Willis's Walkabouts Newsletter 119, December 2022 ― Christmas Edition
While I think everything here is worth at least a quick browse or, better still, a more leisurely look over the course of a week or two, I know many of you have limited time. If you don't have time for a good look, my top recommendations are:
• WW 2023 Trips ― Special Mention ― I'm really keen to do some of these trips and have special offers on several.
• The destruction of Lee Point
• A major industrial development in Darwin Harbour
• There are several items in the Your Health health section which affect every one of us
• Avoid a scam and save your self time and money. The last little story, only a few lines long, is particularly worth the read.
Note. If you are viewing this on a mobile, the newsletter and many of the links should work better in a horizontal format.
Restricted content. Articles marked * or ** are on restricted websites Click for more info, including how you can sometimes avoid the paywalls.
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In this issue
WW 2023 ― What Next?
Price Rises
As I warned those who asked about 2023, our prices have had to go up very substantially. Two main reasons.
- Transport. All of our transport costs have risen, some by more than 50% since 2021. The only way we can keep going is to raise prices.
- Wages. WW wages had not gone up as fast as they should have. While I don't need to pay myself a full wage for the trips I lead, I discovered that there is an award that covers people like tour guides. Even if the guides were willing to accept a lower wage in exchange for doing the trips, it isn't legal. As of the beginning of this financial year, wages have risen dramatically. Given the intermittent nature of the work, it's still not enough for someone to make a full-time living from the job. That's why most of the guides have other work or are retired from full-time employment.
I've almost finished updating the website with the new prices. The few that remain are those where I haven't been able to finalise details. Easiest way to see them all is to have a look at our PDF trip list.
Environmentally Friendly?
WW has Advanced Eco-Certification. While everything we do on tour is as environmentally friendly as is possible, I can't get away from the fact that people have to get here and that some trips require flying in and out. Is that environmentally friendly? Here's what I mean.
Frequent fliers are a problem for the planet. Should they pay more? **
A global tax on frequent fliers could go a long way toward fixing aviation's climate problem
Since almost all of our clients fly to get to our trips, can we (or any other business which relies on people flying) really be eco-friendly? I've thought long and hard about the issue and have decided to do what little I can. But how?
Our New Carbon Offset
Conservation doesn't seem to be the top priority on public lands anywhere. Carbon offsets like the ones Qantas offers don't work as intended. What I see is excessive burning at the wrong time (more on that in a future newsletter). As best I can tell, the best managed lands from a conservation point of view are those belonging to Bush Heritage and those belong to the Australian Wildlife Conservancy. I already donate to both. For trips booked between now and the end of the current financial year, I will donate 1% of the gross to those organisations. If you would prefer to donate to a different conservation organisation, you can let me know when you register and I'll send the money there. At the end of the financial year, I'll re-evaluate the situation and see what next.
WW ― The Program
Last year's prices were already higher than I'd have liked. Some of my former clients could no longer afford to do the trips. With the 2023 price hikes, I have to wonder whether or not the business remains viable. If anyone has any thoughts or suggestions, please let me know.
Once upon a time, if we'd had the bookings, we could have run every trip in the program. That hasn't been the case for some years. I've always liked to offer as many trips as possible to give people a choice. There has never been a real pattern as to which trips run in which year. One trip might run for five years straight, then not get a single booking. Another might not run for five years, then run for two years in a row. That helped make it more interesting for all the guides as they didn't have to do the same trip over and over as is the case with most other companies offering bushwalking tours.
Once a trip was a definite departure, overlapping trips with few or no bookings were cancelled. This worked well and we seldom had to cancel trips with confirmed bookings. I can't remember a single instance where a trip had enough bookings to be a 'definite' departure later had to be cancelled due to a lack of transport or a guide. That may change.
WW has a limited number of guides. We seldom have one available as a last minute back up. If a guide became seriously ill or had an accident just prior to a trip, it's unlikely that we could replace them at the last minute. That's one of the reasons we recommend travel insurance so strongly.
