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Created
Sun, 29/09/2024 - 10:00
I thought I’d paw through the “sci-fi” section of my collection and share 25 of my favorites. Keep in mind that these are personal favorites; I was careful not to title the post “Top 25 Sci-fi Movies of All Time” (there is no more surefire way to spark a virtual bare-knuckled fracas). Anyway, here are 25 off-world adventures awaiting you now… Alien – Ridley Scott’s first (and best) entry in what has become a never-ending (albeit lucrative) franchise is the least bombastic and most character-driven of the series. This 1979 sci-fi thriller concerns the workaday crew of a space merchant vessel who are forced to deal with the, erm, complications that ensue after the discovery of an otherworldly stowaway on board. It’s a taut, nail-biting affair from start to finish, with outstanding production design. A top-notch cast helps: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerrit, John Hurt, Ian Holm, Yaphet Kotto, Veronica Cartwright, and Harry Dean Stanton.
Created
Sun, 29/09/2024 - 08:30
Trump is getting angrier and angrier on the stump (in addition to his depraved lies and idiocy.) Lindbergh landed in Paris. But Donald Trump is historically illiterate so he doesn’t know that. But then he thinks his followers are idiots too: And no there are not 50,000 outside and they aren’t inside because Harris won’t give them protection. Trump’s a billionaire. Why doesn’t he hire thousands of bodyguards to protect him? And WTF is this? I guess this is supposed to be funny? And then there’s this: He’s one rally away from calling Harris a dumb bitch in public: This is just creepy: He’s very, very pissed. Why???
Created
Sun, 29/09/2024 - 07:30
Peter Wehner at The Atlantic (gift link) gives the full rundown on North Carolina Governor Mark Robinson and it’s just so … much. As he points out, most of this was known before he became Lt Gov., so apparently the Republicans of North Carolina think it’s all just fine: Robinson, the Republican candidate for governor in North Carolina, has described himself as a “devout Christian.” But a recent CNN story reported that several years ago, he was a porn-site user who enjoyed watching transgender pornography (despite a history of an anti-transgender rhetoric), referred to himself as a “Black Nazi,” and supported the return of slavery. According to CNN, commenters on the website discussed whether to believe the story of a woman who said she was raped by her taxi driver while intoxicated. Robinson wrote in response, “And the moral of this story….. Don’t f**k a white b*tch!” Politico reports that Robinson’s email address was also registered on Ashley Madison, a website for married people seeking affairs.
Created
Sun, 29/09/2024 - 07:00
Tom lives in Asheville, North Carolina which is currently under water from Hurricane Helene. He told me yesterday that he didn’t have power or wifi and cell service was spotty so I assume that he will be out of commission for a while. Keep a good thought for him and his neighbors. Asheville is a lovely city full of very cool people. This is a major disaster and it’s going to take a huge effort to recover.
Created
Sun, 29/09/2024 - 06:30
I’m sure Tucker thinks he’s being funny. But I would guess that a good number of his audience, people who look up to him, think he’s endorsing this lunacy. Why else would he have her on his roadshow? The Washington Post reported on the spectacle: If you think Tucker Carlson’s political relevance has slipped since he was booted from Fox News last spring, then listen to the people who have lined up to see his live shows this month. Ask those in Phoenix who braved 108 degrees to see him banter with Russell Brand,the comic actor turned podcaster who says he’s found Jesus. Or the people in Hershey, Pa., who got drenched by rain whilewaiting to get into Carlson’s event with vice-presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio). If anything, they say, Tucker has gotten stronger now that he’s on his own, loosed from the strictures (and paycheck) of corporate media and now sovereign of his own digital channel.
Created
Sun, 29/09/2024 - 05:18

COFFS Harbour Senior College student Roxy Thomas is heading off on a trip to Japan after she was awarded a Premier’s Anzac Memorial Scholarship. Roxy is among 20 students from across NSW who will visit Japan to learn more about Australia’s involvement in World War Two. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth...

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Created
Sun, 29/09/2024 - 05:16

FOR many years Sien Tedjo has quietly and cheerily helped newcomers to the Coffs Coast feel welcome and part of the community. Originally starting as a support group for Indonesians, her initiative has since grown into a wider multicultural network. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us....

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Created
Sun, 29/09/2024 - 05:14

STUDENTS from Coffs Harbour High School (CHHS) have taken home the title of Overall Winner for their ‘Moona Lisa’ project in the national Dairy Australia Picasso Cows program, beating over 49 schools from across the country. Scoring 50/50, the school was awarded a prize of $2,000. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth...

