International Beer Day friday

joe6pack Uncategorized

Today is International Beer Day .

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And as I am a world citizen I am fully embracing this celebration with a few lovely refreshing beers from my cellar

 

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I bet our suck hole PM wishes he could hide in his cellar after his Pathetic  call to Trump was released

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If there is anymore evidence needed that the people on manus are just cattle the transcripts confirmed it all.

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Have your favorite Tipple Peoples

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It will all be over in a year or so

628 thoughts on “International Beer Day friday”

  2. Fire dancing duet. Poi and fire fans:

    The “spider webs” are a bit of a cheat – but it explains how they can split one fireball into five:

    I couldn’t find the video clip I wanted: Nightwish’s “Arabesque” with fire dancers.
    These aren’t bad.

    • “Stop that! Now, I’ve noticed a tendency for this programme to get rather silly.”

    • doesn’t sound like he is a terrorist, probably had a sword as a wall decoration. The neighbours kids used to show us their dad’s kris when their mum wasn’t watching

  6. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/immigration/citizenship-overhaul-risks-creating-an-underclass-says-labor/news-story/3aa0fd9dec22356acf83b4edb190a199 paywalled, google the URL or try opening via twitter

    • Those people who can’t pass the citizenship English test will not be eligible for unemployment benefits, aged pension and maybe Medicare

  8. HOW THE WORLD MAY END ~ By John Pilger

    The “sanctions” are aimed at Europe, too, mainly Germany, which depends on Russian natural gas and on European companies that do legitimate business with Russia. In what passed for debate on Capitol Hill, the more garrulous senators left no doubt that the embargo was designed to force Europe to import expensive American gas.

    Their main aim seems to be war – real war. No provocation as extreme can suggest anything else. They seem to crave it, even though Americans have little idea what war is. The Civil War of 1861-65 was the last on their mainland. War is what the United States does to others.

    The only nation to have used nuclear weapons against human beings, they have since destroyed scores of governments, many of them democracies, and laid to waste whole societies – the million deaths in Iraq were a fraction of the carnage in Indochina, which President Reagan called “a noble cause” and President Obama revised as the tragedy of an “exceptional people.” He was not referring to the Vietnamese.

    http://21stcenturywire.com/2017/08/05/how-the-world-may-end-by-john-pilger/

  9. <b.Voting Machine Maker Says Venezuela Polls Rigged, Offers No Evidence

    London-based voting machine maker Smartmatic claims the recent polls carried out in Venezuela this week were rigged. In their 5 minute video statement, however, they failed to provide any evidence.

    AP article titled, “Election report: Venezuela vote ‘probably rigged’,” claims:

    The number of Venezuelans who participated in the election for an all-powerful constituent assembly was tampered with – off by at least 1 million votes – in an official count, the head of a voting technology company asserted Wednesday, a finding certain to sow further discord over the super-body that has generated months of nationwide protests.

    Smartmatic CEO Antonio Mugica said results recorded by his systems and those reported by Venezuela’s National Electoral Council indicate “without any doubt” that official turnout figure of more than 8 million participants was manipulated.

    Mugica, however, claims in his full statement (video here) that (emphasis added):

    Our automated election system is designed to make it evident when results are manipulated, however, there must be people auditing the system and watching for that evidence. During the National Constituent Assembly elections there were no auditors from the opposition parties as they did not want to participate.

    Thus, at best Mugica and Smartmatic can warn that irregularities might have occurred, since no one from the opposition was there to audit the final tallies and report any potential inconsistencies.

    http://landdestroyer.blogspot.com.au/2017/08/voting-machine-maker-says-venezuela.html

  10. Have to disagree with Wronski when he says this:

    To create maximum consternation, a mincer is pressed into service as the engine of an “Islamic-based” plot. An inspired choice of device, “mincer” bolts the exotic to the domestic right in your own kitchen. Inventive? Sinister. Not only is ISIS coming to get us, as Abbott warned, our household appliances are not what they may seem.

    He’s being too complicated in his analysis.

    We all know that Saddam had a meat mincer that he used to feed his enemies too. John Howard himself told us. You’re basic swarthy wog loves mincing meat and if it’s his enemy (preferable fully conscious as he is being minced) then bring on the pulled beef.

    How else do you explain kebabs?

