Open Thread – Tues 5 April 2022


Charles V, Titian, 1548

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Bazinga
Bazinga
April 5, 2022 1:03 am

1

Bazinga
Bazinga
April 5, 2022 1:07 am

Such is my cynicism, I wonder if the “war crime atrocities” all over the news are false flags?

John H.
John H.
April 5, 2022 1:32 am

Bazingasays:
April 5, 2022 at 1:07 am
Such is my cynicism, I wonder if the “war crime atrocities” all over the news are false flags?

Such is my cynicism, I wonder if cynicism is my response to others’ cynicism.
We don’t know, we shouldn’t be surprised, we’ll keep hearing about it. The problem today is everyone wants an opinion straight after the event.

John H.
John H.
April 5, 2022 1:34 am

Hey Rex, another 2 missions of Project Wingman finished tonight. It’s fun, constant battle, just keep shooting!

Bazinga
Bazinga
April 5, 2022 2:01 am

The problem is the prior obvious pro-Biden/Zelenski propaganda, and then this happens.

John H.
John H.
April 5, 2022 2:09 am

Bazingasays:
April 5, 2022 at 2:01 am
The problem is the prior obvious pro-Biden/Zelenski propaganda, and then this happens.

The problem is who do we trust? Can you answer that question?

Bazinga
Bazinga
April 5, 2022 2:22 am

Sadly no.

John H.
John H.
April 5, 2022 2:37 am

Bazingasays:
April 5, 2022 at 2:22 am
Sadly no.

Same here. It’s very frustrating. An odd example. There are thousands of youtube channels devoted to health and fitness. Most of those channels are trying to sell us something and typically promote supplements. Many of their ideas are nonsense, nearly all of those supplements are useless. That’s life in the internet age. Political discourse is even worse because people are living in silos in furious agreement with each other and everyone is engaging in Mutually Assured Demonisation. It’s a sick, sad world and all the moreso given there is no modern equivalent of the Daria series.

JC
JC
April 5, 2022 3:34 am

Twitter is up close to 30%

50.72+11.41 (+29.03%)

This is an enormous slap in the face to the hate the Right crowd. It’s not just that the Elon bought Twitter it’s that Twitter stock has risen so much after the purchase along with Musk’s opinions about free speech.

It’s going to be a hard slog though.

Tom
Tom
April 5, 2022 4:02 am
Tom
Tom
April 5, 2022 4:03 am
Tom
Tom
April 5, 2022 4:04 am
Tom
Tom
April 5, 2022 4:05 am
Tom
Tom
April 5, 2022 4:06 am
Tom
Tom
April 5, 2022 4:07 am
Tom
Tom
April 5, 2022 4:08 am
Tom
Tom
April 5, 2022 4:09 am
Tom
Tom
April 5, 2022 4:10 am
Tom
Tom
April 5, 2022 4:11 am
Tom
Tom
April 5, 2022 4:12 am
Tom
Tom
April 5, 2022 4:13 am
John Sheldrick
April 5, 2022 4:58 am

More rain for Sydney for this week if we can believe the BOM (Bunch of Muppets). What a waste of $1m a day they are. According to them, the Lismore floods have been caused by “Climate Change” when there has been a flood plain in the Lismore area since the last Ice Age.

John Sheldrick
April 5, 2022 5:03 am

Why all the Tom Tom’s?

rickw
rickw
April 5, 2022 5:28 am

We don’t know, we shouldn’t be surprised, we’ll keep hearing about it.

In the final wash up my guess is that the Russians will have done much less than is currently alleged and the Ukrainians will have done much more.

rickw
rickw
April 5, 2022 5:40 am

Russell Brand sails past 5.4 million subscribers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbo5ApHmjiM

rickw
rickw
April 5, 2022 5:44 am

If the rotting pedo in chief is energised about Bucha, it’s almost guaranteed that it never happened:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yQv8JKIwYvc

WolfmanOz
April 5, 2022 5:44 am

What are some of the other blogs/sites Cats visit to get their analysis/current affairs fix from ?

My top 6 would include:
American Thinker
Currency Lad
Quadrant
Sparty’s Cast
Spiked
The Spectator

rosie
rosie
April 5, 2022 6:12 am
Anchor What
Anchor What
April 5, 2022 6:22 am

Gateway Pundit can look a bit half baked but they do zero in on a lot of important items, many of which become a thing a day or so later. Their work on election fraud is way ahead of any of the others.

2dogs
April 5, 2022 6:27 am
Anchor What
Anchor What
April 5, 2022 6:29 am

Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA has been a regular on Fox News, as has Dinesh D’Souza. Both feature in this story at Gateway pundit, which also links to Dinesh’s film 2000 Mules, an examination of the way the 2020 election was gamed.
Charlie says the Republicans who just want to “move on” are doing a grievous disservice to their voter base. The numbers attending Trump’s rallies now support that view.

feelthebern
feelthebern
April 5, 2022 6:30 am

Elon’s move is a huge spanner in the works for a range of parties.
Jack makes bank but his block/square ecosystem are having fits.
Scott Galloway has also viewed twitter as his personal play thing to restructured at a time of his choosing.
All their heads have exploded.

I love disruption like this.
Going into the biggest anti free speech ecosystem on the planet & taking a massive shit.

Anchor What
Anchor What
April 5, 2022 6:30 am

Fox News has been very quiet on the subject of the 2020 election. I guess the bosses told them they could have a pretty loose control if they avoided that hot potato.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
April 5, 2022 6:31 am

Xenocide wants to make a difference.

‘It won’t be easy’: Nick Xenophon determined to ‘make a difference’ in return to politics (3 Apr)

Here’s my suggestion Nick: take your green politics and go away. Best thing you personally can do for your country. China will have you I think.

Knuckle Dragger
Knuckle Dragger
April 5, 2022 6:31 am

Mention of West Side Story last night. One of my all-time favourites, if I may say. Even now, several decades after seeing it for the first time I can remember some of the lyrics by heart:

‘You…. took it. And broke a major rule of engagement!’

‘Too close for missiles, switching to guns’

‘Because I was…….. inverted’

feelthebern
feelthebern
April 5, 2022 6:32 am

Joe Rogan going on a Marcus Aurelius binge overnight is just awesome.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb615CIuyfl/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Anchor What
Anchor What
April 5, 2022 6:32 am

Jo Nova is also essential, every day.

feelthebern
feelthebern
April 5, 2022 6:32 am

DMT clinics should be legal.
Everywhere.

Anchor What
Anchor What
April 5, 2022 6:34 am

German lawmakers contemplating compulsory “vaccinations” for over-50s!
These are the same people who trashed their nuclear power stations and came to rely on Russian gas?

johanna
johanna
April 5, 2022 6:35 am

Breitbart and The Conservative Woman.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
April 5, 2022 6:36 am

on the musk twitter move

That’s one way to avoid being banned by Twitter I suppose. Must’ve been getting close. I wonder if he had received some strikes?

rosie
rosie
April 5, 2022 6:36 am

It never ceases to amaze that a couple of people who went spare about my alleged lack of compassion towards a woman who fell and dislocated a shoulder are cheering on an invasion that is taking thousands of lives, dislocating millions, and threatens the poorest of the poor in countries dependant on food imported from Russia and the Ukraine with starvation.
As for debating who committed the worst atrocities so far in the propaganda war, I’m assuming they both have. It’s what they do.
The only thing the west should be doing is pushing both sides to the negotiation table.

Anchor What
Anchor What
April 5, 2022 6:38 am

How Musk wields his 9% holding in Twitter will be interesting.

rosie
rosie
April 5, 2022 6:49 am

Musk’s twitter account.
I’m not voting for him as the new God Emperor yet.
He does seem to have a couple of good points.
Seems to like babies.
I’m guessing musk isn’t relying on wind and solar for his space program

sfw
sfw
April 5, 2022 6:58 am

Gabor

I use a mp3 converter called mediahuman, it’s on a desktop, I convert the youtube to mp3 and then put the file on my player, I don’t like using my phone to listen but you can do that to if you have an android phone. I think you can put the converter on a phone and do it direct. There are heaps of other converters out there. I just finished ‘Sword of Honour’ by Waugh, amazing book.

https://www.mediahuman.com/en16/

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
April 5, 2022 7:00 am

Musk’s twitter account.

Hehe, he did a twitter poll on Mar 25. This is it and the comment tweet immediately below it:

Elon Musk@elonmusk
Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy.

Do you believe Twitter rigorously adheres to this principle?
Yes 29.6%
No 70.4%
2,035,924 votes · Final results
6:34 PM · Mar 25, 2022

Elon Musk@elonmusk · Mar 25
Replying to @elonmusk
The consequences of this poll will be important. Please vote carefully.

