tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23587645865695321702024-03-06T17:17:30.658+11:00Pinky's PagePinkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05167620223555483257noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358764586569532170.post-43389169887172184972021-02-19T00:15:00.001+11:002021-02-19T00:15:25.167+11:00The Government's Battle with Facebook Isn't Just About Targeting Tech Giants Today Facebook blocked every news site in Australia in response to legislation due to be voted upon by the Australian Senate, having already passed through the lower hiuse.<div><br></div><div>The Government claims the legislation is about taxing tech giants such as Facebook and Google that indirectly profit from content created by mainstream news organisations. It is true that journalists have rediced in number in recent years and the quality and quantity of news content has suffered as a result. </div><div><br></div><div>However, the legislation is unlikely to bring about any increase in revenue for mainstream news organisations. Users have shown an unwillingness to pay for news content that is shared online; preferring to shop around for free content rather than spend their hard earned money to pass through a pay wall. Paywalled news publications such as The Australian have seen enormous declines in readership over the past decade. Whether the news articles are located through a search engine like Google or shared by friends through a social media platform like Facebook has no demonstrable bearing on this phenomenon. </div><div><br></div><div>Indeed without these means it is unlikely that news content would be located and read by anywhere near as many readers as currently occurrs. Smaller media organisations have complained in the last 24 hours that Facebook's ban on news posting has taken away their main source of readers. If any are still reaching them it is almost certainly by means of a seatch engine such as Google that they are doing so. The government's legislation, by the way, makes no attempt to compensate small media organisations at all. It is solely focussed on the large media corporations whose obviously biased agenda has helped them to power. </div><div><br></div><div>So we know that large media organisations are probably deluding themselves if they think the legislation will gain subscribers for them. On the contrary, it will redice readership for them and thereby reduce their advertising revenue. We know that meanwhile it will strangle small media organisations out of the market and offer them no compensation in return. So what is the legislation actually going to do, if anything? </div><div><br></div><div>The true agenda is clear. The legoslation is about setting a precedent that will violate and undermine one of the most fundamental and assential principles of the free internet; the right to link to content in the public domain. </div><div><br></div><div>Why is this right important? Why should internet users be able to link to publicly available content, for example, on blogs, on library pages, on websites, within the text of their own artocles or, as the case in point, on social communication media? Because without this right, the majority of what makes the internet meaningful, its interconnectedness, would be gone. </div><div><br></div><div>Linking enables a piece of content to ve discussed equitably and in context. It enables arguments to be based on published evodence that can be cross-checled effortlessly by readers. No, it is not as rigorous as a scholarly citation style, but it is instant and accessible and feasible for the average internet user with only basic digital literacy. </div><div><br></div><div>The principle that linking does not equate to reprodiction is a line that has so far never been crossed. It is a orinciple that must be defended if the internet is going to remain a meaningful and democratic public sphere. The soread of internet access brings with it the potential for the realisation of that great enlightenment ideal of a public sphere that is truely accessible to all. That accessibility equates ro democracy. Linking is essential to the democratoc function of holding power to account. Without it, the internet is rendered inept at doing so. </div><div><br></div><div>Facebook, for all its users, is not popular. Many use it grudgingly because it os the space our friends inhabit. But like it or hate it, Facebook is the one entity that, right now, represents our only realistoc chance of thwarting the government's effort to set the utterly unacceptable precedent of imposing a cost on linking. Today they target a tech goant, but once the precedent is set we are all fair game and nobody else will have the power to fight back the way Facebook does, right now. </div><div><br></div><div>So before you get outraged at Facebook for not paying taxes or supporting journalists, think of what is really at stake right now. No, it is not journalism. It is the free internet as a public sphere. It is every student and library and citizen and theor right to freely direct each other's attention to content that has been placed in the public sphere, willingly and without coersion, by its creators. That is what matters here. So even if you hate Facebook, now is the time to put differences aside and stand with them, just this once, for a pronciple that truely matters. </div><div><br></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Like this post? Please support by clicking on sponsors' adds and sharing on social media.</div>Pinkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05167620223555483257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358764586569532170.post-89375411194895898192021-02-18T13:47:00.001+11:002021-02-18T13:47:54.191+11:00We Can't Share News on Facebook in Australia NowFacebook has blocked sharing of news articles, according to news articles such as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/18/facebook-to-restrict-australian-users-sharing-news-content">this one</a>. I can vouch for it as they would not let me share. Just follow my blog for news from reliable sources. <div class="blogger-post-footer">Like this post? Please support by clicking on sponsors' adds and sharing on social media.</div>Pinkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05167620223555483257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358764586569532170.post-56101633915269425432014-12-09T16:12:00.000+11:002014-12-09T16:13:18.388+11:00Here is a (not so) Faddish Diet Tip<b>Food is energy</b>. There you have it. Now what on earth does that mean? Well, you may find it ironic seeing dietary advice from a blogger who also wrote a brief ode to <a href="http://pinkyspage27.blogspot.com.au/2011/09/cheesy-nuggets.html" target="_blank">Cheesy Nuggets</a>. Also, you may object that the statement has little meaning, or even that it is incorrect, since in addition to energy, food contains other important things like vitamins, trace elements, fiber etcetera. This is all very true. Well, this three word statement is not much good on its own, that is true. Where I found it useful as as a 'handle' for referring to a whole lot of other thinking around diet and around values associated with diet. Please bear with me while I explain.<br />
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The term 'energy' here can be read not as a nutritionist may read such a term, but as a physicist may do so. Energy is the potential to do work. The potential to make the human body operate, with all that that entails, but meeting all of its very complex requirements. It is that simple, and that complex. Now, if the term is including all of that meaning, then what, if anything does it exclude? What other dialogue exists around food that is not at play here? Well, there are several and they relate to the social and aesthetic properties that food also carries. Food is a signifier. It is part of systems of communication and of the forming of culture. </div>
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Now hang on a minute, you are saying: how can any way of viewing food exclude those very important qualities, which determine so much of what food actually IS?! Well of course it can't. We are social and aesthetic beings. That is key to our identity. It is what separates us from the auditors (meaning no offense anyone in that line of work. I imagine if you are reading this you are not there by choice). So what then? What possible use can a term devoid of this meaning possibly be? </div>
