octave

PM I have seen countless articles like this. Journalist drives........ and finds that......... Sometimes these journalists make expensive choices in the route of recharging facilities in order to prove a point. Do you notice this article gives very few details or route or Kwh cost or even charging times. Because of this it is difficult to draw any conclusions. I have some personal experience. In April, we did a road trip the length of NZ North Island with my son in his Tesla. I know what it cost and I know what charging stops were made and for how long. This article goes on to sing the praises of diesel in a way that makes me wonder who is behind the article. Even at best, this article makes the claim that it believes diesel is best for LONG DISTANCE. My son charges his car once or twice a week for the work commute. It costs 5 cents a kWh to charge at home overnight. The power in his location is exclusively hydro, so relatively clean. Now, if it could sound like my son is a smug EV driver who hates IC cars, this could not be further from the truth. He loves cars of all sorts but accepts change. He owns a Tesla 3P, Honda S2000, Mazda Lantis (which is purely a motorsports car), and most recently has acquired a Porsche Cayenne (an older one). As he says, he "loves his IC engines" but he "accepts that things are changing." Back to diesels. Diesels are terrible in the city for emissions. Diesel exhaust To summarise, I think you would surely agree that the article is very short of facts and figures, the authorship is unclear and it obviously flies the flag for diesel. Even if the conclusions are accurate, so what? It at best compares one particular type of journey, which for many people is rare. To draw conclusions, you would think that they would have quoted the kWh price of charging rather than just saying Tesla Superchargers are expensive. Perhaps they compiled tables of data, but it would be nice if they shared this information.

PM have you fact-checked those points?

Several countries are consistently ranked as having very low crime rates, with Iceland, New Zealand, and Japan often topping the lists. Other countries with low crime rates include Denmark, Ireland, Austria, Singapore, Portugal, Slovenia, and Switzerland. These countries generally share strong social cohesion, effective law enforcement, and often have strict gun control laws. Here's a more detailed look: Iceland: Often cited as the safest country, Iceland has very low levels of conflict and militarization. New Zealand: This island nation is known for its peaceful environment and low crime rates. Japan: Japan's strict gun control laws contribute to its low crime rate. European Countries: Many European countries, especially in Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, etc.) and Western Europe (Switzerland, Austria, etc.) are known for their low crime rates and high levels of social well-being. Singapore: Known for its strict laws and efficient law enforcement, Singapore also consistently ranks high in safety. Factors contributing to low crime rates include: Strong social safety nets: Many of these countries have robust social welfare systems that address poverty and inequality, which can be drivers of crime. Effective law enforcement: These countries generally have well-trained and well-equipped police forces with high public trust. Strict gun control: Many of the safest countries have very restrictive laws on firearms, which can reduce both violent crime and accidental deaths. Cultural factors: Some countries have a strong cultural emphasis on community, cooperation, and respect for the law, which can also contribute to lower crime rates.

The United States has some pretty harsh prisons and draconian sentences. The question is, has this led to lower rates of crime?

I upgraded to Win11 partly because I have a couple of computer experts in my family. One good reason for me to upgrade is that as the software I use has more features added to it, the operating system required also increases. This does not seem to be a problem between 10 and 11 (as far as I know), it is easy to end up with an antiquated operating system. I do find the automatic saving of data on OneDrive annoying, although I believe you can disable it. OneDrive has been useful over the past 18 months due to a legal situation with the drug-dealing neighbours, whereby my doorbell cam footage has been used in a legal case. It was imperative to store these files both on my PC and off-site. I do think that every version that comes out meets with complaints, and then, often, sometime later, when these folks have finally upgraded, this version becomes the one that they don't want to move on from. In terms of spying, I kind of assume that my PC is never completely private. Of course, it is an individual choice, and it does depend on what you use your PC for. There are features that I now use that would not be available to me if I did not upgrade (not so much 10 to 11, but if I were stuck back on 8 or 7)

