Greets to you, oh Rambling Masses,
One particular piece of behavioural oddness that strikes me at the moment is the Rambling Masses' and the Rambling Media's obsession with all things David Beckham. For God's sake - he's only a football player.
Everyone is going on about what an amazing guy he is, how giving he is, how kind he is, blah, blah, blah...
Did I miss something? Why are we all queueing up to kiss his ring? Let's just put it into perspective - he gets paid hundreds of millions of dollars to play games in front of a crowd. He's the one that should be abasing himself in front of us and thanking us all for paying him more than anyone on this planet is worth.
This Cult of Personality thing is really an incredible bore. Get over it. When he finds the cure for cancer, then come and talk to me.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Democrazy In Australia II - AWA-nce Australia Fair
Hello Rambling Masses,
Thank you tfk for your comment that you left regarding my last post (Democrazy In Australia). It raises a few interesting points about AWAs which I wasn't going to get into, but you have inspired me to tackle them. Your comment was:
I agree with you that there were inherent inflexibilities in the pre-AWA IR system. For a start, Unfair Dismissal laws could be a great burden to business. It was next to impossible to fire someone for genuine reasons, and this led to much trouble. Larger companies were often forced to hide their inept/lazy/unproductive/dishonest/militant employees in a "safe" role somewhere out of the way so they couldn't continue to cause problems. Smaller companies were simply in huge trouble, because they had nowhere to hide said employees, and often couldn't afford to put on more staff.
Further to this, the Collective Bargaining structure of the unions quite often meant that there would be wages blowouts as sectors followed each other - "oh the so-and-so workers got a 7% pay rise - we want that too". Some unions were waaaay too powerful - I lost count of the number of times that the docks were used to hold Australia to ransom as the unions continued to reach their hands way too far into the owners' pockets. Many industries were losing their competitive advantage as a result of impractical, self-serving and irresponsible union thuggery and bloody-mindedness.
In my humble opinion, everything in life should be about balance. This holds true also for Industrial Relations in this country. There have been times when the unions have held way too much power, and there have been times when the owners of capital have held way too much power. It is my considered opinion that AWAs are the thin end of the wedge that will drive the Australian workforce into a new age of slavery.
In the industry I work in (Electrical Engineering), like in most professional sectors, there is no union representation. I have never belonged to a union, and most probably never will. From my first day out of university, my pay and conditions have always been individually negotiated between myself and my employer, so I guess you could say that I have always been on AWAs, even a decade and a half before they existed as a structured IR system.
In the early years of your employment life, this usually means you get taken advantage of because you don't have a clear understanding of your worth, have imperfect communication skills, and/or lack the confidence to engage in dialogue with your employer. This is a major problem with AWAs and individual bargaining.
It is an even greater problem for those people who will never have the skills required to engage their employers and negotiate pay and conditions for themselves. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these people are either working in low skilled industries or industries where they have very little bargaining power for one reason or another. This small bargaining power also manifests itself in so-called "popular" industries, where the supply of workers far outstrips the demand. As a result, the divide between the haves and the have-nots will manifest itself in ever greater imbalances within the employment landscape.
As the broader economic environment plays out the standard business cycle oscillations, along with non-cyclical factors such as the anticipated dampening of demand from India and China, the continued weakness of the American dollar, and the much-anticipated though oft unspoken point of Peak Oil world oil production, there will be greater and greater pressure placed on corporations (especially those who are responsible to shareholders to continue to deliver profit above all other considerations).
Now, I've been searching for a long while, and I've yet to find a publicly listed corporation that actually gives a wet slap about its employees, about its customers, or about inconvenient things such as a social conscience or the environmental impact of unsustainable and polluting practices, unless it has a nett positive effect on the bottom line profit figures. So, with greater economic strain, the companies will go on a huge raping, murdering and pillaging spree across the Australian employment landscape, and AWAs will provide them with the almost limitless power to do as they please.
Government won't intervene, because they want big business to continue to provide all of those good things to society that they've been delivering for decades - mass produced cars, cheap TVs, and all the panoply of sparkly glittering things that keep the electorate docile enough to keep chasing the carrot on the stick instead of asking the important and difficult questions of their leaders that need to be asked.
Unions, once too powerful for their own good but now just a shadow of their former glory, will have no legislatively protected or endorsed power whatsoever, and so, with a whimper, the Australian labour force will bite down on the wooden coathanger and take it like a man...
