Discussion Random Discussion

[gringo2011]

If Fukishima had been a coal power plant the entire area around would have been devastated by incredibly toxic coal waste slurry that is regularly stored at coal powerplants. The fukushima disaster was a result of government mismanagement and their culture of culpable deniability. What we have running worldwide are reactors designed in the ******* 1960s because nuclear development is severely hindered by mass scaremongering.

The coal slurry would have dissipated with in a couple of years though. This is going to be an issue for a long long time. The US west coast is being poisoned and there is a build up of radioactive water that needs to be dumped somewhere. Scare mongering was probably sensible in the light of the consequences of the two worst nuclear disasters. The real issue of nuclear is the cost of the development. It's one of the most expensive to build and there has never been a safe way to dispose of the spent rods. There was ship that was circling the ocean because Scotland had said they'd take it then bowed to public pressure and wouldn't let it dock, they tried to force us to take it because we sold the uranium. I don't know what has happened since but it was just circling with nowhere to go and no one wanting it sitting off their coast.

 

[Barrels]

Don't do it.

W. H. Y.

 

[gringo2011]

I think the thing that may elude home grown Australians is that when people like me transition from one country to Australia, we arrive not knowing how to behave like an Australian. So when I arrived in beautiful Australia from day zero I only knew how to be a good Fijian, and that didn't change overnight. All my customs, values, nuances, accent, interactions were all 'exotic' to everyday Australians. Some fell in love, figuratively and literally, with my colourful differences, and accepted me for who I was straight up and down. But, I know that my islander styles grated on many others, and there were plenty who didn't think twice to tell me what I was doing 'wrong' - especially people occupying positions of authority. There was a smaller group of people that was straight up scared of me.

Early in my transition I found support amongst people that understood me, again figuratively and literally. So basically I hung out with other Fijians. Most Australians who observed my early behavior may have drawn the conclusion that I was NOT trying to blend into Australia. But I really was. In fact I was trying really hard. I remember turning on the radio to ABC in the first week I was here and I could not understand the context of anything that was being discussed. NOT. ONE. THING. So I literally made a pact with myself that I would listen to nothing else but the ABC radio until I could keep up with the daily conversation. 20 years later I can't tune out. I listen to the news and I shake my fist at the clouds about current issues. But that took practice. And some migrants are really good at practicing, while others are dead set hopeless and just withdraw into a comfort zone, and over a long period of time start to feel at odds with their environment. There have been many Fijians who have come to Australia that I have after years suggested need to go back to Fiji. Not for the benefit of Australia, but the individual.

Those who do stay though and have families here (like myself) universally find that propogating their 'culture' to children raised in Australia from an early age is impossible. Children of migrants growing up in Australia always have the aussie operating system installed. Doesn't mean the kids aren't proud of their Fijian heritage. They are. But they are even more proud to be, and identify, as Australians. It's truly heart breaking when sometimes they come across individuals who reject them as Australians because of their appearance.

What I'm trying to say is that migration is a complex process and successful integration requires time and effort from the people transitioning. It also requires the country we are adopting to be supportive and forgiving if we don't present impeccably at the outset. I think MacMum might like me now, but maybe she wouldn't have liked me when I first got here. I don't know.

All up though this is the first time I have been able to have a conversation like this. So I'm kind of proud of us for being able to do that. I have taken no offense from any posters on this forum. Even when I'm butting heads with you.

Great insight CF, I can see why Mac Mum likes you though, you have a very easy going and up beat posting style, you come across as a good guy. Anyway you don't need a different cultural background to rub people up the wrong way though, I don't even try and I do it.

It's interesting to hear that, I remember working with Germans in Germany and I loved it but it's really hard work when you are on your best representative behaviour. It's ****ing tiring. I remember hitting the Octoberfest and seeing Aussies and nearly crying to hear the accent and just relax into stupid drunk dumb campaigner mode. I was like an overly friendly puppy with anyone that was half Aussie, even the kiwis were close enough. You can see the appeal of sticking with the community.

