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Can't work my wife out. First she says "Sure! Get yourself a tattoo." Now she's whining about the bagpipers in the garden.

I was on my way to work this morning and thought stuff it, I'm getting a coffee and going to have it at the beach before I start. My daughter told me on the phone it was -4c in tamworth, and here I get to wake up to 9c and this view. It was 14c by the time I got to the beach. I'm starting to catch on life is too short to let this stuff pass us by and work is not everything.

We have a fat white goldfish with a red cap which we've named Trump. Bit insulting to the fish, but they share the same hairstyle, IQ, and belly to height ratio. Also, they both open their mouth constantly but nothing intelligible comes out.

Just pointing out something many may not have known.

Have been visiting the extended family. Well at least those around SEQ. Really enjoying catching up with all. Especially the younger ones. Last night we booked in to a Gold Coast hotel for a rest. In spite of my general dislike for this part of the world, it is nice to wake up to the sound of surf on a beach.

The Republicans wish he'd stop going on about the 2020 election because it's not helping their chances, but at the same time he's doing everything he can to rig the November election beforehand and scheming to disrupt the results if the Democrats look like winning. He's trying every trick in the book to assert his control over the States' ability to run their elections, but fortunately a large number of State governors, both Democrat and Republican are determined to keep him out of it and ensure their elections are run fairly. It's amazing how in Trump's world, elections are only free and fair when he and the Republicans win but rigged beyond recovery when they lose.

Well, a week has passed since I arrived on these fair shores.. I decided to travel up to Tocumwal today to look at some land that may feature in my retirement. But, a nice surprise - I reconnected with my ab initio flight instructor of over 30 years ago! It was fantastic to meet up We flapped the gums chatted about old times and of course our different journeys; and I happen to be in town of the evening of the local aero club meet. So, will do the three S's and trundle off shortly to meet the local aviation fraternity, Doesn't get much better than that!

We messaged our son in NZ to remind him of our flight details. My wife referred to us as FIFO workers. My son's message back was "f***ing Australians, coming here and taking all the jobs"😆

In similar news, because I was born with brown eyes I've never had a period.

From the Guardian...

My Dad had one also, it was his first rangefinder camera after trying to use an old clapped out bakelite camera that someone must have given him. He took lots of family photos with the Neoca during the 1950s. In his latter years he gave me all the negatives which I still have, stored safely. He developed them himself and they look pretty good. Unfortunately Dad's Neoca was stolen, so, for nostalgia, I bought one as part of my collection, and also as a bit of family memorabilia.

In a post near the beginning of this thread I mentioned that I became interested in photography when a workmate of my father gave me a 35mm camera. Neoca 35mm - my first camera I later purchased a twin lens reflex camera which took a 2+1//4" film negative. I never got into film processing, taking my negatives and transparency films to a chemist or camera shop for processing. Twin lens reflex Then I went digital so I could do post processing on the computer. I bought a Panasonic Lumix FZ20 camera which had a 12x zoom lens, great for airport photos. Unfortunately I lost it at an Avalon Air Show. It was a particularly hot day, and at the end of the show I was heading to the exit, suffering from a bit of heat exhaustion. A staff person on a golf buggy offered me a lift to the first aid room. I placed all my goods, chair, esky, camera, etc. on the back seat. When we got to the first aid room the camera was missing. I was pretty devistated. I assumed it had fallen off when we bumped over a gutter. My wife found a secondhand Lumix FZ40 which had a 24x zoom lens in the Trading Post for much less than I paid for the FZ20. It had belonged to the late father of the advertiser. That is the camera I use today in addition to my phone cameras. Lumix FZ40 I have an old iPhone 6 whichhas been decommossioned as a phone, it has no sim card. However it takes good photos, is small and light and fits in a tee shirt pocket, and is very easy to transfer images to the computer. My actual phone, a Samsung Galaxy, takes probably slightly better photos than the iPhone, but is large, heavy, like a brick to carry, and is a nightmare to transfer photos.

