In Australia, bluestone and travertine are two of the most popular natural stone pavers used for both residential and commercial homes. Both of these stones are often used for outdoor paving, indoor flooring, stepping stones, and sometimes wall cladding.

Since both have amazing functional and aesthetic qualities, it can be difficult to choose between the two.

To help you make a choice, were going to take a look at the main features of each of these stones. Well go through each important characteristic, from thermal resistance to ease of maintenance. By discussing all the main advantages of these two stones, hopefully we can help you decide which product is more suitable for you and your property.

What is Bluestone?

In Australia and New Zealand, bluestone is the commercial term used to describe basalt. Basalt is a fine-grained igneous rock made from low-viscosity lava. It is mainly composed of oxides from silicon, magnesium, iron, potassium, aluminum, calcium and titanium.

Since it has a high concentration of augite and dark pyroxene minerals, basalt typically has a dark bluish hue. However, due to varying mineral composition, sometimes basalt has a much lighter tone.

Basalt typically has vesicles (small holes), which are created by the dissolved gasses released by the lava. These vesicles often leave a subtle texture on the surface of the finished paver. Basalt has also high density as well as a decent thermal resistance.

Benefits of Bluestone Pavers

1. Durable and DenseThe density of basalt ranges from 2.8 3.0g/cm3. By comparison granites density is measured at 2.5 2.8g/cm3.

   Because of its high density, basalt is often used as an outdoor paver. The density of the stone will protect your pavers from minor surface scratches, moisture damage (including stains) and heat.

   Bluestone pavers are perfect for pergola flooring, outdoor stepping stones, front yard pathways, fireplaces, and so on. Essentially, any area that is exposed to the outside elements and extreme temperatures would benefit from high quality bluestone pavers.

2. VersatileNot only is bluestone versatile functionally, it is also ve...

Thank you Underminder. Warren Mundine has accused the ABC of bias during a fiery interview over the Voice to Parliament. pic.twitter.com/cvVIB1ZGzI Clown Down Under (@clowndownunder) May 29, 2023

The manner in which the Albanese Government is conducting The Voice referendum is just as unlawful as the way in which the Liberal-National Coalition under Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison ran the appallingly lethal Robodebt scheme.

Posting shortlink: https://wp.me/p1n8TZ-3jA

At the present time, thanks to the strident criticism and vilification of people who are opposed to this $100 million waste of taxpayers money, which does very little except disenfranchise 96.8% of voters, the one-sided debate is little more than a media-hype talkfest (with slagging on the side) that has no relation whatsoever to the correct way to run a constitutional referendum, which should be based upon community education and debate, and  objective facts, instead of the biased, vested interest drivel that we are being hit with.

QUESTION #1: Where is the local community public education about the issues and informed community debate, which is a core requirement for determining the community views for and against the referendum proposal?

Heck How many people in Australia have a copy of the referendum poposal that is stuck on the fridge with a magnet?

ANSWER:  No fridge magnet and no copy of the proposed change, goes hand-in-hand with no objective informed community-involvement in the debate.

Why is this so?

Could it be because of the fact that during the last election Anthony Albanese promised the referendum  without apparently bothering to either read the Constitution or ask the Australian Electoral Commission what is proper process is when conducting a constitutional referendum, e.g., Can I just throw bags of taxpayers money at the mass media, and slag anyone and everyone who has the nerve to disgree  with my proposal, or do I have to have informed community involvement?...

Sacked because he didn't 'de-escalate' a man with a gun. *We originally reported this mistakenly as happening in Chicago, thank you to Seeker of Truth for pointing out the error. Other passengers were caught in the crossfire. https://t.co/B0RQZJNFRL ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) May 28, 2023

"The Russians are dying...it's the best money we've ever spent." Imagine what the United States response would be if Russia was saying this about American citizens! pic.twitter.com/cIAIah3ju0 Jackson Hinkle (@jacksonhinklle) May 27, 2023

Camera 1 - Climate Loons.. pic.twitter.com/dH9tSpVE9t Timjbo (@Tim_jbo) May 29, 2023

Today, on the first day beaches were opened for the season in Chicago, a shooting takes place at the popular North Avenue Beach as about 80 to 100 teenagers gathered. pic.twitter.com/tEJeSW0kNj Marie Oakes (@TheMarieOakes) May 26, 2023

Australias largest fitness-based mental health event, The Push-Up Challenge, is back in 2023, encouraging Australians to push for better mental health.

Participants will take on 3,144 push-ups across 23 days in June, putting the spotlight on the tragic number of lives lost to suicide in Australia in 2021.

Thousands of Australians from all ages and walks of life participate in the event which engages people in mental health through connection, physical activity and education.

Founder of The Push-Up Challenge, Nick Hudson, said The Push-Up Challenge is a great way to get fit, connect with your community and do something positive for your mental health, all while honouring lives tragically lost to suicide.

Everyone will likely experience a mental health issue

Its likely everyone will experience a mental health issue at some point in their lives, so by pushing up and learning about mental health, we hope to break down the stigma attached to mental illness so that Australians dont think twice about reaching out for help.

The Push-Up Challenge is a free event, and participants can choose to fundraise and support beneficiary partners Lifeline or Movember, or the charity which runs the event, Push for Better Foundation.

Fundraising is an optional part of the event.

With our focus on men...

