Schools are very unwilling to acknowledge this unless it happens right in front of a teacher. Perpetrators are smart,they pick their moments. That being said if the school won't help you there are a few things I found with my youngest son helped. Listen, so they feel heard and validated,talk about your child's feelings. Try and work out who is who in the zoo,your child's friends,the bully's as well as those that stand by do nothing . Encourage your child to avoid, those that harass them ,so not to be in an area of the school yard,walk away when being verbally harassed,ignoring them as bully's get bored pretty quick and move on if they can't get the reaction they want. If it gets physical they must report it to the teacher. Specifically in my son's case it got to the point where I told him to retaliate and stand up for himself as the teacher had no interest in his problems and would move him on. I told rhe school this, they weren't happy,but it made the bully think twice about tripping him over and pushing him down rhe stairs again. Finally I got a private councillor. After consulting my sons g.p he was put on a mental health plan* to support him and to get 5 sessions free of private councilling with a child specialist of my choice. Best thing I ever did. He had someone else to talk to,was given great advice,talked about coping with stress and bullying. * the session involved together councilling as a family and part individual which was confidential. Things rhe councillor thought I should know was discussed with my son and then we talked about it together. He continued going for 3 years. Now,he is 18,and happy,doesn't care who likes him or not and actually has had many of his ex bully's apologise to him. By the way ,when school found out about the councillor,they contacted them,but was told they couldn't discuss anything with them. The school offered a councillor for him,after 4 years of ignoring my son,we refused.

Waiting for too long sucks. I think it's better done before retirement, while one is still healthy and able bodied. But, it can still be done after retirement too, depending on personal circumstances.

I would like to see people that live with physical disabilities on Soapies as there is not enough diversity on these types of programs. I like watching Neighbours and Home and Away, Neighbours currently has a young lady that has Down Syndrome, (I can't remember her name) A new Soapies could be the trials and tribulations of NDIS. It would give the wider community a real understanding what people with disabilities and their parents/carers and siblings have to do deal within real life. Another idea is a hospital setting with all the patients living with various disabilities needing medical treatment.

shoes do not make the person, however, if they are comfortable, they can improve the personality. . .

One, I don't drive (vision issues). Two, not my issue. Three, reads like municipal (city) civil service building inspectors ARE NOT doing their jobs! Last, we need to pump more 'money' into public transportation (long-term cheaper than building more multi-story car parks to accommodate ever increasing heavier automobiles)!

\u201cImagine yourself 5 years from now, you\u2019re in the best shape, happier than ever, you\u2019re with your soulmate and financially successful. The only way this becomes a reality is if you work for it, don\u2019t wish for it, work for it!\u201d A quote from a man I really admire, Morgan Freeman.

Never shop on line. I need to try clothes on, feel the quality of the product also. However, I rarely buy clothes so it does not matter too much to me.

Put the money you would spend smoking into a locked container. Given the price of them the money will soon amount to enough to buy something you need or maybe reward yourself with a weekend holiday or one of your "dreams". You may have to cut back over a few days or couple of weeks. You may need encouragement from your family and close friends.

Maybe someone could start a course to teach people to just talk like a chat bot. New job opportunities?

Just what is this obsession people have with buying these huge, heavy vehicles? vehicles designed for Off-Road use are being bought but never do morwe than take the children to and from school, do the weekly shopping. General Motors released a Monster Vehicle called RAM, a vehicle which dwarfs all others, designed for heavy Duty Work but like the smaller, but still massively heavy and big, are never used for Work but also to take the chhildren to and from school and go to the Supermarket. Not only do they tear up the roads but they eat fuel and, in Australia where they are being dumped because other countries are banning their sale they pump out more emissions than any others. I was in a Supermarket car park the other day and one of these monster vehicles took up Two parking spaces. Do people buy these tanks because they have such low self-esteem they make them feel bigger and better than everyone else? Governments should ban their sale becuaes, for the most part, they are totally unnecessary.

Many people come on here talking crap. I do not believe what some people say. They think they are perfect. Just everyone is different and what is not good for many, it maybe good for others.

