Thursday 30 October 2014

A Skewed View! #equality #promotion #bureaucracy

Why is it, as a society, we value our footballers more than we value our educators, our health professionals, many in the legal profession and our politicians. What makes a footballer worth a high six or seven figure income when we pay our Prime Minister less than half of that? Yes, a footballer at the top of his game has inordinate skill that perhaps not many others possess. And yes, you may also say that politicians are all rogues and do not deserve more. But, will the skills of the footballer make an Earth shattering difference to the life expectancy of world populations, to the standard of living for those living in sub-standard accommodation, or to how we live our lives? I know you will all say that footballers have only a short time in which to capitalize of the skills and fitness that sees them at the top of their game. I still cannot see why this means they are worth up to twenty times the income of the average Joe, or worth double what we pay the person we trusted in the democratic process to oversee the running of our country.

Not to be seen to picking on our sports people, there are many anomalies that have developed in our workplaces and society in general in the last couple of decades. Once upon a time if you worked hard, gave your all in an honest day's work, you could work your way from the bottom to the top. Many of the great companies of the world have their very foundations in this work ethos. Those at the top would never have dared to make judgement on those ranked lower than them without first having experienced their position in the business. Sadly, this is no longer the case. Those at the top today are generally the self promoters! These executive elite are the big talkers, Mr or Ms Popular, who never have a moment of self doubt. Are they good at their job? Generally not! However, this does not even occur to them. After all, they have all the worker bees running around making them look good.These  worker bees are those that work hard, have all the knowledge, and take all the falls. To add insult to injury the Queen Bees have somehow managed to acquire these massive salaries, lerks and perks, and a lifestyle to which they have become accustomed. I just love the way the business model is reliant on this voracious appetite for money at any cost. Oh and of course, the executive salary is tied to the bonuses that are reward for the successful posting of a massive profit.

These over paid self promoters run everything today from businesses, to schools, to hospitals, to universities, to banks.  Their success is gauged in profitability. It is no coincidence that with the business model applied to hospitals and schools, that we have seen an exponential growth in administrative staff. With this, has come a pruning of staff at the coal face. The very service that the institution is supposed to provide is in jeopardy due to budgetary constraints but, those in the administration continue to build their ivory towers unabated. Also sadly, many of those in administration have no idea, or experience, of the situation or processes which they oversee. This means many of their decisions are ill founded, wasteful, and downright ridiculous. However, so long as the budget has been met and a profit returned, who cares?

In business, I do not deny it is imperative that companies run at a profit. But, why is it that the one at the top is paid $3,000,000 in some instances and when it comes to cost cutting they ruthlessly prune at the bottom sacking those on a mere pittance. How come none of the executives simply prune a huge chunk off their massive income, and keep on some of the workers at the bottom. You may say this is simply business working in a free enterprise market, but somehow it has all got out of proportion. I fiercely believe that each and every one of us should work to make our way in life. But, with work should also come opportunity. Opportunity that is reward for working hard, not opportunity that is a reward for being a totally incompetent self promoter! How often do we see someone who is totally incompetent promoted and rewarded because no-one quite knows what to do with them? All too often, and maybe this is why the world is in such a mess at the moment. We have those that believe the world owes them a living, and are social security recipients for generation after generation. And we have those self promoters at the top collecting these indecently large salaries, swanning around living the life they believe they are entitled to. 

In the middle we have the workers who are the ones who actually make everything happen. They are generally the ones who cop the cutbacks, who work longer and longer hours for no extra pay, who go the extra mile without being asked. What is in this for them? Gratitude that they actually have a job! Do not get me wrong! I have no problem with people giving their best. But in every workplace there are those who are the big talkers who do not give their best and they are the ones who will rise up the food chain at the expense of the others and the cycle of incompetence will continue. This model will continue until we go back to rewarding hard work and diligence. Then we will have executives who appreciate what it is like to be the storeman, the salesman, the teacher or the nurse. Then we will have executives who have empathy for those at the bottom. The Queen Bee will truly be a worker bee that has been chosen for the right reasons and not a drone that is promoted on self recommendation. 

