panem et circenses (how Juvenal)

Our state government spent millions to bring in Coldplay.

More millions to bring WWE to WA. Next, they may buy NFL games.

We have been bribed with the circuses. What next, State sponsored free bread? Or perhaps another power credit so that we can bake our own.

02jan24: published in The West as fobbed off with circuses

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


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

terror nullius

there may be twenty plus million people living in Australia. Yet terra nullius is in full force.

dubious aliens. Those of known bad character. criminals, perverts and others less evil, arrive and stay. we, Australians, are not allowed to do anything to stop them. it seems that we have no rights over our own country.

hey whitey! how does it feel to have your country invaded?

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


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

Christmas drunk

sarah vine writes, of a friend's husband, "He's basically pissed from Christmas to New Year.

Is this supposed to be funny?

It's sad, really.

very sad

===

27dec23 published in The West as:

A far too merry Xmas

Sarah Vine (opinion 26/12) writes of a friend's husband: "He's basically p...ed between now and new year."

Is this supposed to be funny?

It's sad, really. Very sad.

blinkered bias

today's editorial attacks airlines for doubling fares at Christmas.

in what fairyland does the editor live?

doubling fares to match demand is central to the Uber business model. it's accepted practice for accommodation providers. and restaurants. and for anyone who can get away with it. medical specialists charge more because they can. anything in short supply will be sold at an inflated cost.

someone needs to tell the editor that we, real people, live in a market driven capitalist economy. if we want it, we pay for it.

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


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

Solution from The Shire

Gary Martin offers sympathy to people with a birthday on Christmas Day. They are likely to get just one present to cover both occasions.

Our family has a partial fix for this disappointment.

My own birthday is mid year, so I play hobbit: on my birthday I give presents to the other members of the family.

So we each get a Christmas present -- and a mid year birthday present.

A spread of presents. And I enjoy shopping at a quieter time of year.

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


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

Give me patience

The trouble with young people today is that they have no patience.

They object (Letters 15 Dec) to a 30 minute wait in a queue. In my day this would have been seen as a chance for pleasant, relaxed conversation with friends and friendly strangers. Nowadays they have no time to relax, to enjoy. Click, click, click. They are too lazy to leave home. Yet they still expect instant response from a hard-working bank employee.

Give me a cheque any day. A cheque and the time and patience to deal with it.

NB: see also My Three Rs: go online (my3rs.blogspot.com)

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

"Knowing the direction doesn't mean you have to go." ...

Dying for you to read my blog :-)

class of suckers

Aborigines have just won a class action for "stolen wages". The Commonwealth has paid fifty million dollars.

Now it turns out that no-one knows who will get the money.

I'm sure great grandad was underpaid... probably... by someone... sometime. No-one knows, they are all long dead.

So the lawyers are lining up to decide who gets any money.

Pay the lawyers to run the class action. Pay the lawyers to divide up the money.

Guess who will end up with all this unearned largesse? You guessed it. The lawyers.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

"Knowing the direction doesn't mean you have to go." ...

Dying for you to read my blog :-)

go online

I recently received an actual, printed cheque.

To deal with it I had to drive to another suburb to find an actual bank. Or at least an ATM which would accept deposits. Then I lined up for thirty minutes while the single bank employee dealt with the long queue of other unfortunates who needed service.

Yet there are still ancient dodderers who want to use cheques. Next they will demand outside railings where they can hitch their horse and cart.

printed in The West on 15dec. So I followed with My Three Rs: Give me patience (my3rs.blogspot.com)

Happy to argue both sides :-)

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

"Knowing the direction doesn't mean you have to go." ...

Dying for you to read my blog :-)

two faces of twiggy

WA billionaire twiggy forrest was at the recent COP meeting.

At the end he blasted the oil producers for... destroying the environment.

Then he took his limo to the airport. Flew home, half way round the world, in his private jet.

Once home in WA he told his underlings to continue digging up WA. Continue using diesel-powered machinery to turn environment into export dollars. More twiggy profit.

Ordered his PR team to buy a few more politicians to ensure that his ranting self-interest was not reported in the WA daily paper.

Threw a few million more at his daughter so that she can continue associating the family name with good causes.

Ordered a few more dams to turn a natural river flow into water for his over-stocked cattle business.

Sat back in his billion dollar mansion and wondered if he should demand more government support for homeless single mothers.

Another successful week for a two-faced WA wanker.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

"Knowing the direction doesn't mean you have to go." ...

