From Hobart to Geeveston

by | Jul 21, 2022 | Travel | 255 comments

As most of you know, I hail from Australia (the full story is a little more complicated: I was born in NZ and lived there until I was about seven. But culturally, I’m Australian and most of my memories of growing up are of Australia). We moved around a lot, but I usually tell people that Brisbane is/was my hometown. About eight years ago, my family relocated to Tasmania. So, when I went back to visit in 2014, that’s where I went. It was my first visit there (I’d venture to guess that the majority of Australians never make it to Tassie).

My family lives in the small southern Tasmanian town of Geeveston (population 700?), which is part of the Huon Valley Council (population c. 17,000). Relatively small numbers are characteristic of Tasmania as a whole. The population of the entire state is about 600,000 which is the smallest of the six states. The capital Hobart (birthplace of Errol Flynn), is home to about 250,000. The second largest city is Launceston (90k), with Devonport coming in third with about 30k.

For a number of reasons, when I was there, I stayed in Hobart. This meant about a one-hour drive each way to Geeveston. Kind of a drag, but most of the drive was through the beautiful Huon Valley. So, following in the footsteps of esteemed Glibs like straffinrun, pistoffnick, TOK, Richard, and others, I thought I’d write up a brief travelogue of some of the sights between Hobart and Geeveston (and from some adjacent areas as well). This might encourage you to visit, now that the Australian government has rescinded most of its draconian covid-19 travel requirements.

Hobart

One of the reasons I stayed in Hobart was to visit some of the sights in a city which I’d never been to before. Although technically a riverfront rather than an oceanfront city, Hobart is located near the mouth of the Derwent River, so there are some nice water views.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like a lot of cities, Hobart has transitioned much of its waterfront from working to tourism and dining. There are some terrific seafood restaurants hidden along this street:

Hobart was founded in 1803, so historic as a descriptor of a building is relative. But there are several examples of Victorian buildings. Hadley’s Orient Hotel was built in the early nineteenth century and is the oldest continually operating hotel in the country.

 

St. David’s Cathedral (Catholic) dates from 1874.

 

 

Hobart is also home to the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery which, among other things, holds a stuffed Tasmanian tiger.

 

One other museum worth checking out is the Museum of Old and New Art (hat tip to the sorely missed Invisible Furry Hand for telling me about this):

 

In addition to some cool exhibits, there are also some spectacular views from the MONA site:

 

Last stop in Hobart, Salamanaca Farmer’s Market which runs year round:

Huon Valley & Surrounding Areas

 Heading generally south out of Hobart to Geeveston, is where you start getting some great scenery. These first two are from the Huon Valley itself:

This one is from near either Cygnet or Dover, can’t remember which:

 

Geeveston

View from near my family’s property:

 

Main Street Geeveston:

 

Southernmost Commercial Radio Station in the world:

 

Port Arthur

We took a day trip to Port Arthur, home of one of the most notorious convict settlements. Port Arthur was reserved for the worst offenders sent from Britain, those who had re-offended at other convict settlements such as Sydney, Moreton Bay, and Port Phillip, and rebellious convicts from Britain’s other penal colonies. Touring the site is such a contrast: beautiful buildings constructed in such brutal circumstances:

 

 

 

From the settlement there are also some spectacular views:

 

Anyway, that’s what I saw when I was there (and yes, I know, you can see all these pics online but, hey, material for the website!). Visit if you can, the Tasmanian government would love to see you.

Obvious music choice. More obscure music choice.

About The Author

Raven Nation

Raven Nation

255 Comments

  1. PieInTheSky

    Australia does not exist. Liar!

    • PieInTheSky

      But the pics look good. I admire your cgi skill

    • robc

      Sure it does, it was half of the Australian-Hungry Empire.

      • PieInTheSky

        The ones who tried to eat a bunch of emus?

      • Urthona

        I have achieved it in EU4 but o HOI4.

      • Rat on a train

        My prize achievement for HOI4 is “Team America”.

        As the U.S.A., drop a nuclear bomb on Paris

      • Bobarian LMD

        As anyone who has ever mastered Risk can tell you, Australia is the key to world domination.

      • Urthona

        *not*

  2. Mojeaux

    Lovely.

    The multistory buildings at the top look like a stripped-down version of our late-19th-century downtown city buildings.

    The little mainstreet looks close to the same for a lot of little towns here.

    Just little changes that alter the whole look (e.g., no eaves on the taller facades).

