Weekend Unthreaded

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259 comments to Weekend Unthreaded

  • #
    Richard Ilfeld

    Climate & the US election.
    In poll after poll, US voters are not much interested in climate change.
    It appears, however, that the various socialisms nominally motivated by climate will be forced front and center by the Democrats.
    However, climate change will not be an issue, it will be a given.

    “We need to change life as we know it, Because Climate Change.”

    “It’s too expensive” “It will hurt the poor” “it will kill jobs”

    “But we must act”

    But Let’s do domething practical that we can afford”

    And the BIG LIE of Climate change will be reinforced….

    Damn!

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    • #
      Roy Hogue

      If you’re looking for advice I would advise you to fasten your seat belt again. The roller coaster ride isn’t over yet, it’s just beginning.

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      • #
        OriginalSteve

        Speaking if rolker coasters, Labor ( i.e. liberals in us speak ) have been caught discussing bringing in death duties/ inheritance tax in Oz, just begore the election.

        This means a minimum 40% tax on family assets ( farms, houses, etc ) being passed between generations, presumbly its a great way to strip wealth from even middle class families seeking to build any form of private wealth.

        Communism runs deep in Labor here….

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        • #
          philthegeek

          Labor ( i.e. liberals in us speak ) have been caught discussing bringing in death duties/ inheritance tax in Oz, just begore the election.

          Lol! No they haven’t. Shorten made a joke about it, Frydenberg missed the joke and fell for it. doubled down and ran with the idea, to try and drive the outrage levels up amongst the credulous. No party in Australia running with death duties in their policy. But hey, the RW loves its fake news wot? 🙂

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          • #
            el gordo

            The story seems to have been rolling around for a couple of years and recently Pauline Hanson has been stirring. Josh is clutching at straws.

            “All things being equal, surely people would prefer to be taxed when they were dead than when they’re alive” Ben Oquist, Executive Director, The Australia Institute, ABC News, 11 February 2016

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          • #
            Kinky Keith

            Does Electricity Bill Short also make fun of cripples and handicapped people?

            Death isn’t a joke and neither are death duties.

            KK

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            • #
              philthegeek

              Death isn’t a joke and neither are death duties.

              Lol! You aren’t into the deep wisdom of Monty Python then KK?? 🙂

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          • #
            AndyG55

            Like you, Shorten is a joke.

            He doesn’t know if he’s making a joke or not.

            Unless someone else tells him after he has said it, that is.

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          • #
            AndyG55

            Its alright, Billie has no plans for a death tax at the moment,

            But wait until after he wins the election.

            The Unions what a death tax… and Billie is controlled by the unions.

            This will be Shorten’s “There will be no carbon tax”, Gillard type moment.

            Forced to deny it before the election to not destroy his chance of winning…

            … only to be forced by his handlers to implement it afterwards.

            No wonder he wants it taken of the internet 😉

            And round and round the Labor/Green lies and deceit go.

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          • #
            GD

            No party in Australia [is] running with death duties in their policy.

            The Greens are proposing an inheritance tax.

            The Greens’ tax policies include the removal of stamp duty on housing and an inheritance tax for the “super wealthy”.

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            • #
              OriginalSteve

              Super wealthy = anyone above minimum wage, in Labors eyes.

              I mean, how dare people actually make sonething of themselves, create jovs or live happily?

              Labor and the geeen collective, are a clear and present threat to democracy generally…

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        • #
          James Murphy

          The Greens have long supported a death/inheritance tax, and we’ve all seen how quickly Labor (and LNP) cosy up to them when they need something. I trust Bill Shorten as far as I could throw him.

          Don’t believe me? look at the Greens website. They used to have it stated far more clearly in their policy “vision” but even they know it is not a positive topic to be spruiking at this election.
          https://greens.org.au/vic/news/media-release/richard-di-natale-national-press-club
          https://greens.org.au/magazine/greens-centre
          https://greens.org.au/wa/magazine/neoliberalism-unhinged

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    • #
      David Wojick

      Absolutely nothing will happen of substance on Trump’s watch. Everything is pointed to the election. Climate change is all the Dems have and that is not much. Still it is a fascinating clash. Much is coming, at least in words.

      Who can run against Trump? That is the next act.

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      • #

        The phoney campaign starts on the day after the election.

        Meanwhile, things have already changed. The media avoids reporting on it. Trump’s potential and actual appointments, such as those of Will Happer are denounced.

        While the “deep state” tries to cover it’s @rse, backed by the fake news media, there are chinks in the armour that could produce a domino effect of resignations and prosecutions.

        I’d write more but I have to choof off for Easter celebrations … enjoy your’s

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    • #
      David Wojick

      Absolutely nothing will happen of substance on Trump’s watch. Everything is pointed to the election. Climate change is all the Dems have and that is not much. Still it is a fascinating clash. Much is coming, at least in words.

      Who can run against Trump? That is the next act.

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  • #
    Dave in the States

    Saw this on non related topic forum:

    Ok guys, I am gonna take the hit. I dug out my school notes and I have written down as told by my teacher exactly what I said which appears to be wrong on all counts. I was taught this, it stuck in my brain and I never really used that info much after that, but upon searching it up it’s wrong.

    So I humbly eat crow.

    And someone replied:

    Don’t worry.
    The hardest thing for most humans to do, is unlearn wrong information…….

    Unfortunately, teachers who learned wrong information have been in turn teaching wrong information about climate for generation now.

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    • #
      Dave in the States

      Oh BTW, happy Easter everyone.

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    • #
      RickWill

      The photon fits perfectly in that category of wrong concepts promoted by teachers. It is written in many texts as well. It is the basis of misunderstanding on how the electric field and magnetic field, we exist in, transfer energy from a high potential object to a lower potential object.

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      • #
        Graeme#4

        I’ll bite Rick, as it always fascinates me how we can use energy without truly understanding the fundamentals such as energy transfer. Do you have some links for further reading?

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        • #
          RickWill

          Atmospheric Physicists Michael Mischenko provides the most detailed analysis of EMR energy transfer based on Maxwell field theory that I have encountered. There is a list of his publications on his NASA we site:
          https://www.giss.nasa.gov/staff/mmishchenko/publications/

          The linked paper gives some background to the misconceptions around radiative energy transfer:
          https://www.giss.nasa.gov/staff/mmishchenko/publications/RAD_V.pdf
          This taken from the introduction”

          The use of the “photonic” language in application to elastically scattering, macroscopic particulate media is especially inaccurate and misleading. Indeed, we are asked to accept that light propagates as a stream of photons between the particles, decides to become a wave when it impinges upon a particle and thereby generates a multitude of spectacular effects such as diffraction, glory, morphology- dependent resonances, etc., and then changes its mind again upon leaving the particle and resumes its journey in the form of photons.

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          • #
            Graeme#4

            Thanks for the comments and links Rick. I’ve saved them for further reading. It’s always been fascinating that radio and light energy exhibits the properties of both waves and particles simultaneously, and I haven’t read any new material on this for a while. If memory serves me correctly, Maxwell developed his theories and equations in the 1890s before we understood electronics.

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            • #
              RickWill

              The particle concept is wrong. It is simple energy quanta that are related to discrete energy states within matter. The particles within the matter are able to tune to the field and absorb energy from it as they change their energy level.

              A telling fundamental of all EMR is that the speed of interaction between objects in the orthogonal electric and magnetic fields is a function of the electric and magnetic constants of the separating medium. So if you know the permittivity and permeability of the medium then you can determine the speed of interaction; most commonly known as the speed of light when considering a vacuum.

              Then the is gravity, where objects also interact at the speed of light in the gravity field. This begs the question; are there any relationships between electric field, magnetic field and the gravity field other than the speed of light. I think we are still waiting for the theory of everything.
              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR5TOsC4iuM
              .

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              • #
                Kinky Keith

                We will never know the true structure and appearance of the inside of an atom.

                But what we been given to work with has proven to be amazingly useful in quantifying things and describing how atoms exist and combine to form molecules.

                It’s true that the Bohr theory of atomic structure cant describe the appearance of the inner workings but it give a great start to understanding the quantitative aspects.

                Both models: photon theory and wave theory have proven their worth but you won’t ever see a “light wave” or a “photon”.

                In fact, if you wanted to be real, you could say that waves and photons don’t exist.

                One of the truly amazing achievements of humankind, to have devised a workable picture of something that is too small to see.

                KK

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      • #
        George4

        I thought the photon concept was still in current scientific use and widely accepted.

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photon

        The modern concept of the photon was developed gradually by Albert Einstein in the early 20th century to explain experimental observations that did not fit the classical wave model of light.

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        • #
          Graeme#4

          The latest electronic books still talk about photons of light when discussing LED operation, but I realise that there is considerable debate about them.

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        • #
          RickWill

          Yes – it takes a long time to kill a fable. You only need to look at CAGW to appreciate that.

          The linked paper provides insight into how the fable developed:
          http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.393.688&rep=rep1&type=pdf

          It should be apparent from the title of this article that the author does not like the use of the word “photon”, which dates from 1926. In his view, there is no such thing as a photon. Only a comedy of errors and historical accidents led to its popularity among physicists and optical scientists.

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          • #
            Graeme#4

            Is this the same Lamb that is a strong AGW supporter?

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          • #
            mark jones

            Unless there is a better way of describing the actual value of energy absorbed making an electron jump from one orbital to another and then returns to its original orbital and releasing that energy. We have become too absorbed in what a molecule does by wiggling and wagging rather than explaining this in relation to what the electrons are doing causing those wiggly states (AND I would like to know!). Its not the wiggles that cause a photon discharge…it is an electron snapping back to its original state that emits a photon!

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            • #
              Graeme#4

              That’s what now concerns me Mark. If I can’t use photons to explain this, what can I use? I have read Rick’s last link but am none the wiser. Need to read the other links and more sources.

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  • #
    The Depraved and MOST Deplorable Vlad the Impaler

    Greetings from Wyoming, USA:

    A colloquialism which I believe became popular (on this side of the Big Pond) from Steve Irwin, is often used in your Southern Realms (Australia for sure, and possibly New Zealand).

    Is anyone familiar with the etymology of the word, “crikey”? For all the world, I swear it sounds like a perversion of the cussing form of the Name of our Lord and Saviour, and it never really occurred to me about where it came from, until our oldest grandson decided it was an ‘acceptable’ form of ‘expression of displeasure or exasperation’.

    OK, guilty as charged, I taught him that acceptable alternative names for Alexandria Occasional-Cortex and Bernie “Everyhting’s Free” Sanders is ‘Scheizen Kopf”, which, given the lack of familiarity with German these days, doesn’t sound all that offensive.

    In case you are wondering, ‘kopf’ means “head” (as in the thing attached to your neck), and ‘scheizen’ is the material that collects around the south end of a north-facing ‘roo.

    Assistance, or history of the word, greatly appreciated,

    Regards to all,

    Vlad

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    • #
      Kinky Keith

      Yes, I do believe that the Almighty Christ lent His name to that expression.

      My grandfather used the acceptable version, Crikey, a lot.

      There was another expression of mild dismay; Cripes.

      KK

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      • #
        Yonniestone

        My parents said “Mist all Chrighty” pronounced “Myst a Krighty” with an Australian accent was a term used by children decades ago that dared the strap or cuts.

