BellGab.com Archive

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCMqbVCyyaY

I thought nose art was frowned upon these days?

Squadron Showcases F-15E Strike Eagles Adorned With Villain-Themed Nose Art
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/37315/squadron-showcases-f-15e-strike-eagles-adorned-with-villain-themed-nose-art-ahead-of-halloween






https://youtu.be/E275GjVdQZo?t=32
BANE?

Melbourne/Victoria finally started easing restrictions more significantly this week, even though the Premier tried to cocktease everyone again and extend them even longer when our daily cases were low single digits after promising to end them. Public and industry backlash seems to have caused a complete 180 overnight, and retail etc were only given ~24hrs to prepare for reopening.
Retaurants, bars, and shops are open again but with capacity limits. Gyms, pools, etc are sort of closed but are meant to reopen in a coulple of weeks. Cinemas and borders (both between the states and between the countryside and city) are closed with no indication of when or how they'll open. Gatherings in homes and outside are still heavily curbed, allowed to travel only within 25km (15mi) of home, and masks are still mandatory.
The Australian equivalent of the superbowl, which is nornakly always held in Melbourne, was hosted in Brisbane instead despite both teams in the game being from Victoria. Of course, the AFL made sure to transplant some “hallowed turf” to Brisbane for the game.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/embarrassing-end-result-of-afls-relocation-of-mcg-turf-to-brisbane/news-story/6c7ffee5e13ea0ced9976db4ed6bb8ef

The horse racing 'festival' or whatever you want to call it has still been held, minus the drunken crowds. No one really seems to give a shit about it as a result.
Already you're starting to get people warning of a third wave and another lockdown, because people took advantage of the eased restrictions to go drinking and shopping en masse. E.g:
https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/fears-of-a-third-wave-after-wild-kmart-scenes-in-melbourne-c-1472305

https://twitter.com/ComradePurrski/status/1321111931655081984

Fauci appeared in Australian media this week, throws America under the bus, and wishes you were as miserable as everyone in Melbourne is:

White House coronavirus advisor Anthony Fauci praises Victorian attitude to mask wearing
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-28/white-house-covid-expert-anthony-fauci-praises-victoria-masks/12823856

https://twitter.com/gaynerical/status/1321562982065864705

I know it's not really a gun, but I thought the spinning bit in the Chinese video as it's ejected looked neat:

https://twitter.com/Nashab_32/status/1319720346409467906

https://twitter.com/sebh1981/status/1318695973795880962

https://youtu.be/YuTbZyBe3CM

Up until yesterday, the man at the podium was the deputy PM of NZ:

https://twitter.com/oilinki/status/1316365400817373184

https://twitter.com/NASASpaceflight/status/1317523332863041538

I'm liking Biden's new outfit.

Quote from: Silphion on October 15, 2020, 09:53:31 PM
Takeshi Terauchi was the most successful and influencial Japanese rock guitarist from the 60's

Not the 60s, but Tomoyasu Hotei is probably up there too for Japanese rock guitarists with success and infleunce.
Most known in the west for this song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzfv5WdVr2c


https://youtu.be/swh-wRxVgIo

Quote from: Asuka Langley on October 15, 2020, 06:15:15 PM
tbh most male japanese rock bands suck. I am trying to think of a modern one that dont and i cant really think of any. There are old bands like X Japan, Loudness, Sex Machineguns, Boris, NINGEN ISU that were great. Modern ones are just a whiny bitches that remind me of shitty 2000 American emo culture.

Fair enough.


https://youtu.be/XKnMtj1OBbI

https://twitter.com/kristapley/status/1316199845166604289

Quote from: Asuka Langley on October 13, 2020, 04:18:52 PM
I unironically like it when Japanese girls do covers of shitty American 80's buttrock


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr96vi2YwAU

I really don't get the appeal of the Japanese girl groups - unless they're just aimed at horny men?
It's not like Japan hasn't made a range music across different genres either...


https://youtu.be/vJTCQJa8NBs

China insists Genghis Khan exhibit not use words 'Genghis Khan'

QuoteThe Château des ducs de Bretagne history museum in the western city of Nantes said it was putting the show about the fearsome 13th century leader on hold for over three years.
The museum’s director, Bertrand Guillet, said: “We made the decision to stop this production in the name of the human, scientific and ethical values that we defend.” It said the Chinese authorities demanded that certain words, including “Genghis Khan,” “Empire” and “Mongol” be taken out of the show. Subsequently they asked for power over exhibition brochures, legends and maps.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/14/china-insists-genghis-khan-exhibit-not-use-words-genghis-khan

Quote from: Ciardelo on October 12, 2020, 10:53:30 AM
When will pop stars learn that their job is just to dance and sing for us. We don't need them opining on anything.

