There is no way that you could use more handwashing dishes. Not unless the tap was on the whole time. It's like comparing having a wash at the handling to having a shower.

A courier delivered a parcel of ours to a neighbour two doors away and once we discovered the error my partner went to the neighbour's house only to discover one of their sons (about 16yrs old) in the middle of eating some of the chocolates that he'd stolen from our parcel. The Warehouse were good about it though and redelivered the items no charge.

Yes I do .They never cared for that person anyway .The man I met 61yrs ago(and married 59yrs ago)didn't even have a job & was using his savings to pay board & lodgings.He was kind & caring & we did things that didn't cost money.He did eventually find work & we have moved forward .We raised 2 children on a tight budget .We went into business & were successful.We have retired as $millionaires.However money was not that important we were always millionaires with much love & laughter

I got robbed of large amount of money by non very ex cousin of wife. Money is gone and have moved on BUT won’t let her get 2nd go at it. If she knocks on the door it won’t be opened. Just maybe a bucket of water may accidentally get tossed out to clean the patio

i think they are still relvent,learnibg skills that arnt taught anymore,i have taught my children how to fish,hunt,grow their own food and find water and make a fire if they need too,These are skills i learnt as a boy and have never forgoten,if the sh#t goes down i want them to be able to help themselves instead of relying on others,unfortunatly a lot of these skills are not handed down anymore

I still think that people need to work in order to retain their sense of dignity, purpose and pride. I think a "top-up" system is okay, as long as you still need to work. Getting money for doing nothing does not help people.

This is the only law I really agree with in America. The legal drinking age of 21 and learning to drive at 16. That way they have time behind the wheel before being handed the keys to the pub as well

I don't own a TV! I have not watch TV in decades - this gives me time to do things that I enjoy doing!

I haven't been bitten by anything really dangerous. A small bite from an Alsation dog, but more in play than being aggressive, and of course a bull ant bite for stepping too close to their nest and of course mosquitos. Even my horse escapades didn't cause any bites, so I guess I am pretty lucky.

i think government and big business have made it so its near impossible for unions to operate,no power anymore,theres a reason 20 or 30 years ago,dad went to work,mum raised the kids and looked afer the home,one wage kept a roof on your familys head,food on the table,even a holiday someplace every year,maybe not overseas but a holiday some place nonetheless. This is impossible today,prices through the roof,wages going nowhere,while executives get big fat bonuses for every job they cut. I read someplace not long ago in the 60s and 70s bosses were paid 3 times the salary of a worker,now its hundreds of times more

Mixed feelings about that- it depends what they are being taught- if its to shoot and kill people and fixate on weapons then no but if its to teach hard work,fitness, team work, trade's, and helping people/communities in need in our country then yes for a year. And just to add it would need to be a "healthy" environment that doesn't secretly "allow" bullying and abuse.

A better option would be for people sending personal mail not just text message, email or a phone call. When possible meet in person for coffee cake or dinner would be my preferred birthday celebration. I often have to revert back to letters as all of my brothers and sisters are overseas.

I used to have thick hair but it has now thinned out. I think it's due to my anxiety and high stress. I'm always in a state of stress even if I am relaxing, always worrying about something. I suspect this is the cause of mine. I've tried supplements and I have had blood tests to check but nothing wrong there. What do others do to remedy this if anything?

I like to get out & go for a walk in nature, amongst the trees. Sit under a big tree or hug a big tree. Let all your worries & stress go then. Nature is a good healer in my opinion. Be free & relax with nature. Get away from the hussle & busyness of everyday life. Relax & feel free Angel in a natural environment. Natural nature will refresh you & relax you. I guarantee it.

with all due respect to rewardia panellists, I have a firm belief that folks who join the military or the police force are the ones who couldn't make it to be lawyers, doctors, architects, computer programmers and the list goes on.. Some of the police personnel make it to become politicians like the oaf Dutton, others rise in rank and become like the NSW deputy commissioner who stated lately in a televised news program that the police are tired of people breaking the quarantine rules (tired!!!!), srlsy? you are only issuing fines and nowadays all is computrized.