    • Chris Matthews got it: Neocons want to destroy the Middle East for Israel

      No serious scholar can logically argue that the Neocon ideology has been good for America. To cite again retired career officer in the Armor Branch of the United States Army and academic Andrew J. Bacevich:

      “Apart from a handful of deluded neoconservatives, no one believes that the United States accomplished its objectives in Iraq, unless the main objective was to commit mayhem, apply a tourniquet to staunch the bleeding, and then declare the patient stable while hastily leaving the scene of the crime…”[4]

      Unless you are a political prostitute like Ann Coulter or Sarah Palin or Michelle Bachmann or Lindsey Graham or John McCain, you will inexorably come to the conclusion that the Neocon project has always placed America in hot water.

      Now the same Neocons are perversely arguing that Russia is our enemy. They cooked up lies and fabrications and expect the vast majority of Americans to take them seriously. Perhaps it is high time for all decent Americans to tell those people quite bluntly, “No, we ain’t gonna take anymore.”

      http://www.veteranstoday.com/2017/08/04/chris-matthews-finally-gets-it-neocons-want-to-destroy-the-middle-east-for-israel/

  11. Charges against Australian “terror” suspects only raise new questions

    Justice Minister Michael Keenan, who is responsible for the AFP, said the seriousness of the charges laid against the two men “cannot be underestimated.”

    With their help, the media has been full of headlines such as “ISIS sent bomb parts for terror plot” and “Terror at the terminal.”

    The new details, however, only raise many more questions about the alleged plots, the surveillance the men were under, and the timing of the police operation.

    The charges themselves are nebulous. Khaled Mahmoud Khayat, 49, and Mahmoud Khayat, 32, are being prosecuted under section 101.6 of the federal Criminal Code. This provision makes it an offence to do “any act in preparation for, or planning, a terrorist act,” even if no terrorist act occurs and “the person’s act is not done in preparation for, or planning, a specific terrorist act [emphasis added].”

    The two brothers can be convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment without the police having to present evidence of any specific plot or its location, target, method or timing. “Preparation” or “planning” can mean nothing more than discussing “a” possible terrorist act.

    The two defendants were denied bail and are not due to face court until November 14.

    http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2017/08/05/terr-a05.html

  13. Is the Expanding U.S. Military Presence in Syria Legal?

    When asked about these military bases, a CENTCOM (U.S. Central Command) spokesman told me: “We don’t have bases in Syria. We have soldiers throughout Syria providing training and assist to the SDF (the mainly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces in the north of the country).” How many soldiers? “Roughly 1,200 troops,” says CENTCOM.

    Yet when questioned about the international law grounds for this U.S. military presence inside Syria, CENTCOM didn’t have a response on hand. They referred me to the Office of the Secretary of Defense whose spokesman obstinately cited U.S. domestic law—an issue quite irrelevant to Syrians. He, in turn, referred me to the White House and State Department on the international-law angle. The State Department sent me back to the Department of Defense, the White House pointed me in the direction of the National Security Council (NSC), and the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel blankly ignored my repeated requests.

    It isn’t hard to conclude that official Washington simply doesn’t want to answer the “international law” question on Syria.

    http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/is-the-expanding-u-s-military-presence-in-syria-legal/

  14. Me too. Me too!

    So much bark: so little bite.

    Australia will slap travel bans and financial sanctions on several people and businesses as part of broader international actions against North Korea.

    The federal government on Sunday welcomed the unanimous adoption by the UN Security Council of new sanctions on Pyongyang over its missile tests.

    The US-drafted resolution bans North Korean exports of coal, iron, lead and seafood and any new work permits for North Korean migrant workers.

    It also freezes assets and introduces travel bans on others involved in activities assisting North Korea, and bans new joint ventures with the rogue state as well as new investment in current joint ventures.

    “Together, these measures will impose significant costs on Pyongyang’s continuing illegal behaviour, and further constrain its ability to fund its weapons programs,” Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said in a joint statement.

    Australia, in support of international efforts, will apply targeted financial sanctions and travel bans on several additional individuals and seven entities.

    They urged all UN member states to take immediate steps to implement the measures.

