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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The ironic political problem in clearing the straits of Hormuz without America is that the Europeans would have to work with Israel, masters of the region. And each with their large imported and unassimilatd anti Israel muslim populations, this may not be politically possible.
The same is very true of Australia. So no coal at home and no oil from the Middle East and the farce of a Royal Commission at home to explain the Bondi massacre of Jews in daylight at the most famous beach in Australia when everyone knows the answer.
This Israel problem is likely the reason no Europeans are going to help America clear the Strait of Hormuz and the reason the Americans are certainly not going to do it alone because as Trump says, America doesn’t need the oil.
This is an absurd political and economic and moral trap imported by the extreme leftist anti coal and anti Russia governments of Europe and Australia. Sit at home and condemn the Americans every day for fixing the massive
Iran problem but hoping desperately that Trump finishes the job without their help.
Trump has rightly called them out. Why should Trump take the flak and lose American lives saving them again? The European total lack of gratitude continues from the last two wars while their official hatred of coal and oil and carbon and Israel is entirely political and historical fantasy, especially Germany and the UK.
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Meanwhile caught in the same political trap, Pakistan is holding ‘peace’ talks with all concerned (Sunni) Muslim and Arab and Pakistani neighbours without Israel, the US or Iran.
It’s farcical, trying not to help Israel while trying to solve the (Shiite)Iran problem as a Nuclear Iran openly threatens them all. 90% of all Shiites are in Iran which has spent most of its oil income in building a ballistic nuclear war machine to threaten them all, without limits. And the Americans may just go home without finishing the job completely. These are all states which have themselves waged war directly and indirectly on Israel.
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Too many memes in your opening stanza, so I’ll try this.
‘It’s farcical, trying not to help Israel …’
Too many fanatical religions and the troubles will never be resolved by war. My suggestion, Israel should pack up and move to Australia.
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Donald Trump told Starmer to “go get your own oil”. Starmer is holding an emergency Cobra meeting today, but refuses to allow North Sea Oil extraction, because he wants to ‘Save the Planet’ from boiling seas. Trump told Starmer “You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself”. Starmer refuses to fight for Britain, against the Islamic invasion of England, because he likes Iran more than Israel. However, Starmer is committed to fight against Christians in the old Soviet Union occupied Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. Then Starmer suspended a Labour MP for opposing the elimination of Jury trials. Secretly replacing them with more and more secret courts, including some with Sharia law.
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Demand for Sharia law is being demanded in Australia and the thin edge of a wedge already inserted via private banking facilities at Australian Banks.
Also consider the recently reported visit to a Sydney Mosque by the Prime Minister and the Minister for Immigration, both sitting on the floor while being lectured in English and Arabic by the leaders and shown on Sky News with translation. Clearly warning the Ministers that the Mosque community was angry and demanded more cooperation from the Albanese Labor Government.
The Ministers were shouted at as they left surrounded by security including police officers and Mosque security and Cleary shaken.
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I understand that most of the meat sold in australia is halal
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Which is of course very similar to Kosher
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Halal and kosher are both religious dietary laws, but they have key differences. Halal, from Islamic law, permits seafood and certain meats like beef and poultry if slaughtered by a Muslim reciting a prayer, while kosher, from Jewish law, prohibits seafood except fish with fins and scales and requires slaughter by a trained Jewish person. Both forbid pork and alcohol, but kosher also separates meat and dairy, while halal allows mixing them after proper cleaning.
50
Kosher permits alcohol.
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Nope, a few places are paying the dhimmi tax for halal certification, thus helping to fund muslim terrorism, but most don’t.
I refuse to do business with any place the waves their halal certification in my face and won’t buy products from companies I know are paying the dhimmi tax.
[You would have to be able to prove the claim Larry.]AD
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It has been a long time, but I’m still covered by the Official Secrets Act on that.
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Why is most meat halal in Australia? We are told there are only a tiny minority of people who require that in our country.
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See (again) Pommystan:
They now have more “ceremonial mounted cavalry than actual tanks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLQOkjXgpkM
BY (GOVERNMENT & Civil Serpent) DESIGN.
Yet, STILL, NONE DARE CALL IT TREASON.
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So if Israel and the US continue to destroy infrastructure – meaning oil facilities how will the West get fuel from the Persian Gulf? Trump can bluster all he wants but this is not going to work out for any of us. Spare me the regime change crap.
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This is not a new problem. Remeber the Iran Iraq war in the swamps East of Basra. Then the war in Iraq and Desert Storm as Iraq seized Kuwait and threatened the UAE and launched missiles into Israel from mobile launchers. The European attitude is shut up and just keep shipping oil. It’s all we care about. Australia the same today.
But the situation has changed as Communist led governments (yes Albanese is a lifelong communist) are happy to see chaos and are importing Islamic extremists as fast as they can send planes. The more extreme the better. ISIS brides welcome.
No suport though for Americans who are trying to solve a world threatening problem not an oil problem. And you can add the Straits of Hormuz to the Straits of the Red sea (Bab Al Mandab) under Iran’s Houti proxies, also launching missiles as they please. How quickly we forget after leaving others to solve our problems.
What is Europe and Australia and Canada doing about either of these attempts to strangle world trade? Nothing. Not our problem.
America has finally said the same thing. Fix it yourselves.
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” Communist led governments (yes Albanese is a lifelong communist) are happy to see chaos and are importing Islamic extremists as fast as they can send planes. The more extreme the better. ISIS brides welcome.”
One Nation policy of Nett Zero immigration will go some way to cleaning up this situation, for a party lambasted as having no policies, they sure have some great policies.
60
“Albanese is a lifelong communist “.. with a four and half million dollar beach house… ! That’s a lot of cash-filled envelopes.
From everyone according to their means, to everyone according to their needs… seems to work fine these days..
20
‘America has finally said the same thing. Fix it yourselves.’
It wasn’t broken, ticked over in an orderly fashion until the US smashed it all up.
America is okay and so is China, which has an oil pipeline from West Siberia. South Korea and Japan are also keen to get on the bandwagon.
POTUS must be happy with this strategic outcome.
30
“Starmer is holding an emergency Cobra meeting today…” – let me take the implied sting out of that for you:
“Starmer is holding an emergency meeting today in Cabinet Office Briefing Room A”. There, that’s better. 🙂
10
Nah
Trump is bluffing. America will do it alone if they have to. You broke it, you bought it.
While America may not have much use for oil coming through the straits of Hormuz, the global oil market does, and American producers also sell oil on the global market. Which means they sell every last drop of oil produced in America at market rates, so when global prices go up so do American prices. The price is the price, for both domestic and international buyers (domestic logistical costs are lower, but the price of the oil itself is the same). And rule #1 for all American politicians is that there is an inverse relationship between gas prices and approval ratings. When gas prices go up, your approval rating drops.
No American politician can survive an extended run up in gas prices, not even Trump. So he’ll have to commit American forces to keep the straits open in order to keep global oil prices down.
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The Strait is open to shipments paid for in the Chinese currency.
In part, it’s a war against the Petrodollar system.
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Iran put compensation on the table for consideration in the deal.
00
Its a war FOR the petro-dollar system! The Yanks can’t afford to let the BRICs trade outside the greenback, it would mean Americans would have to work for their money. America doesn’t need the oil from Venezuela or Iran, but it needs the control of the finances.
It is no different to Iran charging a toll on oil passing through the Straits, America will sit back and get rich from Malaysia buying oil from UAE if its via petrodollars.
The other dimension is the inside group of Americans making sure every country is tied to a standard financial system that makes certain Americans rich, so you can’t be allowed to exist without paying a toll to the Americans with every transaction.
From last night-
“A fascinating look at how ‘rebel’ countries are pulled into the morass of Western finances and debt, and these days it is all the latest tech.
Witkoff and Kushner are the main players, setting up who will get the billions in the reconstruction phase, and how the system imposed will last far longer than a change of Govt or banking system- like the Bank of England being set up to loan Govts money that will never be repaid, just pay the interest forever..
“What Crooke is describing is not a peace process — it is the installation of a new financial system, with conflict resolution as its onboarding mechanism….”
“The World Bank’s RDNA5 assessment puts Ukraine’s total reconstruction needs at $588 billion28 — nearly three times the country’s projected GDP. The €90 billion EU loan is structured so that Ukraine repays ‘only once reparations are received’ from Russia29 — which has no intention of paying. Until then, immobilised Russian assets serve as the backstop, and the EU reserves the right to seize them to cover the debt30. The loan is therefore either repaid by a defeated Russia or it is never repaid at all — in which case the conditionality attached to it has already been installed permanently, at no cost to the creditor.
This is the mechanism at its most refined. The debt doesn’t need to be repaid to serve its function — the conditions attached to it are the real product, and the money is just the delivery mechanism. Once Ukraine adopts the required digital systems, procurement rules, regulatory standards, and accreditation frameworks, those don’t disappear when the loan matures. They stay permanently.
The borrower doesn’t just owe money. It owes compliance.”
“The same pattern is taking shape in Gaza, though the instrument is dependency rather than debt. ……. “
A long article, but it does show why politicians get rich and why rich people want to go to war!
https://escapekey.substack.com/p/kushner-and-witkoff “
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You forget Venezuela, all of which is now controlled by the US.
