Grumpy Old Nasho

I've heard that cliché many times before. It doesn't take into account that about a quarter of primary votes are wasted whether voters vote or not. In principle it's not a "free" vote. On the Electoral Commission's web site it says that voting is compulsory. But apparently it's only if you don't get your name crossed off the roll - but hey, you might as well fill out the ballot paper while you're there getting your name crossed off. That's how it goes. It's a loophole for anyone who doesn't feel like voting. However, for many rural folk, getting their name crossed of the roll can be a major task because of long traveling times and expenses in fuel etc. We should be paid to vote if the ruling Elite want to keep compulsory voting on their selfish agenda. Without paying us, they are getting something for nothing, but voters have expenses to pay in order to vote. There should be a cash payment for each km traveled beyond the specified 8km set down by the Electoral Commission. That's why I wish the ABC would initiate a conversation about it, and publish their findings. We might pride ourselves in adopting programs such as social safety net and new technology, but our voting system is still in the horse and cart days.

LoL, but I hasten to say I am grumpier than most, which prompts me to ask pertinent questions about Australia's future in a non-partisan way. Should we leave our future in the lap of the Gods? So far I've only heard about nuclear submarines and emission targets eventuating in 2030s - 2040s ... is that it, is that all we can come up with?

I've never voted for the major parties, I'm above all their self interest partisan shenanigans. Many times I've just paid the fine because there's no on-line voting for anyone other than the disabled. I'd like to see the ABC do a feature about the difficulties of voting in isolated rural locations. They could state some facts about the time spent traveling to the nearest polling booth, and to the nearest PO mailing box for postal voting, quite some distance in many cases, and time consuming. I couldn't give a hoot about Angus Taylor, Dutton, Albanese, or any of those other idiots, it's only mob rule - when will it end, that's the question, how much longer will it go on for?

I don't see a need for the ABC to get involved in politics, be it socialist left, or conservative right. Howabout they just state the facts without political opinion, or anything that remotely sounds or looks like political opinion? This of course doesn't include talk shows where members of the public are invited to express their views about political issues, as long as the ABC representatives conducting the talkfests don't hint as to what their own views are by changing the subject or with a disapproving facial frown. I'm not in favor of defunding the ABC, but I'd like see them get a good talking to, to remove all political judgement from it's broadcasting - including the ideology of "Progressive Humanism", which usually leans more towards minorities, refugees, and new immigrants. However, I do enjoy watching Back Roads, an effort by the ABC to show more of Australia, it steps away from the ridiculous wickedness of the big cities which is what we are subjected to most of the time. Living in a rural location, I really appreciate that show. LandLine as well, top show that.

Seems hard to argue with this, and you are correct. But a new "form" in the ABC's "Australian culture" appears to be Minority inclusivity, and occasionally an ABC journalist will express subtle jibes directed at any public figure with differing views to the major parties' bipartisan policies. Not to mention the uncomplimentary snipes and images of Donald Trump. The ABC should keep their nose out of the political arena, and just report facts.

Who needs an enemy when we've got the ABC doing things like that? They got what was coming to them, paying out $390,000 to Heston.

Potentially controversial statement, but needs elaborating. The major parties already get $20,000,000 each in public funding per election. Are you saying they should get more?

It's Government funded, and as such, it will always follow the government line, which is why I read news from many other sources, attempting to filter out political biases to arrive at bare facts. The ABC is factual, but only with the stories it reports on. It's the stories that it refuses to report that worries me greatly about the ABC. Obviously because the our ideological governments don't want them talked about in public.

He cleared out, them came back again when things calmed down. I have no idea why so many fly over here, this area attracts them like flies. Some are firefighters, but only when there's fires. One finished Google Earth scanning years ago when I first moved here, my house was only a blur on GE, but a week later I could see my house and vehicles clearly. I reckon the spooks wanted a better analysis of my movements. Other than those, I can only guess the rest are tour operators. Firefighter, taken from half a mile away with telephoto lens (it's much better on my screen)

Thanks for the reminder that helicopters are capable of crashing, lots fly over my hamlet, right this instant one is in the sky, coping with lightning strikes every few seconds.

Rolls Royce at Rylstone Swap Meet in 2017, using a 1950s folding camera, a Franka Solida III, with built in rangefinder. It produces 6X6cm negatives with lots of fine detail. The Rolls is a common site at swap meets in mid-west NSW.

Why close the thread? Let me have my say. We over think things, and we often blame others for ruthlessness without looking at ourselves first. A teacher in Sydney being dragged away to worship the God of Capitalism (not democracy). William White, non-complying conscript. White eventually conceded and did military service, but others were jailed and when we finally woke up to ourselves, they were released. There were atrocities committed in war zones we have gone to, some by Aussies, we don't like to think about that, they just could never be as bad as others around the world. We are gentle souls, we wouldn't hurt a fly. Tell that to the families of Vietnamese and Afghan victims who were shot in cold blood, all recorded in one form or another, but we self-censor them out of our minds. I don't blame the Israelis for anything, because I refuse to throw stones when the first stone needs to be banged against our heads.

