Wow, Australia must be one of the most (over) regulated nations on the planet these days.
It seems that as soon as *anyone* mis-uses something, they have a kneejerk reaction that results in bans.
Semi-automatic rifles, handguns, laser-pointers, bottled water in universities, plastic bags, etc, etc. The list is already long and looks as if it's going to be endless.
Come on Aussies -- stand up and fight for your rights!
Here in New Zealand, any consignment which would attract a GST tax of less than NZ$50 is not taxed because collection costs would exceed the $50 to be collected.
However, when GST was recently increased from 12.5% to 15%, they also added an extra fee so that if your package does attract $50 or more of GST, you're also hit with about (from memory) another $28 or so as a "biosecurity fee" or something similar.
How on earth they deduce that only goods that have $50 or more of GST payable might represent a threat to our biosecurity I have no idea -- this is simply a cash-grab.
Of course with teh Chinese issuing fake (grossly undervalued) invoices left, right and center, there's no easy way for Customs to apply these taxes at the border so most stuff comes in tax-free, regardless of its value.
I have had friends who've imported $1,000 RC model aircraft that are 30% of full size. These arrive in *huge* boxes and include the 55cc engine. It has to be obvious that this stuff is worth *far* more than the $125 declared on the box - but it comes through without any GST being demanded.
When I wrote a column about this very subject last year it was suggested that the government simply add GST to all overseas credit-card transactions. Of course even that won't work -- because it would mean that those on holiday overseas would be paying tax on goods and services that came nowhere near our country's borders and would thus be patently unfair.
No easy way to solve this issue so let's just ditch the concept of duties and sales-taxes so everyone can enjoy the global shopping that is now available via the internet.
I watched the first season of SGU and have recorded subsequent episodes but really, I doubt I'll ever watch them because even watching paint dry is more interesting to me.
When I watch SciFi, I want something that makes me think, something that presents truly possible scientific scenarios in an exciting and entertaining way, a sneak peek at what could be in our future.
SGU struck me as being just another daytime soap opera, using space as a backdrop.
Too much "deep" character interaction, too much angst, anger, human emotion.
Call me old fashioned but I like a good dose of *science* with my fiction and SGU just didn't deliver.
There isn't even any real comic relief (like that which made SG1 so enchanting) to relieve the unending tension between the characters in SGU.
I've got the entire SG1 and SGA series on DVD (store-bought, not downloaded) and, apart from the obvious episodes when the writers were clearly in a "oh my gawd, I'm clear out of new story-line ideas" episodes, they're all a good watch. What does pee me off however, is that the DVDs seem to have episodes out of sequence and the disks are littered with promos for other SG episodes, movies, etc -- plus the obligatory, unskippable copyright warnings. When I get time, I *will* rip these disks to DVDR so I don't have to sit through all that crap!
I wouldn't buy SGU -- in fact I wouldn't even wast the bandwidth required to download it.
And in future, I'll check out any TV series DVDs I might wish to buy before I lay down the cash. If they insist on selling me advertisements and treating me like a criminal -- I'll just find a friendly P2P network and show them that: if you treat me like a criminal, I will behave like one.
(to save you clicking the link)... "The Aardvark Privacy Policy
To put it bluntly -- any information you submit through this site is held in total confidence unless otherwise stated.
Aardvark has built a strong reputation for protecting the information submitted and collected. I have a total anti-spam, anti UCE policy -- never, never, never will your email address be made available to any third party without your expressed permission and never, never, never will I send you unsolicited email.
That's it... plain and simple -- Your secrets are safe with me!
What's more -- Aardvark doesn't routinely collect information from its users. Apart from the Google Ads, this site is a cookie-free zone -- I probably know nothing at all about you anyway!
Here's a whole bunch of stuff about Google's cookie and privacy policy that You might find interesting and which I'm supposed to include in this privacy statement as part of my position as an AdSense user
If you've got a problem or a query about this then contact me, you can even do it anonymously but in that case don't expect a reply (how could I?). "
It's short, to the point and covers all the bases, doesn't it?
What's so hard about coming up with a concise, no-nonsense privacy policy?
