My Three Rs: 2022

Thursday, 22 December 2022

nice to know

I send an email to the Letters editor of our daily paper.

Within seconds I have an automated reply saying, email received.

So what?

My email is sent from a different address.

When I send an email from my usual address -- there is no reply. No automated reply saying, email received.

I am email-non-gratis to the Letters editor.

Well there's a sign of... not fame... but notoriety or infamy, at least :-)

Nice to know.

My future rants will go to this blog. That's what it's for.

No more emails to the paper.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

... Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

"Yesterday I knew nothing. Today I know that." ... per Ginger Meggs

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com/ :-)

watch that Bowser(2)

A Butler (22 Dec) is such a trusting soul.

When he pumps his first one or ten litres of fuel, how does he confirm that the volume is correct?

He should pump his ten litre sample into a calibrated container. Just to be certain.

then check the fuel itself.

a simple sniff will distinguish between diesel and petrol.

But is he paying for 98 and only receiving 91? check the fuel colour.

How much water is being delivered with the fuel? Take a sample and shake vigorously.Like an oil and vinegar salad dressing, diluted fuel will show with suspended bubbles.

Alternatively, carry a bag of anhydrous copper sulphate. This chemical will turn blue if there is water in the fuel.

finally, look at the payment receipt.

It shows litres, cost per litre and calculated total cost. Confirm that each of these matches the figure shown on the fuel pump. Use the calculator on your phone to check the cash register calculation of the total.

only with these simple checks will innocent motorists be able to avoid the criminal activities of the bowser owners.

Tuesday, 20 December 2022

how cruel it is

i had not realised. Albanese hates Americans. but now it is obvious.

he has sent Rudd to be Australia's ambassador to the U.S.

those poor Americans.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
...

===

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)

The word "boobs" is so scary until you get to the second "b". (Alfred E. Neumann

Thursday, 15 December 2022

arse artis gratia

a man goes into a massage parlour. He pays. lies down. asks the masseuse to shove a dildo up his arse.

a woman fills a dildo with sperm. films herself shoving it into her vagina, charges porn-lovers to watch the video.

What is the difference?

The man is a perverted sex deviant. He will be fined or jailed.

The woman is a performance artist. She receives a $25,000 arts grant.

We can learn two important lessons.

1. a woman may be a masseuse but not a do-anything prostitute.

2. a performance artist may be a wanker.

glass houses

The release of the Bali bomber is, according to our Premier, a travesty.

absolutely.

if he had been convicted in WA he would have been released far sooner.

if he had also raped a few people, he would not have been jailed at all.

that's what we are proud to call justice in our state.

Tuesday, 13 December 2022

The cost of saving money

Our universities could be merged into one big corporation.

The curse of bigness does not encourage corruption or waste.

it does allow the corruption and waste to be on a much larger scale.

Thursday, 17 November 2022

sperm count down

The headline says, sperm count a threat to mankind. 17/11

falling sperm counts mean that men are less and less likely to be able to conceive naturally.

this is not a threat. this is extremely good news.

especially for the world which is being destroyed by human over-population

ethical sponsors

gina rinehart spotted at a Trump election announcement

now there is a reason why Netball should reject Rinehart sponsorship

Tuesday, 15 November 2022

ransom for data

medibank has had customer data stolen.

there are ransom demands. there are demands that the ransom be paid.

paying a ransom is pointless.

the thieves have a copy of the data.

medibank still has a copy of the data.

more copies of the data are appearing all over the web (dark or not)

here's the thing: electronic data can easily be copied -- and then there are two copies.

pay a ransom. the thieves will say, yes we will send back the data.

yet they -- and all their friends -- will still have a copy, or multiple copies, of as much of the data as they want. enough to continue their threats to publish.

once stolen, electronic data can never be un-stolen.

here's a better idea:

say that the ransom has been paid.

just say it. do not pay it.

let the thieves say they have not been paid. or that they have been paid. who cares. everyone knows that they are thieves and liars.

they lie when they claim that they will un steal the data. they lie when they claim that they are not paid.

who knows the truth. who cares.

the data has been stolen.

the data has been published.

pay a ransom and nothing has changed. except that thieves will be encouraged to steal more data.

not pay a ransom and... nothing gained, nothing lost, Nothing changed. whether the ransom is real, or not

...

