Aussies! Check in here!

[darkelf9]

Afternoon all,

The Queen's Birthday holiday crept on me, then again most of the single day public holidays do that ever since I stopped working. As for the Queen well it isn't her actual birthday so not sure why we keep having it in June. She has been on the throne for many years. Then again Christmas is not the birth date of Jesus either so another false birthday that we have as a public holiday.

The Onion Eater got his gong but must be really pissed that he hasn't got his knighthood like be planned. Which is the only reason he reinstated it before it was removed again. It has become the norm that former PM's get a Queens Birthday award when their respective parties are in power. Shouldn't happen. Especially when the recipient has done more bad than good. Bronwyn must be waiting for her gold card for helicopter trips.

Smoko's comment about slavery here is a white fellas perspective and shows his govt is totally deaf when it comes to issues about our first nations people. Blowing up their sacred sites even it is deemed legal is also white fella deafness. There was outrage from all those white fellas in the media when Captain Cook's statue got a makeover, but not a peep out of them when an aboriginal site is destroyed. The culture needs to change and will only change with a change in personnel. A few rotten apples will infect the rest of the apples in the barrel, just look in your fridge next time you throw out fruit and veg that has gone off. Leaving cancer cells in the body doesn't cure the disease.

So the debate on the new housing stimulus has shown the govt clusterfucks are at it again. The rules are only aimed to allow developers to claim the $25K. If you are spending $150k on a reno you are overdeveloping, that's half a house. That's not a reno it is a rebuild. It costs about $300k to build a std 3 bedroom BV house with a garage. Building a double story duplex is about $600k so even those builds won't qualify. So only developers who hide their actual income will qualify. The govt initially said their scheme would benefit 27,000 people, now it's 7000 so the actual figure will be even less than that. They aren't good with figures as we have seen. Better to put that money towards social housing which would stimulate the economy and ensure housing security for those who need it. We don't build what we used to call housing commission homes. There is land to do this but councils would rather give the ok to developers to build multistorey apartments where they get rates rather than ensure the land is used to house people doing it tough. Half the apartments built these days are empty because they are used as investments rather than as housing.

Has been bloody cold in Melbourne all week. I don't usually feel the cold so if I'm feeling cold then it is fucking freezing for others. I still smile when I see people dressed like they are in the South Pole sitting outside a café with a coffee. I've never understood the sense in that. It has become like fashion. People doing it cause it's fashionable to do. I'm sure people will say..."well I'm supporting my local café"...no you're just pretentious looking for a social media op.

Lots of comment about the protests here in Melbourne and in other places. Since restrictions have been lifted here in Melbourne I haven't seen much social distancing when going to the shops. Seen a number of people just wandering down the street on their phones not looking where they are going and in some of the busier shopping strips there isn't any social distancing. The only time you see it is if you are in a bank, post office or standing in line at the supermarket checkout, otherwise people are just doing as they did before the lockdown. There also seems to be the impression that if you wear a mask and have the COVIDSafe app then you are safe from the virus which is not true. Happy to see that in some parts of the country the virus is not evident. At some point that will happen here in VIC. Will be interesting to see how the social distancing thing will happen when the weather here gets warmer.

Watched the footy last night and it was a surprisingly low score. It looked like neither team was match fit so a few more games will see better footy. The fake crowd noise was better than none. Not sure about the cardboard cut outs. Don't see what they add to the atmosphere apart from putting a few more dollars in the AFL's coffers.

Hope the weekend is good for you. Expecting some of the wet stuff here in Melbourne town. Even though it hasn't rained, the frost on the ground had made the green stuff damp.

 

[Zach_lost_in_Aus]

Wonder if you’ve all been refreshing your knowledge of the Constitution of Australia. Section 92 has become topical. Freedom of ‘Intercourse’ in 1900 was not about free love and all that jazz, perverts.

 

[darkelf9]

Afternoon all,

Went to the dentist on Monday and used PT which was ok on the train since it was easy to social distance. Didn't see any marked areas where you couldn't sit so it seems it's up to the public to just do the right thing. On the tram however no social distancing happening. People sitting back to back. There are now two zones for social distancing, outside and inside shops. None happening outside then suddenly when you walk inside you have to stand at the markings. It's as if we have suddenly forgotten that the virus is still in the country.

The dentist is back to normal with the only change being your temperature being taken as you enter. They even removed some of the seats. More people than I normally see in the waiting room which was because the dentist was trying to play catchup since they only went back to normal here in VIC as of 1 June. Not many people walking around the city, even the chocolate shop was empty so I went in to buy my normal purchase of chocs after the dentist. Walking back to the station I saw a number of shops were either empty of customers or only had a couple of customers. Whilst they are open there aren't enough customers you would think to make them viable at the moment. Was on my way down the escalator to the train and was met with a gaggle of school kids bunched together like a school of fish coming up the other way. The kids couldn't care less about the virus. So the whole social distancing thing is basically dead unless you go into a shop. So when the govt says people shouldn't protest right now, well nobody is following the rules when out in the general public spaces anyway.

