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
Now that under 16 are banned from social media, does that mean every adult visiting certain sites will have to verify their details?
https://reclaimthenet.org/australia-imposes-mandatory-online-verification-to-access-social-media
140
I understand that youtube is on the ban, I use it still, no log in, no id checks, nothing looks any different.
So is it working…. no idea. I don’t use the other sites so I can’t tell.
It could all just be a damp squib.
140
I can still access my social media sites, for now, so they appear to have determined that I’m over 16.
There are numerous reports of under 16’s logging in with fake photos and even a dog photo, which the AI determined waa for an over 16.
Of course, the e Safety Kommissar and Government knew it would fail.
Hence their next move will likely be compulsory digital ID for anyone who wants an account and all your social media missives will be attached to your person number for purposes of social credit or re-education if you have incorrect thoughts.
It’s tragic that children are being denied access to huge information sources about hobbies, history, science etc. and debates on topics like supposed anthropogenic global warming.
It’s as bad or worse than denying children access to a library, but unfortunately children and even adults don’t read much these days. And also information is instantly accessible on line. And libraries aren’t interactive.
As George Carlin said:
With this social media ban, the dumbing-down will be complete.
How did Australia get to this point?
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Handouts. You might be surprised what people will do for 30 pieces of silver.
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Some kid logged in with a photo of Albo, lucky his computer didn’t blow up.
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The computer got it right. Access was denied as Albo’s IQ is under 16.
the kid should try another photo. Like one of Leonardo Da Vinci (photographed from a Portrait of course).
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Groan. By continuing to vote in lying inept political parties with no experience at running a state or country, no understanding of global markets, who seek power to push their personal agendas first, who’d sell out the country when offered enough or when told to by their overlords, and who promise the masses an endless stream of goodies under the xmas tree (all magically funded by the clueless taxpayer) but only if you vote for them as all opposition parties have extensive histories of lying and blunders, which said opposition parties also claim about them.
And of course no accountability or consequences for getting anything wrong, just more taxes to bandaid it.
That’s how.
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Trump wants to pull four countries away from EU
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15374197/Leaked-document-shows-US-wants-pull-four-countries-EU-Make-Europe-Great-strategy.html
The best way to do that is to offer a no tariff deal
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I’ll be waiting for the UK to get out of the EU before I can have confidence in proof of concept.
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The Common market was a great idea. A recreation of the Hanoverian trading system which at its peak allowed free trade with 350 cities.
The European Community, Schengen zone, Euro was a huge advance for neighbours with so much common history since Roman days to the Austro Habsburg empire where they had three official languages. It worked well.
But the European Union is an abomination, an attempt at one naturally power hungry elected super government to eliminate the individual countries politically and create a bureaucratic economic and social rival to the United States or the former USSR.
It must be abandoned as a totally failed experiment which has benefited no one except the vast nest of privileged operators in Brussells, Stutgart, Strasbourg who keep demanding their own army and hate America. They are using mass uncontrolled and inappropriate Islamic migration to destroy the individual countries culturally and economically and religiously, finally allowing the Arab/Ottoman invasion against which countries fought since Charles Martel in the West and the endless invasions of Kosovo, Serbia, Bulgaria, Moldova, Hungary, Austria. And the reconquista in 1492.
Europe needs FRExit, GDRExit, ITExit and more. And some countries need their own currency to allow them to manage their economies, especially as the need for one tangible currency vanishes in a cash free electronic UBER world.
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The EU maintains three capitals and two parliaments. Imagine three Washingtons or Canberras. The waste must be incredible!
EU Capitals / Seats (Informal)
Brussels, Belgium: Primary seat of the European Commission, Parliament (mostly), Council of the EU, and NATO.
Luxembourg City, Luxembourg: Seat of the Court of Justice, European Investment Bank, and other EU bodies.
Strasbourg, France: Official seat of the European Parliament (plenary sessions).
And of course the European Parliament, the allegedly representative political body of the New Europe, wants more and more real power. Nuclear weapons for example. A Franco German army. Say like Napoleon or Hitler or the Holy Roman Empire. The problem as always is Britain who have taken their bat and ball and gone home and gone crazy at the same time. Mass inappropriate Islamic/African immigration will fix them, backed by the EU.
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It seems that only French nuclear power and North Sea oil has stopped the complete collapse of European power supplies under the EU. The windmill fantasy has to stop. It’s not just dunkelflaute in an world which needs commandable power. And solar in a European winter at Northern Latitudes is just a bad joke. Northern European capitals are close to the latitude of Antarctica. Heard island would be between London and Glasgow.
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It has become a new historical and near Biblical monster species of authoritarianism.
It hates farming.
It hates Industry.
It hates people being able to heat and light their homes.
It hates free speech and the right of self defense.
It hates the autonomy of women.
It forced people into an experimental medical treatment and lobbies for carte blanche power to continue to do so.
It put one of its’ agents at the top of British government to entrap the British people in a dark future they wisely voted to reject.
It calls everything to the right of it ‘far right’ because it has gone ideologically full circle.
And …
it hates the America that it saved from itself the last time.
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whoops …
‘it hates the America that saved it from itself the last time.’
A good rant with a little fumble at the end 🙂
I’m a bit dyslexic, I was up all last night worrying whether or not there’s a Dog.
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Your rant is emotional and gets lots of ticks.
California was once Russian territory and I think they deserve to get it back.
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“California was once Russian territory and I think they deserve to get it back.”
Lol!! They would refuse it even if it was free!
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I doubt whether even the Russians would want the democrat voters of california.
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There is a frightening (an emotion) trend across the Western countries to codify thought crime.
So you may have a point that it’s best not to think about it.
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I thought it was Spanish and before that some Native American Indian tribes.
It was Alaska that was Russian.
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Wiki reckons it was once Russian territory.
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Wiki is a bit dicky.
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Its good for starters.
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I think that was Alaska, California was Spanish.
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Wiki was exaggerating.
‘The Russians established an outpost called Fortress Ross in 1812 near Bodega Bay in Northern California, north of San Francisco Bay. The Fort Ross colony included a sealing station on the Farallon Islands off San Francisco’ (wiki).
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True story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRA-ouHPz3Y
I read the poem in about 1963 and fell instantly in love with the poet.
For life.
11
Sound a bit close to home for some.
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Through a fog of time and distance, I have, in no particular order, made a list of some of Europe’s issues:
> Native demographics (aging and birth rates);
> Influx and norms of the 1960s+ in-migrants;
> The leavers – brain drain and so on;
> “Nanny state” -that big intrusive government is good;
> Resource reliance on foreigners;
> Russia;
> CO2 is similar to the witches of the late middle ages; a.k.a. Net Zero;
> Trump.
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Why is Trump ‘demonising’ Europe?
Is it all down to that damn laptop?
10
Strange letter from Ebay.
I first thought it was a scam but they weren’t asking for money and various personal details were correct.
It refers to 5000IU Vitamin D which I purchased which is apparently being recalled in the UK, not because there’s anything wrong with it, but because the dose is considered too high.
Those who follow Vitamin D science know that it’s actually not.
Also recently, Dr John Campbell reported on a huge and basic arithmetic error in a paper about Vitamin D from 2014 which has not been corrected and the incorrect figure is being used even now in both the US and UK.
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Did eBay furnish you with a copy of the letter you gave them authorising them to veto your health and medical decisions and requirements?
Luckily it’s summer and the outdoors is being flooded with free sunshine most days.
I get mine compounded along with K2. If your GP won’t oblige you can get a prescription from a naturopath.
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Apologies if I’m repeating myself, because I may have made this comment before. The “war” against Vitamin D by the medical community uses the same modus operandi they used against IVM and HCQ. Plus any other repurposed, generic drug that had any hint of anti viral/COVID activity. In fact, the campaign against Vitamin D largely shaped the opposition to any non vaccine treatments. It’s basically a program of shunning, censoring and sabotage. All those elements were used against anyone advocating IVM/HCQ. Plus the “war” against Vitamin D has been going on for many decades. You can bet that incorrect paper will never be retracted and probably used endlessly as source material and cited. If doctors, especially GP’s, were to pay more attention to the Vitamin D levels of their patients I suspect they would lose half their clientele. Colds and flus would be an uncommon affliction and a whole industry of vaccines and medications would probably vanish very quickly. But what do we have instead? A medical community brainwashed against Vitamin D, and a population scared witless about getting sun exposure.