 

[Yawkey way]

I have French friends in Australia, they are probably my favourite people, this family have become Australian citizens and are much better at doing stuff with in Australia than me. They have bought into the culture with out the cringe and really love their adopted country and it's lack of old world baggage. It's actually good to see the country through their eyes because of that. I have another French friend that lives in Paris and he lived here for a year or two with his girlfriend and he's an adopted Aussie. He incessantly posts about everything Australian and loves John Butler trio so reposts crap all the time.

The French for all their supposed arrogance were really friendly when we were there and I always get on well with them. I could easily live in France.

I have nephew who has been travelling there for twenty years and plans to buy there, I also have a cousin who lived there for quite a while.

I haven't heard one person I know who has actually been there who has bagged it.

 

[gringo2011]

W. H. Y.

Look where he lives. Anyway, a mate had a house there about 10 years ago. It was okay and the land and house were big. It's a bit out of the way and we all said we would visit him but we lied and didn't go much. It's got a nice big country town feel...might have changed since though. He sold and moved to Jan Juc and loves that more though.

 

[StFly]

W. H. Y.

What do you want out of a town?

If you want rural then move on since this is not the town for you, if you want a town that will be ringed by housing estates whilst effectively losing its rural aspects because Melbourne want it as part of its northern outer ring, then by all means come here since the commute to Melbourne will be easier in the long run.

I simply don't want it. Melbourne can get #$%^ and go further South East, I don't want it, I like the disconnect, I liked it when we were 8k people and you could walk to see kangaroos in their natural habitat and infrequently avoid one in suburbia. Pick up a blue tongue and move it to the wetland, avoid the brown snakes, wake up to kookaburras.

Last we were informed Melbourne wanted to develop this area and build yet more houses in it because #$%^ nature and local wetlands.

 

[Barrels]

Look where he lives. Anyway, a mate had a house there about 10 years ago. It was okay and the land and house were big. It's a bit out of the way and we all said we would visit him but we lied and didn't go much. It's got a nice big country town feel...might have changed since though. He sold and moved to Jan Juc and loves that more though.

What do you want out of a town?

If you want rural then move on since this is not the town for you, if you want a town that will be ringed by housing estates whilst effectively losing its rural aspects because Melbourne want it as part of its northern outer ring, then by all means come here since the commute to Melbourne will be easier in the long run.

I simply don't want it. Melbourne can get #$%^ and go further South East, I don't want it, I like the disconnect, I liked it when we were 8k people and you could walk to see kangaroos in their natural habitat and infrequently avoid one in suburbia. Pick up a blue tongue and move it to the wetland, avoid the brown snakes, wake up to kookaburras.

Last we were informed Melbourne wanted to develop this area and build yet more houses in it because #$%^ nature and local wetlands.

It’s close enough to town and my son, close enough to where I do a lot of work, the houses are decent and affordable, there’s a lot of room, a VLine and I’ve got some mates there.

Plus it’s not Geelong, and that was the other option.

Seems there’s a bit of ‘get off my lawn’ about @StFly’s response, though I understand that to a degree; nothing stays the same my dude.

 

[Diehard Saint]

....of which I am one! Couldn't resist this

 

[StFly]

It’s close enough to town and my son, close enough to where I do a lot of work, the houses are decent and affordable, there’s a lot of room, a VLine and I’ve got some mates there.

Plus it’s not Geelong, and that was the other option.

Seems there’s a bit of ‘get off my lawn’ about @StFly’s response, though I understand that to a degree; nothing stays the same my dude.

Nah, I'm fine with the population being where it is despite preferring one or the other, the issue is that you have this influx of people on infrastructure that was only really there for 8-15k people instead of 35-40k as it's natural v unnatural growth.

Because I love where I live, but say having seen the plans for the development underway connecting to the street I live off, I have NFI how adding an extra 450-500 homes on a 1 lane road is going to work, even if they add yet another goddamnn roundabout in the place, because I see the multiple school zones and child care + retirement villages off this road and wonder how long before it turns to shit because developers said "not my problem"?

That's really the issue I have, natural growth of the town is great, since the town grows with it, but growth for growth sake because Melbourne sold land by pricing out the guy who owned it through rezoning and red tape is pure bullshit.

 

[gringo2011]

Nah, I'm fine with the population being where it is despite preferring one or the other, the issue is that you have this influx of people on infrastructure that was only really there for 8-15k people instead of 35-40k as it's natural v unnatural growth.

