With oil exports strong in April, Russian President Vladimir Putin manages to avoid economic ruin while hammering Ukraine.
Despite predictions of doom for the heavily sanctioned Russian economy, nearly two months into Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine his country’s oil exports to Europe and nations such as India and Turkey have actually risen, and its financial sector has so far avoided a serious liquidity crisis.
Sanctions may work in the long run, experts say, but for now many of the same countries that are sanctioning Russia are still seriously undercutting their efforts by buying energy from it – in some cases in even larger amounts during April than in March.
“Putin is continuing to make at least a billion dollars a day selling oil and gas, and the lion’s share is from Europe,” says Edward Fishman, a former Europe specialist at the US State Department. “Individual European countries are sending military assistance to Ukraine but it’s dwarfed by payments they’re making to Russia for oil and gas.”
Despite Western restrictions on Russia’s financial sector, oil exports are up to 3.6 million barrels a day in April, compared with 3.3 million barrels a day the month before, says Matt Smith of Kpler, a firm that tracks oil cargo ships. “The big takeaway is that Russian crude oil exports are actually higher so far this month than they were last month,” Smith says. “It’s surprising.”
– ‘Record pace’ for Russian oil shipments
– Gas continues to flow
– Economic crisis
In a recent interview with Der Spiegel, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz suggested that Berlin couldn’t afford to cut off Russian supplies anytime soon, saying an embargo on Russian gas not only wouldn’t end the Ukraine war but could lead to “a dramatic economic crisis, the loss of millions of jobs and of factories that would never open again”.
He added: “This would have major consequences for our country, for all of Europe, and it would also severely affect the financing of Ukraine’s reconstruction. As such, it is my responsibility to say: we cannot allow that to happen.”
– Contracting economy
– Divided international response
– Economic distress in the West
As JPMorgan analyst Natasha Kaneva said this week, eliminating Russian oil is going to cause every bit of the economic pain that Germany and other EU nations fear, possibly driving up prices by about 65 per cent from about $US110 to $US185 a barrel.
That could be devastating to economies such as Germany’s, which gets 25 per cent of its oil and 40 per cent of its gas from Russia. Not surprisingly, Berlin has led the fence-sitting over the energy issue.
And – more info on the investigation into Rodney Joffe
Yesterday, April 27, there was a pre-trial hearing in the Michael Sussmann case relating to various evidentiary issues. For the uninitiated, Sussmann a former Perkins Coie partner, and former attorney for the DNC/Clinton Campaign (and Rodney Joffe), has been charged by Special Counsel John Durham with providing false statements to then-FBI General Counsel James Baker in the fall of 2016. Here is more background on his indictment.
The U.S. dollar is getting perilously close to losing its status as the world’s reserve currency, and there is less room than ever for error on the international stage. Blunders in U.S. foreign policy are likely to have more harmful effects on both our allies and our enemies than in the past given the sorry record of the Biden administration. Should the U.S. dollar be knocked out of its position as the reserve currency, hell would break lose across global markets.
With recent memories of Biden’s humiliating and bungled withdrawal from Afghanistan, there is less confidence in the reliability of the United States from our allies, and far less respect and fear of the United States from our enemies. It’s self-evident that the powers behind Biden favor prolonging the Russia-Ukraine war, rather than promoting an expedient end to hostilities, because the ongoing conflict dominates U.S. media and diverts Americans’ attention away from disastrous domestic policies and breaking high-stakes scandals and prosecutions of Democrats and their deep state operatives.
The blame for the Russian-Ukraine war lies with both Russia and the United States and NATO countries. When the Soviet Union broke up in 1991 and Ukraine gained its independence and agreed to dismantle the nuclear arsenal that the USSR had deployed there in the Cold War years, it was understood that Ukraine would remain a neutral country, and that was formalized in the Budapest Agreement of 1994.
Ukrainian instability over the last eight years has had three major causes:
5
SBS ‘World Watch’ coming on 23 May.
Perfectly timed to permit Australia’s newly elected CCP owners a preconfigured tax payer funded communist news channel.
Well planned SBS. Now get rid of the token whitey stuff. CCP Watch, NITV and he Upper Volta Third Division Soccer Championship is all that’s needed in former Australia.
2
Caught a bit of some quizling/ lickspittle/ girly man/ newhalf on their ABCcess this morning mewling and puking its progressive credentials (yes it claimed to be a proud progressive) and getting all hurty feelings when it was accused of not being progressive enough.
The name of this Greens/Teal/ALP member?
Josh Friedchickenburger.
But hey, by all means hold your nose and vote for this chap who claimed the Canberra poo punchers party legislation was a great moment in politics.
At least hes not Labour!
As his federal Coalition colleagues threaten to splinter over the path to net zero emissions, NSW Liberal Treasurer and Energy Minister Matt Kean is clear: the state is going there anyway, and consumers will benefit.
It’s a view that has brought friction with Canberra, and which threatens to drive a bigger wedge into the fracturing National Electricity Market.
Kean goes so far as to assert that for NSW’s journey in the energy transition, it makes little difference which party wins the May 21 election.
“From our perspective it doesn’t matter who’s in government, because we’ve got very clear plans and policies here in New South Wales that are in the interests of New South Wales taxpayers, and the families and businesses that operate here,” he says.
“We’ll work with whoever sits in the federal parliament to make sure we get the best outcome for the public.”
“This is not just a play for our environment, this is a major strategic economic play to underwrite the future prosperity of our state and our nation,” he says.
Preparing for reality
“Today, half of the world’s wealth is being created in jurisdictions that have committed to net zero, so those markets that have previously underwritten our state’s prosperity are changing, and we want to make sure we’re well-placed to take advantage of those global megatrends in a way that will create jobs, drive investment into New South Wales and underwrite prosperity like the state’s never seen before.”
On coal power in NSW, Kean has been sanguine about the early closure of Origin Energy’s huge Eraring generator on the Central Coast, in contrast to his sharply critical federal colleague Angus Taylor, who voiced “bitter disappointment” and blasted Kean as “delusional” in his plan to rely heavily on a 700 MW battery to replace it.
‘We have a plan’
Raising pulses across the sector, however, is the surge in wholesale power prices this year, which has worsened since late March as AGL Energy went ahead with the long-scheduled closure of the first of four units at its Liddell coal station in the Hunter Valley, just as Victorian generation was disrupted by technical problems.
‘We can’t sit and wait’
But it’s coming at the cost of the National Electricity Market, which is struggling with proposed reforms and with the impact of the rapidly changing energy mix on the grid.
Kean says he “believes in” the NEM but acknowledges “it’s certainly very hard” to make it work as the states push forward faster on the transition.
He is more ebullient about the future for green hydrogen, and for other technologies such as green steel that should set up the state and its major industries for the future. NSW’s work in that area is being advised by a Net Zero Emissions and Clean Economy Board, announced in December and chaired by former Energy Security Board chair Kerry Schott.
1
“Great to see some of those on the right such as Shapiro and James Woods suddenly picking up big numbers of new Twitter subscribers.”
As well as the large number of leftists like Obama losing followers.
Seems odd, dunnit? Almost like they are furiously taking down the shadow bans, removing bots etc and destroying the evidence of it so Elon won’t disclose what they did.
Oops – people already noticed.
Seems like the CODE is frozen, but the PARAMETERS files are not. Hopefully Elon took a snap-shot of that too, and hid it away.If so, that might be somewhat embarrassing later on…
5
Has anyone ever taken their ABC to task over their employment procedures?
They’re always just shape shifting (I mean seat shifting) from one abc role to another? Do they actually advertise? Do they have to? You would think* any public sector organisation would have to follow some pretty stringent hiring practices???
(*think not always being the case for Anyone But Conservatives)
6
Sanctions may work in the long run, experts say, but for now many of the same countries that are sanctioning Russia are still seriously undercutting their efforts by buying energy from it – in some cases in even larger amounts during April than in March.
Russia has been preparing for sanctions for years. It also helps if the countries sanctioning you need what you’re selling much more than you need them as buyers. This was all eminently foreseeable and many commentators have been making these very points since things started kicking off again in the Donbass last year, and the US started issuing threats of sanctions if Russia didn’t do what it was told.
Power users in Queensland and NSW are staring down the barrel of sharply higher wholesale electricity prices than their neighbours in the south will pay after retail prices are reset mid-year.
The latest quarterly report from the country’s energy market operator shows that a lack of transmission meant the big states that are more dependent on black coal power were unable to take advantage of cheaper power from renewable sources in the south.
This means power users in those states are facing higher electricity bills because black coal prices have soared amid a global energy crunch, a scenario which threatens to add to rising inflation and stoke concern about cost-of-living struggles.
The extent to which the mid-year price increases for retail and small business customers reflect the huge spike in wholesale prices in Queensland and NSW will depend partly on the level of hedging each retailer has in place. Very large power users whose prices more closely follow the wholesale market may already be paying more.
Labor’s Rewiring the Nation policy centres on a $20 billion low-cost loan scheme, which it estimates would unlock $58 billion of private co-financing in assets to help deliver net zero emissions by 2050.
Increasing transmission lines would bring soaring amounts of renewable energy generation onto the country’s National Electricity Market, most likely reducing wholesale prices. But customers would endure the costs of building the infrastructure through taxes and components of their bills.
2
The way I think of “Net Zero” being a Greens’ invention, and given how much they hate humanity, is that “net zero” means “we want you to stop breathing?” We are carbon based beings and we expel that deadly planet-killing CO2 with every breath!
7
Cassie of Sydneysays:
April 28, 2022 at 9:51 pm
“I am told this morning that Apple and Google will remove Twitter from the App Store if it does not moderate and remove hate speech under @ElonMusk.”
This reeks of desperation. They did this with Parler. But Musk is a different kettle of fish and I don’t think he’ll take any of these threats from progressive scum lying down.
yup – it ‘aint going to work with musk.
He’s a vertical integrator – just look at what he’s had to do with Tesla and the gigafactories.
Pop it on F-droid, chuck them some money, and he’s done.
3
To anticipate the weekend, a bit of light relief from BBC Scotland (which is obviously free of the political correctness of ‘our’ ABC) taking aim at the apology industry:
I am indulging in a serious toddler sulk session.
I still have the coof and I am pissed off.
Nothing like being sick in another country staying in someone else’s house.
My incredibly generous and cheerful landlord has returned from the rigs for his six off. He just informed me that my two visits to the local NHS Clinic will bankrupt me. He was actually amazed that they saw me and allowed me to sniff their O2.
He is still promising a couple of days trail ride up to the high lochs. I can’t see that happening but it is a nice thought.
Priority one in the short term is convince Daughter, who is also bugged, that she has not murdered the old man. Well, not yet anyway.
Travel expands the ……….
14
NSW’s work in that area is being advised by a Net Zero Emissions and Clean Economy Board, announced in December and chaired by former Energy Security Board chair Kerry Schott.
THis Kerry Schott? Clearly has a deep understanding of electrical engineering. //sarc
Schott graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with first class Honours from the University of New England, undertook a Masters of Arts at the University of British Columbia, and a doctorate in pure mathematics at Nuffield College, Oxford.[1][3]
Career
Her early career included investment banking for Deutsche Bank and Whitlam Turnbull.[4]
“We’ll starve. There will be no food,” Ms Formosa told the ABC.
Then check the picture they have in the story…
9
FM, I don’t “frequent” their ABC as I do not give them the gratitude of getting a “hit” from my visit but I’m guessing obesity?
2
Lysandersays:
April 29, 2022 at 1:14 pm
Some large bones, the size seldom seen since the comet hit.
9
I linked that ABC story on the previous page.
No doubt at all the ABC is being deadly serious.
4
Some large bones, the size seldom seen since the comet hit.
LOL!!!! FMD they’re idiots.
4
but I’m guessing obesity?
Chubsters with bingo wings
4
The latest quarterly report from the country’s energy market operator shows that a lack of transmission meant the big states that are more dependent on black coal power were unable to take advantage of cheaper power from renewable sources in the south.
Inverting: its not just for air conditioners anymore.
The subsidies however flow south at a great rate, while the carbon penalties flow upstream without hinderance.
5
Also is the ALPBC secretly taking the piss with its photos?
“We’ll starve. There will be no food,” Ms Formosa told the ALPBC.
Two possibilities – someone at the ALPBC actually possesses a sense of humour, or, they’re such tin eared tone deaf z-grade idiots that it never even occurred to them how ridiculous using that photo would appear.
Sam Connor, who has limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, which makes her particularly vulnerable if she were to catch COVID.
She now faces the “terrifying” prospect of trying to dodge the virus as the risk of catching it grows, while deciding which parts of everyday life she can continue with.
Ms Connor, who is the President of People with Disability Australia, is not the only one, with others in the disability space saying the latest shift means some feel they have little choice other than to lock themselves in their homes.
‘k bye. Catchya round. Or maybe not. If I remember, I’ll wave at you if I see you staring out your window as I pass by.
A lot more people are going to be unable to leave their homes and are going to have restrictions that they hadn’t had before when the numbers were down,” Ms Connor said.
“Now that COVID is being let rip it means that we’re accepting that we’re going to lose West Australians and that means people with disability, including people with disability because of age.”
You’re still here? Go lock yourself away from the world, already. Annoying!
FYI, ‘let rip teh Covid’ = return to some semblance of sanity.
Incidentally, two of my closest family relatives died in aged care facilities – both would have been considered disabled – one for the last year of her life, the other was legally blind and thus ‘disabled’ her entire life*. Neither of these people would have accepted this ridiculous woman as their advocate.
it’s a really hard thing as a person with disability to hear that this is going to be the case, that we are not considered to be as valuable as other citizens, I guess,” Ms Connor said.
You guess right. And please go fuck off and die with your passive-aggressive guilt trip. Literally. Just go somewhere and drown in your irrational fear, and let the rest of us get on with our lives.
*as a sidebar, this relative was a genuinely remarkable individual who spent the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s smashing through all kinds of ‘structural barriers’ before retiring in the mid-1980s as a professor of psychology. She never marched in the streets – despite literally being in UC Berkeley on a scholarship during the sit-ins – or burnt bras for change, because (and I know it’s a cliche) she was the change. Her sheer strength of will was never going to let an insignificant matter like her being a woman get in the way of what she wanted to achieve. She never considered herself disabled, and was surprised and somewhat put out when, in her late 70s, her doctor suggested she get an ACROD pass so that the people driving her about could use disabled parking bays when they took her out. She also despised feminists and leftists. It’s probably a good thing she’s no longer alive to see what her beloved academy has become.
14
He just informed me that my two visits to the local NHS Clinic will bankrupt me.
Australia and the UK have a reciprocal health agreement and your Medicare card should give you access to the NHS without charge. My father fell ill at the end of a river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam and he and my stepmother were flying to Heathrow to connect to the flight home, he made it to Heathrow before being unable to continue and was treated at the local NHS clinic without charge. The only expenses were the airport hotel and the rebooking fee from the airline, which were covered by travel insurance.
11
RE: What machine tools actually do-
I thought if you didn’t set fire to the grease in the wheel bearing you were trying to expand the bearing out of, you weren’t trying hard enough?
Plenty of time to lie around watching movies.
Travel to the other side of the world to watch streamed movies, FFS.
Just watched ‘Resistance’ a story about Marcel Maceau’s time in the Jewish underground.
The show has its moments but the acting and directing of Matthias Schweighoffer as Klaus Barbie makes it well worth the time. For someone who likes to sneer at actors I have to admit that his characterisation of the psychopath was outstanding; truly terrifying.
In the speech, De La Torre criticized evangelicals who voted for President Donald Trump.
“When eight out of ten white evangelicals voted for a person who is completely against everything Christianity stands for, I don’t know what Christianity they are practicing,” he said.
Additionally, he argued that the word white doesn’t always reference skin color, but rather is an “ontological concept.”
“Those of us who are colored, some of us can also be white,” he said. “But the good news is there is salvation.”
De La Torre noted that he is not a theologian, and is more concerned about focusing on “dealing with what’s going on than trying to figure out theology.”
Carlow University is a private Catholic institution in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and was founded by the Sisters of Mercy.
2
But hey, you should vote for him because hes not Labour.
Liberal party MP Trent Zimmerman says he and fellow moderate MPs “prevailed” over the deputy prime minister, Barnaby Joyce, in securing a net zero climate target, saying the Nationals leader was opposed to the policy.
Zimmerman, a key Liberal party moderate facing a serious challenge to hang on to the North Sydney electorate from the independent Kylea Tink, told a Sky News debate on Thursday that he would push for “stronger” emissions targets if the Coalition was re-elected.
“Soon we will be putting forward our targets for 2035 and I’m going to be pushing for them to be even stronger still, as I’m sure they will be,” he said.
…..
During the debate Zimmerman said he did not support controversial comments about trans people made by Liberal party candidate Katherine Deves, but stopped short of publicly calling for her to be disendorsed.
“I’ve made it very clear I don’t support Katherine Deves’ comments at all,” he said.
“Anyone who knows me and my record in parliament knows I’m someone who for six years stood up for LGBTI community. That has been important to me and who I am and so I find comments [that are] transphobic and homophobic particularly difficult.
4
De La Torre noted that he is not a theologian, and is more concerned about focusing on “dealing with what’s going on than trying to figure out theology.”
Just Another Race- and now Christian-baiting activist with a credential.
3
Part of a longer article from the “Oz.”
There was also a rare praise on Thursday for an Australian politician in Beijing.
At a monthly press conference in Beijing, Chinese defence ministry spokesman Tan Kefei noted recent comments by the Greens’ peace and disarmament spokesman Jordon Steele-John.
In an election season interview with The Australian, the Greens foreign policy spokesman said that China did not pose a threat to Australia, said concern about the Solomons-China agreement was “paternalistic and actually racist”, and said the future of Taiwan was not a direct concern for Australia.
The Chinese defence spokesman encouraged other Australians to learn from the Greens senator.
“We urge relevant people in Australia to correct their misunderstandings and stop malicious speculation, so as to avoid further damage to the relationship between the two countries and the two militaries,” he said.
The spokesman also said reports that China was going to build a naval base in Solomon Islands were “fake news”.
President Joe Biden has formally asked Congress for $33 billion to fund both humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine through September of this year.
“It’s not cheap. But caving to aggression is going to be more costly,” Biden said Thursday.
Biden also sent Congress a proposal to change current laws to make it a crime to possess proceeds directly obtained from corrupt dealings with the Russian government. This change is key to giving U.S. officials the legal basis to sell the seized assets of sanctioned Russian oligarchs.
will be telling their stories in front of a Court that has a fleet of helicopters to hand for sentencing.
While loading them up we’ll give silent thanks to Saint Augusto.
5
“White”, if we’re referring to colour, isn’t a single colour at all. It’s a mixture of all of them.
Which means it’s the most diverse and inclusive of all.
10
I’ve just got an email from Austarlia Post telling me I have a delivery but need to pay 7,5 AUD to release it from the warehouse. Seriously, do people really fall for that?
8
Two possibilities – someone at the ALPBC actually possesses a sense of humour, or, they’re such tin eared tone deaf z-grade idiots that it never even occurred to them how ridiculous using that photo would appear.
My money’s on the latter.
I’m old enough to remember close to 20 years ago when David Marr made at least two dozen appearances on the ABC in the space of about two months, and in every single one of those appearances he claimed John Howard was “silencing” him.
On every single one the ABC host was fawning and sympathising and expressing outrage over the silencing.
As best I recall only Tim Blair and Andrew Bolt pointed out the problem with the way Marr was going about demonstrating that he’d been silenced.
9
Bigots and urgers always have very set ideas on what Christians are supposed to believe.
Shame they don’t believe any of it themselves.
7
Zimmerman, a key Liberal party moderate facing a serious challenge to hang on to the North Sydney electorate from the independent Kylea Tink, told a Sky News debate on Thursday that he would push for “stronger” emissions targets if the Coalition was re-elected.
I kind of hope the Teals knock out all of the Liberal ‘moderates’. However, you know for a fact that Liberal strategists will learn all of the wrong lessons from this. Those ‘moderates’ weren’t moderate enough! We must be even more moderate! Here’s an incredible idea that has never been tried before (except by every losing conservative political party ever); how about we try and outflank the left from the left? It will surely work this time.
17
Sitting under a verandah at Curtin Springs.
The place is swarming with finches. They gather on the twigs and branches for all the world like a strange, calloused growth. With a “peep peep” repeated a thousand times they descend to the ground to select a few seeds or a drop of water, only to rise again in a flurrying cloud. Rinse and repeat.
Daniel Andrews was asked today about all the Victorian teachers who suddenly found themselves out of work because they haven’t taken their third dose of poison. This is how he reacted:
“I’m just about sick and tired of this constant negativity when it comes to schools….”
Nobody normal responds like that. Only psychopaths do that. The kind of psychopath who would introduce an innocuous sounding bill to parliament which is designed to destroy any crops people try to grow in their backyard during a period of food shortages. This was seen on the internet:
Andrews government will be coming after agriculture next. The Agriculture Legislation Amendment Bill 2022 has had it’s second reading in parliament. Biosecurity being the stated reason for changes. Increased enforcement powers, searching of property and persons without warrant, Increased fines, what was $1800 now $10.000 for providing false or misleading info. Landholder consent no longer required for Authorised Officers to take samples, stock (animals), documents. Authorised Officers no longer required to present identification. Heavy penalties for obstructing entry to the property. Sounds like they are getting their ducks lined up, ready to be deployed to shut down farms.
Sounds crazy right? It’s true, it’s all true. Here are just a few examples from The Agriculture Legislation Amendment Bill 2022,
Explanatory Memorandum:
– Authorised Officers no longer required to present identification:
– Heavy penalties for obstructing entry to the property:
– Increased fines, what was $1800 now $10.000 for providing false or misleading info:
Most concerning, they are putting in place laws which would allow them to charge you the money it cost them to destroy your own food supply:
This bill from Andrews however is extremely suspicious. It should be viewed in the context of the express intention of some of the world’s most powerful billionaires and international institutions to convert the world’s meat and dairy industry to derive its protein from plants, synthetic material and bugs.
9
De La Torre noted that he is not a theologian…
Well he got that right, at least.
4
Apple and Google will remove Twitter from the App Store if it does not moderate and remove hate speech under @ElonMusk.”
Terrible blow.
That means everyone browsing the app stores looking for a microblogging and networking app will never get to hear about Twitter.
Musk undone.
4
callisays:
April 29, 2022 at 2:00 pm “White”, if we’re referring to colour, isn’t a single colour at all. It’s a mixture of all of them.
Which means it’s the most diverse and inclusive of all.
The white light that emits from the sun can be broken down into the 7 colors of the rainbow in order:
Violet
Indigo
Blue
Green
Yellow
Orange
Red
5
mole at 1:13
“We’ll starve. There will be no food,” Ms Formosa told the ABC.
Then check the picture they have in the story…
Mmmyes.
None of them looked like Bobby Sands.
3
In an election season interview with The Australian, the Greens foreign policy spokesman said that China did not pose a threat to Australia, said concern about the Solomons-China agreement was “paternalistic and actuallyracist”, and said the future of Taiwan was not a direct concern for Australia.
link: Picture of “i cant believe I fell into a position for life ” John in the days his flippers worked.
link: Not a racist.
Link: Yup, not a concern….
Kneel:
Yep – western nations, where even the homeless are obese.
A bit of starvation might make it easier to get into shape.
Hey, isn’t “round” a shape? ?
Nah. They be Preppers – They still not starving after month of no tucker, bloke.
Unless we eat ’em first.
“Old traditions are good traditions.”
2
rugbyskier at 1:47 -Yep. Did 6 weeks as a guest of the NHS in Manchester circa 1990 with Guillain Barre syndrome and walked out without seeing a single invoice for payment.
The more time the RBA gives households to adjust to higher rates, the more time wages growth has to offset the impact of the reduced purchasing power.
The smartest Reserve Bank of Australia watchers I know think the bank will either raise rates by 15 basis points in May or go 40 basis points in June. Both are torn on the probabilities, with the historically more accurate of the two leaning slightly towards June. Rates will rise, it is now just a timing question.
