Open Thread – Wed 31 Jan 2024


Prometheus, Arnold Böcklin, 1883

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Rabz
February 2, 2024 9:49 pm

Corporations!

Well, KD – they do have a tendency to be all “Corporationee“, when they’re not attempting to burn shareholders’ munni

Rabz
February 2, 2024 9:51 pm

err, I tells ya! 🙂

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
February 2, 2024 9:53 pm

The real cost of Kerry Stokes’ support for Ben Roberts-Smith
Kishor Napier-Raman
By Kishor Napier-Raman
February 2, 2024 — 5.00am

It apparently takes considerable business acumen to become a billionaire. But amassing such wealth clearly comes at a cost to one’s common sense. How else to explain Seven chair Kerry Stokes’ fervent belief in war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith?

Stokes bankrolled Roberts-Smith’s defamation lawsuit against Nine, owners of this masthead, through a loan from his private company Australian Capital Equity.

Last June, Federal Court judge Anthony Besanko dismissed the lawsuit, finding the newspapers proved on the balance of probabilities that Roberts-Smith had murdered four unarmed Afghan prisoners.

With Roberts-Smith’s appeal kicking off before the full Federal Court next week, it’s worth taking a closer look at just how much Stokes could be spending on his No.1 boy. Last year, Stokes agreed to pay this masthead’s legal costs on an indemnity basis, essentially a higher proportion of the bill than a standard costs order.

That decision – which essentially stymied the release of thousands of emails between Stokes, his consigliere Bruce McWilliam and Roberts-Smith’s lawyers – will put the billionaire on the hook for about $16 million.

But there’s more. Thanks to a provision of the Federal Court Act, those costs accrue interest from the date of the order (last June) to the day they’re paid at a very generous current rate of 10.1 per cent a year. Roberts-Smith’s appeal hearing will take around 10 days (very long for these things), and a judgment might not be delivered until early 2025, with final costs orders determined a few months after that.

If that appeal fails, Stokes will have to pay an additional $3 million or so more in interest, plus the $910,000 in security lodged to cover the newspapers’ costs for the appeal. Adding our best guess of what Roberts-Smith’s own astronomical legal bills are, the billionaire could be spending well north of $30 million. And that’s if this doesn’t go all the way to the High Court.

Stokes has always had a slightly unhealthy obsession with the SAS and Roberts-Smith. It might cost him more than the average punter will see in a lifetime.

Ummm, it’s Kerry Stokes’s money, he can spend it how he likes?

Rabz
February 2, 2024 9:57 pm

Remember DocDuk’s experience with the Federal Police? Falsified statements, zero evidence, solitary confinement?

Nowhere near Dan Duggan stuff, but seriously, WTF?

Anarcho-Tyranny, anyone?

I’d rather not. 😡

Rabz
February 2, 2024 10:02 pm

The man is obviously some sort of terrible weird personage who deserves to be locked up forever* – I mean look at those monstrous fake stetsons the poor li’l kiddies have been obviously forced to wear against their will, I tells ya!

*Uncharged and in solitary … 🙁

Black Ball
Black Ball
February 2, 2024 10:03 pm

My Lord. My son is 11 years old and he wants to go to the army. I told him you could be called upon for war, and death may await you. He said I know.
I would like if he didn’t but he is made of stern stuff.

Katzenjammer
Katzenjammer
February 2, 2024 10:05 pm

It’s pretty breathtaking that one. They have to know they’re lying baldly so why are they doing it?

From how high up are their orders about this, with the same occuring in England, Canada, USA, etc, etc. Is it somewhat in parallel with the WuFlu? Is the Anglosphere still too free compared to the EU, so needs another round of suppression to bring us to heel?

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
February 2, 2024 10:08 pm

I told him you could be called upon for war, and death may await you.

You could be called on to fight a war in Australia’s name, and get spat on and abused for fighting in that war…

Dot
Dot
February 2, 2024 10:09 pm

KD

I think the Nazi chap is probably right.

The journalist however thought the constitution is debated like ordinary law or outside of that, case law has supremacy over Parliament.

If I can say GAS THE JEWS, then there’s no reason why I cannot salute Hitler.

They’re both vile.

We either have an implied right to free political communication or we don’t.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
February 2, 2024 10:10 pm

Yep, I try not to look at that ‘site’ anymore. It’s degenerated into something out of horror movie and yes, whilst there are only two or three suspects who frequent the site now, it doesn’t take much to make it utterly vomitous.

And for those who excused the completey unhindered free run given to Bird’s anti-Semitic ravings in the early days over there with “poor Adam, he’s soooo busy with the lollies” might want to reflect that this bile has been pouring out of his blog for months now.
And this from a bloke who pompously announced he would be running his blog with a “no dickheads” policy.