Had another one of those telehealth calls which was a total failure thanks to the NBN which must have died just before the appointed time however I wasn't aware of that at the time. Was kinda weird in that I was able to call out but kept getting a busy tone after dialing the number. Normally when the NBN dies you can't get a dial tone. If this telehealth process is only going to work 50% of the time then it's a failed method. We need a better NBN if telehealth is going to be an ongoing option. Another one of those technology promises that is all marketing and fuck all substance. It still cost me money to do the telehealth so this crap about Medicare covering the cost is not true in all cases.

Has been a funny week weatherwise. Depending on the day and if you were out in the sun at a certain time of day it was warmish. Went shopping yesterday for the groceries and was feeling a bit warm but then a couple of hours later the chill came back. There wasn't any wind yesterday. Today the wind is back and has picked up in the last hour so the rain from the west is on it's way. Not the time to be out in the garden unless you want to eat leaves and have grass blowing in your face.

So the govt is increasing the cost of an Arts Degree which is really going to piss of the surfers. They might actually have to attend class which is going to be a shock. Than again an Arts Degree only gets you a better place in the Centrelink queue. Not surprising that an LNP govt would attack the Arts as they think Arts is not necessary it's just something you do in your spare time, better to support large corporates that don't pay any tax.

Have been drinking Wild Turkey Rye straight recently and it's ok. Not as smooth as the single malt scotch I drink but it's an acceptable alternative also a hell of a lot cheaper. My local Woollies is still doing their reno so have to travel a bit further to get the usual red wine.

Hope your weekend is good for you.

 

[Rollinbones]

Woah... not checked in lately, have been reeling. My daughter took my twelve year old son's phone to put some credit on it and snooped...

she discovered him conversing in places i'd never had thought to check with a community of peers in America on one of his minecraft places about suicidal ideations.

Wifey and i are still looking for silver linings and have only come with better communication, our daughter's empathy and the fact we have a little bit of a road map.

We've all been so focused on work that he's felt abandoned and when some cyber friend committed suicide he took it on board.

Good lord...

Wifey works as a family support person in a dv service and has lots of support. Not looking for attention or help. Got plenty of support. But FUCK!!!!

Twelve... When i was twelve i only got upset when my mini bike would not start.

She's been a little absent from her foray into ampics in the fallout. Didn't help that a work associate complimented her on a photo. Anonymity is a myth in this digital age. Her female work friend was supportive but the discovery was an upset and her friend wouldn't identify her lit id because her hubby doesn't know... The world is a smaller place than you think.

Little mate is okay. I've been really triggered. She's stopped crying. He's feeling a little guilty at the attention.

We're planning more family time. We're... Fucking hell... We're just glad he didn't do something permanent to stop his temporary feelings and trying to hook him up with support.

Check your people.

Fuck...

 

[missswannie]

Bloody hell mate, good find. Of all the times for someone to snoop.

Ampic fun, you have to run the line between either anon pics or enough ambiguity in ID. When the time is right, try it again with a new ID and a different angle.

 

[darkelf9]

Afternoon all,

Well June is just about gone and the wet frosty days are with us here in the south. Even with no rain you can get wet shoes if walking on the grass. Must remember to wear the enclosed footwear when in the garden. Otherwise you kinda forget the ground is wet when it hasn't rained. Most of our rain happened at night so not much if anything during the daylight hours.

So Gladys doesn't want any Victorians in NSW and telling businesses to initially ban all Victorians, then reduced that to anyone from Melbourne now she states anyone from those hot spot suburbs, like people in NSW know where these suburbs are in respect to the city. So who ever was advising her doesn't know shit about how Melbourne is laid out. Basically any of those normal tourist spots are not part of the hotspots in fact only a couple are in what we call Zone 1 which is inner city suburbs in the west. It's also interesting that when Sydney was blooming in the virus there wasn't any calls from our Premier to boycott anyone from Sydney. Seems Gladys wants it all. If she is so scared about Victorians going north then close the NSW border but she won't do that cause that would impact her voters. The NSW govt needs to get some perspective and stop the political rhetoric considering they have had double the cases we have had in VIC and even on our worst day we never had anywhere near the hundreds of cases a day they had in NSW. The death toll in NSW is double that of VIC and in fact accounts for nearly half the deaths in Australia. So like I said they need to get some perspective.

The reporting on the ABC implied that all people in those voting zones was potentially infected, which caused panic buying in those areas. Not helpful and just sensationalising the issue. Never let a good story get in the way of the truth. The way reporters write about this stuff is about writing a good story. I had to lookup which suburbs they were talking about since just stating voting zones means fuck all to most people. None of those areas are anywhere near where I live in fact none of the bayside suburbs are impacted and in fact most of the suburbs in those hotspot voting zones are not impacted with the virus. What the reporting did do was panic people to go get tested even if they didn't have any symptoms which has overwhelmed some of the testing stations at some shopping centres. Chadstone is the largest shopping centre in Melbourne but the roads around there don't cope during the big holidays. So whilst the shopping centre has got a lot bigger the ways into it haven't expanded so you easily get grid lock during Christmas.

