Open Thread – Weekend 30 April 2022


A Path Through the Woods, Ivan Shishkin, 1880

1,859 responses to “Open Thread – Weekend 30 April 2022”

  1. OldOzzie Avatar
    OldOzzie

    Brains shift in adolescence to tune out parents’ voices

    Obvious to Parents and Kids

    “So, if it seems like your teenager is tuning you out, that may well be the case. But, Abrams said, “it’s not personal. This is a natural part of development.” – “But at a certain point, he said, kids need to expand their social world, getting ready for independence and eventually starting their own family in many cases.”

    With Mother’s Day coming up, Remember

    To Abrams, the study also underscores the broader importance of voice to human beings. Just think about any time you’ve become emotional from hearing the voice of a loved one you haven’t spoken to in a while, he said.

    It’s different from a text message, Abrams pointed out.

    “Voices are among the most important social signals we have,” he said. “They connect us, and help us feel we’re part of a community. And I would argue that hearing a loved one’s voice is one of the most rewarding experiences we have in our daily lives.”

  2. Bruce of Newcastle Avatar
    Bruce of Newcastle

    Hmmm, this one could be interesting.

    Birx: With Pence Approval I Went to Local Media to Contradict Trump on COVID (29 Apr)

    Former White House coronavirus response task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said on MSNBC’s “Katy Tur Reports” that during the early days of the COVID pandemic, with the approval of then-Vice President Mike Pence, she went to local media all across America to say the exact opposite of the information citizens were getting from then-President Donald Trump.

    Does Pence deny saying this, thereby accusing the second most important health czar of being a liar? Or does he say nothing and therefore confirm he was undermining Trump from day one of his Presidency?

    Either way I doubt Pence is going to survive this in the eyes of Republican voters.

    16
  3. OldOzzie Avatar
    OldOzzie

    Zulu Kilo Two Alphasays:
    May 1, 2022 at 8:52 am
    Another day, another Albanese brainfart. If you want to own your own home, don’t live in Sydney or Melbourne, move somewhere where housing is affordable. I did.

    Zulu Kilo,

    trying to get this point across to our youngest – buy where you can afford and rent for future

    My wife was unhappy with Bank return and purchased 2 Bedrm 2 storey Townhouse in Mackay last year for $275,000 – 121 sqm internal space, 194 sq total area – rented at $385 pw for 1 year, 5 days after purchased

    When we got to see it really happy, well built, excellent location near centre Mackay – not in flood zone, short walk to major shopping centre and beach

    Was impressed with Mackay, lots of young people and businesses, 2 Hospitals, loads schools and as wife said, as relations live there, good place to retire in future

    14
  4. Dot Avatar

    Putin bears the bulk of the blame for anything awful in Ukraine.

  5. P Avatar
    P

    Top Ender says:
    May 1, 2022 at 8:02 am
    Peter Hitchens on how the BBC has become unwatchable

    Near the end of TE’s link:

    It is time to ask some very simple questions about the Ukraine crisis, which each day threatens to spread, very dangerously indeed. I never really believed there was a nuclear danger in the Cold War, which I lived through. Now I think there is one. Though this country is not actually at war with Russia, and has no defence treaty with Ukraine, politicians and other supporters of this conflict often refer to ‘we’ when discussing it.

    Who is this ‘we’? What British national interest is served by deeper involvement in what is at root a Russo-American war? Must we yet again be the fifth wheel in America’s cart?

    How much are you prepared to pay in taxes for the munitions we send? If, as is horribly possible, British soldiers are drawn in, what British interest will they be dying or being injured for?

  6. rickw Avatar
    rickw

    Though this country is not actually at war with Russia, and has no defence treaty with Ukraine, politicians and other supporters of this conflict often refer to ‘we’ when discussing it.

    The clearest evidence yet that we are governed by idiots and traitors.

    19
  7. rickw Avatar
    rickw

    Putin bears the bulk of the blame for anything awful in Ukraine.

    The French Diplomat who’s analysis was posted here a few weeks ago doesn’t share that view. It’s an EU / Putin built train wreck, both equally to blame.

  8. Dot Avatar

    Funny that a French diplomat would say that given the French and German double dealing in this conflict.

  9. lotocoti Avatar
    lotocoti

    WHO has contracted German-based Deutsche Telekom subsidiary T-Systems to develop a global vaccine passport system.
    Time to get a new battery initiate the
    iPhone4 Lifetime Extension Programme.

  10. Dot Avatar

    Maybe we should rename ourselves as Ukraine II and watch as completed military projects are delivered on time and under budget?

  11. Dot Avatar

    If it comes to WHO mandates here with a vaccine mandate for a virus no one cares about anymore, I am skipping sovereign citizenship and moving straight to declaring myself as ruler of my own micronation.

    The UN can’t deliver aid without molesting children and starving people, so I don’t feel worried about an effective one world government.

  12. Cassie of Sydney Avatar
    Cassie of Sydney

    Oh, lookie here……but because it’s Albanese and not someone on the right, all will be forgiven…

    Anthony Albanese ‘regrets Nazi reference’ from 2001

    Anthony Albanese says he regrets a historical Nazi reference he once used to attack the Coalition over asylum-seekers as Jewish leaders call for an end to the use of such ­offensive remarks in political ­debate.

    It comes only a day after Mr Albanese was forced to condemn a Labor branch Facebook page that depicted Josh Frydenberg, Australia’s first Jewish treasurer, in a Nazi-SS uniform.

