Well well well. I think the country should take a class action suit out against Australia post, why you might ask? Well they have made policy that has had detrimental effect on our logistics, our small businesses and our basic service of postage. No one asked you to think and act like big business. We just wanted you to provide a service whilst making enough profit to re-invest in you own infrastructure. But! yet again, we are confusing business principles and governance. Some twits will have you believe that a government should act and behave like business to be sustainable. This is in fact an incorrect perspective, for the following reasons:
1) there is no reason why governments can not also be financially apt whilst making decisions for the people, in the interest of the people for long term advantage.
2) business have a totally different fundamental agenda to what a governments should have.Do not be confused about this.
3) Governments are a distributor of the wishes of the people (who don't always know whats right for them) as such, they need to be the parent with the tough love. The one that balances the books better than anyone can, fair and with total compassion. Not, burning those in their path with no investment in the future.
So Australia Post (policy makers) what have you done? What you have done is to make deals with big online, mostly overseas sellers. You have made deals so skinny, that they are able to offer free postage - great I hear you say. NO, NO,NO. It is not great because the small businesses here in Australia could not afford to absorb the fees for postage and so have had to charge this fee on top of purchases, this has rendered them non-competitive in this online market. So Australia Post has helped grow businesses that are offshore, not employing people locally and paying little if any taxes inside Australia. Tough, you might say, who cares, that's business, find a solution to remain competitive. Well clearly it isn't competitive, that is why they are struggling now to substantiate the financial inadequacies of these policies. So instead of changing the arrangements, which are quite possibly long term contracts. WE, the people are having to pay. Pay we will, in many ways, most obviously, the service provided by Australia Post is now undermined. We are at risk of having to pay for a service that we have had for many, many, many years. All this time it remained unbroken, with small increases to the cost of postage. The GFC approach to business is just faulty. Clearly faulty, any idiot can see it, all around the world.
We will also be effected by the reduction of retail small businesses. These businesses have struggled to remain competitive whilst offering service, while all the "clever people" then go and purchase online. Australia Post has driven the nails in further with the deals made that allowed those online businesses to offer free postage.
I don't know about you, but I want answers, I want them yesterday. Who in the media has the intelligence to work this little travesty out???
x
Thursday, 23 January 2014
Tuesday, 5 November 2013
The Riders, Tim Winton - Book Review
Well hello people - echo echo echo . It has been some time since I have "blogged" . Twitter has been somewhat easier and frustrating. Anyhoo, I have just completed "The Riders" by TimWinton and what the fuck! I must say I could not put the book down, I so wanted to find out what that bitch was up to but (spoiler alert- Jump to the asterick * . Did we ever? I mean I am so confused, and I would like to think I am not stupid and I am somewhat intuitive. I mean I love descriptive writing, but geeez! Pages and pages of - "It was cold where Scully went, and the great shifting weight of the earth pressed him from every angle, comforting in the dark. His limbs twisted into him, his tongue pressed against his palate and he felt the freezing weld of his eyelids against his face, the retraction of his balls, his nipples, his lungs." Are all great, except when they interfere with actual story. I want to know why the bitch did it?
I am also perplexed by the worlds hunger for bashing the basic. The person, experience etc etc. that to some, represents boring! It is no-bodies business, including that of the Labour party, to tell someone that its not OK to be happy with just a job and a family. To be happy to be the toilet cleaner with the basic wage, and tell them they should ask for more. If that person is happy, who are you to tell them they should want more. The already cleary have more than you, because they are happy.
Anyway, back to the book. I did not understand the ending either, is it some kind of metaphor? That the kid and the father were kindred spirits because they both saw things others did not see and the kid is lucky in that regard????? Too many questions, maybe I like the Disney endings. No, that's not it, I could take the sick, sad confrontation with the bitch, because humans are basically broken arseholes, so it doesn't surprise me. What I don't like, is no ending !!!
* This book had me picking it up at every spare moment, so if you like descriptive writing and a little suspense (not scary suspense), then this is your book, maybe you will get the ending. It was very nice to be taken back to the Greek Islands though, and he does this very well, Mr Winton. Hmmmm, I guess I would give it 6 out of 10, more if it hadn't pissed me off at the end!
You can check Tim out on his facebook account and countless other places when you google him. I have also read "Cloudstreet", which I did like and I am yet to review.
