octave

Is the end nigh? Possibly, the video would suggest that the end of the cycle may be nigh, but like the metaphorical seasons after winter comes spring so hang in there. I did do a bit of reading about Kondratiev. The consensus seems to be that his "cycle" is more useful as a metaphor rather than a predictor of timing. An article I read suggests that there is a measure of fitting the timing of events into the theory. I could be wrong but I am thinking that the video did not mention the 1987 stock market crash. The last part of the video is a little more optimistic in that it suggests how you can survive and thrive during a crash. The theory itself does suggest an inevitability to these cycles. The best an individual can do is be prepared.

According to the Opal site, this happens after 5 years of non-use. In any case, registering your card would prevent this. My Myki card is on my phone and connected to an account. When the balance falls below $10, it is automatically topped up. I don't even have to think about it

I am railing: Sir Rod Stewart reveals his epic model railway city

Big batteries are becoming an increasingly important part of Australia’s power mix, and on Saturday morning smashed all previous records by providing more than one third of South Australia’s power demand in some trading intervals in the early morning peak.

"give way" = don't get in the way of any car already on the roundabout, or don't impede it. Yes, give way to any vehicle on the roundabout. Giving way does not necessarily stop. Cars already on the roundabout have right of way, meaning they take precedence over you. It is your responsibility not to impede them. If you can enter the roundabout without colliding or impeding them, you can do so. If this were not the case, then a roundabout could only ever have one car on it at once, which is clearly nonsense. Just imagine some of those enormous roundabouts in Canberra.

How long into the red should you be allowed? If it turns red, then it has already been through amber and bear in mind that if your light turns red, the other lights turn green. I am sure at some time I have made a poor choice and entered an intersection late and ended up in the red. I think you just have to cop it. Do the crime, do the time (or money in this case)

You probably won't want to hear how much my bills are (at this time of the year, my bill is negative). Should you consider solar?

Yes, but I would add to that, slow and or stop if necessary to avoid a collision. This means that often you will not need to stop at all.

My Smart Meter tells me my yearly, monthly, daily or even hourly data in kWh or dollars and cents, as well as solar exports. My solar app shows me down to the 15 minutes. I could go and read the numbers off the meter, but this gives me less information and is a bit of an effort.

Spacey, what is your definition of "give way"?

Yes

Apparently according to Google there are 49 hook turn intersections in Melbourne. Who knew? I didn't

They do feed power back to the grid. Whilst each grid-scale battery cannot supply the grid for days, they can help with peak periods, reducing the need for peaker plants. They also reduce curtailment of renewable sources that would otherwise be lost. Another service they provide is arbitrage, whereby they store power when it is cheap and sell it into the grid during periods of high demand/price. I am not saying that we just need to build more batteries and job done. Grid batteries are part of the solution. Home batteries are also a contributor, as they become more and more common.

Correct. There are times when solar output is curtailed or clipped due to too much power in the grid. It seems to me that rather than wasting this power, it might as well be utilised. It is similar to the cheaper off-peak tariff overnight. I think the motivation is to address the idea that those who can afford solar get really small bills, and those who can't or who live in rental accommodation are shut out. I think some retailers may already do this.

Australians to get at least three hours a day of free solar power - even if they don’t have solar panels Australian households in three states will be promised access to at least three hours a day of free solar power, regardless of whether they have rooftop panels, the federal government has announced. The “solar sharer” offer will be available to homes with smart meters – which is the majority of homes – in New South Wales, south-east Queensland and South Australia from July next year, with other areas to potentially follow in 2027.