Am praying for a better year in 2023 as the last 3 years have taken its toll on everyone in one form or another

Farming is an ancient and noble profession. David was a shepherd and Jesus was a figurative shepherd.

It's all about selfishness. It's all about me, me, me and not us. I have watched as people care far more about themselves now and their feelings. How else do you explain so many relationship breakdowns? People have no respect for one another, or integrity, honesty, manners or loyalty. I met my husband when I was 16 and at 18 needed my parents permission to marry him. When we tell people we have been married for almost 55 years instead of congratulating us people make jokes such as you don't get that long for murder. Shouldn't a marriage that has lasted that long be valued or even admired instead of denigration?

Derek T, I agree with Trevor M, I am 67,still working in mining,still going strong,still in reasonable shape, lot of surveys will ask age, then screen you out,that is fine,some are looking for younger views,etc, but I still have an opinion on most thinks and consider myself reasonably intelligent,( I only said reasonably)

romac i agree with everything you said. i live in nz and i find that today every body expects the govt to pay for every thing, i think children have all the sporting they want at school and if parents want more for them let them pay for it themselves

No way but I think that children who are neglected and abused should be removed and rehomed with other family if possible or alternatively placed into foster care. All children deserve to be loved and nurtured and kept safe. Having a lot of money and a flash home, does not automatically make you a good parent. A good parent is one who loves their child and does the best with what they have. I also strongly believe , that welfare payments should only be paid for up to 2 children. The world is over-populated as it is. No family should be getting bonuses for having more kids than they can afford to have. These days, it costs a fortune to bring up a child. Selfish parents who breed like rabbits, should not expect the tax payer to subsidise more than the first two.

i think we are already under attack,just look at how politicians and big business are decimating our planet and lives,lololol

Unless you are disciplined when it comes to money, stay away from these kinds of things. Do it like it we did in the old days; save up for it! No credit cards in those days!

There is nothing wrong with capitalism. It is dishonest and greedy people who are the problem. Thing is, dishonest and greedy people are an even bigger problem in a socialist society. Socialism will only lead to poverty for many more people is a socialist society than in a capitalist society.

The reality is that the so called minimum wage has become an artificial construct. Very few people are on it. And with the increasing casualisation of the work force we need new measures to ensure workers are protected.

British clever humour. The 2 Ronnies, Are you being Served, Porridge, Frank Spencer, Dave Allen, Hyacinth Bucket, Tommy Cooper, Benny Hill. So many great classics.

Younger generations have different life priorities than us older generations had. They want everything all at once, where we had nothing and slowly accumulated what we have. When younger generations are now staying in the family home sponging off their parents well into their thirties while still partying with their mates, of course they need the bank of mum & dad to help them. THEY are not our problem. They are their own problem.

I would not invite into the house at first; wave when you see them; speak and say hello if you are close enough. Chit chat when a random opportunity presents itself. That's what I do.

It can lead to a domino effect. More attention on your daughter. More boy attention on your daughter. More money spent on makeup. Daughter is not working yet to pay for makeup. I could go on and on. Delay her gratification. She is still young. No rush to grow up!

My mother was a HORRIBLE cook. My father was a HORRIBLE cook. Neither of my parents cooked anything that I wanted to eat more than once - sad but true - LOL!

The last trip I took was from Texas to Washington state, where I've lived for the past 12 years. My "husband" was moving us here to retire, so I thought. We left TX May 3'rd and arrived in Oak Harbor, WA on May 20th, 2013. Worst 17 days of my life! He "said" his bank card wasn't working, so he begged, borrowed and maybe even stole to get us here. Slept in the vehicles that night, then got a room at the Navy Lodge on base here on Whidbey island. I don't even drive off island! Oh, sorry...He went to his sons graduation in TX and never returned! I was evicted from the Lodge on July 3'rd, 2013, went back to work until COVID-19, when I retired, again, at age 72. Sorry, guess I'm still venting... ;-(

The idea of a sweet tooth is strange isn't it?...I wonder who thought that one up...whatever part of your body craves sugar..it is certainly not your teeth!

