Open Thread – Mon 20 Nov 2023


La Grenouillere, Auguste Renoir, 1869

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

1.6K Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
shatterzzz
November 21, 2023 10:13 pm

God! .. I wish i could talk face to face as easily as I write! .. Being a “loner” I don’t mingle/mix with folk, other than family so get a bit tongue tied with face-to-face conversation with strangers plus going deaf doesn’t help .. LOL!
This morning, for the 1st time in over 10 years, I dragged myself off to the quacktician’s and managed to completely bamboozle myself ..! .. All I really wanted was some tablets for a minor old age problem I’ve had for years .. but.. what do get a doc who’s English 2nd Language wasn’t helped by him wearing a mask and my bloody Geordie accent .. End result a, bloody, blood test and tomorrow an MRI ..
It was only afterwards I realised that this is all happening cos the quack thinx I want curing (requiring an op) …… I’m 75, it ain’t likely to kill me and I still haven’t got any , bloody, pills* ……! .. FFS!

*pills .. cos it’s changed it’s pattern slightly & the internet sez there are several dozen, helpful, choices available but only by quacks’ script ……

MatrixTransform
November 21, 2023 10:14 pm

the fella that crashed the jet into the bay?

I knew him fairly well and flew with him a couple of times too

though I did vow never to get in a plane with him again after a particular incident in the SA desert

believe it or not, same bloke lost his keys once out of a Cessna over Moorabbin and the tinny bastard even got them back

if anybody could … he could

and to echo what Bolton is saying … I was working with the fella the day his own flying instructor met his demise

I dunno if Bolton is Bird and I don’t care

watching you people spaz out is pretty funny

Gabor
Gabor
November 21, 2023 10:14 pm

Mark Bolton
Nov 21, 2023 10:03 PM

See this is what you are dealing with here @Gabor thinks this is funny..

I don’t think it’s funny if true, but your life stories and experiences growing like mushrooms and quite frankly I don’t believe a word of it.

You can protest or not, I don’t care, you are a Baron M.

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
November 21, 2023 10:23 pm

and then spend some time chasing the hamas leaders living the good life in Qatar and other places.

I’m surprised there shan’t been a Hellfire missile, put through the window of the five star hotel, “with love from the Israeli Air Force.”

Colonel Crispin Berka
Colonel Crispin Berka
November 21, 2023 10:28 pm

put through the window of the five star hotel,

Only five stars? IDF could raise that up a few notches – to 6000 shooting stars per minute.

Barking Toad
Barking Toad
November 21, 2023 10:33 pm

Thanks Old Ozzie @ 05:32pm for the link to the documentary “Fall of Minneapolis”.

I knew there some bias with the prosecution of the police officers but, bloody hell, I didn’t realise it was that bad. Official corruption writ large.

Kangaroo court.

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
November 21, 2023 10:39 pm

Only five stars? IDF could raise that up a few notches – to 6000 shooting stars per minute.

I’ve read an account of how the Israeli Air Force blew the Iraqi nuclear reactor into the middle of the Euphrates river in 1981. They shouldn’t find a Hellfire missile through the window of a five star hotel in Qatar too difficult.

Salvatore, Iron Publican
November 21, 2023 10:43 pm

They shouldn’t find a Hellfire missile through the window of a five star hotel in Qatar too difficult.

Nice thought. However it is likely the accident that befalls each of the Hamas leadership will be more nuanced & not easily attributable to the vile Zionist entity.

C.L.
C.L.
November 21, 2023 10:47 pm

Brittany shows off her legs.

The question is, why?

Salvatore, Iron Publican
November 21, 2023 10:49 pm

Brittany shows off her legs.

Looks like a pair of bowling pins in a skirt.

Colonel Crispin Berka
Colonel Crispin Berka
November 21, 2023 10:55 pm

JC said:

Javier Javier, shish boom bah! Liberalise, dollarize, rah rah rah!*

* not an exact quote

BoN said

My opinion of Milei remains unresolved since he immediately played the Falklands card yesterday.

Throwing the libertarianism out with the nationalism bathwater?
I guess he is being rather foolhardy by being anti-nationalist economically and being nationalist in the only way likely to invite furore from more powerful countries.
A few tariffs and subsidies spread around would be absolutely Trumpish and nobody would mind, but invading other countries is not very orange at all. You have to wonder how he got the nickname with talk like that.

MatrixTransform
November 21, 2023 10:55 pm

working in the desert for 2 weeks straight with no end in sight, we were all getting a bit antsy and Steve who’d flown in says, bugger this I’m going to Alice
yep, I said, I’m in

when we flew out it was daylight and on the way to Alice we zig-zagged to nav between the storm clusters.
arrived at night and the pilot operated lights were dodgy … took a few goes but they eventually came on and we landed in the dark

anyways, it was off to the pub for a feed and a beer and later we were horrifying some pommy sheila’s by handling flying insects the size of your hand

the trip back was the trouble

as we flew south into the ranges we were presented with a wall of cloud that went forever east and west.
Steve decides to fly into it probably only so he can get his all instrument hours up

he gives me the map and tells me to do some dead-reckoning
and I’m looking at the topo and there’s a peak at 1450ft somewhere in our path
we are seriously whited out and an he’s crapping on over the head-phones about the altimeter cal that was done at Ceduna last week

I wont go a foot below 1500, he says trying to get outta the fog and all the time going lower and lower

at 1400 I’m sitting there glancing between the map in my hands and looking forward through the windscreen fully expecting a mountain to loom outta nowhere

it’s funny because I’m thinking, shit? will the last thing I ever see be a mountain goat? … nah … it’s SA … prolly a camel

anyways we eventually back-tracked and picked a valley to go up where we could get below the cloud base

vale you crazy bastard

Frank
Frank
November 21, 2023 10:59 pm

Hoggins should lay off the pies for a while.

Colonel Crispin Berka
Colonel Crispin Berka
November 21, 2023 11:01 pm

They shouldn’t find a Hellfire missile through the window of a five star hotel in Qatar too difficult.

There you go with your OTT big explodey things whereas I was taking the Vulcan cannon softly-softly approach. The martinis in the floor below wouldn’t even be shaken. Like a surgical strike except 100 of them per second.

Knuckle Dragger
Knuckle Dragger
November 21, 2023 11:01 pm

Brittany shows off her legs.

Oh my word. I wasn’t going to look but I did.

Her pins look like the bottom half of one of the Lord of the Rings tree people.

Horrible. Just horrible. Clearly, Brih-nee has decided it’s burger time.

Salvatore, Iron Publican
November 21, 2023 11:05 pm

Horrible. Just horrible. Clearly, Brih-nee has decided it’s burger time.

What a porker!
She’s expanded so much since the court case that she’s now unrecognisable.
If it wasn’t for that slime Sharaz being beside her, and the newspaper captions telling me it really is Brittany Higgins, I wouldn’t have know it was her.

Even then, I had to look carefully. I’m not sure it even is her in at least half of those photographs.

Frank
Frank
November 21, 2023 11:10 pm

Clearly, Brih-nee has decided it’s burger time.

Hoarding that 3 million in a form that can’t be appropriated by defamation lawyers or pokie players.

Salvatore, Iron Publican
November 21, 2023 11:12 pm

She appears to be eating the entire $3 million.

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
November 21, 2023 11:12 pm

She’s expanded so much since the court case that she’s now unrecognisable.

She’ll need larger knickers…

Mark Bolton
November 21, 2023 11:14 pm

Mate .. aviation stories! I know this in neither the time nor the place ..but the pilot I most admire was the one that , at the time really irked me .. outback … He took off gained height .. nothing seemed to be remotely going wrong ..but He piked out went back and landed .

“What ? !! “”I dont Know” He said … I wasnt Happy but in retrospect … and He didnt lie to me .. he could have given me some BS story that I would have seen through immediately .. but He didnt … just he wasnt happy ..

Really Good .. very expensive ..incredibly gifted ..and credentialed pilots told me “he made the exact right call” and Man is a Hero for having the guts to do that to pull the flight just because because … Something was wrong maybe … He didnt know what .. It might have been nothing ..mebbe the engine didnt quite sound right but since he wasnt a mechanic … Hey !! He just wasn’t comfortable .. dunno ..

A very ranked RAAF bloke told me it would have given him a big tick on his performance evaluation .. for making that call.

DrBeauGan
DrBeauGan
November 21, 2023 11:17 pm

Mark Bolton
Nov 21, 2023 10:03 PM

I thought you’d flounced. Hurry up and do it. Slow flounces are the worst.

Frank
Frank
November 21, 2023 11:17 pm

CL asks why she would wear that. If you look at the series of photos there is only one in which she approximates a smile, the one where she has a glass of goon in hand.

JC
JC
November 21, 2023 11:18 pm

Her pins look like the bottom half of one of the Lord of the Rings tree people.

Not a boab?

Colonel Crispin Berka
Colonel Crispin Berka
November 21, 2023 11:19 pm

whoever downvoted my Vulcan cannon comment, let me spell out the relevant policy.

We had to perforate the penthouse to save the penthouse.

MatrixTransform
November 21, 2023 11:24 pm

A very ranked RAAF bloke told me …

my friend was a Wing Commander in the RAF

he never piloted though … his thing was electronics

Louis Litt
Louis Litt
November 21, 2023 11:29 pm

Rosie 20/11 @ 11:21
The history coming out about Israel reveal that Palestine was a word used to denigrate Judea by Emperor Hadrian. As has be written the Arab population were required to help build ports roads buildings in the late 19 and early 20 th centuries while the British were governing the area.
I don’t know why the Arabs concentrated on the land called Gaza.
If this is the case it is no different in my mind what the revolting ussr did to Eastern Europe.
What has come out is Arafat had the USSR encouraging him to cause disruption and death to an orderly society. I do not know how the USSR did this, perhaps paid for a ticket to USSR or had meetings at the USSR embassy.
It appears to me Communism has caused the current situation.
Communism is the sickness of the earth.
BTW Prussia and the moving of the borders 400km west by USSR still causes anger, it’s in the blood.
The extermination of the German Prussians is laughed at and they are ridiculed as war mongers and mad for defeating France and Russia who had population 10 times greater.
They seemed an egalitarian society. Like all natural societies such as this the Marxists and international Labor parties are envious of this .
Look at that clown Hilary v Gadaffi. He did so much while she has done nothing.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 21, 2023 11:31 pm

Ukraine-Russia war live: We’ll lose ‘war of exhaustion’, Ukrainian soldiers complain Updated 8 minutes ago

Ukrainian soldiers fear they will lose a “war of exhaustion” with Russia as their frontline units deplete in strength.

Units fighting at the front are between 20 and 40 per cent below strength and “those remaining are tired,” retired Ukrainian lieutenant general Ihor Romanenko told the Wall Street Journal.

“We don’t have a chance playing war of exhaustion with Russia,” said Private Bohdan Lysenko of the 47th Brigade, whose unit is defending Avdiivka with just 20 men, down from a peak in the summer of 120.

“They’re not stupid. It’s a strategy… We don’t have enough ammunition, but they [the Russians] have enough people,” added Corporal Mykhailo Kotsyurba, who is in the same company as Pvt Lysenko.

Britain and the US both estimate that Russia has lost more than 300,000 killed and wounded soldiers during the war so far.

“They treat us as waste material,” said Andrei Bednyaev, a Russian infantryman being held captive by the Ukrainians.

The frontline has become increasingly stationary in recent months amid growing fears that the West cannot provide enough funding and arms for Ukraine to break through.

Mark Bolton
November 21, 2023 11:32 pm

niether the time nor the place ..

But that one incident .. the one that never happened ..might never have .. that young bloke that just “Wasnt Happy” ..and had the guts to just “call it off’ I cant even imagine the bollocking his Boss would have dished him ..

Discretion is the Better part of Valor ? … I am sure He was wrong …still am ..but that isn’t the point ..

He made the call .

Megan
Megan
November 21, 2023 11:36 pm

Bons and Calli, you and your extended families are in my thoughts and prayers as you navigate your way through the chaos life chooses to fling at us on the regular. Hope you get there in time, calli. Long trip to be on edge the whole way home. Take care.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
November 21, 2023 11:39 pm

It never occurred to me to be “gracious”, and I am hardly esteemed, because I’ve made probably ten comments in a year. You don’t know me, you clearly don’t know what I meant. You are one of the reasons I’m taking a break. How exulted you must feel when you hit “send”, ninety times a day.

Muz, your tone was one of gracious condescention to those of us who labour (lol) regularly here. My reply to you mixed sarcasm with irony, things often not recognised by the less perspicacious such as, apparently, your good self. Irony is a mode which I am rather fond in using here. It has its place.

Of course I don’t know you. I wouldn’t claim to do so if you are a lurker. Nor do you know me. I do not make ninety comments on any day, btw. I comment on matters serious and otherwise, personal or impersonal, more in times of big news, such as now; the same as everyone else. I usually take an hour somewhere, make a scatter of comments, and am gone for the rest of the day, perhaps dropping by, like now, after the Sky Late Debate. Many here comment far more than I do. ‘Look-at-me’ is a meme that outlives its usefulness in the blogosphere. Everyone is at it. 🙂

You obviously think you are a very serious person with many things to say. Funnily enough, I think the same about myself, and I write things, here and elsewhere, that do sometimes please or interest many people. So why absent yourself? Take the risk and join in, rather than whinge and, like some latter-day King Arthur, promise only to return to save the day from the current decline and fall.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
November 21, 2023 11:43 pm

Well said, Megan, and best wishes to Bons and Calli as they do what they must.

