subjective truth

First, the MBA stated that the WA CFMEU is clean.

Then the MBA began to change its opinion. There are several possible explanations:

1. MBA leaders -- the people who make public statements -- are completely out of touch with the reality of the industry that they represent.

2. Those leaders are, themselves, in bed with the CFMEU. And only publicity forced them to admit some truth.

3. The threats by builders have become stronger than the ongoing threats from the union.

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


Happiness is wanting what you already have
   

it's your choice

Laura Newell writes defensively about the choice between public and private schools.

Perhaps her pursed-lips listener was only considering her own choices.

Newell makes another assumption which is entirely wrong: a private school is automatically better than a public school.

My own memories of a private school are of bullying by students. Cruel punishments by staff and disinterested teaching.

But I don't care where Newell sends her own kids.

... Nick Lethbridge, Churchlands

===

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


Happiness is wanting what you already have
   

up the republic

the Australian Republican Movement has briefly stirred. But they admit that the Australian public is not yet ready to welcome a republic. Meanwhile, they are searching for presidential candidates. They are hoping to find Australian versions of Trump and Biden. Oh, what fun we could have as a US-style republic. With Joyce as The Shooter.

... Nick Lethbridge, Churchlands

===

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


Happiness is wanting what you already have
   

take a photo

In my relative youth I worked for Alcoa. Back when they were clear-felling jarrah for mine-sites and a refinery.

One manager was reported to have said, If the public want to see a jarrah tree -- show them a photo.

I see that "Australian" business still operates with the same hatred for our natural environment. (no positives, 27 Jul).

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


Happiness is wanting what you already have
   

political gaming

Iimmigrant criminals were released due to a loophole in our Constitution.

Politicians are still shuffling seats and playing the blame game (27 Jul). 

There is no interest in fixing the actual problem. 

When will we have a referendum to close the Constitutional loophole?

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


Happiness is wanting what you already have
   

no environment for jobs

CCIWA chief says that, if we protect the environment against the vandalism of miners, the only jobs for young people in regional towns will be in cafes or driving a taxi, 27 Jul.

Of course, once the miners arrive with their city-based FIFO management and workers, even those jobs will be lost.

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


Happiness is wanting what you already have
   

win some, lose some

Our ballooning population needs buildings in which to live and work. 

The production of concrete and steel, for use in buildings, produces an enormous quantity of climate-destroying CO2.

Great news that a new Perth skyscraper will be built using 42% wood (Kim Macdonald, 25 Jul).

Only one question remains: Which Indonesian rainforest will be clear-felled to provide the wood?

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


Happiness is wanting what you already have
   

lie or die

The DoJ boss "lied" to his minister by reporting positive progress on the prison's Unit 18.

Well of course he lied. It was either claim good progress -- or watch the death of his own career.

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


Happiness is wanting what you already have
   

in the eyes of the beholder

Barrack Obama is plotting. He is seeking his own advancement, over the good of his own country. Letters 25,26 Jul. Perhaps he is the antiChrist to Trump?

Thank goodness we have Letter writers who can see the worst in other people's actions. Especially when the actions do not support the writer's paranoid world view.

With no evidence either way, I am willing to give Obama the benefit of the doubt. And I'll keep my mind open in case the Letter writers are correct.

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


Happiness is wanting what you already have
   

concrete backers

Congratulations to Basil Z. He gets three to one support for his concrete riverside plan. That would be support from his rich backers in the bulldoze and build brigade.

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


Happiness is wanting what you already have
   

axe the trees

A new Perth skyscraper will replace 42% of its structural steel and concrete with wood. This will result in a huge reduction in the CO2 emissions due to the construction material processing.

All this so that we can build another tower in which our ballooning population can live and work.

Of course it will require a huge number of trees to be chopped down.

Win some, lose some.

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


Happiness is wanting what you already have
   

shuffling the deckchairs

It must be difficult being PM.

You have to appoint politicians as ministers. None of the politicians have any appropriate skills. No training and very little ability. The only skill of a politician is the ability, or luck, to get elected. And their only goal is to get re-elected.

It doesn't matter who the PM picks.Nor how often he re-shuffles, it's still a choice from amongst incompetents.

And the PM who must select ministers from the deadwood -- is no better than any of them.

Their heads were flat, their eyes were dull. They had no brains at all.

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


Happiness is wanting what you already have
   

no NOA Bridal

Yet another business going bankrupt.

