The Random thought thread

[red750]

Well,all repaired. Ignition switch removed, repaired and replaced. Steering lock mechanism also found to be worn. This, too, has been repaired. All up cost $434. Back on the road.  

[old man emu]

1 hour ago, red750 said:

Back on the road.

Willey, stop posting using Red's name!!!!!!

[red750]

Does anyone remember kerosine refrigerators? Are there any off-gridders who still have one? We also haad kerosine water heaters in the bathroom when I was a kid.

[facthunter]

Don't run a Kero fridge.. They stink and the system is not efficient.. Used early 50's.   Kero s dearer that Petrol now..  Nev

[nomadpete]

Caravan 3 way fridges are still popular. Similar system to the old kero ones but they use a gas flame instead.

[nomadpete]

And they are quiet (no noisy compressor). "Silent Night" was a brand of the kero ones.

Edited April 17 by nomadpete

[Marty_d]

They've got this stuff called electricity now.  Much better than either kero or gas.

[nomadpete]

Just now, Marty_d said:

They've got this stuff called electricity now.  Much better than either kero or gas.

Elek-wot?

 

It'll never catch on.

[red750]

We had one when I was in high school (1956-58ish). Googled it and they are still available. My grandparents, with whom we lived when I was a preschooler, had a kero bath heater. We lived on a farm. Apparently I drank some kero and had to be taken to hospital. I would have been around 3yo. 

[old man emu]

55 minutes ago, red750 said:

Apparently I drank some kero and had to be taken to hospital. I would have been around 3yo. 

He's all grown up now and his favourite tipple is meth and Kiwi.

[red750]

On the contrary, that's probably why I have an aversion to anything alcoholic.

[pmccarthy]

My job was to fill the kero tank with a tin pump and check to see the little flame was still showing in the reflector.

[old man emu]

My job was to fill the glass fuel bottle of the Fyreside heater and light it, being careful not to have the heater element off centre or the place would smell like a jet engine workshop.

[willedoo]

16 minutes ago, old man emu said:

My job was to fill the glass fuel bottle of the Fyreside heater and light it, being careful not to have the heater element off centre or the place would smell like a jet engine workshop.

That looks like the kero heater we had when I was a kid. The hot water system ran off the slow combustion stove. The fridge was originally kero, then we got a gas fridge and a small gas two burner stove to supplement the wood stove. Power was a 32 volt generator run by a single cylinder Southern Cross diesel. I've still got the generator and 240 volt inverter but not the Southern Cross. It was a luxurious life once they ran the electricity down our road. No more hand cranking that old diesel. And we had a heap of empty wooden power cable spools to play with. They made good outdoor tables as well.

[nomadpete]

We were using one of these until my father splurged on a modern pressure fed kero one that had ceramic radiant columns. Unlike the wick types, it gave off no noticable kero fumes. But probably plenty of CO. No wonder we slept well at night.

[red750]

Further to my post onn Apr 10, and following the attack onn the Bishop inn western Sydney, I see that there are calls for parents who let their teenagers out with blades (knives, machetes etc.,) to be charged with a crime. Not before time. And lax bail laws nneed tightening, too. If they are old enough to do the crime, they are old enough to do the time.

 

I cannot believe that a teenager in hospital under guard in Melbourne has asked for bail after driving a stolen car at over 200 kph while his mates filmed it for social media, and T-boning another car. He wants to be released "because he doesn't like being locked up."   ---    And the legal profession are considering it???

[Marty_d]

As in all things in life, there's nuance and shades of grey.

 

If the parents knew of this behaviour and either showed a reckless disregard (making no attempt to stop the behaviour) or actively enabled it, like those idiots in the US who bought their son a pistol when they knew about his fantasies of doing a school shooting - then yes, they should be accountable and charged accordingly.

 

But what if they didn't know?  Kids are incredibly good at hiding behaviours.  Most parents, probably including most of us (or our parents if some of us don't have kids) have had the wool pulled over their eyes at some point in their lives.  If the parent had no idea of the behaviour, and in general was raising their kid in a reasonable manner, then I don't see how they're responsible for what the kid does.

