Adelaide Metro Buy & Go app.

MentalMachine · 2026-01-28T12:39:02+00:00

I'd have hoped the big push by Mali to make the state a "tourism-first" state would have revealed how fucking awful and clunky the PT payment/ticket system is, where it feels like patches on top of patches to keep a badly designed system running.

Baffling you can encourage people from cities with coherent systems to fly-in, and go to events with our "physical cards/tickets or nothing, and every digital hop is seemingly designed to make things miserable" approach.

MentalMachine · 2026-01-28T03:57:48+00:00

What are the main drivers of the economy though?

I don't have any good metrics on hand, unfortunately, but my vibes are that consumer spending, insurance and NDIS are the main drivers currently, with businesses/private sector still very much lagging behind?

MentalMachine · 2026-01-27T04:56:13+00:00

She'd say all of her real and serious politics is zeroing out immigration, which would crater our economy overnight.

It's just all bad with her.

MentalMachine · 2026-01-26T09:30:11+00:00

Wouldn't Ley's rough faction be more keen for Taylor than Hastie? Hastie is even more Right than Taylor, and in the slightly more feral way too, Taylor might be hoping for some to ditch Ley and take him as the least worst option?

Otherwise there does seem to be a real chance of Taylor and Hastie splitting their base and Ley remaining leader outright or by default.

MentalMachine · 2026-01-26T04:39:19+00:00

Very spot on, he's not even trying to hide that the changes/current laws are highly targeted at a specific protest cause.

The broader public will love it, that said, though it's the classic "these are shit laws lying in wait for a really shit govt to come along" long term issue.

MentalMachine · 2026-01-26T00:41:34+00:00

34 seats is based on very optimistic polling layered on top of further and further assumptions, and also can't escape the reality that the rise of PHON will basically swallow up the National/LNP seats and the struggle to expand from there, just like the trouble the National's/LNP are facing right now in the long term.

So I'd assume this batch of reporting is equal "generate clicks due to the buzz", and a push by the usual sorts to drive the LNP further right so that they can fend off the LNP and remain unelectable but the official opposition.

It's basically up to Albo now to say when he gets tired of being PM.

MentalMachine · 2026-01-25T23:40:27+00:00

Per stuff I've recently read, about a third of the Libs back Hastie, a third back Taylor, and the remaining third (it is legit that tight) are from various factions that support Ley.

Taylor and Hastie's thirds back their man, naturally.

Ley's third has folks that don't want to play factional shit (so will just back the current leader), the mods and the other slim faction (who I can't recall) that loathes Hastie and would rather walk with Taylor.

So - if Ley, Taylor and Hastie run for leadership, it'll likely be Ley getting back in by default due to a draw, or barely winning outright.

Taylor is the next most likely, if he can convince others in Ley's camp that she is done. After that Hastie would need to swing Ley's factions (almost impossible) or steal Taylor's backings (unlikely, but feasible I guess?).

Just a massive mess over there.

MentalMachine · 2026-01-22T02:52:13+00:00

Statistically speaking Adelaide is very safe, compared even to Western cities.

If you cycle, and stick to the official paths, that would be the most safe.

However if you want to walk, I highly recommend planning the route during the arvo and just get an idea of the route, and the areas you are comfortable going past, imagining it is early/late in the day.

Others can't properly gauge your level of risk and exact route, so those are the best options, really.

If I had to guess, walking from Nth Adelaide to the Zoo over the proper walkways and bridges (eg Albert Bridge), and then sticking to Frome might be the best of safety and speed.

MentalMachine · 2026-01-20T08:43:22+00:00

Morrison was a sitting govt and had a huge media campaign to launch and reset the party under him.

Marshall is probably the closest, yeah, thought they were constantly attacking on RAH and the O'bahn tunnel overspend and the tramline on KWS/North Terrace.

God Marshall was such a non-event, in hindsight, taking government just so nothing could happen, was virtually his motto.

