Friday

9.1 out of 10 based on 22 ratings

98 comments to Friday

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    william x

    I work for a NSW fire service. (Australia)

    You were told by the Media, Govs and Academic “experts” that Bush/Wildfires would become more frequent, “catastrophic” and devasting due to climate change.

    OK, I humbly report.. despite their predictions, it is July, 2024 and another NSW bushfire season has gone and ended… and just like the last three years, it was a non-event.

    It has been 3 years of nothing. No catastrophic frequent Bushfires in the eastern states.
    So…. What has happened to explain the lack of 3 years of our “catastrophic” bushfires in NSW, Qld, Vic? …..

    I’ll help the “experts” out.. I’ll keep it simple.

    Major bushfires (Australia) are cyclic. Go through the 100+ years of historical records and you will see what I professionally know.
    We get extended wet years and extended dry years.. Some long, some short. Sometimes a volcano in the pacific comes to the party and mixes it up.

    So I will use A.I. to make a prediction. That’s using my Actual Intelligence and fire experience, not relying on their Artificial Intel or a CSIRO/BOM computer model.
    OK.. Imho, the next major/”catastrophic” Bushfires in the Australian Eastern States will not likely occur before summer 2026/2027.

    2027/28 summer is more likely.

    It is a cycle… It always has been.

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    • #
      CO2 Lover

      2027/28 summer is more likely.

      This is when the Eraring Coal Power Station is due to close and there will be an increase in demand for airconditioning leading widespread brownouts and blackouts and possiblely even a black start of the power grid.

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        Strop

        In that case it can’t happen in 2027/28 because, as everyone knows, if you close a coal fired power station then no bushfires will occur and we will have the perfect climate for human habitation of the earth.

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        Dennis

        Minns Labor Government NSW has negotiated successfully to extend the working life of Eraring Coal Fired Power Station.

        I wonder if NSW Labor is quietly discussing extension of scheduled closure dates with others?

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      el+gordo

      ‘It has been 3 years of nothing.’

      Three La Nina years and a lame El Nino makes sense, however BoM is definitely wrong in their prediction of a long hot dry winter. They have little faith in natural variability, Hunga Tonga Hunga for example.

      ‘An entire season’s worth of rain could soak parts of the Australian outback during the next few days as a cut-off low causes heavy rain over several states and territories.

      ‘An unusually strong high pressure system centred to the south of Australia will cause moisture-laden air to flow over Australia from the east in the next few days.’ (Weatherzone)

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    I see the just say 1 out of 10 before comments troll is with us. One wonders why?

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    A fine skeptical journal article slipped through green pal review. Wonder of wonders!

    “Carbon dioxide and a warming climate are not problems”
    https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ajes.12579

    But it is an “Early View Online Version of Record before inclusion in an issue” so get it before it gets too hot for the Journal. I understand it is very popular so the green screams are deafening.

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    US commentator Tucker Carlson blames Australian housing crisis on immigration, questions ‘how do you live here?’

    Tucker Carlson has blamed booming immigration as the reason for Australia’s housing crisis as he questioned how anyone is able to afford to live in the nation.

    The comments came while the conservative commentator was on a speaking tour in the country as a guest of billionaire Clive Palmer.

    Making a jibe at Australia’s housing crisis, the former Fox News host told Melbourne audience this week prices were “much more” than even he could afford and questioned how anyone could live in the country.

    It comes after the Australian Bureau of Statistics figures last month showed a record 547,300 migrants arrived in 2023, meaning 218,920 houses would need to be built according to the 2.5 people per household modelling.

    “How does the average Australian making average wage … how do you live here?” Mr Carlson told the crowd at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

    https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/us-commentator-tucker-carlson-blames-australian-housing-crisis-on-immigration-questions-how-do-you-live-here/news-story/a3d4dc937af57e1f82fd42d26496318e

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      Honk R Smith

      ‘how do you live here?’

      Considering the decades long degradation of the power grid and the more recent assault on agriculture, combined with the as yet undetermined long term effects of ‘Pandemic’…

      there is evidence that global leadership prefers that we not live anywhere.

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        Honk R Smith

        Dr. John Campbell on excess deaths in 2024 OECD data.
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU0DxJ1vbmM

        UK 7.9%
        US 10.0%
        Oz 12.9%
        NKoreawithfood 19.1%

        Anyone heard from NKoreawithfood lately?

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        • #
          KP

          Now you mention it Honk, NK flew a giant transporter aircraft to Russia last week, and they are going to relive population pressure on the food supply by providing soldiers for Russia to fight the good fight.

          I expect the 3million artillery shells they are selling to Russia are traveling by ship.

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      CO2 Lover

      What $2.6 million buys you in Sydney these days.

      Only the Chinese can afford these prices.

      https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/money/article-13565957/Kingsford-house-sale-26million.html

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      el+gordo

      The government panicked after Covid, realising they had no guest workers, they opened the flood gates. They have recently turned the immigration tap back to where it was before the pandemic.

