Litespeed

On a new tack.

Today I bought some batteries, only a 8 pack of AAA. Bloody $12.00 and enough packaging for at least 24 instead of 8.

A joke of waste that says everything about why the world's gone to shit.

Mass package,mass marketing and bugger all product. And yes I had to fight to open the pack as well.

Almost as much packing as a new bloody phone.

Here is a regal looking Eastern greater Egret in full breeding plumage and skin tones.

Beautiful..

I save weight to reduce mtow,. I bring my own pole.

I'm am with you OME.

The  "narrative drive/ride/fly" is a live saver. 

I have used this method my whole life and it's saved me many times.

I also call it "piano theory". Unless a piano falls from the sky and hits me in the back of the head, it's my fault for not seeing it coming. No amount of wingeing helps when your mushed or dead. They don't say at the funeral " it's ok, it wasn't his fault, your still a mushed meatbag "

That works for any moving machinery, situational awareness is king. Always stay far ahead of the machine, constantly scanning for the unexpected, expected and damn idiots human or animal. That also means drive/ride/fly/sail to the conditions.

Peeps who allow others to determine their safety are generally called the corpse.

On 28/12/2023 at 7:00 PM, Jerry_Atrick said:

This has to be the gripe of the month. Happy new year, fellas: https://time.com/6550584/5-shock-events-world-future-essay/?utm_source=upday&utm_medium=referral

The really depressing thing is the most important person for the year was considered as a billionaire rock star " Taylor Swift".

More important things happened than someone making a billion dollars charging $500 plus for a bloody concert ticket.

Time , get your priorities straight.

1 hour ago, Marty_d said:

We had non traditional Xmas today, pizza and sushi (all homemade).

Pizza bases were sourdough and we did 9 - one of which was leftover roast turkey from the 1kg breast last night,  with cranberry sauce, sliced brie and fresh basil from the garden.  Delicious!

Nice, had the same at a restaurant this week, wood fired, awesome.

Doing the seafood and beer on the marina. Feeding the fish and chilling out.

No travel no stress.

Even had a visit from a great eastern Egret in full breeding plumage.

The oysters were grown here in the port and bloody tasty.   

Amazing how much effort they go to for cars I was happy to never own.

You can get a nice restored Porsche for similar money.

A old Holden is still just a old Holden.

1 hour ago, spenaroo said:

trust me not everyone can blitz a PlayStation game,
I run a simulator setup at home. often defeat friends by significant amounts of time. plenty struggle with diving at speed and brake points

Yes, it's a skill but it's relevance to driver skill development is limited. Nothing beats real world conditions and seat pucker feel.

Simulators are good but no comparison to actual driving.

Wakefield was a great track, sadly currently closed for normal operations due to complaints from new residents about noise.

Ridiculous, the track was there first and a big economic earner.  The decision might have changed by now I hope.

I road the track just before it opened, a hoot.

Agreed,

Also because they are actively arming Israel with shells they know will be used to rain heath on civilians.

The same shells that should be going to Ukraine to stop Russia doing that exact thing.

10 hours ago, Bruce Tuncks said:

I would like to see much better testing of license applicants... This could be done with driving simulators, which is the only safe way that a kid suddenly appears in front of you, and the only way skidding on a wet road can be simulated safely. All candidates could get a score out of 100 say, and this would be objective.

The only downside I can think of would be that a different car to your normal one would be used in the simulator.

Kids would do well in the scores but would still drive stupidly on the real road, but oldies who reacted too slowly to be safe would be caught out.

This is exactly why it must be real world training on a track and skidpan. No amount of simulation relates to the actual seat of the pants feeling of the real deal. A life time if safety can be taught in a two day course, not just skills but aptitude and attitude of driving.

Anyone can blitz a PlayStation car game, but there is no risk and no reality if risk.

54 minutes ago, Marty_d said:

Ask yourself how much, as a proportion of your assets and wealth, you'd give to save the life of your child.

 

Then come back and tell me life is over valued.

I know the answer from experience of my partner, 13 years of cancer .

I gave everything, every cent, every effort. I am poor now but rich that she lived longer and was in my life.

Something's are more valuable than any number, trinket or asset.

How much would I give to save her or a child?

Simple, 

I would give my Life.

The most and only valuable thing we have.

Common sense, the actual law and constitutional practice sadly will mean nothing as he has a stacked court that has proven to not care a damn about the rule of law and Juris Prudence.

However a plain reading of the case indicates he is ineligible.

He does not have to be convicted just shown to have assisted or supported insurrection as per the constitution.

I will be a lawyer's shitshow and get very nasty.

Gusting up to 30 knots in Lemon tree passage.

Just gentle really, but tinny has 6" of water in it. Some times it's 18", a bugger to bail out. 

That is one damn smart kangaroo.

Could he/ she be the perfect driver trainer?, understands the rules and safety better than most. 

awesomeness 

7 hours ago, facthunter said:

Seems like he's in some other world.   Nev

His head is certainly with Trump in his own warped Uranus.

The Colorado decision is awesome, other states may follow. 

Naturally he will appeal to his stacked court, but that may not help.

2 hours ago, pmccarthy said:

I think the Israelis have about got it right.

