Open Thread – Tue 1 Nov 2022


All Souls’ Day, Jules Bastien-Lepage, 1882

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Mother Lode
Mother Lode
November 3, 2022 11:50 am

Dan Andrews is watching MAFS at 85kph in a 50kph in a residential zone. He looks up over the steering wheel just in time to see the stop sign and two cyclists on the cross street in front of him.

BA-BANG!

Dan screeches to halt (not it wasn’t the tyres) puts himself in order and does his fly up. One of the cyclists is in the back seat, bloodied and groaning weakly. The other is hanging double over the bough of a tree down the street, his blood tracing a lazy circular shape on the footpath below.

Dan jumps ashen faced from his car, looking around him to see if anyone has seen him.

Damn it! An old woman looking through her window. An old man doing his gardening. Dan resolves that, when he has the power, he will make old people pay. All of them.

He paces agitatedly up and down beside the car, mind frantically trying formulate an explanation consistent with what cannot be denied.

A police car rolls up across the street with its light flashing. The burly officer behind the wheel looks across at the license plate and goes back to talking on his radio, frequently nodding his head and ending with a that single large slow nod of a man who ‘gets’ it.

When the police officer finally opens his car door Dan is fit to burst and immediately starts with broken sentences “the car was driving fast” (angrily kicks the car) and “the car didn’t stop” (kicks the car again) and “the car hit them” (kicks the car twice), but the police officer shushes him and bids him in a gentle voice to calm down and assuring him that everything is going to be alright.

He looks in the back seat where the first cyclist is starting to blow bubbles in the blood that has pooled around his head in the bucket seat. The officer takes out his book and pen, looks Dan in the eye and says, “Don’t worry. We will get him for breaking and entering.” Momentarily confused and mouth open but unspeaking Dan slowly lifts his arm and points to the other cyclist. With a slight slime the officer says “And him, leaving the scene of a crime. Everything is going to be alright.”

And it begins to dawn on Dan. Yes, it is going to be alright. Everything is going to be alright.

The other officer in the car who had looked uncomfortable throughout was transferred to a one horse town before the end of his shift.

duncanm
duncanm
November 3, 2022 11:53 am

re: Andrew’s and bicycle boy.
here’s the crash scene. Gravel bike path onto Ridley St.

Boy says ‘I looked left and right, left the kerb, then car hit me from left’ – which means he must have been riding from left to right across Ridley St, and the car was coming down the hill after turning into Ridley St off Melbourne Rd – Andrew’s said they did a right hand turn before the incident.

I can guess what happened – and it wasn’t the kid’s fault.

Arky
November 3, 2022 11:54 am

calli says:
November 3, 2022 at 11:39 am
Has she ever seen a poor soul who hasn’t had adequate access to water and soap?

..
Or been downwind of diggers coming in from time in the field.

Winston Smith
November 3, 2022 11:56 am

Mater:

The introduction of EVs is merely a means to make individual travel reliant on a government controlled/regulated monopoly (electricity), and, by extension, obtain the ability control peoples movement and choice.

It was something I noticed during the lockdowns.
If you had an EV, you were locked into a 150 Km road trip anyway.
Assume EV with range of 450 km.
Allowing for limitations and range anxiety, there’s your 150 Km curfew for ever – ta da!
Mind you, if you have solar panels then is it possible to hook up the EV to them and recharge during the day when the vehicle isn’t in use? Would there need to be a battery somewhere in the line to smooth out any fluctuations? Because frankly the return on the bill is SFA.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
November 3, 2022 11:57 am

If (and it’s a big “if”) a proper investigation was conducted, there will be many photos of the scene, the car, the bike and anything else that seemed likely to be relevant. A subpoena to Vic Stasi, asking for these would be very revealing, particularly if they “unfortunately cannot be located”.

Yeah, but nah.
The fact that there was no breath test done on scene, or it was binned shortly thereafter, tells you the fix was in.
There will be no accident scene photos of the car, the bike, the surrounds, nuffink.

Roger
Roger
November 3, 2022 11:57 am

The problem is nobody knows enough to give Griffin a challenging interview. Courier Mail can’t get enough of him and prefer his opinion over that of CHO Qld

“You Could All Die!” sells more newspapers than “Keep calm and carry on.”

A newspaper of record, it is.

Top Ender
Top Ender
November 3, 2022 11:57 am

Cassie: people need a good serving of energy chaos, and only then will there be a change in mindset

Yes, agree. Although hopefully Europe and the USA will demonstrate how to do it this winter, and the necessary powers in Oz will say “we wuz wrong”.

Mind you, seeing them voted out for their folly would be useful.

flyingduk
flyingduk
November 3, 2022 11:57 am

You’re still not safe if stuck in Sicktoria. Your rates will need to go up enough to pay off the $200+ billion debt.

Fair observation, but nowhere in Australia is any different now – not even the frontiers which should be (NT, WA) – the last 3 years has showed us that. There is nowhere physical to run to now. Only physical stuff you can bury (gold), and its digital equivalents (BTC) can be trusted now.

sfw
sfw
November 3, 2022 11:57 am

I doubt that there’s a file for the investigation of the Andrews/Missus incident. What would usually happen is the attending crew would take statements from witnesses and the victim (if possible), ask the driver some questions, do a breath test and maybe take pics. Back then (maybe now) there were no issued cameras and most police took pics on their own phones, if a brief was prepared then the pics would be downloaded and printed and attached to the brief. I’m amazed that with an injury that required hospitalisation no breath test was conducted, I find it hard to believe. It’s also usual for a collision involving hospital admission and serious injuries to be attended by at least a Sgt and often the Highway Patrol if available.

Thing is if no brief was submitted and no BAC test done then it’s likely there isn’t much evidence left except the running sheet and attending officers notes and any statements that were taken (if any in this case).

All up it stinks.

Old School Conservative
Old School Conservative
November 3, 2022 11:58 am

Are you joking?

No, not joking JC.
You’d remember the subsidies that car manufacturers received. That helped keep the price of new cars down. I’m predicting that EVs will receive the same government largesse.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
November 3, 2022 12:03 pm

Razeysays:

November 3, 2022 at 11:49 am

Just got word from my kids school. – another kid has died.

Which school Razey-san?
And died of what?
When you say “another” are you saying another kid at that school?
If so, when did the first one occur?
I have a contact in the Education Department who works with “critical incident management” in schools.
She will be able to say which schools have had multiple sudden deaths at school.

Top Ender
Top Ender
November 3, 2022 12:03 pm

2nd article in Herald-Sun – does the paper smell blood?

Peter Meuleman claims he was ‘brickwalled’ when seeking details about crash involving his son and Daniel Andrews

Ryan Meuleman’s life changed forever the fateful day he was hit by Dan Andrews’ car, but when his dad went seeking answers he was “brickwalled”.

Traumatised by the early afternoon collision between a car and his bike-riding teenage boy at Blairgowrie, Mr Meuleman visited Rye police station seeking answers about what had happened on the corner of Ridley St and Melbourne Rd.

He would not discover until days later that the then-Opposition Leader Daniel Andrews and his wife Catherine were in the car.

“I was a very distraught father and I just wanted to know the details of the accident,” Mr Meuleman recalled.

“After the impact, the doctors told me that he bled out five times the volume of blood that the human body holds and that they had to pump units of blood and units of plasma to stabilise his condition and secure the ruptured spleen.

“What were the circumstances? Was it speeding? Was it negligence? Was it driving under the influence? All of those things that I felt that I had the right to know as the father of a minor that was involved in that accident. But they disclosed nothing to me. I just got brickwalled – and I couldn’t understand that.

“Accidents happen but why you would hold the details from the father made no sense to me.”

Mr Meuleman said he became more suspicious about a week later when he got a call from an insurance company “seeking damages from us” for Ryan’s bike hitting the car the Andrews family were driving.

“I couldn’t believe that,” he said.

“For God’s sake, my son nearly died in the middle of the road and you want to get damages from a push bike?”

Mr Meuleman said the insurance firm “errantly” revealed that the driver of the vehicle had been a Catherine Kesik and that it was a state government car.

“So that kind of set off a couple of alarm bells in my head and we did some digging and found that Catherine Kesik was the wife of the Opposition Leader at the time, Daniel Andrews,” he said.

The January 7 crash only became public nine days after it occurred, when Mr Meuleman contacted the Herald Sun.

Nine years on, Mr Meuleman says he still can’t understand the way Mr Andrews and his wife behaved after the crash.

“It’s all upsetting, but if I had been involved in an accident and somebody was injured – if it’s my fault or not my fault regardless of where the blame laid – I’d want to follow up and find out if that person who was involved in that accident was OK,” he said.

“I thought that would be the moral thing to do but it never happened.”

Premier Andews has previously said he was advised by police not to contact the family.

Mr Meuleman said Ryan’s life changed forever that fateful afternoon.

“It was massive and that’s why we are here today because we still feel like there was an injustice done to my son,” he said.

“For a period post the accident he went all rebellious, he went a little bit transient. I was estranged from him. And in my head, psychologically, he was running away from all this.”

Mr Meuleman hoped a fresh investigation led by lawyer George Defteros – or even an independent inquiry – would bring long-awaited answers.

“We kind of got battered down a little bit and battered into submission on it all – and now some people are willing to fight on our behalf and hopefully try and get to the truth of the story,” he said.

“And if that differs from the original or if that co-aligns with the original so be it as well.

“It’s really just a case of trying to get a proper closure so my son can get his life properly back on track rather than just having to live with this dark cloud over him that stems from this accident.”

Article has lotsa pix and a diagram of the site

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
November 3, 2022 12:06 pm

I’m amazed that with an injury that required hospitalisation no breath test was conducted, I find it hard to believe. 

Yep.
It would be almost a reflex action turning up at an accident like that to grab the test kit out of the car.
And here’s the thing.
A smart driver who was stone cold sober would almost insist on being put on the bag.

