worlds-smallest-nuk-1684923814


----------



## luutzu (5 July 2017)

basilio said:


> Tactical nuclear weapons which are designed and intended for use on selected military targets have evolved considerably. For example the early atomic cannons for example would be replaced by highly accurate nuclear tipped cruise missiles.
> 
> The Lowy Institute wrote an analysis  on this development. It was published in September 2016 before Donald Trump became President. Be interesting to see what  policy strategists now see as the risk of international tensions escalating into a tactical nuclear war.
> 
> ...




Talk about being smart and stupid at the same time.

But don't worry about it though, Obama did signed a $1Trillion "modernisation" programme to make nuclear battlefield friendly. You know, deadly enough to flatten an entire city, but safe enough that a wind change won't radiate friendlies. Safety first guys.

I remember reading the British Intel officer, Liddell Hart [?] introduction to his translation of Sun Tzu's The Art of War. Hart said that if Western generals and planners had read and applied Sun's concepts of war, Europe wouldn't have been destroyed to the extent it did during the two world wars.

That it is better to take the city whole than to destroy it; It is better to take an army whole than to destroy it; It is better to take a country whole than to destroy it.

That there has never been an instance of a country having benefited from protracted warfare. hmm... Mad Dog Mattis of the US recently said that all these 16 years of Afghanistan is just the beginning. 

But I guess Western arms manufacturers are true patriots who would never think of price gouging or selling their gears to potential enemies then come back with news of enemies now having the same level of hardware. Oh wait.

But on the bright side... as Einstein said, WW4 will be fought with sticks and stones so it won't be so deadly.


----------



## Value Collector (5 July 2017)

luutzu said:


> That it is better to take the city whole than to destroy it;




That is one of the pros to chemical weapons, the idea you could shell an enemies position with low explosive rounds containing a nerve agent, killing them but leaving all infrastructure intact is very appealing. The temptation was so great and the possible damage so big pretty much all nations have agreed to not use them.


----------



## Value Collector (5 July 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> Well, I never knew that. I thought atomic bombs were much larger eg Fat Boy, Little Man.



Like most things, tech advances allow them to shrink in size.


----------



## luutzu (5 July 2017)

Value Collector said:


> That is one of the pros to chemical weapons, the idea you could shell an enemies position with low explosive rounds containing a nerve agent, killing them but leaving all infrastructure intact is very appealing. The temptation was so great and the possible damage so big pretty much all nations have agreed to not use them.




True. I didn't even think of chemical being perfect for that. Should we all be careful of you man? jk.

I guess the brass don't want to use it because it leave evidence. That and having to make their troops drag the bodies out. Kinda demoralises them about doing good when they have to be that close to the victim. Easier to just blow stuff up then send in the bulldozers.

That's why the Nazi stopped having their troops shooting each victim into those mass graves, preferring the gas chamber instead. Save bullets, save soldiers morale. Get to reuse... dam it, we humans can be pretty messed up.


----------



## luutzu (5 July 2017)

Value Collector said:


> Like most things, tech advances allow them to shrink in size.




Half watching Command and Control on Netflix where, apparently, each of those US nukes has the equivalent firepower of all explosives used during WW2, including the two nukes. Scary stuff.

Heard from some Gore Vidal interview where he said JFK once said to him that war makes presidents "great". Asking where would Lincoln be without the Civil War. To which Vidal replied, what are you freaking nuts? You would risk having millions kill so you can have your head carved on Mount Rushmore?

We now have Trump, who give the military free reign. Awesome.


----------



## Value Collector (6 July 2017)

luutzu said:


> US nukes has the equivalent firepower of all explosives used during WW2, including the two nukes. Scary stuff.
> 
> .




It's a really good demonstration of how much energy is tied up in Mass, and what the formula E=mc2 really means in practice.

In the bombing of Hiroshima only about 15grams of mass was converted to energy, thats about a piece of uranium the about the size of a pea.

A 9mm pistol round (think of the tiny bullets used in the hand guns police carry around) weighs about 50% more than the uranium mass converted to energy in the Hiroshima bomb.


----------



## Klogg (6 July 2017)

Value Collector said:


> It's a really good demonstration of how much energy is tied up in Mass, and what the formula E=mc2 really means in practice.
> 
> In the bombing of Hiroshima only about 15grams of mass was converted to energy, thats about a piece of uranium the about the size of a pea.
> 
> A 9mm pistol round (think of the tiny bullets used in the hand guns police carry around) weighs about 50% more than the uranium mass converted to energy in the Hiroshima bomb.




Wow, I never knew the mass of the uranium that went off - that's insane! I never thought they released that sort of information  - do you happen to know where that was published/written? (Not doubting you, just curious for more info)

Scary to think of the damage one mentally challenged individual could do if they had access to the right things...


----------



## Value Collector (6 July 2017)

Klogg said:


> Wow, I never knew the mass of the uranium that went off - that's insane! I never thought they released that sort of information  - do you happen to know where that was published/written? .




Well, there is a lot more than 15grams of uranium in a bomb, probably at least 25 kilograms of uranium or about 8 kilograms of plutonium is needed for the smaller bombs.

But, only about 15 grams of the material used in the "little boy" bomb that dropped on Hiroshima was converted into energy, the rest of the mass was just spread out by the blast or converted into other radioactive elements.


----------



## pixel (6 July 2017)

Klogg said:


> Wow, I never knew the mass of the uranium that went off



You don't need much m when you have 3 x 10 ^ 8 to square. In the cgs System (centimeter, gram, second) it's even more: 9 times ten to the tenth squared.
So, you convert 1g of mass into 0.9 x 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 calories.


----------



## Value Collector (6 July 2017)

Klogg said:


> do you happen to know where that was published/written? (Not doubting you, just curious for more info)
> 
> ...




Actually according to wikipedia, only 0.6 grams of the uranium in "little boy" was transformed into energy. 

 "_The bomb contained 64 kg (141 lb) of enriched uranium. Most was enriched to 89% but some was only 50% uranium-235, for an average enrichment of 80%.[20] Less than a kilogram of uranium underwent nuclear fission, a*nd of this mass only 0.6 g (0.021 oz) was transformed into several forms of energy, mostly kinetic energy, but also heat and radiation*.[21]"_

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Boy


----------



## luutzu (6 July 2017)

Value Collector said:


> It's a really good demonstration of how much energy is tied up in Mass, and what the formula E=mc2 really means in practice.
> 
> In the bombing of Hiroshima only about 15grams of mass was converted to energy, thats about a piece of uranium the about the size of a pea.
> 
> A 9mm pistol round (think of the tiny bullets used in the hand guns police carry around) weighs about 50% more than the uranium mass converted to energy in the Hiroshima bomb.




So when they say the world has enough nukes to blow itself a few hundred times over, they're not kidding?


----------



## pixel (6 July 2017)

luutzu said:


> So when they say the world has enough nukes to blow itself a few hundred times over, they're not kidding?



100% correct. 
The nuclear arsenal of the "main suspects" is sufficient to blast every one of the 7+ Billion men, women, and children on this Earth hundreds of times into oblivion. And there is enough spare capacity to take care of all pets and livestock as well.


----------



## basilio (6 July 2017)

Who has to blast everyone to kingdom come anyway ? In the early eighties it became clear that even a limited nuclear war would almost certainly produce enough smoke to create a Nuclear Winter. Essentially a darkened earth that got very cold, very quickly.

Enter famine . Exit us.

The other likelihood of even a limited nuclear war would be extensive damage to much electronic equipment as a result electro magnetic pulse effects. There goes many power supplies, computer systems, banking systems, video games...
Finally... (maybe) if say just South Korea got badly trashed the knock on consequences to many manufacturing industries would be instant and quite unpredictable. There are a multitude of electronic companies and chip suppliers in the region.
Truly if the balloon goes up the complexities of our modern technology will be crashed in a flash. No guts, no glory just rolling collapse.

_*Climatic effects*
A study presented at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union in December 2006 found that even a small-scale, regional nuclear war could disrupt the global climate for a decade or more. In a regional nuclear conflict scenario where two opposing nations in the subtropics would each use 50 Hiroshima-sized nuclear weapons (about 15 kiloton each) on major population centers, the researchers estimated as much as five million tons of soot would be released, which would produce a cooling of several degrees over large areas of North America and Eurasia, including most of the grain-growing regions. The cooling would last for years, and, according to the research, could be "catastrophic".[55][56]_
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_winter
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_electromagnetic_pulse


----------



## Logique (15 July 2017)

I'd like to tell Woolworths what they can do with their green bags!  Made in China, containing who knows what chemical ingredients, non-biodegradable, and you have to use them 104 times to reach environmental break-even point, compared to single use plastic bags.

In pursuit of which, I'll be off to Coles. Which will edge further ahead of Woolies.

When will some retail genius work it out - fully biodegradable plastic bags are the answer. They only have to hold up for the journey home.

http://www.news.com.au/technology/e...s/news-story/00d4d2aeb97b963c31fd363e18059301


----------



## MrBurns (31 July 2017)

MrBurns said:


> Mate of mine called this 3 months ago, inside knowledge -
> 
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-29/cardinal-george-pell-to-be-charged/8547668
> 
> The ABC confirms that it is expected that Cardinal George Pell will be charged with multiple counts of child sex offences today.




Same source tells me of all the charges laid there will be 2 that will stick. Looks like he will get what's coming to him.


----------



## Tink (31 July 2017)

Interesting they still haven't looked into the ABC.

_Also the royal commission appears unlikely to investigate the actions of self-confessed pedophile Richard Neville (1941-2016) who, in 1975, invited a number of pederasts into an ABC radio studio where they boasted of their crimes. Some of the under-age male victims could be alive today.

Rather than inquire into the extent to which Neville’s soft attitude about pederasty on the public broadcaster four decades ago 

I have been advised by McClellan’s staff that “it is unlikely that the media will form the subject of the royal commission’s final public hearings”. This means that child sexual abuse within the media will not be inquired into by the royal commission — this despite the widespread offending in Britain by BBC star Jimmy Savile (1926-2011), some of it on BBC property._


----------



## PZ99 (3 August 2017)

Laurie Oakes to retire after 50 years of service...

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-03/laurie-oakes-to-retire/8771236


----------



## SirRumpole (3 August 2017)

PZ99 said:


> Laurie Oakes to retire after 50 years of service...
> 
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-03/laurie-oakes-to-retire/8771236




He'll be sorely missed.


----------



## Tisme (3 August 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> He'll be sorely missed.



 and his sideburns


----------



## SirRumpole (3 August 2017)

I really miss Yana too. I wonder where she Wendt ?

<groan>


----------



## PZ99 (3 August 2017)

This was pretty funny... Sunday opener


----------



## Wysiwyg (6 August 2017)

Usain Bolt third in last pro. race. Disappointing but also disappointing couldn't find a live telecast.  Suppose because no Aussies involved in the sport event only the greatest 100m sprinter in the world ever.


----------



## Tisme (6 August 2017)

Wysiwyg said:


> Usain Bolt third in last pro. race. Disappointing but also disappointing couldn't find a live telecast.  Suppose because no Aussies involved in the sport event only the greatest 100m sprinter in the world ever.





Can hardly wait to watch the Commonwealth Games swimming and more swimming, even more swimming, go Aussie go and swimming. 

Who needs to watch some of the best athletes in the world when we have swimming.


----------



## Logique (8 August 2017)

Woolworths shoppers, check your bank statements! Reports today of duplicate charges in March.

While I'm at it, Woolies, here's what you can do with your 15c plastic bags...(censored)







> http://www.smh.com.au/business/cons...ric-charges-to-customers-20170807-gxquk0.html
> AUGUST 7 2017 - Lucy Cormack, SMH
> 
> A Woolworths payment system error has angered customers around Australia after it *generated duplicate charges for transactions made at various stores in March*.....


----------



## Gringotts Bank (14 August 2017)

This sudden interest in dual citizenship politicians.  Seemed strange at first, but now it's obvious what's behind it.  And it's just as well they started now, with easy targets.  Don't get it?  Think national security.


----------



## pixel (14 August 2017)

Barnaby Joyce should've known better  What a hoot!
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...nt-on-august-7-at-1231pm-20170814-gxvjlq.html


----------



## pixel (14 August 2017)

Gringotts Bank said:


> This sudden interest in dual citizenship politicians.  Seemed strange at first, but now it's obvious what's behind it.  And it's just as well they started now, with easy targets.  Don't get it?  Think national security.



The entire concept of dual citizenship preventing one from representing Australians is stupid. How many migrants of, say, Croatian and Serbian origin continue to feel strongly opposed to each other, even though they may have never held dual papers! The fact that a migrant gave up their citizenship when applying to become Australian, doesn't mean a thing in the context of favouring one foreign country over another. What has a piece of paper got to do with one's loyalty?

John Winston Howard may have held only Australian citizenship, but celebrating our Independence from London in London raises more doubts about his loyalties than a Greens Senator being born in another country and by their laws still counting as a National.

Before being accepted to even stand for election, Candidates should be forced to undergo an aptitude test that certifies them for the Office. Looking for a piece of paper from another country is stupid. Representatives should possess adequate intelligence, knowledge of facts in Science, Economics,  History, Law, and the Australian Constitution.


----------



## moXJO (14 August 2017)

I wonder if labor can get done under racism laws after making kiwi jokes in parliament?


----------



## SirRumpole (14 August 2017)

moXJO said:


> I wonder if labor can get done under racism laws after making kiwi jokes in parliament?




Baaaaa !!


----------



## Gringotts Bank (14 August 2017)

pixel said:


> What has a piece of paper got to do with one's loyalty?



That's fine, but what about if your loyalty lies with Syria or China. Big problems.


----------



## moXJO (14 August 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> Baaaaa !!



Baa indeed.

Why are kiwis exempt from protections under racism laws when we basically are in charge of your country.


----------



## Ves (14 August 2017)

moXJO said:


> Why are kiwis exempt from protections under racism laws when we basically are in charge of your country.



They're not exempt from the "racism laws."

It's just that cases under the "racism laws" are a civil matter,  which means a person would need to bring a case against another person and demonstrate a) the type of comments made were in breach of a law and b) that damage was caused by those comments.

You're more than welcome to bring your own case if you see fit. I mean it's pretty easy to bring these cases against people.  High success rate,  really bad for freedom of speech.


----------



## moXJO (14 August 2017)

Ves said:


> They're not exempt from the "racism laws."
> 
> It's just that cases under the "racism laws" are a civil matter,  which means a person would need to bring a case against another person and demonstrate a) the type of comments made were in breach of a law and b) that damage was caused by those comments.
> 
> You're more than welcome to bring your own case if you see fit. I mean it's pretty easy to bring these cases against people.  High success rate,  really bad for freedom of speech.




Yeah I'm not that sensitive. Was just having a dig as the deputy PM is a kiwi


----------



## Tisme (14 August 2017)

pixel said:


> Barnaby Joyce should've known better  What a hoot!
> http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...nt-on-august-7-at-1231pm-20170814-gxvjlq.html





I he had been drawing Centerlink payments for doing nothing he would have to pay them back ... you see where i'm going with this....


----------



## dutchie (14 August 2017)

pixel said:


> Barnaby Joyce should've known better  What a hoot!
> http://www.smh.com.au/federal-polit...nt-on-august-7-at-1231pm-20170814-gxvjlq.html



It is a hoot.

We don't need to have another election. The party with the most "real" Australians can rule.


----------



## Wysiwyg (27 August 2017)

This will be news this afternoon._ Mayweather_ defeats _McGregor._ McGregor beat up on a string of sloppy, one trick ponies in the UFC sideshow carnival to become part of the greatest highway robbery orchestrated in boxing history.


----------



## tech/a (27 August 2017)

McGregor won't be able to hit him
Speed will take on a new meaning.

Mind you no gloves UFC rules different outcome


----------



## basilio (27 August 2017)

I thought this feat deserves a clap.
*AFP commander and Australian strongman Grant Edwards pulls 190-tonne C-17 aircraft in world record attempt*
By Brooke Wylie
Updated about 8 hours ago

Media player: "Space" to play, "M" to mute, "left" and "right" to seek.

*Video:* Grant Edwards successfully completes a world record attempt at pulling a C-17 aircraft. (Photo: Brooke Wylie) (ABC News) 
*Related Story:* 'I thought I was a strong guy': AFP commander goes public with PTSD battle
 *Map: * United States
Mental health advocate and Australian Federal Police Commander Grant Edwards has successfully completed a world record attempt at pulling a C-17 aircraft with sheer muscle power.

Once dubbed Australia's strongest man, Mr Edwards said he was feeling the pressure ahead of the pull.

"This was tough, I didn't underestimate it," he said.

"It mightn't look hard, but it really is.

"There's always that little bit in the back of your head that's going, 'oh God, I hope I can actually get this thing moving', so when I did it was a relief."





* Photo:* The record attempt was aimed at raising awareness for mental health among first responders and law enforcement officers. (Supplied: Australian Federal Police) 


The AFP manager of the America's pulled the military aircraft weighing 190 tonnes more than 5 metres at Dover Air Force Base on Saturday, in an effort to raise awareness for mental health among first responders and law enforcement officers.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-...s-pulls-c-17-aircraft-in-world-record/8846354


----------



## SirRumpole (28 August 2017)

Channel 10 to be bought by US broadcaster CBS.


----------



## Tisme (28 August 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> Channel 10 to be bought by US broadcaster CBS.





I thought it might be ground breaking news like " Real Australian Politician found in hiding in Liberal Party Ranks"


----------



## pixel (28 August 2017)

Tisme said:


> I thought it might be ground breaking news like " Real Australian Politician found in hiding in Liberal Party Ranks"



or "George Pell says 'Sorry, I've let you down'."
or "Tony Abbott red-carded for bringing Parliament into disrepute."


----------



## Logique (28 August 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> Channel 10 to be bought by US broadcaster CBS.



Can only be good for Australian viewers. Puts the fear of god into Ch 9 & Ch 7.

Ch 10's Sandra Sully and Timmy Bailey, go for it!

Hoping it will entrench the presence of NFL replays on Aussie tv. Monday mornings, Aussie time, love it!  Might see the return of Aussie Big Brother as well..


----------



## Gringotts Bank (28 August 2017)

Logique said:


> Can only be good for Australian viewers. Puts the fear of god into Ch 9 & Ch 7.
> 
> Ch 10's Sandra Sully and Timmy Bailey, go for it!
> 
> Hoping it will entrench the presence of NFL replays on Aussie tv. Monday mornings, Aussie time, love it!  Might see the return of Aussie Big Brother as well..




The Coightmeister to go prime time.  Time to hit the road...


----------



## PZ99 (7 September 2017)

This is the beach where the planes used to fly ultra low to and from the airport. 


Heavy damage from Hurricane Irma at Maho Beach.


----------



## Tisme (7 September 2017)

PZ99 said:


> This is the beach where the planes used to fly ultra low to and from the airport.
> 
> Heavy damage from Hurricane Irma at Maho Beach.





FRightening


----------



## SirRumpole (16 September 2017)

Terrorist incident on London underground. 23 injured in bombing.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-...errorist-incident-parsons-green-train/8950958


----------



## Gringotts Bank (16 September 2017)

NK is very worrying.  The lack of discussion and news coverage in particular.


----------



## Wysiwyg (16 September 2017)

Matildas (ladies soccer) defeated Brazil  2 - 1.


----------



## SirRumpole (16 September 2017)

PZ99 said:


> This is the beach where the planes used to fly ultra low to and from the airport.





The planes fly so low because the pilots are perving at the girls on the beach.


----------



## PZ99 (20 September 2017)

Check what happens after 4:55


----------



## pixel (20 September 2017)

Wysiwyg said:


> Matildas (ladies soccer) defeated Brazil  2 - 1.



Samantha Kerr kicks 2, helping the Matildas come from behind and defeat Brazil 3:2


----------



## Wysiwyg (20 September 2017)

pixel said:


> Samantha Kerr kicks 2, helping the Matildas come from behind and defeat Brazil 3:2



Certainly raising the skill bar in women's soccer. Love that celebratory cartwheel/backflip. .


----------



## dutchie (20 September 2017)

pixel said:


> Samantha Kerr kicks 2, helping the Matildas come from behind and defeat Brazil 3:2



Great effort by the Aussie girls as they scream up the ratings.
Brazil sore losers and unwilling to shake hands after the game.
Brazil, no class.


----------



## Tisme (2 October 2017)

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-...olice-respond-near-mandalay-bay-hotel/9008372

50 people dead over 200 wounded


----------



## Toyota Lexcen (2 October 2017)

Homicide rate in US just horrendous, 25k+ per annum, per annum

It's not just gang related, everybody does it


----------



## Wysiwyg (2 October 2017)

Toyota Lexcen said:


> Homicide rate in US just horrendous, 25k+ per annum, per annum
> 
> It's not just gang related, everybody does it



Guns don't kill people, people kill people. Will hear that forever in U.S.


----------



## Boggo (3 October 2017)

Toyota Lexcen said:


> Homicide rate in US just horrendous, 25k+ per annum, per annum
> 
> It's not just gang related, everybody does it




Massive majority is black vs black and gang related !!!

http://heyjackass.com/


----------



## Wysiwyg (3 October 2017)

The ideas from former agents to avoid these events is to check all luggage going into apartments. I was thinking lock ya selves up at home so the nutters don't have anyone to shoot. The next one is sitting at home getting all excited about his future foray.


----------



## PZ99 (3 October 2017)

"Hayley Geftman-Gold, vice president and senior counsel at CBS, wrote on social media that she had no sympathy for the victims because they were mostly Republican, whereupon CBS fired her."

What a grub of a woman to say anything remotely like that.


----------



## Tisme (3 October 2017)

Wysiwyg said:


> The ideas from former agents to avoid these events is to check all luggage going into apartments. I was thinking lock ya selves up at home so the nutters don't have anyone to shoot. The next one is sitting at home getting all excited about his future foray.





I had a frightening night at Planet Hollywood after returning from an all nighter at a "gentlemens" club. I entered my floor from the lift and three or four mafia looking thugs with guns spreadout in the hallway and looking at me like I was their victim. Did I get onto the coppers as soon as I made it to my room. you bet I did.


----------



## SirRumpole (6 October 2017)

Nick Xenophon to quit Federal politics and return to SA politics.

A bit of a shock ?

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-06/xenophon-to-return-to-state-poltiics/9022266


----------



## PZ99 (6 October 2017)

If he's fleeing the dual citizenship cloud it could be a preview of what happens next week.


----------



## Logique (9 October 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> Nick Xenophon to quit Federal politics and return to SA politics.
> A bit of a shock ?
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-06/xenophon-to-return-to-state-poltiics/9022266



Not to anyone who follows his career. A survivor is our Nick


----------



## PZ99 (19 October 2017)

Luna Park wins the NZ election 







http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-...s-coaltion-with-labour-jacinda-ardern/9067264


----------



## tech/a (19 October 2017)

Luna Park

Seriously??


----------



## PZ99 (19 October 2017)

Yeah mate.. in three aspects..

The teeth
The flustercluck Coalition they've just formed.
Both of the above
Stand by for the anticipated correction in their market if it hasn't already happened


----------



## PZ99 (19 October 2017)

Yoooooo !


----------



## Joules MM1 (19 October 2017)

tech/a said:


> Luna Park
> 
> Seriously??



http://bigcharts.marketwatch.com/ad...sToggle=false&chartStyleToggle=false&state=15

watch that space, smack down correction coming

even if an intervention occurs, correction time for one of the globes best performers


----------



## SirRumpole (19 October 2017)

Julie Bishop's stupid comments are coming back to bite her.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-...ebuild-friendship-with-jacinda-ardern/9067564


----------



## Tisme (20 October 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> Julie Bishop's stupid comments are coming back to bite her.
> 
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-...ebuild-friendship-with-jacinda-ardern/9067564





Dutton would be quite happy with her performance


----------



## sptrawler (20 October 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> Julie Bishop's stupid comments are coming back to bite her.
> 
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-...ebuild-friendship-with-jacinda-ardern/9067564




If I remember correctly, she used to have a problem with pulling the trigger, before the gun had cleared the holster.


----------



## pixel (29 October 2017)

With great fanfare, the Health Minister announces a $100M Research Program into Brain Cancer.
That amount is roughly 80% of the cost of the Same-Sex-Marriage Opinion Poll.
(It's also 0.2% of the submarine price tag, but let's not go there...)

Really puts things in perspective and explains what importance our reactionaries in Canberra allocate various topics. 
(... only one week till Guy Fawkes Day ...)


----------



## Tisme (31 October 2017)

Spacey excuses himself of pedophilia because of alcohol and being gay


----------



## So_Cynical (31 October 2017)

Tisme said:


> Spacey excuses himself of pedophilia because of alcohol and being gay



 Kev was 26 and the other guy 14, both gay and Kev had been drinking...both were appearing in broadway plays at the time.


----------



## qldfrog (31 October 2017)

pixel said:


> With great fanfare, the Health Minister announces a $100M Research Program into Brain Cancer.
> That amount is roughly 80% of the cost of the Same-Sex-Marriage Opinion Poll.
> (It's also 0.2% of the submarine price tag, but let's not go there...)
> 
> ...



or put it differently 100/752 404 of the current debt of our governments(http://www.australiandebtclock.com.au/ 
At an interest of around 2% (let's talk roufght figures
states and federal pay around 41 millions a day in interest only;
so 100M is the cost of interest for 2 days and a half; 
Knowing that ten years ago, that amount was emazingly smaller, I believe that put the survey costs into perspective.....Or any expense since the post Costello area
But hey why bother with figures when you have a good story, we could also forget election, a real waste of money as anyway, the so called left or liberals in the US (oxymoron if any)k nows better and should be in charge for our own good anyway.
I can vent my rant too!!!


----------



## SirRumpole (31 October 2017)

So_Cynical said:


> Kev was 26 and the other guy 14, both gay and Kev had been drinking...both were appearing in broadway plays at the time.




How does a 14 year old get involved in the drinking/broadway culture ?

He should have still been at school. What sort of parents did he have ?

That's no excuse for Spacey, sounds like he's a borderline pedophile. Charges should be laid if allegations like this are made in public.


----------



## luutzu (31 October 2017)

qldfrog said:


> or put it differently 100/752 404 of the current debt of our governments(http://www.australiandebtclock.com.au/
> At an interest of around 2% (let's talk roufght figures
> states and federal pay around 41 millions a day in interest only;
> so 100M is the cost of interest for 2 days and a half;
> ...




How did you go from the Liberal Turnbull gov't doing wasteful idiotic things to that being the Left and hippies' fault?


----------



## So_Cynical (31 October 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> How does a 14 year old get involved in the drinking/broadway culture ?
> 
> He should have still been at school. What sort of parents did he have ?
> 
> That's no excuse for Spacey, sounds like he's a borderline pedophile. Charges should be laid if allegations like this are made in public.




The young man was 14, its borderline of age, lots of young people having consensual sex at 14.


----------



## SirRumpole (31 October 2017)

So_Cynical said:


> The young man was 14, its borderline of age, lots of young people having consensual sex at 14.




It's still against the law, especially with a person a lot older.


----------



## sptrawler (31 October 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> It's still against the law, especially with a person a lot older.



Yes it is, that will probably be the next barrier, the left want to break down.


----------



## Tisme (31 October 2017)

sptrawler said:


> Yes it is, that will probably be the next barrier, the left want to break down.





If it was a 14 yearold girl .......


----------



## SirRumpole (31 October 2017)

sptrawler said:


> Yes it is, that will probably be the next barrier, the left want to break down.




The Muslims are already trying to follow Muhammed's example.


----------



## SirRumpole (11 November 2017)

John Alexander resigns over citizenship issues.


----------



## tech/a (11 November 2017)

So when he played Davis Cup for Australia 
He was actually English!


----------



## Smurf1976 (11 November 2017)

I wish we could have a government which just got on with the job of governing.

We'll end up in recession or worse at this rate. It's akin to someone driving whilst paying no attention at all to where they're going and that won't end well.


----------



## Logique (12 November 2017)

pixel said:


> With great fanfare, the Health Minister announces a $100M Research Program into Brain Cancer.
> That amount is roughly 80% of the cost of the Same-Sex-Marriage Opinion Poll.
> (It's also 0.2% of the submarine price tag, but let's not go there...)
> 
> ...



How much did Labor allocate to the Clinton Foundation. And climate change quangos. And $900 plasma tv's and school halls


----------



## SirRumpole (14 November 2017)

Kristina Kennealy to run in Bennelong for the Labor Party. I reckon she might have a good chance.


----------



## PZ99 (14 November 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> Kristina Kennealy to run in Bennelong for the Labor Party. I reckon she might have a good chance.



No chance. She's a first class reject. 

Put Chika in as an indy and I'll change my addy for a day


----------



## SirRumpole (14 November 2017)

PZ99 said:


> No chance. She's a first class reject.
> 
> Put Chika in as an indy and I'll change my addy for a day




The Libs are on the nose in the electorate. Anything can happen.


----------



## PZ99 (14 November 2017)

If they are that desperate roll out Bob Carr or something. KK is universally despised.


----------



## Tisme (14 November 2017)

PZ99 said:


> If they are that desperate roll out Bob Carr or something. KK is universally despised.



 Kevin Rudd on a specificity ticket


----------



## PZ99 (14 November 2017)

Tisme said:


> Kevin Rudd on a specificity ticket



He speaks too much mandarin


----------



## Logique (15 November 2017)

PZ99 said:


> If they are that desperate roll out Bob Carr or something. KK is *universally despised*.



And Carr isn't?  Both on the nose in NSW.  

JA needn't be concerned, he'll be back.


----------



## PZ99 (15 November 2017)

To answer your question Carr isn't. More to the point he led a successful Govt with 10 years of budget surpluses. KK on the other hand had one of the biggest election losses... and putting up a proven loser with some guard-damn yankee accent isn't a smart strategy given the nature of this by-election.

JA is good with his electorate but is a hater of penalty rates so that should be the target of the ALP's campaign. KK just doesn't espouse the blue-collar values to me and that's really the only weapon Labor have.


----------



## Logique (15 November 2017)

PZ99 said:


> To answer your question *Carr isn't*. More to the point he led a successful Govt with 10 years of budget surpluses. KK on the other hand had one of the biggest election losses... and putting up a proven loser with some guard-damn yankee accent isn't a smart strategy given the nature of this by-election.
> 
> JA is good with his electorate but is a hater of penalty rates so that should be the target of the ALP's campaign. KK just doesn't espouse the blue-collar values to me and that's really the only weapon Labor have.



A Coalition government had to pick up the pieces after Carr.  Ran the state into the ground, and put a lot of regional folks out of their jobs.


----------



## PZ99 (15 November 2017)

Logique said:


> A Coalition government had to pick up the pieces after Carr.  Ran the state into the ground, and put a lot of regional folks out of their jobs.



Ran it into the ground with ten budget surpluses after six years of Coalition deficits?


----------



## Tisme (15 November 2017)

PZ99 said:


> Ran it into the ground with ten budget surpluses after six years of Coalition deficits?





I know NSW is something like 30% of everything in Oz and seems bullet proof ...... what is Logique actually referring to in your mind?


----------



## PZ99 (15 November 2017)

Tisme said:


> I know NSW is something like 30% of everything in Oz and seems bullet proof ...... what is Logique actually referring to in your mind?



I think he's referring to events that happened after Bob Carr retired. Bob Carr was premier for the ten years that NSW and the country in general had strong economic growth and high revenues both state and federal.

That all changed when we had widespread drought, the GFC and subsequent falling revenues and job losses, and revolving door premiers and finally KK as leader of a corrupt ALP Govt that couldn't organise a root in a brothel. None of this has anything to do with Bob Carr. Sure, the corruption was there but that's not the same as running the state into the ground. 

My original viewpoint was he has a better record than KK and would do better in that election.

Putting up KK would be like the Liberals bringing back Campbell Newman in QLD.


----------



## SirRumpole (15 November 2017)

PZ99 said:


> and finally KK as leader of a corrupt ALP Govt that couldn't organise a root in a brothel.




That sounds like an inference that KK herself was corrupt. 

Do you believe that ?


----------



## PZ99 (15 November 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> That sounds like an inference that KK herself was corrupt.
> 
> Do you believe that ?



Your analogy would have merit if I had said she was the _ring_leader of a corrupt Govt


----------



## Logique (15 November 2017)

PZ99 said:


> Ran it into the ground with ten budget surpluses after six years of Coalition deficits?



How were we looking after the Sydney Olympics?  Seen the (booming) state accounts under the current Coalition government?


----------



## PZ99 (15 November 2017)

Logique said:


> *How were we looking after the Sydney Olympics?*  Seen the (booming) state accounts under the current Coalition government?



Pretty good actually...

1996-97: 801
1997-98: 1,309
1998-99: 1,038
1999-00: 2,003
2000-01: 1,487 ✔

2001-02: 1,566 ✔

2002-03: 1,752 ✔

2003-04: 1,153 ✔

2004-05: 240 ✔

2005-06: 1,928 ✔

2006-07: 795 ✔
9 billion dollars of surpluses not good enough?

Current Coalition's numbers look *very* similar - now what's your point again?


----------



## Logique (15 November 2017)

http://www.wikileaksparty.org.au/farewelling-the-populist-bob-carr-evacuates/
_"The Carr resume is grotesque..."_

Where was the public transport? It took the incoming Coalition government to tackle this. Oh yes, plenty of Labor announcements and re-announcements of more trains, power stations and a *desalination plant* (such a good investment that!). But plenty of National Parks.


----------



## PZ99 (15 November 2017)

Logique said:


> http://www.wikileaksparty.org.au/farewelling-the-populist-bob-carr-evacuates/
> _"The Carr resume is grotesque..."_



An emotive story with no substance, no details and as a result - no comments to give it credibility. It doesn't articulate what he actually did or didn't do as NSW premier. Just what others did when he was in power. Hardly worthy of donning a Coalition cheerleader skirt and doing a dance.

More about Dr. Binoy Kampmark after he dissed Tony Abbott (look at the comments too!) > http://www.heraldsun.com.au/blogs/a...k=274ff93587210c0cd2333f53dbcf8137-1510711707

Got anything real? Your claim is Bob Carr ran the state into the ground. I just posted the budget figures that totally contradict what you are saying.

How is that possible ?


----------



## Logique (15 November 2017)

Obeid - Carr Minister - now in jail
McDonald - Carr Minister - now in jail

Carr needs to be on international flights, at taxpayers expense - as west of the divide, he is not welcome, e.g. the Farmers Association: http://www.theland.com.au/story/3610694/farmers-remember-a-carr-crash/?cs=4763 

As for Kristina Keneally, that she even presumes to run, given her record, is an insult to Bennelong voters.


----------



## PZ99 (15 November 2017)

Oh yeah, the Farmers Association. These are the same right wingers who supported workchoices which stripped away pay and rights from workers and sided with groups that were on the gravy train of higher profits at the expense of aussie workers. Their views are of no value to me.

But you are avoiding the point Logique. The state's finances improved and played no small part in why NSW is debt free today.


----------



## PZ99 (15 November 2017)

Whoa! ZIMBABWE’S army has seized power, taking [Malcolm Fraser's Middle Man] President Robert Mugabe and his wife into custody and triggering speculation of a coup.

http://www.news.com.au/world/africa...y/news-story/2f55a687f28a6e2399447206c1127d35


----------



## moXJO (16 November 2017)

PZ99 said:


> Ran it into the ground with ten budget surpluses after six years of Coalition deficits?



He wasn't good at all. Tax was high he only got the surplus after doubling tax revenue and raping the state with private enterprise.
_Carr allowed unfunded superannuation
liabilities to blow out by billions and also used dodgy accounting
techniques to load up debt in off-budget enterprises, such as
electricity companies.

He was about equal par with KK_


----------



## PZ99 (16 November 2017)

moXJO said:


> He wasn't good at all. Tax was high he only got the surplus after doubling tax revenue and raping the state with private enterprise.
> _Carr allowed unfunded superannuation
> liabilities to blow out by billions and also used dodgy accounting
> techniques to load up debt in off-budget enterprises, such as
> ...



I didn't say he was "good". The surpluses came from GST revenues so you can thank the Howard Govt for paying that extra tax 

Claiming he was equal with KK is curious. 

Carr served 4 terms and won 3 elections - KK served half a term and had a massive loss.

What miracle did KK perform in half a term that made her equal with Bob Carr's 4 terms?


----------



## moXJO (16 November 2017)

PZ99 said:


> I didn't say he was "good". The surpluses came from GST revenues so you can thank the Howard Govt for paying that extra tax
> 
> Claiming he was equal with KK is curious.
> 
> ...



It was his last term when the wheels fell off and everyone had enough. Libs had failed to put up anyone that could run the joint, up till that time. Plus NSW really sticks with one party till the house burns down.
NSW wanted to punt his ass, but I think he quit a year before election time from memory. 

KK was all fluff. No one really held a grudge.


----------



## PZ99 (16 November 2017)

I think KK is still all fluff really and I would agree with an earlier comment that running her would insult that electorate. If that's the best Labor can do then they have issues. If she wins then the Coalition has even bigger issues. My 2c.


----------



## Boggo (16 November 2017)

I keep looking at this thread as it pops up for new breaking news and all I am seeing is NSW politics !!!!!!!!!!


----------



## PZ99 (17 November 2017)

Boggo said:


> I keep looking at this thread as it pops up for new breaking news and all I am seeing is NSW politics !!!!!!!!!!



Hehe. Fair enough. 

What do you think of Robert Mugabe's house arrest?


----------



## Logique (17 November 2017)

Boggo said:


> I keep looking at this thread as it pops up for new breaking news and all I am seeing is NSW politics !!!!!!!!!!



Apologies. Disengaging on the NSW stuff. 

Let the voters decide on the Bennelong by-election, which is their privilege.


----------



## SirRumpole (18 November 2017)

A new meaning for the term Heads Up Display. 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-...jet-draws-giant-penis-over-washington/9164642


----------



## Tisme (19 November 2017)

SirRumpole said:


> A new meaning for the term Heads Up Display.
> 
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-...jet-draws-giant-penis-over-washington/9164642





I see a hat


----------



## SirRumpole (19 November 2017)

Tisme said:


> I see a hat




I didn't identify it as a phallis until I saw the round objects underneath, but they could be ears under the hat I suppose.


----------



## So_Cynical (20 November 2017)

PZ99 said:


> What do you think of Robert Mugabe's house arrest?




I have a Zimbabwean friend at work, this is all just an internal power grab, the Military dont want Mugabe's much younger wife to seize power, so they both had to go...


----------



## SirRumpole (20 November 2017)

Burn in hell you bastard.

Charles Manson dies at 83.

Good riddance.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-20/charles-manson-dead-at-83/9171388


----------



## PZ99 (21 November 2017)

*Mugabe has drafted resignation letter: CNN*

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has agreed to stand down and his resignation letter has been drafted, CNNN reports citing a source familiar with his negotiations with the generals who seized power in Harare. Under the terms of the deal, Mugabe and his wife Grace would be granted full immunity, CNNNN said on Monday.

Two senior government sources told Reuters that Mugabe had agreed to resign but did not know details of his departure.

http://www.news.com.au/world/breaki...e/news-story/c3558b02bf099b782e218d114a9f9e68


----------



## Tisme (22 November 2017)

David Cassidy gone

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/21/e...NN112117david-cassidy-dies0947PMStoryGalVideo


----------



## luutzu (22 November 2017)

Tisme said:


> David Cassidy gone
> 
> http://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/21/e...NN112117david-cassidy-dies0947PMStoryGalVideo




70s Teen heartthrob. I knew you secretly swing that way McGee.


----------



## Tisme (22 November 2017)

luutzu said:


> 70s Teen heartthrob. I knew you secretly swing that way McGee.




Oh great, you have one flirtation with a sing star and for the rest of your life!!! Next thing you'll be telling everyone about me and the black goat ..she had pretty eyes dammit!


----------



## Logique (27 November 2017)

Flabbergasted.  Genial ole Uncle Don Burke, pottering around in the garden... an alleged long term sexual predator!  Where was Channel Nine senior management in all this?







> http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment...y-claims-series-of-women-20171126-gzt6d2.html
> November 27, 2017 - 'A high-grade, twisted abuser': Don Burke a sexual harasser and bully, claims series of women
> By Kate McClymont ... But now a major Fairfax Media/ABC investigation can reveal that behind the scenes those who worked with Burke claim he was a *"psychotic bully", a "misogynist" and a "sexual predator"* who indecently assaulted, sexually harassed and bullied a string of female employees...


----------



## SirRumpole (27 November 2017)

Logique said:


> Where was Channel Nine senior management in all this?




Looking at the ratings.


----------



## tech/a (27 November 2017)

Tisme said:


> Oh great, you have one flirtation with a sing star and for the rest of your life!!! Next thing you'll be telling everyone about me and the black goat ..she had pretty eyes dammit!




Frankly I’m concerned 
DAISY could well be all over this!


----------



## wayneL (27 November 2017)

Logique said:


> Flabbergasted.  Genial ole Uncle Don Burke, pottering around in the garden... an alleged long term sexual predator!  Where was Channel Nine senior management in all this?



 I know some insiders that use to work on the show.
I always heard that he was difficult and arrogant to work with, a perfectionist as he says. But I never heard anything about sexual harassment. FWIW


----------



## Wysiwyg (27 November 2017)

Hello U.S.A. can you clean up this mess immediately?

*Marshall Islands: Concrete dome holding nuclear waste could leak*
RISING sea levels and a catastrophic toxic fallout threaten Pacific paradise as the dark legacy of US nuclear tests looms large.
http://www.news.com.au/technology/e...k/news-story/52169e48cdfe041682e9e6c5b103fd6d


----------



## Wysiwyg (5 December 2017)

05/12/2017*
Amazon Australia open for business. *


----------



## Tisme (5 December 2017)

Interesting how Trump is having an impact. Not bad for someone self inflated social commentators consider a  fool.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...ts-trump-travel-ban-take-full-effect-jasp2kia


----------



## dutchie (6 December 2017)

Russia is BANNED from 2018 Winter Olympics over doping


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5148747/Russia-banned-2018-Winter-Olympics-doping.html


----------



## PZ99 (6 December 2017)

dutchie said:


> Russia is *BANNED* from 2018 Winter Olympics over doping
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5148747/Russia-banned-2018-Winter-Olympics-doping.html



I like the subtle use of capital letters as a pejorative epithet against the commies. Very neat


----------



## Tisme (12 December 2017)

Westfield


----------



## PZ99 (12 December 2017)

Hope it means we can have our Centrepoint Tower back.


----------



## SirRumpole (21 December 2017)

Possible terrorist attack outside Flinders Street station Melbourne.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newschannel/


----------



## sptrawler (21 December 2017)

It sounds as if it was young people that were in the car, I remember growing up in mining towns, if the children did a serious criminal offence the family were thrown out of town.

I guess it is harder these days, as no criminal offence seems to be seen as the perpetrators fault anymore, it is now more that they were just having a bad day and the victim shouldn't have been there.


----------



## sptrawler (22 December 2017)

https://thewest.com.au/news/austral...ed-of-poor-treatment-of-muslims-ng-b88698102z

I guess he will be given a prison term and then deported, as he is a dual nationality person, Afghanistan will be much richer for his return.


----------



## DB008 (22 December 2017)

sptrawler said:


> I guess he will be given a prison term and then deported, as he is a dual nationality person, Afghanistan will be much richer for his return.




Yep, meanwhile he would be riding around on a donkey/camel in Kabul, but driving a SUV here. So hard done by.

Deport!


----------



## dutchie (22 December 2017)

sptrawler said:


> https://thewest.com.au/news/austral...ed-of-poor-treatment-of-muslims-ng-b88698102z
> 
> I guess he will be given a prison term and then deported, as he is a dual nationality person, Afghanistan will be much richer for his return.




In your dreams.

Community service sentence because he was temporarily insane and Australians were not nice to him.

Government house, centrelink payments for the rest of his life and lump sum compensation payment for police brutality at time of his arrest (after all he was dragged out of his car and manhandled).


----------



## sptrawler (22 December 2017)

Well if the Government don't deport him, there will be a lot of complaints from New Zealanders, who have been deported.


----------



## DB008 (23 December 2017)

Police have down played it and can't even tell us the truth anymore.

This was a terrorist incident, plain and simple.


http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/op...k/news-story/b1f8f8edbca83392097e344709529d37


----------



## explod (23 December 2017)

Don't agree,  just a part of the growing nut cases,  uneducated and no longer properly provided for. 

We reap as we sow.


----------



## sptrawler (23 December 2017)

explod said:


> Don't agree,  just a part of the growing nut cases,  uneducated and no longer properly provided for.
> 
> We reap as we sow.




Yes he looked poor, what was he driving, a 1997 Hyundai Excel. No it was a late model Suzuki Vitara.
How did you work out, he is no longer properly provided for? Maybe he has refused help and just felt like hurting people.
Oh I forgot, we are responsible for any nutcase behaviour, especially those who were silly enough to be walking across the road.


----------



## explod (23 December 2017)

sptrawler said:


> Yes he looked poor, what was he driving, a 1997 Hyundai Excel. No it was a late model Suzuki Vitara.
> How did you work out, he is no longer properly provided for?



I didn't,  just an off hand assumption in line with most commentary these days


----------



## Wysiwyg (25 December 2017)

explod said:


> Don't agree,  just a part of the growing nut cases,  uneducated and no longer properly provided for.



Yes most people can keep their mental issues in check but some blow out and do something to hurt (as they or connections have been). I watched the doco. about methamphetamines plague in regonal Australia and one addict said he would kill his own mother to 'get it'. Bit of a domino affect where a few can cause mental and physical anguish for many.


----------



## PZ99 (16 March 2018)

$500 million in gold bullion rains down on Siberia after aircraft cargo bungle

Pump and Dump


----------



## SirRumpole (16 March 2018)

PZ99 said:


> $500 million in gold bullion rains down on Siberia after aircraft cargo bungle
> 
> Pump and Dump




The Kremlin has denied reports that the plane was en route to Vlad's dacha in London.


----------



## Smurf1976 (16 March 2018)

I’ll help them clean up the mess if they need a hand.

No charge, I’ll just take the rubbish away to some place with minimal taxes and sort out.


----------



## Logique (18 March 2018)

Xenophon party a spectacular bust in the SA election.  

Liberals to form majority government.   

South Australians looking forward to charging up their mobile phones again.

Liberal party returned in the Tasmania state election, and now win South Australia.


----------



## tech/a (18 March 2018)

About time !


----------



## SirRumpole (18 March 2018)

Jay Wetherill had his day, but was screwed by a redistribution.

Libs gained 3 seats with a swing against them of 7%.

Labor could well say "we wuz robbed !".


----------



## Tisme (18 March 2018)

Logique said:


> Xenophon party a spectacular bust in the SA election.
> 
> Liberals to form majority government.
> 
> ...




South Oz doesn't have anything to barter for income does it? Primarily a service and shopping centre economy that relies on Federal institutional welfare in the form of military contracts and 143% GST rebate?

My guess is that, because it isn't blessed with iron ore, tourism or coal any govt there will just tinker around the edges?


----------



## DB008 (18 March 2018)

Hasn't Labor been in charge SA for donkeys years?


----------



## CanOz (30 March 2018)

BREAKING: Russian foreign ministry has summoned ambassadors of nations that expelled Russian diplomats


----------



## Smurf1976 (30 March 2018)

Tisme said:


> My guess is that, because it isn't blessed with iron ore, tourism or coal any govt there will just tinker around the edges?



There’s iron ore in SA and a steelworks to go with it.

There’s no current mining but bituminous, sub-bituminous and lignite coals all exist in SA. Only the sub-bituminous coal has ever been mined on a commercial scale however and FWIW the SA government itself (via the former ETSA) did most of that mining with private enterprise taking over in the latter years and bringing it to an end.


----------



## Tisme (31 March 2018)

Smurf1976 said:


> There’s iron ore in SA and a steelworks to go with it.
> 
> There’s no current mining but bituminous, sub-bituminous and lignite coals all exist in SA. Only the sub-bituminous coal has ever been mined on a commercial scale however and FWIW the SA government itself (via the former ETSA) did most of that mining with private enterprise taking over in the latter years and bringing it to an end.





When I said "blessed" ... 90% iron ore in WA (80% in the Hamersley), 62% black coal QLD (24% NSW), economical brown coal Vic 99%, SA zip%, tourism consumption e.g. QLD ~$30bn, SA ~$6.6bn


----------



## Gringotts Bank (13 April 2018)

P&O don't appear to have cameras on the deck.  

How can that be, given the number of deaths from people jumping or being pushed overboard?  The number is very high.  A lot higher than people realise.

Happened again.  No evidence.  Shithouse situation.


----------



## Tisme (13 April 2018)

Gringotts Bank said:


> P&O don't appear to have cameras on the deck.
> 
> How can that be, given the number of deaths from people jumping or being pushed overboard?  The number is very high.  A lot higher than people realise.
> 
> Happened again.  No evidence.  Shithouse situation.




Why don't life buoys have epirbs?


----------



## Gringotts Bank (13 April 2018)

Tisme said:


> Why don't life buoys have epirbs?



If the ship's moving, you won't get it out in time, so it wouldn't help.  But cruise ships are potential crime scenes, clearly.  200 people have vanished off the side of cruise ships since 2000.


----------



## Tisme (13 April 2018)

Gringotts Bank said:


> If the ship's moving, you won't get it out in time, so it wouldn't help.  But cruise ships are potential crime scenes, clearly.  200 people have vanished off the side of cruise ships since 2000.




Didn't I see footage pf them throwing a buoy to the stricken person or was that just visual library exaggeration? I really don't know.


----------



## Gringotts Bank (13 April 2018)

Tisme said:


> Didn't I see footage pf them throwing a buoy to the stricken person or was that just visual library exaggeration? I really don't know.




I don't know.  If they had epirbs you could use them to track approximate position so that would help.  Takes a long time to turn a cruise ship around, almost as long as the Queen Mary.  Wait...


----------



## cynic (14 April 2018)

Perhaps it was a similar case to this one:
http://weeklyworldnews.com/aliens/38653/aliens-abducting-cruise-ship-passengers/

If so there wouldn't be much point having CCTV on the decks due to the EMF interference from extraterrestrial technology.


----------



## noirua (14 April 2018)

Have you stocked up with bottles of water and tinned food?

*Russian state TV anchor tells viewers the best food to pack for WW3 bomb shelters and advises iodine can protect against radiation*
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ood-pack-WW3-bomb-shelters.html#ixzz5CbWS3vzC
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...viewers-best-food-pack-WW3-bomb-shelters.html


----------



## CanOz (14 April 2018)

It's started....the UK, US, and France have launched attacks against Syria.


----------



## SirRumpole (14 April 2018)

CanOz said:


> It's started....the UK, US, and France have launched attacks against Syria.




It could get nasty very quickly.

Trump may use it as an opportunity to kick Russia, then who knows where it will go.


----------



## Tisme (14 April 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> It could get nasty very quickly.
> 
> Trump may use it as an opportunity to kick Russia, then who knows where it will go.




Taking the opportunity to show Putin the  “nice and new and 'smart" Nato missiles in action?


----------



## SirRumpole (14 April 2018)

Tisme said:


> Taking the opportunity to show Putin the  “nice and new and 'smart" Nato missiles in action?




Followed by retaliation from Russia's new "undetectable" missiles.


----------



## Gringotts Bank (14 April 2018)

Since I don't know much about politics or war, I always refer to the schoolyard if I want to know what might happen next.  The alpha male will get challenged every now and then, but rarely does he end up in a huge brawl.  The brutal stuff happens between the lower and middle ranked kids.  In the case where there are two equally ranked apha males, they tend to recruit support, polarize the population and avoid each other.  The cost of conflict is high and everyone knows it.

The US & allies are still number one...just.  The Chinese are desperate to knock them off their perch and take the mantle. Russia is the kid who will attack soft targets and then lie about it.  NK is the kid who just wants any form of conflict or disturbance because it excites him.  Human nature is pathetic.


----------



## basilio (14 April 2018)

I don't think Putin will necesssarily make a direct military response. But don't be surprised if some critical infrastructure in the US/UK/France  gets the wobbles.

And who knows when someone decides to leak Donald Trumps KGB file.

The stories about Russian media discussing what to take into a bomb shelter are unnerving. I sincerely hope the hot line between Russian and Western military commanders is all good.


----------



## noirua (14 April 2018)

Donald - Hello Vlad how are you.
 Vlad - Great. 
Donald. How are you getting on moving all your planes and equipment and I need to know what you don't mind me bombing.
Vlad - need a bit more time really and you need to let me know which dud rockets to blast out of the sky.
Donald - Yeh, we'll send them across at low speed so you can hit them and they'll have plenty of smoke given off so you can photograph them for the Russian Media.
Vlad - Fine. We will put the same in these buildings marked A to Y. We wanted them out of the way.
Donald - As soon as it's over we can work out what to say and what your reply should be.
Vlad - and I've got a few things up my sleeve on your FBI so you can tweet them. By the way, thanks for putting sanctions on certain items. The price rose and we profited nicely. Bank accounts in Cyprus well padded.


----------



## Wysiwyg (15 April 2018)

Gringotts Bank said:


> Human nature is pathetic.



Because pathetic is perpetuated. The mind is pure repetition, both good and not good.


----------



## noirua (15 April 2018)

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...cessful-strike-chemical-weapons-base-theresa/
*British jets in 'successful' strike on chemical weapons base in Syria as Theresa May denies aim is 'regime change'*


----------



## noirua (15 April 2018)

*Live *
* Syria airstrikes: America, Britain and France target Assad's chemical facilities in aerial barrage - latest news - https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20..._source=LI&li_medium=li-recommendation-widget*


----------



## noirua (15 April 2018)

*'An unequivocal message': How the world reacted to the Syrian airstrikes*
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/04/14/unequivocal-message-world-reacted-syrian-airstrikes/


----------



## Gringotts Bank (15 April 2018)

Wysiwyg said:


> Because pathetic is perpetuated. The mind is pure repetition, both good and not good.



Damn straight.  The mind is pure habit, with the same circuits firing over and over.  It's been estimated (though I forget the source) that 90% of our thoughts are basically the same day to day.  That means our attitude towards any subject will tend to have enormous inertia.  In a practical sense, this means that shifting your political bias, religion, wealth... is hard.  Not many people make big changes in attitude.  

To change an atitude requires gentle repetition.  Anything new or forceful will get rejected by the subconscious, because it will always be viewed as threatening.  The subconscious is designed to reject anything too different and you have to coax it.


----------



## noirua (15 April 2018)

*Leading LGBT+ rights lawyer David Buckel dies after setting himself on fire in protest in Brooklyn park*
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...ect-park-climate-change-protest-a8305431.html

 'My early death by fossil fuel reflects what we are doing to ourselves'


----------



## CanOz (15 April 2018)

Explain to me how any life is better off dead than defending thier cause?


----------



## noirua (15 April 2018)

CanOz said:


> Explain to me how any life is better off dead than defending thier cause?




Jesus Christ sacrificed himself as well...


----------



## CanOz (15 April 2018)

noirua said:


> Jesus Christ sacrificed himself as well...




That still doesn't explain how a rational, well trained professional is better off dead than actively practising what they're most capable of using to change what their cause is....you'd have to be off your rocker...


----------



## noirua (15 April 2018)

CanOz said:


> That still doesn't explain how a rational, well trained professional is better off dead than actively practising what they're most capable of using to change what their cause is....you'd have to be off your rocker...




It does depend who a person is and what they represent and how others use that death.


----------



## moXJO (15 April 2018)

Maybe he already had a terminal illness and wanted to go out in protest


----------



## wayneL (16 April 2018)

noirua said:


> Jesus Christ sacrificed himself as well...



Not really,  he prophesied his death and did not attempt to avoid it. But that is not the same as suicide.


----------



## Tisme (16 April 2018)

wayneL said:


> Not really,  he prophesied his death and did not attempt to avoid it. But that is not the same as suicide.





SBS ran a doco on a revised timeline for the crucifiction during Easter.. A political narrative that involved the power struggle at the top of the empire. It is postulated he surmised his own death based on being sandwiched between a rock and a hard place.

https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/program/the-last-days-of-jesus


----------



## noirua (16 April 2018)

wayneL said:


> Not really,  he prophesied his death and did not attempt to avoid it. But that is not the same as suicide.




That's a bit like saying 'the car was heading towards a cliff and he did not bother to brake'. That has to be suicide in my book. Mind you, the version held with the Russian Orthodox church does not say he prophesied his own death. Someone must have added that later


----------



## noirua (16 April 2018)

*Barbara Bush, in "failing health," to forgo medical treatment - *https://www.axios.com/barbara-bush-...lth-654e7a9d-9578-40a0-adb3-f0c021d0424c.html


----------



## Tisme (16 April 2018)

CanOz said:


> Explain to me how any life is better off dead than defending thier cause?




Penance for realising western society has got worse under his watch?


----------



## cynic (16 April 2018)

Tisme said:


> Penance for realising western society has got worse under his watch?



Given the agenda he was actively promoting, in this final act, he may well have actually succeeded in making this world a slightly better place!


----------



## noirua (17 April 2018)

*Flesh-eating ulcer spreading rapidly in Australia*
https://www.theguardian.com/austral...ound-in-africa-spreading-rapidly-in-australia


----------



## noirua (18 April 2018)

*From steak to aftershave to urine tests, how Donald Trump’s merchandising empire has collapsed - https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...ine-tests-donald-trumps-merchandising-empire/*


----------



## noirua (19 April 2018)

*Nanny who killed kids while parents away convicted of murder*
https://www.news24.com/World/News/n...ile-parents-away-convicted-of-murder-20180419


----------



## pixel (20 April 2018)

*Barnaby Joyce can make boys.*
(unless he's right and Sebastian is not his after all  )

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/pa...y/news-story/504eb3044db3873582a2bb31079aac13


----------



## noirua (21 April 2018)

*King Mswati III of Swaziland proclaims his nation will be henceforth known as eSwatini*
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...rth-known-as-eswatini/?utm_term=.4346bac76f55

---

*'She is the bedrock of our family': Wells Fargo exec died on Southwest flight*
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...t-airlines-victim-jennifer-riordan/527363002/


----------



## SirRumpole (21 April 2018)

Best of luck with this one:-


*Democrats sue Trump campaign and Russia over 2016 election loss*

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-...gn-and-russia-over-2016-election-loss/9683230


----------



## Tisme (21 April 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> Best of luck with this one:-
> 
> 
> *Democrats sue Trump campaign and Russia over 2016 election loss*
> ...




The self ascribed victims of injustice moving comedy to farce.


----------



## noirua (21 April 2018)

*North Korean leader suspends nuclear and missile tests, shuts down test site*

https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...ory.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.43341a33bd1f


----------



## noirua (23 April 2018)

*10-year-old Australian violinist becomes youngest ever Menuhin winner*
*https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/n...lian-violinist-becomes-youngest-ever-menuhin/*


----------



## noirua (24 April 2018)




----------



## noirua (24 April 2018)

*Live *
* Suspect named after van ploughs into pedestrians in Toronto leaving ten dead and 15 injured - live updates*
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/04/23/several-pedestrians-struck-van-toronto/


----------



## noirua (24 April 2018)

*Mike Pompeo narrowly approved for secretary of state by Senate committee*
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...ed-for-secretary-of-state-by-senate-committee


----------



## noirua (26 April 2018)

*Golden State Killer arrested for 1970s-80s serial murder cases, investigators say*
*25/04/2018*
https://www.redding.com/story/news/...old-redding-murder-may-behind-bars/550713002/


----------



## noirua (27 April 2018)

*North Korea's nuclear site collapse may be reason Kim Jong Un ceased bomb tests, scientists say *
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/worl...sts-scientists-say/ar-AAwlMMT?ocid=spartandhp


----------



## noirua (27 April 2018)

*Korea summit: Trump hails 'end of the Korean war' - as it happened*
https://www.theguardian.com/world/l...repare-for-historic-inter-korean-meeting-live


----------



## noirua (28 April 2018)

*Europol strikes at heart of Isil by seizing its servers*
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/04/27/europol-strikes-heart-isil-seizing-servers/


----------



## noirua (28 April 2018)

Black NFL player sobs ‘I’m not even fighting back’ as cops slam him to ground for ‘holding phone’
http://metro.co.uk/2018/04/27/black...lam-ground-holding-phone-7504209/?ito=cbshare

-----

***** https://www.aussiestockforums.com/threads/may-stock-tipping-competition-entry-thread.33932/page-2


----------



## moXJO (29 April 2018)

*



			Hundreds evacuated as rotting durian sparks fears of gas leak
		
Click to expand...


*


> Durian - the fruit known as the smelliest in the world - sparked an evacuation in Melbourne on Saturday.
> 
> Photo: Alamy
> Even when ripe it is known as the smelliest fruit in the world and banned from subways and airplanes around the world.
> ...



EPA needed??
Really Melbourne.... thats where you are at?


----------



## noirua (29 April 2018)

*Kim Jong-un: North Korea to allow foreign experts to witness nuclear site closure in May*
*https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...-korea-allow-foreign-experts-witness-nuclear/*


----------



## noirua (30 April 2018)

*Twin blasts in Kabul kill at least 25, including several journalists*
*http://beta.nydailynews.com/news/world/twin-blasts-kabul-kill-including-journalist-article-1.3962900*

Agence France-Presse identified the slain photographer as Shah Marai.


----------



## noirua (1 May 2018)

*David Goodall: 104-year-old scientist to end own life in Switzerland*
https://www.theguardian.com/austral...dest-scientist-to-end-own-life-in-switzerland


----------



## Tisme (1 May 2018)

noirua said:


> *David Goodall: 104-year-old scientist to end own life in Switzerland*
> https://www.theguardian.com/austral...dest-scientist-to-end-own-life-in-switzerland





Wouldn't it be a bugger if they came out with youth pill the day after.


----------



## noirua (1 May 2018)

*Four skiers dead and five left in critical condition after night stuck outside in Swiss Alps*
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20..._source=LI&li_medium=li-recommendation-widget


----------



## noirua (1 May 2018)

*Brazil fire: Burning tower block collapses in Sao Paulo*
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/05/01/brazil-fire-burning-tower-block-collapses-sao-paulo/

MANY are feared dead as residents were heard screaming for help after a tower block in Brazil collapsed in a blazing inferno.
http://www.news.com.au/world/south-...d/news-story/c9984b0d86c8141189b8d848fc19bb97


----------



## noirua (1 May 2018)

*Trade war fears ease as Trump delays steel and aluminium tariffs on EU – business live*
01 May 2018
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/trade-w...el-and-aluminium-tariffs-on-eu-business-live/


----------



## noirua (2 May 2018)

*Taiwan says China dangled $3 billion to grab ally Dominican Republic*
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-dominicanrepublic-taiwan/dominican-republic-cuts-ties-with-taiwan-in-favor-of-china-idUSKBN1I22LN?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+Reuters/worldNews+(Reuters+World+News)&utm_content=Yahoo+Search+Results


----------



## noirua (2 May 2018)




----------



## noirua (3 May 2018)




----------



## noirua (3 May 2018)

*Isis attack on Libya election commission kills more than a dozen*
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...a-election-commission-kills-more-than-a-dozen


----------



## noirua (3 May 2018)

*‘Shocked’ by Attack on Mosque, Nigeria Tightens Security in Northeast*
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/02/world/africa/nigeria-boko-haram-terrorism-attacks.html


----------



## noirua (6 May 2018)

*Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny among at least 300 arrested during anti-Putin protests *


*Alexei Anatolievich Navalny* (Russian: Алексе́й Анато́льевич Нава́льный, Russian pronunciation: [ɐlʲɪkˈsʲej ɐnɐˈtolʲjɪvʲɪtɕ nɐˈvalʲnɨj]; born June 4, 1976) is a Russian lawyer and political activist.[2] A regular participant in Russian March, since 2009, he has gained prominence in Russia, and in the Russian and international media, as a critic of corruption and of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has organized large-scale demonstrations promoting reform and attacking political corruption, Putin and Putin's political allies; he has run for a political office on the same platform. In 2012, _The Wall Street Journal_ described him as "the man Vladimir Putin fears most".[3]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexei_Navalny


----------



## noirua (7 May 2018)

Donald Trumps' London war zone. 

Armed police units and extra patrols are being deployed on the streets of London after a weekend of gun and knife violence saw three shootings, a stabbing and an acid attack spree.


----------



## noirua (8 May 2018)

*‘This is heartbreaking’: Lava burns more homes on Hawaii’s Big Island as new fissures form*
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...es-form/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.007b62da12fe


----------



## noirua (8 May 2018)

*Leopard snatches and eats toddler at Queen Elizabeth National park in Uganda*
*https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/05/07/leopard-snatches-eats-toddler-ugandan-national-park/*


----------



## noirua (8 May 2018)

*The man who was once tipped to be the next president of China is now a prisoner for life*
*One of China’s most high-profile politicians, Sun Zhengcai*
孙政才*, once seen as a likely candidate to be China’s next leader, was sentenced to life in prison for taking nearly $27 million in bribes. A court in the northern port city of Tianjin that has become the go-to choice for handling official corruption cases handed down the…
*
Sun Zhengcai,one of the Politburo members of 18th Chinese Communist Party Central Committee.





*By Partidul Social Democrat from Romania [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Zhengcai*



https://www.yahoo.com/news/chinese-politician-tipped-replace-president-083512771.html


----------



## noirua (8 May 2018)

*'He's not a populist, he's popular': Nikol Pashinyan becomes Armenian PM*
*Protest leader elected by parliamentary vote after leading weeks of peaceful demonstrations
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...s-popular-nikol-pashinyan-becomes-armenian-pm*


----------



## noirua (10 May 2018)

*Reports: Israeli Preemptive Strike Thwarts Iranian Attack*
http://www.israeltoday.co.il/NewsItem/tabid/178/nid/33958/Default.aspx


----------



## luutzu (10 May 2018)

noirua said:


> *Reports: Israeli Preemptive Strike Thwarts Iranian Attack*
> http://www.israeltoday.co.il/NewsItem/tabid/178/nid/33958/Default.aspx





"Thwarting" attacks, or picking a fights. 

If you're the side whose PM have been giving presentation and speeches on the need to overthrow the other guy's gov't... chances are you're the one picking a fight, hoping for a retaliation big enough Big Brother will have to come on in to defend democracy and all that.

With defensive strikes into Syria, plans to overthrow an Iran-backed but democratically elected Lebanese gov't in Lebanon (don't you hate it when Democracy goes the wrong way?)... there's going to be quite a few Nobel Peace prizes to future Israeli PMs and American presidents.


----------



## noirua (11 May 2018)

*Five key Isil leaders captured in sting after Iraqi agents lure them into trap using Telegram app*
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...eaders-captured-sting-iraqi-agents-lure-trap/
Baghdadi aide Ismail al-Eithawi and the four others were all members of a group chat on the social media app Telegram, which Isil members use to communicate and spread their propaganda. 
One of the jihadists, Saddam al-Jamal, has been identified as the security commander of the organisation's Euphrates Valley district.


----------



## SirRumpole (11 May 2018)

noirua said:


> *Five key Isil leaders captured in sting after Iraqi agents lure them into trap using Telegram app*
> https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...eaders-captured-sting-iraqi-agents-lure-trap/
> Baghdadi aide Ismail al-Eithawi and the four others were all members of a group chat on the social media app Telegram, which Isil members use to communicate and spread their propaganda.
> One of the jihadists, Saddam al-Jamal, has been identified as the security commander of the organisation's Euphrates Valley district.




Reminds me of the sting operation a few years back when wanted criminals were told they had won the lottery and all they had to do was turn up and collect their prize...


----------



## noirua (11 May 2018)

*Damage to North Korea’s Nuclear Test Site Worse Than Previously Thought*
*https://www.wsj.com/articles/damage...site-worse-than-previously-thought-1525975203*
The last test caused an initial magnitude-6.3 earthquake, followed by a smaller tremor 8½ minutes later that was triggered by the collapse of damaged rock above the blast cavity, the Chinese study said.


----------



## noirua (12 May 2018)

*Suspect Detained, At Least 1 Wounded After Gunman Seen On Campus At High School In Palmdale*
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2018...-school-gunman-suspect-detained-live-updates/


----------



## noirua (12 May 2018)

*Hawaii volcano: Donald Trump declares major disaster after Mount Kilauea eruption*
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/wor...lcano-eruption-a-major-disaster-a3837221.html


----------



## noirua (12 May 2018)

*New Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad says Razak would face court if found to be responsible in 1MDB corruption scandal*
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2...ib-razak-barred-leaving-country/#.WvbaAUNzJPY


----------



## noirua (13 May 2018)

*One killed in Paris 'Islamic State' knife attack*


----------



## noirua (14 May 2018)

*Family of suicide bombers attacks 3 churches in Indonesia, killing 7, police say - *
*The six bombers also died, Karnavian said. Investigators believe the parents belong to Jamaah Ansharut Daulah, a terrorist group that lends its support to ISIS in Indonesia, the police general said. 
The attackers included two daughters aged 9 and 12 years old, said Head Gen. Tito Karnavian, the country's highest-ranking police official. (FILE PHOTO)
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/05/13/asia/indonesia-church-attacks-surabaya/index.html*


----------



## SirRumpole (14 May 2018)

Indonesia could become a big problem in the future if they elect the wrong President.

Things are ok between them and us now, but I hope plans are being made if things go pear shaped.


----------



## Tisme (14 May 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> Indonesia could become a big problem in the future if they elect the wrong President.
> 
> Things are ok between them and us now, but I hope plans are being made if things go pear shaped.




I don't think they have too many bleeding hearts over there who would get in the way of swift justice. They want to be number 15 country sooner than later and barbarians will be expendable in that pursuit.


----------



## noirua (14 May 2018)

*Australian regulator investigates Google data harvesting from Android phones*
https://www.theguardian.com/technol...es-google-data-harvesting-from-android-phones

Reddit Android


----------



## noirua (15 May 2018)

* At least 52 Palestinians killed by Israeli troops in Gaza protests as US opens Jerusalem embassy*
*https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...sraeli-troops-gaza-protests-ahead-us-embassy/*
Israel has doubled the number of troops deployed along the Gaza border in preparation for the protests. Reinforcements have also been called in to the occupied West Bank to deal with potential protests there.


----------



## noirua (15 May 2018)

*In startling comeback, firebrand nationalist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr surges in Iraq election*
*Sadr, who led two uprisings against US forces in Iraq, had recently been sidelined by Iran-backed fellow Shiites*
*http://www.scmp.com/news/world/midd...eback-firebrand-nationalist-cleric-moqtada-al*





Full results were due to be officially announced later on Monday.


