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You are one of those who EXPECT the gov't to Wipe your ass and provide all the services but don't vote or care about who gets elected or want to Pay for Gov't services. WE are SICK of hearing about you being called up. That was a Ballot and you lost. Others served Overseas and Many got traumatised. You got free training and met a few People you otherwise would not have. It's OVER Rover. Stop Bitching and get on with the rest of your Life. You are NOT the Only ONE who has had a $#!t deal at some stage.. Nev

The comparison with Qantas aircraft is misleading, because traditional coal-fired power stations already rely on vast amounts of underutilised equipment. Coal plants cannot ramp quickly, they cannot turn off at night, and they must run even when demand collapses — meaning the whole plant is burning fuel simply to stay online. This is the definition of expensive underutilisation.

Excessive nationalism puts me off. When you think about it clear-headedly we're a reasonably young (apart from the original inhabitants) immigrant country. We don't have a thousand years of culture, our own language, a national dish, etc etc. Our population is based on waves of English, Chinese, Dutch, German, Greek, Vietnamese, Italian, African, Islander and a whole bunch of other people, plus of course Indigenous Australians. The keynote songs and poetry we hold up as Australian were written by men that probably considered themselves English. Our system of laws is heavily based on England's and in name we're still subjects of England's king. Even our flag contains the UK's flag in the corner. When it comes to Americanism, even our first "local" car, the Holden FX, was heavily based on US cars. Clothing styles, music, popular culture and fast food have been based on US trends since at least post WWII. That's not to say we haven't got runs on the board, with vibrant Australian music, sport, theatre and literature. We have one of the world's best democracies, social services, and health care. Our education system is still excellent although unfortunately (in the case of universities) more focused on revenue than research. But to wave some mythical "uniqueness" around and try to block outside influences is pointless. Like those idiots that go around wearing Australian flags and protesting about immigration, not seeing the irony that we're all immigrants and those flags were made in China. Instead of closing off and looking inwards, like a backwards Trumpist country, we should be eagerly looking at everything that everyone else does, and taking the best ideas and using them ourselves. Someone actually makes billionaires pay tax? Let's use that. Someone's public hospital system has lower wait times? Let's see what they're doing differently and use it. Someone's school attendance and retention scores are higher than ours? What are they doing differently? Someone's prison recidivism rates are lower? Let's have a look at their justice system and see what we can steal. I don't mind bringing in best practice, no matter where it comes from. Good American movies and TV shows? Bring them on. What I do object to is bringing in the worst of other cultures. Privatisation of health care? F**k right off. Multinationals that pay no tax in Australia? No thanks. American gun culture? Jam it up your arse and pull the trigger.

Well done to the happy couple. Note how low key, private and billionaire free it was. Special wedding beer cans and a local honeymoon. Also a civil servant and all paid by himself not a conga line of donor suckholes ala LNP style. A genuine down to earth couple, we are lucky to have them. Completely unaffected by his status. Naturally DJ Albo did the music selection. Notable celebrity was the ring holder- his 🐕.

I was thinking about joining a dating site for people my age. It's called Carbon Dating.

It is not surprising that the right wing of politics are heading down hill. They keep rabbiting on about how they will make electricity cheaper but have no plans on how this will happen. They keep harping on about "base load" power a term from last century when everything was coal. It is "peak demand" that is the issue now and during heat waves with the huge demand for air conditioning etc brown outs are a reality. These have happened even before there was much renewable energy around. We are awash with energy in the middle of the day now with so much commercial solar and wind and the huge amount of rooftop solar on homes and businesses so storing that energy is just common sense. Many early solar farms are switching off during peak production when the spot price goes negative as they never envisaged they would need to store energy. In NSW home owners are limited to exporting a maximum of 5 kW to help prevent grid overload. So if you are producing more and have no storage the excess is dissipated as heat. Storage is what we need. Batteries are expensive though but fast to deploy. Pumped hydro is a great way to do this as well but costly & time consuming to set up. One part of the puzzle is State & Federal subsidised batteries for home owners. My installer said to me that up until June it was all new rooftop solar. From July on it has been all new batteries, most on properties that already have large solar systems & some like me installing both. These do not need any new infrastructure at all and reduce the load on existing poles & wires so the subsidies are paying for them selves.

