How do flies spread disease?

After a nasty experience overseas with flies crawling all over food, I ask myself, how do flies actually spread disease? We all kind of know this and spend our time shooing flies off food and drinks.

This is what I love about writing a blog, it gives me the opportunity to research a wide range of topics. I am researching this after another nasty bout of gastroenteritis; had attended a Balinese wedding where the flies had to been seen to be believed. It was like we were in a tent designed to keep the flies in with the flies contacting everything.

So my research tells me flies collect pathogens on both their legs and mouths carrying the diseases on the small hairs or bristles on their legs and bodies. So the next question is, what is a pathogen? A pathogen is an infectious agent that may also be described as a biological agent causing disease and illness.

We have all seen flies land on objects and rub their rear legs together so this makes sense. By rubbing its legs together, the fly is able to scrape of some of the material that has gathered on its bristles contaminating the area it has just landed on.

The diseases they carry include typhoid, cholera and dysentery - all diseases that will mess you up big time. More diseases, such as salmonella, anthrax and tuberculosis are carried by flies - but I'm guessing these diseases are less likely. Flies feed on feces and as were on a Balinese farm, they had a rich food source as the farm was unclean, you could smell it.

The farm really reeked of the foul stench of animal faces so I'm guessing they were not big on cleaning the animal stalls. The local population seemed none too bothered by all this and with all the rubbish including plastic around the area were not big on hygiene at all. I don't want to be a rich westerner looking down at poor people in developing nations; you can be poor and work hard to clean up where you live.

Due to their sponge type mouths, flies feed on liquids requiring them to liquefy their food through regurgitation. Flies eat by throwing up their stomach contents on their food source with the digestive juices breaking the solid matter into smaller chunks. Flies then use their proboscis to recover the stomach contents by drinking the digestive juices and dissolved food source.

Fortunately, despite the feeling of wanting to continually vomit and crap your pants with explosive diarrhea, the effects seem to wear off after a couple of days although diarrhea and dysentary is a leading cause of deaths in developing countries. In my case it wrecked Christmas day and a three-day trip to Rottnest Island on my return home.

What is Femen all about?

Known as feminist street outrage group, Femen are receiving plenty of media coverage with their topless protests. Going topless in public isn't a new strategy for femen, this has been their their strategy for a while now.

So some research as required, they are a radical Ukrainian protesting against the sexual exploitation of women. Apparently they began protesting the sex tourism trade in the country with their slogan 'Ukraine is not a brothel' advocating against the legalisation of prostitution when moves were instigated to legalise prostitution prior to the 2012 Euro 12 championships.

The origins of the group seem to date back to 2008 when Ukraine was engulfed in the post-Soviet collapse mobster economy where public were sold off for minimal amounts described as necrocapitalism destroying the base of the society as infrastructure collapsed.

One suspects many women were forced into prostitution to feed families, but really I'm just speculating here. Their current round of protests seem to revolve around an anti-Islam context and their treatment of women so let's see where that goes.

It's Christmas day

It’s Christmas day and I’m on a flight home, my pre-Christmas break is over and I'm on a morning flight back to Perth.

I’m going straight from the airport to the family lunch after spending the week before Christmas in Bali. The majority is heading in the other direction, Bali is now in peak season and I am glad to be out. I prefer the lead up to the peak, every day more people are arriving.

The first part of the week was spent in Ubud staying in the Batu Empug Cottages before heading down to Kuta for a couple of days staying the the Jayakarta Hotel. Sure Ubud is quiet, but that is exactly what I wanted and the pace did pick up in Kuta somewhat. My Christmas Day is going to be pretty good, I hope everyone has a great day, a merry Christmas to all.

GrabTaxi - the mobile app for taxi drivers

When I first came across Grab Taxi in the Philippines, taxi drivers were using this popular app to book rides increasing their clientele base. For 40 pesos, you could book a taxi from your smartphone guaranteeing yourself a ride. I have always found the Grab drivers very polite and helpful, I couldn't say the same about Manila taxi drivers who were always trying to scam you.

On subsequent trips to the Philippines, Grab has expanded to private ride sharing utilising mostly part-time drivers. This has greatly expanded the reach of Grab and become a rival to Uber. I have never seen Uber operating in the Philippines; but since I have never supported this business, I have not sought them out either.

The first thing I noticed was the quality of the private vehicles that Grab offers, Manila cabs are pretty run down and the drivers take every opportunity to take advantage of a foreigner, the locals don't fare much better either. Grab has fixed rates that are very competitive, you are set the rate before departure so no chance to go the long way or driving in circles exists.

My preference is now Grab, I no longer have fights with taxi drivers unwilling to turn the meter on and quoting, I mean demanding outrageous fixed fares. Nor do I have drivers tell me it is too busy and they won't drive me to my destination citing heavy traffic. Taxis still get paid by the kilometer and have a charge for sitting in traffic so they don't lose. If Manila taxi drivers provided a better service then I would be happy to support them.

I refuse to use Uber in Perth because they have devestated the livelihoods of the taxi industry who were required to purchase highly expensive licenses from the state government to operate. The taxi board run by the state government limited taxi licences keeping prices high ensuring the inflation of taxi costs in a manner that only a government department could design.

These parameters defy the basic economic principles of supply and demand and they certainly don't create productivity increases or efficiencies. Grab on the other hand worked together with existing taxi drivers increasing their revenue and service so I am more than happy to support this business.

Bali just before Christmas

As Jetstar flight JQ110 descends into Ngurah Rai International Airport I can sense the excitement building, there was lots of kids on this flight and their energy was evident. I look out the window to see waves breaking on Kuta Beach with boats lined up on the reef.

I have dubbed the flight to Bali from Perth the Bali bogan flight, this morning wasn't the case, this was a good flight. Young families with kids was this clientele, there was no excessive alcohol consumption, no loud swearing, no loutish behavior and no abuse of airline staff.

Sure, there was a passage of flight where every young child was crying and a few screaming. Parents were scrambling to to quieter children, keep them occupied and calm. I don't mind that, parents are doing their best, children are unpredictable it doesn't last forever - kids are kids.

This trip started off well, I think it will be a fun and relaxing time. Being in Bali with families is better than the drunken louts fighting, arguing and generally making a nuisance of themselves. It also helps I will be heading up to Ubud for six days, I am expecting couples and families with kids, a nice time.

The Bali bogan flight

From Perth, Bali is a short three and a half hour flight attracting plenty of budget conscious tourists ready to hit the nightlife of this party island. Unfortunately, the budget flights also attract plenty of bogans who tend to embarrass themselves and the country in general.

