js
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Posts posted by js
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Originally Posted By: panhead_peteGreat question mate, thanks. I did this to think about it as I am a picture guy when I need to understand things. It appears it would have a nuetral inpact if there was no snow on the second floor balcony at the rear of the house?????
PS Hope the pics are showing as I only see the little red X
The structure appears proportionately balanced - not a good idea. You'll need supports under the two overhanging portions i.e. forgot about 'live loads' e.g. furniture, people, wind, snow (ice), etc. Personally, I'd be sticking the whole structure on a concrete slab, which extends outwards to support the two columns (the columns could be minimalist 'T' shaped to reduce the visible impact on the structure).
The slab, designed for earthquakes, could also be coloured (oxides) to further reduce or contrast its appearance.
It's likely a slab will be the most expensive component of the build = certified structural engineering component. To reduce costs, simple things like having all wet areas (showers, toilets, laundry, kitchen) along one side means you reduce piping (plumbing is expensive). Don't put any conduits through the slab = maintenance nighmare.
My 2c worth ... -
Just noted that the uncreative people in Hollywood are remaking the 1956 classic 'Forbidden Planet'.
I reckon it will be C-rap, just like that load of manure remake of 'The Day The Earth Stood Still', with Mr Monotone Keanu Reeves.
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Interesting comment on ABC TV (OZ) this morning. The hosts were interviewing some political analyst via satellite in the UK who, on seeing footage of the two walking side by side across the lawn dressed in suits quipped:
'They look like they're going to a (gay) Civil Ceremony.'
Gotta admit, they look too much alike and too chummy.
I think the same person also noted that they: 'look like Tony Blair's love children'.
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Originally Posted By: Mamabear
aaaahhhhh...
... can't wait for the 'panty' version ...
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I got 'snow blindness' about 30 years ago on a school trip.
The only thing that worked was a cool compress and a dark room.
I believe eye-drops are available that contain a mild anaesthetic - give them a go.
An old remedy for sunburnt skin is a cool bath with some vinegar added. If you get blisters, DO NOT break them = infection. Gently wipe with a solution of warm water and salt to dry them out. (It really works and avoids nasty chemicals).
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Originally Posted By: MamabearAbsolutely.
And those skills required are mainly doctors, nurses and policemen. Wonder why we have a skills shortage in those industry's
[read: dripping sarcasm]
Totally agree with your obvious dig at the lack of education opportunities (cost, placement of overseas students, etc). Also wish to add that many of the so-called professionals being brought in are very much sub-standard.
Mitch, it is easy to look at columns of graphs and compare countries, though if you take a geographic look at Australia (try google earth), we are very much an arid country, so the availability of housing and jobs is limited to a very narrow coastal strip, which in some places is affected by severe climate, owned by Aboriginal communities, or is Nationl Park. Not to mention the availability of natural resources to supply a city.
Increasing density is an obvious temporary treatment.
That's the problem we have with illegal immigration - most of the people coming here are NOT refuges, they are paying customers who are knowingly breaching our Federal Laws, and quite a few International ones, to achieve a better lifestyle and not to save their lives - it's economic, not much else. As someone else mentioned, we have no idea of their background because they either come with no papers or purposely dispose of them - suspect from the start.
Racism? What a load of shit. We're probably the most multicultural country on the globe - not perfect, but working our way through it. -
Originally Posted By: MitchPeeSub Zero you have to be careful about your terms. Genocide does not mean war. Just for example you cannot compare the conflict in Rwanda to the conflict of the US in Afghanistan. It was the intention of Hutus in Rwanda to kill ALL of the Tutsie people and commit an ethnic cleansing. Although very digressed from the main objective and easily preventable in the 90's the US does not look to eradicate the Afghani people.
I understand where you are coming from though. I don't think anything ever justifies an initial act of war. Then again I don't see something that ever justifies sanctions where the ones who are hurt are already the poorest with the least political say.