Friday, 4 November 2022

Prejudice

Emma Garlett provided a valuable insight into racism.

I was on a social outing to a park. I noticed two toughs. White, male, overweight. Tattoos, studs and yes, mullets. Quintessential bogans.

A young kid ran past them, slipped and fell.

within seconds these bogans were with him. They made sure he was all right. Gave him words of comfort, helped him up, dusted him off and smiled as he ran on.

if only I had had Emma's advice. I would have known that these bogans were racist thugs.

instead, I made the mistake of judging them by their actions.

Thursday, 20 October 2022

political promises

oooh. the government has weakened.

forget the pay rise, they say. forget the extra pay and... we'll look at less patients per nurse.

yes, it's nurses again.

so what is the government offering?

One. we'll pay you less money.

Two. we'll hire more nurses. when? oooh...a few years from now. after the next election, certainly.

more nurses... if we can find them.

sure, we can't find nurses now. nor for the last few years. but...

well it's easy to promise. very much a political promise.

eventually. if we can. if you still remember.

unless we change our petty little minds.

sport and money

woodside won't sell more gas to Japan because its logo is on the Dockers Jersey. that's the half baked opinion of Peter law. state political reporter.

really?

so why do woodside tie their sponsorship to that logo?

try this... sponsor the sport. with no logo. no enforced naming rights. easy eh.

forget the self promotion

do what you claim.

sponsor sport because you really do support the community.

oh, and when the sponsorship dries up... pay the players less. for playing the sport which they claim to love.

no?

no. you're right.

it's all about the money.

and on a related topic.

how on earth can it cost fifteen. million. dollars. to run netball in Australia?!

give me... what?

recompense for stolen land is clearly pointless.

give fifteen million dollars to a netball team and... blak players are uncomfortable wearing the sponsors logo. why? because the sponsor company's long dead founder was a casual racist. forty years a ago

payments are pointless. never enough.

what we need is current understanding.

and perhaps even forgiveness.

Wednesday, 19 October 2022

change. for better or... else.

Kate Emery discusses methods of protest.

There is evidence, she says, that even violent protests can work.

she cites Black Lives Matter protests. short term failures but long term beneficial effects. really?

There have been years of Blak v Whyt protests. years of initial-gender v straight. society finally seems to have made progress. There is hardly any casual racism or sexism. but why?

it's because such things are a against the law and liable to get you shouted down. threatened. shut down.

we have gone from obvious divisions. to mob rule.

is this better?

we need a change to societal and personal attitudes.

what we have... is fear.

still...

First change actions, by force of necessary. thinking will follow the actions. and finally... screaming and kicking... our feelings will follow our thinking, which has followed the forced change in what we are allowed to do.

maybe it will be worth all the threats and violence.

nurses must lose

have i mentioned this before? it's been on my mind for a while...

nurses in the state health system are fighting for better work conditions. the state government is, of course, fighting back.

on the one side we have nurses. low paid, low status people whose chosen career involves helping other people.

on the other side we have politicians. people whose career success depends on power plays, manipulation and status.

imagine the result of a politician gives in to the demands of nurses. for the politician... loss of status. reputation as a weak player. loss of power.

for long term career success, the politician cannot lose. cannot afford to be seen as anything other than strong and successful. the politician cannot afford... for purely selfish reasons... cannot afford to not win.

which means, for the politician... the nurses must lose.

we shop

karrinyup shopping centre has won a design award.

no problem there, it's a huge building with shops and adequate parking.

yet it claims to be full of *stores*

here in WA we shop. we shop in shops. we shop in shops in shopping centres. NOT IN STORES.

come to WA. speak to locals. understand your customers.

give us shops.