Your story is so confusing you need to set it out more clearly to understand in what are you trying to say

your expectation may or may not be reasonable. Did you research the hotel before booking? Did you speak to someone at the hotel to book? Or did you book online or through central reservations? If you spoke with someone and asked about what the check-in process looked like or somehow researched it in advance, you may be reasonable in expecting a more in-person experience. However, if you're booking experience did not involve any human interaction and you did not inquire about the check-in process, why would you expect a high-touch check-in experience.

The lives that narcissists ruin.. Now we have many country leaders who fall into that category. Their ability to wreck millions of lives is tragic. Do I need to name them? Let's say Russia, USA, North Korea, Israel. While the definition notes that there are more male narcissists than females, believe me, the female ones certainly exist. Often they are more difficult to spot.

My nightmares have been telling me that I was EXTREMELY traumatized by my ex-husband and with medication for PTSD I can usually just have bad dreams now where he's just yelling and threatening and not actually doing. I still have a nightmare now and then but not nearly as often. After 29 years it's frustrating that he still affects my life this way.

I manage an op shop/thrift store, and have noticed we are getting more customers. Mainly because so many of the chain stores have closed in our area (Rivers, Millers etc.) Our shop is manned by volunteers so are prices are lower than some of the shops that pay coordinators and managers. We also go with standardised pricing across the shop with a sperate rack for higher cost items. Our proceeds after expenses are given back to the community via donations to a variety of local groups such as the local food hub, carers groups, youth groups etc. It also a great opportunity to stop items going to land fill, we sell bags of rags to mechanics etc to dispose of clothing which is badly stained or torn.

I find myself saying things like, "stay, don't move," to inanimate objects when I'm cleaning around them, lol, because I'm afraid they'll fall if I accidentally bump into them. Weird?! Yes, lmao

Before you became ill, what did you do for work? Maybe you could use those skills to help you make some money? I haven't been able to hold down a PT or FT job since 2019 due to various health issues and I am a similar age to you (but have 4 kids). I would ask your family Dr or chemist where you get your medication for a Medicines Review, they will go over them with you, and if you let them know you're finding it hard to pay for your medication, they may be able to recommend a cheaper option. Your kids are still young, they will be fine with basics- buy no-name clothes (KMart, Big W, Best & Less if in Oz) and shop at op shops. You'll be fine without the brands and labels too- that will help to save a lot of money. Buy generic/store brand foods at the supermarkets and grow the more expensive fruit and veg if possible. When grocery shopping, don't pay more than $5/kg for fruit/veg and $15/kg or less for meats- these items are usually in season and affordable cuts that can be used in a variety of ways. As others have mentioned, join up to other survey sites, if you're in a metro area do focus groups- they often pay $40-$100/hr, but your often limited to doing 2-4 of these a year. Be honest as all market research places share a data base as well as a black list and they do know who is trying to do these on a regular basis to get more money or don't contribute honestly. Contact your utility providers and see if they can review your account/s, is there a different plan that would work better for your family. Cancel all TV subscriptions, only watch regular TV (ABC, 7, 9, 10 & SBS all have 3-6 channels offering different types of shows). Only buy new technology when what you currently have breaks or no longer works, you really do not need to update to a newer model just because it's new. Kids really do not need phones, the longer you can hold off getting them phones, the better (My kids get a basic phone for their 16th birthday, but i would have preferred to hold off until they turned 18). As for what else you can do to make extra money- sell those items around the house that you haven't used in a year or more. Sell on FB Marketplace, ebay, garage sales, gumtree, etc. Just make sure you're aware of your potential buyers as scammers are everywhere, meet in a well lit, CCTV monitored public place (in front of Police stations can daunt those dodgy buyers/scammers), especially for goods of a higher value.

I already have "craptcha" and I should submit it for approval. You all know what it means but if you can't figure it out: " when an antibot puzzle (captcha) is difficult to see, hear or solve making it impossible to log into a site or an activity thereby defeating its purpose of proving you are human as the human doing it cannot solve it"

I am 76 in a few months so hopefully healthy and still enjoying life. I have read a lot of posts that seem to be doom and gloom. There are no guarantees in life but surely you can enjoy the time you have whether short or long instead of being so defeated. We all have ups and downs, losses and gains. I just lost my 15 year old dog to cancer 2 weeks ago and she was the love of my life and I am still grieving. She was a fighter and it was only the final 2 days that I decided to call time. I have lost both parents and 2 of my sisters all to cancer but they never laid down or felt defeated. They kept going till the end. Enjoy the time you have whether it be long or short. Look forward not backwards. We all have regrets, hopes that were dashed, pain, sickness and loss. Try to have a laugh at least once a day.

