You Can't Coach That

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Why do I think of banks and other large financial institutions when look at this picture?

Can we draw a parallel between an economist and a fortune teller? Shouldn’t the geniuses running these financial institutions have some ability to read economic indicators and adjust their decisions accordingly when tough financial times are on the horizon? It would appear that they are no better than a cheap fortune teller if the increasing level of bad debts and corporate collapses are anything to go by.

“You can’t coach that”

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Australia is experiencing skills shortages in many industries. The logical thing to do therefore is to import these skills through immigration.

In a country with high levels of education it seems illogical that there would be a shortage of doctors but that is just what we have. This shortage is particularly acute in rural areas where many small towns cannot attract qualified medical practitioners.

Our success record for finding overseas trained doctors is questionable at best. A case in point is the infamous ”Dr Death” who as Director of Surgery at Bundaberg Base Hospital has been linked to several patient deaths. He has since been arrested and returned to Australia after fleeing to the USA. It seams that adequate due diligence may not have been conducted prior to the good doctor’s appointment.

Anyway, back to the main topic of this rant. The Australian immigration department should stand up and take a bow. Congratulations on showing such fine judgement not to mention compassion in the case of Dr Bernhard Moeller. You see, Dr Moellar’s son has Down Syndrome and it is on these grounds that permanent residency has been denied for the doctor and his family. It seems that the future needs of this 13 year old boy are just too much of a burden for the country to bear.

Unfortunately this does not appear to be an isolated case. A Scottish sheet metal worker who has relocated his family to Australia to fill a skill shortage in his area of expertise is also faced with the prospect of being refused permanent residency on the basis of his daughter’s Down Syndrome.

I now run the risk of being branded racist for my next comments but here goes anyway. There has been a marked increase in the numbers of Sudanese refugees in my local area in recent years. As a wealthy country I acknowledge that Australia has a moral obligation to to do its part in caring for refugees and I would not question for one minute that the Sudanese people who have made Australia home are not worthy of our compassion.

What I do have a problem with however is the notion that a 13 year old with Down Syndrome whose father is providing much needed medical skills in a rural area represents an unacceptable burden on the country. The cost of supporting a refugee family who bring no marketable skills would be far greater.

No, I am not against refugee immigration but I am against mindless bureaucracy.

“You can’t coach that”

Saturday, August 30, 2008

The Queensland health system seems to lurch from one crisis to another.

The lack of hospital beds is again in the news as patients are forced to spend hours in hospital corridors waiting for an available bed, sometimes for several days.

My jaw hot the floor though when I heard our esteemed health minister indicate that the shortage of hospital beds and the strain on the health system was partly because of the substantial increase in infrastructure undertaken by the government. He made the preposterous claim that because of this increase in facilities more people were using seeking treatment.

Can you imagine? There is an expansion at the local hospital, let's go and get ourselves admitted so we can check it out.

Gotta love those politicians and their "spin".

"You can't coach that"

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Am I supposed to be excited about this?

Countless people suffering in the world and billions are being spent so we can look at a black and white photo of what could be my backyard (it's been very dry in Brisbane lately) but which I am assured is Mars. Yes I know, there are also some wizz-bang experiments being done to see if there was ever life on this red hunk of rock - ho hum, people are still starving.

"You can't coach that"

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

A 2006 amendment to the Australian copyright act made provision for certain “private use” copying of copyright material. The private use provisions make sensible exceptions dealing with “time-shifting”, “format-shifting” and “space-shifting” as follows:

• time-shift from radio and TV (that is, record something to listen to or view at a later time);
• format-shift books, newspapers, periodical publications and photos you own (that is, make one copy in a different format, such as making a digital copy of a paperback you own); and
• space-shift sound recordings (that is, copy sound recordings into any format – including MP3 – so you can listen to the recording in different places – for example, copying a CD so you can have a copy to listen to in your car and another to listen to on your computer at home. [source]

It is now legal therefore to do what people have been doing since the invention of the VCR, record television programs and watch them at a later, more convenient time. Ripping music to MP3 and other formats for use on iPods and other devices now also has the blessing of the powers that be. There is one important caveat here though, it is illegal to breach any form of copy protection placed on a CD. So if the use of such methods becomes widespread on music CD’s it will also be illegal to rip music. Interesting, the record companies can put in place a barrier that stops people doing something that is completely legal.

So what about DVD movies? No such luck here I’m afraid. There is no provision in the fair use provisions for the format shifting of DVD’s. Therefore, if I have a video enabled portable device, I can quite legally copy my music to it but not my DVD videos. Ridiculously, it is quite ok for me to copy a VHS tape onto DVD (subject to the presence of protection schemes).

It seems that under the private use exceptions I can pretty much copy anything that I own, except for DVD’s. I can even scan a whole book into electronic form if I have the time.

The movie studios obviously have much more political muscle than any other stake holder in the area of copyright.