Then there's transport. We have a limited number of vehicles, one fewer after one was stolen a couple of months back. It was insured but the insurance wouldn't pay more than a third of what a similar, but newer, replacement vehicle would cost. To complicate matters, it's almost impossible to hire an appropriate 4WD at a reasonable price even if you are booking 3-4 months in advance. On some trips we depend on others to provide the transport. We have no control over anything unforeseen that might happen there.
Now, if you want something really good to think about, see the WW 2023 Trips ― Special Mention section below.
We Live In A Finite World
Mainstream politicians don't get it. Whatever they say, their actions say they are in favour of destroying the natural environment on which we all depend. Almost all do everything they can to encourage population growth. That growth can't go on forever. If you are over 40, think about how much of the natural environment has been lost in your lifetime. If you are as old as I am, you can see the disaster. There are more than enough resources in the world to give everyone now alive a decent living without destroying more of the environment. But, with few exceptions, economists give no value to the natural world on which we all depend.
A recent obituary brought this to the top of my list. Herman Daly, 84, Who Challenged the Economic Gospel of Growth, Dies *
"Perhaps the best-known ecological economist, he faulted his mainstream peers for failing to account for the environmental harm growth can bring."
..."another foundational concept was that the economy does not exist apart from the Earth's biosphere but within it, and that its scale is limited by its reliance on finite natural resources."
That should be common sense. Pity common sense isn't very common anymore.
Here in Darwin, the grow at any cost mentality has already cost us a part of Lee Point and, unless stopped, will cost us a lot more. Lee Point is an area we visit on our Birdwatching trip. It doesn't matter that after an absence of many years, endangered Gouldian Finches have reappeared only to be doomed again by the new development. It doesn't matter that the traffic from the new development will have a negative impact on all the nearby suburbs, an impact that could be avoided by using a different area which already has most of the required infrastructure in place. Those who made the decision don't have to face any consequences, so it's likely to stand unless people stand up and object.
If you'd like to learn more about the issue, and perhaps even lend us some support, please visit Save Lee Point web page. The page links to some beautiful photos and videos that show what we will lose if the development goes ahead. Bot the Federal and NT environment ministers have the power to stop the project. Neither has chosen to do so. Neither is likely to do so unless they think it will cost them a lot of votes. Click the link, see what's at stake and see how you can help.
There are signs all over town saying "Save Lee Point". Our local government seems to agree except for one letter. Their slogan seems to be "Pave Lee Point.
Not So Clean, Clean Energy
Electric Vehicles
Electric vehicles use a lot of minerals that are currently in short supply. Worse, we don't recycle what we use.
- What becomes of old hybrid and EV batteries?
As electric and hybrid vehicles grow in popularity, the race is on to keep their used batteries out of landfill. - A Frustrating Hassle Holding Electric Cars Back: Broken Chargers *
The story is from the US. What's it like here?
Owners of battery-powered cars sometimes struggle to refuel on longer trips because public chargers don't work or malfunction while cars are plugged in.
- The tough calculus of emissions and the future of EVs
From materials and batteries to manufacturing, calculating the real carbon cost of EVs is just getting started
Most detailed analysis I've seen. Contains a link to an article about improved efficiency petrol engines. Currently way over half goes as lost heat. - It's Time to Wake Up ― The Currently Known Global Mineral Reserves Will Not Be Sufficient to Supply Enough Metals to Manufacture the Planned Non-fossil Fuel Industrial Systems
Given the estimated required number of Electric Vehicles (EV's) of different vehicle class, it is clear that there are not enough minerals in the currently reported global reserves to build just one generation of batteries for all EV's and stationary power storage, in the global industrial ecosystem as it is today. - Australia has rich deposits of critical minerals for green technology. But we are not making the most of them .... yet
Around the world, critical minerals such as cobalt, gallium, molybdenum and germanium are produced as by-products of major commodities such as bauxite, zinc, copper and iron ore. So why are we discarding most of these critical minerals by dumping them in tailings storage? - The world wants more lithium but doesn't want more mines
- Can a Tiny Territory in the South Pacific Power Tesla's Ambitions? *
"in part because nickel mining is so energy intensive, manufacturing electric vehicles emits nearly twice as much carbon dioxide as does producing cars run on fossil fuels, according to Trafigura." - On the Banks of the Furious Congo River, a 5-Star Emporium of Ambition *
As the clean energy revolution upends the centuries-long lock of fossil fuels on the global economy, dealmakers and hustlers converge on the Fleuve Congo Hotel. - The embarrassingly easy, tax-free way for Australia to cut the cost of electric cars
Why electric cars are much cheaper overseas than here. - Interesting graph. Mining Land Use
Mining uses a lot of land: 10 million hectares (about 25 million acres) for surface mines, processing facilities, and waste materials, a figure set to grow as more minerals are used in renewable energy and electric vehicles. But that land usage is a tiny fraction of the amount dedicated to agriculture. Peanuts alone consume about three times more land than the entire mining industry, according to this data.
