octave

https://theshovel.com.au/2023/09/22/murdoch-steps-down-from-news-to-focus-on-running-australia/

There are plenty of these pictures around. https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/4456954/aboriginal-slaves-australia-chains-united-nations/ https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/07/how-western-australias-unofficial-use-of-neck-chains-on-indigenous-people-lasted-80-years#:~:text=At peak periods%2C from the,with Yale or Hiatt padlocks.

Before it’s used in a solar panel, silicon dioxide must be turned into pure “metallurgical grade silicon” (MGS). This process uses a lot of energy: producing 1 kilogram of metallurgical grade silicon requires 14-16 kWh of power, which is roughly equivalent to using your home oven for seven hours. Still, over their lifetimes, solar panels emit 25 times less carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt hour than coal-powered electricity. MYTH #1: Solar panels require more energy to manufacture than they produce in their lifetime. FACT: A study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory conclusively demonstrates that the manufacturing energy cost versus the energy production payback for solar modules is generally less than 4 years. A study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory conclusively demonstrates that energy payback for photovoltaics (PV) is generally less than 4 years. You may download a free copy of the study here. It states: “Reaping the environmental benefits of solar energy requires spending energy to make the PV system. But as this graphic shows, the investment is small. Assuming 30-year system life, PV-systems will provide a net gain of 26 to 29 years of pollution-free and greenhouse-gas-free electrical generation … So, for an investment of from 1 to 4 years worth of their energy output, PV systems can provide as much as 30 years or more of clean energy.” When people float the suggestion that solar power is silly because it uses more energy to make (which is BS) they never seem to want to make a direct comparison with a power station, coal mining, coal transport, etc. Nuclear power is not required to manufacture solar panels. If this were true then no panels would be made in Australia https://renewableenergyaus.com/solar-panels-made-in-australia/ Every piece of technology has an energy cost and an environmental footprint. The question is how do solar panels compare with digging up coal and burning it?

I often get anti-EV memes and cartoons on my FB feed. This one was posted by a FB friend and ex-work colleague. He was never the sharpest tool in the shed. There are so many things wrong with this. Firstly there are very few areas where power is exclusively sourced from coal power generators. On average, around 34% (in Vic) of power comes from renewables. This is averaged over time and on windy or sunny days 100% of power can be from renewable sources. There are geographical differences. If you live in Tasmania 100% is from renewable sources. Apart from that in my case, I pay slightly extra to ensure my supplier buys the amount I use from renewable sources. Further to this I only charge my bike battery during the day from my own solar panels. The message of the cartoon seems to be that people who ride electric bikes or own EV cars are naive and don't understand where their electricity comes from but the cartoon suggests to me that the cartoonist and posters don't actually understand different sources of power in our grid. Apart from all of that, there seems to be an assumption that every electric bike rider only rides an electric bike for environmental reasons. You can be a total climate change denialist and still ride an electric bike because it is a good form of exercise or it is the most appropriate method of transport in a given situation or it is economical or perhaps just good fun. I can only think that these cartoons are drawn by people who are uncomfortable with new technology.

Tesla battery and drive Warranty Model 3 8 years or 160 000km Model 3 Long Range 8 years or 192 000km Model S 8 years or 240 000km Model X 8 years or 240 000km https://www.tesla.com/en_au/support/vehicle-warranty

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/feb/01/uk-child-migrants-sent-to-australia-offered-just-20k-compensation#:~:text=Child migrants from Britain sent,compensation by the British government. National apology to Forgotten Australians and former child migrants