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Well, it can be of use for one thing: It draws into focus the dual nature of food. Food is both nutrition and meaning. By being aware of this and by carrying with us this three word phrase that can be instantly called to mind to remind us of it, we equip ourselves with the ability to interrogate our food choices as follows: Is this my hunger for meaning or my hunger for nutrition that is calling to me and to what extent do they coincide? That ability is absolutely fundamental to bringing about lasting dietary change. Most dietary advice focuses on what to eat, rather than on actually changing one's self so that one will naturally eat differently and that is arguably where it fails. Use the three words. Think differently. The eating and the interest in what is known of nutrition will follow. </div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Like this post? Please support by clicking on sponsors' adds and sharing on social media.</div>Pinkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05167620223555483257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358764586569532170.post-59444328669799452592012-09-27T19:50:00.004+10:002012-09-27T20:03:04.204+10:00Use Your Loaf: Poor Quality Discussion Over Bike Helmet Legislation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/files/2012/08/german-ad.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/files/2012/08/german-ad.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Today during my drive home, I heard Professor Chris Rissel of the University of Sydney's School of Public Health giving an interview on ABC Radio. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />Professor Rissel said that he had been conducting research into whether legislation that requires cyclists in Australia to wear helmets is beneficial to public health. He said that there is evidence to suggest that the reduction in fatalities and brain damage achieved by the legislation is outweighed by its contribution to other health issues relating to obesity, through the decline in the rate of bicycle usage in the Australian population.<br />Yesterday, according to The Drum he cited statistics indicating that the number had of bicycles had grown only 21 percent between 1986 and 2006; a period in which the Australian population grew by 58 percent. In his radio interview today, he said there were many studies internationally citing Australia as an example of "what not to do to encourage cycling." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />The interview was followed by another interview with a Professor of Medicine, who was asked to give a detailed description of the kinds of brain injuries that can take place during bicycle crashes. This he did, in rather graphic detail.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />Many radio listeners called after that and gave descriptions of injuries they had sustained themselves and stories of how bicycle helmets had saved their lives. The only slight interruption to this narrative of 'helmet as savior' and 'bare headed rider as irresponsible' was a single caller who described how he survived a bare headed bicycle crash into the back of a car and was told afterwards by a surgeon that had he been wearing a helmet he would have certainly been either dead or paralysed, based on some form of wedge effect that may or may not be applicable to other such cases.<br /><br />There was no discussion of the public bicycle stations around Melbourne, the possible nature of a relationship between the helmet requirement and rates of usage, the actual rates of bicycle related head trauma and other conditions or changes therein since the introduction of helmet legislation. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />Now my aim here isn't to argue either way. All I would like to point out is that the outcome of the discussion occurred, whether right or wrong, had far more to do with the rules of newsworthiness than it did with any actual understanding of the research that had been conducted. How so? I shall endeavor to explain. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />Imagine for a moment that Professor Rissel's interview had been followed by an interview with a heart surgeon and the journalist (in this case it w as Libbi Gorr, but let us not blame her for the nature of her occupation) had asked him to describe, in graphic detail, the effects of various heart conditions upon a person't well being and the gradual process of one's internal organs being overwhelmed and choked with fat until they are no longer able to function and we die. Imagine then, if a number of people suffering from obesity were to have called and given testament to the debilitating effects of their condition and their constant fear of death through heart failure or diabetes. After all, as a report later in the evening pointed out, one in four Australians are obese and those are two of the most common health risks to the population, with numbers vastly greater than the incidence of those particular cycling related head injuries that could have been survived through the use of a helmet. Would that have left listeners feeling rather differently about it all? Might the percentage of listeners who spent this evening thinking 'well, perhaps professor Rissel may have had a point' have been somewhat larger?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />Maybe, maybe not. After all, people do have other means of forming views on such matters. What is very clear is that we are far, far less likely to hear the kind of radio broadcast I just described than we are to hear shows that run something like Libbi Gorr's effort. Slow and gradual processes cannot compete for news worthiness with the immediacy and impact (if you'll excuse the unfortunate pun) of a head hitting a hard surface. Complex social relationships with multiple causes have no chance against the obvious causality of a simple, blow by blow description of a physical event. A disease is relatively shrouded in mystery when compared to physical trauma. This means that inevitably public sentiment must be distorted. It means that a first hand description of an evocative but statistically inferior (perhaps statistically inferior: Professor Rissel didn't get a chance to tell us whether or not he was able to identify a statistical correlation between helmet legislation and obesity) can influence what we think more than the presumably careful and meticulous work of a researcher over several years. Professor Rissel has been looking into the matter at least since 2010 which is the date given on his public profile for '<em style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 12px; line-height: 17px;">Safer cycling: A partnership project to better understand cycling patterns, hazards and incidents' </em><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">and probably for longer. Though it is right that journalists should question what he is saying and compare it to other sources, the treatment that actually eventuated in this case, and in many such cases where the complex seeks to be heard amid the </span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">chorus</span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 17px;"> of simplicity that dominates mainstream media (even the ABC) was dismissive and misleading. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 17px;">Prof. Rissel's profile on the University website can be viewed here:</span></span></span></span><a href="http://sydney.edu.au/medicine/people/academics/profiles/crissel.php">http://sydney.edu.au/medicine/people/academics/profiles/crissel.php</a><br />
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A relevant ABC article can be viewed here:<br />
<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-11/phillips-cycling-boom/4122046">http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-11/phillips-cycling-boom/4122046</a><br />
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Please consider supporting my blog by clicking the advertisements.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Like this post? Please support by clicking on sponsors' adds and sharing on social media.</div>Pinkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05167620223555483257noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358764586569532170.post-90000684540004260522012-09-08T13:05:00.002+10:002012-09-08T13:05:30.415+10:00VC and PM Have Heartwarming Public Talk about Education<a href="http://www.vu.edu.au/news/education-at-the-starting-line">http://www.vu.edu.au/news/education-at-the-starting-line</a><br />
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<i>"He said that Victoria needed the “best higher education, secondary and vocational education we can offer”" </i>(See linked article)</div>
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This is very true. So why are our state government refusing to honor their election promise to make Victorian school teachers the highest paid in Australia? Why are universities still facing financial pressure and reducing staff numbers? All this rhetoric is heartwarming, but there seems to be somewhat of a gap between the rhetoric and the reality of the situation. Getting the federal government on side is a great start, but they need help (rather than hindrance) at a state level and university governance also needs to be improved.<br />
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Universities need to invest more in pure research. It's always easier to get funding for applied research, but most of that relies on pure research that has been done before. We need social theorists in this country too. At the moment there really aren't any. There are many scholars who do social research, but the theory theories they study come predominantly from Europe, the UK and the US. Politicians can easily see the link between developing certain skills in graduates and the economic benefits they provide in the workforce. They can also see the benefit of applied research because it leads relatively directly to new industrial processes and practices. It is far harder to demonstrate that the original concepts being applied are a finite resource and that replenishing that resource also requires investment, as does the building of the expertise for doing so, which has been all but lost.<br />
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Like this post? Please support by clicking on sponsors' adds and sharing on social media.</div>Pinkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05167620223555483257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358764586569532170.post-58191609146309296682012-04-07T13:19:00.001+10:002012-04-07T13:19:33.329+10:00SemesterNot much time for blogging at the moment. More updates when things are less busy. <div class="blogger-post-footer">Like this post? Please support by clicking on sponsors' adds and sharing on social media.</div>Pinkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05167620223555483257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358764586569532170.post-32613995146259649972011-11-17T01:26:00.001+11:002011-11-17T01:38:19.629+11:00What do these two have in common?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTyIxcNq_yIfyTZpO45d_bWwNJyf9g4iOlcafMIWLTetQfr--LL2iK0qHhz" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTyIxcNq_yIfyTZpO45d_bWwNJyf9g4iOlcafMIWLTetQfr--LL2iK0qHhz" width="200" /></a><a href="http://screencrave.frsucrave.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/transformers-2-bumblebee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="http://screencrave.frsucrave.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/transformers-2-bumblebee.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Anyone know? Please post your answer below as a comment. No idea? I'll tell you in a few days.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Like this post? Please support by clicking on sponsors' adds and sharing on social media.</div>Pinkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05167620223555483257noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358764586569532170.post-22275320720998031662011-11-16T01:05:00.001+11:002011-11-16T02:34:43.716+11:00The Art of Innovative Consumption - Part 2<br />