I think you are also taking a lot of what Jynxx says out of context. From what I interpret he takes it as a serious way to remember and honor the lives lost, but not to galvanize the country as some sort of great action. It was a war, the lives should be remembered, but we should take away the negatives that impacted this country. IE not to remember that Germany is bad and we are good, but that as a world we have learned greatly from the atrocious ordeal of WW2 and begin our moving forward not as Australians, Americans, Germans, but as a global community striving to never see that sort of hostility again.
I am wildly speculating but I think Jynxx is inferring that this sort of military solidarity celebration leads to what happened with the US (I think that is what Jynxx was saying?) and I would agree with him. Nationalism has accounted for some atrocious things in life and shouldn't be used for the purpose of foreign conflicts except in the most dire dire dire of circumstances.
That genocide comment was made by JX - see the quotation marks.
JX was clearly insinuating that ANZAC Day is purely a celebration of militarism and being the victor. This isn't supported in anyway whatsoever - the March, the interviews, etc. I agree with your sentiments regarding Germany, Japan & Italy, though it is somewhat naive - forgive, but never forget.
Sure, if ANZAC Day was a redneck celebration of military solidarity, fair comments, though it is certainly not. There's no real comparison to the celebrations you have in the US - although they commemorate, they seem to focus on nationalism and sometimes militarism, whereas ANZAC Day and Rememberance Day (WW1 Armistice Day) focuses squarely on rememberance and commemorates the sacrifices of the armed forces and civilians during times of war. It's a memorial - simple.
So you can see, that when some git sprouts blatant untruths, they shouldn't be permitted to be posted as if they were fact and go unchallenged. -
Originally Posted By: MamabearSo this weeks meal is Meatballs in a tomato based sauce with 3 Veg, and Apple Rhubarb Crumble for dessert. The majority of diners will be our juniors (7-14yrs) and their families.
If you keep feeding 'em like that, they won't be 'juniors' for very long!
Thin or thick base? (I much prefer thin - less is more. Minimum pizza 'base' requirements for moi = anchovies, chilli, black olives, black pepper, and oregano. Pineapple?? Who puts fruit on a pizza??!!!)
Do you do creme brulee? If so, give me the address and I'll book a flight!
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Originally Posted By: JynxxOriginally Posted By: SubZero
Well JX, before sprouting untruths, get your facts straight.
Are you flaming me? You haven't stated any facts at all as far as I'm concerned. You say something.
no big deal. 
No, not flaming, just pointing out the obvious. It's amazing to see, from your own recollections, that you still see ANZAC Day as some sort of military-appreciating event.
'... think there is something wrong with these cadets and little kids taking a place in the march, in false illusion of pride, not understanding that WAR IS GENOCIDE. The only ones who can be honoured are the ones who were there and the ones who are dead.'
The cadets, and other young people, march out of respect for the people (mainly relatives) who delivered us from certain oppression. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone in the march who was there to glorify war. It seems you don't appreciate the intelligence of many of todays youth - unlike us (me?) we didn't have the Internet to snap onto a complete historical reference at a whim, getting both sides of the story.
Like everyone on this forum, you're entitle to an opinion, but be prepared for critisim if you try to sell it as a fact. -
Originally Posted By: Jynxx
I don't give a toss as to your assessment of my knowledge about ww2. as much as I don't care about the flag one fights under. Clearly you mentality is an example to what patriotic sentiments do to a country downunder that struggled to have its own identity.
I have been born to parents who directly experienced ww2, witnessed the civilian massacre by US bombers in Tokyo and Hiroshima and countless stories told by that generation.
Like I told you guys in my example in regards to my friend, we at least know better never to repeat it again. This is what we will not forget.
I am in agreement with GN on this. There is remembrance day. Call it Anzac day or whatever, its military day.
My take on this is that Australia suffered a cultural and social inferior complex to the so called developed West.
In the late '70s, while on 16% bank interest, a country for kids and old people dependent on Japan for 60% of the economy. So many times I heard that "We have no tradition or heritage since it's only 200 yo" when any heritage was being developed as shops for tourism. How bid deal it was to win the America's cup. Suddenly there is a national anthem to replace "I feel like a (brand name of beer) or two"
It's just flag waving. When I went to the States after 9/11 and saw so many flags, even on cars, some Americans recognised this and were concerned about it, too.