I think there are many parallels. There is an argument that wrong A doesn't matter because there is also a wrong B they were both misguided. The fact that these were different times goes some way to explaining the thinking however this does not mean we should not acknowledge the harm done. I am sure many Indigenous children were removed for genuine welfare reasons however often they ended up in pretty brutal institutions. The more sinister side was the knowledgeable practice of taking "half-caste" children with the intention of breeding out the aboriginality. Numerous 19th- and early-20th-century contemporaneous documents indicate that the policy of removing mixed-race Aboriginal children from their mothers related to an assumption that the Aboriginal peoples were dying off. Given their catastrophic population decline after white contact,[7] whites assumed that the full-blood tribal Aboriginal population would be unable to sustain itself, and was doomed to extinction. The idea expressed by A. O. Neville, the Chief Protector of Aborigines for Western Australia, and others as late as 1930 was that mixed-race children could be trained to work in white society, and over generations would marry white and be assimilated into the society.[8][9][10] Some European Australians considered any proliferation of mixed-descent children (labelled "half-castes", "crossbreeds", "quadroons", and "octoroons",[9][11]: 231, 308  terms now considered derogatory to Indigenous Australians) to be a threat to the stability of the prevailing culture, or to a perceived racial or cultural "heritage".[11]: 160  The Northern Territory Chief Protector of Aborigines, Dr. Cecil Cook, argued that "everything necessary [must be done] to convert the half-caste into a white citizen".[12] This is not so much an argument for "the voice" but is more about the assertion sometimes made that these things did not happen and that, unlike other countries that were settled whilst already occupied, we were exceptionally nice. Anything negative that was done in our history either has to be hidden or justified by "it was done for the best reasons" or they were "different times" I think was Geoffrey Blainey who used the term " Black Armband" history. I can't remember who said it but the counter to that is that we don't want "White Blindfold History" either. When I was at school the only thing I can remember being taught about settlement was one paragraph under a line drawing of Cook shaking hands with an indigenous person. This certainly was a sanitation of history. I certainly did not see pictures like this until relatively recently. History is often not pleasant and it takes courage to not just celebrate the good things. As I say one could accept past injustices and still have legitimate reasons to vote no. When arguments such as it will be divisive are presented, I tend to look for similar situations in other countries. Is Canada divided over their similar system? Or New Zealand? Or Finland or Norway? In fact, we are one of the few first-world countries without this kind of arrangement and also and also a first-world country with perhaps the worst outcomes. We also should not brush under the carpet the history of British child migrants, we can care about more than one thing at once.

I took this photo on the Bellarine highway a few years ago. My question was "How"

Bruce, it is easy to say it did not happen because you personally did not come across it. There was definitely a policy of removing mixed-race children. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolen_Generations

Originally said by Whitlam but also said recently by Howard John Howard encourages ‘No’ voters to ‘maintain the rage’ against the Voice

There is a whole lot of Conservative Christian money going into the no-campaign. Indigenous voice: no campaign’s deep links to conservative Christian politics revealed The lobby groups campaigning to sink the Indigenous voice to parliament referendum have deep links to a number of conservative Christian organisations and consultancies, a Guardian investigation can reveal. The no campaign is working with companies that appear to specialise in conservative Christian campaigning, including a US-headquartered marketing and fundraising firm that aims to help Christian nonprofit ministries “fulfill their mission”. Our investigation also shows links between the no campaign and the failed conservative push to defeat the marriage equality postal survey in 2017.

Perhaps it is not over your head but beneath you.

Same here.

We went for a bike ride/hike along the Timboon Rail Trail today. Twas absolutely beautiful. Old train bridge Some kind of rail equipment We were amused by this. It seems to be particularly unambitious engineering.

I see your recent medical misadventure has not affected your humorous posts (in either direction)

http://www.helistart.com/helicopters/Cessna/CH-1

That is not quite correct. https://www.aec.gov.au/referendums/learn/the-count.html#:~:text=Votes cast outside of the,any of the state counts. "To pass, a referendum needs the support of most voters nationally, as well as a majority in at least four out of the six states — the ACT and Northern Territory aren't included but their votes do still count." "Votes cast outside of the six states, such as from the Australian Capital Territory or the Northern Territory, are counted towards the National Majority but not towards any of the state counts."

