Interesting stuff
I remember reading "A day in the life of Ivan Denisovich" at school when I was about eleven. It left a lasting impression on me.
Some of these masks are getting very colourful. 
web hosting images
Ferry between Java and Bali sinks in rough seas.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/several-dead-missing-after-ferry-sinks...
I'm going to make this easy on you. pic.twitter.com/FxfgmtbvZ0
— Rudy Havenstein, Senior Markets Commentator. (@RudyHavenstein) April 20, 2021
WOW that’s huge news udo
For some perspective on Chinas' current bellicosity - as always, look at the past to understand what is happening in the present. Note, this article is from 2020, but the fundamentals are still at play.
https://thediplomat.com/2020/08/chinas-never-again-mentality/
Don’t fall for the manufactured political narrative of defending Chinese heritage. Seems like it’s primarily a cynical ploy utilised by the CCP to generate the idea amongst the Chinese populace that the government represents the people as opposed to subjugating them to install itself into perpetual power.
It was the CCP itself which tried its darndest to obliterate Chinese culture and history with the cultural revolution and now we are meant to believe that it’s their primary motivation?
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/08/chinas-memory-manipulators
Anyone out there with enough knowledge on China to lend an opinion on this?
"To forget the past means to betray, and to deny the crime means to relapse."
Rank hypocrisy.
Tell that to the poor dead souls from Tiananmen Square.
Err... read the article. It's not a defence of the CCP, it is giving a perspective on Chinese motivations.
I did read the article and I think I got a pretty good grasp on their 'motivations'.
I also think the author is a bit of Sino apologist and tended to conveniently overlook their expansionist agenda, their wolf warrior diplomacy and their outright hypocrisy when it comes to international law.
I picked up on that one line spoken by the great Pooh-bear himself. I'm well aware of where they're coming from. Doesn't make him immune to criticism.
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Why even bother with the pretence that Trump is not being pursued and persecuted in an attempt to stymie his influence on the US political sphere?
Despite a couple of half hearted, mealy mouthed protestations, the rest of the article lays out the scenario plainly. This is a politically motivated witch hunt with the end game of ensnaring and ruining Trump. Everything is presented as either a means or a method to secure the desired outcome of a Trump prosecution. Any conviction attained on other people is viewed as nothing more than a stepping stone or leverage towards the end goal.
I’d like to think that the Trump Derangement Syndrome which melted the brains of many people during the Trump Presidency has somewhat abated now the heat, fire and immediacy of the MSM onslaught has lost its fervour, but are those people ready to finally see the anti democratic collusion levelled at the former legitimately elected President yet? Or is the hatred still so strong that the malignant campaign against Trump is always justified, irrespective of its anti democratic foundations?
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/trump-organisation-cfo-plead-...
Sorry, my bad Zen, I wasn't referring to you, but Blowins' post above.
While I agree with your comments, they miss my point.
We are in a time of uncertainty with respect to Sino-US relations, and quite possibly could be dragged into a regional conflict if level heads do not prevail.
Know thy enemy but who are our friends?
Foreign investment in Australia:
https://www.dfat.gov.au/trade/resources/investment-statistics/statistics...
Australias trading partners:
https://www.worldstopexports.com/australias-top-import-partners/
Port of Darwin:
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/strategic-own-goal-defence-revie...
I'm not trying to draw any conclusions just trying to broaden the debate.
I think you’ll find that broadening the debate regarding China vs US as patron state is counterproductive. The answer lies in narrowing the debate. It’s this simple : Would you prefer to be a subservient vassal state of the US or of China?
We have 70 odd years of experience to show what it’s like to be a US subjugate. It brings imposed neoliberalisn and the illusion of democracy. Governments unsympathetic to US motivations are curtailed or removed covertly. We have much soft power cultural propaganda. We have corporations siphoning our natural resources without much return for the people of Australia. We also have peace, stability and individual freedoms todo basically whatever we want. We still have a mostly free press, a free internet and free speech. The US never tried to colonise us with their citizenry and assume us as a true geographic component of their empire.
