Wednesday

9.6 out of 10 based on 9 ratings

126 comments to Wednesday

  • #
    MeAgain

    https://trusttheevidence.substack.com/p/following-the-seasonal-evidence-for

    Warnings of exponential growth of the F word “Flu”, COVID-19 cases, now RSV cases and on the horizon metapneumovirus are multiplying. By sheer chance, all have licensed remedies or prevention interventions in their name or are in development.

    “Flu” is, however, a three-card shell game that allows politicians and their underlings to issue scientifically vague warnings and always keep people under the hammer. Using the word “flu” for politicians and their underlings means this: heads I win, tails you lose.

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  • #
    tonyb

    A thoughtful article on diversity

    https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/diversity-is-our-strength-the-cult-of-the-true-believers/

    Our elite truly think they are better than mere voters and impose their own world view on those that elected them

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    • #
      another ian

      Bumped

      More around that –

      “Lights, Camera, and Crocodile Tears!”

      “What “BIPOC” people and illegal immigrants seem unable to grasp, at least on many occasions, is that they are viewed as being here for the convenience of the wealthy, left-wing, frequently white demographic of American society. Yes, the elites find that these people make excellent caddies, housekeepers, cooks, groundskeepers, and day laborers. But they are also the perfect foils and talking points for those who occupy and wish to retain their places in the upper echelons of the hierarchy.

      As I have said before and will probably say again, white leftists thrive on social status and the ability to look down on others. They hate conservatives and the middle class because they need villains who can be blamed for every ill under the sun. They look down on black and brown people and illegal immigrants because they are hapless, helpless, and clueless and need the grace and largesse of the Left to keep them from walking off cliffs or into telephone poles. And their votes come in handy, too.

      Despite the rhetoric of progressives, they value privilege and place above everything else. Their biggest fear about immigration reform is that they may finally have to treat minorities like human beings.”

      https://pjmedia.com/lincolnbrown/2025/01/27/lights-camera-and-crocodile-tears-n4936408

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  • #
    tonyb

    Every so often the media like to pronounce that the gulf stream is cooling or changing direction and the UK will freeze.

    Once again there is no evidece to back this up

    https://dailysceptic.org/2025/01/27/new-findings-show-no-decline-in-the-strength-of-the-gulf-stream-since-the-1960s/

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  • #
    tonyb

    Billions were wiped off the value of American Hi tech stocks the last few days when it was reported a new Chinese Chatbot had been released which cost a fraction of the money to develop of the US ones, was every bit as good and would be available as a free app. Seems some cyberhacking has since been going on.

    I am ever more sceptical and concerned as to the digital revolution forced upon us (digital passports/health records/bank details etc all kept in a smartphone wallet) etc etc. If installed on someone’s personal computer could an AI generated app then roam around the system causing damage and making its own decisions and sending off sensitive data to its makers?

    https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/deepseek-hit-large-scale-cyberattack

    This was a theme of a Young Sheldon episode recently which itself echoed a novel by Robert Harris in which the piece of AI developed its own identity and purpose.

    Chinese Chatbots/AI on our computers? No thanks!

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    • #
      David Maddison

      The main interest the Chicomms have in AI (much like woke Governments in the West) is spying and the extra surveillance powers it can provide over dissenters who don’t follow the Official Narrative such as more facial recognition, more tracing and tracking, monitoring of social media posts, establishing social networks of dissenters etc..

      And I am sceptical about the Chinese AI being so cheap, unless it’s based on stolen technology from the West.

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      • #
        Chad

        David Maddison
        January 29, 2025 at 4:21 am · Reply

        And I am sceptical about the Chinese AI being so cheap, unless it’s based on stolen technology from the West

        That maybe the case , but Substitute “EVs” for AI in that comment and it echo’s what many thought about the Chinese motor industry,…..but that has been shown to be untrue.
        The Chinese should not be underestimated, they have some very smart skills all of their own !

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    • #
      OldOzzie

      Tony,

      I don’t understand – Google/Alphabet bought DeepMind the British Ai groupm who developed AlphaGo, which performed by absorbing all the games that the Humans fed it to beat the World Go Champion

      However AlphaGo Zero was really a step ahead

      AlphaGo Zero is a version of DeepMind’s Go software, AlphaGo, which was introduced in October 2017. Unlike previous versions, AlphaGo Zero was trained without using any data from human games, making it the first program to master Go without human knowledge.

      It achieved superhuman performance by playing against itself, surpassing the strength of AlphaGo Lee in just three days and reaching the level of AlphaGo Master in 21 days. After 40 days of self-play training, it outperformed the version of AlphaGo known as “Master,” which had defeated the world’s best players, including Ke Jie, the world number one.

      AlphaGo Zero’s training process involves a single neural network that learns through reinforcement learning, where the network is trained to predict the next move and the winner of the games it plays against itself. This process is combined with a Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) algorithm, which helps in formulating more precise policies for the next move. The system iteratively improves its performance by playing games, evaluating its performance, and updating its neural network, leading to increasingly accurate predictions and stronger gameplay.

      This approach signifies a significant advancement in artificial intelligence, as it demonstrates the potential for AI to learn complex tasks from scratch, accumulating thousands of years of human knowledge in just a few days. AlphaGo Zero’s success also highlights the importance of reinforcement learning and self-play in developing powerful AI systems that can surpass human performance in challenging domains.

      Giveb what Google/ALphanet would have learnt from AlphaGo Zero, I cannot see how they are not ahead of Deep Seek.

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      • #
        KP

        I don’t see how Alphago has any relevance to AI at all. It is just a computer program to remember a set of rules for a very simple game and maximise its chances of winning. The same can be done for draughts or chess, any system where a programmer feeds in the boundaries. The ‘rules’ for human society have yet to be discovered.

        However actually ‘doing something’ with the information a computer accumulates requires intelligence, and I’ve never seen an example of that happening at all. They just regurgitate information with a bias their programmers inserted.

        I don’t see why the Chinese couldn’t build something better and cheaper than the West, that sort of hubris is killing our civilisation as we speak. As for the racial side, would we be any better with America using it than the Chinese? Do we feel guilty about our riding on the coat-tails of the Yanks for 70years as they plundered the world, and will happily be their lapdog as long as we get the crumbs from the table?

        The only reason for any Govt to develop AI would be to take more control over their subjects. There is as wide a difference between the West doing it and the East doing it as there is between the Uniparty factions!

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        • #
          OldOzzie

          AlphaGo Zero’s training process involves a single neural network that learns through reinforcement learning, where the network is trained to predict the next move and the winner of the games it plays against itself. This process is combined with a Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) algorithm, which helps in formulating more precise policies for the next move. The system iteratively improves its performance by playing games, evaluating its performance, and updating its neural network, leading to increasingly accurate predictions and stronger gameplay.

