I saw a term, I think it was in the Wall Street Journal about health spans, not life spans and I became immediately interested. As I get closer to my retirement age, that is not mandatory retirement, but early retirement I think very much about early retirement.

In Australia, the age pension is paid at age 67, that is if you are eligible. When I say eligible, I mean not having enough funds saved to support yourself so the federal government pays a pension. However, if your assets or income is too high, the pension is either reduced or not paid at all. Regardless, even if you are short of funds, spend what you have in your early years and rely on the age pension from 67 onwards. A retirement plan only needs to last 7 years, so enjoy those years.

So for an individual who is not eligible for the age pension anyway with excess assets, why hold out until age 67 when you can retire at age 60 and enjoy the early years when you are most active anyway. If you can burn down your retirement funds in the first 7 years, by the time you hit 67, you have already had a good run. You then claim either a partial, or full age pension payment in many cases based on baby boomers and Gen X who never had the advantage of a full working life superannuation accumulation.

Lifespan is the total number of years a person lives, whilst healthspan is the period spent in good health that is free from chronic disease or a serious disability. This is important to me as I age and push close to 60 years of age. Retiring early whilst my healthspan is peaking, I suspect between 60 and 70 gives me ten years to travel and enjoy physical activities. I am looking to maximise my health span and enjoy the early phase of retirement when I am most active and mobile. I will not be sitting around the house watching tv, I want to be out hiking and engaging in lifestyle activities.

I have written extensively about the organisational bullying occurring at the [unnamed] government department. I have also written extensively about the protection from dismissal I have since been deemed to fall within the provisions of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2003. This is better known as whistle-blower protection, I have previously identified misappropriation of government funds.

Sure the unnamed government department could try it on, but since I am fully aware they follow and read Observations in an Undemocratic World, they know I would be straight down the Equal Opportunity Commission to lodge a case. They are more than aware that I am well versed in the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2003 and the protection I am awarded under the Act.

The senior management, whilst adept, are smart enough to realise I know exactly what to do and how to act, they are well aware that I will not go to an outside authority without provocation. They know if they leave me alone, we have this uneasy truce where I do not identify the organisation. However, should we go down the legal route then there will be press invited to the proceedings, this will be then reported in an open forum and this would displease senior management.

They are also aware that I have sufficient evidence to produce in court to sink them. Unlike their dodgy compliance, I have saved and stored documents including correspondence that a reasonable authority, such as the Equal Opportunity Commission would view as evidence. So, what is the answer here? Well, it is easy, just leave me alone and allow me to work without harassment and abuse.

Naturally, this has not prevented them from attempting malicious tactics such as organising outside sources to make official complaints about me. Fortunately for me, I have guys informing me what these unscrupulous individuals are up to, they keep me informed and a step in front of them. Sure, my duties have been modified now, but that is the cost of targeting me, they should have known better and never tried it on in the first place, now they have issues to overcome and I am holding them accountable.

American political activist and five time presidential candidate for the Greens and as an independent, Ralph Nader has deep humanitarianism beliefs leading to automotive safety. Ralph Nader is a political activist and lawyer involved in government reform, consumer protection and environmentalism. 

I’m going to use Nader’s comment during future job interviews, it is classically simple yet elegant response related to leadership questions. Nalder has really nailed the essence of leadership; coaching to build capability within the organisation builds productivity creating engaged team members. Leadership is exhibited at all levels of the organisation, developing  leadership skills through a communication improvement regime, strategic thinking, practical experience and continuous improvement. 

In what is a great initiative, Perth Zoo is breeding Numbats to release into the wild. Perth Zoo is the only facility breeding numbats for release, since 1993 more than 320 numbats have been bred for reintroduction in the wild. The Dryandra Woodland is near the town of Narrogin, just two and a half hours from Perth, the Perup Nature Reserve is in the Shire of Manjimup so there are two diverse locations for the numbats to hopefully thrive.

The numbat is a small marsupial living in wooded forests with an exclusive diet of termites. The numbat is on the critically endangered species list, with an estimated 1000 numbats left in the whole of Australia This breeding initiative is highly important for the survival of the species. Whilst the joeys are born in captivity at Perth Zoo, then at 11 months they are prepared for release. Whilst the two major locations are Dryandra Woodland and Perup Nature Reserve, there are a number of locations over the years including sites in New South Wales and South Australia.

