December 2011
1 post
Just give me some truth →
For the last few years we’ve been told that Australia has the highest per capita greenhouse emissions in the world - NOT TRUE!
October 2011
2 posts
When I grow up I want to be a kid →
On my business card I have written along the bottom “When I grow up I want to be a kid” Here’s why. I spent years in the education systeml ‘learning’ I’ve spent most of my life ‘unlearning’ what I learnt there.
Make sure you have a box of tissues when you watch... →
I have no words - the pictures and the song say it all
September 2011
7 posts
How do you break into the music industry?
Well for starters, breaking and entering is illegal - so don’t do it.
Having been involved with the music industry for many years I get asked that all the time. What amazes me is when you tell someone it takes a lot of hard work, constantly out on the road and it’s practise and getting your ‘stye’ it’s being different etc etc.. don’t try and do it all...
A Black Swan →
faster than the speed of light?
Just when you thought time travel was not possible
Bring back Johnny
Having been out of Australia for over two weeks and not watching any TV or seeing any news to come back and see the pathetic level of Government and politicians we have in Australia no wonder I heard on Tripple J the guys talking about “Who is our Prime Minister”? and actually saying “I miss Johnny - at least you knew where you stood and you knew the country was...
“Poverty and Aid Agencies
“how about we replace all the experts and just ask...”
– Angus Deaton from Princeton University report from UNRISD a 3 day conference of ‘aid professionals’ in Geneva, entitled “Combating Poverty and Inequality: Structural Change, Policy and Politics,”
““If we don’t reduce emissions, the world risks catastrophic climate...”
– ‘chief’ parliamentary secretary for climate change Mark Dreyfus
(apology to Peter Sellers and the Pink Panther film producers).
Majestic Hotel in Eastbourne, gives a refund... →
I wrote to the hotel and said they should get a refund in name of good will and PR. I got the following reply:
Thank you for contacting Shearings Holidays.
Regarding Mr & Mrs Adendorff’s recent booking with us, our cancellation policy states that bookings cancelled on the day of arrival cannot be refunded, which is why Mr & Mrs Adendorff were initially informed that they were not entitled...
“Everything I know, I learned from a cab driver - dg
“Cab drivers do not...”
– Nassim Nicholas Taleb (Black Swan)
July 2011
1 post
Want to save on Electricity Bills and reduce... →
The Australian Government has a web site that tells it’s citizens to put on extra clothes rather than use heaters, go to bed early and snuggle up, hug your pet to get warm.. etc etc. Who wrote this crap? Give us a name.
June 2011
2 posts
The Power of Positive Thinking? →
I love looking at ‘things’ from the ‘other side’. Barbara Ehrenreich makes some great points.
May 2011
1 post
April 2011
2 posts
University? →
I’ve come to the profound conclusion that University is for those who do not know what they want to do and get a PHD in something they never really wanted enabling them to talk authoritatively about something no one really cares about.
The rest of us get on with it!
I know I shouldn’t have thought that and worse still shouldn’t put it on here for all to read …...
Is this the end of iTunes as we know it? →
Amazon have launched their new music service. Upload all your music to Amazon they will store it for you and it’s available to you 24/7 anywhere you want it. Sounds good but will it work?
March 2011
8 posts
earth hour
ok ok all good lights off everywhere - got the message - climate change - etc etc etc.. BTW: How much Carbon did we use by burning a million plus candles around the world… oh.. and the process used to make those candles? Just asking!
“You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you odd.” -...”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvbgTQIWw_4&feature=... →
I know I’m biased. Australia rocks and Warren H Williams is GREAT!
Shari'a law in Australia? I don't think so! →
IBRAHIM SIDDIQ-CONLON: “I hate democracy. Absolutely. With my heart, my speech and my hands, as much as I can”. - Quote from the 60 minutes interview. This guy was a Christian and born in Australia. He’s calling for Shari’a law to be introduced in Australia.