    The Labor leader was forced to withdraw the use of a Nazi slogan “Sieg Heil” when accusing the Howard government of racist policy over the Tampa affair in 2001.

    He had shouted the slogan across the chamber of parliament – a ­remark he was forced to withdraw by the Speaker. It went largely unreported at the time.

    But the Coalition has used the historical insult by Mr Albanese to accuse Labor of hypocrisy after Mr Albanese earlier this year ­denounced the use of Holocaust parallels for political purposes.

    Mr Albanese told The Weekend Australian: “I regretted the comment of more than 20 years ago, which is why I withdrew it at the time. Holocaust parallels should never be used, which is why I never have.”

    With an increasing use of Holocaust references in Australian politics, Jewish leaders have said “enough is enough” and suggested politicians may need to be educated about the Nazi genocide.

    Colin Rubenstein, executive director of the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council, said while Mr Albanese had withdrawn the remark, such references could never be justified.

    “It was important and proper that Anthony Albanese withdrew the remark at the time it was made, because inappropriate Nazi references are never justified as they risk trivialising the uniquely evil nature of that ­regime,” he said.

    The issue came to prominence during the election campaign when Katherine Deves, the Liberal candidate for the Sydney seat of Warringah, was forced to apologise for previous remarks in which she compared her “activism” on transgender athletes to those who stood up against the Nazis.

    Ms Deves was attacked by Labor MPs for her use of Holocaust parallels.

    The independent candidate for Kooyong, Monique Ryan, who is running against Mr Frydenberg, has also been forced to apologise for a Nazi meme she published in 2017 that sought to compare Donald Trump with Hitler.

    Head of the Australian Jewish Association David Adler said that it was disappointing that politicians still used Holocaust references in political debate and that it was time for it to stop.

    “We have seen inappropriate leveraging of the Holocaust for a whole range of political purposes,” he said.

    “Our position is that it is just wrong for the Holocaust to be ­leveraged for political purposes.

    “The Holocaust was an industrial-scale attempt to murder an entire people. Nothing in Australian politics resembles that.

    “It demonstrates a lack of education or knowledge.”

    Umm, so Albanese shouted this across the parliamentary chamber. He obviously likes shouting crude analogies and threats across the chamber. Only a few years ago he shouted across the chamber “smash her, smash her” when a female Liberal MP was talking…something else the MSM have chosen to ignore, just imagine if Peter Dutton had done similar to a female Labor MP.

    I suspect Albanese’s pent-up aggression is because of his desire to “fight Tories” and yet he can’t find any in this country so he must be bursting at the seams with toxic male aggression. Here’s a thought, Albanese should migrate to the UK because there he’ll find lots of real Tories and his best buddy, the Jew hating Jeremy Corbyn, can put him up.

    12
  13. Rabz Avatar
    Rabz

    Thousands more Australians would be able to afford a home under a landmark proposal from Labor that would cut the cost of buying property by up to 40 per cent.
    $329 million over four years

    Yeah, right. Have a look at the numbers – they simply don’t add up.

    11
  14. Rockdoctor Avatar
    Rockdoctor

    Old Ozzie. My tip spend a bit longer there, there are some downsides to the place. Mackay is a typical mining service town with inflated costs of living. We used to call it the “mining tax.” Also the place is getting but still need more works on roads, unfortunately in the older suburbs the roads can’t be expanded resulting in gridlock at peak times. Drivers are shocking as well, again miners in Dodge Rams or Ford Rangers using might is right principle.

    That said I do echo your about the bustle and trade going on, Qantas is running B737 services 2 a day again. Coal prices are at a high atm. At it’s quieter moments on Sundays the place has a very laid back feeling. Plus it has everything it’s bigger northern neighbours up the coast have despite them being much larger in size.

  15. Zulu Kilo Two Alpha Avatar
    Zulu Kilo Two Alpha

    I’m presuming Albo will be divesting himself of his housing portfolio, at rockbottom prices, to enable others to get started in housing?

    11
  16. H B Bear Avatar
    H B Bear

    Oh dear. I see my devoted fan boi antics for Mr Robertson have created some confusion. The point is now moot. All hail King KRuddy, the pinnacle of absurdity. Or whatever it was. I am still disappointed his genius was not realised on a global scale at the UN. Thanks Waffleworth.

  17. H B Bear Avatar
    H B Bear

    Don’t tell me KRuddy could not have kicked off WWIII by himself.

  18. Knuckle Dragger Avatar
    Knuckle Dragger

    …launch of Joint Armed Forces of the Union

    That worked a treat at Stalingrad. No ill-feeling between Chermans and Romanians and Hungarians and Italians. The smaller countries’ forces weren’t left on the flanks in the snow with almost zero armour and anti-armour at all to face the inevitable belting from seven Soviet armies on two fronts.

    Oh well. Maybe they ‘didn’t do it right’ that time.

  19. Bourne1879 Avatar
    Bourne1879

    For the past year we have been told the vaccination rate federally and statewide. It has almost become the most important statistic rating “success” politically. Huge budget deficits don’t rate as important.

    However the double dose stats as time goes by are becoming more misleading. They changed the definition of vaccinated to be up to 6 months after 2nd dose. So I am now considered “unvaccinated” although I count as double dosed.

    As time goes by and more double dosed don’t take the booster shouldn’t there be stats to show people have become less “protected” ? They do show how many not boosted but we need a statistic to show how many where no longer considered vaccinated.

    Just kidding. Health Departments are hardly going to become honest with the stats now. They have difficulty highlighting the average age of Covid deaths is over 80 with multiple comorbidities. Qld Health stats are particularly bad in this regard. It is almost like they don’t want us to know the real situation.

