Old Koreelah

Roman roads seem to have been engineered to last- perhaps because they used solid rocks closely packed together. Inca roads did as well. Modern roads, even though subjected to massively more loads, are based on compacted fill. Short-term cost cutting often means that fill is unsuitable, not packed down properly, or the tar seal is too thin. Tomorrow I hope to buy an old tractor and grader to fix our driveway; that could be an interesting learning experience.

Interesting. On very hot days when tar is near molden, I bet the massive acceleration of a superbike could do more damage than a heavy truck.

Can’t find it now, but I saw a suggestion, probably from a feminist: At puberty, every boy should have a compulsory vasectomy and it will only be surgically reversed when a female agrees in writing to bear his children.

We are required to do intensive training before operating a car, plane, etc. Any damned fool is allowed to produce and raise kids.

Spot on, OT. It’s said that when asked about the ever-increasing size of his company’s cars, Henry Ford replied: Small cars make small profits!

Bastard Stopped Again!

You and I know the limitations of this land, but in many places the image is quite different.

Humans have always been a migratory species. Waves of people reached almost every habitable bit of land long ago. I fear the greatest migration of all has just begun, as poor people are squeezed out of home by natural disasters, wars and rising seas. Our rich, safe, empty continent will be a favoured destination. How do we respond?

No wonder- he must have been exhausted!

OT I’ll concede this is a valid point, but just a distraction from the issue. Australia has a long and frustratingly bad history of public opinion being manipulated by the big end of town- much of it foreign-controlled. They’ll do anything to protect their tax-free gravy train exploiting our natural resources. They’ve always found it easy to whip up emotions about Aboriginal issues. This referendum debate has sure exposed some unsaviory aspects of our national culture. I’ve been apalled at some comments by people I know and respected; they are clearly parroting what they get from Right-wing shock jocks and the Daily Terrorgraph. There is still a disturbing remnant of the attitudes of our recent ancestors, who committed heinous crimes against the natives- or at least did nothing to protect them. Looking back into Australia’s history we see so many cases where we were clearly lied to by the media or government. We never learn. In a few weeks the vote will be taken and the hate campaign will be over…until the next time we try to reform our society.

Their case has been fact-checked. Bruce much of the ugly truth was kept from us, but our relatively priviledged lifestyle depended to some extent upon it. Even as a spotty youth, I saw it happen. Gentle old black folk would give up their place in the queue if a white person- even a kid- came in. My cousins’ Granny spoke with the accent cultivated in the Cootamundra Girls Home, where stolen indig. girls were re-educated to become dutiful servants and wives for white fellas.

Putin and his diminishing circle of “friends” have one thing in common: they despise and fear western influence, because it threatens their unlimited power to control and exploit the poor, ignorant bastards inside their empires. Time for the democratic world to stop drip-feeding support to the front line. As we sit by watching from afar, young people are being maimed in minefields, defending Europe and the rest of us from totalitarian dictators.

In defence of Australia Post: when I order something online, it usually arrives within three days, not the three weeks promised by the vendor. Even better, I get a series of email/texts telling me where it’s up to and when it will be delivered.

More info please; 5784 years since what happened?

OME we covered all our floors with vinyl about twenty years ago. We regret it now, after a couple of falls caused by a few drops of water on the floor. You might not see a spill, but it makes vinyl lethally slippery.

Our little kid once wrote a letter to my mum, adressed Nanny XXXXX, (Town). It was delivered a couple of days later.

Thanks fellas for your thoughts. Most people never talk about their deepest hurts- but carrying it in silence can do untold damage to their lives. Most of us don’t know what to say to people who have lost someone; just remembering is often a comfort, rather than avoiding the issue. The kids we lost would have been nearly forty now. We still remember their birthdays and some people close to us do as well. A mother never forgets the loss, but we’ve been incredibly lucky to have one survive and thrive, then give us three grandies. Heaps of people never get to enjoy that.

Just yesterday I discovered the middle name of a teenager to whom we are Godparents. His parents were so upset when our son was stillborn that they used his name for their newborn. Our stillborn daughter’s name lives on in another friend’s kid. Very thoughtful people! I know a girl who often jets off overseas and has mobs of trouble at customs; an exact namesake of hers, of a similar age, is a convicted drug trafficker!

There are some impressive Independents in Parliament; they often make more sense than party hacks. Despite the vicious hate campaign against her, one of the most successful governments Australia ever had resulted from three Independents supporting Julia. Zali Stegall’s recent efforts to introduce some truth to political advertising should have been supported across the board. Hope she and her Teal women don’t give up.

Given that the No case is telling verifiable fibs and trying to scare people about non-existant threats, why would anyone vote against this overdue reform? Sensible, safe, well-run countries like Finland, Norway and New Zealand have given their Indig people a voice (or far more) and the sky didn’t fall. https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/voices-around-the-world-indigenous-representation-in-other-countries-20230830-p5e0r4.html

OME I appreciate the necessity of the full name on a Crim check, but my main beef is banks and every other insitution also which insist I use my middle name, even when I challenge them to find anyone else on the planet with my name. Instead of using a bit of common sense, they are just following orders (the Nuremburg Defence).

There are plenty of positive stories, but no enough make it to the media- bad news sells more papers! I know farmers who protect ancient occupation sites, who get along well with old indig people.

Applied science has it’s place, but pure research got us to where we are today. It was usually done by dogged individuals with boundless curiosity, sometimes supported by wealthy benefactor or a government grant. Today, the bean-counters are in control. They want everything documented, often to a rediculous degree and are stiffling any lateral insights. One example: yesterday I finally got around to updating my Working With Children Check. Filled in all the documentation online and took it to the Registry with all my ID. As I don’t like using my middle name, I’d left it off the form. But no, a queue of people had to wait while my whole application was redone to include the middle name, a totally unnecessary excercise, because my name is already unique; nobody else on the planet uses that name!