Other Changes Are Needed
- Electric cars alone won't save the planet. We'll need to design cities so people can walk and cycle safely
- Tech Can't Fix the Problem of Cars *
Flashy new car technology may be exciting, but it might also be distracting us from what we need.
"the transportation status quo is dangerous, gobbles up public space and government dollars, and is environmentally unsustainable. It took decades to build the United States around the car. It was a choice ― at times a contested one ― and we could now opt for a different path."
Just as true in Australia as in the US - Would you give up planes for these trains? Europe pushes travel that's climate friendly. **
Not practical in much of Australia. Is there an answer?
Sustainable?
- Are There Better Places to Put Large Solar Farms Than These Forests? *
Conservationists and farmland advocates argue that the solar gold rush is displacing valuable forests and farms when panels could instead be going on already developed or degraded land, including abandoned industrial sites and landfills.
How to do it wrong. Will we never learn? - Tougher seven-star energy efficiency standards for new Australian homes set to be approved
Another well intentioned disaster. Tropical design like my home that doesn't need air con will be banned. The new standards require buildings to be air conditioned to be habitable.
Even worse, buildings supposedly built to the old standards often didn't meet them. - Solar curtailment is emerging as a new challenge to overcome as Australia dashes for rooftop solar
Curtailment means people may not get everything they expect out of their solar system
It's not a simple question with a simple answer. Worth reading if you have or are considering solar. - Academics discrediting Australia's carbon credit system 'serious people, says former chief scientist
Prof Ian Chubb, who is leading a review of the controversial scheme, says there are also credible voices defending it
"Australian National University's Prof Andrew Macintosh ― who, as chair of the Emissions Reduction Assurance Committee, used to be responsible for the integrity of the scheme ― released several academic papers with colleagues arguing that most credits do not actually represent real or new emissions cuts."
Government Hypocrisy
The federal and NT governments are putting billions of taxpayer dollars into a major industrial development in Darwin Harbour. In a perfect example of greenwashing, all instances of the word 'petrochemical' that were in the original plans have been removed. If you want to know what it's really about I recommend having a look at Love Darwin Harbour
If a current government proposal goes ahead, it will destroy much of the environmental value of the harbour.
Drop the government a line and say that if the development goes ahead, you will be much less likely to spend your tourist dollars here.
Not long ago, I was having dinner at the Darwin Waterfront, looking across the harbour to the Wickham Point gas project, watching incredible amounts of gas being burned off as waste. It seems ironic that that much is being burnt while at the same time people are calling for the phasing out of gas stoves. What I saw being burnt was more than enough to power every gas stove in Darwin.
Understanding China
What happens in China and what China does affects everyone in Australia. Better to try and understand what's happening than blindly react as we all too often seem to do.
Great Leader Xi
- Stability for Xi, Not for China
It's unclear what the president's "victories" at the congress mean for the country. - China's Communist Party hands Xi an endless rule for flexing power **
- Under Xi, China wants absolute security. It's making the world nervous. **
- 'Uncle Xi' to Exalted Ruler: China's Leader Embodies His Authoritarian Era *
Xi Jinping was first cast as a firm but genial leader with a common touch. Approaching a second decade in power, he looms over China like a stern Communist monarch.