    The cathedrals are very European. I don’t know if we have many like that here, and if we do, I think they’d be in the Northeast.

      • Tundra

        This is how churches should look.

        St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome is one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.

        And this one is astonishing.

        Looks even better IRL.

      • PieInTheSky

        I liked the one in Sienna more than the more famous one in Florence.

      • Tundra

        I agree. It was fun to climb the tower in Florence but the Duomo was just ok

      • hayeksplosives

        I’ve toyed with the idea of planning a European trip around visiting the great cathedrals. I’ve been fortunate to see a few already as side parts of my trips, but I want to dedicate a tour to visiting, rather than dropping in while traveling for work.

        The cathedral at Aachen is very beautiful, and as the former seat of the Holy Roman Empire it has a lot of historic pieces, including the skull of Charlemagne, on display.

        The cathedral at Speyer is also important because it’s an early one (11th century) pre-gothic, so it has rounded arches. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speyer_Cathedral#/media/File%3ASpeyerer_Dom_Mittelschiff.jpg

        Also was known as a place that helped hide Jews and get them out of Germany during WWII.

      • PieInTheSky

        Aachen – not Aix-la-Chapelle?

      • hayeksplosives

        Not to me! I suppose since Germany won that tug-of-war with France, Aachen is the name.

        Beautiful city, at least the “Old Town” part.

      • Bobarian LMD

        Gesundheit!

      • Mojeaux

        I’ve toyed with the idea of planning a European trip around visiting the great cathedrals.

        Me, I would visit the famous gardens.

      • Animal

        Me too. Beer gardens, that is.

      • Lackadaisical

        Why not all three?

      • Ted S.

        We were going to visit the cathedral in Aachen, but it was actually holding a wedding. There was a big crowd, because the bride actually came to the cathedral in a horse-drawn carriage.

      • juris imprudent

        So, she was Amish.

    • rhywun

      The red roofs strike me as typical of that corner of the world.

  3. Animal

    Did you get a chance to visit the birthplace of Albert Einstein? I understand his family was big into apple farming in Tasmania.

  4. PieInTheSky

    View from near my family’s property – property and on colonized aka stolen land. How very opressor of you

      • slumbrew

        Once someone pointed out he sounds just like Elmer Fudd, I can’t not hear it any other way.

  5. db

    I really enjoyed my one trip to Australia (Perth and points north and south), but it was way too short–it was for work, and only lasted 6 days.

    • Raven Nation

      I’ve never been to Perth. Sometime in the future, we’ve thought a visit might include a trip on the Indian Pacific.

      • db

        That looks like a great trip. I got to visit a winery south of Perth and also some mining and chemical facilities north of the city, and learn quite a bit about the geology of Western Australia. Really cool stuff.

  6. PieInTheSky

    Visit if you can, the Tasmanian government would love to see you -vaxxed and masked or au naturel?

    How much is a decent seafood meal? A pint? Is there craft beer? Specialty coffee? Wine?

    • Raven Nation

      Hmm, memory is not good on details from 8 years ago. I think the meals were not too expensive. At the time, the US and Oz dollars were closer in value, so I wasn’t saving much on the exchange rate.

      Craft beer: yes. Coffee: yes. Wine: I don’t drink wine, but there are a number of wineries in the state. There are also some distilleries.

      • PieInTheSky

        I don’t drink wine – I … do

      • R.J.

        Drink blood?

  7. Tundra

    For a number of reasons, when I was there, I stayed in Hobart.

    I tend to avoid my family, too!

    Thanks for the tour, RN. Looks like a gorgeous island!

  8. The Other Kevin

    Thanks for the mention! *wipes tear* This was really well done, I like all the photos. Thanks for sharing.

    I live very close to Hobart. The one in Indiana.

    • PieInTheSky

      Hows the seafood?

      • robc

        It is Indiana. It depends if you can find a restaurant willing to fly it in fresh.

      • Swiss Servator

        Rainbow trout from Lake Michigan is good!

      • Pope Jimbo

        *drops gloves*

        THOSE ARE STEELHEADS!!!!! *mumbles about landlubbers*

        This is a very contentious topic among some anglers, so be warned. If you want to get a group of West Coast and Great Lakes fishermen fighting, ask them about the definition of “steelhead trout.” Rainbow trout were introduced to the Great Lakes in the late 19th century and thrived in their new environment. They have established a population that mimics migratory habits of steelhead trout without ever going into the ocean. Instead, the Great Lakes are their massive waterbody of choice.

