@wildwhitehorses

Yeah, right. Any water shortages are likely due to personal hygiene requirements of people, and nothing to do with new b.s. AI data processing centres using gigalitres to cool equipment and maintain humidity levels.

Got it.

@No1

The French wouldn't say that. They'd say whatever is French for "Sign here!"

We'd then pay them a few more BILLION dollars, and the French would wait a week or two for another policy reversal.

At the rate we're going, we'll end up buying our subs from China...

@Davriellelouna

@Zagorath

"Road usage" has been taxed through the fuel excise paid at the bowser. This method is far from perfect, but it does allow reasonably anonymous travel.

In the future, the gov't will have (at least) two ways of taxing the road usage of EVs.

One way will be fair, equitable, based on 'mileage', and anonymous.

The other way will permit the government to conduct 'real time' monitoring of every vehicle's speed and position.

Our gov't will choose this second option, and with bipartisan support.

@Davriellelouna

@Zagorath

Half a penny?
Where's the rest of it?

@spiffmeister

Kangaroo populations will naturally go through "boom and bust" cycles as the amount of available feed and water varies tremendously. (Aussies often forget that this is the world's driest continent.)

Mass deaths within local kangaroo populations will always occur due to drought. That's nature, and it's a bad way to die

Having 'extra' dingos manage the 'roo population' would mean they'd suffer a similar fate, just delayed by a few months, if that.

When the 'roo population fell to low numbers, the dingos would turn on whatever is available... including, as you say, livestock.

It's a complex problem, and there are no easy answers.

However, which is worse? Letting 'roos die horrible mass deaths from inevitable droughts, or controlling their numbers via managed culls, and then tapping into that resource? Most, but not all, kangaroos that are culled will die an instant death.

In fact, for those of us who eat meat, we should avoid beef, lamb, and pork. Kangaroo is FAR more sustainable from an environmental perspective...
... even if Skippy is on our National Coat of Arms.

@Davriellelouna

@Etterra

It's slightly less ironic.

The seppos have the world famous Statue of Liberty and a plaque with the words, "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe."

Us Aussies still haven't had the guts to dump the Union Jack from our own flag, let alone establish a bill of rights.

@Davriellelouna

@Vanilla_PuddinFudge

Yes...
... but that's OK.

Lemme explain...

A Signal user will commonly have the client app installed on their mobile device.

They may also have a second client on a laptop that syncs the same data.

If the user goes on holiday for a week but leaves their laptop behind, it won't be synced to the laptop.

On return from holiday, the laptop client uses its decryption keys to retrieve the last week's worth of messages.

I *think* Signal can do this (retrieve cached messages from the Signal servers) for up to 14 days.

That said, the entire Signal cache is encrypted on their servers, and one's messages are fully E2EE and retrievable only by the user.

(However, one weakness of Signal is that a desktop or laptop client's cache is stored unencrypted. To secure these, one needs to use full disk encryption at the OS level or higher.)

@DarkCloud

@sabreW4K3

The government will LOVE this scheme...

1. Make children obtain a government issued ID card.
2. Increase the cost of the ID card from a 'nominal' payment to, say, $100 p.a.
3. Require e-bikes to be registered for a nominal fee.
4. Increase the registration fee.
5. Make insurance compulsory for e-bikes.
6. Require registration and insurance for ALL bicycles, including pedal powered bikes.

Then, in 10 years' time...
7. Spend a fortune on an advertising campaign trying to get people back on 'traditional' bicycles.

@Salvo

I've always felt that the Aussie National Anthem needs a verse that includes the phrase,
"How's the serenity?"

@korda

@princessnorah

You said, "Oh…OH!"

Yes, precisely. That is how one may express, in word form, the vocal utterances of a user of such objects at the culmination or 'climax' of the experience.

Well... so I've heard...

@No1

What have you got against Great White Sharks?
What have they ever done to you?

AFAIK, every time Pauline Hanson goes swimming at a beach, an environmental impact statement needs to be completed, and clean up operations commence soon afterwards.

@MHLoppy

@wildwhitehorses
No, I'm not "new to Australia".

The point I was making is that the "duration of our showers" is comparatively insignificant compared to commercial water use and wastage.

Data centres, for AI processing, needlessly waste water resources.

Growing rice and cotton on the world's driest continent seems a bit stupid.

Screwing the geology of the Great Artesian Basin to extract gas seems short-sighted.

There are FAR more pressing concerns than how much water we individuals use while showering. (Sure, there are some small towns or shires where this is a concern.)

@quokka

I know I'm going to regret asking this, but why not Signal?

Yes, I know it has the disadvantage of not being decentralised, and it's not anonymous as a phone number is required.

However, for the *vast majority* of people, it is the simplest and easiest solution to gaining E2EE comms.

@Davriellelouna