$18mil bill for Loos that talk

Here’s an article that caught my attention; expensive talking loos. The article writes about how the local council’s vanity has forced communities to spend their council money on public cans that cost over $250,000 a pop. All in all, an estimated $18 million has been spent so far in WA alone, and according to this particular Bunbury Council PR officer, who quotes these new loos as a “godsend”; it is worth taxpayer’s every cent.
His spin in the article is effective as he firstly assumes the role as reader’s (and spender’s) mindset. He identifies that most will be unwilling to pay for a “Talking Loo” by addressing that yes, these facilities are costly BUT he flawlessly integrates the quotes of many note worthy councillors that are already utilising this eccentric facility.

“While the four loos did not play music, Mr Edwards said they were "easier to maintain, accessible 24/7, self-cleaning and less vulnerable to vandalism". "They can also be relocated more easily to areas of need," he said.
Regional Development Minister Brendon Grylls, whose Royalties for Regions treasure chest paid for the Bunbury toilet, said the lavish loos were a "godsend" for councils.

"They're maintenance-free and they don't get damaged," Mr Grylls said.

"Councils everywhere are putting them in because they work very, very well for high traffic areas where there are worries about maintenance and, after dark, about them being damaged and sprayed with graffiti and getting wrecked."

"Nowadays it's become the realm of architects and urban planners ... accessibility, safety, health, security, convenience, economy and aesthetics have become critical aspects of good public convenience design and location." “

In doing this, the PR officer has successfully “spun” this story in a way that readers will develop a positive reaction to these talking loos. The article is played out much like a story in that it had a beginning middle and end; there was initially a problem and it was rectified. He addresses the viewers concern and in the process, successfully changes the viewers mind.

For example:

It is too expensive = it saves on cleaning and council costs over time

Portable dunnies are only for construction workers = it’s aesthetics have become an aspect of good public convenience design and location.

It’s a waste of space= it can be relocated to anywhere that’s needed.

Unfortunately, he hasn’t sold me.It might be a throne fit for royalty and sings Sinatra, but I’ll be damned if I spend my share of $250000 on a “technological evolution” that can’t even wipe my behind.

the nanny state

DRINKING BY THE NUMBERS:


11:30 AVERAGE CLOSING TIMES FOR PUBS

5100 24-HOUR LICENSES GRANTS

123,700 PREMISES LICENSE TO SELL ALCOHOL 920 SUPER MARKETS SELLING ALCOHOL AROUND THE CLOCK

10% INCREASE IN ALCOHOL RELATED AMBULANCE CALLS

25% INCREASE IN SERIOUS CRIMES BETWEEN 3AM AND 6AM


It was a failed project in Melbourne, and it is going to be a bigger fail in Perth.

The result of some very poor government officials that just won’t learn from history.

Perth has always been known nationally to be the "Nanny State.” The state who has always breast fed their citizens to maintain political authority and had a leisure pursuit for controlling people's lives.
So it was only a matter of time after the bill was passed for shopping centres to close at a reasonable hour that the new Perth Lockout came to being.
The war between the liquor industry and licensing authorities has escalated, with midnight lockouts set to be placed on pubs across WA to target drunken violence and antisocial behaviour. And the people that are paying for this drastic pronouncement are not the small minority of drunken goons but the majority of Perth who are making the most of a night out with friends.
What people have to realise is that like it or not, alcohol has an effect on everyone. You get the happy drunks, the drunks who love to reminisce, the drunks that cry and then there’s the violent drunks. Adjusting the time frame for when they come out is not going to change anything. In fact, what’s going to happen is that these potentially violent drunks are being taken away from the safety of a secured club with sufficient security and thrown into the public where they are exposed to everyone, children, families, and elderly.

On this note, what I find completely hypocritical is that the City of Perth council is trying to rebrand Northbridge as a family friendly place. What are they going think when the night crowd is coming in just as they begin to tuck into dessert? Hmmm.

I think the overall economy of Northbridge is going to fall drastically.

I’m surprised there hasn’t been a back lash from the taxi industry yet. Theres going to be such a saturated time of taxi callouts with everyone rushing to get a cab before 12 oclock. Add that to the fact that Perth already has such a low rate of taxis, people are going to be more and more frustrated about the waiting periods. People won’t even be able to make it out of their doors.

The few old, rich men that govern the City of Perth are trying to make it seem as if they are being proactive in their leadership. What they think as “putting the naughty kids to bed earlier by giving them a curfew” is doing more harm than good.

At this rate, WA government will pass a legislation requiring all citizens to wear nappies.

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“With great power comes great responsibility”

"Suck on that faggots, probs the best game I've ever seen!! Well done boys."

After much public abhorrence for her homophobic tweet on the micro blogging site, Twitter, I bet Stephanie Rice is kicking herself for not heeding Spider Man’s advice.
Rice, has been labelled a "complete idiot" following the “homophobic” comment she posted following the Wallabies' Tri-Nations rugby victory over South Africa recently.

Yet despite her repeated apologies, she has since been removed from all her sponsor work including her lucrative contract with automotive giant, Jaguar.

But let's explore the where the problem lies. The word "faggot" has changed a lot over the years. At its core, the meaning of the word was simply "to bind branches and sticks together." It wasn’t until the early 50’s that it was distorted into an offensive term for an openly homosexual man.

Today, in my opinion, to refer to someone as a faggot is an insult in its own right, I don’t find it homophobic because I believe that it is not necessarily intended to imply that someone is a homosexual and that they should take offence in being one.
Just from doing my own research through casual conversation, eight out of nine of my homosexual friends did not find her ”slur” offensive. What the eight did find somewhat irritating was that Ian Roberts, former NRL star and gay rights activist made such a mountain of a molehill of the ordeal.

Yes, a lesson was taught, do not insult minorities, but in greatly dramatizing that her comment was the greatest atrocity to all gays, the ripple effect was that it cast an unspoken and negative limelight on the gay community. That we must constantly side step and be cautious of ever offending a homosexual at risk of –in Rice’s case, losing her professional credibility. Even her homosexual friend, diver, Michael Mitcham stated that Rice was friends with many gays and did not intend to offend anyone.

Yes, Rice made a mistake in posting her patriotic woot on Twitter, but from my point of view, her intentions weren’t to offend the gays and lesbians of the world, it was to offend the people who betted against the Wallabies in saying they had absolutely no chance of winning against South Africa. It was simply projectile vomit in the excitement of the moment.

I'm not saying that what Stephanie Rice did was right, she is a public figure with obligations to act accordingly in the public eye. I believe that this was simply a knee jerk reaction that didn't necessarily had to risk her entire livelihood. After all, the triple-gold medalist, was forced to withdraw from the Commonwealth games after suffering from a shoulder injury. The scandal served as a real double whammy for the young lass. She'd no sooner be stacking shelves for a living.

To me, this incident isn't necessarily about homophobia or minority activists. It purely for entertainment through mass hysteria. Would it have been less controversial if it didnt occur so close to the Australian Gay and Lesbian Pride Day?
Here we have two openly homosexual athletes, one of which PERSONALLY knows Rice and is publically defending her and another who simply caught Rice out on her slur and found it opportunistic to be vocal about his gay activist rights. Both had a right to do what they did, yet the tabloids choose to give Ian Roberts more of a say on the media. Why? Because people love the thrill of a scandal and scandals always sells.

I'm sure Rice has learnt a couple of lessons here,

1. The higher your star, the harder the public is eager to anticipate for you to fall.
2. THERE ARE NO BOOS BOOS ON TWITTER.