<i>Continued from <a href="http://pinkyspage27.blogspot.com/2011/11/art-of-innovative-consumption-part-1.html">here...</a></i><br />
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The extreme price differences found in the market for computer hardware in Australia are not necessarily shared by other types of products. What, then, can an innovative consumer do when the product they want is universally costly? What about where there is a monopoly or near monopoly? Well, there are still some options. There are always options.<br />
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The second hand market is always worth considering. I grew up with most things bought second hand. New items in our home were a rarity. Most were bought from opportunity shops, but sometimes, just for a treat, we would save up and buy something through the trading post. Now, since the advent of computers - available for less than you think, as those who read <a href="http://pinkyspage27.blogspot.com/2011/11/art-of-innovative-consumption-part-1.html">part 1</a> will be aware - we can search through extensive classifieds, bid on <a href="http://www.ebay.com.au/">eBay</a> auctions, contact locals with things for sale through <a href="http://www.gumtree.com.au/">Gumtree</a> and look up vast amounts of information on the item we intend to buy so as not to get ripped off.<br />
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Books are a good example of a product that costs significantly less when purchased online than it does over the counter. Though I do love to look through a book shop and sit in its cafe reading books I am considering purchasing and I will miss the many book shops that have closed recently in Melbourne, the fact is, none of us are made of money and not everyone can afford to pay double or triple the price simply to keep over the counter retailers afloat: they're not a charity. By the way, one way you can buy books is by clicking the adds below this article and ordering them online - new or second hand, digital or hard copy.<br />
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The reality is, though, not all the items we want are for sale at reasonable prices and not all the ones at reasonable prices are within our budget. Even if they are, further savings can allow us to invest for the future or make our budgeting more rewarding. The next step in creative consumption is to stop viewing an item in its entirety and begin to consider its component parts.<br />
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There are a number of reasons why the cost of a complete item may be more than the sum of it's component parts. Key among these are cost of assembly and the desirability of a complete and usable product.<br />
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The mere act of assembling the parts must have required resources. More often than not those resources are human resources and human resources cost money, no matter how much that cost can be minimized by outsourcing to countries without minimum wage laws. By completing as much of the assembly process one's self, one can trade one's time for money. Often the relatively small amount of time that this takes can seem grossly disproportionate to the amount of money it would have cost for the already assembled item. <a href="http://www.ikea.com/au/en/preindex.html">Ikea</a> are hinting at this when they sell you flat packed furniture. As their communication team are keen to emphasize, this also makes it easier to carry home on your car roof rack.<br />
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Referring back to the example of computers mentioned in <a href="http://pinkyspage27.blogspot.com/2011/11/art-of-innovative-consumption-part-1.html">part 1</a>, many computer parts suppliers will charge you for an hour or more of labor at a rate far in excess of what they actually pay their employees, for the assembly of the parts you have purchased. However, this is not always the case: some stores such as <a href="http://www.yamada-denki.jp/index2.html">Yamada Denki</a> in Japan will assemble your computer parts for you for little or no cost. Of course it still pays to do your homework and research the parts you will choose, since this will enable your to purchase a computer that suits your needs based on parts that represent a good balance between reliability, cost effectiveness and performance.<br />
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Assembly costs aside, there is another key factor that inflates the price of complete items when compared to the sum or their components. That is, desirability. It is far easier to market an item that looks complete and is ready to perform its function than one that will require work to assemble. Where components or items not yet assembled are marketed, communication usually centers around images representing their potential. Ikea achieve this by placing on display fully assembled items in a setting that demonstrates their usefulness, mutual compatibility and function. Cake mixes are usually sold with a photo on the box not depicting the little white sachets contained within, but rather the cake you could potentially create by adding the right amount of water and baking in the right dish at the right temperature for the right amount of time. The packaging of computer graphics cards often depicts examples of the computer graphics that may potentially be displayed on your monitor after you have installed the card in your computer, as long as you have the right combination of other components, complimented with the right software.<br />
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The point of all those examples is this: products' prices have far more to do with the laws of supply and demand than they do with the cost of manufacture. Demand, in the case of non essential items, relates to desirability and desirability increases dramatically once a product is completed. A completed product performs a function and it looks and feels complete.<br />
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However, to the innovative consumer, these virtues offer a completed product only a very short term advantage over the components though, since once we purchase and assemble them, they will gain exactly the same properties as the completed item.<br />
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We may even make improvements along the way. We can choose the precise components that suit us, rather than settling for the combination a manufacturer chose. This is very important, because many manufacturers choose the components that will slightly out compete a rival product or slightly outlast a warranty. We, on the other hand, can choose the best combination, giving the product exactly the performance and features we need and finding our own balance between cost and longevity.<br />
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One final benefit of self assembly is that by gaining knowledge of the components, we are able to replace them individually when they fail, calling on manufactures' warranties while they apply, or choosing second hand parts once they expire. This saves a great deal of inconvenience and potential cost.<br />
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As innovative consumers who assemble our possessions from their component parts, we achieve the next level of mastery over our material lives. The process bears rewards that extend well beyond the financial. We learn and develop as people through interaction with the man made artifacts that constitute a large part of our culture. We become increasingly self reliant, able to recombine parts in new and creative ways. We can perform repairs and modifications. These things are highly satisfying and enrich our lives.<br />
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<i>To be continued...</i><br />
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<i>In the mean time, please consider the following books/eBooks. Prices start from $0.99. Part of the proceeds will support this blog. </i><br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=pinspag-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B004V17VXS&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=pinspag-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B004KAB500&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=pinspag-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B003P2VG7G&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=pinspag-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0596514379&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=pinspag-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B004JN0WWU&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br />
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<title>When competition is lacking and prices rise, are there still choices</title>
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When competition is lacking and prices rise, are there still
choices? Often there are not, certainly not obvious and appealing ones.
