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Indecline (that local anarchist art collective) released another short video of them stealing supplies and distributing it to the homeless.
From Cranky Cottage, today, 2 April.
Recently bought some quick oats. Have decided I don't like them.Consequently, tomorrow I'm baking a lot of ANZCA biscuits (cookies) My favourites, besides it's ANZAC Day here on April 25. It's the most revered day in the Australian calendar and a national public holiday. This year the country-wide dawn services and marches have been cancelled. Also a couple of thousand Australian youths will not be able to go to Gallipoli Cove in Turkey for the dawn service. Bloody shame. I love catching the young doing good things.
Huffpost Canada today:
Canada, with a population of 37.5 million, has announced a wage stimulus package of 95 $billion.
Last week, the Prime Minister Of Australia (population 22 million) announced a package of $130 $billion.
Some Canuck has also posted a video 'Thank goodness for plastic money' showing washing bank notes with soapy water ,in a sink. How droll.
Canada introduced plastic bank notes in 2011. Australia introduced them in 1988. I guess there's enough smug to go around for sledging the US, with their weird paper money all the same colour.---El stiffo if a bloke leaves banknotes in his jeans which then go into the wash. I'm not sure you CAN disinfect paper.
Me? I've been using my credit card, and slipping it into my wallet for the week or two between uses.
@Cranky: ANZAC Day here on April 25. It's the most revered day in the Australian calendar
I hope this ANZAC day Australian politicians remember that the "NZ" in the middle stands for New Zealand. There are over half a million New Zealanders living and working in Australia. We're classed as residents for tax but non-residents for welfare. A lot of those people have lost their jobs and face great hardship after working and paying taxes here for years, while Australians living in New Zealand have access to the same safety nets as New Zealanders.
To make matters worse for New Zealanders in Australia, it's getting very hard to book flights home across the Tasman. My daughter and her family have been bumped four times so far.
Despite repeated calls from his New Zealand counterpart, Australia's prime minister is adamantly refusing to consider any form of assistance to New Zealanders trapped here without incomes. Some christian! Some human being!
So maybe it's time to stop pretending there's a special relationship and take the NZ out of ANZAC.
@Algebe
The attitude of the Australian government towards Kiwis here is to be expected.
Government policy, foreign or domestic is seldom if ever made on the basis of moral principle.The New Zealand government's current policy towards Aussies in NZ is simply because it is in New Zealand's perceived best interest.
Countries don't have friendships. They have interests, they have allies, they have enemies and there are countries towards which governments are indifferent . . 'Friendships' are based on self interest and quid pro quo.
While many individual Aussies (including me) look upon Kiwis as cousins, no Australian government ever has ever been so sentimental. It cannot afford to be.
The Australian government will only change its attitude to Kiwis living here if the New Zealand government either offers inducements or threatens sanctions.
@Algebe
I hope you have been able to get your daughters family home to NZ. Algebe. I just read an article today that NZ is well on its way to "elimination" of the virus.
While NZ has its issues, I increasingly feel folks from NZ most closely represent my personal ideals. Family, work, friends all keep me in Colorado, but I am increasingly ready to make the sacrifices to move half way around the world to live among people that more closely align with my ideals than USA is at.
It is interesting why a time of stress can reveal a side to a person. Here in Ontario we have our conservative Premier, Doug Ford. I sit on the opposite side of he spectrum to his political ideals, and I associated him more with Trump than a person with a heart.
But in the recent few weeks, he has conducted himself an a totally exemplary fashion. In a press conference he was baited by a reporter into going against political opponents. But he stuck to the script, his sole goal for now is just the crisis, politics have taken a back seat. When Ford discovered that some unscrupulous retailers were hoarding and price-gouging, he went ballistic, going to open war with any price gougers. He was talking serious fines and prison time. And as far as senior's homes, he is devoting tremendous resources towards protecting the elderly.
The sign on Ford's desk is "The Buck Stops Here". The sign on Trump's desk is "it wasn't my fault".
@Thread
This might need a separate thread:
YOU KNOW IT'S SERIOUS WHEN:
An elderly celebrity dies
A young celebrity dies
Boris Johnson contracts the virus.
Donald Trump admits it's serious , but nothing connected the the virus is his fault
Donald Trump contracts virus and dies.
When a close friend or family member goes into ICU
When YOU go into ICU
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))
Huffpost US this morning, from the UK; Seems some private companies are selling Covid19 test kits on line, at around $299 a pop. Many Brits are outraged because there is a shortage of tests in the UK's National Health System ---What to do? Simple, pass draconian anti profiteering laws-( ?) I would, in a heart beat.
In the meantime, in Oz and elsewhere, scalpers are selling scarce items on Ebay. Anyone for a $50 pack of loo paper?
