Topics of conversation and ABC reporting recently include Pauline Hansen not getting into the NSW Senate with 2% of the vote, the Clubs & Gambling people screaming against Andrew Wilkie's proposal to attempt to control problem gambling and the on-going crises in Japan with the nuclear facility at Fukushima. News that Portugal's economy needs bailing out, the rise of the Aussie $ compared to the sinking of the US $ and other financial woes including the Resource Rent Tax and Carbon Tax are simmering away sometimes making the headlines, sometimes not.
Is this symptomatic of the conflict with the "Nanny" State ie large, interventionist, regulatory Government telling the business world that they must control their behaviour to enable social needs of equality, social support, and long-term environmental improvement? This website says yes!
Or are the forces of business - endless growth, consumerism, jobs at any cost to environment or social needs gaining the upper hand again after a brief lull with the GFC? (hands out and begging)
My reading this month has included Joseph Stiglitz "Freefall: America, Free Markets, and the Sinking of the World Economy", Loretta Napoleoni's" Rogue Economics", Andrew Leigh's "Disconnected", "History's Greatest Deceptions" by Eric Chaline.
As the New York Times article on Joseph Stiglitz book comments "ersatz capitalism, the privatizing of gains and the socializing of losses".
Books can give a larger view of whats happening than a 3 minute TV news clip, 1 page internet link or 5 minute radio interview. What do you think?
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
Autumn days
I love these lovely sunny days that Autumn often brings. It is quite cool in the morning but the sun streams into my house almost all day long. I love this feature and designed the house to have appropriate shade during summer but allow the rays to penetrate at this time of year. During winter the sun streams in the family/lounge room almost to the kitchen and warms both the tiles and my spirits.
Normally, with a hot summer, I find some deciduous trees drop their leaves prematurely due to water stress. But this year the trees are only starting to drop their beautiful brown, gold and red leaves. I was in Oakleigh recently and the streets are just starting to have piles of brown leaves from some of the mature Oak Trees.
My Ginkgo tree is just turning gold and the Magnolia just browning off.
The weeds have been getting away from me but at least the main vegie garden has been dug over just waiting for the compost and organic manure to be added. Then its time to plant the winter crops of cauliflower, broccoli, asian greens, peas and broad beans. In fact I might just be a bit late!
Once this is done I'll have more time for reading all these interesting reports on climate change, carbon tax, literacy and even the odd fiction title "Time machines repaired, while u wait" by K. A. Bedford.
Normally, with a hot summer, I find some deciduous trees drop their leaves prematurely due to water stress. But this year the trees are only starting to drop their beautiful brown, gold and red leaves. I was in Oakleigh recently and the streets are just starting to have piles of brown leaves from some of the mature Oak Trees.
My Ginkgo tree is just turning gold and the Magnolia just browning off.
The weeds have been getting away from me but at least the main vegie garden has been dug over just waiting for the compost and organic manure to be added. Then its time to plant the winter crops of cauliflower, broccoli, asian greens, peas and broad beans. In fact I might just be a bit late!
Once this is done I'll have more time for reading all these interesting reports on climate change, carbon tax, literacy and even the odd fiction title "Time machines repaired, while u wait" by K. A. Bedford.
Blogger Dynamic Views
Blogger now has a new feature enabling you, the reader, the ability to view this blog in several formats. Tp see what I mean try one of these views:
http://greenstonegirl.blogspot.com/view/mosaic
http://greenstonegirl.blogspot.com/view/flipcard
http://greenstonegirl.blogspot.com/view/timeslide
Click on one of these and see how they go.
As my blog has quite a bit of comment and fewwer images these views may not be as attractive as the standard formats. But it is great to see what is in effect different templates from the norm.
http://greenstonegirl.blogspot.com/view/mosaic
http://greenstonegirl.blogspot.com/view/flipcard
http://greenstonegirl.blogspot.com/view/timeslide
Click on one of these and see how they go.
As my blog has quite a bit of comment and fewwer images these views may not be as attractive as the standard formats. But it is great to see what is in effect different templates from the norm.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)