Google Chrome

I have really taken to the Google Chrome browser, not only have I downloaded to every device at home and work, I notice my friends and colleagues also utilise the browser too. As I share computers in a teaching and learning environment, I download the program onto every computer in every classroom I utilise.

Once upon a time, Microsoft's Internet Explorer dominated web searches and came loaded on every MS Windows driven computer, now Microsoft's dominance is definitely waning. This is great news, the Chrome browser is simple and efficient, the advantage is once you are signed into one service, you have access to all of Google's products. I show a short educational Youtube clip, I quickly search my favourites for future classes, preparation time is significantly reduced.

I only wish the IT department was so service driven, my workplace programs require multiple log in procedures and countless password changes. This is actually less secure as there is no way to remember every combination as your passwords change monthly and you are unable to use previous versions.

The solution? Keep written versions close at hand so you can enter the password quickly with most colleagues utilising post it notes stuck to their screen - how secure is that? To even print a page, you need to log into the multi-function printer to print a page, you can imagine a cluster of post it notes are pasted to the wall alongside the printer.

The browser is compatible with every page I download, it hardly freezes up, not like all the issues I had with MS Internet Explorer. When I log in, all my links, favourites and history immediately appears, my browser is customised for my use - this is so efficient. The browser is fast, I am able to search my history for previous searches and downloads, I also keep documents and pdf downloads on Google Drive for reference material.

Instead of keeping hard copy versions of reference books at work, just log in and open a pdf version of a reference book, I no longer need to carry USB drives everywhere loaded with all my information. My only issue is to remember to log out when I am finished - even an old school hack like me can remember that.

Lycra clad wa..ers on the footpath

I was running around Lake Monger in the morning on a dual use walkway/cycleway and needed to move from the path to my route across the grass. I didn't need to look behind me as I was moving faster the walkers on the path.

No need to look back as I was moving faster than the walkers, I was nearly run down from behind as a lycra clad shaved legged wanker hurtles past me way too fast.

I copped a torrent of abuse from this fool and returned fire by telling him in no uncertain terms that he is required to ring his bell. It is not only cars having trouble with the lycra clad wanker brigade, it is pedestrians and runners too.

It is about time we licensed bike riders for both the road and paths, they need to carry insurance like vehicles do and carry a minimum of safety equipment - namely bells and lights. Furthermore, they should should be fined for failing to adhere to the rules in the same manner that car drivers are fined.

What are these guys racing so fast on a dual use pathway for? If you want to go that fast then go to a velodrome, what do they think they are doing, a stage on the Tour de France?

Is the weight of the 45 gram bell going to slow terminal velocity down, create too much wind resistance or throw the balance of the handlebars out? Get real and show some respect for road users be it car drivers or walkers and joggers.

What is Russia doing here?

So Russia is siding with the Assad regime? This is very concerning. I fully understand a country protects its strategic interests, but it would appear Russia's actions are assisting Daesh fighters in the region - that can't be good for anybody.

The risk of United States or English fighter jets engaging each other seems to be high, we now learn British forces have permission to engage Russian fighter jets if they act in an offensive manner.

Russian fighter jets have strayed into Turkish territory on a number of occasions, a NATO country and while Turkish fighter jets have been scrambled, not Russian fighter jets have been fired upon or shot down.

The risk of escalation in this region is very high and could easily draw a number of strategically important nations into direct conflict with each other - this is really concerning.

The politics of envy - reignited

Tony Burke really made a goose of himself last week in parliamentary question time; in short, he got owned by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull when he questioned his wealth. But lets not forget, the wife (and by default husband) of former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is also insanely rich. Tony Burke failed to mention that the Rudd family has a similar wealth as the Turnbull family - oh. Now it comes out the the Turnbull household donates half a million dollars to charity annually - that's a pretty significant tax deduction too.

Yes, Malcolm Turnbull does have investments in managed funds in the Cayman Islands; yes, even Tony Burke himself does not try to infer that Malcolm and Lucy Turnbull do not pay tax in Australia as that would be even more embarrassing for him. However, this is the same Tony Burke that was implicated in the parliamentary travel rorts affair where he flew his family around in business class on taxpayer funds - ouch. 

The Australian Labor Party is trying to tie Malcolm Turnbull with multinational tax avoidance schemes; these are the exact same multinational companies that were operating during the largely ineffective Rudd/Gillard/Rudd governments - they probably should have addressed the issue then. The real issue here is Australia now has a seriously rich Prime Minister who donates more the equivalent PMs salary to charity annually, they are trying to convince voters he is out of touch with the working family. 

This tactic worked with Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey who is also reasonably wealthy as compared to average Australians; but this divisive tactic designed to cover up the fact that the Australian Labor Party has a deeply unpopular leader can't be disguised. 

The dirty and unscrupulous tactics of the Australian Labor Party of constantly playing the man instead of government policy worked on former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, but new Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is so much more articulate than Abbott, able to think quickly on his feet and reply with a counter punch so sharp - it leaves these one trick fools rudderless.    

