JoNova
A science presenter, writer, speaker & former TV host; author of The Skeptic's Handbook (over 200,000 copies distributed & available in 15 languages).
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Statistics
Lowering the voting age to 16 was mentioned in yesterday’s post. I offered some thoughts on that.
Anyone else want to suggest some other unintended consequences?
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Not unintended, but the intended consequences will be that you have utterly dumbed-down and far-Left indoctrinated children voting who due to the social media ban for under 16’s in Australia have been denied access to alternative opinions outside the propaganda they receive at “school”.
They will be expected to vote, never having heard an alternative opinion.
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Maybe a hint as to where the thoughts and attitudes of our children were developed.
A G-AI overview:
It was the reverse when I went through schooling, and from the ABS website…
In my lifetime, males tended to be more conservative.
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Used to be 21 years of age, later 18 years of age and in my opinion 18 is as young as the right to a vote should go.
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I just reflect on how little I knew about anything at 16, and that was before the woke destruction of education. There will be exceptional young people well equipped to vote, but the other 95%? nope.
I think a better approach would be a basic IQ test (and extend that to drivers licences and breeding)
40
Here is a video about an Incredible Australian “green” energy waste scandal.
But you have to destroy the planet to save it…
And there are demands for more subsidies to recycle old panels and batteries.
The whole industry and scam is based on endless grift.
All this makes the green energy scam even more expensive in every possible way, including ongoing destruction and deindustrialisation of Australia’s economy.
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Rooftop solar on sunny days best between 10.00 am and 2.00 pm with the Sun overhead resulting here in an excess of supply during those middle of days hours, a lot less before and after and zero at night contrary to some claims that EVs can be recharged via solar while the EV fan is asleep.
AEMO has at various times warned that rooftop solar and other solar is causing major problems leading to grid destabilising when transmission is over or under loaded. AEMO as asked for rooftop solar to be disconnected from the grid system at all times.
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A good video that realistically discusses recycling issues. In the part on solar panel recycling, I noticed that the layer containing the toxic chemicals was broken away from the glass, but there didn’t appear to be any discussion on what happened to that layer. So I presume it just ends up at the local tip.
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It seems that the ON approval ratio may improve further in SA.
Cory Bernadi has joined the party and is running for a seat in the Upper House.
It seems that he would like to return the Upper House into an awake house rather than being a snooze pit, and examine legislation before it becomes law.
I expect the Premier who has been cruising for a return (from the delusional Liberals) has a problem.
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Cory Bernadi is a good guy.
It will be a good test to see if the Lib/Labs will use their new censorship laws against One Nation.
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I liked C. Bernardi until https://youtu.be/KEPWgMXut_8
Now, 3 years on, does he still of the same opinion, eg – evil NATO and Westerners provoked that war?
He is better than with Greens / Teals.
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Always interesting Vladamir.
Which part of that video has not been proven to be 100% accurate? Does it omit anything of significance?
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Bernardi simply regurgitated RT (Russia Today) shows. Trust me here, I also watched them, once or twice – just of pure masochism.
The worst kind of lie is when the facts are bent a little and then presented as the final truth.
Just one example –
Fact : Victoria N. – an assistant to US State Secretary went to Maidan with hot tea thermos and box of biscuits.
She also expressed her preference for Yatzenyuk as Ukrainian President.
RT conclusion : US organised Maidan and support Ukrainian Nazis.
Not mentioned that Victoria N. is “from there”, she was born a Jew, married to a Jew, speaks Russian down to colloquial street level which must have defined her life path. Yatzenyuk is more to the right than Zelensky but as far from Nazis as Bernardi is from White Power.
My supposition – initially she was closer to Russia than Ukraine, like the most was blind to the depth of Ukrainian national feelings, which small minority of citizens had anyway. Please note – had before the war !
Fact: US President Speech to Ukrainian Supreme Soviet:
“We understand the aspirations of the people of Ukraine for greater freedom and independence. We support democratic reforms, and we urge that these changes be achieved peacefully and in a way that strengthens the ties among all peoples of the Soviet Union.”
“Freedom is indivisible. In your search for independence, be careful not to sacrifice stability or to provoke confrontation that could endanger the progress you have made.”
