Recent developments relevant to the looming federal election, mostly involving the Liberals in Victoria:
• House of Representatives Speaker Tony Smith announced this week he would retire from politics at the election, after holding the seat of Casey on Melbourne’s eastern fringe since 2001. Phillip Coorey of the Financial Review reports “leading contenders” for the Liberal preselection are David Lau, a manager with medical supplies company Ebos Group, and Aaron Violi, a manager with a company that provides online ordering services to restaurants. Both have form as political staffers, Lau with Senator Sarah Henderson and Violi with Senator James Patterson. The “controversial comments on Facebook related to abortion” that caused Lau to quit his job with Henderson appear not to have done him any harm with the party membership. Smith retained Casey by a margin of 4.6% in 2019, which has not changed with the redistribution.
• The Victorian Liberals have preselected former Geelong mayor Stephanie Asher for Corangamite, where Labor’s Libby Coker unseated Sarah Henderson in 2019, and lawyer and one-time Survivor contestant Sharn Coombes for Dunkley in Melbourne’s south-east, which Labor gained after a favourable redistribution in 2019. Brodie Cowburn of Bayside News reports other candidates for Dunkley included Chris Crewther, who held the seat for the Liberals from 2016 until his defeat in 2019, and Donna Hope, who as Donna Bauer held the marginal local state seat of Carrum for a term from 2010 to 2014.
• Queensland’s Liberal National party has preselected Colin Boyce, who has held the state seat of Callide since 2017, as its new candidate for the central Queensland seat of Flynn, held for the party on a margin of 8.7% and to be vacated at the election with the retirement of Ken O’Dowd. Matthew Killoran of the Courier-Mail reports Boyce “convincingly” won a local party ballot over Mitchell Brownlie, Ron English and Tracie Newitt.
Thailand’s vaccination rollout on SBS news. Much criticism there of Thailand relying heavily on Sinovac and AstraZeneca which are being criticised for being less effective against new variants.
‘Wat Tyler says:
Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 6:54 pm
And for those unaware and wondering, it’s not my name. It’s a historical reference to the leader of the English Peasants’ Revolt of 1381
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So, how are your negotiating skills coming along?
Cud Chewer @ #2151 Sunday, July 18th, 2021 – 7:05 pm
AZ is effective nonetheless.
boerwar @ #2145 Sunday, July 18th, 2021 – 5:01 pm
What demands are they making?
Any country would show similar interest and offer support if there citizens were involved.
Did the Australian Government stand back after the Bali bombing?
Pretty good I think. I seem to have the King’s ear. He’s received me quite warmly in fact. My mouth’s a bit dry though. My rinse it out first before we continue…
CC hasn’t Thailand mainly been using Sinovac but due to the current problems decided to use A-Z as a booster shot. I’m sure I read that somewhere.
https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp.abc.net.au/article/100288920
CC found the report above.
Bert, thanks for the link & your interest thereof.
I paid off in ’85, a Chief Writer, having served 20 years. My main duties were pay, accounts, adjutant
duties, though I did serve as an instructor at the RAN Management School and Supply School, HMAS Cerberus, my last posting, Supply Officer (Pay), Russell Offices. My favoured posting was HMAS Sydney 111, of which I provide a link:
file:///Users/johnchant/Desktop/HMAS%20Sydney%20(III)%20%7C%20Royal%20Australian%20Navy.webarchive
Is there any way to declare this person a noxious pest or perhaps put him on the terrorist register?
This from a premier who didn’t even acknowledge a Covid death today (and yesterday, I believe), let alone provide commiserations to the family. I see: it’s all about her.
Sinovac …How effective is it?
The WHO said studies showed the Sinovac vaccine “prevented symptomatic disease in 51% of those vaccinated and prevented severe Covid-19 and hospitalization in 100% of the studied population” for adults aged 18 and older, when it approved the jab in June.
It added that only a few adults over the age of 60 were enrolled in clinical trials, so efficacy could not be estimated for that age group.
According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showing results from Chile, Sinovac has an efficacy rate of 65.9% against Covid-19, is 87.5% effective at preventing hospitalisation and 86.3% effective at preventing death.
However, there is little data about its effectiveness against the Delta variant.
What about the Sinopharm vaccine?
The WHO approved the Sinopharm vaccine which is produced by a Chinese state-owned company.
Like Sinovac, it is an inactivated vaccine which triggers the production of antibodies that fight the coronavirus.
The virus is killed before being injected into people’s bodies, so it can’t transmit Covid-19.
At the time, the WHO said: “Vaccine efficacy for symptomatic and hospitalized disease was estimated to be 79%, all age groups combined.”
However, it added once again that there wasn’t enough over 60s enrolled in clinical trials to estimate the efficacy for the age group. It still recommends the vaccine for older people though
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-57817591
Recon:
Never actually played many D&D-based video games – always prefered the real thing. Icewind Dale was great, though.
