Interesting stuff
Fark, tell me about it. Last time i was home bought 2 pies, a sausage roll and two iced-coffees and the girl said that'll be $21 thanks!
Australia is a phenomenally expensive country and trust me, I've been to some expensive countries.
Couple of years ago I paid 42 Euros for two small beers and two small glasses of white wine in Paris. Thought I was in Sydney.
It all started with charging extra for tomato sauce sachets!
I was OS for a few years and on one of my visits I came back to an Australia with $22 vegetarian pastas (at a suburban "restaurant" with plastic tablecloths), and $33 steaks (order at the counter and come and pick it up yourself, thank you very much).
I don't see things getting cheaper, and yeah, if bakeries think they can put in some rustic hipster-esque furniture and then charge the best part of $6 for an an anaemic pie which was made in a massive factory in western Sydney, well you can count me out.
And let's not start on real estate...
re. ...."Agree.
Imagine what we would be talking about right now if Hitlary Clinton had of been elected president."
Or...
...we'd be talking about being years into war with russia and north korea...
whilst iran bides it's time in the background, bought off with 100s billions of dollars of obama cash...
always liked obama. still do, ....but reckon he totally over did it buying 'peace' with iran...
"Fark, tell me about it. Last time i was home bought 2 pies, a sausage roll and two iced-coffees and the girl said that'll be $21 thanks!
Australia is a phenomenally expensive country and trust me, I've been to some expensive countries.
Couple of years ago I paid 42 Euros for two small beers and two small glasses of white wine in Paris. Thought I was in Sydney."
Not that long ago everyone that went to france would come home and comment how over the top expensive paris was...
now all the frenchy's are in oz chasing the oz bucks...
commenting how over the top expensive oz is...
"We would have been talking about a stable agreement with Iran and no risk of war."
Loz, I don't know how you can write that with a straight face - trolling again?
"It's well known where Hillary Clinton stood on regime change in Iraq and Libya, but what often gets forgotten is that she threw her support behind the 2009 Honduran coup that ousted democratically elected Manuel Zelaya."
She would have been fizzing at the bum over Iran.
https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/upfront/2016/09/hillary-clinton-haw...
Who cares what Hilary would or wouldn't have done? The simple reality is that Trump massively increased the risk of war by withdrawing from the agreement and imposing sanctions......... and that risk is still there as strong as it ever was.
You mentioned her Loz...
No mate, someone else mentioned her and you quoted my reply to them which makes no sense at all unless it refers to Hilary.
"fizzing at the bum..."
There's some wrongness right there.
And you saw fit to comment about what Hilary would do, but then said "who cares what she does".
Makes little sense but whatevs.
Glad you picked that Westie (no pun intended), heard it a few years ago and never forgot it.
Not quite sure what it refers too but the visuals are funny, especially HRC.
"On April 2, 2015, Clinton confirmed her support for an agreement to lift economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for limits on the country's nuclear program, calling it "an important step" in controlling the nation's security.[296] In January 2016, Clinton said, "I'm very proud of the Iran Nuclear Agreement. I was very pleased to be part of what the president put into action when he took office. I was responsible for getting those sanctions imposed which put the pressure on Iran. It brought them to the negotiating table which resulted in this agreement. But I think we still have to carefully watch them."[297]"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Hillary_Clinton
Hillary Clinton called President Trump's decision to disavow the Iran nuclear deal a "major mistake" and described the decision as part of an impulsive pattern that "could prove to be dangerous.”
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/hillary-clinton-trumps-rebuke-of-iran...
So you DO care what she would have done!
I'm glad we've sorted that out!
And if you think Hilary's policies as President would remain the same as her policies as candidate, I've got a bridge for sale...
"Her affinity for the armed forces is rooted in a lifelong belief that the calculated use of military power is vital to defending national interests, that American intervention does more good than harm and that the writ of the United States properly reaches, as Bush once put it, into “any dark corner of the world.” Unexpectedly, in the bombastic, testosterone-fueled presidential election of 2016, Hillary Clinton is the last true hawk left in the race."
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/24/magazine/how-hillary-clinton-became-a...
And after all that Hilary's done, to talk of Trump's "dangerous patterns" is hilarious.
Funniest food pics ever sent between bro and I, I was in the West Country enjoying a pint after a surf in a lovely pub, deluxe salad 3 pounds 50 pence. Massive bowl, so I sent pic to him. He was waiting for a plane up to Karratha and messaged back a pic of the most mangled salad in one of those plastic chinese takeaway containers, $18.50 AU.
