Internet fax
I disconnected two phone lines today in response to the escalating cost of renting them and the purchase of my new mobile.I kept the business line, which has a Message Bank service.
One of the disconnected lines was used for fax and modem. It’s inconvenient that Internet connections will now have to be made through the single phone line, but down the track I hope to use Internet call waiting.
Meanwhile, I will probably divert the phone to my mobile during the day.
I’ve set up a fax account with mBox. By some means of magic they transform faxes into PDF files and e-mail them to me. I have a dedicated fax number.
There’s an $8 monthly charge for this service, so I cancelled caller ID on the remaining land line to balance this cost.
I’ll monitor the total call costs over the next few months to see if I’m ahead. I think there will be savings, and even if it breaks even I’ve got the bonus of a new mobile/organiser.
Generational cusp
I’m going to a school reunion in Traralgon on the Labor Day weekend and the lead-up has made me somewhat nostalgic.
The event will commemorate 20 years since our class of ‘84 finished secondary school at Lourdes College.
I may reflect in this blog on various childhood recollections over the next couple of weeks. The purpose of this entry is to expound my theory that those of us born 1965-69 are a missing link in the sea of generational change.
Much is written about the Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y, however little thought is given to those of us born on the cusp of transition.
I believe that our half-decade is unique in social history for the last couple of hundred years.
Before setting forth I will give some definitions.
Baby Boomer: Anyone born in the post-war period from 1946 to 1964. My Internet research confirms this as the standard demographer’s definition.
Generation X: There is less agreement on a definition for this. I say it applies most appropriately to those born from 1970 to 1989 on the basis that Generation X represents the children of Baby Boomers.
Most of us born 1965-69 had parents who either lived through the Second World War or were born during it.
That’s a significant distinction. The Depression and WW2 were life-shaping events that cannot be denied for their social and historical importance.
Anyone touched by them in some way is sure to carry that mark for the rest of their lives.
In the case of Australia, the end of WW2 also heralded an influx of immigrants.
Take my own case: My father was born in 1935. He grew up in a remote farming district without electricity or easy access to secondary schools. My mother was born in the Netherlands in 1945.
The war, and hardship associated with it, was an overriding influence on their lives. They can’t be compared with the carefree Baby Boomers, who only knew of such things from their parents.
Baby Boomers were born into an era of peace and prosperity, with low interest rates and jobs for all.
By the time I was born in 1967 a war had started in Vietnam, the Cold War had intensified and the good times had a horizon.
Children born after 1969 are mostly the offspring of Baby Boomers. Their outlook is shaped by that of their parents.
So what distinguishes the half-decade of 1965-69 from the periods before and after?
I’ve already mentioned the escalating Cold War tension. To give it an Australian context I add the following.
Currency: Pounds, shillings and pence were replaced in 1966 and made obsolete in 1967. I remember sixpences and shillings turning up in change until the late 1970s.
Weights and measures: I think it was Gough Whitlam who fast-tracked the introduction of metric in Australia. He came to power in 1972; the year I started school. Most children aren’t taught measurements until grade three, by which time my group had been indoctrinated anecdotally with feet and inches, pounds and ounces.
Television: It was the mid 1970s before color TV was common in Australia. I well remember the struggle of watching Collingwood play North Melbourne in black and white.
Politics: Gough Whitlam (1972-1975) changed Australia forever. His brief leadership began the end of Australia’s constitutional monarchy and the trappings that go with it.
Technology: Computers didn’t become common until the late 1980s, bypassing those of us born during the 60s in terms of school instruction. We had lessons on computer programming in Year 11 (1983), which with hindsight were an absolute waste of time given we had no computers and the changes since then.
The period from 1965-69 is close in memory to the Second World War. Those of us born during that period grew up with people whose lives were touched directly by the war.
As a short-term Boy Scout in Traralgon I marched with Boer War veterans in the Anzac Day Parade. When I was growing up someone born in the 80s was born in the 1880s.
I don’t have a name for my cusp generation, except to call it that.
The children of Baby Boomers, or Generation X, are in my view more carefree, greater risk takers and more liberal.
I think we inherited our parents’ conservative attitude to risk, but with greater adaptability and a better capacity to cope with change.
This is a conflict that sometimes pulls us in different directions and competes for resolution.
