Open Thread – Weekend 1 Feb 2025


Stones in the forest. Valaam, Ivan Shishkin, 1858-60

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Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
February 1, 2025 9:53 pm

for some reason my soshul meeja is being bombarded with bleating from dimocrat politicians in the usa

and also from castros boy in canadia

the more i block the more it comes

but i did watch one vid

some moron complaining about tulsi gabbards nomination

no experience
needs to be long time swampie
nominee must have confidence of swamp encumbents

and our allies
meaning sturmer and the krauts

fmd

not one mention about regaining the confidence of the public after twenny years of bungling and political malice

mongs

mizaris
mizaris
February 1, 2025 9:59 pm
Reply to  Sancho Panzer

Same. But Labor. Reams of it and the more I block the more keeps coming. Puke puke.

Last edited 12 days ago by mizaris
MatrixTransform
February 1, 2025 9:58 pm

I have never said anything to you about about maths

yes mate, you have

have you got brain damage or something?

listen, here’s the deal

you keep your babbling gob shut about me and I’ll refrain from making an idiot out of you

reckon both of those will be challenges … but anyway give it a try

Knuckle Dragger
Knuckle Dragger
February 1, 2025 10:07 pm

yes mate, you have

have you got brain damage or something?

Ah, no. No on both counts.

Seriously, if you keep this unfounded hysteria up you’ll turn into the late and unlamented _egg roomba. Looks for stoush – donk. Looks for another stoush – donk. Looks for further stoush – donk.

If the hysteria continues, you may wish to take up horse riding.

GreyRanga
GreyRanga
February 2, 2025 3:37 am

Rocking horse.

JC
JC
February 1, 2025 10:07 pm

Nothing but nothing beats this though.

there are some forums where your’e like a god and people hang on yr every word.

parts of my little world are like that

I’m the old man

the oracle

the bloke that makes people shit themselves when I enter the room

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
February 1, 2025 10:15 pm
Reply to  JC

a classic

like casablanca

or war and peace

or fernando

JC
JC
February 1, 2025 10:16 pm

It has to be ABBA and therefore it has to be Fernando Street.

MatrixTransform
February 1, 2025 10:22 pm

the cartel is back baby …

g’night clowns

try not wank each other too much

Titus Groates
Titus Groates
February 1, 2025 11:11 pm

Geez Matrix, you are mostly tolerable but between yourself and Wodders you are like a couple of fresh dog turds on a nicely mown lawn.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
February 1, 2025 10:26 pm

u no wot they say bout ppl who talk bout masturbation all the time

they are at it

non stop

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
February 1, 2025 10:41 pm

“Sliante” to all you mob.

Sitting on the verandah, punishing the single malt, and reading is an activity befitting a self funded retiree.

The reading is Robert Rhodes James’ biography of Anthony Eden – the first biography of Eden, written with access to Eden’s own diaries and private papers.

Eden was rather a tragic figure in English politics – one of the “Golden Boys ” of British politics, in the early 1930’s, he resigned after Munich in 1938, but was recalled to office when World War Two began. He spent YEARS “in the wings” as deputy Prime Minister, waiting for Winston Churchill to resign..his own term as Prime Minister ended in the Suez crisis of 1956, and his resignation due to ill health soon after.

Eden was invited to Court in the early 1920’s – he was advised that he would need a white tie, and tail coat, but knee breeches and buckled shoes were not required.

Damn fine reading – check it out.

Arky
February 1, 2025 10:44 pm

Now that the suggestion isn’t coming from me, but from Donald Trump, and being openly debated across the right, what do people think about abolishing income tax, running a hugely reduced government off tariffs and gutting entire government departments?

Arky
February 1, 2025 10:45 pm
Reply to  Arky

They could even eventually fulfil my dream of ending public spending on “education”.

Wally Dalí
Wally Dalí
February 1, 2025 10:54 pm
Reply to  Arky

abolishing income tax, running a hugely reduced government off tariffs and gutting entire government departments?
FIFY, count me in

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
February 1, 2025 10:54 pm
Reply to  Arky

“abolishing income tax”. Well said, Archibald, brilliant suggestion!

Entropy
Entropy
February 1, 2025 11:46 pm
Reply to  Arky

I think it would be better to keep income tax and end corporate tax. But no deductions. Every major business in the world would beat a path to your door.
employment and rising wages guaranteed.

Arky
February 2, 2025 12:08 am
Reply to  Entropy

Commie.

Arky
February 2, 2025 12:10 am
Reply to  Arky

If you want to break the back of government over reach, you have to starve the beast and give the people back their money.

Winston Smith
Winston Smith
February 2, 2025 5:34 am
Reply to  Entropy

No income tax, no company tax.
The savings in taxation compliance and the proliferation of vehicles of the luxury class where base models would do the job, these are costs that are passed on to the consumer and in effect become a second tax.

Winston Smith
Winston Smith
February 2, 2025 5:29 am
Reply to  Arky

To me, the entire concept of income tax was a travesty – costing almost as much to collect as it collected.
Tariffs can only work if there’s an economic base that has a competitive base and a rational union/regulatory environment. Australia had neither during the 50’s to 80’s, and they stayed that way until the government could no longer afford them.
Gutting entire government departments and NGO’s is a critical step on the way to a healthy economy – however both sets of organisations are now the tail that wags the dog.

flyingduk
flyingduk
February 2, 2025 9:02 am
Reply to  Winston Smith

If you can fund part of the government by money printing, you can fund ALL of it that way. The main purpose of taxation is to nudge you in certain directions or punish you if you persist in moving in others. Think ciggies, alcohol, fuel tax etc

mizaris
mizaris
February 2, 2025 1:07 pm
Reply to  Arky

Yes, yes, yes, yes and yes.
With MAYBE a 5% gst.

Last edited 11 days ago by mizaris
Cassie of Sydney
February 1, 2025 10:47 pm

This is what the FBI did to Roger Stone and his family.

They tipped off the media beforehand so they could broadcast the humiliation.

This is why the FBI firings are overdue and highly-deserved!

This is what the NSW Police did to Alan Jones.

They tipped off the media beforehand so they could broadcast the humiliation.

This is why Webb and Catley should go and when they do it will be highly deserved!

Wally Dalí
Wally Dalí
February 1, 2025 10:53 pm

ABC TV news leads with footage of the medivac fireball crash in Pennsylvania…
Mobile phone footage..
Cameraman says “Allahu ackbar, what the hell!”
ABC dhimmi must have creamed himself when that one popped up on the feed. That’s definitely what the average moslem says, on the street, when surprised, just like I might say “gee whiz” or “Yama have mercy, but that stings”.

Wally Dalí
Wally Dalí
February 1, 2025 11:32 pm

Watching A Knight’s Tale, on and off, with the girls
Our hero’s page announces him to a workin’ class action sports crowd- hailing him for bathing ankle-deep in Saracen blood, and saving an Italian virgin from the ravages of her Turkish uncle.
Good times, good fun- I can’t help but think that our hides have grown soft somehow, since its release date of (checks IMDB) May 11th, 2001.

John H.
John H.
February 2, 2025 2:28 am
Reply to  Wally Dalí

Asian cinema is still blood filled. Last night I watched a South Korean movie(SBS Ondemand) about a famous naval battle with Japan(Noryang, 1598). Slow to start but gore and guts when the action started. Based on a true story. Another blood feast from South Korea is The Great Battle. Again slow to start, based on a true story, but then sustained action. Very unlike modern movies in the West which start out with an action scene and after that a few minutes here and there.

Entropy
Entropy
February 2, 2025 6:58 am
Reply to  John H.

The great battle is good.
for a Korean gory revenge movie with hot protagonist, I recommend the villainess.

Last edited 11 days ago by Entropy
John H.
John H.
February 2, 2025 1:49 am

In the middle of the night a helicopter keeps buzzing around for at least .5 hour. They must be monitoring me because now going away!
Came back has nav lights on, flying quite low. Infra-red searching?

Last edited 12 days ago by John H.
John H.
John H.
February 2, 2025 2:14 am
Reply to  John H.

Very weird, it is hovering in a very confined region. Been there for nearly an hour.

Entropy
Entropy
February 2, 2025 7:00 am
Reply to  John H.

Looking for fire ants?

Top Ender
Top Ender
February 2, 2025 7:06 am
Reply to  John H.