Business in China
- China' Business Elite See the Country That Let Them Thrive Slipping Away *
The business class, which shunned politics, is now questioning if there is still a place for it in a system dominated by one ruler, Xi Jinping. - American Executives in Limbo at Chinese Chip Companies After U.S. Ban
China and Covid
- What is China's 'zero covid' policy and why did it trigger protests? **
You need to understand this to make sense of some of the articles which follow. - The Chinese Dream, Denied *
The world's harshest Covid restrictions exemplify how Xi Jinping's authoritarian excesses have rewritten Beijing's longstanding social contract with its people. - China' Great 'Zero-Covid' Guessing Game *
Companies, investors and global policymakers are trying to divine when the Chinese government will drop its strict restrictions. It comes down to one man: the country's top leader, Xi Jinping.
Unless they can find a way to change without losing face, it won't change. - In China, Living Not 'With Covid,' but With 'Zero Covid' *
The country's strict coronavirus restrictions dictate the patterns of daily life, like waiting in line for frequent Covid tests and stocking up on extra groceries in case of lockdown. - A Lonely Protest in Beijing Inspires Young Chinese to Find Their Voice *
As beginner dissenters, they're timid and scared. But they are experiencing a quiet political awakening, unhappy about censorship, repression and "zero Covid."
When I first saw this article, I wondered, "Wishful thinking or the beginning of something?" It was definitely the beginning of something. Where that something will lead remains to be seen. - China's Covid Revolt
This was copied from the NY Times so that everyone would have an easy way to see it. There was a link to the article below. - Proud, Scared and Conflicted. What the China Protesters Told Me. *
In more than a dozen interviews, young people explained how the events of the past few days became what one called a "tipping point."
In the 27 November issue of my Covid Blog, I had a number of stories about China as well as others about how Covid continues to affect us in ways we don't always understand. Please have a look. Comments welcome.
Finally
The Future of US-China Relations
Both countries have a lot to lose if they let things get out of hand.
WW 2023 Trips ― Special Mention
While the 2023 program looks much the same as it did this year, there are going to be some changes that are not immediately visible.
Special Offers
- The 20% advance purchase discount will remain available for every trip (unless specified otherwise below) for two weeks after this newsletter comes out.
- Save 40%. Green Kimberley, Sections 1-3: 16 Jan - 1 Feb
I am so keen to do the first three sections that I'll take 40% off the list price and run it for as few as three people. This would be the first time in 20 years that we've been able to do Keep River in the Wet.
Advance purchase does not apply with this offer. - Save $1000. Kakadu Highlights No. 2: 12-26 March or
Save $700. on section one on its own.
This would be the first time in many years that we've been able to do the overnight walk on Lower Motorcar Creek or the wet season Guluyambi cruise. I'm keen to do them so I've taken $1000 off the list price and will run section one for as few as three people. Section one is one of the easiest wet season trips we offer.
Advance purchase does not apply with this offer. - Save $2500. Gulf to Gregory: 30 April - 27 May
The normal price would be $5995 but I'm so keen to do it that I've left it at $3495. - Save $500. Kakadu Super Circle No. 2: 15 June - 9 July
This is the last major expedition we can still offer in Australia. I think it's important to run it so I've taken $500 off the new price. If I thought I was fit enough to lead it myself, I'd have dropped it more. Our other discounts still apply. - Save $500. Drysdale River. If we get enough bookings to run two consecutive trips, it saves us a lot in transport costs. We'll pass that saving along and drop the new list price of $6795 by $500 if we get enough bookings to run two consecutive trips four months prior to the first.
At the time this newsletter was written, we still needed four more bookings on Drysdale 2: 2-16 July for this to happen. - Watch our Availability and Specials page for further offers as they happen.
- Trips I lead. For almost 40 years, I've looked on WW trips partly as a way for me to meet interesting people and go for walks in interesting places. As shown above, since I am not legally required to pay myself a specific wage, some of the trips I want to do myself will be run at a reduced rate compared to the others. BUT .... anyone who comes on a trip I lead needs to be aware that the guide is over 75 and, while in good physical condition for his age, things are more likely to go wrong than with a younger guide. That's one reason I will no longer lead the hardest trips.
