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[Joffaboy]

We have never had forty, ever. We would all be dead in such weather. If we hit thirty, society may collapse.

2009 Victoria went up in flames 46.7 with a howling Northerly. Felt like walking into a hair dryer.

Can't remember how many died, but whole towns burnt to the ground.

Got to the point in one town, last place standing was the fire station with the townsfolk inside and the CFA ( Country Fire Authority) standing in front with the trucks trying to hold the maelstrom back.

Australian droughts followed by extreme heat are devastating.

Was on the Great Ocean road on the weekend. 1983 the fires so intense, townsfolk had to run to the Ocean, the fires burnt virtually to the sand.

Horrifying

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[Drake Huggins]

No alcohol in Tehran? Feckon hell, not the Tehran I visited with Iranian friends.

Not in the street of course, but in homes flowed as freely as I have ever seen in Australia.

Don't get caught though.

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I

I should've clarified, JB. Not on the streets. There were two distinct Tehrans. A public and a private one. We never had trouble scoring a drink because of Aussies with strong diplomatic ties and the company I worked for there. They were Saffers and never seemed to run short. The streets were a different story. You risked jail time and a good old fashioned beating if you were caught. The one problem they did have, that was an open secret was the cheap heroin that was flooding in from Afghanistan. Never saw any evidence personally, but apparently it was cheap and plentiful. It was twelve years ago, so I don't know if things have changed.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

No alcohol in Tehran? Feckon hell, not the Tehran I visited with Iranian friends.

Not in the street of course, but in homes flowed as freely as I have ever seen in Australia.

Don't get caught though.

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That's the thing though, if you make a habit of flaunting the rules it makes it easy if someone wants to "get you" for any trivial reason. I read a reporters account of his time in Iraq. ( prior to the latest civil war ) He was constantly offered the Shiraz that they were proud to say came from Iraq. His response was "no thanks i can go a few weeks without wine, its simply not worth the risk".

 

[st_trav_ofWA]

We have never had forty, ever. We would all be dead in such weather. If we hit thirty, society may collapse.

i used to do some work in a little town to the North her in the West called Newman... the first day i got there the temp hit 51deg ... it was so hot the tar on the road was sticky... we had to call the local snake wrangler because there was a Northern Death Ader in the male toilets keeping cool in the urinal ... the very next day the temp dropped to 46 degree's and at lunch time it friggin started to rain... never have i experianced such conditions having warm rain fall from the sky that had turned red from the dust of the ground getting stirred up ...

 

[MUFKilda]

i used to do some work in a little town to the North her in the West called Newman... the first day i got there the temp hit 51deg ... it was so hot the tar on the road was sticky... we had to call the local snake wrangler because there was a Northern Death Ader in the male toilets keeping cool in the urinal ... the very next day the temp dropped to 46 degree's and at lunch time it friggin started to rain... never have i experianced such conditions having warm rain fall from the sky that had turned red from the dust of the ground getting stirred up ...

Deadly snakes and spiders in Australia are a big worry for many of us Poms, in addition to the searing heat in some parts. I've never seen a wild snake and have desire to meet one! 51 degrees is impossible for us to comprehend. Most of us aren't aware the temperature scale goes that high. 51 Fahrenheit is okay; 51 Celsius would be instant death.

51 C is 123.8 F.

 

[CALL ME SNAKE]

2009 Victoria went up in flames 46.7 with a howling Northerly. Felt like walking into a hair dryer.

Can't remember how many died, but whole towns burnt to the ground.

Got to the point in one town, last place standing was the fire station with the townsfolk inside and the CFA ( Country Fire Authority) standing in front with the trucks trying to hold the maelstrom back.

Australian droughts followed by extreme heat are devastating.

Was on the Great Ocean road on the weekend. 1983 the fires so intense, townsfolk had to run to the Ocean, the fires burnt virtually to the sand.

Horrifying

On [device_name] using BigFooty.com mobile app

Always remember that day vividly.
I had done a very early morning drive to Camperdown in the West of Victoria.
On the way home I had CDs playing so I heard no radio weather reports. And had the car air conditioner on . Besides from noticing it was really windy I was was totally oblivious to the outside world.
When I got home and opened my car door it was like somebody opened the door to hell.
I have never felt such a heat. The wind felt like it was burning your face.
We couldve had every fire fighter in Aust in Victoria that day and it wouldn't have helped.
Horrible scary day.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-temperature_cooking

 

[Joffaboy]

I

I should've clarified, JB. Not on the streets. There were two distinct Tehrans. A public and a private one. We never had trouble scoring a drink because of Aussies with strong diplomatic ties and the company I worked for there. They were Saffers and never seemed to run short. The streets were a different story. You risked jail time and a good old fashioned beating if you were caught. The one problem they did have, that was an open secret was the cheap heroin that was flooding in from Afghanistan. Never saw any evidence personally, but apparently it was cheap and plentiful. It was twelve years ago, so I don't know if things have changed.

