the vast sound of tuning out

ya fill my mind with a false sense of history,
and then you wonder why I have no identity,
well I’ll strike a match and it’ll catch and,
spread the insight we need,
a tiny fire, burning bright,
shedding light on the darkness of greed;

This just in:

• If there was ever a case for euthanasia (which there is), this is it. “One would not allow an animal to go through what I have endured.“
• People hunt for bargain, destroy industry (as predicted).

The baby bonus is hot topic at the moment. Should it be scrapped? Should it be means tested? Should it remain? My thoughts:

If it’s scrapped, that’s pretty harsh. I’m sure first time parents, have a loss of income and do need some financial assistance. Obviously you should be planning for this before having a baby, but still, I’m sure the cost outweighs what you plan for.

Two, if it’s means tested, does that really change anything? It prevents rich people from receiving it, but are rich / career focused people having 5 kids on average? I doubt it. And does it prevent people having babies to get the bonus for a new plasma tv? No.

I think it should remain in place, but only for a family’s first child (point being that most baby items are handed down, other than food and nappies). This solves the means-tested problem, but everyone is entitled to it, as they all have to take the time off work, and it’s supposed to ease the burden associated with having a baby.If you wanted to really tighten up, then you could say it’s means tested, and it’s still limited to the first baby. That would probably solve all the issues.

Anyone have a better suggestion?

This is the second week we have received a box of organic fruit and vegies from The Organic Collective.

They deliver a box each week for 2 for $37.50. You can customise the box in case you didn’t get through something, or you want more of something. It’s probably one of the better things I’ve got off my butt and followed through with. We barely have to go to the shops now and there’s always something new and exciting in there!

This week I think we received: carrots, corn, tomatoes, silverbeet, lettuce, beans, plums, rockmelon, bananas, carrots and something else. I asked for no potatoes and onions this week because we had so many leftover from last time as we already had some before the box arrived.

One thing to remember is it won’t look exactly like you see in the shops. Things are small, or odd shaped unlike store bought produce. Of course the reason for that is the produce is not produced with pesticides & chemicals used to get a particular size and shape. Supermarkets are obsessed with aesthetics, even though the methods used to get this, reduce the taste and nutritional value of what you’re buying.

Good work Organic Collective!

EDIT: there was also zucchini and cucumbers and avocado!

Things I’ve learnt/realised/rediscovered this weekend: 

• I should play my guitar more often, and that bug to buy another one is back.
• I really enjoy baby sitting for Hattie & Grace and it feels kind of satisfying to do the “parenting” tasks and feel comfortable.
• I’ve re-discovered finding time to play computer games, thanks to the ps3.
• I love food.
• I am quite capable of putting together this myself (and it looks awesome).

March 4: The end of Hillary is nigh.

An interesting recount of an hour and a half with Barack Obama by Marc Andressen (Netscape founder). If you wonder why i keep going on about him, that’s probably a good read.

Just killing some time on digg and kerblammo! A new Nine Inch Nails record released on the internet out of nowhere. Available for free download, for $5 download, $10 2 CD’s, $75 for a Blu-Ray disc, DVD & CD’s, $300 for limited edition vinyl pack.