Other Australian Trips
- Drysdale River Pack Rafting: 26 March - 8 April
This trip is being run by one of our guides Sébastien Heritier through his own business. We think it's a great trip and are happy to book it for you. - Karijini National Park: 2-15 April
We need only two more bookings to guarantee the departure. You visit one of Australia's most spectcular landscapes at a time when the water is still warm enough to enjoy a swim. - Two super easy trips We were asked to create an easy trip for a group of non-bushwalkers similar to one we ran this year. The first includes two easy walks. The second has no overnight walks but does have more additional expenses. The first one to get five bookings will become a definite departure. If the other also gets bookings, I'll try and run it as well but may have to change the date to start on 18 or 19 September.
- Kakadu Birdwatching and Nature Special: 1-14 October
This is the best time of year for birds. We've offered it for years. It's only run twice. I think it's an outstanding trip. I don't know of anyone else offering something similar. Don't take my word, the web page links to a report written by one of those who did our 2021 trip.
Sadly, if we can't get more interest, we may not be able to offer it after this year.
International
We are definitely offering at least two trips. We hope to add others.
Last Chance
Every trip departing before March which doesn't have bookings before Christmas will be cancelled.
Bushwalking Access & Paying for Parks
Access
Bushwalkers (and others) are losing access all around the country.
- Willis's Walkabouts
- On 26 October, we were informed that part of our Kakadu Circle route was no longer permitted. There is no alternative so we have had to cancel those trips. In addition, a major part of our Jim Jim & Rainforest route is no longer permitted which meant we had to change one of our Kakadu Highlights trips as well.
- Last year we lost access to El Questro which forced a major change to our Kimberley Highlights trip.
- Some time back, we lost access to 90% of what we used to do in Watarrka in central Australia.
- We can no longer do any off-track walking in Nitmiluk and can't do the Jatbula in the wet season
- There is more. We hope to get regain access to some areas in future but the above gives you an idea of the problems we face.
- It's not just us.
- Wollumbin (Mount Warning) permanently closed for visitors
- Could bushbashing soon be outlawed in Victoria?
The new rules, which will affect more than 50 city and regional parks across Victoria, were outlined in the government's proposed Metropolitan and Regional Parks Regulations. Changes include a fine of up to $924 for bushwalking off a park trail. - Traditional owners welcome closure of popular Mount Gillen walking trail in Alice Springs
- Sometimes the closures are temporary but lack of funds can mean that re-opening is a long way off.
The mammoth repair effort to fix national parks after years of fire and floods
Parks As Revenue
Governments tend to minimise what they spend on parks. They sometimes go as far as to use them as revenue raisers.
- Conservationists say tourist development of national parks is changing their purpose
Average people are getting priced out of some parks. - Would You Pay $1,000 to See the World's Biggest Lizards? *
Indonesia wants to make it vastly more expensive to see the country's famous Komodo dragons. The local tourism industry is up in arms. The $1000 is in US dollars but it would cover up to four people. - New NT Fees. In the NT, as of 3 April 2023, all visitors to Northern Territory managed parks and reserves will require a Parks Pass. This will be available in a range of options, including a day pass at $10/ adult, $5/child or $25/family, a two week pass at $30/adult, $15/child or $75/family or an open pass , for $60/adult, $30/child or $150/family. Northern Territory residents will be exempt from this pass requirement.
Camping fees went up earlier this year and will rise again on 1 July 2023. The new charge will be $10 or $15 per person at most camping areas.
Kakadu and Uluru are federally run and have their own fees.
If you plan to stay in an NT park, you will need to book in advance online. Here's where to do it NT Parks Booking System. - Sadly, the increased revenue doesn't seem to all go back into maintaining the parks. I've been told that there are now only two rangers for all of the East Macdonnells. Ten years ago, with fewer visitors, there were six.
