30th May 2010. Just reading about the safety features on a lot of new european cars – try multiple air bags – rear view cameras – lane excursion warning – intelligent suspension – abs brakes – cruise control with auto stop – self dimming lights- inability to select drive without seatbelt on – visual and aural parking assist , etc. Our federal government in all its dotage , by prohibitive import taxes and luxury car taxes have put such safety features out of the range of the average punter. Road safety – I guess thats only for the well off.
‘Anyone driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac’
21st May 2010. I normally only make a comment about once a week – but various governments are keeping me busy. Now as well as being viewed by thousands of surveillance cameras on a frequent basis- net monitored and controlled – being forced to be politically correct for fear of litigation – complying with over the top standards of health and safety – my movie viewing censored, the thought and morals police now require me to tick a box on the immigration card if I am carrying pornography. George Orwell – 1984 was such a good year.
‘You can cage the singer, but not the song’
21st May 2010. Appears to be great angst from the mining community and a degree of misreporting about a proposed new tax impost on mining production. What is not told is that although miners pay the increased tax in the production phase, they get that same rate as a tax benefit in the exploration stage. Our proposed tax rate is in the 40 % range, in Norway, a very robust economy with a massive sovereign fund, it is in the 70% range and has been for some time.
‘Never cancel a subscription due to misreporting – if you do you will soon have nothing to read’
19th May 2010. Sometimes you read something that pretty well encapsulates ideas you have tried to express yourself but does it in a more succinct and direct way. I am enclosing a link to an excellent article by Helen Womack – a cutting social comment on todays Western Society and our inexorable loss of freedom
Back in the USSR
18th May 2010. We have all said it, implying a request for more government control, alternatively we also complain about too much government control ie the nannystate; criticism in both directions. Perhaps we should heed this statement from Steve Jobs of Apple to a critical questioner “By the way, what have you done that’s so great? Do you create anything, or just criticise others’ work and belittle their motivations”. A salutory reminder to any current affairs commentator, that there is a vast army of hard working bureaucrats and politicians that create and maintain an extremely good lifestyle for us in this country. Having said that on a recent visit to Queensland I am gobsmacked about the pace of infrastructure in Brisbane, new roads, bridges, and tunnels as compared to the gridlock of Sydney.
‘The shortest distance between two points is under construction’
15th May 2010. The Curlew is a magnificent bird, it stands about half a metre high with enormous black hypnotic eyes used for night feeding. There is a curlew at the bowling club near here that stands by the external floor to ceiling window all day. Its mate was run over by a speeding or drunk driver , she mates for life, she thinks the reflection in the window is her mate – she will possibly die there but certainly will never produce any more curlews – we will be the worse off for it.
’ Thirst is the end of drinking and sorrow is the end of drunkenness’
