2576 2 February 2016 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… After the excesses of the somnolent summer, many people go on FebFast, a month without alcohol - and, it being a leap year, one day extra in 2016. The writers of these signs would be aghast. …………………………………………………………………………………….......…… … [Read more...]
Academic Gongs – Australia Day 2016
26/01/2016 by
26 January 2016 604 Australians have been recognised with Orders of Australia on Australia Day 2016. As always, members of the tertiary education sector featured strongly in the honours list, with 77 awards (81 in 2015), particularly in the upper categories. People associated with the tertiary sector received 4 out of the 11 Companion awards (36%), 24 out of 45 Officer awards (53%), 36 of 174 Member awards (20.6%), for 27.4% of the higher awards (33% in 2015) . In the most common category, Medal of the order, only 15 of 374 awards were tertiary sector related people (3.7%). Women continue to be under represented with 40% of all awards, mainly in the Medal category; still, that's up … [Read more...]
Over there…..
16/01/2016 by
Freedom Girls debut the "Official Donald Trump Jam" 16 January 2016 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… No wonder Donald Trump has opened up a double digit lead over his nearest rival in the Republican primary race, with lines like "Enemies of freedom, face the music. Come on, boys, take 'em down". …………………………………………………………………………………….......…… 2570 … [Read more...]
Fireworks special
06/01/2016 by
6 January 2016 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… This footage of a RC drone flying through a firework display will leave you breathless! Make sure you watch this on full screen – it’s that good. This is from Trending Hot TV - check it out. …………………………………………………………………………………….......…… 2563 … [Read more...]
Christmas carols banned…..?
23/12/2015 by
Bah! Humbug..... The Australian | 23 December 2015 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… In those years in which Labor is in office in Victoria, you can be sure News Limited will run a story this time of the year about how Christmas in some respect has been "banned" in government schools. This year it was an op-ed in The Australian by one Simon Breheny who claims that Victorian education minister James Merlino issued a "diktat" in effect banning Christmas carols in government schools. Not so, says Merlino in this response which features prominently in the digital edition of The Oz, but is reduced to a letter to editor in the print edition - and not even the first one on … [Read more...]
Woolworths – the poker machine people
20/12/2015 by
Christmas, brought to you by Woolworths 20 December 2015 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… BANNED: Channel 9 is refusing to run Get Up's new TV ad exposing Woolworths as Australia's largest poker machine owner. Why? Because "Woolworths are a key business partner". Ok - we're not so check out the ad Channel 9 won't let you see, then share it. …………………………………………………………………………………….......…… … [Read more...]
Cruz Christmas Classics
20/12/2015 by
Really quite bizarrre - but grabbing attention … [Read more...]
Star Wars: Is it possible to build a real-life lightsaber?
18/12/2015 by
ABC News | 17 December 2015 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… Researchers say the concept of a lightsaber* would not work in reality but lasers could be used to create something vaguely similar to the famous Jedi sword. Physicists at the University of Queensland (UQ) are exploring the possibility of creating real-life lightsabers in the wake of the much anticipated instalment of the seventh Star Wars film. …………………………………………………………………………………….......…… Research physicist Martin Ringbaue said a real lightsaber would not work because the beams of light would simply pass through each other. "The biggest problem with the lightsaber is that light doesn't just stop at the end," Mr Ringbaue … [Read more...]
The Scan #176 16 December 2015
16/12/2015 by
News __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Rebalancing Victorian VET 16 December 2015 | The Victorian government has released the Final Report of The VET Funding Review (Mackenzie Report). It’s a weighty document, both literally and figuratively, running to 173 pages and 109 recommendations. Skills minister Steve Herbert says the government accepts the “general thrust” of the report and its recommendations. It will take the next year to work through design and implementation issues and to consult with stakeholders ahead of the introduction of a new funding model in 2017. Certain … [Read more...]
The Scan #175 11 December 2015
11/12/2015 by
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ News __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ VET FEE-HELP skewering system 11 December 2015 | Explosive growth in the VET FEE-HELP scheme has masked massive direct public disinvestment in vocational education and training. While a report by NCVER shows a notional growth of 1.7% in 2014 over 2013 (plus $141.0 million, from $8512.4 million to $8653.4 million), it’s all in VET-FEE Help payments: actual direct expenditure by governments, … [Read more...]