Open Thread – Tues 22 Feb 2022


The Choice of Hercules, Annibale Carracci, 1596

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

2.7K Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Razey
Razey
February 24, 2022 9:46 pm

MatrixTransformsays:
February 24, 2022 at 9:35 pm
Probuild raked in $1.3 billion in revenue and made $4 million profit last year

I think I see the problem

It’s a race to the bottom to win contracts. Therefore construction has turned into a cashflow business, profits be damned. As long as money coming in is bigger than money going out, nobody gives a shit, even if some projects are going under.

Frank
Frank
February 24, 2022 9:47 pm

The Brandons are probably getting a kick back from OPEC somehow to enact policies that raise oil prices.

Thefrollickingmole
Thefrollickingmole
February 24, 2022 9:47 pm

Who else produces fertiliser?
China
Until they barred exports last year.

JC
JC
February 24, 2022 9:49 pm

And you know what, I’m actually sick of this bullshit about petrol prices. I can’t stand the idea that some Russian kunt can determine if I pay 80 bucks or $130 plus at the pump. Fuck that, I’ve just decided that I will be going EV for at least one car. No towel head or Russian turd is going to dictate the cost of my energy consumption for just one car. Fuck’em all.

Razey
Razey
February 24, 2022 9:50 pm

Thefrollickingmolesays:
February 24, 2022 at 9:47 pm
Who else produces fertiliser?
China
Until they barred exports last year.

I produce fertilizer. In copious qtys. $100/kg.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
February 24, 2022 9:50 pm

Canada and Morocco, I believe.

Thank you.
A man who knows his fertilizers.
Worked on a bid to OCP a couple of years ago for a monster fertilizer plant in Morocco.
Yuuuuge.
The French-English to and fro was tedious.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
February 24, 2022 9:50 pm

Who else produces fertilizer in big quantities.

Fertilizer is gas. That’s why fertilizer prices (ie. N, not P) have skyrocketed in the last year or so. Gas is sucked up for electricity generation to stop renewbulls crashing the grid. And thank the Greens for locking the gate everywhere in the West, like for the poor Cuadrilla guys. So must have ebil gas but must not produce ebil gas, leading today’s dumb situation.

Likewise the AdBlue shortage, since that’s urea made from ammonia which is made from natural gas. Because the gas price is high it wasn’t worthwhile to manufacture urea anymore, so no AdBlue. Of course there’s no reason why you actually need AdBlue to run a truck, that’s just green ideology. It’s nicely indicative of greenery eating itself.

JC
JC
February 24, 2022 9:50 pm

Mole

Morocco is a big producer of fertilizer I believe.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
February 24, 2022 9:51 pm

I produce fertilizer. In copious qtys. $100/kg.

We know this.
Let it dry.

JC
JC
February 24, 2022 9:54 pm

Shut up Brucie, not all phosphate is gas intense. Go to bed. You should have been in bed 7 hours ago.

Morocco is the world’s largest producer of phosphate, and contains about 75% of the world’s estimated reserves. Mining contributed up to 35% of exports and 5% of GDP .

Razey
Razey
February 24, 2022 9:54 pm

Sancho Panzersays:
February 24, 2022 at 9:51 pm
I produce fertilizer. In copious qtys. $100/kg.

We know this.
Let it dry.

Why let it blow away in the wind, when I can enjoy watching you morons slip and slide through it.

Dot
Dot
February 24, 2022 9:55 pm

Bruce

Can’t I just design a truck with (better) catalytic converters? Why do I need urea to catalyse unburnt diesel & carbon particulates? My second car has a DPF – why can’t that work for trucks?

JC
JC
February 24, 2022 9:55 pm

whoops

meant to say: not all fertilizer is gas intensive.

Timothy Neilson
Timothy Neilson
February 24, 2022 9:56 pm

Winston Smithsays:
February 24, 2022 at 9:28 pm
Rosie:

You don’t think French resistance fighters had any moral grounds to take up arms against the German invaders?

Then don a uniform like the rules say, rosie and don’t hide behind your civvie mates.

What’s morally right and what’s within the rules are two different things.
The rules no doubt permitted the Germans to kill civilian-clothed Resistance fighters.
But having invaded and occupied another country, after having created the war by its previous actions (Poland), they could hardly claim the moral high ground against French citizens resisting them by any means possible.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
February 24, 2022 9:58 pm

It’s a race to the bottom to win contracts. Therefore construction has turned into a cashflow business, profits be damned. As long as money coming in is bigger than money going out, nobody gives a shit, even if some projects are going under.

This statement makes no business sense.
Companies like ProBuild have zero capital equipment.
Therefore positive cash = profit at the end of every project.
That plan doesn’t work unless someone was giving them project advances … ho, ho, fucking ho.

Frank
Frank
February 24, 2022 9:59 pm

Who else produces fertilizer in big quantities.

Big is a relative term. I lived near a chicken shit baron in Rheola (country Victoria) in 2013, if you needed a semi load then Jungle was your man. There was money in it apparently.

MatrixTransform
February 24, 2022 9:59 pm

Peter Schiffs hardon

and JC’s into oil

… there’s the lube

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
February 24, 2022 10:01 pm

Fertilizer is gas. That’s why fertilizer prices (ie. N, not P) have skyrocketed in the last year or so.

There’s a proposal to build a plant producing fertilizer in the Pilbarra of Western Australia. The local indigenous are complaining that the pollution from the plant will destroy their sacred cave paintings, and thus destroy their traditional song lines..

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
February 24, 2022 10:01 pm

I’ll explain a little because there’s clearly some confusion.

P fertilizers derive from phosphate rock and aren’t much affected by gas prices.

N fertilizers come from gas, as I described. N fertilizers have skyrocketed in price because of the dumb EU and the imbecile in the WH.

K fertilizers are basically derived from potash, which is mined. Saskatchewan is one of the biggest produers. It isn’t affected much by the gas price.

Morocco I believe produces P fertilizer mainly. Canada has vast potash deposits. Neither are important to the N fertilizer situation.

I think Qatar makes a lot of ammonia and urea., since they are a huge gas producer. They’re the typical major producer. Other places like Singapore make a lot of ammonia too I believe.

Farming Cats can correct me.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
February 24, 2022 10:03 pm

Oops, the blockquote is my words. Dunno how that happened.

MatrixTransform
February 24, 2022 10:03 pm

It’s a race to the bottom to win contracts.

crazy fucking Dutch Auction

it’s all last-man-standing except they forgot they had to pay the bills along the way

Boambee John
Boambee John
February 24, 2022 10:03 pm

Franksays:
February 24, 2022 at 9:59 pm
Who else produces fertilizer in big quantities.

Big is a relative term. I lived near a chicken shit baron in Rheola (country Victoria) in 2013, if you needed a semi load then Jungle was your man. There was money in it apparently.

One of my student jobs very many years ago was cleaning out the chook pens of a commercial egg farmer. $1 per hour plus being fed (very well I should note). I was still blowing chook shit out of my nose and coughing it up days later.

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
February 24, 2022 10:04 pm

But having invaded and occupied another country, after having created the war by its previous actions (Poland), they could hardly claim the moral high ground against French citizens resisting them by any means possible.

Their fathers faced the same dilemma in Belgium in 1914….

JC
JC
February 24, 2022 10:04 pm

and JC’s into oil

… there’s the lube

I bought the shit at the beginning of the year. I said I was at the time. It’s important not mention trades in a harry hindsight way. I bought the crap and now looking to offload crude futures and make my way into oil minors in the US. This segment could explode shirt term. Overall though I’m really bearish for oil because I think consumers will get sick of the political volatility.

MatrixTransform
February 24, 2022 10:05 pm

Fuck that, I’ve just decided that I will be going EV for at least one car. No towel head or Russian turd is going to dictate the cost of my energy consumption for just one car. Fuck’em all.

make sure it’s a tax deduction

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
February 24, 2022 10:05 pm

I actually heard some moron caller to 3AW yesterday saying that “construction contracts aren’t permitted to have escalation for materials”.
To be fair, Tom Elliot pulled that one up.
The caller has either been sucked into fixed price contracts himself by this bullshit, or he is trying to cover ProBuild’s failures.
Who the fuck believes this shit?
You can put rise and fall in a contract for anything you think is a risk – steel, copper, labour, foreign exchange rates, whatever.

