no innovation here

It's nice that Bill Shorten (30 May) supports innovation.

In fact, he demands innovation. Therefore his executive will give, at least, change.

Of course Shorten will never hear of innovation suggested by the staff who do the actual work.

I have spent six months attempting to suggest one innovative idea to our state tourism minister. I doubt that the minister has even heard the suggestion.

I have been stone-walled by the mostly polite ministerial "flapper" -- the "advisor" employed to ensure that the minister never hears anything unless it is advantageous to the flapper.

Innovation? Not unless it is specifically demanded by the minister.

... Nick Lethbridge, Churchlands

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


Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood
   

name for shame

The West is desperate to identify the woman in a kiss with Twiggy Forrest. They may as well copy their past behaviour: Name her as the NSW Uni student that they named as the Bondi stabber...

Oh, wait, that name and shame stupidity has been covered up. Settled out of court, with not one mention in the guilty paper.

Oh, no! The West has already named a Moroccan Minister. Will this lead to another cover-up and pay-out and rapid change of news editor?

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


Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood
   

head in sand

Laura Tingle says that Australia clearly has a problem with racism.

In response, she is shouted down and counselled. It appears that we do *not* have a problem with racism. Which is terrific news.

We can now repeal all those anti racism laws. The laws are not needed because there is not a problem.

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


Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood
   

Now More than Ever

Thank you to The West for the clarity of its articles explaining Reconciliation Week.

The week's motto is clear. Blak people want more and they want it now.

The Vision for Reconciliation is a list of demands.

The word shared appears once under Unity. Every other demand is for more to be given to Blak people. No mention of equality, every demand is for more, for Blak people.

In the Voice Referendum Australians voted No because they did not want to divide Australia.

ReconciliationWA wants to divide Australia. Into Us, and you whyt buggers.

What next? Do a Donald Trump, storm Parliament House and demand that the democratic result be thrown out.

We need to throw out the demands for one-sided "reconciliation". We need acceptance. Equality. And an honest desire to move forward. Together.

... Nick Lethbridge, Churchlands

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


Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood
   

age-old truth, finally

For decades, economists have wanted to shoot old people. As the population ages and people live longer, they become a burden on younger people.

Now the UK has recognised the real and immediate problem.

Young people, 18 to 24 years old, are out of work and taking to crime (Issues forced Sunak to act, 27th May)

The UK PM will introduce youth conscription, in an effort to reduce the burden that young people place on society.

Will Australia follow suit? Or can we at least stop blaming old people for all the ills for which economists are unable to find a cure.

... Nick Lethbridge, Churchlands

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


Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood
   

political profit

Paul Murray's opinion piece, 25 May is a waste of paper.

Forty million to buy votes? so what's new.

We already know that politicians spend our money only to their own benefit.

They spend it on their own perks and profit. They buy favours to ensure their own retirement to a comfortable sinecure. While in power, a politician's primary concern is always to ensure their own re-election.

Then they get full support from agencies such as DPC. which is staffed by Party boot-lickers whose ultimate career goal is to join their bosses on the parliamentary gravy train.

 All that Murray has done is to document one small part of the political chicane.

Try telling us something new.

Perhaps Murray can identify just one honest politician in ACT Sodom.

... Nick Lethbridge, Churchlands

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


Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood
   

faster profits

Canberra bureaucrats dare to suggest that mining trucks should slow down. Why? Just to avoid killing wildlife.

What a stupid idea. 

A slower truck could lose tens of dollars from mining profits. All to save some stupid animals. Which will be extinct anyway, just as soon as the next mine extension begins.

No-one slows down to protect human lives. Why should we care about dumb animals?

... Nick Lethbridge, Churchlands

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


Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood
   

here we go again

Emily Hanford arrives in town. Teaching went so wrong 25,5

She wants us to change all the ways we teach kids to read.

She tells us that all previous experts are wrong. Only Emily knows the truth.

Emily tells us that "you want kids to understand the relationships between the letters and the sounds"

Actually, no. We want kids to be able to read.

So why should we believe that this latest self-proclaimed expert is right?

It's because she has her own podcast.

I'm sorry but that is just not good enough.

I won't believe her until I see her on her own TikTok channel.

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


Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood
   

judge makes it S.E.P

Okay, insert "alleged" wherever necessary:

Another rapist is to be released on society. It's in the public interest, says the judge.

The rapist will be dumped back into the care of his unfortunate sister.

The rapist is uncontrollable and not fit to stand trial -- so the judge has decreed that NDIS will pay for 24/7 care, to keep the rapist entertained. So he will not get bored then drunk then raping again.