I have to say that after my last trip (on business) to the USA, I would never consider it a suitable tourist destination for myself or my family.
From the moment I debarked the plane at LAX I very much felt that I (and everyone else) was being treated like a criminal.
How dare we (foreigners) enter the glorious US of A -- the most wonderful nation in all the world?
The gentleman who walked the very long queue of people waiting to clear immigration repeatedly threatened (not warned -- *threatened*) all those present with severe penalties if we didn't correctly fill out the forms he was handing out.
The official who inspected my passport didn't welcome me to the USA and invite me to enjoy my stay -- the treated me (and everyone else) with massive suspicion and contempt -- making it very clear that *they* had all the power and that I was a someone who ought to be eternally grateful for being allowed to enter the country.
Is that really the way to treat visitors?
And as for the latest usurping of citizens rights in respect to searches -- well I feel very sorry for the USA.
It is (although perhaps somewhat less-so these days) truly a great nation, built on principles of integrity and freedom. Unfortunately (as they say) "Power Corrupts" and it would appear that those in power have seized the opportunity to use terrorism as justification for unreasonably extending the degree of power they now exert over the people who elected them to *serve*.
Every day that the sacred provisions and protections of The Constitution are ignored by the US Government is another day on which the Islamic fundamentalists can claim another victory.
Instead of fighting on their feet, the citizens of the USA are now living on their knees -- having compromised the very principles (The Constitution) that made their nation so great.
Of course it *is* a democracy so perhaps those of you who are US citizens might want to think about exercising those democratic rights (before they too are taken from you in the name of "the war against terror" and installing a government who appreciates that the principles of The Constitution are still worth fighting for and that no bunch of Islamic fundamentalists should be allowed to usurp them by way of a campaign of terror.
Perhaps it's time for a referendum to allow the US people to decide whether the constitution should be abolished because right now, it appears that such an abolition is happening by stealth -- and by the time the people wake up to that fact, it may well be too late. The very rights this document bestows on citizens will be lost and thus even the power to protect those rights will have gone forever.
I first noticed a real decline in bee populations a couple of years ago.
It was late spring, there were wildflowers everywhere at the airfield where I work -- but not a single, solitary honey-bee.
Their absence was kind of scary (silent spring anyone?) and things have not improved in the years since.
It's now mid-spring here in the Southern Hemisphere and there are still no honey-bees to be seen in our gardens. The only bees buzzing around the flowers are bumble-bees and there are far too few of them to do a decent job of pollinating.
When you consider that honey-bees play an absolutely vital role in the food chain on which we depend, I really wonder if we're not taking this decline in bee populations seriously enough.
Combine the effects of low plant pollination with increases in extreme weather and sooner or later we're going to get a coincidence of events that produces some pretty drastic collapse of global food supplies.
By that time -- it might be a little too late to do anything -- or perhaps it already is.
Only those with something to hide have anything to fear...
That's why politicians are more than happy to have webcams in their houses connected directly to the internet for all the world to watch their activities.
Oh... what's that?
They're not happy to have webcams in their houses?
What's needed is a change of political system. Simply swapping "The Fire Party" for "The Frying-pan Party" at regular intervals does nothing for the quality of government.
Now that we're in the 21st century, we have the technology we need to implement a far more finely graduated democracy than the one we currently have.
In my country (New Zealand) we run a version of the Westminster system but it's still basically a representative democracy (so they say).
What I've proposed is an alteration to that system called Recoverable Proxy.
It still operates on a representative basis where you have an elected member to do your bidding in the halls of government. However, makes it very clear that those representatives are effectively exercising your proxy when they vote on bills before the parliament/Senate/whatever. Recoverable Proxy operates by allowing *you*, the voter, to recover your proxy if and when you choose to, so that the public may effectively veto the excesses of their government when/if it becomes necessary.
99% of the time, the existing government structure and operation will continue as normal (this isn't a government by referendum like the Swiss system). The only time you'll see any significant percentage of the population recovering their proxy and exercising it themselves is when an issue of great public debate is before the house.
What do you think?
Is it time to reinvent the system rather than simply have a couple of dullards play musical chairs every 4 years?
