Open Thread – Tues 5 July 2022


Surrender of Lord Cornwallis, John Trumbull, 1820

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Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
July 7, 2022 11:58 pm

It is actually the 1922 committee.

Thought I was right the first time but self-doubt crept in.

Happens as the alcohol intake increases.
Only three celebratory glasses, but my centuries weaken after two.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
July 8, 2022 12:01 am

It would appear to be a question of whether they let him be a caretaker until they choose a new one.

They won’t.
He is being regarded by Torrie MPs with a level of suspicion akin to Prince Andrew waiting outside the gates of a girls school at 3:30.

Knuckle Dragger
Knuckle Dragger
July 8, 2022 12:03 am

He has their nuts in his vice.

How? He’s out on his arse. 50 MPs resigned. It’s all through the papers, and the UK picture wireless (Skah) has his cabinet feasting on his corpse and scratching around for a replacement. A ‘leadership election’ is said to be scheduled for Monday.

How is there any coming back from this?

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
July 8, 2022 12:06 am

Why not use the auto-park feature?

Haven’t found the button for that yet.

lol

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
July 8, 2022 12:11 am

There is no button.
Just take your hands off the wheel and say, “Autopark!” in a firm tone.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
July 8, 2022 12:14 am

Saddam Hussein had Comical Ali.
Boris has Lizzie.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
July 8, 2022 12:14 am

How is there any coming back from this?

He is still PM until he makes a trip to Her Maj and tells her that he has lost the confidence of the house in a vote in the Commons.

Britain has no Constitutional provision for a ‘caretaker’ Prime Minister.

Switch is on or off.

Mercurio
Mercurio
July 8, 2022 12:18 am

The Queen appoints the Prime Minister who commands a majority in the House of Commons. There has been no reason yet for the Queen to withdraw her commission of Boris Johnson as the Prime minister of the UK.

Boris Johnson has vacated the position of Leader of the Conservative Party and invited a spill (like Prime Ministers and leaders of our political parties in the last couple of decades). This may, or may not, result in Boris Johnson being replaced as leader of the Conservative Party.

This has happened with the agreement of Sir Graham Brady, Chair of the 1922 Committee of Conservative back benchers. This makes it extremely unlikely that a Motion of No Confidence would succeed in The Commons. Thus The Queen will not be asked to endorse a new PM shortly.

Boris lives to fight another day.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
July 8, 2022 12:20 am

Boris has Lizzie and so far Boris has until September.

A lot can happen in those months.

His speech indicates he thinks that he has been subject to an internal beat-up, and so do I.
Cats seem to be falling for it.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
July 8, 2022 12:21 am

I’m heading bedwards.

Cardiologist tomorrow. To mend my broken heart? lol

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
July 8, 2022 12:25 am

There is no button.
Just take your hands off the wheel and say, “Autopark!” in a firm tone.

lol. Men and buttons.

Goodnight.

Knuckle Dragger
Knuckle Dragger
July 8, 2022 12:26 am

Switch is on or off.

The Hun:

Boris Johnson has resigned as Britain’s Prime Minister.

The embattled PM announced his decision to the country during a televised live address outside Downing Street.

“It is clear now the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party, that there should be a new leader of that party and therefore a new prime minister,” he said.

And:

Mr Johnson had earlier called the Queen to inform her of his intention to stand down.

*click*

Franx
Franx
July 8, 2022 12:32 am

Lizzie, the main game – symbolised by partygate as the ‘deep event’ – includes not only the deception of covid but also that of the deception of the intentions of warring against Russia.

Mercurio
Mercurio
July 8, 2022 12:33 am

He has only stood down as leader of the Conservative Party and was informing Her Maj as a matter of courtursy. He is still PM.

Tom
Tom
July 8, 2022 4:00 am
Tom
Tom
July 8, 2022 4:01 am

Bob Moran. Brilliant.

Tom
Tom
July 8, 2022 4:02 am
Tom
Tom
July 8, 2022 4:03 am
Tom
Tom
July 8, 2022 4:04 am
Tom
Tom
July 8, 2022 4:05 am
Tom
Tom
July 8, 2022 4:06 am
Tom
Tom
July 8, 2022 4:10 am
Tom
Tom
July 8, 2022 4:11 am
Tom
Tom
July 8, 2022 4:12 am
feelthebern
feelthebern
July 8, 2022 4:28 am

From the Global Times (the CCP daily).

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202207/1270031.shtml

Until the tone published in the Global Times changes, there is no change, regardless of how much The Australian says there is.

Wally Dalí
Wally Dalí
July 8, 2022 4:41 am

Good onya Tom

Dot
Dot
July 8, 2022 4:44 am

PJW on the Dutch farmers opposing the neo feudalist push to impoverish anyone but top tier government parasites and their cronies.

https://youtu.be/y-LXw7L1xTc

Wally Dalí
Wally Dalí
July 8, 2022 4:45 am

Nadal withdraws from British Open- Kyrgios to final.
Djokovic c’mon

Dot
Dot
July 8, 2022 4:46 am

A future British PM ought to slap King Charles every time he says something overtly political.

I’d arrest him too if he fought back.

feelthebern
feelthebern
July 8, 2022 5:06 am

Kyrgios!
It’s happening.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb2fjZa_L74

win
win
July 8, 2022 5:07 am

Lizzie 10.33 Dr Catherine Hamlin and her husband spent their lives repairing the damage done to Ethiopian women with obstetric fistulas caused by under age pregnancies.
It is interesting that nominated for the Nobel prize they decided that a life time of work changing the lives of women was insignificant to the work done by a nasty green teenager .

feelthebern
feelthebern
July 8, 2022 5:09 am

How dare you !

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
July 8, 2022 5:12 am

How dare you!

feelthebern
feelthebern
July 8, 2022 5:20 am

Nuclear power is now a green source of energy in the EU.
But there has been zero comment in the major financial press.
Even zerohedge has given it no love.
This now means the ESG pot of money will be able to invest in nuclear.
Structurally this is such huge news but it’s getting next to no coverage.

bespoke
bespoke
July 8, 2022 5:31 am

Good morning inmates.

Dot
Dot
July 8, 2022 5:32 am

Good morning, globalist traitors.

Combine harvester.

feelthebern
feelthebern
July 8, 2022 5:55 am

It turns out that one of the National Gallery glue stunters is a little rich girl with an enormous carbon footprint with a penchant for holidaying all over the world.
Do as I say, not as I do.

rosie
rosie
July 8, 2022 6:23 am

I see Sancho arrived swiftly this morning.
Everybody has the bing bong features on their vehicles these days.
But not EVs, as they cause range anxiety.
I’m reading Michael Connelly’s lockdown novel, he has LAPD with a fleet of BMW EVs put to pasture because of sudden stopping in inconvenient locations.
I wonder how often they are stolen as getaway vehicles.

bespoke
bespoke
July 8, 2022 6:26 am

Everybody has the bing bong features on their vehicles these days.

Not me.

rosie
rosie
July 8, 2022 6:26 am
rosie
rosie
July 8, 2022 6:31 am

I’ve never heard of this bloke but I can see why someone thought he should publish his autobiography.
man shocked to find his autobiography reduced to $1 at kmart

rosie
rosie
July 8, 2022 6:34 am
Cassie of Sydney
July 8, 2022 6:51 am

“Kyrgios”

For the first time in my life I won’t be barracking for an Australian to win.

Knuckle Dragger
Knuckle Dragger
July 8, 2022 6:57 am

Bourne, last night:

An Aboriginal gang called the German boys. Are they the goodies or the baddies and is it considered bad form to be a member of the Brit boys as might trigger past generational trauma.

There’s another gang in the same ‘town’ called Judas Priest. I shit you not.

How come we never hear about them fighting with boomerangs or spears ? Whatever happened to tradition ?

They still do in parts of East Arnhem Land, and Groote Eylandt in particular. Eight foot minimum, shovel nose spears. Bastard things. One of the locals out there was killed with such a thing a few years ago during a traditional clan-based fight.

In the desert, a ‘working’ boomerang is between three and four feet long, with one end longer than the other so you can use it for ‘close-in’ work. Nasty bits of kit.