Hasn't taken long for the other states to try and take the AFL Grand Final away from Melbourne. So much for "we're all in this together", except when it come to sport. Was funny to see one caravan park banning all people from Melbourne then within 24 hrs reversing their decision. No doubt their lawyers got in their ear. Kinda like some small businesses insisting people hand over their phones so they could check if the COVIDSafe app was on a client's phone. Not legal. Also not legal to deny people paying with cash since it's legal tender. I haven't been refused paying with cash yet.

Went to a local hardware store yesterday to get a few things to do a maintenance task since I'm not doing any of those reno jobs. First time I've been in a hardware store for a number of months. Staying away from Bunnings for now unless I really have no choice. Not doing any of those optional tasks till later in the year. Even that local hardware store was very quiet.

I'm not surprised there was an outbreak of the virus as I haven't seen much social distancing since the restrictions were lifted here in Melbourne. You would think it would be the younger generation causing the spread but it's actually families having multigenerational gatherings. Parents who should know better just not following the rules. If families want Nana and Pop so see another birthday they need to follow the rules. It's quite simple. The VIC govt wasn't given any choice but to reverse the easing of restrictions. The small businesses would be really pissed of with those families which caused the restrictions to be reintroduced. So fucking selfish of those families only thinking about themselves. The ramifications of those decisions has a massive flow on to other parts of society. People need to wake up. The virus hasn't gone anywhere, it is still here.

Now the advice for OS travel seems to be that it might not be safe to travel for another 2 yrs depending on where you are going. Insurance companies are signalling they won't cover anyone who gets sick due to COVID. You can bet that travel insurance is going to go up as well as airline tickets. Prior to all this virus stuff I was planning to go OS next year which is now on hold. If it's not safe to travel for another 2 yrs, that means I'll be 60 before I can travel OS unless I go to NZ. Even my travel plans for my birthday in Jan has made me rethink where I might be able to go. Would like to go for a drive in the country but just don't know when that will be possible.

Hope the weekend is good for you. Stay safe and stay away from the extended family unless you want the inheritance early.

 

[missswannie]

Wet weather... After years of dry it is a 'rediscovery' of repeated wet weather. The low profiles on two of the cars might temporarily be changed to all-weather durables. Some of the roads over here have worn rough far before their usual life expectancy with a lot of the mining boom road traffic, but have not been resurfaced. The sound system goes up to concert levels to block out road noise.

Disturbing to see the community spread in the east. Gladys and Scomo might have been proved to be wrong on borders a few months too early. The "optional" testing in quarantine has me stuffed, I thought it was a strict condition nationwide. A street by street targeted testing regime in a far more specific circle as available to authorities is not beyond the realms. States relaxed, some hidden areas showed up, now hit them hard and nail it. Softly softly and optional is not the right approach. Looks like NZ has been caught out in a similar soft manner, which is a shame. I'd far prefer a quick hard targeted approach than shut down an entire state again.

We are a couple of steps ahead of the Vic re-openings, other than state borders. So far so good, fingers crossed that nothing has popped up yet, but thats part of the gradual reopening strategy, as pockets that might exist won't come to light until they are out in the open. Complacency in behaviour is the biggest side effect.

AFL finals... lets see how it goes. Months away yet, a couple of stadiums are open on the dates for full crowds, let's see how it goes. Just keep them on reserve. I agree that it shouldn't be played at an empty stadium, that's not in the best interest of a national competition. Let the Victorian sides start going into interstate hubs for a month or so at a time and see how it plays out in front of crowds and what the broadcasters dictate.

Great to see Aust and NZ get the 2023 Soccer World Cup. Let's see the AFLW playing at that same time so that there is a real flavour of top world women's contact sports. You can only make it happen if you commit to a full competition and not a television gimmick. I quite like the idea of double headers and giving the fans some good value and a big day out. A-League and Womens A-League should probably look at the same system and give the broadcasters and sponsors something to think about. Look at Netball bringing in rule changes to shift it up for television audiences. Why not.

I went camping on friday and saturday. It rained. The next foray is a week down on the farm, then I think any further trips will be north. Broome and Exmouth without the regular grey nomad swarms might be good. Qantas charging $800 for Perth to Broome is nuts though. Might as well drive it over three days. Quite fearful for my overseas contracts if the travel ban continues for 2 years, but while it keeps me up at night there is nothing I can do about it individually so I might as enjoy what I can.

 

[darkelf9]

Afternoon all,

Well what a difference from the start of the week compared to the end of the week both in weather and the virus. Was sunny and warm at times in the sun at the start of the week. Cooler wind picked up yesterday and been raining on and off in Melbourne since late last night.

