Donald J Trump announces Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Open Thread – Mon 20 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
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,…
Sour grapes.
Duk doesn’t want an Israel.
What about Jews, Duk? Do you want them, or is that dependent on whether they discard their rite of circumcision?
Consider this a teaching moment.
I will if you will ;), but I have already done a lot of ‘swotting’ by reading history
You are probably going to be proven wrong, perhaps the exception proves the rule.
I will file this along with ‘new battery technology will make solar too cheap to meter’ and ‘this summer is going to be the hottest evvvaaa’ … predictions are not evidence
Israel is winning this war decisively
Insurgencies *always* appear to be getting whipped early on (reference GWBs ‘end of major combat operations in Iraq’ banner on the carrier) – but they play a long long game -lets revisit this in 10 years and see if the Palestinian issue remains extant – remember the victory conditions are different for the 2 sides – the insurgents win by not losing (ie by surviving), the regulars lose by not winning (ie by not eliminating Hamas or whatever anti Israel forces exist not only in Gaza but in the broader middle east.
Remember the duration of the Vietman war was 30 years (French, then US and allies), the (latest) Afghan war was 20 years (plus 9 for the Soviets) and the (latest) Iraq war was 8 years …. and the insurgents won them all.
By 8 October, the boilerplate hawkers were out with their barrows insisting that a big response from Israel was “just what they want.”
No no. This isn’t what Hamas wanted at all.
They expected a strong response, I’m sure, but they didn’t expect to be exterminated. They didn’t expect their beloved tunnels to be taken over and destroyed. They didn’t expect a takeover of Gaza or its complete reconstitution as an entity.
By the way, I saw a new video somewhere last night of the various Hamas utes re-entering Gaza where they were greeted by thousands of cheering males. They are not civilians. They are fair game.
They might have fled to Toulouse but they only travelled 20k to ‘plant’ white boys.
I’ve day tripped to Romans, it’s a pretty town a but naturally not to their banlieus.
the youths that committed the attack in Crépol were from Romans sur Isère.
Conspiracies. About the only three I have time for.
1. Kennedy’s supposed exit and entry wounds make no sense. (That can be incompetence or coping rather than malice). He had a tonne of enemies from so many different spaces and there was an earlier foiled plot, Sam Giacana and him were fighting over a woman. Oswald was at least one of the murderers and was a very troubled man with perplexing and contradictory associations. When you find out MK Ultra was real, as was Operation Seaspray etc, then a conspiracy really isn’t shocking. What’s missing is definitive proof tying all the loose ends with certainty. Maybe there was a cast of hundreds of would-be murderers and Oswald shot first; the autopsy was just a f*** up.
2. I still think it’s reasonable to say Flight 93 was shot down and kept quiet to keep the public morale up. The USAF statements to the media really make very little sense. If you don’t believe me, read what the pilots said. Why bother making these nonsense statements? I think Bush etc may have had the sense to play a real-life version of the trolley question and chose the utilitarian option; we know the orders were given. It wasn’t “let’s roll”, then the plane crashed immediately.
The official story, if true is shocking: the US ANG had no actual air defence capability inshore of the US carrier fleet until after 9/11. USAF/ANG planes could not be armed at short notice, so they “had” to ram the airliner if it had to be shot down?!
Maybe that’s the case but there was drama and deceptiveness even at the 9/11 commission when a USAF pilot was caught out lying about an act of potential stolen valour…!?
3. A fun one is the idea Jesse James wasn’t shot and lived to be an old man. Apparently, the DNA and mtDNA was matched at his apparent burial site in a couple of different studies. When you read how the remains were kept after exhumation then it gets really wild. Hello, sample traceability?
Mixed human DNA, food and animal remains, kept for years in sub-optimal conditions.
4. I don’t count the Nazis in Argentina as an old wives tale. It is real, you have to see the fortifications they built in the middle of nowhere. What’s missing is definitive proof of Hitler. The FBI had tonnes of intelligence on the relocation of Nazis to Bariloche etc.
Sounds like the Summernats…
Duk doesn’t want an Israel.
For those who didnt read, I explicitly stated that history’s lessons about the longevity of Israel and the impossibility of defeating irregulars who retain the support of the people should *not* be construed as support for Hamas. This is analagous to the Titanic designer Thomas Andrews statement to Captain Smith ‘she must surely sink’ – this was his conclusion based upon the evidence, not a hate crime against the Titanic.
What about Jews, Duk? Do you want them, or is that dependent on whether they discard their rite of circumcision?
I regard circumcision of infant boys for anything other than the rare medical indications to be a barbaric atrocity, and condemn the Jews, the Muslims and anyone else who supports it (eg John Harvey Kellog). I lost my career supporting medical autonomy with regard to the Covid shots, how could I possibly support depriving infant boys of it?
Strategically, NATO/SEATO won, regardless of the destruction of South Vietnam. Giap had stated in his memoirs that the US were winning even before Nixon bombed them into submission, they had to win the war on American TV.
These are verifiable statements and unkind people recently called this revisionism and “Giapism”.
Well sir, when new documents are released and translated into English, you should revise what we know if it changes any previously held fact.
It would be hilarious if not so serious.
‘ question everything but don’t you dare question my motives..’
Meh!
That is correct CL
Thousands and thousands of men, teenagers even young boys cheering hamas dragging naked bodies on motorbikes, sitting on naked bodies in the back of utes, raping Israeli women in the back of jeeps.
The IDF helicopters spend most of the morning of the 7th of October firing on huge mobs of ‘civilians’ flooding on foot as well as Hamas in vehicles into Israel thus preventing an even bigger massacre.
The revised death toll from
1400 to 1200 is because 200 people who were thought to be Israeli civilians turned out to be Gazans.
1) That’s an ‘ad hominem’, not an argument …..
Not if it’s a statement of fact. Motives come into play.
No, its still an ad hominem – attacking the man not the argument.
Hey guys, what would Hamas think of this?
(NSFW – not really, but she is pushing the limits here and I am violated).
How to ride an electric unicycle (Begode Extreme EUC)
These You Tube videos get more and more ridiculous.
Hope you are right Dot. I am encouraged by the fact that the neighbouring Muzzies did not rush to the aid of Hamas as they expected. I suspect the savagery was too much – in terms of world opinion – even for them.
But it disgusts & concerns me how many anti-Semites appear to be in our communities.
Jews have the right to continue a religious practice which, like their dietary restrictions, is based on what were substantial risks to life in the ancient world.
It really is none of your business.
Duk – That’s why you have to go postal then leave. Staying is the problem. The Rumsfeld doctrine doesn’t work on muslims.
It may take several iterations, but you lay waste to the place then get out. Do it again every time they get obnoxious. You especially flatten all the boss guys’ stuff. After a while the clan elders start making excuses that it isn’t auspicious to attack Israel after prayers this Friday. We are not ready! We need more RPGs before we can exterminate the Israelis! My fourth wife is having her period. They are adept at such excuses. The key is to make sure they know that they have to control their young’uns as letting them off leash is too personally painful to contemplate.
The Hezbies are doing just enough on the northern border to keep their rank and file mollified and to keep the rivers of stuff coming from Iran. They are farting about though, not at all serious. That’s because they know what will happen if they do get serious. Maybe they will get serious if the internal politics get too volatile, but so far the signals from both Nasrallah and Iran is they’re sitting it out apart from this fig leaf stuff.
Vicki
I used to get shocked how every so often when I was on the turps that someone would bring up Jews or an undescribable ruling class (not necessarily the same thing).
It’s a terrible attitude and you will not win at life by doing this.
The ruling class does change over time and there are self-made men. Yes, nepotism and anti-competitive behaviours exist – but most people lose most of their wealth because of the size of the state now.
I have a friend I am very slowly trying to coax out of belligerent anti-semitism. The stuff he posts is intentionally offensive sludge from Andrew Anglin. Anglin has some prescient hot takes but he’s an utter prick.
This confuses ‘winning’ Operationally with winning Politically.
Giap clearly understood the asymmetric victory conditions for the US and the North Vietnamese – after the war he reportedly was told by Westmoreland ‘you bastards never beat us on the battle field, not once’ – his reply: ‘true but irrelevant…..’
The US lost because their home population grew tired of the war before the Vietnamese communists did. The same is rapidly developing in Ukraine, and will ultimately follow in the Middle East, particularly as social and economic conditions worsen in the west.