“You can’t coach that”

Monday, May 19, 2008

This seems to be a common theme these days - so many people are not prepared to take ownership for their own actions.

Probably the most frustrating circumstances under which I see this problem is dealing with parents of the students I teach. It is becoming more and more common for parents to defend their child’s actions, even when those actions would seem indefensible. An example that comes to mind is stealing lunches from school bags. “It’s not as if she stole something valuable, it was only some fruit and a sandwich” explained the parent who was vehemently against any form of punishment for the child concerned. No ownership of actions there.

Someone offered their explanation for this behaviour the other day. The fact that young parents today represent the first generation where both parents are forced to work to maintain a reasonable lifestyle was the apparent reason. Whether this is true or not I cannot say. What I can say is that just because both parents work, there is no reason that a child should not be held accountable for their actions. Until parents wake up to this we will continue to see people looking out for number one and ignoring the effect of their actions on others.

It seems I am getting old and cranky.

“You can’t coach that”

Sunday, May 04, 2008

Whenever the issue of speed cameras on our roads is discussed the debate often centres around whether these devices are an effective way to save lives or whether speed reduction is just a by-product of the revenue raised for the government coffers. I am no expert in this area but I do find it interesting that speed cameras are often placed on what I would consider quite safe stretches of road.

Binge drinking amongst young people has everyones’ attention in Australia at the moment, especially excessive drinking by young women. As a high school teacher and father of two daughters, this is something that I find quite worrying and I applaud all efforts to deal with the problem. Of course my applause is louder for some initiatives than others. The government’s chief response at the moment appears to be an increase in taxes on pre-mixed drinks or so-called “alcopops”. Yes these drinks are marketed primarily at young women but does the government really think that an increase in the price of one type of alcohol product is going to significantly impact on the amount being consumed by these young people? There are numerous alternatives to these pre-mixed drinks and the teenagers I talk to support the argument that this measure will be ineffective in making them reconsider their drinking habits.

So what’s the common theme here? It is a win-win situation for the government. They can tell the electorate that they are getting tough on speeding and binge drinking. The evidence is there for all to see, splashed across every newspaper front page - too bad the evidence showing the effectiveness or otherwise of these programs is harder to find. At the same time, significant revenue is being raised regardless of the effectiveness of the initiatives themselves. And what happens to the revenue? It’s spent on roads and alcohol education of course - yeh right!

“You can’t coach that”

Saturday, April 19, 2008

When are we going to to wake up to the nonsense about sporting stars being role models. The only relevant thing they should be modeling to young people is their ability to play the game (or swim the race etc) and, as an extension of that, how to conduct oneself on the sporting arena.

Where is it written that a good footballer is automatically going to be someone of good character? Players are selected based on their ability to play the game, not on whether they are going to behave like good role models away from it. Players should be held accountable for their conduct on the field, their behaviour off the field should be judged according to the same criteria as the general public. If I get caught drink driving on my way home from work next week then I would be a bloody idiot and an appalling role model for children. This wouldn’t however place my job in jeopardy and I wouldn’t fined by my employer. Yet this is precisely the position many athletes find themselves in.

Many would disagree with what I have said here, and I can see that they may have a point. How can we not expect children to look up to the sporting stars that they worship on TV? By definition, if a children try to emulate their heroes then that footballer, swimmer or athlete is going to be a role model.

The key to my argument is parents. It is parents who have the capacity to be the most significant influence on children and their behaviour, for good or bad. Parents should be able to provide a filter through which children see the behaviour of the favourite sporting stars. Let parents be role models for children. Let sportsmen and women be the models that inspire sporting prowess.

“You can’t coach that”

Sunday, April 13, 2008

While I tend to support the protests against China’s treatment of Tibet, I do so from a relatively uninformed position. Therefore I do not feel qualified to comment on the specifics of what is going on. What I can say is that the time to use the Olympic Games as a forum for protest appears to be past. Where was the outcry when China was awarded the games in the first place? Where was the protest when it was announced that China was nominating for the games? Let the Olympics proceed in a peaceful setting (if possible) with peaceful protests if necessary.

“You can’t coach that”

Saturday, February 09, 2008

Australia is currently hosting the Indian and Sri Lankan cricket teams during a summer that has seen it’s fair share of controversy. One Sri Lankan player who seems to be always ready to complain about how poorly we Australians treat him is Muttiah Muralidaran, the current world record holder for the most dismissals in test match cricket. True to form, Muralidaran (Murali) has recently claimed to be the target of an egg throwing attack. According to the cricket players and establishment of the sub-continent countries (India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan), Australia is a racist country and I am sure this latest incident to befall the great “Murali” will only reinforce this notion. After all, our local crowds yell abuse at the opposition team and a small minority do yell racially based comments. This of course doesn’t happen anywhere else in the world - yer right!

So someone throws an egg at a group of Sri Lankan cricketers. The shrapnel wounds from the flying egg shell were I am sure devastating. The Sri Lankans must be eager to return home where it is only bombs and bullets that you have to be worried about.