@Cranky Re: Scalpers
If only it were legal to hunt down those fuckers and put a bullet through each of their knees. Then, for the icing on the cake, force them to buy their medical supplies at four or five times the retail price.
Oooooh... A hunting I would go!
A hunting I would go!
Hi-ho the merry-oh!
A hunting I would go!
It would be totally worth buying the extra ammo.
@ Tin man
"If only it were legal to hunt down those fuckers and put a bullet through each of their knees. Then, for the icing on the cake, force them to buy their medical supplies at four or five times the retail price."
You don't live in Australia do you?
Here it's very difficult for an urbanite to own any kind of hand gun. The ban extends to bladed weapons and various more exotic things from bows/cross bows to nanshoku and shuriken.
Here in oz, ire would be more likely to be expressed by harming the miscreant's car. (Aussies LOVE our cars)This would range from keying the vehicle to setting fire to it---
--Or perhaps pouring a large container of hospital grade bleach over his roses or indeed, his car. The possibilities are limited only by one's imagination.
I don't feel comfy with the idea of shooting another person***. I'd probably get carried away and fire a couple of warning shots.Into his head.
The old half a house brick through a widow is always a favourite. -- Ohh, what about public floggings or bringing back the stocks, perhaps setting them up in the carpark of a large shopping centre? People could throw things at them . EG rotten vegetables, excrement, bottles, rocks, maggoty possums--------
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((9))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
**and yes, I've been trained in handling a few weapons, including 7.62 SLR, Armalite and M60 machine gun. Rated marksman with SLR. I love guns as beautifully engineered objects. Have never owned a firearm, nor allowed one on my property ( civilians with firearms can be sooooo fucking STUPID!!!)
@Cranky
Re: "Here it's very difficult for an urbanite to own any kind of hand gun."
Eh, no worries, mate. I'm quite good at adapting and improvising. Pretty sure baseball bats are legal there. Can do just as much damage to a knee as with a bullet. And, heck, thinking about it, using a baseball bat might even be more satisfying... *chuckle*...
Re: "I'd probably get carried away and fire a couple of warning shots.Into his head."
Oh, I agree, my initial knee-jerk reaction was to go for the head, to be honest. But, in all fairness, simply being a dishonest jerk-off douchebag profiting off a dire situation doesn't quite rank up there with those I believe deserve head shots. (ALMOST, but just not quite.) Therefore, I have to extend a bit of leniency and settle for fucking up their knees. Hey, I try to be a fair guy... *shrugging shoulders*...
Re: "Ohh, what about public floggings or bringing back the stocks, perhaps setting them up in the carpark of a large shopping centre? People could throw things at them . EG rotten vegetables, excrement, bottles, rocks, maggoty possums..."
Heeeeeyyyy... *thoughtful look*... You may have something there. I like where your mind is. The only downside I can see, though, is there are some weird folks out there who might actually enjoy receiving that type of "punishment". Just ask Cog. He should know... *chuckle*...
@Tin-man
"The only downside I can see, though, is there are some weird folks out there who might actually enjoy receiving that type of "punishment".
Don't worry about that. I'm reasonably sure that even for a masochist , the pleasure of pain eventually becomes just pain. Perhaps you could test my theory on cog.
Peripheral, but pertinent . I suspect you might be aware one reason for the success of the James Bond Books, is that they are sado-sexual. Another reason is that they are short and only require a reading age of about 12.
Anyway, in one book, a nasty has 007 in his clutches. 007 is placed in one of those chairs wit has a hole in the base. His scrotum is left swinging in the breeze. The nasty takes one of those cane feather dusters and proceeds to smash 007's testicles with it. Most males will cross their legs even thinking of such a thing. Anyway, the pain is understandably excruciating. Until it isn't . At a point approaching death, the pain begins to change into pleasure. --------Have never noticed that scene in any of the Bond movies, I can't think why.
@Cranky Re: "I'm reasonably sure that even for a masochist , the pleasure of pain eventually becomes just pain."
... *chuckle*... Telling on myself here a bit, but there have been several times over the years I have been called a masochist by a variety of people. One time in particular that stands out in my mind was during my military days and was working as part of the support crew for SF teams who were going through Advanced Urban Combat training. As part of the support crew, we were tasked with being the OPFOR (aka: Bad Guys) when the teams conducted live scenario rotations. (At this point I should mention that Simunition rounds were used by all parties during these little exercises. For those not familiar with Simunition rounds, I'll just say they make getting hit with a paintball feel like a caressing love tap... lol...) Anyway, to keep it simple, allow me to give a brief example of what the OPFOR guys had to endure.