    Mr Turnbull and Ms Bishop reiterated the need for international unity, saying North Korea posed a threat to global peace and security.

    http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/08/06/aust-backs-un-sanctions-against-nkorea

  15. US Muslims are more accepting of homosexuality than White evangelicals

    But a new survey looking at different faiths’ acceptance of the LGBTQ community has thrown up some interesting results.

    It suggests that Muslims in American are more accepting of homosexuality than white evangelical Protestants. Furthermore, their rate of acceptance is moving is increasing faster than those of Protestants.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/us-muslims-homosexuality-white-evangelicals-lgbt-rights-transgender-islam-liberal-a7873276.html

  16. Billie – The USD$35,500 BMW in the Tesla comparison retails for AUD$70,000 here.

    I wonder how much the Tesla 3 will be here?

  17. A bit off-topic, but I found this on my Facebook feed

    6 ÷ 2(1+2) = ?

    There seems to be a large ongoing argument about the solution to this. Wondering what you people think the answer is. I know what I think, but I won’t say just yet.

    • remember BODMAS
      this specifies the sequence in which you tackle an arithmetic equation
      brackets, ?forget, division, multiplication, addition, subtraction

      6 +2(1+2)
      inside brackets first
      6 + 2(3)
      that bracket is to be multiplied ie 2 X 3
      6 + 6

      Answer is 12

      G*d I hope I am right

    • And YOU a professor, Brian!

      No wonder Australia never sent a man to the moon!

      P.S. I blame Brother Gurr.

    • Microsoft may be Bug Central, but I have to admit the explanation in the Youtube video was pretty convincing, IF what he says about the rules is correct.

      Now I have to go back and check my Excel formulas for working out HI’s pay since her “episode” started (would you believe it?) 2 years ago next month.

      Whatever I do I’m always about 9 minutes out on Allocated Days Off owed to her (which is not a big thing in 24 days, admittedly). Perhaps I missed a parenthesis somewhere?

      Just a quick update: would youse believe her investigation report has been out since the beginning of the year (finding her “guilty” – though of what seems to be the issue, as they made most of it up and used dodgy documents for the rest), and they STILL can’t work out what to do with her case? All we did was tell the truth (and, of course, footnote it forensically with unequivocal documentary evidence), and they’re still trying to get their thinking gear around that novel approach.

      In the meantime the pay cheques keep on rollin’ in.

      If we had stolen $300,000 from the public purse, or let out dodgy contracts to a cousin for the same amount, we’d go to jail for 10 years, or at least be up before ICAC.

      But they can waste the same amount, and nothing happens. They just write emails to each other, and every now and again let us in on what’s happening, say every three or six months.

      It’s a crazy world we live in.

    • Well, I still say it’s 1. The problem is not really with BODMAS, but with the ambiguous way the equation has been written. Not having a multiplication symbol between 2 and (1+2) clearly implies that they’re part of the same thing and need to be solved separately before you move on. And this is compounded by having a division symbol earlier in the equation.

      Putting the equation as:

      6/2*(1+2) OR 6 ÷ 2 x (1+2)

      – would lead you to an answer of 9, because the notation is consistent throughout. But spelling something out early in the equation and then removing that approach halfway through leads you in another direction entirely.

      Someone on the thread I was reading made the entirely sensible suggestion that you use the distribution method to solve it:

      6 ÷ ((2×1) + (2×2))
      = 6 ÷ (2+4)
      = 6 ÷ 6
      = 1

    • This is why I loathe and detest maths,

      There should be a definitive right answer, but we can’t have that, can we. A simple sign in front of those parentheses would give a definitive answer, but we can’t have that. Instead we get hours of argy-bargy about the result depending on whether you use the one hundred year old method or the current day method.

    • Well, I still say it’s 1. The problem is not really with BODMAS, but with the ambiguous way the equation has been written.

      I agree, and that’s why I answered “1”. The way the equation is laid out is misleading (or should that be “ambiguous”?).

      On the other hand I can see that the mathematical (well, really “arithmetical”) pedants have a point too.

      Frankly, I blame Bill Shorten for this mess.

      Youse think THIS equation was badly written? With MalThe Magnificent as PM?

      It would have been FAR worse under Labor.

      The only mathematics Bill Shorten’s Labor understands is the mathematics of Eddie Obeid. Did I mention Joe Tripodi? Pink Batts? School Halls and Tin Sheds?