----------



## CanOz (15 May 2018)

Really silly isn't it....US overthrows ruthless dictator....a decade of unrest and billions of dollars we finally see the democratic process electing leaders of thier choice...Muslim clerics! Like this will end well....FFS


----------



## SirRumpole (15 May 2018)

CanOz said:


> Really silly isn't it....US overthrows ruthless dictator....a decade of unrest and billions of dollars we finally see the democratic process electing leaders of thier choice...Muslim clerics! Like this will end well....FFS





On the other hand, US supports ruthless dictator who then gets overthrown by Muslim clerics who start their own nuclear program.

That is not ending well either.


----------



## CanOz (15 May 2018)

Exactly, what would have happened if the US never ever got involved in the middle east? Impossible to fathom really....


----------



## Joules MM1 (15 May 2018)

watch this, live longer ......maybe


----------



## luutzu (15 May 2018)

noirua said:


> *In startling comeback, firebrand nationalist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr surges in Iraq election*
> *Sadr, who led two uprisings against US forces in Iraq, had recently been sidelined by Iran-backed fellow Shiites*
> *http://www.scmp.com/news/world/midd...eback-firebrand-nationalist-cleric-moqtada-al*
> 
> ...





I thought he was considered a terrorist a few years back. Now he's just a "firebrand" cleric. lol.


----------



## luutzu (15 May 2018)

Another 30+ Palestinian protestors shot dead. Over 2000 "injured"... as in have their legs, spin, throat sniped at but yet to die, just permanently injured.

Training your soldiers to take on unarmed prisoners is probably not the best prep for taking on Iran whose soldiers can shoot back.


----------



## basilio (15 May 2018)

luutzu said:


> Another 30+ Palestinian protestors shot dead. Over 2000 "injured"... as in have their legs, spin, throat sniped at but yet to die, just permanently injured.
> 
> Training your soldiers to take on unarmed prisoners is probably not the best prep for taking on Iran whose soldiers can shoot back.





Didn't you know Luutzu ?  Anyone who turned up for this protest is a self proclaimed terrorist and deserved whatever came his/her/childs way.

_Israel has portrayed the protests as a terrorist ploy by Hamas. Naftali Bennett, Israel’s education minister, told Israel Radio that anyone who approached the fence would be considered a terrorist. A foreign ministry spokesman labelled protesters “murderous rioters”.
_
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...they-are-risking-lives-in-us-embassy-protests


----------



## luutzu (15 May 2018)

basilio said:


> Didn't you know Luutzu ?  Anyone who turned up for this protest is a self proclaimed terrorist and deserved whatever came his/her/childs way.
> 
> _Israel has portrayed the protests as a terrorist ploy by Hamas. Naftali Bennett, Israel’s education minister, told Israel Radio that anyone who approached the fence would be considered a terrorist. A foreign ministry spokesman labelled protesters “murderous rioters”.
> _
> https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...they-are-risking-lives-in-us-embassy-protests




I know right. If only they protest quietly and indoors the world's "noblest military" wouldn't have to shoot them dead or permanently disable them.

Evil Muslims, see what you made them do to you and your children? 

Listening to that Yahu talking about "truth" and "peace". Worst car salesman ever.

And the Trump's kids... all smartly dressed, grinning their stupid faces when people are being picked off one by one nearby. It's a bit surreal that these are the people who's shaping people's lives. A freaking mid-30 year old landlord all of a sudden become a "peace envoy" responsible for Middle Eastern affairs. Holy crap.

Then there's that Evangelical Pastor who's Anti-Muslim, Anti-Semitic, anti everything but the Christian god doing the opening prayer. The Jewish people there know that the Pastor is doing this so that Armageddon would come and wipe out the Jews (and most of the world, except for Christians), right?


----------



## basilio (15 May 2018)

_
And the Trump's kids... all smartly dressed, grinning their stupid faces when people are being picked off one by one nearby. It's a bit surreal that these are the people who's shaping people's lives. A freaking mid-30 year old landlord all of a sudden become a "peace envoy" responsible for Middle Eastern affairs. Holy crap.

Then there's that Evangelical Pastor who's Anti-Muslim, Anti-Semitic, anti everything but the Christian god doing the opening prayer. The Jewish people there know that the Pastor is doing this so that Armageddon would come and wipe out the Jews (and most of the world, except for Christians), 
_
Just too xxxxing surreal.


----------



## SirRumpole (15 May 2018)

basilio said:


> Just too xxxxing surreal.




I wonder if a wormhole opened in our universe since Trump's election and we found ourselves in an alternate reality where nothing makes sense.


----------



## luutzu (15 May 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> I wonder if a wormhole opened in our universe since Trump's election and we found ourselves in an alternate reality where nothing makes sense.




Maybe.

This idiot Kushner sure live in an alternate reality.

So freaking Orwellian this speech. It's as if his speech writer reverses everything and the idiot don't know any better but just read what's prepared for him to read.

Not only that, he's supposed to represent the interests of the people of the United States. You can't represent that interest if you go on LIVE TV and called all Arabs backwards religious fools whose countries are poor because the people are too busy raping their kids, forced their women and daughters to this that.

Alright, he didn't exactly put it that way, he just said that Israel is the only "democracy" in the M.E., the only civilised nation (i.e. "a castle among the jungle")... and one day Israel can share all that greatness with the Arabs - teach them how it's done.


----------



## CanOz (15 May 2018)

I am totally shocked at what’s happening there....


----------



## noirua (17 May 2018)

Cases of Ebola have been reported in a city of around one million inhabitants in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), prompting fears that the outbreak will spread out of control in this densely populated urban area.


----------



## noirua (18 May 2018)

*Jared Corey Kushner* (born January 10, 1981) is an American investor, real-estate developer, and newspaper publisher who is currently senior advisor to his father-in-law, Donald Trump, the President of the United States. Kushner is the elder son of real-estate developer Charles Kushner, and is married to Ivanka Trump, President Trump's daughter and advisor. He was chief executive officer of the real-estate holding and development company Kushner Companies, and of Observer Media, publisher of the _New York Observer_. He is the co-founder and part owner of Cadre, an online real-estate investment platform.[1][2]

Kushner was born in Livingston, New Jersey,[6] to Seryl Kushner (née Stadtmauer) and Charles Kushner, a real-estate developer.[7] His paternal grandparents, Reichel and Joseph Kushner, were Holocaust survivors who came to the U.S. in 1949 from Navahrudak, Belarus.[8][9]

Kushner was raised in a Modern Orthodox Jewish family.[10] He graduated from the Frisch School, a Modern Orthodox yeshiva high school, in 1999. According to a Kushner Companies spokeswoman, he was an honors student and a member of the debate, hockey, and basketball teams.[11]

Jared Kushner had been a lifelong Democrat, making major donations to its candidates for years, yet also to _New York Observer_-endorsed Republican US presidential race nominee Mitt Romney in 2012;[45][46] then, reportedly continuing along his "ideological conversion", Kushner joined his father-in-law Donald Trump's nascent US presidential campaign in 2015.[51] Kushner had no prior involvement in campaign politics or in government before Trump's, campaign.[52]

Kushner's contacts with Russian officials have come under scrutiny as part of the larger federal investigation into Russian interference in the election.[62]Kushner had two undisclosed phone calls with the Russian ambassador, Sergey Kislyak, between April and November 2016. His attorney, Jamie Gorelick, told Reuters that he had participated in "thousands of calls in this time period" and did not recall any with Kislyak.[63]

Abbe Lowell, the lawyer of Kushner, in a statement admitted that Kushner used private e-mail for official White House business. Reportedly, no classified or privileged information was used on this account. Kushner's father-in-law repeatedly criticized his opponent Hillary Clinton for her personal e-mail usage in her role as Secretary of State.[103]

Kushner has a younger brother, Joshua, and two sisters. He married Ivanka Trump, daughter of businessman Donald Trump, in a Jewish ceremony on October 25, 2009. They had met in 2005 through mutual friends.[124][125][126] Kushner and his wife (who converted to Judaism in 2009[127]) are Modern Orthodox Jews, keep a kosher home, and observe the Jewish Shabbat.[128][129][130] They have three children, born in 2011, 2013, and 2016.[131] In 2017, federal disclosures suggested Kushner and his wife had assets worth at least $240 million, and as much as $740 million.[99][132] They also have an art collection, estimated to be worth millions that was not mentioned in the financial disclosures initially,[133] and enjoy visiting art studios.[134] The United States Office of Government Ethics has said that the updated disclosures comply with the regulations and laws.[135]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_Kushner

---

*Charles Kushner* (born May 16, 1954) is an American real estate developer. He founded Kushner Companies in 1985. In 2005, he was convicted of illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion, and witness tampering, and served time in federal prison. After his release, he resumed his career in real estate. His son is Jared Kushner, who is the husband of Ivanka Trump and son-in-law and senior advisor to President Donald Trump.

Kushner was born on May 16, 1954,[2] to Joseph and Rae Kushner, Jewish Holocaust survivors who came to America from Belarus in 1949.[3][4]. At birth, he was named Chanan, after a maternal uncle who died in a concentration camp during the Holocaust.[1] He grew up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, with his elder brother Murray Kushner[2][5] and sister Esther Schulder.[6][7][8]:3 Kushner's father worked as a construction worker, builder, and real estate investor.[2] Kushner graduated from the School of Law of Hofstra University in 1979.[9]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Kushner

---
*Murray Kushner* (born 1951) is an American real estate developer.
Kushner's parents Joseph Kushner and Rae Kushner, Holocaust survivors of Belarusian-Jewish descent, escaped to America from Poland[1] by way of Italy in 1949.[2] His father worked as a construction worker and concurrently as an independent builder, while investing in real estate, eventually building a portfolio totaling 4,000 New Jersey apartments.[3][4] The Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy and the Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School, in Livingston, New Jersey, built by Charles Kushner, are named after them.[3][5] He has two sisters, Esther and Linda, and a younger brother, Charles.[1] Murray graduated _summa cum laude_ with a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and then went on to obtain a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.[1]

Kushner married Lee Kushner[1] and they raised their children in Modern Orthodox Judaism.[15] His son Marc is an architect and married Christopher Barley in a Jewish ceremony in 2012.[15] His son Jonathan Kushner has taken over The KRE Group.[16][17] Kushner is a prominent supporter of governor Chris Christie.[16] His wife was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in the mid-1990s and they dedicate much of their philanthropic activities to finding a cure.[18] 
He remains estranged from his brother Charles Kushner.[16]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murray_Kushner


----------



## noirua (19 May 2018)

*Ten killed in Texas school shooting after attacker 'walks into art class and opens fire'*

**

http://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Texas-school-active-shooter-483033941.html


----------



## noirua (20 May 2018)

*Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr’s bloc wins Iraq elections
http://www.thehindu.com/news/intern...-bloc-wins-iraq-elections/article23933725.ece*


----------



## noirua (21 May 2018)

*US and China halt imposing import tariffs*

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44190169


----------



## bellenuit (24 May 2018)

*MH17 missile 'owned by Russian brigade'*

*http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europ...al&ns_source=twitter&ns_linkname=news_central*


----------



## bellenuit (25 May 2018)

*Trump cancels Kim summit amid North Korea 'hostility'*

*http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44242558*


----------



## noirua (25 May 2018)

*Former treasurer of Spain’s ruling party found guilty of defrauding government in massive corruption scandal*
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...-spains-ruling-party-found-guilty-defrauding/


----------



## noirua (25 May 2018)

*Putin and Macron question Trump's withdrawal from Iran deal and North Korea summit*
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...tion-trumps-withdrawal-iran-deal-north-korea/


----------



## noirua (27 May 2018)

*111 infants dead at Adani-run Gujarat hospital in five months, probe ordered*
http://www.newindianexpress.com/nat...tal-in-five-months-probe-ordered-1819648.html


----------



## dutchie (28 May 2018)

Freedom of speech has died in the UK.
Tommy Robinson is trying to report on the legal cases involving the "grooming" of children in the UK.
He was given a suspending sentence for reporting outside the court of one of the cases.
When he tried to report about the same kind of case outside another court he was swiftly arrested and sentenced to 13 months jail.


*The swiftness with which injustice was meted out to Tommy Robinson is stunning. No, more than that: it is terrifying.*


Without having access to his own lawyer, Robinson was summarily tried and sentenced to 13 months behind bars. He was then transported to Hull Prison.


Meanwhile, the judge who sentenced Robinson also ordered British media not to report on his case. Newspapers that had already posted reports of his arrest quickly took them down. All this happened on the same day.


*In Britain, rapists enjoy the right to a full and fair trial, the right to the legal representation of their choice, the right to have sufficient time to prepare their cases, and the right to go home on bail between sessions of their trial. No such rights were offered, however, to Tommy Robinson.*

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-05-27/swift-injustice-case-tommy-robinson

The end to our freedom is coming closer every day.


----------



## CanOz (28 May 2018)

Breaking news?


----------



## wayneL (28 May 2018)

CanOz said:


> Breaking news?



I suspect there may be some breaking news subsequently .

If enough Poms have the cajones.


----------



## CanOz (28 May 2018)

Good to see some interest....I tried to bait Peterson on Twitter for an opinion.


----------



## Tisme (28 May 2018)

wayneL said:


> I suspect there may be some breaking news subsequently .
> 
> If enough Poms have the cajones.





Did the ABC show this?


----------



## wayneL (28 May 2018)

Tisme said:


> Did the ABC show this?



Good God no,  its just extreme right wing thugs running amok innit


----------



## dutchie (28 May 2018)

*#FreeTommy rallies to be held in Australia today*

Today, Monday 28th of May, rallies will be held at British consulates in Australian capital cities in support of Tommy Robinson, who was jailed for 13 months while reporting from outside a courthouse in Leeds, where accused members of a Muslim grooming gang were to be sentenced.


Here is a list of the times and locations of the planned protests:

_Sydney -12 Noon @ 1 macquarie Pl Level 16 Sydney, Australia 2000_

_Melbourne – 12.30pm @ 90 Collins St Melbourne Vic 3000, Australia_

_Perth – Time TBA @12/251 Adelaide Terrace. Perth WA 6000_

_Canberra – 12 Noon @ Commonwealth Ave, Yarralumla ACT, 2600_

_Brisbane – 12 Noon @ 100 Eagle St, Brisbane Cty QLD 4000_

_Adelaide – 12 Noon @ Parliament of South Australia._


----------



## Tisme (28 May 2018)

dutchie said:


> *#FreeTommy rallies to be held in Australia today*
> 
> Today, Monday 28th of May, rallies will be held at British consulates in Australian capital cities in support of Tommy Robinson, who was jailed for 13 months while reporting from outside a courthouse in Leeds, where accused members of a Muslim grooming gang were to be sentenced.
> 
> ...





I'm running late!


----------



## SirRumpole (28 May 2018)

13 months for "breaching the peace ?".

How about arresting all those Muslims for chanting 5 times a day ?


----------



## noirua (28 May 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> 13 months for "breaching the peace ?".
> 
> How about arresting all those Muslims for chanting 5 times a day ?




Then they will only chant 4 times a day.


----------



## noirua (28 May 2018)

_*Mycoplasma bovis*_ is one of 126 species of genus _Mycoplasma_. It is the smallest living cell and anaerobic in nature. It does not contain any cell wall, and is therefore resistant to penicillin and other beta lactam antibiotics which target cell wall synthesis.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycoplasma_bovis


*Plan to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis*
https://beehive.govt.nz/release/plan-eradicate-mycoplasma-bovis


----------



## moXJO (28 May 2018)

dutchie said:


> *#FreeTommy rallies to be held in Australia today*
> 
> Today, Monday 28th of May, rallies will be held at British consulates in Australian capital cities in support of Tommy Robinson, who was jailed for 13 months while reporting from outside a courthouse in Leeds, where accused members of a Muslim grooming gang were to be sentenced.
> 
> ...



 Any news on this?


----------



## dutchie (28 May 2018)

Limited news as it is not being covered by MSM of course.


----------



## SirRumpole (28 May 2018)

Spot the error ?



> Today, Monday 28th of May, rallies will be held at British consulates in Australian capital cities in support of Tommy Robinson, who was jailed for 13 months while reporting from outside a courthouse in Leeds, where accused members of a Muslim grooming gang were to be sentenced.




Accused are not sentenced, convicted people are.


----------



## noirua (28 May 2018)

*Tommy Robinson arrested for 'breaching the peace' outside court during grooming trial*
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...ooming-trial-edl-founder-latest-a8368821.html

Tommy Robinson permanently banned from Twitter
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...gue-founder-edl-hateful-conduct-a8278136.html
28/3/2018


*Tommy Robinson protest: Hundreds demonstrate in Downing Street after far-right figure arrested*
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...ehall-free-latest-arrest-police-a8371616.html
27/5/2018

Why was Tommy Robinson arrested?
Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2018/05/28/tommy-robinson-arrested-7583101/?ito=cbshare
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MetroUK | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MetroUK/

*Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon* (born 27 November 1982[3]), known by the pseudonym *Tommy Robinson*, and previously by *Andrew McMaster* and *Paul Harris*,[4] is an activist[5][6][7][8][9] who co-founded and served as spokesman and leader of the English Defence League (EDL),[10] from which he resigned in 2013.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Robinson_(activist)


----------



## Tisme (29 May 2018)

Vegemite and honey bans in Victorian schools looks like being reversed by pollies.


----------



## noirua (30 May 2018)

*Prisoner kills two female officers with own guns in Liege terror attack*
https://news.sky.com/story/belgian-...ter-shooting-of-police-and-bystander-11388883


----------



## noirua (30 May 2018)

*Russia's opposition journalist Arkady Babchenko shot dead in Kiev*
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-44296672


*Arkady Arkadyevich Babchenko* (Russian: Аркадий Аркадьевич Бабченко; 18 March 1977 in Moscow — 29 May 2018 in Kiev) was a Russian journalist and war correspondent who was shot dead in his home in Kiev, Ukraine, on 29 May 2018.[1]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkady_Babchenko


----------



## Joules MM1 (1 June 2018)

steel tariff
thankyou, Alice Springs
http://money.cnn.com/interactive/news/economy/how-us-trade-stacks-up/index.html


----------



## Wysiwyg (1 June 2018)

So the clever Australian Government set to charge GST on any o.s. online purchase (rather than over $1000) backfires because Amazon withdraws that service completely. No GST at all, real clever.     

*Amazon will block Australians from overseas sites from July 1. Here's how it will affect you*
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-...alia-shopping-deal-how-it-affects-you/9820312


----------



## SirRumpole (1 June 2018)

Wysiwyg said:


> So the clever Australian Government set to charge GST on any o.s. online purchase (rather than over $1000) backfires because Amazon withdraws that service completely. No GST at all, real clever.




There is Amazon Australia didn't you know ?


----------



## noirua (1 June 2018)




----------



## noirua (3 June 2018)




----------



## noirua (11 June 2018)

*Man, 35, is stabbed to death outside north London Tube station in 74th murder to hit the capital this year*
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...th-north-London-70th-murder-capital-year.html


----------



## basilio (19 June 2018)

*Eurydice Dixon: Grief, anger as thousands gather at park vigils around Australia*

About 10,000 people have expressed grief and anger at a candlelit vigil at the Melbourne park where 22-year-old comedian Eurydice Dixon's body was found last week.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-18/eurydice-dixon-vigil-parks-melbourne-crowds/9880894

There were similar vigils outside Parliament House in Canberra. Scroll down to see the pictures.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2018/jun/19/coalition-labor-abc-tax-politics-live


----------



## MrBurns (20 June 2018)

I placed flowers there on Sunday, never done that before this touched a lot of people.


----------



## SirRumpole (20 June 2018)

MrBurns said:


> I placed flowers there on Sunday, never done that before this touched a lot of people.




Trouble is, she's not the first.


----------



## MrBurns (20 June 2018)

Society is getting sicker by the day.


----------



## wayneL (20 June 2018)

MrBurns said:


> Society is getting sicker by the day.



 That's the perception. And it certainly the perception that the media likes to portray.

But it that really so?

Check out @jordanbpeterson’s Tweet: 


Diclaimer: That is not to play down this horrific murder in any way


----------



## luutzu (20 June 2018)

Tisme said:


> Vegemite and honey bans in Victorian schools looks like being reversed by pollies.




That's because they've gotten a Halal certification.


----------



## Tisme (20 June 2018)

luutzu said:


> That's because they've gotten a Halal certification.




You ever tried to put a certification label on a bee?


----------



## MrBurns (20 June 2018)

I think it's very much worse now.
Drugs.
Unemployment leading to the above and hopelessness. 
The young will never be able to buy a house.
They will never have a decent job.
I see beggars on the streets now whereas a few years ago there were non.
No it's sick alright, the rich are getting richer and the poor are becoming feral.


----------



## SirRumpole (20 June 2018)

MrBurns said:


> I think it's very much worse now.
> Drugs.
> Unemployment leading to the above and hopelessness.
> The young will never be able to buy a house.
> ...




Ice is the new danger. A truly evil mind altering drug with the potential to create delusions, paranoia and schizophrenia.

If the usage rates of this drug increases, crime will soar.


----------



## MrBurns (20 June 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> Ice is the new danger. A truly evil mind altering drug with the potential to create delusions, paranoia and schizophrenia.
> 
> If the usage rates of this drug increases, crime will soar.




Thats whats happening right now.


----------



## Tisme (20 June 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> Ice is the new danger. A truly evil mind altering drug with the potential to create delusions, paranoia and schizophrenia.
> 
> If the usage rates of this drug increases, crime will soar.




Not in the realms of impossibility that ice will be touted as a wonder drug that cures some abstract condition that only occurs in the cognisant world.


----------



## MrBurns (20 June 2018)

Tisme said:


> Not in the realms of impossibility that ice will be touted as a wonder drug that cures some abstract condition that only occurs in the cognisant world.




Really ? How much do you sell it for ?


----------



## MrBurns (20 June 2018)

Look at this, this is part of the problem - this bloke should have got 20 years and not released until it has been proven he will not reoffend, no early parole either.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-20/victoria-park-rape-victim-speaks-of-trauma/9890702


----------



## SirRumpole (20 June 2018)

MrBurns said:


> Look at this, this is part of the problem - this bloke should have got 20 years and not released until it has been proven he will not reoffend, no early parole either.
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-20/victoria-park-rape-victim-speaks-of-trauma/9890702




Yes, 7 years is far too light. Next time he might kill someone.


----------



## sptrawler (20 June 2018)

Wysiwyg said:


> So the clever Australian Government set to charge GST on any o.s. online purchase (rather than over $1000) backfires because Amazon withdraws that service completely. No GST at all, real clever.
> 
> *Amazon will block Australians from overseas sites from July 1. Here's how it will affect you*
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-...alia-shopping-deal-how-it-affects-you/9820312




Yes, truly brilliant stroke of genius, which from memory was forced on the Government by the Senate, in order to get legislation passed.


----------



## Tisme (20 June 2018)

MrBurns said:


> Really ? How much do you sell it for ?





SirRumpole said:


> Yes, 7 years is far too light. Next time he might kill someone.




Women are someone's mother, wife, sister, daughter, aunt, niece, friend ....... next time someone might kill him.


----------



## SirRumpole (20 June 2018)

Tisme said:


> next time someone might kill him.




Do you know any cases where this has actually happened ?


----------



## Tisme (21 June 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> Do you know any cases where this has actually happened ?




The odds of knowing that would be low, because its not something that would be broadcast.


----------



## noirua (21 June 2018)

More than 450 people and probably nearer 700 were killed at a hospital in England...

*NHS Doctor Oversaw ‘Institutionalised Practice of Shortening Lives’ of 456 Patients*
*http://www.breitbart.com/london/201...lised-practice-shortening-lives-456-patients/*
The report released Wednesday found that there was an “institutionalised practice of the shortening of lives” and a “disregard for human life” at the Hampshire hospital where 456 patients died from 1989 to 2000, reports Sky News.


------------


----------



## PZ99 (22 June 2018)

I like this one..

*'Clear' link between Origin and DV: expert*

Alcohol researchers are calling on the NRL to acknowledge and address a "crystal clear" link between State of Origin nights and domestic violence in NSW.

A report by La Trobe University's Centre for Alcohol Police Research shows a 40 per cent surge in domestic violence on Wednesday nights when an Origin match is held compared with a regular Wednesday.

The study, which examined six years' worth of data, also found a 71 per cent increase in non-domestic assaults in NSW on game days.

Cattledog!

No surprise it's in NSW. They've only had one victory in the last decade


----------



## noirua (24 June 2018)

*President of Zimbabwe survives 'assassination attempt' in Bulawayo*
*Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Zimbabwean president, said he narrowly survived an attempt on his life on Saturday after a explosion at a party rally that injured two of his vice-presidents and several party officials.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/06/23/explosion-zimbabwean-presidents-rally/*


----------



## noirua (24 June 2018)

*Ethiopia's new prime minister escapes grenade attack, 1 dead*

*ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — A thwarted attempt to hurl a grenade at Ethiopia's reformist new prime minister led to a deadly explosion Saturday at a massive rally in support of sweeping changes in Africa's second most populous country. Nine police officials were arrested, state media reported.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/1-dead-after-attack-huge-rally-ethiopia-s-new-prime-n886021*


----------



## PZ99 (24 June 2018)

PZ99 said:


> I like this one..
> 
> *'Clear' link between Origin and DV: expert*
> 
> ...



Better make that 2 

Must be safe to stay indoors. LOL


----------



## Smurf1976 (1 July 2018)

noirua said:


> AOL.com Video - How to Treat Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
> http://www.aol.com/video/how-to-treat-carbon-monoxide-poisoning/517734596/




I hear on the news of yet another incident. This time on private property at Broken Hill with 3 people dead.

I just feel the need to say it really.

*If it burns any sort of fuel then it has the potential to produce carbon monoxide. There are no exceptions in the context of anything normally used as fuel in homes or industry.*

Petrol, diesel, kerosene, heating oil, fuel oil, wax, Shellite, brown coal, black coal, coke, briquettes, charcoal, wood, pellets, natural gas, town gas, butane, propane (LPG), ethanol and methanol all have one thing in common. They all have the potential to produce carbon monoxide (CO) if things go wrong and leave you dead.

Alarms are only a few $ at Woolworths or Bunnings. Anyone using anything with the potential to emit CO in a confined space ought to have one in my view.


----------



## noirua (1 July 2018)

*North Korea is keeping nuclear program alive, officials say*
https://www.yahoo.com/news/north-korea-keeping-nuclear-program-154339784.html


----------



## PZ99 (3 July 2018)

A bit of _Bring back the beef.... s_ee the chair @ 45 seconds.


----------



## noirua (3 July 2018)

*American killed in Bahamas boat explosion was on anniversary trip with husband*
https://www.yahoo.com/gma/american-...sion-legs-075803730--abc-news-topstories.html
( switch on VPN if the video wont play )


----------



## noirua (3 July 2018)

*Thai rescuers find missing boys and coach alive in cave*
https://www.yahoo.com/news/divers-extra-supplies-advance-thai-cave-passageway-014129953.html


----------



## SirRumpole (3 July 2018)

noirua said:


> *Thai rescuers find missing boys and coach alive in cave*
> https://www.yahoo.com/news/divers-extra-supplies-advance-thai-cave-passageway-014129953.html




Great news !

Now they just have to get them out.


----------



## PZ99 (3 July 2018)

PZ99 said:


> A bit of _Bring back the beef.... s_ee the chair @ 45 seconds.





LOL. The shoot's going to hit the fan 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-...ilippines-reaction-possible-sanctions/9935462


----------



## noirua (3 July 2018)

*Mexico Elects Leftist Andrés Manuel López Obrador In Landslide*
https://www.yahoo.com/news/mexico-elects-leftist-andr-manuel-021453196.html


----------



## noirua (6 July 2018)

*Thais fight water and oxygen levels in cave as diver dies*
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/thai-authorities-navy-seal-working-rescue-boys-trapped-023522036.html
MAE SAI, Thailand (AP) -- Thai authorities overseeing the rescue operation for 12 boys and their soccer coach trapped in a flooded cave in the country's north said they have a "limited amount of time" to get them out, as they raced Friday against worsening weather and lowered oxygen levels in the underground complex.

The massive operation inside and around Tham Luang Nang Non cave in Chiang Rai province suffered its first fatality Friday when a former Thai navy SEAL passed out underwater on an overnight mission and was unable to be revived.

"We can no longer wait for all conditions (to be ready) because circumstances are pressuring us," Thai SEAL commander Arpakorn Yookongkaew told a news conference. "We originally thought the boys can stay safe inside the cave for quite some time but circumstances have changed. We have limited amount of time."


----------



## noirua (8 July 2018)

Four of the 12 boys trapped with their soccer coach in a cave in Thailand for 16 days were successfully extracted by divers in an hours-long subterranean rescue mission that has gripped the attention of the world, according to the Thai Navy SEALs.

The first four boys who were rescued, described as the weakest of the group, were removed from the cave a couple of minutes apart, immediately placed into ambulances and rushed to a hospital, authorities told ABC News. The conditions of the boys were not immediately known.

It will take five hours for rescuers to reach the boys from the entrance of the cave, and six hours to bring back the boys, including an hour break time. Ten divers headed to chamber 9, where the boys are located, while the others will be located along the difficult route out of the cave system.
https://www.yahoo.com/gma/rescuers-...-thailand-035503585--abc-news-topstories.html


----------



## noirua (9 July 2018)

*Novichok poisoning victim Dawn Sturgess dies in hospital as murder probe launched after nerve agent scandal claims first life *
*https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/ukne...-claims-first-life/ar-AAzLCwR?ocid=spartandhp*


----------



## noirua (19 July 2018)

*Russian warship 'carrying £100 BILLION in gold' is discovered off South Korea *
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/worl...ed-off-south-korea/ar-AAAgu1A?ocid=spartandhp


----------



## noirua (25 July 2018)




----------



## noirua (25 July 2018)

BEIJING, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said Wednesday that there was "no winner in a trade war," calling on the United States to withdraw from the wrong path and not to go any further.


----------



## MrBurns (26 July 2018)

*Fairfax and Nine announce merger plan*

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-26/fairfax-and-nine-announce-merger/10037712


----------



## SirRumpole (26 July 2018)

MrBurns said:


> *Fairfax and Nine announce merger plan*
> 
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-26/fairfax-and-nine-announce-merger/10037712




Another blow to media diversity.

Thank God for the ABC.


----------



## MrBurns (26 July 2018)

I don't think we got much sense out of either of them but this merger will prevent Fairfax from going under at least.


----------



## sptrawler (26 July 2018)

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-26/dick-smith-announces-plans-to-close-food-business/10038216


----------



## Tisme (26 July 2018)

sptrawler said:


> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-26/dick-smith-announces-plans-to-close-food-business/10038216




Dick built his electronics empire on the basis of opening next to an established chain and offering better value for money.


----------



## sptrawler (26 July 2018)

Tisme said:


> Dick built his electronics empire on the basis of opening next to an established chain and offering better value for money.




It is a shame he can't compete, seems as though he tried hard, I wonder if it is a sign of things to come.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-...od-business-closure/10038216?section=business


----------



## MrBurns (26 July 2018)

sptrawler said:


> It is a shame he can't compete, seems as though he tried hard, I wonder if it is a sign of things to come.
> 
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-...od-business-closure/10038216?section=business




Definitely a sign of things to come imagine how small business is affected if Dick Smith can't compete.
We are in an era of change where the lowest price rules regardless of how it's achieved.
I'd rather pay a bit more and deal with smaller Australian companies. 
Alas the majority cant see past their own selfish interests and they will pay the price because when the competition is eliminated profit gouging will come in , in ernest.


----------



## sptrawler (26 July 2018)

MrBurns said:


> Definitely a sign of things to come imagine how small business is affected if Dick Smith can't compete.
> We are in an era of change where the lowest price rules regardless of how it's achieved.
> I'd rather pay a bit more and deal with smaller Australian companies.
> Alas the majority cant see past their own selfish interests and they will pay the price because when the competition is eliminated profit gouging will come in , in ernest.




You're dead right, the same people voted Aldi the best supermarket. It is similar to everyone screaming about Holden and Ford shutting down, but nobody bought them.


----------



## Tisme (27 July 2018)

sptrawler said:


> It is a shame he can't compete, seems as though he tried hard, I wonder if it is a sign of things to come.
> 
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-...od-business-closure/10038216?section=business




I prefer his tomato sauce and when I could get it the strawberry jam. I think he structured the company to be a branding house for smaller independents, so family businesses at stake here.


----------



## tech/a (27 July 2018)

Trump has the answer
Bring back tariffs to support OUR COUNTRY!
Free trade is great for those who over supply and manufacture
with a cost of living 1/10th of competitors.
Cant have it both ways someone is going to lose.

They don't allow labour at 10th our wage structures for companies.
Why should they allow imports in that are cheaper than our COST!


----------



## Tisme (27 July 2018)

Facebook now only worth US$510bn after the big dive


----------



## SirRumpole (27 July 2018)

Tisme said:


> Facebook now only worth US$510bn after the big dive




A snap !

I'll go halves with you.


----------



## Value Collector (27 July 2018)

tech/a said:


> Bring back tariffs to support OUR COUNTRY!



Trade restrictions or penalties are only good for the owners and workers in businesses which are able to gain a monopoly or advantage in a market due to the regulations.

for example,

Trumps tariffs on steel will be good for Local steel mills in the USA, because it allows them to charge their fellow countrymen a higher price than they other wise would have with free competition, but that extra gain the steel producers make comes at the expense of their fellow country men, the consumers.

add, to that the pain that will be felt by their fellow country men that feel the retribution of the revenge tariffs, and the net affect is its bad for most, good for the chosen few whose industry gets a government enforced monopoly.


----------



## SirRumpole (27 July 2018)

I reckon tariffs should be based on the difference between our wage rates and the country we are competing with, eg if a country has half the median wage rate as ours, then the tariffs should be twice as much as a country with the same wage rates as ours.

This would provide a more level playing field than single tariifs applying to all countries and may encourage the countries that exploit their workers to pay them more.


----------



## tech/a (27 July 2018)

Yep I get it.

But if you want to maintain a life style and
sure you'll be paying more but you'll have
much better employment. You'll have industries
sticking around that would have other wise went broke.

As long as everyone is in the same boat then competition will be
restricted to what is available.
Id rather the down side of more expense than being un employed and seeing
businesses shut down that are Aussi home grown
Or Farmers forced off the land and we end up greater importers with a work force
that cant find a job.

Pros and cons but you cant go past the booming US economy.
Its in your face.
The Americans I know are buzzing with pride and anticipation
about time Aussi's did the same.


----------



## tech/a (27 July 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> I reckon tariffs should be based on the difference between our wage rates and the country we are competing with, eg if a country has half the median wage rate as ours, then the tariffs should be twice as much as a country with the same wage rates as ours.
> 
> This would provide a more level playing field than single tariifs applying to all countries and may encourage the countries that exploit their workers to pay them more.




Sound thoughts
Not enough outside of the square thinking I'm afraid.


----------



## Value Collector (27 July 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> I reckon tariffs should be based on the difference between our wage rates and the country we are competing with, eg if a country has half the median wage rate as ours, then the tariffs should be twice as much as a country with the same wage rates as ours.
> 
> This would provide a more level playing field than single tariifs applying to all countries and may encourage the countries that exploit their workers to pay them more.




All you are doing then is propping up industries which we are not competitive in, which will draw capital and labour away from industries which we might have natural competitive advantages in.

1, So you end up forcing the local consumers to pay a higher price for the goods than they would other wise have to.

2, You take away incentives to local industries to become more competitive naturally.

3, you incentivise investors to put money into industries we are not naturally competitive in, instead of seeking other investments where we may develop good advantages naturally.


----------



## Value Collector (27 July 2018)

tech/a said:


> Id rather the down side of more expense than being un employed and seeing




I think the added cost across the whole population is too large compared to the few extra employees at the protected industries.


----------



## PZ99 (27 July 2018)

Can't afford pride for $8 an hour of yankee money in this country. Couldn't even buy a fart with that income. Cost of living and taxes are the real barriers. But workers are the easy targets.


----------



## tech/a (27 July 2018)

Value Collector said:


> All you are doing then is propping up industries which we are not competitive in, which will draw capital and labour away from industries which we might have natural competitive advantages in.




That's a bloody long list.
The list of industries not affected would be way shorter.



> 1, So you end up forcing the local consumers to pay a higher price for the goods than they would other wise have to.




With the benefit of stronger business. Stronger employment conditions, Far less un employment benefits, longer term employment means more in super funds. Healthy economy health work force less stress suicides and mental health issues. Increased investment opportunity.



> 2, You take away incentives to local industries to become more competitive naturally.




Definitely not. You just level the field ---competition will still be alive and well.



> 3, you incentivise investors to put money into industries we are not naturally competitive in, instead of seeking other investments where we may develop good advantages naturally.




Its not a problem in fact its better if I know the business I'm going to invest in isn't going to be cut off at the knees by some import! Be that a business or a product.
Your happy then to see Woollies/Coles and our produce producers crippled by over seas companies that don't have to play by any rules. To compete we must turn our backs on our fellow Aussi's for the sake of having our business survive! Take it all off shore (Hills for example).

These good advantages naturally can you name some?


----------



## tech/a (27 July 2018)

PZ99 said:


> Can't afford pride for $8 an hour of yankee money in this country. Couldn't even buy a fart with that income. Cost of living and taxes are the real barriers. But workers are the easy targets.




Below is as at 2016 For the White and Blue collar workers.


----------



## McLovin (27 July 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> I reckon tariffs should be based on the difference between our wage rates and the country we are competing with, eg if a country has half the median wage rate as ours, then the tariffs should be twice as much as a country with the same wage rates as ours.




So we all just end up paying to support cr@ppy industries? That worked a treat in post-war Australia. Low growth, low real wages, low productivity, an economy prone to recession and external shock. 

Automation kills jobs not cheaper labour. Australian manufacturing never had, and likely never would, the scale and the supply chain to compete in the big manufacturing industries unless we add another 50m people or so to the population.

If you want a massive drop in standard of living then put up those 1970 style tariff walls that left Australia as an industrial graveyard. I'm sure my kids will love their job at the Dunlop Volley factory out the back of Alexandria.


----------



## tech/a (27 July 2018)

So crappy lets see.
Orange ,apricot,etc producers.
Vehical producers.
Ship building
Steel production
All associated related building products.
If I had time I could real off more.



McLovin said:


> Automation kills jobs not cheaper labour. Australian manufacturing never had, and likely never would, the scale and the supply chain to compete in the big manufacturing industries.




Really
Pay all workers over seas what we pay here and see how competitive we become.




McLovin said:


> If you want a massive drop in standard of living then put up those 1970 style tariff walls that left Australia as an industrial graveyard




The alternative is the expense of our own work force and people.
UK woke up to it Brexit
The US have woken up to it.
Wakey wakey.


----------



## McLovin (27 July 2018)

tech/a said:


> The alternative is the expense of our own work force and people.
> UK woke up to it Brexit
> The US have woken up to it.
> Wakey wakey.




Yeah wakey, wakey. Take a look around. You live in one of the richest countries on earth with the highest standard of living, one of the highest wages on earth, the highest minimum wage, and your solution to this "problem" is go back to an economic system that was an abysmal failure.

F**k me.



(ETA Honourable mention for managing to lump Britain leaving the most tariff protected bloc in the western world as a snub to free trade. That takes some serious mental gymnastics!)


----------



## PZ99 (27 July 2018)

tech/a said:


> Below is as at 2016 For the White and Blue collar workers.
> 
> 
> View attachment 88584
> ...



Couldn't care about average incomes for doctors. Averages get distorted by extremes and other anomalies.

Minimum wages range from $7.25 to $10 an hour in most states. Walmart employees were getting $9 an hour in that year. Woollies/Coles get more. And get nearly nothing after taxes and living costs.

Tax is the problem - and the Govt knows it, hence their polices.


----------



## SirRumpole (27 July 2018)

McLovin said:


> So we all just end up paying to support cr@ppy industries? That worked a treat in post-war Australia. Low growth, low real wages, low productivity, an economy prone to recession and external shock.




An external shock will come when countries that we depend on for exports can't sustain their own economies , stop buying from us and still expect us to buy from them with our much depleted revenue.


----------



## McLovin (27 July 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> An external shock will come when countries that we depend on for exports can't sustain their own economies , stop buying from us and still expect us to buy from them with our much depleted revenue.




Sure it's always a possibility. But Australia used to lurch from boom to bust every few years. Twenty six years of economic growth and expansion in real wages (not all equally) mean nothing to the glass half full camp. An open productive economy, and a floating dollar, can absorb shocks far better than the moribund economy Australia used to have. Excuse me if I don't get misty eyed about it and long for its return.


----------



## SirRumpole (27 July 2018)

McLovin said:


> Sure it's always a possibility. But Australia used to lurch from boom to bust every few years. Twenty six years of economic growth and expansion in real wages (not all equally) mean nothing to the glass half full camp. An open productive economy, and a floating dollar, can absorb shocks far better than the moribund economy Australia used to have. Excuse me if I don't get misty eyed about it and long for its return.




Shocks generally come from external factors.

An economy that is more internally self reliant need not worry as much what happens elsewhere if it can sustain itself.


----------



## tech/a (27 July 2018)

Dick Smith woke up to it.

F**K me

Is that you Sandy!


----------



## Value Collector (27 July 2018)

tech/a said:


> That's a bloody long list.
> The list of industries not affected would be way shorter.
> 
> 
> ...




Lets say you put a tariff on steel.

The only people that benefit are the steel mill owners and workers, because they get to sell their goods at a higher price than they other wise would.

However, the benefit the steel mill gets is at the expense of every person / Industry consuming that steel.

At best its a Zero sum game, at worst its negative.

Suddenly you have Australian vegetable packing Companies buying steel cans at higher prices than their, New Zealand competitors and so they can't pack the Corn, Beetroot, Beans etc etc as cheaply, So you can have whole regions depressed.

I know you think its good, but thats because you are over simplifying it, like anything it is not that easy.

Tariffs are for the benefit of the protected industries profits and the government, not the rest of us.


----------



## McLovin (27 July 2018)

tech/a said:


> Dick Smith woke up to it.
> 
> F**K me
> 
> Is that you Sandy!




If you're taking your cues from Dick Smith you need to try harder.


----------



## McLovin (27 July 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> An economy that is more internally self reliant need not worry as much what happens elsewhere if it can sustain itself.




Australia cannot shut itself off from the world; Argentina tried and failed. If nothing else we need large amounts of oil. Heavy machinery has never really been manufactured in Australia – cushy government defence contracts aside. We are not the US that has the population to sustain a large internal market with production scale. We have a small population that is geographically isolated. We will never be totally self-sufficient and will always need to trade with the world. We also have resources coming out of our eyeballs that the rest of the world wants and we can produce them cheaply and in vast quantities.

Free trade has worked pretty well for us. The obsession some people have with manufacturing is bizarre. It's not a panacea that will take us back to some golden age.


----------



## Smurf1976 (27 July 2018)

McLovin said:


> The obsession some people have with manufacturing is bizarre. It's not a panacea that will take us back to some golden age.



It's more a question of what comes next?

If you look at our big resource exports then coal, gas and iron ore will all be stuffed within the working lifetime of a child born today. Coal because the world's moving away from it, gas and iron because at the rate of extraction there's only a few decades of worthwhile reserves left in both of them.

So it's more a question of saying OK, we've got this _temporary_ thing with mining, but what do we do when that comes to an end and a declining resources industry becomes an ongoing drag on our economy?

Other countries in the same situation such as Norway have tended to be better forward planners than we are on this one. Of the non-mining options, manufacturing looks to be among the better ones given that many service industries struggle to pay good wages.


----------



## SirRumpole (27 July 2018)

McLovin said:


> Australia cannot shut itself off from the world; Argentina tried and failed. If nothing else we need large amounts of oil. Heavy machinery has never really been manufactured in Australia – cushy government defence contracts aside. We are not the US that has the population to sustain a large internal market with production scale. We have a small population that is geographically isolated. We will never be totally self-sufficient and will always need to trade with the world. We also have resources coming out of our eyeballs that the rest of the world wants and we can produce them cheaply and in vast quantities.
> 
> Free trade has worked pretty well for us. The obsession some people have with manufacturing is bizarre. It's not a panacea that will take us back to some golden age.




It's all a matter of degree. I'm not suggesting shutting ourselves off completely, just developing a few capabilities that we haven't already got for the sake of increased self reliance. We don't have to reduce everything to a dollar value and say that if we can't compete cost wise then it's not worth doing. I see no reason why we have to be totally dependent on others for computer chips for example. 

Keeping the weeds out of your garden and watering the plants is the best way to make a garden grow. I doubt if the now dominant companies around the world were founded in a totally competitive environment.


----------



## Value Collector (27 July 2018)

Smurf1976 said:


> iron because at the rate of extraction there's only a few decades of worthwhile reserves left in both of them.




Thats not true, there is centuries of Iron ore left, we have barely scratched the surface.

But a big problem with tariffs, is that the positive effects are easy to see, the negative ones are often hidden and totally unmeasurable.

For example, Trump might think he is giving his steel industry a boost by limiting Chinese steel imports and that would be true, But all the other industries lose points.

And if lower Chinese steel exports cause Australian Share holders and miners to get smaller dividends and wages, we might not consume as many American products.

I mean the USA benefits from Fortescue metal dividends when I make my annual pilgrimage to Disney, pay my Netflix subscription and when I finally get my Tesla, It's a global economy, there are no independent variables, trying to game the system to increase your stake won't work, except for a few selected groups.


----------



## McLovin (27 July 2018)

Smurf1976 said:


> It's more a question of what comes next?




What comes next is what we do well, not putting walls back up to protect things we do poorly. If that takes the form of some sort of manufacturing I don't care. I'm not against manufacturing, my parents ran a manufacturing business for 35 years. I've got some idea of how it works; when they first started it would take months to get components because the local manufacturers . I've argued on here before that manufacturing needs to move up the value chain if it's going to be competitive. If the best we can come up with as a country is "we need to start making cars again" then we're screwed.

I think the government needs to be more involved in industry development. America's dominance in health and technology is pretty much because of the NIH and NASA. In Australia both sides of government have used the CSIRO as a whipping boy for budget cuts fo decades. The only thing Abbott and Hockey ever did right was that stillborn medical research fund. It was budgeted poorly – basically a tax on the back of the poor to see a doctor – but it would have been a great long term investment in an industry that has created CSL, COH, RES, SRX etc.



Smurf1976 said:


> Of the non-mining options, manufacturing looks to be among the better ones given that many service industries struggle to pay good wages.




How many people getting into manufacturing will be able to work until they're 75, which is where the retirement age is heading?



			
				SirRumpole said:
			
		

> Keeping the weeds out of your garden and watering the plants is the best way to make a garden grow. I doubt if the now dominant companies around the world were founded in a totally competitive environment.




As I said above, America made a huge investment in the space race. Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft etc they've all benefited from that multi-billion dollar investment in STEM that happened in the 1950s-1980s. That's the sort of government support I favour over tariffs.


----------



## moXJO (27 July 2018)

Rego, electricity, rents,  rates, water,  insurance,  everything is too expensive. Between people cutting back on food,  or being able to shop cheaper,  then I'd rather they eat.  Money must be tight for everyone to be shopping at aldis. 

Woolies is bloody expensive and their meat looks like hammered sht lately. About 2001 I could get 2 trolleys full for around the $200-$300 mark. Lucky to get one at that price now.

I didn't mind some of dick smiths range.


----------



## SirRumpole (27 July 2018)

McLovin said:


> As I said above, America made a huge investment in the space race.




And you can bet that British, German , French , Japanese or Chinese companies weren't invited to tender for any of the moonshots.

Countries that are ahead now limited competition to their own companies.
 eg the Japanese car industry.


----------



## Smurf1976 (27 July 2018)

Value Collector said:


> Thats not true, there is centuries of Iron ore left, we have barely scratched the surface.



63 years worth of reserves worth mining according to Australian Government data. The rest is too low grade to be worthwhile unless nobody else in the world has any decent stuff left at that point.

That’s official government data not mine.

More will be found no doubt but it’s not unlimited and we haven’t had centuries worth of either iron or gas ever since the mining boom ramped up the rate of extraction without a corresponding discovery of new reserves.

In the same way as Australia’s oil is now virtually gone it’s inevitable that other finite resources will go the same way someday. If it’s not 63 years then maybe it’s a 100 but it’ll happen someday that’s a given.

Smart thing to do is use the one-off wealth from mining to build up other industries be they manufacturing, services or whatever.


----------



## Tisme (27 July 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> And you can bet that British, German , French , Japanese or Chinese companies weren't invited to tender for any of the moonshots.
> 
> Countries that are ahead now limited competition to their own companies.
> eg the Japanese car industry.




I the Brits are the leaders in satellite technology now?


----------



## SirRumpole (27 July 2018)

Tisme said:


> I the Brits are the leaders in satellite technology now?




Could be. I know the European Space Agency is pretty reliable when it comes to launches.


----------



## CanOz (27 July 2018)

moXJO said:


> Rego, electricity, rents,  rates, water,  insurance,  everything is too expensive. Between people cutting back on food,  or being able to shop cheaper,  then I'd rather they eat.  Money must be tight for everyone to be shopping at aldis.
> 
> Woolies is bloody expensive and their meat looks like hammered sht lately. About 2001 I could get 2 trolleys full for around the $200-$300 mark. Lucky to get one at that price now.
> 
> I didn't mind some of dick smiths range.




Lol...a decent argument until....


----------



## BlownAccount (27 July 2018)

I think in order for Australia to move forward we first need to take care of our own security. If we don't do this we will always have unsurmountable walls placed in our way. We have the Uranium the world needs we just have to value add and turn it into Nukes. People around the world like us...surely we can be trusted with them...


----------



## moXJO (27 July 2018)

CanOz said:


> Lol...a decent argument until....



I can afford it. 
Plenty I know can't.


----------



## SirRumpole (27 July 2018)

Australians choose price over product ?

Why Dick Smith foods failed.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-...ollapse-bound-to-happen-analyst-says/10042920


----------



## sptrawler (27 July 2018)

The end game for Australia IMO is, the resources run out, there is no manufacturing and we are still looking around for someone with money that we can tax. 
So we can pay the welfare bill.


----------



## Value Collector (28 July 2018)

Smurf1976 said:


> 63 years worth of reserves worth mining according to Australian Government data. The rest is too low grade to be worthwhile unless nobody else in the world has any decent stuff left at that point.
> 
> That’s official government data not mine.
> 
> ...




Yeah and in 1985 he world only had 30 years of oil left, things don’t work like that.

Not only will loads iron ore be found, but the vast amount of resources currently considered worthless will be mined.

In 1952, the Minnesota Iron range in the USA was considered “finished” because they ran out of high grade, however today they are mining more ore than they ever have,

Watch video at the 6.50 minute mark, and you will see what I mean, there are way to upgrade low value ore when we need to, it’s just currently we have lots of high grade so don’t need to yet.




And here they are today still mining that area that “scrapped bottom” in the 1950’s, watch from the 3.00 minute mark


----------



## Value Collector (28 July 2018)

BlownAccount said:


> I think in order for Australia to move forward we first need to take care of our own security. If we don't do this we will always have unsurmountable walls placed in our way. We have the Uranium the world needs we just have to value add and turn it into Nukes. People around the world like us...surely we can be trusted with them...




Nuclear weapons would be a total waste of money.


----------



## Value Collector (28 July 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> Australians choose price over product ?
> 
> Why Dick Smith foods failed.
> 
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-...ollapse-bound-to-happen-analyst-says/10042920




His stuff was more expensive than other Australian made stuff.

Eg, his peanut butter was more expensive than other Aussie made bega peanut butter, his honey was more expensive than Aussie made Capilano honey.


----------



## Value Collector (28 July 2018)

moXJO said:


> Woolies is bloody expensive and their meat looks like hammered sht lately. About 2001 I could get 2 trolleys full for around the $200-$300 mark. Lucky to get one at that price now.




Simple, don’t meat, and you will get a lot more groceries.


----------



## Wysiwyg (28 July 2018)

Value Collector said:


> Simple, don’t meat, and you will get a lot more groceries.



Wrong thread pal.


----------



## SirRumpole (28 July 2018)

Value Collector said:


> His stuff was more expensive than other Australian made stuff.
> 
> Eg, his peanut butter was more expensive than other Aussie made bega peanut butter, his honey was more expensive than Aussie made Capilano honey.




Well it all seems to come down to the price.

No one talks quality any more. If a Chinese product wears out in a month, tough luck, chuck it away and buy another. There is no such thing as value for money.


----------



## SirRumpole (28 July 2018)

Value Collector said:


> Nuclear weapons would be a total waste of money.




It's kept another world war at bay for 60 years.


----------



## moXJO (28 July 2018)

Value Collector said:


> Simple, don’t meat, and you will get a lot more groceries.



Fruit and Veggies ain't that cheap.
I have to keep up on long days and exercise routine and chicken breast is probably cheaper and easier.


----------



## Value Collector (28 July 2018)

moXJO said:


> Fruit and Veggies ain't that cheap.




They are super cheap, you can buy 1kg of frozen veg for less than $3 and rice is like $2 a kilo.

I an awesome vege thai Red curry two days ago, that had 4 huge servings that none of us could finish for $7.75 of ingredients, if I had added chicken, the chicken alone would have cost about $8.

Reverse your thinking on meals, Rather than start by thinking about what meat you want to have and then build a dish from that, Start by thinking about what the base is going to be eg Rice, Pasta, potatoes (all super cheap), then work out how you can add loads of veggies and sauces etc. 

You will find that avoiding meat drops the cost, while also boosting the amount of nutrients.


----------



## Value Collector (28 July 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> It's kept another world war at bay for 60 years.




Yeah, but we didn't need to have them.


----------



## Value Collector (28 July 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> Well it all seems to come down to the price.
> 
> No one talks quality any more. If a Chinese product wears out in a month, tough luck, chuck it away and buy another. There is no such thing as value for money.




I was saying his stuff was more expensive compared to other Australian made stuff, of equal or better quality, I mean way pay 50 cents more for his Aussiemite, when the real Vegemite is better.


----------



## SirRumpole (28 July 2018)

Value Collector said:


> I mean way pay 50 cents more for his Aussiemite, when the real Vegemite is better.




Why is Vegemite better ?


----------



## SirRumpole (28 July 2018)

Value Collector said:


> Yeah, but we didn't need to have them.




You can't prove that. Mutually assured destruction is a pretty good deterrent.


----------



## Value Collector (28 July 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> Why is Vegemite better ?




Taste, I tried the Aussiemite, it wasn't good, at least in my opinion.


> You can't prove that. Mutually assured destruction is a pretty good deterrent.




I meant we as Australia didn't need then, and history is proof of that.

With Australian limited defence budget, we are better with Assets that are more versatile, and an be used in a multitude of ways, such as disaster relief, peace keeping, counter terrorism etc.

I mean if it were a choice between getting nukes or maintaining the SAS or our helicopter aviation regiments or some of our ships etc, etc I wouldn't choose a couple of nukes.


----------



## Value Collector (28 July 2018)

Wysiwyg said:


> Wrong thread pal.



I was responding to a comment, where some one was complaining about the price and quality of meat, How was my comment not relevant?


----------



## McLovin (28 July 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> Why is Vegemite better ?




His products were rubbish. Vegemite is probably the most powerful brand in Australia. Getting people to switch brands just because Dick puts his face on the label was never going to work. The branding looked terrible too. It looked about one step up from a homebrand.

Heinz or Rosella tomato sauce are way better than Dick's. I'm pretty sure Rosella is cheaper and made in Australia.

Smith compared his products to Paul Newman's. The difference is that Paul Newman started a business that was driven by supplying the market with what it wanted; a quality pasta sauce that didn't exist at that point. Dick Smith started a food company that espoused not much else than his fetish for buying Australian. It's got nothing to do with Aldi, he supplied a product based on a faulty premise. At the premium end of the market people care about product origin, but there was nothing premium about his products. They were at best of average quality.


----------



## bellenuit (28 July 2018)

**** Breaking News **** isn't!

Shouldn't this forum be for Breaking News and if further discussion is warranted then create a new thread or use an existing thread.


----------



## SirRumpole (28 July 2018)

bellenuit said:


> **** Breaking News **** isn't!
> 
> Shouldn't this forum be for Breaking News and if further discussion is warranted then create a new thread or use an existing thread.




Yes, but you know how people talk. 

Anyway, Dick Smith Foods closing down was breaking news and the discussion went from there.


----------



## noirua (28 July 2018)

Hot, dry weather is forecast through the weekend which could fuel the deadly wildfire in Northern California that has destroyed at least 500 structures and grown to more than 75 square miles. The fire, believed to have started earlier this week in the Gold Rush-era hamlet of French Gulch from a vehicle problem, claimed the lives of two people this week and has put firefighting agencies on "evacuation and life-saving mode." Elsewhere in California, firefighters continue to battle a wildfire in the San Jacinto Mountains that has burned 12,300 acres, while crews have been asked to stay another week, totaling 21 days — the most firefighters can work a fire before being sent home — to fight the Yosemite-area fire.

WALL OF FLAMES
*California wildfire rips through town near Yosemite National Park killing one and forcing 90,000 residents to evacuate*
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/68806...-one-and-forcing-90000-residents-to-evacuate/




	

		
			
		

		
	
 Yosemite fire news The Ferguson Fire was first reported on July 13 and has burned 37,795 acres


----------



## noirua (30 July 2018)

*Lombok earthquake: 500 hikers trapped on Mount Rinjani after landslide*
https://news.sky.com/story/lombok-e...ped-on-mount-rinjani-after-landslide-11453907
More than 500 hikers are stranded on an Indonesian mountain popular with tourists after a powerful earthquake caused a landslide.

* 
ASF share competition: https://www.aussiestockforums.com/t...g-competition-entry-thread.34114/#post-989958


----------



## Value Collector (3 August 2018)

Apple Becomes the first company to be valued at $1,000,000,000,000.00 - $1 Trillion


----------



## noirua (4 August 2018)

*Eighteen dead as Russian helicopter crashes soon after take-off*
https://news.sky.com/story/eighteen-dead-as-russian-helicopter-crashes-soon-after-take-off-11460223

The Russian transport ministry said the model Mi-8 aircraft went down soon after take-off from a gas field in Turuhansk at 5.43am local time due to a collision with machinery being carried by another helicopter.
Russian airline Utair has sent specialists to the scene, which is in an oil field managed by the energy company Rosneft some 1,600 miles northeast of Moscow.


----------



## greggles (5 August 2018)

*Venezuela's Maduro* *Survives Drone Assassination Attempt*


> CARACAS (Reuters) - At least one explosion rocked a military event where Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was giving a speech on Saturday and the government said it was a failed assassination attempt involving drones carrying explosives.
> 
> Maduro said “everything points” to a right-wing plot that initial investigation suggested was linked to Colombia and the U.S. state of Florida, where many Venezuelan exiles live. Several perpetrators were caught, he said, without elaborating.
> 
> Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez said drones loaded with explosives detonated close to the military event in downtown Caracas. A Venezuelan who was visiting family nearby told Reuters she heard two explosions.




https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-v...f-attack-but-fine-official-idUKKBN1KP0S9?il=0


----------



## noirua (6 August 2018)

greggles said:


> *Venezuela's Maduro* *Survives Drone Assassination Attempt*
> 
> 
> https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-v...f-attack-but-fine-official-idUKKBN1KP0S9?il=0




Quite worrying all this for persons of importance and even others less so. As drones improve further 'death by drone attack' is set to become more common.  I expect the Russians will be on to this in due course.
Even Australia could be involved in a future drone war.  Ships and aircraft will need to have anti-drone devices. Maybe hand held devices will alert a person if there is a drone moving close.


----------



## SirRumpole (6 August 2018)

82 people killed in Indonesian earthquake.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-...i-warning-after-7.0-quake-off-lombok/10076088


----------



## Value Collector (6 August 2018)

noirua said:


> Quite worrying all this for persons of importance and even others less so. As drones improve further 'death by drone attack' is set to become more common.  I expect the Russians will be on to this in due course.
> Even Australia could be involved in a future drone war.  Ships and aircraft will need to have anti-drone devices. Maybe hand held devices will alert a person if there is a drone moving close.




Can remotely controlled drones survive electronic counter measures.


----------



## SirRumpole (6 August 2018)

Value Collector said:


> Can remotely controlled drones survive electronic counter measures.




You tell us, you were the Army engineer.


----------



## Value Collector (6 August 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> You tell us, you were the Army engineer.




I only worked with rather simple man portable and vehicle mounted electrictronic counter measures (ecm), designed to block radio frequency transmissions from someone trying to detonate an ied remotely, and that was only right towards the end on my time there, so I am not an expert.

But I know navy ships etc have quite sophisticated ECM devices that can thrawt guided missiles, so I don’t think a drone would be an issue.

I mean consumer drones are new and exciting to consumers, but the military have been firing remote control missiles at each other for decades, so for the military it’s not really a new thing.


----------



## luutzu (6 August 2018)

greggles said:


> *Venezuela's Maduro* *Survives Drone Assassination Attempt*
> 
> 
> https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-v...f-attack-but-fine-official-idUKKBN1KP0S9?il=0




Assassination or Coup attempt?

Could be a trial balloon and signal to certain colonels "lots of options" Trump spoke about are now on the table. 

Venezuela... too much oil and not enough fire power to protect it.


----------



## luutzu (6 August 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> You tell us, you were the Army engineer.




The Palestinians in Gaza used a couple of kites and fishing net to crash Israeli drones firing tear gas canisters at them.


----------



## SirRumpole (6 August 2018)

luutzu said:


> The Palestinians in Gaza used a couple of kites and fishing net to crash Israeli drones firing tear gas canisters at them.




Full marks for improvisation.


----------



## luutzu (6 August 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> Full marks for improvisation.




Yea, the Israeli didn't know what hit them. Lost about three drones last news clip I saw. Then they send over a couple missiles, knocking a couple buildings down. A bullet or two to a few kids head. Kites no more.


----------



## moXJO (6 August 2018)

luutzu said:


> Assassination or Coup attempt?
> 
> Could be a trial balloon and signal to certain colonels "lots of options" Trump spoke about are now on the table.
> 
> Venezuela... too much oil and not enough fire power to protect it.



Firefighters claimed it was an explosion from a gas bottle in a 2nd story apartment. That piece of sht maduro probably  wants to crack down more.  Its not the first time he has lied about staged events.


----------



## luutzu (6 August 2018)

moXJO said:


> Firefighters claimed it was an explosion from a gas bottle in a 2nd story apartment. That piece of sht maduro probably  wants to crack down more.  Its not the first time he has lied about staged events.




Maybe.

I don't think the Venezuelan gov't is as totalitarian as the US claim. There's still newspapers and tv stations from proprietors who hate Maduro's, and Chavez before him. They're not hiding their hatred, and they're still operating. That's pretty gutsy for a tyrant.

Look at countries like China or Vietnam. Bet you can't find any non-friendly papers operating. 

Venezuela and Iran are going to get boots on the ground soon. Don't know how Venezuela will survive it, what with being so sanctioned to death some city of theirs couldn't keep the lights on. Iran wouldn't be so easy though. 

Then there's Yemen. Being pounded like it's sitting on crapload of oil, gas, minerals and at the gate of one of the world's most important sea lane. 

Oh yea, the Congo has about $27 Trillion worth of mineral wealth under it. And it's one of the poorest country in Africa. Getting liberated by everyone. 

Australia better get smart real quick and be able to build its own canoes and a few rockets and fighter jets. Lots of water, mineral and kangaroos you know.


----------



## sptrawler (14 August 2018)

The opposition leader in W.A, dared to question the relevance of the newspapers, well he is finding out the relevance in spades. lol

https://thewest.com.au/opinion/gary...e-this-newspaper-calls-it-a-day-ng-b88925714z

https://thewest.com.au/politics/lib...lace-nahan-as-opposition-leader-ng-b88926400z

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-...ral-mps-as-leadership-pressure-grows/10117246

He should have taken note of the hatchet job, that was done on Abbott, tell the masses the same thing  enough times and it becomes fact.


----------



## Skate (14 August 2018)

sptrawler said:


> The opposition leader in W.A, dared to question the relevance of the newspapers, well he is finding out the relevance in spades. lol
> 
> https://thewest.com.au/opinion/gary...e-this-newspaper-calls-it-a-day-ng-b88925714z
> 
> ...




sptrawler - Thanks for the links..

The W.A. Opposition Leader Mike Nahan should also remember that 'The West Australian' selects the most appropriate picture to reinforce the articles point of view and Iain Gillespie the photographer captured the sediment perfectly. 

Skate.


----------



## Humid (14 August 2018)

noirua said:


> *Lombok earthquake: 500 hikers trapped on Mount Rinjani after landslide*
> https://news.sky.com/story/lombok-e...ped-on-mount-rinjani-after-landslide-11453907
> More than 500 hikers are stranded on an Indonesian mountain popular with tourists after a powerful earthquake caused a landslide.
> 
> ...




I was lying on my bed at Keramas beach nursing a hangover when it struck and my first thought was tsunami 
My options were
Run towards the volcano or stay in bed
I chose the later!


----------



## noirua (14 August 2018)

*Genoa bridge collapse: 'Dozens' dead as emergency services scramble to find survivors*
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/italian-motorway-bridge-collapses-near-114700880.html

https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=Genoa+Bridge+Collapse&fr=uh3_news_web_gs&imgurl=https://e3.365dm.com/18/08/1600x900/skynews-genoa-bridge-collapse_4389655.jpg?20180814114502#id=0&iurl=https://e3.365dm.com/18/08/1600x900/skynews-genoa-bridge-collapse_4389655.jpg?20180814114502&action=click


----------



## noirua (19 August 2018)

*Cameroon: Medical Staff Abandon Hospitals in Cameroon's Troubled Region*
https://allafrica.com/stories/201808170069.html







"The military comes, chase them out of the hospital, brutalize them, beat them. Medical personnel are supposed to be protected in times of war. They are there to take care of all casualties, be they from the military or Ambazonians." ~ Ndansi @RepKarenBass


----------



## sptrawler (21 August 2018)

Venezuela, just shows how a once rich Country, can end up in manure. It once had the Worlds largest oil reserves.

https://thewest.com.au/business/eco...-curb-venezuelas-hyperinflation-ng-b88933939z


----------



## luutzu (21 August 2018)

sptrawler said:


> Venezuela, just shows how a once rich Country, can end up in manure. It once had the Worlds largest oil reserves.
> 
> https://thewest.com.au/business/eco...-curb-venezuelas-hyperinflation-ng-b88933939z




It still have the world's largest oil reserves. 

With US sanctions it cannot borrow money, cannot sell its oil, or sell only a limited amount at massive discount. 

Then soon enough it's going to be liberated.


----------



## noirua (21 August 2018)

*Flash flood hits hikers in gorge in southern Italy; 8 dead *
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/worl...thern-italy-8-dead/ar-BBMbrUA?ocid=spartandhp


----------



## sptrawler (21 August 2018)

luutzu said:


> It still have the world's largest oil reserves.
> 
> With US sanctions it cannot borrow money, cannot sell its oil, or sell only a limited amount at massive discount.
> 
> Then soon enough it's going to be liberated.




Yes it's amazing how things can turn pear shaped, when you annoy your biggest trading partner. The U.S is certainly making life difficult for them.


----------



## luutzu (21 August 2018)

sptrawler said:


> Yes it's amazing how things can turn pear shaped, when you annoy your biggest trading partner. The U.S is certainly making life difficult for them.




A good interview on a soft coup in Brazil. 
8 Years of incredible social progress ended in 2010. 

Friends of the US, working with the local elite, overturn "socialism" with a vengeance. 

If we think this only happen to poor, third world countries; never in Australia or even the US itself... we're kidding ourselves.


----------



## noirua (24 August 2018)

*Reality Winner sentenced for leaking top secret U.S. report*
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-u...r-leaking-top-secret-u-s-report-idUKKCN1L81FS

(Reuters) - A federal judge sentenced former U.S. intelligence contractor Reality Winner on Thursday to more than five years in prison after she admitted leaking to a media outlet a top secret report on Russian interference in U.S. elections, her attorney said.
“Instead of being recognised as a conscience-driven whistleblower whose disclosure helped protect U.S. elections, Winner was prosecuted with vicious resolve by the Justice Department under the Espionage Act,” Reed said.


----------



## noirua (27 August 2018)

*Afghanistan Islamic State leader 'killed in air strike'*
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-45314679

Abu Saad Erhabi and 10 other members are said to have died in an operation in the eastern province of Nangarhar, near the border with Pakistan.


Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...hanistan-killed-says-government-idUSKCN1LB0BD


----------



## noirua (27 August 2018)

*Jacksonville Landing mass shooting leaves 'multiple fatalities,' suspect dead: police *
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/worl...uspect-dead-police/ar-BBMtwtD?ocid=spartandhp
*UPDATE: *Law enforcement: 15 people shot, 4 dead; 11 being treated in deadly mass shooting.


----------



## Smurf1976 (27 August 2018)

sptrawler said:


> Yes it's amazing how things can turn pear shaped, when you annoy your biggest trading partner. The U.S is certainly making life difficult for them.



An amazing decline and worth noting that PDVSA, the Venezuelan national oil company, were very highly regarded globally for their technical capabilities 20 years ago.

PDVSA had a major presence overseas in refining and retail, the major Western oil companies were keen to do deals with them both oil as such and technical, and for the record at least two Australian energy companies gave serious consideration to entering long term contracts with them too for the supply of fuel for power generation. There were some clever people in PDVSA and subsidiaries such as Bitor certainly.

Then Chavez came along and ensured that anyone with knowledge was promptly removed and it has all been downhill ever since.


----------



## noirua (2 September 2018)

*Russia softens up west for bloodbath it is planning in Syria’s Idlib province *
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...up-west-for-bloodbath-planning-in-idlib-syria


----------



## noirua (7 September 2018)

*Chances Fade for U.S.-China Trade Deal*
https://uk.advfn.com/news/DJN/2018/article/78214516


----------



## luutzu (7 September 2018)

noirua said:


> *Russia softens up west for bloodbath it is planning in Syria’s Idlib province *
> https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...up-west-for-bloodbath-planning-in-idlib-syria




Wait... did the Guardian just pushed for war between the US on Russia?

Don't worry though, Trump/US might let Russia take back control over Syria. But in return, they might have gotten Putin's promise he'd stay out of Iran when it's their turn to liberate.


