JoNova
A science presenter, writer, speaker & former TV host; author of The Skeptic's Handbook (over 200,000 copies distributed & available in 15 languages).
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Statistics
EU schools to introduce climate education into the school curriculum.
https://notalotofpeopleknowthat.wordpress.com/2025/11/13/eu-to-make-climate-education-manadatory/#more-89456
As Oz appeared in the Eurovision song contest I reckon that makes them honorary Europeans so I would hope your govt will follow this exciting development and get your schools to preach the climate mantra.
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An excellent prompt to get parents helping teach their children the critical thinking they need:
https://metatron.substack.com/p/critical-thinking-on-critical-issues
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Fair enough, there’s a lot of misinformation out there. Europe’s climate is rapidly changing, preparation is key.
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Do you use an EV for your drive-bys Simon?
140
Simon is heavily into wool futures doncha know?
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Simon is heavily into wool futures doncha know?
Climate change you can feel is here now.
21
Returning home from a coupe of days in the smoke, North Central Victoria, aka the low part of the high country. Big flashing warning sign as you depart the Melbourne side of the range for north of the divide. “CAUTION SNOW AND ICY CONDITIONS AHEAD’
Climate change indeed. The “News” is also spruiking at exactly the same time about the fears of a long hotter than normal summer. Now anecdotally, my experiences of long hot summers has meant to me hot weather in early spring, not snow and ice warnings in the middle of November
“Climate change you can feel is here now. .”
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You are part of that misinformation.
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Rapidly ? 🤣
Not even slowly 🤗😂
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No, the weather is changing – climate is not as rapid. Europe needs to prepare for record cold this year and record snowfall as being observed already in North America:
The southeastern U.S. has plunged into record-low temperatures, affecting 18 million people under a freeze warning across Alabama, Florida, and Georgia
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/record-low-temperatures-shock-southeast-us-snowfall-blankets-127420773
UK is about to get its first dose of the season:
A monster 758-mile-long blizzard is forecast to engulf the UK next week, as Britain braces for a brutal Arctic blast that could send temperatures plummeting to -8C and dump up to a metre of snow in parts of the country. According to weather maps from WX Charts data, a massive low-pressure system sweeping down from the Arctic will unleash heavy snow, ice and freezing winds from Monday, November 17 to Wednesday, November 26.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/weather/topstories/snow-maps-show-758-mile-long-blizzard-storm-hitting-uk-as-8c-freeze-hits-next-week/ar-AA1QiZf7
A good chance of the UK grid collapse within days. Gas heaters will not work without electricity. Wood burners and open fire places will still work but not as well if fan forced convection.
Every year, the UK becomes more fragile. Maybe this will be the end of Starmer.
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Rick,
Thank you for this update on cold weather.
We in Melbourne have been having an uncommon cold start to the start of Summer, by custom on 1st December.
Hands up if you have seen news reports about how cold it is, with similar emphasis that would be reported if it was unusually warm.
Media reporters have a lot to apologise about as they must move to improve their honesty. They sway voters towards their preferred politics.
Geoff S
110
Home schooling is the answer but then the Left will try to ban that as well. It is still legal in all states in Australia, so far, but the Left hate it because it makes it so much harder to indoctrinate the next generation of prospective Leftist voters who believe in BS like anthropogenic clinate change, socialism, more than two genders and needing 37 covid jabs..
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However, the Left in Australia have managed to block access to alternative points of view or debates other than the Official Narrative by banning social media for under 16’s in Australia.
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Lessons from Germany in 1930s:
Key Takeaways
Nazi Germany controlled schools to teach children their beliefs and train them to support the state.
The Hitler Youth program was used to teach boys and girls Nazi ideas and physical fitness.
Joining the Hitler Youth became compulsory, and millions of children wore uniforms and saluted the Nazis.
https://www.thoughtco.com/hitler-youth-and-indoctrination-1221066
This is already happening in Australia. It is why children have such anxiety about Climate Change™.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3gqoDUtmt4
This sort of material is made available to the schools and timed for lessons. It has huge reach in Australian schools. And none of it based on anything related to climate on Earth. So it is the worst sort of scare mongering frightening children.
We are also indoctrinating them into apartheid by engendering guilt of Australia’s invasion by white people.
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Very shortly after the start of the current conflict in Gaza, I saw posted images taken from a Gazan primary school reading textbook.
I would conservatively say it could have been termed “politically slanted”. Needless to say the page disappeared quickly. Having learned my lesson from this I will in the future download copies whenever I find “interesting” concepts.
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This is a long article but well worth sitting down to with a cup of coffee. I suspect that the media in many Anglophone countries echo the actions of the BBC.
https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/the-bbcs-lies-about-trump-are-straight-from-1984/
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Their ABC in Australia suffers debilitating TDS. This is what gets presented in Australia as news:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QxPDntDjh8
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This is a news article on how bad the BBC has become in a lighthearted mannar:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsreUK3hdZg
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This is an interesting insight into the legal position with Trump’s claim for defamation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zae6s2wad4o
The BBC have refused the USD1bn claim but apologised. So it will be an interesting watch.
BBC is now in an untenable position and it is going to cost BBC a lot of money. It may need Farage to step up and calm the waters. It could bring Starmer undone.
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Actually I found the UK’s PM in waiting video on the defamation claim from Trump against BBC:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbfauD6ro5s
An interesting comment – a new and unusual word in English language – BBCing; meaning media lying.
20
https://www.palladiummag.com/2025/08/22/the-case-for-crazy-philanthropy/
Modern science, like much else about modern life, is characterized by what sociologists call “institutional isomorphism,” a term originated by Yale sociologists Paul DiMaggio and Walter Powell in 1983. Their classic article begins by asking why there is “such startling homogeneity of organizational forms and practices.” The premise of their question is true across many sectors, but if they had been writing specifically about academic science, they might have asked: why is nearly every organization in this space devoted to principal investigators, who run labs of similar sizes, each of which might employ a few post-docs? Why is science itself organized into the same fields and subfields? Why does every university offer four-year undergraduate degrees, two-year master’s degrees, and PhD’s? Why does every university department have a dean, and why is there always a provost, a chancellor, a president, and a board of trustees? Why is there always a hierarchy of assistant professors with no tenure , associate professors with tenure, and still more prestigious full professors?
