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Meanwhile....Israel in razing buildings in Lebanon with impunity and killing masses of innocent civilians. Doing exactly what they have done to Gaza. More of the same war crimes.

I know you're coming from an enlightened place here - so if the best people were a mix of women and cultural minorities, with not a single middle-aged white man in view, you'd be fine with that. That's admirable and in that respect I agree with you. There's a "but" coming. Please bear with me a little as I try to elucidate my thoughts. Firstly I think that a mix of differences in life experience is hugely important in any senior role, especially government. Just like you don't want all Labor politicians to be ex-trade union bosses, and you don't want all Liberal politicians to be ex-IPA, I would argue that EVEN if the "best" candidate (and what does that mean for government?) happened to be, in every electorate, a middle-aged white man, it would not be a good thing for the government to be compiled of them. With the best will and intentions in the world, a group of men cannot make the best decisions regarding the welfare of women, for example. And the reverse is true. They simply do not have the lived experience of the gender to inform their decision-making. Something they consider a good policy, having considered its impact on the other gender, may in fact turn out to have a subtle component which is negative in the long term for the other gender. If there was someone of the other gender on the team they may pick up on it immediately and say "Hey - but what about..." Obviously the same goes for gay/lesbian (not saying you have to have a transgender person in government - but at least someone who knows what it's like to be in that non-traditional bucket), immigrants, cultural background, religion (including lack of). Secondly is visible representation. Australia is a multicultural society. We say that, but I think for many people they still think of Australia as a mainly white "christian" country. According to Wikipedia, northern European accounts for between 55 and 70% (the 15% who put "Australian" in the ancestry census question are probably mostly white). So at least 1/3 of the population is ethnically diverse. As for religion, as at 2021 "Christianity" was 44%, followed closely by "No religion" at 39%, then around 3% each for "Islam" and "Hinduism" and about 2.5 for "Buddhism". (I think I read somewhere that "No religion" had actually overtaken "Christianity" in a later census). Now obviously it would be almost impossible for the government to be a true representation of every ethnicity, gender, sexual preference and religion. There are only so many seats in each house for a start. But, I would argue that if 50% of the population (women) look at the major parties and saw 0 women in cabinet positions, they would probably think that politics is not a healthy place for ambitious women. Same for ethnicity/religion (and disability). If you see only white people in government, no hijabs (not including Pauline), no Jews, no Asian/Indian/Arab/Indigenous faces - then you would probably feel somewhere deep inside that you're not truly being represented. The (relatively) recent same-sex marriage laws would probably not have happened if there weren't gay people in Parliament who initiated, pushed for or supported bills. Of course you have internal fights and factional plotting. You mentioned Plibersek - pushed out because Albo doesn't like her (I think more likely, he correctly sees her as a threat). Same with the Libs. After a series of disastrous leaders (Abbott, Morrison, Dutton) they finally choose their first female leader who was probably the best of a bad lot, only to tear her down in 6 months and put up another useless twat whose biggest claim to fame was posting an applauding comment to his own Facebook page. Anyway - the point is, I think there are subtle benefits to having a variety of personal attributes and backgrounds in leadership groups. Sorry it took such a long post to say this!

I can't think of a single place the US has gone in to to protect their interests where they have been successful. Korea, Panama, Nicaragua, Chile, Vietnam, Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan to name a few. The CIA has been involved in overthrows of democratically elected (mostly socialist) governments causing major problems resulting in chaos & confusion with thousands killed when before the US got involved everything was working except those countries shunned the US. Trump managed to pull off the capture of the Venezuelan leader ostensible to get control of their oil under the guise of stopping the drug trade, but the country is still run by the original regime and their military is intact. We have been pulled in to all the American wars due to treaty obligations. If it isn't in Trumps interest would the US come to our aid in a local conflict? Given his rhetoric, threats to pull out of treaties and threats to others I think the answer is a definitive No.

Just a Ratbikehelm update: since posting the original photo of it (second photo), it's had regular applications of a salt and vinegar solution for a couple of weeks, followed by leaving it out in the 230mm of rain we recently had. In this updated photo it's had a couple of applications of lanox. I might give it a couple more to get well and truly into the crevices. When it's all nice and dry and cured, it will get a coat of home made beeswax polish and a light burnish. Then all it needs is the ear flap leather trim put back on. At some time in the future I'll make an inner support so it can sit on a head.