But why the politics of envy? This was a concerted effort by Bill Shorten to deflect attention away from his testimony in the Royal Commission into Union Corruption; in short, Shorten is fried. Thanks to Rudd, the Labor Party is almost unable to elect a new leader until the next election and will be stuck with the sinking and unpopular Bill Shorten after a more than likely election loss. We have a successful Prime Minister who earned his wealth not by inheritance or a successful wife, we have a Prime Minister that was successful in business in his own right. 

Ironically, Australian Super, the industry superannuation fund that Bill Shorten was once a board member also invests some of its funds in Cayman Island domiciled investments. As Australia has a tax information sharing agreement, this isn't an issue with Australian Super and Malcolm Turnbull. Likewise, a zero tax jurisdiction doesn't mean you don't pay tax, well not anymore anyway, it means you are not taxed twice.

Now, if a future Prime Minister emerges who dedicated themselves to community service, science, medical research or similar endeavors and has not earned great wealth; this does not matter, the emphasis here is successful interaction with the community.  

Even more laughable was Bill Shorten's deflection of union corruption, yet he himself is so closely aligned to big business that he flew back from the United States to the Beaconsfield mine disaster in seriously wealthy businessman Richard Pratt's private plane; the site where he launched his political career on the plight of the trapped underground miners - whoa.

Royal Perth Yacht Club opening day

As a freshly minted member of Royal Perth Yacht Club, after years of sailing out of the club and utilising their facilities, I decided in 2014 to join the club in the newly designated crew member status.

Opening day wasn't great for us, we were guilty of a poor start, going the wrong way on the first work windward and then making more poor decisions. We can't even be viewed on the start line as we were sailed over by all the other boats. We then found a dead area whilst the rest of the fleet sailed away, we struggled to view them they were so far away.

You could imagine our surprise we we later learned we were second across the line because the other boats went in the other direction rounding the wrong buoys; because we were so far behind, we never followed and crossed in front of all but one boat - kind of like a Steven Bradbury moment. Fortunately, a week later at the Royal Freshwater Yacht Club opening day, we sailed a pretty good race and earned our second across the line place - a vastly improved performance.

Diving Rotto

The great thing about diving around Rottnest Island, or Rotto to the locals is that the island can be dived during not only spring, summer and autumn seasons but during winter as well. Naturally, it has to be select days as the charter boat may be cancelled due to inclement weather conditions - you take that risk.

Actually, winter days where obviously no storms are in the vicinity are some of my favourite dive trips. The water temperature drops from an average of 21 - 23 degrees Celsius to 18 degrees Celsius, not that great a decline. Early spring is a pretty good choice when the sea breeze hasn't set in making conditions somewhat difficult. During summer, the strong sea breeze really whips over the water creating largish swells, wave chop and generally poor surface conditions. So the sky is sometimes overcast in the off-season; who cares, the day out on the boat is better and the boat tends to be less crowded.

Singapore Airlines service decline

I understand you can have a bad day at the office, so when Singapore Airlines cabin crew have a bad flight, plenty of people are affected. On a recent flight, the dinner service was delayed to the poor organisation by the cabin crew in my section - no problems I thought.

As I was in the centre aisle, I was easily able to judge the time lapse between service within the port/starboard aisles; I can live with that. On my connecting flight before, the cabin crew brought out the wrong meal, naturally I never said anything and thought nothing of it, but a trend was emerging.

The starboard aisle was served first, they had actually finished eating their meals when our meals in the port aisle arrived. So when my meal choice was temporarily unavailable, I thought nothing of it as it happens, they just quickly grab another meal from a cart in a different section, only takes a couple of minutes. 

However, when my meal request actually arrived, even the port aisle had finished eating and I had been sitting there patiently waiting - the only person eating in my whole section about to start my meal.

I had been working on my laptop computer prior to the meal service, I packed it up in preparation for the service and was sitting there waiting for them as I would be unable to move properly when the meal actually came to pack up and stow my computer - so it was pretty disruptive for me. The person in the seat next to me had finished her meal and started back working on her computer while I watched on still waiting.

When the cart was finally wheeled down the port aisle; I requested a drink and I was acknowledged only to be forgotten for the person in the next row, that is when I asked again, it was like I was ignored - still no food, I just wanted a drink while waiting. 

This sounds like a first world problem - it probably is; however, it is not what you expect from Singapore Airlines. So when my meal arrived, my glass of wine was empty, a request for another glass of wine is not unreasonable in the circumstances.

Regardless, if I make a reasonable and polite request, don't ignore me and certainly don't roll your eyes at my request. I never complained once, not when you forgot my meal, my drink, my bread which I never received at all, my coffee and finally the desert.

However, you have to remember that I have paid good money for this service that is attached to this ticket; this is not a budget airline and you expect them to honour their advertising. It these days of strong competition, you would expect a full-cost carrier like Singapore Airlines to provide higher levels of service to justify their ticket cost - they are certainly not doing that. 

They are behaving like a budget airline and not a full cost carrier, I am now seriously considering changing carriers when flying in Asia, this is happening all too often with Singapore Airlines. I don't complain to staff, I change carriers and support their opposition.