Hunting aspiring rappers, probably

John H.
John H.
February 2, 2025 2:43 am

Genetics, Not Maternal Sickness, Drives Autism Risk – Neuroscience News

The necessary genetic component was found in previous studies. There is an interesting linkage for schizophrenia and autism occurring in families with higher numbers of intelligent individuals. However, I thought the maternal immune activation was involved but not sufficient. This study states otherwise. The inverse relationship between PDD-NOS and autism clued me onto one important reason for the increased incidence, this finding points to assortative mating; which was obviously involved but may be much more stronger than previously believed.

flyingduk
flyingduk
February 2, 2025 9:07 am
Reply to  John H.

Genetics, Not Maternal Sickness, Drives Autism Risk – Neuroscience News

The autism rate has gone from unknown a century ago to 1/10000 in the 1960s to 1/32 now. Genetics dont change that fast, and if they did, the disease would self extinguish.

It *has* to be an environmental toxin (aluminium in vaxxes would be my top guess), albeit some will have genetic makeups which make them more at risk if exposed.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
February 2, 2025 11:53 am
Reply to  flyingduk

My view from a lot of reading and my own family’s experience is the rise in ‘autism’ is a statistical artifact too due to a much wider range of disorders and behaviours being included into a ‘spectrum’. Non-speaking non–interactive people have always existed, just labelled as something else, such a ‘backward’ or ‘mentally deficient’. Autism is a post-1950 diagnosis of a severe developmental disorder of the brain (including high non-social intelligence and auto-savantism, sometimes associated with other poor physical development) now extended to include a category of individuals verging towards normal diagnosed with ‘neuroatypicality’ (which is real).

In England in the past some individuals like this were viewed as a known category of ‘eccentrics’. There may also be new socio-environmental precipitating factors in contemporary society, including vaxx immune assault, presenting as increased neuroatypicality, social confusion and loss of organisational focus. Hard to untangle the cultural, including increasing visual screen dependence and loss of parental boundary-setting, from the biological expressions when both may be involved.. new genetic and biopathways now being sought may add insight, though they are unlikely to be the whole story.

Autism at all ‘levels’ certainly has genetic elements, and runs in families with schizophrenic members, who with autists were previously often nominated as ‘highly strung’ and imaginative individuals and left to cope within families and society as best they could without labelling: the ‘lame ducks’ in John Galsworthy’s ‘The Forsythe Saga’ come to mind here. Miss Quested in EM Forster’s ‘A Passage to India’, with her schizoid ‘break’ that caused so much racial tension, could be another literary example.

I’m beginning to wonder about myself. We set a rat-trap in the kitchen for that rat and in the early morning around 5pm I heard a clanking as the rat caught in the trap clanked it up the hallway towards our bedroom. Did you hear that? I say, waking Hairy. He say no, you are imagining things, but I was convinced I was not.

He was right though. No rat has been near the trap all night.
That rat’s long gone, says Hairy, and you are being obsessive about it.

I’m still going to set the trap again tonight though. 🙂

flyingduk
flyingduk
February 2, 2025 1:06 pm

My view from a lot of reading and my own family’s experience is the rise in ‘autism’ is a statistical artifact too due to a much wider range of disorders and behaviours being included into a ‘spectrum’.

The expansion of the diagnostic criteria goes only a small way to explaining the rising numbers…. around 1/2 of kids labelled ‘autistic’ are severely disabled, incontinent, non verbal head bangers who need 1:1 supervision at all times everywhere. The other 1/2 are quirky nerds who prefer dinosaur books to football. They are a separate group and most would be better labelled ‘aspergers’ than ‘autistic’, but the explosion in numbers is real, not a labelling artefact. Autism was *unknown* a century ago, 1/10,000 in the 1960s 1/1000 in the 1980s and 1/36 now. Its are real epidemic and the numbers really are rising. We didnt somehow fail to notice these kids back then, or label them differently – the numbers have exploded.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
February 2, 2025 7:01 pm
Reply to  flyingduk

round 1/2 of kids labelled ‘autistic’ are severely disabled, incontinent, non verbal head bangers who need 1:1 supervision at all times everywhere. “

A gross oversimplification.

John H.
John H.
February 2, 2025 1:33 pm

Lizzie the diagnostic expansion began with DSM IV. Additionally diagnoses correlated with the provision of services for ASD across states in the USA, the result arising because PDD-NOS was not trendy and didn’t offer the same state service opportunities. I read a study which showed a strong inverse relationship between ASD and PDD-NOS diagnoses.

The underlying issue is that psychology is an epistemic nightmare. A complete mess but it seems to me so many psychologists are unaware of that. Diagnostic shifts are all too easy. Hence we see huge increases in ADD, anxiety, and depression diagnoses. As one wit commented: if you want a diagnosis of schizophrenia just tell them you’re paranoid and smoke pot. Even watching “How Mad Are You” reveals the problematic nature of mental illness diagnoses.

who with autists were previously often nominated as ‘highly strung’ and imaginative individuals and left to cope within families and society as best they could without labelling: the ‘lame ducks

One of the hypotheses regarding high intelligence is arousal level. In the relatives of ASD and schizophrenics there are behavioral traits that echo those conditions. Exceptional intelligence tends to induce curiosity, possibly representing a need for constant stimulation. It is consistently observed that highly intelligent people are information junkies.

The arousal trait is also particularly important in ASD and schizophrenia. I went nuts trying to unravel the GABA(inhibitory, lowers arousal) issue in ASD because the studies do a St. Vitus Dance. Both ASD and schizophrenia demonstrate reduced GABA levels. That also correlates with higher rates of anxiety and depression in uber brights as GABA agonists are a primary treatment for anxiety.

Nonetheless I don’t dismiss an environmental component but so many possibilities have been put forward that I regard the issue as another example of the perils of statistical analysis, an issue that also relevant to genetic arguments and biomedicine in general. More broadly though I think we have made a huge mistake in pouring so many different agents into our bodies.

I’m happy to have stopped reading this stuff!

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
February 2, 2025 7:25 pm
Reply to  John H.

Me too, John H. Certainly autism has multi expressions and multi causations. Simplistic analysis as offered by Duk and Figures is quite unreasonable. I wouldn’t dismiss some vaxx effects, but it’s not ‘the’ answer.

From a personal standpoint, I just do what I can with family members I see as having distinct characters of their own, and who often struggle with life, as most of us basically ‘normal’ people do at least some of the time. I deal with three ‘defined’ autists, one more towards Aspberger’s imho, in my family, and one ex-husband clearly Aspberger’s, and an adult son with bipolar disorder. Plus a schizophrenic mother and a bipolar father (both deceased now of course) and numerous other extended family members where a few are ‘not quite right’. In my experience, labels which may have some meaning and value at the times they were applied turn out to have not a lot of value over the course of lifetimes. They can often defeat earlier prognoses. People are not automatons set on one path only.

Agree that modern life gives us a lot of chemicals to cope with, but that’s hardly new under industrialism. Lose some and gain some is the pattern of chemical ingestion. Some, such as phossy jaw among match girls or asbestosis among miners, we can pinpoint and know to be ghastly. And even the Roman Empire had its lead water pipes.

mizaris
mizaris
February 2, 2025 1:16 pm
Reply to  John H.

Anecdotally – regular users of marijuana seem to produce children with many autistic traits.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
February 2, 2025 6:58 pm
Reply to  mizaris

They are often terrible parents too. Culture/nature again.

Figures
Figures
February 2, 2025 4:46 pm
Reply to  John H.

Challenge dechallenge rechallenge.

Ergo vaccines cause autism and anybody who says otherwise knows nothing about medicine or is an evil liar.

QED

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
February 2, 2025 6:59 pm
Reply to  Figures

Not ergo at all, Figures.

Tom
Tom
February 2, 2025 4:00 am
Tom
Tom
February 2, 2025 4:14 am
DrBeauGan
DrBeauGan
February 2, 2025 5:28 am

Thanks for WiP Tom.
Ps, Columbian president link fail.

Last edited 12 days ago by DrBeauGan
Beertruk
February 2, 2025 6:29 am
Reply to  DrBeauGan

Here you go Doc:

Columbian_President_JPEG
Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
February 2, 2025 6:32 am
Reply to  DrBeauGan

You can use the same method as for Ben Garrison’s toons: copy the link url, then paste it into a new tab url field.

Beertruk
February 2, 2025 6:54 am

I have found that as with the Ben Garrison’s toons, this is what I get in the link box:

powerlineblog.com/ed-assets/2025/01/IMG_4730-571×600.png

I make sure that the curser is in the link box, left click to highlight the link and hit enter again and the full link appears:

h t t p s://www.powerlineblog.com/ed-assets/2025/01/IMG_4730-571×600.png

Enter again and there it is.
Curses…had to add spaces in the h t t p part because it would not format properly as text.
Sounds a bit convoluted but works for me.

