The totally off-topic thread

[medhead]

This is a joke - right?

The joke is people so far biased to the right can't recognise balanced reporting. The even bigger joke is the with is or against us mentality. This government has many valid questions to answer. Yet asking those questions is apparently bias and not actually doing proper journalism. That's the joke that proper journalism is attacked by snide comments.

Just remember both sides of politics accuse the abc of being against them. That in itself shows balance.

Those qualities you mention should be an objective of the respective broadcasters, not just the ABC, and certainly the ABC does not and should not need to triumph itself as a crusader in that regard. Ergo why should it have to be obligated to remain as an Asian broadcaster. I think that's an unfair obligation really, and this is further compounded by the fact that the broadcaster and its decision makers have very little control over its funding, let alone strategic direction.

It probably does not help that the PM believes that the ABC is not on "Team Australia" - so be it, just be thankful the said person has not sliced the knees off Auntie... just yet.

Besides, the ABC could use a little bit of a refresher in accuracy and fairness, but suffice to say if everyone got a report card the ABC is getting the highest grades... so far.

It wasn't an obligation on the abc it was a separate contracted service from the government.

 

[medhead]

Was he driving a white Camry?

No blue, Golf I think.

But I'm increasingly having issues with Mazda 3 drivers.

 

[medhead]

Just on Team Australia.

It seems we all have to become part of the Defence procurement system. Defence Materiel(sic) Organisation. Buying ration packs, those spoon /can opener combinations, bringing you chocolate from 1969 (yes, I had chocolate that old in a ration pack once during the 1990s)

Team Australia - Team Australia - DMO

Team Australia combines Australian Government and industry in promoting Australia's innovative defence and security technologies. This partnership indicates Defence support of Australian industry to supply high quality, sustainable solutions to the capability requirements of valued overseas customers.

Team Australia is a collaborative initiative of the Australian Government and the Australian defence industry sector. It utilises the complementary strengths of government and industry to provide Australian defence capability solutions to global customers.

Managed on behalf of the Australian Government by the Defence Materiel Organisation, Team Australia engages the leaders, operators and capability experts of the Australian Defence Force and the technical expertise of Australian industry. The unified Team Australia approach enables Australian industry to respond to client needs for tailored solutions to a wide range of defence and security requirements.

Team Australia opens the door to Australia's innovative technology and capabilities.
​

Team Australia brings together the operators and suppliers of a range of capabilities, services and packaged solutions with the support of the Australian Government.

 

[amaroo]

Talk about political ideology getting in the way of a proper service.

I recall a massive internal "idiotology" when this service was tendered Australia Network tender beset by costly delays: committee

Auditor-General report in March found the episode had raised doubts over the government's ability to run a fair tender after Sky News was over-ruled as the winner and the Australia Network handed permanently to the ABC.

The tender became embroiled in Labor's leadership battle between Prime Minister Julia Gillard and former foreign minister Kevin Rudd.

 

[amaroo]

err ... left.

LOL I liked your post so much - I felt compelled to go back and fix my post

 

[medhead]

I recall a massive internal "idiotology" when this service was tendered Australia Network tender beset by costly delays: committee

That demonstrates abc bias how? Exactly?

I'm. Not even going to ask you to justify replacing one idiotology with another. Nothing can justify that, but I wouldn't be surprised if you tried to defend the latest idiotology of this government.

 

[Cossie]

It can still be heard anywhere, it's just that the medium has changed to reflect today's society, aka the net.
Havn't heard the term QSL for awhile.

73's

I was more into 'listening' rather than being a 'ham'. As you would know, before CB radio (which I never got into!) you had to sit exams to get a ham license, I have a severe case of 'fear of failure' so anything involving test or exams wasn't on my list.

I still have all my QSLs, including my prized ones from medium wave stations in North America received here in Canberra. It was good fun until local radio stations started going 24 hour and blocking frequencies. However when we moved to 9 khz separation on medium wave it opened clear frequencies from countries still having 10khz.

In the seventies at my parents house I had a huge yagi TV antenna which I could rotate from the ground and could watch TV from Wagga Wagga which increased our choice of stations by half. In summer due to atmospheric conditions I could also briefly get a signal from stations in NZ.

I have cards from Radio Hanoi, Radio Peking, Radio Pyongyang, not forgetting Radio Moscow and the like, these probably got me put on a list somewhere. Radio Havana Cuba was another one, but I also have a cards the west's equivalent like from Radio Free Europe and the like, ahh the memories. Setting the alarm to get up at 3 or 4 to try and catch an illusive signal.

Then in the early nineties after settling down I erected a 3 metre (I really wanted a 4.5 metre but couldn't afford one) bud in the backyard and got into satellite tv, sorry ot, just as well this is the totally off-topic thread

One last thing, I'm sure listening to shortwave radio stimulated my interest in travel and getting out there and seeing the big wide world.