Roger
Roger
November 3, 2022 12:10 pm

Premier Andews has previously said he was advised by police not to contact the family.

And Andrews, having no moral compass of his own, happily agreed.

Either that or he’s lying, the bastard.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
November 3, 2022 12:11 pm

I even have a book on ‘gassifying’ cars – running combustion engines on wood gas

Duk – I was thinking about that during my discussion with Speedy last night. If central government control decayed, as I’d expect in an era of disobedience, the harvesting of wood would become rampant and wood then would be available for these WW2-style critters.

Ingenuity will defeat the dead hand of government if they stand against the ordinary people. On the other hand whole cities would smell like eucalyptus oil.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
November 3, 2022 12:13 pm

Top Ender.
It might seem minor, but the kid being told that his TAC payout was dependant on him keeping quiet is suspect.
TAC payouts are “no fault” insurance payouts. Whilst he might be asked to sign a waiver that the payment finalises his TAC claim there is no way they would request him to sign an NDA, or refrain from talking about it.
If it was a normal TAC claim, that is.
Remember, Tim Smith was hounded out of politics for damaging a house in his car.
He didn’t come within a hair’s breadth of killing a kid.

Cassie of Sydney
November 3, 2022 12:14 pm

“Razeysays:
November 3, 2022 at 11:49 am
Just got word from my kids school. – another kid has died.

Dumb cunt Rosie’s clotshot sure is safe and effective. Fuck you!”

Enough, you don’t know what that “kid” died of.

And enough with describing Rosie as a “cunt”.

lotocoti
lotocoti
November 3, 2022 12:16 pm

Who is higher on the victimhood pole Albanian refugees or Pikeys?

Real Deal
Real Deal
November 3, 2022 12:17 pm

A young cyclist hit by Daniel Andrews’ car has aired explosive claims about the crash, alleging the car was “speeding” and that he’s been denied justice.

We see you, we hear you, we believe you.

calli
calli
November 3, 2022 12:19 pm

Or been downwind of diggers coming in from time in the field.

Chuckle. Picked up son many times from school after a week slogging around with Cadets at Singleton. Washing optional.

Ripe as.

H B Bear
H B Bear
November 3, 2022 12:20 pm

Not sure you can draw any conclusion about fault looking at that Google Maps photo. Any car would be wholly on the side road before it reached the bike path crossover.

Chris
Chris
November 3, 2022 12:20 pm

I was cleaning my Death Star and it accidentally went off, yer Honour.

Don’t yer hate that??!

It was a good joke BoN, but I am going pedantically into the reason that is a quote. I got into firearms in the 1970s and at that time ‘I was cleaning it’ accidents were something of a fashion. Shooting clubs and military training with their ‘immediately open breach, display chamber’ kind of safety made that un-possible.

Based on my now larger life experience of normal behaviour, we can safely translate ‘I was cleaning it and it went off’ as ‘I was fucking around with it and it went off’.
The current phrase ‘fuck around and find out’ is applicable.

Gabor
Gabor
November 3, 2022 12:23 pm

and its digital equivalents (BTC) can be trusted now.

Cut off from the net and see how far you go.
You may drive your wood gas fired car, provided the authorities let you, but you cant get your money.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
November 3, 2022 12:23 pm

Real Dealsays:

November 3, 2022 at 12:17 pm

A young cyclist hit by Daniel Andrews’ car has aired explosive claims about the crash, alleging the car was “speeding” and that he’s been denied justice.

We see you, we hear you, we believe you.

Bwah ha ha ha.
Today’s winner!

Bourne1879
Bourne1879
November 3, 2022 12:24 pm

Listened to a bit more Club Grubbery.

Seems unvaxxed WA health workers can go back to work tomorrow.

Rowan Dean apparently covered the Woolies Vax mandate last night. Graham Hood will be on his show tonight.

Boambee John
Boambee John
November 3, 2022 12:25 pm

callisays:
November 3, 2022 at 11:39 am
Professor Sally Bloomfield, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said the only reason we do it is to be ‘socially acceptable’ by warding off ‘nasty’ body odour.

Idiot. Doesn’t she know about all the foul parasites that live on dirty bodies? Has she ever seen a poor soul who hasn’t had adequate access to water and soap?

What’s a few lice among friends?

Roger
Roger
November 3, 2022 12:26 pm

Who is higher on the victimhood pole Albanian refugees or Pikeys?

Erm…Albanian refugees?

What are they fleeing from…low wages?

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
November 3, 2022 12:28 pm

Enough, you don’t know what that “kid” died of.

Never fear.
My contact in the Education Department will be able to confirm if there is a school with multiple deaths this year.

And enough with describing Rosie as a “cunt”.

I assume that is colloquial Japanese meaning “wise person”.

H B Bear
H B Bear
November 3, 2022 12:28 pm

Don’t know how old the kid is but they can be an issue in traffic. I hit a toddler who stepped off the kerb straight in front of my bike. I was travelling uphill going slowly with my head down. We both had a laugh and carried on.

Boambee John
Boambee John
November 3, 2022 12:32 pm

sfw

Thing is if no brief was submitted and no BAC test done then it’s likely there isn’t much evidence left except the running sheet and attending officers notes and any statements that were taken (if any in this case).

All up it stinks.

While it would be nice to see Dirty Dan forced to pay out big money, if all is as you say, then the kid surely has a good case against Vic Stasi for negligence and gross incompetence.

calli
calli
November 3, 2022 12:32 pm

Seems unvaxxed WA health workers can go back to work tomorrow.

I hope the whole lot of them tell McGowan to get stuffed.

Tom
Tom
November 3, 2022 12:33 pm

Just filed from the USA by Roger Franklin on the mid-terms campaign trail: When Whatever It Takes Isn’t Working. RTWT.

rickw
rickw
November 3, 2022 12:33 pm

I even have a book on ‘gassifying’ cars – running combustion engines on wood gas

Why I’m looking for a large spark ignition engine for farm genset. Might seem like an odd choice but LPG stores indefinitely and you can make a gassifier and run it on wood gas. I think there are even some auto mixture control modules about.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
November 3, 2022 12:37 pm

Chris – I still have “cock-lock-look” ingrained into my brain.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
November 3, 2022 12:39 pm

Erm…Albanian refugees?
What are they fleeing from…low wages?

Romanians?

Number of Romanian-Born in England and Wales Soars 576 Per Cent in Just Ten Years (2 Nov)

Zipster
November 3, 2022 12:40 pm

I have a contact in the Education Department who works with “critical incident management” in schools.
She will be able to say which schools have had multiple sudden deaths at school.

well get on with it, whil you are it how many deaths in schools this year overall compared to past years?

rickw
rickw
November 3, 2022 12:43 pm

Has she ever seen a poor soul who hasn’t had adequate access to water and soap?

Ability to make one’s own soap should be high on the list of survival skills for living in Despot Dan’s Sicktoria.

Salvatore, Understaffed & Overworked Martyr to Govt Covid Stupidity

Roger says: November 2, 2022 at 7:21 pm

Observation, Wong has a really short fuse and doesn’t like scrutiny.

She’s also a proven incompetent.
Witness the debacle over not recognising Jerusalem & announcing it on a Jewish holy day.

Her underwhelming (to put it mildly) performance as Finance Minister was memorable.

Roger
Roger
November 3, 2022 12:46 pm

Her underwhelming (to put it mildly) performance as Finance Minister was memorable.

Not to mention he rhadnling of water while Minister for Climate Change.

Let’s hope she doesn’t stuff up the appointment of Ambassador to Aborigines.

[sarc]

incoherent rambler
incoherent rambler
November 3, 2022 12:50 pm

I was cleaning my Death Star and it accidentally went off

I was cleaning my bow and it went off.

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
November 3, 2022 12:51 pm

Chris – I still have “cock-lock-look” ingrained into my brain.

“TILT – cock – lock – look!”

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
November 3, 2022 12:51 pm

H B Bearsays:
November 3, 2022 at 11:09 am
I used to wear a helmet when bicycling before it was compulsory. Saw a car turn right across a bicycle going down a hill. Cyclist straight across the bonnet and flew 5 or 6 meters. Had a few crashes myself, nothing serious. The funniest was when I was trying to sharpen my golf pencil on the front wheel. Seemed like a good idea at the time.

And who hasn’t tried that?
I haven’t come off very often, and only twice as an adult. One a very minor slide on a greasy path. The other was on a bike path in St Kilda. Two Indian guys walked up to the side of the path and stopped. I operated my ‘ding-ding’ warning device. They both looked at me and made eye contact and then one of them looked straight ahead and walked out in front of me. To avoid hitting him I swerved, hit the kerb and came off. Not high speed but sore for two weeks.
I yelled at him, “Go shit through a truck floor!”

Knuckle Dragger
Knuckle Dragger
November 3, 2022 12:54 pm

A young cyclist hit by Daniel Andrews’ car has aired explosive claims about the crash, alleging the car was “speeding” and that he’s been denied justice.

We see you, we hear you, we believe you.

Overheard just now in Spring Street:

‘Quick! Someone sponsor him!’

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
November 3, 2022 1:00 pm

Zulu, that was muscle memory. You tilted one way, cocked, locked, then tilted back the other and looked. Forty years ago, and I haven’t even handled a firearm since. We chanted cock-lock-look though. Is ingrained.

rickw
rickw
November 3, 2022 1:02 pm

I yelled at him, “Go shit through a truck floor!”

Response:

“How do you know my name?!!”

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
November 3, 2022 1:03 pm

We chanted cock-lock-look though.

I think I’d be happier if you don’t elaborate on what this is about.

Chris
Chris
November 3, 2022 1:03 pm

Chris – I still have “cock-lock-look” ingrained into my brain.

“TILT – cock – lock – look!”

