The " Family Name " Conundrum !

A hundred years ago it was quite simple.   When a woman walked down the aisle she shed her maiden name and took that of her husband.  Her new title of "Mrs" went with the ring she wore on the fourth finger of her left hand and children of that union were automatically registered under the husbands surname - because that had become the "family name "!

A hundred years ago the marriage act was only just emerging from a previous ruling that saw marriage as a form of social slavery.  In the eyes of the law, a married woman became her husband's property and even in the enlightened west - a husband took control of any money she might have in her own name and clearly made all the decisions on where they would live.   A wife was entirely under her husband's control and he could demand sex or beat her with impunity from the law.

Australia was one of the first countries to give women the vote and the affect of two world wars saw women emerge and enter the work force as a necessity.  The feminist movement fought for equality and while women generally still earn less than men they have achieved equality before the law - and today many reject that name change and continue to be known by their former maiden name after marriage.   In particular, those who achieve sporting fame in their youth are reluctant to step away from a name that receives wide recognition.

Slowly, this name retention is easing the preference some father's have for a son to carry on the family name.   The genetics of both sons and daughters are an equal mix of both their parents and a daughter who is successful in the business or sporting world can be a source of pride, but it is now adding a new dimension in what a child will be called when they first register for school.

What happens in a family where the wife retains her maiden name and the husband his - and the question of which will be fixed to the progeny arises ?  We are actually seeing instances where the husband adopts his wife's maiden name as the family name, but settling that matter can be a point of friction. In some cases, a hyphenated mix links both names as a reasonable alternative.

We now live in a society where divorce is common and the division of property can be very divisive.  It seems that one of the areas of combat is the family name attached to children of that marriage. A case has gone before the Family Court of Australia to decide on the wish of a divorced mother to name her eight year old son by a hyphenated version of her family name and her former husbands.  The court handed down a rejection on the grounds "that it was not in the boy's interests " to change what he had been known by since birth.

This seems to set a precedent.  It can be confusing for a child to have to cope with a name change and that can be disorienting.  It certainly raises the issue of how to deal with the matter of a common family name applied to the children of marriages where both parents retain their former names and single identities in both the social and work areas.

The family court seems to be saying that whatever is chosen should be unchanged even if the parents union is split by divorce and it will not countenance a name change to that of whichever parent is awarded custody of the child.  That seems to be a warning to get it right - when the initial name decision is made.

It also heralds a distinctly new form of nomenclature.    The practice of retaining former identities is becoming so ingrained that a hyphenated form to provide an agreed identity for children of such unions seems inevitable.

The Medical " Twilight Zone " !

The Health Care Complaints Commission ( HCCC ) will be taking a look at the Cosmetic Surgery industry after two young women were rushed to hospital when their hearts stopped beating while undergoing what are known as " Boob jobs " under a light anaesthetic.   Fortunately, they both made a full recovery, but many entrepreneurs have discovered new fields of medical services that do not require any form of medical license but subject the patient to a partial anaesthetic, bordering on the inner edge of deep sedation.

This form of " light anaesthetic " is widely used in the field of traditional medicine to avoid the discomfort of colonoscopic bowel examinations, cataract removal and many others similar procedures and is administered by a doctor trained and licensed in that discipline. It seems that this is so loosely categorised that a light anaesthetic may be administered by a person with limited medical qualifications, and that now worries the HCCC.

Cosmetic surgery is a relatively new branch of medicine and is subject to both rapid expansion and entrepreneurial development of procedures offered.   It seems to fall into the licensing " twilight zone " and consequently the standards that apply to traditional medicine do not apply.   The HCCC is aware of customer complaints mounting and there is growing concern that this new industry needs to be brought under stricter licensing control.

The danger is that tightening the Cosmetic industry in Australia will probably send Australian customers offshore to where " Cosmetic tourism "  is a growing segment of the holiday trade.  It can be very appealing when offers include air fares, accommodation in luxury hotels and the attention of a cosmetic surgeon to deliver that desired look - all included in a very attractively priced package that also comes with a credit offer.

One of the advantages of globalization is that the world banking system is quite happy to finance an event that happens in another country with finance that can be repaid in the traveller's home country over an extended period of time.   Cosmetic surgery is now available to very ordinary people and has long become removed as purely a service available to the rich and famous.   The only missing link seems to be the qualifications of those providing this service.