I know how Rupert could make an absolute *killing* in the online content world and I've even offered to let him in on the secret -- but it seems that he doesn't read even modestly popular news commentary sites like the one I publish (you know, the ones who leach from his papers) so I guess he'll forever remain oblivious to the answer (which doesn't involve DRM but does involve people *paying* for content in a way they won't mind one single bit.
It's sad when a man gets too old to see the potential in the new media as they continue to appear.
Someone else will spot this opportunity and they will be come *the* media baron to rule all media barons.
I aint never taken much to cypherin but it t'aint stopped me hankerin to be a brain surgeon and that's whats I'll be, soon as I finish the fifth grade!
> With the engine past the redline there is very little vacuum to operate the power brakes. Without power assist the brakes may not be able to overcome the engine
And in some other cars, the gear-selection is also electronic so if the computer has gone all "i-robot" then it will ignore requests to shift out of drive anyway.
The liability issues surrounding a machine like this are enormous -- apart from a promised ballistic parachute, there is no recovery mechanism for engine failure (unlike an airplane or helicopter). At altitudes of just a hundred feet or so, the ballistic chute won't have enough time to deploy but it's more than high enough to kill the unfortunate occupant.
This jetpack has been hyped out of all proportion to its practicality and potential.
In reality, it's little more than another version of the SoloTrek and, even after millions of dollars spent on development, we all know how that project turned out.
If you really want a personal flying machine then there are other options such as the Mosquito one-man helicopter which are not only cheaper but a damned sight safer to boot.
The fact that Martin are talking about big deals with unnamed foreign governments at this stage is bogus. After all, this thing's already had millions thrown at it and despite that, it's never gone higher than a few feet above the ground.
The Martin jetpack is "one man's dream" and that man (Glenn Martin) was just lucky enough to convince a bunch of people to throw money at it and a gullible public to get excited about it.
I assume this only happens in the automatic versions?
Being "old school", I often use the brake and accelerator at the same time with my stick-shift vehicles.
Why?
Because it allows me to rev-match as I downshift while braking.
It's called "heel-toe" and enables very smooth gearshifts without having to slip the clutch (by giving a blip of throttle with the heel of your foot) as you move down through the gearbox under braking.
I guess those old driving skills aren't taught or used anymore but I'd be real pissed if the ECM on my new Toyota was reprogrammed to effectively disable the accelerator while I was braking!
As a rule of thumb, the earlier in your development/marketing cycle you sell out, the less you get or the greater the amount you have to give away for a given amount of money.
Choosing the best time to make this move is one of the key factors in realizing the full potential of your business.
I tell you what you do -- you replace an ancient and grossly outdated political system with one that takes advantage of today's technology to provide the checks and balances needed to keep government honest:
You can't change the politicians so you've got to change the system under which they operate.
For some reason, none of the sitting politicians seem particularly keen on a system where the voters can say "no you won't" and use their veto to kill lame legislation before it's even enacted.
This is just another example of the very sage saying:
"Power corrupts"
No matter how altruistic a person's goals or aspirations, once they are placed in a position of power, the chances of them remaining uncorrupted are very small.
There are some who believe that wishing to run for a political position should immediately disqualify a person from holding such a position.
Our politicians should be selected like your jurors -- from a pool of people recruited at random and vetted for suitability.
Slashdot Mirror
Wow, Australia must be one of the most (over) regulated nations on the planet these days.
It seems that as soon as *anyone* mis-uses something, they have a kneejerk reaction that results in bans.
Semi-automatic rifles, handguns, laser-pointers, bottled water in universities, plastic bags, etc, etc. The list is already long and looks as if it's going to be endless.
Come on Aussies -- stand up and fight for your rights!
Here in New Zealand, any consignment which would attract a GST tax of less than NZ$50 is not taxed because collection costs would exceed the $50 to be collected.
However, when GST was recently increased from 12.5% to 15%, they also added an extra fee so that if your package does attract $50 or more of GST, you're also hit with about (from memory) another $28 or so as a "biosecurity fee" or something similar.
How on earth they deduce that only goods that have $50 or more of GST payable might represent a threat to our biosecurity I have no idea -- this is simply a cash-grab.