Indeed, different instructors hit different bits harder. I have in my mind “cock-lock-look IN” . Sure way to frustrate a sergeant instructor is to have some depth of knowledge in the topic and correct them. I remember Recruit Bone updating the instructor on first aid in Recruits.

m0nty
m0nty
November 3, 2022 1:04 pm

LOL at Kash Patel turning snitch.

zyconoclast
zyconoclast
November 3, 2022 1:05 pm

He’s our reverse Elon Musk, using his fortune for evil purposes.

This was predicted in the mid-sixties.

“Ah yes! If only he’d used his fortune for niceness instead of evil!”
-Maxwell Smart

Winston Smith
November 3, 2022 1:06 pm

Tom:

The only thing that can save the Democrats in next week’s mid-terms is industrial-scale cheating.

Already been arranged.
That’s why the Democrats aren’t worrying – they’ve got this all worked out.

zyconoclast
zyconoclast
November 3, 2022 1:07 pm

Indeed, different instructors hit different bits harder. I have in my mind “cock-lock-look IN” . Sure way to frustrate

Phrasing

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
November 3, 2022 1:08 pm

Who is Kash Patel?

zyconoclast
zyconoclast
November 3, 2022 1:11 pm

Who is Kash Patel?

That’s the bloke who owns the local 7-11

Chris
Chris
November 3, 2022 1:14 pm

Indeed, different instructors hit different bits harder.

Skinnerian therapeutic models were all the go.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
November 3, 2022 1:24 pm

I’m serious Monty, I haven’t heard that name before. Not in any of the more than dozen political sites I’ve checked out today, for sure. You should start adding links if you want a sensible reply to some sort of politics comment. Which I infer is what you’re making.

bespoke
bespoke
November 3, 2022 1:27 pm
Mother Lode
Mother Lode
November 3, 2022 1:28 pm

Perhaps it is overly cynical, but might the information coming out about Dan and the cyclist be part of preparing the ground ahead of him resigning to spend more time with his family?

Not suggesting the father is at all involved in that. I have no doubt of his earnestness. It is just surprising that he is no longer being given the run around.

flyingduk
flyingduk
November 3, 2022 1:39 pm

Duk – I was thinking about that during my discussion with Speedy last night. If central government control decayed, as I’d expect in an era of disobedience, the harvesting of wood would become rampant and wood then would be available for these WW2-style critters.

Thanks for the link, it lead me to their offline (paper book) library of articles on low tech* solutions to modern problems – You just cost me $47.66 🙂

I am hoping my ‘analogue’ Hilux – Early Commodore 253 with points – will take to it.

* In Iraq and Afghanistan, one of the Insurgent maxims was ‘ Low tech is the cure for high tech’ – you solve the problem of them tracking your cell phone by using paper messages and runners.

Winston Smith
November 3, 2022 1:44 pm

Flyingduk:

If the impact was as forceful as described, there would be clear forensic evidence on boy, bike and car showing the exact orientation of the 2 vehicles at the time (ie did car hit bike or bike hit car?). Car exteriors are quite soft and there would have been dents, abrasions etc in the panels.

So any investigation will depend on evidence from photos taken of the car.
Let’s see the photos…
Ho ho ho!
I’m such a funny fellow, FD.
What photos?

Mother Lode
Mother Lode
November 3, 2022 1:45 pm

And didn’t the earlier article today mention that, without having been contacted by Meuleman, Slugs and Grubs started ‘acting’ as his lawyers? Apparently in such a way, and benefitting from the fractured communication of collapsing marriage, Meuleman started treating them as such?

It seems so reprehensible that ordinarily I would not take it too seriously, but Slugs and Grubs is such a shadowy outfit operating murky edges of the ethical and joined seamlessly to the unions and Labor that it seems possible.

Winston Smith
November 3, 2022 1:47 pm

J.C.

I think I just figured why Musk wants to charge 8 bucks for some Twitter users. I think he wants to kill the bots.

Good God you’re clever, JC.
No one – literally no one would have thought of that.

Mother Lode
Mother Lode
November 3, 2022 1:49 pm

From areff’s Quadrant column

there is something in the air only those word-stacking Germans might be able to capture in contiguous syllables.

LOL

flyingduk
flyingduk
November 3, 2022 1:49 pm

Graham Hood will be on his show tonight.

For those who are unaware, Graham Hood was the Senior Qantas Captain who felt ‘something wasnt right’ with the Vax pushing generally, but especially in aviation – where he needed a licenced AVMO to prescribe a sinus tablet.

In 2020, he filmed a rant, uploaded it, and by the next morning, it had 3 million views!

This is a small 3rd party re-upload, but amazingly is still up on Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw_2A4r3RXo

mem
mem
November 3, 2022 1:51 pm

Has anyone noticed that Dan’s wife hastened been seen out on the hustings? Nor has Dan for that matter.

flyingduk
flyingduk
November 3, 2022 1:53 pm

Chris – I still have “cock-lock-look” ingrained into my brain.

#Metoo, but ‘Tilt-cock-lock-look’ morphed into ‘Tilt-look’ about 3 years back with the intro of the new model Steyr.

‘Tap and Rack’ still works for my Browning, but wheel guns are even simpler – just keep pulling the trigger if it doesnt fire.

Zipster
November 3, 2022 1:56 pm

Was the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 manufactured?

“As Bieniasz told NPR, ‘the goal was to answer the question: Is it possible for SARS-CoV-2 to completely evade neutralizing antibodies?’ In order to explore this question, Bieniasz and his team engineered a mutant version of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to make it resistant to vaccines. They took about 20 mutations that occurred already around the world, but never together, and engineered a ‘polymutant spike mutant’ – in other words, they showed how to make SARS-CoV-2 resistant to vaccines. Two months later, by November 2021, the Omicron variant had emerged, which had most of the 20 mutations Bieniasz and team published with open access methods, plus more.”

flyingduk
flyingduk
November 3, 2022 1:58 pm

Why I’m looking for a large spark ignition engine for farm genset. Might seem like an odd choice but LPG stores indefinitely and you can make a gassifier and run it on wood gas. I think there are even some auto mixture control modules about.

Indeed – I put one of those cheap chinese LPG adaptors on a 2700w Honda genset and it runs fine on bottle gas! I note the price has nearly doubled in the last few years though.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/232131748135?hash=item360c216127:g:S8oAAOSwYT1hVKBA&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4Mj43YAmfHDfH5CK3NvZLIjramdKdtvxlG%2FMEGfxe5rnG8RuvOlRJYfYj3%2Bkm2t3laI8YXxBAeaWCFb2sz82SCbSfzAoA7s7D0J67ui4ZKOh3%2FB8h78idXepHdrNzECZ8eqKZb7e36pbms8cp%2B%2F9BC%2FfHrRHsIwW3ckXM7TGx3XwQZHgckJ3CO6RN2tj6gtA6hbMP%2FOcJJb6IWw1TDvfmPPPnz%2BbjYo0CfI1EuXYuiKQCxMYShmRSOyhqKI4NnA7cOC%2Bdh4WXfjF4EgdOCaQ0qCW7UxX20vdBN%2BL67Keljfr%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR8L22raHYQ

JC
JC
November 3, 2022 1:58 pm

Old School Conservative says:
November 3, 2022 at 11:58 am
Are you joking?
No, not joking JC.
You’d remember the subsidies that car manufacturers received. That helped keep the price of new cars down. I’m predicting that EVs will receive the same government largesse.

Old S

The subsidies were there to protect the industry, and in addition there were also high tariffs. The game plan had zero to do with keeping cars affordable to the poor embattled consumer. Please . Enough.

calli
calli
November 3, 2022 1:59 pm

I’m really enjoying Musk’s tweets. Best entertainment since Orange Man Bad.

Make Twitter Great Again! (MaTwiGA?)

😀

flyingduk
flyingduk
November 3, 2022 2:00 pm

I was cleaning my Death Star and it accidentally went off

I was cleaning my bow and it went off.

All my firearms AND stringed weapons were stolen in a horrible boating accident fire….

JC
JC
November 3, 2022 2:00 pm

Turtlehead, stick to scaring yourself to death.

calli
calli
November 3, 2022 2:02 pm

I remember watching that Graham Hood video. He made a compelling argument.

Less compelling was the dire predictions by others that planes would be falling out of the sky due to

a) pilot heart failure
b) aircraft being sidelined and unused for a long period of time.

flyingduk
flyingduk
November 3, 2022 2:04 pm

Sure way to frustrate a sergeant instructor is to have some depth of knowledge in the topic and correct them.

Me asking the instructor what the bullet weight and muzzle velocity for the F88 5.56 didn’t glean me any useful knowledge, but if he didn’t smell a rat then, he did so when this (grey, balding) Wingco shot 2nd out of 30 or more in the detail, the rest all being infantry types!

Zipster
November 3, 2022 2:05 pm

Biden Says We Won’t Know the Results of the Midterm Election Until Days After Polls Close November 8th

surgical pin point strike on the ballot process requires a lot of information

P
P
November 3, 2022 2:06 pm

Breaking911 @Breaking911 · 1h

BIDEN: “We don’t settle our differences in America with a riot, a mob, or a bullet, or a hammer. We settle them peacefully at the ballot box.”
https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1587974362354819078

Chris
Chris
November 3, 2022 2:09 pm

Onyer duk!
Drop in for some muzzleloading, if you can spare the time in Perth.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
November 3, 2022 2:11 pm

I don’t think the proposed Twitter charge is for general users.
It is a proposed charge for those users carrying the little blue ‘verified’ tick.
My understanding is that it started out as a means of signifying that the identity of the person posting had been verified. However, it largely got issued to celebrities and j’isms, and it took on the meaning of having higher status than the great unwashed, and was treated as such within Twitter.
For example, if a blue tick complained, or blocked someone, it would trigger the little Indian’s censorship crew.
What Musk is saying is, “If you want to protect your image and your brand, you can pay for it.”
But, of course, he is saying more than that.
He is saying that the days of blue-tick insiders are over.
And that is what is pissing the blue-ticks off.
Not the eight bucks.

