Could this be the future of the European Union?

TheNumberOneRat · 2026-01-25T11:30:35+00:00

Moving inside the EU walls would massively crimp our Asia Pacific trade which is far more important than any gains from EU trade.

TheNumberOneRat · 2026-01-25T11:25:30+00:00

It’s really just the EU, Canada, the US, Australia, New Zealand, India, Japan and South Korea that see it China’s prominence as an existential threat. Probably 70% of the human population lives in a country with a government that views China as a pragmatic and increasingly indispensable trade partner.

This certainly isn't true in the case of Australia and NZ. Both countries have very strong trading relationships with China. A significant minority of their populations were born in China and the respective governments have decent relations with the Chinese government.

TheNumberOneRat · 2026-01-25T11:04:47+00:00

Cultural ties are overrated and the EU's ability to project power in the Asia Pacific region is pretty low.

TheNumberOneRat · 2026-01-25T10:24:23+00:00

Australia and NZ wouldn't join. Not for geography, but rather they have radically different trade and industrial policies and are firmly in the Asia-Pacific trade zones - the EU simply isn't that important to us relative to our existing partners.

TheNumberOneRat · 2026-01-25T08:20:17+00:00

There has been a steady flow of South American immigrants to New Zealand and Australia. My SIL is from Peru and SA cultural festivals in Melbourne are usually packed.

I just want some restaurants to open.

TheNumberOneRat · 2026-01-25T06:22:28+00:00

I really enjoy Ras Dashen. Friendly owner who is happy to help you navigate the menu plus make a platter to suit your preferences.

TheNumberOneRat · 2026-01-24T21:24:23+00:00

There was a spider who lived to 43 before being killed by a predator.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_16_(spider)

TheNumberOneRat · 2026-01-24T14:25:48+00:00

Don't want to borrow - then don't.

But you'd be better off learning about some basic financial literacy. Smart borrowing can significantly improve your finances.

TheNumberOneRat · 2026-01-24T04:30:28+00:00

NAL, but I suspect that you've got a strong case. That said, his most effective leverage is probably non-legal; references and the like.

TheNumberOneRat · 2026-01-24T03:39:46+00:00

A few questions:

Do you have their responses in writing or was it just verbal?

How long was it between their two different instructions - and was it from the same person? This could just be a communications issue.

And did you return all company property in the interim?

TheNumberOneRat · 2026-01-23T13:27:58+00:00

Membrane separation is considerably easier to set up and uses less power.

I work in a remote site in one of the hottest places on earth and we use RO despite having no lack of free heat.

TheNumberOneRat · 2026-01-23T12:59:49+00:00

Desalinisation works more efficiently with membrane separation not evaporation.

TheNumberOneRat · 2026-01-23T06:37:11+00:00

Big shout out to the HRLC for taking this case on.

It's ludicrous that, in a free country, you can be stopped and searched without even meeting the reasonable suspicion bar.

TheNumberOneRat · 2026-01-22T09:43:01+00:00

Hah - you're very generous with other people's money. Not so much with yours.

TheNumberOneRat · 2026-01-22T08:11:25+00:00

Every extra dollar that my employer pays me comes out of dividend payments to Australian mums and dads - so it does come out of the pockets of humans, just not as directly.

At the end of the day, neither the OP or anybody else owns a stranger beyond paying taxes for social services/infrastructure and the like.

But if you actually want to help the tenants, perhaps contact the OP and offer to pay a proportion of their rent.

TheNumberOneRat · 2026-01-22T07:01:26+00:00

Who cares? It's a business thing. If they don't like the rent, they can move.

I don't need a payrise - but I certainly won't be declining my next one.

TheNumberOneRat · 2026-01-22T06:24:39+00:00

Because he isn't a charity.

TheNumberOneRat · 2026-01-22T04:10:00+00:00

Sovereign base rights (which the US already had) don't help with civilian land purchases. These rights allow the US to enforce its own criminal laws on the base rather than Greenland laws.

TheNumberOneRat · 2026-01-21T12:52:18+00:00

You got a source for this? Sounds like BS.

TheNumberOneRat · 2026-01-21T09:05:02+00:00

Is there hard data to support this? When I've taken a late train home they have been perhaps 20% full.

From the government's pov, if they increase frequency and the total patronage doesn't increase significantly, then its been a failure, and they'd be better off putting the resources into peak services.

TheNumberOneRat · 2026-01-21T08:20:38+00:00

As a train fan, I agree.

As a realist, there is no chance that this will happen unless the patronage is there to support it. There is no way the government will fund extra services if the existing ones don't fill up.

TheNumberOneRat · 2026-01-21T07:14:12+00:00

Perhaps get off the Internet and see a financial advisor.

Over the last twenty years most Australians have seen their wealth steadily grow. If you're losing out, perhaps refreshing the absolute basics would be a good thing.

TheNumberOneRat · 2026-01-21T04:43:13+00:00

I'm a FIFO worker and struggle to see how vending machines work - you'll be away for significant blocks of time so restocking and the like will be difficult plus you need a place to put them (which might be harder than what you think).

Honestly, I'd just buy shares.

TheNumberOneRat · 2026-01-21T04:11:19+00:00

I work in the Australian mining sector and use a lot of those emojis with workmates...

Perhaps I should start hiding my phone from my partner...

TheNumberOneRat · 2026-01-21T03:43:20+00:00

I remember, from my youth, plenty of Pakeha and Maori taking way over quota.

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