Tuesday, 18 October 2022

children in poverty

in WA one in five children under five are living in poverty.

really?

are they unemployed? can't afford to pay rent? have to choose between cigarettes or food?

or are they living in a family which has no money. there is a difference.

A child all alone in poverty is a tragedy.

an impoverished family with children may or may not be a problem. it depends on the family.

child or family, our response is different.

Linda Savage writes of children in poverty.

that's because she's paid to be a one eyed Ambassador for Children.

Wednesday, 12 October 2022

installation art

protesters glued their hands to the glass protecting a Picasso painting.

good on them.

they gained publicity but did not damage the painting.

of course Noone cares what they were protesting about. it would be nice if their protest were related to the art... but I doubt that it was.

The whole incident faded away to... idiots making a nuisance of themselves.

unfortunately the art gallery missed an opportunity:

put up security ropes. allow viewing but not entry. add a sign, The message is the medium...

then charge the public to view the new installationation art. until the protesters remove themselves.

Thursday, 22 September 2022

no plan for a republic

There is no plan for Australia to become a Republic.

There are a number of vague and competing suggestions.

The only common thread is anti-Monarchy.

When there is an actual model for a republic, then we will be ready to consider it.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

... Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

If you're not a part of the solution, then you're part of the vast majority. (Alfred E. Neuman)

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com/ :-)

Monday, 12 September 2022

qantas voucher fail

We just spent more than $4000 with qantas. In a show of glowing gratitude they returned a voucher... worth $30. At specific hotels in London. Peanuts compared to the price of London hotels. Whoopee. Oh... and it expires long before we get as far as booking hotels.

And more publicly, qantas has promised a $50 voucher as an apology for sacking all its key staff.

In the daily paper there is a $100 wine voucher. Perhaps I should forward it to Joyce. As a token of how much I care.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

... Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

If you're not a part of the solution, then you're part of the vast majority. (Alfred E. Neuman)

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com/ :-)

Friday, 9 September 2022

Who killed Shinzo Abe?

Two months ago Shinzo Abe, ex PM of Japan was assassinated. Shot by a Japanese citizen using a home made gun. Is that it?

let's look, as they say in TV crime shows, at means motive and opportunity.

Opportunity is easy. Japan is a civilized country with a very low crime rate. Abe was at an open public rally. there was no ring of steel extra security. no-one expected an assassination. Abe was wide open in a public place, an ideal opportunity for an assassin.

What about motive. The assassin blames Abe's political links with a religious group. that seems a bit weak, you'd have to be crazy to assassinate a person because of a remote link to a group that you hated.

perhaps the assassin really was crazy.

Or was he just a bit annoyed -- and someone pushed him over the edge. You know: the group is evil, everyone says so, I know people who know people who say that the group practises human sacrifices, it must be true, they never deny it... and so on. Find a weak point in the man's mind and help it to shatter, until the whole mind is insane, consumed with hatred, ready to kill... encouraged to kill : He supports that evil group, everyone knows that, I have a friend who knows someone who knows how evil he is. he needs to die, someone must kill him, you could kill him, everyone will be glad, you will be a hero, do it, do it... crack.

Who would want to drive an annoyed person to commit murder? the Chinese government.

China would like to destabilize Japan. A peaceful, civilized country just next to China: setting an example of success without using threats or violence. A trade competitor which succeeds while using all the methods which China denies. A very bad example for the Chinese people.

Also... China has been invaded by Japan, that's grounds for Chinese hatred of Japan. and China is a country which holds on to old hatreds. A century to get back Hong Kong so that China could destroy its democracy. more than a century of threats and demands against Taiwan. China hates to lose face. and never gives up its hatreds.

Which leaves the Means.

a home made gun. everything you need is on the internet. Chinese government agents selling 3D printers. material. plans. running social media groups to help... encourage... potential assassins. plans. material. advice, all on the internet. all able to focus on the angry man. to build his hatred. to inflame the hatred, the motive. To provide the Means. indirectly... plausible deniability... and to hint at the opportunity. if... if someone wanted to... not that you would... but if... all so easy.

that is my conspiracy theory for today: a Japanese citizen killed Abe but it was orchestrated by the Chinese government. It's all true...I know someone who has a friend who heard... so it must really be true. Trust me.