Historically low overall homicide rate The AIC released two reports on statistics emerging from its National Homicide Monitoring Program, a database that has been in operation since July 1989. The institute reports 232 overall homicide incidents were recorded by Australian state and territory police between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023, which resulted in 247 homicide victims. The Australian homicide rate (0.87 deaths per year per 100,000 population) remains historically low. There has been a 52 per cent reduction in homicide incidents since 1989‒90, indicative of a long-term downward trend in unlawful killings. The report reveals police, prosecutors and courts are doing a good job, with 90 per cent of cases being resolved through the justice system. That is, only 10 per cent of homicide incidents in 2022‒23 were not “cleared,” meaning cases where an offender has yet to be identified, a suspect has not yet been charged, or a person is declared missing and police believe it’s linked to foul play.

Nope whether crime has gone up or down is something that can be measured. The fact that homicides have been declining for many years does not have any bearing on the seriousness of each individual crime. Your logic seems to be that if I state that homicides have been falling, then I believe that people should not be punished harshly, which makes no sense at all. Although murders have decreased since the 90s there was a slight uptick recently. This seems to be from Intimate Partner murders. The difference between you and me GON is that you judge these things purely on your gut feeling where as I want the data.

AI Overview No, public perception of crime often differs from actual crime rates. While crime rates have generally been decreasing in many areas, public perception tends to be that crime is increasing or at high levels. This discrepancy can be influenced by various factors, including media coverage, personal experiences, and individual biases. Here's a more detailed look at the factors contributing to this gap: 1. Media Influence: Sensationalism: News media often focuses on dramatic and violent crimes, which can create a perception that these events are more common than they actually are. Repetitive Coverage: Even if crime rates are stable or decreasing, continuous media reports can lead to the perception that crime is on the rise. 2. Personal Experiences and Biases: Fear of Crime: Individuals may develop a heightened fear of crime, even if they haven't been victims, based on personal experiences, stories from others, or general anxieties about their surroundings. Social and Economic Factors: People with higher socioeconomic status may perceive crime as more prevalent or a greater threat, potentially due to concerns about property values or personal safety. Implicit Biases: Racial and class biases can also influence perceptions of crime, leading to inaccurate assessments of crime levels in certain neighborhoods. 3. Lack of Accurate Information: Official Crime Statistics: Public awareness of official crime statistics is often limited, and people may not be aware of trends in crime rates, particularly if they are decreasing. Underreporting: Crimes may not be reported to the police, leading to an underestimation of the true extent of crime in a community. 4. The Role of "Perceived Crime": Impact on Policy: Despite the discrepancy between perceived and actual crime, public perception can still influence policy decisions and resource allocation related to law enforcement. Community Safety: Perceptions of safety can affect people's behavior, such as their willingness to go out at night or participate in community activities. In conclusion, while crime rates may be declining in many areas, public perception of crime can be significantly higher due to factors like media coverage, personal experiences, and biases. This gap between perceived and actual crime has important implications for public safety and policy decisions.

I do not form my opinions on the basis of what a lot of people say; I want hard facts.

I have actually been involved with a legal situation for the last 18 months regarding drug dealers next door in a housing department property. Instead of getting hysterical, we organised our neighbours, made allies in the police and housing department educated ourselves and appeared to give evidence. We won, and these people are going to be evicted by the police and the property is going on the private market. The moral of this is that whinging and whining gets you nowhere. We educated ourselves and kept positive. I am sorry that you seem to be so unhappy with life.

Of course, but rationally, I understand the odds of that happening, and I can avoid hysteria.

Statistics matter more than emotional irrationality.

Many people did resist. During the Vietnam War, over 1,000 men in Australia applied for conscientious objector status under the National Service Act. Of these, 733 were granted total exemption from military service, 142 were exempted from combat duties, and 137 had their applications rejected. Many more Australians resisted conscription through other means, such as burning draft cards or leaving the country, although these actions are not classified as conscientious objection under the Act. Here's a more detailed breakdown: Conscientious Objection: The National Service Act defined conscientious objectors as those who sincerely believed that any form of military service was wrong. Applications: Over 1,000 men applied for conscientious objector status between 1965 and 1971. Outcomes: Total Exemption: 733 applicants were granted complete exemption from any military service. Partial Exemption: 142 applicants were exempted from combat duties only. Rejections: 137 applications were rejected. Other Forms of Resistance: Many Australians who opposed the war also resisted conscription by burning their draft cards, refusing to register for the draft, serving jail time, or leaving the country.