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Its the Henry Ford model of education, cheap and simple to mass-produce workers for factories..
The real question is why are universities run by Govts, a method sure to eliminate any serious alternatives or outright competition between them.
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Trump Vs BBC untruths, Brainwashing and Communism (BBC). Unconfirmed rumours are that Samir Shah, Tim Davie and Deborah Turness are protecting a British intelligence officer responsible for ordering the BBC to censor and edit at least two speeches by Donald Trump. The two speeches involve the BBC removing any mention of ‘peace’ by Donald Trump. The BBC staff named are Jonathan Munro, Jess Brammar, Alison Holt, John McAndrew, Richard Burgess, Naja Nielsen, Joanna Carr, Raffi Berg and Marianna Spring. The same people who tried to stitch up Tommy Robinson.
The other incident not mentioned was late at night, 8 months ago. During the BBC News live coverage of Donald Trumps speech. This statement by Trump was censored by the BBC. Trump said “We have had serious discussions with Russia, and have received strong signals that they are rea———-(Picture of the Capital Building for 4 seconds, with the clock changing to 03:48)———-[applause]. Censored by the BBC “ready for peace. wouldn’t that be beautiful, wouldn’t that be beautiful”
Like the Soviet Union, it is believed that the BBC delay live speeches by a few seconds, so that they can manipulate the audience by censoring the word ‘Peace’.
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The bbc routinely delay some live speeches and sometimes sports interviews and have done for many years.
The simple reason is to prevent embarrassing swearing by guests for which the bbc get hauled over the coals
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The infamous “seven second delay”?
10
As much as I disliked the Biden censorship-industrial complex, and as nasty as the British nanny state censorship complex is, when it comes to monitoring and suppressing their own citizens, no country can match the efficiency of the Germans. The story below is straight out of Franz Kafka’s The Trial and rivals the surveillance state of the old East German Stasi (minus the physical abuse and gulags).
https://www.eugyppius.com/p/how-a-german-domestic-spy-agency
… and that’s it. All he did was run for elected office under the ‘wrong’ party, and spend a night at a friend’s house. That’s all it took for the state to open up a dossier on him, begin surveilling him, get him suspended from his job, and harass him and everyone else he knew for 18 months trying to dig up dirt and finding none.
I often compare the state of western civilization to the final days of Rome, but I usually talk about it in the sense that like Rome it’s going to take multiple generations or even a couple of centuries for the fall to happen. Stories like this make me wonder if that is still true. We are rapidly recreating all the mistakes of authoritarian 20th century governments. Some would argue we are scrolling back even further to Medieval times and recreating the feudal system with serfs and lords.
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Jacob Rees-Mogg on Nett Zero.
He sees the Damascus moment for Bill Gates as the first most significant change. And then then everyone now realises the cost of Renewables is crippling and that is politically unacceptable.
So go back to cheap reliable energy and deal with the consequences, if there are any.
Now that is not why Bill Gates changed his mind and backed the pragmatism of Bjorn Lomborg and his team. Of all the problems of the world, assessed and prioritized, Climate Change is a long way down the list. We can adapt to Climate Change. So Bill is back onto his life’s work of Malaria and sponsoring Bjorn.
Rees-Mogg is not saying man made CO2 driven Climate Change is a lie. He is saying it is now politically unsustainable, political suicide.
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As you know, man made CO2 driven rapid Global Warming, tipping points, vapour amplification and the whole story is a fraud. Obviously so after 250 years or rapid climate change where little has changed. And 315,000 Giant Windmills are utterly pointless and have cost trillions and have done nothing.
But the retreat from Net Zero by Rees-Mogg is based on pure political pragmatism as the UK, Canada and Australia are obviously idiots on the world stage, holding onto something which 96% of the world cares nothing about, unless they get cash from climate change. Which for the UN is the whole point, the transfer of wealth.
Science tells us that humans cannot change and have not changed CO2 levels. You can easily increase CO2 in a room to 1000ppm in a meeting. But open the window anywhere on earth and it is instantly back to 420ppm. Whether at the South Pole or in an industrial city in China. It’s self evident.
As for CO2 controlling temperature, real data from real thermometers says that CO2 is irrelevant, as shown from the graph of real data in Europe for the last 250 years. Brilliantly and fully explained by one solar and one ocean cycles.
But our political masters are starting to realise the people don’t like paying for the world’s most expensive electricity while simultaneously being denied gas and coal and wood as their government outlaws even the Aussie outdoor bbq or the pizza oven. And jobs are vanishing across Australia. Whole cities based on smelters are set to close down with mass unemployment. And propping up smelters with secret taxpayer cash is unsustainable.
And we will see what the most unpopular government in Australia’s history does. Especially as they demand we hand over our superannuation savings to pay for their massive expenses. Australia under Labor/Green governments are now $2Trillion in debt and manufacturing has already collapsed.
The only real surprise has been the total reluctance of the Liberal/National parties to capitalize on the extreme unpopularity of Labor/Greens policies with voters. Presumably because Liberal politicians agree with the ripoff of Australians for absolutely no reason except woke agendas.
And now the BBC and by implication the ABC are now both on the nose, caught lying about about Donald Trump and everything else. And proud of it. The riots in Portland were not ‘mostly peaceful’. The story in Gaza was not about justice for Palestinians but mass murder by Hamas using both Jews and their own people as disposable hostages. The whole woke fake establishment is under serious threat. Their attempt to bring down Donald Trump and his America First movement is a total failure. And the evil deeds are coming to light on the internet if not in the fake media.
So telling voters windmills and solar panels and big batteries and Snowy II are cheaper and lowering the price of energy is obviously another huge lie. Or that electric cars are any more than indulgent toys for a rich middle class as a second car.