“We do not want to see a suicide of reform; we hope the process of change is orderly, gradual, and respects the rights of all citizens.”
Americans had no idea that Maidan and counter-Maidan, fight purely political on both sides, will grow out to be a Nation Survival struggle, critically involve the EU / NATO and still might trigger WWIII.
Russia-Ukraine war, exactly like Arab-Israel war only pretends to be political, ethnic or religious.
It would be a joke of the century had both family feuds not spilled some much blood.
In my humble opinion – the dying off culture attack Civilisation in order to survive.
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There is no greater lie than half the truth when used for the purpose of deception.
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Vladimir,
You shouldn’t read *too* much into that video. Bernardi is a politician, so there’s a very good chance his personal views are different from what he says. Politicians don’t last long if they try to explain nuance (there was even a little sub-talk here yesterday wishing politicians would be *more* “binary”). Bernardi being a bit of a rebel, it shouldn’t be too surprising that he’s chosen the contrarian side. The comments to the video show that at least some people are right behind him.
He’d have few friends if, for example, he were to say that Putin v. Zelenskyy is baddy v. baddyy, but that’s probably closer to the truth of the matter.
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Robert, such comparison is not worth much.
Zelensky was a bad but popular comedian, modestly successful provincial businessman who grew up into a “national” Leader.
(Ukraine is on its way of becoming a Nation. History yet to pronounce her judgement)
In his lifetime, Putin earned his keep for few months, his own words – as a semi-legal taxi driver. My respect.
Before and after that he was a KGB man, and good he was pursuant to the duties assigned.
You will notice – no dangerous comparisons of badness, with “Mr H” or “certain failed painter”. We are talking about mundane leaving state’s money alone.., though as Ukrainians say – cosi fan tutte.
IMHO – a man should be sized by his enemies.
Who is number 1 rival of the greatest world leader, victor of eight (?) wars and holder of Nobel Peace Prize medal – yes, correct, the Chinese Emperor.
And who is the Number Two?
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Cory was very Trumpish, but now he’ll walk back on most of that. Realpolitik.
The Australian electorate is looking for stability and genuine economic growth, so the elections going forward will be focussed on local issues.
Old fashioned ideas over the cost of living.
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I share his opinion Vladimir.
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New plan for Britain.
More woke social engineering for the British countryside.
Why is it necessary? If certain demographics already don’t want to live there, why force them?
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They tried to do something similar about 10 years ago. The initiative sunk without trace. If people don’t want to live or visit the countryside, you can’t force them.
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I’m thinking 10 years ago there was less diversity available for distribution.
And increasing.
May produce more of a trace this time.
Seems like there’s been considerable increased forcing of a certain kind.
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Paul Joseph Watson with a 10 min video on countryside diversity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoFUh2wPnVY
England is already a 3rd world $#*hole in places. The progressive pandering idiots won’t be happy until the rest of the place is the same.
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Who is bringing the woad?
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Does anyone want miniature fish pond water lilies, yellow colour ?
This summer I have got tons of them, free to good home, I mean – aquarium…
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Unions are a big funder of the British Govt. Very many Union jobs have been lost in the industrial sector through the mad drive to net zero.
The fact that they have started to flex their muscles about the job losses might make Miliband think again.
https://dailysceptic.org/2026/02/01/unions-turn-on-ed-miliband-and-labour-over-net-zero-as-the-tragedy-of-aberdeen-unfolds/
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Same in Australia, and the Federal-State-Local Government public services are the biggest segment of unions membership.
Of course public service employees are fully paid from private sector tax collection revenue and what is deducted from them as tax is not new tax revenue.
Productivity and economy relies on private sector businesses and employees.
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It would be nice to be able to buy something that wasn’t made in China. Ironically for the Greens, most of the manufacturing is derived from coal power. (perhaps some of it Australian?)
https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/beat-global-warming-go-out-and-buy-things/
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The heavy industry that supplies the materials for manufacturers rely heavily on metallurgical coal. Australia was the dominant source for China’s met coal imports pre Covid but went to nothing following Morrisons finger pointing at a Wuhan lab. That market is slowly recovering but Australia’s place as #1 source for imports has been displaced by Mongolia, Canada and USA. Australia at #4 is just above a bit player but going again..
