Meanwhile, in Airstrip One. If declining an invitation to a voluntary interview is cause for arrest, then then the interview…
Open Thread – Mon 6 Nov 2023
- Open Thread – Thurs 14 Nov 2024
- Open Thread – Remembrance Day 2024
- The Sweetest Victory
- Open Thread – Weekend 9 November 2024
- Open Thread – Thurs 7 Nov 2024
Donald J Trump announces Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).
This week Elizabeth Lund was booted – she was VP of Quality. And dusky Mr Ted Colbert was let go…
I had no idea that Rita Panahi is quite famous in the US due to her “Lefties Losing It” segments…
More chick bashing Trends In Wokeness & Girlbossery In Science -but I’m pleased to see ‘physiognomy’ back in the charts,…
Hema’s Top 5 Victorian High Country 4×4 Drives
The Victorian High Country is a treasure trove of four-wheel driving adventures, offering challenging tracks, history-filled destinations and scenic views that will take your breath away. Here are five of Hema’s favourites to kickstart your next 4WD road trip.
Please note, the Victorian High Country is an alpine region and many of these 4WD tracks may be subject to seasonal road closures between June and July. So, before you set out on your next 4WD adventure, it’s best to check the weather conditions and that no closures are in place.
– Wonnangatta (Zeka Spur)
– Billy Goat Bluff
– The Ingeegoodbee Track is one of the High Country’s 4WD test-pieces.
Vehicles require low range, high clearance and sufficient recovery gear, while drivers will need grit and experience for some challenging sections. Clocking in at 110km from Suggan Buggan to Benambra, set aside a day to complete the trek at a casual pace.
– Mount Pinnibar
– Blue Rag Range Track
These poor bastards on HC.
—————————-
Where are my shares, less than six months ago I purchased 1.3 million shares. There is no shares in my account.
Did you buy options on share X?
——————-
A real conversation.
..
Concrete that damn reef over.
You could turn it into an entire new state like a southern hemisphere Florida.
ARB always made the best demo cars – predominantly white. The number of 4WD you see driving around with $10k+ of crap hanging off them. Definitely missed that boat.
‘Burnout economy’: Real consequences of RBA rate hike on ordinary Australians
With the RBA stinging mortgage holders again, there are widespread consequences for the economy.
David Llewellyn-Smith
Australia is in per capita recession. This means that the average individual’s share of economic output is shrinking.
It is not a headline recession only because of rampant population growth, lifting aggregate output enough to prevent it.
But this comes with costs to the environment, public service provision and, most pressingly, access to housing.
Inflation to recession
The Albanese government has deliberately used tearaway mass immigration to suppress wages and lift house prices.
However, it has overcooked the strategy. The housing economy is experiencing a tremendous demand shock that is driving rents crazy.
House prices are following and have already begun to lift consumption via the wealth effect.
This was happening before the Reserve Bank of Australia finished squashing inflation.
Hence, the government is directly to blame for a resumption in interest rate rises.
The bond market reaction speaks volumes. Near-term yields are higher than yields over five years.
This is called an inverted yield curve and is a classic signal of recession.
In Australia, inverted 1-year to 5-year yields usually accompany per capita recession.
The inversion of 2-year to 10-year yields is more predictive of outright recession. That curve did invert a few months ago but has steepened since.
What sort of recession?
Even after Tuesday’s interest rate hike, the bond market is not decisively forecasting a headline recession – more a continuation of the trend of worsening individual output.
But, along with that intensifying per capita downtrend, the rate hike will trigger deeper falls in the number of jobs and force unemployment higher. It is already happening.
This will help slow house prices for a time as well. Weak Christmas consumption is guaranteed.
Unfortunately, it will also hurt dwelling construction, and more builders will go bust.
This will prevent a supply-side response from helping ease inflation.
Thus, we can’t rule out more rate hikes to address further rent and price rises, which is the madness of this government’s policy.
It is a ‘burnout economy’ in which the economic engine roars, but the brakes are on, and most Australians go nowhere while breathing toxic smoke.
David Llewellyn-Smith is Chief Strategist at the MB Fund and MB Super. David is the founding publisher and editor of MacroBusiness and was the founding publisher and global economy editor of The Diplomat, the Asia Pacific’s leading geopolitics and economics portal. He is the co-author of The Great Crash of 2008 with Ross Garnaut and was the editor of the second Garnaut Climate Change Review.
Optus is DOWN as 10 million wake up to internet blackout and transport systems descend into chaos: Cafes close, Uber prices surge and hospitals affected in ‘biggest outage in Australian history’
The last quarters of 1984 and 1985 are essential viewing.
