Never too old to learn ...

... or should that be - never too old to attempt and try to comprehend multiple "error messages" while learning to transition between computers - one laptop with Windows 7 Howhile yes,me premium - bought about seven years ago ..... aaaand ....

And one new 'super computer black box" with Windows 10!!!  Arrrgh!

At this point a/. am trying to comprehend the differences between Win 7 and 10 ...
and somewhat non-plussed to find that everything, now, is 'online' or has to be 'aggregated'.

In other words, everything Windows has to be "connected" - as with Gollum Gurgle.

Why can't i simply operate my desktop computer - at home - disconnected from the "internet"??
Even the 'help' files have to be accessed 'online". (and any local comprehensible coherent computer "tech" person is located about 150klm away, and reluctant to discuss problems on the phone).

Once upon a time ... some 10, 15 years ago - when i first encountered the "internet" did, actually set up several "usernames' and associated "passwords" and - since i thought that some sort of "security" - except that i couldn't remember most of them - so printed them out and taped them all to the wall above my desk. (on the assumption that while they were 'visible' - someone would have to 'break in' to my house, smash the doors or windows - leaving, hopefully, physical evidence of "break and enter").

These days ???? have no idea. Apparently my computer "security" is controlled by Microsoft and/or Google. No, i do not have (or have so far avoided) any indentifiable presence on FarceBook or Twatter. But the personal information I have to supply to Microsoft and Google is becoming uncomfortable.  Do i trust them ??? NO.

Oh, well, can, at least, still walk to the local pub; share information without TWO "BIG BROTHERS" delving into my personal files and memories ... meh.

melaleuca - what's not to hate

Introduced weeds. Have recently watched an American produced Program - :"Dirty JOBS". **
I love it. one of the few "Septic Tank"  TV shit that i can cope with.

Melaleuca .. oops, as well as  the Californian eucalyptus, it seems that Australian invasive species is not only in Hollywood .... heh.

Um, at this point am only aware of the Free to air TV program "Dirty Jobs", on Australian Broadcasting Network ... funded by the Australian taxpayer as a  "Public Service".

However, also found it, fund it, on Googles 'Youtube'  - so who funds it - who stumps up the money to fund and make these sorts of programes??
NOT Google - PIGGYBACK on other efforts and funding????

Youtube pays zero  on 'publicly supplied video'. Oh yes, after Google purchased the 'startup' idea of 'youtube'  for a few million and turned it into a multiBillion "advertising" industry ...
It still remains some sort of TITLE click bait.

"THE WORST AIRCRAFT CRASH IN HISTORY!!" attracts more 'clicks' and "views" - than 'aircraft expert crash  investigators try to discover why'.


Or - Headlines - "TERRORIST DRIVES INTO SHOPPING CENTRE" .... until one discovers that some elderly daft bloke mistook the accelerator from the brake and broke the window of a hairdressing shop ...

and never let a "commercial" TV station 'reporter' stand too far away from the 'disaster' image which has the 'advertisers' image  somewhere in the background.

"Commercial" TV reporter standing in front of serious multilevel  apartment fire ...

Waffle, waffle ... Cut to
Advertisement for Fire Insurance ..... ????

Crap. Serious emotional manipulation.

** British version of Mike Rowe
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7UQqtEGlUI

energy effiency??

Efficiency??

Pinched from the internet; Australian Geographic? Open cut coal mine, Hunter valley, NSW

There is, at the moment, an Advertisement? On Australian TV extolling, and promoting the 'virtues' of coal mining - but part of that advertisement is a Japanese looking bloke in white coat and hard hat – telling the viewer that they are very proud that their coal fired electricity generators achieve 40% efficiency …. which sort of made me think a bit. Where has the other 60% gone?

So; does that include, or exclude, the expenditure of energy digging it out of the ground (not counting the 'energy' of the personnel involved, and their 'carbon footprint'). The cost of building and constructing the steel machines involved, and fuel used?

