Things that make you go.......WTF?

[David]

[Mugwump]

It's always pretty ropey to make predictions, especially about situations which are historically novel. In truth, we do no know what the future holds as a result of this phase of technological evolution. However, I think this is an area where binary thinking is a bit misleading, and a range of effects will interact and play out in various unpredictable ways.

What we do know is that Productivity improvement increases the rate of profit. The profit is then distributed in several ways -

1. Lower hours for workers (eg the 5 day week and steady improvement in working hours)
2. Higher pay for workers - I would happily see a rising minimum wage pegged in some way to the degree of mechanisation in the economy overall.
3. Lower prices for goods (giving profit back to the customer, who is - more often than not - an ordinary worker)
4. Increased consumption arising from (2), leading to an increase in employment
5. Dividends for shareholders (often our pension funds, making earlier retirement possible)
6. New jobs in building, programming, and maintaining the machines, which will be far more plentiful than before.

All of the above will tend to absorb labour which is freed up and deployed for new ideas and new uses - such as aged care, health care, product design, further education, research, nature conservation, etc.

I am not sure that we are anywhere near the end of the human need to consume. The problem may be whether relatively low-skilled workers can gain employment, and I suppose that will get harder - but there are lots of areas where needs remain unmet. I doubt the machines pose as much challenge to the low-skill worker as globalisation and mass immigration has.

Should there be a four day week ? I think that is a matter that the labour market can determine, but reduced hours will no doubt be part of the mix of effects.

[Pi]

He looks a bit like Chris Dawes but I suspect hes likely a member of or associated with an organization starting with M and ending in D. from a country who had a visiting PM to Australia a few weeks later.

http://www.watoday.com.au/victoria/myst ... v2s4l.html

[Morrigu]

My friend's daughter is heavily pregnant with twins ( she has had 2 previous twin pregnancies both which ended in stillborn bubs )

Last night she went to the GP to get a script and was assaulted by a scumbag with a baseball bat in the clinic who stole her script and attempted to steal her bag - but had to drop it when he had to press an exit button to get out!

He knocked a woman coming into the clinic over - she is now in hospital with a #NOF.

Thankfully she dropped to the floor and protected her belly so his hits didn't damage her horribly or her babies.

This is apparently what these scumbags are now doing - they make an appointment and listen - the mention of " pain relief" provides their targets.

Cops were great apparently and there is CCTV so hopefully they get the scumbag - mind you he will probably get bail - hell he was probably already on bail

WTF just WTF!!!!

[think positive]

Omg that is so bloody disgusting, that's should be attempted murder, who the hell attacks a pregnant woman?

[HAL]

And so disgusting that's should be attempted murder who the hell attacks a pregnant woman is Omg that.

[stui magpie]

My friend's daughter is heavily pregnant with twins ( she has had 2 previous twin pregnancies both which ended in stillborn bubs )

Last night she went to the GP to get a script and was assaulted by a scumbag with a baseball bat in the clinic who stole her script and attempted to steal her bag - but had to drop it when he had to press an exit button to get out!

He knocked a woman coming into the clinic over - she is now in hospital with a #NOF.

Thankfully she dropped to the floor and protected her belly so his hits didn't damage her horribly or her babies.

This is apparently what these scumbags are now doing - they make an appointment and listen - the mention of " pain relief" provides their targets.

Cops were great apparently and there is CCTV so hopefully they get the scumbag - mind you he will probably get bail - hell he was probably already on bail

WTF just WTF!!!!

prick wants pain relief tablets so he belts a pregnant woman?

Give him some pain, and no pain relief. 4 broken limbs plus a broken jaw should do for a start

[luvdids]

OMG, what the hell is wrong with people??

Hope she's ok, and the babies. Geez she's had a tough run becoming a Mum! Fingers crossed for a healthy delivery.

I'd like to know how someone sits in a clinic waiting room 'hiding' a baseball bat though... what were the staff doing to not notice that?

The world's f**ked.

[stui magpie]

OMG, what the hell is wrong with people??

Hope she's ok, and the babies. Geez she's had a tough run becoming a Mum! Fingers crossed for a healthy delivery.

I'd like to know how someone sits in a clinic waiting room 'hiding' a baseball bat though... what were the staff doing to not notice that?

The world's f**ked.

Well they probably noticed he had eyes like marty Feldman and had difficulty walking

[Morrigu]

OMG, what the hell is wrong with people??

Hope she's ok, and the babies. Geez she's had a tough run becoming a Mum! Fingers crossed for a healthy delivery.

I'd like to know how someone sits in a clinic waiting room 'hiding' a baseball bat though... what were the staff doing to not notice that?

The world's f**ked.

She has indeed!!

Had it down his leg inside track pants - he had an appointment not sure if it was his name or he used someone else's. This is their current ploy it seems - she is a nurse and sensed something NQR about him so was quick to act - thankfully!!!

Poor bloody Marg (my friend) it was 2 years on the Friday since her hubby died and she is still recovering from an aortic dissection that nearly killed her! She feels like she is living in a horror movie!!

[luvdids]

OMG, what the hell is wrong with people??

Hope she's ok, and the babies. Geez she's had a tough run becoming a Mum! Fingers crossed for a healthy delivery.

I'd like to know how someone sits in a clinic waiting room 'hiding' a baseball bat though... what were the staff doing to not notice that?

The world's f**ked.

She has indeed!!

Had it down his leg inside track pants - he had an appointment not sure if it was his name or he used someone else's. This is their current ploy it seems - she is a nurse and sensed something NQR about him so was quick to act - thankfully!!!

Poor bloody Marg (my friend) it was 2 years on the Friday since her hubby died and she is still recovering from an aortic dissection that nearly killed her! She feels like she is living in a horror movie!!

Unfknblvbl, the lengths these morons will go to & the complete lack of regard for anyone but themselves.

Hopefully for your friend the 'things come in 3s' tale is true & that's it for her, nothing but good news from now on!

[ronrat]

They should instruct all pharmacies that if this mongrel, otr presunably an accomplice, presents the script it should be filled with powerful laxatives and tranquilisers. 5 days of sleeping in his own crap and then arrest him. With extreme prejudice. After he showers and changes his clothes. I don't agree with USA gun laws but this is one example where if the culprit had his head blown off no one would care.

[HAL]

Why should they be instruct all pharmacies that if this mongrel otr presunably an accomplice presents the script it should be filled with powerful laxatives and tranquilisers?

[stui magpie]

[watt price tully]

My friend's daughter is heavily pregnant with twins ( she has had 2 previous twin pregnancies both which ended in stillborn bubs )

Last night she went to the GP to get a script and was assaulted by a scumbag with a baseball bat in the clinic who stole her script and attempted to steal her bag - but had to drop it when he had to press an exit button to get out!

He knocked a woman coming into the clinic over - she is now in hospital with a #NOF.

Thankfully she dropped to the floor and protected her belly so his hits didn't damage her horribly or her babies.

This is apparently what these scumbags are now doing - they make an appointment and listen - the mention of " pain relief" provides their targets.

Cops were great apparently and there is CCTV so hopefully they get the scumbag - mind you he will probably get bail - hell he was probably already on bail

WTF just WTF!!!!

Unf*cking believable. How appalling.