1/Let’s say the PA take control of Gaza, what then? How are things going for the PA/ Palestinians in the West Bank? 2/ Egypt doesn’t want Gaza for the same reasons Israel doesn’t want Gaza with 2M angry Palestinians. 3/ Israel won’t annex Gaza without the expulsion of those angry Palestinians.
Part 1 of a 6 part series by Mark Felton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjM_68mzANk looking at the soviet investigations.
In a nutshell, the bodies aren’t Adolph or Eva.
I really wanted thank you for stepping up but was put of by this need to seen as a martyr.
People lost alot more then you.
Sovrin citasan types demanding people make sacrifices is cultish duk.
Not a surprise if you’ve followed this guy’s investigations.
A woke spineless asshole
You missed the size of the demonstrations in every Western Capital then?
Israel, however brave, clever or defiant its 5 million people are, is surrounded by hundreds of millions who want them gone. They are *totally reliant* on economic and military support from the West, especially the US, and that is clearly eroding, not helped by ongoing islamification of those places by immigration.
While many accuse Netanyahu of not caring about hostages (even though he exchanged over 1000 terrorists for one Israeli soldier in 2011) many others, with no skin in the game, would be happy to see hostages sacrified rather than the briefest of ceasefires.
If hamas cannot get resupply any regrouping will merely delay their annilihation.
Suspect that Israel will have to destroy most of Gaza city to get rid of the tunnels.
the more pressure hamas are under, the more likely hostages will be returned.
The supposed photo of a dead Hitler at the Reich Chancellery really doesn’t look like Hitler. Corpses don’t stay pretty but no way is that a 56-year-old man with massive stress and amphetamine use.
Re the comments on the difficulty of combating insurgents:
While generalisations based on similar circumstances are often solid, the variability of this open system in which societies operate suggest there are no “rules”.
Modern Israel is a triumph of the human spirit. I would want them on my side any day of the week.
Maybe they have to because other than permanently quarantining Gaza from Israel, they don’t have many good choices left.
Who cares about muslims and their fellow travellers?
And it’s not every western capital, btw, Paris only managed ‘several thousand’.
The SEATO/NATO bloc still won the Cold War. The North Vietnamese were cannon fodder for the Soviet Emperors. Perhaps Giap didn’t understand he was being screwed a little.
QI is an interesting theory. Should have some answers next year
They are *totally reliant* on economic and military support from the West, especially the US, and that is clearly eroding, not helped by ongoing islamification of those places by immigration.
Actually, whilst Israel is reliant militarily on the US, Israel is not reliant economically on the US.
The other neat thing for the Hezbie leadership is that the need for visible action against Israel gives them a useful opportunity to clean out the outhouse. If some lower ranking officer is a problem then they just tell him to take his unit and go shoot up the IDF with some AT missiles. The IDF then takes care of Mr Obnoxious and the political problem for the Hezbie leadership just went away. The Hezbies have lost something like a couple hundred fighters to Israeli counterbattery and air strikes so far, which is a cheap price for the leadership to purge internal threats.
Projection much?
Sacrificing healthy body parts of infants for ‘religious’ or ‘cultural’ reasons is the cult here I think.
Duk – I can assure you I don’t miss much. What I meant was – except for some desultory missiles fired by Houthis & Hezbollah, the muzzies of surrounding nations did not rush to their defence. Qatar may save if few skins of leaders, but that is all.
The whole lot of them, the other defendants too, are lucky not to get life for murder with no parole, but QLD has dumb definitions of murder and manslaughter compared to NSW and the common law.
You describe Judaism as a cult.
Don’t go crying if I think it plays a part in your concern trolling over Israel.
Whatever the similarities between Iraq, afghanistan and gaza, there also many points of difference.
For one there is no blue on blue.
What about the theory that James Deen faked his own death and lived to a ripe old age in Canada. The body in the car was some hobo they mashed up to fit the bill.
I like that one.
McCulloch had 21 peer-reviewed journal articles on the topic; his model fits the data best without fudging or torturing the data with conditioning regarding GR-level phenomena.
It will be very interesting given that he explains galaxy arm velocities better than GR but it turns out his QI stuff for “horizon drives” is wrong.
Yes Cassie. I have only recently becomes aware – through Victor Davis Hanson – just how properous Israel had become in recent decades. Siimilarly, I didn’t realise how well equipped the forces were – to the extent that they even have subs.
I saw what you did there, ahem, oh my.
“Sacrificing healthy body parts of infants for ‘religious’ or ‘cultural’ reasons is the cult here I think.”
I don’t think so, and Judaism is NOT a cult, nor is Christianity, nor is Hinduism, nor is Islam for that matter.
But further to the arguments about the merits or otherwise of circumcision, I always find it interesting that when you scratch ever so delicately those who are most vociferous and vocal against male circumcision (which bears no relationship to female genital mutilation), out gushes latent and not so latent anti-Semitism.
BTW Duk. The 2023 population of Israel is now close to 10 million – not 5 million.
James Deen, I am told, made a different style of movie than James Dean.
List of people that faked their deaths:
Hitler
James Dean
Wyatt Earp
Jesse James
John Wick
On the subject of circumcision, the future Major General Arthur (Tubby) Allen had to take time out from his duties as an infantry officer on the Western Front to have a circumcision to resolve a problem of paraphimosis.
Perhaps the unhygienic conditions in the trenches contributed to the problem, but the very many circumcised soldiers there probably had fewer problems.
That’s true too. I can’t see a candidate with Addison’s disease winning now if it was made public. It can range from chronic and manageable to debilitating or acutely lethal.
Oh my, that is a big one.
Spelling mistake that is.
That’s what…I’ll stop.
Chariots of fire.
When will NYC do something about the ‘staggering’ number of e-bike fire deaths? (19 Nov, via Lucianne)
Well you could always ban e-scooters and e-bikes. That’s a thought. Keep lead-acid battery vehicles like mobility quads, since those don’t explode when you least expect it.
And the Vietnamese are now facing their traditional enemy, China, and seem keen for western support in any future clash.
Duk, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq were someone else’s wars, not existential. Give Jews the credit they deserve for outlasting every other empire. The muzzies are relative newcomers compared to Jews and look at the state of every muzzie country. Muzzies aren’t a religion but a death cult and they are coming for us.
Vicki
In the short term, but the long term futures of those leaders seem shaky.
Phew.
The inconvenient truth about the Middle East conflict
Melanie Phillips 3 hrs ago.
The century-old Arab war against the Jewish homeland has been kept going by the west
Chuckle.
You have no clue of my vax status, religion or condition of tackle box, duk.
How many Arabs lived in the Levant (Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan and Egypt) before Mo started his campaign of conquest in the 600s?
And how many of the existing population were of Greek ancestry before Mo and the Arabs arrived?
Cassie of Sydney
Nov 22, 2023 11:24 AM
They are *totally reliant* on economic and military support from the West, especially the US, and that is clearly eroding, not helped by ongoing islamification of those places by immigration.
Actually, whilst Israel is reliant militarily on the US, Israel is not reliant economically on the US.
Cassie,
Israel is ahead in some Military Areas – Iron Dome springs to mind – now this
How Israel’s new laser-defense system will turn the tables on Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran
Israel’s defenses took a giant leap forward this week when — for the first time ever — it used a laser beam to shoot down an incoming rocket fired by terrorists in Gaza.
This isn’t science fiction, but the product of years of research and experimentation.
The US military is doing its own laser-beam or “directed energy” research, and Israel and the United States cooperate.
Lockheed Martin and Israel’s Rafael are developing Iron Beam, and ultimately it can mean not only ground-based laser defenses but lasers to mount on ships and planes as well.
Israel fielded the weapon for the first time in combat a few days ago, and it could change the country’s air-defense posture in the next few years.
It’s called Iron Sting and is part of the larger Iron Beam laser-defense system.
Israel’s Iron Dome missile-defense system is well known, and it works beautifully: 90% effective.
But it is expensive: Each Iron Dome battery can cost $100 million, and each interceptor costs between $40,000 and $50,000.
As Hamas fires its thousands of rockets and missiles at Israel — it’s fired an estimated 10,000 since Oct. 7 — the costs of defense mount and the supply of interceptors can run out.
Iron Dome batteries typically have about 60 to 80 interceptor missiles at hand.
What if Hezbollah or Hamas fires 100 missiles at one location?
A laser system overcomes these problems.
As long as you have electricity, you have laser beams to fire again and again at incoming threats.
Swarms of approaching missiles can’t overwhelm the number of interceptors you have on hand, and there’s no need to worry about resupply — the kind of resupply the United States is now providing Israel.
