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See! We ARE multicultural!

My unexpert summary is this:- Although we wish that the government can control the big economic picture, they really can't. With the unlikely exception of major politico/economic suicide. Mostly our economy is largely influenced by the world economy, of which we are a minor part. All we can do is tinker around the edges with details. I don't see the complainers coming up with examples of great ways to 'fix' the perceived problems. Just saying 'chuck em out!' is not an answer.

Closing the Southern border may have been a success but Trumps reliance on ICE which appears to be run as a total authoritarian outfit by its hierarchy has completely backfired. The only other thing he has been successful at it enriching himself and his family and lowering taxes for all of his billionaire cronies.

A couple of weeks ago there was a heat wave in NSW and due to various factors including coal generators outages due to breakdowns and maintenance, the spot price soared to over $2,000.00 a MW. As a VPP my system immediately began to sell power to the grid. It see sawed rapidly for an hour or 2 due to this occuring from numerous battery systems doing the same thing. Anyway I ended up with a credit of $65.00 over the 2 hours & my monthly bill just received is now in credit foe $70.00. This includes charging my EV once or twice a week.

Just another grasp at straws to try and discredit renewables

No tax on tips and overtime expire in December2028 but tax breaks for the rich don't expire. That's not good. Finding waste and fraud in government is a perennial aim of all parties but DOGE was a complete financial and moral failure. What he wanted tariffs to do was punish countries he thought were taking advantage of the USA because he didn't understand how trade worked. By nature, he's pathologically opposed to cooperation for mutual gain.

The only good thing I think Trump has done is stop uncontrolled migration across the border. Everything else has been a disaster for the country and the world.

Our OP Shop has to give an annual report to NSW Fair Trading. It has to be done online, and the required fee paid with plastic. Here's the gripe: The payment of teh fee can be done by credit card. It can also be paid using a debit card, provided it is a Visa debit card. The Op Shop banks with the only bank in town - Bendigo Bank, which is not tied in with Visa. A physical debit card works well for the shop since it can't be used for fraud by anyone associated with the shop. The payment of the annual fee to Fair Trading is the only payment that would require the use of a credit card. The annual fees for a credit card would exceed the fee to Fair Trading. So, in order to pay the fee, one of the members who has a credit card has to be with the Treasurer at the computer in the person's home ( we don't have in the shop because we don't need one) so that person's card can be used and then the Treasurer has to reimburse the person. The job gets done, but how inconvenient? The coming problem for a lot of people is that Banks will not issue personal credit cards to pensioners, but will issue debit cards. It seems that the officials at Treasury, who are in employment so can get a credit card, are not aware of this problem and blithely introduce payment systems that are impossible for amny people to use.

Here is an example of a good use for ChatGPT, and I suppose Calude and the others.

Jeez, that's a long game! 😁

Lst night I watched an astonishing light show in the clouds. Usually one gets intermittent lightning flashes, but this storm light show was just like New Year's fireworks. The storm was way off in the distance, but I did get about 12mm of rain in a couple of very heavy showers. However, this is a storm that moved over tjhe NSW Southern Highlands yesterday.

I agree with your skepicism. Sure, it's still early days. But so far the returns don't seem to be ramping up in proportion to the collective $billions being 'invested' in data centres and A.I.

I'm happy to use non-fossil electricity. Presently expecting a $200 credit for this quarter. That projects to a break even at about 6 years, but considerably sooner after we get a new EV to use the excess that presently only goes out to the grid at 8c/Kwh.

It is a shame that Sir Patrick's memory is being hung on only one of his roles. Why Sir Patrick? He was knighted in 2007 for his services to drama. He had a long career as a Shakesperian actor. Also, one of his movie roles was in the X-Men franchise. The movie role I remember is as King Richard in Mel Brooke's Robin Hood - Men in Tights. He also was held in high esteem for his series of readings of Shakspeare's Sonnets during the COVID lockdown.

Brendan, this is what you need: https://www.ustraveldocs.com/au/en/immigrant-visa

Should answer your question.. My comparison with SFM is tp show he ain't worse (nor better) than the next one. Am I accepting it? In so much as there isn't anyone too much better to lead at the moment, IMHO. It's not great for me to admit it, but, as you say because of a lack of quality political leaders, is a sad state of affairs and cutting one's nose off to spite their face seems counterproductive given the benefit the change has already had. In terms of picking and choosing promises - I am not sure what you're referring to; all I did was regurgitate stats and I did qualify by saying by itself is not a good comparator. It is meant to be illustrative to Brenden mostly that not only Albo lies. I have to admit, I don't quite understand this comment.. Who was referring to the last government. Didn't Albo take action to stabilise (and return to normal levels) the housing market.. for now and in the future? What have I missed. Yep, he did like - well I believe he did.. And yes, he is paying for it politically at the moment. He timed it so (for him) the correction was swift and more people could afford homes and by the time the next election came around they would be thanking him in the ballot box resulting in a notching up of the price so those affected by the price correction could see the upside. I have to admit, he is not the master of political timing and trying it when there were geopolitical tensions that were likely to spill over and result in a global fuel price shock was not the smartest thing to do, politically. Is that the best you can do. Let me stoop to your level.. if you think the others are better, then your head is firmly wedged in a place where your torso has to form a semi-circle to get your head to. Quite, tightly wedged, too.. And part of my job is to research economies and economic performance. So, here is a graph for you.. It's the 10 year Aussie Federal Government Bond Futures Index: What it is saying is that basically, that 10 year bonds issued by the Federal government are likely to increase in price, meaning a lower yield (interest rate). This is the Standard & Poors index, which is an industry benchmark: https://www.spglobal.com/spdji/en/indices/fixed-income/sp-asx-australian-10-year-treasury-bond-futures-index/#overview In other words, a lot of highly qualified people who are much better than your and I put together at assessing current and likely future economic performance are putting bets on Australia as they think the current government and the RBA are doing a pretty good job managing the finances and economy. These are futures contracts rather than the bonds themselves and they represent an agreement to deliver a certain number of 10 year Aussie bonds for the stated price at the maturity of the futures contract. These are exchange traded and there is a very liquid market in 10 year Aussie bond futures. The markets are effectively saying, at the moment, we think the cost of borrowing for Australia will come down. That will be predicated by good economic management; otherwise, the riskier the loan, the more interest you will pay. The fixed income market (bonds) is the canary in the coal mine of economic performance- it responds much earlier to economic activity than the stock markets. And the futures market is the early warning system of that canary. At the moment, Australia is looking very good, indeed. Sorry to rain on your parade. Ironically, you may want to bet against the Aussie dollar because as the price rises, the yield drops and investors will look for better returns.. However, the RBA always intervenes to ensure Australia remains competitive in the investor market. What would happen to the curve if any of the others got in? The reality is I don't know. But, as the election gets closer, we should take a look at the curve against who is the favourites and see what it has to show us. Just remember that.. the people who are risking large sums of their money (for many, their livelihoods) are banking on the Australian government and RBA doing a good job managing the economy. Futures are a zero sum game; you bet the wrong way, and you lose it all; they're not like equities where unless the company goes broke, you can extract some value from each share you hold. And, it's not the only thing we could use to measure performance, but it is a good first cut.

Google AI says they're one and the same, generally called split pins in Australia. They use AIMS Industrial Supplies as a reference. The AI also says the Brits call them split pins or split cotter pins, the Americans call them cotter pins, then it goes on to describe a true cotter pin. https://aimsindustrial.com.au/blogs/product-guides/split-pin-cotter-pin-guide

Tocumwal is a great destination for a flying coffee.

In the USA they call split pins cotter pins. Everywhere.

That's why we don't have them. We don't manufacture anything that the majority of consumers want.

Cotter pins are used to hold the carnk to the crank shaft on bicycles. Generally old ones, newer are different.

You're right. He's been a roaring success based on those measures. I was thinking more about what might have been seen as good in terms of his official job, the one he never understood and still doesn't.

A cotter is a pin or wedge with a flat bearing surface passing through a hole to fix parts tightly together. A split pin in the US, is a metal fastener with two tines that are bent during installation. Split pins are frequently used to secure other fasteners, e.g. clevis pins, or to secure a castellated nut. A split pin is a metal fastener with two tines that are bent during installation. Split pins are frequently used to secure other fasteners, e.g. clevis pins, or to secure a castellated nut.

The above answers are definitely some of the reason. Also, the UK debt is 96% if GDP and Australia's is around 33%. A small interest rate bump will compound UK's fiscal woes, while a small bump won't have the same marginal impact on Australia's. However, the BoE meet tomorrow and are expected to raise the rate anyway. Note, the UK and Aus inflation rate are about the same, so you can argue the UK have been kicking the can down the road. On the other hand, I am not sure in the current state of the economy, putting up interest rates is necessarily correct, either as energy inflation is probably putting the brakes on spending in other areas.

Are you sure about that.. or are you confusing the them with the Republicans? What are the lot of good thing he has done, exactly.. And what about the lot of ship stuff he has done this time around. I'd be interested in how you square the ledger.

Its no different for the Dems..they also have a lot of dirty deeds to hide...they are all tarred with the same brush except some are outright dangerous in their ethos and thinking. I think Trump has done a lot of good things but he also is a narcisist and cant control himself certainly at times. He is one of those guys that wants to come into a situation then blow it up and see what happens then make his decisions. I just think the whole country over is rooted. It has way too many religous nutbags way too many gun crazed nutjobs...Its a interesting place to visit but I would certainly never want to live there. The problem is when the uSA sneezes the whole world gets a cold..this is the major concern I have. We have enough issues here with th left tards now. Our country is going down the shit chute as well. I just pity my grandkids that they didnt have a chance to grow up in the world that I did. I think we are probably too far gone now and it will take long after I am dead to even try to fix it. The problem is the younger generations do not know any bettwe with the failed education system we have now and the socialists have been pretty successfull in filtering into our society. I just hope I dont live long enough to see the Australia peso as our currency because its well on its way

It is ironic that discussing politics should not be a taboo activity. I will admit that one has to be very, very diplomatic when discussing the topic with a person you sense has differing views.

Paul Wittgenstein (November 5, 1887 – March 3, 1961) was an Austrian-American concert pianist notable for commissioning new piano concerti for the left hand alone, after his right arm was amputated during World War I. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Wittgenstein

No. It was a Dad joke.

It's an example of the ability to use the English language for wit. I'm glad that you undersrtood it.

I've just listened to a piano piece written to be played with the left hand only. It was sinister.

That works out at 20 converted tries and one not converted. That's 4.3 minutes per scoring event. I bet it took longer to do the kick than score the try. The big game is Samoa -v- Tonga. Just starting as I write this. Let's check the score in the morning.

Somewhat connected to this thread, although it relates to many more than just Albo. Our corruption rating has dipped slightly lately. So much for transparency and a proper Anti Corruption watchdog (we only got a toothless watch-puppy) https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2025

I'm wondering if the AI boom might go bust. I need to separate the technology from the financial backing it needs. I don't see the technological side of things dying off. There will always be people playing with it and developing its abilities. However, it seems that recently there hs been some nervousness amongst the sources of finance for it. At the moment, those seeking to finance AI seem to be hyping it when they are making their requests. Howver, it also seems that those who can provide the finance are concerned that the returns on investment are too long in coming. I'm not a financial expert, but my opinion is that those providing the money want both security for their money and at the same time they want the profits to roll in pretty quickly. In other words, investing in AI is a risky business. I think that these financiers, having been burned by the dot.com bubble and the causes of the 2008 GFC, and factoring the uncertainty of the global political situation might become more reluctant to go in as deeply as those seeking finance might like. However, my opinion is based on the way I think Wall Street types operate. I think that they are too concerned with short term returns. That leaves the other major economy whose mind set allows for playing the long term, regular small returns game. We live in interesting times.