Yeah the Taliban are no friends of the Iranians. Wanted to flood the West with heroin but instead imported massive addiction into Iran.
Remember hearing around the time you were there, that there was up to 2 million addicts in Southern Iran.
Don't know what's happening lately ad the theocracy keeps a tight lid on news.
Reckon it would be just as bad now though.

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[Joffaboy]

Deadly snakes and spiders in Australia are a big worry for many of us Poms, in addition to the searing heat in some parts. I've never seen a wild snake and have desire to meet one! 51 degrees is impossible for us to comprehend. Most of us aren't aware the temperature scale goes that high. 51 Fahrenheit is okay; 51 Celsius would be instant death.

51 C is 123.8 F.

We live near wetlands so have the snake wranglers phone number near our landline. Never needed him luckily however walking the dogs in the bush near home (I live next to the second biggest coastal park on Port Phillip bay) have seen a few. Give them a wide birth and they are harmless.

They usually bite twice. First is a warning with tiny venom. Get sick but not life threatening. Second bite is the deadly one. Only happens if you accidentally step on one. Very rare for a snake bite death.

Spiders are everywhere. Lots of Huntsmen that I catch and rehabilitate into the garden. Up north are the deadly spiders. Growing up with them and sharks and crocs and box jellyfish and things that aren't deadly but hurt like hell like bluebottles that sting like buggery in Northern NSW and QLD, you aren't that afraid, just always on guard.

Simple things like in FNQ, getting water while camping. Tie a rope on a bucket and throw it in the river. If there is a croc they will instinctively go it. Better it takes your bucket than you. [emoji106] [emoji1]

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[MUFKilda]

I work at a theological college. We're thinking of teaching our students how to make holy water. It's pretty easy actually: you just boil the hell out of it.

Have you read Peter Marshall's book, Heretics and Believers: A History of the English Reformation?

 

[Persevering Saint]

I was listening to a podcast that said the very nature of Catholicism meant it would create and promote science and its own detriment

We certainly are missing the teaching of deeper leanings that religion gave and im not religious.

George LeMaitre would certainly agree, as would many others, at least about the nature of Catholicism creating and promoting science.

I once heard a former colleague of mine, Dr Mark Worthing, do a talk about this stuff: he argued that since Christianity is established on the presumption of an ordered Creator, that logically leads to there being an order to the universe, and thus consistent patterns that can be identified and then maintained: water boils at 100 degs consistently, etc (I know, I know...). This encourages science, because it allows the observer to make reasonable assumptions about consistency. Without a Creator, it could be argued, there is no inherent requirement for everything to stay the same.

I recognise there is a legitimate case for suggesting that religion stifled scientific discovery in certain times and contexts. But it's less the case than is often assumed be some. Far from Christian scientists sitting comfortably in the gap of 'oh, God does that', the more common response was, 'God does that, so let's find out how!'. That's why many of the great scientists of the past, such as Newton, for example, would often start their work with a doxology.

Seriously, the things you guys come up with for topics of discussion, never ceases to amaze me, btw.

 

[MUFKilda]

Spiders are everywhere. Lots of Huntsmen that I catch and rehabilitate into the garden. Up north are the deadly spiders. Growing up with them and sharks and crocs and box jellyfish and things that aren't deadly but hurt like hell like bluebottles that sting like buggery in Northern NSW and QLD, you aren't that afraid, just always on guard.On [device_name] using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Persevering Saint]

Have you read Peter Marshall's book, Heretics and Believers: A History of the English Reformation?

Not for my PhD, no - I'm looking at Stuart England, whereas Marshall is primarily interested there in the Tudorian period. But thanks, it's a great tip, MUFK: I hadn't really thought of bothering (given it's for a different period), but having a quick squizz now, I can see that he covers fairly similar dynamics to those I explore in my thesis. He's discussing what's often called 'civil' and 'popular' intolerance and toleration: the idea that, whatever was going on at the level of kings, courts and governments, the ordinary people just found ways of 'making do and muddling along' (as he puts it) with people of different faiths, most of the time. Alexandra Walsham argues in a similar vein about England, but more broadly from 1500 to 1700 (both the Tudorian AND Stuart eras), in Charitable Hatred, which is a ripper of a book.

If you liked Marshall's book, you might also enjoy Benjamin Kaplan's Divided by Faith - that's on how similar stuff was going on in the Continental Europe. Both Kaplan and Walsham are academic level books, but I don't THINK they'd be too 'heady' or anything.