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NBN out in Seaforth till 1230 to 1pm
However with big fingers on soon to be blocked mobile that can ring 000 on Vodafone & Telstra IMEI checker says not impacted & after 20 mins on Hold Kogan Mobile Call centre in India cannot access ticket number to Kogan Mobile complaints says Telstra not right –
Anyway David I have been on 5000iu since 2017 – hard to get Vit D on blood tests but when in RNSH Plastics Serveer Burns Unit recovering from Cranioplasty got one of the night nurses to chuck it in 200 was reading
Have always had Zinc, Quercetin with Bromelain, NAC with Vit D
As always at 80 feeling fine notwithstanding riddled with Cancer & heal quickly
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I’ll translate for you OO. You’ve got no internet at the moment, but maybe back at 1pm. Writing this comment on my old phone. You’ve tried ringing the buggers who provide your internet but cant get a worthwhile answer. You’ve been taking 5000IU of Vitamin D since 2017. Like others, find it hard to get GP’s etc to do a Vitamin D test. Had a stint at Royal North Shore Hospital and a night nurse agreed to a Vitamin D test- you registered 200 ( which is astounding ). Also take Zn, Quercetin with Bromelain, NAC. Pretty good for 80YO, except for cancer problems. Hope that helps mate.
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Can you translate Kamala too?
I had originally written, “Can you do Kamala too?” But that just didn’t sound right. Edit is good.
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Sounds right if the conversation is with Hillary. 😆
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FWIW
Was that leading to a paper bag joke and lost its courage?
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Ozzie, if you haven’t looked at this substance, please do. For curiosity’s sake, cut and paste the title from the link into Googol and see what happens.
https://envirowatchnz.com/2018/12/24/why-arent-hospitals-treating-cancer-with-black-seed-oil/
From experience, black seed oil thins the blood so be cautious with any condition or medications you’re taking.
This is just a theory, but l think the TQ may either stimulate the thymus gland or play a substitute role in the immune system.
https://www.9news.com.au/national/melbourne-scientists-make-world-first-discovery-to-slow-the-effects-of-ageing/c1311b51-5fd4-4a1e-9f75-f76d1be38235
There seems to be a lot of these studies that make a promising announcement in the media but there rarely seems to be any follow up. I try to take note of them and research further to see if there is any merit to the studies.
Do your own research, best of luck.
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I get transdermal patches of D3 + K2 from QLD, 10,000 IU dose. You absorb the vitamins over roughly 24 hours, the patch avoids losing any of the dose via the digestive tract. The K2 reportedly helps one absorb calcium into their bones, meaning stronger bones and less chance of plaque forming inside arteries.
The patches are not approved by the TGA, so I have confidence in the product!
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The sun does it all for you for free and auto regulates conversion.
High dosing is unnecessary.
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An over simplification J C,
Not everyone is able to get the right amount of sunshine regularly to obtain adequate blood levels all year round.
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I used the patches throughput the Winter months, although l did use one a couple of weeks ago because global warming seems to have avoided Melbourne. The last month of Spring was mostly wet, cold and grey. My diet and sunlight should be sufficient to get me through to Autumn without using anymore patches.
00
Queensland cops backlash for scrapping renewables target. Queensland’s decision has sparked fury from environmentalists who say it threatens Australia’s clean-energy transition and the ability to convince developers to invest in more land destroying solar panels and windmills.
I say good on them for having the courage to ignore the Green introverts. Stop the subsidies and pollie travel perks!
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People still talking about a “clean energy transition” as if it can be achieved in reality with current plans. If you can call it a plan.
What’s really standing the way is the inherent impossibility of the concept. It fails technically, financially, and at a basic common sense level.
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Albo just on the 4.00 pm news saying Tomago smelter will be “subsidised” by Snowy Hydro. Have no idea what this is supposed to mean. will the subsidy be from Snow or Snow 2.0.
Albo hasn’t got a clue . Does a subsidy just mean cheap power from Snowy Hydro like we all used to be supported by or will they pay Tomago out of any profits? He was trying to guarantee the workers jobs while there. If I was them I would be worried!
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My bet is that the deal will be “commercial in confidence”, and sealed for x years, where x>50.
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“Queensland’s decision has sparked fury from environmentalists who say it threatens Australia’s clean-energy transition and the ability to convince developers to invest in more land destroying solar panels and windmills.”
Just the kind of good news we like to hear !!
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I wonder if said activists will even understand, let alone be grateful, when coal and gas inevitably come to the rescue of the grid to keep their lights on and smart phones charged.
Maybe Queensland should keep all our coal/gas fired electricity to ourselves and let those indigent (if that’s the right word) dedicated wind and solar states find out the hard way.
10
The federal Minister for Science has claimed (see Sydney Institute podcast of last night’s address) that Australia should re-industrialise. A surprising, but welcome initiative. However, without abandoning the suicidal renewables policy of the Albanese government, it is an impossible proposition.
It will be interesting to watch this government grapple with their ideological isolation as the rest of the world faces reality. Even more interesting as they deal with “the elephant in the room” of lack of the level of energy to address the increase of AI, let alone re-industrialisation of a struggling economy.
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Industry needs inexpensive, reliable electricity.
It’s impossible to run an industrial Civilisation on expensive intermittent sources of power like wind, solar, humans or animals.
The Industrial Revolution required the development of the practical steam engine by Thomas Newcomen to pump out flooded coal mines so a continuous source of coal was available. It was improved by James Watt in the 1760’s when arguably the Industrial Revolution really took off.
Australia will not be able to re-industrialise without inexpensive energy again, plus additionally deregulation and getting the feral labour unions under control.
We will, at least temporarily, remain an exporter of rocks and food but the government is even at war against the farming industry.
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As I quoted yesterday –
Matt Barrie, chief executive of two companies and chair of another, went on a lengthy rant online, declaring “everything is cooked” in Australia.
August the 21st, 2025
“Energy through the roof pretending windmills and solar can power a G20 economy. Hot tip: you can’t.
You need to move the power through time and space to where it’s needed. You also can’t run industrial thermal loads or precision manufacturing on intermittent power with phase instability.”
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And gas and oil and petrol and diesel are REQUIRED for some processes. Try flying without chemical fuel! The fundamental problem is not just energy, but multiple problems. Transportation and storage. And the reality that the energy density of chemical storage is 10x that of batteries. An A380 has 300,000 litres of fuel, so 300 tons of fuel, far more than the 30 tons of people on board. It would require 3,000tons of batteries for an aircraft weighing 560 tons for the same amount of energy, six times their weight of the aircraft, but you can double that because the battery does not get lighter during the trip.
The problem is that as in electric cars, battery weight is constant. A petrol car with 60litres has the range of a 600kg battery, but the average weight is only 30kg. The cost of uselessly dragging half a ton battery around has been exempt from road taxes, so far. But not much longer.
Many common valuable chemicals are made from ethane. And if it is just heat you want, the conversion rate is 100% where converting ethane to electricity means a loss of 70% of the energy. So in Victoria where we have limited gas and infinite coal, we should have kept natural gas for cooking, heating, industry and used coal for electricity or more gas. But the hatred for fossil fuels and uranium is overwhelming in governments like Victoria. Or perhaps their Chinese masters have told them to leave the coal in the ground?
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The indispensable role of fossil fuels extends far beyond energy provision requisite to modern civilisation.
As Ronald Stein emphasises in his work, including the book Clean Energy Exploitations, oil and gas are the foundational feedstocks of over 6,000 products that underpin human progress, from plastics and cosmetics to pharmaceuticals and ammonia for fertilisers.
These materials cannot be replicated by so-called renewables like wind and solar, which generate only electrons and offer no viable pathways to synthesise the complex hydrocarbons essential for everything from medical devices and electronics to agricultural inputs that feed billions.
Stein’s energy literacy advocacy highlights how decarbonisation zeal overlooks this reality: without fossil-derived ammonia, global food production would plummet, exacerbating hunger in developing countries already facing population pressures.
Petrochemicals derived from crude oil enable the sterile packaging for vaccines, the durable materials for wind turbine blades (ironically) and the synthetic fibres in clothing.
Attempting to ‘electrify everything’ ignores that these products require molecular building blocks from fossils, not just electricity, rendering the transition not just costly but fundamentally impossible without alternatives that don’t exist at scale.
This dependency underscores why primary energy metrics are vital — they reflect the total resource base sustaining not only power but the myriad goods that define quality of life.