Yeah , exactly what l was thinking. Matter a fact the Alphagan Leaders words when the yanks went home, rang n my ears when Rump started this. He said the Americans have all the fancy weapons, but we have time, 100s of yrs if needed. Same thing again here l'd say.

Trump bombed all the military installations on Kharg Island today which Iran uses to export 90% of its oil, nearly all to China. He has also threatened to bomb the oil infrastructure on the island if Iran continues to block the Strait of Hormuz. I think the Iranians will call his bluff. They can’t stop him, but it would just give them more incentive to hit back and keep the blockade up if he does go ahead. The regime will fight to the bitter end because they have nothing to lose. Trump is also supposed to meet with Xi Jin Ping at the end of the month. Xi won’t be happy if Trump has demolished his main source of oil.

I put the same question to the AI search bot on my browser in relation to Victoria. Here is the answer - Yes, in Victoria, you can cross double white lines to pass a slow cyclist, but only under specific conditions. Key rules for crossing double lines to pass a cyclist: You must have a clear view ahead of any oncoming traffic. The manoeuvre must be safe and only done when necessary to maintain the required minimum passing distance. You must give at least 1 metre of clearance when passing a cyclist on roads with a speed limit of 60 km/h or less, and 1.5 metres on roads with a speed limit over 60 km/h. This rule applies to all motor vehicles, including cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses. While crossing double lines is permitted for overtaking cyclists, it is not allowed for overtaking other vehicles unless it is safe and legal. Always remember: if it’s not safe to pass, slow down and wait. The priority is ensuring the safety of the cyclist and other road users.

Pull over and see what the cop does.

It is only the Maga faithful nutters who believe the Bullshit Trump and Hegseth continue to spew out. The majority of US voters are unhappy with this war and the escalation with Iran continuing to inflict more damage each time they come out with comments like totally destroyed, and obliterated etc. The US is running short of its top end missiles at $50 million a pop & is getting help from Ukraine to provide attack drones. Iran has thousands & will be manufacturing more at full speed. The only good thing is they won't be sending many if any to Russia for use against Ukraine. There is now no doubt that the US under Trump is a dictatorship & when congress & the senate try to reign things in he will declare some sort of wartime emergency to assume absolute power which he almost has now.

I wouldn't take a lot of notice of what Hegseth seth He's an ex-military Christian Funda MENTAL ist. This fight is Armageddon and Dog has chosen Trump to carry it OUT. What hope has the World got? Nev

They say he's been disfigured. Source: News video of Pete Hogsbreath news conference reporting the Kharg Island strike.

for a bloke that bitches still about been conscripted, you seem to love the idea of bombing peoples till peace breaks out.

Global Islamic terrorism needs to be eradicated. Iran is a good place to start, then Lebanon, then Western nations with muslim populations.

A surprising amount, i cant reveal how I know, but a lot of so-callled friendly countries are engaged in espionage in Australia including lots of industrial theft and hacking. Especially the current warmongers, they have even been known and proven to steal our passports to use for assassinations in the middle east.

I checked under my bed. No commies or yanks there.

This IRAN debacle will be the end of Trump at home as soon as boots are on the ground. Nev

Nobody would like to see Iran’s regime destroyed more than the Iranians themselves, but Trump went into this with no idea of what it would take to eliminate the regime and no thought of the consequences if he got it wrong. The outcome was entirely predictable had he taken the time to think it through. His military advisors, the real ones - not that idiot Hegseth, could have told him (probably did) because they have war gamed this scenario for years.

The USA has been screwing up Iran since 1953. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has repeatedly intervened in the internal affairs of Iran, from the Mosaddegh coup of 1953 to the present day. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_activities_in_Iran

Damn those Russians! The very nerve of them. My internet went out yesterday, too. That war has got to stop!

Is that a good example of not endorsing or voting for a candidate?

This thread feels like an echo chamber. I think attacking Iran is the best good thing Trump has done. In all wars, the outcome cannot be predicted and you just have to act against evil when it's manifestation becomes unbearable.

I have never been married 😉

Also I was a casual polling clerk at a polling booth.. All votes are then sent to the electoral office where they are recounted. so with ballots with other markings than the actual voting, they may take a different view on their eligibility. I hasten to add, I wasn't a member of a political party at the time.

