Texas zombies and Illinois Nazis

I knew about the Illinois Nazis problem, but not about about Texas zombies.

COLLINSVILLE, Illinois - Pranksters in at least three states are messing with electronic road signs meant to warn motorists of possible traffic problems by putting drivers on notice about Nazi zombies and raptors. And highway safety officials aren't amused.

The latest breach came Tuesday during the morning rush hour near Collinsville, Ill., where hackers changed a sign along southbound Interstate 255 to read, "DAILY LANE CLOSURES DUE TO ZOMBIES."

A day earlier in Indiana's Hamilton County, the electronic message on a board in Carmel's construction zone warned drivers of "RAPTORS AHEAD — CAUTION."

For more read here.

"Come on Turnbull" Facebook site gets 10,000 friends in one day

In an intriguing milestone in social media based campaigning in Australia, the Facebook page "Come on Turnbull, don't take away my $950 bucks" has attracted over 10,000 friends in one day.

Developed as a response to the Federal Coalition's decision to block the $42 billion economic stimulus package put forward by the Rudd Labor government, the site also provides resources for members to lobby the Greens Senators and independent Senators Nick Xenophon and Steve Fielding to pass the package, which promises (among other things) $950 to all taxpayers earning less than $100,000 a year.





Update: At 2.15pm Friday 6 Feb, this site had 31, 206 members. This cycle has some momentum.

10 Tips for Student Networking

For those PhD students and others, who want to know about how to network, but don't want to attend an all-day workshop on it, here is some advice from the most recent newsletter of the International Communications Association.

I recall a presentation where it was pointed out to students that 70-80% of new jobs in Australia are no longer advertised. Someone has a job requirement, meets a person who can meet the need, and employs them. As we are shedding jobs in 2009, these skills may be becoming more important.

10 Tips for Effective Networking

Mikaela Marlow, U of Idaho, and Michele Khoo, Nanyang Technological U

Establishing a successful career in the academy or business often depends upon the ability to develop and maintain beneficial networks. Dave Sanford (2009) is the Executive Vice President of Client Services for a staffing firm in Waltham, Massachusetts. He suggests that there are several steps involved in effective relationship building. Experts estimate that 60% or more of working people access their employment through social or professional networks. Competent networking skills improve the likelihood that people will be hired, promoted, and/or recommended. The following will briefly preview 10 methods for improving your networking skills.

1. Develop a Specific Target List: Compile a list of all the individuals/groups you currently know or would like to know. Such a list may include family and friends as well as classmates, professors, and colleagues (past/present). You may even want to add people who you have worked with in financial, legal, medical, or political situations. Include members of the community service organizations you have been active with (religious, professional, or civic). Finally, consider including people from online forums and collectives.
2. Ask to be Introduced: Think of individuals who may influence your career and connect with others who can facilitate an introduction. In the academy, such a list may include other academics, administrators, publishers, and research connections. In business, such a list may include local business owners, media representatives, hiring recruiters, and industry specialists.
3. Prepare Messages: Initially, prepare a "30-second elevator speech" describing yourself, your professional goals, and what sets you apart from others. Develop a message that you are able to articulate genuinely and enthusiastically. Share a condensed version with your network contacts, so they have an appealing introduction with which to describe you when advocating for you.
4. Attend Events: Get involved in important professional associations, social groups, or community collectives that will benefit your career. Make sure to introduce yourself to several individuals and discuss potential areas of similar interests with colleagues.
5. Utilize Online Networks: Facebook and LinkedIn are two websites that may enhance your networking capacity. Keep a current profile that describes your past and current professional positions, employers, responsibilities, special skills, degrees, and awards or recognitions. Join online groups that will promote your career and make sure that other online profiles are professional. Some MySpace or YouTube accounts display pictures and text that will detract from credibility and may leave potential employers questioning about character. When you have done the background work, send contact and friend requests to individuals who are on your list of desirable contacts.
6. Strive to Overcome Shyness: Although outgoing individuals are often more at ease with social networking, there are several ways to reduce the impact of shyness. One of these methods is to develop a list of relevant questions for new introductions. You may want to ask questions about the industry, necessary technology or program training, companies that are looking to hire, or positions that may be available. Consider asking about other individuals who would be willing to meet with you to talk about the department.
7. Monitor Behavior: The power of a first impression will profoundly impact how others perceive you and what opportunities you are given. In general, try to integrate the following behaviors during professional interactions: Be on time. Plan for 15- to 30-minute meetings. Wear professional attire. Pick up the tab. Don't flirt. Don't smoke in front of the person (or smell like smoke). Meet for coffee or breakfast (not drinks). Eliminate annoying distractions (e.g., cell phones). And, talk about appropriate topics (industry, project goals).
8. Set Goals: Develop concrete attainable networking goals and hold yourself to them. For instance, make a goal to e-mail five new contacts a week or to call three new contacts a week. Vow to attend two events per month and to spend 2 hours a week looking for potential network targets.
9. Reciprocity: Mutually beneficial networking is reciprocal. Although you may be asking for assistance now, the chances are high that you will be in a position to help others at a future time. There are several ways to express gratitude to others, including offering to introduce them to another person in your network, sending relevant articles or research you may find, or bringing one of your networks to a professional event as your guest.
10. Contact: E-mail a "thank you" message, or send a handwritten "thank you" card, to every person you have met through networking. Such things are a common courtesy and allow you to stay in touch with networks. When staying in contact, reinforce your desire to reciprocate in the future. Follow through on any promises you make and do so during a reasonable amount of time. Every 6 months, send an e-mail to your networks and let them know you've thought of them and hope they are well. Avoid mass e-mails and ensure that messages appear to have been sent individually.