Moreover, the efficiency boast of renewable energy enthusiasts crumbles when we consider the intermittency of wind and solar energy — sources that generate electricity only when nature cooperates, typically at capacity factors of 15-40% for wind and 10-25% for solar, compared to 80-90% for baseload coal or nuclear.
This variability demands a ‘redundancy’ infrastructure of dispatchable power backup plants, largely fossil-fuelled, to fill the gaps.
It is tantamount to paying twice for the same thing.
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An unfortunate/poor example, as ammonia can be produced from renewable electricity via electrolsys.
03
The Haber-Bosch process uses hydrogen to make ammonia from nitrogen. Well known.
I am note sure that any of the gullibles (including the SA Premier, normally sane) has ever worked out the cost of hydrogen from renewables.
Yes, SA makes small amounts of hydrogen (possibly 60% efficient) which is added to a local gas supply (about 10%) and burnt “AVOIDING GREENHOUSE GAS USE”.
No need to note the flaw in this stupidity.
20
G3, yes it may be expensive and “stupid”…. But it is possible !
So the argument that Fossil fuels are neccessary for ammonia production is false . Cost is a secondary issue and will certainly change in the future.
I am no fan of renewables, ( vigourusly opposed !), but if you are going to argue a case against them, you had better have your facts straight if you dont want to be ridiculed !
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The government is so accustomed to spending money it doesn’t have, it thinks it can support an economy with power that doesnt exist.
Keep making mega data centre announcements and talking about re-industrializing and fuelling out of control immigration. Everything is fine.
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Expenses watchdog probing Anika Wells headed by Don Farrell appointees and includes former Labor powerbroker Special Minister of State
Don Farrell appointed a former member of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet as CEO of the independent watchdog overseeing the Anika Wells travel scandal.
Mr Farrell, who is under fire for his own expenses conduct, personally appointed several members of the leadership of the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (IPEA) investigating Ms Wells’ expenses claims.
CEO Christina Grant—who was appointed to the $346,000 a year position by Mr Farrell in February 2025—and IPEA Chair John Fernon.
The IPEA will ultimately determine whether Ms Wells followed the broad guidelines after using public funds to fly her husband to attend exclusive sporting events.
“Ms Grant will be well-suited to maintaining and improving the trust IPEA has garnered from the public and the parliament since its inception,” Mr Farrell said in February.
She previously served as the Assistant Secretary in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet from June 2023-February 2025 during the Albanese government’s first term.
Since taking over IPEA, Ms Grant has also received access to the exclusive, invitation-only Qantas Chairman’s Lounge, to which almost all federal Labor MPs belong.
The IPEA’S 2023-24 annual report lists a travel provision for $1.1 million.
However, the agency said it spent $76,000 on departmental travel in the 23-24 financial year.
Mr Farrell also appointed Mr Fernon SC as Chair of IPEA in October 2025 for a five-year term.
Mr Fernon was counsel representing corrupt former NSW Labor MP Ian MacDonald
The IPEA’s leadership team also includes figures with significant legal and political backgrounds, including former Labor Party National Secretary Gary Gray.
As Special Minister of State, Mr Farrell holds responsibility for the legislative instruments and regulations governing politicians’ travel expense entitlements.
10
“personally appointed several members of the leadership of the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (IPEA)”
Standard bureaucratic trick. Establish an “independent” authority, then stack it with fellow travellers, who know that being reappointed to their sinecure means producing results that those doing the appointing want.
See also the “independent” Remuneration Tribunal that sets Parliamentary, judicial and senior public service remuneration levels.
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As John Singleton once said –
“It means life’s a rort and it’s only a rort if you’re not in it.”
LOL
And the Voters, the Public and the Taxpayers are not allowed to be in on it.
So, it’s a rort.
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Can you imagine what the ATO would say if you tried to deduct $21,685 from your Taxable Income for taking your Family Interstate for a Week?
Attorney-General Michelle Rowland is now the second Labor frontbencher to refer themselves to the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority, after she billed taxpayers $21,000 for a week-long family trip to Perth.
The Attorney-General was caught up in the travel entitlements saga when it was revealed taxpayers had funded $21,685 worth of airfares and travel allowances for Ms Rowland to take her family on a week-long trip to Perth during school holidays in mid-2023.
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“Australia should re-industrialise. “….Yep, that will drive living standards down! Imagine.. well, you don’t have to, there was that cartoon of fat middle-aged Americans sewing clothes in a sweatshop when Trump said he’d bring the industries back..
Think of any product made in China, contract labour for a bowl of rice a day, and then wonder about minimum wages here of about $100k a year plus unions running the industry, health and safety costs, retirement funding.. Re-industrialising is NOT going to happen, even though Govts will send the place broke trying to subsidise their mates for it.
If Ford and General Motors couldn’t do it, no-one can!
30
And the need for water for cooling their massive AI data centre needs – in a drought-prone country.
The weather swing cycles that Dorothea McKeller noted haven’t gone away. This is still a “sunburnt country”, a “brown land”, prone to “drought and flooding rains” (the latter which we’re no longer allowed to capture in new dams for future use.)
You have to ask if any of these drongos have ever had to think any project or activity through from start to finish, even a basic hobby. I see no sign of understanding what the issues are, what the problems might be, how to overcome those issues, how to calculate the cost or benefit, or even if the whole idea is worth pursuing at all.
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Here is an excellent video about Wikipedia and its extreme Leftist bias on political topics.
Its editing has been taken over by a small group of Leftists who have built in extreme and inappropriate bias into political articles.
Even the founders are appalled.
The Left destroy everything they put their snouts into.
Fortunately Elon has established Grokipedia and other alternatives are under development.
The big problem is that Wikipedia is a major source of information for AI so the Leftist bias is injected into that. It is also considered “authoritative” by many others, included Governments and is used as a basis for policy.
And look at the horrible and likely libellous article about our very own Jo Nova and just about any other pro-science conservative.
Aa I’ve said before, stop donating to Wikipedia. They are already a hugely wealthy organisation, no doubt supported by rich Leftists. But they constantly ask for more money anyway.
Any money you might have intended to donate to them, give to Jo Nova instead. See https://joannenova.com.au/about/donations/ (I wasn’t asked to say that.)
The video by John Stossel is at:
https://youtu.be/Ksrt1zoJT60
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I’ll make a donation in January to Jo. I’m required to take money out of a retirement account based on year-end total. 🙂
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I’ll send you some chocolate money for Christmas next week Jo.
You deserve it after another Big Year.
Onwards and Upwards.
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I’ve been wondering if I donate $0.01c will it cost the money to process it. As Kate at SDA says ” mischief is important”
70
I attended the Net Zero Australia conference at the University of Melbourne yesterday. There were 277 registered attendees and most showed up.
It was a long day with the first session stating at 8am and the finish at 5pm with 3X30 minutes breaks; food and tea/coffee provided. I was invited and yet to find out why I was on the invitation list. I was probably the only one in the audience who knows the climate scam is a scam but was not the sole realist.
The sessions had academic and industry representatives. The most realistic representative was from Vinnies. They may get some funding from the industry and government to help sell the Climate Change™ alarm and why the “renewables” are needed. There representative presented in the lust session on community trust and presented their retail cost data to point out it is not an easy sell to get the community to believe that electricity prices will come down while they keep going up.
The industry represented from wind generators and from industry all recommended more government funding to make their work sustainable.
No one there has recognised that grid solar and wind are stranded assets but there is recognition that rooftops can provide a lot more. The “renewables” financier QIC told of their largest rooftop so far is 9MW. And lots of opportunity.
I left my article on the South Australian rooftop story with the host and will follow up with some others who I think I can engage.
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/10/18/australias-energy-transition-de-industrialisation/
The best moment of the day came from a 6th generation Victorian farmer who was eloquent and killed the vibe in the room during the panel question time after a smarmy academic went on about deniers and the coordinated misinformation session. She blasted him with both barrels pointing out that their concerns were legitimate and was horrified of the Victorian government to make it legal for wind and solar developers to have unrestrained access to the property. A different story for aboriginal land though.
There is growing recognition that Net Zero and energy intensive industry are incompatible.
370
That must have been painful to attend and be among so many morons.
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I think you are going to need a good dose of high fibre foods and a lot of water to flush all of the mis-information from your senses.
A whole day of listening to the brainwashed, (barring the odd realist). I’d say that you took one for the team. And now they know who you are you can expect some serious flak.