Had to travel across the city this week and with the impending lockdown hastily changed my plans since I normally have to drive thru one of those lockdown suburbs. Initially reports indicated that the streets around those lockdown suburbs would be blocked off by police, then the next day it was indicated that traffic would be allowed to pass thru those areas. So lots of confusion in the reporting and I'm guessing some over zealous reporters trying to get a front page story. Anyway what is now in force in those lockdown suburbs is random police checkpoints similar to a booze bus stop. They aren't stopping every car driving thru those suburbs.

The COVID app didn't pickup this outbreak and shows it doesn't work. In fact out of the 6.5 mil downloads it has only picked up one case which was already known. The govt has fooled people in to downloading this faulty app and giving them a false sense of security. The private company that developed this app must be laughing at how easy it was to fool the govt into giving them the contract. The stupid thing is the govt is still paying for this app to be improved. Tax payers money being wasted on a dud. Better to spend that money on supporting those people in the Arts who missed out on JobKeeper. And while they are at it pay for childcare so we get women back into the workforce. If that means raising and/or widening the GST then so be it.

Lots of questions to be answered as to how this outbreak happened. Comments of whether this is a spike or a wave. It is clear that it came from OS travellers in a couple of quarantine hotels. A small hint from the latest briefing is that there might be a link from the Ruby Princess but not sure if that is just to divert attention to the real cause. What is really frustrating is that some people are refusing to be tested in those suburbs. I live on the other side of the city and would like to get a test just for my own knowledge but can only get a test if I have symptoms which I don't. Went shopping yesterday in my local area and some shops are now temperature testing again which shows they are nervous about people travelling from those outbreak suburbs. What is also interesting is that a number of people that tested positive didn't have any symptoms and were picked up by those random testing blitzes in those suburbs. So the virus is in the community and being carried by people who don't have symptoms and that could be anywhere in the country. Also interesting that an aspect of the infection is that you can have remnants of it but not be infectious however it can show up as a positive test. So the testing results are not straight forward.

Some reports that the private security firm subcontracted that work out and didn't provide the PPE that was provided by the VIC govt. In other words they took the govt contract but to make some extra money subcontracted the work out to another group. Other reports about security guards not being trained in the health requirements and no proper oversight of the private contractor. It is curious why it was only those two hotels linked to the outbreak considering there were a number of hotels used to quarantine returned travellers. It would be really frustrating for the people in those lockdown suburbs who have been doing the right thing. A few people have done the wrong thing and have fucked things up for everyone in those suburbs.

The language from other states continues to target all Victorians which is just wrong. A vast majority of the suburbs in Melbourne are not part of this outbreak and the regional areas don't have any cases. A place like Warrnambool in the SW of the state doesn't have any COVID cases. So the blanket hard line by other states against Victorians is just ridiculous. There will be outbreaks in other states and territories in the country till we get a vaccine or treatment so lets see how these other parts of the country respond when it happens to them and they want VIC to help them.

The AFL has a challenge with the latest banning of VIC's travelling. A number of the Melbourne teams are now relocating to QLD to keep the competition going. If that didn't happen well the season couldn't go on. I'm sure the teams in the other states would happily exclude all Melbourne teams so they could get a chance at the flag. It seems we are in this together unless you come from VIC which continues to get the middle finger from the rest of the country. These other states really have short memories considering our fire fighters were sent to these other states to help them with their bush fires. The old campaign of "kick a Vic" is alive and well.

Hope your weekend is good for you. It will be a chilly one here in Melbourne town, good to know we have excellent coffee, cafes, restaurants and cake shops to keep us fed. Found a nice cake shop near where my mum lives, definitely will go back there.

 

[missswannie]

Complete balls up by the Vic govt. Potentials correctly coming through a quarantined entry process and the privatised methods in place were lax and taken advantage of. The Kiwi's had a similar complacency and are trying to see if they have been whacked as well. Poor bloody Victorians who did the hard lockdown and betrayed from within rather than out. Health ministry might need a broom going through it, like the NSW cruise ship monitoring health officials. Just takes one crack... I'm sure there are plenty of people who would like a crack at one of those vacated jobs.
From the luxury of far far away, the measures taken are necessary to limit the inconvenience to a smaller number of people. Hard measures for the shortest amount of time. Collateral damage will be the country areas and border towns. The WA Govt had it right when it declared intrastate regional borders at the beginning so you could isolate an area. Ideally both Vic and NSW could do the same within their states and limit those affected in a control situation. Effectively leave the border towns operating, and have a regional border system back down the highway with layers down to Melbourne.
The voluntary testing in quarantine there has to come to an end. Everywhere else is mandatory. You have single points of entry of new people. If you don't want to be tested then perhaps don't come.
The great thing for Vics is that the massive testing regime will flush out the hidden pockets of non-symptomatic, so on the far side the confidence levels will be higher than before. Everywhere else is on assumption levels still.
AFL should be interesting still. Only the QLD sides having continued home advantage. Vics might end up with half at home half interstate when it all finishes up. I don't mind the Gold Coast getting a leg up, it might just get them a string of confidence to go to the next level. Geelong v Collingwood in Perth will be in front of 30000. The next level of restrictions end on the Saturday and Dockers v Eagles are a sell out at 60000. Will playing in front of a crowd gee them all up a bit? Hope so. Am I going...no.
Winter is here. Stormy days interspersed by fine warm ones so far. Ocean is still warm enough for a swim, its just the getting out that gives you the pointies. Heading down to the farm and a week on the south coast so that will be a bit wetter and colder. I have another trip into the Kimberley and Pilbara following that so plenty of time to thaw out again.