Ahead of its June meeting, the RBA will receive two significant data releases on wages and labour costs, which will furnish important new insights on the sustainability of the current inflation pulse.
The RBA will receive the first-quarter wage price index in mid-May and then the GDP measures of wages and labour unit costs immediately before its June meeting. With this in mind, Lowe explicitly referenced the need to wait multiple “months” for the arrival of this data in his statement after the April meeting: “Over coming months, important additional evidence will be available to the board on both inflation and the evolution of labour costs,” Lowe advised. “The board will assess this and other incoming information as its sets policy to support full employment in Australia and inflation outcomes consistent with the target.”
The RBA has received one tranche of data (the inflation results) but nothing yet on wages or labour costs. And while the core inflation data was strong, it was not necessarily black and white.
The RBA’s preferred measure, the trimmed mean, printed at 1.4 per cent in the March quarter, besting consensus expectations of a 1.2 per cent outcome. Yet another significant metric, the weighted median, was weaker at only 1 per cent, underperforming consensus.
Recent inflation prints have clearly been boosted by supply-side factors, government policy changes and, more generally, increases in the cost of imported items. As Goldman Sachs noted, domestic market services inflation, which correlates more with wages, was relatively benign, rising only 0.5 per cent in the quarter and 2.5 per cent over the past 12 months.
Already on the up
A final piece of this puzzle is that actual real-world interest rates have already begun climbing sharply. Three-year fixed-rate borrowing costs have increased enormously from less than 2 per cent only 12 months ago to 4.5 per cent.
House price falls will accelerate as the RBA raises rates. And banks will continue to pass on their own independent hikes – as they have done with fixed-rate loans recently and will not hesitate to do with their variable rate products as profits are pressed.
Housing market
To be clear, the RBA has no desire to aggressively jack up rates only to push the economy into recession. For the first time in a decade, it has sighted decent inflation and wage growth, and its entire mission is focused on ensuring that prices and incomes expand sustainably.
The RBA also knows that with the household debt-to-income ratio at record highs, Australians have never been more sensitive to rate changes. It has historically got housing market reactions to its policy changes horribly wrong (being consistently surprised on the upside and downside).
There is little chance of the RBA raising rates aggressively if house prices are falling sharply. The RBA will further account for the banks’ independent rate hikes when setting its cash rate: the more the banks do, the less the RBA will do.
Eleven Victoria Crosses were awarded for the defence of Rorke’s Drift in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, the most VCs for any action in the history of the British Army. Private Frederick Hitch was one of the 11 defenders rewarded for his bravery. Richard Rhys Jones’ account of the engagement is told in the form of a memoir by Private Hitch…
3
Old Ozzie:
Remember the Emergency Powers legislation? Supposed to enable a government to continue during an emergency? Then it turned out the emergency could be defined as Nuclear Armageddon, or even a flu season. And the bastards went to town on it.
Now have a look at the new Victorian Biosecurity Laws which are about to be passed:
“The Agriculture Legislation Amendment Bill 2022 has had it’s second reading in parliament. Biosecurity being the stated reason for changes. Increased enforcement powers, searching of property and persons without warrant, Increased fines, what was $1800 now $10.000 for providing false or misleading info. Landholder consent no longer required for Authorised Officers to take samples, stock (animals), documents. Authorised Officers no longer required to present identification. Heavy penalties for obstructing entry to the property.
Sounds like they are getting their ducks lined up, ready to be deployed to shut down farms.”
Clause 20 makes miscellaneous amendments to section 58 of the
Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Control of Use) Act 1992 to clarify and modify the provision in relation to debt recovery and broaden the scope of the directions that may be included in a destruction notice. These amendments provide that a notice may, in addition to dealing with the destroying of chemical products, fertiliser, stock food, agricultural produce, plants or stock, also provide for otherwise dealing with the thing by alternatives means such as recycling. The amendments also include an express provision that action for the recovery of costs may be taken in a court of competent jurisdiction and the costs can be recovered as a debt.
Looks to me like an inspector will be able to walk onto your property with a copper in tow, start shooting your cattle and burning your crops, while setting fire to your machinery and hay sheds. And the copper will arrest you if you complain.
You watch – there will be an outbreak of Hoof & Mouth Disease in Victoria within 12 months to justify the destruction of your farm, and it will be backed up by ‘evidence’ supplied by a government body.
Sir Stanley Baker wore Lieutenant Chard’s medals while filming the movie Zulu
He bought the medals at auction for £2,700 only to be told they were ‘cast copy’
New research confirms the 1990s evaluation that the medal was the real deal
“duncanmsays:
April 29, 2022 at 1:02 pm
Cassie of Sydneysays:
April 28, 2022 at 9:51 pm
“I am told this morning that Apple and Google will remove Twitter from the App Store if it does not moderate and remove hate speech under @ElonMusk.”
This reeks of desperation. They did this with Parler. But Musk is a different kettle of fish and I don’t think he’ll take any of these threats from progressive scum lying down.
yup – it ‘aint going to work with musk.
He’s a vertical integrator – just look at what he’s had to do with Tesla and the gigafactories.
Pop it on F-droid, chuck them some money, and he’s done.”
I suspect the activists know that they’ve been and are being outwitted, hence the threats to shut Twitter down. I find such a thought highly amusing because of the left’s dependence on Twitter. What will they do in the interim? Will they move to Gab or Gettr or heaven forbid…Trump’s new site “Truth”, all sites that they’ve smeared as “far-right” etc.. Oh I’m laughing. They love to talk about “inclusiveness” but they never practice it and they’re now well and truly exposed for being the totalitarian thugs that they are.
Given Twitter’s market share and Musk’s profile, I doubt that Apple and Google will do what they did with Parler. I might be wrong but I have a feeling that the tide is turning and it took a tidal wave by Musk to do it.
8
If PM Soggybottom heard about AUKUS he would’ve been straight on the phone to Beijing!!
3
The DVD on pre order 2000 Mules.
$25 for the DVD $65 for delivery from the US!
Piss off – I don’t pay gouge money any more.
4
very funny tweet of a pic of a poster stuck to fence…
VOTE RICK ASTLEY
HE WILL NEVER
-give you up,
-let you down,
-run around,
-desert you,
-make you cry,
-say goodbye,
-tell a lie, or,
-hurt you
😛 😛 😛
6
Authorised Officers no longer required to present identification.
No possibility of this being misused.
None at all.
9
Having rewatched Zulu (1964) Full Movie – English last night
Visiting Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift was one of those experiences – the niece of the King of Zululand worked in the gift shop at Rorke’s Drift.
5
Winston Smithsays:
April 29, 2022 at 3:08 pm The DVD on pre order 2000 Mules.
$25 for the DVD $65 for delivery from the US!
Piss off – I don’t pay gouge money any more.
Amazon has 2,000 Mules Hardcover – October 4, 2022 by Dinesh D’Souza (Author)
AUD 39.06
List Price: AUD 43.40
Save: AUD 4.34 (10%)
No Import Fees Deposit & AUD 17.13 Shipping to Australia Details
Sales taxes may apply at checkout
AUD 17.13 delivery
Pre-order Price Guarantee. Details
At last, bestselling author Dinesh D’Souza exposes the powerful evidence of voting fraud that you were told didn’t exist. Also, a major motion picture documentary.
I would assume they will have DVD when it becomes available
Rather than belabor America’s turbulent history, while vilifying just one race, the United States needs to find a way to turn the corner on this cancel culture madness that exists as a malignant cancer on the body politic.
Liberal indoctrination in the United States has gotten so out of control that math textbooks, based on the work of some dead white men, among others, are no longer safe from the virtue-signaling Inquisition. Let’s be clear: no society can survive such insanity for long.
As difficult as it is to fathom, in the span of a single generation the patron saints of Western civilization – towering historic figures like Shakespeare, Washington, Voltaire and Copernicus – have been systematically dispatched to the local garbage dump primarily due to their hideous whiteness.
Indeed, the pale-faced tribe of ‘Caucasians’, to employ a more outdated racial categorization, has become so offensive to liberal sensitivities that with each passing year the mainstream media reports, with thinly disguised delight, the latest precipitous decline among the White population.
3
The replies to Musk’s tweet are hilarious.
A window into leftie obsessions.
4
“The Agriculture Legislation Amendment Bill 2022 has had it’s second reading in parliament. Biosecurity being the stated reason for changes. Increased enforcement powers, searching of property and persons without warrant, Increased fines, what was $1800 now $10.000 for providing false or misleading info. Landholder consent no longer required for Authorised Officers to take samples, stock (animals), documents. Authorised Officers no longer required to present identification. Heavy penalties for obstructing entry to the property.
fascism on steroids
8
Tertiary union in push for 30 days of transgender leave
Joanne Tran
Journalist
8:38PM April 28, 2022
206 Comments
The university workers’ union is demanding up to 30 days of gender-affirmation leave across the nation’s campuses for staff who are gender transitioning.
In the midst of a dispute with the University of Tasmania, the National Tertiary Education Union says staff transitioning have not been given enough time to deal with the medical issues they face.
The University of Tasmania has rejected the union’s demand and is instead offering 10 days of special leave for all staff.
“Our aim is to expand access to paid leave for our people, for those defining their gender or undergoing a gender transition, as well as for those who need to access paid leave for other reasons,” a University of Tasmania spokesman said.
“Negotiations on this, and other matters, are continuing.”
The union says almost 1000 signatures have been obtained for a petition to demand the University of Tasmania “treat trans and gender diverse staff properly”, declaring that 10 days is not “commensurate to the needs of workers”.
Queer Unionists in Tertiary Education national convener Amy Sargeant says gender affirmation leave will save the lives of tertiary education workers.
“There are too many stories of incredible workers who have had to quit their jobs while they’re transitioning because they are not supported,” Ms Sargeant said.
“The consequences can be too difficult to bear for many, deprived of income during a highly traumatic time in their lives – which they have no control over.”
“When gender affirmation leave clauses start to appear in our agreements, they will be used by unions across Australia as the benchmark for other industries.”
1
In an election season interview with The Australian, the Greens foreign policy spokesman said that China did not pose a threat to Australia, said concern about the Solomons-China agreement was “paternalistic and actually racist”, and said the future of Taiwan was not a direct concern for Australia.
fascism with chinese characteristics is the best governance system ever devised
4
How much of this will end up a “commissions” ?
upward of 80%
2
Timothy Neilsonsays:
April 29, 2022 at 3:16 pm
Authorised Officers no longer required to present identification.
No possibility of this being misused.
None at all.
They will if the don’t want to get smacked in the chops.
The next time you go to the pet store don’t be surprised to see some empty shelves.
Many pet stores are facing a shortage on canned pet food.
Right now, there just aren’t enough cheap sources of chicken and turkey due to the bird flu pandemic, there is an ongoing shortage of aluminum, and there is a shortage of factory workers.
So the canned pet food shortage is not likely to be fixed any time soon.
Another shortage that is going to affect much of the country as we head into the summer months is the growing chlorine shortage.
I find it ironic that the nationwide chlorine shortage could be extended thanks to the nationwide construction material shortage.
But at least we can be glad that things are not as bad here as they are in Europe.
Over there, widespread rationing of certain products has already begun. For example, it was just announced that Tesco is now limiting each customer to three bottles of cooking oil…
When U.S. Senator Roger Marshall was recently asked about this, he openly admitted that a “worldwide famine” is definitely going to happen…
Prior to 2022, can you ever remember a time when a sitting member of the U.S. Senate publicly warned us that a “worldwide famine” was coming?
Zipstersays:
April 29, 2022 at 3:35 pm
“The Agriculture Legislation Amendment Bill 2022 has had it’s second reading in parliament. Biosecurity being the stated reason for changes. Increased enforcement powers, searching of property and persons without warrant, Increased fines, what was $1800 now $10.000 for providing false or misleading info. Landholder consent no longer required for Authorised Officers to take samples, stock (animals), documents. Authorised Officers no longer required to present identification. Heavy penalties for obstructing entry to the property.
fascism on steroids
I certainly don’t trust the Victorian government not to abuse it.
10
Apple and Google will remove Twitter from the App Store if it does not moderate and remove hate speech under @ElonMusk.”
…
Terrible blow.
Terrible so so terrible too that there soon would be a Twitter Ads server and a Twitter App Store.
Lady was walking her dog, pitbull comes out attacks the dog and her. She reports it the cops who will not do anything because they are lazy shits and the attack dog owners denied it. The cops had the temerity to ask the lady if she videoed it on her phone. I know the dog is going to get baited and the owners car is being targeted.
4
Zipster:
“The Agriculture Legislation Amendment Bill 2022 has had it’s second reading in parliament.
ZK2A:
The university workers’ union is demanding up to 30 days of gender-affirmation leave across the nation’s campuses for staff who are gender transitioning.
TheFrollickingMoll:
the Greens foreign policy spokesman said that China did not pose a threat to Australia, said concern about the Solomons-China agreement was “paternalistic and actually racist”, and said the future of Taiwan was not a direct concern for Australia.
Eyrie:
will be telling their stories in front of a Court that has a fleet of helicopters to hand for sentencing.
While loading them up we’ll give silent thanks to Saint Augusto.
I was sorta joking but not really, when I wrote this this morning. But looking back on the history of what happened in Chile, this was the sort of rot that had settled into the nation and had required drastic sorting out.
The problem is – like the two year old sticking knives into power sockets – they won’t be told there are consequences to their stupidity.
It’s a bit late to reconsider when you’re 8,000 meters above the South Pacific with no visible means of support.
4
Sorry if this article from the Oz has already been posted and discussed.
AEC has put social media giants on notice over Pauline Hanson’s online satirical video
SOPHIE ELSWORTH
MEDIA WRITER
10:56AM APRIL 29, 2022
The Australian Electoral Commission is demanding social media platforms investigate a satirical video posted by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, which features Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong discussing electoral fraud.
On Friday, Hanson released the two-minute animated video dubbed “Please Explain voter fraud”, and it was shared on various social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Reddit.
Facebook was the first of the social media giants who took action and removed the video on Friday and then hours later TikTok did the same.
Twitter also marked Senator Hanson’s tweet as “misleading” on Friday afternoon and removed the ability to reply, share or like the video.
The clip depicts the Opposition Leader sitting up in bed during his Covid lay-off, talking to Senator Wong who brings him soup while he’s sick, and the pair discuss the ease of committing electoral fraud.
In the satirical video authorised by One Nation, Senator Wong hands Mr Albanese a stack of postal votes and says they are “under the names of dead people, fake identities and some were stolen out of letterboxes”.
They go on to discuss how the AEC doesn’t require ID to vote and joke about how people can vote multiple times.
The Australian has been told the AEC will today write to the social media platforms about the video to air its concerns about the claims made about electoral fraud.
The AEC’s director of media and digital entertainment, Evan Ekin-Smyth, told The Australian that while freedom of speech is important, there were wider concerns about Senator Hanson’s video.
“We’re concerned with any communication, regardless of the source, that doesn’t accurately reflect electoral processes or integrity measures we implement,” he said.
“We’re active on social media to accurately reflect how we administer the federal election and refer pieces of online communication to social media organisations for their consideration when necessary.”
Senator Hanson stood by her satirical video, which has already attracted thousands of views, and said she won’t be taking it down from any social media platform.
“One Nation have continuously fought for electoral reform to put a stop to voter fraud in Australian elections,” she said.
“When One Nation pushed for voter ID to be introduced federally, the Labor and Greens party called the plan ‘racist’.
“The Australian Electoral Commission may not want to publicly admit there are problems with Australia’s voting system, but unless we bring it to the peoples attention, nothing will change.”
She said too many marginal seats “run the risk of being won or lost through voter fraud”.
The AEC responded to Senator Hanson’s tweet in which she shared the video and said the “commentary about the electoral system is very disappointing”.
“Registered parties are aware of electoral integrity measures in place including information received/roll objection action taken for deceased Australians, and outbound and inbound postal vote verification steps,” the post said.
In other tweets, the AEC posted: “Aspects of it (the video) are clearly false”.
One person tweeted to the AEC, asking if comedy needs to be funny.
“Indeed. If the ‘comedy’ is misleading you about electoral fraud, the joke is on you,” the AEC posted in reply.
AEC data reveals the rate of voting multiple times during the 2019 federal election was estimated to be at 0.03 per cent.
In 2021 the Coalition dumped plans to introduce rules that Australians must show ID before casting their vote.
10
Be interesting if Elon sets up a Twitter internet search engine. At the moment big infrastructure companies like Cloudflare refuse web spiders from anyone other than Bing and Goolag. But Twitter backed by the might of SpaceX/Starlink could force open that duopoly.
At the moment both Bing and Goolag censor sites they don’t like and Brave Search which piggybacks on Bing doesn’t show those results. Not much they can do about it while the big boys are in charge.
It’s touted as a world-leading reform but exploding costs and limited evidence it is achieving key employment and early intervention goals, raises questions about the sustainability of the NDIS.
Tom Burton
Government editor
The one thing that advocates and critics of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) have in common is they agree it is a mess. A mess awaiting whichever major party wins government on May 21.
It was probably always going to be a difficult transition to establish a national support program for the half a million people in Australia with significant disabilities.
Before the scheme won historic bi-partisan support in 2013, disabled people and their carers faced a system the Productivity Commission had described in 2011 as “underfunded, unfair, fragmented, and inefficient”.
The system was heavily reliant on informal care by families. Multiple programs were spread across federal, state and local governments and community groups, which the Commission said gave people with a disability “little choice and no certainty of access to appropriate supports”.
Noting that most families and individuals could not adequately prepare for the risk and financial impact of significant disability, all major political parties accepted the Commission’s core recommendation that the costs of lifetime care are so substantial that the risks and costs needed to be pooled into a national insurance scheme.
Intense lobbying from the politically powerful disability sector saw bipartisan support emerge for a universal scheme of uncapped, individually designed support plans, based on what is considered “reasonable and necessary” needs.
Despite the scheme being open-ended and demand driven, both major parties endorsed the Productivity Commission’s “bottom line finding” that the “benefits of the NDIS would significantly exceed the additional costs of the scheme”.
The Commission said these benefits arose from many sources: “wellbeing gains to people with disabilities and informal carers; efficiency gains in the disability sector; savings to other government services; increased participation, and the resulting fiscal gains.”
“Given the scope of the benefits, that test would be passed easily.”
The National Disability Insurance Scheme was born, co-funded by federal and state governments with an estimated gross cost of $22 billion a year, covering 481,000 people once fully operational and adjusted for population growth. The size of the scheme was based on a 2009 Australian Bureau of Statistics analysis of the number of people with significant disabilities.
The Commission concluded the net cost when fully matured in 2050 would be a modest $4.4 billion.
Over 10pc of all federal payments
Things have not turned out as predicted.
There are now over 500,000 in the scheme, but with the latest NDIS actuarial forecast for the scheme predicting there will be around 860,000 participants by 2030. The scheme currently is costing $31 billion but with the NDIS now predicting the scheme to rise to an eye-watering $59.3 billion per annum by the end of the decade.
Coupled with disability pension, financial support for carers and payments to the states, federal assistance to people with disabilities is predicted to be $68 billion this coming budget year, more than 10 per cent of all federal payments.
The oasis in the desert
“What was envisaged was that the last person to get into the NDIS would only get a little bit more than the first person that misses out. This would have been equitable and also provided a stable foundation for the NDIS.”
“Who wouldn’t fight to get in? Which parent with a child who is experiencing developmental delay or has some autistic tendencies, who wouldn’t try and get their kid in?
“What you see … is that if you get in, the chances are you’ll get something like $15,000, but if you miss out, you get nothing.
“One is in the oasis and the other, desert.”
‘A big bus full of money’
Disability lottery
Of the half a million participants, Bonyhady said nearly 290,000 are receiving benefits for the first time.
“So that tells you a lot about how underfunded and how much of a lottery, the pre-NDIS system was. So, the need for the scheme is indisputable.”
Early intervention not working
A key premise of the NDIS is that early intervention and investment would lead to a reduction in a participants future disability need for support.
But Taylor Fry found there is no data to show this is occurring.
Work participation stalled
But for older people in the scheme, participation has gone backwards with the percentage in work for participants aged 25 and over having decreased for most durations in the program by 1 to 3 percentage points.
Anger as NDIS begins to cut
The strident push back from the voluble sector saw the government drop the idea, leaving relations between the sector and the National Disability Insurance Agency (the operators of the scheme) at a low.
Quasi-market failure
“One of the things that’s really missing from the NDIS currently is that lack of transparent, clear quality indicators that people can use to determine who’s good and who’s not.”
Children a key driver of costs
It is the surging costs of support for children that is the key driver of the costs of the insurance scheme up.
Two thirds of the new costs from the predicted 60,000 new annual entrants are coming from children with autism or developmental delays, according to the annual sustainability report produced by the scheme actuary.
2
They go on to discuss how the AEC doesn’t require ID to vote and joke about how people can vote multiple times.
The Australian has been told the AEC will today write to the social media platforms about the video to air its concerns about the claims made about electoral fraud.
Maybe the AEC can explain what they’ve done to stop those 18,000 people voting multiple times in this election. Can I call them the 18,000 Mules or would that infringe copyright?
14
Thinking about trolling?
I wonder if Ron DeSantis would revoke the copyright terms for the Disney/Warner characters in Florida?
Or is it a nationwide issue?
I thought a culture was something that belonged to a culture not a corporation?
No one owns Bach or Beethoven, so how about a reasonable time limit for these creations?
3
AEC data reveals the rate of voting multiple times during the 2019 federal election was estimated to be at 0.03 per cent.
Doesn’t sound much.
But if that naughty 0.03% votes, say, 8-10 times – suddenly you’re talking about the margin of the seat of Macquarie.
But, hey, whatevs.
Near enough is good enough for government work.
10
They really can’t help themselves. Sour Ferguson the new host of what is an unwatchable program.
The ABC has announced Sarah Ferguson as the new presenter of its flagship current affairs program
As first flagged by The Australian in February, Ferguson will replace Leigh Sales and begin her new role in July,
3
Two thirds of the new costs from the predicted 60,000 new annual entrants are coming from children with autism or developmental delays, according to the annual sustainability report produced by the scheme actuary.
Why is autism ( other than extremely severe cases) & whatever “developmental delays” embraces covered by NDIS? .. my understanding of the original scheme was financial/home assistance for folk with permanent, incapacitating disabilities requiring lotza paid care/specialized equipment ect! .. not kids who for whatever reason aren’t keeping up with their peers …
Getting like the rorters just applying is close to getting aboard .. I do a fair bit of swimming at the local pool(s) and the Council (which charges OAPs) lets rorters in free 7 days a week .. quite amazing to see folk who, apparently, are incapable of any kind of work having no problems swimming 50 metre lengths .. reality is if you can swim 50 mts unaided you shouldn’t be qualified for the rorters … FFS!
9
Sour Ferguson was the scumbag who ran two segments on Trump’s Wussian collusion and since then no apology.
“What the hell is going on in Russia?” is the kind of headline you write when there’s so much weird stuff going on that it’s impossible to summarize it cleverly.
Maybe you’ll find this catchier: There’s a lot of stuff getting blown up in Russia, and it might not just be the Ukrainians blowing it up.
The weirdness got going in a normal way, with reports earlier this week of Ukraine’s “embrace of the British special forces model” to strike targets inside Russia that the regular Army (or even Ukraine’s inadequate Air Force) could never reach.
The Washington Examiner’s Tom Rogan reported that a major oil depot was hit on Monday in Bryansk, more than 60 miles inside Russia’s border with Ukraine. That’s outside the range of most of Ukraine’s drones.
While interesting, it isn’t exactly a “what the hell?” moment. British troops have been training Ukraine’s special operators since Russia annexed Ukraine and armed insurgents in Ukraine’s Donbas region back in 2014.
Two more such attacks were reported the next day
…
Last week in Tver, about 100 miles northwest of Moscow, a Russian missile research facility caught fire, killing 17. Russian authorities claimed the blaze was an accident, but they claimed the same thing at first about Moskva.
