onetrack

As plebs, we don't see the regular high pressure lobbying and other corporate pressures applied to our political masters, that sends decision-making skew-whiff, and directed towards favouring the corporates and the super-rich.

There are any amount of renewable energy and energy-storage solutions that the LNP simply ignores, in their quest to keep their fossil fuel mates rolling in money. Heating bricks with solar or wind energy, and then using the stored heat to generate power, is an elegantly simply solution that works admirably. The system uses fire bricks (which are a simple, basic product, that has been in use for thousands of years), to store solar or wind energy by heating the bricks to 1500°C (using electrical heating wiring through the bricks), and the bricks can retain their heat for days, if fully insulated. The heat is recovered using air blown through the bricks, which superheats the air, and the superheated air is then used to generate steam, which can drive generators. The steam can also be used in many industrial processes, thus providing cheap energy for industry. https://rondo.com/how-it-works

I thought that there was no organisation involved with random thoughts? They're just that - random thoughts, out of the blue.

The Libs rolled into Collie in W.A. with their nuclear proposal - despite the fact the LNP nuclear power study done by Frontier Economics, doesn't even mention any possibility of Collie as a site of a nuclear reactor. In the Frontier study, it says both W.A. and the N.T. are too small for nuclear reactors and our power generation systems are too isolated to even consider them as part of any East Coast energy centre. For those on the East Coast, Collie contains W.A.'s only operational coalfield and was the centre of power generation in W.A. for many years. Collie has been downgraded in the power generation stakes in recent years (with gas turbines, wind farms and solar power generation increasing in various areas around the State), and the coalfields and generating plants were sold to private enterprise (with an Indian company being a major investor), and their operations have run at major losses for years - to the point where the W.A. Govt has been bailing the coal power plant operators out. The W.A. Govt is intent on closing all the coal-fired generators, and ceasing coal mining in W.A., and to assist Collie into the renewable power transition, the State Govt has installed some major size, grid storage batteries in Collie. The W.A. Govt is intent on pouring money into Collie to assist in coal-generation employees transitioning over to renewable energy jobs - and Duttons plans got short shrift from Roger Cook, the W.A. Premier. And the local Libs big nuclear presentation in Collie went over like a lead balloon - partly because a survey they claimed to have carried out with locals, no-one knew anything about - and the Libs "core promise" centres around small modular reactors (one of which is now promised for Collie if the LNP is re-elected) - but no SMR has been built anywhere in the world, the technology is still in the "prototype/testing" phase - so the Libs can't even provide any accurate costing on an SMR, because none exist!! https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-16/collie-inquiry-into-nuclear-power-generation-in-australia-/104732722

What I find interesting is that the authorities claim that many of the reported drone sightings are actually light aircraft. But there are many that are not. Why haven't aircraft, ATC and radar operators picked up these drones and issued advisory warnings? A number of these reported sightings have been over airfields, and I'd be pretty confident in saying that radar could pick up a flying object that is 8 to 10 feet in diameter.

YouToob is full of news stories and experts on the mystery drones. One police officer in NJ reported he sighted 50 of them coming in from off the ocean. They are well lit, some with multiple-coloured lights, and reported to be 8 to 10 feet in diameter and travelling at an altitude of around 300 feet. The U.S. Coastguard put up one of their drones to try and gain a visual sighting or close-up video to ID the craft - and they reported their investigative drone was left standing by the speed of the mystery drones, which flew off at terrific speed, and virtually vanished. The amazing part to me is how no military jets have been scrambled to intercept the airborne mysteries. Many Governors and people in authority are clamouring for some serious official action to ID the craft.

FUN FACT: Humans are deemed to be deuterostomes, which term means that when the foetus develops in the womb, the anus forms before the mouth, or any other orifice. This basically means that at the earliest part of your development, you were nothing but an arsehole. Unfortunately, some people never develop beyond this stage.

Gee, that socket must be a tight fit on that bolt! - or the car has seen nothing but smooth roads!

A sleep-inducing technique I learnt many years ago involves progressive muscle relaxation - starting with the toes and feet and working upwards. You tense the muscles in the body part for 5 seconds, then relax those muscles totally for 30 seconds. Then go onto the next body part above it, until you reach your neck and head. Of course, it goes without saying that you must shut down and cease watching any screen (phone, computer, TV) for at least an hour before you go to bed. And keep a regular bedtime and wake-up time, the human body likes regular patterns. Never take any electronic item into your bedroom, keep that room a sanctuary of peace, with no electronic intrusion. Light evening meals are also an important feature of getting a good sleep. If the body is trying to digest a big heavy meal while you're trying to get to sleep, it will interfere with the initiation of your sleep. And one thing I find works well for me is complete darkness, with no light intrusion. Serious amounts of light intrusion during the night ruins a good sleep for me. Full moon nights will also play havoc with your sleep pattern. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/relaxation-technique/art-20045368#:~:text=In one type of progressive,work down to your toes.