Last edited 11 days ago by Beertruk
calli
calli
February 2, 2025 7:24 am
Reply to  Beertruk

On my Apple device, I just hold my finger on the underlined text until the dialogue box appears and pick “open in background”. Up it comes in a fresh tab.

Tom
Tom
February 2, 2025 8:05 am
Reply to  DrBeauGan

Beaugy, the 4,14am link works. The problem is at your end.

DrBeauGan
DrBeauGan
February 2, 2025 5:48 am

I’ve been reading police procedurals set in Wales which talk about DEI training of cops. Approvingly.

It’s clear from the description what DEI training consists of: There are a bunch of people who are mad as bedbugs, but we have to pretend they are sane and normal even though it’s obvious they aren’t.

Winston Smith
Winston Smith
February 2, 2025 6:09 am
Reply to  DrBeauGan

You get 5 upticks, Doc.

Black Ball
Black Ball
February 2, 2025 6:11 am

Mmmyes so let’s see if the attitude changes when she is accosted. Hun:

A Socialist candidate has said police are overpaid and “worth zero” and has defended Hamas in a shocking series of online comments.

Sue Munro, who regularly attends CBD protests, has claimed Victoria Police are overpaid compared to other emergency services and refused to condemn Hamas’ October 7 terror attack in southern Israel.

The Victorian Socialists candidate, who is running in the Werribee by-election, has been preferenced fifth out of 12 candidates by Labor and second by the Greens.

In the midst of a protracted pay dispute between the police union, Victoria Police and the Allan government, Ms Munro shared a photo of a police car with the words “Raygun will win gold before we are paid what we are worth” written across the back windscreen, accompanied with the caption: “Well they are worth 0.”

Asked by the Herald Sun why she believed police were worth zero, Ms Munro said police are “paid significantly more, and are much better resourced, than other essential workers like nurses and teachers”.

“A society that cuts back on things like housing, healthcare, education, and social services in favour of ever more police and prisons is a society that has failed,” she said.

Ms Munro also clapped back at a Jewish group for condemning a university event which appeared to be in support proscribed terrorist organisation Hamas.

“Hamas exists because of the general trauma you all put Palestinians through!!” she wrote in the comments.

“Long live the rebels,” she added.

In a separate post in February last year, Ms Munro claimed that Israel was part of “occupied” Palestine.

“It is not Israel it is the occupied state of Palestinian,” she wrote.

“It is not war it is genocide.”

The Socialist candidate sought to defend her comments when questioned by the Sunday Herald Sun, saying that she was referring to “all Palestinians resisting their oppression”.

She dodged multiple questions about whether she would condemn Hamas’ October 7 massacre in Israel, in which 1200 people were slaughtered.

Senior Liberal, Jewish MP, David Southwick called out Labor and the Greens for preferencing Ms Munro above multiple other candidates, including the Liberal Party.

“It is appalling that the Premier would preference an anti-Semite and somebody that sees zero value to Victoria Police at a time when we have the kinds of escalating crime and law and order in our state,” he said.

The administrative branch of the Victorian Labor Party, which is responsible for choosing how to preference candidates, was contacted for comment.

So this is where we are at. A slag, and this she is, being preferenced by Labor despite the hardline views all to maintain power.
I can’t really at this early hour add any more to this story, suffice to say she should be shipped off to Antarctica.

DrBeauGan
DrBeauGan
February 2, 2025 6:14 am
Reply to  Black Ball

Or Gaza.

calli
calli
February 2, 2025 7:41 am
Reply to  Black Ball

That can’t be right. Labor are spending our money (now) to stamp out rampant antisemitism! How can they possibly be preferencing someone with antisemitic views?

There must be some mistake.

flyingduk
flyingduk
February 2, 2025 9:09 am
Reply to  Black Ball

“A society that cuts back on things like housing, healthcare, education, and social services in favour of ever more police and prisons is a society that has failed,”

Yes , it has failed… now do something about it.

Black Ball
Black Ball
February 2, 2025 6:12 am

This is the khunt

e80ffcabe11e510829fe18267019ac97
Miltonf
Miltonf
February 2, 2025 6:44 am
Reply to  Black Ball

is this to replace the Pallas grub who is running away from the mess he made?

Entropy
Entropy
February 2, 2025 7:04 am
Reply to  Black Ball

That colour hair is a certainly a great tell, but blue or purple full or partial dye is a complete emergency. Run like you would from a Tiapan.

calli
calli
February 2, 2025 7:42 am
Reply to  Black Ball

Missing the bullring.

Tom
Tom
February 2, 2025 8:13 am
Reply to  Black Ball

Gawd, so many lefty chicks are ugly. Um, sweety, the hair color just makes you look like a pig dog.

Beertruk
February 2, 2025 8:32 am
Reply to  Black Ball

I think the authorities should be investigating hair dyes. Especially blue and purple. My observations are that it seems to make people fat, retarded and ugly.

h/t Tom’s WIP comments section.
(Paraphrased)

Last edited 11 days ago by Beertruk
flyingduk
flyingduk
February 2, 2025 9:13 am
Reply to  Black Ball

Aposematism….interesting word!

c35
H B Bear
H B Bear
February 2, 2025 12:32 pm
Reply to  Black Ball

Jebus. Straight from the bed pan emptiers union HQ. Victoriastan still hasn’t hit rock bottom clearly.

Lee
Lee
February 2, 2025 12:54 pm
Reply to  Black Ball

It goes without saying that life would be a very brief and unpleasant one for her in Gaza.

Idiot.

Beertruk
February 2, 2025 6:20 am

Thank you Tom for the Week In Pictures.

There is a lot of good stuff in the comments section as well.

Zafiro
Zafiro
February 2, 2025 8:11 am
Reply to  Beertruk

Quite so.

comment image?w=600&h=345

Winston Smith
Winston Smith
February 2, 2025 6:28 am

Prince Andrew AGAIN in the Spotlight as FBI’s Kash Patel Vows To Uncover the ‘Jeffrey Epstein List’, and Evidence Surfaces of Royal’s Continued Relation With Late Pedophilehttps://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/02/prince-andrew-again-spotlight-as-fbis-kash-patel/
What trash the ‘Royal Family’ have been exposed as now that Elizabeth isn’t there to keep them in line.
Will they survive longer than the Starmer government?
I wouldn’t put any money on it.

Black Ball
Black Ball
February 2, 2025 6:41 am
Reply to  Winston Smith

Daily Telegraph:

Prince Andrew told his friend Jeffrey Epstein that they would “play some more soon” in an email sent two months after he claimed their friendship had ended, it has been revealed.

The disgraced Duke of York, 64, wrote to the late serial sex trafficker on the same day a photo of him with then-17-year-old Virginia Giuffre emerged, a court has heard.

Andrew initially claimed that he had cut ties with the late financier — who died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking and federal conspiracy charges — in December 2010, shortly after the duo was pictured taking a stroll through Central Park.

H B Bear
H B Bear
February 2, 2025 12:34 pm
Reply to  Black Ball

The Firm will have to Epstein him just like Lady Di at some point.

Black Ball
Black Ball
February 2, 2025 6:36 am

I guess this under her portfolio. Daily Telegraph:

Transport Minister Jo Haylen summoned a ministerial ­driver on a 446km round trip to bring a luxury people mover to chauffer her and friends on a personal Australia Day weekend outing from her Caves Beach holiday home.

The Sunday Telegraph can reveal Ms Haylen had been staying at her holiday house with Housing Minister Rose Jackson when the taxpayer-funded van and driver was summoned from Sydney for the January 25 ­outing.

Ms Jackson was not party to calling the ministerial vehicle or arranging the logistics, but she joined the ride.

While rules governing ministerial drivers and vehicles allow for both public and private use, many of the drivers are privately outraged on behalf of their colleague, who worked a 13-hour day on the trip.

When questioned by The Sunday Telegraph Ms Haylen conceded the trip didn’t “pass the pub test” and immediately offered to repay the cost.

A leaked copy of the ministerial driver log book obtained by The Sunday Telegraph shows a Kia Carnival people mover van was taken out by a ministerial driver at 8am.

Depending on the model, Kia Carnivals can fit between six to eight adults, with some able to accommodate 10.

The purpose of the vehicle is stated as “M. Jo Haylen” with the start of the trip recorded as Rockdale, where it is believed the driver lives. The log book shows the vehicle returned to Rockdale almost 13 hours later at 8.50pm after clocking 446km.

The distance from Sydney to Caves Beach is about 150km, meaning 300km of the recorded 446km was the ­driver taking the vehicle to Ms Haylen and back.

