Open Thread – Tues 2 May 2023


The Good Shepherd, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, 1660

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Tom
Tom
May 5, 2023 4:18 am
DrBeauGan
DrBeauGan
May 5, 2023 5:12 am

Thanks Tom.

Anchor What
Anchor What
May 5, 2023 6:35 am

Snowy 0.002 is fidgety stuff on the edges of a most wonderful hydro electricity scheme, one which would never happen these days given the dark spell cast by enviro-activism.
Hydro, proper hydro, is the only “renewable” worth investing in, but the only one that the politicians and loonies don’t talk about unless it’s to mention stupid add-on pumped hydro.
It should never be forgotten that the Greens were born as a political force under Bob Brown as a flow-on from the opposition to the Gordon and Franklin rivers scheme in Tasmania. Yes, that Tasmania which now often exports hydro power to the mainland, but were new hydro ist verboten.
No nuclear, no new hydro. That is the curse of the enviro-loons that Richo and Hawke decided to tap for more votes.

Winston Smith
May 5, 2023 6:43 am

Cassie Of Sydney:

Opposing and resisting is too hard for Guy, Pesutto and others in the Victorian Liberal Party, instead, the Victorian Victorian are comfortable in their tidy and safe sinecure and they prefer to blame everyone else for their problems. The party is not salvageable, it’s over.

Cassie, you miss the task of the Liberal Party atm.
Its job is to occupy a position in Parliament that blocks other conservative groups from having a say, while implementing leftist policies, or allowing them to be implemented.
The Liberal Party is a place holder for Labor on the dunny of Australian politics.
It has been thoroughly white anted and is now a façade for the Inner Party.

Anchor What
Anchor What
May 5, 2023 6:47 am

How Deep Is The Rot?
1. Oregon Democrats have rammed through HB2002, a highly controversial bill that would allow children to get abortions and undergo gender transformation surgery without their parents’ knowledge, and the parents’ insurance company would have to pick up the cost.
2. Proud Boys Members Guilty of Seditious Conspiracy by DC Kangaroo Court – Face 20 Years in Prison – After FBI Planted Evidence in Their Chatroom
Note: BBC reported this case as if it was kosher, and salivated at the prospect of Trump being similarly found guilty. But even their interviewee from WAPO had to admit that any link to Trump was slim to non-existent.

Farmer Gez
Farmer Gez
May 5, 2023 6:55 am

AEMO has plans for all of you.

https://aemo.com.au/-/media/files/stakeholder_consultation/consultations/nem-consultations/2023/2023-teor/draft-2023-transmission-expansion-options-report.pdf?la=en

Every project or zone has to have big transmission capacity. That involves 85 metre towers every 400 metres and every renewable site will need a sub station and power lines to access the main grid.
The foreign companies involved will have to go in the market to buy the land but AEMO will be seizing easements from landholders to get the power to the main transmission grid. Once capacity is reached they will then take further easements and duplicate the infrastructure.

You really do need to look at this. If we don’t mobilise this renewable insanity will have our countryside looking like an industrial estate.

Roger
Roger
May 5, 2023 7:00 am

If we don’t mobilise this renewable insanity will have our countryside looking like an industrial estate.

A small price to pay to save the environment.

Farmer Gez
Farmer Gez
May 5, 2023 7:01 am

Also note the renewable zones that are in prime irrigation districts and on premium arable land.
4% of the Australian land mass is suitable arable farmland.

Gabor
Gabor
May 5, 2023 7:06 am

Roger says:
May 5, 2023 at 7:00 am

If we don’t mobilise this renewable insanity will have our countryside looking like an industrial estate.

A small price to pay to save the environment.

Missed the /sarc tag, or are you serious?

We can kick and scream, but it is happening.
More coming and nothing we can do about it*, don’t fool yourselves.

* not for a while.

Roger
Roger
May 5, 2023 7:09 am

Missed the /sarc tag, or are you serious?

Take a wild guess.

Top Ender
Top Ender
May 5, 2023 7:15 am

Looks like from several Facebook groups, that the Bangladeshi student assaulted with a fire extinguisher in Darwin in a home invasion passed away late yesterday afternoon.

So far not reported as such in the mass media.

Roger
Roger
May 5, 2023 7:15 am

But seriously…it seems the UK authorities were alert to the aesthetic objections to pylons marching across the countryside.

Took them 10 years to get the first t-pylon erected though.

I think some of the other entrants were having a lend.

Farmer Gez
Farmer Gez
May 5, 2023 7:17 am

When the farmers come to the city with their trucks and tractors you can get out and support us. People power will work if it’s big enough to scare the politicians.
Send a message to any politician in your area and tell them you don’t support AEMO and government renewable plans.
AEMO claim they represent the best interests of power consumers. Tell them they don’t have your support.

Winston Smith
May 5, 2023 7:18 am

Just in case anyone has forgotten why so many of us got annoyed about the hypocritical vaccination movement:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb-Ds_7qdZY

Roger
Roger
May 5, 2023 7:27 am

AEMO claim they represent the best interests of power consumers.

If that were true they wouldn’t be backing renewables and we’d be assured of cheap and reliable electrickery.

Black Ball
Black Ball
May 5, 2023 7:28 am

Excellent work Gez.
I’ve asked before but where is Webster in all this? No doubt spruiking the development as a boon for the area.

rosie
rosie
May 5, 2023 7:29 am

Dear John I don’t support AEMO and government renewable plans. The proposed transmission expansion in Victoria will destroy thousands of hectares of our precious arable land and create huge bushfire risks as well as force the price of energy higher and higher in the idiotic quest for unreliable renewable.
Of you want to turn Australia into a third world country keep going.
Instead of wind and solar you could at least champion nuclear and proper (not pumped) hydro electricity

I just sent this short message to John Pesutto

Black Ball
Black Ball
May 5, 2023 7:32 am

Dover can you pass on my email address to Farmer Gez please, I would very much like to get in touch

Roger
Roger
May 5, 2023 7:32 am

I just sent this short message to John Pesutto

Got a lot on his plate atm.

rosie
rosie
May 5, 2023 7:32 am

Dear John I don’t support AEMO and government renewable plans. The proposed transmission expansion in Victoria will destroy thousands of hectares of our precious arable land and create huge bushfire risks as well as force the price of energy higher and higher in the idiotic quest for unreliable renewable.
Of you want to turn Australia into a third world country keep going.
Instead of wind and solar you could at least champion nuclear and proper (not pumped) hydro electricity

I just sent this short message to John Pesutto
I also wrote to Michael Sukkar and added ‘Personally I think we should, like China and India be building new COAL capacity’.

rosie
rosie
May 5, 2023 7:38 am

Hunted out three other Victorian Liberal emails I had and sent off my Aemo message

Fair Shake
Fair Shake
May 5, 2023 7:39 am

Bangladeshi student assaulted with a fire extinguisher in Darwin in a home invasion passed away late yesterday afternoon.

Credlin was interviewing the baker from Alice Springs. He brought up this home invasion assault. Student was brain dead and they were waiting for family to arrive to say goodbye and switch the machine off. Truly sick. I saw a small mention in the Aus. But not much more.

rosie
rosie
May 5, 2023 7:39 am

Missed my typo. Oh well.

Anchor What
Anchor What
May 5, 2023 7:39 am

Fashion seems to be heading towards that shown in the film Pret-a-Porter!
The Revolve One Sleeve Dress.

Fair Shake
Fair Shake
May 5, 2023 7:41 am

That was a couple of nights ago. Since the they must have switched off the machine. Highlights the state if violence in NT. Recent survey had 80% residents thinking of leaving.
I believe the term is shitholification.

rosie
rosie
May 5, 2023 7:42 am

Numerous outlets covered it and made it pretty clear he was going to die.
I kind of guessed they were holding on til family could arrive.
Now I hope the international student community continue to hold protests in Darwin.
I wonder how much coverage ‘SBS Bangladeshi’ will give it.

Cassie of Sydney
May 5, 2023 7:42 am

I wake up to hear that the flamboyant historian David Starkey is in hot water again for speaking truth, plain old-fashioned truth. Remember how back in 2020 Starkey was cancelled for his flamboyant language? On a podcast in July 2020, Starkey correctly stated that the Atlantic Slave Trade was NOT genocide. Okay, okay, he used rather blunt language in his description, when speaking of African Americans (this was in immediate aftermath of Georgina Floydina’s death and the ensuing and very ludicrous BLM protests and riots across the Western world, even in the UK and in Oz), Starkey said that the slave trade was NOT genocide as “there are now so many of them (meaning African Americans)”! LOL, blunt words indeed, but true, very true. The Atlantic Slave Trade, as horrendous and evil as it was, was not genocide. But for his criminal words, the progressive initiated a pile on and Starkey was cancelled by friends, dropped by his alma mater Cambridge University, mainstream media and so on. The pile on was extreme, and Starkey was confined to an icy progressive gulag. He was declared “persona non grata”, and disappeared. That’s what the left do, they disappear people, okay not physically at the moment but most certainly in every other way. The only gigs Starkey now has are on GB News, the Speccie and online media publications such as Spiked, Unherd, the Critic.

Anyway Starkey, eminent historian he is, is again in hot water for stating the very obvious about the coronation and the current PM of the UK, Rishi Sunak. Remember the English coronation is, at heart, a Christian religious rite, based on biblical Jewish rites that probably go all the way back to King Saul. So, the coronation does mean something to Christians and Jews, particularly Christians, it’s a religious ceremony, full of emotive Christian symbolism. Well, you may well ask what is Starkey’s latest thought crime? My God, he’s said (accurately) that “Sunak is a man of immense power, of extraordinary skill but he’s really not fully grounded in our culture” Starkey was referring, as he made clear, to the indisputable fact that Sunak is an observant Hindu. Anyway, as I slept last night, the pile on has again begun in the UK against Starkey and no doubt GB News will meekly and weakly succumb to the hysterical progressive lynch mobs and cancel him of his gig. You have to understand that there are progressive activists and activist groups who spend their whole time monitoring “conservative outlets” such as GB News, Sky Oz, Fox, as well as the social media handles of the likes of Starkey and Rowan Dean and others. Why? In order to silence them. They are desperate to find anything to shut down these outlets, and too many of these outlets, be it Sky, Fox, and GB News, meekly and weakly capitulate to these lynch mobs.