The business supplies bridegowns except that it doesn't. All it does is to take money and place an order with an actual dressmaker. 

Then cashflow gets tight. They continue to take money but fail to place orders.

Yet another business owner with absolutely no skills in the business. Making a profit out of hot air.

All my sympathy is with the brides. I have no sympathy to spare for the business owner.

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


Happiness is wanting what you already have
   

cult power

Stephanie Rice has given all her money to a god cult. not that god will ever see it. Her money will support the powerful cult leaders in their world-spanning life of travel, greed, power and luxury.

Rice the influencer wants others to see how "happy" she is. Is she now a manipulative cult leader? Or another brainwashed dupe.

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


Happiness is wanting what you already have
   

baby drought

Nowhere to live. Overburdened child care. Teachers attacked at school. Cost of living rises. Environment destroyed. Criminal migrants freed to commit more crimes. Powerful companies face profit drop. Foreign wars extended to Australian campuses. Government pressured to pay us to breed. Birth rate falls. 

At last, some good news.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

We know that the nature of genius is to provide idiots with ideas twenty years later... Louis Aragon

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

how dare they

The government will provide millions to schools to target domestic violence. No-one knows how it will be spent. Perhaps teachers will be sent on awareness courses. Or there will be classes in "respectful relationships"... In which case Fat Johnny's mother will complain to all the world: How dare you tell me that my dear little child is destined to be a wife beater.

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


Happiness is wanting what you already have
   

fat rage

Laura Newell writes a sensible comment on school weigh-ins.

Two pages later, Bethany Hiatt drums up a dietitians' rant against BMI. Why?

The form, as shown in yesterday's West, made no mention of BMI.

The box was ticked to indicate *outside* -- not over but outside -- expected for the kid's age. 

Then Whalen (Letters) imagines pamphlets as "a belittling note".

 Too much rage, not enough fact-checking.

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


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

all I need is hate

I know that there are Blak people who live as happily as anyone else within our Perth version of civilisation. But not Emma Garlett. She prefers race-based hatred.

 Garlett 23Jul is absolutely clear on one thing: all training in "cultural capability" must be done by whyt people.

Such training would be wasted on Garlett because she is not capable of seeing past her hatred and jealousy of the culture which gives her health care, education, housing, transport, employment and all the other trappings of civilisation.

Garlett makes more money by fomenting hatred and division than she could ever make by helping bring "her" people out of their disadvantages and into the modern world.

Understanding and education? Too much like real work mate.

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


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

no real need

Inpex and the Maritime Union say that Australia needs more seafarers. They must mean trained maritime workers. Otherwise it's as simple as waiting for the next boatloads of illegal immigrant seafarers to drift over from Indonesia.

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


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

parental fat guilt

A school weighs a child, ticks a box on a form.

The mother goes into meltdown. Defensive screams, How dare you say my child is fat.

Look, lady. The tick box indicates that your child is outside the expected weight for age. It's you that has labeled your child as fat.

The form does not even mention *over* weight. It politely indicates, outside the expected.

Then a dietitian prattles on about BMI  being "problematic" for a child. Well sorry, the form does not mention BMI, it refers to age. You know, the way that children are expected to get heavier as they grow older.

Both parents may be Sumo wrestlers.In which case little Johnny is probably fat and fit and healthy.

The mother's reaction indicates guilt. Yes, she knows that Johnny is fat but, hey, what can you do.

What you can do is to stop your narrow-minded whingeing. And be glad that the school cares about every child's health and fitness.

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


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

ED overload

It seems that gen Z are too willing to take minor ailments (headaches, cuts, acne...)to the emergency department (ED). (per PAGB research, 22 Jul)

So who are gen Z? People aged 14 to 30, or 25 to 34, depending on who you ask. Let's just say, young people today.

Why do they go to ED?

Perhaps because they do not have a "family doctor".

They may have left home, moved away from "family" Then they get sick. Or something unexpected, are they sick? They have no-one -- no close family -- to ask.

A twenty-year-old gets a cut, it bleeds. Or a headache which lasts all day. Is it serious? How are they expected to know?

At that age even acne, perhaps brought on by increased eating of fast food, perhaps not, is it serious? To a teenager, yes. Is it a sign of a health risk? Perhaps it is.

Where is a doctor to provide advice? Every GP is over-booked -- and said to be expensive.

But there are doctors, real doctors at the ED, go there.