You need to peel the onion then sit it in the freezer for a couple of minutes then take it out and chop. No more tears.

I've discussed this with Grommie, my financial adviser. His wise words are: "in order to make a small fortune, you need to start with a large one."

good old rock n roll, yes, that was a great era, and real dancing. today's act of dancing is shaking your body all over the place, and sometimes is very explicit.. call me old school, rock n roll dancing is still no 1

Definitely masks need to be worn by all while out in public, this is a pandemic we are talking about here, no time to compromise, no need to complain.

Should life skills be taught by school districts - NO! Life skills should be taught by the kids' PARENTS. If a parent doesn't want to teach his/her kids' life skills, then the parent should not have kids!!!

Definitely not i understand people are in desperate need but whether people would see me as selfish with my comment but i came whole and im going whole i couldnt donate my adult sons organs the thought of them not going whole disturbed me drastically and strangers having bits of my children would have haunted me im sorry but its not for me

We used to have one (small) "dustbin" in the old days for all our household rubbish and sometimes that didn't even get full so we must have been better at recycling back then. Don't forget the backyard incinerators served a purpose and of course if you had a wood stove, well, all those old papers, cardboard and magazines were like free fuel to cook by or warm the house up. There weren't any drink cans and of course you took the soft drink bottles to the deli or where you bought your soft drinks from and had it deducted from your purchases. The rag man and other suchlike individuals would also call by periodically and relieve the households of such unwanted goods. We can almost say the in the old days recycling was a behind the scenes well functioning "industry" almost like backroom workers who were never acknowledged in the way they really deserved.

Xmas has become way too commercialised for my liking. Always got to buy the latest gadget for loved ones, and they do not come cheap.Nowadays it seems to be about who can outdo who and not about the gifts themselves. I actually make my grandchildren presents and as a rule of thumb, I always get them stuff that is educational and nothing to do with technology.

The situation compared to the 40’s & 50’s is so different lots of families need two incomes to cope with huge mortgages,cost of education,cost of utilities & food costs,it is much more difficult to save in one income families.

11 is far too young for an iphone. If he doesn't want anything else don't give him anything else. Sounds very spoilt to me.

University isn't for everyone plus l think it's over rated, What you learn there is not for every day living on the real world

It's sad that this question implies that dieting is normal - please love yourselves and don't fall into the trap of thinking that you need to be any kind of preferred 'normal' whether that be big, small or any combination of body shapes. When you die the only thing that matters is who you were which shouldn't be defined by appearance. Just aim for the kind of healthy that allows you the freedom to do the tasks you need to, have enough energy to get the job done and enough love and mental peace for those who mean the most.

I simply will not buy any Imported Meat, Fruit and Vegetables. If that means I have to go without something when it is out of season in Australia then so be it. Why support the economies of countries which don't give a damn about Australia? Why support Farmers in other countries when our own are doing it tough and in any case at least we know that our Farmers - be they Fruit, Veges or meats at least try to obey the rules when it comes to the use of Pesticides, Herbicides and other Carcinogens? Do we Really need those Grapes from the USA? Do we Really need that Asparagus from Peru or Mexico? Do we Really need that Pork from China and the USA? Of course we don't so Buy Australian!

I am Irish born and simply cannot believe the absurd amount of drama which has been generated, for which the media in general, but in particular those so-called "celbrities" from Commercial TV all chattering about a) How we should all behave and b) The terrible mental strain it has been for them! People, and in particular children and young ones, whinge about being alone, isolated and yet prior to Covid19 they all lived on their mobile phones - with one Adelaide family admitting the only way they could get their children out of their rooms (in the SAME house) to come to the dinner table was to contact them via their mobile phones! and now they are complaining as to how lonely and mentally stressed they are! What a load of nonsense and heaven help them and Australia if they ever have to face a Real War, be held in some ghastly prison camp with little food and no comfort!