Because I love where I live, but say having seen the plans for the development underway connecting to the street I live off, I have NFI how adding an extra 450-500 homes on a 1 lane road is going to work, even if they add yet another goddamnn roundabout in the place, because I see the multiple school zones and child care + retirement villages off this road and wonder how long before it turns to shit because developers said "not my problem"?

That's really the issue I have, natural growth of the town is great, since the town grows with it, but growth for growth sake because Melbourne sold land by pricing out the guy who owned it through rezoning and red tape is pure bullshit.

Unfortunately you can't stop progress. I met a few long term Sunberians and all of them had a bit of snobbery towards Hoppers like it was South central LA on acid.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

Australia is a mess building these crazy mega cities.
When you talk about France and other places in Europe , they spread the population and make it livable. None of this clumping all the industry in the same place.

 

[Winmar2Lockett]

Ran into Joey in North Adelaide yesterday during a rain break at the cricket. Was very happy to have a chat & take a few pics with the boys.

Probably didn’t take too well to one of the boys calling him Dal repeatedly [emoji23]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[StCicatriz]

Human history is littered with atrocities, across all cultures, across all continents & countries & absolutely no one is absolve from blame at one point or another in each of their respective history.

The white man that inhabited Australia were cruel & committed war crimes to the local indigenous people, the Australian aboriginals were cruel & *uncivilised toward one another & the invaders, the sunnies & Shias have been at war committing atrocities against one another since the death of Muhammad, the Brit’s have invaded & been invaded since whenever, Syria continues, Israel & Palestine continues, etc, etc.

With evolution comes recognition of values, standards, change & learnings of right & wrong. Thats why war crimes are no longer tolerated even know they were once the norm across all countries in a less civilised era & it’s why Australian aboriginals can no longer commit rape, incest & murder when it was their culture & right in some communities to do so before they were invaded (unfortunately rape & incest is still a huge issue in many communities).

*Who gives us the right to tell other cultures what’s right & wrong & uncivilised? It’s a human conscious decision created largely from emotion on what we distinguish to be right & wrong which comes through the evolution of humans holistically. This is evolution, keep up, or face the consequences of artificial selection.

The human race has a cruel history & even know we are largely a lot more civilised it continues in many parts of the globe. Australians, white, Brown, yellow, etc, are extremely lucky in comparison to the majority of the rest of the world. Yet we find ways to continue to whinge & create drama when we don’t know drama.

The question is, how long do we continue to dwell on mistakes of those before us? I feel a line in the sand needs to be drawn & we move the feck on however no doubt I’ll be accused of being incredibly racist for wishing that.

While the government & sectors of the community make something an issue....it remains an issue....forever....& only for the purpose of continuing to create divide, cos that’s what it mainly achieves & maintains.

Politics...yuck.

Ripping post

 

[StCicatriz]

Well no we shouldn't put up with it, but when we judge we have to consider the cultural historic context don't we?

I might find elements of a particular religion barbaric, but only 400 years ago religions considered more humane were equally barbaric. We tut-tut about countries turning themselves and each other into blood-soaked rubble over petty disputes and revolutions, forgetting that now-stable sensible western countries were doing the same thing not that long ago.

We understand that they need to get their shit together just like we did.

TL:dr dont judge

Good point!!!

 

[StCicatriz]

What do you want out of a town?

If you want rural then move on since this is not the town for you, if you want a town that will be ringed by housing estates whilst effectively losing its rural aspects because Melbourne want it as part of its northern outer ring, then by all means come here since the commute to Melbourne will be easier in the long run.

I simply don't want it. Melbourne can get #$%^ and go further South East, I don't want it, I like the disconnect, I liked it when we were 8k people and you could walk to see kangaroos in their natural habitat and infrequently avoid one in suburbia. Pick up a blue tongue and move it to the wetland, avoid the brown snakes, wake up to kookaburras.

Last we were informed Melbourne wanted to develop this area and build yet more houses in it because #$%^ nature and local wetlands.

Sound a lot like my suburb in Perth

 

[CursingFijian]

 

[VDS66]

Correct.

Ni

It's a new business model which will make old business redundant.

Currently happening with Purplebricks and Zoopla is also on its way...

