That socialist part is a big negative. Here in Hobart they are trying to outlaw Airbnb. The claim is Airbnb (where I am staying) is taking too many housing units off the long term market, and since housing is a right, "they" must be stopped. This from an article in the local paper written (of course) by a professor. We are enjoying our time here, but it is a long way from my favorite country.

If so, they must have increased the wine taxes since I was there 3 years ago. Wine was a bargain compared to spirits and beer then. I had to make overseas trips every 3 months to keep my visa alive and I always bought spirits in duty free to last a while- not being a heavy user of spirits.
I think it's as you originally implied: Government stealing all they can manage, not puritanism. Aussies are anything but Puritans. There is even a Sex Political Party ;^)
However, that doesn't mean that many aren't socialists, they are. That is the main thing I have against Australians (and 50% of Americans, and 99% of American politicians.)

How is $85 for 700ml of cheap vodka? One does not have to infer the intent, the intent is freely touted. Even Aussie wines are highly taxed. My wife is French, we cannot have a meal without wine. These people have more than a touch of puritan still alive and well.

Beer has been heavily taxed for about 10 years. Wine industry got a break when taxes were increased, and Aussie wine is better than the beer. Stick with wine. Are you going to South Australia or Victoria? I can recommend great wineries in both states if you want to visit. Let me know and I will check my tasting notes.

The high prices are a direct action to intentionally reduce consumption. Other prices, though higher than US, are "normal" in context. Even Tasmania beer, for example, is $4 per standard can of beer --- though I did see it on sale of a 6-pack for $25. No joke. Like one for a dime, two for a quarter.

I got the impression that they were hoping salt rejection worked out in practice. Lots of potential slippage between the cup and the lip...

At least they still use sugar instead of the gawd awful corn syrup dreck. The soft drinks taste so bad here in America the government doesn't have to tax them to cut consumption;^)
Bring back original coca cola with sugar and un-floridated Atlanta water!

Have you tried out the Tassie wines yet? They had some good ones when I visited 20 years ago, and the Tassie people are the nicest I have ever met. Wine taxes are lower than other alcoholic beverages, too.
But Tassie has the weakest economy in Australia. Less appealing weather I suspect has an effect.

The high prices you are experiencing are more obvious to you now than they were in much of the past 30 years because the USD has lost so much value compared to the AUD. (It was even worse 5 years ago when gold was higher and the AUD was worth more than the USD.) Australia was relatively cheap for Americans in the 80's and 90's; not any more.

You have to realize that providing the same services for only 22 million people in a place the size of the continental 48 states is going to be higher per capita than for 300 million people. America has economies of scale that Oz does not have, and Tassie, as an island, has a geographical disadvantage, too.

Ha, maybe that is where the geniuses in Seattle got their infamous "sugar tax". If the Aussies can do it, we can! More loot for us! Does Australia have a big social system to support, like free health care, and support payments for the emotionally distressed? I thought Aussies were pretty down to earth....

I happen to be in Tasmania, Australia at the moment. Water is about the only beverage that does not have outlandish taxes. The reason is the government has decided you should not drink much in the way of soft drinks, beer, wine and --- spirits. The prices are several times the price in Arizona. Thank you government.

My point is that I have seen nothing from the drug industry but " we can help your type Z diabetes, side effects include heart failure, liver failure, cancer, brain damage, sterility, stupidity and stroke. Your mileage may vary". Every drug ad now comes with a 50% of ad worth of disclaimers listing a long list of nasty, debilitating side effects. They make their money in getting you on one drug, then others to treat the side effects, and it starts a long chain, which is why you have people taking 10-20 pills a day and spending thousands a month. Cancer treatment is a particularly nasty cottage industry, when there is a possibility of a non effecting drug that can eliminate it with no side effects, except you just can't have that highball. Sounds good to me.
https://theacropolisnow.wordpress.com...



Most pharmaceutical companies won’t invest in this type of treatment because there’s no patent protection for Antabuse. The drug is already FDA approved and has been in the market for over 60 years. But if Bartek’s pending trials prove to be successful, Antabuse can be prescribed as an inexpensive addition to traditional anti-cancer therapies, giving oncologists the chance to land two hits for the price of one.

Heres another take on the question:

https://www.sott.net/article/228583-S...

I'm sorry, but my take is the FDA is corrupt, and the drug industry owns medical treatments, and is designed to only milk the patient of as much as possible before they die. Just my interpretation of the data I have run into the last 20 years. My personal experience was a doctor wanting me to take blood pressure medicine, and HDL reducer, I found a natural supplement that has reduced both.

Indeed.

Ironic indeed, but if it can function it A) is immediately useful in many places with contaminated drinking water, and b) on an industrial scale maybe can make areas currently unusable, usable, and allow for irrigation. Pretty significant. However, the irony is acknowledged, but maybe unlike State Science, these guys actually have some useful neurons available...

From the video transcript: "Our graphene membrane enables 100% salt rejection as well as 100% rejection of household contaminants such as detergents and oil without fouling which was tested for over many days." Seems pretty concrete to me...although how graphene can do this is beyond my meager understanding.

Exactly.

This is an application of "reverse osmosis", where you apply pressure to water so it passes through a membrane that is fine enough that solvates such as salt - and lots of other material - is blocked.
The question, as always, is economic feasibility. Is this method with graphene cheaper than existing methods, based on reverse osmosis or any other existing methodology.

Oncologists are free to use the drug and do not have to obey the FDA on use in cancer treatment. Don't put all the blame on the FDA and drug companies. The drug is safe to use though dangerous with ethanol usage.

When humanity uses its brains and not its emotions the world truly becomes a Garden of Eden. Salt water becomes pure, deserts bloom environments are changed to accommodate. The earth becomes a paradise of plenty. Just think, if it weren't for greed, envy and laziness, There would never be a need for any human to kill any other human.

I think the rejection of dissolved salt in water wasnt claimed, and probably cant happen. It would be a great discovery if it worked, though.

That's hilarously ironic, to compare such an invention to John Galt's motor. This membrane came out of the Government-owned CSIRO, which is Australia's real-life equivalent of the State Science Institute in Atlas Shrugged.

But in contrast to the unproductive State Science Institute, CSIRO has been known for numerous inventions over the years, one of the most famous of which is the underlying technology enabling computer WiFi networking.

WOW. That's awesome (assuming everything is as advertised). This is a game-changer around the world - or could be. Clean water has been one of the biggest health challenges humankind has ever known.

Graphene has nothing to do with graphite.. easy leap to make, but it's not at all similar. Graphene is a sheet of carbon atoms arrayed in a very thin membrane. It's closer to a silicon/plastic type of substance, but is extremely strong. Much stronger than steel of equal thickness and practically weightless.

The space elevator that is being talked about would use a graphene ribbon as a tether - satellite placed in geostationary orbit, graphene tether connects the satellite to the earth (not sure how much foundation would be needed for that!) and a vehicle travels back & forth on the ribbon to the satellite/station at the other end. To/from orbit with very little fuel expended.

Maybe, but I am just too disgusted with the whole lost opportunity and watching the train wreck from the inside thing. Here is the latest hit:

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/in...

You should write a book, nick.

Ohh, the stories I could tell you. There are some real reasons it has tanked, mainly because it is infected with the same stuff as outside now.

I consulted at Intel 35 years ago and it was a privilege to work with the smart people there. For more than 20 years after that they made Moore's law true. After Moore and Grove stepped aside Intel's progress has crawled barely forward.