If you can clearrly discern the voter intention (i.e. the numbers are clear and legible) and it would othrwise be valid (minimum numbers next to names, etc), it is a valid vote. Nothing wriong with writing on the top, or bottom or back of the ballot anything.. At least that's how it was when I was a polling clerk. Sometimes a scrutineer would argue with us about whether it was spoiled or not, in which cae the returning officer would review and sometimes separate them out for the central vote counting team to deal with. That was in Vic but was the same for the federal elections as well.

Given I have lived in mandatory and optional voting jurisdictions, chances are yes 😉 In the UK, I vote regularly.. But not always. I have voted predominantly for the side of the divide that aligns with my values, but have swung.. less chance these days because of the way the parties have moved. I don't need to divulge much more than that unless you really want to know (if you haven't worked it out). Remember, as a youngster I was a member of one of the major parties in Australia; Was the president of my branch, a national conference delegate, and on the public office selection committee for the electorate of my branch. I consider myself pretty well politically engaged. The assumption you are making is deciding not to vote is inaction, and not a purposeful action. I agree, a lot of people who don't vote are likely to be disengaged, but a lot also are engaged - have looked at the options and decided none are for them. It does not make it inaction. It is an action to say what on offer is not what they want. I can't see what is wrong with that. I don't accept that it is better to vote for the one that won't serve your interests, but somehow is deserving your endorsement to be elected. If you feel neither of them would be good public servants. Uf you saw a bunch of plumbers to do some long term work and none of them were competent, would you retain them? I agree.. Deciding not to vote, however, isn't necessarily accompanied by whinging. Nor does it mean that someone doesn't try other ways to achieve outcomes. Or maybe they are just apathetic and don't care and don't whinge. Excpt for the whinge that neither is good.. Then yes, let your parties know they are putting up to you who are unelectable. I don't know the answer to your question. But the question I feel wrong. If only 10% of people voted, has the public given them a mandate to carry out their manifesto/policies? I would argue no (or at least, with such a low turnout, not without a huge risk to their next election chances). If I were just elected with such a low turnout (assuming an average of around 65% turnout in the UK), I would be very careful what I did in government, lest my time would be vry short. Also, parliamentary governments means that their leadership would be very weak and susceptible to takeover, so they would have to tread very carefullly. I am not sure where this comes from. There seems to be an assumption that where someone fails to vote because no one is going to doeverything that the viter wants. I can't speak for other people, bujt that has not factored into my decision not to vote. And while you can assume a certain percentage may have that approach, I would suggest that most who don't vote and aren't apathetic would not expect perfection and if there was a candidate that was likely to change things for the better for them, they wouild vote. We have seen this in the UK before with Tony Blair in 1997 that had the largest voter turnout in years, and with the previous election where people felt neither were really appropriate, where the voter turnout was the lowest since the early 1900s in the low 50%. I think this is evidence it is a ppositive action. Fair enough. I consider that every vote counts, so I take my vote and my decision not to vote equally seriously. The times I have decided not to vote have been considered choices bases on the candidates and parties' offerings at the time. If there are people se disengaged that they don't want to vote, then I don't want them to as they donot consider what they are voting for (some will decide to take interest) and will jujst follow whatever it is or do the donkey vote - as useless as not voting in that situation. And in fact can send the wrong message to someone who gets elected that they have a mandate when they don't. I consier this much more dangerous to democracy than a population of people deciding not to vote no matter their motivations. To use your 10% turnout scenario, there is clearly no mandate with such a turnout in free and fair elections. But if voting is complusory, and 90% didn't want to vote, there are two options: 1 - they spol the vote. Clearly again, no mandate so why bother turning up. Second option is a donkeyed vote. Well, the message could be interpreted as there being a mandate, as they took the time to endorse the first person on the list. That is much more dangerous to democracy to me than not turning up to vote.