I'd like to know how the death calculations were arrived at, as the death toll from Chernobyl was kept secret by the Russians,and the total death toll is still unknown. Deaths from Chernobyl would have still been occurring many years after the reactor explosion. And to say an event such as Chernobyl could never happen again is pure folly. On another forum I frequent, there are U.S. nuclear plant workers and the stories they tell of accidents that were never reported, and deaths that were marked down as being from other causes, besides being work-related - even when it was obvious to all the employees, that the deaths were work-related - numbered in the dozens. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190725-will-we-ever-know-chernobyls-true-death-toll

The dangers of nuclear power generation are multiplied to the nth degree over and above the dangers associated with any other current form of power generation. In a steam turbine power plant, the worst that can happen is a steam explosion or a turbine rotational failure, resulting in components being thrown about. In solar power generation, the worst that could happen is a major electrical short circuit. In a wind turbine, it's fire or mechanical failure, resulting in components flying around. In a storage battery, it's internal component shorts that result in a fire. All these things happen on an occasional but steady basis. Mankinds history is littered with errors that turned into disasters. All these above-listed potential accidents could be life threatening to those unfortunate enough to be in the near vicinity of one of these events - but a nuclear accident (and they happen just as easily as other accidents) results in a disaster with massive, long-lasting damage, and danger over a wide area that can't be seen (radioactivity on the loose). No nuclear facility can be made earthquake-proof, totally idiot proof, nor even be protected against enemy attack. We've never had a dedicated enemy attack on a nuclear power station, but a bad actor such as Putin or Kim Jong-il would have no hesitation in mounting an attack on a nuclear energy plant belonging to a nation that they were at war with. Kim especially, is crazy enough to do this. The fact that we even have an organisation calling themselves the Union of Concerned Scientists - who are scientific professionals intent on rigorous scrutiny of proposed major scientific projects around the world - which organisation is seriously against continuing to build nuclear reactors for energy production - should be enough warning to people that nuclear reactors for energy generation carry far more long-lasting safety and health concerns, than any other form of power generation. https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/brief-history-nuclear-accidents-worldwide#:~:text=Back to top-,Three Mile Island,How did it happen?

The bloke who did the Nuclear costings for the LNP is Danny Price, a former economist with the NSW Electricity Commission. That's not much of a recommendation - and one even wonders why the NSWEC even had an economist on the payroll? But the bottom line is Danny Price is now a self-professed Energy Guru/Consultant, and makes millions sprouting his ideas to any Govt willing to pay for his opinion - which is exactly what the LNP got - biased opinion. But his LNP Nuclear energy report is so full of holes, it's laughable. He leaves the NT and W.A. right out of any Nuclear policies or plans - knowing full well both States are so isolated, they need to have fully independent energy generation. And of course, anyone with half a brain will quickly understand the economics of stand-alone Nuclear power plants for W.A. and the N.T., simply don't stack up. Both States have a small population and a huge land area to service. So that cans the LNP idea of a Nuclear power plant in every State. Then his report says nothing about large battery developments, and installations. Both W.A. and S.A. have already invested multiple tens of millions in battery storage - and battery development is going ahead in leaps and bounds, and battery costs are steadily decreasing, and will continue to decrease - simply because China is intent on dominating the world battery market, and will make sure battery costs keep coming down. The chances are much higher (than any nuclear option) that most Australian households will end up with home or community batteries in the next decade - because they will be cheap and affordable - and coupled with constantly-increasing rooftop solar, both will greatly reduce the electricity demand from the States grids. This will really kick the arse out of the LNP projections and nuclear dreams - and nothing beats generating power at the spot where it is required. The need for more or upgraded major transmission lines is removed in this future scenario, and the combination of rooftop solar and cheap and affordable home/community batteries, means that energy costs for homeowners will continue to come down. That doesn't even take into account the amount of future State investment in large amounts of battery storage for their grids. There's a great refutation of the LNP "pie-in-the-sky-bye-and-bye" nuclear dreams, in the Renew Economy article below. Every point they make is telling - especially the ones centred around Nuclear power plant costs, construction time frames, and construction problems. https://reneweconomy.com.au/a-sneak-preview-of-peter-duttons-nuclear-costings/ Here is Danny Prices LNP Nuclear economics article, if you like reading a pile of factually-deficient BS. https://www.frontier-economics.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Report-2-Nuclear-power-analysis-Final-STC.pdf One of the important things I've learnt in the 75 years I've been on this planet, is that economists don't live in the real world, and their future projections are invariably so wrong, it's laughable. I'm always reminded of a quote from a book I read many years ago, about economists and their future forecasts for gold. It went, "300 of the worlds leading economists keep telling us that gold is a barbarous relic, and has no part to play in any future world economic system. The problem is, they still have yet to convince 3 billion of the worlds population, that they're right!" 😄

I find it hard to believe that no-one has zoomed in on the drones with a powerful lens, to get a good photo, to ID what the drones actually are?