Nokia 6600
I’ve obtained a Nokia 6600 mobile phone. It’s a fantastic gadget that does nearly everything except wash the dishes and vacuum. It’s made my Palm V handheld redundant.
The phone has a large full-color display screen with a computer-style interface. It features a calendar and contact book that can be synchronised easily with my PC via infrared transmission.
The phone also has a digital camera and video recorder. Files can be copied to computer via infrared or multimedia card. There is also Bluetooth capability, the phone is WAP enabled and it can connect to the Internet or send faxes.
I decided to get the Nokia on a $55 monthly plan after hearing that landline phone rental costs are going up again. I have three phone lines and will cut these to one, saving about $55 a month. I’ll use the mobile mainly for long-distance calls.
The point of this blog is not really to rave about the phone or complain about Telstra. Rather, I’d like to stress that people should shop around when choosing a mobile plan.
The Nokia 6600 retails for about $750. On a plan with Optus it would have cost $650. I’m connected to the Optus network, but the provider is a company called B Clear and Simple. They seem to have better phone deals on their plans.
I was sold to them by one of their agents called Mobile Stop, who seem to have better deals again.
In fact the Nokia 6600 wasn’t available on any of the advertised B Clear and Simple plans.
The call costs I face on the $55 per month deal are the same as for the regular Optus plan, but I picked up the phone for around $600 cheaper.
The only difference I can see is that I’m locked into a monthly direct debit, instead of receiving an invoice.
I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the clarity of reception on the Optus GSM network. It’s clearer than my CDMA phone and worked well today in rural areas.
Railway trivia
Yesterday’s ride up the rail trail to Beechworth prompted me to think about the engineering achievement it was to build that line.
My enquiries uncovered that Ballarat contractors Fishburn and Morton undertook the excavation works.
They had to build 33 bridges and 45 culverts for the 16km section through granite hills.
Previous research had recommended the Fairlie railway system, which was specially adapted to hilly country. Apparently this is a form of articulation for steam locomotives where a double-ended boiler sits on two powered units (with cylinders on the outer ends) that are free to move.
The economics of building a railway to Beechworth weren’t too good, especially after the Sydney line had previously been routed through Wangaratta instead of Beechworth.
It helped that the local Member of Parliament, GB Kerferd, became Victorian Premier and Attorney-General!
The first locomotive pulled into Beechworth on September 29, 1876, carrying the Governor Sir George Bowen. Two trains a day travelled the route, which closed in 1977.
The last train to Porepunkah and Bright was in 1987.
Horror in the East
I saw a disturbing documentary on ABC Television the other night, aptly named “Horror in the East”.
It described the build up of Japanese militarism following the First World War, the Japanese invasion of China and the opening stages of the Second World War.
We don’t hear much about Japan in this country and know little about it except the country produces motor vehicles, buys our coal, has lots of people and treated our prisoners of war very badly.
The documentary started with the observation that early 20th century Japan was anxious to emulate all things western. Imperial princes visited England in western dress. Japan was a British ally in WW1. The German prisoners they captured were treated extremely well. Some were so happy that they stayed in Japan after the war.
The Depression years saw a build-up of Japanese military power. The Army effectively took control of the government and used public adoration of the Emperor to its advantage.
Soldier recruits were bullied and encouraged towards violent behavior.
The Japanese invaded China in the late 1930s. This I knew and I had vaguely heard of the terrible way they treated people in Nanking, the then capital of China. The brutality was shocking and the film included interviews with survivors.
One woman was stabbed with bayonets when she resisted rape, killing her unborn baby son. She commented sadly that he would have been more than 60 years old if he had lived to be born.
The Japanese veterans were illuminating. They told how they were self-conscious of brutal acts at first, but became immune to them. The culture was one that encouraged, even rewarded brutality. Chinese and other Asian races were regarded as sub-human.
It was in that context that Australian, British and Dutch people were captured and treated so badly, but not so badly as native Asians.
It’s ironic that Japan claimed to be saving Asia from colonialism, only to replace it with an imperial yoke.
As someone interested in history and politics I’m interested to learn more about Hitler’s attitude to the Japanese. He had an alliance with them, but was it one of convenience, like his original pact with Stalin?
Hitler detested non Europeans. Why did he allow the Japanese to control French Indochina and the Dutch East Indies, given that France and the Netherlands became subservient to Germany?
Some more reading is required.