Chris
Chris
November 3, 2022 2:11 pm
Diogenes
Diogenes
November 3, 2022 2:15 pm

United States government official
Democracy is more than a form of government. It’s a way of being. A way of seeing the world.

The Founding Fathers were quite suspicious of democracy. That is why the US is a constitutional republic, with checks and balances, so that democracy could not get out of hand.

calli
calli
November 3, 2022 2:16 pm

Everyone likes to feel special. Especially when it’s for free.

As you say, the Blue Ticks (can’t help but think of Dem parasitic blood suckers) formed an illusion of higher status amongst the Twitterati because of some innate quality of wonderfulness within themselves.

Paying for it exposes their wobbly bare twerking botties. With the emphasis on the first syllable.

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
November 3, 2022 2:18 pm

Metoo, but ‘Tilt-cock-lock-look’ morphed into ‘Tilt-look’ about 3 years back with the intro of the new model Steyr.

Steyr? When did they get rid of the SLR?

flyingduk
flyingduk
November 3, 2022 2:18 pm

Less compelling was the dire predictions by others that planes would be falling out of the sky due to a) pilot heart failure b) aircraft being sidelined and unused for a long period of time.

There have been reports of increased numbers of general aviation crashes due to pilot incapacity, and of similar ‘outages’ of one of the 2 pilots in dual crew aircraft, including in Australia.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzEES77nKRI&t=935s

https://youtu.be/iGu5QAibPNo

https://youtu.be/t48nPMNgimM

https://youtu.be/YAoxoOcySJo

https://youtu.be/Mwe4vqxFHiY

Given this seems to parallel the explosion in reported ‘died suddenly’s’ on the sporting field etc, if they were justified in citing ‘precautionary principle’ as the reason for the various mandates, surely using it in aviation safety also applies?

flyingduk
flyingduk
November 3, 2022 2:24 pm

Onyer duk! Drop in for some muzzleloading, if you can spare the time in Perth.

Will bring my Martini Henry 😉

Arky
November 3, 2022 2:26 pm

Whitlam, Fraser, Hawke governments and tariffs.
Traditionally, conservative governments have protected domestic industries and progressives have lifted protections.
.

The Whitlam Era 1973-75

The election in December 1972 of the first Labor government for 23 years, with a strong mandate for social and economic reforms, gave a boost to the advocates of trade liberalisation. Prime Minister Whitlam moved quickly:

to send a long delayed reference on television receivers to the Tariff Board
to transfer responsibility for the Tariff Board from the industry Minister to the Prime Minister’s own portfolio
to establish an interdepartmental committee to examine the needs for structural adjustment policies covering training, retraining, relocation of the workforce, adjustment help for the affected industries and social security and welfare measures to protect dividual workers and their families from hardship. The industry Minister Jim Cairns also proposed the establishment of a Structural Adjustment Board with a capacity to provide financial assistance to industry but this did not materialise, and
to expand the Tariff Board into the Industries Assistance Commission to advise the government on all forms of assistance to all sectors of the economy. This action followed a brief inquiry and recommendation by Sir John Crawford, previously Vice-Chancellor of the Australian National University.
The above actions were largely Rattigan’s suggestions which he persuaded Whitlam to implement. But while the Prime Minister was a firm supporter of Rattigan and his tariff reform program, his industry Minister, Jim Cairns, showed a great interest in increasing the economic and industry planning functions. In particular, Cairns set about expanding the industry panel system which had been set up by Anthony and increasing panel membership to include government, industry, union, consumer and academic representatives.

The movements in trade protection in this period were strongly influenced by the sharp movements in the economic cycle. In early 1973, the Australian economy was buoyant. Industry was operating at close to full capacity, unemployment was falling and the balance of payments position was strong. But private and public demand was rising rapidly, retailers were reporting shortages of a wide range of goods and there was a big risk of a blow out in inflation. The Whitlam Government had appreciated the Australian dollar in December 1972 and now looked to reducing the inflation pressure by cutting tariff levels.

A small Committee chaired by Rattigan was established to assess this proposal. As requested, it reported after only three weeks. It recommended a 25 per cent across-the-board reduction in all tariffs. The Committee estimated that such a tariff cut would have an impact on imports equivalent to a currency appreciation of about six per cent but should be preferred to the latter action in terms of its expected greater impact on stimulating imports and cutting inflation. In addition, a tariff cut would have long-term benefits in terms of improving resource allocation. The Committee estimated that the tariff cuts would require changes in employment for up to 30 000 people and recommended that a range of assistance measures be made available for both the employees and the industries affected.

Rattigan passed the Committee’s report to the Prime Minister on 16 July 1973 and the Government announced acceptance of its recommendations the following day. The largest adjustment to Australia’s tariff protection had been achieved without reference to the Tariff Board, without public inquiry and within a matter of weeks.

The economy was allowed little time for the adjustment process triggered by the 25 per cent tariff cut to work. By mid-1974, the economy was slowing and some affected industries were quick to blame the tariff cuts for their woes. In particular, Leyland closed its Sydney motor vehicle plant with the loss of 2600 jobs and the Chairman of Philips claimed 12 000 electronics industry workers would lose their jobs over the next 18 months. In October, the South Australian Government argued that implementation of the Industries Assistance Comission recommendations on the car industry threatened 15 000 jobs.

A major public inquiry by a large committee chaired by Gordon Jackson, chief general manager of CSR Ltd was announced in July 1974. Its Report in May 1995 recommended:

tariffs should be reduced to selected benchmark levels ‘by small, gradual and predetermined instalments over five to fifteen years. The reduction instalments should be inexorable, except for suspension during any period of significant unemployment'(11)
positive assistance measures should be introduced to promote new investment in efficient, internationally competitive and export-oriented industries, and
establishment of both Commonwealth and State Industry Councils to involve the key stakeholders in the design of the adjustment process.
Rattigan was a member of the Jackson Committee but did not support the majority approach to industry assistance and presented a dissenting view. The Committee reported just prior to the demise of the Whitlam Government but the broad thrust of its assessment of a desirable industry policy framework was incorporated in the Fraser Government’s subsequent White Paper on Manufacturing Industry.

The Fraser Years 1975-82

The trade liberalisation process was partially derailed in this period. While Fraser with his rural background was a strong advocate of freer trade in the long run and preached its merits in international fora, his Government succumbed to enormous pressures from selected industries and state governments to maintain or strengthen the protective mantle.

The 1975 recession led to increasing pressures from manufacturers, supported by the unions, for protection to be by quantitative restriction, rather than by the tariff and for temporary protection by way of import quotas. As can be seen in Table 1 below, the following six years witnessed a massive increase in assistance to the clothing and footwear and the motor vehicle and parts industries. This was largely offset by lower tariffs for a range of other manufacturing activities which flowed from the progressive review of the high cost industries by the Industry Commission.

A commitment made by the Whitlam Government to continue the local content plan for passenger motor vehicles formed the basis for the explosion in protection to this industry. The Industries Assistance Commission, in July 1974, had recommended the immediate abolition of the local content plans, a temporary increase in the tariff, and then its phasing down over seven years to 25 per cent. In November that year, the Government first increased nominal tariffs on motor vehicles and subsequently detailed a ten year plan to introduce a new local content plan, to use import quotas to restrict imports to 20 per cent of the local market and to provide for new manufacturers to enter the plan. The strong protection policy, together with the switch in demand to smaller, four cylinder cars encouraged the entry of two new manufacturers, Nissan and Toyota, and contributed to the already substantial problems of this fragmented industry with too many makes and models and an operating efficiency far below world best practice levels. The outcome was a further decline in the competitiveness of the Australian motor vehicle industry and an increase in the level of assistance provided.

The protection regime for TCF was equally complex, cumbersome and inefficient. The industry was protected by a web of tariffs, bounties on intermediate products and import quotas which set the level of imports and hid from view the deteriorating competitive position of the local industry. The Industry Commission notes TCF quotas were constantly being ‘fine-tuned’. Temporary restrictions were imposed, would lapse, only to be re-imposed or superseded by a general measure. Between 1968 and 1986, over 40 separate announcements relating to changes in TCF quotas were made.(12) In addition to the economic costs of high protection were the costs to industry of lobbying and compliance, the administrative costs to government and the climate of uncertainty which stifled forward planning.

Labor and the Button Plans-1983-95

In the early 1980s, large parts of Australian manufacturing were recognised as seriously lacking in international competitiveness and in urgent need of restructuring to promote innovation, modernisation and efficiency. John Button recalls that at the beginning of his long term as industry Minister, there was a prevailing atmosphere of gloom. He notes:

Australian manufacturing industry was still focused on the domestic market. Factories were closing. People were not prepared to think much about longer term solutions. There was no export culture.(13)

The next five years witnessed major changes to macroeconomic policy and industry policy. A series of initiatives were taken to open up the Australian economy to greater international competition with the main steps in the early years being on the macro-economic front with the floating of the exchange rate and deregulation of the banking sector and controls on capital movements. The floating of the Australian dollar allowed trade liberalisation to be pursued more as a microeconomic (efficiency) objective rather than as a macroeconomic objective as had been the case with the earlier 25 per cent tariff cut

..
https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp9900/2000RP07

JC
JC
November 3, 2022 2:29 pm

Sanchez

Who then is musk trying to hook for 8 bucks a month? Everyone?

Salvatore, Understaffed & Overworked Martyr to Govt Covid Stupidity

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha says: November 2, 2022 at 11:47 pm
Mme Zulu is on the mend. She is demanding a new lounge suite. I wanted to know what was wrong with the old one.
“It may have escaped your attention, but we have had it for thirty five years.”

