halloween

2 hours ago, Dogmatix said:

 

It's pretty obvious that the idea of selling draft beer in a convenience store is the same as the same as selling cups of tea, coffee and soft drinks from a dispenser, i.e. that they should be drunk immediately.  Unlike drinks in cans and bottles, they are perishable and will not last long, if not drunk on the spot or in or on your vehicle as you drive off.  Obviously someone can pop open a can or bottle and get shIt faced outside a 7/11, although they don't have to, but a draft version is designed for that.   There may some reasoning that a high minded artisan draft beer drinking culture would be created amongst foreign residents, if draft beer were available at convenience stores, but what we are talking about is the lowest common denominator that have no interest in in real ales or craft beers or other high faluting foreign drinking culture ideas.  They are only interested in the cheapest way to get plastered and cause some kind of trouble.  

 

Fortunately we no longer have to find out what type of drinking culture would have been produced.

<deleted>! If somebody decides they want a beer NOW what difference does it make if it is a bottle, can or cup, except that they aren't paying for the packaging? Nobody HAS to get shitfaced outside a 711, and they always have the choice of containers. Surprisingly, some people enjoy a cold beer on a hot day, sometimes even two, without getting shitfaced. 

3 hours ago, Chris Lawrence said:

What the unelected Government is getting better at is sensationalising headlines. You get the headline but no meat. Surely their must be a story to all of this that also needs to be written? 

 

4 lines from Hal is not the story. 

 

Like this would be an hour on 60 minutes.

60 Minutes (aka 20 mins of ads and 40 minutes of BS), like the DSI, can't deliver the whole story - that Apichart was given huge commissions and favourable deals in return for kickbacks to the Shinawatras because it can't be proven (yet).

However, there is plenty of evidence of huge commissions and preferential treatment, despite the fact that any due diligence would have ruled out this man and his company, should you care to look for it. Everything in those 4 lines is factual and can be backed by links I have provided in other threads.

Does anybody really believe that the maximum penalty for damage to the environment would be applied for dropping a butt?

The Australian Army issue L1A1 semi-auto rifle (7.62mm NATO) could be converted to full auto by removing the trigger assembly and placing a paper match (conveniently supplied in ration packs) under the trigger sear. Would then fire full auto but often wouldn't stop until the magazine was empty. The L2A1, the full auto version, had a heavier barrel, stronger butt and bipod legs.

I'm quite sure many semi-autos are equally easy to convert. The required parts may even be legal.

While it is natural to want to help those in dire need, in doing so the UN is encouraging those who take the risk of illegal migration.

The "Australian man" was briefly shown on Oz TV after he was arrested. He appeared to have African origins.

With B13 billion already seized, Apichart Chansakulporn seems to have done quite well from the Yingluk government, via Siam Indica, after his earlier company President Agri went bankrupt owing the government billions.

BTW he has a 48 year sentence on top of the 6 year mentioned, for his involvement in the G2G scam. The 6 year sentence is the result of a 2014 20,000t G2G deal with Iran where he simply took the payment and the rice.

5 minutes ago, Dogmatix said:

 

Sounds like a good move on the part of the protestors in reaction to an idiotic idea by the notoriously money grubbing CP Group.  Selling draft beer in convenience stores would definitely encourage immediate consumption far more so than selling it in cans.  I for one would not like to have to walk past groups of drunken motor cycle louts drinking outside stores and would certainly want my wife or any other female relatives to have to do so.  I equally would not want to encounter these people on the road as they drive off from the stores on their motor bikes plastered.  Then you have to deal with all the BS that it was your fault that a motor cyclist splatted himself against your car because he was driving the smaller vehicle with many police and other hands outstretched for cash from the farang.  No thanks.  

How long does it take you to open a can?

19 minutes ago, sjaak327 said:

It is no surprise you don't get it. the violation is changing rules and then retroactively trying to apply those new laws to cases 10 years ago, that is not justice at all. 

But the changes don't affect the charges they will face. What is closer to "not justice at all" allowing rich criminals to evade prosecution because of an archaic loophole, or prosecuting them in absentia after they have been given ample opportunity to present themselves to the court?