We can now see what he meant by “please vote carefully”…

rosie
rosie
April 5, 2022 7:04 am

Musk refused to interfere with Russian freedom of speech too.

min
min
April 5, 2022 7:09 am

Josh Frydenberg is being challenged by Monique Ryan one of the so called independents . She spoke at our Current Affairs group last week told a whole lot of lies like being crowd funded , entered politics because son was extremely anxious after watching David Attenborough Doco., so she had to leave top medical career , professor etc to fight for climate change . She talks the talk but has no ideas or policies except wind and solar to run energy . We made mince meat of her politely , could not answer one question .
However every time I open Google there she is like today wanted some Maercus Aurelius quotes and there she is in the middle of them bet she has never read one let along know who he is . Anyway appeared everwhere on my phone too courtesy of climate 200 . Ex Labor Party member also.
Idiots will vote for her.

calli
calli
April 5, 2022 7:11 am

Time moves on, rosie. Often the problem for some is not the comment itself but who made it. We can be very foolish in that way.

Anchor What
Anchor What
April 5, 2022 7:12 am

Today’s hot meme at the lefty kids’ News dot com dot au.
“ A dearth of social and affordable housing in Australia is costing communities tens of millions of dollars per year, and placing a “time bomb” at the heart of our economy.”

rosie
rosie
April 5, 2022 7:13 am

I see people are still posting claims that, somehow, all the damage in Mariupol was inflicted by Ukrainian nazis (because obviously all Ukrainians are nazis now) even though the Russians openly admit they are shelling the town.
Just as all Ukrainian ‘civilian’ casualties are really the work of Ukrainian nazis, made even more confusing by Zelensky conscripting all Ukrainian males between 18 and 60, even the ones that identified as female, creating more Ukrainian nazis, and giving Russians reason to assume that every male they saw was a combatant.

rosie
rosie
April 5, 2022 7:24 am

I think ‘foolish’ is too generous calli.

calli
calli
April 5, 2022 7:25 am

Since it’s early morning, and ‘toon time, I pulled this one from Dover’s side bar.

This is exactly how evil people invert and conceal their wickedness.

Isaiah had it summed up long ago –

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

Disney and all their cheer squad are toast.

Gabor
Gabor
April 5, 2022 7:28 am

sfw says:
April 5, 2022 at 6:58 am

Gabor
I use a mp3 converter called mediahuman

Hmm, my previous comment disappeared, never mind.
Anyway, thanks for the hint sfw, downloaded installed converted my first u-tube and transferred to my phone, it works. Much obliged.

calli
calli
April 5, 2022 7:29 am

And thanks for the Alexopoulos, 2Dogs. I love his drawing style and format.

rosie
rosie
April 5, 2022 7:29 am

The Disney corporation have been on the side of evil for decades.
As previously mentioned l know some American Catholics have been boycotting their products for decades over their support for the abortion industry.
Good to see more awareness now.

Judge Dredd
Judge Dredd
April 5, 2022 7:29 am

It’s worth noting, when it comes to voting, the parties that are pro-Russian are winning. Elections in Serbia and Hungary were won by parties and national leaders who support Putin.
That’s a blow to globohomo.
https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/world-news/war/zelensky-the-madman-of-ukraine/

rosie
rosie
April 5, 2022 7:33 am

“When Russia invaded Ukraine, Hungary did follow other European states and its fellow NATO members in denouncing Putin’s actions.

But, other than signing off on a package of sanctions, it has refused to go any further.”
a stretch to call Hungary ‘pro Russia’

rosie
rosie
April 5, 2022 7:36 am

Hungary is absolutely right to refuse military aid to Ukraine.
Australia should have also limited itself to humanitarian aid.

calli
calli
April 5, 2022 7:38 am

Everything Disney touches turns to sh*t. They have ceased to be a creative force.

Now it’s just treasure and influence.

I can’t exactly pin down the time I realised this, long before streaming services and the acquisition and debasement of the creative genius of others. It might have been at around the complete abandonment of the frame by frame animations in favour of soulless CGI.

Farmer Gez
Farmer Gez
April 5, 2022 7:39 am

A perverts view of national interest and social conservatism.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/apr/04/orbans-victory-in-hungary-adds-to-the-darkness-overshadowing-europe

News flash to woke journalists, you don’t have to love Russia to dislike Zelensky.

Cassie of Sydney
April 5, 2022 7:42 am

Some mornings it’s really nice to wake up, open my computer and read some good news. Nowadays it doesn’t happen very often however yesterday I woke up and read that Victor Orban’s government in Hungary had been re-elected with a big majority. Of course the MSM, on hearing of his electoral win, haven’t wasted any time ramping up the vilification of Orban, when he’s not smeared as a Putin puppet, he’s smeared as a Putin ally or a defender of Putin, all because, unlike various MSM scum in the West, Orban and the Hungarians know their history and, wait for it, they actually understand the neighbourhood they live in, but we shouldn’t expect dumb arsed progressives in the West to understand such trivialities as history and geographic reality. Orban also knows how foolishly the Ukrainian government has behaved in the last decade. But this is the world we live in, we now have a scenario where Orban, despite taking in almost two million Ukrainian refugees since the conflict started, is daily smeared by Western MSM scum as a reactionary Putin ally.

Oy vey. Speaking of all things Jewish, and you’ll have to forgive me as I do have a vested interest in “all things Jewish and Israel related”, despite the fact that I haven’t been very happy with Israel’s Covid management…but that’s another story, I awake today and read the Oz front page and then I read the piece in full on the old Open Thread, that the “Climate 200” independent candidates….who should all be more accurately labelled the “Simon Holmes a Court” candidates or “we’re really GetUp candidates but we now call ourselves something else to hide the truth” candidates or “we’re rich inner city hypocrites who’re more than happy for working Australians to pay more for unreliable power” candidates, aren’t really very independent at all! How amazing. The “Climate 200” and associated groups are just cashed up 2022 version of GetUp supported by a host of progressive scum. So it’s been nice to wake up today and I read how “Climate 200” and their candidates, such as the one here in Wentworth, Ms Allegra Da Big Spenda, has on her team an anti-Semite….you’ll know the type, those progressive, far-left, GetUp affiliated anti-Semites who insist that they’re not anti-Semitic despite only ever singling out the sole Jewish state on the planet for opprobrium. This person working for Spenda’s campaign actively supports the BDS campaign against Israel and actively supported the BDS campaign during the Sydney festival back in January of this year. Now let’s sit back and watch progressive scum at their ABC and The Guardian either ignore it or say…..oh she’s not anti-Semitic, she’s just anti-Zionist! Same thing sweeties. Worth noting that this exposure is only coming from Rupert’s media….so amen to News Corp. It confirms to me that these “independents” are just a closely allied, well-heeled gang of very unsavoury far-left hypocritical progressives and it’s good to see some light being on them.

Oh, which reminds me, speaking of progressive scum, since the member for Grayndler is more than happy to use an old rehashed rubbish story about Morrison and a rival candidate of Lebanese background back in 2007 during the Cook preselection, all to smear the PM, perhaps the member for Grayndler could explain his unabashed friendship and association with a well known racist, Jeremy Corbyn. The member for Grayndler doesn’t even hide his liking for this racist, always happy to catch with the racist over tea and scones when in the UK. Or is it that the member for Grayndler doesn’t have a problem with Mr Corbyn’s unapologetic racism….because it’s directed at Jews?

Knuckle Dragger
Knuckle Dragger
April 5, 2022 7:43 am

A brief tale of almost unbelievable self-centredness and complete failure to take into account the lives of other people who exist outside individual bubbles:

A fellow called Graham Chapman is the owner of something called Blue Mountains Day Tours. His day apparently consists of picking people up from somewhere in a bus, and driving them around the Blue Mountains while regaling them with real life historical tales of the area, and (no doubt) general Australiana.

This chap, whose ‘patch’ is where two people were killed by a landslide yesterday was interviewed just now by Stefanovic the Younger on Skah. The first words out of Mr Chapman’s mouth were of condolence to the victims’ families, marked in a deep tone of respect.

Actually, no they weren’t. What came out of Graham Chapman, of Blue Mountains Day Tours’ trap was a series of moans about how the stupid dead people were ruining his latest chance to make some cash out of the tourists.

‘When I heard this happened, it changed my day,’ he said. Not because of any residual empathy for the 49 year old bloke and his nine year old son who had no warning that they’d be buried under tons of mud and vegetation, but because he feared there would be a consequent reduction in his bottom line.

‘This is terrible for the tourism industry,’ he said, before going on to moan about how this would affect his future business prospects.

Get this: ‘There are four people right now who are counting down the minutes until I pick them up,’ he said, as though they were four kids who won the Golden Ticket and were about to be let into Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. He then described how fascinated they would be as he drove them around the Blue Mountains, telling tales of days past that apparently only he could tell.

‘I tell them a lot of stories,’ he said. No doubt you do. Graham Chapman, as one would expect, was pictured in the interview dressed as Russell Coight. ‘We only just got back on the horse, and them this happens,’ he remarked as if his tour bus just got a flat tyre. Mind-boggling.

