Fah Kiew Tu

One of the (many) reasons I don't live in the burbs is lawns. Here my menagerie of semi-tame wildlife do it all for free and on the few occasions they fall behind (and for ferns and stuff they won't eat, the fussy little bastards) I use my Kubota tractor with 5' cutting width mower deck. End result, lots more time to sit on the deck, look at the view & drink beer. If we had snow like you guys do, I'd move to a warmer climate. Actually I do that anyway, every winter here..... FKT

See the happy moron He doesn't give a damn. I wish I were a moron. My God! Perhaps I am..... FKT (after all I'm pretty happy with LTUAE on the whole - driveway upgrade to extract new boat excepted..... and I *did* build a boat if further evidence is needed)

Yeah but a lot of them are written to protect stupid people from the results of doing stupid things. I'm not necessarily opposed to this, I might add - if they survive then they're a burden on the medical, taxation and social security systems. I recall one time when I had to tell an OH&S committee it wasn't a good idea to remove heavy steel doors opening onto the weather deck after some idiot got their hand caught in one. In retrospect what *might* have been a good idea, though, was some sort of soft-close system for the last say 200mm of travel. Anyway, the argument is basically whether foreign countries should be held to the same standards in the interest of comparing prices and levying tariffs to flatten the playing field. I'm sympathetic to that argument if there's a good way of doing the costing - which I doubt. FKT

Like to see them try that in northern Australia, bow-fishing for crocodiles. That I might pay to watch. And I'd be betting on the crocs....... FKT

It's all on line somewhere - I know I've got a US military engineering field manual somewhere with details of how to make such a bridge from field expedient materials. Honestly the easiest thing is to pay your engineer buddy for a bill of materials and a few drawings. If you can't manage to read them, building the thing is going to also be beyond your level of competence anyway. Pulling sizes out of my arse I'd likely use 250 x 50 for the bottom horizontals and 200 x 50 for the diagonals & top horizontals. Not sure on tying the 2 sides together, that would require some thought - depends on the desired width & max load. Personally I'd use a welded steel structure but I have all that gear already. Treated wood would probably be quicker in fact. FKT

Once again you don't seem to realise that I'VE LIVED THROUGH THIS. Australia had high tariff walls and all sorts of import restrictions to protect domestic manufacturing. Protection all round was the mantra. It didn't work worth a damn. All we ended up with was inefficient industries with no incentive to get better & compete because they didn't have to, in bed with unions who could make wage demands way over the odds because their employers could just pass it on to the consumers, who had no choice. Yes, protecting the supply of strategic stuff has some justification, but consumer stuff or commodity type raw materials? No. As for the South American countries, IMO most of their problems are political screwing about with the economy. They have raw materials and educated people. Venezuela is a poster child for political interference and economic illiteracy. Their inflation rate is going to challenge Zimbabwe for worthless currency soon, if if hasn't already got there. FKT

It's a truss bridge, what's complicated about it? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bailey_bridge FKT

No problem, as long as the President's ability to issue pardons goes at the same time.... FKT

If I got such a letter - which wouldn't happen, but just saying - unless it contained proper information at minimum specifying date, time and place - I'd file it in the rubbish. I don't enable fishing expeditions at potentially my expense. FKT

Another free kick I simply *have* to resist taking....... FKT

Queenslanders, hey. What can you do - really.... FKT

Just don't even think of moving here, content yourself with sending money knowing that it's going to a good cause. FKT

Ummm, the 3 year old is now 34, do the math. Anyway I'm more highly qualified. I have a Reverend Doctorate from the Church of the Sub-Genius..... FKT

So - you failed one and passed the other, yes? Hence the (I presume) live goat..... FKT

Hah. Mine did her PhD at the med school with a useless husband, a newborn and a 3 year old underfoot. FKT

You'd have to ask LB for advice on that - my public school education didn't cover necrophilic bestiality. FKT

Yeah - I know exactly which exhibits you're referring to..... FKT

Must..... resist..... sucker...... bait....... FKT

I was wandering around QUT next to the Bot Gardens on Sunday. Very nice old buildings. Had a look in the Museum of Modern Art - that was entertaining. There was an inflated dead wombat on a rug that you were allowed to pat. FKT

He's just not aware of true boganism that's all. Now if he'd ever been to Wynnum Central by train on a Saturday, his education would be expanded a tad. FKT

Ahem. I got an undergrad degree and postgrad from Sydney Uni. Not a college boy though - never wanted to, never could have afforded it, probably would have shot some of those wankers.... FKT

Green hydro-power, mate. None of that dirty polluting coal for us..... and I do my best to stay off of the Eastern Shore where most of the bogans live. FKT

Cleveland didn't look *too* bad for a yuppie canal estate sort of place. Of course I didn't stay after dark, had to get back to my cess-pit in Fortitude Valley. I have to congratulate you Queenslanders on your outstanding efforts on dugong conservation, though. I saw more on my recent trip than I've ever noticed in the past. What was truly impressive was how you people have managed to teach them to walk (well, waddle) and wear clothing. 5 stars for sure. FKT

I don't agree with your premise though - IMO sexual abuse and drug abuse is a lot higher in the low s-e groups than the higher ones. At least they're a hell of a lot worse at hiding it if the rates are equal, and that I don't believe. Want to break down sexual abuse by income category since you reckon there's no difference? Go for it - you really aren't going to like what you come up with, though, as we all know the worst places/communities in Australia. FKT

Nah - the *real* difference is, rich kids can afford a better class of drug, and their parents can afford the expensive lawyers to get them off err into rehab if they get dragged as far as court. Interesting how Fortitude Valley is getting cleaned up what with high rise condos going up all over the place. I guess the druggies and other lowlifes will have to move to Cleveland now. FKT