“If a hypersonic missile is launched at nuclear submarines, what is the process for informing and evacuating the residents?” Latoya asks.

They wouldn't bother wasting money on a hypersonic missile at a submarine in port

Submarines are slow as is and if it's in a port it's essentially a stationary target, a couple cheap submarine drones would take it out like drones vs a turtle tank:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6OG1myGedwc

or Ukrainian sea drones targeting Russian oil tankers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9POEWcwNoOw

With that said

We are unwillingly living on the frontline

I don't know why but this comes across as such a bitch complaint to me, like living next to a live music venue and complaining about the noise

Protect our borders from who?

What credible threat do you see to Australia’s borders?

We are one of the top 20 strongest militaries on the planet. We can defend ourselves from almost anyone, not that they even have the means to reach our shores.

That only leaves China, and they have no intention of invading us. So why are we risking our safety by being tied to America, how many Australians have died in their wars?

Question is how to protect our national borders without the (admittedly now shaky) protective umbrella of the United States Military and it's associated technology and industrial base.

I'd love a national reallignment along this vein, but it seems the majority of Australians, especially defense personnel, are comfortable in the status quo with near total reliance on the US. I'd love to move away from the US in terms of defense system independence. Not only because its better for Australia's sovereignty, but if we have a more effective military, we can be a more effective ally. Until that happens we're just a US lackey, with similar uses to the gangly friend of a school bully.

One of the first ones comes from local mother Latoya Voogt.

She prefaces her question by referencing a recent Four Corners investigation that discussed the heightened risk of an attack on Australian bases with US nuclear submarines in port.

"If a hypersonic missile is launched at nuclear submarines, what is the process for informing and evacuating the residents?" Latoya asks.

A mid-shot of Rockingham resident Latoya Voogt posing for a photo indoors in a black top. Rockingham resident Latoya Voogt is worried about the area becoming a target for attack. (ABC News: Rhiannon Shine)

"We are unwillingly living on the frontline." Vice Admiral Jonathan Mead responds by saying the nuclear-powered submarines are all about making Australia safer.

"The reason Australia is embarking on a capability that has such incredible flexibility and stealth is actually to defend Australia, protect our people, and to ensure our prosperity is maintained," he says.

"We live in a region that is deteriorating by the year. We're seeing a number of countries blatantly disregarding the rules-based order.

"These submarines are designed to prevent an adversary from attacking Australia."

Unsatisfied with the response, Latoya repeats her question about what the plan is for informing residents of an emergency.

She's eventually told that people would get alerts and information through the police, in the same way they do when there is a bushfire emergency.

Military goes to community for respectful community consultation and engagement, military fucks up simple task by being dismissive shithead to community member, asking an easily answerable programmatic question.

We need to get America out of Australia.

HMAS Stirling has been there for 50 years. I lived/went to school down that way. I remember in the Cold War days saying that we'd never know about World War 3, as a nuke would take out the Naval Base on day 1.

So it's a bit rich for anyone to be saying that the base is making them feel less safe today. It's been a legitimate military target my whole life.

Thankfully the party buses don't get off the I-5. At least not in IB.

it’s just turned summer

Been summer for 25 days now, so nearly a third of the way through the season. But yeah, it's hot.

Not everywhere in Aus though. Reached 35 last week here in Brisbane, but only 30 today. And down in Melbourne, today is only 15 (59 F). It even snowed yesterday (Christmas day) in parts of Tasmania.

I had to look up Imperial Beach, CA just in case you were making some kind of metric/imperial joke 😂

Border town hey? Looks like a nice spot from the google maps photos. Right next to the party town Tijuana! Must get a lot of party buses/limos through there.

For driving, it depends on the condition of the snow/ice. Is it deep snow, packed snow, solid ice, slush (half melted snow), etc. Generally speaking though, you get winter tires that give better traction on snow/ice and drive slower. The more icy it is, the slower you want to be, because when you try to turn or stop, you may just slide instead. You can also get studded tires that have little spikes in them to give better traction on ice, and chains you can put on/take off when you're going through mixed conditions (ie driving up to the mountains to go skiing, but the roads are dry in the lowlands).

Same idea with walking, you wear boots that have better traction, and walk very carefully. Soft snow isn't much of an issue traction-wise, but exhausting to trudge through if it's deep. If you need traction on ice, you can get spikes that strap to your boots (crampons), they work great.

It was about 105f in Perth yesterday. It reached 115f at my friend's place a bit to the northeast.

Dunno about Denmark, but in the US snowshoes used to be a thing, but someone basically made footwear chains for our shoes and boots to give traction, much like the chains we put on our winter tires. They're called Yaktrax

I'm pretty sure that they are close to 100 degrees F.

65°F/, 18⅓° C here in Imperial Beach, California

Sugar, water, food dye, a flavouring (for the fancy ones), all frozen together.

wow. near the great lakes in the us and pretty much the same temp.

icey poles.. fruit pops?

Ugh, I did a conversion.. Yaah.. that's 105⁰ farenheits.. That's Phoenix, Arizona hot. (Been there once as a kid, back in the early '70's.) Can only imagine what it's like now. Ugh. Hard pass. My own coastal temperate forest brain shudders at that.

I want to ask dumb questions about how do you drive in snow/ ice conditions. In fact how do you even walk as in what footwear do you have? I have never experienced snow.

Dry heat :)

Where the rain evaporates before it hits the ground and simply makes it humid.

It’s only for the holidays. Back to Philippines where I used to live before moving to Australia. Be back in Perth in January to enjoy the dry heat.

30 is hot. 41 is incomprehensible. Shudder.

My coastal rainforest brain cannot grok.

Beers on ice for the adults, icey poles for the kids.

It's mild for us, left the build-up to come down to Perth.

Tasty lunch, and then aircon with ice-water whilst listening to live carols played on a double bass.

All round enjoyable day with family.