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        • #
          yarpos

          for our American friends “cuts” are not real cuts , its getting wacked with a cane. Having been on the end of a few as a unruly youth in the corporal punishment era I am not sure which hurts more.

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        • #
          The Depraved and MOST Deplorable Vlad the Impaler

          Ah, yes, Mr. Yonnie, the ol’ “Spoonerism”. Here’s one you might enjoy, if you’ve never heard/seen it:

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FcUc2Tk0GQ

          There are also the Archie Campbell versions of “The Pee Little Thrigs”, and “Beeping Sleuty”, if you’ve never heard those.

          Regards,

          Vlad

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      • #
        OriginalSteve

        Happy Resurrection Day!

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        • #
          el gordo

          We need to talk about the holiest day in the calendar, do we have empirical evidence to support the hypothesis?

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    • #
      farmerbraun

      In Godzone, the accepted form of the exclamation is ” crikey dick!”, but the origin remains obscure.

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    • #
      philthegeek

      A colloquialism which I believe became popular (on this side of the Big Pond) from Steve Irwin, is often used in your Southern Realms (Australia for sure, and possibly New Zealand).

      Another one you may be interested in is “Richard Head”. 🙂

      Or, a more modern and topical one in Ausralia is to call someone a “bit of a Greg Hunt”.

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      • #
        el gordo

        ‘Browned off’ is my favourite, but talking of Richard Head.

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WagyoAr0FRM

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      • #
        AndyG55

        “Another one you may be interested in is “Richard Head”.

        Of which you have been on the receiving end, many times, no doubt.

        Short-for-Brains, or Patrol-Boat, or di-nuttello .. some of the more obvious ones.

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        • #
          philthegeek

          Ahhh. i see my precious is triggered for the evening. 🙂

          Take any topic and all he has is abuse. Come in spinner. XXXX

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          • #
            AndyG55

            Poor phloop. You can’t help but respond.

            Soooooo sensitive, you poor SJW petal ! 😉

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            • #
              el gordo

              Andy you may have missed my lecture, Ad Homs a Logical Fallacy.

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              • #
                AndyG55

                Didn’t attend your lecture, elG.

                Ask yourself why he brought up that particular phrase. 😉

                Don’t succumb to his pretence of victimhood.

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              • #
                AndyG55

                El G, You are the one trying to tell others what to do.

                I’m not interested in your jellow !

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              • #
                el gordo

                Jo has already asked you to ease off, so I’m adding my weight.

                Get a life old man.

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              • #
                AndyG55

                Stop tying to be a bully, elG, its pathetic.

                Your weight is meaningless blanc mange to me.

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              • #
                AndyG55

                “Get a life old man.”

                Straight to the ad homs.

                You are nothing but a hypocrite, elG.

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              • #
                el gordo

                It seems in your mind ad homs are de rigueur, you are just lucky I’ve lost my ego and have failed to recover it.

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              • #
                Bill in Oz

                E G I agree with you about arguing the evidence rather than abusing the person.

                It’s so tempting to reach first for an Ad hominem attack. It saves actually thinking about what is being said by who ever disagrees with us.

                Even I have done it.

                But it takes the discussion back to a school yard all in brawl.

                Not clever in my opinion.

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              • #
                AndyG55

                “you are just lucky I’ve lost my ego “

                wow.. scary..

                Why do you think your opinion is important anyway, if not for your teenage ego?

                I made the suggestion to STOP, but your ego won’t let you.

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              • #
                el gordo

                My mate is a relief teacher and the other day he had to take on an unruly class of high school students. It reached such a level of robustness that he sent the ring leader to the headmaster and in tribal fashion the rest of the class followed him out in single file.

                Needless to say the headmaster was not amused.

                Robustness is good, but it must be intelligent and amusing if we are to win converts.

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              • #
                AndyG55

                “I made the suggestion to STOP, but your ego won’t let you”

                And you prove me correct. 🙂

                “must be intelligent and amusing”

                You lack the first part, but I do find your attempts at impersonating a school marm, quiet amusing. 😉

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              • #
                AndyG55

                hint, elG.. STOP while you are behind.

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              • #
                Bill in Oz

                So now EG has stopped.

                Waht about you Andy ?

                Time for a ‘time out

                To work out who being constructive on the team.

                And who isn’t ?

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              • #
                el gordo

                We could think of it as a script. Fitz is the new teacher straight out of university, with the AGW mantra on tap, but he’s confronted by a class of sceptics.

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            • #
              AndyG55

              No, Fitz is the naughty little boy at the back of the classroom.

              Fitz has not learnt anything, and cannot even defend the very basis of the AGW farce.

              He is not in a position to teach anyone anything.

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      • #
        The Depraved and MOST Deplorable Vlad the Impaler

        Honestly, Mr. Phil T.G., I’ve no clue what would have inspired such a response from you. I asked about a local expression, and wondered if my suspicion about the etymology was correct, at which point I become the object of your derision.

        Maybe one should refrain from commenting, unless one has something substantial to add to the conversation? Do you have something enlightening to elucidate, or is your entire repertoire confined to the hurling of invective against those who bear you no ill will?

        Care to enlighten us?

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    • #
      PeterW

      My parents taught me that “crikey” was a contraction or derivation if the self-curse, “Christ kill me”

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  • #

    Am I missing something?

    As somebody who reckons “global warming” is trivial even if it is measurable and real, I’m nonetheless surprised by the painful contortions involved in “proving” this triviality about a slow, two-horse race.

    The Elders/Weatherzone/BoM site:

    On Good Friday, hot air from the interior ahead of a slow moving cold front brought the hottest day this late in the season to Adelaide in 133 years of records.

    Although cloud cover ahead of the approaching cold front is inhibiting heating somewhat, Saturday’s 32.2 degree temperature measured at 12:45pm in Adelaide has already exceeded the previous 98-year record for late-season heat, and could still be as warm as Good Friday.

    According to the BoM’s own Adelaide records, in 1921 the temperature reached 32.3…on the 4th of May!

    Huh?

    By the way, the temp went above 30 four times in April 1888, including 34.5 on the 5th. That last temp is not as flash as the the 36.3 achieved last year on April 11, but we need to allow for UHI assist…and it’s also worth considering that most of Adelaide’s highest daily readings by month are from long past years. The April heat wave of 2018 was remarkable, but the hottest April by mean max remains that of 1923.

    Bunch of try-hards. There are much cleverer ways to sell a dud.

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    • #
      Another Ian

      “There are much cleverer ways to sell a dud.”

      M. Like this?

      “Eye roller study: Make farmers play computer games to understand climate threat”

      https://wattsupwiththat.com/2019/04/20/eye-roller-could-computer-games-help-farmers-adapt-to-climate-change%ef%bb%bf/

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      • #
        Lionell Griffith

        No, but working ten years on a farm and living off what they produce would be a life changing education for the climate change alarmists. For farmers, the weather is everything but the so called climate in 2100 means absolutely nothing. If he can’t survive this year, 80 years from now isn’t worth a damn. So much for climate science and all the predictions of climate catastrophe if we don’t return to the stone age.

        A farmer lives and dies by the weather. When the weather is good, the crops are good and the prices he receives are low. When the weather is bad, he can’t get anything planted but still must live, pay the mortgage, and pay for the seed that is rotting in the ground. It is either give up or hang on till next year in hopes the weather will be better.

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      • #
        OriginalSteve

        Sounds like forced indoctrination to me….

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        • #
          Lionell Griffith

          What do you call “public education” today? I see it more as indoctrination than education.

          The golden rule today: “Do unto others as they would do unto you and make them feel the bite of their own policies.”

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      • #
        Bill in Oz

        This is sh*t. It gets my red thumb.

        Former organic farmer !

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      • #
        Ted O'Brien.

        Farmers spend their lives trying to predict/guess ahead on the weather. This is undoubtedly why so many of them know a dud when they see it. Some, however, especially among those with tertiary education, have fallen for the scam.

        There’s a fortune to be made selling carbon sequestration. That’s been the National Farmers’ Federation’s focus. Trouble is, there’s a limit to how much can be sequestered, and that limit is highly variable beyond human control. Losses are inevitable in the long run, which will keep the sequestration equally above and below the long term level. The profits can only be made from somebody else’s losses.

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    • #
      Kinky Keith

      Hi Mosomoso,

      Am currently in Canberra at the National Folk Festival where we’ve been going each Easter for over 20 years.

      The sky has been clear and the difference between Tmax and Tmin here is much greater here than on the coast. Maxs are the same but overnight heat loss here is more than the coast. The only variant is the atmospheric water content.

      Maybe water controls the ability of the atmosphere to delay heat loss. Water must be banned.

      The frailties of the human collective have always been evident here at the NFF, but the last two years has seen a drop off in the attractiveness of the event. This is almost certainly my last year here because the direction of focus has been moved to “modernise” it to attract “children” to a PC Headbanger Heaven.

      The collective mindset, no individual views needed, and the over emphasis on highly amped venues have made the place totally unrecognizable as a Folk event.

      Nothing stays the same, and it doesn’t always change for the better.

      KK

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        Yonniestone

        Sorry to hear KK, its always disappointing when a small highlight in your life disappears with time, we had a Turkish Pizza wood oven place that consistently had the best Turkish bread and dips going for over 30 years, the place was sold and the new owners, despite old owners and staff staying on to help in the transition of ownership, managed to ruin the entire menu and past reputation.

        I’m curious as to what “PC Headbanging” is as my generation viewed it as a rebellious act of youth expressing aggression though music (mostly not always) that was connected with everything from sex to the occult, what’s next the “PC Pogo”?

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        • #
          Kinky Keith

          Just meant very high noise levels, damage equivalent to wind turbines and drowning out the good performances in nearby venues.

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            Yonniestone

            A bit unfair for the traditional acoustic performers KK, if you want a VERY traditional folk music Kryal Castle near Ballarat has some medieval players Harps, Lutes etc..

            Though in 2016 there was a Rolling Thunder Heavy Metal music festival there couldn’t get a better venue than that eh?

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          • #
            RicDre

            “drowning out the good performances in nearby venues.”

            My High School Band director always said that the quality of a band is inversely proportional to the volume of the band.

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              Kinky Keith

              I’ve been to three rolling stones concerts.

              Their sound level were loud enough to be heard comfortably and no more.

              At one of these shows, an Australian group on as a warm-up had the volume up so high that about 10% of the audience left their seats to escape and get a drink.
              When the Stones came on, the sound levels were much more sensible so you could actually hear the music.

              KK

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    • #
      Peter C

      Thanks for the update.

      Dr Allie Gallant, from Monash University, is flat out spreading exaggerated alarmism about Climate warming in my local newspaper. A recent claim was that Afelaide (west terrace) had an all time record temp of over 46c in April 2018.

      I thought I would take a close look at West Terrace BOM site on Google maps to check for UHI factors. A detailed location reference is given in the site information on the BOM website. That worked well for the LaTrobe University site in Victoria. But when I entered the co-ordinated for West Terrace it came up with a few cars parked in the middle of sports fields. No met site seen!

      Does anyone know the current location of the west terrace met site?