Oh shit, I think I have just been racist - sorry Murali.

“You can’t coach that”

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Trooper David Pearce was laid to rest today after a funeral service in Brisbane’s St Stephen’s Cathedral followed by a private family service. Trooper Pearce was killed serving in Afghanistan by a road side bomb. Like me, he was 41 years old and had a wife and two young daughters. My heart goes out to his family. All diggers serving overseas have my admiration and gratitude.

Australia is in the middle of a Federal election campaign at the moment. The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition were at the service in Brisbane. I found myself feeling a little uncomfortable watching the evening news about an hour ago and seeing images of the Prime Minister warmly embracing Trooper Pearce’s wife. I am sure this was meant as a show of support and I hope Mrs Pearce found some comfort in this gesture but part of me doubts it.

Am I too cynical?

You can read the full story herehttp://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=70778

“You can’t coach that”

Friday, August 24, 2007

Put up your hand if you are sick of having to be politically correct. I know I am. Don’t get me wrong - I am not advocating that we should all go around saying anything we please without any regard for the feelings of others. People who hide behind grand statements such as “I always speak my mind” annoy me as much as having to be politically correct. What I am annoyed about is the way that informed and intelligent debate tends to be quashed on some subjects due to political correctness gone mad.

A case in point is the issue of global warming and climate change. I recently listened to a rather zealous young person give a presentation on this issue. She spoke intelligently and demonstrated an admirable degree of passion for her topic. She also had a wealth of information at her fingertips and she used this information to make a compelling case. What was also quite apparent to me was that she worships at the alter that is Al Gore’s ego. “An Inconvenient Truth” is in her mind a depiction of the second coming rather than an entertaining examination of a serious issue.

And so to my point about political correctness gone mad. It seems that if one tries to debate an issue such as climate change and question some of the “facts” used to demonstrate how quickly we are hurtling towards certain devastation, one is labeled an eco-terrorist. It seems that some people are so determined to show their support for the current hot topic that they are not prepared to discuss both sides of the issue.

“You can’t coach that”

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

I have been reading about dog training and dog psychology lately (who’d have thought there was such a thing as dog psychology?). The key message I have taken from this reading is that training a dog is more about modifying the behaviour of the human than that of the dog. The human must recognise why a dog behaves in a certain way and react accordingly.

While this has been useful for me as a relatively new dog owner, I am starting to see some benefits in this way of thinking when it comes to training 2 legged animals.

All too often I see people trying to impose their will on others when they want something done or want someone to behave in a certain way. Parents do this to their children, teachers do this to their students. We often don’t consider that our own behaviour and attitudes have an influence on others and the way they behave and act. Also, an often overlooked factor influencing actions and behaviours is the impact of person’s surroundings and environment.

If people spent as much time reflecting on their own actions and attitudes as they did trying to directly change those of others, the minefield of human relationships might be a little easier to navigate. We often do not stop to think about why someone is acting in a certain way. This should be the first step in bring about a change, be it for a four legged animal or two.

“You can’t coach that”

Sunday, July 22, 2007

There have been frequent news stories in my local print and electronic media lately about the shortage of qualified staff to operate CT scanning and other diagnostic medical equipment. Patients are being put at risk as they are forced to wait for scans to detect cancer which then delays commencement of their treatment.

A high profile footballer tears a hamstring during a Friday night game. Worried fans are given the bad news with their Saturday morning coffee after an overnight CT or MRI scan.

There is something not right here.

“You can’t coach that"Our

Sunday, July 15, 2007

The captain of the Australian Rugby League football team is struck down by a season ending knee injury. The fortunes of his club the Brisbane Broncos are likely to suffer in the second half of the season as they strive to defend the premiership they won last season.

A former club mate of the Australian captain and a former junior international representative for New Zealand takes his own life three weeks short of his 22nd birthday. Team mates describe him as the life of the party and say there was no indication of what was to come.

Kind of puts life and its troubles into perspective doesn’t it.

I applaud my local newspaper for running a two page story on this today (one of the only times I have appreciated much of what is written in the popular press lately).

Suicide claims more lives every year in Australia than road accidents. Governments spend millions of dollars on high profile initiatives to combat the road toll. In fact, as I write this I am watching a TV ad on the subject with the slogan “Enough is Enough”. This is a relatively safe problem to take on. After all if the road toll does not fall (and it won’t given the ever-increasing numbers of cars on the road) it can be blamed on motorists who fail to heed the much publicized warnings.

Mental health is a much more challenging problem to deal with. It is as neglected as the rest of our crumbling health system. I can recall several “road safety initiatives” being announced in the past year or so. I don’t recall similar initiatives in the area of mental health.

Suicide kills more Australians every year than road accidents. Males outnumber females in this statistic by 4 to 1. We need to take care of each other.

“You can’t coach that”