Thursday, 8 September 2022

so much stupidity

One person complains to the CCC. this causes a police officer to be stood down. the officer cannot work for as long as it takes. he must defend himself as best he can. his reputation is permanently damaged.

the complainant is anonymous. the police officer is named and shamed. if and when he is cleared, who cares.

criminals must be laughing.

Filthy-rich Forrest buys an iconic tea house. he plans to tear it down and build a steel and glass monstrosity. right across the beach.

the Council objects, asks for more detail. Forrest fails to provide more detail. then complains. why are there delays approving my pile of shit, he cries.

what he means is, I am very rich, allow me to do whatever i want. and hurry up, my time is so very valuable.

teen girl attacks pregnant woman. the girl is out on bail. she has to be out on bail. how else will she be able to practise her chosen profession of thuggery.

Wednesday, 7 September 2022

blurred reality

Kate Emery writes about a push to include consent in tv shows and movies. rather than the grab and kiss which is quite standard.

Next, she may remember stalking, that old fictional favourite. also frowned upon in modern society.

seeing a good example is nice in theory but...

i grew up reading Biggles. i grew up accepting that honesty and integrity were the correct requirements of society. I've never really fitted in with reality.

I'd hate to see a generation of kids grow up with the ridiculous belief that niceness is a universal standard. they would be the meek who find that their inheritance had been stamped on and destroyed.

Saturday, 27 August 2022

self righteous spuds

There's an ad in the paper telling us to switch off our sprinklers.

Don't worry, that rule will not affect us. We will plant a potato in our garden. Everyone knows that potato growers are above the law. Especially laws limiting use of water.

Friday, 26 August 2022

Best Headline Ever

The government is holding a "Jobs and Skills summit" in Canberra.

In the paper is an opinion piece by Mark Riley. The headline: "Skills summit a big job"

rofl...

Or is it just my family that uses "a big job" as an alternative to "number twos"

Not just a time-wasting gabfest, the summit is likely to be a really Big Job

btw: According to a uni marketing lecturer, it's okay to claim that a product is "best". Lots of products can be "best".

But if you claim that your product is "better" -- be prepared to back your claim with solid proof.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

... Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

If you're not a part of the solution, then you're part of the vast majority. (Alfred E. Neuman)

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com/ :-)

Well done Aunty

A cricket legend wants to be a cricket commentator with the ABC. He signs a contract which includes a clause which says that he will not have a side-gig promoting gambling. He takes a side-gig promoting gambling -- and has to quit his commentator role.

As opposed -- for example -- to the cover-up standards of mining companies. Make public statements against sexual harassment. Then, at a mining conference, no great fuss when a mining executive gropes and harasses a woman.

Aunty ABC has a standard -- and sticks with it.

Well done Aunty.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

... Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

If you're not a part of the solution, then you're part of the vast majority. (Alfred E. Neuman)

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com/ :-)

Tuesday, 16 August 2022

oh good grief

theres a full page ad for western radiology. the big headline is,

when time and trust matters

noooo

matter. no s

i cant quote some clever rule of grammar

it just is... wrong

mind you. the more i read it, the more confused i get

Monday, 15 August 2022

just kidding. i hope

stop sexual misconduct with enforced gender quotas in the mining industry. what a genius idea from a politician.

after all, fifty fifty gender split works so well in general society.

Wednesday, 10 August 2022

give to the poor. or else

One thing is clear about Kate Emery: she does not own or rent out a house. She sees no problem with laws to force landlords to accept tenants with pets. She wants to give tenants the right to nail pictures to the wall. (Does she see any limit to the allowable "minor" changes?)