Here's a better idea: 

Take the man out and shoot him. Give the NDIS money to the girl that he raped, to pay for trauma counselling. For the girl and for her father, who had to save the girl from worse.

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


Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood
   

legal limit

25May: printed in The West as Limit's the limit

Alston's cartoon 24 May makes, indirectly, a valid point.

If a law sets a limit then that is the actual limit. It is not up to the individual to reset that limit.

The limit may be ten fish or 60 kph.

If you are over that limit then yes, you are breaking the law.

If you don't like the limit -- then get into Parliament and change the law.

...Nick Lethbridge, Churchlands

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


Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood
   

chicken style

We're doing our weekly shopping. It includes a couple of litres of chicken stock

... except

... I notice that it is "chicken *style* stock.

So there must be a profit in adding salt and perhaps spices to water then shipping it all the way across Australia.

Deb took it back to the shelves -- and picked up stock that had actually had some contact with a chicken.

... I would have left the flavoured water sitting at the check-out.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

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Bandaid solutions hurt when they are removed.

...Dying for you to Read my blog: notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com

green tape or tick box

"it is very difficult to get line of sight for when we'll get those approvals" 22 May

oh, I do love a bit of convoluted business-speak.

Meg O'Neill's prolix obfuscation highlights the major problem with environmental reviews: *when* we will get those approvals.

If the environment review process were worth anything at all, the boss of Woodside would be wondering *whether* those approvals would ever be granted.

... Nick Lethbridge, Churchlands

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


Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood
   

safety or abuse

A toddler at a work site is kept in a cage (rhe west, 22 may) the implication is that this is, somehow, a terrible crime. "we take seriously any allegations of child harm".

In any home, a toddler will be kept locked inside the house. perhaps even caged in a "play pen" Outside, bars and fences keep the toddler away from the pool.

but on a building site -- a safely caged play area becomes evidence of deliberate child harm.

it seems to me to be evidence of a caring and careful parent.

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


Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood
   

no right to do wrong

The West has a new editor. And a new low standard for editorials.

Today, 22 May for example, states that Israel "was left with no choice" but to fight against Hamas. So far, so good.

Now both Hamas and Israel are being charged with committing war crimes. This upsets the editor. Not that the crimes may have been committed -- but that both groups have been charged.

The West logic is this: hamas is a terrorist group, they should be charged. Yes.

But Israel is a liberal democracy and therefore can respond with whatever atrocities they choose to use.

For the editor, two wrongs have clearly made a right.

Or... sauce for the goose is not allowed near the gander.

Whether it's done by this side or by that -- a war crime is a war crime. It is for the Court to determine. Not the editor of a local opinion paper.

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


Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood
   

loss of credibility

Meg O'Neill has just destroyed her credibility. She has made a demand which, deliberately or not, places her firmly in the my-way or the highway camp.

She calls for "truth on climate" 

Blak people call for "truth-telling". By which they mean, ignore all documented history, you must accept what I tell you that I vaguely remember of what my now dead granny told us kids when we were young enough to listen to fairy stories.

Take my word as truth and everyone else is telling lies.

O'Neill -- boss of major resource exploitation company Woodside -- wants us to ignore other views and accept her word as the one and only "truth".

She mentions "science". But with one word, truth, she has linked mining companies with people who demand that we accept facts only as far as the facts support a one-sided view of history.

Take my truth. All else is lies.

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


Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood
   

sick old story

Gary Martin writes 20 May of our tendency to scour the internet and find a plethora of deadly diseases that match our trivial symptoms.

he calls it cyberchondria

Nothing new there.

Way back in 1889, Jerome K Jerome wrote Three Men in a Boat.One of the characters spent time in a doctor's waiting room -- reading a book of diseases and symptoms. Within an hour he had realised that, despite feeling quite healthy, he in fact had a plethora of deadly diseases.

In these modern times we still suffer -- but faster, thanks to the internet.

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


Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood
   

royal rubbish

The story of the Harry and Meghan Nigerian pseudo-royal back-scratch fest has surely been inspired by the Edgar Wallace stories of Sanders of the River. Back in 1911 it was an exciting adventure in the British Raj. Now it is an embarrassing story of Internet influencers in search of clicks.

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


Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood
   

tornado terror

Sometimes the weather bureau is so annoying.

it's clear that your headline writer has HORROR on speed dial.

We open each day's paper with eager anticipation. How soon will horror apear?

And then Bunbury has a tornado. front page May 11th

If only the Bureau had called it a hurricane.