Dunno if they come back.

Winston Smith
July 8, 2022 7:00 am

Indolent:

https://powergrid.news/2022-07-05-biden-to-shutter-largest-oil-field-gas-prices.html#

The Republicans need to start impeachment proceedings against Biden. They can’t succeed because they don’t have the numbers, however they must make the Democrats own this administration.

Zipster
Zipster
July 8, 2022 7:02 am

A decline in birth rates is a cause for celebration – it shows how far we have come
In fact, the only way to meaningfully bump up the birth rate would be to roll back women’s rights wholesale. Outlaw abortion, prevent women going to university, push them out of the work force, revoke the vote. Or we could simply accept that the birthrate will remain low, which is broadly a sign of something good

Dot
Dot
July 8, 2022 7:07 am

Zippy is actually onto something here because “ultra conservative Iran” has low fertility rates too.

Zipster
Zipster
July 8, 2022 7:08 am

This now means the ESG pot of money will be able to invest in nuclear.
Structurally this is such huge news but it’s getting next to no coverage.

chocolate rations will be increased from 40g to 20g

Zipster
Zipster
July 8, 2022 7:08 am

China ‘cushioning itself from sanctions’ ahead of threatened Taiwan invasion
FBI warns the communist state is drawing lessons from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by trying to insulate its economy from economic reprisals

Zipster
Zipster
July 8, 2022 7:13 am

Or we could simply accept that the birthrate will remain low, which is broadly a sign of something good

the author should consider self-immolation to further reduce the population and entertain us at the same time

sfw
sfw
July 8, 2022 7:18 am

Cassie, no one ‘barracks’ for a team anymore, except for older aussies who remember the culture and language of what was once Australia. Now they either ‘Go’ or ‘Root’ for a team. The ‘Rooting’ is popular with media types.

Dr Faustus
Dr Faustus
July 8, 2022 7:19 am

Nuclear power is now a green source of energy in the EU.
But there has been zero comment in the major financial press.
Even zerohedge has given it no love.
This now means the ESG pot of money will be able to invest in nuclear.
Structurally this is such huge news but it’s getting next to no coverage.

Doesn’t seem to have any coverage in Australia – possibly because it’s not a done deal, more likely because it’s so far away and a minority interest and too difficult to understand.

But it’s all over the EU, UK, and US press – including the financial press.

Zipster
Zipster
July 8, 2022 7:29 am

monkey pox shows no signs of slowing – continues to spread at about 10%/day

uk 1351
germany 1304
spain 1256
us 604
france 577
portugal 415

Dr Faustus
Dr Faustus
July 8, 2022 7:31 am

From the Oz:

Joe Biden said the US relationship with the UK would “remain strong” but failed to name Boris Johnson in a short statement marking the end of the British leader’s prime ministership, suggesting the US president hadn’t warmed to the flamboyant conservative party leader…

Reciprocated.

The veteran MP and former Mayor of London, Mr Johnson had a history of unflattering comments about senior Democrats, including referring to former secretary of state Hillary Clinton as “sadistic nurse in a mental hospital”, and suggesting Barack Obama’s Kenyan ancestry predisposed him to an “ancestral dislike of the British Empire”.

Mr Johnson publicly criticised the Biden administration over its determination to withdraw allied troops, including British and Australian, from Afghanistan in August, a sore point with the president, who had personally insisted on it and later suffered a large drop in his approval rating.
“Could we have done it a bit differently? Maybe we could,” Mr Johnson said in September, further suggesting the inevitable collapse of the Afghan forces was ‘clear’ despite US intelligence.

calli
calli
July 8, 2022 7:32 am

more likely because it’s so far away

Yes. So confident is the Beloved in our stupid stupid government and the energy suppliers providing uninterrupted electricity…he is looking at installing a battery. Can’t see us being out of the woods on supply for at least ten years.

Zipster
Zipster
July 8, 2022 7:33 am

Monkeypox still spreading
Dr. John Campbell

feelthebern
feelthebern
July 8, 2022 7:35 am

But it’s all over the EU, UK, and US press

WSJ had nothing.
Bloomberg had nothing.

calli
calli
July 8, 2022 7:36 am

I see James Caan passed away last night. A fine actor. I hope Wolfman does a post on his filmography some time soon.

Knuckle Dragger
Knuckle Dragger
July 8, 2022 7:37 am

I see James Caan passed away last night. A fine actor.

At his best in Misery.

He may have also done some sort of Sopranos prequel.

Zipster
Zipster
July 8, 2022 7:40 am

The solution then becomes rather obvious. There are more skilled immigrants that want to enter this country than we are currently allowing in. Balancing our working age population is therefore a matter of adjusting immigrant intake. In terms of strain on state support – the basis for this demographic anxiety in the first place – this is even more efficient than growing our own population, as children, of course, need state support too. (Those who worry we will “run out” of working age immigrants anytime soon should comfort themselves that this won’t happen until the patriarchy is smashed worldwide).

so breeding uk whites out of existence is the goal of this moron. universal suffrage has been an unrelenting and unending catastrophe

Zipster
Zipster
July 8, 2022 7:42 am

SHOCKING revelation from CDC FOIA request (from Livestream #132)
DarkHorse Podcast Clips

zero interest in looking at vaers. shut up and die proles

Dr Faustus
Dr Faustus
July 8, 2022 7:42 am

WSJ had nothing.
Bloomberg had nothing.

WSJ
.
Bloomberg.

Zipster
Zipster
July 8, 2022 7:43 am
duncanm
duncanm
July 8, 2022 7:47 am

Winston Smithsays:
July 8, 2022 at 7:00 am
Indolent:

https://powergrid.news/2022-07-05-biden-to-shutter-largest-oil-field-gas-prices.html#

wow – 40% of domestic oil supply. The guy is a marxist loon.

calli
calli
July 8, 2022 7:50 am

Anyone else surprised about the EU tapdancing around nuclear now that a freezing winter with no heating is on the horizon?

No. I’m not either.

Greta is unavailable for comment. She’s rebooting.

Roger
Roger
July 8, 2022 7:53 am

LIBERTY QUOTE
We must recognize that we are living in an imperfect world in which human and superhuman forces of evil are at work and so long as those forces affect the political behaviour of mankind there can be no hope of abiding peace.

— Christopher Dawson

duncanm
duncanm
July 8, 2022 7:53 am

Meanwhile, the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve is shipped overseas, including to China.

US Administration does a Sgt Shultz when questioned.
https://twitter.com/rodriQuez/status/1544851699038179329

Crossie
Crossie
July 8, 2022 7:56 am

Rollerball was the first James Caan movie I saw and it’s still the best but then I like the sci-fi genre better than gangster films.

lotocoti
lotocoti
July 8, 2022 7:56 am

Speaking of actors, fine or otherwise, browsing IMDB I noticed some bloke got an Oscars nomination for best performance by an actress in a leading role, back in 2007.
He played a high school chick who got knocked up.
Bastard patriarchy.

calli
calli
July 8, 2022 7:57 am

It’s hard to work up any emotion about Boris being knifed by the sub-continentals in his own party.

The “party” was symbolic of his government’s cynical attitude to the people and the lockdowns. Waxing lyrical about the green and pleasant land is never going to cover that “let them eat cake” style garbage.

It’s fitting that Wolfman reviewed Depardieu’s “Danton” this week.

Winston Smith
July 8, 2022 8:01 am

Trump Was Right, German Housing Group Begins to Throttle Tenants’ Heating at Night to Save Gas

I bet there’s one group that doesn’t get their gas restricted.

Boambee John
Boambee John
July 8, 2022 8:12 am

m0nty-fa

The fact that an edge case like this might not exist is obviously sending you round the bend, but it was inevitable. That is where your side wants it to be. Embrace it. Understand it. Know who you are.

Fixed for you.

feelthebern
feelthebern
July 8, 2022 8:25 am

Dr F, at no stage this week was the nuclear news on the main pages of Bloomberg or WSJ.
Google as much as you want.

Kneel
Kneel
July 8, 2022 8:26 am

“…we don’t give two hoots about how much carbon we emit.”

