Good news !

Every so often there is some news which shows that there is real hope for the world.

Sure, there are people who hate other people because of some imagined slight several hundred years ago. There are ongoing wars between people whose ancestors lived on opposite sides of a minor river. There are centuries of hatred and distrust based on interpretation of ancient religious writings.

Then there is Moldova.

The Moldovans used to speak Moldovan. Moldovan is, in practice, a dialect of Romanian. So what did they do ?

The Irish would bomb Romania for forcing its language onto Moldova. Arabs and Israelis would bomb each other for stealing the language. African nations would slaughter anyone speaking with the wrong accent.

So what did the  Moldovans do ? They accepted that their language is Romanian. And made Romanian the official language of Moldova.

I don't even know where Moldova is. I don't know where Romania is.

But when I heard that Moldova accepted Romanian as its official language -- simply because it was -- I was happy.

There is some good sense in the world.

There is some glimmer of hope for the future.

Thank you, Moldova.

====
Problems ? Solved

"I cannot understand"

A small article in The West Australian epitomises the arrogance or the ignorance of the WA premier. "Premier, doctors disagree", 24 Aug 13:

"I cannot for the life of me understand why the AMA would oppose training for home-grown, local West Australians as doctors," Mr Barnett said.

A doctor in training requires practical hospital experience. This requires supervision. Each student doctor must be closely supervised. Or does Barnett think that a hospital can simply let students do whatever they want with patients ?!

Each student doctor must be closely supervised. A full-time, fully trained doctor must spend time with each student doctor. This takes time and effort.

Hospital doctors -- the best available, fully trained -- already work full shifts treating patients. They work a full shift *plus* they supervise trainee doctors.

Does Barnett have a secret supply of fully qualified doctors who will have the time to supervise even more trainees ?

No.

Barnett simply displays his ignorance: "I cannot understand," he says. Proudly. Because in his arrogance, his inability to understand is a source of pride.

Perhaps the AMA should argue on grounds that the Premier may understand: money.

An extra trainee doctor will drink two cups of coffee per shift. That's hospital coffee, paid for out of the health budget.

Two cups of coffee per shift is about 400 cups a year. Fully costed, that could be $800 per year.

$800 ! That's almost enough for one seat in the yet-to-be-named Barnett Stadium at Burswood ! One extra student equals one less seat with Barnett Stadium imprinted on its plastic back !

There's an argument that would sway even the ignorant and arrogant premier...

====
Problems ? Solved

Juror texts during case

Interesting story in today's paper. A jury member exchanging texts with a friend. ("Juror texts insults and jokes while case still on" by Amanda Banks. The West, 2Aug13)

As the judge says, there's no surprise that jurors get bored, angry, amused, frustrated... But the woman was kicked off the jury because her texting included discussion of the case.

So far, so good. Jurors are not allowed to discuss the case with people outside the jury. Everyone knows that. It's in every TV show which includes a trial scene. Her text-friend -- a lawyer -- even reminded the texting juror. "Stop" he told her.

Jurors are real people. That's the point of the jury system. Real people include idiots.

What's really worrying... is that the texting juror is a law student.

A law student. Studying the law. Preparing to go on and practice the law.

This idiot law student does not understand a basic -- essential -- concept of the legal system. Does not listen to the judge's instructions.

Or chooses to ignore what she should know and has just been told.

And this person is intending to practice the law.

Pity the poor legal system.

====
Problems ? Solved

Barefaced Political Lies

One week after the state election and promises are already being broken. Blatant pork-barreling has been replaced by bare-faced lies.

"Barnett casts doubts on poll pledges" is the headline. With a sub-header of, "GST BLOW". Gary Adshead and Shane Wright report on the latest political insult to our intelligence.

Barnett "faces a tight budget, saying the reduction in GST grants would have to be offset by funding cuts and possible delays in election pledges."

But wait.

"The State Treasury had expected WA's share to fall..." Treasury expected our share to fall by even more than it did! So we will be getting MORE than the government's own bureaucrats expected. $134 million more next year, in fact.

So the government will get MORE than it expected. The newly elected government has MORE money than it expected. And, for some reason, this will "have to be offset by funding cuts and possible delays in election pledges."

More money in, less willingness to spend.

Political promises breaking. Within a week. Is this a record?

Still.

We all voted for the party that promised to spend more. (Well, you did. I voted Independent.) We all wanted more money to be pissed up against the wall of pointless over-development. Pissed into the pockets of politicians and their parasitic business partners.

So naturally enough, the biggest liars won the election.

But that's okay. We all knew they were lying. Even before we voted.

Are these the politicians we deserve? Would the others have been any better? Or do politicians need to already be corrupt, before the power-brokers even allow then to stand for election.

====
Problems ? Solved

The cultural desert

That Griffin Longley bloke sure hit the nail on the bloody head. No cultural density in Perth. Too bloody right.

Perth is almost as bad as those bloody European places. I mean, what a bloody shallow lot they are.

We were in Barcelona last year. What a bloody cultural backwater! Talk about same, same, bloody same. Fish soup, paella, ham, cheese. Not a bloody pie and sauce anywhere. All tiny little bars, tiny little snack foods, not a pie warmer in sight.  Lucky for us there was a KFC across the bloody road.

And the buildings! All the bloody same! Not a straight square box to be seem. Just this bloody twisty, turny, tiled rubbish. Like some bloody art gallery display.

We thought we'd take in a bit of culture. Could we find a decent bit of cultural diversity? A Slim Dusty cover band? No bloody way! All bloody guitars. Not even rock guitars. All bloody Spanish classical guitars. Bloody hell.

What do these bloody foreigners do for a bit of cultural density?! Have ta go to some bloody foreign place for a bit of a change, I bet. Come to bloody Perth, I reckon.

====
Problems ? Solved

Senator sorts out iggerant savages

South Australian senator Nick Xenophon apparently doesn't have enough to do in Australia. Perhaps no-one bothers to listen to him when he's at home. He seems to think that he is big enough for the world stage.

How embarrassing.

Now he's been kicked out of Malaysia ("Deported MP due home", Brad Couch, The Sunday Times (WA), 17 Feb 2013).

Seems that Xenophon and a bunch of mates wrote a report. The report was "critical of gerrymanders" in the Malaysian electoral system. Nothing wrong with that. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. The opinion may well have been absolutely correct.

The report also "called for significant electoral reform." Xenophon was in Malaysia to push that view.

Senator -- it's not your country.

In Australia you can push for electoral reform as much as you like -- it's your own country.

You can push for voting only by landowners, or only by lunatics, or only by people whose name begins with X. You can demand electoral reform that does away with elections entirely. You can do all this in Australia -- because Australia is your country.

As a democracy, we reserve the right to politely ignore you.

And you can comment as much as you like, on the electoral gerrymanders of Malaysia. But you do not have the right to tell Malaysia that they should change their own laws.

Their country, their laws.

Come home to Australia and straighten out our own electoral laws. Set up a system so that every Australian is happy (ha ha). Then hold Australia up as an example.

Don't just prance into another country and tell the iggerant savages that they have to change... just because you don't like to see something different.

Make some effort to improve Australia. That's what you're paid to do. Look at other countries and learn, the lessons may be good or bad. You may even find that those foreigners are neither as iggerant nor as savage as you thought.

Come home and cause trouble in your own country. Other countries have enough problems of their own, without you and your embarrassing attempts to tell them what to do.

====
Problems ? Solved