I live on a farm and my grandchildren are learning to grow their own food, taking care of animals, working together, and reaping the rewards of hard work. I wouldn\u2019t change it for anything.

nope. need to learn to stand up on ur own 2 feet...manage finances do ur washing, etc etc not hangin onto ur mothers apron strings

Dark tourism I have heard about is people paying huge sums to go to Africa and shoot big game that is fenced in on reserves. Where they have local guides and transport so they can chase down the animal. Lets get rid of their high powered rifle and give them a spear and have to chase the animal for miles until one or the other is exhausted, and have to fight to the death. Then they can skite how good a hunter they are!

It's more the question of what isn't fake on Facebook!! The influencers are fake...done up fake, giving fake reviews about products they are paid to give fake reviews for etc etc etc. It's a disgusting place and is has no moral boundries. I can't believe people think it is important to post pictures of 'look at me having a cup of coffee' etc. The stupidity of posting pictures of their new car with number plates showing, their new house with a street number visible, their real birthdays, telling people they are going away for 3 weeks over Christmas to the newest trendy place, the designer dog they just paid $6,000 for...it goes on and on and when they get robbed they blame everybody else. I was a member years ago until I figured 90% of Facebook is just inane crap and all about money and letting people know that you are bored because you have nothing to do but read the stuff posted. I HATE SOCIAL MEDIA...it's just dumbing the world down.

SCARY just more invasion of privacy and data collection by an entity that is probably not an authority in that particular field. What's wrong with the world where people want to be told how to do things and when to do them, the communists do not rule the world. Sounds like 1984 is coming true all be it 40 years later. I'm not a sheep like most of the world seems to be, I like to think for myself which is part of being free.

I had a few gems as teachers...but not many...I had a lot of fun at school but I wasn't supposed to be enjoying myself..so a fair bit of the time resulted in mad people hitting me with canes...over the bottom or across the palms..and a stream of half hour detentions after school..but none of it worked..I didn't get depressed...or give in....I still had laughing fits...I still had fun...that's what kids do! ...kids are VERY resilient..,and you cannot cure them of being REALLY happy,,I'd lie on the floor laughing and could not get up!.. ....I am not sure how our current batch of little angels would cope with that...they would probably need therapy...(these days I might get therapy or medication for being optimistic defiant and happy...it is probably a medical condition...like everything else) many of our current batch were really damaged during covid because they didn't see their friends....it affected their communication skills and their abilities at school....I wonder how they would cope with the Blitz.... or being in other interesting places...we might be raising a generation of babies that never want to leave home... sorry BB I'm wandering off course here!

I have suffered from anxiety for over forty years. I have tried everything that I come across. I take medication but it doesn't seem to help much. I have tried many hypnotherapist, talked to many counsellors, psychologist, psychiatrists. I have tried numerous herbs, CBD oils and medications, relaxation techniques, crystal therapy, and the list goes on. I still have anxiety. I don't believe there is a cure. There are techniques to help after anxiety hits but no idea (sadly) how to overcome it.

Heck we do not have to tell Porkies, our truths are enough. We have the most deadliest spider/s, deadliest snakes 9 of the top 10, Kangaroos that attack, Dingoes that attack, Sharks, Sea Snakes, Stingers, Blue Bottles, Stonefish, Box Jelly Fish, Salt Water Crocodiles, Cone Shell, Blue Ringed Octopus, Paralysis Tick, and the list goes on and any one of these are deadly. The European Honey Bee is also a baddy. Never had to make anything up. However, one American asked if we could see Uluru from the Sydney Harbour Bridge and of course I said yes but I did educate him after I took the mickey. However on the plus side we have a beautiful country with unique animals, flowers, trees, etc. A huge rock in the middle of the country and the largest coral reef, we have wave rocks, canyons, deserts, water falls, mountains, stunning beaches and wide open spaces. Our country is diverse with so much beauty to see. Actually, Kangaroos have been known to cross the Harbour Bridge so not such a porky.

