The flood of polling in the week after the budget is inevitably followed in the week after that. Here’s all I have:
• The tracking poll of Anthony Albanese’s personal ratings maintained by US pollster Morning Consult records no significant change, with Albanese starting November on 57% approval and 30% disapproval, down one and up two from the start of October.
• As reported by Anna Macdonald at The Mandarin, Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers told the Joint Standing Committe on Electoral Matters the commission was struggling to attract staff at election time due to low pay and “bizarre behaviour” at polling places. Specifically, Rogers said the May federal election was marked by “people coming into the polling place and recording interactions with our staff, shouting at our staff, and some fairly bizarre behaviour that we haven’t seen previously”.
• Independent ACT Senator David Pocock has made a submission to the inquiry calling for the two territories to have six Senators serving six-year terms on the same staggered cycle that applies to the rest of the Senate, as distinct from the current situation where they have two Senators each whose terms are tied to the House.
The NYT has an article on the home page tonight which states that the Ukraine military are already hitting the Russians on the left bank of the Dnipro River before they have a chance to settle in for the winter and behind their fortified lines.
I would link to it but I am on my phone in bed now. 🙂
frednk at 8.41 pm
An assessment of Putin’s so-called strategy by an English military writer is at:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/13/russias-loss-of-kherson-signals-change-in-putins-strategy-ukraine (article by Jack Watling)
He claims: “Putin has approved a shift in Russia’s strategy; one that seeks to wear out Ukrainian offensive operations against a newly constructed defence line, letting economic warfare exhaust western will and munitions stocks, while regenerating new forces for next year.”
That is a confusing assessment, because Putin has used the partial mobilisation to reinforce Russian positions currently, not as a slow build up for next March. Two other problems are: 1) there is no simple Russian defence line, as they still have potential defence lines all over SE Ukraine; and 2) Russia is not really conducting “economic warfare” against the West; if anything, it’s the reverse. Most military support for Ukraine comes from the US. It does not depend on Russian fossil fuels.
The informed Russian view, from Kortunov, is at odds with Watling’s claim. See:
https://russiancouncil.ru/en/analytics-and-comments/analytics/washington-likely-to-ask-eu-allies-to-share-more-burden-on-aid-to-kiev-after-midterm-race/
Watling’s expertise is on the British military, not the Russian military or politics.
Cronus at 8.48 pm and rhwombat at 9.30 pm
Re impact of extreme cold on troops, not all individuals may suffer the same, and some may be better prepared than others. Perhaps the Ukrainians, without being able to rely on the central heating that still works in Russia, may be better prepared.
Dr Doolittle @ #2054 Sunday, November 13th, 2022 – 9:58 pm
Possibly. It is probably the cumulative duration of sub-zero exposure rather than the intensity – which the attacker determines.
Dr Doolittle,
Putin’s strategy has failed twice. If his strategies fail it really doesn’t matter that much what the new one is. I agree his strategy has changed again. Try and hold the 2015 gains seems to be about it at the moment.
As Russia is building defense lines at the Crimea border it is clear their fall back position is a lot less ambitious than what is being suggested by alfred venison; our resident Russian propagandist
As to the .ru URL ( I assume you do realize .ru is the Russian domain), it for sure probable provides insight into Putin’s latest dream.
I think a much more interesting question is, what is going to happen to Russia. There is in my view a real risk it will deteriorate into a war of war lords. That will not be good for anyone. I think that if far more likely than the potential for Russia to recreate a 20th century empire.
Ukrainian report from DW ( German public broadcaster)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR4jH7RGBBo&ab_channel=DWNews
French public broadcaster
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL4UnTcobhs&ab_channel=FRANCE24English
C@tmomma says:
Sunday, November 13, 2022 at 9:13 pm
Cronus,
How did you stop yourself getting frostbite!?!
——————————————————————————————
C@T
The Australian Army excelled itself in ensuring we were fantastically protected from the cold, the very best of cold weather clothing and equipment, better than most of the other nationalities. Furthermore, unlike the Ukrainians and Russians, after ten hours of patrolling we at least got to return to warm and dry observation posts and a hot meal every night. Something to look forward to, and even though sleep was often badly broken due to artillery fire, a form of rest and security. But the cold was still all-pervasive.
Upnorth:
I thinks it’s funny. Little gnath seeks to disprove the ludicrous notion that he is somehow an agent of the Liberal party, by acting as a delayed running dog for the Country party! Even Pig-iron Bob had no truck with those fiends.
rhwombat
“ There is a physiological rationale for cold “fatigue” & brain malfuction. The only way to maintain core temperature in extreme cold is shivering – which involves fast twitch muscle fibers “burning” glucose by aerobic glycolysis. Like the brain, the muscles can’t use any other energy source (like fatty acids) for this process, and the body can’t store glucose (it has to manufacture it from stored glycogen – which requires more energy). Cold chews energy like nothing else, even without the hypoxia of altitude. The daily energy requirement of high latitude trekking and high altitude climbing is about twice that at temperate climes – but it is the cold that fatigues not the hypoxia. This is from personal experience, not just theory.”
——————————————————————————————
Seems like an excellent scientific explanation of my practical experience too.
yabba
3.9 million m3 of softwood sawnwood
0.7 million m3 of hardwood sawnwood,
3.2 million tonnes of paper and paperboard products.
All softwood production is from plantations.
The best hardwood goes into sawnwood. In all cases the important thing is the products are not burnt.
