Melbourne Cup tips

admin —  November 4, 2008 — Leave a comment

My first year in Melbourne for the Melbourne Cup….and I’m not attending. Wife + son home, turns out schools and workplaces make the Melbourne Cup public holiday (yes, it’s a public holiday for a horse race here) into a 4 day long weekend. Maybe next year 🙂

Camberwell is quieter then Easter…and there’s less shops open. The more religiously inclined may want to reflect on that.

Anyhow, an exercise in futility, I haven’t backed a Melbourne Cup winner since Mackybe Diva, and before that it was probably 5 years, but here we go

FTW: 8 Mad Rush

Places: 7 Zipping, 9 Ice Chariot

She who must be obeyed tips: 8 Mad Rush, 11 Littario

The golden child tips: 14 Gallopin

Trifecta I’ve boxed 7 8 9 14. The idea of a horse called Gallopin coming a place appealed to me 🙂

In domestic life
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How Obama is to the right in an Australian sense

admin —  November 2, 2008 — 55 Comments

The 2008 US Presidential election is getting unprecedented coverage in Australia. The Presidential debates were covered live here on major stations, and our television news, online news, radio and newspaper news is giving the elections serious coverage.

But how do the two sides compare in an Australian sense? Not everyone in Australia is following the news, and the depth of understanding in probably weaker again.

Traditionally Australian political parties have affiliations to American parties (often formal), for example the Liberal Party of Australia (our conservative party) has ties to the Republicans, the Labor Party to the Democrats. This split is reflected amongst newspaper columnists as well, for example Andrew Bolt is fiercely pro-Republican, anti-Democrat, but the divide has never made sense to me, because the policy divide isn’t anywhere similar to the Australian picture.

My wife recently told my mother to think of the two sides this way: The Democrats are the Liberal Party, and the Republicans Family First, because both are to the right in an Australian sense, but one is clearly more religious. It’s a generalization to be sure, but lets test it.

How Obama compares to the last Howard Government (and where applicable the Rudd Government)

I’m a former Howard Government staffer, as was my wife, so I’ve got some grounding in what the Liberal Party did in office. These points may generalize a little bit, but they are accurate without always referencing every fine detail.

Healthcare

Howard: supported universal healthcare through the Australian Medicare system. Offered tax incentives to those who took private cover

Obama: doesn’t favor state sanctioned universal healthcare, but is looking at a fallback option outside of the private system, an affordable health care pool

Result: Obama to the right of Howard

Defence (or Defense in US English)

Howard: troops in Iraq (and generally supported Bush), but most Australian troops in Afghanistan. Pro ANZUS

Obama: favors pulling out Iraq, increasing troops in Afghanistan. Pro Anzus

Rudd: favors pulling out Iraq, has kept troops Afghanistan. Pro Anzus

Result: Obama is to the left of Howard only on Iraq. May be more interventionist then Rudd

Industry policy

Howard: spent billions on propping up car industry, subsidising other industries. Reduced tariffs but didn’t remove them all.

Obama: talks about investing in industry, retooling car industry.

Result: about the same

Free Trade

Howard: started signing free trade agreements later into his term, previously more a unilateralist. Generally free trade, although conceded may conditions in various FTA’s.

Obama: wants conditional FTA’s. Regarded as anti-free trade, but hasn’t ruled them out

Result: hard. Obama wants different conditions in FTAs, but Howard regularly had conditions as well, so Howard wasn’t a pure free trader either. Obama slightly to the left, but not by a lot.

Farm policy

Howard: unprecedented socialist on farm policy, billions in subsidies.

Obama: not clear. Farm subsidies aren’t talked about much because generally both sides in the US support them.

Result: about the same.

Welfare

Howard: cracked down on unemployment benefits, but didn’t abolish them. Number of disability pensioners ballooned. Australia still has a generous social welfare system

Obama: wants the state to look after people more, but hasn’t proposed Australian style system.

Result: Obama to the right.

Environment

Howard: soft on global warming, but backed clean coal and some alternative industries.

Obama: strong on global warming, talks about investing billions in green energy.

Rudd: talks strong on global warming, but hasn’t done much yet.

Result: the environment isn’t necessarily a left/ right divide anymore, but Obama to the left

Taxation policy

Howard: cut taxes at all levels while in power. Did offer tax cuts to middle class only at times. Didn’t offer relief in Fringe Benefits Tax but some Capital Gains Tax relief

Obama: will cut tax for middle class, increase for wealthy, but rates are still much lower then Australia

Result: actually about the same. Howard did target tax cuts for the middle class, and the wealthy still pay tax at higher rates.