The political revolt has started. Bill Gates is just the first of many to publicly appreciate he has been deceived, even if his self respect will not allow him to say he was wrong. That would be too big a step for someone who has published a book on the end of the world from fossil fuels. But I think he is fair man who was deceived. Not our politicians who fully support the lies being told.
What Australia and the UK and Canada needs is an opposition who opposes woke, climate change, racist agendas dressed up as anti racist, mass uncontrolled unfiltered immigration with no jobs anyway and the obvious destruction of existing settled ethnic communities, from Ireland to Poland to the US and Australia. This is nothing less than a plan to destroy Western largely Christian civilization, whether in Nigeria, Syria or Birmingham. And the people have had enough of it.
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Saw a reporter as Albo why was electricity so expensive and when will it come down.
Albos answer, “Because the liberals did nothing about the problem for 10 years”.
Interesting defence for a failed electing promise, blame the other party, but hey, no follow up question like, the Labour Party made the promise knowing what they would inherit, just move on to more easy questions with more BS answers.
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I wondwr what he thinks “the problem” is? Or was , if hevisctryimg to spray the Libs. It appears to me that he has invented an imaginery problem, and failed miserably to solve it, while having control of all the levers.
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Bill Gates’ “Road to Damarcus” conversion is ALL about the future energy requirements he will need for AI … than refuting global warming.
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Best not to need medical services in AU.
“Australians suffering ‘irreversible complications’ waiting years to see medical specialists”
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-13/australians-waiting-years-to-see-specialists/105991158
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But Government propaganda keeps telling us how wonderful the medical system is.
Handy hint, if you want to be fast-tracked through the emergency room and jump the queue, just identify as “first nations” which would be true anyway because there was no nation state in Australia before European settlement.
Back in the day, the correct thing would have been thought to be to treat all patients equally, regardless of skin colour.
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Interesting times indeed. Know an eighty one year old that needed an MRI and was told the wait could be “several weeks” filled in the forms and ticked the box. Two hours later sliding into the big magnet!
I expect that the alleged aboriginal population will increase exponentially at the next census.
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As I mentioned a while ago, it’s best to get any operations etc done privately and not through the treacle-slow public system before 2026, as the medical sector crisis I said would happen is now happening.
The treatment you need may not be there if you choose to wait just because it’s free.
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Did anyone else notice the swimming pool in the TV article presentation of the lady who complained about specialist appointments for her child?
I will agree that the Medicare rebates for specialist appointments have not kept up with inflation, cash payment for a one off appointment to establish a treatment plan and/or surgical requirement will short cut that “health care system deficiency”. Even if it means moving from one list to a second.
I have a pensioner friend who has managed to get past this initial stage, only to be told that with only one coronary artery blocked, the public system places her very low on the priority list.
OTOH, cancer treatments (at least locally) seemingly are handled “promptly”.
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Bit too generalized Lance. Australia has a mixed private and public health system. If you have private health insurarance you dont wait long for much of anything. If you rely on the Public system , either because you have to or wish to save money then you are at the mercy of waiting lists, which can vary depending on the speciality.
My wife was told she would have to wait a year to get a cataract done, by people assuming she was a public patient. She had them done privately a few weeks later.
There are many worse places than Oz in terms of getting medical attention. Always room for improvement though. Ive heard the Donald doesnt like our Pharma Benefits Scheme. Cant have the masses getting access to affordable meds.
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Video:
Dr John Campbell discusses subscribers’ comments about the use of fenbendazole (Fen Ben) to treat cancer.
Note, it is not an approved use of this drug and this is not medical advice.
Looking online it appears to have quite an establishment campaign against it, sumilisr to the “horse dewormer” campaign against ivermectin. (What, they e never heard of drugs that are effective for multiple different conditions? There are many drugs in thst category, even aspirin.)
He does mention that there are some reports of it not working in certain cases, this is why research is needed.
Dr John mentions that a clinical trial is about to proceed in Florida where under Governor DeSantis and Dr Joseph Ladapo they have quite an anti-regressive attitude to such things. However I could find no reference for that.
https://youtu.be/XWpfRMvn_Y8
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there are some reports of it not working in certain cases
Early identification and treatment ALWAYS provides better results. This applies to all medical actions not just the “undocumented” ones.
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I’ve noticed AI hallucinating a lot recently.
Some answers are obviously wrong although they sound detailed enough to be plausible. I believe it makes things up just to please the user.
This is why I have said that people should never use AI unless they are reasonably familiar with the subject matter. That especially applies to wokesters, politicians and their advisors or people who are products of the dumbed-down “education” system and/or are DEI placements and appear to have great faith in it and rely on it for information.
It’s only a matter of time before there is a major catastrophe that arises from someone believing what AI told them.
On the subject of AI hallucinations Gulag AI says:
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David,
AI lies. It’s not reliable and should never be quoted.
How long before an AI guided ‘drone’ removes an appendix from the left hand side or insists that your oil doesn’t need changing before 100,000km. Whenever I see a comment sourced from AI I just skip the rest and move to the next one. If I wanted gossip, I’d be on another website.
AI is the reason the computer said no.
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Friday morning wakeup music.
1) AC/DC Thunderstruck. https://youtu.be/v2AC41dglnM
2) ZZ Top La Grange https://youtu.be/Gg9cNGHl-bg
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I score your effort at 50%. Barely a passing grade.
As some teachers used to say, you can do better.
But here’s your attendance and effort award anyway….
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How about:
Fantaisie-Impromptu by Chopin played by Lola Astonova?
https://youtu.be/7FdDLvED_4E
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I thought you were making an effort. I’ll take back that attendance and effort award and grant you an hour long session with the bad breath teacher after hours.
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Video:
Brief excerpt from Dinesh D’Souza interview explaining how after WW2 the non-National-Socialist Left took the National Socialist movement and rebranded it from the Left to the “Right” (or as they say these days, “Far Right”) for their own nefarious purposes.
https://youtube.com/shorts/pESC8ntR_Qc
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I won’t consider that the Liberal Party has dropped Net Zero unless they also drop Paris.
They are just trying to be fence sitters, as usual.