I agree. Kids are inside and everything is disinfected these days. I say let them outside and eat dirt. Builds up the immunity like Tech never will

After leaving a rental house, during which time the bottom level was a few cm under water after a flood, I got a call from the landlord saying the house wasnt clean enough. I had scrubbed it and told her about the water downstairs which she had been kept up to date with for a few days previously. She told me the fans were dirty. I asked had she got up on a ladder and checked them which she replied no. I answered I had scrubbed them top and bottom and they were just old with flaky paint. After going back and forth for a while on different things she realised I had cleaned properly! Some agents are just rude and nasty

I 'do not' believe in farewell parties for leaving or retiring from a job. However, I 'do' believe in severance pay for leaving or retiring from a job.

YES! These rules and regulations are no just for the people who consume the stuff but for all those that don't. Protect yourself and others. Blow the whistle to stop endangering everybody's health.

I have never been a traveler, but more a homebody myself. I find if I'm away from where I call home more than 2 hours, I start feeling anxious. When I was young (I'm 77), I used to think about traveling around the USA, living in a motor home or travel trailer, and enjoying the beauty of the earth...Now I think about being in my recliner, holding my little puppy, Lacy, and watching travel shows on TV! ;-D

I'll never forget hearing my stepmother say, "You're 18 now. You can get out.", or something very close to that. I married my boyfriend in March, after he turned 18 in February, found a studio apartment while he joined the Marines to support us (1966 during the Viet Nam war), and had to go to war in May. I got a job babysitting where I lived. Dad brought me groceries until I got an allotment check. And started my life of constant failures, not that my childhood was any better... ;-(

WOW, IN OUR FAMILY, 7 KIDS PLUS MOM AND DAD. NOW THAT I HAVE LOST MY MOM AND DAD, I KNOW NOE HOW MUCH WORK THEY HAD TO DO FOR OUR FAMILY. RIGHT NOW I THINK BACK AT THE BAD THINGS I DID, NOT BIG ONES .NOW I CAN NOT SAY THINK YOU MOM AND THANKED ENOUGH. FOR BEING THERE FOR ME AND ALL OF USE. THANK MOM/ DAD LOVE YOU

You should live in Australia ! The 1 hour news starts with sport usually, if not you get a sports segment at 15 minutes, telling you about the sport that is coming on later.....then from not long after the half past you get ALL the sports, between that and the adverts there is not a lot of news and if you can sit through all that you FINALLY get to the weather forecast... If the showed the weather forecast first, I could then watch the first bit of news and switch off ! I HATE WATCHING SPORT

From experience boys that age love to run and jump and climb and ride\u2026 so Outdoors - Park/playgrounds, collect shells at the beach, bushwalks or short hikes out in nature. Gardening and planting seedlings or seeds in pots. Trampoline gyms or indoor clip and climb (fake safe rock climbing for kids), At home indoors - Lego, blocks, puzzles, games and books. Or if you know how to make homemade playdough could be fun! Enjoy

One of my classmates went on a cruise ship voyage with his parents as a teenager, discovered a need amongst the numerous widow passengers, and spent his life as a well remunerated gigolo.

For my marriage it is helping each when you are sick. We have been married 43 years my husband got hurt at work then got COPD and emphysema, then I had 5 strokes was paralyzed after my 3rd stroke. He takes very good care of me. I\u2019m glad he knows how to cook. It was good before but you know it\u2019s real after.

Rails on BOTH sides for slopes...AND handrails both sides on staircases too...it is obvious common sense and most of the time its just not there...well done lisa! ...the picture above shows clearly how NOT to do it....we have designers who know all this...why don't they use them?...to save money...and we wait till somebody get seriously injured or dies before we fix things....

I'm with you. I always acknowledge drivers for acknowledging something I've done and vice versa. Although there have been many times when the little devil on my left shoulder wants to come out and say something but the little angel on my right shoulder always wins. I normally try and think what certain drivers are going to do before they do it. I do often say that the driver must be in a hurry for their own funeral or they must be very rich to pay for their fines and damages as well as mine. In the long run it really isn't that hard to be nice.