C.L.
C.L.
November 21, 2023 11:44 pm

After trashing critics of the (now lost) Ukraine war as “far right”, the “Republican far right” and “conspiracy theorists,” Bolt spoke to Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia tonight for some reason.

He assured the invincibly ignorant Bolt that Ukraine just needed a bit more cash ‘n’ stuff and a victory for “democracy” was assured.

Those were his words but his intellect wasn’t in it.

Either he retails this garbage or he gets imprisoned, basically.

Mark Bolton
November 21, 2023 11:46 pm

My RAAF mate could fly anything … infact I think in His career, he bloody well did fly everything including a magic carpet…

but most importantly he knew Men … what motivates them .. what sets them back … what urges them on ….and since such eye watering sums of money get pumped into their training .. Hey !! ROI ..

He is retired now but I so hope other of His caliber are there to fill his shoes .

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
November 21, 2023 11:47 pm

The frontline has become increasingly stationary in recent months amid growing fears that the West cannot provide enough funding and arms for Ukraine to break through.

This war needs a dealbreaker, a peacemaker. These losses on both sides have to stand for something. There has to be a way through this, an acceptable end to it.

Hang in there for Trump.

Wally Dalí
Wally Dalí
November 21, 2023 11:47 pm

They know.
And we know.
They know- and they know that we know.
We know that they know- and we know that they know that we know.
And yet, they still put acres of glossy picture space to “stuns in angelic cream”, “shows off fierce curves” and “gets romantic with TikTok star grrrlfriend”
…when they know that the current Womenses have too much self-regard, too little shame, and the Tony-Blair-grinning panic of only fifteen minutes of fame before the next bushpig grifter trots along.

Arky
November 21, 2023 11:51 pm

calli
Nov 21, 2023 7:51 PM
Looks like I’m on my way home later today. Dad has had a severe relapse, Mum is in tears and little brother is overwhelmed.

I probably won’t get back in time, but here’s hoping. The Beloved is currently organising tickets out from Tromso – Oslo – Dubai – Syd, so back in the Bay by Friday to gather up the pieces.

All around me is ice and snow. A leaden sky speaks of heavy falls to come, in fact it outlines dark against the snowy peaks. Even the water, brilliant blue in yesterday’s sunshine, is sombre pewter. It seems fitting somehow. The gaiety of holiday making is now at an end.

38 1

..
Only a true psychopath could downtick a genuine expression of grief like that.
Not much else to say about it. No point appealing to such an individual’s better instincts as they simply don’t have any.
Hope you see your Dad Calli. Good luck.

Wally Dalí
Wally Dalí
November 21, 2023 11:54 pm

…and we all know it’s kind of fun clicking our tongues at the decline

JC
JC
November 22, 2023 12:04 am

Only a true psychopath could downtick a genuine expression of grief like that.

Oh yeah, like someone leaving a message on a phone he knows he’s been blocked but laughs and says he can still leave messages. Still have it. That kind of psychopath.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
November 22, 2023 12:08 am

oops, the Ukraine war needs a dealbroker and not a dealbreaker.

It is not Zelenski. Or anyone involved.

An outsider. Preferably backed by the US.
Trump as a newly-elected President would be ideal.

JC
JC
November 22, 2023 12:09 am

This dude gets better by the day. Let’s hope.

The new President of Argentina, Javier Milei, in his own words:

-he considers Pope Francis a “filthy leftist”

-he says that “redistributing wealth is a violent act”

-he has called climate change a “lie of socialism”

-his governing philosophy is that “you can’t give shit leftists an inch”

-he pledges to end the Central Bank of Argentina

-his view on China is that he “doesn’t cut deals with Communists”

-his views on abortion is: “When you construct on the basis of an incorrect moral principle, the result is filth. How can being able to kill other human beings be a right gained? As a liberal, I believe in the unrestricted right to life based on the defence of life, liberty and property. I defend life, biology says that life begins with conception”

-on other politicians: “Micky Mouse is the aspiration of every Argentine politician because he is a disgusting rodent whom everybody loves”

In other words, this guy is absolutely a dream come true.

Bruce in WA
November 22, 2023 12:11 am

Brittany shows off her legs.

Disclaimer: I’m not a doc, nor do I play one on TV … but I’ve seen the results of alcohol abuse on good friends of mine and I honestly believe that girl has a serious problem. And if you look at the photos, she and David are together … but apart, if you get my drift. Not a happy situation, I’ll wager.

Bruce in WA
November 22, 2023 12:13 am

Bons and Calli … it helps not at all, but thinking of both of you with deepest sympathies. I was O/S when Dad went; I didn’t make it back in time. I hope you’re more fortunate, Call.

JC
JC
November 22, 2023 12:20 am

Good luck Calli.

The only scumbag who would do such a thing would be the same individual who’s given you a hard time for complaining about dowticks, poses himself as Agent 007 and posts swill plagiarised by a convicted fraudster,.

Dot
Dot
November 22, 2023 12:32 am

The problem with Greater Tartaria and New Kuwait is that there are no genuine third parties without a massive language barrier working together or with locals to act as peacekeepers.

Contested provinces could have a genuine independent referendum each as to where they want to be.

Who could do the job and not be tainted by the Tartaria-Kuwait War though, with sufficient numbers to do the job properly?

It’s a short list, all deserving of a question mark.

Nihon
Eire
Helvetia
Aotearoa
Maroc

H B Bear
H B Bear
November 22, 2023 12:34 am

She appears to be eating the entire $3 million.

Good advice.

Brislurker
Brislurker
November 22, 2023 12:35 am

Calli and Bons, prayers for you and your families.

Dot
Dot
November 22, 2023 12:36 am

Paging Agent Zippy

https://physicsfromtheedge.blogspot.com/2023/03/dont-publish-facts-that-threaten-my.html

No word yet. This is an old post. Friday 17 March 2023:

…A Quantised Inertia Drive is to be Launched to LEO by SpaceX…

I’ve been in the ‘New Physics’ arena for 17 years now, and things keep getting weirder. When I started out in 2006, peer reviewers of my early papers were of the opinion that they didn’t exactly believe QI but it was more likely than dark matter, they could not find anything logically wrong and the theory agreed with the data, so that was that. In other words, they put logic and facts before mere opinion.

Today, an article appeared on Universe Today (see below from the Wayback Machine) reporting two factual events that I’ve had to keep quiet about for months due to an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement). The first is that a US company that I have been liaising with, called IVO Ltd, tested a QI thruster in a professional vacuum chamber and found it to agree with the QI theory. The quote from IVO CEO, Richard Mansell was “All Quantum Drives showed thrust consistent with predicted Quantized Inertial calculations. Control Drives confirmed that thrust measurements were not consistent with any other known forces.” The second piece of news was that they are to launch a QI drive on a SpaceX rocket on June 10th for a test in space. I was pleased that at last I could talk about these two pieces of news, but a few hours later the article had been deleted due to pressure apparently from ‘some physicists’ who doubted the QI theory.

Who are these titans of physics who can erase facts that threaten their opinions within a few hours?! That would be like suppressing all news of the next SpaceX launch because you don’t believe in space: let them at least test the idea. Let’s hope this essay does not also magically disappear…

The article has of course been saved by the great Wayback Machine:

http://web.archive.org/web/20230316185231/https://www.universetoday.com/160516/the-first-all-electrical-thruster-the-ivo-quantum-drive-is-headed-to-space/

Kudos to Universe Today. They have republished the article with more balance. ‘Tis here:

https://www.universetoday.com/160516/the-first-all-electrical-thruster-the-ivo-quantum-drive-is-headed-to-space/

The best I could do. Control out.

JC
JC
November 22, 2023 12:37 am

I keep reading Russia has won this war. Winning though can only be measured against the objectives set before the invasion.

President Vladimir Putin stated several objectives for the Russian military operation in Ukraine. These included:

Demilitarization of Ukraine: Putin claimed that Ukraine was a threat to Russia’s security due to its growing military capabilities and its potential to join NATO. He stated that the purpose of the operation was to “demilitarize and denazify” Ukraine, which he claimed was under the control of “neo-Nazis” who were committing genocide against the Russian-speaking population in the eastern Donbas region.

Protection of Russian-speaking people in Donbas: Putin asserted that Russia had a responsibility to protect Russian-speaking people in Donbas, who he claimed were facing persecution and violence from the Ukrainian government. He justified the invasion as a humanitarian intervention to safeguard these people.

Neutralization of Ukraine: Putin stated that Russia sought to neutralize Ukraine as a potential military threat by preventing it from joining NATO and establishing a neutral status. He argued that Ukraine’s membership in NATO would pose a direct security threat to Russia’s borders.

Regime change in Ukraine: While Putin did not explicitly state this objective, it was widely believed that he aimed to overthrow the Ukrainian government of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and install a pro-Russian leadership. This would allow Russia to exert greater control over Ukraine’s foreign policy and military decisions.

Land annexation: Although Putin initially denied plans to occupy Ukrainian territory, Russia’s actions on the ground suggested a broader objective of annexing parts of eastern and southern Ukraine, including the Donbas region and the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014.

These two are probably the important ones.

The role of NATO: Putin has long been opposed to NATO expansion, viewing it as a threat to Russia’s security. He has repeatedly stated that Ukraine’s membership in NATO would be a red line for Russia.

The legacy of the Soviet Union: Putin has expressed nostalgia for the Soviet Union and has sought to restore Russia’s status as a great power. The invasion of Ukraine can be seen as an attempt to reclaim Russia’s sphere of influence in Eastern Europe.

NATO has been strengthened and enlarged with two new members joining since the war began and there is the likelihood Ukraine will also join after the war is officially ended. It’s over already.

Wally Dalí
Wally Dalí
November 22, 2023 12:48 am

Bruce, you’ve noticed something which i too did. I did too. I mean, i noticed, I haven’t done it though.
I thought it was very telling how Svengali Sharma is now in a very carefully tailored double-breasted suit. It’s completely a shift from the peekaboo-arse-out shapeless blazers which every other adult male seems to be in- indeed it’s a power suit, the power triangle wedge which Keating wore as PM and Moore wore as Bond.
To wear it next to Brinny looking like a half-sucked butterscotch stuffed back into its paper wrapper… it’s so cruel as to be deliberate.

KevinM
KevinM
November 22, 2023 1:39 am

@ Arky

Only a true psychopath could downtick a genuine expression of grief like that.
Not much else to say about it. No point appealing to such an individual’s better instincts as they simply don’t have any.
Hope you see your Dad Calli. Good luck.
8 8

I am seeing something, but don’t believe it.
There must be more than one phycho on this blog, or someone is playing silly games.

Shame on the one who downticked Calli, and shame on those who denigrated your concern by the many downticks.

KevinM
KevinM
November 22, 2023 1:56 am

Regarding leaving the blog, why do people and I mean anybody feel the need to announce their imminent departure?

Keep it to yourself.
If anyone cares, they will ask what happened to you and then you can tell us.
Otherwise it’s just vanity.

Gabor
Gabor
November 22, 2023 3:31 am

Dot
Nov 22, 2023 12:32 AM

Nihon
Eire
Helvetia
Aotearoa
Maroc

I think you are right with the question mark on all of them, but I’d go with Japan.

rosie
rosie
November 22, 2023 3:52 am
Tintarella di Luna
Tintarella di Luna
November 22, 2023 5:53 am

Trying to catch up — no wonder I visit here whenever I can — I’d have been less informed of the kind of spivs at the BBC without calli’s introduction of one Matthew Amroliwala – I, of course, asked Signorina Google and the right of my screen up pops a square containing 3 images — the image on the right at the bottom says it all — looks like he’s stepped out of Zoolander to give us the ‘Steel Blue’ look. Now, kittehs and cats is what a posing wanker (or is that waning poseur) looks like.

Thanks calli – never ;eard o ‘him.

Tintarella di Luna
Tintarella di Luna
November 22, 2023 5:59 am

calli so sorry to hear you’re Dad’s not doing well — I hope you get there — so hard for you. And Tom hope all goes well with your procedure today. bons words fail, condolences to you and the family.

Tintarella di Luna
Tintarella di Luna
November 22, 2023 6:14 am

cohenite
Nov 21, 2023 7:54 PM

Never really fully onboard with Candace I found her to be rather immature in so far as deep knowledge of history and the world, mouthing rather than knowing, I also regarded her mode of speech rather tiresome, and rather uncultured.

Sadly fame has shattered my image of her completely. Fame does not become her.

rosie
rosie
November 22, 2023 6:23 am
rosie
rosie
November 22, 2023 6:25 am
Figures
Figures
November 22, 2023 6:28 am

Praying for you calli.

rosie
rosie
November 22, 2023 6:32 am

Guardian, no link. Apparently it’s 40 children and 13 mothers.

