Disaster Capitalism?

Pete's Points
Just in case my readers wish to have yet another voice that appears to think that what is happening out there is crazy - have a look at this article from Naomi Klein, entitled Disaster Capitalism: How to make money out of misery - as published in the Guardian

Now it gets worse!

Pete's Points

Now we are being told that even though there are heaps of job opportunities in some locations, the price of housing is so high that people can not afford to live there? Have a squizz at the excerpts from the article below.

Is the world going crazy or what?

If the employers in the area were serious about their job shortages and really had a desperate need to get some people to undertake the work (up in Broome, as this example shows) then they would do what Australian companies and communities have had to do for years and that is to create the accommodation that is going to be required by their work force.

Whatever happened to the pioneering spirit? Has it fallen into an abyss of self indulgence?

If areas of Australia complain that they cannot get workers to undertake the work, then how can they turn around and complain that they cannot accommodate the workforce that they need?

Mining companies, have in the past created entire townships to accommodate their workers. Where are the entrepreneurs who could start or expand the building of prefabricated housing? There is an industry in Australia which could actually get a whole leg up as a result of this 'crisis'.

When the Snowy Mountain scheme was new there was a huge demand and a rush to build what were really prefabricated houses that are still standing today and being well used by people all over the country.

We seem to be able to build cabins in caravan parks to accommodate the thousands of tourist that pay a visit to locations all over Australia. Why can't we do the same thing for people who want to work and where there is a need for workers?

Why are there not some enterprising people out there who can once again make a fortune by building and transporting prefabricated accommodation to where it is needed?

Wait, let me guess, the community leaders are, like many of the remaining unemployed, also wanting to reach into the pockets of people who are employed or have been employed until retirement and still making an effort, (tax payers in other words), and get subsidies into their communities from the Federal and/or state governments.

The real question is, who is the next in line to demand a hand out from tax monies so that they actually have to do nothing for themselves to solve their problems?

I have often heard the story in the past that Australians look down on people who have been described as "whingers". Is this case any different?

If a community really wanted to ensure that they had people to undertake the work that was required they would band together and make things happen, instead of bleating about it in the press, in what seems like a precursor to demanding a hand out from the Government.

I think it's time for people to realise that communities are built be people who band together to get things done and not by government largesse. When people do band together to make things happen, what may seem like miracles, actually do happen.

There may well be hard times while people are doing it, at least they get the sense of a job well done when the job is completed and do not feel beholding to anyone else. They can and do pull themselves out of their problems by their own bootstraps.

In my view, it is time for many Australians to realise that in order to live in the 'lucky country' they actually have to make an effort!

To wait until someone gives them a hand out is simply self indulgent!

From the ABC

The Federal Government has been criticised for not thinking through the ramifications of encouraging people to relocate to find a job.

Under the plan those looking for work could be paid $5,000 to move from regions of high unemployment, to those crying out for workers, such as Western Australia.

But Broome Shire president Graeme Campbell says while there are jobs for the taking around the north of WA, there is simply no affordable accommodation available.

"We can't get builders building quick enough up here and that's across the state where delays are being experienced by everybody," he said.

"We've got delays up to a year before builders will even look at plans up here.

Incentives? Why do they need incentives to earn a living for a change?

Pete's Points
Giving the unemployed incentives to move to where the work is at a time when there is record full employment is, in my view, a waste of MY money.

As a tax payer I am offended that there are still people around who can continue to receive support from the government when employers are complaining that there are not enough workers available to fill the positions that are simply going begging and when they are advocating lowering barriers to immigration to enable unskilled workers to come to this country to take on the jobs that our own people seem to find inadequate to meet their delicate needs.

I am happy to support people when there is no work available. I am happy to support people to train themselves to a level where they can do the work which is available. However I am not prepared to support people to continue to live some form of indulgent lifestyle in which their delicate sensibilities may be upset if they actually have to make a little effort to get themselves skilled up for the work available and actually move to where the work is.

I would support them by giving them the bus fare to get to the work place and say a week or a fortnight's rent once there, to ensure that they have somewhere to stay while they earn their first pay check and no more.

After that they can jolly well do what the rest of us have to do and make ends meet!

Anything else in this time of full employment is sheer overindulgence!

From the ABC

Jobless relocation offer 'not enough'

A federal backbencher has criticised his government's proposal to pay people to move to find work, saying the cash incentive is not enough.

Under the program the Government will pay up to $5,000 to help people move from areas of high unemployment, to places where workers are needed.

FROGS (No not the French!)

Pete's Points

I always knew it was a good idea to protect frog habitat - now I am convinced.

The government of Trinidad should immdiately pass legislation to protect this frog species and of course claim them as a national treasure and put a patent on their heads. That way the drug companies would probably have to pay the government of Trinidad royalties or come to some other arrangement that would benefit the citizenry.

Frog froth to treat wounds

Robin McKie, science editor
Sunday August 20, 2006
The Observer

The Tungara frog of Trinidad is an amphibian of unusual habits. When females lay eggs in ponds, their mates build huge balls of froth around them. These act as nests that protect their delicate, developing offspring. But those froth balls are proving to be very special.

Scientists have found that they contain a new type of detergent, as well as anti-microbial agents. Researchers are trying to isolate and develop this chemical to make new drugs and medicines.

'This material is amazing,' said Professor Malcolm Kennedy, of Glasgow University's biology department. 'You could imagine using this stuff as an emergency spray on soldiers injured by shell blasts or on burns victims. It could provide immediate protection for the wound and stop infections spreading.

'These frogs lay their eggs in stinking pools bursting with microbes. Yet none of their eggs gets infected, thanks to the froth that the frogs create. This not only prevents microbial growth, but holds its structure for many days. It is astonishing stuff.'

Not a trifling success at all!