Which brings me to Ben Shapiro and Triggernometry. Triggernometry has just uploaded an interview with Shapiro which is well worth listening to. I listened to it last night and Shapiro’s words are spot on. I know many of us like to ridicule Shapiro with his whiney spraying voice but in his discussion with Triggernometry Shapiro said something profoundly true about “cancel culture”. Referring to Matt Walsh and how Walsh’s emails (going back 20 years) and social media were recently hacked by far-left scum, Shapiro said the following in response to Konstantin Kisin asking that he doesn’t know a single person who can survive 20 years of emails being leaked because, well, the stuff that we all thought, joked about and said 20 years ago is, in this current environment, and then the following ensues…

Shapiro – “yep, well he (Walsh) can survive because we have his back and we understand that, we are not firing him. I mean end of story, the reality is that you can only be cancelled by people who have the ability to cancel you. The left yelling at Matt Walsh aren’t going to cancel him, the only people who can cancel Matt are the people who pay him and his fans and none of those people are going anywhere because they all understand what this is, which is an attempt to discredit and destroy somebody for the great sin of saying true things about biological sex and the differences between men and women”

Kisin..”there’s nothing in those emails that would give you concern”?

Shapiro…”short of him being a pedophile or committing some sort of egregious crime…no, because guess what, I’m not of the opinion that stuff you say in confidentiality to your spouse or friend or in an email to someone in confidentiality, that this is the sole representation of you, and I’m really sick of a culture that says that about you, because it is not true. ”

Shapiro goes and it’s a good discussion. Worth listening to.

Now back to Starkey, and Shapiro’s words above apply very well to Starkey. Starkey can’t be cancelled by the left, nup, instead he will be cancelled by his own. If GB News cancel him or force him to issue some mealy-mouthed “apology, then they are worse than the left, because what is happening is that they don’t have Starkey’s back (or anyone else) and they are dancing to the left’s choreography.

And now I come to the sad and sorry saga of the Victorian Liberals, Moira Deeming, and jelly-backed John Pesutto. All of Shapiro’s words apply to Pesutto and other Liberals and how they handled the “Deeming affair”. The thing is, Moira Deeming never did or said anything wrong. But instead Pesutto chose to jump on the left’s cancel train. He and other cowards in the Liberal Party could have, in the immediate aftermath of the Melbourne rally, where mysterious and very clean cut Nazis oddly turned up, had Moira’s back, they could have stood with her and called out the nonsense, but no, no, no, they joined in the pile on. And so she was suspended from the party and we all know the story, but her case is a classic example of Ben’s words. The left haven’t cancelled Moira, it was her own side that cancelled her. And this is why I hope she does call in the lawyers. There has to be a reckoning.

In the meantime, someone should send Ben’s words to John Pesutto, to every Victorian Liberal, and to every Liberal leader in the country. Or maybe John Pesutto thinks Ben Shapiro is also a Nazi? LOL.

Farmer Gez
Farmer Gez
May 5, 2023 7:43 am

BB.
Webster is on deck and Peter Walsh.
Walsh and other National MP’s had a webinar with AEMO yesterday. He was on the ABC this morning.
They put 47 questions to AEMO from landholders.
Peter said the answers were entirely unsatisfactory. Most couldn’t be answered as the work was still being done.
This is a mad scramble to beat the coal generator shut down timelines.
They are making it up as they go along.

Cassie of Sydney
May 5, 2023 7:43 am

Oh and apologies about the long rant.

Crossie
Crossie
May 5, 2023 7:44 am

The Liberal Party is a place holder for Labor on the dunny of Australian politics.
It has been thoroughly white anted and is now a façade for the Inner Party.

As I pointed out yesterday, Victorian Liberal party has been taken over by its enemies.

Farmer Gez
Farmer Gez
May 5, 2023 7:46 am

Thanks Rosie

Farmer Gez
Farmer Gez
May 5, 2023 7:48 am

Glad to talk BB

Crossie
Crossie
May 5, 2023 7:48 am

Farmer Gez says:
May 5, 2023 at 6:55 am
AEMO has plans for all of you.

https://aemo.com.au/-/media/files/stakeholder_consultation/consultations/nem-consultations/2023/2023-teor/draft-2023-transmission-expansion-options-report.pdf?la=en

The most egregious development with the energy sector is the definition of stakeholder. It seems to include everyone except the end users, that would be us, the general public. In what universe are activists stakeholders while the people who pay inflated prices for electricity do not matter, or as the definition has it we don’t have a stake in it?

rosie
rosie
May 5, 2023 7:48 am
Winston Smith
May 5, 2023 7:54 am

Cassie:

Oh and apologies about the long rant.

Fear not the length of the rant, Cassie.
They are always informative and worth the time.
(I am not going to mention I sometimes grab bits and use them on my statewide Facebook page without attribution. My two readers think I’m jolly clever.)
🙂

flyingduk
flyingduk
May 5, 2023 7:57 am

From the Oz:

Chalmers’ super trap for young players – More than two million young Australians earning an average wage throughout their working life could be hit with a future super tax under the government’s plans.

*THEY*ARE*COMING*FOR*YOUR*SUPER*

flyingduk
flyingduk
May 5, 2023 7:59 am

You really do need to look at this. If we don’t mobilise this renewable insanity will have our countryside looking like an industrial estate.

Like I said, we have to stop calling these things wind and solar ‘farms’ and call them what they are: ‘factories’.

Crossie
Crossie
May 5, 2023 8:01 am

In the meantime, someone should send Ben’s words to John Pesutto, to every Victorian Liberal, and to every Liberal leader in the country. Or maybe John Pesutto thinks Ben Shapiro is also a Nazi? LOL.

I don’t think they even know who Ben Shapiro is when their source of info is the Wikipedia. Ben’s comment about Daily Wire having Walsh’s back is what today’s media universe is about. Audiences reward brave truth telling media but when they knuckle under to the baying wolves audiences walk away. The problem is that they learn the wrong lesson from it. Audiences didn’t walk away because the truth tellers were “controversial” but because their platforms were gutless.

Crossie
Crossie
May 5, 2023 8:06 am

flyingduk says:
May 5, 2023 at 7:59 am
You really do need to look at this. If we don’t mobilise this renewable insanity will have our countryside looking like an industrial estate.
Like I said, we have to stop calling these things wind and solar ‘farms’ and call them what they are: ‘factories’.

Perfect countryside views for Tesla drivers.

Talking about Teslas, I saw one in my local shopping car park a few weeks ago and again yesterday so it’s obviously a resident and not someone passing by. My thought was they must have scored it as a company car as the locals are not into this boondoggle.

lotocoti
lotocoti
May 5, 2023 8:08 am

Home of the Red Sox and transphobes.

rosie
rosie
May 5, 2023 8:10 am

Adem Somyurek is another person you could write to.

flyingduk
flyingduk
May 5, 2023 8:13 am

And Ron Paul on Lew Rockwell today:

https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/pay-up-or-else-irs-spending-millions-on-weapons/

The feds obviously learned something from that acquatic tea party where some uppity locals objected to paying taxes….

Bourne1879
Bourne1879
May 5, 2023 8:13 am

Adam Creighton has an article in the Oz about the dropping of the vaccine requirements to enter USA.

This is the interesting part about Vax take up.

“More than 17.2 million Australians received their last Covid-19 vaccine six months or more ago, according to Australian data, reflecting a plunge in demand for new bivalent boosters against Covid-19, which have been available for months, despite ongoing government recommendations”

Farmer Gez
Farmer Gez
May 5, 2023 8:17 am

The scope of these plans is extraordinary.
The two proposed western link lines will double the asset value of the entire network.
The VNI West line alone will add 25% to transmission charges on your power bill.
This is based on AEMO estimates. I doubt it’s reliable considering the Snowy 2.0 blowout.

rosie
rosie
May 5, 2023 8:17 am

More than 17.2 million Australians received their last Covid-19 vaccine six months or more ago,

Yes, I won’t bother thinking about a booster until the 12 month mark, when I’m planning to go to Europe again.
I just got flu vaccine, that’ll do me for winter here.

rosie
rosie
May 5, 2023 8:18 am

[email protected]
He promised.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
May 5, 2023 8:18 am

GWGB Fox News edition.

Fox News Ratings Drop After Tucker Carlson Departure (3 May)

The disparity was most stark on Wednesday, when Kilmeade’s 8 p.m. hour received an average of 1.3 million total viewers, compared with the 3 million Carlson received a week earlier — a decline of 56 percent. Overall, the network experienced a 45 percent viewership decline last week without Carlson in the host’s chair.

It looks from the other numbers in the article that the 45% drop is across the board, not just in the 8pm timeslot. If so that is quite amazing. Fox have been playing dirty with leaks and possibly failing to release him from his contract to keep him offline during the 2024 election campaign. If they continue playing games like that I suspect their numbers will fall even more.

johanna
johanna
May 5, 2023 8:20 am

Yes, they have to destroy the countryside in order to save it.

It’s the great paradox of modern environmentalism.

And contrast the hectic pace which Gez and others have revealed to us with the agonising, expensive and sometimes decadal processes companies have to go through when they try to build a comparatively small but very productive facility in the middle of nowhere.

I am surprised that resource companies even try to do it nowadays.

johanna
johanna
May 5, 2023 8:23 am

Gez, surely there are some sacred sites and endangered species habitats along the route?

That usually is sufficient to stop projects for years.

Farmer Gez
Farmer Gez
May 5, 2023 8:27 am

Click on the AEMO site and take a gander at their balance sheets in the annual reports since 2016.
Frankenstein’s lab.

lotocoti
lotocoti
May 5, 2023 8:29 am

We would’ve never heard the end of it,
had Winnie told de Valera it wasn’t Western Approaches job to protect neutral shipping.

flyingduk
flyingduk
May 5, 2023 8:29 am

A small price to pay to save the environment.

AKA ‘we had to destroy the village in order to save it’

https://www.thisdayinquotes.com/2010/02/it-became-necessary-to-destroy-town-to.html

Farmer Gez
Farmer Gez
May 5, 2023 8:31 am

The Indig probably know about as much about these proposals as we did until a month ago.
I can’t imagine they’ll be happy with the environmental impact of the scheme.
Hundreds of thousands of trees will be clear felled to bring green energy to the suburbs.

