As an employee in the state government, I am well versed in negotiating from a position of weakness. So what are their tactics? Stalling, erecting roadblocks and creating an environment where every issue is blocked. So ok, you know their strategy, but what do you need to do to counter their strategy? I make sure I have a strategy to counter their strategy, it is the only way. 

I always prepare, I never let them call a snap meeting as they have prepared their strategy and you are on the defensive – they are now setting the narrative. Positioning in the meeting is vital, they will try to intimidate you as you are generally outnumbered, so you need to position yourself in the room where you do not feel intimidated – this isn’t easy.

You always bring a witness, the rule is no witness – no meeting. The agenda is paramount, once again, no agenda – no meeting. If they wish to vary from the agenda, then either the matter is suspended or the meeting closed. The issues need to be addressed, preferably in a logical sequence to create incremental escalation, this generates a series of demands ascending in importance where a dismissive attitude creates stronger demands and stress. 

This is how you control the narrative, this also ensures no surprises where you are on the defensive, they have mapped out their strategy – you need to map out yours. Naturally, your witness is the notetaker and records all facets of the discussion, this unhinges them, they can no longer deny knowledge of an issue. 

There are always meeting minutes, I have found they do not keep minutes so you keep your own. That is the whole purpose of the witness, the more detailed minutes you keep, they can not deny points were not discussed. This is one of their tactics, denial and wearing you down, you make your point and reinforce your point. 

A tried and standard response is this was mentioned or discussed – no longer the case now. The next strategy they employ is a failure to comprehend, they will claim you were not clear and they were unsure what you wanted. You make sure your demands are absolutely clear and concise, once again, I have evolved. I have learnt through doing that you need to ensure you have control of the message and you need to communicate that message.    

The next stage is the follow-up via email, this is where you reinforce the main points of the meeting. This then becomes a defacto forum, if the main points you identified are not challenged, then they are considered discussed. Likewise, if they are challenged, you are not discussing the issues in a communication medium that records the discussion taking place, it is very hard to deny knowledge of the issue afterwards when they reply. 

I work on four major principles:

1. Deal only in facts.
2. Do not get emotional. 
3. Never get personal.
4. Send a clear and concise message. 

Adding to the four major principles, I also allow an escape route in negotiations. The purpose of negotiation is to reach a mutually beneficial position; therefore there is no benefit in constantly attacking a position without offering some form of concession. I offer a position to concede certain aspects of a negotiation and save face should they choose to act in a diligent manner. 

Based on state government management practices to try to always crush an opponent, even when they know they are wrong and in a weak position themselves, their answer is always no. They believe they hold the powerful position, you never allow them to get into a decision-making position where they can just say no, a public sector authority has a mandate to use taxpayer funds in an efficient manner and not engage in misappropriation of government funds.

This is where the principle of incremental escalation is important, if the negotiator takes a purely blocking role, incremental escalation adds to their woes and ultimate failure. You ensure your agenda sequence is set beginning at the simplest and most unimportant issue. This sets the tone, if they are unwilling to even concede such points, the ratcheting up of pressure is to their detriment when you begin to introduce the major points – then you have them.

The Straights Times comments section on Facebook is an absolute circus, this is a free for all, the comments section is dominated by wumao and 50 cent commentators. There are many fake accounts, it is almost surreal. Facebook really has to do better here, this is their platform, they need to manage this better.

However, the moderation from The Straights Times is really negligent here, they are the publisher, they are the corporation creating the content. If a corporation such as an newspaper is unable to moderate comments, then they need to lock the comments section, they have a duty to ensure that their comments section is civil and non-threatening. 

What I have noticed is that the comments nearly always come down to race, if a white person is silly enough to post an opinion there, it is a free for all. Yes, I do read the comments section to try to gauge public opinion, this is the domain of the outspoken and the easily outraged. The Straights Times comments section is full of trolls, these are not highly educated Singaporeans, these are angry nasty people looking to drag people into arguments and slanging matches – this is not discourse. 

The Ukrainian military is doing surprisingly well considering they are hugely outnumbered in terms of personnel, equipment and technology. Putin should have been right, the Russian military should have marched into Kiev and taken the city in quick time. 

The Ukrainian tactics have been sensational, sure, they have suffered losses but for the best part, they have acquitted themselves well. We all know they have been supplied military hardware from major powers such as the US, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Latvia, Finland, Estonia, Slovenia, Lithuania, Austria, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Czech Republic, South Korea, Japan, Turkey and Poland to just name a few. 