The biggest waste of money I have ever spent! I was told by friends that I needed to get one so I bent to the peer pressure and paid good money for a good brand. I have used it once! I can do more in the oven using the same amount of fats and oils. It took longer using the air fryer and there's only the two of us to cook for. How families make meals in them is beyond me! I do cook from scratch rather than use processed products so maybe that's the difference. Does anyone want a Brabantia air fryer?..... going cheap!

I don't know and I don't care 'if' there is a possibility life exist on other planets in a vast universe. We (humans) have enough ongoing environmental issues on this planet (over-population, lack of fresh water, climate-change, etc.) - that life might cease to exist on this PLANET - other words spending money on space exploration is a COMPLETE WASTE OF TAXPAYERS' MONEY. Furthermore, if E.T. decides to phone home - MAKE SURE - it is a COLLECT CALL. FYI: I think planet is spelt planet instead of plant (but English is not my first language - LOL)!

That many things? lol. I can't leave home without my apartment building key...cuz then I cannot get back into my building to be able to get into my apartment.

Perhaps if you are caught or cause an accident and found to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs then your licence should be removed permanently.

I'm Blessed because my bank doesn't charge for ATM withdrawals, or their checking or savings accounts ($50 saving minimum), so I never have any fees to pay! They even give nice gifts on our birthdays if we come into the bank. I've received an umbrella (with their name on it, of course), coffee mugs, and others. I love my bank, and will never change! ;-D

Ignore it. My husband will help anyone to fix things for family and friends but he has been building some shelves for me. (It has been 10 months since he started to make them for me).

I do not remember having either. I grew up with playing with sticks, then cars/trucks, then Zorro mask and cap guns.

Everything that does our thinking for us, including calculators, and that's quite a long list. When we quit using our God given brains, and let machines do our thinking and creating for us, we're dehumanizing ourselves. You may agree to disagree, but please be kind. I was born in 1947, before technology. I love living simply, and using my own brain! ;-D

What is my dream (no need to be greedy) - for 2025 - to be ABOVE ground (let the 'good times' continue to roll) - ROFL!

NO! It was a bad idea during the GREAT DEPRESSION, and it is a worst idea during these ongoing tough economic times - because the money should be spent on feeding kids!!

This one, for sure! They don't know what 'play' is anymore, just iPhone games! They are probably the least happy and healthy generation we've ever had in history! They went through COVID-19, and isolation, they are bullied and body shamed on Social Media! My God, please save them from themselves! \ud83d\ude2d

I prefer to think of a time where all the good stuff from the past combines with all the good stuff from the present, and there's reincarnation so I'll get a chance to live there. As corny as it sounds, I'd love for a time where all the nonsense stops and everyone has a chance to really be happy.

My family doesn't believe in giving physical gifts. Have ever I still have a lot of very fond memories of my step-grandmother (I do not have any fond memories of my birth mom, biological father, stepfather, stepmom, stepsiblings, siblings, DNA relatives or non-DNA relatives except one) - when I think of my step-grandmother - she STILL brings a smile to my face and an ache in my heart - EVEN in the year 2024 - she was the only person in-my-so-called-family - HAHA - who ever care about me when I was a kid! My step-grandmother explained to me more than once - lol - YOU DO NOT GET TO PICK YOUR FAMILY, THEREFORE BE VERY PICKY WHEN IT COMES TO PICKING YOUR FRIENDS!

my trans son/ daughter has gone from Brian to Brynn it did upset me quietly as he was named after my father but it is his life, as a parent I have honored that but I do find it hard to address his /her name and tend to use terms of endearment,it has been 10 years since his change, I still miss my son although I love what he/she has done with her/his life since the change, it has been a really tough thing to deal with its like going to a funeral but no one died

When I first joined the Navy, my mother told me to save a deposit and buy a house in Devonport on the north shore of Auckland and get flatmates in to help pay the mortgage. At 19, the last thing I wanted was a $200,000 mortgage!!! Those $200,000 houses are now worth in excess of $3mil.

