So don't watch it.
How many times a week do you here someone complain "There's nothing on TV"? I'm constantly hearing people tell me that when they get home from a hard day's work, eat their dinner, put their kids to bed (or not) there's nothing to watch on TV.
They're probably right in a lot of cases. Even if one has pay-TV in Australia most of the shows are re-runs, crime shows or obscure sporting events.
I used to watch one of the innumerable CSI shows until I remember thinking "At the end of this show my life is not going to be affected one little bit". I stopped watching TV for the sake of it then.
TV programming is decided by people who don't know you. The shows aren't targeted at you, they're targeted to try and get 10-20% of people who are watching TV to watch them. The advertisers will buy ads to try and convince you that you really do need a bigger plasma, or that the bank really is your friend.
TV's not about you.
I'll admit there's some good stuff on, but be selective. Choose to switch the TV on to watch a thing, not just anything.
Or - wait for it - don't watch the TV! Read a book. Browse the Internet. Start a blog (trust me, anyone can do it, even if you're probably the only one who will read it!).
Or get on the phone and call your best mate - there's nothing on his TV either.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Google Advertising
You'll soon notice google advertising on my blog.
Click on the ads, don't click on the ads - it's up to you.
Any revenue from the site (as unlikely as that is that there will be any revenue) will go towards the costs of maintaining the blogger - namely Fairtrade coffee, slavery and child labour free chocolate, and keeping my girlfriend happy.
Click on the ads, don't click on the ads - it's up to you.
Any revenue from the site (as unlikely as that is that there will be any revenue) will go towards the costs of maintaining the blogger - namely Fairtrade coffee, slavery and child labour free chocolate, and keeping my girlfriend happy.
Safer Cars
The Victorian Government is thinking either of legislating to force car makers to add safety features to cars, or offering incentives to consumers to buy safe cars.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/01/01/1198949817049.html
Here's an incentive - safe cars are safer. Cars with ABS and Stability Control systems are less likely to be involved in accidents. Passengers travelling in cars fitted with airbags and seatbelt pretensioners are less likely to be severely injured or killed.
http://www.howsafeisyourcar.com.au/
Instead of expecting the government to make our decisions for us, let us - the consumer - make the decisions. Why is it that we can't say - "Hang on, I'll do this myself"?
On a standard Toyota Corolla, you can order 7 airbags as an option for $750. Most people finance their cars over 5 years, so that works out to be an additional 50 cents per day (including interest!).
50 cents per day to protect your family with 7 airbags!
A Holden Commodore charges a bit more - $1000. That's still 65 cents per day (including interest).
What more incentive do we need than "For less than $1 a day we can provide a bucketload more safety for ourselves and our families"!
I'm not selling cars, but these are two of Australia's most popular models. If more people who ordered these cars chose the airbags as an option, the carmakers would look at the economies of fitting them to ALL the cars and building the cost into the standard price of the car. Voila! Safer cars!
The Victorian Government wants to legislate on safety in cars because they do not have faith that we, as individuals, have the ability to make sensible informed choices. They do not trust us to be left to our own devices. They do not believe that the market will react to people's decisions.
Let's prove them wrong!
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/01/01/1198949817049.html
Here's an incentive - safe cars are safer. Cars with ABS and Stability Control systems are less likely to be involved in accidents. Passengers travelling in cars fitted with airbags and seatbelt pretensioners are less likely to be severely injured or killed.
http://www.howsafeisyourcar.com.au/
Instead of expecting the government to make our decisions for us, let us - the consumer - make the decisions. Why is it that we can't say - "Hang on, I'll do this myself"?
On a standard Toyota Corolla, you can order 7 airbags as an option for $750. Most people finance their cars over 5 years, so that works out to be an additional 50 cents per day (including interest!).
50 cents per day to protect your family with 7 airbags!
A Holden Commodore charges a bit more - $1000. That's still 65 cents per day (including interest).
What more incentive do we need than "For less than $1 a day we can provide a bucketload more safety for ourselves and our families"!
I'm not selling cars, but these are two of Australia's most popular models. If more people who ordered these cars chose the airbags as an option, the carmakers would look at the economies of fitting them to ALL the cars and building the cost into the standard price of the car. Voila! Safer cars!
The Victorian Government wants to legislate on safety in cars because they do not have faith that we, as individuals, have the ability to make sensible informed choices. They do not trust us to be left to our own devices. They do not believe that the market will react to people's decisions.
Let's prove them wrong!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Personal Responsibility and Accountability
Hi, I'm Marshall. This is my blog. My contribution to the interweb. Hopefully I won't be the only person reading this. I have something to say! I'm an Australian, so most of my posts will have an Aussie flavour about them.
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It is becoming more and more common these days for people to glady relieve themselves of any responsibility for decision making in their lives. Less often do we challenge 'the establishment' or do we challenge 'common sense'. Western Governments are becoming better and better at restricting the little freedoms in favour of the so-called "greater good".
And we just don't just let this happen - in fact we encourage it. We beg the government to take responsibility for raising our children. We love the fact that the government is helping look after reconciliation and promoting multi-culturalism. The government censors what we read, what we listen to on the radio, what we watch in cinemas, on dvd and on TV. The Government even decides what computer games we are allowed to play.
Of course, there are some basic areas where we have to let the Government make the call. I'm not an anarchist, and I would not be happy for individuals to make decisions on my behalf in their best interests. But there needs to be a balance.
Deregulate yourself will tackle a different topic every post. It will ask you to ask questions, make decisions - at least - at least - at least ask you to pause from time to time and think "What Do I Really Want?"
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It is becoming more and more common these days for people to glady relieve themselves of any responsibility for decision making in their lives. Less often do we challenge 'the establishment' or do we challenge 'common sense'. Western Governments are becoming better and better at restricting the little freedoms in favour of the so-called "greater good".
And we just don't just let this happen - in fact we encourage it. We beg the government to take responsibility for raising our children. We love the fact that the government is helping look after reconciliation and promoting multi-culturalism. The government censors what we read, what we listen to on the radio, what we watch in cinemas, on dvd and on TV. The Government even decides what computer games we are allowed to play.
Of course, there are some basic areas where we have to let the Government make the call. I'm not an anarchist, and I would not be happy for individuals to make decisions on my behalf in their best interests. But there needs to be a balance.
Deregulate yourself will tackle a different topic every post. It will ask you to ask questions, make decisions - at least - at least - at least ask you to pause from time to time and think "What Do I Really Want?"
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