    17
  20. Knuckle Dragger Avatar
    Knuckle Dragger

    Mackay.

    Was in a wedding party there once in the early 90s. Best wedding ever.

    Mackay bridesmaids are the best bridesmaids in the whole world. They hunt in packs and share the kill.

    Hooo boy.

  21. Knuckle Dragger Avatar
    Knuckle Dragger

    calli at 8.37:

    The water here is so hard you can’t wash your hair properly

    Go 500km further north. Turn the tap on, and gravel comes out.

  22. duncanm Avatar
    duncanm

    Zulu Kilo Two Alphasays:
    May 1, 2022 at 8:52 am
    Another day, another Albanese brainfart.

    all that scheme would do is jack up prices by a significant amount.

    Sydney prices are driven by how much people can borrow, and little else other than lack/cost of new land.

  23. H B Bear Avatar
    H B Bear

    The water here is so hard you can’t wash your hair properly

    Get them to turn on the desal plant. Works for Perf.

  24. Dot Avatar

    The water here is so hard you can’t wash your hair properly

    No joke, try bathing to do so and use Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) – needed it to brew beer when town water had too much calcium carbonate and chlorides in it.

    If your hair turns blue, some boffin can explain ligands and spin states to us. 🙂

  25. Fair Shake Avatar
    Fair Shake

    I was wondering why no mention of Albos interest in the Victorian ICook scandal. So to refresh my memory I conducted a quick search on google. It could be my poor search skills but as a story it has almost vanished from the internet. There is reference to 7th January story but Victorian Police clearing everyone involved. We know how clean the Vikpol command is so I kept searching. Gone. Well it is Victoria and Stalin would be proud.

    12
  26. Dot Avatar

    Thousands more Australians would be able to afford a home under a landmark proposal from Labor that would cut the cost of buying property by up to 40 per cent.

    No taxes or development levies? Currently at 46% roughly for NSW metro for new houses.

  27. duncanm Avatar
    duncanm

    Dotsays:
    May 1, 2022 at 6:41 am
    The Muffinologist hired by Depp to assess Amber Heard for a psych eval is very cute.

    Very well spoken, oh my.

    Factcheck, true.

    I need a moment.

  28. duncanm Avatar
    duncanm

    Though I’m worried that Psych may be like Kim on a date.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM6eNQhmLHs

  29. dover0beach Avatar

    The French Diplomat who’s analysis was posted here a few weeks ago doesn’t share that view. It’s an EU / Putin built train wreck, both equally to blame.

    If you mean Jacques Baud, he is a former colonel of the General Staff, ex-member of the Swiss strategic intelligence, specialist on Eastern countries. He was trained in the American and British intelligence services.

  30. Crossie Avatar
    Crossie

    I am really disgusted with Skynews for cutting away from Outsiders to televise ScoMo spouting off about something without context. Couldn’t that have been raised in news later on?

    I am convinced that ScoMo’s people schedule these announcements just to cut into the Outsiders’ time.

    Shouldn’t a man of faith be in church on a Sunday morning?

    12
  31. Zulu Kilo Two Alpha Avatar
    Zulu Kilo Two Alpha

    More of the Albanese brainfart…

    The Opposition Leader said that the great Australian dream of owning a home was “out of reach for a generation” and argued his Help to Buy Scheme — which offers 10,000 middle income earners the chance to save up to 380,000 on a home — would complement Labor plans for increased social housing.

    “We also need to help people into home ownership who aspire to that,” Mr Albanese told Sky News. “I think Australians have got conflict fatigue. My opponent is always looking for an argument. Always looking for a disagreement. Never looking for a solution.”

    He argued that Labor had been constructive in opposition in passing the government’s pandemic legislation and stimulus package, saying that he did not allow the “perfect to be the enemy of the good.”

    “What I want to do is to take that attitude into government,” Mr Albanese said. “Bring unions and employers together for their common interest. Bring all the state and territory and governments together as well as local government.”

    “One of the first things I’ll do is convene a full employment summit. We know that Australians have much more that unites them than divides them. We saw that during the pandemic.”

    Mr Albanese said his key message was that Australians could do better rather than having “three more years of the same; three more years of wages not going up; three more years of pressure on cost of living.”

    Mr Albanese said he was representing Australians who wanted a strong Medicare and NDIS as well as secure jobs amid a cost of living crisis, arguing that people were “doing it tough.”

  32. Ed Case Avatar
    Ed Case

    Though this country is not actually at war with Russia, and has no defence treaty with Ukraine, politicians and other supporters of this conflict often refer to ‘we’ when discussing it.

    Deep down, it’s a Roman Catholic vs Orthodox Christianity battle.
    Catholics number 26% here, Orthodox not many and they’re all in the cities.
    Noticed the Sunday after the Invasion, Scotty attended one Sydney Uke Catholic service, fucknuckle attended another one.
    Any deviation from the script by the Liberals, Plibersek will be onto it like a blowie on fresh shit.

  33. Knuckle Dragger Avatar
    Knuckle Dragger

    I’m more concerned at the fat chick in rainbow colours, including what appears to a multicoloured Mickey Mouse hat in the front row of that courtroom.

    There’s a red flag with the muffinologist though. Says she’s regularly late, and consequently sends hubby down to the bakery to get her daily muffins.

    Hubby’s setting the bar too low by doing that all the time. A failure to prepare on her part does not constitute an emergency on my part.