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Created
Sun, 29/09/2024 - 05:11

THE Marine Rescue Coffs Harbour Expo last weekend provided a fun and educational experience for residents and visitors, while highlighting the vital role the service plays in on-water safety. The day kicked off early in traditional style with a ‘fleet review’ that saw boats parading through the Jetty Harbour. Onlookers enjoyed the sight of the...

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Created
Sun, 29/09/2024 - 05:09

HUNDREDS of locals attended an ocean film night at the Jetty Theatre, hosted by the Australian Marine Conservation Society, the NSW Sanctuary Alliance and the National Parks Association of NSW (NPA). The 17 September screening featured a series of short films, including stories from Batemans, Cape Byron and Jervis Bay marine parks as well as...

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Created
Sun, 29/09/2024 - 05:07

APPRENTICES at Toormina-based engineering business Vulcanic Tee have constructed four purpose-built iron benches and donated them to Coffs Harbour Regional Landcare (CHRL). The tables have been installed in CHRL’s nursery in Woolgoolga. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us...

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Created
Sun, 29/09/2024 - 05:03

THE Combined Art and Craft Group is hosting an exhibition at Coffs’ Botanic Garden from Sunday, 29 September, to Sunday, 6 October. The group of local artists has been holding exhibitions during the school holidays for many years. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us...

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Created
Sun, 29/09/2024 - 05:00
Timothy Snyder on Trump’s “negotiating” skills as reflected in his meeting with Zelensky yesterday: This piece by Will Saletan in the Bulwark is quite good as well: TRUMP’S FOREIGN POLICY, like his views on everything else, is about loyalty to Trump. He prefers a dictator who likes him to a freely elected leader who doesn’t. As Trump put it at a rally on Monday: “I don’t like anybody that doesn’t like me.” That’s why Trump likes Vladimir Putin. He knows Putin is trying to help him recapture the White House. On September 7, three days after the Justice Department exposed a Russian disinformation campaign designed to help Trump in this year’s election, Trump rebuked DOJ officials for the announcement. “They don’t look at China, and they don’t look at Iran,” he complained, falsely, at a rally in Wisconsin. “They look at Russia. I don’t know what it is with poor Russia.” Trump made it clear that he appreciated Putin’s help. With a wry smile, he noted: It’s not great for Ukraine that Trump sees Putin as his friend.
Created
Sun, 29/09/2024 - 04:59
Extra revenue from winding back currently available tax breaks should be designated for social housing investment and increased Rent Assistance -a housing policy virtuous circle. For all readers aware that our flagging housing system cannot be fixed without decisive policy change, the avalanche of support for the possible reform of private landlord tax concessions this Continue reading »
Created
Sun, 29/09/2024 - 04:53
Look at how favourably situated Australia is in the world. As the foundations were put in place for the Asian Century, most profoundly by China, Australia was in the right place at the right time and it benefitted inordinately. Looking forward, as the rise of China continues and a range of Asian countries, including India, Continue reading »
Created
Sun, 29/09/2024 - 04:52
Successive Australian governments have allowed the United States to carry out a program of militarisation in Western Australia which has made it a vital U.S war-fighting base and thus an inevitable target for retaliatory strikes should hostilities commence, for example between the U.S and China. Continue reading »
Created
Sun, 29/09/2024 - 04:50
The Australian Electoral Commission has announced proposed redistributions of the boundaries of federal election seats with NSW losing a seat (North Sydney), while Victoria and Western Australia each gained a seat with the average number in a NSW seat, increased from the current 118,000 to 121,000 and expected to grow to about 130,000 by 2028. Continue reading »
Created
Sun, 29/09/2024 - 03:30
Trump’s tariff obsession came up in conversation this morning and I realized that many people may not have seen this great documentary about Trump and trade. If you’re curious about why he is so stuck on it, this explains it: As FRONTLINE and NPR explore in the new documentary Trump’s Trade War, Trump has taken an aggressive stance on trade for decades. He has pushed a tariff strategy since he first toyed with the idea of running for president in the late 1980s — a message that bore notable similarities to the one that helped propel his 2016 campaign. As the film recounts, Trump’s ire was then directed at Japan’s trade practices. “The fact is, you don’t have free trade. We think of it as free trade, but you right now don’t have free trade,” Trump said in a 1987 episode of Larry King Live that’s excerpted in Trump’s Trade War. “A lot of people are tired of watching the other countries ripping off the United States. This is a great country.” He shared similar sentiments in an interview with Oprah.