However, with some creativity and resourcefulness, we as consumers have the ability
to move about the market place and fins alternatives in ways business doesn’t
factor into its modelling because they are not statistically significant. Doing
this can save us a great deal and can enrich our lives in surprising ways. This
article will introduce some alternative approaches to being a consumer and
discuss some of their merits. </div>
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Being an
innovative consumer is a good way to save money. However, other benefits
include reducing waste and choosing to support companies and businesses that
are good employers and choose environmentally sustainable business models. </div>
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A good
first step for many in terms of becoming an innovative consumer is to shop
around. Simply calling a few businesses out of the Yellow Pages for quotes is
better than nothing, but often the quotes are altogether too similar and the
results can be disappointing. Therefore, assuming that one has made a decision
to obtain a particular product, one needs to think creatively about alternative
ways to obtain it. This means looking beyond the brands and retailers that
market directly to one’s own location and demographic and searching further
afield. </div>
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Though prices are said to be set
through supply and demand in the market place, this is slightly misleading
because it suggests that there is one marketplace. There are in fact many, and
the same product may be competing in several. For example, buying a desk top
computer from a major retailer can be a costly business, with retail mark ups
in excess of fifty percent and manufacturers using the most basic possible
parts in order to keep their profit margins as high as possible. If we compare
their prices with some smaller computer shops they may appear reasonable, since
many small computer shops aim to compete for the same market segment by keeping
prices only slightly lower and offering a similar quality product. It is only
when we actively go in search of businesses appealing to a different target
market that we are able to see any real difference. For example, if we look for
businesses that aim to sell computers to the IT savvy, we see that we are able
to obtain a similar system for less than half the price. We may need to wait in
line for it and have someone talk to us in high speed jargon with a strong
accent, but if we knew what we were after in the first place and did our
homework, there it would be. What is more, we would have many options and be
able to buy something tailored to our individual needs. </div>
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A crucial aspect of innovative
consumption that makes the above scenario possible is our ability to do
research and know what products will suit us before we approach whomever is
selling them. Reading the tech blurbs on the Harvey Norman website it is
sometimes difficult to imagine that the products and technologies they offer
have anything to do with the jargon and model codes that are used to represent
products in the catalogues of IT catalogues. Their language is modified to suit
their communication team’s target audience, of whom you may unwittingly find
yourself a member if your knowledge of language is restricted to commonly known
terminology. To be a truly innovative consumer, you have to learn specialised
vocabulary. Learning one or more second language also helps as will be
elaborated in part two. Stay tuned. </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">To be continued…<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>In the mean time, here is some further reading on the subject. Proceeds appreciated by this blogger. </i></div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=pinspag-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B005XXTQEK&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=pinspag-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B004XJG5VW&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></div>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Like this post? Please support by clicking on sponsors' adds and sharing on social media.</div>Pinkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05167620223555483257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358764586569532170.post-8475911242948864032011-11-04T23:21:00.000+11:002011-11-04T23:28:33.213+11:00Dog Washing, Hair Dressing and the Future of the Australian Economy (In response to a question. Isn't it nice how interactive and multi directional communications media are these days?!<i style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px;">The following comment was posted in response to <a href="http://pinkyspage27.blogspot.com/2011/10/are-australian-living-standards.html">this post</a>. My response is altogether too verbose to be posted as another comment, so here is is. </i><br />
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<dt class="comment-author " id="c2232311957610434395" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; margin-left: -45px; padding-left: 45px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><br /></span></dt>
<dt class="comment-author " id="c2232311957610434395" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px; margin-left: -45px; padding-left: 45px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fff2cc;">Ann said...</span></dt>
<dd class="comment-body" id="Blog1_cmt-2232311957610434395" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 25px; margin-top: 0.5em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #fff2cc;">Do you think Australia is becoming a third world country and that the balance of power and wealth will shift worldwide? We export our resources (human and physical) to India and China and dispense with our manufacturing industries. It seems to me that an economy and society based on tourism, dog washing and haircutting is not sustainable. The mining boom is a good example of short-term greed at the cost of sustainability.</span></dd><dd class="comment-footer" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 25px; margin-top: 0.5em;"><span class="comment-timestamp" style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><a href="http://pinkyspage27.blogspot.com/2011/10/are-australian-living-standards.html?showComment=1320369031713#c2232311957610434395" style="color: #2198a6; text-decoration: none;" title="comment permalink">4 November 2011 12:10 </a><span class="item-control blog-admin pid-2026581556" style="display: inline;"><a class="comment-delete" href="http://www.blogger.com/delete-comment.g?blogID=2358764586569532170&postID=2232311957610434395" style="color: #2198a6; text-decoration: none;" title="Delete Comment"><img src="http://www.blogger.com/img/icon_delete13.gif" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; position: relative;" /></a></span></span></dd><dd class="comment-footer" style="margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 25px; margin-top: 0.5em;"><span class="comment-timestamp" style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"></span></span></dd><dd class="comment-footer" style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 25px; margin-top: 0.5em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><b>Pinky's Reply: </b></span></dd><dd class="comment-footer" style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 25px; margin-top: 0.5em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">I'm not sure that the definitions by which economists judge which countries are third world and which aren't are all that satisfactory and it often becomes a derogatory term used by nationalistic types to brand everyone else. </span></dd><dd class="comment-footer" style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 25px; margin-top: 0.5em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">However, in general, the countries considered 3rd world have very different problems to those facing Australia, or areas thereof. In Australia, hardship is caused by the increase in prices brought about by the extremely high performance of some sectors. The overall GDP per capita figures are still good. </span></dd><dd class="comment-footer" style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 25px; margin-top: 0.5em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">As for whether 'we' should outsource manufacturing, the answer is that 'we' don't. Governments and representatives of the people do not encourage companies to move their operations off shore. The difference is that we no longer actively create barriers to them doing so in the form of tariffs. Because imports are not taxed or restricted as much as they used to be, it becomes cheaper to import goods from low cost parts of the world than to manufacture locally. Because groups of commercial entities that operate internationally have pressured governments around the world to reduce trade barriers, arguing that it will increase efficiency and reduce costs through competition, there is very little possibility of the process being reversed. </span></dd><dd class="comment-footer" style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 25px; margin-top: 0.5em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">As for whether Australia needs manufacturing to function economically, the argument usually put forward is for a 'knowledge economy' in which skilled and educated people here manage operations that generate huge profits by outsourcing menial tasks to the cheapest bidder so they can concentrate on the really important stuff like thinking and designing and being innovative. This is very appealing, since nobody would want to work in a factory anyway, would they? People like to be told they are too clever for that. It's probably true for some. </span></dd><dd class="comment-footer" style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 25px; margin-top: 0.5em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">Of course the fundamental weakness of this model is that there are of course people in China and India who can think and be innovative too. We might hope that there are getting pretty good at it by now, since one of our biggest exports is education and they are its consumers. If people like me are doing our jobs right, we are helping those who do not settle here to go back to China and India and other countries with as much cleverness and initiative and business knowledge as as anyone in the Australian work force. Indeed, because they appreciate and value our teaching, they learn more from us than many of us learn from each other.