Liar Leavett provided reporters with the doctor's summary of Trump's MRI examination. The summary said that the MRI showed that Trump's heart and ciculatory system was just fine, as were his abdominal organs. Can you believe that teh MRI only examined his torso? Given his many physical symptoms associated with muscle control, surely the MRI must have examined the contents of his cranium. But it probably only showed the cranial space filled with sheep shit.

Identity? WTF? National identity? WTF? Sort out your personal identity first. I will trust you relative to how you present yourself to me. We are all passengers on Planet Earth. Fussing about continental, political, or other levels of idrntity is trivial in the bigger scheme of things.

I have had my new solar system & battery now for 1 week. So far I have not imported any energy & have exported about 75kWh. I have charged my EV twice, charged my ride on mower twice, run the air conditioning for several hours on 5 out of 7 days, run a freezer & large fridge/freezer & used electricity on other household things as normal like cooking, washing, dishwasher, TV, lights, computers etc. The battery has never got down to below 40% before it starts recharging in the morning. I have 5.8 kW of solar panels with 3.0 kW yet to come on line. The battery is 18.64 kWh & is expandable up to 41.76 kWh. We have had mostly sunny or partly cloudy days with one mostly overcast. Cost $11,650.00 which will take about 6 years to pay back. The feed in tariff is poor at 2.8c/kWh so my only cost will be the exorbitant supply charge of nearly $2.00 a day offset a bit by the feed in tariff.. My long term goal is to go off grid but I will probably need to add a couple of extra 4.66 kWh modules to the battery. Time will tell. There are plenty of people like me doing the same especially those living on acreage or in country areas prone to power cuts and a lot more adding batteries but not intending to leave the grid. This just one part of our clean energy future.

And how is that working out for you? Poor voting turnout does not stick it to the pollies. Most countries don't have compulsory voting and have low turnouts, but so what? Willingly paying fines when you say you are struggling to pay your power bills seems like cutting off your nose to spite your face. How does not voting achieve anything?

Two feet is enough for a tiger shark, they happily chase large fish through the waves to grab a bite. The most common way to catch a big shark is from the beach, because thats where the fish are. Thats a big hint for survival, change of tide plus dawn and dusk are the big beach fishing times, also prime shark times. But rgmwa, your on point , if your not in the water you are normally safe. The more people in a area increases the risk. Surfers are particularly at risk as from below the look like a large Tuna, Mulloway etc or dolphin alone or a seal. Been killed fishing from a boat is also a nasty surprise- recently a game fisherman hunting Marlin in the big Port Stephens competition caught a large Bull shark? On his line and was dragged into the water never to be seen again. I assume the beast turned the tables and lunched on him. I expect that this may be the cause of many a lost fisherman out solo, boat found perfect and sometimes trolling along, no one on board. A freak accident? No, surprised it doesn't happen more. I have seen guys in a 12' tinny come in with a 2.5 metre shark onboard and they videoed getting it aboard still alive and thrashing- life may be short for those young fools. Instagram fame can have a very short life. We call sharks the taxman, they deserve their fair share and essential for a well run ecosystem. Many a big fish comes up from the deep just a head on the line minus 20 kg of body. Mother nature does not care how big your game boat is, nor your harbour address. Doesn't give a shit about YouTubers, holiday heroes or even salties like me. Once you enter the salt water, you are at her total mercy. Beware of entering the liquid jungle, there's Tigers below.

Facthunter - Arsenic is not used in gold mining, perhaps you were thinking of cyanide. Arsenic can be a by-product of gold extraction. Cyanide is safe enough when used correctly, the important thing is to keep alkalinity of the aqueous gold/cyanide solution high, at least a pH of 10 or more, by using lime thoroughly blended with the ore or tailings. I personally used a lot of cyanide for gold mining in the 1980's, our family mining and mining contracting business carried out a lot of vat leaching for gold recovery - and the interesting part is, we re-treated huge tonnages of tailings, that had all been treated with cyanide, from the 1890's up to the 1980's. We had no problems with any cyanide residues or handling, and the mining and leaching operations were all subject to environmental regulations.

