Shouts From Down Under

"Once upon a time" doesn't come close to real life drama...

I try to take note of the oddball, unusual and just plain strange things I see online, the bits and pieces in the news that stick out, and watch out for stuff to do with books, writing, publishing and our corner of the world.

So it seemed fitting that Good Mythical Morning sat straight on top of this weeks pile of odds and sods.



In a terse job criteria statement, quoted directly word for word as it appears on the employment mobs site www.seek.com. Yes, there was this gem-

"Do NOT apply through the Apply button on this page. ONLY apply in the 'Work at Impact' section at
www.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.com.au
Applications other that through the link above will not be accepted"

Sounds like not many applications will be accepted, however you try to do it.

Then there was this lateral thinker from years ago, and the story of his deserved fame. Pity he rounded it off with the drug smuggling fail though.

http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/03/11/09/17/reg-spiers-the-man-who-posted-...

I find it a very tough call regarding the Bali drama that even provoked Sir Richard Branson to put forward an opinion. On the one hand you have a country supposedly upholding their tough stance on drugs. Sounds legit. But I've heard that the drugs were being smuggled OUT of that country, not into it. Plus the Aussie authorities tipped the Indonesians off as they deported the perps back to Indon. Now they bleat for clemency.
And yet, I wouldn't like to be the one condemning a fellow human to death, let alone carrying out the deed. It just doesn't seem right to kill another person. But I don't have the solution to this ethical dilemma, and it is a divisive issue that's for sure. I think drug suppliers are about the lowest of low in lack of humanity stakes. I suppose there are plenty who for one reason or another feel forced to do it. But what about greedy big wigs who have no heart, and just want bucks? Shouldn't they be condemned? Their deaths will be quick and painless, you could say, while someone addicted to drugs will be cursed, give the curse to their unborn children, and wreak more of the curse on other innocent lives as they rob and murder to pay for their habit.
Big wigs at the top are surely highly responsible. But what about laws that make these drugs illegal? Doesn't that just create a black-market whereby there is huge money at stake? Wouldn't it be a better solution to devise alternatives that people can aspire to, so they don't choose addictive crap in the first place?
Drugs ruin lives. That's a given. And the suppliers of them that choose to do so ruin lives as well.

Speaking of heartlessness, check out this guys solution to "pesky homeless people". Well, he's not alone in thinking poor homeless people are just an annoyance. I bet there are plenty of those in power, whose jobs and salary are guaranteed annually, who have thought about a similar scenario as this man. Perhaps there are those who were much more clever, and their deeds have never been found out. Perhaps.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2988717/Council-worker-attempted-poison-...

At least he didn't suffer from Imposter Syndrome.

http://counseling.caltech.edu/general/InfoandResources/Impostor

Seems that even Goths know how to cheer up in the face of all this depressing drug stuff, homelessness, WW3, and Thomas train crashes.





A couple of mashable things that caught my eye last couple of days; not for any particular reason, except they came up on Twitter.

http://mashable.com/2015/03/07/k-cups-landfill/?utm_cid=Mash-Prod-RSS-Feedburner...

Tiny objects that seem harmless can add up and become a pain in the butt to everyone. I guess homeless people are just another lot to group in this category huh?
I wonder how many people on local councils and in parliamentary power or dictatorial power in whatever city in whatever country in whatever political system; have they ever been poor? Have they ever known the cruel, systematic wearing down of poverty, where you face constant worry and exhaustion just to find the basics to live?
There must be many people who don't understand that sometimes, people are human. They (we) make bad lifestyle choices, incur silly debts for no good reason or profit, and it goes from bad to worse. I disagree with Tony Abbott when he made that comment that was in the news about the taxpayer shouldn't have to fund people's lifestyle choices. I get what he meant, and somewhat agree that if people choose to spend all their money on alcohol, instead of food and clothing and housing for their children, then they should be accountable. But I don't know if that was what he was referring too, and to be honest, I have no desire to research it.
Isn't it just another sad generalisation about poor people?

Unless you've been there, with no supportive family, no back up, no way out, and perhaps not a lot of intelligence either, maybe a disability or two thrown in for good measure, unless you've been in these shoes of broke-ness, then you don't understand, and shouldn't be in a position to make laws focussing on some false idea where it's people's own fault if they are poor.

Stupid twits! They should make better decisions and not waste their huge dole cheque (check then for you USA spellingtons) on grog, smokes and horseracing. They should just buy broccoli, and walk instead of have a car, even if it is 20 kilometres to get to their 3 hour shift of part time work.

Unless you know what it's like to pull yourself up by the bootstraps, then its the no understanding pile for you.

There was another mashable thingy.

http://mashable.com/2015/03/06/hillary-clinton-action-figure/?utm_cid=Mash-Prod-...

This stuff was uploaded in 2010. The 2012 end of the world Mayan thing has come and gone. WW3 seems closer, however. But, are people for real with this stuff? Is this really how it will all end?



I feel that it IS a bit paranoid to be doing this. Ironic isn't it that perhaps there will be a cure for Cancer found (if it hasn't already been filed away in some pharmaceutical firms cabinet for decades already) about a day before nuclear apocalypse hits the earth.

If you want this blog entry to last longer, for example if you do happen to be reading this in an underground bomb shelter somewhere, and I'm already vaporised because I was cynical about these things, then just scroll back to the top and watch GMM's video again. While you're on their channel, there's another video they uploaded some time ago about the Apocalypse. Just in case. You never know.

Saves me filming one. Just watch theirs. Sharing for a reduced bio-footprint, see?

Sparky