Picture a small room of maybe 20ft.x20ft. (often smaller, though). Now, picture you are placed in this room by an instructor and you are armed with an Army issued 9mm semi-auto pistol loaded with Sim rounds. You are then told by the instructor, "Stand in the middle of the room, and when they come in, wait for them to all get in before you start shooting." (See where this is going?... *chuckle*...) So there you are, standing in the middle of this very small room, facing the closed doorway, weapon in hand hidden behind your back. Suddenly.... BAM!... The door crashes open and then immediately the doorway is filled with one... two... three... four... five highly trained, mean and nasty, badass mo-fo's entering one behind the other with almost blinding speed and precision. Every single one of them expert shots and armed to the teeth with a large variety of lethal little toys. That primary toy, or course, being their actual issued M4 rifles modified to fire Sim rounds. And every single one of those rifles are pointed directly at you from a distance of less than ten feet. And every single one of those operators behind those rifles is yelling LOUDLY at you to show your hands and get down on the ground. ("Oh, dear... What should I do?") Well, naturally, you do as the instructor told you. So, with what you THINK is highly trained and blinding speed of your own, you bring the weapon from behind your back and raise it to take aim at the first target directly in front of you. Unfortunately for you, though, your imagined "blinding speed" might as well be a slo-mo instant replay compared to the guys surrounding you. Because before your weapon even begins to rise to place your target in the sight picture, you are almost instantaneously engulfed in a barrage of highly accurate and intentionally placed shots from every direction around you. (Oh, did I forget to mention those Sim rounds are very accurate and still VERY painful even out to a couple of hundred feet?) Now, imagine doing variations of that type of scenario back-to-back, several times a day over the course of several days. Oh, and let's not forget about the wonderful beat-downs you get from four or five angry Type A personality experts in unarmed combat when the instructor tells you, "Don't use your weapon. Just jump on one as he comes in the door and start fighting with him." As you might imagine, it does not end well for the Bad Guy... lol...
Okay now, with that little piece of info in mind, I absolutely LOVED that part of those schools when I went to work as support for them. And no matter how badly I was getting shot or pummeled, I always ended up laying on the floor (or ground, in some cases) laughing my ass off, even as I was getting shot and/or hit. As a result, I gained sort of a reputation of being a "sick fucker" among the teams that were training. It was a badge of honor I wore proudly... lol... (Oh, by the way, that often caused me to get shot/hit with a few extra rounds/punches. I took those as a compliment... *chuckle*...) So we are back in the HQ building one day after a particularly lively training event, and I was in the office of one of the primary training coordinators. (He was a SFC and a truly fantastic guy.) Like all the other support OPFOR guys, I had multiple visible whelps and bruises, and that was not counting all the damage hidden by my uniform. The SFC and I were just shooting the shit as we were preparing to leave for the day, and I was in a really good mood despite my lumps. And at one point he suddenly stopped what he was doing, looked over at me, and said, "You really enjoy the pain, don't you?" I just looked at him, and started grinning and blushing. He then said, "Uh-huh! I KNEW it! You little bastard! You are one of those closet-masochist, aren't you?" I just kept looking at him and grinning.... *far away look in eyes*... Ahhhhhh... I certainly do miss those days sometimes... *sigh*...
In more recent days, I now have my wife. Lucky for me, she enjoys issuing out pain in various ways... *grin*... Without getting into too much detail, she had me.... ummmm... "secured" several weeks ago and was trying to make me "surrender". She finally stopped trying because she was nearing her limits of what she was willing to do to me. Plus, it was creeping her out that I was cracking jokes and laughing so much. I still have visible scars from that... lol...
....ahhhh, love.....
@Tin-Man
Hah you gone through some shit and came out laughing. Wish I could say I would handle it the same. I am pretty sure I wouldn't handle it 1/10th as well as you did.
I am too much of a planner, I would do anything I could to prevent my self from being in such a situation.
@ cranky47
"civilians with firearms can be sooooo fucking STUPID!!!"
My brother was a cop and one day he got called out to a farm where the farmer's wife spotted something very weird and alarming out in the fields. When he arrived there was this old guy chained to a fence, but holding a long gun.
Of course they go him to lay the rifle on the ground, and on investigating discovered he was part of a larger hunting party going after quail and other birds. Soon after the hunting party returned and he got the full story. Apparently this old guy was shooting at anything that moved, and the rest of the hunting party got very nervous and convinced him to allow himself to be chained to the fence, and they would wander into the woods and flush the game in his direction.
@David Killens
There's an example of someone not responsible enough to have a gun. Sorry! kids (err I guess a supposed adult in this situation,) should not have a gun if they shoot at everything that moves.
I would be nervous if I was in that guys hunting party too. Just like I am nervous when I spot a 16 year old brand new driver in a nearby car going 65 mph (105kmh.)