      Anyway, as Malcolm Turnbull said recently:

      “Well the laws of Australia prevail in Australia, I can assure you of that. The laws of mathematics are very commendable, but the only law that applies in Australia is the law of Australia,”

      And then there’s Joe Hockey’s take: (10+1) = Eleventy.

      Eleventy Land is where you earn squillions but don’t pay any tax, and then the newspaper you own goes after dole bludging wogs who want to come here in boats AND keep their Nobel Peace Prizes. It’s really very simple… just a matter of where you put the parentheses.

      Heads I win. Tails youse lose.

    • It is 1 for me. You do the brackets first. Then multiply, then divide. But I could be wrong.

      The other argument is that after doing the brackets, you go back to the start and do the division first, working left to right.

      And Bushfire is correct, it is Labor’s fault. Nothing has been as it should after PM Julia Gillard stuffed everything up. Even Malnificence cannot stop the rot.

  20. What a terrorist!

    Must be a lot of people in Australia with “funny” weapons.

    Khaled Merhi, 39, was charged by NSW Police and the Australian Federal Police with one count of possessing a prohibited weapon and released on bail to face court later this month.

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-06/police-charge-third-men-arrested-in-terror-raids/8779364

    Urban Wronski wasn’t exaggerating.

    The trial of the other two should be “interesting.” “I urge you to throw out the case, m’lud, for lack of evidence.”

    They’ll have to find some other terror after tomorrow’s Lib Party meeting.

  22. The Liberal senator Dean Smith has released his same-sex marriage bill to his party ahead of Monday’s special meeting, warning his conservative colleagues that a future Labor bill will not protect religious freedoms.

    As the Liberal party prepared for a showdown on the issue, Smith called for the party to allow a free vote, just as John Howard did when dealing with contentious issues including abortion drug RU486 and euthanasia.

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/aug/06/dean-smith-releases-marriage-equality-bill-as-liberals-prepare-for-showdown

    • Sigh – how many times do I have to say this.

      Marriage has nothing to do with religion. Marriage has always been about ensuring legitimate offspring (in the days before DNA tests, anyway), maintaining blood lines, preventing people bonking their siblings thus producing offspring with webbed feet and/or two heads and most important, ensuring property is kept in the hands of the ‘right’ people. For centuries, millennia even, once married a woman’s property became her husband’s property. In the not so distant past, when women often died in childbirth, or soon after giving birth from puerperal fever, a clever husband could amass a large fortune by choosing replacement wives with money.

      To persuade the plebs that marriage was a good idea some ancient wiseman decided to doll it up with religion. You could only enjoy the pleasures of the body if you were married, anything else was sinful. Women who partook of such pleasures before marriage were shunned as whores, if they had a child out of wedlock they were fallen women, irredeemable sinners. Because these rules were made up by men, the men who enjoyed dalliance with these women (the same mob making the rules, most of the time) were not sinners, they were just sowing their wild oats, or having a bit of fun. Women had to be controlled to ensure those bloodlines, talk about sin was the way to do that.

      Marriage is just a legal contract, nothing more. If you feel the need to doll yourself up in a $50,000 frock or a morning suit and top hat and spend vast amounts on a lavish wedding reception then that’s OK, if you need a religious person to say a few words before declaring you husband and wife than that’s OK too, but none of that fuss is necessary. You could get married in your solicitor’s office if you wanted. All hat matters is signing on the dotted line.

      So why does any amendment to the Marriage Act have to take into account ‘religious freedoms’? We already have that freedom – we can choose a religious ceremony or one performed by a celebrant. What’s so difficult about that?

      Dean Smith’s bill will join all the others now relegated to the Parliament House dustbin, along with the several the Greens have proposed over the last few years, one proposed by Adam Bandt, Alan Wilkie and Cathy McGowan, Bill Shorten’s private member’s bill, the multiparty bill from Warren Entsch, Terri Butler and others. There’s even a bill introduced by David Leyonhjelm, it’s still on the Senate notice paper. Like all the others Dean Smith’s bill will moulder away at the bottom of the notice paper until someone either quietly removes it or it lapses when a prime minister calls a DD.

      A sad history of failed bills –
      http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1617/Quick_Guides/SSMarriageBills

  24. I once took my drone helicopter to Fiji: aircraft, charger, remote controller, spare batteries, LOTS of cables and AV transceivers.