Corporations and other capitalist entities have had well in advance of 50 years to develop a social conscience, to develop a responsible and accountable approach towards their impact on society and the environment, and they've most certainly not succeeded unless they've been dragged kicking and screaming through the courts and forced to do it. To assume that they will "do the right thing" by the Australian workers, when the temptation and opportunity are there to screw them in favour of greater profit margins, is very much a naive skip down the yellow brick road.
So, tfk, I am sorry, but I cannot agree with you that AWAs provide greater flexibility than the old IR system, despite the fact that this is the oft-touted argument for AWAs. It has little to do with flexibility, and a lot more to do with destruction of the balance between worker and capital owner, greatly in favour of the capital owner. I am sure that a struggling father of 3 kids, forced to give up his penalty rates, forced to work longer hours to make up for the lower wages, hardly seeing the kids grow up, missing all of those precious moments that are the icing on life's cake, putting almost unbearable strain on the family relationships, would love to talk to you about flexibility. Sure, more flexibility for the employer, no flexibility for the worker.
In this current unprecedented economic boom, with unemployment at near-record lows, the average worker who feels unduly pressured by the bite of AWAs into their pay and conditions has the "flexibility" to find another job. When the economic purse strings are tightened during tougher times, this door too will be closed, and the worker will be left with little or no recourse.
By no means am I advocating a return to the days of high-power unions running roughshod over business, ultimately harming the workers that they are supposed to be representing, and holding Australian businesses and consumers to ransom in the process. My fear is that this may happen if Labor wins the election without having to rely on at least a couple of sane voices in the Senate keeping them in check.
What I will say is that AWAs strip away any possible safety net that the average Australian worker has, leaving them open to a return to the Industrial Revolution days of sweat shops, terrible working conditions, lousy pay, and a subjugated underclass. Which, I guess, is exactly what the Beige Howards of this world would love, since big business would continue to piss in their pockets for handing it all to them on a silver platter.
Thank you tfk for your comment that you left regarding my last post (Democrazy In Australia). It raises a few interesting points about AWAs which I wasn't going to get into, but you have inspired me to tackle them. Your comment was:
Economics 101Firstly, I don't recall mentioning anywhere in my blog post anything at all about an IR system being able to prevent a serious international downturn. The two don't even have a causal relationship, so it is impossible, much in the same way that a Federal Government can't dictate interest rate policy to the RBA...
No IR system will prevent a serious international downturn. You can have an IR system that is flexible enough to moderate wage rises - or even allow for wage cuts - or an inflexible one in which you lose your job entirely.
I agree with you that there were inherent inflexibilities in the pre-AWA IR system. For a start, Unfair Dismissal laws could be a great burden to business. It was next to impossible to fire someone for genuine reasons, and this led to much trouble. Larger companies were often forced to hide their inept/lazy/unproductive/dishonest/militant employees in a "safe" role somewhere out of the way so they couldn't continue to cause problems. Smaller companies were simply in huge trouble, because they had nowhere to hide said employees, and often couldn't afford to put on more staff.
Further to this, the Collective Bargaining structure of the unions quite often meant that there would be wages blowouts as sectors followed each other - "oh the so-and-so workers got a 7% pay rise - we want that too". Some unions were waaaay too powerful - I lost count of the number of times that the docks were used to hold Australia to ransom as the unions continued to reach their hands way too far into the owners' pockets. Many industries were losing their competitive advantage as a result of impractical, self-serving and irresponsible union thuggery and bloody-mindedness.
In my humble opinion, everything in life should be about balance. This holds true also for Industrial Relations in this country. There have been times when the unions have held way too much power, and there have been times when the owners of capital have held way too much power. It is my considered opinion that AWAs are the thin end of the wedge that will drive the Australian workforce into a new age of slavery.
In the industry I work in (Electrical Engineering), like in most professional sectors, there is no union representation. I have never belonged to a union, and most probably never will. From my first day out of university, my pay and conditions have always been individually negotiated between myself and my employer, so I guess you could say that I have always been on AWAs, even a decade and a half before they existed as a structured IR system.
In the early years of your employment life, this usually means you get taken advantage of because you don't have a clear understanding of your worth, have imperfect communication skills, and/or lack the confidence to engage in dialogue with your employer. This is a major problem with AWAs and individual bargaining.