A pharmacist says that TikTok seems to have replaced granny's wisdom, supercilious fool. Granny is on the other side of Australia.

We need a walk-in advice clinic.

Come in, sit down, wait. You're not bleeding, you're still conscious, all limbs attached. The one doctor, a real doctor, will give quick advice. No treatment, no guarantee. If you are not reassured, or if the doctor advises it -- then you move on to the aptly named Emergency department.

Don't blame young people. They may be victims of a changing social structure.

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


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

divorce recovery

This research just in: When a marriage breaks down, the man is twice as likely as the woman to "move on". Here, move on means, find a new partner.

Perhaps women learn from their first mistake and take a while before they commit to a second 

mistake.

Perhaps the men are in more of a hurry to get back to easy sex.

The article in the paper does not mention any research into the more interesting area of reasons. A pity.

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


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

how common is rare?

There's a children's medical care group called Rare Care. It operates in WA. Gets funds from Telethon. Support from major organisations. Based at PCH.

Does great things for sick kids -- specifically kids who are sick with rare diseases.

Sounds great. Tugging at our heart-strings.

Until you read (20 Jul) that they care for... sixty-three *thousand* kids. Just in WA.

Sorry mate but that is not "rare". Not unless the common cold is counted as rare.

It could be a case of poor reporting. Except for the group's purpose: 

to develop personalised -- ie good for research papers, medicines, expensive,  for the trickiest -- trips to overseas conferences, and often undiagnosed... whoa! ... nobody has even seen it...cases in children, oh how sad, give me money... across WA. except, of course that we need extensive overseas travel to see examples of these "rare" diseases.

Excuse my cynical response. Perhaps it is simply bad reporting.

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


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

a waste of votes

Paul Murray has an attack on the Greens party 20Jul). I didn't bother reading his detailed, probably correct, analysis of preference votes. Yes, compulsory preferential voting is -- in practice -- ridiculous.

But...

A win by a micro candidate is not, as Murray claims, "the fault of voters themselves". It is the result of deliberate candidate confusion.

Confusion when parties deliberately stuff the ballot paper with a hundred  not-a-hope candidates. I know that I lost count before I reached ninety.

Voting "above the line" allows for secret deals between vote-swapping nut-parties. More wasted, unthinking, votes.

Optional preferential voting gets my vote: count only as far as you want. Vote only for the first few of your preferred candidates -- those you have actually heard about.

==

What about the Greens?

There is no longer anything "green" about them.

Murray labels them as "radical Marxist", I have no idea. What I do see is that they support a range of extreme, crazy, ideas.

Worse -- they have abandoned democracy in favour of violence, physical attack (on property, so far) and verbal insults.

It makes the two major parties seem almost sane by comparison.

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


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

Ole Champ

An interesting strip, 19 Jul, for Ole Champ in NAIDOC week.

I always read the cartoon. It can be funny, clever, incomprehensible. I suspect that The West misses large sections of continuing stories.

Whether I understand it or even laugh at it -- it's great to have an alternative view in a daily comic strip.

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


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

uninformed

There are plenty of books for teens entering puberty. Books with chapters discussing, why is my voice changing. why am I growing hair there? Why is non-consensual teasing no longer acceptable? And of course, 37 new positions which your parents don't want to hear about.

Now Gary Martin announces midulthood. Where are the books to guide us through it?

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


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

republic lack

It's great to read another pro-republic letter. It reminds me why our republicans will never get their way: They have nothing to offer. No agreed model, no logical reasoning. All they offer is hatred and jealousy of royal values and traditions.

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


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

not a joke

comic band Tenacious D makes a joke about the Trump shooting, followed by shock horror all round.

Simon Collins points out that the joke is only typical of the pair's profane humour.

That one of the two acted in a show about a politician faking an assassination attempt. Perhaps that's the real problem.

Our racist jokes serve to normalise racism.

It's like a teenager driving like an idiot. All very funny -- until someone gets killed.

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


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

privileged

Wishful thinking from Bronwyn David Letters 18 Jul.

To satisfy her criteria, the next US President must be a black female moron in a wheelchair.

... Nick Lethbridge, Churchlands

===

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


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

miner half truth

19jul24: printed in The West as, Seems jobs go anyway

So protecting nature will cost thousands of mining jobs (WA miners' secret plea, 18 jul)

As opposed to 700 job losses because Twiggy says so. And 2000 job losses because BHP misread the market for nickel. And more job losses any time profit margins are threatened.