Nuclear puts out a lot of heat and needs water, cost heaps to build reflected in the Price Private enterprise wants to do it. Nuclear test site will remain dangerous forever, effectively.Can't be used for quick response either, like Batteries or Hydro. Todays demand fluctuates wildly. Nev

When I was a kid my Dad raised a few pigs as a side hustle. He used to buy 44 gallon drums of chocolates from Cadbury's - deformed, had fallen on the floor, etc. Pigs loved them. Us kids did too 😄 Not sure how much they cost but he was a tight arse so it would have been cheap.

He doesn't respect a free and fair vote anywhere IF a Socialist Government is elected. They supported Pinochet (mass murderer of his own People) in Chile even well before Trumps time. I don't think USA has Antitrust Laws any more. Making MONEY is ALL that Counts. No matter how many have to die. Winners are Grinners. Their Pentecostal (charismatic religion is designed for the greedy and ruthless. DOG wants you to be rich. (Like Hell, he/she/it does.) Nev

When Cadburys was sold to Mondelez the quality & taste went through the floor and they introduced horrible American flavours. I know in NZ people complained & stopped buying Cadburys which prompted an eventual reversal & return of original flavours though the chocolate quality is still not as good as it was & most likely has more sugar in it. Mondelez also closed the NZ factory & the only site left in Oceania is in Tassie. Hopefully they won't close that & get stuff made in China like everyone else.

That's my excuse too. I'm really much younger than I look.

He wasn't born with a silver spoon in his Mouth. He was selected by the Party and took them to one of the Most significant wins for ages. He has Plenty of well qualified and People to select for Ministerial Positions. .He's not a One Man Band. News all over the world acknowledge we are doing a Good job here but you won't get that Impression from and Newscorpse Monopoly or SKY. They want to be Pauline's Puppet-master because SHE will do their Bidding. She's for SALE. Nev

Yes. Solid 7/10 from me.

I feel that Melbourne has a cultural feel about it, as opposed to Sydney's commercialism. One goes to Melbourne for the theatre and music. Sydney does not seem to have that vibe, despite having the architectural beauty of the Opera House. But it's just a building. As for multiculturalism, I think that the meeja consistently misreports on it. I was in a shopping centre in Dubbo yesterday. I saw people from India, Asia, Africa, Indigenous and European all carrying on with their shopping with no sign of conflict. I had the choice for my lunch of several differnt food types of food styles.

The town is noted for having one of the widest main streets in the country, at 60 metres. It was built as wide as this to accommodate turning bullock trains. In 2012, in the tradition of the Parkes Elvis Festival, Trundle launched its own tribute with the inaugural Trundle ABBA Festival. The town's annual festival, called "Bush Tucker Day", is held every September. There is also a golf course with sand-oil greens, a 25-metre swimming pool, tennis courts, horse-racing facilities and a sporting oval named Berryman Park. Who wouldn't want to include it on a grey nomad tour?

and execute on it.. Words are cheap.

Meanwhile, Poorline is sunning in Italy at a resort with her battler friend Gina.

The only permanent Nuclear waste facility I know of is Finlands Onkalo, meaning "cave" in Finnish, the facility is carved 430 meters (1,411 feet) below the surface in 1.9-billion-year-old stable bedrock near the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant. It securely stores spent nuclear fuel using a unique multi-barrier system. It took over 20 years to build & can store 6500 tonnes of spent uranium. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onkalo_spent_nuclear_fuel_repository About 400,000 tones of high level waste exists globally with about 12,000 tonnes added each year. Meanwhile there are scores of decommissioned Nuclear submarines in storage awaiting the waste from their reactors to be removed and stored. The UK has 23, The US & Russia have not disclosed numbers or where the waste is stored. Is there a plan to dispose of the waste from the Aukus nuclear subs?

