My Three Rs: April 2023

Sunday 30 April 2023

why pay a consultant

Science Minister Ed Husic paid consultants to review the impact of AI on jobs.

KPMG dutifully reported that AI could create more than a million jobs.

They also noted that most Australians believed that AI would *eliminate* more jobs than it created.

Did KPMG explore this possibility? Did they look for nett job gains, or losses?

No way.

They were paid to report on possible job gains. So that is all that they did. At least, according to the report in the paper.

They presented what they were paid to present.

That's what consultants are paid to do. To present and possibly justify the results required by the person who pays them.

A balanced review is of no interest. To neither consultant nor customer.

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

Friday 28 April 2023

not close to home

The Perth Lord Mayor wants "Quad" leaders to meet in Perth rather than Sydney. Fair enough, too. Part of Basil Zempilas' role is to promote his City.

Some world leaders do visit Perth. The Mayor cites the Japanese PM who "came to Perth last October and hugged a koala in Kings Park." 28 April

Is that the best we can do?

The Japanese PM should have visited Sydney. It's a lot closer to the native habitat of koalas. We have none.

But he should visit Sydney very soon. Before the last wild koala is exterminated.

jail or justice

Two thugs attempt to steal a boy's jumper. the boy resists, so one thug attempts to kick him in the head.

in court, one thug "avoids jail" That's the headline.

No. He avoids justice.

The only surprise is that the judge does not force the victim to apologise.

Wednesday 26 April 2023

crApple

over the years i have collected 40 or 50 ebooks. all standard epubs.

i read them reread them. look forward to reading them.

i copied them from the old tablet to the new apple.

apple refused to read some of them. i still had enough books to keep me amused on a holiday.

today, they are all gone. disappeared. even the book that i was reading last week. deleted, as far as i can tell.

there i was, determined to face up to my fears. i installed some seemingly useful apps on the Apple. started to learn how they worked. or didn't work.

and today -- all those books are lost.

what a fucking pile of Apple shit.

thank goodness i still have the ancient android.

which still holds every one of my collected books.

i can read ebooks on the android. i can read and send emails. unlike the crApple. all it does is crash and delete files.

next week, the old android is going on holidays. again.

the crApple is going onto the floor in the junk room. again.

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

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

Adam Bandt hates me

The leader off the greens party wants to punish property moguls.

I'm allowed to own one extra flat or house. beyond that i become an evil property mogul. To be punished.

Here's a better thought:

If you buy an investment property. And you can't afford it. Then it is a bad investment.

If rental income does not cover the cost of ownership then it is a bad investment.

if you need the money then you sell the investment.

At present, the government pays, through tax perks, for your bad investment. What a terrible idea.

We live in a capitalist society. If you make a bad investment decision then you lose. There is no reason for a government to support fools who invest unwisely and lose.

Well, okay, they can get welfare. But the government should not be paying for an individual's deliberate investment losses.

police force

The state government is desperately searching for new police officers. our own are resigning in droves. no surprise. who would stay in a job where every day puts your life on the line. where you face thugs who are free to abuse you.

The government is chasing cops from England and Ireland. what a waste of effort.

we should be poaching cops from Russia. send Russian police onto the mean streets of WA. they know how to deal with disagreeable criminals. and how to deal with people who are less than polite.

Russian police. keeping the force in police force.

obey me or die. comrade

just a paper

our daily paper is called The West Australian. or The West for short.

i call it a paper. not newspaper. Major articles are usually blatant ads for the tv station owned by the same company.

but this paper suits my needs.

what i particularly enjoy, is searching for the Horror headline.

Horror is a favourite word for their headlines. usually over a story with violence preferably violence followed by death.

today, my fix is very early.

blah blah Horror for six schools.

that headline takes more than half the front page.

there's a hundred words of story then, full report inside. ah! Click bait journalism:-)

I've had my Horror fix. now i can rush on to the crossword.

Tuesday 25 April 2023

Homes on wheels

Gemma Acton has happy memories of living in a cramped studio in Manhattan. Surrounded by the shops, services and crowds of a major city.

She somehow equates this with free camping in a caravan. Next to an isolated beach or picturesque lake, of course.

She then destroys the image by discussing the caravan park essentials of crowds, sewage, social interaction and shops.

Please do not claim the tiny house movement as anything other than a demand for illegal caravan sites.