</span></dd><dd class="comment-footer" style="margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 25px; margin-top: 0.5em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Should we be worried then? Should we greedily keep our knowledge and ideas to ourselves? Of course not! That would firstly destroy our second biggest export industry and secondly be bad for the world as a <i>whole</i>, including the first world, or should I should write <i>hole</i> because that's a more apt description of any world without scholarship. Whenever we teach and educate people we are contributing to humanity and as a part of it we benefit. Sorry to upset those who believe in individualism, but ultimately we're all in the same boat, by which I mean planet. You'd have to be off the planet to not get that. (sorry, I know that't terrible, but it really is true.)</span></span></dd><dd class="comment-footer" style="margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 25px; margin-top: 0.5em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">So there you have it: what is going on will encounter issues. Things will have to change. The changes that have led to this can't be undone. The answers? I'm still looking too. </span></span></dd><dd class="comment-footer" style="margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 25px; margin-top: 0.5em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i>For further reading in relation to outsourcing, please consider the following. Buy via my links and you will support my blog too^^. Only $2.99 for the first one, in electronic form. Others are hard copies. </i></span></span></dd><dd class="comment-footer" style="margin-bottom: 1.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 25px; margin-top: 0.5em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=pinspag-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B004SYAVEO&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=pinspag-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=081440989X&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=pinspag-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=3642193676&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>
</i></span></span></dd><div class="blogger-post-footer">Like this post? Please support by clicking on sponsors' adds and sharing on social media.</div>Pinkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05167620223555483257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358764586569532170.post-30602067361155236602011-11-03T22:43:00.001+11:002011-11-03T22:45:18.693+11:00Investigative JournalismThe television program 'The Hamster Wheel' recently ran a skit about the sad state of investigative journalism. It showed a journalist standing next to a fax machine, waiting for the morning's stories to be sent in, then calling the numbers at the bottom of the pages to ask a couple of questions.<br />
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Sadly, judging by most of the articles in the mainstream media, the comedians have it right. Genuine investigative work by journalists has become a rarity. The reality is that journalists are expected to produce ever increasing outputs in a way that meets the requirements of the twenty four hour news cycle. The media have become better than ever at getting a story published quickly, but they have done so at the expense of analysis, fact checking and investigation. This is bad news for the role of the public sphere in democracy.<br />
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So is there any good news? Well, perhaps. Hope comes in many forms, but two of them in this case may be blogs and QandA.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/">ABC's panel show</a> where the audience, including viewers using twitter and other forms of communication, ask questions of politicians and other persons of perceived importance. The quality of the questions asked is not exactly Kerry O'Brian standard, but the discussions that ensue are often quite interesting and allow various perspectives to be heard, even if there is little chance of anyone actually changing their mind. The show certainly contributes to democracy. The problem is though, the participants are almost exclusively reliant on other mainstream media for information.<br />
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Blogs may go some way toward addressing this. At their best, bloggers can go to some lengths to bring important events and ideas to the attention of their readers. Fellow blogger Mark Glaser has been kind enough to list some historically significant examples in <a href="http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2008/04/examples-of-online-investigative-journalism116.html">this post</a>, at least in the USA. The blogosphere has further expanded since then, so let us hope that investigative blog journalism has done so with it.<br />
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Bloggers may not have as much in the way of funding and resources as mainstream media companies do. However, what they do have, is the time and freedom to do research. Some of us do not have as much as we would like, but certainly more time and freedom than a full time journalist. Ideally, there should be investigative journalists with both resources <i>and </i>time, but they are few (perhaps they all work for the ABC) and in the mean time us bloggers will have to do the best we can. This is more a commentary blog than a news blog, but perhaps I may start a news blog too, since there is clearly a need for one. If I do, I will update it weekly, not daily, so as to allow time for proper investigation.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Like this post? Please support by clicking on sponsors' adds and sharing on social media.</div>Pinkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05167620223555483257noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358764586569532170.post-81669502852881993662011-11-03T14:55:00.001+11:002011-11-03T15:00:19.861+11:00CEOs and IncentivesCEOs often have little or no incentive to improve. Even in cases of very poor performance by the companies they lead, they continue to receive extremely high pay, often award themselves bonuses and, once they leave, are able to easily find similar work in other companies, no matter how bad they are at it. This is a sad state of affairs.<br />
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Qantas CEO Alan Joyce is a prime example of this. Increases in his pay are completely disproportionate both to the company's performance under his leadership and to the working conditions of the majority of Qantas employees. </div>
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When share holders vote on pay increases it is rare for the recommendations of the board to be opposed. Those who cast proxy votes but don't specify any instruction by default allow decisions to be passed. Even if there were a high level of voter engagement it would be hard for small share holders to have much influence, since major share holders in companies tend to belong to the same social elites as the company leaders and share similar ideas. </div>
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This is a serious issue of corporate governance. Companies themselves are unlikely to decide to make changes, as they lack any financial incentive. The interests of companies as a whole, as organisations of people working together to earn a living and achieve something, would be better served by restrictions on pay, share schemes, bonuses and benefits given to company leaders. Bonuses must be conditional if they are to be an effective incentive for improvement and for them to be meaningful, salaries and other benefits must be kept at levels where their recipients, though well off, will still feel a need for more income. </div>
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The only way that restrictions can ever be put in place is through legislation. The chances of it happening are very slim. The most likely outcome is that we will be interminably stuck with poorly performing companies that serve largely as a means of funnelling funds into their CEOs' bank accounts.<br />
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<br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Like this post? Please support by clicking on sponsors' adds and sharing on social media.</div>Pinkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05167620223555483257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358764586569532170.post-47190781338422203432011-10-31T14:16:00.004+11:002011-10-31T14:49:05.651+11:00What is to Become of QantasWith flights <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/travel/live-coverage-qantas-ordered-back-in-the-air-20111031-1mqtm.html">grounded over industrial disputes</a> and share prices in steady decline for the past year. According to their <a href="http://imagesignal.comsec.com.au/asxdata/20111028/pdf/01234536.pdf">media release on the 28th of October</a>, which is, for some reason, <a href="http://www.qantas.com.au/regions/dyn/au/publicaffairs/introduction?ArticleID=paf_curr_intro">not listed</a> on their website as of the time this article is published, protests, organised by unions, had by that date cost Qantas 68 million dollars. The costs have no doubt increased further over the past few days. Note that Qantas CEO Alan Joyce compared the costs to those incurred during the grounding of flights during the recent volcanic ash cloud, which were significantly less costly. Perhaps the comparison was for dramatic effect. Joyce certainly seemed at pains to emphasise the costly nature of the protests.<br />
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Using rather more measured language, fund managers from AIF released a brief ASX announcement this morning to the effect that they did not expect revenue from airports to be significantly effected. However, by contrast, The Age, in the coverage linked above, interviewed various airport food service proprietors who complained that their daily takings had reduced by 30 to 80 percent.<br />
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The extent to which the impacts are either downplayed or emphasised appears to depend largely on the party's respective interests. Of course small businesses, with tighter budgets, will suffer indirect consequences of the flight groundings, which were a Qantas decision and not a natural consequence of the protests.<br />
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Joyce's constant reference to the cost of the protests is a very obvious and cliched attempt to shift responsibility for Qantas mismanagement to the unions. Traditionally, such attempts have worked, since companies occupy a higher echelon in western social hierarchy than unions. All he has to do is describe the unions as violence inciting mobs of working class ruffians and the corporate community will pat him on the back and give him another CEO job once he's finished, no matter how badly Qantas does.<br />