Dying for you to read my blog :-)

fix the real problem

everything is fucked, that's the front page claim.

so why do we not fix it?

the high Court has read our constitution and found that australia has no legal right to protect itself from foreign criminals.

why demand that the government  pass laws to bypass the constitution?

the constitution is obviously wrong.

we need a referendum to correct the constitution. to make it reflect what Australians, apparently, want.

====

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


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

reduce the total

The government has set a target for increasing the percentage of energy that comes from renewable sources.  They passed a law to ensure that it happens.

Progress towards that target is already failing.

What a surprise. Not that it matters.

By the time we reach the target date -- total energy use will have increased. Increased by so much that even a reduced percentage being non-renewable will still be an actual increase in destruction of  non-renewable fuels.

What we really need: is a *decrease* in the total energy that we *consume*.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

"Knowing the direction doesn't mean you have to go." ...

Dying for you to read my blog :-)

generous PR

Gina Rinehart, what a champion. She wants the commonwealth gov to reduce fuel excise. To help the poor public, she says. Not mentioning the millions that she would save on fuel for her own fleet of private jets, mining machines and 4WDs. What a champion. Of self-interest.

Next day, Basil Zempilas discovers that Rinehart has "contributed more than $60 million" to Aus paralympics. Discovers thanks to a Rinehart PR flunky.

I wonder how $60 million compares with the profit if Rinehart gets the fuel levy reduced.

Though I do appreciate that Rinehart is generous. It's the equivalent of you or me dropping a dollar coin into a charity box: absolute chicken-feed. Though you can bet that all of Rinehart's contributions are tax deductible.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

"Knowing the direction doesn't mean you have to go." ...

Dying for you to read my blog :-)

fake authentic

Mark Riley writes about the Prime Minister "who prides himself on his authenticity and candour". And there I was thinking that Albanese was simply following the Labor religion of imitating Saint Bob Hawke. He can't do the hair but he can emphasise his Aussie accent. Crikey mate, I'm so much like all you dinki-do ordinary blokes. Candour? Yeah, sure.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

"Knowing the direction doesn't mean you have to go." ...

Dying for you to read my blog :-)

why wait for facts

Wenlei Ma writes (14/11) about Bluey the Videogame. The article is based on the opinions of an education expert, that the game may not be suitable. There are general comments on too much screen time and the benefits of outdoor and social play.

By the end of the article only one thing is clear. Neither journalist nor expert has actually played the game.

Stay tuned. Next week I shall review the latest MCU flop. Which I won't bother to watch.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

Whoever said "fighting never solves anything" obviously never won a fight

Dying for you to read my blog :-)

modern communications

Our major telcos need to be prepared for the inevitable network failures.

Rent a tall building with a chimney.

Puffs of red smoke when the network fails. Orange smoke when, "We're working on it". Green smoke means, It's not us, blame someone else.

10 nov 23: printed in The West as Ancient signal method...

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

Whoever said "fighting never solves anything" obviously never won a fight

Dying for you to read my blog :-)

Why should I take care

Paul Murray writes(4 Nov) that "Cars keep getting safer but the deaths continue to mount." 

A modern car is packed full of safety features which take driving responsibility away from the driver.

This allows the driver to take less and less care, to take more and more risks -- knowing that they will be protected by the car.

Until the inevitable happens and the driver, with no practical experience, crashes into a tree or a brick wall. Neither of which has any idiot-proof safety features.

And so we demand that the trees be cut down.

06nov23: in The West as Safe cars, unsafe drivers

====

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

Whoever said "fighting never solves anything" obviously never won a fight

Dying for you to read my blog :-)

no surprises

Articles in the daily paper are so stupid that I can barely bear to rant.

It is easier to pretend that I do not care. Not that caring would help. Human cruelty and stupidity are built-in.

(1) Prisons are under-staffed. Guards are overworked, underpaid -- and allowed to practise only the most warm and fuzzy discipline. (A bit like teachers, really.)

Some little ratbag prisoner manages to kill himself before a guard can come in to save his miserable life. It turns out that a guard was snoozing...

Terrific. We can hang, draw and quarter that guard. No need to ask why the prisoner was in jail. No need to question the prisoner's lifestyle, family, motivations... Just shoot the guard. Problem solved. Bullshit.

(2) Trade with China involves regular unilateral attacks by China on Australian trade. Katina Curtis writes that the US is Australia's largest two-trade partner. Is that true? So why is it the Chinese arse that we are constantly told needs kissing?

That same article tells us that Australia is offering two billion dollars to get mines started. Whatever happened to capitalism? You know, where companies invest money because they plan to make a profit.

Give me two billion dollars and I'll be happy to pretend to start a mine.

