Top 5 Out of the box solutions to tagging

1) Send taggers to design school. Are taggers looking for a creative outlet? Why not hone their skills, and lead them to a more productive path in society?

2) Make tagging tools non-permanent and cheaper. The philosophy behind this is that you can't stop tagging. Let's admit defeat. For whatever reason, kids/adults will want to tag to gain attention or rebel. Efforts in the industry so far have been focused on making paints and surfaces more resistant to spray paint and permanent markers. The other side is make spray paint and permanent markers less permanent. Using some sort of soluble ink, the effects of these will wash off if it rains, or is doused with a water based solution. Further, by making these tools significantly cheaper than their permanent cousins, it's hoped that these tools will became the "taggers choice".

3) Use humour against taggers. Touch up their tag with is a "moron" or is an "amateur".

4) Use exploding ink against taggers. Similar to those that you would find in department stores, taggers would be exposed to easily indentifiable ink, if they entered a secured area.

5) Use manure surrounding walls with frequent attacks. If they want to tag, they better get ready to smell and step in poo.

RFID is the future for Apple portable products

Forget video recording & FM playback, the next innovation that will drive the uptake of portable consumer devices is Radio Frequency Identity (RFID). An innovation that will hopefully spur better sustainable or social choices from the consumer.

Goleman's new book Ecological Intelligence discusses how the lack of information from manufacturers, lead to sub-optimal choices. As a consumer we don't know the CO2 trail of products, we don't know if child labour is used to make a certain product. RFID could be the missing link.

As Dara O'Rouke from Good Guide explains, products could be embedded with an electronic tag that transmits radio signals which can automatically alert your mobile phone to display a green or red colour.

I figure, whether it displays red or green could be according to the user defined rules that you input into your ipod, iphone, or other mobile device. Say we want a product that is produced with the least amount of CO2 emissions. Our phone after recieving the radio frequency can automatically look up a database and respond with an easy to intrepret colour choice. As an encouragement/punishment to manufacturers, products that don't include these tags, could automatically display red.

I think coupling this technology with Apple's mainstream appeal, could see the technology really take off, and start influencing product manufacturers to jump on board. Having more information can ultimately influence our choice on goods, and help promote positive changes in terms of the environment and social justice.

So if you want to see this change, talk to apple, and the major mobile phone manufacturers. Let's make this technology happen, and enact a positive change!

Hybrid Camry made in Coal Central

An inconvenient truth for Toyota is that any benefits in reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions from the locally built Hybrid Camry is probably offset by manufacturing the car in Victoria, which is fueled by dirty brown coal power plants.

If they are to live up to their green credentials, they should threaten future investment, unless the Victorian government wises up with regards to brown coal power plants. Otherwise, this could be another local example of "Greenwashing".

For consumers, let Toyota know your feelings towards coal power. Let's make a "real" difference. Oh what a feeling! Clean air!

Is the Royal Melbourne Show still relevant?

$65 for a family to enter to buy show bags of goods made in china, crap fast food and play the same old amusement parlour games from 50 years ago. Sure there are the animals shows and community events but is this enough of an incentive to keep people coming? Has the Royal Melbourne show become a crass money making event for show bag and fast food vendors?

For me, it seems the Royal Melbourne Show needs a new direction to make it relevant for families and the local community again. Let's bring back some local content. Let's make the showbags more sustainable. Should show organizers impose a minimum local content in show bags? Should the content be more ecologically sustainable, instead of the throw in rubbish made in china crap that usually litters these show bags? Should "green bags"be used instead of the cheap plastic bags as standard. Can we involve local designers to design the show bags?All relevant questions, and something the community should be demanding.

Another issue that needs addressing is the cost of entry? Has it become prohibatively high for the majority of struggling families? I would like to see the organizers justify the cost of the show. Let an accountant in and show where costs are going. If the price is justified, then so be it, but organizers need to look at more ways to get struggling families in. Get struggling families involved in the preparation and then offer them discounts for their help.

That's not to say the Melbourne Show is complete crap. It's a Melbourne institution and it's involvement of the wider community is to be commended. But like all thing it can be improved with our input. Get involved people!

Do icecream vans add to the liveability of melbourne suburbs?

I'm sure many of us have fond memories growing up of the icecream van coming by, the sweet musical lyrics drawing us out of our homes in summer to get a soft serve cone, or gelati. These days this icecream van tune seems all but a distant memory with only a few ageing vendors still in the business. Can something be done about this?

As a community, we should come together and stick up for the things that make life fun. We talk about sustainability, and protecting our children's future. That's all good and well, but let's not forget that finer details too. Things like icecream vans and milk bars. These also need be protected.

How can this be done? Should councils consider employing an icecream van driver in the summer months with any profits being put back into the community? Would this be better served by a local IGA sponsoring an icecream truck? The increased buying power of local councils or a supermarket like IGA could ensure a quality product being onsold to our kids. It would be shame if these icecream vans just peddled the mass manufactured stuff we get from nestle or streets.

The livability of a city is composed of thousands of different elements. Do you think icecream vans are part of this web? Get a discussion happening with your local community group if you think it does.

Melbourne's New B-grade Stadium?

Architecturally, the new soccer & rugby stadium is worthy of praise. Aswell as this, it has some great environmental design features. However, what we're hearing now is that this stadium is not fit for Fifa world cup regulations, due to its capacity, and hence can't be used to host any world cup games. What a lack of foresight!


















According to an article on Fox sports, Fifa requires a minimum capacity of 40,000 to host games, and this stadiums maximum is 31,000. 9000 extra seats? How much does that cost? Surely, the boost in economic income from securing a world cup could have justified the cost? Now our bid seems a bit shaky.

Some may argue that Docklands is an alternative venue, but with so many other sports and events going on, there's already pressure on the Victorian government to build another stadium. AFL clubs want a better stadium deal, and with footy holding such a sway in town, does that mean another couple hundred million will be spent on a new stadium?

Do we really need another stadium Melbourne?

Melbourne as a catalyst

These were made with my amateurish gimp skills. What can you come up with? Somebody make an m&m's mashup with the melbourne city logo!