Regards - Me xx
I am also perplexed by the worlds hunger for bashing the basic. The person, experience etc etc. that to some, represents boring! It is no-bodies business, including that of the Labour party, to tell someone that its not OK to be happy with just a job and a family. To be happy to be the toilet cleaner with the basic wage, and tell them they should ask for more. If that person is happy, who are you to tell them they should want more. The already cleary have more than you, because they are happy.
Anyway, back to the book. I did not understand the ending either, is it some kind of metaphor? That the kid and the father were kindred spirits because they both saw things others did not see and the kid is lucky in that regard????? Too many questions, maybe I like the Disney endings. No, that's not it, I could take the sick, sad confrontation with the bitch, because humans are basically broken arseholes, so it doesn't surprise me. What I don't like, is no ending !!!
* This book had me picking it up at every spare moment, so if you like descriptive writing and a little suspense (not scary suspense), then this is your book, maybe you will get the ending. It was very nice to be taken back to the Greek Islands though, and he does this very well, Mr Winton. Hmmmm, I guess I would give it 6 out of 10, more if it hadn't pissed me off at the end!
You can check Tim out on his facebook account and countless other places when you google him. I have also read "Cloudstreet", which I did like and I am yet to review.
Regards - Me xx
Sunday, 23 June 2013
Sugar Deli - Winter Solstice - Scarborough
Sara and her team run The Sugar Deli in Scarborough. The Sugar Deli operates as a normal restaurant/café, but every so often there are special functions put on, for those that are lucky enough to attend. The Winter Solstice Medieval Feast, was magical. The fireplace room at the end of the restaurant was decorated brilliantly, you really felt like you were back in the day.
From breaking the bread, to mead, to the main which consisted of whole pheasant stuffed with apricots and sage, braised lamb shanks, thyme roasted duck legs, smoked salmon and brie parcels (my personal favourite) . With whole buttered potato, whole baby carrots, and the most amazing gravy I think I have ever tasted ! Keeping with the theme, it was served on a wooden board, which just added to the whole experience.
Guests and staff were dressed in the spirit of the evening. I don't usually like themed events, but this was fun.
To finish off the feast we were served a Red wine and cinnamon poached pear, stuffed with hazelnut and chocolate, wrapped in filo pastry. Again, I was at first disappointed, there was no pile of cream with my desert. Again, I was pleasantly surprised the desert did not require the holy grail. Devine desert, just wish I had more room to fit it in.
More review on 
I had to rush off to relieve the sitter watching my kids, but I could have stayed all night. The company was lovely, the atmosphere and food delicious. Well done team. I will be back for the next special event. Which I think is Christmas in July. Jump onto their face book page to keep up to date. Or pop on down to Scarborough seaside. Sugar Deli does breakfast and lunch and dinners. There is a great park for the kids, and of course the beach. Art galleries and shoes shops too.
Sunday, 16 June 2013
Gonski - the elusive details
So, I am continually hearing about Gonski, how it is great new reform for schools and our children's future education. Sounds fabulous, best thing without a doubt. I have a 7 and 9 year old. Extremely pertinent to me and my family. So I wondered. Why is it that Queensland will not sign up?
Gain knowledge, I said to myself. Where to go. The great google in the sky. What came up first was this : http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-11-15/draft-gonski-legislation-light-on-detail/4374482
Basically, it went on about there being no details in the drafted legislation. That it was about having funding distributed relative to numbers of students and schools housing more indigenous and needs based children gaining more funding. This is all good stuff, but how does that relate to the majority? More importantly how does that help my kids gain a good education? I would love to place my children into a good public school, but until schools are given better tools for control and discipline I will not place my children into an unsafe environment. So I pay for that basic right. My kids are not necessarily getting a better education, they are just getting a safer place. Because private schools are allowed to discipline our children (more on that in another post).
So what will Gonski do for me. From the limited amount of information I can see and reading between the lines. I think my kids will be worse off. So I am somewhat glad that Queensland treads carefully in this area. Hence, I go searching for more information ....
What do I find a whole heap on class race, class war and so on and so forth. Since when is it a war, that I choose to make certain sacrifices so that I can send my children to a private school ?? Please can someone tell me, why I should be penalised for choosing to send my worked for dollars in this direction, rather than on some other "want". I am beyond confused with the mindset we are supporting in this country. That, to pay for your children's education is a sin. As such, it should be penalised by sending reduced funding in the direction of private schools. I love the idea of an education card . It means that the funding is accountable and will actually go to those that need it the most. I think the thing that we forget, is that the parents of children than can afford to fund assistance for their special needs children, do so. At a cost to the private school and to them personally. No-one really sees this, or costs this out, it just happens. You keep undermining their resources, undermining their good intentions and you weed away at the very foundations of the people that put the money up in the first place -The Tax Payers .