          This approach signifies a significant advancement in artificial intelligence, as it demonstrates the potential for AI to learn complex tasks from scratch, accumulating thousands of years of human knowledge in just a few days. AlphaGo Zero’s success also highlights the importance of reinforcement learning and self-play in developing powerful AI systems that can surpass human performance in challenging domains.

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    • #
      Vladimir

      One more time – maybe those unusually clever men, seeing far ahead of their contemporaries are not that clever at all, just sent here from future…
      Check

      Dial F for Frankenstein

      (1964) by Arthur C Clark.

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  • #
    MeAgain

    It would be great to see recognition that it is unreasonable to expect vaccine injured and bereaved to continue to be ‘compliant taxpayers’ – why not a rest-of-life tax exemption? A VAT-free card and 0%-rated for income tax.

    https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-12/p2024-607085-teis_0.pdf

    Given all of the Philanthropy and Health related exemptions, it seems pretty un-Australian to also expect these guys to keep paying.

    In the meantime, get ready for more contempt: https://supportingaustralians.gov.au/index

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    • #
      MeAgain

      Sorry, should have been a GST-free card

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    • #
      farmerbraun

      You have been thinking , Citizen Me Again.

      Best that you mend your ways.

      Regards.

      The Central Scrutinizer

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    • #
      ianl

      That last link in this comment:

      https://supportingaustralians.gov.au/index

      instantly produces a disturbing result.

      How ? I’m using an inverted “firewall” on my PC which completely stops any outgoing information unless I specifically allow it. Called Free Firewall, it is a freeware programme developed in Germany (which means only that it is so very thorough) and is in my view the best in this genre.

      So when I click on the supportingaustralians.gov.au link (ie. a Federal Govt site), I instantly receive an “Internet Access Blocked” message. This is because the gov.au site wants my IP address before it allows access, but my inverse firewall blocks that outgoing information – unless I turn it off for that site. Which I won’t.

      Google does that, so does MS News and a number of other organisations who wish to log your IP identity. Interestingly, Google does this selectively, choosing to try it on with what it regards as a currently sensitive hot topic.

      This is one parameter of the privacy fight.

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      • #
        David Maddison

        For Internet privacy issues I highly recommend the YouTube channel of Rob Braxman.

        And, unrelated to Braxman, you can check your identifying browser fingerprint here, although that is only one of many ways you can be traced and tracked by Big Brother and other hostile players.

        https://coveryourtracks.eff.org/

        And this Braxman video is very good, showing how you can still be traced and tracked even using a VPN:

        https://youtu.be/zVZCWQUIgnY

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      • #
        MeAgain

        Don’t worry – you aren’t missing much. Tax cuts (in the face of tightening credit and inflation – ta, thanks), energy rebates (should not be necessary) and some changes in indexation of student loans – with some glossy TV / internet ads for telling everyone about this.

        But, it is a static information presentation – no need for any verification of who is connecting, so why would they track who is looking at this?

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        • #
          KP

          “so why would they track who is looking at this?”

          Because they can… What software engineer would write something and NOT have tracking in it. If there is no use for that data right now, they may want it in the future.

          I cannot see a Govt that wouldn’t want to know what each of its subjects is doing every moment of the day, its the very nature of power over someone.

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      • #
        Robert Swan

        Ianl,

        … This is because the gov.au site wants my IP address before it allows access …

        Every website needs an IP address so it knows where to send its response. In the typical home setup, the address will be the address of your internet gateway router, not your pc (which will likely have a 192.168.x.x private address given to it by the router). People can use proxies to make it harder to track down their true location, but the packet has ultimately to make it to their browser. There is a path.

        See what What Is My IP Address says about your addresses.

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        • #
          Graeme4

          That was interesting. Thanks.

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        • #
          Forrest Gardener

          Correct Robert but the website already has the return address as part of the request. And by sending the request for the IP address it confirms that it already knows where to send the reply. Because it already has replied.

          My guess is that it is something of an anti-spoofing measure. Or sinister intentions at my.gov.au

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          • #
            John Connor II

            See what What Is My IP Address says about your addresses.

            Completely wrong, other side of the country!
            /as usual
            And that’s without a proxy or vpn.

            For Android users, UltraVPN is free and works.
            Now I’m in Bulgaria!

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            • #
              Robert Swan

              John Connor II,

              Not *completely* wrong. If you aren’t behind a proxy or vpn, it *will* have got your router’s external IP address right — the thing ianl was worried about.

              It can’t know your location. The location plotted is the ISP’s registered address for the applicable IP range. It may have got your ISP right too, though there’s a bit of outsourcing and badge engineering amongst them.

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          • #
            Robert Swan

            Forrest Gardener,

            A site has the return address as part of any TCP connection.

            I don’t see any funny traffic at that site. I have a similar firewall rule to ianl’s but don’t see *any* traffic trying to phone home when bringing up that page. It might be a misunderstanding on ianl’s part as evidenced by his thinking his IP address was meant to be a secret.

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    • #
      Peter C

      How many people think that they might be vaccine injured?
      Offer tax exemptions and we could be amazed how many there are!

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  • #
    MeAgain

    The amount of energy needed to refute bullshit is an order of magnitude bigger than to produce it.
    https://medium.com/big-on-development/brandolinis-law-emotional-certainties-and-effective-bullshit-detection-4a605eb4a4db

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  • #
    David Maddison

    In Alberta, Canada, a government commissioned task force recommended alternative treatments for covid, not the “vaccines”.

    https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/88bbf80e-f8c8-4355-b751-c2086e204b34/resource/33d1d7d5-2596-4e57-a1ad-d93c10920069/download/hlth-albertas-covid-19-pandemic-response-2025-01.pdf

    There has been a lot of pushback from the “medical” profession.

    https://edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/alberta-doctors-slam-government-covid-19-report-misinformation

    ‘Sows distrust’: Alberta doctors slam government COVID-19 task force report as ‘misinformation’

    “This report sows distrust. It criticizes proven preventative public health measures while advancing fringe approaches,” Alberta Medical Association president Dr. Shelley Duggan said in a statement

    Author of the article:Matthew Black
    Published Jan 27, 2025

    A report from a $2-million government-commissioned task force that challenges the use of COVID-19 vaccines and calls for greater use of alternative treatment options amounts to dangerous anti-science disinformation, according to the organization representing Alberta doctors.

    In late 2022, Premier Danielle Smith called for the formation of a panel to examine the provincial government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    That panel’s 269-page report was released late last Friday and repeats many familiar COVID-19 grievances around the effectiveness of public health measures including masks, vaccinations, and vaccination passports.