Sorry, I don't get how stopping people from evading prosecution is violating a cornerstone of justice. Is someone mistakenly thinking the charges they will face were not in force at the time the crime was committed?

The only change is removing the requirement that criminals be present to hear the charges against them, after they are given ample opportunity to make themselves available.

They also ignore 2 of the biggest users of coal production energy, the production of steel and aluminium. Approximately 0.6t of coal is required per ton of steel, and aluminium, sometimes referred to as solid electricity, needs ~2.8MWh/ ton on a 24/7 basis due to the continuous refining process

15 hours ago, oxo1947 said:

Yes William...for the death sentence...as with all of the European countries , no one will send someone back to any Death sentence country..if there crime warrants that.

Not quite true. They will extradite if they are given assurance the death penalty will be ruled out for that case.

Yesterday Josh Frydenberg, Oz Minister for Environment and Energy, addresses a conference on energy supply. He stressed the need for RELIABLE SUPPLY rather than intermittent inputs. To the uninformed, that means coal.

Meanwhile, a coal mine in NSW which had been refused an extension by Land and Environment court will be the subject of new state legislation to allow it to expand. It is the sole suppler to Mt Piper PS (2 x 660 MW units) which generates 11% of NSW's electricity.

A nice little lightweight industry release, without any of the negatives and not a single informed question. Such as, why doesn't he include hydro-generation in the renewables industry? Such as, where does the energy for grid control come from, as the uncontrolled inputs fluctuate, and the sun goes down? Such as, why do the countries with the most renewable energy have the highest electricity cost?

15 hours ago, heybruce said:

I wonder why he didn't just give himself a blanket pardon?  Oh yeah, only the military can do that.

His sister gave it a bloody good try, and thought to include herself and her government. A shame that didn't work, said Boonsong.

27 minutes ago, ukrules said:

Of course it has.

 

Has it occured to you that the governments of the world are not so dumb that they would extradite someone who would then potentially be prosecuted for additional crimes once they arrive ?

 

No it hasn't, because only ONE charge has to be proved for extradition. In Thaksin's case, besides his conviction, there are multiple serious offences, many of which should be sufficient for extradition. Because extradition would not be granted on LM does not mean that all other charges are suddenly invalid.

If one of the other charges carried the death penalty, you may have a point, but no such charge exists.

10 minutes ago, ukrules said:

No country will allow extradition for a crime which is not illegal in the country itself.

 

The new arrest warrants issued friday for Thaksin will assure his freedom, this is no accident.

Has it occurred to you that every crime a person is wanted for would not be included in an extradition request. Would an extradition request for a murderer also mention that he is wanted for driving without a licence?

10 minutes ago, greenchair said:

Now Prayuth nephew got a government contract in his firm that had just recently opened. 

And he got a high positioned job with no prior experience. 

Would be similar to your Netherlands example. 

Was it Prime Minister?

2 minutes ago, JusticeGB said:

His only chance of escaping statutory rape charges was to marry her. Sex is legal from 16 if it's not for money. Hope it costs him and his family a fortune. The poor girl has to bring up a child as a single teenage parent. 

Not sure that will even work, didn't for an acquaintance many years ago in Oz. Married before the trial and still got 6 months.

21 minutes ago, tryasimight said:

i too have 4 years to go but I think super will stuff me for the pension, although I'm sure there will be ways of minimising the apparent super somehow.

The pension might not be a huge amount but it would be nice to know that there is something coming in and not having to watch the super slowly drain away - even if it is invested elsewhere. A little regular pocket money would be great.

The 2 year rule/35 year residency (and from what I understand you didn't have to work a day in those 35 years) sucks,  I can understand the spirit of the law to a certain extent but it's a catch all and hurts the fair dinkum Aussie as well as those who it was intended for.

Add the changes to capital gains tax if you sell your house and you are a non resident for tax purposes and the whole show is a shambles.

i can;t see it changing either with Shorten playing the politics of envy and Turnbull being a spineless tosser.

Could be well worth the effort to qualify for the OAP pension even if you have a zero payment. Circumstances have been known to change radically and it's always good to have a fallback position.

