World, Writing, Wealth discussion
World & Current Events
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If you're not in the U.S., what's up in your part of the world?
Beau wrote: "I know I have become 'Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells' on this platform (look the saying up non Brits) but, my God, this is an outrage. They're trolling us now:https://twitter.com/ProfKarolSikora/st..."
Lawyers and consultants automatically dive it and get fat in any crisis. The problem lies in the civil service having degenerated into maximizing thier chances of arse-covering by shipping their work of to said consultants and lawyers. If they had to actually do their jobs, I wonder what would happen?
The work would be done by people who could only get government work.
Nik wrote: "Will we need to sort this too https://abcnews.go.com/International/... or maybe there are more capable countries?Maersk ..."
Not sure about "more capable". It seems to me the only real ways to stop it are to somehow persuade the Houthis to stop (easier said than done) or to invade and remove the Houthis, and that is not going to be easy. Worse, we have known about Somali pirates for some time, but it seems they are still operating.
J. wrote: "The work would be done by people who could only get government work."One of the curious things about this is culture. In NZ prior to about 1984, we had an extremely efficient electricity supply, all from a government department. Then we had "reforms" leading to the privatization of it. What has happened since is reliability has dropped away as only too much maintenance is done on a "run it until it fails" mentality.
But it gives cheaper electricity, right? Actually, wrong. The infrastructure was sold to the private sector who paid essentially in borrowed money and interest rates soared. The new owners waxed fat, but the price of electricity shot up by a most alarming figure.
The infrastructure had been built from taxes, so the tax-payer benefited from the sale? Wrong. The new government wasted money like crazy.
It looks like whatever's "not easy" gets glossed over, however it doesn't dissolve on its own
Omitted from the article was what would it cost to get said cars to Ukraine, which would presumably be paid for by London, and what was the quality of the cars. After all, if the car weas in good condition, would it not be preferable from the owner's point of view to drive out of London and try to sell it?
Tasmania is being terrorized by a seal named Neil.https://youtu.be/0xwRgFReoXw?si=dibzI...
What is it with Australia and animals. I could understand it if it was salt water crocodiles, venomous snakes, Great Whites, and giant spiders that were messing with y'all. But it's emus and now a seal.
J. wrote: "But it's emus and now a seal...."That has to be a punchline to a good joke. It just has to be. 8^)
I just learned today that Australia has the largest population of camels in the world.Six years ago in Florida:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWS5x...
We have a member from Tasmania here. I hope he's not in danger to report from onsite :)
J. wrote: "Australia lost a war to emus."Oh no! It is getting better! How do you lose a war to Emus?
Ian wrote: "They've already lost one to rabbits."Guess they did not see Monty Python and the Holy Grail....
The Great Emu War: When Australians Lost to Flightless Birdshttps://www.thecollector.com/great-em...
J. wrote: "The Great Emu War: When Australians Lost to Flightless Birdshttps://www.thecollector.com/great-em..."
Sounds like their version of Razorbacks. Great article! Thanks.
J. wrote: "The Great Emu War: When Australians Lost to Flightless Birdshttps://www.thecollector.com/great-em..."
The Cassowary is a far more dangerous opponent.
"Cassowaries have a reputation for being dangerous to people and domestic animals. During World War II, American and Australian troops stationed in New Guinea were warned to steer clear of them. In his 1958 book Living Birds of the World, ornithologist Ernest Thomas Gilliard wrote:
The inner or second of the three toes is fitted with a long, straight, murderous nail which can sever an arm or eviscerate an abdomen with ease. There are many records of natives being killed by this bird.[57]"
REF: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassowary
I agree the cassowary is far more dangerous than any emu.Autopsy released on cassowary attack that killed Florida man
https://www.wptv.com/news/state/autop...
But it wasn't the Great Cassowary War.
J. wrote: "I agree the cassowary is far more dangerous than any emu.Autopsy released on cassowary attack that killed Florida man
https://www.wptv.com/news/state/autop......"
'Cause no one in their right mind would sign up to fight cassowaries.
You'd need this at a minimum. REF (Sentry Guns): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQDy-...
There might be a story about genetically engineered hive-mind flocks of cassowaries let loose from a secret government lab upon an unsuspecting public...
