Like death and taxes, the gullible are always with us

Protestors in the Capital. Now the horned man, Jacob Chansley says he’s coming to terms with events leading to the riot and asked people to “be patient with me and other peaceful people who, like me, are having a very difficult time piecing together all that happened to us, around us, and by us. We are good people who care deeply about our country.” 

Karen Douglas, Professor of Social Psychology, University of Kent wrote a short note for The Conversation on Internet conspiracy theories before it got really serious. 

She said:

...rather than increasing belief in conspiracy theories generally, the internet plays a crucial role in fostering distinct and polarised online communities among conspiracy believers. Believers share their opinions and “evidence” with other believers but are less willing to share with people who are critical of conspiracy theories. So with the internet, conspiracy groups become more homogeneous and their beliefs become even stronger over time. 

Goes a long way to explaining the Jan 6 Capitol crowd and the Australian state capital protesters last weekend

For some reason Canberra's equivalent on the edge of Lake Burley Griffin was a lot more constrained...didn't even need the presence of the police.

Flattening the curve

  As we slowly transition back to something approximating normality, it is worth getting some perspective on our response to the epidemic. Here are some graphs I found rather shocking...the Australian Health authorities got it right compared to other countries. 

To pick two examples, cumulative deaths from COVID-19 per million for both the UK is now 144,000 and the US is over 774,000. Australia has had less than 2000 deaths. But, to allow for those countries' large populations, I have chosen to graph the deaths per million.

The second graph shows the "Total Excess Deaths" per million...that is the difference between the normal death rate in a period and the deaths during the pandemic times. Unlike the US or UK the Australian deaths, at times, actually fell.

Australia "flattened the curve".

 

For an interesting Twitter thread based on the same COVID-19 dataset see Edouard Mathieu

EV or not EV: that is the question

The difference between a dream and reality. 

Tesla is in the throes of opening a showroom in Canberra and locals are checking the goods, dreaming of owning an electric. A big QR code on the Civic shopfront invites for a test drive.

The reality is that the cheapest Tesla available in Canberra is $62,517 when the average cost of a vehicle in Australia is $40,729

Xioami's latest has roughly
the same specs as the hire eScooters

Canberra's electric vehicle of choice trundles by the showroom in the photo. The Neuron Mobility and Beam Mobility companies have put nearly 1,500 rental e-scooters on the city's streets since November 2020.  Inexpensive and popular, these take advantage of Canberra's broad walkways and cycleways to make "last kilometer" travel easy.

eScooter adoption has not been without trouble. A lot of people have landed themselves in hospital so the special laws governing their use are being modified to better deal with drunks and drug-effected. But then most of the accidents have proved to be single persons...inebriated scooter riders aren't as much of a danger to other road users or pedestrians.

Overall the scheme has proved to be good way of getting people out of cars. Approval has just been given for the hire scheme to be extended to the other Canberra city centres. 

Private ownership is also possible.  Models sell online and through retailers. However the hire scooters have continued to be preferred because they don't need to be secured and tend to be magically nearby and fully charged when you find yourself late for a meeting.

 

Meme Oz

The broadcast that started it all.

The month before "Brandon" Canberra had its own meme take off. Originating as a mistake by Sydney TV caption writer, Mitch Bowey, who failed to spot the auto-speller interpretation of "Canberrans" in a serious message by the Chief Minister Andrew Barr. Canberras immediately saw the humour and the meme soon spread throughout the ACT.

It then was amplified as a running joke for all Canberrans during the dark days of the Delta lockdown, appearing on badges, t-shirts, road signs and even promoted by the local beverage makers

The Canberra Raiders became the Ken Behren Raiders

Canberra's local Capital brewer gave Ken a face

And even the ACT Health campaigning made light

The Christmas Rush

Some birds are less than enthusiastic about the Season

Meme USA

Well crafted report by ABC Peter Marsh about the latest US Right Wing in-joke: 

In early October, at a NASCAR race at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama, Brandon Brown had won his first Xfinity Series and was being interviewed by an NBC Sports reporter.

The crowd behind the 28-year-old was chanting something at first difficult to make out. 

The reporter suggested they were chanting "Let's go, Brandon" to cheer the driver. But it became increasingly clear they were saying: "F--- Joe Biden." Here's the clip...fair warning for some coarse language, obviously.