They all do that now. What was considered a little bit of money is now considered lots. They are just abiding by cash laws which compels them to report suspicious transactions. By law any transaction that is considered suspicious can be reported even if it is below $10000. It is no longer "your money, Ralph".

Hwew we g o again! men are being blamed for everything. They Must do exactly as they are told to by some female. It is his dresser, his side of the bed, you have invaded his space - something you women constantly tell us we are doin to you - and have interfered in his Walk-in Closet by going in and clearing out his things and then ordering him to put his things there. Hopefully he will find he has nothing to throw away. Just how full are is Youir Walk-in Closet and other containers around the house? When are You going to clear out Your junk? The revolution is coming.

Beauty pageants have been around for many years especially in the USA and mothers are really competitive to the detriment of their children. I have to agree with Christina, competition with kids, their birthday parties, etc. is all to do with the parent/s whereas children generally just want to have fun with their friends. We used to call it keeping up with the Jonses, now it is way out of control. Putting little children in full makeup, hair, expensive outfits is just sickening.

Those kind of people shouldn't have pets to begin with. Selfish people. If you don't want to commit to a pet in all aspects, don't get one!

Don't take any notice of them. I'm almost 81 & hubby 83. & we love our dog. Wouldn't be without her. Work with a rescue group & still help daughter with the ones she gets. At the moment she has 9 puppies she's looking after. Our dog has 2 long walks every day. It's already planned that if we aren't here then she will take our dog to live with her own two dogs. Just do it, it will give you a new lease on life.

I wear whatever I am comfortable wearing and care nothing for anybody else's opinion of what I wear or don't wear. I have no idea what 'acting your age' is supposed to look like & quite frankly wouldn't give a rats. I'd probably tell them to go take a long walk off a short plank, but in much more colourful language.

Amen to that! I've never worked a job where the women didn't have some kind of problems. Jealousy, envy, prejudice, gossip, who knows. I just know I worked better with men than with women. ;-D

I would say, selfishness. Only being concerned about what they want and what makes them happy. Couldn't care less about what the other partner wants or needs, doesn't care about the children. Some how I found myself married to such a person, the marriage officially lasted 12 years.

It does not involve making sacrifices, it only requires consideration for the other person within the relationship.

Watching a child be amazed at something they are experiencing or seeing for the first time. That look of wonder and giddiness is so fulfilling

Last week at 8pm, driving home from Wellington airport, it was raining and windy, just came out of the Terrace tunnel, saw a car on the road shoulder with a man bending over the engine trying to get it going {middle couple with grandson}.His wife and a child were in the car, I pulled out infront of them, I could not start their car. so I tow them all the way to Plimerton. They were so happy, the man say, he will have his son look at it in the morning.They thank me so many times I left, I drove through the red light , I didi not see a cop car, he pulled me over. Just as he was about to write me a ticket his private phone rung. He went back to the patrol car. He came back and ask me where i just came from. I explained.what i did , I mention a certain address. and he say thank you for helping them. so please don't drive through a red light again. I would have faced a huge fine

No, they are fun and good entertainment. If you are responsible with them its fine. Its part of being in a free country.

I say no to daycare if you don\u2019t have to. I watch my grandsons while mommy goes to work. I definitely did not want anyone else raising my grand babies.

My husband and I barely had two nickels to rub together. We felt it was wrong to expect our families to pay for what we wanted. We paid for 90% of it ourselves and a few things were gifted to us. We only had 30 people at the wedding and this included the minister and Bishop. We only invited the people who were most important to us. We had a sandwich buffet after the service.

Sounds great but, in Australia, where we have 4 Large Supermarket chains, Aldi, Coles, Foodland IGA and Woolworths, the instant any of them, particularly Coles or Woolworths, they are both big but not as big as Foodland IGA and compared to the rest of the world minnows when compared to the likes of the 12,000 stroong Aldi shops, try to do anything the self-appointed Great Protectors of the Public, Australia's majority Foreign Owned Media and the Taxpayer Owned Australian Broadcasting Commission accuse them of bullying, of standover tactics. Coles and Woolworths simply cannot win, never mind that they are Australian, they employ 100s of 1000s of Australians and unlike German-owned Aldi they keep the money they make in Australia and pay their fair share of Australian Taxes. We don't shop Aldi because of their dishonest advertising.