Don’t get too excited about it.
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And the UK has just announced they will build 3 new nuclear reactors in Wales.
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https://news.sky.com/story/anglesey-chosen-as-site-for-uks-first-small-nuclear-power-station-13469220
First modular one (from RollRoyce) starting next year, with 2 more to follow.
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On a grid dependent on coal fired generation the obvious low/non emitting generational option is nuclear. Maybe that’s why Oz has gone for WDG’s, (weather dependent generators, using one of Rick’s terms).
Anything but the correct answer. It’s the government way.
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They will slow-track them, bind them in green tape, toss banana skins around and generally sabotage the builds so they can say, “See? We told you renewables were cheaper.”
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The Liberals will need encouragement, tail wags the dog, Joyce and Canavan call for new coal plants to replace renewable energy projects.
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They’ll get precious little here.
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That is understandable, it is what it is, if we want to seize government then the Coalition is the only way ahead.
I’ll bring the popcorn, Tim Flannery is in fine voice.
‘The last few weeks we’ve seen on display a Liberal National Coalition dominated by climate vandals, repulsed by renewables and trapped in a toxic relationship with expensive, polluting coal and gas.
‘For years they have pretended that denial is debate. Now the Liberal party has openly abandoned net zero emissions by 2050 altogether, essentially saying let climate disasters rip, and to hell with our kids.’ (Guardian)
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“For years they have pretended that denial is debate.”
Wow. Just … wow. Just when you think warmists/lefties can’t get any more unhinged, they always go one better.
Debate? What debate? Every time somebody – even an expert – has sought to debate warming they have been slandered, called names, cancelled, isolated or even sacked.
What a nerve!
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A question for people here with electrical knowledge –
I just bought a cheap small compressor (Repco) for “My Shed” where it will lead a light duty life. The instructions stress plugging it into a power point and not using it with extension cords because of voltage drop. Which doesn’t suit the set-up at “My Shed” at the moment.
I would think that, if my meter shows 240 volts at the end of the cord, I should be good to go?
TIA
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Unless it is an in line meter showing the voltage at the plug when the compressor motor is running, it is a meaningless number. You will need an in-line meter such as those used for power metering to really see the voltage at the compressor plug.
With that in mind, I doubt even a long extension cord is going to cause an issue. Assuming a typical 3HP motor, the current will be 12A. So a 10A lead will get warm and not recommended if the compressor is working continuously.
I have a compressor and in-line meter so I could conduct a test for you with different length and rating of power cords but I do not have any reservation running my 2HP compressor off a 10m 10A extension cord. That said I do not know what the voltage drop is over the cord.
Over the years I have had great value from my power meter. It is really handy to know how much power individual items consume. You cannot trust the labelling on things that work intermittently like fridges, freezers, dishwashers, washing machine etc. Also it is nice to know how much standby power something consumes. Amazon have power meters for $22 – if you buy one, make sure it has voltage selection (most do).
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“if my meter shows 240 volts at the end of the cord, I should be good to go?”
maybe… startup current will be the highest,so largest voltage drop will be for a second or so then, and your running voltage is what you would need to measure as that is an indication of resistance in the lead. Real electricians on here can tell you what numbers are important, I don’t know if a 10volt or 15volt drop is important.
I’d run it and see if the plugs warm up!
00
The easiest thing is to check voltage at the second GPO next to your compressor running full bore. Couple of volts drops should not hurt it.
But it is better to check your extension cord temperature an hour or two after start.
00
Shouldn’t be a problem.
The Repco cheapies draw less than 10A, 8A for a 2.5HP
I’d be more suspicious of the extension cable. A thin wire light gauge cheapie or a meaty ($$) goodie?
Generally below around 15m you shouldn’t have a problem and you’re looking at about 98% efficiency, so only dropping a few volts.
Buy a digital multimeter (DMM)!
True RMS, autoranging < $90
00
Thanks for the comments so far
Details I should have provided –
2 hp 6.25 amps. It was an introductory special at $165 – about the same as a reasonable portable clip-on and more shed versatile
Cord is industrial well fed, about 15 m
I’ll run it in plugged into a power point and watch for light flicker
00
They probably want you to plug it in at the meter and buy more air hose. Bet they don’t tell you about the pressure losses in an air hose.
Starting a 2HP motor on an extension lead can be a problem but the best way to find out if it will be is to give it a try. If it starts and runs and the lead is not hot after 10 minutes, then all is fine. And when I say hot, I mean greater than 60C. Don’t coil the lead, this could prevent the cable heat from getting away.
If the extension lead has light duty conductors, the voltage will be lower at the motor and the current will be higher, (it’s an AC motor thing, just trust me), the extra current will cause more heating in the motor winding. BUT…. since the compressor cylinder is going to get a lot hotter, (thank Mr Boyle), the motor heat is probably not going to be an issue and it’ll mask any measurements you try for the motor heat anyway.
If in doubt, use the compressor in short bursts, eg 10 minutes on 10 minutes off. Motor heat, for a 2HP motor, should easily dissipate in that time span and any extra heating should not cause a problem when running for 10 minutes at low voltage when compared to 100% of the time at the correct voltage. If the manual for the compressor already nominates a duty cycle of 50%, then use a lower duty cycle to match.
10
Check this you-tube video out from Auto Expert John Cadogan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1kdwxcsbEg
Simple truth, DO NOT RUN YOUR COMPRESSOR ON AN EXTENSION LEAD!
00
Thanks for that
Ian
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Mentioned the botched UK insulation schemes before. “Failings at every level.” Net zero in a nutshell.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yp4qllxv1o
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FWIW
Bill Bryson explains one of life’s mysteries –
“For a long time it puzzled me how something so expensive, so leading edge, could be so useless, and then it occurred to me that a computer is a stupid machine with the ability to do incredibly smart things, while computer programmers are smart people with the ability to do incredibly stupid things. They are , in short, a dangerously perfect match”.
Copied from “Lost in cyber land” in “Notes from a big country” (including the sentence length)
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Yep.
