Election the unknown for next year's market (Post 1 of 2)

Posted to The Age (13/12/12) on 16/12/2012 at 1:27 PM
Commenting on "Election the unknown for next year's market"
http://theage.domain.com.au/real-estate-news/election-the-unknown-for-next-years-market-20121212-2b9vu.html

Whichever party wins the election is not the determining factor for the boom-and-bust of the real estate industry. The concern of today is unemployment. The reported unemployment rate is totally unrealistic, and unreliable. To understand the extent of economic misery, all you need is to count the number of For Rent or For Lease signs in busy shopping strips, CBD commercial buildings, and the number of people carrying bags of purchased items in shopping centres.

Gone are the good old days of economic recovery. The wheel of economy stops when people stop borrowing and stop spending. Unfortunately, it is the uncontrolled spending leads to over commitment of debt here and overseas. The fear of inability to recover the debt by the lenders put the brake hard and the wheels come to a halt.

Accelerated spending helped China, India and many developing countries to create employment, which cannibalised ours and many developed countries'. The thought of employment recovery is farfetched, because there is no way but probably with one possible avenue that our labour costs can be lowered substantially to compete in the international arena.

That possible avenue relies on new migrants coming to Australia with different mindset and attitude towards work. The costs of construction, direct and indirect, may come down, not dissimilar to the scenario of Asian restaurants and cafes serving mouth-watering and appetite satisfying meals.

When will this prophecy be realised? I think the process has already begun!

Teach migrants about deodorant says MP

Posted to The Age (10/1/2012) on 9/1/2012 at 10:14 AM
Commenting on "Teach migrants about deodorant, queues: MP"
http://www.theage.com.au/national/teach-migrants-about-deodorant-queues-mp-20120110-1ps6o.html

Hygiene is virtually a non-existing word in many people’s vocabulary these days.

Do you walk around in the house with the same pair of shoes that you use outside? Can you imagine how much filth has been brought in, possibly with disease carrying germs being deposited in the carpet? Worse still your toddler may crawl round on the carpeted floor in the house.

Do you wipe the seat or ground in the public place before sitting down with that clean pair of pants or dress? Whatever is on that garment is going to be transferred to the furniture or bed in the house.

So, you may be hygiene conscious and wash your hands after using the toilet; but do you realise that you turn on the tap using the dirty or contaminated hand and turn it off after washing the hand which is now supposedly clean? Furthermore, you turn the dirty door handle/knob when you get out of the wash room.

Do you kiss a friend on the cheek as a friendly gesture at a gathering or function? There is a good chance that one person who is not in the best of health has kissed on the same cheek during the occasion.

Above all these is that not many people change to clean clothing or have a complete wash down after a hospital visit, as germs can harbour in the clothing and body parts. Unfortunately doctors and nurses may be not as hygienic as one who has BO and does not use deodorant.

That's all folks for my hygiene lesson.