I don’t care how much Co2 you emit.
Methane, on the other hand… just make sure you emit that somewhere else, not around me!

feelthebern
feelthebern
July 8, 2022 8:29 am

Dr F, the FTX news is pretty big today.
Tell me where you can see it on the main page.

https://www.wsj.com

Feel free to google.

Big_Nambas
Big_Nambas
July 8, 2022 8:29 am
Tom
Tom
July 8, 2022 8:32 am

Nuclear power is now a green source of energy in the EU.
But there has been zero comment in the major financial press.

That’s because nothing has changed.

The EU is still Klaus Schwab’s neo-communist Big Government black hole.

PS: if you think Australia’s own anti-business daily is full of neo-communist trash like David Rowe, check out London’s Financial Times.

Journalists are the problem, not what they’re writing about.

Kneel
Kneel
July 8, 2022 8:37 am

“I will not have people making fun of my looxury car!
I will not!”

This one, then?

comment image&exph=5504&expw=8256&q=a45+amg&simid=608009568087534302&FORM=IRPRST&ck=B057D51C917C49255BD852297D0112B3&selectedIndex=24&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0

Indolent
Indolent
July 8, 2022 8:39 am
lotocoti
lotocoti
July 8, 2022 8:42 am

Don’t like the odds of the alleged Conservative Party choosing
a hard, pipe hitting conservative who’s prepared to go to the mattresses
over anything even mildly conservative, as the next PM.

Kneel
Kneel
July 8, 2022 8:42 am

“The Trabant-Swift slows and comes to a complete stop, all by itself…”

Trivia:
Beware fitting antennas (mobile phone, CB, etc) in cars with this – can cause issues if fitted in the view of the camera.
Ditto lane “wander” warnings and other “driver assistance” stuff.

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
July 8, 2022 8:42 am

Can’t post the article, but “The Times” last night had a very tongue in cheek article about moving out of No 10 Downing Street. Do you clean the decaying lettuce leaves out of the bottom of the fridge? Do you take the loo rolls? Do you leave your successor a note, wishing them all the best?

Roger
Roger
July 8, 2022 8:43 am

QLD GPs up in arms about the extension of a QLD Health pilot program which authorises pharmacists to prescribe antibiotics for urinary tract infections.

The QLD chief of the RACGPs claim that doctors carefully evaluate every new treatment before endorsing it and insufficient research has been done on this program & that there will be misdiagnoses of cancer cases.

A pity they didn’t express those concerns about covid vaccines & lockdowns.

Boambee John
Boambee John
July 8, 2022 8:47 am

To summarise the shorter m0nty-fa overnight, don’t look at all the late term sex-selection and “lifestyle” abortions, look over there at what might (or might not) be one of an infinitesmally small number of possible births under the age of 11 years in many decades of medical records.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
July 8, 2022 8:47 am

Everybody has the bing bong features on their vehicles these days.

Wut!?!
So I’m not special?
I certainly felt special when the Oktoberfest beer wrenches were dancing to the Oompah Band.

Indolent
Indolent
July 8, 2022 8:48 am

Election Fraud Documentary “The Deep Rig” To Premiere in Naples Florida on July 21, 2022

Patrick Byrne, the founder of Overstock.com and co-creator of The America Project, will hold a special screening of his documentary The Deep Rig, based on his bestselling book of the same name.

Top Ender
Top Ender
July 8, 2022 8:50 am

Yarra City Council want to fly at least five different pride flags on town halls

The inner city council that spent $22,000 of ratepayer money on a banana sculpture, now wants to stop flying the Rainbow or gay pride flag above its Richmond, Collingwood and Fitzroy halls.

The controversial council instead wants to run at least five different pride flags up the poles of its municipal offices, on the recommendation of its “rainbow advisory committee”.

It also wants to fly the “international campaign to abolish nuclear weapons” flag at all three of his headquarters.

Councillors will next week vote on amendments to Yarra’s “civic flag policy and community flag schedule”.

“The consensus view of the rainbow advisory committee was that council should cease flying the rainbow flag,’’ an agenda item for next Tuesday’s meeting said.

“And move instead to the use of the intersex-inclusive pride flag for those occasions where council seeks to ­acknowledge the complete diversity of Yarra’s community.’’

In a statement to the Herald Sun, the council said about 10 per cent of its community identified as lesbian, gay, ­bisexual, transgender, intersex or queer – almost double the Victorian average of 5.7 per cent.

“Yarra is a proud leader and advocate in this space and acknowledges that inclusivity and representation is vital to maintaining the health of wellbeing of our diverse community,’’ it said. The rainbow advisory committee – which is made up of two councillors and 14 community members – called for the rainbow flag to be replaced “to ­acknowledge the complete ­diversity of Yarra’s community”.

The report to be voted on by councillors suggests “council should cease the use of the rainbow flag to recognise the bisexual community on Bi Visibility Day and the intersex community on Intersex Awareness Day. And should instead fly the bisexual flag and the intersex flag respectively.’’

Council officers have also suggested additional pride flags be flown that were “not referenced’’ in its “LGBTIQA+ strategy adopted in 2020’’.

The lesbian pride flag would be flown on Lesbian Visibility Day and International Lesbian Day.

The pansexual pride flag would be hoisted on Pansexual Pride Day and the non-binary pride flag on International Non-Binary People’s Day.

The intersex-inclusive pride Flag would be raised on Wear It Purple Day and on Intersex Day of Remembrance.

The council, overseen by a Spring St appointed municipal monitor, does not intend to seek community input on the decision.

“Public engagement on this subject was limited to discussions with the rainbow advisory committee,’’ it said in the report.

“Officers advise that widespread community consultation is not required due to the narrow scope of the recommendations.’’

The council will also vote to “clarify” how footy flags flown above its town hall during AFL and AFLW grand final weeks should be separated from pride flags.

“The football club flag will be flown in one location, and the other flag will be flown in the other locations,’’ it said.

Herald-Sun

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
July 8, 2022 8:54 am

Yarra City Council want to fly at least five different pride flags on town halls

Rates, Roads and Rubbish..

Indolent
Indolent
July 8, 2022 8:55 am
Big_Nambas
Big_Nambas
July 8, 2022 8:57 am

Oktoberfest beer wrenches

A spanner in the works?

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
July 8, 2022 8:59 am

Beware fitting antennas (mobile phone, CB, etc) in cars with this – can cause issues if fitted in the view of the camera.
Ditto lane “wander” warnings and other “driver assistance” stuff.

Thanks Kneel.
The key phrase is “driver assistance”.
No way would I ever let that stuff drive the car. As I said, my foot was hovering over the brake pedal just in case.
All the comms is integrated and I don’t intend fitting anything to it, but these things can always fail.
Interesting.
I test drove the previous model a couple of years ago and the “lane keeping” was, let’s say, “very assertive”. In this model it is just a gentle pressure on the wheel, followed by a short vibration and really easy to override if you are swerving to avoid an obstacle.
Bing-Bong! End of review.

rosie
rosie
July 8, 2022 8:59 am

You will always be special, sancho.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
July 8, 2022 9:01 am

Rogersays:

July 8, 2022 at 8:43 am

QLD GPs up in arms about the extension of a QLD Health pilot program which authorises pharmacists to prescribe antibiotics for urinary tract infections.

When it comes to demarcation disputes, the white coat unions put the CFMEU in the shade.

calli
calli
July 8, 2022 9:01 am

Do the seatbelts give you a reassuring little hug when the car starts?

I like that feature. 🙂

Indolent
Indolent
July 8, 2022 9:02 am
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
July 8, 2022 9:04 am

Young Aussie who complained about having to go to work everyday is FIRED after bosses saw his anti-work rant online

Millennial who complained about work in video revealed he no longer has job
Presenter Joe Hildebrand told ‘lazy’ Millennials to just ‘shut up and go to work’
He said Generation X was ‘paying for everything’ and the ones becoming CEO’s
Older Australians erupted after Millennial whinged about working every day
Lucas posted the video to social media asking viewers if anyone enjoys working

Daily Mail. Diddums!

Dr Faustus
Dr Faustus
July 8, 2022 9:04 am

Dr F, the FTX news is pretty big today.
Tell me where you can see it on the main page.