Luzu
Luzu
February 2, 2024 10:10 pm

Our first full day in Kyoto was amazing. Visited a temple complex, a castle and enjoyed ourselves perusing the aisles of a supermarket looking at all the products. Walked everywhere. And had fascinating conversations about Japanese history, customs, culture and language. Better than a tour guide, he was

It is cold here (only 7C during the day) but dry. The people are very, very kind and polite (had a lovely human moment buying a coffee at Starbucks from two sweet young women), the food is inexpensive and tasty and the entire place is spotlessly clean. As Senior Baby Bird pointed out, it suits my tidiness OCD. He might have a point.

cohenite
February 2, 2024 10:11 pm

The real cost of Kerry Stokes’ support for Ben Roberts-Smith
Kishor Napier-Raman
By Kishor Napier-Raman
February 2, 2024 — 5.00am

The treatment by the media in this shit-hole of BRS and other soldiers has been disgusting. When this rotten judgment came down about BRS I can still remember the smug, soft faces of the courageous reporters who had done this.

Remember BRS was tasked in finding a pig called hekmutallah, who had shot 3 Australian soldiers in the back while they were training him. The only proof BRS had done anything was from a disgruntled former SAS shithead and 3 afghani pigs who were paid. Remember the taliban wore no uniforms and were totally integrated with the wider afghani population like hamas is with the pallis.

Now, after the corpse left afghanistan hekmutallah is living like a king and no one remembers the 3 soldiers he killed.

This shithole deserves to be invaded.

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
February 2, 2024 10:15 pm

Remember BRS was tasked in finding a pig called hekmutallah, who had shot 3 Australian soldiers in the back while they were training him

The Imam of Hekmutallah’s mosque had sworn on the Quran that Hwhat’shisface was a loyal Afghani, fit to serve…

Zatara
Zatara
February 2, 2024 10:15 pm

If they get their carrier ideas expanded, and operating at carrier full strength capabilities and rampaging around the world I might have a rethink.

Personally, I’m much more interested in their amphibious fleet.

Their carriers and submarines don’t bother me nearly as much as a capability to capitalize on their force projection by putting boots on the ground.

Vagabond
Vagabond
February 2, 2024 10:24 pm

Sancho Panzer
Feb 2, 2024 9:01 PM
A semi techo question.
What is the best, reasonably priced IT anti-virus security software?
Domestic use only to cover 3-4 devices.
McAfee?
Other?

My past experience with MacAfee and Norton is that they fill your machine with bloatware and endless adverts.

I was using Trend Micro until last week when it slowed down and stuffed up my 5 year old Win10 machine so severely that I had to completely reset it and spend 2 days I’ll never get back restoring it to a workable state. That’s the first time I have had to do that and fortunately I had the backups and experience to fix it.

I ran it for a day using just the built in Windows Defender and it was lightning fast and worked perfectly. I have now installed Avast and so far so good. The free version does nag you from time to time to try and get you to pay for the subscription version but I don’t let that bother me.

YMMV

Zafiro
Zafiro
February 2, 2024 10:26 pm

Secrets of Skinwalker Ranch is my new favourite TV show.

Salvatore, Iron Publican
February 2, 2024 10:26 pm

What is the best, reasonably priced IT anti-virus security software?
Domestic use only to cover 3-4 devices.
McAfee?
Other?

Malwarebytes

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
February 2, 2024 10:28 pm

I can still remember the smug, soft faces of the courageous reporters who had done this.

All of whom has written their own account of the whole affair.

Rabz
February 2, 2024 10:29 pm

BB – he should do the training and then opt out, as a piece of completely unwelcome and unnecessary advice from myself.

There is no way on this earth that this stupid stupid country can defend itself – or even attempt to.

The only option is to

Reply
Zatara

Regarding the inability for the MSW plods to hear the words “Gas the Jews”, it appears more likely than not that they chose not to hear it as if they heard it they would have an obligation to act.

There are in fact laws regarding threats and incitement to violence which such a chant would certainly seem to violate. Such as the Crimes Act of 1900 – Sect 93Z.

“Offence of publicly threatening or inciting violence on grounds of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex or HIV/AIDS status”

Perhaps it is time a Judge explained in the most direct terms possible that laws are not suggestions and that ignoring them will have personal consequences to police officials who decide to do so.

Alamak!
February 2, 2024 10:42 pm

I have now installed Avast and so far so good. The free version does nag you from time to time to try and get you to pay for the subscription version but I don’t let that bother me.

+1 on what Vagabond says re Avast. Fast and no bloatware.

dopey
dopey
February 2, 2024 10:45 pm

Whatever they were shouting it was just repetitive chanting. Repetitive chanting is a sure sign of morons.

Rabz
February 2, 2024 10:50 pm

Perhaps it is time a Jurdge explained in the most direct terms possible that laws are not suggestions and that ignoring them will have personal consequences for police officials who decide to do so.

Yeah, no.

Anarcho-Tyranny is the reality.

There is no longer any “rule of law”, in this stupid, stupid country as anyone who’s had the misfortune to experience our glacial, paedophile laden “legal system” would no doubt agree.

There is no way out of this increasingly disastrous and insidious situation other than Hop Time™ – before we all go, Herro Kirree! 😕

MatrixTransform
February 2, 2024 10:52 pm

What is the best, reasonably priced IT anti-virus security software?