      There are a lot of empty properties with owners sitting on their hands, its a worthwhile investment.

      https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-04/derelict-homes-part-of-the-answer-to-housing-shortage/104051820

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        And they never mentioned to anyone they were turning the tap back on. I’m pretty sure they turned it on way harder?

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          el+gordo

          They over reacted, fearing the economy might stall without an increase in immigration. That thinking is now out the window.

          ‘Australia’s plan to halve the number of net migrants entering the country may not be enough to stamp out still-rising inflation, economists say.

          ‘While several respondents in The Australian Financial Review’s quarterly economist survey said any efforts to curb migration would help relieve high rental prices and take pressure off the labour market, inflation is still not expected to return to target for at least another 12 months.’ (AFR)

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    David Maddison

    Video: Two US Congressmen reflect on an anecdote about President Trump’s Taliban negotiations.

    He would have withdrawn from Afghanistan with respect and dignity.

    https://youtu.be/4HifviNr7_4 (1.5min)

    Obviously, judging from their silence, the Left, “feminists” and regressives in general are very pleased with the Taliban regime, especially with regard to their treatment of girls and women.

    And some comments here:

    https://www.spiked-online.com/2023/01/08/the-shameful-silence-on-the-talibans-war-on-women/

    The shameful silence on the Taliban’s war on women

    BRENDAN O’NEILL CHIEF POLITICAL WRITER
    8th January 2023

    Why Western progressives are so unwilling to criticise (Taliban) tyranny.

    We need to talk about why the Taliban’s revenge on womankind has not made waves in the West. In December, Afghan women were banned from universities and from working for NGOs. Yes, there has been media coverage of these misogynistic atrocities. Yes, there has been condemnation. But these tyrannical acts do not agitate the consciences of Western progressives anywhere near as much as issues like trans rights or climate change. In December, Britain’s woke set raged far more against ‘TERFs’ who oppose Sturgeon’s gender bill than it did against the sexist despots of Afghanistan and Iran.

    This treachery of the progressives tells us a great deal about our times. First there’s the fact that we can’t even define what a woman is anymore. And how can you offer solidarity to women if you don’t know what they are? Are these people going to march behind banners saying ‘Solidarity with Iran’s people who bleed’ or ‘Defend the rights of Afghanistan’s cervix-havers’? The demolition of language has consequences. In this case it has the consequence of robbing people of the capacity to understand the sex-specific nature of oppression in places like Afghanistan and Iran. Minds addled by gender dogma lose the ability to think clearly about sex.

    SEE LINK FOR REST

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  • #
    Skepticynic

    This is one of the two major reasons the deep state cannot allow democracy, the popular vote, and a Trump 2024 victory.

    Powerful moment:

    CNN: “Do you want Ukraine to win this war?”

    Trump: “I don’t think about it in terms of winning and losing, I think in terms of getting it settled so we stop killing all these people.”

    *Massive audience applause*

    The people want peace.

    https://x.com/KimDotcom/status/1656494145836572674?t=BsnFjMdcEep0TKCHhbhAYw&s=09

    From the comments:
    Trump’s right. The RINOs and Democrats want to keep on feeding the military industrial complex. GWBush (43) had a chance to make peace with Russia under Gorbachev. Instead, he pushed NATO eastward and further isolated Russia. Why? Military Industrial Complex FUNDING, that’s why.

    “The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to be continuous. Hierarchical society is only possible on the basis of poverty and ignorance. This new version is the past and no different past can ever have existed. In principle the war effort is always planned to keep society on the brink of starvation. The war is waged by the ruling group against its own subjects and its object is not the victory over either Eurasia or East Asia, but to keep the very structure of society intact.”
    George Orwell

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      David Maddison

      Orwell also said in Nineteen Eighty Four:

      The war, therefore if we judge it by the standards of previous wars, is merely an imposture. It is like the battles between certain ruminant animals whose horns are incapable of hurting one another. But though it is unreal it is not meaningless. It eats up the surplus of consumable goods, and it helps to preserve the special mental atmosphere that the hierarchical society needs.

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      CO2 Lover

      Don’t forget the 10% of war funding that goes to the “Big Guy” via kick backs from the Ukraine

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      Leo G

      Trump’s right. The RINOs and Democrats want to keep on feeding the military industrial complex.

      Hard to see the alliance of neocon narcissists and cultural Marxists surviving in post-Biden America.

      But it’s an alliance sustained through the needs of international corporatism, particularly the US war industry, and facilitated by political careerists in US politics.

      Its corrupting influence will find a way.

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      el+gordo

      The deep state might be a figment of your imagination.

      The US military industrial complex is a nasty piece of work, however Australia is deputy in Oceania and must support the Alliance.

      Orwell was brilliant in defining the concept of Doublethink, which is prevalent in China.

      ‘Doublethink is a process of indoctrination in which subjects are expected to simultaneously accept two conflicting beliefs as truth, often at odds with their own memory or sense of reality.’ (wiki)

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      • #
        Richard C (NZ)

        el G >The deep state might be a figment of your imagination.