 

[Hosebloke]

Post edited

 

[warrior queen]

Good morning all

It has been a while since I posted, but given our current situation here in Oz, not a lot has happened in between then and now, lol
My pup has got bigger - he is now 6 mths old and is turning into a very handsome boy. I say 'boy', but he will only be a boy for another week. Then he's off to be desexed. I have been able to spend a lot of time with him and so his training is coming on in leaps and bounds! He is regularly walking off-leash now, and comes back to me when called. Next step is to stop him jumping on people....
The weather has finally turned. Up till now, we were having a rather warm winter, but have now entered the coldest part of the season. Thank goodness for 2 fireplaces and a ready supply of dry firewood!

The situation in Victoria has a lot of people blaming the Premier..... not sure why, as the pics I have seen of people NOT social distancing when things began to open up lay the blame squarely on those few people who refuse to do the right thing.
And let's not forget the tinfoil hat brigade - they are out there in force, repeating the line that this pandemic 'isn't so bad really, when compared with seasonal flu', and ensuring a ready supply of ignorance
Those of us with autoimmune issues, who are susceptible to severe complications if we catch covid, are effectively isolated from living anything like a normal life, because WE have to take extra precautions due to other people's complacency. It doesn't seem fair.
And given that the rest of the world has seen spikes in infections and further outbreaks after getting the initial infection rates down.... what made Australia think it wasn't going to happen here? Of course it will. And it will continue so long as people aren't sensibly changing their behaviour!
So, to get back to my original sentence - I think it is unfair to call for the Premier to resign, given it was not his fault personally!

Tasmania is going to stay locked down for the time being, so it will be a long time until I get to see my Motherduck over in Perth...

Stay safe, stay warm, and stay the hell away from the tinfoil hat brigade!

 

[darkelf9]

Afternoon all,

So we are back to stage 3 restrictions in Melbourne town. The term "lockdown" is meaning different things as reported in the media. It initially meant keeping people in those housing commission high rises, then it meant reverting to stage 3 restrictions in Melbourne. The media love a good catch phrase.

As for the spread of the virus in Melbourne it is very localized. It isn't everywhere in Melbourne and seems to be restricted to people who know each other. An example of that is the situation in North Melbourne which is an inner city suburb. Two housing commission high rises next to each other, one has the virus the other one next to it hasn't any virus. Most of the people in these housing commission flats don't have the virus. So when the media talks about Melbourne as one entity and makes blanket statements it sounds worse than the reality of the situation. Same with the blanket ban on all Victorians crossing the border is rather silly mainly because like most of Melbourne most of the state doesn't have any active cases. It would be like banning everyone from WA if there was a virus outbreak in Broome. And yes people do cross the city to do stuff but that is mainly for work or to visit family and it seems the latest outbreak has been caused by people spending excessive time with family to have a get together therefore totally ignoring the social distancing rules. Walking past someone in the street or even going grocery shopping doesn't spread the virus. If that was the case the entire country would be a hotspot. So people need to have perspective and not give into fear which seems to be driving political decisions in other states. If people follow the social distancing rules then the virus will infect very few people and we can get to living something close to our normal lives. May be people will take the rules more seriously when young people start being put in ICU. Up to now the attitude has been that the virus isn't an issue since only old people are dying and they are old anyway so nothing to worry about.

I know the area very well where those housing commission high rises are located. Went to school in Flemington and played lots of sport, mainly footy and cricket at the sports oval near those commission flats. It was also the meeting place for the Little Athletics competitions, so lots of kids used the area. For those not familiar with Melbourne, those housing commission high rises are not far from Flemington Racecourse which isn't in Flemington. Racecourse Road where these flats are located leads to Flemington Racecourse which is the home of the Melbourne Cup. We never called this housing 'towers', that is something new. It's a very American thing. They were always known as a 'high rise'. As kids we used to use the lifts from the 20th floor to practice holding our breath and see how many floors we could get to before needing to breathe again. It used to help with swimming training. Racing down the stairs was part of fitness for playing sport.

The kids get another week of school holidays here in VIC due to the reverting of restrictions. The kids doing their HSC would feel like the world is against them right now. May be a chance to change how we assess kids doing their HSC. Less emphasis on final exams more on assessment thru the year.

Not having any footy in Melbourne during footy season is just weird. Never seen that before in my life time. Not sure the last time that happened, may be WWII. Given the stage 3 restrictions there might not be any footing in Melbourne for another 2 months which is close to the end of the season. It is possible that the Grand Final can't be held in Melbourne because the other states keep their borders up for the rest of the year.