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<a href="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSNQ-A9zpIxIiKxBi2UxOdHceUEmC4VsOopeUFyDToVw7meTwBLZg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSNQ-A9zpIxIiKxBi2UxOdHceUEmC4VsOopeUFyDToVw7meTwBLZg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">(Google images)</span></div>
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For Qantas share holders, however, the future could be very bleak. In fact Joyce's communication strategy should be making him extremely unpopular with share holders right now. In recent years, Qantas has been a failure. In reaction to the success of budget airlines, it has sacrificed its status as a premium service for futile attempts at compromise. Cutting costs by outsourcing maintenance operations is probably the silliest decision a board ever made. The biggest selling point Qantas ever had was it's reputation for safety. In the past, Qantas pioneered innovations in maintenance and testing and was a world leader. That's gone now and it would take many years and cost a great deal of money to bring it back.<br />
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Qantas's other selling point as a premium service was it's reputation as a good employer with professional pilots and staff. That too is being sacrificed. The unions "unreasonable demands" (Joyce, 2011) are for the kind of decent employment and management practices that have in the past made the company a success.<br />
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Qantas will never be as cheap as Jetstar or Virgin. If it was, it would lack a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">raison d'être. Shaving a few dollars off the price of an air ticket in panic at falling passenger numbers was never going to help if it came at the expense of quality. The food was never in my experience much good and they didn't have the kind of sexist hiring practices that let other airlines lure passengers with the beauty of their air hostesses. The sad fact of the matter is, Qantas are now a bad airline with little hope of recovery and the most likely outcome is that they will be bought out by another company, probably from somewhere in Asia, at a heavily discounted price. It's a waste. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b>Promotions: </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><i> If your interested and would like to read some other ideas about the demise of Qantas or other relevant literature, you could consider this book. A percentage of proceeds will help support my blog.</i></span><br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Like this post? Please support by clicking on sponsors' adds and sharing on social media.</div>Pinkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05167620223555483257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358764586569532170.post-64537267792320234772011-10-28T02:11:00.002+11:002011-10-28T02:14:11.497+11:00Are Australian Living Standards Declining? A Cursory Look.The OWS protests have brought a lot of new knowledge to light about inequality, greed and corruption in the USA. Not least of these little insights has been the fact that average incomes (those of 'the 99%') peaked relative to the cost of living in the 1970s and Americans have in effect been worse off ever since.<br />
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What about my little country then: Australia? Well, a cursory glance at the graph (below) of real household disposable income, would suggest we're doing pretty well. Have a look, then I'll continue. </div>
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<a href="http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ABS-Real-HDI-Chart-300x192.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/ABS-Real-HDI-Chart-300x192.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Well that one doesn't go back to the 70s, so here's one that does, but doesn't quite cover the little dip in the last few years: </div>
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<a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/eb5a10e37f06c0a0ca2569de00221c9e/Body/0.A394!OpenElement&FieldElemFormat=gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/eb5a10e37f06c0a0ca2569de00221c9e/Body/0.A394!OpenElement&FieldElemFormat=gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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There. Now there seems to be a reasonably steady trend upwards. That one is in '99/2000 prices. </div>
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However, commentators have argued that women's workplace participation has been a contributing factor to increasing income. Here is a graph showing the increase in workplace participation by gender. The bottom line is dotted (hard to see) and, as may be expected, represents women. </div>
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<a href="http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/ewrwp/paidwork/images/figure24.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/ewrwp/paidwork/images/figure24.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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That's from <a href="http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/ewrwp/paidwork/chapter2.htm">here</a>. The explanation notes that male participation has declined, but female participation has increased enough to make the overall participation rate increase, which has been extremely beneficial to the economy. </div>
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So, disposable income has about doubled in about the same time that womens' participation in the workforce has not quite doubled. Very well. Each of us must be better off. Right? </div>
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Well, here's another graph from the same document: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTmZiiFm65NA72oTPv4M94vr4xwfrJEs5oc0xLxQCF_JLUgmuuZOPBINtMq7sXUCtEOMfAA5LTkD0WEzB5zQAZSgyhEtrcxOxfYjIz7HUEEnJ-ZJqZMvby0jQ5f3_Qbjuomal7w8m6oSuk/s1600/Married+participation.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTmZiiFm65NA72oTPv4M94vr4xwfrJEs5oc0xLxQCF_JLUgmuuZOPBINtMq7sXUCtEOMfAA5LTkD0WEzB5zQAZSgyhEtrcxOxfYjIz7HUEEnJ-ZJqZMvby0jQ5f3_Qbjuomal7w8m6oSuk/s400/Married+participation.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Married women's participation in the workforce is growing much faster than that of non married women. This means there has been a significantly greater increase in the proportion of people living together, married on dual incomes than data manipulators like The Australia Institute would claim. There isn't equivalent data available to show de facto arrangemnts, I'm afraid, or at least I can't find it right now. Young single people often live in share houses to lower costs. There isn't data on this, since the arrangements are often illegal (the landlords don't know) and share houses aren't regarded like families by gatherers of data like the ABS. </div>
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Either way, based on this cursory glance, it looks like we're not much better off than the 1970s. Right wing extremists like the 'Australia Institute' bewilderingly state, in rather sexist and patronising terms, that without women's participation in the workforce, average household disposable income would be higher. This is obviously misleading. There is a need here for more detailed analysis and also for concern. It quite clear that far more of us are working in order to achieve similar living standards to what we had in the 1970s. Whether those standards are in fact slightly higher or slightly lower though, that's something that needs to be investigated further. I'll look into it soon. </div>
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</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Like this post? Please support by clicking on sponsors' adds and sharing on social media.</div>Pinkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05167620223555483257noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358764586569532170.post-9204414091948480382011-10-22T21:23:00.003+11:002011-10-22T21:25:17.272+11:00Bigots' FB Page.I can't believe people would express senseless views like <a href="http://www.facebook.com/DameNellieMelba?sk=info">this</a> publicly. However, I still come across them from time to time. The mainstream media promote racism on a regular basis and contribute a lot to these kinds of views being held by people who don't know any better.<br />
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I encourage anyone who uses FB to report this page. It's quite blatant discrimination based on lies.<br />
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For what it's worth, the I'd just like to point out that unemployment cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, be linked to immigration, as this page tries to imply. In fact our economy and the jobs we have rely heavily on it.<br />
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Political correctness is just derogatory word that racists have begun to use as a defense whenever they are told not to say offensive, idiotic or defamatory things about others in public. This is worrying. Words have consequences. Words can hurt people. If you hurt people physically, of course there are laws to stop you. The same applies if you hurt people with offensive words, for example, by creating stereotypes or misinformation about them.<br />
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When these people talk about 'Aussy Pride' what they really mean is that they have the arrogance to say they are better than other people in other parts of the world, no matter how little intelligence they exhibit, simply on the basis that they live in Australia and look something like their ideal image of what it is to be Australian. It's because of this that we need words like racism and bigotry.<br />
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Worst of all, the page uses the word 'islamification,' which presumably refers to some kind of conspiracy or agenda on the part of our friends and colleagues who believe in Islam. There is no evidence for any such agenda. All religions aim to encourage people to believe. The white majority from whom the page's creators undoubtedly derive are themselves descended from Christians and their religion has been spread world wide, often (though not always) through coercive means. For them to blame any social problems on those who practice Islam, a religion that values purity and peace, is both hypocritical and disrespectful.<br />