Probably nowhere.
But then it would be unusual for an obscure procedural issue in the EU Parliament, reported on the 6th, to still be WSJ headline news on the 8th.

I gave you a contemporary WSJ link; Google all you wish, your original comment – “But there has been zero comment in the major financial press” – was incorrect.

rosie
rosie
July 8, 2022 9:06 am

In good news, the Guardian is miffed.
Incidentally nuclear is the greenest of all, if the wicked carbon pollution is your care.

Putin rubbing hands with glee’ after EU votes to class gas and nuclear as green

Roger
Roger
July 8, 2022 9:07 am

It also wants to fly the “international campaign to abolish nuclear weapons” flag at all three of his headquarters.

When will the Hammer & Sickle get a look in?

H B Bear
H B Bear
July 8, 2022 9:08 am

Lesbian Visibility Day

Hi viz lezzos? WTF. FIFO lezzos? That’s all we need at the Perth QANTAS club.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
July 8, 2022 9:12 am

uly 8, 2022 at 9:01 am

Do the seatbelts give you a reassuring little hug when the car starts?

Really annoying.
So much so, I threw my trousers out of the pamoranic sun-roof.

Gabor
Gabor
July 8, 2022 9:13 am

Gas is also now green
The vote, which passed with a narrower majority than anticipated, means gas and nuclear energy will be included in Europe’s so-called green taxonomy starting next year

Austria and Luxembourg are appealing the decision.
Austria has a lot to answer for over the centuries.

calli
calli
July 8, 2022 9:14 am

Lesbian Visibility Day

When neon buzz-cuts just aren’t enough.

rosie
rosie
July 8, 2022 9:20 am

Isn’t it a panmoronic sunroof ?

Big_Nambas
Big_Nambas
July 8, 2022 9:22 am

more BOM bullshit.

The bad news for Sydney-siders is that floods have been happening to them for all of history and probably a lot of prehistory too, though the ABC and BOM don’t mention it. This week the flooding in Windsor appears to have peaked at almost 14 metres. But in 1867 the water peaked at 63 feet or an amazing 19 metres.

Not to dismiss any of the suffering of the current flooding in Sydney, because I’m sure it’s horrible. Just people need to know the Bureau of Met isn’t telling them the whole truth, and climate grifters are exploiting their pain so they can nab a few more grants, or sell some solar panels.

https://joannenova.com.au/2022/07/the-long-forgotten-floods-of-windsor-and-sydney/

Roger
Roger
July 8, 2022 9:25 am

Lesbian Visibility Day

I was in Coles the other day…I noticed all the grumpy older female staff had rainbows on their ID tags.

In contrast, at the local Woolworths they have pleasant Indian girls who greet me with a smile and call me “sir”.

For some reason, I’m increasingly frequenting the latter establishment.

Bourne1879
Bourne1879
July 8, 2022 9:26 am

Henry Ergas has a column on vax is good in the Oz.

Mater
July 8, 2022 9:29 am

When will the Hammer & Sickle get a look in?

Curtin beat them to it.

To acknowledge the victories by the Red Armies, Mr. Curtin has directed the flying of flags over Commonwealth buildings today, (Tuesday) – the anniversary of the foundation of the Red Army. Mr Curtin said that State Governments had been requested to follow the ‘Commonwealth Government’s’ lead, and private citizens and business organisations were asked to participate.

1943

1944

1945

Zipster
Zipster
July 8, 2022 9:31 am

Real Rukshan

Farmers in their tractors & heavy machinery in the Netherlands have taken to the streets, blocked distribution centres, sea ports, airports and border crossing in a protest aimed at the Dutch Government’s push to force the industry to cut nitrogen emissions by 40%.

The policy means that farms would either have to scale down operations or shutdown completely to meet targets in the short term. The policy also aims to reduce livestock in farms by 30%, as well as impose restrictions on the fishing industry to meet requirements to be granted a nitrogen emission permit to operate.

Police have started to crackdown on gatherings of farmers by infiltrating protests and using aggressive tactics including drawing and firing weapons at farmers.

Wally Dalí
Wally Dalí
July 8, 2022 9:34 am

I’m gonna need a bigger tractor.

Indolent
Indolent
July 8, 2022 9:36 am
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
July 8, 2022 9:36 am

Gas is also now green
The vote, which passed with a narrower majority than anticipated, means gas and nuclear energy will be included in Europe’s so-called green taxonomy starting next year

So the ‘carbon accounting’ is beginning to crumble under its own insufficiency and ludicrous inputs.

Before we know it coal will be back on the list of ‘usables’ as a ‘temporary’ measure. It already is in some countries. Britain has been looking thoughtfully at its old coal mines.

How long is temporary? Like a piece of string.

Wally Dalí
Wally Dalí
July 8, 2022 9:37 am

Noticed all the women have rainbow flag pins at Coles, contrast to what i reckon is 1/4 of the men. Fear of social exclusion is stronger with womxn- and the fellas mostly being the higher-up microphone wearers tells me that if you don’t wear the gay badge, you don’t get the good shifts.
For fun, I like to ask them what “Flybys” is when they ask me if I have it. It’s amazing how many simply cannot compose a meaningful answer.

Roger
Roger
July 8, 2022 9:44 am

…if you don’t wear the gay badge, you don’t get the good shifts.

Discrimination!

Where’s the union?

Eyrie
Eyrie
July 8, 2022 9:49 am

Good article on BloJo the slime at C.L.’s place

https://thecurrencylad.com/2022/07/07/an-inverted-pyramid-of-pfeffel/#comments

flyingduk
flyingduk
July 8, 2022 9:52 am

Lesbian Visibility Day … When neon buzz-cuts just aren’t enough.

I’m thinking someone walking out front with a red flag, like in at the start of the horseless carriage era….

calli
calli
July 8, 2022 10:00 am

The bad news for Sydney-siders is that floods have been happening to them for all of history and probably a lot of prehistory too

All that beautiful alluvial soil didn’t arrive at Lowlands by magic.

shatterzzz
July 8, 2022 10:00 am

Watching Australian Ninja warrior last night and a 15 years old schoolboy weighing 45kgs & 1.5mts tall qualified for the Final .. on the way he topped the 4.5mts wall .. in-bloody-credible!

Dr Faustus
Dr Faustus
July 8, 2022 10:08 am

Dinner last night with my GP.

There’s a looming storm in GP-land over the status of contract doctors operating under the umbrella of an independently owned practice.

It appears that 70% of GP’s classify themselves as contractors rather than employees – but they bill under the practice ABN.

As of 1 July, these doctors either start billing under their own ABN, or get classified as employees of the practice – with all the HR and tax implications which go with that.

The problem is that the RACGP only recently let it’s members know. So it appears that, for the next few months, thousands of GP’s will be paying more attention to their business admin than their patients.

John of Mel
John of Mel
July 8, 2022 10:08 am

monkey pox shows no signs of slowing – continues to spread at about 10%/day

What did you expect? The world, well the supposedly civilised part of it, just went through the whole month of “pride”.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
July 8, 2022 10:13 am

Sancho Panzersays:
July 8, 2022 at 8:59 am
Beware fitting antennas (mobile phone, CB, etc) in cars with this – can cause issues if fitted in the view of the camera.
Ditto lane “wander” warnings and other “driver assistance” stuff.

Thanks Kneel.
The key phrase is “driver assistance”.
No way would I ever let that stuff drive the car. As I said, my foot was hovering over the brake pedal just in case.
All the comms is integrated and I don’t intend fitting anything to it, but these things can always fail.
Interesting.
I test drove the previous model a couple of years ago and the “lane keeping” was, let’s say, “very assertive”. In this model it is just a gentle pressure on the wheel, followed by a short vibration and really easy to override if you are swerving to avoid an obstacle.
Bing-Bong! End of review.

For all Cat Merc Owners

Mercedes From Hell – Last I’ll Ever Buy

Posted on 7 July 2022 by E.M.Smith

I’ve been a happy Mercedes Benz driver for about 40 years now. A couple of the old mechanical diesels (built like a tank and many going 1/2 million to 1 million miles); a couple of gas wagons, a “baby benz”. The latest is the newest, a 2008 ML320 Diesel (CDI) bought to be a Tow Vehicle (there was a long mulling over in prior postings).