So what is a bogan? The general definition of a bogan is a poorly educated individual, usually hailing from a low socio-economic background and acts in an uncultured manner. Being poor doesn't necessarily relagate a person to a lifetime of a bogan status; there are plenty of poor people who act in a demure manner. Americans might better relate to the term redneck, hillbilly or hick for what we Australians refer to as a bogan.

I normally take about five international flights per year so while I don't really qualify as a frequent flyer, I take enough flights to know what is acceptable behaviour on an aircraft. Bali flights tend to be very relaxed which is good, people are happy and excited and there are plenty of families which most would think is a good thing.

The downside is the families allow their kids to run riot, the self-obsessed generation only caring for themselves tend to ruin the whole flying experience for others. For me, the countdown is on; the three and a half hours of getting my seat back kicked, the yelling, screaming, swearing and farting soon gives way to short holiday bliss lounging around on a poolside deckchair. But hey, I'm on that flight too so I'm as bogan as the next guy.

Silly bike laws

I'm all for improving the infrastructure for bicycle riding in Perth but we also need a dose of reality, the new proposed laws up for review in regards to cyclists are totally absurd - it really makes your head spin.

The bike lobby is strong yielding considerable political influence yet this doesn't prevent poorly conceived ideas may actually pass into law. The first proposal for the vehicle driver to be in the wrong by default. In any accident goes against current laws where the accused is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This proposal seeks to totally bypass the justice system in what may be considered unconstitutional.

Naturally the bike lobby wants vehicle drivers to be guilty by default; bike riders are not registered, do not carry any identification on their bikes in the form of registration plates and are uninsured. Every vehicle on the road must be registered carrying compulsary third party motor vehicle insurance that is automatically deducted from the vehicle registration fee.

Furthermore, vehicle drivers must be licenced whereas bike riders do not. This is easy money for bike riders to tap into, they do not contribute in the form of payments to the insurance pool. But wait they argue, they already pay vehicle registration and by default third party insurance. But investigating further we see that each driver must be licenced and each vehicle registered meaning third party motor vehicle insurance is paid on each vehicle.

Then there is the proposal that bicycles are allowed to ride through red traffic signals, the absurdity now reaches a climax. By virtue of how traffic lights work, if you are sitting at a red light then a reasonable person may conclude that the traffic going the other way is on a green traffic signal. But don't be concerned as the bike lobby has this apparently organised.

Should you be struck by a vehicle and you survive the crash without dying, then the vehicle involved in the crash is guilty by default despite driving through a green traffic light. Now I used the term crash and not accident because an accident is considered a freak occurrence. I ride a bike and there is no way I would even consider riding through a red light under any circumstances - absolute lunacy.

So where to from here? Should bicycles be allowed on the road? Absolutely they should but we have to follow established road rules and principles. Such action leads to arrogance and unintended consequences and we need responsible riding and driving, we use the roads together and need to respect each other.

60 minute dives on charter vessels

When you are diving on a charter vessel and the dive team set a 60 minute maximum dive time, I ask myself "why do people flaunt such rules?" Why do they care so little about everyone else's dive experiences to serve themselves?

Even worse, diving from a tender and the whole dive crew surface and are waiting in the tender except for just two divers. People are sitting in the sun, they might need to use the toilet, lunch or breakfast might be served and just two people are holding the team up. This is a common courtesy but some people are so self-centered that they believe everybody should wait for them.

It is really not good enough and everybody else shouldn't be so polite as to not bring up this issue that is inconveniencing everyone else. Maybe it is time to start punishing such blatant self-serving behaviour with missed dives, bans or extra costs. I also understand the economics of the situation, the dive operator needs to look after its paying customers and you need to talk to people in a respectful manner and also respect the other customers who have also paid the wages of the dive staff.

Pussy Riot - pure political activism or music?

I've started to follow Russian punk music group Pussy Riot, not so much for their music but for their political activism. They are playing a high stakes game, they are under some deep pressure - I understand it is their own doing.

They are bold, that's for sure, taking on the Russian political establishment is not for the faint hearted nor is making statements about Vladimir Putin. They have been thrown in prison, not just overnight either, they had a reasonably long stint. Whilst I don't necessarily agree with their tactics, throwing a punk prayer in a Russian Orthodox church, I thought that was a little disrespectful. 

Then after crashing the soccer pitch during the world cup protesting wearing fake police uniforms activist Peter Verzilov was flown to Germany after he was allegedly poisoned where he lost his sight and ability to speak, you apparently don't mess with the Russian authorities. So now they are going to receive some compensation based on the court's ruling - I wonder what is next. 

Luggage madness

What will it take to stop people rummaging through overhead lockers when an aircraft is to be evacuated? This is pure selfishness, they are placing the safety of the other passengers at risk for their personal possessions. This has to stop, what is more important, human life or material objects - the airlines and authorities have to get serious to prevent this from occurring in the future.

Options include, a locking device on overhead lockers in the case of emergency, this would add weight to the aircraft and could be locked from the flight deck. When the seat belt sign is on, the overhead lockers are secured electronically. This would require retrofitting all overhead compartments with some from of central locking.

However, as some safety equipment is stored in the overhead lockers, this would necessitate either special overhead compartments reserved solely for safety equipment or other designated spaces throughout the cabin designated for the storage and easy access of safety equipment.

Maybe a fine that is expensive enough to act as a deterrent for passengers who exit aircraft with their personal belongings needs to be implemented by both the airlines and authorities is required. Passengers must follow the directions of the flight crew, precious time is lost when self-centred people open the overhead lockers to grab their personal possessions.

It is difficult enough during a normal disembarkation with people taking what would be considered an eternity to grab their belongings. During the safety briefing, passengers are informed that failure to comply will result in a fine for any person leaving the aircraft with baggage and belongings once an evacuation order has been directed - it's that simple.

Firstly the airlines have to enforce the one bag 7kg limit that meets size requirements with all other baggage to be checked in. If a person attempts to board an aircraft with baggage that doesn't meet the requirements, then they should not be allowed to board. This directive must be required by relevant authorities so that non-compliant airlines are also held accountable. This wouldn't be difficult to enforce because the obligation is to protect people's lives, personal property comes second.

So tumblr is banning adult content and porn - finally

So tumblr. has announced it is banning adult content and porn on December 17, whilst plenty of users on the social network are up in arms, I will be happy.

I am still unsure if tumblr. will retrospectively remove unsuitable content as that would be a major undertaking but I'm sure algorithms can be written. I am finding people are unhappy; however, so many people are leaving the network as their accounts are bombarded with questionable content. I find out parent company Yahoo! will act as child pornography was found to be circumnavigating the site's filters. It takes considerable effort to edit and remove content as a user, I am happy for followers to leave if they clean up the micro-blogging platform.