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        Graeme No.3

        Peter C:

        It is in the West Parkland, behind Adelaide High School. If you can find a parking spot on Glover Ave. it is readily visible about 150 metres away. Not really on West Terrace.
        It used to be in the corner on West Terrace with Glover Avenue. That was before Glover Avenue was up-graded to a multi-lane road. On that site it was exposed to SW winds (indeed all winds as the High School took over the land and built closer to West Terrace).

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        Stanley Parks

        There’s an interesting interview with Anthony Watts by the Heartland Institute, available on WUWT. He details his journey as a meteorologist from being a warming believer to a climate change skeptic. His analysis of dodgy temperature recording sites WRT UHI is revealing. Recommended pod-cast. Pity the MSM and political cast aren’t across this basic issue!

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        Yonniestone

        Peter C my reference shows an Adelaide West Terrace site,
        023000 23A ADELAIDE WEST TERRACE 1839 1980 -34.9254 138.5869 MAP 1:50 000 SA 40.0 49.0 ..

        Might have found the new one in Tambawodli Park -34.928061, 138.582480 but its not on my list, maybe a different name?

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        • #
          Peter C

          Thanks Yonnie,

          It looks as though the Adelaide High School got built on that site.

          I think it is likely that the Google Satellite has not been updated for quite a while and hence the new site is not shown.

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      yarpos

      They dont have to be clever, the point is already sold. You are just the 0.1% (probably to high an estimate) that would bother the check.

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      Bill in Oz

      Thanks Momosomo..
      Bureau of Misinformation
      Actively at work
      This Easter
      Probably being paid
      Extra for their lies.

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  • #
    Another Ian

    “Climate Modellers Waiting for Observations to Catch Up with Their Predictions”

    https://wattsupwiththat.com/2019/04/20/climate-modellers-waiting-for-observations-to-catch-up-with-their-predictions/

    Don’t know about the temperature but looks like a drastic increase in the rate of fudging coming up

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      Kinky Keith

      If the basic mechanisms of the CO2 based global warming concept are so clearly irrelevant then there’s no way that functional Models can be created.

      The scale of this misdirection and money grubbing is Epic and a tribute to the foresight and planning of the master manipulators.

      Skrewed.

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      yarpos

      I read another piece this morning re the 12 year prediction by Cortex. They were saying the dreaded predicted 1.5C temp increase wont feel like armageddon but is none the less a disaster. I love the weaseling out of outrageous claims that never happen,

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        Graeme No.3

        Like all alarmists she cannot do simple arithmetic. She is 23 but cannot become President until she reaches 35.

        That means she could only use this prediction to run for the White House in the 2032 election, by which time everyone will know it was a failure. Still. it seems highly likely she will come up with more scary stories so long as she is in politics, although in my opinion not likely to be around in 2032 anyway.

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    Travis T. Jones

    It was a 97% “scientific” imperative they match despite the vast difference in the sampling method.
    So they’ve been made to match …

    It’s A Match: Satellite and Ground Measurements Agree on Warming (Gavin Schmidt, co-author)

    FILLING IN THE GAPS
    “The one enduring issue with surface-based temperature measurements is that there are a few regions of the Earth where sensors are relatively sparse.
    These include some remote areas of Africa that lack weather stations, parts of the distant Southern Ocean and some difficult-to-access regions of the Arctic.
    They’re the only parts of the world where the new AIRS data seem to diverge from the surface-based measurements.”

    https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/its-a-match-satellite-and-ground-measurements-agree-on-warming/

    Filling in more gaps …

    2015 and Michael Mann doesn’t trust satellites …

    “Some non-scientists who deny man-made global warming have pointed to satellite temperature records – which only go back to 1979 – which show a warming world, but no record this year and less of a recent increase than the longer-term ground thermometers.
    But Mann, Dessler, Francis and others say there have been quality and trustworthy issues with some satellite measurements and they only show what’s happening far above the ground. They said ground measurements are also more important because it is where we live.”

    https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2015/01/16/scientist-say-2014-hottest-year-on-record-but-not-in-pittsburgh/

    >> 2016: “This is only the global average surface temperature and it’s only one measure of the climate system – and it’s a very fickle measure.

    There’s an over-emphasis on the surface air temperature.” – Prof Matt England

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/planet-oz/2016/mar/03/did-global-warming-really-slowdown-have-a-large-injection-of-nuance-and-a-side-order-of-abuse

    >> Dana Nuccitelli, 19 March 2018:
    “the deniers considered only atmospheric temperature estimates from satellite data, which have much larger uncertainty than data collected by thousands of thermometers at Earth’s surface.”
    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2018/mar/19/john-kelly-shut-down-pruitts-climate-denial-red-team-but-they-have-a-plan-b?CMP=twt_a-environment_b-gdneco

    >> 2016, Gavin Schmidt:
    “That’s not to say the satellite measurements don’t provide some value, but it is an indication why the surface temperature data analyzed and reported by NASA, NOAA and others is viewed as the gold standard.”

    http://www.climatecentral.org/news/what-to-know-februarys-satellite-temp-record-20091

    >> Global average surface temperatures rose rapidly from the 1970s but have been relatively flat for the past 15 years.
    Now, Stephen Briggs from the European Space Agency’s Directorate of Earth Observation says that surface air temperature data is the worst indicator of global climate that can be used, describing it as “lousy”.
    https://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/jun/13/pause-global-warming-data-sea-level-rises

    >> 2016, NASA: There is far too much focus on surface temperatures. They are but one measure of warming. All other measures . . . continue unabated.”

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2016/04/14/nasa-smacks-down-climate-change-doubters-in-facebook-discussion/?postshare=7041460656502892&utm_term=.85f84da7e15e

    That’s enough 97% gap-filling for now.

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  • #
    Travis T. Jones

    Week 23, PARIS — French yellow vest protesters set fires along a march route through Paris on Saturday to drive home their message to a government they see as out of touch with the problems of the poor: that rebuilding the fire-ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral isn’t the only problem France needs to solve.

    Like the high-visibility vests the protesters wear, the scattered small fires in Paris appeared to be a collective plea to the government to “look at me — I need help too!”

    http://time.com/5574605/paris-yellow-vest-notre-dame-mourning/

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    • #
    • #

      ” … fire-ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral … ”
      Maybe it is related to “climate change”. Notre Dame is the property of the government of France – Not the Catholic church.
      Estimate for the restoration of the Cathedral was $50 million. Amount allocated was $5 million. You get what you pay for. With the exception being climate change, where for the expenditure of $ gazillions you get nothing.

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      • #
        Graeme No.3

        Martin;

        In The Australian on Wednesday Kudelka had a great cartoon showing Notre Dame on fire and an onlooker saying “Well, we can’t pin this one on Climate Change” and a second saying “And the owners aren’t too keen on ‘Act of God’ either”.

        Unfortunately paywalled.

        70

        • #

          I’m a naughty boy who knows how to get round the paywall, but I missed that one. Never mind, here’s a link to the cartoon itself.
          https://www.kudelka.com.au/tag/notre-dame/
          I have to say, I was saddened. Reminded me of the last time I was there. My wife (recently deceased) said, ” Now don’t go and do any of your Quasimodo jokes, they might not think it’s funny”.(At that time she looked like Maureen O’Hara.)

          60

      • #
        Hanrahan

        For me Macron hit the wrong note when he promised to have it repaired in five years. The world, and the Christian community might have preferred he promise to have it rebuilt with the same love and devotion as the original artisans displayed, even if it takes 100 years.

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  • #
    • #
      el gordo

      ‘More than 2,000 men, 20- to 76-years-old, are held there. Some of them are detained for growing long beards or having had contacts with foreign countries, while others were sent to the camp after having served sentences in prison.’

      Its true, bearded men are a clear example of politically incorrectness. The authorities are determined on reeducating the people, to eliminate this deity nonsense.

      Those who have had contacts with foreigners and others who have already served time for some trivial matter, will be released in due course.

      30

  • #
    David Wojick

    Dear people of Oz. it sounds like the Greens are about to make a major advance Keep in mind that an advance by the enemy is not a victory, often it is quite the contrary. Hang in there. Be loud and be proud. Impossible promises are just that. Be there when they fail. You are the loyal opposition.

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    • #
      OriginalSteve

      David, many people who make up tradespeople etc who work outdoors , know climate change is complete nonsense.

      Its the “educated” middle class who live on the highly regulated hampster treadmill that are the problem, and whose lives are so precariously balanced that one “false” word or thought will send them to Coventry . These people are also jept in libe by other under- thinking middke class people, who dont want to be seen as “non-PC” but are too scared to actually grow a spine lest they be mocked and un-friended from social media….

      The middle class have sold thier souls to the banks, and govt mandated PC keeps them obedient and as slaves from there after…

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      • #

        +1 Original Steve on tradespeople. Also builders, engineers, most designers (apart from those hoping to score off the (un)sustainability virtue signallers), and geologists. All the ones I know, know it is nonsense.
        In this context the recent spectacular win by Professor Peter Ridd against James Chook University is going to make a difference up here. There is a good chance heads will roll. The judge ruled that ALL of the 17 actions that JCU took against Ridd were unlawful. Not all of these were torts, eg offences against the person. Some are covered by the Criminal Code and Industrial Relations Act 2016.

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    • #
      David-of-Cooyal-in-Oz

      G’day David W,
      I hope you’re wrong about the Greens, although they’re certainly trying hard. However their share of the vote has been going down in recent elections and at least one of them is expressing concern about her position, according to SMH today. Below is the headline, link, and first two paragraphs of the article:

      ‘It horrifies me’: Greens in fight of their lives to keep seats
      Two of the Greens most high-profile senators are under threat from One Nation candidates.
      http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/it-horrifies-me-greens-in-fight-of-their-lives-to-keep-seats-20190418-p51fl5.html?btis

       
      ” Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young says she is “horrified” at the prospect that her Senate spot could be taken by One Nation, as the Greens face losing two of their most high-profile parliamentarians at the upcoming election to Pauline Hanson’s party.
      Along with Senator Hanson-Young, the Greens’ co-deputy leader Larissa Waters has an uphill struggle to hold on to her Queensland seat due to challenges from One Nation, Clive Palmer and far-right senator Fraser Anning. ”

      My reaction is different from her “horror”.

      Cheers
      Dave B

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    • #
      Ted O'Brien.

      This election is different. The tools are in place to bring on the Red Revolution, and if the ALP win government, those tools will be applied. Only if the Greens are completely wiped out is there any chance that they won’t be applied. A single three year term is all that they need to destroy our capitalist system.

      The main tools are
      1. Public debt. Public debt must be funded by future private capital. The ALP are promoting tearaway public debt, have been for years
      2. High energy costs. This will inhibit industry in a big way, and
      3. The compulsory superannuation, which, introduced by an ALP government over 30 years ago, is now closing in on 50% + 1 of the votes in the boardrooms of Australia.
      4. Investments made in the AGW scam, especially investments by super funds.

      I don’t expect the ALP to win. The coalition will have to be very foolish to allow it.

      Note on this forum, a large slice of our public debt was generated by Clive Palmer’s PUP, “protecting” the Rudd/Gillard government’s mad spending program after consultation with Al Gore.

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      • #
        Hanrahan

        I don’t expect the ALP to win. The coalition will have to be very foolish to allow it.