  34. duncanm Avatar
    duncanm

    On that sort of wicket, you reckon they could get the muffins delivered.

  35. JC Avatar

    Dotsays:
    May 1, 2022 at 6:41 am
    The Muffinologist hired by Depp to assess Amber Heard for a psych eval is very cute.

    Very well spoken, oh my.

    Factcheck, true.

    Wow, bust mufffin I’ve seen in a court case. Just wow!

  36. Ed Case Avatar
    Ed Case

    He argued that Labor had been constructive in opposition in passing the government’s pandemic legislation and stimulus package, saying that he did not allow the “perfect to be the enemy of the good.”
    Albanese has got a poor memory.
    He did oppose JobSeeker and JobKeeper, the Minor Parties drove it thru the Senate.

  37. JC Avatar

    Deep down, it’s a Roman Catholic vs Orthodox Christianity battle.

    Mr. Ed. Has there ever been something you’ve been right about?

  38. dover0beach Avatar

    Why was Ukraine never sanctioned by UNSC? The Minsk agreements were covered by UNSC IIRC.

  39. JC Avatar
    JC

    Dot

    I get it. Muffin was counselling Amber Turd, yet she’s appearing on Depp’s side? How does that figure?

  40. Knuckle Dragger Avatar
    Knuckle Dragger

    On that sort of wicket

    The celebrity psychologist wicket. An absolute road. Runs all day long.

    You never see ads for them in the paper. It must be like being a wharfie – you need a father or uncle already in the game to get a look in.

    She probably married some beige suit to shore up the cash, and gets rogered by tradies in the office dunnies in the afternoon for fun.

  41. Top Ender Avatar
    Top Ender

    “We also need to help people into home ownership who aspire to that,” Mr Albanese told Sky News.

    And in five years time when this Ponzi scheme collapses because the new home owners can’t service the debt, then what?

    Labor will then lose the election but go on their way rejoicing, having bought something new and valuable – eg: free university, Medibank, NDIS, leccie cars – into Australia’s awareness, and now some other party can fix up the mess.

  42. JC Avatar
    JC

    Oh, I get it she was hired by Depp. But why would Turd subject herself to that?

  43. John Brumble Avatar
    John Brumble

    Of course the numbers don’t add up, Rabz. It’s a Labor policy. During one of the last two QLD elections, Labor policy spent Energex money not twice, not thrice, but four times over. These four separate claimed uses for the money were recounted in at least two ABC radio interviews I heard, during what is supposedly the high quality current affairs hour(separate days). Not a word; not a question; one lot of money spent four times.
    (Something like: “we get money from Energex, so let’s keep using it where we do right now [1], take the money we get from Energex and reduce the cost of services [2], increase the number of jobs offered by Energex by reinvesting the money we get from Energex [3], improve renewable services by investing the money we get from Energex[4]”.
    And that’s ignoring that some of those claimed uses are directly contradictory. Worse, the amount of money they claimed they’d get from keeping Energex was the same as selling it.)

  44. dover0beach Avatar

    Re Maiden coup:

    Pedro L. Gonzalez
    @emeriticus
    ·
    11h
    Those snipers were backed by the West and killed cops *and* protestors as part of a color revolution. An EU investigation came to this conclusion but it was buried. The new government curiously never cared to figure out who murdered its own people. That’s Ukrainian “democracy.”

    Apparently, the snipers were trained in Poland as a favour to Washington. What a tangled web.

  45. thefrollickingmole Avatar
    thefrollickingmole

    Letterkenny is a good show.

    Stupid but in a great way.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9-s7UgOUTA

  46. JC Avatar

    Dover

    I don’t understand what you’re trying to do here. Are you attempting to persuade people that Uke is a deformed democracy? We know that and I don’t think most people here need any persuasion on that score.

    If this is your objective you should also look at the other side of the ledger. The “Kriminlan” poisons and jails its detractors.

  47. Ed Case Avatar
    Ed Case

    Yes, JC.
    The Vatican pushes the fiction that Eastern Europe was originally founded by the Romans and since it’s the heir to the Romans, the lands of the Serbs oughta be Catholic [and their property].
    See: Romania, founded in the 19th C. by Jesuits, in reality it was part of Serbia.

  48. custard Avatar
    custard

    Outsiders mentioned PML (Put the Majors Last) http://www.majorslast.com

    Site must be being throttled ATM running very slow. Tablet devices couldn’t connect. Desktop connects but too slow.

  49. Colonel Crispin Berka Avatar
    Colonel Crispin Berka

    Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, let me make your choice simple.

    If the muffins were often baked
    the defendant’s harm was faked.

  50. Knuckle Dragger Avatar
    Knuckle Dragger

    Today, incidentally, is a seminal day in the history of this nation, and in fact the world.

    There are now 11 to 41 months to go before you-know-what.

  51. Ed Case Avatar
    Ed Case

    There are now 11 to 41 months to go before you-know-what.
    Let me guess?
    Is that when a whole heap of people start dying in droves from some mystery cause which absolutely isn’t y the CovidVax?

  52. JMH Avatar
    JMH

    custardsays:
    May 1, 2022 at 10:44 am

    Outsiders mentioned PML (Put the Majors Last) http://www.majorslast.com

    Site must be being throttled ATM running very slow. Tablet devices couldn’t connect. Desktop connects but too slow.

    Yes, I just had a go and couldn’t connect.

    I did my own HTV cards a couple of weeks ago and checked the PML link when it was first put up here. Did the HoR and bloody hell – it was an almost exact replica of my own. I haven’t checked the Senate yet – but when PML cools down, I will and I bet the result will be very close to my own below-the-line ticket.