Hardwood timber is used for flooring, decks and pergolas (‘dry appearance timber’), for structural purposes such as power poles, wharves and bridges (‘green structural timber’) and for lower value applications such as landscaping sleepers, fencing and pallets (‘green other’).
More than 14,000 species of invertebrate lost habitat during Australia’s 2019-20 bushfires, according to a post-fire analysis that has recommended a doubling of the number of species listed as threatened.
It would be hard to compete against that.
E. G. Theodore says:
Sunday, November 13, 2022 at 11:07 pm
Upnorth:
I thinks it’s funny. Little gnath seeks to disprove the ludicrous notion that he is somehow an agent of the Liberal party, by acting as a running dog for the Country party! Even Pig-iron Bob had no truck with those fiends.
中华人民共和国
Ah Red Ted – when Tory Governments need to introduce retrospective Acts of Parliament just to prosecute you, then the same Tory Turds still lose the case to a unanimous jury decision, you should know the jig is up.
Unfortunately you never be came PM but fortunately the Tory Turds who changed the law were thrown out in Queensland after one term and didn’t make it back for 25 years!
For the doctors
Does this make sense ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ArDhhlHU-I&ab_channel=MedCram-MedicalLecturesExplainedCLEARLY
From the Daily Rupert (Sydney edition):
Just In
6 minutes ago
Donald Trump had a ‘successful presidency’ but his time has ‘probably passed’
I presume that’s the new official narrative.
Also, a tax on coal and gas will be an attack on widows and orphans – or something. A warning shot?
Biden turns to Albo for advice on China. A couple of other headlines which appear favourable to Labor. What’s going on here?
Some stuff about sport and celebrities.
Other stuff about crime and road accidents.
Ackerman says if the Voice gets up we’ll all be rooned.
Credlin says it’s time to oust “this arrogant bully”. That already happened six months ago, she needs to keep up.
Kherson mid-Winter climate: temperature range about -4° to -1°, 2 hours sunshine per day, wet / snowy:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kherson#Climate
It would be colder further inland and further North.
Quite pleasant in Summer, averages similar to Adelaide or SW WA.
SK,
From this morning:
“Considering how much it costs to prune trees back from powerlines for fire protection (a huge and ongoing cost), the cost of fires starting from powerlines regardless of the pruning, the cost of the traffic control guys currently and seemingly permanently stationed near my house and all over the hills (on Sunday rates) to protect people from fallen wires, the cost of 80000 homes, offices and shops without power for who knows how long, the cost of repairing all these wires down every 5 years….. remind me again Dandy why putting overhead lines underground isn’t cost efficient in area like the Adelaide Hills?”
Maybe it is. Not sure I ever said it wasn’t.
It doesn’t make sense to convert them in suburban areas but in semi-rural settings it’s a lot easier to avoid existing easements. Underground lines do make sense for new developments.
If you are looking for a silver lining, SAPN will have some data in hand now to take to the AER for their next determination, if it adds up. Their current regulatory period ends in 2025 (5 year plans), so now is the time to make some noise.
Edit: And really hope you get your power and comms back up asap!
England are world champions. Another great victory!
clement Attlee says:
Monday, November 14, 2022 at 12:16 am
England are world champions. Another great victory!
中华人民共和国
I like you Clem so don’t get me wrong but when Churchill call you a “Sheep in Sheeps Clothing” I had to smile.
Yabba @ 9.48
Spot on as usual.
In an earlier life, I recall sitting on a Corporate Executive meeting in the Department managing forests in WA, when we were presented with a paper from our highly qualified economist as to the next decade or so of revenue from our forest estate. There was a revenue shortfall for the following 11 years – a loss every year while all the time our forests were being progressively degraded. We had to surrender our copies of the paper before leaving the meeting.
At about this time, we were receiving royalties from our rather crappy pinaster plantations at a rate by volume of 5 times that of our hardwoods.
I really enjoy Tim Minchin interviews.
He has that Douglas Adams quality of getting you look at things in a different way.
An excellent read.
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/nov/13/tim-minchin-comedian-musician-matilda-weve-forgotten-how-to-be-innocent
frednk @ #2056 Sunday, November 13th, 2022 – 10:34 pm
I love the smell of a Russian fiasco in the morning! 😀
Dr Doolittle @ #2052 Sunday, November 13th, 2022 – 9:54 pm
Imagine being Vladimir Putin and waking up every day with the specific intent of crafting such tosh for the purpose of the overarching disinformation narrative? No wonder he is capable of letting his imagination run wild to describe Ukrainian cities like Mariupol as ‘traditionally Russian’. 🙄
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/12/world/europe/ukraine-war-strategy-russia.html
Scott Morrison was an unmitigated disaster as Prime Minister, as Social Services Minister and as Treasurer:
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/cost-of-morrison-s-wa-gst-deal-blows-out-by-20-billion-as-debt-hits-record-high-20221111-p5bxh7.html
The Liberals WERE planning to do it again! They had planned to switch from Morrison to Frydenburg before the May election!
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/only-one-man-could-save-scott-morrison-from-himself-and-he-chose-not-to-20221011-p5bovf.html
New thread.
With limited freedom, accommodation and guaranteed daily meals – and very little chance of being shot or bombed – Ukraine, by the capture of an estimated 10 – 18 000 Russian troops, have a ready army of reconstruction troops who can be put to use helping to clean up much of the destruction that they have caused throughout the cities and villages of Ukraine.
As the creators of the booby traps and the layers of mines they would have an existential reason to inform their hosts of the nature and location of their inhumane handiwork.
The Russians won’t exchange them for civilians, because it would demolish the narrative that these people were being “liberated” by the invading army.