In fact, she wants more. Emery suggests that cruel landlords are responsible for homelessness. She seems to be ready for house-owners to be forced to accept homeless people into their houses. What next? Force people to give their second set of clothes to the poor? Why not.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

... Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

If you're not a part of the solution, then you're part of the vast majority. (Alfred E. Neuman)

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com/ :-)

where the A-G lies

the a-g is a politician.

he says whatever he thinks will win public support. lies, truth, half truth it doesnt matter. hell back it up with more lies if that seems to help. and when he is challenged on his lies he starts again. adding denial and claims of misunderstanding to the mix.

there was only one change to the nonsense. the a-g forgot that he was in court. he imagined that he was still with his mates. back in the house of lies. parliament

Sunday, 7 August 2022

from Stigma to Profit

Renee Gardiner had a near-death experience. This inspired her to become a death-doula (We need to break stigma of death, 6th August). A doula is a person with no real qualifications who is paid to manage someone else's life at a critical period. It's all about sweet smells, soft lights and mood music.

Let's look at her experience. She had open-heart surgery. Best medical attention. A lot of care and attention during recovery.

during Recovery.

Now she leads a normal life.

That is not dying.

Dying involves the expectation of an absolute end. No recovery. Just death. The end.

The medical care may make it painless. That's why I don't -- much -- fear my own death. Scented candles, soft music, dimmed lights -- will not help. It may help my friends and family.

I will still die.

Her near-death experience has made her aware of the profit to be made from death. Don't pretend that a death-doula can in any way change change dying into a pleasant experience.

My own death will be years sooner that I would have hoped. Pity about that. But, it happens. An unqualified death-doula is not going to change that. Not for me. Because I'll die anyway.

But go ahead, waste your money. It will make the survivors feel better. And -- like a fancy funeral -- it's all done for the living survivors.

This is me, dying:

https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com/

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

... Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

If you're not a part of the solution, then you're part of the vast majority. (Alfred E. Neuman)

Dying for you to read my blog :-)

Wednesday, 3 August 2022

petulant premier

bloody hell premier. the impartial judge has told you that your fight was pointless and a waste of time. you were impressive in saying nothing. quigley provided support by saying whatever seemed to support you, then changing his claims when challenged. typical political clap trap.

the judge has ruled that no-one won. so you run sobbing to reporters. he started it, you cry.

bloody hell. just leave it alone.

or are you desperate for the attention of another pointless fight.

clean green smokescreen

i'm sure its just the way its reported. the paper goes for shock rather than facts.

the report is, that the government is about to legislate for a 43% reduction in emissions.

well, gosh, how easy is that. pass a law and just like that, less emissions. nothing else needed.

I wonder why no-one thought of that before.

what next. perhaps pass a law that crime will be 43% less.

Monday, 1 August 2022

its never my fault

recent letters to the paper indicate that god is a politician.

anything created by god is good. anything good is created by god.

if any of that good stuff goes wrong... its the fault of people. we failed to follow the good plan.

except when things are clearly not good at all. you know. war, plague, bad weather... anything bad... well that was created by satan.

who is this satan bloke?

he started off as a member of the god party. then he thought that he could be as good as god the leader. the response to the leadership challenge was swift and effective. satan the challenger was thrown out of the god party. no forgiveness, no redemption for satan just, out

and now... any problems are blamed on that past member of the party.

its all politics

how soon we forget

an article on the new game of thrones ripoff.

we are told that one of the actors identifies as non binary. and uses the pronouns they, them.

the next sentence begins, she has described...

she?

what happened to they... had described.

come on, its quite easy. if you think.

Sunday, 31 July 2022

Use your Voice

Blak people already have a Voice to Parliament. It's called "the right to vote". Use it.

And if that is not powerful enough then you need to form a Blak political party to directly and democratically support your aims.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

... Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

If you're not a part of the solution, then you're part of the vast majority. (Alfred E. Neuman)

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com/ :-)

Friday, 29 July 2022

Look at moi

Basil Zempilas writes that our state premier is dismissive of the Commonwealth Games (Opinion 29/7). Well, no wonder.

This is the premier who paid a republican crony to do nothing while "representing" the ever-popular Queen. Who closed state borders -- but only when it was by popular public demand. Who reduced regional voting power because he was not popular out of the city.