 

[st_trav_ofWA]

I think the thing that may elude home grown Australians is that when people like me transition from one country to Australia, we arrive not knowing how to behave like an Australian. So when I arrived in beautiful Australia from day zero I only knew how to be a good Fijian, and that didn't change overnight. All my customs, values, nuances, accent, interactions were all 'exotic' to everyday Australians. Some fell in love, figuratively and literally, with my colourful differences, and accepted me for who I was straight up and down. But, I know that my islander styles grated on many others, and there were plenty who didn't think twice to tell me what I was doing 'wrong' - especially people occupying positions of authority. There was a smaller group of people that was straight up scared of me.

Early in my transition I found support amongst people that understood me, again figuratively and literally. So basically I hung out with other Fijians. Most Australians who observed my early behavior may have drawn the conclusion that I was NOT trying to blend into Australia. But I really was. In fact I was trying really hard. I remember turning on the radio to ABC in the first week I was here and I could not understand the context of anything that was being discussed. NOT. ONE. THING. So I literally made a pact with myself that I would listen to nothing else but the ABC radio until I could keep up with the daily conversation. 20 years later I can't tune out. I listen to the news and I shake my fist at the clouds about current issues. But that took practice. And some migrants are really good at practicing, while others are dead set hopeless and just withdraw into a comfort zone, and over a long period of time start to feel at odds with their environment. There have been many Fijians who have come to Australia that I have after years suggested need to go back to Fiji. Not for the benefit of Australia, but the individual.

Those who do stay though and have families here (like myself) universally find that propogating their 'culture' to children raised in Australia from an early age is impossible. Children of migrants growing up in Australia always have the aussie operating system installed. Doesn't mean the kids aren't proud of their Fijian heritage. They are. But they are even more proud to be, and identify, as Australians. It's truly heart breaking when sometimes they come across individuals who reject them as Australians because of their appearance.

What I'm trying to say is that migration is a complex process and successful integration requires time and effort from the people transitioning. It also requires the country we are adopting to be supportive and forgiving if we don't present impeccably at the outset. I think MacMum might like me now, but maybe she wouldn't have liked me when I first got here. I don't know.

All up though this is the first time I have been able to have a conversation like this. So I'm kind of proud of us for being able to do that. I have taken no offense from any posters on this forum. Even when I'm butting heads with you.

thats the thing i like most about this place we can have conversations like this that can get heated but it doesnt dissolve into massive flame wars that follows to other threads ..

with the assimilation thing i think it has to be a two way street while the immigrant learns more about the australian culture i think the locals really should take some time to learn about the immigrants culture.. it can be really hard for the immigrant, theres a portion of the aussie culture that demand that they fit in to their way but the instant they arrive they are treated differantly it hard to fit in if the people you are trying to fit in with are not welcoming to you and willing to help fit in, that is where the social groups of communities becomes hugely important groups like the Italian clubs, greek clubs etc were havens for the imigrants. I remember years ago it was the vietnamese who were complained about for not wanting to fit in and that they stuck to their own at the moment its the sudanese being complained about ...

 

[SaintsSeptember]

WOW.
I'm going to start a fitness club.

 

[gringo2011]

Ran into Joey in North Adelaide yesterday during a rain break at the cricket. Was very happy to have a chat & take a few pics with the boys.

Probably didn’t take too well to one of the boys calling him Dal repeatedly [emoji23]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Correct.

Ni


It's a new business model which will make old business redundant.

Currently happening with Purplebricks and Zoopla is also on its way...

disruptive industries look good to consumers until no one is employed any more. Airbnb don’t have any realestate but have destroyed plenty of hotels that employed hundreds of people.

 

[CursingFijian]

I was taught that the core truth of capitalism is private ownership of the means of production. But it seems like the real money nowadays is to be made in connecting both ends of any market. Buyers meet sellers.

It would seem that the real means of production is fast becoming the platform provided by the internet. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that America is pushing to repeal net neutrality.

Won’t be too long before private interests are whispering in the politicians ears in Australia saying we need more effective regulation around the internet.

