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#321 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Sacramento
Posts: 49,869
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The US Government Agency I work for is sending some of it's Hotshot Wildfire teams to Australia to help out.
A couple of the fire guys in my office take off from SF International today. The Fire section here has really been following this very closely;we have had a wildfire fighter exchange program going on with the Aussies for some time. |
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Pacifism is a shifty doctrine under which a man accepts the benefits of the social group without being willing to pay - and claims a halo for his dishonesty. Robert Heinlein. |
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#322 |
Observer of Phenomena
Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Ngunnawal Country
Posts: 69,479
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Please scream inside your heart. |
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#323 |
Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Waiting for the pod bay door to open.
Posts: 42,969
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Now we wait and see if the semi circle of fire around Canberra strikes out towards it.
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#324 |
In the Peanut Gallery
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 46,836
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This is not going to be a popular post, but I’m starting to get really annoyed at so many people effected by the fires (I’m not talking about those who have lost properties) demanding government support in the media. People who have become unemployed as a consequence get unemployment benefit. Not good enough according to the unions. They should get the average wage instead, which would be a massive slap in the face to all those struggling on Newstart.
Businesses which have missed out on holiday income demanding the government make good their losses. There is insurance they could have taken out to cover this, but nobody bothers as they can’t imagine a bad holiday season. I saw someone in an isolated town complain that government agencies haven’t visited his town, pointing out that he couldn’t get to see them because of road closures!!! Others who can’t work because the business closed due to the fires asking for compensation. Businesses (including my last employer) close down all the time without the government throwing lifelines. I have donated to the fire funds, but with some discomfort as i don’t know where this money is going. Okay, I’ve dug a hole, so will keep digging. I personally know many people who benefitted handsomely after Black Saturday. People who lost homes (a horrible experience without doubt) got six figure charity payments, on top of insurance payments (not everyone had their homes insured), Centrelink and other government payments and law suit settlements for the many who joined class actions. Many people who stayed rebuilt bigger and better. Others moved to better suburbs. If you can’t afford home insurance, you can’t really afford a house. If you can’t insure your business, you are a poor businessperson. Rant over. |
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A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject. Sir Winston Churchill |
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#325 |
Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Waiting for the pod bay door to open.
Posts: 42,969
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The smoke plume will circle the globe.
Bushfire smoke plume expected to lap the globe, NASA says http://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-1...-says/11863298 Perth should see a haze in a couple of days. |
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Continually pushing the boundaries of mediocrity. Everything is possible, but not everything is probable. “Perception is real, but the truth is not.” - Imelda Marcos |
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#326 |
Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Waiting for the pod bay door to open.
Posts: 42,969
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Lionking
The disruption caused by these fires is going to be beyond what insurance can cover. The knock on effects of road closures, businesses and homes burning down, distortion to the economies and people moving out permanently will be huge on a lot of small communities that weren't that resilient to start with. The most unfair part of this is the other species that are affected. They had no part in creating this disaster but will by far suffer the most from it. |
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Continually pushing the boundaries of mediocrity. Everything is possible, but not everything is probable. “Perception is real, but the truth is not.” - Imelda Marcos |
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#327 |
In the Peanut Gallery
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 46,836
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A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject. Sir Winston Churchill |
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#328 |
The Grammar Tyrant
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 27,851
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The truth quite often isn't.
I utterly agree with this position. Sadly, the mix of technology and "givememoneyforfree" sites encourage the behaviour. Almost daily, I see requests for money from people who have had a father or mother die without life insurance, lose their uninsured home in a fire, or generally have something insurable affect them when they were uninsured. If you have no insurance I am certainly not going to give a damn. |
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The point of equilibrium has passed; satire and current events are now indistinguishable. |
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#329 |
Gentleman of leisure
Tagger
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Flying around in the sky
Posts: 26,393
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Who should get Government help?
