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A short 15 minute documentary on the history of Chamberlain tractors.

In 1971, a man sent himself a message nobody remembers—and accidentally invented the way 5 billion people would communicate for the next fifty years. Cambridge, Massachusetts. BBN Technologies. A basement lab filled with machines the size of refrigerators, humming and clicking, connected by wires to a strange new network called ARPANET. Ray Tomlinson sat alone. He was a 29-year-old computer engineer working on a problem nobody had asked him to solve. ARPANET already allowed people to leave messages on shared computers—but only if you shared the same machine. If you wanted to send a note to someone using a different computer, you were out of luck. Ray thought that was silly. So he started tinkering. Not because his boss told him to. Not because there was funding or a deadline. Just because it seemed like something the network should be able to do. He wrote a program called SNDMSG—"send message"—that could transfer a text file from one computer to another across the network. It worked. But there was a problem. How do you tell the computer where to send the message? You needed a way to separate the person's name from the machine's name. Something clear. Something simple. Something that wouldn't confuse the computer. Ray looked at his Model 33 Teletype keyboard. Most keys were letters or numbers. Punctuation was sparse. But there, on the upper row, sat a symbol almost nobody used. @ It was an accounting symbol—shorthand for "at the rate of" when calculating prices. It had survived on keyboards mostly out of habit. Ray figured nobody would miss it. He made a decision in seconds that would shape the next half-century of human communication. Username @ Computer Name. Simple. Elegant. Permanent. He typed a test message. Something forgettable—probably "QWERTYUIOP" or another string of random characters. He sent it from one machine to another, both sitting in the same room, connected through ARPANET's sprawling network. It worked. Ray sent the first networked email. To himself. In an empty lab. With no witnesses. He later couldn't even remember what the message said. "Entirely forgettable," he called it. But what happened next wasn't forgettable at all. Within weeks, ARPANET engineers started using Ray's system. Within months, email accounted for 75% of all traffic on the network. People who'd been sending memos and making phone calls suddenly had a faster, quieter, more efficient way to communicate. They loved it. By the 1980s, email spread beyond research labs into universities, corporations, and eventually homes. By the 1990s, it was everywhere. The @ symbol—Ray's casual choice from a forgotten accounting character—became one of the most recognized symbols on Earth. Today, over 330 billion emails are sent every day. That's 3.8 million per second. Email created entire industries: marketing automation, cybersecurity, productivity software, spam filters, customer service platforms. Careers were built on it. Relationships formed through it. Revolutions organized with it. And Ray Tomlinson never tried to own it. He didn't patent email. Didn't trademark the @ symbol. Didn't start a company or demand royalties. He was an engineer, not an entrepreneur. He built it because the problem was there, and solving problems was what he did. In 2012, Google invited Ray to their headquarters to celebrate the 40th anniversary of email. They gave him a cake shaped like an @ symbol. He seemed slightly embarrassed by the attention. When reporters asked him about inventing email, he downplayed it. "I just happened to be in the right place at the right time," he said. "It was a fairly obvious thing to do." To Ray, it wasn't a revolution. It was just good engineering. In 2016, Ray Tomlinson died of a heart attack at seventy-four. Gmail's official Twitter account posted a tribute: "Thank you, Ray Tomlinson, for inventing email and putting the @ sign on the map." Millions of people saw it. Most had no idea who he was. Because Ray never became famous. He never gave a TED talk or wrote a bestselling memoir. He never became a billionaire or household name. He lived quietly, worked on projects that interested him, and died having changed the world in ways most people never realized. Think about that. Every email you've ever sent—job applications, love letters, meeting invites, password resets, breakup messages, acceptance letters, apologies, thank-yous, spam about discounted furniture—all of them carry the ghost of Ray's decision in 1971. That @ symbol you type without thinking? Ray chose it in seconds, alone in a lab, solving a problem nobody had asked him to solve. No venture capital. No product launch. No press release. Just an engineer noticing something missing and quietly building it into existence. The world celebrates founders who raise millions and disrupt industries. We make documentaries about visionaries who change everything with bold speeches and flashy keynotes. But some of the most important revolutions happen in silence. One man. One keyboard. One overlooked symbol. One message sent to himself that nobody remembers. And suddenly, billions of people had a way to say: I'm here. Are you there? Ray Tomlinson didn't change the world by shouting. He changed it by typing. And fifty years later, we're still using the language he invented—one @ at a time.