Optus CEO is nowhere as network crashes: Meet Kelly Bayer Rosmarin – the woman who runs the telco – as she vanishes as network crashes affecting 10 million people
. Optus CEO was in charge during huge 2022 data hack
. Government ministers unable to get answers on outage
. Mother-of-two took over the telco top job in April 2020
Mother-of two Ms Rosmarin, 46, landed the top job in April 2020 after a year as deputy CEO despite no telco experience during her 14 years with Commonwealth Bank.
She was parachuted onto the Football Australia board after serving as then-chairman Sir Frank Lowy’s personal banker, and soared through the ranks of the CBA.
The science graduate, who grew up in South Africa and now lives in wealthy Vaucluse in Sydney’s east with CBA executive husband Rodney, earned a reputation at the bank as a disruptor who could ‘ruffle feathers’.
Her family moved into their $15million 1920s Vaucluse mansion overlooking Sydney Harbour in May 2021 after selling a smaller, more modern home nearby for $7.75million.
They also sold their second home, a sprawling 1915 Rose Manor in Bowral in the NSW Southern Highlands for $4million in August last year after a $400,000 renovation.
She took over Optus just as the Covid pandemic began but faced the biggest crisis the company had ever suffered when a massive hack a year ago stole and exposed personal details of up to 10 million customers.
The furious backlash saw analysts, customers and commentators demand her sacking at the time but she managed to survive the outrage.
But she will now face similar calls to quit after this latest outage left millions stranded for hours – without any sign of the CEO.
Questions have also been asked about her various roles on the side in addition to her demanding Optus job, with seats on the board of several other different companies.
Her LinkedIn profile admits she is still currently a non-executive director of digital advertising company REA Group and also of Indian-owned telco Airtel Africa.
She was also still a non-executive director of Afterpay rival Openpay for almost two year after she became Optus CEO until finally quitting in January 2022.
At the time of last year’s data hack, some critics asked if the Optus CEO job had her full attention.
In the wake of the 2022 data leak, she dismissed calls for stiffer European-style penalties for companies who fail to protect their customer’s personal details.
‘Look, honestly I’m not sure what penalties benefit anybody,’ she said at the time.
‘I think what I can say is Optus is doing absolutely everything possible to be transparent, to be on the front foot.
‘We’re communicating to every customer individually about which specific fields of theirs may have been accessed and we’re working through that.’
The company is now facing a class action over the data breach.
Angry customers have led the backlash against the CEO online, with some demanding she steps down or be fired over this fresh debacle.
‘Under this current Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin, which started 1 April 2020 (that date says a lot, April fools) there have been more issues than the last 20 years,’ posted one on X.
‘Rot starts at the top… time for a change and clean out of a number of others. They take and give nothing.’
Another added: ‘Can someone do a welfare check on Kelly Bayer Rosmarin…she’s everywhere when there is a woke box to tick but nowhere when there is an Optus outages, cyber events or price hikes.’
FMD.
I love those adverts for CFDs, options and other derivatives.
“IF YOU WERE A REAL MAN WHO TAKES CONTROL AND MAKES HIS OWN DECISIONS, YOU’D GET INTO THIS!”
Then in a small voice … “You do not own the underlying assets”.
Can solar panels cause a fire?
2020 was great for the solar power industry in Australia. The number of solar PV systems installations jumped significantly in every Australian state.
However, fires caused by solar panels have also increased significantly.
In 2018, the federal Energy Minister, Angus Taylor indicated that a large number of rooftop solar installations may be unsafe.
As a result, he has launched an inquiry into the industry in August 2020, estimating that around 400,000 installations could be substandard.
According to the Fire and Rescue NSW, in the last 5 years, solar panel related fires have increased five-fold.
Energy Safe Victoria has encouraged homeowners to get their solar power systems serviced after a series of house fires.
That said, solar panel systems in general usually pose a low fire risk. Most of the fires associated with solar systems are caused by poor installation or defective parts like DC isolators, sensors, or junction boxes rather than solar panels.
A correctly installed and well-maintained solar system is incredibly safe and shouldn’t pose a fire risk issue.
Take care of your solar PV system as you would any other electrical system in your home by hiring a licensed technician for regular solar inspections or any repair work.
Real men own shares. Preferably ones that go up.
To Quote Slim Dusty – Is Everone on Optus?
Oh it’s-a lonesome away from your kindred and all
By the campfire at night we’ll hear the wild dingoes call
Err, my comment about her being MIA on school drop-off was meant to be a joke.
A “disruptor who ruffles feathers” you say?