I think this will go on for weeks and months if not longer. Trump has lost control of the war and despite all the destruction in Iran, the regime is now in the driving seat. The US knows roughly how much enriched uranium Iran has but not where it is, so that’s a big problem. Khamenei had issued two fatwahs in the past stating that having a nuclear weapon was not compatible with their religious beliefs, so it’s a moot point as to whether Iran would ever have developed a bomb. Iran achieved its goal with the threat alone, which was enough to get the West’s attention. Now however, with a new leader all bets are off. They apparently have enough uranium for between 11 and 16 Hiroshima type weapons, although not the long range delivery systems. That doesn’t really matter because they just have to set off one or two underground to prove the point. Trump could likely have got a deal had he continued negotiating instead of going to war. Contrary to their ambitions the US and Israel have not wiped out all Iran’s drones and rockets, and they can make more. They don’t have to import them. They have a couple of thousand sea mines and a fleet of fishing boats and midget submarines that can lay them. They have already attacked the neighbouring countries aiming to get them to pressure the Americans to abandon their bases, which may happen as it’s now clear the bases are putting them at risk rather than being a deterrent. The US and Israel are also at risk of running short of expensive missiles themselves pretty soon too. In the meantime Russia has stepped in to help the Iranians giving Putin a bargaining chip to use on Trump - “We’ll stop helping Iran if you stop helping Ukraine”. Iran has successfully bottled up the Strait with severe consequences for world energy supplies and other products such as fertiliser. The US and Israeli attacks on infrastructure and historically important sites is turning the population against the US and Trump in particular. Trump and Hegseth have got most of the US population offside as well. Trump has no off-ramp here and it’s his nature to just make a bad situation worse by never wanting to be seen to be a loser, but he’s already lost this war. All that remains is to go through the process of losing.

Before the start of the "war", petrol at my place was $1.70 for 91 octane. It is now $2.25. That's and increase of 55 cents. Since GST is 10% the current price returns Treasury an extra 5.5 cents per litre. As well as calling out the oil companies for gouging, we should also call out the Government. Notice that I said that GST generates money going into Treasury. At the moment the Government is Labor, but if the LNP was the Government, then I reckon they would accept the windfall as well. I'm not trying to say that Labor is being nasty and the LNP wouldn't be. I'm saying that both would not deny the exra money coming into Treasury. Apparently, the voters are "unhappy" about rising food prices, layoff, inflation, etc., but they are totally pissed off, furious and more than somewhat upset that the price of petrol is sky-rocketed. I suppose those who drive ICE vehicle are also annoyed with the drivers of EVs.

I'm fairly sure our laws here in Queensland are that you can cross the double line if it is safe to do so to maintain the one meter distance from a cyclist.

And if the verge is too narrow to allow you to pull over?

Hypothetical dilemma. You start to drive up a long sloping road, two lanes wide (one each way) divided by double white lines. You come across a cyclist, riding at about 5 kph. You have to stay 1 metre clear of him but can't pass without crossing the double line. Behind you, there is a police car, followed by a building line of traffic slowed by the cyclist. What do you do?

HE PROMISED He wouldn't do this. (Start another WAR on foreign soil) Netanyahu and Putin have Power over him. Both are Bloodthirsty killers. Nev

He’s just sent 5000 marines into the area but it will take them two weeks to get there so this conflict is going to go on

Survival is NOT assured. Look what happened to the Libs and Greens at the last election. In the Lower house THEIR electorate decides whether they still have a job or not. The Australian Electoral Commission makes sure no voting Inconsistencies occur. It's an Independ body. Parties have Policies and if they don't implement them they are Judged harshly for that. The Party's members determine Policy. BIG contributors no doubt influence that Newspapers Big Coal and the IPA and Gina etc. Follow the Money Influence. In the USA it's Everything, but in the end It's YOUR Vote that can change things. Vote wisely and when fully informed and you will get Better government . Monopoly Media doesn't help. ALL media Barons have been less than Nice and they are in that game for the Power it allows. Not for Proving INFORMATION. Nev

I am not sure of the angle of the question.. The POSC is much more than just picking someone that alings to the platform. In fact, factional differences makes it a delicate job. It is (or was) a vetting process covering integrity, capability, stability, commitment, tenaciousness, etc. And then compromising for local factional fights. An MP works awfully hard, despite the reputations they have. The POSC is not designed for forming policy. But as a delegate to the national (and state) conference, I was involved in debating policy. By then, it is really tidying it up and rarely generates anything material; that is all done at executive committees and sub committees. It still didn't mean I was less engaged. But, I did become disillusioned and left..But amstill engaged.