An hour in the Panerai store

I was wandering around the Shangri La mall in Mandaluyong and I was pretty interested in the Omega and Rolex stores alongside each other when I chanced upon the Panerai store.

As I wandered in and spun around I was immediately taken by the black & white nautical photographs hanging on the wall. Not only do I love sailing photographs, I really love old time yachts powered up hiking into the wind with their abundance of sail area.

This is a style and branding suiting my interests, this is a brand I feel comfortable with. I already knew that Panerai was a brand exclusively supplying the Italian navy, only recently expanding to the luxury items market.

The retail assistant was very knowledgeable, she knew her product and very enthusiastic to run me through their range. I had planned for a quick look around the store with the possibility of trying on a single timepiece. Sure, she is commissioned based and working in sales but I felt she exceeded her job description.

Sales staff are normally pretty vary of time wasters and I was up front that I wouldn't be purchasing today. You normally expect a degree of disinterested service and minimal effort, this is to be expected with the current short-term views to retail. Whilst I wasn't in the market for a Panerai timepiece that day, when I am ready, I know where to go and who to speak to.

Lacking MBA networking opportunities

Online learning has many advantages over traditional classroom learning environments for select subjects. Naturally, not all subjects and disciplines lend themselves to online learning strategies, business and management is one such subject - business theory is easily disseminated online.

The biggest disadvantage of online learning strategies is the lack of networking opportunities and inclusion factors. After I completed my online MBA that was pretty much it, I flew down to Adelaide to pick up my certificate at the graduation ceremony where I had never met any of my classmates.

My plan was to network with my classmates that I had never met, swap business cards and speak of potential opportunities, business ideas and industry news. I never met up, networked or discussed opportunities with any class mates or university staff, it was very disappointing.

Whilst not meeting one class mate or academic staff connected to my MBA education eventuated, what I immediately noticed was every body just stood around in their graduating groups. I quickly learnt these groups were filled with face-to-face graduates who all knew each other through shared class time and experiences, no doubt many were now friends out of class.

As I stood in line waiting for my academic robes, I listened to these graduating students discuss their work placements and new employment opportunities arising from their study. A number had picked up state government positions whilst the rest were employed in private enterprise. My post-graduate education experiences were vastly different to their under-graduate studies and job network.

While I searched for my classmates, none of whom I actually knew, these were just names from our online interactions. I was expecting the university to organise groupings led by the academic staff, none of the academic staff were present, this was disappointing. I walked around introducing myself, I had identified the faculty colours but met not one person I knew.

I am glad I came down to Adelaide a few days early to sightsee with my father, I had planned to quickly fly down, attend the graduation and immediately return home. I'm glad I chose to look around Adelaide and surrounds, we had a fun time over five days and this wasn't a wasted trip after all.

It's jacaranda season

Leading into December, Jacaranda season is in full bloom, but we don't expect this to last all the way to Christmas. Jacaranda season runs from late spring to early summer and we all love the purple, the streets come alive.

Jacaranda trees are not native to Australia, the sub-tropical tree is native to Central and South America and have been here for about 150 years. Seeds were transported to Australia among other countries by seafarers, the jacaranda is pretty much an international tree now. In Perth the trees are deciduous, they look terrible in winter stripped of leaves and foliage but this time of year the explode in colour bringing plenty of Christmas cheer, just a shame it never lasts all the way to Christmas.

Corporate social responsibility

I note with increasing interest the inclusion of units in business and management courses requiring completion of business ethics, sustainability and the effects of globalisation on society. The business world is taking corporate social responsibility very seriously - this is a fantastic outcome.

Viewing course overviews at a number of universities; as a signatory to PRME, that is, Principles for Responsible Management Education, the steering committees consist of the United Nations Global Compact, Association of MBAs, Association of Asia Pacific Business Schools and other professional associations - this apparently is taken very seriously in the academic community.

Corporations such as Enron, Arthur Anderson, WorldCom, Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns collapsed spectacularly on a worldwide basis. While more specifically in an Australian context Bond Corporation, Qintex, HIH Insurance and the One.Tel communications corporation all committed corporate fraud - that is one part of the ethical framework business must adhere to.

To meet the rigors of sustainability, employing an ethical strategy observing ethical principles need to embed the concept of triple bottom line into business activities. The corporate world is involved in development, major corporations have a role to play in sustainable development, aid programs and social inclusion.

I am very much in favour of ethics training with corporate social responsibility included. These principles should also extend to the corporate world paying its fair share of tax in the country of earning, what is currently happening is just wrong on so many accounts.

The Rolex DateJust

Is it just me or is the Rolex DateJust an old man's watch? Nearly thirty years ago I purchased a fake Rolex off the street in Kuta, Bali and I reckon even now I wouldn't be paying full price for a DateJust. Naturally, the DateJust is the quintessential Rolex, released in 1945, this timepiece is pretty much the workhorse of the Rolex range. The innovative DateJust was named after the date just jumped at midnight to the new numeral instead of the slow sweep over a number of hours as had been the case. The jubilee bracelet, cyclops over the date and oyster case pretty much guaranteed the DateJust would become a modern day classic.

Possibly what skewed my view of the DateJust was the fact that I thought this just couldn't be a real model because it looked so ghastly. I actually thought it was a run of the mill fake watch with just a Rolex crown logo attached to it; you could imagine my surprise when I found out this an actual model. I just wanted a fake Rolex to bring home for a bit of a laugh for friends and family; naturally they saw straight through my guise and my joke watch didn't get as many laughs as expected. Needless to say, I had no idea of the Rolex line although I was well aware of the branding but I had never seen one in the flesh.

I don't actually think I would have had the same reaction if the first fake Rolex I came across was a Submariner, a GMT Master, an Explorer or a Cosograph Daytona. What I really hated was the serrated, or what Rolex describes as fluted bezel, the gold and silver jubilee five-link bracelet let a lot to be desired and I didn't much care for the cyclops over the date. Rolex uses 904L and 18 ct gold for both the case and bracelet, the describe the metal combination as Rolesor, The monobloc 41 mm middle case has a screw-in crown, a screw-in case-back and is rated to a depth of 100 metres.

The COSC chronograph certified 3235 Rolex in-house movement falls within a -2/+2 second a day precision. The winding is a bidirectional self-winding perpetual rotor with a paramagnetic blue paracrom hairspring and a power reserve of 70 hours. Needless  to say, the DateJust doesn't come cheap due to the engineering that went into the in-house movement and manufacture of case and bracelet. But unfortunately, the DateJust will forever be in my mind, maybe unfairly, an old man's watch easily replicated throughout South East Asia.  