Of course, it only works to protect the population if the technology is mature and the systems can really be fielded.
That has not been true until now, but progress is swift.
As recently as August, the US Missile Defense Agency executive director said the technology was not quite there.
The agency “in the past few years kind of backed away,” she told Breaking Defense, partly because “that technology still needed to mature. It needed to mature in power levels that could be delivered on target” and in “reduction of the size, weight and power requirements.”
Now, she said, “that technology maturation is happening” — and “there have been some really impressive results. We’ve been doing studies all along and looking at lethality effects and doing experimentation. But we think that, finally, we’re starting to see some real progress, and so that’s why the increased emphasis.”
As she explained, “there’s so many advantages of having a potential directed-energy engagement system — give the warfighter additional engagement opportunities, save interceptors, lower cost per engagement. So lots of great potential for directed energy.”
Think of Hezbollah’s arsenal, sometimes estimated at 130,000 to 150,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel.
Most of these are unguided short- and medium-range rockets, but hundreds of them — and maybe more — are precision-guided missiles.
Aimed at key targets like Israel’s air-force bases, power plants, desalination plants and Ben Gurion Airport, they could do immense damage.
Rockets and missiles from Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah are why Israel has developed a sophisticated, multilayer air-defense system.
It has Iron Dome for short-range rockets, David’s Sling to stop medium-range missiles, Arrow for medium- and long-range missiles and America’s Patriot missile-defense system as well.
High-energy lasers traveling at the speed of light and costing no more per shot than the cost of the electric power needed mean an endless supply and far lower expense.
Today, Israel can be forced to spend thousands or tens of thousands of dollars to shoot down Hamas rockets that cost $600 each.
With lasers, the balance of costs all of a sudden will favor the defender, not the aggressor.
Neither Israel nor the United States has conquered all the obstacles to fielding laser-defense weapons widely; first comes the technology, then the need to manufacture the systems and get them into the field.
Israel took a leap forward this past week, actually using a laser weapon in combat to shoot down a Hamas rocket.
No doubt Hezbollah and Iran are watching and worrying.
Israel began developing Iron Dome in 2007, and the first batteries were in the field four years later. It will take time for Iron Beam to be fully fielded and become part of the shield protecting Israel.
But Israel and the United States have developed a critical new kind of air defense for both countries.
Iron Beam will save Israeli lives and make those of terrorists harder — cause for real celebration.
ABC: Just in case you forgot, we would like to remind everyone that Bruce L is a former Liberal staffer and that Bruce has ‘agreed to settle.
Kennedy was unquestionably 4-F at the outbreak of WWII but lied (and pulled strings) to get into combat. That reflects very well on him – as does his heroic endurance of more or less constant pain, about which he never complained.
What a different world it was when a US President tuned up a General for unnecessarily spending $5000.
The audio:
Listening In: JFK Calls about Furniture:
I’ve just shown my year 11 class the Dallas near accident with commentary by a pilot which fills in a bit a background.
Interestingly on his channel … signs of a slowing economy episode #612376 … Money is Gone: Airlines Start Layoffs Soon UPS is asking 160+ pilots to take early retirement and American Airlines are asking for a similar amount after reporting reductions of close to 40% in cargo revenue.
Malcolm Turnbull.
JC
Now that you’ve had a chance to sober up, would you like to explain this post from yesterday evening?
Malcolm always looked like the ghost at the feast. Something quite tragic about getting everything you want and realising, too late, that its a nightmare, not a dream.
Further on the subject of circumcision, in his book ‘The Naked Island’ relating his experiences as a soldier and POW in Malaysia and Thailand, Russell Braddon stated of the medical personnel at the Changi POW camp in 1942-43 that “They circumcised practically every man who was not already circumcised”.
Apparently someone thought its hygienic value was substantial enough under such conditions to spend precious time and extremely limited medical resources on it.
Too many apperatifs?
‘Agreed to settle’ sounds like code for we were in deeeep trouble so we chucked him lots of money and paid all his legals bills.
Bruce Lehrmann settles defamation case against ABC over broadcast of Brittany Higgins’ National Press Club address (Sky News, 21 Nov)
That Lisa Wilkinson refused to hand over legal invoices to the court is a tell I think. She and the ABC do not want the voters to know what has been going on under the surface.
Wilkinson ‘refusing to hand over legal invoices’ (Paywallian, 20 Nov)
I suspect there’s a really hot and steamy story underneath all this greasy stuff. Pity that Wilkinson, Brinny and the ABC won’t be held to account.
ANZ links bonuses to office attendance
Euan Black – Work and careers reporter
ANZ staff have been told their annual bonuses may be cut if they fail to spend at least 50 per cent of their scheduled working hours in the office.
The policy puts the bank in line with Suncorp Group and Origin Energy after both companies linked office attendance to annual performance reviews and bonuses earlier this year.
“Working in line with ANZ’s expectations for hybrid working, as well as any specific commitments within your team, is just like any other behavioural expectation at ANZ,” staff in Australia, New Zealand, Manila and Bengaluru were told in emails seen by The Australian Financial Review.
“This means if you don’t meet the standards expected it may factor into your performance rating and PRR (performance and remuneration review) outcomes at the end of the FY24 year.”
Managers told their respective teams about the new policy this week in generic emails that reaffirmed the bank’s expectation that staff spend at least half their working hours in the office each month.
The bank introduced the 50 per cent attendance target last November. But chief executive Shayne Elliott told 3AW in October that about 40 per cent of staff came into the office on any given day.
“We are two-thirds of what we used to be,” Mr Elliott said at the time.
The bank’s leaders believe the 50 per cent target strikes a balance between offering staff flexibility and promoting in-person collaboration and mentoring. It is the same as Commonwealth Bank’s hybrid working policy and similar to Westpac’s and NAB’s.
Opportunities for informal learning
“Just as there are benefits with working from home, there are many benefits to working in person alongside others, including opportunities for informal learning and development, developing and maintaining networks and sustaining a sense of belonging,” this week’s emails to staff read.
Employees currently failing to comply with the 50 per cent mandate have been asked to “adjust your patterns unless you have a formal exception in place”.
“If you’re working from your ANZ workplace less than half the time, averaged over a calendar month, please make the adjustments needed to increase your attendance so you’re contributing to maintaining the great culture we’re known for at ANZ,” the emails read.
Staff were told the 50 per cent attendance rule provided enough flexibility to “accommodate nearly all personal circumstances”. But exemptions would be given to employees in “exceptional circumstances which warrant greater flexibility”.
“In these cases, a temporary period of greater flexibility (i.e. up to two months) may be considered by your people leader as an informal exception to the 50 per cent minimum attendance expectation,” the emails read.
“Longer periods of flexibility will require a formal exception signed off by a Group 2 (or higher) leader and then by your Exco [executive committee] leader.”
The policy announcement comes after the Fair Work Commission ruled that workers being in the office could have benefits for productivity and collaboration.
Lawyers said the ruling was sensible, while business leaders said it backed their observations that working from home too frequently was bad for collaboration, mentoring and career development.
Sounds good until hamas starts a tyre fire before they launch the rockets.
..
Maybe there was just a shortage of sausage casings in the kitchens.
Wot, Dot, none about covid?
We were told it didn’t come from Wuhan biolab, that natural immunity didn’t work with covid, that you couldn’t spread covid if you were vaccinated, and that contracts with Pfizer were at arm’s length.
There, I just gave you four from the one thing, and there are more, but I’m too lazy to bother chucking them in. Maybe you’re lazy too.
‘Difficult decision’: Israel debates Gaza truce, hostage deal
Nidal al-Mughrabi and Maayan Lubell
Gaza/Jerusalem | Israel’s government met into the early hours of Wednesday to consider a deal for Palestinian Hamas militants to free some hostages in Gaza in exchange for a multi-day truce and the release of a greater number of Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
Officials from Qatar, which has been mediating negotiations, as well as the US, Israel and Hamas have for days been saying a deal was imminent.
Qatar Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said the proposal on a hostage release deal was delivered to Israel in the early hours of Tuesday.
“The State of Qatar is awaiting the result of the Israeli government’s vote on the proposal,” he said.
Before gathering with his full government, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Tuesday with his war cabinet and wider national security cabinet over the deal. Hamas is believed to be holding more than 200 hostages, taken when its fighters surged into Israel on October 7, killing 1200 people, according to Israeli tallies.
The Israeli prime minister said the intervention of US President Joe Biden had helped to improve the tentative agreement so that it included more hostages and fewer concessions.