The inventor of the arrow on a car's dashboard which indicates which side of the vehicle the fuel filler is located on has died at the age of 80. James Moylan came up with the inventive solution in the late 1980s and has made life easier for millions of drivers ever since.

I think they are going back to before that. . Putin's promises aren't worth Much. They point blank Lied to the UN. Nev

That’s obvious dramatic nonsense. I’d be the last person to defend MAGA or Rubio but Crimea was invaded when the Democrats were in power and the US did practically nothing. Trump has made things a lot worse for Ukraine than they probably would have been under Kamala Harris but the problems pre-date both Rubio and MAGA.

On Facebook today. CALL TO ACTIVISM ·· 🚨READ THIS BEFORE IT DISAPPEARS. RUBIO’S CAREER AT RISK AS TRUMP UNDERMINED GLOBALLY Marco Rubio knew exactly what the United States promised Ukraine. That’s why he hoped this clip would stay buried. As Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits Washington and is met with hostility instead of solidarity, and forced peace terms that could have been written by the Kremlin itself - one truth keeps resurfacing: the United States made Ukraine a promise - and Donald Trump is now undermining it on the world stage. At the time, Marco Rubio was a sitting U.S. senator, speaking on the record - not speculating, not guessing. His fiery speech about why America must defend Ukraine was powerful: After the Soviet Union collapsed, Ukraine was left with the third-largest nuclear arsenal on Earth - tactical and strategic weapons capable of reshaping global power. Instead of keeping them, Ukraine signed a 1994 agreement with the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia. The deal was clear: Ukraine gives up its nuclear weapons. In return, United States and the UK would assure its defense. Ukraine kept its word. They dismantled the arsenal. Twenty years later, one of the countries that signed that agreement didn’t just walk away. It invaded Ukraine. Rubio warned this betrayal would echo far beyond Europe. He explained that countries like South Korea, Japan, and Saudi Arabia were watching - being told the same thing Ukraine was told: don’t pursue nuclear weapons. Trust us. We’ll protect you. And then he asked the question that now hangs over American credibility: If Ukraine gave up its nukes and still got invaded, why would any country ever trust U.S. security guarantees again? Here’s the part Rubio can’t escape. He understood the consequences. He articulated them clearly. He warned the world. Now Trump undercuts allies, weakens NATO, and treats Ukraine like an inconvenience instead of a frontline partner - undermining America’s credibility in real time. That’s why Rubio’s past isn’t just awkward. It’s consequential - and his past words on Ukraine are now a liability in a party run on Trump’s loyalty tests. Because he knows the promise was real. And he knows Trump is breaking it. And here’s the question MAGA never answers - because they can’t: If America’s word meant nothing to Ukraine, why should any ally ever trust the United States ever again? That’s the damage MAGA owns. And that’s the truth they’re desperate to bury.

No Point having shallow water in a desert. The Lake at Mt ISA is 11 metres deep and still evaporates too much to be an effective storage. Nev

Learn serious off road, or you never really learn at ALL.. Nev

I kind of agree with the Australian laws. We used to be limited to 250cc here, but then people would buy 250's that were quite capable of doing 200kph and getting there quickly. Power to weight ratio is smarter. As to the heavier bike thing, I think it makes sense for a learner to start being able to control a heavy bike at low speed, rather than learning on something light and zippy and assuming all bikes feel like that. I was riding yesterday and felt the tarmac scraping the heel of my left boot in a corner. It was on the peg!