The powerful miners would prefer absolute freedom as they continue to dig our own graves.

... Nick Lethbridge, Churchlands

===

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


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

south bank WA

Basil wants to over-develop the rivers edge until it rivals South Bank.

I'm sure I've been there. I remember a broad area of concrete. Bounded on one side by the concrete walls of the Yarra drain. On the other by concrete buildings.

Or perhaps I'm confusing it with various other concrete-lined blockages between rivers and cities.

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


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

Trumped

Trump was not shot. Not even shot at.

He carried a small bag of blood in one hand. Waited for the signal -- his hired gun firing into the crowd.

Trump crushed the bag against his ear. Dived to the ground where he could hide the now empty blood bag.

Stood up,  Kept his ear, bloody but uninjured, well hidden while saluting the adoring crowd.

All hail Trump -- the wounded but still fighting hero.

You can bet that the gunman was surprised when he was shot conveniently dead by Trump's own security team.

See how easy it is to generate fake news.

... Nick Lethbridge, Churchlands

===

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


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

notdownsizing

congratulations to the letter writer who has dumped a life-time of memories and sold her big empty house to a young family rich enough to buy it.

My kids will need to hire professionals to cherry-pick the very few valuable bits of junk and dump the rest into a skip bin, I won't care.

Then the house will be bulldozed to be replaced by mini dwellings with no garden.

Meanwhile, I continue to gather junk -- and memories --  because I am still alive.

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


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

preferential voting

our voting system is designed to balance everyone's preferences.

A candidate may win with very few primary votes. As long as not too many voters indicate that they definitely do not want that candidate.

It allows for rorting because voters are too lazy to count all the way.

Is that simple enough for Paul Murray?

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


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

unlimited vengeance

a letter to the paper says that the Israeli authorities are doing everything in their power to get hostages released.

That's a very Old Testament attitude, where "everything" is limited to dropping bombs on civilians. 

Israelis  do not want hostages released. They are wreaking vengeance.

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


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

healthy engagement

the health department is delaying a "staff engagement" survey, good. It would waste money and time.

put the money, and effort, towards fixing some of the myriad problems which are already identified.

provide an effective work environment and the dedicated health staff will be fully engaged.

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


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

Joe v Don: optimistic update

America has a difficult choice:

vote for a president who, it seems, does not know what he's doing.

Or vote for a president who, it seems, does not care.

it's sad, really: a great country and these are the best two that they can find.

===

later: Trump has just been shot.

He raised the mob to violence, now the mob has turned on him.

A mob can be raised but it is hard to control.

Perhaps Trump will now learn some moderation. He could even become a strong alternative to the violent despots of other countries.

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


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

movie gun

Alec baldwin was charged for shooting, and killing, with a movie "prop" gun. there is no suggestion of intent. He was cleared on a legal technicality.

I support both results.

rule one for any gun, real, prop or toy, is that you never point it at a person.

rule two is, always assume that it is loaded.

the law has done its bit, there is no crime. civil courts may take it further.

baldwin was an idiot. i hope his conscience is punishing him.

movie safety procedures failed. i hope they will be improved.

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


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

biassed reporting

on the front page of the paper, half the page is, "BHP says iced mine will be revived".

An amazingly positive view of a mine being closed and thousands of workers thrown out of work.

I wonder how much BHP paid for such a positive slant on their profit-driven decision.

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


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

desperate for viewers

I had not realised that ch7 considers the ABC to be such a threat.

ch7 has a new news-related comedy show, just three minutes before the ABC News. All to catch viewers before they switch to the *real* news on the ABC.

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


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

Joe must go

George Clooney says that Biden must give up.

Well, when an aging Hollywood star says go -- while hugging his wife -- it must be right.

Can we vote Clooney for president? preferably of some lesser known banana republic where revolutions need a good script-writer.

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


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

change of story

What luck. Sheppard is suing the AFL for his concussion. Now The West has a footy story to replace its forced self-abasement over its rubbish reporting of the Simpson sacking.

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


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

vapes and fags

Jay Hanna writes that we now have proof of the health dangers of vapes. So ignorance is no longer an excuse for vaping.

Sorry, Jay:

Since WWI, cigarettes have been known as "coffin nails" -- yet people still smoke and still kill themselves.

Cigarettes are addictive, profitable and very well marketed -- so they still sell.