Your Feedback
Bushwalkers are seriously under-represented in park visitor surveys. If you've been to Kakadu this year and haven't already done so, please fill in their visitor survey. Kakadu Visitor Survey.
Your Health
- Government decision to limit telehealth services will cause vulnerable Australians to suffer, GPs say
• Federal health minister, Mark Butler, confirms pandemic-related telehealth services will not be extended
• "The people who we least want to be sitting in a doctor's surgery because of the risk of them contracting Covid from other patients or from their doctor, they're going to be sitting in those waiting rooms under an increased risk of contracting Covid, or they may actually stay home, not wanting to expose themselves and actually miss out on their healthcare."
• "... the cut would also prevent doctors from treating Covid-positive patients who had more complex needs at home, saying such consultations could often take "a very long time". - Higher Medicare rebates will not cure broken system that rewards 'speed, not need', report says
General practices have 'steady profit margins' and many are turning away from bulk billing, leaving poorer Australians without access to care, think tank says -
Australian food is grown with dangerous chemicals banned in other countries
Australia has a global reputation as a source of clean food. In fact, the country has some of the most lax regulation of pesticide use in the western world. If other countries take this seriously, we could lose out on free trade deals and farm exports. - UK trade deal with Australia amounts to 'offshoring' pesticide use, MPs say
• Select committee says ministers want to rush through deal allowing food imports that fall below UK environmental standards
• "Pesticide limits in Australia are 200 times higher than the UK's. They also have 144 licensed pesticides, whereas the UK only licenses 73 of these substances. The environmental movement talks about offshoring carbon; you could say that what we are doing is offshoring pesticides."
• I had no idea we used that much. Not good for any of us in the long term. Why do we accept it? - Taking the pill may change your behaviour ― but exactly how is still uncertain
- Backyard hens' eggs contain 40 times more lead on average than shop eggs, research finds
Not true everywhere but definitely in some areas, especially certain parts of big cities. - A Free Markets Failure That May Be Costing Lives
• Ignore the ads. This story shows how badly the health system is broken. It's American but many new drugs come out of the US so it affects us all.
• The phase II clinical trial for triple-negative breast cancer patients that a person referred to in the story was part of showed an 84% overall survival rate at a median follow-up of 6.3 years. The five-year survival rate for women with metastatic breast cancer is 29%, but it is only 12% for triple-negative metastatic.
• Needless to say, 84% living for six years versus 88% dying within five years is an excellent preliminary outcome .... yet how is this treatment not more widely applied?
• The treatment in question isn't available because no one can make enough money from it to fund a large scale trial. - The End of Vaccines at 'Warp Speed' *
Financial and bureaucratic barriers in the United States mean that the next generation of Covid vaccines may well be designed here, but used elsewhere. - Why falling asleep with the lights on is bad for your health **
Light exposure before bedtime and even as we sleep can have adverse consequences, research shows. Here's what you can do about it.
Covid
Covid has not gone away. It will be with us for the foreseeable future. Here are some interesting stories that didn't get into the 27 November issue of my Covid Blog.
-
The astounding impact and reach of long Covid, in numbers and charts
Something about Covid causes a significant portion of people to experience symptoms long after the initial sickness ― so what do the studies tell us? - The Long Tail of Covid-19 Disinformation *
Almost all of Australia and New Zealand's pandemic restrictions have been lifted. Yet the protests continue. - Endemic Covid-19 Looks Pretty Brutal *
As a ballpark estimate, he says, going forward we can expect that every year, around 50 percent of Americans will be infected and more than 100,000 will die. - Covid becomes Australia's third most common cause of death in 2022
The virus trails only heart disease and dementia after an estimated 7,100 fatalities from January to July, researchers say - Tracking viruses can be tricky. *
Sewage provides a solution. (All you have to do is flush.)
Your Money
-
Retailers' extended warranties give no more cover than existing consumer rights, Choice says
Consumer group found 91% of stores it investigated tried to sell extended warranties and claims 71% provided misleading information.