(Australia does not build or construct  any 'mining' machinery - all imported).

Then we have to consider the cost of the “transport” machinery. Railways, trucks, Port loading machines – all made of steel, mostly. Then the expenditure of energy building steel shipping – plus their diesel fuel to take it offshore – only to arrive at an 'unloading' facility and its steel structures.

Then, unless there is some sort of 'efficient' method of unloading the coal directly into the “electricity” generator … we have to factor in either further rail or road transport.

From my point of view, might be wrong, but that all adds up to a NEGATIVE percentage efficiency.

Now, I live about 3klm from a “wind farm”. (no negative health effects, so far). There are sheep grazing quite happily beneath and around the towers. The farmer is 'leasing' the land to the 'developer' of this array of electricity generation. Am sure that if he chose to grow wheat or barley there, most of the acreage is usable - If, at some point in the future, the towers rust away – the farmer, and/or his/her family RETAIN the AGRICULTURAL use of this land. Have only lived here for 18 months or so – but have yet to witness ALL of the turbines not-active.

While yes, building and constructing wind turbines involve the expenditure of energy – once they are up and running … energy output is, basically … free.

Unlike an open cut coal mine that destroys agriculture for many future children to come.

Coal dust is strewn along every rail corridor transporting it. The expenditure of negative energy is continuous.

However, there is a philosophical/political/social problem. Mining coal provides thousands of 'jobs' and a 'revenue' conundrum for, perhaps, short term political calculations.

As far as am aware there are two Wind Farm “managers” (plus or minus 'families') living on site; and yep, there may be a few 'technicians' on-call – a far cry from the thousands of employees involved in coal mining.

View from shoreline

electricity from a paddock

What is an Australian citizen?

Yer, i know, has been much in the 'news' recently - mostly relating to a change in the definition of a "457" visa.

Assume that i was NOT born in Australia, from parents that were actually born in Australia (none of whom have"papers" to "prove" that we are "citizens" - yer, well - apart from birth certificates).
Assume that my "Grandparents" have 'birth' certificates  that are difficult to discover (there was no 'internet discovery'  back then).
Does that make an "invalid"  Australian citizen? (yer, i know, two meanings 'invalid' or invalid).
 
Um, and also assuming that am competent in the language "English", have many "work experiences"  - in Australia ... am presuming that i qualify to be able to "work" in Australia, as a 'citizen'.
However, there seemed to be, somewhere around 2007,  some sort of  "use by" date tattooed on my forehead.

Ah, forgive me, am trying to figure out how this Federal Prime Minister and 'cabinet' Ministers define "citizens". (yep. was born in Australia - some time before our current Prime Minister was born).

Cutting a longish essay short - since have written about this before, and, as a traveller around, lived and worked in many places in Australia - find that there are many 'communities' where am considered an "outsider". If i cannot point to my grandparents headstone in the local graveyard - am considered a "tourist" - or, if i hang about in the vicinity for more than 6 years - remain a tolerated "outsider".

So, again cutting a longish essay short - it may take many 'generations', and re generations of children from migrants, and their children, and their children- to eventually construct what will eventually become the "peoples of Australia".

And this, basically, is what the  British English heritage "conservative" peoples are afraid of.

 There is more to Australia than fine China tea cups, imported American media influence,  and imported trees.

And yep, was never 'trained' by my parents into any "ritual belief". The animals on the farm did what they needed to do.



(to be continued)

Perhaps not ... am still trying to understand what, exactly, this local lot of "Conservative" aka 'Liberal/National Coalition' bunch of Federal Roman Imperial church dickhead politicians actually mean by "all citizens have to subscribe to AUSTRALIAN VALUES".
 Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?

local life ....

..my, or very many others."real" life,,, cannot really compare with this...

http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com.au/

 Did, way back then, follow this 'blog'. Have no idea where she is, now.

cognitive dissonance

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance

Am not really sure why am posting this here, as am sure that the three or four regular (?) readers of this blog are as astonished/amazed/horrified at the peculiar mindset of the American president as i am.