I do hope she hasn’t been “disrupting” back-up systems.
Real men only have two balls.
They don’t put both of them on a derivatives play.
Nothing like a network crash to upset the work-life balance. Completely ruined pilates.
The RBA has one lever. They’re pulling it. Shame Jim didn’t do his PhD on that.
Divisions are increasingly entrenched:
between bigger cities, where support for Mr Kilicdaroglu 47.8% is higher, and the countryside, which votes mostly for Mr Erdogan; between secular and religious; and between the country’s western coast and the Anatolian interior (see map).
A chance to repair Turkey’s democracy and its economy has been lost.
We had a road trip across Turkey (tracing the footsteps of Alexander) almost a decade ago. You could really gauge the difference between the city and rural areas in friendliness towards westerners. Admittedly, this is very influenced by tourism – although few Aussies seem to understand that the charming tour guide is keen on a good trip. But, on the whole, Turks were still quite friendly towards foreigners. We didn’t encounter the same in non tourist regions. Enquiries regarding directions were greeted with cold indifference. Some of the areas close to the Syrian border – indeed, anything east of Tarsus – were quiet disconcerting. I was glad to head back north.
Should be : the tourist guides are keen on a good “tip”! Though a good trip may secure that!
A graduate cum laude of the Christine Nixon School of Crisis Management.
BTW any conspiracy theories on the Optus outage? We think it is also strangely coincidental that we, in the bush, had an Active8 (satellite internet) failure as well.
The latter was fixed overnight.
Someone at Optus pls check if Rosmarin paid the electricity bill.
I’ve only seen one game of AFL, when the WCeagles won the flag. Only coz the beer was free. That’s a few hours of my life I’ll never get back. Only been to one game of league, same applies. That was when the Faders were getting a few thousand to watch. Quite understandable. Never again for either.
Another weird coincidence. Residents who use Telstra in our valley have been informed that from today until the 14th November the phone service will be out as they upgrade to 4G.
Coincidence?
The “Towards Net Zero” KPI is looking very good this morning.
This is stupid. It would be a lot harder for him to cause trouble in Australia if he was nowhere near us.
Williams is an idiot.
Did the touristy thing, and visited Gallipoli at the same time. Did the research, and found Ataturk was still revered in Turkey, to the point where it is an offense to “defame the memory” of Ataturk.
On my little notebook connected via phone & without specs…
I read that as Hamas’ top 5 Victorian high country drives.
Who knows…that could be where the stolen rocket launchers are stashed?
Williams contribution to the debate over the referendum proved that beyond doubt.
Fascinating Site to go through English Medical School Options in Italy –
https://entermedschool.com/university/ancona/ & https://entermedschool.com/university/turin/
Worst fears will be confirmed if Elbow returns waving a piece of paper and pronouncing “Peace in our time”.
Vicki
Nov 8, 2023 11:01 AM
Another weird coincidence. Residents who use Telstra in our valley have been informed that from today until the 14th November the phone service will be out as they upgrade to 4G.
Vicki,
I am on Kogan (Telstra) Mobile 365 Days Flex $120 (that’s only $9.87 per 30 days) 130GB, Unlimited standard calls & texts*
and I had SMS yesterday saying they were turning off 3G Mobile – could be related to that
Yes and it’s under pressure from both sides.
Thanks for the info on Ancona Oldozzie, I’ve been meaning to visit the north east coast of Italy.
Will pencil in for 2025.
I’m going to ferry hop from Livorno to Corsica Sardinia Sicily Malta and then plane hop via air Malta to somewhere in Spain, visiting the various bits I missed including western Sicily this year. Then make my way to Paris.
You only live once.
Cite you the American tourist, at Gallipoli, standing in one of the cemeteries, becoming irate because there were no crosses on the graves…”Well, this is the Turkish cemetery..’
“What’s that go to do with not having crosses on the graves..”
This could potentially be Optus’s Arthur Anderson moment.
And paid handsomely for it.
idf collecting unwanted items in Gaza. Now need to find hamas vids on how awesome they are going; 400 military vehicles destroyed, thousands of infidels killed!
Always is. More so in the US at the moment.
who started it list.
C-Mobile offers telstra network phone plans which are great value.
Will the United States guarantee the security of Israel from any attacks launched from the Gaza strip?
calls to boycott anaconda and spotlight for being ‘Zionist’ businesses. I guess I’m going online shopping.
In my experience, sighting the word disruptor in a CV or hearing it in an interview, results in a big fat NO from me.
Useless descriptor of someone who isn’t very good at anything and stuffs up everything they are given to do.