My new book, The Palestine Laboratory, is out in Australia and New Zealand on 30 May.

It was released in the UK and US last week.

Every week, the Sydney Morning Herald and Melbourne Age write an email about the latest news and views in the literary world and this weeks edition features the highlights of June. My book was the top title listed:

In his provocative new book, the Australian journalist, who lived in East Jerusalem between 2016 and 2020, argues that Israel exports around the globe the techniques and technologies it has deployed during the Israel/Palestine conflict. Palestine, he says, has been a testing ground for weaponry and surveillance, and Israel has become a global leader in their development.

The post Recommending The Palestine Laboratory appeared first on Antony Loewenstein.

In his new book Boycott Theory and the Struggle for Palestine: Universities, Intellectualism and Liberation (Rowman and Littlefield, 2023), Nick Riemer mounts a comprehensive argument for the institutional academic boycott of Israel. This edited extract outlines the central rational for the boycottIsraeli universities institutional role in enabling apartheid, occupation and anti-Palestinianism.

The post Universities as tools of apartheid appeared first on Overland literary journal.

Warning: loss of IQ points ahead pic.twitter.com/mfmJMbN45j Matrix Memez (@MatrixMemez) March 12, 2023

Canva.com shows you how to pixelate a donut

by Mary W Maxwell, LLB

Dear Reader, if you are following the child-trafficking business, please check this out. Its about a judge asking for suppression of info on the Internet.  Looks to me like a major screw job and we ought to be doing something about it

The business of suppression of names has a rightful place. If someone rapes Angela Smyth-Jones, over age 18, and is on trial for it, Angela has a right to privacy.  After all, the description of the rape in open court could be pretty gory; it could harm her dignity forever. The court case can omit her name; just call her the victim or Ms X.

When the victim is a child, the standard way to handle it is by giving pseudonyms to the various players. In my May 12, 2023 article, at GumshoeNews.com, I showed the case of Argyle v Thomas, the mum and dad in a custody dispute.  That is not their real names at all, but it helps give privacy to their k...

Contributed from Victoria

The scandal engulfing consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Australia and its misuse of confidential government data to help clients avoid tax is escalating, and a week ago, senior management agreed to stand down those who were alleged to be directly involved in doing this. This appears to be way to for the company extricate itself from a sticky situation through putting the blame on these individuals. But it is unimaginable that such behaviour could take place without a conspiracy and approval. If not direct participation from the top.

We know that PwC has been advising a range of major corporations on how to avoid paying tax and could have misused information it was not entitled to have for leverage. Former tax expert at PwC, Peter Colins, was deregistered by the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) for failing to act with integrity and for sharing confidential government briefings in January. He played a major role for a decade in securing government contracts. since then, Tom Seymour, the corporations CEO, has stepped down over the matter.

Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty: CEO Tom Seymour stepped down over the scandal

After the scandal broke out, Treasury referred the matter to the police. It is obvious that the misuse of government data could not have happened without the involvement of people on the inside of the contrasting out department.

Last week, the close association between the NSW Police Commissioner Reece Matthews and PwC partner Mick Fuller...

Residents in Melbourne and the northern suburbs were woken in the middle of the night as a magnitude 3.8 earthquake shook the darkness radiating out from the town of Sunbury, about 41 kilometres north west of the city.

Reports came from across the region from residents saying they had been shaken awake by the tremor. The governments Geoscience Australia website at 9am had almost 24,320 felt reports, most of those between Sunbury and Melbourne this figure continues to rise.

BY ANDREW KORYBKO | MAY 28, 2023

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko recently warned that the Wests possible shipment of F-16s to Kiev is fraught with colossal risks for that de facto New Cold War bloc, shortly after which his boss Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described this scenario as an unacceptable escalation. The Kremlins assessment clashes with the Pentagons, whose Air Force chief Frank Kendall claimed last week that its not going to be a dramatic game-changerfor their total military capabilities.

Bidens support at the G7 Summit for training Ukrainian pilots to fly the F-16s and some countries like the UKs plans to assemble a so-called jet coalition for their Eastern European proxy suggest that these opposite predictions will be put to the test after some time unless a ceasefire is reached first. Considering this possibility, its timely to weigh the merits of each sides assessment in order to get a better idea of whether the Kremlins or the Pentagons will more closely reflect reality in that scenario.

Sky News explainer that was published on Sunday provides a good starting point for answering this question. According to military analyst Sean Bell, Kiev will likely receive old F-16s that are heavily dependent on spares and urgently in need of being updated with modern equipment. Anything less than Modern air-to-air missiles married to a modern F-16 radar, which he said would pose a credible threat, risks emboldening the Russian Air Force.

Before reaching his conclusion, Bell also informed readers that In addition to radar, modern fighters also need state-of-the-art electronic warfare, defensive aids, infrared sensors, link-16 datalinks, and a computer system to programme and deliver the latest generation of high-tech air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons, not to menti...

Will the Democrats repeat their winning formula from the 2020 presidential elections?