The guest of course! Fame comes w/ a price tag called publicity and every aspirant to the arts wants a lot of publicity yet w/o their fans they get little or none! Then when they hit it big-time, all of a sudden they want privacy even from their fans! I myself am a creative writer of fanfictions which I share online and I have a huge following and an even larger number of readers of my works. I elarned long go, anyone in the arts must grow a thick skin and the best example of this is the real US prez and our GOP Savior Trumpy! He could care less what folks think of him! He is quoted as saying 'No, I am NOT a politician, good or bad. However, I am a business man and a damned good one too! If you fail to vote for me, don't come crying to me later when my opponents get into power again!' Good luck today on Friday the 13th. Why is it an unlucky day? Long ago during the Crusades in Europe and the Middle East, the king of France (Phillip the Fair) owed a huge sum to the Knights Templar and to avoid paying what he owed, he made a deal w/ the Pope to have the Knights arrested and tried on heresy which is more lies from the Catholics to steal and lie and cheat and grab lands for the Church and the Crown. Of course, the Knights got wind of this and sailed away on several ships w/ all their loot and money and that treasure trove is still missing! The leaders of the Templars and as many of their followers they could find (which were not numerous!) were burned at the stake or hanged! Then the greedy Pope and King raided the Templar churches and found 'housekeeping funds' amounting all told to a few thousand French Francs- maybe in today's market- $500! If you want to read a good book re the Templars, find Umberto Eco's (He wrote the Name of the Rose too) novel 'Foucault's Pendulum' which advances many theories as to the location of the Knights' treasure trove.

'Steeping back'? i thought this might be a discussion about how to make a good cup of tea!?! guess not...maybe it should be about spelling or grammer...

There will always be thieves, as some do it because they feel others have more than them even if it is not to on sell. Seems those who can't be bothered to either work and/or save for what they want will steal because of their warped sense of 'entitlement'

No I think it is rank. Yes some countries / cultures eat insects, spiders and anything basically that walks the earth including dogs, cats, whales, dolphins, monkeys, birds, fish, in fact all wild life even if some are dangerous and life threatening. Now, companies want us to eat insects and down the track a few years we will be called out for diminishing the insects of the world. The methane can be controlled from cattle, giraffes, elephants, sheep etc. by just adding a tiny bit of a certain seaweed that can be cultivated at a minimal cost but I guess the acreage can produce more vegetables and so a higher financial yield and hence the BS about us needing all to go vegan and eat insects. Give me my meat any day. We developed eating meat which made our brains smarter. Maybe due to less meat being eaten, this is why people are becoming so much more stupider these days.

no my mum worked at a large store and said they mark them up to put them down for a sale not interested

Mine was back in the 70's visiting relatives I'd never met in Romania "Transilvania the part that used to belong to Hungary before the infamous "Trianon Treaty. That was an adventure and a half indeed.

In Australia long ago we made our own products and they lasted decades now a kettle may last a year if you are lucky. We rely too much on other Countries inferior products and yes it all ends up in land fill

No idea but as little as possible. Electricity is going up and up and they are saying there is not enough to go around yet they are bringing in EV by the 1000's so go figure. Putting up those horrible wind turbines which harm the environment and biodiversity let alone the animals and catch fire and are environmentally bad news and no discussion with the people who have to live near them. Then they say they are going to turn off the gas, no coal and we have the cleanest coal in the world and to top it off want to bring in nuclear which is so dangerous and I don't care what they say. How many have caused disasters around the world. Our electricity has gone up 100% in a very short time and going up again. Since they privatised it they have just taken the profits and run with them and left a mess for the taxpayer to pay for.

1. Tradies are in demand. 2. Parts take awhile to arrive. 3. If it's under warranty what's the concern? You're not paying for it. 4. Appliances are now mass produced. Forget quality from the good old days. More parts, more technology = more problems.

