FEAST OR FAMINE

As a member of Fairshare International which proposes the 5.10.5.10 principles, I was interested to hear about New York's proposed cigarette-butt recycling program. The New York Times reports that New York state is considering a cigarette-butt recycling program that aspires to: 1) protect the environment, and 2) create employment. In cigarette-butt recycling programs around the world, the butts are used to create adhesives, sealants, and pipe coatings. A Brazilian fashion designer uses cigarette-butts in her clothing. First they are cleaned, dyed and spun together with sheep wool, and the end product is used as a material for clothing. New York state is considering potential ways to clean up the state and create recycling and other related jobs under the cigarette-butt recycling program. Fairshare International's 5.10.5.10 principles ( http://fairshareinternational.org/ ): 5 - Redistributing at least 5% of your gross annual income to programs that provide dire...

Men from the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), a land-locked state in southern Australia, live longer than other Australian males, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The ACT’s capital city, Canberra, has a population of about 350,000 and is the home of the Federal Parliament. Women in Western Australia have the highest life expectancy among women in Australia. Western Australia is the least densely populated state in Australia. Its capital, Perth, is the most isolated city in the world (in terms of its distance to another capital city). Women still live longer than men. Females in Australia can expect to live, on average, to 82 years of age. Males can expect to live, on average, to 76 years of age. The Australian Capital Territory consistently has the lowest death rate in Australia while the Northern Territory has the highest. Getting married assists longevity as men and women who remained single were twice as likely to die as their married counterparts. Th...

I'm in Washington DC at a time of television program finales. All the programs I've barely watched over the year are concluding their latest season: shows such as Desperate Housewives, Brothers and Sisters, Grey's Anatomy, Dancing with the Stars, 30 Rock, Modern Family, Gossip Girl, CSI: Miami, CSI: New York, American Idol, House, The Ghost Whisperer, The Good Wife, The Biggest Loser, Glee, and The Celebrity Apprentice. Over the next week, characters will die, babies will be born, major illnesses will be revealed, secrets will be outed, and an armed gunman runs rampant. Not only are there season finales, there are permanent endings to favourite television programs. Lost concluded after 6 seasons and its with a two-and-a-half hour episode followed by two hours of explanations. The Jack Bauer series, 24, ends after 8 seasons in a two-hour finale - how will Jack finish another long and gruelling day? And Law and Order ends after 20 seasons. Fans will be sure to...

The Cannes Film Festival is over for another year. Now, where can you watch these award-winning movies? Top 10 countries with the most cinemas: 1. USA 23,662 2. Ukraine 14,960 3. India 8,975 4. China 4,639 5. France 4,365 6. Italy 3,816 7. Germany 3,814 8. Belarus 3,780 9. Uzbekistan 2,365 10. Spain 2,090

Morgan and Banks, a worldwide employment agency, conducted a survey of what Australian employees and also management staff wanted from work. Employees listed the following: 1. Full appreciation for work done 2. Feeling in on things 3. Sympathetic understanding of personal problems 4. Job security 5. Good wages 6. Interesting work 7. Promotion and growth 8. Management loyalty 9. Good working conditions 10. Tactful disciplining Management listed the following conditions at work: 1. Good wages 2. Job security 3. Promotion and growth 4. Good working conditions 5. Interesting work 6. Management loyalty 7. Tactful disciplining 8. Full appreciation for work done 9. Sympathetic understanding of personal problems 10. Feeling in on things Morgan and Banks also surveyed approximately 2,000 Australian employees to discover the following stress factors in the workplace: 1. Mergers and acquisitions 2. Starting a new job 3. Retention/people i...