Although effective networks may take time to build, good networks will ultimately help you realize your career goals through useful introductions, recommendations, and referrals. Remember, set realistic goals, follow appropriate protocol during interactions, and maintain networks through e-mail, cards, or telephone calls. Consider your own experience establishing networks and strive to assist emerging scholars, in the future, through guidance, referral, or hiring.

Reference:
Sanford, D. (2008). "Flex your networking skills: 10 tips to building, maintaining, and using your professional network in a job search." The Boston Globe. Retrieved from http://www.boston.com/jobs/bighelp2009/january/flex_your_network/?page=1.

Big things - Iraqi style

One of the most fascinating recent events was that of the Iraqi journalist Muntadar Al-Zaidi who threw his shoes at George W. Bush at his last press conference in Iraq, farewelling him with the words "This is from the widows, the orphans, and those who were killed in Iraq", and "This is a farewell kiss, you dog".

In the city of Tikrit, this bronze-coloured fibre-glass monument to the now-imprisoned journalist had a brief life on display near an orphanage until Iraqi authorities ordered that it be taken down. Intriguingly, the authorities were quoted as saying "We will not allow anyone to use the government facilities and buildings for political motives."

Speaking of "political motives', Mr. Al-Zaidi apparently "has reportedly been beaten in custody, suffering a broken arm, broken ribs and internal bleeding", according to the BBC. He has been charged with aggression against a foreign head of state, and faces up to 15 years in jail if convicted.

Which way for News Corp in 2009?

There has been a lot of discussion about staff layoffs and alleged "dumbing down" of Fairfax newspapers in recent months, with a good deal of the discussion led by News Corp's national flagship newspaper The Australian.

This week sees the announcement of News Corporation's quarterly results for end-2008, and it could have considerable implications for News's Australian newspaper operations for 2009 and beyond. Note the view in this SMH article that investors increasingly view newspapers as a "legacy asset".

When the economy cratered last September, News Corp Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch quickly told investors his media empire would feel the pain.

After that, silence. With a week to go until quarterly results, investors wonder how bad things will be and are girding for sharper-than-expected profit declines, asset writedowns and perhaps more severe job cuts.

Punishing drops in the stock market, coupled with a slump in advertising spending, make it likely that News Corp will join peers such as Time Warner Inc and CBS Corp forced to revalue the assets on their books, analysts say.

So far, Murdoch has resisted big cuts for his 60,000-plus employees: News Corp has made limited cuts, including several hundred jobs at Fox Interactive Media, home of the MySpace social network. Media reports say more are on the way at The Wall Street Journal and New York Post newspapers, while Australian newspapers are also trimming staff numbers.

If Murdoch wants to keep the business healthy, it is time to make "hard decisions" and prune older media like papers, Pali Capital analyst Rich Greenfield said.

"We are concerned that the News Corp growth story, propelled by cable networks and Sky Italia, will be far less exciting over the next few years," Pali Capital analyst Rich Greenfield wrote in a note.