Vapes are addictive, profitable and very well marketed. They will continue to sell, to be used -- and to kill.

Human greed --and stupidity -- rules.

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


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

treat the cause

 Look at the symptons -- but treat the cause. Our population continues to explode. Our economy throws more cash into billionaires pockets while Individuals can find nowhere to live, even if they could afford it. Kim Macdonald wants to convert comfortable homes into overcrowded ghettos.

Nothing should be off the table (Ed. 11 July). Except the obvious, population management. And all this "should be good news". Good news in which warped world?

...Nick Lethbridge, Churchlands

===

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


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

no need for social media

Social media is slammed for reinforcing prejudice.

We now have a Special Envoy to combat anti-Semitism. So what does this person do? First, they reinforce their prejudice at a conference in Argentina. 

Then more one-side views by talking with Jewish Australians.

 Will the anti-islamophobia envoy begin their pointless role with a trip to Hamas HQ in Gaza? Then restrict their contacts to Muslim Australians?

It would make a lot more sense to talk to and engage with anti-Semites and with islamophobes. That way the latest government sinecures may be able to identify root causes -- and look for fixes.

Or are our special envoys afraid to consider both sides.

... Nick Lethbridge, Churchlands

===

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


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

no help here

I was a public servant long enough to understand the ""return on investment" report which Saffioti uses to justify eight million dollars for a Cold Play concert in Perth, 9th July. These reports never analyse "if" money should be spent. The decision has already been made, the report must make it appear to be worthwhile.

Meanwhile, I have an app which will bring thousands of tourists to WA. And get them to do more than see one concert. And it will work all year, every year.

I contacted Saffioti's office to see if she could introduce me to a potential backer for commercialisation. Not a fucking hope.

I don't blame Saffioti, I could not get past her "senior adviser" whose job is to prevent new ideas getting to the Minister. A "flapper", Jonathan Swift would call him. Six months of wasted emails during which the flapper never understood what I wanted, because he finally said, What you want is a backer. At which point I re-sent my original request to be introduced to a possible backer.

The flapper replied, No, we can't do that.

Eight million dollars spent on an English music group. No help at all for a local developer.

How do I feel about that?

Absolutely pissed.

... Nick Lethbridge, Churchlands

===

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


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

join the crowds

Dean Kemp, 6th July, objects to a power-pole between his house and the view.

Welcome to the real and overcrowded world.

People are packed in like sardines, this is called development.

All those extra people need, demand, power, water, gas, sewers, mobile and home phones.

One visible pole is nothing. In Nedlands the government will take and tear down your house, so that some of those extra people can get poorly placed health care.

More people, more infrastructure, less quality of life. You lost your view. Be glad it was not your house.

08jul24: printed in The West as "Could be worse, Dean"

...Nick Lethbridge, Churchlands

===

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


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

better music

Since the 1950s, pop music melodies have become simpler, less complex.

This has been interpreted as, older songs are better.

Wrong.

Perhaps listeners like to tap their feet while listening. Or even sing along. In which case simpler songs --modern songs -- are better.

First, define good and bad. And then place a value judgement on the data.

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


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

one-eyed Murray

Paul Murray is an intelligent journalist. So we can take his article on Jill Biden as his own bias rather than stupidity.

The mob is calling for Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race. Jill B says, we will make that decision. The Bidens -- not the mob.

Murray claims that this is a rejection of democracy. Without even mentioning the Trump attempt to retain power by force of mob violence, Murray accuses the Bidens of armed insurrection... for planning to make their own decision.

In Murray's world a candidate must run, no matter what. The candidate is allowed no say in the decision to run.

In Murray-world a candidate is a candidate until Murray says otherwise.

Mob rule by a mob of one.

Deliberate misunderstanding? Or blind Murray bias?

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


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

Role for the Letters

The new Editor announced himself with emotionally charged highly biassed tub-thumping Editorial rants. Friday's Editorial is a calmer and more convincing statement of opinion. Much better journalism.

Please leave the rabid rabble-rousing writing to us Letters writers.

... Nick Lethbridge, Churchlands

===

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


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

feeble-minded excuse

Yet another nutter let loose on the grounds of "mental health" (teen's previous terror link, 3 July)

It's time to stop allowing craziness as an excuse for crime.

You are always responsible for your own actions.

Get treatment or get self-control.

If you or your friends can control your lunacy, all well and good.

If not, you are guilty.