Initially I couldn't understand why SA was going so hard against VIC, then I realised from a news conference that they are an LNP govt so not surprising they like NSW are giving Victorians shit throughout this virus outbreak. Along with the NSW Police Commissioner telling our Premier that VIC should pay for the policing of the NSW border even though it was the NSW govt's call to close the border. I will say one thing for Danny Boy, he doesn't flinch and has remained calm. And yes someone in the VIC govt fucked up on the hotel quarantine but it wasn't an entire system failure otherwise all the quarantine hotels would of been impacted. Lets not forget the NSW govt allowed a flight into Sydney to disembark their passengers into the community without any health checks. Ruby Princess mark II. This can happen anywhere no matter the system.

Went shopping yesterday and didn't encounter any issues. Most of the issues at the local supermarket is coming from the massive reno which has reduced the car parking and the entry plus every week the internal remodelling means items keep moving to different areas. Have to keep asking where stuff is. Was thinking of going for a haircut the week before the restrictions were imposed so just have to embrace the wind swept look for another couple of months.

Hope the weekend is good for you. Stay safe everyone.

 

[darkelf9]

Afternoon all,

Well this second round of COVID is getting around. Now the AFL might relocate all the teams in NSW to QLD and cheekily their Premier has suggested that it comes with the caveat that the Grand Final is played in Brisbane. Which might end up happening if the virus continues to bubble along in VIC. This latest round of infections just goes to show that the infection was in the community with people who didn't show any symptoms which we weren't testing for. The only way to see where the virus is in the community is to do random sampling testing and not wait till people show symptoms by which time it's too late. We keep paying the human cost of pushing the economic agenda and we still consider people dying an acceptance economic risk. So expect more cycles of outbreaks for another 18 months.

If these high numbers keep going our Premier might just lock down all retail and hospitality which would send some of those businesses to the wall. They won't be able to pay their rents. Let's hope it doesn't get to that and also that the death total doesn't get too much higher. VIC now has had the most number of cases of all the other states and territories, still less deaths than NSW but we are catching up.

No intention to make my own mask. I'm kinda handy around the house but there are just somethings that I don't need to do. Found my industrial masks in the cupboard yesterday so that will do. If they can keep out asbestos I reckon they will keep out COVID, besides which I don't have any intention of getting close to anyone in the public for any length of time. Still reckon we should be allowed to use cattle prods if people get too close. They will eventually learn.

Spent part of the morning doing a repair task which has now become a larger task. Waiting for things to cure which just takes longer in these cold temps. You would be crazy to do any painting in this weather. Another chilly morning here in Melbourne town and tomorrow is going to be even colder so I'm going to be on this repair task for a few days. Not the quick job I thought it was going to be. Will need another trip to the hardware store tomorrow.

Having a period of dry weather at the moment. Just frosty so the garden feels like it has been raining.

Heard from another former work colleague who is considering retirement. A few people would be considering the same thing given this virus is going to be with us for a while. Several of my former work colleagues now have to work from home. Well at least the morning commute is short. And they are saving money by not paying for those coffees and lunches.

Hope the rest of the week is good for you.

 

[missswannie]

Just had a week and a bit away at the farm on the south coast. Rain and cold as expected but a few days of sunshine and some nice swimming temps with the Leeuwin current coming around the corner. In the water is fine, just helpful if out of the water is semi-survivable.
It was good to spend a bit of money at various places around. I may have gone to a couple of more touristy places than I would normally head to, but they all need a bit of help catching up. My waist and arse might need a bit of work after country bakeries took a hammering.
30000 half capacity limit extended for the football for a few more weeks here. The Pies v Cats game got to about 23000 the other night. All good, except for one cretin who streaked on the field. As a designated quarantine zone (10 rows empty from the boundary line) he is up for a $50,000 fine, up to 6 months gaol, mandatory 2 weeks quarantine at his expense. Dickhead.
Even the Liberal party here has given up on the borders open party line. They have reverted to attacking the government on being to lax on allowing entry and making it tighter still. If you can't beat them, join in with a harder line.
A 7 hour drive up to Kalgoorlie next week, then on to Laverton and Leonora for a defence project wrap-up. A few less wrap-ups and more new project launches might be welcome though....

 

[darkelf9]

Just had a week and a bit away at the farm on the south coast. Rain and cold as expected but a few days of sunshine and some nice swimming temps with the Leeuwin current coming around the corner. In the water is fine, just helpful if out of the water is semi-survivable.
It was good to spend a bit of money at various places around. I may have gone to a couple of more touristy places than I would normally head to, but they all need a bit of help catching up. My waist and arse might need a bit of work after country bakeries took a hammering.
30000 half capacity limit extended for the football for a few more weeks here. The Pies v Cats game got to about 23000 the other night. All good, except for one cretin who streaked on the field. As a designated quarantine zone (10 rows empty from the boundary line) he is up for a $50,000 fine, up to 6 months gaol, mandatory 2 weeks quarantine at his expense. Dickhead.
Even the Liberal party here has given up on the borders open party line. They have reverted to attacking the government on being to lax on allowing entry and making it tighter still. If you can't beat them, join in with a harder line.
A 7 hour drive up to Kalgoorlie next week, then on to Laverton and Leonora for a defence project wrap-up. A few less wrap-ups and more new project launches might be welcome though....