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And Iran demonstrated it has working RCBMs, regional ballistic. Unstoppable. Range over 4,000km. All of Europe with accuracy with GPS that the German V2 never had. A single missile on the UK houses of parliament or the Elysses Palace and the world would change. And they are able to do it today.
The Ayatollah had assured the world he had ordered Iran not to build these. This was his absolute verbal assurance, televised. Like nuclear weapons.
The idea that only America and Israel were the enemy has been shattered. Iran is everyone’s problems, including its Shia Arab neighbours. Trump has simply proven that absolute theocratic manic suicidal Iran meant harm to everyone, directing oil trillions to missiles. Trump did not break it. He demonstrated what was already in existence to threaten the planet while Iran’s happy neighbours and most of Europe thought Israel was the problem and that Iran could not and would not attack them. They were utterly and catastrophically wrong.
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And North Korea and Iran both act as direct proxies for China which it itself currently doubling its arsenal of nuclear ICBMs. Reagan’s Axis of Evil is alive and well and preparing.
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TdeF,
Odd, because Reagan never referred to it.
It was George W. Bush who talked about an Axis of Evil. Reagan did talk about an Evil Empire, but that was the Soviet Union.
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Reagan also said of the USSR that it was “the focus of evil in the modern world”, which indeed it was at the time due to funding of terrorism etc..
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The Iranian attack on Diego Garcia highlights how untrustworthy the Iranian regime is. In past negotiations, they agreed to limit the range of their missiles to 2000km. Obviously a lie.
They also said they weren’t enriching uranium for weapons use so …
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What was hit on Diego Garcia?
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Two RCBMs (two stage) flying to Diego Garcia from Iran. One failed in flight and the other was destroyed in flight. How is unknown. They are nearly impossible to hit on descent, so perhaps in space.
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Yes its shocking that Iran “lied” A horrible thing vastly worse than a surprise assassination attack on a national leader. Clearly evil.
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That entirely misses the point. Iran also said they were not developing nuclear weapons. Which is odd as there is no reason at all to have uranium enrichment in the world’s largest supplier of oil. And if you want nuclear power you can buy enriched uranium. And this was not any liar, this was the legal head of Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini. And not open to misinterpretation.
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No, it really just disagrees with the point you wish to make, and you very selective world view on when the truth or deceit matters.
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Tit for tat, the Iranians had already tried to assassinate Trump.
He just use a bigger, more effective hammer.
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Uranium enrichment for use as fuel rods in nuclear power plants is between 3% and 5% enrichment. Typically 4%.
Iran was enriching U235 to 60%. It only takes a few weeks to go from 60% to 90% enrichment using centrifuges.
Therefore, Iran was not interested in power plants. They were, however, distinctly interested in weapons.
Iran was also interested in creating a drone and ballistic missile shield of massive proportions to safeguard their enrichment program. They also lied about not having ballistic missiles capable of striking continental Europe.
Given these things, the world is a safer place without Iran having those capabilities, and further on, unable to choke the Strait of Hormuz with impunity. Insane religious zealots with nuclear weapons and ICBM capabilities are not something to tolerate if they can be prevented.
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Near weapons grade Uranium is what is used to fuel the reactors in submarines, otherwise the size of the reactors become prohibitive.
Who on earth needs a nuclear powered submarine? (Looks sideways at AUKUS).
If you take a ballistic missile with a 1600kg warhead and 2000km range, then reduce the warhead size to 500kg, it can lob to 4000km.
It’s almost as if the rocket equation is a thing… who knew?
And neither of these things indicate lies on the part of Iran, just ignorance on the part of the typical internet commenter.
48
“If you take a ballistic missile with a 1600kg warhead and 2000km range, then reduce the warhead size to 500kg, it can lob to 4000km”
No. Single stage missiles struggle to reach 3,000km. Just the launch weight of missile and fuel. Even Saddam’s SCUDS were 6 tons without a payload. And their maximum range was 1,000km on a good day.
30
Let us NOT forget that Iranian “Shia” is “pecial.
One of iys core tenets is the vital role of yje “Twelfth Imam”.
This is a re-hash of everybodies “messiah”. With a cute twist.
Said Imam will ONLY “descend” when the WORLD is in utter chaos.
The MORE :chaos”, the merrier as the Imam Depends on it
And if there is no sign of him, there is obviously NOT ENOUGH CHAOS.
What to do?
MAKE A WHOLE LOT MORE CHAOS.
The Syrian “Allawites” are ALSO keen “Twelvers.
When the “Imam’ turns up because the place is a mess, he will smite the “infides” (That’s us, folks and “reward” the pure and “faithful”; an unalterably BINARY faith; and a GLOBAL “PROTECTION RACKET.
Quelle Surprise!
Can we all say: DEATH CULT?
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The other tragedy is that the trillions of dollars diverted into build 100 underground missile centres should have made the Iranian people rich. Much like Gaza, the most heavily subsidized city on earth and all the billions went into the hands of three men who lived in Qatar while they built endless tunnels for their attack on Israel. The citizens of Gaza were and are disposable for publicity. Not even bomb shelters. Even the UN WRA had tunnel access under the buildings, as did the hospitals, the largest of which was donated by Indonesia.
One the one hand it is all a fatalist Armageddon religion. On the other hand it made the high priests and operators very rich.
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“Said Imam will ONLY “descend” when the WORLD is in utter chaos.
The MORE :chaos”, the merrier as the Imam Depends on it
And if there is no sign of him, there is obviously NOT ENOUGH CHAOS.
What to do?”
Can we all say: Christians with the second coming of jesus? Sounds like the same story to me..
00
FWIW
When mentioning “The Ayatollah had assured the world” there should also be mention of –
“”Deception, Lying and Taqiyya”
“Does Islam permit Muslims to lie?
Muslim scholars teach that Muslims should generally be truthful to each other… unless the purpose of lying is to “smooth over differences” or “gain the upper-hand over an enemy.”
There are several forms of lying to non-believers that are permitted under certain circumstances, the best known being taqiyya (the Shia name). These circumstances are typically those that advance the cause of Islam – in some cases by gaining the trust of non-believers in order to draw out their vulnerability and defeat them.”
More at
https://www.thereligionofpeace.com/pages/quran/taqiyya.aspx “
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An remember that in any such discussions you are “the un-believer”
Sounds like doing business could be interesting?
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Iran has not many Shia neighbours that come to mind. The Sunni’s would love a weak Iran. Has anyone criticised Saudi Arabia’s social code lately?
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Qatar most importantly. It’s a luxury spot for the people who live high on the oil money and international donations to help the poor people of Gaza.
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Those that dared, lost their head.
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No, but that is their business.
Religion is the problem and the US Secretary of War is not helping.
‘During his briefing on the Iran war last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested that Americans take a knee and pray to Jesus for the success of U.S. forces in the Middle East. A few days later, he read out a sermon praying that “wicked souls” be “delivered to the eternal damnation” in the fight against Iran.’ (The Hill)
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The end of the Pottery Barn rule- “ you broke it, you own it”- is very much at the top of the ascendant American conservative mind , being the originating error of a very long list of military disasters. Anyone who doubts this needs to educate themselves, PDQ. It is important.
New rule: We broke it. We like it’s new look. Our work is done here. Don’t make us come back.
21
Chuck Norris died a few weeks ago, it just took some time for the Grim Reaper to build up courage to tell him.
When he was making movies I was working hard, drinking hard, so I only knew the memes. Tonight I decided to watch one Lone Wolf McQuade and for the genre it was entertaining.
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Chuck was great but honestly, among all the big action stars of the 80s, I find his movies have the least re-watch value. In most of his early movies, Chuck was just a one-dimensional bad ass with no character development and played every scene absolutely straight rather than tongue-in-cheek like Arnold and Sly often did. Lone Wolf McQuade was the exception and IMO is his best film. It also was the basis for the real masterpiece of his career, the Walker Texas Ranger TV series, which was much lighter and more playful than most of his film work while still incorporating plenty of Chuck roundhouse kicking fools in the teeth.
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Chuck lived to a decent age for a high testosterone male, 86, but I honestly thought he’d live a bit longer due to his commitment to fitness, supplements and life extension.
The Biblical 120 years (lifespan of Moses) considered by many to be the optimum maximum seems to be the maximum possible age for humans.
Apparently Chuck loved the “super tough guy” memes about himself.
His actual cause of death waa never released by the family.
Sadly missed.
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He made a video on his 86th birthday. He said he doesn’t age, he levels up. And then a medical emergency and gone. That’s heart attack or stroke.
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Possibly 150 years not far away from being achieved?
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/humans-could-live-up-to-150-years-new-research-suggests/
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Every cell in your body has internal code that is supposed to ensure replication / replacement of itself. This happens at different rates for different bits.
Sometimes, things go wrong and the whole assembly fails; quickly.
Another possible call on the “departure Bingo” card is CANCER.