US Free Trade Agreement
The government’s argument that a poor Free Trade Agreement with the United States is better than none at all has a certain perverse logic.
It appears from the information available to date that Australian manufacturers and miners will benefit from the agreement. There will also be increased access to American markets for lamb and beef exporters.
That’s a significant boost for the sheepmeat industry and long overdue.
My concern with the FTA relates particularly to dairy. Victoria has a highly efficient dairy industry that operates without protection. Most of Victoria’s milk is exported as cheese, butter, UHT and powder.
Milk producers are already excluded from European markets and have to compete with subsidised European and American products in Asia.
While the focus of the FTA has been on sugar, I believe the deal is worse for milk producers.
Sugar farmers are arguably less efficient and less important from the global perspective of producing something that the world needs.
There is demand for dairy goods. The issue for Australian farmers is that they have to compete against subsidised production from other countries.
As far as I know the Brazilian sugar industry isn’t subsidised; it’s just that they produce it more cheaply there. The challenge for Australian sugar farmers is to become more efficient or grow something else.
The Queensland dairy industry underwent radical change after deregulation, but will now be in a stronger position to survive into the long term.
Access for all Australian dairy farmers to world and American markets on a level playing field is an outcome we must continue to strive for.
Election spin
I’m an election junky. The Internet has made it possible for me to follow election results around the world as they happen.
My main interest is still within Australia, but in recent months I’ve also followed the Democrat primaries in the US and the Northern Ireland Assembly elections.
Last night I listened to ABC Radio’s coverage of the Queensland election, via the Internet, while browsing the web site with seat-by-seat results.
It’s fascinating that Labor is currently so dominant across all states, but not in the federal sphere.
The Labor Premiers are all much alike in that they’ve worked hard to mould a centre party that isn’t perceived as being union dominated or loony left.
I think Bracks is starting to look shaky, but his huge majority will probably ensure one more term.
Peter Beattie is a smooth operator. It was funny to hear him on AM last week saying he feared that Labor might lose. He obviously wanted to avoid complacency, but nobody seriously thought the Coalition could win Queensland.
The radio coverage last night included heaps of spin from all the parties and candidates. The One Nation leader refused to concede even though the numbers made it impossible for him to win.
The Nats claimed they had set things up for victory next time despite only winning a couple of seats.
I think it was a good result for the National Party. They’ve shaken the One Nation bogey and shored up support in heartland seats.
All analysts agree that Brisbane needs to swing towards the Liberals before there will be a change of government in Queensland. The Libs hold five seats and I think they’re all on the Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast except for one or maybe two.
It’s extraordinary that Labor is so dominant in Brisbane.
A few ex-One Nation MPs are hanging on as Independents. The Independents in Nambour and Gladstone also increased their support.
Sugar industry politics are an interesting sideshow in Queensland. The National Party won most of the sugar seats, but it’s easier to be in Opposition when radical change is proposed.
The state results in those seats won’t necessarily be repeated in the federal election, especially if sugar is excluded from the United States Free Trade Agreement.
It’s hard to say what the Queensland result means for John Howard and Mark Latham. I’ve been surprised at the fierceness of the personal attacks against Latham.
Howard and Costello rarely laid a glove on Beazley or Crean, as though they wanted to protect them in the top job!
They’re seriously worried about Latham and his past is being dug over and juicy snippets leaked to friendly media.
It’s nasty stuff and I can only see it intensifying as the election draws closer.
Golden handshake
I don’t hold shares in the National Australia Bank, but my business accounts are with them. As a customer and interested observer I find the $14 million payout to Frank Cicutto offensive.
The clear inference from his termination, whether voluntary or forced, is that he accepts responsibilty for the rogue money trading scandal.
A golden handshake for failing to perform isn’t appropriate in these circumstances.
The Age today reported that the $14 million payout comprises a mix of accumulated superannuation, annual leave ($2.9 million), cash bonus and vested options.
No business should allow any employee to accumulate $2.9 million in annual leave. Frank should have taken more holidays. If his body was fresh and his mind clear he might have performed better in the top job.
Executive salaries are out of control. Apart from shareholder pressure the only solution I can think of is to tax people earning more than $1 million a year at something like 80 cents in the dollar above the $1 million threshold.
It’s crazy that people earning $70,000 a year are in the top tax bracket along with the likes of Cicutto and Packer.
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