One of the problems of this form of communication is that it misses the subtleties of communication without adding emoticons, so pls forgive me if I have misread the tone of this comment.. But, in the great words of one of the actors in The Young Ines, I detect some sarcasm in that.. I mean, I could hardly post: if it did matter to me, could I.. welll without being a hypocrite, which is something I try to avoid. Note,I was writing this in the context of a comment that a percentage (in this case, women) being in government is (by itself) a good thing.. But the reality is, I could really not give a stuff is there was no white person (male of female) in government. I honestly couldn't. An the rest of the post showed you misread my post, which was the fact, by itself, that Labor has 50% women does not automatically mean good. Back in the real world, I would expect good government to be drawn from the diversity of the nation - and not in proprotional numbers of the population.. but based on their merit amongst the people available. If there are 20 of the 23 cabinet ministers that are women, or Sikh, or whatever, great, as long as they are the most appropriate people available for the job. You're right - what is the best? It's a judgement call, but promoting someone incompetent to make up a number because thast person happens to have a diverse characteristic (and by your stats, everyone falls into a minority group because there is no majority group being > 50%) is, IMHO, wrong. Do you have evidence to back this up? I am not being funny, but that isjust a statement of intuition. How do you know this? If the group of men researches and consults widely, rationally and impartially, maybe they can come up with good decisions.For example, when I was doing Criminal law last year, we had to research the law of coercion in NSW. While the women wer advocating for more money for battered women shelters, a man argued that it is the batterer that should be forced toleave the home and protection be provided, and the battered, who normally has kids should have the benefit of the home. Yep.. a man. Funny how it has since been adopted by women as the right thing to do. I don't want this to be a debate aboutj the battle of the sexes though, but as D&I training teaches us, we should discard our confirmation biases. Also, what good would a women be to women's causes if she is incompetent? Would rather have a competent man than an incompetent woman to deal with womesn's affairs, right? I gave the Tanya Plibersek example to show that, yeah, here is a woman (part of that 50%) who is very competent. For whatever reason Albos sees fit, he knows she has to be in the cabinet due to the potential threat to his leadership if she is not in there. But he is deliberatly taking what seens a competent politician (notice, I don't use the gender, or race, or whatever, I am worried about the politician) and not utilising her talents. That to me is great she makes up 1 of the 12 or so femaie cabinet ministers; it is not great he doesn't have the best of them doing the jobs most appropriate to their skill set.

Chat GPT is aware of the wide scope of citizen's backgrounds and demographics. Chat GPT has none of those pesky human weaknesses. It is pragmatic, purely running logic. Dispense with state and fed governments (esp their expense accounts and fringe benefits) - look at the instant boost to the national economy. Dispense with elections - none needed (except the occassional software upgrades). Chat GPT for E-President of the new Republic!

I used to blame the greedy telcos, but now I know it's part of the nasty Russian cyberwar. McCarthy was right all along.

Jerry, I'm a bit confused here. I though if you write on a ballot paper it's marked down as informal. ie: you fill out the ballot correctly then write a message on it = informal vote.

I don't understand what th number of women, men, black, white, Muslim, jew, or swahili have to do with anything in terms of quality of government or workforce for that matter. You want the best team.. Tanya Plibersek is in the team, but I get the feeling Albo doesn't like her, so she is probably there because of her factional wars and not being utilised to her full talents (or what seems to be). So, that is a waste of a mministerial appointment. Claire O'Neil, in what I have seen seems to be completely useless. I could be wrong, of course, but from what I have seen, I wiould prefer someone better. If the minstry is 100% men or women, as long as they are the best for the job, is the important measure.

Yep, engine rebuilding is something I can do with a degree of skill, after having done it for over 60 years. Lifting equipment is necessary when you'e working on bigger diesels. This is a 6cyl Perkins. Yep, that's what I reckoned, too. The local suppliers wanted anywhere between AU$2,200 to AU$2,500 for a crank - this one I bought is made in Germany, too.

Shipping costs and disruptions, both air and sea, are the hidden costs of this American bombing expedition. It's going to have a major impact worldwide. Not to mention the number of people curtailing their holidays because of airspace and airport closures. A lot of people have forgotten that Russian airspace is already closed to all civilian aircraft, and that is impacting air freight and passenger movement and costs. Doha, Dubai, and Bahrain are big transport hubs and are currently closed, so flights are being diverted all over the place. Oman is presently reasonably secure, but that could change. Here's the latest news on air freight shipping. The news is not good for drugs and pharmaceuticals moving from India to Europe, they are forecasting major shortages in Europe, shortly. https://www.freightwaves.com/news/air-cargo-shippers-scramble-to-mitigate-iran-war-impacts I was a bit nervous as regards a new tractor crankshaft I'd ordered from Czechia, but ended up surprised at how the shipping cost was still reasonable, and the transit time was fast. The crankshaft is made in Germany, but it was shipped from Tuchomerice, Czechia (from Vaclav Havel Prague airport) on the 10th March (Tuesday) - from there it went to Koeln in Germany, thence to Shenzhen in China, then on to Singapore early yesterday morning. It landed in Perth early this morning, and they say it will be delivered this afternoon. Can't complain about that service! The crankshaft is big and heavy and weighs 47 kgs, and it cost me US$185 in freight cost, just under AU$260. I acquired the crankshaft for less than half the cost that local suppliers charge, including the airfreight cost. The total cost was AU$950.