But in WA, that hardly ever happens

... Nick Lethbridge, Churchlands

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


Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood
   

women in charge

Bloody women. Put them in charge of a footy team and they destroy everything that makes the game worth playing.

All Tarryn Thomas has done is, and its only allegedly, multiple domestic violence related incidents. Oh and lots of misconduct including threatening a woman. So what. He's turned up at four different programs to change his behaviour.Is he now expected to change his behaviour, or what. The Club bosses, both bloody women of course, write to other footy teams to say that the poor boy did not change. Well, why should he.

We must have men, real men, running our footy.

Real men would forgive. Support. Perhaps send him to a more expensive program overseas. Let the court cases settle. Then get him a job as footy commentator.

Bloody wishy washy women.

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


Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood
   

flawed purpose

In a Sunday Times article on A flawed system, May 5th,

"Parents ask for things like mental health plans and they're just overlooked."
When did Child Welfare change to Services for Failed Parents?

... Nick Lethbridge, Churchlands

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


Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood
   

neighbourhood and NDIS nonsense

A couple of items in today's Sunday times.

In one, a couple set up an NDIS-funded business to provide accommodation for people who can't look after themselves.

Pretty soon, unmanaged people are disturbing neighbors, with noise, lights and all hours comings and goings. They also wander the streets and knock on doors at all hours.

The business applies to the Council to have the house changed from residential to supported independent living. The change is rejected.

Good.

It's a residential neighbourhood and the business is already, illegally, damaging liveability.

btw: I strongly object to people who create a business with the primary, possibly only, goal of catching NDIS funding. NDIS is to support the disabled. Not to support greedy entrepreneurs.

Next, a "WA disability services provider" wants landlords to give *priority* to "vulnerable" potential tenants. Give rental priority to people who already get government funding through NDIS.

What the hell. Let ordinary people, with no particular problems, become second class citizens who are forced to sleep on the streets.

Support, okay. Priority, definitely not.

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


Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood
   

scoring to win

The Editorial headline, May 3, claims, Political point-scoring doesn't help anyone.

It's clear that the Editor does not understand politics.

Points scored help the politician to gain publicity, which in turn gains votes. Which is all that matters to a politician.

... Nick Lethbridge, Churchlands

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


Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood
   

Basil bends over

The Zempilas ten points in The West are getting to be more political. No surprise now that Basil has officially entered politics.

Today May 3 he also gives a huge arse-kiss to the West's Editors, ex and incoming.

No surprise there, either, Basil is owned by the paper.

It is a clear warning of who will be giving orders to Basil if he gets into Parliament.

Still no mention in the Channel Seven owned paper of the false murder accusations by Ch7. Nor of the confidential settlement that Seven was forced to make with the innocent man.

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


Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood
   

protest for peace

Students are violently protesting, for and against Israel and Palestine.

It's not clear what they actually want. Let's pretend that they want peace.

So:

Build a fence around all of the protesters. Leave them alone to settle their differences. Let the protesters out only when they have a student-peace agreement individually signed by every protester.

Then send that agreement to both Israel and Palestine, as an example of what can be achieved.

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


Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood
   

spread it on

A Letter today, May 3 surprised me. From earlier Letters I always assumed that Rhys Winterburn was already ripe and old. (sorry Rhys, j/k)

I was more inspired by Today's Text. Jesus declared, I am the bread of life.

I'll take that bread well toasted. With lots of butter, some bacon and a fried egg, if there is also a plate and a serviette. Plus, the ultimate taste for enjoyment, a sharp slathering of marmalade. A short life but tastier.

... Nick Lethbridge, Churchlands

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


Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood
   

what can we do

On 1st May The West attacks federal ministers for allowing foreign criminals to freely cut a violent path through our society.

What do you expect the ministers to do?

There are people, presumably Australians, who dedicate themselves to removing any restriction on criminal invaders.

These people find a weakness in our aging Constitution: known criminals now cannot be detained. We can't send them home, the criminals just say no.

Supporters of crime demand the right to visit new arrivals, to guide them through the process of gaining maximum benefit from their unannounced arrival in our country.

They demand that the Australian government provides comfort and security and the latest technology to people who are already rich enough to have bought their own way through people smugglers to this land of golden criminal opportunity.

Any government action to control these criminals will be fought tooth and nail by the people who get a warm and comforting glow from each and every crime committed by their foreign proteges.

All that we are allowed to do is to hide behind locked doors and hope that it is not our home that is the target for the next violent home invasion by a foreign criminal.

... Nick Lethbridge, Churchlands

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


Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood