Category: General Musings

Perth, WA. A shark described by witnesses as more than 5.3m long has killed a 60-year-old woman at a popular reef off Perth’s northern suburbs, the second fatal shark attack in five days in Western Australia.

Yesterday’s death, the 15th fatal shark attack in Western Australia since 2000, has brought fresh scrutiny to the Barnett government’s divisive shark mitigation strategy.

The scrutiny is from the Greens and their mates on Sea Sheppard who believe that sharks are higher up the food chain than humans and that no one should try and make beaches safe. It is the shark’s domain, don’t you know! Well yes, it is.  Just as the North Queensland rivers are the croc’s territory, however it is also ours.  Humans have been going down to the sea and rivers since we started and using them as a transport route or a source of food. So doing nothing is not an answer.  Crocs in the northern part of  Australia need culling. There are more than 150,000 of the critters and local tourist mobs say there are more in the north than anywhere in the world. More than anywhere else because the Greens have the power of veto with anything that you can tag the word “Eco” on. I’m not sure that longstanding use of baited hooks – or drum lines – in regions such as Queensland is the way to go.  This article says no but since 2000 there have been 5 Queensland deaths compared to WA’s 10 and considering Queensland has a greater population then there has to be something in it. Australia has more crocodiles than anywhere else and more shark fatalities . Surely that’s a case to do something. Maybe this gives us hope- from Wikipedia;

Shark Shield is a personal electronic device that creates an electromagnetic field to deter shark attacks and is used by surfers, scuba divers,spearfishing, and ocean kayak fishing. The electrical wave-form used in the Shark Shield is based on a technology originally invented by theKwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board of South Africa in the 1990s, releasing the SharkPOD (Protective Oceanic Device or simply POD).The Shark Shield device was developed by the Australian company SeaChange Technology Pty Ltd, and commercialized by its trading company Shark Shield Pty Ltd established in October 2006.

Sea Change Technology are in South Australia

The field is projected from two electrodes, which create an elliptical field that surrounds the user. Both electrodes must be immersed in the water for the field to be created. Research conducted by The South African National Space Agency (SANSA) in 2012 estimated the Shark Shield electrical field to be approximately four to five meters in diameter.

Wow! The Safas have a space agency – who knew. The generated field doesn’t seem big enough to protect an entire beach but if the Safa’s Space Agency(I still can’t believe it) can do something, can CSIRO or private enterprise extend the range? Whatever, we need to do something and soon. Stop listening to the Greens, ignore Sea Sheppard, net the beaches and do some serious research. Here’s a chance for Malcom or Bill to do something to really help.  In the midst of a frenzied spendathon how about a bit of seed money for research. Link to The South African National Space Agency (SANSA).  A search for Shark Shield doesn’t get any results but it does prove it exists          

Australian of the Year and former Army chief David Morrison says the term “guys” should no longer be used in workplaces. This man never ceases to amaze me with his disconnect with the world as we know it. Apparently we can’t call a mob of girls “girls” either.

Exclusive language, gender-based language or inappropriate language, has as much a deleterious or disadvantaged effect as something where you’re saying something blatantly inappropriate to another human being,” General Morrison told ABC News Breakfast. The #WordsAtWork campaign video depicts a group of women rolling their eyes at being called “girls” by a male colleague.  

He aims to crack down on language which excludes minority groups. What minority groups?  Guys or girls covers all the groups.  There are only two if we are talking about gender. It doesn’t matter what your sexual proclivities are; it doesn’t matter how you identify, the vast majority of humans are born male or female. Yes, there hermaphrodites, babies born with Congenital adrenal hypoplasia, Gonadal dysgenesis or Androgen insensitivity syndrome but seriously how often will someone have occasion to address a group of these poor people in the workplace? If this very unlikely chance come your way I’m sure everyone would be talking about how to address them and one simply takes heed of context. But in the workplace I think we can assume everyone is either male or female and thus could be addresses by any generic term that doesn’t offend.  If you are offended by being referred to as a girl or guy then better you seek employment at a University where these matters are deemed important. In the real world they don’t count, which, thinking about it, describes David Morrison