        Tony would win. The drover’s dog would if he stood proud and clearly differentiated the libs from labor.

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    Hanrahan

    Does anyone know what’s happened to Lord Monckton? Is he well?

    100

    • #
      dinn, rob

      1-27-2019 In an emailed response to the Sunday Mail, Lord Christopher Monckton, an active campaigner against the AGW agenda, dismissed the hysterics over climate change.

      Commenting on the science-policy interface, Monckton demonstrates how measures aimed at curbing global warming are impractical and futile.

      Citing the recent example of France, he’s worked out that the government’s controversial carbon taxes on gasoline and diesel would burden French taxpayers with an additional €2.865bn a year. By contrast, the assumed benefits to the environment from CO2 abatement are infinitesimal. Monckton calculates that the planned French measures would cut global C02 emissions by a mere 0.006 per cent. https://cyprus-mail.com/2019/01/27/data-or-dogma-climate-orthodoxy-versus-evidence-based-science/

      100

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    el gordo

    ‘There’s a good reason the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party will not replicate its NSW election successes at next month’s federal vote — it has no cash, and no candidates.’

    ABC

    50

    • #
      robert rosicka

      They will never get my vote again after they did a preference deal to the Palmer party who incidentally had an anti firearm policy and wanted them all banned .
      And a few years ago I gave a submission into invasive feral animals and found out they don’t care for the farmer at all , just certain shooting clubs .

      61

      • #
        el gordo

        They are just a fringe mob, best ignored.

        30

        • #
          Ted O'Brien.

          They are a curious case. It appears to me that whatever their background, they have gven us some decent people in the Legislative Assembly. I don’t expect them to do us any harm.

          Note that their elected representatives got in on the back of the Nationals’ (and Liberals’) obsession with chasing the greens vote. That and the sidelining of Barnaby Joyce.

          30

  • #
    OriginalSteve

    Appears to be a bit of a desperate gasp from the smh to keep the dogs drooling on cue….

    https://www.smh.com.au/federal-election-2019/the-10-things-that-worry-voters-most-and-how-that-s-changed-since-the-last-election-20190418-p51ffy.html

    “Healthcare and the cost of living are the two biggest worries for voters ahead of next month’s federal election.

    But concern about the state of the environment has been rising more quickly than any other issue since Australians last went to the polls, a survey shows.”

    No one I knows gives a rats about the environment. Most people I doubt honestly care. Maybe a few who drive their fossil fuelled vehicles to queensland to protest a mine that provides employment might care, but the rest of us with even half a brain, realize CAGW is a massive lie, and thats all there is to it….

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    • #
      Kinky Keith

      If Voters were actually concerned about their health they would start by taking personal action on their own behalf.

      But it’s easier to live to the full, eat like a champion, drink like a champion, think like a monkey and then tell the government that they will only vote the right way if the government spends lots of money on them.

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      • #
        Another Ian

        KK

        From a recent email

        “Will You Live to see 85?

        Here’s something to think about:

        I recently picked a new GP. After two visits and exhaustive Lab tests, he said I was doing ‘fairly well’ for my age (I’ve just reached 70).

        A little concerned about that comment, I couldn’t resist asking him, ‘Do you think I’ll live to be 85?’

        He asked, ‘Do you smoke tobacco, or drink beer, wine or hard liquor?

        ‘Oh not much grog these days and don’t smoke’ I replied. ‘I’m not doing drugs, either!’

        Then he asked, ‘Do you eat rib-eye steaks, fatty roasts and barbecued Ribs?

        ‘I said, ‘Not much; my former doctor said that all red meat is very unhealthy!’

        ‘Do you spend a lot of time in the sun, like playing golf, boating, sailing, surfing, hiking, or bicycling?’

        ‘No, I don’t,’ I said.

        He asked, ‘Do you gamble, drive fast cars, or have a lots of sex?’

        ‘No,’ I said…

        He looked at me and said,.. “Then, why the devil you want to live to 85?” “

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    • #
      robert rosicka

      From what I’m seeing on faceache there is a strong negative reaction to any lefty preaching about CAGW or any rants from the Greens .
      Labor are getting a pasting on a lot of issues such as negative gearing, retirees tax and death duties but nothing draws more comments than their climate policy .

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      • #
        OriginalSteve

        And they lashed thenselves to the mast of thier sinking climate ship…

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        • #
          Yonniestone

          The Green stood on the burning deck
          Whence all the voters fled;
          The flame that sunk the senate’s wreck
          Was lit by crap they’d said.

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      • #
        Ted O'Brien.

        It seems to me that a lot of people don’t know what negative gearing is, and that it is a key plank in a vibrant economy.

        ThE Hawke government abolished negative gearing, and not just for housing either. But it seemed to me that housing was their main target. As one would expect, it caused a massive shift of private capital out of housing. I am sure that that was their plan. I expected it to cause rents to rise dramatically, but it didn’t. There must have been a lot of empty houses negatively geared, chasing capital gain only. They reinstated negative gearinng before scarcity became a problem.

        The problem was the lack of a capital gains tax. That was what was driving the inflation in housing prices.

        Having driven so much capital out of housing, they then busted an awful lt of it with first the crash of 1987, second the Pilots’ Strike, and thirdly unprecedented public debt.

        21

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      liberator

      I was visiting family this weekend and they happened to have Sunrise on the teevee going this morning. The “commentators” not too sure what else you’d call them? Were bleating about the IPOS audit and that 23% of people were concerned about climate change. The blond female commentator made a comment about how great it was seeing more people being concerned about climate change – ” I believe in climate change do you believe in climate change?” I’d hardly call the survey was talking just about climate change it was about concern for the environment. I wonder how the question was asked. So 23% concerned about the environment means 77% are not? Are they more concerned about, humm lets see…negative gearing, franking credits, health, the economy, jobs, interest rates, energy prices (gas and power) taxation, income tax….they may be “concerned’ about the environment but I think they have other real life issues they are more worried about, not concerned about.

      50

      • #
        AndyG55

        The most affluent societies can afford to look after their environment better.

        Those who are struggling to make by, have other things to worry about first.

        Shorten/Union Labor’s plans for EVs, unreliable costly energy, etc etc etc will downgrade society as a whole, and thus be quite detrimental to the environment.

        Leftist plans basically ALWAYS have the opposite effect they think they will.

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        Cynic of Ayr

        Oh, most TV presenters are getting really pissed off that the damn masses aren’t doing or believing what they’re told!
        The effrontery! Don’t they know they are TV presenters and therefore, ipso facto, are smarter than the viewer?
        It looks to me that they are becoming more strident and desperate every day, as the facts continue to not fit the narrative.
        Even the 97% consensus, debunked soooo many times, is still brought out as fact.

        The easiest way to lie, is not tell the whole truth.

        (I got no idea if “ipso facto” is suitable in that position, but I wanna a look smart. Like the TV presenters.)

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    pat

    this was repeated on theirABC last nite – I think the CAGW “denier” stuff is mostly in the latter part of the audio. haven’t got time to check:

    AUDIO: 28min27sec: 14 Apr: ABC The Philosopher’s Zone: Nutting it out
    Presented by David Rutledge
    How are your critical thinking skills? Fine, you say. Everybody sees themselves as a competent critical thinker. But when you break critical thinking down to its component skills, it turns out to be more complicated and difficult than you might expect. What is critical thinking? And how can it help us sort out the true from the false – particularly on such specialist topics as climate change?
    Guest: Peter Ellerton, QUT (LINK)
    PACTISS: Philosophers and Critical Thinkers in Senior Schools – resources for educators (LINK)
    https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/philosopherszone/nutting-it-out/10988840

    University of Queensland Critical Thinking Project: Peter Ellerton, Lecturer, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry
    He is an advisor to the International Baccalaureate Organisation on the development of the new Nature of Science subject, and has advised on the structure of all the new science syllabus materials, and on Physics in particular. He is also a Theory of Knowledge examiner…
    e won the Australian Skeptics prize for critical thinking in 2008 for his work on developing educational resources in critical thinking…ETC

    6 Feb 2018: Guardian: Climate Consensus – the 97%: Climate change scepticism
    Humans need to become smarter thinkers to beat climate denial
    A new paper shows that climate myths consistently fail critical thinking tests
    PIC: President Donald Trump points skyward before donning protective glasses to view the solar eclipse, 21 August 2017, at the White House in Washington.
    by Dana Nuccitelli
    John Cook, Peter Ellerton, and David Kinkead have just published a paper (LINK) in Environmental Research Letters in which they examined 42 common climate myths and found that every single one demonstrates fallacious reasoning. For example, the authors made a video breaking down the logical flaws in the myth ‘climate changed naturally in the past so current climate change is natural.’…

    VIDEO: 3min12sec: Video abstract for paper “Deconstructing climate misinformation to identify reasoning errors” published in Environmental Research Letters by John Cook, Peter Ellerton, and David Kinkead…

    Climate denial suffers badly from a lack of critical thinking, which has spread all the way to the White House. Teaching people to think critically can help prevent it from spreading even further.
    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2018/feb/06/humans-need-to-become-smarter-thinkers-to-beat-climate-denial

    41

    • #
      robert rosicka

      Watched part of the ABC special on power prices and while some points were truthful most was straight out of the lefty economy wrecking manual , the answer to cheaper power is more renewables and more batteries etc .
      Usual misinformation and ideological driven drivel.

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      RickWill

      The though that passed through my mind when seeing John Cook associated with critical thinking was that of a catholic priest being associated with sex education.

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      David-of-Cooyal-in-Oz

      Thanks Pat,
      That Guardian article (from Feb 2018) is priceless. I’m having fun trying to identify all the errors in their six step thinking process. Unfortunately I think I’d have to write a 300 page report to refute them all. At least it’s reinforced my view that De Bono’s 6 thinking hats are still useful, even in universities.
      I doubt he’d be welcome, but I think Peter Ridd would be useful in UQ.
      Cheers
      Dave B

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      Ted O'Brien.

      Critical thinking? What is that? Beware new language, even if it’s thirty years old.

      There are two kinds of thinking. Active thinking and passive thinking. Active thinking considers all the angles, passsive thinking is sleeping with your eyes open.

      20

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      AndyG55

      “John Cook, Peter Ellerton, and David Kinkead ”

      Ah, the pretence of being able to think rationally.

      Anyone aligning themselves with John Cook, is NOT a rational thinker, he is propagandist and a con-artist.

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    Bill in Oz

    E G, Yesterday you wrote

    “The subtropical ridge has lost its intensity.

    http://www.bom.gov.au/fwo/IDY65100.pdf . ”

    And I asked you to explain what you meant

    Here is your reply:
    “Throughout the hiatus the high pressure ridge in the southern hemisphere was intense, but in July 2017 it lost its intensity and has remained in that mode ever since.

    When it was intense BoM trumpeted that it was a sign of global warming, now that it has lost its intensity I’m saying global cooling has begun.”

    E G I look at weather charts and radar weather images every day…There are lots of weather systems in the Southern hemisphere as illustrated by the pdf from BOM.

    So I am bewildered by your remark about a “tHE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE HAS LOST IT’S INTENSITY”..

    Which high pressure ridge has lost it’s intensity ?

    And by the way, what does ‘intensity’ mean in this context ?

