enz

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

2 hours ago, enz said:

... here in NZ where we have some people getting a gun and wanting to use it in order to get a "macho" image to themselves and their mates, so we may be on the edge of a horrible slide; 

Not wanting to be nasty, but let's not forget the Christchurch mosque shooting in 2019 - 51 were murdered.

 

It is important to remember these things - even if they are horrible.

I don't feel that you're being nasty, but I can assure all I haven't forgotten Christchurch Mosque and Islamic Centre shootings; I actually live in Chch and occasionally drive past the mosque when heading to the western side of town. I remember feeling a sense of shock when first seeing it reported - how can this be, this isn't the NZ I thought I had. Also not wanting to offend, especially our Australian commenter MaF and others, but  the news that the perpetrator is Australian brought a tiny amount of relief along with shame (along with horror, disgust, despair, etc).

1 hour ago, Ozexpatriate said:

Over the years much revisionist history has evolved over the revolution. What is forgotten is that the French Royal Navy (Ancien régime) essentially won the revolution*. (They would later lose the wider revolutionary war to the RN in places like the Caribbean and Indian Ocean.)

Thanks for the info there, in particular the English Bill of Rights point. Learning something (without pain) improves the day. It's appreciated.

But without wanting to annoy (I can usually accomplish that without wanting to, it's a natural talent I have), I feel I should disagree with the thesis that the French Royal Navy essentially won the revolution. I consider that Navies (and Air Forces) generally cannot win wars on land - victory at sea (or in Chesapeake Bay I think) may create the environment in which the war can be won, but it still must be won on the ground. In this case the French navy won control of sea access to the colonies so denying the British the ability to supply and reinforce their forces, but the British only needed to supply and reinforce their forces because the Colonists were fighting. I'm not saying that the Colonists would have won without the French victory, but it was a necessary but not sufficient condition. (And that'll annoy any Americans who'd like to believe they did it all themselves).

Regard, enz

1 hour ago, monkeysarefun said:

There must be a PHD waiting on why Australia and the US, although both sharing many historic similarities  - both large frontier countries populated by an Indigenous people who were mercilessly subjugated, both with settlements springing up far from existing civilisation due to gold discoveries or opening up of new lands to farmers and graziers, and both with a "macho" outdoorsy self-reliant self-image among a large part of the population do not share the same gun violence path. 

But there is (at least) one big difference: Australia didn't have a revolution to kick the British Crown out. USA did, and it was the availability of guns that enabled it, so my hypothesis (well, suggestion really as I don't know what I'm writing about) is that the gun became associated with "liberty" and "individual authority". It's an icon and a symbol that the state can't make me do what it wants as much as a tool, whereas in us colonies it's a tool for hunting or target shooting. And as an icon, my gun is almost a sacred object and it won't hurt me - it's all the other guns that will

Two things come to mind: I suspect an importation of USA culture is leading to an increase in gun murders here in NZ where we have some people getting a gun and wanting to use it in order to get a "macho" image to themselves and their mates, so we may be on the edge of a horrible slide; and down here the nearest equivalent is knife murders, but they kill less because using a knife requires a lot more physical effort.

Do you think that turning up to the courthouse wearing a MAGA hat would be enough to be excused Jury duty?

Another idea occurs -  could Donald claim to empanel his own jury (selected on the basis that they are wearing MAGA hats), but of 20 members, say, and then declare that as his jury is bigger then he wins the court case? Should this be suggested to him?

1 hour ago, Dave Hunt said:

I once asked an MP at a large public meeting why he wasn’t representing what from the tone of 100% of the inputs from the floor were obviously the views of his constituents. His reply was that he wasn’t elected to represent the views of his constituents but rather their best interests.

 

Dave

Correct and brave to say it. cf my understanding of "the speech to the electors of Bristol" by Burke (I think), which basically was "I am your agent in Parliament, not your mouthpiece, so I will act in what I believe to be in your best interests given the information I have not necessarily what you may tell me".

enz

Edit: now I see I'm late to the debate - apologies.

