Jerry_Atrick

Er.. yes there is... and in boxing, too: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricio_Manuel

Looks like Labor scraped home in the by-election in Werrribee with a very slim majority. There are a couple of things that I draw from this. First, this is a prelude of what looks like a change in government in Vic. Werribee is a pretty safe seat, although, the west of Melbourne, which has been traditionally lower on the socio-economic demographic, is becoming more middle-class because of the cost of housing. My niece (just bought a unit in Adelaide) was telling me she was thinking of returning to Melbourne, but could only afford out west even as a physiotherapist, and many of her friends, without the bank of mum and dad, who are professionals, are in a similar boat. So, the demographic may not be as rusted on Labor as it used to be. But also, this looks like a re-run of the John Cain and then Joan Kirner period - where John Cain resigned or was turfed out (can't quite recall) and left a bit of a hospital pass to Joan Kirner, who really should have been swift in implementing some changes but did very little. Jacinta Allen prioobably has it a bit tougher to do something different as there is a small thing called big debt to manage (it is still manageable by the way, but obviosuly leaves her with less room to manouvre). But, the internal machinations of the ALP will make it hard for her to change course too much. I guess though, from reports, Labor has conceded they have to change if they have a chance at the next federal and state election. What it has said is no party can rely simply on rusted on support anymore. People are getting p!55ed off.. The Libs at least are clear where they sit, but Labor looks like it is taking its support for granted.. at least that is what peopel are feeling. The independents may be the big winners here. I don't see the Greens getting any great support from this election, either.. They held theit primary vote in Prahran, which means they held their existing support base, but the independent candidate, who was previously Labor, directed preferences towards the Libs. I would have thought most Labor voters would find it harder to stomach the Libs than the Greens, so I would guess, as Prahran is more affluent, it ditched the Greens. Interesting times ahead.

That is total BS... He was born into a family of very wealthy diamind miners/brokers; his father is quoted as saying they have so much money they don't know what to do with it (I don't know if that quote is true). There are stories where he chooses to live below the poverty line at times, including with a hole in the mattress, but that is not living below the poverty line. However, it is not entirely improbably that his father, as part of conditioning him, made him live for a short time on a meagre subsistence to hone his desire for money.. but outside of that article, sunch information, at least on the internet, I can't find anything of substance (it was how I found out apparently he sometimes chooses to live like he is below the poverty line).

I have lived in different parts of the US, including San Francisco, Bismarck ND, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh, with extended stays in different cities as well. It is one of the most inward (I am sure there is as fancier word) looking countries I have been to. I have also stayted in Vancouver, which is not far from the border, and the difference in the news is a little better and there is more in Europe there, but I would be very surprised if Aussie politics made it on Candian screens and newspapers, either. The reality is every country is more inward than outwaord looking, and onlky important stuff form other countries seems to make it into the mainstream news (well, except for Aus, which seems to put US trivia at the end of the news ad nauseum). But, the US takes inward looking to new highs. Some if it, I think is because, there is simply so much shit going on in America at any one time. I was jogging around Rinntenhouse square (Philadelphia) one night, got back to the hotel and took a shower and swiched on the news to a live crossing to Rittenhouse square where a jogger had just been shot. That scared the be-jeepers out of me, I have to admit, as the hotel was about a 5 minute run from the park and by the time I got to the room, had a shower, and switched on the TV could not have been more than another - say 20 minutes.. Choppers were soon overhead as well. As the US media (like Aus, etc) is there to make a profit, it is about getting eyeballs in front of screens, and I can tell you, it is quite compelling viewing in that situation. Of course, they sensationalise everything to get the eyeballs, but sensationalising things close to home will have a bigger impact than something a million miles away. Bill Maher quit his news job as he was unhappy tha news was being dumbed down in the US and sensationalised. Apparently he confronted his editers/producers about it, and they said its all about eyeballs. His response is if you want eyeballs, may as well stop producing news and put porn on a loop - that will guarantee eyeballs. Also, I think there is a culture in the US that they are the worlds superpower and they are the best.. therefore, it is the world that has to worry about them - they don't have to worry about the world.. after all, god resides in America, right?

(Sorry about the typos.. was all done on a phone and I have fat fingers).