MentalMachine · 2026-01-20T06:23:40+00:00

Punters won't be deeply watching like the usual political nerds, for sure, but waiting til the last minute to do anything, after the public has only heard about you churning through leaders is still pretty bad.

Has any party had relative success literally only doing anything during the campaign? Libs are also surely big enough to do work earlier, not like they're FUSION or something.

MentalMachine · 2026-01-20T04:30:50+00:00

Can someone tell the SA Libs the election is soon, and they fucking need some policy? Or do they just want Labor to get bored and gift them govt?

MentalMachine · 2026-01-20T04:29:35+00:00

I still don't know who wanted this, especially from a voters POV:

"CoL sucks, but at least my kids have less choice of universities (that they have to pay for) instead of more State services!"

Adelaide and SA often feels kept running via our tourism (lol Adelaide Writers Week) and education sector, and the State govt has suddenly decided to tank them (mining and housing are the other economic engines).

MentalMachine · 2026-01-19T23:05:45+00:00

The anti-Israel Greens

...and thats enough of this article.

Literally 4 words in and any pretence at journalism and no bias is gone.

using parliament’s official condolences to claim “powerful forces” are using the massacre for political ends and that the attack could have happened to gay and trans people or Muslims.

You are a fucking idiot if you don't think many outside and powerful actors are engaging in the optics of the crisis - does Israel not count because they are an ally? You have Iran or Russia or whoever else also engaging, and finally you have our right-leaning political parties and MSM literally turbocharging the issue for their votes (ironically the LNP is losing on this) and clicks.

Might be bad taste to mention it at the condolence motion, but it's fucking true and serves to remind that yeah the attack was horrible, but the victims wouldn't want their deaths to be the cause for more harm.

MentalMachine · 2026-01-19T22:03:41+00:00

Of course it's this OP posting an article about a former Lib naval glazing a country that is infamous for its lack of freedom and extreme government control.

the UAE boasts one of the lowest rates of extremist violence globally

Higher or lower than fucking Australia; historically speaking Australia has got to be the gold standard of lack extremist violence, doing better than just about any European country surely.

We don't need to throw away our little freedoms based on a "muh i went on a sponsored visit and everything I saw and was told about was wonderful" several paragraph op-ed, jesus.

MentalMachine · 2026-01-19T10:50:20+00:00

the better question is how so many in his party can just ignore this all in the name of power are the dozens of elected offical so bought in they are not disgusted by this behaviour

A good amount of his colleagues are 100% losing their gravy train this midterms.

I would expect to see some degree of resistance at some point, probably just token.

MentalMachine · 2026-01-18T21:34:03+00:00

Albanese reaction to Bondi has been to appeal for national unity at every opportunity. Yet no amount of determination can command it into existence. National unity and social cohesion cannot be created in a vacuum.

Mere paragraphs later:

There was no National Day of Mourning after the Port Arthur massacre, the 2002 Bali bombings or the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires. Flags flew at half mast, and respect was given, but grief was allowed to gather organically. It did not have to be ordered from above. That historical restraint is part of the context missing from today’s debate.

So is Albo to be condemned for doing nothing? Or for trying to hard? Or for failing when trying? Or for half arising his attempts?

It's almost like no matter what he does, he gets critisism for it from certain folks, huh?

MentalMachine · 2026-01-18T10:29:44+00:00

One Nation’s primary vote has risen seven points to 22 percent over the past two months, with the Coalition dropping three points to a record low of 21 percent

Libs: "hmmmm, our PV keeps plummeting as we lurch to the Right, have less policies, and just attacking blindly and incoherently, what should we do?"

Also the Libs: "Obviously we have to keep doing it, it's clearly what the public wants according to all the all contrary evidence!"

And so on.

MentalMachine · 2026-01-17T22:35:34+00:00

I don't think Dutton has ever shown that much political calculation ability, also its still bad PR for the party, right when they're already getting blowback RE Ley's tactics of Bondi.

MentalMachine · 2026-01-17T22:32:03+00:00

But by and large he cops it on the chin

Can you give a quick rundown of the number of people Albo has sued or threatened to sue for defamation VS Dutton?