What I am wondering is what military intelligence they are receiving, they have now received heavy artillery and seem to be doing a fantastic job at targeting. I am guessing NATO and the United States are intercepting Russian communications. What we do know is the Russians brought their own mobile phones into the war, Ukrainian authorities worked this out and just shut down Russian phone numbers from their network.

When the Russians worked this out, they started seizing Ukrainian mobile phones from civilians. Ukrainians have reported these seizures to their telco providers and they now intercept these calls for intelligence purposes, they have an idea of troop movements, troop morale, and even troop numbers. The question is, why are the Russians not taking out Ukraine’s telecommunications? I am guessing they are using the network and need it.      

What is known is that US Air Force and Royal Air Force aircraft are flying close to Ukraine, they are not entering Ukrainian airspace. The RC-135 is apparently the most tracked aircraft on FlightRadar24.com. The US is flying Blackhawk helicopters in Poland, RQ-4 drones [Global Hawk] are entering Ukrainian airspace and loitering around. I am guessing the US, the UK and NATO are providing high value intelligence to Ukraine and they are targeting Russian assets effectively. 

In what was an annoying turn of events, I was held responsible for a client complaint despite no evidence of direct or indirect involvement. This was based on the assumption that I am [apparently] a known troublemaker and the complaint was well articulated and referenced – yeah, really. 

My standard response is to neither confirm nor deny that I had any involvement, this is no admission of guilt, this is a standard response. However, my attitude is – then prove it. They can’t prove it and they know it, so instead, they allowed rumour and innuendo to thrive. So when this run of events began, people started asking me if I was the one who made the report and the chatter out of the offices mentioned me as the protagonist – I needed to act. This was the CCC investigation all over again, this dragged on for over five years for no outcome so I wasn’t doing this again – no way.

Well, actually there was an outcome of sorts, they stated there was no evidence to connect me to the CCC report. So my attitude is, a) I either did it and covered my tracks so well they couldn’t trace it back to me, b) I didn’t make the report, or c) they are so bumbling and incompetent that they couldn’t work it out. Since there has been no apology or resolution, they still think I did it – they just couldn’t pin it on me. So, based on this history, I was feeling threatened, so I took to my blog and brought this out in the open, the management had been irresponsible in allowing rumours to continue and they knew it. 

Now, the obvious answer would be to meet with them and sort this out in a face-to-face meeting. They have trained me through their actions that this is not a successful course of action. They will deny knowledge and erect obstacles and it just goes nowhere. Instead, I have learned that the most effective course of action is to threaten to bring this to a public forum without actually doing so. We both engage in a stalemate and we can both withdraw without conceding a loss. 

A matter such as this is either confidential or it is common knowledge, since it was being discussed out loud in an open plan office, it was common knowledge. They were well aware this was being discussed, they also knew my name was being loosely thrown around as the instigator and I had had enough of it. Since they had been holding me responsible, I could either do nothing and go about my business as usual or I could act decisively. As I already knew my employer had been checking out my social media,  as LinkedIn tells you who has accessed your details – I knew what to do. 

I was aware they were reading my blog and searching my social media, so I posted with the intent of signaling them to back off. They were not going to pull me up for my social media use because, a) my employer will always remain anonymous and I never identify them, and, b) they know I will have a strong case for bullying. Instead, they were notified that I had posted and the office gossip was all about this. It was mentioned to me again that they believed I instigated the report and my post was discussed openly in the office as I could hear the chatter. 

This post was even printed out and left on the main table for all to read. This is only the second time this occurred, the one and only other time was when I reposted from January 2015 When talent leaves and non-performers remain. This was about an unnamed individual [due to workplace bullying] who had successfully left a company and been offered a job as a manager. I reposted in 2019 when she moved into an Area Manager role and a bunch of numpties thought I was writing about them – idiots. 

A quick date check would have informed them otherwise but office gossip doesn’t involve logic. Did I mention they are gossiping idiots that defy logical explanations? Of course I did, that is what they are. I was working in Africa at the time but heard all about it from there, so there is absolutely no chance the management didn’t know and they didn’t shut it down – they encouraged it.

So the management had to come out and eventually make an announcement that a complaint had been made, they reiterated that the complaint was well articulated and referenced. They also stated there had been rumours in the office – well yeah. My post had caused them to act, I knew they were reading my blog and checking through my social media accounts. It blew up for a week, people were not talking to me and it was a cold place to work.