I did forget to mention "unless you are talking about the ludicrous Trump plan"... Yes. that is totally nuts and ethnic cleansing. In Israel? I don't recall Palestinians being subject to that... In Israel, Palestinians to have equal rights (West Bank excepted - but that is lack of enforcement, than law). No, but maybe you should ask Hamas about that.. Remember, Israel are legitimately pursuing Hamas. Hamas are alleged to choose to hide under hospitals, schools, and the like.. Even so,that does not equal ethnic cleansing. Ex. the Trump thing, I think you may want to check your facts again. I am nto sure Netanyahu has, for his entire time as PM, really supported the violence. He has since October 7, but again, the way I read it, it is not in itself to detry Gaza and display Palestinians, but to get Hamas. The Israeli army today askes the Gazan citizns to move to safer areas well before they start an operation. In terms of long planned for the resettlement of Palestinians... I think you're forgetting a few things.. Both sides wanted it all. In 1947, the Jews were willing to compromise and that laanded them in a war. In 1967, in 1978, who kept on at it. The state of Israel has many times handed bnack land they captured after being attacked as an olive branch for peace.. including the whole Sinai peninsula after the '67 war. In 1978, war was wreaked on them again. Hang on.. what for.. to eradicate Israel off the map. Is that not the very definition of both ethnic cleansing and genocide? The fact they were not competent to do it is a differnt thing altogether (US assistance didn't come to Israel until the end of the 78 war, after the US dissuaded Israel from a preventative strike as in teh case of 67, and with Israel's back against the ropes, their PM threatened to use the nukes they neither confiirm nor deny having).. So, over the long term so far, it would appear, that Israel was willing to have peaceful co-existence, but the variousl Palestinian political/military organisations were not really wanting it. The go to the 90s, and Bill Clinton has recently come out and said the Yasser Arafat effecively lied to about what it would take for a peace deal - all of Gaza, Easst Jerusalem, and 90 something (I tink it was 96%) of the West Bank was offered. At the last minute, Arafat declined the offer. If that is true, then, who is it that is not willing to reach a settlement.. So, yeah, after all this time, if I were in Israel's position, I would be sort of be wary of the whole thing. Everyone is calling for a two state solution as they have been for years.. I would suggest Israel wasn't the main barrier to this on the facts. And remember, Iran is alleged to be the financiaers and true masters of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, or whatever they are called, and their primary aim does not seem to be a Palestinian state, but the destruction of Israel, and, from the Hamas Covenant: "The Day of Judgment will not come about until Moslems fight Jews and kill them. Then, the Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, and the rocks and trees will cry out: 'O Moslem, there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him.' (Article 7): https://irp.fas.org/world/para/docs/880818a.htm Now, I am sure that if the feeling is mutual with the Israelies (or more accurately, in this case, the Jews), but if it is they either don't believe it, or they are incredibly incompetent.. Somehow, I think it is that the feeling is not mutual. Again, I have done this to death, but somehow, it is Israel that is the ethnic cleanser? Ask yourself this. Hamas has an ICC warrant out for targeting citizens.. That is pretty obvious. Netayahu does as well, even though under the geneva convention no one owes a duty of care to citizens in fighting combatants.. they are forbidden from targetting citizend specifically.. Now, move to the Ukraine war.. Putin has targeted citizens (bombed hospitals, schools, apartment blocks, etc) in a country that, like Israel, delinieates its military and citizens. Putin has also, at least, inter alia, wreaked colelctive punishment on citizens of Ukraine by targeting infrastructure to freeze Ukrainians in winter, etc. Yet what is his ICC warrant? Shipping some kids off to Russia: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/03/russia-iccs-arrest-warrant-against-putin-step-towards-justice/ That 80 years of legal experience seems to apply differently depending on who it is, I would suggest. That is not to say Netanyahu should not face the charge and have his day in court, but somehow, therre doesn't appear to be consistency applied. Yes, the number oif Ukrainian citizeens killed is less than Gaza, but that is also because Ukraine, like most European countries tend to protect their citizens and not use them as sheilds. That is not to say Israel is perfect or not without doing wrong. The capture of the West Bank was for a buffe to keep civilians safe and they should not have settled it.. it was a red rag to a bull, and wrong. But, on the other hand if you wage war, you may win,but if you lose, you can expect to lose terriroty, too.. But, stil, given the sensitivities here, it is is wrong. And, yes, there are instances of Israeli military war crimes - but are they systematic of individuals/groups? Israel has prosecuted military personnel for war crimes against Palestinains... I am not sure Hamas has done the same? Australia also has alleged war criminals that are not facing a court to test the evidence. I could go on.. My point was that no matter what the facts are, people's minds seem to be made up on this.. and it is ususally one way.. That seems OK for some things but not OK for others. Fopr the record, the Palestinians seem to be th pawns in this sordid affair.

Really.. Facts don;t seem to support this assertion.. If Israel wanted to ethnically cleanse Gaza, they have had the capability for a vey long time. Given that, and the soccalled genocide, you would think population numbers have been dwindling. Why, even in the war (which is it asserted Hamas include militants and those that die of normal causes), the population has increased, but the population has increased over time: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1422981/gaza-total-population/ So, even in Israel, there has been an increase in Palestinian population over time. Hardly an ethnic cleansing I would state, and apart fromt eh West Bank, they live in relative peace (lately it has been difficult yes), and with equal rights Why am I bringing this up., Because we accuse GON of being wilfully ignorant of the facts, yet on this (and others) people continue that wilful ignorance and deem it acceptable. Let's start practicing what we preach.. BTW, how many jews live in most of the Arab states these days compared to days gone by?