I will sum up this problem I see repeated again and again in just one statement. Modern woman seeks traditional man.

The whole concept of "good manners " went by the wayside when we lost the ability to punish our kids with a swift kick in the pants. The current generation have no respect at all. Rewarding phone use? That's subjective. If someone is in conversation with me, I expect their full attention. People in public? Well they're not disrespecting me personally, so I overlook that. Although hands-free calls can be annoying. I was visiting someone at a hospital a while back. I got into the lift with rather attractive doctor. As the doors closed she said, "Hi, how are you?" As there was no one else in the lift I said, "Good thanks." She, then stunned me by asking what I was doing on the weekend. I told her it depended on my wife. She then swung her eyes toward me and indicated that she was using a hands-free device. I was so embarrassed.

Yes. My sister had a problem and she went to the doctors who said it was just a UTI. Went back as it was getting worse and said it was something to do with the bladder that might need a sling. This went on for a number of years going back and forth. She eventually had a haemorrhage and it was found she had bladder, kidney uterine, cervical, ovarian and on the list went on so in other words it had spread everywhere and was terminal. My sister went to this doctor on numerous occasions and she believed what she was told even though I pleaded with her to get a second opinion. If you think something is wrong, go with your gut. Get a 2nd or even 3rd opinion. Doctors are not infallible and sometimes are just not very good.

Men start off playing football, they move to cricket or tennis and finally to golf. This shows that as we get older our balls get smaller.

That's OK. By the time you are in your 80s not only are you not noticed, you become invisible. They send you little notes of how good their retirement villages are, I'm still here still gardening, still cooking and hey I can still vote, still laugh with friends and silly me, I'm still here in Rewardia. So there.

Let's not. Only joking. I cannot do breakfast however the amazing part is when on holidays and away from home that is the first thing I have. Go figure!

Never had Halloween when my kids were younger and since always drilled into them not to accept lollies from strangers I\u2019m so glad we didn\u2019t do this in Australia

They need to be desexed whether you decide to keep them or not, or else you will have many, many homeless kitties to worry about.

Property has ALWAYS been beyond the reach of working Australians, They were lucky to have a car per household, not one per person, Now we have credit cards, tech and everyone wants everything now,

for some reason, no one seems to be able to say pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis except me... A lot of people I know with the same last name say things like 'fravourite' instead of favourite. I have no idea why, it just seems to be what comes out. At least three kids I know from the same family also say 'free' instead of three and other things like that. There was even an old lady I heard of that said 'coinkedink' (pronounced co-in-key-dink) instead of coincidence.

Smiling faces sometime pretend to be your friend. Smiling faces show no traces of the evil that lurks within people. The TRUTH is in their 'eyes'. Their 'eyes' don't LIE!

Well I really hope not but a long time ago my parents would eat Chinese at a shop some where in Brisbane any way the shop was caught enticing the local street cats and they served them up as chicken. Yuk so my parents do believe they have eaten cat, not by choice of course. The shop was closed down obviously. A woman I knew was really upset by some people that lived near her as they were trying to catch ducks in the local park. Setting traps for them and yes using them as food. I am pleased we don't have wet markets here in Australia but I am sure if you knew where to look there could be a black market and you could get what ever you wanted at a cost. We use and abuse animals for a lot of things and food is only a part of the whole situation unfortunately. I do eat meat don't get me wrong but I do feel for the animals especially if we treat them so badly. Big problem we have now is eggs, a dozen is now going to cost us $15 because we aren't allowing caged hens. All hens have to be free ranged or barn laying. I was a little put off as I will refuse to pay that much for eggs. An alternative to using an egg/eggs in a cake is 1. Apple Sauce 2. Banana and 3. 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of vinegar (per egg) 4. plain or vanilla yoghurt. Maybe when they realise some people will refuse paying that price the price will drop but only time will tell. We do have alternative solutions for this problem and we are not reliant to them for our needs. We will adapt and find other ways. I like eggs but I will slowly learn to live without them.