It is an even greater problem for those people who will never have the skills required to engage their employers and negotiate pay and conditions for themselves. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these people are either working in low skilled industries or industries where they have very little bargaining power for one reason or another. This small bargaining power also manifests itself in so-called "popular" industries, where the supply of workers far outstrips the demand. As a result, the divide between the haves and the have-nots will manifest itself in ever greater imbalances within the employment landscape.
As the broader economic environment plays out the standard business cycle oscillations, along with non-cyclical factors such as the anticipated dampening of demand from India and China, the continued weakness of the American dollar, and the much-anticipated though oft unspoken point of Peak Oil world oil production, there will be greater and greater pressure placed on corporations (especially those who are responsible to shareholders to continue to deliver profit above all other considerations).
Now, I've been searching for a long while, and I've yet to find a publicly listed corporation that actually gives a wet slap about its employees, about its customers, or about inconvenient things such as a social conscience or the environmental impact of unsustainable and polluting practices, unless it has a nett positive effect on the bottom line profit figures. So, with greater economic strain, the companies will go on a huge raping, murdering and pillaging spree across the Australian employment landscape, and AWAs will provide them with the almost limitless power to do as they please.
Government won't intervene, because they want big business to continue to provide all of those good things to society that they've been delivering for decades - mass produced cars, cheap TVs, and all the panoply of sparkly glittering things that keep the electorate docile enough to keep chasing the carrot on the stick instead of asking the important and difficult questions of their leaders that need to be asked.
Unions, once too powerful for their own good but now just a shadow of their former glory, will have no legislatively protected or endorsed power whatsoever, and so, with a whimper, the Australian labour force will bite down on the wooden coathanger and take it like a man...
Corporations and other capitalist entities have had well in advance of 50 years to develop a social conscience, to develop a responsible and accountable approach towards their impact on society and the environment, and they've most certainly not succeeded unless they've been dragged kicking and screaming through the courts and forced to do it. To assume that they will "do the right thing" by the Australian workers, when the temptation and opportunity are there to screw them in favour of greater profit margins, is very much a naive skip down the yellow brick road.
So, tfk, I am sorry, but I cannot agree with you that AWAs provide greater flexibility than the old IR system, despite the fact that this is the oft-touted argument for AWAs. It has little to do with flexibility, and a lot more to do with destruction of the balance between worker and capital owner, greatly in favour of the capital owner. I am sure that a struggling father of 3 kids, forced to give up his penalty rates, forced to work longer hours to make up for the lower wages, hardly seeing the kids grow up, missing all of those precious moments that are the icing on life's cake, putting almost unbearable strain on the family relationships, would love to talk to you about flexibility. Sure, more flexibility for the employer, no flexibility for the worker.
In this current unprecedented economic boom, with unemployment at near-record lows, the average worker who feels unduly pressured by the bite of AWAs into their pay and conditions has the "flexibility" to find another job. When the economic purse strings are tightened during tougher times, this door too will be closed, and the worker will be left with little or no recourse.
By no means am I advocating a return to the days of high-power unions running roughshod over business, ultimately harming the workers that they are supposed to be representing, and holding Australian businesses and consumers to ransom in the process. My fear is that this may happen if Labor wins the election without having to rely on at least a couple of sane voices in the Senate keeping them in check.
What I will say is that AWAs strip away any possible safety net that the average Australian worker has, leaving them open to a return to the Industrial Revolution days of sweat shops, terrible working conditions, lousy pay, and a subjugated underclass. Which, I guess, is exactly what the Beige Howards of this world would love, since big business would continue to piss in their pockets for handing it all to them on a silver platter.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Democrazy In Australia
Hello Rambling Masses,
Here I sit, blogging away on the eve of the federal election in Australia. I think firstly that there is no possible way that I am ever going to vote for Beige Howard, the Liberal Party, or the steaming turd that is their policies of inaction, floating on top of the sewerage pit that is modern Australian politics.
Prior to the election campaign that has done so much to prove that the modern developed world has no depth or direction whatsoever, I thought that I might vote Labor. However, 4-odd weeks of campaigning has proved to me beyond a doubt that the Media Whore and the Labor party that he leads has very little to offer by way of actual policy or direction for this once-great country of ours.
It amazes me somewhat that I am actually going to vote Green. I used to think that The Greens were a bunch of reactionary extremists with no real view on anything beyond the environment. In fact, a rather funny quote used to spring to mind - "I used to think that The Greens were a watermelon - green on the outside, and red on the inside, but I now know that they are an avocado - hard green on the outside, soft green on the inside, with a brown nut in the middle". However, largely through the leadership of Senator Bob Brown, I have changed my mind about The Greens.