- Fire fighters. They are away from work more than in other seasons - RFS. They need more and better equipment. - people who have lost their homes. But only enough so they can get a change of clothes and other immediate needs until insurance pays out. - Utilities. They will need to rebuild a load of roads and other services. Who else? I suggest that if everyone had insurance for everything then insurance companies would be making massive losses. Edit. Forgot. People who look after wild animals impacted by the fires. Now THEY need money from everyone. |
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This signature is for rent. |
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#330 |
Observer of Phenomena
Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Ngunnawal Country
Posts: 69,479
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I am cautiously optimistic about the heavy rain currently being forecast for the end of the week actually occurring.
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#331 |
Philosopher
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Sydney Nova Scotia
Posts: 7,999
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Caption from and old New Yorker cartoon - Why am I shouting? Because I'm wrong!" |
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#332 |
Observer of Phenomena
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#333 |
Philosopher
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Sydney Nova Scotia
Posts: 7,999
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Caption from and old New Yorker cartoon - Why am I shouting? Because I'm wrong!" |
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#334 |
Quester of Doglets
Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Sunny South Australia
Posts: 2,928
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Unfortunately, heavy rains after a fire event can raise really significant issues.
Particularly flooding and mudslides, because there is reduced vegetation to slow the passage of water. The pollution of waterways is also a big deal, as arthwollipot has already mentioned. So, to back up what is already being said: Fires out good, everything else, not so much. |
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We would be better, and braver, to engage in enquiry, rather than indulge in the idle fancy, that we already know -- Plato. |
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#335 |
Observer of Phenomena
Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005
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Posts: 69,479
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#336 |
Philosopher
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Sydney Nova Scotia
Posts: 7,999
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Caption from and old New Yorker cartoon - Why am I shouting? Because I'm wrong!" |
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#337 |
Quester of Doglets
Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Sunny South Australia
Posts: 2,928
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Indeed.
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We would be better, and braver, to engage in enquiry, rather than indulge in the idle fancy, that we already know -- Plato. |
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#338 |
Penultimate Amazing
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Sacramento
Posts: 49,869
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And I thought the California fires last year were pretty bad......
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Pacifism is a shifty doctrine under which a man accepts the benefits of the social group without being willing to pay - and claims a halo for his dishonesty. Robert Heinlein. |
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#339 |
Observer of Phenomena
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#340 |
Muse
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Norway
Posts: 556
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There is a benefit of having the government pay through its' nose to compensate people, in that it will hopefully bring it home to them that preventative measures is cost effective.
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#341 |
Nasty Woman
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 85,702
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I was disgusted today to see Morrison talk about the need to preserve jobs, aka coal jobs, and the news interviewers didn't ask the most blatantly obvious question, "What about everyone else's jobs: farmers, ranchers, tourist entry, all those volunteer fire fighters who've missed months of work, ..."
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#342 |
Observer of Phenomena
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Posts: 69,479
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#343 |
Philosopher
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Gundungurra
Posts: 8,437
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...our governments are just trying to protect us from terror. In the same way that someone banging a hornets’ nest with a stick is trying to protect us from hornets. Frankie Boyle, Guardian, July 2015 |
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#344 | |||
Nasty Woman
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 85,702
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Oh that's as pitiful as Senator Inhoff's snowball in Congress to supposedly prove global warming isn't real because it snowed in DC.
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Trump lost and he knows it.
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#345 |
The Grammar Tyrant
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 27,851
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Good news! Rain on the way.
Bad news! Biblical amounts of it forecast, bringing flooding and landslide. https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/austra...flash-flooding |
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The point of equilibrium has passed; satire and current events are now indistinguishable. |
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#346 |
In the Peanut Gallery
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 46,836
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A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject. Sir Winston Churchill |
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#347 |
Lackey
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: South East, UK
Posts: 96,011
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When do the swarms of locust appear?
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I wish I knew how to quit you |
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#348 |
Observer of Phenomena
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#349 |
Nasty Woman
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 85,702
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Trump lost and he knows it.
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#350 |
Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Waiting for the pod bay door to open.
Posts: 42,969
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Smoke is back again.