The conservation strategy is based on fenced areas to keep predators out, so there are two major locations now. As Numbats are diurnal, that is daytime activity, they are hunted by feral cats and foxes. Feral cats are a real issue in Australia, they grow very large and they are particularly viscous. Feral cats should be hunted down and killed, they are a real blight on the Australian fauna, they are wiping out native animals at an extraordinary rate. Wedge-tailed eagles, snakes, and goannas are natural predators that hunt numbats, then there is fire and land clearing that devestate numbers too. I really want to see this program work, this could be fantastic as I have never seen a numbat in the wild.

Why was McDonald’s coffee so bad? The reputation of McDonald’s coffee was so poor at its drive through outlets and in stores that people were boycotting its product. Whilst there are other drive through coffee retailers, McDonald’s already had the infrastructure in place so it was convenience more than anything. As such, McDonald’s sells a lot of coffee, it is one of the largest coffee retailers in the country.

Firstly, McDonald’s bean selection was poor, they sought the cheapest beans and then stored them in a manner that allowed them to deteriorate. It was certainly a case of profit before quality. Naturally, this led to poor outcomes, this was exacerbated by poor training, inconsistent equipment at fast food outlets and poor maintenance practices. Yes, we all know McDonald’s hires young people and that is not a problem; however, failing to train young people was the issue and providing them with the necessary guidance was an issue.

Poor cleaning practices certainly impacted, if no proper procedures were used then the inconsistent cleaning practices were utilised, this would lead to poor outcomes. As servers were not trained, issues such as machine calibration, grind size and water temperature all result in poor and bitter coffee from over extraction and burning. As I was never a McDonald’s coffee drinker, I struggle to remember if I have ever had one, I am thinking back to around 2002 where I was out with some people and picked up a McDonald’s breakfast and if I had a coffee then.

With respect to McDonald’s, they turned it around. So how did they do it? Firstly, you need to recognise there is a problem and then seek a solution. McDonald’s even made a public apology for its poor coffee back in 2011, so they owned the problem.This began with high quality Arabica beans implementing Rainforest Alliance Certified sourcing. So with the coffee bean problem sorted, the management moved on to training where staff members received barista training, equipment and technology and processes were improved and McDonald’s now produces a coffee that the majority of people are happy with.

It has been nearly 20 years since I have been to the Hamelin Pool Telegraph Station, I cannot say I missed the place, certainly not the flies. I see the Hamelin Pool Telegraph Station as a place to stop over for a short stay when visiting the stromatolites.

The road to Denham is a pretty big detour from the North West Highway, there is one road in and out, so that adds an extra 260 km on the trip. On the way there is the old telegraph station at the end of Hamelin Bay, if I am in the area, then it is worth stopping in. Hamelin Pool was the landing and departure point for supply vessels and shipping wool from the local stations in the area.

The telegraph station was built in 1884 and linked Perth to Roeburne by telegraph. Originally named the Flint Cliff Telegraph Station, the telegraph station was named after a local landmark. The telegraph station remained in service until the late 1950s where Telex took over as the communication system. I can still recall Telex still being used in the 1990s in some areas. Telex was a text based communications system that used tele-printers [tele-typewriters] to send/receive typed messages over telephone lines.

One of my favourite Fermoy wines is the Reserve Shiraz. Yes, the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is pretty good, but this is my current selection. Somewhat cheaper than the Reserve Cab Sav, the Reserve Shiraz whilst not cheap offers a good drink and a bit of a discount. The Fermoy Reserve Shiraz is typically matured for 12 months in a mix of new and seasoned French oak barriques.

Ok, so what does the Reserve Shiraz offer then? This is a finely structured and complex shiraz with a fine finish, not overly peppery like a Coonawarra shiraz. Deep red in colour, this wine has plenty of legs, I needed to check the tasting notes to check the cellaring potential, my initial estimate was five to eight years. This was interesting as the tasting notes indicated 5+ years potential, this is where you like to be understated.

