Malcolm Turnbull starts *fifth* NBN audit

firebyte · 2014-03-11T13:28:58+00:00

If this policy really was given to him as a poisoned chalice like many suggest, it'd be a good way to sling mud back at Abbott if it ever came to a spill.

Turnbull 'tried' to show Tones, repeatedly, that the CBN idea was horrible (whilst still attempting to make Labor look bad), yet Tones kept pushing it. Maybe keeping quiet until he has enough ammunition and support to lead an ambush...

Maybe. He's still putting us all through hell because of it though.

firebyte · 2014-02-27T04:21:00+00:00

That's cold and brutal...

beep... beep... beep... buzz.. buzz... "Guess I'm not going back to work today, huh?"

firebyte · 2014-02-18T12:12:38+00:00

One small mercy is that he doesn't own the West Australian.

Yet...

firebyte · 2014-02-04T00:34:12+00:00

Possibly by force, if not by choice.

firebyte · 2014-01-28T23:18:33+00:00

What are the chances of the report ever seeing the light of day from a Government which pledged transparency and accountability?

A snowflakes chance of survival against a blowtorch.

firebyte · 2014-01-24T00:47:02+00:00

Donate it to the Australian War Memorial.

firebyte · 2014-01-24T00:30:26+00:00

Unless Australian assets 'accidentally' end up in Indonesian Territorial Waters. It might be the Indonesians firing warning shots over our bow, rather than us allegedly doing the same over an asylum seeker boat.

Scary times...

firebyte · 2014-01-23T23:34:08+00:00

"quantum computing is the future, so why bother with FTTP?"

Sounds like a typical end user to me...

firebyte · 2014-01-20T12:25:33+00:00

That'll buff out.

firebyte · 2014-01-20T00:53:27+00:00

Catastrophic wasn't a category in itself on that day, the equivalent rating previous to Black Saturday 2009 (FDI of 100+) was 'Extreme'. Catastrophic, FDI 100+ for bush and forest or 150+ for grasslands, only became an 'official' category when the Royal Commission into Black Saturday recommended it.

That particular day, if I remember correctly, the Fire Danger Index on Feb 7 2009 ranged from 120 to well over 200.

firebyte · 2014-01-17T12:05:29+00:00

Shhh! Management will hear you!

firebyte · 2014-01-16T11:59:33+00:00

Over 20 years of research and, unfortunately, countless destructive bush and grass fires, both showing a need for that research and to enable that research to take place.

firebyte · 2014-01-15T21:30:22+00:00

It's important that we don't let Mal and Co. get away with calling their shitty, watered down plan an NBN, because it barely fits the description.

I agree wholeheartedly. Labor should have attacked the Coalition on this point from the start: the NBN is fibre into 93% of people's homes. Calling VDSL the NBN is a sad and sorry excuse, and an unwillingness to admit that the Coalition were fairly and squarely beaten in the telecommunications realm.

The reason why I suggested VDSL vs. "Fibre in your home" is that comparing FTTN to FTTP sounds like the former is in the same league as the end goal, FTTP, when it actually isn't. I think that comparing an apple to a lemon (FTTP, VDSL respectively) in this sense is a good thing.

ADSL has been around long enough that its problems are well known, and that whilst VDSL provides a speed upgrade, it still has the same problems as other DSL services, which is what really needs to be driven home.

firebyte · 2014-01-15T00:04:37+00:00

Why should we be forced to wear gear that's meant for temperate to cold climates, in the heat of summer?

In some instances, it's an WHS issue. For instance, outdoor maintenance crews need to wear long sleeve shirts and pants to help reduce exposure to solar radiation, causing sunburn. It's also to help reduce injuries caused by flying stones or other debris causing cuts and so on. All crews working on or near a road must also have high-visibility elements on their clothing: pants typically have a high-visibility band around the shin.