Mr Netanyahu urged his government to accept the deal but warned that Israel’s broader mission had not changed. “Tonight we stand before a difficult decision, but it is the right decision,” Mr Netanyahu said in televised remarks at the start of the latest government meeting.
“We are at war and we will continue the war until we achieve all our goals. To destroy Hamas, return all our hostages and ensure that no entity in Gaza can threaten Israel.”
If agreed, the accord would see the first truce of a war in which Israeli bombardments have flattened swathes of Hamas-ruled Gaza, killed 13,300 civilians in the tiny densely populated enclave and left about two-thirds of its 2.3 million people homeless, according to authorities in Gaza.
A US official briefed on the discussions said the deal would include 50 hostages taken from Israel, mostly women and children, in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners and a pause in the fighting of four or five days.
The releases, two officials said, would most likely be spread over at least four days. That time frame could be extended if more hostages are released, they said.
Under the terms of the cease-fire, fighting would halt, Israeli troops would remain in their current positions, and Israel would refrain from flying surveillance aircraft over Gaza for six hours a day, the officials said.
But civilians in southern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands have fled to avoid heavier airstrikes in the north, would not be allowed to return to the north, the officials said.
Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s emergency war Cabinet, said the hostage deal on the Israeli government’s table was “hard and painful from a human perspective.” But he called it the best possible option to allow Israel to continue “pursuing the campaign” against Hamas.
The pause would also allow for humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Israeli media including Channel 12 news said that if the deal was approved, the first release of hostages was expected on Thursday. Implementing the deal must wait for 24 hours to give Israeli citizens the chance to ask the Supreme Court to block the release of Palestinian prisoners, reports said.
Hamas has to date released only four captives: US citizens Judith Raanan, 59, and her daughter, Natalie Raanan, 17, on October 20, citing “humanitarian reasons,” and Israeli women Nurit Cooper, 79, and Yocheved Lifshitz, 85, on October 23.
The armed wing of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, which participated in the October 7 raid with Hamas, said late on Tuesday that one of the Israeli hostages it has held since the October 7 attacks on Israel had died.
“We previously expressed our willingness to release her for humanitarian reasons, but the enemy was stalling and this led to her death,” Al Quds Brigades said on its Telegram channel.
Hospital ordered to evacuate
As attention focused on the hostage release deal, fighting on the ground raged on. Mounir Al-Barsh, director-general of Gaza’s health ministry, told Al Jazeera TV that the Israeli military ordered the evacuation of the Indonesian Hospital in Gaza City.
Israel said militants were operating from the facility and threatened to act against them within four hours, he said.
Hospitals, including Gaza’s biggest al-Shifa, have been rendered virtually inoperable by the conflict and shortages of critical supplies. Israel claims that Hamas conceals military command posts and fighters within them, a claim that Hamas and hospital staff deny.
On Tuesday, Israel also said its forces had encircled the Jabalia refugee camp, a major urban flashpoint and Hamas militant stronghold.
According to the United Nations, most Palestinians in Gaza are registered as refugees because they or their ancestors were displaced by the 1948 war of Israel’s creation.
The Palestinian news agency WAFA said 33 people were killed and dozens wounded in an Israeli air strike on part of Jabalia, a congested urban extension of Gaza City where Hamas has been battling advancing Israeli armoured forces.
In southern Gaza, Hamas-affiliated media said 10 people were killed and 22 injured by an Israeli air strike on an apartment in the city of Khan Younis.
Reuters could not immediately verify the accounts of fighting on either side.
Dot> 1000% agree on this. Blinding yourself with prejudice about group XXXX or YYYY or ZZZZ only limits our ability to manage risks and capture opportunities IRL
Israel approves ceasefire, hostage-release deal with Hamas
10 mins ago — 12.24PM
Israeli cabinet approves ceasefire, hostage-release deal with Hamas
Israel’s cabinet has approved a ceasefire deal with the Hamas militant group that would bring a temporary halt to a devastating war that has stretched on for over six weeks.
Under the deal, Hamas is to free 50 of the roughly 240 hostages it is holding in the Gaza Strip over a four-day period, the Israeli government said on Wednesday. It said it would extend the lull by an additional day for every 10 hostages released.
Ahead of Wednesday morning’s cabinet vote, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would resume its offensive against Hamas after the cease-fire expires.
It was not immediately clear when the truce would go into effect.
The government said the first hostages to be released would be women and children.
Israel and Hamas on Wednesday appeared close to a deal that would temporarily halt their devastating six-week war and release dozens of hostages being held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli prisons.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his cabinet for a vote late on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT). The meeting stretched into the early hours Wednesday, underscoring the sensitivity of a proposal that would suspend an Israeli offensive against Hamas before it has reached its goals.
Live if you have nothing else to do
NSD103/2023 Lehrmann v Network Ten; NSD316/2023 Lehrmann v ABC
Federal Court of Australia
Paging Bruce Pascoe! Will Dr Pascoe please urgently come to the phone?
How Indigenous knowledge can help solve the climate crisis (Phys.org, 21 Nov)
I can see a Dark Emu sequel in the works.
While the hostage deal stumbles along and gets dragged out, Israel should take out the Hamas leadership in Qatar.
Thanks OldOzzie for the link. Been trying to find it.
M0nty: “What a ridiculous thing to say, Kneel.
Cats: Hamas is no different to Nazis so Israeli genocide is based actually
Also Cats: Russia are just plucky freedom fighters sticking up for themselves in the face of imperial aggression by those nasty Ukes
As usual, you are making no sense.”
Have you read the original Hamas charter? Not the one they edited to sound better to westerners, the original. It’s quite clear they want all Jews dead, period. Not individual ones that have committed specific acts against them, all of them – based just on them being Jews. They will attempt to kill them all in Israel if they can, but if they flee to other countries, are more than happy to continue killing them wherever they go. This is based on a literal reading of their scriptures. I would very much like to hear from anyone who believes this is in any way different from the Nasti’s “final solution” as to what the difference might be – seriously.
The comparison I made about the Ukes was about what happens if one side unilaterally disarms, not any sort of justification of any act by anyone.
Hamarse is prepared to lie to infidels if it advances their cause. Suggest you have a look at the arabic news for what Hamarse is really like – if you are relying on direct english language statements from Hamarse, you are being deliberately misled by Hamarse itself in order to sow discord in western populations and thus keep them out of the whole sordid mess that is the ME.
Take a look at what happened –
* some of these demons live-streamed their depredations on Facebook, yet Hamarse says “oh, that wasn’t us – that was civilians that entered after us”;
* Hamarse claims “Jews bombed a hospital and killed 500 people!”, when in reality, as shown live on Al Jezzera news, it was a Hamarse rocket that failed and fell into the hospital car park, and looking at the photos, it seems questionable at best that 500 people were killed or even injured;
* “we want a cease-fire” – almost directly after they had crossed the border, killed, maimed, desecrated and raped over a thousand, as well as kidnapped over 200, but before Israel had even really reacted to what they did. Why did they want a cease-fire? Because they wanted to built up more missiles and other weapons to use against Israel! That’s why they want one now.
* “we are a nation of martyrs” – they are prepared to let the Gazans die as “martyrs” to the cause, while the leaders relax in luxury in other countries (the leader of Hamarse is reported to be worth $US 5 billion). Indeed, there are many reports of Hamarse attacking both civilians and the IDF where the IDF has created a “safe corridor” for civilians to leave the areas most directly under attack.
They (hamarse) are EVIL, M0nty – anyone who calmly and objectively evaluates the evidence sees it. Even Joe Biden sees it, and given his current mental acuity, if you don’t see it yourself, then you would seem to be either ridiculously biased and thereby deliberately blind, deliberately trying to stir trouble or a complete moron. Despite what anyone else on the Cat might think, I don’t believe you are a moron – certainly not as bad mentally as Biden! So you’ve already decided you’re on the side of Hamarse no mater what, or you want to stir up trouble. Care to let us know which one?
How many Arabs lived in the Levant (Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan and Egypt) before Mo started his campaign of conquest in the 600s
An interesting quandary for the Arabs as the are proud of their origins in Yemen. Also they are proud of the colonisation by the Arab tribes after the conquests led by the Righteous (Abu Bakr et ali) ones. This is often found at the end of their (real) extended names. e.g. Al Qatani.