The logbook does not indicate how the remaining 146km was accrued.

Ms Haylen would not reveal where exactly she travelled in the van, or whether it was to a winery, beyond declaring it had been a “private event”.

Situated in the Lake Macquarie area, Caves Beach is ­located around 70km from the start of the Hunter Valley region, Cessnock and Lochinvar.

Ms Haylen would not ­respond to questions as to whether she already had ­access to a vehicle up the coast, nor why she needed a driver and a Kia Carnival ­people mover for the day.

Ms Haylen’s driver, who logged the trip, also declined to comment.

In a statement to The Sunday Telegraph, Ms Haylen said she had attended a ­“private event” on the day.

She also noted that the guidelines for ministerial drivers and cars stated that they could be used for both official and private purposes.

“I attended a private event on January 25,” she said.

“Cars and drivers may be used for official and private purposes as is stated within the official guidelines.

“I recognise, however, that this does not pass the pub test, and as such I have made ­arrangements to repay the money to the Premier’s Department.”

A source observed Ms Jackson and Ms Haylen appear to be having a tense discussion at the cricket on Friday shortly after The Sunday Telegraph sent the Transport Minister’s office questions about the trip.

NSW Nationals leader ­Dugald Saunders said while he welcomed ministers visiting regional areas, it should not be at the expense of the taxpayer.

“I’ll be interested to see how they work out the cost of the trip and who that money is ­repaid to,” he said.

“The Premier (Chris Minns) needs to take strong action here to make sure this loophole isn’t exploited again.”

They are having a larf. At your expense.

calli
calli
February 2, 2025 7:45 am
Reply to  Black Ball

A booze-up of some sort. And the taxpayer was the “designated driver”.

Bungonia Bee
Bungonia Bee
February 2, 2025 8:16 am
Reply to  Black Ball

I’m channeling JC here: Jo is very nice looking!

Aaron
Aaron
February 2, 2025 10:53 am
Reply to  Bungonia Bee

For a Labor politician.

That’s a low bar though.

Bluey
Bluey
February 2, 2025 8:57 am
Reply to  Black Ball

A good thing it’s not a bus or a truck. The driver would have probably been pushing the limit of what’s legally allowed under fatigue management.
Of course, if you’re driving something smaller, clearly you don’t get tired.

Boambee John
Boambee John
February 2, 2025 9:25 am
Reply to  Black Ball

Lucky she’s a Labor “person of the people”. Imagine how badly a Torrie would have treated the driver.

Aaron
Aaron
February 2, 2025 10:58 am
Reply to  Boambee John

Amazing how many of these “common folk” own beach houses.

Roger
Roger
February 2, 2025 11:00 am
Reply to  Boambee John

Just checked her bio:

A former staffer of Gillard & Albanese.

Never had a real job in her life, by the looks.

Trougher.

H B Bear
H B Bear
February 2, 2025 12:52 pm
Reply to  Roger

“Professional politician”

Aaron
Aaron
February 2, 2025 10:37 am
Reply to  Black Ball

As bastard Burke always says “It’s within the guidelines”.

Funny how these grubs cannot be happy with the perks, they have to gorge themselves.

Jackson is another of the incestous Labor offspring and nice to hear these two parasites attended the cricket on Friday.

I wonder if Mr Jackson AKA Sam Crosby made a few bucks appearing on SKY during the wife’s three day week.

Last edited 11 days ago by Aaron
H B Bear
H B Bear
February 2, 2025 12:41 pm
Reply to  Aaron

As bastard Burke always says “It’s within the guidelines”

A variation on Gillard’s Thommo defence, “It’s not against the law.” In truth, comcar guidelines are so wide you wonder what it would take to break them?

Roger
Roger
February 2, 2025 10:56 am
Reply to  Black Ball

Ms Jackson was not party to calling the ministerial vehicle or arranging the logistics, but she joined the ride.

Of course she did.

They’re all along for the ride!

zimlurog
zimlurog
February 2, 2025 11:52 am
Reply to  Black Ball

The slag is only offering to pay because she got found out.

H B Bear
H B Bear
February 2, 2025 12:42 pm
Reply to  zimlurog

They all do. Welcome to the UniParty.

Old Lefty
Old Lefty
February 2, 2025 8:02 pm
Reply to  Black Ball

And the working class
Can kiss my arse
I’ m in the boss’s seat now.

Rockdoctor
Rockdoctor
February 2, 2025 6:43 am

Morn all.

Burdekin rivers at major flood level. Ayr & Guru will be a tad nervous atm. Some huge totals at Paluma and Rollingstone just north.

As for the ‘ville, now getting gales, 82km/h reported at airport. Rivers at minor flood apart from Bohle at severe. Some bums would be twitching in the Suburb of Burdell atm, only thing seperating them from that torrent is a levee bank. Plenty of land up here but developers seem to like these flood plains, go figure.

Plug for the boys at Oz Cyclone Chasers, opened their Facebook Weather Iq page to public. Great source if anyone interested.

Screenshot_20250202-052905_Samsung-Internet
Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
February 2, 2025 7:09 am
Reply to  Rockdoctor

Evacuation warnings in place for severe flooding in Queensland (Sky News, 2 Jan)

Evacuation warnings are active in northern Queensland as authorities fear of dangerous flooding.

Six suburbs in Townsville were affected after the area experienced more than 24 hours of intense rain.

Additional evacuation centres were established after the warning had been expanded.

Will they evacuate? My experience with Townsvillians is they’re a pretty independent bunch.

Entropy
Entropy
February 2, 2025 7:09 am
Reply to  Rockdoctor

Ozcyclone chasers (weatherIQ) is worth the subscription IMHO, although nitso can be very repetitive and goes on far too long oftentimes.

Last edited 11 days ago by Entropy
H B Bear
H B Bear
February 2, 2025 12:46 pm
Reply to  Rockdoctor

Floodplains nice and flat. I expect often the last areas available in some places. It’s often all that is saving some playing fields and golf courses.

Winston Smith
Winston Smith
February 2, 2025 6:44 am

Dutch Decide to Cut Off Aid to Palestinian NGOs That Don’t Recognize Israel’s Right to Exist

https://jihadwatch.org/2025/02/dutch-decide-to-cut-off-aid-to-palestinian-ngos-that-dont-recognize-israels-right-to-exist

Last year, Dutch lawmakers discovered that the previous government had continued funding a terror-linked NGO, despite knowing they[the NGO] had subsidized the salaries of two Palestinians convicted in the 2019 murder of a 17-year-old Israeli girl….

Pogria
Pogria
February 2, 2025 2:08 pm
Reply to  Winston Smith

GOOD.

Miltonf
Miltonf
February 2, 2025 6:56 am

While rules governing ministerial drivers and vehicles allow for both public and private use, many of the drivers are privately outraged on behalf of their colleague, who worked a 13-hour day on the trip.

And I thought the ALP was all about workers’ rights (sarc). Beneath despicable.

Rockdoctor
Rockdoctor
February 2, 2025 7:06 am
Reply to  Miltonf

OH&S anyone.

Quite sure 13hrs is a breach.

Maybe the opposition needs to pursue more.

Aaron
Aaron
February 2, 2025 10:56 am
Reply to  Rockdoctor

No,no no. Just like mincing Pyne, they might drop themselves in if they look too closely.

H B Bear
H B Bear
February 2, 2025 12:48 pm
Reply to  Aaron

Yep. Looking around for anyone who can throw the first stone.

Winston Smith
Winston Smith
February 2, 2025 7:02 am

Iran: IRGC Tries To Do It All

https://strategypage.com/qnd/iran/articles/20250201125616.aspx#gsc.tab=0

Something else Iran has to rebuild is belief among all Iranians that the current leaders will be able to end the poverty that has been growing over the last decade with a third of Iranians impoverished and a few percent without housing or enough food to survive.

Winston Smith
Winston Smith
February 2, 2025 7:07 am

Air Weapons: Rapidly Evolving Drone Developments

https://strategypage.com/htmw/htairw/articles/2025012803113.aspx#gsc.tab=0

January 28, 2025: Ukraine has been fighting the Russian invaders for three years now. The expensive Russian failure to conquer Ukraine is largely due to Ukrainian ingenuity and innovations. Russia responds but rarely gets ahead. 

Rockdoctor
Rockdoctor
February 2, 2025 7:08 am

LOL to my above. Sarcasm showing up on Interwebs on why the BOM hasn’t named our tropical depression.