 

[MUFKilda]

Not for my PhD, no - I'm looking at Stuart England, whereas Marshall is primarily interested there in the Tudorian period. But thanks, it's a great tip, MUFK: I hadn't really thought of bothering (given it's for a different period), but having a quick squizz now, I can see that he covers fairly similar dynamics to those I explore in my thesis. He's discussing what's often called 'civil' and 'popular' intolerance and toleration: the idea that, whatever was going on at the level of kings, courts and governments, the ordinary people just found ways of 'making do and muddling along' (as he puts it) with people of different faiths, most of the time. Alexandra Walsham argues in a similar vein about England, but more broadly from 1500 to 1700 (both the Tudorian AND Stuart eras), in Charitable Hatred, which is a ripper of a book.

If you liked Marshall's book, you might also enjoy Benjamin Kaplan's Divided by Faith - that's on how similar stuff was going on in the Continental Europe. Both Kaplan and Walsham are academic level books, but I don't THINK they'd be too 'heady' or anything.

I loved the Marshall book. Modern history is my period, especially 19th and 20th century, but I occasionally like to read further back. Did my MA a few years ago but would like to do a PhD at some point, probably on 20th century Irish history.

 

[StCicatriz]

George LeMaitre would certainly agree, as would many others, at least about the nature of Catholicism creating and promoting science.

I once heard a former colleague of mine, Dr Mark Worthing, do a talk about this stuff: he argued that since Christianity is established on the presumption of an ordered Creator, that logically leads to there being an order to the universe, and thus consistent patterns that can be identified and then maintained: water boils at 100 degs consistently, etc (I know, I know...). This encourages science, because it allows the observer to make reasonable assumptions about consistency. Without a Creator, it could be argued, there is no inherent requirement for everything to stay the same.

I recognise there is a legitimate case for suggesting that religion stifled scientific discovery in certain times and contexts. But it's less the case than is often assumed be some. Far from Christian scientists sitting comfortably in the gap of 'oh, God does that', the more common response was, 'God does that, so let's find out how!'. That's why many of the great scientists of the past, such as Newton, for example, would often start their work with a doxology.

Seriously, the things you guys come up with for topics of discussion, never ceases to amaze me, btw.

wow thats cool, i love your posts mate. i always learn something from them!

 

[Yawkey way]

Deadly snakes and spiders in Australia are a big worry for many of us Poms, in addition to the searing heat in some parts. I've never seen a wild snake and have desire to meet one! 51 degrees is impossible for us to comprehend. Most of us aren't aware the temperature scale goes that high. 51 Fahrenheit is okay; 51 Celsius would be instant death.

51 C is 123.8 F.

You would love it here, the summer heat and wildlife do make it seem hostile to humans though.

I live by the bay about 8klm from the city, in my backyard over summer you would see parrots, possums, fruit bats a few small lizards and plenty of fairly harmless spiders.

The exception being the redback, which is pretty common and can lead to a hospital trip

I'm a short walk from a tidal canal that helps drain a Creek and it's catchment. Around this area you would see a variety of native birds and the canal has several varieties of fish and some eels.

The canal flows into the bay where within 50 meters of shore I regularly catch a variety of good eating fish.

I love spearfishing, I've been doing it for over 40 years. The only things I ever see that could cause you any harm are stingrays of all sizes up to lounge rug size, a fairly harmless but painfull stinging jellyfish called a blue bottle and the common but dangerous if provoked blue ringed octopus. Shark sightings are rare and usually of fairly harmless species.

Now in the country or down the coast things can be very different both on land and in the water.

Here in the city snake sightings are rare, we don't have bushfires and things are apart from the heat quite mellow.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

We live near wetlands so have the snake wranglers phone number near our landline. Never needed him luckily however walking the dogs in the bush near home (I live next to the second biggest coastal park on Port Phillip bay) have seen a few. Give them a wide birth and they are harmless.

They usually bite twice. First is a warning with tiny venom. Get sick but not life threatening. Second bite is the deadly one. Only happens if you accidentally step on one. Very rare for a snake bite death.

Spiders are everywhere. Lots of Huntsmen that I catch and rehabilitate into the garden. Up north are the deadly spiders. Growing up with them and sharks and crocs and box jellyfish and things that aren't deadly but hurt like hell like bluebottles that sting like buggery in Northern NSW and QLD, you aren't that afraid, just always on guard.

Simple things like in FNQ, getting water while camping. Tie a rope on a bucket and throw it in the river. If there is a croc they will instinctively go it. Better it takes your bucket than you. [emoji106] [emoji1]

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We always had big black spiders living in holes in our garden at the previous house i lived in ( SE Melbourne suburbs ).
Always pretty much ignored them, didn't touch them on purpose, but didn't worry about pulling weeds without gloves or whatever.

One day we had friends around and were talking about them, so did some googling.

Yep .... Species of funnelweb. Not as venomous and not as angry.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadronyche_modesta

Of course the redbacks are everywhere.

 

[SaintsSeptember]

You would love it here, the summer heat and wildlife do make it seem hostile to humans though.