    It even looked dodgy to me!

    But both OZ and Fiji customs waved it through at both ends, on both the outbound and inbound legs. A cheery wave was all I got.

    But nowadays, you’d have to think twice.

    And just WHY would anyone want to take a meat mincer with them on an international flight? Remember, this is supposed to have been “Australia’s most sophisticated terrorist plot so far”.

    Imagine if they really gotten clever and used coffee grinder, or an electric can opener.

    We have a lot to thank the AFP for.

  26. When Melbourne City dismantled the Occupy Protestors camp in 2012 there were running battles and skirmishes until 4pm. The police had started dismantling the camp just after 9am

  27. Leone2
    If you want real maths torture, try getting your head around Topology aka a cup turning into a donut.

    I read up on it, but barely understand it. I like maths but had little training in it, most I have taught myself.

    The Klein Jug is an example.

    • I get Topology – it’s fun. There have been times when I have accidentally created a Mobius Strip when sewing (usually when I’ve been working late at night) and then wondered why a facing wouldn’t go onto an opening, or something similar. Easy fix – unpick the seam and resew it properly. No need for a 4th dimension.

      I have no problem with practical maths, I’m good at that. It’s the theoretical stuff that makes my head hurt, and the illogicality of things like ambiguous problems.

    • I have no problem with practical maths, I’m good at that. It’s the theoretical stuff that makes my head hurt, and the illogicality of things like ambiguous problems.

      The Numberphile videos are very good; I’ve spent hours watching them (e.g. prime numbers.)
      Knot theory is the logical next step from topology.

  28. http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/turnbull-government-pushes-back-from-electoral-abyss-in-new-galaxy-poll/news-story/b07e778c53cd30ebcc2b7b65b1c3b16c

    Turnbull Government pushes back from electoral abyss in new Galaxy poll
    Renee Viellaris, Federal Political Editor, The Courier-Mail

    THE Turnbull Government is clawing its way out of electoral oblivion, clocking its best poll result in Queensland since freefalling after the 2016 election.

    It is also inching ahead of Labor in two-party preferred terms, a new bittersweet snapshot reveals.

    Taken exclusively for The Courier-Mail when the Liberal Party was consumed by same-sex marriage, the Galaxy poll signals the Government’s nosedive has ended. However, it would still lose five Queensland seats if an election were held today.

    While One Nation’s support continues to fall, the Government is facing another threat.

    Cory Bernardi’s Australian Conservatives has secured 6 per cent of the primary support – higher than One Nation’s 5.5 per cent at the 2016 federal election.

    One Nation reached highs of 18 per cent in February but lost three points in April and another three points this month.

    At the July double-dissolution election, the LNP’s primary vote was 43 per cent. In February and April, it stooped to 35 per cent, before gaining a little traction to reach 37 per cent in the latest poll.

    Labor’s primary numbers have continued to bounce up and down since the last election, but in the latest poll, the party was marked down slightly by voters.

    http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/414e4ca974bcc82303b772bd6d257566
    Primary trend

    http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/e540c83bacdbd3bf434b1de216c52ce0
    TPP chart

    http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queens-still-tops-with-queenslanders/news-story/f3888a2b1d8052d127a60700d890d588

    Queen’s still tops with Queenslanders
    Renee Viellaris, Federal Political Editor, The Courier-Mail

    QUEENSLANDERS want to stay loyal to the Queen and almost half are against becoming a republic, suggesting Bill Shorten has misjudged the will of voters.

    Taken after the Opposition Leader announced he would hold a referendum on a republic in his first term, and exclusive Galaxy poll shows 48 per cent of Queenslanders, including more than one-third who vote Labor, would oppose the change.

    http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/0335cdd3cbe77c3cff8c723f3541a992

  29. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/newspoll/newspoll-turnbull-widens-lead-over-shorten-as-primary-vote-falls/news-story/40af403449838b858a3038ca39d5845d

    The Australian
    9:35PM August 6, 2017
    David Crowe Political correspondent Canberra

    Labor has held its gains over the Coalition after two weeks of political debate over national security and tax reform, leading by 53 to 47 against the government in two-party terms for the sixth Newspoll survey in a row.

