Are high house prices good or bad for innovation? It seems the RBA are saying house asset inflation is good for Australia, perhaps mainly based around housing stock shortages. Our Executive Director, Christopher Hire, takes a look at property prices impact on innovation, and how they may prevent tomorrow’s employers – today’s start-ups – emerging.

What is the real reson transport isn’t improved in Victoria, Australia? And how should we align politicians incentives to make sure it is done faster?

One of the active Victoria Bushfire tweeters tell the story in his own words.

Melbourne’s latest Transport Disaster – a Tram Jam. 3 Transport Modes severely impeded. People walking (again). The City clogged again in 2 directions. Fix!

Victoria, Australia makes the decision to support local innovation.

COMMENT. Melbourne — A colleague of mine, of mature age, a professional director, told me he does not understand one thing about Melbourne’s directors.
How so many directors keep getting roles with less than stellar performance.
As a competent, good Director, he is mystified.
Shhh…
Of course no-one in the community says this publicly. I am a member of peak body AICD, and never heard it there! Truth begone! Top-down folk there.
With some Directors, often I get the feeling they want to investigate, interrogate you, and pick your brains. That’s if they can’t …

COMMENT, Melbourne — It seems politicians at the State Level in Australia are determined to destroy local manufacturing.
Consistently the Victorian Government in Melbourne, & NSW Government in Sydney import trains & trams rolling stock.
According to The Age, $3.6 Billion dollars of import orders in the last 18 months.
For citizens.
The imported trains & trams often have problem working in different climates, on different rails, and with different power requirments.
Furthermore, the seats in imported trams provide less effective seating, being often too small for the Australian market.
For local manufacturing.
If the Governments do …

From London, to Singapore to Berlin and Melbourne a Ferris Wheel was the city ‘must-have’ in 2008. and yet, no city has ever branded itself by copying others so intensely – read why in this piece from the vault.

COMMENT, Australia – The International Monetary Fund have just said that property prices in Australia, like the UK, are so intrinsically overpriced as to be a high risk to fall.
Long-time readers will know that I have been predicting this fall for some time. Friends will recall I have held the belief that Australian property has been strongly overvalued in recent years.
Why will house prices fall in Australia?
Property in Australia is globally overvalued. It is simply more expensive to purchase or rent an equivalent home here than most other cities …

REVIEW, Melbourne — Who said theatre was dead?

Last night, in Melbourne, my wife and I sat in the Royal Botanic Gardens with between 500-800 people (a quick approximate headcount) to enjoy Shakespeare.
What struck me was the size and average age of the gathering.
50% or more of the people there were under 25. Most were under 35.
At least 10% were school age children, mostly pre-teens.
Sitting next to us was a group of around 25 10-13 year olds. Who rambunctiously enjoyed the performance with a few bags of Doritos, some bottled water …

COMMENT, USA, Australia – Let’s start with the USA economy.
US sliding into a chasm
The debate on whether the US economy is in recession or not seems to be over.
The bear is among us.

For months people have been standing up that the US economy is not as bad as first believed. The US recession was predicted by 2thinknow in December 2007, using our innovation models.
Before Christmas, many were sitting on the fence. I called this recession, in this journal, in straightforward terms before Goldman Sachs, or UN made their announcements.
Of course …

COMMENT, Melbourne — Let’s face it privatized public transport has failed.
It’s not the same elsewhere in the world — where Public Transport is clean, reliable and safe.

Public transport succeeds in similar towns in Germany.
But not in Australia. Public transport can work, but does not now work in Melbourne & Victoria. There are issues in the approach of the State Government, private contractors and the various ideologically-driven desperadoes on this issue.
The biggest issue is the ideological gunfight set-up by far-Right gunslingers like Alan Moran, of the disingenuously-titled ‘Institute for Public Affairs’.
And …

REVIEWS, Global – The T-Shirt Collectors scene is potent globally. And yes, it now has a magazine. T-World.
Like sneaker-collector and custom sneaker decoration scene in Melbourne, another scene. With a local, but soon to be even more international, vertical-niche magazine.
The magazine, created by and crafted for T-shirts enthusiasts, T-world highlights global T-shirt culture.
T-world is a new niche publications with a cult status already, after only the 3rd edition.
It can be ordered online, or via MagNation in Melbourne or New Zealand. Try this link to have a look and order.
What’s the …

REVIEW, Mag Nation, Melbourne & New Zealand — One of my favorite magazine shops, in late 2007, won a prestigious retail award in Melbourne.

You can often find me browsing the magazines, and occasionally spending more than I planned on European or US magazine titles. I like to support small or independent businesses so I also often grab a coffee here and browse.
Chief Magazineologist (sounds like a 2thinknow title!) for Mag Nation, Sahil Merchant commented:
“There is something about magazines that makes them worthwhile and approachable for all.
“Most of the …

ANALYSIS, Australia – In the first 70 days of Australia’s new leadership, the 2thinknow assessment is that things look promising for innovation under new Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.
The 2thinknow scorecard on Rudd and innovation is an 8 out of 10.

Why?
The main reason, is that unlike some politicians he is actually personally championing change. And it’s not change of ideology or dogma, but the sort of practical change Australia needs.
Shortly, I will list the 7 steps Rudd took towards innovation in the 70 days.
But first some background.
The Howard Year’s …

ANALYSIS, Global — In many Western countries, as well as elsewhere in the world speeding has become popular.
It gets dangerous when aggressive drivers speed in suburban streets where young children play. It is playing dice with school-children’s lives.
And I have lost count of how many times I have almost been run over in the city. Especially by aggressive taxi drivers.
My aging mother has also been almost hit by 4 wheel drives 3 times in a 6 week period last year crossing at a zebra crossing.
In Melbourne, Australia, aggressive driving is …

COMMENT, Melbourne — You may not know this but Melbourne is about to approve genetically modified crops. GMO food. Canola to be precise.
This is based on economic benefits, and the current advice of leading scientists.
I say current advice, as scientists often change positions. Scientists criticized Pasteur’s theories and penicillin. In the 19th century, many surgeons ridiculed the idea that clean environments reduced infection.
And politicians are often wrong too. Many thought World War I would be a short war (forget about foreseeing World War II, or preventing it at Versailles).
Am I …

COMMENT, Melbourne, AUSTRALIA — Thanks to all of you who attended our joint Web 2.0 seminar in our Melbourne offices.
It’s an emerging topic in Australia (Australia is about at early-adopter stage (2%), whereas the USA is in adolescence on Web 2.0 adoption.)
We had quite a few big Melbourne companies, government, and some fellows from the press…
Sydney Seminar Tuesday, November 20th.
It was informative, interesting, and please remember when it comes to Web 2.0 you are not alone.
Our partner firm simple, can help; wherever you are on the growth curve.
Take care,
…

COMMENT, Melbourne – Yet another Yarra Tram crash today. 4 people injured.
At the same time, on 3 occasions today I have seen ticket inspectors, and been asked for my ticket.
What may I ask are we paying for?
Unsafe, unclean and unreliable transport.
The woman behind me had the same idea. She told the ticket police, why did we have to have tickets, given the trams weren’t running this morning again?
Melbourne’s citizens are getting increasingly hostile to the transport inspectors, and the failling of another tram.
We the citizens of Melbourne, need a …

SATIRE, Global – I have noticed a new fad in offices I have been visiting lately.

Need to look like you’re into your job?
Want to look like you care?
Want to disguise the fact you’re lazy?
That a chimpanzee could do your job?