I'm not sure you could even call the Korean boy band one an opinion? The Korean war happened and South Korea and the US fought together during it, hardly a controversial statement (unless you're China apparently).

Quote from: albrecht on October 14, 2020, 09:07:40 PM


We are living in an amazing time!

"Accepting restrictions shows we have faith in democracy"

https://www.theage.com.au/national/accepting-restrictions-shows-we-have-faith-in-democracy-20200925-p55zch.html

Again, "accepting restrictions shows we have faith in democracy."  Let that one sink in.

Arbeit macht frei Arbeit von zu Hause macht frei.

There are a lot of brown nosers who keep spouting off garbage such as that, "just a few more weeks of lockdown and we'll be done forever", "we're all in this together", and "Daniel Andrews has done a great job!". I think there are less of them now than earlier, but there's still quite the number and they're particularly vocal. If you feel like getting angry then have a look at twitter trends for things like Melbourne Lockdown, IStandWithDan, Victoria, Melbourne, etc.



New cases today were 6 (Sydney, which has a comparable population, had double that with no restrictions), with no changes to the lockdown since my last post. The Premier is claiming there'll be some slight easing announced this weekend, but he's baited and switched before. One of the major newspapers ran an opinion piece today claiming that Melbourne's problems are from high immigration and multiculturalism.
The Premier's electoral office was vandalised overnight...

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-15/daniel-andrews-flags-easing-of-coronavirus-restrictions-victoria/12769078

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2qICl-eh2k

BTS in trouble in China over Korean War comments

Quote"We will always remember the history of pain that our two nations shared together and the sacrifices of countless men and women," he said.

But his words were met with an angry response in China, with Weibo users noting the losses their country suffered.
According to China's state-run Global Times newspaper, "Chinese netizens said the band's totally one-sided attitude to the Korean War hurts their feelings and negates history", adding that the comments were designed to "play up" to US audiences. "They [BTS] should not make any money from China," one angry user commented on Weibo, according to Reuters news agency.

Adverts featuring BTS from companies including Samsung, sports brand Fila and car manufacturer Hyundai disappeared from a number of Chinese websites or social media platforms, although it is unclear who removed them.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-54513408

玻璃心

Quote from: Taaroa on October 11, 2020, 12:22:45 AM
Lockdowns here are still not easing at all as the government is claiming that the daily new cases is too high (~10-14/day). Now it's required that people wear actual masks when they leave their houses - not scarves, no faceshields, bandanas, etc - or they'll be fined $200. State borders are still closed, but apparently New Zealanders will be allowed into the rest of the country before actual Australians.
Still can't leave the house for more than 2hrs a day, can't leave a 5km radius of home, most stores are still closed. A shitload of vacant shopfronts have been appearing...

This article and comments are worth a read:

Stuck on five-kilometre leashes, we need someone to throw us a bone
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/stuck-on-five-kilometre-leashes-we-need-someone-to-throw-us-a-bone-20201008-p5633f.html

Quote from: albrecht on September 29, 2020, 08:47:43 AM
More alarmist folks like Rense, Jones, et al are making it seem like Victoria is a total police state and a culling/camps will happen soon, and what the rest of the world will be like soon. Many guests/callers say this was a result of Australia, basically, 'letting their guns be taken.' And some 'experts' have theorized, psychologically, Australia was founded by prisoners, mainly British subjects, so already used to tyranny, rules, and overlords.  One notes things like lines on floor, walking directions, lock-downs, uniforms, tracking, distancing, tracing, snitches, are all what are used usually in prisons or criminal cases.