Computers are a reflection of their programmers. When the programmers are smart and motivated, so are the computers. When the programmers are dim and lazy, so are the computers. That’s how the whole ‘Y2K’ thing came about … there were too many 20th century programmers who were too lazy or shortsighted or cheap to use a 4-digit year (sadly, I was one of them), and everyone had to scramble at the last minute to check every program on earth to ensure that the calendar wouldn’t flip back to 1900 or lock up with a programming error at midnight on 12/31/1999 because it couldn’t figure out how to process going from ’99’ to ’00’ (I was one of them too).
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My younger brother said that they had it drummed into them in training to avoid that trap.
Y2K was good to him – turned out that he was proficient in the language that one of the oil majors had used for their oilfield software. And they were leaving no stone unturned for “gotchas”
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Yeah, that was standard practice by the mid-80s, but lots of programs written before that used the two-digit year because tape storage was expensive and two fewer bytes of data saved storage space and money.
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The first commercial computer system I created worked with a 1 Megabyte disk drive. No NOT a floppy.
there were reasons to conserve space. Several DECADES before Y2K came around.
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Yep, but in hindsight, it was a dumb decision. BILLIONS were spent having programmers running through old programs and databases to check for the two-digit year. It was the classic mistake of tripping over dollars to save a penny.
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Not in the late 60s early 70s
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It’s not just the competence of programmers causing problems. Computers are the gateway to a universe of stupid, via the internet.
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Excruciating SMR Miliband advert.
https://youtu.be/FL9IpCRdvls
Not even the right decision for the site which was ideal for, and supposed to get, a full size plant. And he’s managed to upset the Americans as well. Of course most of the jobs will never appear, and those that do will go to foreign expertise and other people from outside the area.
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-criticises-britain-over-nuclear-reactor-proposals-2025-11-12/
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The median age of the Fox News audience is …
69 years old!
(If I remember correctly, it was 65 just a few years ago. )
I did my bit to push it up when I stopped watching this year.
30
The funny thing is that FOX’s audience is the YOUNGEST of the American cable news channels. MSNBC and CNN are even older. The reality is almost no one under 50 watches cable news anymore. It’s mostly watched by retired boomers and the few remaining members of the greatest generation in the rest home.
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I think CNN’s median age is 67. But I can’t remember where I learned that detail.
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Its a wonder any of them get advertisers, they are hardly a marketers dream demographics.
10
I would assume the Median Age of The Australian Subscribers is 70+ and that includes me
40
Wha is he mean age of Jo Nova columnists?
10
I watch some Fox content, but on YouTube, which may be where a younger average audience sits.
Mostly Gutfeld, and The Five. Always entertaining!
20
FWIW
“Decades of Crying ‘Fire!’ in the Climate Theatre Have Left the BBC with Net Zero Credibility”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/11/13/decades-of-crying-fire-in-the-climate-theatre-have-left-the-bbc-with-net-zero-credibility/
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FWIW
“Claim: COP30 “Vibe Shift” Wrecking Climate Progress”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/11/13/claim-cop30-vibe-shift-wrecking-climate-progress/
10
FWIW
“RFK Jr. probes health dangers of offshore wind turbines”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/11/13/rfk-jr-probes-health-dangers-of-offshore-wind-turbines/
30
Ukraine corruption: Zelensky’s Western masters had better start looking for a new puppet
The “Servant of the People” is only serving his besties, and patience with him is running out
In all too many ways, what has happened to Ukraine, particularly since 2014, is a very sad story. Two things that are especially depressing are what its own “elites” and its so-called “supporters” in the West have done to the country.
Regarding the West, its contribution to Ukraine’s devastation has been to lure its leadership into sacrificing the country and its people in a proxy war. That proxy war, to make things even more absurd and futile, has long failed predictably, even if measured against its Western designers’ own selfish and hubristic aims: namely, to substantially weaken if not degrade Russia, or even subject it to the scourge of regime change.
Ukraine, in sum, has been literally bled almost dry in pursuit of a cynical and delusional strategy that has always privileged misconceived Western, not real Ukrainian interests. Ironically, what was meant to weaken Russia has made it stronger, while it is Ukraine that has been degraded, economically, geographically, and, last but not least, demographically.
And politically as well. This may surprise some observers, at least in the West, where the public has been deprived of truthful reporting on Ukraine’s domestic politics for years now. Yet the reality is that the country’s own “elites” are as brutally selfish and corrupt as ever. Yes, the last president who was not anti-Russian (he wasn’t “pro” either), Viktor Yanukovich, made himself a big fat regime change target with his pronounced if messy authoritarianism – mean lawfare against rivals included – and bombastic corruption. But no, nothing has changed.
At least not for the better. If anything, the current regime, under Vladimir Zelensky, is worse. And, as before, it is pervasive: while a favorite sport of the ultra-rich and well-connected, corruption also poisons the life of ordinary Ukrainians at every step.
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US ‘Running Out Of Things To Sanction’ In Russia, Frustrated Rubio Admits
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has made some fresh remarks to the press which reveal a deep irony while demonstrating the limited effectiveness of far-reaching anti-Moscow sanctions on the course of the war in Ukraine.
The United States has nearly run out of effective targets for sanctions against Russia, he conceded in a frank moment Wednesday, coming soon on the heels of the Trump admin decision to impose new penalties on two of the country’s biggest oil producers.
“We’ve sanctioned their main oil firms – exactly what everyone’s been asking for,” Rubio told reporters following a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Canada. “At this point, there’s not much left to target. We’re running out of options.”
His attitude in answering the question seemed to be one of quiet exasperation or frustration and conveyed a sense of ‘what more do you want from us?’
According to Rubio, discussions are underway on providing both specialised equipment and defensive weapons to protect energy facilities. However, the key problem remains the high risk that the equipment could be destroyed shortly after installation.
“If that equipment is ultimately destroyed a week later after it’s installed, that remains a problem. And that’s been the history of the last two or three years,” Rubio concluded.
All of this illustrates perhaps why Trump has lately signaled he’s ready to wash his hands of involvement in trying to achieve Ukraine peace, and why he’s done with doing ‘direct’ weapons transfers to Kiev.