It's the ten legs and primate-looking head (until you reach the fangs) on the AI spider that has me worried - is it a Maralinga variant?

And as for the huntsman closeup, that may be tonight's nightmare subject taken care of, thank you! (Look at those fangs, just look at them!!!).

33 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

Its Gods Own mate!

 

 

Check this out - everyone wants to move to the USA . 

 

 

 Except for those from  one country who know it can't get any  better....

 

https://cf.datawrapper.de/dduui/2/

Yeah, but which God - Thanatos?

28 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

Back in our dads age the standard reaction to seeing a snake was to try to hit it with a shovel, which is exceptionally hard to do when they are riled up so many people died as a result. Particularly in the case of the Taipan, which pulls back into an S shape prior to striking and can launch itself full body length into the air and bite in the upper leg or midriff, where it is almost impossible to tourniquet.

 

Prior to the development of anti-venom in the 60's or 70's  a bit from a Taipan was 100% fatal.

 

The Brown Snake is responsible for most deaths here. Deaths in Sydney in recent  years have ranged from a  young boy who was bitten while out in some bush and ran in panic back home  to mum but died before reaching her due to his exertion which allowed the venom to circulate more quickly, to an elderly lady in the northern suburbs who was found dead in her back yard . A "Midsommer Murders" style investigation concluded she'd been bitten by a Brown Snake  while gardening without realising it - often the bite itself is painless.

 

I'm not giving this info a "useful" rating as I really, really don't want to have to use it! Any desire to visit Aus again is taking a significant drop.

From a snake-free NZ - enz

2 hours ago, Izzy said:

I'm of the opinion that in the early days most layouts placed operational use at the forefront of their designs with just mostly token scenery within the railway boundary unlike today where the opposite often exists with many and the railway side seems almost incidental to the scenic one. 

 

To my mind Minories falls into the former category and I still often think I would like to build a minimal size version but get stuck at wanting to expand the range of trains to make it more interesting to operate. How to do so without expanding the track design much or having more platforms. Different types of traffic rather than just more of the same. That would I feel get boring to operate quite quickly for a lone modeller such as myself.

 

Bob

You could close the station (or part of it) to passengers and run it as a parcels and/or small consignments goods station. Perhaps have a passenger service in the day and all goods at night using one of the platforms for a limited passenger service or all three swapping function. If you assume that some of the stock are going to different destinations, either as trip workings or the nucleus of inter-city parcels or newspaper trains, you would be able to have some entertaining shunting, if that's your thing.

Just a suggestion, but I think it could work to provide variety.

Evan

8 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

You'll change your mind the minute you are being chased by baddies..

Still dreaming of Mad Max as a Utopia, are you?  (Being pursued by a bunch of Bikies and Kundalini who wants his hand back).

Hello, Boardpersons of Castle Aching.

A couple of comments / questions on the plans for BA, if I may.

Firstly, should you attempt to combine coal yard and sorting? As I understand it, the coal yard works with wagons that are placed and left because the merchants will be in those wagons unloading at any time of the day. They won't want to be told to clear off for long periods while the railway shuffles wagons around for it's own purposes - and a sorting yard is all about wagons being shuffled around for the railway's purposes. The miniature employees of the coal merchants will not appreciate attempts to merge the two if they are being told they have to empty a wagon which may suddenly move at any moment.

Secondly, there's a lot trying to fit into BA. It's a four way junction and practically every train and every wagon passes through. That'll involve a lot of marshaling, and I'm not sure there is enough space to fit it within the visible section along with the passenger and goods facilities. So a suggestion - how about a 'virtual' marshaling yard just beyond the road bridge (in real terms another couple of cassette lines between the two coastal lines, replacing the carriage shed (I think it is)). Advantages are unlimited storage and easy train makeup for CA and Achingham, disadvantages are you don't see the wagons and you don't get to play with a shunter making up the train - but I recall that the Chair has observed that he's not really that much into goods operation and I suggest there will be plenty of shunting to do with the coal/shed/mileage sidings anyway.