Fair Shake
Fair Shake
May 5, 2023 8:31 am

Where i work we get allocated drive vehicles from time to time. About a dozen of us have been allocated EVs. Ive had it for 7 weeks now. The driving is very very good. The recharging though has gone from being a novelty interest to a down right head bust. Weekends need to be planned with a range of 330km. As i have no charge facilities at home and refuse to use my own household power each weekend i need to allow approx 2hrs to travel to nearest fast charge and put enough in to get me through the weekend.
I understand all those allocated EVs have sent a note to fleet department…in future, EVs, no thanks.

flyingduk
flyingduk
May 5, 2023 8:31 am

Send a message to any politician in your area and tell them you don’t support AEMO and government renewable plans.

Then sit back and wait for the police to drop by and tell you to ‘tone down’ your emails, or ‘things might happen which you do not want’ – and remember to film them when they do.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
May 5, 2023 8:32 am

roadworks on kent street deakin this morning

gonna be late for work

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
May 5, 2023 8:36 am

rosiesays:

May 5, 2023 at 8:17 am

More than 17.2 million Australians received their last Covid-19 vaccine six months or more ago,

Yes, I won’t bother thinking about a booster until the 12 month mark, when I’m planning to go to Europe again.

does the eu still have vax requirements for entry?

Rabz
Rabz
May 5, 2023 8:39 am

Audiences reward brave truth telling media but when they knuckle under to the baying wolves audiences walk away

See also the Fox and Tucker Carlson imbroglio. How are those ratings looking now Mudrocks, you tin eared clowns?

apologies about the long rant

No need to apologise, Cass.

Rabz
May 5, 2023 8:40 am

Aaaarrggghhh …

New computer and settings all wiped – hopefully this works.

Dot
Dot
May 5, 2023 8:41 am

flyingduk says:
May 5, 2023 at 7:57 am

From the Oz:

Chalmers’ super trap for young players – More than two million young Australians earning an average wage throughout their working life could be hit with a future super tax under the government’s plans.

*THEY*ARE*COMING*FOR*YOUR*SUPER*

NOOOO!

That’s just a conthirapy theory guyth, ackchyually!

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
May 5, 2023 8:47 am

Eyewatering…

Coolant – $34 (Tony Heller, 4 May)

That repair estimate is in US dollars so add 50% for Aussie. I suspect it’d be even higher here than that after various governments take their cuts on the imported battery.

Bourne1879
Bourne1879
May 5, 2023 8:48 am

My post below under Creighton article was rejected. Came with note saying it breached their guidelines.

“Good to hear about low take up of latest vaccines”.

The Pesutto shooting in the head article is up to nearly 600 comments since 10pm last night. Not many comments going up on Creighton article.

Gateway Pundit has detailed article quoting Rita about Trudeau Vax policies etc.

Indolent
Indolent
May 5, 2023 8:50 am

Good way to get rid of the smaller banks.

Shares of PacWest Crash as Banking Panic Returns

Rabz
May 5, 2023 8:51 am

Wonderful to see the self righteous squawking last night on Sky about Turnbuckle’s “water will flow uphill as the gliberal party aren’t bound by the laws of physics” white elephant and taxpayer funded black hole.

Anyone with a functioning brain would have immediately realised the following when this monumentally idiotic brainfart was first announced:

The entire basis of the project was wrong and utterly absurd
It would cost about eleventy gazillion more than originally claimed
It would take many, many years longer than originally estimated
It would never be finished in any of our lifetimes, if ever

We are maladministered by the most useless incompetent arrogant corrupt and staggeringly stupid knobheads to have existed in human history.

Farmer Gez
Farmer Gez
May 5, 2023 8:55 am

Checking the lambing ewes and went past a big Wedge-tail sitting in a fence post. He looked at me and I looked at him.
Looked almost black in the plumage. You don’t see many that dark.

Indolent
Indolent
May 5, 2023 8:55 am
Indolent
Indolent
May 5, 2023 8:57 am
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
May 5, 2023 8:59 am

“Dark Emu Exposed” is revealing that a major player, in Indigenous politics in Victoria, who describes himself as ‘a Nira illim bulluk [Aboriginal] man of the Taungurung Nation” also has a long, and very aristocratic Scots ancestry.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
May 5, 2023 8:59 am

Some more eyewatering…

Ford Is Losing Roughly $60,000 For Every Electric Vehicle Sold (3 May, via Climate Depot)

Ford’s electric vehicle division — which was separated from its traditional gas and professional-grade vehicle departments in a late March reorganization — lost $722 million in the first three months of 2023, while selling just 12,000 units, according to the company’s first quarter earnings report. This amounts to a roughly $60,167 loss for each vehicle sold, according to calculations made by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

They do intend to build millions of the wretched things, so the economies of scale will kick in. On the other hand they ain’t going to sell those millions of EVs, that seems likely.

Interestingly the union has now flipped on them, to some extent. I think that means they’re starting to fear just how much carnage is coming to the US domestic car industry.

Auto Union Shifts to Neutral on Biden Support Citing EV Policies (4 May)

Crossie
Crossie
May 5, 2023 9:02 am

johanna says:
May 5, 2023 at 8:23 am
Gez, surely there are some sacred sites and endangered species habitats along the route?

That usually is sufficient to stop projects for years.

Johanna, it WAS sufficient. That was another era when greens were just slightly pink.

Indolent
Indolent
May 5, 2023 9:03 am

Just what we need. A third Obama presidency.

REPORT: Michelle Obama Expected To Challenge Joe Biden For President

Muddy
Muddy
May 5, 2023 9:03 am

Winston:

Cassie, you miss the task of the Liberal Party atm.
Its job is to occupy a position in Parliament that blocks other conservative groups from having a say, while implementing leftist policies, or allowing them to be implemented.

A long time ago on SincCat, I posted a suggestion using the title ‘Napalm the Playground.’ It was a simple thought: That no right of centre political party can exist in Australia while the present group of ferals is hogging the swingset and spitting on the slide.

Co-existence with the lifers is unlikely to be productive, therefore what is required is for the playground to be metaphorically napalmed, so a new group of kids can use and explore the space (grow, develop; yes, make mistakes also), without having to simultaneously defend themselves from the dacking, nougies, and covid-19-burns that the present zombie tribe uses as means of expression.

I didn’t provide any explicit means of achieving this burn-level-rebuild process (and from memory, I don’t recall it being a popular idea, with Let’s-go-with-Tony-Abbott-again being a dominant comment), but perhaps it makes a touch more sense now?

When all you get from nostalgia is crotch-rot, maybe it’s time to review long established rituals? (Or change your underwear?).

flyingduk
flyingduk
May 5, 2023 9:04 am

Before mRNA covid “vaccines” were given to the public there was NO scientific proof they were safe, a new study finds

No mention of the evidence that they weren’t?

The dog that didnt bark and all that?

Dot
Dot
May 5, 2023 9:04 am

That’s true Bruce but you’re not considering how the left will double down on renewables.

Crossie
Crossie
May 5, 2023 9:04 am

Farmer Gez says:
May 5, 2023 at 8:31 am
The Indig probably know about as much about these proposals as we did until a month ago.
I can’t imagine they’ll be happy with the environmental impact of the scheme.
Hundreds of thousands of trees will be clear felled to bring green energy to the suburbs.

Isn’t there a birthing tree every hundred metres or so? You can’t cut down the birthing trees.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
May 5, 2023 9:07 am

One for Bowen, who wants offshore wind turbines as far as the eye can see.

Biden’s Offshore Wind Push Faces New Headwind — Massive Turbines Breaking Down (3 May, via CD)

These massive turbines, the next generation of which are expected to be more than 900 feet tall and generate 15 megawatts (MW) of electricity — enough to power a small town — suffer from a far greater rate of component failure than their smaller counterparts, the WSJ reported, citing data from renewable energy insurer GCube. While smaller turbines on the scale of 4 to 8 megawatts tend to have failures after five years in service, larger turbines typically see failures after just one year.

Maintenance costs will be sky high – the things are in the middle of Bass Strait and are enormous. Fixing one of them would be a seriously big task, and if they go bung once a year they’d need dozens of repair ships sailing around. Cast of thousands. You can see why the cost of electricity will go into orbit and beyond.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
May 5, 2023 9:08 am

Rabzsays:

May 5, 2023 at 8:40 am

Aaaarrggghhh …

New computer and settings all wiped – hopefully this works.

i know

we are watching it at kent street

lotocoti
lotocoti
May 5, 2023 9:08 am

Rogue drone Needled.
Letting it clear the city wasn’t an option, I guess.

Dot
Dot
May 5, 2023 9:09 am

I keep on posting it, but in 2021 reputable researchers found that human cells write RNA sequences into and hence alter DNA.

Until then, it was not thought possible – almost like a law of molecular biology.

That finding alone is reason to give pause with regards to mRNA vaccines.

https://www.drugtargetreview.com/news/92931/human-cells-can-write-rna-sequences-into-dna-study-shows/

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abf1771

Pol? reverse transcribes RNA and promotes RNA-templated DNA repair
Science Advances
11 Jun 2021
Vol 7, Issue 24
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abf1771

Abstract
Genome-embedded ribonucleotides arrest replicative DNA polymerases (Pols) and cause DNA breaks. Whether mammalian DNA repair Pols efficiently use template ribonucleotides and promote RNA-templated DNA repair synthesis remains unknown. We find that human Pol? reverse transcribes RNA, similar to retroviral reverse transcriptases (RTs). Pol? exhibits a significantly higher velocity and fidelity of deoxyribonucleotide incorporation on RNA versus DNA. The 3.2-Å crystal structure of Pol? on a DNA/RNA primer-template with bound deoxyribonucleotide reveals that the enzyme undergoes a major structural transformation within the thumb subdomain to accommodate A-form DNA/RNA and forms multiple hydrogen bonds with template ribose 2?-hydroxyl groups like retroviral RTs. Last, we find that Pol? promotes RNA-templated DNA repair in mammalian cells. These findings suggest that Pol? was selected to accommodate template ribonucleotides during DNA repair.

Muddy
Muddy
May 5, 2023 9:10 am

Cassie of Sydney says:
May 5, 2023 at 7:42 am

A fine comment, and spot on about who has the power to cancel whom.

H B Bear
H B Bear
May 5, 2023 9:12 am

The best of the piece is where is describes that Monk was actually in Quenthland, making a zombie film

… and where do you make your zombie films?

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
May 5, 2023 9:13 am

Opinion: The Democrats Obsession with Controlling the Climate Change Narrative is to Ban Everything in Sight

Yep.

‘Digital Brownshirts’ at It Again! NYT Boosts Group Pushing Google to Censor (3 May, via Climate Depot)

Got to stop truth from getting a hearing.