    It makes several recommendations contrary to current practices including halting the use of COVID-19 vaccines without full disclosure of their potential risks. It also calls for greater latitude to use alternative treatments including malaria drugs ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. Health Canada has cited the results of clinical trials in recommending against use of those drugs for COVID-19, noting they pose serious health risks when not taken properly.

    Alberta Medical Association president Dr. Shelley Duggan issued a statement Monday, questioning the validity of the report’s conclusions which she characterized as “anti-science,” “anti-evidence,” and advocating for misinformation.

    “This report sows distrust. It criticizes proven preventative public health measures while advancing fringe approaches,” Duggan’s statement reads, noting the report makes recommendations for the future that “have real potential to cause harm.”

    “Through science and evidence, we were able to learn together while observing and adjusting to the twists and turns of COVID’s destructive evolution. Science and evidence brought us through and saved millions of lives.”

    SEE LINK FOR REST

    No doubt, support of the “vaccines” and the opposition to IVM and HCQ comes from the fact that Canada is a fully dumbed-down, fully woke, WEF, WHO and UN compliant country, much like Australia.

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  • #
    MeAgain

    COVID putcomes – have we finally ‘closed the gap’

    These unexpected and persistently favourable ATSI COVID-19 outcomes demand that we revisit the broader national response to the pandemic and its central assumptions. Demographics played some role, but importantly, so too did lower rates of COVID-19 “vaccination” combined with more accurate data collection and reporting.

    It is now incumbent upon those who issued ominous forecasts for ATSI peoples to explain how and why the predicted catastrophe never came to pass. The evidence shows that we have some crucial lessons to learn from what happened with ATSI peoples and COVID-19 which should guide our future pandemic planning.

    https://www.shiftedparadigms.org/p/have-we-finally-closed-the-gap

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  • #
    MeAgain

    https://drmcfillin.substack.com/p/lexapro-approved-for-pediatric-use-ae7

    On the 30-point PARS-GAD anxiety scale, a statistically significant mean difference of only 1.42 points was observed between the drug and placebo groups (with significance at p < 0.05, but not at p < 0.01). This small finding formed the basis for the FDA's approval.

    = wonder what the tool is to measure someone's 'anxiety scale'

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    • #
      farmerbraun

      “tool [is] to measure someone’s ‘anxiety scale'”

      The official indicator is known as a RUN . (Reserve Underwear Numerator)

      As in “to have the RUNS”.

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    David Maddison

    We’re constantly bombarded by new “scary stories” about some imminent outbreak of a pandemic.

    And if you do a Goolag search for “gain of function avian influenza” or “gain of function yersinia pestis” (bubonic plague) without quotes you will see plenty of evidence for what’s coming next.

    As it is, avian influenza is very hard for humans to get, so why genetically engineer it to make it easier. And bubonic plague is mostly spread via infected animal fleas which are mostly controlled in the West. So why make it easier to catch?

    https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7119956/

    This chapter makes the case against performing exceptionally dangerous gain-of-function experiments that are designed to create potentially pandemic and novel strains of influenza, for example, by enhancing the airborne transmissibility in mammals of highly virulent avian influenza strains.

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    • #
      MeAgain

      At the 2012 Royal Society meeting in London more than one professor said that if GOF flu research didn’t proceed, they would have problems recruiting students.

      Think about it for a moment. They were balancing the recruitment of students to their own labs with biosafety and perhaps global health. Not surprisingly some members of the public were shocked.

      https://biosafetynow.substack.com/p/we-the-virologists

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      • #
        another ian

        The one good thing The Royal Society has inadvertently done in the last 20 or so years is to emphasise that “Nullius in verba” applies to Royal Societies also

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  • #
    farmerbraun

    ‘Ullo, ‘ullo ‘ullo, what have we got here then ?

    https://www.zerohedge.com/political/landman-vs-environmentalists

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  • #
    another ian

    FWIW –

    Reads like more attention likely?

    “Whither General Milley?”

    https://johnalucas6.substack.com/p/whither-general-milley-9cf

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  • #
    Graeme No.3

    Another Graeme doing another ian
    by posting from NotALotOfPeople etc.
    tealrsyc PERMALINK
    January 28, 2025 4:41 pm
    Climate rarely moves in straight lines – it prefers cycles. There is growing evidence we are already moving toward a Grand Solar Minimum similar the the one in the 17th century when the Thames froze for several winters.
Quite a few people believe that this will happen near the mid century. One explanation is by Prof Valentina Zharkova, but the climate establishment has its head in the sand and it is going to have to be confronted with the reality which is already beginning to happen
– 3 very cold winter is N America (including this year)
– polar ice in Hudson’s Bay lasted a month longer in Spring 2024 than the immediately preceding years
– recent cold spell in UK
-ending of el nino and decline of solar cycle 25.
Fo more detail, consult my paper “Climate Lessons from the Covid Inquiry” which can be found at
    Click to access COVID-Lessons-neutral-V04.pdf That is the interesting (to me) bit.

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    David Maddison

    Excellent statement by TRUMP’s White House Press Secretary.

    https://x.com/libsoftiktok/status/1884310920501084598

    1 min 19 sec

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  • #
    another ian

    FWIW – sounds like an “Elbow recipe”?

    “A HELPFUL (AND SPICY) GUIDE FROM BATTLESWARM: Jeremiad To The Democrats The First: Abandon The F***ing Idiot Transsexual Woke Bullshit. “Because I’m such a helpful, big-hearted fellow, I’m going to start a series where I tell Democrats how to find their way out of their current slough of despond. But since I’m so very, very tired of their useless shit, and of them making the same mistakes over and over again, I’m going to give said advice in a way that brutally goosesteps all over their precious feel-feels, ensuring that they will stop reading it in a fit of blind rage, which will in turn make them incapable of learning from it, ensuring that they continue to make the same mistakes over and over again.” ”

    https://instapundit.com/698991/#disqus_thread

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  • #
    OldOzzie

    Labor reckons the economy is good.

    Tell Chalmers & The Labor Party they are dreaming!

    Bid for rate rise of 39.6% per cent approved in extraordinary Council meeting

    Northern Beaches Council has formally approved a bid to increase rates by up to 39.6% following a heated extraordinary meeting of the new councillors in the Dee Why chambers this evening, 28 January.

    Rates are local taxes that are levied on the basis of property (land) values, issued by the Valuer General. They are Council’s main source of income, currently being 44% of total revenue.