Graham Chapman of Blue Mountains Day Tours, who is disappointed he may not temporarily make the cash he is accustomed to because a nine year old boy was killed – what you can do, Graham, is go and solidly fuck yourself.

sfw
sfw
April 5, 2022 7:44 am

Interesting article but right at the start “postmenopausal people”, the rot is everywhere.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-04-pruneor-sixa-day-inflammation-bay.html

Tom
Tom
April 5, 2022 7:46 am

Hungary is absolutely right to refuse military aid to Ukraine.
Australia should have also limited itself to humanitarian aid.

What a load of pacifist bullshit.

The Australian government has rightly decided to do what it can to help the Ukraine government win the war and drive out the invaders.

Australia isn’t firing the bullets killing Ukrainians — Russians are.

rosie
rosie
April 5, 2022 7:48 am

“when he’s not smeared as a Putin puppet, he’s smeared as a Putin ally or a defender of Putin”
Exactly Cassie, whoever says it, it’s a smear.

calli
calli
April 5, 2022 7:49 am

Knuckles, the world is full of people who make any story, large or small, All About Them.

This creep is just another in a long conga line of narcissists.

Dot
Dot
April 5, 2022 7:49 am

I watch Channel 7, Channel Nine and CNN religiously.

feelthebern
feelthebern
April 5, 2022 7:52 am

What Australia should do is forgive any debt it has extended to Ukraine.
h/t Russell Brand.

Australia should lead a campaign for all countries & corporates to write off all Ukraine debt.
Similar to Bono during the GWB years.

Then we’ll see some real changes in attitudes towards Ukraine.

calli
calli
April 5, 2022 7:52 am

I don’t.

I watch them derisively.

rosie
rosie
April 5, 2022 7:53 am

I’m not being a pacifist.
I want there to be a negotiated settlement and all I see happening with providing military aid is prolonged suffering of people who are not Zelensky and Putin, neither of whom give a toss for the lives of ordinary people.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
April 5, 2022 7:53 am

Australia should have also limited itself to humanitarian aid.

Rosie – I agree with you but I strongly suspect the military aid ScoMo is sending isn’t actually about Ukraine at all. I think he has three reasons for doing so:

1. Public pressure just before an election (since the public watch the MSM and nothing else).
2. Keeping the US sweet.
3. Maintaining good relations with UK/EU/NATO

If he did not be seen sending something chunky to Ukraine those countries might ask whether Australia should be helped if Australia refuses to help their pet client states. And we unfortunately cannot defend ourselves.

Maybe we should be able to, so we don’t have to kowtow to every latest geopolitical fad.

Dot
Dot
April 5, 2022 7:54 am

I don’t even trust humanitarian aid.

It will end up buying weapons.

No, I’m not pacifist. We shouldn’t get involved. You can’t reason with Putin in the normal sense.

He’s the smartest guy in the room with an incompetent conventional army, but the largest nuke arsenal.

The only real solution was to not have a senile puppet installed in the world’s only remaining superpower (Go Bidet!).

He didn’t mess with Trump and wasn’t this Brazen with Obama.

feelthebern
feelthebern
April 5, 2022 7:54 am

Bono got a lot of debt in emerging markets forgiven.
But most of those countries just tapped markets again.
Grifters gunna grift.

Farmer Gez
Farmer Gez
April 5, 2022 7:55 am

Perhaps Tom but Sweden, Ireland, Switzerland and half of France played the same game in WWII.
It’s a popular decision in Hungary obviously. That’s democracy.

rosie
rosie
April 5, 2022 7:55 am

Well dot I was thinking the aid should go to those countries hosting millions of Ukrainian refugees, like Poland and Hungary.

JC
JC
April 5, 2022 7:56 am

Rant of the week, Cassie.

Nice

Dot
Dot
April 5, 2022 7:56 am

DMT clinics should be legal.
Everywhere.

Only for chimps to own and operate. They should be like casinos. A protected industry for an ethnic group.

Especially bald, 5 ft tall chimps.

The Bili Ape story was a tell.

feelthebern
feelthebern
April 5, 2022 7:58 am

The war has to stop.
It means Putin will be rewarded.
If that’s the cost of saving 40million Ukrainians from misery, so what.
If Ukraine isn’t dealt with now, it turns into Syria.
There is no in between.

Dot
Dot
April 5, 2022 7:59 am

I’m guessing musk isn’t relying on wind and solar for his space program

Because he isn’t an anti intellectual left wing cuck; he actually believes in practical solutions and real economics and real science.

Dot
Dot
April 5, 2022 8:00 am

Ukraine is the real Syriana, but Dover said I was being naughty for saying so!

Dot
Dot
April 5, 2022 8:01 am

If I don’t trust something on the internet, I refer to Snopes.

Mother Lode
Mother Lode
April 5, 2022 8:01 am

anxious after watching David Attenborough Doco

Me too. I have become anxious about his decline. I have no doubt the BBC is behind it, and perhaps as he subsides into senility he has lost the intellectual and even moral wherewithal to fight it, and now joins them in their anti-humanist chorus.

However every time I open Google there she is like today wanted some Maercus Aurelius quotes and there she is in the middle of them bet she has never read one let along know who he is .

I remember reading Marcus Aurelius’ mediations. The Stoic tradition throughout, and no doubt therapeutic musings when doing the thing he enjoyed least – war.

I do not believe that an AGW zealot and eco-warrior can truly subscribe to stoicism. They lack the introspection, the ability to govern their emotions, and most importantly the determination to not see others as your problem. Zealots join mobs, demand that other people be made to change because they are the source of evil, and hate anyone who disagrees with them.

JC
JC
April 5, 2022 8:05 am

As much as I hate what Russia has done, this is shockingly immoral and so, so wrong.

U.S. Seizes Yacht, Seeking Forfeiture and Ratcheting Up Pressure on Russian Oligarchs
Washington says it has moved on yacht belonging to Viktor Vekselberg, one of Russia’s richest men

U.S. and Spanish authorities seized a $90 million super yacht in Spain that they said is owned by a sanctioned oligarch with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, marking the first such seizure in the Biden administration’s efforts to hunt down the luxury real estate, private jets, yachts and other assets of Russian elites stashed around the globe.

Roger
Roger
April 5, 2022 8:05 am

I see the lazy Australian media is uniformly describing Orban as a Putin ally, ergo a baddie.

Must be very comforting to live in a world of black and white.

Incidentally, the other day I heard Anthony Blinken interviewed. I laughed out loud when he said the US does not support regime change in Russia; there was then a pause, after which he added “or any other country” as an after thought.

H B Bear
H B Bear
April 5, 2022 8:06 am

While sinking the boot into Disney I remember as a kid seeing Disney (as in Walt Disney) pushing bear cubs over a snowy hill to get cute film of them tumbling down the hill in the snow. No way to treat a fellow bear.

Colonel Crispin Berka
Colonel Crispin Berka
April 5, 2022 8:06 am

Twitter is up close to 30%
This is an enormous slap in the face to the hate the Right crowd. It’s not just that the Elon bought Twitter

What what what what?
(Checks news on ol’ Musky.)
Whey-hey-hey! Goooo Elon. I predict there will be more catgirls on Twitter.

Another point in favour of “the solution to the tragedy of the commons is the privatisation of the commons.”
Maybe Gordon Gekko was right?

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
April 5, 2022 8:07 am

“when he’s not smeared as a Putin puppet, he’s smeared as a Putin ally or a defender of Putin”

Yeah, well they don’t like him. On such things the lady who was the Minister in charge of the family friendly policies has been overwhelmingly elected as President. Good. And a referendum was also held alongside the election, asking should sex ed be taught to primary school students. Over 90% of voters said no. Which is bipartisan, and a big middle finger in the direction of the EU.

(That referendum wiki seems odd, since it says over 20% of votes were “invalid”. I don’t know how you can get a yes/no vote wrong. Something smells.)

johanna
johanna
April 5, 2022 8:08 am

There is a big difference between sending humanitarian aid and that aid actually reaching the people who need it most. This applies even in peacetime, much more so during a war.

There is at least an even chance that the ‘aid’ will end up aiding only local gangsters, politicians and/or the military of either side.

Roger
Roger
April 5, 2022 8:10 am

As much as I hate what Russia has done, this is shockingly immoral and so, so wrong.

Watch out if you find yourself on the wrong side of the international rules based order.

You’ll suddenly discover the rules no longer apply.

rosie
rosie
April 5, 2022 8:14 am

“Aid to the Church in Need is sending immediate emergency aid to strengthen the Catholic Church in Ukraine in its commitment to stay on the ground and keep serving its flock in the face of material and economic war.”

which is why it’s a good idea to be very careful about who you hand the money to

Mother Lode
Mother Lode
April 5, 2022 8:14 am

Must be very comforting to live in a world of black and white.

And when absurdity is pointed out they don’t admit to error. In fact, they enlist the concept ‘nuance’ claiming they are so smart they can discern a distinction that dissolves the apparent flaw in their reasoning.

They cannot define the difference which is to say it is not rational.

But you see! When they are wrong, it is because they are so smart.

That is nuance too.