I think this might be a little optimistic. Global stockpiles of highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel exceed 320,000 tonnes currently in storage, with another 120,000+ tonnes having been reprocessed. The vast majority of this material sits in temporary wet pools or dry casks near power plants, awaiting permanent deep geological disposal. [1, 2] he International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) tracks the global spent nuclear fuel inventory across power reactors worldwide. When including all classifications (Low-Level and Intermediate-Level Waste), the global inventory totals tens of millions of cubic meters, although the highest-level, most radioactive materials make up a very small percentage of that total volume. [1, 2, 3] Here is a video about how waste disposal works. This is not hysterical scare mongering, but I believe an accurate description of the process. The thing that strikes me is it is quite complex and thus far not much has been actually permanently disposed of.

Siso...You don't mention quick response considerations or storage. That's the game changer. You can easily research the real cost of these things IF you want to . Australia has a relatively small Population over a large area. A grid for any system here will be costly and damage Prone. Long distance equals transmission losses and higher power costs. Tidal and battery could be stand alone for some areas like Broome.. Really, what's Planting trees got to do with nuclear?? Some Countries are almost standing room only, and there's plenty of places where a big tree is a big problem. Nuclear Needs cooling and LOTS of water. Australia is one of the driest continents in the world but we have Wind and sunlight in abundance. Horses for Courses they say. Look at the condition of some test sites like the Marshal Islands. Nev

Very true, and this applies to all forms of power generation. I am not philosophically opposed to nuclear; however, I have not seen convincing economic modelling. If we were to go down the nuclear road, we would be looking at significant costs. Recent projects in Europe, the UK and the US have experienced substantial cost overruns and delays A question I would have is: Who would build them? Australia has world-class engineering and construction capability, but it currently lacks experience in several areas unique to commercial nuclear power, including: nuclear-qualified pressure vessel manufacturing reactor vessel forging steam generator manufacturing nuclear fuel fabrication a nuclear regulatory workforce for commercial power reactors Those capabilities would need to be developed over time or sourced internationally. Whilst transmission upgrades required may be less than for renewables, they are still substantial. Nuclear does have an enormous upfront cost and is only viable over many decades. In the meantime, storage technology gets cheaper and better. Storage technology continues to improve and fall in cost, whether lithium-ion, sodium-ion or other emerging technologies. Given the long lead time between deciding to build a nuclear power station and generating the first power, storage technology will continue to advance. I think some time ago you mentioned that you have a historically fantasic feed in tariff from your retailer, so I imagine you are doing alright. My power bills have gone up; however, the solar keeps it cheap compared to other bills I have. For my household, investing further in rooftop solar and storage is likely to reduce my electricity costs far sooner than waiting for a fleet of nuclear stations to be built. Ultimately, I'm less interested in whether a technology is labelled "renewable" or "nuclear" than whether it can deliver reliable, affordable and environmentally responsible electricity for Australians. At this stage, I haven't seen convincing evidence that a nuclear pathway would provide a better overall outcome, particularly given the costs and construction timeframes involved.

Sam was a great actor and an all round fine human being. A genuine nice guy. I loved his book "Did I ever tell you this" a series of his memoirs he put together after finding out about his cancer diagnosis. Sir Sam Neill I will miss you

How much BLOOD does Trump Have on his Hands, NOW? Nev

You have to look for what you want in Melbourne. It won't jump out at you in Lights, in most circumstances but the Variety is there. It's best if someone with similar interests to yours , shows you around and it's ever changing in subtle ways . Also you don't have to be a Millionaire to live there. Traffic can be a bit harrowing at the Wrong time. It's growing a bit too fast. Trams are free in the central part of the City. I've now been here for 62 years but have seen most parts of this Country and a lot of Europe. I'm not a great lover of crowds and cities but they can offer a lot of facilities and variety nothing else does. . Nev

Hey, I object. I don't mind getting critical about USofA or Olde England or other 'shitole' countries..... But leave our Great Country out of it! (Nev, I'm being sarcastic)

She's losing favor as fast as she gained it - a real flash in the pan.