I deliberately did not live up to the expectations my parents 'had' for me in life (since it was my life - not theirs) - which led to physical abuse. My parents got divorce - remarry other people and had more kids - which led to me being the odd kid OUT ( I know - Life is not FAIR - LOL). I became a runaway at 13 years old (when I finished the eighth grade in the USA). I will be estranged from my family this coming June (2024) - it will be 65 years (pain free - emotionally, mentally, physically, and psychologically) - let the good times (estrangement) - roll forever or least till I DIE! Estrangement from my family has elicited 'HAPPINESS AND JOY' - anyway - for me! In my case - reconciliation is N(EVER) going to happen (under any circumstances)!

Watch the foxes don't bite any of your animals etc. I know a cat that was bitten by a fox. Apart from the bite it also passed a disease to the cat that was life threatening.

I can kind of relate to what your asking because, at some point in the near future, I will be in a similar one, one in which my OWN children and my father, if I told him beforehand, would strongly oppose! I am one of 2 children and I'm the oldest by almost 2 years. Now I had my 5 kids early in life and my brother and his wife were in their mid to late 30's before they decided to become parents. When his youest child was just 10 my brother died in a vehicle crash at age 53. At that point he cut off his relationship with his grandchildren, my brother's children. I believe this was due to him hating my ex SIL as she had ended their marriage, but they were not yet divorced. I had to tell my father that my brother was dead, which was horrible, but it was NOT my SIL's fault that my brother chose to speed up the highway at 150 kms per hour as he was heading to see a woman that he had recently begun seeing. He still lived in a caravan on the property he owned with his current wife and it was VERY amicable and my SIL was aware of the woman my brother was going to see and she herself had begun a new relationship. This is important for the next part of the story. My brother had mental health problems throughout his life and my SIL had been extremely supportive and did everything she could to help him. Consequently she did a LOT of the parenting over the years. But when my father heard about their relationship ending he developed a hatred towards her because she was already in a relationship with a friend of theirs and after the actual funeral service, before his own grandchildren could come out and see him, he left. After that point he cut them off financially and hasn't seen them since before the death over 4 years ago. My father's Will now states that I get everything when he dies. Now this would be great for me as I don't own a home of my own and I could buy one, but it's NOT right and my intention is to go against my father's wishes and divide the Estate in 2, giving my neices and nephew what they would have been entitled to had their father not died. It will mean that my own children will get less between them once I too die however it is the ONLY way I can live with! Thanks for reading and I apologise for it being so long!

Parents should always keep a close eye on their children because it only takes a few seconds or minutes for an accident to happen..leave the phone viewing for when you are at home and the kids are tucked up for the night.

It is one thing to be a 'snitch'. It is something else to be a 'whistleblower'. You did not provide enough information in your scenario for me to offer a suggestion. Under the scenario you provided - my response is to keep your misgivings (of the individual in question) to yourself!

Who decides what is normal ? Just be yourself and don't worry about others, and just enjoy one day at a time

I was in a loveless relationship for 17 years. We ran businesses together and he was a highly respected person within the Irish community in London. It suited him to have me on his arm at formal events and functions and I was never going to give up the lifestyle! It's not for everyone but it worked for us.

Not all retirement villages are run like that. I live in a Freedom Lifestyle Village where I get the capital gain if I was needing to sell. We have a great manager and I am very happy here

It\u2019s nice to keep giving you also may need them some day just let them know that your happy to give but could they please come a bit later as you are sleeping and are being woken up

From what you have described, to me it seems like they don't sound like friends in deed but like "friends" in need of having someone handy to vent on or boss around. I'm not sure if it's worth your while at looking around who are avoiding them and they might be more like the friendships you could cultivate.