Cancerous tissues are, for all practical purposes IMMORTAL. They replicate as “usual”, BUT the mechanism that “absorbs / recycles” old, worn out cells is switched off. Hence, the afflicted organ / tissue continues to grow; doing “mechanical’ and biochemical damage to things around it.
Sometimes the medicos can have success with a scalpel, radiation or chemotherapy, none of which are without their own risks.
I lost a good friend to cancer a couple of years back. He, being an actual scientist (Industrial chemist) kept a detailed diary. Liver cancer. When the specialists performed a biopsy, (nasty and painful) the “cancerous” cells were found to be “bent” SKIN CELLS; (melanoma).
It is most likely that he absentmindedly scratched a small, itchy Melanoma, thus breaking off a few feral skin cells.
All that “Slip, Slop, Slap” caper is about is reducing the possibility of melanomas; primary self-care. You NEED some sun exposure to maintain your body’s production of Vitamin D, which facilitates bone growth and maintenance.
These feral melanoma cells were merrily pumped around his circulatory system before “lodging” in the big FILTER; the liver. And there they stayed and played, steadily reducing liver function by their expanding bulk.
This was not unfamiliar to me as my maternal grandmother went the same way rather quickly, in her 80’s. In her case the liver enlargement was rapid. The “growing” liver mass started pressing UPWARDS towards her heart, constantly and increasingly “loading” her heart and impeding circulation until her overworked heart, literally, “gave up the ghost”.
Crack that “immortal” cells caper and you might become a bit of a legend.
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I cared for a good female friend, and I mean friend, who was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer but she had never smoked, and at the time was several years older than I am.
The discovery was when she had a scan for other purposes and a dark spot was observed that later was diagnosed lung cancer. I took her into my home because there is more space than her home unit had and no stairs. She went downhill over a period of 15 months of chemotherapy first and then “contained” a short break or holiday and I drove her to visit her friends and relatives during that period including interstate. Then hospitalised and quickly placed in palliative care and died early COVID-19 January 2020 in a nursing home.
Watching the body deterioration and attending all doctors appointments and therapy it is an experience I will never forget.
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It sounds like it’s been a deep, life-changing experience for you. I admire your strength to live through this friend’s last months and days. These things help us look at life more sharply and with clearer vision, I believe. Each day is precious.
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I tend to remember every day Gerry and think I always will. It’s not only about losing a good friend, it was experiencing the decline and pain.
00
Dr Paul Marik has quite a bit to say on this.
https://open.substack.com/pub/imahealth/p/the-metabolic-trap-targeting-five?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web
One would not read this if first you read his Wikipedia entry, but I have greater respect for Marik than any government medical officer so might be worth reading?
10
How Chuck didn’t win an Oscar for that performance is beyond me. I’d say his use of the beer in this scene was all improvised.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfLTbzU0FXo
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Chuck Norris was once bitten by a king cobra snake.
After 5 days of terrible agony, ….the snake finally died ! 😂
90
No Kings protesters ‘angry’ as President Trump tells them that he has invited King Charles III to a state visit to the United States between April 27th and 30th, with a “beautiful Banquet Dinner at the White House on the evening of April 28th”.
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President and Mrs Trump arranged a State Banquet Dinner at the White House in 2019 for Australian Prime Minister Morrison and wife, all the pomp and ceremony that US does so well.
And over the following weekend private discussions at Mar-A-Lago from which the AUKUS Pillar 1.0 and 2.0 started, partnership signed 2021 in the UK by President Biden, UK PM Johnson and PM Morrison.
And the oil/fuel deal was another conversation benefiting Australia-US close relations, noting that the US and UK are the top of the Top 10 Foreign Owners invested in Australia. And for Asia-Pacific Region Australia is important for strategic military and even space management and exploration activities, Pine Gap joint base NT and various radio telescope installations, and ADF Bases.
20
FWIW – more over-steps?
“BREAKING: Federal Judge Orders Trump Administration to Halt Construction on Privately Funded White House Ballroom – Trump Responds”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/03/breaking-federal-judge-orders-privately-funded-trump-white/
00
And
“AYFKM? Judge Stops Trump’s Construction on White House Ballroom.
“The East Wing is already gone.
What exactly is the plan here? To just leave a half finished ballroom because some lib group sued out of spite?”
https://x.com/bonchieredstate/status/2039068343450079361
“Apparently, that’s exactly the plan.”
https://instapundit.com/786645/#disqus_thread
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As DJT commented, the funding is all from donations from very wealthy patriotic Americans
00
Donald Trump told Starmer to “go get your own oil”. Starmer refuses to allow North Sea Oil extraction, because he wants to ‘Save the Planet’ from boiling seas. Trump told Starmer “You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself”. The British refused to publish their secret energy deal with Communist China, despite facing questions in Parliament and before a select committee. However, the US State Department obtained information on the secret deal from US spies and expressed clear disapproval of the British surrender to Communist China. U.S. intelligence-sharing functions with the British under Five Eyes were then scaled back to zero. The US did not share intelligence with Starmer that it was going to attack Iran. The UK government’s reaction to the attack was one of shock and surprise. Lloyd’s of London was blindsided. The Marxist Idiots section 6 (MI6) are in panic mode. The 33 Freemasons of the City of London Corporation Court are holding an emergency meeting, as Trump destroys their world order. Starmer is holding an emergency Cobra meeting. Trump steps in with his plan to replace Lloyds and the City of London criminal class with the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). The DFC has launched a $20 billion reinsurance program for maritime reinsurance, in particular including war risk coverage in the Persian Gulf region. Then we can have peace.
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Every day is an emergency for Starmer.
I think that after a month he might have worked out that there was a war on.
The problem for Britain who can replace him? Much of the Labour Party and the bureaucracy seem even more incompetent.
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Since when was competence a requirement for high political office? Australia’s Federal ministers are the worst in a lifetime, including the PM himself.
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‘ … a requirement for high political office?’
On the other side, Angus Taylor is well educated but I doubt he has the qualifications to lead the country.
Andrew Hastie is regarded as a maverick among his peers because he has integrity and the electorate can see that. In addition the female voters take a shine to him, so I think he has the requirements to be PM in a liberal democracy.
13
His grandfather was the man in charge of the massive Snowy Mountain hydro project. There is education and there is competence and diligence and authority and a requisite talent in leadership, not just eliminating your rivals. Albanese’s vote was lower than that of Bill Shorten. He is PM by default only, which is a tragedy created by the Liberals who completely lost their way under Green zealot Malcolm Turnbull and his protege Morrison.
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Not easy growing up in the shadow of a successful grandfather, Andrew Hastie came from a more modest background.
‘His father Peter was a church pastor in Wangaratta, Victoria, and later in the inner Sydney suburb of Ashfield, where he helped launch Australia’s first Mandarin-speaking Presbyterian church.’ (wiki)
00
A mandarin speaking Presbyterian church sounds very challenging, unless you speak Mandarin already.
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“Worst in a lifetime”? You’re giving them far too little credit, they are the worst in the history of the country.
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Lloyds/C of L criminal class replaced by U.S.I.D.F.C.
Is this a material difference?
04
Or with Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance member Australia
10
Cant imagine a meeting being very Cobra with Starmer chairing it.
20
Video.
Dr Suneel Dhand talks about the new cholesterol guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association.
Junk science?
https://youtu.be/p5ePEx3ssxk
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Video:
Psychology of people who prefer to fix things rather than replace.
https://youtu.be/H0t_6-wDqf4
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Video:
From the US, likely applies elsewhere as well.
Why lawnmowers purchased in the US today likely will now last just 3 years, not 30 years like they did, back in the day.
https://youtu.be/lSyGQ5D2S2k
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Amateur and professional battery mowers are well up to the job these days anyway. Saves everyone choking on the fumes.
Under UK consumer law you have up to 6 years to make a claim for unsatisfactory quality. But after 6 months the onus shifts from assumption that the fault existed at purchase, to the purchaser having to supply the evidence; which makes it far harder (although your video would go a long way in that particular case).
50
I have a battery lawnmower and it is ok for hard to get into areas but not for the long runs that I used a ride-on tractor mover to deal with, and also have a self propelled Honda that I purchased for my father 1990s when he was getting old.
40
I am coming to the conclusion that cultivating a “lawn” that requires? the regular consumption of energy is a fool’s errand.
So I am doing the research required to replace the “green cancer” (so described by Bill Mollison), with static and mobile beds for “edibles”.
Being rendered unemployed and after six fruitless, (so to speak), years of “unemployment”, unemployable, I am now 70 years old, so, what the Hell.
Some “Mediterranean lawn”, (concrete) may also be involved. The top-soil here is “marginal” for everything except weeds. A bunch of poultry could be on the cards, (and baking trays), too.
Maybe my epitaph will be:
“He died with his secateurs in his hand”.
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My father aged 80 years died trying to start his 2-stroke lawn whipper snipper outside his garden shed and discovered sometime later when my Stepmother went looking for him to remind him it was lunchtime. Kneeling position, forehead on grass.
00
” Kneeling position, forehead on grass.”
2-stroke whipper snippers do that to you!
Bruce, I grow nearly all our veges & fruit. My wife organises, I plant, she looks after & I dig. 4 chickens run around the back lawn.