If qualifications for cosmetic surgery are deficient in Australia, you can be sure that a very similar situation exists in Asia and this seems to be reflected in the number of people returning with unexpected - and unwanted - side affects from their experience.  This can range from ugly scar tissue to infections that are life threatening.  In many cases, it takes expensive remedial surgery here in Australia to repair the damage.

As the events that happened to two young women who experienced heart failure shows, the use of twilight suppression of pain is not without risk.  A trained anaesthetist takes careful note of the patients medical history, drug regimen and general health in selecting the strength and type of anesthetic to be used, and carefully observes their condition while the procedure is carried out.

Unfortunately, the powers of the HCCC relate only to procedures within Australia.  Those who willingly undergo medical procedures overseas do so with the risk factor entirely on their own shoulders !

Human " Spare Parts " !

In the medical world they are known as " Prostheses " and that covers the wide range of items used to repair the human body.   Everything from screws and plates needed to hold broken bones back together to hip and knee replacements which keep the elderly mobile.  Items big and small, including Insulin pumps to keep diabetics alive, stents to keep blood flowing in faulty hearts and even the tiny lenses that save cataract patients from blindness.

In our curios medical system there is no charge for any of these " human spare parts "  in the public hospital system, but there are limitations, and there are differences in what is available between the public and the private hospital systems.   When a manufacturer comes up with a new prosthesis  it is first subjected to an efficiency test and then the Health Minister negotiates a price the public system will pay - when it gets approval to go on the PBS listing.   Often, it will go to tender if there is a hassle over it's price structure.

Because the private hospital system is served by eighteen entirely different medical insurers it would be unusual for a tender to apply to spare parts pricing, and they represent 14.3% of the premiums pie we pay for medical insurance - and that represents an annual bill of $ 1.9 billion.  It is not unusual for the private patient to find a huge surcharge tacked onto his or her hospital bill - with this relating to the prosthesis used.

As any car owner knows, buying spares in the car parts jungle involves a vast price discrepancy between makes and models.   Often precisely the same headlight that fits different cars will come at a huge price difference just because each car manufacturer embosses it with their brand and sees fit to price accordingly.    Very often, that same unbranded item is available at a mere fraction of the branded cost.

The public hospital system offers surgeons a much smaller choice of prostheses whereas the private hospitals offer a wider range, but with newer and improved models not yet approved in the public sector - at a higher price.  That is often the reason people give for having private health insurance - the option of choice of surgeon and the hope of access to the latest development in the world of medical innovation.

The fact that patients in the private system are paying up to seventy percent more for some prostheses than the cost billed to the government in the public system is of concern to the Health Minister.   It illustrates the difference in negotiating a common price when one system is entirely in government hands and the other is fragmented between eighteen different health insurers who have patients attending a range of many private hospitals under the legal jurisdiction of the various states and territories.

It will be possible to negotiate a better deal - if all the parties refrain from squabbling and agree to appoint a mutual body to act as the conduit between prosthesis manufacturers and the entire private insurance and hospital systems - and the states reach accord on where their laws interact in the medical arena.

Common interest makes this essential.  The wider the cost gap between the public and the private hospital systems the more people opt out of paying for health insurance, and our ever increasing aged population is the main user of prostheses.   A seventy percent price differential is simply not sustainable !

Ice Madness !

Under the influence of the drug Ice a man knifed his mother to death and then took the life of his seven year old nephew.   The effect of this drug varies from person to person but it is known to increase the strength factor and rage of users and many believe it inflicts a temporary state of insanity.    It is not unusual for users to try and inflict murder on paramedics, police or even innocent bystanders.    Ice users are not under any form of self control.

We have been warned that if we do not succeed in getting Ice under control it will do irreparable damage to Australia as a nation.   It is flooding onto the market, both as an import from overseas and from drug labs in our suburbs.   This flourishing drug trade is delivering big money to suppliers and there is no shortage of willing customers.

We are a civilized country and our attitude to drugs has focused on rehabilitation for those addicted.  We certainly inflict punishment on those caught manufacturing and trafficking these illegals but the rewards are so overwhelming that the drug trade accept prison as a reasonable tradeoff.   A successful drug trader lives the life of a movie star - and often becomes a darling of the media.

When Australia abolished the death penalty it was widely conceded that the threat of execution did little to reduce the murder rate.  Today, the sentence for murder is usually about twenty years, and only about half of this is served before the murderer is given parole.   A century ago the contention was that murder deserved the gallows - and a life for a life was the appropriate punishment.

