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Ancient Buildings Were Constructed With Instruction Kits
How were ancient buildings constructed? They followed instructions of course. Archaeologists in Italy have found building directions on structures near Potenza. The actual identity of workers has been ascertained. Greek artisans contributed to the palace at Torre Satriano. Friezes had numbered feminine marks on them while cymatiums had male markings. Ornamental figures were replicated in molds.
It seems pre-Roman people had architects in their midst who looked to the past for inspiration. The buildings were notably Greek in character. Much of daily life even today derives from established ideas. The ancient builders must have had records kept for such purposes. So culture strongly influenced life in the past. The tried and true was the norm for society.
Until today people have resisted change. Indeed, many in our time are uncomfortable with the rapid pace of scientific endeavor. Will the Renaissance occur again? Probably it will when Mankind's experimentation runs out of steam. Then we will build, imitating great structures of times gone by. Perhaps we will do it by following some sort of set instructions.
It seems pre-Roman people had architects in their midst who looked to the past for inspiration. The buildings were notably Greek in character. Much of daily life even today derives from established ideas. The ancient builders must have had records kept for such purposes. So culture strongly influenced life in the past. The tried and true was the norm for society.
Until today people have resisted change. Indeed, many in our time are uncomfortable with the rapid pace of scientific endeavor. Will the Renaissance occur again? Probably it will when Mankind's experimentation runs out of steam. Then we will build, imitating great structures of times gone by. Perhaps we will do it by following some sort of set instructions.
History
Elderly Drivers Singled Out
There isn't much doubt that there is discrimination against older members of society. This is confirmed by comments from young people that it is unfair that the elderly usually fully own their own homes. If the young had their way property would be forcibly taken from seniors. It is forgotten however that the elderly took a lifetime to buy their homes.
Another issue is the overreaction to car accidents involving senior drivers. A five year inquiry is going on at present to set a test for doctors to apply to the elderly who want to continue to drive. This is despite the fact that younger drivers have far more car accidents than older people.
Young drivers are more dangerous on the following factors:
1) Poor Hazard Detection;
2) Low Risk Perception;
3) Higher Risk Taking;
4) Not Wearing Seat Belts;
5) Lack of Skill;
6) Taking Alcohol and Drugs;
7) More Crashes When Carrying Passengers; and
8) Accidents After 9:00 pm.
Let's wish the Monash University inquiry good luck in its research. When the test is finalized it can be extended to cover young people as well. This is only fair. Elderly people can always go to state anti-discrimination boards and make this happen.
Society
Artificial Insemination of Budgies
Artificial insemination is common these days particularly to produce better animals for meat in the market. Cattle, sheep and even horse insemination could be said to a be the norm. Higher quality animals is the goal. Should artificial insemination be used to improve animals kept as a hobby?
Breeding show budgies is taken very seriously by many people, so much so that widespread "cheating" takes place. Clipping of cheek patches is not allowed but it is still sneakily done. High quality show winners are usually produced by putting fertile eggs from good birds under "sitters", common budgies with a better breeding instinct.
Michael Pace went to extremes to breed his prizewinner in the opaline class at the Australian National Budgerigar Championships. He practiced artificial insemination in his own way. A capillary tube was used to extract sperm from the male which was then inserted into the female within six hours. A lot of hit-and-miss took place. It took four years to breed the show winner.
Conservation
New Finds of Early Humans Do Not Change the Basic Theory
Darwin got it right. Well actually he may not have. Fossils of early humans do not alter basic scientific thought in relation to evolution, Finds do not show a linear development toward advanced Man. Evolution though does tend to predict what new discoveries show. Claims that a particular fossil find is a breakthrough are just not true.
New dinosaur fossils, however, tend to be groundbreaking with regular identification of new type of dinosaurs. Indeed, they seem to have roamed on every continent. The whole book on dinosaur evolution has not yet been written. Time will tell how clear an understanding of it we can get. It seems evolution of dinosaurs is clearer than that of humans.
New research teams need to be formed to go to all parts of the world and seek answers to evolution of mammals and reptiles, if indeed dinosaurs were reptiles. Some specialists today even question this view.
