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The cane toads must still be in hibernation. We've had 19" of rain in October and not a toad to be seen. What made me think of it is that I've been hearing a big old bullfrog today.

A postscript to the above. I checked out the profile of one Marketplace seller using AI to write the product description. He had a heap of listings and every one of them had AI descriptions that are very long, overly verbose blocks of text with no paragraphing and no human input. As an example, here's his listing description for a $20 second-hand sledge hammer, just a cheap Supercraft brand like you buy at bunnings: 'The Supercraft sledge hammer is a utilitarian tool designed for heavy-duty industrial and construction applications. Known for its durable forged steel head and reinforced fibreglass handle, it emphasizes safety and ergonomic vibration dampening. Historically, such tools represent the evolution of manual labor equipment, moving from traditional wood handles to synthetic materials for improved longevity and shock absorption. While not typically considered a high-value collectible, it is highly valued by contractors, DIY enthusiasts, and tradespeople for its reliability and robust craftsmanship. Its market value is primarily driven by its functional utility rather than rarity, making it a staple in workshops rather than display collections.' All his listing descriptions are much the same. In his possible defence, he has a Russian or Ukrainian surname so it's possible his English skill level is not good enough to understand how idiotic that stuff reads. To be honest, some of them are quite funny even though they're not meant to be.

Starting to see the occasional Facebook Marketplace seller using AI to write a product description of what they are trying to sell. It just reads as flowery AI waffle with no description or details of the actual item. Any seller reading that drivel would just think 'f***ing clown' and move on. It's no way to sell anything, especially if it's combined with photos that don't help to identify brand, model etc..

That's shameful. People trying to do the right thing and its all a hoax. Nev

My daughter asked the garbage truck driver whether she has to separate the cardboard from the glass now that she has been given a third bin. He said do what you like, it all goes into my truck and into landfill.

Had lunch today with an ex work colleague I have not seen since 2005. When she worked with usm she was 20 years old.. She now has a family and is nice and settled. We had 21 years of catch up and it was great to see her again. We had lunch in a cafe in Dorcas street, just around the corner from Clarendon Rod, South Melbourne. Itis a lovely part of Melbourne with old architecture, but nice wide streets. Food was a little pricey, but good quality.. we strolled to a cafe on Clarendon Street and watched the world go by reminiscing about the good old days, having a moan about growing old, etc. The only rel complaint was the parking stasi.. they were in force and swooped quickly in expired motorists. I managed to avoid one but a few seconds. The $105 bill is not that big its about 80 pounds in London these days if you pay it in 14 days and doubles if you pay it in 28. But, where we were, there were plenty of spaces empty.. as there were shops as well.. so I am not sure it was because of the parking fees and fines there was so many spaces. When there are that many, they should probably allow 2 hour free parking - if you stay longer then you get the bill.

It would be hard to predict. A lot would depend on the primary votes on the day and preference flows. Labor would need a good Green vote to give them enough preferences. One Nation might get a good vote but it might not translate to a lot of seats. In seats where Labor is third on primary votes, Labor and Green preferences would flow to the Coalition before One Nation. As it's getting closer to the election, if polls start showing the likelihood of a Coalition majority it pulls the rug out from under Labor's scare tactic that the Coaliton can only govern with One Nation support. I'm not a betting man, but if I was I'd put my money on a Labor battering and a Coalition majority.

Vlad's the LAD with TRUMP. It's a wonder HE gets away with it. Trump admires fascists and dictators. Nev

Donald Trump Jnr's million dollar private island wedding was paid for by a Russian oligarch on Putin's inner circle.

Beautiful day in Melbourne, today. Life is good.

It does look dire for Labor. Of course, the only poll that matters is on election day and sometimes when it looks like a drubbing some of the usually faithful that were intending to vote the other way do return, but that is a huge gap - even if it is a biased poll and taken from voters only in the electorate of Hawthorn (where I have only seen signs for the Lib or indepdendent). Thankfully I am no longer on the register (and it's too late to re-register). I would be quit despondent. There really isn't too much different between ALP and LNP in what they are offering. All three of the majors seem to be pretty well corrupt. Haven't heard boo from the Greens... I think I would be going independent.

The next Rugby League World Cup in 2030 is off to the U.S., being played in Hawaii and Utah.

Not a good poll for Labor, an all time low primary of 18%. It puts the Coalition leading Labor on a TPP basis of 56-44. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/nov/09/victoria-election-2026-labor-mps-new-opinion-poll-one-nation-ntwnfb

That should read Monday back in England is going to be fun. I was on a phone at the time, so I can only plead autocorrect (from a typo, anyway)

Hey babe; take a walk on the wild side.

Correct.

I'm not just going on what he said there. Nev

I haven't seen his whole press conference, but everything in that snippet made sense at least to me. Of course, I would go for a complete and radical overhaul of how taxation would work...

Shoebridge is another reason I've given up on the Greens. Nev

Here is someone who has a plan to help people. I haven't seen the whole press conference, but we need more people in politics thinking like this: Note, it is mainly foreign shareholders that really benefit from the current arrangements and yes, business won't like it, but when there's enough money still to be made, they will stay Norway, Qatar, and a host of others have proved it.

I am not meaning to be a sinophobe, but China is positioning itself to be a global superpower like no other. Like the many countries but more recent stark examples such as Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, they start with a cheap labour force and other factors of production and start manufacturing the basic goods.. almost commoditised types of goods. It is cheap, breaks and generally OK to throw away after a while But then they invest in technology and manufacturing processes and their cheap goods soon become durable and relatively high quality. You only have to look at the Chinese car manufacturing industry to see how that has come leaps and bounds in a very short period of time - about 10 years in major exports (yes, they have had a domestic car industry for much longer time and they have been exporting cars for a longer time, too.. but not at mass scale as today). Certainly in my life time, Australia never really enjoyed comparatively lower costs of labour or other factors of production. So we are always going to struggle to compete. Although there was a vibrant manufacturing sector, it was largely domestic.. Now, China is advancing into the high tech manufacturing and doing a good job of it. But unlike the other countries named, there are two major differences: the population and size of the economy as its wealth from exports increases.. and the government still has largely autocratic control and it decides on the allocation of resources, unlike western type economies where managers focusing on the short term share price and bonuses as a result decide the allocation of resources. And the Chinese government plans for the long term. With a cashed up government thanks to exports and control over industry, China is perfectly placed rise to be the (not a) global superpower. That is a little dramatic but not improbable. Sorry for the thread drift.

No so good for union apparently https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-11-09/live-updates-england-vs-wallabies-nations-championship/107351328?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=other And according to the article, England have beaten Australia 12 of yhe last 14 times. Money back in England is not going to be fun

A good day for Australia in the World Cup. The women beat Fiji 30-14 followed up by the men 44-12 over Samoa. The finals next Sunday at Lang Park, Australia vs New Zealand in both the men's and women's.

Way down upon the Swanee River. Nev