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


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

set some standards

Do we really want "a career paedophile" in our society? (horror show in Casuarina, 3 July)

Do we have any standards at all? Apparently not, if Game of Thrones is classed as entertainment.

Either set the paedo free, with a job in children's TV production. Or give him a VAD kit and tell him to get on with it.

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


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

... of English

In NSW, Labor politicians have spotted a travesty. It's amazing what you can spot when you are drunk on your own need to be noticed.

For those who came in late: Travesty is a poor imitation. So it has to be a travesty *of* something. A common phrase is a travesty *of* justice.
===

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


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

consultant control

The Made in Australia Act will include strict conditions.
Which consultants are helping frame those strict conditions? How much are they already earning by advising companies on how to bypass those conditions?
... Nick Lethbridge, Churchlands
===


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


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

politics of personality

the headline is, battle to keep biden in the running.

i mis-read it as, battle to keep biden running.

poor old bloke

no-one cares about his ideas or his policies, it's all about how good, or bad, he looks on television.

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


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

polly pay rise

Kate Davey asks, Letters 2nd July,

 why politicians get a pay rise without needing to fight or to go on strike.

Well they do fight, all the time... against each other. And they don't strike because no one could tell the difference if they did.

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


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

listen... but also think

emma garlett wants us to listen to young people, to let them guide us.

She cites a young blak man who is doing great things in WA. well, he's already been listened to and won various awards and become a political advisor. Good on him.

garlett admits, reluctantly, that he has never been subjected to racism at school. well done that school.

garlett also mentions zuckerberg as another example of a then-young person having a brilliant idea. i guess she's missed the recent opinions on the evil within Facebook. yes, it made a heap of money. that does not guarantee that an idea is good.

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


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

the me-first senator

congratulations to Sen Payman.

She has successfully brought her war of religious intolerance all the way into the Australian parliament.

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


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

imposter syndrome

It seems that a lot of people in high level jobs feel that they are frauds: they are anxious and depressed because they feel they do not deserve their success and they worry that they are not as clever as they seem.

I've worked with successful people in high level jobs. It's very easy to believe that some of them do not deserve their success and that they are not particularly clever -- not at the job that they are paid to do. And there are some who do not have the syndrome but are truly imposters. They just don't care.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

I'm nobody's fool. Care to adopt me?

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

offensive advertising

There's a full page ad headed, Why does Nan keep asking us to repeat everything?

Well, little Johnny it's because Nan is going *deaf*
Yes, being deaf brings social isolation. The ad implies something worse: deafness is a social stigma. Something nasty which we dare not mention.
Deaf, blind, demented, all unfortunate facts of life. Often associated with aging.
Social challenges, not stigmas.
... 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
   

being a parent

two points of disagreement with Andrew Miller ,1st July

1. His 5y.o daughter had a nightmare. he comforts her with what he admits is a lie, that daddy will always be there for her.

There is no question of, as he writes, broaching issues of mortality in the middle of the night. It's much simpler:

the child wants comfort, company, *now* Not crap promises that the next business trip will prove to be lies.

2. he goes on to worry about a future time when he will *not* be needed in the middle of the night.

Well, idiot, that's when you can step back and be proud that you have raised an independent human being. Sad for yourself -- but proud.

Not proud of what you have done. But proud of the child that is the result.

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


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

historyPaper

good to see that The West has given up any pretense of being a "news" paper.

today's front page is devoted to the arrest, eight years ago, of a person for murders which are even further in the past.

No *news* here.

I expect that the next month's papers will advertise the history podcast which is sure to follow.

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


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

dogs' home struggle

A dog rescue service in Northam may close due to lack of funds. I offer sympathy but not money.

I would never want to euthanase a healthy dog. So act early -- do not get a dog.

To put it bluntly: with every farmer now allowed to own ten guns, euthanasia is not difficult.

For dogs which do end up in a refuge:

Government or Shire fund two weeks' stay per dog, because a refuge is a service for the public.

one week for end of life care and comfort.

a second week continuing to look for suitable new owners. New owners pay for sterilisation and microchip ID ( both are compulsory).

optional extra: if the dog's owners pay full costs, or work as refuge volunteers for four or more hours each day, then the dog may stay for another four weeks, while still looking for new owners.

Then euthanasia (government funded).

.

If a dog is on a second visit, there is one week to find its registered owner. If the owner does not claim it, the dog is euthanased.

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


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