Winston Smith
February 24, 2022 10:07 pm

Timothy Nielson:

But having invaded and occupied another country, after having created the war by its previous actions (Poland), they could hardly claim the moral high ground against French citizens resisting them by any means possible.

You will notice I did not claim Germany possessed the high moral ground.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
February 24, 2022 10:07 pm

Why do I need urea to catalyse unburnt diesel & carbon particulates?

Dot – I defer to Cat truckers on that. But I’ve had direct experience that stuff like urea is a very good reagent for consuming NOx out of exhaust gas. I always thought that was what the AdBlue was mainly for, but I haven’t read up on it.

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
February 24, 2022 10:07 pm

Roberts-Smith and second soldier ‘compromised’ surveillance mission, court told
Michaela Whitbourn
By Michaela Whitbourn
February 24, 2022 — 2.06pm

A serving member of the Defence Force has told the Federal Court that war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith and another soldier compromised a surveillance mission in Afghanistan by shooting a young Afghan man.

Person 2, a former Special Air Service soldier who remains in the Defence Force, gave evidence in Sydney on Thursday in Mr Roberts-Smith’s defamation case that the decorated former soldier was one of two soldiers who shot the man in 2006 during a mission to provide surveillance of the Chora Pass.

He told the court he did not observe a weapon on the young Afghan, although he did see the man retrieving “a bag, a sack of some sort”. He said he did not believe the shooting was “legitimate”.

“Our mission was to observe and surveil. That was our primary mission,” Person 2 said.

Part of that mission was “not to become decisively engaged”, which meant a combat situation that “affects potentially the outcome of the mission”.

“That was to be avoided at all costs, because if an OP [observation post] becomes decisively engaged, then it affects your ability to complete your larger mission, which in this case was to observe and surveil.”

By shooting the Afghan man, Mr Roberts-Smith and the other soldier “compromised the OP, and it compromised our ability to complete that mission and remain undetected”, he said.

The Federal Court has previously heard that Australian SAS troops came under fire from Taliban insurgents after the initial shooting near the observation post.

A serving SAS soldier dubbed Person 1 told the court last week that he was with Person 2 at the observation post, and also observed the young Afghan man. He said he did not see a weapon on the man.

Person 1 was shown an incident report recording that the Afghan man was “armed with an AK varient [sic] weapon”, “aggressively patroling [sic]” with “both hands on weapon” when he was shot. The report said the man was shot by two soldiers, identified by their call sign. Person 1 said he believed one of the call signs belonged to Mr Roberts-Smith.

“I did not observe an AK weapon. I did not observe them ready to fire,” Person 1 said of the Afghan man.

Under cross-examination by Mr Roberts-Smith’s barrister, Bruce McClintock, SC, Person 1 agreed that it had always been his view that it was legitimate to assess the Afghan man as a threat and to kill him.

Mr Roberts-Smith launched defamation proceedings in 2018 against The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Canberra Times over a series of articles that he says accuse him of being a war criminal, among other claims.

He denies all wrongdoing. The media outlets are seeking to rely on a defence of truth and allege Mr Roberts-Smith committed or was involved in six murders of Afghans under the control of Australian troops, when they cannot be killed under the rules of engagement.

The trial continues.

JC
JC
February 24, 2022 10:10 pm

Matrix

Paying 80 bucks for a full tank if borders on just okay. Personally think it ought to be 50 bucks. I’ll be fucked if I’m going to give Putin a portion of the $130 plus I will be paying next time.

This is going to become a business strategy for the Russian kunt. Cause havoc and that will cause the price of oil to go up. Fuck the corrupt piece of shit.

Dot
Dot
February 24, 2022 10:12 pm

“construction contracts aren’t permitted to have escalation for materials”.

Um,

Part of one of my old jobs was constructing such schedules for BOOT and public asset managers etc.

cohenite
February 24, 2022 10:13 pm

Fuck that, I’ve just decided that I will be going EV for at least one car. No towel head or Russian turd is going to dictate the cost of my energy consumption for just one car. Fuck’em all.

I can’t tell if you’re being serious head prefect; but bear in mind while you’re right about the bears and the towelheads with petrol, electricity won’t be there to replace it courtesy of the filth. When rub and tug wins there will be no electricity in this shit-hole.

JC
JC
February 24, 2022 10:19 pm

I am serious, Cronkers. I don’t want to be at the mercy of these fucking arseholes anymore.

lotocoti
lotocoti
February 24, 2022 10:19 pm

American made yet not only equals but surpasses a lot of the, usual, British made historical genre

Created and written by Julian Fellowes.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
February 24, 2022 10:19 pm

I forgot to mention that I’ve worked at two sites with ammonia plants, and did work on several other ammonia projects: engineering, project economics. Some on nitric acid also. I’ve worked at two operations with superphosphate plants, and done lots of supporting work around them, especially on acid plants. And was peripherally involved in one large potash project. But I’m not a farmer who actually uses the stuff. I just make it.

srr
srr
February 24, 2022 10:20 pm

Two Lawfare Prosecutors Leading Trump Inquiry in New York City Quit, Manhattan DA Doubts There Is a Case
February 23, 2022 | Sundance | 151 Comments

Sometimes things just fall on the side of the righteous. The premise of the silly Manhattan case against Donald Trump was that he inflated the value of his real estate holdings in the city. The DA was trying to make some kind of fraud case over it, but it always seemed ridiculous.

Consider the scenario, they are ultimately debating and trying to legally criminalize the subjective value of a physical asset. Imagine the timing of such a case right now when the value of property is so high.

You tell a grand jury that Trump inflated the value, and then someone just asks what it’s worth, and the answer is, “well, right now, it’s worth a lot more than he claimed then,” and the silliness of the case gets worse. I digress…

Splodey heads are happening today, because the two prosecutors in the case have quit, and the Manhattan district attorney says he doubts there’s any case here… and the salty tears of the far-left are crying, “curse you villain!”

(New York) – The two prosecutors leading the Manhattan district attorney’s investigation into former President Donald J. Trump and his business practices abruptly resigned on Wednesday amid a monthlong pause in their presentation of evidence to a grand jury, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The stunning development comes not long after the high-stakes inquiry appeared to be gaining momentum and throws its future into serious doubt.

(more…)
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2022/02/23/two-lawfare-prosecutors-leading-trump-inquiry-in-new-york-city-quit-manhattan-da-doubts-there-is-a-case/

Dot
Dot
February 24, 2022 10:22 pm

LOL

No more free stay at home holidays for diversity hires.

https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/covid-19/Documents/certain-critical-worker-exemption.pdf#toc-eligible-critical-workers

Critical worker exemption from the Public Health (COVID-19 Self-Isolation) Order (No 4) 2021 (No 5)

LOL, exempted:

journalism

rosie
rosie
February 24, 2022 10:22 pm

You making excuses for the nazis Winston?
It seems to me your argument is people are not allowed to fight an invader unless they can don a uniform.
I don’t agree and I don’t think the allies did either considering how much support they provided to the French.
resistance.
Incidentally I’m pretty sure the specific incident to which I’m referring the young men were in the uniform of the FFI but that didn’t prevent their summary execution.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
February 24, 2022 10:22 pm

OK.
So Vlad has a right to defend Wussia by attacking Ukraine, because they were contemplating joining NATO.
And we agree that he is emboldened to do this because Western Europe and the US are militarily and politically weak.
So, Vlad has to invade a neighbouring sovereign country to pre-emptively defend against an attack from an emasculated NATO alliance?
Yeah, nah, fuck off.
He has designs on rebuilding the USSR.
You know, that thing which was dismantled by the last true conservative President, Ronnie Reagan.

JC
JC
February 24, 2022 10:22 pm

Brucie. you rotated dials. Stop the bullshit. If you were as good as you always make out, you’d be living in Mosman or the eastern burbs instead of Oldcastle and not driving a 150 year old Camray. Cut the crap.

Zatara
Zatara
February 24, 2022 10:24 pm

I’m not sure where the cut off level is that would make the Brandons concerned because of the electoral impact.

From what I can see it’s got to be getting very close JC.