WebRoot

Indolent
Indolent
February 2, 2024 10:59 pm
Katzenjammer
Katzenjammer
February 2, 2024 11:01 pm

The pleasures of antisemitism

From Fathom a decade ago.

Antisemitism is much more than a cognitive error. It attracts by providing the deep emotional satisfactions of hatred, tradition, and moral purity.

There is something strangely ineffective about many of our attempts to combat anti-Semitism. We treat it as involving various cognitive errors – false beliefs about Jews or about Israel, the application of double standards to the assessment of Jewish activities, the one-sided focus on things which can be criticised and the neglect of things which might be praiseworthy. We try to combat these cognitive failures (of which there certainly are plenty) by pointing out the errors involved, listing the relevant facts which correct those errors, and revealing the logical inconsistencies involved in, for example, the use of double standards. And when these attempts prove to be totally fruitless, as they so often do, we’re puzzled and dismayed. Don’t people want truths which would enable them to abandon their hostilities to various aspects of Jewish existence?

The answer, of course, is very often that no, they really don’t want these truths. They prefer the errors, with all their dramatic fears and hatreds, and the excitement of conspiracy stories, to the unremarkable truth that Jews are on the whole just like everyone else, a mixture of good and bad, strong and weak, but with a history which has very real and terrible implications for the present. Why is this? We can’t explain it just in terms of cognitive error, since part of what we want to know is why the cognitive errors are so immune to alteration, why they appear and reappear so very persistently. We have to look outside the cognitive domain to the realm of the emotions, and ask: what are the pleasures, what are the emotional rewards which anti-Semitism has to offer to its adherents?

Anti-Semitism is fun, there’s no doubt about it. You can’t miss the relish with which some people compare Jews to the Nazis, or the fake sorrow, imperfectly masking deep satisfaction, with which they bemoan the supposed fact that Jews have brought hatred on themselves, especially by the actions of Israel and its Zionist supporters, and that they have inexplicably failed to learn the lessons of the Holocaust.

(from the conclusion)
But we’ll do better in the combat, however we conduct it, if we realise that the views which we’re struggling against provide deep emotional satisfactions to those who hold them, satisfactions not easy either to overcome or to replace.

Full article

Rabz
February 2, 2024 11:03 pm

What is the best eighties film clip evah?

Well, funny you should ask that – this one, essaying Londinium before it was a haven for anyone other than white people.

Louis Litt
Louis Litt
February 2, 2024 11:10 pm

Bons 1/2 @ 7:05pm
Re tusk – thank you for your comment.
It’s reassuring.
I could not understand how this happened.
Was the 70 billion bribe or Putin which swayed them?

Muddy
Muddy
February 2, 2024 11:19 pm

And for those who excused the completey unhindered free run given to Bird’s anti-Semitic ravings in the early days over there with “poor Adam, he’s soooo busy with the lollies” might want to reflect that this bile has been pouring out of his blog for months now.

I must admit that ‘in the early days’ I was one of those people. I haven’t visited there for a long time, I only pop in here in spasms, and I was under the impression that Adam had a myriad of responsibilities. But yes, providing others (strangers) the opportunity to purvey their inner beliefs to a wider, public audience, requires a more hands-on approach, especially when considering (a). The history of the forum (under previous slumlords) and commenters it has attracted, (b). Possible legal issues under the new gov legislation, and (c). Current events, which rare individuals may seek to manipulate the perception of.

Mea culpa.

DrBeauGan
DrBeauGan
February 2, 2024 11:21 pm

But we’ll do better in the combat, however we conduct it, if we realise that the views which we’re struggling against provide deep emotional satisfactions to those who hold them, satisfactions not easy either to overcome or to replace.

It’s a sensible and articulate piece of writing, and the moral purity part is perceptive. That’s why anti-semitism is so marked among lefties. They get off on a completely spurious sense of moral superiority. Of course, you also have to be extremely crass to be able to deceive yourself this way. Lefties are.

Katzenjammer
Katzenjammer
February 2, 2024 11:52 pm

That’s why anti-semitism is so marked among lefties. They get off on a completely spurious sense of moral superiority. Of course, you also have to be extremely crass to be able to deceive yourself this way. Lefties are.

Academic lefties have a second line of defence of their moral superiority – they have certificates saying they’re smart, so they believe they couldn’t possibly be deceiving themselves.

Kneel
Kneel
February 6, 2024 3:32 pm

“She said most lower ranks hate what is happening leaving in droves.”

The problem with this is that all the good ones with a conscience and ethics leave, and all the “just doin’ me job” and on-a-power-trip dickheads are still there with no-one to rein them in.

Kneel
Kneel
February 6, 2024 4:05 pm

“Add a dash of Pepsi to dilute it a bit.”

You… heathen! One NEVER “dilutes” a whisky with any form of Cola drink.
Straight, over ice at worst, and if you really need to, wait for some of the ice to melt.

This comment of yours has resulted in one of the very few “down thumbs” I’ve ever given – I may never forgive you for this Sancho.

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