For a start, they are pretty well the only party that has ignored spin in favour of substance, and has stuck their neck out and made some actual policy statements on the issues that really matter - the environment, Kyoto, concrete emission targets, opposition to the Gunns pulp mill in Tassie, and other green policy domains. However, where they've really stood out is in their mature policy approach to all matters that affect Australians in this day and age. They have a genuine plan for pulling Australian troops out of an American colonial war that we should never have entered. They have a preference towards spending on services and infrastructure, instead of giving away $34 billion worth of tax cuts (which will go to the banks when interest rates go up and up and up).
If we don't remove the AWA's from the employment landscape, then we will all pay for it dearly. Things might be running along tickety-boo at the moment, but as soon as China and India falter economically (which surely they will in the next 5 years or so, without a doubt), and as soon as this grossly over-inflated resource boom chokes and dies, then we will be left with the mighty corporations who have the power to shaft you, me, and everyone else when they start to feel the pinch. "Fair Go" Ombudsman my arse. We will all be well and truly screwed. Still, if the majority of Australians actually vote for that Liberal asshole, we will have deserved the reaping of the harvest we have sown...
My only hope is that Labor wins the election, for they are the lesser of two evils in the current political environment, and The Greens have the balance of power in the Senate.
Beige Howard has gone into the prior two elections with the grand sweeping statements that his government is responsible for the economic strength of Australia. I can't believe how stupid the electorate has been to believe him. A deranged baboon could have run the country and achieved as much. In a time when the world economy is doing so well, and when the international resources boom is driving ridiculous amounts of demand, there is no way that Australia could have been grossly economically mismanaged, and still not come out smelling like the proverbial rose. To take the credit for this, and to win the last election on a promise to keep interest rates low, is the ultimate in political spin. The constant emphasis on the economy above any other policy is one of the most shortsighted and arrogant political initiatives of any age, and it gets my blood boiling. We are standing upon the threshold of a pivotal moment in human history, when the very survival of the human race and thousands of species that we co-exist with are threatened, and all this anachronistic shithead can think about is the economy and how wonderful it is that we are all buying plasma screens and new cars...
My concern is that when the mining companies dig 1.6km below the deserts of Australia, they will find Beige Howard's head, buried deep in the sand. They won't be able to export him as a resource, because the rest of the world already has their quota of narrow-minded ineffectual leaders who choose inaction instead of genuine policy at a time when the world needs leadership and a departure from capitalist vested interests.
My other concern is that a proctologist will find Beige Howard's head buried deep inside his own anus, the irony of discovering a modern-day ouroboros won't be appreciated, and the joys of the infinite stupidity of man will be overlooked.
If Beige Howard wins this election, I will have lost all faith in the political system and in the intelligence of the average Australian voter.
I hear that New Zealand is a nice place to live...
Here I sit, blogging away on the eve of the federal election in Australia. I think firstly that there is no possible way that I am ever going to vote for Beige Howard, the Liberal Party, or the steaming turd that is their policies of inaction, floating on top of the sewerage pit that is modern Australian politics.
Prior to the election campaign that has done so much to prove that the modern developed world has no depth or direction whatsoever, I thought that I might vote Labor. However, 4-odd weeks of campaigning has proved to me beyond a doubt that the Media Whore and the Labor party that he leads has very little to offer by way of actual policy or direction for this once-great country of ours.
It amazes me somewhat that I am actually going to vote Green. I used to think that The Greens were a bunch of reactionary extremists with no real view on anything beyond the environment. In fact, a rather funny quote used to spring to mind - "I used to think that The Greens were a watermelon - green on the outside, and red on the inside, but I now know that they are an avocado - hard green on the outside, soft green on the inside, with a brown nut in the middle". However, largely through the leadership of Senator Bob Brown, I have changed my mind about The Greens.
For a start, they are pretty well the only party that has ignored spin in favour of substance, and has stuck their neck out and made some actual policy statements on the issues that really matter - the environment, Kyoto, concrete emission targets, opposition to the Gunns pulp mill in Tassie, and other green policy domains. However, where they've really stood out is in their mature policy approach to all matters that affect Australians in this day and age. They have a genuine plan for pulling Australian troops out of an American colonial war that we should never have entered. They have a preference towards spending on services and infrastructure, instead of giving away $34 billion worth of tax cuts (which will go to the banks when interest rates go up and up and up).
