Interesting stuff
Please tell me I'm reading that wrong VJ!
Fill us in VJ
I'm a man that cries!i cried when Old Yeller died,i tear up every time under cover bosses give their employee's money and i teared up after reading the last paragraph of Velocity J's.man that was beautiful!
Now to stuff way less important politics....Bernie should've been the democratic nominee the previous election but got the shaft by Hillary and his own party. Early 90's when Bill Clinton won his 1st term,i seen some graffiti on a public bathroom wall in the U.S."the president sucks and so does her husband!"
I dont believe in election results.Bush proved that against Gore.Trump and the Russians?the election results are fake news!!Sco mo's shock win was another example,he was appointed by Murdoch n Reinhard.the caliber of our politicians is hard to stomach!Horror movie right there on my T.V!
Blowin your views are on the money!!calling out the kooks on this bullshit game.an unlikely couple,yin and yang,good cop bad cop but you and Stunet need to team up and form a political party and steer the ship back on course.da Surf Party Party
Agree , Zen.
Top 5 commenters is VJ.
VJ, hoping you and your family have support from good people providing clarity for the now and the future.
Here’s a thought .
With our universities being the uber-woke hubs of modern thought policing , how is it looked upon when the same universities are offshoring the risk of spreading viral infection to vulnerable developing nations as they pay Chinese students to spend 14 days “ quarantine “ in an intermediary country so they can sidestep Australia’s laws and return to University here ?
The avarice of our universities is now testing the limits of morality.
Thailand has not engaged border controls with China due to immense pressure placed on the Thai government by the Chinese government. The Thai people are extremely unhappy about this situation. How would they feel if they knew that their country is being employed as a quarantine zone by Australian universities who are paying up to $7500 to Chinese students in order to enable them to spend 14 days offshore ?
Too bad for the Thai people underwriting the greed of Australia’s tertiary education system with their health.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-24/coronavirus-travel-ban-students-r...
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-26/melbourne-uni-offers-coronavirus-...
"With our universities being the uber-woke hubs of modern thought policing"
?!?
Not my experience.
Thank you all for the kind words.
I might as well use the opportunity to raise some awareness about the condition in general.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paroxysmal_nocturnal_hemoglobinuria
I tell you all this (and flesh it out with my case) in order to show you the importance of the Life Saving Drugs Program, to many Australian families and to mine as well! Our nation has an incredible health system, which is caring, professional and compassionate. The difference to my life has been enormous, I cannot begin to thank you all enough, and thank the health system and the government either. The drug is currently under review, and you may see the PNHSAA begin lobbying to advocate for those with the condition. Maybe I'll even join in and you might see me on TV... This situation is not without irony given I am the thread's libertarian proponent - it's the ironies of life that give the smiles for the longest time... Further, the support for cancer patients in this country is superb. Long may we keep this up. I've met some really brave people facing heavy situations.
*so this has been edited later, keeping the pertinent paragraph. Those that read it in full know the deal - we must play the best game we can with the cards we are dealt. Thank you again for the replies.
I think that’s the best thing I’ve ever read , VJ.
I’m just impressed. By your resilience, by your honesty, your philosophy, your spirit and the life you’ve made throughout all the shit that not everyone could endure.
Cheers for writing. Not just this but every time you contribute on here. I’ve always enjoyed your outlook , intellect , reasoning and character.
If there’s anything you think I could possibly help you with then contact me through Stu.
Surfing as a life saver !
Love ya John.
I still might drop in on you though.
Channel-bottom ....you sound like a good friend. Unfortunately you can’t always be there . If you’re ever too busy to fulfill your duties then perhaps I could drop in on VJ for you ?
I’ve had plenty of practice. Can provide hundreds of references will attest to my ability.
VJ all the best in your fight and believing in something 'in the sky' has helped me a few times over the years as well..Keep surfing and enjoy what time you have left,love your family and love yourself.You sound like a really good bloke,good on ya mate.
Cheers guys, I might take you up on that Blowin. Cheers Channels you know the goods & you can drop in any time, and thank you Simba! If I go into lockdown I'll be building stuff like a mad inventor... who knows it might be useful afterward.
Good luck in your fight, Velocity Johnno.
Onwards and upwards.
Heavy stuff VJ.
My brother had a similarish condition growing up in ITP, where the immune system would attack the platelets. Few times his platelet counts dropped to single digits. Years of monthly transfusions and steroids and he got through it (although he still can't take antihistamines). So there's always hope! (Of course, on my worldview there's hope anyway, recovery or no).