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So, dear readers, please take action and report the page to FB admin. The more complaints they receive, the sooner it will be removed. Also, please share this article to send a clear message to bigots everywhere about how wrong these kinds of views are.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Like this post? Please support by clicking on sponsors' adds and sharing on social media.</div>Pinkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05167620223555483257noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358764586569532170.post-6005666551087104822011-10-22T17:45:00.001+11:002011-10-22T21:25:45.344+11:00Gaddafi On DisplaySo apparently M Gaddafi is on display in a freezer. Looks like the new regime are really embracing the concept of transparency in government^^<div class="blogger-post-footer">Like this post? Please support by clicking on sponsors' adds and sharing on social media.</div>Pinkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05167620223555483257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358764586569532170.post-89145954573940702572011-10-20T01:19:00.001+11:002011-10-20T21:48:10.583+11:00Allan Jones"I'm just a father's son..." Allan Jones<br />
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Even in trying to appear humble, he is inadvertently sexist. Clearly, he has problems. <div class="blogger-post-footer">Like this post? Please support by clicking on sponsors' adds and sharing on social media.</div>Pinkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05167620223555483257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358764586569532170.post-10654698265712020712011-10-19T23:09:00.001+11:002011-10-19T23:13:43.385+11:00PM Will be Swayed by Party on Gay Marriage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I've argued all along that Julia Gillard would back marriage equality in the end. By the looks of it, her party do already. This is a clear indication that it's only a matter of time. Resisting this kind of progress is futile and altogether silly. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19xnT4kqtQrGV54SGd2c6R7up8Uaex0eRUK5CNDCEnWXB2R4rOcckHzH_zBtX-_qKKLR2pecpE3hMXLOFUZZ90LLGrgFMu-2C8fDCCJWYGaFvuZIZDAQQMlky-ohusw78DlVL1TCuPuvz/s1600/Gay+marriage+and+Labor.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj19xnT4kqtQrGV54SGd2c6R7up8Uaex0eRUK5CNDCEnWXB2R4rOcckHzH_zBtX-_qKKLR2pecpE3hMXLOFUZZ90LLGrgFMu-2C8fDCCJWYGaFvuZIZDAQQMlky-ohusw78DlVL1TCuPuvz/s320/Gay+marriage+and+Labor.png" width="251" /></a></div>
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Note: Censorship has been added to protect the identities of the people posting.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Like this post? Please support by clicking on sponsors' adds and sharing on social media.</div>Pinkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05167620223555483257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358764586569532170.post-59349592628176219642011-10-19T22:32:00.000+11:002011-10-23T02:41:27.669+11:00The Highest Tower<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71xl4aDULExDjKiCc8ifQqPfJ6Gt7BbOLNif1K7Io4_aNROjjadY2281ZqOeMH3i5JKlYYl13pnglWtFQZM_BGw-v-6XOAE9EHg_t2Wlk1SxTLgzjTChQ12y0uKK2OYZrHJwQyWHl5ztv/s1600/Ivory+Tower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" id=":current_picnik_image" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVzdFFSgjyYVMEHj5KPRkZ7AyIXCLBvl0G-bmjKVLfBE8wjzNxzizo0VDmE6YcxBionxBYmDCErbaXX7-5g52GcCTil0kTwA7gB70xbhLhA_sH-i6Or1afbQsrCvTl5uSk2IMEI4SxyqJZ/s640/16896638376_ZTWB6.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Long ago, churches, mosques and temples used to tower over the surrounding towns. At other times it was the castles and palaces of monarchs. </div>
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In Paris, France, the Eiffel tower stood, tall and magnificent, as a symbol of industrialisation. </div>
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Today, we have towers of steel, concrete and glass that make all of those past structures look small and insignificant through their vast height and size. </div>
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The size and height of buildings may reflect the priorities of a society, or at least to the distribution of power and wealth within it. The poor and powerless have traditionally lived at the bottom, in single story structures, overlooked by the wealthy and powerful in their towers. Or perhaps, society places its priority and invests its greatest effort in the areas that really matter? Like the building of pyramids by the ancients or the erection of cathedrals and domes by the pious? Where then is the priority placed in our society today?</div>
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What about these then?</div>
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<a href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSlaGBjdyfv3BTuHS0w5aYy1xHTkjEfYz0vb-4WskKA5LQE9U-Www" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSlaGBjdyfv3BTuHS0w5aYy1xHTkjEfYz0vb-4WskKA5LQE9U-Www" /></a></div>
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Housing commission flats are tall and they are structures dedicated to welfare, to looking after the lives, theoretically at least, of those with the least power and wealth. Do they represent a high priority then? Well, they are designed, quite intentionally, to look cheap and ugly and there aren't many built these days anyway. Those that do exist are not always occupied by genuinely poor people anyway. There are ways around that system apparently. Anyway, really wealthy people want to have their own gardens and tennis courts. It is not at home, but at work that they ascend their towers and their positions of power. </div>
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The tallest buildings in our city, and in many cities, are not for people but for commerce. The tallest are occupied by companies dedicated to the accumulation and moving about of money, closely followed by companies that mine and exploit fossil fuels. </div>
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What's the point of all this though? Surely, for the existence of humanity to have any meaning at all, there should be two priorities held above all else: compassion and study. </div>
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Our housing commission flats are a poor and half hearted effort to elevate (both figuratively and literally) those in poverty above the streets. They don't tackle the problem where it is at its worst, which is in developing nations, war zones and our own country's Northern Territory, though recently, poverty is a growing problem in the USA as well. </div>
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What of study then? Well, we are hardly among the tallest buildings in the city, but the view from this university does look pretty enticing. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiM-U1NoV0ukAeCVPvkBOmDcWS9bdQv12hcnmvVbnTrqc8D4F-hc7ITQd8fRi3mgkI8ggscJq1REmKCvy0y0lDLiv26IY2k2abFJvhxjsedhjOwg5R5cqp1Gxjzineqwqp3rErORVik8Dg/s1600/photo+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiM-U1NoV0ukAeCVPvkBOmDcWS9bdQv12hcnmvVbnTrqc8D4F-hc7ITQd8fRi3mgkI8ggscJq1REmKCvy0y0lDLiv26IY2k2abFJvhxjsedhjOwg5R5cqp1Gxjzineqwqp3rErORVik8Dg/s320/photo+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Yes, there is hope here yet that study and it's goals of wisdom, knowledge and understanding, haven't completely been forgotten. We need to do a lot more, of course. Scholars are not respected or taken seriously by many powerful parts of our society. A little help from government wouldn't go astray here, but then, parliament house is so low it's half under ground. </div>
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</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Like this post? Please support by clicking on sponsors' adds and sharing on social media.</div>Pinkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05167620223555483257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358764586569532170.post-83307345782576697682011-10-18T20:48:00.001+11:002011-10-18T20:55:40.461+11:00Man Swears at Gang of PoliceThis very evening I was in the Melbourne CBD having dinner at a table out the front of McDolalds when a large group of police in fluoro vests came along. There was a man walking the other way and they stopped him and started asking him questions like what he was doing there and whether he had any identification. The man's only apparent crime was being slightly unshaven.<br />
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The man cooperated with them but uttered several profanities in his efforts to question why they had suddenly singled him out. Rather than explain, the police officers berated him for swearing.<br />
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Unfortunately, one of the changes made by this new state government, who I consider to be idiotically adverse to the rights and freedoms of the residents they supposedly represent, is to introduce fines for swearing in public. This means that the poor chap could well have been fined.<br />
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Of course at this point a middle aged and respectably dressed lady spoke up for him, pointing out that he had clearly been doing no harm and minding his own business. Several other people who had been listening would have done the same, had the police showed the nerve to enforce such an absurd law.<br />
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Though I know that it would do me no good at all, I have to admit I would almost certainly have sworn if the police hand randomly accosted me in the street like that. Indeed I have no doubt the only reason they chose him and not me was that I was clean shaven and wearing a clean university employees uniform.<br />
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This man was in jeans and a t shirt. His subsequent conversation with the lady who had spoken, once the police had left, revealed that the reason for his unshaven face was that he had only today got off a plane returning from charity work in rural areas of South East Asia.<br />
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Why do these young men become police officers in the first place? Shouldn't it have something to do with protecting and upholding the rights and freedoms of everyday people in the street? How does harassing us achieve that?<br />
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When a close friend of mine called the police after being threatened with physical violence, they didn't respond at all and when she went directly to the police station they merely explained why there was no point applying for a restraining order because it would take too long. There was no mention of the protection notices they can serve on a perpetrator with some paper work and a phone call. There was no mention of referral to family violence related agencies. It appeared that the police officer's main priorities were to avoid involvement, risk and paper work by any available means.<br />
