My observations of the TSA began at New York’s JFK airport, then later at La Guardia and then back at JFK again. They only seem to appear at check-in, swarming around the entrance to the gates for departure, mostly standing around doing what appears to the naked eye as nothing.

What I viewed was inefficiency, disorganisation, arrogance and rudeness – they do not answer to the public, it is if they are dealing with the sworn enemy. Even fellow TSA officers don’t trust each other’s propriety, let me explain. I was taking my wallet out of my pocket, my watch off my wrist and belt to walk through the metal detector, I had placed the items in the tray but not yet in my bag. A TSA officer came up behind me and told me to put my watch back on my wrist and wallet in my bag, he looked at me and said “don’t leave this in full view” before looking at other TSA staff screening bags.

The way they spoke to the people they were screening was incredible, these are members of the public, they created the pandemonium, it was their lack of organisation that had people confused. There was enough officers standing around, they could have set up with officers directing people, instead, there was 9 officers standing around doing nothing and 1 working the scanner.

What is lacking is leadership, someone needs to take control to get a steady flow of people moving through the scanner having been briefed on what to do and how to prepare. I get the feeling America’s best and brightest aren’t being recruited into the TSA, they are probably paying minimum wages, providing minimal training and fueling a culture of them versus us.

When I arrived at the baggage collection at LAX airport, I saw the shape of my bag knowing full well it had been tampered with, the shape was all wrong and straps hanging off. The locks had been cut with a TSA note inside, they had rummaged through my bag and messed everything up. I had purchased a bottle of vintage port in Porto for my nephew’s 21st birthday, he is from a Portuguese background and the year matched his date of birth. I had packed the bottle in such a manner to ensure it does not get broken, I view baggage handlers with the same disdain as TSA officers, that is, dumb and dumber.

So the bottle of port was unwrapped from its protective layer of clothing, its position in the middle of the bag was shifted to the edge, it is like these fools wanted my fragile goods to be broken. I lock my bags because I have had items previously stolen straight out of my bag. They are actually making air travel less secure as minimum wage baggage handlers now have access to previously secure baggage. Most people are aware of the levels of commitment, levels of training and screening of potential hires, this is particularly disturbing.

Every other airport in the world screens baggage and allows travelers to secure their baggage, after all, x-ray of baggage, is more valid as a search strategy as hidden items are discovered more readily. This is taking us back to the 70s, the physical search is the last option as it is the most inefficient option, the TSA really needs to get its act together, the TSA is just an expensive joke – that’s all it is.

I have a fair amount of experience watching empire building in the workplace, if you view personal empires as a shaky foundation, then it is kind of fun to hang around to view the implosion first hand.

What I enjoy most is the empire builder must firstly surround themselves with yes men, secondly they must ensure they remain hands-on leading to micro-management of the yes men cartel. They refuse to take breaks or holidays as they fear their personal empire will disintegrate before their very eyes. Unless you own the company, then you are not immune, even owners have been moved sideways or out of the very company they built.

They place spies around the workplace to create a culture of fear, trust is lacking and workplace productivity is low. Well, why would you work hard when you know who will take all the credit? Do you want to join the inner circle and lose all scruples? I think not, instead it is better to gain superior workplace skills to move to the next job for better conditions and pay. You would guess right that promotions are not based on competence, they are based on alliances and the ability to undermine your fellow workers. But such structures build no real loyalty as real leadership is lacking and the first sign of trouble sees the minions run away as soon as they can.

The development of corporate learning and development is moving from an content centric approach where learning materials were published online in the early 2001 through a blended approach to a social collaboration between team members.

The learning management system was simply a repository for content with limited interaction between facilitator and learner. I can recall downloading such materials, then printing them out to a paper based format and working through the exercises. You had limited opportunity to embed the knowledge or skills and just waited for the paper versions of your assessments to be mailed back after you posted in your work to the marker.

Moving to the talent management approach in the mid 2000s, the software program addressed the four pillars of talent management involving recruitment, performance management, learning and development and compensation management. Experimental learning started getting interesting with the 70:20:10 approach with 70% of learning performed on-the-the-job through action learning projects, job rotation and delegation.

Likewise, 20% of learning is still conducted on-the-job through active processes such as mentoring and coaching and the final 10% of learning is conducted off-the-job through formal courses. Continuous embedding of learning ensures a continuous learning program that is further expanding skill-sets in response to a changing environment. New developments are considered less static and more fluid incorporating internal learning and development departments within the human resource structure and the rise of the corporate university.

