Showing posts with label australian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label australian. Show all posts

Australian Wine Industry is into the Red

Members moves on from the Australian Wine Society.
It seems just about everybody is investing in vineyards. The wine industry has drawn in big investors and hobbyists. Unfortunately, people do not think before they jump in. They are seeking to fulfill a dream: there is a certain amount of glamour involved in saying I am a wine maker, a vintner.

There is a world glut of wine, particularly the cheap ones. Nations have pushed to establish new vineyards. It has had the aura of a local car industry or airline. Newcomers enter the industry all the time without doing any research and little training.
Australian Wine Society
Too much drinking not enough thinking
It is not surprise to hear that the oldest wine club in Australia founded in 1946 is literally in the red, by a shocking amount. It owes a staggering $4.2 million to its wine producers. It operates as a distributor, buy and selling, though ostensibly not-for-profit. Supermarket chains sell nearly all wine in Australia and in a situation of oversupply they don't pay much for it. These major players "do" their homework, unlike the suppliers.

The Wine Society is in deep trouble. Things are so bad that membership of the prestigious club has fallen by a quarter over the last three years. Demand for premium wines which used to have a high, profitable markeup has dramatically declined. Consumers buy more of the cheap stuff.

To clear the debt a complicated "splitting" of the business is taking place. However, selling the wholesale section to the Fogarty Wine Group for a measly $75,000 will not help its finances at all. Though it will allow the society to borrow $3 million. Taking on more debt is folly.
 Society by Ty Buchanan 
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NO PROFIT IN WINE
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Australian Wine Society Million of Dollars in Debt

HEALTH
It seems just about everybody is investing in vineyards. The wine industry has drawn in big investors and hobbyists. Unfortunately, people do not think before they jump in. They are seeking to fulfill a dream: there is a certain amount of glamour involved in saying I am a wine maker, a vintner.
Wine society drinking
Too much drinking not enough thinking
There is a world glut of wine, particularly the cheap ones. Nations have pushed to establish new vineyards. It has the aura of a local car industry or airline. Newcomers enter the industry all the time without doing any research and little training.

It is no surprise to hear that the oldest wine club in Australia founded in 1946 is in the red, by a shocking amount. It owes a staggering $4.2 million to its wine producers. It operates as a distributor, buy and selling, though ostensibly not-for-profit. Supermarket chains sell nearly all wine in Australia and in a situation of oversupply they don't pay much for it. These major players "do" their homework, unlike the suppliers.

The Wine Society is in deep trouble. Things are so bad that membership of the prestigious club has fallen by a quarter over the last three years. Demand for premium wines which used to have a high, profitable markeup has dramatically decline. Consumers buy more of the cheap stuff.

To clear the debt a complicated "splitting" of the business is taking place. However, selling the wholesale section to the Fogarty Wine Group for a measly $75,000 will not help its finances are all. This will allow the society to borrow $3 million. Taking on more debt is folly.
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Lung Disease Healed by Stem Cells

Stem cells are magical in the things they can do. Just about every ailment they are aimed at succumbs to them. It could be that in the future it will be the most-used method of treatment.  There is a case for fast-tracking treatment to help those with chronic illnesses.
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease copd
Two patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were injected with adult stem cells. After only a month they improved. A study of nine people also having the condition were given stem cells taken from bone marrow. Inflammation was reduced significantly.

There has not been any method of treatment for COPD until the use of stem cells came to the fore. It is estimated that nearly 15 per cent of Australians over 40 have the disease.  This is incredibly high and hard to believe.

The major symptom is difficulty breathing. A reduction in inflammation improves lung function. Dr Moodley who announced the research findings said the treatment could save governments millions of dollars. It seems odd that a physician's main priority is economic rather than patient welfare!
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Cause of Sudden Death in Young People is Genetic

Sudden death in young people has a genetic cause - Long QT syndrome.
There is a predilection for some young adults to suddenly die. In a way it is similar to cot death: until now the cause was unknown. The "disease" has been identified and is called Long QT syndrome. A third of sudden "unexplained" deaths in people up to their mid thirties die of heart rhythm complications due to the inherited illness. The heart problem is not always evident in autopsies.
Long QT syndrome
Parents can also die of the condition in later life. The faulty gene runs in families and is generally passed on to some offspring. A gene testing study of children having symptoms of heart disease is showing that many carry the gene. 