Ibrahim, I am deeply offended that you do not accept the Australian way of life - I totally disagree with you and...
The State of the Music Industry →
I like to keep with media trends. This graph shows the decline in Music sales. I believe two things are responsible - 1. people stealing music (free downloads) and 2. a lot of the music being produced is largely forgettable.
There is some great music out there - but you’ve got to go looking. Artists with real talent are being passed over by those who can deliver a 3 minute high and a...
Tim Minchin - listen and learn →
“I’m a musician with a swollen sense of my ability to articulate my insignificance”. Tim Minchin
MKR (My Kitchen Rules)
This show is nuts! We’re all having dinner parties - that’s what made it interesting - 7 has turned into Master Chef. What genius though of this?
Insanity is catching! →
If Australia stopped emitting CO2 tomorrow, we could save … 15 thousandths of one degree of warming (0.0154 °C) by 2050.
“Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we’re being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I’m liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That’s what’s insane about it.” John Lennon
February 2011
3 posts
Borders
Typical of a company that lost sight of it’s core business and not promoting their unique difference - “providing a range of great books that were not available anywhere else”. In Australia they became like every other bookstore.
Kinokuniya Bookstore is amazing! Exactly what a bookstore should be.
How to be Happy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1o3FS0awtk&feature=share
January 2011
6 posts
climate change
Everyone is concerned right? Renewable energy the answer right? Coal is bad right? So how come Govt takes away subsides for solar panels? (The first thing Julia did when she got into office). How come Govt (labour) wants to build more coal stations? I don’t get it. How come a labour Govt lets pristine forests in Tasmania be destroyed? In the words of Marvin Gaye.. “What’s Goin...
Most popular Singers
Forget what you hear on the radio and see on MTV. Most popular musicians in Australia based on what people actually bought. All but 3 or 4 of the top 50 were performing in the 60’s. (source: Sydney Morning Herald).
What does that tell you?
It tells me kids today don’t buy music they download it for free.
Governments today
“that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of consumerism with less freedom, less free speech, with more restrictions, more taxes — and that government of the people, by the politicians, for the politicians, with every increasing bureaucracy, shall not perish from the earth”. Apology to President Abraham Lincoln and the men and woman of the past who died defending...
No milk today
woman in front of me at local supermarket check out, says to check out operator: “There’s no milk on your shelves!!!” “That’s because of the floods.” Woman gets angry “But you always have milk on shelves!!!!!!” “It’s because the trucks can get through”. Woman now very aggressive “I don’t care you should have...
It's a Brave New World
Dear Gerry Harvey, I find it extremely annoying that you and your fellow Corporate folk will take a full page add in the Weekend Australia telling us how bad it is to shop online. GET WITH THE PROGRAM! If I had the money I’d take a full page add telling you why you are wrong. Your business model is out of date. I bet you can still remember blacksmiths? Change or go the way of the Music...
The 'Church'
Oh - Exciting news! I posted some time back about a ‘Church planting’ in Prague “where only 3% of the people are Christian”. (The 40% who are Catholics don’t count I suppose). Apparently God or someone now thinks differently… it’s now CHICAGO USA! I ran into a friend who was going to work in the church in Prague, learned the language bought their tickets...
While on the subject of Church
Hot Cross Buns have appeared in stores! Give me a break!
November 2010
1 post
“They say there’s a fine line between being a genius and being insane. I...”
– Don Gillespie
October 2010
1 post
why cafe / coffee shops go broke →
We all visit coffee shops / cafes right? It amazes me how people who run such places can get it so wrong. eg: New owner of a place that used to be packed - ‘fresh cake’ was uncooked - mega plate with small serving and no decoration eg icing sugar dusting or a choc squiggle on the plate - asked for a spare plate to share desert “We don’t do that here” was the reply...