A long and depressing read re Computers in Modern Cars today

Will stick with 1994 Toyota Series 80 Landcruiser GXL 4WD and 2006 Honda Jazz both running like new

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
July 8, 2022 10:15 am

Partygate in Britain was very much a press beat-up. Of course many people responded in anger given this sort of emotional press manipulation but it was common knowledge that many ordinary people also bent lockdown rules. He could have survived his limited involvement in that. The press get-Boris reporting reminds me of the left attacks on Abbott here and Trump in the US. Small sins beaten up.

On policy, I thought Boris was gone when I saw Grimsby and how little was being done for the Red Wall regions, largely due to the climate cult which racks Britain with its ideological fervor taking up all funds – but Boris did offer a lot of financial compensation for that to poorer citizens. I still don’t think he is done and dusted in political life yet; he is a persuader. Without him, the hapless Conservatives will lose bigtime. The Conservatives won’t have his reach and charisma with his ‘great British public’ and Labor will win on a ‘change’ wave, as we’ve just had here.

Boris’ strength is in his patriotism and representation of the bulldog. His patriotism includes them all as Britons new and old and they seem to know it intuitively. His ledger has successes as he maintained in his announcement, and he can rally a crowd.

Carrie is the albatross around his neck though.

John of Mel
John of Mel
July 8, 2022 10:17 am

She was invited to Donetsk in November 2021, shortly after meeting one Maria Zakharova, who is apparently OIC Russian social media propaganda. Since then she’s been blowing the Poot with a Telegram channel, “News from Russia”.

Still, maybe all that’s required of her is to report what exactly is happening there to counteract Western Media’s full-on propaganda.

I spoke to a lady who was born and raised in Crimea (Sevasptopol) and immigrated to Australia in early 2000s. She said that she hasn’t heard people speaking Ukrainian language even once until 1991, when it was forced on all TV and radio stations. She said people in Crimea always wanted to be part of Russia. Puts to rest the lie that the Crimean referendum was rigged.

Dot
Dot
July 8, 2022 10:22 am

Noticed all the women have rainbow flag pins at Coles

I would comment but I am not a biologist.

Roger
Roger
July 8, 2022 10:24 am

Boris’ strength is in his patriotism and representation of the bulldog. His patriotism includes them all as Britons new and old and they seem to know it intuitively.

Johnson is a serial liar who was inept at governance.

Most Britons will be glad to see the back of him…when he finally goes.

Mother Lode
Mother Lode
July 8, 2022 10:25 am

It turns out that one of the National Gallery glue stunters is a little rich girl with an enormous carbon footprint with a penchant for holidaying all over the world.

AGW always was a luxury. Idle hands with idler minds craving something to make themselves feel important.

As the economy begins to tank AGW is being pretty quickly kicked down the list of priorities for all except those wealthy enough not to have to worry about power and food prices (or don’t understand how those problems with catch up with them).

flyingduk
flyingduk
July 8, 2022 10:31 am

Will stick with 1994 Toyota Series 80 Landcruiser GXL 4WD and 2006 Honda Jazz both running like new

I owned a couple of 80 Series, and did like them, but both suffered annoying front diff lash which produced ‘clunking’ with power on or power off. I did a survey at a 4WD drive dealer by crawling under half a dozen and checking for free play in the front drive shaft – all had it.

Dot
Dot
July 8, 2022 10:33 am

Watch Paranormal Park guys.

Totally normal having a trans teen and a trans parent in the same household.

feelthebern
feelthebern
July 8, 2022 10:35 am

On the iPhone and can’t link to YouTube.
Can a Cat share the link to Jimmy Dore on the Highland Park shooter?
This guy was so well know to the cops.
Yet passed 4 background checks.
It’s almost like they wanted a dangerous person to have guns.

feelthebern
feelthebern
July 8, 2022 10:36 am

A long weekend of truffles awaits.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
July 8, 2022 10:37 am

flyingduksays:
July 8, 2022 at 10:31 am
Will stick with 1994 Toyota Series 80 Landcruiser GXL 4WD and 2006 Honda Jazz both running like new

I owned a couple of 80 Series, and did like them, but both suffered annoying front diff lash which produced ‘clunking’ with power on or power off. I did a survey at a 4WD drive dealer by crawling under half a dozen and checking for free play in the front drive shaft – all had it.

ARB Air Diff Lockers Front and Rear seemed to solve that problem

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
July 8, 2022 10:41 am

Smoking Gun? Biden’s Sale of Oil From Strategic Reserve Went to Chinese Company Connected to Hunter Biden

Now, there’s more. Joe Biden is selling oil to a Chinese government company that is also continuing to buy Russian oil.

Biden’s Energy Department in April announced the sale of 950,000 Strategic Petroleum Reserve barrels to Unipec, the trading arm of the China Petrochemical Corporation. That company, which is commonly known as Sinopec, is wholly owned by the Chinese government. The Biden administration claimed the move would “address the pain Americans are feeling at the pump” and “help lower energy costs.” [….]

The Biden administration also claimed the Unipec sale would “support American consumers and the global economy in response to Vladimir Putin’s war of choice against Ukraine” and combat “Putin’s price hike.” But as the war rages on, Unipec has continued to purchase Russian oil. In May, for example, the company “significantly increased the number of hired tankers to ship a key crude from eastern Russia,” Bloomberg reported. That decision came roughly one month after Unipec said it would purchase “no more Russian oil going forward” once “shipments that have arrived in March and due to arrive in April” were fulfilled.

That would be bad enough — selling to a company directly owned by the Chinese government and basically helping China build up their reserve while depleting our own stores. But the company is also connected to Hunter Biden.

flyingduk
flyingduk
July 8, 2022 10:43 am

ARB Air Diff Lockers Front and Rear seemed to solve that problem

My now 6year old chopped 200 Series with 110,00km so far is ok

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
July 8, 2022 10:45 am

Treasury Dept. blocking probe into Hunter Biden’s business dealings, says top GOP lawmaker

The Treasury Department has been accused of stonewalling lawmakers’ requests into the business dealings of President Biden’s son Hunter Biden.

Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the top Republican on the House Oversight and Reform Committee, said Treasury officials refused to hand over suspicious activity reports, or SARs, unless the committee’s Democratic leaders signed off on the request.

“Despite Treasury’s assertion in the press that it ‘provides SARs to Congress in a manner that enables robust oversight,’ Treasury is refusing to release SARs connected with Hunter Biden or his family and associates — including the President,” Mr. Comer wrote in a letter Wednesday to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

Roger
Roger
July 8, 2022 10:45 am

As the economy begins to tank AGW is being pretty quickly kicked down the list of priorities

61% of Australians believe we should pause net-zero as Germany has done.

And the pain hasn’t really begun to bite yet.

Elbow & Bowen are going to get mugged by reality if they don’t start listening.

Knuckle Dragger
Knuckle Dragger
July 8, 2022 10:48 am

The key phrase is “driver assistance”.
No way would I ever let that stuff drive the car. As I said, my foot was hovering over the brake pedal just in case.

Yeah, well.

Wait until your involuntary eye movements are monitored and reported 24/7 by Indians via nanocamera, and in a giant warehouse full of Indians. In India.

A representative of The People will turn up to your house and confiscate six random socks.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
July 8, 2022 10:51 am

Knuckle Draggersays:
July 8, 2022 at 10:48 am

A representative of The People will turn up to your house and confiscate six random socks.

That happens every time my socks go into the wash

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
July 8, 2022 10:58 am

The government’s “science” behind Monkeypox is hilarious

Through the pandemic, public health officials have taken some ridiculous actions with their “health” powers.

In some cases they barred people from accessing their own property, and in others locked them inside their homes.

They threatened to cut off utilities to businesses which didn’t shut down, threatened to separate families, and tried to force parents to be vaccinated to keep custody of their kids.

Don’t even get me started on Australia’s COVID concentration camps and walled-off towns.

It was all supposedly in pursuit of following “the science”.

COVID Warlord Anthony Fauci was the leading cheerleader in the US for mandatory mask policies and draconian lockdowns.