Best of luck with the cleanse.
211
There is an underlying sense that there is inconsistency in their messaging. It is getting harder to convince thinking people that climate deniers are their enemy. The vast majority of the people in the room need these joint therapy sessions as reinforcement of their belief system because reality is raising irs ugly head.
There were a few students attending and I engage a couple. I pointed the climate stiuff is all nonsense with ocean surface temperature unable to sustain more than 30C. But what about the reef bleaching – never heard of Peter Ridd. And Greenland is losing ice – but it is gaining elevation and the largest glacier is exp[anding – was googling that one after I left. They are brainwashed from an easy age.
I do not think anyone believes grid electricity prices will come down unless they take their own action to install at least a battery.
200
At least somethings are soaking in. It’s just a pity that the consequences of this observance are so dire. Industry gone, employers fleeing and not much left to brighten the horizon with the way things are going.
It’s hard to imagine how anyone could champion the ‘winning’ associated with nett zero. I’d rather comfort over living in a hole in the ground, wondering where the next meal is going to come from. Maybe that is why their convincing is getting harder to roll out.
70
Rick, as I have said before, my house is deemed too hard by contractors to put panels on at any reasonable price as it is three stories and has a 45 degree sloped roof. Scaffold costs alone estimated at $10,000, probably much more since last quoted given 25%-30% true inflation.
I would be prepared to put a battery in but in Melbournistan I am not aware of any retailers who offer low cost or free electricity to charge a battery.
60
David,
Interesting re scaffold cost – GIO Repair Claims who have been outstanding/excellent re actioning Damage by Tree to roof of my Investment Properties during storm
Originally due lots of recent storm damage in Sydney, having cut back tree & had temporary repair to waterproof roof had put final repairs end January 26 to mid Feb 26
Have been advised Scaffold being erected to rear of 2 Storey Flats, next week followed by Roof Repairs
Glad I made the Inusrance Claim, GIO have handled everything, and constantly kept me updated on Progress
40
It looks like NATO is preparing for WW3.
120
Prepare for the ‘…scale of war…’, yes.
No need to prepare for the duration. 1 day should be enough.
And then they can plan for the next war using sticks and stones.
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Madness.
70
The real madness is them getting all bent out of shape about Putin invading Europe. We saw in 2022 how effective his mighty Russian military is at projecting power. They made it less than 100 kilometers beyond the motherland’s borders before getting stopped stone cold and pushed back nearly to their own border by the Ukrainian counteroffensive. The only place they had any real success was along the shores of the Sea of Azov. In the three years since then, their progress has been glacially slow.
The idea of the Russian military rolling into Paris or Rome or Berlin after not even being able to make it to Kyiv is laughable.
161
Agree it’s laughable but for different reasons. What has Europe got that Russia needs? Once they departed as a customer they ceased to be of interest, apart from the incessant ranting of EU/NATO.
150
If it’s not an American speaking, then it’s not NATO speaking. Rutte is speaking for the pipsqueaks of Europe who hide behind Uncle Sam’s jacket. To quote the Bard, “It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”.
They like to pretend they are carrying on the great martial tradition of their grandfathers and great-grandfathers, but in reality they are like the pugs, and chihuahuas and toy poodles that are descended from wolves. They may carry the same DNA, but they are no longer the same creature as their forefathers.
250
Get off you high horse Steve, America under Trump is becoming a failed state.
The Europeans maybe woke but they reject fascism, whereas Washington thinks fascism is not so bad.
230
“The Europeans maybe woke but they reject fascism, whereas Washington thinks fascism is not so bad.”
Lol! If that’s what you call fascism, then Europe needs a lot of it! I’d take America over Communism anytime, and I’m no fan of America!
160
Its all about the issue of security and land swap, Russia refuses a ceasefire and wants total capitulation.
The Russian Federation gave up communism after the collapse of the USSR in 1991, replaced by Kremlin fascists.
010
Failed how?
The inflation rate is roughly the same as the EU, the economy is projected to grow at roughly double the rate of the EU, the per capita GDP is roughly 50% higher than the EU, military recruitment is way up, the federal budget is down, tax rates are down, the stock market is shooting up after the fed finally got off it’s butt and lowered rates, and so on and so forth.
Meanwhile, for all the folks who like to cry fascism, Trump’s troika in the federal government will likely end a year from now, when the American electorate does what they (almost) always do and deliver a big fat midterm victory to the party that is out of power. Just like they did in his first term. Just like they did to Biden and Obama and Bush. And three years from now, he’ll peacefully leave office, just as he did at the end of his first term. Seems the American democracy is working just as it always has.
As far as the stuff people are whining about, Trump isn’t doing anything his predecessors didn’t do. Obama was called the ‘deporter in chief’ by immigration advocates during his term. Obama was also called ‘OBomber’ for his penchant for bombing the heck out people he declared terrorists. The ‘double-tap’ strike was invented on his watch (as was ‘kids in cages’). Trump is just doing the same things more loudly and with greater gusto. He’s vigorously enforcing immigration laws after years of them being ignored, and he’s formally declared Narco-cartels to be terrorists and is using the same anti-terrorism tools against them that Obama used in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere.
So, we have a president who won both an electoral and popular majority, doing what he said he would do during his campaign. And his favorability ratings nearly a year into his second term, while not great, are (slightly) better than those of his two-term 21st century predecessors Bush and Obama. It’s a shocker I know, but Americans are generally lukewarm about their leaders and they usually have approval ratings in the 40s, just as Trump does now. Where is the problem?
192
‘ … so on and so forth.’
The Bond Market is not looking so hot and the US is $38 trillion dollars in debt.
‘Seems the American democracy is working …’
With a possible impeachment hanging over his head its too early to say.
‘Where is the problem?’
Donnie’s unconstitutional behaviour is undemocratic.
14
Donnie’s unconstitutional behaviour is undemocratic
Seems that the US Supreme Court is working through what is actually unconstitutional, given that legal words have speific meanings.
Though it is unlikely that a large portion of the US population will ever consider his behaviour “acceptable”. Will history decide that the “ends” were justified by the “means”?
20
‘ … the “ends” were justified by the “means”?
No, overriding democratic norms is not a good look.
02
NATO doesn’t have an army. How does it start a war?
110
“War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength”
70
“Russia has brought war back to Europe.”
That is true and there should be no doubt that Putin plans to invade Europe after softening them up with hybrid warfare.
221
He has said so on multiple occasions – the Baltic States are particularly susceptible.
Russia also is unlikely to go after the Fins, after reading this:
40
” Putin plans to invade Europe…”
Best thing for them and the only way to bring back Christianity and family values to make the civilisation work again!
90
The American pope is eliminating Catholic superstitions and churches of all denominations which were once full, now very few show up on Sunday.
Christianity has brought misery to billions over the past 2000 years and has little to recommend it, surely civilisation would have evolved naturally without formal religions.
You may want to look at what ‘family values’ really mean, with so many marriages ending in divorce.
28
Do you operated elsewhere as “Gordy”?
20
That is my nickname among family, but never on the inter webs.
00
Right – remove Ukrainian children from the occupied areas and restore their family values with a little help from North Korea.
Boys I can sort-of understand, but girls? Why?
12
“Remove Ukrainian children from the occupied areas “..
Not that old propaganda please! Do you think Russian soldiers divided people leaving an area with “Parents this way and children that way”?? ‘Now all you parents get yourselves off to Kiev and we’ll be fighting you in 2years, and all you children hop on this bus to the Moscow Orphanage.’
Really Rowjay? Russia sent unaccompanied children back to Russia I am sure, but families were allowed to move to Russia completely, or stay in the invaded areas once they were stabilised. As far as the Russians are concerned, those are Russian families in the Donbass.
40
The Baltic states are members of NATO.
Putin won’t invade a NATO state. The primary reason he invaded Ukraine was to stop them from becoming a NATO state. He (correctly) fears breaching Article V and having to face the combined armies of NATO, including ‘murica.
The notion he will be invading anyone anytime soon is preposterous. He’s going to need years to rebuild, resupply, and recruit his armed forces after the Ukraine debacle. Plus, let’s not forget the guy is in his 70s and is not getting any younger. I suspect Ukraine will be his last hurrah at military adventurism.
90
The US can veto NATO’s Article 5, allowing Putin to seemingly recover his “stolen property” which is an ambition that he has often referred to.
10
Obviously they couldn’t do it straight away, which is why the Europeans are building up their armed forces, expecting an invasion in a couple of years.