In this episode of the Patrick Henningsen Show on TNT Radio which aired on May 23, 2023, Patrick asks the question: How can Joe Biden win in the 2024 election? It seems that the only logical answer has to be for the Democrats to repeat their winning formula from 2020: election rigging and declaring another pandemic. Patrick works with his science team in the TNT listeners Chat Room to figure out which virus could be marketed as an anointed microbe choice to allow Democrats to ramp up mail-in voting again in 2024. All this and more. Listen:

TUNE-IN LIVE to TNT RADIO for the Patrick Henningsen Show every MON-FRI at 12PM-2PM (NEW YORK) | 5PM-7PM (LONDON) | 2AM-4AM (BRISBANE):
https://tntradio.live

READ MORE 2024 ELECTION NEWS AT: 21st CENTURY WIRE 2024 ELECTION FILES

ALSO JOIN OUR TELEGRAM CHANNEL

SUPPORT OUR INDEPENDENT MEDIA PLATFORM  BECOME A MEMBER @21WIRE.TV

Australians have woken up to freezing temperatures, with some towns recording their coldest May morning on record. Widespread frost was reported in parts of Queensland, Northern Territory, New South Wales and Western Australia on Sunday morning. The Bureau of Meteorology recorded minimum temperatures as low as to -2.7 degrees at Injune Post Office in Queensland. Records were broken in Hughenden, Queensland, where residents woke up to -1.4 degrees, while Bankstown and Penrith each had their coldest May temperature ever, hitting 0.7 degrees and 0.6 degrees respectively. Tamworth also recorded its coldest May morning with -4.8 degrees.

<p><div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_45540" style= "width: 268px;"><a href= "https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/5C8B41B5-AF5E-4820-9D86-87B4BB6F330C.jpeg"> <img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-45540" height="188" src= "https://www.frackcheckwv.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/5C8B41B5-AF5E-4820-9D86-87B4BB6F330C.jpeg" title="5C8B41B5-AF5E-4820-9D86-87B4BB6F330C" width="268"></a> <p class="wp-caption-text">Over 40,000 fish killed over essentially the entire length of Dunkard Creek</p> </div> <strong>Remembering the 40 Mile Dunkard Creek Fish Kill of August 2009 in WV & PA

From the Blog of Betsy J. Lawson, Monongalia County, WV, May 31, 2019

Dunkard Creek wanders above and below the Pennsylvania-West Virginia state line for much of its forty-three miles, seeming to taunt the rigidity of man-made boundaries. It was one of the most ecologically diverse streams in either state. But in August of 2009, people who lived along the stream witnessed an unimaginable sight: thousands of fish were trying to leap out of the water.

During the next month, about 22,000 fish washed ashore, many bleeding from the gills and covered in mucous. Some estimates say as many as 65,000 died. Three-foot long muskies washed up along the riverbanks. The die-off marked one of the worst ecological disasters in the regions history. <strong>Some 161 species of fish, mussels, salamanders, crayfish and aquatic insects were wiped out.</strong></p> <p><a href= "https://betsyjaeger.com/f/dunkard-creek-fish-kill">Department of Natural Resources officials from both states arrived at the crime scene to find answers.</a> Golden algae bloom was the cause. The algae releases a toxin that ruptures the tissue cells in the mouths and gills of fish, depriving them of oxygen and suffocating them. Algae bloom only lives in very salty waters.</p> <p>The DNR found that Consol Energy had been discharging acid mine drainage directly into Dunkard Creek for decades. In the spring of 2010, one of Consols primary contractors, Allans Waste Water Service, a wastewater hauling company, was charged with multiple counts of illegally dumping toxic waste, including Marcellus Shale-produced wastewater into Dunkard Creek and its tributaries. Wastewater from fracking is ten to twenty times more saline than sea water.</p> <p>In more recent years, hydraulic fracturing wells had been removing huge quantities of fresh water from the stream and dumping the wastewater back into the stream. Low water levels, high salt content from fracking wastewater, and especially high sulfate levels, typical of AMD, led to the algae bloom. Such a bloom had never been seen north of Texas and Florida before. How did the golden algae get to the temperate freshwater of West Virginia and Pen...

Bucolic fairytales are a threat to life on Earth.

By George Monbiot, published in the Guardian 26^th May 2023

No issue is more important, and none so shrouded in myth and wishful thinking. The way we feed ourselves is the key determinant of whether we survive this century, as no other sector is as damaging. Yet we can scarcely begin to discuss it objectively, thanks to the power of comforting illusions.

Food has the extraordinary property of turning even the most progressive people into reactionaries. People who might accept any number of social and political changes can respond with fury if you propose our diets should shift. Stranger still, theres a gulf between ultraconservative beliefs about how we should eat and the behaviour of people who hold such beliefs. I have heard people cite a rule formulated by the food writer Michael Pollan Dont eat anything your great-great-great-grandmother wouldnt recognise as food while eating a diet (Thai one day, Mexican the next, Mediterranean the day after) whose range of ingredients no ones great-great-great-grandmother would recognise, and living much the better for it.

Something is blocking us, a deep repression that stands in the way of honest conversation. It pushes food writers, celebrity chefs and some environmentalists to propose answers to the planetary crisis that are even more damaging than the problems they claim to address. Their solutions, such as pasture-fed meat, with its massive land demand , are impossible to scale without destroying remaining wild ecosystems: there is simply not enough planet. What is this inhibition and how does it arise?

Its now a year since I published Regenesis, a book that has incited levels of fury shocking even to me. Ive spent much of this time trying to work out what makes people so angry. I think its because the book challenges what the cognitive historian Jeremy Lent calls a root metaphor: an idea so deeply embedded in our minds that it affects our preferences without our conscious knowledge.