Regions, Queen or Games, the Premier fears anyone or anything more popular than he is.

Even if the Commonwealth Games are "just a luxury" they are popular. And the Games are far better than the traditional international pissing competition, War.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

... Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

If you're not a part of the solution, then you're part of the vast majority. (Alfred E. Neuman)

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com/ :-)

Wednesday, 27 July 2022

bugger all freedom

Kate Emery is absolutely correct (NRL hypocrisy,27 jul)

Tolerance and acceptance are not good enough. NRL players must be forced to visibly support everyone anywhere on the gender spectrum. We must throw out any pretence of allowing freedom of religious views.

It is no longer enough to treat everyone equally. Visible support must be enforced.

When being queer is compulsory, will Kate allow us to choose our partners?

Monday, 25 July 2022

who to shoot

An opinion piece in the paper says that we should not shoot the messenger.

When our flight is cancelled we should not abuse the flight staff. They did not cause the problems. they cannot fix the problems. And it's a fair point.

When covid hit and people stopped paying for hands-on services the first response of senior managers was to sack all staff who provided the hands- on services. You know, the now ex employees who did the actual work. Now we are starting to fly again. And there is noone to load the planes. There are no engineers to keep the planes flying. So of course flights are cancelled.

It's the fault of short sighted managers who sacked everyone below their own exalted power level.

Don't blame the few visible staff. Blame senior managers. They don't care. They still collect their multi million salaries. Plus bonuses for effectively reducing costs. They are well protected behind impenetrable walls of money, power and influence.

But don't shoot the messengers. They are doing their best. Anyway... Their own company will soon shoot them. In the next round of cost -- and service -- reduction. All in search of the next undeserved management bonus.

Nick Lethbridge    /    Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting    /   Problems? Solved.
   ===

As Conan says: What does not kill you
does not kill you

Friday, 22 July 2022

Mines before Meat

thank goodness our state government knows exactly what it will do to prevent for and mouth disease in WA.

what will it do?

absolutely nothing.

after all, there are no state royalties from Meat. The disease will not stop mining. and the government has already reduced the voting power of the people who may be affected.

it's win win win. for the government, anyway.

Monday, 18 July 2022

bad language

when i send an email i use words. mostly English words because English is my language. i hope that readers will be able to understand my words or, if they don't -- they can use a dictionary. i hope that what i mean is the same as what is understood by the reader.

then there are emojis.

i could say 😇

what does it mean? i have no idea. there is no agreement on the meaning of emojis. it's like the movie nude tuesday -- gibberish. noone ages on the meanings. there is no dictionary.

I'll stay with English.

Nick Lethbridge    /    Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting    /   Problems? Solved.
   ===

As Conan says: What does not kill you
does not kill you

Saturday, 16 July 2022

not a charity

I used to think that organisations such as Foodbank were charities. you know... kind people giving of their time and effort in order to help other people.

as a charity they would be unaffected by pay rises. After all, people giving freely of their time always have a fixed cost of zero.

silly me.

Foodbank is a business. with managers and employees. no-one works for nothing. it's not a charity.

If no-one wants to pay for the service then the business fails then the business closes. end of story.

Oliver Twist McGowan

it's embarrassing really. WA brags about its huge government surplus.

we spend nothing on health, police, education. All those essential services are underpaid, underperforming, undervalued.

The government is rolling in mining royalties yet failing to provide effective services.

more money than they can handle...

yet still, the state government demands more from the federal coffers.

forget the one country rubbish. WA is one for me and none for anyone else.

embarrassing, really.

mis-representative

what does it take to get the job as Queens representative in WA?

The last bloke was an anti Queen Republican. and a long time member of the political party which appointed him.

now we have a new government appointee. whose arse did he kiss to get the tainted position? did he promise to do absolutely nothing? same as the last bloke?

either appoint a person to represent the Queen. or be honest and abolish the position.

Friday, 15 July 2022

blind basil

basil zempilas is absolutely correct.