Average US petrol price tonight is $3.52 per gallon – up $0.89 from a year ago, and for no reason other than Biden sucking up to the greenies. People I’ve talked to are pissed off big time and it isn’t just due to the fuel prices. Stock market is in freefall. Inflation is really starting to hit hard.

Biden and the Dem’s approval ratings are sinking like a rock. The Dems whose seats are up for election in Nov are shittin kittens and are putting serious heat on the administration. 28 Dem Congressmen have announced they aren’t going to defend their seats. Rats leaving a sinking ship.

The Rep CPAC convention kicks off in about 3 hours. One of the special guest speakers is no other than Tulsi Gabbard if that gives you a sense of how things are going.

JC
JC
February 24, 2022 10:24 pm

He has designs on rebuilding the USSR.

What’s the argument. The turd has stated this without any ambiguity.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
February 24, 2022 10:24 pm

Dotsays:

February 24, 2022 at 10:12 pm

“construction contracts aren’t permitted to have escalation for materials”.

Um,

Part of one of my old jobs was constructing such schedules for BOOT and public asset managers etc.

Yep.
Couldn’t believe someone actually believed that.

JC
JC
February 24, 2022 10:26 pm

One of the special guest speakers is no other than Tulsi Gabbard if that gives you a sense of how things are going.

Zat, really? Wow, FMD.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
February 24, 2022 10:29 pm

JCsays:

February 24, 2022 at 10:24 pm

He has designs on rebuilding the USSR.

What’s the argument. The turd has stated this without any ambiguity.

Oh, no.
Vlad is the Great Defender of the Christian Faith.
Pure as the driven Moscow snow.
Also, when he takes his shirt off, sucks his guts in and sits on a pony, some of us get a stiffy.
Not me.

MatrixTransform
February 24, 2022 10:29 pm

Paying 80 bucks for a full tank if borders on just okay

drove to Adelaide on a tank and had a few hundred K’s left over
drove back to Melb on a tank and had a couple of hundred K’s left over

the diesel was purring like a jet engine … 110 kmh

saw one Tesla

the elec recharge station at Kieth was empty when we stopped for a sausage roll and a coffee

both there and back

rosie
rosie
February 24, 2022 10:30 pm

I got the impression Winston that you are claiming those German atrocities where the direct consequence of resistance actions.
In effect that the French resistance should have not acted against the Germans, because Geneva Convention even though the Germans themselves didn’t abide by the Geneva Convention.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
February 24, 2022 10:30 pm

Hey, does anyone want to move to Vlad’s macho Wussia?

JC
JC
February 24, 2022 10:32 pm

Matrix

That’s great. Really, I happy that you’re content. However I’m never going to drive interstate nor much further than 150 ks at a time.

miltonf
miltonf
February 24, 2022 10:34 pm

I am serious, Cronkers. I don’t want to be at the mercy of these fucking arseholes anymore.

yeah but the fuckers who make up our political establishment here are doing their best to make electricity expensive and unreliable- that’s where the push for electric cars has never made sense to me unless it’s for nomenklatura only. We should be looking for more oil here and build new refineries. My gf used to talk about Newnes shale oil and how you could even fill up there.

JC
JC
February 24, 2022 10:35 pm

Vlad is the Great Defender of the Christian Faith.

He sure is. At $1.4 billion, the meek shall inherit the earth.

miltonf
miltonf
February 24, 2022 10:36 pm

Hey, does anyone want to move to Vlad’s macho Wussia?

better than being screemed at by transsexuals in Ottawa

Zatara
Zatara
February 24, 2022 10:39 pm

He sure is. At $1.4 billion, the meek shall inherit the earth.

Yeah, but he got out of the dollar months ago and the ruble is about to hit all time lows.

Frank
Frank
February 24, 2022 10:40 pm

Are there any electric cars apart from Teslas that aren’t totally gay?

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
February 24, 2022 10:40 pm

JCsays:

February 24, 2022 at 10:35 pm

Vlad is the Great Defender of the Christian Faith.

He sure is. At $1.4 billion, the meek shall inherit the earth.

This may surprise, but I was being a tad sarcastic.
Vlad is just placating the Orthodox sector for convenience.
He would crush any genuine religious opposition in a heartbeat.
The fact that he crushes Muslim opposition in satellite states doesn’t make him a friend of Christianity.
He is just killing the biggest religious threat first.
Take a number, Jesus guys.

incoherent rambler
incoherent rambler
February 24, 2022 10:41 pm

nor much further than 150 ks at a time.

buy a tricycle.

and
Since whenever, Russian rulers like to surround the place with friendly or occupied states.
The idea is that with any invasion the battles will not be fought on Russian soil. No more Stalingrads.
and
Goodnight all.

MatrixTransform
February 24, 2022 10:43 pm

I’m never going to drive interstate nor much further than 150 ks at a time

Brm Brm

JC
JC
February 24, 2022 10:44 pm

Frank says:
February 24, 2022 at 10:40 pm

Are there any electric cars apart from Teslas that aren’t totally gay?

Frank, I’m eyeing this off and thinking about pulling the trigger.

Zatara
Zatara
February 24, 2022 10:44 pm

that’s where the push for electric cars has never made sense to me

Same here milton. I got an estimate on installing a charging station at my home last week – ouch. Between that and watching electricity bills soar I’m not too comfortable buying what to me is still an experimental car.

Razey
Razey
February 24, 2022 10:45 pm

JCsays:
February 24, 2022 at 10:40 pm
Here’s the Russian opposition “leader” who the humble man of God tried to poison and when that failed the piece of shit had him jailed.

Heh. And our overlords are as pure as the driven snow.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
February 24, 2022 10:46 pm

miltonfsays:

February 24, 2022 at 10:36 pm

Hey, does anyone want to move to Vlad’s macho Wussia?

better than being screemed at by transsexuals in Ottawa

It goes like this.
You arrive in Wussia as a Western ex-pat.
You glow like a Maccas neon sign as a target.
Within a week a Wussian blob knocks on your door offering security for USD200 per month.
You complain to the cops.
The say they can do it for USD 150.
Good luck.
As shitholes go, it is up there.

Dot
Dot
February 24, 2022 10:46 pm

I don’t trust our like our rulers.

I still distrust and dislike an ex KGB dude even more.

JC
JC
February 24, 2022 10:48 pm

I got an estimate on installing a charging station at my home last week – ouch.

Zat, you probably don’t in the US, if that’s where you are for now. I have phase 3 available in my home as it was built in the past 15 years. The Mercedes charging station/ panel thing is 2k.

JC
JC
February 24, 2022 10:50 pm

Heh. And our overlords are as pure as the driven snow.

Who has Morrison ordered to be murdered? How about Trump?

It’s a roach hotel with the Russian kunt.

Razey
Razey
February 24, 2022 10:51 pm

Dotsays:
February 24, 2022 at 10:46 pm
I don’t trust our like our rulers.

I still distrust and dislike an ex KGB dude even more.

I’m sick of our sneaky, smirking POS overlords, I’d give Vlad a go.

miltonf
miltonf
February 24, 2022 10:51 pm

Sure batteries are getting better and my Ryobi tools are excellent- no farting around with 2 stroke mix but batteries still degrade with each charge-discharge

JC
JC
February 24, 2022 10:52 pm

I’m sick of our sneaky, smirking POS overlords, I’d give Vlad a go.

Just sad.

JC
JC
February 24, 2022 10:53 pm

…but batteries still degrade with each charge-discharge

Thems the breaks Milt. 🙂

miltonf
miltonf
February 24, 2022 10:56 pm

Within a week a Wussian blob knocks on your door offering security for USD200 per month.
You complain to the cops.
The say they can do it for USD 150.
Good luck.
As shitholes go, it is up there.

yes I see your point- funny thing is I was asked in 2013 if I was interested in working there and I said no.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
February 24, 2022 10:56 pm

Heh. And our overlords are as pure as the driven snow.

They are not.
But I am not swapping any of them for that murderous fucker Putin any time soon.