Here is a map showing the grid and the major state interconnectors. These have been upgraded from time to time to meet demand. Media has made hysterical claims about 10,000k of grid required for renewable energy. However, most of this comes from progressive upgrades of existing transmission. IMHO it's a misrepresentation. The AEMO produce annual maps of planned grid development. Note that only a minority of the stuff on it is totally new pathways (land, towers,etc). Most is simply upgrading existing feeders. Eg most of the feeders on the second map (fromAEMO) are already there. Yes it costs to grow. It has always done so for the 40 years I was involved in the industry.

The HV transmission is already there. The grid has been steadily growing and expanding for at least the last 50 years. Mostly due to the expanding population. Also to cater for power hungry mining/industry. EG, half a billion $ for 350km of grid solely to power coal seam gas pumps in western Qld. Capex is scoped for amortisation over long periods. Fear not, do not blame all grid expenditure on renewables. Yes, our Australian case is different from other countries. But the designers already know about those challenges. We will get there.

Random RAVINGS. What Place would you RATHER live? Nev

Latest Breaking News . God has yet to successfully arrange a meeting with TRUMP. Trump Claims He's too busy RUNNING THE world. Nev

I think they are way classier than that. Bali has never been a go to place for inner city types. Somewhere local and chilled, bogan free is more their style. He certainly won't be getting Gina's jet to fly around in like Barnaby or Scummo did.

GON, that is just so wrong it's not even worth commenting anymore.

It has been said that most shark attacks occur in waist deep water in places like Sydney Harbour, until someone pointed out that that's where most of the people are.

Yep, but most folks esp tourists think the sign is just being over cautious or part of the " Aussies scaring tourists lark". Sadly most signs get ignored. People on holidays seem to ignore the risk of all the dangerous stuff they would normally never do, but do, to fit in the holiday experience and get the footage for Instagram etc. Most tourists seem to leave their brain at home and dose up on ego pills. It's not just foreign tourists but Sydney people that cause a lot of grief. Fuckwits on jetskis are a particular problem.

South Australia isn’t expensive because it has lots of renewables — it’s expensive because it still relies on gas for backup, and gas is extremely costly. As storage grows and gas dependence falls, SA’s prices fall too (as they already do during sunny/windy periods). The idea that the old coal-based system was inherently cheap or stable isn’t accurate — it was just oversized and inflexible, and we paid the cost whether we needed the power or not. South Australia's prices are predicted to fall by 15% during the next 10 years, according to AEMC. Wholesale prices are already dropping 27%. Only 38% of your power bill is for power. The rest is for maintenance, poles and wires etc. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/02/energy-prices-falling-electricity-cheaper-households#:~:text=As households electrify – switching to,bills could halve by 2050. Fossil-fuel power is yesterday’s technology. Coal and gas were vital in the past, but they’re now expensive, unreliable, and being outcompeted everywhere. The cost of new wind and solar is lower than even the running cost of old coal, and investors are abandoning fossil projects because they no longer stack up financially. Our coal fleet is ageing, breaking down more often, and too costly to maintain. Every coal station in Australia has a closure date because the private sector can’t justify keeping them open. Meanwhile, renewables and storage are now the dominant new sources of generation globally because they’re fast to build, low-cost, and flexible. This isn’t ideology—it’s economics. Fossil fuel power is in long-term decline because it no longer fits a modern electricity system. The future grid will be cheaper, cleaner and more reliable without it. The business world is already voting with its wallet. If coal and gas were truly cheaper and more efficient, investors would be lining up to fund them. Instead, banks, super funds and insurers have walked away because fossil fuels are high-risk, high-cost and increasingly unprofitable. Meanwhile, almost all new investment is going into renewables and storage. Even the big mining companies — some of the most conservative, profit-driven businesses around — are choosing renewables because they’re cheaper and more reliable on remote sites. BHP, Rio Tinto, Fortescue, South32, and Gold Fields are all building large solar, wind and battery systems because they cut fuel costs and improve energy security. This isn’t ideology — it’s economics. While people argue online about whether the transition “should” happen, the market has already decided. The shift away from fossil fuels is happening, accelerating, and financially unstoppable.

Sharks only attack when you are wet. Stay dry. As well, that spot was signed with Shark and No Swimming signs.