Pete' Points

Whoo hoo! Not only is this not a trifiling success, but the BBC actually beat Australian media to a story of culinary importance. Diners in Australia are in for a treat!

Australia's truffling success

By Nick Squires BBC News, Southern Highlands, NSW, Australia

They are synonymous with French haute cuisine, but the cultivation of truffles in Australia has proved such a success that the first batch has been exported abroad.

Duncan Garvey pioneered Australia's truffle plantations

This has brought a touch of Provence to upland regions of south-eastern Australia, where conditions most closely resemble those of Europe's best-known truffle-growing area.

It is a perfect winter's day and ideal for a truffle hunt.

The sun is shining, the sky is a deep blue and the hazel and oak trees are rustling gently in the breeze.

But this is not Provence or Perigord. Instead I am in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, just two hours' drive from Sydney.

Arak and Double Talk

From the ABC

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad waves during the opening ceremony of the heavy water plant in Arak. (AFP)

"Mr Ahmadinejad launched a new phase in the Arak heavy-water reactor project on Saturday, saying Iran would not give up its right to nuclear technology despite Western fears it aims to make atomic bombs. . . .

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has voiced concern over the risk of diversion of nuclear materials, as the research reactor could produce 8-10 kilograms of plutonium a year - enough to make at least two nuclear bombs."

Garpets Goodies
from WineDine Co
Arak another view

"Called by the Arabs of the Middle East, ‘the milk of lions’, arak, also known as arack and arraki, is the national alcoholic drink of Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. It is given this nick-name because of its highly potent and lethal character. An aniseed-flavoured colourless spirit which turns to a milky-white liquid after water and/or ice are added, it is much sought after in the Middle Eastern lands by those who indulge in intoxicating drinks. Usually drank before it matures, it is a fiery rough liquor made for tough palates."

For people who practice the Moslem faith, it is forbidden to drink alcohol.

Yet in the mainly Moslem countries of Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, Arak is the "national alcoholic drink"

It's a good thing that this is not the case in Iran.

In Iran, Arak, is NOT the fiery liquor. It is the town in which the President has just opened a heavy water plant. Let's just hope that in this case the Arak that produces the heavy water will not end up being "highly potent and lethal in character" by being the precursor to the production of plutonium.

Iran says it needs nuclear power. OK let's assume that they are telling the truth. Why do they need a heavy water research reactor for this purpose?

If Iran wants to convince anyone that it is serious about it's need to create major power sources for its people then it would heed the advice that has been given to it by everyone apart from its subservient followers and get a light water reactor!

Sounds good but is it true? Check your source!

Tea healthier than a glass of water?

By Emily Cook

August 25, 2006 08:17am

Article from:

THE belief that drinking tea leads to loss of fluids and possibly dehydration has been quashed by scientists.

They say drinking four cups a day can be beneficial - and better than plain water.

Tea not only rehydrates but also protects against heart disease and cancer - as well as cutting tooth decay and possibly improving bone strength.

The key component is a group of antioxidants called flavonoids which help prevent cell damage.

Like fruit and vegetables, tea is a good source of flavonoids - three cups contain eight times the capacity of an apple.

"You don't find these antioxidants in pure water," chief scientist Carrie Ruxton said.

Pete's Points
I published a story about coffee the other day, so as part of the 'equal opportunity' policy on this blog I am now sharing with you a story about tea.

Alas, like most articles on the web you actually have to go to the source of the material and its claims and in this case there is an abstract of an article in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition which actually says something that is at variance with what is being claimed. Don't you just hate it when a good story does NOT necessarily come together?

"Objective:

To consider whether consumption of black tea has a positive or negative impact on health.

Design:

Databases were searched for relevant epidemiological and clinical studies published between 1990 and 2004.

Results:

Clear evidence was found for coronary heart disease (CHD), where an intake of 3 cups per day related to risk reduction. The mechanism could involve the antioxidant action of tea polyphenols.While experimental models have suggested that flavonoids attenuated cancer risk, epidemiological studies failed to demonstrate a clear effect for tea, although there is moderate evidence for a slightly positive or no effect of black tea consumption on colorectal cancer. Studies on cancer were limited by sample sizes and insufficient control of confounders.There is moderate evidence suggestive of a positive effect of black tea consumption on bone mineral density although studies were few.There is little evidence to support the effect of tea on dental plaque inhibition but evidence to support the contribution of tea to fluoride intakes and thus theoretical protection against caries.There was no credible evidence that black tea (in amounts typically consumed) was harmful.Normal hydration was consistent with tea consumption when the caffeine content was <250> A moderate caffeine intake from tea appeared to improve mental performance, although sample sizes were small.There was no evidence that iron status could be harmed by tea drinking unless populations were already at risk from anaemia.

Conclusions:

There was sufficient evidence to show risk reduction for CHD at intakes of 3 cups per day and for improved antioxidant status at intakes of one to six cups per day. A maximum intake of eight cups per day would minimise any risk relating to excess caffeine consumption. Black tea generally had a positive effect on health."

Newcomers Network?

Pete's Points
I have seen some interesting resurrections in my time. The "Newcomers Network" appears to be a modernized and technologically savvy replacement for the government initiated "Good Neighbour Council" of yesteryear.

Of course the logo of this organisation could be better.
After all, how many people in this country really want to be told where to go?

Ultimate BLING?

From Gush Magazine

Pete's Points
I have always wanted a Porsche, but I suspect that this is NOT a car that one should own. Insurance premiums be in the stratosphere. Then again if you can afford a car like this I suppose that money is no object!

Of course if you really want to have a wank -
this may well be the toy for you. A mere US$1.3 million (From Gizmag)

And now for some other animal stories

Pete's Points
With no thought for battery hens or their well being I suspect that American workers have their cholesterol, protein, vitamin and mineral enhanced egg McMufffins or bacon and eggs and then have the audacity to complain about their cramped work spaces.