Zipster
Zipster
February 24, 2022 10:58 pm

White Lies, Black Ops & Red China: Insider Exposes Pandemic Money Trails | Glenn TV | Ep 173
It’s been obvious the CIA was balls deep in wuhan. The telltale sign was that nobody has been charged with anything. nor been told to walk. not Fauci not Daszak. nobody. Given they were working with china on its bioweapon program, the obvious conclusion is that they were working for the CIA.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
February 24, 2022 10:58 pm

Razeysays:

February 24, 2022 at 10:51 pm

Dotsays:
February 24, 2022 at 10:46 pm
I don’t trust our like our rulers.

I still distrust and dislike an ex KGB dude even more.

I’m sick of our sneaky, smirking POS overlords, I’d give Vlad a go.

So, you’re moving from Japan to Wussia now?

MatrixTransform
February 24, 2022 10:59 pm

I’m eyeing this off and thinking about pulling the trigger

maaate … looks like a Mazda

go for the Alfa Romeo

JC
JC
February 24, 2022 11:00 pm

maaate … looks like a Mazda

I can live with that. 🙂

Wally Dalí
Wally Dalí
February 24, 2022 11:02 pm

looks like a Mazda
Looks like a Honda. Unless that Simone bird is eight foot and two hundred kilos, that shot of her tucked into the tailgate betrays the fact that Merc’s electric “SUV” is barely a hatchback.

Razey
Razey
February 24, 2022 11:02 pm

JCsays:
February 24, 2022 at 10:55 pm
Razey

You’re not allowed to give this dude a go. He was nearly poisoned and now jailed.

Dan Andrews kills 800 and gets a free pass?

Bourne1879
Bourne1879
February 24, 2022 11:03 pm

Very good interview on Youtube by Megyn Kelly with Dr Ladapo Surgeon General of Florida. Covers masks for kids, boosters, danger of repeated boosters, monoclonal antibodies, hydroxy and Ivermectin. Mentions the recent Malaysian IVM research. IVM safer than Ibuprofen and wrong to say dangerous. Says he is friends with Dr Jay B who was one of the Great Barrington Declaration Dr’s. Said he thinks he has had Covid although never tested positive to it. Not a Fauci fan.

I remember reading somewhere that Florida was one of the few states that basically followed the thoughts of Barrington/ Dr Jay.

Megyn knows the subject and her own family’s experience interesting. Her kids have had Covid and unvaxxed. She is triple vaxxed but anti kids getting vax.

Starts around 52 min mark.
Vaccine vs. Natural Immunity, and Parents Fighting Back, with Dr. Joseph Ladapo and Brian Echevarria

MatrixTransform
February 24, 2022 11:05 pm

I can live with that

I love my Mazda
but it needs a 3.0td
2.2td doesnt cut it

Audi?

JC
JC
February 24, 2022 11:07 pm

Dan Andrews kills 800 and gets a free pass?

DON’T fucking vote for Andrews then and pull the lever for someone else. You can’t vote for the other guy in Russia though , because Putin had him jailed under false pretext. I bet you still can’t see the difference.

Frank
Frank
February 24, 2022 11:09 pm

Fair enough, that Mercedes seems pretty nice. The cheap little ones I see around usually leave a lot to be desired. The Maybachs are electric now too I think, styled on a fifties era wooden speedboat which is nice.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
February 24, 2022 11:15 pm

I’m sick of our sneaky, smirking POS overlords, I’d give Vlad a go.

Just to be clear Razor, these “sneaky, smirking POS overlords”.
Are they in Japan or Australia?
I am struggling to keep up.
You are country-hopping like Ronnie Biggs.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
February 24, 2022 11:18 pm

I do not love Dan Andrews at all.
In fact I fucking detest the man.
But I am not trading him for Vlad the Invader.

Knuckle Dragger
Knuckle Dragger
February 24, 2022 11:23 pm

The problem with moving to Russia is that you might like to be on The Team, but the Russians won’t let you be on The Team.

As mentioned, you’ll stick out like dogs’ balls, and attract the attention of every one of the multiple Russki security organisations. Then it’ll be time for a chat with them.

‘Yeah nah, I like Putin, he’s fuckin’ gold mate. That’s why I’m here. Fair enough?’
‘Nyet.’

In the unlikely event they decide you’re harmless and let you out – you’ll be down your wallet, your keys and your kidneys inside a fortnight courtesy of the spivs and standover men who make the best we have in this country look and sound like Liberace.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
February 24, 2022 11:25 pm

Robert Gottliebsen in the Oz

The collapse of Probuild will cause massive losses in the subcontracting and consulting industries and could send many enterprises to the wall. But that’s not the biggest repercussion from the collapse.

Longer term the gravy train which enabled developers led by the industry superannuation funds and Cbus to make a fortune developing properties is coming to an end.

It is paradoxical that the workers whose union driven work practices contributed to the fall of Probuild should also be among the sufferers.

We’re gonna need a bigger room for this elephant.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
February 24, 2022 11:28 pm

KD.
Are you suggesting that self-styled Aussie hard men might be re-calibrated on the Wussian scale to somewhere around the Pooftah Pansie level?

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
February 24, 2022 11:31 pm

KD.
A mate just returned from three years in ‘nam.
His take?
“No matter how free and easy and fun it all appears, particularly in tourist spots, always keep your guard up. You are living in a Communist country.”

Frank
Frank
February 24, 2022 11:33 pm

This election is pretty slim pickings by the looks of it, choices are a human blancmange versus a snivelling sex pest. How did we get here.

Siltstone
Siltstone
February 24, 2022 11:35 pm

Sancho P quoted this:
Longer term the gravy train which enabled developers led by the industry superannuation funds and Cbus to make a fortune developing properties is coming to an end.
China virus stemmed the immigration Ponzi scheme – hear sounds of chickens coming home to roost.

Knuckle Dragger
Knuckle Dragger
February 24, 2022 11:36 pm

Are you suggesting that self-styled Aussie hard men might be re-calibrated on the Wussian scale to somewhere around the Pooftah Pansie level?

John Wick was one of their rejects.

Think about that.

DrBeauGan
DrBeauGan
February 24, 2022 11:38 pm

And the idea that someone would support Russia/Putin because of the unacceptable nature of the western left is mind boggling.

Oh I dunno. If Oz wants to get involved in Ukraine, I’d slightly prefer to go in on the side of the Russians. I don’t like Putin, but I’ve got some respect for his competence, I can’t say that for the so called leaders of the West.

srr
srr
February 24, 2022 11:43 pm

Vox Day
@voxday

46m
·
Eat meat. Live longer.

Come on, does it really surprise you to learn that the mainstream food narrative for the last 50 years was false all along?

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-02-meat-eating-human-life-worldwide.html

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
February 24, 2022 11:44 pm

PR lesson for former Lark Distillery CEO and glass barbie enthusiast Geoff Bainbridge.
If you want to accuse a major newspaper of being in league with blackmailers to peddle a faked a video to extort you, make sure you are squeaky clean.
Firstly, make sure the video can’t be conclusively traced to Melbourne and dated 2021 when you claim it was taken in Singapore in 2015.
Predictably, the Oz is now publishing one article per day pulling the wings off Mr Bainbridge.
And it looks like a target rich environment for the them.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
February 24, 2022 11:47 pm

China virus stemmed the immigration Ponzi scheme – hear sounds of chickens coming home to roost.

Yes Siltstone.
The market for shitty 32 sq mtr dogbox bedsits has dried up.
This is no bad thing.

srr
srr
February 24, 2022 11:49 pm

PrisonPlanet
@PrisonPlanet

22h
·
One Democratic congressman has suggested that authorities should “impound” the vehicles of Freedom Convoy protesters and then give them away to businesses that are compliant with the government mandates.

https://summit.news/2022/02/23/dem-rep-suggests-stealing-trucks-of-mandate-protesters-and-giving-them-away-to-compliant-businesses/

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
February 24, 2022 11:49 pm

No matter how free and easy and fun it all appears, particularly in tourist spots, always keep your guard up. You are living in a Communist country.”

A Communist country, where the trishaw drivers – in Hanoi, of all places – quoted the fare in U.S. Dollars – they weren’t interested in Dong, and the bribe to have your son exempted from conscription was also quoted in “Long Green?”

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
February 24, 2022 11:52 pm

Example cited by my Vietman mate.
Got burgled.
Local cops were very helpful.
He offered up his surveillance camera footage.
Nek minnit, helpfulness dissipated, and more senior VietPlod were telling him how hard it all was and, “Oh, can we double check your visa?”

