I'm sure being a telemarketer is already bad enough but that's a pretty high probability that they're being replaced by robots. I'm also surprised (and unnerved) that pilots aren't much safer in their jobs. Fascinating: probability that computerization will lead to job losses in next decade, from Economist pic.twitter.com/mVKZ0g1bNW — Ben Malbon (@Malbonnington) January 20, 2014

There are some amazing photos and footage to have come out of Japan since the earthquake/tsunami. That's probably the main difference between this disaster and previous ones like the Asian 2004 tsunami - the amount of video take while it was occurring, particularly all those live shots taken from helicopters as the waves crashed in. Then all the videos taken by local news crew or crazy video camera owners who watched as the waves swamped around their feet. That photo shows a house having floated out to sea.. The level of destruction to north-east Japan means the blanket coverage of the Nuclear power plant is something of a distraction (at least at the moment). But what hasn't been mentioned so much in relation to the power plants is the huge strain on Japan's power generating capacity that this disaster has caused. Spike Japan gives a great run down of the implications - the prospect of continuous power cuts throughout Japan's main island for years to come.

Flicking through the channels tonight I was surprised when I stopped at the state broadcaster, ABC, and heard a slightly familiar Irish accent doing some sort of narration. Turns out it was none other than McWilliams himself Seems to be a joint production with Aussie and Irish tv but I wonder what the locals here would make of all the Dublin centric commentary. Not that it matters since they're all watching Australian Idol. ABC program link

Another New York Times article (this time by Paul feckin Krugman of all people!) detailing the miserable state of the Irish economy. Straight from the beginning it's bleak: “What,” asked my interlocutor, “is the worst-case outlook for the world economy?” It wasn’t until the next day that I came up with the right answer: America could turn Irish. Ouch. Cue all the replies in Irish newspapers complaining about the unfair picture foreign governments and journalists are giving about Ireland.. via NY Times

Another article in an international newspaper popped up featuring Ireland's economic woes the other day - this time in the LA Times. They nicely fitted it in with the delay/cancellation of the U2 tower in Dublin (design below). I guess it was a fitting symbol of the hubris of the past few years.. From the same source mentioning the LA Times article, someone suggested googling "next iceland". Of course Ireland showed up in the top results many times.

Anytime I read the paper from back home its more doom and gloom - how many more ,000 people have lost their jobs. Ireland's economy is being compared to that of Iceland, who's economic and banking collapse could have happened back home if it weren't for the Euro. Even Japan is shedding thousands of jobs from big brand companies like Sony and Toyota and the economy is as bad as anywhere. So I guess I should feel extra thankful at this stage to be working at all. Just a couple of months ago I was facing no extension of my visa and the prospect of job hunting anywhere else would now seem to be impossible. Australia is facing ,000 of job losses and recession. And with so many Australians abroad returning home from the UK and other countries whose economies are in trouble, it's almost a miracle I have a job at all! So it's probably time to temper my complaints about a long commute and less than inspiring work with the thought that I'm not thinking about paying for a mortgage when I've just lost my job.

Even the New York Times has noticed the burst bubble of the Irish economy, and in their lengthy article they've even noticed the whole pajama thing.. "..Social workers in Moyross refer to the “pajama index”: the more men and women one sees who do not take the time and care to dress for the day, the worse the economic situation tends to be." Alas, the pajama thing was never just confined to Moyross. link