You must believe in witchcraft, GON. They HAVE one Person in the House of Reps. Her idol, Nigel Farage is not looking good and Hanson's over in the UK Associating with completely undesirable characters causing concern with any thinking Australian Voter.. You picked Trump as a good thing too. Hanson Worships him.. Neither are Nice people. To believe EITHER of them care about the Ordinary Person makes you look NAIVE. Nev

I think this article says more about Sam Neill than most I've seen. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/jul/14/sam-neill-new-zealand-remembers-local-star

Great actor. He was great in Jurassic Park, and Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Apparently a Sir too, and his real first name is Nigel.

He was actually born in Omagh, Northern Ireland, but was raised in New Zealand.

The other thing that is becoming a pain is having to do everything on your phone. So many aps drain the battery quickly, and if you are stuck with a flat battery, or the network fails as has haapened with Telstra and Optus, you are stuffed.

Yours looks a little warmer than where I was last night on the Bellarine Peninsula (come to think about it, not too far from where home is for you)

US senator Lindsay Graham died suddenly on Saturday night their time.

Yes, it's a bloody pain. Also the sites that require you to enter the security code they send to your phone. I don't always have my phone close handy. I've had two FB accounts closed for some spurious reason. I was using my late wifes account, just to receive info, jokes and trivia, but I had to delete browser history and cookies to get Google Maps to work and lost the login.

We'd be fools to use it when we Don't have to, The situation in India is NOTHING like the same as WE have Here. India has the LARGEST population in the World Also, India is already a Nuclear Nation as is Israel Iran and Pakistan. (to name a few). Plus we are NOT giving it AWAY. Selling it helps to pay our Bills and reduce Our debt. Nev

And the point is?

See how easily a well intentioned comment can lead to an international crisis! To misquote a well known (ex) president.... "The bombing will begin after lunchtime"

My eldest son is 18 today. Couldn't be prouder of the fine young man he's become. 😊

I must say I'm very fortunate to have never taken up smoking or drinking in excessive amounts, from even pre-teen years. I can remember finding a packet of Turf cigarettes on the road whilst riding my bike when I was about 10 - tried one, and after coughing and spluttering for a while, thought, "Why the hell would anyone want to do this??" I threw the rest of the packet away. I guess having bad asthma for many years as a child, made me very wary about doing anything adverse, that would affect my breathing ability or lung capacity. The same went for alcohol. Neither of my parents drank much alcohol at all. They would buy a bottle of Rose or Vermouth and have a little with meals. I never saw them in the bars of pubs, knocking back constant glasses of beer, wine or spirits. My teenage mates were never big on booze, and when I went to parties where beer was offered, I decided I hated the taste of it. So I became a very moderate wine and spirits drinker. A bottle of Whisky lasts me 12 to 18 months, and even longer in recent times. I used have a few glasses every month, of mostly white wine, in the 70's and 80's, but mostly when dining out. I was never a big party-goer anyway, I was always working, trying to build up a business, and operating and repairing machines and dealing with clients. Funnily enough, I worked in industries (earthmoving/trucking/mining) where heavy boozing was just a daily habit. A "carton a day" was common amongst compatriots. Even in the Army, I drank very little, while at least half of the other blokes in the Army were borderline alcoholics, and the lager culture ruled in the military. The more I learn as I get older, is just how much many diseases and body organ failures, are linked back to excessive alcohol consumption and smoking. I have never seen a centenarian who was a heavy drinker, but I've watched a lot of business and work associates, and a few friends, die too young, with alcohol or smoking-related complaints. And of course, quite a few died in alcohol-related car accidents, often self-inflicted. But my elder brother was killed by a drunk in a 5 ton Ford truck when I was 15, and he was 25 and newly married, so I guess that affected me for life, too. Good on you Jerry, for going almost alcohol-free, it has major advantages as you age. I found that as I aged, the adverse effects of alcohol on the day after drinking a few, became harder to shake off.

I thought they were dwarfs until I expanded the photo and saw they were kneeling. Should've gone to specsavers.