Maybe muslims should boycott Chadstone shopping centre too.
Struggling with 1st world problems .. LOL!
Been re-watching complete series of an old (1980s thru 2000s) “Geordie” based TV production ..
Auf Wiedersehen, Pet .. follows the escapades of several Pom building site blokes working in Germany & elswewhere …
Anyway, series 1 & 2 both had sub-titles so you could understand the various accents but then come series 3 onwards and the BBC took over production and, for whatever reason, dropped the sub-titles ….. No idea how other folk watched 3, 4 & 5 cos being a born & raised “Geordie” I’m struggling to follow the accents (including Geordie) on TV ……..
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086665/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_7_nm_1_q_auf
Any relevance? On September 29 Optus announced that 100 call centre jobs were to be made redundant.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/more-than-100-optus-call-centre-jobs-to-be-made-redundant/news-story/3da4d6a14fafcc2e71462cda88dc5248
Plus, true disruption is better done behind the scenes by highly skilled operators who actually know how to disrupt effectively; what to disrupt; when to disrupt; and why disruption is needed.
They never broadcast their secret superpower.
Well, their lives certainly got disrupted.
Let’s keep it in perspective. Might be a problem for us all if taken too far.
I had SMS yesterday saying they were turning off 3G Mobile – could be related to that
Very likely, Ozzie. Thanks.
We have stayed with Optus because in our spot in the valley Optus provides better reception than Telstra – i understand because of tower locations. Have no idea if upgrade to 4G will affect that. I am digitally ignorant.
It’s not all about having your shoes stolen. Eh Bird?
Lots of reports around the web on this one: Assassination attempt on Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas kills one
If true the old solidarity among terrorists thing may be wearing thin. I said it before, Hamas isn’t exactly a favorite flavour in the ME.
Chynah flexing its muscles on the communications network.
I used to go to school with him. A total meat head who got in on a sports scholarship.
And now WAPOL will trace the serial numbers and find out who broke arms trafficking regulations to supply prohibited weapons to terrorists!
Right?
Right?
This article running in Herald Sun, Courier Mail and Telegraph.
“Covid Christmas strain: The new Omicron variants that worry experts”
Only 30 odd comments so far but most negative.
It would be really helpful if the journalists would let us know which Government press release prompted the article.
Guess who’s missing the limelight?
The Interference With the 2024 Election
As state court proceedings get underway in Colorado, Michigan, and Minnesota in lawsuits showing how desperate the LEFT has become to take over the country and strip all of us of our liberty, these lawsuits are targeting their mission to bar Donald Trump from appearing as a presidential candidate on the ballot in next year’s presidential election. These judges in those cases should understand that the text, history, and application of the 14th Amendment make it absolutely clear that they have no legal authority to take any such action.
Those trying to use Section 3 of the 14th Amendment alleging Trump’s supposed actions on Jan. 6, 2021, to disqualify him from being president even if he is elected, in all honesty, is in itself a crime of interfering in the 2024 election and rises to the level of Treason. Not a single person charged by the DOJ who was inside the Capitol Building taking a selfie and was sentenced to up to 5 years in prison for just being a Trump supporter was ever charged with insurrection.
14th Amendment
The Court has no jurisdiction to decide this issue. Trump would have a Due Process right to a Trial by Jury under the Sixth Amendment. Then, the last line of Section 3 states, “But Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.” Then the 14th Amendment Section 5 makes it clear that ONLY Congress has the power to make legislation to enforce this Amendment – not some arbitrary judge.
Everyone with 10% of their brain functioning knows that this is a desperate attempt to interfere in the 2024 election. Special Counsel Jack Smith even sought a gag order on Trump that included that he could not criticize Biden. Now Argentina and Brazil are criminally charging opponents in their elections – copying the US. We are headed into a massive civil war for the LEFT is trying desperately to crush the RIGHT and end capitalism as we know it. Those at the World Economic Forum call it – New Capitalism. But you will own nothing and be happy.
https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/international-news/politics/the-interference-with-the-2024-election/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=RSS
Indolent?
Subscribe now!
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A correctly installed and well-maintained solar system is incredibly safe
I’ll take that guarantee at its literal value. Anything that the gubmint mandates will grow loopholes, attract spivs, and be manufactured by the inscrutable orientals. See mercury lightglobes, pink batt installers, and Chinese-owned wind farms.
I really don’t know how you guys do it. I’ve banned multi-stop overs, and now it has to be a one stop show. Wifey can now go with her multitude of sisters if she wants.
I heard from wifey the immigration line is 2 hours long at LA. I’m thinking of cancelling my next week trip because of this abortion as I’m catching the same flight.