    Mr Turnbull has widened his lead over Bill Shorten as preferred prime minister to reach his strongest position so far this year, backed by 46 per cent of voters compared to 31 per cent who favour the Opposition Leader.

    The Prime Minister has also gained ground in voter satisfaction with his performance, posting his strongest results since early last year despite a week of Liberal infighting over same sex marriage and speculation of a challenge to his authority on the floor of parliament.

    The latest Newspoll, conducted exclusively for The Australian, shows Labor’s primary vote has fallen from 37 to 36 per cent after a fortnight of big policies including a $4.1 billion tax hit on family trusts, a plan to enact four-year parliamentary terms and a vow to hold a plebiscite on a republic.

    The Coalition’s primary vote is unchanged at 36 per cent.

    Pauline Hanson’s One Nation has suffered its second setback in consecutive Newspolls, with its primary vote slipping from 9 to 8 per cent amid questions over whether Queensland Senator Malcolm Roberts renounced his British citizenship in time to secure a valid election to the upper house.

    The Greens have increased their primary vote from 9 to 11 per cent, their strongest result since May last year.

    This is the sixth Newspoll in succession with a result of 53 to 47 per cent in two-party terms, a record that confirms the scale of the challenge facing the government in turning its fortunes around.

  30. Good morning Dawn Patrollers.

    This focus group’s got Turnbull worked out according to Peter Hartcher.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/if-he-just-had-guts-focus-groups-savage-malcolm-turnbull-as-a-donothing-pm-20170806-gxqcvo.html
    Mark Kenny tells us that the rebel MPs have the numbers behind them as they go into today’s “emergency meeting” on SSM. I’d love to be a fly on the wall! The religious protections in the bill say a lot about what our society has become.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/rebel-liberal-mps-have-voters-on-their-side-as-coalition-party-room-meets-20170806-gxqcpw.html
    But Simon Besnson writes that a detailed proposal for a postal plebiscite on gay marriage is likely to be taken to federal cabinet following a Liberal partyroom meeting today where an overwhelming majority of MPs are expected to block moves by rebels to force a parliamentary vote on the issue. Google.
    /news/nation/libs-in-postal-vote-bid-to-block-samesex-rebels/news-story/587d2953f5dd9dbd6c1553baf505aad3
    The SMH editorial says either way same-sex marriage has emerged as the battlefield on which the Prime Minister’s leadership stands or falls. He can fight to the death now or call an uneasy truce to fight another day. Two things are certain: no one is about to leave the field, and we will have same-sex marriage, come what may.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-editorial/samesex-marriage-if-not-now-then-when-20170804-gxpxi0.html
    Abbott goes to the pages of The Australian to pour scorn over Shorten and those who are against his plebiscite. Google.
    /opinion/bill-shortens-samesex-marriage-stance-is-hypocrisy-writ-large/news-story/bfdb30511ef2974283b1b7519c3b97b3
    Meanwhile housing affordability is still front of mind for voters.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/fairfaxipsos-focus-groups-voters-most-angry-about-housing-affordability-20170806-gxqejz.html
    Tony Wright reckons both Turnbull and Shorten have things to fear from these focus group revelations.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/voters-express-discontent-at-both-major-parties-in-fairfax-focus-groups-20170806-gxq97d.html
    Hartcher thinks much the same.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/fairfaxipsos-focus-groups-major-parties-doing-nothing-to-prevent-populist-anger-infiltrating-australia-20170806-gxqea5.html

