the Brain drain

The league of Common sense has been living on Facebook for the last few years. But when there is something to say, it has come back to base.

I meet many people in the course of my work. And as an author I ask them one simple question.
Do you read?
the answer is 6 out of 10 NO.

No time is the one that crops up quite often, but the biggest factor and answer is that I can't read.
This is not a joke. The people I meet are from all walks of life, various socio-econonic groups and ages and yet Australian education has let them down. Or they have failed to grasp the basics that the education has offered them.
 Although I have encountered some in the older demographic that can't read,
it is always said with a longing of what might have been. The younger generation say it with a laugh and a giggle.
What is missing? What has happened to the education system that we are producing illiterate people who don't seem to care that they go through life without the knowledge to read and process what they read, for comprehension is part and parcel of that knowledge.

I am surprised at the number of people that don't, can't, read. I see it and hear it all the time. And there is not one ounce of shame attached to the pronouncement. The world revolved around reading, texting, tweeting, Facebooking. How can one navigate life without the basic knowledge. It is through pictures. U tube, snapchat, instagram, etc. Now the manufacturers have put out instructions without words...just pictures in simple format for the new generation.

.Perhaps it is the 'everyone's a winner' school programme. You get a star for just showing up.
I know my own grandchildren get a ribbon for participation in sports day. Where is the striving to be first when you know you will get a reward for eating your lunch.

The illiterate generation is spreading to their offspring. Fidget spinners hold more of the allure than a book. How can it be that kids will spin a toy than try to achieve something. ..anything. Of course the latest fad has always been available. We had click clack balls, but there was a level of skill involved in them, as with yo-yos, kites, knucklebones, marbles etc. Where is the problem solving, the skill involved with a fidget spinner.
Is this level of unintelligent behaviour a ploy to keep the population happy and ignorant.
Where is the thought process. Where is the passion, the life, the seeking of knowledge?

Reading is something that sets us apart. It gives us ideas, spreads information and makes us question. Without the basics, the population can and will be spoon fed any idea and it will be accepted as a truth. Life's subtleties will be hidden from view.
The world is flat and we will all fall off if something isn't done to fix the problem.

Research on bras and the lack of...

It seems in this research article
Fifteen years of research reached an uplifting conclusion last week for French scientist Professor Jean-Denis Rouillon, a man who has positioned himself as an expert in the perkiness of the female breast. 

read 

Jean Hannah Edelstein take on the research HERE

The League of Common sense only has one thing to say.
What would a man really know about wearing a bra?

I know the research is about the level of droop sans bra over the years, but honestly, for someone who has breastfed for over  40 months...thats over 3 years, the droop is inevitable.

Surely they could find something more edifying to research...or is it just a man thing?

Dog sense

It seems dogs don't have a lot of smarts sometimes.

Where I live there is a gate with bars and this swings into a larger gate so when they are both operating you can pull something wide down the dock.
Most of the time people just push the green button to use the smaller side or swipe the key. The door is sprung to close.
this morning a woman with a dog swiped to come in, but the dog slipped through the bars first. Not a problem.
She walked thru and the dog went back outside thru the gate. The gate shut.
woman on the inside/dog on the outside.
So she opened the gate and went out to get him and coax  him in and he went through the bars again.
dog on the inside/woman on the outside.
she swiped her key to  get in and ...the dog went on the outside.
dog on the outside/woman on the inside.

It was getting ridiculous. So as pack master the woman opened the gate and ran after the pet, scooped him up and carried him inside.
He looked at her like
What is all the fuss about.

the business plan

I like bikes. So when I see a bike shop I usually go in and have a look. And this is what I did at a local bike shop.

And this is the tale the proprietor told me.

She has a new folding bike for sale at $250.00. That is a good price for an alloy bike 6 gears.

I  paid 500.00  So I said to the owner who is a bright young woman...

"How can you sell them so cheap"

Well...it seems Supercheap auto have a folding bike for 149.00 and she just can't compete and so has to sell her $500 stock for half price. Now her quality is superior but market forces what they are ...well you get the picture.

It is a shame. Perhaps we as consumers should support the small business. Quality over price? Its a hard ask, but common sense.

Perception is everything

Picture this.

At the local shopping centre there is Coles and there is a small independent green grocer. The Green Grocer doesn't sell much in the way of variety. The produce is in  baskets and of the fill a bag variety. Carrots for $2.00. Potatoes for $2.00 etc
It boasts local.