    Bill in Oz

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    • #
      el gordo

      This came out just before the STR lost its intensity.

      http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/updates/articles/a025.shtml

      The loss of intensity allows cold fronts to break through, which indicates a return to normal seasons.

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      • #
        Bill in Oz

        OK Thanks for that EG

        BOM in 2017 …

        It’s almost two years since that was published. And we are still in drought.

        So I hope that the Sub Tropical ridge has weakened in intensity and will allow cold fronts to move Northwards soon.
        But it has not happened so far in 2019.
        The cold front that came through last night had just a fe w m of rain in it here in the Adelaide Hills..
        A piss in the dust.
        So no Break here yet. Though that system delivered a good drop to South West WA.

        Bill in Oz

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        • #
          el gordo

          What we are essentially looking for is normal seasonal winter rains, so theoretically a typical season is coming up.

          With the Murray Darling Basin we’ll need a strong La Nina.

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    • #
      Travis T. Jones

      The Climatedogs: The main drivers that influence climate in NSW

      The series has been developed in collaboration with the Australian Bureau of Meteorology …

      Climatedogs: Overview
      An introduction to the NSW Climatedog animation series.

      Each of these dogs represents the main drivers of climate variability in NSW:
      MOJO can have a big influence on Australia’s weather and climate, especially during the warmest months of the year.
      RIDGY otherwise known as the Subtropical Ridge is the lead dog of the pack. RIDGY’s position and intensity have a significant influence on weather in NSW. Recent changes in RIDGY’s behaviour appear to be driving some significant changes to southern NSW rainfall patterns.
      ENSO represents the El Niño Southern Oscillation phenomena. Changes in ENSO’s behaviour has a significant influence on rainfall probabilities in inland NSW during the winter and spring period.
      INDY represents the Indian Ocean Dipole. Like ENSO, changes in INDY’s behaviour also has a significant influence on rainfall probabilities in inland NSW during winter and spring.
      SAM represents the Southern Annular Mode and is a complex climate dog. Recent changes in SAM’s behaviour increase probabilities of rainfall in spring and summer in some parts of NSW.
      EASTIE the East Coast Low phenomena represents the deep low pressure systems that are an important climate feature along the southeast coast of Australia.

      1.27 long, BoM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xk9LkrTEpBc

      via: https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/climate-and-emergencies/droughthub/information-and-resources/seasonal-conditions/climatedogs

      00

  • #
    scaper...

    Been looking into Lithium. Apparently, the total global reserves of Li is around 15 million tons. The country with the largest reserves is Chile. Australia comes second with 2.7 million tons.

    I’ve also looked at annual usage of Li. Last year it was around 240 million tons and by 2025 it will be around 440 million tons.

    My observations…buy Li mining shares and get out before 2030 as the global reserves will exhaust by 2036.

    So, we are going down the route of EV’s and the like to a dead end. Recycling might extend the use of Li batteries but not for long.

    Unless some other battery technology comes along. Likely? I’m sceptical.

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    • #
      AndyG55

      “Last year it was around 240 million tons and by 2025 it will be around 440 million tons.”

      Shouldn’t those be thousand” tons ???

      31

    • #
      AndyG55

      “Last year it was around 240 million tons and by 2025 it will be around 440 million tons.”

      Shouldn’t those be “thousand” tons ?

      81

    • #
      Bill in Oz

      One of the anti-aging supplements I take is Lithium Oratate via 1 by 5mg a day.
      It is known as dementia preventitive..
      So thanks for that comment.
      I will do some advanced buying
      To lay in stocks.

      50

      • #
        AndyG55

        “To lay in stocks.”

        You won’t find that very comfortable. 😉

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        • #
          Bill in Oz

          ‘Some supplies’ then Andy !

          Avoiding being demented is wortt it !

          50

          • #
            Graeme No.3

            Why bother? wait until dementia is obvious and tell everyone its just because you’ve become Green.

            50

            • #
              Graeme No.3

              Why should I wait?
              Bottle of Whine

              Ramblin’ around this stale old story
              Begging for nickels and dimes
              I can’t got enough, times getting rough
              To buy me a ticket to glory.

              Chorus:
              The conference was fine
              but a let down when it was over
              Climate change was divine
              but now that scam is over

              Little hotel, older than Hell
              Cold and as dark as a mine
              Blanket so thin, I lie there and grin
              Not a five star like last time.

              Chorus:

              Buy my scare while I whine
              Life on the reef is over.
              Give me that funding divine,
              so I can start the good life all over.

              Chorus

              Oh that good life of mine
              I wanna get back into clover
              Leave me alone, just go home
              Send a million so I can start over

              Chorus:
              The conference was fine
              but a let down when it was over
              Climate change was divine
              but now that scam is over

              20

            • #
              Bill in Oz

              Lithium oratae 5mg , is also helpful for folks with dementia and who . are ‘restless’..

              All good !

              So even those ‘Greens’ would benefit Graeme. And be less of a problem to their families maybe.

              10

              • #
                Graeme No.3

                And as Lithium is toxic an overdose would end the problem.
                And they shouldn’t complain as they are the very people wanting to reduce the world’s population.

                Oh silly me. It’s always people in Asia or Africa who have to go. I always say “scratch a Greenie and find a racist”.

                10

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    pat

    read all, tho this was not the start of Spygate:

    18 Apr: ConservativeTreehouse: Australian Government Confirms Official Role in “Spygate”…
    by sundance
    In response to media inquiry and FOIA demands (LINK), the government of Australia formally admitted today to the role of High Commissioner Alexander Downer and his engagements with George Papadopoulos in 2016. The timing coincides with the Mueller Report (released today), which states it was information about this engagement from Alexander Downer that opened the FBI counterintelligence investigation in July 2016.

    The Australian government cited the conclusion of the Robert Mueller special counsel investigation as the background for their willingness to comply with an 15-month-old FOIA request from Buzzfeed News (LINK)…

    We already know Cambridge Professor Stefan Halper is a U.S. intelligence asset used to run an operation against Carter Page. If Joseph Mifsud is shown to be a U.S. (or Western) intelligence asset; not Russian; and he planted the Clinton email story on Papadopoulos, then the make-up of the operation to frame Papadopoulos is solidified.

    Downer would be used to extract the information planted by Mifsud; giving the appearance of Russian influence.
    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2019/04/18/australian-government-confirms-official-role-in-spygate/

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      pat

      just tweeted by Papadopolous:

      TWEET: George Papadopolous
      The president just tweeted an incredible segment with my guys @dbongino and @JesseBWatters. The president himself wants answers on Mifsud. The Italians and the British have them as well as his FBI handler, Michael Gaeta.
      TRUMP TWEET
      20 Apr 2019
      https://twitter.com/GeorgePapa19/status/1119784329788317696

      50

      • #
        pat

        Tom Fitton/Judicial Watch told Judge Jeanine today that President Trump should walk over to the DC field office of the FBI and file a criminal complaint – see video:

        TWEET: Jeanine Pirro:
        “There should have never been a Mueller report, as far as I’m concerned. This monstrous report is just another abuse of power by the Mueller special counsel operation designed to defame and politically hamper the pres. as opposed to shed light on anything substantial.”-@TomFitton
        VIDEO: 3min17sec
        20 April 2019
        REPLY: Gus P.X
        Replying to @JudgeJeanine @TomFitton
        @realDonaldTrump Do it walk over to the Washington field office of the FBI and file a criminal complaint.
        https://twitter.com/grgpetro/status/1119785525181702144

        30

    • #
      Hanrahan

      Downer was complicit in the transfer of at least some of the millions donated to the Clinton Foundation. What was the appeal of this fraud charity to both labor and libs?

      20

      • #
        Hanrahan

        Your comment is awaiting moderation.
        April 21, 2019 at 12:34 pm · Reply
        Downer was complicit in the transfer of at least some of the millions donated to the Clinton Foundation. What was the appeal of this ***** charity to both labor and libs?

        That should be better. 🙂

        50

        • #
          el gordo

          In normal conversation with people I no longer use the F word.

          “It’s a beautiful thing, the destruction of words.”
          ― George Orwell, 1984

          40

        • #
          yarpos

          If (at the time) you think Hillary has a future and the pair/Foundation are influential its a small expense of other peoples money to potentially enhance your future career options. What is their to lose? except maybe guilt by association if the whole pack of cards collapses.

          You have to grease the wheels and establish your credentials if you want later favours or consideration for assorted positions/assignments.

          40

    • #
      pat

      this clears up some of the confusion about the dates 6 and 11 May (the latter which would have been partly 10 May in UK):

      TWEET: George Papadopolous
      Bob Mueller himself stated that I met Alexander Downer on May 6th, and that “started the investigation.” That’s not true. What happened on May 6th is that two DIA officials from the US embassy in London made contact with me: Terrence Dudley and Greg Baker. They might have a story
      19 Apr 2019
      reply: Susan
      According to his (Padadopolous) book, he met with Christian and Erika on May 3. On May 6th he received an email from Erika to met Downer. They met on May 10.
      reply: Rosie memos
      That also matches with AU records recently released.
      https://twitter.com/GeorgePapa19/status/1119338305038864384

      30

  • #
    Peter C

    The Green House Effect of Clouds

    KK noted, in a comment above, that overnight heat loss in Canberra is much greater than he normally experiences on the NSW coast.

    In part that might be due to altitude,  I think Canberra is higher.  KK however attributes the difference to atmospheric water content.

    One thing I have noticed, along with everybody else, is that overnight heat loss is much reduced if there is cloud cover, especially low cloud cover.  The atmospheric water vapour, expressed as total precipitate water, may not be very different between a cloudy night and a clear night.  When the water precipitates into cloud droplets the effect on outgoing radiation changes dramatically from water as a gas.

    A Cloudy night is often offered up as a proof of the Greenhouse Gas Effect Theory.  It is not the same thing at all.  The GGE Theory says that IR is absorbed and the reradiated by Molecules.  The Greenhouse Effect of Clouds seems to be due to scattering by the Cloud Droplets ( which are very much larger than molecules),  as well as the latent heat of condensation. A cloud seems to act as a solid surface to radiation transfer.

    Whether atmospheric water vapour has much effect on surface heat loss on clear nights is something I might be able to look into using BOM ballon data, because they give the total precipitable water for each flight.

    50

    • #
      AndyG55

      Latent heat release on change to water droplets is also considerable.

      This slows down convective losses as well.

      72

      • #
        AndyG55

        H2O is the only molecule that can affect the convective/lapse rate which controls the lower atmosphere transfer of energy to the upper atmosphere.

        Therefore it is the only so-called atmospheric “greenhouse” gas.

        Anything else is a mis-nomer.

        42

    • #
      RickWill

      Canberra is an inland city. All other Australian cities are on the coast line and are adjacent to masses of water. The water temperature hardly changes from night to day. Accordingly the proximity to water has a significant role in moderating the temperature range of coastal cities.

      I missed the coldest day in Melbourne in 2018. I was offshore in a boat on a balmy, windless night. Ground temperature in parts of Melbourne that night were below 0C but out in the ocean we were probably around 12C.

      30

      • #
        Bill in Oz

        Decades ago I remember reading that the minimum temperature in Canberra at Civic rose a bit in Winter after Lake Burley Griffin was completed.

        That was around 1967-8..