You don’t see many (Australian?) pollies posting pics on twitter these days of them getting what should be their 7th or 8th jibby jabs?
Apologies . I’m not home and with my iPhone so I’ll have to post the disclaimer this afternoon.
Anyone, else feel free to.
Wonder why the train network in Victroria is disrupted by Optus failure? Surely if the “network” relies on comms networks to function there would be backup plans to avoid that word – “disruptuion”.
Optus failure shows what happens when the wrong people are promoted for reasons unrelated to providing reliable, secure services.
Afaik the only politician still doing that is the German health minister.
And there’s some suspicion among Germans that it’s faked for the cameras because otherwise he’s a health nut.
What can I say? In some cultures it is acceptable to lie, no matter how big the lie is, they are taught from birth to lie and lie and lie.
And our political classes import them by the tens of thousands despite the peoples wishes.
Horrific update on Optus crash as telco shares chilling Triple Zero development with blackout STILL affecting 10 million: Boss breaks her silence and makes alarming admission about the cause
In an alarming update just before 11am, Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin acknowledged the telco still doesn’t know what is behind the catastrophic outage that continues to affect millions of Aussies.
She said the team was still working on the cause, adding there was nothing to suggest it was the result of a cyber attack.
‘We will do everything we can to get services back,’ she told ABC Radio Sydney via WhatsApp.
‘The teams are trying many different angles and we will not rest until the service is back up for our customers.
‘The team has tried a number of parts of restoration and so far we have not had the results that we have hoped for. And we’re pursuing every avenue to get everybody back online as soon as possible.’
Ms Bayer Rosmarin also said the blackout was unlikely the result of an early morning software update.
‘I mean, it’s highly unlikely, our systems are actually very stable. This is a very, very rare occurrence,’ she said.
‘We’re really, really sorry that this outage has occurred and we’re working to restore services for our customers as a priority.’
Just before 6am, there had already been almost 9,000 reports of outages made with Optus – a number that has since dramatically escalated as Australians wake up and try and go about their days without internet or phone calls.
In a disturbing development, the telco warned Australians that Triple Zero calls made from an Optus landline will not work – which would affect a small number of Australians. Triple Zero is working as normal across the country.
‘We encourage any customers who need to contact emergency services to use a mobile line to call 000,’ Optus said.
‘Optus can confirm that Triple zero (‘000′) calls will not work from an Optus landline (fixed line telephone). Mobile calls to 000 will work if another carrier is available.’
Melbourne’s train network also shut down earlier on Wednesday, leaving many commuters stranded.
It’s believed this was a result of the Optus outage. Metro Trains have since confirmed services have resumed but major delays are expected.
Uber prices have also surged as many drivers are forced offline due to the blackout.
Other carriers that use the Optus mobile network like Amaysim, Vaya, Aussie Broadband, Moose Mobile, Coles Mobile, Spintel, Southern Phone and Dodo Mobile are also down.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland held a press conference after 11am and said she understood the problem to be a ‘deep fault’ in the system.
‘The core network basically encompasses everything from routing to electronics,’ she told reporters.
‘So it is a fault that is quite fundamental to the network.
‘But my understanding, having just recently spoken again to the CEO, is that a number of problems have been identified, and that Optus continues to work on this.’
Ms Rowland said it is still too early to begin discussions about compensation or consumer rights, but added affected customers should document evidence.
She said the government is ready and willing to assist Optus and customers as best they can.
Melbourne’s Northern Health district said their hospitals’ phone lines had been impacted.
‘All phone lines into Northern Health campuses are currently being affected by an Optus outage,’ they said.
‘This includes phone lines into Northern Hospital Epping, Broadmeadows Hospital, Bundoora Centre, Craigieburn Centre, Kilmore District Hospital, and Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED). We apologise for any inconvenience.’
Sydney’s Westmead Private Hospital is experiencing the same issue.
‘Due to the national outage of Optus all our phone lines are unfortunately down, to contact the hospital, please email us on admissions,’ the hospital said.
St Vincent’s and the Mater hospitals are also impacted.
The Sydney Airport, the Australian Tax Office, NRMA and big banks such as Commonwealth and ANZ have also experienced issues, as have eftpos machines linked with Optus in businesses.
One carer in Melbourne said they weren’t able to call an ambulance after their patient suffered a cardiac arrest.
‘I had to run out on the street and borrow a phone from someone walking his dog,’ they told ABC Radio Melbourne.
Another Optus user said his wife, who is a specialist doctor supervising kidney transplants, was also unable to make any calls.
