Lucky Dips

[A Country Member]

The one about Fauci? no but have heard a lot of discourse about it. Fauci hasn't sued RFK so most people believe the depiction of Fauci to be accurate.

Yeah, that book.
I spose he didn’t really write it himself, did he?

This seems a decent critique of it.

[Random Rooster]

Gee Totes, you really seem fascinated by all fings US.

• Do you consume a lot of US media?
• What are your sources?
• And where do you find the time?

Thank you for your interest and questions.

1) Yes I do consume a lot of US media

2) My sources vary from American publications like "The Imperial Night-Hawk" all the way to "Jacobin". I like to get different point of views

3) My children are now adults and i'm unemployed. My missus tells me that i have too much time on my hands

[A Country Member]

Thank you for your interest and questions.

1) Yes I do consume a lot of US media

2) My sources vary from American publications like "The Imperial Night-Hawk" all the way to "Jacobin". I like to get different point of views

3) My children are now adults and i'm unemployed. My missus tells me that i have too much time on my hands

The Member for Country would like to thank Totes for their honest answers.

Just because you aren’t employed shouldn’t limit a person with your expertise from being able to benefit the young and restless for free. Much like I do on this forum.

[Paddo Colt 61]

Most powerful country.... failed state... same thing
to unpack here
The good news with Trump (who's a loon IMO) is that the USA's a democracy so people aren't forced to submit to him.

Various dictatorships are killing masses of innocent people as we speak. One can only dream of punting them (or their statutory term in office expiring... because most have a habit of changing the law so that they can be around forever. JUST IMAGINE IF TRUMP OR BIDEN DID THAT!!!)

Love him or loathe him, the advantage of democracy is that people are allowed to form their own opinions about Trump and vote with their feet. Yes this includes a lot of poorly informed opinions (from both sides of the table - plus malicious BS) but the common folk should never be ignored.

The USA has the whole horizontal and vertical separation of power, so elections are more about the 'person' rather than the parties/politics. I get the theory behind this but I dunno if it's as useful as it's supposed to me.

IMO the USA is an extremely successful economic and arts/social powerhouse. It just is... it's a developed country with an economy twice the size of China's and GDP per capita that's roughly 8x that of China (think ~$80,000 per person rather than $10,000). Then there's the cultural influence. One can argue that 'the MSM' cons us but the reality is that the USA dominates film, music, drama and tech (including the internet) right now. Trump's a douche but the max we'll ever see of him is one more presidential term.

I don't think it's accurate to say that people are happy living in dictatorships where they're eating rats/crickets/scorpions...etc to survive and the average Joe has nothing like their ~$10k a year proportion of GDP per capita due to the state controlling everything.

Democracy has its flaws. However the world is not perfect! It's full of self-interested w@nkers no matter what form of government you have. IMO the best protection against these w@nkers is to have a public vote every 3 or 4 years where alternative leaders can and do form governments (and do regular clean-outs of the corrupt and / or wasteful shyte that their predecessors have done).

Heck I'm a progressive but I actually look forward to the conservatives one day forming a government in the ACT as I think 20+ years of Labor & the Greens has led to a lot of waste. IMO the ACT's overdue for a clean-out of unnecessary spending (and a roll-back of some stupid 'progressive' laws that make zero sense). IMO balance will always be important.

A lot to unpack here, most of it delusory or at best ill informed but a "progessive" longing for the "purging" experience of future Tory rule is truly baffling - has the "better and cheaper NBN " been forgotten not to mention the fcuk up that it now is? The multiple secret Ministries? Robodebt? Even the Sharkies took action on that one.

I'll try to revisit some of the other some of the other nonsense when I have more time.

[A Country Member]

It’s pretty simple:

If you work for wages - Vote Labor
If you own a business - Vote Liberal

There may be variants on this rule but as a whole that is how the majority should vote.

Enter Rupert Murdoch and his aspirant tradie kulcha

[Random Rooster]

It’s pretty simple:

If you work for wages - Vote Labor
If you own a business - Vote Liberal

There may be variants on this rule but as a whole that is how the majority should vote.

Enter Rupert Murdoch and his aspirant tradie kulcha

If you are a female vote Teal
If if you smoke green vote green

Simples!!!

[mightyrooster]

So hot cross buns from my local bakery have gone up 50% for plain and 60% for novelty, since this time last year. What a joke.

[Paddo Colt 61]

So hot cross buns from my local bakery have gone up 50% for plain and 60% for novelty, since this time last year. What a joke.

I agree MR. It's everywhere and it's rife. Bakeries up at least 20% overall though to be fair, their landlords are no doubt hoisting the rents. The new "Aussie way", a mixture of materialism, individualism and greed. Not that we're any different to other humans.

One wonders for the future when Climate Change gets a real hold and still the Libs and media wanting to save petrol burning vehicles and disparaging EVs.

[mightyrooster]

I agree MR. It's everywhere and it's rife. Bakeries up at least 20% overall though to be fair, their landlords are no doubt hoisting the rents. The new "Aussie way", a mixture of materialism, individualism and greed. Not that we're any different to other humans.

One wonders for the future when Climate Change gets a real hold and still the Libs and media wanting to save petrol burning vehicles and disparaging EVs.