When I trained as an EN (Enrolled Nurse) in the early 1990's I was paid for the entire year, whether it was a study day or a working on the ward day. As a newly divorced mother with 3 young children I could not have done it if I had to pay for it instead of being paid. Having hands on training is best for good patient care. Years later so many times young RN's would come onto the ward doing a 'placement' and they would complain about having to do some basic nursing task, they would say that they are supposed to be giving medications and taking blood for tests not making beds and emptying bed pans. They are just in the job for the money and the 'prestige'.

Absolutely. Someone came knocking on the door, said he was collecting for the orphanage, so I gave him my 2 kids!

Not a bother to me. Surely it could only be a worry to people who are not doing the right thing or who want to be hiding from the authorities or whatever.

I think to a certain degree..Americans are more into worrying about and agonising over their relationships...mental health...and my pet hate mindfullness (whatever that means)..and some like talking about themselves a lot, because they maybe find themselves interesting....I have never ever been lonely and very very rarely been anything less than enthusiastic about life...I have a very limited group of friends that I trust..maybe 8...and two who would take a bullet for me or give me anything I asked for if it would help without question...two great sons...a wider social group that I see sometimes but do not worry about too much...and a network here on Rewardia that I value ..I'm happy with that...and don't need anything else...and I'd probably be fine with far less...I do not need or want any medication...my head is in a good place...and always has been... I'm just happy and grateful to be here....I don't understand why so many people ... living in a fortunate country with no serious problems..can have so many problems...and make themselves sick... you don't have to look very far to see people living in horrific conditions...they would love to have your lifestyle..or even clean water... that Surgeon General...is he concerned with the number of dead people...hundreds of children.... due to gun ownership in his country?..or maybe that is an area that he is not allowed to talk about..... I would not want his job.... leaving a loaded gun lying around is bad for a lot of people's health...

This is a bit of a mixed up discussion topic. Mental health issues and domestic violence are two different things. Mental health issues do not lead to domestic violence. Domestic violence is about power and control, and can be exhibited in many ways, not just physically, and not just by men towards their partners. It does however frequently lead to mental health issues for those who have experienced it or been exposed to it. Getting adequate and timely support for mental health issues, for men, women, and children is not as easy as people seem to think it is. There are long waiting lists to get the appropriate help, and sometimes it can be difficult to even understand, yet explain to another person what the problem is. I agree that boys are a bit confused as to what their roles in society are meant to be at the moment. The rules keep changing, and people keep telling them that they are \u201cbad\u201d, because they were born make. Especially if they are white.

Trouble is Woolworths and Coles have the monopoly and keep giving excuses for prices increasing whilst their profits are soaring . We need more players, when you look at how many grocery chains the UK has in a much smaller country it is ridiculous

Like I've said before, it's all genetics. Small children get cancer, old smoking drunks live past 100. Just eat what you enjoy and forget the rest.

I worked in aged care and the pay was not high but be able to help the elderly when they needed it the most was more important to me there were some carers that only wanted to collect they pay check and didnt give the older people the care they needed that made it hard for me working with them

No. I don't get star struck. Actors, singers, etc. are people just like everybody else. Yes I have favorite actors and singers but I don't go all crazy to meet them. I just enjoy what they do. They are not better than anybody else.

We have solar and our power bill in summer is $7 instead of the $90 we were paying before having it installed

We could all start by not supporting the 100% Chinese owned energy suppliers in Alinta and Energy Australia. It was the Whitlam Labor government who sold out Australian workers in 1975 with the Lima declaration

whilst shopping I notice people who are often counting their pennies,i will often walk behind them, and at the right moment ill bend down around them and pretend to find a 20 or a 50 dollar note and tell them it fell from their pocket, their reactions vary and often refuse the money saying it isn't theirs, I will often tell them the big fella upstairs might just be helping you out , they smile and accept it, Another thing I like to do is put a soft toy in a skill tester so when a little person walks buy or they are waiting for mum or dad they often look in the collect prize draw and when they score the toy the reactions are priceless

I hope that the people that you mentioned are just plain frightened by the prospect of suicide. I'm sure they don't understand just how hopeless life can seem for some. Many people that I knew thought I was doing just fine. I had almost everything that I wanted, like so many people, but I came a couple of doctors visits from taking my own life. Circumstances, being what they were at the time, left me feeling so lost and hopeless that I couldn't see any way out. A good doctor and some very good drugs no have me living again with some hope for the future. No, these feelings are no joke and need to be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible. You have no idea just how many lives would be adversely affected if you go all the way.

