- luv-talk - luv.asn.au

How much do we want to work?
by Peter Ross 02 May '14

02 May '14

An article I read yesterday, a bit different compared with our budget "emergency" debate here. http://www.spiegel.de/karriere/berufsleben/arbeitszeit-einfuehrung-der-30-s… 35 Wochenstunden, 32 oder 30: In der Malocherrepublik Deutschland ist es keine Schande, weniger Arbeit zu fordern. Und das unabhängig von Kita-Zeiten. Die neue Arbeitszeitdebatte dreht sich um Sinn, Gerechtigkeit und Machtfragen. 35 hours per week, 32 or 30: To ask to work less is not a shame in "hard working" Germany. And not just dictated by opening hours of childcare centres. The new debate about working hours is about reason to work, fairness and power. --- Regards Peter

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Re: [luv-talk] : Global warming and survivalism (fork from Linux != Poltics)
by Peter Ross 29 Apr '14

29 Apr '14

From: "Jason White" <jason(a)jasonjgw.net> > Peter Ross <Petros.Listig(a)fdrive.com.au> wrote: > >> The current Australian leadership, at least, reminds me of an elected >> "absolute monarchy" (maybe that's the reason for the Dames and >> Knights;-) >> After election the leader is free to ignore all science and reason. > > I prefer to think of it this way: the new government is attempting to > implement the central elements of its election platform. As you may > recall, these included [.. list] > So surely we can't argue that Coalition voters aren't receiving essentially > what they (knowingly or unknowingly) sought at the election. Of course,just that the government has not the numbers in an elected senate. The demand to "obey" a perceived "mandate given by the Australian people" is bullying. I heard this "mandate thing" so often from Abbott's mouth that someone finally should shut him up - legislation is a bit harder than that, and he is for years droning about the "mandate" people have or do not have, quite often amplified by Murdoch's hate press. The elections prove otherwise, and there is process and rules to follow, even for notorious ignorant politicians as Abbott. His constantly repeated claims belittle Australian voters and damage a democratic society. Regards Peter

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Re: [luv-talk] : Global warming and survivalism (fork from Linux != Poltics)
by Peter Ross 28 Apr '14

28 Apr '14

From: "Jason White" <jason(a)jasonjgw.net> > Peter Ross <Petros.Listig(a)fdrive.com.au> wrote: > >> Of course,just that the government has not the numbers in an elected >> senate. >> >> The demand to "obey" a perceived "mandate given by the Australian >> people" is bullying. > > The rhetoric is most likely intended to reinforce support for Coalition > policies among voters, and thereby to exert political pressure on the > opposition. Did I say bullying? ;-) People cast their vote for all sorts of reasons, never more than 50% for a specific item. E.g. only a small minority voted for Abbott's Direct Action, there is more support for the carbon tax: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/fairfaxnielsen-poll-v… The most likely outcome will be no policy in place at all, which is only preferred by 11% of the people according to this poll. It is in stark contrast to this (I would call this a mandate if it would be a result of a referendum): The Age-Nielsen poll of 1400 voters found that Australians overwhelmingly wanted to see Australia meet the nation's commitment to cut emissions by 5 per cent by 2020 based on year 2000 levels. Even the PM is clearly unpopular, as polls constantly show. Maybe the unpopularity has something to do with his constant righteous arguing about "mandates". Regards Peter

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Re: [luv-talk] : Global warming and survivalism (fork from Linux != Poltics)
by Peter Ross 28 Apr '14

28 Apr '14

From: "Trent W. Buck" <trentbuck(a)gmail.com> > Peter Ross wrote: >> I expect a "normalised" society to be a bureaucratic one and not a >> creative one. Genetic selection criteria or modification will >> amplify this problem, I suspect. > > I'm really awfully glad I'm a Beta, because I don't work so hard. It's a while ago that I read Huxley.. Which category are our current leaders? Really Alpha? I wonder whether it is possible to "design" a society where creative Betas are having a reasonable input and Alpha are restraint to listen to them. The current Australian leadership, at least, reminds me of an elected "absolute monarchy" (maybe that's the reason for the Dames and Knights;-) After election the leader is free to ignore all science and reason. I found it amusing when this weekend Palmer disputed Abbott's "mandate" to get rid of climate tax and mining tax. Abbott should do some counting, Palmer reckoned. E.g. the number of seats in the Senate. Abbott would love to have an Ermächtigungsgesetz: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enabling_Act_of_1933 I know, in every discussion is a return to Hitler. Maybe Australia today is a rerun of history as a farce. I just do not like sequels. Always look on the bright side of life.. whistle whistle Peter

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Re: [luv-talk] Global warming and survivalism (fork from Linux != Poltics)
by Peter Ross 28 Apr '14