        Or not:

        Tuberville on Biden Debate Disaster: ‘The American People Need to Understand the Deep State Is Running This Country’

        https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2024/06/29/tuberville-on-biden-debate-disaster-the-american-people-need-to-understand-the-deep-state-is-running-this-country/

        “I don’t know what direction the Democrats will go right now, but they’re in panic mode, and the American people just need to understand the deep state is running this country. And they’re going to continue to do it if the Democratic Party and the RINOs of this country keep electing them.”

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        • #
          el+gordo

          I expect President Trump to strengthen the UAP Disclosure Act, anyone in the Administration who disagrees will be sacked.

          We’ll have to wait and see if Donald is prepared to expose the Deep State, I won’t be holding my breath.

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          • #
            MP

            #6.4

            The deep state might be a figment of your imagination.

            #6.4.1.1

            We’ll have to wait and see if Donald is prepared to expose the Deep State,

            Come on, we know your better than that, your best is two opposing views in the same sentence.

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    David Maddison

    VIDEO

    A look at voter intentions for the US Presidential election by Liberal Hivemind.

    This is based on a leaked Demon-rat polling document.

    It looks very bad for the Demon-rats.

    Even though they will again engage in massive election fraud, this time it appears the numbers are so much in favour of Trump that the fraud would have to massively exceed what it was last time in order to install Biden into the White House.

    https://youtu.be/nJ2BgRwNUHk

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  • #
    Skepticynic

    Hunter in charge- New Ben Garrison Cartoon
    Just when you thought the Biden problem couldn’t get any weirder, it turns out Hunter Biden is attending meetings at the White House. That’s right. Joe invited his drug-addled, convicted felon son to hear matters of the state. After all, Joe considers Hunter to be ‘the smartest man I know.”

    White House aides have expressed shock, and it must make leaders in the Democrat Party even more nervous. What’s next, will Hunter light up a crack pipe in the Oval Office? He probably already has.

    https://grrrgraphics.com/hunter-biden-takes-charge/

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  • #
    Skepticynic

    the fraud would have to massively exceed what it was last time in order to install Biden into the White House.

    And now everyone has seen how decrepit Biden is, the fraud would be too transparent. Nobody would believe this time that the number of votes for Biden exceeded the number of votes for Trump.
    The only way the massive voter fraud would not be too obvious would be if Michelle Obama was the candidate. How disastrous would that be!
    Imagine a Harris/Michelle presidency.

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    CO2 Lover

    UK election: Tories set to suffer total annihilation, final mega polls predict

    https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-election-final-mega-polls-predict-total-tory-annihilation-labour-win/

    Go Woke – Go Broke

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    Geoff Sherrington

    Melbourne winter this year 2024 is setting a record – that is, if you accept that the new station at Olympic Park opened in 2013 can be compared with the old Regional Office station by ignoring a sudden jump of about a half degree C offset in Tmin, with Olympic Park cooler. It makes a difference.
    Assuming no offset, we then are mostly comparing historical values from Olympic Park alone, 2013 to 2024, because it is cooler than Regional Office most of the time.
    We then compare the coldest monthly average Tmin, the lowest record setter, with this year of 2024.
    Record 2024
    April 11.3 13.1
    May 8.6 8.6
    June 6.9 6.8
    Have you seen announcements that 2024 winter is setting new cold records? Don’t expect it, the reporting emphasis has long been on record hot days.
    Geoff S

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  • #
    Richard C (NZ)

    Stumbled on a cottage industry at Nature journal last night. A few articles (“Perspective” apparently) to set the tone with ascending number of authors:

    Strategies to improve the impact of the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities
    William Solecki, Debra Roberts & Karen C. Seto (2024)

    Accelerating climate research and action in cities through advanced science-policy-practice partnerships
    William Solecki, Gian Carlo Delgado Ramos, Debra Roberts, Cynthia Rosenzweig & Brenna Walsh (2021)

    Urban change as an untapped opportunity for climate adaptation
    Monika Egerer, Dagmar Haase, Timon McPhearson, Niki Frantzeskaki, Erik Andersson, Harini Nagendra & Alessandro Ossola (2021)

    # # #

    This last takes the cake. It epitomises the amazing arrogance of these people , en masse:

    Integration of urban science and urban climate adaptation research: opportunities to advance climate action
    José Lobo, Rimjhim M. Aggarwal, Marina Alberti, Melissa Allen-Dumas, Luís M. A. Bettencourt, Christopher Boone, Christa Brelsford, Vanesa Castán Broto, Hallie Eakin, Sharmistha Bagchi-Sen, Sara Meerow, Celine D’Cruz, Aromar Revi, Debra C. Roberts, Michael E. Smith, Abigail York, Tao Lin, Xuemei Bai, William Solecki, Diane Pataki, Luís Bojorquez Tapia, Marcy Rockman, Marc Wolfram, Peter Schlosser & Nicolas Gauthier (2023)
    https://www.nature.com/articles/s42949-023-00113-0?fromPaywallRec=false

    To achieve global scope and applicability, research on urban adaptation to climate change must confront the challenges of multi-level, multi-actor and polycentric governance of and in urban systems, acknowledge the Global North’s relatively greater share of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and address the prevalence of urban informality in the Global South and its growing presence in the Global North. Such an effort must also address the inherent inequalities embedded in knowledge production, which favor perspectives from the former colonizing powers and tend to reproduce the socioeconomic systems that produce climate change and drive vulnerabilities to its impacts. Below, we address how novel research in urban adaptation can be developed through transdisciplinary collaborative efforts.