Muddy
Muddy
May 5, 2023 9:15 am

lotocoti

You can just see the first four or five tracers before the hit. One wonders from where the UAV was launched?

Black Ball
Black Ball
May 5, 2023 9:16 am

Some good news. Hun:

Dean Arcuri, in the drag stage persona of Frock Hudson, has been “fabulous, furry and fierce” over seven years of performing for children across Melbourne and Victoria.

But Arcuri understands a Boroondara council decision to cancel Hudson’s planned rainbow story time library event on May 17.

Boroondara reluctantly made the call after ugly scenes at Monash council last week.

Police escorted councillors from a meeting, after anti-trans protesters agitated against a planned drag story time event.

Arcuri, who entertained kids from one to 12 at this year’s Moomba, describes the protests as “another level of hatred”.

But he accepts Boroondara council’s need for “safe space” (the city of Casey has cancelled drag workshops for similar reasons).

Some Boroondara residents are less impressed. Said one mother on a Facebook group chat: “I’m really disappointed … Councils being bullied and intimidated into cancelling these events is not on, and by doing so, nothing will change”. (what’s your view on Moira Deeming darling?)

Monash council stood firmly against the threats of violence – until Thursday afternoon, that is, when it cancelled its sold-out drag story time event on May 19.

Crossie
Crossie
May 5, 2023 9:20 am

Co-existence with the lifers is unlikely to be productive, therefore what is required is for the playground to be metaphorically napalmed, so a new group of kids can use and explore the space (grow, develop; yes, make mistakes also), without having to simultaneously defend themselves from the dacking, nougies, and covid-19-burns that the present zombie tribe uses as means of expression.

I agree the Libs weeds need to be uprooted and chucked in the compost bin*. Then we put in new seedlings that will grow and yield nourishment for the party rank and file.

Looking at Labor, they are even in a worse place. It’s all inbred hereditary aristocracy there, they all marry each other and then take turns in parliaments or in public service leadership positions.

*I have been weeding for the last three days to get the garden in shape for winter crops.

Dot
Dot
May 5, 2023 9:23 am

Good lord Sargon has made a funny about Matt Walsh’s Tipper Gore freakout about men having fun.

https://twitter.com/Sargon_of_Akkad/status/1654099865272569857?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

Carl Benjamin
@Sargon_of_Akkad
The right must reject fly fishing. It is a vanity sport in which men sink countless unproductive hours, which should be spent Saving the West™ and promoting Conservative Values™. Instead, your lifestyle should be subsumed into a permanent ideological regime of Conservatism™.

Roger
Roger
May 5, 2023 9:26 am

Richard Dawkins says sex is binary.

And he is a biologist.

Black Ball
Black Ball
May 5, 2023 9:29 am

Under the heading The biggest winner in this entire shemozzle is the Victorian Labor Party Rita Panahi writes:

To make one female colleague cry may be considered a misfortune, to reduce two to tears may mean your name is John Pesutto.

The hapless Liberal leader has made failure an art form during his short reign and now stands accused of bullying two first-term female MPs, one of whom is taking legal action against him.

If Pesutto had any sense, honour or even just a modicum of political nous he’d step down now before he inflicts further damage on a party that has for too long been an unelectable rabble.

But in what is quickly becoming known as “pulling a Pesutto”, (chortle) he is doubling down and exacerbating an already terrible predicament, one entirely of his own making.

On Thursday he refused to negotiate with Moira Deeming, one of the women he has unfairly attacked, sparking another round of internal wars.

All he had to do to avoid further infighting was to acknowledge his obvious mistake in attacking Deeming for attending a women’s rights rally and for relying on false Wikipedia and social media entries to malign her and the event’s organisers.

Frankly, Pesutto should count himself lucky that he is not being sued by Let Women Speak organisers Kellie-Jay Keen and Angela Jones.

The other female colleague Pesutto has recently reduced to tears is Renee Heath, who was berated by the diminutive leader and accused of leaking the minutes of a party room meeting to Sky News’ Peta Credlin.

A lie that Credlin called out on air Tuesday evening. “I can say to you right now, Renee Heath did not give me any information about the minutes – the allegation today from Pesutto is completely false,” Credlin said.

“Suffice to say, I have been around the Liberal Party my whole adult life, and I know how to ask the right questions of the right people and check the facts.”

The biggest winner in this entire shemozzle is the Victorian Labor Party, and wasn’t Dan Andrews having fun at the expense of Pesutto in parliament this week: “I would’ve thought the leader of the opposition was a bit brave to be lecturing anybody on personal behaviour today, of all days, if I were you I’d stick to abusing women in your party room,” Andrews said. (Mikakos sez hi)

Premier Andrews is arguably the luckiest politician in the world. Despite Victoria drowning in record debt, considerably higher than any other state, and his government being mired in multiple scandals, there is no doubt that he would win another election in a landslide if it were held today.

That’s what happens when the opposition is so weak and unprincipled that they stand for nothing.

Victorians saw that Pesutto was Matthew Guy 2.0 when he disgracefully attacked his own MP, Deeming, after she was physically attacked at a women’s rights rally that was gatecrashed by hundreds of far Left protesters and around two dozen cos-playing Nazis. (with monty’s blessing)

Instead of taking a stand for the rights of girls and women, Pesutto opted to be Dan’s useful idiot siding with the hate mob who sought to blame women’s rights campaigners for the actions of Nazi-loving men.

As I wrote at the time he was a dead man walking from that moment unless he was man enough to acknowledge that he got it badly wrong.

Instead, he is plotting another expulsion move against Deeming who demanded a statement of exoneration and for her leader to stick to the original deal they had negotiated.

In an email obtained by the Herald Sun she wrote: “As I have made clear from the day John emailed the entire party room with the allegations against me, my principle priority has been to have my name cleared for the sake of my children.

“And that is what I was promised in the party room. Kim Wells negotiated with you all and persuaded me to accept a nine month suspension to save John’s leadership, in exchange for exoneration from all allegations and imputations made against me (and automatic reinstatement). “

“And I accepted those terms in desperation, just to get my family’s name cleared. But instead, as is well documented, leadership went right out and did the opposite, continuously, right up until this very week.”

“If by 2pm today (Thursday), we do not have an agreed upon statement that exonerates me from the charges laid against me … I will be forced to challenge (the suspension), demand re-entry to the party room and instruct my lawyers to commence legal proceedings.”

After the deadline was missed Deeming confirmed that she had advised her lawyers to prepare a legal challenge over her suspension.

In the short term Andrews is the big winner from the Vic Liberals’ harakiri, but the biggest long term losers are the Victorian public who do not have a strong opposition to keep the government accountable and have no real choice at the ballot box.

This is a disaster for our state. (to put it mildly dear)

So all in all, what a clusterphuck

thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
May 5, 2023 9:30 am

youth offenders

The vigorous rogering of language continues unabated.

These are predominantly Aboriginal youth.
Aboriginal youth brought up to prey on everyone (they will screw each other over just as quick in my experience).
They havent dropped from the sky as immaculate shitheads. They attend the same schools, live in the same houses and consume the same media swill as everyone else, the main difference being they are being deliberately taught they are being “authentic Aboriginals” if they reject the norms which lead to a fruitful and good life.

It is at the stage the only realistic/horrible solution is to sanction whole family groups who have feral kids.
This would involve the whole family group being locked away and resocialised, addictions removed and coerced into a form of normality.

Leaving people to inflict misery on themselves, their kids and everyone around them is moronic.

Winston Smith
May 5, 2023 9:30 am

ZK2A:
https://www.dark-emu-exposed.org/home/deep-fakes-academics-appropriate-aborigines-again-x2c94
Is this the site you were thinking of, ZK2A?
Good to see someone digging up these frauds and exposing them.

lotocoti
lotocoti
May 5, 2023 9:34 am

One wonders from where the UAV was launched?

Probably a technical malfunction, according to the Ukie air farce.

Plasmamortar
Plasmamortar
May 5, 2023 9:36 am

The right must reject fly fishing. It is a vanity sport in which men sink countless unproductive hours, which should be spent Saving the West™ and promoting Conservative Values™. Instead, your lifestyle should be subsumed into a permanent ideological regime of Conservatism™.

What about golf?
Same logic applies

Although a better idea is that people just mind their own business and not try and control the lives of others to make everyone else as miserable as they are….

rosie
rosie
May 5, 2023 9:40 am

Not as far as I know Sancho, not even mentioned when I was there Jan to March.
I just don’t want reduce risk of getting very unwell when travelling on my own (waits for chorus)

Black Ball
Black Ball
May 5, 2023 9:40 am

Lol rosie I’m sure you get the same as I when you email Pesutto. Roger is correct, he has a lot on his plate:

Thank you for emailing the Office of John Pesutto, the Leader of the Opposition.

It’s great to hear from you. We have received your email.

All emails are reviewed by our team and we will respond as appropriate.

Due to the volume of correspondence we receive, it may take a little bit of time for us to get back to you.

Kind regards,
The Office of the Leader of the Opposition.

rosie
rosie
May 5, 2023 9:41 am

Write to Lidia Thorpe and the lobby group who did the highway thing as well ?

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
May 5, 2023 9:42 am

Is this the site you were thinking of, ZK2A?
Good to see someone digging up these frauds and exposing them.

It was, thank you, Winston.

This is going to be a crucial issue in the event of a treaty, compensation and reparations…

Winston Smith
May 5, 2023 9:44 am

Bruce O’Nuke:

Maintenance costs will be sky high – the things are in the middle of Bass Strait and are enormous. Fixing one of them would be a seriously big task, and if they go bung once a year they’d need dozens of repair ships sailing around. Cast of thousands. You can see why the cost of electricity will go into orbit and beyond.

They’ll make great mooring points for yachts if a storm catches them out of harbour.

rosie
rosie
May 5, 2023 9:45 am

Djab Wurrung Heritage Protection Embassy

Zellanach Djab Mara

Sandra Onus

Any port in a storm
link to article

Muddy
Muddy
May 5, 2023 9:46 am

HB Bear: … and where do you make your zombie films?