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Why aren't these young employees of Victoria Police taking initiative and being courageous? Why aren't they at least up to date with their own procedures and willing to apply them in places where they will help? Are our laws to be enforced by selfish bureaucrats and gangs of aggressive men in high visibility builders' uniforms? What is needed is courage: the courage to express what is right and stand up for ideals, whether they seem to fit with the exact wording of the procedures of not. Courage has been severely lacking in the police behaviour I've witnessed this week.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Like this post? Please support by clicking on sponsors' adds and sharing on social media.</div>Pinkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05167620223555483257noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358764586569532170.post-37676047508185847282011-10-18T00:17:00.001+11:002011-10-18T00:18:10.428+11:00Battle of the Electronics CompaniesRecently, the papers have covered a <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/samsung-sues-to-block-iphone-4s-in-australia-20111017-1lszh.html">series of legal proceedings between Apple and Samsung</a> over patents.<br />
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Samsung have long had a reputation for copying everyone else's products while apple have had one for innovation. However, Samsung have recently been competing successfully with Apple in the market for the mobile telecommunications devices with complex operating systems, commonly known as 'smart phones.'<br />
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The legal proceedings by Samsung relate largely to some wireless transmission standards. Technologies such as wireless standards need to be shared with other companies at reasonable prices, because if they are specific to a particular brand they are doomed to failure. Consumers require their wireless devices to interact with other brands.<br />
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Samsung are no doubt just trying to make Apple's legal action go away by giving themselves something with which to bargain. Most likely they will be successful. However, let us hope that the proceedings don't lead to an outbreak of malicious litigation in their industry, because if that were to happen, the real victims would be the consumers.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Like this post? Please support by clicking on sponsors' adds and sharing on social media.</div>Pinkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05167620223555483257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358764586569532170.post-56978006912670561282011-10-16T01:31:00.001+11:002011-10-16T01:32:41.387+11:00Poverty<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
If those people who starve to death or die of preventable or treatable diseases every day were our friends, would we let them suffer and die? Of course not. Your friend is suffering, you help. Where are these people's friends then? Why are we not reaching out and making contact and being their friends? Can't we communicate globally with the click of a mouse now? Can't we socially network with them? Well, not really: they have no computers or Iphones now, as well as having no food. Does that make their problem twice as bad? It may. If we do all our communicating online, then how can they participate? Could we solve the problem of world poverty by setting up a Wifi network and handing out free Iphones instead of handing out food then? Could we run tours where people pay to be shown the reality of poverty and human suffering in the hope that once rendered visible it would no longer be tolerated?<br />
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Sadly, people have tried that using photography and television and it didn't work. People got used to seeing poverty. Now it's just another annoyance and we want it to go away. Well? Make it go away. Not just away from us, back to it's forgotten corners of the earth, but away properly so that it's victims can live in peace and have something to eat and a chance to study. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Like this post? Please support by clicking on sponsors' adds and sharing on social media.</div>Pinkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05167620223555483257noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358764586569532170.post-69772752125301016242011-10-14T21:48:00.001+11:002011-10-14T21:49:47.661+11:00Russian AudienceThis Blog seems to be read by a lot of people in Russia. I was wondering:<div>
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<li>What do my Russian readers find interesting about my social and political commentary?</li>
<li>What would you like to see more of on my blog?</li>
<li>Are there any particular issues you would particularly like me to research and write about? </li>
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Please feel free to comment anonymously. Non Russians are also welcome to provide input. </div>
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Like this post? Please support by clicking on sponsors' adds and sharing on social media.</div>Pinkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05167620223555483257noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358764586569532170.post-16569817312481455682011-10-14T14:42:00.001+11:002011-10-14T14:51:29.863+11:00Conscience Votes for Life and Death IssuesThe Star Observer, an important community publication, today published<a href="http://www.starobserver.com.au/news/2011/10/14/pm-to-announce-conscience-vote/63868#.TpdyxLR1TOY.facebook"> predictions by an anonymous senior Labor MP</a> that prime minister Gillard would call a conscience vote on the issue of marriage equality. It was suggested that this was a political move, designed to minimise any possible damage to her popularity that could be caused by ongoing public debate over the issue and that she would otherwise find her own position at odds with the majority of her party.<br />
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The source quoted was apparently concerned that a conscience vote could be used in this way, as normally they are used only for matters concerning 'life of death issues.' Making a distinction of that nature though, is not as straight forward as it may sound. Certainly the prevention of marriage isn't in itself going to kill anybody. However, what is at stake here is the issue of discrimination. Upholding the right to marriage equality will bring about profound cultural change by freeing us from a sticking point that contributes to the perpetuation of socially constructed difference. Discrimination without social structure becomes an obviously unacceptable act of individual aggression and will recede. Discrimination and social stigma <i>are </i>life and death matters, arguably far more significant than the examples the source used, such as abortion. They are, therefore, worthy of a conscience vote. </div>
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The prime minister's motivations in this matter are certainly going to be subject to a great deal of speculation. Political convenience is certainly a possibly, but it would seem out of character. This is a prime minister who has got a huge amount of legislation and reform passed under difficult circumstances. It's worthwhile considering that she in fact hid her support for a price on carbon until it became politically achievable. It is therefore entirely possible that she has done the same in this instance and is playing her hand carefully with the intention of making marriage equality a reality. When the opportunity does arise, change will occur and no doubt the prime minister's actions will be instrumental. The prime minister is obviously no great social conservative and probably isn't all that reverential toward the institution of marriage, since she hasn't pursued it with her partner.<br />
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Marriage equality will certainly be brought about within the next couple of years. There is<a href="http://www.starobserver.com.au/news/australia-news/new-south-wales-news/2011/04/09/greens-seize-on-marriage-poll-2/48987"> enough public support</a> and there are plenty of MPs beginning to support it. We all have to keep pushing for it in public debate, but we are now at a stage when we can do so with a great deal of confidence. </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Like this post? Please support by clicking on sponsors' adds and sharing on social media.</div>Pinkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05167620223555483257noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358764586569532170.post-26023937262689254382011-10-13T19:51:00.001+11:002011-10-13T19:53:37.477+11:00Community Detention; Finally.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In my previous post, '<a href="http://pinkyspage27.blogspot.com/2011/10/immigration-officials-getting-it-wrong.html">Immigration Officials Getting it Wrong in Australia</a>,' I pointed out that it would be far more humane, as well as more cost effective, if asylum seekers were to live in the community, rather than being detained, while their claims were processed. Today, finally, the government have announced that at least some of them will now be able to do so. An article in the Australian today read as follows: </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">"</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Under a plan announced by the Prime Minister today, all asylum-seekers will be processed on Australian soil with community detention and bridging visas provided to those unable to be processed within the existing detention centre network." <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/government-abandons-plans-for-offshore-processing-of-asylum-seekers/story-fn59niix-1226166090308">The Australian, 13/10/2011</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">This will not help the many asylum seekers who </span><i style="line-height: 18px;">do</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"> fit in to the current detention facilities, which is a great shame and pity. However, it is certainly a huge step in the right direction and marks a divergence from the government and opposition's 'race to the bottom,' which has consisted to date of each party trying to outdo the other for sheer cruelty and abuse of human humanity's right to flee persecution. Let us hope it is the beginning of a broader rethinking of policy in this area. It is important that we all continue to pursue this issue in the spheres of public debate and to communicate some sense to the politicians. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Like this post? Please support by clicking on sponsors' adds and sharing on social media.</div>Pinkyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05167620223555483257noreply@blogger.com2