Miltonf
Miltonf
February 2, 2025 7:17 am

Sounds like the slags planned a piss up.

feelthebern
feelthebern
February 2, 2025 7:24 am

10/10 in the Oz quiz today.
1m 21seconds.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
February 2, 2025 7:47 am
Reply to  feelthebern

Phht.
I can do the quiz AND have sex in 1 min 21 secs.

Bruce in WA
February 2, 2025 12:56 pm
Reply to  Sancho Panzer

How do you make it last that long?

(Asking for a friend.)

Miltonf
Miltonf
February 2, 2025 7:24 am

Pete Buttigieg Responds to Trump Criticism, Humiliates Himself in the Process – PJ Media

Extraordinary isn’t the McKinsey’s considered Buttplug to worthy to advise companies on how to manage their business.

Last edited 11 days ago by Miltonf
Miltonf
Miltonf
February 2, 2025 7:32 am

I see Buttplug did PPE at Oxford. FMD. Another one.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
February 2, 2025 7:44 am

Looking very iffy for Tulsi Gabbard.

Gabbard Faces GOP Resistance in Confirmation Battle (1 Feb)

Gabbard’s confirmation hearing this week left key Republican senators unconvinced, particularly regarding her stance on Edward Snowden, government surveillance programs, and past diplomatic engagements with foreign adversaries.

Gabbard cannot afford any GOP defections on the committee, which is split 9-8 in favor of Republicans with Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Todd Young of Indiana identified as key swing votes.

Meanwhile, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the former Senate Republican leader, has indicated he will oppose her confirmation if it reaches the floor.

While Senate rules allow nominees to bypass committee recommendations, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has suggested that route is unlikely.

Collins, McConnell and Murkowski all voted against Hegseth requiring Vance to cast the deciding vote. But since Collins is on that committee she may not get to a Senate vote.

Last edited 11 days ago by Bruce of Newcastle
lotocoti
lotocoti
February 2, 2025 7:54 am
Mak Siccar
Mak Siccar
February 2, 2025 7:57 am

The author alerts us what is going on behind closed doors.

Native title over 60% of our land mass is just not enough for these grubs.

This treachery cannot be allowed to continue and I have just written to our (Qld) new Environment Minister, with the link and the same excerpt, pleading for this not to happen here.

Welcome to the New Apartheid

On July 3, 2022, NSW Liberal then-minister for the environment, James Griffin, announced the development of a new model for Aboriginal joint management of NSW national parks. The model will see the potential handing the title to every NSW national park to Aborigines over the next 15 to 20 years. Land would be leased back to the state government for its continued use and management as national park.

This equates to around 10% of the land mass of NSW. We don’t know who is getting ownership and control of our public parks, how much it will cost, how much has already been spent, how much public access will be lost, or how much rent will be paid. The model is playing out with Mt Warning National Park under a veil of secrecy. If other parks follow a similar path, disaster, division and loss of public access to places of natural wonder will result.

It seems NPWS’ DEI hires are well into the process of turning this divisive and poorly considered idea into a bleak reality. A new Aboriginal Joint Management Unit  has been established to oversee the development of the proposed new model. The unit has been tasked with development of the “handback” model, starting with consultations with Aboriginal groups.

GreyRanga
GreyRanga
February 2, 2025 8:56 am
Reply to  Mak Siccar

If my family trust owned 60% of Australia and still was in receipt of of buckets of public money imagine the howls.

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
February 2, 2025 9:15 am
Reply to  Mak Siccar

Keith Windscuttle warned of the agenda in “The Breakup Of Australia”, published in 2016.

Indolent
Indolent
February 2, 2025 7:58 am

The BBC. But the tipping point is coming.

Could the UK actually get colder with global warming?

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
February 2, 2025 8:08 am
Reply to  Indolent

If global warming causes cold weather what does global cooling do?

Jock
Jock
February 2, 2025 8:45 am
Reply to  Indolent

So , by this “logic” the last ice age was caused by global warming? These people are maroons.

Indolent
Indolent
February 2, 2025 8:02 am

@wideawake_media

EPIC: Peter Hitchens tears Net Zero to shreds, to the dismay of BBC panellists and audience members.

“We didn’t just close down our coal fired power stations, we blew them up, we were so certain we were right to do so. At the same time, China is building the equivalent of two new coal fired power stations a week. India has a vast expansion programme of coal fired power stations.”

“The contribution which this country is making to these outcomes is not merely minimal, it’s non-existent. Everything that we do is completely blotted out by what much larger countries are doing to maintain their own power.”

“If you want to live in a country where nobody can afford to heat their house… if you want lots of people to lose their jobs because there’s no energy, if you want to be cold all the time… then carry on believing that the demand to go for Net Zero is intelligent and thoughtful.”

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
February 2, 2025 12:32 pm
Reply to  Indolent

Excellent piece of truth to power, about powering economies.

Beertruk
February 2, 2025 8:02 am

Today’s Sunday Tele:

INSIPID LABOR LEADERSHIP HAS EMBOLDENED ANTI-SEMITIC TERRORISTS TO ATTACK JEWISH COMMUNITY

PIERS – AKERMAN
2 Feb 2025

How many arson attacks on synagogues and childcare centres, how much anti-Semitic graffiti, or caravans full of explosives must there be before Treasurer Jim Chalmers recognises the massive surge in domestic terrorism in Australia since October 7, 2023?

Will it take a murder to focus his mind and divert it from obsessive smug self-appreciation? On Thursday morning, Chalmers said that a series of anti-Jewish attacks and the discovery of a caravan containing explosives showed “some of the fears that Jewish Australians have right now are not unfounded”.

He has ignored nearly 16 months of attacks on Australians of the Jewish faith. Those attacks include one on the electorate office of his colleague, Josh Burns, whose office in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda was sprayed with anti-Semitic slogans last June as windows were smashed and fires were lit in telecommunications pits at the front of the building.

Burns, one of Labor’s two Jewish MPs in federal parliament, said the attack was “reckless and dangerous vandalism”. He did not call it out as anti-Semitism and neither did Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who simply said: “This is an escalation of the attacks we’ve seen. We’ve been talking about this. We’ve got to dial this down.”

Too right. The family living in the apartment above Burns’ office were lucky they weren’t incinerated.

So, too, were members of the Adass Israel Synagogue congregation when it was torched in Melbourne’s south in December.

There had been hundreds of incidents of graffiti and firebombing before an Australian Federal Police task force was established on December 9, but more attacks were to follow on cars and buildings, including the former home of a Jewish leader and a Sydney childcare centre incinerated on January 21.

On that day, Albanese held a national cabinet meeting in which premiers agreed to establish a database to track anti-Semitic crime.

Backtrack for a moment to the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House on October 9, 2023, before Israel had responded to the murderous cross-border invasion two days earlier by Hamas militants who tortured, raped and murdered more than 1200 civilians, including whole families burnt alive, and seizing 250 hostages as they retreated.

It was a miserably weak response to the scourge sweeping the nation. So meagre, perhaps, that Premier Chris Minns didn’t bother informing Albanese of the discovery of the explosives-laden caravan when they met again. If only the NSW police had applied the law to hate preachers after October 7, 2023, things may have not spiralled to the current crisis point.

Had the illegal keffiyeh mob not been shepherded to the Opera House on October 9, to celebrate the murders of Israeli Jews, things may have been different today.

But neither the Minns government nor the Albanese government upheld the laws to have the offenders arrested.

If only they had identified the rioters and expelled all those on visas. They didn’t even acknowledge the shouted Jew hatred, instead using weasel words with vague references to “trouble” in the Middle East.

Emboldened anti-Semitic pro-Palestine protesters have created weekly havoc in the streets of Melbourne and Sydney ever since.

Under the ceasefire agreement reached on January 15, 33 out of the remaining 98 hostages are to be released in exchange for more than 1000 Palestinian criminals held in Israeli detention.

Footage of the Palestinian returnees shows fit and healthy-looking men and women in stark contrast to the vision of the traumatised Israeli hostages who have been kept in tunnels and homes of Hamas operatives.

If Chagall’s dove of peace were to fly from Israel across the Gazan border tomorrow it would be shot down by the terrorists.

A lot of good points

Bungonia Bee
Bungonia Bee
February 2, 2025 8:10 am
Reply to  Beertruk

Vote Labor, get ratbags.

Makka
Makka
February 2, 2025 9:21 am
Reply to  Bungonia Bee

Voting Liberal got us Turdball and Scummo (and his loyal servant Dutton).

H B Bear
H B Bear
February 2, 2025 12:57 pm
Reply to  Makka

Really just leftovers from Howard’s stewardship of the Lieborals. Straight onto the rocks.