Until next time, keep working! 
someecards.com






Wednesday 22 October 2014

It's all about me really! #knowledge #me #selfabsorbed

Today in class, The year 9's were doing a unit on the environment. They were specifically talking about damage to the environment and native species from introduced plants and animals. When the teacher asked them to name an introduced species, the first answer was a Koala. (Remember, I live in Australia.) The teacher's eyes widened and he said, 'Maybe we better begin with the native species first.' So then he asked for the names of some native animals. The answers poured in, dogs, cows, horses, camels! By this stage the teacher was apoplectic. He said, 'A good place to start would be with some Marsupials!' The answer to that was, 'What is a marsupial?' His eyes glazed over! Purple in the face, the teacher then asked where the girls had been for the first 14 years of their life.

animals.nationalgeographic.com
How do students that live in Australia, go to school in Australia, get to fourteen years of age, and not even know that the native species of Australia include the kangaroo, wallabies, koalas, They are on our coins, our coat of arms and everyone knows these animals are native to Australia. Well we thought everyone knew! What is it that these kids are so interested in that has impeded their thirst for knowledge. What is of so much importance, that is so world changing, that is the only thing that they are vaguely interested in? That elusive thing is - themselves! It is very sad that very few of these kids actually value their education. It is sad that they do not see the empowerment that knowledge brings. I fear we have lost the plot. We are raising a generation of spoilt brats. They are too tired to do the menial tasks required of them because heaven forbid, 'I had to do some work in class.'

Why is it that these kids have such an elevated opinion about their self importance.  Is it because the average family is now two or less children. Is it because the the sun rises, shines and sets in these precious children. They have never known what it is like to be one of the motley crew that is a large family, where money is tight, and you all simply look out for, and after, each other. In a big family,there simply isn't time to worried about yourself! Is it the social media and the breakdown in interpersonal skills that has led to this self-absorbancy? They know every pout and pose for that selfie. They happily snapchat their genitals and yet have no idea that education is power. Power to change their lives for the better. Power to keep them from poverty. Is it the affluence of society that has bred this generation who believes it is the cleaning lady's job too pick up after them. Is it because their parents are too busy working, too tired, too jaded, or all of the above??

rottenecards.com
They are only fourteen!' I hear you say! Yes they are, and the hormones have well and truly kicked in. But, this is no excuse for their general apathy to knowledge, and their poor attitude to learning. In third world countries, the kids are crying out, trying anything that will give them some relief from poverty. Our girls have had it pretty easy really, but basically view their time at school as a time to hang out with friends. The fact that they have lessons is just an inconvenience that must be endured until the next break. I know that lessons have always been a bit of a drag at times but what has happened to their curiosity? At no time have we had greater access to the tools for knowledge. Heaven forbid, it is at our fingertips! It is as easy as a swipe, a touch, or a keyboard - the world is your oyster.

Life is not meant to be easy. But, it can be a hell of a lot easier if you have the skills to make your way in life. It is easier if you know the meaning of self-reliance, cooperation and generosity of spirit. None of this comes from self importance. The 'look at me' syndrome, that grips our young children and adults is self fulfilling and self destructing. How do you widen your knowledge base to build your resilience when you have no idea about anything other than yourself? 

The world is a rapidly changing place. There are many challenges ahead - economic hardship, instability in the Middle East, Ebola and it's consequences. These little darlings are going to meet hardship in their lifetime and will simply, have no idea about the train wreck that is about to hit them. Maybe this will be the Saviour of this indulged, self indulgent youth. They will simply have no choice. Maybe then we will get back the curiosity in our young. Maybe they will realize that the sun does not rise and set with them? I hope so because unless something changes these kids are in for a pretty miserable time. In the mean time, how lovely would it be that the girl's of today's lesson, actually celebrate our wildlife and come back to school knowing that we do not have alligators in Australia, a Koala is not an introduced species, and a camel is certainly not a native one.