OK people, listen up - what good for the workers should be good for the hens. Buy free range eggs and then as the advert for Subway states "Eat Fresh!"

From Management - Issues
With more than a third of Americans having no permanent work space and nearly four out of 10 forced to share with a co-worker, it's not surprising that a quarter complain of feeling cramped.

First it was cows with accents and now it's comic killer whales - What's next? - A mini series?

Killer Whale Barked Like Sea Lion, Tapes Reveal

James Owen
for National Geographic News
August 24, 2006

A lone killer whale near a Canadian fishing village was a skilled mimic that barked just like a sea lion, a new study reveals.

Researchers say the barking calls of the killer whale, or orca, known as Luna proves killer whales can learn to produce novel sounds in the wild, a skill considered rare among mammals

Pete's Points

I can see it now a new treat is in store for viewers.

Someone will finally figure out an innovative way to "assist" the rich and famous. No longer will their pets have to spend the day listening to human soaps in which their owners star. Now they can have their own special shows of talented animals. Indeed they may end up on the screen and vie with their masters for a good position on the red carpet.

Got a pet that can so something special? Be prepared to get a good agent!

After all Paul Hogan was someone who painted the rust proof paint on to the Sydney Harbour Bridge before he was discovered!

No one will be spared. Talent scouts will scour the countryside for that exciting Jersey cow that can star in her own episode of "In the MOOd" or we will have a whole new type of show for killer whales other than "Free Willy"

Wine buffs look out - coffee is coming!

Fungi make coffee more tasty

By Judy Skatssoon for ABC Science Online

Fungi are the secrets to tasty coffee, says a Brazilian researcher who is the first to identify the moulds that give coffee its distinctive range of flavours and aromas.

Dr Martha Taniwaki of Brazil's Institute of Food Technology presented her research at the International Mycological Conference in Cairns this week.

Dr Taniwaki says while the characteristics of the bean partly determine taste and aroma, naturally occurring fungi also put the zing in your favourite brew.

Pete's Points

I was somwehat alarmed to read this article in full. I have a real problem with the notions mentioned a little later in the article specifically:

Some of the flavours associated with moulds included floral, citric, caramel, chocolate and toast.

The fungi occur naturally inside the coffee been and are associated with regional characteristics caused by soil, climate and humidity.

While the pleasant taste-producing fungi are not harmful to health, others can be toxic, and these often produce rancid, stinky, smoky, woody or fermented bouquets.

Without having an idea of what kind of coffee has gone into that Cappucino or Café Latte I am now wondering how much of the toxic stuff I have consumed over the years? I can certainly recall many instances all around the world where I was served coffee that met the criteria for the toxic stuff mentioned above.

I wonder whether this should be the start of yet another campaign against those who produce foods that can lead to cancer?

Let's ban the drinking of coffee unless it has first been certified as containing only the non toxic fungi. Better yet let's think about suing the people who make and serve a brew that has a rancid, stinky, smoky, woody or fermented flavour for selling stuff that is injurious to our health!

It's almost like serving toadstools instead of mushrooms!

There are laws to protect people from such events and inspectors whose job it is to see that only non injurious mushrooms are sold at markets. Why not apply the same criteria to coffee?

I suspect that this would give the coffee industry a shake up and may actually result in our obtaining coffee that tastes really nice.

Of course there is a down side or two.

Forget coffee that is only 3-4 dollars a cup.Expect to see certain cups of coffee going up in price.

I can see it now. Consider what happened with something nice and simple like wine. You know the stuff that was recommended in the Bible (a little wine for thy stomach's sake).

Everyone used to drink wine from very early days and you could always get a bottle of plonk or some more snobbish varietal.

There are those now whose lives are totally involved in the social circuit, sniffing, tasting, spitting and waxing lyrical about the content of a bottle of plonk. People around the water cooler at work who spend HOURS discussing the merits of a fine red from Pomerol versus the wonders from the Hunter Valley or some interesting little vineyard in South Australia.

What will it be like with coffee?

I wait with bated breath for the next exciting episode in this saga. And if you don't believe me then read yet another excerpt and start to worry:

"Professor Paul Gadek, an Australian plant molecular biologist and head of tropical plant sciences at James Cook University, says Dr Taniwaki's research has implications for Australia, where coffee is a growth industry."

Is this an Irish Joke or merely déja vu?

Petes Points
There was an article about "FREE ENERGY" recently in the Guardian.
Did everyone else miss this?
Is this an Irish joke or do the results reported remind anyone else of someone else called Nikola Tesla?

Scientists flock to test 'free energy' discovery

David Smith
Sunday August 20, 2006
The Observer

A man who claims to have developed a free energy technology which could power everything from mobile phones to cars has received more than 400 applications from scientists to test it.

Sean McCarthy says that no one was more sceptical than he when Steorn, his small hi-tech firm in Dublin, hit upon a way of generating clean, free and constant energy from the interaction of magnetic fields. 'It wasn't so much a Eureka moment as a get-back-in-there-and-check-your-instruments moment, although in far more colourful language,' said McCarthy. But when he attempted to share his findings, he says, scientists either put the phone down on him or refused to endorse him publicly in case they damaged their academic reputations. So last week he took out a full-page advert in the Economist magazine, challenging the scientific community to examine his technology.

McCarthy claims it provides five times the amount of energy a mobile phone battery generates for the same size, and does not have to be recharged. Within 36 hours of his advert appearing he had been contacted by 420 scientists in Europe, America and Australia, and a further 4,606 people had registered to receive the results.

Are workers right or are they full of it?

Pete's Points
Here is a tidy little item

From Management Issues

Nearly a quarter of workers believe they would be able to do a better job of managing than their boss, with one in three desperate to swap their boss if they could, according to a new British poll.

