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Saturday, May 14, 2011
Australian Budget Announced - Here are the black spots. Part I
The Australian Federal treasurer Wayne Swann announced this week what Australian's would be looking at for this next financial year, in other words, where is money coming in, how can we hold onto more of it and what requires money?
According to http://www.budget.gov.au/
Australia is in the red financially speaking like many other places in the World, but ours isn't as bad as some.
Australian's want to have surplus money in the Federal purse, therefore a strategy to cut costs is required.
Firstly the Labor Government tries to relax the nation, labeling the Country as being wealthy and the proposed measures aren't that hard to live with. The Labor government in the past term went on a spending spree, now they're telling every day Australians to relax because they can afford to have money taken from them! Arrgh!
In Appendix C of the link above it outlines the "disposable" income of Households - A way of skimming off the fat is what Labor have done, people don't need all that money - We're going to take it and spread it to those "held back". Great, no wonder students in public schools don't care about becoming educated and successful - Why bother when the government will use your extra time and efforts to support someone that may not have put as much effort in at the first place?
I don't go into the Medicare Levy, as I've heard of horror stories from the U.S where people didn't have to bother having healthcare than something bad happened. Personally I'm glad this system is in place.
The employment section is where things really start to kick off with millions being over a few years with expectations of a stronger workforce. Okay that's not so bad so long as it is implemented well. One thing I will say is that $14.2 million is being spent on is expanding training packages for job seekers in numeracy, literacy and language, with a total of $67 million being spent on this up to and including 2013/14 financial years.
^^Does this mean that public education institutes are spitting out people that can't count or read and Australians pay for them to learn these vital skills multiple times? Or are new Australian residents more employable and looking for work more than others?
Either way, I consider that a lot of money for this exercise. On the other hand it promotes social inclusion, and parts of Australia need this.
In the 2011/12 budget $42 million dollars is being allocated to a mysterious "Renewable Enregy Future Fund". What is this exactly? The link above doesn't really provide an explanation. Is this the controversial Carbon Tax that Julia Gillard's Government announced...after announcing this tax would not be imposed before the election? Or was it money for the Solar Technology which is financing cheaper, more effective solar panel systems?
According to http://www.budget.gov.au/
Australia is in the red financially speaking like many other places in the World, but ours isn't as bad as some.
Australian's want to have surplus money in the Federal purse, therefore a strategy to cut costs is required.
Firstly the Labor Government tries to relax the nation, labeling the Country as being wealthy and the proposed measures aren't that hard to live with. The Labor government in the past term went on a spending spree, now they're telling every day Australians to relax because they can afford to have money taken from them! Arrgh!
In Appendix C of the link above it outlines the "disposable" income of Households - A way of skimming off the fat is what Labor have done, people don't need all that money - We're going to take it and spread it to those "held back". Great, no wonder students in public schools don't care about becoming educated and successful - Why bother when the government will use your extra time and efforts to support someone that may not have put as much effort in at the first place?
I don't go into the Medicare Levy, as I've heard of horror stories from the U.S where people didn't have to bother having healthcare than something bad happened. Personally I'm glad this system is in place.
The employment section is where things really start to kick off with millions being over a few years with expectations of a stronger workforce. Okay that's not so bad so long as it is implemented well. One thing I will say is that $14.2 million is being spent on is expanding training packages for job seekers in numeracy, literacy and language, with a total of $67 million being spent on this up to and including 2013/14 financial years.
^^Does this mean that public education institutes are spitting out people that can't count or read and Australians pay for them to learn these vital skills multiple times? Or are new Australian residents more employable and looking for work more than others?
Either way, I consider that a lot of money for this exercise. On the other hand it promotes social inclusion, and parts of Australia need this.
In the 2011/12 budget $42 million dollars is being allocated to a mysterious "Renewable Enregy Future Fund". What is this exactly? The link above doesn't really provide an explanation. Is this the controversial Carbon Tax that Julia Gillard's Government announced...after announcing this tax would not be imposed before the election? Or was it money for the Solar Technology which is financing cheaper, more effective solar panel systems?
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Should Nokia give it up? PC person + Apple
Nokia is no longer an option for me. When my mobile phone contract ended in 2008 I made a switch from Nokia phones to Sony Ericsson. That phone ended up being a lemon (fueling my disliking of SONY corp) and it was replaced with one of the earlier model touch phones manufactured by Samsung. Eventually the lacking functions of the Samsung (no Wifi, 5.0MP camera and an OS that acted up from time to time) resulted in an upgrade to a smarter smart phone, or should I say smart device? It is a Windows Mobile 7 Device, a HTC Mozart...effectively the "ZunePhone" considering it's similarities with Apple iOS devices. It has a 1GHz processor and 512MB of RAM with a 8.0 HD camera...which produces very sharp images and crystal clear 720p video...And it has surround sound?!? Mind = Blown. This gadget I carry around, powered by a battery out performs a computer my parents got in 2006!