Until next time, keep being curious!
 
notable-quotes.com










Thursday 16 October 2014

Nerds Incorporated! #niche #likeminded #geek

What is a nerd? To me a nerd was always the computer geek who spent days, weeks and even months slouched in front of a computer doing things that mere mortals have a snowball's chance in hell of understanding, let alone doing. Then, one day a revelation happened upon me when I realised that I am a nerd, not of the IT criteria but the science criteria. I am an extremely practical person and have always been a science sort of person since an early age. Not that I spent all of my time investigating how things worked or pulling the legs off cicadas. However, I loved all things medical and the smell of a hospital was like an intoxicating giddy excitement. When I left school the obvious career choice was one in health care and so my career in Science began. In a fledgeling pathology service, training was paramount and the technique was really the stuff of dinosaurs.  However, it was hands on science that required skill and patience. When I think about it, we just about drained the patient dry for some of the test, pregnancy tests required toads, TB diagnosis required guinea pigs and glassware reigned supreme.
blog.hmns.org

These days, my occupation in the the Science department of a secondary school still involves many of the techniques I learned a lifetime ago. I still agonise over clean glassware, prepare sterile agar plates, litres of reagents and hang out with like minded people. It was in this job, that the realisation of my nerdiness descended. Our conversations revolve around the latest disease, the next eclipse, how things work, the universe and its beginnings, and the news of the various science Facebook pages dedicated to scientific trivia and breakthroughs. We all get excited at the purchase of a new telescope, jump for joy when the roller coaster we design actually works, and invariably try to achieve yet another party trick involving hydrogen and its volatility.

One of the most exciting times for me, and one when I felt my proudest, was when my very best friend, who is an interior designer and has very little Science inclination, spent ages observing the solar eclipse at the end of 2012 and the total lunar eclipse last week. I was so thrilled as he got my enthusiasm for the whole thing. Even if after the solar eclipse, he said to me that he could not see a thing. I said 'What do you mean?' His reply was 'I cannot see anything after staring at the sun for so long!' I was horrified!!!!! During the recent 'blood moon', even though we live in different cities, he and I watched the Earth and the Moon do their thing, shared photos and commentary. Would he have watched, and appreciated the eclipse if some of my nerdiness had not rubbed off? I do not think so.

I am proud to say that he is in danger of becoming as big a nerd as I am. I have offered to teach him the basics of chemistry but that is a work in progress. It does not matter if he does not quite descend to my level of nerdiness. After all it would be a tad boring if the only conversations we had, were about antimatter, the Hadron Collider, and the Big Bang Theory :) My dear friend is one of the cleverest people I know. His mind is razor sharp and he has the memory of an elephant. His bent, just happens to be a little different from mine. He is a good taste nerd and as an interior designer is fantastic. He rearranges molecules, just on a different level to what I do.

So I have come to the conclusion that we are both nerds. We are good for each other as we challenge each other every day with our difference and our similarities. We have great conversations that range from the trivial to the deep and meaningful.  We have taught each other an inordinate amount about technology and we do not do too badly considering the status of the IT Industry when I was growing up! So we continue to push the boundaries, learn new things each and every day. Most importantly, we value each other for what they really are. We are 'Nerds Incorporated' who look out for, and after, each other each and every day.