I have to say that I haven't seen any police for a few weeks now, so I guess it's not a police state in that way?
Australia as a whole is normally a nanny state - laws and fines against many things, limits on free speech, the major cities and interest groups have most sway on policy (eg causing speedlimits to be imposed on a remote highway no locals wanted), etc. It has nothing to do with convicts and is more likely due to 'soccer moms'. But I digress...

Lockdowns here are still not easing at all as the government is claiming that the daily new cases is too high (~10-14/day). Now it's required that people wear actual masks when they leave their houses - not scarves, no faceshields, bandanas, etc - or they'll be fined $200. State borders are still closed, but apparently New Zealanders will be allowed into the rest of the country before actual Australians.
Still can't leave the house for more than 2hrs a day, can't leave a 5km radius of home, most stores are still closed. A shitload of vacant shopfronts have been appearing...

Avro Arrow test model found on the bottom of Lake Ontario:

After decades of failed searches, the 'holy grail' of Avro Arrow artifacts uncovered at the bottom of Lake Ontario
https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/after-decades-of-failed-searches-the-holy-grail-of-avro-arrow-artifacts-uncovered-at-the-bottom-of-lake-ontario

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX6YEe58sr8

https://twitter.com/MikiAV8BHarrier/status/1314545731349417992


https://youtu.be/Gp5iVBaIo9U

There are videos that have been released of a few Azerbaijani An-2s being shotdown, and some of the people tracking the conflict seem to think that they've been converted into drones and are being used to reveal the location of real equipment for targeting as opposed to decoys.



This is the type of drone which is being heavily used in the conflict:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx3MEco1Qlw

https://twitter.com/fmanjoo/status/1311902287971852288

Maybe the real October surprise was the friends we made along the way.

https://twitter.com/ciaolivia/status/1311151062267473921

Quote from: Taaroa on September 04, 2020, 03:10:21 AM
A leaked government report came out yesterday saying they were going to extend basically all of the restrictions past the previously announced end date of Sep 13 with very minor changes. The government's reaction was only stating that it was an out of date report, but they didn't deny that's what's going to happen or say what actually will happen.
It feels like there's a very real chance of riots and civil disobedience if they do extend them without major easing of restrictions on that date.

Turned out the 'leaked' report was very real, and the day after that post they announced their timeline where things won't be normal until mid November with the most oppressive restrictions lasting until late October. They eased the restrictions very slightly yesterday 'ahead of schedule' - we can now leave the house for 2hrs at a time, the limit on one person per day going to the supermarket has been removed, gardeners/landscapers have been allowed to resume work, and the curfew has been removed. Fines issued for breaking the restrictions have gone up from $1600 (already the highest in the world) to $5000.
New daily case numbers are in the low teens.

The Premier and state government are starting to get sued by a lot of people, and the federal government are exerting more pressure on them to reopen faster. The Premier also very publicly threw his Health Minister under the bus this week at the inquiry into the quarantine fuckups that led to all this, despite it not being clear she was to blame any more than him.
A few protests have occurred but the police seem to be clamping down hard and the media isn't reporting much on them. A couple of weeks ago there was a small protest outside the main city market, and someone thought it was a good idea to send riot police marching in formation through the market. Pics are from then:




https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-13/victoria-coronavirus-anti-lockdown-protest-arrests-melbourne/12659410

Seems likely there'll be a 'travel bubble' with New Zealand before the end of the year, but people are rightly pointing out that it's pretty fucked up that citizens may be able to travel overseas before they can travel to another state in their own country.

大変ですね～

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w93WsUpl9Gs

Quote from: Liberace! on September 28, 2020, 12:30:48 AM
Richard Groyper and I will be doing live play-by-play of the first debate between Trump and Biden.  Catch this hot mess Tuesday night at 9PM East, 6PM West. 

Here's where it will happen:

It should be rewatchable at a later time, right? For the timezonally challenged...

Makes me wonder how many Il62s are still about.

https://twitter.com/avischarf/status/1309765534137880577

After last year getting a ban on people physically climbing Ayer's Rock, they've now decided to complain about a Google Maps/Streetview version that was allowing people to 'virtually climb' on it.

Google obliged and removed it.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-23/google-asked-to-stop-walking-on-uluru-through-street-view/12693670
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-54279229