        Anglers in the Great Lakes routinely call these trout “steelhead.” Whether this is correct or not depends entirely on what you believe is the defining characteristic of a steelhead vs a regular rainbow trout. If you believe that “steelhead” are defined by living in saltwater and migrating to fresh water when breeding, then Great Lakes “steelhead” are just big rainbows. If, on the other hand, you believe that the migration is the key part, regardless of the type of water, then Great Lakes can be called “steelhead.”

  9. Sean

    Visit if you can, the Tasmanian government would love to see you.

    Sounds like a trap.

  10. Rebel Scum

    About eight years ago, my family relocated to Tasmania.

    Looks like you had a devil of a time.

    • Bobarian LMD

      “Beware of the TASMANIAN DEVIL a vicious ravenous brute with powerful jaws like a steel trap.They eat Aardvarks, Ants, Bears, Boars, Cats, Bats, Dogs, Hogs, Elephants, Antelopes, Pheasants, Ferrets, Giraffes, Gazelles, Stoats, Goats, Shoats, Ostriches, Lions, Jackals, Muskrats, Minks, Dingoes, Zebras, Foxes, Boxes, Octopus, Penguins, People, Warthogs, Yaks, Gnus, Newts, Walrus—Wildebeests. Page two: Moose, Mice, Moles, Snipes, Elk, Wapati, Tortoise, Road Runner, Elands, Foxes, Wolves, Guinea Hen, Vultures, Eagles, Humming Birds, Squids, Salamanders, Water Buffalo, Bison, Kangaroos, Pigeons, Daws, Unicorns, Vixens, Octopus, Ox, Penguins, Widgeons, Wart Hogs, Yaks, Newts, Walrus, Gnus, Wildebeests…. and especially RABBITS!”

  11. Lackadaisical

    ‘Hobart was founded in 1803, so historic as a descriptor of a building is relative.’

    America hardest hit.

    • Compelled Speechless

      Yeah! Childhood nostalgia. I completely forgot that show existed.

  12. Fatty Bolger

    I recently watched a TV series called The Gloaming that is set in Tasmania. It’s a modern day noir crime story, but with roots set in the transportation period. It was filmed in the winter, but even so the landscape looked amazing. The show made it look like a great place to visit, especially for nature lovers, even if some people say it’s full of “dregs, bogans and third-generation morons”.

    • Fatty Bolger

      Oh, and the MONA is featured in the show.

    • PieInTheSky

      Tasmania is a land of “dregs, bogans and third-generation morons”, according to well-known Australian cultural identity Leo Schofield – cultural identity?

      • CatchTheCarp

        Bogan is one of my favorite Aussie words… ….

    • Raven Nation

      I’ll add it to my watch list. I think I’ve seen it somewhere (Amazon?).

      • kinnath

        I enjoyed it. I think I watched it on Netflix. But, if it wasn’t Netflix, it was Amazon.

  13. The Late P Brooks

    Australia is nice. Shame about the authoritarianism.

    • Raven Nation

      Yeah, it’s hard to imagine moving back, even if my life wasn’t anchored here now.

      • PieInTheSky

        If Tasmania is nice, get a 250k libertarians to move there, take over, secede from Aussieland and start libertopia

        not counting the outliers, based on average temps, the climate looks great.

        the sea seems a bit chilly for some but i can swim that

      • Lord Humungus

        250k Libertarians? Are there that many in the world?

      • PieInTheSky

        I think so. Romania probably can contribute 1k or so. Give or take

      • juris imprudent

        249,999 of them are quasi-libertarians of course.

      • Bobarian LMD

        And I’m not coming.

      • db

        STEVE SMITH FIX

      • trshmnstr the terrible

        99.1% OF PEOPLE IDENTIFY AS LIBERTARIANS, BULLY! YOU PAULISTAS SCARE THEM OFF! *SNICKER*

    • WTF

      Eh, America is well on our way down the same path.

      • Rat on a train

        Yeah, but they have metric authoritarianism.

      • hayeksplosives

        The mistake the Aussies made was handing in their guns after a mass shooting.

        I don’t see the US ever doing that.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        How do they cull the dingoes?

    • Sensei

      Agreed. It was on my list to visit too.

      Raven Nation – Thanks for this. Always enjoyable for an insider view of a place.