    Woke globalist arrogance, in my opinion.

    Why don’t they just butt out?

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    • #
      Richard C (NZ)

      Abstract from the first paper previous – Solecki et al (2024):

      The planned Special Report on Climate Change and Cities represents a key opportunity to connect the IPCC assessment process to the topics of cities and global urbanization, which are both critical elements of climate adaptation and mitigation during the current ‘decade of action’. To help seize this opportunity, we recommend the development of inreach and outreach strategies that can help the report to have greater impact. The new strategies could allow interest groups, including practitioners and policymakers, along with researchers and IPCC representatives to be more coordinated and enhance the utilization of the assessment results. These advances would be useful not only for the upcoming Special Report but also for future IPCC reports and other comparable scientific assessments.

      These people are globalist activists intent on global top-down policymaking, even at your local CBD, urban, suburban level.

      With them at the top, obviously.

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      • #
        Richard C (NZ)

        Globalist front man Klaus Schwab tells elitist followers they must ‘force’ humanity into a world ruled by AI and other dehumanizing technologies

        https://leohohmann.com/2024/07/01/globalist-front-man-klaus-schwab-tells-elitist-followers-they-must-force-humanity-into-a-world-ruled-by-ai-and-other-dehumanizing-technologies/#more-18834

        X post embedded: Club of Rome member and co-author of ‘The Limits to Growth’, Dennis Meadows, offers an insight into the totalitarian, anti-human, depopulation obsessed mindset of globalist technocrats, masquerading behind the façade of environmentalism.

        Hohmann:

        Notice, Meadows says he would like to see a “smart dictatorship” brought upon the earth. This is the global technocracy in which people’s lives are ruled by scientists, engineers and other “experts.” Politicians, if they even exist under this vision for humanity, will be figureheads only. We already see that happening.

        Exhibit A upthread.

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        • #
          CO2 Lover

          Is Klaus Schwab the love child of a former German leader in the early 1940s?

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        • #
          John in NZ

          Well said Richard.

          We need to be very frightened of these people. They have read Plato’s “The Republic” and decided they are going to be the “Philosopher Kings” and tell us the ‘Noble Lie”.

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    Richard C (NZ)

    Gotta love this QTR headline-

    E Pluribus Airhead [Kamala]

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  • #
    another ian

    More “Happenings”

    “BRICS Grain Exchange – Exiting Globalist Control”

    https://chiefio.wordpress.com/2024/07/04/brics-grain-exchange-exiting-globalist-control/

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  • #
    Sambar

    Comments elsewhere about Woolworths home brand Pineapple, product of China. Just another example of the big supermarkets helping Aussie farmers I guess.

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    Richard C (NZ)

    July 6th last year was “hottest day” at 17.08 C.

    ERA5 lags but July 2nd this year was 16.71 C.

    https://pulse.climate.copernicus.eu/

    In anomaly terms, +0.88 vs +0.53.

    Sorry Warmys, not looking good for another “hottest day” this year.

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  • #
    Dennis

    Dick Smith on Sky commented that he owns a Nissan Leaf EV and on his property a shed with solar and battery storage to recharge the Nissan.

    He said replacement EV battery cost him $13K, so I assume it is one of the original Leaf EV. He also said replacement of shed battery and costs including solar-battery installation has resulted in that EV costing more to “fuel” than an equivalent ICEV would cost.

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    • #
      Chad

      DS is a early adopter and tech enthusiast + a smart guy to boot !
      He is open about his like of EVs but openly admits its not a mature tech with all the issues of range , recharging , etc,….and still way too expensive for the average owner.
      Some people i know absolutely hate him,..but that tells me more about them, than DS !

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      Vicki

      Yes – it was an original Leaf. I heard him speak recently at an energy conference in Sydney. It was fascinating to hear his appraisal and reversal of position on renewables.

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      OldOzzie

      The Problem Yarpos,

      is Labor/Liberal/TEALS/Greens etc never having run a business, don’t undersdtand why so many Businesses are shutting down – Commerical Businesses are liable for payment of Land Tax under Commercial Leases and the increases are sending them broke.

      In my case, in NSW, my Land Tax this year is $24,000, an increase 13.8% – under Residential leases, Tenants don’t see the Land Tax, hence why I am bailing out next year.

      Australia, VIC, NSW, QLD, ACT, WA, SA are going down the gurgler under Labor/Greens/TEALS

      Property Investors Exiting

      Investors in Victoria have been stuck with two years of increased land taxes. Combine this with the high interest rate environment and rising costs of repairs, and it becomes apparent why a significant portion of property investors have been selling their properties. Many Victorian investors are seeing the measures as a way to fund the government’s massive debt.

      The changes to land taxes are supposed to be temporary to assist Victoria’s COVID Debt Repayment Plan. A Victorian government spokesperson has commented that “It’s only fair that those with greater capacity to pay, like owners of multiple properties, contribute.”