My own experience suggests they can be useful. I got a new lawnmower when the old one died just before the expiry of the 5 year extended warranty. (It might have been repairable but it was simpler to give me a new one. That says something about our throwaway society, but that's another story.) - If you use Amazon, you really ought to read this one.
It's not your imagination: Shopping on Amazon has gotten worse **
When you search for a product on Amazon, you may not realize that most of what you see at first is advertising. Amazon is betraying your trust in its results to make an extra buck. - After a loved one dies, red tape adds to the grief **
Bureaucratic delays and paperwork are frustrating, exhausting, emotionally crushing ― and often unavoidable.
The story is from the US. If anyone can tell me how it works here in Australia, it would be most appreciated. - More than 430,000 children likely to be gambling online ― Australians bet 20% more online than any other country, new figures
I knew we had a problem. I didn't realise just how bad it was. -
'Social casino' apps: the games exempt from Australia's gambling laws ― because no one can win
I can't understand why anyone would play, but many do. - Australians turning to buy now, pay later schemes for groceries 'stuck in a revolving door' of debt
Financial counsellors say more and more people are turning to BNPL services for essentials such as food, petrol and bills. One more reason that BNPL needs to be regulated. - Without radical tax reform, Australia faces an insoluble public finance problem
• Simplifying our complex tax code of tens of thousands of pages is essential. It enables legal structuring of affairs to minimise tax liabilities.
• "Complexity facilitates pork barrel politics with governments tweaking concessions and provisions to placate different constituencies."
• A large tax advice industry of questionable productive value resists simplification as an existential threat. Voters are likely to reject proposals that adversely affect them financially.
• Without radical tax reform, Australia faces an insoluble public finance problem ― demand for spending which cannot be met by taxes. The only other course of action is to wind back the country's cherished welfare net. - Australia is about to be hit by a carbon tax whether the prime minister likes it or not, except the proceeds will go overseas Written before the last election but still relevant.
- Superannuation isn't a retirement income system ― we should scrap it
Super is inefficient, costly and directs money where it isn't needed. There's a way out.
I don't agree but it's good to look at opposing viewpoints. - Think 9% Inflation Is Bad? Try 90%. *
With the world grappling with rising prices, a tour through Argentina reveals that years of inflation can give rise to a truly bizarre economy. - I've linked to the Jared Dillian Money website before and will do so again. It's free so you might want to subscribe. For now, here are two articles I found particularly interesting.
- Do You Really Need Life Insurance?
- This Financial Goal Is More Important than Being Rich
It would have been nice to be rich. That's not going to happen to me. But I did achieve financial security at a relatively young age. That's why Willis's Walkabouts came to be and why it remains in existence today.
Scams
- This sneaky kind of cybercrime rules them all
Business email compromise, costs billions every year. **
I've lost count of how many scam emails I've received. Some are really well done and I've had to look very carefully to be sure they were scams. If you're not expecting it, don't click until you've confirmed it's legit. - Majority of Aboriginal souvenirs sold are fakes with no connection to Indigenous people, report finds
Productivity Commissions calls for mandatory labelling of inauthentic products to warn consumers and protect income of Indigenous artists
The fact that is is legal shows just how poor our consumer protection laws really are. - She clicked sign-in with Google. Strangers got access to all her files. **
Should you log in with Facebook or Google on other sites or apps? Short answer: No. - Unusual sign-in activity mail goes phishing for Microsoft account holders
- How to avoid giving away your personal details online
Sometimes hackers ask politely for the information they need. Here's how to steer clear of their tricks on social media. - The ACCC Scamwatch website has a lot of useful info.
- It's not just emails, phones are targets too. The Phone Scams website has a lot of useful info.
- How do I check if I've been hacked? What should I be watching out for? Here's a cyber security expert's tips on how to protect yourself
- Personal story. A good friend recently got a text which seemed to come from her daughter. Texts went back & forth, daughter had dropped her phone in the toilet which is why it was a borrowed phone. The scammer had lots of personal info. Then there was a request for money. Something didn't seem quite right. My friend asked, "What's my sister's name." The scammer hung up, no further messages. You can't be too careful.