====

Friday 21 April 2023

artI v augI

i know why i dislike my Apple tablet.

besides the fact that it regularly crashes, i mean.

and besides the fact that when i pick it up it turns on a camera. and wants to take a photo of my crotch (i rest the tablet on my lap).

first, there is artificial intelligence. that's where the computer thinks better than a human. where it does the work better than a human could.

artI could control the world. it definitely will rule the world.

then there's augmented intelligence.

that's where the computer helps the human.

helps the human to work better. by supporting the way that the human works.

augI want to help humans to manage the world. to work smarter so that life is easier.

the Apple is artI. it doesn't care about how i want to work. it forces me to follow its own artI methods of best practice.

this post is typed on a ten year old android tablet. i want to type, the tablet allows me to type. with some support from a spell checker.

i want to send an email. the tablet allows me to send an email. the whole process is similar to -- but more efficient than -- wriing and posting a letter.

this is augI. me working. augmented by -- supported by -- a computer.

artI forces me to change the way that i think and work.

augI supports what i want to do. it allows me to work in a way that suits me.

in truth, this old tablet is rubbish. but familiar rubbish. proven-to-work rubbish.

I've learnt to understand it's quirks and limitations.

the new tablet wants me to change my thinking. change my doing. so far, its new ways are demonstrably worse. they fail the test of fit for purpose.

the new tablet is sitting in a cupboard. slowly going flat. waiting for a new owner. someone who is willing to be controlled by a computer.

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

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

oops !

Today SpaceX's Starship had its first launch. And quickly exploded... oops.

There's lots of talk about it being a great ... learning experience. It probably was. I'm happy that someone is still working towards space flight.

Then I read another news report:

"It is also fully reusable, making it far cheaper to operate, and allowing a quicker turnaround between missions"

I'm afraid I had to chuckle...

Reusable? No... not this time :-)

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

The stupid person says, "It's impossible". The smart person says, "It's possible, if we can get enough stupid people to do it." (Alfred E. Neuman)

pwMapAppreadMe )

social media menace

once again, an anonymous psycho has used social media to threaten to kill a public figure. and their dog.

if these cowards used their names, they would be charged or sued. the law offers plenty of redress for threats, libel, racism and so on. There are even laws protecting us against some levels of outright lies in commerce.

By hiding on social media, cowards and cheats can do and say what they want.

We need to bring social media users into the same legal system as real people.

Here are some thoughts:

... an ID which other people can use to prove that the poster is who they claim to be

... an ID which allows police, or courts, with reason -- to identify the real person behind a post

... no post is accepted without one or both IDs

... groups such as the AFL may need their own social media platforms, to protect their own players. As any company will have its own platform for its employees.

... the AFL will allow anyone to join -- but only after they have proven their real identity.

Existing and accepted laws can then be applied to the social media psychos

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

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

RBA role

a 900 page report says that the RBA Board is unfit for purpose.

No surprise there.

A typical Board is made up of rich and powerful people who have zero knowledge of the business. Each member will be on several boards. on as many as possible. as long as there is free booze and bikkies on offer.

the daily paper notes that one rba board member is also on the board of fortescue metals. really? he has expertise in both mining and economic policy?

there are career board members who allowed the casino to operate as a money laundering service for criminals. who allowed the mint to dilute the "gold" that they sold. they either know nothing -- or do nothing.

====

the report says that rba board members should be able to understand "the design of the complex monetary tools proposed" by which they must mean, hire journalists.

for months, journalists have been explaining those tools as, rate up, rate down...

not complex at all, when you understand economic journalism.

====

more importantly: who makes these economic decisions? not the rba, i hope.

government is elected to make policies.

the government decides, for example... keep inflation down and unemployment up.

they tell the rba.

them the rba juggles rates to get the required result.

where has the government been on these decisions?

nowhere to be seen.

avoiding blame and responsibility.

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

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

Thursday 20 April 2023

forget education

thanks to an article by amit c, vc at uwa, i now know that a university has no role in education.

the role of a university is to earn money. for itself and for the state.

at least, i think that's what he said. i found it rather hard to read his long winded waffle

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

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

how embarrassing

how embarrassing is our state premier.

in the last federal election he was shamelessly sucking up to the fed labor party. clearly lining himself up for an easy run into federal parliament.

Then constant snarking at other state premiers. bignoting himself by attacking others.

now he acts as the leader of all australia. come and join me, he cries. join me in kissing the Chinese arse.

Alston is right. our premier has truly taken on the FIGJAM role.

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

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

Wednesday 19 April 2023

empty concrete nest

Elizabeth Green writes that, We can plant more trees. We can't replace a baby or a mum. Letters 19 April

The truth is, we can replace a baby in just nine months. We can replace a mum in just fifteen to twenty years.