Sadly , it appears my mate 'Boris' the bull shark has been greedy feeding and eaten a Swiss tourist and mauled her boyfriend on a local beach just up the coast a little bit. Tragic but completely avoidable, they were swimming at sunrise to film dolphins feeding. This is absolute maximum danger time to be eaten as that's when the bait fish accumulate. Anything in the water in the low light conditions can be mistaken for a big fish or seal and will be bitten. Most sharks will spit a human out, but a Bull shark will just eat regardless. Hopefully it will not lead to the senseless killing of more sharks locally- they are just doing their normal thing. It's us humans that need to be careful. My condolences for the tragic death of the women and I hope he recovers quickly. We have had many deaths along the coast recently and all involved extremely poor decision making from night swimming , surfing in extreme weather, rock fishing with no safety gear etc. Mostly tourists or newer immigrants but us locals sure can be stupid as well. We must remember enter the water at your own risk, it never forgives mistakes. You also risk the lives of anyone trying to help you either by been attacked themselves or drowning trying to help you. Sadly the local coast will see many avoidable deaths over the summer esp with tourists doing things way outside their skill base and experience. Stay safe people. Boris does not need humans for food.

The European theatre in WWII was won by the incredible manufacturing and agricultural production possible in the USA due to the USA being out of range of effective attack by the European Axis powers. That's not to deny the contribution of the British. The Axis powers (really only Germany) suffered the direct opposite and so lost. I reckon it was a bit different in the war against Japan since the problem there was to dig out the Japanese from their defensive positions. You could say that the Yanks in their land operatoins were working in spaces where there was not room to swing a cat. I think that one of the greatest manufactured item leading to the Allied victory in the Pacific was the very humble Marston matting which enable the Allies to establish air superiority very rapidly, and to be able to repair any bomb damage to runways very quickly. Have you ever given thought to who started the war in the Asia/Pacific? Most people who don't know the histrory of the first 40 years of the 20th Century will blame Japan, but American corporate interests were very much involved in preventing Japanese economic development. The Asian/Pacific war was a trade war, not an ideological one like the Europena war.

If you're listening to a radio personality who's suggesting we become the 51st state, I'd suggest you change the channel.

Michelangelo's David returns to Italy after 3 years touring the U.S. ......

Nope - preying on peoples' fears to divert attention from the real issues causing damage to their country.. and pi55ed off because the Chump family are down a few billion as the crypto markets have come off their peak

You forgot the "because". "Because Jerry is our most qualified and trusted IT/coder/computing expert, he is not an Apple adopter." Makes sense that way! 😜

We moved to a country town in 1990 and lived there until 2011. It was an interesting place to live with a healthy mix of traditional farmers, etc., and people like us (tree change folks). When we moved there, we were worried that it it be a redneck town; however, this was not the case. There were a few redneckish types on one end of the scale and a few dropout hippies on the other side. The town was quite cohesive, not that everyone shared the politics or life philosophies, but there was quite a mutual respect for "differences" The town remained vibrant, and it still is. Rather than being in decline like so many country towns, this place thrived, attracting artists, musicians, craftspeople, etc. An interesting point regarding immigration, there was a large Chinese family called the Nomchong family. They owned several businesses around town. This family came to the town (Braidwood) in 1860. Throughout the years, they had all married other Chinese people, so they looked very Chinese, but all had the broadest Australian accents. The owner of the local electrical appliance shop was Bob Nomchong, and within the family, there was a Betty and an Eileen. Amongst the younger generations, there was a Kylie, etc. The strange thing is if I were standing next to one of the Nomchong family, I would be judged as the Aussie, and they would be assumed to be the immigrant rather than the 5th Australians https://www.cmag.com.au/exhibitions/nomchong-family