September 2010
3 posts
WICOE - (Women In Charge Of Everything)
WICOE is proud to announce the opening of its
EVENING CLASSES FOR MEN! OPEN TO MEN ONLY - ALL ARE WELCOME
Note: due to the complexity and level of difficulty, each course will accept a maximum of eight participants
The course covers two days, and topics covered in this course include:
DAY ONE
HOW TO FILL ICE CUBE TRAYS
Step by step guide with slide presentation
TOILET ROLLS- DO THEY GROW...
The Oz Election - If this is democracy it ain't...
Australians want to have a say who leads the country. The Repunlican Movement failed because the proposal was that the ‘President’ would be elected by a poltical party and NOT ‘the people’.
Labour did badly because the faceless men of Labour and Julia got rid of an elected Prime Minister.
Now we have three or four Independents deciding again who will be our PM.
...
August 2010
4 posts
Music Press Releases - How NOT to do it!
I was just sent this PR piece for a new band - “The band has evolved sonically since the last project — not only do they sound more explosive, dynamic and melodic than ever, but the choruses are instantaneously contagious from an initial spin of the album”. I so do not want to hear what they sound like. Who writes this crap?
Climate change IS Crap!
Ah! a headline to get you in! Penny Wong is wrong! The Australian newspaper today reports how Penny Wong wants to give houses in Australia a star rating as to their ‘carbon print’. Aussie scientists are calling on her to ‘revise’ her data because her assumptions are wrong!
Thing is, her rating is based on the materials used to build the house. How many people live in the...
Broadband in Australia
Somebody needs to tell Tony Abbot that we no longer use cassette players and introduce him to iTunes. On the surface, the Liberals Internet plan VS Labours plan is a no brainer. Who cares that it’s going to cost $46 billion it needs to happen.
From what I can gather, the Liberal plan will greatly improve the mobile phone (iPad) market. The Labour plan greatly improves home and business...
4 tags
The Australian Election - Inception 2
I’m dreaming right? Aussie politicians have got us caught up in their dream and all 22 million of us are trying to find ‘the kick’ and the only ‘kick’ we know of is August 21 - election day. (If you’ve seen the movie you’ll know what I mean). - this election campaign is in free fall.
This has to be the most bizarre election I have ever seen. Labour...
July 2010
8 posts
Starcraft 2 released today! →
It’s about time!
Some fathers played cricket, baseball, rugby etc with their sons. Living in Hong Kong the football field was an asphalt slab on the top floor of Bradbury School - and the computer revolution was just starting.
So - we played computer games! Both sons contacted me today and went “Dad, guess what? To which I answered - “Starcraft 2 and the...
Amazon Says E-Books Now Top Hardcover Sales - New... →
davidgillespie:
davemorin:
Books are now artwork.
—
I was saying to someone recently with the demise of physical media, surely along side that goes the demise of the furniture we’ve needed to store it.
Call me overly optimistic, but I feel like it is a fantastic opportunity for installation art and sculpture to make a long overdue return to our homes instead of existing solely within...
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always...”
Master Chef - death by elimination
Checking Twitter and FB comments. I think tonight the judges have succeeded in elimating most of their viweing audience.
Note to Wanna be Rock Stars:
Sales aren’t an accurate measurement of popularity. For every CD you sell, how many people copy it and pass it on? Passability, not sales, that’s what’s important. How do you create something so good people want to steal it, need to turn others on to it, that’s the question you should be asking, not HOW DO I GET PAID!
The Music Biz has been turned upside down - you need...
The internet's completely over - Prince →
“The internet’s completely over. I don’t see why I should give my new music to iTunes or anyone else. They won’t pay me an advance for it and then they get angry when they can’t get it.
“The internet’s like MTV. At one time MTV was hip and suddenly it became outdated. Anyway, all these computers and digital gadgets are no good.
Eve 2012 (Eve of Destruction) - Barry McGuire →
Barry’s new Eve 2012 over 6,000 hits in three weeks. The song is being picked by radio stations and main stream media around the world - just got featured on 7pm news in Norway (they broadcast the entire clip). WOW!