        All that water helped stabilise things.

        Just as it does . for coastal locations.

        20

    • #
      Ted O'Brien.

      I would expect that by far and away the biggest factor there is that the surface temperature of the ocean is much more stable that of the land.

      30

  • #
    pat

    VIDEO: 12min50sec: 20 Apr: Fox News: Byron York breaks down how the Mueller report became the world’s biggest ‘nevermind’
    On ‘Life, Liberty & Levin,’ Washington Examiner columnist and Fox News contributor Byron York says the Mueller report confirms President Trump’s stinging criticism of the Russia investigation.
    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/byron-york-breaks-down-how-the-mueller-report-became-the-worlds-biggest-nevermind/vi-BBW8Aul

    30

  • #
    Hanrahan

    A Bloke’s cookbook.

    Mrs H’s health has deteriorated so the kids and I have taken over the kitchen. It is not a natural fit for a mechanic but I’ve picked up one tip.

    Give a few thin snags a couple of minutes in the microwave to firm them up and chop then into small pieces.
    Brown them in a pan and then add a tin if chunky soup and reduce.
    If you are a bread eater [not me] serve on toast.
    Feeds four or five.

    I also precook my breakfast egg in the microwave so it keeps it’s shape in the pan without an egg ring. It needs about 20 secs but I actually use 1:10 @ 40% to reduce popping of the white.

    60

    • #
      robert rosicka

      I just use kitchen scissors to cut them into bits then brown them , boil some water add pasta and when ready chuck in the pan with the snags and onions etc .
      For a mouth watering gravy use country cup Cuppa soup variety “mushroom pepper pot” and use two sachets in about 400ml of boiling water .
      Pour the gravy into the pan with the pasta and snags or flood the plate .

      30

      • #
        AndyG55

        Darn gourmet cooks !

        Just cook em in a frypan or on the barbie, (thin are best)

        Put one diagonally on a piece of bread with some fried onions and sauce,

        and eat the darn thing !

        50

      • #
        GD

        Reading Jo’s blog is a pleasure as I always learn something. I wasn’t expecting that to include cooking and recipe hints.

        Well done, Hanrahan and RR.

        40

    • #
      StephenP

      What’s a snag? Bacon?

      30

      • #
        AndyG55

        Snag = Aussie for sausage.

        ie “to throw some snags on the barbie”.

        They come in thin, and thick sizes.

        Thankfully for us Aussies.. it ain’t rocket science. 😉

        60

        • #
          robert rosicka

          Not wanting to confuse Stephen but we Aussies can buy a snag at the hardware store .

          30

          • #
            Bobl

            For clarity outside the hardware store usually from a charity stand, snag on bread with onions and my favorite, mustard sauce plus tomato sauce (ketchup).

            At our hardware the proceeds usually go to local schools for camps, sporting trips and other student adventures.

            50

            • #
              GD

              outside the hardware store usually from a charity stand, snag on bread with onions

              And then OH&S reared its ugly head:

              Bunnings hits snag with ‘ridiculous’ sausage sizzle safety rule.

              Bunnings told all groups staffing the stores’ barbecues to put the onions on first

              50

      • #
        Hanrahan

        If you have never met a “snag” then “bloke” may also be a bit foreign. It’s a “guy”, sort of. but very male. Loves huntin and fishin, and is prolly a bandicoot [eats roots and leaves].

        20

        • #
          StephenP

          Thanks to all for the explanations.
          The snag on bread sounds a bit like what we call a hot dog.
          We tend to use bloke as in: my sister’s bloke = boyfriend or husband/partner.

          30

          • #
            AndyG55

            A “hot dog” is a boiled red-skinned prefabricated sausage on a longitudinal bun.

            Very different from a bbq’d snag on bread. 😉

            30

      • #
        yarpos

        Or an acronym for Sensitive New Age Guy, a type so well represented by the male denizens of this forum.

        00

    • #
      Ted O'Brien.

      I was one of the first two clients of the original Ronald McDonald house in Sydney. That was my introduction to the microwave oven. Alone in the house, i decided to cook myself an egg. Bang! Mess!

      So I cleaned it up, and tried again by breaking an egg into a cup. Bang! Mess!

      Now I scramble the egg first. Add about an equal quantity of milk, a bit of grated cheese maybe, a few herbs/greens out of the garden, and there’s a quick feed.

      40

  • #
    joseph

    I heard an interview with Judy Wilyman PhD, went to her website, and found this . . . .

    https://vaccinationdecisions.net/richard-di-natales-greens-leader-false-comments-on-vaccination-made-in-the-australian-parliament/

    Thought it might be of interest . . . .

    41

  • #
    Another Ian

    Jo – Re Mueller report etc

    “Top 10 things the media got wrong about ‘collusion’ and ‘obstruction’ ”

    https://nypost.com/2019/04/19/top-10-things-the-media-got-wrong-about-collusion-and-obstruction/

    10

  • #
    toorightmate

    Let’s see if the Sri Lankan disaster gets as much coverage as Christchurch.
    Probably not, they are only Christians.

    90

    • #
      James Murphy

      Sadly, I was thinking the same thing. I don’t see it staying in a prominent news position for more than a day or so. Then, the same could be asked of other disastrous situations killing people around the world – “why doesn’t [insert topic here] get news coverage?”.

      60

  • #

    .
    ❶①❶①❶①❶①❶①❶①❶①❶①❶①❶①❶
    ❶①❶①
    ❶①❶① . . . What is the best kept secret in Climate Science? (Part 3)
    ❶①❶①
    ❶①❶①❶①❶①❶①❶①❶①❶①❶①❶①❶
    .

    Climate scientists want people to know how much they have warmed by.

    But they don’t want people to know what real absolute temperature they live at.

    Why would that be?

    Real absolute temperatures are more fundamental than temperature anomalies.

    Climate scientists have to use real absolute temperatures, to calculate temperature anomalies.

    But the real absolute temperatures are never shown to the public.

    Why would that be?

    Could it be, that real absolute temperatures make global warming look less catastrophic?

    Will many people discover that they actually live in cold countries? And that global warming might make their country nicer?

    That couldn’t possibly be true, could it?

    There is only one way to find out. Read the 3rd part of my series of articles on RATS – Real Absolute Temperatures

    This article shows real absolute temperatures for the Northern Hemisphere Summer (the real “hot” places), and the Southern Hemisphere Winter.

    https://agree-to-disagree.com/rats-north-summer-south-winter

    33

  • #
    Greg in NZ

    This just in off the wires from Afriski staff, a 20-second video of the snow blizzard hammering the ski area – yes, South Africa – at 3,000+ metres [10,000 ft] this morning their time, Sunday evening Aus / NZ time. Roads are now closed to 2-wheel drive vehicles and electric toy cars, however, Extinction Rebellion clowns are more than welcome to go protest…

    https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2285191838212103&id=174240189307289&fs=0&focus_composer=0

    31

  • #
    pat

    behind paywall:

    21 Apr: UK Times: Shell demands taxpayer cash for carbon storage
    New technology to cut emissions needs funding: oil major
    by Rachel Millard
    The government is ploughing millions of pounds into getting the technology up and running by the mid-2020s, but the question of who pays to help combat climate change has proved controversial, with complaints over increases to electricity bills to subsidise renewable energy and pay for smart meters…
    However, subsidies have proved effective. Renewables, such as wind and solar, provided an estimated 27.5%…
    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/shell-demands-taxpayer-cash-for-carbon-storage-w82jzkltx

    00

  • #
    pat

    20 Apr: Infosurhoy: Chinese language solar energy operators face extra strain than wind farms: Fitch
    by Denis Bedoya
    BEIJING (Xinhua) — Chinese solar power companies face more pressure than wind farms due to heavier financial burdens, according to a report by Fitch Ratings…
    Three Chinese solar-farm operators, including Beijing Enterprises Clean Energy and Panda Green, reported combined net profit plunge of 41.8 percent in 2018, while their debt rose 17.6 percent, Fitch noted.

    The rating agency attributed the profit decline to growing debt and rising funding costs as the solar-panel installation boom in recent years severely bloated balance sheets.
    Meanwhile, delays in receiving subsidies also exacerbated renewable-power operators’ cash flow pressure.
    For wind farms, cash flow pressure is less severe as they rely on subsidies for a lower proportion of tariffs, the report said…

    However, some solar farms will likely have to opt for asset sales to raise liquidity as refinancing has become more difficult.
    https://infosurhoy.com/cocoon/saii/xhtml/en_GB/top-stories/chinese-language-solar-energy-operators-face-extra-strain-than-wind-farms-fitch/

    00

  • #
    pat

    20 Apr: Arizona Daily Star: Arizona regulators look to revamp rules requiring utilities to buy renewable power
    By David Wichner
    Arizona regulators are looking at changing decades-old rules requiring utilities to buy power from certain renewable energy facilities, amid a simmering dispute between utilities including Tucson Electric Power Co. and some solar project developers.

    At least one regulator says Arizona stands to lose hundreds of millions of dollars worth of solar energy projects unless the state makes the rules more favorable to project developers by requiring long-term power purchase contracts.
    But TEP and Arizona Public Service Co., the state’s largest power company, say the proposed changes could force ratepayers to pay more than needed for power in the future…

    Since 2016, Tucson Electric Power Co., sister rural utility UniSource Energy Services and Arizona Public Service Co. have asked regulators to change the PURPA rules to allow them to restrict power-purchase contracts to two years and renegotiate them to avoid overpaying for power.
    But developers of renewables projects say power-purchase contracts of at least 15 years are needed to make projects economically viable…

    (Joe Barrios, a spokesman for TEP and UES) said the utilities also are concerned about being required to take power from an “inflexible resource” like solar farms — which generate power only when the sun shines — or being forced to buy too much power…
    https://tucson.com/business/arizona-regulators-look-to-revamp-rules-requiring-utilities-to-buy/article_d914f58e-14b4-536f-82aa-44cd04c35aac.html

    10

    • #
      yarpos

      Ah but they need “certainty”

      Wouldnt it be great if we could all demand a guaranteed 15 year locked in customer for our product/service before we committed. Somehow “renewable” based businesses feel entitled to this, despite claiming their fuel is free and that they are the lowest cost supplier.

      00

  • #
    pat

    behind paywall:

    21 Apr: UK Times: Wind turbines visible in over half rural views
    by Mark Macaskill
    More than half of Scotland’s landscape is visually affected by giant wind turbines, according to fresh research.
    In 1995, about 1% of the countryside was affected by turbines, meaning they could only be seen in a tiny fraction of rural areas. Academics now believe the figure stands at 53%, amid warnings that plans for a new breed of “super turbine” — standing more than 200m high — will be visible from greater distances.

    The rapid expansion of onshore wind, fuelled by lucrative public subsidies, is laid bare in a video produced by researchers at the University of Leeds. It shows how turbines form the backdrop to great swathes of wild land.
    Critics of wind farms claim that ministers have avoided publishing a similar map since 2014 for fear of a public backlash. “It is a disgrace that the…
    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/scotland/wind-turbines-visible-in-over-half-rural-views-t08nrklqm

    20

    • #
      Robber

      Is there a study showing how Scotland copes with all that variable wind generation? What is average generation versus demand? Do they have something similar to AEMO?

