Here's Why

Magicians exploit the flaws in our perceptions to create entertaining illusions. Deception is a part of all human societies, and its believed that deceiving other people is where we learn our theory of mind. Are politicians the only people who have taken these skills from the stage and into real life? I put on my top hat and take my magic wand to investigate CFS research and invisibility.

I watched the Federal Budget last night, and the commentary, and heard more this morning.

Commentators and politicians agreed that there are no Budget Losers, everybody gets more money from the disgustingly huge surplus of tax sloshing in the Treasury. They did point out that the wealthy get more per week back than the middle earners, but everybody has missed that the poorest get zero to LESS. More money per week for people earning $60 000 and upwards, and LESS MONEY for Disabled people, and less for people on Unemployment benefits. Part time workers are screwed. If you are kicked off Disability to Unemployment, you can lose $70 per fortnight. This would kick you out of Sydney and into a life of crime. You couldn't afford to pay rent and eat. The Government is also confiscating most of the savings of the Unemployed, so you will no longer be able to supplement your below-poverty-level income with money saved from your last job. You have to leave Sydney, and lose whatever life you've managed to establish here. The Labour politicians haven't said anything about the Welfare changes.

Of course if your savings will be stolen every time you start to build them up, then you will have no money for emergencies like your fridge needing to be replaced immediately. You will have a choice of spending it immediately and getting poorer every time an expense not covered by Welfare comes up, like appliances or dentistry. What would people spend money on immediately rather than allow the Government to steal it from them?

Extra money for medical science research, but not for any other form of science. Extra money for University buildings, but LESS funding for academic staff. More students but less lecturers. Students will be paying more fees, have no representation, no services, and AUSTUDY is less than Unemployment.

TAFE likewise gets more buildings but less staff. So much for the "Skills Crisis".

So if you read the papers and see the TV reports and hear on the radio that there are no Budget Losers, think of the many who are much less fortunate than you. When they kick me off my payment, I'll be leaving Sydney for my new life as a super-criminal, having had all my savings confiscated by the Tax-surplus-rich Feds.

Any part-time positions in Parliment?

I'm often asked for a list of fish people shouldn't eat if they want to avoid the risk of Ciguatera Fish Poisoning. Here's the official list from 1999 (before Sydney fishing was banned) for Australia, none of which I have ever knowingly eaten.

From the 1999 Federal Government report by Leigh Lehane:
http://www.affa.gov.au/corporate_docs/publications/pdf/animalplanthealth/chief_vet/ciguatera.pdf

"The main fish species in Australia that have caused outbreaks of CFP are: narrowbarred
Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commersoni) and other mackerel species,
coral trout (Plectropomus spp.), flowery cod (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus), barracuda
(Sphyraena jello), red emperor (Lutjanus sebae), queenfish (Scomberoides
commersonianus), grouper (Epinephelus lanciolatus), red bass (Lutjanus bohar),
trevally (Caranx spp.), Maori wrasse (Chelinus trilobatus), kingfish (Seriola spp.),
parrotfish (Scarus spp.), chinaman fish (Symphorus nematophorus) and paddletail
(Lutjanus gibbus) (Mitchell 1976; Gillespie et al 1986; Fenner et al 1997)."

My friend Peter is assisting Scream Queen Lush at The Taxi Club
40-42 Flinders Street, Darlinghurst at 9pm Sundays. Next week's cult movie is "Meet The Feebles" which is a Peter Jackson movie before his "Lord of the Rings" fame. Its an absolute classic, a must-see for fans of "Greg The Bunny" and other adult puppet fare.

Last month I was a guest on Lynne's Sci Fi News weekly video podcast. Download and you can see we had a lot of fun!

Lynne's latest episode features footage she shot direct from the Zombie March, check it out, and make her day by leaving a comment. You may win a prize.