If we don't remove the AWA's from the employment landscape, then we will all pay for it dearly. Things might be running along tickety-boo at the moment, but as soon as China and India falter economically (which surely they will in the next 5 years or so, without a doubt), and as soon as this grossly over-inflated resource boom chokes and dies, then we will be left with the mighty corporations who have the power to shaft you, me, and everyone else when they start to feel the pinch. "Fair Go" Ombudsman my arse. We will all be well and truly screwed. Still, if the majority of Australians actually vote for that Liberal asshole, we will have deserved the reaping of the harvest we have sown...
My only hope is that Labor wins the election, for they are the lesser of two evils in the current political environment, and The Greens have the balance of power in the Senate.
Beige Howard has gone into the prior two elections with the grand sweeping statements that his government is responsible for the economic strength of Australia. I can't believe how stupid the electorate has been to believe him. A deranged baboon could have run the country and achieved as much. In a time when the world economy is doing so well, and when the international resources boom is driving ridiculous amounts of demand, there is no way that Australia could have been grossly economically mismanaged, and still not come out smelling like the proverbial rose. To take the credit for this, and to win the last election on a promise to keep interest rates low, is the ultimate in political spin. The constant emphasis on the economy above any other policy is one of the most shortsighted and arrogant political initiatives of any age, and it gets my blood boiling. We are standing upon the threshold of a pivotal moment in human history, when the very survival of the human race and thousands of species that we co-exist with are threatened, and all this anachronistic shithead can think about is the economy and how wonderful it is that we are all buying plasma screens and new cars...
My concern is that when the mining companies dig 1.6km below the deserts of Australia, they will find Beige Howard's head, buried deep in the sand. They won't be able to export him as a resource, because the rest of the world already has their quota of narrow-minded ineffectual leaders who choose inaction instead of genuine policy at a time when the world needs leadership and a departure from capitalist vested interests.
My other concern is that a proctologist will find Beige Howard's head buried deep inside his own anus, the irony of discovering a modern-day ouroboros won't be appreciated, and the joys of the infinite stupidity of man will be overlooked.
If Beige Howard wins this election, I will have lost all faith in the political system and in the intelligence of the average Australian voter.
I hear that New Zealand is a nice place to live...
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Cloeseup Of The New Warne-Muralidaran Trophy
Hello Rambling Masses,
Australia just won the Warne-Muralidaran Trophy, by beating Sri Lanka. Here's a closeup of the trophy...
Australia just won the Warne-Muralidaran Trophy, by beating Sri Lanka. Here's a closeup of the trophy...
Friday, November 16, 2007
Of Road Signs And Refugees
Hello Rambling Masses,
Kevin Andrews was having a bit of a doodle on how best to get his message across to Australians. He thought that perhaps road signs would be a good way to go...
Kevin Andrews was having a bit of a doodle on how best to get his message across to Australians. He thought that perhaps road signs would be a good way to go...
Harken Unto This, Americans All
Greetings and Salutations, oh Rambling Masses,
I came across this rather interesting poem by Francis Brett Young. Despite totally ignoring the existence of native Amerinds, not mentioning slavery, being environmentally irresponsible, and being a bit heavy on the old religious dogma, it does shine a light onto the true path that America should be treading. However, I also realise that this poem has a strong tinge of irony considering the way that America has behaved over the past century or so...
I came across this rather interesting poem by Francis Brett Young. Despite totally ignoring the existence of native Amerinds, not mentioning slavery, being environmentally irresponsible, and being a bit heavy on the old religious dogma, it does shine a light onto the true path that America should be treading. However, I also realise that this poem has a strong tinge of irony considering the way that America has behaved over the past century or so...
What are you carrying Pilgrims, Pilgrims?
What did you carry beyond the sea?
..... We carried the Book, we carried the Sword,
..... A steadfast heart in the fear of the Lord,
..... And a living faith in His plighted word
..... That all men should be free.
What were your memories, Pilgrims, Pilgrims?
What of the dreams you bore away?
..... We carried the songs our fathers sung
..... By the hearths of home when they were young,
..... And the comely words of the mother-tongue
..... In which they learnt to pray.
What did you find there, Pilgrims, Pilgrims?
What did you find beyond the waves?
..... A stubborn land and a barren shore,
..... Hunger and want and sickness sore:
..... All these we found and gladly bore
..... Rather than be slaves.
