Yelling At Kids Is Good For Them

May 11th, 2014

yelling_at_kids_is_good_for_themI was recently asked to read an article titled ‘The Important Thing About Yelling’, originally published on HandsFreeMama.com and more recently on FamilyShare.com. A very engaging and well written piece, it stirred all kinds of emotions not least of which was anger!

Anger at the fact that some people speak from a position of authority yet are so misinformed, that the article was completely one sided and did not have the other persons perspective and that it was written by a woman for other woman yet failed to mention this oversight.

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Why Do You Have To Beg Australian Businesses To Take Your Custom?

April 13th, 2014

Why-Do-You-Have-To-Beg-Australian-Businesses-To-Take-Your-CustomWhat is it with Australian businesses? How come you have to ask a service provider or retailer repeatedly and literally have to beg, for a quote or price? What is it that makes them reluctant to divulge the cost of their services or product? It baffles me!

Any other country in the Western world they would be clamoring for your custom and going the extra mile to secure that custom, after all it’s the primary objective of their business is it not? Apparently not so here in Australia.

Perhaps it’s the ‘laid back’ culture that has been allowed to permeate through, or perhaps it’s the old ‘supply and demand’ ratio being in their favor… but whatever it is, it just baffles me!

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Literacy and Numeracy Are Unnecessary In The Modern World

March 24th, 2014

literacy-and-numeracy-are-unnecessary-in-the-modern-worldThe world has changed somewhat since the 1800’s…“, may seem a rather obvious statement to most people but alas not so for our education policy makers.

Education Policy both Nationally and Internationally, has primarily been based around Mathematics and Physical Science ever since the days of The Industrial Revolution.

Since time immortal, education has always been a way to better oneself (whether that means to be able to get a good job or to be able to move in ‘higher’ social circles) and that premise still continues today. However, as the world has changed so to must the associated ”education’ if it is to remain integral to self betterment.

Looking beyond Literacy and Numeracy, is only the beginning.

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How Much Do Nappies Cost?

February 27th, 2014

It would seem a pretty straight forward question… so how much do nappies cost?

How Much Do Nappies Cost

The short answer is 1A$ a day!

… and I have the figures to prove it. I have meticulously kept a record over the last few years of my baby girls nappy usage and have come up with the following summary.

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2 Worlds 5 Minutes Apart

January 30th, 2014

Have you ever felt that you exist in a world completely different to that of others around you? Could it be that there is YOUR WORLD and another PARALLEL WORLD… only 5 minutes away?

2 Worlds 5 Minutes ApartNow, I’m not talking about Einsteins Theory of Relativity, any sort of time travel, anything hypothetical or ‘cosmic’… I’m talking about a real, tangible 5 minutes.

I’m talking about you living your life adjacent to others and sharing a lot of the same material things BUT living your life a mere 5 minutes later (or earlier) meaning you see and experience the world completely differently – so much so that it might as well be a different world completely. Read the rest of this entry »

The Race That Stops A Nation

November 1st, 2013

“The race that stops a nation” – how absolutely absurd!

The race that stops the nationThe Melbourne Cup is here again (first weekend in November) and so too are the silly hats, champagne breakfasts and obligatory office ‘pools’.

Yes, vast segments of the nation (including the populous media) certainly do get swept up in the furor and do ‘down tools’ for a brief moment BUT Read the rest of this entry »

How The Peoples Republic of China Is Changing The Way YOU Think

October 15th, 2013

The Peoples Republic of China (PRC) is changing the way you and I think… whether you like it or not! As much as you may choose to distance yourself from the PRC, it doesn’t change the fact that their communist regime and associated social values and work ethic are directly changing you and your social values and the way you choose to work. The PRC is changing YOU!

Peoples Republic of China“What a load of rubbish” you may say… “They’re over there and I’m over here, how can they possibly have any influence over me?”

The PRC exports everything to everybody, there’s not a country on earth that doesn’t buy something from China. There are things we used to make ourselves but China makes them quicker and cheaper so in a free market economy (as most of the world is)… we all end up buying from China. So straight off the bat ‘… they’re taking all our jobs…’ and this obviously DIRECTLY affects you and me.

But that’s only the tip of the iceberg.  Read the rest of this entry »

The Hidden Cost of 4G Wireless Broadband Internet

September 19th, 2013

4G wireless broadband is here and it’s really FAST! But better than that, it’s competitively priced when compared to the more common fixed line ADSL broadband internet connections. Well it’s a ‘no brainer’ then, lets all switch over to 4G… or should we?

The hidden cost of 4G wireless internet 4G has proven itself to be a viable option to the more mainstream fixed line ADSL, with near 100% connectivity (obviously depends on your ISP and location but I get weeks at a time without loosing my connection).

Then there is the question of the quality of that connection. Well I get a stable speed and negligible packet loss so for all intensive purposes it can be considered a ‘good connection’.

What about speed? Read the rest of this entry »

Buying Land On Tamborine Mountain

August 3rd, 2013

Tamborine Mountain is a beautiful part of the world, nestled in the SE of Queensland, Australia and just inland from the hectic coast that is Surfers Paradise and the City of Gold Coast. Tired of the rat race, it seemed fitting that the family and I should sell up and move to Tamborine Mountain and experience a ‘different way of life ‘.

Buying Land On Tamborine MountainWe sold our house and decided to buy a piece of land on the Mountain and build a home.

Buying the land was easy and getting permission to build a house was easy BUT… where things came unstuck was sewerage. The Mountain does not have ‘town water’ nor does it have ‘mains sewerage’ which means harvesting your rain water for supply and putting in a OSSF (On Site Sewerage Facility) or HSTP (Household Sewerage Treatment Plant) to manage your effluent.

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Relationships and The Natural Angle of Repose of Beach Sand

July 22nd, 2013

The English language is wonderful and never more so than when used to describe things. Recently, I was presented with what by all accounts appeared to be a dilemma and was asked for my advice and after due consideration found that the dilemma itself contained the very answer the person sought.

relationships-and-the-natural-angle-of-repose-of-beach-sandThe dilemma surrounded the question as to whether to actively pursue a potential relationship or not and my answer was thus, a relationship between two people can be likened to the natural angle of repose of beach sand. In essence whatever course of action you choose, the laws of nature (or life) will dictate and win out so don’t do anything you’re not prepared to back up with 24/7 support.

Lets bring in the beach sand and I’ll explain.

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