It makes me terribly suspicious of any food that looks perfect in the shops, or is freighted hundreds of miles, there is absolutely no substitute for food you pick off a tree and eat while standing under it.
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Otoh, one punnet of zucchini seedlings will dominate your gardening activities (serious one day growth) and test your marketing skills (as you try to give away the somewhat non-grocery standard produce).
the whipper snipper is a poor cousin to the petrol chain saw.
20
I have a bunch of Ryobi electric gardening tools, including a mower. Most are around four years old and the batteries have already lost a noticeable portion of capacity. One 5ah battery is now, I would estimate, holding only 50%. Replacements are $150!!
OTOH, my ten yr old Bosch 9.6v drill is still going strong on the original battery, which holds charge indefinitely it seems.
80
I opened up a Ozito drill battery recently that has 4 cells – nominally 12V. I was surprised that there was no cell balancing. The battery has charge and discharge protection but imbalance of midpoint shuts down the battery.
So it had crude imbalance detection but no means of restoring cell balance. I charged the low cell separately. Time will tell how long the rebalancing lasts.
Ryobi is a bit more expensive than Ozito but of similar class.
Some time ago I opened up the battery in a robot vacuum cleaner and found that the balancing circuit had not been connected to one of the connections between cells. The battery was losing capacity but it was due to one cell being low.
The batteries are usually screwed together but not much point opening up unless you can measure cell voltage then bring each cell up to rated voltage using an external power supply with accurate voltage setting. Li-ion cells charge to 4.2V. LiFePO4 charge to 3.6V.
If you overcharge a Li-ion cell it will likely catch fire. I have done that only once.
40
Milwaukee battery packs don’t include charge/discharge management, they bring each of the series cell voltages to a contact tab. Each charger and handtool has the necessary charge management/balancing electronics. This seems a better arrangement. There’s no reason for cells to monitor themselves when they’re not plugged into anything. I’ve seen Ryobi packs that had been left sitting on a shelf and the charge management went on draining them till they refused to do anything. Good for Ryobi, not so good for their customer.
Of course Milwaukee haven’t been generous passing on the cost savings of their “dumb” battery packs, but that’s another matter.
20
Havent seen a professional mowing service using electric mowers. Have seen a few using the 36V brush cutters.
70
Yes, I help a pro with his business occasionally, petrol mowers, ride-on and push, but Ozito hedge trimmers, blowers, chainsaws etc.
00
I have as Masport motor mower with a Briggs and Stratton engine.
Yes I have tried to repair it. I agree that the carburettor is very cheaply made. It is integral with the fuel tank.
My mower still runs but it does not shut down properly with the throttle any more.
60
Chinesium mowers…
Check out Chickanic on uselesstube for those that haven’t heard of her.
I have a Victa (Briggs&Stratton) 82v electric mower and it’s 6 years old now. Works perfectly. Hard to buy now though.
30
i second the referral to “Chickanic” for well-presented tech stuff.
There are several very competent “tradie-ladies” out there on the “tubes”.
Like “Blondihacks”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZJ45RIw77A
00
Self Efficacy. Outstanding.
My parents grew up during the Depression era. Father flew P-40’s and P-51’s in WWII. My brother and I grew up fixing everything if was even remotely possible to fix. We are both Engineers, now retired, but nevertheless successful Because of our upbringing. Everything was fixable, everything had value, everything was knowable if you simply applied yourself and were tenacious to the task.
I didn’t know it at the time, but my parents gave me enormous wealth in non-monetary terms. Self reliance, persistence, curiosity, respect for knowledge and education, respect for trades and skills. Respect for traditions, country, faith, values, and the dignity of all people.
I was blessed to have such parents.
190
Anyone else used a ‘human powered’ push mower back in the day? I remember it being very hard work even in my 20s, but then I would always leave it a bit too long between cuts (lazy, hungover days of youth), so that could have been the problem.
80
You’re not wrong! Even worse if the blades weren’t kept sharp.
In one of Spike Milligan’s “War Histories” there is a scene of Spike mowing, with his father sitting on a lawn chair telling him that “It will do you good” while ducking questions on why father was not also participating.
30
I’ve used one quite a lot in the past. We still have one although it’s not much use here to be sure. A Cox ride-on (petrol) is more helpful, with a 42 inch cut. It can be a tiring ride, with echidna and wombat diggings and takes 3 to 3 and 1/2 hrs around the home paddock.
20
One of the first jobs on moving into an Army quarter in UK or Germany was to anoint the mower liberally with penetrating oil in the hope that the blades could subsequently be adjusted.
Here in Australia we keep five sheep in small paddocks adjacent to the ‘home’ paddock. The sheep do a fine job of maintaining a fire break. I’ve played cricket on worse fields than those left by the sheep.
20
In a last ditch effort to save the planet from catastrophic climate change, the Albanese government is banning all CFC gasses used in air conditioners. A CSIRO scientist says that leakage from air conditioners is harming the ozone layer and creating cyclones, floods, fires and species extinction. Therefore, all air conditioners in private homes will be banned from December 2026. Government buildings will be exempt.
112
I thought that was a joke and you forgot the SARC tag but there is an element of truth.
CFCs in air con systems have long been banned leading to more expensive and less efficient refrigeration systems.
But now it’s been upped to a whole new level. The bans started last year.
70
Most of them now use Isobutane (lighter fluid) which is cheap and works well for cooling within the normal Australian temperature range … but with the downside that it also starts fires.
But with other household products getting safer, the total risk of household fire is trending down. Not so long ago people used to smoke in bed, use bar radiators, keep the same woven insulation jug cord for 30 years.
60
A flammable refrigerant is thought to have started the deadly fire in Grenfell Tower.
30
April Fuels Day
100
AFD eh? ( and I don’t mean that German political party either)
30
Still falling for that scam, a decade and a half after it was completely put to bed.
Human generated ozone depleting gases have less than SFA effect on the ozone layer, the whole thing was cooked up by DuPont Chemicals to sell HFCs because the patents on CFCs had run out and anybody who wanted to could manufacture them.
HFCs are less efficient, more flammable, and more expensive, so nobody wanted to use them.
30
100% True, and (as I arrived here a day late) saved me the trouble of drafting an identical comment!
10
I was awake at a ridiculous time and thought, it’s April fools day; what could I post that everyone on this site would know was a sarc comment. Thanks for the green thumbs. But one red one?
I had a long tirade of 511 words typed up yesterday and thought yeah/nah, I don’t need to bore the excellent people here with my angry comments about our federal leaders. /no sarc
10
Home Solar: https://xkcd.com/3226/
213
It’s not hypocritical to purchase solar systems but also not believe in the anthropogenic global warming scam.
It makes economic sense given grid scale coal and gas sourced electricity which would be among the cheapest forms of electricity in a free market (along with real hydro, not SH2, and nuclear) have been rendered uneconomic or inaccessible as a matter of Government policy.
If subsidies and forced purchase arrangements were removed, domestic solar would no longer be economic and grid scale solar and wind electricity would go out of their subsidy-harvesting business overnight.
381
Well said David. Nailed it.
80
Wow.They really get it.
It’s the Carbon Cycle stupid!
01
South Australia’s world record retail electricity price now makes off-grid rooftop solar an economic alternative. However most South Australians with rooftop solar are still reliant on Victorian lignite. Retail price would be 20% higher if there was no Victorian connection to lignite fueled generators.
Australia has all but de-industrialised. Cannot make stuff for the modern world without burning coal, which China now burns at 5,000,000,000 tonnes each year.
110
Practically ever night needing Vic or diesel, apparently our SA politicians haven’t worked out that it is dark at night and occasionally the wind doesn’t blow, as on January 26 when the whole State nearly went black. OK, a hot day, and humid (by SA standards) so air-conditioners were running. All batteries, including the BIG Battery were empty.
Only frantic buying at very, very high prices stopped the blackout else the recent election would have been different.
30
If I see another X post from someone from South Australia declaring
I’m going to scream.
Yes, we know that under the perfect sunny conditions during the middle of day rooftop solar is great. Makes the large scale wind and solar totally useless. I wish I had a dollar for every time that pops up, someone replies
Rant over.
90
With the rapid decline of Britain and massive demographic change due to open borders and high birthrate among the invaders, plus anti-energy policies, censorship and domination by the useful idiots of the extreme Left, King Charles III, who is infatuated with Mohammedism, may well be the last King of Britain, Northern Ireland and the Commonwealth.
The replacement population will want a Caliph who is generally not heriditary, not a heriditary King.
A discussion about King Charles’ ideology:
https://youtu.be/iWKzE6yPtmI
Those who don’t protect their countries or stand up for what they believe, are certain to lose them as we are seeing in UK and Western Europe in general, and even Australia.
161
His mother didn’t stand up for “her” people either.
She could have sacked governments when they foisted unwanted policies on their populace.
Mass Immigration was never campaigned on by a political party, never decided by a referendum, but Britain got lumbered with it, regardless … and she presided over it the whole time!
123
Looks like less power than you believe –
“Can the Queen sack the Prime Minister?