How did you fare there, Pilgrims, Pilgrims?
..... What did you build in that stubborn land?
..... We felled the forest and tilled the sod
..... Of a continent no man had trod
..... And we established there, in the Grace of God,
..... The rights whereby we stand.
What are you bringing us, Pilgrims, Pilgrims?
Bringing us back in this bitter day?
..... The selfsame things we carried away:
..... The Book, the Sword,
..... The fear of the Lord,
..... And the boons our fathers dearly bought:
..... Freedom of Worship, Speech and Thought,
..... Freedom from Want, Freedom from Fear,
..... The liberties we hold most dear,
..... And who shall say us Nay?
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
More On The Environment
Greetings Oh Rambling Masses,
It gets my blood boiling every time that I hear Beige Howard's stock standard answer about any policy that will address the sorry state of the environment - "I will not do anything that harms the economy or risks jobs".
This is such an inane response. Now I know that Beige Howard is not a stupid man, but he is sure acting like one. At a time when renewable energy research and manufacturing companies are leaving our fair shores to go to countries where the political will for green solutions is strong (such as Germany), we should be embracing the alternative energy sector with open arms, not pushing them away with tired political platitudes.
It's very simple, really. If the federal government of Australia invested serious money into renewable energy, a whole new industry would blossom, leading to significant business involvement, tens of thousands of jobs, and a chance for Australia to reclaim the technical edge that they used to have over many countries in the world, back when the concept of the "knowledge nation" was more than just a glib bit of political spin.
The logging and coal industries are very powerful in Australia, hence the political foot-dragging over environmental issues. Heaven forbid that the nuclear industry gets a toehold as well.
Instead of the comparatively tiny amounts of money being bandied about in this election for the environment, we should put the $34 billion tax cuts on hold and invest the lot in building up a whole new industry. Heck, the loggers and coal miners can be reskilled, giving Australia a real and positive future in what will become one of the most important world industries in the years to come.
Burying our heads in the sand as so many of our politicians are doing is not an option. Even just looking at it from an economic point of view (as all the pollies seem to do these days, instead of looking at the human face of policies) now is the time to make the investment, and reap the rewards not just in 10 or 20 years, but for all of our future generations.
Solar, wind, geothermal, tidal - these are just a few of the energy sources that should be developed further. As a nation, Australians pride themselves on being innovative. Let's put this talent to good use in solving a world problem that affects all of us.
Politicians of Australia, it is time to stand up and make some real policy decisions, instead of the negative smear campaigning and irresponsible money-throwing that has turned this election into a joke. I, for one, am not laughing...
It gets my blood boiling every time that I hear Beige Howard's stock standard answer about any policy that will address the sorry state of the environment - "I will not do anything that harms the economy or risks jobs".
This is such an inane response. Now I know that Beige Howard is not a stupid man, but he is sure acting like one. At a time when renewable energy research and manufacturing companies are leaving our fair shores to go to countries where the political will for green solutions is strong (such as Germany), we should be embracing the alternative energy sector with open arms, not pushing them away with tired political platitudes.
It's very simple, really. If the federal government of Australia invested serious money into renewable energy, a whole new industry would blossom, leading to significant business involvement, tens of thousands of jobs, and a chance for Australia to reclaim the technical edge that they used to have over many countries in the world, back when the concept of the "knowledge nation" was more than just a glib bit of political spin.
The logging and coal industries are very powerful in Australia, hence the political foot-dragging over environmental issues. Heaven forbid that the nuclear industry gets a toehold as well.
Instead of the comparatively tiny amounts of money being bandied about in this election for the environment, we should put the $34 billion tax cuts on hold and invest the lot in building up a whole new industry. Heck, the loggers and coal miners can be reskilled, giving Australia a real and positive future in what will become one of the most important world industries in the years to come.
Burying our heads in the sand as so many of our politicians are doing is not an option. Even just looking at it from an economic point of view (as all the pollies seem to do these days, instead of looking at the human face of policies) now is the time to make the investment, and reap the rewards not just in 10 or 20 years, but for all of our future generations.
Solar, wind, geothermal, tidal - these are just a few of the energy sources that should be developed further. As a nation, Australians pride themselves on being innovative. Let's put this talent to good use in solving a world problem that affects all of us.
Politicians of Australia, it is time to stand up and make some real policy decisions, instead of the negative smear campaigning and irresponsible money-throwing that has turned this election into a joke. I, for one, am not laughing...
