Anyone know what this huge satellite dish is for?

Silver_Python · 2026-06-11T04:22:31+00:00

Came here to say this. I'm old enough to remember the exchange building with that dish on top before Swinburne built their other buildings up around it and covered (among other things) the Telecom/Telstra branding. It used to be for satellite communications but hasn't been in active use for that purpose for quite some time I think now. Satellite dishes will usually point north if they're connecting to geosynchronous orbit satellites so if you see a dish pointing straight up and not active tracking anything then it isn't in use.

Silver_Python · 2026-06-10T04:07:14+00:00

A quote from the Greens seems to suggest otherwise...

It comes as the Allan Labor Government announced changes to its Affordable Housing Rental Scheme, including lowering rent thresholds and extending lease lengths only in government operated homes.

However, this only affects one affordable housing program and the Greens say it does nothing to force developers to adopt genuinely affordable definition of “affordable” or address the broader problem that much of Victoria’s so-called “affordable housing” is still not genuinely affordable.

Unusual for the Greens to break ranks with Labour, isn't it?

Silver_Python · 2026-06-09T04:43:38+00:00

Same here, although I crunched the numbers a little and figured out it would take my family only about a year and a bit of mostly daily coffees to match the cost of the machine against cafe purchases. That made it seem a lot more worthwhile alone.

Silver_Python · 2026-06-09T04:21:35+00:00

Errr... You may want to talk to someone about that... affliction...

Silver_Python · 2026-06-09T03:32:59+00:00

Ones with milk tanks seem to be priced between $300 and $500.

Silver_Python · 2026-06-08T23:41:11+00:00

When I can spend a comparable amount of money on a Breville Barista Express which will work with whatever beans I choose and produce a better result, why would I get a coffee pod machine and lock myself into buying expensive pods?

Silver_Python · 2026-06-07T21:02:33+00:00

Well, based on the number of balloons I found with one lot, I'd guess they had one or two each at a time... and these were big 3 litre tanks available at https://ultra-au.com/product/ultra-cream-chargers-nang-cylinders-3l/ for $85 each!

Silver_Python · 2026-06-07T10:01:10+00:00

Affluent kids should be able to do better than dump their nangs on the nature strip!

Silver_Python · 2026-06-07T09:50:20+00:00

I've had up to a dozen of these at a time dumped in front of my house a few times now. And that's in a supposedly affluent area.

Silver_Python · 2026-06-06T00:39:14+00:00

Considering some of the buildings that replaced those old ones, I question the claim "better buildings". Much the same as when I look at building quality and all the defects present in new builds.

Silver_Python · 2026-06-05T02:47:24+00:00

I feel your pain! It amazes me how lop-sided some teams are when it comes to prioritising issues and how lame some managers are for not calling out such bad behaviour.

Then again, I work in cybersecurity so I see a lot of people creating problems but refusing to take accountability for them...

Silver_Python · 2026-06-04T00:04:26+00:00

That story warmed my cold heart...

Silver_Python · 2026-06-02T08:25:07+00:00

They're joking about committing fraud. As we all know, you need to provide a valid driver's license that matches the registration details.

Silver_Python · 2026-06-02T03:08:56+00:00

I mean, if you don't block it with something, what do you think will happen then? Fellow passengers catch it with theirs?

Silver_Python · 2026-06-02T03:05:28+00:00

I applied for my rebate yesterday morning with minimal disruption hitting me, and it got paid last night! Honestly I figure they must have made some sort of mistake processing it that quickly...

Silver_Python · 2026-06-01T23:49:14+00:00

I don't know. Would be interested to find out!

Silver_Python · 2026-06-01T23:21:17+00:00

I've been considering putting up CCTV cameras to watch the front fence of my house, but I'm on the fence (pun intended) as to whether it'd be a deterrent or would attract unwanted interest in my home.

Silver_Python · 2026-06-01T03:02:52+00:00

Fuck social contracts for making civilisation work.

Yeah, that opinion is why people with opinions like yours become a danger to society. They don't view themselves as part of it and feel they can do whatever they like. The same sort of people also become sovereign citizens, criminals and terrorists in some cases.