New dinosaur fossils, however, tend to be groundbreaking with regular identification of new type of dinosaurs. Indeed, they seem to have roamed on every continent. The whole book on dinosaur evolution has not yet been written. Time will tell how clear an understanding of it we can get. It seems evolution of dinosaurs is clearer than that of humans.
New research teams need to be formed to go to all parts of the world and seek answers to evolution of mammals and reptiles, if indeed dinosaurs were reptiles. Some specialists today even question this view.
Conservation
Should the Government Pay for Ipilimumab?
How can the state pay for drugs that are shown to be effective against disease but cost far too much? Regularly, someone will be on a current affairs television program and point their finger at the government for not continuing to supply their needed medication. In the long term a government must balance the books. There is simply not enough revenue to provide new expensive drugs.
A new treatment for melanoma called Ipilimumab is very effective, but it costs $120,000 for a three month course. It stops the cancer from spreading beyond the skin. Ipilimumab can also be used to treat some types of lung cancer.
Should the government subsidize this drug? Like all medications there are side effects that can be severe in some patients. Symptoms include constipation, diarrhea, urination complications, bloating, stomach pain, fever and breathing difficulties.
The drug usually extends life by several months. In some cases patients survive for a year. A value judgement is needed to decide whether this treatment is added to the pharmaceutical benefits list. Obviously, there are many new drugs that prolong life for a relatively short period. Personally, if I was to get melanoma I would not worry about extending my life for maybe a year. I would be looking at the quality of my final days of life.
Health
Internet Puts Pressure on Jobs for Older Workers
The Internet is putting more people out of work and this is only the beginning. As more advanced algorithms are being developed established jobs are under threat. It will not only be lawyers and professional photographers employed by newspapers who get the chop. Unless you are in work that involves human problem solving like plumbers, mechanics and vehicle body repairers your job will face "extinction".
Most of the burden will fall on older workers. Retail, for example, only wants teenagers who can be paid a pittance while "training". Open discrimination occurs against people over 45. They are simply not wanted. This barrier age has fallen in recent years. Computerized job selection processes cuts them off at the beginning. Their resumes are not even looked at. If they go personally to apply for a position they face insulting comments and bad jokes.
Employers are no longer afraid of telling them directly that they are too old. Many have simply given up on seriously looking for work and they just do the minimum to justify payments from Centrelink.
Economics
Gender Equality in Australia Is Not on Mate!
The main problem with our Prime Minister is her gender. Australia still remains an "ocker" society where males see themselves as superior. Just how John Howard would have behaved in opposition to Julia Gillard is anyone's guess, because he epitomizes the Aussie male. Most lie in the center politically.
Australia's cultural heritage has left us with a very odd political system. There is a Coalition of a so called centrist party and a right wing party derived from pastoralists. Even in the centrist Liberal Party there are ultra-conservatives, mainly as they have nowhere else to go.
Labor is accused of being splintered into factions, but the Coalition is truly split between centrists and rightists. To put it bluntly they hate each other just as much as Labor factions. Some parliamentarians have left the National Party claiming that their rightist and in some cases center (tariff protection) policies are totally ignored by members of the Liberal Party. This is the main reason we have a Labor government. Two disaffected Nationals, now independents, joined with Labor to create the governing temporary coalition.
Getting back to gender problems, Joe Hockey, shadow treasurer, recently said about Julia Gillard that she “has never deserved respect and will never receive it.” This is arrogant. Even when John Howard ruled with an iron fist, he was respected by Labor politicians. Unfortunately, the present leader of the Coalition, Tony Abbott, tends to blatantly ignore Julia Gillard in parliament, sometimes not even responding.
Of course, he knows that he can behave this way. He has the next election in the bag. As a Labor politician said years ago: even a drover's dog could win.
Conservation
We Have Never Had It So Good - Maybe
According to the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey we have never been able to buy so much with our income. Over the last decade income inequality has hardly changed, Wages have risen faster than inflation. Of course, we know that announced inflation is lower than real price rises.