Am not even really sure that what i read on the interwebs and "news" reports about him are true or not -

however, i do read the 'reproductions' of some of his 'tweets' and have decided that the bloke is mentally unbalanced. Wasn't even sure what to call it - but cognitive dissonance came to mind.

 Frankly, i don't really care how much of a twit the twat is; doesn't affect ME very much - however, it does seem to be affecting the Australian political leadership(?) a fair bit. Mr. Harbourside Mansion (Prime Minister) seems to have taken some sort of cue, and is ramping up our own draconian "internal security". (as well as ramping up his 'furious' attacks on South Australia for "mindlessly" pursuing the policy of increasing wind and solar electricity generation. While yep, South Au does have the highest consumer price for electricity - that price is mainly set and driven by "interstate" suppliers (mostly coal generated - which makes me wonder that IF coal generation is "cheaper" - how come they charge MORE for it ??)

 Oh, back to one of President Twit's tweets. Can't find the exact tweet* just now, but relates to the so-called "deal" Between the Aussie gummint and Barack Obama - about the re-location of 1250 unfortunate refugees that we've parked, indefinitely, on some tropical hellhole of an island.

For a start, Donny Boy - there are not "thousands", and they're not "criminals" and it was never a "dumb deal" as America was given every chance to "choose" which one's to accept.

The other 'half cocked' Presidential decree is about the banning of citizens from countries which, by all accounts, have never supplied a 'terrorist' attack on American soil.

IN CONTRAST .....

have been looking up the statistics on American "home grown" mass murders.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/feb/08/trump-muslim-terrorists-gun-violence-america-deaths
(well worth a read).

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2015/oct/02/mass-shootings-america-gun-violence
(really worth a look, this one - pictorial graphic).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_shootings_in_the_United_States

 http://www.gunviolencearchive.org/reports/mass-shooting

This, of course, doesn't include the hundreds of thousands (millions) of civilians murdered by America in someone elses country  since 2009.... but am guessing "State sponsored " Terrorism doesn't really  really compute in some peoples 'world view'.



*https://thewest.com.au/news/world/trump-tweets-on-australian-refugee-dumb-deal-ng-b88374394z


 

Making America GRATE, again

Not much more that i could say, really ...

Nancy Pelosi, Democratic leader in the house, says Trump fired Yates “to get the answer he wants” on the legality of his travel ban:

Tonight, the acting attorney general was fired for upholding the constitution of the United States. What the Trump administration calls betrayal is an American with the courage to say that the law and the constitution come first.
President Trump’s executive order violates the constitution, dishonors our values, and weakens the security of the United States. National security experts are warning that the president’s ban will make it harder, not easier to defeat terror.
Earlier tonight, House Republicans blocked Democrats’ emergency bill to rescind this dangerous and unconstitutional executive order. Now, President Trump has fired the acting attorney general to get the answer he wants.
Republicans will have to decide whether they will be complicit in the President’s reckless, wrathful and unconstitutional agenda.

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2017/jan/30/trump-travel-ban-executive-order-world-protests-live

Controversy

O, just had to comment.

Have been watching the stoush between the Donald Drumf  (am expecting this link to vanish before too long)*1 fortress acolytes and the "media". Apparently the 'photo comparison' between the crowds at the inauguration is "wrong".

"I made a speech," says the Commander in Chief of a very dangerous Military/Industrial complex - self, as far away as Australia -watched him on TV; later, saying -"I made a speech", he then repeats, " ..the field (?) was full of people. There were millions there"...  '"the media is lying ...".

Not long later i see and hear a White house Press Secretary announce some " ...alternative facts ..".

(dunno about you lot, but have seen quite a few "photo comparisons" in recent years and - frankly, in this day and age of  computer aided "photoshop" (do it myself) ... and "fake news" - 'tis indeed difficult to decide what IS fact and what is not. At this point tend to believe that there were, in fact - fewer - people at Donald Drumpf's Inauguration; than there were at Barak Obama's .... but is has been obvious to any reader of this blog over the years of it's existence that am a sort of 'cynical', "socialist", "pagan".)
 ... but i tend to believe the photo comparison taken looking 'toward', not "from".