The Queen is responsible for appointing Prime Ministers, and whilst Queen Elizabeth II does have the power to sack the Prime Minister, it is highly unlikely that she would ever exercise it. This is because Her Majesty’s role in government is mostly a ceremonial one. And as Head of State, she also has to appear politically neutral and not seen to be favouring one party over another.
“The Queen’s powers rest on convention,” Vernon Bogdanor, professor of government at King’s College London told the Guardian. “She’s got quite wide legal powers but in a constitutional monarchy she shouldn’t use them except in very extreme circumstances, which I don’t think these would be.
“During her reign she has acted throughout on the advice of her prime minister and it has proved a good rule. If parliament is unhappy with anything, it is for parliament to take the relevant actions.”
https://www.goodto.com/royal-news/can-the-queen-sack-the-prime-minister-646848
50
i saw something yesterday which purported to show that “happiness” had fallen dramatically in some countries over the past few years, while remaining steady or even climbing in others. The claim was that this phenomenon was strongest in English-speaking countries. I would dispute that, or at least challenge the correlation. To me, it looked like the countries worst affected were those that had imported the most migrants from certain other cultures.
Australia was among those to have fallen furthest, along with the UK and Canada.
90
For an old bloke who grew up in the 1950-1960 period and with multicultural immigrants arriving from Europe and UK in droves the post 1970 Australia decline to the post 2000 period has been a major notably in cities change. And the criminal activities and threats of terrorism is a substantial expense to States and Federal budgets funding for security intelligence agencies and police.
And a recent something to think about, one Sydney inner Western Suburb of many Mosques has the most National Disability Insurance Scheme accredited service providers of all suburbs as reported recently. An investigative journalist visited an office building in a major suburban shopping centre and was treated like an intruder and threatened!!!
Gun laws aside suburban drive by shootings at houses and at people are regular events in Sydney, and Melbourne, much less in other capitals.
Most immigrants have become Australians including the more recent years/decades arrivals, and refugee resettlement intake yearly sent via UNHCR refugee camps now over 20,000 a year up from Howard years 13,000 average. Australia was last time I checked third per capital for accepting refugees after USA and Canada, Norway fourth.
However, there are far too many who were illegal asylum seekers who arrived by people smuggler vessels from Indonesia used as the sailing point after flying there from other countries, like Pakistan for people from Afghanistan who ignore UNHCR camps and pay people smugglers.
The beginning of the real troublemaking was 1970s when the Fraser Government attempted to rescue “oppressed minority” Lebanese and later abandoned the project when the Maronite Christians exposed the Muslims masquerading as Christians entering Australia with them.
40
On the topic of pommy demographic changes, I spotted this a while back:
https://imgbox.com/b3y3A1B5
Whities halved in 30 years.
70
Interesting to see that chart for the Capital cities in Aussie, postcode by postcode…
30
Sydney Western inner suburbs have been hotspots for fraudulent activities for many years, 1980s I remember the “rebirthing” of stolen cars, buying insurance write-off wrecks at auctions and transferring the identification numbers onto the stolen cars then sold interstate.
Insurance companies investigators staking out known “accident” areas where a couple of cars with passengers would arrive, passengers get out, drivers “crash” the cars at the T-Intersection and passengers jump back on board with back, neck and other insurance claims “injuries”.
And they are the tip of the iceberg
00
No chart, but still a rough idea.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/they-come-from-across-the-world-but-where-do-migrants-settle-in-sydney-20260304-p5o7fz.html
01
FWIW
“The Fake News About Enoch Powell”
“It is sometimes claimed – most often by those on the ‘soft Right’ I find – that Enoch Powell and his ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech did more harm than good and made discussion of immigration impossible to have in subsequent decades. I believe this to be profoundly untrue, for reasons I will now set out.”
https://thenewconservative.co.uk/the-fake-news-about-enoch-powell/
Worth reading IMO
Via https://www.smalldeadanimals.com/2026/03/31/tuesday-on-turtle-island-187/
And other things there
10
Wednesday morning music.
Spotnicks, “Telstar”, 1962.
https://youtu.be/YimmRJXM2js
Here’s a question for you. That music appears vaguely familiar and was possibly used in the opening of a TV series. Any ideas?
41
The piece is called Telstar. Forget which band originally played it but the Models did a cover back in the 80s. I prefer their version.
40
Huh!
First time I’ve heard that cover version, so thanks David.
The song was originally from the UK band The Tornados, and they were considered at the time the song was written by Joe Meek in 1962 to be almost the equal of The Shadows. (and that didn’t happen)
Back in the early days of my contributions at what is my home site, I had a series called Sunday Music, and I wrote about the song, with the accompanying video.
Sunday Music – Telstar by the Tornados from June 2009.
Interesting how Joe worked out the (satellite!!) sound effects intro for the song. Also, one of the first songs to use a keyboard hooked up to a rudimentary original Synthesiser.
Umm, the actual original satellite Telstar, the first solar panels in space, eh! And still in orbit now, although just floating around inoperative.
Tony.
80
Thanks Tony. The original Telstar 1 ceased to function on 21st February 1963 due to it sustaining radiation damage from a US high altitude nuclear test, the famous Starfish Prime.
There are also so-called zombie satellites which are old defunct satellites whose batteries are dead but they become active in the sun when their solar panels become active. Many of these old satellites can be accessed by radio amateurs as their are no passwords or other restrictions on them.
30
Somewhat grainy video of a live performance of The Tornados performing Telstar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaujyYu393E
And, lest we forget, Telstar as performed by The Shadows . Hank Marvin is marvelous.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPA1OrpXp9I
30
Thanks Lance.
Ahh, music, you can go off on so many tangents, so, thankfully, I’m not going to be off topic here eh! And the tangent I’ll take here in the long run here might seem a long waaaaay off.
See that old Tornados clip. Well the drummer is Clem Cattini, and while a seemingly obscure mention here, he was also a famed Sessions drummer. In a manner similar to The Wrecking Crew, based out of LA, that huge U.S. group of Session musicians that literally every artist and band used as backing for their albums, there was a similar group of Session musicians in the UK as well, and Clem was on call for that group, for so many artists and bands in the UK. As you read his bio at Wikipedia I linked to, have a look at the hits he appeared on as drummer, and the artists he backed up. (and so little music we know so well was ‘done’ by the original artists and bands)
Okay, so here comes the left field …..
One of the songs he backed was Whispering Grass, performed by Don Estelle and Windsor Davies, two of the stars of the TV Series It Ain’t Half Hot Mum from the 70s, a SitCom I could never really get into.
Here’s my own Sunday Music post about that song.
Don’t press play until you look at the two of them at the start, dressed in their uniforms from the TV series.
The short overweight guy looks so out of place. That’s Don Estelle.
Then press play and when he opens his mouth, hear that beautiful voice.
Sunday Music – Whispering Grass Don Estelle and Windsor Davies.
Tony.
PostScript – That LA based group of Session Musicians called The Wrecking Crew. They were (literally) a who’s who of some of the best musicians on the Planet, and when you look at the list of some of their members, you’ll see what I mean. Glen Campbell was one guitarist in The Crew, before his solo career, and he was the major playing artist and contracted for Ovation Guitars. They got that name because so many artists and bands used them and their studios on their music, (like I said, so much music we heard was all down to The Wrecking Crew) and the thinking was that the artists and bands couldn’t exactly reproduce the Studio album music on their live concerts, that this collection of specialist musicians was going to wreck the music industry.
50
Thanks. Brings back memories.
10
Deepwater discoveries: scientists find more than 110 new fish and invertebrate species in the Coral Sea
71
What? I thought the oceans were boiling and we were suffering massive, unprecedented species extinction.
231
They are the new green variety fish already cooked ready to eat
sarc
60
That crossed my mind straightaway!
20
Green fish?
Yep!
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%2Fid%2FOIP.Qhr7ToLDMVppPMmjxxoTMgHaEK%3Fpid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=63efd3f7e7372ca9fec055040efeeee38b5c78ad23b5208f61193fedd1c4547e&ipo=images
00
Peter, did you share that with us here because you knew pro-science people here would be interested but they wouldn’t publish that on Leftist media because it doesn’t fit the Official Narrative?
120
Like this media outlet?
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-01/new-species-discoveries-in-coral-sea/106518134
12
David said leftist media. It is legislated that the ABC be independent and impartial. Are you admitting they’re not by your categorising them as leftist?
100
Nice catch. Self immolating comment.
30
Based on UN Agenda-21 Sustainability signed 1990 by Keating Labor Australia and creation of Marine National Parks banning commercial fishing in what were commercial fishing hot spots there has been a major reduction in the number of licensed commercial fishers and trawlers, most fishing cooperatives for wholesale distribution and often retail outlet attached have shut down. Taxpayers compensation to commercial fisherman was substantial.
And now having been self sufficient with seafood supply from pristine waters Australia now imports farmed seafood from Asia Pacific countries and imported seafood is the main supply.
Meanwhile in the economic zone Australia claims as Territorial Waters factory processing and fishing ships from countries including China have been operating without restrictions
100
As I have shown by comments and links the implementation of renewable energy and transition away from fossil fuels was legislated into law after 2007 when Rudd Labor replaced the Howard Government and Rudd Labor then ratified the Kyoto emissions reduction agreement that Howard Government had treated carefully with no mandates and requirement not to adversely impact the economy.