It won’t come to that, Russia will sue for peace and Putin is just another lame duck.
18
One commentator had this astute observation on the sad state of affairs in Europe:
Frenzied, desperate Boomers passing laws to ban young people from free speech, home ownership, or stable employment, while also berating them uhh this is just like WWII, so we are reintroducing military conscription too.
Dropping out, lying flat, giving up—are rational choices.
20
The two recent additions to NATO – Sweden and Finland, are the ones most capable of mounting defense.
Their systems are now a blueprint for other European Nations to follow.
One of the key principles of NATO was for big brother USA to act as European guardian to limit the need for other NATO members to create armies (disarmament). Pointedly, Sweden and Finland, who earlier were not in NATO, maintained their defensive capabilities.
Fast forward to President Trump and the whole principle of NATO is in disarray, and open to unintended (or maybe intended) consequences.
21
The six RAN Collins Class conventional submarines are still considered to be very capable vessels, they were Swedish design and in typical ADF fashion modified when built here for whatever reasons.
One example of capabilities was infiltration during naval exercises near Hawaii of a USN Battle Fleet and “sinking” the aircraft carrier while evading the nuclear submarine escort and surface ships escorting the carrier.
The latest Swedish submarine called Gotland Class (Gotland Island off Sweden in the Baltic Sea) has been evaluated by the USN and impressed them.
Sweden has been tendering for supply of various navy weapons systems for the RAN surface ships and patrol boats.
20
Sweden has good technology in the air as well. In time, it could become a viable alternative to other suppliers, especially if a Canadian manufacturing alliance could be made to balance risk, or even Australia?
00
How is the Gripen better’n the F-35?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C096AkDu1IQ
00
F35’s are useless in Europe as the Trump administration would not allow them to be used against their “friends”.
00
‘Dropping out, lying flat, giving up—are rational choices.’
Lying flat is a Chinese innovation that seems to have become popular in Europe.
Zelensky said Ukraine could organise a referendum over the question of the occupied territories. Do you think Putin will agree?
02
“Zelensky said Ukraine could organise a referendum over the question of the occupied territories.”
Lol!! I could tell you outcome he would claim right now! It would be Russia organising the referendum, they control those territories!
So, who should count the votes and check the IDs of the voters? The Thais? The Argentinians? The Cameroonians? It might be hard to find a trustworthy country that is either not under America’s thumb or violently opposed to them…
10
Interesting that he can organise a referendum, but not an election – long overdue – for president.
30
This explains the situation, Zelensky wants Trump to win the peace prize, agreeing to withdraw troops if Russia agrees not to advance.
https://kyivindependent.com/elections-or-referendum-zelensky-affirms-ukrainians-will-decide-territorial-concessions/
01
Ukraine and EU: Buckling Bedfellows Together on the Ropes
It feels like things have sharply taken a turn for the worse in the unraveling of the doomed ‘star-crossed-lovers’ of Ukraine and its tipsy European maiden.
Options are running out fast, with Brussels’ flunked high-noon piracy attempt, and the Euro-circus-roadshow’s increasingly spastic and humiliatingly empty huddles and desperate powwows, virtually no options remain beyond the self-flagellating throes of despair we’re now being made painfully witness to.
The sad thing is, this carnival hardly even has an audience any longer—who, precisely, is this overextended charade for, anymore?
It is clear there remains no vision forward, no workable contingencies, and the last few stalwart globalist puppet holdouts of Macron, Merz, and Starmer are merely play-acting chickens with their heads cut-off as they gadabout from one slumping European capital to another for their endless procession of humiliation rituals.
All the while, the EU’s guy-wires are snapping as the whole teetering structure begins to groan under the ponderous weight of its irrelevance.
60
You need to get out more, that opinion piece comes straight from the Kremlin.
08
Latest daily report has Ru losing 1,400 troops but no tanks. Just sayin.
10
Latest daily report direct from NATOs’s propaganda section has Ru losing 1,400 troops but no tanks.
Russia claims they wipe out around 10,000-12,000 Ukies a week, so its possible. Certainly Russia isn’t losing so there will be more Ukie deaths.
20
Yeah, the fog of war is still very much in effect. Assume everything coming out of both Russia and Ukraine is bullcrap spun to make their respective side look better. Remember the early days of the press buying into the ‘Ghost of Kyiv’ and ‘Russian warship go f— yourself’? That kind of disinformation is still happening on both sides, and journalists are still lapping it up as gospel truth (just as they lapped up casualty estimates from the Gaza Ministry of Health [also know as Hamas]).
Journalism is dead. Nobody double checks anything anymore. Journalists have become stenographers who just regurgitate whatever their sources tell them without the slightest bit of worry over the possibility their source is lying to them and using them to launder an information operation.
10
Civilian deaths are more reliable.
‘The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) verified a total of 49,431 civilian casualties during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as of July 31, 2025. Of them, 35,548 people were reported to have been injured. However, OHCHR specified that the real numbers could be higher.’
01
French-Polish writer Daniel Foubert gives a colorful diagnosis of the terminal madness and discohesion gripping dying Europe:
Europe doesn’t have “a problem”.
It has THREE problems:
3 European nations are suffering from a severe “post-imperial hangover”.
First, there is the United Kingdom, a nation that voted for Brexit to “take back control” only to realize it has completely forgotten how to drive.
The British identity crisis is like watching a retired lion try to adopt a vegan diet. They traded imperial confidence for an HR department’s sensitivity training. The land of Churchill is now governed by a sprawling “nanny state” bureaucracy that is more terrified of offending someone on X than it is of actual decline. The British police, once the envy of the world, now seem to spend more resources investigating “non-crime hate incidents” and painting their patrol cars in rainbow colors than solving burglaries. It is a nation desperately clinging to the aesthetics of tradition—the Royals, the pomp, the tea—while its institutions have been hollowed out by a progressive rot that makes a California university campus look conservative. They want the swagger of the 19th century but are paralyzed by the emotional fragility of the 21st.
Then there is France, the angry, chain-smoking aunt of Europe who refuses to admit she’s been unemployed for decades.
France’s hangover manifests as a permanent state of insurrection masquerading as “civic engagement.” Their identity is split between a delusional elite who still think Paris is the capital of the universe and a populace that expresses its “joie de vivre” by burning down bus stops every Thursday. The French suffer from a Napoleonic complex without a Napoleon; they demand the living standards of a conquering empire while working a 35-hour week and retiring at an age when most Americans are just hitting their stride. They preach “Republican values” and aggressive secularism, yet the state has lost control over vast swathes of its own suburbs. France is essentially a beautiful, open-air museum where the curators are on strike, the guards are afraid of the visitors, and the management is busy lecturing the rest of the world on “grandeur” while the electricity bill goes unpaid.
Finally, we have Germany, the neurotic giant that has decided the only way to atone for its history is to commit slow-motion industrial suicide.
Germany’s post-imperial hangover is a moral autoimmune disease: the country is so terrified of its own shadow that it has replaced national pride with aggressive self-flagellation and recycling regulations. Their identity is built on being the “Moral Superpower,” which practically translates to shutting down their perfectly functional nuclear power plants to burn dirty coal, all while lecturing their neighbors on carbon footprints. It is a nation of engineers who have engineered a society that doesn’t work. The German spirit, once defined by efficiency and discipline, has mutated into a paralyzed bureaucracy where filling out the correct form is more important than the outcome. They are so desperate to avoid being “threatening” that they’ve become essentially a large NGO with an army that has broomsticks for rifles, terrified that showing any backbone might be interpreted as a relapse.
70
Reminds me of that old ditty about the UK, France and Germany.
The UK as Lovers, the French as WarMongers and the Germans as Chefs, or some thing like that. All a@se about face of course.
Not sure about the Italians.
40
In Switzerland they have as saying that in heaven the Italians are the lovers and the Swiss organise things, and in hell the Swiss are the lovers and the Italians organise things. Told to me by a Swiss lady with a whispered “it’s true ” at the end.
20
Cry the Beloved Europe?
America warns Europe that only one of them is truly fighting to reverse the West’s decline—and the clock is running out for the other to follow suit.
By Victor Davis Hanson December 11, 2025
Nothing bothers the European elite as much as American conservatives praising the European foundations of their shared, but threatened, Western civilization.
Europeans especially resent having their social-welfare state system critiqued by upstart, crass Americans.