This is a medium bodied style that has been likened to a cool climate syrah, one might describe as more of a French style shiraz. The aroma has been described as violet, raspberry and even roasted meats, I am pretty surprised with this one. The palette is described as dark fruits, aniseed and cacao. So what are dark fruits? They are blackberries, blackcurrents and possibly even black cherries. So absolutely, do I like the Reserve Shiraz? The standard Fermoy was not my favourite selection in their range, the Reserve Shiraz is different, yeah, it is pretty good.

The Trump negotiating style is overly simplistic, it begins in the media with a series of aggressive posts and personal abuse before a highball offer is made. Clearly, this is universally rejected before more late night social media posts increase the media pressure in an attempt to intimidate and force concessions. Then Trump backs down on his maximist claims and then splits the difference, better known as the Trump TACO backdown.

The Trump madman theory is based on his unpredictability to change positions without notice, and demand concessions or altered positions. If Trump can humiliate people in public, he will. Trump gets very personal attacking the person, their wife, or their family. These are typically people not involved in politics and considered off limits. Trump seeks to persuade the leader he is unpredictable and capable of anything, therefore, anything is possible.

This approach does not build trust or long-standing relationships, instead the basic premise moves from a mutual win/win strategy to a win/lose approach where negotiators do not negotiate in good faith. People hate Trump, there is a basic lack of decency, sure they deal with him as the United States is a large market, but in private, they despise Trump. Instead, they are forced to either adopt aggressive positions and tactics to negotiate base principles and positions.

A win/lose strategy only hurts nations who are attempting to build markets in the United States, they will take their business and loyalty to nations offering a greater level of respect. Why wouldn’t nations with similar values engage in business where mutual respect is freely offered? Currently the United States is the biggest market in the world, what he is telling exporting countries is they cannot rely on the United States, the Trump regime is based on the cult of Trump, this is not a person who keeps his word.

What I describe as phantom wealth is a term I have heard thrown around, this is especially true with Baby Boomers who own older houses in expensive areas that have greatly appreciated in value. Whilst they may be relatively cash poor, they own substantial properties in very good suburbs, they have the advantage of living in these desired suburbs for much of their adult life.

Phantom wealth is holding assets worth a specific value where the gains are unrealised. This could be doing something as simple as holding undeveloped land holdings, that is basically a block of land, especially in semi-rural areas. This typically costs the landholder money to hold. This could be in the form of local rates [still a tax], insurance, and accountancy fees to administer. When you moce to retirement, the investment holder needs to make a decision, do they liquidate these holdings to tuen this investment into cash? Even owning a desirable property in a good suburb does not put food on the table in retirement, that is unless rooms are rented out so income is coming in.

This is typically wealth that is difficult to liquidate, this is undeveloped property that does not generate an income so actually becomes a cost to the owner. However, this underdeveloped land could be used as collateral for other purchases such as property or shares. A loan may be raised against this property to purchase further landholdings or an income producing asset. It depends on the age of the wealth holder, I would suggest these tend to be older people who have had the advantage of inheritances in the past and just sit on these inheritances. Sometimes these inheritances can be detrimental to a government pension, the individual has too many assets and either the pension is reduced, or in some cases, lost altogether.

Do not work extra years to save the extra funds that you may not spend, that is an interesting take on retirement. This is one of the better sets of advice I have heard. As I close in on age 60, I have a lifetime of work, I started my apprenticeship weeks after turning 16, I started in the workplace earlier than most, therefore. I should be leaving at the minimum age I become eligible to access my retirement funds.

If you love your job, or love being around the people you work with, then working past retirement age is for you. For someone like me, that is not an option. I do not want to work on it because I feel I am making a difference. I have also learned that this can be taken away very quickly by weak minded people full of loathing of their own shortcomings. I do not want to live a life of regrets, I do not like the people I work with, most have no redeeming features who will turn on you in a moment.

I will need to find a way to fill my days in, so the activities I have sometimes require a partner to share with. I like scuba diving, sailing, cycling, hiking and kayaking. A couple of these activities I can do by myself, the rest are team activities so I need to find retirees to share these activities with. The early years of retirement are the most important, I need to make sure I am active and engaged, eventually I will slow down, so the first ten years will be the most important of hopefully a thirty year retirement.