Convicts deported to a land that was not the sooverign land of the country they were deported to, are in fact immigrants. And, anyway, what is wrong with being an immigrant. Yeah, there have been some bad-uns, but many, if not most, have contributed positively econimically, socially, and dare I say, culturally. Look at the wheels of industry in Australia before it was choked by government policy - much of it by immigrants; Remeber what we called Greeks and Italians - Wogs - and their culture and cuisine were scoffed at. But now, we can't get enough of it. Asians? Turks? Much the same. There have always been issues with immigration.. And don't go saying, "yeah, but they integrated".. Not any more than the current waves.. How many of us don't remember the kid in class that had to interpret for their parents; or the concentration of new waves iof immigrants in particular areas resulting in culture, religion, shops, etc, sometimes not even showing signs in English, let alone speaking English? And people are going to say oh, yeah, but the Somalians or Afghans or whoever, are different.. they are far more violent? I can tell you living in an area resplendant of landed Italians that there was enough violence there.. Gangs, Mafia, etc.. it was all rife.. The culture politics wasn't quite as strong and you just didn't hear about it. Asians and the import of their gangs, particularly the Triad? There was scant news, but it was there. Dare I say "White australia" has its fair share of criminals? Also the news was more moderate in its ideology pushing than it is today. Remember the Sky News debacle about whippig up a storm over Samalians as they are Muslim? Turns out, they are predominantly Christian. While each wave of immigrants suffered localised racism, they weren't pilloried like they are today in the press and use as cutlure politics pawns, mainly hyporcritically by the ideological right who abhoor.... culture politics.. when it is used against them. The realitty is for any wave if immigrants comng from a materially culturally different background, where their culture and identitiy is ingrained since birth and they are middle-thrities and beyond, it takes a generation to properly integrate into societty.. Always has. Even for me, as in immigrant to the UK from a materially similar culture, I identify more closely to being an Aussie than a Brit despite spending the vast majority of my adult life here. My best mates are Australian, I support Australia in the cricket (rugby and soccer I couldn't give a toss about). I go out of my way to buy Aussie wnes (well did - off the plonk at the moment). Jeez, I still have an Aussie accent I am told (in the UK, I believe they say I have an English twang in Aus, now). My favourtie sport? Aussie rules. My favourtue content providers - Australian.. But, my kids? Both as pommie as they come.. even with the whingeing! And I find that with immigrants of all walks - even those from more ancient cultures.. many of the kids consider themselves British.. Yeah, they may not have converted to Chritianity, but in many other ways, they are British.. And the "Aussie" Culture, is essentionally a pigeon version of English culture, anyway.

Trump would love to have millions not vote - then only his MAGA supporters would vote - and then, he'd become KING of America, FOREVER!!

"Kill them all" apparently what Hegseth said after they shot up a boat of suspected drug smugglers & found 2 survivors clinging to the upended boat & they did.Under international law Hegseth is guilty of War Crimes.

BYD does have a presence in the US, but only buses, trucks, and commercial vehicles, no passenger cars. There is a BYD factory in California that produces buses and trucks. It appears that the primary reason BYD is not permitted to sell passenger cars is due to security concerns over Chinese software.

Me too. I was thinking back to when I joined the RAAF in 1979. Although born in the UK, I grew up in Adelaide. I was posted to Richmond, NSW. Back then, people were much more parochial. It really seemed to matter what state you were from. These days, people you meet are likely to have lived and worked in several states. We talk of preserving our national identity, but I am not sure what that identity actually is. I came to Australia when I was 18 months old, so I am a product of the Australian education system, yet raised by a lovely couple from Yorkshire (no, I don't have the accent). My son was born in Australia, but is now a NZ citizen with a Chinese partner. Amongst my son's employees, there is a German, someone from Holland, some Australians and some Kiwis. It is not uncommon for younger people to work overseas. Even much, much older people, I am looking at you @Jerry_Atrick Whilst we don't want to become exactly like people from the US, we inevitably will be influenced by those we live and work with. Yesterday, someone posted about the creation of an Australian-specific AI. Being a curious person, I asked ChatGPT whether it thought there needed to be an Australian LLM. It said "Yes to a point" and proceeded to tell me what Australianisms it did understand and what it was likely to misunderstand. Its examples of Australian words and phrases tended to be a little exaggerated. We don't usually call each other cobber. Would an Australian LLM become a cartoonish version of Australia?

We are nearing the point of moving back to Aus.. at the moment, Melbourne looks the goods for us (because I am from there, have family, and know it better than anywhere, although there are more jobs in Sydney). Wasn't planning on getting a car - the tram and train network are very good and can get you to where you want to be.. Yeah may have to walk a bit, but that is good for one's health, anyway. Hopefully home shopping is the rage in Aus as it is here. If we need a car, we can borow a brothers, and worked out to hire a car for the odd trip is much cheaper on all accounts. Happy to train/fly between capital cities, and as RandomX says, the trains in Vic are very cheap each way within the state (of course, there will be lots of bussing in between apparently). But, son has decided he wants to do marine biology, and guess where the best marine biology course is in the world? Townsville! So, if we end up there, I will need both a car and a light plane (and an IFR) to get me to Sydney or Melbourne on the odd occasion.; But not to worry @nomadpete and @Marty_d - the second best marine biology course in the world is in Hobart, and my son has a penchant for the place. We may be neighbours, yet. Who knows, I can get a job down there as a sign writer 😉

I know of one person some would think should exit to the USA.

