Modern Maths

1. Teaching Maths In 1970: A logger sells a truck load of timber for $1000. His cost of production is 4/5 of the selling price. What is his profit?

2. Teaching Maths In 1980: A logger sells a truck load of timber for $1000. His cost of production is 4/5 of the selling price, or $800. What is his profit?

3. Teaching Maths In 1990: A logger sells a truck load of timber for $1000. His cost of production is $800. Did he make a profit?

4. Teaching Maths In 2000: A logger sells a truck load of timber for $1000. His cost of production is $800 and his profit is $200. Your assignment: Underline the number 200.

5. Teaching Maths In 2008: A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is totally selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a profit of $200. What do you think of this way of making a living?

Topic for class participation after answering the question:
How did the birds and possums feel as the logger cut down their homes? (There are no wrong answers. If you are upset about the plight of the animals in question, counselling will be available.)

Hat Tip: Lang Mama

Big Girls Blouse

Kiwis travellers are complaining that they have been stuck in Bangkok for four days and NZ government hadn't managed to bus them out.

Honestly what's wrong with these people - just go to the train station and get a train down to Malaysia - New Zealanders were once known for their ability to look after themselves - the socialist system has turned too many into useless, whingers with limited problem solving abilities.

Worse off? Good!

I just have three things to say about Ruth Dysons little hissy fit today:

1) Good bloody job - about time. The difference between lowest wage earner and the beneficiary should be pegged at 30%. Of course under a Libertarian government that rate would be set by your insurer, should you take out insurance, or by your local charity.

2) Of course beneficiaries are worse off - we are all worse off - we are all going down the toilet together - you'd think that would make the politicians happy, they've always wanted equality above all else. Equality = Poverty.

3) It is the productive citizens of this country that raise the standard of living for everyone - blugger or not. The producers have had decade, after decade, after decade of heavy taxes, red tape, hatred and the life generally sucked out of them. Many of the productive have raised one finger on both hands, turned to face Wellington and then left on the next non-Air NZ plane available. Others have struggled on, frustrated that if they were left alone they could create business empires and as a by-product, employ more people, both able and disable. I remember when I was young, there was often one member of staff that was mentally disable that would make the morning tea (or some such occupation). Now the minimum wage doesn't make this viable - to name just one impediment to their employment.

The Communists/Socialists of this country (Labour, National, Greens, NZ First and now it appears ACT) need the productive to steal from - why they want to stop production is just simply baffling.

Q: Why do you think Prebble loved capitalism so much?
A: It gave him access to a larger pile of money to steal from.

Green-apes

Finally caught up with the weekend papers and spied a great Sunday Hearld column by the charming Kerry Woodham titled "Up yours, Greenpeace".

I too was a member of Greenpeace in my youth - not entirely sure why now, but it probably had something to do with my brain dead vegetarian years, not entirely sure why I did that either. Funnily enough all coincided with my socialist period - thank god I've got an excuse for embarrassing lapse in rationality - obviously not enough braincells to think clearly.

Anyway, the other day a Greenpeace lass knocked on my door to try and pry some hard earned dollars out of my wallet. I informed her that I was an atheist and didn't subscribe to groups that live in laalaa land - just ones that base their views on rational thought and evidence. She said that Greenpeace wasn't a religion, but I begged to differ.

She then asked if I wanted a "better world for my children". Was initially taken aback that I looked like I might have children - in her defence I was wearing my trackies so she can be excused for thinking so. "Yes" I said "I do want a better world for my nieces" and that was precisely why I wouldn't support Greenpeace or any other environmentalist organisations. It is the very people that Greenpeace attack that make my world, this world, a beautiful place to live in. They provide me with light when it's dark, food when I'm hungry, movies when I'm bored, champagne when I'm celebrating, chemo when I'm dying, planes when I'm in the mood to view this beautiful world. They also provide me all the necessities that allow me to do the job I love - books, computers, software, internet, financial markets, the cup that holds my tea and the tea itself.

The policies and aim of these environmentalists are no less than a desire to turn man back into animals, scrambling around in caves, or at best eking out a meager existence on a farm. This world they desire would mean millions upon millions would stave to death, and they would be the lucky ones. The rest would live a short and miserable existence in a truly malevolent world. A world that would kill me and my nieces and all future generations of my family. I would no sooner align myself with the green movement as I would the Ebola Virus.

The day that the greenies advocate for nuclear power is the day I might (might, I add) start to listen to them. I think it's safe to say that day will never come.

Gang Hero - Jim Anderton

The gangs must be rubbing their hands with glee - Jim Anderton has handed them even more money on a plate with the banning of BZP party pills.

Drug dealers all round New Zealand must be stocking up on the pills and storing them for the oncoming price rise that goes along with any product that is made illegal or scarce - even the most stupid amongst us understand this concept - but apparently not the politicians. Mind you they are Socialists so their understanding of action and reaction is markedly limited at the best of times.

They are so lacking in common sense that I can only conclude that they have been partaking too much in their drug of choice - alcohol.

Of course like all things in business it's not guaranteed that users of party pills will continue to buy them - the law may actually do what it intended and reduce the number of BZP pills used ... as users switch over to speed etc - brilliant!

And now instead of chatting to the nice shop owner they will be chatting to gang members and the such like - New Zealand is now a better place.

Jim you are no ones hero but the gangs - up to now there have been no deaths attributed to the use of BZP in New Zealand - but just watch the death toll mount up in a month or so.

Ideas from the Edge

In 2005 the Edge World Question Centre brought us "What do you believe is true even though you cannot prove it?"

In 2006 it was "What is your dangerous idea?"

In 2007 it was "What are you optimistic about?"

And this year it is "What have you changed your mind about? Why?"

This website brings together over 150 of the worlds academics and asks them all the same question - brilliant! Lots of differing opinions of course - hours of reading - enough to make you go blind.

Changing ones mind is often a sign of intelligence - well in my case anyway. So what have I changed my mind about?

I confess here and now that I use to be a socialist - yes very embarrassing I know, but there you have it. The process of change started in my second year of university and was almost completely out of my brain a few years later, then a brief period of dabbling in the right, until I developed into a fully blown Libertarian at about 27 years of age - hey, better late than never.

Why did I change my mind?
The issue that dragged me out of the misery that is the left, was censorship and by extension freedom of speech. I basically got sick of listening to white fat middle aged women bleat on about the sins of pornography - it was also the time that I realised how annoying many women are.

I had been noticing other weakness in the policies of the left - every time they enact a policy it did exactly the opposite of what was intended. Also noticed the patronising attitude that believed that the poor and minorities, particularly Maori, are stupid and can't look after themselves. Even more frustrating were the Maori leaders (all socialists), who believed exactly the same. How they expect their kids to gain great heights with this mentality is beyond me. A mentality that still prevails for women as well, I might add.

I also noted that many socialists were often the beneficiaries of state funds - either as beneficiaries or state employees - funny that.

The one big problem with being a Libertarian is that I'm surrounded by Socialists, and with New Zealanders happy to sell their vote to the highest bidder every single election, I suspect it will be so for the remainder of my lifetime.

Question: What have you changed your mind about? Why?