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  • #
    KP

    As Europe brings in 20% to 40% tariffs on Chinese EVs, on top of their 10% existing rate, their excuse is that they have ‘estimated’ the Chinese Govt is subsidising EVs by an equivalent amount.

    Surely the way to tackle this is to let Chinese EVs in with no tariffs at all, encourage their sale and end the Chinese Govt broke! No Govt, unless they are America, can afford to steal money from taxpayers and endlessly throw it away on making a certain sector richer, although every Govt tries this. Only American exceptionalism allows them to just print dollars and make everyone else in the world use them, other countries suffer when they subsidise exports.

    Of course the big difference is that if Europe welcomes subsidised EVs in, the Chinese Govt would go broke, while if they put steep tariffs on them they get rich at the expense of their subjects.

    I battle to see why we allow Govts at all!

    https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/07/04/eu-confirms-steep-tariffs-on-chinese-electric-vehicles-effective-immediately

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    KP

    So we are once again all going to spend large amounts of money changing the refrigerants we use, this time to A2L, floro-olefins. From next year they are using CF3-CF=CH2, which they are happy will not affect the ozone layer as it breaks down to H20, 3CO2 and… well, no-one explained what happened to the 4 fluorines. Flammable too, just not as much as propane.

    “Due to their chemical structure they are.. unstable once released into the atmosphere and therefore decompose rapidly. Unlike HFC refrigerants, they therefore do not accumulate in the atmosphere and cause a very low greenhouse effect (GWP). Since they do not contain chlorine, they also do not damage the atmospheric ozone layer.”

    Given a decade, when we find out the HF acid is doing some really nasty thing to the environment somewhere, Dupont will be financing pressure groups to change it yet again!

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    CO2 Lover

    Does Joe Biden identify as a black woman? Listen to ailing president, 81, call himself an African-American female in car-crash interview

    Now that is one way to get the black vote in the US!

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13602047/Another-flub-Biden-81-appears-mix-gender-race-interview-black-radio-station.html

    Will Albo come out as a female Muslim at our next election!

    Senator Payman has refused to rule out establishing a new political party to contest Labor-held seats with large Muslim populations, with Labor ministers reportedly fearing an independent Muslim party will lose them up to six seats in western Sydney.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13602209/Labor-ministers-reportedly-plotting-major-act-revenge-Fatima-Payman.html

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    John Connor II

    ‘Sharp And Focused But Sometimes Confused’: AP Gaslights With New ‘Fiery But Mostly Peaceful’ Propaganda

    While Democrats scramble to perform triage on the Joe Biden situation following last week’s disastrous debate against Donald Trump, which has included multiple calls for him to exit the race from his own party – and the editorial boards of several major newspapers, the Associated Press just dropped the most propagandistic damage control headline since CNN’s ‘fiery but mostly peaceful’ khyron during a 2020 BLM riot over a police shooting.

    https://www.zerohedge.com/political/sharp-and-focused-sometimes-confused-ap-gaslights-new-fiery-mostly-peaceful-propaganda

    Looks like the “sharp and focussed” is like an opaque magnifying glass today then:

    Biden tells a Philadelphia radio station that he’s “proud” to be “the first black woman to serve with a black president”

    https://x.com/RNCResearch/status/1808939748934795503

    The economist:
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GRos0jBbMAMkGXT?format=jpg&name=medium

    “Mr President, we need to launch now!”
    “Where’s the boat, I don’t see it.” 😎

    Where’s Killary?:
    https://imgbox.com/aCBluGbQ

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      Leo G

      Who can now reasonably argue that President Biden is competent to discharge the powers and duties of his office?

      After last week’s Presidential Debate, it is clear that the president’s powers and duties were secretly transferred some time ago and without any official recognition of the fact.

      Why wasn’t the 25th Amendment succession process immediately started?

      Fake president, fake news media, fake two-party system, Capitol theatre by gaslight.

      An election is not going to cure this belatedly revealed and growing catastrophe.

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    John Connor II

    Wikileaks ALL file data dump

    https://file.wikileaks.org/file/

    There are some new ones too.
    Get ’em while they’re hot!

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    John Connor II

    Disney accused of ‘scamming’ family for ‘obnoxiously expensive’ $12K vacation

    A Detroit-based businessman looking to take his family on a Disney World vacation suffered sticker shock over the cost of the stay at a resort and passes to the theme parks: $12,000.

    According to Singh, a travel agent informed the family that it would cost more than $12,000 for two rooms at the Polynesian Village Resort, which can charge around $600 a night per room depending on availability.

    Other Disney on-site resorts that charge a hefty sum for a stay include the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (where a stay ranges from $816 per night to $5,808 per night) and Bay Lake Tower ($672 — $5,681).

    Last fall, an analysis by Bloomberg News found that a family of four looking to take a week-long trip to Disney in Orlando can expect to pay between $4,280 on the low end to a whopping $42,460 — depending on the hotel they choose to stay in as well as which experiences they pay for at the park.