Plot Synopsis.
Zombies from a government-run Cannibalism De-radicalisation Program wander out of their hotel quarantine and break into a conference room in the same swanky premises that is presently hosting a Liberal Party of Australia Super Important People meeting. Initially, the Liberal SIPs try to bargain with the zombies by offering from amongst themselves (actually, the hospitality staff) ten victims. As they watch the intruders tear apart their live prey, the attitude of the SIPs turns from horror to curiosity. Gradually, the tension between the two groups – zombies and voyeurs – is broken down, and the Liberal Super Important People realise they are not only zombies themselves, but closely related to the intruders! There ensues family reunions, mirth, passionate sex, and the co-operative hunting and devouring of a group of human rights lawyers captured from the hotel lobby.

Roger
Roger
May 5, 2023 9:47 am

Good to see someone digging up these frauds and exposing them.

None of them seem to bear any consequences though.

In regard to the academics exposed, I would’ve thought that their university employers had an obligation to check their bona fides, given that their identification is not accidental to their employment but essential to it, i.e. they all work in “indigenous” studies of one sort or another. Have they gained an advantage over indigenous applicants by fraudulent means? It is not sufficient to simply “identify” as indigenous, given that the HC has set out a three part rule for determining indigenous status.

rosie
rosie
May 5, 2023 9:48 am

Yes I got the automated response.
Why I wrote to Matt Guy, Matt Bach etc as well.
People start seeing lots of email with ameo in the subject line they might take notice.

GreyRanga
GreyRanga
May 5, 2023 9:50 am

Cassie, not a rant. Words of wisdom. One of many commenters but always better written than most. This blog has done more for me organising my thoughts which whenever the pain subsides flood in. There are so many bright people here. As I’ve said before, 10 of you lot could run this country before smoko and take the rest of the day off. I reckon most pollies spend most of the day trying to get another hand on the greasy pole. Take Shatterzz for instance, make a fine Treasurer, knows how to make do with a fixed income and still saves some. Grounded in reality. Politicians should only get the average wage. Then they might know how most live. A surgeon can’t operate without years of training, an engineer building a bridge the same. A politician like that female liar from the ACT was a builder’s labourer gets her hand on the levers of government ably doing what she is told to do coz she wouldn’t have a clue and we have feral, state and town councils full of them. Open season every three years and if the odd good one got bagged too bad.

Mother Lode
Mother Lode
May 5, 2023 9:53 am

On a podcast in July 2020, Starkey correctly stated that the Atlantic Slave Trade was NOT genocide.

It is telling, though, that thy hysterical histrionics insist on that word.

Firstly it demonstrates a lack of awareness of the significance, and attention to the meaning, of the word ‘genocide’. There will be times when it is necessary to talk about real genocide but the word will now have a blurred meaning.

But second it shows that using words that describe things more accurately are deemed to be not impactful enough. To talk about the buying and selling of people as chattels does not, apparently, sound terrible enough.

I suppose this is why the ‘trans’ lobby is so casual with describing the effect of laws that limit their access to children (which they refer to as ‘anti-trans’ but they are not) as a genocide. Scariest word they know, even though they have long ceased to understand it.

Dot
Dot
May 5, 2023 9:56 am

In a way Starkey IS wrong because genocide as used by the left, does not mean what Starkey and other literate people think it means.

Ed Case
Ed Case
May 5, 2023 9:56 am

The thing is, Moira Deeming never did or said anything wrong. But instead Pesutto chose to jump on the left’s cancel train.

Deeming was told to give the event a miss.
Deeming turned up, the event turned into a disaster.
Now deeming is the victim?
Gimme a break.
The Victorian Liberals went to water last time they were given an opportunity to expel Deeming, how many times do they want to be laughingstocks before they bite the bullet and cut all ties with her?

Mother Lode
Mother Lode
May 5, 2023 10:00 am

Sandra Onus

Locked out her protest camps?

Although not truly apposite, the name makes me think of one of Schopenhauer’s quips when the old woman to who he owed money died (thus freeing him from the debt):

Obit anus, abit onus

(The old woman dies, the burden departs)

Ed Case
Ed Case
May 5, 2023 10:03 am

On a podcast in July 2020, Starkey correctly stated that the Atlantic Slave Trade was NOT genocide.
Starkey was wrong.
It IS Genocide of the White inhabitants of the United States [and Brazil].
African Slaves were also sent to Argentina, but after Independence from Spain the Argentines recognised the danger and eliminated the problem.

Mother Lode
Mother Lode
May 5, 2023 10:04 am

…to whom he owed money…

Sheesh!

Cassie of Sydney
May 5, 2023 10:12 am

“Deeming was told to give the event a miss.”

Nope, she wasn’t. And furthermore, Deeming told Pesutto and others in the party a week before the event that she was planning to attend the rally. No one protested and no one said no. Pesutto, being the spineless jelly-back he is, simply panicked and backtracked in the hours after the rally because of the mysterious appearance of the usually very elusive Grampian Nazis, which gave the left the most perfect reason in the world to start screaming and howling their favourite smear…..Nazis, Nazis, Nazis everywhere, and then of course Mr Pesutto, being the spineless toad he is, joined in, in the process only inflaming the situation.

On the Monday after the rally, Pesutto appeared on Credlin. I have never seen a more spineless and supine appearance by a politician in my life. It was embarrassing and jaw dropping.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
May 5, 2023 10:14 am

The Mentality of the Obama/ Biden America – They are Stuffed

Biden Administration Threatens Catholic Hospital: Put Out Your Sanctuary Candle, Or Else – Sub Only

In yet another manifestation of the Biden regime’s burning hostility to traditional religion, and particularly to the Catholic Church of which the alleged president claims to be a proud member, Old Joe’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has demanded that an Oklahoma Catholic hospital put out its sanctuary candle, or be stripped of all Medicare and Medicaid funding.

Did you get this idea while praying your rosary, Joe?

Every Catholic (and Orthodox) Church in the entire world has a sanctuary light, signifying the presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Almost everywhere these pose no problem, but according to a report in the Daily Caller Wednesday, “The federal government told Saint Francis Health System’s Senior Vice President and General Counsel Michael J. Lissau that the sanctuary candle on their premises was in violation of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’s (CMS) fire safety requirements, the hospital says.”

This has implications far beyond Saint Francis Hospital, which is in Tulsa. Given the ubiquity of these lights, this directive could end up stripping federal funds from Catholic hospitals all over the country.

Old Joe Biden must know how sweepingly damaging this regulation could be, as he professes to be a pious Catholic. Yet so far, he has neither said nor done anything to rein in HHS and reassure the hospital.

Why not? Likely for the same reason that he is so ardently pro-abortion and determined to prevent states from placing any restrictions on sacrifices to Moloch:

he isn’t really a Catholic at all, but just poses as one to gain the support of unwitting Catholic voters who don’t know what game is being played.

One of the most revolting aspects of this sinister corruptocrat’s carefully cultivated public persona as affable Lunchbucket Joe is his ostentatious false piety. “I go to Mass and I say the rosary. I find it to be incredibly comforting,” Biden claimed in a 2020 campaign ad, and the establishment media has pushed this nonsense as well. “The new president,” the New York Times announced three days after Old Joe started pretending to be president, “elevates a liberal Catholicism that once seemed destined to fade away.” By “liberal Catholicism,” the Times means an ostentatious, external piety emptied of all its content and cynically designed to win Catholic votes.

And so now “the government says that the hospital will no longer be able to accept Medicare and Medicaid funds as long as the flame remains in the chapel.

After the hospital requested a waiver, the HHS sent a letter denying the request on April 20.” That letter was full of spurious concern for patient safety, explaining that “a hospital must ensure that the life safety from fire requirements are met.” The rule for lighted candles “states that such candles must be ‘placed in a substantial candle holder and supervised at all times they are lighted.’” Yet the sanctuary candle in Saint Francis Hospital was “burning unattended 24/7.” What’s more, the rules forbid any “open flame within one foot of a nasal cannula and 15 feet of any other oxygen delivery equipment.”

All this sounds superficially impressive, at least until one realizes that Catholic hospitals have had sanctuary candles “burning unattended 24/7” since time immemorial, and no one has gotten hurt.

What’s more, anyone who knows how Catholic chapels and churches are laid out will know immediately that no one with a nasal cannula or oxygen delivery equipment was getting within fifteen feet of the sanctuary candle anyway.

An organization dedicated to defending religious freedom, Becket Law, accordingly wrote to the HHS: “Saint Francis cannot do this as a matter of faith. And so, in twenty-five days, the federal government intends to disaccredit (and thereby effectively shutter) this premier health system, which includes the number one hospital in Oklahoma and the 12th largest hospital in the nation. All because Saint Francis refuses to abandon its religious beliefs and extinguish the sanctuary lamp.” Lori Windham, vice president and senior counsel at Becket, added:

“The government’s demand is absurd and unlawful — it is targeting Saint Francis’s sincere beliefs without any good reason.”

Oh, but it has perfectly good reason: the Biden regime just hates traditional religion.

And it especially hates Roman Catholicism because of the Catholic Church’s strong and sustained stance against abortion, the primary sacrament of the Leftist faith. That’s what this is really all about.

And much more like it is soon to come.

Kneel
Kneel
May 5, 2023 10:15 am

“If it’s just as effective away from the clinic why did anyone ever pray close by to a clinic?”

Far be it for me to know the mind of God, however it seems to me that when He chooses to answer your prayers, it is rarely so obvious as a parting of the waters or turning sinners into a pillar of salt, and much more likely to be some subtle effect such as a hardening of the courage of your convictions so as to allow you to perform some act of civil disobedience – and who other than God is to say that such an act is not the pebble the begins the avalanche, or the final snowflake that buries evil under the avalanche, or even that your presence does indeed sway just one person to live in hope of salvation and save the life of an unborn? Or that the “just one” you saved is not part of some greater plan to help save us all from some terrible fate (not a reincarnation of Jesus, just a saint)? Or someone who continues on your path, and creates such conditions in 100 years, or 1000 years time?
We we do matters, although it is not always obvious how or why at the time we do it.

P
P
May 5, 2023 10:24 am

First Coronation role in 500 years for Catholic bishops

Cardinal Vincent Nichols is to become the first Catholic bishop to play a formal role in the Coronation of a British monarch since the Reformation, when he blesses King Charles III during the ceremony in Westminster Abbey on 6 May.

It will be witnessed by a papal delegation led by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See Secretary of State, the first papal representative to participate in a British Coronation for almost 500 years.

cohenite
May 5, 2023 10:28 am

Re; the new AEMO report right now NSW getting 68% of its power from coal:

https://www.aemo.com.au/energy-systems/electricity/national-electricity-market-nem/data-nem/data-dashboard-nem#price-demand

The AEMO know what is coming and they must have shit stains on their arses a foot wide.