At nearly the same time, Russia’s largest chemical plant burned to the ground in Kineshma, about 150 miles east of Moscow.
The chemical plant is particularly interesting since I read elsewhere that it produced a range of specialty solvents and additives that are used in military applications for which there’s no other Russian supplier. Which suggests it might be a particularly high value target. But if it’s the Ukrainians doing this stuff…how are they doing it? Somehow they’ve developed a capability to hit targets like this quite deep in Russia. Sabotage SAS style? Long range drones? I have no idea.
In Belarus there was a widely reported campaign of sabotaging the railway signals system to slow and disrupt the transport of Russian Army units, but that seemed to be a Belarus opposition effort. The sabotage in Russia is much more that taking a sledgehammer to a box of railway signals electronics.
QUESTION:I don’t get it, Poland won’t pay for gas in rubles, when I buy something from the US I have to pay in US dollars not Canadian, so what am I missing?
ANSWER:
Politics! Minister of Climate and Environment, Anna Moskwa clearly has zero comprehension of geopolitics. She has come out and said that the European Union should penalize countries that use roubles to pay for Russian gas. In response to Moscow’s decision to cut off supplies to Poland and Bulgaria over their refusal to do so. Moskwa has come out and said: “Poland holds necessary gas reserves and sources of supply which protect our security because for years we have been becoming effectively independent of Russia. Our storage facilities are full at 76%. Polish households will not run short of gas.” This is what she said during a press conference held on April 26th, 2022 at the Ministry of Climate and Environment.
The absurdity of her statements is beyond belief. To think that refusing to buy Russian energy will bring Putin to his knees pleading for mercy is just absurd.
She makes no criticism of Ukraine and its notorious corruption of the fact that it is being reported that Zelensky has stashed over $800 million in offshore accounts while demanding $7 billion per month in aid. Even the IMF cut off Ukraine because it is so corrupt. You cannot do business in Ukraine – period! There is NOTHING that Zelensky says which can be verified independently and he will say whatever to keep the money pouring in.
4
Why do I get the feeling the authorities are trying to start a panic?
Are they really that concerned about upcoming elections?
Why yes. Yes, they are!
But here’s the amazing part – all the shortages have happened due to government action.
Show me a shortage, and I will show you government intervention that has created it.
10
The Australian Electoral Commission is demanding social media platforms investigate a satirical video posted by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, which features Anthony Albanese and Penny Wong discussing electoral fraud.
hang on a sec, “social media investigate”, er who made social media arbiters of truth?
8
In other tweets, the ALPEC posted: “Aspects of it (the video) are clearly false”.
Because the video took the piss out of that pair of imbeciles, Wendy Pong and Albanselazey – and yes, there won’t be any of that, when you’re an incompetent humourless bureaucratic busybody.
10
From the Hun.
Brittany Higgins rope accused learns fate of bid to stop trial
ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum has handed down her decision on a bid to stop the rope trial of Bruce Lehrmann who is charged with roping former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins.
Julia Kanapathippillai
April 29, 2022 – 4:52PM
Canberra Star
The trial of the man accused of roping former Liberal Party staffer Brittany Higgins will go ahead as planned.
ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum dismissed an application for a permanent or temporary stay made by lawyers for Bruce Lehrmann.
Ms McCallum also dismissed an application for a take-down order made by the defence, which would have forced media organisations to remove previous articles written about the case.
Mr Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty to a single charge of sexual intercourse without consent
Police allege Mr Lehrmann roped Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins in the office of Linda Reynolds on March 23, 2019.
The rape trial is expected to run for five to six weeks to begin in early June.
“Zulu Kilo Two Alphasays:
April 29, 2022 at 5:01 pm”
Unbelievable. This will end up in the High Court.
5
“ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum dismissed an application for a permanent or temporary stay made by lawyers for Bruce Lehrmann.
Ms McCallum also dismissed an application for a take-down order made by the defence, which would have forced media organisations to remove previous articles written about the case”
if only we had communities all our troubles would fly away
3
Why is autism ( other than extremely severe cases) & whatever “developmental delays” embraces covered by NDIS?
Shatterzzz – We already used to pay for them historically when we had mental hospitals. We no longer have mental hospitals, but we still have mentally ill people. Autism is a mental illness. I saw this article recently:
I know of a lady like this: she was affected in late teenage years, like a switch had been turned on in her brain (or off). Now on NDIS as she really can’t function well, not able to hold down a job. Lizzie’s son is similar, although male autism has different traits compared with female autism.
Temple Grandin is a famous autistic lady with an extraordinary talent. Not exactly sane though, and life for her would be very difficult.
3
But here’s the amazing part – all the shortages have happened due to government action.
grotesque clowns engaged in a pantomime with live weapons
3
I have never been more disturbed by Penny Wongs package
Well she is the one who wears the pants in her marriage.
5
QUESTION: I don’t get it, Poland won’t pay for gas in rubles, when I buy something from the US I have to pay in US dollars not Canadian, so what am I missing?
Um…the contract would have specified the currency payments were to be made in, which wasn’t rubles.
3
New ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum wants to open conversation on ‘building communities, not prisons’
I’m sure that’s a discussion Mr. Lerhmann’s barrister will want to engage in should his client be found guilty.
5
AEC data reveals the rate of voting multiple times during the 2019 federal election was estimated to be at 0.03 per cent.
Key word “estimated”. They don’t know.
And even if 0.03% is anywhere near right, that’s about 4,500 bogus votes nationwide – enough to swing at least four seats if it’s done strategically in the most marginal seats.
Is it anywhere near right? Doesn’t look like it.
Bruce of Newcastlesays:
April 29, 2022 at 4:22 pm
5
How much of Biden’s $43 Billion will end up in the hands of the Ukraine Mafia, Zhelensky and maaaates and the myriad CIA affiliated operatives running around Ukraine and Eastern Europe?
THIS is the real purpose of supporting Ukraine – to get that Treasury spigot open, wide.
10
The right immigrants are great. I received this through WhatsApp
WHAT AMERICA GAINED AND SOUTH AFRICA LOST
After a quarter century, this small generation of South African immigrants has risen to break through, en masse, into such key leadership roles that they’re changing the US. UTUBE…, PAYPAL, , TESLA… one of them has led the transition from PCs to cloud computing; another leads the US’s top business school; and another is replacing the space shuttle.
But they’ve done it as individuals, and – with the notable exception of commercial spaceflight pioneer Elon Musk – almost invisibly.
In December, the Silicon Valley Business Journal made a remarkable statement regarding four of their first five winners of the US’s high-tech chief executive officer awards, which feature competition from the likes of Google’s Larry Page.
It said: “Here’s something interesting about our executive of the year awards, something that hadn’t occurred to us at the time that these four executives were selected – they are all originally from South Africa.”
In Silicon Valley alone, South African-born high-tech chief executives include Vinny Lingham, founder of Yola and Gyft; Willem van Biljon, co-founder of Nimbula; and Pieter de Villiers, founder and chief executive of Clickatell, the world’s largest online text messaging service.
And these weren’t even among the award winners.
Those include Gauteng brothers Lyndon and Peter Rive, who have built the US’s largest provider of residential clean energy, and Paul Maritz, the outgoing chief executive of cloud computing giant VMware, who was schooled in KwaZulu-Natal.
Impact South African immigrants in the US number only 83 000 – a “small number even for a big city”, says Professor Nancy Foner, an expert on immigration achievement at the City University of New York.
So small, she says, that there are almost no figures or studies on their impact.
Yet new South African networking organisations, such as the Sable Accelerator in California, are springing up as South Africans are suddenly appearing in front of microphones as chief executives and university deans and scientific research team leaders.
Apart from well-established South African communities in places such as San Diego, or the tight group of professional golfers in Florida, South Africans don’t network the way they do in the United Kingdom.
Instead, mutual recognition often happens like this:
“Hey, that guy running the University of Notre Dame seems to have a Saffer accent.
Come to think of it, so does the dean of Stanford Graduate School of Business. Ja, and what about the guy who was in charge of California’s High-Speed Rail Authority? And with a name like Mahlangu-Ngcobo, that elections judge in Maryland has gotta be from home.”
Pat Soon-Shiong, philanthropist inventor businessman, Cape Town-born of Chinese descent, the son of a shopkeeper, Pat was University of Witwatersrand educated and is also the owner of The L.A. and part-owner of LA LAKERS
Some are fairly well known. Pik Botha’s grandson, Roelof, has been ranked as high as 22nd on the Forbes Midas List of venture capitalists, having funded the launch of…… YouTube in 2005.
Among the celebrity conscription-dodgers, singer Dave Matthews probably heads the pack. Matthews was recently declared the US’s most successful touring act of the decade. Remarkable anonymity
But most have risen to the cutting edge of American business with remarkable anonymity.
Former Illovo schoolboy Steven Collis, almost unnoticed, has taken the reins of healthcare wholesaling company AmerisourceBergen, listed 29th on the Fortune 500, with 13000 employees, and annual revenues of an almost ridiculous R600-billion. It’s the same story in science.
The single greatest breakthrough in cancer treatment in recent years – epigenetic therapy – has been credited to Stellenbosch’s Peter Jones, who now runs a major research center in California.
And another South African, Dr Liam Pedersen, has grabbed what could be the most exotic job in the US.
He leads a Nasa research team to develop the brains of “intelligent” space robots that will explore the solar system in search of extraterrestrial life.
And to test his “autonomous navigation” systems, Pedersen (42) gets to test the robots in places like Antarctica and alpine lakes in the Andes.
In terms of sheer impact for Africa among transplants, it’s a draw between ex-pats Dr Trevor Mundel and Nomvimbi Meriwether.
A former Soweto businesswoman, Meriwether – now the owner of Meticulous Tours travel agency in Washington DC – is the co-founder of multimillion-dollar health and basic education charity in Southern Africa, the Meriwether Foundation.
Astonishing over-achievement She told the Mail & Guardian that her fundraising clout in the US enjoyed a major boost in December when her daughter – South African-born Nana Meriwether (27) – won the Miss USA crown.
”We are meeting governors, presidents, billionaires, so the plight of [South Africa’s] most vulnerable children is being heard where it counts,” she said.
Mundel, from Johannesburg, has been appointed as president of global health for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with a grant budget of about R130-billion, and a brief of nothing less than to eradicate polio and malaria from the Earth.
But it’s when you consider a professional field as specific as immigration law that the astonishing over-achievement of this group becomes clear.
Bernie Wolfsdorf – another conscription dodger – has been named “the most highly rated immigration lawyer in the world” for the past three years by the peer-reviewed International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers, and South Africa’s Daryl Buffenstein is a former president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
In the same field, Chris Wright, a transplant from Johannesburg, is described as “Hollywood’s go-to lawyer” – somehow securing “genius” work visas for everyone from Piers Morgan to Playboy playmate Shera Bechard.
The “O-1? work visa is normally reserved for foreigners of “extraordinary ability”, including Nobel prize, winners, but Wright has controversially expanded its use to include celebrities. South African lawyers have not yet broken through, as a group, as judges in the US’s highest courts, the way they have in, say, Western Australia.
But Margaret Marshall (68), a former student leader at Wits, recently retired as chief justice of Massachusetts, where, in a landmark case in 2003, she was the first justice in the US to grant gay couples the right to marry.
Compared to the US’s business world, expatriates have underachieved in Hollywood itself, but its modest breakthrough artists include Charlize Theron, District 9?s Sharlto Copley and Stelio Savante, who both co-produced and cracked a role opposite Matthew Perry in the comedy The Whole Banana last year.
Building and innovating The poster-child for the 1980s immigration generation is Musk, the founder of Tesla Motors and SpaceX – the rocket company charged with leading the replacement of the space shuttle. In an earlier interview, he told me he left the country in 1988 because the South African Defence Force promised to be “an amazing waste of time”.
John Affleck-Graves, executive vice-president of Notre Dame, Collis and Wright were among those who told me they credit their education for much of their success, but offered few other clues as to why South Africans had risen so sharply.
Professor Foner says white South Africans, in particular, had “invisibly” risen to the top.”South Africans [in the US] have gone unnoticed, especially the majority who are white, for whom there were few cultural barriers, if any,” she said. “But I have noticed that South Africans move right into elite circles in the US, immediately, and look where they’ve gone.”
Donovan Neale-May, founder of the Sable Accelerator, says the 1980s South African immigrant generation was unique in that they did not take advantage of contacts and mobility through “ethnic communities” in the US, “as, say, Indian entrepreneurs have done so effectively”.
Instead, Neale-May says the conscription-avoidance generation had simply outcompeted American professionals with a multitasking combination of management talent, drive and pioneering vision.
Overwhelmingly white phenomenon South African emigration to the US has been an overwhelmingly white phenomenon.
According to the Migration Policy Institute in Washington DC, only 14% of South African immigrants – about 11 000 – are black. And they’ve had to travel a far more difficult road, says Foner.
Yet a number of black South Africans have made New World leaps that are, if anything, closer to the purest form of the “American Dream” than their rich white countrymen. Among the exiles who remained in the US, Mahlangu-Ngcobo is one who has emerged as a national force in both government health policy and theology.
She has testified on healthcare for the government’s Congressional Black Caucus and, during the violent tumult in Liberia in 1997, she led a workshop there on violence against women.
The author of nine books – including research works on Aids and gender equality – Mahlangu-Ngcobo lectures on public health, and has founded both a US church and an international ministry.
Gift Ngoepe, the first black South African to be offered a professional baseball contract, is one of a more recent immigrant generation to the New World.
The unlikely sporting story He discovered baseball when his mother took a job as a domestic worker at the Randburg Mets clubhouse.
A tiny room inside it later became his home, and he simply practiced against a wall until he was noticed by coaches and, later, a US mentor. Now, he plays professionally as a shortstop within the Pittsburg Pirates organization. Richman Mahlangu (49) has a similarly unlikely sporting story, but, in pursuing it, has carved out a classic, John Steinbeck-style American tale.
He fled apartheid itself at the same time that Musk and others were fleeing conscription. Mahlangu’s “hook” into the US was a sports scholarship after he literally discovered the sport of tennis when he found a broken tennis racket on a dusty street in Durban’s Lamontville township in the 1970s.
He says that, as with Ngoepe, a local professional coach was so taken by his diligent practice with that racket that he offered free lessons, and, eventually, an introduction to a US mentor. Living in Las Vegas, Mahlangu has since achieved neither riches nor professional-level excellence in his sport.
Instead, he has coached his two sons to the point where, last year, they were both recruited for scholarships by Ivy League universities.
His youngest son, Yannik (17), has held a national rank of ninth for his age group and his eldest, Nicholas – now on his way to Harvard – has starred with Andre Agassi in a TV ad.
1
GreyRangasays:
April 29, 2022 at 4:03 pm
GreyRanga, I was told a few ways of getting even by some veterans once. Most were of the Rwanda to East Timor era and not old. Unfortunately Townsville has some rough edges, more so than other places.
They reckon wait a few months till the dust settles otherwise cops will be on your doorstep. Also use hoodies, gloves & pad out clothing be unrecognisable. Make use of dark greenzones for avenues of approach and alternate routes to exit the area as apparently private CCV footage is used a lot and larger amounts of homes have cameras these days.
KD brought up the old man with the .22 pistol this morning that got a fine. I had been following on DM for a couple of days and laughed at the now shot scumbag feigning PTSD to the beak. I guess the old dude had been to the cops a dozen times and got nowhere till the crim thought he could threaten shooting the old guy who out of options just acted. This morning another home invasion in Brisbane by usual suspects. Sooner or later with limp police/judicial action people will sort things out themselves.
4
The rubles thing is fun. The ruble exchange rate has appreciated 100% in a month, from 0.7 US cents to 1.4 US cents. Might have something to do with oily gassy stuff, which Russia sells lots of, and that the war hasn’t apparently ended the world, at least not yet, seeing that markets only are interested in the short term outlook.
The appreciation of the ruble is the problem. Vlad now is getting half the local revenue from his oil and gas than he was in March, in the currency he has to pay his armament industry with. Resupplying all those T-80s is costly. And he’s got half the money to pay for it all than he did a month ago.
I can see why he wants the contracts in rubles. That way the cost of ruble appreciation is borne by the customer, not him.
5
Fester
Stop talking about FX. Russian Rubble isn’t tradable and the exchange rate can therefore be set at any level Putin sees fit. The Rubble has been set higher to screw the shit out of the European energy importers who aren’t able to substitute.
If China or anyone else not beholden to the Russians buys energy, they may even accept the current “set” level of the Rubble, but make purchases at massive discounts. Stop posting nonsense. There’s no appreciation of the Rubble as the market doesn’t determine the value. The Kremlin does.
4
The rubles thing is fun.
Not for Vlad.
No wonder he was fidgetty at the Easter service.
2
Oh, relief!
After ten days of almost noticeable discomfort, I am recovered from the dreaded covid.
That was the weirdest cold I’ve ever had, all back to front, starting with lethargy, then cough and mucus overload, headache, sore throat and finally, body aches. And, on the scale of ‘One to Ten’, not one of these symptoms scored above a three – apart from the post-nasal drip (to put it politely) which, if harvested, could revolutionise industrial lubrication* agents.
*Sorry, that’s gross! It’s my post-nasal drippy stuff getting the better of me.
16
And even if 0.03% is anywhere near right, that’s about 4,500 bogus votes nationwide – enough to swing at least four seats if it’s done strategically in the most marginal seats.
You’re making the assumptions that the multiple voters only voted twice
and that it was organised.
The problem there is that if it was organised then why not cast 25 or 50 extra votes?
How much of Biden’s $43 Billion will end up in the hands of the Ukraine Mafia, Zhelensky and maaaates
I suspect it’s actually all going to the UKR armed forces since the Ukrainian mafia rather dislike being displaced from their territories by the Russian mafia. And don’t want to retire by the usual double-tap procedure.
Existential threats do so focus hearts, minds and gonads onto the essentials.
Numerous oligarchs lately have carked it in mysterious ways, often along with their families. I suspect the Ukrainian oligarchs are exquisitely aware of this strange phenomenon.
No kidding, the biggest fakenews bullshit I’ve seen in a while is the current price of the Rubble. The Kremlin actually thinks they are putting out this fake bullshit and people will believe it? FMD.
Historically, they’re actually going back to the old Soviet ways. The Rubble then was fixed at a massively overvalued exchange rate.
6
Pomgolians: What happens when you let weirdoes infest your public spaces.
Some highlights from the glossary Breast/ Chest/Infant Feeding: Inclusive terminology referring to nursing a child. Traditional
terminology may induce dysphoria or discomfort for trans and
non-binary parents.
…
Disabled People: Within the social model of disability, the focus is not on the
impairment, disability or long-term condition, but instead on the
way society excludes people who have impairments like mobility
issues, mental health conditions or sensory impairments. As
such, the social model says disabled people are disabled by
society
(See im not deaf, society is to blame)
….. Frontal/Lower/Vaginal: Some trans men and non-binary people feel discomfort talking
about having a vagina, and so instead opt to use terms like
frontal birth instead of vaginal birth.
…
Apparently this is true. After all its been written up to inform medical procedures, so they would check any inaccuracy. “I ended up having a post-partum haemorrhage. I lost like almost 12 litres of
blood and had to have transfusions. I was passing out from losing so much
blood because they had essentially left a little bit of the placenta in my uterus
somewhere and when it dislodged it just you know created a hole for it to bleed.
But that whole experience was very violent and very harmful, and quite
traumatizing because uhh first of all it was all gend…. There is no
consideration for any gender identity outside of woman because it was
somebody that gave birth, it was quite stressful and I was in quite a lot of pain
and was just trying to get a bit more empathy and support than what I was
being offered…”
…. Alex intentionally accessed the fewest possible services, as they were uncomfortable with
the highly gendered nature of perinatal care. They felt that their queerness and sexuality
were not recognised or taken into account. They did attend one half-day antenatal class,
and found the experience to be highly gendered. Couples were split into mums and dads,
something which didn’t fit with their family.
…
“The interaction I remember the most was when the midwife came to check my
stitches on like day 5 probably, they weighed the baby, checked my stitches…
that just felt really horrendously invasive. I don’t know if that was made worse
by the gender stuff, I feel like that would be felt pretty invasive anyway but it
definitely didn’t help.
If I had known that this was a trans-friendly midwife that was aware of my
identity and was aware of my feelings about my body in that situation would it
have been more comfortable for me? Would that have been less traumatizing
for me? And the answer is definitely yes so then obviously gender does come
into it.”
…
Their ‘case study”..
Cam (they/them) is a Black Caribbean non-binary
transmasculine person going through their
second pregnancy. They hid their gender during
their first pregnancy five years ago, as previous
experiences of medical racism and transphobia
meant they were afraid that asserting their
identity could lead to being seen as ‘difficult’ and
further compromise their care.
However, this was a very distressing
experience and they don’t want to
conceal their gender again, so they
are reluctant to access care during
their pregnancy this time.
I want off mr Bones wild ride.
5
Unbelievable. This will end up in the High Court.
The interlocutory application had almost no chance of succeeding. Judges are very reluctant to stop matters proceeding to full trial. WA Cats will be aware of the Lloyd Rayney trial which proceeded to a Supreme Court trial in front of a NT judge alone after he was charged with the murder of his wife, a WA Supreme Court Registrar and reported on the front page of Teh Worst.
5
Sounds like Pauline is right over the target.
If there was anyone worth voting for, I might vote for them eleven times too. It’s not as if there’s any effective penalty.
7
Wow, just wow. Another Indian female hates whitey.
The university workers’ union is demanding up to 30 days of gender-affirmation leave across the nation’s campuses for staff who are gender transitioning.
In the midst of a dispute with the University of Tasmania, the National Tertiary Education Union says staff transitioning have not been given enough time to deal with the medical issues they face.
and
Queer Unionists in Tertiary Education national convener Amy Sargeant says gender affirmation leave will save the lives of tertiary education workers.
“There are too many stories of incredible workers who have had to quit their jobs while they’re transitioning because they are not supported,” Ms Sargeant said.
“The consequences can be too difficult to bear for many, deprived of income during a highly traumatic time in their lives – which they have no control over.”
“When gender affirmation leave clauses start to appear in our agreements, they will be used by unions across Australia as the benchmark for other industries.”
What nonsense. And, how much longer are employers going to fall for the emotional blackmail that claims that denying certain people paid leave is a death sentence.
Not long ago, we were being told that employees should get bereavement leave if a pet died. Already, if you say that you are a ‘victim’ of domestic violence you get extra leave in some workplaces. Now this.
Unions must really be running out of significant things to do.
6
That would be Mr Rayney who wrote the “How to prosecute someone” manual for WAPOL then opted for a judge alone trial in which he showed not all proper procedures were followed, subsequently being found not guilty owing to evidentiary problems.
I have opinions on this chap.
5
They hid their gender during their first pregnancy five years ago
If you’re pregnant you’re female. No amount of baggy clothing and chemically induced whiskers changes that.
The only thing in hiding is intelligence.
15
Peak stupidity, anyone?
Meet ‘Cam’ (on the right) a fictional ‘Black Caribbean non-binary transmasculine person going through their second pregnancy’ that the LGBT Foundation have used as an example of they way maternity services in Britain could be improved for pregnant trans people
3
Historically, they’re actually going back to the old Soviet ways.
True,JC. But even in the dying days of the Soviet Union, Gazprom didn’t attempt to break international protocols & demand payment in rubles.
2
Wasnt the old pegging of the rubble in the USSR days a way of increasing their foreign reserves?
I seem to recall currency had to be exchanged on entry to the USSR?
2
Mole
You would theoretically increase reserves when a currency is in a fixed status like the old soviet Rubble by being undervalued. The old Soviet didn’t give a shit because they imported very little from the free world. They set the rate very high so as to show, like they were a reary, reary big power. The old Sov hardly imported anything.
The Kremlin dickheads are sort of pulling the same stunt but with a twist. They want the Euro countries beholden to them to pay in Rubbles so they are doubly fucked … both through the exchange rate and the higher prices. They also want to make the world believe the sanctions are no great shakes. No really.
Us hurt? Look at the exchange rate!