But when Texas refused to shut down or mask up, Fauci shrugged and said he was “not really quite sure” why COVID cases in Texas didn’t skyrocket, as he had ominously predicted. Yet despite being a man of science, Fauci wasn’t interested in finding out why he was so wrong.

Now these same public health officials (and their media lapdogs) are responding to the scariest new threat: monkeypox!

“The science” shows that the disease is spreading mostly through skin to skin contact at places like raves and orgies.

Both the CDC and UK Health Security Agency say that the disproportionate majority of cases have thus far been found among gay men.

And by the way, according to the Chinese World Health Organization, Monkeypox has a fatality between 3-6%, which is higher than COVID-19.

So, given the specific risks to the gay community of this extremely fatal disease, you’d think that the government would have followed their own COVID playbooks and canceled gay pride month.

Or at least they would have banned all the pride parties and parades held throughout June, which was the peak of the Monkeypox outbreak. That’s what the “science” said.

But of course they didn’t do that. Canceling PRIDE MONTH would have been extremely un-woke.

So instead, the CDC released guidelines on “Social Gatherings, Safer Sex and Monkeypox.”

One section is entitled, “How can a person lower the chance of getting Monkeypox at places like raves, parties, clubs, and festivals?”

Unlike with COVID where the CDC demanded we all cower in fear at home, with Monkeypox during Pride Month, they had a totally different answer.

If people are going to pile into sweaty, steamy mosh pits, “where there is minimal clothing and where there is direct, personal, often skin-to-skin contact” the CDC advises to “avoid any rashes or sores you see on others and consider minimizing skin-to-skin contact when possible.”

Recently the WHO said it will change the name of Monkeypox after scientists wrote a letter on the “urgent need for a non-discriminatory and non-stigmatizing nomenclature for Monkeypox virus.”

Yep. This is their priority. It’s like these public health officials are trying to destroy any shred of public confidence they had left.

As Fauci said, it’s about authority. And supporting whatever ridiculous political agenda happens to be popular at the moment.

Eyrie
Eyrie
July 8, 2022 11:04 am

If Biden shuts down the Permian basin oil in Texas the great Nation of Texas may decide to leave the Union.
Civil War 2.0

lotocoti
lotocoti
July 8, 2022 11:05 am

Australian Ninja warrior

There’s your problem, right there.
No tatts, nose rings or danger hair in the original Nipponese version.

Dr Faustus
Dr Faustus
July 8, 2022 11:19 am

Still, maybe all that’s required of her is to report what exactly is happening there to counteract Western Media’s full-on propaganda.

Ms Lipp’s sponsor, who apparently invited her to Donetsk just before the tanks rolled into Ukraine, is Maria Zakharova.

Ms Zakharova is Director of the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

I expect she selected Fräulein Lipp for her ability to report exactly what is happening there, free from the shackles of propaganda. It’s a noted characteristic of the Russian Government.

Timothy Neilson
Timothy Neilson
July 8, 2022 11:22 am

m0ntysays:
July 7, 2022 at 10:16 pm
That Twitter thread on the 10-year-old rape victim is full of whining about how unfair it is that the story exists, but nothing in the way of actual evidence that the story is false.

What evidence do you want that something DIDN’T happen?

The total evidence in favour seems to be the word of an abortionist. Gee, m0nty, do you think that someone might have an incentive to keep the cash rolling in by making up some bullshit that can’t be checked because of “confidentiality”?

As against that there’s the dog that didn’t bark in the night. Wall to wall coverage in the media of the supposed abortion. No-one has been able to produce one single media mention of “police are requesting assistance from the public” or “a man has been arrested” or anything else to verify that the supposed rape actually occurred. Nothing.
That’s not proof of a negative but there’s a strong odour of rodent.

On a statistical basis the story is improbable, though not so much so that that would justify dismissing it. But given the poor evidence for the story and the smoking gun lack of evidence for the backstory, it’s worth noting that it’s not something one would expect to have happened.
The CDC says pregnancy rates among 10-14 girls are 0.2% per 1000 per year. Ohio’s population is a bit under 12 million, so say 6 million females. A life expectancy of about 77 gives us about 390,000 10-14 girls. That’s about 78 pregnancies a year among that age group.
The story came out within 3 days of the Dobbs decision. The story was very specific about the pregnancy being 6 weeks and 3 days. Let’s be generous and allow the full three days as a potential period. It’s probable that there’d be one 10-14 age group pregnancy in Ohio during that 3 days. There’s nothing particularly improbable about the possibility of there being even more than one. But what are the odds of a 10 year old falling pregnant in Ohio in that three day period? Given the menarche stats it would look like something about 5 to 1 against on the raw numbers, even assuming that the girl was close to 11 years of age, and considerably less if she wasn’t. And that’s not accounting for the likelihood that sexual activity (including rape) is skewed towards the 14 year end of the spectrum.

All in all there’s nothing at all likely about the story, the evidence for it is weak, and no-one has been able to explain why it appeared out of nowhere with zero evidence of the crucial first cause.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
July 8, 2022 11:24 am

ABOUT THAT 10-YEAR-OLD RAPE VICTIM

Over the last week, we have been barraged with stories about a 10-year-old rape victim in Ohio who was unable to obtain an abortion in that state and had to cross the line into Indiana to terminate her pregnancy. If you Google “10 year old abortion Ohio,” you get 33,100,000 results. The story is everywhere, internationally.

But did it happen? It turns out that the story originated with an abortionist who is also a media figure, seemingly working full-time to promote abortion. And if a 9 or 10 year old was raped, it was a heinous crime. Where is the criminal prosecution of the rapist? There doesn’t seem to be any record of one, and in fact, no Ohio newspaper has endorsed the story.

Megan Fox has questions. You should check out the thread. Is it possible that a 10-year-old was actually raped, impregnated, and went to Indiana for an abortion? I suppose so, although 9 or 10 is awfully young. But did it actually happen? The girl’s name, if it did happen, is of course protected, but not that of the rapist. Where is the prosecution?

The alacrity with which this uncorroborated story, pushed out by an abortionist and left-wing media hound, has been uncritically adopted by news outlets around the world–as far as one can tell, without doing any investigation at all–illustrates what is wrong with today’s liberal media landscape: 5% facts, 95% narrative. If the story turns out to be true, it will be purely coincidental.

Roger
Roger
July 8, 2022 11:26 am

Ms Lipp’s sponsor, who apparently invited her to Donetsk just before the tanks rolled into Ukraine, is Maria Zakharova.

I must be naive…I was wondering how the likes of Ms. Lipp just up sticks and transit to a war zone in one of the poorest areas Europe and find food & lodging there. Not to mention a good internet connection.

Timothy Neilson
Timothy Neilson
July 8, 2022 11:42 am

Two other things about the 10 year old abortion story.

Ohio and Indiana both have mandatory reporting of child abuse, so it’s prima facie implausible that the rape story was somehow unknown to the authorities. Yet there’s still nothing about the supposed rape.

Also, even if the underlying facts are true, is it even remotely possible that a doctor in Ohio who was willing to do abortions would refuse to use the “danger to the mother” exception for a 10 year old, given all the World Health Organisation and other data on the health risks involved in such a case? If so, maybe to create a drama for propaganda purposes with the 10 year old as the stage prop in the “flight to Indiana” scene?

Totally bogus, or stage managed for politics, are the two outstanding odds on front runners here.

Gabor
Gabor
July 8, 2022 11:43 am

Dr Faustus says:
July 8, 2022 at 11:19 am

I expect she selected Fräulein Lipp for her ability to report exactly what is happening there, free from the shackles of propaganda. It’s a noted characteristic of the Russian Government.

As opposed to all other governments, I suppose you mean?

John of Mel
John of Mel
July 8, 2022 11:49 am

This was bound to happen.

Apparently this is from 2011.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
July 8, 2022 11:54 am

How the RBA duped Aussie households

Martin Place risks destroying economic prosperity with some of the most aggressive rate increases in the world that are based on forecasts not worth the paper they are written on.