Until next time stay safe!
scienceclarified.com




Friday 3 October 2014

Bags! #fashion #belongings #possessions #humanity

When we look back at civilization the ability to carry items has always been synonymous with survival. Very early in the piece man found a way of collectively carrying his goods and chattels be it bound together on the end of a pole, in a pot, wrapped together in bark or hide or eventually in a bag. Granted they were very rudimentary, but they often meant the difference between life and death in facilitating the transport of food and goods which otherwise would have been impossible to carry.  Today the variety of bags is as diverse as the imagination will allow them to be. A bag is used for every application from packaging food to presenting gifts.  They can be tiny enough to carry gems or large enough to package a fridge or washing machine.  Life without bags is impossible to imagine.  How would we carry our shopping? What would we carry our clothes in when traveling? Imagine a school with no backpacks or bags full of books!
yellowpages.com.au

Even if we leave all the packaging bags to one side, look at the diversity in the bags that we choose to carry every day.  We have bags for our laptops. We have bags for our tablets. We have bags for our makeup and toiletries. We have nappy bags, hand bags, duffel bags, backpacks and the list goes on. The materials from which they are made is also endless. The textures, colours and durability all influence our decision when it comes to choosing a bag. Handbags vary in size from the miniscule to the obscenely large. Luggage comes in all shapes and sizes, with wheels and without, made from plastic, fabric, combinations of both and anything in between. Backpacks enable the backpackers to see the world with just one bag, just as they allow a toddler to carry his own lunch into daycare. The list is endless and their application is the same.

westsidetoday.com
The bane of modern civilization is the plastic grocery bag and I do not know how many stores, governments etc have tried to get rid of them. When I was young groceries were packed into large brown paper bags. When you tried to carry multiples of these, you usually ended up with the bottom falling out of one of the bags as the condensation from the milk etc made the bag wet. Whilst not the most durable, these bags were great for the environment (if you don't count the trees they choppd down to make them) as they were 100% biodegradable. They did not end up in our oceans, river systems and land fill. However, along came the plastic grocery bag. They were cheap, strong, lightweight, easy to carry. The world must consume billions of them every week. Once we have them, we re-use them for every task known to man. They become rubbish bags, lunch bags, clothes bags, luggage bags. But unfortunately their durability is also a liability as they claim the life of sea creatures, clog waterways and remain in landfill for an eternity. Many of the substitute grocery bags are really no better for the environment than the plastic ones. They are made from byproducts of the petro-chemical industry. We would do well to use well constructed calico bags. They are easily washed for hygiene, they are durable, they are biodegradable, and  they are strong.

The versatility of bags is truly remarkable. We put our sandwich in one which we, in turn, carry in a cooler bag, that usually ends up inside a school bag, handbag, or briefcase! They are a bit like Russian dolls really!!!  We put our delicate items of laundry into wash bags! We have toiletry bags, dirty clothes bags, shoe bags, brown paper bags, organza bags, freezer bags, cliplock bags and the list goes on, and on, and on! In any one house, the number of bags would be endless, and to think they all have originated from the need to collect, keep and carry items necessary for survival.
jaunted.com

Not much has changed really! At the moment we see the refugees pouring out of the Middle East carrying their few meagre belongings in those checked fibreglass bags. These bags are carrying humanity, they are carrying a lifetime. They are the symbol of despair and a symbol of hope. Without them, or some other bag, these poor unfortunate souls would have to flee with nothing. The displaced and the homeless carry their worldly possessions in bags. The term 'bag lady' symbolizes the homeless, just as these fibreglass bags are a symbol of those now fleeing war and annihilation. These humble, simple articles, that we call bags, are the fabric that allow these people to scrape together what is left of their lives and carry it to safety.

Just as birds collect and carry twigs to make their nest, and mice scurry backward and forwards shredding paper etc to build theirs, the origin of the humble bag began with the need for human beings to collect and carry. Today, they are part of everyone's lives from one end of the spectrum to the other. To some they are the symbol of survival. To others they are a status symbol with brand names displayed like the peacock's feathers. The bag has been with us since the beginning of time, and I believe like the proverbial cockroach, and will be here long after the end of mankind. The humble bag will give testimony to the ingenuity, the courage, the frivolity, the humanity, and the frailty of man.