Ongoing monitoring of youngsters is saving lives.  However, there is no official program that tests all children.  Some, of course are not diagnosed early and it is these who are at risk of sudden death.  It is heart breaking for a family to lose a child in this way,Ea
 Genetics by Ty Buchanan 
cGenetics by Ty Buchanan
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Chemistry Provides a New Vivid Blue Color

Chemistry brings forth a new color called YInMn blue (yttrium, indium and manganese).
All the colors are known. Well, you just write a computer program, give it a graduated scale of each primary color, then let it hold one color constant while going through all combinations of the other colors. However, making a specific color for a product is a problem. Chemicals are usually combined to produce the required shade.
YInMn blue
A new vivid shade of blue has been discovered. It is called YInMn blue (yttrium, indium and manganese). It will most likely to be used for plastics and commercial coatings. Created by accident, as most new things are, it will liven up our lives - maybe!

Researchers were looking for materials with magnetic properties for use in computer drives. They used "manganese dioxide" as a base and mixed it with other chemicals. After heating the compound to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit they tipped it out and to their amazement saw an almost iridescent blue powder. It was expected to be black like manganese dioxide.

The colored compound is color fast for a very long time. This will be useful for artists and painting restorers. Furthermore, the color can be tinted and is nontoxic.  We are heading for a greener environment in small steps.
 Chemistry by Ty Buchanan 
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NEW VIVID BLUE
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There are 100 Million Unnamed Species


Biology - 100 million unnamed species exist on the planet.

We know that many species on the planet are dying out. Apparently, we have nothing to fear. Though 2 million species have been named, a massive 100 million more are out there. This does not include currently unnamed bacteria.

Using clear categories will never be an adequate way to name species. Like human gene pools that are blurred across the world it seems that animals are also on a graduated scale, looking alike while being genetically different.

Each living creature is placed in a species category because it has independent evolutionary lineage. A horse and donkey for example are different species, but they both have a common ancestor. If they do breed their offspring are infertile. There is debate about this with claims that some mules have had young. This gets into the argument about Neanderthals breeding with humans when they have a different number of chromosomes. Interbreeding should not be possible.
Brewer's Sparrow
Brewer's Sparrow
The problem with naming is that animals from two species can look virtually identical. The African elephant is a misnomer. There are actually two species: the bush elephant and the forest elephant. One is genetically distinct from the other.
Clay-colored Sparrow
Clay-colored Sparrow
Using clear categories will never be an adequate way to name species. Like human gene pools that are blurred across the world it seems that animals are also on a graduated scale, looking alike while being genetically different.
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BIR
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ONE MAN DESTROYS A NATION: David Cameron's Political Ambition Ruins the UK

David Cameron regrets the day he entered politics.
The Queen is tough. She will seemingly live forever. However, there is one thing that could diminish her driving force to continue ruling. That is the independence of Scotland. She will have one man to thank for that - David Cameron. Her Highness was pleased when the referendum two years ago favored Scotland staying in the UK. Indeed, Mr Cameron was praised by the Queen in a private audience.
The Queen stands over David Cameron like she made Maggy Thatcher wait
The Queen stands over David Cameron like she made Maggy Thatcher wait
Things are much different now. Shame on the Prime Minister for even offering the Scottish referendum and the poll on separation from the EU. He did it just to save his political life. That is selfishness indeed. He will go into history as the man who caused the breakup of the United Kingdom. Just as Tony Abbot will be known as the PM who killed Australia's Holden car. If they were both in the same room, there would be a terrible smell!

The first Scottish referendum did not have to take place. David Cameron could have overridden his ruling party and said no to talks with the Scottish Government to have a referendum. The Scots would have thought that such a challenge to the Kingdom was a bridge too far: after all there was the Queen to consider. No, David Cameron was so "up himself" that he thought he was invincible.

