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Excellent, I'll start up the "Earth is flat debate continues" thread, because I don't think that one is quite settled either.

We just bought a new property. It had a big gas cooker in the kitchen which we promptly threw out. We are renovating and the house will be all electric, well it is now except for the solar hot water. Our average daily power consumption is 9-10 kWh. There is a 20 year old 1kW solar system with 8 x 125 watt panels which I am replacing with a new 8.8 kW system with 20 x 440 watt bifacial v panels, a 10kW hybrid inverter and an 18.64 kWh battery. In theory I should be able to go off grid. Total cost $11,600.00. The battery is made up of 4 x 4.66 kWh modules which is scalable to 41.93 kWh by just adding modules on top. It is free standing & will live in my big shed. The house is 20 years old and unbelievably the ceiling is uninsulated. Part of the renos is insulation and draught proofing as even efficient air conditioning is quite power hungry. Charging my EV is power hungry but I have a plan that gives me 3 hours of free power a day (11:00 to 14:00) so that is when it is scheduled to charge. I also get power for 8c/kWh from midnight to 6am. There is now so much power produced by rooftop solar that the spot price is often negative in the middle of the day. New solar farms now going in have to include batteries. Early solar farms without them either have to switch off or invest in batteries as they have to pay to put their power in to the grid when the price is negative. Electricity retailers now have plans for home battery owners. Solar feed in tariffs are very low now. I was getting just 0.5 cents/kWh, now 2.8 cents/kWh. A friend who has just added a 30kWh battery gets 15 cents/kWh feed in tariff during peak usage which will come from his battery.

Better that it was Albo than Ley. I don't think that "best friend" is a good label for Albo. Maybe "diplomatic tightrope walker" might be a better one.

An older, white haired man walked into a jewelry store one Friday evening with a beautiful young gal at his side. He told the jeweler he was looking for a special ring for his girlfriend. The jeweler looked through his stock and brought out a $5,000 ring and showed it to him. The old man said, "I don't think you understand, I want something very special." At that statement, the jeweler went to his special stock and brought another ring over. "Here's a stunning ring at only $40,000," the jeweler said. The young lady's eyes sparkled and her whole body trembled with excitement. The old man seeing this said, "We'll take it." The jeweler asked how payment would be made and the old man stated, by check. "I know you need to make sure my check is good, so I'll write it now and you can call the bank Monday to verify the funds and I'll pick the ring up Monday afternoon," he said. Monday morning, a very teed-off jeweler phoned the old man. "There's no money in that account." "I know", said the old man, "but can you imagine the weekend I had?"

Yep. And I remember saying before the election that, despite his denials, "project 25" was what he would push on the US. He's a scumbag, a liar, a greedy freeloading criminal rapist fraudster, a vindictive and small-minded bigot of the worst type. Every voter in the US either knew these facts or was living under a rock, but they still elected him.

Trouble is his sons are as abhorrent as him, especially the two older ones.

Simply put, the planet is 4.5 billion years old. Life began about 3.8 billion years ago and from that point till now sediments and material from live organisms that died have been producing fossil fuels. So in the last 2-300 years & more so in the last 100 years humans have been burning it and emitting all the waste in to the atmosphere. The jury is out as to how much we have left but estimates are that we have burned our way through about 50% of the energy stored in fossil fuels in the last 200 years that took 3.8 billion years to create & what is left is getting harder to extract. Still we have people who deny that chucking the waste from burning fossil fuels in to our atmosphere is helping to change our climate, now very rapidly.

This thread has gone too quiet. Time to wake it up again..... A Ukrainian migrant goes to the Department of Motor Transport to apply for a driver's license. He has to take an eye test. The clerk shows him a card with the letters: C Z W I X N O S T A C Z "Can you read this?" the clerk asks." "Read it?" the Ukrainian replies, "I went to school with the arsehole."

Sort of a positive.. My typos are becoming legendary... Just yesterday, the salutation on one of my emails started with "Fear all,"... F and D are close, and spell checker didn't pick it up. A few weeks ago, when referencing a big data product, Data Bricks, my typings was "Data Pricks"... B and P are miles away; someone suggested a Fruedian slip given who I was addressing the email to.. This morning, signing off an email. "Kind retards,".. T is above the G.. Could have been a Fruedian as well.. Take solace that fellow forumites do not suffer alone.