My old High Sierra traveling bag

Having picked by my High Sierra oversas traveling bag via reward points from my credit card use sight unseen, I have had an excellent run from my points purchase. I am aware many travel bloggers write about their old backpack in order to secure some form of sponsorship from a manufacturer or supplier. I have no such sponsorship nor am I seeking any deals, I just like what this manufacturer produces and I am happy to acknowledge their excellent range of traveling bags.

I always recognise a High Sierra bag as the luggage rolls past on conveyor belt, they are of heavy duty construction, well made with plenty of pockets and partitions to separate your belongings. The problem I find with the bag is that the heavy construction also adds weight and when I am on my dive holidays carting my dive gear around, I get pretty close to my luggage weight limit - that's my only issue.

Cold Chisel - Twentieth Century

Twentieth Century was the final studio album released after Cold Chisel disbanded in acrimony and bitter disputes in December 1983. Cold Chisel has been described as not the best band in Australia, nor the most internationally renowned band, but Cold Chisel was the quintessential Australian pub rock band with a loyal following.

I have always liked the title song Twentieth Century, a catchy harmonic tune that I understood was never going to be the most popular but I like what I like. Flame Trees was undoubtedly the best song of the album, written by Don Walker and Steve Prestwich, the country town of Grafton was where Walker had spent his youth. Ironically, Grafton is famous for Jacaranda trees but I am informed difficult to fit into the tune of the song; however, Prestwich was the initial writer with Walker taking over. I am informed that the band were so hostile towards each other that the album was recorded in stages. I had always thought Prestwich returned to record the album after being fired on the previous tour  but was surprised to learn that he played the farewell tour and not the album. I had to check this against the CD I have in my collection. 

Songs from the album:

1. Build This Love.
2. Twentieth Century.
3. Ghost Town.
4. Saturday Night.
5. Painted Doll.
6. No Sense.
7. Flame Trees.
8. Only One.
9. Hold Me Tight.
10. Sing to Me.
11. The Game.
12. Janelle.
13. Temptation.

Gemini 4 - Ed White's spacewalk

Ed White became the first American astronaut to undertake a spacewalk on the third of June 1965 as pilot of Gemini 4 along with Command pilot James McDivitt. The American space program was behind the Soviet program after cosmonaut Alexey Leonov became the first human to conduct an extra-vehicular activity on the Voskhod 2 mission on the eighteenth of March 1965.

Interestingly, Ed White wore an Omega Speedmaster timepiece strapped to his spacesuit for the spacewalk. According to Omega, they only became aware that NASA astronauts were wearing their watches after noticing the Speedmaster mounted on the spacesuit of White during his space walk.

Astronauts Gus Grissom and John Young were the first astronauts to wear flight qualified Speedmaster timepieces on the Gemini 3 mission after Wally Schirra, initially from the Mercury program apparently procured a number from a Houston dealer.

After the Gemini program ended, the astronauts moved over to the Apollo program. The Gemini program with two man crew was to develop techniques supporting the Apollo program including docking maneuvers, space rendezvous and extra-vehicular activities.

I was fortunate enough to visit the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral in 2014 and look around their fascinating museum viewing both Mercury and Gemini capsules.

The Gemini mission duration were to designed to prepare for length of the Apollo trips to the moon. The six Mercury missions generally lasted a matter of hours although as the program progressed, flights of around 15 minutes for the early flights were gradually extended to a day and a half for astronaut Gordon Cooper on Faith 7.

Sadly Ed White along with Gus Grissom and Roger Chaffee lost their lives to the fire on board Apollo 1 during a launch simulation. An electrical spark in the Command Module caused wiring to burst into flames, the pure oxygen environment in the Command Module rapidly increased combustion.

The crew were unable to open the hatch due to design constraints with rescuers unable to open the hatch due to the pressure differential as the cabin was pressurised to 2 psi higher than atmospheric pressure.

The Screwdriver

The Screwdriver would have to be the easiest drink to mix, a 15 ml shot of vodka, some ice cubes and the rest is orange juice. I never really went for the garnish, most bar tenders added a slice of orange and maybe a sprig of mint to add some colour.

I prefer the drink in a lowball glass, I used to use a highball glass but I guess my tastes have changed a little as I like the drink less diluted these days although the standard mix is highball. I can't say I really have a preference for vodka, Smirnoff was my choice as a fairly stock standard vodka but I did have a preference for Absolut straight up. For me, the orange juice was the important factor, I have always gone for 100% orange juice as you can't go wrong with the best ingredients.

Gardens by the Bay

One of the great new attractions in Singapore is Gardens by the Bay, when I say new, I mean new to me. I have traveled to Singapore many times over the years but it has been some time since I stepped out of Changi airport on route to other locations. This was a dedicated Singapore trip so it was time to reacquaint myself with the sights of the city state of Singapore.

My last trip to Singapore was in 2010, this was over the course of a weekend for an expo where we were exhibitors. A business trip, unlike a short holiday leaves little time for pleasure so I missed seeing the construction of this exotic garden. It's good, it's really good.

The day we went it was overcast; there was a little drizzle around, with the temperatures plummeting, it was a welcome relief from the previous two days where the temperature really sizzled. The Singapore CBD, on a latitude of 1.29° N is not far off the equator so it isn't unrealistic to expect hot and muggy weather.

Wandering around this park in the cooler temperatures was a fantastic way to spend the morning, this is an excellent tourist site. There is plenty to see at the gardens and when you are finished there Marina Bay Sands is a short stroll with Marina Bay and Boat and Clarke Quays pretty close.

You have the option of walking around, this is my first choice or the MRT can get you there cheaply and effectively. I never even bothered viewing the numerous biosphere in the gardens, I was pretty happy with what I saw and I have places to view on future trips.

Is Omega taking on Rolex?

I am hearing in watch retailing circles that Omega is seeking to take on the might of Rolex in the premium market segment for timepieces. Not only does Rolex possess an amazing brand awareness, their products are constantly imitated and not by a cheap Rolex knock-off, the leading brands copy styles and innovations. Omega is undoubtedly a quality product, has a universally recognised brand name through sponsorships and celebrity endorsements.

Internationally recognised actors like George Clooney and Nicole Kidman grace billboards and shopfront images. The rugged Clooney promotes the Speedmaster range whilst the elegant Kidman promotes the Constellation range with Bond actor Daniel Craig promoting the Seamaster; naturally Omega has a stunning pedigree of timepieces.