Covid is just some silly little sniffle that destroys lives and kills people. it's a disease, so what would doctors know about it.

basil (opinion 15 July) let's us know that money is more important than health.

come to the City, he says. come and sneeze all over your friends. just make sure that you bring money. and spend it in our mask-free City Centre.

feel basil buzzing

Wednesday, 13 July 2022

bin there

The daily paper will regularly provide a report which sets me fuming... How could the world be so absolutely stupid. so I start typing a ranting and raving letter to the Editor.

then I realise that I am missing the point. That my logic is illogical. that my ranting is incoherent. my raving is, right or wrong, nonsense. then I bin the letter, unsent and unpublished.

today's Opinion page 13 of The West is reassuring.

there are professional writers who also rant and rave without clarity. the only difference is that they were published.

Thank you,

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper / Agamedes Consulting
...

===
"I have seen the TRUTH -- and my chains have been broken" … Thrall
===

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)

Sunday, 10 July 2022

party politics

The state liberal party is a strange beast.

they were wiped out at the last election. only two parliamentary members survived. one of the two needed to be selected as party leader. so.

The party controllers selected the invisible man to be leader.

the other politician has lead a parliamentary committee. exposed violence that had been hidden by Major companies. she constantly gives publicity to an issue which needs to be exposed. she is constantly in the public eye.

her parliamentary colleague, meanwhile... is mentioned only when there is a report on the death of the party. yet he continues to be identified as the leader of the party.

why is it so?

Saturday, 9 July 2022

switch to manual

Apple proudly announces its new "Lockdown" mode.

By default, the iThing switches on when you pick it up. Switches on when you put it down. Switches on when it wants your attention. Switches on when it's lonely. Switches on when you so much as look at it. The thing transfers data from thing to cloud and back again. Won't tell you what or when. Certainly won't tell you where. Won't mention that the cloud exists only in cities.

The always-on iThing is a hacker's dream.

Here's a suggestion: Add an on-off switch to the thing. Allow the user to take a small amount of control.

Label the switch "On-Lockdown" and leave it to your marketing gurus compare it to sliced bread.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

... Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===
"Scientists say that we only use 10% of our brains. Imagine how great the world would be if we used the other 60%." ... Internet meme

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com/ :-)

loss leader loss

Qantas provides a powerful lesson for businesses facing tough times. when business slumps there are many ways to reduce costs. The first response by Qantas was to sack staff.

Now the travel business is set to recover. And Qantas finds that it is short of staff. They have lost years of loyalty and experience. Their short term gain has lead to long term loss. No surprise at all.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper ... Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved === "I have seen the TRUTH -- and my chains have been broken" … Thrall === Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com.au/ :-)

lies, damn lies and business bullshit

chalice Mining wants to turn Julimar Forest into a mine.

this is business. The motive is money.

Mine boss Alex Dorsch lies with a straight face. Chopping down this forest, he says, will protect the natural environment.

Next week he plans to slaughter native animals... in an exercise that will extend their natural lives.

what a load of wank.

Saturday, 2 July 2022

cash before conservation

Paul Murray's article on Greenie madness reminds me of my years working at Alcoa. Wagerup refinery was being built, with the associated clear-felling for mine sites.

One senior manager was reported to have said, They want to see trees? show them some photos.

years later I visited the Collie pub. there were photos of magnificent trees. Absolutely dwarfing the men with axes who were chopping them down. where now are those trees? Even the stumps have been destroyed.

now look at Murray's photo of Boranup. Where are the magnificent large trees? not a sign. Dead, is dead.

Murray may be willing to wait a thousand years to see a real tree. I am not.

alleged cleanup

Recently, the police allegedly raided the alleged home of an alleged criminal. The alleged police allegedly seized alleged evidence including an alleged iPad and an alleged iPhone.

The alleged crim was allegedly reluctant to allow access to the alleged devices. One device, he allegedly dunked in water, possibly in an alleged effort to wash off allegedly incriminating evidence.

Well, nothing surprising there.

I have one each of the named devices. Nothing alleged, I admit to mine.