I've never heard anything about this previously - the Deep State agents in the Gubbmint are obviously keeping me in the dark! If I was a Murrican, I'd be out there with my AR-15, with the biggest magazine I could buy, blasting them spies outta the sky!!! For what it's worth, I'd hazard a guess it's Amazon or some other hi-tech retailer trialling new delivery drones.

Spacey, just what are you rambling on about??

Just wait until Elon finds out he was bypassed as Time Person of the Year, there'll be some snakey posts on X from him.

In somewhat amazing news, the rebels in Syria have taken major advantage of Assads supporters (Iran, Hezbollah and Russia) being seriously tied up with other punch-ups - and as result, Bashar Assad has realised he's out on a limb, with no-one coming to help him, and he's done a runner. This is the end of the brutal Assad regime, that has ruled Syria with an iron fist since 1970, starting with Bashar Assad's father, Hafez. Bashar has carried out a ruthless civil war against his own people, bombing, gassing and jailing anyone opposing his regime (including civilians), for 13 yrs. It's reported Assad has taken off for Moscow for refuge. I have little hope that the incoming "rulers" will be any less ruthless than the Assad family - just a different brand of Islamic murderousness. https://abcnews.go.com/International/syrian-rebels-claimed-4-cities-24-hours-now/story?id=116562929 https://www.kxly.com/news/national-and-world-news/who-is-bashar-al-assad-the-syrian-leader-whose-family-ruled-with-an-iron-fist/article_45652438-7833-5c6b-beca-b7102a3397e8.html What is even more interesting is that the Russians have bases in Syria, which are quite likely to be overrun by the rebels. This is causing some angst amongst Russian military bloggers. It's been reported that many Syrian Army soldiers are simply deserting, having been seen changing into civilian clothes on the street. This means the Russians can expect no help from the Syrian Army, which has effectively collapsed. https://www.reuters.com/world/russian-bases-syria-threatened-by-insurgent-advance-say-moscows-war-bloggers-2024-12-07/

It's the depressing part of getting older. All your friends and associates die, and you end up with nothing more than memories. I can recall my parents talking about how virtually all their friends and associates had died. So, it's important as you get older, to ensure you keep befriending younger people.

Maggie Tabberer has died, just 5 days short of her 88th birthday. https://www.watoday.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/australia-s-first-supermodel-maggie-tabberer-dies-at-87-20241206-p5kwfq.html

You always wanted a dog that could compose music? That'd be nothing short of amazing!

We all have a part to play in training others, and handing on our gathered skills. It's when you get genuine appreciation for your effort that makes it all worthwhile. Hardly anyone stays in the same position for their entire life, we all feel the need to progress.

Yes, I did use geometry a lot when earthmoving. Used it to calculate cut to fill volumes, the amount of excavated dirt from a dam (the formula is the one for a truncated pyramid), calculate flood drainage levels and fall, volume of rainfall runoff for a given area, roadworks (slopes and grades). I recently pulled out some of my high school books and came across a pad full of my technical drawings and was surprised to see how good they were, and how comprehensive. Plans, elevations and perspective views, I did the lot! But I never did use it again after I left school, mores the pity. I need to drag out all that old schoolwork and books, now that I'm in the process of building a shed!

Peter, if it was your daughter regularly being grabbed on the pussy, would you still regard it as a minor offence, not worth following up? Sexual predators keep up their personal attacks, it's not usually just a one-off grab. Constant unwanted sexual advances can be very soul-destroying to many people who didn't ask for or insinuate they'd welcome sexual advances.

I was a bit surprised at the number of varieties of geckoes and skinks we have here in W.A. We often uncover the Marbled Gecko in the garden, they love hiding under leaf litter and fractures in tree bark. But the bloody crows make a regular effort to get the geckoes by sitting in our Jacaranda tree and ripping off chunks of bark to find the geckoes and eat them. SWMBO gets really annoyed about them doing this, she love the geckoes - the crows make a mess, too. We found we had to be careful setting jar-type traps for fruit flies in the citrus trees, especially the Mandarin tree. The geckoes love fruit flies and climb into the fruit fly jar traps, and can't get out, and drown in them. So we have to check the traps regularly and release any trapped geckoes. https://quollingaround.com/2018/06/11/dragons-and-devils-southwest-reptiles/