Computing, Propser and Payroll Tax and a dash of gaming

[tcpip]

An extraordinarily dull past several days. Have spent a great deal of time converting html websites pages to php, which was tiresome but necessary. In the process have learned more about sed which is a really useful and powerful tool. Sat two CCNA module tests on Tuesday; router configuration and Cisco Disovery Protocol. Having scored a seriously lacklustre 80.4% for the first test I decided to concentrate on the second and received a more acceptable 95%.

Finished my marketing and media course for Prosper Australia with very positive feedback. Tomorrow they're putting my ideas into practical action with a planning day. In all probability they'll be launching a campaign against payroll tax (which really is one of the most stupid taxes on the planet).

In an attempt to entertain myself, I'm still working my way through Icewind Dale II whilst damien_wise and I have corresponded about graphic MUD development. He knows some good programmers, so perhaps something will eventuate out of this.

Comments

[strangedave.livejournal.com]

ah yes, learning to use sed is an important point on the journey to true unix nerddom.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

It's probably the most cryptic unix command I've encountered. But it's so damn powerful I'm wondering how I ever coped without using it.

I wonder why a GUI version hasn't been developed? That would be so cool.

[strangedave.livejournal.com]

Cryptic indeed. And combine it with grep and xargs for truly powerful and bogglingly cryptic looking one liners.

I do use a text editor with grep based search and replace across multiple files, which can achieve most of what I use sed for, which is the closest I have to a GUI version. BBEdit, it doesn't suck.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

BBEdit, it doesn't suck.

So they say ;-)

Among my many strange computing books I actually have a copy of the BBEdit 5.0 user's guide (which I picked up in Masterton, NZ - a town of 10,000 people and - literally - 1,000,000 sheep for 50c). However I don't own a Mac :/

[imajica-lj.livejournal.com]

> It's probably the most cryptic unix command I've encountered

cough, emacs

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Which fortunately I have had little do with. I'm still a vi junkie.

ah such blasphamy....

[imajica-lj.livejournal.com]

GNU/BURN HIM!!!!!!!!!!

Re: ah such blasphamy....

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Ah? Pico anyone? ;-)

[belegdel.livejournal.com]

You can use Perl on the command line much like sed and awk. But more powerful, more ecclectic and more dangerous.
All those things being the mark of a true geek tool :)

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Yes, I got to use a few command linePerl commands in the process along the lines of (iirc)

perl -pe "s/.html/.php/g" *.php

You know what? I think I liked it too. Kinky, huh?

[belegdel.livejournal.com]

I think I reached the pinnacle of my perl kinkiness when I was using negative look-ahead assertions and knew what it meant and got a kick out of it.

If you really want kink, look at some entries in Perl "obfuscated code" competitions. *boggle*

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

The very idea of a product to help this proces...

http://www.stunnix.com/prod/po/overview.shtml

[shorxrore.livejournal.com]

i loooooved the first icewind dale. such great environments, and they know how to make better video game storylines than just about EVERYone. i really gotta get around to playing 2.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

The lack of game balance irks me a little bit insofar each and every battle is a near-death experience. Also ID 2 isn't a good story-wise as the original... Or at least what I've experienced so far.

Now, must get back to the game.

[shorxrore.livejournal.com]

heh heh

did you play baldur's gate 1 and 2? masterpieces!

i kinda like it all being near death experiences, though some of the battles in those games are just.....stupidly hard.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Nah, people tell me that I should play them tho'...

BTW, Icewind Dale 2 starts getting very interesting around chapter 5 I've just discovered...

[shorxrore.livejournal.com]

cool!

PLAY baldur's gate. the first one is a classic, and the 2nd one is FUCKIN MINDBLOWING. one of the best rpgs i've ever played. AMAZING story, soooooooooooooooooooooooo cool.

[charlesnaismith.livejournal.com]

They're very good and...

... you should try Planescape Torment; there is nothing better than the plot revolving around discovering who you are.It gets Awesome.

sounds like I should play Icewind Dale.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Ahh, Planescape... The famed elaboration from the AD&D Player's Handbook Appendix. Rough 'n' ready with mythology and over the top in power... I think I'd like it.

[zey.livejournal.com]

I have some sympathy for the idea behind Payroll Tax. Back when industry was a lot more labour intensive than capital intensive, and most people were employed full-time, the number of employees was a pretty good guide to how big a business is.

It makes sense that bigger businesses should be taxed at a higher rate than small businesses (it's essentially the same sort of progressive type tax structures that applied used to apply to workers before bracket creep essentially put everyone into the top two brackets).

All the whingeing and carrying on you hear about Payroll Tax is pretty much straight from the same people who whinge about how Australia needs to reduce tax for high income earners: it's self interested special pleading twaddle from the wealthy.

Forget the "payroll tax discourages employment" angle. Companies will put on whatever staff is needed to shift the product. Reduce the tax and the CEOs and shareholders simply pocket the difference.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

The size of the business is exactly equal to the gross revenue it generates by definition. Also, I don't see why capital intensive industries should receive special favour over labour intensive industries. Finally, I do buy the "payroll tax discourages employment" angle; at a flat-rate of 5.25% it discourages exactly that much employment.

[zey.livejournal.com]

The size of the business is exactly equal to the gross revenue it generates by definition. Also, I don't see why capital intensive industries should receive special favour over labour intensive industries.

I believe I made the point that it's less true now than it was when it was first introduced ;-).

At a flat-rate of 5.25% it discourages exactly that much employment.

It hits smaller businesses much harder than it does larger ones. Would a bank or Telstra hire any extra staff if Payroll Tax were abolished? Nope. Not a one. They're already rolling in dough and they've got as many staff as they need to produce and flog their product.

In the end, Payroll Tax takes a decent idea (trying for a method of progressive taxation for businesses) but botches it. Just using gross revenue as the basis for a progressive tax system for corporates might be one option that would be interesting to look at. Of course, in today's environment, it ain't gonna be approved unless it makes bigwigs like Kerry Packer a KFC bucket of money.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

It hits smaller businesses much harder than it does larger ones. Would a bank or Telstra hire any extra staff if Payroll Tax were abolished? Nope. Not a one.

I actually disagree with that. A number of business surveys that I have read cite payroll tax as a significant disincentive to taking on new workers. However you are quite right to point out that the pro-rata cost for small businesses is significantly worse.

[zey.livejournal.com]

Would a bank or Telstra hire any extra staff if Payroll Tax were abolished? Nope. Not a one.

I actually disagree with that.

Never get in between a CEO and a bucket full of money. If they think they can do with less staff, and know that sacking people will increase the value of their stock options, they'll do it. Companies employ only as many people as they need to satisfy the customers. No more than that.

A number of business surveys that I have read cite payroll tax as a significant disincentive to taking on new workers.

Likely true for very small businesses like the local deli that's making ends meet or very little companies starting out. Self interested special pleading twaddle from the rest of them though. Like Coles Myer's going to say, "No, we actually like payroll tax."

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Like Coles Myer's going to say, "No, we actually like payroll tax."

Actually we expect Cole Myer to be one of the chief opponents; the retail sector effectively subsidises capital intensive industries through payroll tax.

[antayla.livejournal.com]

I didn't realize you ever had a dull moment, you get so much done :P.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Converting html to php is deadly boring. I'm glad it only has to be done once.

[ehintz.livejournal.com]

Sed is good. I really must spend more time grokking it.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

I really don't know whether anyone (even the authors) grok sed in the classic sense of grok.

[ehintz.livejournal.com]

Heh. Very good point.