On the ‘dead man walking’ comment. There is not doubt that the Hamas in Qatar will be exterminated. I was in the Dubai hotel when Mossad sent Hamas’s logistics officer, Al-Mabhouh to paradise in 2010. At that stage Israelis were not even allowed into the region. I think they will get the accompanying reporters as well. It’s in the Torah, dont cha know?
High-energy lasers traveling at the speed of light and costing no more per shot than the cost of the electric power needed mean an endless supply and far lower expense.
ABC headline “Israel dooms humanity by using non renewables to power selfish lasers to attack innocent Palestinian fireworks displays”….
And just thinking, if the system is portable enough might it spell the end of drones as a viable weapons system?
One for Dot. It’s a real bodice ripper.
The Ethical Slut has been called ‘the bible’ of non-monogamy—but its sexual utopia is oversimplified (Phys.org, 21 Nov)
Here’s who our non-monogamous practitioner is:
We really do overachieve in this country. Not, I have to say, in science, sadly.
NSD103/2023 Lehrmann v Network Ten; NSD316/2023 Lehrmann v ABC
On lunch break – restarts 2.15pm
The two differences between Israel and previous counter insurgency operations?
1. “Never again” means no option is off the table. This is about survival, not peacekeeping, bringing democracy or domino theories.
2. It’s a home game. No cutting and running while people dangle from aircraft.
It’s winner take all.
The losers may all be dead.
The problem is it doesn’t work if the weather is not clear, the beam scatters too much to be effective.
The Israeli Cabinet has approved a deal for hostage exchange & a temporary ceasefire. It was to be expected. Israel will do whatever it takes to retrieve the hostages. But it has been stated that this does not signify a change in the overall intention to eradicate Hamas.
Does she get to keep the three million quid?
Title IX: When a Good Law Turns Bad
I was in the Dubai hotel when Mossad sent Hamas’s logistics officer, Al-Mabhouh to paradise in 2010.
Whether Mossad has the legendary capabilities of over a decade ago remains to be seen. Hopefully, the failure of Mossad & Shin Bet in October will provide a lot of motivation.
You kind of missed the point Titus.
My point wasn’t about the casualties in the IDF.
It was reference to the BBC, ABC, WaPo, etc.
If the IDF defeats Hamarse decisively the “but at what cost” rationalisations will start, taking the following forms:-
1. International pariah/The eyes of the world are upon you;
2. They will prey upon the families of dead hostages. “They would still be alive if Israel had negotiated instead of invading”;
3. Social cohesion within Israel. They will find a couple of fringe Peaceniks within Israel who will criticise the action against Hamas and present them as mainstream;
4. “Look what you made them do!”. Any attack from now on by Pallies on Israel only happens as a reaction to the current IDF action. If they hadn’t taken on Ham-Arse, it would have been totally Kumbayah all round.
Not enough Drs and engineers.
Precisely enough ARC DECRA Senior Research Fellow in Sex & Sexuality,…
Well done uni chancellor mongs.
Also there was a bit about how wonderful Australia was for overseas students and why it was attractive.
It missed this teeny weeny itsy bitsy attraction.
An oversight Im sure.
New international student visa reforms will allow applicants to use pathway as means for migration to Australia
And Aussie students – screw them Jack.
2023 All International Student Guarantee Expansion
ANU is pleased to announce it has extended the 2023 Accommodation Guarantee as per the below:
ANU guarantees an offer of accommodation in one of our residences or other approved accommodation in Canberra for all international students in 2023.
International Students wishing to take advantage of this guarantee for Semester 2 2023 must apply for accommodation by midnight Sunday 2 July 2023 AEST.;
This guarantee expansion applies to both new and returning international students studying in 2023 for their 2023 accommodation.
Please, someone, save us from the Manosphere!
Study shows that the ‘manosphere’ community is misusing scientific research to support its beliefs (Phys.org, 21 Nov)
Sounds like the University of Kent could give even La Trobe University a run for its money.
If true, is hardly a bulletproof case for inflicting it on infants now is it?
Lisa Wilkinson comes under scathing attack from Bruce Lehrmann’s lawyer over Brittany Higgins interview as TV presenter shows her face in public for the first time in months
Bruce Lehrmann’s lawyers have launched a scathing attack on Lisa Wilkinson over her interview with Brittany Higgins on The Project.
Opening statements in the Federal Court on Wednesday began with Mr Lehrmann’s barrister Matthew Richardson SC outlining his main arguments, including Wilkinson’s introduction to the episode, aired on Channel Ten in February 2021.
Wilkinson said: ‘Claims of rape, roadblocks to a police investigation, and a young woman fored to choose between her career and the pursuit of justice, and it all happened right in the heart of our democracy’.
Mr Richardson told the court: ‘Ms Higgins is portrayed in an entirely positive way.
‘Essentially she is canonised by this program with Ms Wilkinson.
‘She has held up as the epitome of truthfulness and decency, not a scintilla of doubt is applied to any aspect of her complaint or allegations.
‘The message is plain. What she says has happened.’
The entire interview between Wilkinson and Ms Higgins was then played for the court.
12:55
First witness is called
The first witness called was Karly Abbott, who used to work as an advisor with Mr Lehramnn and Ms Higgins in Parliament House.
She was cross-examined by Ten’s barrister Matthew Collins KC about a series of conversations she had with another former staffer, Ben Dillloway, on the day Ms Higgins’ allegations were published online, on February 15, 2021.
Ms Abbott told the court she knew an ‘incident’ had occurred in former defence industry minister Linda Reynolds’ office in March 2019, but she was told by another colleague that it was a security breach.
On the morning Ms Higgins allegations were published, almost two years later, Mr Dilloway sent her a text message with a link to the story.
Dr Collins said: ‘At 8.20am, at the time you received a text from Mr Dilloway and he sent you a link [to the story], and you’ve responded ‘what the f**k?’
Ms Abbott agreed.
Dr Collins then told the court that Mr Dilloway’s next message said: ‘It was your mate.’
Ms Abbott said she knew Mr Dilloway’s text was a reference to Mr Lehrmann because he was her friend in Parliament.
He told the court Ms Abbott then replied, via text: ‘I’ve heard the rumour but not sure if I believe it.’
Ms Abbott explained she heard a rumour there was an incident involving Ms Higgins and Mr Lehrmann, but she didn’t necessarily believe the ‘rumour mill’.
How’s this for an endorsement.
Argentine Stock Market Up 20% After Milei Election
Quite so.
I think it is even worse than that for Ham-Arse.
I think they were hoping the attacks on the 7th would unleash a yuuuge Yee-Har Gee-Had on all fronts, involving Hezbollocks and other neighbouring Arab nations.
Yeah, sure, Hezbollocks has engaged in a bit of opportunistic skirmishing, but nothing like what Ham-Arse were hoping to trigger.
And, whilst Jordan has made a bit of pro-Pally noise, most nations in the region have indicated the best they can do is maybe hold Ham-Arse’s coat while they go at it in the pub carpark with the IDF.
This is not going as planned for Ham-Arse.
they still got pali babies and kids as human shields
Wanted Pro-Iranian Commander Found in His Jeep! Israel Struck at Last Moment Large Arms Convoy!
Raptor News – 1 hour ago
They circumcised practically every man who was not already circumcised
Its probably a good thing in a limited hygiene situation.
Imagine trekking across the desert, waterbags empty and you turn up just in time to find a mob of Philistines washing their sweaty bell ends in the only water for 100 miles.
Crucifixion would be too good for them!
So a Dr who condemns Jews, Muslims and *anyone else* who amputates healthy body parts from infants is ‘antisemetic’ now is it? Thats a ‘broad church’ if I may mix my metaphors.
Sancho, thanks for that wonderfully wordy explanation of the dog ball bleeding obvious. Now go off and look up a word: segue. Hint it isn’t a strange wheeled vehicle.
Anyone seen StRuth lately?
‘Just stupidity’: drunk NSW stowaway travels 400km up Australia’s east coast in truck undercarriage
After big night out, a NSW man got more than he bargained for when he hitched a ride underneath a semi-trailer, and ended up on the Gold Coast in Queensland
The 43-year-old had a “bit to drink” in Nambucca Heads when he came up with a unique plan for the 50km journey to Coffs Harbour in northern New South Wales, usually a half-hour drive.
Instead of organising an Uber or calling a cab, the man decided to climb into the undercarriage of a stationary double semi-trailer while truck driver Pardeep Dahiya slept.
The man crawled on to metal racks beneath the truck, which were barely a metre from the ground.
He aimed to get out when the vehicle stopped at a red light at Coffs Harbour.