1
Cali, I’d be more concerned about the unknown effects of pharmaceutical hormones side effects with the natural ones the body secretes. Especially on the child of an expectant mother.
As usual it will be 20-40 years down the road and a bunch of broken lives before someone admits in the end it wasn’t a good idea.
11
I have opinions on this chap.
I suspect you are not alone. It does however serve to illustrate the amount of pretrial publicity a court will allow and still permit a matter to proceed to trial.
3
Mole
Wasnt the old pegging of the rubble in the USSR days
Pegging is actually the wrong term. The right term is fixed or at least when I was growing up 🙂
Pegging means there is ex-changeability by the pegging conversion rate. The Honki dollar was pegged to the US. Dunno about now. It meant that you could exchange Honki for US Dollars at any time at the pegged rate and no questions asked as there were no exchange controls preventing convertibility. There were a few complexities but that was about it.
3
How much of Biden’s $43 Billion will end up in the hands of the Ukraine Mafia, Zhelensky and maaaates and the myriad CIA affiliated operatives running around Ukraine and Eastern Europe?
Very little, we’d best hope.
The US is our security guarantor. After Vietnam & Afghanistan, losing this war – when they’ve now (foolishly) gone all in to make it about crippling Russia’s military capability – would surely be the last nail in the coffin of imperial USA.
5
It does however serve to illustrate the amount of pretrial publicity a court will allow and still permit a matter to proceed to trial.
The photo of the accused has been published – that used to be a no-no.
4
I can see why he wants the contracts in rubles. That way the cost of ruble appreciation is borne by the customer, not him.
1) The gas buyer calculates its USD/EUR obligation under the contract and transmits that amount in USD/EUR to Gazprombank;
2) which then converts to roubles on the ‘open market’ and makes the payment to the producer.
So, no additional currency risk for the buyer.
The problems for the buyer are:
• The buyer’s contractual payment obligation is not met until Gazprombank pays the producer – which is a significant commercial risk at present – exposing the buyer to payment deficiency penalty/default claims.
• Deemed contravention of the EU sanctions, and possible consequences;
• Commercial uncertainty; having accepted one fiat contract change, which one is next?
2
A horse called Love Potion won a race somewhere today. It wasn’t number 9.
I very much doubt that is real cash moving across borders as in the US government filling up the coffers of the Uke government’s bank account.
I bet nearly all that “money” isn’t money at all and in fact very likely US propaganda by valuing material being sent to Uke at sky high prices. I suspect it’s also being doing to frighten the Russians about the resources being offered to Uke.
6
Peak stupidity, anyone?
Meet ‘Cam’ (on the right) a fictional ‘Black Caribbean non-binary transmasculine person going through their second pregnancy’ that the LGBT Foundation have used as an example of they way maternity services in Britain could be improved for pregnant trans people
I think the marxist assault on the west, which began in earnest in the 60s, is moving into what they believe is the coup de grace. I’m sure it’s discussed in many uni faculty common rooms from North Ryde to Morningside Heights.
5
You know that horrid Schott woman, the Trumble groupie, she’s nearly 80. What is it these loathsome geriatrics? Had never heard of her until the Trumble debacle but seems to have been a bit of a figure in the London feminist man hating scene in the 80s.
3
The photo of the accused has been published – that used to be a no-no.
If identity is an issue at trial this is the sort of thing that will get judges excited – not mere political argy bargy and point scoring. I don’t think anyone is arguing they’ve got the wrong guy.
5
Schott, K. A Theory of Inequality and Taxation. Fem Rev 13, 97–98 (1983).
1
OldOzzie says:
April 29, 2022 at 9:04 am
I want 7 Billion Dollars a Month – Ya Don’t have to twist my arm
meanwhile
Biden’s Brain Breaks Yet Again, but What He Managed to Say About Ukraine Is Concerning
Joe Biden seems to be acting like we have a bottomless pit of money to just throw out there for Ukraine. According to the New York Times, in March, Congress approved $13.6 billion to help Ukraine, including $3.5 billion for military aid, $6.9 billion for other aid, and $3 billion for the deployment of our soldiers to the various NATO-allied countries.
Now, Biden is asking for $33 billion more, claiming that what was asked for last month has already been spent. This is out of control.
Is the Big Guy collecting his tithe on this lot?
6
The old Sov hardly imported anything.
So they made everyfink?
How did that work out?
1
That’s -1.4%
U.S. Economy Shrank in First Quarter
The U.S. economy shrank at a 1.4% annual rate in the first quarter, the Commerce Department said Thursday, its first contraction since early in the pandemic.
Also
Yen’s Historic Fall Signals Rewrite of Global Currency Playbook
The yen’s plunge to a 20-year low threatens to leave it significantly weaker for years to come, shaking up global money flows and undermining Japan’s efforts to get its fragile economy back on track.
The financial world gets a little uglier by the day.
3
Delta A:
That was the weirdest cold I’ve ever had, all back to front, starting with lethargy, then cough and mucus overload, headache, sore throat and finally, body aches. And, on the scale of ‘One to Ten’, not one of these symptoms scored above a three – apart from the post-nasal drip (to put it politely) which, if harvested, could revolutionise industrial lubrication* agents.
Nah. Not gross.
On a scale of 1 – 10 it barely registers a 2.
But that post nasal drip?
You know that you give babies some burping medicine to help them get the air out of their bellies? I’ve forgotten what it’s called, but it has sodium bicarbonate in it. Soda Bic works by reducing the surface tension of biofilms. It’s good for suds clog in your washing machine if you’ve got that problem.
But best of all, put a pinch between your fingers or the “anatomical snuff box” and have a sniff of a small amount. Make sure you have tissues or a bucket handy, because that lubricant biofilm will turn to water and pour out of your nose. Postendoftheworldtip – pneumonia with excess mucous production can be a killer. If you have a ventolin mask and a nebuliser, a tiny amount of soda bicarb in water in the solution bowl will help mobilise those secretions and get the crap out of your lungs.
Not meant to be medical advice if you’re sick – see your doc if problems persist.
8
U.S. Economy Shrank in First Quarter
The U.S. economy shrank at a 1.4% annual rate in the first quarter, the Commerce Department said Thursday, its first contraction since early in the pandemic.
all going to plan and I’m sure it will only be people of modest means who suffer (that’s part of the plan too)
4
Sancho Panzer says:
April 29, 2022 at 7:19 pm
The old Sov hardly imported anything.
So they made everyfink?
How did that work out?
Stop it. 🙂
4
GreyRanga says:
April 29, 2022 at 4:03 pm
Lady was walking her dog, pitbull comes out attacks the dog and her. She reports it the cops who will not do anything because they are lazy shits and the attack dog owners denied it. The cops had the temerity to ask the lady if she videoed it on her phone. I know the dog is going to get baited and the owners car is being targeted.
As I recounted at Sinc’s, the friendly mutt owned by a woman who used to do gardening for me got savaged in the street by an unleashed potential killer of the usual mix of breeds. The poor thing recovered from the wounds, but for months and months was a cowering, terrified wreck.
She was too scared to report it because the dog belonged to the local ice dealer, and he knew her and where she lived in the same public housing complex.
Even if she had reported it, history is not very promising in terms of getting a result. Local governments are absolutely gutless about dog control until something gets into the media.
4
Ranga
That breed should be outlawed. Pitbulls are absolute freaking maniacs and simply cannot be trusted.
Maybe I’m wrong as I’m just relying on memory, but recalling back when I was a kid, dogs were far more aggressive than they are now. You walked past someone’s home with the gate open. If there was a dog, invariably it would be trying to attack you. I suspect, the popular breeds being bred these days are much docile. Our lunatic, wants to just attack other dogs and leaves humans alone.
3
The scumbag biden’s appointment to head his new ministry of truth, nina jankowicz is literally the kunt from hell, possibly trans and totally nuts. That her dept is in the DHS, the most aggressive fascists in biden’s swamp and the best armed adds further weight to my position there will be no mid-terms and Elon better have a spare rocket fuelled up ready for an escape. The rest of us are fucked. These people are complete bastards.
7
JC.
Back in those days most dogs would have been “intact”.
Having your nuts chopped off tends to modulate behaviour.
Or so I’ve heard.
2
Local governments are absolutely gutless about dog control until something gets into the media.
Yep, fucking dog owners get to inflict their animals on everyone without hindrance. If you aren’t prepared to keep it inside at night, don’t own it. If nobody is home all day, don’t own it.
6
That breed should be outlawed. Pitbulls are absolute freaking maniacs and simply cannot be trusted.
Poodles.
No decent person owns a poodle, that’s why they’re very popular in France.
The French toy poodle looks like a rat with a wig.
Bastards, all of them.
8
It’s jury. He’s totally stuffed. It’s another Pell.
Shouldn’t be any trouble finding a dozen people in the ACT who’ve never heard of Brittany or what “happened” to her!
I mean, no-one watches TV or reads newspapers in Canberra do they?
6
JC.
Back in those days most dogs would have been “intact”.
Having your nuts chopped off tends to modulate behaviour.
Or so I’ve heard.
Oh Yea. But you know, ours had his nuts cut off and he’s aggressive as anything, while on a leash, toward other dogs.
Growing up we’d avoid certain streets because of rabid dogs.
2
Bruce of N
Numerous oligarchs lately have carked it in mysterious ways, often along with their families. I suspect the Ukrainian oligarchs are exquisitely aware of this strange phenomenon.
Here are all the Russian oligarchs who’ve died under strange circumstances this year (26 Apr)
So, to add to Arkancide, we now have Moskvacide?
2
Anyone else from Perth noticed all the new Tesla’s on the road?…
3
“The photo of the accused has been published – that used to be a no-no.”
Yep. Regardless, his life is destroyed. Even if he’s found not guilty he’ll never ever recover from this. I doubt he has the strength of faith that someone like George Pell was able to muster during his incarceration.
8
Sky news musta had somebody call in sick at the last minute.
They put Jenna Clarke to air, presumably without notice, coz she was clad in a dressing gown & had her hair pinned back. She only just had time to get the curlers out of her hair.
5
First Squawk
@FirstSquawk
·
1h
UNITED STATES, CANADA, BULGARIA, FRANCE, ISRAEL, GREAT BRITAIN AND GERMANY CALLED ON THEIR CITIZENS TO IMMEDIATELY LEAVE OR NOT TO VISIT TRANSNISTRIA
Really Romania?
3
Dot, Cohenite,
This one surprised me. Probably coals to Newcastle for you.
It is an inflammatory mediator. I might try and dig into this one and try to understand what is going on. Inflammation is necessary for growth but the timing is critical, it needs to be short and not too high.
2
I mean, no-one watches TV or reads newspapers in Canberra do they?
Some old people still read newspapers and watch the Evening News.
But, not many.
1
You know, Mercedes Benz has said that by 2030, their entire range will be electric. What if it doesn’t work out well?
Even if he’s found not guilty he’ll never ever recover from this.
There weren’t enough wimminses on the jury..
1
Brittany Higgins rope trial to go ahead in June
Remy Varga
Reporter
@RemyVarga
17 minutes ago April 29, 2022
The man charged with the rope of Brittany Higgins in Parliament House will face trial after the ACT Supreme Court denied his application for a permanent or temporary stay of proceedings due to the widespread publicity surrounding the case.
ACT Supreme Court Chief Justice Lucy McCallum also dismissed an application that would have required media outlets to remove news stories and content mentioning the allegations.
Justice McCallum said it would be a “pious hope” to try to regulate the media through suppression and non-publication orders and said the issue was one of regulation rather than “condoning a media ‘free for all’.”
“This country has robust contempt laws of which the media may be taken to be aware,” she said. “To seek instead to regulate media discussion of criminal proceedings by the inexact tool of suppression and non-publication orders is a pious hope, particularly since the advent of the internet and social media.”
Accused man Bruce Lehrmann, who has pleaded not guilty and denied sexual intercourse took place, sought the applications on the grounds he would be unable to receive a fair trial due to media coverage surrounding the allegations against him.
Mr Lehrmann, a former Liberal staffer like Ms Higgins, also sought an order preventing “any media outlet from publishing any material of and concerning the accused and/or the complainant that relates to or refers to directly or indirectly the present criminal proceedings or any part of the subject matter to which those proceedings relate”.
Judge McCallum described this application as “problematic” and said she wasn’t persuaded that a trial judge wouldn’t be able to appropriately guide a jury.
“Further, for the reasons already stated, I am not persuaded that the material which the evidence establishes remains on the internet is of a kind that cannot be addressed by appropriate direction to the jury,” she said.
Justice McCallum said there existed no statutory power from which to issue a take-down order and said there was no evidence of a “threat to publish” that needed to be properly restrained.
“The refusal of the media entities represented in court to give an undertaking as sought does not of itself establish the existence of a threat,” she said.
A six-week trial of the case has been set to start on June 6.
ZK2A:
Accused man Bruce Lehrmann, who has pleaded not guilty and denied sexual intercourse took place,
Interesting plea.
How can he prove a negative?
Notalawyer opinions?
2
PT, I noticed the Tesla influx a few weeks ago now, here in the dress circle Margaret River – Dunsboro – Busselona triangle.
2
“pitbull comes out attacks the dog “
Pitbulls are a problematic breed, made worse by the type of person that likes to own them.
6
Tourette’s
Trans-planted in the latest victim virus.
Remember the swearing twitching kiddies that were all over MSM not all that long ago. Remarkable recoveries.
2
Wow. Just wow!
This will have severe and long-lasting consequences for China’s economy and society—and for investors and firms with exposure to the Chinese market. Mr. Xi has unambiguously hitched his personal legacy to the successful preservation of the zero-Covid policy. His speech at the Two Sessions conference on March 17 “swept down from the commanding heights” and “set the tone for all,” National Health Commissioner Ma Xiaowei wrote in a leading party journal this week. “He has personally commanded and made arrangements for the epidemic, taken overall control, and made resolute decisions.” Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, who has taken over supervision of the pandemic response in Shanghai, said this week that she had come to implement “General Secretary Xi Jinping’s requirements.”
Given the rising cost of containing the Omicron variant, this is a risky macroeconomic bet. As of Monday, 45 cities with 373 million people, representing 40% of China’s gross domestic product, were under partial or full lockdown, according to Nomura estimates. More cities and counties are under “static management,” a euphemism for quasi-lockdown.
4
Wuhu sounds like WA’s sister city.
Lower-ranking officials have gotten the memo. Wuhu, a city in Anhui province, locked down and initiated mass testing Sunday after identifying a single positive case. Xi’an, a city in Shaanxi province, locked down for more than a month in December and January and is back in de facto lockdown. Industrial cities Zhengzhou and Suzhou have initiated mass testing, banned social gatherings, closed movie theaters, gyms, and bars, and advised residents to work from home. Unless all these cities succeed in shutting down their outbreaks simultaneously, China seems headed for rolling lockdowns and strict limits on intercity travel for the foreseeable future.
1
Put the major last!
Here’sa brilliant website someone has put together that generates a How To Vote card for you in your area by putting the majors last.
Try it out
1) The gas buyer calculates its USD/EUR obligation under the contract and transmits that amount in USD/EUR to Gazprombank;
I didn’t think Gazprombank was actually accepting dollars, or even euros. On orders of the Tsar.
The difficulty for European buyers is that the decree requires buyers to also open a rouble account at Gazprombank into which their euro or dollar payments would be deposited after conversion into the Russian currency.
The European Commission has said this would breach EU sanctions on Russia, because it would only fulfil EU buyers’ payments after the euros-to-roubles conversion is done. That conversion would involve a transaction through Russia’s central bank, which is subject to EU sanctions.
So basically they put dollars into their account at Gazprombank, then must convert those dollars to rubles in their other Gazprombank account then pay the bill. So they still have to pay in rubles, with Gasprombank cutely ticket clipping on the forex exchange.
Plus a small added bit of fun that Poot could tell Gazprombank to sit on the euro accounts, whereby virtuous Europeoples would have their euros frozen without ability to turn them into rubles to pay da bill. Which would be great fun in a hostagelike sort of way.
Meanwhile Gazprombank has suffered an unfortunate tragedy.
It must be really scary to know that when you sign off on such a deal that you may be required to pay quite a large personal price, if you’ve chosen…poorly.
You know, Mercedes Benz has said that by 2030, their entire range will be electric. What if it doesn’t work out well?
It’s probably a pretty easy virtue signal. With 8 or so different drivetrains they could cover their entire vehicle range. Much more flexible than IC. If they retain IC they’ll just blame customers for a lack of EV uptake.
5
I generally don’t like posting entire pieces, but this one is really worth a read. China could entering a new phase. Closed up and the CCP going back to its roots.
WSJ
Xi Jinping Is Betting It All on Zero Covid
To fight the pandemic, the Chinese Communist Party leader mobilizes forces he will likely find difficult to control.
By Eyck Freymann
China’s Leninist political system is very good at mass mobilization but very bad at stopping mass mobilization once it has begun.
Mao Zedong proved this most destructively with the Great Leap Forward in 1958. Today Xi Jinping’s bold embrace of the zero-Covid policy, in the face of an increasingly transmissible Omicron variant, is evoking Mao’s legacy and running the risk of repeating Mao’s mistakes. Like Mao, Mr. Xi’s position within the Chinese Communist Party is rock-solid. Yet the grass-roots effort he has mobilized against Covid is gathering internal momentum and is increasingly likely to last past the National Party Congress in October.
This will have severe and long-lasting consequences for China’s economy and society—and for investors and firms with exposure to the Chinese market. Mr. Xi has unambiguously hitched his personal legacy to the successful preservation of the zero-Covid policy. His speech at the Two Sessions conference on March 17 “swept down from the commanding heights” and “set the tone for all,” National Health Commissioner Ma Xiaowei wrote in a leading party journal this week. “He has personally commanded and made arrangements for the epidemic, taken overall control, and made resolute decisions.” Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, who has taken over supervision of the pandemic response in Shanghai, said this week that she had come to implement “General Secretary Xi Jinping’s requirements.”
Given the rising cost of containing the Omicron variant, this is a risky macroeconomic bet. As of Monday, 45 cities with 373 million people, representing 40% of China’s gross domestic product, were under partial or full lockdown, according to Nomura estimates. More cities and counties are under “static management,” a euphemism for quasi-lockdown.
Yet Mr. Xi’s logic is primarily political, not economic. To abandon the policy would require the Communist Party to countermand an order that it has repeatedly and unequivocally given for more than two years. This not only would be an admission of failure, it would badly delegitimize Mr. Xi’s carefully constructed hero-cult. The Chinese people have become accustomed to life with zero Covid. If Mr. Xi lifts the policy now, he could be seen as personally responsible for every death that follows. To revise the policy would therefore be an unacceptable risk for Mr. Xi ahead of the Party Congress.
Lower-ranking officials have gotten the memo. Wuhu, a city in Anhui province, locked down and initiated mass testing Sunday after identifying a single positive case. Xi’an, a city in Shaanxi province, locked down for more than a month in December and January and is back in de facto lockdown. Industrial cities Zhengzhou and Suzhou have initiated mass testing, banned social gatherings, closed movie theaters, gyms, and bars, and advised residents to work from home. Unless all these cities succeed in shutting down their outbreaks simultaneously, China seems headed for rolling lockdowns and strict limits on intercity travel for the foreseeable future.
Even after the Party Congress, Mr. Xi may consider it unacceptably risky to unwind the zero-Covid policy. It is time for markets to start taking this possibility seriously.
The history of the Great Leap Forward illustrates the worst-case scenario of what can happen when a Chinese leader insists that a pest be eliminated at any price. In 1958, Mao launched the “eliminate sparrows campaign,” arguing that birds were stealing grain from farmers’ fields. For every million sparrows killed, Mao promised, there would be food for an additional 60,000 people. More than three million people were mobilized in Peking alone. Schoolchildren banged pots and pans day and night to keep the birds from sleeping. Middle-school girls were organized in rifle regiments and given shooting lessons. Ordinary people climbed trees and strangled chicks in their nests.
Within a year, China’s sparrow population had collapsed. The result was a swarm of locusts that attacked crops. The annual harvest had already been badly damaged by collectivization. Massive statistical errors from the overreporting of harvest data convinced central planners that China actually enjoyed a “super-abundance” of grain, when in fact production was contracting. Tens of millions of Chinese died in the resulting famine.
China’s food system today is sufficiently marketized that the government bungling of food allocation won’t lead to widespread hunger. Government efforts to improve food provision to populations in lockdown have also made enormous strides in the past few weeks.
Yet as in the Great Leap Forward, the aggregate macroeconomic damage from pandemic lockdowns has likely been deeper than the official data suggest. As Daniel Rosen argued in Foreign Affairs, China’s reported 4.8% GDP growth for the first quarter of 2022 strains credulity, and the true data for the second quarter will surely be much worse, despite the coming fiscal and monetary stimulus. Since Mr. Xi has committed himself to an ambitious 5.5% annual growth target, the pressure on local officials to manipulate economic data will only increase as the Party Congress approaches.
If the zero-Covid policy becomes permanent, China’s external border may never reopen in any meaningful way, particularly for foreigners. But the implications for China’s social contract could be even more profound. In the wake of the Great Leap Forward, Mao’s more-pragmatic colleagues Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping tried to return to market economic reforms. To resist them, Mao turned to an increasingly paranoid style of repressive and ideological politics, leading eventually to the Cultural Revolution.
Since Mao’s death, the Communist Party has derived legitimacy primarily from its ability to deliver economic growth. Yet in recent years, as inequality has increased and growth has slowed for secular reasons, the idea of pinning legitimacy to ultra-fast growth has lost some of its appeal. As Mr. Xi enters a third term, perhaps he envisions a radically different future for China. Going forward, the party may derive legitimacy less from GDP growth than from its ability to protect the lives and health of the people, ensure “common prosperity” through redistribution of wealth, and preserve domestic social order with the help of its repressive surveillance tool kit.
In China, more than in other countries, the shadow of history looms large over politics. When Xi Jinping doubles down on a pandemic policy that makes no macroeconomic sense, rallying the people and the Communist Party to eradicate the virus, he knows that he is ordering a Mao-style mass mobilization. History suggests that such movements gain momentum over time and are not easily reversed. It’s possible Mr. Xi has no intention of returning China to the relatively open-facing, gradually marketizing country that it was before the pandemic. If so, China will become a less dynamic, more statist and more ideological society in which the party rules and the masses follow.
7
Mr. Xi has unambiguously hitched his personal legacy to the successful preservation of the zero-Covid policy.
Communists and Communism always screw up big at some point.
Xi trying to out moron Dickhead Dan who also tried COVID zero and got beaten senseless by reality.
9
Fester is pretending not to read my comments.
Can someone ask Uncle Fester a question derived from this silly sentence.
So basically they put dollars into their account at Gazprombank, then must convert those dollars to rubles in their other Gazprombank account then pay the bill. So they still have to pay in rubles, with Gasprombank cutely ticket clipping on the forex exchange.
There are very harsh exchange controls and the Russian central bank controls the the exchange rate. This would mean that any Russian bank would need to clear the exchange transaction with the central banks. How is it possible for the Russian bank to make a cute spread on the exchange transaction?
1
If they retain IC they’ll just blame customers for a lack of EV uptake.
Rick, they’ve said ALL the range is going EV. Dunno about trucks though.
1
Really Romania?
I dunno what’s going on in Trans Dniester. it’s interesting though. Someone has been shooting up the kleptocracy’s administration buildings then leaving the spent military bits behind. Then photos turn up onto the internet. It smells. What exactly it smells of, though, I have no idea.
But it does seem to’ve stimulated a new proposal for Moldova to merge with Romania. The Moldies say that has to be after a referendum, which in the current circumstances just might get up. Romania is in the EU, so that would be a neat way for them to get into the EU also, without all the fiddly bits.
The three BTGs the Russians have appear to’ve been moved to the south of Trans Kleptomania. What that means I don’t know. Possibly around the capital, such as it is. Maybe the Russians fear the Ukrainians will boot them out and give the place back to the Moldovans. Strategically that would be a reasonable move since having Russian bases on the west side of Ukraine is potentially painful, if used for air attacks. And in theory the Russian Navy can get more forces into place there, if they do so before those Pom Harpoons go active.