----------



## luutzu (7 September 2018)

Smurf1976 said:


> An amazing decline and worth noting that PDVSA, the Venezuelan national oil company, were very highly regarded globally for their technical capabilities 20 years ago.
> 
> PDVSA had a major presence overseas in refining and retail, the major Western oil companies were keen to do deals with them both oil as such and technical, and for the record at least two Australian energy companies gave serious consideration to entering long term contracts with them too for the supply of fuel for power generation. There were some clever people in PDVSA and subsidiaries such as Bitor certainly.
> 
> Then Chavez came along and ensured that anyone with knowledge was promptly removed and it has all been downhill ever since.




I thought that once Chavez "turned against" the US (by not permitting US-approved oilers in), his "regime" promptly got sanctioned and the CIA was put to work.

With sanctions... those able will go seek a better future elsewhere. So I don't think it's Chavez's fault. I mean, he would have learnt from Mao to not go that crazy with the people power, anti-intellectual stuff.

Particularly when oil makes up some 96% of the country's economy. Any idiot would treat capable oil technical/engineers very, very well.


----------



## moXJO (8 September 2018)

luutzu said:


> I thought that once Chavez "turned against" the US (by not permitting US-approved oilers in), his "regime" promptly got sanctioned and the CIA was put to work.
> 
> With sanctions... those able will go seek a better future elsewhere. So I don't think it's Chavez's fault. I mean, he would have learnt from Mao to not go that crazy with the people power, anti-intellectual stuff.
> 
> Particularly when oil makes up some 96% of the country's economy. Any idiot would treat capable oil technical/engineers very, very well.



Chavez blew it up before any sanctions. He used that as an excuse. Brazil is in the same boat with looney lefties. They just stabed the opposition conservative  leader.  Funny how the "workers party" were all corrupt  then cried "setup" to cover there lying asses. Proof is already out there. 

Left thinking ends up a violent stinking miserable mess. Its nothing to do with sanctions.


----------



## luutzu (8 September 2018)

moXJO said:


> Chavez blew it up before any sanctions. He used that as an excuse. Brazil is in the same boat with looney lefties. They just stabed the opposition conservative  leader.  Funny how the "workers party" were all corrupt  then cried "setup" to cover there lying asses. Proof is already out there.
> 
> Left thinking ends up a violent stinking miserable mess. Its nothing to do with sanctions.




The Left aren't violent communist thugs you know. That'd be like calling the Neo-Nazis the Right or conservatives.

The current president of Brazil got caught taking those yellow envelopes and demanding for more. He's still in power. Got in because the previous "lefty" was accused of corruption btw. 

See what being a good boy gets you?


----------



## Tisme (8 September 2018)

luutzu said:


> The Left aren't violent communist thugs you know. .....




Yeah not communist:

WARNING Course Language


----------



## Smurf1976 (8 September 2018)

luutzu said:


> Particularly when oil makes up some 96% of the country's economy. Any idiot would treat capable oil technical/engineers very, very well.



My understanding is that those with technical ability but not perceived to be "correct" politically were purged out. That being most of them.

Not the only government to have ever gone down that track and it tends to end badly.


----------



## Knobby22 (8 September 2018)

Smurf1976 said:


> My understanding is that those with technical ability but not perceived to be "correct" politically were purged out. That being most of them.
> 
> Not the only government to have ever gone down that track and it tends to end badly.



Like the movie The Death of Stalin
No capable doctors were left in Moscow as they were sent to Siberia or killed.
Good movie.


----------



## sptrawler (8 September 2018)

Smurf1976 said:


> My understanding is that those with technical ability but not perceived to be "correct" politically were purged out. That being most of them.
> 
> Not the only government to have ever gone down that track and it tends to end badly.



Yes but some would say it's Trumps fault.


----------



## luutzu (8 September 2018)

Smurf1976 said:


> My understanding is that those with technical ability but not perceived to be "correct" politically were purged out. That being most of them.
> 
> Not the only government to have ever gone down that track and it tends to end badly.




I don't know the details of Chavez's admin, and none regarding the oil brain trust. But from a few doco and interviews, he sound like a very admirable leader.

I've read about communists, was too young to experience it first hand but have heard stories and do have family members whose assets and career were ended because of they were perceived as "disloyal to the revolution" etc. 

But from watching the results of those comrades in Hanoi with what Chavez sets out to do... it's not the same sort of ideology.

For one, Chomsky like the guy. Man, if you're a politician and Chomsky have nice things to say about you, you ought to win a few Nobel Peace Prize. 

Second, Chavez permit the continuation of private media in the country. He did not close them down; he did not change their ownership. So those who own it hate his guts, and they weren't shy about having their news people saying it openly on air. 

If you're a dictator... the first thing to go would be a press that doesn't tell "the truth" about you. 

Then there's the social programmes he set about. Free health clinics for the peasants; free schooling, coming close to eradicating illiteracy etc.

If you contrast that to, say, Saudi Arabia... how no bad words are said about anything it does. 

I guess the lesson is to share your country's wealth. Just not with the wrong people.


----------



## luutzu (8 September 2018)

sptrawler said:


> Yes but some would say it's Trumps fault.




Obama and Trump. Would have been Bush Jr. too but he was a bit busy in the Middle East to seriously give the Venezuela problem his time.

Muduro will either die, go into exile, or be somehow locked up... else there'll be liberation in Venezuela soon. That's pretty much the message Trump, both his Sec. of States, his UN ambassador, his new national security advisor... have been saying, on TV. 

It's your oil or your country my friend.


----------



## sptrawler (8 September 2018)

luutzu said:


> Obama and Trump. Would have been Bush Jr. too but he was a bit busy in the Middle East to seriously give the Venezuela problem his time.
> 
> Muduro will either die, go into exile, or be somehow locked up... else there'll be liberation in Venezuela soon. That's pretty much the message Trump, both his Sec. of States, his UN ambassador, his new national security advisor... have been saying, on TV.
> 
> It's your oil or your country my friend.



And the point is?
What would your solution be?


----------



## luutzu (8 September 2018)

sptrawler said:


> And the point is?
> What would your solution be?




Solution to what?

You were saying that people would blame Trump for Venezuela's collapse. I just said that they'd be half right.

You know that if the US were to just buy Venezuela's oil, it'd be cheaper than doing coups and waging war on the country? 

But of course if you buy it, oil companies will have to pay for it at the market rate. If the gov't uses taxpayer's money to liberate the place, oil majors will get it on the cheap, sell it at market rate. 

Imperialism is never good for the common plebs. Most just don't realise it.


----------



## sptrawler (8 September 2018)

luutzu said:


> Solution to what?
> 
> You were saying that people would blame Trump for Venezuela's collapse. I just said that they'd be half right.
> 
> ...



That must be why boatloads are heading away, from imperialist countries.

I think your getting caught up in the ideology, I'm sure the real money, is moving away from oil.
If you know it has limited life, I guess they just might know also. Lol
Or maybe they are just muddling their way through life.


----------



## luutzu (8 September 2018)

sptrawler said:


> That must be why boatloads are heading away, from imperialist countries.
> 
> I think your getting caught up in the ideology, I'm sure the real money, is moving away from oil.
> If you know it has limited life, I guess they just might now also. Lol




They're moving away not because they want to move towards imperialism. They're just getting away from a sinking ship that's about to be invaded. Who can blame them really. You got to put food on the table, get your family out of harms way. You've been warned.

Oil might have, I'm guessing, 50 years left, tops.

'til then, the war machines need to grind on... if not to control the flow of oil and the money that dominates it, then it will at least ensure the war machines have fuel to run on.


----------



## sptrawler (8 September 2018)

luutzu said:


> They're moving away not because they want to move towards imperialism. They're just getting away from a sinking ship that's about to be invaded. Who can blame them really. You got to put food on the table, get your family out of harms way. You've been warned.
> 
> Oil might have, I'm guessing, 50 years left, tops.
> 
> 'til then, the war machines need to grind on... if not to control the flow of oil and the money that dominates it, then it will at least ensure the war machines have fuel to run on.



Absolutely I would be doing the same, I did it tougher than most I think, and I would be scrambling to get away.
But I would realise that where I go to, will eventually be bogged down with similar people, it just seems everyone is climbing onto the available lifeboat, eventually all the lifeboats sink from overloading.


----------



## luutzu (8 September 2018)

sptrawler said:


> Absolutely I would be doing the same, I did it tougher than most I think, and I would be scrambling to get away.
> But I would realise that where I go to, will eventually be bogged down with similar people, it just seems everyone is climbing onto the available lifeboat, eventually all the lifeboats sink from overloading.




Maybe they believe that once they got on a life boat and survived, they'll do great things, save the world, warn people, build a more peaceful world etc. to save all our skins?

Well, maybe. After welfare, freebies and maybe one generation. The second and third one will start to hate foreigners too.


----------



## sptrawler (8 September 2018)

luutzu said:


> Maybe they believe that once they got on a life boat and survived, they'll do great things, save the world, warn people, build a more peaceful world etc. to save all our skins?
> 
> Well, maybe. After welfare, freebies and maybe one generation. The second and third one will start to hate foreigners too.



Maybe the lifeboat, will become just like what they were fleeing from.
That is the more likely outcome.
Sad really


----------



## luutzu (9 September 2018)

sptrawler said:


> Maybe the lifeboat, will become just like what they were fleeing from.
> That is the more likely outcome.
> Sad really




Not if they can help it.

Obviously there are a few, and a few is too many, exception. But imagine if you're fleeing from war, famine, dictators, typical a-holes... and not die but are given a second chance in life.

Most normal people would take that opportunity and make the most of it. 

That and if you've been in those places... you're not going to complain about working two jobs, labouring like dogs, being exploited.. if it mean your kids can study, and live, in peace; you get to have some saving to send back home.

Not saying people should be exploited or work like dogs... you know what I mean.

That and if you look at where the money all goes, why a country decay and collapse... it's never because the poor have too much. And it's never because new immigrants who cannot speak the language somehow managed to get politicians to give them all the money. 

Any money to the needy is very generous. But on the scale of things, it'd be like Turnbull holding a wad of cash and give the homeless guy $5. It's generous, but it's not going to mean he'll head back to Canberra, broke the national Treasury to end homelessness.


----------



## sptrawler (9 September 2018)

luutzu said:


> Not if they can help it.
> 
> Obviously there are a few, and a few is too many, exception. But imagine if you're fleeing from war, famine, dictators, typical a-holes... and not die but are given a second chance in life.
> 
> ...




If that was all true, Melbourne wouldn't have the issues with the Somalia's.
I don't live there but even in Perth, we are having issues with African  gangs, they caused a soccer club to lock tjemsethem in the clubrooms.
I know you  must have an immigration assistance company running, but maybe you need to screen better. Lol


----------



## Tisme (9 September 2018)

sptrawler said:


> If that was all true, Melbourne wouldn't have the issues with the Somalia's.
> I don't live there but even in Perth, we are having issues with African  gangs, they caused a soccer club to lock tjemsethem in the clubrooms.
> I know you  must have an immigration assistance company running, but maybe you need to screen better. Lol




I don't know if we have Afrikan gang problems any worse than other ethnic gangs, but I used to enjoy safely going to the Moorooka based Eritrean food kitchens a few years back until I moved to the Goldie.

https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/welcome-to-brisbanes-little-africa-20090420-absf.html


----------



## MrBurns (9 September 2018)

We have this problem because they just don't fit in with our society and culture, they have been dumped here by our idiot politicians and left to fend for themselves so when they are rejected here they rebel.


----------



## luutzu (9 September 2018)

sptrawler said:


> If that was all true, Melbourne wouldn't have the issues with the Somalia's.
> I don't live there but even in Perth, we are having issues with African  gangs, they caused a soccer club to lock tjemsethem in the clubrooms.
> I know you  must have an immigration assistance company running, but maybe you need to screen better. Lol




Close but no cigars. Man, if you were to help welfare recipients and other parasites _and also _want to make money, working with new arrivals from poor countries ain't it. 

Got to help capitalists. Those are the fat parasites with all the money 

I don't have the figures but from experience, parents of new immigrants/refugees would also be trying to get away from gangs and other undesirables "among them". They're probably a whole lot tougher on the gangsters and drug pushers in their community than our Whitest of patriots. Something about giving the whole race a bad name and potentially recruiting their kids into it.

About ten years ago us kids thought to help our parents with a larger home. Bigger land for the bonsai and stuff.

I told my folks to go to Cabramatta. You can get a 1,800m2 block for around $550K. Flat, level, two or three blocks from the station. Right next to the shopping centres etc. etc. 

Mum said wtf are you nuts. I spent my whole life trying to get us away from those druggos and you're telling me to go back down there again?

Yea, she can swear when she's upset enough. 

Lucky for Dad who look into it. Was offering to buy a block but the agent said it's been listing for ages and no one's buying. So wait another week when it's off the market and might get a discount. There were two of them so what are the chances. 

Anyway, Council pick both of it up and similar blocks nearby now goes for $1.6 to $1.8M. 

Just to show you how old folks can be, and how after a couple decades, pieces of crap real estate will be extremely overpriced pieces of slightly more dense real estate.


----------



## PZ99 (12 September 2018)

ALAN Jones and his team have been ordered to pay a record $3.7 million in compensation for defaming a Queensland family by claiming they were responsible for 12 deaths in the 2011 Lockyer Valley floods.

https://www.news.com.au/finance/bus...y/news-story/8996b512025f21501b5b391a80c9d81a

Needed one reason for a celebratory beer and this was it


----------



## SirRumpole (12 September 2018)

PZ99 said:


> ALAN Jones and his team have been ordered to pay a record $3.7 million in compensation for defaming a Queensland family by claiming they were responsible for 12 deaths in the 2011 Lockyer Valley floods.
> 
> https://www.news.com.au/finance/bus...y/news-story/8996b512025f21501b5b391a80c9d81a
> 
> ...




About time he got done for something like that.

Any credibility he may have had is now destroyed.


----------



## sptrawler (12 September 2018)

PZ99 said:


> ALAN Jones and his team have been ordered to pay a record $3.7 million in compensation for defaming a Queensland family by claiming they were responsible for 12 deaths in the 2011 Lockyer Valley floods.
> 
> https://www.news.com.au/finance/bus...y/news-story/8996b512025f21501b5b391a80c9d81a
> 
> ...



Would it be fair to say, the shock jock, got a shock. $3.7m has got to hurt.


----------



## Tisme (13 September 2018)

sptrawler said:


> Would it be fair to say, the shock jock, got a shock. $3.7m has got to hurt.





The Toowoomba mob aren't exactly beige people themselves. They operate quarries and "recycling" dumps. Recently they built a private airport (Wellcamp), did a sweet deal with Qantas, etc just in time for a mining turn down


----------



## SirRumpole (13 September 2018)

Tisme said:


> The Toowoomba mob aren't exactly beige people themselves. They operate quarries and "recycling" dumps. Recently they built a private airport (Wellcamp), did a sweet deal with Qantas, etc just in time for a mining turn down




Maybe that just makes them smart business people ?


----------



## Tisme (13 September 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> Maybe that just makes them smart business people ?




Well it does beggar the question why they would be concerned with the ramblings of nutter, especially as it's been an ongoing war for some time and they have managed to build and consolidate an empire in the face of it.

It's been my observation that once companies started focusing on hurt feelings they are either in strife or lost the zeal for growth and survival.

Meanwhile Jones gets publicity, will probably appeal and his supporters (LNP) turn the screws on the Walkers.


----------



## SirRumpole (13 September 2018)

Tisme said:


> Well it does beggar the question why they would be concerned with the ramblings of nutter, especially as it's been an ongoing war for some time and they have managed to build and consolidate an empire in the face of it.




Jones is a dangerous nutter because he has a public audience and there needs to be at least a few grains of truth in what he says otherwise he could get away with accusing anyone of anything he likes.

He overstepped the mark and needed to be bought back in line with public expectations of allegations supported by evidence, of which he had none.


----------



## noirua (16 September 2018)




----------



## sptrawler (16 September 2018)

That's good news noirua, I hope it leads to a building of trust and a united Country, a lot of energy and productivity is lost in the pursuit of false goals.


----------



## SirRumpole (30 September 2018)

Musk steps down as Tesla chairman.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-30/elon-musk-to-step-down-as-tesla-chairman/10322370


----------



## Tisme (30 September 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> Musk steps down as Tesla chairman.
> 
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-30/elon-musk-to-step-down-as-tesla-chairman/10322370




until he buys it back


----------



## sptrawler (30 September 2018)

Now Tesla will have to employ a salesman. Lol


----------



## noirua (1 October 2018)

This is a UK website but applies everywhere of course:


----------



## Tisme (5 October 2018)

So Oz govt has joined the chorus condemning Russia for cyber hacking and China has been found out for, what we all knew anyway, implanting spy chips in their electronics.


----------



## SirRumpole (5 October 2018)

Tisme said:


> So Oz govt has joined the chorus condemning Russia for cyber hacking and China has been found out for, what we all knew anyway, implanting spy chips in their electronics.




Looks like the only way around this foreign hacking is to emulate Chine and put up a great Internet firewall.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Firewall


----------



## Tisme (5 October 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> Looks like the only way around this foreign hacking is to emulate Chine and put up a great Internet firewall.
> 
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Firewall




Can I get a personal one to block our own govt spying on me?


----------



## SirRumpole (5 October 2018)

Tisme said:


> Can I get a personal one to block our own govt spying on me?




At least it will be *your* government.


----------



## dutchie (5 October 2018)

Tisme said:


> So Oz govt has joined the chorus condemning Russia for cyber hacking and China has been found out for, what we all knew anyway, implanting spy chips in their electronics.



https://www.bloomberg.com/news/feat...ny-chip-to-infiltrate-america-s-top-companies


----------



## SirRumpole (5 October 2018)

dutchie said:


> https://www.bloomberg.com/news/feat...ny-chip-to-infiltrate-america-s-top-companies




This would be a good reason to develop a locally based computer manufacturing capability.


----------



## noirua (7 October 2018)

*'We will not stand down,' VP Pence warns China*
https://www.yahoo.com/news/not-stand-down-vp-pence-161011109.html


----------



## noirua (9 October 2018)

*One family loses four sisters*
Erin Vertucci and Shane McGowan were married in June.
Barbara Douglas lost two nieces.
"They now have no parents," Douglas said.
The vehicle appeared to be a 2001 Ford Excursion SUV modified into a limo, officials said.
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/08/us/new-york-limo-crash/index.html


----------



## DB008 (15 October 2018)

In light of the US citizen who was murdered and dismembered in the Saudi embassy in Turkey last week


----------



## CanOz (15 October 2018)

He wasn't a US citizen


----------



## luutzu (15 October 2018)

CanOz said:


> He wasn't a US citizen




Permanent resident.

But his death is still probably not a good thing though.


----------



## SirRumpole (15 October 2018)

luutzu said:


> Permanent resident.
> 
> But his death is still probably not a good thing though.




Probably ?


----------



## luutzu (15 October 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> Probably ?




Cynicism. Satire? 

Know how pretty much all senior American politicians doesn't care about killings and death of non-Americans but kinda gave a speech when one of "their own" get snuffed?

How Obama drones everybody in the Middle East is all good... but when a precision strike kill an American "terrorist"... well that's fine too... but the collateral also include his 16 year old American citizen son. Obama got asked a question about it... blah blah... he sent his regrets along with hope and prayers.


----------



## Darc Knight (16 October 2018)

Megan and Harry*:*_ DUCHESS OF SUSSEX EXPECTING A BABY
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are expecting their first child next spring and there's a big clue that the royal *baby was conceived at a pal's wedding*.
_
As_ the countdown to the birth of the next royal baby begins, it's believed the couple, who wed on May 19, conceived at Harry's best friend's wedding on August 4."

https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www.../meghan-markle-pregnant-big-clue-13418839.amp

Too many Beers aye Arry!
_


----------



## Garpal Gumnut (16 October 2018)

Darc Knight said:


> Megan and Harry*:*_ DUCHESS OF SUSSEX EXPECTING A BABY
> Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are expecting their first child next spring and there's a big clue that the royal *baby was conceived at a pal's wedding*.
> _
> As_ the countdown to the birth of the next royal baby begins, it's believed the couple, who wed on May 19, conceived at Harry's best friend's wedding on August 4."
> ...




Was the act consummated before or after the "Pal" and his herpetic partner said "I do"

And was it along a pew, or a bumpy bumpy one?

gg


----------



## explod (16 October 2018)

Yeh, she's showing signs now and that usually takes a good three months.  But I think the wedding was planned well before that.

Perhaps some emerging actions stirred Grandad to say, "we've had enough trouble sorting your read hair, so off to the aisle young fellow"


----------



## SirRumpole (16 October 2018)

Well good on them is all I say.


----------



## Tink (17 October 2018)

More baby stories...

Pippa Middleton and James Matthews welcome baby boy
_THE Duchess of Cambridge’s sister, Pippa Middleton, has given birth to a boy. _

https://www.news.com.au/entertainme...y/news-story/ac89333ab50505dc7b314613023cfd4c


----------



## Tisme (17 October 2018)

explod said:


> Yeh, she's showing signs now and that usually takes a good three months.  But I think the wedding was planned well before that.
> 
> Perhaps some emerging actions stirred Grandad to say, "we've had enough trouble sorting your read hair, so off to the aisle young fellow"




Nuptials 10 weeks before apparently.

Marriage is over rated these daze = women keep their maiden names, have equal access to finance, don't have to resign to the kitchen once banded, get divorced at the same rate as men,....., aren't in the succession stakes of the monarchy and no one gives a **** if you are a bastard child or not.


----------



## peter2 (17 October 2018)

Totally misleading headline from an ASF advertiser.


----------



## moXJO (17 October 2018)

peter2 said:


> Totally misleading headline from an ASF advertiser.
> 
> View attachment 89858



It is called: "The Bull"


----------



## DB008 (18 October 2018)

CanOz said:


> He wasn't a US citizen




Sorry, my bad. 

Anyways, more details are coming out - 
“The audio recording allegedly captures the Washington Post columnist’s screams as he was dismembered.”


----------



## noirua (22 October 2018)

DB008 said:


> Sorry, my bad.
> 
> Anyways, more details are coming out -
> “The audio recording allegedly captures the Washington Post columnist’s screams as he was dismembered.”


----------



## noirua (23 October 2018)

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday announced the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (#HZMB) in Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province. The 55-km-long bridge will open to traffic at 9 am on Wednesday after nearly nine years of construction.


----------



## luutzu (24 October 2018)

noirua said:


> Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday announced the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (#HZMB) in Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province. The 55-km-long bridge will open to traffic at 9 am on Wednesday after nearly nine years of construction.





Reducing commute from 3 hours down to 30 minutes. 

They've been at work on these kind of projects all over China since the GFC. Imagine the reduction in fuel consumption, pollution, traffic congestion; productivity gain from extra time, less trips to the doctors for lung disease... 

I guess over the same decade, we OZ did managed to kick start about half a dozen small scale projects. They should be finish any year now. So that's not too bad. 

We seriously need engineers and builders at the top. Lawyers and investment bankers might not appreciate these nation-building "white elephant", or Keynesian economics.


----------



## noirua (24 October 2018)




----------



## Darc Knight (24 October 2018)

_"A Brisbane financial planner who bashed his top client to death with a hammer during a heated business meeting has been found guilty of murder."

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/na...ering-client-with-hammer-20181019-p50auq.html_


----------



## sptrawler (24 October 2018)

Darc Knight said:


> _"A Brisbane financial planner who bashed his top client to death with a hammer during a heated business meeting has been found guilty of murder."
> 
> https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/na...ering-client-with-hammer-20181019-p50auq.html_




It just highlights, why people like myself, run a SMSF.
Letting other people look after your money, is great while money is going in, when you want it back the problems start as always.
This is why silly Billy's attack on SMSF will backfire, trying to force people to give their money to someone else to look after, isn't Australian. 
I would rather eat it or burn it, than let anyone else look after it.


----------



## SirRumpole (24 October 2018)

sptrawler said:


> It just highlights, why people like myself, run a SMSF.
> Letting other people look after your money, is great while money is going in, when you want it back the problems start as always.
> This is why silly Billy's attack on SMSF will backfire, trying to force people to give their money to someone else to look after, isn't Australian.
> I would rather eat it or burn it, than let anyone else look after it.




Didn't you say you were invested in ETF's ?

Someone else is looking after your money there.


----------



## Darc Knight (24 October 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> Didn't you say you were invested in ETF's ?
> 
> Someone else is looking after your money there.




He doesn't miss a chance to slip the Slipper into poor Billy does he


----------



## Macquack (24 October 2018)

luutzu said:


> I guess over the same decade, we OZ did managed to kick start about half a dozen small scale projects. They should be finish any year now. So that's not too bad.
> 
> We seriously need engineers and builders at the top. Lawyers and investment bankers might not appreciate these nation-building "white elephant", or Keynesian economics.




We need to get the Chinese in to finish the Pacific Highway between Sydney and Brisbane. The section between Coffs Harbour and Balina is still a one lane goat track.


----------



## sptrawler (24 October 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> Didn't you say you were invested in ETF's ?
> 
> Someone else is looking after your money there.




No I don't have any ETF's. 
I also explained, why I didn't buy any.


----------



## Darc Knight (24 October 2018)

sptrawler said:


> No I don't have any ETF's.




LICs?


----------



## sptrawler (24 October 2018)

Darc Knight said:


> LICs?



At least someone wins an ice cream.


----------



## SirRumpole (24 October 2018)

sptrawler said:


> At least someone wins an ice cream.




Sorry, my mistake.


----------



## luutzu (24 October 2018)

Macquack said:


> We need to get the Chinese in to finish the Pacific Highway between Sydney and Brisbane. The section between Coffs Harbour and Balina is still a one lane goat track.




Only grogs and Hillbillies drive between those Macquack. Real Aussies fly 

We took the "scenic route" from Sydney to Canberra about a decade ago. Passed Wollongong a bit and the "Pacific Highway" is a one lane country driveway... with scrubs blocking any scenery. 

But in all honesty. A great country we got here though. Maybe in need of leadership who see themselves as statesman and not so much colonial governors supplying raw materials and commodities.


----------



## Darc Knight (25 October 2018)

_" Forsale is the excrement of famous racehorse Winx.
This was picked up at Flemington race course on the 6th of October 2018 prior to race 5 commencing.
It was picked up in a zip lock bag and was never handled by human hands.
It has been refrigerated since and weighs approx 300 grams.
Don’t miss out on your chance to own a piece of history."

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Winx-Poo/323514712428?hash=item4b52fac16c:g:1kEAAOSwcXpbz~no:rk:1:pf:0_


----------



## basilio (25 October 2018)

Darc Knight said:


> _" Forsale is the excrement of famous racehorse Winx.
> This was picked up at Flemington race course on the 6th of October 2018 prior to race 5 commencing.
> It was picked up in a zip lock bag and was never handled by human hands.
> It has been refrigerated since and weighs approx 300 grams.
> ...



 And I assume there will be a proper certificate of authenticity with the sale ?
After all you wouldn't want to be buying an old horse xhit would you..


----------



## noirua (27 October 2018)




----------



## noirua (27 October 2018)




----------



## basilio (8 November 2018)

This is how the world looks when one can just recreate reality with...

*A 69-year-old man says he identifies as a 49-year-old and wants his age legally changed so he can meet more women on Tinder*

Kelly McLaughlin
Nov 8, 2018, 6:53 AM



YouTube/Omroep GelderlandEmile Ratelband.

Emile Ratelband filed a lawsuit against the Dutch government in an attempt to change the birth date on his passport.
He wants to change his birthday from March 11, 1949, to March 11, 1969, which would make his official age 20 years younger than his actual age, 69.
A court in Arnhem, in the eastern Dutch province of Gelderland, is expected to deliver its decision on Ratelband’s age within four weeks.
A 69-year-old entrepreneur in the Netherlands wants to legally change his age to 49 so he can go back to work and meet more women on Tinder, according to his lawsuit.

Emile Ratelband filed a lawsuit against the Dutch government in an attempt to change the birth date on his passport from March 11, 1949, to March 11, 1969,  the Dutch publication De Telegraaf reported.

The  self-proclaimed positivity guru argued that he feels 20 years younger, and compared the age difference to being transgender, despite the concepts being completely different.

“You can change your name. You can change your gender. Why not your age? Nowhere are you so discriminated against as with your age,” he told De Telegraaf.

Ratelband argued that he is a “young god” and said changing his age would allow him to “live differently,” saying he would get more matches on Tinder if he could use a younger age.

Ratelband also argued in court that he feels discriminated against because of his older age, according to RLE Nieuws. The Netherlands’ constitution “prohibits direct and indirect distinction in employment relations on the basis of age,” but some claim that  people over 50 have been the most impacted by austerity measures in the country.

He said he fears companies won’t hire him and that employees will look at him differently.

“When I’m 69, I am limited. If I’m 49, then I can buy a new house, drive a different car. I can take up more work. When I’m on Tinder and it says I’m 69, I don’t get an answer,” he said
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/...wants-to-legally-change-his-age-to-49-2018-11


----------



## SirRumpole (8 November 2018)

basilio said:


> This is how the world looks when one can just recreate reality with...
> 
> *A 69-year-old man says he identifies as a 49-year-old and wants his age legally changed so he can meet more women on Tinder*
> 
> ...




I'd like to look like Pierce Brosnan. Can I change my driving licence photo ?


----------



## sptrawler (9 November 2018)

Interesting article, Australians are the richest in the World. Who would have guessed.
It does highlight the saying, "money can't buy happiness", we still do a lot of whinging.

https://www.smh.com.au/business/the...hest-people-in-the-world-20181109-p50eyc.html

From the article:

But a different, perhaps fairer, way to rank the richest countries in the world is to take a look at the countries where the greatest number of people are rich.

Credit Suisse ran those numbers, too, in order to compare how much wealth the median, middle-of-the-pack person has in every country.

In that ranking, Australians are the richest. And the US doesn’t even make the top 10.

baby trust fund system. His idea is to give all kids in the US a chunk of cash when they’re born, ranging between $US500 and $US60,000 based on their family’s wealth. That would help give all of thems a fair shot at a prosperous future, he said.

“Wealth is the paramount indicator of economic security and well-being,” Hamilton told a crowd at the TED Conferences headquarters in New York in September. “It is time to get beyond the false narrative that attributes inequalities to individual personal deficits while largely ignoring the advantages of wealth


----------



## SirRumpole (9 November 2018)

sptrawler said:


> Interesting article, Australians are the richest in the World. Who would have guessed.




Yeah, I really think we need to stop whinging and thank our lucky stars that we live where we do.

How these results stack up against the findings that Australians have one of the highest rates of personal debt in the world is a bit of a mystery.

https://www.finder.com.au/australias-personal-debt-reported-as-highest-in-the-world


----------



## sptrawler (9 November 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> Yeah, I really think we need to stop whinging and thank our lucky stars that we live where we do.
> 
> How these results stack up against the findings that Australians have one of the highest rates of personal debt in the world is a bit of a mystery.
> 
> https://www.finder.com.au/australias-personal-debt-reported-as-highest-in-the-world




Debt is measured against the asset's underpinning it, if you have no asset's it can be difficult to get debt.
We are one of the only Countries, that even if you do nothing, you get paid something ad infinitum.
I suppose this would raise the lowest mean average, in most Countries if you do nothing, you get nothing.


----------



## luutzu (9 November 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> Yeah, I really think we need to stop whinging and thank our lucky stars that we live where we do.
> 
> How these results stack up against the findings that Australians have one of the highest rates of personal debt in the world is a bit of a mystery.
> 
> https://www.finder.com.au/australias-personal-debt-reported-as-highest-in-the-world




The article said we Aussies are alright though, even with all that debt, most of it are "good debt" because it's in propert(ies). i.e. investing and saving for the future, they say.

Under normal circumstances, that'd  be true. But when those debt are loaded on due to crazy high property prices, further investment/debt into multiple of investment properties purchased at high prices to gain negative gearing.... 

Will these debt still be the "good" kind when the property market blows up. Will it be good for Australia in general when investors who lost their shirt in the mania get to claim it all back against their income for years. i.e. not paying income taxes. 

I don't think anyone's saying that Australia is a terrible place to live or whinging about it. We know how lucky we are. That doesn't mean it's all candies and lollipops... and doesn't mean it'll just keep being that way even though, say, debt debt debt on rundown properties or tiny apartments that's flooding the market.


----------



## Humid (9 November 2018)

sptrawler said:


> Debt is measured against the asset's underpinning it, if you have no asset's it can be difficult to get debt.
> We are one of the only Countries, that even if you do nothing, you get paid something ad infinitum.
> I suppose this would raise the lowest mean average, in most Countries if you do nothing, you get nothing.




And the money you save on welfare you have to spend on home security.


----------



## luutzu (9 November 2018)

Humid said:


> And the money you save on welfare you have to spend on home security.




In places like VN where there's no social security, the poor lives as poor people do but the rich get to gates, barbed wired their homes. 

Not sure how they would managed in a fire but yea. I guess we'll get used to putting our wallet in the front pocket and be real fast with a few sets of keys to get or out. 

And if you're really rich, you also put security door to your bedroom. Inside which you also keep a proper safe. That way, the maids wouldn't be tempted.


----------



## sptrawler (9 November 2018)

Humid said:


> And the money you save on welfare you have to spend on home security.



I've never found Australia to be that dangerous a place to live.


----------



## Humid (9 November 2018)

sptrawler said:


> I've never found Australia to be that dangerous a place to live.




Unless your a crook racehorse......


----------



## Knobby22 (9 November 2018)

Humid said:


> Unless your a crook racehorse......



Only if you are an International racehorse.


----------



## DB008 (10 November 2018)

Muslim terrorist shot dead in Melbourne CBD yesterday.


----------



## SirRumpole (10 November 2018)

DB008 said:


> Muslim terrorist shot dead in Melbourne CBD yesterday.





Apparently he was known to the police for some time.

Pity they couldn't lock him up before he killed someone.


----------



## Knobby22 (10 November 2018)

Somalian.


----------



## DB008 (11 November 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> Apparently he was known to the police for some time.





*Bourke Street attacker identified as Hassan Khalif Shire Ali as police carry out raids in Melbourne*​
The Islamic State-inspired terrorist who carried out yesterday's fatal stabbing in Bourke Street was "not mentally fit", according to a sheikh from his local mosque.

Australian Federal Police (AFP) confirmed on Saturday Hassan Khalif Shire Ali was known to hold radical views, but was not actively monitored and was assessed as not posing a threat to the community.

*The AFP also revealed Shire Ali had his passport cancelled in 2015 over fears he planned to travel to Syria.*​
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11...r-terror-in-bourke-street--melbourne/10484390​
Am l the only one that thinks - "Hey, if you want to go and fight a holy war (in Syria), it's a one way ticket and your Australian passport/PR/citizenship is cancelled, you are not allowed to return, ever!" That also includes stopping all Centrelink benefits/payments to you and your family.

Why the Australian system/Gov/politicians think keeping these lunatics here is a good thing, is beyond me...


----------



## SirRumpole (11 November 2018)

DB008 said:


> Am l the only one that thinks - "Hey, if you want to go and fight a holy war (in Syria), it's a one way ticket and your Australian passport/PR/citizenship is cancelled, you are not allowed to return, ever!" That also includes stopping all Centrelink benefits/payments to you and your family.
> 
> Why the Australian system/Gov/politicians think keeping these lunatics here is a good thing,




Yep , let them go but don't let them come back.


----------



## sptrawler (11 November 2018)

DB008 said:


> *Bourke Street attacker identified as Hassan Khalif Shire Ali as police carry out raids in Melbourne*​
> The Islamic State-inspired terrorist who carried out yesterday's fatal stabbing in Bourke Street was "not mentally fit", according to a sheikh from his local mosque.
> 
> Australian Federal Police (AFP) confirmed on Saturday Hassan Khalif Shire Ali was known to hold radical views, but was not actively monitored and was assessed as not posing a threat to the community.
> ...



There are plenty, that think your beliefs are racist and all these people need are nurturing and help.


----------



## Miner (12 November 2018)

sptrawler said:


> There are plenty, that think your beliefs are racist and all these people need are nurturing and help.



It is ironic that they always kill the attacker instead of making him wounded and then interrogate to get more information. This is something I failed to understand when I was a kid and Lee Oswald was killed after he killed President John F Kennedy. Lot many information would have gained by making him half dead than total dead. Indian PM Mrs Indira Gandhi was killed by her own bodyguard Beant Singh (Sikh) and he was killed not letting the justice system knew who was behind him. The killer in Melbourne should have held alive even half dead, so that police could have extracted inside information about who sent him and why? It is unthinkable that anyone alone would have acted on such crime.   There is always a mastermind.
Oh yes, no one says how could be all terrorists worldwide appear to be coming from one religion


----------



## sptrawler (12 November 2018)

Miner said:


> It is ironic that they always kill the attacker instead of making him wounded and then interrogate to get more information. This is something I failed to understand when I was a kid and Lee Oswald was killed after he killed President John F Kennedy. Lot many information would have gained by making him half dead than total dead. Indian PM Mrs Indira Gandhi was killed by her own bodyguard Beant Singh (Sikh) and he was killed not letting the justice system knew who was behind him. The killer in Melbourne should have held alive even half dead, so that police could have extracted inside information about who sent him and why? It is unthinkable that anyone alone would have acted on such crime.   There is always a mastermind.
> Oh yes, no one says how could be all terrorists worldwide appear to be coming from one religion




I guess the other side of the coin is, the prisons are full of people, who have killed and still say nothing.
Most will be out in 10 to 15 years.
Just another angle on it, not saying it is right or wrong.
What if there was no mastermind and two police personel were killed trying to capture him, what if one was your partner or your child?


----------



## bellenuit (12 November 2018)

Miner said:


> The killer in Melbourne should have held alive even half dead, so that police could have extracted inside information about who sent him and why? It is unthinkable that anyone alone would have acted on such crime.   There is always a mastermind.
> Oh yes, no one says how could be all terrorists worldwide appear to be coming from one religion




That is a lot of information for that policeman to mull through in that split second that the attacker was lunging at his colleague. Perhaps he could have, in that same split second, tried to ascertain whether he was a terrorist or just a madman, whether he was Christian or Muslim and whether a bullet to the leg that would for certain not have killed him might have gone through some soft tissue and ricochet into some innocent passerby that was in the crowd behind. I think a bullet to the chest was the right decision.


----------



## Miner (12 November 2018)

sptrawler said:


> I guess the other side of the coin is, the prisons are full of people, who have killed and still say nothing.
> Most will be out in 10 to 15 years.
> Just another angle on it, not saying it is right or wrong.
> What if there was no mastermind and two police personel were killed trying to capture him, what if one was your partner or your child?



Sptrawler
I hear your point and understood.
But remember I have been referring also incidences from 1964 (JFK) , 1984 (Indira Gandhi) - both the cases the assassins were killed and the mystery of motives remained unknown.
When people are dealing with criminals, then there are many attributes with those specialists - calmness is one key. They are not like civilians and emotions are last to be considered. By not capturing them even in half dead (please mind the word and I am not saying unhurt) those people have potentially deprived many others to see justices are done by not sparing the people behind them. I would be childish to suggest that there were no masterminds. it is like drug peddlers - there are always people behind with motive, money and machinery behind. 
I do believe if Australia has no death penalty that is for a reason but that does not stop us to interrogate the criminals to save thousands of innocents and capturing the people behind.
I also have referred why one particular religion always gets involved. 
Have a good night.


----------



## Darc Knight (12 November 2018)

bellenuit said:


> That is a lot of information for that policeman to mull through in that split second that the attacker was lunging at his colleague. Perhaps he could have, in that same split second, tried to ascertain whether he was a terrorist or just a madman, whether he was Christian or Muslim and whether a bullet to the leg that would for certain not have killed him might have gone through some soft tissue and ricochet into some innocent passerby that was in the crowd behind. I think a bullet to the chest was the right decision.





Police gotta aim for centre body mass with adrenalin and movement etc right @explod


----------



## SirRumpole (12 November 2018)

I like the idea of a prison in the Simpson desert for these b@stards. Just shove them in there and don't ever let them out. No visits, no Korans just an empty landscape to look at for the rest of their lives.

Unless they fess up and dob in their handlers in which case they might get out in 20 years.


----------



## tech/a (12 November 2018)

Sick twisted radicalised
Start stabbing shooting 
people no hesitation.

No taser, talking , BANG.

If you make any extremest 
Watchlist your DEPORTED.

No ifs ,rehabilitation , GONE.


----------



## IFocus (12 November 2018)

I was a bit surprised the officers took so long to shoot with a couple of people stabbed already and the attacker being so big not much choice but to shoot at the chest area as trained.

In that sort of situation tasers are a 50/50 chance of missing (as told by a copper who had deployed them a few times) 

Heart goes out to the police officer taking a life no matter the circumstance is very heavy hope he has plenty of support.


----------



## Humid (12 November 2018)

Oswald was killed by Jack Ruby not the fuzz


----------



## Darc Knight (12 November 2018)

They've raised $120,000 so far for the homeless guy "trolley man" who helped in that Bourke St attack.


----------



## PZ99 (19 November 2018)

Blurry hell ....


----------



## sptrawler (19 November 2018)

Darc Knight said:


> They've raised $120,000 so far for the homeless guy "trolley man" who helped in that Bourke St attack.




How did this all end up, has anyone heard?

https://www.frasercoastchronicle.co...e-hunting-for-bourke-st-hero-dubbed-/3576906/


----------



## sptrawler (19 November 2018)

PZ99 said:


> Blurry hell ....





That was certainly a big hit, lucky for the crash cell I'd say.


----------



## SirRumpole (20 November 2018)

sptrawler said:


> How did this all end up, has anyone heard?
> 
> https://www.frasercoastchronicle.co...e-hunting-for-bourke-st-hero-dubbed-/3576906/




So he's a petty thief, but he still did a good act.

I wonder how he ended up on skid row, another victim of technological change perhaps.


----------



## PZ99 (20 November 2018)

He did a good act. Now he can do another one. 

Donate his GoFund money to the victims of his previous crimes.


----------



## sptrawler (20 November 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> So he's a petty thief, but he still did a good act.
> 
> I wonder how he ended up on skid row, another victim of technological change perhaps.



Yes it will be interesting, to see if he can turn his life around, the donations are a good chunk of money.
I'm sure all that is needed, is a start for some of these people.
I can't understand why the local Governments, don't start up a community help centres, something like men's shed. Where these people can go to learn some basic skills, and gain some confidence. 
They have to try something, because the problem is going to grow. IMO


----------



## sptrawler (21 November 2018)

Well it looks as though the 'trolley man' story, may have a happy ending.

https://thewest.com.au/news/austral...man-banned-from-melbournes-cbd-ng-b881024503z

Hope he gets his life together, the funds raised should at least give him an opportunity.


----------



## sptrawler (4 December 2018)

Well it doesn't look as though the 'trolley man' story has a happy ending.

https://thewest.com.au/news/austral...chael-rodgers-in-trouble-again-ng-b881037380z

Sad really.


----------



## PZ99 (4 December 2018)

Well he sold his popularity with that act of thuggery. He won't get much sympathy from Melbournians that are sick of crime, violence and the erosion of our freedoms as a result. 
Maybe his trolley act was a demarcation dispute with a terrorist on his turf.


----------



## noirua (28 December 2018)

basilio said:


> This is how the world looks when one can just recreate reality with...
> 
> *A 69-year-old man says he identifies as a 49-year-old and wants his age legally changed so he can meet more women on Tinder*
> 
> ...




The give away is usually a persons neck. The neck ages and is difficult to disguise and why actresses in the distant past adorned scarves. One well known died due to her scarf being trapped in a car wheel.

Some famous people aged 49:
]


----------



## noirua (28 December 2018)




----------



## qldfrog (28 December 2018)

A


noirua said:


>




Attempt to deflate on going share marketcrash imo.time will tell


----------



## noirua (4 January 2019)




----------



## basilio (4 January 2019)

If you ever feel like grumbling about the "nanny state" situation with  Australian road laws (ie  arbitrary drink driving test, strict license laws, compulsory motor cycle helmets -  consider the alternative.

* 463 killed in collisions on Thailand's roads in new year's week *
Death toll from period police call ‘Seven Dangerous Days’ is close to record

Jamie Fullerton

 
 @jamiefullerton1 
Thu 3 Jan 2019 20.14 AEDT   Last modified on Thu 3 Jan 2019 22.34 AEDT

Shares
38




Traffic in Bangkok. The WHO reported that Thailand’s road collision-related death rate was the highest in south-east Asia. Photograph: Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters
A total of 463 people have died due to traffic collisions in Thailand over the past week, as the country’s notoriously lethal roads were once again swamped with drunk drivers during the new year period.

The country’s Road Safety Directing Centre said the death toll for what police call “Seven Dangerous Days” was up by 40 from last year’s count of 423 and just shy of the record of 478 set in 2017.

Drink-driving was listed as the cause of 40% of the 3,791 collisions reported between 27 December and 2 January. During that period 3,892 people were injured, down from 4,005 last year. Although this year’s death toll was up, the collision count was down slightly, from 3,841.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ollisions-on-thailand-roads-in-new-years-week


----------



## explod (8 January 2019)

China's President Xi Jinping resigns 

(ABC 24)


----------



## greggles (8 January 2019)

explod said:


> China's President Xi Jinping resigns
> 
> (ABC 24)




Are you sure? I'm not seeing this reported anywhere else.


----------



## ah13 (8 January 2019)

It isn't the Chinese President who has resigned - it's the Chinese President of the World Bank - Jim Yong Kim who has just resigned.


----------



## explod (8 January 2019)

OK, and apologies, 

dementia on the way


----------



## PZ99 (11 January 2019)

Fraser Anning is looking to snatch voters from the conservative space with a new party, 

the Conservative Nationals.

https://www.news.com.au/national/br...s/news-story/4dceaca7d5dffd544c949c32fd94a62f

Oohh goodie - more delusion dilution of conservative power in OZ - _thankyouverymuch..._

_I would've called it the FA party myself _


----------



## Knobby22 (13 January 2019)

How many conservative parties are there now?
One Nation, Conservative party, Liberal Democrats, Coservarive Nationals, Rise up Australia Party, sure there is more.


----------



## SirRumpole (13 January 2019)

Knobby22 said:


> How many conservative parties are there now?
> One Nation, Conservative party, Liberal Democrats, Coservarive Nationals, Rise up Australia Party, sure there is more.




Labor only has the Greens to split their vote.


----------



## noirua (14 January 2019)

Knobby22 said:


> How many conservative parties are there now?
> One Nation, Conservative party, Liberal Democrats, Coservarive Nationals, Rise up Australia Party, sure there is more.



*List of political parties in Australia*
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_political_parties_in_Australia


----------



## sptrawler (15 January 2019)

Well this is a first, from what I can remember and my memory isn't bad.
A PERTH DRIVER HAS BEEN BOOKED, FOR DRIVING TOO SLOW ON THE FREEWAY, YAHOO YOU BEAUTY.

https://thewest.com.au/opinion/pert...ds-and-need-to-lift-their-game-ng-b881074334z

It drives me mad, when you have these people driving with the purpose of slowing everyone down, not everyone has all day to get somewhere.


----------



## PZ99 (16 January 2019)

If the highway doesn't have a minimum speed limit you could probably contest that one.

Try citing lower emissions or driving a car in "limp" mode 

In the 70's the US set a limit of 55mph (90k's) to save fuel as a result of the oil crisis.


----------



## sptrawler (16 January 2019)

Ford and VW sharing technology, will give them a strong presence, in the Australian market place. IMO

https://www.drive.com.au/news/ford-...onfirmed-120548.html?ffref=smh&trackLink=SMH1


----------



## noirua (16 January 2019)

*German Consumer Prices Fell Sharply in December; Rose 1.9% in 2018 -Destatis*
https://uk.advfn.com/stock-market/s...an-consumer-prices-fell-sharply-in-december-r
Statistics have shown that Germany recorded its most sluggish annual growth rate since 2013 last year, while industrial production slumped in November for the second straight month, though Destatis said Tuesday that the economy has likely--narrowly--escaped a technical recession.


----------



## sptrawler (22 January 2019)

It wont be long before, alcohol is banned on Australian planes. IMO Unruly passengers are becoming more and more common.

https://thewest.com.au/news/aviatio...oast-to-singapore-scoot-flight-ng-b881080858z


----------



## greggles (24 January 2019)

Polly Waffle lovers rejoice! Ten years after it was discontinued, the Polly Waffle will be returning to supermarket shelves following a deal between Nestle and South Australian confectionery company Robern Menz.

https://www.news.com.au/national/br...n/news-story/2d954e7860881af8dfcea3f77e521d75


----------



## qldfrog (24 January 2019)

Missing from my new australian education and childhood.i will give it a try


----------



## qldfrog (24 January 2019)

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/fat-finger-blamed-centuries-old-020404213.html
And not a fat finger..
Incredible
Do we have a black swan/chaos thread?


----------



## sptrawler (25 January 2019)

qldfrog said:


> https://finance.yahoo.com/news/fat-finger-blamed-centuries-old-020404213.html
> And not a fat finger..
> Incredible
> Do we have a black swan/chaos thread?



Jeez, that would have caused some punters, to cough up their weeties.


----------



## PZ99 (30 January 2019)

For a bit of nostalgia someone put up an old school canteen menu from 1974


----------



## basilio (30 January 2019)

What happens when a 14 year old boy writes to a famous movie star inviting her (nicely) to sat at his families home ?
And the movie star responds umpten years later ?
Cool.
* ‘I'd like to offer you a holiday’: Richard E Grant's childhood letter to Barbra Streisand *
Singer responds after actor and superfan shared letter and posed outside her house
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeand...he-european-far-right-set-its-sights-on-women


----------



## qldfrog (31 January 2019)

Clementine Ford quits newspaper column, saying she was almost fired over tweet about ..
 i did not know that lady until i started clicking on article after article of the upmost sexist nature.a real hate of men, just because they are men.
I do not know what triggered that behaviour but that was really visceral
She needs a good psy in my opinion but who am i to know, i am just a male...


----------



## SirRumpole (31 January 2019)

New clues about MH370 perhaps.



https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01...ophones-suggest-alternate-crash-site/10767550

--


----------



## Garpal Gumnut (31 January 2019)

qldfrog said:


> Clementine Ford quits newspaper column, saying she was almost fired over tweet about ..
> i did not know that lady until i started clicking on article after article of the upmost sexist nature.a real hate of men, just because they are men.
> I do not know what triggered that behaviour but that was really visceral
> She needs a good psy in my opinion but who am i to know, i am just a male...




Clementine Ford.

She is a piece of work alright gf.

She may get a job at Adani as a PR person, if she is lucky. FIFO may be too onerous for the snowflake.

gg


----------



## Darc Knight (1 February 2019)

Imagine if a Male said similar things about Females ie. "Have you killed any Women today, if not why?"


----------



## noirua (3 February 2019)

SirRumpole said:


> New clues about MH370 perhaps.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I tend to agree with the view that a giant flying saucer sucked up flight MH370. It was said there appeared to be a sudden change of direction and that would be accountable to the flying saucer moving in a different direction. All information disappeared and that would be the case as the saucer lifted off before going into warp drive to another Solar System.

A *warp drive* is a faster-than-light (FTL) spacecraft propulsion system. A spacecraft equipped with a *warp drive *may travel at speeds greater than that of light by many orders of magnitude.


----------



## DB008 (9 February 2019)

This will be very interesting to watch

A Washington Post employee was chopped up in the Turkish embassy
Trump did nothing, no retaliation to Saudi Arabia
Washington Post turned up the heat and published articles
Mr Pecker has Trump ties
National Enquirer tries to blackmail Bezos, announces his divorce and tried to blackmail him because of d-ick pics. 
Bezos gives Gavin de Becker an open cheque book to investigate blackmail
National Enquirer is stuffed

Trying to blackmail Bezos, richest man in the world (even after his divorce, he'll still be the 4th richest in the world) because of sexual pics with his new girlfriend.

This will turn into a Thiel/Hogan v Theil case and National Enquirer will be finished.


*Jeff Bezos accuses National Enquirer of extortion, shows emails threatening to publish nude selfies*​
In a blog headlined "No thank you, Mr. Pecker," Jeff Bezos claims a lawyer for David Pecker's National Enquirer sent an email threatening to post sexual pictures the Amazon CEO had texted to his girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez, including a "below the belt selfie."
Bezos says the tabloid's owner, AMI, asked him to "make the specific false public statement to the press that we 'have no knowledge or basis for suggesting that AMI's coverage was politically motivated or influenced by political forces.'"
He was referring to the Enquirer's expose of Bezos' affair with Sanchez.
AMI insists it did nothing illegal but would investigate further.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/07/jef...nquirer-publisher-of-blackmail-extortion.html​

*Bezos response*

To lead my investigation, I retained Gavin de Becker. I’ve known Mr. de Becker for twenty years, his expertise in this arena is excellent, and he’s one of the smartest and most capable leaders I know. I asked him to prioritize protecting my time since I have other things I prefer to work on and to proceed with whatever budget he needed to pursue the facts in this matter.​
​


----------



## jbocker (9 February 2019)

qldfrog said:


> Clementine Ford quits newspaper column, saying she was almost fired over tweet about ..
> i did not know that lady until i started clicking on article after article of the upmost sexist nature.a real hate of men, just because they are men.
> I do not know what triggered that behaviour but that was really visceral
> She needs a good psy in my opinion but who am i to know, i am just a male...




Oh my darling, oh my darling
Oh my darling, Clementine
You are lost and gone forever
Dreadful sorry, Clementine


----------



## DB008 (10 February 2019)

DB008 said:


> This will turn into a Thiel/Hogan v Theil case and National Enquirer will be finished.




I meant to type - Thiel/Hogan v Gawker case - where Gawker was put out of business, the same will happen with National Enquirer


----------



## sptrawler (11 February 2019)

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02...n-from-inside-villawood-four-corners/10791252

International drug ring, run from a detention centre, paid for and funded by the taxpayer. LOL what a hoot.


----------



## sptrawler (12 February 2019)

This is what happens when people are poor, we can't afford to eat well.

https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/he...new-nutrition-guidelines-20190212-p50x4v.html

From the report:
_“Even more alarmingly, this figure is expected to increase,” the report stated. Projections suggest that by 2025, 83 per cent of men and 75 per cent of women aged 20 years or older, will be overweight or obese_.

It makes me hungry, thinking about it.


----------



## Darc Knight (12 February 2019)

sptrawler said:


> This is what happens when people are poor, we can't afford to eat well.
> 
> https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/he...new-nutrition-guidelines-20190212-p50x4v.html
> 
> ...




Going to be interesting to see how these Qld floods affect food prices.


----------



## sptrawler (12 February 2019)

Russia to unplug from the internet, to carry out tests, sounds like something all Countries should do. IMO

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/tech...plug-from-internet/ar-BBTsFN9?ocid=spartandhp

It would be interesting to see how much control you have over your own systems, and also give the opportunity to install anti spyware, in the data corridor.


----------



## sptrawler (13 February 2019)

An Aussie, who stood up and told establishment to get stuffed, to the end.

https://thewest.com.au/news/geraldt...er-prince-leonard-dead-aged-93-ng-b881104507z

Right or wrong, at least he had backbone, something that genetics and time seem to be eroding.


----------



## Darc Knight (14 February 2019)

The Senate has stripped Pauline Hanson's chief of staff James Ashby of his parliamentary pass and banned him from entering the building following an altercation with a senator.
*Key points:*

James Ashby and Senator Brian Burston were involved in a bloody dispute inside the building
Senator Burston has launched legal action against Mr Ashby, including seeking a restraining order
Senator Burston admits it was his blood smeared across Senator Hanson's door
Mr Ashby became involved in a scuffle with Brian Burston inside Parliament House, leaving the senator with an injured hand. .....

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2019...pass-from-james-ashby-pauline-hanson/10812888

Thoughts @sptrawler


----------



## sptrawler (14 February 2019)

Darc Knight said:


> The Senate has stripped Pauline Hanson's chief of staff James Ashby of his parliamentary pass and banned him from entering the building following an altercation with a senator.
> *Key points:*
> 
> James Ashby and Senator Brian Burston were involved in a bloody dispute inside the building
> ...



Were they fighting over Pauline?


----------



## PZ99 (14 February 2019)

She reportedly said that BB had about as much sex appeal as a road accident.


----------



## sptrawler (19 February 2019)

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...-no-sympathy-for-thieves-20190219-p50yrb.html

The SMH always finds a different bent on things.


----------



## qldfrog (19 February 2019)

sptrawler said:


> https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...-no-sympathy-for-thieves-20190219-p50yrb.html
> 
> The SMH always finds a different bent on things.



The sad thing is that most of the reports i saw were all praising that thug...and the poor bastard who managed to face him will probably get into trouble


----------



## sptrawler (19 February 2019)

qldfrog said:


> The sad thing is that most of the reports i saw were all praising that thug...and the poor bastard who managed to face him will probably get into trouble



There is nothing worse today, than being the victim, the press has become so virtue centred that if you are 'normal' you are a target.
Everyone but the 'normal Aussie', is precious.


----------



## basilio (19 February 2019)

qldfrog said:


> The sad thing is that most of the reports i saw were all praising that thug...and the poor bastard who managed to face him will probably get into trouble





sptrawler said:


> There is nothing worse today, than being the victim, the press has become so virtue centred that if you are 'normal' you are a target.
> Everyone but the 'normal Aussie', is precious.




Do we know enough about what happened to be so sure of ourselves ? 
I certainly don't and unless you have other far more detailed information I suggest you may not either.

Perhaps we  let police ect check this out thoroughly before us keyboard warriors decide who as right or wrong..


----------



## sptrawler (19 February 2019)

basilio said:


> Do we know enough about what happened to be so sure of ourselves ?
> I certainly don't and unless you have other far more detailed information I suggest you may not either.
> 
> Perhaps we  let police ect check this out thoroughly before us keyboard warriors decide who as right or wrong..



One thing we do know, someone was in someone else's house uninvited at 07.30.
Maybe we should just leave our doors open, in case someone needs to come in?
Also we are commenting on the SMH, bringing up what the house owner was chatting about on a forum, not unlike this.
I wasn't mentioning the incident, just the SMH portrayal, of the victim.
Maybe you should be directing your comment to them.


----------



## Darc Knight (19 February 2019)

basilio said:


> Do we know enough about what happened to be so sure of ourselves ?
> I certainly don't and unless you have other far more detailed information I suggest you may not either.
> 
> Perhaps we  let police ect check this out thoroughly before us keyboard warriors decide who as right or wrong..




Whats this crap Bas? You Left-(spittle)-ies and your "everyone has a right to a fair Trial before the townfolk lynch them" blurb! Geez!


----------



## basilio (19 February 2019)

Darc Knight said:


> Whats this crap Bas? You Left-(spittle)-ies and your "everyone has a right to a fair Trial before the townfolk lynch them" blurb! Geez!




Not quite Darkie.. 
We give 'em a fair trial *and then* we lynch 'em.
Gotta do it right boy..
We ain't no hillbillies..


----------



## Darc Knight (19 February 2019)

basilio said:


> Not quite Darkie..
> We give 'em a fair trial *and then* we lynch 'em.
> Gotta do it right boy..
> We ain't no hillbillies..




"Hillbillies" 

I just spat out a mouthfull of Water laughing!


----------



## DB008 (19 February 2019)

qldfrog said:


> The sad thing is that most of the reports i saw were all praising that thug...and the poor bastard who managed to face him will probably get into trouble




You should be able to defend your family from a threat like what happened in this instance.

Old mate woke up to dogs barking, went downstairs to see what the fuss was about and was confronted by a intruder. There was a fight and the homeowner came out on top. Thief lost. End of story.


----------



## sptrawler (19 February 2019)

Darc Knight said:


> Whats this crap Bas? You Left-(spittle)-ies and your "everyone has a right to a fair Trial before the townfolk lynch them" blurb! Geez!




What, you agree with the SMH also, yikes we are in for an interesting future. The townfolk aren't lynching people, the press are. 
But that's fine, as long as it is a bit of virtue signalling.
From the article, opening line:
_A Sydney father who confronted an intruder who subsequently died had previously commented that he had no sympathy for thieves who were caught in the act._


----------



## Darc Knight (19 February 2019)

sptrawler said:


> What, you agree with the SMH also, yikes we are in for an interesting future. The townfolk aren't lynching people, the press are.
> But that's fine, as long as it is a bit of virtue signalling.
> From the article, opening line:
> _A Sydney father who confronted an intruder who subsequently died had previously commented that he had no sympathy for thieves who were caught in the act._




Come on Homer, I'm with you and Frog. Ain't nuffin better than a good lynching!


----------



## Darc Knight (19 February 2019)

DB008 said:


> You should be able to defend your family from a threat like what happened in this instance.
> 
> Old mate woke up to dogs barking, went downstairs to see what the fuss was about and was confronted by a intruder. There was a fight and the homeowner came out on top. Thief lost. End of story.




How do you know all that?


----------



## sptrawler (19 February 2019)

basilio said:


> Not quite Darkie..
> We give 'em a fair trial *and then* we lynch 'em.
> Gotta do it right boy..
> We ain't no hillbillies..



What your suggesting the SMH article, is designed to give the homeowner a fair trail?
Or are you suggesting the dead person wont get a fair trail?
Either way, you have a strange take on it all.IMO


----------



## sptrawler (19 February 2019)

Darc Knight said:


> Come on Homer, I'm with you and Frog. Ain't nuffin better than a good lynching!



Who are you talking about? The dead person, or the home owner.
Or are you just talking to support Basilio's stance? Which I don't follow either.

This all started from me saying, I don't think it is fair, that the SMH print an article that insinuates something against the home owner. Especially before the facts of the case are known.
That somehow gets turned around by Bas and you, saying I want to lynch the burglar, even though he is dead.
Obviously your emotions are running your thought process.


----------



## Darc Knight (19 February 2019)

sptrawler said:


> Who are you talking about? The dead person, or the home owner.
> Or are you just talking to support Basilio's stance? Which I don't follow either.




Like you I just wanna see a good lynching.

How do we know all these facts about what happened?


----------



## sptrawler (19 February 2019)

Darc Knight said:


> Like you I just wanna see a good lynching.
> 
> How do we know all these facts about what happened?




Exactly what I have been saying, at last a glimmer of light.


----------



## Darc Knight (19 February 2019)

sptrawler said:


> Exactly what I have been saying, at last a glimmer of light.




So you saying a fair Trial is the best way to ascertain what actually happened? Good Lad.

P.S. Ever seen a Bouncer arguing with someone outside a Pub then invite them back onto the Pub property as he (the Bouncer) feels he is protected by the Law then? It happens.


----------



## DB008 (19 February 2019)

Darc Knight said:


> How do you know all that?




Cause it's in the news?

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02...dybuilder-intruder-posted-on-thieves/10824552

Francois Schwartz, 44, was woken up by his barking dogs before he went downstairs and challenged a stranger — who was identified as personal trainer and professional body builder Bradley Soper — inside his Harrington Park property on Sunday morning.

It is understood the men had a physical altercation in the living room while Mr Schwartz's wife and young daughter were asleep upstairs.

He also ran a personal training business called "School of Strong", but the ABC has been told he had been struggling with money and a cocaine addiction.​

I have no sympathy for the intruder. People have a right to defend themselves and their family.


----------



## Darc Knight (19 February 2019)

DB008 said:


> Cause it's in the news?
> 
> https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02...dybuilder-intruder-posted-on-thieves/10824552
> 
> ...




How do we know all that? One person is dead? Any witnesses, CTV or you just read it in the Paper.

Wait ABC and SMH. Don't let Homer see that, he's always going on that they lie.

One person dead. One left to write history. Not a really reliable source. Let a fair Trial bring out the facts, not some speculation or only one side of the story.


----------



## PZ99 (19 February 2019)

If someone ever broke into my house they would be in farrrrrrrkin trouble.

There you go... no emotion from me


----------



## Darc Knight (19 February 2019)

PZ99 said:


> If someone ever broke into my house they would be in farrrrrrrkin trouble.
> 
> There you go... no emotion from me




Mate, come back to my place for a few Beers


----------



## Smurf1976 (19 February 2019)

The trouble is that if the legal system had been left to deal with this then the intruder probably wouldn’t be punished and the victim almost certainly wouldn’t receive full compensation.

It’s not hard to see why people feel they need to take matters into their own hands.


----------



## Darc Knight (19 February 2019)

The problem is we don't know the full facts and may never know. A fair Trial is the best way to find out.


----------



## sptrawler (19 February 2019)

Darc Knight said:


> The problem is we don't know the full facts and may never know. A fair Trial is the best way to find out.



Re read my post #1578, where this discussion started.


----------



## Darc Knight (19 February 2019)

sptrawler said:


> Re read my post #1578, where this discussion started.




Do you agree when one person is dead and one is left we at least need a fair Trial to find out (hopefully) what happened.


----------



## SirRumpole (19 February 2019)

PZ99 said:


> She reportedly said that BB had about as much sex appeal as a road accident.




Pot and kettle.


----------



## sptrawler (19 February 2019)

Darc Knight said:


> Do you agree when one person is dead and one is left we at least need a fair Trial to find out (hopefully) what happened.



I don't think the SMH should be printing stories like that, which could influence a 'fair trial', maybe you think it is fine.
I think they are rumaging around in someones business, that is none of theirs, how would you like it if you were the home owner and the SMH was printing what you had put on ASF.
Maybe I'm just a bit old fashioned and don't want my business in the newspapers, untill I've had a 'fair trail'.


----------



## Darc Knight (19 February 2019)

sptrawler said:


> I don't think the SMH should be printing stories like that, which could influence a 'fair trial', maybe you think it is fine.
> I think they are rumaging around in someones business, that is none of theirs, how would you like it if you were the home owner and the SMH was printing what you had put on ASF.
> Maybe I'm just a bit old fashioned and don't want my business in the newspapers, untill I've had a 'fair trail'.




So you agree when one person is dead and one is left we at least need a fair Trial to findout (hopefully) what happened?


----------



## wayneL (19 February 2019)

basilio said:


> Do we know enough about what happened to be so sure of ourselves ?
> I certainly don't and unless you have other far more detailed information I suggest you may not either.
> 
> Perhaps we  let police ect check this out thoroughly before us keyboard warriors decide who as right or wrong..



#Covingtonboys


----------



## sptrawler (19 February 2019)

Darc Knight said:


> So you agree when one person is dead and one is left we at least need a fair Trial to findout (hopefully) what happened?



There will be a coroners investigation first I would guess, to determine cause of death, there might not even be a trial. Who knows, I think everyone is getting way off track.
I just think the SMH is out of line.


----------



## Smurf1976 (19 February 2019)

Darc Knight said:


> Do you agree when one person is dead and one is left we at least need a fair Trial to find out (hopefully) what happened.



Absolutely a fair trial is needed.

That said, I just don’t have much confidence that under normal circumstances (nobody dead) such a trial would, if the intruder were found guilty, result in a satisfactory remedy.


----------



## Darc Knight (19 February 2019)

I have a saying "everything on my Property is mine". If someone sticks an Arm in my Window, that Arm is mine. People I've known would never touch the Front Door handle if I yelled  out "come in!". I'll leave it there 
Just hope I never have to or need to face a fair Trial. I might be in trouble.


----------



## sptrawler (19 February 2019)

Darc Knight said:


> I have a saying "everything on my Property is mine". If someone sticks an Arm in my Window, that Arm is mine. People I've known would never touch the Front Door handle if I yelled  out "come in!". I'll leave it there
> Just hope I never have to or need to face a fair Trial. I might be in trouble.




So if someone breaks into your house, through a window and cuts their arm badly, then bleeds to death.
The SMH could say, you posted the above, hope you got a fair trail.

And that my friend, is exactly, what I was complaining about.


----------



## Darc Knight (19 February 2019)

sptrawler said:


> So if someone breaks into your house, through a window and cuts their arm badly, then bleeds to death.
> The SMH could say, you posted the above, hope you got a fair trail.
> 
> And that my friend, is exactly, what I was complaining about.




I just want you, Frog, PiZ and Danny on the Jury


----------



## SirRumpole (19 February 2019)

Smurf1976 said:


> Absolutely a fair trial is needed.




That depends on what the police find out. It's one man's word against the other and one of them is dead so there is no argument there.

The victim was a body builder and the householder would (probably) be no match for him physically.

It's a question of what is reasonable force. Unless the police find evidence that reasonable force was not used then I doubt the case will come to court.


----------



## sptrawler (19 February 2019)

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...ver-home-invader-s-death-20190219-p50yus.html


----------



## Garpal Gumnut (19 February 2019)

My contacts tell me that the DPP will not be pursuing a charge against the householder.

The SMH article is just clickbait to take you to Domain, Ch9 or some pneumatic man or woman on, I believe it is called MAFS whatever that is. 

gg


----------



## Darc Knight (19 February 2019)

sptrawler said:


> https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...ver-home-invader-s-death-20190219-p50yus.html




Homeowner is Sth African? He'd be used to that.


----------



## sptrawler (19 February 2019)

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...ver-home-invader-s-death-20190219-p50yus.html

From the article:
Mr Schwartz was questioned by detectives, but released without charge on Sunday night.

_Two weeks ago, a Reddit account linked to him posted that he had "no sympathy" for thieves on a video of a would-be mobile phone thief being punched by the people he sought to rob.

"If he is committed to crime, he will next time bring a gun and target someone more vulnerable like an 80-year-old," the Reddit comment, made on February 3, states.

"No sympathy. The person on the receiving end of his crime could also be poor, and worked hard at an honest job to buy that phone. What does his theft do to that honest person?", read the since-deleted comments_ .

Again I ask, what has that got to do with the incident?


----------



## Darc Knight (19 February 2019)

sptrawler said:


> https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...ver-home-invader-s-death-20190219-p50yus.html
> 
> From the article:
> Mr Schwartz was questioned by detectives, but released without charge on Sunday night.
> ...




Background. But at Law, Mens Rea. The intent. Was he just using reasonable force or was he some nut who would stab an Arm that came through his window or told his dodgey neighbours he'd electrocute anyone jiggling his front door handle


----------



## DB008 (19 February 2019)

Darc Knight said:


> Was he just using reasonable force or was he some nut who would stab an Arm that came through his window or told his dodgy neighbours he'd electrocute anyone jiggling his front door handle




We will never know. Even if it goes to trial. 2 people involved, 1 is dead. The person (thief) who broke into someone else's home (and possibly high on drugs, cocaine) is gone. Good riddance. End of story.