I have to admit.. sometimes aftert the long rides I do, to stretch the legs a bit, I let them dangle as I come to a stop. As I am of shorter stature, there is little risk of them inadvertently contacting the tarmac until I want them to.

Another scan; this photo was taken north of Lake Callabonna, South Australia, in 1984. It's not a natural lake but a clay pan between sand dunes fed by a never ending flowing bore. At the time I estimated it was easy big enough for three ski boats to use at the same time, as a size comparison. It was one of those South Australian government bores that flowed unrestricted for many, many years before they finally started to close them down. I don't think there's any left flowing like that now. The bore was sunk on the side of a sand dune and the flow had cut a deep ravine in the dune that was deep enough to die from the fall. If that didn't kill you, the boiling water would. You had to go 500 metres downstream before the water was cool enough to have a hot spa bath; I'd estimate it flowed about a kilometre all up from the bore to the lake. Judging by irrigation bores I've seen, I guessed the flow at between 20,000 to 30,000 gallons per hour, flowing year after year. Evaporation over the large lake area would have accounted for a fair portion of the water loss.

It always staggers me to see the number of bike riders who either ride with their feet down, or who hang their feet out well prior to stopping, or who hang their feet out, long after taking off. Seems to me that a lot of bike riders have either had bugger-all training, or they had dodgy instructors. Riding trail bikes around farms and bush soon educates you about keeping your feet on the pegs at all times, except when you're stopped. Seen more than one bike rider with a broken ankle, thanks to poor riding skills.

When I first got my motorcycle learners permit in Vic in the early 90's, there was a blanket 250cc limit for learners. Given the nanny state Victoria is, I was surprised to see what the current rules are with repect to LAMS. I am not entirely convinced it is applicable here for a few reasons: I am not convinced sticking a 16 year old (that is the age you can get a learner permit here) on a heavier machine even if limited to 46bhp is a great idea. Many of their bodies, although better than mine no doubt will not be used to hurtling a biogger machine in traffic, pedestrians, etc. They are basically expected to come off their bikes and handling the heavier machines to me sounds not like a great idea. There are plently of low top-end (bhp) bikes with ooldes of bottom end (torque). Yeah, they may not be able to get to 100mph, but they can get to speeds awfully quickly. Do they have enough experience to manage twitchy throttles and not cause mayhem. The UK ia 1/33rd the size of Australia with over twice the population. Outside of dual lane A roads and motorways (of which learners are not allowed on the latter), the streets and ropads are crowded, congested and claustraphobic - often with not enough room for two cars to pass when there is a parked car. In the cities, having rvrn 45bhp is not really required, but providing the power in the hands of inexperienced is a recipe for disaster. Most of the fast food delivery is done on motorbikes/scooters and by perpetual learners. Imagine if they were allowed to race around the streets on much more powerful bikes... I agree that for touring, even for learners, it is a better idea to have a more powerful bike. But even in Aus, what is the proportion of learners that tour or go on longer rides? Certainly in the UK, it insn't many that would go for a ride greater than a couple of hours. But if you think you can't tour comportably on a 125 - and a lower powered 125 (this is 11hp as opposed to the 14.6hp), then check this playlist out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbYb-grfUfY&list=PLgGFg0Z6OmSj6FhGj7POJUnHAoY_RbyNr I think it is horses for courses. In Australia, it makes eminent sense to have more power options open to the learner rider. In the UK, I think it should be 250CC and maybe a max of 33hp or something like it, because of the different environment inexperienced riders operate in. And lets be honest, most young make riders, especially those buying bikes like my son, are going to be boy racers. But also over here, licensing is different. It is almost as complicated as flying licenses, but generally: From age 17, you can get an A1 license. You are fully licensed and can ride anywhere - including motorways - but are still restricted to 125cc and 14.6 max bhp. My son's Yamaha R125 will comfortably do 70mph, hand has a top speed of 80. From age 19, you can get an A2 licence. Again, you are fully licensed, but restricted to a bike with a max of 46bhp. It can be a bike with a max of 92bhp with a restrcitor kit fitted that takes it down to 46bhp. From age 24, you can have an A licence - full licence; no restrictions. For the A2 and A licence, you have to have achieved your CBT (learners) and do the test on a bike that is rated at 46bhp (or greater for the A licence) as well as meet the age requirement. There is no other experience requirement. Most schools will run a zero to hero course to get you your CBT and test ready for the A2 or A depending oin your age and then you will do the test. My son is 10 months from being able to get an A licence, but he has not indicated a desire to get a bike bigger than 92bhp. He doesn't want to move to Australia without having his A licence for some reason (Australian states recognise the A2 and I think will put him on a P plate if I recall correctly). We have no concept of probationary drivers/riders here. My understanding is the test requirements are virtually the same for the A2 and A, and if you have an A2, you have to do another test for your A to mke sure you haven't developed bad habits. Some if it is clearly nuts, some if it makes sense.