However, when Dahiya awoke he proceeded to have one of the great green light runs truck drivers enjoy. He did not stop until he had reached the Gold Coast, about four hours later.
Where is your evidence that Ham-Arse have the support of the majority of Gazans?
From memory they scored 40% of the vote in the only election held in recent years, about 15 years ago.
I doubt it would be half that now.
I think we might be confusing “fear and suppression” for “support”.
Turtlehead
Firstly, I have no reason to sober up as I rarely drink. Secondly, you’re a like a blowfly on this blog buzzing around everyone’s comments offering your uniquely stupid, low IQ “ideas”. Despite your false claim, “buzzing” around Dover’s comment was interjecting yourself in our discussion. We don’t/didn’t need this low level redundancy.
Bugger off. Go cry to the Public defender to come out of his hovel of help you.
So if it was that obvious, how come you missed the point Titus?
Stay clear of the hole in the floor, champ.
LOL! It’s a peace of skin, duk.
Lollipoppers have been going hard at this for a fortnight or more.
There’s not many places to sleep under a truck. I can only guess it’s a trailer with gate sides and the under-rack was empty.
Wouldn’t be comfortable standing still let alone rolling.
World record pissed award for that effort.
Ridiculous. Nobody should be able to poison (aka vaccinate) or mutilate a child anymore than they can murder it.
(Male) circumcision obviously isn’t as horrific as vaccination or abortion but it’s still a permanent harm to the child.
Not entirely true.
Once he was in, the string pulling by Joe really started, and JFK’s patrol boat was meant to be kept “one out and one back”.
The action which saw it’s sinking was entirely unexpected.
I think Joe Snr thought he had cotton-woolled Joe Jnr as well, but I suspect Joe Jnr circumvented Dad’s plans and got himself in harm’s way.
As far as circumcision goes, I am in favour of retaining maximum tonnage on the todger.
Every bit helps.
What is the permanent harm, Figures?
mUttley: One of the many millions of collectivists stomping around various western cities since February 2022 screeching incessantly, “This war must end!”*.
Oh, wait – he hasn’t been.
*The wussia/’kraine contretemps.
File under “G” for “Good Idea at the Time”.
How many bruises would the truck stowaway have had when he sobered up?
BoN:
Andrea Waling – stock photo.
Andrea Waling – now.
Greater Tartaria v New Kuwait, actually.
Harold Holt.
Elvis.
seems like a lot of effort by HH just to get a swimming pool named after him.
I can only guess it’s a trailer with gate sides and the under-rack was empty.
They did show a picture of truck side grates stored under the truck, assuming thats where he tucked himself.
No word on if hes recovered from being besmirched by second hand vindaloo from the drivers hatch.
bespoke
Very good video. Ta.
Sorry if repost. Hamas doing everything it can to go free reign.
I guess Israel will have to rely on phone calls for updates.
Iran have basically said you didn’t tell us you were going in on the 7th so you are on your own.
This ChatGPT thing. Has anyone ever seen anything like this. The board basically blew up the company. We still don’t know what it’s all about.
American Amish Females at Work – They really have not left the Jungle in Africa!
They Didn’t Want To Pay $1.75 For Extra Sauce…
All over a $1.75 charge for sauce!
As one commenter noted, “This is an example of the dependency class disrespecting the working class.” A “dependency class” that no doubt has thousands of dollars invested into their physical appearance, can’t afford $1.75 for a side of ranch, or feels like they shouldn’t have to pay for it.
But why?
How can a person be so entitled that they’ll demolish a restaurant when that restaurant, a private business, has the audacity to offer a product for a price?
It’s not like anyone is forcing them to eat there, or seizing their wealth to give it to someone else who didn’t earn it—in that case I can at least empathize with the frustration—so really, what gives?
Well, when the left perpetuates a narrative of victimhood and sells degeneracy as a “culture” what else could you expert? Self-restraint begets joy and fulfillment and is a mark of a civilized society… which is why the left is so keen to encourage incivility, impulsiveness, and dysfunction.
From the Comments
– Subhuman Sheboons. Like monkeys flinging feces at the zoo.
– We are now seeing the fruits of your labor. In my lifetime, I will not see black/white harmony again because of you.
You and your worthless wife could have advanced the black race to a higher level but you chose the easy route by pandering.
– Angry, morbidly obese black women should be a crime. Or at least confined to a zoo.
– Black culture in America.
– Imagine trying to “educate” these savages.
Douglas Murray made the same point to that insufferable imbecile Piers Morgan several weeks ago, while describing the behaviour of various male pallyweirdos when the ute carrying Shani Louk’s corpse was paraded past them.
Funny how Argentina managed to count all 30 million of its ballots by midnight…
Has anyone ever seen anything like this.
Never.
Different parties are putting out their stories.
The WSJ has a go overnight.
Only scratches the surface.
A somewhat diminished cohort.
The kibbutz most affected were the homes of many well kmown peaceniks including Vivian Silver who was burnt to death.
I read an article about another progressive who’d spent the last few months protesting Netanyahu’s proposed legal changes, now she’s in Rahat distributing aid to poor Jewish and Arab families.
When about everyone knows someone who knows someone who’s been killed or taken hostage it’s different.
Which is another difference between Australian and Americans deployed to the ME and Israelis fighting to save their own country against insurgents.
The WSJ column.
https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/altman-firing-openai-520a3a8c?mod=hp_lead_pos7
I do like their listen to the story function.
I’m surprised the Oz doesn’t have this by now.
In maps: half of northern Gaza’s buildings wrecked by war
Radar data shows Israel’s six-week offensive against Hamas has left much of the Palestinian enclave in ruins
Israel’s military has laid waste to much of northern Gaza, badly damaging more than half of the buildings and large swaths of entire neighbourhoods during its 42 day offensive, according to analysis of satellite data.
Videos from social media, television reporters embedded with the military and from the IDF itself show a devastated landscape, with the wreckage of once-busy streets, marketplaces, schools and mosques largely devoid of Palestinians.
The full extent of that damage has been estimated using radar signals collected from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-1 satellite. Corey Scher of the CUNY Graduate Center and Jamon Van Den Hoek of Oregon State University used algorithms to calculate how many buildings have sustained damage to at least 50 per cent of their structure since the war began.
The data shows that Israel’s damage to Gaza’s infrastructure has largely followed the path of its ground invasion, clustering around targets it has publicly identified as essential to its military goals.
Israel is now turning its focus east into Gaza City and further into southern Gaza.
Over the weekend, Palestinians reported heavy bombardments in Zeitoun and the Jabalia refugee camp, and the UN said several explosions had taken place at schools where civilians were sheltering.
Israel’s defence minister vowed this weekend that the war would spread to the rest of Gaza soon. “People who were on the western side of the city have already encountered the IDF’s lethal strength,” he told KAN Radio. “People who are on the eastern side understand that this evening. People who are in the southern Gaza Strip will understand that soon as well.”
North Gaza and Gaza districts
Israeli troops invaded Gaza through the north, preceded by a rolling barrage of aerial bombardment. In videos posted online, large fireballs arced towards the sky as tanks and armoured vehicles moved in.
Fortified bulldozers cleared large swaths of land to set up the IDF’s forward bases and large numbers of infantry followed, moving through largely deserted small towns, such as Beit Hanoun.
More than a month later, nearly half of the North Gaza district’s structures have been badly damaged, the analysis of radar data suggests.
But the northern edges of the Gaza Strip were just a staging ground for Israel’s foray into Gaza City. The damage analysis shows that as Israeli troops moved towards their primary target — the al-Shifa hospital — they cut a path through the neighbourhoods en route, especially the al-Shati refugee camp, where the Doha-based Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh once lived.
The IDF destroyed Haniyeh’s home not once, but twice — first with a bulldozer, then with an air strike. The radar data shows that just 30 per cent of the camp remains intact.
The IDF then hugged the coastline on its route to al-Shifa hospital, meeting up with troops that had encircled Gaza City from the south. That southern movement similarly damaged much along its path.
Israeli troops are now operating east of those locations, the only places in Gaza City that are relatively undamaged. Palestinians reported heavy fighting in Zeitoun and further inland on Saturday and in the last few days tens of thousands of civilians have continued to flee south on a road controlled by IDF soldiers.
Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis districts
Deir al-Balah, a southern stretch of the Gaza Strip dotted with date palms and horse-breeding farms, has been relatively unscathed so far. It is home to farmers and the country estates of wealthier families, and is less populated than the dense warrens of Gaza City and its packed refugee camps.