Probably because Star Trek: the next generation had 178 episodes spanning 1987 - 1994. Plus 4 movies with the same cast, with the latest in 2002. For us Gen X's that's a big chunk of our teens and early adulthood.

AEMO bring assets online and take them offline regularly as part of their management job. Can't use that as valid complaint against any particular generator. Each generation class has it's own profile and gets used according to that, combined with grid requirements. So, the system works. And?

Geez, mate. It wasn't a BYO.

Another great actor gone - Patrick Stewart, best known as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek.

This post is really random, but I figured you blokes would be interested to see the new procedures for flying into Bankstown now that Western Sydney Airport is operational. As you go through the video pause it and havea look at the VTC and see all the airspace changes. In the comments, someone says that new peocedures for departing Bankstown mean it taakes longer to even get to the runway. By the way, the ME in the title is not me.

When I go into Melbourne the Large Number of Giant trucks is what I notice most. Upping the Allowed weight of them wouldn't help road surfaces, particularly when there is a Lot of rain. Once water gets under a road it's stuffed. Nev

Hope you get them.

It isn’t that he is a liar, that is in the job description. It is the left wing policies in industrial relations, taxation and welfare that are destroying our economy. Worst PM since Whitlam.

I actually did touch CGT, and implied in it was the negative gearing (as it is part of a tax package that was disproportionately creating demand in an asset class against all other asset classes considered for investment). I suggest you read my post. I am prepared to stand behind what I say and provide references accordingly when required (which I am sure other forumites sometimes loathe the extents I will go to). It equalises treatment of one investment asset class.. and guess what. although the fundamentals would still include investment residential property in a portfolio for stability and growth, people (investors) are going knee jerk. And also, unlike other investment classes, residential property is for people to live in and build some security, The way it was being treated through preferential tax treatment was to artifically inflate the price denying millions of Aussies who aren't as cash rich as others a chance of financial security. A lot of young (and increasingly older) can't rely on the bank of mum and dad. To me, it is a positive step forward and it is not socialist. In fact the regime was in effect wealth socialism - artificially funnelling asset (or redistributing) to the more wealthy and already secure in society using tax incentives to inflate demand. You;re against socialism, but in a perverted way, it is redistributing the wealth - which is what socialism is about. It took a lot of balls to do the right thing as the backlash was always going to be huge. That to me, is the definition of leadership and one of the reasons why Albo has earned my respect as a leader. I still think he can do a lot better, but compared to the competition and many of his predecessors of both colours, he is not doing bad.

I love old industrial machinery. Today I picked up this old J.S. Richardson drill on marketplace and couldn't resist it for $50. There's way more value than that in the steel, electric motor and other components. Good old drills, made in Sydney in the days when we manufactured stuff and employed Australians. At some stage in it's career it's been converted from a pedestal drill to a wall mount. I already have a big industrial grade pedestal drill, so my first thought with this is to mount it like the second photo I've edited with a flip-around and a cutout. In other words, use the wall mounting plate as a base stand and do a bit of sideways stuff with it. I'll have a good look in the morning and check how that will fit with the gearbox oil level/ fill and drain plugs etc. in that orientation.

I contest number 1. "Cunth" rhymes perfectly with "month". It's what you call a couple of thugs that have just knocked your teeth out.

Tom Skerritt, the Emmy-winning actor who embodied a solid, wry authority figure, whether as a flight instructor in Top Gun, a tough-but-fair sheriff on TV’s Picket Fences or the doomed captain of Alien, has died. He was 93. Skerritt died Wednesday of natural causes, his family said in a statement.

That sounds like a good way to do it. I'm only just starting to get bills again. With my low power useage and all the post covid state and federal subsidies that we were recieving, I was in credit for a long time. I don't think I paid a bill for a couple of years or more, so just getting used to it again.

I actually remember when John Howard sold off australia's gas for 5 cents per liter. I was the only person who took the time to convert petajoules per something to cents per liter, so this was not known at the time, or ever after from that point of view. I don't think that Howard was so bad, I reckon he thought gas was infinite in australia.