Omega has some fabulous lines from the Seamaster, Speedmaster and Railmaster series along with the DeVille and Constellation ranges. I have become aware that Omega is cancelling distributorships of any retailer discounting its product in order to maintain a high prices and the prestige image of their product.

The Rolex DateJust is a well known line but I have just never liked the style, take the Rolex name off the dial and I am really not attracted to this watch at all. This is likewise for the DayDate, very popular watch but just not for me along with the Sky Dweller.The Rolex Explorer I is an entirely different proposition - this is an excellent timepiece but the the Explorer II just doesn't work for me.

The Submariner and heavier duty Sea Dweller are premium dive watches, I would love either of these timepieces should funds allow. Then there is the Air King, I kind of like the style but when you are spending that type of money - well.

The GMT Master is an immensely popular timepiece but just not to my tastes. But if I could afford the Yachtmaster II, that's what I would be wearing. Then there is the Cosmograph Daytona, created in 1963 - no doubt a classic.

I would have thought Bregeut is the premium brand in the Swatch Group, but I guess whilst a super premium brand, the market share doesn't warrant the dilution of quality by increasing sales, possibly better to remain a high margin/low volume product. I would have also thought Blancpain is another high end brand lacking market awareness possessing the ability to take on Rolex on a purely quality basis.

Quite possibility both Bregeut and Blancpain don't have the wide range to compete against the varied and extensive Rolex product segments nor do they possess the branding power of Rolex. To raise the market awareness of both of these brands, extensive marketing expenditure is required.

No doubt down at the Swatch Group they have considered Bregeut and Blancpain as worthy products lacking the brand recognition whereas the Omega brand usually sits second or third behind Cartier with Rolex holding a clear sales lead of slightly over four to one.

Planet Grapes - where food meets wine

Planet Grapes is fast becoming a favourite haunt of mine when I am staying in Mandaluyong. This is both a bar and restaurant serving good quality wine alongside top notch food - I really enjoy going there.

When I discussed some wine tasting and education they had advertised in their menu, the waiter pointed to the wine shop across the road on the other side of the shopping complex. I know this particular wine shop, they have premium wine for sale as I found out much to my surprise - the prices were outrageous.

Fortunately, at Planet Grapes the wine pricing, whilst not cheap is significantly more reasonable than across the road. On my next trip across to the Philippines, Mecky and myself might engage in a little wine education that involves some tastings. You have to, after all, put theory into practice.

A dry divemaster

No, I don't mean a sober divemaster, although that is sometimes required. I frequently dive in South East Asia, there, a divemaster is generally an underwater guide and spends their time in-water with the divers they lead.

At the other end of the spectrum, I worked on large charter boats where we would carry 40 or so passengers during the peak summer months; a smaller vessel I more frequently worked on had a capacity of 20 passengers. In such a case, a boat based divemaster is the most efficient utilisation of the position dealing with large groups of divers under their care.

Utilising a critical mass of people in high income economies, it is just not cost efficient to employ so many dive guides so a central dive organiser ensuring divers under your care are logged in, helped in and out of the water and logged back in again. Should they be required to enter the water, they can as well as providing search & rescue if required or emergency first aid. If the dive controller is undertaking a dive and such activities are required, then waiting for that person to return could be critical to getting the job done effectively - a dry divemaster is critical to achieving that goal.

The Flat Earth Society

We were discussing some issues at work during afternoon tea, the guys like to generally discuss issues related to science and other interesting phenomenon. So I brought up the beliefs of the Flat Earth Society just as a bit of a stir - just as a bit of a laugh. They informed me that some guy named Columbus had already proved those beliefs to be false so they didn't believe there was such a group known as the Flat Earth Society, they couldn't believe that people could be so stupid - fair call.

I initially thought Flat Earthers were doing exactly that, just causing a bit of a stir and seeking attention so I started looking into this more as a laugh - I really didn't think they were serious. I first read about Flat Earthers when American rapper B.o.B started a GoFundMe page to launch multiple satellites into space to disprove centuries of science and related technology.

Now I must admit, the only rapper I knew of before this chap was Eminem, so I'm not well versed in the world of rappers. If I have the misfortune to hear someone doing this rap thing, I am concerned that my ears might start bleeding so I didn't take this claim seriously. I didn't actually know the name of this guy, I just thought he was some dumb arsed rapper seeking to promote his little known career with some controversy, this could still be the case.

The Earthrise photograph captured on Christmas eve 1968 from the Apollo 8 mission to orbit the moon shows the Earth suspended in space - amazing. Apollo 8 was just the second manned mission in the program and the first manned mission to leave the Earth's orbit to reach the moon. The six day mission included 10 orbits of the moon before returning to Earth. Searching through NASA information gave me a bit of a surprise as the Apollo 8 back-up crew consisted of a couple of gentleman named Armstrong and Aldrin along with Fred Haise as lunar module pilot who later flew the Apollo 13 mission.

No doubt the Flat Earth Society will denounce the moon orbits and moon landings as fake so this stunning photograph will be dismissed as a hoax. We can seen the moon from Earth and we can view by eye that it is a sphere, the sun is also a ball of burning gasses and every other planet viewed through a telescope is spherical, Let's not even get started on gravity or why the world's oceans don't pour off the edge of a flat Earth. I do believe in challenging beliefs, this is the reason why science has evolved and new knowledge gained - this isn't doing that. 

The ABC Jetty - Tioman Island

It's been years since I have been to Tioman Island on the east coast of Malaysia. For Singaporeans, this is a weekend away from the city, as a diver this is a destination I like to visit. I reckon it has been about a decade since I have been to Tioman Island so another trip should be considered reasonably soon.

I have been lucky enough to visit Tioman Island twice, the first time in the mid 1990s and the second time about ten years later in the mid 2000s. The second visit was during the Easter break, we flew to Singapore from our dual destinations to meet up. From there we caught a bus to Mersing before catching a ferry to the island getting off at ABC Jetty, that was the fourth stop as I recall. Usually I am diving in South East Asia, on this occasion I intended to hire some dive equipment as I usually carry my own.

As this was the Easter break, the island was full of Singaporean divers on their dive break, I made the decision not to dive as I expected the dive boats to be full and the sites to be overwhelmed with divers. My dive holidays usually involve mid-week diving so I miss the crowds so on this occasion I decided to not dive and instead stay on the island and relax instead. Wandering down to ABC Jetty, better known as Ayer Batang in the evening was the best time, the sun was setting and the jetty was now mostly solitary, what a great evening.   

American business ideals

What I like about the American psyche is their ability to engage in business enterprise with their entrepreneurial spirit. The United States now has a service based economy; you exclaim, that's not exactly true, unfortunately the majority of their manufacturing base has been transferred overseas. 