Of course with teh Chinese issuing fake (grossly undervalued) invoices left, right and center, there's no easy way for Customs to apply these taxes at the border so most stuff comes in tax-free, regardless of its value.
I have had friends who've imported $1,000 RC model aircraft that are 30% of full size. These arrive in *huge* boxes and include the 55cc engine. It has to be obvious that this stuff is worth *far* more than the $125 declared on the box - but it comes through without any GST being demanded.
When I wrote a column about this very subject last year it was suggested that the government simply add GST to all overseas credit-card transactions. Of course even that won't work -- because it would mean that those on holiday overseas would be paying tax on goods and services that came nowhere near our country's borders and would thus be patently unfair.
No easy way to solve this issue so let's just ditch the concept of duties and sales-taxes so everyone can enjoy the global shopping that is now available via the internet.
And, if you're looking for similar stuff, plus a lot of more "techie" items, then try out GoodLuckBuy.com.
Like DX, they include shipping in all their (very low) prices.
My only question is: who on earth chose that name?
I watched the first season of SGU and have recorded subsequent episodes but really, I doubt I'll ever watch them because even watching paint dry is more interesting to me.
When I watch SciFi, I want something that makes me think, something that presents truly possible scientific scenarios in an exciting and entertaining way, a sneak peek at what could be in our future.
SGU struck me as being just another daytime soap opera, using space as a backdrop.
Too much "deep" character interaction, too much angst, anger, human emotion.
Call me old fashioned but I like a good dose of *science* with my fiction and SGU just didn't deliver.
There isn't even any real comic relief (like that which made SG1 so enchanting) to relieve the unending tension between the characters in SGU.
I've got the entire SG1 and SGA series on DVD (store-bought, not downloaded) and, apart from the obvious episodes when the writers were clearly in a "oh my gawd, I'm clear out of new story-line ideas" episodes, they're all a good watch. What does pee me off however, is that the DVDs seem to have episodes out of sequence and the disks are littered with promos for other SG episodes, movies, etc -- plus the obligatory, unskippable copyright warnings. When I get time, I *will* rip these disks to DVDR so I don't have to sit through all that crap!
I wouldn't buy SGU -- in fact I wouldn't even wast the bandwidth required to download it.
And in future, I'll check out any TV series DVDs I might wish to buy before I lay down the cash. If they insist on selling me advertisements and treating me like a criminal -- I'll just find a friendly P2P network and show them that: if you treat me like a criminal, I will behave like one.
So our desktop computers will wait thousands of times faster than they do today... for the next keystroke or mouse button-press. :-)
Here's my privacy policy.
(to save you clicking the link)...
"The Aardvark Privacy Policy
To put it bluntly -- any information you submit through this site
is held in total confidence unless otherwise stated.
Aardvark has built a strong reputation for protecting the information submitted
and collected. I have a total anti-spam, anti UCE policy -- never, never, never
will your email address be made available to any third party without your
expressed permission and never, never, never will I send you unsolicited
email.
That's it ... plain and simple -- Your secrets are safe with me!
What's more -- Aardvark doesn't routinely collect information from its
users. Apart from the Google Ads, this site is a cookie-free zone --
I probably know nothing at all about you anyway!
Here's a whole bunch of stuff about Google's cookie and privacy policy that
You might find interesting and which I'm supposed to include in this
privacy statement as part of my position as an AdSense user
If you've got a problem or a query about this then contact me, you can even do it
anonymously but in that case don't expect a reply (how could I?). "
It's short, to the point and covers all the bases, doesn't it?
What's so hard about coming up with a concise, no-nonsense privacy policy?
I have to say that after my last trip (on business) to the USA, I would never consider it a suitable tourist destination for myself or my family.
From the moment I debarked the plane at LAX I very much felt that I (and everyone else) was being treated like a criminal.
How dare we (foreigners) enter the glorious US of A -- the most wonderful nation in all the world?
The gentleman who walked the very long queue of people waiting to clear immigration repeatedly threatened (not warned -- *threatened*) all those present with severe penalties if we didn't correctly fill out the forms he was handing out.