Just in case you’re wondering what the free trade agreements are really all about , well they’re about the unfettered globalisation of trade obviously. But what does this mean ?
Well it means that trade can now ignore borders. The nation’s remain seperate only as names on the map. Too bad if the political ideologies of the varying cultures are opposing and their respective state-run companies are actually instruments to further their national interests, rather than just pure mercantilism.
“I recently saw one Department of Defence tender and in the tender documentation (RAAF jet fuel infrastructure at Darwin airport) was this……….
Quote…………………
“For tenders seeking the procurement of goods and services with an estimated total contract value equal to or greater than $551,000, or construction contracts with an estimated total contract value equal to or greater than $7,769,000, and where bids are received from companies based in the United States, Chile, Korea, China or Japan, the ‘Local Purchasing Preferences’ must not be applied and all bids, including those from companies based in the United States, Chile, Korea, China or Japan should be considered equally and in accordance with the Value for Money Policy (set out at section (c) below). This is to ensure xxx compliance with the terms of the Australia – US (AUSFTA), Australia – Chile (ACIFTA), Korea – Australia (KAFTA), China – Australia (ChAFTA) and Japan – Australia (JAEPA) free trade agreements.”
THIS WAS IN A DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE COMMERCIAL DOCUMENT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!“
Trbalsm is officially back
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/ffa-to-lift-ban-on-national-flags-af...
If anyone has ever questioned why someone would vote for independents or minor parties, then here is your answer.
Culpability of the duopoly majors ( ALP /LNP ) is writ large in the deafening silence of their response to the biggest scandal in modern Australian political history. This is beyond being a massive corruption scandal . It is revealing of the utter loss of institutional integrity across the entire spectrum of Australian public service : Border security, foreign influence, transnational organised crime , politicians and political party root and branch corruption, the fascistic assumption of powers , media compliance.
And the glaring fear of the vast majority our political class in not just confronting the revelations, but in their obvious desire to see the issue be completely swept from public view is indicative in itself.
Go the Independents !!!!
“The Tasmanian independent Jacqui Lambie says she will consider telling the Morrison government “where to stick their bills” if the Coalition continues to pursue a suboptimal federal integrity commission.
Lambie made the threat during a show of unity by parliamentary crossbenchers on Wednesday about the necessity for stronger accountability measures in response to allegations aired by Nine this week against the casino operator Crown Resorts.
On Wednesday the Age reported that the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission will conduct a special investigation into organised crime in Australian casinos.
…The Centre Alliance senator Rex Patrick told reporters there was “no question” the crossbench would seek changes to the Morrison government’s bill to establish a federal anti-corruption commission to give it “proper jurisdiction and powers”.
Lambie said the Centre Alliance had already drawn up an alternative bill, which had been sent to drafters and will be presented when parliament resumes in five weeks after the winter recess. “Obviously I want it to have more teeth than Jaws,” she said.
Under the government’s proposal, the ALCEI will be converted into an anti-corruption commission – a model that has been criticised by some experts.
…Wilkie, who blasted Tuesday’s referral, said the Australian public would not accept the “weak integrity commission that has been proposed by the current government”.
“The public want something with teeth. And the public want to know what politicians in this place are trying to hide – because that’s the only reason you’d oppose an integrity commission.”
Wilkie noted the Nine investigation into Crown casino had included claims that two ministers and an MP had lobbied the home affairs department to facilitate entry of VIPs and high-roller gamblers to Australia by private jet.
The Greens MP Adam Bandt said while this conduct may not constitute a crime, it could possibly constitute corruption. Lambie declared there were “morally corrupt” politicians in the parliament.
Wilkie said the government’s Australian Commissioner for Law Enforcement Integrity inquiry was a “snow job” that was only “good as far as it goes” but could not directly investigate employees of Crown and other government agencies, such as the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation.”
What does it tell you when both sides of Australia’s ridiculously limiting duopoly system utterly oppose a strong and robust federal ICAC ?
Pauline voted against a senate inquiry into corruption at crown. How you feeling about that Blowie? She’s your protest vote isn’t she?
Passing through the anus of the service economy
“The manager of a Melbourne cafe at the centre of a social-media storm in a coffee cup says its controversial “deconstructed” brew is aimed at the city’s notorious coffee snobs, not hipsters.