A mother is driving a little girl to her friend's house for a play date. "Mommy," the little girl asks, "how old are you?" "Honey, you are not supposed to ask a lady her age," the mother replied. "It's not polite." "OK", the little girl says, "How much do you weigh?" "Now really," the mother says, "those are personal questions and are really none of your business." Undaunted, the little girl asks, "Why did you and Daddy get a divorce?" "That is enough questions, young lady, honestly!" The exasperated mother walks away as the two friends begin to play. "My Mom won't tell me anything about her," the little girl says to her friend. "Well," says the friend, "all you need to do is look at her drivers' license It is like a report card, it has everything on it." Later that night the little girl says to her mother, "I know how old you are, you are 32." The mother is surprised and asks, "How did you find that out? "I also know that you weigh 140 pounds." The mother is past surprised and shocked now. "How in heaven's name did you find that out?" "And," the little girl says triumphantly, "I know why you and daddy got a divorce." "Oh really?" the mother asks. "Why?" "Because you got an F in sex." (Now, isn't this thread so much better for you than the political doom threads?)

Where do dwarves get educated? In a miniscule.

GON. There is no way to bring back the good ole daze of USA. It's too late. Besides, neither TRump nor maga, nor the republicans can suddenly make USA productive. Their culture is not going to allow it. TRump is simply fast tracking their fade away from the global stage.

Why am I suddenly reminded of that old saying "It's better to keep your mouth shut and look like an idiot, than to open it and remove all doubt"?

He's making AMERICA GRATE and the Laughing stock of the World. May also cause a depression. Nev.

Sometimes GON, I think you just like stirring the pot. Do you really believe what you just said? Trump is trashing everything around him and enriching himself in the process. He is the most corrupt person to ever become president, and there is nothing that he is doing that is making America great.

Get your head out of your a**e.

The LAW is for EVERYONE BUDDY.. NO exemptions or we are all stuffed well and truly. The UNITED States is DIVIDED and a House divided unto itself shall surely Fall. This Bloke is a DICK Tator with a passion for revenge on anyone who won't Kiss his Arse, enthusiastically. The sooner he is GONE, the better, so we can go back to TRUTH Equal Rights and sensible LAWS that make the Society Function for ALL. Not just the filthy RICH. Nev

I'm having problems with my older laptop in that it says that there is no internet connection, while I can easily log on using my newer laptop. While trying to sort out things, I decided to clean up bloated directories of files dating back to 2020. I came across this photo, scanned from an old color slide taken probably 50 years ago. It shows me performing a preflight inspection on a PA-28. The kid behind me is my youngest brother. A couple of years ago, he retired from Police Victoria, with the rank of Detective Superintendent. How time flies.

We will adapt and improve with electricity. Nothing is more certain. IT gets cheaper and better. The REST gets dearer.. Nev

Just looking at a flaw in the US system. I borrowed this from elsewhere, and I like the concept...... "The political system in the Netherlands is very different from the USA, but I'll attempt to draw a comparison on what has happened. Mike Johnson had to shut down the government. In the USA it is used to try to force 'partners' into submission and basically blackmail them. In the Netherlands a shut down means everybody is fired and new elections are to be held. The Dutch congress is still seated in the sense that if essential decisions need to be made they are required to do so. However, no new legislation can be passed, discussed or presented and legislation cannot be altered or updated unless it is a matter of national security." Yeah, and the decisionmakers should not be paid until government becomes fully functional again.

Do you think The Administrator could do something to find out where GON's internet address comes from? I reckon it must be somewhere between Neche, North Dakota and Brownsville, Texas.

It says "former president". This indicates that the event happened during the run-up to the 2024 election. The story has been regurgitated. If you are watching YouTube videos you have to check how long ago they were posted.