I was interested to see who the supporters of the yes and no case were. The no-case supporters are not really my people. "No" campaign[edit] Lead lobby groups[edit] Australians for Unity, created on 11 May 2023 and led by Warren Mundine and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price. This is a merger of two key former campaigns:[107] Recognise a Better Way, led by Warren Mundine and including former Nationals deputy PM John Anderson, and former Keating government minister Gary Johns.[1] The campaign, launched in January 2023, was set up by a group called the Voice No Case Committee. They argue that the Voice is "the wrong way to recognise Aboriginal people or help Aboriginal Australians in need", and is "racially discriminatory". The committee included four Indigenous members: Mundine; Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (who left the group in February 2023 to join Advance[1]); founder of the Northern Territory Kings Cross Station Ian Conway; and Bob Liddle, owner of Kemara enterprises. It proposes a different plan.[108][109] Fair Australia is a No campaign led by Jacinta Nampijinpa Price under the auspices of Advance, which emerged during the 2019 election, attacking activist group GetUp!, supporting Tony Abbott against the independent Zali Steggall (who won the seat), and campaigning against David Pocock.[1] Notable individuals[edit] Keith Windschuttle, conservative academic[110] David Flint, conservative academic[110] Andrew Bolt, columnist and commentator[111][112] Peta Credlin, Sky News host, former advisor to Tony Abbott[113] Gary Foley, co-founder of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in 1972[114] Marcus Blackmore, executive director of Blackmores[115] Steve Baxter, Australian investor and entrepreneur.[116] Blair Cottrell, far-right activist, former leader of United Patriots Front (UPF).[117] Anthony Mundine, Aboriginal Boxer[118] Politicians[edit] Federal[edit] Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott Senator Jacinta Price Peter Dutton, leader of the Liberal Party (since 2022) Pauline Hanson, senator for Queensland; founder and leader of Pauline Hanson's One Nation.[119] Alex Antic, Liberal senator for South Australia.[120] Ralph Babet, United Australia senator for Victoria.[121] Barnaby Joyce, former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and leader of the National Party (2016–2018; 2021–2022).[122] Jacinta Price, CLP Senator for NT.[123] John Anderson, former Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the National Party (1999–2005)[124] Warren Mundine, former National President of the Labor Party (2006–2007). Gary Johns, Former Labor MP (1987-1996).[125] Cory Bernardi, Former Senator 2006-2020, Former leader of Australian Conservatives 2017-2019.[126] David Littleproud leader of the National Party (Since 2022)[127] Cory Bernardi, Former Senator 2006-2020, Former leader of Australian Conservatives 2017-2019.[128] Clive Palmer, Former MP, Leader of United Australia Party[129][130] Phillip Thompson, QLD Liberal National MP (Since 2019).[131][132][133] Colin Boyce, QLD Liberal National MP (Since 2022).[134][135] Luke Howarth, QLD Liberal National MP (Since 2013)[136][137] State and territory[edit] Jeremy Hanson, Deputy Leader of the Canberra Liberals (since 2022); former leader of the Canberra Liberals (2013–2016)[138][139] Bev McArthur, Liberal member of the Victorian Parliament.[140][141][142] David Crisafulli, Leader of the Opposition in Queensland and Leader of the Liberal National Party of Queensland LNP (since 2020)[143][144][145] Libby Mettam, Leader of the Liberal Party of Western Australia (Since 2023). (Mettam supported the Voice as of April 2023)[146] [147] However by August 2023, Mettam walked back her support.[148][149][150] Lia Finocchiaro, Leader of the Opposition in Northern Territory and Leader of the Country Liberal Party (Since 2020).[151][152] Merome Beard, WA state National MP (Since 2022).[153] Michael Ferguson, Deputy Liberal Premier of Tasmania (Since 2022).[154][155][156] John Pesutto, Opposition Leader of Victoria and Leader of the Liberal Party in Victoria (Since 2022).[157][158][159] Former Prime Ministers[edit] Scott Morrison, 30th Prime Minister of Australia (2018-2022) and former Liberal MP for Cook [160] Tony Abbott, 28th Prime Minister of Australia (2013–2015) and former Liberal MP for Warringah[161][162][163] John Howard, 25th Prime Minister of Australia (1996-2007) and former Liberal MP for Bennelong [164] Political parties[edit] Federal[edit] Australian Christians[165] Australia First Party[166][167] Australian Protectionist Party[168][169] Democratic Labour Party[citation needed] Family First[170] Katter's Australian Party[171] Liberal Party of Australia (federally)[172] National Party of Australia (federally and in some states)[173][174][175] Pauline Hanson's One Nation[176] United Australia Party[177][178] Liberal Democratic Party[179] Socialist Equality Party[180][181] Western Australia Party.[182][183][184] Australian Communist Party[185] State and territory[edit] Australian Family Party (South Australia)[186] Freedom Party of Victoria[187] Some state and territory branches of the Liberal Party: South Australia[188][189][190] Western Australia Some state and territory branches of the National Party: Northern Territory (rank-and-file only)[191][192][193] (affiliated federally with both the Liberal and National parties) South Australia[194] Victoria[195] Western Australia[196][197][198] Religious organisations and leaders[edit] Australian Christian Lobby[75] Australian Jewish Association[199][200]

So today I had to drive from Geelong to the airport to pick up my wife who has spent the week interstate (tonight should be a big night). Whilst driving along the Princes Freeway there was a truck parked on the side of the roadwith a billboard spruiking the no vote. I would really have loved to stop and photographed it but alas it was not possible. It was hard to take the whole sign in at once. I think the first sentence said that 80% of traditional didn't want the "Voice" The second sentence stated that "they will take your land". This is pure scare tactic BS.