 

As to the idiot who T-boned the car, the job of his defense counsel is to get him off by any legal means available.  So while they might be considering his dislike of being locked up, I will lay money that neither the prosecution, judge nor any sensible jury will.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 19 by Marty_d

[old man emu]

1 minute ago, Marty_d said:

As to the idiot who T-boned the car

I don't know about other States and Territories, but in NSW when deciding whether or not to grant bail to an accused person, the court must have regard to the matters set out in section 32, so far as they can reasonably be ascertained. No other matters can be considered unless the bail decision relates to an offence for which there is a presumption against bail, or for which there is a requirement that bail is only to be granted in exceptional circumstances

The four main criteria in section 32 are:

1. The probability of whether the accused will appear in court in respect of the offence;

2. The interests of the accused person;

3. The protection of alleged victims and their close relatives; and

4. The protection and welfare of the community. 

 

As to criterion No. 1, I would say that, unless there is a history of failing to answer bail, there would be a lot of pressure to appear. What you have to look at is whether the person would flee the jurisdiction. In Australia, that usually means leaving the country, and he probably doesn't have a passport. As he has already been charged with an offence in Victoria, extradition from other States and Territories is pretty straight forward.

 

Criterion 2 deals with the right of an accused to obtain legal advice and to engage a person to prepare a defence to the charge. If the accused was responsible for the welfare of others (breadwinner or sole carer), that could be considered. Having a hissy fit about being remanded in custody doesn't make the grade.

 

Criterion 3 is pretty clear. It usually is invoked in domestic violence matters.

 

Criterion 4 is pretty broad in its interpretation. It could be used to stop the activities of a drug dealer, or maybe to stop an arsonist lighting bushfires.

 

Based on my experience, and on precedent, I would say that the idiot stands a good chance of being released from custody, but with new bail conditions that would include

Criterion 1 - requirement to report frequently to the Officer in Charge of the nearest police station to his usual place of abode; surrender a passport if held; maybe the lodgement of a monetary bond by another person who undertakes that the accused will answer bail.

 

Criterion 2 - as the offence, while very serious, lacks a very high level of pre-meditation (colliding with another vehicle), it should not be punished until proven. That sounds a bit namby-pamby, but the coach driver whose actions allegedly resulted in the death of ten and the injury to others is at large on bail.

 

Criterion 3 - not applicable in this case.

 

Criterion 4 - suspension of driver's licence. Again, easily circumvented, but if caught driving then you have breach of bail, which is a one-way ticket to the slammer, plus further imprisonment, or fine or both etc, etc.

 

[spacesailor]

A lot of ' poorer ' people are refused bail . As their lawyers don't seem to care  when working for poor pay. 

They seem to stay in jail longer before bail application. 

Also less chance of getting acquitted. 

Than a wealthier crook. We , often see, on the media , of wealthier crooks getting ' community service' instead of Jail time .

spacesailor

Edited April 19 by spacesailor

[Jerry_Atrick]

Although the media sensationalise it, your assertion, Spacery, is probably correct more often than not. However, the less wealthy do occasionally strike it lucky.

 

I was shicked to hear that criminal defendants don't have ana automatic right to legal aid or legal representation, regarldess of whether we think they should go to jail or not. Even in the US, it is a basic right (You have probably heard the line in movies that goes along the lines of "If the defendant doesn't have a lawyer, the court will appoint one on his/her behalf". In the UK, there are duty solicitors for magistrates and county courts (NSW equivalent of local and district courts), and in the latter, they can appoint barristers and the bill is picked up by the state (duty solicitors are public, or as we call them in the UK, civil servants).

 

But in Aus, you have to apply for legal aid, and you may not get it, even if thee is no way on earth you can afford it. However, in a seminal case on the matter, the High court held on this case (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietrich_v_The_Queen) that when the case is complex and the defendant is attempting to obtain legal aid, but iut is not forthcoming unless the defendent pleads guilty, then, as a basic human right guaranteed (implicitly) in the consitution, of a fair trial, the state had to provide "competent" and independent legal representation.