Benjamin Netanyahu has been meeting his most senior ministers on Tuesday evening amid strong indications his government is due to approve a deal for the release of some of the more than 240 mostly Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. The Israeli prime minister’s office said that “in light of developments in the matter of the release of our hostages” Israel’s war cabinet would be convened followed by meetings of his wider security cabinet and the full cabinet.

Frank
Frank
November 22, 2023 6:37 am

Best of luck Calli.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
November 22, 2023 6:40 am

Detroit starts to get a clue about reality.

Ford Scales Back Michigan EV Battery Plant (21 Nov)

Ford said it was scaling back its original plans to spend $3.5 billion to make the Blue Oval Battery Park Michigan big enough to produce 35 gigawatt hours of batteries annually and employ about 2,500 people.

Ford now plans to cut the Michigan battery plant’s capacity to 20 gigawatt hours and reduce hiring to 1,700 jobs.

Ford said in October that it would cut future electric vehicle investments overall by $12 billion compared to previous plans. The company has previously postponed construction of a battery factory in Kentucky and another in Turkey.

All that money wasted. Still at least they aren’t doubling down, so it appears they’re capable of learning. Now they just have to cancel the rest of their stupid EV plans.

Beertruk
November 22, 2023 6:50 am

The Angry Bootneck’s on point analysis of Kyle Rittenhouse and accurate description on who are the apparent ‘arbitrators on or of truth (Trigger warning™)’ these days:

Kyle Rittenhouse: The Hero Publishing Needs Right Now!

*Zulu, looks like it is a book worth reading.

Winston Smith
November 22, 2023 7:05 am

Bruce in WA
Nov 22, 2023 12:11 AM

Disclaimer: I’m not a doc, nor do I play one on TV … but I’ve seen the results of alcohol abuse on good friends of mine and I honestly believe that girl has a serious problem. And if you look at the photos, she and David are together … but apart, if you get my drift. Not a happy situation, I’ll wager.

Someone put a photo of her on the site and my first reaction was of “She’s a hard drinker, that one.”
But – she worked hard to get to the position she’s in now, and jolly good luck to her.

Pogria
Pogria
November 22, 2023 7:13 am

Since posting last night about Susan Sarandon’s Jew hatred, sour Sue has had a sweet dose of Karma.
The similarities to Hanoi Jane have also been noted. hahahahahahaha

calli
calli
November 22, 2023 7:19 am

First leg home over…back in Oslo. Flying out tomorrow.

It’s snowing, and we landed in a snow-shower…zero visibility. A first for me. My brief view of Tromso on the way from dock to airport was lovely. A veritable Christmas fairyland. It was dark at 2:30 and all the lights were twinkling. Snow weighing down branches, little wooden backlit shops, it looked like a Christmas card.

I see today is St Cecilia’s Day. I think I remember it has significance for Tinta. Here’s one of my favourite Purcell compositions.

Real Deal
Real Deal
November 22, 2023 7:21 am

Great piece by Janet A in the Oz about the NSW Teachers secularism conference with Keynote luminaries such as Fiona Patten and Jane Caro – be still my beating heart!

Again though I post an innocuous comment at 6am and it is still “pending approval”. What gives?

Winston Smith
November 22, 2023 7:24 am

Biden invoking “War Powers” on household appliances, heat pumps etc because “Global Warming”.
The US is capable of reinventing itself and has done so in the past, but is it capable of digesting the Obama/Biden Administrations deranged attack on its institutions?
At some stage, the cumulative damage becomes too great to overcome, and there’s another year at least until there’s any chance of change.

Pogria
Pogria
November 22, 2023 7:29 am

Calli,
no matter what happens, Dad knows he is loved. God Speed.

Beertruk
November 22, 2023 7:34 am

Real Deal
Nov 22, 2023 7:21 AM

Again though I post an innocuous comment at 6am and it is still “pending approval”. What gives?

When that has happened to me, the problem has generally been the misspelling of the *Name and/or the *Email

feelthebern
feelthebern
November 22, 2023 7:35 am

Someone put a photo of her on the site and my first reaction was of “She’s a hard drinker, that one.”

Someone under the age of 30 who has those proportions is a sugar addict.
At my gym, the younger girls are noticeably “thicker” and the older ones are long & lean.

Black Ball
Black Ball
November 22, 2023 7:35 am

Bruce of Newcastle
Nov 22, 2023 6:40 AM
Detroit starts to get a clue about reality

Didn’t Twiggy throw a few dollars at some Michigan battery project?

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
November 22, 2023 7:36 am

At some stage, the cumulative damage becomes too great to overcome, and there’s another year at least until there’s any chance of change.

That’s what Ron Paul says today.

Ron Paul: We Must Demand Justice For The January 6th Protesters! (21 Nov)

And, as we finally can see for ourselves thanks to Speaker Johnson, it was a huge lie. The new video shows demonstrators shaking hands with police officers once they entered the Capitol Building. They were welcomed into the building by officers who even held the doors for them to enter! They had no way of knowing that they would soon be rounded up and locked away.

New footage clearly shows officers outside the building firing on protestors with no warning.

That must be why, in hearing after hearing, Biden Administration officials like Attorney General Merrick Garland have refused to tell Congress the number of federal agents present and their roles in instigating violence.

The release of this evidence should immediately result in the release of all non-violent protestors awaiting trial or serving their sentences.

Those in power hated Donald Trump so much that they were willing to torture and even murder their fellow Americans to keep him from the presidency.

Unless these people are brought to justice, we will have no Republic left to defend.

I think it is too late. Too many leftists have their hands dirty and fear justice, so they will go all out to keep power.

Johnny Rotten
November 22, 2023 7:37 am

The Pentagon Fails Another Audit – Trillions Missing

“They say the Pentagon is the government’s favorite money laundering tool for a reason. It is comical that they even attempt to audit the Pentagon when they know the agency will fail miserably. The government spent $187 million to conduct the meaningless audit at 700 locations. This year, as with the year prior, only 7 of the 29 sub-audits passed. HALF of the claimed assets were nowhere to be found by the 1,600 hired auditors. How does trillions of dollars disappear?

Trillions have gone missing since pre-9/11. There is no ongoing investigation into finding the whereabouts of these funds that belong to taxpaying citizens. The September 11, 2001, attack occurred one day after former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld sounded the alarm bells and notified the public that $2.3 trillion in transactions could not be traced. The WTC7 demolition on 9/11 destroyed the room where the Pentagon audit was taking place and also happened to be the location of my computer system. I received from the SEC explaining that everything had simply been destroyed and no further questions were permitted.

That was only the tip of the Pentagon’s long history of misplacing TRILLIONS. In May, the Pentagon admitted that it misplaced thousands of F-35 jet parts to the tune of $1.6 trillion. Then in June, the Pentagon announced that it had misplaced over $6.2 billion in funds destined for Ukraine. “We have confirmed that for FY23, the final calculation is $3.6 billion, and for FY22 it is $2.6 billion, for a combined total of $6.2 billion,” the Pentagon press secretary said. “These valuation errors in no way limit or restricted the size of any of our PDAs or impacted the provision of support to Ukraine.” They chalked up the missing funds to an “accounting error” and never touched on the situation again. The press secretary stated that their main concern was simply their ability to continue funneling money to Ukraine.

Lloyd Austin has been the Secretary of Defense since January 2021. Instead of focusing on his duties at home, Austin traveled to Ukraine days after the failed audit to pledge his support to Zelensky. “We will remain with you for the long-haul. What happened here in Ukraine – that not only matters to Ukraine but it matters to the rest of the world. It certainly matters to the United States of America,” he stated.

We are pledging more money to foreign nations despite trillions vanishing. These funds are taken from hardworking Americans and used by the globalists to fund their own self-interests rather than we the people. This amount of money could end hunger, water shortages, homelessness, improve education, and fix our broken infrastructure. Everything they do is deliberate – they have no desire to help the people since that is not in their self-interest. We must question why most of the country is financially struggling, living paycheck to paycheck while receiving nothing in return.”

https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/world-news/corruption/the-pentagon-fails-another-audit-trillions-missing/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=RSS

Pogria
Pogria
November 22, 2023 7:37 am

Bulk Brittany is looking very much like one of the Dancing Hippos in Fantasia. Especially whilst wearing that dress.

calli
calli
November 22, 2023 7:38 am

Pogs, once the decision is made, everything becomes easy. Now is the time to go with the flow. No amount of worrying will change anything.

Met some Norwegians in the hotel restaurant who are flying out to Spain tomorrow. They shook their heads at us being in Norway in winter! As it turns out, the trip we were doing to the North Cape tomorrow is cancelled. The weather will be so bad the vessel probably won’t even be able to dock.

At least Dad has had a good innings. Poor Bon’s nephew was only young.

Miltonf
Miltonf
November 22, 2023 7:38 am

Thanks for the great travelogue Calli. Good luck with your family issues. Never easy.

Black Ball
Black Ball
November 22, 2023 7:42 am

Headline in the Hun:

Socceroos break Palestine hearts in tricky World Cup qualifier
It was a tougher win than many predicted, but the Socceroos did enough to get the better of a plucky Palestine.

Wonder who Tony Burke was barracking for.

lotocoti
lotocoti
November 22, 2023 7:46 am

The key words here are academics in the US.
Apparently fourteenth century black women in London were denied affordable healthcare because racism.

calli
calli
November 22, 2023 7:48 am

Brittany has definitely been on the turps. A remarkable change from a couple of years ago. Her supporters would say it’s stress. And maybe it is.

In my view, with the connivance of others, she permanently damaged a man’s reputation, destroyed careers, destabilised a government and defrauded the Australian taxpayer.

No cute white flippy dress is going to hide her guilt. And boy, there’s acres of guilt there to hide.

Also…how come Marie Claire knows what a woman is when no-one else appears to? And when did Aussie celebrity women suddenly become so raddled and unwholesome?

Black Ball
Black Ball
November 22, 2023 7:49 am

And Rita Panahi on Jacinta Allen:

Premier Jacinta Allan has failed a test of leadership.
It was incumbent upon the Victorian premier to clearly and unequivocally state that students should not to be taking part in divisive, ill-advised political rallies during school hours.

Whether it’s pushing catastrophist climate change prophecies or protesting against the only democracy in the Middle East, no responsible adult should advocate, or equivocate, the merits of children skipping school to become the useful idiots of cynical political activists.

But instead of delivering the simple message that schoolkids are expected to be in school on a school day, Premier Allan initially defended the rights of students to protest on consecutive weeks.

“Being able to come together and hold a rally, a peaceful rally, depending on the issue that you’re concerned about or the issue that you’re exercised about, that’s a fundamental principle of our democracy that must not and should not change,” she said.

A mealy-mouthed response from Allan at a time when real leadership was required.

Under pressure, the Premier has this week moderated her position but the damage is done.

If children feel that strongly about Middle East politics then surely they can protest after school or on the weekend.

After all we’ve had pro-Palestinian, or to be more accurate anti-Israeli, protests every weekend in Melbourne for the past six weeks.

What makes the premier’s failure all the more grievous is the climate of fear and hostility that has been allowed to take hold in Melbourne with many Jewish families living in fear, hiding signs of their Jewishness including sending kids to school without a kippah or uniforms bearing the insignia of Jewish schools.

Did the Premier consider how Jewish children in state schools may feel when they have classmates missing on Thursday because they’re attending an anti-Israeli rally?

Will kids bring the type of ugly bigotry we’ve seen at these rallies back to school?

The Jewish community has called on the Premier to take stronger action with thousands signing an open letter detailing why the ‘Free Palestine’ rally will “heighten conflict in our broader community and increase fear among our youngest Jewish community members”.

Good leadership requires strength and moral clarity and on this issue the Premier has displayed neither.

A rather decent and we’ll deserved kick up the quoit.
I well remember monty’s fondness for having drag queens reading to kiddies. Could it just be that monty will head down to this, er, protest, and lend an hour of his musings?

Black Ball
Black Ball
November 22, 2023 7:51 am

Well deserved. FMD autocorrect.

132andBush
132andBush
November 22, 2023 7:59 am

Just caught up with everything.

Calli, best wishes for a safe trip home and to see your Dad again.

bons, awful news, condolences to you and family.

Tintarella di Luna
Tintarella di Luna
November 22, 2023 8:03 am

Gee calli you seem to making good time, hope all goes well.
I see today is St Cecilia’s Day. I think I remember it has significance for Tinta.. Indeed it is my confirmation name, St Cecilia is the patron saint of music, and I was quite musically inclined in my youth. Travel safe and best wishes.

Black Ball
Black Ball
November 22, 2023 8:06 am

“And now, Gary Wexler,” he sat down, “let me give you more direct answers.” He looked me straight in the eye. “Just like you were a Zionist campus activist, we will create, over the next years, Palestinian campus activists in America and all over the world. Bigger and better than any Zionist activists. Just like you spent your summers on the kibbutz, we will bring college students to spend their summers in refugee camps and work with our people. Just like you have been part of creating global pro-Israel organizations, we will create global pro-Palestinian organizations. Just like you today help create PR campaigns and events for Israel, so will we, but we will get more coverage than you ever have.”

He stood again this time, right over me. “You wonder how we will make this happen, how we will pay for this? Not with the money from your liberal Jewish organizations who are now funding us. But from the European Union, Arab and Moslem governments, wealthy Arab people and their organizations. Eventually, we will not take another dollar from the Jews.”