Monday, November 12, 2007
Life In The Wild
Greets to you Oh Rambling Masses,
Time for some happy thoughts. Enough doom and gloom for now...
I thought I would turn my hand to crafting a bit of a description of the particular slice of paradise in which we live. Berowra, for those who don't know, is at the extreme northern outskirts of Sydney, Australia. As such, it is in a very bushy area - a far cry from the concrete jungle of the city.
We are blessed with all manner of wildlife in a setting that suggests it is eminently possible for mankind to live side by side in peaceful coexistence with nature. We are not apart from nature, but a part of nature, and that is something that we should never forget. At various times, we have directly seen or seen evidence of the following of God's fine creatures:
Trying the nest on for size:
Two little eggs:
The first shot of the little ones:
Just starting to open their eyes, and very hungry:
Starting to look more like real birds:
Mum, playing injured to try and distract me away from my photo session with the little ones:
Looking very alert. This shot was taken about an hour before they left the nest:
It's a big world on the first day out of the nest:
Time for some happy thoughts. Enough doom and gloom for now...
I thought I would turn my hand to crafting a bit of a description of the particular slice of paradise in which we live. Berowra, for those who don't know, is at the extreme northern outskirts of Sydney, Australia. As such, it is in a very bushy area - a far cry from the concrete jungle of the city.
We are blessed with all manner of wildlife in a setting that suggests it is eminently possible for mankind to live side by side in peaceful coexistence with nature. We are not apart from nature, but a part of nature, and that is something that we should never forget. At various times, we have directly seen or seen evidence of the following of God's fine creatures:
- A Wallaby - I've seen him scurrying off into the bush adjoining our property on 3 separate occasions. He comes over in our backyard and sleeps amongst the bromeliads sometimes.
- A number of Possums. We often hear them rehearsing for the marsupial tour of Riverdance on our roof. As a result of the heavy possum presence, I am currently engaged in one of those man-projects that one starts and eventually (one day) finishes - building an enclosure around our vegie garden so we can actually get some tomatoes this year, unlike last year. When our apples go off, we feed either the possums or the rainbow lorikeets, whoever gets to them first... Here are a couple of shots of our possum (Basil) in one of those classic Oooops moments, trying to get at some apple scraps...
- Water Skinks and Water Dragons. Our main water dragon (Speedy) can often be seen basking in the sun. Here are some choice snaps of Speedy, hamming it up for the camera...
- Diamond Pythons - we've had 3 different ones grace us with their presence at various times over the past 2 or so years. They are magnificent creatures - very shy and totally harmless. Hard to spot in this photo - just look for the green branch...
- Red-belly Black snake - just as shy, but not quite as harmless. We had one in our backyard for a couple of weeks. He even took one of our Koi Carp, the blighter.
- Goannas - we've had 3 or 4 different ones visit us for a while. At the moment, we've got a small one (about 90cm in length) who keeps trying to catch Speedy and make a meal of him, but thankfully he hasn't been quick enough or lucky enough yet... In the second photo, a goanna is eyeing off our carp, trying to decide whether he's hungry enough to go for a dip...
- Small brown frogs by our ponds - don't know what type they are, but summer evenings are filled with calls of "Bik. Bok. Bek." in a delightful chorus. We often have tadpoles in our top pond.
- Koi Carp - we have 4 of them in our lower pond, adding a splash of colour...
- Rainbow Lorikeets, Eastern Rosellas, Crimson Rosellas, King Parrots, Kookaburras, Wattlebirds, and of course the ever-present Sulfur-crested Cockatoos. We even had a Wattlebird nesting in a hanging pot by our front door, incubating two eggs. Getting home of an evening became quite the exercise in careful and quiet sneaking, as we opened the front door ever so slowly so as not to disturb the roosting mother. The two little ones have de-nested now, and one of them has definitely survived. Here are some pics of the natural order of things. It's amazing how much joy can be derived from watching nature at work.
Trying the nest on for size:
Two little eggs:
The first shot of the little ones:
Just starting to open their eyes, and very hungry:
Starting to look more like real birds:
Mum, playing injured to try and distract me away from my photo session with the little ones:
Looking very alert. This shot was taken about an hour before they left the nest:
It's a big world on the first day out of the nest:
Thursday, November 8, 2007
The Land Of Nod
Hi Ramblers,
One thing that I've noticed over the past 3 years or so of political interviews is this - quite often there is an anonymous nodder in the background, providing nods of approval at the appropriate moments during the spin that the politician is delivering, to act as a kind of subliminal approval prod, much in the same way that canned laughter is used to make you feel like laughing at stupid comedy like Australia's Funniest Home Video.