When I read comments sections on social media posts from news outlets, the comments leave me shaking my head. Still, I read these comments to gain a perspective for my blog, but this isn’t always indicative of what the electorate is actually thinking, this is a small and vocal cross-section of the community that are less representative than I initially thought. The comments sections are filled with left leaning commentators who are loud and willing to shout down any opinion that doesn’t align to theirs. As I subscribe to The Australian Newspaper online, I can easily find links to articles published on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, it is not as if Rupert writes the articles himself.

I also read The Sydney Morning Herald, now owned by Nine Entertainment and The Guardian owned by the Guardian Media Group in the United Kingdom. Both the SMH and The Guardian are left leaning media groups. I also read the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) online and whilst it is considered left leaning, they are reasonably unbiased in their reporting. This could actually be said about The Australian Newspaper as well as journalists are employed from both a right and left leaning perspective.

So when I read the dropkicks loudly commenting online about Murdoch, he doesn’t actually write for The Australian Newspaper blaming all their election losses on Rupert, one might actually ask why his media group employs so many left leaning journalists? Might it be The Australian Greens and the Australian Labor Party have lousy policies that keep them almost in perpetual opposition? There are a lot of loud commentators on social media and despite their best attempts at bullshit conspiracy theories not grounded in reality, they don’t actually change public opinion.

So the ALP are normally consigned to another three years of sitting on the opposition benches and wondering why they seem to be perpetual losers at a federal level. The ALP ability to lose an unlosable election might not only be based on their lack of coherent policy, it might also be the higher than thou chattering social media commentators doing damage. They need to revamp and realign policies to what Australians want, this is not just pandering to minority groups, this is targeted policy. 

The trouble with the old boy’s club, is well, the old boy practices of exclusion, the blatant favoritism, nepotism and cronyism. This is not a winning formula, this is linked to groupthink and ultimately failure – a losing formula. 

This is so much more than a lack of process, this is the basic denial of opportunity to talented individuals who refuse to engage the outdated and unethical practices of the old boys. What this produces is a sub-standard product, inhibits team performance that hinders business growth – a favorite strategy of government organisations.

This is a government dilemma, service isn’t an issue in the old boy’s club, governments need to offer a customer centric service but this doesn’t fit their narrative. This starts with recruiting, selecting and employing the best candidate for the job. Talent management is a major organisational development requirement, the acquisition of high-level talent is the defining requirement for organisations. That’s what makes me laugh, government organisations that deny economic gravity, the taxpayer funds roll in and the cycle continues.

Leadership is such an overused term, sure you can take a leadership class, but does that truly instill leadership qualities in an individual? I’m not so sure. That being said, I have seen some great examples of online MBA graduates with top notch leadership abilities.

With so many articles, research and academic papers dedicated to the art of leadership, I ask myself, can you really train people in leadership? There is individual leadership and organisational leadership, authoritarian and democratic, situational and contingency theories, task or relationship oriented, trait and charismatic and then there is laissiz faire.

I view leadership as a social influence, the ability to motivate others to achieve goals, these may be organisational or team goals and are exhibited at all levels of the organisation. Can leadership be learnt in classes? Absolutely leadership can be, with modern delivery methods one doesn’t even need to sit in a traditional classroom but learnt online.

Much has been written about transformational and transactional leadership theories. Then there is charismatic leadership, whilst trait leadership has pretty much been outdated and disproved, the cult of the CEO is currently the order of the day. What we do know is leadership is power and the personal values displayed has a positive effect on the team.

So what is China trying to do with all the tariffs imposed on Australia producers? They are attempting to use Australia’s democratic society against our national interests – they are engaging in foreign interference and need to be called out.

Clearly the CCP are attempting to create divisions in Australian society, they know a free and open press can report opinions as they please. A free and open press, in their opinion, can be manipulated to create unrest, but their poorly conceived strategy is embarrassedly failing and they have no retreat strategy.

China doesn’t have this problem, they control the media and the people are dominated by state manufactured opinion. However, they are concerned as their control of the Chinese people relies on the promise of improved living standards by the totalitarian regime. These rising living standards are appearing to become harder to deliver. The rest of the world is watching and are rightly concerned about the economic coercion of the CCP. The CCP are concerned about internal unrest and the potential to unravel their complete subjection of the Chinese people.

What we have learnt is China is an unreliable trading partner. Japan has long been a partner trading with Australia and has always been an honest and reliable partner. Australia has built up too much of a reliance on Chinese demand and that needs to change. However, the rising iron ore price and required Chinese demand to develop their infrastructure program to aid their recovery ensures Australia still has an iron ore market. The iron ore income is improving Australia’s trade deficit funding the social programs of the pandemic.

This rising iron ore price created by Chinese demand is shielding Australian producers from the ravages of the Chinese economic coercion. Australian producers now have an opportunity to develop new markets. Eventually, Chinese officials will target iron ore imports, that is unlikely in the short-term until they are able to secure new suppliers. By that time, Australian producers will have arranged new clients to diversify exports away from China.