Roulettes - film shot I took at the Temora Warbirds bi-annual airshow a couple of years ago. I mostly only use film because it's my life long hobby and do all my own processing. Interestingly, the RAAF has a flight path over my place and I get to see most types at very low level, including the Roulettes and the new F35s, when government funding allows. Haven't seen any planes lately, only a Hecules or two. The F35s flew over just once, when we first got them, a quick dash to my balcony and I just spotted them before they disappeared from view behind trees. Globemasters are something to see at low level, they fly between the mountain peeks here and bank away towards Richmond, or heading west towards Pine Gap or wherever.

Happy new year to you to Jerry. The sun is out this morning so we're off to a good start for the new year. Here are some recorded figures from mid-night Dec 31 - Jan 1 370 Aussie youngters entered this World since mid-night. I deleted the deaths - don't need gloom today. Australia Population clock (live) 26,978,546 Current population 13,446,173 Current male population (49.8%) 13,532,374 Current female population (50.2%) 370 Births year to date 370 Births today 243 Net migration year to date 243 Net migration today 429 Population growth year to date 429 Population growth today 01-01-2025 08:54:07

Doom and gloom here, thunder, overcast, bushfire smoke, breathing it all day yesterday, it looks like they got on top of it (Wollemi National Park), not much smoke today. I hope these are not bad omens for the new year, we've had enough already. Have a nice fireworks night, and a happy new year, with luck.

Well there's design quality also, that can keep the weight down. I suspect the Americans were more thorough with their R&D than the Poms. The DC3 was perhaps a perfectly designed craft, in all aspects of it's design, and therefore excessive weight was possibly eliminated in the overall structure by reducing stress through correct design. Not like that silly long counter weight for the tail plane in the Hawker Typhoon, did you read about that? The counter weight was susceptible to harmonic vibration and eventually broke the plane in half, killing unsuspecting pilots. Some times the Poms got things right, but other times got things horribly wrong.

I'm sorry, I don't fully understand what you're getting at here.

I believe the DC-3 was intentionally over engineered, for what reason/s I'm not sure, but probably because it was initially designed for passenger carrying and needed to be safe and reliable.

Great success story Nev, I wish I could post a similar one about my self. I was born with autism but I did complete a 5 year machining apprenticeship at DeHavilland Engineering at Lidcombe (later to become Hawker DeHavilland Engineering). I learned a lot about metal fatigue and why the Comets fell out of the sky. Don't believe it was only just an existing crack that caused it. A crack had to start somehow, It was unequal stresses around the squarish window corners, THEN the metal cracked, after repeated expansion and contraction, and the resultant cracks progressed till disaster struck, very sad. DeHavillands was like a wonderland for young enthused apprentices, it had everything, miles of all types of machines, a testing laboratory, aero engine reco section, heat treatment, electro plating, polishing section, a micro measuring section - it had it all. I loved working there but unfortunately I wasn't allowed to stay there, I was asked to go to a staging point and be transported to a camp, just like a European Jew. Here's something I put together recently to compare 1) Conscripts in Australia in the 1960s were told to assemble at a staging point for transportation to a camp. (Jews in Nazi Germany were told to assemble at a staging point, for transportation to a camp) 2) On arrival at the camp, new conscripts had to have their hair sheared off. (Jews in Nazi Germany had their hair sheared off) 3) Conscripts had to wear a uniform. (Jews had to wear a white with blue stripes uniform) 4) Conscripts were under threat of punishment for disobeying orders. (Jews were under threat of punishment for disobeying orders) 5) Conscripts were sent away to sacrifice their lives, on the orders of politicians. (Jews were killed, because of politicians) Thankfully, for the sake of future Australian generations, these grotesque abuses will never happen in Australia ever again. Your children's children and so on, will be safe.

I'd happily donate if I could find a "Donate" button, but there doesn't seem to be one in this site.

I stayed in Oz, I was left languishing in a field workshop at Ingleburn, close to home, with absolutely nothing to do for the last 12 months of my two years, I made foreign orders for myself and did machining work on parts for my mate's racing car. I was first in Signals, then in Reame which was the right corp for me but had to wait a year before finally being transferred to a Reame workshop.

This one? It helped to spread agent orange. We've gone off topic, better cease now. Hope you had a good Xmas and Boxing Day. I live alone but that didn't stop me from rustling up a scrumptious Christmas dinner and downing a few beers.

Crikey, was that safe?

Merry Christmas to everyone from this appreciative newby. Are you all pilots? I wanted to be one but never made it. Over the years, I've been a passenger in a DeHavilland Dragonfly, a Canadian Caribou (Very exciting when landing on a short dusty runway, tighten your seatbelts!), a Lockheed Hercules (for the sole purpose of a low altitude joy ride over Sydney Harbor, still vividly imprinted in my aging memory bank, Opera house and all ), a Boeing 727, and a high wing Cessna type flying through picturesque valleys on my way to connect with a commercial jet for a final destination flight. All of these flying events were a Christmas to me. Thank heavens we have the ability to remember the good things in life.

New to the boards This is the most credible explanation about these drones I've seen so far. https://halturnerradioshow.com/index.php/news-selections/national-news/drone-mystery-solved-u-s-military-naval-air-warfare-center-aircraft-division-nawcad