Something seems to be going on in that place. But what? I don’t know, but it’s something to watch.
3
Pitbulls are a problematic breed, made worse by the type of person that likes to own them.
A mate of mine used to be head of the AVA. When asked about banning pit bulls he said it would make more sense to ban people with tatts from owning any sort of dog.
18
Winston Smithsays:
April 29, 2022 at 7:21 pm
Thanks, Winnie. I’ve book-marked your post.
3
On the doggies.
Munched as a kid a couple of times.
One of our locals got bailed up in the water at the beach by another chaps dog.
Complained and I was “ gifted” the job of sorting it out.
I came to a method of resolving it Solomon would have been proud of.
Instead of bitching about the mutt I just pointed out if his dog had bitten anyone the usual treatment was for it to be shot shortly after.
Satisfied everyone and gave the owner a reason to care as well.
7
Took an early evening stroll around The Strand and Covent Gardens, calling into a pub that was old when Charles Dickens used to drink there; at that time it was very near an area of dissolute slums but now it is Trendy Central. Noise levels extreme so we couldn’t talk, Hairy sat on his beer and I with my cider, watching London come in and out, everyone wearing puffer jackets or equivalent on a cold spring day. I hugged my light Armani jacket and spring dress close around me, for I had not packed for bitter cold.
We then went around the corner to the special Chop Restaurant, the one that was so positively reviewed in The Spectator. Speciality of the Day is Meat. Glorious meat, lots of meat. We met up with a couple we hadn’t seen for years, old Cambridge College friend of Hairy’s and his wife, whom we hadn’t seen since their wedding in the 1980’s. He’s a grandpa now too, so the two grandpas exchanged pleasantries about age, children, grandchildren and the latest doings of all of the old College crew. One has his country house full of ‘strange people’, another (a medico) has just thrown a heroin habit, and others are doing the Glittering Prizes stuff in various positions of influence, and Mervyn himself, a lawyer and impressario in the rock era, has now given up the Glastonbury organising and is busy with new projects, including founding a charity to revive Real Tennis.
We were persuaded by an intense waiter to order the meat platter for four, and another single dish of steak, with a few ‘sides’ of that inedible sort of green like curly lettuce but tougherne. One of the sides nominated itself as an ‘Invisible’ side, destined for Ukraine, so we each ordered that one too. The platter arrived and looked like something that would do an Aussie BBQ proud for about eight or ten people, piled high with cooked chops and strips of meat – lamb, pork and beef. The challenge was then mounted – we had to plough our way through it all, for this was a new trendy rarity in the UK of today, where vegetarianism abounds, and such a platter is seriously unorthodox, probably even heretical. We had to show we were up for it because after all, a tree had been planted as its carbon offset. The Brits are absolutely obsessed about all of this stuff; it is everywhere. It has replaced the C of E in the minds of the middle classes, that is for sure.
Mervyn was interested in history and interested in my little church (he offered to help found a charity for it) and interested in anything Arthurian, so the evening went well for me. His wife is a psychiatrist, a nice woman who said little, as the place was so noisy and she is a quiet soul in the face of two men engaging in competitive eating, happily exchanging memories of times past, of undergraduate hi jinx, and the strange things that life does to you on the way to one’s older age.
9
Something seems to be going on in that place. But what? I don’t know, but it’s something to watch.
Among the other more ‘interesting’ factoids Southfront is putting out amongst its analyses* (aside from seeming admissions that the Russian amry is struggling to close its pockets in the South, the Ukranian armed forces are resisting strongly and competently their pushes out of the Donbass and their defence of any Russian push on Kramatorsk is probably going to be just as tenacious as their defence of Mariupol[!] ), is claims that the Turks have sent ‘Grey Wolves’ Neo-Nazi militias to the Transistra border. And NATO are allegedly infiltrating in combat troops disguised as third-party ‘volunteers.’
Everyone seems interested in trying to ‘widen’ the war and claim the other side is going to pull something nefarious at present…
* It was amusing to see SouthFront make the claim that donations of artillery pieces and armoured vehicles to Ukraine are allegedly equipment that has ‘no strategic value,’ in the context of a video showing Australian Bushmasters at work in-country.
2
It’s jury. He’s totally stuffed. It’s another Pell.
Not necessarily. Jury composition will be the key. If there’s any less than two men on the jury then it’s say hello to the AMC for about six years (?), Mr Lehrman.
These ridiculous unsubstantiated allegations brought by a dodgy pissed bimbo on the make should never have even made it to trial. As the for the subsequent behaviour of the gliberal MPs involved, there was never any point in expecting anything better. Unfortunately, they continue to blight our lives, which is also entirely unexpected.
When too much subsequent steam cleaning and hoovering the following Monday morning is barely enough.
Said it before and I’ll say it again – the security guards, Lerhman and the Higgins should all have been summarily jobsacked as of 8:00am the following Monday morning, never to be seen (much less heard of) again.
Yet here we are, courtesy of collectivist screechers, being subjected to the sort of hysterical idiocy that’s audible in space (again).
17
There’s nothing like a good ol’ show trial to boost those popcorn sales and take peoples’ minds off all the other monstrous communist idiocy they’re being subjected to 24/7/365.
Bloody hell, I’m beginning to sound like St Ruth. 😕
2
aside from seeming admissions that the Russian amry is struggling to close its pockets in the South
Rex – The Russians were getting a bit of real schwerpunkt going SE of Izyum a couple days ago with southwards advances down four roads. But I read today that has transmogrified into an advance of about 2-3 km a day enabled by massive artillery. Not fast, although solid. The interesting question is how they’re getting those tonnes of arty ammo to the front. It’s very heavy and they haven’t had an abundant logistics train thus far.
1
John H.says:
April 29, 2022 at 7:57 pm
Dot, Cohenite,
This one surprised me. Probably coals to Newcastle for you.
Blood flow restriction enhances hypertrophy.
That’s the Matrix method.
2
the security guards, Lerhman and the Higgins should all have been summarily jobsacked as of 8:00am the following Monday morning, never to be seen
Why the security guards? “Do you know who I am – who my boss is? I’ll have your license by tomorrow morning – good luck finding another job!”
cohenitesays:
April 29, 2022 at 10:10 pm
John H.says:
April 29, 2022 at 7:57 pm
Dot, Cohenite,
This one surprised me. Probably coals to Newcastle for you.
Blood flow restriction enhances hypertrophy.
That’s the Matrix method.
They use bands to restrict blood flow.
1
They were all being recorded, Squire.
Allowing that pair of paralytic morons in enabled the entire subsequent interminable fucking farce.
A gross dereliction of duty. If I turned up and blundered into my work’s office, completely planeted with a handy equally pissed HBOT at 1:30am on a Saturday, I’d still be pointlessly seeking gainful employment.
Yet, these arrogant tax hoovering political imbeciles have the gall to try and blame this alleged incident on a “toxic workplace culture”?
F8ck them and the donkeys they rode in on.
Not having it.
14
Rabz: HBOT = ??
The interesting question is how they’re getting those tonnes of arty ammo to the front. It’s very heavy and they haven’t had an abundant logistics train thus far.
Simples- It’s what they have prioritised for now, based on their General Staff planning, analysis of the past few days/weeks and expectations of operations to come.
I seem to recall the tempo of US advance in Iraq in 2003 was slowed a little and some localised supply issues for the most advanced units occurred because at one stage or another the logistics planners prioritised artillery ammunition for resupplying units reducing hold-out cities and supporting the general advance over food, water and go-juice for the guys furthest out front.
Another consideration is that the faster and further an advance goes, the longer the spearhead units’ A1 , A2 and B echelons (Sorry, dropped into old Armour terminology for immediate POL, ammo, rations and water resupplies, then replacement peronnel and the Recovery Troops, then Workshops, spares resupply and so forth) have to travel to replenish everything. This slows everything down, and exposes everyone involved to considerable security risk.
This was a real risk Germany’s ‘Ghost Division’ faced in 1940, when they outran everyone. Including their own supply units.
If I turned up and blundered into my work’s office, completely planeted with a handy equally pissed HBOT at 1:30am on a Saturday,
I’ve worked in the security business. You’d be surprised……
4
HBOT = ??
Hot Bit of Tail?
(Definition of ‘Hot’ is rubbery, and often directly proportional to the degree of one’s internal ethanol or other intoxicant concentrations…)
1
What’s the stat, 13 % of the population commits +50% of the murders?
DC woman who ‘accidentally suffocated her baby in 2021 while high on angel dust’ then threw his body in the trash is stabbed to death ‘by infant’s father’ while awaiting trial
50 Shades of Messed Up… 🙁
1
Hot Bit O’ That
Welp, 3 out of 4 ain’t bad… 🙂
1
Anyone else from Perth noticed all the new Tesla’s on the road?…
Yep, my wife commented own that very thing while we were driving this morning.
except both Animal Justice and The Greens are getting suffocated by being last
one of the Animal justice loons lives two doors up from me
she tried for a State gig and failed
then tried for council gig and failed.
crazy mole
nothing screams animal justice louder than rabbits in a cage on yr front lawn
4
They use bands to restrict blood flow.
Sounds isometric.
1
How many of the locked-down Chinese proles are “vaccinated”?
Quick googling reckons above 85% “fully”.
4
DC woman who ‘accidentally suffocated her baby in 2021 while high on angel dust’ then threw his body in the trash is stabbed to death ‘by infant’s father’ while awaiting trial
Another classic case of white supremacy.
3
cohenitesays:
April 29, 2022 at 11:08 pm
They use bands to restrict blood flow.
I haven’t come across it before. The physiology is interesting, something I’d like to follow up. I don’t think it will benefit most people but for the advanced types it might be worth exploring. Also for injury recovery.
1
They use bands to restrict blood flow
explains the correlation between neck-ties and politician’s heads too
6
Another classic case of white supremacy.
LaDonia Boggs, 39, was found unresponsive by police in the doorway of her DC apartment around 3am on Wednesday with ‘an apparent stab wound.’ Carl Jones, 44, who shares a child with Boggs, reportedly stabbed her during a ‘domestic dispute,’ authorities reported. She was awaiting trial in November for allegedly killing the pair’s son Kyon Jones after accidentally rolling on top of him while high on angel dust. After discovering her son was dead, she allegedly wrapped him in a blanket and threw him in the trash. She was originally charged with murder and evidence tampering, but the murder charge was dropped after authorities were unable to locate the body.
1
How many of the locked-down Chinese proles are “vaccinated”?
Couldn’t give a soup dwelling rodent’s backside, Wally.
Put the majors last
I can’t in all good consciousness do this, Cats. I live in a red ribbon labore seat. If I put the labore imbecile last and the greenfilth second last, with the gliberal third last, I still end up voting either labore or gliberal.
This regrettable heavy handedness will result in a meat and two veg rendering on the lower house ballot paper, with a legitimate vote in the senate – for six candidates only.
The ALPEC has still refused to post the correct advice on how to vote in the senate.
i.e. You must vote for twelve senate candidates in a feral double dissolution election*, but you only need to vote for six in any other feral election. Which would be this one (like 2019).
*If you exist in a territory, you only need to vote for two, regardless of the dissolutionness.
1
MatrixTransformsays:
April 29, 2022 at 11:23 pm
They use bands to restrict blood flow
explains the correlation between neck-ties and politician’s heads too
I live in a red ribbon labore seat. If I put the labore imbecile last and the greenfilth second last, with the gliberal third last, I still end up voting either labore or gliberal
I think of it as a sort of least-worst filter
3
think of it as a sort of least-worst filter
Nein. You’re enabling the irredeemable idiocy.
4
For those whose Coof came in as a low two, good luck to you.
Mine sat me squarely on my skinny tail and hurt more than a little.
I guess because of my circumstances of being dependant upon strangers it was a little depressing as well.
Suddenly in the night, I awoke without the headache, breathing easy and the beginnings of an appetite. It is so good, it is scary.
Still weak and puffy but the bastard is on the run. It tested as Covid but it actually felt like a severe flu.
13
Stay drunk and you’ll never get sick.
7
For those whose Coof came in as a low two, good luck to you
Woke up this morning with a very sore throat, which had a runny nose added to it from about 10:00am.
Classic head cold. Picked up no doubt on Tuesday night while alternating between being drenched while marching many kms to a humid venue packed with thousands of people and then marching back to the place originally left.
Hopefully killed stone dead this evening following the consumption of many alcoholic beverages. 🙂
I’ve just ordered some cigars for a friend in the US who is still recovering from the Chinese plague. As I explained to her, cigars are healthy: organic, vegan and herbal. If I’d sent them six months ago, she’d never have caught it.
..
And rifle.
Something weird about the editing though.
2
Dr Beaugs- good to see you lurking.
…straight to spacechooking- how the hell can I buy cigars economically in Oz?
And when I say “economically”, I mean illegally sidestepping the horrific tax slug which seems to fall mid-Pacific. Lotsa U.S. suppliers promise lots, but get lost.
2
Leadership, you really are a Xunt of a human being. Just a low down dirty Xunt.
1
It looks like the coof has run through town here. Every second household has had one or more kids – but hardly ever more than one grown-up- spend a half-day shut in the bedroom, and one mate from Perf who was weekending here has “had the squirts” and hit a positive test.
Seriously though- if it weren’t for them tests, how would you ever know it’s the batflu?
All symptoms described to me are indistinguishable from the common cold or flu. Even had to point out to a chef- who as a profession are a bit dim- that he blows his nose and loses his sense of smell in May every year, and then in November with pollen.
…
Rabz… yeah I know, but I have a bit of sympathy for the pangolitarians. But that would be a good question to pitch to an ambassador.
Speaking of short music shows- I quite love the early gigs where a band has but one EP and one LP to their name, and no desire to lecture between melodies. You get a round hour of solid musical ideas, and none of the browbeating or worthy cover versions of songs by their dear friend and amazing artist mates. Everyone raves about Springsteen playing three hour shows, but let’s face it, a hundred minutes of that is just spoken word.
We seem to be at the point in this pandemic where people die every day from COVID-19 … and we’re OK with that.
Just last week, on average, 39 Australians died each day after catching the virus.
Compare that to the start of the pandemic when we were aghast at the thought of a single case, let alone a death.
The change is troubling to veteran epidemiologist Professor Mike Toole.
“We seem to have closed our eyes to the suffering and the deaths that are still occurring due to Omicron, so I think it’s bordering on irresponsible,” Professor Toole said.
It is not surprising that a medical professional who has dedicated a 50-year career to saving lives believes one death is one too many, but it doesn’t appear to be the way everyone thinks.
The ABCcess report goes on to quote the scriptures and the prophet.
This is despite mask-wearing being one of the most effective ways of containing super-spreader events, according to epidemiologists like Saskia Popescu, who looked at the dropping of the mandate in despair.
You’re likely seeing a lot of “ffs” from public health folks at the news that TSA is dropping mask mandates on airplanes, trains, and public transportation. Here are some thoughts (while screaming into the void):
(1/n)
— Dr. Saskia Popescu (@SaskiaPopescu) April 19, 2022
The US President’s chief medical adviser, Antony Fauci, said it was a decision a judge did not have the medical experience to make.
Abc discovers breaking news old people die more than young people. The impact has been disproportionately felt by older people.
The federal health department has broken down the number of deaths in Australia by age group and it shows almost 83 per cent were aged 70 years or older.
ABC bemused why people who were deliberately lied to about the “stop the transmission/not carry covid/not get covid arent excited by more liars products. Products so good every state territory’s and the feds are cowering behind emergency legislation to make as mandatory as possible” Remember last year when we so intently watched as the double-dose vaccination rate inched higher toward a particular target or milestone?
While over 95 per cent of people age over 16 have had two doses, only 70 per cent of the eligible population have had a booster shot.
You don’t see social media lit up with people showing off getting their boosters like they did when first and second doses were made available.
Why Russia’s economy is holding on, despite sanctions
With oil exports strong in April, Russian President Vladimir Putin manages to avoid economic ruin while hammering Ukraine.
Despite predictions of doom for the heavily sanctioned Russian economy, nearly two months into Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine his country’s oil exports to Europe and nations such as India and Turkey have actually risen, and its financial sector has so far avoided a serious liquidity crisis.
Sanctions may work in the long run, experts say, but for now many of the same countries that are sanctioning Russia are still seriously undercutting their efforts by buying energy from it – in some cases in even larger amounts during April than in March.
“Putin is continuing to make at least a billion dollars a day selling oil and gas, and the lion’s share is from Europe,” says Edward Fishman, a former Europe specialist at the US State Department. “Individual European countries are sending military assistance to Ukraine but it’s dwarfed by payments they’re making to Russia for oil and gas.”
Despite Western restrictions on Russia’s financial sector, oil exports are up to 3.6 million barrels a day in April, compared with 3.3 million barrels a day the month before, says Matt Smith of Kpler, a firm that tracks oil cargo ships. “The big takeaway is that Russian crude oil exports are actually higher so far this month than they were last month,” Smith says. “It’s surprising.”
– ‘Record pace’ for Russian oil shipments
– Gas continues to flow
– Economic crisis
In a recent interview with Der Spiegel, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz suggested that Berlin couldn’t afford to cut off Russian supplies anytime soon, saying an embargo on Russian gas not only wouldn’t end the Ukraine war but could lead to “a dramatic economic crisis, the loss of millions of jobs and of factories that would never open again”.
He added: “This would have major consequences for our country, for all of Europe, and it would also severely affect the financing of Ukraine’s reconstruction. As such, it is my responsibility to say: we cannot allow that to happen.”
– Contracting economy
– Divided international response
– Economic distress in the West
As JPMorgan analyst Natasha Kaneva said this week, eliminating Russian oil is going to cause every bit of the economic pain that Germany and other EU nations fear, possibly driving up prices by about 65 per cent from about $US110 to $US185 a barrel.
That could be devastating to economies such as Germany’s, which gets 25 per cent of its oil and 40 per cent of its gas from Russia. Not surprisingly, Berlin has led the fence-sitting over the energy issue.
– Long-term isolation
Michael Sussmann Evidentiary Hearing: The Transcript
And – more info on the investigation into Rodney Joffe
Yesterday, April 27, there was a pre-trial hearing in the Michael Sussmann case relating to various evidentiary issues. For the uninitiated, Sussmann a former Perkins Coie partner, and former attorney for the DNC/Clinton Campaign (and Rodney Joffe), has been charged by Special Counsel John Durham with providing false statements to then-FBI General Counsel James Baker in the fall of 2016. Here is more background on his indictment.
We have the full transcript of yesterday’s hearing (link at the bottom).
Here are some of the most notable disclosures:
The Special Counsel’s “ongoing investigation” into Rodney Joff
Mounting U.S. Debt and Misguided Foreign Policy Risk a Dollar Doomsday
The U.S. dollar is getting perilously close to losing its status as the world’s reserve currency, and there is less room than ever for error on the international stage. Blunders in U.S. foreign policy are likely to have more harmful effects on both our allies and our enemies than in the past given the sorry record of the Biden administration. Should the U.S. dollar be knocked out of its position as the reserve currency, hell would break lose across global markets.
With recent memories of Biden’s humiliating and bungled withdrawal from Afghanistan, there is less confidence in the reliability of the United States from our allies, and far less respect and fear of the United States from our enemies. It’s self-evident that the powers behind Biden favor prolonging the Russia-Ukraine war, rather than promoting an expedient end to hostilities, because the ongoing conflict dominates U.S. media and diverts Americans’ attention away from disastrous domestic policies and breaking high-stakes scandals and prosecutions of Democrats and their deep state operatives.
The blame for the Russian-Ukraine war lies with both Russia and the United States and NATO countries. When the Soviet Union broke up in 1991 and Ukraine gained its independence and agreed to dismantle the nuclear arsenal that the USSR had deployed there in the Cold War years, it was understood that Ukraine would remain a neutral country, and that was formalized in the Budapest Agreement of 1994.
Ukrainian instability over the last eight years has had three major causes:
SBS ‘World Watch’ coming on 23 May.
Perfectly timed to permit Australia’s newly elected CCP owners a preconfigured tax payer funded communist news channel.
Well planned SBS. Now get rid of the token whitey stuff. CCP Watch, NITV and he Upper Volta Third Division Soccer Championship is all that’s needed in former Australia.
Caught a bit of some quizling/ lickspittle/ girly man/ newhalf on their ABCcess this morning mewling and puking its progressive credentials (yes it claimed to be a proud progressive) and getting all hurty feelings when it was accused of not being progressive enough.
The name of this Greens/Teal/ALP member?
Josh Friedchickenburger.
But hey, by all means hold your nose and vote for this chap who claimed the Canberra poo punchers party legislation was a great moment in politics.
At least hes not Labour!
Matt Kean won’t wait for Canberra
As his federal Coalition colleagues threaten to splinter over the path to net zero emissions, NSW Liberal Treasurer and Energy Minister Matt Kean is clear: the state is going there anyway, and consumers will benefit.
It’s a view that has brought friction with Canberra, and which threatens to drive a bigger wedge into the fracturing National Electricity Market.
Kean goes so far as to assert that for NSW’s journey in the energy transition, it makes little difference which party wins the May 21 election.
“From our perspective it doesn’t matter who’s in government, because we’ve got very clear plans and policies here in New South Wales that are in the interests of New South Wales taxpayers, and the families and businesses that operate here,” he says.
“We’ll work with whoever sits in the federal parliament to make sure we get the best outcome for the public.”
“This is not just a play for our environment, this is a major strategic economic play to underwrite the future prosperity of our state and our nation,” he says.
Preparing for reality
“Today, half of the world’s wealth is being created in jurisdictions that have committed to net zero, so those markets that have previously underwritten our state’s prosperity are changing, and we want to make sure we’re well-placed to take advantage of those global megatrends in a way that will create jobs, drive investment into New South Wales and underwrite prosperity like the state’s never seen before.”
On coal power in NSW, Kean has been sanguine about the early closure of Origin Energy’s huge Eraring generator on the Central Coast, in contrast to his sharply critical federal colleague Angus Taylor, who voiced “bitter disappointment” and blasted Kean as “delusional” in his plan to rely heavily on a 700 MW battery to replace it.
‘We have a plan’
Raising pulses across the sector, however, is the surge in wholesale power prices this year, which has worsened since late March as AGL Energy went ahead with the long-scheduled closure of the first of four units at its Liddell coal station in the Hunter Valley, just as Victorian generation was disrupted by technical problems.
‘We can’t sit and wait’
But it’s coming at the cost of the National Electricity Market, which is struggling with proposed reforms and with the impact of the rapidly changing energy mix on the grid.
Kean says he “believes in” the NEM but acknowledges “it’s certainly very hard” to make it work as the states push forward faster on the transition.
He is more ebullient about the future for green hydrogen, and for other technologies such as green steel that should set up the state and its major industries for the future. NSW’s work in that area is being advised by a Net Zero Emissions and Clean Economy Board, announced in December and chaired by former Energy Security Board chair Kerry Schott.
“Great to see some of those on the right such as Shapiro and James Woods suddenly picking up big numbers of new Twitter subscribers.”
As well as the large number of leftists like Obama losing followers.
Seems odd, dunnit? Almost like they are furiously taking down the shadow bans, removing bots etc and destroying the evidence of it so Elon won’t disclose what they did.
Oops – people already noticed.
Seems like the CODE is frozen, but the PARAMETERS files are not. Hopefully Elon took a snap-shot of that too, and hid it away.If so, that might be somewhat embarrassing later on…
Has anyone ever taken their ABC to task over their employment procedures?
They’re always just shape shifting (I mean seat shifting) from one abc role to another? Do they actually advertise? Do they have to? You would think* any public sector organisation would have to follow some pretty stringent hiring practices???
(*think not always being the case for Anyone But Conservatives)
Russia has been preparing for sanctions for years. It also helps if the countries sanctioning you need what you’re selling much more than you need them as buyers. This was all eminently foreseeable and many commentators have been making these very points since things started kicking off again in the Donbass last year, and the US started issuing threats of sanctions if Russia didn’t do what it was told.