1 hour ago, JAG said:

Automatic or even semi-automatic rifles are designed with one purpose and one purpose only, to kill people on a battlefield.

 

If you want a weapon to use for hunting a bolt-action rifle is fine ;  bears are hardly likely to attack you in massed waves now are they?

 

If you want a weapon for target shooting, a bolt-action rifle is fine for that.

 

If you feel a need for a weapon to "protect yourself" then a pistol seems more appropriate.

 

If you really must handle battlefield weapons then join your local Army Reserve unit, (although they may have reservations about taking you when they realise that is your motivation).

Total BS. I used a semi-auto for pig shooting until legislation forced me to hand it in, after 2 years of training in its use by the australian government. Apparently they trusted me to use it against people but not pigs.

As for your comments on Australian gun control, they are similarly ill-informed. The resulting drop in gun deaths were mostly suicides, the suicide rate did not drop.

" a study by McPhedran and Baker compared the incidence of mass shootings in Australia and New Zealand. Data were standardised to a rate per 100,000 people, to control for differences in population size between the countries and mass shootings before and after 1996/1997 were compared between countries. That study found that in the period 1980–1996, both countries experienced mass shootings. The rate did not differ significantly between countries. Since 1996-1997, neither country has experienced a mass shooting event despite the continued availability of semi-automatic longarms in New Zealand. The authors conclude that "the hypothesis that Australia's prohibition of certain types of firearms explains the absence of mass shootings in that country since 1996 does not appear to be supported... if civilian access to certain types of firearms explained the occurrence of mass shootings in Australia (and conversely, if prohibiting such firearms explains the absence of mass shootings), then New Zealand (a country that still allows the ownership of such firearms) would have continued to experience mass shooting events."

Comparing Australian and UK gun control to the situation in the US is a wate of time. Nether country has the gun culture of the US or the massive number of firearms per head of population found there.

More obfuscation and evasion every day. Oak now claims B26 million sent to him and asked to buy shares, which he declined, so sent to mum's stooge. How her husband and mother got involved not explained. At best that sounds like asset concealment and tax evasion, but both payments meet the requirements of Thailand's money laundering laws.

The B10 million sent to Oak for some business deemed "too difficult".

How much cash and gold was he expected to drop on the table before the ceremony?

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Thaksin’s son quizzed over alleged charges

By THE NATION

 

File photo: Panthongtae Shinawatra

 

THE DEPARTMENT of Special Investigation (DSI) has summoned Panthongtae Shinawatra and three other people allegedly involved in a money-laundering case for questioning later this month.
 

Panthongtae, the son of ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, Kanchana and Wanchai Honghern, and Kesinee Jipipop are potentially facing criminal charges in connection with receiving two cheques – one for Bt10 million and the other for Bt26 million – from former top executives of the Krisda Mahanakorn Group.

 

According to the DSI, state-owned Krungthai Bank faced multi-billion-baht financial damages from loans to Krisda Mahanakorn Group that used highly inflated collateral. It is alleged that money from those loans was given illegally to many people and entities.

 

Panthongtae and the three others are required to report to the DSI by October 24. After they are questioned, the agency will decide whether to pursue money-laundering and related charges against them.

 

Money-laundering cases have a 15-year statute of limitations, so the DSI is required to close its investigation by the middle of next year. Earlier, Panthongtae wrote in a Facebook post that he was the victim of a witch-hunt. He argued that more than 200 other people and organisations had received money from Krisda Mahanakorn’s top executives, but they were not being investigated.

 

Source: http://www.natiomultimedia.com/detail/politics/30328296 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-10-03

The link to more of the story is not working.

1 minute ago, sceadugenga said:

The time spent in Australia is accumulative, you can take a few months overseas and on return your two year expiry date is extended by that period.

I don't think that I've wasted an evening so spectacularly since I gave up drinking, I suggest that some of you guys write to the minister for Social Services if you need further information.

 

https://christianporter.dss.gov.au/contact

That was how I understood it, and based my 4 years working before OAP as having a minimum of 2 years in country in case they applied that rule the other way. I have just barely resided long enough to acquire tax residence, 185-6 days being the usual.

Besides the tax threshold, I also become a low income earner with other tax benefits.