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Continually pushing the boundaries of mediocrity. Everything is possible, but not everything is probable. “Perception is real, but the truth is not.” - Imelda Marcos |
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#351 |
Observer of Phenomena
Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Ngunnawal Country
Posts: 69,479
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Yeah, we got an almighty dumping which lasted about five minutes, and then went away. Today the AQI is 164. We might get more rain Sunday/Monday but that's all that's on the 7-day.
I've heard that a bunch of fires were extinguished on the south coast, though. So that's good. |
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#352 |
Observer of Phenomena
Pronouns: he/him Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Ngunnawal Country
Posts: 69,479
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Batemans Bay businesses on bushfire-ravaged South Coast sing for Canberra tourists to return
* arthwollipot makes a note to head to the coast for fish and chips soon.
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#353 |
Gentleman of leisure
Tagger
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Flying around in the sky
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The map says they are "under control" or "Being controlled". Cannot find any that are rated as extinguished. Though the difference may only be minor.
Waiting for rain on Sunday and Monday. Would have thought the rain would have got rid of the smoke but I am wrong. I would not go to the coast until the smoke has gone. I go to the coast to do exercise, not be locked up due to dangerous levels of smoke. |
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#354 |
In the Peanut Gallery
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 46,836
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It seems the smoke has disappeared over Melbourne now.
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A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject. Sir Winston Churchill |
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#355 |
Penguilicious Spodmaster.
Tagger Join Date: May 2005
Location: Ponylandistan Presidential Palace (above the Spods' stables).
Posts: 38,566
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Today, the VicEmergency has issued me warnings 5 or 6 times.
A few were about a fire 30 km away. One was about the Budj Bim fire now being contained, but be vigilant. And one just now about flood warnings. |
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"We stigmatize and send to the margins people who trigger in us the feelings we want to avoid" - Melinda Gates, "The Moment of Lift". |
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#356 |
Penguilicious Spodmaster.
Tagger Join Date: May 2005
Location: Ponylandistan Presidential Palace (above the Spods' stables).
Posts: 38,566
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Thank you!! I've been getting disgusted by people thinking they could do better. By angry mobs hounding (not a strong enough word) Scott Morrison (I voted for an independent). Saying he "should have done x, y, z, anything but whatever he did today". I was having quite a long exchange with a friend who had done it. The whole #auspol is toxic. They gang up on people and lash out without taking in any nuance or spending time reading articles. Another friend liked something that looked like a threat to another politician. |
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"We stigmatize and send to the margins people who trigger in us the feelings we want to avoid" - Melinda Gates, "The Moment of Lift". |
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#357 |
The Grammar Tyrant
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 27,851
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The point of equilibrium has passed; satire and current events are now indistinguishable. |
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#358 |
Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Waiting for the pod bay door to open.
Posts: 42,969
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https://www.theage.com.au/national/v...19-p53su6.html
This is crazy. Just had flooding and hail the size of golf balls falling in Melbourne, then there is fire out of control north of Melbourne and residents have been told it's too late to flee. |
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Continually pushing the boundaries of mediocrity. Everything is possible, but not everything is probable. “Perception is real, but the truth is not.” - Imelda Marcos |
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#359 |
Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Waiting for the pod bay door to open.
Posts: 42,969
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The Liberal Party have been exploiting the Labor Party and Greens trying to do something to prevent these fires for political gain. Now there is nothing Morrison can do except watch it burn and still insist there is no crises and there will still be no change in the deadly policies because they can get power by denying the science and appealing to short term self sinterest. I really fear for the world I am leaving to my children. Senior representatives of the Emergency tried to tell Morrison that this would be the worst year ever for fires and Morrison ignored them. |
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Continually pushing the boundaries of mediocrity. Everything is possible, but not everything is probable. “Perception is real, but the truth is not.” - Imelda Marcos |
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#360 |
Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Waiting for the pod bay door to open.
Posts: 42,969
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Haul so big in Canberra it was punching holes in a ceiling like gun shots.
Hail at the National Film and Sound Archive HQ in Acton, Canberra 'punctured the roof like bullets https://t.co/qIq1zqeIzq |
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Continually pushing the boundaries of mediocrity. Everything is possible, but not everything is probable. “Perception is real, but the truth is not.” - Imelda Marcos |
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