----------



## sptrawler (19 February 2019)

Darc Knight said:


> Background. But at Law, Mens Rea. The intent. Was he just using reasonable force or was he some nut who would stab an Arm that came through his window or told his dodgey neighbours he'd electrocute anyone jiggling his front door handle



Have you seen the size of the intruder? 

I would have to set the missus on him, his ears would be ringing for weeks.


----------



## Darc Knight (19 February 2019)

DB008 said:


> We will never know. Even if it goes to trial. 2 people involved, 1 is dead. The person (thief) who broke into someone else's home (and possibly high on drugs, cocaine) is gone. Good riddance. End of story.




Like I said, I want you as a Juror at any of my future court appearances. Although I've deactivated the front door handle now - outta that neighbourhood.


----------



## Darc Knight (19 February 2019)

sptrawler said:


> Have you seen the size of the intruder?




Wasn't real big. The MMA thing though is strange. The Homeowner isn't "built" and a Roid using MMA fighter is very dangerous. Says they struggled. I assumed grappled/wrestled, intruder lost concisousness. I assume Homeowner was trained (martial Arts etc) in some way - no mention of weapons.


----------



## sptrawler (19 February 2019)

Darc Knight said:


> Wasn't real big. The MMA thing though is strange. The Homeowner isn't "built" and a Roid using MMA fighter is very dangerous. Says they struggled. I assumed grappled/wrestled, intruder lost concisousness. I assume Homeowner was trained (martial Arts etc) in some way - no mention of weapons.



My guess would be some medical episode, heart attack, embolism etc, no doubt we will soon know.


----------



## moXJO (20 February 2019)

Most likely a choke hold thats cranked too long. Imo no need for a trial. 
The homeowner had a family upstairs. 

His fear of anything happening to his wife or kid were justified. The intruder was massive,  you ain't letting go once you get him in a hold. If the father yielded at all, then his family is at risk. He quickly performed cpr with the neighbors once the guy was out.

You have seconds to make a decision. The majority of people are not trained for these situations. Add on top the adrenaline and fear- it gets messy. The intruder being drug affected doesn’t help.

I feel sorry for the intruder that it ended the way it did. But he has now caused a fricken mess. That father and family are now going through the wringer because this idiot broke in. The father did not go out of his way to kill someone outside his home. He defended his family inside his house. 

If (by some lunacy) it went to trial, he just has to prove he had genuine fear.  But there is no way it would make trial in the first place.


----------



## Darc Knight (20 February 2019)

We probably should let this topic die, but I woke up last night and couldn't understand a few things:
B & E happened at 7.30am. Most B & Es happen during the day when everyone's at Work or in the Evening when lights aren't on indicating no one Home.
Second, intruder was an Athlete not a Speed or Herion addict.



moXJO said:


> Most likely a choke hold thats cranked too long. Imo no need for a trial.
> The homeowner had a family upstairs.
> 
> His fear of anything happening to his wife or kid were justified. The intruder was massive,  you ain't letting go once you get him in a hold. If the father yielded at all, then his family is at risk. He quickly performed cpr with the neighbors once the guy was out.
> ...




A choke was what I suspected. But even Pro Fighters have trouble applying it effectively. Then there's the fact they "struggled", indicating a probable Clinch or Wrestle. A Roided MMA Fighter is so dangerous in a Clinch. Homeowner looks somewhat small and weak.

Lotta things very strange, not just the time of entry. But, Police woulda checked everything including background (eg known to each other) you have to assume. Strange though.


----------



## qldfrog (20 February 2019)

And I read a friend of the dead mentioned he recently had addiction issues..for what it is worth


----------



## Darc Knight (20 February 2019)

qldfrog said:


> And I read a friend of the dead mentioned he recently had addiction issues..for what it is worth




Cocaine. Cocaine has only a few hours of high though dosent it.
Maybe on a binge and not thinking straight and saw an opportunity???

Probably should stop speculating.


----------



## moXJO (20 February 2019)

Darc Knight said:


> We probably should let this topic die, but I woke up last night and couldn't understand a few things:
> B & E happened at 7.30am. Most B & Es happen during the day when everyone's at Work or in the Evening when lights aren't on indicating no one Home.
> Second, intruder was an Athlete not a Speed or Herion addict.
> 
> ...



Chokehold across the artery is hard,  not across the windpipe. Ones to shutoff blood to the brain, the other oxygen to lungs. If you crank the neck long enough you stop oxygen- then blood to the brain even if at first you don't get the hold on properly at first. They slap it on the arteries in the ring and it takes a couple of seconds to knock out. Do it long enough and you go brain dead.

The intruder was drugged out/ or having some kind of episode. He was seen doing weird stuff before. If he was on ice and really out of it, the father would be dead imo. 

The thing is you don't know any facts if a person is suddenly  standing in front of you. You don't know what they are there to do. The fear of being knocked out, stabbed, or incapacitated also drives a person to the more extreme ends of force. But its a justified fear imo, as you don't want your family to suffer over your failure to protect.


----------



## Darc Knight (20 February 2019)

moXJO said:


> Chokehold across the artery is hard,  not across the windpipe. Ones to shutoff blood to the brain, the other oxygen to lungs. If you crank the neck long enough you stop oxygen- then blood to the brain even if at first you don't get the hold on properly at first. They slap it on the arteries in the ring and it takes a couple of seconds to knock out. Do it long enough and you go brain dead.
> 
> The intruder was drugged out/ or having some kind of episode. He was seen doing weird stuff before. If he was on ice and really out of it, the father would be dead imo.
> 
> The thing is you don't know any facts if a person is suddenly  standing in front of you. You don't know what they are there to do. The fear of being knocked out, stabbed, or incapacitated also drives a person to the more extreme ends of force. But its a justified fear imo, as you don't want your family to suffer over your failure to protect.




Understand what your saying but Fighters know to keep the Chin tucked, not just so it won't be knocked, but to stop a Choke. Then there's those few seconds to break the locking hold then Pummell in to realise the Choke. 
Intruder musta been off his face or Homeowner is a Gracie.


----------



## moXJO (20 February 2019)

Darc Knight said:


> Understand what your saying but Fighters know to keep the Chin tucked, not just so it won't be knocked, but to stop a Choke. Then there's those few seconds to break the locking hold then Pummell in to realise the Choke.
> Intruder musta been off his face or Homeowner is a Gracie.



Street fights are different. I've seen technical guys devolve to swinging "big right hands". Add drugs/alcohol and it turns into a dangerous mess. I'm not a fan of the gracies (basically dumbed down Japanese) but it does work.
I was wondering the same thing though. Intruder was insanely strong,  how did a 40+ yo dad put him down.


----------



## tech/a (20 February 2019)

Interesting Krav Maga is my sport. Google it.

Rear naked choke holds on a trained Fighter by a civilian is next to impossible unless he is
asleep. Even if you got it on Properly he'd be able to get out in a split second.
Reports are this guy was staggering around other houses before
he got to this house.

The only thing I can think of is a strike to the head from say a baseball bat that old
mate didn't see coming.
The guy built like a brick Shiet house would have seen over exuberance from the owner in protecting
his family.

If this guy was not under the influence of anything the only thing that would stop him is blindside
or a bullet.

I don't know one Trained technical guy over a blue belt that melts into a wildly swinging moron. They will size you up--get close---and then your theirs.


----------



## sptrawler (20 February 2019)

tech/a said:


> They will size you up--get close---and then your theirs.




I know what you mean Tech, my missus pulls that one on me, all the time.


----------



## tech/a (20 February 2019)

sptrawler said:


> I know what you mean Tech, my missus pulls that one on me, all the time.




The worst kind.
They don't even lay a finger on you!
Ninja's!


----------



## moXJO (20 February 2019)

tech/a said:


> Interesting Krav Maga is my sport. Google it.
> 
> Rear naked choke holds on a trained Fighter by a civilian is next to impossible unless he is
> asleep. Even if you got it on Properly he'd be able to get out in a split second.
> ...



I've seen dozens of headlocks applied to trained guys. Ive seen countless technical guys start swinging like morons. I've even witnessed world champions get knocked out on the street.
I ran with the fighters back in the day. And have been training since I was a kid. Been involved in and exposed to the realities of fighting.  And it ain't just skill that gets you through.

Sometimes you are just caught wrong on the street and end up on your ass. Sparring in the ring doesn't really compare to how you act on the street. Due to numerous factors.


----------



## DB008 (20 February 2019)

moXJO said:


> Most likely a choke hold thats cranked too long. Imo no need for a trial.
> The homeowner had a family upstairs.
> 
> His fear of anything happening to his wife or kid were justified. The intruder was massive, you ain't letting go once you get him in a hold. If the father yielded at all, then his family is at risk. He quickly performed cpr with the neighbors once the guy was out.




This is what l have been saying all along. Homeowner was defending himself. Wife and kid upstairs, l would have done exactly the same. Self defence. 

MMA guy was also a cocaine user - that weakens the heart and the struggle might have been the tipping point for a heart attack? Who knows.


----------



## tech/a (20 February 2019)

moXJO said:


> I've seen dozens of headlocks applied to trained guys. Ive seen countless technical guys start swinging like morons. I've even witnessed world champions get knocked out on the street.
> I ran with the fighters back in the day. And have been training since I was a kid. Been involved in and exposed to the realities of fighting.  And it ain't just skill that gets you through.
> 
> Sometimes you are just caught wrong on the street and end up on your ass. Sparring in the ring doesn't really compare to how you act on the street. Due to numerous factors.




I agree
But in THIS case one on one
Drugged up and blindsided with neighbours applying CPR this guy was king hit with something. 

Personally I’d rather be well trained on the street if a situation arose than not.
If I wasn’t trained at all I wouldn’t want to be attempting to hold my own with someone who was.

But sure there will always be lucky punches
Blind sides
Overwhelming odds
Stupid mistakes 
Overconfidence 

Bit like trading without your 10000 hrs


----------



## moXJO (20 February 2019)

tech/a said:


> I agree
> But in THIS case one on one
> Drugged up and blindsided with neighbours applying CPR this guy was king hit with something.
> 
> ...



Choke out happens a lot on home invasions. The last guy chased the intruder out of his house and killed him from a choke out. He was done for murder/manslaughter because the intruder had left and was no longer a threat. 

Be interesting to see what exactly happened.


----------



## Darc Knight (20 February 2019)

Cocaine seems to be the drug of choice for Athletes as it isn't as Catabolic as the others.


----------



## sptrawler (20 February 2019)

*“Cocaine is God's way of telling you you are making too much money.”*

― Robin Williams


----------



## moXJO (20 February 2019)

Darc Knight said:


> Cocaine seems to be the drug of choice for Athletes as it isn't as Catabolic as the others.



Sydney is flooded with ice and cocaine the last few years. Cocaine seems to be taking pole position recently.


----------



## sptrawler (20 February 2019)

https://www.smh.com.au/national/coc...ng-to-australia-s-sewers-20190219-p50ysu.html

And everyone says, they are doing it tough.


----------



## PZ99 (20 February 2019)

Court records viewed by news.com.au show that Alysse Bowen, a former personal training client of Mr Soper [the intruder], made an application for an Apprehended Domestic Violence Order against him in February 2017.

https://www.news.com.au/national/ns...t/news-story/c8eb1abc0544702fef6d371d7ec75f90

The more gets told the worse it looks for the violent druggo.


----------



## moXJO (21 February 2019)

https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp...t/news-story/c8eb1abc0544702fef6d371d7ec75f90



> Mr Schwartz, who was at home with his wife and daughter and feared for their safety, challenged Mr Soper, before grabbing him in a headlock and calling out to neighbours for help.




As suspected.....


----------



## tech/a (21 February 2019)

moXJO said:


> https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp...t/news-story/c8eb1abc0544702fef6d371d7ec75f90
> 
> 
> 
> As suspected.....




moXJO

You know as well as I do that its not that simple.

(1) You have to know how to secure a rear naked choke hold on an opponent. This guy seems cool as a cucumber
for an un trained guy! Ask 10 un trained civilians and Ill bet hardly 1 will know.
(2) You have at max 1 chance and 1 second to get out of it if its applied correctly.
(3) If your trained you'll know whats happening before it happens and get out of the situation before getting into it.

This is MR family man V drugged up Mr Massive trainer.
Don't add up.


----------



## moXJO (21 February 2019)

tech/a said:


> moXJO
> 
> You know as well as I do that its not that simple.
> 
> ...



Headlocks are easy to apply.  They ain't in a ring,  theres furniture around. Maybe the intruder realized his mistake and was non aggressive,  maybe the drugs made him an easy target? 
You don't need to apply it correctly to put someone in a headlock. But it becomes more dangerous the less you know. And thats how this guy died.

Most guys I know use rear naked chokes if the get into trouble. No one takes any damage and no one hits the pavement.
Headlocks in streetfights are common in the clinch for untrained.

The dad was a south African so he would more than likely know something.


----------



## PZ99 (21 February 2019)

tech/a said:


> moXJO
> 
> You know as well as I do that its not that simple.
> 
> ...



It adds up if we don't assume the family man is untrained and the trainer is fit to fight despite being drugged up.


----------



## tech/a (21 February 2019)

For those who don't know.

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&...=LppnEfRoFIM&usg=AOvVaw3rHhNNAM7OzDmdRuKDtvsN


----------



## Darc Knight (21 February 2019)

tech/a said:


> For those who don't know.
> 
> https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjuyOHJusvgAhUgSo8KHa5RB1UQwqsBMAN6BAgDEAc&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LppnEfRoFIM&usg=AOvVaw3rHhNNAM7OzDmdRuKDtvsN






Didn't think I'd ever see Bas Ruten on ASF  Don't try this at home folks.

SP, don't let your Missus see this!


----------



## moXJO (21 February 2019)

tech/a said:


> For those who don't know.
> 
> https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjuyOHJusvgAhUgSo8KHa5RB1UQwqsBMAN6BAgDEAc&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LppnEfRoFIM&usg=AOvVaw3rHhNNAM7OzDmdRuKDtvsN



Love that guy


----------



## Darc Knight (21 February 2019)

tech/a said:


> For those who don't know.
> 
> https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjuyOHJusvgAhUgSo8KHa5RB1UQwqsBMAN6BAgDEAc&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LppnEfRoFIM&usg=AOvVaw3rHhNNAM7OzDmdRuKDtvsN




And he's Bas's unique escape, no fighting the Hands here:



Overreem hadn't locked it though.


----------



## basilio (21 February 2019)

The story unfolds.  The police won't be charging the home owner but it all looks sad..

Reminds of the story of a women who enters her house, sees a strange (black..)man and shots him. Turns out she went into the wrong apartment...
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45632941 

*Bodybuilder killed in home invasion may have entered house by accident*
By police reporter Mark Reddie
Updated about 7 hours ago





* Photo:* Investigators are looking into Bradley Soper's drug and mental health history. (Facebook: Strongman India) 
*Related Story:* Man who confronted bodybuilder intruder had 'no sympathy' for thieves 
*Related Story:* 'Out of character': Man killed in home invasion was champion body builder 
Investigators are looking into whether a body builder killed during a suspected home invasion in Sydney's south-west may have accidentally ended up in the Harrington Park property.

*Key points:*

The police investigation is focusing on whether Bradley Soper was disorientated and high on drugs
Detectives travelled to Dubbo to interview Mr Soper's father about his son's mental health history
Homicide detectives advised against laying charges against homeowner Francois Schwartz
When his dogs started barking on Sunday morning, Francois Schwartz, 44, raced downstairs and found personal trainer Bradley Soper, 34, hiding behind his living room couch.

Fearing for his wife and young daughter's safety, the ABC understands Mr Schwartz challenged Mr Soper before he grabbed him in a headlock and called out to neighbours for help.

A source close to the investigation said Mr Schwartz's wife called police after Mr Soper lost consciousness, but he had already died by the time paramedics arrived at Westwood Court.

Police initially thought Mr Soper intended a forced entry into Mr Schwartz's home, but the investigation is now focusing on whether the Bringelly man was disoriented and high on drugs.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02...red-harrington-park-home-by-accident/10831270


----------



## basilio (21 February 2019)

Learn something new today..!

How would you go about killing EVERY rat on a small tropical island ?  (Why ? Because the little xxxtards are killing everything else in sight..)

* A pest in paradise *
On what should be a pristine tropical island, humans have introduced a destructive pest. Can scientists turn back the clock?
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-21/rat-extermination-on-a-remote-tropical-island-tahiti/10544694


----------



## moXJO (21 February 2019)

A mate of mine was so drunk he went into the wrong apartment one floor down and fell asleep on the couch. Apparently the owner answered the door and he barged his way in. No matter how hard the guy tried he couldn't wake him up. Even tipped water on him.
The guy let him sleep it off in the end. 

Mate got shock in the morning when he realized what he had done in the morning.


----------



## SirRumpole (21 February 2019)

Julie Bishop retiring at the next election.


----------



## basilio (21 February 2019)

moXJO said:


> A mate of mine was so drunk he went into the wrong apartment one floor down and fell asleep on the couch. Apparently the owner answered the door and he barged his way in. No matter how hard the guy tried he couldn't wake him up. Even tipped water on him.
> The guy let him sleep it off in the end.
> 
> Mate got shock in the morning when he realized what he had done in the morning.




I reckon that has happened more than a few times. Just silly shite. 
The problem comes when people have guns or think something else is happening or are looking to defend their turf or not "flexible" enough to recognise a genuine, stoopid/unfortunate  mistake rather than malintent.


----------



## moXJO (21 February 2019)

basilio said:


> I reckon that has happened more than a few times. Just silly shite.
> The problem comes when people have guns or think something else is happening or are looking to defend their turf or not "flexible" enough to recognise a genuine, stoopid/unfortunate  mistake rather than malintent.



I agree with the above. 
But on the other side of the argument  is what if he was there with intent to harm.
You have seconds to make a decision.
Very tragic for all involved.


----------



## Darc Knight (21 February 2019)

That'd explain the curious hour (7.30am) of the incident. On a bender all night perhaps.
Homeowner didn't know enough about restraints or was too over zealous. If it was someone in Security he might've been charged.


----------



## basilio (21 February 2019)

Hope this works.  Great clip


----------



## PZ99 (21 February 2019)

SirRumpole said:


> Julie Bishop retiring at the next election.



That's a nail in the coffin the Govt didn't really need. She was their best operator IMV.


----------



## SirRumpole (21 February 2019)

PZ99 said:


> That's a nail in the coffin the Govt didn't really need. She was their best operator IMV.




Yes I agree, she's a cool head. All Morrison can seem to do is rant and rave.


----------



## sptrawler (21 February 2019)

Darc Knight said:


> Didn't think I'd ever see Bas Ruten on ASF  Don't try this at home folks.
> 
> SP, don't let your Missus see this!



Jeez I'm in Sydney ATM, the missus just got drenched, I'm in more crap than Ned Kelly.
This is mid summer and it is raining heavier than mid winter, in Perth, why would people pay to live in this. Lol


----------



## sptrawler (21 February 2019)

China seems to be giving Australia's goollies a squeeze, with regard coal, will be interesting to see how it plays out.
Coal is on the nose anyway, and Glencore has said they are capping production, with it being a major export should have ramifications.


----------



## Darc Knight (22 February 2019)

sptrawler said:


> Jeez I'm in Sydney ATM, the missus just got drenched, I'm in more crap than Ned Kelly.
> This is mid summer and it is raining heavier than mid winter, in Perth, why would people pay to live in this. Lol




Stay safe!


----------



## SirRumpole (22 February 2019)

sptrawler said:


> China seems to be giving Australia's goollies a squeeze, with regard coal, will be interesting to see how it plays out.
> Coal is on the nose anyway, and Glencore has said they are capping production, with it being a major export should have ramifications.




Maybe we should ban the import of Chinese steel and re invigorate our own steel industry.


----------



## qldfrog (22 February 2019)

SirRumpole said:


> Maybe we should ban the import of Chinese steel and re invigorate our own steel industry.



You mean Trump ideas might not be evil..how can you?, what next?


----------



## SirRumpole (22 February 2019)

qldfrog said:


> You mean Trump ideas might not be evil..how can you?, what next?




I might agree with some of his policies, but as a human being he is several thousand years behind.


----------



## tech/a (22 February 2019)

SirRumpole said:


> Maybe we should ban the import of Chinese steel and re invigorate our own steel industry.




I buy a lot of steel on indent 

Steel which is grade 350 and conforms to Australian standard in the large majority comes from Taiwan 

Australia simply can’t produce enough steel for its own consumption
One Steel in SA hasn’t rolled Universal beam in the sizes we use for years
We have to buy Imported

Chinese steel has at times. been dumped here and the quality I’ve seen is worse than second grade. 

I’d buy Aussi and pay more if it was available


----------



## Logique (22 February 2019)

The cost of attempting to change the weather.  "AusExit", hadn't heard that one before, I like it.
Thought I'd post it in this thread, GetUp's social media trawlers will eventually find it though. Peak virtue-signalling indeed







> http://joannenova.com.au/2019/02/au...labor-govt-or-an-extra-half-trillion-dollars/
> ..The Labor plan will cost around 330,000 jobs, the Libs 80,000 jobs. Unless Australians manage to vote for another party entirely, or do an AusExit from our own government, that’s a whole lot of people sitting around watching cat videos....


----------



## basilio (22 February 2019)

Logique said:


> The cost of attempting to change the weather.  "AusExit", hadn't heard that one before, I like it.
> Thought I'd post it in this thread, GetUp's social media trawlers will eventually find it though. Peak virtue-signalling indeed




Ah well if anyone  believes or wants to believe this lying dribble - they can call it "free speech".


----------



## noirua (28 February 2019)

It is not your enemies who are noisy that you should be concerned about. It is when your friends remain silent.
Chairman Mr Cummings - US Congress


----------



## Darc Knight (21 March 2019)

*Salmonella concerns as eggs recalled from Coles and Woolworths*
A statement on Food Standards Australia and new Zealand says that Woolworths cage free 700g, Victorian Fresh Barn Laid 600g, 700g and 800g and Valley Barn Laid 600g could all be affected.

https://www.9news.com.au/2019/03/21/10/01/news-australia-possible-salmonella-contamination-of-eggs


----------



## moXJO (21 March 2019)

Darc Knight said:


> *Salmonella concerns as eggs recalled from Coles and Woolworths*
> A statement on Food Standards Australia and new Zealand says that Woolworths cage free 700g, Victorian Fresh Barn Laid 600g, 700g and 800g and Valley Barn Laid 600g could all be affected.
> 
> https://www.9news.com.au/2019/03/21/10/01/news-australia-possible-salmonella-contamination-of-eggs



Does that make #eggboy a terrorist now for using biological weapons


----------



## noirua (21 March 2019)

They had similar problems in the UK with a salmonella scare over 30 years ago. Edwina Curry, a Minister, was blamed for over exaggerating the problem and resigned. Later it was found out there had been an epidemic which was covered up. Edwina was right all along.  There are more liars and crooks in and around government than anywhere else or so it seemed in the 1990s in Whitehall, London. Herod Agrippa supposedly told Emperor Claudius two thousand years ago, "trust no one my friend, trust no one" - nothing has changed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwina_Currie
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1366276/Currie-was-right-on-salmonella.html


----------



## dutchie (21 March 2019)

Darc Knight said:


> *Salmonella concerns as eggs recalled from Coles and Woolworths*
> A statement on Food Standards Australia and new Zealand says that Woolworths cage free 700g, Victorian Fresh Barn Laid 600g, 700g and 800g and Valley Barn Laid 600g could all be affected.
> 
> https://www.9news.com.au/2019/03/21/10/01/news-australia-possible-salmonella-contamination-of-eggs



Thanks for the heads up DK. Bought two dozen yesterday. Will return.


----------



## qldfrog (21 March 2019)

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03...-burn-dozens-of-schoolchildren-alive/10923110
From the abc, not an alt right site..


----------



## sptrawler (21 March 2019)

It is good to see, at least some business people, put there money into Australia's future.

https://thewest.com.au/business/min...ch-and-test-centre-in-karratha-ng-b881142952z


----------



## bellenuit (23 March 2019)

Mueller Report has been released to AG. Still confidential, but apparently no additional indictments recommended over and above those already issued.


----------



## PZ99 (28 March 2019)

Good to see we are still stopping the boats 

https://www.news.com.au/national/qu...i/news-story/4a006fc017f9ff068c401972e37812bb


----------



## sptrawler (2 April 2019)

Our society is certainly changing, all this love,hugging and understanding, doesn't seem to be improving the outcomes.

https://thewest.com.au/news/crime/girls-charged-after-violent-cockburn-rampage-ng-b881156159z


----------



## macca (3 April 2019)

Hi SP,

naughty girls, don't do it again, now off you go


----------



## SirRumpole (3 April 2019)

sptrawler said:


> Our society is certainly changing, all this love,hugging and understanding, doesn't seem to be improving the outcomes.
> 
> https://thewest.com.au/news/crime/girls-charged-after-violent-cockburn-rampage-ng-b881156159z




I wonder if a bloke would be charged with child abuse if he tried to defend himself with a right uppercut.


----------



## qldfrog (3 April 2019)

Mos


SirRumpole said:


> I wonder if a bloke would be charged with child abuse if he tried to defend himself with a right uppercut.



A given , with bail denied, and if the ethnicity is right, it is prison time for the violent racist guy.


----------



## moXJO (4 April 2019)

qldfrog said:


> Mos
> 
> A given , with bail denied, and if the ethnicity is right, it is prison time for the violent racist guy.



Here's another mo story.
Knew a guy that went to a wedding in goulburn. He ends up pissed as a parrot and ends up walking to get something to eat with a much older mate on the main street.

Ends up running into a very large group of 9-14yo who demand his wallet. So he smacks the little darling on his arse. And thats when they start swarming him.

He reckoned he was knocking out kids with every swing but sheer numbers and bourbon eventually drag him down. Luckily for him the cops turn up. But one of the girls in the group knew the cop and he almost got pinged.

In the end the older guy talked to the cops and they let them go. Later on that same group made the papers for similar antics.


----------



## qldfrog (5 April 2019)

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/taxman-kept-quiet-while-8bn-fraud-helped-fund-bin-laden-gmvj0b7gs
Billions stolen from uk gov in massive fraud having funded al qaeda, link with uk labour
Parallel to robinson scandal
Did the matter.just learnt about this tiday


----------



## noirua (6 April 2019)

The UK's Parliament is in a terrible state. Presently repairing Big Ben and Parliament Building itself. Brexit is in a crazy mess and all proceedings cancelled since Thursday morning due to pipes leaking and flooding the place.
https://metro.co.uk/2019/04/04/parliament-flooded-huge-leak-forces-mps-evacuate-commons-9113767/

See if you can spot the hundreds of rude signs which sums up the place these days?







I read all the following and I wondered why the obvious was not mentioned. Why wasn't he in a properly secured child's seat?
https://metro.co.uk/2019/04/05/boy-3-crushed-death-fathers-land-rover-reversed-farm-9124319/


----------



## basilio (6 April 2019)

Sign of the (Strait) times.

*US woman, 61, gives birth to gay son's baby*




Elliott Dougherty and Matthew Eledge, his mother Cecile Eledge and father Kirk Eledge are pictured just before embryo transfer at Methodist Women's Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska.-Reuters

WHEN Cecile Eledge offered to carry a baby for her adult son and his husband, they thought she was kidding – and that her doctors in the family’s Nebraska hometown would balk at a 61-year-old woman serving as a surrogate for a gay couple.

But two weeks ago the entire family – along with proud doctors – beamed as Uma Louise Dougherty came into the world at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Grandmother and baby are both healthy – and Uma was delivered the old-fashioned way.

The circumstances of Uma’s birth are a testament to changing social mores as well as the dramatic advances in senior health made by modern medicine and healthy lifestyles.

“I wanted to do it as a gift from a mother to her son,” Cecile Eledge said.

News of Uma’s conception, delivery and birth made headlines across the globe. On social media, the family was inundated with messages – most of them positive but some extremely angry and negative, Matthew Eledge said.
https://www.nst.com.my/world/2019/04/476681/us-woman-61-gives-birth-gay-sons-baby


----------



## Knobby22 (6 April 2019)

61! Amazing.
Hard way to get grandchildren [emoji2]


----------



## PZ99 (11 April 2019)

First ever real image of a black hole...






https://www.abc.net.au/news/science...-telescope-announcement-astrophysics/10989534


----------



## sptrawler (11 April 2019)

Or a distant solar eclipse, another conspiracy theory in the making, just joking.


----------



## PZ99 (11 April 2019)

Bold and Beautiful in the Aussie Outback 

Warning: _You'll park the tiger..._


----------



## qldfrog (11 April 2019)

PZ99 said:


> First ever real image of a black hole...
> 
> 
> 
> https://www.abc.net.au/news/science...-telescope-announcement-astrophysics/10989534



I understand that a black hole will curve light rays but I would expect  that looking at a "sun" with a black hole in between,you would see a less bright, not black area..I should draw a schema..
but on the other end, this is not a picture, just a visualisation of data, and as such you can do anything, increase or decrease intensity, put a logarithmic factor etc..
In any way, a nice way to spread science knowledge
Anyway, am I the only one wondering about this? was discussing this with my son this morning..


----------



## bellenuit (11 April 2019)

Julian Assange arrested at the embassy

http://news.met.police.uk/news/arrest-update-sw1-365526


----------



## sptrawler (11 April 2019)

Well the embassy, will be able to go in and clean his room out now.


----------



## qldfrog (11 April 2019)

Assange arrested, PC win again vs religion, lady Madonna of NZ bleeding heart lifting her veil to disapprove naughty Maori but all is good, the plebe can stay amused with MAFS
Time to read again brave new world
And we give lessons to China

Adding a link to Google drive, sorry if you are in china indeed

This post only makes sense if you can access the screenshot of latest news
Assange
Rugby
Mafs
Nz pm


----------



## noirua (14 April 2019)

*Shots fired near Ukrainian embassy in London after ambassador’s car ‘rammed’*
https://www.aol.co.uk/news/2019/04/...krainian-embassy-in-london-after-ambassadora/

Wikileaks: https://twitter.com/wikileaks?lang=en
Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/wikileaks/


----------



## qldfrog (14 April 2019)

noirua said:


> *Shots fired near Ukrainian embassy in London after ambassador’s car ‘rammed’*
> https://www.aol.co.uk/news/2019/04/...krainian-embassy-in-london-after-ambassadora/
> 
> Wikileaks: https://twitter.com/wikileaks?lang=en
> Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/wikileaks/



Hey, after Trump russiangate fell in a heap, trying the russian nerve agent svhema with no success, is this the cia via mi5 latest attempt against Putin
Cause we all agree in 2019, russia is the main danger for the west..
Jesus, why do we have dinosaurs in charge
During that time, overpopulation swamping europe,green plague growing and china taking over
Anyway coukc be just road rage against body guards


----------



## noirua (14 April 2019)

*World’s biggest airplane takes flight for the first time ever *
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/tec...he-first-time-ever/ar-BBVUf0d?ocid=spartanntp


----------



## Knobby22 (16 April 2019)

Notre Dame Paris burning down.
Terrible, sad, upsetting.


----------



## Tink (16 April 2019)

Paris: Notre Dame Cathedral went up in flames on Monday in a roaring blaze that devastated the Parisian landmark, one of France's most treasured sites.

Flames burst through the roof of the centuries-old cathedral and quickly engulfed the spire.

https://www.theage.com.au/world/eur...al-in-paris-catches-fire-20190416-p51eh7.html


----------



## qldfrog (16 April 2019)

But it is OK, terrorism has been ruled out even before the enquiry starts

Like the world trade towers, a symbol of the west slow collapse.


----------



## qldfrog (16 April 2019)

Really sad as i always made sure i stop by for a quick stop whenever in Paris
1 thousand year of western civilisation, power of both belief and engineering in a building
For any visitor now missing Notre Dame splendor, i recommend a close second:the Reims cathedral a short trip by high speed train from Paris East train station


----------



## Joe Blow (16 April 2019)

Absolutely devastating news. One of my favourite cathedrals in Europe and without doubt the most atmospheric. I hope they manage to restore it as authentically and as accurately as they possibly can.


----------



## moXJO (16 April 2019)

Joe Blow said:


> Absolutely devastating news. One of my favourite cathedrals in Europe and without doubt the most atmospheric. I hope they manage to restore it as authentically and as accurately as they possibly can.



It is devastating. 
Hope it wasn't arson,  a lot of churches have been attacked in france the last few years.


----------



## dutchie (16 April 2019)

Tink said:


> Paris: Notre Dame Cathedral went up in flames on Monday in a roaring blaze that devastated the Parisian landmark, one of France's most treasured sites.
> 
> Flames burst through the roof of the centuries-old cathedral and quickly engulfed the spire.
> 
> https://www.theage.com.au/world/eur...al-in-paris-catches-fire-20190416-p51eh7.html



Devastating for sure. Irrespective of the religious aspect a beautiful and magnificent building. One which helped define Paris.


----------



## PZ99 (16 April 2019)

Under reno so a blowtorch error is my guess. Nice to see the president vowing to repair it.


----------



## moXJO (16 April 2019)

PZ99 said:


> Nice to see the president vowing to repair it.



I heard he is bringing in the best restoration artist.


----------



## PZ99 (16 April 2019)

And here I am thinking he was leaning to the left


----------



## qldfrog (16 April 2019)

I know many will see me as a crazy conspiracy  guy, but lately in France, 2 churches a day are vandalised, burnt, destroyed..I do not need to point any finger, we all know who are the arsonists:
last February 5 churches in a week in mostly paris area:
http://www.leparisien.fr/faits-dive...eglises-en-une-semaine-10-02-2019-8008827.php
 just recently:
17/03/2019, within walking distance from Notre Dame:http://www.lefigaro.fr/culture/2019...adations-a-l-eglise-saint-sulpice-a-paris.php

or updated the 29/03:
http://www.lefigaro.fr/vox/religion...defendre-les-chretiens-a-ne-rapporte-rien.php
In France, in 2017 last figures available, 978 religious buildings have been attacked in France, 878 of them Christians..

Yes there was renovation work but as anyone familiar with these buildings knows, there is always renovation work.
The minister started saying that it is not arsonism or terrorism, but he is opening an enquiry to determine what is the cause...
Bla bla black sheep...sleep well citizens, all is good

A civilisation collapsing without fighting, next the Eiffel tower, the statue of Liberty in NY or the Philadelphia bell?
One thing we can be all sure is that we will never know the truth if inconvenient. If only we had Assange around..


----------



## qldfrog (16 April 2019)

and let's that thread reverts to its purpose, I am guilty


----------



## noirua (16 April 2019)




----------



## noirua (16 April 2019)




----------



## noirua (16 April 2019)




----------



## Smurf1976 (16 April 2019)

Knobby22 said:


> Notre Dame Paris burning down.
> Terrible, sad, upsetting.



I'm not even slightly religious but it's very sad to see this destroyed. A magnificent building it was most certainly.

At a personal level, so far as I'm aware it's the only place I've been which is considered a major city or national landmark and which has since been destroyed. At least I think that's the case. Hopefully it remains the only one.


----------



## explod (16 April 2019)

Yep as an artist educationally wise a very important part of that and architecture historically a great loss.

However, compared to 2000 plus year old gum trees  here in Victoria supporting hundreds of animal species I regard it as zilch.


----------



## moXJO (17 April 2019)

Indonesia has elections today. They have their own version of trump running. Even with the catchphrase: "Make Indonesian great again".
He is pandering to the extremist Muslims in the country who say they will mass protest if he doesn't win.

Bigger deal than our own election imo.


----------



## SirRumpole (17 April 2019)

PZ99 said:


> Under reno so a blowtorch error is my guess. Nice to see the president vowing to repair it.




With all that stonework I wonder what was burning. Wooden rafters I expect.

I hope they do a proper restoration and use steel girders.


----------



## moXJO (17 April 2019)

SirRumpole said:


> With all that stonework I wonder what was burning. Wooden rafters I expect.
> 
> I hope they do a proper restoration and use steel girders.



The wood rafters that burnt were oak. Just the craft work that went into the frame was a thing of beauty. Apparently cut from old trees of huge size, which they don't have in france anymore. I don't think they could replace the timbers to match. If its restoration work you generally replace like for like.


----------



## SirRumpole (17 April 2019)

moXJO said:


> The wood rafters that burnt were oak. Just the craft work that went into the frame was a thing of beauty. Apparently cut from old trees of huge size, which they don't have in france anymore. I don't think they could replace the timbers to match. If its restoration work you generally replace like for like.




Wood veneer over steel rafters ?

Sacriledge !


----------



## wayneL (17 April 2019)

explod said:


> Yep as an artist educationally wise a very important part of that and architecture historically a great loss.
> 
> However, compared to 2000 plus year old gum trees  here in Victoria supporting hundreds of animal species I regard it as zilch.



I find both equally distressing.

Worse still is the celebratory tweets from those of the "religion of peace". The ultimate ramifications of such, I believe will be even more egregious.


----------



## Ann (17 April 2019)

Perhaps the building of more public toilets with syringe disposal boxes might help this issue? Or is that too logical? The only negative thing I could think about the idea is they may become homes for the homeless. If you are keen, this article has interactive maps of the poop, its number and frequency and where it has been found. Enjoy! 

*Mapping San Francisco's Human Waste Challenge - 132,562 Cases Reported In The Public Way Since 2008*

_By many measures, San Francisco is a world-class city. It’s a tourist mecca that boasts 25 million visitors each year. It’s home to wonders of the modern world – the Golden Gate Bridge and its iconic cable cars – as well as powerful progressive politicians, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Governor Gavin Newsom, and U.S. Senator (and presidential hopeful) Kamala Harris.


The broader San Francisco Bay Area can also claim Silicon Valley and its booming economy.


But the city itself is in trouble. Today, San Francisco hosts an estimated homeless population of 7,500 people. Affluent sections of the city have become dangerous with open-air drug use, tens of thousands of discarded needles, and, sadly, human feces.


Since 2011, there have been at least 118,352 reported instances of human fecal matter on city streets. More..._


----------



## noirua (18 April 2019)

*Madeira crash: '28 dead' after tourist coach veers off road smashing into house*
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/ukne...mashing-into-house/ar-BBW2zJ9?ocid=spartandhp
He said all the tourists on the bus were German but some local people could also be among the casualties. Eleven of the fatalities were men and 17 women, Mr Sousa added. The bus was reported to be carrying 55 people.


----------



## Logique (19 April 2019)

Phew that was a narrow escape for Notre Dame. Vast sections may have been burnt - but at least they didn't project any lights onto it. We know how genuinely damaging that can be to a building, as we saw with the Opera House


----------



## explod (20 April 2019)

Was just having a catch up with a mate of mine for Easter (was on ASF as Gumby Learner) and out of the blue HE SAID, "you know that bloke that did that shooting at the New Zealand Mosque, he used to be on ASF".  I informed him that others on here had picked that up too.  Not sure under what heading posted so I've put it here.


----------



## wayneL (22 April 2019)

It is interesting the different style of reporting in the MSN, between the New Zealand shootings and the Sri Lankan massacre.

It is also interesting that "Christians" have transmogrified into "Easter worshippers"


----------



## noirua (25 April 2019)

*Kazakhstan's BTA Bank alleges Felix Sater, others laundered more than $440 million*
https://legalnewsline.com/stories/5...-sater-others-laundered-more-than-440-million

Sater had recently been in headlines regarding the potential Trump Tower in Moscow, whom was stated to had worked with President Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen to construct the proposed hotel. In 2005, the Trump Organization signed a contract with Sater’s Bayrock Group for the building’s construction, one of the companies named in BTA’s suit.

@@@
International Mining and Infrastructure Corporation
Interesting times for IMIC administrator. Bearing in mind that the Libyan Foreign Bank is in charge here (the civil war has flared up again) and that IMIC had associates of the Ablyazov crime syndicate on board, if not on the board, (associated in the press with Trump's properties in NY) they must be treading on a lot of political eggshells.
http://www.newclassaction.co.uk


----------



## basilio (25 April 2019)

Strange but true. ..  The story is rivetting; the comments equally insightful.
Enjoy.

*Suffolk man ‘had sex with 450 tractors’*

*EXCLUSIVE
By Hugh Dunnett, Crime Correspondent*

*A Suffolk man with a bizarre sexual attraction to tractors has been banned from the countryside and forced to sign the sex offenders’ register.*

Ralph Bishop, 53, was found by police with his trousers around his ankles “interfering” with a tractor parked in a field outside Saxmundham.

He was arrested on suspicion of outraging public decency and admitted to having had sex with around 450 tractors all over the Suffolk countryside.

When officers searched his terraced home they found a collection of more than 5,000 tractor images on his laptop.

The photos showed Bishop had a special desire for John Deere and Massey Ferguson tractors, particularly green ones.
https://www.suffolkgazette.com/news/suffolk-man-sex-with-tractors/


----------



## PZ99 (25 April 2019)

Yeah - gotta admit I wouldn't mind looking under that bonnet.


----------



## SirRumpole (25 April 2019)

basilio said:


> Strange but true. ..  The story is rivetting; the comments equally insightful.
> Enjoy.
> 
> *Suffolk man ‘had sex with 450 tractors’*
> ...




Maybe a tractor beam got him.


----------



## cynic (25 April 2019)

Four questions:

Was it consensual, or did he rape the tractors in question?
Were the tractors of legal age?
Were the tractors close relatives of his?
Do we need to have a referendum to consider further amendments to the marriage act?


----------



## noirua (25 April 2019)

There we are, that's solved the problem:


----------



## Knobby22 (25 April 2019)

I just hope they don't try tractor conversion therapy.


----------



## basilio (25 April 2019)

cynic said:


> Four questions:
> 
> Was it consensual, or did he rape the tractors in question?
> Were the tractors of legal age?
> ...




Consensual
Indeterminate
Cross species
No lasting commitments offered or asked 
(Far better funnies in the comments section under the "story" )


----------



## noirua (25 April 2019)

Cross breeding of humans and tractors must be stopped right now!


----------



## jbocker (26 April 2019)

He has been cured and now lives in a bathroom. Such is life for an ex-tractor fan.


----------



## SirRumpole (26 April 2019)

Makes a change from sheep I guess...


----------



## jbocker (27 April 2019)

basilio said:


> Strange but true.
> ...
> *Suffolk man ‘had sex with 450 tractors’*
> ...




_Everyone _thought he was a dipstick.

(sorry...  I will stop now)


----------



## noirua (27 April 2019)




----------



## basilio (27 April 2019)

Speaking of dipsticks (see Chief Dipstick above) we should be aware there is further news on the plans for The Dons visit to the UK later this year.

The Queen is preparing a special  welcoming  party.

*Queen sends Prince Philip to pick up Donald Trump from the airport*
3 days ago
 Prev Article




*By Jane Seymour, Royal Editor*

*The Queen will welcome Donald Trump to Britain by sending Prince Philip to pick him up from the airport.*

Mr Trump will make his first official state visit to the UK in June, staying with Her Majesty, having talks at Downing Street and taking part in D-Day commemorations (so long as it’s not raining).

It has been revealed that the Queen has a cunning plan to keep Mr Trump occupied – sending her husband out in his Range Rover to pick the President up from Heathrow.

A Royal insider said: “Her Majesty was furious when Philip overturned his car near Sandringham after colliding with a common person in a Kia earlier this year.

“She ordered Philip, 96, to stay off the road, much to his disgust. But news that Mr Trump is arriving has given her a change of heart.

“Now she wants Philip to drive round and pick him up.
https://www.suffolkgazette.com/news/prince-philip-donald-trump-airport/


----------



## basilio (27 April 2019)

Some skeptical people on ASF may doubt the veracity of the Suffolk gazette as a serious journalist entity.

*Fear not folks.*  The Suffolk Gazettes  innate commitment to honest, incisive, TRUE journalism has been attested by the highest office in the land.

*Donald Trump Tweets his admiration for Suffolk Gazette journalism*





*US President Donald Trump has sent an extraordinary Tweet praising the journalism of the Suffolk Gazette.*

In what is – by a country mile – our most high-profile support ever, Mr Trump urged his 27 million Twitter followers to “check out” the Suffolk Gazette.

He even quipped that we had a “fun” soccer team, and used the #ITFC hashtag!

The President has been waging a war on so-called fake news in America since coming to power, and while repeatedly chastising the likes of CNN he has now started to showcase great journalism as well.

Last night it was the turn of the Suffolk Gazette to get a name check, and we couldn’t be more delighted.

A spokesman for the Suffolk Gazette said: “We’re only a small local newspaper in England, but we take great pride in our responsible and accurate reporting.

...Mr Trump’s Tweet about the Suffolk Gazette has already been Liked by 76,000 of his followers, and Re-Tweeted by 16,000 more.

https://www.suffolkgazette.com/news/donald-trump-suffolk-gazette/


----------



## noirua (29 April 2019)




----------



## noirua (30 April 2019)




----------



## tech/a (30 April 2019)

noirua said:


>





India not on the list?


----------



## Ann (30 April 2019)

tech/a said:


> India not on the list?



I don't think they dump their rubbish in the sea.

Looks like it was just you and me here for a while tech/a!


----------



## tech/a (30 April 2019)

I told you the ignore button cut out a heap of noise!!

India must be up there

https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&...=GhjzpgmRoOM&usg=AOvVaw0nMWXUBF4RkubE3vs06OIe


----------



## Ann (30 April 2019)

tech/a said:


> I told you the ignore button cut out a heap of noise!!



 A wise man indeed!


----------



## PZ99 (30 April 2019)

I suspect the data is on a per-capita basis and/or unprocessed waste.


----------



## moXJO (30 April 2019)

Venezuelan coup underway!


----------



## Ann (1 May 2019)

moXJO said:


> Venezuelan coup underway!



Perhaps, it doesn't sound too convincing yet....

*Venezuela's Guaido Claims Military Support to Take Power*

_Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido on Tuesday went to a military base in the nation’s capital to proclaim the end of socialist President Nicolas Maduro’s regime and called for a military uprising.

The outcome of the high-stakes gambit remained unclear as protesters gathered despite billowing tear gas and the regime promised punishment for any who joined a rebellion. No high-ranking officers had announced their support for Guaido, but hundreds of residents took to the streets to support him, with whistles and shouts of “coup.”
_
_Leopoldo Lopez, Guaido’s ally and mentor long held under house arrest, was freed and accompanied him to La Carlota military base in Caracas, where they spoke on a highway outside as hundreds gathered. They were flanked by dozens of national guard members who concealed their faces with masks and wore blue bracelets and armbands to signal their allegiance. More.._


----------



## moXJO (1 May 2019)

Guaido has only a small amount of military support.
Leftist took away all the guns with strict gun laws so the people can't fight back that effectively.

Meanwhile 




Russia and cuba are also on the ground.


----------



## Ann (4 May 2019)

Not sure if this is truth or if they are just having a lend of us....

*Green Revolution: Washington State to allow composting of human beings *

_Each Friday we highlight a number of important, and often bizarre stories from around the world that my team and I are closely following:

*1. Washington State will allow human body composting*

 It doesn’t get much greener than this.

 Staking his presidential run on climate change, the Governor of Washington is set to sign a bill legalizing composting of deceased humans. More..._


----------



## Joules MM1 (4 May 2019)

Ann said:


> Not sure if this is truth or if they are just having a lend of us....
> 
> *Green Revolution: Washington State to allow composting of human beings *
> 
> ...




just have-to

(ahem) two words:

_Soylent Green_

ok, sorrynotsorry


----------



## noirua (6 May 2019)

*More than 40 believed dead as Aeroflot plane catches fire at Moscow airport *
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/worl...rt/ar-AAAW6TU?MSCC=1557094266&ocid=spartandhp


----------



## noirua (7 May 2019)




----------



## noirua (1 June 2019)




----------



## noirua (8 June 2019)




----------



## noirua (17 June 2019)

*France to declare natural disaster after storms rip through crops *
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/worl...ps/ar-AACXQF2?MSCC=1560730090&ocid=spartandhp


----------



## noirua (28 June 2019)

*Russia – friend or occupant? Russian tourists, expats in Georgia on recent unrest*
https://jam-news.net/russia-friend-or-occupant-russian-tourists-expats-in-georgia-on-recent-unrest/

Mass protests in Georgia, which began after an MP of the Russian State Duma who openly supported the occupation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia spoke from the parliamentary speaker’s chair, have given rise to new tensions between the two countries and opened a broad discussion about the safety of using the Russian language and Russian tourists in Georgia.

The decision of Vladimir Putin to ban direct flights between Russia and Georgia starting July 8, as well as the order to take measures to return home Russian citizens temporarily in Georgia, has caused wide public response and heated discussions on social media.





*Georgian gov’t agrees to protest demands: 2020 parliamentary elections by proportional system*
https://jam-news.net/georgian-govt-...rliamentary-elections-by-proportional-system/

*Abkhazia closes checkpoint with Georgia over Tbilisi protests*
https://jam-news.net/abkhazia-closes-checkpoint-with-georgia-over-tbilisi-protests/
_Although the protest had been brewing for a long time and was associated with deep discontent in society with the policies of the ruling Georgian Dream party and personally its leader billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, State Duma Deputy Sergei Gavrilov was the immediate cause of the street protests.

Several hundred people were injured after police used tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets. On the afternoon of June 21, Georgian Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze announced his resignation.

The Inteparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy was to open on June 19 in Tbilisi. The right to open the assembly was given to Russian MP Sergei Gavrilov, and he did so from the seat reserved for the speaker of the Georgian parliament.

The number of wounded is not yet known for sure, but will likely be in the hundreds. Several people are in serious conditions, while several have likely lost their eyes after being struck by rubber bullets.


















_


----------



## PZ99 (2 July 2019)

Body found in London garden was stowaway who fell from plane

https://www.news.com.au/travel/trav...e/news-story/7ee746ae22d4b9723d2e1522febb6447

I never did believe that Commando scene


----------



## sptrawler (10 July 2019)

Papua New Guinea, obviously still has a few issues, that need resolving.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-10/hela-province-papua-new-guinea-massacre/11293972


----------



## qldfrog (10 July 2019)

sptrawler said:


> Papua New Guinea, obviously still has a few issues, that need resolving.
> 
> https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-10/hela-province-papua-new-guinea-massacre/11293972



If you read the PM response, it is even scarier: i quote
my electorate by Haguai, Liwi and OKiru gunmen
Accusing 3 other provinces /tribes without even any police  workdone
What next? A pogrom?
Poor country


----------



## DB008 (11 July 2019)

Merkel showing signs of parkinsons. 


http://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-11/german-chancellor-angela-merkel-seen-shaking-for-third-time/11298172


----------



## Knobby22 (12 July 2019)

DB008 said:


> Merkel showing signs of parkinsons.
> 
> 
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-11/german-chancellor-angela-merkel-seen-shaking-for-third-time/11298172



I watched the video. Something is wrong.
Hope it's not too bad.


----------



## ghotib (15 July 2019)

Something is wrong, but tremor can be a symptom of a wide range of problems, most not particularly threatening. FWIW I'd include Parkinson's in that group - plenty of people hold high-powered jobs while living for years with Parkinsons. Worth even less, Merckel's tremor doesn't look like Parkinson's to me. I wouldn't worry about Merckel. More than capable of looking after herself as well as her country.


----------



## wayneL (15 July 2019)

ghotib said:


> capable of looking after herself as well as her country.



Well that's a subjective assessment. There is a very strong argument for the opposite.


----------



## sptrawler (15 July 2019)

This is what the greenies should be sorting out, as well as the constant chant of climate change, at least they could actually do something about the feral cat problem.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-15/cats-kill-billions-of-animals-each-year-in-australia/11307684

They get up in arms about something that contributes 1% to the Worlds emissions, yet probably own a cat.

Cats have been a leading cause of at least 20 of our mammal extinctions over the last 200 years


----------



## wayneL (15 July 2019)

sptrawler said:


> This is what the greenies should be sorting out, as well as the constant chant of climate change, at least they could actually do something about the feral cat problem.
> 
> https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-15/cats-kill-billions-of-animals-each-year-in-australia/11307684
> 
> ...



Heard about the massive feral cats up around Chittering SP?


----------



## sptrawler (15 July 2019)

wayneL said:


> Heard about the massive feral cats up around Chittering SP?



Yes there is always a few newspaper articles about cougar's or puma's being spotted, I think they are just big feral cats, they can grow very big.
As for cougar's, I've seen a few of them around our local shops.


----------



## sptrawler (15 July 2019)

I don't know where to post this, without it being controversial, but the ex W.A Premier sums up a lot of the problem we have in society currently.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/aust...r-wa-premier-warns/ar-AAEkn4v?ocid=spartandhp


----------



## ghotib (15 July 2019)

wayneL said:


> Well that's a subjective assessment. There is a very strong argument for the opposite.



Which bit of the assessment is not subjective? (Come to think of it, can any assessment not be at least partly subjective?) What is not subjective in your assessment of the (an?) argument as "very strong" and what is "the opposite" for which you assert an argument exists? 

Does Wayne posting a flip bit of fluff in response to a post count as "breaking news"?


----------



## qldfrog (15 July 2019)

ghotib said:


> Which bit of the assessment is not subjective? (Come to think of it, can any assessment not be at least partly subjective?) What is not subjective in your assessment of the (an?) argument as "very strong" and what is "the opposite" for which you assert an argument exists?
> 
> Does Wayne posting a flip bit of fluff in response to a post count as "breaking news"?



Probably not "breaking news" but many consider Merkel guilty of what could be seen as treason and this is not a wrong word when you let 1.8m foot soldiers of an ideology aiming at your country's destruction crossing into your home soil
Maybe there is karma?
In any case, she is definitively not suffering from heat stroke


----------



## Smurf1976 (15 July 2019)

sptrawler said:


> Cats have been a leading cause of at least 20 of our mammal extinctions over the last 200 years



The trouble with this sort of thing is that someone will then decide to eradicate cats from the inner suburbs of whatever city where there isn't a wild anything in sight apart from the odd mouse meanwhile doing nothing about actual feral cats in the bush causing mayhem.


----------



## wayneL (16 July 2019)

ghotib said:


> Which bit of the assessment is not subjective? (Come to think of it, can any assessment not be at least partly subjective?) What is not subjective in your assessment of the (an?) argument as "very strong" and what is "the opposite" for which you assert an argument exists?
> 
> Does Wayne posting a flip bit of fluff in response to a post count as "breaking news"?



Newsflash - even Eckhart Tolle has commented her policies inevitably will "give rise" to fascism. That has always been my subjective opinion also. 

Proving to be objectively true though,  innit?


----------



## basilio (18 July 2019)

*It could only happen in Amercia ...  Watch the video  *
I think he must be related to the current sociopath President.*
*
*He Killed an Unarmed Man, Then Claimed Disability*
The latest twist in the police shooting of Daniel Shaver.

Two years ago, I wrote about Daniel Shaver, an unarmed 26-year-old who in 2016 was shot to death in a hotel hallway while begging for his life. The killer, Mesa police officer Philip Brailsford, was put on trial for murder. Jurors were not allowed to know that he had scratched “you’re f***ed” into his service weapon. He was acquitted of murder and manslaughter, despite video of as chilling and egregious a police killing as I’ve ever seen.

........That’s right: He killed an unarmed man, then claimed associated trauma to get a paycheck for life. In this effort, he was successful.

________________________________

The second story looks at the trial of the police officer who murdered  the unarmed prostrate Daniel Shaver while he was begging for his life.
So how did this jury find him not guilty ?

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/07/daniel-shaver-killing/594091/
https://www.theatlantic.com/politic...lice-killing-that-jurors-didnt-punish/547868/


----------



## basilio (18 July 2019)

*It could only happen in America..
*

*He Killed an Unarmed Man, Then Claimed Disability*
The latest twist in the police shooting of Daniel Shaver.

Two years ago, I wrote about Daniel Shaver, an unarmed 26-year-old who in 2016 was shot to death in a hotel hallway while begging for his life. The killer, Mesa police officer Philip Brailsford, was put on trial for murder. Jurors were not allowed to know that he had scratched “you’re f***ed” into his service weapon. He was acquitted of murder and manslaughter, despite video of as chilling and egregious a police killing as I’ve ever seen.

.....He killed an unarmed man, then claimed associated trauma to get a paycheck for life. In this effort, he was successful. 
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/07/daniel-shaver-killing/594091/
____________________________________________________

And if you think that was unbelievable how did this same policeman  get away with murder when the jury saw the video of what happened?

*Footage of a Police Shooting That Jurors Chose Not to Punish*
Daniel Shaver was unarmed and begging for his life. This week, a jury found the police officer who killed him not guilty of murder or manslaughter.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politic...lice-killing-that-jurors-didnt-punish/547868/


----------



## qldfrog (18 July 2019)

@basilio,
This is the law so i bet you the video was not allowed to be considered, or some other crap.do not blame Trump but the justice system
Jurors have been selected by the 2 sides i believe


----------



## SirRumpole (19 July 2019)

qldfrog said:


> @basilio,
> This is the law so i bet you the video was not allowed to be considered, or some other crap.do not blame Trump but the justice system
> *Jurors have been selected by the 2 sides i believe*




When one of the sides is dead, that doesn't really mean much does it ?


----------



## qldfrog (19 July 2019)

True but you know what i meant
Unless the family side was not represented and this was a pure administrative aka gov vs police force, in that case, yes justice was not considered


----------



## moXJO (19 July 2019)

Positions of power attract their fair share of psychos. Having a large number of employees like the  US police service means there are a lot. PTSD and other mental health issues also crop up. 
The US police deals with some of the worst crap known to man. 

It doesn't surprise me guys slip through the cracks. It happens here as well.


----------



## SirRumpole (19 July 2019)

moXJO said:


> Positions of power attract their fair share of psychos. Having a large number of employees like the  US police service means there are a lot. PTSD and other mental health issues also crop up.
> The US police deals with some of the worst crap known to man.
> 
> It doesn't surprise me guys slip through the cracks. It happens here as well.




But when nothing is done about people that slip through the cracks, the cracks get wider.


----------



## moXJO (19 July 2019)

SirRumpole said:


> But when nothing is done about people that slip through the cracks, the cracks get wider.



Thats true,  but its not as bad as before.
Things in the past were a lot worse. Camera phones means you don't get away with it as much. Generally its not tolerated. There are a lot more cops that do their duty. Guys like this stain the vast majority that do the right thing.


----------



## sptrawler (19 July 2019)

Carlton United Breweries, sold to Japan, jeez I hope the kangaroos stay in Australia.lol


----------



## Macquack (20 July 2019)

sptrawler said:


> Carlton United Breweries, sold to Japan, jeez I hope the kangaroos stay in Australia.lol



I am going to start home brewing my own beer as a protest.


----------



## moXJO (20 July 2019)

Macquack said:


> I am going to start home brewing my own beer as a protest.



Start  your own whiskey and call it 
"Nipp On".

Wait is that considered culturally inappropriate in 2019?


----------



## sptrawler (23 July 2019)

Well this is going to put a cat among the pigeons, Aust Uni's producing dodgy scientific papers, the whole education system needs a reboot back to a previous version. IMO

https://www.smh.com.au/national/bad...e-unreliable-compromised-20190719-p528ql.html


----------



## SirRumpole (23 July 2019)

sptrawler said:


> Well this is going to put a cat among the pigeons, Aust Uni's producing dodgy scientific papers, the whole education system needs a reboot back to a previous version. IMO
> 
> https://www.smh.com.au/national/bad...e-unreliable-compromised-20190719-p528ql.html




Another example of the breakdown in governance, standards and integrity which we see in so many areas.

Money has been pulled out of universities so they have to pass students who don't deserve to be passed because they pay full fees, and we have to rely on "partnerships" with China for funding.

It's pathetic really.


----------



## sptrawler (23 July 2019)

SirRumpole said:


> Another example of the breakdown in governance, standards and integrity which we see in so many areas.
> 
> Money has been pulled out of universities so they have to pass students who don't deserve to be passed because they pay full fees, and we have to rely on "partnerships" with China for funding.
> 
> It's pathetic really.



The other issue is too many people are going to Uni, it is about time they realised not everyone is suitable. I know of several kids who have gone to uni, wasted 3 years and now do jobs, that they could have attained with year 10 schooling.


----------



## SirRumpole (23 July 2019)

sptrawler said:


> The other issue is too many people are going to Uni, it is about time they realised not everyone is suitable. I know of several kids who have gone to uni, wasted 3 years and now do jobs, that they could have attained with year 10 schooling.




Yes indeed. The ATAR needs to be raised significantly to encourage students to work harder in school and only the brightest get into uni.


----------



## wayneL (23 July 2019)

sptrawler said:


> Well this is going to put a cat among the pigeons, Aust Uni's producing dodgy scientific papers, the whole education system needs a reboot back to a previous version. IMO
> 
> https://www.smh.com.au/national/bad...e-unreliable-compromised-20190719-p528ql.html



Not just Oz. I've mentioned the deplorable date of Science over the years here a few times.

In my own field, its like shooting fish in a barrel, pulling up supposed science over pooe or intrinsically biased experiment design. 

There is also an ignorance if what actually constitutes proper science, one poorly researched and ludicrously easy to disprove *article comes to mind, being touted as "peer reviewed science", to the detriment of equines right across the world. 

That is not even to mention the dearth of falsification and proper peer review.


----------



## sptrawler (23 July 2019)

SirRumpole said:


> Yes indeed. The ATAR needs to be raised significantly to encourage students to work harder in school and only the brightest get into uni.



Yes it is unbelievable, I have an 8 year old and a 4 year old grandson's living with us. 
The 8 year old, I'm teaching him his times table, they don't do it at school. 
Also I was reading, the Uni's are finding students have no idea what to expect, when putting a formula into a calculator. So when the answer comes out ridiculous, they have no idea it is ridiculous.
Obviously school is becoming a child care facility, I know I was doing fractions at school, when I was eight.


----------



## Logique (24 July 2019)

I remember we had to be able to recite the entire times tables, 1 to 12, in primary school


----------



## sptrawler (24 July 2019)

Logique said:


> I remember we had to be able to recite the entire times tables, 1 to 12, in primary school



Well trust me, those days are gone, now we have a problem with Uni students not knowing them.
When they punch numbers into a calculator, they take for granted what comes out the other end, so imagine the problem typo's cause.
The laughable part is, they have no idea why student results are dropping, is there any wonder the Country is in trouble?


----------



## bellenuit (24 July 2019)

Logique said:


> I remember we had to be able to recite the entire times tables, 1 to 12, in primary school




It's not just the times tables. I don't know how many times I have given the cashier at a store say $10.15 when the bill comes to $9.65, expecting but not specifically requesting a 50 cent piece in return (for both their and my convenience), only to get a look of bewilderment usually accompanied by "it's only $9.65".


----------



## Craton (24 July 2019)

Logique said:


> I remember we had to be able to recite the entire times tables, 1 to 12, in primary school



Not just the times table but the alphabet too. 

I remember in 5th grade aka year 5 that our teacher was appalled that less than half the class, as individuals, could not recite the alphabet from A to Z.
Every day for a month or so, as a class that is what we all did until everyone of us could, as individuals, recite it without error.
Yes, a public school with about 35 or so students in that one class. I can also remember the teacher's name, Mr Lang.

FWIW. I remember this plain as day.
I saluted Mr Lang in military fashion when acknowledging "Here sir" at roll call one day. Later, he called me aside and asked why I'd saluted him. I told him why and he ask me if that was the only reason. 
"Yes sir."
"Are you telling me the truth?"
"Yes sir." 
"Right, don't do it again, off to class with you." he said.
"Yes sir, sorry sir."

At the time i thought that it was strange that he pressed me about my action and it affected me for reasons I couldn't fathom. I mulled this over time and time again over many years as my action was done as a sign of respect but, I was admonished for it.

Later in life and learning of the Vietnam war and conscription, I finally put two and two together. 
To this day I often wonder what become of Mr Lang. He only taught at our school for that one year and boy, he was one of the best teachers I've had the pleasure to learn from, he made learning and being in class, fun!


----------



## sptrawler (24 July 2019)

The problem with a child not knowing the times table IMO, it will lead to all sorts of learning problems later, division can't be done without knowing the tables. 
So how hard will it be for a secondary school student, to understand a complex chemistry or physics formula, when they actually don't understand the multiplication and division process?
Unless schools go back to basics, our education standards will continue to slide, until our Universities aren't recognised Internationally.
Just my opinion.


----------



## SirRumpole (24 July 2019)

Rest in Peace Neil.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07...id-$8.6-million-wrongful-death-claim/11343472


----------



## Smurf1976 (24 July 2019)

Logique said:


> I remember we had to be able to recite the entire times tables, 1 to 12, in primary school



Same here.

Times tables were one thing. Spelling of words was another.

And yes "Fail" most certainly was a possible outcome of the test. Get a word wrong and we had to write it out a hundred times spelled correctly.


----------



## Smurf1976 (24 July 2019)

SirRumpole said:


> Yes indeed. The ATAR needs to be raised significantly to encourage students to work harder in school and only the brightest get into uni.



Or even if not necessarily the absolute brightest, just a sensible number.

I've nothing against higher education and do thing everyone who is capable ought to have the option to attend but it's ridiculous that it has come to the point that we'd got people with degrees employed as bus drivers or waiters.

I blame the trend of parents having too much influence. I sure didn't have anyone holding my hand upon finishing grade 10 and everything which happened after that point was of my own initiative. These days it seems somewhat common that parents are still making decisions when their children are actually adults and that's just ridiculous.


----------



## SirRumpole (24 July 2019)

Smurf1976 said:


> Or even if not necessarily the absolute brightest, just a sensible number.
> 
> I've nothing against higher education and do thing everyone who is capable ought to have the option to attend but it's ridiculous that it has come to the point that we'd got people with degrees employed as bus drivers or waiters.
> 
> I blame the trend of parents having too much influence. I sure didn't have anyone holding my hand upon finishing grade 10 and everything which happened after that point was of my own initiative. These days it seems somewhat common that parents are still making decisions when their children are actually adults and that's just ridiculous.




To make it a bit political, even though I'm generally a Labor supporter I believe that they raised expectations too high by delivering a message that everyone should be able to go to university as a right without putting in some hard work beforehand and showing that they deserved to go. The class warfare type argument.

This combined with the cost cutting in the tertiary sector by the Conservatives have put the universities in a real pickle , trying to deal with increased numbers of students and getting less money to do it.

And combined with Left wing teachers unions in schools who think social justice and demonstrating against climate change is more important than STEM subjects because STEM subjects are too hard for them has resulted in students totally unprepared for the rigour and discipline that universities require.

Hearing the teacher's unions bitch about NAPLAN because they are terrified that they will be shown up as failures just shows the current state of the system.

The education sector has been totally stuffed by all sides of politics imo.


----------



## Smurf1976 (24 July 2019)

SirRumpole said:


> To make it a bit political, even though I'm generally a Labor supporter I believe that they raised expectations too high by delivering a message that everyone should be able to go to university as a right without putting in some hard work beforehand and showing that they deserved to go. The class warfare type argument.



Plus the other aspect, and I do recall having this debate offline a long time ago, is that we simply don't need everyone to go to uni anyway.

There are still bricks to be laid, trucks to be driven, roads to be maintained, farms to be worked and so on, we simply don't need literally everyone to have a degree.


----------



## SirRumpole (24 July 2019)

Smurf1976 said:


> Plus the other aspect, and I do recall having this debate offline a long time ago, is that we simply don't need everyone to go to uni anyway.
> 
> There are still bricks to be laid, trucks to be driven, roads to be maintained, farms to be worked and so on, we simply don't need literally everyone to have a degree.




Yes, and the trade education facility TAFE has been decimated by cuts over a long period.


----------



## bellenuit (11 August 2019)

Very interesting in view of Epstein's "suicide" ..........







https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000158-26b6-dda3-afd8-b6fe46f40000


----------



## DB008 (11 August 2019)

bellenuit said:


> Very interesting in view of Epstein's "suicide" ..........




Bill Clinton must be happy


----------



## qldfrog (11 August 2019)

DB008 said:


> Bill Clinton must be happy



Indeed, but Clinton is no Trump obviously so it will be hard to find the pictures they have with that guy on your usual media
Definitively knew too much and the probability is incredibly high he has been "suicided"
And Trump has nowhere the power of the dark state, so be assured the assassin was not on Trump's order


----------



## moXJO (11 August 2019)

He was on suicide watch and was also threatening to bring it all out in court. Very suspect.


----------



## bellenuit (11 August 2019)

DB008 said:


> Bill Clinton must be happy




Those who follow these tweets have noted a huge increase in the #ClintonBodyCount tweets by known Russian troll sources.


----------



## bellenuit (11 August 2019)

Best tweet I have read on this.....

_Nobody is more surprised by Epstein's suicide than Epstein himself_.


----------



## qldfrog (11 August 2019)

moXJO said:


> He was on suicide watch and was also threatening to bring it all out in court. Very suspect.



As far as i read, he was the orgy organiser for the upper NY class
Artists, politicians, business
Anyone who counts knew him, from there on, i let you judge why would he consider suicide.
Last time he was judged, it was clear his influence help him settle a more than lenient ruling
My only real wonder is who and why was he accused again?
Who was to benefit among the power in charge in breaking the existing blind eye, and against who


----------



## Logique (11 August 2019)

As you say Qldfrog, I think he was an inconvenient human being to many of the US elites. 

With the Clintons, there are sources that say there's a body count around them. Although perhaps a long bow in this case.


----------



## bellenuit (11 August 2019)

Logique said:


> With the Clintons, there are sources that say there's a body count around them. Although perhaps a long bow in this case.




It has been a long bow in every case. If any of the thousands of people who came into contact with the Clintons or had any association with them no matter how insignificant, such as being employed by the White House during his tenure, died through other than old age, they were added to the body count. In fact even some who died of sicknesses such as cancer were deemed to have been knocked off by the Clintons. Many of the allegations being traced to Russian trolls and exposed in the recent movie The Big Hack.


----------



## DB008 (11 August 2019)

bellenuit said:


> Best tweet I have read on this.....
> 
> _Nobody is more surprised by Epstein's suicide than Epstein himself_.


----------



## moXJO (11 August 2019)

I wonder how many hundred million to fake your own suicide?