I have to question her methodology.

Bourne1879
Bourne1879
November 3, 2022 2:34 pm

Another good Graham Hood type clip is the one by NSW Police Sergeant Steve Kelly who worked in the NSW Coroners office. I found it on Rumble and it is very good. He quit due to the Vax mandate. I understand he was also questioning the fact that some Dr’s were signing the death certificates when they were the ones who administered the vaccine. Did not go down well.

He now works for lawyer Tony Nicolic who has been representing some of the NSW mandate cases.

Unfortunately not enough who stood up to fight and now we have situation where WA unvaxxed health workers can go back to work but Qld cops over 50 lose their job if not taken jab no 4.

Diogenes
Diogenes
November 3, 2022 2:34 pm

cock,lock,look

I remember it as mag*, cock, lock ,look.

*As in magazine off. Had a dopey digger UD 30 rounds showering me with plastic, because he forgot the mag, and for some reason had his finger on the trigger and he froze. Yes it was a proper L1A2 acting as section gun because of a shortage of m60s- much to my 3 gunners delight.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
November 3, 2022 2:35 pm

callisays:

November 3, 2022 at 2:16 pm

Everyone likes to feel special. Especially when it’s for free.

As you say, the Blue Ticks (can’t help but think of Dem parasitic blood suckers) formed an illusion of higher status amongst the Twitterati because of some innate quality of wonderfulness within themselves.

And I think it did carry a special status within Twitter as well as among users.
And Musk is taking that away.
Sure, the tick might stay, but it reverts to it’s original intention – something posted as “@BuddyFranklin23” [blue tick] is verified as being posted by the Swans footballer.
But it does not confer special privilege anymore.
And that is what stings.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
November 3, 2022 2:38 pm

JCsays:

November 3, 2022 at 2:29 pm

Sanchez

Who then is musk trying to hook for 8 bucks a month? Everyone?

No, I think it is just the blue tick “verified account” Twatterers.
See above.
I think it also carried an actual “hall monitor” status within Twitter which Musk is taking away.
Sort of like what JMH tries to do with Dover.

LB
LB
November 3, 2022 2:38 pm

The thing is, I’ve come to the realisation that people need a good serving of energy chaos, and only then will there be a change in mindset. As for Teal electorates, whilst they’ll cope with the prices, they won’t like the lights going out.

Likewise the inhabitants of the Atlassian Tower, once the lights, lifts and air conditioning stop, unexpectedly and indefinitely…

GreyRanga
GreyRanga
November 3, 2022 2:43 pm

LBsays:
November 3, 2022 at 2:38 pm
The thing is, I’ve come to the realisation that people need a good serving of energy chaos, and only then will there be a change in mindset. As for Teal electorates, whilst they’ll cope with the prices, they won’t like the lights going out.

Likewise the inhabitants of the Atlassian Tower, once the lights, lifts and air conditioning stop, unexpectedly and indefinitely…

Most of these sort of building have emergency power supplies. They detect a half cycle missing in the supply and automatically fire up.

Chris
Chris
November 3, 2022 2:44 pm

Will bring my Martini Henry ?

I hate to admit it but those newfangled things seem to be catching on.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 3, 2022 2:46 pm
GreyRanga
GreyRanga
November 3, 2022 2:48 pm

“@BuddyFranklin23” [blue tick] is verified as being posted by the Swans footballer.
But it does not confer special privilege anymore.

He must have special privilege to play crap for a season when he’s not broken down and still get a contract extension. That blue tick is truly magic.

LB
LB
November 3, 2022 2:52 pm

They detect a half cycle missing in the supply and automatically fire up.

… no doubt utilising the inexhaustible supply of cheap, renewable energy that is immediately available to every multi-story structure in Sydney, and the electrified rail system …

hzhousewife
hzhousewife
November 3, 2022 2:52 pm

I have transferred the adoration I had in the 60’2 for Illya Kuryakin to Tucker Carlson. When Tucker does that high-pitched gleeful laugh I just know he’s having a good time !

GreyRanga
GreyRanga
November 3, 2022 3:06 pm

flyingduksays:
November 3, 2022 at 10:58 am
I’ve been “run over”. It is most uncomfortable.

Is it a bad time to add – there are 2 main exceptions to the ‘rarely run over’ principle:

1) when the victim is *already* lying on the road – usually due to extreme intoxication (more common than you might think) or having been previously struck
2) when the victim is of very short stature, eg a toddler.

and JC, ha!

GreyRanga
GreyRanga
November 3, 2022 3:07 pm

LBsays:
November 3, 2022 at 2:52 pm
They detect a half cycle missing in the supply and automatically fire up.

… no doubt utilising the inexhaustible supply of cheap, renewable energy that is immediately available to every multi-story structure in Sydney, and the electrified rail system …

Diesel powered.

Zipster
November 3, 2022 3:08 pm

part 2 of The Ethical Skeptic

Houston, The CDC Has a Problem (Part 2 of 3)

While no other public health entity appears able to or interested in tracking this critical epidemiological metric, we not only track its anomalous magnitude, but we at The Ethical Skeptic believe we know what is causing these excess deaths as well. In fact, the data by ICD-10 sub-sub-code and by US County is starkly indicative, as well as condemning. No wonder the CDC is attempting to obfuscate it – as it will serve to infuriate those whom the CDC serves. Yes, organizations of this type operate under extreme levels of conflict of interest and agency. In the immortal words of Bob Dylan,

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody

We choose to stand in the gap for those who cannot defend themselves. Such unequivocal inference regarding the cause of these 385,000 excess natural cause deaths will be the subject of our third article in this series, ‘Houston, We Realize the Problem (Part 3 of 3)’. A problem which is rising at 7,340 deaths per week as of 8 October 2022 – and more importantly, does not appear to be abating any time soon.

Tom
Tom
November 3, 2022 3:10 pm

I have transferred the adoration I had in the 60’2 for Illya Kuryakin to Tucker Carlson.

Illya Kuryakin (David McCallum) will always be “Ducky”, the medical examiner in NCIS, to me. Ninety next birthday, McCallum is a biological marvel who still looks fiftysomething.

PS: In an industry of fakes and inch-deep celebrities, Tucker Carlson is authentic – one of the reasons the left hates him: he has a wife and four kids and isn’t miserable like his enemies.

Pedro the Loafer
Pedro the Loafer
November 3, 2022 3:11 pm

I wouldn’t mind having a go at firing muzzle loaders.

Looks like fun, and besides, I have watched the “Sharpe” TV series and I reckon I would have made a terrific rifleman, knocking over Frogs at the rapid rate with my trusty Baker.

Zipster
November 3, 2022 3:13 pm

A problem which is rising at 7,340 deaths per week as of 8 October 2022

it’s a cull, change my mind

bespoke
bespoke
November 3, 2022 3:15 pm

Tucker Carlson is good but putting him pedestal will lead to disappointment, Tom.

johanna
johanna
November 3, 2022 3:19 pm

Is TheirABC edging ever so carefully away from the position that every event that damages coral is due to you-know-what?

Murdoch University PhD student Jo Buckee is studying coral mortality events and the role that they play in determining coral cover on shallow reef platforms.

She said a similar coral bleaching event at Abrolhos Island due to low tide in 2018 impacted the 7,000-hectare area of shallow reefs and saw about 30 per cent of the coral die.

However, Ms Buckee said the coral was able to regenerate and recover relatively quickly and had re-established itself back to pre-2018 levels.

“The bulk of the corals that you’ll see sticking out of the water are the fast-growing Acropora corals, branching and plating corals, and they are capable of fast growth rates,” she said.

“This trimming off of the tops is a natural event, it looks very dramatic but it is a naturally occurring process.

“It’s important for keeping up with sea level rise, for providing the material for reef and island building.”
A large piece of coral out of the water, the blue water beyong and blue sky above.
Coral out of the water at Post Office Island.(Supplied: Jane Liddon)

Ms Buckee said sea level variability along with coral growth and mortality over thousands of years had formed the coral reefs and the Abrolhos Islands themselves and allowed them to remain in position.

“That is the material that you’re walking on when you’re walking on the islands, it’s from previous periods when the sea level was slightly higher than it is now, but also fragments washed up from reef flats that surround the islands,” she said.

“In order for the reef to keep up with sea level rise over time, it requires fragments of coral to be produced so that the overall height of the reef is able to change.

“These environments are very dynamic with a mixture of seaweed and coral, a reflection of the Abrolhos’s position in the transition zone between tropical and temperate ecosystems.”

Ms Buckee said with the diversification of land and water activities at the Abrolhos, leading to year-round visitation, previously unwitnessed coral bleaching events were now attracting interest and attention.

Different reef, and not much consolation for Peter Ridd.

Apparently such things never happen on the Little Reef That Could.

Winston Smith
November 3, 2022 3:19 pm

Zipster:

the wife dutifully collects recycling, which I then dutifully place in the normal bin.

You’re a naughty boy, Zipster.
The Ghost of Thunberg Past will put coal in your stocking this year.

Johnny Rotten
November 3, 2022 3:21 pm

Most of these sort of building have emergency power supplies. They detect a half cycle missing in the supply and automatically fire up.

Yes but when the emergency power runs out and the Hospitals are in trouble and the Sewerage system stops working and the ATMs stop working and the Internet stops working and, and, and……………And I’d like to see all Guv’ment Buildings in darkness and only using candles. Maybe then someone will wake up to this Madness………………………….FFS

Johnny Rotten
November 3, 2022 3:25 pm

An older couple, who were both widowed, had been going out with each other for a long time. Urged on by their friends, they decided it was finally time to get married. Before the wedding, they went out to dinner and had a long conversation regarding how their marriage might work. They discussed finances, living arrangements, and so on. Finally, the old gentleman decided it was time to broach the subject of their physical relationship. “How do you feel about sex?” he asked, rather tentatively. “I would like it infrequently” she replied. The old gentleman sat quietly for a moment, adjusted his glasses, then leaned over towards her and whispered “Is that one word or two?”

calli
calli
November 3, 2022 3:26 pm

There’s a bit of “hall monitor” in all of us. I know there is in me.