So on and on, I look for more information:
Missing the point , I think here. There are many comments regarding the inequalities in education. I think you need to start interviewing some of the teachers in these schools. Instead of passing rhetoric back and forth between cronies so far removed from the front line they don't even know the realities. When I talk to parents and teachers alike, their comments come back to the same thing. The majority of parents of children going to public schools do not show a vested interest in their children's education. "It takes a village to bring up a child". So it would make sense, that those that do, would seek to pay for other alternatives. Our children's problems with learning are about how to get the kids to turn up for school at all. Stay engaged and behave themselves long enough to learn something. We don't necessarily need to throw dollars at this. We need to give tools to our teachers to have control. Our kids need a safe controlled environment to learn in. I pay to have my kids go to a school that has boundaries and repercussions, in a loving environment. Shock, they have the cane at my kids school. But they also have a massive amount of music, drama, creativity, family connections, tolerance and love. I wish I could get this in a public arena.
So, is Gonski an elusive bunch of tripe? My first investigations would have to say, yes it is. Real solutions to our education require coming back to basics. Not rating our kids with un-realistic evaluation such as NAPLAN testing - makes me sad just to think about that. I also do not think that evaluating our teachers in a sales based manner will work. It barely works in the sales arena, to motivate people. It is a conflict of interest in an environment that's about nurturing and communicating information to our little people. It is the little things, the simple boring stuff that is going to make a difference in the education of the children in our country. Not the hype. Lets get back to the basics - pleeeeeease.
What do I find a whole heap on class race, class war and so on and so forth. Since when is it a war, that I choose to make certain sacrifices so that I can send my children to a private school ?? Please can someone tell me, why I should be penalised for choosing to send my worked for dollars in this direction, rather than on some other "want". I am beyond confused with the mindset we are supporting in this country. That, to pay for your children's education is a sin. As such, it should be penalised by sending reduced funding in the direction of private schools. I love the idea of an education card . It means that the funding is accountable and will actually go to those that need it the most. I think the thing that we forget, is that the parents of children than can afford to fund assistance for their special needs children, do so. At a cost to the private school and to them personally. No-one really sees this, or costs this out, it just happens. You keep undermining their resources, undermining their good intentions and you weed away at the very foundations of the people that put the money up in the first place -The Tax Payers .
So on and on, I look for more information:
Missing the point , I think here. There are many comments regarding the inequalities in education. I think you need to start interviewing some of the teachers in these schools. Instead of passing rhetoric back and forth between cronies so far removed from the front line they don't even know the realities. When I talk to parents and teachers alike, their comments come back to the same thing. The majority of parents of children going to public schools do not show a vested interest in their children's education. "It takes a village to bring up a child". So it would make sense, that those that do, would seek to pay for other alternatives. Our children's problems with learning are about how to get the kids to turn up for school at all. Stay engaged and behave themselves long enough to learn something. We don't necessarily need to throw dollars at this. We need to give tools to our teachers to have control. Our kids need a safe controlled environment to learn in. I pay to have my kids go to a school that has boundaries and repercussions, in a loving environment. Shock, they have the cane at my kids school. But they also have a massive amount of music, drama, creativity, family connections, tolerance and love. I wish I could get this in a public arena.
So, is Gonski an elusive bunch of tripe? My first investigations would have to say, yes it is. Real solutions to our education require coming back to basics. Not rating our kids with un-realistic evaluation such as NAPLAN testing - makes me sad just to think about that. I also do not think that evaluating our teachers in a sales based manner will work. It barely works in the sales arena, to motivate people. It is a conflict of interest in an environment that's about nurturing and communicating information to our little people. It is the little things, the simple boring stuff that is going to make a difference in the education of the children in our country. Not the hype. Lets get back to the basics - pleeeeeease.
Max Brenner Chocolate Bar- Southbank
Max Brenner Chocolate Bar
South bank
Had a lovely day with my eldest son today at Southbank Brisbane . My youngest son was at a friends birthday party at the Science Centre , (which is an awesome idea for a kids party). So I suggested to big boy that he could take me out for the day to South bank. Where is a nine year old going to pick for food fix at South bank ? Well, a Chocolate Bar of course ! Max Brenner Chocolate Bar to be precise.