----------



## qldfrog (12 August 2019)

Clintons were especially close to him and used his private jet more than 20 times...
And i am convinced he would have been as close to top republicans as well.
The elite vs the deplorables


----------



## Knobby22 (12 August 2019)

Mike Mish Shedlock  @MishGEA 




Which is More Likely?
1: Epstein committed suicide
2: Epstein was purposely allowed to commit suicide
3: Epstein was murdered and it was made to look like suicidehttps://moneymaven.io/mishtalk/economics/jeffrey-epstein-commits-suicide-questions-abound-3BI4yRQYgECnBjPOwg4U6A/ …
Vote result:

5%Suicide
37%Purposely allowed Suicide
58%Murder

The implication goes much further. Fundamentally it means that there is no such thing as the rule of law in the USA, all the bloviating and TV shows about how the system works to the contrary. Once you have agencies such as the CIA (who spend a lot of money controlling the press and journalists, as has been extensively documented publically and even before the Senate), there is no such thing as democracy. Card carrying politicians need some form of private corruption that makes them vulnerable to blackmail -- only then to they get a leg up from the powers that be.


----------



## moXJO (12 August 2019)

35 days ago a conspiracy theorist posted this on reddit:

"Please remember you saw me say this first - I believe Epstein will pass away soon. Maybe from suicide, maybe from natural causes. News articles are claiming he is 66 years old which means he was born in the early 1950s and has reached his life expectancy. It is possible he found out he has some incurable cancer (or just wants to die because he's old) and is doing this as a courtesy to make his powerful buddies look good. When mega rich Ken Lay (former Enron exec) faced charges he mysteriously died of heart disease. Lay also had a lot of powerful friends and chief among them is former president George W. Bush. I bet Epstein does something similar and doesn't face any consequences for his actions."


Funny stuff....
I think a lot of people thought this would never go to trial.


----------



## explod (12 August 2019)

Knobby22 said:


> Mike Mish Shedlock  @MishGEA
> 
> 
> 
> ...





Your last paragraph Knobby, absolutely spot on.

One of my great lessons years back was a biography of J. Edgar Hoover.  Started out working in the library as a youngster in 1920 taking down notes on everyone and so later controlled 7 Presidents.​


----------



## qldfrog (13 August 2019)

Some interesting background on the guyhttps://themarketswork.com/2019/07/...linton-and-his-questionable-source-of-wealth/
And also the way the left..sorry Explod and so, here it is the left, well if democrats are left.., playing the dark role.
And the deep state has its lobby group sending its instruction to the media
http://click2.rumrebellion.club/t/FA/ljE/AAGumQ/AAgAHg/OkI/ABXUZA/AQ/GjDh
How long are we going to be played, and worse how can people be played so willingly?


----------



## sptrawler (13 August 2019)

Random knife attack in Sydney CBD, suspect detained in classic citizens arrest, involving chair, small table and milk crate a bit of Aussie ingenuity.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...-man-wearing-a-balaclava-20190813-h1h2mk.html


----------



## wayneL (13 August 2019)

Ruh Roh


----------



## qldfrog (14 August 2019)

With hk airport blocked for second day,l expect China to spark a pretext now and move the army from Shenzhen to physically occupy.
The West will winge but China will sign a deal on trade war...
Deal it will not honour as usual .
only question is when do we see army trucks there:.hours days or weeks


----------



## bellenuit (14 August 2019)

qldfrog said:


> With hk airport blocked for second day,l expect China to spark a pretext now and move the army from Shenzhen to physically occupy.
> The West will winge but China will sign a deal on trade war...
> Deal it will not honour as usual .
> only question is when do we see army trucks there:.hours days or weeks




I watched a bit of it live on Sky last night about midnight Perth time. Not that China needs excuses to take over, but the protestors seem to be doing everything in their power to make it easy for China. They had found some people that they thought were likely Chinese agents and rather than just kick them out of the airport, they tied them up and were not able to fly protect them from the mob, allowing them to be injured. There were also a few US and UK flags in the crowd, which also plays into the Chinese narrative.


----------



## SirRumpole (14 August 2019)

The protestors would be better off hacking Chinese infrastructure imo.


----------



## qldfrog (14 August 2019)

bellenuit said:


> I watched a bit of it live on Sky last night about midnight Perth time. Not that China needs excuses to take over, but the protestors seem to be doing everything in their power to make it easy for China. They had found some people that they thought were likely Chinese agents and rather than just kick them out of the airport, they tied them up and were not able to fly protect them from the mob, allowing them to be injured. There were also a few US and UK flags in the crowd, which also plays into the Chinese narrative.



And i expect a lot of protestors to be manipulated by Beijing


----------



## wayneL (14 August 2019)

Was with an ex Hong Kong client today.  She reckons the PLA had been infiltrating the police and establishment for years,  hence why they came back to Oz. Nothing that has happened has surprised her.


----------



## IFocus (14 August 2019)




----------



## basilio (15 August 2019)

The risk of a major war between India and Pakistan (both of whom have nuclear weapons..) is now very high. The issue has been India's decision to "take over " the majority Muslim provice of Kashmir.

It is often difficult to understand the historical aspects of this conflict but there is an excellent article in The Guardian which is succinct and clear.
* India’s illegal power grab is turning Kashmir into a colony *
Mirza Waheed
Narendra Modi’s nationalist takeover runs roughshod over Kashmir’s special status and its people’s rights

Wed 14 Aug 2019 12.47 EDT   Last modified on Wed 14 Aug 2019 13.56 EDT

Shares
244

 
I haven’t been able to hear the voices of my parents for more than a week now. We usually talk or exchange messages a few times during the day, mostly about their creeping health issues or about my children’s latest antics here in London. But now, not a peep. It’s because, like all Kashmiris, they’re under siege, experiencing the worst crackdown in three decades, imposed by the Indian government as it revoked the region’s autonomy by abrogating article 370 of the constitution.


The article, dating back to 1949, guaranteed Kashmir’s special status within the larger Indian union and enshrined the conditions of the state’s accession to India soon after partition in 1947. The newly created states of India and Pakistan had gone to war over Muslim-majority Kashmir, an independent kingdom at the time. After mediation from the United Nations, all parties agreed that the future of Kashmir was to be decided later via a referendum – something India and Pakistan have failed to honour. The provisions of the article meant that, pending the final resolution via a plebiscite, the state had its own constitution, its own national flag, a prime minister and a president, even as successive Indian regimes, starting in the early 1950s, diluted the article in order to diminish Kashmir’s autonomy.
https://www.theguardian.com/comment...endra-modi-kashmir-hindu-first-india-autonomy


----------



## sptrawler (16 August 2019)

Shooting tourists, is becoming a bit too familiar, now one in New Zealand.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/vic...campervan-in-new-zealand-20190816-p52hsk.html


----------



## qldfrog (17 August 2019)

Epstein:
https://www.news.com.au/finance/mon...e/news-story/670b56b0761b578297aacf9f02989c5e
While had an interesting painting of Bill Clinton, of more interest are the autopsy results
Suicide would be conspiracy theory as murder seems most likely.
Body count but whose?
Maybe a collective effort?


----------



## bellenuit (17 August 2019)




----------



## moXJO (17 August 2019)

I wonder if the Epstein "suicide" will simply be forgotten about and become just another "conspiracy theory".

The going trend seems to be:
Incident happens.

A range of conspiracies are put forward.

Truth is buried with media washing (leaks about the case that are actually lies).

Outrageous conspiracy theories are pushed.

Too hard to work out.

Public moves on.


----------



## SirRumpole (17 August 2019)

moXJO said:


> I wonder if the Epstein "suicide" will simply be forgotten about and become just another "conspiracy theory".
> 
> The going trend seems to be:
> Incident happens.
> ...




Alleged victims come out of the woodwork all clamouring for magazine/tv contracts for the "inside story".


----------



## noirua (1 September 2019)

ASF Breaking Out News:
https://www.aol.co.uk/living/2019/08/31/clever-canine-gets-caught-making-escape/


----------



## SirRumpole (1 September 2019)

noirua said:


> ASF Breaking Out News:
> https://www.aol.co.uk/living/2019/08/31/clever-canine-gets-caught-making-escape/




This site appears to want  my personal data before I can access this article.

Stuff them.


----------



## noirua (1 September 2019)

SirRumpole said:


> This site appears to want  my personal data before I can access this article.
> 
> Stuff them.



AOL, was America Online, and is an American Broadband connection operating mainly out of New York and Los Angeles. Often used by many as it gives their location in numerous places in the states and acts both as a disguise plus access to many websites where foreign access is blocked.  It is one of my two broadband accounts. It is entirely safe but certain laws in America apply and they must abide by them.  It was taken over and no new customers can join in some countries, they can in America, and it avoids an ISP connection on parts of its service. Probably the world's largest broadband connection though that was some years back. Was owned by Time Warner and tied up with Google but now part of Verizon Media.


----------



## noirua (3 September 2019)

The UK Government may well fall on Tuesday in London with a vote of 'no confidence' set for the agenda in Parliament.  Should this happen a General Election is expected on 14 October.
The UK is set to leave the EU on 31 October as the Government battles with those who wish to bring in further legislation to stop it.
The UK Government has been reported to have its army on alert as repercussions may be similar to that presently in Hong Kong.
Https://www.theguardian.com/politic...provoke-early-election-claims-gauke-live-news
Https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...pare-williamson-ta-territorials-a8732506.html

The UK is England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar. It excludes the Isle of Man, and The British Chanel Islands. They are part of Great Britain but not The UK. Northern Ireland  is part of the UK but not Great Britain. Gibraltar is a UK Overseas Territory.


----------



## sptrawler (3 September 2019)

There is nothing England likes better than a fight, even if it is with itself.


----------



## wayneL (3 September 2019)

noirua said:


> The UK Government may well fall on Tuesday in London with a vote of 'no confidence' set for the agenda in Parliament.  Should this happen a General Election is expected on 14 October.
> The UK is set to leave the EU on 31 October as the Government battles with those who wish to bring in further legislation to stop it.
> The UK Government has been reported to have its army on alert as repercussions may be similar to that presently in Hong Kong.
> Https://www.theguardian.com/politic...provoke-early-election-claims-gauke-live-news
> ...



Interesting juncture.  Brexit has really become a proxy for the choice of whether people want to live in an overtly liberal democracy, or a covert totalitarian dystopia. 

The British people seem to be collectively  confused about which side is which. 

I would point out that the majority were correct in 2016.


----------



## Knobby22 (3 September 2019)

wayneL said:


> Interesting juncture.  Brexit has really become a proxy for the choice of whether people want to live in an overtly liberal democracy, or a covert totalitarian dystopia.
> .




Don't think so. Some of the Conservatives, some of the Labourites and most of the Liberals want to stay.
True democracy at work.

Anyway Boris has won, they can't do anything to him. No legislation can be forced before the Queen's speech. An election will be too late. The remainers have lost. Chances are Boris will win the election anyway on the latest polls.


----------



## wayneL (3 September 2019)

I'm not clear what you're disagreeing with @Knobby22


----------



## Knobby22 (3 September 2019)

Maybe I am misunderstanding you.
I don't think it is people asking to live in a covert totalitarian dystopia.
The British system of democracy is pretty good.


----------



## wayneL (3 September 2019)

Knobby22 said:


> Maybe I am misunderstanding you.
> I don't think it is people asking to live in a covert totalitarian dystopia.
> The British system of democracy is pretty good.



Well,  just look at the latest draft legislation from Corbynov, et al.  It would collar Britain into the eu indefinitely. 

People believe they are making that choice, and they are. Of course everyone thinks they are on the right side.  Approximately half are very wrong about that.


----------



## noirua (6 September 2019)

*Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe ex-president, dies aged 95*
*https://www.aol.co.uk/news/2019/09/06/former-zimbabwean-president-robert-mugabe-dies-aged-95/*
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/worl...95/ar-AAGSj9d?MSCC=1567763752&ocid=spartandhp
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Mugabe




Mugabe in a meeting with Romanian communist leader Nicolae Ceaușescu in 1979
fototeca.iiccr.ro [Attribution]


----------



## qldfrog (7 September 2019)

Fire threatening se qld 
*Stanthorpe area.*
*https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09...t-stanthorpe-applethorpe/11487032?pfmredir=sm*
This area is in severe drought and there is no water to fight the fire 
Here in Brisbane hinterland, dust storm blocking the view and wind relentless
Not a great day ahead


----------



## noirua (11 September 2019)

Georgian Prime Minister Resigns, Says He Has 'Fulfilled Mission'
02/09/2019
Https://www.rferl.org/a/georgian-prime-minister-bakhtadze-resigns/30142123.html

Georgian Interior Minister, Focus Of Protester Ire, Nominated For PM
03/09/2019
Https://www.rferl.org/a/georgian-dream-prime-minister-gakharia/30143846.html

Trump Picks Career Diplomat Degnan As New Envoy To Georgia
04/09/2019
Https://www.rferl.org/a/trump-picks-career-diplomat-degnan-as-new-envoy-to-georgia/30145608.html

U.S. Official To Visit Tbilisi For 'Allies' Conference
06/09/2019
Https://www.rferl.org/a/u-s-official-to-visit-tbilisi-for-allies-conference/30149610.html

5TH ANNUAL TBILISI INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
09/09/2019
Https://www.mccaininstitute.org/events/5th-annual-tbilisi-international-conference/


----------



## noirua (14 September 2019)

*Drone strike sparks huge fire in Saudi Arabia*
https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/1750004/drone-strike-sparks-huge-fire-in-saudi-arabia


----------



## basilio (14 September 2019)

Next thing you'll hear will be Donald Trump blaming Iran an ratcheting up that problem.


----------



## noirua (16 September 2019)

Less than 24 hours after a major attack by at least 10 drones or cruise missiles on key Saudi oil facilities, the rhetoric in the Middle East is heating up and the region appears to be on the brink of conflict.https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/S...ial-conflict-US-blames-Iran-for-attack-601683

Iran has been behind 100 attacks on Saudi Arabia, said Pompeo, and that Tehran “has now launched an unprecedented attack on the world’s energy supply.”
At first, the Houthi rebels appeared to take credit for the attack, which was some 1,200 km. away from Yemen. This is improbable as there is little evidence that their drones or cruise missiles can fly that far.
An escalation has already happened, but Riyadh and Washington must weigh what a response could mean across the Gulf and in neighboring countries such as Iraq and Yemen.
But most of those astride the Gulf don’t want a conflict. Trump has been reticent as well, eschewing air strikes in June after a US drone was shot down. Yemen has been an easier proxy war. But Abqaiq is not Abha or Jizan, it is a major strategic asset. Even though it was threatened in the past by terror attacks, this appears to be wholly new in the sophistication of the drone or missile technology used.

[ Looks like a drone war is likely.  Saudi will have to be decisive in any attack as Israel and USA look on ]
*UK rapidly developing new drone programmes: Mosquito and swarming*
https://dronewars.net/2019/09/02/uk-rapidly-developing-new-drone-programmes-mosquito-and-swarming/


----------



## Smurf1976 (16 September 2019)

noirua said:


> Less than 24 hours after a major attack by at least 10 drones or cruise missiles on key Saudi oil facilities, the rhetoric in the Middle East is heating up and the region appears to be on the brink of conflict.



Speculation on my part here but this seems to have the potential to escalate dramatically and comments like Pompeo's suggest that's exactly the track it's on.


----------



## chiff (16 September 2019)

Smurf1976 said:


> Speculation on my part here but this seems to have the potential to escalate dramatically and comments like Pompeo's suggest that's exactly the track it's on.



As you no doubt know,Australia trains UAE troops-those that seized Aden for a short time.What I believe is that the federal police raids on journalists is to support the secrecy of Australian forces abroad-especially when they are involved in unacceptable behaviour .


----------



## Knobby22 (16 September 2019)

It could have easily been done by the Houthi. They just needed to drive a truck up, unload some low level drones and do the work. We are not getting any information. The resistance in WW2 did a lot worse.


----------



## basilio (16 September 2019)

Price of oil has jumped .. No surprise here. US trying to blame Iran.  Iran saying eff off and making it clear there will be consequences if they are attacked.

Depending on how long it will take to repair the Saudi refinery losing 5m barrels of oil a day will turn the oil market on its head.
 Implications for world economies are ........ (chose own word.)

*Iran warns US it’s ‘ready for fully-fledged war’ after drone attack on oil rig*
Before and after pictures show how armed drones carried out a devastating attack that wiped out five per cent of the world’s crude oil supplies.

https://www.news.com.au/world/middl...g/news-story/694f6273aa01140c66cb715516475c3b

*US ‘locked and loaded’ after blaming Iran for Saudi oil attack*
September 16, 2019
30
Share
       





The United States doubled down on its claim that Iran was behind attacks on Saudi oil refineries on Sunday, despite Houthi rebels saying they launched the attack from Yemen.
https://chinapost.nownews.com/20190916-747038


----------



## sptrawler (17 September 2019)

Best people check their super accounts ASAP:
https://www.smh.com.au/business/com...ver-5-million-share-scam-20190917-p52s46.html
From the article:
_"We allege the woman attempted to steal $1.5 million as part of a sophisticated global network," he told a press conference on Tuesday. Acting Commander Goldsmith said the total fraud could be as high as $10 million.

The super funds affected include Club Plus Superannuation, HESTA, Hostplus, AustralianSuper and LUCRF Superannuation_.


----------



## wayneL (20 September 2019)

Trudeau busted for three incidents of blackface (not to mention e cultural appropriation).

Crickets can be heard on the left.


----------



## moXJO (20 September 2019)

wayneL said:


> Trudeau busted for three incidents of blackface (not to mention e cultural appropriation).
> 
> Crickets can be heard on the left.



Funny stuff. I thought it was from when he was in school.  But he was apparently 29 in one of the photos. 
Politicians everywhere must be shaking in their boots, if they're  to be hung on indiscretions from their past. There wouldn't be many cleanskins in Parliament.


----------



## Knobby22 (20 September 2019)

Big news on ABC.

The third one was as a Genie, bit better than the earlier ones.
Trudeau appears to have really loved putting the make up on. 

I know in the USA and Canada its a big deal but over here the whole issue feels forced.

My brother was Black Sambo in the kinda play (as a 4 year old). All painted up etc. He must be quaking in his boots. My Dad got black to sing old man river in a Samaritan's production in the 1960s (Oh the horror).


----------



## moXJO (20 September 2019)

Knobby22 said:


> Big news on ABC.
> 
> The third one was as a Genie, bit better than the earlier ones.
> Trudeau appears to have really loved putting the make up on.
> ...



It does feel forced. But the left hangs themselves on their own pc standards. We are starting to see a bit of a backlash by comedians,  finally.


----------



## moXJO (20 September 2019)

Indonesia is heading in a worrying direction. Flogging young Indonesian couples who are not married. I could care less about aussie bogans not getting action. But they are becoming very restrictive over there


----------



## bi-polar (20 September 2019)

Your 7cents a day buys ABC News Breakfast which sometime interviews US people with raised melanin.  The hosts cheerfully talk about blacks to the Afro American guest.  So one of them asked Virginia Trioli how are the olives? She went red and Michael Rowland went white(r).


----------



## wayneL (20 September 2019)

Canadian liberals falling over themes to forgive him, but imagine if it was Trump, or Johnson, or Scomo.

As far as I'm concerned, I don't see anything wrong with it, but Mo is right, this is the cancel culture that the left has created, but I now are not living up too because it's one of their own.


----------



## moXJO (20 September 2019)

wayneL said:


> Canadian liberals falling over themes to forgive him, but imagine if it was Trump, or Johnson, or Scomo.
> 
> As far as I'm concerned, I don't see anything wrong with it, but Mo is right, this is the cancel culture that the left has created, but I now are not living up too because it's one of their own.




Thats where it all falls down. If you want society to eat this sht,  probably a good idea to practice what you preach. 

Personally I could care less if he wants to black up. And yes I understand the history. If you want to be outraged, then its easy to do. 
I find the virtue signaling amusing though. Perhaps he will don traditional African garb to appease the sjw.


----------



## wayneL (20 September 2019)




----------



## sptrawler (23 September 2019)

Thomas Cook travel goes belly up, I  guess it is one of those services that the internet has hammered, as people become more confident in organising their own travel arrangements.

https://www.smh.com.au/business/com...-000-travellers-stranded-20190923-p52txy.html


----------



## SirRumpole (24 September 2019)

I wonder why there is so much fuss about Trudeau's blackface. Was there this much fuss when Michael Jackson tried to turn himself white.

Too much fuss over nothing I reckon.


----------



## wayneL (24 September 2019)

SirRumpole said:


> I wonder why there is so much fuss about Trudeau's blackface. Was there this much fuss when Michael Jackson tried to turn himself white.
> 
> Too much fuss over nothing I reckon.



I agree, but the woke crowd have been hoist by  their own petard. Imagine if it was Trump or Scomo.


----------



## sptrawler (24 September 2019)

wayneL said:


> I agree, but the woke crowd have been hoist by  their own petard. Imagine if it was Trump or Scomo.



That would not get off the front page of the papers, until they were chucked out. IMO


----------



## Knobby22 (27 September 2019)

Knobby and son off to the Royal Melbourne Show.
Showbags,dinosaurs and weird chickens to be found.


----------



## sptrawler (2 October 2019)

Prince Harry, taking the press to task, it is about time IMO. 
It could be costly. 

https://www.theage.com.au/world/eur...for-bullying-wife-meghan-20191002-p52wrn.html

From the article:
_"The contents of a private letter were published unlawfully in an intentionally destructive manner to manipulate you, the reader, and further the divisive agenda of the media group in question," Prince Harry said.

"In addition to their unlawful publication of this private document, they purposely misled you by strategically omitting select paragraphs, specific sentences, and even singular words to mask the lies they had perpetuated for over a year_."


----------



## BlindSquirrel (3 October 2019)

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/02/investing/etrade-zero-commissions/index.html

It looks like a few US online brokers are tired of being undercut by Robinhood and are moving to $0 commissions. Charles Schwab, TD Ameritrade and E-trade so far.

Here's hoping that our Australian coupon-clippers will follow suit.


----------



## bi-polar (3 October 2019)

wayneL said:


> . Imagine if it was Trump or Scomo.



Hoping to see Kim Jong Un walk up to Donald , both with floppy ginger hair and white patches under eyes.


----------



## bellenuit (3 October 2019)

BlindSquirrel said:


> https://edition.cnn.com/2019/10/02/investing/etrade-zero-commissions/index.html
> 
> It looks like a few US online brokers are tired of being undercut by Robinhood and are moving to $0 commissions. Charles Schwab, TD Ameritrade and E-trade so far.
> 
> Here's hoping that our Australian coupon-clippers will follow suit.




I presume you mean $0 commissions in the US only?  You can add Interactive Brokers to the list (for US and Canada I think).


----------



## qldfrog (4 October 2019)

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10...rs-four-officers-stabbed/11572784?pfmredir=sm
Not a terrorist attack, just a devoted muslim practising his religion
The attacker converted to islam 18 months ago, decided not to salute women anymore, was called to his office manager about that, slaughtered 4 infidels as a result,an extra victim should survive
Killed in shotout
4:1
He wins


----------



## qldfrog (6 October 2019)

Just on the above, officially recognised as a terrorist attack.


----------



## sptrawler (7 October 2019)

This is the real problem facing Australia IMO, I have seen it ruin lives, this lady gives a terrific account of how it takes over your life and destroys you. 
It is a shame people aren't as passionate about this issue, as they are about Trump and CC. Just my opinion.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-07/australia-talks-ice-user-reveals-addiction/11567814


----------



## qldfrog (7 October 2019)

You can not blame the government or corporation on that one, they try in the US with the opium epidemy to blame bug pharmas so that is something democrats can support, but self responsibility is a pc incorrect word
I just believe if you legalise canabis, and stop giving
Money for nothing
People might have something to live for, and mild enough entertainment to be happy without killing themself directly or via Ice
Between ice addicts and suicide, there's a serious problem in our australian society and you do not solve it with welfare or bashing the messengers


----------



## SirRumpole (7 October 2019)

qldfrog said:


> You can not blame the government or corporation on that one, they try in the US with the opium epidemy to blame bug pharmas so that is something democrats can support, but self responsibility is a pc incorrect word
> I just believe if you legalise canabis, and stop giving
> Money for nothing
> People might have something to live for, and mild enough entertainment to be happy without killing themself directly or via Ice
> Between ice addicts and suicide, there's a serious problem in our australian society and you do not solve it with welfare or bashing the messengers




I can see that there is an argument for at least decriminalising MJ as the evidence seems to be that it calms people down and has therapeutic effects too.

Ice users should be locked up, for their own protection and the protection of society. No good can come out of this drug it's totally evil as are the people who produce and distribute it.


----------



## sptrawler (7 October 2019)

SirRumpole said:


> Ice users should be locked up, for their own protection and the protection of society. No good can come out of this drug it's totally evil as are the people who produce and distribute it.



The problem is, people think they will just be a casual user, next thing their tolerance increases and they need more to get the same effect.
Then they are gone, it really does need addressing, before it stuffs our society completely. 
It's a shame the press doesn't start a crusade on the issue, then we might get something done, but I guess it is more difficult taking on a cause that is close to home and may have uncomfortable social outcomes.


----------



## noirua (11 October 2019)

*Iran Says Oil Tanker Damaged by Missiles off the Saudi Coast*
11 October 2019
https://time.com/5698176/iran-oil-tanker-explosion-red-sea/
“The oil tanker named SABITY belonging to the company sustained damages to the body when it was hit by missiles 60 miles (96 kilometers) from the Saudi port city of Jiddah,” IRNA said.





https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/10/11/missiles-strike-iranian-oil-tanker-gulf/


----------



## noirua (11 October 2019)

*Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed wins the 2019 Nobel peace prize*

*The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2019 to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali.#NobelPrize #NobelPeacePrize pic.twitter.com/uGRpZJHk1B


*


----------



## SirRumpole (11 October 2019)

noirua said:


> *Ethiopian prime minister Abiy Ahmed wins the 2019 Nobel peace prize*
> 
> *The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2019 to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali.#NobelPrize #NobelPeacePrize pic.twitter.com/uGRpZJHk1B*





Greta will be devastaed.

What did this guy do ?


----------



## Knobby22 (11 October 2019)

sptrawler said:


> The problem is, people think they will just be a casual user, next thing their tolerance increases and they need more to get the same effect.
> Then they are gone, it really does need addressing, before it stuffs our society completely.
> It's a shame the press doesn't start a crusade on the issue, then we might get something done, but I guess it is more difficult taking on a cause that is close to home and may have uncomfortable social outcomes.



4 corners did a special on it. It was shocking.


----------



## Smurf1976 (11 October 2019)

sptrawler said:


> The problem is, people think they will just be a casual user, next thing their tolerance increases and they need more to get the same effect.
> Then they are gone, it really does need addressing, before it stuffs our society completely.



I think it's a bit odd the extent to which there's an obsession with the evils of tobacco.

I'm not a smoker and so far as I'm concerned the stuff stinks like crap, we'd be better off without it, but if someone's going to put something into their body well then cigarettes are an order of magnitude less evil than ice.

Smoke every day and after 20 years you might get cancer but most likely it'll take a fair bit longer than that. At least you've got a fair bit of time to reconsider your decision and get off the things whereas with ice and other hard drugs you're well and truly gone way before that point.

So I'm not going to defend tobacco, it's evil stuff yes, but I do think there's too much demonising of it compared to other drugs and some of the effort that goes into the war on smoking needs to be shifted to finding some way to tackle the issues with other drugs.

We're fighting the wrong war basically. Fixing the leak in the gutters which will eventually rot the timber and may attract termites whilst ignoring the raging flood heading straight toward us which threatens to obliterate the place real quick.


----------



## Smurf1976 (11 October 2019)

noirua said:


> *Iran Says Oil Tanker Damaged by Missiles off the Saudi Coast*



I expect this will shock the markets out of what seems to have become complacency on this issue.


----------



## noirua (12 October 2019)




----------



## noirua (15 October 2019)

*Assad troops enter north-east Syria after Russia-backed deal with Kurds*
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/20...ter-northeast-syria-russia-backed-deal-kurds/


----------



## qldfrog (15 October 2019)

In Spain, the elected representatives of the Catalan autonomy movement  were yesterday sentenced to heavy 9y plus jail time etc
But that is ok, not Honk Kong or Russia or Trump so our media stays quiet
For whoever has been there, Catalonia is a big strong economicaly part of Spain with its own language and culture, in many aspects as different to Spain as Portugal as i see it
The West still have many political prisoners which are jailed purely on ideas. Assange will be less lonely


----------



## noirua (15 October 2019)

*One out, another one in: Retreating US military meets advancing Syrian Army *
https://www.rt.com/news/470937-syrian-us-troops-kobane-road/

An unlikely road meeting of US and Syrian troops was captured in northern Syria as the American vehicles were retreating from the Kurdish-held town of Kobani, while the Syrians rushed to protect it from the Turkish-led offensive.


----------



## Knobby22 (15 October 2019)

The Kurds now realise that Russia/Syria is a better ally.
Great find Noirua.


----------



## qldfrog (16 October 2019)

The US and the west have never understood Islam fanatics, we still support Saudi Arabia and when Turkey bombs the crap out of the kurds, their ammos are NATO issued, and may come from a German, US or Belgian stockpiles
Turkey being directed by a Muslim Brotherhood with an hatred view on the west
But let's blame Trump


----------



## qldfrog (16 October 2019)

Some interesting twist about Turkeyhttps://www.news.com.au/world/middl...e/news-story/1a89583915a67a51546a1f1f47c396e9


----------



## noirua (16 October 2019)

Maybe President Trump secretly wants the Turks, the Kurds and the Syrian armies to knock the hell out of each other.


----------



## qldfrog (17 October 2019)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/grief-accusations-surround-killing-of-kurdish-politician-in-northeastern-syria/2019/10/15/1c21437c-ef55-11e9-bb7ed2026ee0c199_story.html
This lady was slaughtered and tortured by the Turk militia
If you dig deeper, these militias are just IS leftover, do your own research
But right now, Turkey and IS are synonym there, make no mistake
I invite you to read a bit more about her, seemed to have been a good person and trying her best to unite people there.RIP
I know many on the left side will blame Trump there, if Obama and French UK forces had not tried to destabilize Assad, Syria would still be one and so many would still be alive.
Syria was not perfect but it was not hell


----------



## sptrawler (17 October 2019)

Comsec and CBA banks having issues.
The Comsec app is still up and functioning.


----------



## noirua (18 October 2019)

*Sister Lucy Kalappurakkal vows to fight after Vatican rejects her plea
https://punemirror.indiatimes.com/n...ofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst*


Nun, who protested against Bishop Mulakakal, seeks police protection.
https://punemirror.indiatimes.com/n...ofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst


https://www.thenewsminute.com/artic...-slander-sister-lucy-vile-youtube-rant-107537
*
Sister Lucy Kalappurakkal* is an activist and a nun at the Franciscan Clarist Congregation in Mananthavady, Wayanad[1]. She is known for speaking out against the oppression of nuns, due to which she faces expulsion from the congregation[2].

Sister Lucy joined the Franciscan Clarist Congregation at the age of 17, after vowing to become a nun.[2]
She was criticized by the church for speaking up against Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who was then accused of repeatedly raping another nun at Kuravilangad convent in Kerala's Kottayam district between 2014 and 2016.[2]
The bishop was arrested in 2018 after being convicted for charges of rape. The congregation accused that Sr. Lucy was living a life that is against 'the principles of religious life' and the rules of the congregation.
She had acquired a driver's license, bought a car, published a poetry book and received remuneration for the book without seeking permission from her superiors.[2]
She was also accused of arriving at the convent late in the night, participated in a news channel's discussion, letting a female journalist live with her in the convent and appearing in public without wearing the nun's uniform.[1] The church was not pleased that Sr. Lucy sought the rape convict Bishop Franco's arrest, and went vocal about this issue in the news media[3]
In 2019, she received a third warning letter from the congregation, which would cause her expulsion from the convent, if she did not produce adequate reasoning for her deeds.[4][5]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_Kalappurakkal


----------



## qldfrog (21 October 2019)

A day late but Chilian riots with multiple deads, state of emergency,army in the street
Starting with a metro ticket increase from 800 to 830 pesos...
Not surprised
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/20/world/americas/chile-protests-riots.html
Important as this is a window on what Australia will become
And for BHP and Rio as a big copper producer


----------



## noirua (23 October 2019)

*39 bodies found in shipping container in Essex*
https://www.aol.co.uk/news/2019/10/23/39-bodies-found-in-shipping-container-in-essex/

Essex Police Force


----------



## noirua (24 October 2019)




----------



## noirua (24 October 2019)




----------



## Knobby22 (27 October 2019)

ABC reporting death of Islamic State Leader. seems he blew his cover trying to reset the state with the fall of the Kurds.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10...r-abu-bakr-al-baghdadi-media-reports/11644070


----------



## sptrawler (29 October 2019)

Protests in Melbourne.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10...-outside-melbourne-mining-conference/11648540


----------



## qldfrog (30 October 2019)

https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2019/10/china-extends-aussie-coal-bans/
Implications for the asx..


----------



## IFocus (30 October 2019)

qldfrog said:


> https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2019/10/china-extends-aussie-coal-bans/
> Implications for the asx..




Our masters reminding us who the boss is.


----------



## sptrawler (31 October 2019)

Joint China/Australia investigation exposes money laundering in Melbourne and Tasmania. Could be some properties on the market soon. 
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10...rty-alleged-chinese-money-laundering/11657344


----------



## sptrawler (31 October 2019)

Shuri Castle on Okinawa burns down.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/f...heritage-site-in-okinawa-20191031-p5363a.html
Oh well that's one off the list of things to see next month.
I guess Hacksaw Ridge will be it then.


----------



## BlindSquirrel (1 November 2019)

Apparently Vegemite is officially classified as Vegan now.

Perhaps there should be some inquest into the funneling of certification funds to vegan terrorists!
*tongue-in-cheek*


----------



## noirua (30 November 2019)

WARNING! - Terrorist Incident - The actual shooting of the suspect at London Bridge on Friday:


----------



## qldfrog (30 November 2019)

But all good, he was just released from prison,  and tag tracked even following reeducation and education courses
Thanks God.. whichever you like, the cop shot him dead
The West will NEVER understand.so dumb...a small thought for the direct victims of the Guardian and Cie ideology
The GW propaganda will kill many too but less direct link


----------



## SirRumpole (30 November 2019)

Thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families.


----------



## Value Collector (30 November 2019)

SirRumpole said:


> Thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families.



Prayers are what got us into this mess.

But, I agree with your sentiments, and offer my condolences to all those affected.


----------



## qldfrog (4 December 2019)

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12...lau-mediation-settlement/11765866?pfmredir=sm
Good on him!!!


----------



## DB008 (10 December 2019)

*Russia banned from all global sport including 2020 Olympics and 2022 World Cup finals*​*
*
*The country planted fake evidence and deleted files linked to positive doping tests that could have helped identify drug cheats*​The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has imposed a four-year ban on Russia from all global sport, including the 2020 Olympics and the 2022 World Cup finals.

WADA's executive committee took the decision after concluding Moscow had tampered with laboratory data.

The agency found Russia planted fake evidence and deleted files linked to positive doping tests that could have helped identify drug cheats.

Russia has 21 days to appeal the decision through the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
*
*
*https://news.sky.com/story/russia-b...ing-2020-oiympics-and-2022-world-cup-11882206*​


----------



## Logique (10 December 2019)

qldfrog said:


> https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12...lau-mediation-settlement/11765866?pfmredir=sm
> Good on him!!!



_"Rugby Australia has apologised to Israel Folau as part of a confidential settlement.."._  Thus closes a very sorry chapter in Australian rugby history.  

When you're not at work, you can speak and think what you want. That's the Australian way.


----------



## Logique (21 December 2019)

How good is this!

Dec 20 2019 - *Man gives 88-year-old woman his business-class seat on Virgin Atlantic flight*
_Drew Jones, Traveller.com.au: https://www.traveller.com.au/man-gi...stclass-seat-on-virgin-atlantic-flight-h1kjtr




_


----------



## Knobby22 (24 December 2019)

Boeing CEO sacked.
The decision to build the MAX and to dodgy up compliance keeps looking bad.
Didn't help that the space mission failed also. Too many shortcuts. 

They are looking to an engineer to lead the company.


----------



## sptrawler (7 January 2020)

Might not be earth shattering news, but a hell of a shock for the locals and tourists.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01...closes-its-doors-in-wa-monastic-town/11848352


----------



## noirua (8 January 2020)

*Iran Says It’s Fired Missiles at U.S. Base in Iraq: Live Updates *
*https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/worl...-iraq-live-updates/ar-BBYIvQ4?ocid=spartandhp*


----------



## chiff (8 January 2020)

noirua said:


> *Iran Says It’s Fired Missiles at U.S. Base in Iraq: Live Updates *
> *https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/worl...-iraq-live-updates/ar-BBYIvQ4?ocid=spartandhp*



Iran showing the US that you cannot murder with impunity.Is Trump finally off the leash?


----------



## basilio (8 January 2020)

Be interesting to see where this goes...

After the US - (TRUMPs DIRECTION  ) assassinated the Iranian General the US military understood there would be a reaction and attempted to make sure it was "proportionate " .  In practical terms they would accept a limited military response that didn't escalate into a full fledged war. A dozen rockets into a US base seems reasonable.

We'll see if Trump agrees with this or decides to  go full ballastic.


----------



## moXJO (8 January 2020)

basilio said:


> Be interesting to see where this goes...
> 
> After the US - (TRUMPs DIRECTION  ) assassinated the Iranian General the US military understood there would be a reaction and attempted to make sure it was "proportionate " .  In practical terms they would accept a limited military response that didn't escalate into a full fledged war. A dozen rockets into a US base seems reasonable.
> 
> We'll see if Trump agrees with this or decides to  go full ballastic.



Iran has been doing stuff all year. I doubt the US military will do much from here. US doesn't have the stomach for conventional war right now.


----------



## wayneL (8 January 2020)

Declare your side boys.

I stand with our allies. 

And @chiff ... Murder with impunity?

Does it not strike you that that is what Iran has been trying to get away with for years?

Come on! Critical thinking skills required here, not TDS!


----------



## SirRumpole (8 January 2020)

wayneL said:


> Declare your side boys.
> 
> I stand with our allies.
> 
> ...




So maybe you would like to detail the activities of the late General and say how many lives he took.

I never heard of him.


----------



## wayneL (8 January 2020)

SirRumpole said:


> So maybe you would like to detail the activities of the late General and say how many lives he took.
> 
> I never heard of him.



I'm sick of spoon feeding you leftist ideologues information you're quite capable of googling yourself, if only you would take one step outside your echo chamber.

If you won't even do that for yourself, I can't help you


----------



## SirRumpole (8 January 2020)

wayneL said:


> I'm sick of spoon feeding you leftist ideologues information you're quite capable of googling yourself, if only you would take one step outside your echo chamber.
> 
> If you won't even do that for yourself, I can't help you




I'll take that as you have no idea.

Talk about jumping on the ideological applecart, you bought the subject up about "who's right" and you can't even back it up.

Pretty weak wayne.


----------



## basilio (8 January 2020)

If we wanted to see how many lives have been taken by who in Iraq etc I reckon the US/Israel   wins by a country mile.

But then again "lives" aint  just "lives" are they ? It all depends..


----------



## basilio (8 January 2020)

Javad Zarif *✔*  @JZarif 

Iran took *& concluded* proportionate measures in self-defense under Article 51 of UN Charter targeting base from which cowardly armed attack against our citizens & senior officials were launched.

We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression.

 16.4K 
 1:32 PM - Jan 8, 2020
Twitter Ads info and privacy


12.4K people are talking about this


________________________________________________________________
From this statement it looks as if the rocket strikes against the US bases are the proportionate response they are are giving to to the assassination of their General.  And it looks like that is it.
Be interesting to see the damage reports but realistically probably far less critical  overall than the damage done to the Saudi oil fields.

From a military perspective I reckon the Pentagon would breathe a sigh of relief . On the face of it this is not a big deal given the targeted killing of the Iranian leaders .

But Trump ? The man has no boundaries .


----------



## chiff (8 January 2020)

wayneL said:


> Declare your side boys.
> 
> I stand with our allies.
> 
> ...



I was passing throught Kuala Lumpur about 2 years ago when a Palestinian engineer working there was  murdured-two men were seen running wasy.
When Iranian scientists were being murdured on the streets of Tehran the UN said in other circumstances it would be a declaration of war (Mossad responsible) With the US behind them Israel acts as it pleases.I thought it would flush a blinkered ideolog.Why do you always use the perjorative denigration Wayne?What do you think is the difference between someone on the so called left and someone on the right Wayne? Briefly will do.


----------



## noirua (9 January 2020)




----------



## noirua (9 January 2020)




----------



## sptrawler (15 January 2020)

Jeans west bites the dust, another major retailer down.
https://www.smartcompany.com.au/industries/retail/jeanswest-administration/


----------



## Smurf1976 (16 January 2020)

Entire Russian government has resigned:

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/busi...t/news-story/0cb1db7258d06117fc4a4988f264f5ef

We seem to be living an era where what would once have been once in a generation sort of events are now routine to the point that they're barely even newsworthy. 

Consider all the goings on in the US alone or for that matter various things in Australia or Europe. If they'd happened in 1985 then they'd have still been getting a mention in the news into the 1990's but these days these sort of "major" happenings have become so common as to be forgotten within days it seems.


----------



## MovingAverage (17 January 2020)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...lead-world-even-amid-wildfire-profit-concerns


----------



## sptrawler (21 January 2020)

Norway Governments collapses, over repatriating Islamic State family.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01...ses-over-is-spouse-repatriation-spat/11884868


----------



## DB008 (22 January 2020)

*Immune cell which kills most cancers discovered by accident by British scientists in major breakthrough*​That new immune cell carries a never-before-seen receptor which acts like a grappling hook, latching on to most human cancers, while ignoring healthy cells. 

In laboratory studies, immune cells equipped with the new receptor were shown to kill lung, skin, blood, colon, breast, bone, prostate, ovarian, kidney and cervical cancer.​
https://in.news.yahoo.com/immune-cell-kills-most-cancers-160000581.html​



*Genome-wide CRISPR–Cas9 screening reveals ubiquitous T cell cancer targeting via the monomorphic MHC class I-related protein MR1*​
*Abstract*​
Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-independent, T cell–mediated targeting of cancer cells would allow immune destruction of malignancies in all individuals. Here, we use genome-wide CRISPR–Cas9 screening to establish that a T cell receptor (TCR) recognized and killed most human cancer types via the monomorphic MHC class I-related protein, MR1, while remaining inert to noncancerous cells. Unlike mucosal-associated invariant T cells, recognition of target cells by the TCR was independent of bacterial loading. Furthermore, concentration-dependent addition of vitamin B-related metabolite ligands of MR1 reduced TCR recognition of cancer cells, suggesting that recognition occurred via sensing of the cancer metabolome. An MR1-restricted T cell clone mediated in vivo regression of leukemia and conferred enhanced survival of NSG mice. TCR transfer to T cells of patients enabled killing of autologous and nonautologous melanoma. These findings offer opportunities for HLA-independent, pan-cancer, pan-population immunotherapies.​
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41590-019-0578-8​


----------



## sptrawler (22 January 2020)

Obvioulsy the penny has dropped, there isn't enough room for any more supermarket chains.
https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/kaufland-to-exit-australian-market-043330822.html

European supermarket giant Kaufland has revealed it intends on pulling out of the Australian market.

Kaufland was set to open 14 stores in Victoria alone, and purchased three sites for new stores in Queensland and a number of blocks of land in South Australia.

The company, which has 200 employees in Australia announced it would undertake an “orderly withdrawal” from the Australian market.


----------



## macca (22 January 2020)

sptrawler said:


> Obvioulsy the penny has dropped, there isn't enough room for any more supermarket chains.
> https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/kaufland-to-exit-australian-market-043330822.html
> 
> European supermarket giant Kaufland has revealed it intends on pulling out of the Australian market.
> ...




Given the amazing success of Aldi I would have thought they would be a great success, perhaps something in other places needs urgent attention and funding.


----------



## Logique (23 January 2020)

Oh no, as if this wasn't already bad enough. Story is still developing this afternoon..

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/aust...e-air-tanker-crash-in-southern-nsw/ar-BBZeRdJ
_*Air Fire Tanker crash suspected in Southern NSW* [C130 Hercules]
3pm, Thurs 23 Jan 2020
The ABC understands a Large Air Tanker has crashed while fighting a bushfire in southern NSW.
In a statement, the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) said "contact had been lost with a Large Air Tanker which was working in the Snowy Monaro area".
_


----------



## basilio (29 January 2020)

*World's wurst driver: Oscar Mayer Wienermobile gets frank warning from officer*

Wisconsin sheriff’s deputy has beef with novelty vehicle after it fails to make room for another car





The wienermobile takes heat from the sheriff’s department. Photograph: Waukesha county sheriff's department/Facebook
Mario Koran
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/28/oscar-mayer-wienermobile-police-stop-wisconsin

29
A Wisconsin sheriff’s deputy pulled over a 27ft Wienermobile and grilled the driver for failing to obey traffic laws.


----------



## noirua (30 January 2020)

*British officials: Tanker on fire in Gulf off Sharjah in UAE*
https://www.yahoo.com/news/british-officials-vessel-fire-gulf-170028873.html


----------



## noirua (30 January 2020)

*America's Small But Mighty Cyclone Ships Would Be On The Frontline Of A U.S.-Iran War*
https://www.yahoo.com/news/americas-small-mighty-cyclone-ships-193500801.html


----------



## noirua (3 February 2020)

A man shot by police in what has been declared a terrorist-related incident in south London has died, Scotland Yard said.
2 February 2020 - 11:10am GMT
https://www.aol.co.uk/news/2020/02/02/man-shot-dead-by-police-in-terrorist-related-incident/


----------



## sptrawler (3 February 2020)

Richard Di Natele, to step down as leader of the 'Greens'.


----------



## noirua (3 February 2020)

*Now China is hit by BIRD FLU outbreak: 'Highly pathogenic' H5N1 bug that can spread to humans kills 4,500 chickens on farm south of Coronavirus epicentre *
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/worl...re/ar-BBZzlrY?MSCC=1580690188&ocid=spartandhp


----------



## noirua (3 February 2020)

noirua said:


> A man shot by police in what has been declared a terrorist-related incident in south London has died, Scotland Yard said.
> 2 February 2020 - 11:10am GMT
> https://www.aol.co.uk/news/2020/02/02/man-shot-dead-by-police-in-terrorist-related-incident/








Sudesh Amman, 20, was released around a week ago after serving half of his sentence of three years and four months for terror offences. 
He was under active police surveillance at the time of the attack on Streatham High Road, which police believe to be an Islamist-related terrorist incident.


----------



## qldfrog (3 February 2020)

Luckily he was under active surveillance


----------



## BlindSquirrel (5 February 2020)

DB008 said:


> *Immune cell which kills most cancers discovered by accident by British scientists in major breakthrough*​




https://www.labiotech.eu/cancer/ervaxx-cancer-immunotherapy/
"The UK biotech Ervaxx has now closed an exclusive licensing agreement with the research group to get hold of the technology."
Who is funding them?
https://www.labiotech.eu/medical/ervaxx-cancer-vaccine-cell-therapy/
Supported by "venture capital firm SV Health Investors, as well as an undisclosed big pharma company"

https://svhealthinvestors.com/international-biotechnology-trust/
IBT on the London Stock Exchange... Is that a bit of a long bow to draw?


----------



## noirua (9 February 2020)

Gunman identified as Jakapanth Thomma steals army vehicle and opens fire at different locations in Nakhon Ratchasima.

*Thai soldier goes on shooting rampage, killing at least 17 people*
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/killed-wounded-thailand-mass-shooting-200208122332771.html


----------



## qldfrog (9 February 2020)

Gunman still on the run


----------



## noirua (9 February 2020)

*Wind Turbine Blades Can’t Be Recycled, So They’re Piling Up in Landfills*
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/wind-turbine-blades-t-recycled-100011150.html




Tens of thousands of aging blades are coming down from steel towers around the world and most have nowhere to go but landfills. In the U.S. alone, about 8,000 will be removed in each of the next four years. Europe, which has been dealing with the problem longer, has about 3,800 coming down annually through at least 2022, according to BloombergNEF. It’s going to get worse: Most were built more than a decade ago, when installations were less than a fifth of what they are now.


----------



## noirua (10 February 2020)

*Two US soldiers killed in Afghanistan attack identified*
*https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/08/politics/us-afghanistan-operation-under-fire/index.html*

*Two US service members were killed and six others wounded after an attack on a joint US-Afghan operation in the Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, the US military said in a statement.*
*The Defense Department on Sunday identified the two soldiers who died from wounds sustained during combat operations as Sgt. 1st Class Javier Jaguar Gutierrez, 28, of San Antonio, Texas, and Sgt. 1st Class Antonio Rey Rodriguez, 28, of Las Cruces, New Mexico.*


----------



## basilio (19 February 2020)

This is mind blower.
*Woman plays violin while undergoing brain surgery to ensure musical skills not affected*
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02...e-undergoing-brain-surgery-in-london/11979432


----------



## wayneL (19 February 2020)

basilio said:


> This is mind blower.
> *Woman plays violin while undergoing brain surgery to ensure musical skills not affected*
> https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02...e-undergoing-brain-surgery-in-london/11979432



Bloody hell, after 675,654,266,643 posts you actually post something really interesting.

Nice one


----------



## SirRumpole (19 February 2020)

wayneL said:


> Bloody hell, after 675,654,266,643 posts you actually post something really interesting.
> 
> Nice one




Sorry wayne, music is a Left brain function.


----------



## wayneL (19 February 2020)

SirRumpole said:


> Sorry wayne, music is a Left brain function.



Hence a right body manifestation.

We Fascists still appreciate beauty, hence why we stole all the art during the war. 

</Pisstakeincaseanybodywaswondering>


----------



## noirua (23 February 2020)

'Mad' Mike Hughes dies in rocket launch: https://spectee.com/detail/35394

If of a nervous disposition, do not click on this link!!!!!

----

*Flat-earther 'Mad' Mike Hughes dies at 64 after crash-landing his homemade steam-powered rocket during a launch in California*
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...es-dies-age-64-launching-homemade-rocket.html
----







https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Hughes_(daredevil)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-flat-earth-movement-a-society-of-disbelievers-in-scientific-fact/


----------



## SirRumpole (23 February 2020)

noirua said:


> 'Mad' Mike Hughes dies in rocket launch: https://spectee.com/detail/35394
> 
> If of a nervous disposition, do not click on this link!!!!!
> 
> ...




It's not the earth that's flat...


----------



## qldfrog (23 February 2020)

A bit harsh....he was a lunatic with a belief, not the only one.and as opposed to the co2 GW clique, he was hurting no one but himself.
I liked him


----------



## sptrawler (2 March 2020)

A company that has been mentioned on here a few times, Ratesetters look like the might be investigated.

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/...-s-fintech-company-links-20200302-p545yj.html


----------



## Logique (5 March 2020)

A steam-powered rocket?  Nobody tell Defence, they'll re-engineer our subs again


----------



## noirua (5 March 2020)

*Coronavirus: California declares emergency after death*


https://www.latimes.com/california/...ty-declares-coronavirus-emergency-6-new-cases
https://www.healthline.com/health-n...-the-mysterious-coronavirus-detected-in-china


----------



## PZ99 (11 March 2020)

Australian privacy watchdog wants to sue Facebooked Cambridge Analytica for an amount that could retire our entire Govt debt LOL > https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/09/a...ambridge-analytica-fine-could-scale-to-529bn/




sptrawler said:


> A company that has been mentioned on here a few times, Ratesetters look like the might be investigated.
> 
> https://www.theage.com.au/politics/...-s-fintech-company-links-20200302-p545yj.html



Wow , another loans affair


----------



## Tink (13 March 2020)




----------



## PZ99 (13 March 2020)

Yeah well..... you're not immune even if you're wearing a helmet...


----------



## Dona Ferentes (13 March 2020)

Cruise industry cancelling. Princess Cruises:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/prince...-all-ships-for-two-months-due-to-coronavirus/

Viking too, I read. Floating petri dishes no longer


----------



## sptrawler (13 March 2020)

For people in Perth, Mandurah region, just heard the crab fest has been cancelled, check before coming . Decision made 45 minutes ago apparently.


----------



## Dona Ferentes (13 March 2020)

*Gatherings of more than 500 people to be cancelled, Australians urged not to travel overseas amid coronavirus fears*

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03...ison-coag-premiers-cancelling-events/12053382


----------



## noirua (14 March 2020)

Clinical studies conducted by doctors in China, the company noted, suggest that anti-IL-6R MAbs may be used to treat COVID-19 patients who have lung damage and elevated IL-6 levels. Tiziana’s anti-IL-6R MAb binds the membrane-bound and soluble forms of IL-6R, depleting IL-6 levels in the blood. Excessive IL-6 is believed to drive chronic inflammation and is thought to be associated with the severe lung damage observed with COVID-19 infections.
https://www.bioworld.com/articles/433708-covid-19-drug-development-continues-to-surge
https://www.tizianalifesciences.com/our-drugs/foralumab/


----------



## noirua (6 April 2020)

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson rushed to hospital as he deteriorates under the effect of the coronavirus.
https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news...johnson-admitted-hospital-coronavirus-4022648


----------



## noirua (7 April 2020)

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson gravely ill and in intensive care.
https://www.itv.com/news/2020-04-06...-being-admitted-to-hospital-with-coronavirus/


----------



## qldfrog (7 April 2020)

trust the police they say:

*Police shoot man dead after he set himself on fire in Brisbane's south*





The incident began after police responded to reports of a man pouring fuel over himself and a house in Sunnybank Hills.
Assisted suicide: thanks God, the force is here to help

20y ago when I arrived, I was shocked by the Victorian shoot to kill if it moves attitude, now Qld is even better, meanwhile, you can go on a rampage with a car and police will abandon pursuit if you break the speed limit or follow you for hours while you cruise along.Good TV...
What a weird world , when comment sense is replaced by regulation rule, the society becomes dumb


----------



## Smurf1976 (7 April 2020)

qldfrog said:


> 20y ago when I arrived, I was shocked by the Victorian shoot to kill if it moves attitude, now Qld is even better,



As a general observation Victoria takes the most extreme attitude to laws and their enforcement of any Australian state.

Everything from water restrictions through to the current COVID-19 issues, Victoria tends to take it to a somewhat pedantic level.

No prize for guessing which state tried stopping couples seeing each other during the current situation. The same state that doesn’t want anyone learning to drive under current circumstances either.

Never understood the reasoning but there’s a far more commonsense approach to things elsewhere especially the smaller population states.


----------



## SirRumpole (7 April 2020)

noirua said:


> UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson gravely ill and in intensive care.
> https://www.itv.com/news/2020-04-06...-being-admitted-to-hospital-with-coronavirus/




Pull through Boris. The news would be far more boring without you.


----------



## DB008 (21 April 2020)

Not sure if it's true.

Kim Jong Un


----------



## Dona Ferentes (21 April 2020)

Despite his wealth, this did not mean [Branson] had "cash in a bank account ready to withdraw". And he hit back at criticism that he was a tax exile who did not deserve help, saying he and his wife "did not leave Britain for tax reasons but for our love of the beautiful British Virgin Islands and in particular Necker Island".
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-52354865

what a lovely person


----------



## DB008 (21 April 2020)




----------



## Dona Ferentes (21 April 2020)

> [Sth Korea's] Unification Ministry which deals with inter-Korean affairs, said it couldn’t confirm another report by Daily NK, which cited anonymous sources to report that Kim was recovering from heart surgery in the capital Pyongyang and that his condition was improving.





> Speculation about Kim’s health was raised after he missed the celebration of his late grandfather and state founder Kim Il-sung on April 15.



oh dear, leader


----------



## sptrawler (21 April 2020)

That will leave a bit of a vacuum, having said that, it isn't the first time I've read Kim is brain dead so maybe just a misprint.


----------



## PZ99 (21 April 2020)

sptrawler said:


> That will leave a bit of a vacuum, having said that, it isn't the first time I've read Kim is brain dead so maybe just a misprint.




Agreed. I think someone's taking the peace


----------



## explod (22 April 2020)

Four police officers have been killed in a serious crash involving a truck on a Melbourne freeway.

The collision happened on the Eastern Freeway near the Chandler Highway at Kew about 5.40pm on Wednesday.

The Victoria police commissioner, Graham Ashton, said two senior constables and two constables were killed. One senior female officer was killed, along with three male officers. One was relatively new to the force, Ashton said.

As an ex member and having a Daughter and Grandaughter in the job this feels terrible.


----------



## sptrawler (22 April 2020)

explod said:


> Four police officers have been killed in a serious crash involving a truck on a Melbourne freeway.
> 
> The collision happened on the Eastern Freeway near the Chandler Highway at Kew about 5.40pm on Wednesday.
> 
> ...



Very sad, it is always tragic when someone is killed at work, deepest sympathies.


----------



## SirRumpole (22 April 2020)

explod said:


> Four police officers have been killed in a serious crash involving a truck on a Melbourne freeway.
> 
> The collision happened on the Eastern Freeway near the Chandler Highway at Kew about 5.40pm on Wednesday.
> 
> ...




Condolences to the families of all concerned.


----------



## noirua (26 April 2020)

26 April 2020: Satellite imagery has found a train likely belonging to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as speculation continues over his health, according to a website specialising in studies of the country.
https://www.breakingnews.ie/world/s...s-train-as-health-rumours-persist-996110.html


----------



## noirua (27 April 2020)

*Yemen's southern council captures all key state institutions in Aden *
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-04/26/c_139009846.htm
ADEN, Yemen, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Forces loyal to the Southern Transitional Council (STC) on Sunday declared their full control over all sovereign state institutions in Yemen's southern port city of Aden.

The impoverished Arab country has been locked in a civil war since late 2014 when the Houthi rebels overran much of the country and seized all northern areas including Sanaa.


----------



## noirua (2 May 2020)

*Trump contradicts US intel community by claiming he's seen evidence coronavirus originated in Chinese lab*
May 1 2020
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/30/...ommunity-china-coronavirus-origins/index.html
-
Coronavirus (COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2) outbreak discussion

BEIJING, April 26 (Xinhua) -- A new draft law revision under Chinese lawmakers' consideration has proposed strengthening the management of medical waste, especially medical waste management work in handling major infectious disease epidemics.


----------



## noirua (8 May 2020)

*Dozens more children hospitalized in New York with rare symptoms that could be linked to coronavirus*
*https://edition.cnn.com/2020/05/07/health/new-york-children-coronavirus-kawasaki/index.html*

In an advisory to health care providers, state officials said 64 children in New York have been hospitalized with a condition doctors described as "pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome."


Some of the children had persistent fever, toxic shock syndrome and features similar to Kawasaki disease, the state health advisory said.
Symptoms include a high temperature lasting over five days along with a rash, swollen neck glands, dry cracked lips, swelling of the hands and feet, and redness in both eyes.

Kawasaki disease causes inflammation in the walls of the arteries and can limit blood flow to the heart. While it's usually treatable and most children recover without serious problems, it can also be deadly. It mainly affects children under age 5.

In the UK, pediatric specialists recently warned that a small number of children was becoming ill with the rare syndrome that could be linked to coronavirus. Experts there said abdominal pain, gastrointestinal symptoms and cardiac inflammation are common in those cases.


----------



## noirua (9 May 2020)

*LIVE: White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany briefs reporters*


----------



## qldfrog (9 May 2020)

French news yesterday: covid present in France 16th november 2019


----------



## Dona Ferentes (9 May 2020)

qldfrog said:


> French news yesterday: covid present in France 16th november 2019



Le chef du département d'imagerie médicale de l'hôpital Albert Schweitzer de Colmar, le Docteur Michel Schmitt, soupçonne un premier cas de Covid-19 dès le 16 novembre 2019, rapporte France Bleu Alsace jeudi 7 mai. Pour l'instant, un habitant de Seine-Saint-Denis, malade en décembre, est considéré, à l'heure actuelle, comme le "patient zéro" en France.


----------



## qldfrog (9 May 2020)

Was


Dona Ferentes said:


> Le chef du département d'imagerie médicale de l'hôpital Albert Schweitzer de Colmar, le Docteur Michel Schmitt, soupçonne un premier cas de Covid-19 dès le 16 novembre 2019, rapporte France Bleu Alsace jeudi 7 mai. Pour l'instant, un habitant de Seine-Saint-Denis, malade en décembre, est considéré, à l'heure actuelle, comme le "patient zéro" en France.



 Reported on France2, french government main tv station so usually quite official/verified info.this could have soarked the initial cluster in the north east of France


----------



## noirua (16 May 2020)

*China facing conflicts with US & Australia*
16 May, 2020 07:19
https://www.rt.com/shows/boom-bust/488757-china-us-australia-tensions/

-----


----------



## kahuna1 (16 May 2020)

*RT's* parent company is TV-Novosti, a Russian state-owned organization. "_t is almost entirely funded by the state budget, with the exact figure ranging annually between 99.5% and 99.9%."

The previous post .... owners of RT news.
Basically Russia propaganda central._


----------



## basilio (17 May 2020)

kahuna1 said:


> *RT's* parent company is TV-Novosti, a Russian state-owned organization. "_t is almost entirely funded by the state budget, with the exact figure ranging annually between 99.5% and 99.9%."
> 
> The previous post .... owners of RT news.
> Basically Russia propaganda central._




How about a perspective on the issue from another source ?

Briefing
*The US and China are on the brink of a new Cold War that could devastate the global economy*
*
The US and China have entered the beginnings of a new Cold War in the coronavirus era, experts say. 
“We’re essentially in the beginnings of a Cold War,” the director of the Centre on US-China Relations at the Asia Society told Insider, warning of “grave” consequences for the global economy. 
“For the international system as a whole, a Cold War would be devastating,” the director for Asia studies at the Council on Foreign Relations told Insider, adding that it could “force countries to choose a side.” 
 Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories. 
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/...ew-cold-war-amid-coronavirus-2020-5?r=US&IR=T
*


----------



## sptrawler (17 May 2020)

basilio said:


> How about a perspective on the issue from another source ?
> 
> Briefing
> *The US and China are on the brink of a new Cold War that could devastate the global economy*
> ...



The biggest devestation, will be to the big multinationals, one would expect China to nationalised the industries based in China. The flow down effect would be huge, but it certainly will re write our future, if it escalates.
Interesting times ahead IMO.


----------



## qldfrog (26 May 2020)

https://www.news.com.au/entertainme...s/news-story/33ed26dfb7bf09bc333620cb27cc0c3e
Shaking my head in disgust, and dispair for this poor country
So in summary, donations will end up in state government coffers which will save more on their pitiful already financing of RFS, to lawyers for that challenge lost.


----------



## Dona Ferentes (26 May 2020)

qldfrog said:


> https://www.news.com.au/entertainme...s/news-story/33ed26dfb7bf09bc333620cb27cc0c3e
> Shaking my head in disgust, and dispair for this poor country
> So in summary, donations will end up in state government coffers which will save more on their pitiful already financing of RFS, to lawyers for that challenge lost.



And how do you reach that conclusion?

Celebrities should stick to their comedy routines. The money went into a trust, and maybe she should have thought about the implications before jumping in.


----------



## qldfrog (26 May 2020)

Nice yo see people happy with the status quo....


----------



## macca (26 May 2020)

qldfrog said:


> https://www.news.com.au/entertainme...s/news-story/33ed26dfb7bf09bc333620cb27cc0c3e
> Shaking my head in disgust, and dispair for this poor country
> So in summary, donations will end up in state government coffers which will save more on their pitiful already financing of RFS, to lawyers for that challenge lost.




Now that the ruling has been handed down I think the NSW Govt should look at ways to resolve this.

Perhaps they say "OK use the funds for RFS, an equal of money we were going to put into RFS will be redirected to charities in lieu"

Works for me or is that too simple ?


----------



## qldfrog (26 May 2020)

macca said:


> Now that the ruling has been handed down I think the NSW Govt should look at ways to resolve this.
> 
> Perhaps they say "OK use the funds for RFS, an equal of money we were going to put into RFS will be redirected to charities in lieu"
> 
> Works for me or is that too simple ?



Would definitively work but assumes our representatives are not crook, unless enough PR is pushed to force their hands they will happily swallow the extra funding for some nice pork barrelling in various electorate..irrespective of the party involved


----------



## Smurf1976 (26 May 2020)

sptrawler said:


> The flow down effect would be huge, but it certainly will re write our future, if it escalates.




Cold war, mass unemployment, walls, viruses threatening to kill us.....

Sounds like a re-run of the 1980's.


----------



## noirua (28 May 2020)

Will President Trump Stand With Hong Kong?
Https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/27/opinion/china-hong-kong-law-protests.html

Mr. Pompeo's announcement clears the way for lifting Hong Kong's special privileges, but Beijing seems prepared for this, and it would also hurt the people of Hong Kong and the many American and other foreign businesses active there. Sanctions against China are another option, but the U.S.-China tariff war launched by Mr. Trump in 2018 has already hurt the American economy, and the Covid-19 pandemic would probably make Washington even less keen to get into a new tit-for-tat tussle with China.
---
Economy of Hong Kong
Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Hong_Kong
===

[The danger for Hong Kong is that both mainland China and the United States will leave Hong Kong to suffer from the American tariffs. That may then mean the USA will not put more tariffs on China.
From China's point of view Hong Kong will become part of China in business terms and strengthen Shanghai's Stock Exchange and weaken the financial strength of Hong Kong to China's advantage.]

Shanghai Stock Exchange Mulls First Revamp of Benchmark in 30 Years
28 May 2020
Https://www.caixinglobal.com/2020-05-28/shanghai-stock-exchange-mulls-first-revamp-of-benchmark-in-30-years-101559860.html


----------



## Tink (13 June 2020)

*Australian sentenced to death in China smuggling meth in checked flight luggage*

A Chinese court has sentenced an Australian citizen to death for drug smuggling.

According to its website, the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court said their sentence was delivered on June 10.

The ABC understands they were arrested at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, north-west of Hong Kong, in December 2013 with more than 7.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in his checked luggage.

The ABC has contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Guangzhou Intermediate People's Court for comment.

More to come.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06...to-death-in-china-for-drug-smuggling/12352374


----------



## sptrawler (19 June 2020)

The ABC, gets the chance to run a story on themselves, for once.

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...underpaying-1900-workers-20200619-p55469.html
The ABC has made the largest apology payment of any business to date after underpaying 1900 of its workers a total of $12 million.

Fact check that.


----------



## Chronos-Plutus (19 June 2020)

sptrawler said:


> The ABC, gets the chance to run a story on themselves, for once.
> 
> https://www.smh.com.au/politics/fed...underpaying-1900-workers-20200619-p55469.html
> The ABC has made the largest apology payment of any business to date after underpaying 1900 of its workers a total of $12 million.
> ...



The ABC needs a massive political and perspective rebalance. For a publicly funded entity, they are just too biased and unbalanced for me to watch and listen to.
Day in and day out, they fill their air time with radical left wingers that represent less than 10% of the population (Greens vote).


----------



## sptrawler (19 June 2020)

Chronos-Plutus said:


> The ABC needs a massive political and perspective rebalance. For a publicly funded entity, they are just too biased and unbalanced for me to watch and listen to.
> Day in and day out, they fill their air time with radical left wingers that represent less than 10% of the population (Greens vote).



Yes, they would be very fast to run a story of an employer underpaying, so it is quite ironic they have been underpaying or should we call it 'wage theft' as the left wing would.


----------



## sptrawler (19 June 2020)

A couple of unarmed New Zealand police shot, during a traffic stop.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/oceani...lled-during-traffic-stop-20200619-p5548i.html
From the article:
_Auckland: A man has been charged with murder after the fatal shooting of a police officer in New Zealand.

On Friday, two officers attending a routine traffic stop in the west Auckland suburb of Massey were confronted by a man with a long-barrelled firearm, who shot both of them according to police_.

_One later died in Auckland hospital. The other is still recovering with serious injuries but in a stable condition.

A 24-year old has been charged with murder, attempted murder and dangerous driving causing injury. He will appear before the Waitakere District Court on Saturday_.
_
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the fatal shooting of the *unarmed police officer *was "devastating._
_
*I wonder if we will have marches for Police lives matter*?

Just my opinion._


----------



## Chronos-Plutus (20 June 2020)

sptrawler said:


> Yes, they would be very fast to run a story of an employer underpaying, so it is quite ironic they have been underpaying or should we call it 'wage theft' as the left wing would.



Yes; the ABC moral and ethical code only applies to everyone else, it seems.


----------



## sptrawler (29 June 2020)

This is a story worth reading, for those who travel, probably a good example of why exams are still important.

https://www.traveller.com.au/pakist...ots-accused-of-obtaining-fake-licenses-h1p1k2
From the article:
Pakistan is grounding 262 airline pilots suspected of dodging their exams following inquiries into their qualifications, the aviation minister said on Friday in a move that has caused global concern.

The action was prompted by the preliminary report on an airliner crash in Karachi last month, which found that the pilots had failed to follow standard procedures and disregarded alarms.

Ninety-seven people were killed in that crash and the airline in question, state-run Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), said on Thursday it would ground pilots with "dubious" licences.


----------



## dutchie (29 June 2020)

sptrawler said:


> This is a story worth reading, for those who travel, probably a good example of why exams are still important.
> 
> https://www.traveller.com.au/pakist...ots-accused-of-obtaining-fake-licenses-h1p1k2
> From the article:
> ...




There are a lot of Airlines in the world I would not fly with. No matter how cheap the flight was.


----------



## noirua (8 July 2020)

*Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro tests positive for coronavirus*
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/07/americas/brazil-bolsonaro-positive-coronavirus-intl/index.html


----------



## dutchie (9 July 2020)

BREAKING - BOATLOAD OF VICTORIANS INTERCEPTED OFF INDONESIAN COASTLINE


----------



## macca (9 July 2020)

dutchie said:


> BREAKING - BOATLOAD OF VICTORIANS INTERCEPTED OFF INDONESIAN COASTLINE




Should head for NZ they now have very open borders for refugees


----------



## sptrawler (15 July 2020)

Interesting article, explaining the sequence of events surrounding the Whitlam sacking.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/...nes-new-light-on-whitlam-20200713-p55bpw.html


----------



## noirua (16 July 2020)

*U.S. Rejects Nearly All Chinese Claims in South China Sea*
July 14 2020
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/a...chinese_claims_in_south_china_sea_143705.html


----------



## qldfrog (16 July 2020)

noirua said:


> *U.S. Rejects Nearly All Chinese Claims in South China Sea*
> July 14 2020
> https://www.realclearpolitics.com/a...chinese_claims_in_south_china_sea_143705.html



I believe you are right in highlighting this news.cold war getting hotter 
Citizens of countries involved prevented to travel reciprocally avoiding state highjacking, reinforcing very negative feelings about this pending conflict.
While people are worrying about covid19...