50
Doing the same thing, over and over again, and expecting a different result.
10
‘Mindich’s Schemes Are Zelensky’s Schemes’: Corruption Scandal Shakes Ukraine to the Core, as Zelensky’s Former Financier Kolomoysky Publicly Calls on Him To Resign
Ukainian corruption is the talk of the town – in every town.
Zelensky’s men are all implicated in corruption in the energy sector, right at the time when Russian strikes have left the country in the dark and in the cold.
And while the MSM runs interference in his behalf, in Ukraine the outrage is growing fast.
Anti-corruption bodies – those that Zelensky tried to defang – accused several people of involvement in an energy sector kickback scheme worth about $100 million.
Eight people have been charged with bribery, abuse of office, and illicit enrichment.
Those facing charges include former deputy prime minister Oleksiy Chernyshov and Zelensky’s business partner Timur Mindich – both of whom have fled the country and escaped detention.
Also implicated is Rustem Umerov, the former defense minister and current Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.
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FWIW
“‘Mr. Wilman’s Motoring Adventure:’ A Quarter Century Behind the Wheel of ‘Top Gear’ and ‘The Grand Tour’ ”
https://pjmedia.com/ed-driscoll/2025/11/13/mr-wilmans-motoring-adventure-n4945948
20
FWIW
“Bad Fortune Crookies: Chinese Electric Buses Get Busted”
https://hotair.com/tree-hugging-sister/2025/11/13/bad-fortune-crookies-chinese-electric-buses-get-busted-n3808866
20
I asked if enzyme sprays neutralise dog dander. AI said “no” and added this:
Where do I find these products and how do I use them?
10
You didn’t ask AI?
20
I must have been hoping some friendly soul had some hints on living with an allergy. My mistake.
00
Typing Allergen Spray into your device will bring up a range of products that are available.
00
PC tech corner
DYK Google’s Gemini Al now scans, reads, and analyzes every email you receive including attachments, financial docs, and private messages.
This feature was enabled automatically in October.
To disable:
Open Gmail in your browser
Click on the Gear Icon ⚙️ in the upper right
In the General Tab, scroll down to “Smart Features” and UNCHECK THE BOX. It is about halfway down.
Then, right below that is Google Workspace smart features. Click on the “Manage Workspace Smart Features” and make sure both toggles are OFF.
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Frightens the Heck out of me!
Coming soon: The AI travel agent with access to your money
Artificial intelligence is only 12 months away from having the ability to compare, plan – and purchase – flights, tours and hotel stays.
Payments giant Visa is leading the charge to disrupt e-commerce with agentic AI. In May, Visa unleashed new AI agents that not only help to generate shopping lists but compare prices, make an order and arrange delivery without customers having to lift a finger.
Antony Cahill, a former executive at ANZ and National Australia Bank who now runs Visa’s value-added services division, says generative AI is rapidly presenting opportunities for buyers and sellers.
“I may have forgotten my daughter’s birthday, and AI will recognise that.
AI will scan all my bank accounts and payment records. It will know typically what I’ve been spending for the past four or five years.
It will know what I bought my other daughter for her birthday – you don’t want to spend more on the other,” Cahill says.
00
FWIW
Next in the firing line?
“Aussie broadcaster ABC deceptively edited Trump’s Jan. 6 speech much like the BBC did: ‘Same journalistic sin’ ”
https://nypost.com/2025/11/12/us-news/aussie-broadcaster-abc-deceptively-edited-trumps-jan-6-speech-much-like-the-bbc-did-report/?utm_campaign=iphone_nyp&utm_source=pasteboard_app
Via https://www.smalldeadanimals.com/2025/11/13/jeffrey-epstein-didnt-kill-himself-33/#comment-2064732
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Don’t forget the time it did the same to Tony Abbott, taking the words “shit happens” from one place and tacking them into an inappropriate place to make him appear completely unfeeling – falsely.
Makes me think the ABC taught the BBC.
20
I hope those ‘up north’ made the most of the current aurora displays, because the mysterious object, named 3I/Atlas, that has been performing strange maneuvers since it entered our solar system a little while back, just performed an even more bizarre stunt. It flew up close to our sun, squirted a million tons of something at it, then changed course and ACCELERATED AWAY.
This thing has been confusing scientists since it appeared, apparently contradicting many of the physics normally associated with comets etc. Even the sheer volume of the junk it fired at the sun doesn’t make sense, being way too much for an object of its size, allegedly.
On the other hand, other scientists are saying all of this is normal, despite it being only the third time in recorded history that such an object has visited (i.e. from another star system).
Cue theme music from ‘Mars Attacks’.
30
Very good joke from the US (copied).
I assume it was a joke…
110
Well that explains the Monash Freeway in Melb.
The M1 for the non-locals, (or those who have already escaped the peak hours on the Monash carpark).
30
The Sinéad O’Connor story
Apologies for the length, but once you read it you’ll understand.
When 20,000 people booed her off the stage, one man whispered in her ear: “Don’t let the bastards get you down.”
October 16, 1992. Madison Square Garden.
Sinéad O’Connor was 25 years old and already one of the most recognizable voices in music. Her haunting cover of “Nothing Compares 2 U” had made her a global superstar. But on this night, she wasn’t walking into an arena of fans.
She was walking into an ambush.
Two weeks earlier, Sinéad had done something unthinkable on live television. On Saturday Night Live, she had performed an a cappella version of Bob Marley’s “War,” changing the lyrics to protest child abuse. Then, staring directly into the camera, she held up a photograph of Pope John Paul II, tore it into pieces, and said two words: “Fight the real enemy.”
The backlash was instantaneous and brutal.
Death threats poured in. Radio stations banned her music. The Catholic Church condemned her. Even other artists distanced themselves. Frank Sinatra said he wanted to “kick her in the ass.” Joe Pesci, hosting SNL the following week, said if he’d been there, he would have “gave her such a smack.”