Christopher Joye Columnist

One of our finest institutions, the venerable Reserve Bank of Australia, is in turmoil. Riddled by extreme group think and a hierarchical and tenure-based organisational structure that suffocates dissent, the RBA is once again blindly repeating mistakes that have plagued its policy decisions

It is on a path to impose one of the most aggressive interest rate hiking cycles in the developed world on the globe’s most interest rate sensitive economy despite not having clear evidence that Australia has a protracted core inflation problem.

The official wage price index has expanded at an anaemic 2.4 per cent over the last year, well below the 3-4 per cent the RBA claims is required to sustain inflation within its target 2-3 per cent.

Real-time wage data from CBA deriving from salary payments into 300,000 bank accounts tracks the wage price index very closely. It indicates that in the period since the last official release, Aussie wages have continued to run at a modest 2.5 per cent.

Yes, we have lofty headline inflation care of an unusual series of supply-side shocks, which have conspired to push up the price of food, fuel, building materials and other items. And yes, consumer inflation expectations have unsurprisingly climbed in lockstep. But this should pass, like a pig through a python.

Given Australia’s robust economic growth powered by high export prices, the low jobless rate and evidence that wages are climbing off an insipid base, there is a compelling case to start normalising the cash rate towards a cost of capital that is neither contractionary nor expansionary.

The problem is that although the RBA has repeatedly alleged that this “neutral” level is at least 2.5 per cent (or a chunky 175 basis points above the pre-pandemic cash rate), the truth is the RBA has no idea where “neutral” really is. You only know once you are there.

Worthless forecast

The 2.5 per cent estimate the RBA is bandying around is yet another forecast that is not worth the paper it is written on – much like its view in early March 2020 that the pandemic was not a big deal and then its excessively pessimistic subsequent forecasts for a deep recession.

Given the unparalleled sensitivity of Australia’s economy – dominated more than any other by a preponderance of variable-rate, rather than fixed-rate, debt – to interest rate changes, a prudent policymaker would be gradually lifting the cash rate in standard, 25-basis-point increments every month and “nowcasting” the real-time data flows to assess the impact. That might get you to 2.5 per cent, or you might have to stop well short of that mark.

Ironically, this was precisely the logic the RBA employed to rationalise its first 25-basis-point increase in May, which was at variance with the 15- or 40-basis point increases expected by economists and the market. The RBA explained that it rejected 15 basis points because this would be “inconsistent with the historical practice of changing the cash rate in increments of at least 25 basis points”. And it knocked back 40 basis points because a 25-basis-point move would “help signal that the board was now returning to normal operating procedures after the extraordinary period of the pandemic”.

So should consumers conclude that the RBA is signalling that they face an inflation crisis that warrants radically higher rates given that it has napalmed their budgets with two consecutive, and highly unusual, 50-basis-point hikes and an extraordinary total of 125-basis-point increases in just two months (or over three meetings spanning May 4 to July 6)?

The crisis is apparently so bad that the RBA is further conditioning households via the media to prepare for an unprecedented, third 50-basis-point increase in August, meaning rates would have risen by a staggering 175 basis points in merely three months (or over four meetings).

The last time this happened was in 1994 when the level of the RBA’s cash rate was about five times higher than its starting point this year (the proportional change in interest repayments was, therefore, a lot less). And in 1994, the household debt-to-income ratio was only 44 per cent of its current level. Put simply, Australians were a lot less sensitive to interest rate changes 28 years ago.

CBA’s economist Gareth Aird says that “despite the 3.9 per cent unemployment rate, actual wage outcomes are their lowest on record for a tightening cycle”. “And yet households are wearing the most aggressive interest rate increases for decades combined with deeply negative real, or inflation-adjusted, wage growth.”

Economic crisis

The economy could crater as a consequence. There are already worrying signs in the higher-frequency data. Consumer confidence has plunged towards the record lows observed during the GFC and in March 2020. House prices in Sydney and Melbourne are falling at a double-digit annualised rate, likely to accelerate if the RBA delivers a third 50-basis-point increase.

Arguably the biggest concern is the withering shock to household expectations delivered by the RBA. Martin Place spent all of 2020 and 2021 telling every Australian that it all but guaranteed rates would remain low for long.

Through 2020 and much of 2021, Governor Phil Lowe implored consumers, businesses and governments to leverage up to take advantage of ultra-cheap money safe in the knowledge that the RBA would protect them against the risk of higher rates.

Australian households responded by boosting their debt to disposable income ratio to a never-before-seen 187 per cent. The value of housing leapt 37 per cent – or to a record 656 per cent of disposable incomes – reinforcing its role at the largest source of household wealth.

The RBA’s low-rates-for-long guarantee was explicitly underwritten by its bold interest rate peg whereby it kept the yield on the 2024 Commonwealth bond fixed at the same 0.1 per cent as its overnight cash rate. This was to publicly demonstrate that the cash rate would stay at 0.1 per cent until at least 2024.

As recently as late last year, the RBA was dismissing calls for rate increases in 2022 as implausible. “I would like to repeat a point I made a couple of weeks ago — that is, the latest data and forecasts do not warrant an increase in the cash rate in 2022,” was Lowe’s comfort to consumers on November 16.

Aussie consumers are being hammered by the fastest interest rate increases in a quarter of a century that are crushing disposable incomes; a massive reduction in real wage growth as a result of a huge, one-off increase in inflation; the spectre of a record decline in the value of their largest asset; the biggest fall in superannuation savings since the GFC; and the prospect of higher unemployment as rate hikes crush demand.

For years the RBA has been pilloried for maintaining core inflation below its 2-3 per cent target and for keeping unemployment at an excessively high level that failed to support decent wage growth. As a consequence, both sides of politics have agreed to an independent review into why the central bank failed to meet its mandate.

And yet at the first sign that the RBA might finally satisfy its twin legislated objectives of full employment and price stability, Martin Place risks throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

Top Ender
Top Ender
July 8, 2022 11:57 am

Over at Quadrant on “the Voice to Parliament”:

…the statement remains silent on anything that does not support this one-sided view of Australia’s past.

One such incident is the silence on Aboriginal tribal warfare prior to and during European Settlement. Historian Geoffrey Blainey in The Story of Australia’s People, (Which won the prime ministers literary award in 2016) remarks,

The new and very large Cambridge History of Australia … rightly denounces the massacres of Aborigines in the sheep lands but ignores the massacres of Aborigines by neighbouring Aborigines in the near and distant past.

Link

Rockdoctor
Rockdoctor
July 8, 2022 11:58 am
Eyrie
Eyrie
July 8, 2022 12:00 pm

Christopher Joye Columnist

Cry me a river, dickhead. We’ve had negative real interest rates for a few years now.
If anyone thinks inflation was a couple of percent they have rocks in their head.
The only target the RBA should have is keeping the currency stable. All else flows from that. Shrinking the measuring stick doesn’t help.

Delta A
Delta A
July 8, 2022 12:01 pm

A representative of The People will turn up to your house and confiscate six random socks.

That happens every time my socks go into the wash

Not a problem for me. 🙂

Dot
Dot
July 8, 2022 12:08 pm

For years the RBA has been pilloried for maintaining core inflation below its 2-3 per cent target and for keeping unemployment at an excessively high level that failed to support decent wage growth.

Anyone who reckons inflation creates prosperity is living on another planet.

It is an economic fallacy that has been debunked so many times.

Real wages are determined by the price level, a lower price level means higher wages!

rosie
rosie
July 8, 2022 12:10 pm

Good news from Japan!

Kneel
Kneel
July 8, 2022 12:16 pm

“All the comms is integrated and I don’t intend fitting anything to it…”

For people in the country, many will fit a cellular “amplifier” to the car (or even house, if required) – we sell one called “Cel-Fi”. These can increase the range by a fair bit – with a good antenna, Choice says anything up to 45km more coverage (depends on terrain etc) in a car.
Since no-one really likes drilling holes in the car any more, and since it is “country” folk, many will attach these to the bull bar, which as I noted can affect camera-based driver assistance devices.
Especially if the antenna is white – for some reason, black antennas appear to be less problematic.
Also need to watch out for this even using the “on glass” antennas – check where the cameras are before you install an antenna!

