I’m a troublemaker sometimes
Imagine this: you’re a councillor for a metropolitan local council. On your patch is an outspoken community advocate, who is something of a thorn in your side. What could you do to shut him up? How about register the organisation name he’s been using for months as a business name yourself? Some wacky fantasy, eh? ... [More]
Well, there’s one bloke I shouldn’t expect a Christmas card from this year… Maybe that came over as being a bit harsh, but it was an attempt to subvert what was essentially a fluffy publicity piece and provide a view of how well his ministry is actually performing. Most people, including those who don’t use ... [More]
Right now, innocence is being taken by faceless government bureaucrats. The Age: Back at school after being illegally detained Immigration officers arrived unannounced at Stanmore Public School in March and removed Ian Hwang, then 11, and his six-year-old Australian-born sister Janey, after their Korean mother was arrested arriving at Sydney Airport with a false passport. ... [More]
On William Street, some Jeep promotional girls (amusingly the Jeeps all had P plates) gave me a brochure for the new Jeep Grand Cherokee. I can’t think of anything I am less likely to buy. There are few less efficient ways of getting around the place than in a hulking great juggernaut like that. Meanwhile, ... [More]
The Essential Services Commission draft decision on power prices wants price cuts to electricity. Am I the only one who thinks this is a bad idea? Provide more concessions to those on low incomes, sure, but across the board price cuts? How is that meant to encourage people to use less power? Remember, the bulk ... [More]
Review: The End of Suburbia. I saw this at a PTUA screening to about 60 people a week or two ago. A fascinating film about the consequences of the forthcoming shortages of oil and natural gas. The film is North American-centric (as you can tell from the subtitle “Oil Depletion and the Collapse of the ... [More]
If you were listening to the radio on Tuesday afternoon after the state budget was announced, you may have noticed that it wasn’t me doing the media for PTUA… I’ve bowed out as my real work is getting too busy to be able to do media effectively. Chris did the budget comment, and did a ... [More]
So, Hazelwood, the state’s dirtiest power station, and the nation’s heaviest polluter, is likely to keep churning along for another 26 years, happily burning filthy brown coal for electricity. Surely it must be time to not just research, but actively build alternative, sustainable electricity generators. The irony is some people are vehemently opposed to wind ... [More]
On Tuesday night Melbourne City Council approved a plan (by the narrowest of margins) to build four new tram superstops along Collins Street. Fine, very good, wheelchair accessible, more pleasant to wait in and use than safety zones. But they also plan to close three stops: at Queen, King and Russell Streets. We’ve had a ... [More]
I filled up with petrol on Sunday night. $1.05 per litre, and that was with the 4 cpl supermarket discount. Don’t count on prices dropping any time soon. OPEC admit they have no control over oil prices, with demand continuing to outstrip supply. And of course world demand continues to climb as developing countries embrace ... [More]
Don’t throw away your February Met ticket: Connex will have to offer compensation for the first time ever to all Connex Melbourne train customers who hold a monthly or longer ticket from February. They got caught by a mere 0.01%, with 91.99% arriving within 5 minutes of their scheduled time, just barely under their 92% ... [More]
Today the Kyoto protocol comes into effect, at least in the countries that have signed up to it. Of which ours isn’t one, so unlike most industrialised countries, we (along with the US and China) can blissfully keep pumping CO2 into the air, with no legal consequences. A lot of the contributions to emissions come ... [More]