The line was at the door. I looked at him and suggested that there were lots of other restaurants to try (I was in the moody for a good eggs Benedict) . The look on his face suggested that he knew it would be tough waiting, but we could make it. I soon realised that the tough part wasn't because he just couldn't be bothered waiting, more because he didn't want to have to wait for the chocolate fix.
I suggested he try something different, ahha, not negotiable, chocolate pizza and hugga mug hot chocolate. I opted for the chocolate souffle and the mocca with spicy chocolate. The wait in the line went much quicker than I though it was going to. The wait for the food was also surprisingly short, considering the amount of people eating here.
When I go for a calorie and sugar overload, I expect to totally indulge. My philosophy is, if I am in, I'm all or nothing. So when the chocolate souffle came out with no huge dollop of double island cream I was a little disappointed. As I was about to ask the waitress for some cream I thought to myself. This place has their systems and menu down-pat. There must be a reason for no cream, give it a go. So glad I did, it did not require anything on the side - delicious.
9 year slammed most of the pizza leaving only two slices. For a skinny kid he can certainly put a lot of food away.
See review at 
Food done, we went for a stroll through the markets, grabbed a pair of togs from the convenience store (not for me). 9 year old had a dip in the lagoon (no towel, but we managed) and then we had a quick drink and snack and made our way home.
I had forgotten how beautiful it is at Southbank. The quick snack was a glass of red for me, dry ginger ale for boy and we shared a salt and pepper calamari. We got in one song by a lovely young lady jazzing up some pop songs. All told it was a fabulous day, and big boy thought so too.
xx
Thursday, 6 June 2013
Mummy bloggers - dont bite the hand that feeds you
I must say firstly, that I do have a little bee in my bonnet about Mummy blogger's. That is not to say all of them, but a heck of a lot. It is because the majority of these blogger's that I wish not to be tarred with the same brush (I have a couple of blogs, this is my cleansing one). I am sure in their previous lives they were not so silly (fucking stupid, is more to the point)
You might be saying about now, what is she talking about?
What I am talking about is the following:
The not so nice Mummy blogger's are definitely narcissists, this forum just turns them into crazy people that cant take enough selfies
By default they have stumbled across this time filler. The Mummy blogger often looks like this: shes just had kids, now has a single income household. This may also mean that she has gone from buying $250 shoes, to struggling to afford Target shoes. So she is pretty angry and somewhat jealous.
So what does she do, to deflect. She starts talking about not needing designer clothes and shoes. That she has found her way in the world. She talks about finding herself and whats important. (finger down throat at this point) Because you know damn well that its eating her alive.
Here is where I am even more confused. If the enlightenment was in fact real. Then why is she still happy to accept the freebies that represent the very thing she now despises. And if that is not enough she (the new earth woman) joys in the closing down sales at the very same retail outlets that have gifted to her in the past.
Does this make sense to you ? Bragging about the freebies in the sealed bag of magazines (yes, she is now a bag lady). And then dancing for joy at the closing down sales.
I know for a fact that they can also be extremely nasty to the stores that no longer wish to give her stuff. One store I spoke now sees posts to the effect, "these are a pair of over-priced boots that I will struggle to get my cost per wear with". When she got them discounted at 50% by said store and they refuse to be bullied by her for more product. So now she writes little nasty digs at them.
This would all be hilarious, except that these idiots only contribute to the struggling retail industry. Instead of being responsible and supporting the products and retail stores. Talking about quality and service, what do they do? They tell people to shop overseas online, how to get freebies. To not accept paying full-price, and to rejoice in the closing down of a nasty retail store.
So can someone please put them in their place. Or at the very least, local papers should not be running hero stories on them - what the .. is that.
Oh dear, sometimes I just want to run away and hide from all this idiocy.
Thoughtful rant over xx
Tuesday, 14 May 2013
Knowing your market - Burberry Wild Bunch
Marketing Strategies that "get" their clients
Cosmopolitan Magazine , has run a story on the "Burberry-wild-bunch" . Burberry has had great success from truly understanding their target market. This edgy and sometimes slightly aggressive approach to marketing has been a success for several big players. Nike, comes to mind as one of the companies that pull this product placement stuff off well. Oh and McDonalds and Coke, but we wont go there !
The thing I love about Burberry's, pitch is the fact that they use the, not, so famous models. It would also seem that these particular models themselves, have a sassy personality in real life too. This "real lifeness" is what people are looking for, its just handy that they happen to be good looking models as well.
Classy Burberry , every girl needs a little (lot) of it in her life x