 

[st_trav_ofWA]

disruptive industries look good to consumers until no one is employed any more. Airbnb don’t have any realestate but have destroyed plenty of hotels that employed hundreds of people.

totally but it does come down to the service provided, some industries such as the taxi industry for years got away with terrible service as they were pretty much the only option especially here in Perth where i class us having the worst customer service in the taxi industry suddenly Uber comes along where the car turns up on time the driver has a nice comfortable car and you are not treated to a "longcut" just to boost up the fare and for the most part the drivers are happy and engaging, The Taxi industry has its self to blame you provide a worse service that costs more then you are obviously going to loose your customers..

for me the one that is a worry is the online travel booking sites.. my wife being a travel agent runs into this every day.. the worst part is the customers who will get an agent to find their flights just to go home and book them online sure the customer will save $5 on the flight but you are basically getting the agent to work for nothing... so the $5 you save makes a faceless corporation rich off the hard work that the agent does.. i think sometimes our chase for a good deal sometime clouds our veiw

 

[SaintsSeptember]

I was taught that the core truth of capitalism is private ownership of the means of production. But it seems like the real money nowadays is to be made in connecting both ends of any market. Buyers meet sellers.

It would seem that the real means of production is fast becoming the platform provided by the internet. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that America is pushing to repeal net neutrality.

Won’t be too long before private interests are whispering in the politicians ears in Australia saying we need more effective regulation around the internet.

Its not a lot different in some of the traditional markets. Its just that the net has a much larger scope.

Harvey Norman doesn't build refrigerators , they put them in places where people will find them.
Do 13cabs own taxi's? I think Taxi's have been owner operated for ages. I'm still not sure how they circumvented the "license" system.

Those companies are only big because they have a total global market.
Its cherry picked though.
Apple certainly design/manufacture/sell their products. They have almost full product integration.
Origin mine minerals/generate electricity/ retail electricity, i believe they are more competitive than those who just buy and retail virtual electricity.

Bitcoin = Bank? Its more like a gold bar under your mattress.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

totally but it does come down to the service provided, some industries such as the taxi industry for years got away with terrible service as they were pretty much the only option especially here in Perth where i class us having the worst customer service in the taxi industry suddenly Uber comes along where the car turns up on time the driver has a nice comfortable car and you are not treated to a "longcut" just to boost up the fare and for the most part the drivers are happy and engaging, The Taxi industry has its self to blame you provide a worse service that costs more then you are obviously going to loose your customers..

for me the one that is a worry is the online travel booking sites.. my wife being a travel agent runs into this every day.. the worst part is the customers who will get an agent to find their flights just to go home and book them online sure the customer will save $5 on the flight but you are basically getting the agent to work for nothing... so the $5 you save makes a faceless corporation rich off the hard work that the agent does.. i think sometimes our chase for a good deal sometime clouds our veiw

Exactly.
Companies like Purplebricks find a Niche where someone is making a non-commensurate amount of money for the service provided, and they find a way to do it cheaper, but still profitably.
I'd have put real estate agents on the ship.

http://hitchhikers.wikia.com/wiki/Golgafrincham

 

[StCicatriz]

totally but it does come down to the service provided, some industries such as the taxi industry for years got away with terrible service as they were pretty much the only option especially here in Perth where i class us having the worst customer service in the taxi industry suddenly Uber comes along where the car turns up on time the driver has a nice comfortable car and you are not treated to a "longcut" just to boost up the fare and for the most part the drivers are happy and engaging, The Taxi industry has its self to blame you provide a worse service that costs more then you are obviously going to loose your customers..

for me the one that is a worry is the online travel booking sites.. my wife being a travel agent runs into this every day.. the worst part is the customers who will get an agent to find their flights just to go home and book them online sure the customer will save $5 on the flight but you are basically getting the agent to work for nothing... so the $5 you save makes a faceless corporation rich off the hard work that the agent does.. i think sometimes our chase for a good deal sometime clouds our veiw

Uber is horrible for a number of reasons IMO

Sure the taxi industry here was friggin entitled shite, a government enforced monopoly. But uber is hardly an improvement. Maybe for the consumer but for the workers it's horrible. They have a very poor track record.

Anyways uber drivers are just a temporary measure. They'll soon have a fleet of driverless vehicles. Sucks for the workers who have invested in their vehicle etc.

So you will have this company of driverless vehicles paying pretty much **** all tax with no social responsibility to this country. But they'll be taking millions out of it.