Men (25 per cent), the Investors in People survey found, were more confident of their ability to outdo their current boss than women (18 per cent).

Poor communication by managers was the most common complaint among workers, with nearly one in three saying their manager was not good at communicating with them.

Honesty was ranked second, but, again, nearly a fifth of employees believed their manager had, at some stage, claimed credit for their work.

The most popular type of manager was someone who delegated, followed by someone who was firm but fair and someone who looked after their employees' careers.

Ruth Spellman, chief executive of Investors in People in the UK, said: "The fact that almost a third of employees would like a new manager should make bosses sit up and take notice.

"With good communication ranked the most important quality of a good boss, managers need to focus their efforts on setting clear tasks and targets for their staff, and linking an employees' role to the organisation's overall mission," she added.

"Managers should also take note of the messages around delegation, remaining firm but fair, and the importance of looking after their people's careers.

Confidence is one thing, competence is another.

In my view if you can DEMONSTRATE competence by getting the work done to a high standard, on time and within constraints then you can criticise others.

As for the 1/3 who are looking to change bosses, I would give quids to hear what percentage of that group are people who simply fail at every assignment or responsibility that is thrown their way and who do not appreciate being told by their 'incompetent' boss to do better after they have been given support, training, coaching and mentoring.

Spare Change Is Big Business in a Culture of Generosity

Pete's Points

Published by the New York Times there is this article that I think highlights some interesting issues


Some excerpts:

"DAKAR, Senegal Aug. 16 — Every morning at 9 a.m., Mamadou Sorro makes his rush-hour commute through this seaside capital, expertly guiding his wheels through the stream of pedestrians, cars and scooters.

His journey is short from the patch of sidewalk where he spends his nights to his regular corner, outside a government building. On a good day he can clear $5.

Mr. Sorro is a beggar, one of thousands who ply the streets here in a city famous across West Africa for its generosity. He moved here from Ivory Coast after a war injury left him disabled. He had heard about Senegal'’s tradition of charity, born of its particular brand of Sufi Islam that requires its adherents to give freely in the hopes of increasing their bounty a thousandfold.

These days, though, Mr. Sorro is feeling trapped, and not just by the wheelchair he uses. Dakar's benevolence is being strained as ever larger numbers of beggars, many of them from neighboring countries like Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Burkina Faso, choke the streets.

Begging here once brought in as much as $10 a day, which is about what a blue-collar worker in the region makes nowadays. But, the police have begun chasing Mr. Sorro and his friends away from their normal posts, trying to clean up the city'’s image, and the generous hands of Dakar are growing fatigued."

Dakar has another category of beggars as well. Impoverished village families often send their boys to the cities to attend Koranic schools, where they are expected to support themselves by begging.

The boys are known as talibé, and 100,000 of them wander the streets of Senegal'’s cities.

There are thousands perhaps millions of people across the world who are forced into begging to stay alive.

Many of them have been displaced from one location or another as a result of wars, insurrections, civil disturbances etc. Many of them like the cases referred to in this article end up as refugees living in squalor and becoming a "nuisance" to others.

The reality is, that while some people think that these beggars are exploiting them, there are others much higher in the food chain that take exploitation to a level that, if you will pardon the expression, beggars the imagination.

Who benefits?.

Who benefits from all of this poverty and misery?

• Sure there are rip off artists who 'organise' begging in some places.
• Sure there are unscrupulous people who rip off the beggars themselves by taking a cut of their meager "income".
  

These people are small time crooks.

Let's look at the whole industry that supplies weapons to the various warring factions around the world that create the misery in the first place. They make trillions of dollars.

Arms dealers, drug dealers, governments filled with corrupt politicians who make personal fortunes from the misery of others - these are the places to look for the culprits.

I wonder what other useful purposes we could find for money that amounts to trillions of dollars that are currently enriching a handful of people?

Some possible basic thoughts come to mind immediately:

• pollution
• global warming
• new sources of renewable energy
• food, shelter and clothing for those who do not have any
  

It's nice to be HOME!

Pete's Points

I was relieved and gratified to hear people who returned safely from the conflict in the Middle East say something like, "It's so nice to be home!"

Is anyone puzzled by people who talk about "HOME" when referring to the countries that they left or fled, as emigrants or refugees to escape from injustice, poverty, war, persecution, intolerance, etc?

I am!

I simply find it difficult to understand how anyone can express relief and joy about being allowed to come to Australia, stay here as a resident, take up citizenship, get employment and make a better life for themselves and then turn around the next day and call the country that they left behind "HOME".

What's more I start to move from being puzzled to being less tolerant when these same people take the time to bring to Australia, the country that should be their new "HOME", the same issues and problems that they say they could not live with and escaped from.

I don't get it.

If I hated what was happening in the other place and ran like mad to escape from it and actually was welcomed into this country and started to make a new life for myself, why on earth would I then encourage the SAME problems to happen here? More to the point why on earth would I call the other place "HOME"?

If you were once a refugee or an immigrant and have chosen to live in Australia and benefit from what it has to offer then realise you have made a choice that is allied with the first one. A choice to leave the problems of the old country behind as you left that country behind.

THIS is your new home!

I am all in favour of cultural diversity, called multiculturalism in this country.

Let's respect and support people who come to this country to make a new life for themselves and get on with it.

I am more than happy to give equal place to other people's customs and practices.

I draw the line however when it comes to people wanting to change the laws of this country to better reflect the laws in their country of origin. When people choose to take up Australian citizenship and all the benefits that this confers they also choose to accept the laws of this country and its forms of governance.

I also draw the line when others wish to change things so that they can impose their customs and practices on me. "Live and let live is my motto."

There is an old Maltese folk saying which when translated directly states quite explicitly "Don't shit where you can smell it!"

It may be simple and crude, but I think it's spot on!