Design is still undertaken onshore, technology and innovation still rank highly. Manufacturing in the US is pretty much redundant these days, but not entirely; so much technology and capability has been exported overseas increasing the decline.

Americans are traditionally very strong at marketing and sales, this once again harps back to retail and services, the United States is very much a consumer driven economy. Financial services has been the growth industry, this has however been their undoing in many respects, this was the downfall.

The purpose of finance is to raise capital to fund business activities, by sending manufacturing and the respective technology offshore, economic capability is inadvertently lost. Are we witnessing the decline of the United States as a manufacturing and economic powerhouse?

The KFC fake chicken hoax

I don't recall the first time I saw the KFC fake chicken hoax appear on social media, I guess it was about seven or eight years ago and I see this is still doing the rounds. I can't say I'm a fan of KFC, what I don't like is people pushing fake rumours that hurt not only KFC but also their suppliers and employees.

In Australia at least, KFC is supplied by both Steggles and Ingham, I am also informed Turi Foods also supplies chickens as well but I know less about this company. As Australians know, you purchase both Steggles and Ingham from the supermarket so one could argue you are getting the same chickens as the supermarkets.

I didn't know too much about Turi Foods so checking out their website I see they make a commitment to no steroids or hormones and also pledge to monitor suppliers for GM free products in their cereals and grains fed to the birds. Their chicken food includes wheat, barley, oats, sorghum and soy protein so one would believe the birds are reasonably fed and not the beakless and featherless mutants force fed nutrients via tubes the internet sharing community would have us believe.

They did get in trouble from the ACCC, that's the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission as their suppliers claimed they were offering free range chickens to KFC where chickens are free to roam. The chickens were free to roam within the confines of a large air-conditioned barn with access to clean water and food but fell short of the definition required.

We all know Kentucky Fried Chicken changed their name to the abbreviated KFC, we all thought it was in response to health concerns with deep fried foods. This may be true but is also related to a strategic move to change their menu to offer more than purely chicken. Clearly they wanted to remove the term fried from their name, that is understandable and while I can't say I'm a fan of their product, I can see why they want to expand and differentiate their product in a tight market.

Boracay set to reopen after six months closed

I have been a little critical of the Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte over his style of governing, death squads, locking up of political critics and general demeanor.

I understand he is popular with the largely uneducated citizens hoping his tough talk and promises will pull them out of poverty - you can't blame people for seeking a better life. However, I have to agree with him on the state of Boracay, the raw sewage pumped out to the nearby Bulabog Beach is just sickening.

Authorities have also dug up illegal underground raw sewage pipes pumping out effluent to their famous White Beach - it's disgusting. So with Boracay set to reopen on the 26th of this month, one can only hope the notoriously corrupt government officials have been able to sort themselves out.

They need to stop the large resorts discharging human waste straight onto the beach where people swim, dive and relax. Let's hope they have pulled their heads in and put the environment, people's health and the sustainability of the island above their short-term profits - if not, they should be shut down for good.   

The bloomberg terminal

Working as a Wall Street trader, Michael Bloomberg was successful in his own right as a general partner heading up equity trading at investment bank Salomon Brothers; a corporate buyout can be a real career killer and Bloomberg was offered a $10 million redundancy package in 1981 - not too bad at all. Using the funds from his payout, he took his intimate knowledge of Wall Street finance to develop a terminal system with features and screens dedicated purely to finance.

The terminal is not cheap, professional stockbrokers and investment firms have the revenue to justify such expenditures, all but the most successful investors have to seek other options placing independent investors at a disadvantage. The exorbitant price is not purely for the hardware, the terminal is loaded with real time information for traders to make buy/sell decisions in a multitude of markets for a multitude of products. Supporting the Bloomberg terminal, the Bloomberg finance is channel shown on cable television is an informative program designed for the finance professional but equally informative for novice investors.

A meth whore

I am recounting a story told to me by an acquaintance from the high school we both attended, I had spent some time with her post high school. As she was a couple of years younger than me at high school; I can't ever recall knowing her at school but apparently she knew of me. I was pretty much biding my time at high school and wasn't interested in the social aspects of the education system and I met her a number of years after leaving school.

We went to a pretty low grade high school, we lived in an area that would be considered low socio-economic, in other words, we were poor. She left school early, never had a job, her boyfriend hadn't worked either and they had their second child before age twenty one, they had both spent their entire post high school on welfare. She was on a sole parent benefit and he was on unemployment benefits although he was also part time in the army reserve. The army reserve hadn't hardened him up, he was like a big kid and he would burst into tears like a five year old.

Despite their economic situation, they were lousy parents and I would be loathe to blame their parenting skills on their financial status, we all know rich families can also have poor parents. Unfortunately, this is pretty indicative of of the area I grew up in and hence the reason why I moved away as soon as I completed my apprenticeship. There was plenty of social issues in this area, they were not the only ones with issues but their issues were remarkable for their depravity.

That being said, I had spent some time with her and it was clear she was a poor parent as her former boyfriend would come around to fight on pretty much a daily basis. The mother of the boyfriend would also come around and they would have a punch-up on the kerb outside her house. There would be screaming, swearing, pulling hair and punches thrown, the mother of the boyfriend used gutter language pretty much all the time. The mother of the boyfriend was a nasty woman, it is no coincidence that he was a loser.

He went to the same high school as well but I never knew of him either, but once again he knew of me. Apparently he had been picked on at high school, although it was not unlikely he was bullied, he wasn't smart, acted like a fool and he was soft. He had hooked up with her and all they did was fight, she had lost custody of her oldest child as she was charged with child abuse after breaking his arm during a fight with her boyfriend.

The daughter was the one I knew, she was a fantastic child and had so much potential but unfortunately her family circumstances would ultimately be her downfall. Her brother introduced her to drugs and she immediately became addicted on crystal meth, her life spiraled downward after that. She was selling her family goods such as furniture to fund her habit and was kicked out of home. She had a child and I recall seeing her at a shopping centre pushing her young child around in a stroller, she had a nice lookng kid.

She was not communicating with her mother at this time and they were in a legal fight for her grandmother to take custody of the young child. The child was in and out of foster care as her mother was homeless, drug addicted and selling herself for drug money. Is the grandmother the best option? Well, my experiences dealing with her were less than positive, she had lost custody of the first child after she was charged with child abuse, the second child, her daughter was left in her care but she was obliged to receive weekly visits from the department of child protection to check on her parenting.