Rudd Gillard Labor and supported by State Governments (a constitutional law requirement of Federation of States that formed Commonwealth of Australia) created many of the climate politics based laws and regulations often passed off blaming the Coalition governments ignoring the resistence hampered by the Federation laws and regulations and political processes to repeal, example Senate blocking.
Regarding commercial fishing;
https://www.wafic.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Factsheet.pdf
21
I don’t rely on this source but the information provided is relevant I believe;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_marine_parks
10
No it wasn’t. Howard introduced the legislation for the RET in 2000 to be effective from 1 Jan 2001:
https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A00767/latest/text
It expires on 1 Jan 2031.
Rudd increased the target and Abbott pulled it back but not as far as he wanted. Abbott realised it was an economic disaster. Turnbull’s family was already making big bucks from it so it was paramount that he roll Abbott to keep raking in the money.
I am yet to see any evidence showing that any of them realise how much damage they have done to the Australian economy.
70
That is not what you seem to believe it is;
https://leap.unep.org/en/countries/au/national-legislation/electricity-industry-act-2000-no-68
00
And by Constitutional Law primary responsibility for electricity supply is State Governments, note that the coal fired power station fleet and interconnected interstates grid were state public assets.
Snowy Hydro was a Federal Project (Commonwealth of Australia) with shares held by NSW and VIC governments, until Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro Project when the Commonwealth acquired all State shareholdings for $6 billion and that, I understand, is part of the cost
00
Only so far as states retained mineral rights under the Constitition. So electricity from coal and gas are de facto exclusively controlled by the States. That is a major reason for the Commonwealth to outlaw them and seize power with windmills and solar, neither of which are controlled by the Constitution. Literal centralization of (electrical) power in Canberra is behind everything.
40
It is exactly what I believe it is. The legislation that established the Renewable Energy Target. It was set up by the Howard government, not the Rudd government.
It will remain in operation till 1 Jan 2031. But it has been ineffective in promoting investment since early 2020s. All new investments are under AEMO contracts with guaranteed return on project agreed capital cost.
20
Australia’s Howard revises Clean Energy Target
Monday, 24 September 2007
Australian Prime Minister John Howard has announced a tripling of the country’s Clean Energy Target, to about 15% of total energy supplies, by 2020. The new policy will broaden the technology options to include nuclear power and carbon capture & storage.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard has announced a tripling of the country’s Clean Energy Target, to about 15% of total energy supplies, by 2020.
Responding to populist sentiment before a November federal election, Howard has done a political backflip and announced a tripling of the low-carbon electricity supply target. Currently this forces retailers to source a proportion of their power from renewable sources or pay a penalty. The new policy will broaden the technology options to include nuclear power and carbon capture & storage (CCS).
Mr Howard said that his new initiative was “to gather up all of the different state schemes, many of which are contradictory or at the very least dissimilar.” He added, “What in essence we want is to consolidate all of the states’ schemes into a single national scheme. This will reduce costs for business, and ultimately for households.”
The present Mandated Renewable Energy Target (MRET) of 9500 GWh per year becomes 30,000 GWh per year from low-emission sources by 2020, expected to account for about 12-15% of the nation’s power then. In 2004, the government had rejected calls to double the MRET, saying that the likely cost of A$5 billion ($4.3 billion) was unjustified. The new plan is expected to cost A$7.5 billion ($6.5 billion) on a discounted basis, or A$1 billion ($0.9 billion) per year in crude terms (if allowances sell for 3.3 Ac/kWh (0.29 USc/kWh)).
Today only designated renewable technologies are eligible, but the new target will allow any technology producing less than 200g of greenhouse gases per kWh to qualify. Hence clean coal technologies might make it, as would nuclear – though the government dismissed suggestions that there would be any nuclear power on line by 2020.
The Business Council of Australia urged the government to focus on implementing an effective emissions trading scheme, rather than relying on targets. The New South Wales government’s recent Owen report on electricity supply rationalization had made the point that unless there was a clear carbon emission price, investment decisions would not be made.
00
The Rudd Labor government introduced a mandatory renewable energy target (MRET) aimed at achieving 20% renewable energy in Australia’s electricity supply by 2020. This initiative was part of a broader strategy to reduce carbon emissions and promote renewable energy sources.
Key Features of the Renewable Energy Target
Target Achievement: The goal was to reach a 20% share of renewable energy in electricity generation by 2020.
Emission Reduction: The target aimed to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 325 million tonnes over a 12-year period.
Economic Responsibility: Kevin Rudd emphasized that the target was economically responsible and achievable, considering existing capacity constraints.
Legislative Context
The MRET was part of a larger framework to transition Australia towards cleaner energy sources.
It was designed to support the renewable energy industry and create jobs, reversing the trend of renewable energy companies leaving Australia.
10
10
This link and explanations detailed might help understanding.
Fact remains that Rudd Labor ratified the Kyoto Agreement 1997 after forming Government in 2007, and legislated for Renewable Energy Target.
Gillard Labor after 2010 legislated Carbon Tax 10% (and hidden in Service To Property Charge Retail invoices Renewable Energy Surcharge 10%), that was an interim step towards Rudd Emissions Trading Scheme that the Minister for Energy confirmed would be joining the EU Government ETS in the future and meanwhile 10% of the Carbon Tax 10% was being remitted to the UNIPCC
10
In 2014, the Abbott government initiated efforts to repeal the Renewable Energy Target (RET) in Australia. This policy was originally established to encourage the use of renewable energy sources, but the government argued that it was negatively impacting electricity prices and the economy.
Reasons for Repeal
Economic Concerns: The Abbott government claimed that the RET was contributing to rising electricity costs, which they believed was detrimental to households and businesses.
Political Opposition: The repeal faced significant opposition from environmental groups and political opponents, who argued that the RET was essential for promoting clean energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Political Context
The debate over the RET was part of a broader discussion on climate change and energy policy in Australia during Abbott’s tenure.
The government’s push to repeal the RET was met with strong resistance, leading to a contentious political environment surrounding energy policy.
10
” Australia now imports farmed seafood from Asia Pacific countries “… which is why I haven’t eaten fish for years. You should never eat food from emerging capitalist countries, no health standards yet but all the greed of maximising profit and minimising costs.
90
Have to agree there KP. had a little bit to do with this way back when. Prawns particularly. Antibiotics that were banned for prawn farms in Australia were regularly found in the imported ones from developing nations. No problem, the government understands that if we don’t let these products in then the said countries may not take our beef.
I think its called “the blind eye syndrome”
50
you OK Dennis?
Signed two years before Agenda 21. How precient. Even more amazing that Prime Minister keating signed this a year before being primer minister.
30
I apologise, Keating Labor Government 1992 ….
Agenda 21 was adopted by 178 governments, including Australia, at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro on June 13, 1992. The Australian government has implemented various national strategies and agreements to support sustainable development, aligning with Agenda 21’s goals.
20
I am sometimes guilty of using my memory bank of information and not checking
00
Yep!
Sometimes our “mental notes” are not worth the paper they are written on.
00
Message from President TRUMP on Truth Social.
Why should places like Europe, Japan and Australia get the benefit of oil but not be prepared to do any of the work to get or secure it and rely on the US? It’s not fair.
201
Boosting Australia’s fuel security;
https://www.scottmorrison.com.au/media/boosting-australias-fuel-security
00
You are right of course … Trump should become a global campaigner for fairness. Great idea!
10
Funny how he leaves out just buy it through normal trade like you used to before I blew up the Gulf.
56
” The hard part is done. ”
haha! He’s done the easy bit, building profits for his military-industrial complex by using their weapons to blow up bits of Tehran, while keeping his men well out of harms way. Now its got to crunch time with an invasion needed and he is chickening out.
He’s lost bases in the surrounding countries and now their Govts are not happy about having American military targets at home, and his attacks get more meaningless each day.
312
And the UK has half a million citizens as residents in the UAE. But nothing like the 4 million Muslims it has imported into the UK. For the UK to take sides with Israel against the UN is unthinkable by the Starmer governments. Which was my original point.
70
‘You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore,’
Its the end of NATO and AUKUS, the American Alliance is on the skids.
02
It’s the UK alliance which is on the skids. The UK is no longer a world power militarily or increasingly economically. The UK abandoned Australia in WWII, most notably after their surrender of Australian troops in Singapore while Australia backed the UK in the deserts of Africa until we had to bring our troops home for our own defence. For America, it is a marriage of necessity as common Anglophone democratic neighbours with NZ on the Pacific rim. Meanwhile Paul Keating and his Labor party plus Mark Carney and Canada have completely switched to being satellites of China.
30
Musings from an octogenarian in the 21st century.
A couple of days ago had to visit a sick relative in a large suburban hospital, the staff and the care given was excellent, the very noticeable thing, the vast majority of all staff were female, not complaining just saying not a 50 50 mix. Tried to get out of the hospital car park quite late at night, couldn’t get the pay machine to accept my ticket, eventually a security guard told me I had to scan the ticket instead of placing it in a slot. oh well. Next morning tried to cut the relatives grass, no acreage, just a postage stamp front and back.