Nope your arse and waist don't need any work, just think of it as you doing your bit for small business, buy one cake for you and one for the country.

I've been doing my bit for the wine and bourbon industry in the past week.

 

[darkelf9]

Afternoon all,

Well the chaos at the NSW and VIC border continues. Now some small business owners can't open their business on the other side due to the new restrictions.

Went out yesterday to do the weekly grocery shop instead of my normal day later in the week. Mainly did that due to the new mask wearing rules coming into force at midnight tonight. Was mainly concerned about any rush to the shops on Thursday since it is pension day. I found that Woollies was cheaper for purchasing masks then Chemist Warehouse which is normally cheaper. If I was required to go out every day I'd probably go for a cloth mask as it would be cheaper in the long run. At this stage in Melbourne it is not clear how long the mask wearing would be required, could last till the end of the year. I think in the long term it will be mandatory on PT. You don't have to wear one if you are running but do if you are taking the dog for a walk. So those people that walk briskly might find breathing an issue. Don't have to wear a mask if you are riding a bike, but if you get off your bike and walk it, then in theory you would have to pop the mask on. I reckon people are going to get caught out with so much variation in the rules. We are not a mask wearing nation so it will take some time to adjust to these new rules.

Had to look up the website to make sure I didn't have to wear one in the car, which would be just silly so at least there is some common sense in that respect. Don't need over enthusiastic cops giving people fines for driving in their own car without a mask. They only see things in black and white when it comes to enforcing rules on COVID.

Did see more people wearing masks even though the restrictions have not yet come into force. Might have to mask up if I want to cut the front hedge as technically I would be outside my house boundary if I was to clip the front part. Even taking the bin out could be judged as a mask wearing action. Even when mowing the nature strip. Which just sounds fucking silly but I wouldn't be surprised if that is what is required. No doubt there will be those people with a stick up their arse waiting to dob in a neighbour for doing the mowing which is a requirement from council. Still don't see why we have to mow nature strips since we pay high rates.

The virus numbers in parts of Melbourne is not good. Not much where I live and the further east you go the less virus there is to nil. It seems to be mainly in the inner west but people travel for work so it can easily spread to other parts. Also the cause of the spread is now mainly from work contacts than family gatherings. The way this virus is spreading just keeps changing so not surprised that the local govt is finding it difficult to get a handle on it.

As for staying in your own suburb well that is just not possible. A couple of small examples. I now have to travel two suburbs away to go to the bank because my local branch was closed. The chemist I go to is technically in another suburb even though it's only a couple of minutes away by car. For those people who live on streets that border suburbs, their local supermarket is in a different suburb. Even my GP is in another suburb even though it takes about 5 minutes to get there.

We just have to get used to wearing masks in Melbourne in the long term. Hopefully price gouging won't happen.

Hope the rest of the week is good for you. Stay safe out there.

 

[missswannie]

Nope your arse and waist don't need any work, just think of it as you doing your bit for small business, buy one cake for you and one for the country.

I've been doing my bit for the wine and bourbon industry in the past week.

My arse and waist would embark on an epic journey if left to their own devices. Fortunately the sun is out over here, so the out of sight out of mind line doesn't take hold.
Doing your bit are important words here. From the beginning of this quite a few farm producers have set up home delivery and direct supply methods. I'm trying to make sure a good percentage of the weekly spend is directed outside of the big supermarket supply chains. Our local industry is in this for the long haul so as consumers we need to go the route of making a bit more effort than a run into the big supermarket.
On the flip side the big supply chains need to get on board with local supply. I know they made their profitable reforms based on big warehouse movements and contracts, but the pendulum is swinging the other way now. Nothing against Vic or NSW cheese, tasty like most Aust stuff, but I'll buy local.
Local spirits producers have really stepped up over the last few years. Bourbon is one I haven't seen on the list yet but you will have to keep your eye out for local drops. Patriotic scientific taste testing, you owe it to your country!

 

[darkelf9]

My arse and waist would embark on an epic journey if left to their own devices. Fortunately the sun is out over here, so the out of sight out of mind line doesn't take hold.
Doing your bit are important words here. From the beginning of this quite a few farm producers have set up home delivery and direct supply methods. I'm trying to make sure a good percentage of the weekly spend is directed outside of the big supermarket supply chains. Our local industry is in this for the long haul so as consumers we need to go the route of making a bit more effort than a run into the big supermarket.
On the flip side the big supply chains need to get on board with local supply. I know they made their profitable reforms based on big warehouse movements and contracts, but the pendulum is swinging the other way now. Nothing against Vic or NSW cheese, tasty like most Aust stuff, but I'll buy local.
Local spirits producers have really stepped up over the last few years. Bourbon is one I haven't seen on the list yet but you will have to keep your eye out for local drops. Patriotic scientific taste testing, you owe it to your country!

