I was aware that Denmark was implementing a tax along these lines which I thought was very proactive given their national obesity rate is one of the lowest in Europe, although I was unaware that Britain was about to introduce it.
I agree with you about Jamie Oliver, given all the money and success he has achieved, to continue to educate the public about the virtues of healthy eating, I find remarkable. Educating people about healthier eating is probably more important than applying a tax, however the tax would help to make it more affordable.
Apr 11 2012: It's possible to lose some battles yet still win the war. The Allied forces at the Battle of the Bulge and the ANZAC forces at the battle of Gallipoli aretwo that come to mind. However if you are asking for winning a war without winning any battles I dont see how that could ever occur.
Apr 10 2012: The purpose of any book is to convey a message; a story. The manner in which it is transcribed, whether it be on an actual book, tablet (electronic or stone), wall etching or napkin, is secondary to the quality of the communication. Stories were told for thousands of years before tools were created to write them down, and they will continue to be so in the future. I think words are incredibly powerful. They can hurt, they can mend, they can bring great joy or sadness. They can motivate and inspire people to achieve greatness and they can help up to share experiences. I love the physical experience of holding an actual book. I also love the functionality that online e-book offers. But most of all, I love the messages they hold, regardless of what form they take on.
Mar 8 2012: I think there are a couple of issues involved here Joshua.
Firstly the film industry is a highly lucrative industry for those who find success. And like any lucrative industry, such as professional athletes, the supply of new entrants always exceeds demand. Therefore with the thousands of people pitching new ideas, the producers/studios can be as choosy as they like.
The other issue involved is that in most cases making movies or TV shows is extremely expensive and yet despite all the modern technology in the world today, there is not a tool or program (that I am aware of) that can accurately predict the return on this investment (ROI). Consequently as the ROI is difficult to predict each decision about which movie to produce carries a lot of risk. Now, executives across any industry traditionally have low-risk appetites, for fear of being fired if the risk doesn’t work. For movie executives this is particularly so, especially given something like 95% of movies produced don’t make a profit, so studios need to rely on the 5% of big blockbuster movies that do.
Therefore producers or studio execs are probably less likely to accept a new original idea and instead go for a proven formula such as a film adaptation of the latest top selling book for teenagers e.g. Harry Potter, Twilight, The Hunger Games. It’s a shame because there are so many talented writers with great ideas out there, but everyone is afraid to try something new.
If you are trying to get your films off the ground perhaps try using a crowd funding service like Kickstarter. After all some of the best films are the small independent ones that have a shoestring budget.
Mar 6 2012: That's brilliant. I heard about the ban in England for the use of the word "bloody" but I was not aware of what happened in Canada and Singapore.
Mar 6 2012: Difficult to say. You could look at the debt to earnings ratio or even decline in GDP. But then how would you factor in the possibility that the government, and its controlling bodies, could simply print more money or raise the debt ceiling as happened in 2011.
For a nation on the verge of economic collapse there is always someone willing to offer a bail out or buy up some of the debt. Remeber the difference between a country and a company is that a country does not have the option to declare themselved bankrupt.
Mar 6 2012: You're welcome Mr Long. PIIGS nations aside I think 'teetering on the brink of social, political and economic implosion' is a bit of a hyperbole. However, if you look closer you'll see that I never mentioned social, political or economic issues, I was simply stating that the different cultures found across Europe have not amalgamated into one as a result of the open borders policy. It has also allowed citizens from a lot of the former Soviet territories to move west towards Germany, France and the UK in search of a better life.
Mar 6 2012: I find it interesting that you refer to America as a gravy train given the high unemployment rate, trillion dollar debt, skewed distribution of wealth, unaffordable private health care system, collapsed housing economy and military activity in 130 countries. I'm curious who it is that is onboard this gravy train.
Also let's not forget that one of America's most popular holidays, Thanksgiving, is a result of 'natural born citizens' accepting immigrants who have crossed borders. I find it odd that one would be against open borders, considering that a vast majority of the population is a descendent of someone who once crossed a border.
Mar 5 2012: Chances are the Liberals will win although I doubt either party will create anything substantially beneficial to the individual voter.