Education

Local/ State issue in both countries at some levels.

Howard: increased funding in education, talked about choice and standards. Tax help for early childhood education/ daycare.

Obama: wants to increase funding in education, supports “charter schools.” Wants to target early childhood education.

Result: about the same. Obama more to the right on some things, left on others.

Higher Education

Howard: supported HECS/ HELP, the system where University students don’t pay upfront, but pay back the Government when they earn, although increased fees significantly. Government still major backer of University system

Obama: wants to make College more affordable. Is not proposing a HECs style scheme from what I’ve read. College in the US primarily private or nonprofit run.

Result: Obama is a shift to the left from Bush, but is still way to the right compared to Howard.

Retirement/ pensions

Howard: free market superannuation where savings are invested with fund managers. However, increased the compulsory rate employers must contribute to super.

Obama: anti-free market 401ks, but isn’t proposing compulsory employer contributions from what I can read

Result: about the same. Howard increased taxes on employers and forced them to contribute more to retirement savings, yet was to the right on where the money should go.

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A better mix of categories

admin —  October 28, 2008 — 4 Comments

It’s been two weeks since we launched the new design on The Inquisitr, and it’s been meeting our expectations and more. Like any blog I’ve ever owned or run, design is fluid, and there’s always room for improvement; we’ve already made some tweaks and small changes, none worth announcing, and there will be more in the future, as there always has been.

I did want to make a housekeeping announcement about categories though. It’s minor, but it will save me having to mention it in the 6 month review post coming up next week 🙂

In line with the better mix theme we’re reviewing categories and have made some changes. Categories have always been there for us, but under the new design they work a lot better for us, and allow us to do new things. We’ll also have some future changes as well (still working on them, so nothing I can announce…they may not be announced either, small stuff). Some of these changes happened today, some over the last two weeks.

We now have a dedicated media industry category. This covers media naturally. We’ve always covered the death of heritage media, but the stories didn’t always sit well under tech, even if it is the switch to the internet that is killing newspapers for example. This won’t be a huge category for us, but we’ve been doing about 5-6 posts a week in it, and it’s allowing us to do media specific stories. Media Industry also has its own feed, which already has 27 subscribers without once having been mentioned (except the sidebar) or promoted I’m glad to report.

Entertainment is the new catchall for the previous category of Pop, and the 2 week old Movies category. Movies was a break out from pop in itself, where we believed that movie news (such as trailers primarily) didn’t sit well with celebrity gossip. The old pop is now celebrity news, and can be accessed under the Entertainment option on the site, along with Movies and future entertainment related categories.

We’ve also added Funny Pics, which is currently available on the nav bar, but may end up as a sub-category of the current odd+funny category. We’ve usually done stories as opposed to pics in this stream, but more and more pics were creeping in and they didn’t sit as well next to stories, hence they have their own category now.

In terms of actual content, there isn’t really that much that has changed. We’re still writing mostly the same things, just categorizing them a little differently, although naturally there’s been an increase in movies + media.

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Lost Message

admin —  October 28, 2008 — 8 Comments

Alex Scoble today proved my point in raising the issue of civility on FriendFeed.

For the record, I didn’t say Alex was stupid, I said his hate the rich meme was (and scary, weird and far to the left…which it is), other than that he’s been a great member of FriendFeed and I’ve enjoyed following him. That he can’t separate a disagreement on one topic says far more about him than it does about me. Honestly though, it does make me sad: to this point, I actually thought pretty highly of him, even if we do disagree on taxation policy.

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Proposition 8

admin —  October 28, 2008 — 47 Comments

California votes next week on Proposition 8, a motion that would outlaw gay marriage (that’s the short version, I know it’s more complicated than that).

It’s great to see Louis Gray and Jesse Stay, both Mormons openly discuss the issue in light of the Mormon church bankrolling the Yes to Proposition 8 campaign (one figure I saw was 40%).

I’ve said this in the past, but I will repeat myself, so bare with me.

I’ve got no issue that religious teaching dictates that marriage is between a man and a woman. Religions are entitled to hold those views, as are those who follow them.

Where I have an issue is with religious doctrine being dictated to the state, no matter where you live in the world (the issue is just as topical in Australia).

If marriage is a sacred religious institution, then surely we should outlaw civil marriages as well. Why aren’t the very same people calling for a ban on gay marriage calling for a ban on the state marrying anyone, after all, if marriage is the exclusive domain of religion, and defined exclusively by religious teaching, then the state has no role in marrying people.

