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To Putin LIFE Means Nothing except IF it was HIS. KGB Grub. Nev

It seems that Musk blocked Russia's illicit use of the Starlink network a week or so ago at Ukraine's request. It's now hampering Russia's communications and use of drones on the front which is obviously good news for Ukraine. Lets hope he doesn't change his mind next week.https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/starlink-used-by-russian-forces-deactivated-battlefield-ukraine-says-2026-02-05/

He keeps his injector serviced

I've had no luck with Eveready for years . I use Duracell and they make a better one again it you need it. I use a BT-168 Tester to take the Guesswork out of being close. Some gadgets require the Voltage to Be in the green Band . Nev

I am having a run of crap products. First, a packet of 24 Eveready Super Heavy Duty AA batteries. After a spate of problems using them, I found three that tested at 0.4 Volts. Don't know how many more were bad as I had thrown them out in groups of four. Even the ones that tested at 1.6 Volts only showed 40% remaining when put into a device. I noticed that the branding is on the batteries, but nothing on the blister pack says Eveready. Second, I am on my third new garden wave sprinkler in the last month. They just jam at one end of the wave. Cost $30-40 each. Third, I have two new tap timers that do not turn off after the set time. They do not turn off at all. I forget what they cost. I think Australia must have been put at the end of the third-world destinations for crap products. Probably serves us right. It can be annoying, for example when batteries don't work in a NR headset when flying.

No Black smoke. Nev.

I wouldn't be trying to rebuild Motors Gearbox's etc. Try getting Low mileage Motors out of bikes with ALUMINIUM Frames like some (Modern) Indians some BMWs and Buells .You can't repair the frames. Nev

https://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/military/trump-kill-switch-fears-grow-over-australias-17-billion-f35-fleet/news-story/befdd2f49d5ec3f51c5292681ebca5f4

I just found some great ideas for you Willie, on these FB reels ..... (turn your sound up for the best effect!) https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1CtKkxAoU7/ https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1BvZnkGqHu/ https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1AZG4WarDt/ https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1CBd6JeJGx/ https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1TtjAUx1GH/

The problem with futures is that it is a zero sum game. You either win or lose

Isn't that the very reason that ICE agents hide their faces behind masks?

The Ukrainians are using an Antonov AN-28 STOL twin turboprop, equipped with an M134 Minigun, and operated by civilians, to shoot down Russian drones. The M134 Minigun is a six-rotating-barrels machine gun that pumps out between 2000 to 6000 rounds a minute of standard NATO 7.62 x 51mm rounds. They effectively fill the air with lead, and when they hit a drone, they blast it to pieces. The AN-28 crew is claiming to have shot down nearly 150 Russian Shahed drones since starting operations. Now the Russians are equipping some of their drones with air-to-air missiles, to try and knock out Ukrainian air defence efforts. This is in addition to the drone already carrying a warhead that detonates on impact. https://www.twz.com/air/watch-ukraines-minigun-firing-drone-hunting-turboprop-in-action

Many tannins are a good preservative. We've got thousands of Qld Box trees for street trees in Perth, there's one right outside my house. Anytime I park my Hilux traytop under it, the floor stains purple blue from the Box tree tannins - but it never rusts. Jacaranda tree tannins are quite corrosive, and the leaves built up everywhere.

Apparently one major Chinese investor is dealing in huge amounts of gold futures, and has made a $3B fortune from doing so - that's enough to skew the market badly. Now he's shorting silver and planning on making another $3B. There's a real danger he'll do a Hunt Bros on the precious metals market. If you make $3B out of wheeling and dealing in precious metals futures, a lot of other people must have lost a lot of money? I'm reminded of the Metallgesellschaft oil futures fiasco in 1993. The company lost $1.3B on betting on oil futures - they should've kept their nose out of futures and stuck with the business they knew. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-trader-made-3-billion-054343617.html

I used the example of Glenbrook because, to me at least, it seems pretty clear-cut. Glenbrook during my time always seemed to be being refurbished. I think the most recent was in 2022 to the tune of $7.6 Million. My first-hand experience is 35 years old, but at that time, it was much more like a gentleman's club. This is a building that, for the most part, the public is not able to visit. My point is not that there should be a fire sale of just about everything, but that these things should be rationally weighed up, and yes, emotion can be part of that equation. Staged refurbishment of a prized heritage building in a live operational environment

I just noticed in those photos the gal trailer looks rusty. It's only 12 months old and it's not rust, it's leaf tannin stain from when I parked it under a tree for a while without a cover.