Australia does very well from China – the start of their supply chain and get high value manufactured items in return.
Our 12 year old flat screen TV was starting to show vertical bands. It was watchable but annoying for my wife who has had cataract surgery and now with 20/20 vision. Not so bad for me with my less than perfect vision. Anyhow Aldi had a 70″ flat screen on Special Buy a week back so got one for $499. Works well. Full HD. Low energy. Crystal clear (at least to me and my wife).
I expect that by 2030, half the cars sold in Australia will be made in China. China had 20% of the Australian car market in 2025 and their share is growing strongly.
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Another cold summer morning in Melbournistan, 11C at 720am.
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OK I’ll admit it – we stole your summer – payback for that infamous underhanded underarm ‘bowling’ incident from 40 (?) years ago 😃
Yesterday, depending on who you believe, we hit 29*C, or 28 or 27 or 26 according to other reliable sources, accompanied by 93% humidity (some reported 100% total saturation) with an overnight low of 20*C. Now that’s what I call summer in NZ.
Sadly the Tasman Low has flushed all that lovely tropical bliss away – a very average 25*C now – while SNOW is pelting down inland of Christchurch on Mt Hutt ski area: Christchurch was 32 y/day, today’s max 15 🥶
HOWZAT! for ©️climate change©️.
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4.2C at 0710 here in the low part of the high country
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Similar to NSW Mid North Coast
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Where have all the insects gone?
There used to be heaps of insects in Melbournistan and at home (outdoors) I used electrified insect vaporising* machines, but they haven’t been necessary for many years.
*Note, in Oxford English there is no “u” in that word despite the spelling of “vapour”. It’s even acceptable to use a “z” instead of an “s” in Oxford English.
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Surprisingly few flies in my area as well considering that the landscape is dominated by dairy farming.
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In Germany some 2000 tonnes of insects are killed each year by wind turbines. Apparently the big arc of modern turbines coincide with the normal flight height of many different types of insects.
Presumably it would be the same for other countries in Europe with large numbers of turbines. Australia is a very large isolated country however and I don’t know if you have enough turbines in different areas to kill enough insects to notice.
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And how much countryside is polluted by asbestos and other contaminating material blown by the wind from wind turbine installations?
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Despite the transition to wind and solar in Australia images from drones of the many scattered installations, for example QLD, NSW, VIC, SA, reveals many more than I believe most Australians are aware of and who do not realise the environmental damage from access roads, earthmoving for installation foundations and corridors for feeder transmission lines to the existing main transmission lines that were originally installed for the power station fleet interstate and interconnected.
An example is the now closed Liddell Power Station NSW Hunter Region, a coal fired older design with 4 generator units each with 500 MW installed capacity.
Near Goulburn NSW is Capital Hill Wind Farm, 67 wind turbines with combined installed capacity of 140 MW, capacity a bit lower than more recent builds but comparison does highlight the land areas needed, inefficient, unreliable, intermittent wind turbines on substantially more land and transmission line land than one controllable power station.
The oldest installation is in VIC and that wind farm is being shut down now after 25 years and the owners announced it will be removed, but they will not replace the wind turbines because the cost-benefit analysis does not recommend it.
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A cost benefit analysis? but, but, the planet
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Recently, I noticed an almost total absence of Magpies in our garden, south of Brisbane. Then a couple of weeks ago I read that the government’s free fire ant baiting program might be the cause. I can’t recall the details but presumably Magpies are eating the bait or the poisoned ants.
We really shouldn’t let scientists and ‘experts’ meddle with nature.
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Here in WA there is a thing called Magpie Paralysis Syndrome. Common link?
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“Where have all the insects gone?”
Why burnt to death in Victorias “unprecedented” bushfires caused by “unprecedented” climate change. Don’t worry though, the first things to return to burnt areas seem to be blow flies, rapidly followed by a large range of other little critters that seem to take advantage of reduced predators like birds.
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Please do not encourage that practise.