Sometimes I have a remarkable urge to even report my own comments.

Johnny Rotten
November 3, 2022 3:26 pm

Whatever you do may seem insignificant to you, but it is most important that you do it.

– Mahatma Gandhi

calli
calli
November 3, 2022 3:27 pm

But not uptick them. That’s cheating. When you uptick your own comments a baby star goes supernova.

Chris
Chris
November 3, 2022 3:28 pm

I wouldn’t mind having a go at firing muzzle loaders.

Looks like fun, and besides, I have watched the “Sharpe” TV series and I reckon I would have made a terrific rifleman, knocking over Frogs at the rapid rate with my trusty Baker.

There are a LOT of really good modern versions of older muzzleloaders and its very frustrating that there is not a good Baker around. My personal flintlock favourite is this.

JC
JC
November 3, 2022 3:37 pm

Sancho Panzer says:
November 3, 2022 at 2:38 pm

JCsays:

November 3, 2022 at 2:29 pm

Sanchez

Who then is musk trying to hook for 8 bucks a month? Everyone?

No, I think it is just the blue tick “verified account” Twatterers.
See above.
I think it also carried an actual “hall monitor” status within Twitter which Musk is taking away.
Sort of like what JMH tries to do with Dover.

Oh thanks, Sanchez. I understood wrongly then. Appreciate the explanation and hopefully Turtlehead does too after another embarrassing face plant.

Have you seen any estimates of the number of blue tickers there are? I’m trying to figure out the potential amount of loot he’s trying to monetize?

JC
JC
November 3, 2022 3:39 pm

Okay got it from Google search. There’s supposedly 300,000 blue ticks.

Around 300,000. That’s how many Twitter accounts are blue-check verified.1 day ago

At 100% take up, he’s trying to monetize US$2.4 million? Doesn’t sound like much.

Salvatore, Understaffed & Overworked Martyr to Govt Covid Stupidity

Appreciate the explanation and hopefully Turtlehead does too after another embarrassing face plant.

I have not faceplanted.
Retract that vile slander forthwith.

Richard Craig
Richard Craig
November 3, 2022 3:40 pm

test

Tom
Tom
November 3, 2022 3:42 pm

Bespoke, I have been in the journalism business all my working life. I’m not putting Tucker Carlson on a pedestal. I just know the value of rare good work when 90% of journalists have willingly trashed their credibility because they regard themselves as better than the TV audiences paying their bills.

JC
JC
November 3, 2022 3:44 pm

Salvatore, Understaffed & Overworked Martyr to Govt Covid Stupidity says:

November 3, 2022 at 3:40 pm

Appreciate the explanation and hopefully Turtlehead does too after another embarrassing face plant.

I have not faceplanted.
Retract that vile slander forthwith.

No, you haven’t yet, Driller but there are still quite a few hours in the day and we’re hopeful you won’t. Fingers firmly crossed.

Have you stuck those filthy bed sheets in the trough yet as I presume there’s no washing machine up there?

bespoke
bespoke
November 3, 2022 3:44 pm

calli

Have you been to Iceland. My boy sent me photos of the blue lagoon.

Nice.

JC
JC
November 3, 2022 3:46 pm

I searched verified accounts instead of blue ticks. This one came up with 400K

about 400,000 verified users
There are about 400,000 verified users on Twitter, as of 2021, but the program has long been plagued with problems.3 days ago

Still small potatoes in the whole scheme of things.

bespoke
bespoke
November 3, 2022 3:46 pm

Fare enough Tom.

flyingduk
flyingduk
November 3, 2022 3:47 pm

part 2 of The Ethical Skeptic Houston, The CDC Has a Problem (Part 2 of 3)

A highbrow, but excellent piece thankyou – the below well describes the current COVID orthodoxy: Brackets are my additions.

A corporation or a political movement can become so fixated upon an established zombie theory (= a theory that has long been shown wrong by subsequent data) that its prevailing elements can rule as a form of pluralistic ignorance inside corporate ranks for years or decades – especially inside entities which do not operate in a market, and lack public scrutiny or competition. The entity or corporation will adopt a form of willful blindness toward its own foibles and fraud in support of its Omega Hypothesis (its Zombie theory, and the benefits that accrue from continuing it). It will fail to self-check, begin to undertake borderline or even fully unethical activity in order to control what is known, and finally seek to actively suppress any form of dissent inside its ranks. (or outside them).

What more needs to be said?

calli
calli
November 3, 2022 3:48 pm

Next June bespoke. Finally getting there, after a couple of years of idiocy roadblocks.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
November 3, 2022 3:49 pm

At 100% take up, he’s trying to monetize US$2.4 million? Doesn’t sound like much.

That is what I was suggesting.
This isn’t about the financial impact.
It is about messaging “how things are gonna work round here now”.
I see one of the trusted bloggers (cat turd?) having a bitch about it.
Helloooo!
You can now actually have a bitch about Twitter … on Twitter.
I suspect some of these guys thought that they would be the new blue-tickers and just become another entitled bunch replacing the last lot.
Listen up.
Musk bought it.
If he wants to put his pet labrador on the moderation committee that is totally up to him.
So, enjoy the ride.
Or not.
But no sooking, please.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
November 3, 2022 3:51 pm

How many people here are “Turtlehead”?
I think we have three.

JC
JC
November 3, 2022 3:53 pm

It is about messaging “how things are gonna work round here now”.

What do you see as the message with the 8 buck fee though? If they pay it and stay on, do they get extra service?

JC
JC
November 3, 2022 3:54 pm

Sancho Panzer says:
November 3, 2022 at 3:51 pm

How many people here are “Turtlehead”?
I think we have three.

Naaa , there’s just one. The Driller is just trolling as usual.

incoherent rambler
incoherent rambler
November 3, 2022 3:55 pm

Turtlehead

Is that like a Mike Myers’ fat bastard turtlehead?

Knuckle Dragger
Knuckle Dragger
November 3, 2022 3:57 pm

The Dr. Seuss Guide to the Internet:

One tick.
Two tick.
Uptick.
Blue tick.

JC
JC
November 3, 2022 3:58 pm

Is that like a Mike Myers’ fat bastard turtlehead?

Naaa. Cronkite muddied the waters as he stole the name (Turtlehead) using it for a Liars Party minister. I think it’s Bowen.

Bowen too looks like a Caribbean turtle.

Salvatore, Understaffed & Overworked Martyr to Govt Covid Stupidity

Have you stuck those filthy bed sheets in the trough yet as I presume there’s no washing machine up there?

Sorry to learn your maid quit. Understandable though, given your temper.
I’m not up on the top floor of your house, & even if I were I’d not be handling your soiled sheets, except with a flamethrower.
My time is too expensive for you to be afford to pay for me to handle your linen. Toodle pip.

Salvatore, Understaffed & Overworked Martyr to Govt Covid Stupidity

How many people here are “Turtlehead”?

Using real names would save a helluva lot of confusion.
Trigger warning: To use real names instead of silly names will require emotional maturity.

Real Deal
Real Deal
November 3, 2022 4:00 pm

Is that like a Mike Myers’ fat bastard turtlehead?

In Glasgow screech:- “I got a turtlehead pokin’ oot.”

Isn’t Chris Bowen Turtlehead? It sure suits him.

JC
JC
November 3, 2022 4:02 pm

Trigger warning: To use real names instead of silly names will require emotional maturity.

I know. I agree, but that’s just not me though. I’m not perfect although close.

Frank
Frank
November 3, 2022 4:05 pm

“Have you been to Iceland.”

Serendipity. Just purchased an Icelandic Sheepskin as a Christmas present for a close relative. It is dyed green and looks like someone skinned a wookie, very soft though.

Johnny Rotten
November 3, 2022 4:08 pm

callisays:
November 3, 2022 at 3:27 pm
But not uptick them. That’s cheating. When you uptick your own comments a baby star goes supernova.

Hey, Dover, how about a downtick button. Could be FUN.

Pedro the Loafer
Pedro the Loafer
November 3, 2022 4:08 pm

Do you have to jump through the WAPol licensing hoops to get a working modern muzzle loading rifle?

Given that you are not likely to to go on a mass rampage when it takes five minutes to reload the thing, but nothing surprises me with that bedwetter Papalia (WA Police Minister).

JC
JC
November 3, 2022 4:10 pm

Isn’t Chris Bowen Turtlehead? It sure suits him.

I swear, Wonston Smyth once put up a pic of himself with a link and the first thing that came to mind was a Caribbean Turtle.

Bowen also looks like a Caribbean turtle.

I’ve wondered about this, juggling it around if there’s some sort of evolutionary throwback of some sort. There is some gene co-mingling ……

Humans and turtles share a common ancestor

In humans, the EDC genes protect the skin from the penetration of microbes and allergens. This new study shows that evolutionarily related genes have a protective function both in humans and also in tortoises and turtles.

—–but I’m sure in time scientists will be able to figure out a closer relationship with various human groups and turtles as the appearance is startlingly similar with those two yokels.

Salvatore, Understaffed & Overworked Martyr to Govt Covid Stupidity

I’m not perfect although close.

You are let down only by the soiled state of your bed linen.

johanna
johanna
November 3, 2022 4:12 pm

She said washing too much could strip the body of its self-regulating microbiome — the microorganisms that live in our body and help control oil levels on skin. In theory, dermatologists say it may leave skin more susceptible to irritants.

Despite her claims, Professor Bloomfield admitted that she still showers every day to keep her hair looking ‘reasonable’.