I liken it to throwing fuel on a fire, the fire rapidly consumes the fuel and oxygen and the fire burns out. The other option is the fire slowly burns the fuel and if it is burning, it has the potential to flare up again. So yeah, I know they are reading this. This post is for them so they know exactly what is occurring. They know I won’t identify the organisation, so they can remain calm. I will back off, they can back off, then  we will go back to where we were before. 

I purchased a Bin 51 Eden Valley Riesling for Christmas day 2020 as a big fuck you to the CCP and their poorly conceived tariffs. As it turns out, the Bin 51 was left in the refrigerator and not packed into the cooler bag for the trip over – oh well. Still, this Riesling isn’t going to be poured down the drain, we just get to drink it later. Coming from Western Australia, we have a few decent Rieslings here too, so does Penfolds Bin 51 stack up?

I think it does, the Leeuwin Estate Riesling is about as good as it gets, but is it in a different price range? Well, yes it is, but not in a positive manner. Instead I drank a Penfolds chardonnay out in the back garden with my father on a Friday evening. So, was the Bin 51 any good? Well, yes it was. We had a couple of bottles that night, the Bin 51 was one of these, it was pretty good evening actually.

In Western Australia, we are spoiled for chardonnay, we have some decent Riesling choices as well. South Australia is known for their Riesling with the Eden Vale region, but Penfolds Bin 51 isn’t my usual choice. I liked the Bin 51, the next question is, does it replace the Leeuwin Estate, Pewsley Vale and Vickery Rieslings I prefer? It will knock the Vickery down but won’t replace Pewsley Vale and Leeuwin Estate – not for me anyway.

Nice fruit and a balanced finish. Whilst I like a big wooded Chardonnay at times, I like to change it up too. I really don’t find much value in an unwooded Chardonnay, so when I need a break from chardonnay and sauvignon blanc isn’t doing it for me, the Penfolds Bin 51 is a decent compromise, it is a pretty decent Riesling and I do like to change things up.

A Solomon Islands naval base is a huge concern for the security of Australia, whilst Solomon Island Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare claims there will be no Chinese military assets in the Solomon Islands, we suspect differently. No longer is Australia protected by the distance of oceans. A military base is now within striking distance of the Australian mainland. 

If hostilities break out with China over Taiwan or the South China Sea, the east coast of Australia would be threatened by the Chinese navy, the Chinese air force could be stationed in the islands. The potential for missile strikes from naval vessels or a naval base or installation could be devastating for the country. If Australia is threatened, the Solomon Islands had better be aware that all firepower will be aimed at their islands – they are a target. 

One of the first actions of a conflict with China would be precision bombing of Chinese military and commercial assets on any of the hundreds of islands comprising of the Solomon Islands. That would involve RAAF F-35 fighter jets making a stealth flight to the Solomon Islands to drop laser guided bombs on Chinese assets. 

This would involve taking out radar installations, communication, logistics and fuel depots. This needs to include transport infrastructure so equipment cannot be transported on the roads, ports and airstrips. This is serious, whilst precision targeting is the goal, I would not expect cluster bombs or non-laser guided bombs so there will be no civilian casualties, homes destroyed or hospitals or schools hit.

When I started my blog back in 2013, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was the Prime Minister of Turkey and was suppressing his people. Bashar al-Assad was using chemical weapons on his population in Syria and now we are waiting to see if Putin will use chemical weapons in Ukraine. 

It is 2022 and now the world is concerned the Russian invasion of Ukraine will escalate into a broader European war. Well, Russian forces are getting flogged by the Ukrainian military, whilst we are likely to see the superior manpower of the Russian military ultimately prevail, they are being embarrassed in the process. 

Russian soldiers are raping women, looting homes and businesses, murdering elderly people in their homes, shooting people in the street and sidewalk. Naturally they are lousy soldiers, they are pathetic, they are getting smashed on the battlefield, the Ukraine military are demoralising the Russian military.

The Russian army is poorly trained, poorly equipped, pathetically led and logistically incapable. With European and US weapons flooding in, the Ukraine military is getting supplied and engaging in guerilla warfare. This was always expected to become a fight moving from street to street in urban areas full of ambush and hit and run skirmishes.   

From what I can work out, Russian soldiers are pretty adept at shooting civilians. They are not so good at fighting Ukrainian soldiers, there they get caught in ambush after ambush and are incinerated in their vehicles. Their infantry is ineffective, they are competent at shooting unarmed civilians at point blank range or using snipers to shoot civilians on the street. 