Sure, it is more than likely that the Chinese government is humiliated by successful Australian calls for an independent enquiry into the origins of the coronavirus. The social unrest from a failed policy threatens the control of the CCP over the population and that scares them. China is seeking to manufacture discontent in Australia, this has so far failed and further humiliated Chinese government officials. The architects of this plan care little about the next commodity whether it be wheat, beef, university education or dairy products.

The CCP is engaging in foreign interference, and so far, industry sectors can see through this transparent plan and refuse to become lobbyists for the Chinese government. So far, they are hurting themselves, Chinese steel mills are bearing the cost of increased costs. Chinese consumers can no longer drink Penfolds wines after becoming accustomed to quality wine. Chinese consumers are prepared to pay a premium for Penfolds, sure, new markets will have reduced margins but they will be reliable supply chains.

The Chinese government is attempting to use democracy against Australia, they believe the Labor opposition will pressure the Liberal government to yield to it’s will – this policy is failing. Xi Jinping is humiliating himself, his policies are a failure and damaging Chinese national interests to soothe his massive and over-inflated ego.

Reflecting on Daniel’s statement, I could not agree more. No matter what your motivation is; whether it be business, community service, medicine, research, science or humanities – the ability to engage in continuous learning is absolutely paramount to any endeavor.

Learning does not need to be formalised; the greatest learning potential takes place in the workplace with up to 70% of all learning occurring on-the-job. What is required is an inquisitive mind and the ability to translate learning into action. Adult learners are really responsible for their own learning and should be seeking to engage in genuine learning interventions.

More amazing dives around Balicasag Island, the first dive on the vertical wall at Diver’s Heaven is fantastic, this is my favourite diving location in the Philippines. It is going to be a long time before I get to dive here again though, that is really a shame and I will miss diving here.

After mooring the dive banca close to shore, a small banca arrived and we made our way to the island while the crew stayed on board. Of all my trips to Balicasag Island, this was my first time actually landing on the island, usually we stay on the boat for our surface interval.

There was a selection of seafood restaurants on the island, I loved landing here and supporting the local infrastructure and community – they even come and bring you to their restaurant by small banca.

You choose your seafood, it is fresh caught by local fishermen and it is cooked for you, I like to support the local community and this is a fairly decent way to do it. The fishermen in the Philippines are very poor, this is a good way to support the fishermen and their families.

You negotiate your choice of seafood, the quantity and the way you want it cooked – great stuff. They take it away and not long after your freshly cooked seafood is ready for you for a very enjoyable lunch.

When your meal is done, time to get back on your banca and head off for your second dive before leaving the island and heading back to Alona Beach on Panglao Island – this is a pretty decent day.

Rolex has plenty of iconic timepieces, they have great marketing and they know how to create demand through scarcity. Sure they could increase production to sell more units, they are very aware they hold premium sales and they protect their market and retailers with much vigor.

The Explorer Reference 6350 was released in 1953 not that long after the 1953 Hillary/Norgay Everest expedition. Whilst there is still some conjecture as to what Hillary and Norgay actually wore on their wrists when they scaled the summit, there is no doubting that the Explorer is associated with Everest – this is certainly what Rolex advertising indicates.

While Hillary was apparently wearing a Smiths, Rolex was supporting and sponsoring expeditions testing the oyster perpetual series. Rolex was involved with prototypes leading up to the Explorer series, the Reference 6150 that was imprinted with Precision on the dial and not Explorer. The early series had a 36 mm case size that has increased over the years.

If I was to be a Rolex owner, then an Explorer would be my choice of timepiece. At 39 mm, the case isn’t large by any means and the over-size watch style seems to be receding. Although I tend to prefer a 41 mm case diameter for my wrist size, I have had smaller watches in the past. The Mercedes hour hand is an iconic Rolex feature, although I am not personally thrilled by the hour hand.

A number of references have been produced over the past 65 years, the charm of Rolex is they pretty much don’t change their product. Whilst the vintage Rolex market is booming, the latest COSC certified 3132 movements with the parachrom hairspring are far superior to their predecessors with + 2 seconds a day precision. I get nervous with vintage watches, the opportunity to create frankenwatches increases, that is watches using non-original parts. The movements already exhibit wear and you have to trust previous owners serviced their timepieces only at authorised dealers.

The older series watches didn’t come with sapphire crystal so tend scratch easily although I’m told they buff out easily. Whilst not a feature of the Explorer, ceramic bezels don’t scratch or fade, the stainless steel bezel ring can scratch. The case is manufactured from 904L stainless steel, known by Rolex as Oystersteel and is more scratch resistant than competitors. For me, the Explorer is the quintessential Rolex timepiece and the model I would own.