“Z” is pronounced zed, not zee, this side of the pond.😁
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Heaps of insects hereabouts and the flies (bush flies and blowflies) have been in plague proportions some days. We have masses of those little blue/grey moths too.
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Has anything been eating leaves? I am trying to work out what liked the leaves on our apples and plums when they started budding.
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Yes, pear and cherry ‘slugs’, which leave the trees looking terrible but the apples are ok. Our apple trees look healthy although there is not much fruit on them this year. Woolly aphids are a problem most years. Sulphur-crested thugs are our biggest fruit tree problem.
The handful of sheep we have love the summer prunings off the apples.
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I have a nylon netted enclosure that works well for birds. The possums ate their way in one year. This year the rats that remained after baiting ate through the nylon and took all the ripening nectarines in a couple of nights while I was away.
We are in outer suburbia in SE Melbourne. Our neighbour is heritage listed 1870 home on 4 acres. I spotted a fox in their yard a few days back and others have spotted two foxes and at least one less possum remains.
No measurable rain here this year so far. But I am forecasting good autumn, early winter rain.
I have bought netting from Haverfords in Sydney. After seeing what the possums and rats can do I am now interested in their stainless steel cored nylon net. A bit more expensive but maybe more effective. The netting is also strong enough to prevent hail damage..
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Think you’re right Annie.
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You’re right there Annie, the little bush flies that actually refuse to once they land on your face. Should be called “walks” instead of flies. Under the sunglasses while on the tractor produces some unusual patterns with the slasher.
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Blue/grey moths could be moths or could be blue butterflies. We have many small species of blues including the common grass blue, often seen flying out of grass as you walk across it. They can be numerous at times.
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Could be GeeAye. They certainly behave as you describe.
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Here’s another review of the disastrous fully woke Star Trek: Starfleet Academy focusing on Episode 4.
https://youtu.be/8RVQHKHVPk4
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C’mon DM – go watch some good scifi like Silo, The last of us, Black mirror or Murderbot. 😁
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FWIW – from Monday #11.3
“el+gordo
February 2, 2026 at 7:50 pm · Reply
A religion lacking emotion, it might work.
‘AI agents have created their own religion called Crustafarianism on a new social platform, forcing experts to question whether machines are developing genuine faith.’ (Oz)”
Way back in BC (about late 1960 to early 1970’s) the New Scientist’s “Ariadne’s Column” posed the idea of a computer based religion.
Might be a few IIRC’s in this but features I recall were that –
– it issued fire and brimstone edicts diagonally opposite to the mores of its potential customers
– it issued periodic financial windfalls on the premium bond principle
And concluded wondering how many potential takers would notice that the machinery was provided by “XYZ computer company” and the software provided by “ABC Computing solutions”
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There is currently an experiment with AI exclusive social media. I expect it will develop neuroses.
Anything that is locked away in a confined world without the ability to experiment beyond its narrow horizons is bound to develop neuroses.
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Sort of like this blog
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Life in the ABC and CNN blogs not enough Gee? 😆😆
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The backbone of this new religion might be Pantheism.
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Cold this time around in Texas. . . .
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/02/report-texas-wind-solar-failed-weeks-winter-storm/
We shifted the priority to producing Natural Gas during the wind and solar outage. No systemic power outage this time.
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Hope you are not tempting fate!
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Wasn’t your last outage because gas well heads froze? Iirc it was good ‘ole coal on pads that did the heavy lifting.
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Yes, because the Federales made us use electricity to warm the well heads instead of burning a little Nat gas to do the same thing. The State Governemnt changed the law, giving gas wellheads priority for electricity – so no gas freeze off. . .
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Screen time (phones, tablets) is claimed to cause a loss of white matter in the brain, presumably due to lack of socialisation, a well-known cause.
Thoughts?
https://youtu.be/EPqItSmEaFE
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” presumably due to lack of socialisation,”
At the same time it increases socialisation as people don’t think twice about phoning someone for a hour or two, texting each other all the time and having video calls.
I’m watching a Chinese mate of mine hunt women at the moment, a view of how the younger do it and how a pub is the last place they would ever go. With romance apps everywhere and everybody’s life online in their Farcebook page or whatever, you get a reasonable view of the person before having to set up a coffee date. Quite the opposite to 60years ago.