The official who inspected my passport didn't welcome me to the USA and invite me to enjoy my stay -- the treated me (and everyone else) with massive suspicion and contempt -- making it very clear that *they* had all the power and that I was a someone who ought to be eternally grateful for being allowed to enter the country.
Is that really the way to treat visitors?
And as for the latest usurping of citizens rights in respect to searches -- well I feel very sorry for the USA.
It is (although perhaps somewhat less-so these days) truly a great nation, built on principles of integrity and freedom. Unfortunately (as they say) "Power Corrupts" and it would appear that those in power have seized the opportunity to use terrorism as justification for unreasonably extending the degree of power they now exert over the people who elected them to *serve*.
Every day that the sacred provisions and protections of The Constitution are ignored by the US Government is another day on which the Islamic fundamentalists can claim another victory.
Instead of fighting on their feet, the citizens of the USA are now living on their knees -- having compromised the very principles (The Constitution) that made their nation so great.
Of course it *is* a democracy so perhaps those of you who are US citizens might want to think about exercising those democratic rights (before they too are taken from you in the name of "the war against terror" and installing a government who appreciates that the principles of The Constitution are still worth fighting for and that no bunch of Islamic fundamentalists should be allowed to usurp them by way of a campaign of terror.
Perhaps it's time for a referendum to allow the US people to decide whether the constitution should be abolished because right now, it appears that such an abolition is happening by stealth -- and by the time the people wake up to that fact, it may well be too late. The very rights this document bestows on citizens will be lost and thus even the power to protect those rights will have gone forever.
Just my 0010 cent's worth.
Forget about those inefficient jet-turbine engines -- this is the future of jet-powered vehicles!
Jet powered vehicle
I first noticed a real decline in bee populations a couple of years ago.
It was late spring, there were wildflowers everywhere at the airfield where I work -- but not a single, solitary honey-bee.
Their absence was kind of scary (silent spring anyone?) and things have not improved in the years since.
It's now mid-spring here in the Southern Hemisphere and there are still no honey-bees to be seen in our gardens. The only bees buzzing around the flowers are bumble-bees and there are far too few of them to do a decent job of pollinating.
When you consider that honey-bees play an absolutely vital role in the food chain on which we depend, I really wonder if we're not taking this decline in bee populations seriously enough.
Combine the effects of low plant pollination with increases in extreme weather and sooner or later we're going to get a coincidence of events that produces some pretty drastic collapse of global food supplies.
By that time -- it might be a little too late to do anything -- or perhaps it already is.
Only those with something to hide have anything to fear...
That's why politicians are more than happy to have webcams in their houses connected directly to the internet for all the world to watch their activities.
Oh... what's that?
They're not happy to have webcams in their houses?
Hmmm... what does that mean I wonder?
What's needed is a change of political system. Simply swapping "The Fire Party" for "The Frying-pan Party" at regular intervals does nothing for the quality of government.
Now that we're in the 21st century, we have the technology we need to implement a far more finely graduated democracy than the one we currently have.
In my country (New Zealand) we run a version of the Westminster system but it's still basically a representative democracy (so they say).
What I've proposed is an alteration to that system called Recoverable Proxy.
It still operates on a representative basis where you have an elected member to do your bidding in the halls of government. However, makes it very clear that those representatives are effectively exercising your proxy when they vote on bills before the parliament/Senate/whatever. Recoverable Proxy operates by allowing *you*, the voter, to recover your proxy if and when you choose to, so that the public may effectively veto the excesses of their government when/if it becomes necessary.
99% of the time, the existing government structure and operation will continue as normal (this isn't a government by referendum like the Swiss system). The only time you'll see any significant percentage of the population recovering their proxy and exercising it themselves is when an issue of great public debate is before the house.
What do you think?
Is it time to reinvent the system rather than simply have a couple of dullards play musical chairs every 4 years?
Whatever happened to "presumed innocent until proven guilty"?
Has anyone else noticed that laws seem to be slowly changing to produce a presumption of guilt (requiring a proof of innocence) these days?
Hey, the RC's can't talk about God on the Net anyway can they?
Don't the Scientilogists have copyright over all things relating to religion?
