Old Koreelah

Is it being forced down our throats? There are many much more annoying things we seem to put up with without complaint.

A well travelled Canadian friend of mine suggests there are too many Yeti/Sasquatch/Bigfoot stories for their existance to be dismissed, and that this big primate might be responsible: (can’t remember the critter’s scientific name).

Like this interview?

So he’s saying stuff what the citizens want, they’ll stay in a dictatorship. Very sad to see Russia continuing it’s age-old strategy of using it’s neighbours as a buffer zone against the outside world. They still haven’t learned what other nations have: that if you play nice with the other kids your life might be better.

I quite agree, NP. Decades ago one researcher found evidence in parts of Australia of a relatively sudden change in the dominant tree species from fire-tender Casuarinas to Eucalypts, which proliferate when the frequency of fires increases. Were people the cause of those more frequent fires? This was about 125,000 years ago. Near Glen Innes, spear points have been found in the same stratum as extinct megafauna. Our first peoples’ low impact on the land was largely due to their very low numbers and nomadic lifestyle. It is still part of Aboriginal culture to toss aside anything they no longer want; I’ve been disappointed to see Indig friends do just that. As a result of that practice, many First Peoples settlements are bluddy untidy, so that aspects of their traditional culture has to change, if they are to be a viable part of modern Australian society.

I wasted many days sitting on the driver’s side front wheel of my 1961 Herald, trying to balance the twin Carbs. It was only ten years old, but a wreck. I somehow kept it going for a year or two, then abandoned it by the roadside in total disgust. A couple of month later some bloke sent me actual money, because he wanted to buy it! This impoverished student couldn’t believe his luck!

Good post, OME. You’re right (and brave) to challenge the fashionable narrative. Science has always had to battle against current prejudices and today’s political correctness works against us finding the truth. A thorough DNA study of indigenous peoples across our continent is sure to show fascinating patterns, but I wouldn’t blame our Aboriginal people for refusing to co-operate; they’ve been subjected to plenty of abuse by science since white fellas arrived. There is rock art that current indigenous groups don’t know the origin of and that is very different to more recent styles of art. Did these cultures die out or were they replaced by newer arrivals? I bet there is a wealth of rock art and other archaeology drowned just off our coast.

Geez Nev, why spoil a good story with facts?

Lining up to race in the 50s

I loved my Niva. In its day it was years ahead of the competition, went anywhere, parts cheap and easy to get. Good to see they still include a crank handle (it works) and a good tool kit- you’ll need it! The conversion to RH drive caused quite a few of its problems.

I wasn’t implying that, but you are quite right to say disadvantage is not confined to our indigenous people. Our Public Schools have been doing their best to lift every kid, no matter his background. Unfortunately, many parents don’t help much, giving little support to their kid’s schools. It’s appalling how many little kids haven’t seen a book before they start school. For years I worked with an Aboriginal Aide whose job it was to help redress those disadvantages among indig kids; like a lot of her mob, she helped ALL the kids, regardless of ethnicity.

Another factor is education; both Scotland and Germany had technical education for centuries. Without Scotish scientists, inventors and engineers, Britain’s Industrial Revolution could never have happened.

Most of us already have that special entitlement: we were born in the lucky country, were given an education and lots of opportunities. Some also inherited wealth built on very cheap land. Those opportunities are still not available to many of our people, so Australia is trying to redress these historic disadvantages. I fully agree and that should apply to everyone…after some of the worst disadvantages have been corrected. I’ll support any moves to establish a sunset clause to all special assistance, having seen too many disadvantaged people (Indigenous and others) squander the helping hand they have been given.

Over the weekend my family was doing this to preserve a part of Australian culture that most of my countrymen never hear of: campdrafting, claimed to be the only sport to have originated in Australia.

Good grief! What part of our culture have you been forced to give up? Don’t know anything about a hat being dropped, but what’s the harm in acknowledging the people who were here when our ancestors took this land?

I recently happened upon a claim that a few years before 1914, Britain had developed a secret plan to attack Germany. Seems they were alarmed that German industry had developed so fast, out-producing the British. For centuries, British policy in Europe has been to side with one power to prevent the other from dominating the continent. As a result they’ve allied with the Germans against the French and vice versa, Allied with Russia against Turkey and vice versa, etc…

Sorry, can’t help it:

I guess the biggest issue with tidiness is who uses the facility? Nobody else uses my workshop, so it looks like a bomb site to others, but I have a system and can (usually) find what I need pretty easily. Shared facilities are a totally different animal, requiring teamwork and cooperation.

That footage might become useful if you get booked or someone crashes into you. A bit like insurance, but cheaper. I have quite a collection of cheap dash cams and now have a good GPS-connected one in each car. I also have a couple of old iPhones and have been experimenting with using them to record my test flights. Clear out most of the Apps and sit the phone in shirt pocket, plugged into a long charging cable. It records the panel and a bit out the front. Useful to watch later to see effects of changes to settings. I’m too busy to watch the instruments while flying.

Research into this issue found tidy people averaged twenty minutes to locate something in their workshop/office. Untidy people could do it in less than half the time.