As I see Nokia ads I can't help but believe they have been left behind in the dust. Nearly every mobile phone on the market a few years back were Nokia's, and a few obscure models by foreign brands for people that wanted to be 'different'. Now people that still use Nokia's seem behind the times for some reason. Is Apple to blame. If the iPhone didn't create the touch phone they certainly popularized them, and created a new norm for a lot of population.
http://www.nokia.com.au/find-products/all-phones/nokia-n8/specifications
I could not find specifications for performance in the link above. The 12.0MP camera is very impressive though. It has microSD input as well as HDMI, very impressive. And they finally accepted 3.5mm audio.
Should I not be so quick to rule out Nokia devices? Or is Symbian (Nokia OS) and it's app's not enough to compete with the likes of Windows, Apple, and Android...not to mention Blackberry and Samsung Galaxy?
Who knows? Not me :P But what I will speculate on is the fact that all this competition in the mobile computing market is certainly a good thing for technophiliacs...and everyone that has compulsive urges to check on Facebook to "like" something every 10 minutes like clockwork.
Because I think images make my blog look good I have included a image of the first mobile phone I had. It was a hand-me-down from my brother (he upgraded to a cool and sexy Nokia). It is an Ericsson (no SONY) A1018S. The blue face plate could be changed with other designs (like anyone sold them...) and it had a case with a clip, so you could look cash with it clasping onto your belt and look important to phoneless losers of the time (lulz). This phone was later described as "being a brick" because of the size of the thing. I still have mine and it still works, neato...I'm going to ask chicks to put their number in it for me :D
As I see Nokia ads I can't help but believe they have been left behind in the dust. Nearly every mobile phone on the market a few years back were Nokia's, and a few obscure models by foreign brands for people that wanted to be 'different'. Now people that still use Nokia's seem behind the times for some reason. Is Apple to blame. If the iPhone didn't create the touch phone they certainly popularized them, and created a new norm for a lot of population.
http://www.nokia.com.au/find-products/all-phones/nokia-n8/specifications
I could not find specifications for performance in the link above. The 12.0MP camera is very impressive though. It has microSD input as well as HDMI, very impressive. And they finally accepted 3.5mm audio.
Should I not be so quick to rule out Nokia devices? Or is Symbian (Nokia OS) and it's app's not enough to compete with the likes of Windows, Apple, and Android...not to mention Blackberry and Samsung Galaxy?
Who knows? Not me :P But what I will speculate on is the fact that all this competition in the mobile computing market is certainly a good thing for technophiliacs...and everyone that has compulsive urges to check on Facebook to "like" something every 10 minutes like clockwork.
Burger Stealing Tornado
In the tradition of 'Popeye's run out of Chicken' and 'KFC employee goes crazy' I bring you "The burger stealing tornado"
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Grand Theft Auto 1
I remember first playing this game sometime just after I turned 13. It was a game I had always desired because it broke the rules and you could do as you liked. There was plenty of action and fun things to do other than what the story was telling you to.
One of my favorite things to do was go on a massive crime spree.
The missions were fun and I liked that there were 'hidden' jobs to do. The simple look and feel of the game I really enjoyed.
I have this game on PC and PlayStation (And I never owned a original PS), as well as London Mission Packs for 1969 (didn't realize until recently there were more). I went on to get GTA 2 which is a game I never really played much...but I should. I also have GTA3, Vice City, and San Andreas for PS2 and I never liked the fact that PSP got Liberty City Stories because I've never been prepared to buy a PSP...which worked out good when both Liberty City and Vice City Stories came out for PS2 and I got them both too.
I got out of gaming a bit in recent years but I have played Chinatown Wars on Nintendo DS and I do have a copy of GTAIV that I've never gotten myself into.
To be completely honest I'd be satisfied with extensions and mods for the older games including 1, 3 and Vice City...my clear favorites.
One of my favorite things to do was go on a massive crime spree.
The missions were fun and I liked that there were 'hidden' jobs to do. The simple look and feel of the game I really enjoyed.
I have this game on PC and PlayStation (And I never owned a original PS), as well as London Mission Packs for 1969 (didn't realize until recently there were more). I went on to get GTA 2 which is a game I never really played much...but I should. I also have GTA3, Vice City, and San Andreas for PS2 and I never liked the fact that PSP got Liberty City Stories because I've never been prepared to buy a PSP...which worked out good when both Liberty City and Vice City Stories came out for PS2 and I got them both too.
I got out of gaming a bit in recent years but I have played Chinatown Wars on Nintendo DS and I do have a copy of GTAIV that I've never gotten myself into.
To be completely honest I'd be satisfied with extensions and mods for the older games including 1, 3 and Vice City...my clear favorites.
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