Gabor
Gabor
April 5, 2022 8:19 am

Bruce of Newcastle says:
April 5, 2022 at 8:07 am

(That referendum wiki seems odd, since it says over 20% of votes were “invalid”. I don’t know how you can get a yes/no vote wrong. Something smells.)

The breakdown is on the Hungarian sites, briefly, there was over 4 mil valid votes needed for the ref. to carry or not, only 56 % or nearly 3.8 mil bothered to answer and some were invalid, but the 90 odd % of those valid votes stands, on some questions it was over 96% against.
Still a warning, not to do it I suppose, despite not becoming a law.

Frank
Frank
April 5, 2022 8:22 am

DMT clinics should be legal.

Nope, DMT should be legal. Last thing you want a state supplied Nurse Ratched mixed in with your psychedelics.

Roger
Roger
April 5, 2022 8:27 am

But you see! When they are wrong, it is because they are so smart.

I once had dealings with someone from the backroom of Q&A.

It wasn’t related to my work, so as far as they were concerned I was just another ignorant normie.

The condescension positively dripped down the phone line.

duncanm
duncanm
April 5, 2022 8:27 am

John Sheldricksays:
April 5, 2022 at 4:58 am
More rain for Sydney for this week if we can believe the BOM (Bunch of Muppets). What a waste of $1m a day they are

I think I’ve worked out why their modelling is so shit the last 12 months.

They’ve been calibrating (back-forecasting) the weather based on the El-Nino patterns we’e been having for so long.

Now there’s a tropical trough up north and high’s over the bight, their ‘modelling’ doesn’t have the history to match to an outcome with any accuracy.

rosie
rosie
April 5, 2022 8:28 am

“Zealots join mobs, demand that other people be made to change because they are the source of evil, and hate anyone who disagrees with them.”
Couldn’t agree more Mother Lode.

Dr Faustus
Dr Faustus
April 5, 2022 8:30 am

Hungary is also hosting over half a million Ukrainian refugees

Hungary Is Inflating the Number of Ukrainian Refugees in the Country in Order to Benefit From More EU Funding

As of March 27, only 7,749 people had applied for temporary protected status in Hungary, which offers Ukrainian refugees the right to work and access to education, the right to welfare and housing.

Iron Rule: Doubt anything with a politician or an activist attached to it.

Struth
April 5, 2022 8:30 am

Bloody hell
Here’s a woman who couldn’t wait to surrender to tyranny, and tell her fellow countrymen to get fucked as she flashed her good Nazi pass to go on holidays in Europe, empowering tyranny all the way, crying crocodile tears about Ukrainians.
Pardon me while I puke.

Boambee John
Boambee John
April 5, 2022 8:31 am

duncanmsays:
April 5, 2022 at 8:27 am
John Sheldricksays:
April 5, 2022 at 4:58 am
More rain for Sydney for this week if we can believe the BOM (Bunch of Muppets). What a waste of $1m a day they are

I think I’ve worked out why their modelling is so shit the last 12 months.

They’ve been calibrating (back-forecasting) the weather based on the El-Nino patterns we’e been having for so long.

Now there’s a tropical trough up north and high’s over the bight, their ‘modelling’ doesn’t have the history to match to an outcome with any accuracy.

To say nothing of the possible effects of the mid-January Tonga volcano.

rosie
rosie
April 5, 2022 8:32 am

All roads lead to struthtruth.

calli
calli
April 5, 2022 8:36 am

Zealots scare the tripe out of me. They’re capable of anything, especially if they have a cheer squad.

duncanm
duncanm
April 5, 2022 8:39 am

callisays:
April 5, 2022 at 7:38 am
Everything Disney touches turns to sh*t. They have ceased to be a creative force.
.. It might have been at around the complete abandonment of the frame by frame animations in favour of soulless CGI.

I think Disney may have now jumped the shark, but its the writing, not the media, which makes a movie.

CGI need not be soulless. Witness movies like Wall-E, Toy Story, the Incredibles* etc. Although Disney released these, they were Pixar films and I don’t know what Disney’s input was (if any).

* – I doubt lines like the following would get through the Disney woke these days.
(Dash’s mum, Helen:) Everyone’s special, Dash
Dash: Which is another way of saying no one is.

Edna (super suit maker): Pull-yourself-together! “What will you do?” Is this a question? You will show him you remember that he is Mr. Incredible, and you will remind him who *you* are. Well, you know where he is. Go, confront the problem. Fight! Win!

rosie
rosie
April 5, 2022 8:39 am

I couldn’t read your link Dr Faustus.
Suggestions in thus article that most refugees are passing through Hungary, while 80,000 had applied for 30 day temporary residency permits
government misleading the EU with number of Ukrainian refugees to get more money?

rosie
rosie
April 5, 2022 8:42 am

Obviously the plight of Ukrainians pales into insignificance next to the suffering of unvaxxed residents of Gympie for which this Victorian resident still has complete responsibility.

Indolent
Indolent
April 5, 2022 8:42 am

What Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells said

Scott Morrison used Labor party to knock political opponent | Kyle & Jackie O ~ 28th Aug 2018

He really and truly is one of Turnbull’s mob, right up to the point of treason.

Gabor
Gabor
April 5, 2022 8:45 am

Dr Faustus says:
April 5, 2022 at 8:30 am

Hungary is also hosting over half a million Ukrainian refugees

Hungary Is Inflating the Number of Ukrainian Refugees in the Country in Order to Benefit From More EU Funding

As of March 27, only 7,749 people had applied for temporary protected status in Hungary, which offers Ukrainian refugees the right to work and access to education, the right to welfare and housing.

Iron Rule: Doubt anything with a politician or an activist attached to it.

Iron rule, indeed one always should question activists.

What is the reason you can’t make a distinction between refugees accepted and those who applied to stay?
I would guess most of those who applied to stay are ethnic Hungarians or Romanians of Ukrainian citizenship.

lotocoti
lotocoti
April 5, 2022 8:45 am

Can’t be long before the frontoviks appear to have roasted babies
to supplement their MREs.

calli
calli
April 5, 2022 8:45 am

Duncan, I agree with your points about CGI.

Done well, with excellent storylines, it is just breathtaking.

It was more the mass-production issue that I was getting at.

Colonel Crispin Berka
Colonel Crispin Berka
April 5, 2022 8:46 am

Possible open-sourcing of Twitter’s “algorithm” (no I don’t know what Musk meant by that, as Twitter clearly uses hundreds of algorithms for various purposes).
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1507041396242407424

Colonel Crispin Berka
Colonel Crispin Berka
April 5, 2022 8:51 am

Can’t be long before the frontoviks appear to have roasted babies

As long as you don’t throw roasted babies out of their incubators, is okay.
?????????

Roger
Roger
April 5, 2022 8:53 am

Speaking of La Nina…those housing developments approved on western Sydney’s flood plain, would they be mostly after Prof. Flim Flammery’s 2007 pronouncement of permanent drought doom?

Gabor
Gabor
April 5, 2022 8:56 am

Further there are costs of accepting refugees, even if they pass straight through.

The Hungarian government gave free public transport travel, free accommodation also for those who are merely passing through.

But yes, trust the Guardian and CNN to tell you all.

Struth
April 5, 2022 8:59 am

Obviously the plight of Ukrainians pales into insignificance next to the suffering of unvaxxed residents of Gympie for which this Victorian resident still has complete responsibility.

How much did the surrendering of millions in the west (who didn’t need to) to the passport enable the globalists to enter stage two?
Stage two being the collapse of the supply chain and massive inflation etc using a little war they provoked as the excuse?
If the west had not surrendered to tyranny this next step would not have been able to be taken.
This is a war against the west.
Pardon me, but it’s a bit much watching those who empowered the WEF tyrants who provoked Putin (not saying he’s the good guy at all) crying crocodile tears about Ukrainians when they empowered the people that provoked Putin into this, to be able to move to stage two, so they could stop oil and goods to the west?

Do you think Biden is in charge?
Do you think the globalist left, the WEF (who are deeply imbedded in the white house) just stopped the keystone pipeline because they are dumb?
Took over in a coup, because they are dumb?
Opened up the borders because they are dumb?
Etc etc etc, and infinitely observable in many countries.
They’re smashing the west, and people like Notafan empowered them.
This is phase two of the great reset, which if we’d all done the very opposite of Notafan, they would never have progressed to, and Ukraine would be in peace.
Notafan will try and call it ridiculous that her single actions caused the war….and sensible people know I’m not saying that.
I’m saying millions of people just like her world wide empowered the globalists to take the next step.
So pardon me for puking again.

Franx
Franx
April 5, 2022 8:59 am

Not much about the Ukrainian oligarchy; or about the difference between the Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs.

calli
calli
April 5, 2022 9:00 am

I believe Sam Dastayari and Kyle and Jackie O. Truly I do.

They wouldn’t have an axe to grind. No, no, no!

ScoMo also knocked over little old ladies and gave small children chinese burns and crow pecked his way to the seat of Cook. The Nasty Canasta of politics.

