The World Needs EXtroverts and Introverts

The world is full of extroverts and introverts. Society needs them. Some must lead and others must follow. This is the normal way of things. Can you imagine if everyone was an extrovert. There would be arguments aplenty. Nothing would be settled.

Extroverts need people. While their behavior will to a degree drive others away, extroverts don't like to be alone. Introverts on the other hand like their own company. They can happily work on their own for months.

The problem is that these categories are not clear cut. There are some in the middle, those who have characteristics of both groups. The way people behave in their spare time is the best indicator of where they fit. Introverts avoid parties because it is a drain on them. They prefer to go fishing, for example. Extroverts go up the pub to mix with others.

Both groups will eventually have to change as their needs are fulfilled. Body and mind tells them to switch off and go the other way. It may be only for a short time, but batteries can be recharged and they can again push full speed ahead to where they are most comfortable.
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Society
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Greeting Bear

"Hello.  How are you?"
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El Niño Predicted a Year in Advance

The world is in a crisis of bad weather. Extremes of climate are becoming regular phenomena. While coastal eastern Australia is getting unprecedented levels of rain. inland there is a drought. We have a drought even though El Niño has not been in effect for years. It could be said that the rain on the coast is caused by La Nina. This does not explain "the dry" inland. Where once weather could be clearly predicted by the El Niño/La Niña cycle, this is no longer the case.

Improvement in weather forecasting now helps in knowing a year in advance whether El Niño or La Niña will be dominant. An El Niño is due. The US would be pleased to get some relief from damaging drought and fires. Australia's last drought was severe. The Queensland government invested heavily in water catchment and storage. When La Niña arrived the government was condemned and even ridiculed for "wasting" money. At the time the investment was deemed necessary by government and constituents alike.

Knowing what will happen a year in advance and preparing for the consequences are not ordinarily done. We usually take action after the fact. There is a lot of inertia out there. People have short memories. When El Niño arrives grass pastures will turn to dust and water rationing will return as well. Australia has historically experienced climatic extremes. This will not change.
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Conservation
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Raccoon Takes Mat

 
"No food?  I'll have this then."
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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.
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History
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Monkey Take

"I think I'll take this.  I've got it."
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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.
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Society
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Dog Ball Catcher

 
"Great catchin' huh?"
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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.
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Conservation
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Spoon Cat

"Cat see.  Cat eat."
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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.
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Conservation
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Cat Falls Off to Sleep

"You should try falling off to sleep, Whitey!"
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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.
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Health
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Water Scooter Dog

"Faster, faster."
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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.
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Economics
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