Contrast this with the Chinese model. It poses all of the downsides of US subjugation but with the removal of individual freedom of opinion and political persuasion. Chinese oppression of Australian politics would e absolute. Chinese colonialism is apparent, the population of Chinese heritage living in Australia since Jinping took power has increased by well over 1000 percent. There is not a single instance where Australians would experience more freedom under Chinese autocratic oversight than under the current US dominion. Life would be inherently worse for almost everyone.
Plus….The US soft power propaganda may provide for a slew of shite reality programs and often gormless entertainment, but the Chinese alternative is exponentially worse.
These are the only real considerations when discussing whether we should support the notion of historic Chinese victimhood as partial justification for their plan global domination.
@blowin you seem to be a malfunctioning AI bot spamming China hate.
I think your underlying machine learning model needs retraining on new data.
@blowin
1. Xi was elected President of the People's Republic of China on 14 March 2013. (from wikipedia)
2. At the end of June 2018, 650,700 Chinese-born people were living in Australia, more than twice the number at 30 June 2008. ( see https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/research-and-statistics/statistics/countr...)
well over a 1000% you say? maybe that was a typo and you meant over 100%. and maybe by 'since Xi Jinping came to power' you meant 'since 5 years before Xi Jinping came to power'?
but really if you're going to start trying to sound clever, at least get some basic facts straight.
by the way, it's little wonder there was such a big increase in that time and I can't see how it's got anything to do with Xi Jinping (as you seem to be trying to imply). Maybe you aren't aware of how gungho Australian unis and other educational institutions were going from around that time (and a little earlier) in pursuit of Chinese students and their money with the aim of propping up the otherwise poorly funded tertiary education system here. People came studied, graduated, made connections, started work, businesses, families etc. This sort of thing is typical of humans generally mate and not indicative of some sort of master plan.
"...Maybe you aren't aware of how gungho Australian unis and other educational institutions were going from around that time (and a little earlier) in pursuit of Chinese students and their money with the aim of propping up the otherwise poorly funded tertiary education system here...."
yeh, and what a mistake that turned out to be...
blind freddy could see there was something out of balance going on there, on so many levels...
yet the best educated self proclaimed brainiacs of our university system couldn't
what's all that about?
This is an interesting concept, probably needs to work on the accent though.
"Influencer ‘identifies as Korean’ after 18 surgeries"
https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/true-stories/influencer-iden...
I guess if your cool with identifying as the opposite sex, there shouldn't be any reason why you can't identify as another ethnic group???
K-Pop and Starcraft II have a lot to answer for.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/small-piece-of-timber-from-captain-co...
Very interesting and appealing to the ship nerds amongst us.
I've got a piece of oak from HMS Victory - and before I say "ka-ching!" - given the ship has been preserved and rebuilt and bombed and burnt and rebuilt and maintained - dunno if it's the original oak that was there at Trafalgar!
VJ.......I am proud to be an old ship nerd and I have a few collectables thanks to my dear old dad being an ex salvage diver.....
My Notable ship nerd exploits - diving on the Batavia wreck site for several hours after surfing nearby right hander for several days.
Diving on the Zuytdorp wreck site [North of Murchison River] early 80's when commercial Ab divers had a bit of free reign.......Got myself a 1711 minted silver Dutch Shillingen that had been underwater for nearly 300 years [ Vessel ran into Australia in 1712 ]
One of our Ab trips up that way, we found an old Volvo Penta engine block, rigging and gantry gear in a break in the reef south of Steep Point.......Contacted the WA Marine & Harbours [ as it was back then ] and a few weeks later they came up with the most likely probability it was a Prawn Trawler that disappeared late 70's on the way from Darwin to Freo.....
Treacherous area to break down in a boat....
Long live ship nerdism...
Very interesting perspective. Recommended read.