Maybe this should go in the 'What has Putin Done?' Thread....

Yes I did see that this morning. Thankfully I am no longer a developer, but also coming up to retirement, anyway. I had a catch up with a friend of mine who is a developer and he is very concerned. They are required to use Claude (https://claude.com/), whichis a specialist software development platform. If they don't ring upa big enough biill in Claude, they are considered underproductive and not adept to change, and the door will be shown to them. Hi is absoltely gobsmacked at how far the paid for version has come. He can literally do in minutes what was done in days. And itis all highquality code and consider the edge cases without being prompted. We concluded that there will be far, far fewer, but higher quality developers managing the delivery by prompt. I have said for a while now that AI has hit critical mass and jobs are going to go.. Software development is a clear one. As are solicitors and even barristers (not baristas, though), accountants, even financial engineers (quants) are going to find it hard going. Project management, etc.. It is all Not to mention interviews are becoming more grulling as the questions are created by AI. Development interviws give you an AI set and a timelimit and you have to build a fully functioning app in the technology stack using the AI tools within an hour. I have said it before and will say it again.. Unlike other labour disruption technologies in whhich people could redeploy, AI will replace without the redeploy option for most.

Scottish Company Stuck With 10,000 Bottles of “Minge Repellent” After Catastrophic Typo A small Scottish outdoor products company has found itself in a rather awkward situation this week after a printing error left them with 10,000 bottles of insect spray labelled “Minge Repellent” instead of “Midge Repellent.” The product, intended to protect walkers, campers, and anyone foolish enough to stand still in the Highlands for more than three seconds from midge attacks, was due to launch this spring as “the most powerful midge repellent in Scotland.” Unfortunately, somewhere between the design team and the printing press, was one unfortunate letter mistakenly inserted. The result? Shelves full of bottles claiming to repel something entirely different. Company founder Dougie MacRae addressed the situation at a press conference yesterday, “Look, we want to make this absolutely clear. These bottles do not repel minges. They repel midges, which are sometimes far worse in most parts of Scotland. Believe me using the spray will not have any impact on your ability to get your leg over." MacRae explained that correcting the mistake would cost thousands in reprinting and relabelling, which for a new company could be catastrophic, so the company is now appealing directly to the Scottish public. “Please understand,” he continued, holding up a bottle while visibly trying not to laugh, “this is still one of the best midge repellents on the market today. The spelling mistake does not affect the formula in any way.” Early reactions online suggest the error may actually boost sales. Several outdoor shops have already reported customers pre ordering multiple bottles “for the laugh,” while one Highland camping store reportedly sold out of future orders within an hour after posting the label on social media.

Trump shoots his mouth off big time. It's his Crude style and HELPS nothing but his insatiable EGO. He's good at Lighting fires but not Putting them Out. He's utterly TIED to Netanyahu and certainly NOT the brightest Bulb in the Chandelier. Most of the World views Trump as a very dangerous Idiot who is completely Unpredictable. Nev

The $25 eBay Dietz Blizzard No.80 is having it's first ever burn tonight after a lot of years in storage somewhere. Dietz moved production from the US to Hong Kong in 1956, then to mainland China in 1988. This one is made in Hong Kong so would be pre 1988, and it's about time it got a life and a home.The only work it needs now is the burner cap touched up on the wire wheel to get a bit of surface rust off, and the chimney cap taken off and straightened. It's going like a Bondi tram; these are one of the best kero lanterns around. The fuel cap unseized after using a bit of Inox mx3 for a couple of days. It's meant to penetrate, the total opposite of the Lanox I'd sprayed on it, which is a rust preventative/sealant and will gum things up. edit: isn't it fun when you do an edit to correct a spelling mistake, then you have to do a second edit when you realise it was right in the first place. i before e except after c, but they don't mention s, as in seized.

This morning I was listening to music on my radio. The music was mainly orchestral and the radio is mono. The thought struck me what a wonderful device the radio's speaker is. It can reproduce the wide range of pitch and tone produced by a number if instruments playing at the same time simply by an electrical current causing a fibre cone to vibrate.