Electricity bills on the rise in Queensland, NSW
Power users in Queensland and NSW are staring down the barrel of sharply higher wholesale electricity prices than their neighbours in the south will pay after retail prices are reset mid-year.
The latest quarterly report from the country’s energy market operator shows that a lack of transmission meant the big states that are more dependent on black coal power were unable to take advantage of cheaper power from renewable sources in the south.
This means power users in those states are facing higher electricity bills because black coal prices have soared amid a global energy crunch, a scenario which threatens to add to rising inflation and stoke concern about cost-of-living struggles.
The extent to which the mid-year price increases for retail and small business customers reflect the huge spike in wholesale prices in Queensland and NSW will depend partly on the level of hedging each retailer has in place. Very large power users whose prices more closely follow the wholesale market may already be paying more.
Labor’s Rewiring the Nation policy centres on a $20 billion low-cost loan scheme, which it estimates would unlock $58 billion of private co-financing in assets to help deliver net zero emissions by 2050.
Increasing transmission lines would bring soaring amounts of renewable energy generation onto the country’s National Electricity Market, most likely reducing wholesale prices. But customers would endure the costs of building the infrastructure through taxes and components of their bills.
The way I think of “Net Zero” being a Greens’ invention, and given how much they hate humanity, is that “net zero” means “we want you to stop breathing?” We are carbon based beings and we expel that deadly planet-killing CO2 with every breath!
yup – it ‘aint going to work with musk.
He’s a vertical integrator – just look at what he’s had to do with Tesla and the gigafactories.
Pop it on F-droid, chuck them some money, and he’s done.
To anticipate the weekend, a bit of light relief from BBC Scotland (which is obviously free of the political correctness of ‘our’ ABC) taking aim at the apology industry:
Sorry, link didn’t work
https://fb.watch/cyez5ZHpQQ/
I am indulging in a serious toddler sulk session.
I still have the coof and I am pissed off.
Nothing like being sick in another country staying in someone else’s house.
My incredibly generous and cheerful landlord has returned from the rigs for his six off. He just informed me that my two visits to the local NHS Clinic will bankrupt me. He was actually amazed that they saw me and allowed me to sniff their O2.
He is still promising a couple of days trail ride up to the high lochs. I can’t see that happening but it is a nice thought.
Priority one in the short term is convince Daughter, who is also bugged, that she has not murdered the old man. Well, not yet anyway.
Travel expands the ……….
NSW’s work in that area is being advised by a Net Zero Emissions and Clean Economy Board, announced in December and chaired by former Energy Security Board chair Kerry Schott.
THis Kerry Schott? Clearly has a deep understanding of electrical engineering. //sarc
Schott graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with first class Honours from the University of New England, undertook a Masters of Arts at the University of British Columbia, and a doctorate in pure mathematics at Nuffield College, Oxford.[1][3]
Career
Her early career included investment banking for Deutsche Bank and Whitlam Turnbull.[4]
RUS SU-25 at tree-top flight.
Didn’t see this statement coming!!!
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/swedish-pm-says-integration-immigrants-has-failed-fueled-gang-crime-2022-04-28/
Albo will be very pleased!!! 😛
https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/McGowan/2022/04/Works-commence-on-safe-haven-for-tugs.aspx
Having a chat with an unnamed health professional in Filth (formerly Perth), he had a good laugh at my ‘bodies lying in the streets today” line.
Also is the ABC secretly taking the piss with its photos?
As a result of COVID-19, more people are experiencing food insecurity — and community services are stepping in to help
“We’ll starve. There will be no food,” Ms Formosa told the ABC.
Then check the picture they have in the story…
FM, I don’t “frequent” their ABC as I do not give them the gratitude of getting a “hit” from my visit but I’m guessing obesity?
Lysandersays:
April 29, 2022 at 1:14 pm
Some large bones, the size seldom seen since the comet hit.
I linked that ABC story on the previous page.
No doubt at all the ABC is being deadly serious.
LOL!!!! FMD they’re idiots.
Chubsters with bingo wings
The latest quarterly report from the country’s energy market operator shows that a lack of transmission meant the big states that are more dependent on black coal power were unable to take advantage of cheaper power from renewable sources in the south.
Inverting: its not just for air conditioners anymore.
The subsidies however flow south at a great rate, while the carbon penalties flow upstream without hinderance.
Two possibilities – someone at the ALPBC actually possesses a sense of humour, or, they’re such tin eared tone deaf z-grade idiots that it never even occurred to them how ridiculous using that photo would appear.
My money’s on the latter.
this guy is a Chinese patsy
https://www.watoday.com.au/politics/federal/solomon-islands-prime-minister-lashes-australia-over-aukus-security-pact-20220429-p5ah7x.html
“Then check the picture they have in the story…”
Yep – western nations, where even the homeless are obese.
A bit of starvation might make it easier to get into shape.
Hey, isn’t “round” a shape? 🙂
As is mine, Squire.
Following on from this article:
Is the end of Western Australia’s mask mandate reason to celebrate or cause for anxiety?
‘k bye. Catchya round. Or maybe not. If I remember, I’ll wave at you if I see you staring out your window as I pass by.
You’re still here? Go lock yourself away from the world, already. Annoying!
FYI, ‘let rip teh Covid’ = return to some semblance of sanity.
Incidentally, two of my closest family relatives died in aged care facilities – both would have been considered disabled – one for the last year of her life, the other was legally blind and thus ‘disabled’ her entire life*. Neither of these people would have accepted this ridiculous woman as their advocate.
You guess right. And please go fuck off and die with your passive-aggressive guilt trip. Literally. Just go somewhere and drown in your irrational fear, and let the rest of us get on with our lives.
*as a sidebar, this relative was a genuinely remarkable individual who spent the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s smashing through all kinds of ‘structural barriers’ before retiring in the mid-1980s as a professor of psychology. She never marched in the streets – despite literally being in UC Berkeley on a scholarship during the sit-ins – or burnt bras for change, because (and I know it’s a cliche) she was the change. Her sheer strength of will was never going to let an insignificant matter like her being a woman get in the way of what she wanted to achieve. She never considered herself disabled, and was surprised and somewhat put out when, in her late 70s, her doctor suggested she get an ACROD pass so that the people driving her about could use disabled parking bays when they took her out. She also despised feminists and leftists. It’s probably a good thing she’s no longer alive to see what her beloved academy has become.
Australia and the UK have a reciprocal health agreement and your Medicare card should give you access to the NHS without charge. My father fell ill at the end of a river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam and he and my stepmother were flying to Heathrow to connect to the flight home, he made it to Heathrow before being unable to continue and was treated at the local NHS clinic without charge. The only expenses were the airport hotel and the rebooking fee from the airline, which were covered by travel insurance.
RE: What machine tools actually do-
I thought if you didn’t set fire to the grease in the wheel bearing you were trying to expand the bearing out of, you weren’t trying hard enough?
Plenty of time to lie around watching movies.
Travel to the other side of the world to watch streamed movies, FFS.
Just watched ‘Resistance’ a story about Marcel Maceau’s time in the Jewish underground.
The show has its moments but the acting and directing of Matthias Schweighoffer as Klaus Barbie makes it well worth the time. For someone who likes to sneer at actors I have to admit that his characterisation of the psychopath was outstanding; truly terrifying.
As reported by The College Fix, “Reject White Supremecy” was delivered virtually on Mar. 3 by Iliff School of Theology social ethics and Latinx studies professor Miguel De La Torre. It was sponsored by Carlow’s Atkins Center for Ethics.
In the speech, De La Torre criticized evangelicals who voted for President Donald Trump.
“When eight out of ten white evangelicals voted for a person who is completely against everything Christianity stands for, I don’t know what Christianity they are practicing,” he said.
Additionally, he argued that the word white doesn’t always reference skin color, but rather is an “ontological concept.”
“Those of us who are colored, some of us can also be white,” he said. “But the good news is there is salvation.”
De La Torre noted that he is not a theologian, and is more concerned about focusing on “dealing with what’s going on than trying to figure out theology.”
Carlow University is a private Catholic institution in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and was founded by the Sisters of Mercy.
But hey, you should vote for him because hes not Labour.
Liberal party MP Trent Zimmerman says he and fellow moderate MPs “prevailed” over the deputy prime minister, Barnaby Joyce, in securing a net zero climate target, saying the Nationals leader was opposed to the policy.
Zimmerman, a key Liberal party moderate facing a serious challenge to hang on to the North Sydney electorate from the independent Kylea Tink, told a Sky News debate on Thursday that he would push for “stronger” emissions targets if the Coalition was re-elected.
“Soon we will be putting forward our targets for 2035 and I’m going to be pushing for them to be even stronger still, as I’m sure they will be,” he said.
…..
During the debate Zimmerman said he did not support controversial comments about trans people made by Liberal party candidate Katherine Deves, but stopped short of publicly calling for her to be disendorsed.
“I’ve made it very clear I don’t support Katherine Deves’ comments at all,” he said.
“Anyone who knows me and my record in parliament knows I’m someone who for six years stood up for LGBTI community. That has been important to me and who I am and so I find comments [that are] transphobic and homophobic particularly difficult.
Just Another Race- and now Christian-baiting activist with a credential.
Part of a longer article from the “Oz.”
How much of this will end up a “commissions” ?
Biden asks Congress for $33 billion to support Ukraine through September
President Joe Biden has formally asked Congress for $33 billion to fund both humanitarian and military aid to Ukraine through September of this year.
“It’s not cheap. But caving to aggression is going to be more costly,” Biden said Thursday.
Biden also sent Congress a proposal to change current laws to make it a crime to possess proceeds directly obtained from corrupt dealings with the Russian government. This change is key to giving U.S. officials the legal basis to sell the seized assets of sanctioned Russian oligarchs.
will be telling their stories in front of a Court that has a fleet of helicopters to hand for sentencing.
While loading them up we’ll give silent thanks to Saint Augusto.
“White”, if we’re referring to colour, isn’t a single colour at all. It’s a mixture of all of them.
Which means it’s the most diverse and inclusive of all.
I’ve just got an email from Austarlia Post telling me I have a delivery but need to pay 7,5 AUD to release it from the warehouse. Seriously, do people really fall for that?
Two possibilities – someone at the ALPBC actually possesses a sense of humour, or, they’re such tin eared tone deaf z-grade idiots that it never even occurred to them how ridiculous using that photo would appear.
My money’s on the latter.
I’m old enough to remember close to 20 years ago when David Marr made at least two dozen appearances on the ABC in the space of about two months, and in every single one of those appearances he claimed John Howard was “silencing” him.
On every single one the ABC host was fawning and sympathising and expressing outrage over the silencing.
As best I recall only Tim Blair and Andrew Bolt pointed out the problem with the way Marr was going about demonstrating that he’d been silenced.
Bigots and urgers always have very set ideas on what Christians are supposed to believe.
Shame they don’t believe any of it themselves.
I kind of hope the Teals knock out all of the Liberal ‘moderates’. However, you know for a fact that Liberal strategists will learn all of the wrong lessons from this. Those ‘moderates’ weren’t moderate enough! We must be even more moderate! Here’s an incredible idea that has never been tried before (except by every losing conservative political party ever); how about we try and outflank the left from the left? It will surely work this time.
Sitting under a verandah at Curtin Springs.
The place is swarming with finches. They gather on the twigs and branches for all the world like a strange, calloused growth. With a “peep peep” repeated a thousand times they descend to the ground to select a few seeds or a drop of water, only to rise again in a flurrying cloud. Rinse and repeat.
AFTER THE PANDEMIC, IS FAMINE NEXT?
Daniel Andrews was asked today about all the Victorian teachers who suddenly found themselves out of work because they haven’t taken their third dose of poison. This is how he reacted:
“I’m just about sick and tired of this constant negativity when it comes to schools….”
Nobody normal responds like that. Only psychopaths do that. The kind of psychopath who would introduce an innocuous sounding bill to parliament which is designed to destroy any crops people try to grow in their backyard during a period of food shortages. This was seen on the internet:
Andrews government will be coming after agriculture next. The Agriculture Legislation Amendment Bill 2022 has had it’s second reading in parliament. Biosecurity being the stated reason for changes. Increased enforcement powers, searching of property and persons without warrant, Increased fines, what was $1800 now $10.000 for providing false or misleading info. Landholder consent no longer required for Authorised Officers to take samples, stock (animals), documents. Authorised Officers no longer required to present identification. Heavy penalties for obstructing entry to the property. Sounds like they are getting their ducks lined up, ready to be deployed to shut down farms.
Sounds crazy right? It’s true, it’s all true. Here are just a few examples from The Agriculture Legislation Amendment Bill 2022,
Explanatory Memorandum:
– Authorised Officers no longer required to present identification:
– Heavy penalties for obstructing entry to the property:
– Increased fines, what was $1800 now $10.000 for providing false or misleading info:
Most concerning, they are putting in place laws which would allow them to charge you the money it cost them to destroy your own food supply:
You can also view the entire bill here.
This bill from Andrews however is extremely suspicious. It should be viewed in the context of the express intention of some of the world’s most powerful billionaires and international institutions to convert the world’s meat and dairy industry to derive its protein from plants, synthetic material and bugs.
Well he got that right, at least.
Terrible blow.
That means everyone browsing the app stores looking for a microblogging and networking app will never get to hear about Twitter.
Musk undone.
callisays:
April 29, 2022 at 2:00 pm
“White”, if we’re referring to colour, isn’t a single colour at all. It’s a mixture of all of them.
Which means it’s the most diverse and inclusive of all.
52 Types of White Color – Simplicable
What Are The 7 Colors of The Rainbow in Order?
The white light that emits from the sun can be broken down into the 7 colors of the rainbow in order:
Violet
Indigo
Blue
Green
Yellow
Orange
Red
mole at 1:13
Mmmyes.
None of them looked like Bobby Sands.
In an election season interview with The Australian, the Greens foreign policy spokesman said that China did not pose a threat to Australia, said concern about the Solomons-China agreement was “paternalistic and actually racist”, and said the future of Taiwan was not a direct concern for Australia.
link: Picture of “i cant believe I fell into a position for life ” John in the days his flippers worked.
link: Not a racist.
Link: Yup, not a concern….
Kneel:
Nah. They be Preppers – They still not starving after month of no tucker, bloke.
Unless we eat ’em first.
“Old traditions are good traditions.”
rugbyskier at 1:47 -Yep. Did 6 weeks as a guest of the NHS in Manchester circa 1990 with Guillain Barre syndrome and walked out without seeing a single invoice for payment.
Why RBA may wait until June
The more time the RBA gives households to adjust to higher rates, the more time wages growth has to offset the impact of the reduced purchasing power.
The smartest Reserve Bank of Australia watchers I know think the bank will either raise rates by 15 basis points in May or go 40 basis points in June. Both are torn on the probabilities, with the historically more accurate of the two leaning slightly towards June. Rates will rise, it is now just a timing question.
Ahead of its June meeting, the RBA will receive two significant data releases on wages and labour costs, which will furnish important new insights on the sustainability of the current inflation pulse.
The RBA will receive the first-quarter wage price index in mid-May and then the GDP measures of wages and labour unit costs immediately before its June meeting. With this in mind, Lowe explicitly referenced the need to wait multiple “months” for the arrival of this data in his statement after the April meeting: “Over coming months, important additional evidence will be available to the board on both inflation and the evolution of labour costs,” Lowe advised. “The board will assess this and other incoming information as its sets policy to support full employment in Australia and inflation outcomes consistent with the target.”
The RBA has received one tranche of data (the inflation results) but nothing yet on wages or labour costs. And while the core inflation data was strong, it was not necessarily black and white.
The RBA’s preferred measure, the trimmed mean, printed at 1.4 per cent in the March quarter, besting consensus expectations of a 1.2 per cent outcome. Yet another significant metric, the weighted median, was weaker at only 1 per cent, underperforming consensus.
Recent inflation prints have clearly been boosted by supply-side factors, government policy changes and, more generally, increases in the cost of imported items. As Goldman Sachs noted, domestic market services inflation, which correlates more with wages, was relatively benign, rising only 0.5 per cent in the quarter and 2.5 per cent over the past 12 months.
Already on the up
A final piece of this puzzle is that actual real-world interest rates have already begun climbing sharply. Three-year fixed-rate borrowing costs have increased enormously from less than 2 per cent only 12 months ago to 4.5 per cent.
House price falls will accelerate as the RBA raises rates. And banks will continue to pass on their own independent hikes – as they have done with fixed-rate loans recently and will not hesitate to do with their variable rate products as profits are pressed.
Housing market
To be clear, the RBA has no desire to aggressively jack up rates only to push the economy into recession. For the first time in a decade, it has sighted decent inflation and wage growth, and its entire mission is focused on ensuring that prices and incomes expand sustainably.
The RBA also knows that with the household debt-to-income ratio at record highs, Australians have never been more sensitive to rate changes. It has historically got housing market reactions to its policy changes horribly wrong (being consistently surprised on the upside and downside).
There is little chance of the RBA raising rates aggressively if house prices are falling sharply. The RBA will further account for the banks’ independent rate hikes when setting its cash rate: the more the banks do, the less the RBA will do.
Having rewatched Zulu (1964) Full Movie – English last night
Fascinating to read
Rorke’s Drift – Private Hitch’s Story
by Richard Rhys Jones
Eleven Victoria Crosses were awarded for the defence of Rorke’s Drift in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, the most VCs for any action in the history of the British Army. Private Frederick Hitch was one of the 11 defenders rewarded for his bravery. Richard Rhys Jones’ account of the engagement is told in the form of a memoir by Private Hitch…
Old Ozzie:
Remember the Emergency Powers legislation? Supposed to enable a government to continue during an emergency? Then it turned out the emergency could be defined as Nuclear Armageddon, or even a flu season. And the bastards went to town on it.
Now have a look at the new Victorian Biosecurity Laws which are about to be passed:
Sounds like they are getting their ducks lined up, ready to be deployed to shut down farms.”
Looks to me like an inspector will be able to walk onto your property with a copper in tow, start shooting your cattle and burning your crops, while setting fire to your machinery and hay sheds. And the copper will arrest you if you complain.
You watch – there will be an outbreak of Hoof & Mouth Disease in Victoria within 12 months to justify the destruction of your farm, and it will be backed up by ‘evidence’ supplied by a government body.
Solved, the riddle of the Rorke’s Drift medal: Researchers confirm Victoria Cross bought by Sir Stanley Baker after he played its recipient in film Zulu IS genuine – after it was dismissed as fake
Sir Stanley Baker wore Lieutenant Chard’s medals while filming the movie Zulu
He bought the medals at auction for £2,700 only to be told they were ‘cast copy’
New research confirms the 1990s evaluation that the medal was the real deal
Rorke’s Drift – VC Winners
“duncanmsays:
April 29, 2022 at 1:02 pm
Cassie of Sydneysays:
April 28, 2022 at 9:51 pm
“I am told this morning that Apple and Google will remove Twitter from the App Store if it does not moderate and remove hate speech under @ElonMusk.”
This reeks of desperation. They did this with Parler. But Musk is a different kettle of fish and I don’t think he’ll take any of these threats from progressive scum lying down.
yup – it ‘aint going to work with musk.
He’s a vertical integrator – just look at what he’s had to do with Tesla and the gigafactories.
Pop it on F-droid, chuck them some money, and he’s done.”
I suspect the activists know that they’ve been and are being outwitted, hence the threats to shut Twitter down. I find such a thought highly amusing because of the left’s dependence on Twitter. What will they do in the interim? Will they move to Gab or Gettr or heaven forbid…Trump’s new site “Truth”, all sites that they’ve smeared as “far-right” etc.. Oh I’m laughing. They love to talk about “inclusiveness” but they never practice it and they’re now well and truly exposed for being the totalitarian thugs that they are.
Given Twitter’s market share and Musk’s profile, I doubt that Apple and Google will do what they did with Parler. I might be wrong but I have a feeling that the tide is turning and it took a tidal wave by Musk to do it.
If PM Soggybottom heard about AUKUS he would’ve been straight on the phone to Beijing!!
The DVD on pre order 2000 Mules.
$25 for the DVD $65 for delivery from the US!
Piss off – I don’t pay gouge money any more.
very funny tweet of a pic of a poster stuck to fence…
VOTE RICK ASTLEY
HE WILL NEVER
-give you up,
-let you down,
-run around,
-desert you,
-make you cry,
-say goodbye,
-tell a lie, or,
-hurt you
😛 😛 😛
Authorised Officers no longer required to present identification.
No possibility of this being misused.
None at all.
Visiting Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift was one of those experiences – the niece of the King of Zululand worked in the gift shop at Rorke’s Drift.
Winston Smithsays:
April 29, 2022 at 3:08 pm
The DVD on pre order 2000 Mules.
$25 for the DVD $65 for delivery from the US!
Piss off – I don’t pay gouge money any more.
Amazon has 2,000 Mules Hardcover – October 4, 2022 by Dinesh D’Souza (Author)
AUD 39.06
List Price: AUD 43.40
Save: AUD 4.34 (10%)
No Import Fees Deposit & AUD 17.13 Shipping to Australia Details
Sales taxes may apply at checkout
AUD 17.13 delivery
Pre-order Price Guarantee. Details
At last, bestselling author Dinesh D’Souza exposes the powerful evidence of voting fraud that you were told didn’t exist. Also, a major motion picture documentary.
I would assume they will have DVD when it becomes available
Elon on the political spectrum.
The Musk Meister wants to buy Coca Cola to put the cocaine back in it.
Damn.
It’s not for realz!
Cancel Culture’s anti-white crusade risks canceling Western civilization altogether
Rather than belabor America’s turbulent history, while vilifying just one race, the United States needs to find a way to turn the corner on this cancel culture madness that exists as a malignant cancer on the body politic.
Liberal indoctrination in the United States has gotten so out of control that math textbooks, based on the work of some dead white men, among others, are no longer safe from the virtue-signaling Inquisition. Let’s be clear: no society can survive such insanity for long.
As difficult as it is to fathom, in the span of a single generation the patron saints of Western civilization – towering historic figures like Shakespeare, Washington, Voltaire and Copernicus – have been systematically dispatched to the local garbage dump primarily due to their hideous whiteness.
Indeed, the pale-faced tribe of ‘Caucasians’, to employ a more outdated racial categorization, has become so offensive to liberal sensitivities that with each passing year the mainstream media reports, with thinly disguised delight, the latest precipitous decline among the White population.
The replies to Musk’s tweet are hilarious.
A window into leftie obsessions.
fascism on steroids
fascism with chinese characteristics is the best governance system ever devised
upward of 80%
They will if the don’t want to get smacked in the chops.
Chronic shortages of a few items now will evolve into chronic shortages of hundreds of products later in 2022
The next time you go to the pet store don’t be surprised to see some empty shelves.
Many pet stores are facing a shortage on canned pet food.
Right now, there just aren’t enough cheap sources of chicken and turkey due to the bird flu pandemic, there is an ongoing shortage of aluminum, and there is a shortage of factory workers.
So the canned pet food shortage is not likely to be fixed any time soon.
Another shortage that is going to affect much of the country as we head into the summer months is the growing chlorine shortage.
I find it ironic that the nationwide chlorine shortage could be extended thanks to the nationwide construction material shortage.
But at least we can be glad that things are not as bad here as they are in Europe.
Over there, widespread rationing of certain products has already begun. For example, it was just announced that Tesco is now limiting each customer to three bottles of cooking oil…
When U.S. Senator Roger Marshall was recently asked about this, he openly admitted that a “worldwide famine” is definitely going to happen…
Prior to 2022, can you ever remember a time when a sitting member of the U.S. Senate publicly warned us that a “worldwide famine” was coming?
Meanwhile in Australia
Construction chaos as tradies go broke dealing with the soaring cost of building materials – amid warning that Australia could run out of timber in EIGHT weeks
I certainly don’t trust the Victorian government not to abuse it.
Terrible so so terrible too that there soon would be a Twitter Ads server and a Twitter App Store.
Interesting
Twitter was just telling me Americans have more pet dogs than they do children.
current bird flu outbreak in the US 33 million culled. 2014 outbreak 50 million culled.