Actually I was wrong Paddo. The prices have actually doubled! Plain hot cross buns $14 for a half dozen. $7 last year from memory The fancy white choc and raspberry bought for the kids $22 for a half dozen!! I noticed someone complaining about the price increase on their facebook page but their response was that yes the cost of the ‘real’ ingredients they use have doubled since last year and compared to other independent Canberra bakeries they are still on par or in fact cheaper!! I should go the cheap and nasty woollies ones that have been on sale since Boxing Day (another vent there) but they are not very nice.

[Paddo Colt 61]

If you are a female vote Teal
If if you smoke green vote green

Simples!!!

If you have any sense vote Green. Humanity is clearly in for a wild ride by the looks. But hey, fcuk those EVs they're more expense for young families and tradies. Do Sheeple buy that? Well if they vote for outfits with NO POLICIES I guess they do. Jeez, lemme outa here!

The ALP in cahoots with the Libs to open more and more fossil fuel projects - Bib and Bub and the effect on the masses is "If they don't care why should we?". Murdoch too is full throttle still on climate denial.

While on Murdoch, the ABC's Media Watch on Monday night featured the background to the Trump/Rudd episode. I wondered where it had come from, Australia hardly being on the World's radar. Sky had fed Farange the the whole box and dice including backgrounding on what Rudd had said in the past. Later on in the program that nincompoop Sharri Markson said that it was Murdoch's response to Rudd's (and Turnbull's) call for a Royal Commission into News' improper influence. Unbelievable misuse of power! The English inquiry into News of the World declared him an improper person to control international media outlets and we've have him here with monopoly control. What hope for the future?

[Andrew Walker]

Actually I was wrong Paddo. The prices have actually doubled! Plain hot cross buns $14 for a half dozen. $7 last year from memory The fancy white choc and raspberry bought for the kids $22 for a half dozen!! I noticed someone complaining about the price increase on their facebook page but their response was that yes the cost of the ‘real’ ingredients they use have doubled since last year and compared to other independent Canberra bakeries they are still on par or in fact cheaper!! I should go the cheap and nasty woollies ones that have been on sale since Boxing Day (another vent there) but they are not very nice.

OH MR !!!! There is always the other option of taking a stand and boycotting these rip off prices and not buying them at all. They’d soon put their prices down if everyone did that on such non essentials

[mightyrooster]

OH MR !!!! There is always the other option of taking a stand and boycotting these rip off prices and not buying them at all. They’d soon put their prices down if everyone did that on such non essentials

I know but then I wouldn’t have any hot cross buns which is a tradition I like to follow at Easter. I’m also not supporting the big corporations of Colesworth. It will be interesting to see how many the bakery sells this year. They are obviously trying to make a point that they are just covering costs with the cost of ingredients as a result of inflation now very high.

[horrie hastings]

Actually I was wrong Paddo. The prices have actually doubled! Plain hot cross buns $14 for a half dozen. $7 last year from memory The fancy white choc and raspberry bought for the kids $22 for a half dozen!! I noticed someone complaining about the price increase on their facebook page but their response was that yes the cost of the ‘real’ ingredients they use have doubled since last year and compared to other independent Canberra bakeries they are still on par or in fact cheaper!! I should go the cheap and nasty woollies ones that have been on sale since Boxing Day (another vent there) but they are not very nice.

Paid $12.50 for a half dozen the other day at San Antonio bakery at Kirribilli last Saturday, from memory that price has been fairly stable for the last few years ( think they have been $2 each before so maybe gone up 50c for half dozen ) , they are beautiful buns with fruit and peel in them, that is usually where i buy them from. About 5 years ago i went into a bakery opposite the barracks in Paddington and they were charging $22 for a half dozen back then , i just laughed when the person told me the price, needless to say i didn't buy them. Ugggh the Woolies ones, better half bought them once, it was way before Easter and they were nasty and also about half the size of normal hot cross buns, i said they are never allowed in my house again. I try to make sure i make the trip to Kirribilli more often now for them, they are the best ones i have tried.

[mightyrooster]

Paid $12.50 for a half dozen the other day at San Antonio bakery at Kirribilli last Saturday, from memory that price has been fairly stable for the last few years ( think they have been $2 each before so maybe gone up 50c for half dozen ) , they are beautiful buns with fruit and peel in them, that is usually where i buy them from. About 5 years ago i went into a bakery opposite the barracks in Paddington and they were charging $22 for a half dozen back then , i just laughed when the person told me the price, needless to say i didn't buy them. Ugggh the Woolies ones, better half bought them once, it was way before Easter and they were nasty and also about half the size of normal hot cross buns, i said they are never allowed in my house again. I try to make sure i make the trip to Kirribilli more often now for them, they are the best ones i have tried.

I know it’s ridiculous and my head is still spinning from the cost. I sent hubby to the bakery to put in the order. He calls me and says these are the prices. I flipped out and told him that can’t be right are you sure? He suggests woollies and I said no way, they’re terrible. We delay and I check their Facebook page and they have replied to a complaining customer about the massive price increase that ingredient costs have doubled since last year. They claim they are still cheaper than other independent bakeries in Canberra if customers would like to check. So we’re having expensive gold plated hot cross buns this year. They better be worth it! I wonder what the excuse was for the ones you found in Paddington five years ago before inflation?

[Dr. Voodoo Man]

Coming back to Australia after 16 years I can't believe the cost of everyday items. It is disgraceful.