We know he’s a grub. He’s a politician. Other grubs calling him a grub has zero influence on me.

rosie
rosie
April 5, 2022 9:00 am

Took it as given with so many crossing into Hungary every day they would be fed, housed, transported for a period of time, even if they did move on.

H B Bear
H B Bear
April 5, 2022 9:01 am

Marginal public transport cost for a refugee must be close to zero – unless they are commuting at peak hour.

Mother Lode
Mother Lode
April 5, 2022 9:01 am

He really and truly is one of Turnbull’s mob

Used to be Trumble could just sidle up next to his minions and piss on them to mark his territory.

With Covid he has had to send bottles of his urine out to them and they have to do it themselves.

Doing it tough.

H B Bear
H B Bear
April 5, 2022 9:03 am

Sam Dastayari and Kyle and Jackie O

Monkey see, monkey no see, monkey no see.

rosie
rosie
April 5, 2022 9:04 am

If this is stage two of ‘the great reset’ how come you didn’t mention it before it happened you great geopolitical expert?

rosie
rosie
April 5, 2022 9:04 am

Slipped your mind?

H B Bear
H B Bear
April 5, 2022 9:06 am

ML – not to mention the stink from the Party Room carpet.

Top Ender
Top Ender
April 5, 2022 9:07 am

sfw, I hope you read the whole trilogy of ‘Sword of Honour’ by Waugh. He himself had an interesting war. It’s great the way the books reflect the absolute bureaucratic tangle of defence forces, even in war, and the blunders, but somehow they make it through.

Big_Nambas
Big_Nambas
April 5, 2022 9:07 am

More bad news for Dot.

Australia’s vaccine injury compensation claims scheme expanded recently to children under four years of age, as health agencies down under prepare for COVID-19 mass vaccination of babies. Although 95% of the Australian population has received at least one dose of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, over 82.5% are fully vaccinated, and over half the population boosted with a third dose, cases have absolutely skyrocketed over the past few months. Such a surge shouldn’t be happening, especially with record numbers of deaths.

https://trialsitenews.com/australia-planning-to-vaccinate-children-newborn-to-age-4-while-heavily-vaxxed-population-faces-largest-covid-19-case-death-hospitalization-surges/

Struth
April 5, 2022 9:10 am

Turnbull would not give up the PM ship for anyone other than a globalist as well.

If you mandate a vaccine that has already killed thousands you are not just a murderer, but a genocidal maniac.

That’s what Sco Mo has done.

He has virtually disbanded our parliament and set up a communist “National Cabinet” allowing for others to set up murderous decrees by kicking the constitution to the curb.
McGowan has sent Western Australians insane and cut it off from the rest of the country and praised for doing so by Sco Mo.
He is nothing less than an enemy of this nation and a murderous traitor.
And there will still be some here who would call Whitlam worse.
Really?

johanna
johanna
April 5, 2022 9:10 am

Roger says:
April 5, 2022 at 8:53 am

Speaking of La Nina…those housing developments approved on western Sydney’s flood plain, would they be mostly after Prof. Flim Flammery’s 2007 pronouncement of permanent drought doom?

Roger, as someone who caught the train out there for many years and long before 2007 – yes and no.

Some of the housing estates you can see from the raised train line were there in the 1980s. Even then it was obvious to anyone with local knowledge or who could read a contour map that they were in a basin below the surrounding terrain.

But no doubt the drought of the early 2000’s and Flim Flam’s pronouncements gave a veneer of respectability to the crooked local governments and developers who extended housing even further into the puddle in later years.

Struth
April 5, 2022 9:12 am

If this is stage two of ‘the great reset’ how come you didn’t mention it before it happened you great geopolitical expert?

I did and others also did.
You were in Hysterics about Italy and New York and calling people Nanna killers.
You haven’t listened to anyone else since 2019

rosie
rosie
April 5, 2022 9:13 am

Cases (no-one cares) started ‘sky-rocketing’ because we abandoned lockdown, fortress Australia and omicron came along.
Banal scaremongering.

Struth
April 5, 2022 9:15 am

While those who made you feel comfortable in taking the jab by mocking me and others taking my stance dot, remember I pleaded with you not to take it.
After all, ask choo choo, there’s thousands of other jobs out there.

John Sheldrick
April 5, 2022 9:16 am

Martin Armstrong of Armstrong Economics is also another good Blog to read.

rosie
rosie
April 5, 2022 9:18 am

Great things happening in Melbourne today.

sfw
sfw
April 5, 2022 9:21 am

TE, I still read a lot but don’t seem to have the attention span I used to. I work alone and listen to audiobooks and podcasts. I did listen to the three books, around 25 hours I think. It’s a work of art, if you have any suggestions I’ll gratefully accept them. I had a deep dig into Russian literature but have just about exhausted that vein.

I’m rereading Orwells collected essays and columns etc in four volumes at the moment.

Roger
Roger
April 5, 2022 9:22 am

But no doubt the drought of the early 2000’s and Flim Flam’s pronouncements gave a veneer of respectability to the crooked local governments and developers who extended housing even further into the puddle in later years.

Thanks jo; that was my suspicion.

Apparently the NSW govt has paused new developments while it reviews its “flood strategy”.

It’s hard not to conclude that Flannery’s prediction, which included a 20% reduction in rainfall and a 60% reduction in run off, led to a national complacency re floods.

Although we did get several hugely expensive desalination plants from it.

Bourne1879
Bourne1879
April 5, 2022 9:24 am

Column in the Courier Mail today with expert Dr Paul Griffin encouraging people to take the flu vaccine.

“Dr Griffin’s message was to get vaccinated against both viruses, saying all Australians “will need” a fourth Covid shot at some stage”.

Note we will need a 4th shot now. Meanwhile latest Pfizzer record drop showed adverse reactions were more for younger people.

Has any Australian paper even covered the Pfizzer document drops?

Top Ender
Top Ender
April 5, 2022 9:29 am

sfw, go for some more Waugh if you can get them. I take it you are thinking of reading one of his greatest, Brideshead Revisited, which you could follow up – or precede, it works either way – with the immortal original TV series. The book is WWII related like the the trilogy you have just finished too.

His others are worth getting too. Scoop is a satirical send up of the journalism trade but with the 1920’s/30’s globetrotting variety thrown in. Check out Decline and Fall, Vile Bodies, A Handful of Dust, and Put Out More Flags as lesser works.

Mother Lode
Mother Lode
April 5, 2022 9:29 am

I don’t listen to morning radio, but I know that it is a frenetic and tasteless affair. Machine gun prattle from two or more DJ’s punctuated by keyboard sound effects of coughs, car crashes, and commodes.

Jackie-O always seemed to me to perfectly suited under the rubric of having a face for radio. It seems cruel to drag her into photographer studios and subject her to make up artists who only do the gig because their true calling as psychotic serial killers does not pay enough, then take photos and paste them up on the sides of buses and overpasses.

But Kyle is the real treasure. The man who single-handedly saved the word ‘oaf’ from being lost from our language. He sits ‘in a heap’ – I can think of no other way to describe it. He likes to play the rogue, but he comes across as a bully. He has fallen hook line and sinker for his marketing.

Or am I being unfair?

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
April 5, 2022 9:30 am

Mention of West Side Story last night. One of my all-time favourites, if I may say.

Yes, and my mind was playing tricks. I woke up this morning thinking wait a minute, Maria’s song and dance of “I Feel Pretty”occurs after the dance, not before it as I said in my short review, but after love has struck, after Anton has played the Shakespearian balcony scene, and as Maria, virginally untouched by womanly feelings before the dance, is now exulting in them (I wasn’t wrong about that). It is a pivotal scene in the whole plotline, and placing it after the rumble in this despicable new version was truly irresponsible. You don’t mess around with well-told fables, operatic devices for expressing the depths of human emotions. Turning it into a sociological portrait, which is something that is mocked in the original, is typical of today’s millennial wokeism. The original, as Crossie commented, stands for its place and time. In my opinion it has an absolute purity of focus that was perfect in every way. Score and script matched the soaring operatic pacing without the extraneous baggage as found in this new version.

Anchor What
Anchor What
April 5, 2022 9:34 am

While the BBC does some good programs, politically they are definitely of the left.
They hate Orban while having nothing bad to say about the Biden extreme left fiasco.
They have two programs illustrating this:
An anti-Orban program (plus regular pejorative news items), and
An anti-conservative doco series about USA – program called “The Gathering Storm”.
(in the latter one, chanting USA! USA! is supposed to represent evil right wing character)

Anchor What
Anchor What
April 5, 2022 9:35 am

Bernstein’s “Candide” gets a lot less exposure but is good as well.

Mother Lode
Mother Lode
April 5, 2022 9:35 am

Although we did get several hugely expensive desalination plants from it.

I know when the Sydney plant was switched on there were a few small leaks, as you would expect – the most elegant design on paper is still an ideal untested by physics.

What was unexpected was that it was coming out with a reddish colour. Can’t recall why. I suggested they call it ‘safety water’ since when it spills on the floor you can see it and avoid stepping and slipping in it.