----------



## sptrawler (20 July 2020)

I think this trend is going to increase rapidly, in western countries.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw...g-583m-recruitment-drive-20200626-p556gz.html


----------



## qldfrog (21 July 2020)

Let's not forget
https://www.news.com.au/technology/...d/news-story/9e28b0b6250b745d763425e4290b49c5


----------



## sptrawler (21 July 2020)

qldfrog said:


> Let's not forget
> https://www.news.com.au/technology/...d/news-story/9e28b0b6250b745d763425e4290b49c5



Jeez that doesn't get much airplay, i'm surprised greenpeace aren't all over it.


----------



## sptrawler (21 July 2020)

On a completely different subject, if your company still uses pagers, be carefull.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07...confidential-patient-data-on-website/12477376
From the article:
West Australian Premier Mark McGowan has apologised after a child intercepted confidential Health Department messages and published them online.
Mr McGowan said police have visited the child responsible and have shut down the website.

"It was a person under the age of 16 who obviously spends a lot of their life online, and did this sort of thing as some young people do," he said.

The pager service was operated by Vodafone, which issued a statement in response to the website data breach.

"Paging networks send messages using legacy radio technology which is not able to be encrypted, unlike mobile phone networks which use encryption to protect customer communications," a Vodafone spokeswoman said.


----------



## basilio (28 July 2020)

*Beloved Elle McPherson disappears from New Zealand pond during massive storm *
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...rs-from-new-zealand-pond-during-massive-storm


----------



## BlindSquirrel (28 July 2020)

damn clickbait


----------



## Dona Ferentes (28 July 2020)

Poor _bas_, it was in the guardian so it had to be true.


----------



## PZ99 (28 July 2020)

Elles ain't Eels


----------



## basilio (28 July 2020)

Dona Ferentes said:


> Poor _bas_, it was in the guardian so it had to be true.




Che ??
C'mon I was the one who re jigged the headlines to make it a bit more "clitbaitery"

However there is indeed an Eel McPherson..

* Beloved Eel McPherson disappears from New Zealand pond during massive storm *
Owners hope the friendly shortfin eel, which delighted children in Whangārei for 35 years, made it out to sea during deluge


----------



## cynic (28 July 2020)

basilio said:


> Che ??
> C'mon I was the one who re jigged the headlines to make it a bit more "clitbaitery"
> 
> However there is indeed an Eel McPherson..
> ...



Might have been abducted by eeliens!


----------



## Dona Ferentes (5 August 2020)

Beirut blast is Massive


----------



## Chronos-Plutus (5 August 2020)

Dona Ferentes said:


> Beirut blast is Massive




At least one Australian killed in the blast. Embassy staff are OK.


----------



## qldfrog (5 August 2020)

Dona Ferentes said:


> Beirut blast is Massive



Video footage impressive with shockwave


----------



## Chronos-Plutus (5 August 2020)

qldfrog said:


> Video footage impressive with shockwave




Makes you wonder what sort of responsible government would have such a large quantity of explosives stored at a commercial city port.


----------



## SirRumpole (5 August 2020)

Chronos-Plutus said:


> Makes you wonder what sort of responsible government would have such a large quantity of explosives stored at a commercial city port.




Responsible, in the Middle East ?


----------



## Dona Ferentes (5 August 2020)

SirRumpole said:


> Responsible, in the Middle East ?



Ammonium nitrate?


----------



## SirRumpole (5 August 2020)

Dona Ferentes said:


> Ammonium nitrate?




It is a fertiliser, but also a high explosive.


----------



## Chronos-Plutus (5 August 2020)

SirRumpole said:


> It is a fertiliser, but also a high explosive.




Confiscated explosives.


----------



## sptrawler (5 August 2020)

Chronos-Plutus said:


> At least one Australian killed in the blast. Embassy staff are OK.



Probably not as many Australians there as would we be normally, due to the virus lockdowns and limited international travel.
With the amount of Australians of Lebanese descent, in normal circumstances, I would guess many would travel there in our winter.


----------



## Chronos-Plutus (5 August 2020)

sptrawler said:


> Probably not as many Australians there as would we be normally, due to the virus lockdowns and limited international travel.
> With the amount of Australians of Lebanese descent, in normal circumstances, I would guess many would travel there in our winter.




Looks like it was much more than just ammonium nitrate.


----------



## frugal.rock (5 August 2020)

Dona Ferentes said:


> Beirut blast is Massive



What a horrible thing for them to endure. 
On top of everything else. 
Imagine a nuclear weapon, easily 10* the force of this, for a small one...

Spare a thought for the firefighters and their families and friends who will never see them again.
Life literally shredded.


----------



## sptrawler (5 August 2020)

Chronos-Plutus said:


> Looks like it was much more than just ammonium nitrate.



Well it would take a lot of anfo, to make a bang that big.


----------



## frugal.rock (5 August 2020)

And how would the FO be introduced in this case. The fire looks like a diversion.


----------



## Chronos-Plutus (5 August 2020)

Chronos-Plutus said:


> Looks like it was much more than just ammonium nitrate.




Lets hope that this doesn't greater civil unres


sptrawler said:


> Well it would take a lot of anfo, to make a bang that big.




Let's hope tensions don't escalate; not going to be easy for DFAT to get the embassy staff and Australian citizens out of Lebanon.


----------



## qldfrog (5 August 2020)

A few days ago, there was a report on Beirut on the french tv, with covid restrictions in europe/middle east, the economy is in full collapse, inflation rampant, no more price in shops, changing too quickly:
parents feeding babies in bread soaked in water, no electricity unless you go thru a parallel network etc
This is not going to help and something as simple as replacing windows for 100s of thousands will not happen.
Last info i have is that a stockpile of seized weapons etc years of war supplies exploded
Let's have a thought for them.always had a good feeling on  Lebanon and its people.a country too kind hosting palestinian refugees by the millions and ultimately wiped out by its kindness
A lesson


----------



## johenmo (5 August 2020)

Loads of speculation on Beirut.  Last radio report had the fertiliser, fireworks, Gas bottles in the list.  Get a fire, and have one gas bottle pop and that'd set it off.

Ammonium nitrate was used by farmers to blow stumps when I was young.


----------



## spooly74 (5 August 2020)

The Tianjin explosion in China was 800T of ammonia nitrate. 
Lebanon had 2700T stored.
Doesn't add up. The blast should have been much, much bigger.


----------



## sptrawler (5 August 2020)

spooly74 said:


> The Tianjin explosion in China was 800T of ammonia nitrate.
> Lebanon had 2700T stored.
> Doesn't add up. The blast should have been much, much bigger.




Maybe a ship in the harbour was carrying the fertilizer and had a fuel leak, that would be nasty and would make a bang.
Here is a report from CNN, suggests a warehouse full of ammonium nitrate.
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/05/...xplosion-ammonium-nitrate-intl-hnk/index.html


----------



## spooly74 (5 August 2020)

sptrawler said:


> Maybe a ship in the harbour was carrying the fertilizer and had a fuel leak, that would be nasty and would make a bang.



Apparently the fertiliser had been there for years.
Have a suspicion the Mullahs & Hezbollah are on the receiving end of this.


----------



## qldfrog (5 August 2020)

spooly74 said:


> The Tianjin explosion in China was 800T of ammonia nitrate.
> Lebanon had 2700T stored.
> Doesn't add up. The blast should have been much, much bigger.




I actually looked at the Chinese explosion this morning and compared, Beirut is MUCH bigger and if you look, there are far less flame..so personally doubt it is fertiliser;
but explosion will differ based on compression: did it happen in a closed or open space etc
I think a bit too big to be the israelis


----------



## Dona Ferentes (5 August 2020)

An 'official' story was: 2750T on fertiliser, taken from a ship years ago and stored. ...Then someone was welding to stop people getting in and stealing bags of it.

The Tianjin and Beirut blasts have several phases. The mushroom cloud from Beirut is impressive. As was the shock wave.

Evidently the blast was experienced (felt) in Cyprus, 230km away.


----------



## spooly74 (5 August 2020)

qldfrog said:


> I actually looked at the Chinese explosion this morning and compared, Beirut is MUCH bigger and if you look, there are far less flame..so personally doubt it is fertiliser;
> but explosion will differ based on compression: did it happen in a closed or open space etc
> I think a bit too big to be the israelis



Could be right, although couldn't see the shock wave at night and yes, more fire.
Agree on Israel not directly involved but I'd have a punt on the Saudi's.
They've spent a trillion dollars on weapons development with Israel.


----------



## Chronos-Plutus (5 August 2020)

qldfrog said:


> I actually looked at the Chinese explosion this morning and compared, Beirut is MUCH bigger and if you look, there are far less flame..so personally doubt it is fertiliser;
> but explosion will differ based on compression: did it happen in a closed or open space etc
> I think a bit too big to be the israelis




I did the same. Whatever it was, it wasn't just your garden variety fertilizer.


----------



## Chronos-Plutus (5 August 2020)

spooly74 said:


> Could be right, although couldn't see the shock wave at night and yes, more fire.
> Agree on Israel not directly involved but I'd have a punt on the Saudi's.
> They've spent a trillion dollars on weapons development with Israel.




The Israelis don't target innocent civilians who aren't threatening their nation.

This is internal and domestic; I suspect.


----------



## spooly74 (5 August 2020)

Chronos-Plutus said:


> The Israelis don't target innocent civilians who aren't threatening their nation.
> 
> This is internal and domestic; I suspect.



Didn’t intend to suggest that and I agree.
But, if reports suggest that this warehouse housed Iranian warheads and rocket fuel, they’re not losing with this event.
Iran have had a few ‘accidents’ recently.


----------



## sptrawler (5 August 2020)

A person has been shot in Brisbane by police, after an officer was stabbed in the face, with a knife.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08...ter-officer-stabbed-in-face-brisbane/12527830
From the article:
_Police have shot a man during a confrontation at a house in Mount Gravatt, on Brisbane's south side.
An officer was stabbed in the face, prompting his female colleague to open fire, hitting the suspect multiple times_.


Like we have mentioned in another thread, it is o.k to talk about the victim of police brutality, but the police cop brutality and it's their job to face it.
It was only yesterday a police woman had her head bounced off the pavement, by a muppet.
It wont be long before there wont be anyone interested, in being a police person IMO.


----------



## macca (5 August 2020)

sptrawler said:


> A person has been shot in Brisbane by police, after an officer was stabbed in the face, with a knife.
> https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08...ter-officer-stabbed-in-face-brisbane/12527830
> From the article:
> _Police have shot a man during a confrontation at a house in Mount Gravatt, on Brisbane's south side.
> ...




Right now we have three in the close family, used to be more but two quit


----------



## sptrawler (5 August 2020)

macca said:


> Right now we have three in the close family, used to be more but two quit



Yes, I grew up in pretty rough mining towns and had my fair share of disagreements with the local cops, copped a thick ear for driving my scramble bike over the local golf club greens when it wasn't me, but the way it is now I feel sorry for them.
The level of drugs and violence has escalated off the scale, the politically correct brigade expect them to treat violent, drug induced, psychotic lunatics, with respect and talk nicely to them, maybe they should try it.
Maybe that's the answer, take some of these demonstration organisers along as first level responders, so they can show how it should be done.
There is no way I would be suggesting any of my kids or grandkids became a cop, if they want that route join the armed forces, at least there is a possibility they wont face action.


----------



## macca (5 August 2020)

sptrawler said:


> Yes, I grew up in pretty rough mining towns and had my fair share of disagreements with the local cops, copped a thick ear for driving my scramble bike over the local golf club greens when it wasn't me, but the way it is now I feel sorry for them.
> The level of drugs and violence has escalated off the scale, the politically correct brigade expect them to treat violent, drug induced, psychotic lunatics, with respect and talk nicely to them, maybe they should try it.
> Maybe that's the answer, take some of these demonstration organisers along as first level responders, so they can show how it should be done.
> There is no way I would be suggesting any of my kids or grandkids became a cop, if they want that route join the armed forces, at least there is a possibility they wont face action.




The old story though, 99% of cops are good people but it only needs a bad one and people lose respect and trust for all of them.

The judiciary seems to think it is OK to allow people to treat them with contempt then wonders why cops are leaving in droves or go on stress leave.


----------



## basilio (8 August 2020)

*You swine! German nudist chases wild boar that stole laptop*
Photographer who captured moment naked bather gave pursuit says he ‘gave it his all’






‘When he returned from the forest, everyone applauded him.’ The nudist chased the boar - and a yellow bag 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...wild-boar-that-stole-laptop-berlin-teufelssee


----------



## bellenuit (8 August 2020)

BREAKING NEWS

*Jerry Falwell Jr. will take an indefinite leave of absence from his role as president and chancellor of Liberty University, at the board’s request.*
Friday, August 7, 2020 5:35 PM EST

The statement gave no reason for the request, but the news comes days after Mr. Falwell posted, and then deleted, a photograph on Instagram with his pants unzipped and his arm around a young woman.

Under the Falwell family’s leadership, Liberty has grown in five decades from a modest Baptist college to an evangelical powerhouse with cash investments and endowments of nearly $2 billion, nearly 46,000 undergraduates and a campus that sprawls across Lynchburg and neighboring counties in Virginia.


----------



## Knobby22 (9 August 2020)

A guy in the USA in his twenties has died from Plague!
Unbelievable!


----------



## qldfrog (10 August 2020)

Knobby22 said:


> A guy in the USA in his twenties has died from Plague!
> Unbelievable!



Quick quick let's prevent rat pets and ban all imports and trade from the US
The death rate is 100% for that strain and we have no treatment or vaccine
LOL..more worrying , new avian flu in Victoria if i read the news well?
Thanks God they are already in house arrest there.the lockdown has some use.


----------



## qldfrog (10 August 2020)

qldfrog said:


> Quick quick let's prevent rat pets and ban all imports and trade from the US
> The death rate is 100% for that strain and we have no treatment or vaccine
> LOL..more worrying , new avian flu in Victoria if i read the news well?
> Thanks God they are already in house arrest there.the lockdown has some use.



https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.abc.net.au/article/12529704
We should forbid home chooks :some right wings rebels are selfishly risking the community lives under the pretext of eating healthy non vegan food.
To put things in perspective
https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parlia...e Australian Management,000 and 44 000 deaths.
The risk of fatalities in Australia in an avian flu outbreak is between 2 to 4 times the numbers the current covid would kill if unchecked
Up to 40k death vs 15k to 20k for covid.
So do not sneeze after making your omelette...


----------



## Knobby22 (10 August 2020)

Where do you get your 15K - 20k figure?
Death rate unchecked (if most people caught it) is well above that by an order of magnitude. (150-200k).
Also it is more contagious.
Also you can be inoculated from the flu.

I do think it is surprising the plague is back and someone has died from it. Easily treatable with antibiotics.


----------



## Dona Ferentes (14 August 2020)

*Israel and UAE strike historic deal to normalise relations*
Israel has agreed to halt plans to annex parts of the West Bank sought by Palestinians, as part of a deal to engage full diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates.

Palestinian leaders have criticised the diplomatic normalisation deal as a betrayal of their cause
The agreement between Israel and the UAE was brokered by US President Donald Trump's administration.

The announcement makes the UAE the first Gulf Arab state to do so and only the third Arab nation to have active diplomatic ties to Israel.


----------



## basilio (17 August 2020)

After looking at the depressing stories unwinding around the world I decided to go local for a good news story and a well honed header....

*Naughty boy: Young gun has six-appeal*

Aaron Naughton kicks a career-high six goals in the Bulldogs' win over Adelaide.

16 hrs ago





https://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/news/796638/naughty-boy-young-gun-has-six-appeal


----------



## bellenuit (24 August 2020)

*Kim Jong-un ‘in coma, sister Kim Yo-jong taking charge’*

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/na...m/news-story/dd20aea6e12fb0f91eee0a064d5a56fa


----------



## Knobby22 (24 August 2020)

bellenuit said:


> *Kim Jong-un ‘in coma, sister Kim Yo-jong taking charge’*
> 
> https://www.theaustralian.com.au/na...m/news-story/dd20aea6e12fb0f91eee0a064d5a56fa



Haven't I already seen that headline some months ago?


----------



## DB008 (24 August 2020)

Yes

21st April 2020

Post number #1971


----------



## wayneL (24 August 2020)

Might not be very long before we see a similar headline for Joe Biden 

All hail Komrade Kamala.


----------



## SirRumpole (25 August 2020)

John Howard recovering in hospital after appendicitis operation.

I'm sure we all wish him a speedy recovery.

https://www.9news.com.au/national/j...ics-news/45eeee40-e4fa-4940-b5b2-9f03ca729a76


----------



## frugal.rock (25 August 2020)

SirRumpole said:


> I'm sure we all wish him a speedy recovery.


----------



## qldfrog (25 August 2020)

SirRumpole said:


> John Howard recovering in hospital after appendicitis operation.
> 
> I'm sure we all wish him a speedy recovery.
> 
> https://www.9news.com.au/national/j...ics-news/45eeee40-e4fa-4940-b5b2-9f03ca729a76



I do but i am sure many do not like his patronising patriarchal privileged older white heterosexual male ruling.
Wished he had let Costello in , we would be better off now but had a relatively united  Australia time.
He actually did a lot for environment with huge amounts from Telstra sales going into landcare,. And in our case a Nature refuge creation
I wish him well too


----------



## basilio (26 August 2020)

Once upon a time you couldn't have made this up.
However this  true story will be going to production anytime soon..

*Brazilian evangelical politician accused of masterminding husband's 'barbaric' murder*
Singer-turned politician known as Flordelis was alleged ringleader of lurid family plot to kill husband, including poisoning him





Congresswoman Flordelis dos Santos de Souza in 2019. She was accused of orchestrating the murder of her husband, Anderson do Carmo, last year. Photograph: Michel Jesus/Brazilian Chamber of Deputies/AFP/Getty Images
Tom Phillips Latin America correspondent
Tue 25 Aug 2020 03.24 AEST
Last modified on Tue 25 Aug 2020 13.28 AEST


A gospel-singing Brazilian congresswoman has been accused of masterminding the “barbaric” murder of her preacher husband after at least six failed or aborted attempts to kill him with poison or in staged robberies.

Anderson do Carmo was 42 when he was shot dead in June 2019 as he returned to the home he shared with the church crooner-turned-politician Flordelis dos Santos de Souza.

The celebrity congresswoman, who congregants and fans call simply Flordelis, claimed her husband – with whom she had famously raised more than 50 children – had been slain by thieves.

But allegations of a bizarre and lurid family plot to murder the evangelical preacher emerged on Monday as police arrested five of Flordelis’ children and one granddaughter for involvement in the crime.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...l-evangelical-preacher-politician-accusations


----------



## noirua (27 August 2020)

*Caged Congolese man: Why a zoo took 114 years to apologise*
https://zoronews.info/2020/08/27/caged-congolese-man-why-a-zoo-took-114-years-to-apologise/




Ota Benga at the Bronx Zoo in 1906. Only five promotional photos exist of Benga's time here, none of them in the "Monkey House"; cameras were not allowed.[19]

*Ota Benga* (c. 1883[1] – March 20, 1916) was a Mbuti (Congo pygmy) man, known for being featured in an exhibit at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1904, and in a human zoo exhibit in 1906 at the Bronx Zoo. Benga had been purchased from African slave traders by the missionary Samuel Phillips Verner,[2] a businessman searching for African people for the exhibition. He accompanied Verner to the United States. Later, at the Bronx Zoo, Benga was allowed to walk the grounds before and after he was exhibited in the zoo's Monkey House. Except for a brief visit with Verner to Africa after the close of the St. Louis Fair, Benga lived in the United States, mostly in Virginia, for the rest of his life.

As a member of the Mbuti people,[4] Ota Benga lived in equatorial forests near the Kasai River in what was then the Congo Free State. His people were attacked by the _Force Publique,_ established by King Leopold II of Belgium as a militia to control the natives for labor in order to exploit the large supply of rubber in the Congo.

Benga's wife and two children were murdered; he survived only because he was on a hunting expedition when the Force Publique attacked his village. He was later captured by "Baschelel" (Bashilele) slave traders.[5][6][7]

He tried to return to Africa, but the outbreak of World War I in 1914 stopped all ship passenger travel. Benga fell into a depression. He died by suicide in 1916.[3]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ota_Benga


----------



## basilio (2 September 2020)

*'Coffin confessor' Bill Edgar paid to gatecrash Queensland funerals and speak up for the dead  *

Bill Edgar has, in his own words, "no respect for the living". Instead, his loyalty is to the newly departed clients who hire Mr Edgar — known as "the coffin confessor" — to carry out their wishes from beyond the grave.

*Key points:*





*Coffin confessor reveals juicy secrets of the dead for a flat fee of $10,000*

*Mr Edgar has "crashed" 22 funerals and graveside services on behalf of clients*

*His unusual job is set to be played out on screen in a TV series or movie*

Mr Edgar runs a business in which, for $10,000, he is engaged by people "knocking on death's door" to go to their funerals or gravesides and reveal the secrets they want their loved ones to know. 

"They've got to have a voice and I lend my voice for them," Mr Edgar said.
Mr Edgar, a Gold Coast private investigator, said the idea for his graveside hustle came when he was working for a terminally ill man.
"We got on to the topic of dying and death and he said he'd like to do something," Mr Edgar said.

"I said, 'Well, I could always crash your funeral for you'," and a few weeks later the man called and took Mr Edgar up on his offer and a business was born.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09...-reveals-secrets-of-dead-at-funerals/12619946


----------



## noirua (9 September 2020)

*Africa leaders: Mali military gov't must name president by Sep 15*
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...ary-gov-president-sep-15-200907183944798.html
The West African regional bloc ECOWAS called on Mali's new military government that seized power last month to appoint a civilian to head a transition government by September 15.




The mutinying soldiers who forced Keita out of office and detained several senior officials promised to oversee a transition to the election.

*Former Mali President Keita leaves country amid transition talks*
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...country-transition-talks-200906071255194.html
Officials say overthrown leader - detained by military rulers who unseated him - is visiting UAE for medical treatment.

*For weeks, Malians protested for change. Then a coup happened*
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...ted-change-coup-happened-200819085012741.html
It was around midnight, hours after his seizure at gunpoint by soldiers in Mali's capital, when Ibrahim Boubacar Keita finally appeared on national television.


----------



## noirua (9 September 2020)

*Australia sold weapons to Mali as UN warned violence creating 'humanitarian disaster'*
https://www.theguardian.com/austral...arned-violence-creating-humanitarian-disaster
Exclusive: companies given 31 permits last year to export arms to cluster of African nations suffering from instability and violence

*'Blanket secrecy' surrounds Australian weapons sales to countries accused of war crimes*
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...pons-sales-to-countries-accused-of-war-crimes


----------



## noirua (10 September 2020)




----------



## noirua (13 September 2020)

*Clashes and arrests as 'yellow vest' protests return in France
13 September*








						Clashes and arrests as ‘yellow vest’ protests return in France
					

Police fire tear gas and arrest more than 250 in Paris during first ‘yellow vest’ protests since coronavirus lockdown.




					www.aljazeera.com


----------



## sptrawler (24 September 2020)

Bradley Edwards has been found guilty of the Claremont serial killings, not enough evidence to be convicted on the Sarah Spiers case.









						Pleas for Claremont killer to reveal what happened to Sarah Spiers, if he knows
					

Bradley Robert Edwards is found guilty of murdering Ciara Glennon and Jane Rimmer, but not guilty of murdering 18-year-old Sarah Spiers. The women disappeared from the Perth suburb of Claremont in the mid-1990s. See how one of the biggest trials in WA history unfolded.




					www.abc.net.au


----------



## sptrawler (25 September 2020)

Qantas in a bit of strife for jobkeeper problems, guess it is another case of rocks and glass houses, when making moral judgements. 









						Qantas ordered to back-pay millions after short-changing staff on JobKeeper
					

The airline was found short-changing staff over a technicality.




					au.finance.yahoo.com


----------



## SirRumpole (25 September 2020)

sptrawler said:


> Bradley Edwards has been found guilty of the Claremont serial killings, not enough evidence to be convicted on the Sarah Spiers case.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




You have to hand it to the police for perservering for so long to catch the killer.

Same with the Daniel Morecambe killer and the Family Court bomber.

I know it's their job, but they deserve more credit in cases like this.


----------



## sptrawler (25 September 2020)

SirRumpole said:


> You have to hand it to the police for perservering for so long to catch the killer.
> 
> Same with the Daniel Morecambe killer and the Family Court bomber.
> 
> I know it's their job, but they deserve more credit in cases like this.



Absolutely it is a crap job that no one appreciates, until they need them, I can't believe how much bad press they get.
I would love to see some of these bleeding heart people, dealing with the life and death situations and then having a self righteous committee adjudicate on it at a later date. It isn't a job I would sign up for.
It's a bit like the banks, they are bagged for lending, they are bagged for charging too much for lending, they are taxed for making too much money, then they are told not to lend, then they don't lend and are told to lend, then they are told their lending criterea is too tight, then they are fined because their I.T system isn't up to speed with Government lending rules.
Meanwhile the resources that underpin our economy are being stripped away at ever increasing speed, with fewer and fewer people employed, priceless "keep dancing Maria" Luigi the magician.😂


----------



## noirua (2 October 2020)

*Trump, Melania test positive for coronavirus, president vows to begin quarantine 'immediately'


			Trump, Melania test positive for coronavirus, president vows to begin quarantine 'immediately'
		

*


----------



## noirua (2 October 2020)




----------



## noirua (3 October 2020)

A helicopter has just landed at The White House to take President Trump to The Walter Read Army Medical Hospital. He has developed a fever and suffering from fatigue it is reported and they say this is as a precaution.


----------



## bellenuit (3 October 2020)

This just shows the reckless disregard Trump has shown for his staff at the Whitehouse, his political colleagues and those in the press whose job it is to report on presidential politics. 

*Kellyanne Conway tests positive*

Kellyanne Conway, the former top White House adviser, said on Twitter Friday night that she had tested positive for the coronavirus, making her the latest person close to President Trump to have gotten sick this week.

Ms. Conway attended White House events announcing Mr. Trump’s nominee for the Supreme Court, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, last Saturday.

“Tonight I tested positive for COVID-19. My symptoms are mild (light cough) and I’m feeling fine,” she posted on Twitter. “I have begun a quarantine process in consultation with physicians. As always, my heart is with everyone affected by this global pandemic.”

Ms. Conway told associates that previous tests she had taken were negative.

Mr. Trump and the first lady tested positive for the virus early Friday morning.

*Three reporters who were with the president that day have also tested positive, as well as two senators and the president of the University of Notre Dame.*

Another adviser, Hope Hicks, tested positive for the virus on Thursday, but she did not attend the event.


----------



## bellenuit (3 October 2020)

*President Trump’s campaign manager, Bill Stepien, has tested positive for the coronavirus. He is experiencing mild symptoms and is in quarantine.*Saturday, October 3, 2020 12:31 AM ESTMr. Stepien was with Mr. Trump at the presidential debate in Cleveland on Tuesday, but it was unclear when he was last with the president. However, he was in closed-door preparation sessions with Mr. Trump and a half-dozen other aides and advisers on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday


----------



## noirua (3 October 2020)

*Live 
 Coronavirus latest news: Donald Trump begins treatment amid reports of breathing difficulty*


----------



## noirua (4 October 2020)

Contradictory News to the Official News given:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING: “The president’s vitals over the last 24 hours were very concerning and the next 48 hours will be critical in terms of his care. We’re still not on a clear path to a full recovery.”<br><br>--A source familiar with the President&#39;s health, to pool reporters</p>&mdash; Sara Cook (@saraecook) <a href="">October 3, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


----------



## bellenuit (6 October 2020)




----------



## DB008 (6 October 2020)

*A Common Plant Virus Is an Unlikely Ally in the War on Cancer*



*Researchers have seen promising results by injecting dog and mouse tumors with the cowpea mosaic virus.
Now they’re aiming for a human trial.*​

JACK HOOPES SPENDS a lot of time with dying dogs. A veterinary radiation specialist at Dartmouth College, Hoopes has spent his decades-long career treating canine cancers with the latest experimental therapies as a pathway for developing human treatments. Recently, many of Hoopes’ furry patients have come to him with a relatively common oral cancer that will almost certainly kill them within a few months if left untreated. Even if the cancer goes into remission after radiation treatment, there’s a very high chance it will soon reemerge.​​For Hoopes, it’s a grim prognosis that’s all too familiar. But these pups are in luck. They’re patients in an experimental study exploring the efficacy of a new cancer treatment derived from a common plant virus. After receiving the viral therapy, several of the dogs had their tumors disappear entirely and lived into old age without recurring cancer. Given that around 85 percent of dogs with oral cancer will develop a new tumor within a year of radiation therapy, the results were striking. The treatment, Hoopes felt, had the potential to be a breakthrough that could save lives, both human and canine. “If a treatment works in dog cancer, it has a very good chance of working, at some level, in human patients,” says Hoopes.​​The new cancer therapy is based on the cowpea mosaic virus, or CPMV, a pathogen that takes its name from the mottled pattern it creates on the leaves of infected cowpea plants, which are perhaps best known as the source of black-eyed peas. The virus doesn’t replicate in mammals like it does in plants, but as the researchers behind the therapy discovered, it still triggers an immune response that could be the key to more effective treatments for a wide variety of cancers.​​​The idea is to use the virus to overcome one of the gnarliest problems in oncology: A doctor’s best ally, their patient’s own immune system, doesn’t always recognize a cancerous cell when it sees one. It’s not the body’s fault; cancer cells have properties that trick the immune system into thinking nothing is wrong. Oncologists have puzzled over this for nearly a century, and it's only in the past decade that researchers have really started to get a grip on cancer’s immunosuppressive properties. Immunotherapy, which has emerged as one of the most promising types of cancer treatment, is all about developing techniques to help the body’s immune system recognize cancerous cells so it can fight back. It’s the medical equivalent of putting a big flashing neon sign on the tumor that reads “ATTACK HERE.” And that’s where the cowpea mosaic virus could help.​​While other viruses could theoretically be used as immune system bait, CPMV has proven far more effective at triggering a response than any other pathogens the researchers have tried so far. They’re still not sure what makes this particular virus so uniquely effective, but the important thing is that it works. “It’s worked better than radiation by itself, which is a huge positive for us,” says Hoopes. “The immune system is more powerful than we thought.”​

https://subscribe.wired.com/subscribe/splits/wired/WIR_FAILSAFE?source=HCL_WIR_MPU_FAILSAFE_0
More on link below...

https://www.wired.com/story/a-common-plant-virus-is-an-unlikely-ally-in-the-war-on-cancer/​


----------



## bellenuit (7 October 2020)

On Tuesday evening, senior administration officials confirmed that *Stephen Miller, Mr. Trump’s top speechwriter and a policy adviser, had tested positive for the coronavirus*, joining a growing list of Mr. Trump’s close aides who have the virus.

“Over the last five days I have been working remotely and self-isolating, testing negative every day through yesterday,” Mr. Miller said in a statement. “Today, I tested positive for Covid-19 and am in quarantine.”

Mr. Miller is married to Katie Miller, Vice President Mike Pence’s communications director. A senior administration official said Ms. Miller, who contracted the virus this spring and returned to work in May, was tested Tuesday morning and was negative for any new infection.


----------



## bellenuit (7 October 2020)

*Top U.S. military leaders, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are quarantining after being exposed to the virus*

Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, along with several of the Pentagon’s most senior uniformed leaders, are quarantining after being exposed to the coronavirus, a Defense Department official said on Tuesday.

The official said almost the entirety of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, including Gen. James C. McConville, the Army chief of staff, are quarantining after Adm. Charles Ray, the vice commandant of the Coast Guard, tested positive for coronavirus.

“We are aware that Vice Commandant Ray has tested positive for Covid-19 and that he was at the Pentagon last week for meetings with other senior military leaders,” Jonathan Hoffman, the Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement released by his office.


----------



## noirua (10 October 2020)

Concerns mount for human toll after US blacklists Iran’s banks
					

Critics say latest US sanctions will further hobble Iran’s ability to buy food and medicine as it battles pandemic.




					www.aljazeera.com
				












						North Korea holds rare military parade, Kim Jong Un addresses
					

Unusual predawn parade held to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the governing Workers’ Party.




					www.aljazeera.com


----------



## DB008 (27 October 2020)

Not sure if this has been covered, but it is really disgusting behaviour.
The Federal Government should really be stepping in (hard and strong), as it happen back on the 6th of this month, but only came to light the last few days.

Avoid Qatar (Doha) and QR at all costs.

Imagine flying to Europe via Doha and your wife/girlfriend/mum/partner getting sexually assaulted by Qatar airport ground staff.

Screw that.

Complete animals!!!

Why the Federal Government isn't using Qantas or Virgin for repatriate flights during this Covid crisis is beyond me.




*Qatar airport incident in which women were invasively searched reported to Australian Federal Police*​

An Australian woman strip-searched by authorities at a Qatari airport after a premature baby was found in a bathroom says she is considering legal action over the "terrifying" experience.​​Two passengers from QR908 both told the ABC they had no idea what was happening to them when all women on the plane were asked to get off after a three-hour delay on October 2.​​The two women wanted to remain anonymous and did not know each other before boarding the flight to Sydney.​​It had been due to leave Hamad International Airport (HIA) at 8:30pm local time but was delayed for three hours after a premature baby was found in a bathroom at the terminal — a detail confused passengers said was not communicated to them.​​One of the women said all adult females were removed from the plane by authorities and taken to two ambulances waiting outside the airport.​​"No-one spoke English or told us what was happening. It was terrifying," she said.​​"There were 13 of us and we were all made to leave.​​"A mother near me had left her sleeping children on the plane.​​"There was an elderly woman who was vision impaired and she had to go too. I'm pretty sure she was searched."​​She said while she respected Qatar's laws and culture, she was considering legal action.​​"If the other 12 women came forward with a class action, I would definitely be part of that," she said.​​Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the "grossly disturbing, offensive, concerning set of events" had been referred to the Australian Federal Police (AFP).​​In a statement, HIA confirmed the infant was "safe" and being cared for in Qatar, and that medical professionals "expressed concern to officials about the health and welfare of a mother who had just given birth and requested she be located prior to departing".​​*The other female passenger who spoke to the ABC said she was with a group of about six women, who began panicking when they realised they were being taken outside the airport.*​​*"When I got in there, and there was a lady with a mask on and then the authorities closed the ambulance behind me and locked it," she said.*​​*"They never explained anything.*​​*"She told me to pull my pants down and that I needed to examine my vagina.*​​*"I said 'I'm not doing that' and she did not explain anything to me. She just kept saying, 'we need to see it we need to see it'."*​​*The woman said she tried to get out of the ambulance and the authorities on the other side opened the door.*​​*"I jumped out and then ran over to the other girls. There was nowhere for me to run," she said.*​​*The woman said she took her clothes off and was inspected, and touched, by the female nurse.*​​*"I was panicking. Everyone had gone white and was shaking," she said.*​​*"I was very scared at that point, I didn't know what the possibilities were."*​​

More on link below...


https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-26/qatar-airport-baby-women-invasive-search/12812364



.​


----------



## Smurf1976 (27 October 2020)

DB008 said:


> The Federal Government should really be stepping in (hard and strong), as it happen back on the 6th of this month, but only came to light the last few days.



My thought is that Australia should seek the support of other relevant countries rather than going it alone on this one given that the very nature of international travel involves people flying between countries.

I'd be surprised if the UK or the EU considered the incident to be in any way acceptable.


----------



## noirua (31 October 2020)

Turkey earthquake live - 7.0 mag quake triggers tsunami and destroys buildings
					

A HUGE earthquake has rocked Turkey as it destroyed scores of buildings and triggered a tsunami that swept through coastal towns. The quake registered a magnitude of 7.0 with its epicentr…




					www.thesun.co.uk


----------



## noirua (4 November 2020)

__





						CNN International - Breaking News, US News, World News and Video
					

Find the latest breaking news and information on the top stories, weather, business, entertainment, politics, and more. For in-depth coverage, CNN provides special reports, video, audio, photo galleries, and interactive guides.




					edition.cnn.com


----------



## DB008 (6 November 2020)

​


----------



## noirua (7 November 2020)

Is a dangerous new coronavirus strain circulating in farmed mink?
					

The Danish government has ordered the slaughter of all farmed mink in the country after the reported discovery of a mutant form of coronavirus in the animals. It has already spread to humans




					www.newscientist.com


----------



## sptrawler (8 November 2020)

Like I said in the other thread, it is all about us, I wonder what Greta will say?


----------



## noirua (18 November 2020)

Germany accuses Russia, China of stalling over North Korea fuel sanctions


----------



## bellenuit (20 November 2020)

Trump Tax Write-Offs Are Ensnared in 2 New York Fraud Investigations (Published 2020)
					

Inquiries into the president and his businesses, one criminal and one civil, are now looking at tax deductions taken on consulting fees. Some of the payments appear to have gone to Ivanka Trump.




					www.nytimes.com


----------



## noirua (21 November 2020)




----------



## noirua (23 November 2020)

__





						China removes all remaining counties from poverty list - Xinhua | English.news.cn
					





					www.xinhuanet.com
				



23 November 2020




__





						China's Long March-5 rocket filled with propellant for launch - Xinhua | English.news.cn
					





					www.xinhuanet.com
				



23 November 2020


----------



## sptrawler (25 November 2020)

Anyone on the forum heading to Broome for a holiday break, be aware and make sure the car is locked.








						Forty cars stolen in 30 days in holiday getaway Broome has residents, tourists demanding action
					

Dozens of vehicles have been stolen in the northern WA town over just one month, with some found incinerated, leaving locals and visitors calling for action on safety.




					www.abc.net.au


----------



## basilio (25 November 2020)

Uplifting. Good story IMV


*New Zealand couple shuns developers to give 900 hectares of land to nation*
Dick and Jillian Jardine said it was ‘the right thing’ to hand beautiful plot in Remarkables to national trust for conservation





The family who own the Remarkables station in New Zealand have gifted it to the nation, saying they want to see it protected and loved.  Photograph: Supplied/ QEII Trust

Eleanor Ainge Roy in Queenstown

@EleanorAingeRoy
Tue 24 Nov 2020 23.32 EST
Last modified on Wed 25 Nov 2020 00.09 EST

7
A New Zealand farming family has gifted 900 hectares of pristine land by the edge of Lake Wakatipu to the crown, saying it is “the right thing to do”.
The stretch of land at the foot of the Remarkables range will become open to everyone in 2022, after being handed over to the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust for “the benefit and enjoyment of all New Zealanders”.

Remarkables station owners Dick and Jillian Jardine have owned and worked the land for 98 years, and want to see it protected and loved for another century.








						New Zealand couple shuns developers to give 900 hectares of land to nation
					

Dick and Jillian Jardine said it was ‘the right thing’ to hand beautiful plot in Remarkables to national trust for conservation




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## noirua (28 November 2020)

China has halted $700 million worth of coal imports from Australia
					

A roundup of all the mining news in the precious metals sector with a variety of company news, mining sector analysis, newsletter writer insights and executive interviews.



					www.kitco.com


----------



## noirua (28 November 2020)

China to impose huge 'anti-dumping' tariffs on Australian wine from Saturday
					

The Chinese Government has announced it will place tariffs on all Australian wine imports from Saturday, striking a blow to the billion-dollar industry.




					www.abc.net.au


----------



## basilio (28 November 2020)

It seems as if Trump and Israel have decided that destroying Irans nuclear capacity is now a priority regardless of possible consequences. They have assassinated Irans top Nuclear scientist.  

Consequences of this action for markets, a hot war whatever are huge ..









						Top Iranian nuclear scientist assassinated near Tehran
					

Iran’s foreign minister condemns killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh as an ‘act of state terror’ linking Israel to the attack.




					www.aljazeera.com


----------



## sptrawler (28 November 2020)

basilio said:


> It seems as if Trump and Israel have decided that destroying Irans nuclear capacity is now a priority regardless of possible consequences. They have assassinated Irans top Nuclear scientist.
> 
> Consequences of this action for markets, a hot war whatever are huge ..
> 
> ...



Thats a big call Bas, I didnt hear that Trump and Israel had accepted responsibility?


----------



## satanoperca (28 November 2020)

basilio said:


> It seems as if Trump and Israel have decided that destroying Irans nuclear capacity is now a priority regardless of possible consequences. They have assassinated Irans top Nuclear scientist.
> 
> Consequences of this action for markets, a hot war whatever are huge ..
> 
> ...




Given Chump man's last assignation without provocation or evidence of an Iranian, this is not going to end well.


----------



## basilio (28 November 2020)

sptrawler said:


> Thats a big call Bas, I didnt hear that Trump and Israel had accepted responsibility?




Indeed they havn't SP.  I think that is the point of using your secret service to take out Enemies of the State in whichever country you want.

Facts on the ground are that the US and Israel  have been systematically attacking Irans nuclear capacity  for a decade. This is the  ninth Iranian Nuclear Scientist who has been  attacked or assassinated since 2007.

There was also the use of the Stuxnet computer virus to  destroy Irans  nuclear centrifuges in 2012.

These guys don't get life insurance.




__





						Assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org
				







__





						Stuxnet - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org


----------



## basilio (28 November 2020)

Correction to above post.  There have been eight attacks since 2007.


----------



## noirua (30 November 2020)




----------



## noirua (30 November 2020)

Indonesian volcano erupts, forcing residents to flee
					

Local airport closed as Mount Ili Lewotolok erupts in a remote part of the Southeast Asian archipelago.




					www.aljazeera.com


----------



## noirua (8 December 2020)

Eight Hong Kong activists arrested over security law protest (msn.com)
Eight Hong Kong democracy activists including three former lawmakers were arrested Tuesday for their part in a July protest, the latest in a broad crackdown by authorities under a sweeping new security law.


----------



## noirua (10 December 2020)

Hunter Biden Investigated Over Taxes By US Department Of Justice (msn.com) 

Federal prosecutors in Delaware are investigating President-elect Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden over tax issues, the transition team announced Wednesday.


----------



## noirua (11 December 2020)




----------



## noirua (11 December 2020)

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/cmsdata/124240/partnership_framework2009eu_en.pdf


----------



## noirua (21 December 2020)

US lawmakers reach deal on huge Covid-19 relief package (msn.com) 

The agreement, announced by Senate leaders, would establish a temporary 300 dollar per week supplemental jobless benefit and 600 dollar direct stimulus payments to most Americans, along with a new round of subsidies for hard-hit businesses and money for schools, healthcare providers and renters facing eviction.


----------



## noirua (24 December 2020)

__





						Hunter Biden's Family Name Aided Deals with Foreign Tycoons
					

Hunter Biden's Family Name Aided Deals with Foreign Tycoons



					uk.advfn.com


----------



## noirua (24 December 2020)

COVID-19: Donald Trump suggests he won't sign $892bn coronavirus relief package | World News | Sky News

President Trump said he is asking Congress to amend the bill and to "increase the ridiculously low $600 to $2000 (£1870)".


----------



## noirua (26 December 2020)

Bomb squad is called after RV explodes in Nashville  | Daily Mail Online


----------



## noirua (26 December 2020)

Bomb squad is called after RV explodes in Nashville  | Daily Mail Online
*Nashville explosion WAS intentional: FBI is called in after huge blast from a 'parked vehicle' outside shops and restaurants injures three and rocks the city on Christmas Day*


----------



## Knobby22 (26 December 2020)

noirua said:


> Bomb squad is called after RV explodes in Nashville  | Daily Mail Online
> *Nashville explosion WAS intentional: FBI is called in after huge blast from a 'parked vehicle' outside shops and restaurants injures three and rocks the city on Christmas Day*
> 
> 
> View attachment 117173



Obviously not jihad, warned everyone in advance. Purpose not public given as far as I can see. A warning?


----------



## noirua (28 December 2020)

China jails citizen-journalist for four years over Wuhan virus reporting | Reuters

SHANGHAI (Reuters) - A Chinese court handed a four-year jail term on Monday to a citizen-journalist who reported from the central city of Wuhan at the peak of last year’s coronavirus outbreak, on grounds of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” her lawyer said.

Other citizen-journalists who had disappeared without explanation included Fang Bin, Chen Qiushi and Li Zehua.


----------



## noirua (30 December 2020)

Landslide hits Norway sparking mass evacuation | Daily Mail Online 

*Massive landslide sweeps away houses in Norway sparking mass evacuation as disaster is declared*


----------



## noirua (31 December 2020)

Five killed in Yemen terror attack after explosion near government plane | Daily Mail Online 
*Yemen terror attack is captured live on camera as bomb explodes and gunfire breaks out - killing at least five people - after new government lands in capital*


----------



## noirua (7 January 2021)

Attempted coup as protestors storm Capitol Hill in The United States. Curfew declared at 6pm. Vice President Mike Pence and Senators flee.








						US Capitol secured, 4 dead after rioters stormed the halls of Congress to block Biden's win
					

The US Capitol is once again secured but four people are dead -- including one woman who was shot -- after supporters of President Donald Trump breached one of the most iconic American buildings, engulfing the nation's capital in chaos after Trump urged his supporters to fight against the...




					edition.cnn.com


----------



## SirRumpole (7 January 2021)

noirua said:


> Attempted coup as protestors storm Capitol Hill in The United States. Curfew declared at 6pm. Vice President Mike Pence and Senators flee.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Terrifying.

This could end in civil war.


----------



## DB008 (7 January 2021)

The major election fraud that the Democrats committed, you'd be pissed too. 

Navarro report (Volume 2) released yesterday. 

Clear as day. 

Biden should be charged for treason.

https://navarroreport.com/#b7231c7c-dfe7-4f2e-aa3e-637bf9610b2a​


----------



## SirRumpole (7 January 2021)

DB008 said:


> The major election fraud that the Democrats committed, you'd be pissed too.
> 
> Navarro report (Volume 2) released yesterday.
> 
> ...




What utter cr@p.


----------



## Knobby22 (7 January 2021)

DB008 said:


> The major election fraud that the Democrats committed, you'd be pissed too.
> 
> Navarro report (Volume 2) released yesterday.
> 
> ...



Trump should be charged for Treason. Happy to have Mitch McConnell as presiding judge.


----------



## PZ99 (7 January 2021)

SirRumpole said:


> What utter cr@p.



Now we can see who's being "programmed" right ?

Clear as day


----------



## dutchie (7 January 2021)

Curfew placed at 6 pm.
Not one curfew placed during any BLM riots.
Not one curfew placed during any Antifa riots.
Strange.


----------



## Knobby22 (7 January 2021)

dutchie said:


> Curfew placed at 6 pm.
> Not one curfew placed during any BLM riots.
> Not one curfew placed during any Antifa riots.
> Strange.



Honestly? It's an attempted coup. Pence is in hiding fearing for his life. Men with guns within the government building.


----------



## dutchie (7 January 2021)

Knobby22 said:


> Honestly? It's an attempted coup. Pence is in hiding fearing for his life. Men with guns within the government building.



Honestly? There has been an ongoing coup for the last four years!


----------



## Knobby22 (7 January 2021)

dutchie said:


> Honestly? There has been an ongoing coup for the last four years!



Do you know what a coup is?
Are you against Mitch McConnell and Pence now?


----------



## dutchie (7 January 2021)

Knobby22 said:


> Do you know what a coup is?
> Are you against Mitch McConnell and Pence now?



Sure. It's a cup of soup.


----------



## dutchie (7 January 2021)

Mostly Peaceful Protestors Breach US Capitol


----------



## wayneL (7 January 2021)

Coup?

LMAO! Come on now? You need a lot more than 100 angry men for a coup.

As @dutchie has intimated, this is more a reaction to the real _ipso facto_ coup. (Pardon the tautology)

Civil War?

I think there is a real chance of that. Odds on in my opinion.


----------



## noirua (7 January 2021)

Four dead as Trump supporters storm US Capitol (msn.com)


----------



## IFocus (7 January 2021)

Sedition I think is the term, pretty much cuts the legs off any legitimacy claimed by the GOP or Trump. 

As for the election fraud claims its all gotten a bit stupid.

Still carry on cheering, Russia is.


----------



## bellenuit (9 January 2021)

Couldn't have happened to a nicer person. Giuliani is next.



bellenuit said:


> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">“The complaint filed Friday by Dominion Voting Systems Inc. seeks $1.3 billion from Powell...” <a href="https://t.co/uXI4S9qTRP">https://t.co/uXI4S9qTRP</a></p>&mdash; Jim Acosta (@Acosta) <a href="">January 8, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


----------



## noirua (13 January 2021)

China accuses Australia of 'weaponising national security' (msn.com) 

China accuses Australia of 'weaponising national security' in blocking a $300million takeover of a major building company


----------



## Knobby22 (13 January 2021)

Some Republicans joining Democrats in impeachment vote.
As many as 20 Senate Republicans are open to conviction. Conviction will mean Trump will not be allowed to contest future elections.

BBC


----------



## noirua (17 January 2021)

Covid-19: Norway investigates 23 deaths in frail elderly patients after vaccination
					

Doctors in Norway have been told to conduct more thorough evaluations of very frail elderly patients in line to receive the Pfizer BioNTec vaccine against covid-19, following the deaths of 23 patients shortly after receiving the vaccine.  “It may be a coincidence, but we aren’t sure,” Steinar...




					www.bmj.com


----------



## sptrawler (21 January 2021)

Today 21/01/2021. Urgent recall on Christmas hams which could be contaminated, it is a bit of a shame Christmas was three weeks ago. 








						Urgent recall issued for Christmas ham sold at IGA
					

A popular Christmas dinner table staple sold at IGA and various butchers has been recalled due to contamination fears.




					au.news.yahoo.com


----------



## noirua (21 January 2021)

Chinese cities continue to promote digital yuan through festive lotteries
					

Conditions restricting participation to employees at commercial entities make this round slightly different to Shenzhen's prior "red envelope" promotional lottery schemes.




					cointelegraph.com
				




Last week, the state-owned Agricultural Bank of China launched the first digital yuan ATMs in the country with the aim of guiding citizens in converting to and from the digital currency. 

China is regarded as a pioneer in central bank digital currencies. Its digital yuan is expected to act as the cashless payment method within China’s “smart cities” in the coming years.


----------



## noirua (25 January 2021)

Three killed after huge explosion in northern China due to gas leak (msn.com)
Three people were killed after a gas pipeline exploded in northern China, damaging a nearby car repair shop. The aftermath video was shot in the city of Dalian...


----------



## qldfrog (27 January 2021)

As it is not following the Reset guideline, we do not hear too much of the violent uprising in the Netherlands against the Covid blamed restrictions.
Test centers and hospital burnt, then joined by migrants riot in housing estates
www.bbc.com Web results Covid: Dutch curfew riots rage for third night


----------



## SirRumpole (27 January 2021)

qldfrog said:


> As it is not following the Reset guideline, we do not hear too much of the violent uprising in the Netherlands against the Covid blamed restrictions.
> Test centers and hospital burnt, then joined by migrants riot in housing estates
> www.bbc.com Web results Covid: Dutch curfew riots rage for third night




It was covered on ABC news.

A lot of people that can't get their drugs running amok I reckon.


----------



## qldfrog (28 January 2021)

SirRumpole said:


> It was covered on ABC news.
> 
> A lot of people that can't get their drugs running amok I reckon.



Seriously?started in their local Bible belt.
As for drugs , believe me,no lockdown is applied in any hot spot in Europe,long been outside the law areas.
I expect these will develop as more and more businesses go under and more and more people have first hand knowledge if the actual virus, not just the media stories


----------



## qldfrog (28 January 2021)

SirRumpole said:


> It was covered on ABC news.
> 
> A lot of people that can't get their drugs running amok I reckon.



28/01 : not a mention in any of abc pages:





and 4 more pages like that.....anyway, in the eye of the reader....


----------



## SirRumpole (28 January 2021)

qldfrog said:


> and 4 more pages like that.....anyway, in the eye of the reader....




Or the viewer in this case, it was on ABC TV.









						Dutch rioters set fires, pelt stones at police in COVID-19 lockdown demonstration
					

In the worst violence to hit the Netherlands since the pandemic began, rioters clash with police in Eindhoven and set fire to a coronavirus testing facility in the fishing village of Urk in response to tough lockdowns.




					www.abc.net.au


----------



## qldfrog (28 January 2021)

SirRumpole said:


> Or the viewer in this case, it was on ABC TV.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Ok but no trace left in the news after 3 nights of riots.bbc was treating it.anyway i have long ago stopped watching tv news.
Back to my vitamin D and Zinc 😊


----------



## sptrawler (28 January 2021)

SirRumpole said:


> Or the viewer in this case, it was on ABC TV.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



That is certainly buried deep in the bowels of ABC news, the front page is all warm light weight social chat, except for the couple who were run over by the 17 year old in a stolen car. He will told off in court that's for sure.


----------



## noirua (2 February 2021)

Myanmar ruling party says military has staged ‘coup’ as Aung San Suu Kyi detained
					

Tanks roll through streets of major cities as Myanmar’s powerful military says it will impose emergency rule and stage ‘new’ elections




					www.independent.co.uk
				



Soldiers and tanks have been positioned in major cities and political leaders, who had gathered in the capital Naypyitaw for the start of a new parliament session, have been detained on mass.


----------



## SirRumpole (2 February 2021)

noirua said:


> Myanmar ruling party says military has staged ‘coup’ as Aung San Suu Kyi detained
> 
> 
> Tanks roll through streets of major cities as Myanmar’s powerful military says it will impose emergency rule and stage ‘new’ elections
> ...




They have been taking lessons from China.


----------



## bellenuit (2 February 2021)

SirRumpole said:


> They have been taking lessons from China.



And also Trump. They are saying the election was rigged.


----------



## sptrawler (2 February 2021)

SirRumpole said:


> They have been taking lessons from China.



Yes it is all ok, as long as it fits in with peoples beliefs, then they can reconcile it.
It reminds me of a time when the catchcry was, the problem with the middle east is, they are sitting on the U.S oil.
I kind of wonder, if we arent sitting on China's mineral reserves.lo l


----------



## noirua (3 February 2021)

Elon Musk's Starship SN9 rocket EXPLODES after first flight test
					

SpaceX has destroyed its second Starship prototype during a high-altitude test. SN9 soared six miles into the air. The rocket seemed to have trouble re-orientating and exploded when it hit the launch pad.




					www.dailymail.co.uk
				



It landed with a deafening crash and exploded into bright orange flames and a dust cloud, but the fire did not spread.


----------



## noirua (14 February 2021)

__





						Man stabs wife, daughters and mother-in-law to death before killing himself, German police say
					





					www.msn.com
				




"Since the Code of Criminal Procedure does not provide for investigations against deceased perpetrators and there have been no indications that other people were involved in the act, the death investigation will be discontinued, subject to new evidence.


----------



## noirua (17 February 2021)

Italy's Mount Etna spews smoke and ashes in spectacular new eruption
					

Italian authorities say it poses no danger to surrounding villages. . Read more at straitstimes.com.




					www.straitstimes.com


----------



## sptrawler (17 February 2021)

The homeless people from the Fremantle 'tent city', that were removed and put into a hotel, are now being removed again because no one is paying the hotel. Talk about pass the parcel.








						Three months pregnant and homeless, Jme Jeanes has no idea where she is going to sleep tonight
					

Three months pregnant and homeless, Jme Jeanes has spent the last few weeks staying at a Perth hotel with her partner after being kicked out of Fremantle's tent city — but where they will sleep tonight is anyone's guess.




					www.abc.net.au


----------



## SirRumpole (17 February 2021)

Ash Barty out of the Australian Open !

The Barty's over.


----------



## noirua (20 February 2021)

Guatemala: There's nowhere to hide - hundreds of thousands live in the shadow of three erupting volcanoes​








						Guatemala: There's nowhere to hide - hundreds of thousands live in the shadow of three erupting volcanoes
					

Whole communities live in the shadows of these volcanoes - with more than 180,000 people around Volcan de Fuego.




					news.sky.com


----------



## noirua (21 February 2021)

Debris lands on homes after United passenger jet engine explodes in mid-air
					

AN “engine failure” explosion on a United Airlines plane caused the flight to drop parts onto homes in Colorado as it made a dramatic return to the airport. Stunning images of plane deb…




					www.thesun.co.uk


----------



## noirua (21 February 2021)

Melania Trump is seen for the first time since White House exit as expert hints at Donald split​


			Melania Trump seen for first time since White House exit amid rumours of possible split


----------



## sptrawler (23 February 2021)

Jobseeker payment to rise $25 / week, from March.








						JobSeeker lifted by $25 a week as employers given dob-in powers
					

The dole will be lifted to $615.70 a fortnight when the coronavirus supplement ends in March while job seekers’ obligations will increase and employers will be able to report anyone refusing a job offer.




					www.smh.com.au


----------



## noirua (24 February 2021)

Tiger Woods was 'NOT drunk or on meds' & won't face charges for 'accident'
					

TIGER Woods was not drunk or on medication and won’t face charges as cops said the black box will be pulled from his car. The 45-year-old golf ace had to be cut from the wreckage of the SUV h…




					www.thesun.co.uk


----------



## SirRumpole (24 February 2021)

noirua said:


> Tiger Woods was 'NOT drunk or on meds' & won't face charges for 'accident'
> 
> 
> TIGER Woods was not drunk or on medication and won’t face charges as cops said the black box will be pulled from his car. The 45-year-old golf ace had to be cut from the wreckage of the SUV h…
> ...




Was he driving a Golf ?

Best wishes for his recovery anyway.


----------



## rederob (24 February 2021)

SirRumpole said:


> Was he driving a Golf ?
> 
> Best wishes for his recovery anyway.



@SirRumpole, surely not - he wouldn't be seen dead in a Golf *Caddy*!
Rumour has it he was suffering driving range anxiety at the time.

He actually crashed his new Genesis:






If you look at his crashed car, the whole front end was ripped off, so he did well to get out of this one alive.
Let's hope he's back on his game soon.


----------



## frugal.rock (25 February 2021)

Dang, corner country conundrum.









						Tibooburra's famous Two Storey Hotel burns down
					

Broken Hill police on scene after large outback hotel fire




					www.theland.com.au


----------



## noirua (4 March 2021)

Iraq military base used by U.S. hit by rockets year after similar attack brought U.S. and Iran close to war
					

No U.S. military casualties reported after at least 10 rockets target Ain al-Asad base, the same one hit last year in an attack that brought the U.S. and Iran to the brink of war.




					www.cbsnews.com
				



_Baghdad_ — At least 10 rockets targeted a military base in western Iraq that hosts about 2,000 U.S. troops on Wednesday,...


----------



## noirua (4 March 2021)

Mother reveals her daughter died after swallowing the a button battery


----------



## Smurf1976 (5 March 2021)

noirua said:


> Mother reveals her daughter died after swallowing the a button battery
> 
> 
> View attachment 120901



A very serious hazard that many seem unaware of.

Button batteries should be treated much the same as a firearm so far as young kids concerned - keep them well away at all times.

If swallowed then it's a full blown emergency - call an ambulance but even then there's a fair chance it ends extremely badly.

I'm firmly of the view that manufacturers should not use these batteries unnecessarily for that reason. Eg TV etc remote controls can easily be built to use the inherently far safer and readily available AA or AAA size batteries instead. There's a place for button cells yes, but the fewer of them we have around in things kids are likely to use, the better.


----------



## noirua (23 March 2021)

Foreign holidays will be illegal from Monday: New Covid laws mean £5,000 fines for anyone leaving the UK without 'reasonable excuse' – and they won't be reassessed until after Easter at the earliest​








						Foreign holidays will be illegal from Monday
					

Entitled the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Steps) (England) Regulations 2021, the laws come into force on March 29.




					www.dailymail.co.uk


----------



## noirua (23 March 2021)

It looks as if the coronavirus situation in Europe is extremely serious as the UK variant spreads quickly.  Especially France and Spain.








						Weekly COVID-19 country overview
					

This weekly report provides an overview of the epidemiological situation of the COVID-19 pandemic and COVID-19 vaccine rollout by country.




					www.ecdc.europa.eu
				







*14-day COVID-19 case notification rate per 100 000, weeks 9-10*​


----------



## noirua (26 March 2021)

Israeli cargo ship is hit by 'Iranian' missile in the Arabian Sea
					

A cargo ship owned by an Israeli company was damaged by a missile in the Arabian Sea on Thursday in what was suspected to be an Iranian attack, an Israeli security official said.




					www.dailymail.co.uk


----------



## noirua (27 March 2021)




----------



## bellenuit (28 March 2021)

Explosion Rocks Indonesian Church Compound on Palm Sunday​








						Explosion Rocks Indonesian Church Compound on Palm Sunday (Published 2021)
					

No churchgoers were killed, but at least 19 people were injured, the police said. President Joko Widodo called it an act of terrorism.




					www.nytimes.com
				




_An explosion ripped through a Roman Catholic cathedral compound in the eastern Indonesian city of Makassar on Sunday morning, shattering the calm of Palm Sunday, a holy day for Christians.

Unverified video said to have been taken at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral showed smoldering wreckage and palm fronds scattered on the ground.

Father Wilhelmus Tulak, a priest at the cathedral, told Metro TV, an Indonesian network, that a parking attendant had been burned as he tried to stop a suicide bomber. Ten people were injured, the priest said.

The cathedral was between Masses when two motorcyclists approached, looking suspicious, Father Wilhelmus told Metro TV.
Mohammad Ramadhan Pomanto, the mayor of Makassar, a multifaith port city of about 1.5 million people on the island of Sulawesi, told Metro TV that body parts were found as far as 200 meters away. He said no churchgoers had been killed.

Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, has a significant Christian minority. In recent years, Southeast Asian affiliates of the Islamic State have targeted Christian places of worship there and in the mostly Catholic Philippines.

In 2018, three Christian churches were bombed in Surabaya, the second-largest city in Indonesia, leaving a dozen bystanders dead. The suicide bombers were a married couple and their four children. Within days, members of two other families also set off bombs in Surabaya, blowing themselves up.

Last year, a Roman Catholic cathedral was bombed for the third time on the island of Jolo in the southern Philippines, killing at least 14 people. As with the Surabaya bombings, a local affiliate of the Islamic State claimed responsibility for that strike. A 2019 suicide attack on the same cathedral, which killed more than 20 people, was carried out by an Indonesian couple._


----------



## noirua (9 April 2021)

The Royal Family
					






					www.royal.uk
				







	

		
			
		

		
	
It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.


----------



## noirua (13 May 2021)

UN envoy warns of ‘a full scale war’ as death toll rises in Israel-Hamas violence


			https://twitter.com/i/events/1391660484001107969


----------



## noirua (14 May 2021)

Police chief said to blame far-right lawmaker Ben Gvir for ‘internal intifada’
					

In briefing, Kobi Shabtai reportedly tells Netanyahu the Kahanist MK always 'shows up to fan the flames,' as police begin to gain control of unrest




					www.timesofisrael.com


----------



## noirua (14 May 2021)

IDF: Overnight bombardment targeted Hamas’s tunnel network under Gaza City
					

Military says 160 aircraft dropped 450 missiles on 150 targets in operation, as ground troops in Israel struck terror operatives who try to attack them




					www.timesofisrael.com


----------



## Knobby22 (14 May 2021)

noirua said:


> IDF: Overnight bombardment targeted Hamas’s tunnel network under Gaza City
> 
> 
> Military says 160 aircraft dropped 450 missiles on 150 targets in operation, as ground troops in Israel struck terror operatives who try to attack them
> ...



Ouch.


----------



## Joules MM1 (8 June 2021)

" Australian police arrested more than 200 people involved in organized crime after infiltrating an encrypted messaging app that opened up nearly 25 million messages about ‘industrial scale’ drug imports and murder plots 

reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australian-police-arrest-over-200-after-cracking-underworld-messaging-app-2021-06-08/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=Social


----------



## sptrawler (8 June 2021)

Joules MM1 said:


> " Australian police arrested more than 200 people involved in organized crime after infiltrating an encrypted messaging app that opened up nearly 25 million messages about ‘industrial scale’ drug imports and murder plots
> 
> reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australian-police-arrest-over-200-after-cracking-underworld-messaging-app-2021-06-08/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=Social











						How an app that crippled criminal underworld was cooked up over a 'couple of beers'
					

The idea to put a digital Trojan horse in the pocket of Australia's alleged most dangerous criminals began three years ago "over a couple of beers". It ended with more than 200 underworld figures behind bars.




					www.abc.net.au


----------



## Joules MM1 (14 June 2021)

#hydrogen








						Germany, Australia sign hydrogen accord to boost lower-emissions technology
					

Germany and Australia on Sunday signed a bilateral alliance on hydrogen production and trade to try to facilitate a renewable energy-based hydrogen supply chain between the two countries.




					www.reuters.com


----------



## PZ99 (14 June 2021)

Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu ousted from office as ultra-nationalist Naftali Bennett takes control
					

Naftali Bennett is sworn in as Prime Minister in Israel's Knesset with a fragile coalition composed of eight parties, ending Benjamin Netanyahu's historic 12-year rule.




					www.abc.net.au


----------



## Knobby22 (14 June 2021)

PZ99 said:


> Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu ousted from office as ultra-nationalist Naftali Bennett takes control
> 
> 
> Naftali Bennett is sworn in as Prime Minister in Israel's Knesset with a fragile coalition composed of eight parties, ending Benjamin Netanyahu's historic 12-year rule.
> ...



For all Israel's faults, it is good that they are still a vibrant democracy.


----------



## qldfrog (19 June 2021)

Knobby22 said:


> For all Israel's faults, it is good that they are still a vibrant democracy.



True, and facilitated by common genuine threats to all citizens and overall similar positions in most parties 
more in common between doves and hawks then we have here between Labour and their so called ally the Greens
When you think about it, Israel is a prime target for full control by their version of the swamp, probably only prevented by the fact everyone is a soldier , and so care about how military situation is handledbut good on them.
An example of working democracy:
Small,local,relevant in a united community of similar cultures.
All what the US and most of the west has lost...


----------



## noirua (20 June 2021)

17 June 2021
Trump gives an exclusive reaction to Biden's 'weak' performance on the world stage​


----------



## noirua (25 June 2021)

Florida building collapse - live: One dead in Miami and 51 people missing as authorities pull boy from rubble
		







			https://twitter.com/hashtag/SurfsideBuildingCollapse?src=hashtag_click


----------



## PZ99 (25 June 2021)

^ Won't be long before you see that in Sydney as well.

That building had been sinking for 30 years.


----------



## bellenuit (26 June 2021)

Engineer Warned of ‘Major Structural Damage’ at Florida Condo Complex​
Three years before the deadly collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium complex near Miami, a consultant found alarming evidence of “major structural damage” to the concrete slab below the pool deck and “abundant” cracking and crumbling of the columns, beams and walls of the parking garage under the 13-story building.

The engineer’s report helped shape plans for a multimillion-dollar repair project that was set to get underway soon — more than two and a half years after the building managers were warned — but the building suffered a catastrophic collapse in the middle of the night on Thursday, trapping sleeping residents in a massive heap of debris.









						Engineer Warned of ‘Major Structural Damage’ at Florida Condo Complex
					

A consultant in 2018 urged the managers to repair cracked columns and crumbling concrete. The work was finally about to get underway when the building collapsed.




					www.nytimes.com


----------



## sptrawler (26 June 2021)

PZ99 said:


> ^ Won't be long before you see that in Sydney as well.



Absolute elephant in the room, well said PZ.


----------



## sptrawler (26 June 2021)

No mention on the ABC or most other media, of Labor weaponising personal opinion, to 'slut' shaming Barnaby Joyce.  
OMG if it was said about a female MP, we would be up in arms.
What a weird lot, we are.
Why use parliamentary privilege, put it out there sister, get out from the cloak of privilege get into the real world. 
I think Parliamentary privilege, should be done away with, if it is said it should be open to be tested and challenged in common law.
Way too much mud thrown without consequences IMO.









						'I was warned': MP's explosive claims against Barnaby Joyce
					

An MP has used parliamentary privilege to raise historic claims of sexual misconduct by the newly-reinstated Nationals leader and Deputy Prime Minister.




					au.news.yahoo.com


----------



## PZ99 (28 June 2021)

sptrawler said:


> Absolute elephant in the room, well said PZ.



Thanks mate 

I live in a block with similar issues in the basement.  A frozen slip joint is causing cracking in the slab as the building moves..   Fortunately I spotted it at an early stage and as the treasurer in the committee I blocked any frivolous spending so we can get some steel columns and beams installed without "bill shocking" the owners.


----------



## basilio (28 June 2021)

bellenuit said:


> Engineer Warned of ‘Major Structural Damage’ at Florida Condo Complex​
> Three years before the deadly collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium complex near Miami, a consultant found alarming evidence of “major structural damage” to the concrete slab below the pool deck and “abundant” cracking and crumbling of the columns, beams and walls of the parking garage under the 13-story building.
> 
> The engineer’s report helped shape plans for a multimillion-dollar repair project that was set to get underway soon — more than two and a half years after the building managers were warned — but the building suffered a catastrophic collapse in the middle of the night on Thursday, trapping sleeping residents in a massive heap of debris.
> ...




I'm not sure if this is "good" news or "bad" news in the context of this catastrophic collapse.

I feared (still do) that rising sea levels and seepage of  sea water into the foundations were accelerating corrosion and in effect undermining many of the buildings up and down Surfside in Miami.  If that was the case the implications for insurers, home owners and mortgage holders  across the strip would catastrophic.

However if  the damage is a result of  shoddy design, poor workmanship, equally poor repairs and very tardy follow up then the above scenario may not apply.

The question then remains how widespread the design , building and maintenance issues identified in the Champion collapse are applicable to the remainder of the strip.

