octave

We already have laws that place some restrictions on speech. Free speech has never been absolute. These are things you could have problems with threaten people incite violence harass or intimidate defame others. These restrictions have been around for many years. Why are you not all nervous about these restrictions? Have you actually read any of the bill? The Bill would introduce a new aggravated offence for religious or other leaders who advocate or threaten force or violence against groups, members of groups, their close associates, or their property, in contravention of sections 80.2A to 80.2BE of the Criminal Code Act 1995. The offence applies if a person, in their capacity as a religious or other leader, advocates or threatens force or violence in the course of providing religious instruction, or religious or secular pastoral care.

This is short summary https://www.ag.gov.au/crime/publications/fact-sheet-combatting-antisemitism-hate-and-extremism-bill-2026

Just wondering in what way it will curtail your speech. What is it you want to say but think you will no longer be able to say?

Because a small number of people do drive drunk. Random breath testing literally does save lives. If it is a choice between offending your overly delicate feelings or preventing a drunk driver from killing someone, I think most rational, well-adjusted people will accept the trade-off.

Jeez, you do seem to be overly sensitive. When you fly, and you go through airport security, are you upset because you think the security staff are accusing you of carrying weapons? Random breath testing is not just about catching an individual who is a danger on the road, but more importantly, it is a deterrent against attempting to drink and drive. There are already laws against what you can and can't say (defamation). Do you believe that this means "everyone is a suspect?" There are many things we are called upon to do to keep society running relatively smoothly. When I rent a car (or many other transactions), I am not offended by having to show my driver's license or ID. I don't believe I am presumed to be guilty of anything. When travelling overseas, whilst it is a slight burden, the customs officer may want to look inside my bag. I do not take this as some kind of personal attack or allegation. None of these examples makes me feel "guilty"

No thanks

I suspect the orange idiot will be gone soon

Yep, here is a clearer picture

The answer is 0

4 clock faces, but this does not help.

Here is an interesting question. Without searching the internet, can anyone guess how many times"X" appears on the clock face(s) of the Big Ben clock? (Big Ben is actually the name of the bell.)

My son has been in China for the last couple of weeks and has shared some interesting pictures. He did a tour of a nuclear facility that was almost completed in the 80s. This facility was not for nuclear power but for the production of nuclear weapons. Started in 1964, it was discontinued in 1984. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/816_Nuclear_Military_Plant

I was just reminded by an article about an event 50 years ago today. I was growing up in Adelaide, and I was 13 years old. The Dunstan government had just decriminalised homosexuality, being the first state to do so. A religious nutter who claimed to be a clairvoyant predicted that this would cause a tidal wave on this day at midday, and it would wipe out Adelaide. Although apparently some took it seriously, a few sold their houses and moved, it was mostly treated a little more lightheartedly. Some workers turned up to their jobs in flippers and floaties. I can remember "I survived the Adelaide tidal wave" T-shirts. The Premier, the colourful Don Dunstan, stood on a balcony at Glenelg saying if the tidal wave came, he would turn it back.

I am pretty satisfied with my bank. The bank is owned by the customers, and I get to vote on remuneration for the board and on other issues, such as a recent merger. The board and executive are not on enormous salaries like the big banks. My accounts have no fees at all because of the way I use them. It does not have many branches; however, if I did want to use cash, I could use any post office. Non-Executive Director Remuneration (2024) The total pool for all Non-Executive Directors' (NEDs) pay was $895,698 per annum, an increase of 2.75% subject to member approval. Individual NED compensation for that year was intended to be as follows: Base Remuneration (NED): $95,287 p.a. (up from $92,737). Committee Chairs: $114,344 p.a. (a 20% loading on base remuneration). Board Chair: $171,517 p.a. (an 80% loading on base remuneration). Executive Compensation As a mutual bank, Bank Australia's executive compensation structure and specific individual pay packets are not reported in the same way as the publicly listed "big four" Australian banks (CBA, NAB, Westpac, ANZ). Data from third-party sites suggests a wide range for various management roles within the bank, with an average salary for an Executive Manager role estimated around $207,111 per year based on user submissions. In contrast, CEOs of major ASX-listed banks have significantly higher total compensation packages, with figures for Matt Comyn (CBA) at $8.5 million and Andrew Irvine (NAB) at $5.62 million in 2025, which include substantial bonuses and stock options

My son's partner is Chinese, although now a New Zealander. We met her for the first time when they visited a couple of years ago. We cooked a meal together. She taught us how to make traditional Chinese veges and this great spicy mashed potato and we showed her how to cook kangaroo correctly. Being her first time in Australia, she was keen to pet a kangaroo and eat one.

