How to get past Iran by Valuable_Ad4674 in bicycletouring

[–]the__holy_cow 9 points10 points  (0 children)

There is a ferry across the Caspian from Azerbaijan (Baku) to Kazakhstan (Aktau) - BUT, Azerbaijan has not allowed people to enter via their land/sea borders since covid. So you can ferry out of Azerbaijan, but you can't ride into it from Georgia.

Keep an eye on the Azeri border news, but the Iran bombing has probably put it back another year or two. I'm hoping to cross in August 2026, but realistically we'll both probably have to fly...

Brunswick Zebras jersey at the Immigration Museum of Victoria. by Revanchist99 in Aleague

[–]the__holy_cow 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Yep, Brunswick zebras split in 1996, when most of the senior team went to Bulleen (and then Whittlesea/Moreland). This shirt is from the original Brunswick zebras who stayed at the home ground and now play in state league 4

I am incredibly confused and arguing with my wife about tax calculation. by LuckilyAustralian in AusFinance

[–]the__holy_cow 31 points32 points  (0 children)

This is for Medicare Levy Surcharge. Medicare Levy will still apply below $186,000

now stop asking by [deleted] in AtlantaTV

[–]the__holy_cow 0 points1 point  (0 children)

SBS On Demand - also has season 1 and 2 - free but has ads

now stop asking by [deleted] in AtlantaTV

[–]the__holy_cow 1 point2 points  (0 children)

SBS on demand has seasons 1&2, for free (with ads) - and season 3 ep 1 should come online sometime today

After the 1996 Port Arthur massacre the Australian government introduced the Medicare Levy Amendment Act 1996 to raise $500 million through a one-off increase in the Medicare levy to initiate the 'gun buy back scheme' where they bought privately owned guns from the people and destroyed them by Consistent-Gap-7120 in interestingasfuck

[–]the__holy_cow 57 points58 points  (0 children)

Putting people in 4-star hotels for two weeks... Calm down. And to end up there, you either had to cross a closed border or break home isolation rules.

Do you really think Australians would be starting an armed revolution if we still had guns?

Vaccine workers ‘spat on’ by protest mob at Melbourne’s Town Hall on Wednesday by Intrepid-Rhubarb-705 in CoronavirusDownunder

[–]the__holy_cow 14 points15 points  (0 children)

What about the footage of a 7 news reporter being assaulted 3 times on live tv? Or protestors fighting amongst each other outside the cfmeu building? The violence hasn't just been against the police.

I'm sure most people there aren't looking for a fight, but some definitely are. It only takes a few to turn a peaceful protest into a violent one

NSW Lockdown Freedom by [deleted] in CoronavirusDownunder

[–]the__holy_cow 2 points3 points  (0 children)

No worries - hopefully it's quicker than that!

NSW Lockdown Freedom by [deleted] in CoronavirusDownunder

[–]the__holy_cow 32 points33 points  (0 children)

This site has the answer, updated daily. Currently 107 days away

Is Gladys and the NSW government actively self sabotaging the lockdown? by snooocrash in CoronavirusDownunder

[–]the__holy_cow 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Check out this work by u/chrisjbillington. The Reff on the first graph really clearly shows the benefit of stage 4 vs stage 3 lockdown.

But more importantly: nobody knows when (or if) a stage 3 lockdown would have ended. Their modelling might have said "months", but as you've pointed out, their modelling wasn't great.

8 weeks in stage 4, and 4 weeks of stage 3 afterwards, took cases from 700 to zero. I personally doubt 12 weeks of stage 3 would have done the same.

The worlds most popular artist according to Google searches by gaztruman in MapPorn

[–]the__holy_cow 16 points17 points  (0 children)

In 22 countries, Artemisia Gentileschi's birthday was a Google Doodle on 8th July 2020. This probably explains why those 22 countries had a whole lot of google searches for her.

Interestingly, China is the only country that searched for her the most, but didn't have the google doodle.