Urgently needed a platoon of cassowaries in the Eastern front.
Nik wrote: "Urgently needed a platoon of cassowaries in the Eastern front."Cassowaries are silent killers within rainforests, not so good on the steppe.
Graeme wrote: "J. wrote: "The Great Emu War: When Australians Lost to Flightless Birdshttps://www.thecollector.com/great-em..."
The Cassowary is a far more dangerous opponent.
"Cassowaries have a reputation..."
Good thing it has wings rather than arms. That killing style is the same as the velociraptor, except the latter could hold pn .
I'm trying to work out Graeme's strategy here. It started with a town in Tasmania getting pushed around by a seal named Neil.
This had me wondering why Australia, a country filled with dangerous animals, keeps getting put on their butts by the local fauna's B team. Seriously, if it was dangerous and Australian, Steve Irwin would wrestle it. But the Australian military couldn't beat emus. Is there something in the beer?
Now, Graeme is posting about sci-fi dinosaurs being dangerous. It's a bit like picking a fight with someone smaller than you, then talking about Mike Tyson after you lose.
They also lost to rabbits....Guess they did not have a Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch.
This year, Stephen Fry gave the alternative Christmas message to King Charles'.https://youtu.be/G7uUGJhiehM?si=U-w2j...
Depending on the outlet reporting on the matter, there has been a rather mean spirited reaction from the British left. Would any British members please weigh in on this? I suspect that there are some ink stained firebrands at work. But I would like a local's perspective.
I really like Stephen Fry, J. His underlying message is true because:
1. Homophobia in the UK is now very rare. I don't know anyone (gay or straight), who regards it as an issue anymore.
2. Post escalation in Israel/ Palestine troubles, in our larger cities, anti semitism is on the rise. Unfortunately, it is now an issue.
The only problem with Stephen's message is, being a London media luvvie, he is coy about who is to blame for this issue, leaving the casual listener with the impression that it's that old mythical enemy, 'The Far Right', who are to blame.
Let me get this straight. To all intents and purposes, 'The Far Right' does not exist in the UK, certainly in any meaningful way. It consists of a few isolated odd balls, living in basement flats, who inhabit a parallel online universe, have no widespread support and probably wouldn't say boo to a goose in real life. And so they make a convenient bogeyman for the media, the police's PR department, and anyone else that wants to see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil.
You aren't green. You know why this is the case. For others, who are more naive, let me explain...
The people behind the rise in anti semitism are Muslim extremists and ANTIFA-type leftists. The former, of course, can't be criticised in the West because that would be deemed 'Islamophobic' by the establishment. It would be a 'hate crime'. Everyone knows this and yet the way life is in the West, nowadays, there's a shortage of people willing to openly admit it.
Incidentally, let me say that I have a huge amount of respect for Islam (my last novel proves this). In many ways, I regard the Islamic message as a very attractive one. But I regard telling the truth about events I can clearly see and hear today as being even more attractive :)
1. Homophobia in the UK is now very rare. I don't know anyone (gay or straight), who regards it as an issue anymore.
2. Post escalation in Israel/ Palestine troubles, in our larger cities, anti semitism is on the rise. Unfortunately, it is now an issue.
The only problem with Stephen's message is, being a London media luvvie, he is coy about who is to blame for this issue, leaving the casual listener with the impression that it's that old mythical enemy, 'The Far Right', who are to blame.
Let me get this straight. To all intents and purposes, 'The Far Right' does not exist in the UK, certainly in any meaningful way. It consists of a few isolated odd balls, living in basement flats, who inhabit a parallel online universe, have no widespread support and probably wouldn't say boo to a goose in real life. And so they make a convenient bogeyman for the media, the police's PR department, and anyone else that wants to see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil.
You aren't green. You know why this is the case. For others, who are more naive, let me explain...
The people behind the rise in anti semitism are Muslim extremists and ANTIFA-type leftists. The former, of course, can't be criticised in the West because that would be deemed 'Islamophobic' by the establishment. It would be a 'hate crime'. Everyone knows this and yet the way life is in the West, nowadays, there's a shortage of people willing to openly admit it.