Their pique only increases as they push back against the condescending American idea that the U.S. could possibly offer any constructive advice, much less help a more civilized Europe follow the “American model.”
Americans, in turn, are worried that Europe is not just stagnating but is on a trajectory of permanent decline—with dire consequences for the entire Western world.
As for symptoms, the U.S. cites a steadily declining European share of world GDP. It points to Europe’s unsustainable 1.39 fertility rate, which ensures a steadily smaller, older, and costlier native population.
More than ten percent of Europe’s resident population is now foreign-born—some 45 million people. However, the European host, unlike a classless America, does not have a long tradition of melting-pot assimilation, integration, and acculturation.
Unlike America’s mostly Christian-nation immigration patterns, European immigrants are predominantly from the Middle East and North Africa, Islamic, and increasingly anti-Western.
Far too many of Europe’s immigrants profess too little desire to assimilate into what they consider a culturally decadent place—one that, ironically, they have no desire to leave.
The Christian Church, the linchpin of Western civilization, was born in Europe. Yet nowhere do atheism, agnosticism, and open hostility to Christendom grow stronger.
Europe, the birthplace of a dynamic Western military tradition, has been, by contemporary standards and at least until recently, virtually disarmed and unable to protect its own borders or interests.
Europe’s overregulation and war on fossil fuels, combined with a generous social welfare state, have resulted in too little revenue and too many costly dependents.
40
Cry the Beloved Europe?
America warns Europe that only one of them is truly fighting to reverse the West’s decline—and the clock is running out for the other to follow suit.
By Victor Davis Hanson December 11, 2025
Nothing bothers the European elite as much as American conservatives praising the European foundations of their shared, but threatened, Western civilization.
Europeans especially resent having their social-welfare state system critiqued by upstart, crass Americans.
Their pique only increases as they push back against the condescending American idea that the U.S. could possibly offer any constructive advice, much less help a more civilized Europe follow the “American model.”
Americans, in turn, are worried that Europe is not just stagnating but is on a trajectory of permanent decline—with dire consequences for the entire Western world.
As for symptoms, the U.S. cites a steadily declining European share of world GDP. It points to Europe’s unsustainable 1.39 fertility rate, which ensures a steadily smaller, older, and costlier native population.
More than ten percent of Europe’s resident population is now foreign-born—some 45 million people. However, the European host, unlike a classless America, does not have a long tradition of melting-pot assimilation, integration, and acculturation.
Unlike America’s mostly Christian-nation immigration patterns, European immigrants are predominantly from the Middle East and North Africa, Isl@mic, and increasingly anti-Western.
Far too many of Europe’s immigrants profess too little desire to assimilate into what they consider a culturally decadent place—one that, ironically, they have no desire to leave.
The Christian Church, the linchpin of Western civilization, was born in Europe. Yet nowhere do atheism, agnosticism, and open hostility to Christendom grow stronger.
Europe, the birthplace of a dynamic Western military tradition, has been, by contemporary standards and at least until recently, virtually disarmed and unable to protect its own borders or interests.
Europe’s overregulation and war on fossil fuels, combined with a generous social welfare state, have resulted in too little revenue and too many costly dependents.
20
The Real Reason Europe Is ‘Decaying’
The European Union does too many things (foreign policy, environmental regulation and the like) badly that it shouldn’t do at all. What it’s supposed to do, such as creating a Continent-wide free-trade bloc, it does poorly.
European voters are angry about their leaders’ failures to get a grip on a migration crisis now entering its second decade.
They’re frustrated with the increasing prosperity gap between Europe and the U.S., and with Europe’s frailty in the face of foreign challenges such as Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Worst of all, they see that their leaders’ first instincts are to suppress contrary opinions, which is why free speech is again a hot debate in Europe.
Government social expenditure in the U.S. accounted for 19.8% of GDP in 2024, according to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. In France the figure was 30.6%, in Germany 27.9%, and in Italy 27.6%. This share will rise as populations age. These columns recently documented the severity of the old-age entitlement problem in France and Germany especially.
This fact explains much of what ails Europe. Large welfare states require large tax bills to fund them, which is why government revenue reaches 47% of GDP in France, 41% in Germany, and 43% in Italy but 27% in the U.S. That level of taxation saps incentives for innovation and entrepreneurship. Generous welfare states also discourage work, which partly explains why Europe’s labor markets are so sclerotic.
Meanwhile, European governments, taxed to the hilt and increasingly indebted, find it difficult to spend more on defense. Hence the Continent’s inability to shape events in Ukraine, embarrassing leaders and voters and deepening the sense of ennui caused by economic underperformance.
70
There, fixed it.
00
Oh, our grandparents and great-grandparents were perfectly capable of imagining wars that would be over in an hour. It’s the most common mistake made throughout history in regards to war. At the outset of war, everyone thinks it’s going to be a short war and all wrapped up by Christmas. It rarely works that way.
Just ask the Russians. They thought they were going to zip into Kyiv, depose/defenestrate Zelensky, grab up everything south and east of the Dnipro, and then zip back out in a matter of weeks. It didn’t work out that way. Three years later they never made it Kyiv, Zelensky is still in charge, and barely made any gains at all in the east. The only place they had any success was in the south, and they paid dearly for that.
Same goes for the Americans in Afghanistan. And for the Soviets in Afghanistan. And for the British Empire in Afghanistan. Over and over and over again, the public underestimates the cost and duration of the wars their politicians start.
00
Bumped from late yesterday
FWIW – for the covid record
“A Slow, Careful, and Inadequate Walk Back on COVID Vaccines?”
“The Atlantic”
https://hotair.com/david-strom/2025/12/10/a-slow-careful-and-inadequate-walk-back-on-covid-vaccines-n3809728
60
More on that this morning –
“Special Edition C&C: under building pressure, the Atlantic shattered the omertà on covid jab deaths, in what it hoped would be a limited hangout, but is probably really the beginning of the end.”
” Admitting even a small number of vaccine‑caused infant deaths is a categorical, not marginal, shift. It moves the mRNA products from the “safe as air” box into the “can kill a healthy child” box, which permanently changes the ethical and legal terrain around mandates, messaging, and consent.”
Concludes
“While it is entertaining to wonder whether the leak of Dr. Prasad’s letter was intentional, ultimately it doesn’t matter. That letter —intended to remain private within FDA— unleashed a pent-up debate, like it was letting a genie out of a dusty old bottle.
Vinay Prasad unknowingly sparked a hidden revolution that had been restlessly waiting for ignition. Where it will end is unclear. But, on the other hand, the revolution is only just beginning. And the white-coated fraudsters are desperately scrambling to get ahead of what’s coming next.”
More at
https://open.substack.com/pub/coffeeandcovid/p/hanging-out-thursday-december-11?
140
And
“Gutless Vaccine Hustlers Paul Offit and Peter Hotez Dodge Debate With Critics (Again)”
“The two most prominent vaccine pimps in the nation, Paul Offit and bloated diabetic Peter Hotez, who are all too happy to spout their talking points in safe spaces on cable news and legacy print media, recently declined arguably the biggest opportunity ever to confront their ideological opponents — to debunk, once and for all, for the world to see, the “anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists,” mano a mano.”
More at
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2025-12-11/gutless-vaccine-hustlers-paul-offit-and-peter-hotez-dodge-debate-critics-again
20
A woman in Canada is being offered to be medically killed rather than get a relatively simple operation that Canada’s dysfunctional socialist medical system can’t provide for her.
I bet she’d have no problem getting a transgender surgery if she wanted that…
260
It is hard to think of anything more onerous than a life or death decision. I have had some tough conversations recently with my GP about end of life care for my wife who is now in a nursing home suffering from advanced dementia.
But for someone to be offered an active choice of death BEFORE exhausting medical treatments is simply unconscionable.
And for the specialists to not even put her on a waiting list comes pretty close to unconscionable.
Hopefully a white knight will appear in the form of a gofundme and a willing specialist somewhere in the world.
110
Forest,
have you considered Lithium Orotate?
Recent research suggests that lithium orotate may be a promising intervention for preventing and reversing dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease, based on findings from animal studies.
A landmark study published in Nature in August 2025 by Harvard Medical School researchers demonstrated that lithium deficiency in the brain is an early event in Alzheimer’s pathology, with amyloid plaques sequestering lithium and reducing its neuroprotective function.