Life is like that!

Pete's Points

My readers will recall that I mentioned the relative unfairness of the volume of reportage on the issues happening in the Middle East when compared with other battles between extremist Islamic forces and other governments. I was specifically interested in the issues happening in Somalia and the potential involvement of the Ethiopians and the Eritreans who as most people would be aware have been fighting among themselves for years and relying on the world community to deal with the refugee results and famines that have taken place there as a result.

This morning the BBC has reported that Ethiopian troops have crossed the border.

Ethiopian troops are approaching the Somali town of Baidoa, seat of Somalia's transitional government.

Ethiopia is the Somali government's main ally against the Islamic militia who control the capital, Mogadishu.

The Somali government has meanwhile declared support for an Eritrean rebel group, accusing Eritrea's government of supporting the Somali Islamists.

Regional rivals Ethiopia and Eritrea have both denied accusations that they are fighting a proxy war in Somalia.

In June, militia loyal to the Union of Islamic Courts took control of Mogadishu, which had been divided among rival warlords for 15 years.

In the past month the Islamist militia have moved northwards into central Somalia."

• I wonder whether this event and what will most likely follow will actually receive more than a passing mention in the Australian media.
  
• Do we have a substantially large group of refugees and migrants from Eretria or Somalia or Ethiopia here in Australia.
  
• What will be their points of view?
  
• Will they come out into the streets to support one side or the other?
  
• Will there be an outcry about the effects that this new round of violence is likely to inflict on innocent civilians?
  
• Will there finally be some historical coverage of the impact of over 15 years of strife on the lives of people to put the current conflict into perspective?

If there is NO such coverage and no such outcry then I need to ask some questions.

Why is 30 +DAYS of fighting more relevant than over 15 YEARS of fighting?

• Are the people in this region of the world irrelevant?
• Why do we care less about these people than those in the Middle East?

I suspect that these questions may result in a simple answer - money!

News about the middle east sells media advertising space. Fanning passions among people here who say that they have left their country of birth because they wanted a better life, but then seem so attached to the life and the politics of the countries that they ostensibly left behind and still call "HOME", seems to be a money spinner.

News about impoverished people in areas that are not 'important', in geo-political terms at least, do NOT sell media advertising.

An interesting taste sensation.

Pete's Points

It is not often that I write about recipes or actually recommend a site that does, however I will make an exception in this case.

Following nausea and other side effects brought on by the effects of chemo and radio therapy there are times when one can look at a site and think lovely thoughts about people who contribute to the well being of our stomachs. Take a look at this offering from Cooks.com

BREADED VEAL CUTLETS

1 1/2 lbs veal cutlets
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon butter (optional)
5 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely minced
1 egg
salt and pepper, to taste

Sauce:

2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, choppped (optional)
a few tablespoons fresh basil and oregano, minced
1 quart pasta sauce

Purchase slices of veal from the leg which have been cut one-half inch thick. Recently, supermarkets have been slicing veal cutlets more thinly (1/4" thick or less) which is not the traditional method, which gives more substance to the cutlets.

Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a shallow bowl (for dredging). If desired, a pinch of oregano, parsley, rosemary, and basil may be added to season the breadcrumbs, but only use a pinch, and be sure that these are finely minced (a food processor can be put to good advantage). Fresh herbs are preferred.

Very finely mince 1 clove garlic and the parsley together; mash together with the side of the knife or cleaver with a pinch of coarse salt. Add this to 1 egg which has been beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the egg mixture. Stir to combine in a shallow bowl, for dipping.

In a large skillet, heat the oil, and butter (optional) with the remaining whole cloves of garlic. Turn the garlic cloves so that they take on color evenly, but do not allow to brown. Mash the cloves into the oil using the tines of a fork when they become toasted, then remove.

Pat the veal dry using a paper towel so that the coatings will stick. Season the veal with salt, pepper, and paprika. Dip each piece of veal into the seasoned bread crumbs coating both sides well. Dip into the egg mixture. Roll in the bread crumbs a second time.

Pan fry the veal cutlets in the olive oil, carefully turning once, until well browned on both sides.

Cover and continue cooking over low heat until thoroughly cooked and tenderized, which can take 30-40 minutes.

Sauce:

Halfway through the cooking time (around 20 minutes) add:

2-3 cloves of minced garlic
1 chopped onion
1 green pepper (optional)
3-4 sprigs of fresh basil
2-3 branches oregano

to the oil; stir in 1 quart of pasta sauce after a few minutes of sautéing the herbs. Simmer over low heat until veal is tender, making sure veal is covered with sauce.

Serve over pasta, sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese and garnished with fresh basil. Or place veal in a casserole and sprinkle with slices of fresh mozzarella and Parmesan or Provolone and heat until cheese melts before serving with pasta or in sub sandwiches.

Submitted by: CM

Some fascinating news

Retroactive war crime protection drafted

By PETE YOST, Associated Press WriterThu Aug 10, 9:22 PM ET Bush administration drafted amendments to the War Crimes Act that would retroactively protect policymakers from possible criminal charges for authorizing any humiliating and degrading treatment of detainees, according to lawyers who have seen the proposal. The move by the administration is the latest effort to deal with treatment of those taken into custody in the war on terror.

Pete's Points

It is amazing to me how these stories seem to leak out. If this is true then . . .

As the neo-conservatives head for potential oblivion at the end of the longer than expected term in office, they are trying to make sure that they cannot be prosecuted for any activities that could be ascribed to them in some future litigation.

I have to say that on the one hand I have some sympathy for the view that when you are in a fight with terrorists who have no compunction about killing, maiming and terrorising people, playing by rules can be considered just a little silly.

On the other hand I also have a lot of sympathy for the view that suspending due process for whatever reason is just simply too dangerous.

So where does that leave us?