Handy tip Thanks for sharing Carolyn, we just clean ours with a damp sponge after it has cooled some but still warm. We at the moment are living in a construction site as hubby is renovating our little home so things are a bit more dustier than usual. We are pretty clean people to start with so a little bit of dust here and there doesn't phase us. Right now it is just too hard to keep the dust off every thing and I must admit I am messier than my hubby but I am still organised. Things will improve when things are starting to get finished like kitchen and en suite. Who knew there was so much to learn about water proofing and council requirements.

First up, Put Away that damned phone and speak to the Person who is serving you. Make them feel they are appreciated. There is almost nothing more Rude, more degrading of a person's self-esteem if you are simply ignoring them and chattering nonsense on your phone at the top of your voice. In my experience Women are the worst offenders! Give them a genuine Smile, Thank Them and wish them a Safe Day. All of this does work wonders and think a bit as to how you would like to be treated if the roles were reversed.

I have a heart of gold, don't deliberately set out to hurt anyone. Loyal, great friend, honest, funny, March to the beat of my own drum. Proud to be unique.

Budget, that's what I was told as a teenager. The budget works this way; 20% pay to savings, 50% pay to household expenses including mortgage or rent, 10% pay to holidays, 10% pay to clothing and 10% pay to emergency fund. I stuck to this budget and now I look back and am so proud we own our own home, we have had three round the world crusies and several other holiday trips. We have money in the bank and we are having a pretty good retirement. Pity about the current government they seem to be pushing up inflation and the cost of living is rising. I expect we will have to have a recession as we did when Keating was in power. I think we will be okay though, fingers crossed.

AI could wipe out humanity. A Terminator scenario unless checks and balances are set. Ai is exciting but scary to

Its called looking after your mates. Harvey Norman got $23 million from job keeper payments. Another person in mining made a motza from it as well. I got 0000,zilch,zero,nothing as my wife works and Centrelink said BAD LUCK. We can't be paying money to all who sneak in the back door and paid nothing in taxes. I worked for 50 years paid taxes and get nothing

People don't know how to communicate with their mates without texting, I've seen two kids side by side texting each other, what's next?

From your given information, I assume that your youngest would be 15 years old and possibly close to finishing school. It would be nice for them coming home to a welcoming face. If it's for financial reasons, to supplement the family budget, as has become a sad reality for many families today, perhaps casual work between 9am and 3pm would be practical. Work with those hours is availlable as I know a lady who works those hours at a large furniture outlet, who finishes at 3pm to pick her kids up from school. She works 4 days per week. From personal experience, my wife looked after our family for 25 years. The kids have all moved on with the exception of our 14 year old. So at 51 she decided she wanted to work, and put in resume after resume with dozens of businesses. Her first job was as a house keeper in a resort. Early start, deadlines and hard yakka. She kept putting resumes in and after about 2 years ended up getting work in a supermarket. She now is a supervisor/assistant manager, works under contract between 20 and 30 hours per week being on call. For mental health reasons, this has been most beneficial for her. Four questions I would ask myself is: Why? Is it necessary? What are the benefits? What is the downside? Its ultimately a decision you need to make.

Ex-wife never got pregnant while we were married to each other (and I never made the mistake of getting marry again - lol) - not my issue - don't know or care - but - I definitely don't miss not having any kids.

Have a happy, long life together! Maturity might help you in that, but there are other difficulties arising from two previously very independent people living together. You seem to be over the adjustments so...that’s great.

The shoe phone the best invention. Thankyou Maxwell Smart.

If you are not sure just ask for their number and address and tell them you will phone them back. Spammers will hang up at that point.

My cousin showed my dad 'Plants Vs Zombies' phone app and now he is addicted. One game and one only but he never gets off! he is also 68

There are in excess of 8 billion people on the planet and companies are doing everything to reduce the amount of jobs for people. We need people in jobs, not on dole queues put people back in the workforce like in restaurants and cafes! We all need to feel worthwhile and working is important to people. l will not order like this and I will go to a check out person rather than a machine so people can have jobs.

no confidence what so ever, I won't even do internet banking. when you have been hacked, you are SO cautious, I have the majority of my bills direct debit, all the rest, PayPal, I don't take any chances. I am so careful with my internet use, no public Wi fi, no NBN, (too expensive anyway) only use personal hotspot with my phone and laptop, clear the history after each use, no I won't take any chances, I signed up to Scam watch to keep abreast to what scams come up, have to be careful these days, if they can hack government websites, they can hack anyone.