"Very interesting perspective. Recommended read.
https://phenomenalworld.org/analysis/repressing-labor"
so basically... we've fallen into a deeply entrenched unhealthy domestic violence style relationship...
with our big wig (supposed good guys) being the 'toxic masculinity' apologists...
(and a legion of neo-marxist bourgeoisie offspring foot soldiers, who are helping facillitate the whole shit show, because they turned their backs on the traditional marxist labour versus capital class struggle...)
shouldn't take much to turn that tanker around
megzee wrote:VJ.......I am proud to be an old ship nerd and I have a few collectables thanks to my dear old dad being an ex salvage diver.....
My Notable ship nerd exploits - diving on the Batavia wreck site for several hours after surfing nearby right hander for several days.
Diving on the Zuytdorp wreck site [North of Murchison River] early 80's when commercial Ab divers had a bit of free reign.......Got myself a 1711 minted silver Dutch Shillingen that had been underwater for nearly 300 years [ Vessel ran into Australia in 1712 ]
One of our Ab trips up that way, we found an old Volvo Penta engine block, rigging and gantry gear in a break in the reef south of Steep Point.......Contacted the WA Marine & Harbours [ as it was back then ] and a few weeks later they came up with the most likely probability it was a Prawn Trawler that disappeared late 70's on the way from Darwin to Freo.....
Treacherous area to break down in a boat....
Long live ship nerdism...
megzee that's epic! We've been out to the islands and flown over the wreck site, also flown over the first European building in Australia - built by the marines to stop the mutineers slashing their throats at night! The whole tale is amazing and terrible... & yeah I've seen that right.
1711 Shillingen... wow.
And finding a lost ship, you hear the stories. A relative had their tinnie overturned about 2km off Penguin island, the choice was to swim in (older fellow) or let Davy Jones have them. Only one of the two made it.
Now, if you want to go searching for a lost ship off the WA coast (and she was a beauty too, love the Edwardian era steamers):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Koombana
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/Koombana_Postcard.jpg
It's got everything, including a big cyclone, and a cursed pearl (the 'Roseate Pearl') on board.
Unreal adventures Megzee.
https://ibb.co/gwmy8H8
Piccy of my coin.
Plenty more to come I hope Blowin.
Thanks for the Links VJ....will check them out
A Must read is "Voyage to Disaster by Henrietta Drake-Brockman.......She was the lady who actually identified the Batavia Wreck site.....
Or, Islands of Angry Ghosts by Hugh Edwards
Great coin! Islands of Angry Ghosts, the first half, takes your breath away. I'm surprised it hasn't been made into a movie tbh.
There's an old ABC movie, doco type thing that was made early 80's which is pretty amateurish......A full blown Hollywood production would be epic.....They wouldn't need to embellish the story line one bit.....
The Henrietta Drake-Brockman book is a much better read and great addition for any ship nerds library.....
By the way VJ, the Batavia wreck site is clearly defined by this massive "scar" gouged where she rode up on to the reef. There is still 4 or 5 Cannon laying there plus plenty of ballast bricks. Fremantle Maritime Museum is well worth a visit as well.
Dunno if other people would find it interesting, but I just won a Guinness hat at the bottlo.
stunet wrote:Dunno if other people would find it interesting, but I just won a Guinness hat at the bottlo.
Congratulations . Who wouldn't find that interesting ?
what type of hat Stu?
I'm picturing a little green leprechaun hat, that would look quite good on you in all honesty.
Wife calls me a gnome 'cos of the current long hair/white beard look, so yeah it would've been fitting, but instead it's a bog standard black trucker with the big arse harp logo on it.
Don't mind, needed a new hat.
In keeping with the pissy theme , I’m rocking a Bintang hat.
Not free. Almost cost me a liver.
Wow, what I coincidence Stu..
I was in the car behind you and I won one too....
Birds of a feather, eh Megzee.
