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This is why I don't do politics or science by meme, or in this case a simple graph, because we are find a set of numbers that suits our agenda and just publish it. Is the above the cost of generation, the wholesale price, or the retail price. Because, the latter two have factors that can distort the market. For example, Denmark's wholesale price is connected to the European markets believe it or not, so if an expensive dirty coal plant happens to produce and sell energy at the same time or within a price setting period, the wholesale price is largely set to be based on that price... which is far more expensive than wind or solar. That is wholesale price distortion. Of course, other European markets are subject to this as well, but since the grid is segmented, not all are setting the same wholesale price. Then the distortions at the retail price are local market conditions, taxes (of which Denmark has a lot - even VAT (GST) on electricity! Wowsers. Not even the UK levies VAT on electricity. So the retail price may not be at all reflective of the generation price. I prefer the Levilised Cost of Electricity comparison, which seeks to take out some of the more artificial price setting. According to Google AI, Denmark wins on wind, but loses on Gas and Solar: Note, the cheapness of fracked shale gas does not include the cost of cleaning up. Also, if Denmark decided to stay gas (or presumably coal, etc), from the above, they would be paying roughly double or more to produce electricity. I would suggest that the numbers show that wind and solar is much cheaper - for them. Not so much for the USA, again except this does not cover the true clean up costs. Which sort of shows the point of renewables - the optimum mix will be determined by local conditions. And, yeah, in some cases, even fossil fuel generation will make sense.. So, lets do a like for like comparison. South Australia, according to Google has around 84% of its electricity generated from wind (44% of total electricity generated) versus solar (33%). According to your chart, Denmark has a touch under 70%. That would suggest for South Australia, solar and onshore are very cost effective producers of electricity and offshore not so much (at least not yet). Also, because of SA's rapid deployment of storage, they seem to be already reaping some economies of scale benefits because of a rapid roll out, but as there is only commentary, it is hard to tell. In addition, in SA, gas is more than double solar and coal is almost triple the cost of solar, and around double of offshore wind. It does though, beat offshore wind, so unless we can address the issues that cause that, offshore wind (which probably has more constant wind). But interesting, SA is more wind and solar as a percentage of its generation, yet on a levelised basis, SA is cheaper. And as someone who has worked in the generation business, I am sure you're aware of the importance of this measure over retail or wholesale prices as a true indication of the comparative cost of generation. Thee price that is paid at the "pump" is only in a small way related to the cost of generation.. that, in @pmccarthy's vernacular, is the politics end of the argument. The cost of generation is the data end, and renewables are already at a big advantage there. Take politics out of it, and there really is no compelling reason to do so., The sun doesn't always shine - no.. Only at night or seriously overcast days is it that bad, but when it is shining brightly, we can store the excess and save it for when it isn't shining brightly. Even today, they are developing nocturnal solar panels which can harvest the infrared rays during radiating cooling of the earth to generate electricity (https://www.moeveglobal.com/en/planet-energy/sustainable-innovation/nocturnal-solar-panels-energy-without-sunlight). And there is a new technology that it looking at capturing vibrations from the wind and earth instead of using blades to generate electricity - fewer parts, cheaper and less landfill: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vibration-powered_generator This is the point. Fossil fuel burning is destroying the planet (in conjunction with a lot of other stuff we do). And now, it is no longer cheap to do it; and it will get more expensive. So we have to seek out alternatives. To not do it is kicking the can down the road and just making it more expensive to fix. It can be done; the tech is already here and it is improving very quickly. It is the politics that is the issue. In the mean time, if you want to take a meme-led approach, go for it. As for wind and solar not yet powering most of a country - well - no.. but it does most of a state that is the physical (admittedly not population) size bigger than many countries. But it's a ridiculous assertion because a place should use the most appropriate renewable/s, not an arbitrary renewable, anyway.

Wonder how they'd go fried in batter.

It would have been interesting to watch them do it. There's a young Russian bloke on Youtube who would just grind something like that by hand with his angle grinder. He's one of the roughest I've seen. He built a V twin out of scrap in his back yard with only an arc welder and angle grinder. A couple of things he got a mate to turn up on a lathe but most of it was built by hand, except for donor Ural barrels, heads and pistons. The bottom end was all hand made.

Actress and presenter Dame Penelope Keith haas passed away. Notes online simply say died c. June 2026.

Geez, what a nightmare of a job, trying to machine those cam lobes! They must have used an eccentric rotating jig?

This is the camshaft on the Howard 8hp motor. The cams look bent but they have that weird shape to work properly with the 90 degree shaft. The magneto runs off the left side of the camshaft and the external oil pump from the right end.