H B Bear
H B Bear
February 2, 2025 1:00 pm
Reply to  Makka

I wouldn’t be too hard on Spud. Plenty of nose holding required in party politics.

Winston Smith
Winston Smith
February 2, 2025 11:18 am
Reply to  Beertruk

The point of it is that the Islamic community KNOWS who is doing this. Perpetrators of these attacks brag about them all the time – that’s just part of the mindset.
They know and they refuse to police themselves.
It’s time for mass expulsions.

Indolent
Indolent
February 2, 2025 8:03 am
Bungonia Bee
Bungonia Bee
February 2, 2025 8:09 am

“The elite set – cool young things who are shaping our city”
Daily Telegraph.
That belongs over at News, aka Clickbait Central.

Miltonf
Miltonf
February 2, 2025 8:12 am

Emboldened anti-Semitic pro-Palestine protesters have created weekly havoc in the streets of Melbourne and Sydney ever since.

Why did canbra bring them here in the first place?

Winston Smith
Winston Smith
February 2, 2025 11:25 am
Reply to  Miltonf

Milton, to create weekly havoc in the streets of Melbourne and Sydney. That’s why they’re here.
And you thought our government was a bunch of idiots who couldn’t organise a root in a brothel.

Old Lefty
Old Lefty
February 2, 2025 12:13 pm
Reply to  Winston Smith

They have Fiona Patten to do that for them.

flyingduk
flyingduk
February 2, 2025 11:40 am
Reply to  Miltonf

Quite … in engineering terms, ‘elimination of the hazardous process/equipment’ (no mass muslim immigration) sits higher on the ‘hierachy of controls’ than ‘institute control measures’ (advertising to muzzies to be nice to jews).

Pogria
Pogria
February 2, 2025 2:17 pm
Reply to  Miltonf

For that very havoc.
To frighten ordinary Aussies into compliance.
Obviously, those that Govern, have never read abut Pandora.

Phil
Phil
February 2, 2025 4:22 pm
Reply to  Miltonf

Because they hate Australians

Indolent
Indolent
February 2, 2025 8:16 am
Aaron
Aaron
February 2, 2025 2:38 pm
Reply to  Indolent

Yes.

Rockdoctor
Rockdoctor
February 2, 2025 8:37 am

Went out for breakfast. Power off again.

Bohle river, there’s usually a road under that.

Resized_20250202_071913_1738444904410
Rockdoctor
Rockdoctor
February 2, 2025 8:41 am

Bruce hwy has a low & high bridge. Traffic is diverted over the high bridge in flood

Resized_20250202_071936_1738444895168
Rockdoctor
Rockdoctor
February 2, 2025 8:42 am

Last one.

Enjoy your day.

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lotocoti
lotocoti
February 2, 2025 8:57 am

A little fixer-upper on the other River Blackwater.

Winston Smith
Winston Smith
February 2, 2025 11:33 am
Reply to  lotocoti

800,000 quid. It’d take another half a million to sort out.
But I’d do it if I had the money – fortunately, I don’t.
There’s a lot of heartache in that place by the looks of the roof etc.
🙂

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
February 2, 2025 9:01 am

Public serpents don’t like hostile doggies.

Elon Musk’s DOGE Locks Federal Human Resources Workers Out of Computer Systems (1 Feb)

Musk, the owner of social media platform X and the leader of the Department of Government Efficiency — which is tasked with slashing government waste, fraud, and abuse — installed allies at the government resources agency known as the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

Reuters, citing government officials who spoke to the outlet anonymously, said career bureaucrats have had their access to governments systems revoked.

Musk’s allies have figuratively set up camp at the OPM headquarters so they work round the clock:

A team including current and former employees of Musk assumed command of OPM on Jan. 20, the day Trump took office. They have moved sofa beds onto the fifth floor of the agency’s headquarters, which contains the director’s office and can only be accessed with a security badge or a security escort, one of the OPM employees said.

The sofa beds have been installed so the team can work around the clock, the employee said.

“It feels like a hostile takeover,” one employee lamented.

In other news Elon has now gotten access to the Treasury payments system and it’s looking like a gigantic scandal.

Musk Reveals Treasury Has Been Auto-Paying Everyone, ‘Even Known Terrorist Groups’ (2 Feb)

Winston Smith
Winston Smith
February 2, 2025 11:36 am

I wonder if it’s possible to make an AI that can sort through all these organisations finances?
Can some of the Big Brains here think through the process?

Boambee John
Boambee John
February 2, 2025 12:03 pm
Reply to  Winston Smith

I suspect that Elon has already done this.

H B Bear
H B Bear
February 2, 2025 1:03 pm

Musk is the perfect guy for this job. It’s like having 4Chan working directly.

Miltonf
Miltonf
February 2, 2025 9:02 am

Thanks for the update Rocky.

Rockdoctor
Rockdoctor
February 2, 2025 9:15 am
Reply to  Miltonf

I’m just giving an honest account of my observations. Without the hype.

Some Sky news bint was at Aplins weir yesterday on Ross river near Douglas trying to ham it up.

Town is holding up well for 500mm over 48hrs.

cohenite
February 2, 2025 9:08 am

Why the Dugong is Disappearing from Our Oceans

Reasons given, global boiling, habitat destruction, blah, blah; nothing about 3rd nations hunting the poor buggars. You know in the traditional way: from the back of a tinny with a 303.

Arky
February 2, 2025 11:16 am
Reply to  cohenite

F*ck the dugongs.
That’s my policy.
And I’m sticking to it.

AnotherRanga
AnotherRanga
February 2, 2025 11:36 am
Reply to  Arky

Leave Sarah Hansen SeaPatrol out of this,

Boambee John
Boambee John
February 2, 2025 12:04 pm
Reply to  Arky

Arky believes that dugongs are actually mermaids.

bons
bons
February 2, 2025 10:50 am
Reply to  Indolent

The stunt that Elizabeth Warren pulled when she created this outrage and somehow made it impervious to Executive or Legislative intervention is extraordinary. Vile, vile terrorist psychopath woman.

At least Trump can fire individuals, a tactic that Poka had not foreseen.

Winston Smith
Winston Smith
February 2, 2025 11:55 am
Reply to  Indolent

It’s becoming more and more obvious that the US Treasury has for years been looted by criminal gangs that have enjoyed political and legal protection by the Political And Bureaucratic Classes.
?It is also obvious that this party is coming to an end.
?Hopefully, major prison sentences are going to be handed out, but if there’s any chance of that happening, the Criminal Class from both parties will cover each other.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
February 2, 2025 12:53 pm
Reply to  Winston Smith

Too big not to rig.

Crims protect crims.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
February 2, 2025 9:12 am

“It feels like a hostile takeover,” one employee lamented.

Good.
This is very good.
You’re starting to catch on.
Because it is a hostile takeover.

Miltonf
Miltonf
February 2, 2025 9:25 am
Reply to  Sancho Panzer

The DC-meja-DNC establishment showed how they wanted to play it 2017-2020 so what do they expect?

Winston Smith
Winston Smith
February 2, 2025 12:04 pm
Reply to  Miltonf

“When you’ve been getting preferential treatment all your life, fair treatment feels like you’re being discriminated against.”

flyingduk
flyingduk
February 2, 2025 1:16 pm
Reply to  Winston Smith

Thomas Sowell 😉

Winston Smith
Winston Smith
February 3, 2025 8:54 am
Reply to  flyingduk

Thanks, FD. I remembered the quote but couldn’t remember who said it. Sowell – another smart cookie.

Indolent
Indolent
February 2, 2025 9:13 am
Makka
Makka
February 2, 2025 9:14 am

Albo will be bringing in a LOT more..

How many Aussies will go to India to study?

We are being royally fkd over. How better to get voteherds and suppress wages?

GirqpW0awAAlpqE
Rockdoctor
Rockdoctor
February 2, 2025 9:30 am
Reply to  Makka

Dutton’s no different on this one. He’s reviewing the visa for significant investors. A grovel to Chinese. The NSW branch of the party is also coming under significant Indian influence.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.9news.com.au/article/055bf247-e152-4dbb-b98a-56619ab754bc

I am at the stage where I would like to student visa severely curtailed & application for residency made from home country, refugee program cut to zero and immigration to match population decline for 5-10 years.

Makka
Makka
February 2, 2025 9:39 am
Reply to  Rockdoctor

Both Dutton and Albo were at a big Chinese NY do at Box Hill Vic recently pledging a qtr Mill for the celebrations, ongoing. But, no Australia Day celebration funding for Victoria.

Fkg UNiparty.