    The increase follows strong recommendation from Council staff for a significant Special Rate Variation indicating that Council was on a financially unsustainable path with a backlog of repair works and significant new and unexpected costs.

    “I cannot afford my rate rise, I am paying in instalments,” said resident speaker Mark Horton. “Is staff driving Council or is Council driving staff?”

    There was significant criticism from both resident speakers and Cr Vincent De Luca about how the survey was written, indicating it was geared towards a specific result. Despite this claim, 51% voted for the lowest possible option.

    Cr Jody Williams indicated that as only 2% of the population had voted on the survey then 98% were happy with the increase. This comment was not well received by the gallery.

    Cr De Luca asked why Council spent $173,000 on a survey that was not representative. “So are you confirming that the survey counts for zilch?”

    Warringah MP Zali Steggall was less pointed, encouraging local governments to handle rate rise proposals in a “manageable way.”

    A lengthy amendment by Cr De Luca sought to delay the vote 2026 but was not successful.

    “To disregard the community… is concerning. We may live in a wealthy area however we have significant issues in relation to poverty. We have people living on the bread line,” he said.

    The vote for

    After considerable debate, an 8-7 majority voted to apply to IPART for a permanent increase in rates income for the period from the 2025/26 to 2027/28 (inclusive) of 39.6% (Option 3 “Improve Services”) under section 508A of the Local Government Act 1993.

    https://manlyobserver.com.au/bid-for-rate-rise-of-39-6-per-cent-approved-in-extraordinary-council-meeting/

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    • #
      Ronin

      It would be interesting to get the council financial reports to see what they have been spending on, what’s the bet they are blowing it on non-council related business.

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      • #
        Chad

        #
        Ronin
        January 29, 2025 at 7:26 am · Reply
        It would be interesting to get the council financial reports to see what they have been spending on

        Acording to reports, for a start $160 million is council sallaries !

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        • #
          KP

          Ah, Democracy.. you get what you vote for, and you get it good and hard!

          I suppose this is a test case for the organisation of local bodies, so we can expect more Councils to try this next.

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    • #
      Ronin

      “We must acknowledge our community but prioritise our investment.”

      What’s that about, also, 37.5% Greens councillors.

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    • #
      Penguinite

      This is where it starts! and this is where it ends. First local Councils soften us us for rape by Parliament

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCvkfN8pbcQ&t=2s

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    • #
      Ronin

      “So on the Northern Beaches Council, we have 111 executives,” he told Today.

      “They cost over $25 million and $3.3 million is spent every year on their vehicles.”

      He claimed staff wages cost $170 million a year.”

      Trim the fat a bit.

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      • #
        OldOzzie

        Your Commomwealth Department of Education – Do we really need these

        Our people

        During 2022–23 the department employed more than 1,400 staff in locations around Australia and at overseas posts.

        The department continued to promote excellence by focusing on building capability through recruitment activities, staff mobility, succession planning, leadership development and training.

        The department applied an integrated approach to the planning cycle that provided alignment between workforce requirements and organisational priorities. Operational workforce planning focused on determining critical job roles and capacity and skills required in the immediate future to achieve business plans, while identifying future business priorities and corresponding workforce needs.

        We commenced development of the Enterprise Workforce Plan to inform how the department can attract and retain staff in response to a challenging and changing labour market. The plan will ensure the department has the capacity and capability to deliver against its current and future priorities by being an employer of choice.

        Diversity and inclusion

        The department recognises the importance of a workforce that reflects the community to help achieve its purpose. The department is currently developing a draft Inclusion Strategy that reinforces its commitment to inclusion and diversity.

        The strategy’s core focus will be engagement and representation, capability and connection, and alignment and reporting, aligned to deliverable outcomes under APS-wide Commonwealth diversity strategies. The department’s progress against APS-wide diversity and inclusion targets will continue to be monitored through the:

        Executive Board

        People and Culture Committee

        Indigenous Business is Everyone’s Business Committee.

        Our employee networks formed an essential part of our inclusive and diverse workplace. They offered a way for employees to connect with others and find support. The networks helped drive and promote diversity and inclusion initiatives, celebrate days of significance, improve employment outcomes and improve the day-to-day lived experience of our people.

        There were 5 active employee networks in the department, with Senior Executive Service (SES) level champions appointed to each:

        Ability and Carers Network

        Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Network
        Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Network
        Gender Equity Network
        Pride Network.

        Memberships with peak diversity organisations were maintained including the Australian Network on Disability, the Diversity Council Australia and Pride in Diversity.

        In 2022 the department was awarded Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace Best Practice standard by the Australian Breastfeeding Association.

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    • #
      Destroyer D69

      “Cr Jody Williams indicated that as only 2% of the population had voted on the survey then 98% were happy with the increase. This comment was not well received by the gallery”…….. This is a common tactic used to justify the outcome of a “Survey” As far as I am concerned.the results of a survey of this type is totally invalid in regulatory decisions if less than 90% of those qualified to vote respond.

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      OldOzzie

      My Wife who was intermittently watching the Northern Beaches Council Meeting to approve the 39.6% Rate Increase, which was being streamed
      (more tolerant than me)

      She asked who was the Tattooed Female Council Member, who could not be bothered to attend the Council Meeting in person, but did so by Zoom – displaying Tats, and looking bored & repulsive.

      Anyone know who that Councillor was?

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    Penguinite

    You may think we have a problem with out of control climate zealots want to control our very thought word and deed but the British Parliament is about to enact a Private Members Bill that will inflict significant economic pain and disruption on Britain and then be copied by Australian Climate Zealots

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCvkfN8pbcQ&t=2s

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    another ian

    FWIW – consigned to outer darkness in 3,2, 1?

    “Former CNN ‘Journalist’ Makes a Stunning Admission About Believing Fauci Over Trump”

    https://pjmedia.com/robert-spencer/2025/01/28/former-cnn-journalist-makes-a-stunning-admission-about-believing-fauci-over-trump-n4936447

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    MeAgain

    Just reading about ‘Greeniums’ – https://www.ft.com/content/ecbed322-1709-4ed6-9f7f-d974f6e181da
    it makes little sense to pay a premium for a green bond compared with a normal bond from the same company when the creditworthiness — and the sustainability credentials — of the issuer are the same in either case.

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    MeAgain

    Nunya is the correct answer when the doc starts prying into your finances…. https://www.bmj.com/content/388/bmj.r187

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    Ronin

    Some in the private aircraft industry are running around with their hair on fire lamenting how Trump’s 25% tariff proposal will spell the end of the U.S. aerospace industry. We’ll let them keep doing that since they’re fun to watch, but there’s a glass-half-full story to share with everyone else

    Back to the tariffs. Our excitable friends would indeed be correct that a theoretical 25% tariff across the board would harm business aviation. But what these gullible pundits don’t understand is that Trump’s negotiating style is to start with a high figure to extract the maximum leverage. Because he says 25%, or that Greenland, Canada and the Panama Canal will become part of the U.S., is simply an attention-getting device to set the stage for future negotiations.