  31. Section 2 . . .

    Urban Wronski says Turnbull’s terror bust raised big questions over his government and his leadership.
    https://urbanwronski.com/2017/08/06/turnbulls-terror-bust-raises-big-questions-over-his-government-and-his-leadership/
    Ross Gittins explains how our uninterrupted run of growth was no accident as he takes apart Boris Johnson’s mumblings.
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/comment-and-analysis/boris-johnson-was-wrong-to-link-australias-economic-growth-to-the-resources-boom-20170805-gxq32o.html
    Imre Salusinszky says it’s time to end “Punch and Judy politics”.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/sweet-honey-and-that-book-20170804-gxp8py.html
    Clancy Yeates writes that in the wake of the latest explosive money laundering allegations the calls for a banking and finance royal commission are getting louder and louder.
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/pressure-for-royal-commission-rises-on-cba-laundering-scandal-20170804-gxptfo.html
    Jackson Styles says this latest effort from CBA renders a royal commission inevitable.
    http://thenewdaily.com.au/money/finance-news/2017/08/06/cba-laundering-royal-commission/
    Meanwhile the CBA blames a “software error” for the laundering scandal. Yeates is unimpressed.
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/mistakes-can-be-made–cba-blames-software-for-scandal-20170806-gxqiao.html
    The ATO, under more pressure over its IT failure, is getting a little precious.
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/our-it-systems-arent-bound-by-commercial-service-standards-says-ato-20170803-gxorv1.html
    National Broadband Network speed woes could be eradicated by telcos paying just $9.75 extra a month per connection. But instead they are running an aggressive public campaign to pressure the network to drop charges to increase profits at taxpayers’ expense. Analysis of NBN pricing by The Australian shows speeds would be doubled nationally if telcos paid an extra $6.25 a month per home, and tripled if they forked out just $9.75 more. Google.
    /national-affairs/telcos-baulk-at-cheap-fix-for-slow-nbn-speeds/news-story/cee1d0d2a8afdde2f7cccb4cc62e9316
    Whoever is in office three years from now will have the biggest ever infrastructure debacle on their hands if we don’t do something soon, writes Internet Australia’s Laurie Patton.
    https://independentaustralia.net/business/business-display/nbn-co-needs-to-eat-its-own-dog-food-,10580

  32. Section 3 . . .

    The PaTH scheme makes as much sense as the marriage equality policy: none. But ministers could at least consider data showing its policies are among the stupidest ever seen in Australian politics says Greg Jericho. This is one of his best efforts!
    https://www.theguardian.com/business/grogonomics/2017/aug/06/path-internships-show-government-is-on-the-wrong-track
    The expanded investigation into Trump’s Russian links is not a fishing expedition.
    http://www.smh.com.au/world/trump-campaign-russia-probe-not-a-fishing-expedition-rod-rosenstein-20170806-gxqjes.html
    Tom Switzer says that Trump can wave goodbye to American exceptionalism.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/donald-trump-can-say-goodbye-to-american-exceptionalism-20170804-gxpe8q.html
    Jessica Valenti wonders if anyone in the White House is using their brains.
    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/04/the-week-in-patriarchy-trump-white-house-spicer-scaramucci
    Republicans are lining up to succeed Trump in 2020.
    http://www.canberratimes.com.au/world/republicans-begin-campaign-for-2020-as-trump-doubts-grow-20170806-gxq7af.html
    Is this round of protests on Manus Island heading for a tragic outcome?
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/aug/06/therell-be-a-big-tragedy-manus-deadlock-could-reach-breaking-point
    Trump-Turnbull call: trading people like pawns undermines the goals of international co-operation
    https://theconversation.com/trump-turnbull-call-trading-people-like-pawns-undermines-the-goals-of-international-co-operation-82082
    Yet more evidence of the NSW water theft. And the government in in it up to its neck.
    http://www.smh.com.au/environment/more-claims-of-excess-water-extraction-by-nsw-irrigators-surface-20170805-gxq2jh.html
    Water regulations due to be reviewed and updated on 1 September have been postponed for another year by the New South Wales government following the controversy over allegations of water theft in the Barwon-Darling region of the Murray-Darling basin. Is the NSW government running scared?
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/aug/07/nsw-accused-of-running-scared-after-postponing-review-of-water-regulations

  33. Section 4 . . . with Cartoon Corner
    Peter Wicks details his experience being educated at a school run by a religious group he regards as more of a cult.
    https://independentaustralia.net/life/life-display/the-irredeemable-baptist-school-cult,10581
    Adam Gartrell writes that Australia could become the first nation in the world to effectively end HIV transmission with extra government funding of just $32.5 million a year.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/government-could-end-hiv-transmission-in-australia-with-just-32m-a-year-20170805-gxq6or.html

    A day in the life of Donald Trump.

    Matt Golding and the encroachment of rubbish tips in Melbourne.

    David Rowe on the values of our leaders.

