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tcpipHmmm... 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![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
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"
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"
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no subject
Date: 2006-05-15 06:13 pm (UTC)The main thing that bothers me about management of the economy is how much depends on a housing bubble, that is incredibly regressive.
no subject
Date: 2006-05-15 09:47 pm (UTC)Of course, not the magazine. Which I must write an article for one day.
To describe it as a 'housing bubble' is quite accurate; the price of housing, or rather land, (where site rental is privately accumulated) will always include a speculative component. The real cost of building houses has actually fallen (by about 0.5%) since 1950.
It's interesting that economic crashes are preceeded by a "housing" boom.
Personally, I'm glad interest rates have gone up. Indeed, I want Paul Keating levels.