The lie sounds better than the truth, wants to hide the truth because in some cases it can be shocking etc. It's frustrating when people lie but thinking about the reasons is just going to cause you stress.

IT TAKE A LONG TIME TO FALL IN LOVE. YOU HAVE TO BE FRIENDS FIRST, OTHERWISE IT DOESN'T WORK. WHEN I FIRST MET MY WIFE 45 YEARS AGO I DIDN'T EVEN LIKE HER. TODAY, I COULDN'T IMAGINE LIFE WITHOUT HER.

I feel that you shouldn't have children unless you are going to be there for them. I was a single mum and refused to work until they were school age.

Most people will get by "BUT"they just have to forego some luxuries.Grow their own vegies (even in pots if no garden)don't eat out get the kids helping with home cooking.Go for walks & play (supervised) in the Parks & on Beaches.Collect shells & get kids painting .Show the kids how to manage money & budget .Have friends get together ,work out a menu & each take a "plate "Our parents survived "The Depression"& so will we .

are you sure it was his route ,was it the correct bus, my dad was a bus driver and he would take you to your door,that was 40 years ago ,but i know they are /were really good guys

An animal joins the family. They are not toys to be left at the mercy of a child to learn how to look after. The child learns to take care of the animal by others in the family teaching him/her, leading by example. The animal will bond with someone, and it may not ne the child. If you are not animal lovers I would not suggest getting any pets at all.

I'm never alone because I suffer from manic depression, wherever I go my dog comes with me. Since my husband passed away I have suicidal thoughts but my dog Soxy, helps me through it.

have a Simpson twin tub that was a hand-me-down from my parents have no idea how old, gotta be older than me, still works a treat

It can be a nightmare to see a doctor in rural towns. And to make things worse, in our town the clinic insists that if you need to book an appointment, you need to ring up at a quarter to nine in the morning so they can slot you in. Any other time you ring up they simply brush you off and tell you to call at that specific time the next day. Trouble is, you try to ring at that time, and every man and his dog is also trying to ring through, and the line is so busy you can never get through. It's crazy. And now even pensioners are asked to pay a gap fee to see a doctor. There's no bulk billing anymore. As if everyone is not financially stretched enough at this time due to inflation!! I can see many people not bothering to see a doctor at all now when they really should be, and then getting really sick, perhaps even dying. Clearly $20 might not seem a big deal to politicians and to those running the clinic, but it's a lot of money to pensioners. And if you arrange a consultation via telephone the gap fee is even more - $27. How do they work that one out? I thought the whole point of tele-health appointments was to encourage people to take it up, especially with COVID over the last few years. But why do this when it's cheaper to physically see the doctor?

Isn't the problem today that people want their McMansion, a huge house with 6 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, 3 car - they must, of course, be BMWs, Mercedes 4WDs - Garages, the obligatory Pool, Top-of-the-range BBQ, A kitchen with the latest hi-tech, most expensive equipment, a den, an office, a rumpus room, a formal lounge or two. Yes, you can have all trhat straight away IF you win Lotto but you know that is in all probability not going to happen. Our parents started Small and gradually over the years moved into, if not bigger, certainly better houses. Today's younger people want, no they Need, Instant Gratification, they think they are Entitled to it - despite not having the money to pay for it. As we have seen in Australia, and reportedly overseas as well, there was a huge spike in the price of houses in recent years, Interest Rates were low, and Yes, Australia's Reserve Bank told us that they would remain low until at least 2024 which was wrong but it was inevitable they would start to go up sometime. Young people kept on borrowing huge amounts of money without giving a thought to the future. They wanted and "Must Have" everything. Interest Rates started to rise and have kept rising. House Prices are dropping, wages are remaining stagnant and now people are in trouble. Their houses are now worth less than what they owe the banks, eventually people won't be able to keep up the payments, the banks will foreclose and then what? People will start demanding that "The Government does something". I make no apology for writing this, but people have brought this on themselves. Greed and Self-Gratification are now the God Kings.