Got out their electric mower and off we go. Tiny grass catcher needed emptying every run up, not like a fuel powered mower by any means. Battery went flat before the first bit was done. Mower design meant that battery withdrawal was damn near impossible, neatly tucked into the receiver with no room to get a grip! Put in new battery but that didn’t finish the job either, darn. Went back to the hospital, parking gate just opened to allow entry, didn’t realise I had bought a 24 hour pass but number plate recognition did remember. I am struggling to keep pace with the constant changes!
130
Joke – why do older people seek to marry younger people?
To guide them with IT Age technology of course.
50
Australia is set to gain a multi-billion windfall over the next five years from the war in Iran due to skyrocketing coal and gas export prices, according to a report by Westpac senior economist Pat Bustamante.
“Higher-than-assumed commodity prices are expected to deliver the federal budget a windfall of almost $60bn over the five years to FY30,” Mr Bustamante wrote.
“Around $20bn of this uplift reflects the impact of the Middle East conflict, particularly via higher coal and LNG export prices. This more than offsets the $2.6bn cost of halving the fuel excise for three months.”
news.com
10
‘Australian subjects are set to pay a multi-billion windfall over the next five years from the war in Iran due to skyrocketing import prices,’ is the other side of the same coin!
Expect your standard of living to continue falling…
50
Might have been a lot more without the fixed price China deal, but one cannot dwell on such things
20
Mark Carnage, Canadian “leader” who loves the Chicomms like most Australian politicians, says (effectively) child or forced labour is OK in China because others also do it.
31
FWIW
French and diplomacy
“Air Canada CEO Resigns After Backlash for Not Offering Condolences in French
March 30, 2026 | Sundance | 91 Comments”
And the video there
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2026/03/30/air-canada-ceo-resigns-after-backlash-for-not-offering-condolences-in-french/
00
Apparently he does not speak French. Probably did not wish to slaughter the language for a serious announcement , at least no more than Canadian French already does. You would think he would have arranged another speaker though. Hardly seems a hanging offence.
40
Accidental red thumb.
10
Sic transit Spain:
https://www.danielgreenfield.org/2026/03/spain-euthanizes-girl-raped-by-migrants.html
11
“Unless they embrace migration, they will experience a sharp demographic decline.””
Too bad they didn’t concentrate on the second option instead of the first! Robots are capable of replacing essential people and they don’t rape women. We need to investigate economic systems that allow for declining populations rather than endless population growth.
60
Carousel at 30, KP?
00
A sign of the times in Oz
https://imgbox.com/NdGKKLOb
40
Reminds me of the idiot in Adelaide who purchased hundreds of toilet rolls and sanitiser during the WuFlu scare. Later on he tried to sell it back to the store but the store refused to take it back.
Skynews reported on this idiot… 4 minutes duration.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0IOQ9oLpjA
20
They just wiped him?
lol
40
President Trump’s motives behind the Iran war and why NATO and the UK are losers who haven’t figured it out yet:
https://hannenabintuherland.com/usa/the-iran-war-financial-story-how-america-is-creating-a-new-trade-order-without-europe/
20
“The traditional global security order centered on NATO and globalist free trade City of London is collapsing. The U.S. is now attempting to assert direct physical and financial control over key global energy infrastructure, and Europe does not want to participate.”
..or Europe has not understood what is happening..
“U.S. government agency is now underwriting maritime trade insurance in the Gulf, replacing Lloyd’s of London. This shift undermines City of London’s 300-year-old control over global maritime trade insurance, signalling a structural economic transition of massive dimensions.”
Ouch..
“The U.S. is now attempting to assert direct physical and financial control over key global energy infrastructure” is the important part as the Empire seizes what it can in it’s death throes and ignores the complaints of its minions.
00
Climate chnge is severe in Canberra.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04-01/fears-for-superb-fairy-wrens-as-experts-predict-extinction/106520198
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Build more bird mincers and get it done faster.
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Or just keep building transmission lines through native forests for renewbles
20
Funny, my daughter who lives there hasn’t noticed any global warming this last year… I’d say their ‘science’ is suspect!
20
“Political Science”:
SPIT!
00
FWIW
“Stock Market Up! Hormuz to Open! Trump and Hegseth at Odds! CHAOS!”
https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2026/03/31/stock-market-up-hormuz-to-open-trump-and-hegseth-at-odds-n4951298
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Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) calls the shots, and the civilian government is basically powerless.
They are the equivalent of the German WW2 SS combined military, police and intelligence.
And major beneficiaries (the top brass) of income creamed off Iran Government revenue collected from oil and other sources. Therefore cut off their revenue streams and they are in panic mode
30
Apparently that refinery outside Tehran that burnt was their “pot of gold”
30
I am surprised that so many highly experienced, at least – positioned, people talk and act surprised how ME war progresses – “the world economy at the edge of collapse !!!!”
Hormuz Strait can not even be compared with North Atlantic theatre of war and Trump is technically more able to meet this challenge that Churchill ever was.
If and when he wants.
This war often called East v West, I call it World v Trump.
At the moment Trump wins, maybe he will win another major battle or two, maybe he will be rolled back a bit.
There is a minuscular chance that current administration will loose the whole war, like he is 80 years old, is he not?
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FWIW – the email sender added
” I would add in ‘fake economic theory’ but maybe it is covered by fake money!”
From x
“I think I know why everything sucks… …and it’s because everything is fake. We are getting fake college degrees that cost 4 years and six figures that teach you fake education and get you fake jobs. We are eating fake food, with fake ingredients, funded by fake research. We are scrolling through fake lives, with fake relationships, who take fake, curated vacations to promote brands that make fake products. We are voting for fake candidates, who run on fake promises, inside a fake system that was never designed to fix anything. We are raising kids in fake schools that teach fake history, fake science, which quietly produce fake adults who can’t think for themselves. We are watching fake news, about fake crises, produced by fake journalists, for fake outrage. We are borrowing fake money that was printed from nothing, to fund a fake economy that would collapse in an afternoon if people stopped pretending it was real. We are buying fake organic food that’s just a paid label, and drinking fake juice with two percent juice in it, and putting fake cheese on cheeseburgers that’s just “cheese product” on fake burger meat. We are donating to fake nonprofits where the moeny never makes it to the people and then funding fake foreign aid that buys real weapons to prop up fake governments. We are going to fake therapy that teaches fake coping skills instead of telling you hard truths. We are buying fake furniture made of fake wood that’s actually compressed sawdust and glue that looks like wood, ships in fourteen boxes with instructions written in a fake language that isn’t quite any language, requires tools it doesn’t include, takes 4 hours to build, wobbles on day 1, and is totally destroyed in 6 months. We are downloading fake “free” apps that charge a subscription after three days for AI features that don’t work, hidden behind a paywall we didn’t see, protected by a privacy policy we didn’t read, buried inside Terms of Service written by lawyers specifically so we wouldn’t read them, that we agreed to by tapping a button the size of a thumbnail, that gave a company we’ve never heard of the right to sell our data to companies we’ll never hear of, to build a profile on us we’ll never see, to influence decisions we’ll never know were made. IT. IS. ALL. FAKE. And we all yearn for what was once real. Don’t you remember? Did you forget? There was a time with a simple handshake between men was a contract. When bread went stale because… well, that’s what real bread does! When kids played outside all day until it was dark, and nobody tracked them. When a family could live off a single income. When music was made by people who LIVED something real and you could feel it. When schools was HARD… and that was the point! When doctors knew your name and your family, they even came to your house, When you bought something once… and it was yours forever. When the chair your grandmother bought once lasted 70 years and she passed it onto your dad. And now nothing is real, and that’s why everything sucks.”
https://x.com/mattvanswol/status/2038700609205903688
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Fake women deserves its own thread. 🤭
10
And then there was a fake Pandemic where the average age of death from alleged Pandemic was older than average life expectancy.
Making the fakeness obvious.
30
FWIW
“Jennifer Newsom Took Her Kids on a ‘Red State Tour’ to Gawk at the Conservative Peasants”
https://pjmedia.com/chris-queen/2026/03/30/jennifer-newsoms-red-state-safari-shows-just-how-out-of-touch-californias-elites-really-are-n4951246
Haven’t the “Southern Snobbies” been doing that to Qld since back in BC?
10
Good to see the old QLD chip on the shoulder is still firmly in place
01
You might recall that the best tellers of Irish jokes are the Irish?
Example – back in the early days of TV (the black and white) there was a training course being held in Victoria and there was bus.
One morning two from Qld were a bit slow to gather. One was at the room door and noticed a runner being despatched to rally them.
Says to the other bloke “Quick! Turn the TV on”.
The runner arrived to see them sitting on their beds watching test patterns and telling each other what a great thing TV is.
Such is the way legends are created
00
“Eh Gawd”!
And then we do this!