The third child was left with potential brain damage after a breathing issue required hospitalisation, instead of calling an ambulance. She called her boyfriend and they stopped on the way to have a fight on the side of the road delaying important emergency care. So she had lost custody of two of the three children and probably should have lost custody of the girl. Her family life was a shambles although I had lost contact with them at this time.

When Facebook took off, the mother sent me a friend request and I accepted. She had used a different surname than I knew her as and used her daughter's profile picture. At this time I was working part time in a dive centre and receiving daily friend requests from customers and staff of the dive centre so thought this was a dive shop request. I didn't delete her immediately as I had a fascination with this family, this is a sad story that I am a little embarrassed to want to follow.

I knew her parents kind of briefly, she was a troubled teenager and this followed through to to early 20s before I lost contact with her. She was well known to the local police and had made numerous reports to the police making outrageous claims against a number of people. She had been in counselling for pretty much all of her adult life but this hasn't helped her or her daughter.

The family cycle continues, it started with her parents and step parents, she was the worst of the worst and now her daughter is proudly selling her sexual services to support her drug habit whilst a custody battle rages for her daughter. I just hope the daughter breaks the cycle that this family has brought upon itself.

A regional World Skills competition

World Skills is a pretty big trade-based competition, this allows apprentices to apply their diagnostic abilities in a skills based competition. The World Skills organisation operates at an international level with competitors participating at a regional competition to qualify for national selection with national winners heading to the international competition.

One of our apprentices who did very well in the last regional competition and headed off to the national competition acquitted himself well picking up a third place. His employer was pretty impressed gifting him a $10,000 toolbox and a significant pay rise - great news.

There are plenty of reasons to compete at World Skills, this is a learning experience, a great skill to add to the resume under achievements and there is the stress of competition and learning to perform under pressure.

Now a second apprentice from from his company has qualified earning himself similar financial benefits and credibility. I am glad I am part of the World Skills competition as a judge and I really love seeing our apprentices succeed.

The 2016 Leeuwin Estate Siblings Sauvignon Blanc Semillon

I had a taste of this Sauvignon Blanc Semillon on the last week of winter, but for me a SBS is a summer wine and I still had the heater on. Ok, spring was on it's way but it just didn't feel right - still way too cold for me.

The Siblings SBS is a blend of 60% Sauvignon Blanc and 40% Semillon that is pale straw in colour with a faint green tinge. The tasting notes told me this SBS had notes of tropical fruits, nectarines, grapefruit and citrus with herbaceous grassy characters.

To be honest, I struggled to identify some these flavours and found this SBS a little non-descript on this particular evening, this is maybe due to my pre-conceived notions of what determines summer wine.

I can say I pretty much hate winter, I am always looking forward to summer taking the bulk of my overseas trips during the winter months. In the future, I am hoping to engage in overseas travel and live the endless summer in my retirement.

I look forward to spending half the year in the northern hemisphere during the Australian winter before returning home for the summer months.

Now that we are officially in spring and the weather is improving, I look forward to revisiting this SBS on a hot Sunday afternoon as I enjoy a refreshing white wine in the warmer months.

The Gillette razor/razor blade business model

As a former business student, I have an ongoing interest in business models and their accompanying marketing strategies. The Gillette razor/razor blade model is an interesting concept; needless to say, the money is in the blades and not the razor.

The Gillette razor/razor blade model revolves around a loss leader with the razor being sold at a loss with the razor blades sold at a substantial profit. The loss leader razor is complemented with a razor blade requiring repeated purchases. Naturally, the razor/razor blade combination is unique ensuring that you have to purchase razor blades from a specific manufacturer, in this case Gillette.

The psychological factor at play is the perceived bargain of purchasing a razor that is considered to be better value than competitor's products. This is especially true when the consumer is now locked into a product with the razor purchase. Instead of creating a one-off sale, a continuous revenue stream is generated by the consumer needing to not only make repeated purchases who purchases less out of product loyalty and more from force of habit.

The model was further refined with the printer/printer cartridge offered by computer hardware manufacturers. This can be circumnavigated by third party firms offering refillable cartridges at significant discounts, although with printed circuits added to cartridges, this became less cost effective. The Nespresso coffee machine/capsule model is another example, slick advertising with George Clooney endorsing Nespresso is critical to success, the coffee is decent, easy to make and easy to clean up.

This business/consumer model also encompasses e-commerce with digital industries adapting the model. A business like Google doesn't even offer a product as a loss leader, instead a portfolio of services and applications is offered to the consumer for no cost assembling a large audience for advertisers to target consumers. Applications are offered to consumers free of charge with opportunities to upsell premium products, ironically sometimes to escape aggressive advertising firms. This is the ultimate example of the old school bait and switch in a digital application.

So where is Google+ going?

I have been a user of Google+ for a number of years now but I am unsure how much time I need to invest in this media platform as it's future is somewhat uncertain. I read many an article stating that Google+ is finished yet the network is still running - nay the naysayers.

Barely just two weeks after the June 2011 launch of Google+; its follower base hit a staggering 10 million users - impressive. By the end of the 2011, more than 90 million users had Google+ accounts - this was a highly successful product launch. I tend to feel that most of these users are pretty much inactive; G+ holds plenty of accounts but not many are regular users. I follow a number of the photography pages and the quality of uploads is outstanding.

The social media platform has some interesting communities and the followers seem less inclined to attack each other in a way that Facebook users get really personal and trivial. When I publish a post on Blogger, that post is immediately shared on the G+ network and whilst people may disagree with my views, they are generally respectful. I enjoy publishing on G+ and I really hope this social media site continues although I have to admit I really only log onto G+ when I am using my tablet.

A morning in Glenelg

We were looking to stay in and around Adelaide but didn't want to stay around the CBD or riverbank area so another option was needed. The botanic gardens are apparently very good but Gramps wasn't in the mood for walking too far so a line was ruled through that idea.

The tram runs through the Adelaide CBD with a stop not far from our hotel on South Terrace right at the back of the CBD. We wandered over to the South Terrace stop and boarded the tram for the beachside suburb of Glenelg, the tram staff were extremely helpful helping us purchase tickets on route. The centre of Glenelg is reasonably small, by what Glenelg lacks in size it certainly makes up for with natural beauty, the beach is magnificent.

We wandered out on the pier to view the beach looking back, a tractor was out raking the sand whilst only a few people lay on the beach. The beach was great although I never took a swim in South Australian waters, I suspect they would be a little colder than I have been used to, I doubt it would be a pleasant experience. We wandered around to the marina and adjoining parks before heading back to piazza for a coffee and catching the tram back to the CBD. I probably wouldn't spend the whole day at Glenelg but a weekday morning was a pretty good experience.

