@nat_forrest Is there a theory as to why so many dogs have ended up at the pound. Surely Skyfire couldn't account for all of it, could it? in reply to nat_forrest#
@NRLgameplan I won't be home for the start of the show, but I'll record and watch when I get home. Don't want to miss John Morris. #
Malcolm Naden, who has been on the run for seven years, was arrested last night near Gloucester. @Radio2UE reports he is being held in Taree #
Today, due to some tradesmen coming to do some work on a door, Nattie and Pebbles had to be placed upstairs as they get a bit too excited by visitors.
When I went up stairs to check on them, Pebbles was peering over the board which had been placed in front of the stairs to block their access.
Then she looked over towards Nattie.
And then Nattie looked over the board too.
They weren’t very calm at first, but after I turned on the radio to block out the downstairs noise a bit, they calmed down. It probably helped that Rush Limbaugh was on, and they usually are relaxed by Rush’s voice, and also Mark Levin’s voice, even when he yells.
@jesseboy89 I replied to one of them the other day after they popped up from nowhere. Still waiting for a reply…gutless one hit wonder in reply to jesseboy89#
@glennbeck and others who are doing it, why are you writing God as G-d? It's a name you should be proud to write, not obscure in shame. in reply to glennbeck#
Managed to send an apology for an incorrect detail in the email, but not the original email. Sorry for the inconvenience @2GBAndrewMoore#
@morrison954 I tend to find the price of fuel in Albury to be about 10-20 cents cheaper per litre than Sydney and Canberra. #
@morrison954 Have you noticed that half of our conversations are about petrol prices? We've covered Syd, CBR, Wagga, Albury, Deni & Echuca. #
Whoa, on top of the rego fees, it will cost over $700 in stamp duty to transfer the car to ACT rego. It'd be cheaper to fake a NSW address #
Surely that's a first: Ron Paul beat Newt Gingrich in Illinois 9% to 8%. Romney won with 47% to Rick Santorum's 35%. #
Delegates: Romney 562; Santorum 247; Gingrich 137; Paul 69. Santorum, Gingrich best chance is if one of them pulls out, or the convention. #
@larryemdur I heard that you were being considered for the 6pm news, and in a cost cutting measure the other capital cities would air it too in reply to larryemdur#
Clive Palmer decided to not go ahead with his challenge to the constitutionality of the carbon dioxide mining tax (sorry, got my taxes mixed up). Hopefully someone else does it instead. A 2GB listener class action perhaps?
As for walking to school, I think it really depends on the child, the distance and the area. My walk was less than a kilometre and I started at age nine. There was one busy road, but otherwise it was fairly sedate and I always walked directly to and from school…well, almost. I did befriend a nice elderly man who lived about half way between school and home, so it’s a good thing he had no ulterior motive, and I did occasionally stop at the phone box across the road from home when reverse charge calls fascinated me…being able to run home in time to answer the call in time to accept the charges was fun until the bill came in and my parents saw the charges…$10 per call. I was in a lot of trouble.
It’s a judgement call, and I don’t envy any parent making decisions about giving their child more freedom. It must be terribly nerve-racking when every instinct is telling them not to let the kid out of their sight.
@marklevy2gb That I did Mark. I'm really glad you're calling the 7:30 Saturday games this year. NRL on 2GB + live AFL on 7mate = awesome π in reply to marklevy2gb#
@coffeyn That would be nice and scenic. I'll probably be at work on Christmas day, but I'll be thinking of you in scenic snowy Hokkaido in reply to coffeyn#
Just spent 2 hours putting together next week's Musicians Of The Week award. Fixing lyrics and getting audio from @coasttocoastam takes time #
Fairfax's 3AW, 4BC & 6PR to take 2GB's Olympic coverage. I never thought I'd see the day. Fairfax must be glad MTR died http://t.co/yXXzCgYL#
@boffchops if an atheist doesn't believe in God, surely they wouldn't believe in blessings either, so why wash away a meaningless thing? in reply to boffchops#
If you live in Australia (and there’s a decent percentage of visitors to this blog who don’t, these days) then you would undoubtedly be familiar with the “Industry Super Funds”; the superannuation funds such as Hesta, Australian Super, C-BUS, which are owned and run by the unions and which claim to have lower fees and better returns than the other “retail funds”.