*In either case I can see very urgent reviews by insurers of the  structural conditions of these properties. And if further problems are uncovered there will be a big reset in insurance coverage.  Clearly  this review would have to happen with all high rise properties on beach frontages.*


----------



## noirua (3 July 2021)




----------



## PZ99 (6 July 2021)

Privacy complaints over intelterrorismsic of totalitarianism by the ACT government using COVID-19 check-in app to monitor Canberra businesses' activities









						Businesses raise privacy concerns over ACT government's use of Check In CBR app data
					

The ACT Human Rights Commission confirms it received complaints from businesses after the government accessed check-in data for reasons unrelated to contact tracing.




					www.abc.net.au


----------



## noirua (9 July 2021)

Hours After Haiti’s President Is Assassinated, 4 Suspects Are Killed and 2 Arrested
					

Jovenel Moïse was killed in an attack on his private residence on the outskirts of the capital, Port-au-Prince. The authorities said late Wednesday that they had intercepted “suspected assassins.”




					www.nytimes.com


----------



## Joules MM1 (9 July 2021)

firmed up a lot of tickets


----------



## noirua (14 July 2021)

__





						Taliban ‘executes 22 unarmed Afghan commandos’ after they surrendered as Biden’s pullout sparks criticism
					





					www.msn.com
				



In a shocking incident purportedly captured on camera, Taliban fighters executed 22 surrendering members of Afghan special forces who had run out of ammunition, according to reports.


----------



## bellenuit (21 July 2021)

While the flooding in Germany and Belgium has been top of the news, this has been happening in China. It is quite horrific and view with discretion.


----------



## noirua (27 July 2021)

Julius Malema challenges Ramaphosa to recall the army from unrest hotspots | News24
					

EFF leader Julius Malema has used the party's eighth birthday to criticise President Cyril Ramaphosa and his government for deploying soldiers to the streets to resolve the civilian unrest that gripped the country two weeks ago.




					www.news24.com
				











						Evil Knievil: Mbabula the fooler - Master Investor
					

Simon Cawkwell, AKA Evil Knievil, with his latest trading and gambling exploits – writing exclusively for Master Investor.




					masterinvestor.co.uk


----------



## orr (5 August 2021)

Pastor Brian Houston, high preist of the Pentocostal god bother'ers and morrison chum, cheif  at Hillsong;'
_'scmooze me into the white house will ya schmo'? .
''I'll try Brian ...blessed be the fruit'"
''Oh fuk the FBI say you're a protector peado's, you'll have to look through the fence; We're still besties though... luv schmo"_

And so it comes to pass ... Pastor Brian Houston charged as a protector of peadophiles... only happens to be  his old man... so that's ok then...

exculsive to all outlets....

If this happens to be a supprise  or news to you?  ...You've been asleep for years.
sorry for excursion from topic...


----------



## sptrawler (6 August 2021)

The Labor Party is having a huge problem at the moment, when people try to connect with Albo, they get an Italian pr0n star.
https://www.triplem.com.au/story/pe...ing-an-italian-pr0n-cartoonist-instead-138523Labor party followers who are female are very disappointed, but apparently the Italians are seeing a huge response from Australian male Labor supporters, they have sent a special thanks to @orr  on ASF. 🤣


----------



## Joules MM1 (7 August 2021)

Yesterday
26-year-old man to face court over alleged rape of woman at Parliament House
A 26-year-old man has been served with a summons to attend ACT Magistrates Court on September 16, over the alleged rape of former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins at Parliament House in March 2019. The man will face one charge of sexual intercourse without consent, an offence that carries a maximum penalty of 12 years imprisonment.
Photo via @reillystyley








						Man to face court for alleged historical sexual assault
					

A 26-year-old man has been summonsed to appear before the ACT Magistrates Court for an alleged sexual assault in 2019.




					www.policenews.act.gov.au


----------



## noirua (7 August 2021)

__





						Hezbollah fires rockets after Israeli artillery strikes
					





					www.msn.com
				



Hezbollah says it has fired “dozens” of rockets at Israel in retaliation for airstrikes, believed to be the first on Lebanon in seven years, as tensions along the border mounted.


----------



## sptrawler (10 August 2021)

Didn't know where to post this, so put it here, for those who have acrophobia.








						This is how that amazing anxiety-inducing airline advert was made
					

It was a 33-second airline advert that some viewers had called fake, but now Emirates has revealed a short behind-the-scenes video to prove that the "flight attendant" on top of the world's tallest building is indeed real.




					www.traveller.com.au


----------



## sptrawler (10 August 2021)

Just a heads up for ASF members, to stay vigilant when travelling, at home .








						Campers 'too frightened' to help two women being attacked
					

Two young women left bruised and with "wobbly" teeth after an assault in a crowded Kimberley caravan park say their calls for help went unanswered.




					www.abc.net.au
				












						Boys made ‘kill threat’ in Broome caravan robbery
					

The four 14-year-olds were charged with more than 70 offences between them, including aggravated home burglary, aggravated armed robbery and stealing offences.




					www.broomead.com.au


----------



## noirua (16 August 2021)

August 15, 2021, Afghanistan-Taliban news
					

The Taliban have taken control of the presidential palace in Kabul after the country's president Ashraf Ghani fled the country. Follow here for the latest news.




					edition.cnn.com
				



BREAKING: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has left the country​


----------



## PZ99 (16 August 2021)

noirua said:


> August 15, 2021, Afghanistan-Taliban news
> 
> 
> The Taliban have taken control of the presidential palace in Kabul after the country's president Ashraf Ghani fled the country. Follow here for the latest news.
> ...



Just another Vietnam that we got dragged into.


----------



## sptrawler (23 August 2021)

A good article, that shows how important public housing is and why we really can't afford not to have it.









						'Bugger this, I'll just go back to prison': Experts say there's one key element to stop ex-prisoners reoffending
					

About a third of offenders enter prison after being homeless. For others, the prospects of finding and affording a rental as an ex-prisoner are slim.




					www.abc.net.au
				



From the article:
Researchers from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) compared two groups of ex-prisoners in New South Wales.

One was a group of 623 prisoners who received public housing after leaving prison, and the other contained 612 prisoners who received rental assistance only – in other words, they were given a subsidy but had to find their own place to live.
For the group given public housing, police incidents dropped 8.9 per cent per year.

Court appearances, proven offences, and time in custody were all down.
And all of these reductions meant costs to the justice system dropped. Justice costs per person fell nearly $5,000 per year initially, then a further $2,040 per year.

The other comparative group was ex-prisoners given housing assistance only. They had a subsidy but had to find their own place to live.

The average number of police incidents for ex-prisoners in that group kept climbing. Some indicators did gradually decline, such as average predicted days in custody. But the reductions weren't nearly as significant as the public housing group.

And criminal justice costs for the rental assistance group also continued to rise.

In short, public housing is a useful tool to help keep ex-prisoners from returning to crime.

"It's a vicious cycle — [a] lot of people enter prison from homelessness and they exit prison into homelessness again," said Chris Martin.


----------



## noirua (24 August 2021)

__





						Floods blow gates off Trump’s border wall
					





					www.msn.com


----------



## sptrawler (24 August 2021)

noirua said:


> __
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Obviously built to a price, not a standard. 🤣


----------



## sptrawler (24 August 2021)

Outback travel, isn't for everyone. 🤣 









						No internet, dust and rough roads: Outback reality check for new wave of domestic tourists
					

First-time outback travellers get a rude shock as they discover that the Australian outback has dust, corrugated roads and fresh-food shortages as well as other inconveniences not found in Bali.




					www.abc.net.au


----------



## macca (24 August 2021)

sptrawler said:


> Outback travel, isn't for everyone. 🤣
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Even in the good times if you get to Coles Broome after 2.00 you take whatever is left for all perishables

They put pallets of bottled water out in the aisles and by 2.00, all gone, come back tomorrow !


----------



## sptrawler (27 August 2021)

Chris Cairns the NZ all rounder, going through a rough trot at the moment. Great cricketer, hope he pulls through o.k

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08...sed-in-his-legs-after-heart-surgery/100414184


----------



## noirua (29 August 2021)

Afghanistan live updates: 'Ruthless' Taliban could end up co-ordinating with ISIS-K, says US top general
					

US President Joe Biden hails 'extraordinary success' of Afghanistan evacuation; UK official Sir Simon Gass meets senior members of Taliban to ensure Britons can safely leave; Pope Francis criticises West's involvement; former MI6 boss warns UK's terror threat level 'greater today'.




					news.sky.com


----------



## sptrawler (3 September 2021)

‘Violent extremist’  shot dead within 60 seconds of Auckland attack
					

Earlier attempts to prosecute the man behind the Auckland attack were stymied after New Zealand’s High Court ruled that preparing a terrorist attack was not an offence under the country’s anti-terrorism laws.




					www.theage.com.au
				



Just terrible, but be careful what you say.
It must have been expensive, having him tailed 24/7.

From the article:
Earlier attempts to prosecute the Islamic State sympathiser who stabbed six people in an Auckland shopping mall were stymied when New Zealand’s High Court ruled that preparing a terrorist attack was not an offence under the country’s anti-terrorism laws.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has identified the attacker as a violent extremist, a Sri Lankan national who had been a person of national security interest since 2016.
Six people were injured, three in critical condition, after the man stormed a supermarket in Auckland armed with a knife on Friday afternoon.
Despite being under surveillance by New Zealand authorities, he was able to attack people in LynnMall at 2.40pm local time (12.40pm AEST), slashing at customers in the aisles of a Countdown supermarket. People queuing to be vaccinated at the nearby Unichem pharmacy rushed inside for safety as the attacker was confronted and shot dead by police.

The man was sentenced last month to one year of supervision for possessing ISIS propaganda that promoted terrorism.
The Crown had sought to charge him under the Terrorism Suppression Act, but the application was declined after the High Court ruled that preparing a terrorist attack was not an offence under the legislation.

He was shot within a minute of Friday’s attack by the police surveillance team and special tactics group that had been monitoring him 24 hours a day because of his beliefs, Ardern said.


----------



## Knobby22 (4 September 2021)

sptrawler said:


> ‘Violent extremist’  shot dead within 60 seconds of Auckland attack
> 
> 
> Earlier attempts to prosecute the man behind the Auckland attack were stymied after New Zealand’s High Court ruled that preparing a terrorist attack was not an offence under the country’s anti-terrorism laws.
> ...



At least the new gun laws worked!


----------



## Knobby22 (16 September 2021)

Australia to get nuclear submarines. Biden to announce. French deal to be cancelled. 
Sounds good to me!


----------



## qldfrog (16 September 2021)

Knobby22 said:


> Australia to get nuclear submarines. Biden to announce. French deal to be cancelled.
> Sounds good to me!











						Australia to get nuclear-powered submarines, scrap $90b plan to build French-designed subs
					

The ABC understands Australia will use American and British technology to configure its next submarine fleet in a bid to replace its existing Collins class subs with a boat more suitable to the deteriorating strategic environment.




					www.abc.net.au


----------



## qldfrog (16 September 2021)

Knobby22 said:


> Australia to get nuclear submarines. Biden to announce. French deal to be cancelled.
> Sounds good to me!



You beat me..does not sound good to me
How many billions spend so far..how many more for punitive exit?
Then back to nuclear..no skill there so highly attached to the US...
And all that for submarines, a concept already dead in 2021..to be delivered in 2050?
Spend 25% of that for submarine drones swarms and you will have something useful...


----------



## qldfrog (16 September 2021)

qldfrog said:


> Australia to get nuclear-powered submarines, scrap $90b plan to build French-designed subs
> 
> 
> The ABC understands Australia will use American and British technology to configure its next submarine fleet in a bid to replace its existing Collins class subs with a boat more suitable to the deteriorating strategic environment.
> ...



In 1939, Australia was comfortable with its uk alliance..we got Singapore
Now we do the same with Biden's not so United States.
Good luck Australia...
Unless carrying intercontinental balistic nuckear heads..a waste of time..


----------



## Knobby22 (16 September 2021)

qldfrog said:


> You beat me..does not sound good to me
> How many billions spend so far..how many more for punitive exit?
> Then back to nuclear..no skill there so highly attached to the US...
> And all that for submarines, a concept already dead in 2021..to be delivered in 2050?
> Spend 25% of that for submarine drones swarms and you will have something useful...



Subs that run on conventional fuel that can only operate a short time and then have to go back to base are archaic.

The previous deal has wasted money but better lose some now than end up with a joke submarine that would not be a deterrence.


----------



## qldfrog (16 September 2021)

Knobby22 said:


> Subs that run on conventional fuel that can only operate a short time and then have to go back to base are archaic.
> 
> The previous deal has wasted money but better lose some now than end up with a joke submarine that would not be a deterrence.



sadly a nuclear sub is nearly a joke now, definitively will be in 10/20y;
read about the drone equivalent of remoras..https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/underwater-drones-could-be-end-submarines-168940
basically, a swarm of these posted by the sub base and tracking the sub as soon as it leaves ready to go and detonate at will; that is the future..in the same way as fighting drone aircrafts 
unmanned is the way to go, small agile, fast and numerous/cheap
anyway, I am just a nobody, our experts are paid millions to waste our tax dollars billions
Just got pissed off yesterday as i realised i still have to pay tax for FY20-21so sadly i am still paying for the various scams: covid, ndis, and now this submarine fiasco


----------



## sptrawler (16 September 2021)

Knobby22 said:


> Australia to get nuclear submarines. Biden to announce. French deal to be cancelled.
> Sounds good to me!



It is about time someone showed some sense, building diesel subs in 2021 was a dumb call, driven by emotion rather than common sense IMO.


----------



## qldfrog (16 September 2021)

sptrawler said:


> It is about time someone showed some sense, building diesel subs in 2021 was a dumb call, driven by emotion rather than common sense IMO.



And i would add: building manned submarines in 2021 is a dumb call


----------



## Joules MM1 (1 October 2021)

while Scotty goes on his farewell tour


----------



## The Triangle (1 October 2021)

Gladys Berejiklian resigns after corruption watchdog announces probe into relationship with Daryl Maguire
					

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announces her resignation, after the state’s corruption watchdog revealed it was investigating her.




					www.abc.net.au
				




Gladys Finally gone.  Good riddance.


----------



## wayneL (1 October 2021)

The Triangle said:


> Gladys Berejiklian resigns after corruption watchdog announces probe into relationship with Daryl Maguire
> 
> 
> NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announces her resignation, after the state’s corruption watchdog revealed it was investigating her.
> ...



Hah! Probably out of the frying pan and into the fire.


----------



## qldfrog (11 October 2021)

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk...prince-andrew-epstein-allegations-2021-10-11/
One justice for some, and another for the rest of us...


----------



## wayneL (11 October 2021)

qldfrog said:


> https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk...prince-andrew-epstein-allegations-2021-10-11/
> One justice for some, and another for the rest of us...



Putting on my best shocked and surprised face.

Yep, while ordinary plebs are getting shot with rubber bullet for having a stroll around Melbourne.


----------



## wayneL (11 October 2021)

wayneL said:


> Hah! Probably out of the frying pan and into the fire.



And I was pretty accurate here, as if anyone is surprised by that either.


----------



## sptrawler (13 October 2021)

Just when you thought things couldn't get any loopier.








						WA top cop tells bikies to ‘wear makeup’ as club tattoos to be banned in nation-first laws
					

The laws are a significant step up to the anti-consorting laws that failed to make it through Parliament during the last term of Mark McGowan’s government, before its re-election.




					www.smh.com.au
				



From the article:
The West Australian government will make it illegal for bikie gang members to wear their patches or any other insignia, including tattoos, under tough new laws to be introduced to Parliament this week.

The laws are a significant step up to the anti-consorting laws that failed to make it through Parliament during the last term of Mark McGowan’s government, before its re-election.

In addition to making it illegal for offenders to consort with other bikie offenders, the new laws will include the ability for police to issue notices to gang members to remove any insignia being displayed in a public place.
This law applies to 46 organisations specifically named in the legislation from outlaw motorcycle gangs to “feeder” clubs and smaller street gangs. Insignia means patched vests, flags and even tattoos.

Acting WA Police commissioner Col Blanch told _6PR’s Mornings Program _the laws would mean someone such as the heavily tattooed Perth-based Hells Angels bikie Dayne Brajkovich would be forced to cover his Hell’s Angels tattoos with Band-Aids, a mask or makeup.

“He must cover up anything that says ‘1%’ or references the club, whether it’s on his face, whether it’s on publicly displayed arms, or whether it’s on anything – his motorcycle, flag or vest,” Mr Blanch said.

“I would start with things like Band-Aids or makeup certainly or have it removed or alternatively, people can choose the option not to live in Western Australia if this law passes.”

The third aspect of the new laws would give police the power to disperse gang members who gather in public places.
Police can issue a notice to gang members prohibiting them from socialising with other gang members named in the notice for a week.

A breach of the notice can attract a 12-month prison sentence and a fine of $12,000.

“Forty-six organisations, including outlaw motorcycle gangs from right across Australia, their affiliate gangs or ‘feeder clubs’ and street gangs, have been captured and explicitly named in the legislation as part of the new prohibited insignia offence.

“These organisations and their patches are designed to show affiliation with criminality and intimidate others, including law-abiding citizens in our community. This will cease once these laws are in place.”
Opponents of anti-consorting laws across the country say they are inconsistent with basic human rights and open to misuse.
A 2016 report by the New South Wales Ombudsman into that state’s anti-consorting laws found that NSW Police changed the scope of the laws to extend it to all criminal offences rather than just organised crime, which was the original intention of the laws.
The Ombudsman found this left vulnerable populations exposed to the laws, with Aboriginal people making up 44 per cent of the people targeted by the laws when they were being applied by general police officers.


----------



## SirRumpole (13 October 2021)

sptrawler said:


> Just when you thought things couldn't get any loopier.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




OK, so maybe he should tell cops not to wear uniforms as well.


----------



## sptrawler (16 October 2021)

A university study in the U.K has found spending just 5 minutes on social media, reading negative articles, can depress people.

They should come to Australia and read our media, or watch our current affairs, it's negative enough to be bottled and sold as a global depressant. 🤣 

https://middleeast.in-24.com/world/311886.html


----------



## wayneL (16 October 2021)

sptrawler said:


> A university study in the U.K has found spending just 5 minutes on social media, reading negative articles, can depress people.
> 
> They should come to Australia and read our media, or watch our current affairs, it's negative enough to be bottled and sold as a global depressant. 🤣
> 
> https://middleeast.in-24.com/world/311886.html



It's funny because it's true. But instructive also.

I rarely read MSM at all for that very reason... Just a quick scan of headlines every now and then to see how the fear agenda is going.


----------



## sptrawler (18 October 2021)

Interesting development.








						China puts US on back foot with ‘game-changing’ hypersonic missile test
					

Test of nuclear-capable glide vehicle that circled the globe took American intelligence by surprise.




					www.smh.com.au


----------



## sptrawler (22 October 2021)

Alec Baldwin shot a couple of the film crew apparently.








						Cinematographer fatally shot after actor Alec Baldwin discharges prop firearm
					

The Santa Fe Sheriff’s Office confirmed the actor had discharged the prop firearm, but that no charges have been filed and the investigation is ongoing.




					www.smh.com.au
				



His outspoken stance on gun violence, is certainly going to haunt him, very, very sad.
I would post up some of his pizz taking of Trump, regarding gun control, but that would be seen as not PC and heartless.
I think we are just lucky to be living here.


----------



## SirRumpole (22 October 2021)

sptrawler said:


> Alec Baldwin shot a couple of the film crew apparently.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Why didn't he just have them sacked ?

Seriously, how the hell does a prop gun fire bullets ?


----------



## sptrawler (22 October 2021)

SirRumpole said:


> Why didn't he just have them sacked ?
> 
> Seriously, how the hell does a prop gun fire bullets ?



More to the point, how the hell does a person who takes the pizz out of people because they don't ban guns, then go off and make movies involving guns.
As usual, it just depends if the narrative resonates with those who hold the stage.
Can't wait to see the right wing comedians run with this, just a shocking example of how life comes back to bite you on the ar$e.
It is just incredibly sad IMO and like I said it will give the right wing loonies a huge platform, the families must be devastated.


----------



## moXJO (22 October 2021)

Guy will get trolled hard.
It wouldn't Have been bullets. Something would have malfunctioned. Unless the arms master really stuffed up. Bruce lees son died in a similar fashion.


----------



## wayneL (22 October 2021)

Don't know the circumstances here, but blanks can kill at close range.

But does seem more likely that these were live rounds.


----------



## sptrawler (23 October 2021)

wayneL said:


> Don't know the circumstances here, but blanks can kill at close range.
> 
> But does seem more likely that these were live rounds.



Haven't read the story yet, but there will be all sorts of theories. 
To me, why do movies and video games etc, have to involve so much violence?
Like I grew up with violence, being a pommie kid in mining towns in the 60's and 70's and having an off the scale violent father.
But I don't chase violence and I avoid it wherever I can, nowadays it seems as though the narrative is to be accepting and tolerant, but the reality is violence reinforcing through the media and online is off the scale.
It is a strange world IMO, is there any wonder that mental health issues are through the roof? we tell kids to be caring and understanding, then send them to their rooms to get on the computer and run over people for points, and beat the bejeezuz out of people in video games.
Weird IMO.


----------



## Knobby22 (23 October 2021)

sptrawler said:


> Haven't read the story yet, but there will be all sorts of theories.
> To me, why do movies and video games etc, have to involve so much violence?
> Like I grew up with violence, being a pommie kid in mining towns in the 60's and 70's and having an off the scale violent father.
> But I don't chase violence and I avoid it wherever I can, nowadays it seems as though the narrative is to be accepting and tolerant, but the reality is violence reinforcing through the media and online is off the scale.
> ...



They were 'shooting' a Western. Pretty much goes with the territory.
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly would be a pretty boring without guns.

I remember in QLD someone got killed on set like this a few years back. Real bullets. Suspect the same.

Off topic they are filming the Woody Woodpecker Ii movie down at the Maribyrnong near me. Better watch out for splinters!


----------



## Garpal Gumnut (23 October 2021)

This is a consequence of the gun culture in the USA, for good or for bad. 

It is their problem and quite unique to them. 

I had a loaded weapon pointed at me once at close range by a guy off his head on alcohol and drugs in the States as a teenager.

It does concentrate one's mind. 

Much of the commentary over there over this event will be about gun safety, was it live ammo, safe use of weapons in movie making, etc. etc. 

Nothing will change anytime soon. This event will be subsumed into the zeitgeist.

gg


----------



## SirRumpole (23 October 2021)

Conspiracy theory #1. Baldwin was set up by a pro-gun lobbyist who loaded live rounds instead of blanks.

Great publicity, an anti gun lobbyist shoots someone thus eliminating his credibility.


----------



## moXJO (23 October 2021)

Heaps of ways it can go wrong, but I seriously doubt it was live ammo. Here's how Lee died:

Hollowed-out cartridges are often used to film close-ups of a gun being loaded; the “dummy” cartridges are then supposed to be removed and replaced with blanks before being fired. The police investigation into Lee’s death concluded that a tip of one of the cartridge’s bullets broke off from the cartridge and lodged in the gun, then fired at Lee along with the blank.


----------



## greggles (23 October 2021)

moXJO said:


> Heaps of ways it can go wrong, but I seriously doubt it was live ammo.




It is now being reported that a single shot passed through the cinematographer, causing fatal wounds, and then entered the director's clavicle, causing critical wounds.  How could something that caused all that damage to two people be anything other than a live round?

Eyewitnesses are also reporting that Baldwin shouted immediately after the incident, "Why was I handed a hot gun?"

It is looking more and more like a real bullet.


----------



## moXJO (23 October 2021)

greggles said:


> It is now being reported that a single shot passed through the cinematographer, causing fatal wounds, and then entered the director's clavicle, causing critical wounds.  How could something that caused all that damage to two people be anything other than a live round?
> 
> Eyewitnesses are also reporting that Baldwin shouted immediately after the incident, "Why was I handed a hot gun?"
> 
> It is looking more and more like a real bullet.



The above explains how.
There is a arms master on set. There should be no live ammo on set. They use a dummy bullet(if they need to show)  then a blank. If the tip of the blank breaks off, then it becomes a limited range live bullet if the barrel isn't cleared.

If it were a live bullet something suspect occurred. Live bullets shouldn't be used in props at all. Baldwin wouldn't know what happened beyond the visuals. Cops would have arrested someone if it were live ammo


----------



## moXJO (23 October 2021)

Someone stuffed up big time though as they didn't check the cylinder, or the end of the blank.


----------



## moXJO (23 October 2021)

Turns out there were 3 incidents of gun misfires before this one. No assurances that it wouldn't happen again, or safety meets after.
Also rushed filming and a variety of other problems. 
Is Baldwin the director?
Because that asshat would be doubly responsible.


----------



## bellenuit (23 October 2021)




----------



## moXJO (23 October 2021)

Turns out he was the producer. 
Seems to be a lot of safety issues and crew mistreatment.


----------



## Knobby22 (23 October 2021)

Wouldn't be surprised to see an arrest soon.


----------



## basilio (23 October 2021)

Baldwin as the actor in the film was shooting directly at the audience.  This effectively  is the camera person. It would be a very close shot. The bullet went through the camera woman and then hit the  other director who was behind her.

Sheer hell. Seems like someone either stuffed up disastrously or deliberately set Baldwin up.


----------



## qldfrog (28 October 2021)

Not that fresh news..has some9ne got a conscience and ethics suddenly?
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/na...-role-days-from-starting-20211028-p59424.html


----------



## peter2 (29 October 2021)

*<<< Leadership Spill >>>    *

Evil short sellers targeting Scandinavian lithium project cause ructions in Australian ASF CY21 competition. 

Details to follow in CY21 competition thread. . .


----------



## sptrawler (30 October 2021)

qldfrog said:


> Not that fresh news..has some9ne got a conscience and ethics suddenly?
> https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/na...-role-days-from-starting-20211028-p59424.html



Maybe he read the Victorian legislation and realised it isn't as good a job as first thought, isn't the CHO in Vic pandemic responsibilities being replaced by the premier and minister for health? Thereby leaving a possibility that the job, just becomes the fall guy for the minister?

Probably not the job, as was originally advertised, maybe Qld Gov sent out a new job description. 
From what Dan is suggesting, indicates that all public servants do as the Fuhrer says, all may now bow.
Even Putin must be impressed. 🤣
Wasn't it Dan that kept saying, we are doing this on the best advice from the CHO, obviously he though "I'm flucked if that will ever happen again".  🤣 
By the way @basilio , this isn't even the shovel, or the other fringe tabloids you post up, this is the left wing "Age" story. 









						‘Draconian’: Government introduces new pandemic laws into Parliament
					

Health Minister Martin Foley said transparent decision-making was at the heart of the new legislation, but the Opposition decried it as an “incredible attack on democracy”.




					www.theage.com.au
				



From the article:
The new pandemic-specific laws, which will replace state-of-emergency powers when they expire on December 15, curtail the chief health officer’s powers, giving the premier authority to declare a pandemic and the health minister the role of making public health orders.


----------



## SirRumpole (30 October 2021)

sptrawler said:


> The new pandemic-specific laws, which will replace state-of-emergency powers when they expire on December 15, curtail the chief health officer’s powers, giving the premier authority to declare a pandemic and the health minister the role of making public health orders.




IMV, that's the way it should be.

The elected officials make the decisions and take the responsibility.


----------



## StockyGuy (3 November 2021)

some very good news...



			Cleo Smith found: ‘no family connection’ in girl going missing, Western Australia police say – live updates


----------



## SirRumpole (3 November 2021)

StockyGuy said:


> some very good news...
> 
> 
> 
> Cleo Smith found: ‘no family connection’ in girl going missing, Western Australia police say – live updates



If they could find William Tyrell as well, that would be good too.


----------



## sptrawler (3 November 2021)

At last, a universal carbon tax, looks like it is on its way. Bloody hooray. Now countries can start and address emission under common penalties, this will really put a rocket up coal generation IMO.
Each country will have to work out ways to address their emissions, all that has to be ensured is those policing it, aren't corrupt and frigging the figures.
Which will IMO, end up with it being a multi national independent body, with representatives from each country.









						The EU has cottoned on to imperfect carbon workarounds introduced by countries such as Australia and things are about to change
					

A carbon tariff is a carbon tax applied to exports from countries like Australia that don't have one. And Europe is planning to impose one, whether our politicians like it or not, writes Peter Martin.




					www.abc.net.au
				



From the article:
We are about to face carbon tariffs​The European Union has cottoned on to the imperfect workarounds introduced by countries such as Australia, and is about to tackle things from the other direction.

Instead of treating foreign and local producers the same by letting them both off the hook, it's going to place both on the hook.

It's about to make sure producers in higher-emitting countries such as China (and Australia) can't undercut producers who pay carbon prices.






Unless foreign producers pay a carbon price like the one in Europe, the EU will impose a carbon price on their goods as they come in — a so-called Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, or "carbon tariff".

From 2026, Europe will apply the tariff to direct emissions from imported iron, steel, cement, fertiliser, aluminium and electricity, with other products (and possibly indirect emissions) to be added later.

That is, unless they come from a country with a carbon price.

Canada is also exploring the idea, as part of "levelling the playing field". So is US President Joe Biden, who wants to stop polluting countries "undermining our workers and manufacturers".

Their arguments line up with those heard in Australia in the lead-up to our carbon price: that unless there's some sort of adjustment, a local carbon tax will push local employers towards "pollution havens" where emissions are untaxed.


----------



## IFocus (3 November 2021)

StockyGuy said:


> some very good news...
> 
> 
> 
> Cleo Smith found: ‘no family connection’ in girl going missing, Western Australia police say – live updates





yea great news one in a million out come, big shout out to WA police, a big deal in my own local area.


----------



## noirua (5 November 2021)

*Royal Tunbridge Wells* is a town in Kent, England, 30 miles (50 kilometres) southeast of central London, close to the border with East Sussex on the northern edge of the High Weald, whose sandstone geology is exemplified by the rock formation High Rocks. The town was a spa in the Restoration and a fashionable resort in the mid-1700s under Beau Nash when the Pantiles, and its chalybeate spring, attracted visitors who wished to take the waters.[2] Though its popularity as a spa town waned with the advent of sea bathing, the town still derives much of its income from tourism.[3]

Man pleads guilty to 1987 murders and assaulting corpses​David Fuller: man admits two murders and sexual abuse of multiple corpses​4 November 2021




__





						David Fuller: man admits two murders and sexual abuse of multiple corpses
					





					www.msn.com
				



David Fuller pleaded guilty to murdering Wendy Knell, 25, and Caroline Pierce, 20, in separate attacks in Tunbridge Wells, Kent police said.

The 67-year-old changed his pleas on Thursday partway through his trial at Maidstone crown court, which heard that he sexually assaulted the two women after killing them. He had admitted killing the two women but originally pleaded not guilty to murder on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

His trial heard that he also sexually assaulted women’s corpses in the mortuaries at Kent and Sussex hospital and Tunbridge Wells hospital while working there.

Police have detected at least 99 potential victims of Fuller, in what is believed to be the worst case of necrophilia in British legal history.

TWISTED double murderer David Fuller could have attacked hundreds more victims – storing grotesque videos of himself violating women’s bodies at his home.








						Chilling moment Bedsit Killer is snared in dingy lair amid fears he raped 100s MORE
					

TWISTED double murderer David Fuller could have attacked hundreds more victims – storing grotesque videos of himself violating women’s bodies at his home. Chilling footage shows the moment that the…




					www.the-sun.com
				










	

		
			
		

		
	
 Kent and Sussex Hospital, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England.


----------



## noirua (13 November 2021)

Vladimir Putin has set sights on four countries for Russia invasion
					

FORMER Defence minister Tobias Ellwood has raised the alarm over an imminent Russian invasion against Ukraine - and warned that Vladimir Putin has set his sights on three more European countries to target next.




					www.express.co.uk
				



00:00, Sat, Nov 13, 2021 | UPDATED: 00:01, Sat, Nov 13, 2021


----------



## wayneL (30 December 2021)

Ghilaine Maxwell guilty on 5/6 counts.

Now it gets interesting, whether the black book gets opened, or everything else is covered up.

My bet is it gets covered up.


----------



## Knobby22 (30 December 2021)

wayneL said:


> Ghilaine Maxwell guilty on 5/6 counts.
> 
> Now it gets interesting, whether the black book gets opened, or everything else is covered up.
> 
> My bet is it gets covered up.



Yes, been a lot of look over there at the Prince, don't look at any of the billionaires. The women themselves are very careful whom they implicate.


----------



## wayneL (30 December 2021)

Knobby22 said:


> Yes, been a lot of look over there at the Prince, don't look at any of the billionaires. The women themselves are very careful whom they implicate.



It is a massive, massive can of worms there. Not just billionaires, this has tentacles everywhere, politics, the police etcetera


----------



## The Triangle (30 December 2021)

wayneL said:


> Ghilaine Maxwell guilty on 5/6 counts.
> 
> Now it gets interesting, whether the black book gets opened, or everything else is covered up.
> 
> My bet is it gets covered up.



So, who's next?

I don't understand how Virginia Giuffre can be suing Prince Andrew - but not involved in the criminal case for Maxwell?  Something about that doesn't sit right with me.  Wouldn't she have been foaming at the mouth to testify against Maxwell?


----------



## Dona Ferentes (7 January 2022)

Emirates Airways paging a Mr Novax Djocovid, your flight is ready for departure.


----------



## noirua (27 January 2022)

World on brink: Russia poised to CUT gas to EU as forces ready to invade Ukraine in days​




__





						World on brink: Russia poised to CUT gas to EU as forces ready to invade Ukraine in days
					





					www.msn.com


----------



## noirua (27 January 2022)

US hands Russia written response to demands, says up to Kremlin how to proceed
					

Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Wednesday that the United States has delivered written responses to demands made by Russia, saying it will be up to the Kremlin on how they want to proceed amid heightening tensions between Moscow and Ukraine.




					www.foxnews.com


----------



## moXJO (27 January 2022)

China will be pi55ed if Russia invade during the Olympic winter games.


----------



## Knobby22 (27 January 2022)

moXJO said:


> China will be pi55ed if Russia invade during the Olympic winter games.



True and they will be thinking " Can't Russia coordinate this with us conquering Taiwan?"
I doubt Russia will have it happen at this stage.


----------



## sptrawler (27 January 2022)

At last some good news, forget sending everybody to uni, while we import tradies. Homegrown is best.






						NoCookies | The Australian
					






					www.theaustralian.com.au
				



Apprenticeship boom a business boon​A surge in demand for workers and generous government incentives combine to create ‘the busiest period in apprenticeships since 1998’.


----------



## Humid (27 January 2022)

sptrawler said:


> At last some good news, forget sending everybody to uni, while we import tradies. Homegrown is best.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



The trouble is in the industry I work in is that get good money in their later years of training  and turn into these unbearable twats


----------



## sptrawler (28 January 2022)

Humid said:


> The trouble is in the industry I work in is that get good money in their later years of training  and turn into these unbearable twats



Yes so much easier, to import young bloke's, that know everything from birth.


----------



## noirua (30 January 2022)

Ecuador’s OCP pipeline ruptured by rockslide | Argus Media
					

A 450,000 b/d oil pipeline in the Piedra Fina zone of Ecuador's Napo province ruptured today, spilling an undisclosed volume of crude.




					www.argusmedia.com


----------



## basilio (1 February 2022)

If you havn't seen Wordle yet this news could be very sad.

New York Times buys viral game Wordle for seven-figure sum​Creator Josh Wardle ‘thrilled’ that newspaper is taking over internet sensation




Josh Wardle told the Guardian he didn’t want the game ‘to become a source of stress and anxiety in my life’. Photograph: Tada Images/Shutterstock

Lois Beckett in Los Angeles

@loisbeckett
Tue 1 Feb 2022 10.22 AEDT
Last modified on Tue 1 Feb 2022 13.21 AEDT



The New York Times has acquired the viral word game Wordle for an undisclosed seven-figure sum, the publisher announced on Monday.

Created by a Reddit engineer and launched in October, Wordle gives players just six guesses to determine a five-letter word that changes every day. The soothing daily puzzle has become a hit since its launch, quickly attracting hundreds of thousands, then millions, of players. Social media posts about its game of the day have become ubiquitous, along with screenshots of the game’s distinctive grid.

Josh Wardle, who created the game for his partner, who loves puzzles, told the Guardian this month that he felt overwhelmed by the game’s viral success.








						Wordle: New York Times buys viral game for seven-figure sum
					

Puzzle creator Josh Wardle ‘thrilled’ that newspaper is taking over internet sensation




					www.theguardian.com
				












						Wordle Game - Play Unlimited
					

Play Wordle with unlimited words! Guess words from 4 to 11 letters in different languages and create your own puzzles. Can you guess the hidden word in 6 tries?




					wordlegame.org


----------



## Knobby22 (1 February 2022)

basilio said:


> If you havn't seen Wordle yet this news could be very sad.
> 
> New York Times buys viral game Wordle for seven-figure sum​Creator Josh Wardle ‘thrilled’ that newspaper is taking over internet sensation
> View attachment 136874
> ...



Friends tell me it is super addictive. Do you play it Bas?


----------



## basilio (1 February 2022)

Knobby22 said:


> Friends tell me it is super addictive. Do you play it Bas?




Certainly do. It was forwarded by a friend early in January.

It's very sweet actually. The original wordle gave out one quiz a day. So you spent 5-10-15 minutes nutting it out.  The fact that you couldn't get sucked into another and another is in my m ind a great thing. It is just a clever, pleasant little thing to look forward to.

No ads. No bells or whistles. No upsells.  It was never constructed with a view to "monetising" it's value.  It was lovers gift to their partner to give her some entertainment.

Anyway 2 months later it has taken the world by storm, created all sorts of wannabe replicas and has now been bought by New York Times for a million plus...  Fascinating.









						What is Wordle? A viral word game everyone’s playing
					

Easy to learn, but just hard enough




					www.polygon.com


----------



## sptrawler (2 February 2022)

basilio said:


> Certainly do. It was forwarded by a friend early in January.
> 
> It's very sweet actually. The original wordle gave out one quiz a day. So you spent 5-10-15 minutes nutting it out.  The fact that you couldn't get sucked into another and another is in my m ind a great thing. It is just a clever, pleasant little thing to look forward to.



My wife does the free online jigsaw puzzles, one per week gives absolutely no clue as to what it is, so that keeps her busy.
I tend to just solve things that have been broken around the house during the week, sometimes that can be amazing, figuring out how it was done. 😂


----------



## StockyGuy (2 February 2022)

Yeah, boyeee!  Just solved my first Wordle.  Kinda fun little concept.


----------



## SirRumpole (2 February 2022)

StockyGuy said:


> Yeah, boyeee!  Just solved my first Wordle.  Kinda fun little concept.



Same here in 5. As you say, good concept and not something you have to get too involved in.


----------



## sptrawler (2 February 2022)

May be worth starting  thread for computer games that people find entertaining, as there are lots that do the same thing, but all of them arent good eg the wife uses jigsaw explorer, she says it is  the only one sbe enjoys.


----------



## noirua (4 February 2022)

US conducts 'largest raid since killing of Al-Baghdadi', leaving 13 dead in search for 'top jihadist'​




__





						US conducts 'largest raid since killing of Al-Baghdadi', leaving 13 dead in search for 'top jihadist'
					





					www.msn.com


----------



## noirua (4 February 2022)

U.S. Evacuated 10 Civilians During Raid, Pentagon Says
					

President Biden said that the operation targeting Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi in Syria showed that American forces could “take out” terrorist threats anywhere in the world. The Pentagon said the civilians removed during the raid included children.




					www.nytimes.com
				



President Biden said that the raid targeting Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi in Syria showed that American forces could “take out” terrorist threats anywhere in the world.


----------



## sptrawler (4 February 2022)

For all the ASF members, who are wondering why Grace Tame isn't answering their messages.








						Fall from Grace: Tame breaks collarbone in cycling crash
					

The 2021 Australian of the Year, Grace Tame, has been taken to hospital after being seriously injured in a cycling accident.




					www.perthnow.com.au


----------



## noirua (25 February 2022)

President Biden to speak at 12:30 p.m. EST - 5.30pm GMT - ( 3.30 a.m. AET - 4.30 a.m. DST ) - 1.30 a.m. AWT - 4.00 a.m. SAT - 3.00 a.m. ACT -​President Biden is expected to deliver remarks on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at 12:30 p.m. EST from the East Room.


----------



## sptrawler (7 March 2022)

For the life of me, I don't know why people would chose to live in SE Queensland, NW NSW my other half is a clean freak she would have a meltdown with the rain, the grandkids walking in mud, the garden getting washed down the street every other year.








						Towns urged to evacuate as severe weather threatens 800km of NSW coastline
					

Communities are on alert due to the increased risk of thunderstorms, large surf and major flooding at levels similar to last week's NSW and Queensland devastation. Find out more.




					au.news.yahoo.com


----------



## macca (7 March 2022)

sptrawler said:


> For the life of me, I don't know why people would chose to live in SE Queensland, NW NSW my other half is a clean freak she would have a meltdown with the rain, the grandkids walking in mud, the garden getting washed down the street every other year.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




You get used to it, sort of like, why would anyone live in the cold, wet UK 

Obviously, the floods are dangerous and very costly but they only happen occassionally, the rest of the time it is a good place to live.


----------



## Smurf1976 (7 March 2022)

macca said:


> You get used to it, sort of like, why would anyone live in the cold, wet UK
> 
> Obviously, the floods are dangerous and very costly but they only happen occassionally, the rest of the time it is a good place to live.



With the floods in Qld and NSW plus the war in Ukraine I'm guessing the SA earthquake didn't even make the news interstate?

We got a bit of a shaking yesterday morning. Nothing drastic but felt the house shake and heard a rumbling. It was real, has been reported in the media locally.


----------



## macca (7 March 2022)

Smurf1976 said:


> With the floods in Qld and NSW plus the war in Ukraine I'm guessing the SA earthquake didn't even make the news interstate?
> 
> We got a bit of a shaking yesterday morning. Nothing drastic but felt the house shake and heard a rumbling. It was real, has been reported in the media locally.




I recall seeing a small item online about SA getting a shaking but no Big news treatment.


----------



## sptrawler (14 March 2022)

Another healthy 52 year old has a heart attack.









						Two-time AFL premiership player Dean Wallis, 52, suffers heart attack
					

Dean Wallis has been saved by doctors in a major health scare just days after Shane Warne died at the same age.




					7news.com.au


----------



## PZ99 (14 March 2022)

Why the sudden interest in heart attacks for over 50's ?

Heart attacks in that age group have been increasing every year this century.

Not sure what the point is. Have the media started some myth or something ?


----------



## sptrawler (14 March 2022)

PZ99 said:


> Why the sudden interest in heart attacks for over 50's ?
> 
> Heart attacks in that age group have been increasing every year this century.
> 
> Not sure what the point is. Have the media started some myth or something ?



Just the media doing what the media does, stirring up its own news, wont be long and the conspiracy theories will start.


----------



## SirRumpole (14 March 2022)

PZ99 said:


> Why the sudden interest in heart attacks for over 50's ?
> 
> Heart attacks in that age group have been increasing every year this century.
> 
> Not sure what the point is. Have the media started some myth or something ?




Yes, it happens all the time, and sometimes to apparently healthy people



			https://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/lifestyle/why-did-fit-former-ironman-dean-mercers-heart-fail/news-story/d8b3debc78b34de1d3cbc5264a987f10
		


Paul Landa​
He was generally seen as an outstanding politician who was probably destined for the party leadership, but later that year he died at Vaucluse, while playing tennis. It is believed he suffered a heart attack. He was 43.

Heart attack

Death. On *9 June 2014*, Mayall died at his home in Barnes, Richmond-upon-Thames, London, following a sudden heart attack after a morning jog. He was 56 years old.

Rik Mayall - Wikipedia​https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Rik_Mayall


----------



## wayneL (14 March 2022)

...and the injekshun is safe and effective, the injekshun is safe and effective, the injekshun is safe and effective, the injekshun is safe and effective, the injekshun is safe and effective, the injekshun is safe and effective, the injekshun is safe and effective, the injekshun is safe and effective, the injekshun is safe and effective.


----------



## PZ99 (14 March 2022)

Rito.. so this injekshun is so toxic it causes heart attacks years before it was injeked ?

Someone's been reading the Funny Sheet


----------



## SirRumpole (14 March 2022)

PZ99 said:


> Rito.. so this injekshun is so toxic it causes heart attacks years before it was injeked ?
> 
> Someone's been reading the Funny Sheet




He's joining the wrong dots again.


----------



## wayneL (14 March 2022)

SirRumpole said:


> He's joining the wrong dots again.



Yeah I couldn't put the clappy hands in between each iteration like you can in Twitter.


----------



## basilio (14 March 2022)

I don't know when the pips will squeak but the rapid rise in petrol prices must be causing serious grief to many peoples budgets.

*A 60 litre tank of petrol/diesel now costs $132.  That's 60 x $2.20*

How many people doing long commutes can stomach filling up a tank a week at that price ? Much of the price rise has been in the past few weeks.  Be interesting/terrifying to see what the March CPI figures look like. If interest rates also go up by any amount...


----------



## wayneL (14 March 2022)

basilio said:


> I don't know when the pips will squeak but the rapid rise in petrol prices must be causing serious grief to many peoples budgets.
> 
> *A 60 litre tank of petrol/diesel now costs $132.  That's 60 x $2.20*
> 
> How many people doing long commutes can stomach filling up a tank a week at that price ? Much of the price rise has been in the past few weeks.  Be interesting/terrifying to see what the March CPI figures look like. If interest rates also go up by any amount...




At 600-800 km per week in the Hilux, it's noticeable, but not painful... Yet.

But fuel is the ultimate grudge expanse, so a topic of conversation among the colleagues.


----------



## sptrawler (14 March 2022)

wayneL said:


> At 600-800 km per week in the Hilux, it's noticeable, but not painful... Yet.
> 
> But fuel is the ultimate grudge expanse, so a topic of conversation among the colleagues.



The son drives in and drives out 8 on 6 off, 700klm each way, lucky the little diesel gets about 5 litres/100klm. So it isn't bothering him yet.


----------



## wayneL (14 March 2022)

sptrawler said:


> The son drives in and drives out 8 on 6 off, 700klm each way, lucky the little diesel gets about 5 litres/100klm. So it isn't bothering him yet.



Nice.

My Hilux, loaded up to the gunnels gets about 9.5... add in about 10-12kg of lpg per week.

A coupla hundred bucks or thereabouts


----------



## sptrawler (14 March 2022)

wayneL said:


> Nice.
> 
> My Hilux, loaded up to the gunnels gets about 9.5... add in about 10-12kg of lpg per week.
> 
> A coupla hundred bucks or thereabouts



I had an early LR Disco 2.5l turbo diesel, I put LPG injection on that it was a bit like a long range tank.


----------



## basilio (14 March 2022)

I'm guessing most of the posters on ASF are not too strapped for cash (but I'm sure a significant number would still be watching their budgets)

I referenced the families that have long daily commutes and possibly two cars. I think many of these families don't have big stretch options in their weekly budgets. Fuel jumping from $1.50 litre to $2.20 litre is a very big hit.


----------



## wayneL (14 March 2022)

sptrawler said:


> I had an early LR Disco 2.5l turbo diesel, I put LPG injection on that it was a bit like a long range tank.



We've got a td5 we've had for ages...

But the lpg I use is for an atmospheric forge to heat steel


----------



## sptrawler (14 March 2022)

wayneL said:


> We've got a td5 we've had for ages...
> 
> But the lpg I use is for an atmospheric forge to heat steel



Is there any wonder everyone in Sydney/Melbourne hate you, you epitomise the smelly working class, that are causing global heating with your disgusting sweat. 😂


----------



## wayneL (14 March 2022)

sptrawler said:


> Is there any wonder everyone in Sydney/Melbourne hate you, you epitomise the smelly working class, that are causing global heating with your disgusting sweat. 😂



...and that I probably make more money than them LMAO


----------



## sptrawler (15 March 2022)

wayneL said:


> ...and that I probably make more money than them LMAO



You can probably pick up a Triumph TR6 to go with you other rust bucket, at Gingin on 15 May, you had better be there, I'll find you with the sweatometer. 
By then, the broken leg should be good to go on the motorbike, I went on the electric scooter that threw me off and managed that o.k, so should be good to go on the bike by then. The knee bend is improving daily. 🤪


----------



## sptrawler (15 March 2022)

A good read on what can really happen in Australia.
I say that because the MIL had a really bad fall a couple of years ago, if the wife and I had been away overseas on holidays, she would have been put in a nursing home.
The brother in laws were convinced by the doctors, she wasn't able to go home. long story short, she is home no outside help, driving a brand new car and is absolutely back to normal 100% and 90 years old.
This is the sort of story that made the ABC great, not trying to compete with the tabloids in a race to the bottom and hoping to pick winners in politics.
These are the stories the taxpayers deserve to hear IMO.









						Chris is one of the few people to escape the Public Trustee system. The ordeal cost him $1 million
					

When the Public Trustee is given the keys to your life, speaking out publicly is illegal, and it can block you from trying to regain your freedom. Four Corners went to the Supreme Court to reveal the hidden ordeals of those who have escaped the system.




					www.abc.net.au


----------



## wayneL (15 March 2022)

sptrawler said:


> You can probably pick up a Triumph TR6 to go with you other rust bucket, at Gingin on 15 May, you had better be there, I'll find you with the sweatometer.
> By then, the broken leg should be good to go on the motorbike, I went on the electric scooter that threw me off and managed that o.k, so should be good to go on the bike by then. The knee bend is improving daily. 🤪



There is a slim chance I might have a shower before coming, so you'll have to keep an eye out for the scars on my left arm. 

I like the tr6, but it's that V8 burble of a Stag that gets my juices going... or maybe a Sunbeam Tiger if I really want an under-braked death trap LOL.

15th May eh? My @ss will be there.


----------



## SirRumpole (15 March 2022)

basilio said:


> I'm guessing most of the posters on ASF are not too strapped for cash (but I'm sure a significant number would still be watching their budgets)
> 
> I referenced the families that have long daily commutes and possibly two cars. I think many of these families don't have big stretch options in their weekly budgets. Fuel jumping from $1.50 litre to $2.20 litre is a very big hit.
> 
> View attachment 139095




What do you suggest should happen ? Cut in fuel excise ?


----------



## PZ99 (15 March 2022)

SirRumpole said:


> What do you suggest should happen ? Cut in fuel excise ?



Cutting a fuel tax would be like cutting interest rates. Consumers get sixth fifths of nothing in the end.

Let's bring back Kevin Rudds' fuel watch scheme... at least that'll get us up to seven fifths.


----------



## SirRumpole (15 March 2022)

PZ99 said:


> Cutting a fuel tax would be like cutting interest rates. Consumers get sixth fifths of nothing in the end.
> 
> Let's bring back Kevin Rudds' fuel watch scheme... at least that'll get us up to seven fifths.




Just legislate a maximum price at the bowser, big fines for non compliance.


----------



## PZ99 (15 March 2022)

SirRumpole said:


> Just legislate a maximum price at the bowser, big fines for non compliance.



Yep that's the only way to do it, but I don't think any side of politics would try it.

Retailers faced with loosing money would simply close their station(s) until their CODB came down.


----------



## SirRumpole (15 March 2022)

PZ99 said:


> Yep that's the only way to do it, but I don't think any side of politics would try it.
> 
> Retailers faced with loosing money would simply close their station(s) until their CODB came down.



So you don't set the price too low that retailers lose money, you just stop price gouging.


----------



## PZ99 (15 March 2022)

SirRumpole said:


> So you don't set the price too low that retailers lose money, you just stop price gouging.



Retailers have very little margin on fuel, the gouging is further up the chain.

What the Govt could do is sell their stake in crude oil and use that profit to lower the tax in addition to your earlier suggestion about fixing the bowser price.


----------



## qldfrog (15 March 2022)

I think it is a complex problem:
vendor 1 just filled at $2, 
vendor 2 still half full and bought 1 month ago at $1.6...
(just made up prices)
what should be the official max  price be?
At $2.1, vendor 1 might loose money, vendor 2 makes a killing and then, if fuel goes down, same problem in reverse
When there is a national unique oil provider..all good to have capped price..but otherwise not easy...


----------



## SirRumpole (15 March 2022)

qldfrog said:


> I think it is a complex problem:
> vendor 1 just filled at $2,
> vendor 2 still half full and bought 1 month ago at $1.6...
> (just made up prices)
> ...




You're right it's not easy. It would probably have to be on a zone basis, close to capital cities a lower price than further out that has more transport costs.


----------



## basilio (15 March 2022)

SirRumpole said:


> What do you suggest should happen ? Cut in fuel excise ?




No.  Just pointing out that, as far as I can see,  there will be some  significant financial problems for many lower/middle income families within a few weeks.   Big implications for the overall economy and an election.  No easy solution that i can see either.

Might be interesting to see if there is any price gouging .


----------



## wayneL (15 March 2022)

Don't pay too much attention to the price of crude, have a look at unleaded gasoline futures... It's off the recent highs but still sky-high compared to recent history.


----------



## sptrawler (15 March 2022)

PZ99 said:


> Cutting a fuel tax would be like cutting interest rates. Consumers get sixth fifths of nothing in the end.
> 
> Let's bring back Kevin Rudds' fuel watch scheme... at least that'll get us up to seven fifths.



Fuel watch has been running in W.A for years and still does. I'm surprised other States don't have it.





__





						FuelWatch
					






					www.fuelwatch.wa.gov.au


----------



## noirua (21 March 2022)

‘Severely damaged’ black box from crashed China Eastern plane found in Guangxi
					

No survivors from the crash have been found




					www.independent.co.uk


----------



## noirua (21 March 2022)

wayneL said:


> Don't pay too much attention to the price of crude, have a look at unleaded gasoline futures... It's off the recent highs but still sky-high compared to recent history.











						Oil Price Charts | Oilprice.com
					

Oilprices from around the world.




					oilprice.com
				











						Gasoline RBOB Futures Price - Investing.com
					

Get detailed information about Gasoline RBOB Futures including Price, Charts, Technical Analysis, Historical data, Reports and more.



					www.investing.com
				



Gasoline RBOB Futures - now close to the 10 year high point.​


----------



## noirua (22 March 2022)

Al Jazeera Live | Today's latest from Al Jazeera
					

Watch Al Jazeera’s live broadcast now




					www.aljazeera.com


----------



## PZ99 (23 March 2022)

Quit while you're on top... gutsy, I like it 








						'The next phase of my life': What's next for Ash Barty after shock tennis retirement
					

Australian Open winner Ash Barty announces her shock retirement from tennis via social media.




					www.abc.net.au


----------



## SirRumpole (23 March 2022)

PZ99 said:


> Quit while you're on top... gutsy, I like it
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I hope its not because of a hidden problem. She's probably made enough money to last the rest if her life, so all the best to her.


----------



## sptrawler (23 March 2022)

SirRumpole said:


> I hope its not because of a hidden problem. She's probably made enough money to last the rest if her life, so all the best to her.



What an absolute legend, she shows so much maturity beyond her years, there are plenty of other challenges and goals in life. 
IMO way too many people get caught up on the treadmill and end up burning themselves out for other people, good on her being her own person.


----------



## wayneL (23 March 2022)

No! **** her. She should play on. It is Australia she's playing for not her own selfish needs. 

She needs to beat Serena's record and make Australia proud.

(Just joking)

Good on her and will be interesting to find out in due course what her new goals are!


----------



## sptrawler (23 March 2022)

wayneL said:


> No! **** her. She should play on. It is Australia she's playing for not her own selfish needs.
> 
> She needs to beat Serena's record and make Australia proud.
> 
> (Just joking)



You're only joking, but very close to the truth, it would only be a matter of time before the media started to find ways to tear her apart.

Probably the next time she lost a final, if the media played true to form IMO.


----------



## basilio (1 April 2022)

Latest healthy food.


----------



## wayneL (1 April 2022)

That is as offensive is pineapple on pizza.... Just should never be done.


----------



## SirRumpole (1 April 2022)

basilio said:


> View attachment 139850
> 
> 
> Latest healthy food.




Only the Americans could do that sort of thing


----------



## Knobby22 (1 April 2022)

I love pineapple on burgers and pizza, I love Vegemite, anchovies, pate, you name it.  Tim Tams are OK too. But a bit overrated.

But Tim Tams and Vegemite together is an offence to humanity and nature.


----------



## Knobby22 (1 April 2022)

In the 80s and 90s one of the most popular pizzas was the Melburnian. Tomato, ham, pineapple and prawns.
Surprisingly good!


----------



## basilio (1 April 2022)

All so sad.  Absolute travesty of taste and judgement. Clearly a sign that the world has irrevocably  lost it's marbles.
Or perhaps its April 1st ? And someone is having a great joke ?
Check em out.









						You have got to be kidding me: this year’s standout April Fools’ gags
					

Did you get got by these April Fools’ Day pranks? Plus: the ones we wished were real, and the real news we were hoping was a joke




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## basilio (1 April 2022)

On the other hand this story is for real. Well worth checking out the video of

*"The Magnetic Turd"*

‘Magnetic turd’: scientists invent moving slime that could be used in human digestive systems​Researcher who co-created substance says it is not an April fool’s joke and they hope to deploy it like a robot

*Get our free news app; get our morning email briefing*

Scientists develop a moving, shape-shifting magnetic slime – video

Donna Lu

@donnadlu
Fri 1 Apr 2022 07.45 BSTLast modified on Fri 1 Apr 2022 07.58 BST

Scientists have created a moving magnetic slime capable of encircling smaller objects, self-healing and “very large deformation” to squeeze and travel through narrow spaces.
The slime, which is controlled by magnets, is also a good electrical conductor and can be used to interconnect electrodes, its creators say.

The dark-coloured magnetic blob has been compared on social media to Flubber, the eponymous substance in the 1997 sci-fi film, and described as a “magnetic turd” and “amazing and a tiny bit terrifying”.








						‘Magnetic turd’: scientists invent moving slime that could be used in human digestive systems
					

Researcher who co-created substance says it is not an April fool’s joke and they hope to deploy it like a robot




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## basilio (1 April 2022)

But back to the critical news on how our hardworking taxpaying dollars are being spent by public servants with way to much time on their hands. ( Have I hit enough buttons ? Yet ?)









						Bin chicken police, spudcakes and more: The best of April Fools 2022
					

Love them or hate them, April Fools pranks have once again returned.




					www.mudgeeguardian.com.au


----------



## wayneL (1 April 2022)

Knobby22 said:


> I love pineapple on burgers and pizza, I love Vegemite, anchovies, pate, you name it.  Tim Tams are OK too. But a bit overrated.
> 
> But Tim Tams and Vegemite together is an offence to humanity and nature.



Anchovies are essential, as are Kalamata olives. They just go with everything...

... 'cept pineapple


----------



## Knobby22 (4 April 2022)

The Tasmanian Premier, Peter Gutwein is retiring at the top of his game, and he does look exhausted. The COVID crisis has worn him down.

I can't say a bad word about him. A Liberal Premier not born with a silver spoon in his mouth working for everyone and who has improved the economy. Wish he was PM.


----------



## sptrawler (6 May 2022)

Surprise surprise, it isn't just an Australian thing.
Becker faces deportation after prison sentence​Boris Becker is likely to be deported from the UK after he is released from prison, Home Office sources have confirmed.


----------



## SirRumpole (6 May 2022)

sptrawler said:


> Surprise surprise, it isn't just an Australian thing.
> Becker faces deportation after prison sentence​Boris Becker is likely to be deported from the UK after he is released from prison, Home Office sources have confirmed.




So why hasn't that Skaf @#$%^& been deported after he got let out ?

All very very for Dutton to kick up a fuss about a few Kiwis , but the serious ratbags seem to be able to stay here and no one says a thing about it.


----------



## sptrawler (6 May 2022)

SirRumpole said:


> So why hasn't that Skaf @#$%^& been deported after he got let out ?
> 
> All very very for Dutton to kick up a fuss about a few Kiwis , but the serious ratbags seem to be able to stay here and no one says a thing about it.



I just googled him, apparently he isn't due for parole until 2033, I hadn't heard about him sounds like a nasty piece of work.








						Bilal Skaf - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org


----------



## SirRumpole (6 May 2022)

sptrawler said:


> I just googled him, apparently he isn't due for parole until 2033, I hadn't heard about him sounds like a nasty piece of work.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




There were 2 brothers involved, this one is on parole.









						Sydney schoolgirl rapist granted parole after three knockbacks
					

Mohammed Skaf — who was involved in the gang rapes of several schoolgirls — has been granted strict parole after being knocked back three times. He is expected to be released next month.




					www.abc.net.au


----------



## sptrawler (6 May 2022)

SirRumpole said:


> There were 2 brothers involved, this one is on parole.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Jeez the lot of them should be thrown out.


----------



## noirua (13 May 2022)

https://twitter.com/i/events/1525058635017031680
		

UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed has died, state news agency reports

United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nayhan died at the age of 73, the state news agency WAM reported on Friday. The Ministry of Presidential Affairs announced a 40-day period of mourning. According to the constitution, Vice-President and Premier Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, ruler of Dubai, will act as president until the federal council elects a new president within 30 days, per Reuters.[/URL]


----------



## sptrawler (19 May 2022)

There appears to be an outbreak of monkeypox in the EU, U.K and U.S.









						Rare monkeypox outbreak in U.K., Europe and U.S.: What is it and should we worry?
					

The cases point to possible sexual transmission of this cousin of smallpox — a previously unknown method of spread for monkeypox.




					www.npr.org


----------



## wayneL (19 May 2022)

sptrawler said:


> There appears to be an outbreak of monkeypox in the EU, U.K and U.S.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Right on schedule.


----------



## noirua (21 May 2022)

Australia reports first monkeypox case in traveller from Britain
					

Australia on Friday reported its first monkeypox case in a traveller who recently returned from Britain, while a probable case of infection was identified with testing being carried out to confirm it.




					www.reuters.com


----------



## sptrawler (30 May 2022)

West Coast Eagles great Peter Matera suffers heart attack
					

Matera, who played 253 games for the Eagles, has been living in Victoria for the past four years. His brother Phil, who also played for West Coast, is set to fly east from Perth to be by his side.




					www.watoday.com.au
				



West Coast Eagles premiership player Peter Matera has suffered a heart attack in Victoria.

The 53-year-old is recovering in a hospital in Bendigo after the incident on Sunday when he started to have chest pains while chopping wood on his property in Moama near the Victoria-NSW border.


----------



## noirua (30 May 2022)

Uvalde, Texas shooting: President Biden considering razing, rebuilding Robb Elementary School​








						Texas shooting: Uvalde mayor says local police did not mislead anyone about law enforcement response
					

Salvador Ramos gunned down 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday after barricading himself inside a classroom, authorities say.




					www.foxnews.com


----------



## basilio (1 June 2022)

And now for something different.
What do the strongman contestants have to do ? How big are they actually. (Hint they don't walk through a door like normal people..)

300lb of muscle in a a XXXXL T-shirt: how the World’s Strongest Man contest reinvented itself​




Martins Licis at this year’s bus pull during the World’s Strongest Man competition. Photograph: Joe Martinez/World's Strongest Man
*Once it was a sideshow – but this year, Ukranian soldiers competed with LGBTQ+ pioneers in a sport that’s being taken seriously*





Adam Gabbatt

@adamgabbatt
Wed 1 Jun 2022 06.00 BSTLast modified on Wed 1 Jun 2022 06.01 BST


Oleksii Novikov doesn’t walk into the room. He turns sideways, and shuffles through the doorway like someone navigating a particularly busy bar.

At 6ft 1in and 300lb of solid muscle,* Novikov’s shoulders are three and a half feet wide*. His hands, permanently curled from years of lifting really heavy stuff, are like bear paws, his wrists as thick as some people’s biceps. He’s wearing an XXXXL T-shirt.

“My problem, it’s just my size. I am so small for a strongman,” Novikov says.

We meet in Sacramento, California, before the 2022 World’s Strongest Man competition. Novikov took the title in 2020 – but this time, he is competing after an unimaginably hard few months.









						300lb of muscle in a XXXXL T-shirt: how the World’s Strongest Man contest reinvented itself
					

Once it was a sideshow – but this year, Ukrainian soldiers competed with LGBTQ+ pioneers in a sport that’s being taken seriously




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## noirua (4 June 2022)

Soon, Canada may have a new ally in mixing its measurements: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is reportedly planning to announce the revival of the imperial system for the Queen's Jubilee. The move will allow stores to sell products in pounds and ounces, as well as grams — further distancing the U.K. from Europe, which uses the metric system.


			https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/as-the-u-k-brings-back-imperial-measurements-is-it-time-for-canada-to-drop-them-1.6472738
		


Mix up and confusion in the UK came when PM Margaret Thatcher hand bagged the EU and they caved in allowing the mile.  Of course the mile is made up of inches, feet, yards and furlongs and not metres.  On occasions vehicles struck the underside of bridges as foreign drivers saw the height at 9' - 6 3/4" for a particular bridge which sounds quite high but only 2.91465 metres.


----------



## sptrawler (4 June 2022)

noirua said:


> Soon, Canada may have a new ally in mixing its measurements: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is reportedly planning to announce the revival of the imperial system for the Queen's Jubilee. The move will allow stores to sell products in pounds and ounces, as well as grams — further distancing the U.K. from Europe, which uses the metric system.
> 
> 
> https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/as-the-u-k-brings-back-imperial-measurements-is-it-time-for-canada-to-drop-them-1.6472738
> ...



Having grown up with both systems, I for one hope we stick with the metric system.


----------



## Dona Ferentes (14 June 2022)

sptrawler said:


> This is a story worth reading, for those who travel, probably a good example of why exams are still important.
> 
> https://www.traveller.com.au/pakist...ots-accused-of-obtaining-fake-licenses-h1p1k2
> From the article:
> Pakistan is grounding 262 airline pilots suspected of dodging their exams following inquiries into their qualifications, the aviation minister said on Friday in a move that has caused global concern.



_and then there is the new 'phenom'_

Preliminary evidence suggests the crash of a *China Eastern *Airlines jet in March might be the latest such tragedy [of murder-suicide], a person familiar with the investigation said. If confirmed, that would make it the fourth since 2013, bringing deaths in those crashes to *554*. 

.... as aircraft become more reliable and pilots grow less susceptible to errors, fatalities caused by *murder-suicides* are becoming an increasingly large share of the total. Although intentional acts traditionally were not included in air crash statistics, they would be the second-largest category of deaths worldwide if they were, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. By comparison, 1745 people died as a result of pilot error, mechanical failures or other causes on Western-built jets from 2012 through to last year.

... in addition to the Malaysian *MA370 *plane lost with 239 people aboard, a *Lam-Mozambique *Airlines jet with 33 people went down in Namibia in 2013 after the captain locked the co-pilot out of the cockpit. In 2015, a *Germanwings *co-pilot also locked out the captain before slamming into the side of a mountain in France with 150 aboard.


----------



## sptrawler (14 June 2022)

I do think there is a subtle difference between a suicidal pilot and a pilot who hasnt a clue and had to cheat to get the job, but both have a downside, forgive the pun.


----------



## Dona Ferentes (14 June 2022)

sptrawler said:


> I do think there is a subtle difference between a suicidal pilot and a pilot who hasn't a clue and had to cheat to get the job, but both have a downside, forgive the pun.



Yeah, good point. I looked for a general Aviation thread, as I always like a bit of context. Not wanting to blow the trumpet too much, but professionalism and pride are handy attributes to look for, as a consumer/ passenger.


----------



## sptrawler (14 June 2022)

Dona Ferentes said:


> Yeah, good point. I looked for a general Aviation thread, as I always like a bit of context. Not wanting to blow the trumpet too much, but professionalism and pride are handy attributes to look for, as a consumer/ passenger.



As is ability and self preservation, as qualities a consumer/ passenger may hope for in a pilot.


----------



## noirua (21 June 2022)

Hong Kong's Jumbo floating restaurant sinks at sea
					

An iconic Hong Kong floating restaurant has sunk, just days after it was towed out to sea en route to an unspecified destination.




					edition.cnn.com


----------



## noirua (22 June 2022)

More than 1,000 people killed after magnitude 5.9 earthquake hits eastern Afghanistan | CNN
					

Afghanistan was rocked by its deadliest earthquake in decades on Wednesday when a magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck the country's east, killing more than 1,000 people and wounding many more, according to a regional official.




					edition.cnn.com


----------



## noirua (23 June 2022)

Polio found in UK for first time since 1984 as Government declares national incident
The UK Health Security Agency has declared a national incident after discovering the virus that causes polio in the UK for the first time in nearly 40 years.


			https://twitter.com/i/events/1539595146869837824


----------



## noirua (26 June 2022)

What’s behind the recent ethnic violence in Ethiopia?
					

More than 200 Amhara people were killed in the Oromia region last weekend.




					www.aljazeera.com


----------



## noirua (28 June 2022)

Russia defaults on foreign debt for first time since 1918 following sanctions
					

Russia has defaulted on its foreign-currency sovereign debt for the first time since 1918 because of Western sanctions imposed over its invasion of Ukraine.




					www.foxbusiness.com


----------



## qldfrog (28 June 2022)

Toxic gas leak kills 12 after a storage tank falls onto a ship at a port in Jordan
					

A storage tank falls from a crane and slams into the deck of a ship docked at Aqaba port, releasing a cloud of yellow chlorine gas.




					www.abc.net.au
				



Asking chemists member:
 yellow clouds?
Chlore should be invisible/white when mixing with moisture.
Isn't that yellow colour indicative of a sulfur gas .combining into acid when breathed.and an horrendous death as a result
Why do i ask? Because i am a bit fed up by the media level of science demonstrated lately


----------



## qldfrog (28 June 2022)

And an important one for fellow beekeepers:








						Deadly varroa mite outbreak raises concerns for Queensland's native bee population
					

Authorities are closely monitoring any impact on Queensland's bee populations amid a "worrying" interstate detection of the deadly honey bee parasite, varroa destructor.




					www.abc.net.au
				




Let's pray/hope this can be contained..maybe western Australia and Tasmania should ramp up control.
The varroa mite has decimated world wide hives, control requires heavy use of chemicals and this mite is a major factor in bee colony collapses.
I wish i had better news today..him..and i might have covid🥴


----------



## PZ99 (28 June 2022)

Toxic gas leak kills 12 after a storage tank falls onto a ship at a port in Jordan
					

A storage tank falls from a crane and slams into the deck of a ship docked at Aqaba port, releasing a cloud of yellow chlorine gas.




					www.abc.net.au
				





qldfrog said:


> Asking chemists member:
> yellow clouds?
> Chlore should be invisible/white when mixing with moisture.
> Isn't that yellow colour indicative of a sulfur gas .combining into acid when breathed.and an horrendous death as a result
> Why do i ask? Because i am a bit fed up by the media level of science demonstrated lately



Chlorine gas is yellow from what I remember. Pretty sure that video will be used in future safety training.