Miltonf
Miltonf
February 2, 2025 9:39 am
Reply to  Rockdoctor

It’s nonsensical- do some course in which there’s allegedly some skill shortage and get a PR. I’ve seen it up close. Not impressive people, Masters ‘degree’ essentially for sale. Howard again?

Rockdoctor
Rockdoctor
February 2, 2025 9:53 am
Reply to  Miltonf

Pure obs.

I have worked with some very good Indian professionals. One was a supervisor who was strict but honest. On other hand I have seen more whose qualifications I question the veracity of. Chinese are as bad for this too. The amount of wellsite logs or samples I’ve had to fix, grrrr.

My concern is that we are making the same mistakes again by opening the floodgates to overwhelming number of a demographic group. We’ve been here before with other ethnicities and only realised the downsides when it’s too late.

The brakes need to be yanked on, I’d like to see parity to maintain population but would accept Howard era 70K numbers as a compromise. Student/refugee numbers however need to be slashed.

Old Lefty
Old Lefty
February 2, 2025 8:13 pm
Reply to  Rockdoctor

If you even advocated a cutback to the migration levels under the Hawke government, you’d be vilified as a racist these days.

Farmer Gez
Farmer Gez
February 2, 2025 9:44 am
Reply to  Rockdoctor

At least you know the Indians are only in it for the money.

Makka
Makka
February 2, 2025 9:46 am
Reply to  Farmer Gez

Sure, a couple of million more Indians here would be harmless.

Aaron
Aaron
February 2, 2025 12:19 pm
Reply to  Makka

Until they breed here.

Fuck knows what Australia will be like in 50 years

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
February 2, 2025 1:02 pm
Reply to  Farmer Gez

And for seeing their coreligionists and cultural systems in place in exclusionary numbers in many of our employment opportunities. This country doesn’t need any more mass immigration from other cultures.

Tom
Tom
February 2, 2025 2:44 pm
Reply to  Farmer Gez

The way I see it we have a choice of which group/s we want to use to populate Big Australia:

a) Chinese spies;
b) Islamic herrorists; or
c) Hindi Indian aspirationals.

The Indians are the least trouble, IMO.

Last edited 11 days ago by Tom
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
February 2, 2025 12:56 pm
Reply to  Rockdoctor

Sounds eminently sensible to me.

When do we start?

Bluey
Bluey
February 2, 2025 10:39 am
Reply to  Makka

Pretty confident it’s too late. Too many competing ethnic groups, that only see their people as valuable and everyone else is to be screwed over.
More likely Australia will become increasingly totalitarian to keep a lid on the conflict, or it will boil out into open violence rather than assimilation and peaceful integration will happen at this point.
Hell, just look at Melbourne and Sydney now.

flyingduk
flyingduk
February 2, 2025 11:47 am
Reply to  Bluey

Its been the way in *every* country with warring tribes – Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan etc – you need a Saddam to keep the lid on things.

Aaron
Aaron
February 2, 2025 12:20 pm
Reply to  Bluey

Let’s see how “Always was, always will be” ages with the new breed of colonisation.

Last edited 11 days ago by Aaron
lotocoti
lotocoti
February 2, 2025 9:20 am

Meanwhile, in Airstrip One.

Makka
Makka
February 2, 2025 9:36 am
Reply to  lotocoti

This is where we are headed, make NO mistake. It doesn’t matter if it’s Labor or Libs. Both parties are signed on to online registration and/or censorship in various forms which over time will then be enhanced with far more stringent “hate speech” laws. You saw Minns speak the words out loud saying multiculturalism isn’t up for debate when advocating for hate speech legislation and punishments.

Brought in in under the guise of anti- Semitic legislation.

Any comments made causing anxiety, angst, offense, sadness, worry, concern to any person or group will incur criminal penalty.

Try criticizing corrupt Govt or violent Islam under that environment.

Winston Smith
Winston Smith
February 2, 2025 12:09 pm
Reply to  Makka

The issue is that our Political Class is a bunch of treasonous arseholes who are selling the country we built up.

Last edited 11 days ago by Winston Smith
Phil
Phil
February 2, 2025 4:47 pm
Reply to  Makka

Any comments made causing anxiety, angst, offense, sadness, worry, concern to any person or group will incur criminal penalty.

Every time some dick from government opens their mouth that is exactly how I feel
?

cohenite
February 2, 2025 9:21 am

British Islamist @mohammed_hijab
explains his fitna or struggle. “The reason why you have to fight them, is because they are Jews & Christians. You should fight them until they give you the Jizya (extra taxes). There is no conceivability of peace between Muslims & non-Muslims.

“Islam is a warrior religion, it’s about expansion & conquest.”

(20) David Atherton on X: “British Islamist @mohammed_hijab explains his fitna or struggle. “The reason why you have to fight them, is because they are Jews & Christians. You should fight them until they give you the Jizya (extra taxes). There is no conceivability of peace between Muslims & non-Muslims. https://t.co/b0YqwO6LGS” / X

Miltonf
Miltonf
February 2, 2025 9:33 am
Reply to  cohenite

Spends a lot of time hanging around ‘Universities’-

  1. PhD – University of Birmingham (Completing)
  2. MTH in Applied Theology – University of Oxford
  3. MA in Islamic Studies – SOAS University London
  4. MA in History – Queen Mary University of London
  5. BA in Politics – – Queen Mary University of London 
  6. BA in Arabic & Islamic Sciences – Al-Azhar University Egypt

what contemptible places they are

cohenite
February 2, 2025 9:35 am

If Tulsi is not confirmed the GOP traitors who vote against her should be put in Gitmo. Now she is a cute owl.

tulsi-in-army-uniform
flyingduk
flyingduk
February 2, 2025 11:48 am
Reply to  cohenite

Im wondering what Mr Ts next moves are if his picks get squashed by the committees, I doubt he will just rollover.

Indolent
Indolent
February 2, 2025 9:37 am

@officer_Lew

BREAKING: Acting FBI Director Driscoll has acknowledged in a LEAKED internal memo that a significant portion of the FBI was involved in INVESTIGATING Trump and his supporters, stating, “We understand that this encompasses thousands of employees who took part in these investigations, including myself and Deputy Director Kissane.”

Indolent
Indolent
February 2, 2025 9:44 am

@AnnaRMatson

Tulsi Gabbard stepped down as Vice Chair of the DNC to endorse Bernie Sanders after seeing how rigged the process was against him.

His vote on her will tell us if he has any shred of integrity left or if he ever had any at all.

Tulsi spoke out for what was right; it’s time for him to do the same. He should be a firm YES on confirming her.

Cassie of Sydney
February 2, 2025 9:45 am

A few points…

Firstly, my personal safety as a Jewish Australian is now on the line. It’s tragic but I no longer feel safe in this country, even my synagogue is now a target. This state of affairs has come about due to a scandalous (and I believe intentional) lack of leadership from both federal and state Labor governments. Oh and I hold Pretty Boy Minns equally responsible for this terrible state of affairs. Minns talks pretty words but that’s it. Minns is a fraud.

Secondly, I didn’t much care for Scumbag Morrison, a man who was happy knifing his own whilst ignoring the scum of the left, and I made my disdain for Morrison very clear on these pages. BUT even Morrison, if he was PM today, would be a better leader the face of this onslaught of Jew hatred than the far-left scum that is Slug, Pong and their Islamist buddies.

Thirdly, I don’t believe this country can endure, either socially or economically, another three years of the Slug and his merry Islamist comrades. And if Slug falls into minority government, make no mistake, he will do a deal with the Nazi Greens to form government. We should be very alarmed at this prospect.

Finally, I make no apologies for the fact that I will be voting Liberal at this year’s election, and I hope Peter Dutton wins. I will do my bit and campaign for the Liberals in the seat of Wentworth.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
February 2, 2025 1:08 pm

Joining in with you there, Cassie. I will be handing out for the Libs in Wentworth too. They are no ideal but they must be in government as a force to stop Albo and the Greens. There is NO other way.

JC
JC
February 2, 2025 9:45 am

Eventually we’ll figure out why, but there appears to be a growing surplus of lawyer types in Washington DC.

JC
JC
February 2, 2025 9:55 am

feelthebern

 February 2, 2025 7:24 am

10/10 in the Oz quiz today.

1m 21seconds.

I gave up on it. I just don’t know things like who was the winner of the 2024 final in women’s badminton.

GreyRanga
GreyRanga
February 2, 2025 10:04 am
Reply to  JC

This is a good thing JC.

Makka
Makka
February 2, 2025 10:02 am

Bruce?