I think it's a Storm in a teacup, Old Chap. We don't have to fear an Exodus TO the USA. Nev

Not only 3AW. When working, I spent long hours driving in regional and remote places. Sadly, too often the only commercial radio available was the infamous John Laws or Alan Jones. These chaps invariably irritated and annoyed me. I feel their long term (divisive, biased shock jock) influence remains, and might still influence voters.

Trump has just declared the airspace above Venezuela closed to all airlines, pilots, drug dealers and human traffickers. I suppose that means he has just annexed Venezuela as the 51st State (they have lots of oil and Trump doesn't like Maduro or their boats, so why not?). Bad luck Canada, you had your chance.

I only like swimming where there's shark patrols. There's just too many of the buggers close inshore today - all a result of the Chinese stripping the oceans of fish. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-30/china-super-trawlers-overfishing-world-oceans/10317394

Only gas has quick response and not so much if steam is involved, Baseload Power is yesterdays world. We can't keep adding CO2 to the Atmosphere and the Oceans. In the Ocean it results increased Acidity. Trust the science. Not the Propaganda which is mostly from Fossil fuel vested Interests. Greenhouse effect is not a figment of the Imagination.. Solar and wind tides etc give us freedom from being controlled by the Energy consortium s like OPEC. and it's CLEAN and available in most parts of the World and very suited for Australia. No one can hold US to ransom. NATURAL gas is NOT Natural and harmless any More than TAR is. The SUN will be there for Longer than We will. It's Nuclear and 93 Million Miles away. Nev

Marty, he said it's the only station he can get down where he lives. I know you can't believe 98% of what you read on Facebook, but even Republican insiders are contemplating the 25th Amendment, and some saying America should become Canada's 11th Province.

That picture isn’t actually an argument against wind turbines — it’s an argument for better mining standards, which applies to all forms of energy. Every energy technology, including coal, oil and gas, requires huge amounts of mined materials. Fossil fuels require steel, concrete, copper, and aluminium too — plus they involve continuous extraction of fuel forever. Wind turbines, by contrast, require one-time mining, then they produce energy for 25–30 years with no fuel burned and no ongoing extraction. 1. Wind uses far less total mined material over its lifetime than fossil fuels. Coal and gas plants need constant mining and drilling for fuel. Wind needs materials once, then no more digging. 2. Minerals for renewables are increasingly coming from countries with strong environmental and labour standards. Australia, Canada, the US and Scandinavia are ramping up production of nickel, copper and rare earths precisely to avoid reliance on poorly-regulated mines. The solution is improving supply chains, not ditching clean energy. 3. Wind turbines don’t use many “rare earths” anyway. Only some turbine designs use them, and manufacturers are rapidly shifting to rare-earth-free generators. 4. Fossil fuel extraction also happens in countries with poor environmental controls — and much more of it. Oil spills, coal sludge, gas flaring, and abandoned wells cause orders-of-magnitude more environmental damage than the mining required for renewables. 5. Modern wind turbine materials are highly recyclable. Copper, steel and aluminium — which make up most of a turbine — are recycled at very high rates, reducing mining needs over time. 6. Showing a single mine doesn’t prove wind is bad; it just illustrates that mining should be cleaner. If the standard is “this technology requires mining,” then all energy sources fail. The real comparison is: Mining once for decades of clean power (wind) vs Mining and drilling continuously and decades of pollution (fossil fuels).

I Knew a Girl whose figure was her fame but then her fame spread. Nev

Sadly, most rules or safety features are designed for the idiots, and the rest of us just have to endure them.

He's NOT the Kind of Person I would like to see in Power. Has NEVER appealed to Me. The arguments He put up for Brexit were well short of Honest. Nev

Could be fake but certainly plausible and totally in character.