    It seems even the USA Aviation community ‘gets’ Trunp.

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  • #
    another ian

    FWIW

    Today’s Coffee and Covid newsletter gives you a walk through the two thunderbolts that hit US government funding yesterday

    https://open.substack.com/pub/coffeeandcovid/p/baptism-of-fire-tuesday-january-28?

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    • #
      MeAgain

      https://www.devex.com/news/senior-usaid-officials-put-on-leave-amid-fallout-from-executive-order-109179 Nearly 60 senior executives at the agency were placed on administrative leave, along with select senior foreign service officers, deputy assistant administrators, and eight of USAID’s general counsel, including both ethics attorneys.

      “We have identified several actions within USAID that appear to be designed to circumvent the President’s Executive Orders and the mandate from the American people,” Jason Gray, the agency’s acting administrator, wrote in an email seen exclusively by Devex. “As a result, we have placed a number of USAID employees on administrative leave with full pay and benefits until further notice while we complete our analysis of these actions.”

      Some were forced to leave the building immediately, escorted out

      Good move putting the CIO in as the acting administrator – I remember a network administrator that used to wear a t-shirt to work ‘I read your e-mails’

      40

    • #
      KP

      A lovely read! Brings to mind Roger Douglas ripping moribund, union-led, Leftwing NZ apart in the 80s..

      00

  • #
    OldOzzie

    Peter Dutton warns of more blackouts under Labor’s renewables-only policy as heatwave conditions smash multiple states

    Peter Dutton has warned more blackouts are on the cards under Labor’s renewables-only approach as heatwave conditions smash multiple states, with the Opposition Leader’s concerns echoed by a energy research expert.

    Interesting, visiting Plastic Surgeon/Skin Specialist in Chatswood yesterday, to review Wounds after Op (13 staples from wound – 20 staples from skin graft removed – Ouch!)

    The Air Conditioning for their Building had been turned off (Sydney Observatory 35C – 28 January 2025) I would assume Smart Meter control? – everything else working – lifts etc

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    • #
      Ronin

      Is it a surgery or more a consulting clinic, think they’d have a standby genny.

      00

      • #
        OldOzzie

        She does only minor tidy up post op wound check there in the Office – extremely efficient Lady – has been cutting Cancer from me for over 10 years – Minor Ops in between Major Ops, and when in doubt, always refers me to Senior Plastics at RNSH

        30

  • #
    RickWill

    Given that DEEPSEEK AI is the current rage, I thought I would ask it for the unit cost from a battery firmed wind farm. This is its reply:

    To determine the **levelized cost of energy (LCOE)** in **AUD/MWh** for a lithium battery-firmed wind farm with the given parameters, we need to calculate the **total lifetime costs** (capital and operational) and divide them by the **total energy output** over the project’s lifetime. The parameters are:

    – **Steady output requirement**: 100 MW
    – **Wind capacity factor**: 20%
    – **Wind drought duration**: 2 weeks (14 days)
    – **Transmission line length**: 300 km
    – **Operating life**: 25 years
    – **Battery replacement**: One replacement after 15 years
    – **Discount rate**: 10%

    ### Step 1: **System Sizing**
    1. **Wind Farm Capacity**:
    \[
    \text{Wind Farm Capacity} = \frac{100 \, \text{MW}}{0.2} = 500 \, \text{MW}
    \]

    2. **Battery Storage**:
    – Energy storage required for 2 weeks:
    \[
    \text{Energy Storage} = 100 \, \text{MW} \times 14 \, \text{days} \times 24 \, \text{hours/day} = 33,600 \, \text{MWh}
    \]
    – Battery power rating: **100 MW**
    – Battery energy capacity: **33,600 MWh**

    ### Step 2: **Capital Costs**
    1. **Wind Farm**:
    – Average cost: **AUD 2,000/kW**
    – Total cost:
    \[
    500,000 \, \text{kW} \times \text{AUD 2,000/kW} = \text{AUD 1 billion}
    \]

    2. **Battery Storage**:
    – Average cost: **AUD 600/kWh**
    – Initial battery cost:
    \[
    33,600,000 \, \text{kWh} \times \text{AUD 600/kWh} = \text{AUD 20.16 billion}
    \]
    – Battery replacement at year 15 (discounted to present value):
    \[
    \text{Present Value} = \frac{\text{AUD 20.16 billion}}{(1 + 0.10)^{15}} = \frac{\text{AUD 20.16 billion}}{4.177} = \text{AUD 4.83 billion}
    \]

    3. **Transmission Line**:
    – Average cost: **AUD 1.5 million/km**
    – Total cost:
    \[
    300 \, \text{km} \times \text{AUD 1.5 million/km} = \text{AUD 450 million}
    \]

    4. **Total Capital Costs**:
    \[
    \text{Wind Farm} + \text{Initial Battery} + \text{Battery Replacement} + \text{Transmission Line}
    \]
    \[
    \text{AUD 1 billion} + \text{AUD 20.16 billion} + \text{AUD 4.83 billion} + \text{AUD 450 million} = \text{AUD 26.44 billion}
    \]

    ### Step 3: **Operational Costs**
    1. **Wind Farm O&M**:
    – Average O&M cost: **AUD 40/kW/year**
    – Annual O&M cost:
    \[
    500,000 \, \text{kW} \times \text{AUD 40/kW/year} = \text{AUD 20 million/year}
    \]
    – Present value over 25 years (discounted at 10%):
    \[
    \text{PV} = \text{AUD 20 million} \times \frac{1 – (1 + 0.10)^{-25}}{0.10} = \text{AUD 20 million} \times 9.077 = \text{AUD 181.54 million}
    \]

    2. **Battery O&M**:
    – Average O&M cost: **AUD 10/kWh/year**
    – Annual O&M cost:
    \[
    33,600,000 \, \text{kWh} \times \text{AUD 10/kWh/year} = \text{AUD 336 million/year}
    \]
    – Present value over 25 years (discounted at 10%):
    \[
    \text{PV} = \text{AUD 336 million} \times 9.077 = \text{AUD 3.05 billion}
    \]

    3. **Transmission Line O&M**:
    – Average O&M cost: **AUD 10,000/km/year**
    – Annual O&M cost:
    \[
    300 \, \text{km} \times \text{AUD 10,000/km/year} = \text{AUD 3 million/year}
    \]
    – Present value over 25 years (discounted at 10%):
    \[
    \text{PV} = \text{AUD 3 million} \times 9.077 = \text{AUD 27.23 million}
    \]