I wonder what the job description is for this very important role. It would run something like this, I would think:
One thing that I've noticed over the past 3 years or so of political interviews is this - quite often there is an anonymous nodder in the background, providing nods of approval at the appropriate moments during the spin that the politician is delivering, to act as a kind of subliminal approval prod, much in the same way that canned laughter is used to make you feel like laughing at stupid comedy like Australia's Funniest Home Video.
I wonder what the job description is for this very important role. It would run something like this, I would think:
- Must have a clearly defined neck that shows head nodding to good effect.
- Must have a fairly mediocre head, so that attention is not distracted from the politician you are nodding for.
- Must be slightly taller than the politician you are nodding for, so that the perspective is correct for the camera.
- Must be able to follow autocue prompts of [nod now] at the appropriate time.
- Must not overact, because too much nodding is just silly.
- Must not nod off during the interview.
- Must have head attached fairly solidly in case a significant quantity of nodding is required during a particularly nod-worthy interview.
Murali
Hi Ramblers,
I don't care what you say - Muralidaran is a cheating chucker. But hang on a second there, Pete, I hear you say - he's gone through video analysis to see if his bent elbow straightens during his bowling action. Yeah sure, but you look at the difference between when he's got the motion analysis dots on and when he's bowling in a game.
I may be a rather mediocre cricketer, but it's my sport of choice, and as far as I am concerned, that bastard's arm straightens during his delivery.
And no, it's not just because his bodgy record of wickets taken is about to overtake Warnie's as the top wicket-taker in international cricket, either.
I hate cheaters. They shit me.
I don't care what you say - Muralidaran is a cheating chucker. But hang on a second there, Pete, I hear you say - he's gone through video analysis to see if his bent elbow straightens during his bowling action. Yeah sure, but you look at the difference between when he's got the motion analysis dots on and when he's bowling in a game.
I may be a rather mediocre cricketer, but it's my sport of choice, and as far as I am concerned, that bastard's arm straightens during his delivery.
And no, it's not just because his bodgy record of wickets taken is about to overtake Warnie's as the top wicket-taker in international cricket, either.
I hate cheaters. They shit me.
The Boogie Man's At Our Door
The Boogie Man's at our door,
Hear the God-almighty roar,
He goes bump in the night
And gives us a fright,
The Boogie Man's at our door.
Any demon will do,
It doesn't have to be true,
He once was red,
Now there's a towel on his head,
Any demon will do.
The political creed is the same,
We have to find someone to blame,
A frightened rabble is easily led,
The sacred cow is easily bled,
The political creed is the same.
It's all for the public good,
Cover our eyes with a hood,
Crank out a new scare campaign,
Then break out the champagne,
It's all for the public good.
Trample on justice and freedom,
Stoke the fires of the pogrom,
Silence all the dissenting voices
Offer us no clear choices,
Trample on justice and freedom.
Now it's time to reap what you've sown,
A bitter crop, meanly grown,
A society of fear and intolerance,
A people guided by ignorance,
Now it's time to reap what you've sown.
We are really much better than this,
Simply step back from the abyss,
See the truth contained in the lies,
Starve fear and it dies,
We are really much better than this.
Hear the God-almighty roar,
He goes bump in the night
And gives us a fright,
The Boogie Man's at our door.
Any demon will do,
It doesn't have to be true,
He once was red,
Now there's a towel on his head,
Any demon will do.
The political creed is the same,
We have to find someone to blame,
A frightened rabble is easily led,
The sacred cow is easily bled,
The political creed is the same.
It's all for the public good,
Cover our eyes with a hood,
Crank out a new scare campaign,
Then break out the champagne,
It's all for the public good.
Trample on justice and freedom,
Stoke the fires of the pogrom,
Silence all the dissenting voices
Offer us no clear choices,
Trample on justice and freedom.
Now it's time to reap what you've sown,
A bitter crop, meanly grown,
A society of fear and intolerance,
A people guided by ignorance,
Now it's time to reap what you've sown.
We are really much better than this,
Simply step back from the abyss,
See the truth contained in the lies,
Starve fear and it dies,
We are really much better than this.
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