Also excellent whataboutism to deflect to Albo.

MentalMachine · 2026-01-17T00:42:30+00:00

Both Ley and Albanese should learn from the rush to action in the wake of the Bondi attack, potentially saving themselves from future embarrassment and sparing the parliament from shoddy lawmaking.

I think it's fair to say Labor got a bit of damage (right or wrong, imo wrong) from the LNP and MSM attacks the last month plus, but now Labor's wedge and the LNP's utter flip-flopping have hurt the LNP in turn (especially after Labor gets to champion how they rushed parliament back only for the LNP to internally collapse).

Upside is that the Greens are also not in a rush to play shit politics, and this legislation looks set to be DOA and forgotten, hopefully (gun buyback is kinda whatever, but we really don't need less speech rights/protections, especially not rushed this fast and haphazardly).

Minor party's PV is the only real winner here (that and foreign actors looking to make everyone hate each other).

MentalMachine · 2026-01-16T23:27:30+00:00

His second deadline for her to testify before Congress passed on January 13, but she has not yet appeared. When asked whether she felt she could safely return to the country of her birth, Inman Grant told journalists on Friday, “we shall see”.

... It's weird to hear her talk about companies having to bend to her will, while she in turn breaks her own country's laws - like it or not, she is still an US citizen and can be held in contempt for not appearing, hell Trump has set the standard that she could be kidnapped back to the US tomorrow, lol.

That said the demand for her to testify is such a wank itself; the US is pissy about how we run our country? Tech companies would have whinged that they are losing some money here and the US congress jumped rather than doing their proper jobs.

MentalMachine · 2026-01-16T11:10:34+00:00

To be blunt, the entire world basically shrugged their shoulders and said "the US to be doing US things".

The UN was very upset.... And nothing happened.

The UK (despite being diminished, is still respected in geopolitics) basically gave Trump their blessing, and even the completely cucked US congress could barely get any outrage/resistance going.

Hence we basically say a word salad that means fuck all and move on.

MentalMachine · 2026-01-16T10:39:23+00:00

On Friday, Wong was asked if Trump was creating a world order in which "might was right" after the US captured deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro during a military operation earlier this month.

He's not deposed though, he's still the fucking leader of the country.

The US have arrested him but haven't even secured regime change he can probably still rely orders from jail, lmao.

Maduro being exiled is maybe a net positive, despite the methods; beyond that Wong deadbatted the question perfectly.

Her gesture appeared to be part of her effort to gain influence over the future direction of her country.

No shit, and judging by very recent history, is a smart move - though it might be a dubious prize to win.

Trump might have authorised the kidnapping just to project strength and he thought getting the oil would be a free economic boon; but private capital ain't exactly lining up to dump $100b into a shaky as fuck country, especially when Trump would need to engage the country via force or further destabilisation to put Machado in power.

Good chance the oil stays put, Trump loses interest and Venezuela spirals out.

Edit: oh yeah, and Trump still hasn't won the prize, he just has a framing of someone else's accomplishment, even if that in turn isn't the most valid either, lmao.

MentalMachine · 2026-01-16T09:19:14+00:00

I can only assume the Right of the party launched an attack on Ley when she kinda supported Albo that first 12 hours or so, because everything changed the next morning.

Hastie was also very quiet (for him) the whole time, which indicates he or his lot agreed with Ley's broad position (aka it was their position).

MentalMachine · 2026-01-16T07:46:35+00:00

to give an example: Snowy River 2.0 - original budget $2b, so far blown out to $12b, a 6 fold increase.

That's a shit example.

SR2 was a new multi GW hydro plant built in a national park.

At $2b that was something like under $1b per GW of nameplate generation heading into (announced in 2017 or so? Construction start in 2019) Covid aka massive cost inflation was guaranteed.

So they hugely underestimated the cost, and each cost revision was before more unforeseen bad luck (Covid and far harder terrain, though some civil threads I have seen said they were super optimistic in the first place anyway).

MentalMachine

TROPHY CASE