  14. Lord Humungus

    STEVE SMITH STUFF TASMANIAN TIGER SEVERAL TIMES

    • The Other Kevin

      STEVE SMITH ENJOY VISIT DOWN UNDER

      • Fourscore

        OUTBACK SMITH?

      • juris imprudent

        You get knocked down, I get off again…

      • R C Dean

        STEVE SMITH GO TO EMERALD CITY. AND BY GO TO, MEAN . . .

      • Bobarian LMD

        HIDING BEHIND CURTAIN NOT SAVE YOU…

      • db

        STEVE SMITH LOOK GOOD ORANGE JUMPSUIT, LOOK BETTER NO JUMPSUIT

      • tripacer

        CROCODILE SMITH

  15. juris imprudent

    Second music link gets bonus points for banjo in a sad song.

    • Lackadaisical

      It was quite good actually. Better than the first choice, imo.

      • juris imprudent

        You know, they never really sound sad. It’s kinda like Toad the Wet Sprocket – the lyrics might be horrifying but the music is still loaded with sprightly pop hooks.

      • The Other Kevin

        Sprightly Pop Hooks is my elf name at the Ren Faire.

      • Plisade

        Word, especially on New Constellation. They’re my favorite band, btw. Great storytellers.

      • Zwak doesn't know what to ignite and what to extinguish

        I saw them open for Jane’s Addiction. Boy, was that a bad match.

  16. Stinky Wizzleteats

    Looks nice, what’s the poisonous animal situation in Tasmania?

    • EvilSheldon

      They have some excellent venomous snakes.

    • Lord Humungus

      It’s easier to ask what’s _not_ poisonous.

    • Nephilium

      Watch out for the drop bears.

    • PieInTheSky

      your list is weird. neither of those would be top 10 for me

      • MikeS

        That could be true. I also have less than zero desire to ever visit Las Vegas and people say that’s weird, too.

      • PieInTheSky

        but how are you gonna make a fortune playing poker if you don’t?

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        Me neither. Have used McCarran once but not its slot machines.

    • Tundra

      Hah!

      Look how thin everyone is.

    • Mojeaux

      Christmas 2001, my mom and I were the only family we had local. It was depressing. We were both down in the mouth. I said, “Next year, let’s go to Australia. I will go surfing.” She said, “That’s a good idea.”

      By the next Christmas I was married and pregnant.

      • PieInTheSky

        pregnant women can surf.

      • Lord Humungus

        Blow ’em to the stone age, son

    • Compelled Speechless

      “If I ever were to travel internationally, Australia is second on my list after Germany.”

      Because of your interest in concentration camps?

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        Or maybe it’s the compliant citizenry?

      • slumbrew

        Up until fairly recently my international travel consisted solely of:

        – Japan
        – Germany
        – Italy

        Purest conincidence. Really.

    • Pope Jimbo

      What? Minnesoda isn’t your first or second choice?

      • MikeS

        Uffda

  17. Rebel Scum
  18. grrizzly

    I enjoyed the article and the pics. I visited Tasmania in 2017, stayed in Hobart, visited Port Arthur and then drove to Devonport to see a wild platypus. I’m surprised that Aussies rarely visit Tasmania. It’s a short flight from Melbourne or Sydney.

    • Toxteth O'Grady

      Isn’t Tasmania an Aussie euphemism for female down-unda bits?

      • Bobarian LMD

        Down under, down under makes em up over?

  19. Scruffy Nerfherder

    the Tasmanian government would love to see you

    Sounds ominous.

    • juris imprudent

      Does this mean we should look for Winston’s Mom in a convent next?

      • EvilSheldon

        Only if she’s recruiting…

      • db

        …kiinky!

      • EvilSheldon

        I’m sure you heard the one about the streaker who ran through the convent?

        It was horrible. One of the nuns had a stroke.

        The other nuns weren’t quite fast enough.

    • Lackadaisical

      You could knock me over with a feather panty from Winston’s mom.

    • Sensei

      It’s a whole series by their editorial writers. For example:

      David Brooks – I Was Wrong About Capitalism

      Bret (Israel is never wrong) Stephens – I Was Wrong About Trump Voters

      • juris imprudent

        Oh I can’t wait for the Tom Friedman one.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        I was receiving my first indigenous blowjob from an aboriginal rentboy under the blistering sun of the Outback when it occurred to me…

      • The Last American Hero

        He’s the J Peterman of columnists.