Personally I will always opt for rules that govern civilized behaviour. Even if that means that we can be taken advantage of by people who have no such scruples. I would rather give people their rights and freedoms than take the risk of labelling people and committing atrocities in the name of such freedom.

Texas Terrorism? or "Bigger Bang for the Buck!"

Exploding laptops prompt Dell safety recall Andrew Clark in New York Tuesday August 15, 2006 The Guardian A Dell laptop. Photograph: Getty Images The American company Dell is recalling more than 4m laptop batteries following complaints of its computers overheating and bursting into flames. The recall, announced last night at Dell's headquarters in Texas, is the largest in the history of the US electronics industry, according to the US consumer product safety commission.

Pete's Points
Why worry about laptops and fluids being brought on board air craft by terrorists in their hand luggage?

It's bad enough to have the Texas based US company exporting their 'bombs' into the households of 'innocent civilians' and actually advertising 'free delivery'.

Just kidding folks.

However, considering that George Bush, the former Governor of Texas blames others for creating mayhem with their weapons of mass destruction and terror tactics, I think it is ironic that a company in his home state is now getting this sort of attention.

It also gives a new dimension to the notion of getting a bigger bang for the buck!

Which reminds me - I had better check on the serial number of the battery in MY Dell computer!

Why the hurry?

En route home: It is estimated that 900,000 people have been displaced by the conflict. (Reuters)

"Aid, refugees head for southern Lebanon

Aid agencies are struggling along bombed-out roads thronged by refugees returning home to reach people who have been wounded or trapped by war in southern Lebanon.

For the first time since a UN backed truce came into force on Monday, large convoys carrying humanitarian aid have set out from the southern port of Tyre to villages that had been isolated by fighting."

From the ABC

Pete's Points

Whenever I see something like this I have to ask, "What's the hurry?"

Given the situation that must be present on the ground in Southern Lebanon I can think of nothing worse that spending 8-10 hours on the road in really hot weather, in a car, crowded with family and belongings, crawling along at a pace that a toddler would be able to maintain. The air filled with tension about whether or not the cease fire will hold, tension as the Lebanese Army tries to fix the roads, tension as you worry about whether or not you actually have a home to return to and if there is a home, whether it has any of the functioning mod cons necessary for life - like a roof, WATER, electricity and food.

Now if I was worried about the morality of my neighbours and whether or not they would steal whatever was left behind then I guess I would hurry 'home'.

If I was concerned about the well being of my family though, I am not so sure I would rush back into the remnants of a war zone.

I suppose that if I was extremely religious and convinced that the almighty was on my side then I would take the risk on the grounds that "God will provide".

On the other hand, being a pragmatist who gave up believing in the tooth fairy at an early age, I am afraid that I would more likely opt for some caution, security and some idea of where my next meal and drink were coming from - especially as the weather is not exactly cool in that part of the world.

I think people are amazing.

I suspect that the next set of stories we are likely to hear are going to be about people who die from heat exhaustion, lack of water, lack of food, lack of shelter and lack of sanitation.

Naturally, blame for this will probably be laid at the door of the Israelis, America, or some other external cause.

The question is how many people will actually believe this.

An interesting thing about a hand that points the finger at someone else. Have a look at it! You will be amazed to find how many of the fingers of the same hand are pointing back at the person who has pointed the index finger at someone else!

Now for the REAL Story!

From Management Issues
Pete's Points
After the article yesterday about the young whinging POMs being discriminated against, finally there is some more interesting news about the REAL discriminiation which is happening in the UK - see below.

Over one million 50 - 65 year olds in the UK are ready, willing and able to contribute to the economy but can't get a job because employers won't recruit older workers or retain the ones they already employ.

The continuing problem of older workers being pushed out of jobs and on to benefits and early pensions is highlighted in a new report by trade union body, the TUC, which calls on the government to introduce policies and practices to encourage firms to retain and recruit workers over 50.

The finding echo a study published in May which found that while nearly six out of 10 baby boomer Britons want to work beyond the normal state pension age, two-thirds find it impossible to get a job within 10 years of retirement as firms still seek to put employees aged over 50 out to pasture.

I know there are the cynics that will suggest that since this information is being produced by a Trade Union it is more suspect than information launched through a survey by an insurance giant.

The question is really who do you want to believe?

I have been receiving correspondence from young people who have access to this Blog which highlights that all they seem to want is for their parents to die so that they can inherit the estate that their parents (the "baby boomers") had built up through years of hard work and then sit on their fat bums living the life that they assume they were destined to have. No work all play and with no worries besides. Of course there are others, these believe that the world owes them a living and one that is well remunerated for just turning up on the job.

Meanwhile, stupid older people like me are still willing to try and find work and make a contribution.

I have to say that I am certainly getting to the stage where I am getting heartily sick of young people doing nothing, but whining about how hard life is and that they are unable to get a job commensurate with their self image.

Under 25 years old and they SUFFER?

From Management Issues

Contrary to the common perception, it is young people who suffer most from age discrimination at work rather than older workers, new British research has suggested.

A poll by insurer Royal & SunAlliance has found that 14 per cent of young people aged under 25 years old felt discriminated against in the workplace because of their age.

They felt their progression had been hindered because they were perceived as too young to take on extra responsibility.

Pete's Points

"Tough!" is my response!

There is no age discrimination against young people whatever they 'feel' about it! There is merely justified caution.

They ARE too young and inexperienced to take on the responsibilities. They graduate from university or a TAFE and feel that somehow they are immediately QUALIFIED to do things.

Rubbish!

They have just acquired the basics of their skill and knowledge bases and while they may be able to pass an examination, they have no life experience and certainly no experience in the business, academic or public service world which they are coming to work within.

Their expectation that they should be given responsibilities (and of course a commensurate rise in salary) before they have "paid their dues" by learning the business is just another expression of adolescent limit testing!