You Have Got to be Joking!!!!
Ms Bayer Rosmarin also said the blackout was unlikely the result of an early morning software update.
‘I mean, it’s highly unlikely, our systems are actually very stable. This is a very, very rare occurrence,’ she said.
Golden Rule in IT – Immediately on Outage on New Sofware, FallBack Immediately
Ms Bayer Rosmarin Optus CEO is Incompetent
More likely, Optus Australia is so incompetently managed they do the work for China in making infra unstable and unreliable.
She wasn’t promoted from within but brought in from outside with no experience in comms.
Iirc she was previously employed in the disaster area called Australian banking.
How long before Wong starts importing Pallis.
Don’t sneer. It is going to happen.
I’;m guessing from her comments that Optus has no process for managing system incidents and no way of closing down/bring up the core systems in a managed way or failing over to backup systems that have been tested & prepared for use.
Yes, sounds like totally incompetent for the role.
New OT up.
But…but…she doesn’t hold the hose!
Bother! Missed it by that much!
There’s already 7000 Palis here.
Including the bloke who organised the “Kill the Jews” rally.
It was suggested in the reporting that the “Aussies” evacuated this week were allowed to bring relatives with them.
When they’re down they’re definitely down.
Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has urged the current Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to not follow other world leaders in making a solidarity visit to Israel.
The thesaures is inadequate to provide appropriate terms of contempt for this creature.
It’s the gardeners job to control the weeds, guys. If he fails, the failure is on him – not the roses or dahlias or irises.
Dover, start weeding before the garden becomes a jungle and dies.
Early this century some idiot backhoe operator went through the main Syd-Bne Optus cable.
Optus had sold their service on the basis of having full redundancy. They didn’t.
My work responsibility included organising comms for a 50 people firm. No internet, email, mobile, phones. I will long remember the pain of that morning and learnt the obvious lesson.
Since I have always maintaoned mobile and internet services with different providers, and a spare Gmail account. This morning I’ve had to dredge from memory how to use the mobile as a hotspot.
No-one in the happy airport welcome photos had an Akubra hat, and can’t see what colour hair the women have.
A correctly installed and well-maintained solar system is incredibly safe
Ours in out in a paddock several hundred metres from the house. And the paddock is kept mown! Also no battery – too damn expensive….and now possibly too dangerous.
I enjoy the ferry rides and the train trips JC.
Not the planes but once on Malta it’s reverse ferry or move on by air.
I do have a preference for a four night minimum stay, usually enough to see the sights, and watch the world go by, except for towns like Messina where three nights were three too many.
“Covid Christmas strain: The new Omicron variants that worry experts”
I have to say that the recent strain (according to the PCR, but not the RAT tests) that husband and I contracted recently was far worse than the Omicron that we contracted in mid 2022.
I put to the Dr that the lockdowns were likely responsible for less immunity to viruses in the community. She actually agreed (she is a specialist emergency physician & not my GP) & further emphasised the fact that children were isolated, which she implied was disastrous for immunity buoyancy in the community.
Turns out my appointment this morning at the local regional hospital surgery centre* was just preparatory paper work. The big dance inside my cardiovascular system is scheduled for later this month, so ‘toons will appear as scheduled tomorrow at 0400.
*Recently renamed the Youang Surgery Centre in honour of 60,000 years of blackfella surgical excellence using witchetty grubs and burnt sticks.
Entryism has always been a major weapon in the Lefts rise to control.
Why would they not use it?
One positive of the horrific war is the revelation of so many great news organisations and sites that you normally would not encounter. Some of them are really good.
I have just been perusing ‘The World Socialist Website’ a beneficiary of UN funding it would appear.
I had no idea of the extent of Israeli genocide in Gaza, nor did I know that a US nuclear strike against Iran is imminent, and the plan to expel all non Jews is simply dastardly.
So much great information available at the touch of a key. I forgot to become a subscriber dammit.
Mind you, this nonsense only marginally shades Al Jazza, SBS, Guardian and BBC.
Excellent article on why the IDF should not accede to a ceasefire:
Israel won’t seek ‘pause’ without hostage guarantee
GREG ROSE
ANTHONY BERGIN
George Orwell once observed that in war pacifists harm the military effort of their democracy and give military advantage to their opponents.
Anthony Albanese is calling on Israel to pause its war efforts for humanitarian reasons – in effect a ceasefire. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is also urging Israel to pull its punches with “humanitarian pauses”, while the UN Secretary-General has called for an immediate ceasefire.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rebuffed these requests. But talks are reported to be underway for a significant pause on condition of the release of hostages. Hamas has threatened to livestream executions of hostages, reminding us of Islamic State’s tactics. A cessation would facilitate the redeployment of Hamas combatants and movement of Hamas hostages and supplies, using its 500km maze of tunnels and costing the lives of Israel’s soldiers. There’d need to be some beneficial exchange for Israel in the form of saved hostages.