Our attitude to drugs is changing.   Marijuana is fast becoming decriminalised and those addicted to Heroin are put of a Methadone programme to ease their cravings.  The difference is that Ice is a totally different drug that changes the mental balance of users - and users can easily be set on a murderous rampage that takes the lives of others.

No doubt the thoughts of some people will turn to reintroducing the death penalty to stamp out this scourge. That is unlikely to get public acceptance, but if it were to be applied to Ice it would need a very different protocol to the protracted years on death row and innumerable appeals that now see many of those convicted die of old age before the execution is scheduled to happen.

It is an interesting thought to imagine just how the drug trade would react if anyone caught importing, manufacturing or trafficking in Ice was put before a judge, convicted - and sentenced to death, and that death sentence was carried out within seven days.   No appeals.  No second chances.

Of course there would be howls of protest from the civil liberties people.  What if by some tragic mistake an innocent got convicted ?    What if a person with a mental disorder tragically got involved in drugs ?   What if the prosecution setup a sting - and a simple minded person grabbed the bait ?

Of course, it will never happen !   We are far too civilized to implement a solution that might actually seriously dent the Ice trade.  The really big operators distance themselves at arms length from the operational side, but it would certainly make the chemists brewing Ice in small quantities stop and take notice, and the pushers might think the risk factor to reward was suddenly very negative.

At the very worst, it would rid society of people who would not be missed !

Scanners and Jammers !

The New South Wales government is finally getting serious about security in the state prison system. Last year the prison authorities confiscated 320 mobile phone smuggled in to prisoners and it is a well known fact that some incarcerated criminals continue to run their crime empires from behind bars on the basis of orders given by this medium.

In many instances mobile phone are broken down into their individual parts to avoid detection and simply assembled when needed to be used, and carried and stored by prisoners in their body cavities. The sophistication of concealment is ever increasing but detection technology is also keeping pace and the government has ordered twenty high end scanners which sound the alert even when phone parts are inactivated and the device is turned off.

All the main prisons will have a scanner on permanent duty and there will be others randomly circulated in low security prison farms and similar institutions.  The security boffins are confident that these unobtrusive units will permanently put an end to any form of mobile phone use wherever they are installed - and if so this will certainly curb the crime scene.

Interestingly, another method of barring mobile phones is completing a two year trial at Lithgow prison.  The state government worked long and hard to get permission from the Australian Communications and Media Authority to install a phone jamming device to stop all inward and outward phone traffic at this jail.    The prison became a no go zone for mobile phones and this equally applied to both prisoners and prison staff.   Now there is an application in process to extend that permit so a similar jammer can be employed at Goulburn - where the most notorious state prisoners are held in the Supermax.

Jammers are the ultimate weapon because no matter how skillfully a mobile phone is concealed, it is unusable within the range of the jammer - and that is the problem that concerns the licensing authority.  Weather conditions can cause this range to vary and if a prison is located in a builtup area the jamming could extend to nearby homes and cut contact by those passing by in cars on a nearby highway.     That is an issue that must be carefully considered when granting permission for their use.

All of this has no bearing on the fixed line telephone services to prisons and it seems certain that when these bans go into operation there will be attempts to tap into the internal phone system, but it is easy to place a monitor on the fixed number of lines available.  By law, that probably means that anyone legally using a phone in a prison would need to hear a warning that the conversation will be monitored - and that will include permitted fixed line conversations between prisoners and their families.

All this is long overdue.  The privacy issue has been exploited by opponents and some in the legal profession object to jammers on the basis that it also affects their phones when consulting with clients, but the lethal nature of terrorism and the known terrorists that we have contained in our prisons have swung the balance towards interception.

A Nice Little Money Earner !

It was a great day when the toll booths on the Sydney Harbour bridge were finally dismantled and traffic began to flow without the need to stop and start to pay the toll - with most motorists fumbling for change.  The introduction of the E-Tag system certainly speeded up the bridge crossing for most people.

Now we learn that choosing the lane in which we drive is a form of lottery that determines how much we pay for each transit - and that this form of " lottery " probably costs the driver who uses the bridge for a daily commute to the city about an extra hundred dollars a year.