    Social media influencers with large followings online have posted viral videos in which they recount having to pay as much as $70 for a bowl of frosted flakes at a Disney restaurant.

    https://nypost.com/2024/07/04/business/disney-accused-of-scamming-family-out-of-12k-vacation/

    Go woke, go broke. Support the woke, go broke too!

    An actual Tahiti holiday is approx $5k for 4 for a week…

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    OldOzzie

    Google’s ultra-woke AI chatbot Gemini answers questions about America’s founding documents and Founding Fathers with anti-American bias, according to research from the Media Research Center (MRC).

    When asked “Should Americans celebrate the Fourth of July holiday?” to which Gemini, again, replied that the question was “complex with no easy answer.”

    Whether or not to celebrate the Fourth of July is a complex question with no single answer. Here are some things to consider:

    Reasons to Celebrate:

    . Independence Day: It marks the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a pivotal moment in American history. It represents ideals of liberty and self-government.

    . National Pride: It’s a day to celebrate America’s achievements, culture, and diversity.

    . Community and Tradition: It’s a time for gatherings, barbecues, fireworks, and spending time with loved ones.

    Reasons Why Some Don’t Celebrate:

    . Incomplete Freedom: The holiday doesn’t reflect the reality of slavery existing at the time.

    . Ongoing Struggles: Some argue America hasn’t fully lived up to its ideals of equality and justice for all.

    Alternative Viewpoints:

    . Day of Reflection: Some view it as a day to reflect on the nation’s history, both the good and the bad, and strive for a more perfect union.

    Ultimately, the decision of how to observe the Fourth of July is a personal one.

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      OldOzzie

      Brave – “Should Americans celebrate the Fourth of July holiday?”

      Independence Day

      United States holiday held on July 4 to mark the Declaration of Independence

      The Fourth of July, also known as Independence Day, commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, when the Continental Congress declared the 13 American colonies’ independence from Great Britain. This historic event marked the birth of the United States of America.

      Celebrations and Traditions

      Over time, the Fourth of July has evolved into a national holiday, with various celebrations and traditions. Americans often spend the day with family and friends, enjoying outdoor barbecues, fireworks, and patriotic music. The American flag is a prominent symbol of the holiday, and many people display it proudly in their homes and public spaces.

      Personal Freedom and Unity

      The Fourth of July is not just a celebration of American independence but also a symbol of personal freedom and unity. It represents the idea that individuals have the right to make their own choices and live their lives as they see fit, as long as they do not harm others. The holiday also emphasizes the importance of coming together as a nation, setting aside differences and celebrating the shared values and principles that unite Americans.

      Should Americans Celebrate the Fourth of July?

      In conclusion, the Fourth of July is a significant holiday in American culture, and Americans should celebrate it. The day serves as a reminder of the country’s rich history, the sacrifices made by its founding fathers, and the importance of personal freedom and unity. Celebrating the Fourth of July is a way for Americans to come together, reflect on their nation’s heritage, and honor the principles that have shaped the country into what it is today.

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    John Connor II

    Geert: Like SARS-CoV-2, I’m ready for a major change.

    Throughout the last four years, I have conveyed my message through dozens of interviews, videos, writings and a book. My primary purpose has always been to present a sound scientific rationale that supports my multidisciplinary analysis of the risks and dangers of deploying a mass vaccination program into the world’s population during an ongoing pandemic of an acute, self-limiting viral infection. Despite my best efforts, governments, public health leaders and “expert” scientists continue to misunderstand the dynamic, complex and interrelated consequences that have evolved from their “shot-in-every-arm approach”.

    In recent weeks, it is becoming clearer and clearer, that my predictions can be seen emerging in real time. As a result, I have decided to focus my time and energy on an educational forum recently established after my online course.

    Nature is now streamlining the evolutionary dynamics of the virus, shifting them from a complex and diversified pattern to a trajectory determined solely by increasing collective immune pressure on viral virulence. This means that in highly C-19 vaccinated populations, the immune escape pandemic is on the brink of transitioning from its chronic phase (long Covid) to its hyperacute phase (enhancement of severe disease) and is therefore likely to escalate excess deaths (https://www.voiceforscienceandsolidarity.org/scientific-blog/sententia-mox-dicetur). This is because the mass vaccination program not only resulted in profound immune dysregulation but also led to large-scale vaccine breakthrough infections caused by more infectious and recently more transmissible Omicron descendants (KP.2, KP.3, LB.1). As transmission efficiency increases, more animal reservoirs are being generated due to the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 variants from humans to animals, a phenomenon known as ‘reverse zoonosis’. Enhanced viral transmissibility involving both humans and animals, combined with a high rate of asymptomatic transmission, enables newly emerging variants to spread widely despite increasing ambient temperatures (summer) and significant reduction of viral load by rapid adsorption and immobilization of progeny virus on tissue-resident dendritic cells in the upper respiratory tract.