Sound extreme? Well so is dictating to the state who they can and cannot marry in a non-religious ceremony. No laws that I’m aware of are forcing churches to marry GLBT people (least most places). The laws of the state should always be based in non-discrimination, even if religion isn’t.

Although I’ve become more libertarian as I’ve gotten older, it was this argument that originally saw me shift in support of gay marriage several years ago, back in a time where my natural inclination may have been in favor of a ban.

Think about it.

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FriendFeed and Politics

admin —  October 27, 2008 — 16 Comments

Blue.

That’s not just the logo color of FriendFeed, it’s also the political slant.

Blue though in the US sense, not the rest of the world, where blue is actually the conservative color.

Mark Rizzn Hopkins announced Friday that he’d had enough and was quitting FriendFeed. The reaction was mostly negative.

I don’t agree with the criticism. If I was Mark, I would have quit sooner.

Mark did make one mistake though: the reason he gave in his post wasn’t a good one. The Obama birth certificate story was being pushed by an anti-semitic loon that a good number of hard right-wing sites had disowned. It had also been disproved many, many times. But hey, sometimes we call it wrong, and not everyone knows all the facts leading up to it. Hell, could have been me making the wrong call there. The Obama birth certificate story polluted Mark’s general issue, which is a shame, so lets ignore it.

Politics on FriendFeed has gotten nasty at times, and even stupid. Most of the nasty stuff did start on the right, at least among the threads I followed or posted. I even blocked a few people along the way. But finger pointing in one direction isn’t fair when it should go in both directions, because some of those preaching intolerance can be intolerant themselves.

Then there’s this really weird…or should I say stupid hate the rich meme that’s come up of late, driven in part by Alex Scoble. If you ever wanted to prove that Obama supporters are socialists, read Alex’s stuff. Dumb stuff, like the rich are only rich because they already have money, and should be taxed so they are equal, or people shouldn’t be allowed to make interest on money because that’s not a productive use of money.

Scary stuff, and far to the left.

I shouldn’t generalize because most people are reasonable, it’s just sometimes they get caught up in a myopia of thought that they can’t see the middle line.

Here’s a great endorsement for Obama today from FT.com. Middle line, explains the weaknesses but argues why on the balance he’s the better candidate. Similar message we’ve heard from some on the right who have endorsed him as well. These are arguments I can relate to, and many people in the middle will as well.

The thing is, it’s wrong that Mark felt the need to quit FriendFeed; not wrong that he did it, but wrong that people couldn’t be more accommodating of his point of view and he felt his only recourse was to quit.

I don’t agree with Mark on everything, but we agree on far more than we disagree. I nearly unsubscribed from his Google Reader shares last week because he shares and reads the same stuff I do. I know for example that his leanings are Libertarian (like mine), but he’s a little clouded by the socialist rhetoric pointed at Obama. If I was 10 years younger I know I would have made the same calls Mark does.

Don’t lynch Mark for his decision. Consider it an opportunity to improve your discourse and respect towards others. Yes, some on the hard right go over board, but you will always be better placed taking the high moral ground of civility in response. And remember, the truth is sometimes in the middle.

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Review: Without Warning (America is Gone) John Birmingham

admin —  October 27, 2008 — 11 Comments

This post includes spoilers. I’ll start with my conclusion (which includes the basic premise…which is available online anyway), then warn when we get to the real spoilers part. I finished the book 2 weeks ago and have been meaning to write this ever since, so my recollection may not be quite as fresh as it was.

Summary
John Birmingham follows up his excellent alternate reality come Sci-Fi series the Axis of Time with a book that posses the question: what happens if America was to disappear?

In this book, America (except some small parts), parts of Canada, Mexico and Cuba disappear in an unexplained energy bubble that wipes out people, but not places.

Here’s the official teaser for the book:

2003: In Paris, an assassin wakes from a coma. In Kuwait, American forces are assembled for their invasion of Iraq. In the pristine forest of the Cascades, a lone hiker watches a plane fly into the side of a mountain. And just north of the Equator, a modern-day pirate, a rogue Tasmanian, is witness to the unspeakable. A wave of inexplicable energy has slammed into America. And destroyed it. In one instant, all around the world, from Cairo to Canberra, things will never be the same.

Like Birmingham’s previous books, the narrative includes a strong emphasis on the military, and he’s been likened previously to Australia’s version of Tom Clancy in previous outings. Clancy isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I’ve long been a Clancy fan so I easily picked up Birmingham’s books. This one doesn’t disappoint. His geopolitical plays consider the what if in details that show researched thought, and like the previous Birmingham books, I couldn’t put it down. Recommended reading, although American’s will obviously find the premise deeply disturbing. It’s out now in Australia, and goes on sale elsewhere in January.

