The KM Archive
Established in 2014.
The News Archive
Accessed 01 December 2017 -
"'Bunter the Shunter' picked as winning name for TasRail train"
| "By Henry Zwartz Updated about 2 hours ago It may not be Boaty McBoatface, but TasRail's new electric mover is set to turn heads with an unusual title. After a public callout for names, a panel of judges sifted through about 400 entries including 'Sir Shunt a Lot' and 'Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Pully Pushy Train Machinery' but unanimously agreed on 'Bunter the Shunter'. The German-made electric shunter rolled into action on Friday at a naming ceremony in Tasmania's north-west. A shunter is a small vehicle which is used to move trains between yards and platforms. The rhyming name has a serious side. It was suggested in honour of train driver Peter Shaw, who was affectionately known as Billy Bunter. Mr Shaw tragically died of cancer 10 years ago, aged 42. Train named in honour of former driver The unveiling ceremony in Burnie was an emotional moment for Greens Beach resident Sally Rossiter, who entered the winning name. "This is about having a part of Peter live on, his memory continue. It's fitting, he was dedicated and just the kind of chap everyone liked," she said. Mrs Rossiter said Mr Shaw was very passionate about rail in Tasmania. "I think he would have loved it, he had a great sense of humour," she said. The shunter has a 600-tonne towing capacity and is 4.5 metres long. It will move trains to a new underfloor wheel lathe which is used to repair train wheels. TasRail chief executive Damien White said the new electric shunter and wheel lathe cost $5.5 million. "TasRail was happy with the overwhelming response from the community following our callout for a name," he said. Other memorable names that missed the cut included "George W Push", "Shunter S Thompson", and, of course, "Shunty McShunt Face"." |
More here: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-01/bunter-the-shunter-new-name-for-tasrail-train/9216834
"Facebook and Google pose 'clear and present threat' to civil society, British TV executive says"
| "By Flint Duxfield Updated about 2 hours ago The chairman of Britain's largest commercial television company has warned that internet giants Facebook and Google pose a "clear and present danger" to civil society. ITV's Sir Peter Bazalgette told a broadcasting conference in London that large technology companies do not consider the ethical impact of what they do and should face tighter regulation. "We are being influenced and in some cases you could say even governed by people who are not in this country," Sir Peter said. "Engineers [working at big tech companies] are very fine folk, but they don't necessarily, unless they take an interest in it, think about the ethics of society." Sir Peter accused politicians of failing to appreciate the impacts of large digital companies, dismissing their claim to be platforms rather than publishers as "frankly unsustainable". But the ITV chairman stopped short of agreeing with News Corp CEO Robert Thompson's assessment of companies like Google as the "parasites" of the internet. "I wouldn't use that word, I think that's a rather unpleasant word. I could think of some other unpleasant words for them instead," he said. "If you look at what Google does, it does some very good things too and it does some pro-social things. "But the overall challenge of the internet and the internet giants, of whom there are now four or five, that is a very serious economic, cultural and democratic issue and we haven't begun to tackle it." 'Mass media is at fault' Sir Peter also identified the increasing shift of advertising revenue to tech companies as a key area needing attention. This year Google and Facebook are expected to take in half of all digital advertising revenue worldwide and around one fifth of total advertising revenue. "In some countries, Google has a market share of 80 to 90 per cent in search advertising," Sir Peter said. "That's an extraordinary monopoly." But Jeff Jarvis, a professor of journalism at the City University of New York, [...]" |
Accessed 29 November 2017 -
"Unfair access to air leaves the vulnerable feeling the heat"
| " 14 Nov 2017 Rising electricity prices and vague public messaging put vulnerable households at greater danger from extreme heat, new research from RMIT University shows. The 12-month Heatwaves, Homes & Health research project interviewed 36 households with older residents or infants in three different climate zones -- Melbourne, Dubbo and Cairns. Health and community service workers were also surveyed about cooling practices and air conditioning use in heat vulnerable households. Many of the households at risk live in poor quality homes that heat up quickly and cool down slowly. They also face considerable financial challenges. Lead researcher, Dr Larissa Nicholls from RMIT’s Centre for Urban Research, said that many vulnerable households were not using air conditioning due to the rising cost of electricity. “About four out of five Australian households now have air conditioners,†Nicholls said. “This is a major shift from 30 years ago when most households looked after their health with fans, cool water, and slowing down their activities on hot days. “These are healthy and cost-effective options for younger, healthy people. But for people who are elderly, frail, suffering health conditions made worse by extreme heat, air conditioning can be important to safely get through a heatwave. “Concern about the cost of electricity was the most common reason heat vulnerable households were not using air conditioning during heatwaves. Among health and community service workers concerned about unhealthy self-rationing of air conditioning, 66 per cent said it was ‘very common’.†The study mostly found self-rationing of air conditioning due to electricity costs in older households. Households with infants were often struggling to pay high electricity bills from using air conditioning – particularly in Dubbo and Cairns. “Three quarters of the social service professionals surveyed said that it is common for households to be experiencing financial stress because of their air conditioning use,†Nicholls said. “This has a clear impact on family wellbeing. For example, some households sacrificed buying groceries or school books for their children to pay high electricity bills.â€" |
"North Korea Launches ICBM"
| "DoD News, Defense Media Activity WASHINGTON, Nov. 28, 2017 – The Defense Department detected and tracked a single North Korea missile launch today at about 1:17 p.m. EST, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Robert Manning said in a statement today. The initial assessment indicates that this missile was an intercontinental ballistic missile, he said. This is North Korea's third ICBM test this year, following two in July, and the first missile launch of any kind since Sept. 15, when they tested an intermediate range missile. The ICBM was launched from Sain Ni, North Korea, north of Pyongyang, and traveled east about 1,000 kilometers -- about 620 miles -- before splashing down in the Sea of Japan, within Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone, an area that extends 200 nautical miles from its coast. "We are working with our interagency partners on a more detailed assessment of the launch," Manning said. The North American Aerospace Defense Command determined the missile launch from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America or U.S. territories and allies, the colonel said. South Korea's news agency reported that its army staged its own "precision strike" missile exercise in response. The United States' commitment to the defense of its allies, including South Korea and Japan, in the face of these threats, remains ironclad, Manning said. "We remain prepared to defend ourselves and our allies from any attack or provocation," he said." |
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