Can you extrapolate that for us?

Truly interested.

It's about time they mandated proper driver training not the expensive private tutoring of 50plus hrs. No quality control at all and no defensive driving skills.

We accepted 30 years ago the need to train motorcycle riders for both l and P levels. It's not perfect but far better than the car system.

Given many have to spend thousands to get their hrs up, a proper training program including track time, should be doable. $100 million a year in gov funding would save multiples in just hospital/  NDIS costs. A simple and smart investment 

And you should need to demonstrate proficiency to go from P plate to full licence. Currently just serve out time, no tests at all. You might have done no driving since getting your P and that's fine by the system.

No where good enough.

Raining with big thunderstorm around Port Stephens. More lightning than rain though.

I love a big thunderstorm ⛈️, always fun on a boat. Except when the supplies need filling.

You really have to want that burger or beer 🍻.

Only big issue is if we get too much rain, then large amounts of runoff brings nutrients, mud, coal dust and debris into the port. The fish and crabs hate it and can take weeks to improve the water quality.

That and the oyster farmers get screw with no sales.

Yes Bruce, it would be a blunt instrument.

I expect we could have 7 billion living a simple life and we might be sustainable, or  2 billion living life as rich westerners.

Or maybe 10 million if we all lived like billionaires, their overall consumption is incredible esp with private super yachts and jets.

Wealth is a huge determining factor on damage caused.

5 hours ago, spacesailor said:

Consider this ! .

Now the ' government ' force's " compulsory " medication down out throat . Why doesn't it just terminate our, 

lives at a ' predetermined ' age . Hopefully at a much later age than " Logans Run " .

Say; in the ' next ' generation or two , when the population has surpassed ,the Earth's ability to sustain any more .

spacesailor

 

I note you seem to expect this to be okay for others ie your children and grandchildren.

We already have passed the sustainable level of population, that's why the planets screwed.

Spacey, please lead by example.

Yeah it sucked been of German or Italian decent in WW1 and WW2. 

My father's side is German italian, we had to change names and hide even though family fought for Australia in both wars.

It is a problem, overloaded caravans with 4wds are constantly crashing and due to their driving habits often cause frustration in other drivers. This can lead to accidents for everyone.

I suggest a licence class with proper training on a track with van is a solution.

The idea a person can go from a hatchback to 7 plus tonnes articulated with the same licence is a joke, and many die as a result.

I can't drive a light rigid truck without a LR, which I have. lR is intimately safer then a big van rig.

It makes no sense.

Not sure about the MG5 but should be fixable by adding the extras.

The Mahindra could do what Toyota does and declare it's big old cruiser ute a truck and exempt it from the strict rules. A cynical move but Toyota don't seem to care 

Sorry Gareth, 

No, I have never been on the angry end of armed forces and worn the green but have been shot at, stabbed and half beaten to death in my jobs. 

I understand rules of engagement, they are not just a army thing. Yes, the engagement rules for your experience were very problematic and a horrible situation.

Nothing reported from either side including directly from Israel armed forces indicate highly restricted rules of engagement. I don't think it is comparable, all observers included the UN are screaming possible war crimes.

I am not defending Hamas in any way, they are terrorists in their actions. But with a estimated total of 30,000 amongst 2.2 million civilians, carpet bombing,hitting hospitals, schools and flattening every building is a war crime.

The claim of cowards hiding in the population is no excuse for professional military personal to indiscriminately kill anyone not holding a weapon. That is called " collective punishment" and is a war crime.

In the USA today they said the high intensity indiscriminate fighting is unacceptable. 19,000 dead bodies and potentially as many buried in buildings collapsed. The vast majority are women and children. The US said they must change to low intensity, highly targeted operations, ie boots on ground and door to door.

Did the British army destroy whole towns to hunt the IRA, no they did not.  Any country is open to doing the wrong thing, us Aussies have war criminals amongst us, and are still walking free. Ben Roberts Smith and several others come to mind.

No army is perfect, soldiers get scared, it's called bravery, if you don't, you should not be there. I am not saying under extreme pressure mistakes happen, but there is a line and I am not the only who thinks it has been crossed.

All the lessons since WW2 seemed to be forgotten or purposely ignored.

To say that only those who have worn the green can have a view is honestly repulsive. You are entitled to a view as is everyone else.

Your logic means only cops who have been shot at should ever judge cops, thus no courts or independent review.

And only military can judge military, that's just plain bullshit and against all international law since before WW2.

I understand the issues of been a soldier/ police/ secret services/ intelligence are difficult but rules still exist for a reason.

Happy to discuss.

Jerry,

The prosecution of the Israeli soldier as per the article is a very rare example and only following the video been released, even then he got 18 months for clearly murdering a unarmed subdued injured combatant.

Hundreds of children have been shot previously for throwing rocks at armoured positions, video evidence included. No one gets normally prosecuted.

Daily the west bank sees "settlers" arm themselves and force Palestinians from their homes and often kill them to do it. The army looks on or even helps them, prosecutions are also rare even if the lot was videoed.

Yes civil society in Israel often object but it still continues.

How are these actions in the West Bank not terrorism?

Hamas were not created in a vacuum.