Since level 2 tech support for these devices is part of my job, should any Cats require advise on these, please ask Dover for my email address – more than happy to discuss this with you.

calli
calli
July 8, 2022 12:22 pm

My understanding is that they’re not open for individual travellers, rosie.

I want to spend one night landside as a transit passenger. Need a visa plus an authorised person to accompany me and stay with me until I return airside. They can go jump.

I have made other arrangements, unfortunately not pointy end.

Dr Faustus
Dr Faustus
July 8, 2022 12:23 pm

It’s a noted characteristic of the Russian Government.

As opposed to all other governments, I suppose you mean?

I don’t differentiate.

I also don’t believe the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is any less deep into agitprop than any other government agency.

The Tripp Story lit up the conspiracy corners of the English language internet with a yummy meme:

• German Jackboots stamping on a citizen journalist;
• Bank account seized;
• Dad’s bank account seized;
• Found guilty of crimes without due process;
• Sentenced in absentia to 3 years jail.

Repeated as fact all over the place – including right here.

A quick glance at the German media suggests none of it is exactly 100% truthful.

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
July 8, 2022 12:25 pm

The new and very large Cambridge History of Australia … rightly denounces the massacres of Aborigines in the sheep lands but ignores the massacres of Aborigines by neighbouring Aborigines in the near and distant past.

Wasn’t Blainey pilloried by the “industry” for pointing out that, in parts of Australia, the annual death rate, from inter tribal warfare, was up there with the armed forces of the Soviet Union, and Nazi Germany, during World War Two?

Eyrie
Eyrie
July 8, 2022 12:25 pm

A quick glance at the German media suggests none of it is exactly 100% truthful.

OTOH the German media is likely 100% untruthful about anything.

bespoke
bespoke
July 8, 2022 12:26 pm

Not a problem for me. 

LOL!

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
July 8, 2022 12:27 pm

Wait until your involuntary eye movements are monitored and reported 24/7 by Indians via nanocamera, and in a giant warehouse full of Indians. In India.

Now here is a very strange and spooky thing.
If I turn my head to the right, the SatNav map adjusts to show more of the roadways and terrain to the right. Likewise to the left.
There must be eyeball monitoring somewhere in the dashboard.
I think it does have fatigue monitoring but I haven’t triggered it so far.
In other words, I still have my trousers on.

Kneel
Kneel
July 8, 2022 12:32 pm

“I would comment but I am not a biologist.”

It’s simple, Dot.

A “Woman” is an adult female human.
A “female” is a member of the species that produces non-mobile ova.

Many are confused however, as the Daily Wire’s “What is a woman?” documentary shows.
That is what happens when you try to force reality to comply with your desires instead of the other way around, and when a large number of vocal people support that desire – reality doesn’t actually change of course, but people insist you should act like it does. Down that path lies madness – and it is already apparent that there are plenty who do not care that it is madness, as long as you comply and publicly state their insanity is actually reality. That many of those insane people are in charge of much of “social media” and the MSM is more than a little concerning.

Dr Faustus
Dr Faustus
July 8, 2022 12:32 pm

OTOH the German media is likely 100% untruthful about anything.

Sure.
Which gives you a free pass to believe whatever shit you like.

bespoke
bespoke
July 8, 2022 12:36 pm

an authorised person to accompany me and stay with me until I return airside.

My youngest had to do the same thing going to the US the first time, calli.

It’s a hight thing, don’t take personality.

bespoke
bespoke
July 8, 2022 12:40 pm

Wife sick with covid now. Geebus!

bespoke
bespoke
July 8, 2022 12:40 pm

Personally

bespoke
bespoke
July 8, 2022 12:48 pm
Winston Smith
July 8, 2022 12:50 pm

Calli:

So confident is the Beloved in our stupid stupid government and the energy suppliers providing uninterrupted electricity…he is looking at installing a battery. Can’t see us being out of the woods on supply for at least ten years.

Can you let us know how the search goes, please?

Winston Smith
July 8, 2022 12:53 pm

I keep getting an internal server error on some links. I’ll try dissecting a post to see what triggers it:

Manhattan DA Charges Bodega Worker with Murder After Stabbing Violent Ex-Con in Self-Defense

Winston Smith
July 8, 2022 12:54 pm

I keep getting an internal server error on some links. I’ll try dissecting a post to see what triggers it:
Video is clear on what happened – the (white) bloke was defending himself against the (black) bloke.

Winston Smith
July 8, 2022 12:55 pm

I keep getting an internal server error on some links. I’ll try dissecting a post to see what triggers it:
The old bloke is in gaol, the young bloke is on a slab.
Justice half done – the old feller should be given a medal for disposing of another violent criminal.

Winston Smith
July 8, 2022 12:56 pm

I keep getting an internal server error on some links. I’ll try dissecting a post to see what triggers it:

Manhattan DA Charges Bodega Worker with Murder After Stabbing Violent Ex-Con in Self-Defense

Winston Smith
July 8, 2022 12:57 pm

I keep getting an internal server error on some links. I’ll try dissecting a post to see what triggers it:

According to Alba’s defense lawyer, the 32-year-old woman took a knife out of her purse and stabbed the bodega worker in the shoulder, the New York Post reported.

Zipster
Zipster
July 8, 2022 12:57 pm

Yet as Libs of TikTok commented, the owners still appeared to be cannibalized by their fellow activists.

“Egghart and Parikh’s surrender to the outrage shows a point proven again and again — no matter how many times you bend the knee to the mob, you will never be able to adhere to their insatiable standards for progressive enlightenment,” Libs of TikTok remarked. “No matter how much of an ‘ally’ you are, you will never be safe from becoming just another trophy head on the wall of wokeism.”

woke purity is a process not a destination

Winston Smith
July 8, 2022 12:58 pm

I keep getting an internal server error on some links. I’ll try dissecting a post to see what triggers it:
She is not facing charges for stabbing Jose Alba – But Jose Alba is facing a second-degree murder charge for fatally stabbing Austin Simon – AFTER the assailants stabbed him and violently attacked him.

Winston Smith
July 8, 2022 1:00 pm

I keep getting an internal server error on some links. I’ll try dissecting a post to see what triggers it:

Video is clear on what happened – the (white) bloke was defending himself against the (black) bloke.

Winston Smith
July 8, 2022 1:09 pm

I keep getting an internal server error on some links. I’ll try dissecting a post to see what triggers it:
OK.
It seems the complete post is what is being rejected/causes the internal error.
Using Brave browser Version 1.25.72 Chromium: 91.0.4472.101 (Official Build) (64-bit) on Windows 7.
DoverBeach, that’s the limit of my Google Fu.

Vicki
Vicki
July 8, 2022 1:09 pm

For an informed take on the global crises afoot, I have discovered interesting podcasts of smart news analysis:

https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-duran-podcast-the-duran-8sUIOLnDQTN/

Carpe Jugulum
Carpe Jugulum
July 8, 2022 1:14 pm

Shinzo Abe has been shot while making a stump speech in Nara

Vicki
Vicki
July 8, 2022 1:15 pm

I fondly thought that Mike Pompeio might have a tilt on the Presidency & be an acceptable face of Reason. However, his speech to the Hudson Institute a few weeks ago destroyed that illusion. Just another Neocon who is happy put aside uncomfortable truths about dubious allies and enemies alike.

https://www.hudson.org/research/17914-transcript-of-pompeo-speech-on-ukraine-and-a-global-alliance-for-freedom

John of Mel
John of Mel
July 8, 2022 1:18 pm

Another TV Series with a vast discrepancy between critics and audience score.

Season one of the series is sporting a rough 37% approval rating from critics.

Audience scores, though, tell a different story. The show is boasting an impressive 93% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes from the general audience, with comments expressly calling out film critics.

My wife and I are enjoying it. One episode to go.

The strongest recommendation comes from Buzzfeed:

“BuzzFeed deemed it “an unhinged Right-wing revenge fantasy,”

bespoke
bespoke
July 8, 2022 1:18 pm

I keep getting an internal server error on some links. I’ll try dissecting a post to see what triggers it:

I blame xxxx.

  1. Imagine being the logistics manager! They would have required quite a few ‘domestics’ as well, to clean everything away.

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