Well an arse journey might be epic, it might get it's own TV show. Seen the pic so no matter what you say I'm not going to agree on the arse comments. Nothing wrong with yours so just embrace it...well actually that would be hard to do come to think of it...let others appreciate it...is what I mean

I probably wouldn't test local bourbon or even whiskey. I prefer the stuff made from the origins. I wouldn't buy the Scotch from Tassie mainly because it isn't old enough plus it's more expensive. Do drink the Aussie wines though as they better than most of the stuff from OS. Having said that I did buy a bottle of Chianti last week just on a whim. Tried some last night and I found it quite light as I normally like the heavier reds. Now I have to buy a new cork screw since the one I have broke trying to get the cork out of the bottle. Just annoying. Also purchased a wine from Margaret River. Like the twist tops. An Aussie invention.

 

[missswannie]

Well an arse journey might be epic, it might get it's own TV show. Seen the pic so no matter what you say I'm not going to agree on the arse comments. Nothing wrong with yours so just embrace it...well actually that would be hard to do come to think of it...let others appreciate it...is what I mean

I probably wouldn't test local bourbon or even whiskey. I prefer the stuff made from the origins. I wouldn't buy the Scotch from Tassie mainly because it isn't old enough plus it's more expensive. Do drink the Aussie wines though as they better than most of the stuff from OS. Having said that I did buy a bottle of Chianti last week just on a whim. Tried some last night and I found it quite light as I normally like the heavier reds. Now I have to buy a new cork screw since the one I have broke trying to get the cork out of the bottle. Just annoying. Also purchased a wine from Margaret River. Like the twist tops. An Aussie invention.

I could get a gig on SBS perhaps. Arse on various beaches and scenery, interviewing someone else, arse only. Two arses and a bit of scenery and talking. Must pitch that, I reckon they would commission that and probably a better career move at present! Talk Your Arse Off or something like that.

I have had some of the Tassie and WA scotch that have won awards. Prices here are off putting but fortunately, up until a few months ago I could pick it up in more tax friendly places and bring it back, half the price of it here. Go figure. Nice, but again, someone might have to donate a bottle to the cause.
Stillson caps.... I know they are more suitable for sealing, but the ease of opening kind of makes the ritual of an expensive bottle somehow cheapened a bit. Is this the one you ordered? Yep. Kachink, glugg glugg glugg, enjoy maam. Might just have been a $5 bottle of cider.

 

[missswannie]

Bunnings' snags started up again today.... Good to have a proper junior footy club fundraiser hotdog after I spent way more than I should have on items I didn't think I needed.

 

[warrior queen]

Bunnings' snags started up again today.... Good to have a proper junior footy club fundraiser hotdog after I spent way more than I should have on items I didn't think I needed.

Bunnings is my kryptonite!
Always spend way too much, so now I limit my visits to once a month

 

[missswannie]

Off to watch Hawks v Carlton. The implored pleas of a lifetime Carlton fan finally broke through the defenses.

Could be interesting getting in there. There was talk of a protest rally outside to burn an effigy of Clive Palmer for bringing the High Court action against the WA border. They kind of need to have it out in the parklands as anything that size in the city would rightly be a fire and health hazard.

 

[Sophie96xoxo]

Off to watch Hawks v Carlton. The implored pleas of a lifetime Carlton fan finally broke through the defenses.

Could be interesting getting in there. There was talk of a protest rally outside to burn an effigy of Clive Palmer for bringing the High Court action against the WA border. They kind of need to have it out in the parklands as anything that size in the city would rightly be a fire and health hazard.

Thats my plans tonight going to watch the footy with a glass of red and relax.

 

[warrior queen]

Just when I thought we might have an all-mild winter, nature goes and throws a curveball. Woke up this morning to hella-cold!
I will have my fire going all day for the next few days in the hope that I don't end up a frozen corpse in the corner

I feel for Victoria..... kinda.
Given the footage I have seen that shows an awful lot of people NOT social distancing, not wearing masks, etc, it is not in the least surprising that there is a rampant spread of covid.
How fucking hard is it to follow a few simple rules?
We had a hard lockdown in my region of Tassie when all this began, and we survived it despite having to remain isolated.
Just do it, ffs!
It's even more important now that researchers have found that over half of people who survive this are left with inflammation of their heart - an awful lot of people are going to suffer medically for a long time if that's true across the board

 

[Sophie96xoxo]

Its scary the long term health affects that this virus has.

Its not only about people surviving now but its likely we will see a severe drop in average age expectancy to those that survive the virus.

Its been a real eye opener to the selfishness of the human race. I just want Australia to band together and make the most of how lucky we have been until recently.

I hope all of you are safe and doing the right thing x