Kindly Yours

It was not long ago......in the hundred years after Federation, a freshly minted nation thrived on discovery of resources, development of its unique character, defence against intrusive forces, dedication to family, disengagement from old ideas and dedication to lifestyle. Yet at the same time, underlying dark currents persisted which continue to this day. There is the debacle of not sufficiently and positively engaging with the people of mankind's oldest surviving culture. The land and what else Nature provides has been incessantly exploited with mineral and other resource extraction, without a significant degree of human value add. Small scale farming face challenges to survive. Vast spacious interiors, mostly empty, have been cited as to why we cannot do this or that to compete or compare with more dynamic overseas initiatives. Costs remain high in labour, things get done slower and there is a distinct lack of will to achieve better. Why stress when the waters of the bl...

The most busy air routes in 2017 have been identified. One may reckon it can be the route from Beijing to Shanghai , or that from LA to Frisco, as holding the top honours. No, they are only ranked No 10 busy and No. 7 busy, respectively. What attracts passengers to frequent specific air routes? Is it the lack of alternative and viable options? Air travel can be fraught with possible disadvantages like long wait times, pushy airport officers and personal security risks. S ome routes can be short enough to travel by road faster and with more passenger independence when air flights are delayed. Other routes fly over ocean and so have air travel as most optimal in time spent, changes in mode of transport and transfers. The top ten busy air routes last year were non stop flights. Half of them were between Asian cities, with only one each for Africa, North America and South America. They also reflect busy traffic in commerce, populations with purchasing power and societies ...

You can witness double parking of vehicles with their drivers not having a care in the world. Less people would dare to park or stop in stipulated bus zones, especially in built up areas of capital cities, for the rights and power of bus drivers are never to be under estimated. Interesting enough, the above behaviours do not attract driver demerit zones in New South Wales, unless they are committed within a school operating zone. What attracts the most number of driver penalty points in  NSW?  Nine points that is, for driving a vehicle with no one wearing seat belts, with two or more unrestrained passengers aboard.  If you drive in the dark without a head light, it is amazing you are penalised for one point. This compares the risks of creating carnage and damage on the roads.  A failure to dip headlights also costs only a single driver demerit point. Driving on the wrong side of a dividing line only involves three demerit points.  Crossing a c...