Could have had a great career in marketing…

johanna
johanna
April 5, 2022 9:39 am

Evil mining executives just go on being evil, says TheirABC:

A former senior executive at Rio Tinto who stepped down after the destruction of Juukan Gorge has been appointed to the proposed leadership team that will oversee the development of a controversial uranium mine in Western Australia.

Former Rio Tinto iron ore head Chris Salisbury was one of three senior executives to step down following the destruction of the 46,000-year-old sacred site, which occurred on his watch.

Mr Salisbury was appointed chair of uranium exploration company Deep Yellow in May 2021, and was recently announced as the proposed chair of a $658 million merger between the company and Vimy Resources.

Vimy is developing WA’s first uranium mine, 240 kilometres north-east of Kalgoorlie-Boulder in the Goldfields region.

The mine is ‘controversial’, which is TheirABC code for bad.

On we go:

Australian Conservation Foundation nuclear policy analyst Dave Sweeney said he was concerned that Deep Yellow’s managing director, John Borshoff, was the proposed chief executive of the merged group.

He cited governance issues over projects in Malawi and Namibia, operated by mining company Paladin Energy Limited or its associates when Mr Borshoff was one of Paladin’s senior executives.

“Former companies that he’s been involved in have been the subject of a range of inquiries and allegations in Africa,” Mr Sweeney said.

In 2013 a worker died at a mine in Malawi, and another worker died and two others were injured at a mine in Namibia.

In 2014, a truck carrying uranium oxide from a mine in Malawi overturned, spilling some of the material.

Mr Sweeney was also concerned about the appointment of Mr Salisbury as chairman due to his links to the destruction of Juukan Gorge.

“We think that neither of those is a basis for confidence or the basis for leadership of a company fit for purpose in a high-risk industrial sector like uranium mining,” he said.

I’d say that two mines in Africa where only three workers died in recorded history are proof of best practice. Notably, no comparisons with other African mines are cited.

Oh, and once a truck overturned on one of the flawless freeways so common in the middle of nowhere in Africa.

String him up! The man is evil personified! they shriek. We will hound him to his grave!

There are no words, including those banned on this site, that describe how much I loathe and detest these people.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
April 5, 2022 9:44 am

“Dr Griffin’s message was to get vaccinated against both viruses, saying all Australians “will need” a fourth Covid shot at some stage”.

I will take the third one, as Novavax, for travel convenience and other reasons as discussed yesterday. No way will I be taking a fourth shot until it is a tailored shot to a set of viral variants, similar to the regular ‘flu shot and which is deemed necessary due to continuing fatalities in my age range (as with the ‘flu). And that’s only if there is no quick and adequate over-the-counter treatment for early Covid.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
April 5, 2022 9:49 am

“We think that neither of those is a basis for confidence or the basis for leadership of a company fit for purpose in a high-risk industrial sector like uranium mining,” he said.

In other words, put one of our own in charge, and watch nothing get done and the project abandonned.

Struth
April 5, 2022 9:49 am

Cases (no-one cares) started ‘sky-rocketing’ because we abandoned lockdown, fortress Australia and omicron came along.
Banal scaremongering.

You wonder why I’ve been very straight forward for some time.
This woman is either an evil bitch, or so completely in need of deluding herself that she says this irresponsible shit in public.
Everybody knows the deaths are rising in the jabbed massively…. and they are calling it as being killed by covid..AS OF COURSE THEY WOULD.
Covid never gave you Myocarditis or strokes and heart attacks in young people including children, even though now it gives you all that and every other illness pointed out in the Pfizer papers as side effects of the jab.
Remarkable.
I have found her dismissal of the bleeding obvious as disgusting, reprehensible and irresponsible.
She is either one of the many, and indeed the main one in denial here, or else she is being so dismissive of reality as to be evil.
Take your pick.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
April 5, 2022 9:51 am

Oh, and once a truck overturned on one of the flawless freeways so common in the middle of nowhere in Africa.

Have to say, having been on a few of them, this was laugh-out-loud funny.

Dr Faustus
Dr Faustus
April 5, 2022 9:52 am

The Hungarian government gave free public transport travel, free accommodation also for those who are merely passing through.

But yes, trust the Guardian and CNN to tell you all.

From Hungary Today.

Background: Orbán Unexpectedly Asks Brussels to Disburse EU Reconstruction Fund and Loans

(WordPress won’t accept the link, but Google a chunk of the text to get there.)

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has sent a letter to the European Commission, or rather personally to Ursula von der Leyen, asking for disbursement of all EU funds allocated for the country, including a loan under the Resumption Fund, but asking for this in order to deal with the Ukrainian refugee crisis. The government previously waived this loan, but is now requesting it. Accordingly, the Cabinet is asking for a credit line totaling about 3,400 billion forints (EUR 9.1bn). The European Commission earlier refused to approve the disbursement of pandemic aid funds to Poland and Hungary because the two countries have not yet implemented rule of law criteria.

In his letter, the Hungarian Prime Minister also asks the President of the Commission to make other changes, for example, that the aid available to Hungary under the reconstruction program not to be reduced because of the war in Ukraine, but that the amount of HUF 2,511 billion (EUR 6.9bn) to be maintained.

So, a €9.1bn +€6.6bn bite on the EU, leveraged off 500k refugees.

€33,000 per head for free transport and accomodation. Not bad for government work.

Unexpected”; as in during the run up to an election. As I say, always doubt anything with a politician attached.

Dot
Dot
April 5, 2022 9:52 am

I am not at all for health mandates, the Public Health Acts ought to be repealed.

Novavax was my least worst option. All medical intervention (even the best therapies money can buy) carries risk and thus it should never be coercive – not should the state ever presume guardianship over children without due process.

“More bad news for Dot…”

Maaate you are laying it on a bit thick.

Dot
Dot
April 5, 2022 9:53 am

NOR should

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
April 5, 2022 10:01 am

Struth, Rosie is commenting on ‘banal scaremongering’ about cases, not deaths. And Covid deaths are very few in proportion to cases. Believe if you must that we are all going to die who have taken the jab. I certainly don’t believe that. Nor am I ‘in denial’ about imperfect vaccines, nor yet am I convinced they are useless let alone a death sentence. But you should know that no-one here is evil, and that people have a right to believe you are wrong without being called evil.

calli
calli
April 5, 2022 10:06 am

Ahahaha!

Vote 1: Anthonacia Palahawkwardese

C.L.’s on fire this morning.

I needed a good laugh.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
April 5, 2022 10:09 am

Novavax was my least worst option. All medical intervention (even the best therapies money can buy) carries risk and thus it should never be coercive – not should the state ever presume guardianship over children without due process.

Exactly. Well said, Dot. Fully informed consent is essential in modern medical practice.
Observed rather in the breach with regard to Covid vaxxes. And that is shameful.
And the State should butt out of family life. The State has no place around the kitchen table.
Due process with well-made laws should take care of child neglect and abuse.

Bar Beach Swimmer
April 5, 2022 10:09 am

Another political minion gets removed upwards away from the scene of the crime. One Chris Dawson, now Commissioner of Police and soon to be the WA Governor. Like that other “top act” Jeanette Young, the former CHO of QLD.

(Have no idea, but is there a precedent for a former employee of the state being raised up in such a way? These two have walked out of one office, an office that worked directly with their premier, and on a public policy that brought in the worst of draconian controls that upended the rights of all residents of their state.)

Now the crypt’s doors have been locked in two of the most egregious jurisdictions, will Australians ever find out how all this sh1t ever was allowed to happen?

And on that; why are three philanthropic organisations funding an inquiry to examine the pandemic?

Short and sharp’ lessons: Experts to examine how Australia handled pandemic (SMH)

Three leading philanthropic groups have joined forces to fund an inquiry into Australia’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, to be led by former top public servant Peter Shergold.

Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest’s Minderoo Foundation, the Paul Ramsay Foundation and the John and Myriam Wylie Foundation will drive an inquiry they describe as non-political.

It is due to report back in September, well after the May federal election. Governments around the country have resisted pressure for a wide-ranging examination of Australia’s response to the pandemic and how prepared the country is to deal with future crises… Australia has fared better on these measures than many countries around the world, but there are lessons to be taken from what worked and what didn’t.

Professor Shergold, who led the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet under John Howard and Kevin Rudd, and is now chancellor of Western Sydney University, will lead the six-month review, which will have no power to compel witnesses to appear before it.

He hopes governments and bureaucrats will voluntarily engage with the review along with the broader community

No powers to call witnesses and clearly no powers to present any findings (edit: could we expect to have any findings under such an arrangement?) Nothing to see here, move on. Gee, Chris Dawson could have uttered those words.

H B Bear
H B Bear
April 5, 2022 10:10 am

Kyle

The unthinking man’s John Laws.

calli
calli
April 5, 2022 10:14 am

Informed consent sounds nice.

For many Australians, it has been consent under duress.

One of these things is not like the other.