Via JJ Sefton’s morning report at Ace Of Spades. Fair to say Ameer Makhoul, whom is quoted here, would be delirious that his plans have been a stunning success.

132andBush
132andBush
November 22, 2023 8:06 am

And Tom.
Hope the plumber does a good job.

Miltonf
Miltonf
November 22, 2023 8:06 am

Thanks for posting. Allen exemplifies the never had a real job trash that infest the political class.

bespoke
bespoke
November 22, 2023 8:06 am

Fussing over down ticks only encourages it. Besides there are lots more important things to worry about.

Tintarella di Luna
Tintarella di Luna
November 22, 2023 8:07 am

Bulk Brittany is looking very much like one of the Dancing Hippos in Fantasia. Especially whilst wearing that dress.

Ah Brittany appears to be seeking expiation in vino and the chocolate box. None will be found there.

Winston Smith
November 22, 2023 8:13 am

lotocoti

Nov 22, 2023 7:46 AM
The key words here are academics in the US.
Apparently fourteenth century black women in London were denied affordable healthcare because racism.

At some stage we need to acknowledge that many of our institutions have gone mad. They no longer recognise or respond to reality, just some odd psychotic political and ideological construct, and there appears to be no way to repatriate them.

Knuckle Dragger
Knuckle Dragger
November 22, 2023 8:15 am

Quenthland news (the Courier-Mail):

A Queensland rapper bludgeoned his sleeping housemate to death with a metal gym bar because he was hungry and his victim had boasted about the “wonderful meal” he had just eaten, a court has heard.

Crown Prosecutor Michael Lehane told a jury that Coskun Jaques Marius was “filled with malice, spite and Fruity Lexia” when he attacked Tane Tahi Manawa as he napped on a recliner in his Surfers Paradise home.

Malice, spite and Fruity Lexia. Perhaps this chap knows a certain Ms Higgins.

Mr Lehane alleged Marius blamed the attack on a person who “existed in his head” named Siege and told friends he had been hired to perform a hit on Mr Manawa, also known as Dre.

Keeping the beat on someone else’s skull with a lat pulldown bar. Man, his Insta hits are going to go boom.

Wally Dalí
Wally Dalí
November 22, 2023 8:21 am

Crown Prosecutor Michael Lehane told a jury that Coskun Jaques Marius was “filled with malice, spite and Fruity Lexia”
Sack that effing public servant. Dis-bar him. He can clean toilets to make repayments on the Audi.
He’s meant to be talking about the death of a soul here, not riffin’ for laffs.

rosie
rosie
November 22, 2023 8:22 am
Knuckle Dragger
Knuckle Dragger
November 22, 2023 8:23 am

On This Day:

1963 – US President John F. Kennedy was killed.

By the Knights Templar.

Obviously.

Wally Dalí
Wally Dalí
November 22, 2023 8:24 am

…not that I’m protesting “aspiring rappers”- and aspiring UN delegates- doing their bit to tackle the wine surplus…

Tintarella di Luna
Tintarella di Luna
November 22, 2023 8:28 am

Great piece by Janet A in the Oz about the NSW Teachers secularism conference with Keynote luminaries such as Fiona Patten and Jane Caro – be still my beating heart!

and oh my goodness hasn’t Mr Angelo Gavrialatos been grazing on a fine paddock. When I used to deal with him in education matters had a rather lean and hungry look, appears the hunger has been sated big-time.

Cassie of Sydney
November 22, 2023 8:29 am

Today, sixty years ago, President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. It was a life and presidency cut tragically short*.

The older I get the more interested I am in ill-omens and portents. I don’t know why, perhaps I am becoming more superstitious as I grow old. When John and Jackie arrived in Dallas from Fort Worth they were met with thronging, cheering crowds, and on arrival Jackie was presented with red roses, roses that were with her on that ill-fated blood soaked motorcade. A few years later, describing that dreadful day in Dallas in minute detail to author William Manchester, Jackie said that when she was presented with the red roses at Dallas Airport, her immediate reaction was, ‘how odd, as the official rose of Texas is a yellow rose’.

Those red roses were an omen.

* Whilst I’m well aware of JFK’s sexual peccadilloes, chronic infidelity and so on I still regard his murder as tragic. I think as a president he gave a generation hope, a hope cruelly taken away.

Fair Shake
Fair Shake
November 22, 2023 8:29 am

All the best Tom

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 22, 2023 8:31 am

And this is what Australia can look forward to

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12776141/Gang-launched-savage-knife-attack-French-villages-winter-ball-killing-boy-16-injuring-17-told-guests-stab-white-people-rampage.html

The 16-year-old high school student, identified only as Thomas, was stabbed at the weekend when a group of outsiders descended on a festive crowd of around 400 people gathered in Crepol, in the southwestern Drome region, for a dance party in the village hall.

He died on his way to hospital, while eight others were injured, two of them seriously.

A source close to the case, who asked not to be named, told AFP that the suspected killer was among the seven arrested around the city of Toulouse – some 400 kilometres (250 miles) away – in raids carried out by 50 gendarmes from the elite GIGN unit.

Even before the arrests, far-right politicians had been quick to blame the attack on youths from immigrant backgrounds from public housing, even if police have yet to give details on the identity of those arrested.

Josette Place, a pensioner and member of the village’s events committee, told AFP: ‘This wasn’t a fight, it was an attack’.

Armed with knives and blocks of concrete, ‘they came with the intention to kill’, she said of the attackers.

According to prosecutors, around 10 young people tried to enter Crepol village dance hall Saturday night. One stabbed a guard who stood in their way.

Guests at the dance rushed to help and a fight ensued outside the building during which Thomas was fatally stabbed.

Dot
Dot
November 22, 2023 8:33 am

In my view, with the connivance of others, she permanently damaged a man’s reputation, destroyed careers, destabilised a government and defrauded the Australian taxpayer.

The Muller Memo points to her being a crook, I just want to know who put her up to it.

I suspect a person who talks to crazy birds and can feign concern, despite having zero charm.

Indolent
Indolent
November 22, 2023 8:33 am
OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 22, 2023 8:34 am

Meanwhile In Australia

Pro-Palestine protest turns violent at Port Botany as demonstrators try to block an Israeli ship and a BABY is caught up in the fracas: 23 arrested after clashes with police

Hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters have clashed with police at one of Australia’s largest ports – with extraordinary video showing a baby in a pram being carried to safety.

About 23 people were arrested as they tried to block a cargo ship operated by Israeli shipping line Zim from coming into port on Tuesday night.

The protest began peacefully but quickly escalated after police blocked up to 400 demonstrators from marching down one of the roads at the port.

The group then decided to hold a sit-in with officers, some on horseback, attempting to move them on at about 8.45pm.

As tensions reached a boiling point, police began making arrests at the ‘unauthorised gathering’ with up to 23 protesters arrested.

‘When a peaceful sit-in to blockade a Zim shipping boat turned violent as NSW police started throwing down and arresting protesters, corralling us with horses and forcing us against a fence,’ a woman captioned footage of the protest on TikTok.

A NSW Police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: ‘A police operation has now concluded on Foreshore Road, Port Botany, following a unauthorised gathering.

‘Police arrested 23 people and they were taken to number of different police stations where they are assisting police with their inquiries.’

From the Comments

– Not sure what effect this would have had on the war, but these types of protests arent helping with any support they have from the Australian public. Which isnt much to start with.

Dot
Dot
November 22, 2023 8:34 am

Wally Dalí
Nov 22, 2023 8:21 AM
Crown Prosecutor Michael Lehane told a jury that Coskun Jaques Marius was “filled with malice, spite and Fruity Lexia”
Sack that effing public servant. Dis-bar him. He can clean toilets to make repayments on the Audi.
He’s meant to be talking about the death of a soul here, not riffin’ for laffs.

Have you met many of these people?

I would describe them in Dr Park Dietz’s paradigm as pro social psychopaths.

Pogria
Pogria
November 22, 2023 8:37 am

Am I rite? 😀

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 22, 2023 8:38 am

Chateau Compo

Au revoir, Australia: How Brittany Higgins and fiancé David Sharaz are eyeing a new, idyllic life overseas after her multimillion-dollar payout… and it might make you just a bit jealous

How Brittany Higgins and fiancé David Sharaz appear to be setting up a new life in aMs Higgins was given up to $3million of taxpayer funds last year based on claims her political career was in ruins after she publicly alleged she was raped in Parliament House in 2019.

The former staffer has remained tight-lipped about the payment, but has flaunted various luxuries on Instagram within the last year, including various getaways to Paris, Geneva and London, the Maldives, and a ski trip at the Snowy Mountains. Now, Daily Mail Australia can revealed the happy couple could be ready to uproot their lives in Australia.

Fair Shake
Fair Shake
November 22, 2023 8:38 am

Last Saturday I handed out HTV cards for Ian Cook in Mulgrave by-election. Unfortunately the zombie votes were successful with their zombie candidate.

Handing out the HTV flyers. Lovely day. People were well mannered and respectful toward each other. …until 5 min before closing. Two Palli girls arrive. Festooned in cammo gear and that scarf thing. Legs as thick as their heads. They start ranting at the top of their lungs about whats going on in Palistine. I agreed it was awful, why dont they return the hostages? Well needless to say I thought they were loud prior to that, now they went to a whole new level. They must be taught from a young age to be loud aggressive and self centred.

The rest of day was lovely. I really am a bit despondent for Cook. He looked a beaten man on Saturday evening. The Labor machine really did a number on him and have won…so far.

Indolent
Indolent
November 22, 2023 8:38 am
Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
November 22, 2023 8:39 am

Whether it’s pushing catastrophist climate change prophecies or protesting against the only democracy in the Middle East, no responsible adult should advocate, or equivocate, the merits of children skipping school to become the useful idiots of cynical political activists.

It’s not whether, it’s both.

How Hamas Nazis Became an Environmentalist and Gun Control Cause (21 Nov)

From Queers for Palestine to marchers carrying signs reading, “Palestine is a Reproductive Justice Issue”, the Hamas Nazi cause has been vertically integrated throughout the Left. Greta Thunberg was booed after injecting anti-Israel chants into environmental rallies. The BLM movement was a longtime foe of Israel, but Asian Studies departments recently joined in.

The leaders of March for Our Lives and the Sunrise Movement, a gun control group and an environmental protest group, signed a letter to Biden warning that young people wouldn’t vote for him unless he forced Israel to stop attacking Hamas Nazis.

How better to promote gun control than by defending mass murderers who used machine guns to kill innocent people and how better to champion the environment than by supporting terrorists who deliberately start fires in Israel. What does Hamas have in common with gun control advocates, environmentalists and abortion activists?

Good question. The mash up of all these lefty causes into one big mess is another of those weird things that’s been happening. Quickly too. Maybe there’s something to the singularity hypothesis, whereupon the entire Left suddenly vanishes in a sort of green rapture.

thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
November 22, 2023 8:39 am

“The Teat of the Story with Lara Logan”.

Lara Logans teats unleashed..?

Elbows too pointy.

Boambee John
Boambee John
November 22, 2023 8:41 am

C.L.
Nov 21, 2023 10:47 PM
Brittany shows off her legs.

The question is, why?

Was she wearing knickers?

Indolent
Indolent
November 22, 2023 8:43 am
OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 22, 2023 8:43 am

They should be Named!

Two woman avoid jail for filming 19-year-old being tortured and boasting about ‘making him clean up his own blood’ before he plunged to his death from a Gold Coast balcony

. Cian English died after falling from a hotel balcony in May 2020
. He and a friend had been tortured for nearly 30 minutes
. Two women in the room filmed their abuse and shared it online

Two women who filmed and posted online the ‘callous’ torture of a man who later fell to his death from a fourth floor holiday unit on the Gold Coast had ‘complete disregard’ for their involvement, a court has heard.

A 19-year-old woman and a 20-year-old woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were sentenced in Brisbane Supreme Court on Tuesday to one count each of torture and two counts of armed robbery in company.

The two women, who were both 16 years old at the time of the offending, had filmed about five minutes worth of a 27 minute episode where Cian John English and his friend were tortured in a View Pacific Hotel room in Surfers Paradise in the early hours of May 23, 2020.

The court heard the woman had later added text over the video reading ‘the bad b***h I am making this sad c**t clean his own blood up’.

Ms Marco said both women knew Mr English was ‘critically injured on the ground’ after he fell from the balcony but instead of calling police they packed their belongings and fled the unit.

Ms Marco said the women later uploaded their videos to social media.

‘It’s accepted she didn’t show remorse or insight on the night or later in the week.’

The court heard the 19-year-old woman had been overheard bragging about the night Mr English died to friends in the weeks following his death.

Justice Applegarth sentenced both women each to two years probation and did not record a conviction.

‘As terrible as [Mr English’s death] is, it’s the demeaning conduct and the complete disregard of the dignity of two human beings,’ Justice Applegarth said.

‘As horrible your behaviour on there was and how despicable you acted after the events….. I am conscious of your remorse.’

Justice Applegarth said the two women’s decision to upload the videos to social media instead of calling emergency services was ‘completely reprehensible’.

The court heard both women had been banned from using their phones while on bail for these offences and have since remained abstinent from drug use.