The root metaphor in this case is exemplified by King Charles IIIs love affair with Transylvania, explored recently in the ...

<h1><strong><a href= "https://yadnarie48.wordpress.com/2023/04/10/the-reality-of-australias-cabinet-solidarity-holocaust/boyle-prosecution/" rel="attachment wp-att-12415"><img alt="" class= "aligncenter size-full wp-image-12415" height="627" src= "https://yadnarie48.files.wordpress.com/2023/04/boyle-prosecution.png" width="640"></a>The following text is a textbook case of <em>reading the riot act</em> to Western Australias Corruption & Crime Commission (WA-CCC) for staying silent whilst people have died. The text of the email to the WA-CCC is posted here to circumvent the use of Legal & Confidential</em> or the iniquitous <em>parliamentary privilege</em> as a means to to suppress or censor this Public Interest Disclosure.</strong></h1> <h2><strong>URL Shortlink: <a href="https://wp.me/p1n8TZ-3ji" rel= "nofollow">https://wp.me/p1n8TZ-3ji</a></strong></h2> <h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style= "text-decoration: underline;"><strong>A FATAL SILENCE</strong></span></h1> <h2><strong>Western Australia Corruption & Crime Commission Via email:</strong> <a href= "mailto:info@ccc.wa.gov.au"><strong>info@ccc.wa.gov.au</strong></a></h2> <h2><strong><u>CC: The Assistant Director-CDPP (Adelaide)  </u></strong></h2> <h2>...</h2>

1.00 AUD = 0.00002 BTC
0.00010 BTC = 4.20 AUD
Converter

I've experienced racism all my life in every workplace, and the Greens were no different. Of course you have. Independent senator Lidia Thorpe has revealed she will lodge a claim in the Australian Human Rights Commission against the Greens over allegations she was subjected to racism in her former party....

By Cathy Jameson

With all five kids home after my daughters college graduation, we enjoyed some extra family time.  Sitting in the living room together one evening, my youngest asked, Mommy, when would Ronan be graduating college?  I looked at her but didnt answer right away.  Ronans not been in a classroom setting for quite some time now.  Even though she doesnt remember some of the struggles Ronan faced while he was enrolled in school, she knows we took him out of the special education system for several reasons, to include seeing seizure activity increase. 

Every now and then I wonder if taking him out, and keeping him out, was the right decision.  I dont dwell on that thought for too long because we provided many meaningful opportunities for him while he was out of the classroom.  But questions like the one Ronans youngest sister asked brought up things Id long forgotten. 

Do I miss the IEP meetings?

Do I miss the worry I sometimes felt after dropping him off?

Do I miss the phone calls from the school nurse telling me of another seizure?

No.  I dont miss any of that. 

I do miss some of the hope that some of Ronans teaching staff shared with us.  I do miss the thought of a someday graduation for him, even if it wasnt going to be the same kind of diploma his siblings would receive.  But I dont miss the stress that school was causing my son.  I didnt need to share all of that or any of that in my reply to my daughter, so I focused simply on what shed asked.  She just wanted a date, even if random, that Ronan would be graduating.

It would be next year.  Think about when Charlie would be graduatingwhatever year he is in school is when Ronan would also be in school, I told her.

A friends typical son, I had always hoped that Ronan would one day be mainstreamed with typical peers like Charlie.  Hes a great kid doing really great things.  I dont see him much anymore because hes off to school in another state, but when I get updates from his parents, I cant help but smile.  Ronan wont experience any of what Charlie will, but I dont begrudge him or any other kids who find success in school. 

School isnt for everyone.  It can be an enormous struggle.  Without proper supports, simple tasks can become frustrating.  Th...

Officials: UN Chief Shocked by Letter from Sudans Military Ruler Demanding Removal of UN Envoy

By SAMY MAGDY

People gather at the home of a volunteer, where they can charge their mobile phones, in Khartoum, Sudan, Thursday, May 25, 2023. The fighting between Sudans military and a powerful paramilitary force has displaced more than 1.3 million people, the U.N. migration agency said Wednesday. (AP Photo)

CAIRO (AP) The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was shocked by a letter from Sudans military ruler, demanding the removal of the U.N. envoy to the country, Sudanese and U.N. officials said Saturday.

The letter by Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, Sudans top military official and head of the ruling Sovereign Council, comes as Sudan plunged into further chaos after worsening tensions between military rivals exploded into an open fighting last month.

The Secretary-General is shocked by the letter he received this (Friday) morning, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. The Secretary-General is proud of the work done by (U.N. envoy) Volker Perthes and reaffirms his full confidence in his Special Representative.

Dujarric didnt reveal the contents of the letter. However, a senior military official said Burhans letter asked Guterres to replace Perthes who was appointed to the post in 2021.

According to the official, Burhan accused Perthes of being partisan, and that his approach in pre-war talks between the generals and the pro-democracy movement helped inflame the conflict. The talks had aimed at restoring the countrys democratic transition which was derailed by a military coup in Oct. 2021.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief media.

Perthes declined to comment neither on the letter.

Burhan accused Perthes last year of exceeding the U.N. missions mandate and of blatant interference in Sudanese affairs. He threatened to expel him from the country.

The ongoing fighting broke out in mid-April between the military and the powerful Rapid Support F...

Blood is life, you know. Thats been the lesson from science documentaries like Dracula and Mad Max: Fury Road.