(3) First we are told that Hamas chopped the heads off Israeli babies. An ABC journalist said that this is bullshit. The journalist is pulled out of Israel. Perhaps he knew something? There is no evidence either way -- and no apparent interest in discovering the truth.

(4) Josh Zimmerman details the flow of lies and disinformation from health ministers. There are lies, damn lies and political statements.

(5) It's clear that Kate Emery is an idiot. She explains the plot of "Killers of the flower moon" to her child, then wonders why her child is unwilling to grow up. It must be worry about climate change, writes Emery. Really? Or could the child be worried after watching three hours of serial murders motivated by money? We drag our children out of their childhood directly into the adult world of murder, greed and evil. Then wonder why the child is upset. Wake up and smell the shit, Emery.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

Whoever said "fighting never solves anything" obviously never won a fight

Dying for you to read my blog :-)

all sound and fury

The referendum is an absolute win for the PM.

First, he wins the Blak and woke votes by forcing a referendum.

Then he phrases a two-edged question which cannot possibly win.

Now he is free to pat himself on the back and to create whatever sycophantic sop he has already decided on.

Mirabeau judged by the people or Mirabeau judged by his party.

... 

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

Talk is cheap — but say the wrong thing to your boss and it'll cost you. (adapted from Alfred E. Neuman)

Dying for you to read my blog :-)

will or won't of the people

It used to be that democracy involved government that followed the will of the people.

Now it seems (Doesn't ad up, 12 Oct) that democracy is about massive ad campaigns attempting to convince people to vote against their actual, or initial, preferences.

It's a case of, support us because we know better than you. Well-funded demagogracy, if you will.

printed in The West as Best Spinner wins (13 Oct)

====

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

Talk is cheap — but say the wrong thing to your boss and it'll cost you. (adapted from Alfred E. Neuman)

Dying for you to read my blog :-)

profit rules

With its Qantas Editorial (21 Sep) The West has accurately captured the Spirit of Australia. Customer service is irrelevant. Legal requirements are ignored, penalties are a minor cost of doing business. Political influence is bought on the open market. Ethics and honesty come a poor last after profits. Our opinion of Qantas depends entirely on the size of the profits from our share portfolio. This is the true "Spirit" of corporate Australia.

...

printed 22sep as corporate greed

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

Too many people consider themselves open-minded when they're really just empty-headed. (Alfred E. Neuman)

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nimby? yes

In The West today Ben O'Shea has a bit of a rant against NIMBYs. In particular he attacks residents who want to protect Scarborough Beach from commercial operations.

Well, Ben -- I hope that you will publish your home address. Then invite everyone to a party in *your* backyard. Actually, no need to invite. As happens at Scarborough -- we'll all just turn up. Uninvited. And demand that you upgrade your facilities.

What's that you say? Oh, it's Not In the O'Shea backyard.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

Too many people consider themselves open-minded when they're really just empty-headed. (Alfred E. Neuman)

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dogged disagreement

Today's paper has an opinion piece about dogs, dog owners and dog poo.

Covid lock-in caused a lot of people to buy dogs for company. Now that we are out and about these "new" dog owners are failing to pick up their dog's poo. I disagree.

I have regularly walked the same path for forty years. Twenty years ago -- when we owned our own dog -- it was not safe to walk on the grass at the edge of the path. Dogs would squat and shit just off the path. Only a few owners would remove it.

Now, I walk the same path -- and the edges are almost clear. Current dog owners are picking up most of their dog's shit. It is a vast improvement on past performance.

Perhaps we just have better neighbours.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

Too many people consider themselves open-minded when they're really just empty-headed. (Alfred E. Neuman)

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false friends

The WA Premier is taking a retinue of sycophants to Indonesia. He hopes to turn "friendships" into "transactions".

It's a bit like being contacted by an old friend who has converted to politics or religion or selling insurance. You know that the contact will soon lead to attempts to convert or convince or oversell.

I wonder if the Indonesians will imitate the Chinese government: close the curtains and pretend that no-one is home.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

Too many people consider themselves open-minded when they're really just empty-headed. (Alfred E. Neuman)

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mud music

Burning Man Festival has come and gone. At the start, locals tried to block access. Something about a counterculture celebration becoming a fuel wasting extravaganza for rich fools.

The Festival has ended with pelting rain, mud and floods.

Guess whose side Nature is supporting :-)

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

Too many people consider themselves open-minded when they're really just empty-headed. (Alfred E. Neuman)

pwMapAppreadMe)

open our minds

The Commonwealth Games can survive -- and thrive -- if we think outside the box. There is no need to keep all our eggs in one basket.

Basil Zempilas says that it is "almost possible" for WA to host the Games.