TikTok
If you are above a certain age, you probably don't know much about TikTok. You should.
- How China Got Our Kids Hooked on 'Digital Fentanyl'
TikTok is a national security threat. - Australians would be unwise to discount TikTok data concerns. Here's why
All the more timely after recent stories about data breaches like those at Medibank and Optus. - TikTok Builds Itself Into an Ads Juggernaut *
The Chinese-owned video app's ad business is thriving, even as a digital advertising slump hurts Meta, Snap and other rivals. - Worries Grow That TikTok Is New Home for Manipulated Video and Photos *
Misleading edits, fake news stories and deepfake images of politicians are starting to warp reality on the popular video platform. -
TikTok isn't a silly dance app. It has won the internet, and it knows us eerily well. **
You don't tell TikTok what you want to see. It tells you. And the internet can't get enough. - What we found when analyzing 1,000 viral TikToks on #Abortion **
- Sorry you went viral **
TikTok's explosive stardom has created a new kind of celebrity. But nothing goes viral like rage. - Leg Booty? Panoramic? Seggs? How TikTok Is Changing Language *
A new vocabulary ― a little fun, a little dystopian ― has emerged on the social video platform, as creators try to get around algorithms and strict content moderation. They call it algospeak. - A bison gored a hiker in Texas. She posted the video to TikTok. **
Rebecca Clark says she posted the TikTok to warn other hikers to be vigilant around wild animals.
The Lighter Side
Assorted cartoons is a selection of some of the cartoons people have sent me recently. I can't help but wonder how many will understand the last one. And how many will click the link to the four minute video that goes with it. I liked it ― what more can I say.
Ever wonder how Boeing produces over FORTY 737 airplanes a month?
This little video will show you how. FORTY 737 PLANES EACH MONTH ....
A train arrives with the main body in the morning. They turn them out about one every 18 hours. This 3½ minute video is fascinating.
A must watch for all aviation maintenance personnel.
News About This Newsletter
Restricted websites. The NY Times allows non-subscribers to look at ten free articles each month. I've got more links than that in this newsletter so I've marked them with a red asterisk (*) so that you can choose which are of most interest to you. Bloomberg allows three free articles. The Washington Post and The Economist both have limits but I'm not sure what the current limits are so I've marked their articles with a double red asterisk (**).
How to Get Past a Paywall to Read an Article for Free
Even if you regularly support journalism by paying, sometimes you need to get around it.
Coming Next Issue (I hope)
• Environmental updates
• Reflections on our Society
• Education
• Crime
• Updates on our trips and more, much more
• When? Probably January ― there is a lot that I wanted to include in this one but ran out of space and time.
As always, I welcome a bit of feedback about some of the things in this newsletter and suggestions for the next one.
Sending the newsletter
I'm now using a paid version of MailChimp to send all of the newsletters. I'm not sure what I'll do if the list goes over 2500.
walkabout@bushwalkingholidays.com.au is the contact address on our website. If you would like to continue to receive these newsletters, please include this address in your "friends list" so that it isn't blocked.
Emails sent to walkabout@bushwalkingholidays.com.au are currently automatically forwarded to rrwillis at internode.on.net. If you want to send an email to that address, replace the word "at" with the symbol @. I am trying not to put that address any place where it can be harvested by spam bots.
We don't want to add to the mass of email spam. If you don't want our newsletter, please send us an email and let us know. We'll then delete your name from our newsletter list.
Our email address is walkabout@bushwalkingholidays.com.au.
Note. Both MailChimp and the other program we use to send some of these newsletters have an automatic delete at the bottom. Clicking that link will delete you from the mailing list on the server but it will not delete you from our main database. One of the programs will not allow the auto delete to send me an email notifying me that a deletion has been made. If you want to be sure that you are removed from all further mailings, please send an email to walkabout@bushwalkingholidays.com.au
If you know someone you think would enjoy this newsletter, please forward it to them. The more people who get it, the more likely it is that I'll be able to run the trips which might interest you.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, to you all!!
Russell Willis