On:
In: Work and life

Interesting article in the SMH today about how the lack of childcare is stopping people from working. A few interesting points; as suzoz pointed here a few days ago, family day care is not that popular, because increasingly the higher standards and professionalism of long day care (whether real orContinue Reading

On:
In: Life

This morning, I was in The Rocks, and a band was playing – a double bass, electric guitar, a saxophone, drums and a vocalist (at the muzak end of swing, but very listenable). I was reminded of a magic evening a few years ago. I was working in Wellington, NZContinue Reading

On:
In: Life

I’ve decided that I do need to get fit again. I had all these good intentions about getting into good habits when I started my new job in February; but then I got pneumonia, and my doctor gave me a stern lecture about not exercising until I was totally better.Continue Reading

On:
In: Feminism

I was doing a puzzle with D this evening (who is just 3). It was about a farm, and he asked me “where is the farmer?”. I pointed out the woman who was putting hay in a wheelbarrow. He said “girls aren’t farmers”. I’m amazed by this, as we haveContinue Reading

On:
In: Life

The US has released their stats on names for 2005. I found a link there via some blog or other, and went back to check on my name the year I was born (I wasn’t born in the US, but I wasn’t born in Australia, either). I reckon from myContinue Reading

On:
In: Feminism

I was taken to lunch at the Australian Club today. It’s quite a strange phenomenen. In a modern (well 60s) office building, the club has three or four floors decorated in late Victorian english style (to ape the London club it is trying to be). I was in the guestsContinue Reading

On:
In: Life

I’ve always hated the idea of Mothers’ Day. It has always seemed so commercialised and meaningless. The recognition aspect has completely fallen by the wayside, and now it’s just about commercialism. Lately it seems to have got even more commercialised, so that it is now compulsory for all mothers toContinue Reading

On:
In: Book Reviews

This week’s book review is a survey of Neal Stephenson‘s work. I’ve lately been on a kick of re-reading all our Neal Stephenson books, partly prompted by tigtog‘s rave review of SnowCrash. Tigtog’s rave was mostly about one of the main characters, YT (a sexy intelligent kick-ass woman), a variantContinue Reading

On:
In: Work and life

The AFR this morning had an interesting article about the budget plans to improve childcare.Apparently, the way in which this government will improve childcare is to “improve market intelligence”. “Family and Community Services Minister Mal Brough is adamant that leaving the provision of childcare to the market will solve problemsContinue Reading

On:
In: Economics

I’ve recently gone from being a PAYG taxpayer (pay tax quarterly, generally get an interest free loan from the tax office for six months for your tax, but in charge of making sure you pay the right amount of tax) to being a PAYE taxpayer (tax is deducted from myContinue Reading