Lady was walking her dog, pitbull comes out attacks the dog and her. She reports it the cops who will not do anything because they are lazy shits and the attack dog owners denied it. The cops had the temerity to ask the lady if she videoed it on her phone. I know the dog is going to get baited and the owners car is being targeted.
Zipster:
ZK2A:
TheFrollickingMoll:
Eyrie:
I was sorta joking but not really, when I wrote this this morning. But looking back on the history of what happened in Chile, this was the sort of rot that had settled into the nation and had required drastic sorting out.
The problem is – like the two year old sticking knives into power sockets – they won’t be told there are consequences to their stupidity.
It’s a bit late to reconsider when you’re 8,000 meters above the South Pacific with no visible means of support.
Sorry if this article from the Oz has already been posted and discussed.
Be interesting if Elon sets up a Twitter internet search engine. At the moment big infrastructure companies like Cloudflare refuse web spiders from anyone other than Bing and Goolag. But Twitter backed by the might of SpaceX/Starlink could force open that duopoly.
At the moment both Bing and Goolag censor sites they don’t like and Brave Search which piggybacks on Bing doesn’t show those results. Not much they can do about it while the big boys are in charge.
‘An oasis in the desert’: Why the NDIS is a mess
It’s touted as a world-leading reform but exploding costs and limited evidence it is achieving key employment and early intervention goals, raises questions about the sustainability of the NDIS.
Tom Burton
Government editor
The one thing that advocates and critics of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) have in common is they agree it is a mess. A mess awaiting whichever major party wins government on May 21.
It was probably always going to be a difficult transition to establish a national support program for the half a million people in Australia with significant disabilities.
Before the scheme won historic bi-partisan support in 2013, disabled people and their carers faced a system the Productivity Commission had described in 2011 as “underfunded, unfair, fragmented, and inefficient”.
The system was heavily reliant on informal care by families. Multiple programs were spread across federal, state and local governments and community groups, which the Commission said gave people with a disability “little choice and no certainty of access to appropriate supports”.
Noting that most families and individuals could not adequately prepare for the risk and financial impact of significant disability, all major political parties accepted the Commission’s core recommendation that the costs of lifetime care are so substantial that the risks and costs needed to be pooled into a national insurance scheme.
Intense lobbying from the politically powerful disability sector saw bipartisan support emerge for a universal scheme of uncapped, individually designed support plans, based on what is considered “reasonable and necessary” needs.
Despite the scheme being open-ended and demand driven, both major parties endorsed the Productivity Commission’s “bottom line finding” that the “benefits of the NDIS would significantly exceed the additional costs of the scheme”.
The Commission said these benefits arose from many sources: “wellbeing gains to people with disabilities and informal carers; efficiency gains in the disability sector; savings to other government services; increased participation, and the resulting fiscal gains.”
“The NDIS would only have to produce an annual gain of $3800 per participant to meet a cost-benefit test,“the Commission predicted in its landmark 2011 report.
“Given the scope of the benefits, that test would be passed easily.”
The National Disability Insurance Scheme was born, co-funded by federal and state governments with an estimated gross cost of $22 billion a year, covering 481,000 people once fully operational and adjusted for population growth. The size of the scheme was based on a 2009 Australian Bureau of Statistics analysis of the number of people with significant disabilities.
The Commission concluded the net cost when fully matured in 2050 would be a modest $4.4 billion.
Over 10pc of all federal payments
Things have not turned out as predicted.
There are now over 500,000 in the scheme, but with the latest NDIS actuarial forecast for the scheme predicting there will be around 860,000 participants by 2030. The scheme currently is costing $31 billion but with the NDIS now predicting the scheme to rise to an eye-watering $59.3 billion per annum by the end of the decade.
Coupled with disability pension, financial support for carers and payments to the states, federal assistance to people with disabilities is predicted to be $68 billion this coming budget year, more than 10 per cent of all federal payments.
The oasis in the desert
“What was envisaged was that the last person to get into the NDIS would only get a little bit more than the first person that misses out. This would have been equitable and also provided a stable foundation for the NDIS.”
“Who wouldn’t fight to get in? Which parent with a child who is experiencing developmental delay or has some autistic tendencies, who wouldn’t try and get their kid in?
“What you see … is that if you get in, the chances are you’ll get something like $15,000, but if you miss out, you get nothing.
“One is in the oasis and the other, desert.”
‘A big bus full of money’
Disability lottery
Of the half a million participants, Bonyhady said nearly 290,000 are receiving benefits for the first time.
“So that tells you a lot about how underfunded and how much of a lottery, the pre-NDIS system was. So, the need for the scheme is indisputable.”
Early intervention not working
A key premise of the NDIS is that early intervention and investment would lead to a reduction in a participants future disability need for support.
But Taylor Fry found there is no data to show this is occurring.
Work participation stalled
But for older people in the scheme, participation has gone backwards with the percentage in work for participants aged 25 and over having decreased for most durations in the program by 1 to 3 percentage points.
Anger as NDIS begins to cut
The strident push back from the voluble sector saw the government drop the idea, leaving relations between the sector and the National Disability Insurance Agency (the operators of the scheme) at a low.
Quasi-market failure
“One of the things that’s really missing from the NDIS currently is that lack of transparent, clear quality indicators that people can use to determine who’s good and who’s not.”
Children a key driver of costs
It is the surging costs of support for children that is the key driver of the costs of the insurance scheme up.
Two thirds of the new costs from the predicted 60,000 new annual entrants are coming from children with autism or developmental delays, according to the annual sustainability report produced by the scheme actuary.
Maybe the AEC can explain what they’ve done to stop those 18,000 people voting multiple times in this election. Can I call them the 18,000 Mules or would that infringe copyright?
Thinking about trolling?
I wonder if Ron DeSantis would revoke the copyright terms for the Disney/Warner characters in Florida?
Or is it a nationwide issue?
I thought a culture was something that belonged to a culture not a corporation?
No one owns Bach or Beethoven, so how about a reasonable time limit for these creations?
Doesn’t sound much.
But if that naughty 0.03% votes, say, 8-10 times – suddenly you’re talking about the margin of the seat of Macquarie.
But, hey, whatevs.
Near enough is good enough for government work.
They really can’t help themselves. Sour Ferguson the new host of what is an unwatchable program.
Two thirds of the new costs from the predicted 60,000 new annual entrants are coming from children with autism or developmental delays, according to the annual sustainability report produced by the scheme actuary.
Why is autism ( other than extremely severe cases) & whatever “developmental delays” embraces covered by NDIS? .. my understanding of the original scheme was financial/home assistance for folk with permanent, incapacitating disabilities requiring lotza paid care/specialized equipment ect! .. not kids who for whatever reason aren’t keeping up with their peers …
Getting like the rorters just applying is close to getting aboard .. I do a fair bit of swimming at the local pool(s) and the Council (which charges OAPs) lets rorters in free 7 days a week .. quite amazing to see folk who, apparently, are incapable of any kind of work having no problems swimming 50 metre lengths .. reality is if you can swim 50 mts unaided you shouldn’t be qualified for the rorters … FFS!
Sour Ferguson was the scumbag who ran two segments on Trump’s Wussian collusion and since then no apology.
At last! Finally, the first indigenous female wins a national award for Poetry.
https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/f048f91a735979030ebb7c7fd6462dcb
Sounds like Pauline is right over the target.
Very interesting tactical question:
What the Hell is Going On in Russia? (Vodkapundit, 28 Apr)
The chemical plant is particularly interesting since I read elsewhere that it produced a range of specialty solvents and additives that are used in military applications for which there’s no other Russian supplier. Which suggests it might be a particularly high value target. But if it’s the Ukrainians doing this stuff…how are they doing it? Somehow they’ve developed a capability to hit targets like this quite deep in Russia. Sabotage SAS style? Long range drones? I have no idea.
In Belarus there was a widely reported campaign of sabotaging the railway signals system to slow and disrupt the transport of Russian Army units, but that seemed to be a Belarus opposition effort. The sabotage in Russia is much more that taking a sledgehammer to a box of railway signals electronics.
Poland Pushing the World toward World War III
QUESTION: I don’t get it, Poland won’t pay for gas in rubles, when I buy something from the US I have to pay in US dollars not Canadian, so what am I missing?
ANSWER:
Politics! Minister of Climate and Environment, Anna Moskwa clearly has zero comprehension of geopolitics. She has come out and said that the European Union should penalize countries that use roubles to pay for Russian gas. In response to Moscow’s decision to cut off supplies to Poland and Bulgaria over their refusal to do so. Moskwa has come out and said: “Poland holds necessary gas reserves and sources of supply which protect our security because for years we have been becoming effectively independent of Russia. Our storage facilities are full at 76%. Polish households will not run short of gas.” This is what she said during a press conference held on April 26th, 2022 at the Ministry of Climate and Environment.
The absurdity of her statements is beyond belief. To think that refusing to buy Russian energy will bring Putin to his knees pleading for mercy is just absurd.
She makes no criticism of Ukraine and its notorious corruption of the fact that it is being reported that Zelensky has stashed over $800 million in offshore accounts while demanding $7 billion per month in aid. Even the IMF cut off Ukraine because it is so corrupt. You cannot do business in Ukraine – period! There is NOTHING that Zelensky says which can be verified independently and he will say whatever to keep the money pouring in.
Why do I get the feeling the authorities are trying to start a panic?
Are they really that concerned about upcoming elections?
Why yes. Yes, they are!
But here’s the amazing part – all the shortages have happened due to government action.
Show me a shortage, and I will show you government intervention that has created it.
hang on a sec, “social media investigate”, er who made social media arbiters of truth?
Because the video took the piss out of that pair of imbeciles, Wendy Pong and Albanselazey – and yes, there won’t be any of that, when you’re an incompetent humourless bureaucratic busybody.
From the Hun.
Jordan Peterson Q&A At The University Of Cambridge (Lady Mitchell Hall)
I have never been more disturbed by Penny Wongs package….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iN5-RgDlyc
“Zulu Kilo Two Alphasays:
April 29, 2022 at 5:01 pm”
Unbelievable. This will end up in the High Court.
“ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum dismissed an application for a permanent or temporary stay made by lawyers for Bruce Lehrmann.
Ms McCallum also dismissed an application for a take-down order made by the defence, which would have forced media organisations to remove previous articles written about the case”
So this man is denied due process?
the pinnacle of wymisis lib
Any of the bush lawyers here know whether there will be a jury, or “judge only?”
“Any of the bush lawyers here know whether there will be a jury, or “judge only?””
It’s jury. He’s totally stuffed. It’s another Pell.
this lucy
New ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum wants to open conversation on ‘building communities, not prisons’
if only we had communities all our troubles would fly away
Shatterzzz – We already used to pay for them historically when we had mental hospitals. We no longer have mental hospitals, but we still have mentally ill people. Autism is a mental illness. I saw this article recently:
Many women with autism and ADHD aren’t diagnosed until adulthood. What to do if you think you’re one of them (22 Apr)
I know of a lady like this: she was affected in late teenage years, like a switch had been turned on in her brain (or off). Now on NDIS as she really can’t function well, not able to hold down a job. Lizzie’s son is similar, although male autism has different traits compared with female autism.
Temple Grandin is a famous autistic lady with an extraordinary talent. Not exactly sane though, and life for her would be very difficult.
grotesque clowns engaged in a pantomime with live weapons
Well she is the one who wears the pants in her marriage.
Um…the contract would have specified the currency payments were to be made in, which wasn’t rubles.
I’m sure that’s a discussion Mr. Lerhmann’s barrister will want to engage in should his client be found guilty.
AEC data reveals the rate of voting multiple times during the 2019 federal election was estimated to be at 0.03 per cent.
Key word “estimated”. They don’t know.
And even if 0.03% is anywhere near right, that’s about 4,500 bogus votes nationwide – enough to swing at least four seats if it’s done strategically in the most marginal seats.
Is it anywhere near right? Doesn’t look like it.
Bruce of Newcastlesays:
April 29, 2022 at 4:22 pm
How much of Biden’s $43 Billion will end up in the hands of the Ukraine Mafia, Zhelensky and maaaates and the myriad CIA affiliated operatives running around Ukraine and Eastern Europe?
THIS is the real purpose of supporting Ukraine – to get that Treasury spigot open, wide.
The right immigrants are great. I received this through WhatsApp
GreyRangasays:
April 29, 2022 at 4:03 pm
GreyRanga, I was told a few ways of getting even by some veterans once. Most were of the Rwanda to East Timor era and not old. Unfortunately Townsville has some rough edges, more so than other places.
They reckon wait a few months till the dust settles otherwise cops will be on your doorstep. Also use hoodies, gloves & pad out clothing be unrecognisable. Make use of dark greenzones for avenues of approach and alternate routes to exit the area as apparently private CCV footage is used a lot and larger amounts of homes have cameras these days.
KD brought up the old man with the .22 pistol this morning that got a fine. I had been following on DM for a couple of days and laughed at the now shot scumbag feigning PTSD to the beak. I guess the old dude had been to the cops a dozen times and got nowhere till the crim thought he could threaten shooting the old guy who out of options just acted. This morning another home invasion in Brisbane by usual suspects. Sooner or later with limp police/judicial action people will sort things out themselves.
The rubles thing is fun. The ruble exchange rate has appreciated 100% in a month, from 0.7 US cents to 1.4 US cents. Might have something to do with oily gassy stuff, which Russia sells lots of, and that the war hasn’t apparently ended the world, at least not yet, seeing that markets only are interested in the short term outlook.
The appreciation of the ruble is the problem. Vlad now is getting half the local revenue from his oil and gas than he was in March, in the currency he has to pay his armament industry with. Resupplying all those T-80s is costly. And he’s got half the money to pay for it all than he did a month ago.
I can see why he wants the contracts in rubles. That way the cost of ruble appreciation is borne by the customer, not him.
Fester
Stop talking about FX. Russian Rubble isn’t tradable and the exchange rate can therefore be set at any level Putin sees fit. The Rubble has been set higher to screw the shit out of the European energy importers who aren’t able to substitute.
If China or anyone else not beholden to the Russians buys energy, they may even accept the current “set” level of the Rubble, but make purchases at massive discounts. Stop posting nonsense. There’s no appreciation of the Rubble as the market doesn’t determine the value. The Kremlin does.
Not for Vlad.
No wonder he was fidgetty at the Easter service.
Oh, relief!
After ten days of almost noticeable discomfort, I am recovered from the dreaded covid.
That was the weirdest cold I’ve ever had, all back to front, starting with lethargy, then cough and mucus overload, headache, sore throat and finally, body aches. And, on the scale of ‘One to Ten’, not one of these symptoms scored above a three – apart from the post-nasal drip (to put it politely) which, if harvested, could revolutionise industrial lubrication* agents.
*Sorry, that’s gross! It’s my post-nasal drippy stuff getting the better of me.
And even if 0.03% is anywhere near right, that’s about 4,500 bogus votes nationwide – enough to swing at least four seats if it’s done strategically in the most marginal seats.
You’re making the assumptions that the multiple voters only voted twice
and that it was organised.
The problem there is that if it was organised then why not cast 25 or 50 extra votes?
I suspect it’s actually all going to the UKR armed forces since the Ukrainian mafia rather dislike being displaced from their territories by the Russian mafia. And don’t want to retire by the usual double-tap procedure.
Existential threats do so focus hearts, minds and gonads onto the essentials.
Numerous oligarchs lately have carked it in mysterious ways, often along with their families. I suspect the Ukrainian oligarchs are exquisitely aware of this strange phenomenon.
Here are all the Russian oligarchs who’ve died under strange circumstances this year (26 Apr)
No kidding, the biggest fakenews bullshit I’ve seen in a while is the current price of the Rubble. The Kremlin actually thinks they are putting out this fake bullshit and people will believe it? FMD.
Historically, they’re actually going back to the old Soviet ways. The Rubble then was fixed at a massively overvalued exchange rate.
Pomgolians: What happens when you let weirdoes infest your public spaces.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-10762815/NHS-urged-use-terms-chestfeeding-frontal-birth-instead-breastfeeding-vaginal-birth.html
Its real- and its beautiful you BIGOT!!!
Link to actual paper.
https://dxfy8lrzbpywr.cloudfront.net/Files/97ecdaea-833d-4ea5-a891-c59f0ea429fb/ITEMS%2520report%2520final.pdf
Some highlights from the glossary
Breast/ Chest/Infant Feeding: Inclusive terminology referring to nursing a child. Traditional
terminology may induce dysphoria or discomfort for trans and
non-binary parents.
…
Disabled People: Within the social model of disability, the focus is not on the
impairment, disability or long-term condition, but instead on the
way society excludes people who have impairments like mobility
issues, mental health conditions or sensory impairments. As
such, the social model says disabled people are disabled by
society
(See im not deaf, society is to blame)
…..
Frontal/Lower/Vaginal: Some trans men and non-binary people feel discomfort talking
about having a vagina, and so instead opt to use terms like
frontal birth instead of vaginal birth.
…
Apparently this is true. After all its been written up to inform medical procedures, so they would check any inaccuracy.
“I ended up having a post-partum haemorrhage. I lost like almost 12 litres of
blood and had to have transfusions. I was passing out from losing so much
blood because they had essentially left a little bit of the placenta in my uterus
somewhere and when it dislodged it just you know created a hole for it to bleed.
But that whole experience was very violent and very harmful, and quite
traumatizing because uhh first of all it was all gend…. There is no
consideration for any gender identity outside of woman because it was
somebody that gave birth, it was quite stressful and I was in quite a lot of pain
and was just trying to get a bit more empathy and support than what I was
being offered…”
….
Alex intentionally accessed the fewest possible services, as they were uncomfortable with
the highly gendered nature of perinatal care. They felt that their queerness and sexuality
were not recognised or taken into account. They did attend one half-day antenatal class,
and found the experience to be highly gendered. Couples were split into mums and dads,
something which didn’t fit with their family.
…
“The interaction I remember the most was when the midwife came to check my
stitches on like day 5 probably, they weighed the baby, checked my stitches…
that just felt really horrendously invasive. I don’t know if that was made worse
by the gender stuff, I feel like that would be felt pretty invasive anyway but it
definitely didn’t help.
If I had known that this was a trans-friendly midwife that was aware of my
identity and was aware of my feelings about my body in that situation would it
have been more comfortable for me? Would that have been less traumatizing
for me? And the answer is definitely yes so then obviously gender does come
into it.”
…
Their ‘case study”..
Cam (they/them) is a Black Caribbean non-binary
transmasculine person going through their
second pregnancy. They hid their gender during
their first pregnancy five years ago, as previous
experiences of medical racism and transphobia
meant they were afraid that asserting their
identity could lead to being seen as ‘difficult’ and
further compromise their care.
However, this was a very distressing
experience and they don’t want to
conceal their gender again, so they
are reluctant to access care during
their pregnancy this time.
I want off mr Bones wild ride.
The interlocutory application had almost no chance of succeeding. Judges are very reluctant to stop matters proceeding to full trial. WA Cats will be aware of the Lloyd Rayney trial which proceeded to a Supreme Court trial in front of a NT judge alone after he was charged with the murder of his wife, a WA Supreme Court Registrar and reported on the front page of Teh Worst.
If there was anyone worth voting for, I might vote for them eleven times too. It’s not as if there’s any effective penalty.
Wow, just wow. Another Indian female hates whitey.
https://citizenfreepress.com/breaking/john-kennedy-catches-biden-nominee-in-massive-lie-about-police/
and
What nonsense. And, how much longer are employers going to fall for the emotional blackmail that claims that denying certain people paid leave is a death sentence.
Not long ago, we were being told that employees should get bereavement leave if a pet died. Already, if you say that you are a ‘victim’ of domestic violence you get extra leave in some workplaces. Now this.
Unions must really be running out of significant things to do.
That would be Mr Rayney who wrote the “How to prosecute someone” manual for WAPOL then opted for a judge alone trial in which he showed not all proper procedures were followed, subsequently being found not guilty owing to evidentiary problems.
I have opinions on this chap.
If you’re pregnant you’re female. No amount of baggy clothing and chemically induced whiskers changes that.
The only thing in hiding is intelligence.
Peak stupidity, anyone?
True,JC. But even in the dying days of the Soviet Union, Gazprom didn’t attempt to break international protocols & demand payment in rubles.
Wasnt the old pegging of the rubble in the USSR days a way of increasing their foreign reserves?
I seem to recall currency had to be exchanged on entry to the USSR?
Mole
You would theoretically increase reserves when a currency is in a fixed status like the old soviet Rubble by being undervalued. The old Soviet didn’t give a shit because they imported very little from the free world. They set the rate very high so as to show, like they were a reary, reary big power. The old Sov hardly imported anything.
The Kremlin dickheads are sort of pulling the same stunt but with a twist. They want the Euro countries beholden to them to pay in Rubbles so they are doubly fucked … both through the exchange rate and the higher prices. They also want to make the world believe the sanctions are no great shakes. No really.
Cali, I’d be more concerned about the unknown effects of pharmaceutical hormones side effects with the natural ones the body secretes. Especially on the child of an expectant mother.
As usual it will be 20-40 years down the road and a bunch of broken lives before someone admits in the end it wasn’t a good idea.
I suspect you are not alone. It does however serve to illustrate the amount of pretrial publicity a court will allow and still permit a matter to proceed to trial.
Mole
Pegging is actually the wrong term. The right term is fixed or at least when I was growing up 🙂
Pegging means there is ex-changeability by the pegging conversion rate. The Honki dollar was pegged to the US. Dunno about now. It meant that you could exchange Honki for US Dollars at any time at the pegged rate and no questions asked as there were no exchange controls preventing convertibility. There were a few complexities but that was about it.
Very little, we’d best hope.
The US is our security guarantor. After Vietnam & Afghanistan, losing this war – when they’ve now (foolishly) gone all in to make it about crippling Russia’s military capability – would surely be the last nail in the coffin of imperial USA.
The photo of the accused has been published – that used to be a no-no.
Bruce: that’s not quite the way it works. Under the Poot’s decree:
1) The gas buyer calculates its USD/EUR obligation under the contract and transmits that amount in USD/EUR to Gazprombank;
2) which then converts to roubles on the ‘open market’ and makes the payment to the producer.
So, no additional currency risk for the buyer.
The problems for the buyer are:
• The buyer’s contractual payment obligation is not met until Gazprombank pays the producer – which is a significant commercial risk at present – exposing the buyer to payment deficiency penalty/default claims.
• Deemed contravention of the EU sanctions, and possible consequences;
• Commercial uncertainty; having accepted one fiat contract change, which one is next?
A horse called Love Potion won a race somewhere today. It wasn’t number 9.
Veterans turn their backs on The Governor General’s convoy in Canberra
Aussie Cossack
I very much doubt that is real cash moving across borders as in the US government filling up the coffers of the Uke government’s bank account.
I bet nearly all that “money” isn’t money at all and in fact very likely US propaganda by valuing material being sent to Uke at sky high prices. I suspect it’s also being doing to frighten the Russians about the resources being offered to Uke.
Peak stupidity, anyone?
Meet ‘Cam’ (on the right) a fictional ‘Black Caribbean non-binary transmasculine person going through their second pregnancy’ that the LGBT Foundation have used as an example of they way maternity services in Britain could be improved for pregnant trans people
I think the marxist assault on the west, which began in earnest in the 60s, is moving into what they believe is the coup de grace. I’m sure it’s discussed in many uni faculty common rooms from North Ryde to Morningside Heights.
You know that horrid Schott woman, the Trumble groupie, she’s nearly 80. What is it these loathsome geriatrics? Had never heard of her until the Trumble debacle but seems to have been a bit of a figure in the London feminist man hating scene in the 80s.
If identity is an issue at trial this is the sort of thing that will get judges excited – not mere political argy bargy and point scoring. I don’t think anyone is arguing they’ve got the wrong guy.
Schott, K. A Theory of Inequality and Taxation. Fem Rev 13, 97–98 (1983).
Is the Big Guy collecting his tithe on this lot?
So they made everyfink?