Almost possible has the same meaning as not possible.

What we do have is the magnificent stadium. We could use the Perth Stadium to host Commonwealth track and field events.

Other states have, with NZ, recently hosted World Cup soccer. They are already set up to host the rectangular stadium sports of the Commonwealth Games. Other states can use existing facilities to host other sports.

Other countries could host just a few competitions.

There is no need for one state to build every required white elephant facility.

Spread the Games across the Commonwealth

Spread the cost and share the benefits.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

Too many people consider themselves open-minded when they're really just empty-headed. (Alfred E. Neuman)

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flow-on from greed

The government had a clear central block of land. Accessible to transport. Conveniently close to KEMH and SCGH. An ideal location for new co-located medical facilities. So what did they do?

Even before the dust had cleared from the demolition of PMH -- the land was sold to developers.

It was quickly obvious that the QE2 site is packed full. There is no space for a KEMH replacement.

Now we are told that there is no room for a new cancer centre.

There is no easy solution. No matter how the government fiddles with its business cases -- it is the patients who will suffer.

One greedy decision and the bad effects flow forever.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

Too many people consider themselves open-minded when they're really just empty-headed. (Alfred E. Neuman)

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don't listen to me

I don't particularly like Stan Grant. I don't know him but he strikes me as a person whose career is based on being black.

This time, I agree with him:

On the ABC show W&A the panel members  have been picked because "they have conflict rather than seeking to find connection."

Well of course.

The whole point of a panel discussion is to discuss different opinions.

The problem is that discussion so easily becomes attack.

Then the attacks continue onto social media, where ignorance and insult will always shout down and shut down open minds.

Your mind is only really open if you completely agree with me.

It's a good reflection of society in general, really.

Compare that to You Can't Ask That. Where weird people are allowed to quietly present their own views. Where they quietly demonstrate that they are different -- but still real people.

Back to Q&A. No-one wants a reasoned discussion. No-one wants to find a compromise solution. All we want is for our own ideas to prevail. If you don't agree with me -- I will shout and scream and attack. I will throw a tantrum until you pretend to listen.

I write this blog because I have opinions but don't expect anyone to listen. Certainly not to change their minds. 

It's nice if you agree. But I accept that your opinion (however wrong:-) is a perfectly valid opinion. Right or wrong.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

Too many people consider themselves open-minded when they're really just empty-headed. (Alfred E. Neuman)

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build or market

Kiss of death for glamour building firm. That's the headline as another builder goes bankrupt.

Was this company ever a "building firm"?

Or was it purely an exercise in marketing.

Did the business owners ever intend to build houses? Or was their business plan to suck money from customers, with no intention to ever deliver a house.

The business owners had money at the start. You can bet that they had even more money when the business finally folded.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

Too many people consider themselves open-minded when they're really just empty-headed. (Alfred E. Neuman)

pwMapAppreadMe)

same news, different views

naplan results are published, see what you want

The West sees that girls are clear winners. That is, girls get better results than boys. Same old same old.

The ABC sees the same results and sees that the results for boys and girls are not as different as in the past. The West sees the difference. The ABC sees a closing gap.

I'm sure both are correct. Each media organisation sees a different story -- in the same facts.

From the millions of available stories, each selects what their audience probably wants. Or... they select what they want their audience to believe.

I was more interested in the ABC introduction to the story:

One school has improved its students' naplan results. Forget the student-led learning by discovery. One school has switched to actual teaching. Here are things you need to know, learn them.And the students actually learn.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

Too many people consider themselves open-minded when they're really just empty-headed. (Alfred E. Neuman)

pwMapAppreadMe)

one voice, one language

"An aboriginal entertainer sang Waltzing Matilda in the Aboriginal language." This supports the ideal of "One Nation".

Really?

Which one of the hundreds of tribal languages did he choose?

Who checked the translation? Was he really singing, "Once invading whitey came and blew up our sacred billabong".

How many of the audience simply followed along in English... or have the English words been lost in the embarrassment of having a national song that people can actually sing.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

Too many people consider themselves open-minded when they're really just empty-headed. (Alfred E. Neuman)

pwMapAppreadMe)

simpler -- or simply wrong

Lawyer says lawsuit is about greed, says the headline.

It's about avarice, says the article. So is it greed or avarice?

The lawyer is paid, or over-paid, by the syllable. Big words make him sound smart.

The paper simplifies "avarice" to "greed" -- same meaning -- because headline readers may be a bit thick.

It's only a small change. What other "small" changes does the paper make when reporting "facts"?

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. Also, there's lots of competition for handicapped parking. (Alfred E. Neuman)

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