Incidentally, let me say that I have a huge amount of respect for Islam (my last novel proves this). In many ways, I regard the Islamic message as a very attractive one. But I regard telling the truth about events I can clearly see and hear today as being even more attractive :)
Thanks, Nik. I would add that although I'm a firm believer that the demand for racism in the West far exceeds its supply (let's face it, the race relations industry is a lucrative business), places like London now have a serious problem with anti semitism.
I find this genuinely shocking. And, considering that our institutions are paralysed by political correctness, I can't see how the problem is going to be rectified.
I find this genuinely shocking. And, considering that our institutions are paralysed by political correctness, I can't see how the problem is going to be rectified.
The silver lining is that it will pass too. I count the U.S. in this regard also.
It's going to be another one of those years...Massive earthquake slams Japan, residents flee some coastal areas
https://www.reuters.com/world/japan/m...
No no no. This year is going to be better. Think positive thoughts. Okay, I know I'm dreaming, but I'm so tired.
In NZ at least it is going to be different. The new government has thrown out a whole lot of what the previous government had threatened to do. The "threatened" is because while they spent a lot of money on these projects, and hired a whole lot of bureaucrats, nothing physical actually emerged. As a side issue, property values in Wellington are softening as a number of said bureaucrats are going to get fired.From a personal level, for me 2024 will be a big improvement on 2023.
Epstein files drop.Bill Clinton named.
Testimony from one witness:
Q: "Did Jeffrey ever talk to you about Bill Clinton?"
A: "He said one time that Clinton likes them young, referring to girls."
REF: https://twitter.com/Techno_Fog/status...
Every now and then the French make me laugh with pride.https://youtu.be/JLjToexLzPw?si=tfdPn...
Imagine how other governments would react to being buried in manure.
Fertilizing government facilities may result in a better harvest of new generation of politicians/bureaucrats :)
J. wrote: "Every now and then the French make me laugh with pride.https://youtu.be/JLjToexLzPw?si=tfdPn...
Imagine how other governments would react to being buried in manure."
The EU is deliberately attacking the food supply in Europe. I speculate their end game is depopulation.
I also think they will fail to achieve that end as push back swells in response to their anti-human agendas.
Unlikely. The problem is the EU food supply is heavily subsidized to protect small farmers. If the Eurocrats want to bring Ukraine into the EU, there would be a flood of cheap food, or alternatively the EU would bankrupt itself paying the subsidies to Ukraine. The Eurocrats next problem is whatever they do probably has to be somewhat oblique so they get their plans through before too many protest.My feeling i the EU may well disintegrate because those running then works in Brussels have no idea what the effects are of what they are doing, and worse, they don't care.
So, entrusting a central planning scheme to a distant and uncaring regime is bad for you?I'm tempted to cite a precedent involving a self important group on the banks of the Thames and some colonies on the other side of the Atlantic.
Ian wrote: "Unlikely. The problem is the EU food supply is heavily subsidized to protect small farmers. If the Eurocrats want to bring Ukraine into the EU, there would be a flood of cheap food, or alternativel..."I'm thinking more on recent attacks or proposed attacks on Dutch and Irish farmers.
J. wrote: "So, entrusting a central planning scheme to a distant and uncaring regime is bad for you?I'm tempted to cite a precedent involving a self important group on the banks of the Thames and some colon..."
Not sure that's fair. I doubt those guys on the banks of the Thames actually did any planning. The subsequent actions were consistent with no real plan.
Ian wrote: "J. wrote: "So, entrusting a central planning scheme to a distant and uncaring regime is bad for you?I'm tempted to cite a precedent involving a self important group on the banks of the Thames and..."
No special plan required if people are living out roles dictated by cultural imperatives. They end up implementing default strategies.
The default strategy is usually, "Don't plan." It usually does not end well for those involved.
Gunmen in Ecuador fire shots on live TV as country hit by series of violent attackshttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/ecuador-...
World, Writing, Wealth
Books mentioned in this topic
1984 (other topics)Common Sense (other topics)
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (other topics)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (other topics)
Lolita (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Mel Brooks (other topics)Victor Davis Hanson (other topics)
Peter Zeihan (other topics)
Bobby Fischer (other topics)
Jordan B. Peterson (other topics)
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Maersk won't sail Red Sea and Suez? https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/maersk-ta... Expect another prices' hike