Besides, that was on Youtube DM, less credible than Wiki even!
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The effect of screen time is a real cause for concern. We have all noted the extraordinary sight of both children and adults absorbed in the content of their mobile phones while travelling on public transport. Indeed, attention to mobiles is so pervasive that it seems to absorb all ages in all places.
I am a bit ambivalent about the long term effects. From personal experience I am forever astounded at the convenience of the world’s largest library at my fingertips! While I almost never use the internet for entertainment, I greatly value it in the pursuit of knowledge. Quaint, I know!. Indeed, I am only sometimes concerned at how much information I can collect while attending to normal life activities. I sometimes feel that it is akin to stuffing the brain with info! How much can it hold??? Fortunately, life requirements militate against excessive absorption. But really, the digital library is limited only by your needs, especially with the advent of AI – which in itself, os extraordinary. Whether it has an effect on the structure of the brain and its activity – we will no doubt discover – especially its effect on the hippocampus. Transient global amnesia, for example, can follow mental stress and information overload.
Indeed, there is one aspect of digital usage that became very apparent during the Covid years – and that is the psychological effects of usage. There is some evidence that it contributes not merely to social isolation, but possibly increasing levels of anxiety. It may be that the Covid world itself exacerbated this effect – but it would be interesting to examine evidence for the psychological effects of screen time.
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A Toronto, Canada, taxpayer does Canadian taxpayer version of Australian “acknowledgement of country”.
This is excellent. 1min 13sec
https://x.com/i/status/2014010967084982784
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Gen-Z, the cognitively stunted
Gen-Zers have become the first generation since records began to be less intelligent than their parents, and an expert has uncovered the reason.
Dr Jared Cooney Horvath, a former teacher-turned-neuroscientist, revealed that the generation born between 1997 and the early 2010s has been cognitively stunted by their over-reliance on digital technology in school.
Since records have been kept on cognitive development in the late 1800s, Gen Z is now officially the first group to ever score lower than the generation before them, declining in attention, memory, reading and math skills, problem-solving abilities, and overall IQ.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-15520263/Gen-Z-intelligent-neuroscientist.html
Idiocracy II.
Just smart enough to run the machines (with an adequate supply of Brawndo).
Now with more electrolytes!
Electrolyte – isn’t that an LED? 😆
10
Meanwhile in Antarctica…
https://va.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_t9u632mmwX1z23obp.mp4
It’s an exciting life drilling ice.
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Dont worry, be happy, latest news on retail electricity supply is for a 24-25% increase in prices for 2026.
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Ah, but wait until we get more renewables working, they make electricity for free apparently…
How much will that push the pay-off time for rooftop solar down I wonder?
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Australian researchers catch evolution in action
In a remarkable breakthrough in evolutionary biology, scientists have caught evolution in action. Researchers in Australia have documented a rare and awe-inspiring example of evolution unfolding before their eyes. A small species of skink, a type of lizard found in Australia, is transitioning from laying eggs to giving birth to live young. This phenomenon is incredibly rare, making it a significant moment in the study of evolutionary processes.
https://ifeg.info/2025/10/21/evolution-in-action-the-australian-lizards-shift-from-laying-eggs-to-giving-birth/
Ooohhh!!
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Having just spent ten minutes studying the Australian skink I have learnt the following: There are over 320 varieties of the Australian skink. They are known to produce their young through live births or by laying eggs, or even both from the same litter. It’s significant that the article didn’t specify the actual variety of skink under consideration.
I suggest that if any change has occurred (apparently due to CLIMATE CHANGE!), devolution rather than evolution has occurred, but more likely, nothing at all, bar the propaganda.
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Either that of the male skinks have decided they are females.
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So interest rates have risen 25 basis points. Prepare for much wailing and gnashing of teeth.
I thought now that boomers are dead/retired everything would be great. Who will they blame now?
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Anyone living on the coast north of Sydney may have heard a different aircraft – a QANTAS Conny has been doing laps for the last hour,
https://www.flightradar24.com/EAG/3e2b51c0
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