C.L.
C.L.
April 5, 2022 10:15 am

We made peace with Hirohito, Stalin and Mao at various times but Andrew Bolt says war in Ukraine must go on forever:

It’s now ‘clearer than ever’ Putin ‘cannot be given’ peace deal: Bolt.

Sky News host Andrew Bolt says, “it’s now clearer than ever” Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot be given a peace deal as Ukrainian authorities discover hundreds of civilian corpses in the town of Bucha.

“He must be defeated,” Mr Bolt said.

“If he gets anything out of this war that looks like a victory, he will one day go to war again.”

Every 24 hours, a freshly crafted ‘outrage’ is packaged for the media out of Ukraine and they’re all buying it on Sky. Just as they all became vaxxer/lockdown supporters (but are now pretending they weren’t). That’s why Jones had to go, remember?

H B Bear
H B Bear
April 5, 2022 10:15 am

While the BBC does some good programs, politically they are definitely of the left

The Beeb is basically as bad as the ALPBC. But at least you get a sense the are trying to meet their Charter. The ALPBC just rub peoples (including management) noses in it.

Rex Anger
Rex Anger
April 5, 2022 10:17 am

Struth still working out his raging jealousy of Magdeburg Man from yesterday, I see. 90 jabs taken, and a healthy earner in falsified passports for people resolutely refusing to take the drugs.

Real Resistance, as compared to the Struth-speaker’s ReSiStAnCe, crying on the couch several days a week for upticks. No wonder he had to accuse the Magdeburg Man of ‘dribbling shit.’ It was ruining his Narrative and making him look bad.

I wonder where I have seen that tactic so many times before?

H B Bear
H B Bear
April 5, 2022 10:18 am

Another political minion gets removed upwards away from the scene of the crime. One Chris Dawson, now Commissioner of Police and soon to be the WA Governor

Thanks maaaaaaaaaate.

JohnJJJ
JohnJJJ
April 5, 2022 10:22 am

duncanm says:
April 5, 2022 at 8:27 am
I think I’ve worked out why their modelling is so shit the last 12 months.
They’ve been calibrating (back-forecasting) the weather based on the El-Nino patterns we’e been having for so long

All (modern) modelling, not just the BOM, is based on past frequency. That is why it only works when everything is stable and predictable. Also past frequency is based on records i.e. data. It must go back far enough (how far?) and be commensurable – i.e. all past data must be comparable to present data.
In reality it is based on the career path of the scientist and the need for risk avoidance by bureaucrats. From COVID to fighting in Afghanistan to climate change to any PhD, it is the same. Partially to blame is the availability of cheap statistics packages and the gobbledygook of stats talk. P-value anyone?

Kneel
Kneel
April 5, 2022 10:23 am

“What are some of the other blogs/sites Cats visit to get their analysis/current affairs fix from”

Bonginoreport.com is a right-leaning news aggregator similar to what Drudge report was before it went woke – yes, by Dan Bongino, one of Fox News’ hosts/personalities, he is regularly on “The Five” and has a show on “Fox Nation” streaming service, with short clips from that on the Fox Youtube channel.
Plenty of links to NY Post, RedState, Just the News etc. But also some left-leaning as well (NY Slimes, WaPo etc). As well as opinion pieces from Victor Davis-Hansen, Kash Patel etc.

Epoch times seems to be a reasonably neutral news site, as does John Soloman’s “Just the News” site. Both have Youtube channels too.
One Epoch Times reporter I like who has a YouTube channel as well is Roman Balmakov – channel is called “Facts Matter”. You tube obviously doesn’t allow everything he wants to talk about, but he will often leave links to free access of specific shows that are on EpochTV (subscription normally required, but you can sign in with an email and get IIRC 10 views for no charge).

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
April 5, 2022 10:23 am

Editorial: Chris Dawson an excellent choice for Governor
Angela PownallThe West Australian
Tue, 5 April 2022 2:00AM
Comments

Smart. Genuine. Pragmatic. A leader who has honed his craft over years across many very senior and important roles.

These are all fitting descriptions for WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson.

It was announced on Monday that Mr Dawson will become the Queen’s 34th representative in WA when outgoing Governor Kim Beazley’s five-year term expires on June 30.

Replacing the former Federal Labor leader will be a tough job, but the State can rest assured that it is in good hands.

As WA Police Commissioner, Mr Dawson made significant strides on the issue of race relations involving the police force. In 2018, he formally apologised to Aboriginal people in WA “for our participation in past wrongful actions that have caused immeasurable pain and suffering”.

The following year, Mr Dawson announced that the Aboriginal flag would fly permanently outside every police station.

WA was the first State in Australia to take this important symbolic step in a bid to address division between Indigenous communities and the police.

Mr Dawson is the first police officer to be appointed Governor. However his recent roles as State Emergency Co-ordinator and Vaccine Commander during the COVID-19 pandemic thrust him into the spotlight for different reasons.

Under Mr Dawson’s command, WA Police took control of the State’s hard border in a bid to keep COVID-19 out of WA.

Mr Dawson has also managed the implementation of lockdowns and controversial vaccine mandates.

The fact we are among the most vaccinated, and thereby safest, places in the world owes a lot to his commonsense approach.

And then is the rescue of four-year-old Cleo Smith.

Mr Dawson has called it the highlight of his career.

Big_Nambas
Big_Nambas
April 5, 2022 10:25 am

Maaate you are laying it on a bit thick.

Just borrowed your trowel.

johanna
johanna
April 5, 2022 10:26 am

COVID hysteria is still with us.

One of the housemaids at the motel just told me that every one of a group booking of six have put ‘no service required’ on their doors.

The manager inquired of the group leader, and was told it was because of COVID – whatever that means. Do they think that the housemaids are Typhoid Marys?

Bizarre.

Farmer Gez
Farmer Gez
April 5, 2022 10:27 am

That demented onanist, Daniel Andrews, is now is putting his own thoughts into other people’s heads after Damien Hardwick (Tigers coach) said the isolation rules in AFL should be scrapped.
The thought leader announced that Hardwick was just frustrated at losing a match.
Nobody in their right mind could critique the great leader of the progressive Soviet of Spring Street.

Struth
April 5, 2022 10:29 am

Struth, Rosie is commenting on ‘banal scaremongering’ about cases, not deaths. And Covid deaths are very few in proportion to cases. Believe if you must that we are all going to die who have taken the jab. I certainly don’t believe that. Nor am I ‘in denial’ about imperfect vaccines, nor yet am I convinced they are useless let alone a death sentence. But you should know that no-one here is evil, and that people have a right to believe you are wrong without being called evil.

Bullshit.
Commenting here at dover’s cat doesn’t absolve you from being evil.
There is evil in all of us to varying degrees.

Covid deaths never caused a rise in overall deaths and never have.
Proving it is no worse than the seasonal flu and maybe aws, all along, just that.
However you want to avoid the truth to go travelling, Lizzie, and how ever you like to twist it as well, the facts are there has been a massive increase in deaths amongst the working ages, after the jab.
Massive.
It’s way more dangerous to get the jab than get covid.
Proven fact.
Especially working age people.
And I would suggest to you, that you may want to think about your responsibilities to your fellow man and stopp poo pooing the results pouring in world wide.
Sneek in, have your booster, use your tick, go on holidays, but in doing all that, can you please stop trying to justify it and claim these vaccines aren’t killing people?
Remember I’ve been here the whole time you’ve been dribbling shit about these vaccines and now you know you were wrong, you won’t admit it.
All to justify compliance.

Just like a Premier. If a Premier knows one person has died from the vax and continues to mandate it, what is he?
Evil.
A murderer.

Trying to publicly play down and deny the information now pouring in about these kill shots (do you deny they’ve killed?) is not much better.

Diogenes
Diogenes
April 5, 2022 10:30 am

Under Mr Dawson’s command, WA Police took control of the State’s hard border in a bid to keep COVID-19 out of WA.

Which should disqualify him from ever receiving a single cent of taxpayers money forever.

calli
calli
April 5, 2022 10:33 am

Joh, I have friends still masking up to shop at Woollies. And boasting that they will stay home at Easter because of the influx of tourists.

For me, it has gone beyond arguing with. It is now an Article of Faith, an unshakeable belief system founded on fear. Bespoke linked an excellent little piece by Prager yesterday. The virus only travels through “outsiders” now. The implications of this are not lost on me.

Zipster
Zipster
April 5, 2022 10:37 am
local oaf
April 5, 2022 10:37 am

Hmmm, did “Magdeburg Man” really take 90 jabs?

The media couldn’t be trying to intimidate Germans out of refusing to follow orders?

Media wouldn’t do things like that, no way!

Struth
April 5, 2022 10:39 am

90 jabs in one year and they all have to be in the same spot.
2 a week basically.
Denialists WANT to belive this pin cushion shit.

Timothy Neilson
Timothy Neilson
April 5, 2022 10:39 am

Zulu Kilo Two Alphasays:
April 5, 2022 at 10:23 am

So Dawson’s supposed good points are:
(a) useless virtue signalling;
(b) presiding over systematic pathologically psychopathic neofascist thuggery; and
(c ) claiming credit for an emotionally charged but essentially routine operation conducted entirely by other people.

