Friday, February 11, 2005
Lies, damned lies....
It must be a day for trivia. I have just discovered that all this time I have been attributing one of my favourite quotes incorrectly. The quote: "There are three kinds of lies - lies, damned lies and statistics."
I have seen it attributed variously to Mark Twain and Benjamin Disraeli. In fact, it comes from Leonard Henry Courtney, who used it in an 1895 article in The National Review [London].
On the subject of quotes in similar vein, I like this one, seen this week: "The plural of anecdote is not data."
It must be a day for trivia. I have just discovered that all this time I have been attributing one of my favourite quotes incorrectly. The quote: "There are three kinds of lies - lies, damned lies and statistics."
I have seen it attributed variously to Mark Twain and Benjamin Disraeli. In fact, it comes from Leonard Henry Courtney, who used it in an 1895 article in The National Review [London].
On the subject of quotes in similar vein, I like this one, seen this week: "The plural of anecdote is not data."
Boggle at Google
Here is a statistic to boggle the mind. The Google search engine is based on a cluster of 100,000 computers, most of them around Stanford, in California's Silicon Valley.
Here is a statistic to boggle the mind. The Google search engine is based on a cluster of 100,000 computers, most of them around Stanford, in California's Silicon Valley.
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Childhood for sale
Your children are being preyed upon. Not by pedophiles, but by advertisers. And it is not benign.
Two new books catalogue some disturbing trends:
By 2002, US children between the ages of 4 and 12 spent over $30 billion in purchases, up from $6.9 billion in 1989;
Shopping has become one of kids' main leisure activities;
Advertisers are invading school classrooms;
Advertising has created sexualised sub-teens;
The main ambition of most kids now is to be rich or famous;
Relationships with adults are being endangered;
Sex, crime, drinking and drugs among young children are all increasing.
In other words, there has been a hostile take-over of children.
Despite the gloom, though, the article concludes that there are encouraging signs that kids themselves are beginning to shake off the pit they have got into.
Your children are being preyed upon. Not by pedophiles, but by advertisers. And it is not benign.
Two new books catalogue some disturbing trends:
By 2002, US children between the ages of 4 and 12 spent over $30 billion in purchases, up from $6.9 billion in 1989;
Shopping has become one of kids' main leisure activities;
Advertisers are invading school classrooms;
Advertising has created sexualised sub-teens;
The main ambition of most kids now is to be rich or famous;
Relationships with adults are being endangered;
Sex, crime, drinking and drugs among young children are all increasing.
In other words, there has been a hostile take-over of children.
Despite the gloom, though, the article concludes that there are encouraging signs that kids themselves are beginning to shake off the pit they have got into.
Matt Robson thinks NZ should be more like Cuba
When a politician begins his letter: "Hello from Havana at the start of Election Year 2005", your eyebrows have to raise. I suppose it says it all really. Anyway, Matt Robson thinks Cuba is a great role model for NZ (he really does -- really!) Like, they have abolished illiteracy, are exporting doctors, and have trained a few prisoners to do more than go out and commit more crimes. WOW!
They have also abolished most of their economy, freedom, political opposition, new cars, new buildings, tourism, and any boat that will carry people more than 10 yards offshore. The list goes on. I'm sure Helen Clark would love to have the same power as Fidel, but in that case, why is Matt Robson bothering to continue belonging to a separate political party?
When a politician begins his letter: "Hello from Havana at the start of Election Year 2005", your eyebrows have to raise. I suppose it says it all really. Anyway, Matt Robson thinks Cuba is a great role model for NZ (he really does -- really!) Like, they have abolished illiteracy, are exporting doctors, and have trained a few prisoners to do more than go out and commit more crimes. WOW!
They have also abolished most of their economy, freedom, political opposition, new cars, new buildings, tourism, and any boat that will carry people more than 10 yards offshore. The list goes on. I'm sure Helen Clark would love to have the same power as Fidel, but in that case, why is Matt Robson bothering to continue belonging to a separate political party?
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Don't play with your food!
Latest example of PC stupidity: A Wellington City Council holiday programme coordinator was asked not to use real eggs for egg and spoon races. Wooden eggs must be used, not just because they're cheaper but because, yes you guessed it, "there is an element of cultural sensitivity in [real eggs'] use because some cultures are offended by the use of food as a plaything".
As Deborah Coddington says: "There go the lolly scrambles. Apple bobbing's a thing of the past. Just about all children's party games will have to be banned – my kids loved the competition where teams had to dress up then run and eat a chocolate fish with a knife and fork... Playdough made with flour's a no-no. The culture-sensitive police will be inspecting all playcentres."
Latest example of PC stupidity: A Wellington City Council holiday programme coordinator was asked not to use real eggs for egg and spoon races. Wooden eggs must be used, not just because they're cheaper but because, yes you guessed it, "there is an element of cultural sensitivity in [real eggs'] use because some cultures are offended by the use of food as a plaything".
As Deborah Coddington says: "There go the lolly scrambles. Apple bobbing's a thing of the past. Just about all children's party games will have to be banned – my kids loved the competition where teams had to dress up then run and eat a chocolate fish with a knife and fork... Playdough made with flour's a no-no. The culture-sensitive police will be inspecting all playcentres."