I don't believe in tipping (I don't tip, and I don't feel self-conscious when I don't tip). Your employer (taxi drivers are employees) - should be paying you enough - so a customer shouldn't have to TIP YOU (known as subsidized your wages/earnings)! For as I am concerned - this individual (described in your scenario) needs to get a "real" job that doesn't involve tipping!

Why would you trust the 'MEDIA' on any subject - PERIOD! (Example: Fox News settle a civil lawsuit for 787.5 million dollars based on the fact - Fox News was blatantly distorting the TRUTH (aka outright lying that former President Trump was cheated out of his re-election bid in 2020)). The MEDIA is in business to make money - by any means necessarily - the end (profits) justify the means - (aka capitalism) - which has nothing to do with giving you unbiased facts so that you can make informed decisions!

One, your memory doesn't serve you correctly, the first president to take the USA off the gold standard was FDR in 1933. Two, you are deliberately confusing personal debt with the debt of a country (a stigma comes with personal debt - not the debt of a country). Three, every 'country' on this planet has debt (including Saudia Arabia, Kuwait and China - supposedly the three richest countries on the planet). Four, not any countries have enough gold (in reserve in their country) to cover its debt (including China, Saudia Arabia, or Kuwait). Five, if the world economy went back to the gold standard, the world economy would immediately go into chaos (and a full-scale depression). Six, you 'never' hear international banking firms, international accounting firms, international law firms, or international think tanks (firms), etc. advocating for a return (back to) the gold standard. Seven, your plan will only work if you are advocating for ANARCHISM. Eight, cryptocurrency is a digital currency designed to work as a medium of exchange on a computer network that is not reliant on any central authority, such as a bank or government - to uphold or maintain it - aka a 'SCAM' on the streets of USA (in rough neighborhoods). Last, cryptocurrency 'only' works if you are 'gullible and greedy' - it is not a long-term viable solution to replace a monetary system that doesn't work (anymore 'except' for the benefit of the rich or the super-rich) - aka CAPITLISM.

Too much - too quickly! How is the average person supposed to know "who" has given the information to AI? One big scam!

If you took tax off medications then some other sector would want tax removed as well and then everyone wants tax gone. Taxes pay for all your other necessities. I'm sure most 1st world countries have systems in place to help the less fortunate. Most medicines do not cure they merely help fight the ailment you are struck with.

As you get 'older' - you will have to fight 'everyday' the urge to become a 'pack rat'. The less 'stuff' you have in your apartment (or house) - the less cleaning you have to do on routine (or everyday) 'basis'.

This is a pet subject of mine, I’ve been in the plumbing business for over 50 years and in that time I have seen strange articles stuck in drains Often children put toys in the loo and in England there was a man at the water treatment station employed to look for still births. One really common article was a sanitizer that hung on the rim of the loo. It was just small enough to disappear from sight but never went any further. The clear water could pass but solids would accumulate . I must have cleared hundred out over the years until they made them bigger

If you are having difficulties moving on (from betrayal) - try conversing with a mental health specialist/professional.

Get married (if you're not) and Raise your own kids. There's a good reason the traditional nuclear family worked so well. Triggering in 3...2...1...

Depends on how mature they are. Do they know Never to speak with anyone they don't know or who have not visited their Mum and da at home? I thinke Lorne M, below, has got it right. Safety in numbers. They Must also klnow that there is to be no wandering off simply because they feel like it and that they Must come straight home and then, with your permission go off with other kids so that Mum/Dad knows where they are going.

It\u2019s because parents are letting their children get away with everything. If there are problems at school, then investigate and deal with them. Allowing children to avoid facing problems will only create more problems for them later in life.

I had a neighbour who used to complain about me for digging a hole for a tree at 5pm, sanding a wall at 9am and other petty things - yet I was up earlier than her and at work earlier than her and in bed later than her. I say, leave your neighbour alone!

If you don't trust 'genetically modified food to be safe, then don't buy genetically modified food. However, this is a capitalistic society (aka profits over people)! What do you expect when it comes to making money (short cuts are going to be involve to raise the profit ability level)?!

Prison, hanging, electrocution, firing range\u2026\u2026I am getting so tired of people trying to screw over innocent people. And wasting my time answering their stupid calls.