I don’t want to be downwind of her when she gets around to making a principled stand for Gaia.

Well, scrubbing yourself head to toe with soap every day can be a bit OTT, especially in the age of air conditioning. For people in warm climates, or who do physical jobs, sure. But, the notion that someone in a cool climate who does a sedentary job in a climate controlled environment must be a human stinkbomb is just silly. Not true.

Some people (like adolescent boys) exude stink like all get out – especially their socks. But, your average office drone/cubicle dweller is unlikely to attract attention if they miss a shower or two. Depending on the person.

Johnny Rotten
November 3, 2022 4:13 pm

I know. I agree, but that’s just not me though. I’m not perfect although close.

LOL. As a Jerky Crunt who thinks that he/she/it/whatever owns this Site you are in another world. Your own world of course. Enjoy another few years of Dan the Madman in Victoriastan…………….

caveman
caveman
November 3, 2022 4:13 pm

****Danger Danger Will Robinson****
New variants on their way.

Dr Chant has urged people to get a booster vaccine, with Omicron sub-variants BQ. 1 and XBB expected to overtake BA. 5 as the dominant variants in Australia.

Sounds like Ford car models. Look out for the XY GTO Phase 3. and the XC Cobra.

Cassie of Sydney
November 3, 2022 4:13 pm

Tucker Carlson is a light on the hill when it comes to US political analysis and commentary. Without him and without Fox News, Americans would be stuck with CNN and Don Lemon, NBC and Joy Reid, The View and all the rest of the stinking progressive morass.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
November 3, 2022 4:15 pm

What do you see as the message with the 8 buck fee though? If they pay it and stay on, do they get extra service?

I think he is saying it is just an admin fee for registering and maintaining your “verified” status.
I think it did confer a status as an “inner circle hall monitor” under the old regime. That is now going and that is what is pissing them off.
How many of the 7,500 employees spent all day chasing vexatious blue-tick complaints.
From what I am reading today, every Twitter employee had some level of moderation rights.
That might just attract the wrong sort of people.
FMD. Imagine giving Karen the Accounts Clerk the power to moderate people they don’t like?

GreyRanga
GreyRanga
November 3, 2022 4:18 pm

Sancho Panzersays:
November 3, 2022 at 3:51 pm
How many people here are “Turtlehead”?
I think we have three.

I’m Turtlehead too. Well a tortoise, that one from the Crimean War that died in 2004. that’s how I feel at the moment.

Zipster
November 3, 2022 4:18 pm

266,031,472 in the US have had least one shot of the mRNA injectables and 385,000 unexplained excess deaths so far which began after the rollout. The final death toll may not be know for years, since many are cancers that have yet to be discovered and the numbers are not slowing.

The virus has infected 97,329,787 and caused 1066351 deaths according to cdc. We have to take these figures with a grain of salt since many if not most infections are not reported and the cdc has lumped many dying with covid into the dying from covid bucket.

Early to draw comparisons but not out of the bounds of reality to suggest the injectable is closing in on the lethality of the virus and may even surpass it if we could get sensible numbers from the government.

JC
JC
November 3, 2022 4:21 pm

I read today that quite a few rightwing folks are complaining because the moderation council Musk oil has in mind will comprise of a few idiots considered very leftwing. I don’t know where the euphoria was coming from though because never in a million years did I think Musk Oil would allow bullshit racism and antisemitism on the site. That always had zero chance and good thing too. He will most certainly open up the forum, but not in this way though.

JC
JC
November 3, 2022 4:29 pm

Also, it appears at least from something I read that Musk oil is putting an existing exec in charge of moderation. Righties believe he’s too left and a member of the old tribe of leftwing radicals. There is some truth to his leftwing leanings, but he’s not really going to be an issue as the Algo that will be set could make his role nothing more than a screen jockey. Also, it gives Musk Oil a little cover from the left by keeping this doofus on as a phony signal. I forget his name.

Chris
Chris
November 3, 2022 4:29 pm

Do you have to jump through the WAPol licensing hoops to get a working modern muzzle loading rifle?

Need you ask? They are about as hard to get as a .22 rifle.
And you need at LEAST 3 at a time – to pay WAPOL back for their abusive application fee.

Frank
Frank
November 3, 2022 4:30 pm

Musk will need to keep some moderation on board since the left will probably flood twitter with racist crap to discredit it.

feelthebern
feelthebern
November 3, 2022 4:32 pm

I’m pretty sure whatever “council” Elon puts together will evolve a lot.
This is a money making exercise.
Letting the special kids think they are still special is part of the long game.

Johnny Rotten
November 3, 2022 4:32 pm

Real Dealsays:
November 3, 2022 at 4:00 pm
Is that like a Mike Myers’ fat bastard turtlehead?

In Glasgow screech:- “I got a turtlehead pokin’ oot.”

Isn’t Chris Bowen Turtlehead? It sure suits him.

Well spotted. Yes and Bowen is a Turtlehead. What he knows about the Energy Network, you could write a book. What he doesn’t know, you could fill a farking Library a million times over.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
November 3, 2022 4:33 pm

JCsays:
November 3, 2022 at 4:21 pm
I read today that quite a few rightwing folks are complaining because the moderation council Musk oil has in mind will comprise of a few idiots considered very leftwing.

That is the point about that whinger referred to upthread.
He thought that the old left-leaning tight moderation group would be replaced by a right-leaning tight moderation group.
Which exposes how little they really care about fweedom of speech.
And, yes, Musk isn’t going to tip $44 bill into something to allow it to be destroyed by an army of anti-semite Birds or get his arse sued off every second day.

calli
calli
November 3, 2022 4:34 pm

I forget his name.

Yoel Roth?

JC
JC
November 3, 2022 4:34 pm

FMD, Twitter is going to be fun.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
@AOC
Lmao at a billionaire earnestly trying to sell people on the idea that “free speech” is actually a $8/mo subscription plan

Then Musk replies.

@elonmusk
·

Replying to
@AOC
Your feedback is appreciated, now pay $8

feelthebern
feelthebern
November 3, 2022 4:35 pm

The current blue ticks paying 8 bucks a month to be verified is small potatoes.
It’s about getting 10million of non verified users (of the 300mill active monthly users) to pay the 8 bucks per month.

JC
JC
November 3, 2022 4:36 pm

calli says:
November 3, 2022 at 4:34 pm

I forget his name.

Yoel Roth?

Yea, it’s Yeol, quietly earning his $10 million a year (more ?) and won’t ruffle a feather. 🙂 He will be just there for show.

JC
JC
November 3, 2022 4:38 pm

It’s about getting 10million of non verified users (of the 300mill active monthly users) to pay the 8 bucks per month.

Okay, what will they get, Bern?

Johnny Rotten
November 3, 2022 4:38 pm

Dr Chant has urged people to get a booster vaccine, with Omicron sub-variants BQ. 1 and XBB expected to overtake BA. 5 as the dominant variants in Australia.

This so called Dr Chant is a fruit loop. Just eat an apple a day and the Dr will stay away is my remedy.

JR

feelthebern
feelthebern
November 3, 2022 4:38 pm

In 3 months time, the executive ranks of twitter will look different.
And 3 months past that, it will look different again.
It’s all about attracting multiple revenue streams.
Having paid (verified) users, no-bots, multiple features, it will attract the dollars.

Makka
Makka
November 3, 2022 4:40 pm

https://twitter.com/RealJamesWoods

Hilarious memes of the leftard meldowns.

feelthebern
feelthebern
November 3, 2022 4:42 pm

Who knows JC.
But for some of these media/social media identities, they will gladly pay the 8 bucks per month.
They have to be able to say how many followers they have on all their channels.
Different dollars go to different channels.
They can’t say they have 1mill on Instagram but no they aren’t on twitter or are not verified.

H B Bear
H B Bear
November 3, 2022 4:42 pm

While Fraser with his rural background was a strong advocate of freer trade in the long run and preached its merits in international fora,

A true Lieboral.

wivenhoe
wivenhoe
November 3, 2022 4:44 pm

Isn’t Chris Bowen Turtlehead? It sure suits him.

Funny, because it is true.

feelthebern
feelthebern
November 3, 2022 4:44 pm

Musk keeps on about offering games via twitter.
Who knows what that means.
But looking at the margins in gaming versus all other software, he’s got a plan.

JC
JC
November 3, 2022 4:46 pm

Thanks Bern

Makka, the old twitter crowd threw Woods off the site one time and he’s never ever been rude. He has political views and is very critical of leftwing stupids. The bint threw him off.

H B Bear
H B Bear
November 3, 2022 4:47 pm

The Lieborals are never closer to their roots when speaking to a room full of Poms. Alas they forget all of it passing through customs.
“Anything to declare?”
“Ummm, a banana.”

Makka
Makka
November 3, 2022 4:49 pm
H B Bear
H B Bear
November 3, 2022 4:50 pm

Actually I got busted by the customs beagle who realised I had been using my briefcase as a lunchbox for a couple of weeks while we in Melbournibad.

Top Ender
Top Ender
November 3, 2022 4:52 pm

Interesting angle on the so-called “frontier wars”.

What to do about aboriginal “troopers” who killed others; and where are the campaign medals if it was a war?

At Quadrant.

feelthebern
feelthebern
November 3, 2022 4:53 pm

As per Panzer earlier today, the days of the blue ticks being some gated community are over.
It’s now pay to play.
Who knows what you’re paying for, yet.

Johnny Rotten
November 3, 2022 4:54 pm

Dr Chant has urged people to get a booster vaccine, with Omicron sub-variants BQ. 1 and XBB expected to overtake BA. 5 as the dominant variants in Australia.

