Shuff's General Chat Thread ... #73 - Talk about anything and everything...  

OUch!
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Holden maintains title as Victoria's most commonly stolen vehicle

Holden was Victoria's most commonly stolen vehicle make in 2014, according to the latest data released today from Victoria Police and the Crime Statistics Agency.

A mantle it has held consecutively since 2010, Holden led the automotive pack of pinched property ahead of Nissan, Toyota, Ford and Honda, with lion-stamped product comprising 15.4 per cent of all vehicles stolen in the 12 months between January and December, 2014.With 18,097 vehicles reported to police as stolen, the State’s number of motor vehicle theft offences increased by 11.5 per cent over 2013.

Though the Crime Statistics Agency says there is no evidence of any seasonal patterns related to motor vehicle theft, August proved 2014’s highest month with 1512 offences recorded – 212 more than the lowest recorded month of September.

On a more positive note for owners who may have had their pride and joy nicked, Victoria Police recovered 11,090 stolen vehicles, or 61.3 per cent of the total number of cars stolen for the year.*Note: Those behind the statistics stress that the number of vehicles recovered in 2014 may not be entirely reflective of the number of vehicles stolen that same year, as some vehicles recovered in 2014 may have been reported as stolen in previous years.

Top 10 motor vehicles stolen by make - 2014Holden - 2791 (down 28 on 2013)Nissan - 2634 (up 836 on 2013)Toyota - 2337 (up 79 on 2013)Ford - 2140 (down 26 on 2013)Honda - 1051 (up 102 on 2013)Mitsubishi - 895 (up 37 on 2013)Subaru - 876 (up 275 on 2013)Mazda - 728 (up 35 on 2013)Hyundai - 528 (up 46 on 2013)Yamaha - 372 (up 45 on 2013)

Former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Fraser dies, aged 84

Former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Fraser has been remembered as "a giant of Australian politics" and a "great moral compass" following his death early this morning at the age of 84.

A statement released by his office said Mr Fraser died after a brief illness.

"It is with deep sadness that we inform you that after a brief illness, John Malcolm Fraser died peacefully in the early hours of the morning of 20 March 2015," the statement said.

"We appreciate that this will be a shock to all who knew and loved him, but ask that the family be left in peace at this difficult time."

Mr Fraser was Australia's 22nd prime minister.

He was born into a wealthy pastoral family in 1930 and first entered Parliament in 1955 as its youngest MP.

He spent nearly 20 years as a backbencher and in the ministry until, in 1975, he became opposition leader facing off against Gough Whitlam.

Mr Whitlam's dismissal later that year led to persistent debate about the new government's legitimacy and Mr Fraser's role.

But he went on to win the next three elections.

He embraced multiculturalism and Aboriginal land rights, led the Commonwealth push to end apartheid in South Africa and argued for an independent Zimbabwe.

The nation's finances were managed with traditional conservatism and cutbacks at first but later the political pressure grew and the purse strings loosened.

However, in 1982 the country was facing recession, drought and social unrest.

After suffering a back problem and being treated in hospital, Mr Fraser called a snap election on the same day Bob Hawke became opposition leader.

But the strategy backfired and Mr Fraser was defeated.

Life after the Lodge remained busy for Mr Fraser; he became a key figure in humanitarian and diplomatic circles.

But the former PM always kept an eye on the political arena and he became a staunch critic of the Liberals under the next Coalition PM, John Howard, speaking out particularly on indigenous issues, refugees and antiterrorism laws.

Just last month Mr Fraser launched a scathing attack on Tony Abbott over the Government's treatment of the Human Rights Commission and, in particular, its president Gillian Triggs following The Forgotten Children report.

"If the Government had wanted to handle the matter sensibly, they would have said they recognise there have been abuses," Mr Fraser said.

Mr Fraser seemed to have more in common with his former political rivals than with his own party, joining Labor PMs past and present for the apology to the Stolen Generation.

Eventually he quit the Liberals citing his belief that the party he had been a member of for more than six decades had tilted too far to the right.

"The party is unrecognisable as Liberal," Mr Fraser said.

Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser . © AAP Image/National Archives of Australia Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser .
Nation mourns loss of former PM

Prime Minister Tony Abbott paid his respects to Mr Fraser, saying he was a "fierce Australian patriot".

"The friendship he built in later life with Gough Whitlam spoke volumes about the character of both men at the centre of the crisis: in their own different ways, they were both fierce Australian patriots," he said.

"Under Malcolm Fraser's leadership, self-government was conferred on the Northern Territory, the Commonwealth Ombudsman was established and our first Freedom of Information laws were enacted.

"Under Malcolm Fraser's leadership, Australia was an unwavering opponent of apartheid and after he left office, Malcolm Fraser continued to work for the end of apartheid.

"His subsequent appointment to roles with the United Nations and the Commonwealth of Nations reflected his high international standing."