In combat, the Russian soldiers are not effective – they are just an occupying force that relies on overwhelming numbers to meet their objectives. In a military fight against a highly motivated are well armed Ukrainian military, they are inadequate in all facets of operations including tactics, ability, agility and application. The Russian military is being humiliated in front of the world, instead, as an occupying force, they are resorting to war crimes. 

So my local supermarket finally stocks illy lungo coffee, they have not previously and I have had to make do with other brands for the interim, even though I was aware illy produced a lungo coffee. I have been getting a little concerned, supermarket shelves are a competitive business where illy is getting shifted further away from eyesight to the lower shelves.

So, I purchased three packets of illy lungo to take home along with one satchel of my normal lungs choice. So when I returned home and put one of the capsules in my Nespresso machine, I had high hopes. illy is not a bad lung coffee by any shape of the imagination, it was certainly not as intense as I would have hoped. 

For me, this is disappointing as illy is known for its intense flavours. The notes were a little floral with jasmine overtones and a little sweetness. This was interesting, I really didn’t expect that, so this was certainly a surprise. However, ultimately the lungo is too watery for my tastes as it lacks the intensity of the Classico, Inteniso or Forte espresso capsules.

Oh, it is a sight to behold, after a complaint highlighted [uncovered] our shortcomings, there is stress, finger pointing, blaming, and, of course innuendo. For the best part, I was working from my home office during this covid period so I am immune to all of this stupidity. I have highlighted these shortcomings for years now, so this is no surprise to me.

Because I highlighted cronyism and incompetence, the inept management believed that I made the complaint. It is inconceivable to them that they are just hopeless, this is a conspiracy they have been subjected to by a clearly disgruntled worker. There is no way they could be as incompetent as has been made out, this is just an unfortunate set of circumstances according to them – I am just disgruntled.

What I am viewing from the sanctity of my home office is fumbling around, general confusion and plenty of fucking up. The very issues that got us into this mess have not been remedied. So we have no change in leadership, no change in strategic direction and no change in perceived outcomes. We just keep doing the same things and hope for a different outcome – who would have thought?

The first step in root cause analysis and problem-solving exercise is determining the cause of the problem. This has not been done, the very people who led us into this mess are supposed to be the ones to lead us out, but what we are seeing is more of the same. So they will be left scratching their heads, we do the exact same thing and expect a different outcome. Sure, they are doing some paper shuffling in an attempt to fool auditors – but they will see through that. They can then state they did their part without actually incorporating any change management principles whatsoever – laughable really.

So China is getting aggressive in a military sense, this is driven by the philosophy of President Xi Jinping. There are many nervous nations in east and southeast Asia that are feeling threatened by not only Chinese diplomatic communications, but actions.

There is the island building in the contested waters of the South China Sea, the crack-down in Hong Kong and the threats to Taiwan. China is flanked on it’s south western border by India, western border by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Further south there is Vietnam, Laos and Burma. North Korea provides a buffer to both South Korea and Japan where there are US bases in both those countries along with the Philippines and Guam. Further afield there is Hawaii, Midway Island, Deigo Garcia and a joint Australian/American marine base in Darwin. To the north of China is the vast country of Russia, an ally and nation with similar interests.

Whilst Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has been staunchly anti-US due to his personal preferences, he has finally worked out Xi Jinping is playing him for a fool and beginning to seek US protection again. Any idiot knows you don’t allow personal preferences to influence international diplomacy, he is not that bright. Playing Rodrigo Duterte for a fool is a pretty easy game, this isn’t much of a scam, he is pretty much an easy target. The US has also been invited to build a base on the island nation of Palau, whilst still not out of the reach of Chinese missiles, there is also an option of a base on the Cocos Islands and Learmonth air base can be upgraded.

At this point, I don’t think there is that much hope for Hong Kong, there will be some diplomatic pressure but the CCP will dismiss this as internal affairs. Taiwan is a whole other issue, all regional powers need to stand up to CCP provocation to make it abundantly clear this aggression will not be tolerated. This is the likely flash point, Taiwan will defend itself, what is unsure is how good the Taiwanese defence will be, this will draw in allies from all around the Pacific and possibly Europe.

To send a clear and concise message to the CCP, like minded nations need to increase their presence in the South China Sea and Western Pacific. This includes NATO, we need German, French and British influence in the region to make a statement. Bolstering US bases in the region is necessary with NATO and democratic nations operating out of these bases. This will send a clear message to CCP powerbrokers, any attacks on US bases in the region is an attack on democratic nations and they will respond.