In mouse models, treatment with lithium orotate—unlike traditional lithium carbonate—effectively bypassed amyloid sequestration, reversed amyloid and tau pathology, restored memory, and prevented cognitive decline, even in older mice with advanced disease.
The compound was effective at one-thousandth the dose of lithium carbonate, showing no toxicity in long-term mouse studies.
These findings indicate that lithium orotate could potentially prevent Alzheimer’s onset and treat existing disease by maintaining physiological lithium levels in the brain.
30
Thanks. I’ll discuss with our GP. He is not averse to novel treatments.
00
FWIW – seems to go with that!
“Canada’s Euthanasia Kills 96% White People
Free health care for Muslim migrants. Free death for Canadian taxpayers.”
https://www.frontpagemag.com/canadas-euthanasia-kills-96-white-people/
Via SDA
10
‘Illicit tobacco sales leave an $11.8bn hole.
‘Australia has lost up to $11.8 billion in tax revenue to illegal tobacco this financial year, dwarfing the $7.7 billion collected from legal sales.’ (Oz)
82
Smoking is bad but I think it’s good the Government is being prevented from taking all this money from nicotine addicts which is driving many to poverty.
And the $11.8 billion was not the Government’s money in the first place.
The Government is a drug pusher. Why else would they be complaining about “losing” this revenue if they really wanted people to stop smoking?
Why else did they ban nicotine vaping which is a less dangerous nicotine delivery method? It was too hard to tax.
220
Surely the “ government “ has heard of the “ law of diminishing returns “. Or am I a getting ahead of myself when it comes to the Canberra clown shows!
$11.8. Billion, that’s surely a fatal diminishment. Guess they’ll simply increase some other taxes to make up for it. I suggest they study the causes of diminishing returns before they run out of “ other goods/services to tax!!
80
FWIW
They don’t seem to have heard of “The Laffer Curve” either
50
The most unusual thing about this , is no one in government understands how it has happened. Now, colour me naive , but when even the MSM can talk about “illegal tobacco kingpins” total illegal sales and the sales outlets springing up all over the state, yet still officials have no idea how to combat the problem, I think there may be more to this situation.
If kingpins are known why aren’t they arrested? If tobacco shops are selling the stuff why aren’t they raided and closed down? If a twenty year old owns a Ferrari or a Lamborghini and yet doesn’t have a job why aren’t they investigated?
Why do I think that at least some of these proceeds find their way to political parties to fund “things” like re election? couldn’t be true, could it!
120
Whenever the political class strikes a sticky patch they employ the “look over here” technique and illegal tobacco is a prime example!
80
‘ … why aren’t they raided and closed down?’
They are now and an extra $11 billion should be filling government coffers in the near future, or so the argument goes, but that won’t happen. The blackmarket will go underground and making the situation even more difficult for the authorities.
To stop this madness in its tracks, they will have to reduce the draconian tax on legitimate tobacco.
Our politicians are idjits, they legalised medicinal cannabis a few years ago and the TGA has never approved it. It was simply a political decision and they imported it from Canada to providers, some are on the ASX.
The problem for government is that its use has been enthusiastically embraced by people who had never tried it before. So now the TGA is clamping down on prescriptions and telling people to go to their regular doctor and get big pharma.
31
“They are now ”
Yeah, do nothing for years watching the problem get out of control then say you will do something.
Like bushfire prevention, I think 5 Royal Commissions have recommended additional control burning, always agreed to, never achieved and results in disaster.
What these scenarios always guarantee is hordes of bureaucrats managing a created situation. without tangible measurable outcomes.
I’ll wait and see how the “fag” wars pan out.
30
Yep, it took them a couple of years before they decided to heavy the shop owners.
10
FWIW
“PROOF: AI Admits to LYING about Islam”
https://pjmedia.com/raymond-ibrahim/2025/12/11/proof-ai-admits-to-lying-about-islam-n4946943
Comes with “taqiyya” built in?
70
FWIW
Some thoughts on AI
“First of all, my position on AI: If AI is to be used, in science or art or whatever the heck you want to use it at, it should be used by people who are already somewhat above merely “competent.” Or to quote my husband, “Don’t treat AI like an infallible expert, treat it as a trainee who is a little naive and very unsure about the real world.” I.e. Ai is great for doing what I call the “donkey work” — whatever portion of the work it is you’re least fond of — and it should be extensively checked.”
More at
https://accordingtohoyt.com/2025/12/11/ludic/
60
If you want an idea about what the Russian newspapers are saying, then follow this utuber:
A historical compilation:
What the Russian papers used to write about:
Latest news:
Nearly 60% of Russian regions have hole in their budgets
A comment from one of the recent papers:
21
The link says “over 600 billion roubles”.
That’s $11,220,763,500 Australian dollars.
If Australian states and federally were “only” that badly off, I’d be almost happy.
40
The historical compilation above refers to an article by Vladimir Putin ”On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians“
Here are a couple of “cherry-picked” statements at the end of the article:
and…
That would be nice…
31
And what Ukraine will be – it is up to its citizens to decide…. so long as the Ukraine does not include the Donbass…
10
I have heard all my life that the Russians are coming and Ivan is 10 feet tall and he is so crafty he has tubes instead of circuits in his fighter jets to survive EMP.
It was because Ivan was a Commie, now he’s just a Russian … I think.
And now I have Commie college professor neighbors, plus a few in my state legislature.
All my stuff is made in China and Viet Nam.
30
FWIW – More Canada and “First Nations”
“Wisdom of Our Elders: The Contempt for Memory in Canadian Indigenous Policy”
“What do children owe their parents? Love, honour and respect are a good start. But what about parents who were once political figures – does the younger generation owe a duty of care to the beliefs of their forebears?”
More at
https://www.newenglishreview.org/wisdom-of-our-elders-the-contempt-for-memory-in-canadian-indigenous-policy/
Via SDA
10
PM accused of being a protectionist for his ministers on entitlements
Anthony Albanese has dodged calls to overhaul entitlements as analysis reveals more than a third of Labor’s $1m family travel bill was not used for dependants or partners with young children! The funds are meant to ensure Politician Parents are not unduly separated or restricted from being with their families while on official duties in Parliament. Plenty of parents of young children are required to work away from home for extended periods but it is only the political cohort that believes in ‘entitlements’ and expect/demand financial compensation. I’m reminded of all the long distance drivers of trucks, without which Australia would grind to a halt, that only get to see their wives/husbands/children if they can tie in a home port with their commercial schedule. FIFO workers too! The Australian Parliament typically has around 18 to 20 sitting weeks per year, with each sitting week usually consisting of three to four days not a bad lark! The average salary for a politician in Canberra, specifically a federal parliamentarian, is $230,000 per year plus so many perks, too many to mention here, as a minimum base salary, placing them in the top 5 percent of Australian income earners. It is we Joe Public that are entitled to a bigger bang for our $$$$
While the Prime Minister has weighed into Sarah Hanson-Young’s use of taxpayer-funded entitlements, Larissa Waters declined to say whether the Greens senator should refund taxpayers.
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The Minister Wells example is based on a remuneration package of salary well over $400,000 plus benefits that approximately double the salary component as a package value.
Those benefits include Living Away From Home Allowance paid to all MPs and many use it to buy a Canberra dwelling and benefit from capital gain. Therefore, how can Family Reunion be an added expense claim item in addition?
The Guildelines are obviously wide open to interpretation, and noting that travel and other planned expenditure must be approved by the Prime Minister for Cabinet Ministers, and later he also approves their expense account reimbursement request and reconciliation.
Introduced since 2015 when PM Turnbull was appointed and fully supported by Opposition Labor and others in Parliament, all potential beneficiaries.
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Talk about ‘pass the buck. Expenses watchdog should take lead in travel perks reform, Labor frontbencher Mark Butler says the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority should step up with advice on changes to travel guidelines; Bridget McKenzie says the PM is protecting Anika Wells because he approved her $100k New York airfares.
The trick is that the Expenses Watch Dog is made up of bureaucrats who like their jobs and entitlements too much to buck the system! I’m reminded of that great TV series Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister!
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I think the Labor policy is that ,they’ve got such a big majority, they will just bluff their way through. Plus the U16 social media ban and possibly the collapse of the whole Net Zero scam. That’s what Daniel Andrews did in Victoria, plus went on the offensive, ala Paul Keating style. Albanese already showing these traits, with his aggression towards journalists. He’ll go big on social media, not because he’s writing his posts etc, but because his Gen Z advisors will be facilitating. The whole Labor team will be out attending Xmas charity events and making sure it hits Instabook and Tikchat. Where no one under 16 will be able to view them. Making them enemies and proving the law of unintended consequences yet again.