“Where are all the insects?”

https://x.com/BGatesIsaPyscho/status/1885628869816000606

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
February 2, 2025 10:20 am
Reply to  Makka

Well at the Cafe the noisies ate them all.

Not many around but noisies often arrive with a green caterpillar, spider, small mantis or a fig wasp and ask me to top it up. Which I do with a bit of bread or mince. They then go off and feed the chicks with fast food. I should put up a pair of golden arches in my front yard.

I had ten blue-faced honeyeaters in the camellia yesterday, they were very loud. Feeding them shuts them up. Fortunately my neighbour’s kid was having a very loud hour long epic tantie, so I felt a lot better about all the decibels.

Makka
Makka
February 2, 2025 10:26 am

Ok, but are you seeing any reliable scientific evidence published in your world on this?

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
February 2, 2025 10:32 am
Reply to  Makka

I haven’t been looking. Sometimes I see a paper via the science news but it hasn’t been an area I’ve much followed.

Makka
Makka
February 2, 2025 10:35 am

Ok ta.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
February 2, 2025 10:29 am
Reply to  Makka

From a few minutes ago:

P2020002
Miltonf
Miltonf
February 2, 2025 10:15 am

Great analysis Cassie. The LNP is far from perfect but at least Trumble is gone (well almost- I’m still waiting for his expulsion). I think the alliance between Advance and LNP /LCP people like Jacinta is our best hope. Pauline, Mark and Ralph do a great job, and I’ll vote for Ralph Babet if he runs again but expecting a UAP or PHON government is not realistic. At least the Vicco Liberals have got rid of the salami and people like Brad Battin, Moira Deeming and Bev MacArthur suggests to me that maybe the Victorian Liberal Party has something going for it after all. Again, it’s the outer suburbs and the regions where our (good) future is.

Indolent
Indolent
February 2, 2025 10:16 am

@EricAbbenante

James Carville takes Kamala Harris to the woodshed by calling her a ‘7th string quarterback’ that couldn’t put together a sentence:
James Carville: “We ran a presidential election, if we were playing a superbowl, we started our 7th string quarterback. You can’t address a problem unless you’re honest about a problem.
The staggering talent that exists in today’s Democrat party: People would have seen that.
‘I didn’t know they had people like that, that can actually complete a sentence, that actually know how to frame a message, actually have a sense of accomplishment of doing something.”

James Carville does not agree with the sycophants who repeated the mantra of ‘Kamala Harris ran a flawless campaign’ as a daily coping mechanism.

Miltonf
Miltonf
February 2, 2025 10:17 am

I also think the attacks on Dutton from Trumble and GetUp suggests he’s got something going for him. What’s GetUp up to these days I wonder.

Makka
Makka
February 2, 2025 10:25 am
Reply to  Miltonf

Dutton is speaking some blasphemies on climate change. Also some minor misdemeanors regarding immigration. Turdball’s pet issues. Dutton’s essentially on board for online censorship and thereby restricting freedom of speech. His best attribute is he isn’t Albo. Probably enough for him to fall over the line.

Bespoke
Bespoke
February 2, 2025 11:13 am
Reply to  Makka

Without free speech all is lost.

Arky
February 2, 2025 11:22 am
Reply to  Bespoke

Shut up.

Bespoke
Bespoke
February 2, 2025 11:24 am
Reply to  Arky

Lol!

Make me.

Arky
February 2, 2025 11:35 am
Reply to  Bespoke

Whatever, freedom boy.

Bespoke
Bespoke
February 2, 2025 11:40 am
Reply to  Arky

I accept your surrender.

Arky
February 2, 2025 11:41 am
Reply to  Arky

Alright, alright.
(Looks at watch)
I’ll give you 1 minute to say whatever you want.

Arky
February 2, 2025 11:42 am
Reply to  Arky

See? Nothing.
You don’t even use your free speech when given the chance.

Bespoke
Bespoke
February 2, 2025 11:51 am
Reply to  Arky

The ‘free’ part of free speech is doing it on your own terms.

I should charge a can case Woodstock cans for my time. But I’m feeling charitable today.

Arky
February 2, 2025 11:54 am
Reply to  Bespoke

How dare you.

Bespoke
Bespoke
February 2, 2025 12:06 pm
Reply to  Arky

I dare!

Indolent
Indolent
February 2, 2025 10:18 am
Miltonf
Miltonf
February 2, 2025 10:38 am

I’ll never forgive Howard for inflicting Trumble on this country.

Bill From the Bush
Bill From the Bush
February 2, 2025 10:46 am
Reply to  Miltonf

Nor will I forgive trumble for inflicting scummo on us

Last edited 11 days ago by Bill From The Bush
cohenite
February 2, 2025 11:03 am
Reply to  Miltonf

Howard: signed us up to Paris so he started the whole global boiling bullshit; started the ruinables disaster, stopped nuclear; did nothing about the abc; gave away our gas in the worst energy deal ever. And talked turdball out of resigning; little johnnie is the worst PM.

Sancho Panzer
Sancho Panzer
February 2, 2025 10:40 am

Farmer Gez

 February 2, 2025 9:44 am

 Reply to  Rockdoctor

At least you know the Indians are only in it for the money.

That, and the right to take a dump in a truck stop.

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
Elizabeth (Lizzie) Beare
February 2, 2025 1:13 pm
Reply to  Sancho Panzer

Don’t remind me. I’m still shaking India off my shoes.

Into the washing machine went all those sneakers I’d worn in Indian streets, with half a bottle of disinfectant added for good measure.

Makka
Makka
February 2, 2025 10:42 am

In lock step;

The Noticer

@NoticerNews

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition leader Peter Dutton are under fire over their appearance at a lunar new year event in Melbourne.

Albanese pledged $150,000 to the Chinese organisers, only to be one-upped by Dutton who promised $250,000.

But the move infuriated Aussies who asked why their taxes weren’t spent on an Australia Day event instead, seeing as Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan had cancelled the city’s annual parade.

The event’s major sponsor was a Chinese property developer, and Victoria’s Suburban Rail Loop and SBS also funded the event in Box Hill, where Australians are a small minority and the Chinese flag was once raised over the police station.

https://x.com/NoticerNews/status/1885831092017795409

Makka
Makka
February 2, 2025 10:46 am
Reply to  Makka

Lol, SBS. Our taxes fund SBS who spend it on a Chinese NY party. Nothing to see here.

Aaron
Aaron
February 2, 2025 12:28 pm
Reply to  Makka

Holocaust memorial on 80th anniversary.

Dollars spent by SBS and ABC?

Roger
Roger
February 2, 2025 11:01 am
Reply to  Makka

Dutton is all in with the Chinese lately.

Makka
Makka
February 2, 2025 11:06 am
Reply to  Roger

Correct. And we know how the Chinese are so fond of freedom of expression, vaccine health etc.

Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
Zulu Kilo Two Alpha
February 2, 2025 10:43 am

Early morning coffee on the verandah, and reading the Rhodes James’ biography of Anthony Eden.

Eden had served as an infantry officer, in the First World War, winning a Military Cross. Two of his brothers were killed – one aged 16, at Jutland, when the battlecruiser HMS Indefatigable was lost with all hands, and one son was killed during World War Two. His surviving son, noted as a “confirmed bachelor” died from AIDS in 1985.

duncanm
duncanm
February 2, 2025 10:48 am

PSA – tablet magazine is often a good read

A bit like a Jewish spectator, but with more religion thrown in.

Here’s an interesting read on Bobby Kennedy from 2023

https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/arts-letters/articles/robert-f-kennedy-jr-interview-david-samuels

JC
JC
February 2, 2025 10:57 am

Burisma, Ukraine gas company. WTF is all US taxpayer money going?

Mike Benz
@MikeBenzCyber
we never got an answer to this question: why was USAID supporting Burisma?
Mike Benz
@MikeBenzCyber
Dec 17, 2024
If USAID is a charity doing humanitarian work, why was it backing a private for-profit gas company in Ukraine called Burisma?

Listen to Benz here.

Makka
Makka
February 2, 2025 11:04 am
Reply to  JC

WTF is all US taxpayer money going?

Hunter was on the board, pulling in around 50k pm, iirc. Dunno how much went to The Big Guy.

Boambee John
Boambee John
February 2, 2025 12:18 pm
Reply to  JC

Why was USAID supporting Burisma?

So Burisma could pay off Grunter Biden. Money laundering straight up.

Bespoke
Bespoke
February 2, 2025 11:02 am

Rockdoctor

 February 2, 2025 9:15 am

 Reply to  Miltonf

I’m just giving an honest account of my observations. Without the hype.

That’s a novel idea. You send it to the MSN.