HOW DO COURT RECORDERS KEEP STRAIGHT FACES???? These are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and published by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while the exchanges were taking place. ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning? WITNESS: He said, 'Where am I, Cathy?' ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you? WITNESS: My name is Susan! _______________________________ ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact? WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reeboks. ____________________________________________ ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active? WITNESS: No, I just lie there. ____________________________________________ ATTORNEY: What is your date of birth? WITNESS: July 18th. ATTORNEY: What year? WITNESS: Every year. _____________________________________ ATTORNEY: How old is your son, the one living with you? WITNESS: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can't remember which. ATTORNEY: How long has he lived with you? WITNESS: Forty-five years. _________________________________ ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all? WITNESS: Yes. ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory? WITNESS: I forget.. ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot? ___________________________________________ ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning? WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam? ____________________________________ ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the 20-year-old, how old is he? WITNESS: He's 20, much like your IQ. ___________________________________________ ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken? WITNESS: Are you shitting me? _________________________________________ ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th? WITNESS: Yes. ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time? WITNESS: Getting laid ____________________________________________ ATTORNEY: She had three children , right? WITNESS: Yes. ATTORNEY: How many were boys? WITNESS: None. ATTORNEY: Were there any girls? WITNESS: Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney? ____________________________________________ ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated? WITNESS: By death.. ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated? WITNESS: Take a guess. ___________________________________________ ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual? WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female? WITNESS: Unless the Circus was in town I'm going with male. _____________________________________ ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney? WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work. ______________________________________ ATTORNEY: Doctor , how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people? WITNESS: All of them. The live ones put up too much of a fight. _________________________________________ ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to? WITNESS: Oral... _________________________________________ ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body? WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 PM ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time? WITNESS: If not, he was by the time I finished. ____________________________________________ ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample? WITNESS: Are you qualified to ask that question? ______________________________________ And last: ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse? WITNESS: No. ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure? WITNESS: No. ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing? WITNESS: No.. ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy? WITNESS: No. ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor? WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar. ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless? WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law. ----------------------------------------- These are from a book called “Disorder in the Courts”! Hilarious! 😀 We believe “Disorder in the Court: Great Fractured Moments in Courtroom History” you can find on Amazon! From my understanding these were some of the funnier ones!

What is forgotten is that when renewable energy generators are installed on a farm, the farmer is paid rent by the generating company. Therfore one can say that by entering into the agreement with the company, the farmer is diversify farm income. What right have others to dictate landuse on a farm? Do neighbours have the right to dictate what crops are grown on a farm? Let's say that a turbine has a useful life of 25 years, the farm can bank on a constant income input for that long. Isn't that what was promised in the 70s when farmers were offered rent for the establishment of pine tree plantations?

Large wind generators are graceful and the Product cheap. Would you prefer the dust from open cut Coal mines that People in Newcastle get and IF you want POWER you need POWERLINES to get it to you. Nev

This is the most misnamed thread ever. The reason is, it's not a debate. The science is settled. Only a few misguided/supported by the fossil fuel industry clowns still try to deny it, and they have about as much credibility as cult leaders who "calculate" that the world is ending in 2000 / 2012 whenever. Everyone's allowed their own opinion but don't confuse it with fact. The magical thinking that climate change isn't real is like the "medical" practice of blood-letting - it has no basis in reality and is a harm-causing alternative to proper treatment of the problem.

Two Nuns are riding their bicycles down the back streets of Rome. One leans over to the other and says, "I've never come this way before." The other Nun whispers, "It's the cobblestones."

Erm.. last one I officially did (in London) caused a big traffic jam in Reggio Emelia in Italy, very temprarily threatening world supplies of Parmesan cheese (well the first bit is true, the second bit about Parmesan cheese is for effect only).

I don't know why you bother responding. Haven't seen so much bovine excrement since Chump himself. No need to feed the constant p155 in the wind

I doubt it. Chances are he thinks Trump is just a greedy sociopath (like most people think) but for the sake of his country he's building a cordial relationship.

Well at least Albo hasn't: -given him a $400m plane -given him a state visit -fired or even moved KRudd

The preacher asked his congregation, How many of you have forgiven your enemies? About half held up their hands. He then repeated his question. As it was past lunchtime, this time amost all responded, except one small elderly lady. "Mrs. Jones?" inquired the preacher, Are you not willing to forgive your enemies? "I don't have any," she replied smiling sweetly. "Mrs. Jones, That is very unusual. How old are you?" "Ninety-three," she replied. "Oh Mrs. Jones, what a blessing and a lesson to us all you are. Would you~please come down in front of this congregation and tell us all how a person can live ninety-three years and not have an enemy in the world." The little sweetheart of a lady tottered down the aisle, faced the congregation, and said, "I outlived all the bitches."