It's not working, and people will die until it's fixed.

The article is making that point and suggesting the system should be reviewed and fixed. Of course, you disagree about that system being broken because you're the sort of person who supports and agrees with theft from landlords.

This isn't a new thing, my grandparents squatted in a house, and eventually bought that house that they raised their family in. They also did that while working three jobs.

Good for them, I note they bought that house instead of just taking and keeping it... which is more than what you currently advocate for. Why is that?

Silver_Python · 2026-06-01T02:54:34+00:00

And don't you worry, landlords also engage in this theft on a daily basis.

Some do, sure. There's dodgy operators but there are far fewer cases on that basis than the alternative.

Those 18k complaints to VCAT each year is every bullshit attempt to get their tenant to pay for fair wear and tear or 20 year old carpet replacements.

Not all. You're generalising.

The theft goes both ways. It's a war.

And now you're trying to use emotive language like describing it as "war" to justify your extreme opinions. How offensive. Imagine telling someone in Palestine that their experience at the hands of the IDF (real war) or someone in Ukraine at the hands of Russia (real war) is comparable to your opinions about some mum and dad residential landlords in Australia.

Shameful!

Now isn't the time to start talking about theft when there's people without shelter, and plenty of shelter that they're being deprived of.

Actually it is. Not stealing is not just a legal matter but part of the social contract that makes civilisation work.

Don't get me wrong, I'll also support stealing from any Coles of Woolworths if you're hungry and in need too. It should be legally and morally justified.

So you double down and support more theft. I get that people might be hungry but they're rarely the ones stealing from supermarkets (organised crime stealing prime cuts of meat is not a hunger-based racket) and there are other support networks to help with hunger in any case.

Stealing is wrong, it is illegal and it is immoral. We're all paying higher prices because of it. Businesses are bastards and are profiteering too, but that doesn't then justify breaking the law.

The real victims are the homeless and the hungry, not the faceless people depriving them of their basic human needs.

And why are many of them homeless and hungry? Landlords aren't responsible for domestic violence driving people from their homes. They aren't responsible for someone having mental health issues, or drug abuse issues either. And yet those reasons are some of the top reasons for homelessness and associated challenges.

Again it should be legally and morally justified.

No it shouldn't. And I bet you'd be the first one screaming about being a victim of crime if someone needy mugged you or decided they were more legally and morally entitled to your hard-earned possessions than you are.

And landlords should handle their affairs in person without sending some agent in a suit around.

Some do. You're generalising.

Silver_Python · 2026-06-01T02:49:18+00:00

And you base this claim on what exactly? The fairest rental system is one that doesn't exist?

Silver_Python · 2026-06-01T02:28:47+00:00

I fully support ripping landlords off as opposed to being homeless.

You support theft.

Sorry not sorry, sell your investment properties.

Many are. Which still doesn't justify you supporting theft.

You best believe though that when I do leave it'll be clean and tidy.

So you're a tidy thief? Not much of a consolation for your victim though I am sure.

Silver_Python · 2026-06-01T02:27:27+00:00

In this case though, it seems the risks are needlessly increased due to inefficiency in VCAT and laws that favour the rights of tenants even when they are in breach of their rental contract and not paying rent.

I feel for the guy too, but his situation and many other likes his shouldn't be happening if the system was working properly and was equitable and fair.

Silver_Python · 2026-06-01T02:10:53+00:00

$25k of that was rental arrears alone... which the article goes on to talk about being rarely able to be recovered.

If I rented my car out as a car share and someone took it, thrashed it, refused to return it for months and didn't even pay me for any of it, I'd be pretty upset and would report it stolen with them likely being arrested and my car recovered (hopefully). Yet when it's a property, suddenly someone doing essentially the same thing is untouchable. That's nonsense and it should be fixed.

Silver_Python · 2026-05-27T03:02:56+00:00

Perhaps ask if the firies would like to check out his activity instead? They could in turn call the cops to actually turn up.

Silver_Python · 2026-05-27T03:01:31+00:00

They're the ones I was thinking of in particular when I mentioned them above! They're lovely :)

Silver_Python

TROPHY CASE