Not many ways I can realistically help, but if you feel the need to chat life, death and eternity with an empathetic stranger, well Stu's got my email address.
I should probably get around to doing that board modelling for you too ;)
all the best VJ.
Thank you Pupkin & Pops, great stuff. Pupkin, your side is right on healthcare, that's uncontested! Thanks for the memes (I'm assuming) as well!
Pops cheers for the sentiment and the related story and thank you so much for the guiding on flow modeling so far (I saved the text!). Emails and talk would be appreciated, for sure! I'm glad your brother got through his ordeal for a healthier result, that must have been a scary experience.
Slight shift of topic, I've been up early following NY markets, biggest point drop in history I think. For most of the day it bounced off the 200dmas, then into close just plummeted right through it.
https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/worst-thing-my-career-us-stocks-suffer...
Even the more spec sections of the 'fear trades' like Gold miners and metals ETFs took a bit of a hit. In happier news, the accidental hedge putties are up 814% for an annualised +42,328% (of course I doubt I'll see all that, but nice to think about it... Flip side is:
And today there are great waves to go find :)
Thanks for sharing vj. All the best.
Two thoughts came into my mind after reading your post.
"The force is strong in this one" and "Live long and prosper" :)
This is the new face of war. Communities who have not just been abandoned but are now suffering infliction by their neoliberalist puppet governments and are now reduced to literally fighting against the migrant invasions imposed upon them.
The political/ managerial class is revealing itself as the enemy of the people in virtually every Western nation including Australia.
Heavy VJ, got no words. All the best mate
vj, love that you are embracing your metamorphosis (sp). i also love that you aware of all the true wisdom you will be taking into your graduation with you. kp indexes, upper chakra vibrations, a great sense of humour and a willingness to allow new perceptions.
as one chapter of your ongoing living experience ends i thank you for all your wonderful contributions and invite you to remind all your loved ones that you havent gone, you have changed form, you have changed your energy configuration. `For surely being a great scientist yourself you have educated them that all is energy and energy can never be destroyed, but just changed.` enjoy being free of this human body brother, may be nearly time to be the light you truly are. so stoked you came, and so stoked your off on a new adventure, bliss out vj.
In world trade news, and anecdotally from what I am seeing, we are on the precipice currently.
I'm in a business with branches (for want of a better word) in Australia, NZ, Asia and UK/Europe. What we are currently seeing is alternate action plans for some key supplies out of China where our sites have 3-4 months supply, with a 8-10 week lead time for shipping, normal orders are done a month after receiving the last 3 month batch. We are being advised on shipping delays.
Why? Currently there is a lack of spare shipping containers. The virus issues have put significant delays into Chinese ports which in turn has meant ships sitting idle and containers not being emptied.
If that is put into context of all the things that you rely on day to day out of China, if the issues in China are prolonged, there could be a global impact.
I trade with China and europe and further to channel bottoms comments the shipping companies are whacking on 500 euro plus surcharges to each container due to the container shortages compounding the time delays which then impacts the cashflow of all involved down the line.
Not good for the economy all round...
We are currentlly negotiating a new build with McDonalds and have agreed with them to put provisions in the contract for supply chain delays to avoid liquidated damage claims if it results in project delays. Weird times!!!
Velocityjohnno so good to hear someone praise our health care system for once. The people on the frontline are incredible and do an amazing job with the resources they are given I reckon. Good luck with things.
Optimist.....Apologies for being so rude the other day.
Thanks again everyone. Dave I didn't think the knowledge is taken forward? That will be good. And I'll try to hang around for a while further :)
XJO getting poleaxed today, spec miners also slammed, across the board.
Channels thanks for input, supply chains are about to change big time. The amazing world of ordering stuff like this from Asia is about to be over:
https://www.hlj.com/neko-busou-2-tenkomori-bans55349
Ah, Japan.
Ben Mondy ....still got it going on. Thanks for the effort over the years. Fuck you’ve made me laugh at times. Light hearted , piss taker with a sharp eye and the words to express it.
“The struggle is real (well, if this wasn’t fictitious) for a former Surf Company Marketing Manager who was a victim of a recent downsizing.
“I had given my heart and soul to the company for 20 years,” Jamie McMahon, 43 from Kingscliff told Tracks. “I thought it was a job for life, and now the rug has been pulled from under my feet.
Speaking from his three-story holiday house at Byron Bay where he has been holed out since the sacking, McMahon said he was more surprised than anyone about his sudden unemployment status.