Do people really have nothing better to do with their time that to keep indulging these young people and their whims?

Let's get some serious performers out there.

Life is NOT a video game and my investments are not monopoly money!

You simply cannot say 'sorry about that' if and when you ruin lives with your lack of experience and then expect the game to re-set and start again!

Consultants, you simply have to love them!

From DILBERT

I was sent this as part of a converstion about consultants the other day and I have say that I appreciate the content.

I think back on the number of consultants I have worked with over the years and I have to say that there is only one thing worse than what is depicted in the cartoon above. That is when the consultant asks you to lend them your watch so that they can use it to tell the time!

Reverse Colonialism in the UK?

Career choice shaped by ethnic background

While an increasing proportion of white students in Britain dream of careers in publicly-funded organisations with index-linked pensions and a good work-life balance, those from other ethnic groups are far more likely to aspire to careers in finance or business.

This gulf in the career goals and industry preferences of different ethnic groups emerged from the Universum 2006 University Graduate Survey, which examined the aspirations and attitudes of 7,760 students in the UK.

The startling effect that ethnic background has on the career choices is most clearly illustrated by the fact that students of Chinese descent are four times more likely to harbour an ambition to pursue a career in banking or than their white counterparts."

Pete's Points
From Management Issues
This article is also a worry.

If there really is a direct correlation between career choice and ethnicity then I suspect that the next set of news we are likely to see on our TV screens will deal with the choices that people in Britain face in setting their immigration policy.

Migrants have always wanted to make their financial and social situation better than it had been in their home countries. It is perhaps one of the main reasons for migration in the first place - to have a better life.

This research, placed in context would merely reflect this reality.

However the way it is being pushed in this article would suggest that the 'white' population in the UK will end up being the public servants while the other ethnic groups end up running business and banking.

If one was to take a hilarious view of this whole affair then it could be said that turn around was fair play. After all the 'white' people of the UK colonized a number of places around the world where the population was of a different ethnic background and became the bankers and the business men AND kept all of the high level positions in the public services. It is only fitting that in line with their current immigration policy there is a reversal of the process and a few generations later the former colonials are becoming the new colonizers!

What next?

Plasma screens threaten eco-crisis

"The energy demands of Britain's obsession with flat televisions could require two nuclear plants

David Smith and Juliette Jowit
Sunday August 13, 2006
The Observer

Our insatiable appetite for the big picture is threatening the planet. A scientist has warned that if half of British homes buy a plasma-screen TV, two nuclear power stations would have to be built to meet the extra energy demand."

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Pete's Points
After reading this article I am beginning to see our Prime Minister's recent obsession with nuclear power. It all fits. First we have government policy to get digital TV into the country and eliminate the less power hungry appliances that exist today and then when we have an energy crisis we get to use our lovely nuclear fuel and of course in the process set up government revenues for the next few hundred years.

Of course there is a minor fly in all this ointment - the more energy that we use the more we pollute the planet and get closer to the Armageddon of major weather changes brought on by global warming.

Then again I could stop with the conspiracy theory and ask a different question - if these appliances are as energy hungry as is stated in the article why have we NOT been hearing about it here?

Garpet's Goodies
From Management Issues

What future for business travel?

"While it is far too early to predict the long-term effects of yesterday's events in Britain on the already fragile global airline industry, we must be approaching the point at which the stress and inconvenience we are prepared to undergo as part of the air travel experience starts to have a significant impact on our decision to fly at all.

As the travel editor of the Independent, Simon Calder, suggests today, a continuing ban on hand luggage will have a major impact on airlines even if they do manage to devise some means of enabling passengers to take valuable electronic gadgets with them without the risk of them being stolen or destroyed by baggage handlers.

Much of Britain's commercial aviation is kept afloat by the premium fares paid by business people. Judging by some of the scenes at check-ins yesterday, executives might more readily surrender their children than their laptops, Blackberries and mobile phones. But technology also provides plenty of alternatives to face-to-face meeting, should the stress of air travel - and the inability to work during the journey - prove too daunting."

It is interesting to read this article as it gives us a view into the future directions as far as the uptake of internet enabled communications are concerned.

With virtual conferencing being available virtually everywhere these days and with the quality of these communications being ever better because of the availability of faster and faster broadband connections it is likely that most executives will give up the joys of air travel and work from their offices anywhere around the world when conferencing.

Or will they?

For many people who attend meetings and conferences the most productive time that they have with the other people present is not actually at the face to face meetings. Generally these are 'set pieces' that have been preprogrammed by each of the participants. Each person comes with a particular point of view or a set piece of information for delivery to the other people who are in attendance. The reality is that it is in the times between the formal sessions that people interact over coffee in nooks and crannies of the meeting area or at meal times or simply during breaks in the formal agenda to really get to grips with issues out of sight of the media and other players. It is these back room deals and meetings that really enable people to work together as it is in these locations that most of the real business of conferences gets done.

Anyone who sees the news and watches people in front of the assembled media giving a virtuoso performance at a conference table and thinks that this represents what actually happens in getting deals made and business happening is, to be frank, naive in the extreme.

There is a place for video conferencing and for interactive discussions, but nothing will replace the face to face interactions that take place behind the scenes at these meetings.

What may change is that instead of computers, and other toys we will revert to an old fashioned travel accessory, the human secretary and he or she will have all of the toys of the trade available on site at the conference and the only thing that will be required is a small USB port enabled memory stick.

Get a new script writer George!

Pete's Points
I think George is losing it! I have no problem with the interpretation by the BBC that he was referring to "extremists" but "Islamic Fascists"?

George, you really have to stop referring to the "Crusades" one minute then to "Fascists" the next - these words bring up meanings and connections from the past that have some very unsavoury connections and are grossly inaccurate in any event.

