wrong question

The ABC had a survey: would you rather build -- the city -- up or out?

that is, build taller buildings more closely packed, or continue an outward suburban sprawl.

build up means that we all live in little high rise boxes with no green space outside.
build out means more destruction of surrounding outside spaces.

I cannot answer the question because... it is the wrong question. it offers two bad options.

this is the better choice: will we continue to encourage population growth at the expense of quality of life? Or will we find ways to live a better life -- without human beings destroying everything else.

The second choice will not be easy. Fortunately, the results will be so much better for the world -- and for humans.
Well worth the effort.




Nick Lethbridge
consulting Dexitroboper

AI rules

Here's an interesting headline from today's paper: As AI develops self-interest and the ability to deceive... could it destroy humanity?

To put it another way: as AI becomes more human, will we still need real humans to destroy humanity?



Nick Lethbridge
consulting Dexitroboper

Palmer Gazette

What an excellent front cover on The West today :-)

Honestly. I thought I must have picked up the latest Prosh paper.

You gotta laugh. Especially if you're Clive's highly paid lawyers.

--

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
...

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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

Fair dibs or else

Our two very young grandchildren demand equal shares of everything.

If one has a toy, the other demands the same toy. If one has a slightly larger slice of cake, there is screaming, shouting and tears.

It's almost as bad as state premiers fighting over their shares of GST.

--

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
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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

e-charge fires

recharging a lithium battery is causing at least one house fire each week. that's just in WA.

Part of the problem is that recharging is done out of sight, out of mind. In the garage, for example. where noone will notice the heat. and where there is unlikely to be a smoke detector.

That story comes with scary stories of houses destroyed by e-scooter recharging.

makes me wonder where people will park their EVs while the lithium batteries are recharging.

====

Oh. As I wrote that I realised.

As we get more EVs the government will make it compulsory to have smoke and fire detectors installed in our garages.

There's a coming business opportunity for cowboy installers.

--

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
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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

jibber jabber voice

I've been worried about this "Voice" to parliament.

Two votes for each person who can claim to be blak.

I worry no longer.

The referendum wording has been released. Presented with tears of joy from the politician who sees it as an easy way to buy votes.

So what will we be asked?

After many months of effort, an unelected "working group" -- an early Voice -- has come up with a suggestion (which is already being debated, for and against).

We will *not* be asked to add recognition to the constitution. Rather, "In recognition of ... as the first Peoples of Australia". *Not* "we recognise them as..."

Meaningless drivel. get to the main point.

The working group wants us to vote to... allow Parliament to set up a body which will be called "the voice"

is that really the best they can advise? that we let Parliament do what it wants. what a waste of time.

i was worried that a blak voice would decide to give its members a third vote. and a fourth...

now i realise... given all the time in the world, they will not even decide to turn up for another meeting. unless it comes with a free lunch.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

Need to know: pwMapApp

 ... Kings Park Memorials

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A watch without hands tells no time, but so does a digital watch with no batteries. (Alfred E. Neuman)

pwMapAppreadMe)

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Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
...

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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

footy gets civilised

When football -- AFL -- gets upset about behaviour it is usually about a fan.

A fan shouts abuse at a player. There is a public outcry. The fan is banned from future matches.

All fair enough.

Now a club has a player who should be banned. 

The usual response is, well, players can do what they like because they are our heroes.

Not this time.

There's not much detail in today's report. So I could be wrong. But...

A player sent offensive messages. A dickpick perhaps?

His club sent him to classes in civilised behaviour.

He failed to improve. Still a dickhead.

So the club will not select him to play.

Well done that club.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

Need to know: pwMapApp

 ... Kings Park Memorials

===

A watch without hands tells no time, but so does a digital watch with no batteries. (Alfred E. Neuman)

pwMapAppreadMe)

rough sleeper reasons

Perth in WA has more"rough sleepers" -- per head of population -- than any other state. There are lots of reasons: economic, social and personal. Also... we have the best climate for sleeping out of doors.


Nick Lethbridge
consulting Dexitroboper

ignore the problem

in a previous post i suggested developing a space industry so that we can ship nuclear waste into the sun. a reader commented on the risk of a waste-laden rocket crashing.
yes, i had considered that.
not a problem.
we will deal with it as we deal with other high risk developments.

First, we will launch from and over National Parks. any damage will be well away from rich suburbs.

we will set stringent conditions, such as, do not crash. the rocket company will say, yes, they will never crash.

then, like the Mint and the Casino, we will put our rich and powerful friends in charge. we pay them a lot to do nothing, say nothing, deny everything.

when a rocket crashes, as it will, we will fence off the radiation damaged area. only bush bashing 4WDs will be allowed in. out of sight, out of mind.

the rocket company will be fined a trivial amount. they will promise to be good in future. a few managers will be promoted or transferred. them back to business as usual.

except that the crash area is now so degraded that it will have to be sold to a property developer. who will promise to clean up the radiation. then do nothing except make a huge profit.

see? no problems at all.
it's all -- in different guises -- happened before. and been successfully denied.
not a problem.