Patriotism is one of the root causes to turn the axis of evil,
if you like to use the term coined by Bush.
Well JX, before sprouting untruths, get your facts straight.
And if you didn't realise, world politics is like playground politics - 'you're either for us, or against us'. In war time you don't get asked to stand under a flag, it's forced upon people - usually with a rifle muzzle pointed at ones head or bricks through windows. Lucky are we to live in relatively stable countries and have the luxury of speaking our minds - not so for those in Nazi Germany, Tojo's Japan, Mugabes Zimbabwe ...
I'm not patriotic (unless of course it concerns the Wallabies playing the All Blacks or the Poms in Cricket).
You're not Robinson Crusoe in the parents regards, similarly, many of us on this site have parents of the same vintage and similar experiences. I don't know what relevance mentioning the Atomic blasts have - yeah, war is heck. To balance that, ask the POW's of the Japs if they were treated with any humanity, the 5 million or so Chinese who were exterminated, or the simple fact that a couple of countries greed and ambitions caused millions to die unnecessarily.
I disagree that 'we at least know better never to repeat it again' - it simply isn't human nature.
America's Cup? That was just Australian sporting competitiveness coming through - besides the fact that it is the oldest active trophy in international sport and had the longest winning streak in the history of sport. (Something to celebrate winning I reckon).
Cultural inferiority - to some degree perhaps, but again I point you to history, we're a nation made up of people from other nations. We simply celebrate being Australians, which means diversity. Unlike like some other nations who boast superiority 'cause they've got the bomb, or their (inbred) genes are supposedly superior, etc, etc.
I agree blind patriotism, AKA Dubya, is evil. Though similarly, being the direct opposite is also problematic.
The sentiment was probably best stated by the Turk Commander and later President Ataturk in a speech to the mothers of the ANZACS:
'Those heroes that shed their blood And lost their lives...
You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country.
Therefore, rest in peace.
There is no difference between the Johnnies
And the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side,
Here in this country of ours.
You, the mothers, who sent their sons from far away countries...
Wipe away your tears.
Your sons are now lying in our bosom
And are in peace.
After having lost their lives on this land, they have
Become our sons as well.'
Pretty honourable considering they lost about 255,000 men in that battle.
ANZAC Day/Rememberance Day helps us not to forget many good things (love, mateship, peace, forgiveness), it pays tribute to those who delivered us from likely oppression, remembers the comradship that existed between allied nations in facing common foes, and aids the healing process - ask a Vietnam vet about that. -
It's strange - over the last few months I've seen quite a lot of stuff on TV originating from Scandanavia. Now, I don't want to offend anyone, but it seems like the whole region is full of geeks and/or dorks who either wear black OR white?
One good mock-documentary that comes from Norway, which takes the piss outta Boybands, is called 'Get Ready to Be Boyzvoiced' - very funny.
Gareth: small gene-pool in WA, init?
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Originally Posted By: JynxxI agree on some of the points that GN has mentioned that it is a glorified nationalistic ceremony in disregard of what kind of atrocities a common man, not an occupational soldier or commanders in the back had to go through in the front lines.
Lets face it. The only military threat that Australia have went through is the war against Japanese. Darwin got bombed over 60 times.
The rest of the war were fighting for Brits and being their cannon fodder. That's a great identity as a nation, ironically.
Your knowledge of WW2 is severely lacking if that's all you know. We actually fought under our own flag and as an inividual country e.g. our Navy ships, our airwings, and our land forces. Some Aussies, like the Canadians/South Africans/Polish/Dutch/Free French, etc did in fact fight under the British banner, but that was a matter of either choice or necessity.
New Guinea was administered by Australia, so in fact our territorial lands were invaded. I suggest you read-up on the Coral Sea Battle (OZ & US vs Japs), which is the reason why the New Guinea campaigns commenced. No prisoners taken by either side in those. (My Uncle fought at Gone/Buna - a disease ridden blood bath.) Both Aussies and Yanks fought in NG.
