New Servers, Earthrights, Budget 2006, v3nu5, Islam Update

[tcpip]

Hmmm... Ten days since the last update. Main excitement since was building a new server for Borderlands, and recovering data as I went from a Domain to a Workgroup for the MS-Windows clients. This server, btw, will be running Red Hat Fedora Core 4 Linux, not bloody Windows NT 4.0.

MC-ed the True Cost Economics Forum at Swinburne University last week; some 75 people in attendence and some excellent speakers including Alanna Hartzok, Associate Professor Frank Fisher, and Kenneth Davidson.

The Federal Government's budget is a "miserable failure" and an "irresponsible scam" (quotes from my press release this afternoon). People earning less than $63000 pa will probably find themselves worse off when interest rate increases (oh, the irony) and transport costs are taken into account. The significant business and high income tax cuts have primarily come from China's strong demand for commodities which isn't exactly a long-term proposal. As recognised, the budget does nothing for the environment and fails to address the growing skills shortage.

Caught up with v3nu5 and company on her brief visit to Melbourne; wandered around Luna Park, had coffee and cake on Acland Street and ate at the wonderful Xanghai. Managed to get half way to Kiss Kiss Bang Bang before my nose, leaking like a faucet, lead me and caseopaya to turn tail and head home. Still was wonderful to meet someone whom I've known since 1998 and never actually met in real life.

My letter in The Age a couple of weeks ago on Dr. George Pell led to a response by someone who claimed that Jesus wasn't a Jew (they should read Matthew 5:17 and 15:4-7) and a far more sensible reply by a Rev. Dr. Bob Fraser. On that related note; I am giving a presentation at the Melbourne Unitarian Church on June 11 for "Liberal and Rationalist Prospects in Islam"

Comments

[reddragdiva]

Oh dear God. I saw "Jika Jika Community Centre" and nearly sporked my eyes out. So they actually exorcised the place then?

[luciusmalfoy.livejournal.com]

Every time I read your livejournal - and aphephobia's journal - I feel like the country is going to hell in a handbasket. I feel somewhat powerless.

[splodgenoodles.livejournal.com]

The "Jesus wasn't a Jew" link goes to a report on the Singapore elections.

I suppose they think he was C of E or something. Gah. You don't even need to check the Bible for that sort of stuff.

[redcountess]

The problem with the good reverend's assertation that Christians only follow the gospels, is that many, including the evangelicals in the USA, follow the rest of the bible as well, alblleit selectively, viz Leviticus and homosexuality.

[strangedave.livejournal.com]

Thats the Other Borderlands, of course, not the magazine

The main thing that bothers me about management of the economy is how much depends on a housing bubble, that is incredibly regressive.

[kremmen.livejournal.com]

For better or worse, China's strong demand for commodities may be a fairly long-term proposal, depending on your definition of "long".

Also, while the government has squandered opportunities to do sensible things with the money (activities such as spending something heading towards $1B on helicopters that are all grounded because they are dangerous aren't exactly smart), those who oppose the government will always reject any changes to taxation. We used to have awful bracket creep. A few years back when the highest marginal tax rate cut in around $50k, we were getting close to having half the working tax payers on the top rate. More than half were into the second highest rate. Now the top rate will come in at $150k and the second highest at $75, which is a fantastic improvement for the vast majority of workers. If a tiny interest rate rise is going to mean that someone on $60k a year isn't vastly better off, they are borrowing _way_ beyond a sensible level.

[v3nu5.livejournal.com]

Hanging with the pair of you was super cool! Thank you so much for dinner, it was lovely xx Sad that you guys didn't make it to KKBB but it was great all the same!