John Moulis has an interesting article about these organisations and their ties to the Aboriginal Tent Embassy up on his blog. I pulled my funds out of Australian Super quite some time ago when I got sick of my fees going to the Unions and their left-wing political campaigns, and realised that I could get better returns on my investments elsewhere…but more on that in a minute.
John has detailed some interesting stuff which I doubt that many people in the general public know.
“From little things big things grow”
I’m as sick of that song as the recording engineers who had to listen to it over and over during the recording session in 1988.
[..]
If – like myself – you’ve stopped to ask yourself why a song released almost a quarter of a century ago, which didn’t even make the Top 40 at the time, has received such relentless exposure I have the answer. These are the facts the media don’t want you to know.
In 1988 the Aboriginal tent embassy was re-established outside Old Parliament House in Canberra after a break of over ten years.
[..]
As part of all this, Paul Kelly (the singer/songwriter) was enlisted to write a song which would provide funding for the tent embassy. All the royalties and other revenue from the song would go towards funding the tent embassy.
[..]
Paul Kelly himself had many hits over the years. [..] Yet From Little Things Big Things Grow is conspicuously absent from all the Greatest Hits CD and DVD compilations. You cannot even buy it on iTunes. It is almost as if Paul Kelly himself is ashamed of the song.
[..]
The song is now being used in TV advertising for so-called Industry Super Funds. Every time these ads go to air more and more money goes to the Aboriginal Tent Embassy.
John also has some interesting information about which recent political campaigns have been funded in part by the fees gathered from the accounts of unsuspecting Industry Super Fund account holders. It’s a good read, and I won’t spoil all the details, so head on over to Jack’s blog and I’ll see you back here when you’re done.
Right, welcome back. Earlier I mentioned that I can receive better returns on my investments in “retail funds” than I can in “Industry Super Funds”. Now if you have paid much attention to the advertisements for the Industry Super Funds, this might seem silly to you as they have various examples of how they provide the better returns, almost entirely due to lower fees. Well, I’m here to tell you, that’s an outright lie.
To start with, the advertising is misleading. The calculations used in those advertisements work on the basis that every fund provides the same rate of return, and as such having lower fees on your account provides you with a better return. This is quite clearly false.
Rates of return vary from one Super Fund to another, and by-and-large are due to the actions and decisions of the people who decide how and where to invest. It’s not always the case, but as a general rule, the people who have a track record of making better investment decisions will charge more for their advice and expertise than people who have a less impressive record. Consequently, higher account fees can allow Super Funds to obtain the advice of better investment managers and advisors, thereby providing a better rate of return to their customers. In fact, most independent analysis of the superannuation industry show that, overall, most retail funds have better rates of return that Industry Super Funds. Various investment options with various funds make it easy to misinterpret and misrepresent the data, but when you look at the overall picture, Industry Super Funds rarely outperform the retail funds.
And back to the fees…do Industry Super Funds really have lower fees than retail funds? If you compare account statements, then the answer would almost always be “yes”, but that’s not the full picture. Industry Super Funds are very clever about how they hide fees as, in fact, they have a fee which does not show up on any statement.
When you get paid by your employer every week/fortnight/month/etc, they send your 9% mandatory superannuation contribution (or higher amount if you have nominated one) off to your super fund. You can see this payment on your payslip. What most retail funds do upon receipt of this payment is they credit it to your account almost immediately. With my fund, this usually takes a few hours. This money is then invested as part of your superannuation investment and starts to earn you money.
Compare that to how the Industry Super Funds treat your payments. When they receive them, they generally do not credit them to your account straight away, and instead hang on to them for weeks, investing the money for their own gain (they keep those gains…you never see them) and then eventually credit a whole heap of your payments to your account in a batch. When I was with Australian Super, I would usually see these payments appear in the account once every two months, or thereabouts. I also could never quite make the payments add up…it really looked like Australian Super were keeping a dollar or so for themselves from each of my contributions.