Writer Jamila Rizvi shared a photo on Facebook of an unusual coffee she was served at the Abbotsford cafe, which came to the table in three separate beakers on a wooden paddle.
“Sorry Melbourne but no. No no no no no,” Rizvi wrote on Tuesday.
“I wanted a coffee. Not a science experiment.”
Within 48 hours Rizvi’s post had received more than 21,000 likes and been viewed more than 2 million times.
Lisa Wearmouth, who manages the cafe within South African furniture store Weylandts that served Rizvi’s coffee, rejected claims the deconstructed coffee was a sign “hipsterism” had gone too far.
Ms Wearmouth said the coffee Rizvi ordered was actually a deconstructed long macchiato, not a flat white.
It would be very easy to poke fun at the Seinfeldian seriousness of this trivial discourse. The people involved in the story are ludicrously earnest while engaged in the most asinine of pursuits. We could dismiss this generation of caffeinated navel gazers with a flick of the pen, feel superior for a bit, and be done with it.
But I’m not going to do that. On the contrary. I’m going to take this discussion far deeper than these trifling millennials would think possible.
I first read this story yesterday as I awaited a back massage at my local shops (in Melbourne’s inner west). The massage is a vital part of my weekly routine lest my back petrify into a block of stone owing to sitting here palavaring with you all day.It struck me as I sat there that it was wonderfully convenient to have a Thai massage joint just around the corner, especially given my local shops are not very large. I briefly surveyed the other shops and realised swiftly that what I was looking at was the lion’s share of the Australian services economy supply chain. Nearly all of it was directed not at the production of anything, nor the supply of anything, nor the inputs to some factory, but at servicing my person. Specifically, it was mostly targeted at various components of my body. There was an inordinately expensive organic grocer for my stomach. A retro barber for my head. A manicurist for my nails. A tatooist for my ink. A specialist wine purveyor for my tongue. A gift store for my birthday. A shop front personal trainer for my flab. An Asian tailor and presser for my clothes. Any number of cafes of course. And a real estate agent on every corner.
I realised that it was I that was the factory. My body, or more to the point, my mind, my intellectual property, was being supported my an extensive supply chain of services that plumped, fattened, thinned, preened, pressed, fluffed, trimmed and massaged me into the ongoing production of ideas.
There was one thing more that was obvious. These various services were not just the slapdash Aussies of yesteryear. There were no lackadaisical loafers working for the man and hanging for a smoko. Each of the services on display was a finely crafted specialist, an artisan in his and her craft, immensely serious with extraordinary attention to detail. The massage offered a limitless array of options right down to your chosen incense and its specific impact upon your chakras. The barber wore a perfect replica suit from the 1920s and sported enormous mustaches to match. The personal trainer rippled in the window. The grocer glowed with ruddy peasant health and one could almost smell the fresh loam on her fingers. The cafe’s were a rival for Tate Modern in their timberwork and ceramics, and one could literally choose a vintage decolletage in which to hang as if riding in a time machine.
The amount of effort and innovation going into finding a competitive edge for the privilege of servicing my sagging flesh was spectacular.
And that’s the thing. All of these local shops are a hive entrepreneurial beavering. But all of them are directed inwards in an endlessly dividing paradox of insignificance. None of them is tradable, as services mostly are not, so none has the chance to flower much beyond the local shops, let alone nationally or internationally. That poses a problem for the economy because if all you ever do is service one another in more elaborately infinitesimal detail then there is no actual wealth generation going on. There was no organic capital generation, no capital deepening nor breakthrough’s in efficiency. The capital that drives this machine by definition comes from outside of it in the form of a visitor, a new buyer of a local asset or someone that has borrowed to invest.
In short, this jizz economy is based upon population growth to supply illegally cheap labour, more warm bodies in the absence of income growth and debt for houses to create wealth. It is a near complete waste of everybody’s time and effort other than for a very few oligarchs.
There are jobs but they all lead nowhere beyond a pool of wasted jizz. Corrupt authorities’ answer is to back-fill this lack of income growth and demand with ever more people, intensifying the “capital shallowing” and slicing the income pie into ever thinner pieces.
Spot on Blowin and our political talking heads continue with the plunder offering collective nothings other than guaranteed over-population, squandered natural resources and a palpably diminishing quality of life . . . and the band played waltzing maPonzi . . .