Now, the cows have come home and the pigeons have come home to roost as well. After putting the country into the sewerage pit Cameron is taking the easy way out and resigning. The incoming prime minister will have to clean up the mess, and it will not be easy. Scotland and perhaps Northern Ireland will get independence - Eire should not hold out for a united Ireland and heaven help us if Cameron has started another war.

The quota to call another referendum has topped the three million mark: they only needed 100,000 signatures. If the next referendum on EU membership goes the other way there will be a tit-for-tat call for a poll, yet again! The Queen will try to hand over power to Prince Charles before the coming Scottish referendum as she will want to retire as the last ruling monarch of the greater United Kingdom.

There is doubt: the British public will not allow Charles to be king. He is very hot on the nose with just about everyone. Some say he is too old and others hold that he is stupid. It is clear that any attempt to place the crown on his head will result in majority calls for Prince William to be king. Remember, Price Edward was forced to abdicate because he married a divorced commoner.

David Cameron has to be knighted for services to his country. After all it will be easier to govern, being so much smaller. Oh, we can now drop the "Great" in GB. Furthermore, without Wales the "United" can be dropped as well. We will have to wait to see what Wales does, maybe this maybe that. Wales would save the epithet "United".
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South Australian Beaches are Ecologically Toxic

Dead fish on South Australian beaches gives bad conservation image.
When marine animals wash up on the shore dead what does a state government do about it? It tries do deny it and cover it up! Maybe it will stop in time - unfortunately it continues. The thousands of small fish dead on the beaches are bad enough, but dolphin corpses are found as well, even some penguins.
Dead fish on beach Port River Adelaide.
The location is on the South Australian coast near the Port River, Adelaide.  Recently, a grieving female dolphin was seen nuzzling her dead baby, a terrible sight. A concerned PHD student, Nikki Zanardo, is investigating the issue. There is a worrying mystery here. Why has the state government sent dolphin samples to New Zealand? Tests could have been done in South Australia. If herbicides or industry poisoning is at fault, it will all come out eventually. You cannot hide anything today.

It is not right that consumers are allowed to eat seafood when there is a possibility that dangerous biological toxins are the cause. If dolphins can die so can humans. We are both mammals after all. Apparently test results will take up to a month. Tests should be done on fresh fish at the markets immediately to make sure it is safe to eat. The South Australian government will be liable in the event of a medical emergency.
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WA Meteorite Makes Things Clearer for Astronomers

Science: the latest meteorite give insight into formation of the solar system
Scientists are interested in a space rock. The meteorite crashed into the Australian outback a year ago and has unique features. It is currently in London undergoing tests and will eventually be returned to the Museum of Western Australia.
Western Australian Meteorite
The meteorite is small, only as big as a tennis ball. Because its trajectory was tracked its origin is known. This is unusual: of the 50,000 meteorites that have hit the Earth over the last 200 years  the sources of only 10 have been ascertained.

Tracking of the meteorite was carried out by Curtin University, London's Imperial College and the Ondrejov Observatory in the Czech Republic. The point of impact was only 100m from the projected point. Meteorites are the oldest rocks being 4.5 billion years old. Critical information about the formation of the solar system will be gained.
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GM Not for Food Okay for Health

Genetic modification is favored in health but not for food.
Convincing people to eat genetically modified food still has a long way to go to gain majority acceptance. Yet, just about everyone is in favor of using gene technology to treat health problems. This is a strange anomaly. Gene manipulation of any kind will change the world we live in. Once a change has been made and it spreads through the environment it is there forever.
The case against genetically modified crops, GMCs
Drug companies admit they have lost the war in Europe. There is no way that GM food will ever be accepted there. It is largely an emotional decision, not scientifically based. Possibly, in the near future, Europe will ban DNA experimentation in health as well. This will be counter-productive. If money is invested in nations that welcome gene science then the environment will change anyway because we all live in the same world.

There is a major problem looming, however, on the real future of genetically modified crops. To be profitable farmers must use Monsanto's Roundup. This is losing its effectiveness, particularly in Western Australia which has recently relaxed laws restricting GMCs. The cart isn't much use without the horse.  Even crops modified to be resistant against glyphosate could become weeds in the future.  Unless a new effective herbicide is developed soon the industry will not attract investors - potential profit drives everything.
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GM MAYBE
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