    4. **Total Operational Costs**:
    \[
    \text{Wind Farm O&M} + \text{Battery O&M} + \text{Transmission Line O&M}
    \]
    \[
    \text{AUD 181.54 million} + \text{AUD 3.05 billion} + \text{AUD 27.23 million} = \text{AUD 3.26 billion}
    \]

    ### Step 4: **Total Lifetime Costs**
    \[
    \text{Total Costs} = \text{Capital Costs} + \text{Operational Costs}
    \]
    \[
    \text{Total Costs} = \text{AUD 26.44 billion} + \text{AUD 3.26 billion} = \text{AUD 29.7 billion}
    \]

    ### Step 5: **Total Energy Output**
    – The system delivers a steady output of **100 MW** over 25 years.
    – Annual energy output:
    \[
    100 \, \text{MW} \times 8,760 \, \text{hours/year} = 876,000 \, \text{MWh/year}
    \]
    – Total energy output over 25 years:
    \[
    876,000 \, \text{MWh/year} \times 25 \, \text{years} = 21,900,000 \, \text{MWh}
    \]

    ### Step 6: **Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE)**
    \[
    \text{LCOE} = \frac{\text{Total Costs}}{\text{Total Energy Output}}
    \]
    \[
    \text{LCOE} = \frac{\text{AUD 29.7 billion}}{21,900,000 \, \text{MWh}} = \text{AUD 1,356/MWh}
    \]

    ### Final Answer:
    The **levelized cost of energy (LCOE)** for the lithium battery-firmed wind farm is approximately **AUD 1,356/MWh**. This high cost is primarily driven by the large battery storage requirement for 2-week wind droughts and the low wind capacity factor.

    Answer more comprehensive than Perplexity. It is also better presented but that does not show up when copied and pasted here.

    I asked for the average price in the range available. It gives AUD1630/MWh for the highest cost in the range available.

    I am not certain that 2 week battery and 20% CF would actually do the job. Last year on the NEM, the lowest monthly wind CF was 16.8% for April so a battery would be firming over the entire month. From last week of March to last week of June there was only 5 weeks when the battery would charge but 8 weeks when it would discharge. It loses 60% of capacity over that period so would need to be charged to at least 60% by the end of March.

    DEEPSEEK does not have any weekly data for capacity factors so it cannot do a proper analysis based on actual time run data.

    As you can see, a simple scheduling rule change to schedule generators on the basis of firmed power cost would kill any investment in wind and solar ad possibly batteries. Batteries might compete with gas in australia because the gas price is driven by the export market.

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    • #
      Graeme4

      While LCOE is ok for looking at at individual energy source costs, the problem with LCOE costing is that it cannot be used to compare energy costs of different energy sources with different operating lifetimes. This was a serious failure of GenCost, one of many. Most global energy think tanks, including the IEA and EIA, don’t use LCOE, usually labelling it “incomplete”. Robert Idel uses a more accurate cost-comparison method, closer to FCOE, or full cost method.

      00

      • #
        RickWill

        The numbers are based on battery firmed wind aimed at making a base load power station rated at 100MW. The LCOE of AUD1356/MWh is for dispatchable power. In that regard it is on the same basis as a lignite station that produces at around AUD50/MWh but a replacement would be closer to AUD100MWh.

        Victoria could have the lowest cost power in the world if it focused on its lignite resources using the latest USC technology and a well managed project away from government interference.

        10

        • #
          Graeme4

          OK, but surely a coal power station has a longer lifetime, so still not comparing apples to apples?
          You would need a complete tear-down and new build of the wind system during the coal station’s lifetime.
          Totally agree with your last para.

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      Graeme4

      Three queries Rick:
      1. Why is the second battery replacement a lot cheaper than the first? Only around a quarter the price, when surely it would have to be either a similar cost or greater?
      2. The transmission line cost is way under current Australian costs, which for HumeLink is $13m/km and still rising.
      3. The battery cost still seems low. The U.S. is quoting US$500k/kWh, which translates to A$800k/kWh.
      And if I may comment about gas prices – that seems to be correct for the eastern gas network, but for WA, the gas price is fixed (I think) and independent of export prices.

      10

      • #
        RickWill

        1. It is the present value at the discount rate. If you put the money aside now, it would buy you a replacement battery after 15 years.

        2. It is only rated at 100MW. It would be maybe 110kV or even 66kV. So smaller towers and smaller wires.

        3. I did not look to see where the data came from. The Victorian Moorabool battery cost AUD200m with a capacity of 450MWh so AUD444/MWh.

        The gas reservation scheme in WA probably makes batteries uneconomic for weaker duties.

        10

        • #
          Graeme4

          Thanks for the answers Rick. I won’t say that I fully understand point (1), so I’m still surprised that the second battery costs so little.

          00

  • #
    MeAgain

    The neighbours are just upset coz their rooves look faded and dirty next to her nice roof, and they have the huge cost of solar panel removal to do anything about it. I hope she doesn’t repaint after this – by the time they can do anything, her roof might have faded anyway.

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-29/former-body-corporate-commissioner-condemns-red-roof-dispute/104867928

    Glad I don’t live on that street

    20

    • #
      KP

      “Ms Gourley’s roof is “heritage red” instead of “coral”, which Fernbrook said violated their body corporate by-laws…the commissioner ruled that Ms Gourley’s roof did violate Fernbrook’s by-laws and she must repaint it at her own expense….The colour coral was not specified in the by-laws and was added after Ms Gourley had her roof painted.”

      Who would want to live there? I’d walk out and rent it to the local underprivileged indigenies..

      00

  • #

    Okay, last Saturday, I mused on the (Apple Streaming Service) TV Series, Silo, which I’ve been watching, and it has an intriguing premise. This Series (and it’s science fiction) finale had a puzzling five minutes at the end, and I actually thought that the service had changed to a different series, until the Silo ‘credits’ started to roll.

    Now, with the advent of streaming services, the (perhaps) pleasing thing is that instead of making a two hour movie, where so much gets glossed over or omitted, the streaming services make 8 to 10 parts all (around) one hour episodes, so nearly all of the story gets shown, now with the time to develop things.

    This series Silo ended this series in such an intriguing way, that I did something I don’t often do, and went to the Internet to check, and what I found was that the Series was based on the novels of Hugh Howey, a trilogy of books in fact.

    Now, I can’t wait for another twelve Months for the next Series, and then another twelve Months after that for the Fourth series, so I went out and bought the three novels. Now, with this second series just finishing, it deals with just book one of the trilogy, and these two Series have 20 episodes in all.