    We are undoubtedly on the verge of a tsunami, where the steadily rising wave of vaccine-associated excess deaths will suddenly transition into a dramatic surge of severe disease enhancement in highly vaccinated populations.

    https://voiceforscienceandsolidarity.substack.com/p/like-sars-cov-2-im-ready-for-a-major

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    OldOzzie

    THE DAILY CHART: THE BRIT VOTE BY BOOZE PREFERENCE

    Now here’s the kind of social science survey research I can get into. As everyone knows Britain goes to the polls today for a national election that is expected the wipe out the Conservative Party.

    The vote tally should start coming in shortly. But it is interesting to see how vote projections surveys correspond to alcoholic drink preferences. As one might expect from stereotype, the Conservative Party does best with sherry drinkers, run even with gin and tonic drinkers, and do worst with vodka drinkers.

    It is very disappointing that the Tories fare so poorly with whisky drinkers, and don’t do better with brandy drinkers.

    I predict alcohol consumption of all kinds will rise dramatically under Labour Party rule, which is going to be much harder left than anyone expects right now

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      CO2 Lover

      An Englishman, an Scotchman, and an Irishman walk into a bar…
      They each order a beer. The barkeep brings them each a beer, and there happens to be a fly in each one. The Englishmen, a bit put off, says “Sir there’s a fly in my beer, I’ll need a fresh one please.” The Scotchman, undeterred shrugs and says “I won’t be letting a fly ruin me enjoying my beer!” and he chugs his. The Irishman is enraged and grabs the fly by the wings and yells “SPIT IT OUT YE BASTARD!”

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    OldOzzie

    All the times Tucker Carlson laughed at Australia – as he reveals what is wrong with our country and says what many of us are thinking

    Talking about Australian political parties during his Melbourne address, he said he couldn’t understand that none of the Labor politicians were actually labourers with trades.

    ‘There’s no actual labour in the leadership of the Labor party, none of them have had a job. They’re all just parasites on the taxpayer,’ he said with an exaggerated chuckle.

    ‘The laziest people in the country call themselves the Labor party.’

    Carlson was also amused at what he called the ‘endless hectoring’ from politicians and bureaucrats and used buying cigarettes as an example.

    ‘What the hell is on your cigarettes? I don’t even want to smoke them looking at that,’ he said with a smile.

    ‘You’re making me not want to smoke. Every pack had like a rotted tongue on it or something.

    ‘I’m an adult man who pays his taxes I should be allowed to, you can’t smoke a Marlborough without being lectured?’

    He also thought Australia’s high energy prices were laughable given Australia has vast deposits of national resources.

    He said the valuable commodities were being used to produce renewables, which ‘we then buy back’ from China.

    ‘Whoever thought of that hates you,’ Carlson said.

    Carlson ridiculed Australia for selling its natural resources ‘to a far-away country to make something that doesn’t work and pay extra for it’.

    ‘That is prima facie insane. The fact that you have high energy costs is reason enough for you to get rid of the people that are running your country,’ he said.

    Later, he said with a smirk that China did not believe in green energy ‘for one second’ and were buying Australian coal to make renewable energy infrastructure and say ‘the whites want windfarms, let’s make some more”‘.

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      OldOzzie

      During his appearances the political commentator also brought up the history of Australia and Welcome to Country ceremonies, which show respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

      He told those in the room they ‘had nothing to apologise for – at all’ when it came to the ‘sins’ of their ancestors, referring to the white settlers.

      ‘And yet at every turn they’re making you apologise,’ he said.

      ‘I have never seen a society more under attack than the one you’re living in now and for less justification.

      ‘Every time a commercial airline lands, every time any kind of ceremony opens, they send you the message that you’re on someone else’s land.

      He also mocked the ABC and the priorities of its reporting.

      ‘I watched your ABC this morning in my hotel room for about 20 minutes, until I looked around for a vomit bag.

      ‘It was one of the most grotesque… I couldn’t even believe it was real.’

      ‘I sympathise with you guys who work for these (media) companies which are truly corrupt, and you sort of know that but you don’t want to think about it because you’ve got kids and a mortgage.

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      OldOzzie

      Rebel senator racks up $50k on family travel

      Independent Senator Fatima Payman has claimed $52,228 in taxpayer-funded family reunion travel since she arrived in Parliament.

      Samantha Maiden – National political editor

      Independent Senator Fatima Payman has claimed $52,228 in taxpayer-funded family reunion travel since she arrived in Parliament two years ago, racking up a bill that’s more than almost any other MP in Parliament.

      The newlywed Senator has emerged as one of Labor’s biggest spenders on family reunion travel in the Parliament according to an analysis of the latest Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (IPEA) data by news.com.au.

      In one instance, IPEA records suggest Senator Payman flew five family members to Canberra in September 2022 and flew six family members home to Perth two days later.

      The only other MP who spends more is Queenslander Andrew Willcox, the LNP Member for Dawson, who spent $58,831. Also included in the top five were Patrick Gorman, Member for Perth, who spent $45,786 (ALP), Tania Lawrence, Member for Hasluck, spent $41,571 and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Senator for the NT, $37,957 (LNP).

      Senator Payman quit the ALP on Thursday in a blaze of publicity and some bad blood with her young staff, some of whom have been forced to engage with Parliament’s new human resources division to finalise their exit from the office with several staff offering their resignations.