Brian
Brian
May 5, 2023 10:29 am

flyduk, that article looks not at Cov19 but at the general mRNA delivery platform. It does cite areas where the mRNA delivery had already produced bad side effects, while at the same time noting that without the platform having been shown to be safe by rigorous testing, it was picked up and mass produced for world world application.
The danger of the spike protein simply adds to the malfeance.
The rule with all new drugs should be safety, safety, safety.

Rococo Liberal
Rococo Liberal
May 5, 2023 10:37 am

Here’s a swinging little ditty to sing over a few bevvies with your mates. I think it goes to the tune of She’ll be comin’ round the mountan

If a person has a penis, he’s a man
If a person has a penis, he’s a man
If he doesn’t want to lose it
even though he doen’t use it
If a person has a penis, he’s a man.

If a person has a nutsack, he’s a man
If a person has a nutsack, he’s a man
He can tuck it to conceal it
Let it dangle and reveal it
If a person has a nutsack, he’s a man

If he amputates his bits, he’s still a man
If he grows a pair of tits, he’s still a man
If the chromosone’s a Y
He will always be a guy
If he isn’t born a woman, he’s a man.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
May 5, 2023 10:38 am

Muddy says:
May 5, 2023 at 9:15 am

lotocoti

You can just see the first four or five tracers before the hit. One wonders from where the UAV was launched?

Ukraine admits shooting down own drone over Kiev

The Turkish-made Bayraktar went rogue over the Ukrainian capital, the military has claimed

The Ukrainian Air Force admitted on Thursday evening that a drone destroyed over Kiev earlier in the day had been one of their own, which they somehow lost control of.

“Since the uncontrolled presence of the UAV in the sky over the capital could lead to undesirable consequences, it was decided to deploy the mobile [missile] teams. This is unfortunate, but that’s technology, these things happen,” said a statement the military released to Ukrainian media.

The admission came several hours after a video showing the drone being taken down by a shoulder-fired rocket made rounds on social media.

The 30-second clip shows the drone slowly flying over Kiev, while small-arms fire can be heard in the background, until it is hit by a missile and crashes to cheers from the onlookers.

Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko said that the drone had crashed in the Pechersky district and started a fire, but that no one was injured.

Pro-Ukrainian “open source intel” accounts quickly declared the UAV had been a Russian ‘Corsair’. After several Western outlets – including the German tabloid Bild – reported otherwise, however, the Ukrainian military issued their admission.

Bayraktar TB2 is a design of the Turkish company Baykar Makina. It saw extensive service with Azerbaijan in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which reportedly convinced Kiev to order a dozen. Several more were bought last year, some with money collected from the US and EU as charitable donations. The drones quickly fell prey to Russian air defenses, however, and have been largely absent from the front lines.

Exactly how the Ukrainian Air Force “lost control” of a TB2 over Kiev remained unexplained.

Mother Lode
Mother Lode
May 5, 2023 10:45 am

Just checking, does ‘AEMO’ refer to a low energy, self-absorbed, know-it-all teenager who is fond of cuts and sitting around in the dark?

Or to a low energy, self-absorbed, know-it-all market-meddler who is fond of cuts and sitting around in the dark?

thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
May 5, 2023 10:46 am

Ed-Mong the plastic “conservative” sneaks in a bit for feculence from its fundament to give to the dozy midgets or similar groups that this is a site full of NaZIS!!!!!

African Slaves were also sent to Argentina, but after Independence from Spain the Argentines recognised the danger and eliminated the problem.

You low rent spastic.

Muddy
Muddy
May 5, 2023 10:48 am

Serious question: Can a UAV be ‘hacked?’

Tom
Tom
May 5, 2023 10:48 am

You low rent spastic.

Exactly the words I was looking for, Mole.

JMH
JMH
May 5, 2023 10:52 am

Gez at 8.55 am:
your eagle has some miles under its wings. The darker the bird, the older it is, as I understand it.

Ed Case
Ed Case
May 5, 2023 10:52 am

Deeming just needed to let it go.
She’s a nobody who only became a somebody due to Liberal Party patronage.
As soon as she got her $250 grand/year for 4 years job, she bit the hand that fed her.
Right or wrong, she’s an ingrate.

Muddy
Muddy
May 5, 2023 10:55 am

Good observation, Mole. That’s the flipside of ignoring such comments: infiltrators establishing a pattern.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
May 5, 2023 10:56 am

To make one female colleague cry may be considered a misfortune, to reduce two to tears may mean your name is John Pesutto.

they were out in force yesterday

angrily decrying the tewwowists in the party

vewwy, vewwy passionate and happy to use over the top hyper-bowl

but will they call chairman dan a crook, even under privilege?

ooooh, no, we might get some backlash from virginia trioli’s talkback

mongs

Muddy
Muddy
May 5, 2023 10:58 am

Mother Lode: Emo’s Not Dead.

Ed Case
Ed Case
May 5, 2023 10:58 am

… this is a site full of NaZIS!!!!!

quoth thefrollickingmole @ 10:46 am.
Rubbish.
Plenty of clowns keep talking about Nazis, even though the youngest of the Nazis is at least 98 years old, but I doubt any of those are Nazis.

Muddy
Muddy
May 5, 2023 11:05 am

Megyn Kelly.

I try to keep things classy, but … there’s nothing wrong with liking a t-shirt… Riiiight?

Muddy
Muddy
May 5, 2023 11:13 am

Megyn spewing fire about someone called Irena Briganti?

(Disclaimer: I’ve never watched Megyn Kelly, and I only occasionally watched short clips of Tucker Carlson on youtube, so I don’t have a position in all of this).

thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
May 5, 2023 11:15 am

Rubbish.
Plenty of clowns keep talking about Nazis

Yet you are the tard who just posted praising the Argies “final solution” to their ex-slaves.

Happy 98th birthday window licker.

Vicki
Vicki
May 5, 2023 11:16 am

The friendly corella flew onto my shoulder this arvo unprompted, whoever was his patron was obviously a good friend.

If he says his name is “Charlie”, run for cover! A terrible Corella once landed on my shoulder, saying his name loudly. I thought he was adorable & took him home to make enquiries re his owner.

No owner eventuated, and I know why. He was a devil with wings. I should have known that first day when he proceeded to rip my earrings off my ears! After fruitless search for his owner we gave him to a nature lover in a distant suburb where she was regularly visited by cockatoos. They hated him and stopped coming! That was how bad he was.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
May 5, 2023 11:17 am

We’re in the very best of hands.

God help us. Veep to tackle AI challenge (4 May, via Instapundit)

There appears to be a growing consensus around the country (and much of the world) that there could be some very bad things on the horizon if Artificial Intelligence gets significantly “smarter” and that could happen far sooner than industry leaders previously believed. We recently learned that the “Godfather of AI” quit his job at Google so he could warn the world about what may be coming. So is this something the government should be regulating? As Beege discussed yesterday, the White House has decided to send Kamala Harris to discuss the issue with industry leaders.

I can just imaging the word salads going on around the table with these poor CEOs. And I don’t usually regard tech CEOs with much love, not at all. Having Kamala inflicted upon them is the cruelest punishment imaginable. Maybe they should each send their laptops with ChatGPT on them to talk to her instead.

H B Bear
H B Bear
May 5, 2023 11:21 am

Neville Groogs makes an appearance. And surprises nobody. The Nazis weren’t that bad.

Vicki
Vicki
May 5, 2023 11:29 am

Adam Creighton has an article in the Oz about the dropping of the vaccine requirements to enter USA.
This is the interesting part about Vax take up.

It was interesting to see later post that comments on Creighton’s article did not appear. After complaining of my “cancellation” in the OZ Letters to a couple of relevant people a while back, I suddenly got a letter on a Creighton vaccine article – admittedly 2 days late – published.

But it was a false summer. Subsequent letters unpublished. As I have said before – these letters may have been crap – but my crappy letters have been published regularly for over 20 years in the OZ. But they sure took a dislike once I started writing on the Covid vaccines.

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
May 5, 2023 11:33 am

Maori king ‘belittled’ at coronation event snub
Anne Barrowclough

A New Zealand coronation event in the UK has been marred by an apparent snub to the Maori king, who claims his culture and royal status were ignored by those present.

Kingi T?heitia Potatau Te Wherowhero VII’s spokesman said the king felt “belittled” after a traditional karakia (Maori incantation) was not carried out at a gathering for Kiwi coronation guests at NZ House in London.

Kingi Tuheitia was also insulted when NZ High Commissioner Phil Goff told the gathering, which included Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro, no one in the room had been to a coronation before, apparently ignoring the fact that the Maori king had been to his own coronation, and to that of his mother, the Maori queen, Radio NZ reports.

After Mr Goff’s remarks, Arch Deacon Ngira Simmonds told the gathering: “I need to express significant disappointment as to what has taken place here.

“When this happens, the experience we feel as M?ori is one of being pushed down in the life of our nation where P?keh? (white people) are lifted up,” he added to applause.

Ed Case
Ed Case
May 5, 2023 11:33 am

Who had heard of Pesutto before he was elected to lead the Vic Libs?
Pesutto was expected to become Liberal Party leader after the expected 2019 Election Loss, but he managed to lose his Seat and took a breather for 4 years.
Not sure what the real story behind Moira Deeming is, but Scott Morrison nixed her nomination as a candidate for a safe Labor seat at the 2019 Election, so there’s likely more to the story than mean ol’ Liberal men bashing up adorable single issue campaigner.

Alamak!
Alamak!
May 5, 2023 11:34 am

Bruce> I’d vote for Chat GPT as VP given a choice. And slowing down OpenAI is a bit rich given the oligopolistic control exerted over tech channels by the big players such as Google, Apple, Farcebook/Meta. Now they have some possible competition its time to slow it all down becos scary AI …

GreyRanga
GreyRanga
May 5, 2023 11:34 am

Imagine sending Kamala anywhere to do anything apart from heelsup at a masochist knock shop. Then again we’ve got Richard Marles who’s never had a real job outside of the Liars hive.

Tom
Tom
May 5, 2023 11:35 am

Drone attack on Kremlin ‘probably orchestrated’ by the Russians themselves

Brought to you by two of the Australian right’s least useful idiots, Chris Kenny and Alexander Downer.

johanna
johanna
May 5, 2023 11:37 am

Any talk about ‘Nazis’ is ridiculous. Unless you subscribe to the theory that every political movement is unique and endless, (think about it) there are no Nazis around today.