'If you don't take a job as a prostitute, we can stop your benefits'
A 25-year-old waitress who turned down a job providing "sexual services'' at a brothel in Berlin faces possible cuts to her unemployment benefit under laws introduced this year, the Daily Telegraph reports.
Prostitution was legalised in Germany just over two years ago and brothel owners – who must pay tax and employee health insurance – were granted access to official databases of jobseekers.
The waitress, an unemployed information technology professional, had said that she was willing to work in a bar at night and had worked in a cafe. She received a letter from the job centre telling her that an employer was interested in her "profile'' and that she should ring them. Only on doing so did the woman, who has not been identified for legal reasons, realise that she was calling a brothel.
Under Germany's welfare reforms, any woman under 55 who has been out of work for more than a year can be forced to take an available job – including in the sex industry – or lose her unemployment benefit. The government had considered making brothels an exception on moral grounds, but decided that it would be too difficult to distinguish them from bars. As a result, job centres must treat employers looking for a prostitute in the same way as those looking for a dental nurse.
A 25-year-old waitress who turned down a job providing "sexual services'' at a brothel in Berlin faces possible cuts to her unemployment benefit under laws introduced this year, the Daily Telegraph reports.
Prostitution was legalised in Germany just over two years ago and brothel owners – who must pay tax and employee health insurance – were granted access to official databases of jobseekers.
The waitress, an unemployed information technology professional, had said that she was willing to work in a bar at night and had worked in a cafe. She received a letter from the job centre telling her that an employer was interested in her "profile'' and that she should ring them. Only on doing so did the woman, who has not been identified for legal reasons, realise that she was calling a brothel.
Under Germany's welfare reforms, any woman under 55 who has been out of work for more than a year can be forced to take an available job – including in the sex industry – or lose her unemployment benefit. The government had considered making brothels an exception on moral grounds, but decided that it would be too difficult to distinguish them from bars. As a result, job centres must treat employers looking for a prostitute in the same way as those looking for a dental nurse.
Monday, February 07, 2005
Cardinals say Popes should retire at 80 for the sake of the church
Future Popes will have to retire at a fixed age, under secret plans being discussed by Roman Catholic cardinals, ending a tradition of service until death that has lasted two millennia, The Times reports. According to senior Church sources, cardinals -- who will meet in conclave to elect the next Pope -- have discussed among themselves the need to choose someone who is open to a retirement age, probably 80.
They do not want a repeat of the past few years, when the ill-health of Pope John Paul II, 84, has forced him to take an increasingly light hand in directing the Church. The Church has, in effect, been run by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the ultraconservative head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, whose nickname is John Paul III but who, at 77, is considered too old to succeed him, and Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Secretary of State. Also at the heart of every decision is Joaquín Navarro-Valls, the celibate Opus Dei member, a qualified doctor who is the Pope’s press officer and most-trusted adviser.
The Pope was elected in 1978, making him the third longest-serving pontiff in history, but Catholic officials believe that this could be the “beginning of the end”.
Future Popes will have to retire at a fixed age, under secret plans being discussed by Roman Catholic cardinals, ending a tradition of service until death that has lasted two millennia, The Times reports. According to senior Church sources, cardinals -- who will meet in conclave to elect the next Pope -- have discussed among themselves the need to choose someone who is open to a retirement age, probably 80.
They do not want a repeat of the past few years, when the ill-health of Pope John Paul II, 84, has forced him to take an increasingly light hand in directing the Church. The Church has, in effect, been run by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the ultraconservative head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, whose nickname is John Paul III but who, at 77, is considered too old to succeed him, and Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Secretary of State. Also at the heart of every decision is Joaquín Navarro-Valls, the celibate Opus Dei member, a qualified doctor who is the Pope’s press officer and most-trusted adviser.
The Pope was elected in 1978, making him the third longest-serving pontiff in history, but Catholic officials believe that this could be the “beginning of the end”.
Government to spend $27m to put 7,300 back in work
Social Development and Employment Minister Steve Maharey has announced a programme that will see the government spend $27 million to get the already shrinking number of long term unemployed back in work. Mr Maherey said the numbers of long term unemployed -- adults out of work for more than three years -- fell by 1,400 between June and November 2004, and stands now at 7,300.
Isn't it wonderful how the government can find more and more ways to spend more and more of my money for less and less effect!
That their much touted Jobs Jolt scheme, which aimed to move 22,000 beneficiaries into work, could actually budge only 1768 -- and one of them, the Cyber Communications scheme, which cost $445,000 to run, has seen just four beneficiaries move into work -- does not seem to have deterred them.
Social Development and Employment Minister Steve Maharey has announced a programme that will see the government spend $27 million to get the already shrinking number of long term unemployed back in work. Mr Maherey said the numbers of long term unemployed -- adults out of work for more than three years -- fell by 1,400 between June and November 2004, and stands now at 7,300.
Isn't it wonderful how the government can find more and more ways to spend more and more of my money for less and less effect!
That their much touted Jobs Jolt scheme, which aimed to move 22,000 beneficiaries into work, could actually budge only 1768 -- and one of them, the Cyber Communications scheme, which cost $445,000 to run, has seen just four beneficiaries move into work -- does not seem to have deterred them.
