Global Financial Crisis

[i_amtrunks]

Yes they have. They're building the electric grid for a start.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17912_3-10073799-72.html
http://www.betterplace.com/australia

And they're apparently researching some sort of special algae/biofuel for airplanes.

Then you have the total F-nuts that are greenpeace:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/10...greenpeace_no/

The only thing that is standing in the way of us (Australia), owning the world of the future is ignorance and politicans. Of course I mean uranium.

And don't forget that we are world leaders in Water technology too, and if the public and dole bludgers in suits (read: politicians) could be convinced our recycled water and Biosolids programs would have been up and running years ago.
We also have a number of the worlds top Desalination experts that reside overseas thanks again to reluctance of accepting new technology at home.

[Burn]

Well, we use to work a 40 hour week with 2 of those hours being paid as over time.

We in Admin have been knocked back to 38 hours a week. Downside - I lose $60 or so gross ($40 or so after tax) a week. Upside - I get to leave work early 2 hours one day a week. Three if I don't have lunch.

Annoying side - We did this to save one of the other girl's jobs. Workshop have declined to do the same and have opted instead to be money hungry (even though there's not much work for them to begin with) while the Retail side of things have yet to decide.

[STL]

This I agree with entirely.

[Golden Phoenix]

This I agree with entirely.

ditto.

[TheDirtyDigger]

This I agree with entirely.

I don't know man. Although it sounds logical and I'd like to take it at face value, Murdoch always has an agenda and he wouldn't be saying anything unless there was something in it for him and his neo-con Zionist cronies. Also his nickname is ' the Dirty Digger'. I was shocked when that was pointed out to me. How can you trust someone with a name like that?


Anyway...not all Aussies are government subsidised, dole bludgers.


My mum's still working at her age and refuses a pension.....

Where do you find this stuff, Stuart?

Some from our good friend Google but a lot from emails from friends who are even more messed up than I am. (It's true...they exist )

[MV75]

Too much middle class welfare and subsidies are given out.

Plus the governments should never had bailed out those firms such as Fran & freddie who started all this mess. Should be like any business, you screw up, then you take the bad with the good you had.

After looking at "foreclosure ally", it wouldn't have mattered if they let those institutes collapse as people lost their homes anyway.

The real lesson the people need to realise is that to not get too used to the good times and expect them to last forever, and continue to last when the bad times come around.

EG: Look at, well anything really. It's all roses during the boom, then the bad times hit "wha wha wha, poor us, we only made 30 million this year instead of 100 million". WAAAAAAHHHHHHH.

[STL]

I don't know man. Although it sounds logical and I'd like to take it at face value, Murdoch always has an agenda and he wouldn't be saying anything unless there was something in it for him and his neo-con Zionist cronies. Also his nickname is ' the Dirty Digger'. I was shocked when that was pointed out to me. How can you trust someone with a name like that?

You never cease to amaze me, you know that?

I think we have a perception in Australia that we work to hard when in fact we don't. I've been in the professional workforce as well as in the attitude of many of my younger peers today. I mean, all my peers at uni in the younger age bracket seem to have a very hypocritical attitude to work. They have absolutely no compunctions about taking time off for "personal" reasons, ie. party, and deceiving the employer but then when the employer says no, I need you to work today they moan they've just had enough. I see this among my peers at uni a lot and while I don't speak up about it, it does bother me.

[SilverDragon]

*sings* It's the end of the world as we know it...

[dirge]

I mean, all my peers at uni in the younger age bracket seem to have a very hypocritical attitude to work. They have absolutely no compunctions about taking time off for "personal" reasons, ie. party, and deceiving the employer but then when the employer says no, I need you to work today they moan they've just had enough. I see this among my peers at uni a lot and while I don't speak up about it, it does bother me.

From what I understand, this exact type of behaviour seems to be a "gen y" thing - as in it's something mainly attempted by younger workers. FWIW, I don't really like the idea of workers being pre-judged by their age group - no doubt this is something done by certain people within that age group and not others.

You're right that Australians do feel a sense of entitlement about taking time off. I knew a guy who would make sure he'd take 10 days of sick leave every year, purely because he was entitled to it. And no, he's not "gen y".

Re Murdoch, this bit is interesting, "The bludger should not be our national icon". As DD said, Murdoch always operates with an agenda. This is a man who voluntarily relinquished his Australian citizenship to further his business interests (I'm not sure he's in a position to speak in terms of "our national icon"!). Usually when Murdoch makes comments in Australia he's trying to influence policy in one fashion or another - rather than just giving his opinion for his own sake. Which isn't to say he's _wrong_, but I suspect there's a budgetary agenda in that. Less handout means less need to tax his business interests (or something vaguely along those lines).

[STL]

Oh I agree. The cynic in me knows he wants something else too but I can't help but actually agree with him which makes it all the more poignant in my eyes.

For Oakes Day, I know of a lot of my mates who are whining about exams and complaining about the lecturer making the course so hard or that they're gonna fake a sickie for extra study yet have found time for Oakes Day. I'm all for going but if you go, at least take some responsibility for your actions and don't turn around on your employer and call him an ass. I'm good w/ my the fellas but sometimes I just don't like the attitude and so just avoid the issue (tho I do rib 'em about when I get the chance). I dunno, or maybe it's just the law faculty.