Remember creepy weird Bryan Johnson, the middle-aged Silicon Valley techbro who want to live forever by gobbling down lots of supplements, slathering on the skin creams, and eating a strangely specific diet? Now he has decided that vampirism is the answer.

An anti-aging zealot who spends $2 million a year in a quest to turn back time has dragged his teenage son into being his personal blood boy.

Bryan Johnson, the 45-year-old tech tycoon who wants to keep his internal organs, including his penis and rectum, functioning youthfully enlisted 17-year-old Talmage to provide blood transfusions, Bloomberg reported on Monday.

At a clinic near Dallas last month, Johnson, his 70-year-old dad, Richard, and Talmage showed up for an hours-long, tri-generational blood-swapping treatment, the outlet reported.

Johnson usually receives plasma from an anonymous donor, but this time Talmage provided a liter of his blood, which was converted into batches of piece parts a batch of liquid plasma and another of red and white blood cells and platelets.

Ugh. This is creepy child abuse although they did it in Texas, where they hate children, so hell probably get away with it. Even if this worked, I wouldnt ask my children to ever do this for me.

I also notice the icky Elizabeth Holmes-style pose. Its all quackery.

Introduction by DM

The Australian Senate

Deaths of suspected 30,000 mRNA vaxx victims will not be investigated by a senate inquiry (Cairns News)

A motion put to the senate by Senator Ralph Babet on May 24 to establish an inquiry to investigate an excess, non-covid related death rate of 17 per cent, or some 30,000 suspec...

<p>Welcome to <a href= "https://www.thelastamericanvagabond.com/daily-wrap-up/" rel= "nofollow noopener" style="color: #ff0000;" title= "This link will take you away from steemit.com">The Daily Wrap Up</a>, a concise show dedicated to bringing you the most relevant independent news, as we see it, from the last 24 hours (5/27/23).<br> As always, take the information discussed in the video below and research it for yourself, and come to your own conclusions. Anyone telling you what the truth is, or claiming they have the answer, is likely leading you astray, for one reason or another. Stay Vigilant.<br> (<a href= "https://www.rokfin.com/TLAVagabond">https://www.rokfin.com/TLAVagabond</a>)(<a href="https://www.bitchute.com/channel/24yVcta8zEjY/">https://www.bitchute.com/channel/24yVcta8zEjY/</a>)<br> <br> !function(r,u,m,b,l,e){r._Rumble=b,r[b]||(r[b]=function(){(r[b]._=r[b]._||[]).push(arguments);if(r[b]._.length==1){l=u.createElement(m),e=u.getElementsByTagName(m)[0],l.async=1,l.src="https://rumble.com/embedJS/u2q643"+(arguments[1].video?'.'+arguments[1].video:'')+"/?url="+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+"&args="+encodeURIComponent(JSON.stringify([].slice.apply(arguments))),e.parentNode.insertBefore(l,e)}})}(window, document, "script", "Rumble");<br> <br>  <br> <br> Rumble("play", {"video":"v2ntfd6","div":"rumble_v2ntfd6"});<br> <br> Video Source Links (In Chronological Order)<br> <br> <br> <br> <a href= "https://twitter.com/tlavagabond/status/1634578296770908162?s=12&t=BKPUCHXl3vw_NT5xL6Bx8A"> (34) LastAmericanVagabond on Twitter: "So it looks like the deep fake agenda is indeed about to kick off for real. Wonder why it took this long. (In case that is unclear THIS IS A DEEP FAKE & it has some crude comments for those with kids around.) https://t.co/V7vkb3ljSc" / Twitter
(28) discord.gg/falconryfinance COVID MODE on Twitter: "They're all like this It's the only reason anyone plays that game anymore Never should have gone bipedal https://t.co/ZL1jk7rMB0" / Twitter
(28) LastAmericanVagabond on Twitter: "As I have been saying, the age of deep fakes is upon us. Or more accurately, has finally been released upon us. https://t.co/RaYmQEZGRe" / Twitter
(52) Dr. Anastasia Maria Loupis on Twitter: "Twitter has destroyed my account with almost half a million followers. It happened over night. My followers cant even change settings to view my posts. And now this. @elonmusk @ellagirwin @twitter you are not answering my e-mails. https://t.co/47PLKOSKN3" / Twitter</a><br> <a href= "https://twitter.com/0rf/status/1661432803785932800?s=12&t=XndyaHXy01WgO-eau7dmtA"> (20) M...

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw and former NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller, who now works for PwC, have already had private communication about the PwC tax dodging scandal that is now being investigated []

QUESTION: So you do not think anyone running for office in 2024 will succeed in making any difference?

HC

ANSWER: No. We have crossed the Rubicon on that score. Trump would at least fight hard against them, but our computer does not show that there is anyone coming in on a white horse to save the day. We simply have to crash and burn and then we get to redesign a new form of government. You get NO REFORM without the crash and burn.

Just look at the debt ceiling nonsense. All this is about is reducing the amount of deficit spending. It is IMPOSSIBLE to run a balanced budget or return to some gold standard. You would have to extinguish politics as we know it. There can be no running for office and promising all sorts of free stuff and the NEOCONS could wage their endless wars that never win. Politicians would not know how to even campaign. Anyone who believes the 2020 election was NOT rigged, is just a fool.