The Greens are critical of China’s human rights record. The most recent 4 leaders have all had something to say about it.
It’s true they don’t say much about China’s emissions, but then they have never said anything explicitly about the US (even when they had the highest emissions) or Europe or any other country. It is their policy for Australia to push internationally to reduce global emissions. However you slice it, that covers China. That also covers the GBR (their political nous and skill at prosecuting their argument in Australia notwithstanding).
They do compare China’s plan favourably to Australia’s, but then so does everyone. Of course that’s just a plan. We don’t really know whether China will stick to it, and we have no evidence one way or another on China keeping their international climate commitments. Paris is the first.
I’m sure someone experienced at interpreting The Comrade’s Daily Blog could enlighten us as to the view of Global Heating within China. Do they accept the science? Do they think it’s a Western plot? Does comrade Xi think windmills are a blight on the landscape? That would be far more valuable than the usual uninformative and value-less ranting and raving on the Australian Greens.
‘Wat Tyler says:
Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 7:11 pm
So, how are your negotiating skills coming along?
Pretty good I think. I seem to have the King’s ear. He’s received me quite warmly in fact. My mouth’s a bit dry though. My rinse it out first before we continue…’
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lol
DN
You will have to ask the Greens your questions. They know absolutely everything there is to know about how China is the world’s leading Reef killer.
“ Switching from watching Berejikian’s garbled, repetitive nonsense to the Victorian team’s clear, concise, informative update is what I imagine it is like to have a Cochlear implant turned on for the first time.”-
Abbott and Sheridan shared a dlp or near dlp background….. that explains the quote. Prior to 1955 most or Australia and 1957 qld…. the overwhelming number of catholics voted labor…… now the dlp formed a bridge for conservative catholics to join the libs and nats.
Asha Leu says:
Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 7:20 pm
Never actually played many D&D-based video games – always prefered the real thing. Icewind Dale was great, though.
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I played it once or twice at my nephews I’m pretty sure.
For algorithm fans, the game I mentioned earlier, Frontier II, for the Amiga, used an algorithm that simulated the galaxy with over 100 billion star systems. You could literally play the game and travel across a simulated galaxy over an entire lifetime and never explore all the galaxy. Not bad for a 1993 game.
Yeah, not keen on video game adaptations of D&D. What makes D&D appealing is that the players can use their imaginations and be creative with how they approach something. As long as the DM approves, the sky is the limit to what they can do in a situation. Video games, on the other hand, are restrictive because obviously it can only act within the parameters of what the programming allows.
Rex
Less effective. Simple as that. Lets be honest about it.
As I thought.
davidwh
Its relative. AZ is better than Sinovac. Pfizer is better than AZ.
*insert snarky remark from 2016 about it probably being better than “No Man’s Sky”*
Wat Tyler says:
Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 7:27 pm
Never actually played many D&D-based video games – always prefered the real thing.
Yeah, not keen on video game adaptations of D&D. What makes D&D appealing is that the players can use their imaginations and be creative with how they approach something.
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Perversely, I enjoyed them because they were almost unplayable, the Dragonlance ones at any rate.
I did forget about another great game though, a genuinely great one, Escape from Colditz, for the Amiga. Not to mention the incredible Joan of Arc (Amiga), or Storm Across Europe, (Amiga). The Amiga really had great games then.
‘Sohar says:
Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 7:19 pm
This from a premier who didn’t even acknowledge a Covid death today (and yesterday, I believe), let alone provide commiserations to the family.’
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While qualified, I have some sympathy for Ms Berejiklian. Arguably, her actions have directly led to four deaths, dozens of hospitalizations and billions in damage to the NSW economy. IMO Ms Berejiklian is not a sociopath and she must be feeling bad about the above.
Recon says:
Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 7:32 pm
Wat Tyler says:
Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 7:27 pm
Never actually played many D&D-based video games – always prefered the real thing.
Yeah, not keen on video game adaptations of D&D. What makes D&D appealing is that the players can use their imaginations and be creative with how they approach something.
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Perversely, I enjoyed them because they were almost unplayable, the Dragonlance ones at any rate.
I did forget about another great game though, a genuinely great one, Escape from Colditz, for the Amiga. Not to mention the incredible Joan of Arc (Amiga), or Storm Across Europe, (Amiga). The Amiga really had great games then.
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How about Panzer General? Its been re-launched on the app store it was so popular.
Sceptic
We are unlikely to see trials confirming that Sinovac/Sinopharm are weak against Delta.
The real world data is showing up high numbers of otherwise healthy people (such as health care workers) getting seriously ill, despite being vaccinated.
What will be telling is what China itself does about this.