There are people who use symbols of previous movements, there are those who latch on to oppose them.

But it all just obfuscates rational discussion.

I will make an exception for ‘soup nazis.’ 🙂

Ed Case
Ed Case
May 5, 2023 11:43 am

Thefrollicking mole is a concern troll.

He’s not the only Concern Troll infesting this site, but he and the other few are responsible for 98% of the screaming about Nazis.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
May 5, 2023 11:47 am

there are no Nazis around today

Could easily make the case that China is national socialist, Johanna, with Xi in charge.
What’s “Führer” in Chinese?

Soup Nazi is a fine Seinfield episode!

thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
May 5, 2023 11:54 am

Ed Casesays:
May 5, 2023 at 11:43 am

98 year old man yells at cloud.

Enlighten us on how the Argies “solved’ their black problem Grigglebot.
You did appear to signal your approval of the outcome.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
May 5, 2023 11:57 am

Drone attack on Kremlin ‘probably orchestrated’ by the Russians themselves

Vodkapundit has a nuanced article on the drone thingie.

About That So-Called Assassination Attempt on Putin… (4 May)

It’s all very murky as far as I’m concerned. I can’t see how a couple of fairly small drones could make it all the way from Ukraine to Moscow. So who did it and why did they do it? It’s like the Nordstream attacks: murky all the way down.

The interesting thing is the usual Russian talking heads have gone off like fireworks over this rather innocuous incident, but the Kremlin is saying they’re being mature and diplomatic. This stuff is like reading tea leaves extracted from a samovar. What it all really means is anyone’s guess.

Kremlin Congratulates Putin for ‘Calm and Collected’ Response to Drone Attacks (4 May)

Top Ender
Top Ender
May 5, 2023 11:58 am

What’s with the question mark:

“When this happens, the experience we feel as M?ori is one of being pushed down in the life of our nation where P?keh? (white people) are lifted up,” he added to applause.

Let me guess. It’s taking over another power base of whitey? The aggrieved ones force you to conform to their use of the English language. In the same way as it’s now trendy in Hobart to call Mount Wellington “kunanyi / Mount Wellington”, with a lower case K.

Alamak!
Alamak!
May 5, 2023 12:02 pm

Given the noise and public messaging between various parts of Putins state entities, perhaps the drone attack was internal? Just like all the Putin-supporting bizness guys falling out of windows recently.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
May 5, 2023 12:06 pm

alamak>

i see you>

not fooling anyone>

johanna
johanna
May 5, 2023 12:07 pm

Charlie is beginning to reap what he sowed, at the coronation.

All the causes he recklessly supported, or even mentioned, are lining up at the trough. And, if nothing is forthcoming, they will go for him with a vengeance.

Serves him right.

His mother was much smarter.

Ed Case
Ed Case
May 5, 2023 12:09 pm

What are his options?
He can either stand up to Deeming now or see the Liberal Party wiped out.

Voters take a dim view of Women Only Spaces candidates, Katherine Deves proved that.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
May 5, 2023 12:12 pm

Awe, lefty schadenfreude to eleventy!

Elon Musk Gives NPR the Vapors Again (3 May)

RTW tale of woe. It is possible, just possible, that NPR are actually worse than the ABC.
Hard to believe I know.

Ed Case
Ed Case
May 5, 2023 12:13 pm

Frollickingmole loves talking about Nazis, it’s his favourite subject, apart from denigrating Aborigines, which he’s dedicated his miserable life to doing.

Dot
Dot
May 5, 2023 12:15 pm

I can’t see how a couple of fairly small drones could make it all the way from Ukraine to Moscow.

They can’t (it is impossible off the physical chemistry, they simply cannot carry enough fuel and also get airborne); this is from the incompetent “Ukies” who “don’t have a functioning air force” as well, yet they can literally bomb the old imperial capital palace.

Dot
Dot
May 5, 2023 12:21 pm

Drones travelling 450+ km. These would be UAVs, not your typical RC “drones”.

Real Deal
Real Deal
May 5, 2023 12:26 pm

Groogs, I’d like to think you brilliant and erratic.

But you’re just erratic.

thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
May 5, 2023 12:27 pm

Ed mong dodging his applauding of Argies dealing with their blacks…

But hes right, he might not be a 98 year old chap with a funny moustache, he might just be a filthy grub who gets moist at the thought of progroms on various peoples.

Johnny Rotten
May 5, 2023 12:31 pm

Dotsays:
May 5, 2023 at 12:15 pm
I can’t see how a couple of fairly small drones could make it all the way from Ukraine to Moscow.

They can’t (it is impossible off the physical chemistry, they simply cannot carry enough fuel and also get airborne); this is from the incompetent “Ukies” who “don’t have a functioning air force” as well, yet they can literally bomb the old imperial capital palace.

Rubbish. Another dopey comment from the Resident Non Military ‘Eggspurt’. Drones can fly miles and miles and miles. Even Iran has them. And they are not small drones.

Those drones were likely pretending to be civilian aircraft using civilian aircraft flight paths and tricked the Russians.

Now, wait for the Russian response. Nuking Kiev is not out of the question. That should help bring some people to the negotiation table.

USA. Wake up to the Neocons who are trying to start WW Three.

Ed Case
Ed Case
May 5, 2023 12:34 pm

… dodging his applauding of Argies dealing with their blacks…
Huh?
There are extremely few blacks in Argentina, what’s your problem with that?

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
May 5, 2023 12:34 pm

Ukraine’s Kremlin Gambit Marks Beginning of New, Darker Phase

SIMPLICIUS THE THINKER

A few brief statements and thoughts on Ukraine’s drone strike of the Kremlin earlier.

One thing in general to say, is that we are unquestionably heading towards a very tumultuous time in the next year and a half or so. The critical point of the Ukrainian war, which could happen this year, as well as the epochal 2024 election cycle which will have major connotations for the entire world.

It can be encapsulated in the following two captures, which I had seen side by side scrolling through social media:

There is a undeniable eschatological tint to events in the world currently. Many people are taking notice not only of spiraling geopolitical factors, but the general cultural zeitgeist trending towards the hopeless and nihilisitc:

If it’s not nuclear war, it’s AI takeover, or total collapse of some sort or another. The next year and a half, at least up through the 2024 election cycle, will be a critical and likely dark time of upheaval. There is every chance that another series of calamitous ‘black swan’ events will sweep the globe, orchestrated by the ruling class due to their failing Western system.

Yes, the Western system is failing. The financial system which is its very bedrock is coming undone. One example, published today is how this year’s banking collapses now dwarf that of 2008.

And it’s only just getting started, several new major banks are already starting to collapse.

This is not meant to be a long run-on reflection on the state of the world, but is to simply make a statement, which is that we are entering a time of troubled waters comprised of events which may seem unrelated, but are in fact intimately so.

The Ukrainian conflict will bear major ramifications on the all-important 2024 election cycle, already in its earliest goings, and vice versa. So, we must expect the unexpected; at this point, events can take a sudden sharp veering turn at any point.

With that said, what to make of the Kremlin attack? First a few words on the attack itself.

There were at least two drones, one of which appeared to be destroyed by electronic detonation / jamming just over the senate roof building. The senate building is where Putin holds the following attendance, rather than “where he sleeps” as some have claimed:

There were two figures seen climbing the roof as the drone came in, which the Ukrainian side claims proves that it was a Russian falseflag. It’s impossible to know who they were but I can only assume that either this is after the first drone had already hit, and they were spotters or the drone(s) was detected a ways out, and some sort of spotters/observers/secret service agents were sent to the roof, possibly even with disabling EW equipment, such as the handheld anti-drone guns, etc.

Ukrainian official accounts are already posting such mockeries:

One thing is clear, as the countdown to Ukraine’s supposed offensive finally begins, there will be—and already are—major ramp-ups of psychological attacks, including that of asymmetrical, diversionary, etc.

The purpose of these types of attacks is clear but multipart:

1. On the eve of their last big hurrah, they aim to un-balance Russia in any way possible. To make Russian citizens themselves lose trust and confidence in the leadership at a critical juncture, to make lower leadership, troops and unit commanders distrustful of higher ups, etc. To sow doubt, fear, confusion, and all the lower function instincts.

2. To condition the global audience for potential Russian responses which will in fact be long-prepared falseflag operations. It’s important to keep an eye on the nuclear-related information we recently heard of: the U.S. installing nuclear sensors in Ukraine. Now various rumors circulate about a potential Russian ‘tactical nuclear response’ against Ukraine. It’s clear that one of the possible provocation intentions is to steer public perception towards an eventual falseflag that will need to be utilized deus-ex-machina style to save the collapsing Ukrainian army when their offensive goes bust.

And what are these nuclear rumors? Well, after the Kremlin strike the Defcon Warning System Twitter account began to fearmonger by giving credence to rumors that Russia’s strategic nuclear weapons were put on higher alert:

Other things circulated, like the following, claiming that an uncommon number of important Russian military flights took place toward Moscow:

And then there were the claimed Tu-22m flights, which are capable of being armed with nuclear-capable Kh-47M2 Kinzhals.

Of course, Dmitry Medvedev himself fed these rumors when he flatly opined that Zelensky and his clique should now be taken out:

Zelensky on the other hand, in perfectly choreographed fashion, spent the day flying from Poland to Finland, then to the Netherlands—perhaps choosing to deliberately avoid a decapitation strike on Bankova street.

He’s completing a long weapons-haul circuit, begging every European country who’ll listen for increased arms.

Personally, I’m inclined to agree with the statements of this Russian mil-blogger, Zhivoz:

As he mentions above, there has been a huge uptick in provocations and ‘behind the lines’ guerilla attacks in just the past week or two alone. At least two Russian railways were sabotaged, trains derailing as well as now two separate oil depot facilities hit, one in Crimea, the other in Krasnodar nearby. Other drone strikes occurred, including several attempts on Sevastopol, both from sea and air. And even other attempted drone attacks near Moscow, before the Kremlin one.

This all savors of the final, terminal phase before some type of major campaign, designed to create chaos and confusion among the Russian ranks. And like clockwork, on the heels of the Kremlin strike, the AFU launched another large probing action in the Orekhov-Zaporozhye direction. Reportedly, they were driven back by fierce Russian defense with at least 30 KIA and several armored vehicle losses.