      10

  • #
    pat

    behind paywall:

    21 Apr: UK Telegraph: How nimbys halted one of the world’s most ambitious renewable energy drives
    By Jorg Luyken, Friedland Moor
    Standing beside a windswept junction near Germany’s Baltic coast, Thea Funk points at a stretch of land to the north.
    “They want to build 12 turbines up there, each one 240 metres high. And down there there are plans to put up more, somewhere between six and eight,” she explains, gesturing to a field across the road. “We’re going to be encircled.”

    Behind her, 30-odd people line the road holding signs bearing anti-wind energy slogans. Residents of the Friedland Moor in northeast Germany, they are convinced their landscape is about to be destroyed for the gain of landowners and energy magnets.
    Rural protests against wind farms are increasing in Germany and the effect has been dramatic on the country’s flagship green energy…
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/04/21/nimbys-halted-one-worlds-ambitious-renewable-energy-drives/

    30

  • #
    Another Ian

    “Just so you know – exponential environmental rhetoric growth turns into a joke right about…well, some time ago. Saving the planet just got a lot harder”

    http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/index.php/2019/04/21/just-so-you-know-exponential-environmental-rhetoric-growth-turns-into-a-joke-right-aboutwell-some-time-ago-saving-the-planet-just-got-a-lot-harder/

    And comments

    20

  • #
    robert rosicka

    65mm of rain at Wilcannia and looks like more further up the Darling river , just what the Doctor ordered .
    And the cycle of good years and bad years for people on this system continues as it has for Millenia.

    50

    • #
      Hanrahan

      Queensland. Beautiful one day, perfect the next.

      These couple of months partly make up for the stinkin hot summer. Clear blue skies, you can garden at midday and sleep cool at night.

      If you want to visit the North, Autumn is the time to do it.

      30

    • #
      David-of-Cooyal-in-Oz

      Wow,
      65mm! at Wilcannia! I haven’t had that much in a day for over 10 years. Lucky them.
      Cheers,
      Dave B

      20

  • #
    Hanrahan

    Oh dear. The states with all that free energy are paying through the nose for electricity again..

    Price QLD ………..NSW ……… SA……….. VIC………. TAS
    Energy $43.64… $52.60… $200.12… $178.06… $174.69

    80

  • #
    Lance

    Good article on why the “green energy revolution” will fail and has zero chance of fulfilling the promises made.

    “An Exercise in Magical Thinking”

    https://www.manhattan-institute.org/green-energy-revolution-near-impossible

    Worth a read.

    50

  • #
    Travis T. Jones

    This Is How Crazy The Climate Alarmists Are Getting …

    “George Monbiot appeared recently on Frankie Boyle’s far-left political chat show, “New World Order.”
    A columnist and environmental activist, Monbiot explained how we have to save the planet.
    And boy, does Monbiot have some ideas.

    “We can’t do it by just pitting around at the margins of the problem; we’ve got to go straight to the heart of capitalism and overthrow it.

    The easy things we need to change, Monbiot said, are to end air travel flying and cease consumption of meat.

    https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-04-21/how-crazy-climate-alarmists-are-getting

    If only they overthrew capitalism and imposed a carbon (sic) tax 8,000 years ago, the planet would be saved by now …

    Feb, 2019: How we discovered that Europeans used cattle 8,000 years ago

    https://aeon.co/ideas/how-we-discovered-that-europeans-used-cattle-8000-years-ago

    30

  • #
    pat

    21 Apr: Breitbart: Louie Gohmert on Mueller: ‘This Is Not a Good Man’
    by ROBERT KRAYCHIK
    Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) said Robert Mueller “is not a good man,” and as FBI director purged experienced and competent agents in pursuit of “yes-men.” He offered his remarks in a Friday interview on SiriusXM’s Breitbart News Daily with host Alex Marlow.

    Gohmert reflected on Mueller’s tenure as FBI director.
    “I gave him a pass the very first time I questioned him years ago, when he was FBI director,” recalled Gohmert. “But then after that, I found out how much damage he was doing to the FBI, more than anybody, including Hoover in his worst days. It was astounding. He ran off thousands and thousands of years of experienced special agents in charge of offices, often went from having 25 years experience to five or six years experience. He did not want anything but yes-men. He didn’t want people with experience. He didn’t want law enforcement agents with experience.”…
    AUDIO: 11min31sec

    “This guy is not a good guy,” added Gohmert, “and I’ve been saying that since the day he was appointed. This was a disastrous mistake. He had been begging Trump to appoint him as FBI director again, one day before he was offered [the special counsel position], and Trump refused, and a day later he gets the chance to not just prosecute Trump but also persecute him, and that is what he’s been doing.
    “Both [Robert Mueller] and his joined-at-the-hip buddy Comey … they both have a history of leaking when they want to hurt somebody that they don’t have evidence to prosecute.”…

    In 2018, the Government Accountability Institute’s Seamus Bruner explained (LINK) how former FBI Directors James Comey and Robert Mueller leveraged their government positions to enrich themselves via government procurement contracts.
    https://www.breitbart.com/radio/2019/04/21/louie-gohmert-mueller-not-good-man/

    but the renowned Mueller never leaked, said the FakeNewsMSM chorus 24/7.

    10

    • #
      Another Ian

      Pat

      Probably worse than that.

      There is a vast difference between

      “25 years of experience”

      and

      “One year of experience 25 times”

      10

  • #
    pat

    endless nonsense propaganda. give the writer a Pulitzer!

    21 Apr: NBC: For some millennials, climate change clock ticks louder than biological one
    “I had this internal struggle: ‘Do I really want to bring a child into this world?’” a Seattle 29-year-old said.
    by James Rainey
    “There is this sense that if you don’t have kids soon, you could be putting them in a harder position,” (Erika) Lundahl said. “But if you do have them, that will not be easy either, with the storms, the intense droughts, the precariousness of the times. It’s like you are playing with two ticking time bombs — yours and the planet’s.”…
    VIDEO: Meet Swedish teen behind a worldwide climate change campaign

    But climate concern also appears to be surging. Today’s young adults have been taught since grade school that life on Earth promises to become more precarious. Now, groups have formed to support conversation around the tenuous future…

    Frustrated by the government’s muted response, some activists have taken matters into their own hands. They are driving electric vehicles, taking public transportation more often and swearing off meat…

    Travis Rieder, an ethicist with the Berman Institute of Bioethics at Johns Hopkins University, urges young people to consider all the usual variables and then add another layer of analysis.
    “Procreating both contributes to climate change and creates a new victim of climate change,” said Rieder, a research professor and father of one…
    https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/some-millennials-climate-change-clock-ticks-louder-biological-one-n993331

    10

    • #
      yarpos

      At least they are “saving the planet” for other peoples kids. You know , the ones with half a brain that you would want to procreate.

      00

  • #
    pat

    time to pretend we noticed there might be something wrong with the DOSSIER! what phonies:

    21 Apr: RealClearPolitics: Bob Woodward: Role Of Steele Dossier In Russia Probe Is “Highly Questionable,” “Needs To Be Investigated”
    by Tim Hains
    “Watergate” journalist Bob Woodward told this week’s edition of “Fox News Sunday” that the role the Steele dossier played in the origin of the Trump-Russia investigation is “highly questionable” and “needs to be investigated.”…
    CHRIS WALLACE: The inspector general is also doing (investigating) it.
    WOODWARD: And it should be. What I out recently, which was really quite surprising, the dossier, which really has got a lot of garbage in it and Mueller found that to be the case, early in building the intelligence community assessment on Russian interference in an early draft, they actually put the dossier on page two in kind of a breakout box. I think it was the CIA pushing this, real intelligence experts looked at this and said no, this is not intelligence, this is garbage and they took it out. But in this process, the idea that they would include something like that in one of the great stellar intelligence assessments as Mueller also found out is highly questionable. Needs to be investigated.
    https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2019/04/21/bob_woodward_role_of_steele_dossier_in_russia_probe_is_highly_questionable_needs_to_be_investigated.html?jwsource=cl

    19 Apr: NYT: Mueller Report Likely to Renew Scrutiny of Steele Dossier
    By Scott Shane, Adam Goldman and Matthew Rosenberg
    But the release on Thursday of the report by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, underscored what had grown clearer for months — that while many Trump aides had welcomed contacts with the Russians, some of the most sensational claims in the dossier appeared to be false, and others were impossible to prove. Mr. Mueller’s report contained over a dozen passing references to the document’s claims but no overall assessment of why so much did not check out…
    https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/19/us/politics/steele-dossier-mueller-report.html

    time to investigate the investigators and deal with the spies & coup-plotters.

    TWEET: Donald J. Trump:
    How do you impeach a Republican President for a crime that was committed by the Democrats? MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
    21 Apr 2019
    https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1120093671356022785

    20

    • #
      pat

      Edited 21 Apr: RT: NYT use actual ex-FBI agent to warn readers of Barr’s ‘Russian disinfo tactic’ (with Soviet imagery)
      The Mueller report didn’t just clear President Donald Trump of colluding with Russia, the New York Times said, it handed Russia’s Vladimir Putin the “ultimate victory.” If you thought otherwise, blame secret Soviet mind games.
      In a New York Times op-ed (LINK) , former FBI agent-turned CNN analyst Asha Rangappa argues that by conflating the terms “collusion” and “conspiracy,” Attorney General William Barr performed a bizarre Soviet trick on the American public, giving Putin his “ultimate victory.”
      The trick, Rangappa explains, is called ‘Reflexive Control,’ a “uniquely Russian” concept that, put simply, involves drip-feeding an audience carefully-prepared words to make them reach the conclusion you want them to. That’s basically what PR is – only this time it’s “Russian” and, therefore, bad…

      Was CNN practising “reflexive control” when it dropped non-stop “collusion bombshells” over the last two years? Was the New York Times using Soviet mind games when it pondered “Is this the collusion we were waiting for?” And was Hillary Clinton somehow doing the Kremlin’s bidding when she told USA Today she was “convinced” that “there was collusion” between Trump and Russia?
      That much is unanswered.

      To fully ram home the point that there’s Kremlin malevolence afoot, the New York Times’ graphics department, clearly out of ideas after a busy two years, slapped a giant hammer and sickle atop the article. Russia has not been a communist state for 27 years, but when your only frame of reference is James Bond movies, it’ll make the point…
      Of course, being a former FBI agent, Rangappa also warns that Barr’s use of the word “spying” to describe the FBI’s eavesdropping on Trump campaign aide Carter Page is another example of reflexive control. She’d rather we use the cuddly term “electronic surveillance based on probable cause.”

      Trump, meanwhile, has vowed to get to the bottom of whether there was “probable cause” backing up the FBI’s spying, sorry, “surveillance.” By all currently available information, the FISA warrant allowing the FBI to do so was obtained on the back of some shaky evidence; namely the notorious and unverified ‘Steele Dossier,’ a collection of anti-Trump gossip compiled by a former British spy, sorry, “intelligence agent,” on behalf of the Clinton campaign.

      In the meantime, Rangappa wants the average American to stay vigilant to Barr’s KGB hypno-waves, finishing with a stark warning:
      “If we don’t, Mr. Putin has certainly won.”
      https://www.rt.com/usa/457118-nyt-soviet-tactics-mueller-barr/

      how many CNN viewers (there aren’t many these days) know the background of their staff and pundits?