Bill From the Bush
Bill From the Bush
February 24, 2022 11:55 pm

re adblue ,
European regulations required that diesel trucks stop polluting with unburnt fuel known as particulates.
The designers got around this by running the motors lean which stops the particulates and cleans up the exhaust.
However the downside is the motor now produces lots of NOX (nitrous oxides) which apparently cause acid rain or something .
So the smart engineers came up with a fix for that. The exhaust stream has some adblu (a solution of urea in water) added to it before it is sent through a catalytic convertor. In the cat convertor the adblu reacts with the NOX to form Nitrogen and water vapour.
The bureaucrats realised that some people would run the system without using the adblu, so they mandated (lovely word that bureaucrats orgasm over) that the manufacturers program the engine management systems to derate the engine if the adblu system is played with.
From memory the catalyst is zircon or something similar and is totally different to the cats in petrol cars.
Common problems are the adblu injector caking up with crystalised urea, split hoses and holes in the exhaust all causing the system to fail. DAF use two NOX sensors just to really fuck you over and used to be prone to derating all the time. Emulators can be bought to bluff the system but you get what yo
u pay for and cheap ones are virtually useless. Reprogramming can be done if you have the correct software to talk to the ECU. As you would expect each manufacturer has their own proprietory software system
DPF systems capture the particulates in fine screens that the exhaust stream has to flow through. When the Engine management system decides enough time has elapsed it dumps a small volume of raw fuel into the DPF and ignites it to burn the stuff off.
NSW fire had some early Isuzu models where the exhaust points down and consequently the grass around the truck would catch fire.

Rex Anger
Rex Anger
February 24, 2022 11:59 pm

There’s a proposal to build a plant producing fertilizer in the Pilbarra of Western Australia.

Already producing, Zulu.

There was a mob called Salt Lake Potash, who were just about to start producing potash sulfate salts from the brine lakes at Leonora, but crashed out at the last hurdle by running out of money last October. Just as they were ironing out the last kinks in their manufacturing processes about to commence production.

The company is in receivership, but the plant has been built (so far as I know), so we might yet see it resurface in somebody else’s hands before long. And probably sooner rather than later.

Rex Anger
Rex Anger
February 25, 2022 12:06 am

@ Bill-

Thanks for that.

I know that Cummins have been really eager to push their big prime movers into freight rail ops, chasing the big markets in the US (and, ultimately worldwide) for Tier 4+ locos as the regulatory screws tighten.

Problem being, their Tier 5-level emissions reduction figures demanded AdBlue. And this is an extra consumable that would add cost and weight and chew up unavailable space (particularly in nations with less generous loading gauges- Europe and Australia spring readily to mind), so the big railroads said ‘no.’ That, and their high-speed motors have tended to prove mostly better suited to railcars and passenger ops.

CAT, EMD and GE have persisted with lean-burning medium speed diesel prime movers, and continue to hold the lion’s share of the market.

srr
srr
February 25, 2022 12:07 am

Bill Mitchell
@mitchellvii
·
15h
WE CAUGHT THEM!

It has just been discovered that genetic material patented by Moderna is in the virus’s spike protein! It is this place in the spike which makes Covid so infectious!

So the vaccine manufacturer’s DNA sequence is part of Covid? They say there is a one-in-three-trillion chance that could have occurred naturally.

NOW WE KNOW. Covid was invented in a lab to unleash the deadly mRNA vaccine upon the world!

previewImg
Fresh lab leak fears as study finds genetic code in Covid’s spike protein linked to Moderna patent

Fresh suspicion that Covid may have been tinkered with in a lab emerged today after scientists found genetic material owned by Moderna in the virus’s spike protein. They identified a tiny snippet of…
https://yvn.news/fresh-lab-leak-fears-as-study-finds-genetic-code-in-covids-spike-protein-linked-to-moderna-patent/
yvn.news

Zatara
Zatara
February 25, 2022 12:12 am

Moscow stock market fell pretty heavily this morning before they managed to shut it down.

Now reopened but down 32%

Sberbank state-owned Russian banking and financial services company down 48%

Zatara
Zatara
February 25, 2022 12:16 am

Gazprom down 39%… someone doesn’t think that pipeline is safe it seems.

GreyRanga
GreyRanga
February 25, 2022 12:18 am

You’re right JC, she could pull my trigger anytime. HiHo Silver! Other than that just another overpriced Merc. I passed on a 1973 450slc for $23k silly me, it was beautiful. I really only like old cars.

Miss Anthropist
Miss Anthropist
February 25, 2022 12:55 am

The Germans shot French civilians in the Franco Prussian War.
The Germans shot Belgium and French Civilians in World War 1. And Nurse Carell. And lots of Africans.
It seems they may have form for it leading up to World War 2.

srr
srr
February 25, 2022 1:01 am

Catturd ™
@catturd2
·
7m
You mean, Pete Buttigieg going on maternity leave for 3 months didn’t scare the hell out of Putin and make him think twice about invading Ukraine?

Wally Dalí
Wally Dalí
February 25, 2022 1:12 am
Tom
Tom
February 25, 2022 4:00 am
Tom
Tom
February 25, 2022 4:01 am
Tom
Tom
February 25, 2022 4:02 am
Tom
Tom
February 25, 2022 4:03 am
Tom
Tom
February 25, 2022 4:04 am
Tom
Tom
February 25, 2022 4:05 am
Tom
Tom
February 25, 2022 4:07 am
Tom
Tom
February 25, 2022 4:08 am
Tom
Tom
February 25, 2022 4:12 am
Tom
Tom
February 25, 2022 4:13 am
Tom
Tom
February 25, 2022 4:14 am
Tom
Tom
February 25, 2022 4:15 am
Tom
Tom
February 25, 2022 4:17 am
Tom
Tom
February 25, 2022 4:18 am
DrBeauGan
DrBeauGan
February 25, 2022 4:28 am

Thanks Tom. Garrison a bit weird today. Most of the rest predictable and not very imaginative, but the Kelly was good.

Zatara
Zatara
February 25, 2022 4:29 am

Strong words from Boris Johnson in the House of Commons re sanctions on Russia and Belarus
– Banned Aeroflot from the UK
– Export controls on Russia and Belarus of all dual use items
– Possibly cut Russia out of the Swift banking system
– Ban Russian companies from raising funds in UK
– Asset freezes on all Russian arms manufacturers
– Going after corrupt Russian oligarch assets in UK
– Squeeze Russia from the international economy
Calling for increases in NATO funding/capability

rosie
rosie
February 25, 2022 5:17 am
rosie
rosie
February 25, 2022 5:22 am

James Morrow suggesting Biden restart Keystone, Germany should end the green dream and Australia should go nuclear.
Ending dependence on Russian energy might have an impact.
On the other hand the Ukrainian government might be the badder baddies

Zatara
Zatara
February 25, 2022 5:38 am

Hundreds of Russians protest Ukraine invasion despite warning they’ll be ‘held liable’

The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs warned against protests Thursday, but that didn’t keep hundreds of Russians from taking to the streets to oppose their government’s invasion of Ukraine.

Public opinion in Russia will be an interesting factor.

Dot
Dot
February 25, 2022 5:52 am

NSW fire had some early Isuzu models where the exhaust points down and consequently the grass around the truck would catch fire.

Dot
Dot
February 25, 2022 5:53 am

Yeah, clown world has been with us for some time!

Megan
Megan
February 25, 2022 6:04 am

Thanks as always, Tom, for ‘toon world. Nothing much to laugh about today although Mark Knight raised a smile.

rosie
rosie
February 25, 2022 6:24 am
JC
JC
February 25, 2022 6:32 am

rosie says:
February 25, 2022 at 5:22 am
James Morrow suggesting Biden restart Keystone, Germany should end the green dream and Australia should go nuclear.
Ending dependence on Russian energy might have an impact.
On the other hand the Ukrainian government might be the badder baddies

Rosie, there is no earthly reason to think the brandons and their green scum allies wouldn’t rejoice at higher prices for oil and gas. They don’t think like us!

feelthebern
feelthebern
February 25, 2022 6:36 am

Rex, last night you mentioned Salt Lake Potash.
The commonly held view is that the administration call was driven by one key creditor.
Their expectation that the two other largest creditors (Australian government & the German government) would just walk, leaving them to have a clear run at the asset for chump change.
But their problem now is they are going to be given a run for their money because it seems everyone is now wise to their strategy.
All told, it’s about a $A500mill debt & equity wipe out.
The new owner is going to make serious bank on the asset over the next decade.