Now what do I see, but the proprietor of the Green grocers coming out of Coles with bags of shopping and in the bags were carrots @ $1.20 a bag.

Even is she wasn't going to do a swifty and sell them at a profit it is not a good look. I commented as much and a passer-by remarked on the same line.
Is this just another example of gouging the Australian public?

Common sense says you would do it after 5pm when your own shop is closed....if nothing else to allay any suspicions.

Getting the instructions right DIY

I just purchased a wet and dry vacuum cleaner.

So the instructions read.

When using the appliance, make sure that no hair, clothing or members are drawn in.
?  Is there a secret club I don't know about. Vacuum suckers united.

Do not use in a damp environment.
?
But is for sucking up water. How can I comply

Make sure the appliance is not plugged into the power mains.
What the?

Wear protective clothing and gloves.
I'm not going to vacuum up the Fukushima tea room, just my floors.

Never use the appliance if you are tired.
Obviously it is not intended for a work a day woman/man.

And here I was thinking vacuuming was as easy as putting the kettle on.
Perhaps I should leave it to the professionals.

warning the public about cigarettes

So here is the thing. 

If the Australian Government wants to stop people from smoking by putting pictures of the consequences on the packets then... Shouldn't they have those very packets on show most of the time for all to see?

Currently packets of cigarettes in shops must be covered by curtains, doors, drawers or away from the public view. The league thinks that if you really want to make an impact you should have them on show. Make big posters, tell the world, the public, those who might just want to take up smoking what they will have to endure.

To make something clandestine, furtive and a little bit wrong only encourages those who wish to "buck the system, seem like a rebel or be anti-establishment. 

the cost of living

Why is it that a new printer is cheaper than the cartridge of ink you need to keep it working.

What happened to manufacturing that we can buy a printer made in China for $49. How can they be making a profit at this ridiculously cheap price? And ...if they are making a profit what of Harvey Norman, The Good Guys, J.B. HiFi and the rest? Are they just gouging? Greedy Bastards to charge three times as much for the same functionality?

Common sense says that the ink should be cheaper than the machine. There is something so wrong with the whole retail concept.

And what of the price of the ink? Why is it that on the internet you can get one for $11.00 delivered and Harvey Norman want $60. More greed? 

It pays to shop around and use a little common sense. 

Price matching is the new game in town

something lost in Translation. WTF

Telstra fesses up

This is a red letter day.I had a problem with my bill and went to the telstra shop to get it sorted.
They
admitted they were wrong.
gave me $4.oo more than I was due in a credit
fixed my problem in less than 15 minutes
and talked to me in a language I could understand.

I'm in shock.
It's nice to get that warm fuzzy feeling that everything is alright with the world.

fabulously wealthy. Uber rich

Julia Gillard says the fabulously wealthy will prop up the coffers of the government with changes to tax concessions on superannuation contributions.

Labor is privately saying they will only look to target the top 1 to 2 per cent of earners for any changes to tax concessions on superannuation contributions. But uncertainty remains.

Publicly they’re saying superannuation reform is not being used to plug a revenue hole in the budget.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/opinion/so-who-are-the-fabulously-wealthy/story-fnh4jt54-1226611509446#ixzz2POiMuCg6
So what is fabulously wealthy?


A 80% mortgage for that river frontage property
A 100% car loan for a merc or a porche
A holiday on the tic. (credit card)

A portfolio of shares that are as volatile as nitro glycerine. Up one day down the next when someone sneezes.

or are you wealthy when you can give a big bundle to charity. Reward your workers with cars or holidays.
Fly to work in a helicopter? create jobs?

We may say ok they are wealthy so they can afford it. They can pay. Is this fair?
Did all the fabulously wealthy get there with shonky deals or hard work, long hours and sacrifice?
If the line in the sand is on income then what about the lottery winner who just one a million? He or she just stepped up a notch and they should pay. Or the recently retired who took that lump sum?

Shouldn't the population be treated all the same. a flat rate for everyone? Common sense says we should be treated equally only...
Some are more equal than others?

bus seats.

So will someone tell me why it is that when you have been sitting on a bus for 4 hours all you want to do when you get off is sit down.

EASTER NO GO ZONE

Is it being unreasonable to say NO to Easter. 
Common sense says that if you are not a believer, then why go through all the hype.
So when people say
"Have a happy Easter" I say
I don't do Easter.
They look askew. They frown. They don't understand.
It is a personal choice like eating shell fish or driving a diesel so why am I branded as mean. 
It is only a chocolate egg after all.  Ah...so it isn't about Christianity, it is about Red Tulip, Nestle, Ferrero and Cadburys.