Both women had previously spent less than two weeks each in pre-sentence custody before being released on bail.

Pogria
Pogria
November 22, 2023 8:44 am

Indolent Avatar
Indolent
Nov 22, 2023 8:31 AM
Jack Poso
@JackPosobiec

BREAKING: A federal judge, appointed by Obama, just ruled against voting machines in Georgia

Indolent,
that is exceedingly good news. Perhaps the first domino to fall?

Indolent
Indolent
November 22, 2023 8:44 am
H B Bear
H B Bear
November 22, 2023 8:46 am

Brittany et al aren’t out the woods just yet – regardless of how the defamation thing goes.

Pogria
Pogria
November 22, 2023 8:48 am

Indolent.
I read the link you posted on CAIR and followed a link from there to to this vicious hag. Karma scored another one.

Wally Dalí
Wally Dalí
November 22, 2023 8:48 am

Look the wise-cracks don’t bother me too much- one, it’s human nature to deal with serious subjects irreverently, two, there’s plenty of it here which I obviously enjoy-
It’s the fact that he did it at work, in front of the judge and jury. He did it for work. At the pinch point of a few thousand bucks worth of billable hours on the case, from the security of a lush state appointment. It hardly even makes sense narratively- was it the green eyed monster, the goon or the voices? It’s like scattergun Lionel Hutz stuff.
If a junior in any commercial firm started improvising like that, he’d have his contract wound up toot sweet, and find it pretty hard to get any barrister work ever again.
But, it seems there are different standards of behaviour for different classes of people.

Rufus T Firefly
Rufus T Firefly
November 22, 2023 8:50 am

Thoughts and prayers to Calli and Bons.
Hope things turn out as well as possible.

“Israel entering Gaza is NOT in its own best interest”.

I said this around 11th October. Hawks like Lizzie, Katz and of course Dot, (who never saw a war she didn’t love), all jumped in to criticise immediately.
So, just to confirm, everyone is still happy with this decision?
If nothing else, it is keeping Bibi and his crooked wife out of gaol, currently.
Every cloud, ……

Anyone paying even the slightest attention, can see that politically, this is a disaster of Herculean proportions for Israel. They now have ONE ally, Uncle Sam.
Let’s ask South Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan or Ukraine how that story ends.

My question for all is, “What does a military victory for Israel look like?”
I am very interested to see the responses.

I saw a post from Glenn Diesen, where Ehud Barak, (that prominent pro Palestinian activist), was interviewed by “Amanpour the imbecile”, where he stated that the tunnels under the al-Shifa hospital were built by Israel, from the time when Israel controlled that area.
I cannot make a comment on their use or otherwise by Hamas, because the “AK behind the MRI machine” is about as compelling as Colin Powell’s assertions on WMD in Iraq. They certainly could be used for military purposes, quite obviously.

H B Bear
H B Bear
November 22, 2023 8:50 am

I imagine Matin Bennett and Linda Reynolds will be keen to inject more of a “political flavour” into their (Supreme Court?) action.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 22, 2023 8:51 am

I have no hope!

Ricky Gervais faces backlash for calling himself ‘middle aged’ – and people can’t believe how old the comedian REALLY is

The comedian was then trolled by Twitter users as they argued that it’s a bit of a stretch to call yourself middle aged, at the age of 62.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
November 22, 2023 8:54 am

Knuckle Dragger

Nov 22, 2023 8:23 AM

On This Day:

1963 – US President John F. Kennedy was killed.

By the Knights Templar.

Obviously.

Shut up you MSM consuming loon!
It was Mossad.

bespoke
bespoke
November 22, 2023 8:57 am

Firefly still frustrated the Jews aren’t on the train.

Dot
Dot
November 22, 2023 8:57 am

Rufus T Firefly
Nov 22, 2023 8:50 AM

Stop lying.

There will be no lying on this blog.

Rabz
November 22, 2023 9:02 am

What a rancid old skank.

Mole – Sarandon or Waters?

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 22, 2023 9:03 am

The winner of the Financial Review’s Best Universities Ranking

The Australian Financial Review’s Best Universities Ranking is the first time the full diversity of Australian institutions has been recognised, producing a very different league table.

Julie Hare Education editor

The University of Queensland has taken out the top spot in The Australian Financial Review’s inaugural Best Universities Ranking with world-class performance across the breadth of its pursuits.

It beat the University of NSW by the finest of margins, with Australian National University coming third.

The ranking, which takes in dozens of publicly available data sources, provides a more nuanced picture of the higher education landscape than traditional rankings.

The aim of the Financial Review’s Best Universities Ranking is to provide a balanced scorecard that recognises that some universities start from a different position than others – and run a very different race – which is just as worthy and important as that of some of our oldest and wealthiest universities.

The ranking calculates a university’s rank based on five categories: student satisfaction, research performance, global reputation, career impact, and equity and access.

This has shaped a league table very different to many international lists that are based on narrower measures.

Equity and access, which is omitted from international rankings, is important in the Australian context. It informs the mission of many of our regional and outer suburban universities, and the federal Labor government has said it is a priority and will be a focus of the upcoming universities accord.

Monash University placed fourth and the University of Adelaide fifth.

Student satisfaction is key

Professor Deborah Terry, vice-chancellor of the first-placed University of Queensland, says she is delighted to see UQ at the top of the list.

“The issue with the global rankings is that the only metric they can really use for comparability is research. The ways in which student satisfaction, student experience and career outcomes are assessed across jurisdictions will vary,” Terry says.

“I commend the Financial Review for trying to have a more balanced ranking system. And for a considerable period of time, UQ has always celebrated and valued teaching excellence, and the quality of our student experience.”

Edith Cowan University is ranked sixth due to a particularly strong performance in student satisfaction.

The University of Melbourne, which is usually ranked first among Australian institutions on global rankings, came top in two categories – research and reputation.

But its overall score was dragged backwards because of poor performance in student satisfaction, bringing its position to seventh place.

Deakin, University of Technology Sydney and Wollongong also all tied in seventh place, rounding out the top 10.

The ranking was created in consultation with former legal academic and vice-chancellor of the University of Canberra Professor Stephen Parker, and statistician and former deputy vice-chancellor of research at La Trobe University Professor Tim Brown.

Brown says the University of Queensland, which pipped UNSW to the post, nabbed the lead thanks to much better student satisfaction scores which are weighted more heavily than UNSW’s first place on career.

UNSW vice-chancellor Attila Brungs says its students have excellent career olutcomes. Nick Moir

Professor Attila Brungs, vice-chancellor of UNSW, says that UNSW’s excellence across research and reputation, for which it was ranked second in each, and career, for which it was placed first, illustrated how world-class the university is across a range of measures.

“UNSW’s career outcomes are exceptional with the highest employability rate in the country, the highest salaries, number of business leaders and among the highest levels of entrepreneurs and start-ups,” Brungs says.

“On the research front, the depth of research translation is just phenomenal. It is in the DNA of the university.”

UNSW was also placed first in the recent AFR Best Business Schools ranking.

Five-star rating

Professor Steve Chapman, vice-chancellor of Edith Cowan University, says it is gratifying to see universities such as his recognised for their contribution.

“We’ve had a five-star rating for teaching and learning for 17 years – unbroken. We deliver an exceptional student experience and we feel like that is the key to the castle for us,” Chapman says.

“That is what is driving demand from students. It’s not lip service. And if you look at our staff satisfaction surveys, the two are linked. If a staff member is happy and enthusiastic, then students feel appreciated whether they are just walking around campus or in a tutorial. It drives a sense of community.”

UNSW’s Brungs says he is “prepared to cop” the 29th ranking on equity and access, but notes the university has bold targets to improve enrolments among disadvantaged students, particularly those from Indigenous backgrounds.

The university’s high retention rates and career success, including employability and incomes, mean that for the disadvantaged students who did come to UNSW, their futures were assured.

“For me, it’s more important that 93 per cent of the equity students who come to UNSW graduate, than having a lot of equity students who end up dropping out, as is the case with other universities that shall remain nameless,” Brungs said.

Professor Mark Scott, vice-chancellor of the University of Sydney, says the sheer size of Australian universities, which are very large by global standards, made ensuring all students have an excellent experience more difficult than small and intimate settings.

“It is challenging for Australian universities because we are in global terms very big, so one of the focuses we have is how you create ‘small within big’ at the university,” Scott says.

“And how you create communities within that give all the benefits of a smaller, more intimate, more connected community, while still being part of the bigger university fabric.”

Equity and access measures have never been part of the international rankings. “By including equity as one of the five pillars, we are giving regional and outer urban universities an opportunity to show their strengths in attracting, supporting and graduating certain kinds of disadvantaged students,” Brown and Parker say.

“This counteracts some of the advantages that older, metropolitan universities may have. No ranking can adjust for all the different situations that universities are in, but our broader approach gives all types of universities an opportunity to shine.”

Unlike most international rankings that require institutions to share data with the ranking agency, the Financial Review ranking uses only publicly available data, which reduces the risk of gaming or selective use of information.

The University of Sydney

Overall rank 15

Overall score 66
Research rank 6
Reputation rank 2
Student satisfaction rank 39
Career rank 5
Equity rank 34

Boambee John
Boambee John
November 22, 2023 9:05 am

Indolent
Nov 22, 2023 8:28 AM
To protect and serve. America the brave,

Lara Logan
@laralogan

Lara Logan’s experiences in Tahrir Square during the Arab Spring seem to have led to an awakening.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
November 22, 2023 9:05 am

Let’s ask South Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan or Ukraine how that story ends.

Rufus – It is quite appropriate to go in and flatten a place if the denizens have caused your nation injury.

But what you must do after flattening it is you must leave. That is the mistake made in those cases. You cannot social engineer such places, but you can deter them if you make it painful enough.

“They make a desolation and call it peace”

That is attributed to Calgacus the leader of the Caledonian tribesmen who were fighting the Romans, who were fed up with obnoxious Scots. The Romans knew a thing or two about how to maintain their Pax Romana.

thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
November 22, 2023 9:08 am

Is Rufus “Testiclegargler” Firefly insinuating that sneaky chap Mr “Bibi” had a hand in the attacks??

So, just to confirm, everyone is still happy with this decision?
If nothing else, it is keeping Bibi and his crooked wife out of gaol, currently.
Every cloud, ……

cohenite
November 22, 2023 9:09 am

My question for all is, “What does a military victory for Israel look like?”
I am very interested to see the responses.

Israel: from the river to the sea.

Winston Smith
November 22, 2023 9:16 am

Pogria

Nov 22, 2023 8:37 AM
Am I rite? ?

Why did this come to mind?
Sometimes our childhoods reach out and grab us without warning…

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 22, 2023 9:23 am

In Australia integration is not going well.

“Homosexuality under the Sharia is punishable by death..Homosexuality is a major sin.” He who agrees with LGBT “has apostated from Allah.”

He also refers to “worshippers of cows, Indian Hindus & suggests a boycott their businesses.

One of the great social/political mysteries…

The left will put aside all its traditional priorities when it comes to Islam. Honour killings, LGBTQ+ rights, oppression of women…

Example: Sale of young Afghan girls – No protests, marches “Me Too” etc

Pogria
Pogria
November 22, 2023 9:25 am

Oh Winston, that was the very thing I thought of when I watched the Hippo clip. Wow, memories!
The Hippo clip was a tribute to Bulk Brittany and her Humpty Dumpty dress.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 22, 2023 9:25 am

Magnificent work from John Ruddick MLC in the NSW Parliament.

John Ruddick MLC
@JohnRuddick2

The NSW Parliament is debating a foolish ‘net-zero carbon bill.’

I told them the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about this mad delusion.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
November 22, 2023 9:26 am

My brief view of Tromso on the way from dock to airport was lovely. A veritable Christmas fairyland. It was dark at 2:30 and all the lights were twinkling. Snow weighing down branches, little wooden backlit shops, it looked like a Christmas card.

I am so glad that you have at least this beautiful memory to take back with you, Calli.
I hope it can comfort and inspire you through the difficult Christmas season at home.
Safe journey.

Tintarella di Luna
Tintarella di Luna
November 22, 2023 9:27 am

Why did this come to mind?
Sometimes our childhoods reach out and grab us without warning…

I think it was the hippo in the white frou-frou tutu

Winston Smith
November 22, 2023 9:28 am

Old Ozzie:

Two woman avoid jail for filming 19-year-old being tortured and boasting about ‘making him clean up his own blood’ before he plunged to his death from a Gold Coast balcony

Invert the sexes and the blokes would be doing hard time.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 22, 2023 9:30 am

There go those glorious EV transition plans — Australians are not buying

By Jo Nova

The thrill of EV ownership in Australia has worn off before it even started

In news that will shock no one, except the Minister for Weather himself Blackout Bowen, Labor’s plan to have nine out ten new car drivers in an electric vehicle by 2030 has crashed into a mountain of apathy.

The latest estimates from the Australian department in charge of guessing these things is that EVs will only be 27% of new car sales by then, not 89%. And the modeling assumes EV’s will be exempt from the usual tariffs and taxes, but finds most Australians would rather pay the extra taxes and get themselves a planet-wrecking petrol-head machine anyway.