      Wikipedia: Asha Rangappa
      Asha Rangappa is an American lawyer who is a senior lecturer at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs and a former Associate Dean at Yale Law School…
      In 2001, Asha Rangappa began her FBI training in Quantico, Virginia…
      After graduation from Quantico Academy, she moved to New York City where she took a job as an FBI special agent, specializing in counterintelligence investigations, and became one of the first Indian Americans to hold the position…

      She has published op-eds in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post among others and has appeared on NPR, BBC, and several major television networks. She is an editor for Just Security and is a legal and national security analyst for CNN…
      Asha serves on the board of directors for the Connecticut Society of Former FBI Agents…
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asha_Rangappa

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    Antoine D'Arche

    Was thinking of this last night: has anyone ever pushed for emphasis on why cooling/ ice ages have occurred?
    Are we going about this the wrong way – fighting head on? Should we rather be targeting the weaker flank ie pushing the warmists to explain the episodic cooling?
    Probably this has been discussed quite a bit over the last 15-20 years but it seems to me that they should be prepared to use CO2 levels to explain the cooling. After all, causality is a two way street, especially something as simple as atmospheric levels of a readily measurable gas.
    What is very apparent in this debate is the ease with which people get lost in the scientific minutia. This has no traction with anyone except scientists, professional and citizen.
    Anyway, interested in people’s comments.

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    pat

    TWEET: George Papadopolous:
    Clapper was in Australia the same days I was meeting Mifsud in Rome. Mifsud had cancelled an appearance to speak at a security conference in Australia the same month! BIG NEWS!
    LINK ABC “US spy boss James Robert Clapper Jr makes secretive visit to Australia” 16 March 2016
    20 Apr 2019
    https://twitter.com/GeorgePapa19/status/1119803849621917696

    16 Mar 2016: ABC Australia: US spy boss James Robert Clapper Jr makes secretive visit to Australia
    Exclusive by defence reporter Andrew Greene
    James Robert Clapper Jr directs the US National Intelligence Program and reports directly to President Barack Obama.
    So far the Federal Government is refusing to give any details of his activities and meetings while in Australia, but the United States embassy in Canberra has confirmed Mr Clapper’s visit…

    Last week the Australian Federal Police hosted the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation ***James B Comey on a two-day visit to Australia.
    Mr Comey also met with Attorney-General George Brandis and Justice Minister Michael Keenan
    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-03-16/us-spy-boss-makes-secretive-visit-to-australia/7251590?pfmredir=sm

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    pat

    read all for Rose’s critique, but do note he admits to not being a ***”denier”:

    21 Apr: Daily Mail: What David Attenborough told BBC viewers about this raging orangutan fighting a digger is only part of the truth… and that’s just one of the flaws in the great naturalist’s ‘alarmist’ new documentary, writes DAVID ROSE
    By David Rose
    One of the most talked-about programmes of the past week – a primetime documentary on BBC1 – featured two people many seem to regard as living saints.
    One was the presenter, Sir David Attenborough, the other Greta Thunberg, the Swedish teenage activist inspiring climate change ‘school strikes’ in several countries, including Britain.
    The film’s title was Climate Change: The Facts, and these, Sir David claimed, are now ‘incontrovertible’. The film’s message was so bleak it could have been made by Extinction Rebellion, the eco-anarchist protest group which has brought Central London to a standstill…
    Sadly, on this occasion, I believe he has presented an alarmist argument derived from a questionable use of evidence, whose nuances he has ignored.

    Climate science remains a field riven by deep uncertainties. The film largely glossed over these – and where faced with alternatives, it plumped unerringly for the most pessimistic version of the ‘truth’.

    ***Let me be clear: I am not a ‘denier’. Global warming and climate change are real, in large measure caused by humans. According to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), our emissions were responsible for more than half the 0.6C – 0.7C global average temperature rise recorded between 1951 and 2010…

    There are times when climate propaganda – for this is what this was – calls to mind the apocalyptic prophets of the Middle Ages, who led popular movements by preaching that the sins of human beings were so great that they could only be redeemed by suffering, in order to create a paradise on earth.
    But climate change is too important to be handled in this manner. It needs rational, well-informed debate. Too often, cheered on by the eco-zealots of Extinction Rebellion, the BBC is intent on encouraging quite the opposite.
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6943475/What-Attenborough-told-BBC-viewers-orangutan-fighting-digger-truth.html

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    pat

    behind paywall:

    21 Apr: UK Times: Climate change rebel Greta Thunberg, 16, will meet Michael Gove
    by Jonathan Leake, Rhys Blakely
    Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old Swedish schoolgirl behind the global School Strike for Climate movement, will join Extinction Rebellion protesters in London today with a call for British youngsters to quit classrooms and join the campaign.
    She will speak in a rally at Marble Arch this evening before a week in which she meets British politicians including the environment secretary, Michael Gove, the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, and the Green Party MP, Caroline Lucas. So far, Greta has met the Pope and addressed the European parliament.

    Her activism began last August when, prompted by a heatwave and wildfires in Sweden, she began a solitary vigil outside the nation’s parliament in Stockholm. Last month, an estimated 1.4m students joined her call for school strikes worldwide…
    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/climate-change-rebel-greta-thunberg-16-will-meet-michael-gove-zsg9fl9lv

    21 Apr: UK Times: Is Extinction Rebellion a Big Oil conspiracy?
    by Dominic Lawson
    The actors in the eco-farce playing out on our streets beggar belief.
    Revealed: the contents of a WhatsApp exchange over the past few days between Brett, the Texas-based head of Huge Oil Inc, and his Mr Fixit in London, Sebastian.
    “Howdy, Seb. What’s the latest about the demos we’ve planned to discredit those eco-freaks trying to wreck our business?”

    “Hi, Brett. All systems go for Operation Piss-take. You wouldn’t believe there are so many out-of-work actors anxious to make a few bucks pretending to be members of something called Extinction Rebellion.”

    “Well, that’s the market working in all its divine beauty, Seb.”

    “It’s going great, Brett — better than we could ever have expected. Just want to give you a few standouts. First of all, the road-blocking has cost businesses millions, ambulances have been delayed and loads of…
    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/is-extinction-rebellion-a-big-oil-conspiracy-256cq3hl0

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    Bill in Oz

    Longish article by Ben Raue in the Guardian on what could happen in the Senate voting on the 18th of May.

    And who will hold the balance of Power

    Lots of attention to how Greens and Center Alliance could be in that position.

    But as could be expected, the Conservative Party does not get a mention. Not even in the discussion for South Australia where the Conseertive party has it’s base with Senator Cory Bernardi.

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    pat

    behind paywall:

    Hands off Adani, militant mining union tells Shorten
    The Australian – 14h ago
    The mining union has warned Bill Shorten against taking any action that could jeopardise the Adani coalmine ahead of a campaign stop today in north Queensland where the issue threatens to cost Labor the Townsville-based seat of Herbert. … When asked yesterday if Labor would review …

    CFMEU demands candidates sign pledge supporting coal industry
    The Australian – 11 Apr 2019

    Comment: Labor treating us like mugs with endless Adani mine delays
    Courier Mail-15 Apr 2019
    Let’s not forget the Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, shook hands with billionaire Guatam Adani…

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    • #
      pat

      22 Apr: SMH: Scott Morrison attacks ‘gutless keyboard warriors’ who mocked his church worshipping
      By Bevan Shields
      Images of the Prime Minister clapping, singing and raising his hands in the air were roundly mocked on social media, including by the ***Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union which removed a post featuring a picture of Mr Morrison with the words “Beware of false prophets (or should that be profits?)”…

      Mr Morrison also condemned some anti-Adani protesters who had used social media to liken working for the proposed Queensland coal mine to being under the control of Nazi Germany.
      “I find those comments abhorrent,” Mr Morrison said.
      “Here we are today, in this beautiful place, celebrating diversity of faith and cultures, and to see that sort of thing going on in Australia, I think, is an absolute disgrace.
      “What I find appalling about that is that it’s not an isolated view amongst a lot of those protesters. Go and look on their social media contributions, you see a fair bit of that.”…
      https://www.smh.com.au/federal-election-2019/scott-morrison-attacks-gutless-keyboard-warriors-who-mocked-his-church-worshipping-20190422-p51g44.html

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    pat

    great, from start to finish:

    Youtube: 40min42sec: Life, Liberty & Levin 4/21/19 | Mark Levin Fox News
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa4al-jNk4o

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    pat

    Chris Kenny had a good interview with Prof Ian Plimer on Sky News today. can’t find it online as yet.

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    Bill in Oz

    Lots of us here are getting on.
    So remaining fit ,healthy & mentally alert
    As we get on, is important.
    PD Mangan offers some really
    crucial research on how to do this.
    One aspect is diet : http://roguehealthandfitness.com/how-carbohydrates-and-not-protein-promote-aging/

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    robert rosicka

    Managed to get in touch with the internet company finally after their recent tower upgrades to improve the speed of the service .
    If I add the upload speed and the download speed together it’s usually less than 5 , rather than the 5 / 25 service I’m supposed to be getting .
    Welcome to the NBN .

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      yarpos

      My signature in a car forum I frequent is “reality is nearly always sub optimal”. Seems like it would be very apt for the NBN.

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      • #
        RicDre

        “reality is nearly always sub optimal”

        That also describes the CAGW dilemma; realty refuses to live up to the expectations created by the Climate Models.

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      Another Ian

      RR

      For “reasons:” we migrated from Telstra wireless to NBN satellite.

      It seems to be about the same in performance – or close enough that I haven’t felt the need to check. Not heavy users of video etc on either though.

      There was one storm that interrupted reception – mind you about 40 mm and the only storm since about half past last year.

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    • #
      Serp

      You’ve got to wonder what sort of acceptance testing it is that passes a fibre network which underperforms the ageing copper adsl it is supplanting.

      Welcome to the New Dark Age that is twenty-first century Australia in which the grubby fingerprints of MalEx444 mar everything from light globes and water agreements to the very conduct of politics itself.

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    John Sheppard

    Latest study on CO2 emissions for electric cars:

    http://www.cesifo-group.de/ifoHome/presse/Pressemitteilungen/Pressemitteilungen-Archiv/2019/Q2/pm_20190417_sd08-Elektroautos.html

    Still not looking like they make such a big difference like people keep claiming!

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    • #
      Kinky Keith

      It’s good to have it confirmed by a “professor”.

      A simple mental walk through from cradle to grave of the two competing automotive systems shows the likely answer.

      Electric powered vehicles have economies of scale, environmental pollution in manufacture and severe operational limitations, all pointing in the wrong direction.

      Engineeringwise the best transportation method for those truly concerned with the Environment burn their fuel at the point of use.

      Electric vehicles are the epitome of Environmentalism gone mad.

      KK

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      Hanrahan

      So natural gas is the best way forward. Meanwhile Premier Dan has a moratorium on any new production.

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    Hanrahan

    Mayor de Blasio has decreed that NY is introducing the green nude eel. All buildings must be retrofitted to meet standards and he says that there will be no new “inefficient” high rise buildings in future. BYW The city will soon be 100% renewable energy.

    And they call Trump a dictator!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYwRVL8alcE

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