  53. Bruce in WA Avatar
    Bruce in WA

    Uh, yeah sure, why not. Dealer’s licence. Got it.

    Yep.

    Joke, Joyce.

    Sheesh. Lighten up, Francis.

  54. Knuckle Dragger Avatar
    Knuckle Dragger

    Also – On This Day:

    The Illuminati (plural of Latin illuminatus, ‘enlightened’) is a name given to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically, the name usually refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on 1 May 1776 in Bavaria, today part of Germany. The society’s goals were to oppose superstition, obscurantism, religious influence over public life, and abuses of state power. “The order of the day,” they wrote in their general statutes, “is to put an end to the machinations of the purveyors of injustice, to control them without dominating them.”

    The Illuminati—along with Freemasonry and other secret societies—were outlawed through edict by Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria, with the encouragement of the Catholic Church, in 1784, 1785, 1787, and 1790. During subsequent years, the group was generally vilified by conservative and religious critics who claimed that the Illuminati continued underground and were responsible for the French Revolution.

  55. Knuckle Dragger Avatar
    Knuckle Dragger

    And:

    Many influential intellectuals and progressive politicians counted themselves as members, including Ferdinand of Brunswick and the diplomat Franz Xaver von Zach, who was the Order’s second-in-command. It attracted literary men such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Johann Gottfried Herder and the reigning Duke of Gotha and of Weimar.

    Don’t you SEE?

    In subsequent use, “Illuminati” has referred to various organisations which have claimed, or have been claimed to be, connected to the original Bavarian Illuminati or similar secret societies, though these links have been unsubstantiated.

    These organisations have often been alleged to conspire to control world affairs, by masterminding events and planting agents in government and corporations, in order to gain political power and influence and to establish a New World Order.

    Central to some of the more widely known and elaborate conspiracy theories, the Illuminati have been depicted as lurking in the shadows and pulling the strings and levers of power in dozens of novels, films, television shows, comics, video games, and music videos.

    Dan Brown, step forward.

  56. dover0beach Avatar

    I don’t understand what you’re trying to do here. Are you attempting to persuade people that Uke is a deformed democracy? We know that and I don’t think most people here need any persuasion on that score.

    I’m simply pointing out events that led up to the present. That comment is only tangentially about Ukrainian ‘democracy’. It is more about Western meddling.

    12
  57. custard Avatar
    custard

    JMH

    Same as you for me too! Just managed to connect. HOR was almost identical to my own but their senate recommendation was wierd when I specified LibDems as my first choice but it then recommended PHON as my first pick.

    I hope these sites are influential at this election.

  58. JMH Avatar
    JMH

    custardsays:
    May 1, 2022 at 11:03 am

    I hope these sites are influential at this election.

    I agree. The fact that PML went dark for a time bodes well. Also Topher’s Marbles has had a lot of hits.

    As I will be placing Lib Dems 1, 2 and 3, I will report back when I run my Senate ticket through PML to see if it matches your experience.

  59. shatterzzz Avatar
    shatterzzz

    “We also need to help people into home ownership who aspire to that,” Mr Albanese told Sky News.
    Poor AnAl! .. where are his six figure, 20 something, advisors .. “aspire” is not the word to influence upward & onward thoughts via the media

  60. dover0beach Avatar

    Levi
    @Levi_godman
    ·
    4h
    In total, 45 civilians were evacuated from Azovstal today – 25 people left on their own, another 20 were released by Azov

    All are being checked.

  61. P Avatar
    P

    I hope these sites are influential at this election.

    How #PML works? PUT MAJOR LAST!
    439 views Apr 20, 2022

    Less than 500 views in 10 days.

  62. dover0beach Avatar

    I see Angelina Jolie was in Lviv for a photo-op.

  63. OldOzzie Avatar
    OldOzzie

    Big_Nambassays:
    May 1, 2022 at 10:55 am
    FMD, the NT police are in BIG trouble. Read this statement from a 25 year officer.

    https://ntindependent.com.au/unless-someone-speaks-up-there-will-be-no-change-veteran-nt-police-sergeant-calls-out-leadership-failures/

    NT Police officer suspended without pay for criticising Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker
    by Christopher Walsh | May 1, 2022 | Cops, News | 0 comments

    https://ntindependent.com.au/nt-police-officer-suspended-without-pay-for-criticising-police-commissioner-jamie-chalker/

    The NT Police top brass has stripped a respected officer and father of two of his livelihood for speaking out against Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker in an opinion piece in the NT Independent, in which he called for the police force to restore its core values and hold a vote of no confidence against Mr Chalker in the wake of the Zach Rolfe matter.

    Sergeant Mark Casey, a 25-year veteran of the NT Police, was yesterday suspended without pay after his opinion piece garnered thousands of reads and hundreds of social media shares in support.

    Sgt Casey wrote that Mr Chalker had breached the values of the NT Police force through his handling of the Constable Rolfe matter, that investigators’ notes show he was involved in, in the days leading up to the officer’s murder charge in the shooting death of Yuendumu man Kumanjayi Walker despite telling the public he was not involved.

    Sgt Casey was also critical of the “authoritarian” approach Mr Chalker and the executive were taking to managing the force.

    “I have concerns about the actions of executive officers of the NT Police, in particular the Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker,” he wrote.

    “This concern relates to the authoritarian management as a whole, and specifically in relation to the charging of Constable Zach Rolfe.

    “I have observed the events since the day of the shooting and have held my judgement until now, as I feel that unless someone speaks up there will be no change.