The "Middle Class" has already disappeared in Australia and it is entirely the fault of that same Middle Class! Once, and it is not so long ago, a young couple were content to get a modest loan and buy a modest house and then, as time went by, gradually buy a better house to accommodate their family, leaving their older, more modest house for younger people so that they, too, could start achieving the Great Australian Dream: A Home of their own. Then a New God, with absolutely nothing to do with religion reared it's evil head. Its name is GREED. No longer were those starting out content with that modest, affordable house. They wanted the Biggest House they could find. It was reported recently that Australia is building the Biggest House in the World. Not only do these younger people want the Biggest, Most Expensive houses they also want to have everything which opens and shuts and, preferably, without them having to lift a finger as it is all programmed, the lights come on so that the house is ablaze with lights when they get home, the Aircon is left on all day, the pool is ready, the garage is big enough to hold 2, 3 or 4 Range Rovers, Lexus, Mercedes and the children are returned by their ersatz parents to the parents who bred them. Every child Must have her/his own bedroom - no sharing.

Many years ago now...a prominent scientist in the area of radiation was employed by the mobile phone industry to finally and totally debunk the harmful effects of using a mobile phone...his final report was never used and he concluded that use of a mobile may result in some damage to the users brain...and in fact damage the user's DNA....that report is still available on line...and this was just for earlier mobiles ...not the smart phones that we cannot live without

Best present, although I didn't know it then, was when our entire family were together. We have lost quite a few of these lovely people and I wish I could have appreciated it at the time and indeed have them back again. Merry Christmas everyone.

Why would you buy a car where the battery takes 75 years to dispose of....Only an idiot would support this type of BS being pushed by an agenda fueled government...Oh wait that is ALL governments today!

I have been working from home and loving it. Will continue to do this mostly when things get back to 'normal'. I actually like my own company and apart from buying food and essentials have not been too concerned about having to stay home. Definitely don't miss the 2 + hours of time on the train that was pre covid.

Isn't it interesting that some narrow minded people think that solving the unemployed youth issue is as easy as throwing these kids into the armed forces. Endemic societal issues cannot simply be solved by handing a kid a gun. The root cause needs to be addressed. That cause starts in the home the school the social group and the online barrage of garbage children face every day from the likes of online forums such as face book. Do not use the armed forces who do a fantastic job of protecting our democratic freedoms as the channel to fix issues that need to be addressed by all. The ADF does a great job encouraging people from all walks of life to serve and protect. And to Bob F...below you say use diplomacy? Tell that to Putin and his mates in Iran North Korea and China. We enjoys freedoms that so many others do not. Our military forces need to be the best there is. They are there to protect and serve. God bless these people.

The best part of my day is after I have fed my cats, made the bed, had breakfast, done the dishes, swept the floor, dusted, done a couple of loads of washing and hung it out, ironed, either walked or used the treadmill, had lunch and cleaned up, pulled a few weeds, gone shopping if I need anything, fed the cats, prepared dinner, checked my emails, done the dishes, checked the bills, had supper then lights out. Then I may be able to go to bed without any cats, in which case I am able to sleep in any position I want. Tomorrow is another day.

The earliest records of people complaining about the crazy younger generation and how everything is falling to pieces...and how they should be more like older people was written (I think) in Ancient Rome...by some character wearing a leather skirt and sandals....the more things change, the more they stay the same.....

According to who? It's ok for 20-30 year olds getting blotto every weekend and contribute to populating the world unintentionally, but once a 40+ gets on it it's an issue? I'm stoked when I see a 40+ get absolutely annihilated at Melbourne Cup in their heels, fascinators and a lovely set of designer gear with a camera on them:) I'm 48 and the only person I know who goes overboard is my sister. So where's the rest of them?

I build stone walls as a hobby - all over my property - some are structural, retaining walls and such, some are purely decorative, fantasies… my whole family thinks I’m crazy.

Parents got drunk on French wine, I popped out nine months later. My name is the nearest recollection of the wine label.