The clip took off online, and the "Let's Go Brandon" meme was born.

NASCAR and NBC have since taken steps to limit "ambient crowd noise" during interviews.

Now it is sweeping through the US and even set to music

For a linguist’s eye view of its place in the the progress of English and how it is being politically countered by the left, see this short article in the Atlantic

Funding shipping’s green transition

The International Maritime Organization is considering a $100/tonne levy on ships' CO2 emissions. Funds would finance alternative fuel networks. Maersk, who has been particularly vocal about the need to move, estimates it would add 10 cents to pair of sneakers. Wall Street Journal has the full story but the detail is behind a paywall and starts out:

The International Maritime Organization is mulling a new tax on shipping to help build a global network of alternative fuel stations for vessels and subsidize developing countries facing higher export costs.

The proposal calls for charging vessel operators $100 for each metric ton of carbon dioxide emitted per trip. The shipping regulator said the levy could raise around $1 trillion over the next three decades, according to a World Bank study submitted to the IMO in September.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise, the IMO has been working on a number of ways to curb the outrageous pollution caused by world shipping for some time. 

...a reduction in carbon intensity of international shipping (to reduce CO2 emissions per transport work, as an average across international shipping, by at least 40% by 2030, pursuing efforts towards 70% by 2050, compared to 2008); and that total annual GHG emissions from international shipping should be reduced by at least 50% by 2050 compared to 2008.

Maersk, one of the world's biggest shipping lines, has been busy in other ways. Says Søren Skou, CEO of A.P. Moller-Maersk:

...we are embracing the [decarbonising] challenge, working on solving the practical, technical and safety challenges inherent in the carbon neutral fuels we need in the future. Our ambition to have a carbon neutral fleet by 2050 was a moonshot when we announced in 2018. Today we see it as a challenging, yet achievable target to reach,” 

Maersk will take delivery of its first carbon-neutral ship in 2023, seven years ahead of schedule. While the vessel will be able to operate on standard fuels, the plan is to operate the vessel on carbon neutral e-methanol or sustainable bio-methanol from the start.

A new study says shipping could be responsible for 17% of global CO2 emissions in 2050 if left unregulated,

Kota Kinabalu

 

Flirted momentarily with climbing The world heritage Kota Kinabalu in Sabah.

Looks like a good adventure with stunning landscapes, exotic flora and fauna and some hard climbing. But it may not be possible in these pandemic ridden times. 

Tourism is banned while the Malaysian
Government tries to get the local population vaccinated and the Australian Government is advising against visiting.

Reading through the Wikipedia article I found that there is a small problem with earthquakes. Locals and tourists were killed by landslides during a major quake a few years back. 

One tourist group got themselves into another kind of trouble. They were disrespectful towards the mountain. The locals believed the tourists had angered the spirits, precipitating the damaging quake. 

Like so many other places on Earth facing climate change, it may soon be “the last chance to see” as many of the local species are adapted to the snow and cold of the heights despite the equatorial location.

Canny drinks

 

We make an enormous effort to collect and recycle as much as we can.  We have done it for years. Even on my grand walk across the top of Spain, I was known as the person who cleaned up the rubbish as I went.  Even before it was profitable to turn in containers I was making sure that any in my way would make it to a rubbish bin or a recycling station.

Now, around once a fortnight, we fill up the car with recyclables, motor out to the local station and push through hundreds of beverage containers contributed by family, friends and the other people at our apartment complex. The proceeds of 10 cents a container goes towards installing outside garden seating within the complex and other common projects. Once we run out of projects I am sure that other worthy causes will pop up.
Doing this  work on a regular basis has alerted us to just how much waste we produced. Each of us needs to reuse more. Even our prime minister, Scott Morrison admits only 12% of all plastic bottles are recycled.

Consequently, we are considering doing Sodastream.

Nancy said that she would like to do that but wants to be able to flavour what she makes with something a little more exotic...she favours Chinotto, a favourite flavour of San Pellegrino.

Our knee-jerk reaction was to look in our local supermarket. They had the SodaStream exchange gas bottles for the initial price of $35 but an exchange price of $19. This does about 50 refills.