Let's just look at the number of people in your cabinet who just happen to be from a Neo-Conservative background which is so far to the right as to make some of the world's neo fascists blush with embarrassment about their own inadequacies.

Whoever is writing your scripts is not doing you a favour! Get someone from Hollywood who wrote for the "West Wing" series to give you a hand! They seem to be able to capture an audience rather than alienate it!

From the BBC

Bush says plot a 'stark reminder'

President Bush said the US remained under threat

President George W Bush has said a plot to bomb US-bound flights from the UK is a "stark reminder" that the US is still at war with Islamic extremists.

Mr Bush said it showed "Islamic fascists... will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom".

That man does get about!

The Malaysian prime minister wants more action to resolve the crisis

From the BBC

Pete's Points

I like seeing pictures of the Iranian President and sundry others in the news. It is interesting to note that in recent times the Iranian government has managed to deflect attention from it's nuclear enrichment program, get it's proxies in the Middle East to stir up some serious problems between a country that it is committed to wipe off the face of the planet and begin to involve a number of other countries whose relationships with others is, to say the least, considerably fractious!

[Incidentally the story aligned with this picture is about Malaysia considering sending 1000 heavily armed and armoured troops to Lebanon (as part of a UN deployment) as and when there is a cease fire.]

Last seen with the president of Venezuela here he is smiling and spreading his obvious brand of good cheer to our, next door but one neighbour, Malaysia.

It's a worry.

If anyone wants to have a look at what this man is doing on a virtually daily basis all you have to do is to visit his propaganda arm at http://www.president.ir/eng/

Have a really close listen to what he has to say, think about it, look at who he talks to seriously and with whom he is having dealings about arms and oil and then consider your own views about whether what he says and does constitutes a worry or not for the rest of us.

An interesting place to start is to read what he actually said in Malaysia

"To CPM or not?" That is the Question

Pete's News!
Some of my readers will no doubt be familiar with the webpages that I store in a completely different format, where I occasionally lob an article or two about various matters. On many occasions these are merely reproductions of papers I have written on various topics over the years or some new "think pieces".

Lately I have been involved in writing a series about "Performance Appraisal" as this seems to be a really big subject these days. Unfortunately it is also something that is either done quite poorly or at least is perceived to be done poorly by participants at virtually all levels.

The notion of having 360 degree feedback, for example, seems to scare the living daylights out of some people, especially those in more senior positions who have seemingly inexplicable fears about their staff giving them honest feedback that just might seem to be a little harsh.

Having now written a few articles on the subject of performance appraisal as it relates to an individual, I am thinking of expanding my "series" to include some commentary about performance appraisal as it is applied to the organisation as a whole.

This will of course bring into sharp focus some of the elements of performance monitoring and measurement that were introduced in the 20th Century that extended beyond the traditional budget related figures into the realm of CPM or Corporate Performance Management.

Skills, intellectual capital, creative and innovative processes, brand value, collaboration, partnerships and alliances are all key performance-driving assets that must be managed proactively as part of a holistic corporate performance management (CPM) strategy.

Corporate performance management (CPM) is one of the hottest trends in business intelligence. Under the CPM "“umbrella"” are the processes, methodologies, metrics and technologies for enterprises to measure, monitor and manage business performance.

The theory about putting the right management controls in place was defined in the early 20th century. Metrics and indicators have been around for the same period of time, although often dominated by financial reports.

Management information systems were introduced in the 1970s, and the balanced scorecard dates from 1992

CPM introduces a holistic integration of these elements. It is an enterprise wide strategy that seeks to align departmental initiatives to prevent managers from optimizing local business at the expense of overall corporate performance.

It is not a one-off project, but is an ongoing process, part of the inherent daily effort of managers.

Well at least that is the blurb that comes from some of the management journals and jargon that I have been reading for light amusement.

I am wondering how many of my readers would be interested in obtaining more information about this subject and whether of not they would be interested in a dialogue about it or more personal performance appraisal matters?

If there is sufficient interest I am of course able to create a dialogue opportunity using either the YAHOO or the GOOGLE discussion data bases or even a live CHAT on the subject.

I would of course appreciate some indication of interest before taking the trouble to create such a medium of exchange.

I have always found that for a community of interest to form there is a need to ensure that there is sufficient interest to warrant its creation.

So here is your gloriouos opportunity to comment on whether you would like to have more information about this subject and/or whether there is sufficient interest to warrant the creation of a place where we can discuss things, especially those things that are of concern to YOU in your work place.

The glory of doing this off line and NOT within your work place is that you can remain both anonymous and invisible from the prying eyes of those you fear most. Managers in the case of most staff, and staff or even more senior management in the case of most managers.

Look forward to your views!

Apologies to my readers

Pete's Points
I wish to apologise to my readers.

I had thought that I had read the last story about the headbutting incident with Zinadine Zidane the other day when the penalties imposed by FIFA were announced. Alas I seem to have been mistaken.

Do listen to the track yourselves it is 'trés amusant' - of course you have to be able to speak a little French!

From the Guardian

Zidane headbutt single storms the French charts

Listen to Coup de Boule by La Plage

Paul Arendt
Tuesday August 1, 2006
The Guardian

Head of steam... that infamous headbutt. Photograph: AFP/Getty.

They may have lost the World Cup in agonising circumstances, but French football fans have not lost their sense of humour. Three weeks after Zinedine Zidane's attack on Italian player Marco Materazzi cost the French team their star player and arguably the match, a chirpy tune about the incident called Headbutt is dominating the Gallic pop charts.

Written in a mere 30 minutes by a trio of disgruntled record producers the day after the final, Headbutt - Coup de Boule in French - has become a viral phenomenon on a par with the Arctic Monkeys. Released online, it invaded email inboxes all over the country in days, passed on by fans of "Les Bleus" in need of a laugh.