A mature tree can take a thousand years to replace. And longer, if we care to replace the supported ecosystem.

The sadder truth is, once a tree has been replaced by concrete, that natural environment will never -- never -- be restored.

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

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

Sunday 9 April 2023

lies, damn lies and consultants

The state labor party is using standard tactics to hide any truth about health care.

First, lie. The starting mix is right, says AJ Sanderson. we already have one nurse for every three patients, she claims. So where were those nurses on the night Aishwarya died?

Next, hire consultants. When consultants are hired they are given the answer and paid to justify it.

No surprise at all that Deloittes tells the Minister what they have been paid to say, that nurse numbers already match the one to three staffing ratio. so where were they on that night?

Third. full page ads begging retired nurses to come back to the slave pens... sorry... hospitals.

fourth. promise that all will be fixed... at some time in the future. we would *like* to have something in place... in a month or two. maybe.

now the politicians sit back. do nothing. and wait for the next crisis to take the voters mind off health.

Labor looses attack dog

we are not allowed to discuss the "voice vote"

One politician says that he will argue for No.

A nervous and defensive Labor party is instantly on the attack.

Out comes Patrick Gorman, with a tirade of personal insults: He is miserable. selfish. Negative. Old fashioned.

Labor is afraid of debate. they insist that any honest discussion must instantly be attacked.

What are they afraid of? Are they afraid of the truth... that we have still not been told what we will get for a yes vote.

Thursday 6 April 2023

tell me an ending/Jo Harkin

Tell me an Ending

by Jo Harkin

science fiction

not read in March 2023

rated ##/10: can't be bothered

i read a few chapters. boring.

no characters of any interest.

hints of the main character having some secret. hints that some other character, who does not appear, has some secret.

a badly designed building. really?

you know what? i don't care. there is nothing in this book that makes me want to read any further. so i stop reading.

lesson lost

more than 80 years ago, John Steinbeck wrote Of Mice and Men.

it is a story of a man who is not capable of fitting in with the casual contempt and cruelty of society. finally he goes too far.

his best friend gives him the mercy of a quick death.

today there is no such mercy for Terence Kelly. only revenge.

he will be locked away to suffer.

our society is too cowardly to kill a person who has been labelled as "evil" and as a "monster".

Worse yet. "experts" have identified causes which contributed to his behaviour. And signs that a child was becoming a monster.

Yet there is no suggestion that we should deal with the causes. Before another monster is created.

i have no sympathy for his actions.

but we are diminished by the cruelty of our revenge.

====

Wednesday 5 April 2023

daddy owns a paper

Nice to see the paper reporting on kids enjoying the mining expo. What kid would not enjoy the simulated digging of big holes with big machines. Matched, I guess, by clear-felling of native bush. And blowing up of historic caves. All great fun.

And the photos of kids being impressed by mining magnates.

It certainly shows them that power and success belongs to heavy, old white men. Especially if daddy is rich.

So very inspirational.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

Need to know: pwMapApp

... Memorials Rhapsody

===

The stupid person says, "It's impossible". The smart person says, "It's possible, if we can get enough stupid people to do it." (Alfred E. Neuman)

pwMapAppreadMe )

Tuesday 4 April 2023

dirty business

BGC has stopped selling new houses. As a result, up to 100 sales people will lose their jobs. Good riddance.

These are the same sales people who have spent years selling building services which the company cannot supply. 4,000 unbuilt houses. Sold by people who put their own interests before those of the customers.

Next, sack the managers who continued to pay sales commissions.

Then close the company doors. They are clearly either criminal or incompetent. Unfit to be in any business.

Monday 3 April 2023

priorities

Good grief. Australia allows foreigners to settle in Australia under a "distinguished talent visa".

We don't need health care workers. We don't need builders. we don't need police or teachers.

What we need is quick entry for sports players.

Really?

Bryce Cotton is not good enough to play Olympic basketball for the US.

Delays in his citizenship meant that he could not play for Australia. Oh how sad.

But not to worry. He is supported by Wildcats lawyers who continue to pull strings, look for loopholes and shortcut due process.

All to get a "distinguished talent" into their money-making sports team.

Why not spend money to support good Australian players.

Saturday 1 April 2023

The McGowan defence

ex Pres Trump is troubled. It's alleged that he paid Stormy Daniels -- porn star -- to keep quiet about their alleged affair.

Trump should dismiss the charges as insignificant.

In the words of our esteemed Premier: It's just a Stormy in a f***ing D-cup.