There are many times when I too would be happy to toss the **** things down the toilet.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

... Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

"You endure what is unbearable, and you bear it." ... Magnus, in Clockwork PrincessDying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com/ :-)

death and construction

there's been some fuss over a proposed children's' hospice.

I don't know why anyone bothers. The government has decided, therefore it will happen. it's not as if a local council is allowed to make a local decision.

So what's the fuss?

The government will spend $25mill (is that right?) on six or seven beds for dying children.

Is that right?. Or am I confused with the $25mill that it costs to put up an indigenous flag in Sydney? Anyway...

The government is happy to spend $25mill with its builder friends. That same government is too cheap to buy a suitable block of land.

For $7mill it could buy seven absolutely park- and lake-front properties in a rather nice suburb. Plenty of room there for a nice hospice.

But no. The government will take space from an "A-class Reserve". Don't they understand the meaning of "Reserve"?

No. politicians are not ignorant. They know exactly how to buy support from their builder friends.

Forget the dying kids.

This is all about power and influence.

fixing the result

another attack on the ambulance service. this time it's a report from a government sponsored enquiry. There are some fascinating recommendations.

1. Put office staff into the ambulance. they can fill in the form to request a fresh saline drip.

2. Set higher standards for service in the country. we can't meet current standards so we may as well set them even higher.

3. don't use an ambulance for non urgent hospital Transfers.

That does sound sensible. just give the patient a taxi voucher. let the taxi driver wheel the patient round the hospital.

The government wants to take over ambulance services, this report is another step on the way.

and who presented the report? ladies and gentlemen...meeeet... your new head of ambulance services... Neale Fong.

facebook babies

A man operates a Facebook page where sperm donors offer their services to women who want babies. The professionals mutter about risk.

sure it's risky. but it works. Apparently.

i don't entirely agree with the universal right to have babies. there are plenty of parents who would never have had children in a more logical world. That doesn't mean that fertility must be managed by profit making clinics. The clinics can't keep up with the demand for sperm.

would you be an anonymous sperm donor? Knowing that there is no such thing as anonymous? No. Go through a well-meaning Facebook page. It's better than depending on a casual pickup from a nightclub.

Thursday, 30 June 2022

poisoned chalice

Michelle Fyfe did not fall on her sword. she was pushed.

her key mistake was to accept a government contract which is impossible to fulfill. more ambulances, more staff, better processes --all pointless. no use getting to a hospital when that hospital is full.

pension means

Peter Court (letters 30/6 misses the point of the complex means test for pensions. The point is to allow rich people to use complex schemes to get a government pension which they do not need. People who really need a pension are no more than collateral damage.

Thursday, 23 June 2022

mislaid out

It's always easier to read narrow rather than wide columns. The West prefers to spread its stories across the full width of the double page. With my poor vision I sometimes have to ask my wife to search the pages, to find where a story began.

It was all worth it this morning when I read, or misread, the caption under a photo with a story about Qantas.

As I read it: The West's journalists Ben Harvey and Geoffrey Thomas grill The Methodist Ladies College choir.

Talk about tough hard-hitting investigative journalism.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

... Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." ... Saint Augustine

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com/ :-)

Wednesday, 22 June 2022

pay for forgiveness

the business of the casino is to make money. success is measured by profit. the more the better.

there are certain costs associated with the business. one of these costs is a fine for illegal activities.

certain acts are illegal. money laundering, for example. money laundering is what a casino does. very well.

luckily for the casino, the path to forgiveness is very short. no need to stop laundering. no need to change practices. no need to send directors or owners to jail. just pay a fine. factor the fine into the cost of doing business. a slight reduction in profit. then business as usual.

the fine is a bribe to the government. forgive us our sins and we will continue our criminal business. continue to make illegal profits. continue to pay the annual bribes as fines.

our government is about to increase the fines. that is, they will demand larger bribes.

there is only one honest way to prevent a casino from breaking the law: if they break the law, close them down. not pass ownership to the next crooked owners. close the entire criminal business.

either crime is illegal. or it is not.