Not-so-quickie.... A 60 years old billionaire marries a hot 25 year old girl. After their honeymoon they throw a party celebrating their marriage. After a few drinks, the billionaire’s friends want to know the secret of how he landed 25 year old hottie. “It’s simple” billionaire boasts… “I faked my age!” “Yes, but even for a 40/45 year old guy she is sensational - what age did you tell you are?” A friend asks. With a smile on his lips billionaire responds, “85 years old.”

Quickie.... What’s the difference between a seal and a sea lion? One electron.

When you say "wolfie is in you" you don't mean like this, do you?

Yeah, Wolfie will do that. I am sure you resisted

I would add, the good ole daze of low paid factory workers, protectionism that favoured the mega rich factory/railroad/oil families. Why did so many go to war ? Because it was a chance to get a regular income. After all USA was not risking its territory, it was only making money from selling arms. Post WW2 was their golden era but the eventual goal of free capitalism is always to demolish free enterprise, remove competition, and replace it with megarich monopolies. All done now. But no room for self sufficiency of the country, so long as the oligarcs can reside in their own entitled bubble. (Sorry, Wolfie is in me)

What are the good old days anyway? Segregation, the McCarthy Reds under the beds era, lynchings, Vietnam, WW2 or that golden age when you could beat your wife and children?

It is a fact, and one that it should be possible to obtain documentary proof thereof, that the German military in the time of Hitler were required to swear loyalty to Hitler rather than to Germany. Trump is demanding the same thing of the US Civil Service. But why are you amazed about Trump's gutting of the Civil Service? He openly stated it in his election speeches.

So GON, do you think in order to make America great (whatever that means) it is necessary to allow health insurance rates to double and in some cases, triple, whilst giving tax cuts to billionaires and simultaneously tearing down part of the White House to build a crass gold ballroom and naming it after himself?

Trump is literally deciding who deserves disaster relief based on how they voted. This week, Donald Trump proudly announced he’d approved millions in relief funding for Alaska, Missouri, and Nebraska — all states that helped elect him. But when Democratic-led states like Vermont, Illinois, and Maryland begged for help after floods and storms tore through their towns, they were met with silence or outright denial. The Associated Press confirmed that the White House denied those requests, including Maryland’s appeal after devastating May floods, while rushing to approve red-state declarations in the same week. Meanwhile, Trump was online calling Alaska’s residents “incredible Patriots.” In the same breath, he bragged about winning them “BIG” in past elections, as if disaster victims had earned their salvation by voting the right way. So let’s be clear: if your community is drowning but didn’t vote for Trump, good luck. Vermont’s Republican governor, Phil Scott, didn’t mince words. “President Trump and his administration have politicized disaster relief,” he said. “And our communities are the ones who will pay the price.” He’s right — and it’s obscene. Disaster aid isn’t supposed to be a campaign perk. It’s not supposed to depend on party lines, loyalty tests, or how loudly you cheer at a rally. It’s supposed to reflect the most basic moral principle in public life: we take care of each other when we’re in crisis. What we’re watching is moral corruption in daylight — the erosion of fairness, compassion, and decency at the highest level of government. This isn’t just about who gets a FEMA check; it’s about who counts as worthy in Trump’s America. Every time Trump politicizes disaster aid, he sends a message that cruelty is power and empathy is weakness. But he’s wrong. Americans don’t turn our backs on neighbors because they voted differently. We help — because that’s who we are supposed to be. When disaster strikes, there’s no red state or blue state — just families in need. The idea that your right to recover depends on your political allegiance is beyond corruption. It’s moral bankruptcy. And the only way to fight it is to name it, shame it, and demand better. Because if we accept this — if we let any president decide who gets rescued and who’s left behind — we’ve already lost the soul of this country.

Evolution is still at work in USA....

The Lincoln-Kennedy similarities are not all true. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln–Kennedy_coincidences_urban_legend

We lost power for 3 days when a tree took down our power lines. Borrowed a neighbour's little generator, it was enough to run the fridge/freezer, a couple of lights, chargers and the internet router - that was enough to keep the kids from mutiny.