'ju:femaiz

"There is a very simple solution to all of this … If the GST threshold was lowered to $50 or $100..."

Fri, 18 May 2012 07:10:57 +1000

“There is a very simple solution to all of this … If the GST threshold was lowered to $50 or $100 distributors wouldn’t be going down this path … you instantly become more competitive.”

- http://m.smh.com.au/national/accc-to-investigate-internet-clothing-deals-20120517-1ytnx.html

So why the hell are te markups not 10% after shipping but 50-100% post-shipping?

"But the media regulator has opted for a rule that had a better chance of enforcement following..."

Thu, 17 May 2012 13:22:08 +1000

“But the media regulator has opted for a rule that had a better chance of enforcement following intense negotiations with 2Day’s owner, Southern Cross Austereo, over the wording of the new condition.”

- Sandilands ruling falls short of blanket ban

Is this ACMA admitting that they are toothless?

Inquiry questions 'minimal' action in pursuit of Trio fraud

Thu, 17 May 2012 13:21:08 +1000

Inquiry questions 'minimal' action in pursuit of Trio fraud:

Take a second to think of the difference between what’s happened here and in the Craig Thompson case. Both extremely inadequate oversight.

But on the other hand, oversight is red tape.

The committee recommended against a mandatory compensation scheme for self-managed super fund members, which represent about a third of total superannuation investments.

The federal government has awarded $55 million in compensation, reaching 5400 investors, as a result of the fraud. But the compensation was only paid to investors covered by the superannuation regulator, the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.

However, the committee recommended the federal government consider assisting self-managed ARP Growth investors, based on an argument they were switched out of an APRA-regulated fund by Mr Gresham.

The committee also recommended mandatory warnings to self managed super fund investors about the dangers they faced and better disclosure about investment funds.

I’m a bit confused here, as those who were compensated were not compensated from general revenue, but from what is effectively an insurance scheme for those covered by Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.

Anyone cast some light onto this? What’s the justification for the taxpayer to bail out those who have ignored the risks.

School 'failed to get me into law'

Thu, 17 May 2012 11:52:57 +1000

School 'failed to get me into law':

lolz?

"Almost everyone - whether on the right or the left - automatically assumes company tax is a tax on..."

Wed, 16 May 2012 08:33:12 +1000

“Almost everyone - whether on the right or the left - automatically assumes company tax is a tax on the rich. So, those excitable souls claiming the budget was a plan to ”smash the rich”, list as Exhibit A the decision not to cut the rate of company tax by 1 per cent, as had been promised. But Australian shareholders - including Australian super funds - get tax credits for the company tax paid on their behalf. And tax economists argue that, in the end, the burden of company tax is borne mainly by wage-earners. So it’s not at all clear to me that company tax is a tax on business or on the rich. Business was never terribly enthusiastic about the 1 per cent cut; I’m unimpressed by the bitter tears it’s shedding now.”

- Spreading the love to buy votes? So what, it was about time

This. In particular.

"But loyalty to parties on the basis of class is long gone. These days people’s vote is as..."

Wed, 16 May 2012 08:29:20 +1000

“But loyalty to parties on the basis of class is long gone. These days people’s vote is as likely to be guided by the party divide on social issues as economic ones. Then there’s the rise of the ”aspirational” voter: people who don’t mind seeing the better-off favoured by the government because they hope to be better off themselves one day.”

- Spreading the love to buy votes? So what, it was about time

That is, the entitlement mentality that the Hon. member for North Sydney referred to… his own constituents… oops.

"Nathan Rees and Campbell did what the Coalition has done so far - they cherry-picked the easier..."

Wed, 16 May 2012 08:26:57 +1000

“Nathan Rees and Campbell did what the Coalition has done so far - they cherry-picked the easier things. They targeted senior management and they talked tough on graffiti. They chose targets for change that didn’t risk a war with the unions and spooked as few voters as possible.”

- Commuter queue of frustration keeps growing

12 months in, with a massive mandate from the population, O’Farrell hasn’t had the guts to move on an integrated transport strategy with public transportation at its heart (not an afterthought) even though it, with public education and public health, is at the top of the “most important” pile amongst voters who turfed out the previous ALP government for not delivering. He’s got three years until the next election - and needs to get the politically unpalatable reforms in now.

Vagrants and Chefs and Librarians... oh my!

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:33:06 +1000

Vagrants and Chefs and Librarians... oh my!:

To read.

wobsarazzi: My friend Grant shot this last weekend in the...

Tue, 15 May 2012 15:26:12 +1000

wobsarazzi:

My friend Grant shot this last weekend in the Alabama Hills outside of Lone Pine, CA with his new 5D mkIII. Can’t wait til I get a free weekend to meet up with him for an adventure. Really wanna see what can push my 5D to do!

WoW!

Second Star Trail : 3h4m35s @ Taralga, NSW - 12 May, 2012...

Tue, 15 May 2012 14:16:01 +1000

Second Star Trail : 3h4m35s @ Taralga, NSW - 12 May, 2012 on Flickr.

Not bad. All in camera!

Why Nikola Tesla was the greatest geek who ever lived - The Oatmeal

Tue, 15 May 2012 12:09:09 +1000

Why Nikola Tesla was the greatest geek who ever lived - The Oatmeal:

This must be read. Epic and true.

Absence of competition breeds unions' contempt for members

Tue, 15 May 2012 11:49:12 +1000

Absence of competition breeds unions' contempt for members:

Gerard is scared of comments today…

"It was the Howard government that dismantled Australia’s successful National Asian Languages..."