“I mean we had a massive mainstream company behind us who said surfing was a key strategic pillar of their future growth yield,” he said. “And even when the hedge fund guys took over after the sale, I was certain they’d put surfing first. I can understand getting rid of the athletes and the factory workers, but it’s us marketeers who hold the whole thing together.”
McMahon has had to face up to new, everyday hardships after his sudden change in employment. He says it is the little things, rather than the cancelled Sales Meeting at Tavarua that has been the most difficult so far.
“I mean initially even clothes shopping was really hard,” the mid-length surfboard proponent said. “I had been grabbing samples and freshly boxed clothes for two decades and then was suddenly faced with this array of different brands and clothes. Woolworths blew my brain apart.”
That was just the start though as his life unravelled. “I had to get my own phone contract. Do you know how much they cost?” Asked McMahon, clearly shocked. “And the amount of paperwork was incredible. It took me a whole week to sort that out, and even now, I’m worried about my data limit. It often cuts out streaming when I’m researching the girl’s youth market.”
McMahon has been forced to rent out the Byron pad for the Easter holidays and while he is mortgage free and the redundancy package was considerable, he says it’s more the loss of self-worth that is the most traumatic.
“You know I had a pretty emotional day yesterday. I had to go and peel off all the sponsor stickers off the 15 boards on my quiver,” he said clearly distraught. “To me, that was more emotionally draining than letting go off my shares. To not have a visible sign of my status and success when I surfed, a little logo that showcased who I was and what I stood for, was devastating.”
McMahon though said he was trying to look for the positives. “Look I had a good run and made a lot of friends, although to be fair I’ve lost touch since the sacking. And during the 1990s some of the budgets I spent were out of this world. I remember once booking the Indies Trader IV, just for a weekend!” he laughs. “But just the other day my wife asked me whether I would consider going to labour in the mines and I almost had a heart attack. All I can do is move numbers around a spreadsheet, hassle surf shops and collect expense receipts. For me, it’s the surf industry or nothing.”
When the virus hit Sydney, it was the last thing we expected
When the infection reached to Gladesville, we tried to tame it
And when the streets were empty at Pyrmont, it suddenly dawned on us all
Hah, finally the world was silent and the door was shut.
Never mind the bear, let's poke the Blowin!
'What if China emerges even stronger after Coronavirus' - by Stan Grant
I'm the last guy here to hate on a good clickbait headline but that one is particularly shitful.
Know where in the article does Stan Grant ask that question and his conclusion is directly opposite the premise anyhow.
relax blowin.
"Know where in the article"
fucking spell check or auto suggest or whatever it is.
thats always my excuse.
I don’t doubt that China could remain approaching dominance when this is over.
Neoliberalism is the absolute worship of Mammon. As long as our nation’s leadership is held within the thrall of this ideology then all over China’s shortcomings will be overlooked due to their ability to provide a stable and cheap manufacturing environment . The voters have no say in the ideology their homelands follow in a modern democracy as the democratic freedoms are mostly subjugated by the time the process reaches the ballot box.
The politicians presented as our options have been vetted , groomed and cherry-picked so that the modern democracy offers no viable opportunity for ideological change whatsoever.
As witnessed by the ALP / LNP both being incrementally different shades of the same political colour.
It’s the corporatists who now control society and it’s with them that the potential disempowerment of China lies.
And I think that the first hints of this were starting to be displayed pre-virus anyway. The companies know that whilst China is great for them due to the wage arbitrage available between location of production and with their major markets , they also know that China owned businesses will soon be their main competitors.
The corporatists know that dealing with China may be initially cheap but it involves many costs such as lack of control / oversight due to distance, loss of control over supply chains , language and cultural barriers , Chinese state intrusion and corruption and unnecessary transport costs.
The corporatists want manufacturing to return to the West and away from exposure to China but they don’t want to pay any more in wages. That’s why our nations are being pressured to reduce standards of living. That is one of the main reasons that the Western sphere is being flooded with labour which is from countries accustomed to exploitation , semi-slavery and woefully poor standards of living.
Apart from this , I’ve said previously that our politicians take their cues from China and the Chinese style of governance. I honestly believe this is why we now see politicians no longer resigning from scandal and for their corruption to be ever more undisguised.....because they’ve all been on sponsored junkets to China and witnessed how they operate and are just culturally assimilating. And this isn’t just encouraged by China its shown as an inevitable future to the visiting delegations .
Just as Australia parroted all things USA during their undisputed reign -even down to our street signs - so it is now with China.