Hope it's acceptable to make these suggestions and they trigger thought rather than confusion. Regards - Enz.

27 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

 

 

Perhaps that's how you could decide it,  with a game of Rugby. 

 

(though Labour  should be prepared for runs down the far-right wing, that's where the biggest boofheads seem to play!)

You suggest that the hallowed game be sullied with such a second rate interest as politics?  You have much to learn, youngling! ;)

@The White Rabbit, I can't decide whether I rate your words of military wisdom above as funny, informative, thought-provoking, or pretty much all of the alternatives available on the like button. Where's the "all of 'em" button when needed.

A thoroughly amused enz.

2 hours ago, polybear said:

 

2 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

To experience a wide range of mosquito borne viruses in Australia you can go to the southern states for the chance to catch   Murray Valley encephalitis, Japanese encephalitis or Kunjin virus,  up to the tropical parts for all your  Ross River Virus or Dengue virus requirements.. 

 

Those of a more adventurous nature can hang out with fruit bats/flying foxes.  7% of which carry the Australian Bat Lyssavirus, which so far has killed every un-immunised  person who has been bitten by one.  Alternatively get up close and personal with a horse for your chance to get Hendra Virus, transferable from fruit bats to humans via horses - though  in comparison this  has  a mortality rate of only 70%.

Expand  

 

"Only?"  Well, that's ok then.....

Jeez, what is it with you lot - death wish? 

Aren't the Snakes/Spiders/Crocs/Sharks/Jellyfish/Stonefish/Plants enough??  Now you have to throw in diddly little invisible buggy virus thingies into the game for a bit of added excitement.

Clearly not enough, Mr Bear. That's why Australia imported the Cane Toad.

2 hours ago, iL Dottore said:

And whilst on the subject of morbid obesity; there are some now within the medical profession (and certainly within the bureaucracy of the NHS), who are now insisting that doctor should not tell their obese patients that they are obese.

 

Pointing out the b***** obvious to a patient and highlighting all the negative aspects of being morbidly obese, is now discrimination (and there are some "body positive" extremists on TikTok and other social media outlets who believe being told by a doctor that they are obese is "hate speech")

 

Given that the NHS spends 60% of its budget on treating the medical consequences  of obesity, alcohol abuse and smoking, I think that the "body positive" extremists need to have a serious rethink.

There's nothing wrong with body positivity per se - people come in all shapes and sizes and beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but to insist that morbid obesity is healthy and normal is, at best, deeply misguided.

Hi people

(Warning: the following may be uncomfortable for persons currently identifying with the status 'unwell'. I have found that my sense of absurdity may unintentionally bother some people. Also, it contains many exclamation marks, some multiple. Terry Pratchett's warning may apply.)

Read the quoted section over lunch and it's raised some thoughts. This could create some problems with treatments. If my doctor considers I am obese and that is causing medical issues, can they offer me treatments without telling me the reason - so much for informed consent ( and it wouldn't work anyway once I get back to Dr Google and find out what I have been prescribed is used for weight reduction). Alternatively, they could offer treatments for the symptoms rather than treat the cause, but that might be like giving me a paracetamol and a sticking plaster for a mangled leg, leaving me 'uncured' and them risking malpractice.

But on the upside, it offers a wonderful solution to all the NHS issues I keep reading about on here. ALL illness diagnosis is discriminatory! There is no illness!! How dare you label people as 'ill' - you're being healthist and applying a discriminatory label!!! They should be allowed to continue with being 'differently-enabled-by-body/health'  and no interference! Thus, no medical treatments are required! No NHS - no problems with it!  No money needed for Western 'medicines' so no big Pharma - it keeps on getting better! (Come to think of it, employers will love this - no need for sick leave either!) Sorry you're going to be out of a job iL Dottore, but you're retiring anyway, aren't you? Think of all the medical personnel suffering from the stresses of their work - all gone! (Actually gone twice, since claims of 'stress' is itself discriminatory - I am 'differently-emotioned/differently-self_biochemically_functioned, thank you.)

There's always a silver lining if you look hard enough.