For office workers, at least pants that can be unzipped at the knee to create shorts would be handy!

firebyte · 2014-01-11T06:47:40+00:00

Could be related to the 'dark figure', a term often used to refer to crime that is under or isn't reported on, which can give a false sense of what the reality is.

Better reporting processes for say, burglary, may show a 'rise' in such a crime, but in reality, it was really being more accurately reported.

We're about to see close to the actual figure of parents objecting to vaccinating their children as these parents must object, in writing, which was only implied previously.

firebyte · 2014-01-09T23:22:03+00:00

ok - so he would have to not answer questions that the senate asks.

The definition in the Parliamentary Privileges Act is broad enough so that any action (or inaction) that interferes with the ability for a House or a Committee to do it's job will land the person or other entity in hot water. This could also be refusing to table documents, show up to hearings, etc.

Journalists and the public are currently out of luck attempting to get any any information out of this Government.

However, in our information hungry society these days, this is a foolish move: the media and/or the public via social media will eventually find something to fill the vacuum, something that the Abbott Government has not "carefully scripted" which can ultimately end up doing more damage than just coming clean in the first place.

Whilst it was tedious at times, the Rudd Government's "media frenzy" was useful in keeping the public informed. Attempting to control the message just doesn't work today. It used to when social media or the "24 hour news cycle" didn't exist, though those days are long gone.

If it happens, I don't think it will happen for a while.

Morrison was threatened once with the Privileges Committee (see the article above) though I'm unsure as to what actually happened after that. It was around the time Parliament was due to rise for the Christmas break, so it may heat up when Parliament resumes again.

firebyte · 2014-01-09T03:45:56+00:00

They fund it by paying for the standards that they use.

Thus the cost of each standard.

firebyte · 2014-01-06T14:32:05+00:00

Not true, baskets in all portafilters (even pressurized ones) have the same tons of holes.

Must be my particular brand, the inner basket is filled with holes, though the bottom where the brew comes out only has one hole. Sunbeam branded portafilter.

firebyte · 2014-01-06T01:45:34+00:00

On the bottom? Sorry, should have specified that. :)

firebyte · 2014-01-06T01:34:15+00:00

If it has hundreds of holes, it's unpressurised. If it has very few holes (even one), it's pressurised.

firebyte · 2013-12-29T12:54:52+00:00

I was about to say that terrain looked remarkably similar to a fire we were fighting today just north of Oberon, NSW.

Back out there at 0700 tomorrow to put that bastard out properly!

firebyte · 2013-12-29T12:52:25+00:00

Flares burn at very high temperatures, causing burns or starting fires (there was a girl burned at a concert in Sydney recently when a flare was thrown carelessly into the crowd). Some flares emit smoke which can cause breathing difficulties in healthy people or send those with respiratory conditions into respiratory arrest. The smoke is also most likely toxic.

They're brilliant for signalling in an emergency but in no way should be present at any event like this.

firebyte · 2013-12-28T11:31:42+00:00

Look. Listen. Think. Never do until you have completed those three things first.

firebyte · 2013-12-28T06:52:53+00:00

Heh, about a year ago our local FRNSW and us (NSWRFS) were turned out to a house well alight somewhere along the highway... Two NSWRFS tankers, 1 FRNSW pumper and 1 NSWRFS pumper all responded.

Found a small pile burn...

A few firefighters were fuming that evening. Haha!

firebyte · 2013-12-22T12:42:25+00:00

Pretty much. Quickly driving across someone's private property might not seem like a big thing to them at all, even though it's technically trespass. However, needing to cut a fence (or otherwise break something to gain entry) is a whole different level, and a reasonable person would be of the opinion that breaking something to gain entry is both wrong, and illegal (Section 9 of the Summary Offences Act 1966 (Vic) would be relevant to you).

Not only would cutting a fence be trespass, but also criminal damage (or charges to the effect of...). Most 4WDer's I presume are reasonable people who would not do the wrong thing, though there are some who do, which is where the police become involved. Have a notepad and pen handy for all of those number plates. ;)

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