Yep School education is for 13 years, divided into: primary school for 7 or 8 years, from kindergarten or preschool to year 6 or 7 secondary school for 3 to 4 years - years 7 to 10 or years 8 to 10 senior secondary school for 2 years - years 11 and 12.

This must surely be the maximum rather than the average. School education (primary and secondary) is 13 years. This leaves 8.5 years which I am guessing must be tertiary education, which I think sounds like an advanced degree. The chart that Nomadpete posted perhaps takes into account that some may spread their uni degree out by studying part-time, which is not necessarily a bad thing in my opinion. I don't think the average years of education for the average person is as high as 21.5 years. Here is a table of mean years spent in education https://www.worldeconomics.com/Indicator-Data/ESG/Social/Mean-Years-of-Schooling/ It looks like 13 years is the mean

I do think people have a negative bias when judging our education system. Whilst there is much about the education system that I dislike (we homeschooled) I think there is a lot about it that is good. Looking through various lists of top education systems Australia usually comes within the top 10. Best Education System in the World – Top 20 Countries Countries by education index Australia Ranked Third-Best Higher Education System And many more. These lists use various criteria however it is not possible to find a list where Australia is near the bottom. Here is an example of the negative bias in reporting from News.com NAPLAN test scores reveal one in three participants below expectations "One in three of the country’s 1.3 million school students who sat the 2023 NAPLAN tests failed to meet literacy and numeracy expectations in the latest sign that Australia’s educational standards are continuing to slide. Aggregated results from the 2023 National Assessment Program, Literacy and Numeracy testing, released on Wednesday, showed about 65 per cent of students fell into the “exceeding” and “strong” categories when test scores were averaged across year levels and testing domains. But 23 per cent and 10 per cent were in the “developing” and “needs additional support” levels respectively, The remaining 2 per cent were exempt from sitting the test." The headline could also read "two thirds of students are in the "exceeding" and "strong" categories It is not clear whether standards are sliding or not. The assessment system changed for the last NAPLAN which makes it a little unclear. What do the NAPLAN test changes mean for schools and students? New standards "Another key change to NAPLAN is students’ results will now be reported against four levels of achievement instead of the existing ten “proficiency bands”. These new levels are “exceeding”, “strong”, “developing” and “needs additional support”. Some media commentary has suggested the new standards will “water down” existing expectations. However, there will actually be a higher threshold for students to meet the new minimum standard." The News.com article then groups together "developing" with "needs additional support" I would suggest that these 2 categories are lumped together in order to get an overly negative headline. The headline could surely be "Ten percent of students need additional support." We do need to be always striving for better and be on the lookout for any declines however we also need to appreciate the good.

The problem with school is that it is very much a one-size-fits-all-all system. During my work as a private music teacher, I taught all sorts of students and I had the luxury of teaching individually. One of the last students I taught before retirement was Aspergers or I think it is now called Autism Spectrum Disorder. This boy was a bit of a challenge although it was made clear to me by his mother that she did not expect great results. This boy's school life was at the time hell both in the classroom and in the playground. My philosophy was to impart some knowledge when possible but otherwise make his lesson something not to be feared or hated. When Covid hit the music school transitioned to online which strangely seemed to work better for him and we started to make progress. The year before last I decided to retire. I received an email from his mother saying her son was devastated and was there any way I could continue teaching him online. I could not really say no. During this year he really started to find his way. He became interested in jazz and improvisation. Sometimes some lessons would be not so good but generally things were going well. I was going to be teaching him again this year however he decided that his real passion was composing and he wanted to concentrate on this rather than playing. To me, this was great news. Before I taught this boy he had numerous other lessons on other instruments (piano, Guitar) but unfortunately, those teachers gave up on him because he did not fit the mould. My last contact with this family was this lovely email (warning this is a little bit self-congratulatory) On Sat, Feb 11, 2023 at 9:13 PM ******************************.com> wrote: The point is that this would have gone differently if I had presumed him to be stupid, poorly raised or perhaps just badly behaved. Also understanding the science of autism spectrum helps. This kid is not stupid and has not been raised badly Things like Autism have always existed we just labeled them as weird or dumb. this boy is actually highly intelligent.