Regards, enz.

44 minutes ago, simonmcp said:

The brickwork on the lower half of the right hand section near the ladder is appalling, looks like it could collapse at any moment.

Subsidence?

That would be an interesting thing to model in a mining area. Or in my case, possibly an excuse for the state of the model.

Regards, Evan

And so a question on locomotives going uphill morphs into a discussion on trains going downhill.  I know thread drift is a thing, it's the sheer opposite of theme that amuses me and I can't help but remark on it.

- E

3 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

 Snip...

 

Australian Iron And Steel at Port Kembla was a major source of apprenticeships,  and traineeships when I was at school, "The steelworks" was about a 45 minute drive south so was a distinct employment option and I know quite a few from my school who worked there. Was always in the news in the 70s and 80s for  stories about sulphur and acid in the air etc. I recall one story recording how The  Locals would hang out their washing and when taking it in find dozens of small holes in their sheets, the air there really was suss!

 

...EndSnip

 

Sydney - where even the air wants to kill you.

Actually, I'm not sure you can blame the steel mill - this is Australia, with all it's interesting wildlife. It could have been tiny spider hatchlings ballooning and being blown on to the washing, and being babies (not yet fully in control of mouthparts) drool some venom on it, thus corroding the holes. I mean - which is really more likely in Australia - production or wildlife.

(Not a conspiracy theory at all.)

Regards from NZ - e.

13 hours ago, monkeysarefun said:

Here we have a specific New Zealand section, which seems to be mainly chocolate fish, something called pineapple lumps and tinned mutton.

What, you lot haven't claimed Chocolate Fish yet?!

A true NZ section should also contain NZ-origin Marmite, surely, lest the citizens of these blessed isles be forced to turn to that culinary violation referred to as Vegemite. (It turns out that Marmite has regional variations, as we found out when the factory that produced it shut down after it was found to have been damaged in the Christchurch Earthquake of 2011. They tried to import South African Marmite, but it wasn't the same taste apparently.)

Let's go back towards first causes.

The invention of Agriculture.

It replaced a relatively easy lifestyle of hunter/gatherer with the unremitting labour of farming, it replaced travel over an area with the requirement to stay in one place, it both enabled and forced population growth, it enabled the growth of elites, and it enabled all the inventions given in the replies above.

Agriculture - bad idea leading to more bad ideas.

(You could go further and suggest the domestication of fire, but I see that as an acquisition rather than invention, and I rather like the warmth and light at night.)

Regards - Evan

8 hours ago, F-UnitMad said:

I have an idea - simply lynch any driver that hits a bridge, and leave the bodies hanging by the roadside ahead of the bridge - that should be an effective deterent, and satisfy the demands of the more outspoken opponents of road transport (who, of course, are absolutely perfect drivers themselves, who've never made any mistake ever, of even the smallest kind)...

🙄🙄🙄😁😁😁

No,no - hanging in front of the bridge with the rope sized so the feet of the victim hang a couple of inches below the clearance. That way you can tell if your vehicle  will squeeze through. Even comes with a slogan to help remember - "if you get a kick you won't fit!"

59 minutes ago, monkeysarefun said:

Knowing my fellow countryfolk,  they'd have probably been jumping up and down on it. I would have.

I thought that Aussies jumping up and down on things was to try to deal with the spiders  (and possibly snakes, bit I suspect the snakes would get their revenge).

And on a genuine concern - with all the rain falling and the plants (aka fire fuel) growing, how will this affect the next fire season? Could be bad. Hopefully not.

Regards - E

Even the aircraft don't want to go to Australia. Perhaps the engine has technology from the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation lifts allowing it to see it's near future. 

(If obscure - Sirius CC lifts, if I remember the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy correctly, could predict the near future so they would know that you needed a lift before you did. As with all Sirius CC tech, it was problematic - particularly if the lift wanted to hide in the basement.)

- E

A greater understanding of the Aussie psyche can be gained by realizing that, to Australians, Mad Max isn't dystopic, its aspirational.

From a Kiwi. - enz