Oh.. yeah.. and all the other stuff that you think he is doign that is great.,. and how he is needed to tame the lefties, etc.... So much for not caring who does it as long as it gets done

Was that AI generated?

These days there's plenty of wind everywhere

Someone's gotta keep an eye on us!

Has anyone heard from @willedoo, lately. Apparently last visited Feb 3, but I can't recall seeing a post from him lately. Hope all is OK.

Tonight, at the pub I stay in while in London, I am having the old favourite - El Greco burger. It is a burger with Halloumi cheese and chorizo sausage.. so Cypriot rather than Greek, and Spanish... Nothing technically Greek about it, but it is quite yummy. Once a week, washed down with an Aussie shiraz.. Yummo. They joke I have a personal chef here.. By the time I have taken my bags to the room and back, the burger is on "my" table... Love it.

Depends on what the pint is?

Yes, the internet is awash with similar photos. BTW, although small and probably designed to drive up sales for the auction house, a study has found battery life to be better than claimed, so used BEVs may not be a bad idea, after all. I guess the RACV/Q/NRMA and other state auto clubs could devise as part of their car inspections, a way to measure battery condition (if they haven't already)?: https://www.drive.com.au/news/electric-car-batteries-lasting-longer-than-expected-according-to-new-study/

Definitely, but there has been progress, and this is the first time I know of a government actually funding the development of a siter designed to get it over the line for power generation. There's no such thing as a free lunch. I haven't read too much about the engineering challenges of fusion, let alone the physics and chemistry challenges, but there's no such thing as a free lunch. If Fusion provides virtually limitless power off the smell of an oily rag, the cost is embedded somewhere.. and my guess is it will all be in engineering. The extrreme temperatures will either require massive advances in materials science and/or lots of maintenance of the plant.. the heat to manage is in the millions of degrees - and at that magnitude, it is little difference if it is Kelvin or Celcius. So, for now, the question is still should Australia go nuclear or not? There are advantages and disadvantages - that is for sure. It depends on how one sees them. Personally, I would love Australia to go nuclear - I am still in touch with my old contacts and the software likely tp be selected would be what I used to work on; and because it's so specialised, there aren't a lot of people who know it. So, for me, I would have a ready made income stream and then part time consulting well into retirement (like what a people who I know are doing now). But, looking at the economics to the country, it doesn't stack up. Securoty of supply also doesn't stack up. It is far easier to sabotage a few central power stations than a distributed generation network. Conversly, of course, it is harder to protect a distributed generation network than a few central generation stations, but self-sufficiency, even at the industrial level more than compensates that. Others see it differently; that is OK.. I am actually quite happy either way, but if it were my money or I had a fiduciary responsibility with other peoples' money (something governments seem to have lost sight of, if they ever had sight of it), then I would not be going nuclear in Australia. Even the new build my daughter is working on could hardly be called cost-efficient.

Ahhh but they are "good" business people, apparently, and of course good business people are better with other people's money

Blimey.. Best of luck.. hope it wasn't the restless night's sleep that dislodged it

Elon Musk has submitted a $100bn bid for open AI (Chat-GPT) Anti-trust laws would probably block it normally.. let's see what happens

Donald Trump to halt enforcement of law banning bribery of foreign officials - https://on.ft.com/4aRjwb9 via @FT

Bloody Sydney! (From a Melbournite) :-)

Maybe it will actually talk...

I am writing an app by hand in Java, using a framework called Spring Boot (to learn it).. I wrote a POJO (Plain Old Java Object) and am using a Web framework called Spring Boot, with JPA (Java Persistence Architecture) and a few other bits and bobs. I typed into Chat-GPT something like "Please write me a PJO and the Spring Book/JPA persisitence of a <widget> that does x, y, and z... It was a complex-ish spec and I watched it do its stuff. It was very close to what I wrote. Some things needed a tweak, and there was something it did better than I did... But, it took me about 4 hours to write the simple POJO with all the necessary features and compile it ready for testing. It took me less than 5 minutes to write the spec and it took about 3 minutes for it to generate everything.. And it took me about 10 miutes to refine it. That is a pretty big time saving operation. I was surprised at how it was able to generate something so close to how I envisaged it.

Not quite.. But I am going to play with it a bit more on an industrial level with a real programming language and application infrastructure/architecture. The difference in quality between Chat-GPT4 compared to Chapt-GPT3 is quite amazing.. it has definitely been a leap. The firm I work for allows us to use a different LLM for things like taking meeting notes and minutes, and it is remarkably good. We can also do presentations and the like, too, but IO have not yet tried it. There is no question, IMHO, it is the biggest disruptor since the industrial revolution and has the capacity to put a lot of people out of workl - even cerebral activities. There will not be the need for peop[le there is today. I am glad I am near retirement.