Ed Case
Ed Case
February 25, 2022 6:39 am

This statement makes no business sense.
Companies like ProBuild have zero capital equipment.

Okay.
ProBuild also plays developer.
They bought a 6 storey block of brick units on the cnr of Margaret and Albert about 14 years ago, booted the tenants, demolished the building at great expense because full of asbestos, it’s sat vacant with a ProBuild sign on the fence since 2010.
Just the Council Rates alone woulda cost them a pretty penny.

feelthebern
feelthebern
February 25, 2022 6:42 am

Biden is a vindictive swampy.
It shouldn’t come as any surprise.
He’s been that way all his public life.

feelthebern
feelthebern
February 25, 2022 7:10 am

I have to hand it to the LDP.
Over the last couple of years they really have lifted their game regarding engagement.
I donated to Lewkovitz’s campaign yesterday.
I then get the email saying thank you & if I reply with anything, Daniel will personally see it.
So I email back with a few things.
Last night I get an email that addresses each point.
I have no doubt it was a staffer that replied, not the candidate (either that or AI is out of control).
And it wasn’t a huge donation either.
Anyway, hopefully the LDP get above the AEC quota so they get my taxpayer funding.

Dot
Dot
February 25, 2022 7:20 am

What Dover was mocking, the prevalence of the same story elsewhere points to its confection for me.

“AUSSIES WORRIED ABOUT SURROGATE MUMS IN UKRAINE”

“IRISH MAMMIES WORRIED ABOUT UKRAINIAN SURROGATES”

The content is nowhere near as telling.

Dot
Dot
February 25, 2022 7:21 am

Grigory giving business advice.

You may as well ask your hens about scuba diving.

feelthebern
feelthebern
February 25, 2022 7:26 am

From the Richard Hanania substack column yesterday.

This is why, when I oppose American intervention in Ukraine, I’m not going to preface it by saying how bad Putin is, at least until those in favor of being involved have to answer for Iraq, Syria, Libya, and the other disasters that have characterized American foreign policy over the last several decades.

Good point.
Why should I have to preface everything with “Putin is a monster”.
A few billionaires in Kiev tried to play Europe off against Russia almost a decade ago.
Not to join NATO.
But for money.
And then Russia gave them more.
Deal done, contract with the devil entered into.

will
will
February 25, 2022 7:28 am
calli
calli
February 25, 2022 7:30 am

Frank says:
February 24, 2022 at 11:33 pm
This election is pretty slim pickings by the looks of it, choices are a human blancmange versus a snivelling sex pest. How did we get here.

Groundhog Day.

What’s different to May 2019?

DrBeauGan
DrBeauGan
February 25, 2022 7:31 am

Venus, goddess of love, and Mars, god of war, side by side in the eastern sky ahead of the sun. And looked down on by a crescent moon. I daresay it’s deeply symbolic of something or other. Or maybe it’s just that Mars is the opposite side of the solar system at the moment.

Beertruk
Beertruk
February 25, 2022 7:32 am
Farmer Gez
Farmer Gez
February 25, 2022 7:35 am

Time to unleash Michelle Obama and the #istandwithUkraine woke offensive.

feelthebern
feelthebern
February 25, 2022 7:36 am

Looks like Caro reckons she’ll meet the AEC quote for the tax payer dosh.
Is dopey Rob Oakeshott going to go around again this election?

Zatara
Zatara
February 25, 2022 7:37 am

Check out all the Woke Cultists’ reactions to the Ukraine invasion

Amazing. These people truly have no grasp on reality.

Cassie of Sydney
February 25, 2022 7:38 am

I suspect that, despite the strong words from our normally feeble and idiotic leaders in the west, Bumbling Blob Johnson, Scumbag Morrison, The Rotting Corpse, Miniscule Macron (who got his backside smacked by Putin), Justine Turdeau et al, they’re not only thanking Putin for Ukraine, they’re loving it. It’s given them a perfect distraction from their own political woes and incompetence (and they’re all masters at political incompetence) and it’s given them a perfect opportunity to stand up and wave a stick at Putin. I find them all Pythonesque.

Last night I watched our own Scumbag Morrison, who everyday reminds me more and more of Billy Bunter, give a press conference and he was rambling on about “freedom”…..and I roared with laughter. Such inane tripe from a feeble moron who hasn’t said one word, not one word, about the various abuses committed against Australian citizens over the last two years and particularly against Victorian citizens. But his favourite word now is “freedom”…and I’m supposed to buy that? I suspect many of us aren’t buying this new found love for freedom from the aforementioned feeble fools. And let me make this clear, I’m not laughing at what is going on in Ukraine although anyone was a modicum of knowledge of the history of Ukraine would know it’s complicated. And I’m not laughing because I like Putin. I don’t. Putin is a thug but I tell who I dislike more and that is that utterly corrupt, venal, sleazy, sniffing, rotting corpse currently occupying the WH. America is being trashed by the rotting corpse and the Democrat party. The west is being trashed. Putin isn’t a hypocrite, he doesn’t pretend to be a democrat. Here in the west we are being surrounded by, governed by, lectured by a cohort of elitist and smug hypocrites, be it our political leaders, our judiciary, our MSM and so on. They pretend to respect democracy and the voter but the truth is they hate us. It’s easy to mouth the word “freedom”. We might believe we’re morally better than Russia but we aren’t. As C.L. said so perfectly in his blog piece, we no longer live in the west of our grandparents after World War II, or 1970 or even 1990. The west has completely destroyed its soul. I suspect we’ve all known this for a long time…it’s just that Covid has laid it bare.

feelthebern
feelthebern
February 25, 2022 7:39 am

I’m working from home today so I won’t have access to the Bloomberg terminal to watch European gas hubs.
When I log in remotely it kills the NBN.

Cassie of Sydney
February 25, 2022 7:40 am

“Good point.
Why should I have to preface everything with “Putin is a monster”.
A few billionaires in Kiev tried to play Europe off against Russia almost a decade ago.
Not to join NATO.
But for money.
And then Russia gave them more.
Deal done, contract with the devil entered into.”

Well said Bern, exactly how feel.

feelthebern
feelthebern
February 25, 2022 7:41 am

I find them all Pythonesque.

Hear, hear.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
February 25, 2022 7:43 am

Haha, schadenfreude for the green Euroweenies.

EV Charging Prices In Munich Expected To Rise As Much As 81% (24 Feb)

It looks as though living the alternative energy EV dream is coming with higher costs…at least, that’s what’s being reported on the ground in Munich.

Germany’s “messy transition to renewable energies” is resulting in an unpleasant surprise for EV owners at charging stations, energy-focused German blog NoTricksZone writes this week.

In Munich, the Stadtwerke München municipal utility has announced it is going to raise the price of electricity by 81%, the blog reported, citing multiple German news outlets.

“At the AC charging stations, the electricity price will rise from 38 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) to 49 cents per kWh, while at DC fast charging stations the amount will jump from the current 38 cents per kWh to a whopping 69 cents per kWh,” the Munich online daily Merkur reports.

A customer commented, calling the price increase “no longer an adjustment”, but instead just “brutal”.

Nice to see Pierre being repeated on large audience sites. I’ve been following his blog daily from the week he started it, although I haven’t commented there for a while.

Those numbers are in Euro cents of course, so we’re talking over a buck Aussie per kWh. A Tesla model 3 gets about 20 kWh/100 km, vs a similar ICE car at about 7 L/100 km. Therefore at EUR AUD of 1.56 that means 0.69 x 1.56 x 20 / 7 = A$3.07/L equivalent. Still, not too ridiculous, as premium was $2/L the other day at the servo I go to. On the other hand that fast charger kWh price doesn’t include road pricing, whereas petrol does in the form of excise. So I suspect the only way is up, especially in gas-challenged Euroland.

feelthebern
feelthebern
February 25, 2022 7:45 am

Less than a week ago, it was Macron the peacemaker.
A peace summit he brokered…uh-oh…he didn’t.
And the media has already moved on from that.