SPOILERS******* Don’t read any more if you don’t want to know more in the book.

Like the Axis of Time series before it, Birmingham takes a what if approach to this series. The “disappearance” may be a secret weapons test gone wrong or a terrorist attack, we don’t know. Where the premise lets us down compared to the last series is believability; yes, the thought of a multinational force from the future being sucked back in time to WW2 was a stretch in the Axis of Time novels, but it was about a future event then affecting the past, and the issues with time there in. Without Warning takes place just before the star of the second Iraq war, so it takes an extra leap of faith in the what if stakes. I understand why on certain fronts this premise was used, but I don’t believe it was necessary; the time placement may have been better suited in the near future without a specific date, making it a what if as opposed to a what if + alternate history book.

The environmental and political plays are well considered. Extreme greenies love to consider that a world without people would be a better place, but in Birmingham’s world without America, the lack of people creates an environmental crisis without parallel. Without people, America burns, including its nuclear reactors, causing a global nuclear winter that affects the rest of the world in serious ways. The political plays can be a stretch, particularly the narrative around France, and the idea of a race/ religious war; while not unbelievable in the book, it shows Birmingham’s right wing leanings. The plays with Britain, Israel, the Middle East and what’s left of the America’s is far more believable.

The various character streams are strong and mostly believable. You feel for the characters, you get inside their heads, and Birmingham paints a brilliant picture in words. There was one exception though: Caitlin in France. Birmingham uses his characters as a way of relating the broader picture in each location (Middle East, Gitmo, Hawaii, Seattle etc…) and as a tool it works well for him, but the French stream, except nearly right at the end of the novel was perhaps the worst character development ever delivered by Birmingham. I’ve never skipped pages in his books before, but it got to the stage that I did everytime the story switched to France, because page after page would describe the characters torment and a convoluted spy story line that is never really explained in the context of the book. I’m not suggesting everyone shouldn’t read these parts, but the Paris story line can be skipped until the introduction of the journalist in the last third of the book.

The ending wasn’t great, and set the story up for a sequel which Birmingham is already talking about writing. It’s a BIG book for a Birmingham novel, and an awful lot to cover, and the need to flip ahead into the future is understandable, but it didn’t conclude strongly.

One last thing: the energy wave is described in the book as being red, but on the cover, it’s blue…..

Overall though I’m happy to have read it, and I’m looking forward to the next one 🙂

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The sky is falling….in Melbourne

admin —  October 27, 2008 — 7 Comments

No, not the dollar dropping to 60c, or the auction rate below 50%. No, red dust. Lots of it.

The Eastern suburbs of Melbourne, least Camberwell, Canterbury and Hawthorn, have woken up to find everything covered in red dust. On my car is looks like rain…and it’s a little sticky as well

Not sure if it’s coming from this fire at the Westgate Bridge. If it is, I wonder if it’s toxic or not? what I do know is that there’s a ton of it everywhere.

On a bright note, car wash outlets will have a record week in sales 🙂

In domestic life
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Pete Murray So Beautiful

admin —  October 26, 2008 — Leave a comment

I don’t think I’ll ever grow tired of this song.

PS: Grooveshark FTW. How people are writing about Lala and not Grooveshark is beyond me.

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Obama supporter attacked, media silent

admin —  October 26, 2008 — 3 Comments

You’ve got to admit, the double standards here are staggering…but then again, this incident didn’t include a 20 yr old white girl and a big dyslexic black man….

Yes to Democracy

Who’s Nancy Takehara you ask? Not surprising, it’s not like she’s a 20-something McCain campaigner with mental issues.

No, Ms. Takehara is the 58-year old campaigner for Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign that WAS attacked for real last weekend.

Her attacker was 71-year old Ronald Goetsch. While going door-to-door campaigning, Ms. Takehara went to Mr. Goetsch’s door. Mr. Goetsch is a McCain supporter and contributor.

Quote:

?¢‚Ǩ?ìThe next thing I know he?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s telling us we?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢re not his people, we?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢re probably with ACORN, and he started screaming and raving,?¢‚Ǩ¬ù Takehara said. ?¢‚Ǩ?ìHe grabbed me by the back of the neck. I thought he was going to rip my hair out of my head. He was pounding on my head and screaming. The man terrified me.?¢‚Ǩ¬ù

Mr. Goetsch later admitted to the incident.

Let me repeat that, Nancy Takehara’s attacker, Ronald Goetsch, **ADMITTED** he attacked her

Guess a fruit loop makes for better tv.

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