I have first hand verification of this rort.
Half of the locals of small towns are walking around unemployed whilst nestled across the land are sub-townships of dongas and transportable accomodation housing underpaid illegal workers.
https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2019/08/employ-locals-can-import-migran...
I was surveying one of these sub-townships in Plantagenet WA wine country, and came across the book 'Memories of my Melancholy Whores' at the lunch table. A good read.
Sounds good.
I prefer the trope of the hooker with a heart of gold myself.
God knows how many nights I’ve spent pushing shopping carts full of booze around Dan Murphy’s waiting to meet my Elizabeth Shue.
.
Interesting stuff.
Great link Factotum!
Is a good read. A bit of inspiration never goes astray.
Can’t really imagine a permanent life without alcohol though. Extended dry spells interspersed with a casual beer every now and then and a blinder when life determines it.
That’s what works for myself anyway.
Sometimes the balance can get out of whack , but drinking is one of life’s great pleasures .
Interesting read, only really relevant though if you feel you have a problem though no?
I’ve had some of the best times of my life while drinking and high.
Although having a kid recently I couldn’t think of anything worse than getting home at 8:00am fuck eyed and knowing that there’s a little person who is depending on you to look after them. So it’s going to be a looong time before the next big night.
It doesn’t have to become an issue for everyone.
Yeah agree with both of you Blowin and GF. All in moderation and being aware of that.
Good chat lads.....
I’ve had periods of not drinking (only a few months here or there) mainly as a trial to monitor the physical and mental health benefits.
Have dabbled with the thought of not drinking at all but come back to the whole balance thing. Jeez it’s bloody nice to have a quiet beer of a weekend and seems quite harmless when kept in check.
Having a bunch of little ones my self it is definitely the ultimate moderator as was mentioned above.
Old ,white men.
The world has witnessed them colonise the world. And the disgust was palpable.
Now is the time of the old , yellow man come to colonise the world. Have we learnt nothing ?
The time to resist is NOW
https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/china-s-takeover-of-sihanoukville-is-a...
Was over there 10 years ago and Sihanoukville was just a small backpackers hangout....seems like the chinese know how to fuk everything,coming to a country near you .
A town near you more like Simba, as the Australian Government sells more and more of Australia off to the Chinese. The Kiwis put a stop to it, would seem they are ahead of us once again
yes MH your right...happening everywhere......so far the kiwis are ahead of the game.
Blowin tell me how we resist now?
Well , for a start we can move forward with the recognition that China is not living up to the illusion of being the unimpeachable positive force on our nation that we’ve managed to wallpaper over the truth with for the last couple of decades .
We can start by strengthening our foreign investment reviewing system till it performs the role it was intended to serve. That being to limit foreign investment to only those instances which are in our nation’s interest ie no critical infrastructure, water , agriculture or food supplies . No more Chinese ownership of Australian soil full stop.
We should not allow Chinese interests to construct infrastructure which could compromise our national defence such as airstrips and ports.
More to say ....gong for a paddle. Get back to you , Brutus.
Blowin , it's too late to stop the Chinese , they have bought their way into our government , both Liberal and labor...neither party wants an investigation into Crown Casino's .
An investigation will find we have let various Chinese criminals / spy into the country , the gamble ,launder money and buy political favours , get visa's for $1m...etc
read this https://www.theage.com.au/national/where-s-the-outrage-there-s-a-bigger-...
then read about how you can shoot wombats as sport on some of the new chinese owned properties....https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/wombats-and-whales-fur-flies...
so nice to think that we are still in control ??
Yeah , mate.
I’ve been reading about that for a while now. LNP and ALP both wanting any investigation squashed.
It’s getting harder and harder to hide the issue now that it’s starting to get out. Our politicians have been selling us down the river for years and praying that it never gets out.
Malcom Turnbull was a legend when it comes to China.
Remember Sam Dastyari ?
They managed to keep the iceberg out of site on that occasion......pretty hard to do to now that the whole country is looking over the bow as we careen towards it.
The additional beauty of Trump's “trade war *” on China is that it doesn’t just take production out of China , it pushes it into those countries which China has been busy antagonising.
Vietnam is about to hit its straps= formidable military investment with which to contain China.
* Trade war is a useful way to bring China to its knees economically. That might not do us any favours, but it was going to come to a shitfight for us anyway and sooner is much , much more preferable to later.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/brutal-consequences-ansell-war...