By doing this, Industry Super Funds are effectively charging you a fee of whatever money could be made out of investing your payments over the course of weeks or months. This costs you thousands upon thousands of dollars over the long-term, both in their “withholding fee” at the time, and the money which you could have earnt as a result of the extra money which you would have earnt over the course of the withholding period. That’s a convoluted sentence, so think of compound interest. If you invest a dollar and earn 10% per month, then after a month you would have $1.10, then you contribute another dollar, taking you to $2.10 and over the next month you earn $0.21 which takes you to $2.31. Under the withholding scheme, your first dollar might appear straight away, so at the end of the first month you would have $1.10, but if the next payment is withheld for a month, then you would only earn $0.11 over that month, putting your investment at $2.21 once the withheld amount is added.
Extrapolate that over many years and with many rounds of withholding, and that’s a lot of money that the Industry Super Funds are taking away from your investment without ever having to declare it on your statements.
One final point on the idea of non-profit funds versus for-profit funds. If your super fund is for-profit and is listed on the stock exchange, then any profits they make will generally have a positive effect on their share price, which in turn is good for your investments and your superannuation. Non-profit might sound good (and given the ideology of the people behind the Industry Super Funds, I can see why they try to make it sound really attractive), but a simple bit of critical thinking about the economic consequences will prove that a non-profit super fund which sends money to other groups which despise the idea of profit and do their utmost to ban the very idea of profit, is really a terrible way to invest money.
In light of the fact that Jasmine Rae was named Australian Country Music Artist Of The Year the other day, I have decided to give her the Musician Of The Week award this week.
The feature song is her cheeky little number “I Faked It”.
You walked out and told the whole town we were over
And now you’re scratchin’ like a dog at my door ’cause you want back in
Your eyes are all red from apologising,
But you ain’t the only one here that’s been lyin’
I’ve got a few little secrets of my own
Every time I smiled and said I loved your momma, I faked it
When I told you baby “no need to lose weight”, yeah I was fakin’ that too
And this one is really gonna blow your mind
Every time you thought that you were king of the night – surprise
That’s right
I faked it
I think this might be the first time I’ve seen you speechless
Lookin’ all confused wonderin’ if what I said was the truth
Well a woman’s mind is a complicated thing
Can’t always believe everything you say – surprise
Mm hmm, I faked it
Every time you thought I ate your overcooked steak, I faked it
The dog ate it
I was yellin’ “rock star” when you were playin’ your guitar
Yeah, well I was faking that too
Every time you thought that you were doin’ things right
I was just too tired to even put up a fight – surprise
That’s right
I faked it
(Oh yeah, oh yeah)
(Oooh)
Every time I smiled and said I loved your momma, I faked it
When I told you “baby no need to lose weight”, yeah I was fakin’ that too
And this one is really gonna blow your mind
Every time you thought that you were king of the night – surprise
That’s right
I might, have lied
Mm hmm, bye bye
I faked it
During my afternoon nap I had a dream about an alien invasion. Naturally it started in a carpark. #
@foxnewsradio The 5 minute newscast podcast stopped updating with a partial upload of the Friday 5PM ET newscast. #
Airport to be named after the Clintons. I hope they call it HillBillary Airport. http://t.co/BL5mNIuI#
In the year after Oprah visited Australia, the number of American tourists to Australia fell by 4%. Great investment of taxpayer funds there #
Today's Bolt Report is up on Bolt's blog, perfect for those of us in areas where it's pre-empted by sport coverage http://t.co/D4tC0ZkS#
@theheraldsun Thanks for the link to the video of today's Bolt Report. It's not airing in Canberra today, so I appreciate it. in reply to theheraldsun#
@coffeyn the notion that Oprah's word is treated as gospel by a majority of Americans, is as much of a media myth as Obama's popularity. in reply to coffeyn#
Uh, 32-18. Doggies don't stop at 30! β@NRL_Bulldogs: So Zap converts on the buzzer! And we win 30-18! Well done boys! #DogsOfWar #NRLWARCBYβ #
@coffeyn Another holiday should cure it. Realising how much non-work stuff I can get done cures it for me. I blog more when I'm not working. in reply to coffeyn#
Cyclone Yellow Alert for WA between Broome and Whim Creek. Cyclone to cross coast Sat morn. Details http://t.co/QHPVZzy6 and local TV/Radio #
@Silvertails @berkeley_eagle I'd love to have Andrew Moore calling on TV. He's contracted to Ten atm, so if Ten get games in the new TV deal in reply to Silvertails#
Thanks @2GBAndrewMoore for the great call of Dragons V Tigers. Now I'm turning up volume on Nine to hear Ray Hadley call Knights V Broncos. #
I was very pleased to hear on the news tonight that Jasmine Rae won the Country Music Channel's Australian Artist Of The Year award this evening.