Clean out the drug dens,put road horns off the streets. Make councils do what they are paid to do and not bend to minority groups

Allllllll the time, worst thing for me is I'll say something then it happens, eg phone rings or dings, son drops an egg on the floor etc etc etc

2 and 13, See when your sweet baby turns about 13 aliens come and take that baby away and leave its evil clone and you don't get your baby back until it has babies of its own. Overnight you are the enemy and your child's evil clone is on a seek and destroy the enemy mission.

My family used to get together for all the major holidays, but since my Mom passed away, we hardly ever see each other. So sad, really.

i never liked a woman i went with that i did not recognize the next morning, only care for real women, the beauty is always inside,,,,,\ud83d\ude09

An addict to what? Crosswords? sport? Please when asking a question make it clear. I assume you mean drug addict? There are many addictions.

Should be called 'Desperation Shows'! 10 women vying for one man, have no qualms about kissing him when he was kissing someone else an hour ago. Willing to have it all hang out, spend hours on make up and hair daily. You don't see blind, deaf, disabled people... on these 'reality shows'. Chivalry can take a back seat, should start with common decency and having enough self respect to dress appropriately. There are already too many botoxed and duck lipped women on the planet. Looking 'normal' will be the new 'in' thing one day, then you can call it a reality show.

I don't drink alcohol, I have never smoked, I don't play the pokies and I have never tried drugs so why people become addicted I have no idea, and while what others chose to do is their own business I am growing tired of their lives over flowing into mine. In both Sydney and Melbourne there are injecting rooms set up for people who chose to use illegal drugs while I have to have a prescription for Mersyndol and they are about reduce the number of tablets in a packet of Panadol from 20 to 16 and will reduce the number of packets you can buy at a time to 2. So the majority of us have to suffer for the actions of a minority.

My hubby does the washing. He used to bleach all the whites. Now he just washes them in napisan and they come up white so we do not need several products

I live in NSW Australia and our native foods are Barramundi, kangaroo steak, crocodile sausages or witchetty grubs. However, we also claim Pavlova, Lamingtons and Anzac biscuits. I'll eat the Barra, Pav, lamo's and the bickies but I won't even try the others.

Why do so many people expect "The Government" - But READ "Other Taxpayers" to pay for everything now? People have children and they expext other Taxpayers to foot the cost of Childcare. Why? People are earning combined salaries of well over $AU200,000.00. Let them cut their wallets so that they can pay All their own Childcare Costs. Our Parents and Grandparents managed to have children and bring them up themselves and none of them had anything like the Incomes that people have today. Think on this, if you will. Today the Unions are asking for a Pay Rise of 7% for the Lowest Paid Workers, a rise which will make their Minimum Weekly Pay $AU812. Compare that to Old Age Pensioners who worked hard for 50 and more years, paid all their Taxes, raised their children and got No Financial Assistance from any Government were recently given an increase of 3.7% which brought the single OAP up to about $AU560 per week. Yes, by all means extend what was, dishonestly, touted at the time as "Universal Health Care" aka Medicare to cover all Dental and Optical Expenses, but including Pet Care is a step too far. What will they be asking for next? That other Taxpayers pay for all their Food, Alcohol and Illegal Drugs? Their Motor Vehicle expenses? Fortunately we still do not live in some sort of-Socialist-cum-Communist State such as China. Did you realise that under the Chinese Communist Party Dictatorship you have to get permission from it to move from your village/town/city of Birth to another? That is what those calling for "The Government", read TAXPAYERS to cover Pet Care under Medicare will end up getting.

I miss my little convertible Peugeot.206 such a cute car and easy to zip in and out of parking spaces.

I just don\u2019t understand the appeal of expensive jewellery. As long as you like the way it looks and feels, then why would you care how much it\u2019s worth?

All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages. William Shakespeare

It is easier than getting drunk or drugged drivers off the Road, and then in NZ we have unlicensed drivers, unregistered cars, unwarrented cars that they don't seem to want to get off the Roads a friend of ours live next to a family that have 5 cars that shouldn't be on the Roads but it seems that they care more about catching people for doing a bit over the speed limit. I thought that a car with bald tyres and no brakes would be more dangerous, and I know a few people that have web cams in their cars and have shown the cops pictures of cars overtaking on blind corners or running red lights but nothing gets done about that. Speeding is easy money for the Government.