No plans. I usually spend the day by myself anyway. I have given up putting up the Christmas tree now. I think when the children are young it is fun but as you age it all becomes a bit ho hum and especially these days when it has become so commercialised.

Today in NZ there are thousands of jobs available if you cant find one then YOU have a problem, are YOU really looking at ALL your options, look out side the box and you may be in for a pleasant surprise.

Maybe I am just old fashioned but why do self-styled parents dump their trophy kids with strangers to rear them? Yes, I know all about that phony claim that couples need two highly paid jobs just to live - at the same time we hear endless complaints by one or other of them that "Child Care costs absorb all of one of our incomes"! Since when was it unacceptable for one of the parents to stay at home and do the rearing themselves? Why do so many of these highly paid people think that "The Government" - read "Other Taxpayers" should pay for the rearing of their children? Don't want to bring up your own children? Then don't have any. Make up your minds. Is it Career or Family you want? What makes these people think they are "Entitled to both? You have a $1 million mortgage? Do you really need that 6 bedroom, 7 bathroom, 4 Car Garage, the Pool, the 3, 4 or 5 Entertainment areas? What is wrong with starting out with a modest house, car and Planned Children whom you are prepared to look after yourselves?

Too many toys -- what happened to sending your children out in the back yard for an afternoon of discovering and making up their own games and toys.

try growing them in your own garden,they take up vey littl room and taste s a lot better than the ones you bu in a supermarket,

Potatoes are easy to grow and keep down the weeds as well ... plant some a few weeks apart as to have new ones constantly coming up and just dig up what you immediately need ... treat the ground as your cellar ... can do the same with lettuce as well, just peel off as in break off what you need, try not to cut it with a knife so it doesn't start going brown ... I do the same with the ones in the fridge, they last fresh longer.

Really ? Bill Cosby, O.J.Simpson, Martha Stewart, Harvey Weinstein, Oscar Pistorious, Robert Hughes, Gary Glitter, Rolf Harris and I could go on. I know people raise these topics for the points but come on. Put some thought into it.

I have a large vegetable & flower garden & it is outside where it belongs getting natural sunshine & water & I can enjoy it from inside

Bugger, I thought it was Body Mobbing. It has been a few years since anyone has wanted to mob my body. Alas I do not look good naked anymore. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOgd9hitEAE

Never burn your bridges unless there are a lot of Russian tanks on them at the time....and....come on everyone..... when life throws you some gristle....have a little whistle......AND...always look on the bright side of life....

YES! Paper/physical copies are so much better. You can keep them around as long as you want, earmark pages you like, and it's easier to go back and forth. Online isn't the same. Environmental bs is just that: bs. Paper is recyclable and technology is made from plastic and fossil fuels anyway.

I'm been single for about 4 years....it's taken that long to get over it and because of that relationship I'm scared to find someone but then I'm scared of dying alone...I'm 64 and gay...

Depends of the threshold. When the poor can only afford to eat one meal a day I really don't care about the rights of the haves. I am sick and tired of the wealthier stating that $250 000 is not big wage and that they pay too much in child care, taxes, whinge, whine.... It is time for a revolution. Up against the wall with the richest as they are making people starve. Yes, that is an economic fact!

If they bought the cost down a good bit many people would take it up but every July up it goes and people start to pull out. Our health system here in Australia over the past 10 or so years has just gone down and down with hospitals closed, staff shortages but costs rising in part due to the top people getting paid very high salaries. Systems put in place that are not logical or workable in many cases. The age care sector is a disgrace. It is time to put someone in charge to go through it all bit by bit and get solutions that are workable yet still cost effective without limiting the care required.