Tag: culture

Fake Fibre Obsolete On Delivery

As a former employee of Telstra and well trained in the capabilities of what the fibre network is capable of from its inception I struggle with what Australians have been forced to accept with the present NBN.

The network being rolled out as we speak is obselete in its present form and its capacity deliberately limited by this government to retain and protect current media monopolies.

When introduced in its infancy traffic in the fibre tubes was limited, but as technology expanded the capacity is only governed by what is hung on the end, therefore not only businesses ,households, the elderly sent to nursing homes, the sick or injured could have equipment ( health packs as invisaged) available in home ,with direct access to doctors and nursing staff and mobile doctors 24/7 cutting costs across the entire health spectrum. This is only one sector that has been restricted by this governments decision to retain copper and deliver a split network, one for the masses and one for the clients that can reap the benefits if they are wealthy enough.

Communication was legislated as a essential service in this country until privatisation, so their is no reason to get excited when you get a pay for a service that could deliver much more for the same cost, and that equation applies nationally.

It’s like buying a brand new car with 3 good tires and a retread and a free bumper bar thrown in.

Editorial Cut Sees My Health references irrelevant

Aboriginal Heritage Came before the Tragic Train.

As the. Media reels in the tragedy of the Notre Dam fire and records the world shock and pity of the 800 year old structure and artefacts lost or damaged could we please take a step back and look at what we are doing to our 80,000 year Aboriginal heritage and that is challenged daily by nature, bulldozers,  selective memory loss or just plain ignorance. 
We have the oldest Culture on the planet  and its history just  within  hours to all of us  on this island if we choose to accept that fact and although it may not fit with the teachings of some beliefs the artwork and history and  authenticity is  undeniable.
No one is donating billions  of dollars to keep this history let alone recreate it to its former greatness because its destroyed and anything else would be a fake disservice  to its creators. Those memories are left with respect to ancestors families to pass on but that does not stop us newer inhabitants from learning, appreciating and respecting. 
Its easy copy to look elsewhere and get on the tragic train but can we just take the time to appreciate what we have and preserve what is left. We owe that to mankind all over the world as  we are the keepers of history far before any cities, buildings or paintings were created. 

The Vegan Dilemma

Many of us in our youth took to the streets if we felt civil protest was the only way to change governments or  Legislative powers for the good of living conditions of our fellow workers or democratic rights were challenged. 
The vegan protest philosophies  however, do not fall into that category in my view and are based on core beliefs on how humans should exist today compared on how we got here over evolution. 
To be clear from the onset I am not and never will accept animal cruelty, but we have to accept the fact  the food chain exists and right down to the basic kitchen gecko chasing mosquitos to lions chasing gazelle we humans come from  carnivores and changing that will never happen, but like all beliefs be it spiritual,  political, or society changing we are entitled to have them, even live by them , but we are not entitled to force them upon others in their own homes. 
I feel invaded when people turn up wanting to convert me to their beliefs as do many, but that does not stop the right of those people holding them but forcing them by invasion is not the way to go. 
I feel deeply in  todays world animal experiments should be a thing of the past, our science should have expanded past that age, but we cannot change the way we evolved, agreed not pretty in places but to be brutally honest we as humans do much more damage to each other in daily life physically and mentally on this planet than we do to when we take to survive and maybe that’s where our own back yard would be a good place to start to clean up first. 

Invisible People with Invisible Disabilities with Invisible Support.

I wish to raise a subject on behalf of people beligned by our present society by the broad term of dole bludgers.

I agree some people use the system out of pure laziness often stretching back generations however there are some very desperate people caught up in broad perception projected by our politicians that are living a life in abject poverty and can do nothing to break out.

They are the physically disabled, the mentally ill, the ones that just can’t work and do not transition to a disability pension or are in transition or cannot get through the NDS mazes alone.

Support Services for these people has been cut or does not exist so they are left in their houses or rooms if they are fortunate enough struggling to pay rent, food and usually medication last.

Suicide rates among these people is high unfortunately but suits the government data on unemployment hence low on the priority list.

Luckily some medics are sympathetic to this group but the social stigma stays when they have to venture into main stream population to get medications not on the PBS and struggle to pay at the counter.

This issue is not about raising the New Start allowance, although that would help greatly it’s about defining the people who are invisible in the present system.

This issue is in the too hard basket for many politicians regardless of allegiance.

The real issue is getting classification, getting approved or rejected then getting them into care be it NDS or Disability options, not letting them slowly fade into natural attrition.

We are supposed to have a surplus if we listen to the spin so let’s give the least able bodied people some life saving support.

Investigative Journalism must Survive.

I have been guilty of pulling the trigger maybe too quickly on the media on what I see as slanted reporting or cartooning but with the Al Jazeera story I can only commend the media on its speed on self analysis if ethical standards were breached.

Within hours of release, self questioning commenced weather it reported the story or created the story.

That debate will be ongoing but it’s my simpleton belief is overall if it’s in the public interest, the public should know.

The method of acquiring the evidence is played out regularly in capturing terrorist, online predators, drug dealers, gun runners all regarded as fair game if any investigative journalist outlet exposes the culprits.

The fact that they did not secure the funding does not change the intent or the toxic advice on how to nullify murder.

I believe this is a clear example on the value of investigative journalism, and regardless of what side of politics you support it is imperative to democracy these outlets across the world continue their work, and must be protected.

Atheist Point.

As a onlooker without a alliance to any religion I am troubled at the way the Kiwi Tragedy is being handled by social media and the media in general.

If we are to be consistent with reporting and coverage news their is no need to give the perpetrators religion a mention or ensure that when a unfortunate event happens call it equally.

However we  consistently read and view the Islamic faith linked to events by fanatics but rarely do we see the word Christian leading a headline when they impede. 