Flavourings by the standard commercial brands such as Pepsi and 7up cost $7. That would work out at less than a $1 a litre and so the expensive $200 set up could be amortised in about two years. As a point of comparison a litre throwaway bottle of Coke from Woolies is five times that.

However, checked the Sodastream website and found a lot more points of supply including Dan Murphy’s in Dickson. Where to buy SodaStream – Store Locator & Stockists Near You. I seem to be able to get good standard starter packs online for around the $200 mark including some 500ml and 1ltre bottles.

The ever reliable Choice appraisal was done only a few days ago. Its key points were

• SodaStream is the best known brand of soda makers, but we tested 10 models from brands including SodaStream, Soda King, Aarke and Philips. Choice recommends some of the SodaStream stable, the One Touch, Source, Spirit and the Crystal. They vary in price and functionality.. It is obvious that the people who work for Choice like the system. Update: we ordered the $134.10 basic Source Element directly from SodaStream Australia. We should see it and the custom group of accessories, in a few days.

• 

• It’s mostly cheaper to make your own sparkling water with a soda maker than to buy bottled water...especially if you have a penchant for the pricey imported stuff (we do, I regularly move through a case of cans every few weeks)

• Convenience, health and the environment are other factors to consider. While plain (or 'normal') water with no added flavour or bubbles is overall the best drink option for your body and your teeth, carbonated water is still a better option than fruit juice or other fizzy drinks that are sweetened.

One website has rounded up what they think are  the 18 best SodaStream recipes. I quote:

1. Ginger Ale Recipe

This recipe will make some of the best ginger ale you’ve ever tasted.

2. Cola Recipe

Not too fond of your SodaStream cola syrup? Try this gourmet recipe instead.

3. Cherry Limeade Soda Recipe

One of the many unusual (but delicious) flavors you can make for your SodaStream machine.

4. Root Beer Recipe

Want to enjoy some homemade root beer? This is the recipe for you.

5. Fruity Banana Soda Recipe

Perfect for anyone who loves all things banana flavored.

6. Vanilla and Earl Grey Italian Cream Soda Recipe

If you like London Fogs you’ll definitely love this flavor combination.

7. Concord Grape and Lemon Soda Recipe

Perfect for anyone who wants a really fruity treat.

8. Lemon Lime Soda Recipe

Can’t get enough of that citrus taste? This recipe is perfect for you.

9. Strawberry Soda Recipe

Everybody loves strawberries. Now you can enjoy their flavor in your soda.

10. Blood Orange Syrup Recipe

If you think blood oranges are fantastic, you’ll think this recipe is fantastic too.

11. Cranberry Soda Recipe

The perfect recipe if you’ve always thought cranberry juice could use a little extra kick.

12. Peach Thyme Syrup Recipe

A great mix of fruity and herbal flavors.

13. Pink Rhubarb Soda Recipe

Anyone who loves Rhubarb will love this recipe.

14. Diet Cola Recipe

This syrup is the closest to diet Coke you’re likely to find.

15. Spicy Cola Recipe

Have you always wanted soda with an extra kick? Try this recipe.

16. Orange Cream Soda Recipe

A fantastic twist on the traditional cream soda you know and love.

17. Chocolate Phosphate Soda Recipe

What’s better than chocolate? Chocolate soda!

18. Fizzy Lemonade Recipe

Want lemonade without any extra flavors? Try this recipe.

But wait there is more! Check out, for example, the SodaStream recipe page

Men from Snowy River

 

I've always loved this bit of the comedy film Blazing Saddles(1972) where the town's marshal threatens to shoot the nigger.

The whole movie is a critique of the racism of white US culture. Mel Brooks managed to shoehorn in nearly every racial stereotype: blacks, germans, chinese, indians and even himself as an Indian. It's message is just as uncomfortable today as it was when he fought for the content against his Hollywood producers in 1972.

Remembering it again was a shock of recognition that nothing much has moved on from the 1870s when the story was set. This is the leader of "Cowboys for Trump" and avowed racist who ended up in jail for his part in the Jan 6 invasion of the Capitol. He represents a strong theme in US culture

It is interesting to note the parallels with our own Australian culture.  Banjo Paterson’s Man From Snowy River is a case in point. The NSW State Library says:

"Banjo Paterson contributed to various newspapers and magazines, in particular the Bulletin, which was a key platform for promoting and popularising a particular view of nationalism and national identity that was closely tied to the White Australia policy. For example, in 1906 the magazine changed its slogan from ‘ Australia for the Australians’ to ‘Australia for the White Man’.