Am guessing that the view "from" the Inauguration podium "looks" like the patch between it and the monument was "full" of people. Am also cynical enough to look at the pic taken from behind - and wonder if there wasn't some 'organisation' behind the placement of the "crowds" ( to support an overweening Ego?).

I also enjoy the way this polyglot language "English" can be tipped, twisted, enjoyed - but also be used for nefarious intent. In Donny Drumpf's own written words ... " ... i use truthful hyperbole ...". *

Apparently his minions can now use "alternative facts". Somewhat like saying that "God created this planet - 6,000 years ago". (say it loud, repeat it long ... eventually the uneducated will believe it)

Carbon dating is, apparently - a "hoax". Every publication by thousands of dedicated scientists - over at least 3.000 years (apart from the Ron Hubbard acolytes who turned up in this small patch of this planet situated between Canada and Mexico some mere 200 or so years ago.) is also - apparently to some - a "hoax".

* yer, even i had to lookup this word. Doubt that the citizens of the most educationally deprived regions of America would have any knowledge - or even CARE what that means. The only word heard is 'truthful'.
* reference Gorge Orwell - rewrite history

O, how easy it seems to 'activate' the uneducated majority.

once upon a time ..

ROME: was the Greatest Empire within written history. (well, apart from Egypt - but that Empire sort of lost the plot a bit, because it could not write words in Latin; mainly because they had 3 or four thousand years of history before Rome was even a glimmer in Romulus or Remuses eye. ).

 Babylon ... nah , an Empire long before Saul of Tarsus had his 'falling off the donkey' moment - and decided that alliance with the Roman Imperial Army might be better option than becoming nailed to a tree.

 Mohmmet ... mmm,,. have no real notion from where He 'derived His ideas'; but will continue to remind readers the "written Word" of Mahomet (Yhw rest his soul) came 600 years after the notion of "Yeshua ben Yoseph).


(yep, this is a sort of jest, but based on written and scientific archeological History).


Might actually continue this post ... later ... since it was actually prompted by my memories of actual work experience with Griffin Press, South Australia. A Book printing factory some time back in the 1970's ?

Worked on the 'bookbinding' machines; paperback and 'hardback" for three or four years . Also had the opportunity to wander among all the other complex machinery and disciplines of "printing" a "book".

And yes, way back then, disquiet and wonder - how could it be possible to "Print", Bookbind, AND TRANSPORT a book back to Australia cheaper than WE could produce?

Which brings me, now, to what sort of Australia the young people will 'believe in'.
Every "movie' and Television station broadcast is from America - do we really need a society that 'smashes' every motor vehicle and building in it's way?

Do WE really need to teach our children that it's OK to play "computer games" where it's possible  to "get shot" several times, become dead , then click "reset; start again"???

Seriously where are the 'computer games' where if you "crash a car" you are damaged and a whole heap of 'support services" turn up

.... and you "lose" points as long as you "really" stay in any 'publicly funded hospital'.


Do they REALLY understand this REAL concept?

Which sort of reminds about  the Drumf version of this planet .
There is no help out there. Ya wanna climb Mountains - go fer it but do not blame me if ya fall off. DO NOT expect rescue. There IS no community support if you are not in the Donald Drumpf House of tinsel and gold plate.

Fascinating. However i still have faith that this planet, and the peoples on it have more native intelligence, and more resilience than anyone in the smallish patch of ground between Canada and Mexico ...meh

Pondering the problem of duality

Mostly about "citizenship" , I see many calling themselves "Italian Australian"   - but more pertinently "African American". From my point of view, one cannot be both.

Where does one's basic loyalties lay?

If people come to Australia from overseas, take an Oath,  granted "citizenship" .... what do they then call themselves?