Mr Abbott said flags at Parliament House would be flown at half mast today and he extended his sympathies to Mr Fraser's wife Tamie and their children.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said she was saddened to hear of the passing of a "giant of Australian politics".

"With the passing of Gough Whitlam, it really is the end of a political era," she said.

"He made a significant contribution to public life in this country, so he will be missed and I certainly pass on my deepest sympathies to his family."

Treasurer Joe Hockey also offered his condolences.

"Many people have contributed to public life over a long period of time that have helped to build a better Australia and unquestionably he was one of them," Mr Hockey said.

ABC's Insiders host Barrie Cassidy said Mr Fraser was active up until his death.

"I don't know whether anybody saw this coming," he said.

"He tweeted as recently as Wednesday, just two days ago, when he was talking about time for a new China vision.

"I remember seeing another tweet just six weeks ago where he showed his catch after some ocean fishing.

"So he was still in reasonably good health right to the end and still thinking about big global issues."

Former deputy Liberal leader and Indigenous Affairs minister Fred Chaney said he was devastated by the loss.

"His support for Indigenous people has been consistent over the whole time I've known him, his opposition to racism has been consistent and I feel desperately sad," he said.

Former National Party leader and Parliamentary Speaker Ian Sinclair also paid tribute to his one-time colleague.

Mr Sinclair said although he was an effective prime minister, Mr Fraser was constantly plagued by the controversial circumstances in which he came to power.

"He was a very good prime minister in that he was very on top of his brief," he said.

"I thought during his term his big difficulty was the real rancour there was in the Australian community in 1975."

Mr Fraser will be remembered for infamous quotes such as, "Life wasn't meant to be easy" and being called "Kerr's cur" by Gough Whitlam, when Mr Whitlam was sacked by governor-general Sir John Kerr on November 11, 1975.

Fraser took the quote "Life wasn't meant to be easy" from the George Bernard Shaw play Back to Methuselah: "Life wasn't meant to be easy, my child; but take courage: it can be delightful."

Mr Fraser is survived by his wife and four children.

Fantasy Author Sir Terry Pratchett Dead at 66 After Long Battle With Alzheimer's Disease

The literary community has lost a legend.

Renowned fantasy author Sir Terry Pratchett has died, E! News confirms. The English author, who was best known for his Discworld series, which includes about 40 volumes, was 66.

"The world has lost one of its brightest, sharpest minds," Larry Finlay, managing director for Transworld Publishing—Prachett's publishing company—said in a statement to E! News, adding that Prachett passed at his home "with his cat sleeping on his bed, surrounded by his family."

Prachett died after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's, after having been diagnosed with a rare form of the disease in December 2007.

According to BBC News, Prachett wrote more than 70 books over the course of his lengthy career—publishing three books a year at his peak—and he even continued to write after his diagnosis, completing his final tome last summer.

"In over 70 books, Terry enriched the planet like few before him," Finlay said. "As all who read him know, Discworld was his vehicle to satirize this world: He did so brilliantly, with great skill, enormous humour and constant invention."

Prachett bravely revealed to the public that he was suffering from an early onset of Alzheimer's in 2007, and the following year, he donated one million dollars to the Alzheimer's Research Trust.

Knighted in 2009 by Queen Elizabeth II, Prachett said (per BBC): "It would appear to me that me getting up and saying 'I've got Alzheimer's', it did shake people. The thing about Alzheimer's is there are few families that haven't been touched by the disease. People come up to me and talk about it and burst into tears; there's far more awareness about it and that was really what I hoped was going to happen."

"Terry faced his Alzheimer's disease (an 'embuggerance', as he called it) publicly and bravely," Finlay said. "Over the last few years, it was his writing that sustained him. His legacy will endure for decades to come."

He concluded by adding, "My sympathies go out to Terry's wife Lyn, their daughter Rhianna, to his close friend Rob Wilkins, and to all closest to him."

In addition to Prachett's publishing company, his death was also announced on his Twitter page.

Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.

Frontier Developments has put together a memorial for the late Sir Terry Pratchett in the expansive universe of Elite: Dangerous.

In honour of Terry Pratchett and the Discworld series that brought joy to so many people including a large segment of the Elite: Dangerous community Frontier has added a new Pratchett's Disc spaceport to the game in yesterday's patch.

The game's executive producer Michael Brookes said, "At Frontier we have a great many Pratchett fans on staff and we were all saddened to learn of his passing. The sentiment was reflected by our community so we felt it would be right to remember him in Elite: Dangerous.” Sir Terry Prachett gets memorialized in Elite: Dangerous

"For me personally,” he went on, “Terry Pratchett was one of very few authors whose books I could buy without needing to read a review or even ask what the story was about. His talent for social commentary, humour, unforgettable characters and vivid worlds not only provided joy as a reader, but inspiration as a writer."

