kumibo comments

It's good that they can utilize their air force for peaceful purposes.

They look ready. It's not the most striking photo ever.

I like your sentiments, but I have no idea of the actual mood of the electorate.

The prime minister Malcom Turnbull is the richest ever prime minister in Australia's history

Having read the story of his childhood, and the success he has made for himself since; I can begrudge him nothing (and I can't say that of many of the super-wealthy).

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I don't know that there is a significant difference in either of the options available to Aussies...

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She added, “In terms of the historical context, Australia has moved on Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters Australia should consider the context of Japan’s role in the Second World War in developing its military relationship with Tokyo*

The Japanese bombed Broome, and Darwin, and attacked Sydney, but Australia has moved on in the past 70 years. Maybe China should consider doing so too.

Farewell Tony Abbott. Welcome Prime Minister Turnbull!

and it’s already receiving a stream of queries.

Nice one..

It took 70 years to make this world-shattering decision!? At last they are 'wiping out traces of Japanese colonial rule'... No hurry though

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I would have described Angus Young as the 'lead' guitarist...

I doubt the police will catch the vandal as they have nothing to go on...

Japan will agree to cut its tariffs on Australian beef below 30 percent from the current 38.5 percent and Australia

Below 30 percent? 29.5% becomes free trade? Strange...

So a massive quake coming soon to New Zealand!! Take care Kiwi amigos!!

It might happen, but whale strandings happen fairly regularly on the Australian coastline too. When was the last significant earthquake recorded in Australia?

Kumibo

Jay O-H

Most of the problems are stemming from rediculous import taxes*.

Automotive industry assistance is now modest and transparent. Let's be clear: every car-making nation supports its industry and at a far greater level than Australia. In the US it is $264 a person, in Germany $90 a person and in Australia just $18. Today, tariff protection is at 5 per cent, a fraction of what it was in the early 1980s. Because Australia has entered into free trade agreements with other car-making countries, this tariff does not even apply to many imported vehicles.

From: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/opinion/fate-of-holden-up-to-abbott/story-e6frgd0x-1226780117064#

Who ultimately benefits from these fines? Does it go to people who paid too much, or is it now just government revenue? Just wondering...

Toshihisa Mishina, 42, got back in the water again last year, but says there is no way he would let his 12-year-old child join him. “I worry about the youngsters because if they are exposed to radiation now, it might affect them when they grow up,” he said.

An example of good parenting, at last.

Amazing how even if we click on the picture it doesn't get any bigger, it just goes to the center.

Mine gets bigger

Further complicating things, when written in kanji characters “fujiyama” (Fuji Mountain) and “fujisan” (Mt Fuji) look identical.

Interestingly; The CIA World Fact Book currnetly lists 'Fujiyama' as the highest elevation point in Japan - not Fujisan

If the world changed its axis by a 'degree', we wouldn't need a scientist to notice -most amateur astronomers would pick it up immediately (it would be hard to hide). What force would act upon the earth to shift its axis? An impact with another (massive) object would also be fairly hard to cover up. On the other hand: We can readily demonstrate that a balloon filled with CO2 heats more under an infrared source (e.g. sun) than one filled with air. We can readily calculate the mass of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere by burning a fossil fuel (sourced from under the ground, and not recently in the atmosphere) because we know the mass of carbon and oxygen, and we know the chemical formulas for gas/petroleum products. 1 Litre of gas/petrol burnt will create a bit over 2kg of atmospheric CO2. We know how much oil and coal we're burning (and how much CO2 we're releasing) and can model thermal changes mathematical. It may well be that there are other unknown factors at work (none that can be reasonably theorised yet), but it should be evident to most high school and university science graduates that more CO2 will create a warmer atmosphere. Compounded with melting polar ice-caps, and reduced albedo, I don't find it too big a stretch of the imagination to think that humans are changing the atmosphere/climate for the worse. There are a lot of humans, and the atmosphere isn't really very big - less than 10km from where you are now (straight up) there isn't enough of it to support human life. Also just a thought... Rant over

It's pounds in the UK, love, not dollars

Surely it's a Canadian coin - where they use dollars

The MILF is the biggest and most important rebel group left

Don't bother doing a google search on this group if you're seeking further information...

China seems appropriate...

Surely that bust wasn't originally there...

Kumibo

It hurts me to see the complete lack of empathy by some of the posters here. Thankfully there are enough sensible people (just enough, but I'd welcome more) to keep me from giving up all hope. I find the term 'queue jumpers' to be quite abhorrent – they are the queue. I don’t understand how anyone could accuse the down-trodden, the persecuted and threatened as being ‘queue-jumpers’. Immigrants from safe and well-off countries (UK, USA etc) can bide their time, fill in the paper work and wait patiently in their own separate queue to immigrate to Australia if they wish. If my life was threatened, and that of my family; I would do everything in my powers to get my family to a safe and settled environment – and hope that the host country would accept me (and help where it could). I would pay my life savings to a ‘people smuggler’ or like. I would hold on to some aspects of my cultural identity (be they support of national sport teams, my religion, or my food preferences) – they are my identity and make me what I am. It would not mean I don’t appreciate my new country (far from it). I really don’t comprehend the complete lack of understanding of some of the posters here – do you expect people from war-torn countries (the persecuted) to write a letter to Australia saying their life (and that of their family) is under immediate threat and they’d like to move to Australia while waiting patiently in an orderly ‘queue’ for three years? That is madness.

Kumibo

That's certainly something we don't read about everyday. Audacious and ballsy act.

And it seems Australia has some problems based on what I've been seeing here. I don't see articles talking about races getting along in Australia, just negative things, so naturally I'm going to assume that only negative things happen.

That seems a strange comment. Surely you appreciate that the only things reported by news outlets are events 'out of the usual'? Not too many news sites would report on the millions of people who went to work today, went home safely, ate dinner and went to bed. I don't tend to notice reports about how many nuclear reactors ran today without incident, or airplanes that successfully landed at their destinations, or pleasant weather in parts of Europe. Only things that are extraordinary tend to get reported. The fact that something is reported here makes me think that the opposite event/situation is the far more common event...

Kumibo

Darwin boring but... What's this?

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-31/20111031-lonely-planet-darwin/3610350

Kumibo

I'd agree with banz10's assessment of Logan. While Logan isn't the flashest and most luxurious of areas; it's not too bad. Hardly scary for anyone. The people concerned weren't asylum seekers, but Tongan immigrants. Sad story. RIP all...

Awesome game. Great Result. Well done.

I think this is a wonderful idea. At the very least it is a great test case for other countries to consider. It may work nicely or fail dismally, but either way; other countries will be able to learn from Australia's experiences.

Finally! I've seen my first air guitar. I'd been wondering what they actually looked like.

One of the best articles I've read on this site. She comes across as pretty 'switched on' too. Well done.