      • Gustave Lytton

        Needs moar anonymous sage taxi drivers.

      • Sensei

        I Was Wrong About Chinese Censorship

      • Pope Jimbo

        The cab driver in was wrong

    • Bobarian LMD

      In related news, there is now ice skating in hell.

    • Compelled Speechless

      I’m sure it’s purely coincidence, but I’ve noticed a strange trend that the Krug-man only ever admits to being wrong about a previous position when a new narrative is required by his elite globalist paymasters. Never when he’s just demonstrably wrong about basic economic facts or poor predictions he’s made. As I said, I’m sure it’s just a coincidence.

  20. Lackadaisical

    This is my obvious music choice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBRQM0vErH8

    “So come all ye jolly young fellows I’ll have you take warnin by me and when ever your out on the liquor me lads beware of the pretty colleens for they’ll fill you with whisky and porter till you are not able to stand and the very next thing that you know me lads you’ve landed in Van Diemen’s land. ”

    See, even back then they knew not to stick it in crazy.

  21. Rebel Scum

    Father of the year.

    Officers with the Unified Police Department were responding to reports that a male suspect allegedly brandished a firearm at McDonald’s employees due to an incorrect order around 1:30 p.m. local time, and, once officers arrived and began to detain 27-year-old Sadaat Johnson, a child in the backseat of his vehicle fired a gun at the responders.

    In the body-camera footage from the Unified Police Department released to FOX 13 Salt Lake City, officers can be heard telling two distraught children, ages 3 and 4, in the backseat of Johnson’s vehicle, “It’s okay,” after one of the children fired a single shot. …

    A preliminary investigation indicated that the 27-year-old instructed his child to shoot at officers, police said.

  22. Swiss Servator

    “the sorely missed Invisible Furry Hand”

    You can say that again, brother.

  23. hayeksplosives

    Great pics and write-up, Raven!

    Tasmania sounds like it’d make an enjoyable destination, and unique. I wonder if the rare reports of Tasmanian tiger sightings are true; it’d be cool if some of them are still hanging on. Trail cameras have shown that there are far more mountain lions than previously thought in the US, including place they weren’t expected to be.

  24. The Late P Brooks

    Death from above

    Airline executives at Britain’s Farnborough International Airshow are betting on the use of so-called sustainable aviation fuels to reduce their climate impact, saying the technology is already available and can eventually be scaled up to help the industry reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

    Campaigners are urging them to “get real,” however, dismissing the plans as “completely unrealistic” on current growth pathways. Instead, demand management measures are seen as the most effective way for the aviation industry to reduce its near-term climate impact.

    That comes as leaders in the aerospace and defense industry gather in extreme heat at the Farnborough International Airshow, the U.K.’s first major air show since the beginning of the Covid pandemic.

    I’d say demand destruction is going like gangbusters.

    • Rebel Scum

      Setting up for the industry to nosedive like a Boeing.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      demand management measures

      Fucking over the little guy seems to be in vogue.

      • Lackadaisical

        Euphemism of the day award for that turn of phrase.

  25. R C Dean

    The new chandelier for our dining room is installed. Not something I would have ever picked, but I think it looks really nice. Kind of a Frank Lloyd Wright vibe, which gets along well with the Mission(y) furniture otherwise in the area. I put a dimmer switch on it, so its not quite as bright as it looks in this picture.

    No, I didn’t install it myself. First, the ceilings are pretty high. Second, it weights a ton. Third, electricity.

    There are matching pendants that we are going to put over the island in the kitchen, but they need a special fitting, etc.

    • R C Dean

      Meant to add – what really works for this is there is a big picture window in the dining room, and this stays out of the way of the view of the wash behind our house and the Santa Rita mountains in the distance.

    • Rebel Scum

      It’s kindof abstract.

      • R C Dean

        Which is why I wouldn’t have picked it, and also why Mrs. Dean gets what she wants.

    • Mojeaux

      I LOVE THAT.

    • MikeS

      I like the chandelier and the furniture. The Navajo rug has a bit of a Naziho vibe to it, though.

      • R C Dean

        Pendleton blanket. So its got that colonial/white supremacy/smallpox vibe, which I enjoy.

      • MikeS

        👍🏻🧐

    • UnCivilServant

      I…

      I don’t think I’d be able to stand that light fixture. I just want to reorganize the planks so that it’s square, or rectangular – anything even and orderly.