Nick Lethbridge
consulting Dexitroboper

hot solution

Australia pretends that it is entering the space race. Not sure what is involved, but it sounds good.
Australia is going to buy build and service nuclear subs. Which means that Australia will be left holding the poisoned chalice of nuclear waste, which no-one wants.

Let's look for the win win solution.

Build and test rockets. Pack them full of nuclear waste. Test launch them into space... into the sun.
dispose of the nuclear waste where it won't bother anyone for at least a billion years.
waste wasted and space flight developed and tested.
Win, win and win.



Nick Lethbridge
consulting Dexitroboper

more important news

A motorbike crashes in Kalbarri. The paper reports that the bike may have hit an emu. The rider is seriously injured. yes, okay, that's unfortunate.
what we really want to know is... Is the emu okay?



Nick Lethbridge
consulting Dexitroboper

Super sub deal

i listened to AM this morning. and ended up cheerful. positive. optimistic, even.

it was a story about nuclear subs. some of which could be built in Australia.

The project would require expert workers. trained workers. some from overseas. some trained in Australia.
it will take years to build these subs. years of employment for specialist skilled workers. better start planning and training now...

what a terrific opportunity.
for years we have been subjected to demands to import workers. preferably unskilled workers. non English speaking. fit for the dirty menial work that no real aussie wants to deal with. jobs such as feeding the daily slops to old people. wiping the bums of screaming toddlers. and at the top of the skill set, serving meals to rich tourists.

building nuclear subs will require skilled workers. many of them. for many years of steady employment.

what an exciting... and positive... possibility for Australia.


Nick Lethbridge
consulting Dexitroboper

Perth Bears. Really?

To be honest, I don't know what sport the NRL manages. Rugby, I suspect. But there seem to be several types of Rugby. anyway...
There is a rumour that a new NRL team could be created. possibly in Perth. our own state tourism Minister suggests, the Perth Bears.

hang on...
didn't the NRL recently close down a WA team? due to not knowing where WA is, possibly.

and... Bears? There are no Bears in Australia. nowhere.
Yes there are koalas. often misnamed as Bears.
but there are none of them in our state. except in zoos. or stuffed in museums... perhaps that's the thinking.

will someone remind the tourism Minister which state he lives in.





Nick Lethbridge
consulting Dexitroboper

*bang*in a park near you.

Have you ever *bang* wondered why *bang*basketball practice requires its own special *bang*area? A hard surface? *bang*

Other sports *bang*can be played *bang*on the grass which is a part of every local*bang* park.

Cricket, foot*bang*ball, tee-ball, soccer. Playing games*bang*. Just running round hav*bang*ing fun. All can happen on grass.

*bang*Yet basketball requires*bang**bang**bang* its own special area.

In case you are *bang*really wondering... It is*bang* because basketball practice is all about dribbling: bouncing *bang*a hard ball on a hard sur*bang*face. Over and over *bang*and *bang*over again*bang*.

Have you ever wondered why people do not want a basketball practice area near their house?*bang*

life *can* be tough

yesterday I was less than impressed at the "hard luck" story on the radio... a couple who owned three houses and had raised the rents that they charged.

today, the same show found a less ridiculous story:

a family with three children and one house. they have reduced the kid's supporting commitments. there is less spare time and money to drive to and from the various venues.

there was no self pitying whingeing. the father dealt with the problem. worked extra hours. was not complaining. he was dealing with the situation.

not looking for pity. but i did admire his attitude. and efforts.

--

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
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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

tough times. not

The RBA raised interest rates by a quarter of a percent. The ABC was desperate to turn this into a hard luck story.

how have you cut back? they asked. oh, we decided to cancel our daughter's karate lessons.

oh, how terrible. but not as terrible as the next interview...

has it affected you?

oh yes, we are paying off the house that we bought when we moved to Perth. and we had to raise the rent that we charge for the house that we own in Melbourne. and on the house that we own in Sydney.

oh... and have you cut back on any of your expenses?

pause for thought

...ummm.... no.

Life is tough. for a reporter under orders to present hard luck stories.

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Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
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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

sheep slaughter furore

Today's paper is full of opinions on the live sheep trade.

Traditionally, live sheep are packed into trucks. Packed even tighter into ships. They survive, mostly, for a few weeks. Knee deep in their own shit, in searing heat. Then they are slaughtered in whatever cruel fashion suits the bizarre demands of primitive cultures and religions.

It's claimed that, now, our sheep welfare is the best in the world. Until they are outside Australia, anyway.

Finally, the federal government plans to ban our live sheep trade.

Shock, horror, despair.

The trade brings in 92 million each year. A tiny fraction of the billions earned by our iron ore exports.

The live sheep trade employs more than 3000 people across its supply chain. Not counting the hammer wielding thugs at the end of the sheep's life.

It would take ten times that number to run a chilled carcase sheep trade. A trade which would not horrify Australian standards, civilisation and sensibilities.

The government is allowing time for producers to adapt.

Producers must adapt.

It is time that sheep traders joined the rest of us in the semi-civilised real world.

.

--

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
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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