You have played her song "I faked it" a number of times and I quite like the song for its cheeky lyrics and her lovely voice. It's great that good Aussie talent is able to be recognised in this way.
I'm not much of a fan of modern music John, but I like your country music segment because I think a lot of the really good modern talent is in the country music field, and you have a knack for selecting some of the better ones. I think Jasmine is a really bright shining light among those people.
I've included the NineMSN article about her victory below for you, and now I'm off to bed as I have an early start. I'll be listening again at some stage during Antiques and Collectibles.
She is best known for the country anthem I Faked It but there was nothing phoney about the squeals of delight as Jasmine Rae was crowned CMC Oz Artist Of The Year.
The Melbourne singer-songwriter triumphed at the CMC Music Awards on Friday night after collecting the top award from five-time consecutive winner Adam Brand.
Discovered in Tamworth in 2008, Rae has released two albums including the ARIA country chart-topped Listen Here and has toured with international stars Tim McGraw and Alan Jackson.
The 24-year-old will perform at this weekend's CMC Rocks The Hunter festival alongside leading ladies of country Faith Hill and Wynonna Judd but said telling mum was the first priority.
"I'm beside myself, my mum is going to be so proud," Rae said after collecting the CMC Oz Artist Of The Year.
"It was awesome to be nominated but this was a big surprise to beat Brandy who's been taking out everyone for five years."
Other winners on the night included Australian country music legend James Blundell who entered the CMC Hall Of Fame, and Peter McWhirter named CMC New Oz Artist of The Year.
Keith Urban won two awards after being named International Artist Of The Year and his crossover hit Without You declared Music Video Of The Year.
The CMC Music Awards are voted for by CMC viewers and held annually in The Hunter Valley, NSW, to kick-start the CMC Rocks The Hunter festival.