      • R C Dean

        Its actually oddly symmetrical, kind of, in a way. There are two of each of the pieces (I think, there may be one odd one), they are just arranged differently – usually one is vertical in one place, and its match is horizontal in another, at the other end.

      • Rebel Scum

        I’m into rustic as opposed to modern, myself.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      I would have guessed Hubbardton Forge, but I would have guessed wrong.

      • Lackadaisical

        For that price you need to add a monocle to your monocle.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        There is no price you can put on marital bliss.

      • Lackadaisical

        Sure you can, just divide your net worth by 2.

      • R C Dean

        Mrs. Dean doesn’t pay full price.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        Huh, I missed that in the catalog. Nice piece. I put up some of their wall sconces years ago.

      • db

        We had one of their chandeliers on our wish list for our renovation, but when the roof on the house needed sudden replacementg at the same time, our budget wouldn’t allow it. Maybe some day…

    • Lackadaisical

      We have very different styles, but the chairs are baller. Nice pick there.

      • R C Dean

        Also, Mrs. Dean.

    • Name's BEAM. James BEAM.

      Niiiiiiice chandelier. Loves me some complex symmetrics (and LEDs, of course).

    • Pope Jimbo

      The new chandelier for our dining room is installed

      Don’t feel bad, I suck at assembling Ikea shit too.

  26. Rebel Scum

    Petey looks like a Dr. Seuss villain.

    .@RepTroyNehls questions President Biden’s mental state and asks about implementing 25th Amendment: “He falls off bicycles.”

    @SecretaryPete: “I’m glad to have a President who can ride a bicycle. I will look beyond the insulting nature of that question.”

    • Rat on a train

      I’m glad to have a President who can ride a bicycle.
      Apparently not without training wheels.

    • R C Dean

      I’m glad to have a President who can ride a bicycle.

      Talk about your low bars.

      And can he, really?

      • Rat on a train

        Mom, can you drop me off down the street?

      • Compelled Speechless

        I don’t know why, but that stunt where they pull out the bike out of the SUV made me about as mad as anything I’ve seen in politics. It just shows what lying sacks of shit they are. Literally everything they do is shamelessly dishonest.

  27. The Late P Brooks

    Trail cameras have shown that there are far more mountain lions than previously thought in the US, including place they weren’t expected to be.

    That reminds me of the early ’80s in Colorado Springs. The conventional wisdom of the day was there were no mountain lions on the Front Range. But then they started building houses in the foothills around Cheyenne Mountain, and suddenly there were stories on the news about how some woman was looking out her kitchen window when a great big lion hopped the fence and ate her dog.

    • Rebel Scum

      “Frisky Feline Feeds on Fido”

      • MikeS

        ALOL

      • Tres Cool

        “Cougar Hides Bone In Dog”

  28. The Late P Brooks

    Nice, RC.

  29. The Late P Brooks

    I’m glad to have a President who can ride a bicycle.

    That’ll come in handy when there’s no gas for the Presidential limo.

    • Rat on a train

      There will always be enough for the inner party.

    • Rebel Scum

      Old and busted.

      New hotness.

      But they really mean for the proles to suffer. They will have plenty of energy for themselves.

  30. Rebel Scum

    Congress, schmongress.

    Biden climate adviser @ginamccarthy46: “Just because Congress couldn’t get [climate action] done, [President Biden] is going to move forward with every power available to him to make the change in the shift to clean energy because it’s important.”

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      This is equivalent to declaring war on the citizenry.

      They’re betting the opposition starves first. I say we make sure they do.

      • The Other Kevin

        Pretty much. The proles won’t vote for representatives that do what Biden wants, so it’s up to him to force it on us. Just like it says in the Constitution.

      • Rebel Scum

        It’s exceptionally ironic considering the left calls Trump (The Great MAGA King, Sovereign and Protector of the Realm) a fascist/dictator.

    • Fourscore

      He can’t prevent himself from a piss ant cold but he can stop climate changing?

      Oh, he has a mild case, like everyone else, with/without the vaccine. Now I get it.

    • whiz

      … is going to move forward with every power available to him …

      In other words, not do anything. (Right?)

  31. UnCivilServant

    Interviewing is exhausting.

    At least we’ve had one good and one okay candidate of the three we’ve spoken to. Hopefully we’ll fill the position and the person will work out.

  32. The Late P Brooks

    I don’t think I’d be able to stand that light fixture. I just want to reorganize the planks so that it’s square, or rectangular – anything even and orderly.