Caveat....anything is still possible though. China will lose its influence and both its hard and soft power if it stumbles economically which is still very possible. China was heading for a hard landing pre virus with its debt and the threat of the middle income trap hanging over its ambitions. Not to mention Trump forcing the world to at least acknowledge the downsides to continued blind acquiescence to their gangster led regime.
Now the virus may have crippled China if only temporarily. Despite the doctored statistics being released , the reality on the ground tells a starkly different story. China isn’t back on its feet by a long shot. Is the situation even improving? I doubt it myself.
I feel for the Chinese people, but I want the threat of Chinese intrusion and control removed from the World.
Now I read Freeride’s post.....
Probs should have completed the relevant link too, huh ?
ABC online can be pretty shocking, they often have misleading or irrelevant clickbait headlines.
It’s a rare day I read more than one article, and between Aunty and The Guardian I usually feel a bit manipulated and patronised.
#blessthepress
“The corporatists want manufacturing to return to the West and away from exposure to China“
Evidence?
I don’t reckon they give a shit, as long as they can keep squeezing the workers and the marketplace.
I don’t see reduced standards of living as having anything to do with a desire for manufacturing to return to the west, it’s simply a way to keep profits high with the political side benefit of a compliant workforce and also an entrenched working poor.
And of course squeezing wages will have no real broader effect.
“Retail slump 'off the scale' as stunted wage growth and bushfires turn shoppers off”
And now for the the effect of Coronavirus as well.
Strap yourselves in?
Stock up the pantry with tinned goods?
Maybe buy a shitload of veggie seeds.
https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-27/retail-slump-off-the-scale-as-...
Why the fuck do Australians sit in their car looking at the beautiful ocean with all the windows up and the engine running ?
Turn your car off you noisy coddled fuck and actually experience the place even if you do never leave the car park.
Hate that shit too, come in from a surf and get gassed by wankers sitting there, aircon running, talking on their phones, sometimes for a good length of time, 30 minutes plus.
Bad for your car too, especially for a turbo diesel with an egr valve, carbons up your intake manifold.
" he said that the government should send civilians to colonize the border regions......We should proceed to encourage people to migrate"
"This policy of resettling immigrants is far superior to deploying troops from remote places"
"This is a lasting strategy and the benefits will be enduring"
Written by a Chinese scholar around 150 BC in regards to the barbarian problem. It seems the template might still be relevant today
The English did it from 1788 .
The Chinese did it from 2008.
I knock on the window and tell them to turn the engine off.
I don’t like it when they turn the engine off.
Oh, you are going to stay, are you?
Greeaat.
Coronavirus Nightmare Could Be the End for Europe’s Borderless Dream
The crown jewel of the E.U., its network of open internal borders, has been hit hard by the refugee crisis. The virus could deliver another blow.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/26/world/europe/coronavirus-european-uni...
Yep this is just another reason we dont have open borders, imagine the complications this coranvirus thing would have caused if it had happened that year when Rudd was PM and 18K people arrived by boat.
Should be a reality check to the Greens and those for open borders, but i doubt it.
The EU is the epicentre of the Davos Globalists. They will never relinquish their dream of one world under control of a centralised bureaucracy.
That’s why they refuse to close borders now.
The greater the failure to respond the better as far as they are concerned.....they can blame it on a lack of cohesion and will implement even greater centralisation of power as the solution.
VJ, Schumann resonance at 27/2/2020, have a look brother.
Please take comfort in this spike. u can't see the wonderful vistas from the peaks unless you have embraced the magnificence of the valleys.
“imagine the complications this coranvirus thing would have caused if it had happened that year when Rudd was PM and 18K people arrived by boat.”
You sir, are a fucking genius.
Open borders?
Things called planes?
Fucking hello?
Smoko says you can come in, no questions asked, but you have to, (voluntarily mind you), “self isolate” for two weeks.
And boat arrivals are a problem he says...
The 1st world will dip and the 3rd world will rise,hence creating 1 level playing field.
Everything is perfect.everything that is going on is ment to be going.
Divide and conquer.
Let's talk about surf before the AFP kicks down the door
The EU .......read up on the history of Europe, its a blood bath, close borders and get nationalism going gets real messy.
Boat people 18k vers over 8 million tourists 2018 looking at 10 million 2019............ 1.39 million are Chinese visitors.
Let's not talk about the 100'sK seeking asylum arriving by plane?
This is a game changer for Europe.
https://www.nationalreview.com/news/turkey-will-allow-up-to-one-million-...
Have it cunts