Both the Howard V twins, the eight h.p. and the 12 h.p. like the one above have unusual shaped cams. Their camshafts run at 90 degrees to the crankshaft rather than parallel like Harley V twins. The magneto is coupled to and runs directly off the end of the camshaft.

This sidecar outfit is a wild bit of gear. It's an older Ural frame, same type as the M-63 frame I picked up recently, but has the current type of leading link Ural front end. The engine is a Howard rotary hoe engine, the Howard Twelve, a 12hp water cooled V twin, mounted sideways. This photo has been bugging me for a while now. I know those faces and the country in the background looks familiar, but I just can't get a handle on it. They did a short video on Youtube with a couple of them doing wheelies in it while one filmed.

With hot rods, there seems to be way more ratrods now days than the traditional glossy customised hotrod of the past. I guess while it's in fashion, it makes building and owning one much easier and cheaper.

I agree with you there Marty. Making up a bike out of old bits has some honour about it, but turning a new or modern type bike into one seems to be a bit like fraud in my way of seeing it.

Along with the time taken by the apprentice to go buy them from a shop an hour away then individually rewrap them.

Here's the Electric Viking (Sam Evans), ruthlessly pounding Toyota for their transmission design failures. It's not only the U760E, six-speed model that is faulty (from 2012 onwards), it's also the UA80 and UB80, eight speed tranmissions as well, that have serious shortcomings in design and lifespan. The eight speed transmission is the later, so-called "improved transmission" as compared to the six speed. One bloke in the U.S. got refused a warranty claim for his faulty eight speed transmission, and was quoted $75,000 (!) to replace the knackered transmission in his Toyota Highlander! Little wonder he's on the lawsuit warpath!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpKYot7rL00

I just don't get the whole concept, obviously. To create a bike out of bits, as an engineering challenge - yes, I can see that. But to take a bike in good condition, like I assume that FB one was (and I could be wrong) and make it less comfortable and kind of ugly... I don't get that. Mind you I don't get modern art or discordant music either, so I'm happy to concede it's just that I have something missing, aesthetically.

They'll be on the bill somewhere even if they're not listed.

You see a lot of Goldwing ratbikes on the net. The motors look the part. Of all the Jap bikes, it's about the only one that fits the style. This is an older one:

Someone took a perfectly good Goldwing and did that to it? They should be flogged with their leather braces.

Willie - Here's a Steam Punk Goldwing for sale locally, that might give you some ideas! I like the jerry can panniers and the fake exhaust pipes. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/4553036374957016 Of course, if you feel like going the Full Mad Max, you could always build a Steam Punk Chariot! https://www.webbikeworld.com/steampunk-goldwing-goes-auction/

From Google AI: 'Urinary Health: Ural is Australia's #1 over-the-counter urinary alkaliniser.' Maybe riding a Ural will fix prostate problems. Or make it worse.

Who knows what went on behind the scenes for Scomo to pull this job? Mates amongst mates, or string-pulling?

You get a packet of 2 Mentos with most Supercheap automotive parts or consumable purchases. But I hate Mentos, so they get binned. The Camry transmission story is ongoing. The Toyota dealer gave us the Camry back on Friday evening - after having held it for 3 days, and having never even laid a spanner on it. The "Service Advisor" (you don't get to speak to the Service Manager any more), says they hope to get a reply back from Toyota Head Office by this Friday, as to whether they will replace anything under warranty. That will be 10 days they've had to consider their position. I reckon I'm right, they are running it through their legal dept to see which loophole they can use to squeeze out of paying out anything. In America, there's apparently more than one class action lawsuit being initiated against Toyota for the faulty transmission problem. This looks like a costly headache for them.

You're pretty close, Marty! It's actually for UTI's! https://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au/buy/8190/ural-effervescent-powder-lemon-28-sachets

Doesnt really matter what is backing up getmany but it shows how far intermittent generation is behind. Sweden was considering not signing a contract for an interconnector to Germany because it pushes electricity prices up in the south of the country. Not sure what ended up there, haven't heard. All those countrys you mentioned have a heap of traditional hydro or geothermal. I specified wind and solar like Australia is attempting to do. Aust has only 8% traditional hydro and not likely to get more. Again name a country that has cheap power delivered to the consumer and close to net 0 using a wind and solar dominated grid? Have a look at electricitymaps and see the countrys that are doing the best with net 0

Ural sounds like a drug to fix a kidney infection.

Wow That’s cheaper than normal price here, and they have travelled halfway around the world. NZ was the same. $6 here on normal price now. I think they were $2 NZD at new world and pack n save when I was there in November 2025.