But Sinéad didn’t apologize. She didn’t back down. She tried to explain—she was protesting the systemic child abuse within the Catholic Church, abuse that was being covered up at the highest levels. But in 1992, nobody wanted to hear it. The idea that the Catholic Church was protecting pedophile priests was considered conspiracy theory, anti-Catholic bigotry, the ramblings of a troubled young woman.
So when she arrived at Madison Square Garden for Bob Dylan’s 30th Anniversary Concert, she knew what was coming.
[SNIP]
To be continued…
10
It wasn’t a scattered response. It was a WALL of sound—a unified, hateful roar that seemed to shake the rafters of Madison Square Garden. Boos, jeers, catcalls. People were standing, shouting, making obscene gestures. This wasn’t a rejection of a performance. This was a mob calling for blood.
Sinéad walked out onto that stage—a tiny woman with a shaved head, wearing baggy clothes that seemed to swallow her frame—and the noise intensified. The contempt was physical, like a wave trying to push her back into the wings.
She was supposed to sing “I Believe in You,” a Dylan song about faith in the face of rejection. But she couldn’t. The hatred was too loud, too overwhelming. She stood there, frozen, as the booing continued.
Then she did something extraordinary.
Instead of singing the planned song, she started to scream-sing Bob Marley’s “War”—the same song she’d performed on SNL, the same words that had caused the controversy: “Until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned… Until the color of a man’s skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes… Until that day, the dream of lasting peace will remain but a fleeting illusion.”
She wasn’t singing anymore. She was fighting back. Her voice was raw, defiant, angry. She was saying: If you’re going to destroy me, I’m going down standing.
The booing got louder. People were throwing things. The hostility was so intense that security guards moved closer to the stage.
Sinéad couldn’t finish. The wall of hate was impenetrable. She stopped mid-verse and walked off.
Kris Kristofferson met her in the wings.
She was shaking—adrenaline, rage, humiliation all colliding at once. Tears were streaming down her face. She looked like she might collapse.
Kris put his arms around her, pulled her close, and whispered directly into her ear: “Don’t let the bastards get you down.”
[SNIP]
[PLEASE, don’t copy whole articles without permission or a link. https://www.facebook.com/Asolotraveler3/posts/when-20000-people-booed-her-off-the-stage-one-man-whispered-in-her-ear-dont-let-/1323500533148599/ — Jo]
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In 2002—ten years after Sinéad tore up that photo—the Boston Globe published an investigation that changed everything. They revealed what Sinéad had been trying to say: the Catholic Church had been systematically covering up child sexual abuse for decades. Priests were molesting children, and bishops were protecting the priests. It wasn’t a conspiracy theory. It was documented fact.
The revelations spread worldwide. Ireland, where Sinéad was from, was particularly devastated by the findings. Thousands of victims came forward. The cover-ups were extensive, institutional, and exactly what Sinéad had been trying to expose.
She had been right all along.
But by then, her career was already destroyed. The public eventually admitted she’d been telling the truth, but they never really apologized. She never got her moment of vindication on that same Madison Square Garden stage. The industry that blacklisted her never came back with an offer to make things right.
Sinéad O’Connor spent the rest of her life dealing with mental health struggles, fighting to be heard, trying to make music in an industry that had branded her as “difficult” and “unstable.” She converted to Islam in 2018, taking the name Shuhada’ Sadaqat. She continued to speak truth, continued to refuse to be what others wanted her to be.
In July 2023, Sinéad O’Connor died at age 56. The tributes poured in—many from the same people and institutions that had destroyed her decades earlier. They called her a “prophet.” They praised her “courage.” They acknowledged she had been right about the Church abuse.
But she never heard those tributes. She died knowing that telling the truth had cost her everything.
Kris Kristofferson—the man who whispered those words in her ear—understood something that night in 1992 that most people didn’t.
[SNIP]
“Don’t let the bastards get you down.”
[Please, if you copy something from somewhere, put in a link. https://www.dharmasanga.org/blog/children/the-price-of-truth-sinead-oconnors-battle-for-justice/ – Jo]
10
I have no doubt this time she would be marching with banner LGBTQ+ for Gaza.
Please understand me right – her Nothing Compares 2U is best, maybe the best song of that time.
20
FWIW – for the covid record
“Concerning New Research Reveals Colon Cancer Is Skyrocketing in Adults Under 50”
https://scitechdaily.com/concerning-new-research-reveals-colon-cancer-is-skyrocketing-in-adults-under-50/
20
Interesting – at 80 ridden with Cancer and still enjoying life, as one who after research, I did not take the Covid Vaccine
Notwithstanding with low Platelets due 25 Years CLL, that I cut and bleed easily, I also heal remarkablly quickly & I put that down to that as one of my Anti-Virals, Quercetin with Bromelain, which I started taking in 2016 and when Hospital Operation are coming up, add additional Bromelain, and I had amazing recovery from 13 1/2 Parotidectomy in 2018, and multiple day surgeries in between to next Major Cranioplasty in 2023 (only 9 /12 Hours – Cutting Rotting Bone from Top of Head, caused by Radiotherapy in 2016/2017, with Titanium Mesh & Muscle taken from below Left Shoulder Blade, then Micro Surgeryed into side of Face to facilitate Blood Flow of Skin Taken from Left Thigh to cover Titanium Mesh – Right Thigh used in 2018)
Plastic Surgeons again stunned how quickly I healed
For optimal results, bromelain is often recommended to be taken before surgery to prepare the body for healing and continued afterward.
Suggested regimens include taking 500 mg twice daily for one week before surgery and continuing for two weeks post-surgery, or two tablets three times daily on an empty stomach for 10 days after surgery.
When combined with quercetin, another natural compound, bromelain’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects are enhanced, further supporting recovery by reducing oxidative stress and promoting tissue repair.
Bromelain is generally well-tolerated and has no significant toxic effects up to high doses in animal studies.
https://search.brave.com/search?q=bromelain+helps+healing+after+surgery&spellcheck=0&source=alteredQuery&summary=1&conversation=5992492edcd30a0ce4cece
70
Putin has gone completely mad, he has cut of the internet in many regions including St Petersburg’s five million people.