DrBeauGan
DrBeauGan
February 25, 2022 7:46 am

Amazing. These people truly have no grasp on reality.

Wars are generally destructive of ppl and property, so I rather disapprove of them. But they do have one good aspect, they have a really shattering effect on those who, in peaceful times, choose to live in a loony fantasy of their own creation.

calli
calli
February 25, 2022 7:46 am

I daresay it’s deeply symbolic of something or other.

King David thought so, thousands of years ago.

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice b goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.

Believing or not, it’s still beautiful. Tolkien was keen on the immutable loveliness of the stars too. I daresay you would be if you were stuck in the Flemish mud with horror all around.

Razey
Razey
February 25, 2022 7:47 am

I stand with Vlad.

It had always been predicted that Russia would save the world from itself.

GreyRanga
GreyRanga
February 25, 2022 7:50 am

I’ve got 2 pathfinders, 1 petrol, 1 diesel. I have a bypass for the particulate filter sensor. It uses about 8% less fuel.

Cassie of Sydney
February 25, 2022 7:52 am

“Wars are generally destructive of ppl and property, so I rather disapprove of them. But they do have one good aspect, they have a really shattering effect on those who, in peaceful times, choose to live in a loony fantasy of their own creation.”

Once up0n a time I would have agreed with you but “those”, that is our smug, progressive elites have fallen so far down a rabbit hole of progressive lunacy that they are irredeemable.

Beertruk
Beertruk
February 25, 2022 7:52 am

Jeeezee…its Flanneling like buggery here in Toowoomba.

DrBeauGan
DrBeauGan
February 25, 2022 7:52 am

I reckon what finally decided Putin to strike was the presence of vp Kamala. He took one look at her rambling idiocy and concluded the US had morons in charge.

calli
calli
February 25, 2022 7:54 am

I’m grateful for the commentary here. The whole Russia/Ukraine thing is doing my head in.

Exactly who exactly is the “baddie”? Or is it baddies vs baddies? If the MSM says it’s Putin, then I have to look harder, such is my trust in their high pitched warbling.

Like all things in the former soviet, it’s complicated. As for living in Russia – no thanks. I saw enough when I visited, even though I was being duchessed around.

Knuckle Dragger
Knuckle Dragger
February 25, 2022 7:55 am

James Morrow suggesting Biden restart Keystone, Germany should end the green dream and Australia should go nuclear.

All of these things should happen, regardless of current European events. Because we have lived in the most peaceful period in human history, people have been running countries on Hail Marys in the hope that the current state of affairs will continue indefinitely, and nobody will ever be nasty ever again.

Exhibit A – Australia has something called a strategic fuel reserve that is neither strategic, nor a reserve – because it’s on the other side of the Pacific fucking Ocean. It works on the premise that commercial sea lanes will be forever uninterrupted. It’s bullshit.

At the first hint of serious drama, everybody goes ‘This is unprecedented’, and imposes a range of pissweak sanctions that will have no impact whatsoever on whether Kyiv gets overrun, or whether there’s a belligerent Russia sharing a border with Poland. Again.

The West, and western Europe in particular have failed to prepare accordingly as Russia emerged from the broken USSR. All they did was sit and watch, becoming more interested in vanity projects like renewable energy and increasing the tranny vote while the US did all the heavy lifting in terms of deterrent provision. That’s why they collectively shit themselves when 45 told them to start pulling their weight or they could go it alone.

Nuggets like the six Ps –

Prior Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance

– exist for a reason. Note to world leaders – you won’t need to give Churchillian speeches if you’d done your fucking jobs instead of spending all your time pandering to ‘broad churches’ and the goat cheese demographic.

Pogria
Pogria
February 25, 2022 7:58 am

Everything is okay. There will be no War. Sean is there!

DrBeauGan
DrBeauGan
February 25, 2022 8:00 am

Believing or not, it’s still beautiful.

No argument from me. Indeed, the more we find out about the universe, the more astonishing and mind-blowingly beautiful it appears.

feelthebern
feelthebern
February 25, 2022 8:07 am

I wonder how the war looks for the backers of the Kiev regime from a yacht off Monaco?
Hopefully they get good reception.

DrBeauGan
DrBeauGan
February 25, 2022 8:08 am

I’m grateful for the commentary here. The whole Russia/Ukraine thing is doing my head in.

Have you considered not giving a damn? I find it works for global warming, covid hysteria, and so far it’s worked for the situation in Ukraine. In fact it worked during my childhood with the threat of nuclear annihilation first, and various other bogeymen since.

Knuckle Dragger
Knuckle Dragger
February 25, 2022 8:08 am

We might believe we’re morally better than Russia but we aren’t.

No, we are not. Russia exist on a ‘Our intent is X. We do not like Y.’ On that level, nobody can accuse them of being sneaky.

Conversely, we live in a Byzantine spiders’ web of words uttered by our ‘leaders’ aimed at ensuring that nobody gets anything done and no progress in any meaningful field of endeavour occurs, because the greater goal of nobody being slightly offended is achieved.

feelthebern
feelthebern
February 25, 2022 8:10 am

The punters in western Ukraine are like the uber eats drivers in Sydney for the last two years.
The Kiev billionaires, safe in western Europe or the US are like the laptop lefties, calling for more intervention.

Gab
Gab
February 25, 2022 8:11 am

Zoltan Kovacs
@zoltanspox
·
7m
Hungary’s National Security Cabinet: Hungary will provide protection for Ukrainian refugees – refugees will be able to submit their asylum claim even after they entered Hungary’s territory. The applicable legislation will be published in tomorrow’s Hungarian Gazette.

Cassie of Sydney
February 25, 2022 8:12 am

And further to lunatic progressives and rabbit holes, we have progressives in this country who are now refusing to support Senator Claire Chandler’s perfectly reasonable legislation to protect biological women’s sport…..to prevent a biological male from completing against a biological woman. So these progressives, instead of acknowledging reality, gaslight the conversation by shouting, screaming and screeching that it’s all a “far-right”…..”far-right” conspiracy to “persecute” trans children. Dickless Grease on Panahi two nights ago was mouthing this when Rita was trying to have a sane discussion about it.

This is a classic example of just how far the west has lost the plot, it can’t survive with this nonsense…..and you know what, nor should it survive.

Oh and by the way, what the fuck is a “trans child”…..it’s bullshit.

Eyrie
Eyrie
February 25, 2022 8:13 am

they could hardly claim the moral high ground against French citizens resisting them by any means possible.
Easy way to fix this. Everyone over 16 does some military training, keeps semi auto or better rifle, ammo and uniform at home. The more nerdish get to fly small armed military drones when required. Those who wish to fight the invaders, put on uniforms and have at it. More ammo available at neighbourhood depot.
Might give an invader pause before taking you on.

feelthebern
feelthebern
February 25, 2022 8:20 am

Haha, the Germans vetoed kicking the Russians off SWIFT.
This is why the US market rallied.
As soon as that news broke, it rallied big time.
As long the the Russian gas keeps transiting Ukraine problem free.
And the Russian banks still have access to SWIFT.
Nothing else matters.
As long as you don’t get a bomb dropped on your head if you live there.

JC
JC
February 25, 2022 8:21 am

Very funny. Dow closes up on the day. Hedge funds and punters were so short. They had time to cover for most of the day though.

Fair Shake
Fair Shake
February 25, 2022 8:21 am

Sean is there!

Reminds of the line in a comedy show…
‘ oh don’t tell me about Haiti and hard times, I once flew there in a 3 hour plane ride sitting next to Sean Penn. Nobody should have to endure that kind of hell!’

Cassie of Sydney
February 25, 2022 8:22 am

“7m
Hungary’s National Security Cabinet: Hungary will provide protection for Ukrainian refugees – refugees will be able to submit their asylum claim even after they entered Hungary’s territory. The applicable legislation will be published in tomorrow’s Hungarian Gazette.”

This is the same Hungarian government that western elites and MSM have been smearing as “far-right”, “far-right, “far-right” for the last five to six years. Smearing Orban as an ant-Semite (he’s not, the Hungarian Jewish community is the only Jewish community in Europe that’s growing), smearing Orban as a despot despite regular elections, smearing Orban and his government as being anti-LGBTQARSE…he’s against the indoctrination of children…but that’s a thought crime now)…and on and on it goes.