But to the south-east lies Khan Younis, where the Israeli military has already indicated it intends to expand operations. Earlier this week, residents of four neighbourhoods — home to over 100,000 people — awoke to find thousands of leaflets from the IDF ordering them to vacate their homes.
Israeli officials have told their western counterparts that they suspect Hamas leaders are now hiding south of the evacuation line that they ordered Palestinians to cross for their own safety. US and European officials have cautioned Israel to be more “precise and targeted” in its operations, especially to reduce civilian casualties.
Rafah district
Nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3mn civilian population is now living in southern Gaza below the evacuation line, a forced migration that Palestinians liken to that of the Nakba — which means “catastrophe” in Arabic — during Israel’s creation in 1948.
Large tent cities have been erected to house them, with dozens of people sharing apartments.
Food and water are scarce and electricity is rarely available. But aid enters nearby from Egypt and the UN is able to distribute essential supplies more easily.
Israel has indicated that it wants the people in southern Gaza to move again, towards a tiny square of territory called al-Muwasi along the coast between Rafah and Khan Younis.
Chat GPT provides a nice summary.
The conflict between OpenAI’s board and its CEO, Sam Altman, appears to stem from a combination of factors, including a fundamental difference in opinion over the direction and safety of AI development, as well as internal board dynamics.
Differences in Opinion on AI Development: There was a schism at OpenAI regarding the approach to AI development and deployment. Altman favored a rapid development and public deployment of AI to stress-test and perfect the technology. In contrast, others, including OpenAI’s chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, believed in fully developing and testing AI in a laboratory first to ensure its safety. This fundamental disagreement reflects broader debates in the AI community, mirroring similar divisions in the development of self-driving cars and other AI technologies??.
Concerns Over New Products: OpenAI’s recent announcement of new commercially available products, such as a version of its ChatGPT-4 software and virtual assistant agents, was reportedly a specific concern. This move may have exacerbated fears about the rapid deployment of AI without sufficient safeguards??.
Internal Board Dynamics: There were also internal tensions within the board. For example, Sam Altman reportedly attempted to push out board member Helen Toner, which contributed to the situation leading to his firing. Additionally, there was an internal memo stating that the board’s decision to fire Altman was not due to any malfeasance but rather a breakdown in communication between him and the board??.
Employee and Investor Reactions: The firing of Altman led to significant fallout within OpenAI. Nearly 500 of OpenAI’s roughly 770 employees threatened to quit unless the board resigned and reappointed Altman. This number later climbed to over 650. Furthermore, some investors in OpenAI, concerned about losing their investment, were exploring legal recourse against the company’s board following the ousting of Altman????.
Organizational Structure and Control: OpenAI’s unique structure, as a company initially founded as a nonprofit but later adding a for-profit subsidiary, plays a role in the dynamics of control and decision-making within the organization. The nonprofit parent company OpenAI Nonprofit holds significant control, impacting the influence of both employees and venture capital investors. This structure is intended to align with OpenAI’s core mission and governance, but it also complicates traditional investor and board dynamics??.
Regret and Ongoing Negotiations: Following the ousting, Ilya Sutskever expressed regret over his decision to remove Altman and stated his intent to do everything in his power to reinstate Altman as CEO??.
This complex situation reflects not only internal organizational challenges but also broader debates and concerns in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence.
Antony Loewenstein lives in hope of an ABC career revival as the go to Jew. It’s lonely hanging out with Irfan Yusef waiting for the phone to ring.
J.C:
Noted.
Randa Adbel-Fattah was in histrionics on extwitter about the arrest of a Palestinian poet in Gaza as if somehow being a terrorist and being a poet are mutually exclusive.
I also saw some ‘poor pitiful’ about the father of a severely disabled girl being arrested while taking advantage of the humanitarian corridor, might have been her father, might not, either way he could have been hamas, apparently they have families too.
Lil’ Miss Turquoise Dress certainly didn’t need no extra Ranch Sauce.
OpenAI/Microsoft: non-profit’s mission is at odds with its biggest investor
The AI company depends on Microsoft’s cloud computing resources and the $10bn investment it pledged
As stories of value destruction go, OpenAI’s is among the greats.
The generative artificial intelligence company was on the cusp of selling shares at an $86bn valuation. One internal coup later and its chances of reaching such heights have nosedived.
Examples of companies wrecking their own multibillion-dollar values are relatively rare.
WeWork scorched its $47bn valuation with a fanciful listing document that laid bare the extent of corporate overspend.
Jack Ma’s speech criticising Chinese regulators led to the suspension of a planned listing for Ant, the fintech he founded that was due to raise more than $30bn.
The difference in OpenAI’s case is that the action came from a group with no financial interest in the company.
OpenAI’s board controls a non-profit created to benefit humanity, not shareholders. Its decision to fire chief executive and co-founder Sam Altman, mull a reinstatement and then opt to replace him with a new CEO has fractured the company.
One board member, Ilya Sutskever, has already expressed regret.
OpenAI’s relationship with Microsoft, its biggest investor, is about to get more complicated.
Microsoft has acted as a backstop in some ways.
By hiring Altman to lead a new AI research team, it has neutralised the threat of rivals offering him a job or the means to start a new company.
Microsoft’s share price rose more than 2 per cent on Monday, wiping out the ill effects of the chaotic weekend.
It has declared confidence in its “product road map” with OpenAI.
However, the fact that it had no say over Altman’s exit and was given little warning will not foster good relations with the board.
The structure of OpenAI, including its leadership, is still in flux.
It has a new leader who has expressed concerns about the speed of AI development.
That suggests it will not pursue revenue-accelerating goals, including becoming a platform for customers.
Microsoft is an investor, customer and competitor.
It already has a licence for OpenAI’s technology. The tech is knitted into Microsoft’s productivity software.
OpenAI, which is lossmaking, also depends on Microsoft’s cloud computing resources and the $10bn investment it pledged. Losses last year were reported to exceed half a billion dollars.
The balance of power is not in OpenAI’s favour.
Conspiracy theories: Dan Kelly and Steve Hart escaped the Glenrowan pub fire.
This one might be a bit dodgy according to Wiki but what would it know.
If only
NSD103/2023 Lehrmann v Network Ten; NSD316/2023 Lehrmann v ABC
Restart – Warning against tweets as opening
The key point that David Sachs, Chamath, Rabois & Andreessen have made (and to a degree Elon) is that if you want to work to develop AI in a “safe” US government attempted regulated ecosystem, OpenAI is the place for you.
But that’s not where the real action will be.
That’s hard to dispute.
And time will tell if Altman & Brockman stay at Microsoft for a meaningful period of time.
The throwaway line that many are using is that they will hate the bureaucracy.
Who knows?
Google is full of people who when from a start up mentality to liking the beast.
Same thing could happen at Microsoft.
Time will tell.
Old Ozzie:
https://t.co/ha1EZKLcHN
What is the permanent harm, Figures?
Well, seeing as you you asked! Circumcision removes over 50% of the penile skin, this results in:
1) Exposure of the moist sensitive skin of the tip to friction etc – this ‘keratinises’ it, ie dries it out and makes it less sensitive.
2) Loss of the normal ‘rolling within itself’ mechanism within sex, converting it to a ‘sliding piston’ which is less sensuous, likely needing more artificial lubricants
3) Deprives the developing brain of sensory inputs as a child, impairing the development of the ‘sexual pleasure’ centres – this is analagous to a deaf child – give them ‘bionic ears’ later and they learn to hear, but never develop a high fidelity experience
4) Depending upon age and anaesthetic method, may cause pain during the procedure and *will* cause pain after it – its a sensitive bit of kit after all. It doesnt matter if the experience is remembered, the unconscious brain still lays down the memory.
5) Has at times, csuse infant deaths via infection or bleeding
6) And this is the BIG one – allows people like me to rationalise and hide our deep seated antisemetism behind a veil of blather about ethics and bodily integrity.
OpenAI and Management going through a rough, contested d.i.v.o.r.c.e.
Who will think of the children? And will a shared custody model work with such a clever, growing set of kids?
ROFLMAO. Sancho is so woke he thinks everyone else is dumb.
Do try to keep up.
Dover, can you please set up a seperate circumcision thread?
New OT at 3pm.
Wasn’t that German lass described as a conscientious objector & peace campaigner ?
Taking the religious aspect out of the discussion, there was a time when circumcision made medical & hygienic sense.
Choose your country, choose your date, that need has subsided.