It's a shame that politicians have their own interests at heart instead that of their constituents who voted them in the first place. I would like to see a politician who does not vote on policy decisions down party lines, but instead votes on behalf of their local area members. In an ideal world I would like to see a politician put the latest political issue on their website, let their local members vote on the issue and then take that result to parliament regardless of how they personally feel.
I think the media influences the government's focus which in turn influences voters. Take the boat people refugee issue for example. The media suggest that illegal boat people is an important issue and stopping it then becomes a voting issue, however the reality is that less than 5% of illegal immigrants arrive via boat. The rest arrive through the airports however as this is never reported the government doesn't address the issue.
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A reply on Conversation: Should a special tax be applied to "junk" food and applied to offset the costs of healtier foods?
I was aware that Denmark was implementing a tax along these lines which I thought was very proactive given their national obesity rate is one of the lowest in Europe, although I was unaware that Britain was about to introduce it.
I agree with you about Jamie Oliver, given all the money and success he has achieved, to continue to educate the public about the virtues of healthy eating, I find remarkable. Educating people about healthier eating is probably more important than applying a tax, however the tax would help to make it more affordable.
A comment on Conversation: Does battle determines the course of war?
A comment on Conversation: Can and will books ever be replaced by something other than we know it today?
A comment on Conversation: Why does it have to be so hard for new talent to get into the film industry?
Firstly the film industry is a highly lucrative industry for those who find success. And like any lucrative industry, such as professional athletes, the supply of new entrants always exceeds demand. Therefore with the thousands of people pitching new ideas, the producers/studios can be as choosy as they like.
The other issue involved is that in most cases making movies or TV shows is extremely expensive and yet despite all the modern technology in the world today, there is not a tool or program (that I am aware of) that can accurately predict the return on this investment (ROI). Consequently as the ROI is difficult to predict each decision about which movie to produce carries a lot of risk. Now, executives across any industry traditionally have low-risk appetites, for fear of being fired if the risk doesn’t work. For movie executives this is particularly so, especially given something like 95% of movies produced don’t make a profit, so studios need to rely on the 5% of big blockbuster movies that do.
Therefore producers or studio execs are probably less likely to accept a new original idea and instead go for a proven formula such as a film adaptation of the latest top selling book for teenagers e.g. Harry Potter, Twilight, The Hunger Games. It’s a shame because there are so many talented writers with great ideas out there, but everyone is afraid to try something new.
If you are trying to get your films off the ground perhaps try using a crowd funding service like Kickstarter. After all some of the best films are the small independent ones that have a shoestring budget.
A reply on Conversation: Does anyone have any good examples of Global Marketing translations gone wrong?
A comment on Conversation: How does one predict the date when an entire nation would fall?
For a nation on the verge of economic collapse there is always someone willing to offer a bail out or buy up some of the debt. Remeber the difference between a country and a company is that a country does not have the option to declare themselved bankrupt.
A reply on Conversation: Would you vote yes to open borders?
A reply on Conversation: Would you vote yes to open borders?
Also let's not forget that one of America's most popular holidays, Thanksgiving, is a result of 'natural born citizens' accepting immigrants who have crossed borders. I find it odd that one would be against open borders, considering that a vast majority of the population is a descendent of someone who once crossed a border.
A reply on Conversation: Would you vote yes to open borders?
A comment on Conversation: Will the 2013 election see Australia with a Labor (Gillard) or Liberal (Abbot) Government, and to what extent does the media influence votes
It's a shame that politicians have their own interests at heart instead that of their constituents who voted them in the first place. I would like to see a politician who does not vote on policy decisions down party lines, but instead votes on behalf of their local area members. In an ideal world I would like to see a politician put the latest political issue on their website, let their local members vote on the issue and then take that result to parliament regardless of how they personally feel.
I think the media influences the government's focus which in turn influences voters. Take the boat people refugee issue for example. The media suggest that illegal boat people is an important issue and stopping it then becomes a voting issue, however the reality is that less than 5% of illegal immigrants arrive via boat. The rest arrive through the airports however as this is never reported the government doesn't address the issue.