 

My daughter invaded my sanctuary and interrupted my post, with this:

hello - upon reviewal of my proposed debate, I have come to the realisation that my argument lacks advantageous thought, minimising the level of reputability henceforth. As a result, I would like to implore individuals inspecting the pathology of my written text to seriously question the sanity of your pre-fontal cortex as a result of completed reviewal from assessing my words, and due to the finite reasoning within such text, I understand the imperative monetary implications resulting. Cognitive reform, to asssist in atoning your reduction in brain synapses  will happily be funded from my non-existent superannuation, and I sincerely hope to repudiate the damage and level of distress caused throughout societal minds.

 

(She is doing A Levels/HSC, at the moment and one of her subject s is... law.

[nomadpete]

Oh dear. I guess that all those years ago (when your darling offspring were but a gleam in your eye) you never dreamed that raising a family could ever be so challenging.

[old man emu]

2 hours ago, Jerry_Atrick said:

My daughter invaded my sanctuary and interrupted my post, with this:

My first response was to chuckle at the wit and satire of it. However, I cannot go past offering a word of caution to her should she wish to take up a career that depends strongly on clear and concise communication, both verbal and written. 

 

As I read her contribution, I pictured a bewigged and black-gowned figure, much accustomed to using the appellation "M'Lud", confusing twelve good men and true with such obscure language. I saw someone similar to the character Sam Ballard QC of Rumpole of the Bailey. Yet the jury was more often swayed by the plain and simple language of Rumpole himself.

 

The best of communicators write and speak the language of the Plebeians, not the Patricians.

[old man emu]

I wonder how far it would go if you complained to Fair Trading that your Big Mac wasn't as advertised?

[Jerry_Atrick]

They seem to be as bad in Aus as they are here, then. Quite frankly, when compared to the old fish and chip shop burgers, they don't even look appetising. Have stopped buying them a short time ago (on the way home from work in London), and just last week stopped buying KFC, which over here has never been quiote as good as in Aus, that is how bad it is here. Last week, I stopped at the motorway services on the M3 for dinner, and as the Waitrose there had just closed, as did the other independent outlets, decided to get a burger from KFC. Well, the chicken would have not even made the grade as leather soles for a shoe... and it literally had a slive of lettuse and bathed in mayonnaise. Never again will I eat KFC, either.

10 hours ago, old man emu said:

My first response was to chuckle at the wit and satire of it. However, I cannot go past offering a word of caution to her should she wish to take up a career that depends strongly on clear and concise communication, both verbal and written. 

 

As I read her contribution, I pictured a bewigged and black-gowned figure, much accustomed to using the appellation "M'Lud", confusing twelve good men and true with such obscure language. I saw someone similar to the character Sam Ballard QC of Rumpole of the Bailey. Yet the jury was more often swayed by the plain and simple language of Rumpole himself.

 

The best of communicators write and speak the language of the Plebeians, not the Patricians.

I have to admit, in her first draft of her first essay for law, I had to get her to tone it down a bit and explain that the TV serials are not the place to learn the conduct of the legal profession (she is also doing English Literature).

 

But that bit of prose she did was purely tongue in cheek.. you know.. .we're British - pip pip; tally-ho, and the like.

[nomadpete]

We paused at a little town called Avoca on our way home today. We had burgers for lunch. They took a while to make them. When the waitress brought them out to us (yes they were served on proper plates), she offered us knives and forks (not those useless plastic things) - we couldn't  get our hands around them!

Real burgers - nice big mince pattie, topped with sauteed onion, a rasher of smoked bacon, an egg, crisp lettuce, freshly sliced tomato, beetroot, a slice of tasty cheese. All between big, toasted bun.

 

A real meal.

When we got home we still didn't have room for dinner.

 

You can keep Macca's and Kentukky fried kitten. I don't touch it.