    Jon Kudelka explains the proposed SSM bill.
    http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/c47968650ea11cc694132c90db62b2a1

    • Betty Cuthbert was not only a sporting legend but a woman who stood tall among her contemporary Australians. She took successes and failures (not that there was much of them) as they came and carved out a high reputation among the Australians of her generation. Loved then and throughout her life, she will be long remembered as a great Australian.

      Her passing turns my mind back to the days of the fifties. There any things that have improved since then but not in the style of our sporting champions: Betty and Marlene Matthews in womens’ athletics; Herb Elliot and Peter Norman also on the track; Murray Rose and Dawn Fraser in the water; Ken Rosewell and Lew Hoad on the tennis court; Heather MKay on the squash court; Reg Gasnier at Rugby League and John Coleman at Aussie Rules. And they were the tip of the mountain.

  38. Pilliga Protest: The Moment 200 Farmers And Nannas Tell Santos To ‘Frack Off’
    It’s already the most protested-against gas development in our history.
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/08/03/pilliga-protest-the-moment-200-farmers-and-nannas-tell-santos-t_a_23062445/

    Well done!

    Meanwhile, Barnaby Joyce seems to still own the Pilliga property he bought years ago because he allegedly knew there was gas under the ground.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2016/election-2016-santos-has-csg-plans-in-remote-area-where-barnaby-joyce-owns-land-20160606-gpcupq.html

  42. Just spotted this in the CT today… Very sad loss… An excellent tribute

    http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/public-service/mary-scott-one-of-the-most-effective-least-conventional-public-servants-of-her-time-20170725-gxi7fb.html

    I was lucky enough to work with Mary Scott, (and the authors of this tribute) during he late 80s in Disability Programs and can attest to the kangaroo in the office story.. and some of the other eccentricities mentioned – I have a few stories of my own I could add!

    I was only an APS 4, so found her a little intimidating at first but was aware of being in the presence of an awesome human being. We bonded as animal lovers – as I sat right outside her office, I kept an eye on the latest rescued joey for her on those rare occasions she did not take them to meetings!

    Reading this tribute has made me feel both lucky to have worked in the APS at a time of great social policy reform driven by leaders like Mary, Dallas, Marie Coleman etc this, and also incredibly sad as the APS has been bereft of anyone like Mary Scott or her contemporaries for many years now and I cannot see a way back…

    • You were privileged to have known and worked with her.
      I too, am proud of that tiny portion of my career spent in social policy areas.

      Yes it would be great for the APS to engage in social policy reform for the benefit of recipients not the owners of contracts for outsourced functions

  43. I think low wage growth in Australia is moe attributable to the Abbott and Turnbull government refusing to negotiate public service pay rises and stacking the Fair Work Commission with commissioners who permit existing IR agreements to be torn up and replaced with inferior agreements

  45. Wow! Did anyone see this?

    Kid went for a dip at Brighton beach in Melbourne, and sea lice got him. Just nibbled away at his legs for 5 minutes.

    No-one at the hospital emergency knew what caused it, or had seen wounds like this before, so his Dad went back to the beach next day with some raw meat and a video camera. He put the meat in a net and filmed the result. Then brought some of the critters home.

    Yuck bigly!

    Video of lice feeding frenzy (on the meat, not the leg) and story here at Fairfax. Apparently they are attracted by the taste of blood. So, once bleeding occurs as a result of an initial random nip, thousands of the critters swarm to join the party. Lots of little bites add up to major bleeding. The lice are only a couple of millimetres long.

    http://www.smh.com.au/victoria/bitten-teens-dad-films-brighton-beach-sea-lice-enjoying-a-meal-of-fresh-meat-20170806-gxql3d.html

    I will NOT be going swimming at Brighton anytime soon.

  49. “Over on Auspol Julian Burnside has tweeted last night:

    Apparently Peter Dutton has blocked communications about Manus, to prevent media writing about it.
    Dangerous territory
    6:25 PM – 6 Aug 2017

    and one of the responders tweeted apparently one of the men had hanged himself on Manus.
    further posters confirm someone has died:

    Behrouz reporting that another #refugee has died on #Manus today. Tragic. Avoidable. I’m not sharing how he died until I can confirm it

    “A refugee passed away in #Manus island. He was very sick for long time but Australia did not provide medical treatment for him.””

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/aug/07/coalition-fails-to-dent-labor-lead-in-newspoll-despite-support-for-turnbull#comments

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