 

[amaroo]

That demonstrates abc bias how? Exactly?

I'm. Not even going to ask you to justify replacing one idiotology with another. Nothing can justify that, but I wouldn't be surprised if you tried to defend the latest idiotology of this government.

It was a right of reply to your blatant political commentary.

 

[Pushka]

We always enjoy watching the various news programs and the different inferences in each of them. Running from say Commercials, Ch 10, Ch 7, to SBS, then to Channel 2. It is like watching completely different stories.

 

[JessicaTam]

Just on Team Australia.

It seems we all have to become part of the Defence procurement system. Defence Materiel(sic) Organisation. Buying ration packs, those spoon /can opener combinations, bringing you chocolate from 1969 (yes, I had chocolate that old in a ration pack once during the 1990s)

Team Australia - Team Australia - DMO

FWIW "Materiel" is the correct spelling

 

[Cossie]

FWIW "Materiel" is the correct spelling

Thank you, I had to check, as I always thought 'e' was wrong. From grammar monster:

Material is the matter from which a thing is made. Materiel is the equipment or supplies in military or commercial supply-chain management.

I should have kept reading the 'grammar thread' as it was possibly mentioned there.

 

[RAM]

I wonder what would happen if Australian public transport went to an open gate system very similar to many parts of Europe.

In such systems, there are hardly any fare gates (if at all). It is your responsibility to obtain a ticket before boarding transport. In many cases, you buy the ticket from a ticket machine and then you validate it by putting it in a separate machine, usually close to the bus stop / train platform (this stamps the generic ticket with the date and time, so you can't just reuse the same generic ticket). Naturally, there are seasonal tickets for those who use the system more often than tourists who would use the system sparingly.

There are stiff fines (well, relatively stiff anyway, e.g. EUR 80) for being caught taking transport without a valid ticket (i.e. without a ticket at all, or with a ticket which hasn't been stamped by the validating machine).

Overall the system relies quite a lot on honesty (it is possible to "ride the transport system for free" as long as you can evade being caught without a valid ticket), but IMO it also results in a relatively quicker system for boarding as less time is spent on boarding for people to validate their ride - instead, here they just simply hop on. Probably a minimal effect for trains (as trains you traditionally need to buy a ticket in advance anyway - the major advantage would be no ticket barriers required at stations, so improved traffic flow) compared to a greater effect on buses. I can see that a lot of people right now would say that it makes fare evasion (particularly by students) far too easy..... so I wonder how the jurisdictions that have such a system deal with such an issue.

That approach is used in Sydney with the 891 - UNSW express buses from Central (max 72 per hour) - where they string up some tape along the road and have 4 portable 'gates/ticket readers' at the entrance to it. The students and staff queue post barrier and then free-for-all when the two or three buses turn up. Of course OPAL will slow this down as no ticket readers on ANY of the CSELR stops (the 6,000 hourly capacity in 2020 actually to replace the 891s and 11 other routes woth current capacity of over 18,000 - go figure).

There are always a few students who duck under the tape (single length) and join the queue without paying (not law students of course).

 

[medhead]

It was a right of reply to your blatant political commentary.

Blatant political commentary? Yeah ok. I think you'll find my post was a right of reply to your blatant political commentary. The label as such is further supported by your subsequent edit.

 

[medhead]

FWIW "Materiel" is the correct spelling

[-]Versus Defence Material Organisation.[/-] Can't find it again. Umm

 

[Buzzard]

For all you gift card peeps:

20% off iTunes and Facebook Gift Cards at Australia Post till 5th October
15% off goodfood Gift Cards

Could be a chance to get in early for Christmas.

 

[JohnK]

Any bad weather in Melbourne today?

 

[drron]

The delays as usual were out of BNE.About 15 pax on QF517 missed their connection to QF11.Not impressed that they were to be rebooked for tomorrow.
However it was not QF at fault as it is BNE that is the problem and why didn't they go BNE-LAX?
Or at least leave a little leeway in the connection time.

 

[SeatBackForward]

*sigh*, since retaining Plat in June, I've done two SYD/MEL domestic flights, and thats all .Decision made today regarding a job assignment that assures no future travel planned...for the foreseeable future. I am now an infrequent flyer. Where's the AIF sub-forum?

 

[whatmeworry]

Any bad weather in Melbourne today?

yep some thunderstorms coming.
Severe Thunderstorm Warning - Melbourne Area

 

[amaroo]

However it was not QF at fault as it is BNE that is the problem and why didn't they go BNE-LAX?
Or at least leave a little leeway in the connection time.

I was going to say Flounge .... but tight connection snookers that thought.