Amazon take over

Amazon Buys Goodreads to Make Reading More Social

Amazon announced Thursday that it will acquire Goodreads, the popular social network for books, for an undisclosed sum.

Goodreads launched in 2007 and currently has more than 16 million members. The service lets users share and review books they've read or want to read, as well as to keep track of what their friends are reading.

So it seems to the league that there are less and less players in the mix and so what we read or choose to read will be decided by market forces. Of course it makes marketing sense to see what is trending, what is being shared and read and Amazon would be fools not to take advantage of the opportunity to look under the covers so to speak. But, still, you have to wonder on what they will do with the statistics they find...?

superhuman energy in Japan

I want some of this.

Imagine getting to the front of the queue with this type of energy and not a "V" drink or double shot short black in sight!

There is a massive internet photo trend brewing amongst 


youths in Japan right now that involves taking pictures of

 teens who appear to be releasing invisible energy that sends 

their peers flying. The photo mania is especially popular 

amongst schoolgirls who started the trend by uploading 

images on Twitter and labelling them as "Makankosappo", a 

reference to a special attack in the popular manga-turned-

anime Dragon Ball series.

Best Australian Blog.

vote for the league in the people's choice award It is time to get your fingers tapping and vote via the link.

tell your friends, heck,  tell everyone.

just looking? $5.00 please

from the Huffington post

In Australian retailer has a simple message for people who just want to look around: pay up or get out.

A speciality grocery store in Brisbane, Australia, began charging its customers a $5 "just looking" fee in February, Consumerist reports. The policy is intended to curb the "high volume of people who use this store as a reference point and then purchase goods elsewhere," reads the sign posted outside the store 

So it has come to this. It seems to the league that they have a problem trying to lure customers in to buy. 

I know...how about lowering the profit margin, giving genuine service and really competing in the market. 

Who next. Harvey Norman. Coles, ...if this shop thought about it for just a minute they could give a great retail experience...just make things more affordable, rather than acting like a bank.;)

The Lucky Country

from the Guardian UK

Last June, Australia celebrated its 21st. No, not a birthday or coming of age, but the completion of its 21st consecutive year of economic growth. Yup, you heard right, 21 years. Of growth. 21.

While the rest of the world lurches from crisis to economic crisis, the land of Oz is powering ahead, enjoying an Aussie dollar at a record high, unemployment at near-record lows (5.4%) and basking in more sunshine than the rest of us can dream up. So what does its Labor government do? Attempt suicide.

This article says we shouldn't complain, things are rosy. Perhaps that is because we dig up Australia and send it overseas. We are net importers of food. And have record debt. And the Government are thinking of taxing superannuation three times. once when you earn it as a gross, once when you withdraw it and once when you live on it. Nice. Correct me if I'm wrong.

The league reads articles like this with a healthy dose of salts. If we ran our household budget like the Australian Government we'd be bankrupt. 

Abysmal always looks good next to atrocious. Perhaps that is why Abbott and Gillard look good together. Which ever way you put the analogy it works.

evolution on the roadkill

via the Huffington Post

It's no secret that roadside flying can be dangerous for birds. But new research suggests they may be getting a little help from a surprising source -- evolution.

After a 30-year study of cliff swallows, which often nest under bridges and overpasses, researchers in Nebraska found that the number of birds killed by vehicles has steadily declined since the 1980s. The team also found that the average wing length of the birds there has declined, concluding that these birds might have evolved shorter wingspans to avoid moving vehicles.

So in the evolution stakes, humans don't seem to be evolving. we get hit by cars all the time and haven't bred out the idiots just yet.

perhaps we need to do a study about common sense or the lack of...

Refugee behaviour protocols?

Scott Morrison wants to...via ABC News

Opposition Immigration spokesman Scott Morrison has confirmed a Coalition government would impose behaviour protocols for asylum seekers on bridging visas.

Mr Morrison flagged the controversial idea earlier this year after a Sri Lankan asylum seeker was charged with the indecent assault of a Macquarie University student in Sydney.

More than 50 asylum seekers on bridging visas were being housed on the university campus, sparking the Opposition's calls for stricter rules.

More here  

The league thinks the general population could do with a refresher course in behaviour protocols.

Let's start with 

pardon me.

excuse me.

You first.

Thank you.   and the list goes on.

and my mother's favourite...get your elbows off the table.