I live by the bay about 8klm from the city, in my backyard over summer you would see parrots, possums, fruit bats a few small lizards and plenty of fairly harmless spiders.

The exception being the redback, which is pretty common and can lead to a hospital trip

I'm a short walk from a tidal canal that helps drain a Creek and it's catchment. Around this area you would see a variety of native birds and the canal has several varieties of fish and some eels.

The canal flows into the bay where within 50 meters of shore I regularly catch a variety of good eating fish.

I love spearfishing, I've been doing it for over 40 years. The only things I ever see that could cause you any harm are stingrays of all sizes up to lounge rug size, a fairly harmless but painfull stinging jellyfish called a blue bottle and the common but dangerous if provoked blue ringed octopus. Shark sightings are rare and usually of fairly harmless species.

Now in the country or down the coast things can be very different both on land and in the water.

Here in the city snake sightings are rare, we don't have bushfires and things are apart from the heat quite mellow.

I used to scuba dive off Inverloch and Cape Pattison a lot. The most common shark bights on divers in that area were Wobbygong sharks. Dumb divers would think that they were fairly harmless like a Port Jackson, and grab them by the tail. The Wobby's would turn around and hang on like a Bull Terrior.

I also used to snorkle and windsurf off Phillip Island, in places that ...retrospectively i wonder how stupid i must have been.

 

[st_trav_ofWA]

Deadly snakes and spiders in Australia are a big worry for many of us Poms, in addition to the searing heat in some parts. I've never seen a wild snake and have desire to meet one! 51 degrees is impossible for us to comprehend. Most of us aren't aware the temperature scale goes that high. 51 Fahrenheit is okay; 51 Celsius would be instant death.

51 C is 123.8 F.

up that way the snakes are only one of the many issues ... i had a field service guy write off a work ute twice in a three week period from hitting a feral donkey ... the second time it happened he strapped the dead donkey into the ute as he got towed back in because no one would believe him he hit two in a month....
from that day forth he is known around town as Kongy ...

 

[st_trav_ofWA]

I used to scuba dive off Inverloch and Cape Pattison a lot. The most common shark bights on divers in that area were Wobbygong sharks. Dumb divers would think that they were fairly harmless like a Port Jackson, and grab them by the tail. The Wobby's would turn around and hang on like a Bull Terrior.

I also used to snorkle and windsurf off Phillip Island, in places that ...retrospectively i wonder how stupid i must have been.

i remember seeing a vid on facebook on one of the fishing pages i follow where this twit was messing around with a wobbygong thinking they didnt have a bite ... he sure learnt a lesson ...
for the most part i stay out of the ocean even a little bit of seaweed freaks me out .. i tend to stay in the boat or off the rocks when i fish ...

 

[CursingFijian]

George LeMaitre would certainly agree, as would many others, at least about the nature of Catholicism creating and promoting science.

I once heard a former colleague of mine, Dr Mark Worthing, do a talk about this stuff: he argued that since Christianity is established on the presumption of an ordered Creator, that logically leads to there being an order to the universe, and thus consistent patterns that can be identified and then maintained: water boils at 100 degs consistently, etc (I know, I know...). This encourages science, because it allows the observer to make reasonable assumptions about consistency. Without a Creator, it could be argued, there is no inherent requirement for everything to stay the same.

I recognise there is a legitimate case for suggesting that religion stifled scientific discovery in certain times and contexts. But it's less the case than is often assumed be some. Far from Christian scientists sitting comfortably in the gap of 'oh, God does that', the more common response was, 'God does that, so let's find out how!'. That's why many of the great scientists of the past, such as Newton, for example, would often start their work with a doxology.

Seriously, the things you guys come up with for topics of discussion, never ceases to amaze me, btw.

Now I’m imagining a world where you put the kettle on and never know how long it will take to boil that time!

Mind blown.

 

[CursingFijian]

Anybody have any good tips for travelling around France. Wifey and I embark on a 30 day holiday in three weeks time and the only thing we have nailed down is the first three days in Paris at this stage.

Any tips will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Joffaboy]

Anybody have any good tips for travelling around France. Wifey and I embark on a 30 day holiday in three weeks time and the only thing we have nailed down is the first three days in Paris at this stage.

Any tips will be greatly appreciated.

Speak loudly in English and refuse to use any French at all.

They think it is funny and quirky.

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[CursingFijian]

Speak loudly in English and refuse to use any French at all.

They think it is funny and quirky.

On [device_name] using BigFooty.com mobile app

I am intending to revert back to Fijian and bypassing English all together. I’ll let you know how that goes.

 

[saintbatty]

Anybody have any good tips for travelling around France. Wifey and I embark on a 30 day holiday in three weeks time and the only thing we have nailed down is the first three days in Paris at this stage.

Any tips will be greatly appreciated.

Cue austinnn ?