Oddly, those who have 'family history' stretching back almost before "Federation" of Australia have never been 'required' to "Swear an Oath" to be loyal to Australia and 'obey it's laws".

......also, am very annoyed about this confusion about the words "aboriginal" and "indigenous" ..
How many generations does it take to become 'indigenous'? The place where i was born. The place where my parents were born. The place where my Grandparents were born.

However, am not of the 'aboriginal' peoples. My 'cultural' history is quite different.

Has also travelled around this vast landscape as a sort of 'gypsy'. Am  aware of what it's like to live in poverty in a desert.

Printing fake money

Has anyone, really, recently - had a serious look a whatever is held in Fort Knox??

patience

Pinched this one from a 'comment' way back when Womby's drivel made sense .. of a sort ..

The notion of patience could, i guess, be turned into a rather long essay .. the stalking cat was never impatient enough to invent the shotgun, Wildebeasts have never become impatient enough to invent the aeroplane .. heh.

Only really mention this because I. AM. Impatient.  Have been trying to negotiate bureaucratic blockages to get my Yamaha XT250 motorbike re-registered for use in South Australia. YES, i understand the reasons, YES, perhaps necessary to 'control' things ... but also find it extremely frustrating. With frustration, the beginnings of anger appear. Anger is not very socially acceptable.

Settle down Davo, breathe deeply - all is well, and progressing as it should ....

Perhaps some background on this. NSW 'rules and regulations ' are somewhat different to those in South Australia. Did ring the local "Roads and Transport" Authority to ask how to do this. O, just go to your local RTA office and they'll sort it out. Really? The 'local' RTA is a 300klm round trip away.
O, they say, then the local police will inspect the vehicle and give you the paperwork.

Rang the local constabulary landline number. Hello, Port Pirie here. ???
Port Pirie is 500klm away. UM, say i, wanted to talk to the 'local' policeman.
O, he's on a day off, ring again tomorrow at about 9am.
Did that. Organised that he should call in to my place that day to check the NSW rego papers and confirm that the engine Number and VIN numbers coincided.
Waited all day. No turn-up, and no contact.
This morning, 9am, rang again. O, will be there today. (grrrr mmph).

11am, policeman turns up.  Was somewhat shocked to be told that the motorbike had been stolen in New South Wales ..

... but had been recovered and was now legally registered in my name .... phew!. Am not in the habit of being the receiver of 'stolen' goods.

So, to borrow a phrase, All's well that ends well.
Apart from the fact that now have to - a/. travel to Kadina and back to sort out the actual registration plates ... then b/. Organise a 'test' on the bike to "up-grade" my "learner's" permit for South Australia - which expires on November 11th. (hello Guy Fawkes, have a smidge of understanding with you ... heh).  MumbleGrumble ... a "learner" after 55 years experience with a wide range of motor vehicles, on many roads throughout Australia? Bleah!


Am hoping that my 'lifetime' licence to exist on this planet will not "expire" any time soon.

Facebookistan

Watched an interesting documentary on local SBS TV the other night.

Mark Zuckerberg chortling that "sharing" information was a good thing ,,, but the 'investigator' in the documentary could find very little information about how Facebook works, or what they are doing with the vast amount of information that they collect on individual users.

Sign onto Facebook at your peril.
(oddly, i do have , or had, a Facebook page. They'll say that you can't use a nom de plume - yes, you can, i have; but apart from creating an account - have never given them any more information).

imagery ..

Oops

At this point have no real idea what it actually means.

Once upon a time was an actor on stage. Real people, standing on a real stage in full view of a real audience.

...... oh, memories ... perhaps, one day will find a companion who will listen ....
memories of a horse .. named 'Mister'  .. but self always thought of him as "Mistre' .. a gelding - neither male nor female.

At this point am wondering why the "American" film industry think it important to destroy ever more motor vehicles, and ever more buildings in evermore (unreal CGI) ... "spectaculars".