04
Access denied for foreign SIM cards.
Seems like justified caution.
20
Putin probably knows more than a few things that we cannot know.
10
The opera is over, we are just waiting for the fat lady to sing.
10
You’re mistaken: it is merely the conclusion of Act1, Scene 3.
20
He has probably been driven crazy looking for his missing Lavrov or waiting in petrol queues or collecting washing machine computer chips.
30
FWIW
More “Mighta /Coulda”
“Another “Model-Based” Methane Scare Story: Why It Doesn’t Hold Up to Scrutiny”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/11/13/another-model-based-methane-scare-story-why-it-doesnt-hold-up-to-scrutiny/
10
Based on how men voted in the United States in 2024, if only men voted in 2028, nearly all states would be red.
This would be the case if there were no 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote.
See map at https://x.com/BasedJess05/status/1989075218523124185
484 R to 54 D electoral college votes.
20
How does anyone get anything done in Australia Today?
Trying to pay my Wife’s ATO Tax
Signed in through her MyGov Account and selected ATO Site for online paymet
Where it stated
Pay by BPAY® Make a payment directly from your Australian bank account through your phone or internet banking service or at your local branch. information
To get your payment into the right account you must provide an accurate Payment Reference Number (PRN) in the reference field. Do not include anything else in this field.
Went to pay through my Wife’s online bank account using BPAY from last year’s assessment
When thankfully she noticed that the last 4 digits of the PRN on the Online ATO site were different from the last 4 digits on the printed out ATO Tax assessment, but was the same as was the PRN on last years ATO BPAY, although the amount owing ATO was correct in the online incorrect 4 digits
Rang ATO – On hold for 37 Minutes before answering
ATO person when asked about the discrepancy and where the money would have gone with the wrong 4 digits in the online ATO Payment, was unable to answer
Put us on hold & spoke to his Supervisor, who confirmed use Old PRN & the one on Printed ATO tax Assessment and gave us a Reference Number
Total Time 50 Minutes including holding
ATO had no idea why the last 4 digits of linked through ATO Online Site were incorrect or where the money would have gone!
80
Apparently par for the course. Went into my bank yesterday. Nearest branch used to be 30 k’s away. next nearest 8o k’s now 130 k’s. This branch is in a very large shopping centre in Melbournes south eastern suburbs. On arrival, three teller windows, new rules only one operating. Lovely lady trying to explain to a senior person that they couldn’t draw out more than $5k. At this point the queue was 5 people long, old chap was adamant it was HIS money and he wanted it. Eventually ushered aside by another person. Next up, a business banking transaction, the queue is now 14 people long, no additional staff put on counter. Big signs, “we don’t tolerate abusive or aggressive behaviour” maybe a bit of service could alleviate some agro. 30 minutes later I have progressed one position in line while a foreign lady is trying to transfer funds O.S..
Pulled out of the line and went to the concierge, lovely lady, and lodged a formal complaint. Interesting to see if I get a response.
This bank like all the others only makes billions a year profit, but hey. I would love to change but its like making a hole in a bucket of water. Every bank is the same. The “other” bank, the community minded one, pulled its ATM out of the nearest town, closed its agency at the next nearest town and has limited opening hours at the next town 60 k’s away.
Why doesn’t the government step in? My belief is the government is letting the banks do the dirty work and take the blame of the introduction of a cashless society, don’t blame us its the banks want dun it.
80
You (and we) are regional. Basically we do not matter, to the Banks or the Government. The Banks are all accelerating to be the same online blob.
50
My Concern is who was the other PRN – ? Would payment by that PRN have created a Account in Credit?
Should not have happened!
Is there an ATO Ombudsman?
10
Same in all regions. I honestly don’t know how many people – especially 60+ – are coping. Branches are closing all across the regions. It is heartless and completely undemocratic. Forget governments “for the people”. We are moving inexorably to a digital and paperless means of exchange. I don’t understand how our senior citizens and many other citizens will cope.
50
Vicki,
My wife said the same to the young ATO guy – if she did not have me as an IT Expert she would be sunk.
10
FWIW!!!
“Caught! The hoaxers who tried to trap health campaigners”
https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/caught-the-brazen-hoaxers-who-tried-to-trap-health-campaigners/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=2025-11-14&utm_campaign=TCW+Daily+Email
A must read IMO
20
Wow, just stunning. People from the Centre for Climate Change Reporting trying to show how people believe fake studies and statistics – the mind boggles. Is this one of their campaign tactics to convince people that fake meat is good – convince people it is bad, then show they are fake studies and then go ‘ ha, ha, what a bunch of idiots you are, scared of fake meat.
That’s huckster / shyster behaviour….
10
FWIW
“COP30 Dispute Erupts over the Legal Definition of a Woman”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/11/13/cop30-dispute-erupts-over-the-legal-definition-of-a-woman/
“Eh Gawd!”
Fewer brains than the Qld government?
10
FWIW
“Less Than Zero.
Sweden’s Green Investment Crisis.
https://dailysceptic.org/2025/11/13/swedens-pension-funds-face-eye-watering-losses-after-investing-heavily-in-net-zero-projects/”
https://www.smalldeadanimals.com/2025/11/14/november-14-2025-reader-tips/#comment-2064860
20
One of the interesting things to me is the ‘J6 pipe bomber’ narrative.
We now have a name and face.
And a new divert … it was just a ‘training exercise’ that got flipped into a story in the hysteria aftermath of ‘Insurrection’.
Kinda like ‘public health’ got flipped on its’ head by the biggest public health event since 1347.
Methinks the Jab 6 pipe bomber is a UBP.
An Unidentifiable Blob Phenomenon.
UAPs are probably UBPs.
Acronyms are often a signifier of UBPs.
CAGW are Net Zero are UBPs.
Stuff that can’t be resolved because it has been branded and gutted by The Blob of any internal logic.
We all look and say “what is that?”.
Unaware that the that is not for us to know.
And the there we seek is not there.
I’m feeling very Decarbonized lately.
50