"It just feels like the legacy assets are weighing too heavily," Greenfield added in an interview. "I think they've been the most aggressive in trying to develop businesses with long-term returns on capital...where others initially didn't believe or thought the start-up costs were too high."

Journal cuts

One unit seen ripe for a writedown is Journal parent Dow Jones, which News Corp bought in 2007 for $US5.6 billion ($8.8 billion), or a 65% premium to its market value then. More recently, News Corp has been trying to cut costs at Dow Jones, including freezing employees' salaries this year.

US newspaper publishers have seen their shares lose half to nearly all their value in the past 12 months, prompting some to write down 20% or more of their assets.

Besides The Wall Street Journal, which has typically performed better than other newspapers, Dow Jones also counts local US papers, the Dow Jones Newswires, the Barron's financial weekly among its assets. News Corp also owns The Sun and Times of London and The Australian.

UBS analyst Michael Morris pointed to a $US25 billion writedown at Time Warner and a $US14 billion one at CBS. Assuming News Corp writes off a similar percentage, he estimated that it could write down $US10 billion, or about a sixth of its assets.

"In particular, we see possible issues at the broadcasting and publishing businesses, including Dow Jones," he said.

A writedown would not affect News Corp's daily performance, but it would be an admission the company paid more for acquisitions than it should have. That in turn could weigh on the stock price.

Bad news

News Corp's shares have fallen 67% in the past 12 months, underperforming peers such as Time Warner, Viacom Inc and Walt Disney Co.

Murdoch in recent months managed down shareholder expectations. In a statement in November, he said operating income would fall in the low to mid teens percentage points, instead of rising 4% to 6%.

He also warned that weaker overseas currencies, particularly the euro and pound, could hurt the New York-based News Corp. A little more than half its fiscal 2008 revenue came from North America and about a third came from Europe.

Many media companies have warned of more advertising sales declines. Magazine publisher and broadcaster Meredith Corp said automotive ad sale pacings are down 70% this quarter - a dire sign for companies such as News Corp.

Wachovia analyst John Janedis expects a 26% drop in operating income for fiscal 2009, which ends on June 30. Greenfield forecast a 30% drop, along with an 80% decline in TV profits.

Barclays analyst Anthony DiClemente forecast a 35% drop in revenue for News Corp's Fox TV stations in the second half of fiscal 2009.

In recent years, investors tolerated Murdoch's love of newspapers because his cable, satellite and interactive businesses were growing.

But MySpace competitor Facebook is grabbing more share of the Internet social media space. And Sky Italia's satellite business could suffer because of the weaker euro and a troubled Italian economy.

As if that were not enough, MySpace's $US900 million Internet search advertising deal with Google Inc expires in 2010, about the time economists expect the markets to recover.

"We do not believe a new Google search deal is likely to be as favorable," DiClemente said.

The limits of moralising critique

A good piece from Nicholas Gruen in On Line Opinion on the limits of moralising critique with dealing with the climate change question and the global financial crisis. It had struck me that there was more to the Rudd government's 5 per cent plan for reducing carbon emissions than many were giving them credit for, and that they were to some extent ambushed by The Greens, who had been waiting for a clear opportunity to reclaim moral high ground.

The question about the extent to which you can apply moral critique of your own government, but studiously avoid it for other governments - such as China's - is also a vitally important issue.

This piece first appeared in The Australian Financial Review on January 13, but due to its archaic policy on online access, I've only just come across it.

Since the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, we’ve tended to moralise disasters - to see them as the just deserts for our natural sinfulness. Even in today’s secular age, debate on how to handle two crucial issues - the financial crisis and climate change - remains heavily (and unfortunately) moralised.

It’s true that both crises will test our moral qualities. In particular both call for the intellectual courage that’s necessary to see new problems afresh. And we need the moral courage, particularly among those aspiring to lead us, to forge new social consensuses around solutions which embody those insights.

Unfortunately the moralisers usually want us to take intellectual (and moral) shortcuts. They might give some of us a self righteous inner glow. But they’ll only hold us back. In fact they could make things worse.

Activists make climate change politically compelling by moralising it and making it All About Us. They were scathing about the Government’s commitment to reduce its claim on emissions entitlements to 95 per cent of 2000 levels by 2020. That represents a per capita reduction of 25 per cent which seems pretty challenging to me - but there’s no accounting for (moral) tastes.