Sino this or sino that……..whatever………….millions vaccinated in China now. Intense local lock downs when necessary…Life in China for ‘relies’ has seen them vaccinated with local stuff and been on holiday in the foothills of Tibet near Kunming just this last week. Meanwhile, I can get $100 off an air fare to Broome if I am lucky…..while any trips to the Eastern States (not to mention getting home) fraught with risk……..We are really doing well at the moment……………..
Wat Tyler
I was an Amiga developer and was working on something similar, but got beaten to market.
This is quite a Trojan effort by ‘Recon’ and Lvt – they have been posting non stop since 7am this morning – trolling and throwing shade on the ALP whilst rooting for the Liberals.
Nothing to do with the LiberalLockdowns and Newspoll about to drop…
Oh agreed. I loved the Amiga. I had a relative whom I stayed with a lot who owned one and I enjoyed playing it. I am trying to remember some of the games they had because it’s been a million years. I do vividly recall Gianna Sisters – this weird Mario rip-off, simply because I spent years thinking I had just imagined the game (or played some weird hack) until the Internet came along and assured me that it was, in fact, completely real.
Fitting, given the Dragonlance novels were almost unreadable.
I should put a plug in for Marble Madness. The Amiga version was amazing.
Re construction.
As part of work involved in building an addition to my house, I currently have about 30% of my roof missing, covered by a tarp which has been partially shredded by the very strong winds over the past three days. The roofers were meant to be coming to retile the missing section of roof and tile the new extension tomorrow morning. Do I qualify as an emergency or safety matter?
If we have a storm, I run the real risk of sustaining extensive water damage. Well?
Fun fact: The original Final Fantasy was essentially an adaptation of first edition D&D with just enough changed to avoid a lawsuit.
Lars, yes that was another good one.
You can play the old games you couldn’t afford or couldn’t borrow from a friend in a browser these days via the internet archive:
https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_amiga
I can’t remember whether it was the NES or Sega Master System port I played of it but I remember having fun with that game.
sprocket_ says:
Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 7:38 pm
This is quite a Trojan effort by ‘Recon’ and Lvt – they have been posting non stop since 7am this morning – trolling and throwing shade on the ALP whilst rooting for the Liberals.
Nothing to do with the LiberalLockdowns and Newspoll about to drop…
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Talking about height. You really are a small man.
Recon says:
Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 7:43 pm
Lars, yes that was another good one.
You can play the old games you couldn’t afford or couldn’t borrow from a friend in a browser these days via the internet archive:
https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_amiga
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Commando that brings back memories.
How did Final Fantasy end up as a rather scary movie?
If we’re talking older PC games, I have to put a plug in for Maniac Mansion. I loved that game so much. I remember the delight of learning there were multiple endings. Its sequel “Day of the Tentacle” was great too but that one didn’t allow you to make fatal mistakes that prevent you from winning and only have one ending but it was more entertaining from a storytelling perspective.
Lars Von Trier says:
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Commando that brings back memories.
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Absolutely!
Dragon’s Lair
Galaga
Moon Buggy
etc,etc
I personally paid off the local Greek milkbar owner’s mortgage – or more to the point my parents did.
Can someone humour me
Is there a Newspoll out tonight?
If so predictions please?
Id say 52/48 ALP
Cud Chewer:
I’m not sure even the most hardcore Final Fantasy fan could explain how that movie came into being. (I assume you’re talking about the strange and rather dull adaptation from the early 2000s?)
My theory is that, since each Final Fantasy game has no relation to the last one, the producers decided the most logical thing was to make a movie that had no connection to any of the games.
Really, they should have just picked one of the entries (likely 6 or 7, as they were always the most beloved) and adapted that.
Lars Von Trier says:
Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 7:48 pm
Dragon’s Lair
Galaga
Moon Buggy
etc,etc
I personally paid off the local Greek milkbar owner’s mortgage – or more to the point my parents did.
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Oh yes. Galaga. In Brunswick there was a famous arcade The Blue Room, populated by older kids who smoked at the machines, forced their 20 cent on your machine with menace, some sold heroin and occasionally bashed people. What a place!
Asha,
The one with the ‘spirits’ and the ‘barrier cities’.. yep
Cud:
Yeah, that’s it. The CGI was amazing for the time, shame about the script.
‘yabba says:
Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 7:42 pm
Re construction.
As part of work involved in building an addition to my house, I currently have about 30% of my roof missing, covered by a tarp which has been partially shredded by the very strong winds over the past three days. The roofers were meant to be coming to retile the missing section of roof and tile the new extension tomorrow morning. Do I qualify as an emergency or safety matter?
If we have a storm, I run the real risk of sustaining extensive water damage. Well?’
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The computer says no.
Fun fact about that movie: It was such an expensive bomb that Enix almost backed out of the merger deal with Square that was in the works at the time (and see the two rebranded as Square Enix) and had it not gone ahead, Squaresoft would have probably just fallen into bankruptcy and the FF franchise could’ve finished there.