Getting rid of Trump was not a Democrat v Republican conspiracy theory, it was a strategic movement to seize control of the state. Why would they even push Biden to run again when his polls have collapsed to 30%? You will see, he will win and the entire world will see how corrupt it has all become. We are living in a Deep State coup of unelected bureaucrats ruling what your life will be. Digital currencies will control every aspect of how you spend. You will not even be allowed to donate to any reform party. Look at Trudeau and the Truckers.

John Rachel, in his book The U.S. and Perpetual War: Interviews and Commentary (Independently published, May 16, 2023, available at Peace Dividend/Books and Amazon) has compiled a unique, concise and astonishingly compelling collection of leading left, liberal, conservative and heterodox thinkers each answering the same fifteen precisely composed questions. The questions concern the current nature of the US empire, putative US democracy, and, most important, what is to be done.

The distinguished roster of 22 respondents from politics, academia, media, law, and social activism includes Noam Chomsky, Larry Wilkerson, Paul Craig Roberts, Mark Skidmore, Coleen Rowley, William J. Astore, Abby Martin, Dan Kovalik, Lee Camp, Finian Cunningham, Michael T. Klare, Cynthia McKinney, Scott Ritter, Joe Lombardo, Bruce Gagnon, Norman Solomon, Peter Kuznick, Ajamu Baraka, Margaret Kimberley, Matthew Hoh, Garland Nixon, and Dennis Kucinich.

Rachels 15 question topics are: 1. The Atomic Scientists doomsday clock; 2. The US as a force for peace, justice, etc., or not; 3. The reasoning behind Russian and Chinese military action; 4. The US need for empire, or not; 5. US national electoral politics since 2014 and the demonization of Russia; 6. Taiwan and the possibility of war between US and China; 7. Syria and the US occupation; 8. Citizen influence on foreign policy; 9. Democracy and hidden government operations (CIA operations, psyops, regime-change ops, etc.); 10. Government abuses of power and the possibility of legal redress; 11. Who in fact makes foreign policy; 12. The nature of US foreign relations and the US practice of demonizing target countries; 13. Military spending; 14. What changes in US policy and priorities need to be made; 15. What options are there for change if US policy makers are in fact indifferent to what US citizens think.

What makes this book unique is that it departs from the usual organization of such anthologies. Instead of a collection of separate interviews, the responses to each of Rachels fifteen questions are presented together, question by question. In other words, Question #1 is followed by all the responses to Question #1, then Question #2 is followed by all the responses to Question #2, and so on. This lets the reader consider and compare answers. It a...

The devastating bushfires that scorched Australia in 2020, claiming over 30 lives and leading to widespread smoke inhalation and psychological distress, emphasized the stark reality of climate changes impact on human health. The rising threat of climate change and its multifaceted repercussions were analyzed in the report, Our Future on Earth, 2020, published by the global sustainability research consortium, Future Earth.

Drawn from a survey of 222 eminent scientists from 52 countries, the report identified five most consequential global risks:

1. Failure in climate change mitigation and adaptation.
2. Extreme weather events.
3. Major biodiversity loss leading to ecosystem collapse.
4. Food crises.
5. Water crises.

These interconnected threats pose a significant risk to planetary health the well-being of human civilization and the sustainability of the natural systems upon which it relies. Each risk exacerbates the others, potentially leading to a cascading global systemic crisis. This understanding is crucial to move beyond isolated solutions, such as mere vegetation removal to combat bushfires, as sometimes suggested by politicians.

Our collective urgency in reducing our ecological footprint will determine the continued prosperity of humanity on Earth.

Progress Amidst Global Challenges

Beyond identifying global risks, the report also sheds light on progress made in areas such as technology. Digital innovations are utilized not just for economic growth but also for safeguarding ecosystems and promoting fair societies. For example, digital technologies can enhance energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and empower people to monitor and protect ecosystems.

Despite the substantial pressure on Earths systems due to the great acceleration of economic growth in the latter half of the 20th century, theres an opportunity to channel investments towards sustainable development through financial instruments like green bonds and sustainability-linked loans.

Health as a Unifying Lens

Linking these global risks is the lens of human health, providing a practical perspective for policymakers. By viewing sustainable development through this lens, the urgency and personal nature of these risks become clear. Were already seeing tangible health impacts; smoke from the 2020 Australian bushfires exposed about half of the countrys population to hazardous levels of air pollution for weeks, causing a rise in anxiety levels.

Despite the urgency of these risks, the transition to su...

QUESTION: Dear Martin,
DeSantis announced his run for the Republican candidacy. Youve mentioned several times he would be eaten by the career politicians in Washington. What if he becomes Trumps running mate? Would that be a good course?
Sincerely, Martijn

ANSWER: That would be the only way I would see DeSantis as having any real influence. As I have said, I was asked if I would talk Trump out of running and join the advisory team for DeSantis last year. I declined. I replied that everything has changed and that they would just eat him for lunch as they did to Trump when he first walked into Washington.

Washington has declined so much so, that the fools on the Hill now think just switching to a Republican will make it all better. The Biden administration has inflicted so much political damage as well as division among the people, the USA must fall. It cannot stand as one nation with such division. And it is not even Biden who is the real symbol of the Fool on the Hill. He is only the puppet just like the last emperors of Rome.

I do not care that the propaganda claims the election of 2020 was not r...