Picked up some ratty bike bits today. 2x 1984 model CBX750F Honda 4's. One assembled that's a potential runner and a second complete one in bits, motor with a stuffed crankshaft. There's bits and pieces there I can use and might part some of it out eventually. All the plastics and fairings are there (in the back seat). It cost bugger all.

I absolutely agree. But the frame of the questioning is important. There is a case that these old buildings cost too much [compared to what they bring] For many, it is true. But for some, it is not necessarily true depending on how you ask the question. If we frame it in econcomic return - i.e. does it earn an income and pay for itself? Well, then the answer looking at it like a bean counter is of course no. But that can be said about something we all cherish - probably the vast majority of what was government (now council) GA airfields. If you look at the opportunit cost of these, on their own merits, then the opportunity costs would normally - especially for those around more major conurbations - be much higher than the return provided as a pure aviation facility. The federal government recognsed it and offloaded it to the councils. Many councils either lease them or augment them wit other purposes, where they can. Those, such as Jerilderie (last time I was there) measure movements in a week; a day is too depressing Yet, while some are vital for the community such as remote regions, aeromeds, etc, they could be rationalised. We need an airline/commercial training facility - pick one of the bigger airfields such as Mooraabin- that is probably all the country needs to chrun out the pilots for commercial ops. The rest can be sold of no money spent on maintenance rather than be the preserve of a hobby for rich folk and those so imbibed by it, they will forgoe a significant strandard of living to participate (RAA stuff doesn't really need airports - people can do what they like with their own money - plenty of private strips - we are talking taxpayer money). In fact, the opportunity cost of Moorabbin + Essendon - 2 large GA airports in one city - must be astronomical. Why do we need two? Why don't we just shut one down and release the assets for far more profitable purposes? Have I riled you? Yes, because to you, the return is far more than a simple revenue minus expenses equation. The amenity that you (and I) get is far higher. But except for communities that rely on airfields, you would be hard to find too many people that mourn their loss beyond a, "oh, that's a shame". The only time here it impacts those outside aviation is when the council decides a housing estate is better - NIMBYism more than agreement that a GA airfiled is useful. Even councils want to shut them down, stop maintaining them, augment with other uses - commercial and residential. Looking at it, the cost/benefit analysis for government costs extends beyond pure break-even and into money making points. The returns sought by a govenment are not entirely financial. And, it is the same for these buildings. As I have said, you keep some stuff, you get rid of the other stuff. The heritage listed stuff gets listed for a purpose - to preserve cultural, historial, environmental (in a human sense) so as to provide an amenity. Why heritage list somethign if you are going to allow it and its curtilage to be materially altered, but just preserving a facade? It may have little resonance to you, but it may have to others. And let's not forget the stories, especially in Victoria of corruption in the construction industry - from planning, to building inspections, to construction - it is all there to see. Which means sell it off to the private industry, almost all bets, regadless of undertakings, are off.

The man who would be king is a good old movie. He was good in the hunt for red october as well.

Connery is not a Bad actor at times. Nev

I agree Daniel Craig, was the best action bond and a far more rounded character, not a shallow cad like Moore or a more serious but still brutish and chauvinist Connery. The best old Bond was in my humble opinion, is George Lazenby a school mate of my dad in Goulburn. Lived a block from each other, he was a playboy in real life and didn't play the studio game nor want to be stuck in a role. Pity he was offered to continue in the role for more bond films. He was the Bond that was not brutish to women, showed his emotions and married only to see her killed at the end. Much more the Daniel Craig character but back 50 years. I am still a Connery fan but never saw a Moore film I liked.

Drone wars: Vladimir Putin's new unmanned air unit is larger than the entire British Army https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15537095/Drone-wars-Vladimir-Putin-larger-British-Army.html?ito=social-facebook

Yeah Many of those Film are pretty childish by todays standards. Some of the Music is good. I think it was by Paul Barry. Nev