GRIPES

[red750]

I enjoy watching both the English and Australian versions of the Chase, and often shake my head at some of the contestants answers, but when it comes to movies, books, TV, Shakespeare, Greek mythology or some sports questions, I say "Who the hell cares." Questions like "Who was the 1982 darts champion?" It's like all the posts on Facebook, about what happened in this movie, or what was wrong with these TV shows. But you have to sort the wheat from the chaff. There is also good stuff there.

[old man emu]

Fair's fair. People excel in different areas. The worst thing would be for us to live in an Orwellian 1984 world where everyone had the same thoughts.

[Bruce Tuncks]

There used to be a glyphosate ( roundup ) salesman who would drink his stuff in front of a horrified farmer audience. I have not heard of anybody doing this lately, and I think he got something bad.

But it is true that insects have a very different metabolism to us, and plants even more so.

[facthunter]

IF it kills insects, it will easily kill us.  Glyphosate ( herbicide) is a proven Carcinogen but traces of it are everywhere.  Nev

[onetrack]

I had a farmer client who got accidentally drenched in Sprayseed not longer after it was released on the market. He was standing under a tank being filled and something slipped with regard to the Sprayseed being poured in, and he got a Sprayseed "bath". 

Within 20 years he became a cripple, and he died in his late 50's. I have little doubt the Sprayseed bath had something to do with it. 

[facthunter]

People in the Asian sub continent where spraying  it from knapsacks and died within days. from it running down their backs..  Nev

[Old Koreelah]

13 hours ago, red750 said:

I enjoy watching both the English and Australian versions of the Chase…

Hard Quiz beats all of them: plenty of fascinating trivia, but best of all, lots of laughs.

[spacesailor]

Trivia 

Who is the AUSTRALIN decendent  of the English King ...? 

spacesailor*

[old man emu]

I know that one!

[red750]

I have a correction to make. The BlowUp TV program is coming to Seven, not Nine. Just as bad.

[spacesailor]

NOW ! .

We have our new head of the  Australian Republic .

Linage way back to the earliest English Kings .

And something like the following ten Kings of England. 

spacesailor

 

[facthunter]

Do tell. Don't keep us in suspenders. Nev

[onetrack]

Not exactly a new "Head of the Australian Republic" - but the Australian Republican Movement has appointed a new chair - former Socceroo Craig Foster AM was elected Chair of the A.R.M. in a unanimous vote of the National Committee. 

Personally, it sounds more like musical chairs to me. The A.R.M. has always had difficulty explaining clearly and concisely, exactly how a Republic will benefit us, how much it will cost, what the safeguards against any future potential Govt tyrants are in the new Republican system, and what is so wrong with our current setup, that has served us pretty well since 1788 - without us descending into civil war.

 

The beauty of our current setup is that any obstructionism, radical change of direction, major corruption or descent into anarchy can be stopped in its tracks, and the Govt of the day turfed out and a vote then being put to the people, for a new crop of representatives.

 

Add in an Australian Constitution that was carefully crafted to be able to be altered according to the requirements of the current time and events - and we have eliminated a lot of the problems of the British system of Lords and Ladies and BS Titles - and the problems of America, where they refuse point blank, to regularly update their Constitution to meet the often rapidly changing needs of the day.

 

https://republic.org.au/media/2022/11/16/australian-republic-movement-welcomes-new-executive

 

Edited May 5, 2023 by onetrack

[Old Koreelah]

Crickey, it feels weird to be knocking the republican movement that I supported for so long.

 

With our national cultural cringe, Australia has always looked to a bigger brother role-model. Since WWII the influence pendulum has swing heavily towards the US, but now their Orange Caligula has done lots of damage to Australia’s republican movement. I bet the ongoing American disaster is causing a swing back to supporting reliable, time-tested UK institutions - at a time when the unity of Britain itself is looking shaky.

