Progress

After my rather depressed post the other week, about injuries and weight problems... it's really nice to see this picture.



Let me explain... this pic is produced from the geektistics that my fellow cyclist Liam has collected on our weekly bike to work. In pairs, going to work, going home, each about 30k's.

Now that you understand what's in the pic, that steady rise of the chart shows that we have made progress. Steadily increasing our speed on the route to and from work.
(Now a real stickler, would point out that we got lost on the way home every week, while trying different return routes.. but the to work route was always the same.)
And our total ride time for 30Km has gone from 1h 30mins ride time plus "Air" breaks, to 1h 7secs with stops only to cross at traffic lights.

So I'm going to enjoy this pic, while it lasts. Because as of friday, we're stepping up our training for the Ride to Gong, to twice a week. And as a result, the pic will probably start to level off.

And of course, on the way home, we get to use the only Bus lanes on the planet for which it is illegal to cycle on!

Will the real slimy git please stand up.

Point to note:

Will the person who turned up the cooling in the work fridge please get in contact with me...




You owe me lunch!!
(It's meant to be a salad.)

What a load of bollocks

Honestly how are we meant to believe Mr Bush, Bail-out 'vital to easing crisis'

So the worlds largest economy (which incedently is also the worlds most indebted economy) get's the hiccups, and suddenly the Government of the USA starts pumping money into it, too stabilise it?

I have heard several justification for this over the last week, but my favourite has to be along the following lines,
- The fall of the large american company XYZ would have a negative effect on the world economy.

Now when did the US ever give a shit about the world economy other than when trying to leech as much as it can out of it.
I can't understand how taxpayers in the US can watch as the Government pours it's money into companies who have been swindling those same tax-payers into mortgages they cannot afford.
Sure the fall of these large financial institutions would probably send the US economy into recession, but isn't the idea behind capitalism and free markets, that if a company is unsuccessful it should fold and a new one will take its place. Until now I saw a sort of darwinism in the free market, survival of the fittest. We have just seen the dinosaurs hit by a meteor, and now we're trying to fix them up and get them on their feet.
Now is should also be known that when other Economies have faltered, and reacted in this way, the US was normally the first country to chastise them for intervention in the free market. The normal result in weaker economies was that American capital flowed into these markets instead of local capital, and the economy there after sent all profits over the border. That is of course, only when the USA don't invade. A county that managed to buck this trend, was Argentinia when it defaulted on it's foreign debt, their crisis also brought on by a credit crunch.
Now the US economy is effectivly defaulting on its internal debt.

So why does the US Government not want to follow what it preaches?
The US Government claims that the fall of their largest financial companies would send the world economy into turmoil. Well certainly there would be a slowdown.. and of course the US was very clever creating a Debt system based on it's own dollar, so any countries that loaned to the US in dollars have alot to loose if the American economy goes downhill. However, the US likes to overstate its position, it helps to scare smaller economies into doing as it asks. If the US was to deflate its debt, by devaluing the dollar, it would also open it's financial sector to takeovers from abroad or to use the US euphanism, it would open it's financial sector to Foreign investment. This would then leave the US with reduced control over its financial sector.
Alternatively the US could honour its debt, and enter a recession, where the old companies would die, and new companies would take their place. In 10 years, if the Chinese haven't overtaken them by then, they could emerge without the deadwood of con-artists, swindlers and ambulance chasers who caused the current crisis. Their markets would, with proper management (not intervention), be rebalanced, and the US could get a fresh start. I think that would be a positive thing for its overworked underpayed, living on credit masses.

There is of course another somewhat more radical suggestion as to why the Government would bail out the old, large financial institutions with Tax Payer money. The old boys club. What would they do with all those Ivy league boys if they all suddenly had to go on the dole. They're bloody useless without their connections.


Personally, I think the US could do with cleaning up their economy. Take a look at the Environmental changes they could make if they had to start again. They could remove the populace from their dangerous credit addiction. They would have to invest in education. Most importantly, they might have to drop their protectionist import restrictions and wage deflation and actualy start practicing what they preach.

Like my mum always told me, it's better to take the plaster off quickly.

The other rugby game

I turned up for Rugby training the other day.

I didn't recognise any of the lads there.

I didn't know what was happening when they started pulling out helmets.
And then the shoulder pads came out.

So I trained with them.

American Football can actually be alot of fun... at least until the next day.


I couldn't lift my arms for a week.

And then the next week, I broke my laughing and sneezing muscle.. in the warm-up!
Now everytime I sneeze, I get stabbed in the stomach.
I told the doctor about it, and he sent me for an ultrasound. So maybe he thinks i'm pregnant. It would explain the extra pounds.