Won't they issue a take-down notice if any other church posts anything that goes against the teachings of Tom Cruise or something?
I know how Rupert could make an absolute *killing* in the online content world and I've even offered to let him in on the secret -- but it seems that he doesn't read even modestly popular news commentary sites like the one I publish (you know, the ones who leach from his papers) so I guess he'll forever remain oblivious to the answer (which doesn't involve DRM but does involve people *paying* for content in a way they won't mind one single bit.
It's sad when a man gets too old to see the potential in the new media as they continue to appear.
Someone else will spot this opportunity and they will be come *the* media baron to rule all media barons.
It just won't be Rupert.
I aint never taken much to cypherin but it t'aint stopped me hankerin to be a brain surgeon and that's whats I'll be, soon as I finish the fifth grade!
Signed
Jethro Bodine.
> With the engine past the redline there is very little vacuum to operate the power brakes. Without power assist the brakes may not be able to overcome the engine
apparently not true
I don't think the Prius has a neutral does it?
And in some other cars, the gear-selection is also electronic so if the computer has gone all "i-robot" then it will ignore requests to shift out of drive anyway.
I see another Moller-like project here.
The liability issues surrounding a machine like this are enormous -- apart from a promised ballistic parachute, there is no recovery mechanism for engine failure (unlike an airplane or helicopter). At altitudes of just a hundred feet or so, the ballistic chute won't have enough time to deploy but it's more than high enough to kill the unfortunate occupant.
This jetpack has been hyped out of all proportion to its practicality and potential.
In reality, it's little more than another version of the SoloTrek and, even after millions of dollars spent on development, we all know how that project turned out.
If you really want a personal flying machine then there are other options such as the Mosquito one-man helicopter which are not only cheaper but a damned sight safer to boot.
The fact that Martin are talking about big deals with unnamed foreign governments at this stage is bogus. After all, this thing's already had millions thrown at it and despite that, it's never gone higher than a few feet above the ground.
The Martin jetpack is "one man's dream" and that man (Glenn Martin) was just lucky enough to convince a bunch of people to throw money at it and a gullible public to get excited about it.
I assume this only happens in the automatic versions?
Being "old school", I often use the brake and accelerator at the same time with my stick-shift vehicles.
Why?
Because it allows me to rev-match as I downshift while braking.
It's called "heel-toe" and enables very smooth gearshifts without having to slip the clutch (by giving a blip of throttle with the heel of your foot) as you move down through the gearbox under braking.
I guess those old driving skills aren't taught or used anymore but I'd be real pissed if the ECM on my new Toyota was reprogrammed to effectively disable the accelerator while I was braking!
As a rule of thumb, the earlier in your development/marketing cycle you sell out, the less you get or the greater the amount you have to give away for a given amount of money.
Choosing the best time to make this move is one of the key factors in realizing the full potential of your business.
Lithium is relatively unreactive, as far as the alkali metals go so I'm wondering how long before we shift from lithium to potassium or sodium?
Would this not significantly increase energy densities?
Sodium would be good -- there's lots of it in seawater so it would be far more abundant than lithium -- ie: lower priced batteries?
But their XT Network (as promoted by Richard Hammond) will be much cheaper -- right?
If it's so good, why are they using spam to promote it?
Mobile services in New Zealand remain a rip-off run by a duopoly.
Australia introduces licences for internet users
But check the date ;-)
I tell you what you do -- you replace an ancient and grossly outdated political system with one that takes advantage of today's technology to provide the checks and balances needed to keep government honest:
Recoverable Proxy.
You can't change the politicians so you've got to change the system under which they operate.
For some reason, none of the sitting politicians seem particularly keen on a system where the voters can say "no you won't" and use their veto to kill lame legislation before it's even enacted.
This is just another example of the very sage saying:
"Power corrupts"
No matter how altruistic a person's goals or aspirations, once they are placed in a position of power, the chances of them remaining uncorrupted are very small.
There are some who believe that wishing to run for a political position should immediately disqualify a person from holding such a position.
Our politicians should be selected like your jurors -- from a pool of people recruited at random and vetted for suitability.