@David K. Re: Hunting party
As far as I'm concerned, every single one of those guys are idiots that should be disarmed. Had I been in that group, the stupid shit who was shooting at anything that moved would have been lucky to get away with his weapon still in one piece. If he refused to listen to and obey safety instructions, I would have likely snatched his weapon away and broke it down to its smallest components and sent his ass back to the rally point. Having been a firearms instructor for many years, I take safety very seriously. And the fact nobody in that group disarmed the idiot, but rather left him UNATTENDED with his weapon tells me they were no smarter or responsible than he was.
I've experienced many idiots with guns. Guns don't scare me; people with guns scare me.
@Nyar Re: "I've experienced many idiots with guns. Guns don't scare me; people with guns scare me."
Truer words were never spoken! Dude, you guys REALLY SHOULD install a "Ten Thousand Agrees" button... lol...
@Nyarlathotep: Recent trip to Yongsan air base in Seoul. We were heading to grab lunch someplace on base. Anyway, driving past a Hummer, on a rainy and muddy day, I saw 4 soldiers in full camo mulling about. Three were free standing and carrying their guns. One was leaning up against the passenger side of the Hummer. He had one foot on the ground and the other resting on the front wheel. His gun was next to him, butt end up with the barrel sticking in the mud.
Although I disagree with this man's politics, when times get tough, he has displayed commendable leadership.
Premier Ford has made it simple, at 2:45 he starts with "We're coming after you".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiKHkmsNu48
This is a good time for all to reflect on exactly who your elected officials serve. Themselves, large corporations, or the little guy.
@David
I read the Huffpost Canada every day.Not today yet.
Fantastic! Perhaps they could offer I reward fo anyone who dobs in a company. Individuals are of course are disgusting too, but are small potatoes. Go after CEO's by all means****.
In Oz we have the ACCC 'The Australian Competition And Consumer Commission' . It has teeth. It can and does levy fines in the millions against companies. .
**George Carlin once suggested that to reduce the drug problem, we should go after the CEO's of banks which launder drug money. Throw few of THOSE CocksS' in prison.
@ cranky47
The legislation that was tabled by Ford included fines up to a half million and jail time or a CEO, no matter how large. So if some local branch decides to rip people off, the CEO of that company, a person who flies around in Gulfstreams and makes millions a year may be held accountable and do jail time too. And up here in Canada we do not have luxury prisons for rich people. The best is they are segregated from the general population.
@David
Outstanding!
I also noticed something today which seems "Of course" being in Canada. In Victoria, municipal workers have been told been told to start growing food for people
.I have some great memories of Victoria. It seemed very English to me.
@ cranky47
"I have some great memories of Victoria. It seemed very English to me."
At one time it was as British as one could imagine. City named after a Queen, the entire province British .................Columbia.
Back to the topic.
Canadians are being fed a consistent message by all levels of government, everyone is acting responsibly and we understand that we are all in this together. The politicians are being open and we are getting it straight. Even the scary projection numbers.
I wonder how Canada is doing with having a neighbor to the south, on the longest unprotected land border in the world, going through currently, the world's largest known outbreak that is quickly eclipsing entire continents in total detected case counts.
I will crack up when Canada solves their pandemic neatly compared to US, then starts offering major aid to USA, the supposed sole remaining world super power. (I think we can safely dispense with that title for the US now.) Sure it has a crazy large military, but in today's world, that does not mean much anymore, the military these days are more a anchor around USA's neck then helpful. The US could not even stop Saudi Arabia (a supposed close ally) and Russia from wiping out a large chunk of USA's fracking industry.
USA has been in decline for some time now, but covid-19 announced to the world US is no longer a superpower, and is actually more incompetent then most countries, especially with the current administration in the White House.
...made a few comments in “crazy American president” ...
The USA are number one among other nations in ....
1) Number of incarcerated citizens per capita,
2) Number of adults who believe angels are real
3) Defense spending.
Now we can add
4) Corona virus
This many appear like a comedic reply, but people are suffering and dying.
@thread
Just had a thought ,hopefully the last for the week.
On TV they keep talking about 'confirmed cases' of the virus. I also heard one the news that 1 in 4 infected people are asymptomatic .
My thought; (1) we have no real idea of how many people are actually infected.
(Part 2). In my state of South Australia 1 house in 4 is single occupancy. I have no idea how many are geriatrics. In my area probably a lot, because most of houses are 40+ years old . I suspect that more than a few countries will be discovering the bodies of people who have died alone in their houses, for months, even years. ,
No, I'm not personally worried. I'm in daily contact with 2 people. Each of us will freak if we can't contact any of the others.
@ Cranky, re James Bond's testicles. They were mashed in Daniel Craig's Casino Royale by the villain Le Chiffre played by Mads Mikkelsen.
It was as entertaining as watching someone eat Death Nuts on you tube. (you know who you are ;p)
Many fans still ask if Bond's jewels have mended and still make enquiries after his virility. Good grief some people really do need a problem.I have never seen anyone ask how Jesus's wound are coming on.
OK as you were.
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