RSS feedHere’s another flawed article on lowering speed limits in NSW. Peter Martin argues that data from the U.S. shows that 55 MPH (88 KPH) limits reduce the death toll by 15% from 65 MPH. What he fails to understand is that there is a minimum speed under which drivers need not learn any particular evasive or advanced driving skills, leading to more fatalities when they are faced with more difficult driving conditions. Finding the balance between a safe lower limit, and an upper limit which allows people to actually learn driving skills is the key. At the moment Australia has one of the lowest limits in the world, and our death toll keeps rising. Duh. Limits should be restored to a more balanced level, not the 50 KPH and 40 KPH now being used in some suburban areas. Banning SUVs would also lower the death toll, but if you’re going to have deaths, it’s nice being able to be selective. 🙂
Today’s paradox. All the smart people I know, have excessive work hours. Go figure.
Oh just great. The good old Howard government has decided that we should install a missile defence system around our great island, and it just so happens that G.W. Bush + cronies figure we should probably pay some of the R&D costs for it. Which came first, the local threat, or the cross the Pacific threat? For the first time in this nation’s history, we will be errecting effectively a wall around ourselves, when we should be embracing our Asian brothers and sisters. In this day and age you would have thought that us all getting along peacefully, as well as ending the U.S. interventionist policies which created these threats in the first place, would be higher on the agenda than creating an Australian version of the catch-22 that is the U.S. arms industry. Goodbye Asia, goodbye 21st century united nations of peace.
Poor Niue, a small nation in the Pacific Ocean of around 500 people, and the smallest independent state in the world. Hit by a cyclone, with NZ$50M in damage. Apparently one person was killed, but so much of the infrastructure was destroyed that the cost may force them to give up their independence and return to New Zealand rule. Who else but New Zealand would allow such a small island to become independent, support them financially while doing so, and look after them through the bad times? In this day and age when invasion and virtual annexation is the norm, good on you New Zealand!
If this weren’t so funny, it would be depressing. As predicted over 20 years ago by various writers, journalists and activists, 1984 has begun in earnest. Starting today, if you’re from one of 165 countries on a certain U.S. list (really 166, but for good old American reasons the U.S. doesn’t recognise Taiwan as an actual country), when you enter the U.S., you’ll have your photo and finger prints taken. How long before the remaining 27 countries are included, and how long before they start with their own citizens. The revolution has ended, rest in peace the revolution!
A few weeks ago, I heard a well known Sydney rock muso and an apparently credible 2JJJ DJ, so credible in fact that I’ve forgotten their names, rant on and on ad nauseum about some extremely rare funk album by the Skull Snaps that few people have heard of from 1973, and how it was subsequently sampled by a whole load of recent musos who need to rip off other artists instead of write their own music (my words :-). Anyway, they kept on and on about how rare this album was, then played the classic “It’s a new day.” Well, not only is this extremely rare album available from Amazon, but today I found three copies in the $2 bargain bin at HMV Chatswood. I didn’t buy them. Good on ya Triple J, keep up the cred. Yes this record is important, but it is also extremely easy to find. more on skull snaps…
Speaking of Americanisms, need I say more…
C.U.D.D.L.E – Cousins United to Defeat Discriminating Laws through Education.
Reminds me of A Complicated Song by Weird Al Yankovic.
Stumbled across this today, which would have been wonderful in the WBF studio. GasBGon – Flatulence Filter Seat Cushions.
You no longer have to be embarrassed by the untimely passing of intestinal gas among your friends or family. GasBGon has been designed and tested to absorb the odor and sound of flatulence. Malodorous gas is a naturally occurring event, obviously affecting some people more than others. Yet, clinical studies show that the average person produces one to three pints of gas and passes gas 14 times a day.
So this guy gets arrested and faces five years jail and US$250000 fine for telling a spammer he would…
…disable you with a bullet and torture you with a power drill and an ice pick, then hunt you down and castrate your employees.
While the media find it amusing that someone would go to such lengths, I have to ask, how is it that he receives so few spams that he can concentrate so intently on one of them? And how come they’ve arrested a guy with such lame come backs? We’ve all done better, even on a bad day. SPAM rage (CNet)
Well, it had to happen I guess. I’ve finally moved to CSS-P, and took the opportunity to add an RSS feed to my blog.