Now, troubling news is beginning to brew that they’re once again preparing a provocation aimed at Pridnestrovia, aka Transnistria. A train of armored vehicles was spotted headed in that direction and new rumors abound about a large build up aimed at taking over Tiraspol.

There is certainly a chance of something big happening around May 9th, not least of which reason being the Russian parade, but that rumors have swirled that both Russia has intended to capture Bakhmut by then, and that Ukraine is intent on ruining Russia’s historic celebration day in any way possible, including launching their offensive or some other major provocation, including strikes on the parade itself.

As usual, what we are seeing is hysteric, insecure need of the Ukrainian leadership to make itself look active and successful to take attention away not only from their major failures in Bakhmut, but from the running hour-glass on the worldwide expectations of some major offensive from them, which are already growing long in the tooth.

We are likely to see a huge increase in psychological actions for two potential cross purposes. The first and most obvious is, if they actually do plan to launch an offensive, it will come on the heels of this off-balancing campaign to sow as much directional confusion as possible. But conversely, these actions could also be a huge cover for the fact that Ukraine has nothing to launch an offensive with, and is in fact ‘stalling’ for time by simply stringing a long a series of ineffectual and ultimately futile attacks which have no consequential merit apart from a minor psychological factor.

They may very well have planned an offensive but a series of massive recent strikes by the Russian aerospace forces have destroyed astounding amounts of stored up and consolidated ammunition. There’s a chance that their offensive has been neutered long before growing the legs to crawl and now they’re left with nothing but desperate face-saving tactics of little psychological jabs.

But getting back to Russia’s reaction: is it possible Russia will in fact react, in perhaps even a disproportionate fashion? It’s possible: after all, just look at ex-President Medvedev’s statement today: he called for the outright elimination of Zelensky. With that said though, Medvedev has been a bit of a windbag in recent times, and his statements certainly are not to be taken as gospel or representative of Kremlin policy. My theory is that, like the theatrically flowering Prigozhin, both of these guys are grandstanding for the possibility of 2024 presidential elections, provided that Putin calls it quits and doesn’t seek re-election—which is always possible, given that he’s stated before that he doesn’t want to do it for much longer.

Either way, the answer to the question lies in how exactly the Kremlin ends up cataloguing this event. The big question is, will it be viewed as tantamount to an assassination attempt on the president of Russia, as many outlets are characterizing it? If so, then clearly it would call for some major type of Russian response. But if they are simply to ‘brush it off’ as a minor drone inconvenience that happened to land on the Kremlin roof, then I suppose not much will be done. All we know that is for now, there are reports of huge explosions all over Ukraine. Every region is tonight being hit with what so far appears to be a mass Geran-2 drone attack, from Odessa, Kherson, Zaporozhye, Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, and even Kiev.

Personally, I’m still leaning towards Ukraine continuing to play games and delay at least until June if not later, while trying to score fencing ‘touches’ and asymmetrical provocations, simply because I remain skeptical of their ability to carry out an organized offensive, particularly a professional multi-pronged one.

But of particular interest will be the period directly after Bakhmut’s fall. Prigozhin has claimed the AFU will launch their big offensive right when Bakhmut falls, and its fall could likely coincide with the aforementioned dates; although, it should be said, today was a report that they’ve launched a ‘counter-attack’ on Bakhmut which—depending on its size and strength—could delay its capture, though it could just be a fake smokescreen designed to actually help retreat some of their last-remaining elite units, as one of the earlier reports above implied.

We’ll wait and see what happens, but the next few weeks promise to be a wild ride, with the next week-long period ending in May 9 in particular being one of critical importance to keep an eye on, as events could unfold rapidly.

Dot
Dot
May 5, 2023 12:38 pm

Those drones were likely pretending to be civilian aircraft using civilian aircraft flight paths and tricked the Russians.

Hmm, flying slowly (< 250 km/hr) over a ~500 km flight path, with no IFF, a large radar return for the size of the craft, where civilian planes have not flown out of for 14+ months?

…what does this say about the Russian air force with hundreds of air interceptors and SAM & AAA batteries? You're an egg spurt after all.

Dot
Dot
May 5, 2023 12:44 pm

The top speed of a Geran 2 is UNDER 200 km/hr and whilst small, they are not “stealth” (‘low observable’) aircraft.

thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
May 5, 2023 12:44 pm

Ed -Mong…
African Slaves were also sent to Argentina, but after Independence from Spain the Argentines recognised the danger and eliminated the problem.

also Ed mong..
Huh?
There are extremely few blacks in Argentina, what’s your problem with that?

My problem is with you trying to scuttle away like a half stunned wombat from your praising of Argies dealing with their “Problem” people.
And remember you are supposed to drag out the stunned wombat gambit AFTER the offending passages have dropped off the page in the hope someone cant be arsed going back and rubbing your nose in your cube shaped chunks of excrement.

Dot
Dot
May 5, 2023 12:46 pm

It probably says they are flying low.

…and as piston engined, propeller driven UAVs, they’d be very loud.

Ed Case
Ed Case
May 5, 2023 12:54 pm

You talk about excrement a lot, Thefrollickingmole.
Is there something you want to share?

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
May 5, 2023 12:55 pm

Global warming causes bad pop music:

Here comes the sun: New study shows how UK weather conditions influence music success in the markets (Phys.org, 4 May)

However, the study also found that these results depended on the popularity of the music: While hyper popular songs in the top 10 of the charts exhibited the strongest associations with weather fluctuations, less popular songs showed no relationship at all. This suggests that a song’s fit with prevailing weather may be a factor pushing a song into the top of the charts.

A fine irony in this study are the climate graphs in the paper, which clearly show the influence of the ~60 year ocean cycle. Which of course the climate bedwetters ignore, since that might suggest CO2 is not the bugbear they want us to believe.

The good news from this study is since the golden age of R&B and rock was at the bottom of the last AMO cycle, in a decade or so we should finally get beyond the current phase of rap and elevator music when the AMO turns down again.

Johnny Rotten
May 5, 2023 12:59 pm

If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.

– H. G. Wells

thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
May 5, 2023 1:02 pm

Give it up grigglebot.
Youve been sprung being a vile little turd.
Again.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
May 5, 2023 1:03 pm

It’s murky only if you believe Ukraine would never do such a thing.

Dover – I can think of about five different state and non-state operators who might find it worthwhile doing this stunt. Possibly even six or seven. I’m agnostic, and so open minded about it that my brain is threatening to fall out.

Ed Case
Ed Case
May 5, 2023 1:05 pm

There you go again.
Do you dream about Poo too?
It sounds like it.

Dot
Dot
May 5, 2023 1:09 pm

It’s murky only if you believe Ukraine would never do such a thing.

Ditto for Putin.

johanna
johanna
May 5, 2023 1:10 pm

People here squabbling about a local war on the other side of the world? Why?

Mind you, that goes for a lot of people with links to defence suppliers (not here, AFAIK).

In practical terms, I would be more concerned about what is going on in Lebanon.

Johnny Rotten
May 5, 2023 1:12 pm

Ed Casesays:
May 5, 2023 at 1:05 pm
There you go again.
Do you dream about Poo too?
It sounds like it.

Winnie the Poo likes that comment. It shows that you do like stories especially the ones that you keep on making up. You are so well named as for example, ‘Head Case’, ‘Ed October and a ‘Suitable Case for Treatment’. Dipstick.

Tom
Tom
May 5, 2023 1:13 pm

Give it up grigglebot.
Youve been sprung being a vile little turd.
Again.

Googleory’s life as a public service parasite has given him only one career option in retirement — as a website troll.

Australia has one of the biggest public sectors in the world (expressed as a percentage of the GDP it takes to pay for it), hence the number of Australian trolls defending the administrative state against the productive population.

Thanks for keeping them to a minimum, Dover.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
May 5, 2023 1:13 pm

People here squabbling about a local war on the other side of the world? Why?

Because it’s less depressing than news here in Oz.
Sucks to be in a decline-and-fall phase of history.

Johnny Rotten
May 5, 2023 1:14 pm

johannasays:
May 5, 2023 at 1:10 pm
People here squabbling about a local war on the other side of the world? Why?

Mind you, that goes for a lot of people with links to defence suppliers (not here, AFAIK).

In practical terms, I would be more concerned about what is going on in Lebanon.

It is not a local war. This is serious stuff. Get up to speed.

Mother Lode
Mother Lode
May 5, 2023 1:16 pm

The Post Millennial
@TPostMillennial
·
1h
WOW. Woke @Timcast guest argues IN FAVOR of women having the right to abort viable fetuses up until birth.

I wonder what miraculous scientifically explicable transformation takes place as the baby emerges from the mother’s body? When mid-way, is it half baby and half foetus? I have heard that birds (or reptiles, or rangas) only coat the ova with a shell as it leaves their body so it only becomes an egg at that last moment.

Personally I think it is more like a person stepping from a dark doorway into the light: they seemed not even to have existed until they emerge into the light so you don’t even think of them, and obviously ascribe no characteristics, while they are in the dark. But in reality they were every bit as real people in the dark room as in the light.

Ed Case
Ed Case
May 5, 2023 1:17 pm

People here squabbling about a local war on the other side of the world? Why?

The War is American NeoCons [in reality Trotskyites] versus Russian Nationalists.
Once you know that, it’s easy to work out where the Pro Uke commenters are coming from.
Why are you concerned about events in Lebanon?
What’s that got to do with Australia?

Mother Lode
Mother Lode
May 5, 2023 1:20 pm

Ha! Timbuk 3!

Thanks for the memories, Dot.

johanna
johanna
May 5, 2023 1:21 pm

Oh, and well done egotists for letting someone who knows just how to push your buttons to take over the thread with smelly prawn baits and your automatic responses.

But, you are so amazingly intelligent, in public, when you rise to the bait!

Idiots. Thread cloggers.

But, the important thing is, it makes you feel good. Ooooh. Aaaaah. Yeaaah!

Probably time to join the Greens.

thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
May 5, 2023 1:21 pm

Ed will tell us the innocent real meaning of
African Slaves were also sent to Argentina, but after Independence from Spain the Argentines recognised the danger and eliminated the problem.

Any minute now..
Any. minute.

Dot
Dot
May 5, 2023 1:24 pm

Probably time to join the Greens.

If it is time to air dirty laundry; I dislike every single Gordon Lightfoot song there is, and I feel bad because he seemed like a nice dude.

  1. My accountant informs me that I have made an obscene amount of money during the year, No amount of money…

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