[facthunter]

 I really reckon that's in the past. We look at  the US and UK with Pity and wonder. WE are about as big in population as a large Chinese City and MAKE almost nothing at all here, thanks to idiots likeT A Bot. Nev

[Old Koreelah]

2 minutes ago, facthunter said:

 I really reckon that's in the past. We look at  the US and UK with Pity and wonder. WE are about as big in population as a large Chinese City and MAKE almost nothing at all here, thanks to idiots likeT A Bot. Nev

True, but Australia ranks well economically…so far.

[willedoo]

37 minutes ago, Old Koreelah said:

Crickey, it feels weird to be knocking the republican movement that I supported for so long.

 

With our national cultural cringe, Australia has always looked to a bigger brother role-model. Since WWII the influence pendulum has swing heavily towards the US, but now their Orange Caligula has done lots of damage to Australia’s republican movement. I bet the ongoing American disaster is causing a swing back to supporting reliable, time-tested UK institutions - at a time when the unity of Britain itself is looking shaky.

We're in a good position if we have patience. At present we have a system that could be described as working reasonably well and arguably one of the better systems in the world. So coming off a good base, there's no dire emergency to rush into a second rate model of republic. We're in the position to be able to take our time and ensure we end up with something good. With republics world wide, we have plenty of bad role models to avoid, and a few good ones to cherry pick from. We need the public and politicians to have maturity and patience to come up with a system that lives up to this great country that we are lucky to have.

 

I could summarise all that as - don't rush; get it right.

[willedoo]

And there's no need to rush. Who cares if Charlie is not as popular as Liz, or who's r**ting who in the royal family. All that's just tabloid entertainment. The big picture is the system of government we have and how well it works.

[facthunter]

You are happy to take Charles Oath of Allegiance then? I'm a risk avoidance person . Not a wait till it breaks one.  Nev 

[red750]

The monarchy/Commonwealth is like a BRS. Not much to carry, has minimal impact on normal operations, but handy to have if required.

[willedoo]

28 minutes ago, facthunter said:

You are happy to take Charles Oath of Allegiance then?

Not an issue as I won't be doing it as long as my arse points to the ground. Not happy or unhappy about his oath, People can oath away if they like, it's just that this little black duck won't be. I'm not advocating wait till it breaks, just for taking the time to have a sensible mature debate about potential models so we have a chance of getting something better than some of the obvious bad examples of republics.

[willedoo]

I doubt any relevant survey stats would exist, but it would be interesting to see the breakdown of voters in the failed republic referendum. Howard purposely put up a flawed model which meant a lot of republicans voted no. I wonder if that group was a deciding factor or whether it was the fence sitters swinging to the no side.

[old man emu]

1 hour ago, facthunter said:

You are happy to take Charles Oath of Allegiance then?

I took an oath of allegiance To Elizabeth, her heirs and successors as a constable and a Justice of the Peace. I don't mind reaffirming that oath to her heir and successor. It's a continuation, not something new. 

1 hour ago, red750 said:

The monarchy/Commonwealth is like a BRS. Not much to carry, has minimal impact on normal operations, but handy to have if required.

Succinctly put, Old Chap.  

[facthunter]

Most people said Not while Lizzies in. I've been in the couldn't care much, what's the fuss mob. But I've reassessed it lately. You can still stay in the commonwealth. Britain's not so much of a good example in anything lately and an oath to the King means to Britain. In all of History what Kings were that good to their People?. Kings don't serve the People They  RULE over them. The whole thing is an inappropriate relic from the past well suited to the  control of the Masses experience.  A bit like the Churches which is often a part of it. Nev

[Bruce Tuncks]

There is a serious problem in Australia, reference John Kerr and ( nearly ) bishop Hollingsworth. The problem would have been fixed by the republican's way os selection for the head of state, which was 2/3 of the elected lot. This would ensure that the head of state was bi-partisan.

The poms don't have the same problem, as the royal family  are in there for the long term. Kerr had to leave on account of being heckled everywhere he went.