    *moves UCS’ glass slightly off-center on coaster*

    • R C Dean

      Watched The Accountant on HBO this past weekend. Quite enjoyable, although it turned into a mess at the end.

      If you’ve seen it, you’ll know why this comment reminded me of it.

      • kinnath

        I like that movie.

      • Mojeaux

        #metoo Anna Kendrick is just so adorable. She’s like a favorite stuffed animal you just want to squeeze for comfort.

      • R C Dean

        Concur, but she needs a sammich. Or three.

      • Name's BEAM. James BEAM.

        She’s like a favorite stuffed animal you just want to squeeze for comfort.

        Is it hot in here, or is it just my no-no place?

      • Tres Cool

        Love him and pet him and call him George.

        *Loony Tunes version

      • slumbrew

        I dig that movie a bunch.

        Great little moment when he’s getting into w/ the dude on the farm and just casually cracks him in the face with his belt.

        The “WTF did I get into?” look on the heavy is just great.

        (ISTR someone here knows that fellow).

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      *chuckle*

      My BIL insisted on a full hardwood floor redo (and a very expensive one at that) because he couldn’t tolerate the diagonal layout.

      • Tundra

        I used to work with a guy who would nearly have a nervous breakdown if anything in his office was moved. We had to have a chat more than once with the cleaning crew.

    • pistoffnick

      *moves UCS’ glass slightly off-center on coaster*

      I did some work for a glass making plant in Guangdong, China. They were very big into 6S. My translator had taped areas oultined on his desk for his coffee cup, his calculator…

      To fuck with him, I would move things outside of the outline or occasionally just rearrange all the things on his desk. It drove him nuts.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        More music and Les Nessman!

    • Pope Jimbo

      I used to have an underling who was unable to control his OCD very well.

      He’d sneak into my office to set the time on my coffee pot because he couldn’t stand the little blinking light that indicated it hadn’t been set. So of course I had to unplug it anytime I noticed just to watch his facial tics start up again.

      • UnCivilServant

        Such lack of appreciation for small favors. Tsk, Tsk, Jimbo.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        I like you Pope, you’re my kind of guy.

      • Pope Jimbo

        So you will kill me last?

      • Fatty Bolger

        He’s saying stick around.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        I don’t make promises.

      • juris imprudent

        The daily ray of sunshine is penance for you, isn’t it?

      • Pope Jimbo

        For so many things. And it will never be enough.

      • MikeS

        This is how you shitlord!

  33. pistoffnick

    As most of you know, I hail from Australia…

    … “Ahhh! you come from a land down under
    Where women glow and men plunder.
    Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder?
    You better run, you better take cover”

    Nice write-up Raven Nation!

      • Tundra

        Excellent choice.

      • rhywun

        Love the Go-Betweens.

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        Wonder how egould is.

      • Tundra

        That whole album is amazing.

      • Plisade

        ^^^

      • Tundra

        Reptile.

        I was at this show. The old Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. Amazing venue.

      • Plisade

        SoCal beach bonfire music… Fond memories.

      • Timeloose

        You and I have to hang out Tundra. By the way did you see the music cruise with the weirdest assortment of bands including the Church. It almost made me want to taka cruise…almost.

        http://www.clubdevo.com/2022/03/25/devo-at-the-80s-cruise-2023/

        Devo, The Church, Brett Michaels, and Kim Wilde.

      • slumbrew

        https://the80scruise.com/

        DEVO BRET MICHAELS THE CHURCH KIM WILDE MORRIS DAY AND THE TIME HOWARD JONES LIVING COLOUR

        HOSTED BY ORIGINAL MTV VJS
        NINA BLACKWOOD MARK GOODMAN ALAN HUNTER

        ALSO STARRING
        Jessie’s Girl World’s Best 80s Band Jody Watley The Smithereens With Guest Vocalist Marshall Crenshaw Vixen Cutting Crew Midge Ure John Parr Autograph China Crisis Tone Loc EXTC Trial By Fire

        That’s a… ridiculous? amazing? ridiculously amazing? lineup.

      • Timeloose

        I know, I thought it was some kind of a joke at first.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        Morris Day and Living Colour?????

        I’ve never wanted to take a cruise until now.

      • The Other Kevin

        Smithereens? Midge Ure?

      • slumbrew

        Not just the Smithereens – The Smithereens With Guest Vocalist Marshall Crenshaw

        !?