    “It is time for someone to stand up and allow the discourse to happen, rather than sitting in fear, waiting for someone else to take action.”

    The article ran in the NT Independent yesterday morning and by 5:40pm, an internal memo was circulated to all police informing them that Sgt Casey had been suspended without pay for “allegedly committing a number of serious breaches of discipline”.

    The email was from the ironically titled “assistant commissioner, people and cultural reform”, who is currently Bruce Porter.

    The internal broadcast said Sgt Casey, who was not named, was suspended for his “public views that do not align with the oath taken by the officer as a member of the Northern Territory Police Force and not in accordance with the Code of Conduct and Ethics”.

    The memo said the matter had been referred to the police’s internal Professional Standards Command and again, ironically, the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption and the NT Ombudsman.

    The ICAC is currently investigating the four days between the Yuendumu shooting and the police’s rush to charge Constable Rolfe in which Mr Chalker and Chief Minister Michael Gunner are expected to be called as witnesses.

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  64. thefrollickingmole Avatar
    thefrollickingmole

    Why the fuck would we send any money at all to the UN??

    Covid vaccine inequity due to racism rooted in ‘slavery and colonialism’

    Racism rooted in slavery, colonialism and apartheid is responsible for higher Covid death rates among people of African and Asian descent, as well as Roma and Indigenous peoples, a UN body has said.

    That the vast majority of Covid-19 vaccines were administered in high and upper-middle-income countries replicated “slavery and colonial-era racial hierarchies”, according to the committee on the elimination of racial discrimination (Cerd).

    /Mos Esley cantina music intensifies.

  65. OldOzzie Avatar
    OldOzzie

    Australia accused of double standards

    Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare of the Solomon Islands called Australia’s protests over its security pact with China “hysterical”

    Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has accused Australia of being hypocritical in its opposition to the Pacific country’s recent security pact with China. He argued that Canberra had not consulted with its other partners last year when it unveiled a security deal with the US and Britain, known as AUKUS, which paves the way for Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines.

    “I learned of the AUKUS treaty in the media. One would expect that as a member of the Pacific family, Solomon Islands and members of the Pacific should have been consulted to ensure this AUKUS treaty is transparent,” Sogavare told his country’s parliament on Friday.

    He added: “I realize that Australia is a sovereign country, which can enter into any treaty it wants to, transparently or not, which is exactly what they did with AUKUS.”

  66. H B Bear Avatar
    H B Bear

    The best people reform in the NT would be a near 100% exchange with anywhere (OK maybe not the Middle East, Africa or Central America).

  67. Dr Faustus Avatar
    Dr Faustus

    On dreadful government:

    China Covid outbreak: Beijing residents must test negative to enter public spaces

    Not sure how this can end.
    Omigod is firmly in community circulation in China – and there, as everywhere else, vaccines don’t do much to prevent infection or stop transmission.

    All Team Xi can do is play expensive and indefinite Whack-a-Mole with a virus they invented and let loose.
    Canutes.

    (There will be a wise Confucian saying to cover the irony in all this.)

  68. GreyRanga Avatar
    GreyRanga

    /Mos Esley cantina music intensifies.

    AKA Parliament Dining Room. Been there several times, everyone checks to see who is talking to who and the eating habits are like Kindy on someone’s birthday.

  69. Makka Avatar
    Makka

    If this is your objective you should also look at the other side of the ledger.

    The MSM and in fact almost ALL media spew giga tonnes of anti-Russian propaganda daily. It’s attempting mind control through saturation. Not unlike the covid period. Maybe it’s only sensible to be fully informed and understand the other side in greater detail ,seeing as the media are totally and deliberately silent on that aspect?

    12
  70. OldOzzie Avatar
    OldOzzie

    Ukraine says Russian strike knocked out Odesa airport; Mariupol pleads for rescue

    A Russian missile strike at the airport in the southwestern port of Odesa – a city that has so far been relatively unscathed in the war – has damaged the runway and it can no longer be used, the Ukrainian military said on Saturday.

    Russia has sporadically targetted Odesa, a Black Sea port, and a week ago, Ukraine said at least eight people were killed in a strike on the city.

  71. Knuckle Dragger Avatar
    Knuckle Dragger

    The article ran in the NT Independent yesterday morning and by 5:40pm, an internal memo was circulated to all police informing them that Sgt Casey had been suspended without pay for “allegedly committing a number of serious breaches of discipline”.

    Shitshow. Absolute shitshow.

    I hope Casey ran his numbers before he went to press. A heretofore-unheard-of state of affairs.

    11
  72. Top Ender Avatar
    Top Ender

    Hitchens again, this time on e-scooters, which are getting green lights in the UK:

    I wonder how many will think this when there are hundreds of thousands of them, often in the hands of drunken or drugged people, careering along pavements, unrestrained by absent police, smashing into children and old people, terrifying the blind, and providing perfect getaway vehicles.

    Link Two blokes riding them on a Hobart pavement the other day rang their little bells to tell us to get out of the way. Of course, I turned and hurled one of the scooters into the Derwent. (May contain traces of falsehood)

  73. OldOzzie Avatar
    OldOzzie

    The Democrats have become the party of miserable, whiny grumps

    When Elon Musk tweet­ed on Friday, “The far left hates everyone, themselves included!” the only thing he got wrong was his use of the word “far.”

    The hatred, anger and resentment of liberals is not exclusive to the extreme Democrat. It’s now the entire party.