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Also pinning their escape via the Christmas Holidays and related voter lack of interest in politics at this time.
Hopefully the blowtorch will be applied again in early 2026.
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They know that they only have to brazen it out for a week or two, while their mates in the media pretend to attack them. Then something else will happen and this outrage will be memory-holed.
If the Libs had a spine, they would not let up, pursuing this matter for as long as it takes, but they’re weak and, let’s face it, happy to keep their own noses in the trough.
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Jim Hacker as PM, talking about the Voters –
“I am their Leader. I must follow them.” LOL
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It would be a dream team if Tony Abbott would join Barnaby Joyce at One Nation and then they’d have a former PM and Deputy PM on board and Australia would have a viable conservative party to displace Green/Teal/Lib/Lab at the next election.
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I can’t see Hanson allowing Abbott – the man who she said put her in jail – into One Nation.
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Don’t agree. Both Tony and Barney have had “their day”. Tony has written a good book on Australian history for generations who were taught a warped version in our schools. Barnaby is a gutsy bloke who “says it how it is”….but their days in the sun are over.
The future belongs to younger pollies who also speak their mind and care about this country – pollies like Matt Canavan of the Nats, and Alex Antic of the Libs. Unfortunately, both men are Senators and will need to transfer to theHouse of Reps to be viable leaders. Jacinta Price is another very very impressive young mollie. I have heard her speak on two occasions and she is forthright, well informed and willing to “have a go”.
One Nation has been a a bulwark in defending Australian values but, unless it can form a coalition with the conservative Parties, it cant govern in its own right. I am still hopeful that the National Party could field candidates in urban electorates at the next federal election. There is absolutely no reason why the National Party could not represent conservative voters if they are prepared to expand their vision.
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Vicki,
bought Tonty Abbott book on history of Australia and pleased Grandchild 7 – Grandson 14 years, has just returned after reading
Re One Nation has been a a bulwark in defending Australian values but, unless it can form a coalition with the conservative Parties, it cant govern in its own right. I am still hopeful that the National Party could field candidates in urban electorates at the next federal election.
As I have been sayimg for awhile now – all Liberal Net Zero Deniers need to leave Turnbull LINOs and join National Party
National Party needs to run Candidates in all Local/State/Federal Elections
All Conservative Parties, Nationals, One Nation, Advance, Family First need to join together, hire some Maths Quamts to do Preference Whispering and game the Preference Voting System
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That’s nice of Abbott to compliment One Nation. Doesn’t make up for his part in wrongly gaoling Pauline Hanson though.
I bet he now wishes he’d worked with One Nation and made it stronger, rather than work against it. But he couldn’t even protect his own party from infiltration, being weakened, and paid the price.
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Barnaby is going to the Senate to retire gracefully, he may get wooed back to the Nats, but that depends on getting rid of Littlepround.
Tony is fully occupied, so I don’t see him returning to the fray.
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All these ‘hot’ wars (You-crane, Burma, Thailand, Sudan, Venezuela, etc) could be due to the ‘cold’ planet: -30 South Pole, -33 Greenland, -23 North Pole.
https://ocean.dmi.dk//arctic/meant80n.uk.php
SNAFU – Situation Normal, Arctic Frozen Under!
French divers discover 7,000 year old ‘Brittany Wall’ built by a Neolithic civilisation yet now under 9 metres (30ft) of risen sea levels. On the other hand, Antarctic scientists are chugging across the Ross Ice Shelf in a BillyBunter (?) diesel snow-tractor, towing diesel mining equipment on sleds, to eventually use a steel drill (last year’s fibreglass one broke in the cold) to extract an ice core from which they’ll calculate when, and by how much, the sea level will rise in the future “due to fossil fuels” [sic].
Do these various disciplines ever communicate with each other, or have they merely figured out a way to get someone else to pay for their holiday over Christmas?
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‘All these ‘hot’ wars (You-crane, Burma, Thailand, S’
They have slipped below the radar on here, yet if war breaks out in SE Asia, we will be involved. America will tell Elbow which side he is on and we will be sending troops off to die in Burma again… or Thailand, or Cambodia, or Vietnam…. or Indonesia! I don’t know why people are worried about China invading Australia when it is more likely we will be tangled up in some local war, the 1950s Malaysian Insurgency but hotter.
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Albo is already offering Australian “peacekeepers” to the EU for their war in Ukraine, a region where we have zero strategic interest.
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Dr Willie Soon rejects the CO2 narrative.
https://notrickszone.com/2025/12/10/astrophysicist-dr-willie-soon-challenges-the-climate-consensus-its-the-sun-not-co2/
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Funny wording from Dr Soon:
” … in promoting”?
Surely “…as essential to” is more precise.
And I think he needs to study TdeF’s work to understand the carbon cycle.
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Look out for a major Labor revamp on all things Net zero. The indicators are there already with firstly Jim Chalmers (Australian Treasurer) winding up the renewable energy subsidies. Secondly, the AEMO crab walking closer to telling the truth. I’m expecting Chrissie Bowen tearfully resigning as Energy Climate Minister to focus on the COP President job. He will be disappeared. Head kicker Murray Watt assumes the Energy portfolio and makes some big decisions like Nett zero pushed out to 2075. The billions saved on direct electricity subsidies will be spent maintaining or constructing coal fired power stations. All for the sake of new “jobs”. I’m with RickWill, large solar installations will fail due to more rooftop solar. There definitely wont be any offshore wind and on-shore approvals and development will disappear. Unfortunately for all the huge wasted investment, there will be no apologies and I suspect no Royal Commissions. Couldn’t have that, we might find the government in error or the public service didn’t offer frank and unbiased information.
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Yang Lanlan revisited. China bullies Australia again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJUP0KYC8dw
Odd that this is from the US, not local.
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FWIW – in response to an earlier thread post around “the certainty of this”
The trundle ran out of steam again
“JUST IN: House Overwhelmingly Rejects Al Green’s Impeachment Effort Against Trump – 70 Democrats Kill Measure (VIDEO)”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/12/just-house-overwhelmingly-rejects-al-greens-impeachment-effort/
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Redacted: Australia is f#cked and there’s no coming back
https://youtu.be/ezAx09lB-a4?si=O2W3nVmsP6g4Y3CT
Even Maria Zeee, living in the USA, has to comply with Oz age verification!?
NextDNS adds an option to bypass age verification on websites
NextDNS has introduced a feature that will allow users to bypass age verification requirements on websites that require an ID. It might be useful for users in the U.K., U.S., Europe and regions where age-restrictions are slowly being introduced.
In case you missed it, Xbox, X (Twitter), Reddit, and many other services now require users to submit an ID to prove that are 18 years old or older, in the above-mentioned regions. These measures are being placed to ensure compliance with the local laws such as The Online Safety Bill in the U.K.
https://www.ghacks.net/2025/08/16/nextdns-adds-an-option-to-bypass-age-verification-on-websites/
Change your DNS to anything other than your ISP assigned one.
Google and Cloudflare are the top 2.
A short list (primary, secondary)
Google 8.8.8.8, 8.8.4.4
Cloudflare 1.1.1.1, 1.0.0.1
Control D 76.76.2.0, 76.76.10.0
Quad9 9.9.9.9, 149.112.112.112
OpenDNS Home 208.67.222.222, 208.67.220.220
AdGuard DNS 94.140.14.14, 94.140.15.15
CleanBrowsing 185.228.168.9, 185.228.169.9
Alternate DNS 76.76.19.19, 76.223.122.150
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What Australia has done is shameful and every Australian should be embarrassed and alarmed at what has become of the country.
But this is the insanity they voted for.
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Hello, Albo
Many Australians think that your attitude regarding politicians’ travel stinks to high heaven. You don’t agree. Would it stink to, maybe, medium, or low heaven? Or is heaven a concept that doesn’t apply in this instance?
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FWIW
“The Problem with the “Primary Energy Fallacy” ”
“Why “free” energy isn’t free once you need it on demand”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/12/11/the-problem-with-the-primary-energy-fallacy/
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Sign of the times.
This week we noted additional bollards being installed around the Aldi store we use. Wherever there is a glass wall or doors there are now bollards.
Not a particularly risky area. Maybe it’s more for the is that the accelerator or the brake? crowd
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