So, we actually fought with the Poms - loss of Singapore, etc; and the Yanks.
As for 'fighting for the Brits', well, it was either that or fight for the Axis?! The cannon fodder days were in the previous End of Empires War (WW1)
The global shift in politics still has us closely aligned to the Yanks rather than the Poms - both are poisoned chalices.
I reckon Gen Y are just old enough to remember their grand parents (who lived throught WW2), so they are picking up the ANZAC Day batton out of respect for them, rather than nationalism per se.
It'll be interesting to see what Gen Y's kids do ... probably be a bunch of decadent wankers like those in the 1930's, and history will undoubetly repeat itself with another mass annilation.
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... can't really warm to Japanese bands ... ever since Yoko screw up the Beatles ...
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Originally Posted By: MamabearMy challenge for 2010 is to just say YES. Hang the formalities, and getting the jobs done before the fun .... I am just going to embrace every opportunity for connection, experiences, fun, learning and social interaction that I can!
Mid-life crisis time, is it?
Seriously though, I totally agree.
I commenced work at the current place about 5 years ago and can't believe how most of the staff have done nothing with their lives except school, marriage, kids, career - nada! Now that most of them are in their late 50's, they are trying new things, things I did in my 20's & 30's e.g. canyoning, back country trips, abseiling, etc.
What's more suprising is they have worked in an organisation that has paid them well, much more than where I previously worked. The people at the previous place weren't concerned with the cost, they had kids, careers, etc too but had really opened minds and attitudes and were more interested in living life to the full.
It's sad really.
When we swap experiences, they can't believe a younger bloke has done so much, yet really I've done only a modest amount of things. It's them who have done bugger all.
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Originally Posted By: MamabearIt was all the horrid preservatives and additives in the food we were buying - and we were not eating MacD's every day either - it was in the food served up at restaurants and cafe's as well.
Many years ago a group of us went into the first 'Chilli's' Restaurant that opened in Australia (Campbelltown NSW). Not long after we sat down, a rotund Pommie bloke - not unlike Bob Hoskins (ascent and all) - came over and introduced himself as the Manager. Obviously we were his target customers (30-somethings).
We got talking to him about opening an American francise in Oz. He advised us of many things, but of particular note was the need to source alternative food colourings, flavourings, and other additives because most of the ones used in the States are illegal here! On his search for replacement 'chemicals' he found it was easier to use natural products than manufactured alternatives.
Having been to the States a number of times, I gotta admit - much of their food is terrible e.g. grain fed beef is crap (range feed is higher quality), their chook tastes like the cardboard box it came in, and all the breakfast cereals we viewed in the supermarket were loaded with sugar.
It's not about population and the need to supply food, it's about subsidised (cheap) high volume, low quality food.
If McDonalds call it fish or chicken, you can bet it's of an extremely low order. Probably shark (loaded with heavy metals, PCB's, dioxins, etc), the chicken is reconstituted scraps left from processing - beaks and arseholes. That's why it's cheap ... only one step up from 'Soylent Green' in my opinion!
Wonder how much McD's paid Waist Watchers for the Seal? -
How about Australian Crawl and the Hoodoo Gurus - very popular when I was in High School.
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Originally Posted By: BagOfCrispsWho the heck is Blackmore?!?
Richie Blackmore - Deep Purple and Rainbow. -
Having a silver or a bronze means you're in the world top 3 of your chosen activity (debatable if some of them are actually sports).
On that basis, I'd be pretty chuffed to get either a silver or a bronze - it also adds incentive to try harden next time.
I suppose the question remains, that in this world where most sports are professionally based, what's the point of the Olympics when there are 'world titles'. And, particularly with the Winter Olympics, is it equitable - not every country has, for example, an Ice Hockey team, so its stature as a world sport is kinda misleading ... similar to the so-called 'World Series' (does the US still believe it is the centre of the Universe?
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A happy, smiley drunk ... much more pleasant drunk than sober!