Why do you think people marry if not for love? You must be a sad man if you think we are all together for some other reason. Let me put you straight. I would not have picked up after, put away behind, cleaned, cooked for, born children by and now watch as he descends into Dementia if I had not married him for love. I married and have stayed for love for 55 years, and if not for love there were plenty of other things I could have done with my life.

I STILL feel, while there are people in our community who have fought for our respective countries and who would have given their lives for it, that the RESPECT dang well better be there!. I ALWAYS refer to someone over the age of 40, I'm 57, with "Sir or Mam". I use the age of 40 as a baseline as all of my children are under this age. I truly believe that it is their, our elders, DUE to be treated with a title showing that we respect their age as an identifier of a history and life experience that, we hope, we shall not endure! However, if they state, as the gentleman I spoke with yesterday did in giving his name and permission for me to use it, THEN and ONLY then, will we be on a more familiar first name basis. Years ago when I was doing a stint in the Geriatrics Department of a hospitaI I had called an older lady "Dear" and was quickly admonished for it. I was told that I was NEVER to call someone that due to it being disrespectful and to refer to them as Mr or Mrs Smith or whatever their name on the wall behind them indicated and if there wasn't a visible name then Sir or Mam would do. I UNDERSTAND that times change but some things need preserving, at least for a few more decades! I don't hold out hope though for the general public what with "pregnant mother" being relegated to the annals of history and "birthing parent" being used instead. Or, even worse as I see it, "breast feeding mother" now known as "chest feeding parent". The word "mother" is forbidden in places and I don't just mean in the movie "A Brave New World"! The use of language identifies us as individuals and changing this, as is intentionally occurring now through the Big Tech monopolies, strip's us of that identifier. I want to be known as a mother and grandmother. I BREASTFED my SONS and my DAUGHTERS. Taking this away without my consent is violating my unique identity. It's fine to agree and disagree and such disagreements ARE important, but DON'T cut me out of the dialogue or worse cut the dialogue at all! Thanks for reading this!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone. I am 85 yrs 'young', thanks to Rewardia, the points and ensuing vouchers are a great help to me in stretching my pension, for which I might add, I am very grateful. I hope and pray, 2022, will be happy and healthy for Rewardia staff, and fellow survey and activity members. I would like to add that the activities stimulate my grey matter! xxx

It's easy for those of us who are born in amazing countries like Australia to take an entitled stance, and want to refuse immigrants. I believe in equal opportunity for all. If you were born in a third world country without access to fresh drinking water, bathing in water where the sewage outlets run into, wouldn't you want a better life for yourself, and your family? In my experience, most immigrants are hard workers, just looking to make a better life for themselves in a paradise that most of us take for granted.

No. Look at the evil in the world perpetrated by horrible humans and nothing happens to them but the good people seem to cop it left right and centre. The old saying only the good die young seems to be too true. I have never wished bad on anyone and I do not believe in Karma but sometimes you have to wonder why nothing seems to touch them in so many cases.

I have learnt to embrace my blonde hair slowly turning white. I am nearly 60. I use a toner shampoo to make it really white.I have friends who get foils the same color as their hair roots now, to help with the transition. Hair dyes are so toxic. Better to embrace your naturalness if you can

I hope they are going to pay you. It isn't something I would do because I was once given a brand new drug that had been tested but had \ud83d\ude1ca bad effect on me and I suffer to this day. I have had bad effects from new drugs twice and both times I was accused of not following the instructions and ignored by the drug companies. However, when people started dropping dead from the drug I had stopped taking it was removed from the market. I guess I was lucky that I didn't get something worse than a blood condition from it. When the other company put a Covid vaccine on the market I was very wary because I know from personal experience they don't tell the truth about adverse reactions, but when I was locked out of everywhere because I was unvaccinated I gave in and accepted it. Thankfully I had no adverse reaction. Hope it all goes well for you.

I was flying from AL to Sydney when I was in an incident. The guy next to me started jiggling. At first I though he was listening to music, then realised he was sick. I called the stewardess and told her. The next thing was the classic announcement "is there a doctor on the plane". They found one, and he and the stewardess started trying to help the guy. The stewardess turned to me and said "the doctor needs more space, and the only spare seat is in first class, would you mind moving?" So in the spirit of helping out I made the sacrifice and moved to first class for the rest of the trip.