Full circle

Today I came home to find a weighing scale sitting in the kitchen. This is not normally something that would worry me. So I jumped onto it to see what it said.

Oh, dear...

I haven't weighed in at 110kg since I lived in Karlsruhe.

Things have to change.

After I arrived in ingolstadt, I did manage to get down to 88kgs. I guess that'll be my aim again!

Until then, I'm going to have to lock up the beer fridge.

Introducing levies on fresh air

Warning: This post is long, rambling, and politicized


Many are not familiar with the institutions of government in Australia.
I am one of those people too.
To keep it simple, there's government (federal) and then there's government (state).
In my opinion, all government finally reaches a level of parochialism if you follow the power structure to it's lower tiers. However, I did not expect to find this at the second level of government, the state government of NSW.
This aspect of Australian politics is wisely kept hidden from the outside world, because on hearing the antics of the NSW state government over the last 6 months I was strongly reminded of a Bingo Hall.
I need not list the ways in which the last Premier (Mr Iemma) and his Treasurer (Mr Costa) have made themselves notorious, as many others have already done that.
Lets just be happy that they are out of a Job.

Now normally I would salute such a move, but, it was not due to a voter decision, instead it was infighting in the party which led to the change at the top. Also, the person appointed to succeed Mr Iemma, a Mr Rees, was not voted in by the people and will continue a 3 year premiership without ever being put to the ballot.
Yes I know, we can't vote on everything.. in fact, I can't vote on anything till I get residency... but normally the voters have a Idea of the preference of their MP for premier, when voting. Instead, the biggest bully/personality of the party has been put into the premiership.

Anyway, I'm sure it will be remedied in the next 3 years, either Mr Rees will be successful, or he'll be succeeded.

So far the measures proposed by the Rees Cabinet to help the state offset it's massive debt, aren't sounding to good his future.

Government is moving to charge fees for cars parked at railway stations): This is a plan to charge commuters for using the free parking at selected stations for their commute into the City. That's right, the most congested city I know of, is looking to put more people on the road. Surely the guy that came up with this one, should think before opening his mouth.

The next proposal... axe the (more than half finished) North West Metro rail project: Now please, how is stopping an already half payed multimillion dollar project, a wise decision. (Edit - Apparently there has already been a change in mind on this)

Here's the remaining proposals, I can't be bothered to point out the inadequacies in them all, needless to say, they were probably jotted down on the back of an envelope after the premiers inauguration party.

Please note, unfortunately it's not possible to get any remotely impartial news in this country, and I must warn the reader, that the Fairfax group, from which all of the links originate, would seem to dislike the Labour NSW Government. Be Warned.

It's murder at the disco

I was late into work today, there was a rather severe traffic accident which caused traffic problems until about midday.

According to the police, the driver was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
What I saw, was a car that hit a power pole so hard, that the pole threatened to fall and block a 3 lane expressway. I'm not normally a rubbernecker, but I was curious when I saw that there was a giant crane on site. So I snapped a pic, I'll post it later. But basically, you could nearly read the front number plate, through the boot of the car. That someone can come away from that with "minor" injuries tells me they were very lucky.

What suprises me more, is that the accident was at 2am that night. There's not much traffic around at that time. That this is the first accident I've seen, also suprises me, given that at least half of the morning traffic is asleep, and the others half is wired and suffering from a road rage addiction. Yet somehow, people still manage to safely get to work.

September is the new April

Now some of the northern hemisphere people will not understand. But those of you from the deep south will appreciate, that the onset of spring does not immediatly imply good weather.
Infact, as it has now been raining for 2 days without a break, I would say, surely by now, the rain quota for the year has been fullfilled. Why is it that wherever I move, that country immediatly manages to set all time records for wind, rain and least number of hours of sunshine.

COME ON SUMMER, I'M READY FOR YOU!

P.S. My better half however, keeps reminding me to appreciate this unpredicable weather, because when summer comes, she predicts only one type of weather, "melty".

Timewasting

If you are ever in the fortunate position of having too much time on your hands, then all you need is a Suse 11 install CD, and an old mac IBook.
Guaranteed to use up all of your time, until you realise that your mission is futile.

The beardy man

So the funny man, beardy wizard of bristol is in Sydney next week.

He was on telly yesterday too, pluggin his show.
Unfortunatly I can find no-one to join me, as my better half has to dedicate the beginning of the weekend to be better prepared to teach those who wish not to be taught.