 Wars are ugly, real people become dead, defaced, debilitated.

more pics

Um, now this is interesting. All this pic says is that i saw some horses on a road. At this point am looking for pics that actually prove that self was on a horse at that time. Um ..
Searching though pics labelled 'pic 33032, 33033, 33034 ... meh.

One of these days will "label" these things.

(meh, mumble, grumble, need a 'secretary' of some sort, sort things out ... mumble, grumble - and don't give me the shits about secretaries should be female ... males are just as capable ... mmmmble)

i do have a whole heap of 'video' files .. but have yet to discover how to transfer them from "ancient" Hi8, 'Minitape' ... et al - to something that Microsoft and/or 'Apple" can recognise .... Bleah.

 Am tempted to publish my "postal" address .. simply to see if anyone "remembers" how to write 'longhand' on 'paper' .... erk ... am tempted to find a swan, from which a decent 'quill' pen originated. Mash some 'fibres' (fibers, if an american) to make "paper" ... though import of reeds from Egypt might be expensive (they need it, their 'balance of payments' theses days  is negative; who, in their sensible senses wants to 'tour' as a tourist these days through the "Middle East"? O, deary me, nobody with white skin is safe there.

? Yer, i know, "losing the the plot" with pallid skinned peoples.Arrogant arseholes.

Chardonnay socialism ...

Now there's an interesting idea.

Am, at this point, assuming that the "caffe Latte", Chardonney Intellectuals can actually 'afford' to be so..

Think about it. Me, in local foodstore. See two 200mg coffee tins. One price $3.10 - the "Brand name" - 200mg - $8.-00.  Who is screwing who - here.

viral ... ? updates??

Um, am almost sure what 'microbes' are - bacteria and viruses in "real" life - however -

Apparentlty "Going viral" means something quite different in 'computerland'.

Having said that - this - is something that any sensible person should see -
Aussie humour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlEiZ8aCigw


(Thanks, to Diogenes -still alive, apparently ).
Um, update - the "youtube.com" link from gerry's site
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL8JEEt2RxI#t=48

"has been removed" if you click on the link in this site you will be misled.

where do the elders go ... ?

Anthony John Abbott is on a 'roll' - Prime Minister of Australia - and enjoying it.
More than AU$500,000.00 per year, plus perks.

Carpetbagging Politicians, and their ideas come, and go. The peoples of Australia - persist.

Posts re-visited

http://wombatswaffles.blogspot.com.au/2011/02/fire-and-water.html

Yep, i know, have been very slack on the "political agitation" of late but hey ... am expecting the 'youngies' to take up the baton. One of the problems that i have, here, in relative isolation, is access to very little information about what is happening in the rest of Australia - much less involvement with the rest of the planet (rest of the planet? perhaps that should read 'the un-rest' of the planet).

There are no "Muslim terrorists" in the immediate vicinity - nor likely to be. No 'murders' during the past 5 years since have been here (though yes, there have been 'altercations' with one or two neighbours; one of which almost resulted in me being choked to close to death, simply because i wanted to see what was happening to my caravan which had lent to a previous tenant of the property nearby. Seriously. A crushed larynx ... for a few days. Have, obviously, learned to keep spoken words, and my thoughts, to myself).

Most of my "comments" about the really quite ridiculous (open to ridicule) Federal nincompoops in charge at the moment - are on The Guardian AU  ... or collecting information from ABC TV and SBS documentaries.

So, self is reduced to just pottering about, trying to keep my opinions to myself; and simply surviving.

so, what's new

Um, pissed around with someone wondering what the concept of a truly inclusive National "Flag" should be ... who cares, who gives a shit about IF - and what WE want to be.

She'll be right , mate. No worries ...

Not good enough. I know , i know .. Australian Enterprise, unique ideas. Our scientific achievements
are becoming  " sold off"  - to the highest bidder .

Yep - everything has a "price".




Not every person with wealth can buy the future of this planet.
3rd rock from the sun.

Meh.