In Hitler and Churchill: Secrets of Leadership (2004) Andrew Roberts presents a detailed comparison of two political men of power, Adolf Hitler in Germany and Winston Churchill in England, in two parts: the period prior to World War II and wartime. Roberts provides commentary on their strengths and weaknesses, the people who made them great leaders, and their own leadership characteristics throughout their rise to Fuhrer and Prime Minister respectively. At first glance, the two men appear to be total opposites, but with a skilful expose of their backgrounds, aspirations, decision-making, leadership styles, attitudes and beliefs, Roberts reveals their similarities. Their differences were legendary. While Hitler was charismatic, Churchill was not. Many attest to the “weirdly compelling effect” that Hitler’s eyes had upon people, and that he was adored by his staff. Churchill, on the other hand, was a tough, rude and sarcastic boss. Hitler delegated and Churchill micro...

Years of constant economic hardship – at the government level, the work level and in the household – can lead to frugality fatigue for many. American newspapers are reporting a rise in the use of the phrase ‘frugality fatigue’ and in the phenomenon. Frugality fatigue is defined as mental exhaustion caused by constant frugality during hard economic times. Ongoing extreme budgeting, where every cent is accounted for and every purchase undergoes intense scrutiny and rationale, is wearying, leading to further stress and tension, family arguments, and feelings of gloom and despair. People are tired of not being able to buy anything without justification. The phrase appears to have been first used in 2004 in an article by Mark Dolliver for Adweek on March 22, entitled “Saving Us from Food, the Big Picture, Etc” in which he states: “Having at least tried to restrain their spending since the recession hit three years ago, some consumers likely have developed a case of frugality fat...

The ‘Sant Maral’ foundation conducted a national survey in April called the ‘Politbarometer’. Some results are noted below:  39% of the respondents are ‘fairly satisfied’ with the current government  20% are ‘totally dissatisfied’ with the current government  30% are ‘fairly satisfied’ with the opposition  24% are ‘totally dissatisfied’ with the opposition  25% said that agriculture was the government’s greatest success  1% said that law enforcement was the government’s greatest success  20% said that the growth of unemployment was the government’s greatest failure  39% said that unemployment was the nation’s biggest problem  36% said that government policy ‘supported the rich’  30% said that politicians were ‘self-interested and lacked concern for society at large’  43% thought that the present economy was ‘bad’  47% said that the economic situation was ‘stagnating’  40% thought that the economic situation would be ‘slightly better’ in five y...

Mongolia’s Ministry of Environment and Travel report that 4,149 rivers and lakes across the country have dried up since 2007. The report focuses on water deficiency and desertification and their causes. Foreign and domestic mining played a key role in the drying of rivers because they dig near water sources, clearing land and forests as they explore gold and other minerals. Hence, soil erosion and pollution are other concerns. Last week, the Mongolian parliament discussed a national water program aimed at protecting water sources and promoting efficient water use and management.

In 365 days a year, there are 8,760 hours. The average amount of sunshine hours varies across the globe. Here are some comparisons (and surprises): 492 = Anchorage, Alaska 852 = Honolulu, Hawaii 948 = Fresno, California 1,176 = Acapulco, Mexico 1,600 = Cornwall, United Kingdom 1,813 = Royston, United Kingdom 2,000 = Bordeaux, France 2,400 = Nelson, New Zealand 2,408 = Kampala, Uganda 2,500 = Estevan, Canada 2,555 = Sunshine Coast, Australia 2,800 = Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia 3,000 = Athens, Greece 3,082 = Darwin, Australia 3,451 = Cairo, Egypt 3,664 = Khartoum, Sudan 4,055 = Death Valley, California

Just as the United Kingdom is facing an election, let’s reflect on politics in Australia. Many governments around the world are criticized for their lack of transparency and for leaving the public in the dark. A wordy research text by Australian Greg Terrill called Secrecy and Openness: The Federal Government from Menzies to Whitlam and Beyond , traces the history of political disclosure, concealment and propaganda in the Australian Government from the 1960s. Prime Minister, Robert Menzies had a preference for an almost publicly introverted administration. This changed with the 1970s style of both the liberal and labor governments in Australia, particularly in the Gough Whitlam and Bob Hawke years where open government was a priority. Menzies’ legendary exploitation of the fear of communism provided his rationale for a secretive government. Terrill argues that some secrecy may have been necessary at the time and could still be justifiable in some sections of the current g...