    When was the last time anyone encountered a happy Democrat? They don’t exist. They’re perpetually miserable, annoyed that normal people have moved on from COVID, offended that anyone objects to public schools teaching 7-year-olds about sexual identity, and frustrated that their fetish with “critical race theory” (also known as “how to properly hate whites!”) isn’t as widely shared as they thought.

    11
  74. JC Avatar
    JC

    It is more about Western meddling.

    Meddling is part of being human. Every single ethnic or national entity has and will continue to meddle when they believe it’s in their interest.

    Nothing new about that.

  75. Dr Faustus Avatar
    Dr Faustus

    Now Putin trains his sights on a cyber war: Russian president is set to unleash his ‘troll farms’ as part of a fake news assault on the West and could ‘deploy saboteurs’ to the UK – as propagandists simulate NUKING Europe with huge missiles

    Russian state television earlier this week broadcast a segment which simulated how Putin could launch a three pronged nuclear strike on London, Paris and Berlin, leaving ‘no survivors’.

    Hosts on Channel One’s 60 Minutes programme said the three capital cities could be hit within 200 seconds of nuclear missiles being launched, as chairman of the nationalist Rodina party, Aleksey Zhuravlyov, declared: ‘one Sarmat missile and the British Isles will be no more.’

    FMD.
    NUKING with HUGE missiles, no less. British Isles no more.

    Hard to see how Putinistic terror propaganda could ever take root in the UK’s news media.

  76. OldOzzie Avatar
    OldOzzie

    US weapons supply to Ukraine prepped in January

    A scheme to send US weapons to Ukraine, using the “lend-lease” formula pioneered during WWII to skirt neutrality laws, was officially approved by Congress this week. However, it was put together all the way back in January – more than a month before Moscow recognized the Donbass republics as independent and sent troops into Ukraine.

    Republican Senator John Cornyn introduced the Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act, also known as S.3522, on January 19, 2022. This is according to the official Congress.gov page for the bill. On the same date, it was co-sponsored by senators Benjamin Cardin, Jeanne Shaheen and Roger Wicker.

    Senators Richard Blumenthal and Lindsey Graham endorsed it the very next day, January 20. Other endorsements trickled in over the following weeks, with a total of 14 senators on board by February 9, again according to Congress.gov.

    Russia did not recognize the independence of Donetsk and Lugansk until February 21. The “special military operation” to demilitarize Ukraine began on what was already February 24 in Washington.

    Oddly enough, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee only took up Cornyn’s proposal on April 6. It was approved unanimously, proposed on the floor by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and adopted by voice vote – whereupon it sat in limbo for weeks while the Democrat-dominated House was on vacation. On Thursday, after an hour of pro-forma debate, the House approved it in a 417-10 vote. Every single Democrat voted in favor, while all 10 dissenters were Republicans.

    Cornyn’s bill, by contrast, suspends two existing US laws to make it easier for the White House to ship all sorts of weapons to Ukraine. It eliminates the five-year limitation on the program duration, suggesting the US hopes the conflict goes on for a long time – but also conditions the aid on Ukraine eventually repaying the “lease” or returning the gear if in working condition.

    From the Comments

    What a joke. Obviously the USA/CIA were planning the “war” well before the Russian incursion. The corrupt Congress is on board with escalating the conflict.

  77. Rockdoctor Avatar
    Rockdoctor

    TE, they are a menace. Local pundit asked the City Council round here on the insurance costs to rate payers for them after a spate of self inflicted and near miss incidents. No answer yet. Also like shopping trolleys, quite a few at the bottom of Ross creek.

  78. Timothy Neilson Avatar
    Timothy Neilson

    Now Putin trains his sights on a cyber war: Russian president is set to unleash his ‘troll farms’ as part of a fake news assault on the West

    Ed’s a spook.

  79. dover0beach Avatar

    Meddling is part of being human. Every single ethnic or national entity has and will continue to meddle when they believe it’s in their interest.

    Nothing new about that.

    Meddling has consequences.

    10
  80. Zulu Kilo Two Alpha Avatar
    Zulu Kilo Two Alpha

    Two blokes riding them on a Hobart pavement the other day rang their little bells to tell us to get out of the way.

    They are a fvcking nuisance in this part of the world – the latest gesture of defiance is to ride on the wrong side of the road, loudly demanding that cars make way for you..

  81. Bluey Avatar
    Bluey

    Knuckle Draggersays:
    May 1, 2022 at 11:45 am
    The article ran in the NT Independent yesterday morning and by 5:40pm, an internal memo was circulated to all police informing them that Sgt Casey had been suspended without pay for “allegedly committing a number of serious breaches of discipline”.

    Shitshow. Absolute shitshow.

    I hope Casey ran his numbers before he went to press. A heretofore-unheard-of state of affairs.

    Bwaaaahahahahahahahahahaha! Absolutely not going to backfire….

  82. Rex Anger Avatar
    Rex Anger

    Meddling is part of being human. Every single ethnic or national entity has and will continue to meddle when they believe it’s in their interest.

    Correct.

    Given all the remarkably one-sided fuss about ‘Western Meddling’ of late, we perhaps shouldn’t mention that Russian meddling in Ukrainian affairs saw the (forunately relatively bloodless) coup de main perpetrated on the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 by Russian-speaking ‘Little Green Men of Indeterminate Origin Please Ignore the Spetsnaz Undershirts and current Russian Army-Issue Equipment, Please.’

