Respect!
Open Thread – Mon 19 Feb 2024
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- Open Thread – Remembrance Day 2024
- The Sweetest Victory
- Open Thread – Weekend 9 November 2024
- Open Thread – Thurs 7 Nov 2024
40 years at the ALPBC. Talk about Hotel California Ultimo.
Haha. The new lead story at Paywallian.com: China tells other world leaders: be like AlbaneseBeijing has nominated Anthony Albanese as…
Still stuck on the 45. Yeah, people sometimes get stuck on facts. That appears to be a real problem, yeah?…
Presumably the only way to get a Mexican to mow your lawn for the next 4 years.
Relatives of mine served on John Howard’s intervention.
The Aboriginal soldiers provided some role models to the kids in those communities.
“Well, if you want to join our mob, you have to go to school – we won’t take you if you can’t read and write, and we won’t take you if you’ve been in too much trouble with the cops…
The pizzwreck elders sat in the dust and bawled that their traditional authority was being undermined….
a fitting moniker
and the Latin for wanker … is wanker
and don’t forget sancho … the plural is wankers
Quickest lip on a building site. And it shows.
Sancho
Sorry, mate, it was a feeble attempt at a joke that fell flat because I got it wrong anyway.
quicker than you you simpleton
Winston Smith> Yes, all quite easily predictable …
Chat GPT has also been considering the future state of AFL and has some useful predictions. In short, a large reduction in funding might be good for the game and fans …
A significant reduction in sponsorship funds would impact the AFL and its clubs in multiple ways, including decreased revenue for operations, player salaries, and development programs. Clubs that have invested heavily in large stadiums might find themselves under increased financial pressure, potentially leading to insolvency for some.
Potential Outcomes and Strategies
League Restructuring: The AFL might consider restructuring the league to ensure its sustainability. This could involve reducing the number of professional teams, merging clubs, or creating a tiered league system to reduce operational costs and increase competitiveness.
Stadium Sharing and Utilization: Clubs facing difficulties in maintaining large stadiums might opt for sharing facilities to spread the costs. Additionally, stadiums could be used more diversely to host non-sporting events, such as concerts or community events, to increase revenue.
Fan Engagement and Community Ownership: To strengthen financial stability, clubs might focus on enhancing fan engagement and loyalty through innovative experiences and digital platforms. Some clubs could explore community ownership models, where fans invest in their clubs, similar to some European football clubs.
Cost Management: Clubs and the AFL would likely implement stricter financial controls, reducing expenditures on player salaries, administration, and non-essential activities. This could also lead to a more equitable distribution of funds among clubs to ensure league competitiveness.
Development and Talent Scouting: With potentially less money available for international scouting, clubs might invest more in local talent development programs. This could have a positive long-term effect on the sport’s grassroots development in Australia.
Digital and Broadcast Innovations: To compensate for reduced sponsorship revenue, the AFL might explore new digital revenue streams, including enhanced streaming services, virtual reality experiences, and interactive fan engagement platforms.
Sponsorship Diversification: The league and its clubs would likely seek new sponsorship models, including partnerships with non-traditional sectors that are less affected by economic downturns, such as technology and renewable energy companies.
Long-Term Implications
While the immediate impact of reduced sponsorship funds and financial strains from stadium maintenance would pose significant challenges, these pressures could also drive innovation within the AFL. The league might emerge more resilient, with a stronger community focus, enhanced fan engagement, and a sustainable financial model that relies less on sponsorship and more on diverse revenue streams.
In conclusion, the future state of the AFL in such a scenario would depend on how effectively the league and its clubs adapt to financial challenges through strategic restructuring, cost management, and innovation. The evolution of the AFL would reflect broader trends in global sports management, focusing on sustainability, community engagement, and technological integration.
now go ahead for the next 24 hrs and make absolute dicks of yourselves as usual
Damp day in Palermo.
Walking to lunch I stumbled across la chiesa Del Gesu di Casa Professa, the famous Baroque Jesuit Church.
Only 260 metres from where I am staying but well hidden, making my excuses.
Was too late for a visit to their museum as closed between 12.45 and 16.00 but will be today’s cultural activity, €5, cash only.
Back to Caffe Del Kassaro for lunch. Nero di sepia which I missed out on last time.
Cafe was recommended by my host last year when I was here, in the cheap and cheerful category, was reasonably busy last time but now it’s nuts.
Number 74 of 1433 restaurants in Palermo for 2023 according to trip advisor.
They must be getting five sittings per seat per session.
Nice for them.
Via La Maqueda between via Victor Emmanuel and the Teatro Massimo appears to be the most touristic part of town, I never even walked down there last time, had so much stuff on my to do list.
The Teatro has Madama Butterfly, I was tempted to go, but no, not on my own. If I bring my sister next year I’ll definitely take her to a show.
I’ve, mostly, mastered the art of changing the language on European TVs so am enjoying the luxury of watching Walker Texas Ranger on FTA, it’s always on, no matter whether I’m in France, Italy Spain and Portugal.
Apparently holidaying in your own country is now a ‘staycation’ and there are lots of Italians staycationing in Palermo, though in Europe when everything is so close worrying about whether the French holiday in Faro and the Spanish holiday in Paris seems ridiculous.
I also see online whinging about how many international visitors Italy gets, I’m sure it’s mostly a push from the net zero crowd who just hate it that the masses have access to cheap airfares. I doubt the owners and staff of Caffe Del Kassaro mind though.
Oraculum,
Why would we do that, when your show starts at 11.34 every night.
It’s terrific that hamas and innocent civilians filmed themselves when they day tripped to Israel on 7 October.
things you find in hospitals
two thousand dollar toasters!
video of Shiri Bibas and her two little boys inside Khan Younis.
New OT up.
Lots of cigarette vendors at Ballaro markets, between €2.50 and €4.00 a pack.
Almost as cheap as the fags here in South Carolina. $40(US) for a carton of 10. To cap off a good smoke, what about 1.75 litres of Ezra Brown bourbon (a brand widely available in Oz) for $34?
Ventured into slabland today- bloke sitting in a UglyStik chair behind a blowmould table, plastic banner, “Injured Diggers” logo, under the eaves of the slabmarket. Was giving him the hard walk-past when he keened out “give to the Injured Diggers mate” and I thought.. well, ok, though I do hate the nationwide slick charity scene, I had cash in my pocket.
“Yep ok, gold coins- ” looking on the table for a coinjar or raffle tickets (tho I do avoid gambling)
“Well I’ll show you how we do it mate”- proceeds to push around slick A4 catalogue with some sort of pools system, buy a $25 book, one in eight wins a $90.20 stake, buy 4 x $25 books, one in six win $116.40, etc etc etc
“What you give is tax deductible, I give yez a receipt..
Me: “Nope. Look, I’m happy with charity, but I got four bucks, that’s me.”
Him: “We got card facilities… ”
By this stage of him not getting the effing hint, I just gave him a flat gaze with 2 x $2 coins held out in front.
Holds up his gay lanyard “I can’t take cash, it’s against my registration”…
I wished him luck, but walked on. He just sat on his arse- I’m fairly sure he still had both his legs- spose he just waited for the next mark to reel in. No regrets. Everything I hate about corporate Australia, the tax tickle, ethe electronic money transfer, the permit mentality, the Bouncy Castle sessions masquerading as Saving Lives. On the way out of the 100-acre carpark I saw a big high clearance Iveco with a camouflage canopy, and sure enough on the tailgate, the Injured Diggers sticker. Think my instincts were sound.