I love the way proponents of these developments like Balaclava refer to a boon for the local economy, jobs, tourism, blah blah blah.
Well I say fuck your boon - we don't need it nor do we want it. Time after time proposals like this being put forward by the developers are so out of sync with the local environment and community's lifestyle that it's an insult to the residents in that community.
Unfortunately it's hard to be optimistic here, and I agree with you Brutus, we've probably let the horse bolt a while back on this issue and that Chinese hay is much tastier than the local one!!!
Blowin....our politicians and business's are the ones responsible for being corrupted by China.
It's not China's fault Australia is open to being corrupted by China , I mean we have the head of Australia's Border Force saying on camera there have been MP's and cabinet ministers who lobbied to have Chinese criminals/spys escorted from the airport direct to Crown Casino.......
There needs to be a Royal commission , but there seems to be no political appetite as we are already so economically reliant on China , they can destroy us now within!!
https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/crown-investor-associated-w...
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/andrew-wilkie-calls-for-parli...
Remember this next time China cries racism after we attempt to defend our sovereignty or refuse Chinese investment .
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/deeply-sorry-from-givenchy-to-...
The world should boycott these brands who are forsaking Taiwan’s independence in order to sell more T Shirts.
They are literally selling their morality. Stick your fashion in your arse !
Mugatu was a factual character !
agree blowin. these brands are gutless and completely self interested. they can make profits everywhere, but too greedy to tell china to fuck off. the grovelling is embarrassing. the chinese actor/model i completely understand, she has to live there. i’m boycotting them all but since i’ve never bought any of their ridiculously overpriced shit and never would, not sure my stance on this will change the world
No more Versace for me.
Of course , this means I’m going to have to buy an entire new wardrobe for summer.
Salvation army would probably fit you out in a nice cream surfari suit for summer Blowin.All aussie made by aussie chinese in eastwood! win win
Fox TV Week Guide.
[ Twitter ] OZ #1 prisoner - 'The 2nd coming!'
"Lord Saviour Pell compares his suffering to that of the Son of God."
'Twitter' further corrupts Pell's appeal (live Wed 21st Aug) (Coincidence?)
Ask how can Pell's Letter be fully investigated before Trial. (Appeal seen as unjust!)
[Good News Week] The two issues are now One Headline....(Praise be to God!)
tbb won't bother with links as you'll soon be swimming in piles of Fake Pell NEWS
Everyone's Week from Pell...The Holy War is upon us.
[ 4 Chan ] NZ #1 prisoner - 'Call to Arms!'
Tarrant's Call to Arms for anti immigration 'Great Conflict for 'our people' to survive.
https://time.com/5651671/christchurch-mosque-attack-gunman-letter/
[Breaking news] Request trial move from Christchurch to Auckland. (Coincidence?)
Comes on the back of Trial date overlapping Ramadan ...(A fair Trial?)
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-newzealand-shooting/man-accused-of-ne...
Will both of these prisoners be robbed of fair hearings due to 'accidental breaches'?
Both now heralded as persecuted Martyrs by their religious flock just like dear Izzy.
Two breaches of highest profile prisoners in same week, both deemed accidental?
Both look certain to have moved goalposts for own immediate needs.(Too easy!)
Evil preachers have God moving in mysterious ways to twist persecuted agenda.
Oz votes [ Yes ] to a gangland-bible belting
PM Scomo...Freedom to preach hate sermons from prison/s. [ Tick ] & [ Tick ] Win!
PM is also on Trial ...Should Pell lose appeal PM vowed to strip Order of OZ.
https://www.change.org/p/strip-cardinal-george-pell-of-his-order-of-aust...
Everyone check yer Star Charts then check under yer beds just in case.
To illustrate just how far down the rabbit hole we’ve ventured, now we are looking to Indonesia for guidance on how to fight corruption .
In the 1990’s Indonesia was ranked as the single most corrupt nation in the entire world.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/aussie-corruption-buster-humbled-by-in...
So we are a banana republic afterall
https://www.willyweather.com.au/news/10335/avalanches+prompting+more+sno...
Very lucky fellow! Had just done Avalanche training which helped him maintain calm.
bonus: Tassie BOM suggesting they will have snow to 400m today, the Overland track would look absolutely beautiful (and be freezing) in those conditions.
Have it cunts