Everyone should be in therapy.

Its a sentiment I heard just about every day when I was in graduate school to become a therapist. But its also something I hear now from friends, acquaintanceseven stand-up comics.

Should everyone be in therapy?

Its a difficult proposition to test. Those who dont think they need therapy, or who dont think therapy is useful, are not particularly likely to go to therapy. Any study of therapys usefulness, therefore, contains only people who need therapy (or think they do) and who already think therapy is helpfulthe very people for whom therapy is probably useful (or for whom the placebo effect is largest, since they expect to improve in therapy). Existing studies generally focus on people with specific psychiatric diagnoses, and usually those who have pretty severe symptoms.

Everyone should be in therapy is a statement that assumes a lot. First, theres the neoliberal assumption that no matter how good youre doing, no matter how content or even happy you are, theres always something you should be working on. And then, even if there is perhaps something you could work on, the assumption that therapy can help. For instance, theres a meme floating around the internet that men will do anything but go to therapy. But has there ever been even a single study testing whether therapy can reduce toxic masculinity or promote healthy masculinity? (Answer: Not that I could find.)

Theres really no evidence base for the idea that everyone should be in therapy. But proponents will also tell you that theres no real downside. Therapy can only help, so why not give it a try?

But is that so? There are some obvious harms: wasting your time and money, of course. But researchers since the 60s have noted that therapy can also cause psychological distress, problems with existing relationships, and even relaxation-induced anxiety and panic. Even our current darlings, like mindfulness, can lead to increased anxiety, pain, and dissociative states like depersonalization and derealization.

Proponents of therapy argue that many of these effects are transient and that the positive effects of therapy overshadow these potential harms. And some of these....

Anticipating the collapse of the Ukraine project, NATOs military-industrial complex is rushing towards the Asia-Pacific region to spark a new conflict in order to satisfy its financial demands.

NATOs post-1991 history is the history of an organization that has outlived its usefulness. The threat of world communism that NATO cited as justification for its 40-year existence isno longer present. NATO was desperately searching for an understandable purpose for its existence to justify enormous expenditures for the military-industrial complex following the fall of the Warsaw Pact. In the late 1990s, NATO found what it believed to be the greatest answer, namely to militarization of human rights in order to utilize this narrative to target the policies of unwelcome states throughout the world. Fancying themselves as the new superheroes, NATOkept its guns and bombs ready to defend the human rights from the tyrants who oppressed them, wherever there was injustice, as stated by Washington propagandists.

Representatives of the US military-industrial complexcould not have been happier. All of the think tanks that they generously fund have finallyfound a win-win solution for keeping money in the pockets of the US and European military industries.

In 1999, the renewed NATO conducted its first test run in Yugoslavia. It was a dreadful, inexcusable tragedy for everyone except Washington and Brussels. Seventy-eight days of bombing a country that did not pose a danger to NATO resulted in the killing of hundreds of civilians, the destruction of infrastructure, and the legacy of depleted uranium weapons that would go on to poison Serbians for decades.

Then, NATO backed the Arab Spring in North Africa and was directly involved in the overthrow of the Gaddafi government in Libya. The Western-controlled press had spread the myth that destroying the country, killing its people, and removing the government would address all of Libyas human rights concerns. As expected, NATO airstrikes have exacerbated rather tha...

An international day of action on May 5 against a US nuclear submarine base in the Australian Port Kembla. Rallies took place at Port Kembla and in San Francisco against the base and the Australian, UK, and US military alliance (AUKUS). Several speakers representing Veterans for Peace, union activists and others spoke of their opposition to the build-up of a war with China along with using Australia as a pawn in that effort.

One weekend, I found my younger son at the kitchen table, carefully writing out everything he knew about the Olympian gods for his school homework. His brow was furrowed, and he trained his eyes on the page with a level of concentration that I wish he would pay to his maths homework. So I asked him casually, I thought why he was so interested in the ancient Greeks. He beamed up at me with an angelic smile and answered, "Because that's what you study, Mama." At this point, my heart nearly burst with parental pride. I am a Professor of Classical Archaeology and the ancient Greeks are, quite literally, my bread and butter. But my heart sank when my son added as an afterthought, "and because the Greeks gave us Western Civilization." Buckle up, kid, I thought, you're in for a lecture. I wanted to tell him that the ancient Greeks did not give us Western Civilization. That there is no golden thread, unfurling unbroken through time from Plato to NATO. That we in the modern West are not...

Why MSMs official Nordstream conspiracy has descended into a farce.

In this episode of the Patrick Henningsen Show on TNT Radio which aired on May 24, 2023, Patrick talks with independent French researcher and journalist Freddie Ponton, about the Western establishment and its mainstream medias official Nordstream conspiracy theory about a pro-Ukrainian crack team of scuba enthusiasts and a sailboat, and why its ridiculous in the extreme. Also, Freddie gives an insight into NATOs precarious position with its proxy war against Russia in Ukraine and why Europe can only lose by carrying on with Washington and Londons failing geopolitical project. All this and more. Listen:

More from Freddie:
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It has only taken ten years, that is how long a few of us have been detailing major problems with how the Australian Bureau of Meteorology measures daily temperatures.