(The trick is to maintain the positive aspects of being drunk without the hang-over
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A green coloured 1969 Toyota Corolla 2-door Coupe past-down from a friend to my Sister, then from her to me, then from me to my Brother, then from him to his son, then from his son to a friend, then into a crusher!
Estimated it lasted for about 25+ years with only one engine rebuild. Damn solid little car with no complicated garbage under the bonnet.
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Originally Posted By: MamabearOh good Lord Sub Zero!
I get that a lot from women ... also: 'god, God, GOD!!'
Originally Posted By: MamabearAs for the horizontal activities - not always horizontal - but certainly not lacking.
... something like this perhaps? 
Too much information, Lady-Sandgroper.
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The typical cost of a one kilometre length of Highway grade road in Oz is about $5M. (That's a seperated dual lane carriageway with all the mod cons, excluding bridges, seperate foot/bike paths, etc)
A good example is the 40km long, $1.5B M7 Motorway in the outskirts of Sydney.
This has travel tolling, which means you only pay for the length of road you use (between designated points) - the used the more the user pays.
Obviously, Oz doesn't have the climatic conditions of Japan, or the earthquake issues. These would add a substantial build cost to any road.
At $1.5B, no government could afford such an outlay and long time to recoup the money, so it's becoming more common to finance large State projects via the Build-Own-Operate-Transfer(BOOT)system.
A private firm is contracted to design and build it, own/opperate/maintain it for a certain number of years (usually between 10-30), then transfer it over to public ownership. As with all projects, the bugger is in the contract management - initial writing, adjusting (negotiations), policing, and avoiding grey/unforseen areas.
Using incentives, like those mentioned above, or like in London (congestion tax), increases the likelihood of people mode shifting to other forms of more efficient transport (public transport) or travelling outside peak periods.
In densely populated cities, the removal of tolls would create gridlock - and it's not simply a matter of adding extra lanes - like gas, motorists would quickly fill the gaps.
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In J-Land I’ve eaten a main meal of sea urchin on rice with salmon roe, etc – something I’d never eat at home and with little or no stomach issues. Besides, if you can’t find something healthy to eat in Japan, you’re just not looking hard enough!
An ideal diet is obviously an individual thing, but using excuses like 30 hours away, hotel/plane/road trip food isn’t an excuse to ‘detox’. That’s just bad eating habits, and absence of thought, leading to an upset stomach which could easily be rectified by eating some fruit, drinking water/tea and having a sleep. (Drinking hot tea on a stomach full of fruit will ‘detox’ you pretty damn quick!
)Lack of self control is the root of the problem.
In answer to MB’s initial question:
‘Has anyone else had headaches from detox?
Any other bizarre reasons for headaches?’
All these will give you a headache: A severe change in diet, going cold-turkey after drinking more than two cups of coffee a day, being dehydrated, getting stressed about dieting, having a brain tumour, and not getting/giving enough sex.
Forget the ‘detox’ crap and just eat simply, drink more water than coffee, get a head scan and do more horizontal-folk-dancing!
But hey, if it makes someone feel better to use pseudoscience, power to them.
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we've got chooks and a vegie garden, so a special (once a month) treat is: take three natural (orgasmic) eggs from our happy vigin hens (no rooster), a big handfull of finely chopped curly-leaf parsley, mix together, and pour into a hot fry pan.
Brown on both sides, turn out onto a plate THEN add salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Eat with whole grain toast - friggin' yum-o!
On occasion add a small amount of finely chopped brown onion.
(Detox in a meal!)
Favourite pub
in General off-topic discussions
Posted
So many pubs have gone downhill recently.
First there was all the modern theme pubs, then just running down in general and closing down. There's less and less still open.
One I love is called the Bottle & Glass pub in Aylesbury.
Great place and lots of memories.
Yep, the fridge out in the shed - each day I try to perform the following wind-down ritual: home from work change into old comfortable clothes, go out to said fridge and crack a cold one or three, open the chook pen to let the chooks out onto the lawn for a run (better quality eggs!), sip the beer and talk to the chooks ... don't get no arguments there!
Everyone should have a ritual to wind down.