Ray's relatives left yesterday morning. As lovely as the couple are, it is a bit of a relief, but also very sad as it is unlikely I will ever see them again. I had three dinners out with them and took them out on two long day trips, and they were very appreciative, and I heard about all the people I know in Ray's northern English city. They have flown to Bali, and four days later supposed to fly via Bahrain to England. Their flight has been cancelled, and alternative arrangements will be made.
A huge security guard company recently collapsed and the owner has fled overseas. We are told they underpaid security immigrant and student workers, insisting the students work more hours than they are allowed. There were many who were not paid. Superannuation was not paid, the responsibility of our tax department, and a huge amount was owed in unpaid taxes. There was sexual harassment of staff and eyes turned blind by the companies that used the security company.
"Has collapsed owing tens of thousands/hundreds of thousands/millions in tax payments to the government", is a phrase we almost hear daily, well maybe weekly. This is an absolute disgrace. It is money lost that will have to made up by all taxpayers. There is really something seriously wrong in our tax department when it lets go unpaid tax and unpaid workers' superannuation for long periods. Never mind that the owner of the company should have had his passport blocked. He won't return to face the music.
I will shop on Thursday before a dental appointment in the afternoon. Otherwise, nothing more this week until Sunday when it will be a great niece's 12th birthday celebration. Ray's and Mother's used to be celebrated at the same time.
A friend is just about to clear from a Covid infection. It is ages since I've heard of anyone having Covid, but the beast is still with us. She was well vaccinated and so her symptoms were mild.
Why does one Yarra Trams tram driver ring the gong seven different times when passing by (to warn flying bats I guess) and the next driver does not ring the gong at all? Yarra Trams provided an excellent service for attendees at the Grand Prix, but bugger the locals. It was awful to try to get anywhere by tram. Thank goodness for the new Metro tunnel train.
The Chinese cult 'religion' Falun Gong has a performance called Shen Yun happening around Australia, in Melbourne at a place I didn't know, but what we call Jeff's Shed. I am bombarded by advertising for the show on YouTube. But let me tell you the organisers, if you want to advertise in Australia, at the very least use Australian voices to promote the show, and not American. I can wear American car advertisements with the steering wheel on the wrong side as the cars travel along beautiful coastal roads, because there is an Australian voice over, and I know the the ads cost a lot to make. It may be an urban myth, but I remember a remark from Germany. 'If you want to buy something from us, we speak perfect English. If you want to sell us something, sorry, we don't understand English'. Not using an Australian voice over for Shen Yun really pisses me off.
Hopefully something less whiny tomorrow.
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Some days just bring out the squeaks, don't they? So many businesses starting in the nearby bigger town we refer to as "money laundering" because we can see absolutely no way they aren't going to go belly up once their usefulness is done - our town is very used to fly by night operators leaving workers high and dry. Unfortunately a depressed local economy (oh, stop me from going on about big players and no small local concerns)
ReplyDeleteIf I cannot fast forward over the ads then at least watching with no sound and just subtitles on screen helps to minimise the annoyance.
ReplyDeleteThe dance group is based in America- they have been touring and coming to Australia for quite a few years now usually about the same time of the year. It’s a wonder you haven’t noticed their advertising before - although it does seem to have reached saturation point this year
ReplyDeleteMany security companies around Australia are run by those with overseas passports.or have links with gangs . Immigrants and overseas students are often employed by people with the same heritage as a supposed favour , but in fact they are treated poorly.. The Vic gov and probably other govs and major events companies have used some of these gangstas . .Obviously licensing of these organisations must be quite loose. I often wonder how all the illegal cigarettes arrive through our borders… what are Customs doing ….do they also use contract labor on the wharves and airports?
ReplyDeleteCustoms do seize a lot of illegal cigarettes but the vast majority get through.
DeleteI also don't understand how so many companies that go into administration owe $$$ in tax, that the will never pay.
ReplyDeleteAnd then there is James Packer; his company made $324m profit last year and he paid himself $110m salary out of that , but paid NO tax on it.
