Feverish flu power

I have been battling the flu, it has won every fight so far but I have high hopes of winning the war. 

So far flu has resulted in not much physical activity if you discount coughing, shivering and expelling alien life forms, but being by nature a fairly active person it has also led to a bit of frustration down on the farm.

So to elevate the boredom I decided to set the feverish mind to solving world problems. 

The fight over who controls the TV remote was quickly solved, give everyone in the family their own remote and the fastest fingers win. The down side of this is you end up watching a lot of kid programs. 

The next problem was brought to my attention by delivery in the mail of the Power Bill or more to the point the POWER BILL. 

The second thought (the first is unprintable) was that because the NSW government sold off most of the power network there should be competition and therefore the costs should be decreasing. Yet my bill has increased at a remarkable rate and my usage has remained constance.  Why is this so?

Private companies have to make a profit, governments in reality only need to cover costs. However current Liberal-National and past Labour party policies has seen both government and private companies use my light switches to make a profit. 

Why could not the political overlords see the problems this would cause? Or more to the point, why was this point ignored?

At this point you can insert your favourite conspiracy theory - mine involved a chipmunk, a ferret and a grassy knoll!

I digress, the real question is how do we solve the power problem. This made me think about the main problem that is hindering the development of solar power, electric cars and delivering calfs in the dark of the night etc. The Batteries, are failing us. 

So my solution to better battery development is to set up an online trust fund with the sole purpose of providing a prize to who ever can invent a battery that is light, easy to charge and discharge, affordable, environmentally sound and covers all of the technical details that I don’t know about.

The trust could be advised by experts in this field. The important thing is that there would be no copyright on this invention so that the knowledge could be freely used and not tied up by big business.

If everyone in the developed nations just gave one dollar to the trust the prize would be in the billions. This would work and it by-passes both governments and vested interests who would like to block a better battery solution.

Having solved this problem I think I need a little nap.

Payback is a b!tch

Federal Liberal Party MP Malcolm Turnbull in The Sydney Morning Herald on 11 August 2012 busily contradicting the electricity pricing position of the man who ousted him as Leader of the Opposition:

"Over the last five years or so in the east coast capital cities, electricity prices have gone up by about 50 per cent. This is pre the carbon tax. That has been largely a function of the investment in distribution and transmission, in poles and wires,"…..

Because they are borrowing with the benefit in effect of a government guarantee, they have got a real incentive to invest and indeed to overinvest. This is what's called gold-plating,"…

In many cases they are spending billions of dollars, so it is argued, to reduce the chance of a brownout from very, very little to very, very, very little,"…..

Duelling MLCs: Did Colless ask Buckingham to stop breathing?

A Twitter conversation.......

4 Aug
Jeremy Buckingham ‏@greensjeremy
Home. Cool clean country air. I love you oxygen.

4 Aug
Rick Colless ‏@RickCollessMLC
@greensjeremy So stop turning it into carbon dioxide!

U.S. Presidential Election 2012: Obama reacts swiftly to the naming of Paul Ryan as Romney's running mate

Barack Obama's supporters could have added that Paul Ryan was one of those who voted for the Financial Services Modernization Act of 1999 which paved the way for the widespread financial institutions collapse that caused the Global Financial Crisis. A crisis still reverberating around the world today.

A point these supporters could legitimately make, given Obama did not begin serving in the US Senate until January 2005.

They might also have added that Ryan reportedly received US $1,416,466 in political contributions from financial institutions prior to his vote.

North Coast businesses on the NSW Food Authority's Name and Shame list

BARRAMUNDI TO FRIDAY using a mobile vending vehicle in Prince Street, Grafton 2460 on 19/10/2011 for using misleading or deceptive advertising, packaging, or labelling of food - scallop meat labelled product of Australia in fact is imported, previous warnings given. Fined $770.

BEACH BURGERS using a mobile vending vehicle in Jordan Esplanade, Coffs Harbour 2450 on 1/5/2011 for  failing to have hand washing facilities that are located where they can be easily accessed by food handlers - previous warnings given. Fined $440.

BUSHMAN'S BAKERY at 4/6 Lawson Crescent, Coffs Harbour 2450 on 15/6/2011 for failing to maintain all fixtures, fittings and equipment to the required standard of cleanliness - previous warnings given. Fined $880.

BUSHMAN'S BAKERY at 4/6 Lawson Crescent, Coffs Harbour 2450 on 15/6//2011 for failing to maintain at or near each hand washing facility a supply of single use towels or other means of effectively drying hands - previous warnings given. Fined $880.

COUNTRY FRESH CHICKENS at Shop 26 Grafton Shopping World, Fitzroy Street, Grafton 2460 on 10/8/2011 for failing to identify food for disposal - previous warnings given. Fined $880.

ECLIPSE DISTRIBUTION PTY LTD of Byron Bay and other places on 20/8/2011 for the sale of food labelled in contravention to Food Standards Code - Shift Green Slimming Coffee labelled with a claim for intrinsic weight reducing properties. Fined $880.

GOANNA BAKERY at 171 Keen Street, Lismore on 20/9/2011 for failing to take all practicable measures to eradicate and prevent the harbourage of pests - live cockroaches observed, previous warnings given. Fined $440.

RICHMOND BAKERY - KIBBLES at 77-79 Walker Street, Casino on 25/7/2011 for the sale of unsuitable food - foreign objects (metal clip, bristle) found in custard puff . Fined $1320.

RICHMOND BAKERY - KIBBLES at 77-79 Walker Street, Casino on 19/11/2011 for the sale of unsuitable food - vanilla slice contained bristle from pastry brush. Fined $1320.

THE GRAPEVINE CAFE at 50A Cullen Street, Nimbin 2480 on 26/4/2012 for failing to take all practicable measures to eradicate and prevent the harbourage of pests - cockroach activity observed. Fined $440.

VINCENT'S PRODUCE ( K M Baron Trading Pty Limited) at Grower's Markets, City Square, Harbour Drive, Coffs Harbour NSW charged on 30/4/2009 with

1. Engaging in conduct was is misleading or deceptive (s18(1) Food Act) as a result of removing labelling from asparagus (Product of Peru) and displaying that product for sale as locally grown or Australian product.
   
2. Selling food that was falsely described (s18(3) Food Act) as a result of selling asparagus that was a product of Peru as locally grown or Australian product.
   
3. Fail to notify Food Authority of a food business - s100 Food Act.

Decision of Coffs Harbour Local Court on 8/9/2010: Guilty and conviction recorded. Fined $1,000 for each of the offences. Total: $3,000. Defendant ordered to pay the Authority's costs.

Source: NSW Food Authority

I'm a Coastal Emu and I need your help. Will you let the NSW Roads & Maritime Services drive me and my family to extinction?

Three cheers for the ferryman!

The Daily Tele on 10th August 2012:
“THEY say everyone needs a hobby. For one Northern Rivers local it means printing up anti-Kyle Sandilands stickers to hand out to your pals.
That's what former Clarence River ferry operator Lawry Duff has done, making up a batch of "Honk If You Hate Kyle Sandilands" stickers, such is his loathing for the 2Day FM radio announcer who once again topped the Sydney breakfast ratings this week….
“I’m going deaf from the honking,” he chuckled.”