“QLD Hospitals to Tackle Climate Change by Not Discarding Precious Metals”
Eric Worrell observation
“Of course, if you are thinking of searching for precious metals in hospital waste, the downside of dumpster diving in a hospital waste is all the nasty pathogens. Which is probably why suspect items get discarded regardless of how precious they are.
As for the other items on the list, as far as I can tell most of the green measures being adopted are the kind of pointless virtue signalling we’ve come to expect.”
More at
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/03/31/qld-hospitals-to-tackle-climate-change-by-not-discarding-precious-metals/
10
But then I recall that Goss and Rudd imported a rash of Victorians to show us how to run things in QLD
00
Essentially: “population replacement”.
00
Passing by 2 service stations this afternoon I notice that fuel prices had dropped 30 cents per litre overnight.
Also (according to The Australian) PM Albo will address the public tonight at 7 pm Eastern Standard time. Probably on the ABC so that means I will miss it.
30
FWIW
“Breaking: British Judge Lays a BOOMITY on Starmer’s Diego Garcia Give Away”
“Holy SMOKES!!!
This is so delicious, I hardly know where to start.
Well…okay.
Ear-to-ear grin firmly in place, lemme ‘splain what just happened in a case I’ve been following for two years.
When last we saw dour Keir Starmer, the squeamish, double-dealing British Prime Minister of accumulating infamy, he had first denied permission for the United States to use our joint base on the Chagos Archipelago island of Diego Garcia, and then quickly tapdanced that back as the United States president blasted him (and his Chagos Island giveaway to the corrupt government of Mauritius, which is also rapidly becoming a Chinese proxy). Not to mention, those with knowledge of the treaties signed between Great Britain and the US pointed out that nowhere was it required that the US request ‘permission,’ only that they do the courtesy of a heads-up that they’d be in town for business.
So suck a stone, Starmer.
Adding to the milquetoast PM’s discomfiture was the fact that a few of the displaced Chagossians themselves, long discarded by the Starmer regime as nobodies in the dispute over their homeland, had, unbeknownst to anyone, paddled on out to the islands and set up camp, reclaiming their if not ancestral home, their traditional one.
Starmer was incensed, of course – how dare they – and sent a harshly worded letter off to the beachdwellers demanding they remove themselves immediately or face removal via some sort of British naval action.
This had quite the opposite effect in England than the PM had hoped. Snickering British citizens noted that the man could hardly keep little rubber boats full of African migrants from France from landing by the score every single day of the week, and yet he was going to launch a removal effort for British citizens – which Chagossians are – on an island they had every right to claim some thousands of miles out in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
It was all too ludicrous to even believe.”
And more gets you to the background of the headline.
https://hotair.com/tree-hugging-sister/2026/03/31/breaking-british-judge-lays-a-boomity-on-starmers-diego-garcia-give-away-n3813449
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Senator Babet and alien disclosure
https://x.com/senatorbabet/status/2039123414582243495/
‘Tis that time of year..
20
We have been here for thousands of years.
10
Read The Earth Chronicles, author Sitchin, non-fiction, research based on Sumerian, Babylonian and Christian Bible records contents, in particular the book Genesis Revisited.
By the way, I asked an in vitro fertilisation specialist about what is described in Genesis Revisited after he confirmed he had read the book during a social gathering conversation, he replied primitive compared to modern technology but accurate description.
10
As if Australia couldn’t get any more dysfunctional, it does.
Since the Victorian forestry industry was mostly shut down, and there is severe regulatory hurdles logging anywhere else in Australia, Australia now imports Australian timber species grown in plantations in South America.
Unbelievable!
Australia is committing suicide.
80
It is all in accordance with the climate politics agenda planning
20
Another example a few years ago the Tasmania State Government alliance minority decided to go with Greens demands and designated State Forest set aside long ago for sustainable logging to be changed to a UN registered National Parks & Wildlife managed National Park, the timber mills, logging crew and vehicles, local towns were all devastated by the losses
30
Yet Tassie still wants other states to financially support them.
20
Stacks of native timber being cut down for wind farms on forested ridges, I wonder where it goes..
40
“Australia is committing suicide”?
NO: It is being MURDERED by the usual suspects and their “cheer-squads” in the LSM.
IN PLAIN SIGHT.
00
I was thinking of posting this comment in The Australian, against this comment piece, “Canberra’s energy elite: the central planners with no plan.” (Australia’s fuel security failures exposed amid price surge), but I’m pretty sure it would have been rejected.
Our transition to renewable energy is like a man wearing a dress, they make a pretty ugly woman, like our renewable energy transition makes a pretty ugly energy source.
30
There will be no “transition ” apart from the spreadsheet version much loved by the ACT Govt and supermarket PR departments.
30
FWIW
Email from Advanesaustralia
“Elbow” has caved on the 42 more politicians
So watch the back door
30
FWIW
“GOOD: Defanging the Mullahs.”
Including bypass pipelines to the Mediterranean
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2026/03/defanging-the-mullahs.php
It seems to me that puts Oz at the wrong end of the lever?
Via https://instapundit.com/786728/#disqus_thread
10
Has anything changed in 42 years? It’s all about the oil.
10
Of course it’s all about the oil, why wouldn’t it be?
Being smart Trump knows that a peaceful world needs an orderly energy market. The US is self-sufficient in oil/gas and has plenty of coal so they’re OK.
Venezuela’s oil production was destroyed. It can now be brought back on line over the years with the main beneficiary being the Venezuelan people The same will happen in Iran, the people, both Arab and Persian will benefit from trading oil at full market price to whoever wants it.
21
Is Venezuelan oil now being sold freely on the open market?
US-Controlled Oil Sales Under Sanctions Relief
Venezuelan oil is not being sold freely on the open market in the traditional sense, but under a U.S.-supervised framework that allows limited trade. In early 2026, following the U.S. capture of President Nicolás Maduro in January, the U.S. Treasury Department issued general licenses that partially eased sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector. This allows companies to legally buy and trade Venezuelan crude, but with significant restrictions.
Crucially, payments cannot go directly to PDVSA or other sanctioned Venezuelan entities. Instead, all proceeds are funneled into a U.S.-supervised fund based in Qatar, ensuring Washington controls the cash flow. The U.S. has positioned this as a way to revive Venezuela’s oil-dependent economy while preventing funds from reaching Maduro-aligned actors.
My bolding.
It doesn’t look as if Trump is taking the oil as spoils of war as so many accuse, just controlling the cash.
10
That’s fair pricing for heavy crude, no rip-off involved.
10
Key points:
Oil-for-Loan Model: China provided Venezuela with tens of billions of dollars in loans, primarily through the China Development Bank, with the agreement that the debt would be repaid in oil shipments.
Deep Discounts: The oil was sold to China at significant discounts (e.g., $13-15 per barrel below benchmarks) due to its heavy quality, high transportation costs, and the substantial credit risk associated with Venezuela’s economic and political instability.
Debt Restructuring, Not Reduction: When Venezuela struggled to repay, China restructured the debt by granting grace periods (e.g., allowing interest-only payments in 2016 and 2020) and easing repayment terms (like reducing required daily shipment volumes). This eased the burden but did not forgive the principal. As of early 2026, Venezuela was estimated to still owe China between $10 billion and $15 billion.
Post-2026 Intervention: After the U.S. seized control of Venezuela’s oil exports in January 2026, the mechanism changed. The U.S. stated that China could still buy the oil, but only at “fair market prices,” not the previously discounted “debt-for-oil” prices, and the proceeds would be controlled by the U.S.
This was debt trap enslavement.
20
Are you nuts!
Both those sources of oil will be owned and controlled by the Yanks if they can, and with the main beneficiary being the American people!! Those dirty peasants in the third world can starve for all America cares, you only have to look at how they treat any country that disagrees with them.
“The same will happen in Iran, the people, both Arab and Persian will benefit from trading oil at full market price to whoever wants it.”
They WERE benefiting from it until America moved in a month back and destroyed it for everyone!
“all proceeds are funneled into a U.S.-supervised fund based in Qatar, ensuring Washington controls the cash flow. ”
THAT is what Trump is aiming for, total control of the world’s oil, all excuses for his actions are just BS!
Jeez H, the pension isn’t that bad, you don’t have to work for the CIA!
11
You have not given 1 oz of support for your vitriolic claims. I at least did an AI search for my posts.
How much do the Russians pay, should I turn my coat?
31
In the not-so-distant past, there were the “Seven Sisters”.
No, this is NOT a furry tail. As trade and geo-politics ebbed and flowed, some arose and some went away.
The “Seven Sisters” were the outfits that controlled the world’s oil, from exploration to retail outlets.
Standard Oil of New Jersey – renamed Exxon, Standard Oil of New York – Mobil, Standard Oil of California – Chevron, Gulf Oil Corporation and Texaco, Anglo-Dutch Royal Dutch Shell, British Anglo-Iranian Oil Company—British Petroleum.
Only four of the Seven Sisters survive today. Strategic mergers among them have allowed Exxon-Mobil, Chevron, Royal Dutch Shell and British Petroleum (previously Colonial Oil Refineries). to be the most serious players. The totally opaque Chinese operations are another consideration.
Times change, apparently; so where are we today, with galloping corporate statism and “”modern” creative accounting?.
00