The problem is malfunctioning E-Tag readers which fail to accurately decipher the code that relates to each account holder.  This incurs the services of a human who views the video footage of the car stream to identify the number plate and manually debit the toll fee to that cars account.  In the distant past, the car owner received a notice of this action, but now it just happens automatically.

The sticking point is that there is a 55 cent " Video Processing fee " now tacked on to each of these human interventions and it seems that the E-Tag readers on our bridge have a notorious unreliability factor.   That 55 cent charge now amounts to $ 1.4 million of extra revenue above the annual usage toll.

Statistical analysis reveals that the choice of lane used on the bridge determines how likely you are to have that processing fee tacked onto your account because the unreliability of the E-Tag readers varies widely by a range of between two and eight percent.   Few bother to check their toll accounts and these extra charges go unnoticed.

This anomaly is pointing the finger to determine responsibility. There is the expectation that the operator will have the E-Tag readers maintained to a high standard and constantly upgraded, but motorists also have a need to ensure that their tag is in good condition and properly positioned. The computer is programmed to issue an email alert when any individual vehicle attracts three video processing charges in any one month,  Many drivers deny receiving this advice.

Considering that since the processing fee was introduced seventy-nine million cars have passed over the Sydney Harbour bridge and about three percent have had their E-Tag misread and attracted the charge, the margin of error is small - but it still represents $ 1.4 million that must be regarded as an overcharge.

There is little incentive for either the toll operator or the government to improve reliability of the E-Tag readers if this goes unchallenged and they continue to get away with it.  Technology is ever improving and even a three percent error is too wide a margin in this electronic age.   The obvious answer is for more people to pay attention to their toll account, check to see that their reader is properly positioned and undamaged - and lodge a complaint if they think they are being unfairly charged.

The fact that the misreading varies widely between the bridge lanes tends to point the finger at faulty flow cameras as the prime cause of the overcharge !

" That " Picture !

It is strange how occasionally a single picture stands out so dramatically from other scenes of misery that it changes the world.  A lot of people have drowned as they try to cross the Mediterranean and find safety in Europe but there was something so absolutely shocking in seeing three year old Aylan Kurdi laying dead at the waters edge on a Turkish beach.

He was so nicely dressed and it seemed that the vastly overcrowded boat capsized, resulting in not only his death but that of his mother and brother.  Only his distraught father survived, and that picture had a lot to do with Germany and Austria throwing open their borders and increasing their acceptance of refugee numbers.

We are seeing the worst that humans can do to one another in the conflict that is roiling the Middle East and parts of Africa.  Islamic State is imposing a form of religious dogma that demands total obedience and people smugglers are enriching themselves cramming incredible numbers of people into anything that floats.  When these hordes make landfall they are unwelcome and entire countries try to move them on.  They become the flotsam and jetsam of war and the news scenes filling the nightly news are reminiscent of what followed the end of the second world war.

Sadly, nothing is about to change.  There are no signs that the United Nations is about to order the countries that makeup it's members to create an armed force to restrain IS.  The "veto " and self interest will see to that.  The people smugglers have an unending supply of customers prepared to put their lives on the line - and they will continue to line their pockets with gold as desperate people see Europe as their only hope of escaping death.

Some who make the crossing will establish a new life but for others they will end up an unhappy minority, resented as a burden by their new hosts and incapable of making the transition of thinking to mesh in with their country of acceptance. It is quite possible that they will cluster in nationalistic groups, clinging to their native tongues and living a tribal existence in a mood of hostility.

They will change the makeup of the countries accepting them and many see this as a religious invasion.  The numbers will certainly bring religious tensions and new thinking in the world of politics, and there seems no reason why this outward flow will cease and we may be on the verge of a new world distribution of people - because this flow seems unstoppable !

The answer to the problem seems so simple.   A hundred years ago the great powers created lines on maps that created countries that suited their colonial ambitions - and took absolutely no regard to tribal affinities or the placement of people numbers.   The time has come to recreate borders that make sense and carve up the old land mass in new ways, and by doing so we would create the safety that this present wave of refugees is seeking.

This vast wave is fleeing terror.  Given the safety of a reasonable enclave in their home country guaranteed by a United Nations force and this mass exodus would cease.  The forms of government presently representing countries with unnatural borders would simply have to accept this change because the armed forces of the United Nations has the military power to enforce far beyond the capacity of their national military capacity to resist.

This was - after all - exactly what the United Nations was originally formed to deliver.   A world body with the power to settle disputes and wield the power to stop wars !