But here’s the thing. Arresting climate change isn’t all about us. As Garnaut has insisted, what really matters is building a truly global and binding agreement. And for nearly 20 years the major developing countries have resisted binding commitments insisting “you created the problem, you take the lead in fixing it”. Twenty years!

That underlines a further problem with moralism. The moralisers in rich countries feel queasy about forcing poor countries into binding commitments. Their real enthusiasm is the way the looming crisis might make rich societies mend our profligate ways.

But with China soon to be the largest global emitter that’s absurd. Imagine people being excused from water restrictions because they were poor. That’s effectively where moralism has got us in climate change negotiations. (None of this means we should be unprepared to offer compensation or to allow developing countries to temporarily increase their emissions - taking a heavier load ourselves - as we gradually decarbonise production.)

But what really matters is not how heavily we beat our breast in self denial, but how we maximise the chances of engaging the major developing countries. That’s why Garnaut’s most important recommendation was that we commit ourselves to unilaterally reducing our entitlements to emit whilst undertaking to dramatically intensify our efforts if a truly global agreement were reached.

Though Australian policy now embodies this conditional generosity in a diluted fashion, if the idea catches on with other developed countries, we might have made the game-changing difference that enables a truly global system to evolve.

Moralism also threatens to befuddle our response to the financial crisis.

Right back to Adam Smith economists have preached the virtues of prudence and thrift which are the building blocks of investment for the future. That message has, if anything grown in relevance in the last generation as household savings have steadily declined and foreign debt has grown to fund consumption and mining investment.

And at a time like this it would be nice to have less foreign debt so we are less beholden to investor sentiment. But alas, that’s for the medium to long term. Saint Augustine’s prayer - Lord make me chaste, but not yet - may be comical, but this is one situation in which it’s the right prayer. Now is no time to increase our savings.

And yet, appealing to moral notions of thrift, neither the Government nor the Opposition has had the moral backbone to come clean and unreservedly endorse deficit financing as an appropriate response to the crisis. We should be prepared to run substantial deficits and it may be appropriate to run them for some time. It all depends on how things develop - in the international economy and our own.

But that’s not all that should happen. Because we can’t know when it should occur, we should begin now building institutions - for instance independent advisory bodies like the Productivity Commission - to impose disciplines on politicians to move from fiscal accelerator to brake and to increase savings as recovery takes hold.

Doing something like that would make all the difference - between genuinely learning from the mistakes of the past, as opposed to engaging in a bit more empty moralising about them.

First published in the Australian Financial Review on January 13, 2009.

White people demand Quadrant on Australia Day

For many years people have wondered what Australia Day is all about. Now the journal Quadrant has sorted this out for us. Australia Day is about things that the Left hates, which are:

Australia Day, Anzac Day, people who live in the suburbs, people who live in the country, farmers, fishermen, dams, Quadrant, Australian history, the flag, the constitution, Andrew Bolt’s readers, The Australian, Liberal voters, National Party voters, Family First voters, One Nation supporters, the RSL, McDonald’s, McMansions, plasma TVs, Australian Idol, big business, small business, monolingualists, Christians, our last prime minister, liberal democracy, capitalism, lamingtons, Australians, the national coat of arms, the Samuel Griffith Society, soldiers, conservatives, musicals not about Australian Left politicians, commercial television, non-indigenous trees, dog owners, cats, non-Left talk back radio hosts, timber workers, plastic bags, Howard’s battlers, climate change sceptics, white people, commercial radio, America (pre-Obama), sovereignty (ours), realistic paintings (especially by Albert Namatjira), the Big Banana and other Big Things, cultural dissidents, men, sprinklers, green lawns, cars (other peoples), wood fires, rednecks, Sir John Kerr.

Erm, cats??? Sir John Kerr? The Samuel Griffith Society (says what's that, sotto voce)? White people? Cultural dissidents? Australian Idol? Is this what the Right thinks that the Left thinks about?

In a possibly unrelated incident, there were riots in the Manly Corso on Australia Day as white people demanded that the local newsagent stock more copies of Quadrant.

"We're sick of having to read Dissent or The Monthly", said group spokesman Ned "Spanner" Kelly. "We urgently need to know about the formation of an Australian intelligentsia during the adversarial culture of the 1960s", he said, before pulling at the turban of a Sikh taxi driver.

A scuffle subsequently ensued with the owners of the 24-hour kebab shop, as they refused to take the Euro-trash techno off their CD player and put on "Cold Chisel's Last Stand".