ASIA:

Core consumer inflation in Tokyo, Japans capital, slowed down in May. However, an important inflation index that excludes the impact of fuel reached a four-decade high, indicating increasing price pressure. This could potentially maintain expectations of a withdrawal from the current loose monetary policy. The Tokyo core consumer price index, which excludes volatile fresh food but includes fuel costs, increased by 3.2% in May compared to the previous year, aligning with the market forecast of 3.3%. Although inflation decreased from the previous months 3.5%, it remained above the Bank of Japans target of 2% for a full year, supported by steady food price gains counterbalancing the decline in fuel costs. Additional data revealed that the prices charged by service companies to each other rose by 1.6% in April compared to the previous year, marking the 26th consecutive month of gains. This was attributed to the reopening of the economy after pandemic restrictions, which boosted tourism demand.

The major Asian stock markets had a green day today:

• NIKKEI 225 increased 115.18 points or 0.37% to 30,916.31
• Shanghai increased 11.24 points or 0.35% to 3,212.50
• Hang Seng closed
• ASX 200 increased 16.60 points or 0.23% to 7,154.80
• Kospi increased 4.12 points or 0.16% to 2,558.81
• SENSEX increased 629.07 points or 1.02% to 62,501.69
• Nifty50 increased 178.20 points or 0.97% to 18,499.35

The major Asian currency markets had a mixed day today:

• AUDUSD increased 0.00089 or 0.14% to 0.65149
• NZDUSD decreased 0.00171 or -0.28% to 0.60449
• USDJPY increased 0.507 or 0.36% to 140.557
• USDCNY decreased 0.01805 or -0.25% to 7.07275

Precious Metals:

• Gold increased 3.90 USD/t oz. or 0.20% to 1,944.24
• Silver increased 0.475 USD/t. oz or 2.08% to 23.245

Some economic news from last night:

Japan:

Tokyo Core CPI (YoY) (May) decreased from 3.5% to 3.2%

CPI Tokyo Ex Food and Energy (MoM) (May) decreased from 0.7% to 0.2%

Australia:

Retail Sales (MoM) (Apr) decreased from 0.4% to 0.0%

Some economic...

A major regional city has been pounded by hailstones as an intense storm struck, leaving thousands without power and hundreds needing SES help. Newcastle was in the firing line for some of the worst of the storm, with large hail stones raining down over the city's centre and suburbs including Merewether, The Junction, Bar Beach and Cooks Hill. NSW SES received an influx of calls during the storm, with 420 incidents reported. "Over the span of 15 minutes alone, we received 45 jobs for hail and roof damage, with an additional 40 jobs waiting in the queue," the SES said.

On Wednesday, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan sent a letter to Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Daniel Werfel demanding to know why journalist Matt Taibbi was visited by IRS agents the same day he testified before the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. Jordan wrote that in response to a March 27 letter seeking information on the IRS' visit to Taibbi's home, documents obtained through a letter received from the agency on May 6 "raised more questions than they answer."

Russian Forces Hit Ukrainian Ammo Depots by Precision Strike, Top Brass Reports

It is also reported that Russian combat aircraft, artillery and heavy flamethrower systems destroyed over 60 Ukrainian troops, a motorized artillery system and two howitzers in the Krasny Liman area in the past day

Russian Defence Ministry Press Office/TASS

MOSCOW, May 26. /TASS/. Russian forces delivered a multiple strike by airborne long-range precision weapons against the Ukrainian armys ammunition storage sites in the past day during the special military operation in Ukraine, Defense Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov reported on Friday.

"Last night, the Russian Armed Forces delivered a multiple strike by airborne long-range high-precision weapons against the Ukrainian armys ammunition storage sites. The goal of the strike was achieved. All the designated targets were hit," the spokesman said.

Russian forces destroy 35 Ukrainian troops, howitzer in Kupyansk area

Russian forces destroyed roughly 35 Ukrainian troops and a howitzer in the Kupyansk area in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

"In the Kupyansk direction, artillery of the western battlegroup struck the Ukrainian army units in areas near the settlements of Dvurechnaya and Kislovka in the Kharkov Region. In addition, the activity of two Ukrainian subversive/reconnaissance groups was thwarted near the settlements of Masyutovka and Ivanovka in the Kharkov Region. The enemys losses amounted to 35 Ukrainian personnel, three motor vehicles and an Msta-B howitzer," the general reported.

Russian forces destroy over 60 Ukrainian troops in Krasny Liman area

Russian combat aircraft, artillery and heavy flamethrower systems destroyed over 60 Ukrainian troops, a motorized artillery system and two howitzers in the Krasny Liman area in the past day, Konashenkov reported.

In the Krasny Liman direction, army aviation and artillery of Russias battlegroup Center inflicted damage on the enemy units in areas near the settlements of Kuzmino in the Lugansk Peoples Republic and Yampolovka in the Donetsk Peoples Republic, th...

Director Wes Anderson wont watch the AI remakes of his movies that are taking over TikTok and YouTube. Why? To protect his creative sanity.

Like Bill Murray hiding from the world behind his answering machine, Wes Anderson is actively avoiding TikTok to protect his mental sanity from the waggish microcosm of Andersonian social media videos that were born from the depths of his very own creative womb.

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In 1968 and 1969, Maisie Fook from Sydney had three readers stories published in Australias best-read womens magazine, the Australian Womens Weekly. The first of these told the story of her recent adoption of two Korean orphans, the second recounted the story of her obstetrician brother Teds rise from grocer boy to star doctor, while