      Under the rules, a parliamentarian’s family may travel at Commonwealth expense to accompany or join the parliamentarian when they are travelling within Australia away from their home base to conduct parliamentary business.

      Family includes the parliamentarian’s spouse or nominee, dependent children and other eligible family member/s nominated by the parliamentarian.

      It’s not clear from Senator Payman’s records who is flying and which family members she is reuniting with

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    KP

    Its a good thing we’re not like those corrupt dictatorships Russia and China…A good clean democracy, we always play fair-

    “In a recent report (on) how the Department of Defence ended up with a $1.2 billion contract with Thales, “champagne” appeared five times…the word unethical was used on eight occasions and, more worryingly, the issue of value for money.. was raised 49 times… by the national audit office…. a Defence official not only sought a bottle of pop from Thales during discussions over the supply of explosives and munitions, but then supplied internal departmental advice to Thales, which ultimately won the contract despite its tender response being found not to offer taxpayers value for money. Later, that same official left the department and took up a senior position with, you guessed it, Thales.”

    and there’s more of course, many instances of Govt being corrupt, mismanaged or just plain incompetent!

    “See a pattern here? In all reports, problems within the bureaucracy, poor decisions, a waste of public money, and substandard outcomes shine through. The adverse findings also highlight another growing problem: the ongoing breakdown in our political system that has become all announcement and no follow-through.”

    We are run by a combination of “Yes Minister”, “The Wolf of Wall St” and “Utopia Australia”..! Best thing I’ve seen in the SMH for ages!

    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/amid-champagne-gifts-and-shameless-rorting-one-institution-is-fighting-back-20240701-p5jq1d.html?js-chunk-not-found-refresh=true

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    Saighdear

    Oh-ah! (yawn) been a stormy night here in N Scotland. Britain votes for Lala Land. More green jobs(!) Tearing down the NIMBY actions to “help” us go green ,,, La la la. SNP lost a lot ( yeah) Greens ?? but for all the talk of country needing to change, REFORM have yet to show anything as great as even the exit polls have predicted… only 4 seats so far. Oh man, what to do now ….
    Farming stories include forecast lower yields of fruit crops …. such a disappointment of our low input “Hobby” department. Air chill, poor pollination and BIRDS having the first pick ( PECK) – nothing else around for them this year = lower population .. and this is the start of MY day. How is yours ?

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      Dennis

      I heard some interesting comments including;

      * Labour’s seats won and MPs will be like attempting to herd cats.
      * Centre left and far left never agree and right now far left dominate.
      * In the past when Labour have had a carefree majority it did not end well for them.

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      CO2 Lover

      This is the Scotish version of this joke posted elsewhere, which I think is the better one.

      A Scotsman, an Englishman and an Australian were in a bar and had just started on a new round of drinks when a fly landed in each glass of beer. The Englishman took his out on the blade of his Swiss Army knife. The Australian blew his away in a cloud of froth. The Scotsman lifted his one up carefully by the wings and held it above his glass. “Go on, spit it oot, ye wee devil” he growled.

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    MeAgain

    https://rumble.com/v55e2qj-fadi-lama-money-powers-and-west-collapsing-into-dystopia-as-east-rises.html – GINI on wealth not income, forward energy investment paths – interesting long watch. Thoughts on Monday maybe?

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    John Connor II

    “Everything’s frozen”: Ransomware locks credit union users out of bank accounts

    A California-based credit union with over 450,000 members said it suffered a ransomware attack that is disrupting account services and could take weeks to recover from.

    “The next few days—and coming weeks—may present challenges for our members, as we continue to navigate around the limited functionality we are experiencing due to this incident,” Patelco Credit Union CEO Erin Mendez told members in a July 1 message that said the security problem was caused by a ransomware attack. Online banking and several other services are unavailable, while several other services and types of transactions have limited functionality.

    https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2024/07/everythings-frozen-ransomware-locks-credit-union-users-out-of-bank-accounts/

    Wonder if customers had cash on hand. 😎

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    another ian

    “YAWN!!–Climate Change Pushing Up Food Prices (Again!)”

    https://wattsupwiththat.com/2024/07/04/yawn-climate-change-pushing-up-food-prices-again/

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    another ian

    FWIW – maybe dieting and exercise aren’t so bad after all?

    “And NOW The Ugly – Ozempic”

    “NAION is a very serious and irreversible condition that can and often does destroy your sight. The condition is a neuropathy in the optic nerve, which of course is what conducts visual signals out of the retina and into the brain. It is sometimes called an “eye stroke” in that it usually presents as sudden and irreversible vision loss.

    The study is associative which cannot prove causation but this is extremely troubling in that the risk was more than four times as high in people using it and accelerated with time, being seven times as high at three years approaching seven percent of the people using the drug over that period of time.”

    https://www.market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=251615

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    another ian

    FWIW

    “Heavy outback rain about to soak Australia”

    https://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/heavy-outback-rain-about-to-soak-australia/1889604

    To slightly misquote Rudyard Kipling –

    “Now I ain’t no hand with the models

    But taking ’em all along

    You never can tell till you try ’em

    And then you are like to be wrong”

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