    Okay I mused last Saturday on that first novel of the trilogy, and its title is ….. WOOL.

    Now (warning, spoilers ahead) the main punishment in the Silo, is being ….. ‘sent out to clean’. The Silo is a humungous underground structure of 144 levels and a population of 10,000 people. ‘Outside’ is (supposedly) a World devastated by Nuclear war Centuries earlier. So, the punishment of being ‘sent out to clean’ is a death sentence in fact. They’re dressed in a ‘suit’ and given a cloth to clean the viewing lens so people can actually see that it is in fact nuclear devastation. That cleaning cloth is made of wool, hence the title, and also perhaps the euphemism of ‘having the wool pulled over your eyes’.

    So, blah blah blah blah!

    When I went and checked on the Internet, there hidden among the blurbs for all three books of the series is that wool (the title of the first novel in the Trilogy) is actually an Acronym ….. WOOL, and that actually stands for ….. ‘World Order Operation Fifty’, and here you think umm, wait a minute that’s WOOF shouldn’t it be. The L in WOOL is the Roman Numeral for Fifty, and as you’ll find out, there are fifty Silos.

    Okay, in this day and age, 2024 with the Series now ‘out there’, World Order is pretty much now a common thing.

    However, these books were written back in 2011, starting out as a short story, and then morphing from there, and World Order was not all that widely known back then, well as wide as it has now become anyway.

    I’m looking forwards to starting the novels.

    And something else here. As you watch the Series, it is just filmed so dark, so dark in fact that you can barely see what’s happening, almost to the point of NOT seeing it at all, and it’s so off putting.

    It, (and here, it’s the same with a lot of these streaming service series) is filmed in what’s called HDR (‘High Dynamic Range’), using just natural lighting, and a lot of earlier TVs (and here, that’s just three to five years old mind you) are not capable of showing it in any other manner than really dark, and here that’s really dark in fact. And it’s only showing up with these newer series on those streaming services, and there’s no ‘real’ fix for those older TVs either. Now, once I did find out about HDR, I went and checked. Last year I actually purchased a new smaller TV for the bedroom, the first time in my life I have had a TV in the bedroom, and I only really used it for watching The IPL Cricket from India.

    When I watched episodes of Silo, and one or two other Streaming Service Series (and it doesn’t happen with free to air TV) on that newer TV, (after reading up on HDR) I noticed that they are nowhere near as dark as on the main TV in the lounge room, where I have watched these newer series, and it all (the dark vision, where I first noticed it) actually started with Billy Bob Thornton’s first Series Goliath, and to a somewhat lesser extent now his newer and just as good Landman Series, as well as some others, and hey with so much on those streaming services, I hardly even look at FTA any more, not even for the News any more, as I can get that from my computer.

    Anyway, as usual, this is just way too long Tony, so sorry for that.

    Tony.

    30

    • #
      Vladimir

      Just watch again with great pleasure Meet Joe Black.
      That was the time when Brad Pitt was at his unsurpassed best, Hollywood was Art Gratis Art, but !
      Don’t you think that Bill Parish looks suspiciously like one Aussie paperman?

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    John Connor II

    Quick on the heels of Deepseek (or Deepfraud) comes Janus-Pro, image generation.

    https://youtu.be/gHFMBWi07-E?si=zuyVsHJrUNvSk_rP

    How cute – showcasing all those Tofu dregs and empty apartment blocks…

    Strange how China’s Dalian rail system relied on Adobe’s freeware Flash package for scheduling and admin tasks (!!!!!) and then crashed when Adobe pulled the plug year ago, forcing them to install pirated older software to restore operations…

    Yeah, “cutting edge” China strikes again.
    Not.

    00

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    John Connor II

    It’s Wednesday, so time for some culture content!

    https://va.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_sqsaw8h7sR1z23obp.mp4

    A 10yo with more talent than everyone in Oz politics combined!

    51

    • #
      David Maddison

      Brilliant. And the girl has the joie de vivre to go with her performance.

      That’s the sort of immigrant Australia should be importing. Instead, the Government focuses on importing huge numbers of some of the world’s most uneducated, violent and anti-Western people.

      30

    • #
      KP

      Well, now you know where that childhood went!

      00

  • #
    David Maddison

    Posted on FB by Senator Babet, United Australia Party.

    President Trump just signed a new executive order.

    The order states that “it is the policy of the United States that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another, and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures.”

    This order is a major victory for common sense and protecting children. This is a crucial step in pushing back against the radical left’s harmful agenda.

    For too long, we’ve let them run unchecked, and now we find ourselves celebrating something that should have never been allowed in the first place. But this is just the beginning – we must keep pushing forward.

    The Trump effect is real, and the rest of the world will follow. It’s only a matter of time until someone like me does the same here in Australia.

    40

    • #
      David Maddison

      Senator Babet also posted this:

      Today Jacinta Allan (the Premier of Victoria) reacted to the Trump gender order which stated that there are only two genders. She was asked how many genders she thinks there should be. She said that it was divisive to say that there was only two genders. She then went into a monologue slamming Trump. The party should remove her from power immediately. But they won’t because they are left wing woke fools.

      Here’s the video – https://youtu.be/vsU2A4yq2sk

      Help me defend Australia, I cannot do it alone. Join The Movement – https://senatorbabet.com.au/join-the-movement/

      60

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    Dave in the States

    I just caught part of story on the Weather Channel that is rather interesting.

    Cal Edison (the power company in Kalifornia) has been ordered to keep all documentation of the time that the fires started. There was a law suite filed based on video surveillance cameras that show transformers exploding and electric arcs between lines over a seven mile distance of power lines at the time the fires broke out.

    An unstable grid?

    Terrorism?

    30

    • #
      Ronin

      Gale force wind. ?

      20

    • #
      Graeme4

      Recently had one day of major pole fires in the Perth metro area, over 40, caused by a buildup of dust on insulators during the long dry summer. A sudden temp change after the cyclone passed caused a short period of very fine rain, almost mist. Along with the dust buildup, lots of pole fires.

      40

  • #
    RickWill

    DEEPSEEK believes it knows why ocean surface cannot sustain more than 30C.

    Yes, there are several key reasons why ocean surface temperatures generally do not sustain more than 30°C (86°F) over long periods:

    ### 1. **Evaporation and Cooling**
    – As ocean surface temperatures rise, the rate of evaporation increases significantly. Evaporation is a cooling process because it removes heat from the water (latent heat of vaporization). This self-regulating mechanism helps prevent the ocean surface from overheating.

