The Random thought thread

[facthunter]

I'll try to find out what it is. Nev

[pmccarthy]

[spacesailor]

Looks pretty much the same to me ! , ( European ).

spacesailor

[red750]

That's a flat earthers idea of the earth. Look at the distance between east Russia and Alaska.

[pmccarthy]

It is just the sizes that have been corrected. Of course the image of each region is no longer the proportionate distance from its neighbours. The main message for me is that Russia is not all that big compared to Australia. 

Edited April 22 by pmccarthy

[Jerry_Atrick]

According to Google, Russia is 17.1m sq kms; Australia is 7.688m sq km.

Edited April 22 by Jerry_Atrick

[facthunter]

It Illustrates the Disortions of the Mercator Projection which get worse near each pole. The more common  and useful one is Lamberts Conformal Orthomorphic projection based on 2 selected parallels of Latitude   The only true representation is on a Globe, Nev

[spacesailor]

It may be helpful to have a frame around the image , so. ALASKA & Russia have a boarder to measure. 

spaesailotr

[pmccarthy]

14 hours ago, Jerry_Atrick said:

According to Google, Russia is 17.1m sq kms; Australia is 7.688m sq km.

That sounds about right when looking at the image.

[red750]

Elon has launched Tesla's phone with a cost of US$273, or A$426 with supposedly more security and features than an iPhone, which ccost from $1500 to over $3000 at Costco.

 

It's called the Tesla Pi Phone (as in 𝞹 ).

[Jerry_Atrick]

I would trust them less than Huwaei equipment.

[Marty_d]

Interesting to see how they sell.

Tesla are on the nose with a lot of people because of Musk rat and I can't see it improving any time soon.

[Jerry_Atrick]

If its cheap, it will sell regardless. The world lately has taught me principles are exceedingly cheap.

[nomadpete]

Random Thought re: Australian manufacturing.

 

This ABC article mentions a problem restarting manufacturing..... apart from trying to be competetive on price....there is a shortage of tradesmen with experience required for industry. They are literally a dying breed.

 

I have long believed that our only hope is to initiate a group called Dinosaur Engineering. Gather up the remaining skilled old farts to work voluntarily to do the design, training and setup of each manufacturing project. There are many competent 'older' people languishing in a sea of retirement boredom, who would love to get their teeth into the challenge.

 

Like Mens Sheds on steroids.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-28/tools-engineering-pattern-making-manufacturing-industry/105134026

Edited Sunday at 09:53 PM by nomadpete
Added the link

[old man emu]

I can't disagree with the particular example Nomad has highlighted, but I wonder if we are looking at a sort of 'chicken or the egg" situation. Toolmakers don't have tools to make until there is a factory to use them in. There is no need for a factory until there is a product to make, and the demand for that product. There is ne demand for a product until its price to the consumer makes it worthwhile to purchase.

 

At present, I see the best approach for Australia to take is to value-add to its raw materials. Admittedly that is the bottom of the manufacturing ladder, but I suspect that it is the easiest to start with. Thereafter, it might be possible to develop a manufacturing base that uses those value-added raw materials. Then the need for other skilled trades would develop.

[facthunter]

When Hockey and Abbot told the Carmakers to P of they lost all the associated manufacturing connections and skills. Abbot said go and get a "DECENT" job and also said TAFE only Teaches Basket weaving..Nev

[nomadpete]

2 hours ago, old man emu said:

At present, I see the best approach for Australia take is to value-add to its raw materials. Admittedly that is the bottom of the manufacturing ladder

Quite agree, OME.

With only one caveat.....

We really need Australian ownership of raw material extraction AND the value adding processing.

 

 

[old man emu]

Not so much a caveat, but a plan.

 

t would be a brave political party that put its foot down and declared that, come Hell or high water, it was going to pour funds into the establishment of these basic industries, and the training of personnel to create and operate them.

 

However, the Party needs to acknowledge that it expertise is in governing, not manufacturing. Therefore it needs to engage an expert in manufacturing to direct the project. This is how the USA won WWII. Not  through military ability, but by throwing a tsunami of manufactured goods at the Front Line. Remember what Churchill said to the American People in 1941, "Give us the tools, and we will finish the job. That was before the USA entered the war, but the idea was put into practice for the aid of the British Empire, and ramped up when the USA came into military conflict with the Empire of Japan.

 

This video is about 45 minutes long, but it shows how one man with expert knowledge fulfilled Churchill's plea.

 

 

 

[Jerry_Atrick]

Vid not available in my country 😞

 

Will have to load up a VPN

[old man emu]

1 hour ago, Jerry_Atrick said:

Vid not available in my country 😞

 

Will have to load up a VPN

You will get as much information from this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_S._Knudsen as the video.