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        He can’t stand to see them sad?

      • Toxteth O'Grady

        No Martha Quinn?

      • Nephilium

        Recently I learned that there’s a Flogging Molly cruise as well.

        Unfortunately, they’re requiring fully vaxxed and boosted.

      • Tundra

        Lol. That’s bizarre. Not good enough for me to get on a cruise ship, however!

        I actually skipped the Church when they came through in May. It’s down to just Kilbey from the original lineup and it’s not the same anymore.

      • juris imprudent

        Under either your link or TO’G’s there was this. Enjoy.

      • slumbrew

        That was seriously funny – thanks, JI!

      • MikeS

        *apprehensively clicks*

        /hmmm…a Sheila on bass. OK, I’ll give them a shot

      • rhywun

        Heh.

        They’re very shoegaze. I like shoegaze.

  34. Draw Me Like One of Your Tulpae, Jack

    That is spec-fucking-tacular! I bet there’s some great fishing charters too!

    • Pope Jimbo

      Man, this water skiing tour of the great barrier reef is so cheap!

      Why are you tying my hands to the tow rope? How come my life jacket seems to have a huge fishhook attached to it?

      Hold on! Those other guys on the boat all say they are here for some Great White Shark fishing!

  35. Plisade

    But were you able to buy Rise Up Lights? You know, so you could shave?

    • Plisade

      Maybe you ate some Straw Breeze?

  36. db

    I’m in a meeting right now listening to our corporate government affairs guy talk about climate change and how the government is going to implement a CO2 tax and how “vitally important” it is that we protect our “spaceship earth.”

    He’s proposing we look at energy recovery projects.

    As if we haven’t done this a dozen times in the last decade, and found that they aren’t even remotely financially feasible.

    But Our Corporate Parent and he will work to get Uncle Sugar to reach into everyone else’s pockets to help fund these…

    It’s all I can do right now not to drop from the meeting and submit my resignation.

    • trshmnstr the terrible

      I was in a meeting today where I had to pretend that pulling power levels from servers and calculating CO2 emissions by multiplying by data from national emission factor tables was a cool and useful innovation. “But they can see what their* emissions levels are!”

      *not really, it’s a laughably uninformed model

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        OFFS

        We already have a metric for energy consumption, it’s called money.

      • db

        yuuuuuuuup.

      • Rebel Scum

        Sounds like a fun waste of time. Not.

    • db

      They have a 2030 goal of 30% reduction of CO2 emissions and a 2050 goal of zero CO2 emissions.

      Might as well shut our entire manufacturing business down because that ain’t happening. Do it now and sell CO2 emissions credits based on our projected emissions until 2050.

      • db

        Heh Heh heh! I forced our environmental manager into the position of telling the government affairs guy that carbon capture projects are going to be too expensive to implement within or outside of that timeline.

  37. The Last American Hero

    I kept waiting for the part of the article about that onion thing, but it never happened.

  38. Sensei

    The Bee is killing it.

    Jan. 6 Committee Announces There Will Be Another Bonus Hearing After The Credits

    Biden Races To Sniff One Last Girl Before Losing Sense Of Smell From COVID

    • The Other Kevin

      They’re exceptionally spice today:

      White House Clarifies That Biden Only Claimed To Have Cancer Due To His Dementia

      Brutal: Biden Contracts COVID Just One Day After Miraculous Recovery From Cancer

      White House Reassures Nation That The Person Actually Running The Country Is Still Healthy

  39. Gender Traitor

    ::peruses map of Tasmania. Notices Hartz Mountains National Park SW of Geeveston:: Is that where all the flea and tick collars come from?

    Seriously, thanks for the great travelogue, especially the lovely photos! BTW, I think Port Arthur has been featured on Mysteries of the Abandoned.

      • Gender Traitor

        That doesn’t sound nearly as picturesque. 😞

      • Sensei

        Bug infested marsh. But utopia, before mankind spoiled it.

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey_Meadowlands

        Before European settlement, the area consisted of several diverse ecosystems based on freshwater, brackish water, and saltwater environments. Large areas were covered by forests. Considered by residents of the area through the centuries as wastelands, the Meadowlands were systematically subject to various kinds of human intervention.

    • The Other Kevin

      They’re going to crack down on the people filming and writing about the homelessness and crime.

  40. Grosspatzer

    Beautiful, thanks for this, RN. The “more obscure” version of that song is terrific as well.