Of course, in climate maths, 27% is practically the same as 89% because EV’s may not reduce emissions at all, but since the push to force them on us has nothing to do with carbon emissions, the theatrical chasm in their big plans is a major loss.

That and the dilemma of who will pay for the back up batteries to stabilize the windy wobbly national grid if car owners don’t?

By 2030, after years of propaganda and coercion, electric cars are only expected to be 5% of the national fleet of small vehicles.

Of the developed world, Australia is possibly the stupidest country to own an EV in

Bourne1879
Bourne1879
November 22, 2023 9:35 am

Like many others wishing Calli all the best at this difficult time.

Also to Tom for his procedure.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 22, 2023 9:35 am

Opinion The FT View

Argentina cannot afford another failure

Libertarian Javier Milei offers a high-risk path to radical economic reform
THE EDITORIAL BOARD

Argentina has entered uncharted waters with the election of self-styled “anarcho-capitalist” Javier Milei as president. Amid the South American nation’s worst crisis in more than two decades, scarred by triple-digit inflation and the failure of successive governments, Argentines plumped for dramatic change in the form of an eccentric television economist.

Milei’s election on Sunday is the latest example of a trend across Latin America, where voters despairing of stagnant living standards, endemic corruption and rising crime have rejected incumbents in favour of radical insurgents from the left and right of the spectrum.

Exactly what Argentines have chosen this time is less clear. In the final weeks of the campaign, Milei, who is untested in government, played down some of his more extreme ideas. He ruled out loosening gun controls or privatising education, though he continues to advocate dollarisation and taking a chainsaw to the state.

Although sympathetic to hard-right populists such as former presidents Donald Trump of the US and Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, Milei is neither nationalist nor protectionist and more mystic than religious. His closest adviser is his sister, who ran his campaign.

Milei’s success as a TV economist came from his message that Argentina’s venal political class needed to be swept away and the state reduced to a minimum — popular ideas in a country whose public sector has almost doubled in size in the past two decades. 

Above all, he represented a clear break with the dysfunctional continuity offered by his defeated rival, the Peronist economy minister Sergio Massa, who lost by more than 11 percentage points.

Argentina’s economic problems are rooted in chronic government overspending, paid for by printing money or excessive borrowing.

This destroys confidence, fuels inflation and hastens capital flight.

A web of elaborate price and exchange controls spun by the Peronists to try to contain the damage has made the problem worse.

Milei’s dollarisation would not be a magic bullet, even if it were achievable; wide-ranging structural reforms are also needed.

Successfully implementing radical economic change in a highly polarised nation suffering a deep crisis is monumentally difficult even for an experienced leader commanding a congressional majority.

Milei is a political novice with a small legislative base and an unpredictable character. 

Argentina’s main conservative opposition, led by former president Mauricio Macri, has offered support but that will not suffice for a majority; Milei will need other allies.

In his favour is the size of his second round mandate and the hunger of most Argentines for deep change.

How well the inexperienced president-elect’s mercurial temperament will adapt to governing a nation in crisis with strong unions and a history of mass protest is a key question.

His choice of ministers and advisers will be crucial.

Some of Milei’s foreign policy judgments are worrying.

A willingness to accept Bolsonaro’s overtures could torpedo Argentina’s relationship with Brazil, its biggest trading partner. Milei’s admiration for Trump will not endear him to the Biden administration and his description of the communist government in Beijing as an “assassin” could prove costly, given Argentina’s dependence on agricultural exports to China.

Markets, which share many Argentines’ desire for change, initially cheered Milei’s victory. But if the president-elect is to have any chance of fulfilling their hopes, he will quickly need to start showing he is capable of governing pragmatically and enacting well-designed reforms.

His record to date hardly inspires confidence.

Rabz
November 22, 2023 9:38 am

Since Kenny’s madness about the screech he hasn’t made a wrong move about Israel, global boiling and renewables/nuclear/fossils etc.

Hopefully after receiving the following message from his employer: “Pull your head in, improve your ratings or get jobsacked, you bald headed flog.”

Knuckle Dragger
Knuckle Dragger
November 22, 2023 9:40 am

Ronnie RAAF:

What does a military victory for Israel look like?

My question is – what does it look like to who?

The Court of World Public Opinion, no matter how loud the solicitors bark is the exact equivalent of commentary on a Facebook post.

I seriously doubt Israel, surrounded on all sides by Arab nations sworn to its destruction for almost 80 years, and who have unceremoniously kicked the arse of all said nations when necessary, would care what:

1. One of the world’s most peaceful countries;
2. On the other side of that world;
3. Without a land border to any other country; and
4. Which has imported ‘refugees’ from those Arab nations,

thinks about what Israel is doing – which is most certainly both a fight for survival and the making of a very large ‘Never Again’ statement.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 22, 2023 9:42 am

How public opinion on the Israel-Hamas war has shifted

Surveys have picked up significant changes in the US and Europe that are rippling through national politics

Janina Conboye and Alan Smith in London

The bloodshed between Israelis and Palestinians has long divided the world, bringing people on to the streets in protest and splitting the international community.

The Hamas-led attack of October 7, and Israel’s six-week campaign of retaliation in Gaza, has further polarised views, with harrowing scenes from Israel and Gaza dominating news and social media around the world.

Yet the evolution of public opinion since the war has been far from predictable, or straightforward. From the US to Europe, there have been important shifts that are rippling through national politics.

Before October 7

While the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been a divisive issue for decades, in the months before October 7 the widespread response in most of western Europe was apathy.

More than three-quarters of Germans said the conflict mattered little to them. Even in the US, 55 per cent of those surveyed in May said they did not feel strongly about the issue.

Traditionally the US public has shown the strongest support for Israel, while among European countries Spain has been one of the most sympathetic to Palestinians.

However, even before October 7, there was a marked trend in the US, with potentially significant political consequences:

Democrats had begun to move towards the Palestinian cause.

Although US citizens remain on balance more sympathetic towards Israel, in March pollsters at Gallup recorded a net score for Democrats that favoured the Palestinians for the first time.

Since October 7

Since the Israel-Hamas war began, US polls have laid bare substantial generational and political differences over the conflict.

The recent rise in pro-Palestinian sympathy among Democrats still holds: about 25 per cent of those who voted for President Joe Biden identify as pro-Israel, not much more than the 20 per cent backing Palestinians.

By contrast, 76 per cent of Donald Trump voters are pro-Israel.

That shift has meant Biden is now contending with a sudden rift within his party over the Middle East as he heads into a tough re-election campaign, likely to be against former president Trump.

The other big factor is age.

Among younger Americans there is more outright support for Palestinians than Israel.

Meanwhile, among those over 65, support is overwhelmingly with one side — the 65 per cent support for Israel is more than 10 times the percentage of pro-Palestinians.

One potentially significant development for US politics has been the evolution of views since the start of Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, which has besieged the enclave, forced hundreds of thousands from their homes and left a deepening humanitarian crisis.

An Ipsos poll in mid-November found most Americans now believe the US should act as a neutral mediator.

While a majority agreed that Israel is “doing what any country would do in response to a terror attack”, two in three US citizens surveyed said the Jewish state should call a ceasefire and try to negotiate the return of hostages.

The poll also found Americans are divided evenly on whether “Israel’s response to the recent attacks has been excessive” — 50 per cent agreed and 50 per cent did not.

However, among Democrats 62 per cent were more likely to agree versus 30 per cent of Republicans.

Younger and more leftwing progressive Democrats have been particularly critical of Biden’s handling of the war, saying his support of Israel’s response was not conditional enough and he should have done more to prevent civilian casualties among Palestinians.

The UK has similar patterns to the US across political views and age groups, but the division between generations is less pronounced.

Although people aged 18-24 were three times more likely to sympathise more with Palestinians than the over 65s, both groups had around the same percentage that supported both countries equally or were undecided.

Politically, Labour voters tend to support Palestine (31 per cent) and Conservative voters sympathise more with Israel (34 per cent).

But significant proportions of people across the political spectrum sympathise with both sides equally or are still unsure. This is most striking among Liberal Democrat voters, where 50 per cent sympathise with both.

Much could change as the war unfolds. But already, particularly within the US, public opinion on Israel has begun to move in ways that could shape politics, in the Middle East and beyond, for years to come.

Rabz
November 22, 2023 9:43 am

Argentines plumped for dramatic change in the form of an eccentric televisual economist

Milei’s image and pronouncements are so out there, I just can’t help but hope he’s a success. His comment about Argie Pollies and Mickey Mouse is one for the ages.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 22, 2023 9:44 am

Hamas – pure evil.

Thanks to Warren Mundine for this post. – Kidnapped by Hamas

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 22, 2023 9:47 am

A Deal with Islamic Terrorists is Always a Mistake

When you think of terrorists in diplomatic, not military terms, you can’t win.

November 22, 2023 by Daniel Greenfield

The reports of a deal with Hamas brokered by its state sponsors in Qatar are a disaster and a disgrace. But such a deal was tragically inevitable.

A deal with Islamic terrorists is always a mistake. One of the reasons it’s a mistake is because the real terms of any deal give the terrorists control over your decision-making process. That is their goal.

Israel has suffered 30+ years of escalating terror because it made a deal with Arafat.

Oct 7 happened because Israel made deals for quiet with Hamas.

When you think of terrorists in diplomatic, not military terms, you can’t win.

Modern nation-states prefer diplomacy to conflict. They use military force as leverage for reaching a diplomatic solution. Terrorists, guerrillas and such however use diplomacy as leverage for military victories.

The failure to grasp this simple point led to the disaster in Vietnam and various defeats against Marxist guerrillas in Latin America.

Israel was relatively immune to this until, under pressure from the Bush/Clinton administrations, it began negotiating with the PLO.

But rather than bringing peace, Islamic terrorists used diplomacy to expand their sphere of influence, build up their arsenal, and attack Israel.

When Israel tried to fight them in the international arena, it failed.

Terrorists can only be defeated ‘politically’ when they have no international standing.

But when they have international support, they can only be defeated militarily.

The more Israel tried to win the ‘war of ideas’, much like our efforts to win the ‘hearts and minds’ of Muslims, the worse things got. Israel’s international status declined and the violence increased.

Exhausted by decades of fighting, Israel decided to ignore them.

This was the position of Israeli conservative leaders like Sharon and Netanyahu. Walls were built up. Jews were forcibly removed from Gaza. Negotiations dropped off. But while this was a diplomatic success as the world paid much less attention to the terrorists, it was not a military success.

Israel had not defeated the terrorists, it had tried to physically isolate them. And this wasn’t really possible.

So the fiction that they could be isolated was propped up by ceasefires and deterrence. Oct 7 should have ended that.

Any agreement with Hamas puts Israel right back on the diplomatic track at the expense of the military one.

When you negotiate with terrorists, you’re no longer trying to defeat them.

And at that point you’re losing both diplomatically and militarily.

The only way to defeat the terrorists is to destroy them.

GreyRanga
GreyRanga
November 22, 2023 9:48 am

Knuckles a small correction, the Knights Tartaria pre-date those other pretenders. It had to be them as they’ve made themselves invisible to anyone but internet bunnies disappearing down the next burrow.

Zatara
Zatara
November 22, 2023 9:48 am

“What does a military victory for Israel look like?”

Whatever they want it to. Because nobody else gets a vote.

flyingduk
flyingduk
November 22, 2023 9:49 am

“Israel entering Gaza is NOT in its own best interest”…… I said this around 11th October. ………………Let’s ask South Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan or Ukraine how that story ends.

My question for all is, “What does a military victory for Israel look like?”
I am very interested to see the responses.

I agreed with you Rufus. History is pretty clear on this point – conventional militaries *cannot* defeat irregulars so long as the irregulars maintain the support of the people. Everything Israel has done here increases the support for the Palestinians by the Arab, and increasingly, the western world.

I know people want to reflexively lash out to punish someone for what happened, but such actions only multiply the problem by creating more irregulars. Stating this is a historical fact, not a defeatist statement or an expression of support for Hamas.

I have seen insurgencies close up in 2 theatres, and took the trouble to self educate mightily about them. I dont know what the solution is here, but unless ‘its different this time’, there is no longterm victory for Israel by going into Gaza – indeed, I think, history tells us that long term, there is no Israel.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 22, 2023 9:51 am

A QUESTIONABLE DEAL

An agreement between Israel and the government of Gaza for a partial hostage release apparently is about to be finalized. The details are not yet clear, but it looks something like this:

Various reports of the deal have indicated that somewhere between 50 and 100 Israeli and foreign hostages would be released, in exchange for a five-day break in fighting and the release of somewhere between 150 and 300 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Reports over the past week have said that Israel was demanding the release of all the children held in Gaza and their mothers as a condition.

Between 50 and 100 Israeli civilian and foreign hostages would be released, but no military personnel, and in exchange, some 300 Palestinians would be freed from Israeli jails, among them women and minors, according to sources cited by AFP.

The agreement is expected to be approved by Israel’s cabinet, although “[t]wo far-right parties were set to vote against the deal.” In this case, count me with the “far right.”

I don’t like the deal for three reasons.

1) A five-day break in the fighting will help Hamas to regroup, and take the pressure off the terrorists, at least temporarily. My preference would be for Israel to pursue total victory relentlessly and without interruption.