Headlights on at all times is the go. I do it, even in my car, utes and truck. Anything that advances your visibility is a plus for crash avoidance. Even the W.A. Police advise keeping your headlights on at all times. I get thoroughly sick of people in dark grey cars driving in gloomy weather and after sunset, with no lighting. I started to pull into a roundabout that runs around an unlit underpass several months ago, it was at least an hour after dark. As I started to move, a black car with not single light on it anywhere, flashed an indicator as it swapped lanes in the roundabout, just 30M to my right. Then he turned his headlights on. I don't know how he could even see where he was going prior to switching his lights on - and if that indicator hadn't flashed, I would've pulled straight into his path, as there was no indication of any kind that there was a vehicle there. Idiot!

Brigitte Bardot, the French actress and singer who became an international sex symbol before turning to animal rights activism, has passed away aged 91. Bardot had been ill in hospital in Toulon, according to local media. The star’s animal rights charity announced her passing on Sunday morning with a statement.

Red or yellow easier to see. Not that tin top drivers actually LOOK. Nev

Here in OZ, the Lams system is a winner. Basically a sensible power to weight ratio, tat ,eams a large selection of motorcycles are approved if under 47hp and up to 210kg approx. Max capacity is 650cc. This allows a large range of small to medium size bikes that are adequate even to tour on and certainly enough to ride for many years and not get bored or suddenly find yourself moving up to a bike that far exceeds your ability. My Twin has just bought a new Truimph speed 400 for his partner for her brithday. Lovely bike and small enough for a small framed lady but big enough for fun and safe open road riding. Triumph have just released a recall for the timing chain and stopped sales until the bike is retrofitted. So it will be delivered with the change next week. We had to wait for a red tanked one, red is faster...

Some of those lakes are coloured due to Mineral content. Best seen from a good height.. Nev

You get what I mean. LA means Learner approved. Nev

Didn't know where to put this, a magpie on CCTV imitating the neigh of a horse. I've known they were reputed as clever call imitators, but I've never heard one do this. https://www.facebook.com/reel/2286842478814689

Poor little bugger. Talk about the worst job on earth.

You don't have to! It crawls up by itself!

You meant LAMS? LAPD is L.A. Police Dept.

Yes, the amount of salt lakes in the W.A. wheatbelt is amazing from the air, you don't get the "whole picture" from the ground. The drainage systems in W.A. are very flat and the lakes existed when the Europeans arrived, but extensive clearing and the transition to wide agricultural use increased the level of surface salt accumulation - and where many of those lakes were originally just brackish, and sometimes even fresh water, they have now all turned much saltier over time. Extensive efforts to drain the accumulated salts from the agricultural areas have led to mixed results and it will probably be another 200-300 years before we see any more major changes to the salt levels. Possibly somewhat surprisingly to what you might think, very wet years don't flush out the salt immediately, they make the salt levels worse (due to slow drainage), and in dry years, the salt levels decrease, as the water tables go down.