Actually thinking about it and allowing for the nuances of translation, this does make sense. I believe that aged beef is a thing in our culture also beef with a lot of fat, such as wagyu. There is a little something lost in the translation, though.

mmm deleted- mysterious double post

He did actually have donkey meat for breakfast - true story

So my son is in China at the moment. He sends me interesting pictures every day, but this one did make me laugh

been talking about it for as long as the Epstein files have been in the headlines

Why China Is Quietly Winning At EV Battery Recycling

More perverse than "I grab them by the pussy" More perverse than telling a very young girl (about 8 years old "I will be dating you in about 10 years. More perverse than being found civilly liable for sexual assault. More perverse than calling Epstein a terrific guy. I could go on and on.

Fair enough. We will just have to agree to disagree

Yes I get that, and I am in a similar situation with my mother. The majority of scam emails come whether or not you get letters delivered to your letter box. This is just the nature of email. Prior to me taking over my mother's affairs, she did everything by mail and yet, like the rest of us received plenty of dodgy emails. Sure, an email falsely tied to a business you may be dealing with can look more convincing. I believe it is not uncommon for stolen mail to be the entry point for many scammers. From Scamwatch "A stolen mail scam involves criminals intercepting physical mail (like bank statements, credit cards, or personal documents) to steal your identity and money, often using stolen info for fraudulent purchases or opening new accounts, and sometimes they follow up with phishing texts/emails impersonating legitimate services (like AusPost or myGov) to get more details; to protect yourself, use lockable mailboxes, report theft to police/Scamwatch, and be wary of suspicious links claiming to be from official sources. How Stolen Mail Scams Work Physical Theft: Criminals steal mail, especially from unsecured mailboxes, to find credit cards, bank details, and personal info. Fraudulent Use: They use stolen cards to buy expensive items (like designer goods) or open new accounts. Phishing Follow-up: They send fake texts or emails (e.g., pretending to be Australia Post or Services Australia) with links to fake websites to steal login details after the initial mail theft. " As a Government Business Enterprise AusPost is expected to be self-funded. I totally agree. This IS what is happening in Denmark. There is a social obligation that Postnord has to ensure that there is a letter service. If no one else will provide it, then Postnord will have to resume doing it. I definitely would not be in favour of Australia Post stopping letter deliveries if there were no viable alternatives. If I get information posted to my physical mailbox from the tax department, and it gets stolen or I throw it out without shredding it, and it is used to help steal my identity or some other fraud I suspect I might be culpable to some degree. If I go to MyGov or my bank and my details are compromised, it is not my fault unless I have broken the rules That is a tad judgey. We are considering going on holiday to NZ and staying for 6 months, just bumming around in a campervan. I suppose I could give a neighbour a key to my letter box and perhaps ring them each week to see if there are any bills for me, or I could go on managing my life whilst travelling. My son owns a company with about 6 full-time employees, some live locally, but some work remotely. They are not going to post a letter about what tasks need to be finished that day. A couple of years ago, my son spent 6 months in the US. He still needed to work and communicate with the rest of the company. At the moment he is in Beijing, touring but also getting some work done. The very nature of his work means that he has contractors overseas. A letter just is not going to cut it. For many things, the snail part of snail mail is a problem; things move faster these days. In both of the above examples, there are risks and rewards. Both we, and my son understand online safety, sure we could get fooled by an elaborate scam but again risk and rewards, not just being silly, naive or lazy people. Now of course, there are elderly folks who are not connected, or maybe just don't like the idea. That is absolutely fine. There should always be a service for them. I can't see that this must be a government enterprise. Both federal and state governments subsidise air routes. In the old days, of course, we had government-owned TAA. Again, referring to my initial post, nobody is being forced online. The number of Danish folk already online, of course, is higher than in most countries (I wonder if they have more fraud?) In life we weigh up risks and rewards. It is no doubt safer to fly interstate, but sometimes a road trip is fun while recognising the risk (some people even ride motorbikes)