    And the 8 year long Proxy War against Ukraine that kicked off the same year in the Donbass (which only widened to encompass the rest of Ukraine in February), in which the Russian government didn’t even bother with the actual proxies very much, and just sent entire Combat Brigades in. Once again, politely asking everyone to ignore the uniquely Russian variants of the weapons and equipment said Line Units employed, and that their Russian Army insignias and rank detail was really all that wasn’t worn…

  83. mizaris Avatar
    mizaris

    Is it too late to nominate Yasmin Absolute Maggot? Or is she ineligible due to migration?

  84. OldOzzie Avatar
    OldOzzie

    The Stupidity of Australian Elections

    Has Anthony Albanese repeated a well known political blunder? The picture Labor leader could live to regret

    Anthony Albanese’s political minders may be on edge after a photo emerged of the Labor Leader on Saturday awkwardly eating a sausage sandwich in Perth.

  85. Zulu Kilo Two Alpha Avatar
    Zulu Kilo Two Alpha

    Civil rights activists march on Georgia’s Stone Mountain to protest the return of the annual celebration of the Confederacy: Reenactors wear the Southern Cross battle flag and set off cannons

    About 100 civil rights activists protested an annual celebration of the Confederacy at the foot of Georgia’s Stone Mountain on Saturday
    More than 200 members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans gathered at the park, which is famed for its giant sculpture of Confederate leaders
    They wore Confederate flags on t-shirts and ironed on to their jackets, while counter-protesters carried signs decrying ‘racist traitors’
    The protest took place peacefully, with the two sides separated by fences and only interacting through shouts

    Daily Mail — “Southern Cross” battle flag….

  86. Dr Faustus Avatar
    Dr Faustus

    A scheme to send US weapons to Ukraine, using the “lend-lease” formula pioneered during WWII to skirt neutrality laws, was officially approved by Congress this week. However, it was put together all the way back in January – more than a month before Moscow recognized the Donbass republics as independent and sent troops into Ukraine.

    Clear evidence that the whole thing was a CIA/WEF plot from the outset.

    At that time all Uncle Poot was doing was organising concert parties, the 34th Armoured Face Painting Regiment, and aid distribution.

  87. rosie Avatar
    rosie

    I despise bicycle bell ticklers.
    Pedestrians are not obliged to get out of your way on a shared footpath.
    Dismount and walk around, you entitled wankers.

    12
  88. Makka Avatar
    Makka

    Given all the remarkably one-sided fuss about ‘Western Meddling’ of late,

    Given the brutal arrogance and LIES of the covid totalitarian vax-mandating western Govts of the last 2 years, it’s only reasonable that thinking people are highly suspicious and in fact rebelling against the “meddling” (a truly mild descriptor) of western govts.

  89. Rex Anger Avatar
    Rex Anger

    Given the brutal arrogance and LIES of the covid totalitarian vax-mandating western Govts of the last 2 years, it’s only reasonable that thinking people are highly suspicious and in fact rebelling against the “meddling” (a truly mild descriptor) of western govts.

    By swallowing wholesale someone else’s propaganda and justifications because it says things against those people in charge of us that you don’t like?

  90. Knuckle Dragger Avatar
    Knuckle Dragger

    Bwaaaahahahahahahahahahaha! Absolutely not going to backfire….

    Matter of time.

    From a few conversations with those who know, the top three NT jacks have run the joint as described in that piece. Like North Korea. Demanding unconditional servitude, regardless of what they say or do. Attrition’s at world record levels. Blokes are running left right and centre to QPOL or the Feds, and the NT people are frantically taking anyone that applies in an attempt to shore up numbers.

    Obviously, this will lead to further catastrophes further down the track, like cops shooting someone that – unlike the Rolfe gig – will be completely unjustified.

    You can’t just throw hundreds of years of experience out the door*. There are pumpkinheads in every line of work, and you can afford to lose them. But I’m told there are quality, experienced people looking over the fence at greener pastures – and that’s when you know you have problems.

    The current boss appears to jusy keep doubling down. He’ll probably blame the rank and file for not supporting him when the Chief Minister, Gunner, throws him under the bus to try and save himself.

    10
  91. DrBeauGan Avatar
    DrBeauGan

    I despise bicycle bell ticklers.

    Here it’s invariably children on bikes. I’d much prefer them on the pavement rather than in traffic on the roads.

  92. Knuckle Dragger Avatar
    Knuckle Dragger

    *Applies to any industry on Earth. I am reminded of rickw’s earlier situation.

  93. Rex Anger Avatar
    Rex Anger

    Remembering that if it were Stars and Stripes on the shoulders of the troops invading Ukraine at present instead of a White-Blue-Red horizontal tricolour, most folks here who are amenable to them and even cheering them on would be utterly apoplectic…

  94. Makka Avatar
    Makka

    Hard to see how Putinistic terror propaganda could ever take root in the UK’s news media.

    Well , it looks like the covid terror has run it’s course so the UK population need to be scared of something else now. Like with covid , the Govt will wrap their caring arms around the fearful and console them – “don’t worry we’ll take care of you.” And a thankful population will be grateful.

    Maybe the terror propaganda has a UK purpose after all.

  95. Makka Avatar
    Makka

    By swallowing wholesale someone else’s propaganda and justifications because it says things against those people in charge of us that you don’t like?

    No. By not mindlessly following the lemmings.

    Trying to understand BOTH sides isn’t silly, unlike the lemmings.

  96. Roger Avatar
    Roger

    All Team Xi can do is play expensive and indefinite Whack-a-Mole with a virus they invented and let loose. Canutes. (There will be a wise Confucian saying to cover the irony in all this.)

    Confucius say, “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.”

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