Welcomes America's anchorman @RushLimbaugh to Twitter. Another valuable information source to follow. #
@coffeyn that's intriguing. I'd put my money on the foreign telco being to blame. Welcome back to Australia. in reply to coffeyn#
@2CC I ignore both…but for those who don't, I can't imagine that combining St. Patrick's Day & Skyfire will be any worse than on their own in reply to 2CC#
@coffeyn Sometimes my iPhone stops talking over 3G. Putting it in "Airplane mode" for 5-10 sec fixes it, but then again so does a reboot. in reply to coffeyn#
@coffeyn Good luck with it. I hope you don't have to restore the iPad to factory settings as I find that to be more annoying than the fault in reply to coffeyn#
@2GBAndrewMoore I had a macaroni, bacon and shallots pie from Elaine's Pies in Dickson yesterday. Today is a good day for pie, or 3.14 pies. in reply to 2GBAndrewMoore#
@markparton Tony Abbott is certainly more interesting than Bob Carr who is doing the rounds of breakfast TV today. in reply to markparton#
@daniel_prime7 more police officers on the road, not more fixed speed cameras, although avg speed camera might help other side of b'wood. in reply to daniel_prime7#
@larryemdur I used to disturb my friends with the idea of 1900 SAMUEL. "I'm waiting for you in my bath tub…" in reply to larryemdur#
@Radio2UE CO2 levels might be on the rise, but temperatures are not. Climate models only prove man-made warming if BOTH levels go up. in reply to Radio2UE#
And who pays for "free or subsidised"? Taxpayers! Useless scheme. β@actgovernment: New energy efficiency law to cut household energy billsβ #
@actgovernment Further, if people want insulation, they can buy it themselves. We don't need a repeat of the lethal fed pink bats scheme. #
@toddstarnes that's because MSNBC see themselves as better than blue collar, and know they're being condescending when they use the term. in reply to toddstarnes#
@TonyAbbottMHR Why was Craig Thomson granted a pair? He doesn't deserve it, and you should be using the numbers to block new taxes. #
β@Drudge_Report: Russia to finally send man to Moon… http://t.co/Zi8JJMxDβ symbolically bad if Russians & Chinese take over space from US. #
I just realised that Uniball pens are from Japan. The Mitsubishi Pencil Co. Is there anything Mitsubishi don't make? http://t.co/mncYfKYt#
Rick Santorum won Alabama and leads in Mississippi. A good night for him, and Romney is picking up a decent number of delegates too. #
I think the eventual GOP winner will be decided by Gingrich. He stays in, splits Santorum's vote & Romney wins. Gets out and Santorum wins. #
I've returned to Twitter after years of abandoning it. Can't guarantee I'll stay, but it's worth a look. #
For the record, it was 2008 when I was last here. My old username was taken while I was away π #
Low flying helicopter over Reid. Perhaps "they" noticed my return to Twitter and plan on taking me out…well, it was nice knowing y'all #
@markparton Ah good, a witness π And alas, it is never too early or too late to go to work these days. 9-5 went out the window yonks ago. in reply to markparton#
Tried to sleep, failed, but refreshed anyway. Now listening to @2GBAndrewMoore then @WSJThisMorning over breakfast and on my way to work. #
Newspoll has Fed Labor down to 31%. If this keeps up, Julia Gillard will never call an election, but Bob Carr might. #
Great singer, but when I first heard him sing, I thought he was a her.
β@markparton: Happy 73rd birthday to Neil Sedaka. [snip]β #
and the traffic, and the heat, and the good conservatives β@tenbreakfast: Paul Henry: Canberra is much like Vegas, minus the attractions.β #
@larryemdur @morningshowon7 Sure, and make sure you turn it in to a fake Shopper afterwards like you did when she signed off from Nine. in reply to larryemdur#
@VentraIP congratulations. I guess this means that I get to enjoy transferring my gTLDs to you all over again at renewal time? in reply to VentraIP#
There endeth the work day. Time for lunch, then a nap to catch up on the sleep I couldn't get last night. #
My @TheIPA welcome pack just arrived in the post, hand-addresses too. Nice personal touch, thanks π #
@VentraIP Rightio, I'll get in to that after you've got everything in place. An extra year on the domains never hurts. in reply to VentraIP#
@markparton at home or at the supermarket Mark? At home, it's probably not theft, but at the supermarket, how are you resealing the boxes? in reply to markparton#
Obama's birthplace might be interesting, but no judge will sack him for it, so it's irrelevant. There are better issues to focus on. #
Obama's faith, on the other hand, is relevant if it affects his policy decisions. #
@coffeyn dumb question, but have you restarted the iPad? Mum's Safari was crashing on launch, but a restart fixed it. in reply to coffeyn#
@afllivefootball Are you allowed to stream this year? AFL website indicated that you would prior to NAB Cup, but that document has vanished #
@coffeyn Do other web services (mail, twitter etc) work over 3G? If not, could be 3G in your location. If they do, then I agree it's Safari. in reply to coffeyn#
http://t.co/MD2jO6GJ hear hear! @morrison954 is a great guy. I have also been enjoying Frank's selection of Stan Zemanek caller highlights #