Israel won’t be persuaded by international opinion. It will make its own decisions. Israel’s military doctrine has been to defend itself without external support since its independence in 1948. However, as this war will extend over months, the tide of supportive opinion among its allies will turn, potentially threatening supply chain logistics.
Regular pauses in Israeli military operations for limited humanitarian corridors might be feasible to allow aid to come in from Egypt by land and Cyprus by sea. They’d need to be subject to agreed supervision to prevent their use to equip Hamas.
Arrangements have already been put in place for aid trucks currently arriving daily in Gaza from Egypt, which Israel enables where it’s conditioned by safeguards. This humanitarian flow is inward only.
Egypt isn’t allowing Palestinians to leave Gaza into Egypt. Hamas inserted its wounded fighters among those to be evacuated, which neither Egypt nor Israel want and evacuations were suspended. Humanitarian corridors are co-operative, not unilateral, endeavours.
Critics of Israel argue military operations in Gaza are disproportionate, lacking regard for civilian lives. But the laws of war don’t require equivalence. Equivalent atrocities to those of Hamas are prohibited.
The concept of proportionality in international law requires that attacks use the minimum force necessary to destroy a legitimate military target, and without causing civilian loss. The requirement doesn’t apply with the benefit of hindsight. It projects forward, reliant on military intelligence available at the time of the attack.
Have civilian casualties caused by Israel been excessive so far? Hamas figures claim over 9000 casualties, but its Ministry of Health doesn’t makes distinctions between Gazan civilians and Hamas combatants. Hamas has 20,000-40,000 fighters. In armed conflicts globally, civilian deaths are now usually more than double those of combatants. In past conflicts between Hamas and Israel, the Gazan civilian death rate was much lower, only 15-25 per cent of all casualties.
But those conflicts were limited, pinpoint military operations. In the current full-scale war, the rate of civilian carnage may approach 2:1. Furthermore, 20 per cent of Gazan civilians are killed by Hamas itself, through mishaps and repression.
Israel has sought to reduce the civilian death rate by providing evacuation warnings, weeks prior to its ground operations especially, and creating safe corridors for evacuation.
In contrast, to deter evacuation, Hamas uses civilians as shields and has shot or blown-up those seeking to flee Gaza City.
Its subterranean command, intelligence, supplies storage, weapons, and ammunition dumps are deliberately located under protected civilian sites such as hospitals, schools, and UN compounds.
Hamas’s leaders have clarified that the tunnels are there to protect its fighters, not civilians.
US generals have advised that Israel might consider using smaller diameter bombs. Nevertheless, these still need to be deep ground penetrating.
Let’s not be hypocritical but admit that Hamas equals Islamic State in terms of savagery at its height. In Mosul, 6000-12,000 Islamic State forces were embedded among the civilian population when the recovery operation began in 2016. The operation took nine months. Around 9000 to 10,000 civilians were killed in battle. Mosul was then larger than Gaza City but less densely populated and Hamas is more deeply embedded than Islamic State was.
There was extensive use of air strikes and artillery in Mosul by the coalition forces. These were focused on military targets. Unavoidable civilian deaths were caused by them. The international community didn’t just support the complete elimination of the Islamic State, it actively participated in the military operations.
Israel needs the time and space to defeat a terrorist organisation active in genocide against Jews and Israelis. Stopping before Hamas is destroyed ensures that worse atrocities will follow, as promised by its leaders. An Israeli ceasefire or general pause for humanitarian purposes would provide Hamas with benefits from its use of civilian shields. But temporary humanitarian corridors might be feasible and negotiated in return for the freedom of hostages.
Greg Rose is professor of law at the University of Wollongong. Anthony Bergin is senior fellow at Strategic Analysis Australia and an expert associate at the National Security College.
When a person applies to become an Australian citizen, that person also makes what is supposed to be a binding commitment:
Now, obviously, from a judicial perspective, this pledge is a warm, fuzzy, non-binding statement of intent – or, indeed, a meaningless jumble of pious hopes that can be safely ignored. In any event, the concept that someone who deliberately and totally discards their pledge also jeopardises their citizenship is a challenging legal issue, one alien to the judicial mind.
It’s splendid that the High Court has done Australia a favour by clarifying this.
Perhaps it would be better and more convenient to sell citizenships at Australia Post shops.