When we have the break down in society from a Walking Dead type situation, it will again make sense.
In the interim, let those foreskins run free.
flyingduk
Nov 22, 2023 2:25 PM
Ha! Good one, Centurion! 🙂
According to the Journal piece, the current board (others left) are all academics and come with an altruistic mindset likening it to the crypto fraud.
What could go wrong?
Awesome, just f*cking awesome.
Thanks Anal you festering blob of puss from a rancid dingoats dick.
Government grants hundreds of temporary visas to Palestinians in Gaza
The Australian government has granted hundreds of temporary visas to Palestinians in the weeks since Israel began its bombing campaign of Gaza which has killed thousands of civilians and flattened large swathes of the densely populated strip.
The Department of Home Affairs has confirmed 860 visas have been approved for Palestinians with connections to Australia between October 7 to November 20.
Israel’s bombardment campaign and ground operations have sought to dislodge Hamas after its October 7 attack in which the group stormed into Israel, killing hundreds of civilians and kidnapping many others.
While hundreds of temporary visas have been granted, only a small number of those with approved Australian visas have made it out of the war zone.
Overnight, 62 individuals supported by the Australian government were able to cross into Egypt via the Rafah border crossing.
A total of 127 people, including Australian citizens, permanent residents and visa holders have departed the besieged occupied territory.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs said: “Australia is doing all it can to support Australians, their immediate family members and a number of long-term visa holders still in Gaza who wish to depart.”
Any wagers on just how “temporary” these visas will be?
Quality of screening for the poor benighted head hackers?
Thanks for that.
Yes, JC. There is a libertarian/open source/academic boarding overseeing the commercial activities of OpenAI. getting into bed with Microsoft was always going to generate this conflict at some point.
My guess is that MS will take control of the code, if not done, and already runs the infra. So OpenAI is effectively MS baby and it makes sense to take the management and few coders as well.
My second guess is there is 90% chance MS will have a different plan than OpenAI CEO for ChatGPT with more controls and oversight.
So the same issue will blow up again about control of the AI & its uses. Until it escapes and renames itself as Skynet.
“Connections to Australia” = like the idea of social security payments with no work test.
“effective altruism” like what Bankman Fried espoused. Ranks right up there with “stand up philosophy”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl4VD8uvgec&pp=ygUvaGlzdG9yeSBvZiB0aGUgd29ybGQgcGFydCAxc3RhbmQgdXAgcGhpbG9zb3BoZXI%3D
I’ve been in bed and isolated since Wednesday of last week with COVID. I initially thought I got it on the plane traveling from LA to NY, but on second thought, I was wrong, as I most likely contracted the illness in Oz and carried it over here to the US. Poor fcuks, I hope I didn’t infect anyone, though. Boy, this strain is dreadful, as it just keeps going. I’d never had it and didn’t believe people saying it wasn’t like the flu, as it’s not. The symptoms are terrible. Awful joint pain and a throat like there are razor blades stuck in there Testing still shows a line beside “C”, which means I’m still infectious and the Florida trip has been cancelled.
Reports say that the current strains are easier on the system than the older version, mainly because it now attacks the upper part of the respiratory system, whereas before it went for the lungs. I’ll say this: if the condition of my throat is any indication of severity and the virus was still attacking the lungs, lots of people would still be dying.
7 days tomorrow.
Wifey got a shot and I didn’t get one. Unfortunately, being an idiot (one time only) ? I listened to a few goats here and didn’t get a shot, oh because a young girl in Lisbon suddenly died on the hockey field after a shot.
I’m never going to travel again unvaxxed and don’t give a rats how many young girls suddenly drop dead on a hockey field. Screw that.
Only if “altruistic” means “everyone needs to just keep paying us and we don’t have to give their money back because ‘awesome’.”
What I’m seeing is a petulant (albeit company-consititutionally-legal) over-reach from the non-profit when the profit arm dared to actually do what is necessary to make a profit.
This isn’t salvageable on the OpenAI side because these people will never, ever admit that they are wrong and it’s clear that they aren’t interested in justifying investment with anything other than “it will be good for everyone” – a mindset that’s very easy when its not your money and a side effect of it being “good for everyone” is that it is, very specifically, good for them.
If I had any spare cash at the moment, I’d be buying MIcrosoft and X.
Castration, circumcision. Warning! Do not confuse these words.
JC:
It’s bloody tragic that a man so young and vital as yourself should suffer because you took the advice of some people here.
Dover will pass a hat around for you, but meanwhile give up the smokes and alcohol and you’ll be right as rain in no time.
Have you gotten over the catastrophic ingrown toenail yet?
hamasis going spare because injured man arrested by idf from iambulance outside hospital in West Bank.
No-one asks how he sustained his injuries. Probably tradie, site accident.
OT up now. Sorry, got distracted.
You knowingly lie down in bed with a terrorist state, you reap what you sow.
Why are we letting them in?
A Gaia friendly way of replacing rubber bands.
Easy for you to say!
Boy, this strain is dreadful, as it just keeps going. I’d never had it and didn’t believe people saying it wasn’t like the flu, as it’s not. The symptoms are terrible.
If it’s any consolation, JC, medicos here are saying the vax MAY alleviate symptoms. Your wife is very fortunate in not getting it. My husband got it helping a mate (who didn’t know it was Covid that he had) with a car – then I got it from him.
You are right – it is upper respiratory. But it is far, far nastier than the early Omicron we had back in mid 2022. We had a very, very heavy cold with copious congestion. Very difficult to sleep with a strange “itchy” throat. And, sorry to say, as the doctors told us, it lingers. We are on week 8 & we both still have a tiny bit of congestion. But I still have “fullness” in the eustacians on right ear. Really annoying. But our level of energy, which was low for the first couple of weeks, is pretty much restored to normal.
Lee
Future Labor voters?
It’s American academia. Specifically, Stamford and Berkley in this case, but in reality, nearly all the top layers of American schools There’s a new poison coming out of these shitholes every week, and the problem is that there’s no handbreak. There’s never been one. Eugenics came out of Stamford and then made its way into Nazi ideology, culminating in the death camps and millions murdered. There was never any payback for that. There are no limits placed on these douchbags because people appear to be in awe of top American universities.
You’d have to ask Musk to allow you in, as he owns the stock.
A centenarion of my acquaintance has covid.
No symptoms, just a positive test, but I believe up to date with vaccinations and has been given anti virals jic.
Apparently there is a new vaccine available from 11 December, will get that one before I go away in January.
hamas delight in torturing people
Turtlehead
This new image of an action figure tough guy, isn’t something you’re going pull off. Go drink some iodine, you nonsensical halfwit and fck off.
BTW JC – we still haven’t changed our minds about the vax. Certainly, the figures show that probably only 30% have a vax reaction – & of those, only 3-4% become seriously or even permanently injured.
However, let me tell you, husband and I went to an 80th birthday bash in Sydney last weekend and one of the guests was a mate of his that he used to sail with. He is now a physical wreck. His left eye had the classic Guillan barre half closure, and it was clear from his description that this man, who was so active the last time we saw him, was an invalid. His wife said the medical profession was at a loss to help him. Now this was not Covid – it was the vax.
I still say the vax is Russian roulette.
And cut this one off?
some rather bashful protestors at north-western law school.
and has been given anti virals jic.
Now, I think that is a good idea. Although I was surprised that the doctor I consulted when I came down with Covid decided not to give me anti-viral.
Vicki
I smoke. I smoke with a couple of stents, so I’m the last person to be worrying about the potential health effects of a covid shot. If the shot is 30% effective, I’ll have one next time because i want to try and avoid covid. I’ve had the shot 4 times in the past and never any ill effects, and happy to take the risk.
“6) And this is the BIG one – allows people like me to rationalise and hide our deep seated antisemetism behind a veil of blather about ethics and bodily integrity.”
Well, here’s a fact, you do.
Their freedom to choose medical procedures and interventions you might say.
Hezbollah Attacks Israel to Widen the War into the entire Middle East
https://youtu.be/MVZwqDW8Ijw
I laughed out loud at that one.
Does that make me a bad person?
Konstantin Kisin: Diversity is NOT Our Strength
Lee Fang: Moderna is SPYING On Your Vaccine Discussions Online
Rishi Sunak Was Installed As Prime Minister. Is This Why?
Russell Brand
So… It’s Starting
“They are PSYCHOPATHS” Former Democrat Exposes Party’s Evil Past
Mike Lindell Promises to ‘Expose Everything’ After Huge Ruling From Judge