The Rolex Air King

Rolex gained a well earned reputation among professionals with their robust range of tool and sports watches. Rolex as a brand was a well respected and sought after timing tool among commercial and professional users before targeting the luxury goods market when a large number of Swiss watchmakers were going broke - the brand's reputation aided the transformation.

I would choose the Air King Reference 116900 as a daily timepiece despite not being a huge fan of a number of Rolex timepieces for reasons of style - that's personal taste.

For me, the Air King is simple yet robust, the 40 mm 904L stainless steel oyster case of the modern Air King is borrowed from the Milgauss demonstrating plenty of anti-magnetic properties.

The Air King was introduced in 1945 with possibly the 5500 reference of the late 1960s as the most recognisable timepiece of the series, although at 34 mm I would expect to be a little small for my tastes.

Unlike the aviation inspired Breitling Navitimer range with a specific purpose of utilising the radial slidewheel for calculations, the dial of the Air King is simple and uncluttered. Modern commercial aircraft are computer controlled rendering such a tool redundant.

The dial of the Air King resembles a cockpit instrument aesthetically. Similar to the 5500 reference, the 3, 6 and 9 markers are Arabic with the remaining hour markers running in multiples of 5 to give the instrument look.

The italic Air King naming logo has been moved from the upper dial to the lower dial, similar to the 5500 reference, no date is displayed. The smooth angled bezel is similar to the Explorer design, I have always hated the fluted bezel design and love the smooth angled bezel.

The chronometer certified automatic 3131 movement, similar to the Milguass is fitted with the paramagnetic blue parachrom hairspring ensuring magnetic fields do not disrupt the performance of the timepiece.

The movement is COSC certified to -2/+2 precision and would via a bidirectional self-winding perpetual rotor. A screw-down crown and screw-in case back ensure 100 metres water resistance of the oyster architecture with a scratch resistant sapphire crystal.

The new Air King is closer to the Milguass with a redesigned dial than the older references of the 1950s and 1960s, I like the Milguass but always hated the lightning bolt second hand. Whilst not a true aviator's timepiece, I really like the dial of the Air King and the case of the Milgauss.

I appreciate many people really dislike the dial design. My choice of a Rolex is the Air King, I like the new Milguass with the exception of the second hand so the Air King is closer to my tastes.

Business class envy

I read that economy passengers who walk through business class to reach their seats are angry with travelling in cattle class. I am more than happy to travel in the rear of the plane, envy is not an emotion I suffer from, I prefer cheap airfares. If my company is willing to pay for business class then great, I am more than happy for them to increase their travel bill, but I don't want to empty out my bank account just to pay for premium seats.

Would entering the plane through the front door be better? Well yeah, they are clearly the better seats, they serve better food, provide more attentive service and the list goes on. Naturally, premium service comes at increased cost  - a bill I'm not willing to pay the extra charges.

For the airlines, business class provides increased revenue with higher margins and if you are willing to pay the extra costs then so be it, but don't get all envious and angry if you see what the extra charges get you. There are choices and we have the ability to select business class at time of booking - pull your head in.

Watch collecting - it's getting expensive

Prestige watch owners are a funny bunch, I read online forums on occasions when I am doing research and they seem more intent on arguing with each other over small and petty issues than enjoying robust discussion in an area where we have a mutual interest. Needless to say, I have never joined in such discussions. However, I am interested in quality timepieces after graduating from my first TAG Heuer after more than twenty years of constant service.

I like Panerai but own none, I like IWC but own none, I like Omega and own three, I like Bruguet but own none and I like TAG Heuer and own three. I can't say I'm a big fan of Rolex and don't own any, if fact, I own a Longines Conquest but I'm not that interested in the Explorer. Paradoxically, I prefer the Conquest over the Explorer and I certainly wouldn't purchase an Explorer II.

Before all the weird Rolex owners shake their heads, I am well aware the Explorer is fitted with the 3132 in-house movement whilst the Conquest is fitted with the base ETA 2824-2 automatic movement. I am comparing aesthetics and not engines in a way that an automobile is more than just a powerplant.

If I wanted an Explorer, I would own an Explorer, but I would take Panerai or a Bruguet over a Rolex without even a second thought. I generally limit myself to sub $5000 timepieces so all three of these are certainly out of my price range but I can still admire these fine examples of haute horlogerie excellence.

Increasingly thinking about retirement

At the age of 49, I am increasingly thinking about retirement. Whilst the official retirement age in Australia was raised from 65 to 67 a couple of years back, I expect the official retirement age to reach 70 by the time I get closer to retirement age - that particular government policy has already been discussed. That gives me 11 years to add to my retirement balance despite my modest employment income to improve my quality of life after 60.

I do use the term official retirement age somewhat loosely, that is when I will qualify for a government pension. That is closer to 22 years based on the official retirement date. But like everything, this is means tested; this is a government analysis of your assets and I expect to have generated enough personal wealth to not qualify for a full government pension and I don't look like qualifying for a part pension either.

I am what they term a net tax payer, whilst a large number of working Australians pay income tax, after such deductions such as family benefits A & B, child payments, any pensions or welfare payments, only 40% of the working population actually pay more tax than their deductions.

However, I have sacrificed my personal finances and standard of living to put aside a substantial sum every pay period to finance my retirement. I will qualify to gain access to my personal retirement fund once I turn 60 and I am going to do just that. I would be mad to keep contributing to a scheme that has a cap on the total balance.

I would be smarter to start drawing it down in a manner that enhances my quality of life instead of remaining in the workforce for another 7 years, aging further and diminishing my chances of international travel and adventure while I am still in reasonable health.

We have a crazy system that the hardest and most productive workers pay the most whilst the section of the population who contributes the least receives the greatest benefit. Americans would be appauled at such a system and while my politics are somewhat right of centre, I am somewhat of a closet socialist. I believe we should have a safety net as a compassionate society to assist those down on their luck through no fault of their own.

We shouldn't promote a welfare dependent society who only takes and doesn't give, if you can't work because of a disability or injury - then that is what welfare payments are for. If you are too lazy to work then you should receive nothing after a certain period of looking for work, that includes not only attending interviews but receiving feedback from prospective employers about reluctance to work.

I have spent a whole working life never drawing any benefits from the government, even in retirement I will not be costing the taxpayer any money to support me and I will still be paying tax on the funds I pull out of my retirement account. But I will not be employed full time either, I will be getting up when I feel like it, doing some exercise before my morning coffee and then working out how my day will pan out.

My plan is to do in a country where my retirement dollar goes further and the quality of life is good. I want to live overseas during the Australian winter and return home in the summer - I am looking forward to my modest retirement.