2) Reportedly, three times as many terrorists are to be released as Israelis. Why? If there is to be an exchange, why shouldn’t it be one for one?

3) The terrorists imprisoned in Israel have been convicted of crimes, while the Israelis held hostage by Hamas are innocent people who were snatched in a criminal raid. Where is the equivalency? Hostages should be released unconditionally.

Historically, taking hostages has paid off for the Gazans.

Exchanges like this one will continue that tradition and encourage more hostage-taking, as with “the 2011 deal to release more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners — including Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, thought to be the mastermind of the October 7 massacre — in exchange for captive IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.”

The Israelis find themselves in a war of annihilation, and in my opinion, they should get on with it, making October 7 the last time–ever–that Palestinians dream of taking hostages.

Tintarella di Luna
Tintarella di Luna
November 22, 2023 9:53 am

Why did this come to mind?
Sometimes our childhoods reach out and grab us without warning…

I think it was the facial expression and hippo in the white frou-frou tutu

flyingduk
flyingduk
November 22, 2023 9:54 am

“What does a military victory for Israel look like?”

Whatever they want it to. Because nobody else gets a vote.

Heres a quotes from former US 4 Star and then Secretary of Defense James Mattis:

“The enemy gets a vote.” aka ‘no plan survives contact with the enemy’

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
November 22, 2023 9:55 am

Regarding the Kennedy assassination – there’s a long article over on the Australian about the blunders made by the team that carried out the autopsy,and how they contributed to the conspiracy theories. I’ve posted the guts of the piece.

In 1996 he gave evidence before the Assassination Records Review Board stating that the three doctors had not been allowed to conduct a complete autopsy: “Throughout the autopsy, we were told about the wishes of the family to limit the autopsy to the head, and then it was extended to the chest.”

He could not remember who had told them this or on what authority. No wonder he couldn’t remember – apart from the medics, there were 23 others crowded into the autopsy room including air force, army and navy officers and Secret Service members. One man took his own photographs until his camera was confiscated. It was reported that Burkley said at one point: “All we need is the bullet.” At that stage no one knew how many times Kennedy had been hit. Indeed, there were reports of up to six gun shots at Dealey Plaza, later blamed on echoes or ricochet.

Complicating issues and feeding conspiracy theories for years, were memos written by two FBI agents who attended. As the pathologists worked on the corpse, they spoke aloud about their findings, even speculating what might have happened. Later, between themselves, they agreed on what they believed were the facts. The FBI reports of the proceedings included the pathologists’ speculation as fact, feeding endless two-shooter theories.

To say that Kennedy’s brain was clumsily manhandled is an understatement. It reportedly had been removed even before Finck turned up at Bethesda. It was subject to a separate autopsy two days later. Or maybe three. Perhaps more, they couldn’t quite recall. Humes, Boswell and Finck took part with others. But maybe Finck did not. He thought he had. The others thought he hadn’t. Autopsy photographer John Stringer certainly was there but always insisted the photographs in the National Archives were not his, and indeed might be of another brain.

During the weekend after the autopsy, Kennedy’s family, knowing the brain had been removed for examination, wanted it reunited with its owner and placed in the mahogany casket that would then be placed in a copper-lined, 1400kg vault.

Things happened quickly. Kennedy’s funeral was taking place on Monday, November 25. Coincidentally, Oswald and Tippit would also be buried that day.

But that reunion never happened. The brain was later discovered in a stainless steel container in a Secret Service locker and then sent to the National Archives where, in 1966, it was found to be missing. It is confidently reported that Kennedy’s brother Robert had it removed so no researchers in the future could examine it, possibly to discover from what other diseases the president suffered and what medications he was receiving – the truth of which might have been JFK’s greatest secret, including his treatment for Addison’s disease.

But the biggest blunder was made on the evening of November 23 and by the man responsible for overseeing the post-mortem of the victim of one of history’s most notorious assassinations.

The Bethesda autopsy started at 7.30pm. Burkley insisted it be completed overnight. Among the unwieldy throng allowed to witness this, the doctors overheard talk of conspiracies, that the Russians or the Cubans had arranged Kennedy’s death. Humes later described the situation as fevered, even on the edge of hysteria.

It took about 10 hours. Lead pathologist Humes took the notes and wrote a draft autopsy report, then drove home, arriving about 7am. He was exhausted but remembered he was to attend his son’s First Communion in a few hours. Then he had to return to Bethesda to speak to Dallas doctors to compare notes.

Back home that evening he stoked up a fire in his sitting room to ward of the cold. He gathered his notes and the draft report. They were stained by the president’s blood and he briefly felt queasy handling them. Odd, one might think, for a man whose business it was to dissect cadavers.

He said later he decided to transcribe the notes and draft post mortem on to clean sheets of paper, word for word. Why he would do that is a mystery.

He fully understood the importance of those contemporary, original notes and what might be read into his rewriting them. Perhaps he really was put off by the blood.

And, perhaps, as he would later insist, he wanted to prevent them becoming ghoulish collectors’ items, or maybe he felt that in the febrile atmosphere and rushed urgency the previous evening he might have made errors in spelling or medical terminology. After all, he understood clearly that the world would be reading his words in forensic detail.

After he had copied every word to fresh notepads, he gathered together the bloodstained pages, walked over to the fireplace, and, in an act he would regret for the rest of his life, slowly fed them into the flames.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 22, 2023 9:56 am

Iran’s “Controlled Insurgency” against the U.S. in Syria and Iraq

by Jonathan Spyer – The Jerusalem Strategic Tribune

In the immediate aftermath of Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7th and during Israel’s counter-offensive into Gaza, Iranian proxy militias in Iraq and Syria have escalated attacks on US positions in both countries.

Fully sixty such attacks have taken place against US forces since October 7. Fifty-six American personnel have suffered injuries in these attacks so far, ranging from minor wounds to traumatic brain injuries. One contractor died of a heart attack in the course of one of the bombings. Reports of conversations with US personnel based in facilities in Iraq and Syria indicate a near constant state of alert, with troops spending considerable amounts of time in bunkers and shelters.

To understand the dynamics of the current situation in Syria and Iraq, it is important first of all to be aware of the dispositions of both Iranian and US forces in both countries, and the state of play between them.

Both the Syrian and Iraqi governments are able to assert only partial sovereignty over the areas which they formally govern. In both countries, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) is managing proxy militias as instruments of Iranian power and influence. The IRGC projects in Syria and Iraq resemble one another but also differ significantly because of the different prevailing political realities in the two countries.

In Syria, Iran and its proxy militias were crucial to the regime’s survival and partial victory in the civil war in the 2012-19 period. Iran has not withdrawn from Syria in the post conflict period. Rather, Teheran’s proxies remain, woven into the fabric of the official state security forces (the Syrian regime remains in many ways a shell, weak and dependent on its Iranian and Russian allies.) The Iranian proxies have access to and freedom of movement within a contiguous area of land extending from the Iraq-Iran border to Quneitra Province on the Syrian side of the Golan border with Israel. This contiguity is interrupted, however, by the US base at Tanf, and the fire zone maintained by the US around it.

Israel’s ‘campaign between the wars’ has over the last ten years hit heavily at Iranian efforts to build military infrastructure on Syrian soil. But despite Israel’s campaign, Iranian proxies remain active, strong and not beholden to the regime of President Bashar Assad for their activities, as Ehud Yaari has described recently in the JST.

At present, this controlled, partial mobilization consists of three components: Yemeni Houthi drone and missile attacks against Israel, Lebanese Hizballah’s ongoing and escalating attacks on the Israel-Lebanon border, and the mobilization of militias in Syria and Iraq against US targets and to a lesser extent against Israeli targets.

So far, both the Israeli and US responses to these activities have been restrained, intended to avoid deterioration to war.

In the Israeli case, this is because of a desire to avoid conflict on more than one front while the IDF is engaged in Gaza.

For the US, the desire appears to be to avoid being drawn into a conflict in the Middle East.
\
In this regard, the US decision on November 15 to green light a sanctions waiver for Iran that would grant Teheran access to $10 billion held in escrow accounts, even as the attacks in Syria and Iraq continued, reflects this orientation.

The US limited response thus appears to be related to the Biden administration’s broader Middle East policy, which includes not abandoning the goal of normalizing relations with Iran through inducements, rather than seeing Iran as an enemy to be confronted.

On November 19, the US did impose sanctions on six persons affiliated with the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataeb Hizbullah.

Will ongoing attacks on US positions by Iran-led militias in Syria and Iraq lead to a more robust US response?

This will become clear in the days and weeks ahead.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 22, 2023 9:58 am

‘Silent, strong’: Polish and Israeli soccer players hold a minute’s silence for Hamas hostages

The under-21 soccer teams of Israel and Poland held an unapproved minute’s silence for the hostages taken by Hamas.

They refused to play for the first minute of the game despite the sporting code not authorising the move.

“I absolutely love this,” Sky News host Liz Storer said.

“Once again, not ugly, no chants, no one calling for genocide.

“But simply a silent, strong, resilient, we will remember them.”

bespoke
bespoke
November 22, 2023 9:59 am

Poor duk sees everything in the prison of his own experiences. The Jews are just members of a cult duk to him.

Tintarella di Luna
Tintarella di Luna
November 22, 2023 10:00 am

oops sorry first comment missed uploading the image

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 22, 2023 10:00 am

Just your Money!

Eligible Queensland Public Servants to receive one-off cash handout

Tens of thousands of eligible Queensland Public Servants are set to receive a one-off cash handout.

Some of the states’ 250,000 public servants will be eligible for a 3 per cent bump if inflation exceeds their salary increase.

The payment has been branded as a ‘cost of living’ adjustment.

Paycheques are set to arrive in time for Christmas.

The government has confirmed the cost-of-living payments will cost taxpayers around $350 million annually.

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
November 22, 2023 10:04 am

Harvest finished up in the Wheatbelt yesterday – about a record early finish….

flyingduk
flyingduk
November 22, 2023 10:07 am

Poor duk sees everything in the prison of his own experiences. The Jews are just members of a cult duk to him.

1) That’s an ‘ad hominem’, not an argument …..
2) Isn’t ‘lived experience’ regarded as ‘truth’ these days?
3) Analysing history, and what it might tell us about the present, is the summary of the ‘experiences’ of our forebears.

C.L.
C.L.
November 22, 2023 10:09 am

I’ve never really understood the carry-on about the Kennedy autopsy.

He was shot in the head.

Case closed.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 22, 2023 10:10 am

Thommo and Albo. Birds of a feather who, ahem, flock together.

“I have the view in life that when someone tells you something, you believe them”. Anthony Albanese, Leader of the House, 24 August, 2011 after Craig Thomson told him it was that other bloke.

Therapeutic Albo brings many qualities to his job as Deputy Prime Minister.

His judgement must have got left behind somewhere he was too embarrassed to go back to.

In August, 2011 Anthony Albanese didn’t think it was unusual for the Labor Party to pay Craig Thomson’s legal fees. He didn’t know how much, but that didn’t matter. Craig deserved the support. Albo had full confidence in Craig Thomson and he said so publicly.

Linked to

Craig Thomson guilty of serious fraud charges – again.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
November 22, 2023 10:11 am

Knuckle Dragger

Nov 22, 2023 9:40 AM

Ronnie RAAF:

What does a military victory for Israel look like?

My question is – what does it look like to who?

The Court of World Public Opinion, no matter how loud the solicitors bark is the exact equivalent of commentary on a Facebook post.

If Israel dig the rats out and declare victory, expect to see heavy usage of the phrase “… but at what cost?”.
Trotting out “The eyes of the world are upon us” didn’t work here in October.
It sure as shit won’t work in Tel Aviv in November.

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
November 22, 2023 10:12 am

Daily Mail.

How Brittany Higgins and fiancé David Sharaz appear to be setting up a new life in a remote village in France

Ms Higgins was given up to $3million of taxpayer funds
She could be planning to uproot her life in Australia
Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation trial begins on Wednesday

Rabz
November 22, 2023 10:12 am

What storylines will Fauda series 5 cover, I wonder?

Greenlighted in September this year. Anything remotely essaying events similar to October 7 may be a bit too raw for the production team, the actors* and the viewing public. Presumably production will be indefinitely delayed.

*At least one of whom is now on active duty, not to mention one of the production team, who was recently KIA.

Dot
Dot
November 22, 2023 10:14 am

I agreed with you Rufus. History is pretty clear on this point – conventional militaries *cannot* defeat irregulars so long as the irregulars maintain the support of the people. Everything Israel has done here increases the support for the Palestinians by the Arab, and increasingly, the western world.

Consider this a teaching moment.

You are probably going to be proven wrong, perhaps the exception proves the rule.

Israel is winning this war decisively. It is a catastrophic failure for Hamas, who won’t possibly won’t exist at the end of the war. Anyone high up enough to reform the organisation will be dead and those who are left to govern Palestine have a massive disincentive to do what Hamas did. The PA may well take control again or Israel can give it back to Egypt or annex it.

Rabz
November 22, 2023 10:15 am

Hoggins and Shiraz appear to be setting up a new life in a remote village in France

Good. Take your ill gotten gains and fork off, you pair of useless lard laden dunderheads.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
November 22, 2023 10:20 am

C.L.