How did that work out?
That’s -1.4%
Also
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/yen-historic-fall-signals-rewrite-074224479.html
The financial world gets a little uglier by the day.
Delta A:
Nah. Not gross.
On a scale of 1 – 10 it barely registers a 2.
But that post nasal drip?
You know that you give babies some burping medicine to help them get the air out of their bellies? I’ve forgotten what it’s called, but it has sodium bicarbonate in it. Soda Bic works by reducing the surface tension of biofilms. It’s good for suds clog in your washing machine if you’ve got that problem.
But best of all, put a pinch between your fingers or the “anatomical snuff box” and have a sniff of a small amount. Make sure you have tissues or a bucket handy, because that lubricant biofilm will turn to water and pour out of your nose.
Postendoftheworldtip – pneumonia with excess mucous production can be a killer. If you have a ventolin mask and a nebuliser, a tiny amount of soda bicarb in water in the solution bowl will help mobilise those secretions and get the crap out of your lungs.
Not meant to be medical advice if you’re sick – see your doc if problems persist.
U.S. Economy Shrank in First Quarter
The U.S. economy shrank at a 1.4% annual rate in the first quarter, the Commerce Department said Thursday, its first contraction since early in the pandemic.
all going to plan and I’m sure it will only be people of modest means who suffer (that’s part of the plan too)
Stop it. 🙂
As I recounted at Sinc’s, the friendly mutt owned by a woman who used to do gardening for me got savaged in the street by an unleashed potential killer of the usual mix of breeds. The poor thing recovered from the wounds, but for months and months was a cowering, terrified wreck.
She was too scared to report it because the dog belonged to the local ice dealer, and he knew her and where she lived in the same public housing complex.
Even if she had reported it, history is not very promising in terms of getting a result. Local governments are absolutely gutless about dog control until something gets into the media.
Ranga
That breed should be outlawed. Pitbulls are absolute freaking maniacs and simply cannot be trusted.
Maybe I’m wrong as I’m just relying on memory, but recalling back when I was a kid, dogs were far more aggressive than they are now. You walked past someone’s home with the gate open. If there was a dog, invariably it would be trying to attack you. I suspect, the popular breeds being bred these days are much docile. Our lunatic, wants to just attack other dogs and leaves humans alone.
The scumbag biden’s appointment to head his new ministry of truth, nina jankowicz is literally the kunt from hell, possibly trans and totally nuts. That her dept is in the DHS, the most aggressive fascists in biden’s swamp and the best armed adds further weight to my position there will be no mid-terms and Elon better have a spare rocket fuelled up ready for an escape. The rest of us are fucked. These people are complete bastards.
JC.
Back in those days most dogs would have been “intact”.
Having your nuts chopped off tends to modulate behaviour.
Or so I’ve heard.
Local governments are absolutely gutless about dog control until something gets into the media.
Yep, fucking dog owners get to inflict their animals on everyone without hindrance. If you aren’t prepared to keep it inside at night, don’t own it. If nobody is home all day, don’t own it.
That breed should be outlawed. Pitbulls are absolute freaking maniacs and simply cannot be trusted.
Poodles.
No decent person owns a poodle, that’s why they’re very popular in France.
The French toy poodle looks like a rat with a wig.
Bastards, all of them.
Shouldn’t be any trouble finding a dozen people in the ACT who’ve never heard of Brittany or what “happened” to her!
I mean, no-one watches TV or reads newspapers in Canberra do they?
Oh Yea. But you know, ours had his nuts cut off and he’s aggressive as anything, while on a leash, toward other dogs.
Growing up we’d avoid certain streets because of rabid dogs.
Bruce of N
Numerous oligarchs lately have carked it in mysterious ways, often along with their families. I suspect the Ukrainian oligarchs are exquisitely aware of this strange phenomenon.
Here are all the Russian oligarchs who’ve died under strange circumstances this year (26 Apr)
So, to add to Arkancide, we now have Moskvacide?
Anyone else from Perth noticed all the new Tesla’s on the road?…
“The photo of the accused has been published – that used to be a no-no.”
Yep. Regardless, his life is destroyed. Even if he’s found not guilty he’ll never ever recover from this. I doubt he has the strength of faith that someone like George Pell was able to muster during his incarceration.
Sky news musta had somebody call in sick at the last minute.
They put Jenna Clarke to air, presumably without notice, coz she was clad in a dressing gown & had her hair pinned back. She only just had time to get the curlers out of her hair.
Really Romania?
Dot, Cohenite,
This one surprised me. Probably coals to Newcastle for you.
Blood flow restriction enhances hypertrophy.
This one confuses me:
A protein to enhance hypertrophy can also cause muscle wasting.
It is an inflammatory mediator. I might try and dig into this one and try to understand what is going on. Inflammation is necessary for growth but the timing is critical, it needs to be short and not too high.
I mean, no-one watches TV or reads newspapers in Canberra do they?
Some old people still read newspapers and watch the Evening News.
But, not many.
You know, Mercedes Benz has said that by 2030, their entire range will be electric. What if it doesn’t work out well?
Get a load of this.
https://tinyurl.com/4t66abb9
There weren’t enough wimminses on the jury..
ZK2A:
Interesting plea.
How can he prove a negative?
Notalawyer opinions?
PT, I noticed the Tesla influx a few weeks ago now, here in the dress circle Margaret River – Dunsboro – Busselona triangle.
“pitbull comes out attacks the dog “
Pitbulls are a problematic breed, made worse by the type of person that likes to own them.
Tourette’s
Trans-planted in the latest victim virus.
Remember the swearing twitching kiddies that were all over MSM not all that long ago. Remarkable recoveries.
Wow. Just wow!
Wuhu sounds like WA’s sister city.
Put the major last!
Here’sa brilliant website someone has put together that generates a How To Vote card for you in your area by putting the majors last.
Try it out
https://majorslast.com/how-to-vote-cards
I didn’t think Gazprombank was actually accepting dollars, or even euros. On orders of the Tsar.
So basically they put dollars into their account at Gazprombank, then must convert those dollars to rubles in their other Gazprombank account then pay the bill. So they still have to pay in rubles, with Gasprombank cutely ticket clipping on the forex exchange.
Plus a small added bit of fun that Poot could tell Gazprombank to sit on the euro accounts, whereby virtuous Europeoples would have their euros frozen without ability to turn them into rubles to pay da bill. Which would be great fun in a hostagelike sort of way.
Meanwhile Gazprombank has suffered an unfortunate tragedy.
Putin-linked Gazprombank vice president found dead alongside his family was ASSASSINATED and did not carry out ‘murder-suicide’, colleague claims (27 Apr)
It must be really scary to know that when you sign off on such a deal that you may be required to pay quite a large personal price, if you’ve chosen…poorly.
You know, Mercedes Benz has said that by 2030, their entire range will be electric. What if it doesn’t work out well?
It’s probably a pretty easy virtue signal. With 8 or so different drivetrains they could cover their entire vehicle range. Much more flexible than IC. If they retain IC they’ll just blame customers for a lack of EV uptake.
I generally don’t like posting entire pieces, but this one is really worth a read. China could entering a new phase. Closed up and the CCP going back to its roots.
WSJ
Mr. Xi has unambiguously hitched his personal legacy to the successful preservation of the zero-Covid policy.
Communists and Communism always screw up big at some point.
Xi trying to out moron Dickhead Dan who also tried COVID zero and got beaten senseless by reality.
Fester is pretending not to read my comments.
Can someone ask Uncle Fester a question derived from this silly sentence.
There are very harsh exchange controls and the Russian central bank controls the the exchange rate. This would mean that any Russian bank would need to clear the exchange transaction with the central banks. How is it possible for the Russian bank to make a cute spread on the exchange transaction?
Rick, they’ve said ALL the range is going EV. Dunno about trucks though.
I dunno what’s going on in Trans Dniester. it’s interesting though. Someone has been shooting up the kleptocracy’s administration buildings then leaving the spent military bits behind. Then photos turn up onto the internet. It smells. What exactly it smells of, though, I have no idea.
But it does seem to’ve stimulated a new proposal for Moldova to merge with Romania. The Moldies say that has to be after a referendum, which in the current circumstances just might get up. Romania is in the EU, so that would be a neat way for them to get into the EU also, without all the fiddly bits.
The three BTGs the Russians have appear to’ve been moved to the south of Trans Kleptomania. What that means I don’t know. Possibly around the capital, such as it is. Maybe the Russians fear the Ukrainians will boot them out and give the place back to the Moldovans. Strategically that would be a reasonable move since having Russian bases on the west side of Ukraine is potentially painful, if used for air attacks. And in theory the Russian Navy can get more forces into place there, if they do so before those Pom Harpoons go active.
Something seems to be going on in that place. But what? I don’t know, but it’s something to watch.
Pitbulls are a problematic breed, made worse by the type of person that likes to own them.
A mate of mine used to be head of the AVA. When asked about banning pit bulls he said it would make more sense to ban people with tatts from owning any sort of dog.
Winston Smithsays:
April 29, 2022 at 7:21 pm
Thanks, Winnie. I’ve book-marked your post.
On the doggies.
Munched as a kid a couple of times.
One of our locals got bailed up in the water at the beach by another chaps dog.
Complained and I was “ gifted” the job of sorting it out.
I came to a method of resolving it Solomon would have been proud of.
Instead of bitching about the mutt I just pointed out if his dog had bitten anyone the usual treatment was for it to be shot shortly after.
Satisfied everyone and gave the owner a reason to care as well.
Took an early evening stroll around The Strand and Covent Gardens, calling into a pub that was old when Charles Dickens used to drink there; at that time it was very near an area of dissolute slums but now it is Trendy Central. Noise levels extreme so we couldn’t talk, Hairy sat on his beer and I with my cider, watching London come in and out, everyone wearing puffer jackets or equivalent on a cold spring day. I hugged my light Armani jacket and spring dress close around me, for I had not packed for bitter cold.
We then went around the corner to the special Chop Restaurant, the one that was so positively reviewed in The Spectator. Speciality of the Day is Meat. Glorious meat, lots of meat. We met up with a couple we hadn’t seen for years, old Cambridge College friend of Hairy’s and his wife, whom we hadn’t seen since their wedding in the 1980’s. He’s a grandpa now too, so the two grandpas exchanged pleasantries about age, children, grandchildren and the latest doings of all of the old College crew. One has his country house full of ‘strange people’, another (a medico) has just thrown a heroin habit, and others are doing the Glittering Prizes stuff in various positions of influence, and Mervyn himself, a lawyer and impressario in the rock era, has now given up the Glastonbury organising and is busy with new projects, including founding a charity to revive Real Tennis.
We were persuaded by an intense waiter to order the meat platter for four, and another single dish of steak, with a few ‘sides’ of that inedible sort of green like curly lettuce but tougherne. One of the sides nominated itself as an ‘Invisible’ side, destined for Ukraine, so we each ordered that one too. The platter arrived and looked like something that would do an Aussie BBQ proud for about eight or ten people, piled high with cooked chops and strips of meat – lamb, pork and beef. The challenge was then mounted – we had to plough our way through it all, for this was a new trendy rarity in the UK of today, where vegetarianism abounds, and such a platter is seriously unorthodox, probably even heretical. We had to show we were up for it because after all, a tree had been planted as its carbon offset. The Brits are absolutely obsessed about all of this stuff; it is everywhere. It has replaced the C of E in the minds of the middle classes, that is for sure.
Mervyn was interested in history and interested in my little church (he offered to help found a charity for it) and interested in anything Arthurian, so the evening went well for me. His wife is a psychiatrist, a nice woman who said little, as the place was so noisy and she is a quiet soul in the face of two men engaging in competitive eating, happily exchanging memories of times past, of undergraduate hi jinx, and the strange things that life does to you on the way to one’s older age.
Among the other more ‘interesting’ factoids Southfront is putting out amongst its analyses* (aside from seeming admissions that the Russian amry is struggling to close its pockets in the South, the Ukranian armed forces are resisting strongly and competently their pushes out of the Donbass and their defence of any Russian push on Kramatorsk is probably going to be just as tenacious as their defence of Mariupol[!] ), is claims that the Turks have sent ‘Grey Wolves’ Neo-Nazi militias to the Transistra border. And NATO are allegedly infiltrating in combat troops disguised as third-party ‘volunteers.’
Everyone seems interested in trying to ‘widen’ the war and claim the other side is going to pull something nefarious at present…
* It was amusing to see SouthFront make the claim that donations of artillery pieces and armoured vehicles to Ukraine are allegedly equipment that has ‘no strategic value,’ in the context of a video showing Australian Bushmasters at work in-country.
Not necessarily. Jury composition will be the key. If there’s any less than two men on the jury then it’s say hello to the AMC for about six years (?), Mr Lehrman.
These ridiculous unsubstantiated allegations brought by a dodgy pissed bimbo on the make should never have even made it to trial. As the for the subsequent behaviour of the gliberal MPs involved, there was never any point in expecting anything better. Unfortunately, they continue to blight our lives, which is also entirely unexpected.
When too much subsequent steam cleaning and hoovering the following Monday morning is barely enough.
Said it before and I’ll say it again – the security guards, Lerhman and the Higgins should all have been summarily jobsacked as of 8:00am the following Monday morning, never to be seen (much less heard of) again.
Yet here we are, courtesy of collectivist screechers, being subjected to the sort of hysterical idiocy that’s audible in space (again).
There’s nothing like a good ol’ show trial to boost those popcorn sales and take peoples’ minds off all the other monstrous communist idiocy they’re being subjected to 24/7/365.
Bloody hell, I’m beginning to sound like St Ruth. 😕
Rex – The Russians were getting a bit of real schwerpunkt going SE of Izyum a couple days ago with southwards advances down four roads. But I read today that has transmogrified into an advance of about 2-3 km a day enabled by massive artillery. Not fast, although solid. The interesting question is how they’re getting those tonnes of arty ammo to the front. It’s very heavy and they haven’t had an abundant logistics train thus far.
John H.says:
April 29, 2022 at 7:57 pm
Dot, Cohenite,
This one surprised me. Probably coals to Newcastle for you.
Blood flow restriction enhances hypertrophy.
That’s the Matrix method.
Why the security guards? “Do you know who I am – who my boss is? I’ll have your license by tomorrow morning – good luck finding another job!”
This Scary Experiment Explains Two Years of COVID Hell
They use bands to restrict blood flow.
They were all being recorded, Squire.
Allowing that pair of paralytic morons in enabled the entire subsequent interminable fucking farce.
A gross dereliction of duty. If I turned up and blundered into my work’s office, completely planeted with a handy equally pissed HBOT at 1:30am on a Saturday, I’d still be pointlessly seeking gainful employment.
Yet, these arrogant tax hoovering political imbeciles have the gall to try and blame this alleged incident on a “toxic workplace culture”?
F8ck them and the donkeys they rode in on.
Not having it.
Rabz: HBOT = ??
Simples- It’s what they have prioritised for now, based on their General Staff planning, analysis of the past few days/weeks and expectations of operations to come.
I seem to recall the tempo of US advance in Iraq in 2003 was slowed a little and some localised supply issues for the most advanced units occurred because at one stage or another the logistics planners prioritised artillery ammunition for resupplying units reducing hold-out cities and supporting the general advance over food, water and go-juice for the guys furthest out front.
Another consideration is that the faster and further an advance goes, the longer the spearhead units’ A1 , A2 and B echelons (Sorry, dropped into old Armour terminology for immediate POL, ammo, rations and water resupplies, then replacement peronnel and the Recovery Troops, then Workshops, spares resupply and so forth) have to travel to replenish everything. This slows everything down, and exposes everyone involved to considerable security risk.
This was a real risk Germany’s ‘Ghost Division’ faced in 1940, when they outran everyone. Including their own supply units.
I’ve worked in the security business. You’d be surprised……
Hot Bit of Tail?
(Definition of ‘Hot’ is rubbery, and often directly proportional to the degree of one’s internal ethanol or other intoxicant concentrations…)
What’s the stat, 13 % of the population commits +50% of the murders?
DC woman who ‘accidentally suffocated her baby in 2021 while high on angel dust’ then threw his body in the trash is stabbed to death ‘by infant’s father’ while awaiting trial
Hot Bit O’ That … 🙂
50 Shades of Messed Up… 🙁
Welp, 3 out of 4 ain’t bad… 🙂
Yep, my wife commented own that very thing while we were driving this morning.
Douglas Murray: These people are losing their minds
… commented on … FFS
Peoples, if you’re fed up with the mediocrities that you are expected to vote for, then please have a look at this link.
Put the Major Parties last …
This message has nothing to do with the Faulty’s previous monomaniacal political obsessions.
It’s about the only sensible course of action left to Ozzie voters.
China Sells Western Currency and Oil Assets to Avoid Sanctions
The CCP decouples from the West
yep.
except both Animal Justice and The Greens are getting suffocated by being last
one of the Animal justice loons lives two doors up from me
she tried for a State gig and failed
then tried for council gig and failed.
crazy mole
nothing screams animal justice louder than rabbits in a cage on yr front lawn
They use bands to restrict blood flow.
Sounds isometric.
How many of the locked-down Chinese proles are “vaccinated”?
Quick googling reckons above 85% “fully”.
DC woman who ‘accidentally suffocated her baby in 2021 while high on angel dust’ then threw his body in the trash is stabbed to death ‘by infant’s father’ while awaiting trial
Another classic case of white supremacy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzdChsD7-Zk
I haven’t come across it before. The physiology is interesting, something I’d like to follow up. I don’t think it will benefit most people but for the advanced types it might be worth exploring. Also for injury recovery.
explains the correlation between neck-ties and politician’s heads too
Couldn’t give a soup dwelling rodent’s backside, Wally.
I can’t in all good consciousness do this, Cats. I live in a red ribbon labore seat. If I put the labore imbecile last and the greenfilth second last, with the gliberal third last, I still end up voting either labore or gliberal.
This regrettable heavy handedness will result in a meat and two veg rendering on the lower house ballot paper, with a legitimate vote in the senate – for six candidates only.
The ALPEC has still refused to post the correct advice on how to vote in the senate.
i.e. You must vote for twelve senate candidates in a feral double dissolution election*, but you only need to vote for six in any other feral election. Which would be this one (like 2019).
*If you exist in a territory, you only need to vote for two, regardless of the dissolutionness.
Also ….
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2173623-wearing-a-tie-may-be-restricting-blood-flow-to-your-brain/
Having rewatched Danger Close
Recalling the horror of Long Tan: ‘I was too bloody busy to be frightened’
and also worth watching
Battle of Long Tan Documentary – Vietnam War – Narrated by Sam Worthington
finished off with
I Was Only 19 – from the movie Danger Close: The Battle of Long Tan
I think of it as a sort of least-worst filter
Nein. You’re enabling the irredeemable idiocy.
For those whose Coof came in as a low two, good luck to you.
Mine sat me squarely on my skinny tail and hurt more than a little.
I guess because of my circumstances of being dependant upon strangers it was a little depressing as well.
Suddenly in the night, I awoke without the headache, breathing easy and the beginnings of an appetite. It is so good, it is scary.
Still weak and puffy but the bastard is on the run. It tested as Covid but it actually felt like a severe flu.
Stay drunk and you’ll never get sick.
Woke up this morning with a very sore throat, which had a runny nose added to it from about 10:00am.
Classic head cold. Picked up no doubt on Tuesday night while alternating between being drenched while marching many kms to a humid venue packed with thousands of people and then marching back to the place originally left.
Hopefully killed stone dead this evening following the consumption of many alcoholic beverages. 🙂
Bombed again. Like these xunts:
https://funker530.com/video/nsfw-mavic-3-drops-mortar-round-into-group-of-russian-troops/
I’ve just ordered some cigars for a friend in the US who is still recovering from the Chinese plague. As I explained to her, cigars are healthy: organic, vegan and herbal. If I’d sent them six months ago, she’d never have caught it.
Three cheers for death. That’s the spirit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUSxkpd-k9s
First one:
They leave their wounded mate behind.
Second one:
Straight down the sun roof into the car.
..
And rifle.
Something weird about the editing though.
Dr Beaugs- good to see you lurking.
…straight to spacechooking- how the hell can I buy cigars economically in Oz?
And when I say “economically”, I mean illegally sidestepping the horrific tax slug which seems to fall mid-Pacific. Lotsa U.S. suppliers promise lots, but get lost.
Leadership, you really are a Xunt of a human being. Just a low down dirty Xunt.
It looks like the coof has run through town here. Every second household has had one or more kids – but hardly ever more than one grown-up- spend a half-day shut in the bedroom, and one mate from Perf who was weekending here has “had the squirts” and hit a positive test.
Seriously though- if it weren’t for them tests, how would you ever know it’s the batflu?
All symptoms described to me are indistinguishable from the common cold or flu. Even had to point out to a chef- who as a profession are a bit dim- that he blows his nose and loses his sense of smell in May every year, and then in November with pollen.
…
Rabz… yeah I know, but I have a bit of sympathy for the pangolitarians. But that would be a good question to pitch to an ambassador.
Speaking of short music shows- I quite love the early gigs where a band has but one EP and one LP to their name, and no desire to lecture between melodies. You get a round hour of solid musical ideas, and none of the browbeating or worthy cover versions of songs by their dear friend and amazing artist mates. Everyone raves about Springsteen playing three hour shows, but let’s face it, a hundred minutes of that is just spoken word.
biden v putin
Wally – Miss Ellie was witnessed in excelsis on Tuesday night.
Grace, beauty and mighty taut long pale thighs.
That elusive concept of “Exquisite” personified. 🙂
British FM Liz Truss says a ‘Global NATO’ needs to arm Taiwan, like Ukraine
Sen. Kennedy RIPS Biden’s AG: “Chicago Is the World’s Largest Outdoor Shooting Range”
Biden seeks $33 billion more for Ukraine
Biden disinformation czar goes viral for TikTok song
China is Heading for Disaster… On Purpose
laowhy86
ABCcess has an epidemiologist basically asking “Are we prepared for people over 50 to die in very small numbers”….
Are we at a point where Australians tolerate people dying from COVID-19?
We seem to be at the point in this pandemic where people die every day from COVID-19 … and we’re OK with that.
Just last week, on average, 39 Australians died each day after catching the virus.
Compare that to the start of the pandemic when we were aghast at the thought of a single case, let alone a death.
The change is troubling to veteran epidemiologist Professor Mike Toole.
“We seem to have closed our eyes to the suffering and the deaths that are still occurring due to Omicron, so I think it’s bordering on irresponsible,” Professor Toole said.
It is not surprising that a medical professional who has dedicated a 50-year career to saving lives believes one death is one too many, but it doesn’t appear to be the way everyone thinks.
Such as the statistics..
https://www.health.gov.au/health-alerts/covid-19/case-numbers-and-statistics#cases-and-deaths-by-age-and-sex
The ABCcess report goes on to quote the scriptures and the prophet.
This is despite mask-wearing being one of the most effective ways of containing super-spreader events, according to epidemiologists like Saskia Popescu, who looked at the dropping of the mandate in despair.
You’re likely seeing a lot of “ffs” from public health folks at the news that TSA is dropping mask mandates on airplanes, trains, and public transportation. Here are some thoughts (while screaming into the void):
(1/n)
— Dr. Saskia Popescu (@SaskiaPopescu) April 19, 2022
The US President’s chief medical adviser, Antony Fauci, said it was a decision a judge did not have the medical experience to make.
Abc discovers breaking news old people die more than young people.
The impact has been disproportionately felt by older people.
The federal health department has broken down the number of deaths in Australia by age group and it shows almost 83 per cent were aged 70 years or older.
ABC bemused why people who were deliberately lied to about the “stop the transmission/not carry covid/not get covid arent excited by more liars products. Products so good every state territory’s and the feds are cowering behind emergency legislation to make as mandatory as possible”
Remember last year when we so intently watched as the double-dose vaccination rate inched higher toward a particular target or milestone?
While over 95 per cent of people age over 16 have had two doses, only 70 per cent of the eligible population have had a booster shot.
You don’t see social media lit up with people showing off getting their boosters like they did when first and second doses were made available.