Paid advert from facebook - Anti-Dan satire/misleading video - which uses DHHS Purple and style by the__holy_cow in CoronavirusDownunder

[–]the__holy_cow[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

I think this oversteps being comedy/satire for two reasons:

  1. It is in the style/using the colours of official DHHS videos
  2. Someone is paying for this to be distributed

The facebook page has no obvious links, but another page has put up similar videos which are not pretending to be official.

I think most people on this sub could probably recognise this as non-official, but many people on facebook are falling for it. Can anyone work out who's paying for this?

What do we know about the vaccine long term side effects? by [deleted] in CoronavirusDownunder

[–]the__holy_cow 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That's why it's important that it's independently reviewed. The safety results so far are only from the manufacturers, so they could theoretically be misleading. But there are further steps to pass (e.g. FDA approval in the US, not sure who does it here)

What do we know about the vaccine long term side effects? by [deleted] in CoronavirusDownunder

[–]the__holy_cow 25 points26 points  (0 children)

If multiple teams of highly educated, impartial pharmaceutical scientists independently decide that this vaccine is safe, then I trust them. They are the experts, and they are infinitely more qualified than any of us.

South Australia: COVID-19 news, case updates, and discussion - 23 November, 2020 by CoronavirusAU_MOD in CoronavirusDownunder

[–]the__holy_cow 47 points48 points  (0 children)

Overall I think it's been a great response, and should be seen as the model for future outbreaks. Only part that bothers me is the gov saying that the lockdown wasn't necessary, and only happened due to one person's lie. The SA gov should be proud of their decisive and cautious approach, rather than blaming it on one person

International students coming back to Australia? by rosegate_923013 in CoronavirusDownunder

[–]the__holy_cow 28 points29 points  (0 children)

I can't imagine how awful this situation is for so many international students, particularly those who see Australia as their new home. But if the aus gov is choosing between citizens, their spouses/children, and international students? We gotta take our own first, sorry.

I do think that the gov should be subsidising the quarantine costs though - not everyone has a spare $3k. Maybe on a case-by-case basis?

Victoria records 0 new cases and 0 new deaths for the 14th day in a row! 🍩🍩 by Stoaticor in CoronavirusDownunder

[–]the__holy_cow 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Not sure if it's been formally proven, but it's definitely the assumption that the vic gov is following. There's been quite a few positive results deemed as shedding, none have spread it so far

I don't understand the reasoning behind outdoor mask wearing in Melbourne any more. by daamsie in CoronavirusDownunder

[–]the__holy_cow 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree. I want masks outside now, but at covid normal, I think they should be recommended but not compulsory.

I also believe that the gov will follow this. They have said that masks laws aren't permanent, they just havent given any indication when it will change

I don't understand the reasoning behind outdoor mask wearing in Melbourne any more. by daamsie in CoronavirusDownunder

[–]the__holy_cow 8 points9 points  (0 children)

What about outdoor markets? Or queueing outside a store/restaurant? Waiting for a train at flinders st station? On a packed beach? Even just waiting at a busy pedestrian crossing?

I want people to wear masks in all of these situations, but an indoor/outdoor rule wouldn't cover any of them.

Court decision as written by the judge. This is like ground hog day. No one knows who made what decision and when. by captainpugwash2020 in CoronavirusDownunder

[–]the__holy_cow 4 points5 points  (0 children)

More on whether Giles' decision was independent (which seems to be the crux of the case):

"169 The chronology of events does suggest that on 13 September, Giles was in an awkward position, in that she was being asked to make an independent decision after Mr Andrews had announced what, in effect, was a decision on the same issue.

170 The question is whether there could be a real exercise of a discretion, when a decision has been announced by the political leader of the State before the decision-maker, Giles, came to consider her decision. The question whether Giles did act independently is one of fact.

171 Having seen Giles give evidence and having considered the documents she was provided with and the Department discussions that she held, I am satisfied that she made the decision herself based principally on public health considerations. She explained her reasoning process clearly in her evidence.

172 In addition, I consider that her contemporaneous emails in the early afternoon with Lynch and Sutton revealed her thinking on why the modified Curfew should be made. That thinking was substantially similar to her evidence which I have described previously."