I don't think we have chivalrous gentlemen anymore, or they have been put off by these women who don't have the slight bit of feminine wiles. I was married to a pig who was incapable of even uttering a kind word or compliment. I did have a young man who gave me his seat at a funeral and another older gent who opened a door for me. I was very grateful and thanked them. and yes it is too over commercialized. You don't need to spend a bomb or be ostentatious to tell someone you love them.

When I locked myself out of the house when I walked out the back door and had to wait till that afternoon before anyone come home to let me back in. Wearing only tee shirt and shorts. Now way of getting out front as all close in back courtyard. Mobile phone was left inside the house.

In my last job a woman who thought she was my supervisor (she was in fact a co-worker) said “do you think I give a &@^% about anything you have to say”. Not willing to put up with that behaviour I walked into my boss’s office and handed in my immediate resignation. He asked why, I told him and he asked me to wait for 10 minutes whilst he sorted out the matter. He called a department meeting and made her apologise to me in front of everyone. I stayed at the company for many years and was very grateful when she was transferred to another location.

ALL IN THE US do not say nothing make sure trump maggots know how he lies and lies and lies 30,000+ when in office d o not put your head in the sand and just think the republicans maggots will go away

Will is done, funeral paid for, and memorial stone installed. I didn't want to leave preparations to chance and burden someone else who might question if they are fulfilling my wishes.

I am home-schooling my children and they have regular meetups with the other children that are also homeschooled in the area. I was already studying online when covid happened. I much prefer working and studying from home as there are fewer interruptions. My son has thrived in homeschooling as he has the option of choosing what he studies (within reason) he has additional needs and there are no small class options in the area so this works best for him and we did not utilize technology, he has been doing pen and paper, educational books and social skills by visiting the community centres to see other homeschooled families.

Why is everyone giving this incredibly intelligent and well informed girl so much grief? How much do you know about her? The Matrix summed it up: We are a virus! It is time we love our earth mother. She is not led by others and is not selfish, unlike the shortsighted many. I am disheartened by the ignorant, uninformed and selfish views of many below. I hope Gaia haunts you all in your dreams!!!!!!!!

Throughout history when were we ever peaceful for long? I was born at the beginning of World War 2. All my life there have been wars and rumours of them. Religion has been tried and found wanting. Wealth breeds corruption. So we are just a huge heap of apes with big brains. God must have realised by now that he should never have let Eve eat that fruit! On that note peace to you all my fellow Rewardias.

Hubby and I at home, relaxed, good music, a light dinner, a few wines, no not too many!, champers at midnight watching the Sydney fireworks on TV at midnight. Happy New Year everyone........., especially you Blue Butterfly!....

Awe how lovely of you Robert. I wish you and all of Rewardia staff and rewardians a very Merry Christmas with family & friends and an amazing New Year 2023

Let’s just keep Australia for Australians! You can’t get more local than that. Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! Oi, Oi, Oi!,

Why are you still with him. The old saying "a leopard never changes it's spots" is true. Some partners might temper their actions but it usually comes back out again. Firstly he is younger than you and this is not really the ideal situation. You are being a doormat. He disrespects you big time. You are there just to do his bidding whether it be cooking, cleaning, physical or financial. Get some respect and leave or if it is your place ask him to leave immediately.

I can forgive without forgetting once trust us broken it’s extremely hard to win back. I am also a big believer in karma, what you give out will come back to you.

Not me any way I cry every day and wish I was dead I just wish I could be normal but people are always meany to me I have no real friends I love cats I wish people would be nicer to other I think it would be normal to not be called a bitch all the time and to have an idear of where your life is heading I do not have much of them I must keep going I have a beutafill son have to try and help him and any one I can I think it is a good life some times have to keep trying for better f everyone you have to believe in your self and in god

I've been told that our cat might need upto 1500 dollars of dental work, which is rediculous, we can barely afford our own dental work, so I think when the time comes and he shows signs of pain, we will probably do the humain thing and have him put down.