Presumably the only reason he isn’t seeking Labor preselection is that they’ve already got a full complement of personnel with those skills.

rosie
rosie
April 5, 2022 10:41 am

Isn’t Epoch Times a mouthpiece of Falun Gong?

Top Ender
Top Ender
April 5, 2022 10:42 am

Mark Latham’s Outsiders

Revealed at Education Budget Estimates: the 9000 unvaccinated casual staff (not allowed in schools) the NSW Department of Education tried to keep secret.

In the middle of the NSW school staffing crisis, the 9000 could have been used to ease the shortages.

rosie
rosie
April 5, 2022 10:43 am
calli
calli
April 5, 2022 10:43 am

I too am sceptical about 90 shot man. Nine…maybe.

Although people have been known to sell kidneys.

On Dawson – a Hollow Man praised for his hollowness. It’s of a piece with that Disney ‘toon from the side bar. Evil called good, good called evil.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
April 5, 2022 10:43 am

2 a week basically.

Struth – You can swap arms, and he was doing it to sell vax passports. Would’ve made a lot of money.

rosie
rosie
April 5, 2022 10:44 am

Exactly calli.

Zipster
Zipster
April 5, 2022 10:47 am

Martin Armstrong of Armstrong Economics is also another good Blog to read.

he was indicted for a ponzi scheme. he is a bit of a fraud, claimed he developed an AI to model the entire market when Ai was in its infancy. yeah… nah bro.

take what he says with a grain of salt.

Zipster
Zipster
April 5, 2022 10:49 am

I too am sceptical about 90 shot man. Nine…maybe.

there was a report some guy in china was doing the same, I cant find the links now since anything negative about the vaccines is memory holed by google, but he died after about a dozen shots.

Judge Dredd
Judge Dredd
April 5, 2022 10:52 am

take what he says with a grain of salt.

No, I also have a lot of time for Martin Armstrong. I read his blog, and another friend of mine has access to his private blog entries, and on both sides of his blog he is speaking the truth.

Tom
Tom
April 5, 2022 10:57 am

But you should know that no-one here is evil, and that people have a right to believe you are wrong without being called evil.

Just as many others here conclude that Struth is right, Lizzie – even for those like me who accepted his doctor’s advice to get double-jabbed.

The government is supposed to protect us, but signed us up for hurriedly-manufactured vaccines that weren’t properly tested, as a result of which there has been a massive surge in sometimes deadly side-effects, which weren’t expected because of the recklessness with which the vaccines were authorised.

I am lucky. I think my sturdy genes protected me from Kung Flu and it was nothing to do with the vaccine I submitted myself to – thank God.

But there is no way I’ll get any “booster” shot. I don’t trust the government. state and federal, much less Big Pharma.

johanna
johanna
April 5, 2022 10:58 am

calli says:
April 5, 2022 at 10:33 am

Joh, I have friends still masking up to shop at Woollies. And boasting that they will stay home at Easter because of the influx of tourists.

For me, it has gone beyond arguing with. It is now an Article of Faith,

Another anecdote. While Queanbeyan is now overwhelmingly mask-free, the proprietor of my favourite coffee shop in the mall is still wearing one. He’s an older Chinese guy, runs a good business and a tight ship, and makes excellent coffee. And he’s friendly.

I sympathised with him last time I was there, saying “that mask looks uncomfortable” (he as wearing something that looked like Jayne Mansfield’s bra, as designed by Howard Hughes). I said: “you don’t have to wear it, you know.”

He launched into a bunch of statistics about how many new ‘cases’ there were every day, so I backed off. His choice, after all.

Even before the pandemic, there were people with Chinese features wearing masks in the mall – not many, but they were there.

Some sort of cultural thing, I suppose.

Top Ender
Top Ender
April 5, 2022 10:59 am

Nine Entertainment has settled defamation action with Clementine Ford and will pay her tens of thousands of dollars in damages after the company’s former star columnist took legal action against The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age executive editor Tory Maguire.

On Tuesday, Federal Court judge Jayne Jagot ordered the publisher and Maguire to pay Ford $39,000 in damages and accrued legal costs which are expected to be about $20,000.

Ford, represented by solicitor Rebekah Giles, last month launched defamation action against Maguire and the company over comments made to the Guardian Australia.

Maguire was quoted accusing Ford of engaging in “vile and personal attacks” on journalists and editors at the mastheads.

The legal action was first flagged by The Australian’s Margin Call column in February.

Ford, who wrote a weekly column in the SMH and The Age, had her last column published for the masthead in early 2019 and resigned in February that year after claiming her employer had “threatened to fire” her for labelling Scott Morrison a “f … ing disgrace” on Twitter.

Oz

local oaf
April 5, 2022 11:00 am

Could there be a more dubious story in the MSM?/Chandler

1. If you defy the state and deal with criminals, we’ll catch them and they’ll rat you out.
2. The life saving vaccines are so safe that you can take 90 of them and be perfectly healthy afterwards.

Top Ender
Top Ender
April 5, 2022 11:01 am

Protesters blocked three lanes of traffic in Sydney’s south on Tuesday morning causing delays for motorists.

Fireproof Australia climate change protesters stopped traffic on the Grand Parade near General Holmes Drive at Brighton-Le-Sands, before they were removed around 9am.

The activist group were objecting to new protest laws, releasing a statement that said: “Defying newly passed laws Fireproof Australia supporters blockade a major road at Botany Bay in peak hour with their bodies and a call for a Large Arial Tanker fleet of waterbombing planes to fight fires.”

Daily Tele

Rex Anger
Rex Anger
April 5, 2022 11:03 am

90 jabs in one year and they all have to be in the same spot.
2 a week basically.
Denialists WANT to belive this pin cushion shit.

Welp, it achieved 2 things for me:

1) It set you off, and that’s reason enough. 🙂

2) It sure beats being a Doomer Derro Darren like yourself, panic-raging out of paranoia that you’re going to be sent off to a Jessica Mauboy*-run WEF DeAtH CaMp at Toowoomba or Darwin…

* It could be worse, Struth- It could be run by fellow WEF Young Leader alumnus Grace Tame. Can you imagine how awful it would be, having someone as gobby, strident and egotistical as you tongue lashing you by day and night? And then you die? Look at how excited she is by the prospect!**

** Still think these online photos are suspect. Grace Tame does not smile in public.

Rex Anger
Rex Anger
April 5, 2022 11:08 am

“Defying newly passed laws Fireproof Australia supporters blockade a major road at Botany Bay in peak hour with their bodies and a call for a Large Arial Tanker fleet of waterbombing planes to fight fires.”

The utter irony of climate change protesters demanding big, carbon spewing aeroplanes to save them from catastrophic, bush- and people-killing fires the meddling of their own fellow travellers in the nation’s various National Parks and Forestry Departments have exacerbated.

Where’s Vic Jurskis and the competent old foresters when you need them?

lotocoti
lotocoti
April 5, 2022 11:10 am

Bugger me with a fish fork.
Did I just speed scroll through a pooh-poohing
or was it a pooh-pooh being pooh-poohed?

Arky
April 5, 2022 11:12 am

Own up, which of you morons were repeatedly saying Zelensky wasn’t in the country, but hiding?
It was stupid at the time. As if the guy could go to a neighbouring country for weeks on end without being spotted and the fact leaked.
But today there is footage of him in Bucha. Waking around. Chatting. Interacting. Obviously not photoshopped in.
Will those on here who kept saying that bullshit now say “I got that wrong”?
Be accountable when you are wrong. If I get something wrong I own up. That’s part of recalibrating you’re brain so it is less likely to make the same mistake again. Not to benefit others, but yourself.
So over to whoever it was. Own up.
Unless it was just repeating propaganda bullshit for effect.

harrys on the boat
harrys on the boat
April 5, 2022 11:13 am

Ace of Spades is a must daily read.

I’m venturing to Melbourne for a lads weekend watching the F1 and some footy. What’s the rules with masks and vaxx passports?

Arky
April 5, 2022 11:13 am

Your

Rex Anger
Rex Anger
April 5, 2022 11:15 am

Also, re: multiple jabs-

There was this mad lad in New Zealand who landed 10 in a single day. Pretty sure he’s still about.

Plus the multiple reports of people easily and expertly faking vaccination certificates worldwide.

But I do understand that a Struth-seeker would get very upset about such folks, as they do rather crumble his Narratives about both the apparent lethality of the KiLlShOtS (Still alive! :D), and demonstrate a greater willingness and creativity of Resistance than raiding a blog full of hated denialists from time to time in order to be a shouty nuisance for digital applause…

Rex Anger
Rex Anger
April 5, 2022 11:17 am

Bugger me with a fish fork.
Did I just speed scroll through a pooh-poohing
or was it a pooh-pooh being pooh-poohed?

It’s not a proper pooh-poohing until the Regiment has been disbanded, Locototi… 😉

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