Tue, 15 May 2012 11:48:31 +1000

“It was the Howard government that dismantled Australia’s successful National Asian Languages and Studies in Australian Schools program in 2002, eight years into its 12-year cycle. That program had seen a doubling in the number studying Asian languages. When the program ended, the subjects suffered.”

- On the road to China, no Damascus conversion

What will be important for Tony Abbott and the LNP is to admit that they (through the Howard-Costello-Abbott-Minchin-etal leadership) screwed up monumentally in this space.

"Intentious is a controversial news sharing site solely dedicated to reporting on important current..."

Mon, 14 May 2012 16:45:39 +1000

“Intentious is a controversial news sharing site solely dedicated to reporting on important current news and issues that breed strong opinions, contention, bias, debate, discussion and conflicting personal interests”

- Intentious | What is Intentious?

Seems more like an opinion site to me.

"The Opposition claims on one hand that the mining tax will kill the industry but, on the other,..."

Mon, 14 May 2012 11:15:07 +1000

“The Opposition claims on one hand that the mining tax will kill the industry but, on the other, agrees with Forrest that it is not going to make any money. Tony Abbott, Joe Hockey and Ian Macfarlane have all said the miners have told them they will be paying no mining tax for several years. It is understood Hockey got a clip around the ears from BHP for being too candid about what he had been told, including that a company had ”given me data”. The other version, coming from the minerals industry, is that Hockey did not accurately reflect what BHP told him and that the company does expect to pay the tax.”

- Proof will be in the paying when mining tax kicks in

Question is, why isn’t the media prodding the “sky is falling and is rising” simultaneously comment?

Defence firm faces bribe probe

Mon, 14 May 2012 10:49:46 +1000

Defence firm faces bribe probe:

Bribery is part of private enterprise. Always has, always will. Why else the lavish spend on corporate boxes at sport, tickets to performances, expensive dinners etc for those with power?

"Miranda, given the close linkage between your writing and the journavdocate writing of the rest of..."

Mon, 14 May 2012 10:06:56 +1000

“Miranda, given the close linkage between your writing and the journavdocate writing of the rest of News Ltd/News Corp, it would be wise to ensure (editors, are you listening) that Opinion pieces (along with editorial) are blatantly shown to be so. There are no details at the bottom stating that you are a paid columnist and blogger of News Ltd and that this piece is your personal opinion. Onto the topic at hand, you’ve conveniently forgotten the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature research undertaken by a collection of scientists who, going in to it, were keen to show that the IPCC and climate science generally was incorrect. Unfortunately for those involved (and their financial backers - including renowned anti-climate change action businessman Charles G Koch) the findings aligned with the IPCC and climate science findings as they stand ( http://berkeleyearth.org/analysis/ ). This was a major setback to the arguments expounded by many you cite. Given this, your comments above are obviously barking up the wrong tree. There are other trees you can now go up - whether they’re correct will become more obvious with further research and studies. However, your reputation on the issue is tarnished already.”

- The reality of a wet, cold summer has failed to dampen activists’ enthusiasm for alarmism | thetelegraph.com.au

Miranda, given the close linkage between your writing and the journavdocate writing of the rest of News Ltd/News Corp, it would be wise to ensure (editors, are you listening) that Opinion pieces (along with editorial) are blatantly shown to be so.

There are no details at the bottom stating that you are a paid columnist and blogger of News Ltd and that this piece is your personal opinion.

Onto the topic at hand, you’ve conveniently forgotten the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature research undertaken by a collection of scientists who, going in to it, were keen to show that the IPCC and climate science generally was incorrect. Unfortunately for those involved (and their financial backers - including renowned anti-climate change action businessman Charles G Koch) the findings aligned with the IPCC and climate science findings as they stand ( http://berkeleyearth.org/analysis/ ). This was a major setback to the arguments expounded by many you cite.

Given this, your comments above are obviously barking up the wrong tree. There are other trees you can now go up - whether they’re correct will become more obvious with further research and studies. However, your reputation on the issue is tarnished already.

(written here as I doubt it’ll be posted)

The reality of a wet, cold summer has failed to dampen activists' enthusiasm for alarmism | thetelegraph.com.au

Mon, 14 May 2012 09:52:04 +1000

The reality of a wet, cold summer has failed to dampen activists' enthusiasm for alarmism | thetelegraph.com.au:

The Daily Teletrash really has a problem with their website. In terms of the design all editorial, opinion and “news” looks strikingly similar. Opinion pieces do not have their authors photographs with their name at the top, and their details and background at the bottom as is the norm.

Yet another method deployed in the war against knowledge and media reporting.

"Do you believe in climate change? Yes No VOTE NOW"

Mon, 14 May 2012 09:45:18 +1000

“Do you believe in climate change? Yes No VOTE NOW”

- Climate commissioner Professor Tim Flannery said temperatures on rise in Sydney’s west | thetelegraph.com.au

The Daily Telegraph really understanding science. Pitching it as “do you believe” equates it to pixies, fairies, elves and Santa. Well done.

"Mr Abbott did not cost the policy, which would require recruiting and training teachers. Nor did he..."

Fri, 11 May 2012 09:22:19 +1000

“Mr Abbott did not cost the policy, which would require recruiting and training teachers. Nor did he announce any new savings measures to fund his promises thus far. But he did promise to identify at least $50 billion more in savings before the next election.”

- Abbott’s vow: I can save $50 billion

Dare we hold our breath?