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1
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by dodge -
Both of you are correct, Thry and Shawny.  Crime reporting used to be in the 'Waverley Gazette/Leader newspapers' and then the Neighbourhood Watch newsletter - local and late!

Now with the prevalence of footage, it is much more visible and seemingly brazen - and with clickbait, often in a different state.  However, there is little doubt that violent and destructive crime (tobacco shops etc) is increased. While had to compare with 30+ years ago (partly due to different crimes having different criteria), it would be interesting to know crimes per 100,000 of population.  Not really sure what it would achieve, though.
2
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Toxic Influence
Last post by dodge -
What is wrong with them, LP?  It is a general societal thing - no respect for others or their surroundings and 'I will do what I want to do'.
3
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Toxic Influence
Last post by Gointocarlton -
Influencer. There is not modern day term I despise more, its utterly cringeworthy. If someone is enough of a pea brain to actually be "influenced" by these parasitic imbeciles? I feel sorry for them as they can't possibly have too much upstairs.
4
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Toxic Influence
Last post by bobby -
I notice both F1 and the ATP Tour are cracking down on influencers ruining the events for the general punter. F1 has been slowly weeding them out for a period of time, to the point there was uproar about Hamilton's partner being exempt to the crackdown. In tennis the US Open announced a crackdown with a plethora of complaints from fans about blocked views and unwanted photography. This reminded me of an experience.

A short while back I had a similar experience at a hatted restaurant, we were there taking advantage of a very generous gift voucher, expensive but not too expensive for us as we had "help". But there were a lot of people in the venue paying the full ticket, celebrating anniversaries, birthdays, other special occasions, etc., etc.. All of it interrupted by a foodie influencer turning every coarse into a web documentary. To the point at one stage they stood on a chair and took an aerial photograph of the table, I'm assuming to get a wide angle view with obligatory cleavage shot. You know the type of shot, "I was ripped off by my landlord, but my tits saved me!" photograph. The restaurant staff asked them to restrain their activities for the sake of other diners, at which time they made a scene about paying good money to be there and being free to "experience what they have paid for however they like!" One diner quietly piped in with a beautifully timed comment, although it was also a bit misplaced, "The food is beautifully presented, but not so much your fat arse!" As the situation degraded security was called and the influencer and conspirator were ejected while "vlogging" all the way out the door.

What the feck is wrong with these influencer people? This was a hatted silver service venue, somewhere many people might only experience once in a lifetime and may have saved up good hard-earned money just to attend that once.

There is plenty wrong with them, and with the those who follow them. There is some tipping point - don’t ask me what it is - where number of followers sees them start to monetise their platform, as companies look to place their product or run ads.  I guess also that the segment they play in could be competitive too. Brazen behaviour to distance yourself from your competitors would be rewarded by more views from some, seen as cool etc.
5
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL EF#1 2026 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Geelong
Last post by dodge -
The first quarter gave us hope - but again, if we were able to kick a couple of goals (one easy, a couple less easy), that gives greater confidence.  Then Geelong started doing things differently - and we also changed...

We were made to kick down the line to contests - i don't remember us taking a contested mark from these, or easily roving, creating space and getting away with the ball.  The other is it seemed Geelong were happy to stand off players a bit and outside of the periphery vision of our player with the ball, so kicking to a seemingly free player resulted in a mark to Geelong or a spoil.  Happened time and time again.

Three bad decisions - non-free to Harry M being held 35 out on an angle, high contact to ducking Cat (Smith?) resulting in a goal, and the hold on Weiters in the goal square not looking at the ball, resulting in a mark and goal.  Don't think it changed the outcome, but affects the attitude and mood.  Don't think that Harry D was at his best when he came back on...

I don't think that we gave up - but weren't at our best.

Confession - we left a little early - missed our last two goals - had a grumpy wife & son and an early start for a Saturday.

The season ended up being a good ride from round 9 - may it be better and longer next year.

6
Robert Heatley Stand / Re: AFL EF#1 2026 Post Game Prognostications Carlton vs Geelong
Last post by BlackRooster -
Considering that after round 5 i had our season done and dusted. What Fraser and the team managed to do for the rest of the year was amazing.
On Tonight, i thought Geelong where very well drilled on what to expect from and and it showed. Yes some umpiring decision were quote a musing.

Lets see how we now do over the trade period and see who we can bring in to makes us better.

Go Blues
 
 
7
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by shawny -
I still think things are no where near worse than it used to be, we just have more access to information about these things thanks to CCTV, and more people having a phone camera handy, but I dont have data to back that up.

Even so, I suspect the data would be a bit of hit and miss regarding this assertion, as many historic crimes may have been unreported due to a lack of evidence.

You may 'think' something but its not based on facts.

Its not hard to look it up - there is no denying it - the crime increase is highest levels in our history. 

I have several members in the family that have been in the force for 3 decades plus. Talk to one of those and they will tell you how it is on the street within any bias   
    
And yes it's not only Vic that has inherited this problem. 
9
Blah-Blah Bar / Toxic Influence
Last post by LP -
I notice both F1 and the ATP Tour are cracking down on influencers ruining the events for the general punter. F1 has been slowly weeding them out for a period of time, to the point there was uproar about Hamilton's partner being exempt to the crackdown. In tennis the US Open announced a crackdown with a plethora of complaints from fans about blocked views and unwanted photography. This reminded me of an experience.

A short while back I had a similar experience at a hatted restaurant, we were there taking advantage of a very generous gift voucher, expensive but not too expensive for us as we had "help". But there were a lot of people in the venue paying the full ticket, celebrating anniversaries, birthdays, other special occasions, etc., etc.. All of it interrupted by a foodie influencer turning every coarse into a web documentary. To the point at one stage they stood on a chair and took an aerial photograph of the table, I'm assuming to get a wide angle view with obligatory cleavage shot. You know the type of shot, "I was ripped off by my landlord, but my tits saved me!" photograph. The restaurant staff asked them to restrain their activities for the sake of other diners, at which time they made a scene about paying good money to be there and being free to "experience what they have paid for however they like!" One diner quietly piped in with a beautifully timed comment, although it was also a bit misplaced, "The food is beautifully presented, but not so much your fat arse!" As the situation degraded security was called and the influencer and conspirator were ejected while "vlogging" all the way out the door.

What the feck is wrong with these influencer people? This was a hatted silver service venue, somewhere many people might only experience once in a lifetime and may have saved up good hard-earned money just to attend that once.
10
Blah-Blah Bar / Re: Shawny’s concerns about Victorian and Australian Governments
Last post by LP -
Of course it all scales with population as well.

I recall seeing some Federal Bureau of Statistics data a year or two back that showed an almost direct correlation between the size of a state population and the amount of crime, it's probably still on MyGov somewhere.

Of course @Thryleon makes a good point about media coverage, although I doubt evidence really makes any difference, maybe on the conviction side it does, but the media do not need much "evidence" to report.

If you differentiate reported crime from convictions, it becomes an issue of statistical definitions, for example if someone is killed but there is no convicted murderer than would be no recorded conviction for a certain crime that was committed. That's an extreme example, but the same applies at all levels of crime.