To be sure....to be sure
When music becomes as threatening as a safe European home, try being a punk in Wuhan:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-07/wuhan-the-birthplace-of-china-s-punk-music-scene/100270902
Safe European home. Great song and nice sneaky reference.
Collectors.............
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/tintenbar/surfing/twin-fin-surfboard-len...
And a freebie for Stuey
https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/thirroul/landscaping-gardening/free-comp...
Breath deep and grit your teeth
That was classic. Cheers.
ha ha good on the ABC for having it on their platform too.
Pulled a five year old Channel Islands Semi Pro 12 out of retirement over the past week and reconnected with it big time. Epic, epic board. Not sure how you could go about claiming that a name brand surfboard model is underrated but I’m here to give it a go:
CI Semi Pro 12 is an underrated tube spear.
Easy to forget how good previous boards were, except maybe the mid 90’s batch.
I almost bought one of those Semi Pros but ended up getting a local shapers board that was similar, wide point forward and wider nose. Still gets surfed occasionally
Gratitude and Just keep trying. Bit of wisdom here. Hope this fella keeps kicking goals. Power to you mate.
Latest from scam watch. So far this year scammers have stolen more than $7.2 million from Australians by gaining access to home computers, an increase of 184 per cent compared to the same period last year.
According to the ACCC’s Scamwatch, almost 6,500 Australians have reported phone calls from scammers trying to convince them to download software that gives access to home computers and their bank accounts.
Commonly called remote access scams, scammers pretend to be from well-known organisations such as Telstra, eBay, NBN Co, Amazon, banks, government organisations, police, and computer and IT support organisations. They create a sense of urgency to make you give them access to your computer via remote access software.
“Remote access scams are one of the largest growing scam types in Australia. Scammers take advantage of the digital world and the fear of fraud and cybercrime to access people’s devices and steal their money,” ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said.
“These types of scams target and impact all people and can be convincing. People aged 55 and older lost over $4.4 million, accounting for almost half of total losses. Young people reported losing on average $20,000 and eight Indigenous Australians, some in remote communities, lost a total of $38,000.”
Scams of this nature will often be an unexpected phone call saying you’ve been billed for a purchase you didn’t make, your device has been compromised, or your account has been hacked. Sometimes they start with an SMS, email or pop up on a screen from a scammer seeking urgent contact to fix a problem.
The scammer will pretend to assist you or ask you to assist them to catch the scammer. They will tell you to download remote control software such as AnyDesk or TeamViewer. Once the scammer has control of your computer or device, they will ask you to log into applications such as emails, internet banking or PayPal accounts, which will allow the scammer to access your banking and personal information to impersonate you or steal their money.
While remote access tools have been around for years to help IT support personnel in their work, scammers are also taking advantage of the ability to remotely access people’s computers or smart phones.
“It is really important not to let anyone who contacts you out of the blue access your devices, as once you give them access, you have no way of knowing what the person will do to your computer or what programs they may install,” Ms Rickard said.
“If you receive contact from someone claiming to be from a telecommunications company, a technical support service provider or online marketplace, hang up. If you think the communication may have been legitimate, independently source the contact details for the organisation to contact them. Don’t use the contact details in the communication. Also, don’t click on any of the links.”
“Remember, your bank will never ask you to give them access to your computer or accounts, nor will they ask for the codes to verify transactions. You should never provide those numbers to anyone except to verify transactions you are making in your mobile banking app or through your online banking,” Ms Rickard said.
The ACCC is working with the private sector to disrupt these scams including by sharing information with telecommunications carriers about the phone numbers used to call Australians so they can trace and block calls.
People who think they may have been scammed should contact their bank or financial institution as soon as possible. If they installed any apps or programs, they should also delete them from the device. Support in recovering from these scams including how to check if your identity and computer is secure is available through IDCARE on 1800 595 160 or www.idcare.org
I get those scam SMS messages regularly saying my NBN is going to be disconnected unless ring them or something.
Have it cunts