Yes.
Fool me once, shame on me.
Fool me twice …
H B Bear
Nov 8, 2023 10:11 AM
Or you can have the US situation where they ‘voted’ in a pack of liars who hated the US and everything the Constitution stood for, who had bought the Supreme Court, and even if the USSC stood up to the government, it is ignored.
The damage that the Obama & Obama lite administrations have inflicted on the US may just kill it.
The US has reinvented itself before after crooked administrations, but this time, I think it’s a coup too far. The institutions that guaranteed the Constitution has primacy are now devoted to tearing it up.
DrBeauGan
Williams is a duplicitous idiot.
Jimbo183
I am a retired solicitor. I ran a law office at Auburn for some years where my law partner was Turkish and many of our clients were Turks. The framed photo on the wall of our waiting room was of Ataturk, not the usual outdated picture of Queen Elizabeth II.
Doc BeauGan:
By Williamses thinking, we should import ALL the Gaza Mohammedans so we can keep a real close eye on them.
FFS – how do these idiots get the positions they reside in?
rosie:
Nov 8, 2023 11:31 AM
Just blew >$200 on spotlight. I have no idea what I’m going to use $200 worth of blankets on up here, but just in case there’s another ice age…
Johnny Rotten:
They can’t stop pushing, JR. As Hillary said “If we don’t win, we all swing from nooses.” And she’s right.
Treason has the death penalty for a reason.
Konstantin Kisin – a name to remember. He gave a 12 or so minute talk at the ARC which is memorable:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1MICwdQtfU
He reminded politicians that they did not get into politics to be relelected, but to make a difference.
He also intimated that we in the West, ate, in many ways, “behind enemy lines”. Think about it.
House votes to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib for Israel-Hamas war comments
Maybe try holding a peaceful music festival instead next time, I can’t imagine anyone would disrupt one of those.
No Basis for Extreme Weather Predictions
The Optus outage took out emergency call possibilities for 10 million Aussies.
What is the federal communications minister doing to remedy this?
Yes Indolent.
Burning witches stops babies dying – we all agree on the science.
The smug stupid on these ladies faces is a sight to behold.
Muslim cute owl.
https://twitter.com/TheNewsTrending/status/1721342405931143451
Prof Williams in the Oz:
Other nations also might follow Australia’s lead by revoking the citizenship of their own dual nationals who have been convicted of terrorism. This could lead to dangerous offenders being deported to Australia, just as we are seeking to do to other nations. The result could be an increasing number of countries exporting terrorist offenders and a souring of relations between nations.
Dangerous offenders! Prof, they are Jihadis, they don’t ‘offend’ , they are on the path to martyrdom. Deport them AND their extended family. They always have the permission of their families. That is fundamental to Islam.
This bloke Williams, needs more life experience.
My God , he teaches.
Meanwhile in a city of incompetence:
Australian icebreaker Nuyina’s 4km trip to refuel in Hobart turns into a 660km journey to Burnie that costs taxpayers nearly a million dollars
and…
Liberal senator Jonathon Duniam also called for a solution to the issue such as bringing a fuel barge to Hobart, an option previously ruled out by TasPorts.
Or a nice big tanker on wheels – the sort that fills up petrol stations?
Daily Mail
Daily Mail
This is why you want to keep paying with cash!
Israel Folau’s personal belief that homosexuals will go to hell received more media & public figure/wannabe celebrity attention than 200+ civilians still hostage after one month.
81% of UK Muslims Say They’re Muslim First & British Second.
The Thai boy scouts missing in a cave – arguably due to negligence (costing a Thai spec.ops. diver his life) received more favourable attention than the Israeli slaughter & hostage-taking.
Israeli IDF cute owls.
We are served by vermin masquerading as giants.
With Glenn Greenwald
Tucker Carlson
@TuckerCarlson
Ep. 37 The two defining tragedies of our time — the war in Ukraine and the presidency of Joe Biden — are both finally coming to an end.
Indolent
Nov 8, 2023 5:56 PM
81% of UK Muslims Say They’re Muslim First & British Second.
It’s the same everywhere in the Western world: muslims will always be muslims first. But not only that they will demand their law, sharia, replaces Western law. Letting islam in is literally letting the fox into the henhouse.
The people who have let them in are traitors.
As predicted, it starts with talk and ends in violence. I wonder what excuse the police will find for this.
Jewish man brutally attacked by Palestine supporters in Sydney’s Inner West
The REAL Reason The World is Obsessed With Israel
James Woods
@RealJamesWoods
One picture says it all. Thank you.