There is a movement in California to succeed. This would be good for California but bad for the US Here's why the state wants to become an independent country Of the $4.67 trillion in revenue from the states in 2023, over 35% came from the nation's four most populous states: California (12.2% of the total), Texas (8.9%), New York (8.0%), and Florida (6.7%) g I think it would be good for California to cut loose the anti-intellectual red states, who educationally and financially are not pulling their weight. The situation 8in California is not a state of emergency. This is political theatre from the man (and a dress rehearsal for the rest of the country) who pardoned the Jan 6 mob, where people actually died. The reason people are kicking up against the ICE raids is that "we are only going after criminals" has proved to be bulshit. Using the military against their population is crossing a dangerous line usually reserved for dictatorships.

I don't doubt that, you can see moisture from exhaust pipes on cold mornings, and even feel it if you put your hand near the exhaust. Water in the oil, however, is not normal and is usually a sign of serious problems.

How are we using facial recognition technology to confirm your identity? It is to confirm your identity if they believe your account has been compromised. There is an option if you do not wish to submit a video. If our automated system can't confirm a match or if you choose not to use facial recognition technology, your selfie may go through manual review or you may be asked to confirm your identity another way.

I would suggest that water in the sump indicates a serious problem, such as a blown head gasket or cracked engine block.

This video makes a good case against Henry's farm running only on electricity. I have no problem with that proposition. This is of course with today's technology. Just to be clear a lot of people think that net zero means not burning fossil fuels at all. This is not true. Net zero means a balance between greenhouse gases added and those removed. The anti EV folks love to present the worst-case scenarios as if that proves something. People have often said to me EVs are useless because I need to tow a caravan through central Australia. Yes this would be difficult at this stage, and I would suggest that such a person should not buy an EV at this time. My petrol-driven car would also be unsuitable for these kinds of drives. It will probably be some time before Henry's farm can operate on only electricity and perhaps in the future it will use some other fuel such as hydrogen. The massive imports of diesel are not really sustainable forever. Enormous farms will take a long time to be in a position to adopt cleaner technologies however, smaller farms are modernising. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhnU2wlBnFs&t

There has not been a trial. The court case was for defamation, and the recent court case was an unsuccessful attempt by BRS to overturn the previous case. My understanding is that as yet, no one has been charged with murder. Ben Roberts-Smith loses appeal bid to overturn defamation case loss, signals High Court challenge

I imagine that the infrastructure that we enjoy and rely upon today was a substantial cost to the tax payers if the day. There is a wise old saying " a society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they will never sit"

https://www.facilitiesdive.com/news/rogue-communication-devices-found-on-chinese-made-solar-power-inverters/748237/

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8140203/we-are-so-sorry-pm-apologises-to-vietnam-veterans/

It is often a case of not knowing what you don't know. I spent most of my working life teaching music, and I have had more than one of these students, four lessons in, and they believe they are close to knowing it all, whereas those who have been learning longer tend to appreciate how much they have yet to learn.

There was a belated welcome home parade in Sydney in 1987. I know this because I took part in it as a musician in the RAAF band. From memory Hawke gave a speech. I believe there were about 2000 vets marching. I am not saying this is enough but times have changed somewhat.

GON inflation is not an ever worsening problem that we did not have on the "good old days". For some years before COVID inflation and interest rates were low. Inflation is now starting to go down. Whilst this is difficult for many the situation is improving. Housing prices seem to be a problem around the world to varying degrees. I am not sure what the answers are. Governments can tinker around the edges but I don't think they can wave a magic wand and lowe prices. GON, do you have any suggestions?