I was bombarded with Shen Yung ads a while back, nearly drove me mad. I labeled them spam for relief.
ReplyDeleteBoud, I found in YouTube after you mentioned the above, that you can stop certain ads on YT, which I did for that ad yesterday. This morning, there the ad was again.
DeleteThat's quite a rant! Flights through Doha, Dubai etc the usual routes aren't happening. You have to use a longer route to get to Europe on a non middle eastern airline and pay lots of $$ more. Also Qantas flights will cost more due to petrol increases. So the people who hold you up in Woolies collecting flybys have wasted their time. Good riddance to them. That's my rant.
ReplyDeleteIf his passport had been flagged, he probably would have pled poverty and they would not have paid anyway. All the poor people who did not get paid. Claiming poverty won't do them any good.
ReplyDeleteIt seems our tax department is as corrupt as some companies. Which company was it? Falun Gong had a presence here in Adelaide years ago, I hope they don't come back but they probably have all major cities scheduled.
ReplyDeleteSecurity company MA Services. A 50 million contract with Coles alone to provide guards.
DeleteRe Shen Yun. All shows push themselves with publicity - sadly it's an enormous part of every performing arts organisation's budget because bums rarely just appear on seats.
ReplyDeleteOver and above that, Shen Yun is a publicity venture for Falun Gong and its anti-Communist Party push. If you go you get a song and dance extravaganza but there is some religious/political propaganda thrown in. Not unlike going to the Scientologists for an IQ test.
Some funding for Falun Gong has historically been provided by the US Govt.
Biggest free publicity Shen Yun has received this year has been the bomb threat made against the Prime Minister's Lodge in Canberra. Source of that threat is so far unknown. It turns out there was a earlier threat against a Queensland venue but that didn't attract as much publicity if any until the threat against the Lodge was made and reported on.
I remember those threats MC.
DeleteWow, they advertise constantly here too and do their show in Portland and Eugene. I had no idea it was associated with Falun Gong. I hate rich gougers exploiting people and other taxpayers by dodging.
ReplyDeleteI agree that if you want to advertise in Australia, at the very least use Australian voices to promote the show, and not American. I hate the bad grammar, slang words, the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car and their celebration of dangerous speed :(
ReplyDeleteAll they need to do is pull a gun out of the car and that tv channel will be banned forever.
A young friend of mine wanted to see Shen Yun in Sydney a few years ago but was put off by the requirement to wear a suit. It does feel a bit over the top given most dont even wear a suit to their own wedding
ReplyDeleteI don't own one Kylie, so I'd be out.
DeleteVisitors are always welcome, yet it is nice to see them depart, though sad. I often comment on certain things that should have an Australian voice, it annoys me too, Andrew.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you've got all that off your chest. I hope your visitors' ongoing travel plans are not too seriously disrupted. Worrying times.
ReplyDeleteGuests are fun, but can be exhausting. Agree on the advertising.
ReplyDeleteI agree if they’re going to promote a show here, they should at least use Australian voices, and many people also feel uneasy about how Shen Yun functions less as simple cultural entertainment and more as a vehicle for the ideology of the Falun Gong movement.
ReplyDeleteThat is wicked about the security company. It boggles the mind, and seems like if you have enough money and power you can get by with anything.
ReplyDeleteIt is fun to have visitors but can be so tiring. Of course it is tiring to be the visitor too, Andrew.
ReplyDeleteThat is a bittersweet departure, for sure. One year my husband gifted me to a Shen Yun performance for my birthday. Best wishes!
ReplyDeleteHi Andrew, I laughed at your last sentence, about "Hopefully something less whiny tomorrow". :)
ReplyDeleteI hope that by sharing this and being able to express your frustration and experienced has helped you! We all need to find ways to express our frustration, and I hope this has given you a chance to get this off your chest.
Thank you so much for sharing.
Yes the troop was here as well in Honolulu
ReplyDelete