At the beginning of WW1 recruitment drives included "Men From Snowy River" Marches to induction centres. The Bega memorial to its march includes this quote from British General Ian Hamilton during the Gallipoli campaign:

" Speaking out of a full heart, may I be permitted to say how gloriously the Australian and New Zealand Contingent have upheld the finest traditions of our race during this struggle still in progress."

Have we moved on? When the latest Man from Snowy River movie rehash was made in 1982, this was the poster.

More realistically, the Man could well have been from this Delegate, NSW, family. See this book published last year about the culture of the Snowy River brumbies.

And we all go quiet.

Lee

Halloween Canberra-style

 

Contribution to Halloween by a Lyneham resident.

Night Bombers (2009)

 

By chance and suggestion algorithm on YouTube som rare archive colour footage of an RAF bombing raid on Berlin in the winter of 1943.

It had been re-cut and given a new narrative by the amateur cameraman Air Commodore Henry Illife Cozens with the perspective of 30 years.

His daughter, delivering his eulogy in 1997 after he died at 91 said:

[Deemed too old to fly combat in WW2]...he grew tired of his desk job, and managed to secure the post of Commanding Officer at RAF Hemswell, the bomber base of the Polish 305 Squadron in Lincolnshire. ... he shot a 16mm colour film, entitled ‘Night Bombers’. After being released under the 30 year rule, it was shown on BBC Television in 1978

The film starts early in the morning in an aircraft hangar, with the mechanics working on a Lancaster bomber which has come back from a night-time raid. It then follows that Lancaster and its crew throughout the day, from the loading up of the bombs, the briefing of the crew on their mission, the crew getting ready to go, and the aircraft taxiing out, which was totally stage managed by my father one Sunday afternoon, because being Station Commander he had the clout to make them practice taxiing.

The Lancasters are then shown taking off. This was shot in two parts, one where he is going alongside another Lancaster as it takes off and the second where he’s actually inside.

The footage then shows the crew flying to Germany, as well as the raid itself, which he shot through the open bomb bay doors and was intended to show new crews what a night-time bombing raid was like. This is the most iconic part of the film which is often used in documentaries, particularly the shot of the shadow of another Lancaster below his one. It is a sad fact that many crews were killed by ‘friendly fire’ when the bomb load of a Lancaster flying above, hit ones below them.

After the raid the film records the flight home, having to land by FIDO due to fog, the crew debrief and, finally, the Lancaster back in the hangar early the next morning being prepared for the following night’s mission.

He was grounded in April 1944, along with all station commanders and staff officers, after a staff officer, who had been briefed on the plans of D-Day, was lost over Germany. He then served as the Senior Air Staff Officer at No 1 Group Bomber Command until the end of the war.

Remarkable story.

Tailgunner

One of the features of the film is the acknowledgement of how dangerous and uncomfortable flying as a tailgunner had been. Going to the Australian War Memorial you can still see the huge 1944 painting by Dennis Adams of the loneliness of a Halifax Bomber gunner, the role of my father, before a night fighter brought him down over Berlin.

Pee Kills

Graffiti on Belconnen Way

 

For our eyes only

 

Google Nest Cams

Google's cheapest cam

Pleased to see that Google has just come to its senses and have stopped charging a subscription for basic web services on its surveillance cameras. Arstechnica has the details.

Now they are worth considering...especially for our parking basement where the connection to our private intranet is spotty.

Google is offering the wired indoor version for $169 as opposed to the nearly $400 bells and whistles battery wifi version but the subscription service is still there at a minimum of $6 per month. The comparison with my two sub $100 Xioami cams is still dreadful.

Xioami wifi cam

Our pair of cams have proved their worth. Both track people and have effective online as well as local storage so that if we do have intruders we will be able to get a rough idea of what they look like and exactly when they looked suspicious. After losing three bikes we are a bit nervous about security.

One of the user comments on the Arstechnica story said that you can’t use wifi for serious security because it can be so easily jammed and pointed to a relatively inexpensive disrupter device that could do it. What they didn't say was that it is totally illegal in Australia and would knock-out all other nine wifis in our building. Ugly.