28 Apr '14

From: "Trent W. Buck" <trentbuck(a)gmail.com> > Andrew McGlashan wrote: >> On 24/04/2014 4:57 PM, Peter Ross wrote: >> > From: "Jason White" <jason(a)jasonjgw.net> >> >> I think the idea for human enhancement of intelligence, though, would be >> >> to increase IQ biologically if appropriate means (genetic selection of >> >> children,gene therapy, drugs or whatever) were available. >> > >> > I do not think we have appropriate social mechanisms to do this reasonably >> > well. The selection/improvement criteria would be hijacked pretty quickly >> > to clone an army of "desired subjects". >> > >> > Anyway, I know a few people who are not "fully normed". They are among the >> > most fascinating people I met. >> > >> > I just spent a weekend with a "borrowed" child camping with us. He is very >> > difficult, according to many. >> > >> > I ignored half of the advice and we all had a pretty good weekend with him! >> > >> > In your "grand plan" he would not exist, maybe.. >> >> What a great story Peter, thank you. >> >> I'm also against /master/ race science too > > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_law > > Eugenics does not necessarily mean "I am a Nazi", I agree with that, and I do not suspect this here on the list. Sorry if it sounded that way. I remember a song line (translated into English): "How crazy is the man who thinks he is normal";-) Just pick randomly a few artists, scientists or other people of public interests and look up their life. There is a lot "craziness" and behaviour "we do not approve". To a certain extend I expect a "normalised" society to be a bureaucratic one and not a creative one. Genetic selection criteria or modification will amplify this problem, I suspect. Regards Peter

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Linux != Poltics
by Brent Wallis 26 Apr '14

26 Apr '14

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Playing LP's with a laser pickup ?
by Rohan McLeod 25 Apr '14

25 Apr '14

Assembled cognoscenti; I was recently discussing the depressing fact that playing vinyl LP's with even the lightest 'needle-head' seemed to involved wearing out the signal. The sound guy I was talking to seemed to recall some experimentation with an interferometric laser surface gauge; and I (wrongly as it turned out) was under the impression that a commercial product, existed but it cost > $100K. A bit of googling has turned up: http://www.elpj.com/ at about $15K to $20K; anyone ever had any experience with such things ? - I should emphasise this is just idle curiosity as I have nether the money, or the LP's to play on such a device ! regards Rohan McLeod

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Re: [luv-talk] Global warming and survivalism (fork from Linux != Poltics)
by Peter Ross 24 Apr '14

24 Apr '14

From: "Jason White" <jason(a)jasonjgw.net> > I think the idea for human enhancement of intelligence, though, would be > to increase IQ biologically if appropriate means (genetic selection of > children,gene therapy, drugs or whatever) were available. I do not think we have appropriate social mechanisms to do this reasonably well. The selection/improvement criteria would be hijacked pretty quickly to clone an army of "desired subjects". Anyway, I know a few people who are not "fully normed". They are among the most fascinating people I met. I just spent a weekend with a "borrowed" child camping with us. He is very difficult, according to many. I ignored half of the advice and we all had a pretty good weekend with him! In your "grand plan" he would not exist, maybe.. Regards Peter

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Re: [luv-talk] Global warming and survivalism (fork from Linux != Poltics)
by Peter Ross 24 Apr '14

24 Apr '14

From: "Carl Turney" <carl(a)boms.com.au> > Too bad most voters elect parties that hide the costs from us, by > destroying the earth and saying "we'll build more desalination plants". There are places in this world.. https://icapcarbonaction.com/ets-map We still have a climate tax and Clive Palmer is less than happy with Abbott's Direct Action idea.. We are going direction Dark Ages, Rome is crumbling but we are not there yet.. Regards Peter

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Re: [luv-talk] Fwd: Global warming and survivalism (fork from Linux != Poltics)
by Peter Ross 24 Apr '14

24 Apr '14

From: "Russell Coker" <russell(a)coker.com.au> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_and_dependent_territo… > > Quickly scan the above page and you'll notice the correlation between > standard of living and birth rate. What about correlation between consumption of natural resources and birth rate? Maybe we are just rabbits running out of "food" so nature tells us (with the help of the pill) to stop multiplying? Maybe nature is smarter than us, after all;-) China, fuelling our wealth: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/video/2014-04/22/c_133280627.htm Meanwhile, Ministry of Environmental Protection also says around 280 million Chinese people exposed to unsafe drinking water. The ministry reported that over 70 percent of water from lakes, and 60 percent of underground water across the country does not meet the national safety standard. "Brain-jumping" to our "pension crisis": Is it smart to work "harder" (longer) instead of really smarter and less? At the moment our economic system looks a bit like a hamster wheel: we are running faster and faster and when we pause we get mangled by it. I do not believe that this system has a long term future, actually. One day all hamsters will drop dead by exhaustion. Regards Peter

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