You gotta laugh…coz if you don’t laugh you’ll cry.

feelthebern
feelthebern
February 25, 2022 8:22 am

Everyone was “WTF is the market rallying”.
You can plot the turn from being 800 odd points down to exactly when the Germans vetoed it.
It makes any threats of sanctions meaningless.

feelthebern
feelthebern
February 25, 2022 8:23 am

JC, it was the Germans vetoing kicking the Russians off SWIFT.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
February 25, 2022 8:25 am

Might give an invader pause before taking you on.

Ukraine has now worked this out…

A Well-Regulated Militia… Ukraine Gives Guns to Citizens ‘To Defend Our Country’ (24 Feb)

The Ukrainian government will give weapons ” to anyone who wants to defend the country”, it has said, in the aftermath of Russia expanding its war in the country’s eastern territory.

Amid reserve forces being mobilised and sent to fight the expanding Russian occupation of Ukraine’s eastern territories, the Kyiv government is taking steps to dramatically increase the supply of available fighters, promising to hand weapons to anyone willing to take up arms in defence of the nation. Joining the resistance is simple too, the government says — all you need is your passport and a willingness to fight.

Zelensky might be a tiny bit late in his call, I think, to do so on the day of the invasion. Perhaps a bit earlier would’ve been a good idea. On the other hand an armed population may not be quite what a government of an unstable country wants. Hard also to get the guy behind the blade of grass with the rifle to pay his taxes.

JC
JC
February 25, 2022 8:27 am

Bern

Haha, the Germans vetoed kicking the Russians off SWIFT.
This is why the US market rallied.

Why is that a reason ?

calli
calli
February 25, 2022 8:29 am

Have you considered not giving a damn?

I have always found detachment difficult, but it’s easier as I get older. Always championed the “underdog”, until the discovery that it too had teeth. The Ukraine thing is as opaque to me as any of the weird and wonderful internecine conflicts over the past fifty years.

Probably why I haven’t commented at all on it. The confected outrage pouring from the news services and feeble politicians might be the give-away. It has definitely taken the focus off covid, and may allow the cockroaches to scurry away from their self created mess.

miltonf
miltonf
February 25, 2022 8:31 am

Oh and by the way, what the fuck is a “trans child”…..it’s bullshit.

A problem fabricated by the meja

Who is dickless grease btw? or maybe I don’t want to know. Giving up TV was one of the best things I ever did.

Over the last 60 years, TV has been a malign force in our society.

Boambee John
Boambee John
February 25, 2022 8:31 am

JC

This is going to become a business strategy for the Russian kunt. Cause havoc and that will cause the price of oil to go up. Fuck the corrupt piece of shit.

If Hiden Biden (or whoever is pulling his strings) was in the least bit serious, then all the actions taken in January 2021 to reduce US hydrocarbon extraction by Executive Orders would now be reversed. Increase US output, screw down the price of oil and gas, and leave Putin bankrupt.

JC
JC
February 25, 2022 8:33 am

Bern

The problem for the Russians is that you don’t want any payment going through the American system as they could embargo the funds.

In the 90s our bank made a payment on behalf of a Serbian party . The payer’s name was pretty clear. The fed and then the US treasury froze the funds. They would have been frozen like forever and carried a big fine.

calli
calli
February 25, 2022 8:33 am

Who is dickless grease btw?

Nicholas Reece.

Cassie and Tinta do strine better than any Cockney.

feelthebern
feelthebern
February 25, 2022 8:36 am

If Germany is going to veto something as inconsequential like that, it sends a clear message there will be nothing meaningful happening.
With no Kraut support, what possibly could happen.
Apart from lip service.

132andBush
132andBush
February 25, 2022 8:37 am

JC

Shut up Brucie, not all phosphate is gas intense. Go to bed. You should have been in bed 7 hours ago.

Re fert prices; As soon as you start bonding N to P or just producing N alone, you need gas.
Crops need N just as much as P and in greater quantities.

The most efficient and cost effective way of supplying both is by using blended fertilisers at sowing.

The cost of these blended ferts has nearly doubled in two years and we keep being told it’s the cost of production as a primary reason.

Re EVs; I hope enough people buy the stupid things and literally melt the grid down. When people are dying, after the country has been without power for a couple of weeks and struggling to “Black start” the grid, that the light will go on for a lot of people.

Knuckle Dragger
Knuckle Dragger
February 25, 2022 8:37 am

Joining the resistance is simple too, the government says — all you need is your passport and a willingness to fight.

Look, this is laudable but it’s dubious.

Even if every one of these punters had had some basic previous military training, they’ll be operating as individuals or small groups at best. They’ll pick off a few – think Northern Ireland – but the differences are that Ukraine itself – as opposed to its eastern provinces – is not Northern Ireland, and that if Russia is serious they either blow the building housing these fighters apart or move past them, leaving second second-wave troops to burn them out.

It’s an accepted part of warfare. Invading armies plan for this. Been happening for centuries.

Roger
Roger
February 25, 2022 8:38 am

6. The dominance of liberal democracy post the Cold War can no longer be assumed.

Which liberal democracies are you talking about? I can’t think of any.

As I wrote earlier, Eyrie, over the last 30 years liberal democracies have become rotten to the core and lost all moral authority.

lotocoti
lotocoti
February 25, 2022 8:38 am

The Washington Times accidentally goes
Babylon Bee.

Correction: A prior version of this story inaccurately reported that John Kerry’s comments were made after Russia invaded Ukraine.

A shame really.
There was a certain truthiness to Lurch perfectly reflecting
the Brandon administration.

JC
JC
February 25, 2022 8:40 am

Gez

Stop whining. I know it’s a professional trait for farmers but you’re going to have some great years even though a few input coats will rise.

Whining doesn’t make you guys look good. :-!

JC
JC
February 25, 2022 8:42 am

Costs

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
February 25, 2022 8:42 am
Cassie of Sydney
February 25, 2022 8:43 am

“Rogersays:
February 25, 2022 at 8:32 am
Credit where it’s due.

Stan Grant rises above the simplistic stereotypes offered up by Australian politicians and journalists to provide some in-depth analysis of Putin and why the West doesn’t comprehend him and his ilk.”

Yep…it’s a very good piece by Stan Grant.

I once read somewhere about Putin’s absolute contempt for weak Russian leaders in history, such as Yeltsin, Gorbachev, Tsar Nicholas II and so on, rulers/leaders who Putin sees as having damaged Russia.

Putin really is a tsar.

Boambee John
Boambee John
February 25, 2022 8:43 am

rosiesays:
February 24, 2022 at 10:30 pm
I got the impression Winston that you are claiming those German atrocities where the direct consequence of resistance actions.
In effect that the French resistance should have not acted against the Germans, because Geneva Convention even though the Germans themselves didn’t abide by the Geneva Convention.

You are tying yourself in knots, trying to convince everyone that the Nazis were evil. WE all agree, but that is a different point.

The French resistance knew the risks, and were prepared to take them. So also did SOE personnel parachuted into France to help them. (Check up on the fate of Violette Szabo as a simple example.)

The Germans were selective (random even) in abiding by the Geneva Convention. They generally respected it with uniformed western forces, but also shot British and Canadian soldiers captured in uniform. They basically ignored it in Eastern Europe, Russia and parts of the Balkans.

H B Bear
H B Bear
February 25, 2022 8:44 am

Jeeezee…its Flanneling like buggery here in Toowoomba

Not a good day to be out with the Woomba Miata Helldrivers on slicks.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
February 25, 2022 8:44 am

I think Lotocoti gets a snap for that. 😀

Boambee John
Boambee John
February 25, 2022 8:47 am

JC

Who has Morrison ordered to be murdered? How about Trump?

Arkancide, anyone?

1 8 9 10 11 12 14
  1. LOL They forgot to mention he was also the ghost of Kiev. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-12604775/Doja-Cat-backlash-Neo-Nazi-Sam-Hyde.html

  2. Don’t worry, the Russian position has got nothing to do with what Russians want, let alone Ukrainians. …don’t worry, what…

2.7K
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x