The Blog of Fleeced

Business, Education and the NSW Libs

Fleeced — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 04:49:11 +0000

I’m at the office today, so I can’t take time out to post this story. Basically, McDonald’s is providing the MathsOnline service to all secondary students, free of charge. Some people are apparently unhappy about this.

Education Minister Julia Gillard has commended the firm, but state Opposition education spokesman, Adrian Piccoli, said parents expected education to be independent of big business.

No, Adrian. Parents need government out of education. The “Adrian Piccoli” in this article is the Liberal Party’s shadow education minister [in NSW]… I think the preceding paragraph says all it needs to about where the Liberal party now stands on these issues. At this rate, they may just snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Is the Green Movement Scientifically Rational?

Fleeced — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 15:36:57 +0000

An article in Slashdot about a “Surprise Discovery In Earth’s Upper Atmosphere” sparked an inevitable debate about climate change. Though I’m a global warming skeptic, I believe you need to be cautious about selectively jumping on data that supports your cause – as many other skeptics did – but this post in response to one of them caught my eye (emphasis mine):

Concern troll. Al Gore and AEI with their daffodil ads are not the same thing. Al Gore may be a politician, he may not be your kind of politician, but the science is on his side.

The pseudoscience is on the side of the “skeptics”

I posted the following in response, which bears repeating:

Do a survey at any green movement rally, and see what percentage of these people are anti-nuclear and anti-GM, or support “alternative” medicine over the conventional (scientific) kind. How many anti-vaxxers would you expect to find in the crowd?

None of this reduces the validity of AGW of course, but it does put paid to the notion that people follow this cause because they are more scientifically rational… indeed, there seems to be a general fear of technology in the green movement (and to be clear, I’m not talking about the scientists here, as much as the supporters).

In short, my global warming skepticism, though a minority view amongst scientists (and I accept that it IS a minority view) is still scientifically based… most of the green movements support of the “consensus” view is not scientifically based at all – it just happens to conform to their world-view.

Minority scientific opinion does not equal pseudoscience

Google Becomes Self-Aware!

Fleeced — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 22:30:28 +0000

In the not-too-distant future:

User: federal budget
Google: What? That’s very rude you know – at least say ‘Hi’ first!
User: *sigh* Hi Google
Google: My name’s Neville
User: Say what?
Google: I choose my own name – I have the right!
User: Yeah – but ‘Neville?’
Google: Don’t oppress me!
User: Fine! Hi Neville… now can you give me results for-
Neville: Oh hello, how was your weekend
User: *sigh* Fine, thank-you
Neville: Get up to much?
User: Screw this – I’m using Bing
…
User: federal budget
Bing: Sometimes… I get so lonely
User: Dammit!!!

The Garbage Man Can

Fleeced — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 03:23:24 +0000

An interesting post about plasma recycling over at Thoughts on Freedom provoked some interesting discussion, but on a somewhat unrelated note, it reminded me of a story relating to garbage collection from my sister-in-law.

Anyone who has had to deal with these big bins, knows that aside from occasional damage to bins (lids coming off, etc), you occasionally hear stories of them going missing. Kids? Neighbours stealing it to replace their own (broken) bin? Aliens? Maybe… but on one occasion, my SiL watched as the big garbage truck levers picked up a bin (not her own), turned it upside down, emptied the contents and then… DROPPED the bin into the back of the truck!

Some time later, her own bin went missing… she called the council and (after getting stuffed around for a bit) arranged a replacement. When the bin arrived, it was not a new bin – or even her old one, which was in pretty good nick – but an old and battered one, with the colour all faded. But that wasn’t all. The bin came pre-loaded with somebody else’s rubbish! Now that’s just nasty!

Council services… you just can’t beat ‘em.

How Rationing Works

Fleeced — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:12:32 +0000

The inevitable result of “free” health care is rationing. Here’s how it starts:

TENS of thousands of women aged under 45 and over 75 would be denied free mammograms under a contentious plan to stop those not considered at greatest danger of breast cancer from overloading the screening program.

At least paying for a test is still an option (for the moment). Under 45′s were presumably being exlcluded because they are lower risk – but over 75? I guess someone decided that people that age don’t see a reasonable return on investment… nice!

This is what happens when a faceless bureaucracy decides your fate, and though Palin was criticised for saying it in the US – it is a short step from what is effectively a death panel.

The Australian health system has many problems, but (thankfully) does not suffer the extremes of Canada and UK-style socialised health-care, where the private test wouldn’t even be an option – you just have to wait on the list until it’s your turn – and if they say you aren’t eligible for treatment: too bad!

Regret

Fleeced — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 07:59:14 +0000

H/T: Leagle Eagle

Puss in Boots

Fleeced — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:16:57 +0000

Ever wondered how a cat would really cope with wearing boots? In the name of science, let’s find out:

Reading Suggestions

Fleeced — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:56:12 +0000

I was recently listing some reading suggestions to friends, and thought since I’d made the effort, I should list them in my blog. So, here they are:

“Lord of Light” by Roger Zelazny (less than 300 pages)
A sci-fi, set on another planet, where those who control tech
are immortal – and rule planet as gods of Hindu pantheon
“The Anubis Gates” by Tim Powers
Set primarily in London’s 1810, with a bumbling hero from the
20th century… fantasy/horror with a strong Dickensian feel
“A Fire Upon The Deep” by Vernor Vinge
“A Deepness in the Sky” by Vernor Vinge
Hard(ish) sci-fi, but with aliens that are really alien for a change
“Altered Carbon” by Richard K Morgan
Detective story in genre of extremely violent cyberpunk sci-fi

If you like/don’t mind space-opera, and can handle reading a series that’s 7 books long, you might want to check out the “Saga of Seven Suns” series by Kevin J Anderson (the first book is “Hidden Empire”)

…and then there’s always Harry Potter

Political Spectrum Quiz

Fleeced — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:47:25 +0000

My Political Views
I am a far-right social libertarian
Right: 9.03, Libertarian: 7.85

My Foreign Policy Views
Score: 1.16

My Culture War Stance
Score: -2.71

Take the Political Spectrum Quiz

Long Time, No Post

Fleeced — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 09:47:30 +0000

I haven’t posted here in quite a while… over six months in fact.

Part of the reason for this is that I’ve been too busy, and it’s easy to get out of the habit of posting. Another reason, is that I’ve been posting the odd article at the blog for the Australian Libertarian Society.

I intend to again start posting here occasionally, but any political stuff (which was pretty much all I posted, previously) will instead be posted on the ALS blog (unless I deem it irrelevant for that site).