I mean for goodness sake, what are these people smoking? When I wake up in the morning I am so happy as that is another day to be alive. I don’t think about any virus or bug. Normally, i like a bacon and egg sandwich and a cup of tea. Then I have a walk and end up in the Pub. Watch the Sports on TV and check my Share Portfolio. It is always up or down but in the long run it is up. A bit of lunch next and maybe an afternoon nap later. Oh and in the meantime I do like sending lots of jokes to annoy that Jerky Crunt (JC), Mrs Stencho Pantyhose, Head Case and that Montypox Virus person.

I must do this a lot more………………………

JR

Mater
November 3, 2022 4:54 pm

Isn’t Chris Bowen Turtlehead? It sure suits him.

Funny, because it is true.

I wish he’d choke on a single-use plastic straw.

johanna
johanna
November 3, 2022 4:54 pm

Johnny Rotten says:
November 3, 2022 at 4:38 pm

Dr Chant has urged people to get a booster vaccine, with Omicron sub-variants BQ. 1 and XBB expected to overtake BA. 5 as the dominant variants in Australia.

This so called Dr Chant is a fruit loop. Just eat an apple a day and the Dr will stay away is my remedy.

JR

Just keep chasing those ‘variants’, you tosser.

Never had a shot, never had a symptom.

Piss off.

feelthebern
feelthebern
November 3, 2022 4:57 pm

While twitter bans appear to have been paused at the moment, YouTube has gone bonkers on the independent media crowd.
All the Administration influence would be continuing but minus any engagement with twitter.

JC
JC
November 3, 2022 4:59 pm

cohenite says:
November 3, 2022 at 4:52 pm

Another hollywood scumbag to avoid:

Dude, just ignore them. They’re just artists that’s all and they have zero idea.

johanna
johanna
November 3, 2022 5:00 pm

Mater says:
November 3, 2022 at 4:54 pm

Isn’t Chris Bowen Turtlehead? It sure suits him.

Funny, because it is true.

I wish he’d choke on a single-use plastic straw.

Excellent point – time we started talking about this dishonest and destructive bit of virtue-signalling.

No more plastic straws (even in central Australia) to Save the Plaaaanett.

rosie
rosie
November 3, 2022 5:01 pm

“Dumb cunt Rosie’s clotshot sure is safe and effective. Fuck you!”
Do I really have to put up with this kind of foul abuse?
For the record, again, I never supported mandates or the vaccination of children.

Johnny Rotten
November 3, 2022 5:03 pm

johannasays:
November 3, 2022 at 4:54 pm
Johnny Rotten says:
November 3, 2022 at 4:38 pm

Dr Chant has urged people to get a booster vaccine, with Omicron sub-variants BQ. 1 and XBB expected to overtake BA. 5 as the dominant variants in Australia.

This so called Dr Chant is a fruit loop. Just eat an apple a day and the Dr will stay away is my remedy.

JR

Just keep chasing those ‘variants’, you tosser.

Never had a shot, never had a symptom.

Piss off.

Just follow what the Guv’ment tells you and have a nice day……………….Meanwhile, I will keep eating apples and drinking the piss. Nice red wine here BTW. Get your Boosters now and your blood clots will take you on the stairway to heaven ……………………………..

Makka
Makka
November 3, 2022 5:05 pm

Elon Musk
@elonmusk
Advertisers should support:
Freedom of speech
79.7%
Political “correctness”
20.3%
1,714,350 votes
·
14 hours left

———————————————-

Another dude;

Ian Smith
@IanRSmith
·
9h
Replying to
@elonmusk
I will quit Twitter if Musk lets Trump back on Twitter?
Yes
22.7%
No
77.3%
5,795 votes
·
2 days left

Hahaha

JC
JC
November 3, 2022 5:08 pm

What matters here is who decides what racism or antisemitism means in this or that instance.
We won’t know where he sits more broadly until we see where Twitter moves on issues like COVID, election integrity, LGBT, etc. and the discussion of these and like issues.

Well ultimately, it’s his site his rules… Just like you but bigger.

Cassie of Sydney
November 3, 2022 5:10 pm

“I don’t know where the euphoria was coming from though because never in a million years did I think Musk Oil would allow bullshit racism and antisemitism on the site.”

I agree, anti-Semites and racists can do that already on Gab, to their heart’s content. However there were people like feminist Megan Murphy, Carl Benjamin, Donald Trump, and a whole host of others who were unfairly banned from Twitter for no other reason other than they tweeted woke thought crimes and thus incurred the wrath of the progressive Stalinists running Twitter. There was never ever any justification for banning Donald Trump, particularly when the likes of the Supreme Leader of Iran, who heads a regime currently mowing down protesters in the streets, is allowed on the platform.

And then, of course, there was Twitter’s infamous silencing of the New York Post’s Hunter Biden laptop story. The Post was locked out of its Twitter account, on the eve of the 2020 election.

Twitter cannot become a free for all however there was definitely far-left bias and censorship running amok on the platform.

feelthebern
feelthebern
November 3, 2022 5:10 pm

What matters here is who decides what racism or antisemitism means in this or that instance.

Marc Andreessen (one of the funders of Elon’s bid) has been vocal about clear community guidelines and for them to be applied consistently.
That is critical.

The Whitehouse twitter account getting a fact-check tag was a game changer.
The pussies deleted their post than suffer that indignity.
It means they have to think twice about gaslighting.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
November 3, 2022 5:12 pm

dover0beachsays:

November 3, 2022 at 4:56 pm

That is the point about that whinger referred to upthread.

Which one?

I think it was cat-turd.
Someone linked to it this morning.
On Twitter bitching about what Twitter might do.
Sounded disappointed that he/she/ze hadn’t been invited to join the moderation group and run it as Vengeance Central.

calli
calli
November 3, 2022 5:13 pm

When I think of Bowen, I think of one of these.

An unpleasant, malignant one. The genuine article is rather nice.

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
November 3, 2022 5:14 pm

Terrorist families find there’s no place like home-made fools The MockerFollow @Oz_Mocker

9:19AM November 3, 2022
67 Comments

Having been repatriated along with their 13 children from the al-Roj detention camp in northern Syria, the four Islamic State wives who returned to Sydney on Saturday were putting on a remorseful face. “We want to express our regret for the trouble and hurt we have caused, especially to our families,” the women said in a joint statement.

Not quite an apology, but nonetheless a first step in acknowledging it was not a good idea to support the most depraved and barbaric terrorist organisation the world has ever known. There were one or two tell-tale signs at the start that the women appear to have overlooked, particularly the multitude of murders, the mass enslavement and rape of Yazidi women, including pre-pubescent girls, and the methods of torture that would sicken a Tudor king. But hey, who didn’t during their youth hang out with undesirable types?

Horrific as these acts were, let’s not forget who suffered the most. “Together with our children, we have been through a terrible ordeal over many years,” the women said, requesting privacy and time to reconnect with loved ones in Australia. You know, the same loved ones they abandoned years ago when they decided hooking up with sadistic theocratic fanatics was more to their liking.

According to Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil, the government had “carefully considered the range of security, community and welfare factors in making the decision to repatriate”. That was news to outraged Western Sydney community leaders, who discovered the women would be settled in their neighbourhood only when it was reported in the media. “As a Labor Party MP, I would expect that my local federal member and the government would consult with me and my community,” a clearly annoyed Guy Zangari told The Daily Telegraph.

Likewise Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was coy about details, instead saying “The Australian government will always work to ensure that people are kept safe here in Australia, that is our priority.”

He could have fooled me. Incidentally, does anyone remember Albanese or his colleagues mentioning ISIS brides during the election campaign?

It is just the start. As The Age reported yesterday, a second group is likely to be resettled from Syria to Sydney within weeks, although a Melbourne-bound contingent will not arrive until after Victoria’s state election, which will be held on November 26. Sources involved with the planning reportedly told that masthead the federal government was conscious their state cousins were campaigning – a claim that both Albanese and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews denies was a factor. Let’s just say a certain person is very selective about which women are associated with the “Visit Victoria” logo.

As for the women’s claim: “We are excited to have the opportunity to rebuild our lives as a part of the Australian community,” we know that is at least partly true. They will not object, for example, to the Australian community providing them with generous welfare payments as well as housing and a myriad of support services for many years to come. More fool us for taking them back. Indulging those who despise you will only entrench their contempt.

Still, it will make for some interesting developments in the ‘burbs. Rafiqi’s fellow classmates will be goggle-eyed when he does show and tell. Who knows, perhaps someone in the arts community is penning a revised stage version of Ethel Turner’s classic novel. Seven Little Jihadists, anyone?

Maybe Women’s Weekly could do a piece on Fatima’s tips for feeding a hungry husband when he comes home after a hard day slaughtering innocent civilians. “I missed the convenience of a nearby supermarket,” she could say, “but having slaves to do the housework meant I had time to prepare beautiful dishes for Ahmed!”

As for what we will see on TV, “The ISIS Widow Wants a Groom” promises to be a big hit. “Faiza, you were saying the most tedious aspect of returning to normal life is filling out forms that require you to list all previous names?”

You need not have special insight to know these women are beyond redemption. Granted, some will emerge after a couple of years, sullen faced, to say they are not the person they used to be. But it will be at best a grudging concession that they could, with the benefit of hindsight, have done things differently. Whatever token acknowledgement is made will be qualified by noisy claims of marginalisation and bigotry.

Until then, you can expect to hear this was a terrible misunderstanding. It was the husbands that led them to believe they were going to a Club Med resort in Turkey, only to make a desert detour. “How was I supposed to know that Kon-Tiki doesn’t run tours in Syria,” a woman will say. Few men are radicalised overnight, and you cannot tell me their wives had no inkling something was amiss.

Yet we are supposed to believe the assurances of these women when they said last week that they are willing to do “whatever is asked” of them to ensure “the safety” of the “Australian community”.

I have a suggestion to that effect. And ladies, if need be, I will drive you to the airport for free.

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