The totally off-topic thread

[mannej]

Call me cynical, but I have just received an e-mail from "Australia Post" as the Post man was unable to deliver a parcel with the threat to charge an amount for each day that I delay picking up the parcel.

Coincidentally, Australia Post did the old calling card trick without even attempting to deliver the parcel. I am not surprised that a number of people fall for this one...

 

[erkpod]

Call me cynical, but I have just received an e-mail from "Australia Post" as the Post man was unable to deliver a parcel with the threat to charge an amount for each day that I delay picking up the parcel.

Coincidentally, Australia Post did the old calling card trick without even attempting to deliver the parcel. I am not surprised that a number of people fall for this one...

I had a delivery this morning. I was asleep after yesterday's shift. If the guy was screaming "POLICE! SEARCH WARRANT!" instead of "DELIVERY! DELIVERY!", I would not have been surprised. I'm also surprised my wall doesn't have a hole in it from the knocking.

 

[Hvr]

Indeed. The straw sometimes.

The straw?

Because life sucks.

 

[Pushka]

The straw?

That broke the camels back.

 

[andye]

That broke the camels back.

That got stuck in the eye of the needle?

 

[Hvr]

That broke the camels back.

On hump day?

 

[JohnK]

That broke the camels back.

Or the short straw?

 

[RAM]

Ok here is a petition.

https://www.change.org/p/australian...source=share_for_starters&utm_medium=copyLink

Needs a bit more air-time for the petition - now at 675 signatures....

Needs a bit more air-time

 

[JohnK]

Is it Friday afternoon?

 

[RAM]

I'm not sure about the scruples aspect. IME companies have a whole range of very dedicated people who honestly try to achieve the best possible outcome. That tailings dam in Brazil, notwithstanding.

Agreed about planning, as you say if there are no capital projects then there is no work...

Not that BHP has form in not responding appropriately to geologist reports about unsuitable sites for tailing's dams. Nothing like the 'clever' deal with the then PNG Govt to take all liability away for effectively killing the Fly River and OK Tedi. A few millions dollars paid 'legally' and all liability went.

When it happened, an ex-BHP geologist who co-conducted the work for the EIS was working for a large Aust broker. He hosted a VERY informative lunch for institutional investors about what happened - complete with his own consulting firm's reports on it. The site for the dam chosen was not where it had been recommended but in a place that was rated 'avoid' due to the unstable geological formation. The recommended site would have added a few tens of millions more to the cost.

"...Experts have predicted that it will take 300 years to clean up the toxic contamination."

[h=3]Ok Tedi environmental disaster - Wikipedia, the free ...[/h]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ok_Tedi_environmental_disaster


Wikipedia


Villagers downstream from Ok Tedi in the Fly River system in the Middle Fly ... In 1999, BHP reported that 90 million tons of mine waste was annually ... Experts have predicted that it will take 300 years to clean up the toxic contamination.

The original plans included an Environmental Impact Statement that required a tailings dam be built. This would allow heavy metals and solid particles to settle, before releasing the clean ‘high-water’ into the river system where remaining contaminants would be diluted. In 1984 an earthquake caused the half built dam to collapse. The company continued operations without the dam, initially because BHP argued that it would be too expensive to rebuild it. Subsequently, the PNG government decided a dam wasn’t necessary, in the wake of the closure of the Panguna mine

 

[Flashback]

Is it Friday afternoon?

Nope, Friday morning. Am just on my way into the office

 

[RAM]

the evil, biased ABC did an excellent program on the 6 o'clock swill many years ago. A line that sticks was something like 'get a skinful before 6 then stagger home and bash the wife and kids.'

Whenever I go into the older Sydney pubs I think of all the filtered beer that has gone into the little gutter around the base of the bar.

You and "Homer Simpson"....

 

[JessicaTam]

Looks like I won't be relocating anytime soon. *sigh*

 

[serfty]

Looks like I won't be relocating anytime soon. *sigh*

Sad face.

 

[docjames]

Turns out Homer was correct. You don't make friends with salad.

 

[anat0l]

Looks like I won't be relocating anytime soon. *sigh*

Sorry to hear JessicaTam. Join the club here - had my fair share of recent interviews then knockbacks.

Thank goodness there are some employers who actually contact you to tell you that your application was unsuccessful. None of them tell you the real reason but at least they do tell you rather than leave it to the usual 2 months of no contact = unsuccessful.

Turns out Homer was correct. You don't make friends with salad.

If you are not vegetarian, add meat. If you are not Jewish or Muslim, add bacon. If you are vegetarian, try nuts and/or goats cheese.

 

[Cossie]

It seems that at least the Australian women's team can play cricket and actually win!

 

[whatmeworry]

Needs a bit more air-time for the petition - now at 675 signatures....

Needs a bit more air-time

I wonder if we can get Admin to spam this petition to members?

https://www.change.org/p/australian...rnbull-ban-fuel-surcharges-on-airline-tickets

 

[Foreigner]

How to make your ears pop:

http://roadwarriorvoices.com/2016/0...ou-should-make-your-ears-pop-during-a-flight/

 

[whatmeworry]

Sorry to hear JessicaTam. Join the club here - had my fair share of recent interviews then knockbacks.

Thank goodness there are some employers who actually contact you to tell you that your application was unsuccessful. None of them tell you the real reason but at least they do tell you rather than leave it to the usual 2 months of no contact = unsuccessful.

I have got a few jobs after being knocked back. The key was thanking them for the interview and telling them I would still love to work for them... Low and behold, successful applicant pulls out or they make another position for you.