Nov 22, 2023 10:09 AM

I’ve never really understood the carry-on about the Kennedy autopsy.

He was shot in the head.

Case closed.

The conspiracy nuts believe the autopsy was compromised and failed to find evidence of the Mossad agents on the grassy moll.

bespoke
bespoke
November 22, 2023 10:22 am

1) That’s an ‘ad hominem’, not an argument …..

Not if it’s a statement of fact. Motives come into play.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
November 22, 2023 10:25 am

Example of drawing conclusions out of thin air.
Claims that the Kennedy family wanted the autopsy restricted to the head, and citing this as evidence of a cover up. JFK had a history of heavy drug use for a debilitating back condition. Even in moments of crisis, the Kennedys were always acutely aware of the need to protect and project a public image.
It is simple as that.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 22, 2023 10:27 am

‘A lot of flexibility’: Why Asian students choose Australian unis

The boom in international students has been a success story for the university sector. Here’s what they like about our education system.

Michael Smith – North Asia correspondent

Janine Wan was still in high school when she decided to move from Singapore to finish her education in Australia.

Wan, who is now 25, jokes about getting into trouble for asking too many questions; she wanted a higher education system that was less rigid where she could challenge her teachers.

“I was always getting into trouble at school in Singapore because I am the type of person who likes asking a billion questions. The Singapore system can be quite structured in that way, so it wasn’t best suited for me,” she says.

“It was really refreshing moving to Australia and being able to ask those questions and feeling supported in that way.”

The boom in international students has been a success story for the Australian university sector, making up 27 per cent of total revenue.

Despite the disruption from COVID-19, the numbers have now bounced back. International student numbers are now greater than they were in 2019, with 655,000 student visa holders as of July – 200,000 more than at the beginning of 2023.

The mix of students has also shifted. Chinese students, who accounted for one in every four new enrolments in 2019, have fallen by 37 per cent.

Indian student enrolments, particularly in the vocational education sector, are up by the same amount.

Wan, who completed a law degree at Canberra’s Australian National University in 2019 and now works as a corporate lawyer for King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) in Singapore, had also heard Australian universities were more flexible than in other countries, and courses could be tailored to the individual.

This was important for Wan who had several potential career paths at the time and wanted to be able to pursue all her options. Before studying law, she initially wanted to be a biological anthropologist.

Wan moved to Melbourne to finish high school as a boarding student with the aim of eventually ending up at an Australian university. She completed years 10, 11 and 12 at Presbyterian Ladies’ College in Melbourne.

“There were definitely challenges moving at that age, but I enjoyed it. I have always been independent,” she says.

Wan chose Australia over the United Kingdom not only because of its proximity to Singapore but also the flexibility of the education system, which allows high school students to take a university class. Wan completed two history courses at Melbourne University while still in school.

“The reason why I considered moving to Australia for the education system was because I heard it was a lot more flexible and a lot more tailored to the individual with a focus on critical analysis.”

Face time with professors

After finishing year 12, Wan chose ANU because of its anthropology program and because she could do a law degree while studying other subjects as well. ANU ranks third overall in The Australian Financial Review’s Best Universities Ranking.

“There was a lot of flexibility to explore your broader interests which is quite unique,” she says.

“The prestige of ANU was definitely attractive. The approach is more intimate and the learning experience, I felt like I could get a lot of face time with the professors and really dig into what you were studying.”

Wan made friends with students from all over the world at ANU and says the diversity was a major positive. “I have been lucky to be in very multicultural environments both in my Melbourne school and in Canberra. You get exposed to a lot of different experiences and opinions.”

In the end, Wan chose law over anthropology and completed a four-year law degree at the end of 2019. She recalls the bushfires sweeping through Australia that summer and her sadness at leaving behind a close-knit group of friends in Canberra.

Asked if there were any negatives about her experience, she says the only issue was that international students looking to work in Australia after graduating could find it hard to secure a job. “The reality is it can be quite hard in certain industries looking for work in Australia as an international student. Some places don’t consider international students. That is something a lot of people struggle with,” she says.

Wan did not have any trouble finding work. She decided to move back to Singapore, partly for family but also for the huge opportunities working in Asia. She found a job with a big local law firm in Singapore and moved back in April 2020 just as COVID-19 hit.

She says some of her seniors at the firm told her Australian universities were considered inferior to those in the United Kingdom, but she saw no evidence of that when she was interviewing for jobs. Two years ago, she joined KWM where she is now an associate on the firm’s mergers and acquisitions team in Singapore.

KWM already employed Australian graduates so she didn’t have a problem.

“Singapore and Australia have put a lot of work into partnerships and university connections, I didn’t feel at all I was disadvantaged.”

Global competition

Employers in Asia say they like graduates from Australian universities despite some tough competition from institutions in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.

“All four, including Australia, are still in the top bucket,” says Robert Quinlivan, who sits on the board of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, and knows many of the city’s employers. “But there are some questions around the US because of safety/guns etc. Canada has some visa benefits which are attractive for people post-grad.

“Australia has the benefit of being close and [students from there] tend to be able to get jobs in Hong Kong.

“I have three children at Australian universities at the moment, so my sense is that the overall proposition is pretty good.”

While Australian universities compete with popular Hong Kong universities such as the University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, wealthier parents in mainland China prefer to send their children overseas.

A breakdown in China-Australia diplomatic relations in 2019 triggered a wave of negative stories about safety in Australia in the Chinese media, putting some parents off.

However, Australia is now back in favour with the Chinese government and media, although a slowing economy means parents will have less money to send their children overseas.

This year’s unexpected spike in international student numbers has prompted backbench criticism of policies that make it easier for “lower quality” foreign university students to stay in the country and to work.

A report from the Grattan Institute in October, Graduates in Limbo: international student visa pathways after graduation, warned Australia offered international students more generous rights to stay and work after they graduated than other countries. It argued this gave them “false hope” to graduates who would never gain permanent residency, and threatened Australia’s reputation as a destination for tertiary study.

It said temporary graduate visa-holders in Australia would almost double to about 370,000 by 2030.

For Hong Kong-born Natalie Chan, the main attraction of studying in Australia was the multicultural atmosphere.

“I liked the multiculturalism which creates a broader way of thinking, the friendly vibe of the university and the staff who were super supportive of foreign students, although this didn’t really make up for the pricey tuition fee,” says Chan, 30, who studied a master of communications at Melbourne’s RMIT university from 2018.

She liked an environment which she says allowed students to be creative and act like themselves compared to Hong Kong which was more constrained.

Now back in Hong Kong, Chan says the advantages of studying in Australia or other English-speaking countries is that employers like overseas graduates and their language skills. She says RMIT has a good reputation in creative industries and offered opportunities to network with the local industry which helps students find jobs after graduating.

Knuckle Dragger
Knuckle Dragger
November 22, 2023 10:28 am

the Kennedy family wanted the autopsy restricted to the head, and citing this as evidence of a cover up

Well if they had completed a REAL autopsy, they would have found the replicating metals and nanowrigglers.

Zippster
Zippster
November 22, 2023 10:30 am

Democrats had begun to move towards the Palestinian cause.

Of course they have, they are attracted to squalor and shit

Dot
Dot
November 22, 2023 10:34 am

So, just to confirm, everyone is still happy with this decision?
If nothing else, it is keeping Bibi and his crooked wife out of gaol, currently.
Every cloud, ……

Jesus Christ, how far left is this tankie?

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 22, 2023 10:35 am

Australians should be keeping a list of Labor, Greens MPs who refuse to support Israel’s war of self-defence or our national interest

We should be keeping tabs on the growing number of MPs in our halls of power declaring their support for Palestine – a list of those we must ensure are voted out at their next elections, writes Liz Storer.

I’m making a list and checking it twice.

Nothing to do with Christmas – it’s a list of the growing number of MPs in our halls of power declaring their support for Palestine; a list of those we must ensure are voted out at their next elections.

For whatever one’s personal thoughts and feelings regarding this war, what’s inarguable is that unequivocally standing with our only ally in the Middle East is in Australia’s national interest.

And if for whatever reason one can’t or won’t defend our national interest, what in the Sam Hill are they doing in our parliaments?

At its core, that’s the whole job.

It is well said that this conflict is “the West versus the rest”.

What does that say of our elected officials who refuse to comprehensively support Israel – and worse – condemn it for doing what it must?

Anyone who has followed our now-Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s 27-year political career is well aware he has always been a friend of Palestine, but for the uninitiated this became crystal clear last October when his government announced a reversal of former Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the country’s capital and again this August when his government declared West Bank and Gaza “Occupied Palestinian Territories” and Israeli settlements “illegal under international law” to appease Labor’s left factions just days out from their national conference.

Our Prime Minister used our long-held friendship with Israel like a chit in a poker game.

But hey, you know you’ve made a great move in Australia’s national interest when it’s enthusiastically lauded by Iran’s proxies in the West Bank and Gaza including the terrorist organisation Hamas.

Little wonder Netanyahu didn’t call Albanese back in the wake of the October 7 massacre.

Why Albanese’s local branch took it upon themselves to pass a motion calling for a ceasefire and condemning Israel’s “retribution” is anyone’s guess – he would if he could, folks, but he’s playing Prime Minister.

This explains why front benchers Ed Husic and Anne Aly remain unrebuked for accusing Israel of “collective punishment” (a war crime according to the Geneva Convention).

For many this is essentially a religious war – one which we are now seeing spill out onto our own streets.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s obvious penchant for Palestine is on display daily as she bleats and tweets nonsense word salads which put succinctly read “stop it, Israel”.

At the very least one would expect our Foreign Minister to be aware that without the support of Israel’s intelligence networks, who knows how many terrorist acts targeting Australians we would not have been able to thwart.

Yet now the shoe is on the other foot, all Israel gets is “stop it”.

Seems eye-wateringly not in the national interest to me, but what do I know?

The Greens are hardly worth mentioning on this issue save for their now considerable numbers – a sad reality which was highlighted during their recent senate walkout led by Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi shouting “Free, free Palestine”.

The Israelis are working on it as fast as they possibly can, Mehreen.

God forbid we see the day this sorry lot is in a wartime parliament.

They have proven themselves incapable of taking the only course of action in the face of pure evil – murderous terrorists who are solely responsible for every drop of Palestinian bloodshed, who refuse to release Israeli hostages, and who have vowed to repeat October 7 until Israel is wiped off the face of the earth.

Then there’s our state parliaments.

thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
November 22, 2023 10:37 am

planning to uproot her

Wasnt that the start of all the fracas in the first place?

flyingduk
flyingduk
November 22, 2023 10:40 am

I’ve never really understood the carry-on about the Kennedy autopsy.

He was shot in the head.

Case closed.

The points of contention were

1) was he shot from the front or the back – this feeds into the question of whether Oswald could have shot him from the ‘Book repository’.
2) how many shots were fired – this feeds into the question of whether Oswald could have fired them all

Real Deal
Real Deal
November 22, 2023 10:40 am

JFK’s most serious medical problem was that when a young woman was anywhere near him, it was medically impossible for his trousers to stay above his ankles.

dopey
dopey
November 22, 2023 10:42 am

Kennedy family didn’t want stuff to come out about his being treated for venereal disease.

thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
November 22, 2023 10:43 am

I very much dont discount Duks take on the conflict.
Hamarse have spent a decade ensuring the Pallis stayed in squalor and under their control, the petri dish of conditions that ensure them a steady supply of aggrieved recruits.

Israels problem is wicked. How do you make the Pallis devote their resources to improving the lives of their own people, when the governing bodies rely on keeping things shit to keep control?

And how politically toxic would it be to try and turn around and build up civil society in the Palli controlled areas after the attacks?

Indolent
Indolent
November 22, 2023 10:45 am
Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
November 22, 2023 10:45 am

If Israel dig the rats out and declare victory, expect to see heavy usage of the phrase “… but at what cost?”.

68 so far.

Courage and bravery: These are the 68 soldiers who heroically fell in the war (21 Nov)

A tribute to IDF tactics that the casualties are this low despite nearly 7 weeks of the worst kind of urban warfare.

The many many more Hamas corpses can console themselves with their 72 virgins, assuming Paradise doesn’t run out of them.

rosie
rosie
November 22, 2023 10:45 am

As the IDF blows up hamas tunnel infrastructure the buildings above, even if not part of the network, are compromised.

long thread on shifa. Despite all the hamas tunnel boasting, the shifa ones are Israeli, i believe you hamarsis

H B Bear
H B Bear
November 22, 2023 10:47 am

Will the Bird last the day? Zionism with your cereal isn’t an auspicious start.

OldOzzie
OldOzzie
November 22, 2023 10:50 am

rosie
Nov 22, 2023 10:36 AM

Answering Your Questions About the War Against Hamas
Plus: Finding more weapons in children’s bedrooms

thanks rosie,

excellent read – bookmarked for future reference

  1. Is it just me, or does something about this rally seem fake? The fact that Thomas Sewell was leading it…

  2. Dunno if it did, Lawgy- i’ve got an ABC article stashed on my PC with a surprising amount of content…

  3. Meaningless numbers Monty. Especially since the come from lefty Politico. No one believes such rubbish.

1.6K
0
Oh, you think that, do you? Care to put it on record?x
()
x