----------



## qldfrog (28 June 2022)

PZ99 said:


> Toxic gas leak kills 12 after a storage tank falls onto a ship at a port in Jordan
> 
> 
> A storage tank falls from a crane and slams into the deck of a ship docked at Aqaba port, releasing a cloud of yellow chlorine gas.
> ...



Thanks @PZ99
Green yellow indeed https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorine
I could have checked myself🙏


----------



## noirua (28 June 2022)

Texas Gov. Abbott lashes out after 46 migrants found dead in tractor-trailer: 'These deaths are on Biden'
					

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and others have blamed President Joe Biden and his immigration policies after at least 46 migrants were found dead inside an 18-wheeler in San Antonio.




					www.foxnews.com


----------



## noirua (7 July 2022)

The UK's Prime Minister Boris Johnson is close to resignation. Will he stagger on?








						Boris Johnson vows to 'keep going' despite more than 20 resignations from government
					

The prime minister told the Commons during PMQs that it is his "job" to carry on in "difficult circumstances", as the number of MPs quitting the government hit 27.




					news.sky.com
				











						Tory Ministers Tell Boris Johnson to Resign
					

The British prime minister is under increasing pressure to step down. More than two dozen officials in his government resigned on Wednesday, and he received a withering reception in Parliament.




					www.nytimes.com


----------



## wayneL (7 July 2022)

noirua said:


> The UK's Prime Minister Boris Johnson is close to resignation. Will he stagger on?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I've said this before, Boris is the most disappointing British PM since Cameron; and he was totally crap.

Conservative politics in the anglosphere is at a very low ebb


----------



## Knobby22 (7 July 2022)

wayneL said:


> I've said this before, Boris is the most disappointing British PM since Cameron; and he was totally crap.
> 
> Conservative politics in the anglosphere is at a very low ebb



He isn't seeing the writing on the wall!

Some famous British Conservatives warned everyone about him but in the end he was the guy that won the election due to him being a popular "Jack the Lad" with the public. 
Unfortunately he has no plan for the country, no ambitions (except maybe get another mistress), just enjoy life, party hard and be famous and be number one. 

We all understand him though and sometimes wish we could leave such a life which makes him very likeable.


----------



## wayneL (7 July 2022)

Knobby22 said:


> He isn't seeing the writing on the wall!
> 
> Some famous British Conservatives warned everyone about him but in the end he was the guy that won the election due to him being a popular "Jack the Lad" with the public.
> Unfortunately he has no plan for the country, no ambitions (except maybe get another mistress), just enjoy life, party hard and be famous and be number one.
> ...



I thought he did a good job as Mayor of Greater London and an adequate job with Brexit (a VERY difficult process to be fair), but we now basically have Carrie's çuçk as the PM.


----------



## Knobby22 (7 July 2022)

wayneL said:


> I thought he did a good job as Mayor of Greater London and an adequate job with Brexit (a VERY difficult process to be fair), but we now basically have Carrie's çuçk as the PM.



Classic case of rise to level of incompetence.


----------



## sptrawler (7 July 2022)

wayneL said:


> I thought he did a good job as Mayor of Greater London and an adequate job with Brexit (a VERY difficult process to be fair), but we now basically have Carrie's çuçk as the PM.



A bit like Winston Churchill, great to have as PM during the war, very unpopular after, it does take different people for different situations.


----------



## SirRumpole (7 July 2022)

sptrawler said:


> A bit like Winston Churchill, great to have as PM during the war, very unpopular after, it does take different people for different situations.




Winnie made a comeback though, I doubt if Boris will.


----------



## noirua (7 July 2022)

The last days of Boris Johnson – Politics Weekly podcast
					

Boris Johnson is clinging on to his leadership by a thread as the number of resignations from his government continues to rise. The Guardian’s John Harris is joined by columnists Gaby Hinsliff and Rafael Behr, to discuss the future for the PM




					www.theguardian.com
				




Hang on in there Boris! Call an election and hope the Queen allows it. Let Scotland have their vote to leave the UK. Get the money printing going and give everyone £20,000.  Declare ten more National Holidays or even more.  Cancel income tax.


Boris Johnson resigned as Prime Minister a few seconds ago - 9.08 BST.


----------



## PZ99 (7 July 2022)

So what's that now ? 4 Prime Ministers from the same party ?

Sounds like the whole party is rooned - call an election and let the people decide who their leader is.


----------



## noirua (7 July 2022)

It appears some behind the scenes efforts for Boris to continue until October have been dropped. It's all a bit of a shame really as I enjoy Prime Ministers who muddle along like most other people.


----------



## wayneL (7 July 2022)

noirua said:


> It appears some behind the scenes efforts for Boris to continue until October have been dropped. It's all a bit of a shame really as I enjoy Prime Ministers who muddle along like most other people.



I thought Oct was untenable.

I wonder who the next incompetent will be?

Poor old UK is stuffed, even the opposition is woeful and undeserving. 😲


----------



## noirua (7 July 2022)

wayneL said:


> I thought Oct was untenable.
> 
> I wonder who the next incompetent will be?
> 
> Poor old UK is stuffed, even the opposition is woeful and undeserving. 😲



It is surprising how circumstances throw up a situation that a present Prime Minister or President is least equipped to deal with.

Boris will stay on until the next Conservative leader is elected. That might be a few weeks or longer.


----------



## Eager (7 July 2022)

noirua said:


> Hang on in there Boris! Call an election and hope the Queen allows it.



I'm glad you mentioned both of them. Thanks for the segue.

Why the Queen didn't sack Johnson prior to this catastrophe is beyond my comprehension. This same Queen gave permission for her drunken representative here to sack our Prime Minister back in 1975, for comparatively petty reasons - Whitlam never broke the law, nor did he promote anyone alleged with sexual misconduct.

Johnson is a typical, entitled, pompous, conservative twat.


----------



## wayneL (7 July 2022)

Eager said:


> I'm glad you mentioned both of them. Thanks for the segue.
> 
> Why the Queen didn't sack Johnson prior to this catastrophe is beyond my comprehension. This same Queen gave permission for her drunken representative here to sack our Prime Minister back in 1975, for comparatively petty reasons - Whitlam never broke the law, nor did he promote anyone alleged with sexual misconduct.
> 
> Johnson is a typical, entitled, pompous, conservative twat.



There was however, the small problem of supply, my overly biased friend.


----------



## Eager (7 July 2022)

wayneL said:


> There was however, the small problem of supply, my overly biased friend.



Which was denied by the mob who wanted him gone at any cost, no?


----------



## noirua (7 July 2022)

Boris Johnson resigns: New policies must wait for next leader, says PM
					

Boris Johnson resigned as Conservative leader on Thursday and said new policies must wait for the next prime minister, confirming he will step aside once a successor is in place.




					www.telegraph.co.uk


----------



## noirua (7 July 2022)

O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight
O’er the ramparts we watch’d were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our BORIS was still there,


----------



## wayneL (7 July 2022)

Eager said:


> Which was denied by the mob who wanted him gone at any cost, no?



You mean Australia?


----------



## PZ99 (8 July 2022)

The UK is stuffed alright... a choice of a Trump wannabee on one side of the "pence" or the butt of all jokes on the other.


----------



## Knobby22 (8 July 2022)

Boris is organising a mob to storm Downing Street. 😉


----------



## PZ99 (8 July 2022)

Knobby22 said:


> Boris is organising a mob to storm Downing Street. 😉



There was a mob already there... not his obviously given they were playing Benny Hill music LOL


----------



## SirRumpole (8 July 2022)

Former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe assassinated in brazen shooting
					

Japan's former prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has died after being shot earlier on Friday while making a campaign speech.




					www.abc.net.au


----------



## Garpal Gumnut (8 July 2022)

SirRumpole said:


> Former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe assassinated in brazen shooting
> 
> 
> Japan's former prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has died after being shot earlier on Friday while making a campaign speech.
> ...



I'd say it was a Pacifist who knocked poor ole Abe.

I've never trusted Pacifists. 

gg


----------



## moXJO (8 July 2022)

SirRumpole said:


> Former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe assassinated in brazen shooting
> 
> 
> Japan's former prime minister, Shinzo Abe, has died after being shot earlier on Friday while making a campaign speech.
> ...



Home made, short barrel shotgun, possibly home made blackpowder ammo.
The guy was lucky to hit him from that distance and cause as much damage as he did.


----------



## SirRumpole (8 July 2022)

moXJO said:


> Home made, short barrel shotgun, possibly home made blackpowder ammo.
> The guy was lucky to hit him from that distance and cause as much damage as he did.




A lone looney or member of some radical group? 

No doubt we will find out in due course.


----------



## Eager (8 July 2022)

Garpal Gumnut said:


> I'd say it was a Pacifist who knocked poor ole Abe.



I'd say it would be foolish to speculate.

Are you indeed a fool?


----------



## Knobby22 (9 July 2022)

It's all very sad. 
I feel for the Japanese people.
An attack on Democracy and their lives.


----------



## sptrawler (9 July 2022)

A good article from the champion of inclusiveness, obviously inclusiveness depends on who you want to include, or exclude. 








						ScoMo should be a no, no to work with Abdo
					

What skills does the former prime minister have that would be useful to the ARLC?




					www.smh.com.au


----------



## wayneL (9 July 2022)

sptrawler said:


> A good article from the champion of inclusiveness, obviously inclusiveness depends on who you want to include, or exclude.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Saw the author and concluded not worth reading.


----------



## sptrawler (9 July 2022)

wayneL said:


> Saw the author and concluded not worth reading.



Yep Captain FW.🤣


----------



## noirua (22 July 2022)

Chinese regulators, bank fraud, tanks were seen on the streets of Henan Province
					

Chinese regulators made fresh efforts to calm anger about a bank fraud that has sparked protests across the globe. They announced a second round of repayments to depositors who had




					www.share-talk.com


----------



## noirua (24 July 2022)

Biden COVID-19 symptoms now include sore throat, body aches: doctor
					

President Biden has developed a sore throat and body aches on Saturday, and he continues taking Paxlovid medication to treat his recent infection with COVID-19.




					www.foxnews.com


----------



## sptrawler (25 July 2022)

Nothing changes much, we're still buying crap from overseas, rather than building here. We have ferry builders in W.A and Tasmania don't we?









						Damage to new Manly ferries to worsen, leaked report says
					

Damage discovered on a new Manly ferry just months after it began carrying passengers is expected to worsen and occur on the other overseas-built vessels.




					www.smh.com.au
				




Damage discovered on a new Manly ferry just months after it began carrying passengers is expected to worsen and occur on the other overseas-built vessels now used on the popular Sydney harbour route, a leaked report warns.

The leaked report by independent inspectors hired by Transdev, which operates the government-owned fleet, warns that the damage to the Fairlight’s port side “will only increase with time due to further fatigue of the area”.

The inspectors say that, while unlikely to compromise the 34-metre ferry’s structural integrity, it is likely that over time the damage will appear on the starboard side of the Fairlight as well as the two other new Manly ferries because they “share the same design and operational loadings”.
“Some evidence of this is already present on Balmoral,” the report says.


----------



## SirRumpole (25 July 2022)

sptrawler said:


> Nothing changes much, we're still buying crap from overseas, rather than building here. We have ferry builders in W.A and Tasmania don't we?
> 
> 
> 
> ...




There seems to be some reluctance to say where they were actually built.

This report says they were designed in Australia and built by an Australian company.

Where this happened seems to be a mystery.

My guess is C***a.









						First new Emerald Class ferry starts operations in Australia
					

The first of three new Generation 2 Emerald Class ferries on the F1 Circular Quay to Manly route in Australia has become operational.




					www.ship-technology.com


----------



## SirRumpole (25 July 2022)

Sore loser ?









						Chess robot breaks seven-year-old opponent's finger
					

A robot breaks the finger of its seven-year-old opponent during a chess tournament in Russia, according to local media outlets.




					www.abc.net.au


----------



## PZ99 (25 July 2022)

SirRumpole said:


> Sore loser ?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Would've been funnier if it just gave him the bird 👆


----------



## noirua (25 July 2022)

At least 30 people dead after bus plunges from 'notorious' bridge in Kenya
					

At least 30 people have died after a bus plunged from a bridge in Kenya.  A senior policeman said the bus "must have developed a brake failure because it was at a very high speed" when it crashed.  Speaking to the Daily Nation newspaper about the "grisly" accident, county commissioner Nobert...




					uk.news.yahoo.com


----------



## PZ99 (27 July 2022)

Never stand in the middle of a Tory debate


----------



## Knobby22 (27 July 2022)

PZ99 said:


> Never stand in the middle of a Tory debate




The host fainted.


----------



## SirRumpole (27 July 2022)

Knobby22 said:


> The host fainted.




I hope she's ok.


----------



## sptrawler (5 August 2022)

Thankfully W.A has shunned the pokies, I wonder how much poverty, domestic violence, theft, broken families and unhappy childhoods they cause in society.









						Pokies swallow $135 billion in NSW: Which Sydney areas spend most?
					

One gambling victim who spent $300,000 and lost her home says it’s an addiction. She is not alone.




					www.smh.com.au
				




*Sydney’s two lowest-income council areas each racked up more than half a billion dollars in losses to poker machines last year*, according to research by the Wesley Mission, triggering fresh calls for gambling reforms in NSW.
The analysis by the charity also reveals cumulative losses by people who use poker machines in NSW over the past 30 years hit $135 billion.


----------



## SirRumpole (5 August 2022)

Alex Jones ordered to pay $4.1 million to victim of Sandy Hook shooting.

Serves him right.









						Alex Jones ordered to pay parents of Sandy Hook massacre victims $US4.11m
					

A Texas jury orders conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay $US4.11 million in damages to the parents of a six-year-old boy who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre.




					www.abc.net.au


----------



## basilio (5 August 2022)

SirRumpole said:


> Alex Jones ordered to pay $4.1 million to victim of Sandy Hook shooting.
> 
> Serves him right.
> 
> ...



Be interesting to see how much punitive damages are ordered. Frankly they should be at least 10 times more.


----------



## wayneL (5 August 2022)

There will be an appeal over the discovery issue.


----------



## wayneL (5 August 2022)

Notwithstanding, the trial did told a lovely mic drop moment (memetized for comic effect)


----------



## IFocus (5 August 2022)

SirRumpole said:


> Alex Jones ordered to pay $4.1 million to victim of Sandy Hook shooting.
> 
> Serves him right.
> 
> ...





Man is a complete low life dog making money off the murder of children,  throw in the gun lobby as well.


----------



## Knobby22 (5 August 2022)

IFocus said:


> Man is a complete low life dog making money off the murder of children,  throw in the gun lobby as well.



He is a main stream white guy. Does anyone really believe he will get 1 second of jail time? It's the USA.


----------



## SirRumpole (5 August 2022)

Knobby22 said:


> He is a main stream white guy. Does anyone really believe he will get 1 second of jail time? It's the USA.




Jail wasn't on the agenda as far as I know, it was a civil case.


----------



## moXJO (5 August 2022)

I heard his lawyers accidentally sent his historical texts to the opposition lawyers. That's after he said he deleted them or something.


----------



## SirRumpole (5 August 2022)

Biloela family granted permanent residency.









						Tamil asylum seeker family granted permanent visas after four-year battle
					

The Department of Home Affairs grants the Tamil asylum seeker family permanent Australian visas following a lengthy immigration dispute.




					www.abc.net.au
				




Stand by for a flood of "me too's".


----------



## noirua (6 August 2022)

The Triangle said:


> So, who's next?
> 
> I don't understand how Virginia Giuffre can be suing Prince Andrew - but not involved in the criminal case for Maxwell?  Something about that doesn't sit right with me.  Wouldn't she have been foaming at the mouth to testify against Maxwell?











						Jersey Tax Shelter Leak Exposes Wall Street Trading Activities of Ghislaine Maxwell’s Family - OCCRP
					

Leaked documents show how Kevin and Ian Maxwell, brothers of disgraced heiress Ghislaine, used a Jersey trust to hide their business activities and finances.




					www.occrp.org
				




The Robert Maxwell ( born *Ján Ludvík Hyman Binyamin Hoch ) *dynasty is very large as he had nine children and thought to be 22 grandchildren and very many great grandchildren. So it is quite difficult to follow the many trails. Their lives varied from great success, bankruptcy, suicide, and worse.

Ian Maxwell is Chairman of Cojit founded by Ian and Kevin Maxwell: https://www.cojit.org/






Four of Maxwell's siblings - Kevin, Isabel, Ian and Christine - arrived to court to support their sister Monday
Four of Ghislaine Maxwell's siblings arrive at her Manhattan trial


----------



## sptrawler (7 August 2022)

Taiwan official leading missile production found dead in hotel: official media
					

The military-owned body that employed Ou Yang Li-hsing is working to more than double its yearly missile production capacity to close to 500 this year, amid China’s growing military threat.




					www.smh.com.au
				



Ou Yang was on a business trip to the southern county of Pingtung, CNA said, adding that he had assumed the post early this year to supervise various missile production projects.

The military-owned body is working to more than double its yearly missile production capacity to close to 500 this year, as the island boosts its combat power amid what it sees as China’s growing military threat.


----------



## SirRumpole (7 August 2022)

sptrawler said:


> Taiwan official leading missile production found dead in hotel: official media
> 
> 
> The military-owned body that employed Ou Yang Li-hsing is working to more than double its yearly missile production capacity to close to 500 this year, amid China’s growing military threat.
> ...



Hmm. Any mainland  C...ese agents around at the time I wonder


----------



## sptrawler (7 August 2022)

More news on the Taiwan official.








						Taiwan official leading missile production died of heart attack
					

The deputy head of Taiwan defence ministry's research and development unit was found dead on Saturday morning in a hotel room, succumbing to a heart attack, according to the official Central News Agency.




					www.reuters.com
				




TAIPEI, Aug 6 (Reuters) - The deputy head of Taiwan defence ministry's research and development unit was found dead on Saturday morning in a hotel room, succumbing to a heart attack, according to the official Central News Agency.

Ou Yang Li-hsing, deputy head of the military-owned National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, had died in a hotel room in southern Taiwan, CNA reported.

Authorities said 57-year-old Ou Yang died of a heart attack and the hotel room showed no sign of any 'intrusion', CNA said. His family said he had a history of heart disease and had a cardiac stent, according to the report.


----------



## SirRumpole (7 August 2022)

sptrawler said:


> More news on the Taiwan official.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Of course they would say that.


----------



## PZ99 (8 August 2022)

Of course... someone must invent a conspiracy theory every time someone dies.

That's what the internet has become in the 21st century... a web of lies.


----------



## SirRumpole (8 August 2022)

PZ99 said:


> Of course... someone must invent a conspiracy theory every time someone dies.
> 
> That's what the internet has become in the 21st century... a web of lies.



Very naughty of me, slap on wrist.


----------



## PZ99 (8 August 2022)

SirRumpole said:


> Very naughty of me, slap on wrist.



LOL... Nah, not you mate


----------



## noirua (9 August 2022)

F.B.I. Searches Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Residence in Florida
					

The former president called the search an “assault” and complained that the authorities had broken into a safe. The news appeared to come as a surprise to top aides at the White House.




					www.nytimes.com


----------



## qldfrog (13 August 2022)

Not that Trump has just been found hiding nuclear bomb blueprint in his golf buggy...they have no limit.
But talking about limitless:
The Green plague spread:








						Salman Rushdie was stabbed ‘10 to 15 times’ in span of 20 seconds: LIVE Updates
					

A video footage posted on social media showed people rushing after Salman Rushdie was attacked at the New York event in Chautauqua County, with police confirming a stabbing




					www.livemint.com
				




The book is actually quite pleasant, and he is a good writer.
The same woke clique will probably shed a tear,then carry on pushing for Assange to be sent to rot in  U5 jails, before heading to a Free the "refugees" protest


----------



## noirua (13 August 2022)

https://twitter.com/i/events/1558114318217932800
		









						Salman Rushdie is on ventilator and may lose an eye after attack, agent says – as it happened
					

Author has surgery after he was stabbed in the neck as he prepared to give speech in Chautauqua, in upstate New York




					www.theguardian.com
				



*New York police just named the suspect in the attack on Salman Rushdie as Hadi Matar, a 24-year-old from New Jersey.* He had access for the event where the author was speaking, and officials believe he was acting alone.

There were no previous threats before the event, authorities said, there is not yet any indication of the motive of Rushdie’s attacker.

Authorities are currently working to determine charges against Matar, police said in a press conference on Friday afternoon.








						NJ man, Hadi Matar, with sympathies toward Iranian government ID’d as suspect in Salman Rushdie stabbing
					

Rushdie suffered stab wounds to the neck and abdomen, and remained in surgery at a nearby trauma center Friday evening, according to police.




					nypost.com


----------



## qldfrog (13 August 2022)

noirua said:


> There were no previous threats before the event, authorities said, there is not yet any indication of the motive of Rushdie’s attacker.



Seriously🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂


----------



## qldfrog (13 August 2022)

qldfrog said:


> Seriously🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂



Note how media even try to bring back Iran in, easier to blame a state than a religion...


----------



## qldfrog (13 August 2022)

noirua said:


> https://twitter.com/i/events/1558114318217932800
> 
> 
> 
> ...



The media are masters in their trade:
The whole article on the soon murderer managed to not even mention the words Muslim or Islam..
Craftsmanship indeed deserving a Goebbels price.


----------



## noirua (15 August 2022)

Rhine close to running dry in German energy nightmare
					

Rhine water levels at Kaub will soon make it impassable for barges carrying coal and gas imports




					www.telegraph.co.uk
				



Germany’s Rhine river will become impassable for barges carrying coal, oil and gas later this week, in a devastating blow to factories upriver.




The Rhine's water level at Kaub is so low much of the riverbed rock is exposed CREDIT: BEN KILB/BLOOMBERG


----------



## Knobby22 (15 August 2022)

noirua said:


> Rhine close to running dry in German energy nightmare
> 
> 
> Rhine water levels at Kaub will soon make it impassable for barges carrying coal and gas imports
> ...



Yes, Alan Kohler pointed this out last Thursday. Re-opening the coal mines to avoid having to buy gas from Russia and the drought is so bad they can't move the coal!


----------



## qldfrog (15 August 2022)

noirua said:


> Rhine close to running dry in German energy nightmare
> 
> 
> Rhine water levels at Kaub will soon make it impassable for barges carrying coal and gas imports
> ...



And the funny thing is that:








						Climate scientists shocked by scale of floods in Germany
					

Deluge raises fears human-caused disruption is making extreme weather even worse than predicted




					www.theguardian.com
				



The above from the guardian so rain or drought, can only be because Co2 has increased by 2pc...
Yes 2021 was supposedly the floods of the century
Maybe people should question mitigation works when they are flooded in july 2021 and have no water left in august 2022.
If our farmers were the same here, Australia would have been starving for the last century 
There was once a time, before red and green tapes, and politicians running economies when mankind used to build dams and reservoirs for water, but also for foods and key products..highly uneconomical it seems in the 21st century in the west, but kind of prevented people from dying of thirsth, hunger or cold..🥴🥴
Ask China for advice maybe?


----------



## Smurf1976 (15 August 2022)

Knobby22 said:


> es, Alan Kohler pointed this out last Thursday. Re-opening the coal mines to avoid having to buy gas from Russia and the drought is so bad they can't move the coal!



The basic situation in Germany is of being caught short.

An energy policy and resulting infrastructure that has for a long time been lacking resilience was always just a time bomb really. 

Engineering 101 - it's not the average you need to worry about, it's the extremes. If it can't withstand the worst case and still have some margin of safety then ultimately it's going to fail, the only question being when.


----------



## sptrawler (16 August 2022)

Smurf1976 said:


> Engineering 101 - it's not the average you need to worry about, it's the extremes. If it can't withstand the worst case and still have some margin of safety then ultimately it's going to fail, the only question being when.



The very same issue that is permeating through Australia's society, on all fronts.








						Sydney's apartments are riddled with building defects
					






					newsroom.unsw.edu.au


----------



## sptrawler (23 August 2022)

Man fined $2205 for banned act on Aussie tourist island
					

A witness submitted photos of the man breaking the rules to the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. Read more.




					au.news.yahoo.com


----------



## SirRumpole (23 August 2022)

sptrawler said:


> Man fined $2205 for banned act on Aussie tourist island
> 
> 
> A witness submitted photos of the man breaking the rules to the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. Read more.
> ...




Wow, that's a bit stiff.


----------



## sptrawler (23 August 2022)

SirRumpole said:


> Wow, that's a bit stiff.



Well it isn't good feeding wild animals food, people give ducks, pigeons etc bread, which isn't good for them. The other problem is wild dingoes are generally afraid and timid with humans, if people feed them they overcome that fear.
Then they have no issue with attacking a child carrying food, they aren't domesticated but children don't know that and dingoes don't know that attacking for food isn't allowed.
Best just to discourage people from feeding them, there is plenty of fun to have feeding chips to the seagulls, their cholestorol must be through the roof.


----------



## SirRumpole (23 August 2022)

sptrawler said:


> Well it isn't good feeding wild animals food, people give ducks, pigeons etc bread, which isn't good for them. The other problem is wild dingoes are generally afraid and timid with humans, if people feed them they overcome that fear.
> Then they have no issue with attacking a child carrying food, they aren't domesticated but children don't know that and dingoes don't know that attacking for food isn't allowed.
> Best just to discourage people from feeding them, there is plenty of fun to have feeding chips to the seagulls, their cholestorol must be through the roof.



Yep, give a dingo a chip, next thing it will want is a  baby.


----------



## macca (23 August 2022)

SirRumpole said:


> Wow, that's a bit stiff.




I agree that it does sound a lot But there are signs everywhere on FI saying "don't feed the dingos"

They do actually stalk children and there have been a number of instances where they have grabbed a child and tried to drag them away.

Parents have had to literally attack the dingo to save their child

Generally, people chase them away from their campsite and as long as no physical hurt is done, it is OK with NPWS to chase them off.

They really are aggressive and quite dangerous to anyone who is small in size ( including lightly framed women)

I guess that is why they hammered the dopey bastard for feeding them.

I know a few 4x4 blokes who would have been quite happy to thump the idiot if they had seen him doing it


----------



## noirua (27 August 2022)

Bill Barr says he's 'pretty tired of' the Right's 'constant pandering to outrage' while discussing FBI raid
DOJ 'taint team' examining Trump Mar-a-Lago documents
Biden said he did not have advance notice of FBI raid on Trump's Mar-a-Lago: 'None. Zero'
FBI said it had 'probable cause' to believe additional classified docs remained at Mar-a-Lago, affidavit says


----------



## noirua (27 August 2022)

Trump search affidavit reveals potential for ‘evidence of obstruction’ at Mar-a-Lago – as it happened
					

Heavily redacted document also says several documents contained what appear to be Trump’s handwritten notes




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## noirua (31 August 2022)




----------



## PZ99 (6 September 2022)

LOL > This is before you tow the party line



There's hope for Green Greta yet


----------



## sptrawler (7 September 2022)

The bulls are having a big year in Madrid, 10 dead in the running of the bulls festival..









						With 10 people killed this summer alone, could Spain say adios to bull-running festivals?
					

The nation is divided, and after 10 people were killed running with bulls this summer alone, the debate over the tradition is as fierce as ever.




					www.cbsnews.com


----------



## SirRumpole (7 September 2022)

sptrawler said:


> The bulls are having a big year in Madrid, 10 dead in the running of the bulls festival..
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Natural selection.


----------



## sptrawler (7 September 2022)

SirRumpole said:


> Natural selection.



I wonder if the did a BMI on the ones that got caught?🤔


----------



## SirRumpole (7 September 2022)

sptrawler said:


> I wonder if the did a BMI on the ones that got caught?🤔



Beef getting their revenge ?


----------



## Garpal Gumnut (7 September 2022)

sptrawler said:


> The bulls are having a big year in Madrid, 10 dead in the running of the bulls festival..
> 
> 
> 
> ...



It is the price some pay for running with the bulls. 

I believe it to be good for the national character of Spain.

Next those against it will want to ban cigars and rich old men marrying beautiful young models in their twenties. 

gg


----------



## noirua (8 September 2022)

Royal Family travel to Balmoral amid Queen health fears
					

The Queen’s close family including the Prince of Wales have been informed




					www.heraldscotland.com


----------



## Rabbithop (8 September 2022)

Breaking news from BBC...looks like the Queen may join her late husband soon. All family members dressed in Black heading to Balmoral Castle including Prince Harry and his wife Megan. We may wake up to the bad news.


----------



## farmerge (8 September 2022)

Rabbithop said:


> Breaking news from BBC...looks like the Queen may join her late husband soon. All family members dressed in Black heading to Balmoral Castle including Prince Harry and his wife Megan. We may wake up to the bad news.



Yeah Rabbito I was watch Ch  for awhile wondering if She was not long for this world. I'm not a Royalist but She is a magnificent leader and her demise will be a time of great sadness


----------



## noirua (9 September 2022)

Queen Elizabeth's doctors 'concerned for Her Majesty's health,' recommend medical supervision
					

Buckingham Palace said Thursday that Queen Elizabeth II's doctors "are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision."




					www.foxnews.com


----------



## noirua (9 September 2022)

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth died a short while ago. May she rest in peace.


----------



## PZ99 (9 September 2022)

With Charles as King presumably this means our coins will eventually change yes ?


----------



## SirRumpole (9 September 2022)

PZ99 said:


> With Charles as King presumably this means our coins will eventually change yes ?



With inflation, they should do away with coins completely.


----------



## PZ99 (9 September 2022)

Here's a good article on the subject








						What happens to Australian money now the Queen has died?
					

While cash and coins are becoming rarely used today, the Queen's image was a small reminder of Australia's connection to the royal family. What happens now?




					www.abc.net.au


----------



## noirua (9 September 2022)

__





						Chinese scientists discover new lunar mineral
					

Chinese scientists discover new lunar mineral-



					english.news.cn
				









The Changesite-(Y) has been officially approved as a new mineral by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association.  ■


----------



## noirua (10 September 2022)




----------



## noirua (10 September 2022)

Not all is well beneath the golden covers if the truth be told. Prince Harry travelled alone to Balmoral Castle causing him to arrive after the Queens death. Prince Andrew remains exiled from the working Royal Family. 
With the Queen's death, Prince Harry has never looked so alone​The last to arrive at Balmoral and first to leave, Harry's dismissal from the Firm now appears complete
Author of the article
Sep 09, 2022  •  8 hours ago  •  7 minute read  •   18 Comments
https://nationalpost.com/news/world/with-the-queens-death-prince-harry-has-never-looked-so-alone
What Lies in Store for Andrew During Reign of King Charles III?​With the death of the Queen, the Duke of York's exile from the working monarchy looks certain to be permanent.




__





						Bloomberg - Are you a robot?
					





					www.bloomberg.com


----------



## noirua (13 September 2022)

https://www.accuweather.com/en/hurricane/typhoon-muifa-aims-for-china-with-heavy-rain-gusty-winds-expected-in-shanghai/1244015


----------



## noirua (13 September 2022)

'Hustler' Ruto becomes Kenya's fifth president after close election
					

William Ruto was sworn in as Kenya's fifth president on Tuesday, a week after the Supreme Court rejected a challenge by his defeated opponent in a close-fought election he won by portraying himself as an underdog "hustler" battling the elite.




					www.reuters.com


----------



## noirua (14 September 2022)

Flooding in Chicago+ lots


			https://www.accuweather.com/en/videos/torrential-rain-and-flooding-drench-chicago/yNxEHANw?utm_term=cat-video,chicago,heavy%20rain,flooding,illinois&utm_medium=push&utm_source=pushly&utm_content=2380948&utm_campaign=pushly_manual


----------



## sptrawler (14 September 2022)

Just a great story, someone who can be bothered preserving an old Aussie building, rather than let it just fall down and disappear.









						This century-old church's future looked dire. Then a restorer trucked it to their property
					

The unused church, which was built by "bush carpenters" in 1907, was deteriorating. So, Claire Mactaggart stepped in.




					www.abc.net.au


----------



## noirua (16 September 2022)

Major fire engulfs skyscraper in Changsha, central China
					

State media report number of casualties currently unknown in blaze at telecommunications firm




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## sptrawler (19 September 2022)

Nailed it.

Funeral plans: ‘Put Macron at the front or he’ll have hysterics’​Keep apart leaders who hate one another, watch what you feed them and position President Macron to avoid “a hissy fit”. This is the advice to organisers ahead of the largest gathering of VIPs in 70 years.


----------



## sptrawler (19 September 2022)

A semi trailer in the U.S lost its load, it apparently was carrying sex toys.
I can see it now, guy comes off his motorbike, fills in the insurance claim "accident due to slipping on vibrator".









						Video: Semi goes too hard and loses load, boxes filled with adult toys everywhere – report
					

A truck crash in Oklahoma has resulted in sex toys on the road.




					www.drive.com.au
				



*A semi-trailer has overturned in the US city of Oklahoma,* spilling its contents of adult products across the I-40 highway.
Local channels _Oklahoma 4 TV_ and _News 9_ reported the incident, but it was alternative news outlet _Vice_ that confirmed the products scattered across the scene – believed to be Adam & Eve G-Spot Touch Finger Vibes.


----------



## SirRumpole (19 September 2022)

sptrawler said:


> A semi trailer in the U.S lost its load, it apparently was carrying sex toys.
> I can see it now, guy comes off his motorbike, fills in the insurance claim "accident due to slipping on vibrator".
> 
> 
> ...




I think the mess would be cleaned up pretty quickly.  

Or maybe the whole story is a phallusy.


----------



## noirua (20 September 2022)

Race Riots in Leicester in West Midlands, England.








						Leicester Hindu-Muslim violence: 15 arrested after temple vandalised in riot-hit area | Watch
					

Leicester Hindu-Muslim violence: The riots were triggered on August 28 after India won the Asia Cup T20 match against Pakistan.




					www.indiatvnews.com
				











						Stand up against the attacks and sectarianism in Leicester
					

The poisonous politics of the Indian right are finding their way into Britain.




					socialistworker.co.uk
				











						Police diverted from Queen’s funeral to deal with religious violence
					

Extra officers were deployed from the West Midlands, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire




					www.independent.co.uk


----------



## sptrawler (22 September 2022)

Looks like brickies in the U.S might get a leg up, Trumps wall construction might re start. 









						Arrests along U.S.-Mexico border top 2 million a year for the first time
					

Federal authorities are on pace to make more than 2.3 million arrests during the 2022 fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. That will far exceed last year’s record of more than 1.7 million arrests.




					www.texastribune.org
				




Arrests along U.S.-Mexico border top 2 million a year for the first time​Federal authorities are on pace to make more than 2.3 million arrests during the 2022 fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. That will far exceed last year’s record of more than 1.7 million arrests.

In August, U.S. Customs and Border Protection detained 203,598 migrants crossing from Mexico, the latest figures show, putting authorities on pace to tally more than 2.3 million arrests during the government’s 2022 fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. The total, which includes some people apprehended more than once, far exceeds last year’s record of more than 1.7 million arrests.

The historic migration wave this year has been driven by soaring numbers of people crossing from outside Mexico and Central America, the two largest traditional sources of illegal entries. Migrants from Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba accounted for more than one-third of those taken into custody along the southern border last month, according to Customs and Border Protection, a 175% increase over August 2021.

Critics say Biden administration officials have fallen far short of meeting their refugee admission goals, and the number of migrants who have died this year attempting to cross into the United States is at an all-time high. Scores have drowned in the Rio Grande in recent months, and 53 were killed in June when smugglers in Texas packed migrants into a sweltering tractor trailer with a failing cooling system.


----------



## noirua (26 September 2022)

Canadians clean up after Fiona sweeps homes out to sea; one dead
					

It will take several months for Canada to restore critical infrastructure after the powerful storm Fiona left an "unprecedented" trail of destruction, officials said on Sunday, as crews fanned out in five provinces to restore power and clean up fallen trees and debris.




					www.reuters.com
				




Video footage shows some of the devastation caused by Storm Fiona in parts of Canada on Saturday. After surging north from the Caribbean as a hurricane, Fiona came ashore before dawn on Saturday as a post-tropical cyclone, battering Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Quebec with hurricane-strength winds, heavy rains and huge waves. Canadian troops have been deployed to assist the recovery Houses washed away after storm Fiona as Canada sends in military for clean-up

Port aux Basques, N.L., is under an emergency evacuation order as the town is pounded by severe winds, storm surge and flooding due to post-tropical storm Fiona.


----------



## Knobby22 (26 September 2022)

Tropical storm hits Canada shattering low pressure records-amazing.









						Epic Fiona batters Atlantic Canada with destructive winds, sets records
					

Post-tropical cyclone Fiona made landfall in eastern Nova Scotia early Saturday morning, shattering records for the deepest low-pressure system ever to be recorded on Canadian soil.



					www.theweathernetwork.com


----------



## noirua (27 September 2022)

__





						Loading...
					





					www.washingtonpost.com
				



ROME — Italian voters shattered several precedents Sunday, backing parties that are now set to form the country’s farthest-right government since the fall of Mussolini, led by its first female prime minister.

“I don’t think we’re going back to 1920, but that is the underlying inspiration,” said Rita Taggi, 59, a tax consultant.











						Benito Mussolini - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org


----------



## noirua (3 October 2022)

Sydney United 58 fans condemned for Nazi salutes at cup final
					

Football Australia criticises a "small number" of Sydney United 58 fans who appeared to perform Nazi salutes and booed the Welcome to Country during last night's Australia Cup final.




					www.abc.net.au
				











						Sydney United 58 FC - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org
				



During the 2022 Australia Cup final, some fans of Sydney United sung _Za dom spremni_ (a chant honouring the fascist Ustaše movement), booed the Welcome to Country and national anthem, performed salutes (commentators characterised as Nazi salutes) and carried flags bearing resemblance to the flag of Nazi Germany. These fans were lambasted by Football Australia, who stated: "Football Australia acknowledges that a very small minority of attendees engaged in behaviour that is not consistent with Football Australia's values and wider community expectations. Football Australia took steps during the match to address these isolated behaviours, including eight evictions."[24][25]


----------



## noirua (9 October 2022)

Russia tightens security on Crimea bridge after huge blast
					

The crossing was built after Russia seized and annexed Crimea from Ukraine in violation of international law in 2014.




					www.euronews.com
				












						Russia launches biggest air strikes since start of Ukraine war
					

Russia rained cruise missiles on busy Ukrainian cities on Monday in what the United States called "horrific strikes", killing civilians and knocking out power and heat with its most widespread air attacks since the start of the war.




					www.reuters.com


----------



## noirua (9 October 2022)

Death toll rises to 10 in blast at gas station in Ireland
					

Authorities say 10 people have been killed in an explosion that destroyed a gas station in a small village in northwest Ireland. Police say the victims were four men, three




					www.berkshireeagle.com


----------



## noirua (14 October 2022)

North Korea fires missile after aircraft buzz South Korean border
					

Seoul imposes new sanctions amid heightened tension after a record number of weapons tests by N Korea this year.




					www.aljazeera.com


----------



## noirua (14 October 2022)

Just Stop Oil protesters throw tomato soup over Vincent Van Gogh’s famous Sunflowers painting


			https://mobile.twitter.com/i/events/1580875470492549120


----------



## noirua (17 October 2022)

Earthquake of magnitude 6.4 strikes off coast of Central America region
					

The quake was at a depth of 2 km (1.24 miles), EMSC said.




					www.hindustantimes.com


----------



## The Triangle (20 October 2022)

Liz gone.  






Have to think Truss was only voted in to be the fall person for the economy/inflation/cost of living and the plan was always to replace her before the next election.  How would conservatives not have known what they were getting into voting her in?   This quick revolt seems too well-orchestrated.  

Time to give labor a crack in government.


----------



## wayneL (21 October 2022)

The Triangle said:


> Liz gone.
> 
> View attachment 148264
> 
> ...



Holy Mother Mary!

A diabolical conundrum. The un-conservative conservatives or La-lgbtqjgfhhfghffhj-bour psychos.

It has become a parody of itself.


----------



## noirua (21 October 2022)

The UKs Prime Minister Liz Truss has resigned from it's beleaguered Government. There will be a new Conservative Party election contest for leader.  Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson is the first to declare he is entering the contest. Could it be 'Boris rides again'.








						Liz Truss resignation: The full statement
					

Liz Truss said on Thursday she was resigning as British prime minister, brought down by her economic programme that sent shockwaves through the markets and divided her Conservative Party just six weeks after she was appointed.




					www.reuters.com


----------



## wayneL (21 October 2022)

noirua said:


> The UKs Prime Minister Liz Truss has resigned from it's beleaguered Government. There will be a new Conservative Party election contest for leader.  Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson is the first to declare he is entering the contest. Could it be 'Boris rides again'.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Go Kemi!


----------



## SirRumpole (21 October 2022)

The Triangle said:


> Liz gone.
> 
> View attachment 148264
> 
> ...




How anyone could cut taxes for the rich while people's gas prices were going through the roof and expect to remain as leader is beyond me, what a ghastly mistake, so out of touch.

Would they return to Boris after all the stuff ups he made ? It's hardly thinkable,. I don't know much about their leadership, but they need a Churchill at this time, not a Thatcher.


----------



## wayneL (21 October 2022)

In no sense do they even have a Thatcher ATM, Horace.

Both major parties are comedicly incompetent and out of touch, it's a looming disaster either way for the UK.


----------



## PZ99 (21 October 2022)

Nice legs... shame about the frills


----------



## basilio (26 October 2022)

If you have never seen it all.... perhaps this  doco offers an insight into the challenges of the Biggus Dicus brigade.

My Massive xock review – you will never be able to unsee this penis documentary​
This Channel 4 show about men with genitals up to seven inches around is an often eye-watering watch with plenty of point-and-laugh moments – until it turns thoughtful




There are some very specific genitals here … My Massive ****. Photograph: Richard Ansett/Channel 4





Lucy Mangan

@LucyMangan
Tue 25 Oct 2022 20.00 AEDTLast modified on Tue 25 Oct 2022 22.48 AEDT

How big is your penis? Average? Largeish? Big? Ah – but is it _documentary_ big? The entry point – and just pardon the puns from hereon out – for qualifying for shows like My Massive **** (the latest addition to Channel 4’s Truth and Dare season celebrating the channel’s 40th anniversary, though they style it My Massive ****) seems to be 8in [20.3cm] (erect, for the avoidance of doubt). But most of the contributors come in at (I told you – just pardon them all, else we’ll be here all day) around 9.5in and Matt and Andy’s are each 10.5in. “I do get lightheaded when fully hard,” says Matt. That, it turns out, is the least of the poor man’s problems. But we’ll get back to that.

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/oct/25/my-massive-****-review-channel-4


----------



## SirRumpole (27 October 2022)

Jury in Bruce Lerhmann case discharged due to "juror misconduct".

Apparently a juror obtained 'relevant material' that was not presented in court.

Maybe if it was relevant it should have been presented.









						Routine tidying unearths juror research that torpedoes Bruce Lehrmann rape trial
					

The jury in the rape trial of Bruce Lehrmann is discharged, without a verdict, after a juror accessed information that was not presented as evidence in court.




					www.abc.net.au


----------



## basilio (27 October 2022)

The Guardian report is a bit clearer about the material a juror brought into the jury room. 
I thought the material may have been the two previous allegations made against Bruce Lehrmann of getting girls drunk and having sex with them...  But it wasn't was it..

_The entire jury in the trial of Bruce Lehrmann has been discharged after a juror was found to have brought a research paper on sexual assaults into the jury room.

The ACT supreme court convened on Thursday morning and heard that Lehrmann’s trial must be aborted after a juror had conducted research outside the courtroom, something jurors are routinely told not to do.

The court heard the juror brought in a research paper which attempted to quantify the number of false complaints and interrogate the reasons for making false complaints. The use of the research paper was contrary to at least 17 directions from the trial judge to jurors telling them not to conduct their own research or enquiries.









						Bruce Lehrmann trial aborted with jury discharged after outside material brought into jury room
					

Court hears juror brought in research paper on sexual assault while considering verdict. Lehrmann pleaded not guilty to raping Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in 2019




					www.theguardian.com
				



_


----------



## basilio (27 October 2022)

Found  an interesting which details examples and consequences of false rape accusations.   









						False Rape Case Examples | What was the outcome?
					

False Rape case examples. Read details, outcomes & transcripts across a variety of False Rape categories. Compiled by our expert sexual offences lawyers.




					www.stuartmillersolicitors.co.uk


----------



## basilio (27 October 2022)

Couple of examples of false rape cases from the previous  post.

The links to the summary of the cases and the reasoning behind the judges decision are illuminating.


Falsely accusing an ex-partner of assaulting his new girlfriend11/08/201012 months’ suspended sentencehttps://crimeline.co.uk/uploads/cases/sentencing/2010ewcacrim2076.pdf


Falsely claiming physical violence and rape in elaborate story (in context of potential psychiatric problems), leading to wrongful arrest of an innocent man18/12/201212 months’ imprisonmenthttps://crimeline.co.uk/uploads/cases/sentencing/2010ewcacrim1408.pdf


----------



## The Triangle (27 October 2022)

SirRumpole said:


> Jury in Bruce Lerhmann case discharged due to "juror misconduct".
> 
> Apparently a juror obtained 'relevant material' that was not presented in court.
> 
> ...



I believe the reporting on this story as much as I believe Epstein killed himself.

What are the odds this "material" was placed on purpose by someone to ensure the case was dissolved and more headlines generated?  And even if this was the case - who cares?  Seriously who cares?  This situation has been head-line news for a year.  Everyone in Australia already formed an opinion on this case long ago.  Everyone is biased. The Justice system is a joke.  

_"one of the officers accidentally bumped one of the juror's document holders onto the floor,"   _Yeah right...


----------



## basilio (28 October 2022)

The Triangle said:


> I believe the reporting on this story as much as I believe Epstein killed himself.
> 
> What are the odds this "material" was placed on purpose by someone to ensure the case was dissolved and more headlines generated?  And even if this was the case - who cares?  Seriously who cares?  This situation has been head-line news for a year.  Everyone in Australia already formed an opinion on this case long ago.  Everyone is biased. The Justice system is a joke.
> 
> _"one of the officers accidentally bumped one of the juror's document holders onto the floor,"   _Yeah right...




You can believe anything you want Triangle and no doubt will - regardless of the facts. Even when they have been spelt out in CAPITAL LETTERS.

A  juror did bring into the jury room a report he downloaded from the web.  This was against the repeated (17 times) statements from the Judge that jurors must only consider the evidence/information presented in the trial. 

The judge knows who the juror is.  He knows he did it.  In fact the juror had previously  brought in two other research papers. Frankly I'm amazed that other jurors didn't raise the issue with the judge themself  (if they had known).   There is a (small) possibility that the juror himself decided to  "accidentally"  leave the document around to be found and cause the trial to be abandoned. Maybe. Possibly. 

But give the reporting a break.









						Juror who caused Bruce Lehrmann trial to be aborted brought in two other research papers, judge reveals
					

The man who has denied he raped Brittany Higgins is facing the prospect of another trial after a juror brought academic papers on sexual assault into the jury room




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## The Triangle (28 October 2022)

basilio said:


> You can believe anything you want Triangle and no doubt will - regardless of the facts. Even when they have been spelt out in CAPITAL LETTERS.
> 
> A  juror did bring into the jury room a report he downloaded from the web.  This was against the repeated (17 times) statements from the Judge that jurors must only consider the evidence/information presented in the trial.
> 
> ...



Have you and your handlers at the guardian ever discussed sponsoring ASF?  Surely with all the guardian links you post you're better off throwing a few shekels here for some banner adverts or maybe a sponsored guardian article only thread?  Spread the clickbait wealth around!


----------



## SirRumpole (28 October 2022)

The Triangle said:


> Have you and your handlers at the guardian ever discussed sponsoring ASF?  Surely with all the guardian links you post you're better off throwing a few shekels here for some banner adverts or maybe a sponsored guardian article only thread?  Spread the clickbait wealth around!




So where did the Guardian slip up ?

What sins of commission or omission did they make ?

Their story seemed fairly factual to me. They did not express an opinion of guilt or innocence, they reported what happened.

That's their job surely ?


----------



## The Triangle (28 October 2022)

SirRumpole said:


> So where did the Guardian slip up ?
> 
> What sins of commission or omission did they make ?
> 
> ...



I did not say the guardian slipped up.  The original reply was to your ABC article.   They are separate entities.


----------



## SirRumpole (28 October 2022)

The Triangle said:


> I did not say the guardian slipped up.  The original reply was to your ABC article.   They are separate entities.



You criticised a poster for quoting Guardian articles, that seemed to be a criticism of that publication.

The ABC article you rubbished consisted mainly of direct quotes from the judge, Brittany Higgins and Lehrmann's lawyer, and statements of fact regarding trial dates etc. I can't really see anything there that equates to bad reporting.

Anyway , as you say, who cares ?

Unless we happen to find ourselves in similar situations, including being on a jury.


----------



## basilio (28 October 2022)

SirRumpole said:


> You criticised a poster for quoting Guardian articles, that seemed to be a criticism of that publication.
> 
> The ABC article you rubbished consisted mainly of direct quotes from the judge, Brittany Higgins and Lehrmann's lawyer, and statements of fact regarding trial dates etc. I can't really see anything there that equates to bad reporting.
> 
> ...




My bad.  Shouldn't be feeding the trolls should I ?   

We have  been around this block often enough to know every crack in the footpath and every weed in nature strip. When some posters forthrightly make up a story with zero evidence for it and are then pulled up with factual rebuttals the go to position is to trash The Guardian. 

Don't be concerned about the facts when they are direct quotes of the presiding judge. Don't reconsider a POV that perhaps was over blown.  Just trash the messenger.  Easy peasy


----------



## sptrawler (28 October 2022)

SirRumpole said:


> How anyone could cut taxes for the rich while people's gas prices were going through the roof and expect to remain as leader is beyond me, what a ghastly mistake, so out of touch.



Isnt that what is happening in Australia? Tax cuts for the rich and out of control gas and electricity prices.


----------



## SirRumpole (28 October 2022)

sptrawler said:


> Isnt that what is happening in Australia? Tax cuts for the rich and out of control gas and electricity prices.



Yeah but the tax cuts here were agreed before the UkraIne war when the economy y looked a lot better.


----------



## sptrawler (28 October 2022)

SirRumpole said:


> Yeah but the tax cuts here were agreed before the UkraIne war when the economy y looked a lot better.



Hopefully they defer them again IMO.


----------



## sptrawler (28 October 2022)

SirRumpole said:


> You criticised a poster for quoting Guardian articles, that seemed to be a criticism of that publication.
> 
> The ABC article you rubbished consisted mainly of direct quotes from the judge, Brittany Higgins and Lehrmann's lawyer, and statements of fact regarding trial dates etc. I can't really see anything there that equates to bad reporting.
> 
> ...



The wife did jury duty once, said it was really difficult to keep people on track, personal biases etc cause them to drift into emotional judgement, rather than just sticking to the facts as presented.


----------



## basilio (29 October 2022)

Nancy Pelosi's husband suffers fractured skull during home invasion by hammer-wielding man
					

A 42-year-old man arrested at the scene, who reportedly shouted "where is Nancy?" during the incident, will be charged with attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon and several other criminal charges, according to San Francisco Police.




					www.abc.net.au
				




Another one of the people unhinged by QAnon and Trumps election lies.


----------



## basilio (29 October 2022)

sptrawler said:


> The wife did jury duty once, said it was really difficult to keep people on track, personal biases etc cause them to drift into emotional judgement, rather than just sticking to the facts as presented.



There are questions about how appropriate juries are in 2022.  There are other ways for judicial systems to work when attempting to uncover the truth. Thought provoking article and history lesson.









						Australia’s legal system leaves juries stranded in a time warp – the world has moved on | Richard Ackland
					

Bruce Lehrmann’s rape trial has highlighted the fragility of juries as courts ineffectively try to eliminate the risk of pre-judgment




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## basilio (29 October 2022)

The Canberra rape trial was highly unusual in terms of reportage. 









						The judge, the jury, and the Logies: Brittany Higgins may have changed the way you read about court
					

After a decade of covering the ACT courts, Elizabeth Byrne says the public and media interest in the trial of Bruce Lehrmann, and, in turn, his accuser Brittany Higgins, has been unprecedented.




					www.abc.net.au


----------



## SirRumpole (29 October 2022)

basilio said:


> There are questions about how appropriate juries are in 2022.  There are other ways for judicial systems to work when attempting to uncover the truth. Thought provoking article and history lesson.



*"While citizens are susceptible to prejudice, judges are immune and, apparently, are perfectly capable to sitting alone and determining a sound verdict against a backdrop that would be regarded as injurious for the ordinary soft-minded citizen."*

I've often thought that judges sitting alone or on a panel of judges are preferable to juries.

They consider all the evidence forensically, give judgements in writing for which they are accountable to higher courts, and are less susceptible (though not immune) to prejudice and biased press reporting.

It would also save a lot of money to not have to go through the process of jury selection.


----------



## wayneL (29 October 2022)

basilio said:


> Nancy Pelosi's husband suffers fractured skull during home invasion by hammer-wielding man
> 
> 
> A 42-year-old man arrested at the scene, who reportedly shouted "where is Nancy?" during the incident, will be charged with attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon and several other criminal charges, according to San Francisco Police.
> ...



Not so fast bazz.

There could be more to this.


----------



## wayneL (29 October 2022)

wayneL said:


> Not so fast bazz.
> 
> There could be more to this.



Voting records show he is a member of The Green Party. Has a Pride flag outside house.

MAGA?


----------



## wayneL (29 October 2022)

wayneL said:


> Voting records show he is a member of The Green Party. Has a Pride flag outside house.
> 
> MAGA?



Others performing the sniff test (satirically):



> I hope nobody with 2 hammers with a manifesto wearing only underwear gets past my fenced in property, sneaks by my 6 alert dogs, breaks my window, hands me a hammer and we get into a hammer fight,  tonight.




There is more to this.


----------



## basilio (29 October 2022)

wayneL said:


> Voting records show he is a member of The Green Party. Has a Pride flag outside house.
> 
> MAGA?



You can pick out what you will from this current background check on the guy who was trying to kill Nancy Pelosi.
It does  note his membership of the The Green Party so I suppose it must be thorough.
The rest of his history is eclectic. The recent activities are what brought him to where he is now.









						What we know so far about the man who attacked Nancy Pelosi’s husband
					

David DePape, 42, was a hemp jewellery maker who posted conspiracy theories on Facebook




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## basilio (29 October 2022)

I checked out Breiberts reporting on the attack.
Interesting what they put in - and also leave out..
Also how they have managed to paint the story. No surprises here.
However another  Breibert report does mention the broader history of the guy.
Frankly The Guardian did a far better job of pulling all the pieces together.









						Police Dispatch Audio: Paul Pelosi When Calling Cops Said 'He Doesn’t Know Who the Male Is but He Advised that His Name Is David and He Is a Friend'
					

Paul Pelosi told 911 that the individual who broke into his home and attacked him "is a friend,” according to a police dispatch call.




					www.breitbart.com
				












						Paul Pelosi Attacker Arrested in Underwear, Promoted Conspiracies
					

David DePape, the suspect who attacked Paul Pelosi with a hammer, was wearing only underwear when authorities arrived on the scene.




					www.breitbart.com


----------



## wayneL (29 October 2022)

basilio said:


> You can pick out what you will from this current background check on the guy who was trying to kill Nancy Pelosi.
> It does  note his membership of the The Green Party so I suppose it must be thorough.
> The rest of his history is eclectic. The recent activities are what brought him to where he is now.
> 
> ...



Certainly a mixed bag

But just wanted to call out the whole "MAGA QANON" trope.

Or have we forgotten about the GOP softball game getting shot up, Rand Paul losing half a lung, all the Antifa violence and.....

....the whole of freakin' 2021.

There are nutters everywhere, of all colours.


----------



## Knobby22 (29 October 2022)

wayneL said:


> Certainly a mixed bag
> 
> But just wanted to call out the whole "MAGA QANON" trope.
> 
> ...



Yes, a conspiracy nut.


----------



## noirua (30 October 2022)

This small nation has been under Putin's thumb for years. Now they may be breaking free
					

With Vladimir Putin's forces in trouble in Ukraine, the Kremlin's ability to exert influence over post-Soviet states is being put to the test, driving some allies to seek other powerful relationships in Central Asia.




					www.abc.net.au


----------



## basilio (30 October 2022)

Paul  Pelosi was clever enough and frankly lucky enough to get the police to come to his house during the attack intended for Nancy.




Paul Pelosi secretly called 911 while in front of the intruder and spoke in 'code' to dispatcher to convey what was happening: 'Why are you here? What are you going to do to me?'​Kelsey Vlamis,Taiyler Simone Mitchell
Sat, October 29, 2022 at 1:37 PM·3 min read







Paul Pelosi attends the Time 100 Gala 2019 at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 23, 2019 in New York City.Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan/Getty Images

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband was attacked by an intruder at their San Francisco home Friday.
Police said Paul Pelosi was somehow able to make a 911 call during the incident.
The 911 dispatcher knew something was wrong based on what she could overhear and alerted police.
The San Francisco Police Department confirmed during a press conference on Friday evening that Paul Pelosi, husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was somehow able to call 911 before being attacked with a hammer, allowing dispatch to respond.









						Paul Pelosi secretly called 911 while in front of the intruder and spoke in 'code' to dispatcher to convey what was happening: 'Why are you here? What are you going to do to me?'
					

After Paul Pelosi called 911, a dispatcher overheard him talking to the intruder and knew something was wrong, alerting police.




					news.yahoo.com


----------



## noirua (30 October 2022)

26 foreigners found dead from Itaewon disaster
					

At least 26 foreign nationals are among the 155 confirmed deaths from Saturday night's crowd crush that occurred amid Halloween celebrations in Seoul's Itaewon. According to authorities, foreign casualties stood at 26 as of Monday. They are from Iran, China, the US, Japan, France, Australia...



					www.koreaherald.com


----------



## noirua (31 October 2022)

Scores of people fall into river after suspension bridge collapses in Gujarat’s Morbi
					

More than 350 people were on the bridge which was reopened four days ago after repairs and renovation done by a private trust; PM, CM announce compensation for victims; probe ordered




					www.thehindu.com


----------



## noirua (3 November 2022)

Escapism will not solve problems in DR Congo, leadership will
					

The Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday, October 31, effected the expulsion of Rwanda’s ambassador to the country over allegations that Rwanda was supporting rebel group...




					www.newtimes.co.rw
				



The Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday, October 31, effected the expulsion of Rwanda’s ambassador to the country over allegations that Rwanda was supporting rebel group formed by Congolese citizens with legitimate grievances against their government.


----------



## PZ99 (3 November 2022)

Gotta admit this was pretty neat....


----------



## noirua (3 November 2022)

Imran Khan shot in leg in 'assassination attempt', former Pakistan prime minister's supporters say
					

A gunman opened fire while Mr Khan, 70, was giving a speech at a rally in Wazirabad in Punjab province, wounding him and some of his supporters.




					news.sky.com


----------



## noirua (13 November 2022)

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried's net worth estimated at zero: Report
					

Sam Bankman-Fried, founder of crypto exchange FTX, saw his net worth fall from $16 billion on Monday to zero on Friday, according to reports.




					www.foxbusiness.com
				



Salvager of last resort drags them out of the quicksand and then falls in. A lesson for all here as many  help friends and family members and when they need help they have spent all their money and no hand in pockets to help even though you may go under - a lesson to learn. People who need and/or accept financial help tend to be those who will always be looking out for it.


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## noirua (14 November 2022)

6 Dead After 2 Planes Crash Mid-Flight During Airshow in Dallas
					

During the annual Wings Over Dallas show, two planes, including a B17, collided mid-air.




					www.nbcdfw.com


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## noirua (14 November 2022)

Istanbul attack: at least six killed in suspected terrorist blast
					

Turkish media reports suspected suicide bombing in a busy shopping area popular with residents and tourists




					www.thenationalnews.com


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## noirua (14 December 2022)

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried arrested in Bahamas
					

Sam Bankman-Fried, the embattled former CEO of cryptocurrency giant FTX, has been arrested in the Bahamas, the Bahamas Attorney General's Office said.




					abcnews.go.com


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## wayneL (14 December 2022)

noirua said:


> FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried arrested in Bahamas
> 
> 
> Sam Bankman-Fried, the embattled former CEO of cryptocurrency giant FTX, has been arrested in the Bahamas, the Bahamas Attorney General's Office said.
> ...



'bout time.


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## macca (14 December 2022)

wayneL said:


> 'bout time.




I wonder does he have a laptop that might prove interesting ?


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## sptrawler (17 December 2022)

Japan to crank up military spending.









						Japan announces massive military investment
					

Japan has announced plans for massive military investment, pledging to spend some $320 billion on defense over the next five years




					www.rt.com
				



Japan adopted sweeping changes to its national defense strategy on Friday, announcing a major military spending plan. It pledged to attain long-debated _“counterattack capabilities”_ to target the bases and command centers of its adversaries with long-range missiles.

The plan, spanning a five-year period, envisions boosting the country’s defense spending to 2% of GDP, which constitutes a 50% hike in the annual military budget and amounts to a total of some $320 billion.

_“Looking at Japan’s surroundings, it is facing the most severe and complex security environment since the end of World War II,”_ the country’s new National Security Strategy (NSS) reads, referring to growing pressure from _“those seeking to unilaterally change the status quo by force.”_

The strategy named Japan’s neighbors, including China and North Korea, as the biggest threats to the nation. _“The strategic challenge posed by China is the biggest Japan has ever faced,”_ the document claims. It also branded the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine a_ “serious violation of laws that forbid the use of force and has shaken the foundations of the international order.”_

Beijing has already condemned the proposed military expansion, with Foreign Military spokesman Wang Wenbin telling a media briefing on Friday that Tokyo has been_ “inciting provocations and creating troubles”_ in the region itself.

_“The defense policy document issued by Japan ignores the facts, deviates from Japan’s commitment to bilateral relations and the consensus between China and Japan, and smears China’s national defense posture and normal military activities for no reason,”_ he said.


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## noirua (18 December 2022)

Rwanda leader Kagame says DR Congo bloodshed not his problem
					

Fighting in North Kivu region has aggravated already tense relations between DR Congo and Rwanda.




					www.theeastafrican.co.ke


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## noirua (30 December 2022)

India probes cough syrup blamed for Uzbek child deaths
					

NEW DELHI (AFP): Indian authorities on Thursday (Dec 29) halted production at a pharmaceutical company under investigation for a cough syrup blamed by Uzbekistan health officials for the deaths of at least 18 children.




					www.thestar.com.my


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## noirua (31 December 2022)

Democrats release Trump’s tax returns, and CPAs have questions: ‘In order to generate these kinds of losses, you need to be super rich. It’s not a poor man’s game.’
					

Democrats released six years of Donald Trump’s income-tax returns on Friday, providing further insight into the former president’s tax situation.  Trump and his wife, Melania, paid $0 in income taxes for 2020, according to a report released late Tuesday by the congressional Joint Committee on...




					www.yahoo.com


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## sptrawler (1 January 2023)

noirua said:


> Democrats release Trump’s tax returns, and CPAs have questions: ‘In order to generate these kinds of losses, you need to be super rich. It’s not a poor man’s game.’
> 
> 
> Democrats released six years of Donald Trump’s income-tax returns on Friday, providing further insight into the former president’s tax situation.  Trump and his wife, Melania, paid $0 in income taxes for 2020, according to a report released late Tuesday by the congressional Joint Committee on...
> ...



I wonder if they will enact a law, where all high level politicians, have their last 6 years tax returns made public? That would have a lasting benefit and wouldn't be perceived as just another witch hunt. 
All this stunt will do is further disenfranchise the Republican voters IMO. 🥳


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## sptrawler (3 January 2023)

Certainly getting some water around central and Northern Australia ATM.








						Fitzroy Crossing residents flee to higher ground as 'terrifying' flood inundates central Kimberley
					

Record flooding on the Fitzroy River is causing havoc across the Kimberley, with authorities warning many communities could be cut off for a week.




					www.abc.net.au
				












						South Australia floods expected to inundate thousands of homes as NT town hit by one-in-50-year deluge
					

Murray River forecast to peak in coming days as 241mm of rain falls on Timber Creek in the Northern Territory in 24 hours




					www.theguardian.com


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## Knobby22 (3 January 2023)

New flood record at Fitzroy crossing!


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## sptrawler (5 January 2023)

This is one of the reasons that Barnett wanted to pump water down the West Coast, there is just so much of it going to waste.









						Flooded Fitzroy River flow equal to 20 years of Perth’s water use
					

The volume of water surging through the river has astounded the Bureau of Meteorology, with the flow rate estimated to be about 60,000 cubic metres per second.




					www.watoday.com.au
				




The torrent of water currently rushing through the Fitzroy River is one of the highest flow rates ever seen in an Australian river.

It has astounded the Bureau of Meteorology, with Western Australia manager James Ashley estimating the flow rate to be about 60,000 cubic metres per second.

“The amount of water that is moving down the Fitzroy River in a day is about what Perth uses water-wise over 20 years,” he said.

At its current rate, the Fitzroy flow could fill Sydney Harbour in less than 2½ hours.


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## Macquack (5 January 2023)

Just back tracking on the "Sea World" Helicopter crash.

Can anybody give me a logical explanation why Sea World were using black helicopters?

My layman view is that if the Sea World helicopters were painted in Hi-Vis fluro colours, that crash may have been avoided.


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## SirRumpole (Friday at 7:41 AM)

Macquack said:


> Just back tracking on the "Sea World" Helicopter crash.
> 
> Can anybody give me a logical explanation why Sea World were using black helicopters?
> 
> My layman view is that if the Sea World helicopters were painted in Hi-Vis fluro colours, that crash may have been avoided.




Same reason why people buy black cars I suppose. They look cool ?

Sure if the copters were more visible, maybe the accident wouldn't have happened.


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## macca (Friday at 2:26 PM)

SirRumpole said:


> Same reason why people buy black cars I suppose. They look cool ?
> 
> Sure if the copters were more visible, maybe the accident wouldn't have happened.



Unfortunately, you are right, I find the current trend of dark cars a problem whenever visibility is poor, not so bad at low speed in the cities but on country roads a real worry

Those Without DRLs are almost invisible when it is raining or on dusk.

What many city folk don't realise that even though They can see where They are going, when out in the country people overtaking a truck, need to be able to see them easily otherwise head on crashes become a real possibility


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## noirua (Monday at 5:02 AM)

macca said:


> Unfortunately, you are right, I find the current trend of dark cars a problem whenever visibility is poor, not so bad at low speed in the cities but on country roads a real worry
> 
> Those Without DRLs are almost invisible when it is raining or on dusk.
> 
> What many city folk don't realise that even though They can see where They are going, when out in the country people overtaking a truck, need to be able to see them easily otherwise head on crashes become a real possibility











						Is it better to have a black or white car in Australia?
					

Andrew N.'s answer: Cars painted white are easier to repair because it is a lot easier to blend and match white spray paint.  If you damage a door panel for example, it is a lot less noticeable the car has been repaired if it is a white coloured car. Whereas, black paint is very hard to match bec...




					qr.ae
				




They seem to reckon green is the best colour.


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## macca (Monday at 2:10 PM)

noirua said:


> Is it better to have a black or white car in Australia?
> 
> 
> Andrew N.'s answer: Cars painted white are easier to repair because it is a lot easier to blend and match white spray paint.  If you damage a door panel for example, it is a lot less noticeable the car has been repaired if it is a white coloured car. Whereas, black paint is very hard to match bec...
> ...




Probably depends where you are, in the city OK but we sure have a lot of green grass and trees in the background here in OZ.

I think the NRMA said that yellow was actually the most visible but I think white is a good compromise.


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## wayneL (Monday at 3:19 PM)

macca said:


> Probably depends where you are, in the city OK but we sure have a lot of green grass and trees in the background here in OZ.
> 
> I think the NRMA said that yellow was actually the most visible but I think white is a good compromise.



I seem to recall that light blue was the last colour visible in failing light, IIRC. Red is apparently the first colour to disappear at dusk, again IIRC.

But white still looks ok when it's filthy.


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## sptrawler (Monday at 6:41 PM)

Interesting article on salvage rights in Australia.









						'Unfortunately, we've missed the boat': Aboriginal group claims ownership of yacht salvage after boat towed away
					

The Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania claims a Sydney to Hobart yacht that washed up on a remote beach is the property of Indigenous Australians and they are entitled to a third of its worth, despite the vessel already being salvaged.




					www.abc.net.au
				



The yacht, Huntress, washed ashore on Christmas Beach on truwana/Cape Barren Island after its rudder broke off during last month's race.

The crew was rescued and the yacht was cut loose and left to drift for a week before it washed ashore.

Overnight it was refloated and today was being towed back to safe harbour in the Tamar River, in northern Tasmania.

But Aboriginal Land Council of Tasmania chairman Michael Mansell said the yacht should not have been salvaged by the insurance company because "any vessels wrecked or washed up on the shores of Aboriginal land belongs to Aborigines".

"We do not give permission for the insurers to move the vessel Huntress," he said.

"The yacht cannot be removed from the island until one-third of its value is paid or the owners agree that Aborigines own the vessel."
Mr Mansell said he was citing an old Aboriginal sea law practice that evolved from the time of the white settlement and has been practised on truwuna/Cape Barren since around 1820.

"The Huntress has washed up on the shores of Aboriginal land on Cape Barren and that makes that vessel the property of Aboriginal people … that's always the Aboriginal law," he said.


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## Knobby22 (Tuesday at 6:14 PM)

Brazilian election having exactly same problems as recent USA election.

Previous President not accepting result, attack on Parliament etc. 

Presidential system flaws are very evident. Dangerous for these democracies.









						Authorities detain 1,500 protestors in Brazil
					

Authorities in Brazil have detained 1,500 people following yesterday's storming of government buildings.  It comes after supporters of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro invaded the National Congress Building after months of protests against the October elections.  A counter-demonstration...




					www.skynews.com.au


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## Dona Ferentes (Tuesday at 6:56 PM)

macca said:


> What many city folk don't realise that even though They can see where They are going, when out in the country people overtaking a truck, need to be able to see them easily otherwise head on crashes become a real possibility



Um, drive with (low beam) lights on, even in the daytime.


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## macca (Yesterday at 3:13 PM)

Dona Ferentes said:


> Um, drive with (low beam) lights on, even in the daytime.




In time, now that DRL are mandatory on new cars, all vehicles will have lights on but there are many, many older cars with drivers that still "don't get it"

I have done a lot of country Ks and some of the idiots on the roads will never learn how to drive


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