Carbon Tax ... Friend or Foe?

The likelihood of passing Labor's Carbon Tax legislation (with the support of the Greens & the In dependants) is so high, even I would head down to the TAB and put money on it!

It's a formality away from happening, it will happen & people ... it's a GOOD THING.

Now I don't believe in all the science, I believe that the earth does what it has to, to reach its own equilibrium. However, what I do believe is that one day coal will run out (It takes millions of years to make coal from petrified wood.) & if we don't invest in alternatives now, our grandchildren will be in for a shock!

So why is it a good thing?

Our electricity bills are already high!

That's because we know coal is scarce.  As a scarce resource, it will cost more & more due to our world population is growing.  How can this be a surprise to anyone?

The demand for more is increasing & that the energy sector knew a tax or ETS would be on its way.

If our energy providers can access energy from more sustainable sources, it can only mean our bills will stay the same or even go down. (in the long run).

We're biting off more than we can chew.
20 years ago, did we have TVs in every room? Did we have electronic devices foe EVERYTHING? We don't even read or catch a bus without our electronic devices. Kids these days don't ride their bikes, they play with iPads, Xboxes & Nintendo DSs.
I'm just guessing, but the rate at which Australia has grown is nothing compared to the rate demand for electricity has grown.

Despite the spin, despite what both Julia & Tony tells us, despite what the shock jocks say & despite what was alluded to on Q&A, acting sustainably is in the nations interest and in YOUR interest.

There is uncertainty about everything ... except death & taxes.
Embrace the new certainty provided by our Government!


Photo taken from:
http://www.sustainabilityninja.com/government-industry-sustainability/clean-energy-details-of-economic-stimulus-bill-10549/

Ladies in Heels

I have a philosophy about ladies shoes.
If I can walk in them normally, I can wear them.

I objectively try on shoes & go through the checklist of walkability, stylishness, confidence etc.  I know what brands are good for work, I know which of my shoes are good for weekends, I know which shoes to only wear if I'm being driven & walking is minimal.

I don't wear sneakers to work, I wear dark canvas Dunlops or comfy ballet shoes.When I'm out for the night for a few drinks, I wear heels but I make sure I know where we are going so the shoes suit the location.  I try to ensure that they are comfy or I catch cabs.

I don't stomp, shuffle or walk like a new born horse. 

It's not sexy & you loose the allure of confidence. 

It's amazing how many women will wear a KILLER pair of heels or boots.



Photos from:
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/uk-teens-taught-to-wear-high-heels-20100609-xwjg.html
http://www.saratoga.com/horse-racing-blog/2009/07/racing-101-it-takes-a-village-getting-a-horse-to-the-track-part-1.html

Diversity on TV

On Q&A last week (Monday 20th June, ABC) Josh Thomas made an interesting statement.
He said that by watching reality TV, he got an insight into who other people are. He even mentioned that growing up where he did, the first Muslim he got to know/see was via TV.

I wonder what he was watching ... it’s all well and good if the commercial TV networks actually put someone on TV who is NOT your stereotypical: middle income, Anglo-Saxon who conforms to societies ways.

Apart from SBS (and at times the ABC), pretty much all other channels conform to this stereotypical image of what Australians should look like. That is ... apart from the 'token' person.  When we view American & British TV, there is a bit more diversity but our diversity highs are when the commercial channels televise a comedy festival!

There are some really interesting people on TV,  I don't want to define people by their race but surely we can make more dramas or comedies with a reflection of who 'Australians' really are.

GFC: Take 2?

Its been about 2 years since the GFC started.

We've been quite lucky in Australia to have missed the brunt of it. Our employment took a small dip, consumer spending dipped (still is down), our savings have increased & our stock exchange took a few batterings thus lowering our super funds.

We tried to recover, stimulus packages were put together, interest rates were dropped & families started eating more at home.

It's been 2 years and we think it's all in the past ... but is it?

America is still having issues and worse than them is Greece.  Their economic woes continue,  jobs being cut, wages being lowered and now there is strong speculation that they will default on their loan.

With the prospect of the loan defaulting, it's going to greatly impact upon the markets within the EU.  Stocks and markets will be volatile and thus repercussions will be felt everywhere, including Australia. We are not immune, it is not over. 

My take on things?

The leadership under Papendreou is strong, however, it's not enough.  More needs to be done to get people working and producing cash flow within society. With interest rates already near 0%, the incentive you give to taxpayers is more stimulus payments in conjunction with investment in staples such as infrastructure & education. Tourism is where things could get interesting, so the Greek government should think of incentives to let the foreigners flood in.

From our side of things, I think the RBA have been very cautious (rightly so) while we sit and wait and see what is happening in the rest of the world. If they increased interest rates prematurely, we could have had some unnecessary early bumps.  Our stock market will continue to suffer while other regions are suffering and our currency against others will also faulter.

The whole world is still in such a precarious place right now, added to the GFC woes are environmental issues that have affected Japan, New Zealand and ourselves. The impact on these countries affects the world, especially compounding its affect on us.

There's still some way to go before we're out of the woods.

Sources:
http://ceoworld.biz/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/George-A-Papandreou.jpg
http://www.smh.com.au/business/sneeze-in-europe-can-give-a-a-cold-20110620-1gbuo.html

Poor Female Self Image

I found this on the back cover of the Sun Herald yesterday. (Sunday 5th June 2011).

Taking photoshop and editing too far .... How skinny DOES she have to be?
Skinny enough to dissolve her knees.  Really, look closely, she has no knees.

It's still blatently obvious that a normal human figure is repulsive on the cover (or back) of publications.
What's wrong with knees? I assume she has them, but I cannot see her patella, her knee dimples ... nothing.

Cat Calls = Female Limelight

Politicians are elected as OUR representatives but I don't remember electing any of them to be role model of sexism.

Today while the Senate was sitting, a Senator made a cat-call noise (a reeeow) suggesting an in-party fight.

Why is it when Senator David Bushby makes a cat-call, it's recipient, Senator Penny Wong (it's predominantly the female) is in the spotlight?
Why isn't David Bushby's face plastered all over the online news?
Why isn't his face flashed before us on the 6pm & 7 pm news?

Image taken from:
http://www.smh.com.au/

Role Model Fail

Beyonce has been in her second job for a while now. She is helping Michelle Obama on a campaign to reduce childhood obesity in the "Let's Move" program.

Re-making video clips to make it more fun & easier for the kids to follow her dance moves.  Great idea! 

Although, it's a case of do as I say, not as I do.  It's a shame that Beyonce cannot always 'move'.  

Beyonce was one of the hundreds of celebrities at the Met Gala last week.  She looked great but ... at what cost?

    

 

As you can see ... Beyonce wore a dress that was soooo tight, she could not move. She couldn't even climb up the stairs herself!

 

What message does this send to the kids? What message does it send to those who think they are too fat? What message does it send to those who look to her for fashion advice? Or to those who want to be like her? 

It's sending such a clear message that if you want to look beautiful, you loose your independence. 

 

Looking beautiful means you need help climbing up the stairs (even help going to the toilet). 

 

References:

http://www.letsmove.gov/

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2011/05/beyonce-dress-met-gala-michelle-obama.html