Although Australia's debt is low compared to other developed countries, less than half of Australians believe this. Despite the good times, many are feeling down and depressed feeling that the country is not doing well economically. This is probably due to the negative political arena at the moment with any bad news being blown out of proportion, with political blame and counter denials being kept uppermost in people's minds.
We should be happy but the minority, politicians, are pulling us down. Things are certainly changing now with Chinese demand for primary products falling as well as prices producers receive. The new government, in September, will have to deal with rising unemployment. There isn't much doubt about this. Pressure to reign in national debt will mean job cuts in the public sector, and reduced government spending will push up unemployment.
The job market has structurally changed over the last 10 years. More people are in part-time and casual employment, good for business bad for job security. Welfare is being cut and will fall further as politicians take larger income rises for themselves and a "couldn't care less" attitude to the poor. Charities are feeding more of the less well off than they ever did before.
While incomes have remained the same, wealth inequality has risen. This continues as wealth is solidly held and increased by a few. The top 1 per cent have assets of $5 million. The bottom 10 per cent enjoy less that $10,000. Some of these have no assets at all.
Good times are not for everyone apparently. We should be laughing or at least smiling. If you are poor and without a job or assets you have to grin or grimace and bear it. No help for you mate either today or in the future.
shoConservation
Banks Under Threat From the Internet
The Internet has disrupted the security of ordinary money. The economic system controlled by the banks for centuries is now under threat. Bitcoin is an example of new money. Its mere presence in feared by the banks. Money, or at least its value, depends on people having faith that it can easily be exchanged for different goods.
In Germany before WWII security in money was severely challenged. There was rampant inflation, so much so that people had to push barrow loads of cash to a shop to get a loaf of bread.
New money is everywhere: PayPal has taken the banking world by storm. These bank-like services are being offered by Google, Apple and eBay. To get Followers on Twitter, many sites are offering seeds. Though the websites deny trading for followers, this is exactly what it is.
Google's Wallet is really a bank service. Smartphones can be swiped in store terminals to buy goods. The problem is most money does not really exist it is just recorded in books as they used to say. Now it is data stored on computers. The money supply is no longer controlled by central banks.
The question is - Will banks go the same way as traditional shopping centers and newspapers? It is possible!
Conservation
Unfamiliar Species Are Endangered
Endangered species in Australia tend to be those that do not fair well in human affection. Plenty is spent on koalas because they are seen as cuddly. In reality though they are not. Indeed, if one attempts to pick up a wild koala it goes on an all out attack if it cannot get away.
Some endangered animals are not exactly ugly. The grey-headed flying fox, a bat, is quite cute as shown in the photo. It is just not in the mainline thinking of people. The average person knows very little about it.
Many cringe when the word "bat" is mentioned. They do carry some diseases, but cases where bats pass these on to humans are quite rare. The grey-headed bat is Australia's largest and is responsible for pollination of many plants, mostly trees.
There are more than 19,000 threatened species in Australia, 1,000 of them mammals. Some species that could be saved with a small amount of money are not helped, while others such as koalas get too much money. Koalas are being pampered to death if that is possible. Too much human intervention can do more harm than good.
Conservation
Reserves Are Not Working: Extinctions Continue
Australia's slaughter of wildlife continues despite warnings from CSIRO. Nearly half of Australian mammals will end their existence very soon. Zoologist Fred Ford said 11 extinctions have occurred in recent years in the south-eastern forests of Australia. The reserve system is not working. They are just for show. Plants are doing well because they are surviving outside and inside reserves. Nothing is being done to protect small native mammals.
Reserves are havens for introduced feral animals and invasive weeds. Rangers are not being trained to look after the endangered species. Money should be allocated more efficiently. With all the money put into reserves there must be more positive outcomes.
Reserves are havens for introduced feral animals and invasive weeds. Rangers are not being trained to look after the endangered species. Money should be allocated more efficiently. With all the money put into reserves there must be more positive outcomes.
Native animal need to be researched and the data must be analyzed. Records should be kept to formulate action. An astounding 65 per cent of reptiles in Australia have been discovered in the last 35 years. The public has not been adequately informed of this.
Conservation
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