Hard Right Wing has blazed the headlines not Hard Right Wing Christians Fundamentalists for example which truly identifies those who hold that view but rarely identified in the media or any platform. 

I concede Christianity hold approximately 60% of Australian faith but that should not stand in the way of balanced reporting as that imbalance leads to false impressions and feeds divide.

Calling it as it is sometimes upsets and could threaten income streams of some news outlets but I suppose it comes down to journalistic ethics and brave editors to keep us well and truthfully informed.

Spot the Differences

Sporting Costs disqualify Struggle Street.

At a kid in the 60’s in a war service /housing camp area kids had to make their own entertainment but when the word got around the local Football Club ( Wog Ball as it was known then ) were looking for players a few of us fronted up with absolutely nothing and the rest is history.

After reading the costs involved in the QT report I wonder who will look after those kids from real struggle street who’s parents are the living poor. The odds are those kids will be the problems of the future and never given a chance.

We all know sport is better than any lecture to teach the real lessons of life. Respect, humility, integrity and it goes on and it’s not always parents that can be trusted to impart those standards, so are we as a society prepared to accept those who are priced out in childhood will become tomorrow’s problem generations?

Sport and it’s infrastructure particularly in the lower demographic should be critical, and maybe across the board should be regarded as essential service or we can to play the risk management game and hope the pluses outweigh the minuses?

I appreciate all the government grants to existing and emerging organisations but looking at the data in the qt report sport should never be for the have and the have nots, it is the best classroom in the world regardless of how rich or poor your country is and that applies to parents as well.

Self Regulation in the Churches cannot be Trusted.

In the past week or so I have watched the wave of emotions surrounding the Pell decision and I am one who’s vote falls with the victims.

Sadly it’s not only one church or godly organisation that stands condemned it many. It’s not only one man it’s 100’s of years of perpetrators hidden, relocated or just plain tolerated to keep the cloth appearing sacred.

As a atheist I feel for those who’s faith in their gods and churches has been tarnished if not destroyed but I’m sure they will recover over time. They too are victims of this world wide culture of denial however I refuse to concede the churches do not have enough money to compensate the physical abuse.

I see church hierarchy’s bathed in gold, while their followers starve, struggle for food or justice and I appreciate the excellent work by the believers who work tirelessly across our nation as do the non clerical organisations helping our fellow travellers, but these “keepers of the cash” run the religion business’s ruthlessly as exposed by the commission.

My faith in our legal system is solid and justice will be done in the end, but after the dust settles who will watch the watchers as self regulation has proved totally inadequate for far too long.

Enter Serhilda Subaru.

Well is been about 20 days of ownership of Serhilda Subaru and what a ride.

For a pair of near 70 year old old farts getting a vehicle with leading edge technology on board has been a real buzz

It took years to get my beloved to progress from a flip Nokia phone of the nineties to a iPhone 6s, as the family passed off old phones when one got a upgrade.

That was a step that equaled a moon walk, however after about a fortnight of total remorse of the dead Nokia one realised how much fun it was to learn to play with things like emoji and sounds and to her credit she has progressed dramatically since crossing the boundary of self imposed ignorance.

iPads once just electric newspapers now are a more a interactive challenge and now with the arrival of Serhilda the curve and interest is nearly vertical.

I have the feeling that friends and associates are a little apprehensive to put mildly of our/my decision to move into such a tech loaded machine but in my view as we get older we must embrace the available technology to assist us with the driving / travelling task as it does not take that much research that if you are a elderly you are immediately assumed to be at fault because of age and we have to prove innocence from a handicap of assumed incompetence.

This car will not and does not drive itself, make decisions, but it does make you more aware of you being in control of a vehicle.

Face eye cameras, lane departure, observation of head movement away from road and fatigue all thing we do naturally but sometimes we might just need a jog to remind us. Age is irrelevant with these tools but the fact it’s there reinforces the obligations of holding a licence.

Some younger find it objectionable, a imposition of accountability when you already know everything, the older are afraid they will be jolted into realism of how habits can develop into hazards and the fact that repetition and getting away with it does not make it right.

Personally I love driving with a passion, being fortunate via PMG, Telecom, TELSTRA to have some of the best training one could have in heavy vehicle and mechanical aids and I have never taken for granted that learning when upgrading vehicles and technologies across the board.

Serhilda has put me/us back in the classroom and both of us are loving the experience, and in saying that I enjoyed the Honda CRV but as a vehicle where corrigation and potholes are a daily occurrence was under the pump,but ideal in city and minor bumpy stuff. Long term for me was a unit that could fit stuff if and when needed with my issues and with the new platform Subaru is now delivering my wife is in the safest vehicle of its class in the world made our decision easy.

Last car ever so we now have a unit that compares with 15 years of Lauren Landrover TD5 in character and technology and I hope performance and reliability.

Serhilda means “Armoured Battle Women.”

The Unrecognised Aussie of the Year


By the time this goes to press The Australian of the Year 2019 would have been named and celebrated and well deserved. Some excellent nominations from all walks of life representing diverse parts of our great Australian culture.
But.. could we pause for second and look at the how we come to selecting the nominees and the criteria of those nominees.
I totally support the nominees but maybe we could extend the range of qualifications outside the professionals who get paid to promote their selected causes and give a chance to those who are not as high profile, the quiet achiever, the unknown Australian who looks after the elderly, the nurse or the emergency worker, the tradesman, the volunteer, who delivers the patients or food to outside venues who just does his or her thing often for a lifetime but will never get a chance at the big gig.
Yes I know we have local/state awards but that should not exclude a nominee just because of his or her personal status profile. We are at last considering the balance of men and women across our society so maybe we could look at rebalancing the nominee process.
And yes I do not want to be on the selection Panel

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