    ### 2. **Heat Redistribution**
    – Ocean currents and atmospheric circulation redistribute heat from the tropics to higher latitudes. Warm surface waters in tropical regions are transported poleward, while cooler waters from deeper layers or higher latitudes move toward the equator. This process helps regulate surface temperatures.

    ### 3. **Cloud Formation and Albedo Effect**
    – High surface temperatures lead to increased evaporation, which promotes cloud formation. Clouds reflect sunlight (increasing albedo), reducing the amount of solar radiation reaching the ocean surface and limiting further warming.

    ### 4. **Thermal Inertia and Mixing**
    – The ocean has a high heat capacity, meaning it can absorb a lot of heat without a significant rise in temperature. Additionally, wind-driven mixing and turbulence distribute heat vertically, preventing excessive warming at the surface.

    ### 5. **Radiative Cooling**
    – The ocean surface loses heat through infrared radiation, especially at night. This radiative cooling helps balance the heat gained during the day.

    ### 6. **Upper Limit of Tropical SSTs**
    – In tropical regions, where the warmest ocean temperatures are found, there is an observed upper limit of around 30–32°C for sustained surface temperatures. This is due to the combined effects of the factors mentioned above, as well as atmospheric feedbacks like increased convection and thunderstorms, which release heat into the upper atmosphere.

    ### 7. **Biological and Chemical Factors**
    – High temperatures can also affect marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs, which are sensitive to prolonged heat stress. Additionally, warmer water holds less dissolved oxygen, which can limit biological activity and further influence temperature regulation.

    ### Exception: Regional and Temporary Exceedances
    – In some regions, such as the western Pacific Warm Pool, surface temperatures can briefly exceed 30°C during certain times of the year. However, these conditions are not sustained due to the factors listed above.

    In summary, the ocean’s ability to regulate its surface temperature is a result of complex physical, chemical, and biological processes that prevent sustained temperatures above 30°C. This natural regulation is critical for maintaining Earth’s climate stability.

    30

  • #
    RickWill

    This is an answer from DEEPSEEK on its ability to learn from experience:

    Yes, I can learn from experience in the context of our conversation! While I don’t retain memory of past interactions or improve over time in a persistent way, I can adapt and refine my responses within the same conversation based on your feedback and corrections. This allows me to provide more accurate and relevant information as we continue discussing a topic.

    For example, in our conversation about the Niño 3.4 region, I initially made an error by stating there was a warming trend during the satellite era. After you pointed out the mistake, I re-evaluated the data and corrected my response to reflect the slight cooling trend observed in the NOAA Reynolds OI dataset. This is an example of how I can “learn” and improve within the same discussion.

    However, once our conversation ends, I won’t retain any memory of it, and I won’t carry over improvements to future interactions. Each conversation starts fresh, but I’ll always strive to provide the best possible answers based on the information and feedback you provide in real time.

    So experience is limited to the current conversation. Nothing is retained. And it is quite capable of telling porkies.

    30

    • #
      RickWill

      Throughout the day, DEEPSEEK has been too busy to answer questions. Methinks they will need a much bigger server.

      20

    • #
      Graeme4

      That’s interesting. Always thought that AI was supposed to learn from its errors.

      20

      • #
        KP

        Getting like William Gibson’s books, with the shattered remains of the hacker permanently recorded on a chip, and every time you fire it up so he can do a hack for you, its the first time since he died..

        So, no AI yet, not even a memory- that is truly laughable! If it can’t learn, its useless except as a static encyclopaedia.

        00

  • #
    another ian

    FWIW – Pricy “cheapest energy” UK

    “Record £2.4 Billion in CfD Subsidies Paid Out in 2024”

    “Hot on the heels of the record payments made under the Feed-in-Tariff scheme in the year to end March 2024, the data is now available for subsidies paid under the Contract for Difference Scheme (CfDs) in calendar year 2024. The data comes from the Low Carbon Contract Company (LCCC). The data is subject to minor revision and the data snapshot for this piece was taken on January 14th, 2025.

    A record £2.4 billion was paid out in subsidies across a range of technologies, but the largest recipient was offshore wind. There are some other interesting facts buried in the data that we can now explore.”

    More at

    https://wattsupwiththat.com/2025/01/28/record-2-4-billion-in-cfd-subsidies-paid-out-in-2024/

    00

    • #
      Graeme4

      Lots of interesting data. UK solar CF is higher than I thought-13-14% apparently. Also interesting to note that CF of all renewables is dropping – seems to also be happening here.

      00

      • #
        dadgervais

        Simple logic says CF must fall as the buildup proceeds!

        If you had no installations, where would you install your first “wind farm”? At the most suitable site, obviously. Your second installation goes on the second most suitable site, etc.

        00

  • #
    another ian

    FWIW

    “I MEAN, HE’S NOT WRONG.”

    “A picture of young successful happy people at a trendy cocktail party reads as right wing. A picture of a dad in flannel drinking a beer at Texas Roadhouse also reads as right wing. Right wing is both cool, hip and metropolitan, and down to earth, older, mature, and working class. This is how you know that conservatism is culturally ascendant. We run the gamut.

    The only pictures that read as left wing are those of ugly, fat, mentally ill, dysfunctional, friend-less weirdos.”

    https://instapundit.com/699044/#disqus_thread

    20

  • #
    Liberator

    So the Doomsday clock scientists have re-set the doomsday time to 89 seconds to midnight, due to AI and the threat from Russia. So if it’s not climate change setting the clock to doomsday, it’s some other scaremongering that will see the end of humanity. Why do they even bother with this idiotic idea? How long have they been resetting the countdown to midnight with no final outcome? Were always on the brink of destruction!It’s like the guy in the middle of the street with his sandwich board saying the end of the world is here, repent, repent. It’s always tomorrow, and tomorrow never comes, because when it arrives, it is today.

    40

    • #
      MeAgain

      Spent a year of lockdown near a garage that had a sign up ‘The End is Nigh’ – it looked like it had been there some time. They took it down near the end of the COVID scam – I figure they thought that the end is here by now.

      20

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  • #
    another ian

    FWIW – read all about it – or at least some of it

    “How to Make a Heat Pump Work in an Old House” (UK)

    https://dailysceptic.org/2025/01/27/how-to-make-a-heat-pump-work-in-an-old-house/

    10

  • #
    another ian

    FWIW – cudgels on

    “Nicole Shanahan Vows to Fund Challengers to Senators Who Do Not Support RFK Jr Nomination
    January 29, 2025 | Sundance | 10 Comments”

    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2025/01/29/nicole-shanahan-vows-to-fund-challengers-to-senators-who-do-not-support-rfk-jr-nomination/

    10

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