A custom street quad running a LS2 motor I found down at Crusin The Coast 2013..This may be as cool as it gets...Check it out!!...Make sure you follow me so that you don't miss any of the other cool videos I shot at this show!!

Video of Wolfie having a couple of moments
Related.

is this you wolfie?

That's the one you posted earlier,wasn't it?Geez,you were up it for the rent when you started,so did you go into that corner a bit hot,and suffered a bit of over steer,and that rattled you for the rest of the run,then it seemed like it stepped out on you,just before you went into the parking area (it wasn't raining Wolfie,no need for wipers)

He'll be making South Park videos next.

Would never find this thread if it wasn't

for you Alpha,Doc, you in jail? Wolfie where are the F1 pics?Vash,Slav,Mark,Dai,Muddy?VK,how come it took

so long to get your new car,looks good!
In other news,two more sleeps and I've got something to grope again,first harvest of the Hawaiian nuts,five ton sent off,the A's are up next ($$$ ),and there's a lot down,but that's next week if rain don't stop play

Driver dies after Lamborghini smashes into pole!

A MAN died in Western Sydney yesterday after crashing his Lamborghini into a pole.

Police are investigating the single-vehicle crash at Wetherill Park last night where the 42-year-old from Glenhaven died after 6pm.

Emergency services were called to Hassall St after reports of a luxury Italian sports car crashing into a pole.

Witnesses have told police the car was driving east when it crossed to the opposite side of the road, collided with a number of other vehicles, left the roadway and crashed into a pole.

No-one else was injured in the incident.

A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner.

it was captured on security cam.

footage was on the news down here

seventh son is available, non proper early version though, hard coded Chinese subs

didn't get shown up here, link to footage?

Supanova Gold Coast: Star Trek's George Takei on Spock and fighting for fairness

George Takei will headline the Supanova Gold Coast Pop Culture Expo on April 17-19.

When George Takei remembers his friend and Star Trek co-star Leonard Nimoy, it's as a decent, thoughtful man.

Ahead of his upcoming visit to Australia to headline the Supanova Gold Coast Pop Culture Expo on April 17-19, the 79-year-old reflected on the time Nimoy went in to bat for him.

In 1973, the classic show was being turned into an animated series, but Takei (Mr Sulu) and co-star Nichelle Norris (Uhura) were not cast as voice actors.

"When Leonard discovered that, he said 'diversity is what Star Trek is all about, and the two people that represent diversity the most are Nichelle and George, and if they're not going to be with the project, then this project isn't for me'," Takei said.

"Of course, Leonard was absolutely essential for the animated project, so they very interestingly found the money for Nichelle and me."

Takei said it showed the human side to the man famous for embodying the Vulcan Spock.

He said the outpouring of love for Nimoy following his death aged 83 on February 27 was entirely justified.

"The word extraordinary is often overused, but that really is appropriate for Leonard," he said.

"So much of what Spock is – the Vulcan greeting, for example, or the Spock pinch – was created by Leonard on the set."

Takei's own portrayal of USS Enterprise helmsman Mr Sulu earned him the unconditional love of Star Trek fans, but his popularity has soared over the past decade, during which time he came out as a gay man, married his longtime partner Brad Altman, became a vociferous supporter of LGBT rights and started a humourous Facebook page that now has more than 8 million followers.

Takei said he'd kept his sexuality secret for so long because he feared losing his acting career.

"The studio would have screenings with the press there, and I would take a female friend. After I took her home, I may have been at a gay bar later after that," he said.

"I was living a double life, I had my guard up all the time. It's a very exhausting, intense, torturous existence – and I did it until 2005."

Takei is now in as much demand off-screen as an activist for marriage equality.

He compares the fight for fairness for the queer community to one of his earliest experiences – being interned during World War Two simply because his grandparents had been Japanese.

"We had nothing to do with Pearl Harbour, we were Americans, and yet because we happened to look like them, we were imprisoned," he said.

"It was a combination of war hysteria and racism."

In 1988, then-president Ronald Reagan made a formal apology to the more than 100,000 Japanese-Americans who suffered in bitterly cold rural camps, or in Takei's case, swelteringly hot ones.

"There was a poignancy about that apology, because it was my father who felt the pain, anguish, humiliation and degradation of the internment the most," he said.

"He passed in 1979, so he never lived long enough to know that the government apologised for that horrible act."

Takei's Star Trek legacy combined with his role as an elder statesman of the internet mean he will no doubt be bombarded with fans when he appears at Supanova.

But on the eve of Star Trek's 50th anniversary, he remains delighted by his role in it.

"This incredible longevity, this phenomenon, was created by the fans' devotion. It was not created by Gene Roddenberry or anybody, it was the fans," he said.

"So I see these conventions as a way to say thank you to the fans for their undying support in person. Like politicians we get to press the flesh."

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