There is a place for technology. Personally it has spread my "social life", Can chat with people I have met from other countries. Some people deserve to lose their job to machines, at least machine might be polite and actually try and help.Maybe a machine will not indoctrinate child to their own views as many teachers do.There are pros and cons. Guess maybe if/when a machine could show artificial emotion [as many people do] they may work in better

Some years ago I sprained my ankle, 2 weeks later I broke my knee, 2 weeks after that during a routine X-ray the doctor found my ankle was broken. My cast was getting bigger but just as I was starting to feel better renewed pain in my foot sent me for another X-ray and the other side of my ankle was broken. As I was very incapacitated my husband had to take time off work without pay and we felt it very unfair that we weren't entitled to any form of Government assistance. So no pay and loads of medical bills while other people manage to get heaps of assistance. All caregivers should get some sort of assistance.

The problem is that nurses are sent to university then into hospitals. In the old days you started emptying bed pans before you decided whether or not it was the profession for you. Now they are sent to university then have to empty bedpans. Wouldn't it be a bit of a shock after years of schooling? Why would anyone spend years studying then perform back breaking work, changing dressings, wiping bums and the like when they could be earning much more in the corporate world. Starting at the bottom then studying your way to the top is always the best way to fill the ranks.

I get the same sort of sensation when I walk into the women's change room at the local swimming pool. They all scream and turn in the same direction.

shouldn't the question be what didn't you want to learn at school. I hated Maths B and could never understand why A + B =C. I liked geography and maybe that is why i like to see places

As someone with ADHD and OCD this is a far too common occurance to even try and tally how many times i do it.

Because of being locked up, our natural immunity isn't being strengthened. People with normal immunity might get sick for a few days. Elderly and immuno compromised people will die. I always have painkillers/cold-flu tabs and immediately take more rest, hot soup and orange juice, tea with lemon and honey..You can't go and see a doctor now. If you have a runny nose they won't see you. We need to be more aware of our immune systems, I take supplements to keep me healthy and eat good food (vegs and fruits). If you give your body a fighting chance rest will allow it to get well and form immunity. Nothing has changed since this Covid garbage came around, they have just given it all a new name to panic us.

Beatles, Queen when Freddy was live, ABBA back in the day, Skyhooks at Sunbury. Oh but I would have loved to be at Woodstock. Bette Midler again. Oh so many

When I was 15years & 10months old, I met the man who was to become my husband. I actually asked him if we could get engaged as he was due to go in the Army & do his 2 years national service. I waited till he came out of the army so when I was 18 years & 1 month, we had a white wedding which was a dream of mine. This coming September we will have been married for 62 years. We have had our "ups & downs" as they say but we have always been able to sort them out. If I had my way again, it would be exactly the same except for a bit more travelling than what we have done. I have been disabled for the past few years & he has become my carer. He now does the cooking whilst I sit at the table & do the food preparation. We work as a team & always have done. Plus I still love this man, my husband after all these years.

Not having a Will is being extremely selfish expecting your children to clean up your mess. My MIL died a year ago and refused to ever make a Will, she was the absolute worst hoarder in NSW, we're still clearing the property it's an absolute nightmare then there's Letters of Administration to file in the Supreme Court, if she just thought about anyone else but herself it would have been a lot easier.

The only thing I would worry about is having my DNA out on some database and not having any control over it.

I'm on the aged pension, but doing surveys to get that little extra, have small savings, so doing okay at the moment. Would have trouble if I had a big expense .

Well I did exaggerate when I wrote that I owned a crocodile....it actually is only a gecko. However the bit about riding a tiger, that was the truth.

Mark of The Lion, biography of Capt C H Upham VC & Bar (WW2) only the third soldier and only combat soldier to be awarded the VC twice (Crete & North Africa).A dangerous job he would go himself. He lead from the front. Read his citations

I retired at 65 and I’m busier now than I was when I was working. I’m now 77 and could still do a days work Every one is different

Why not! ... Rice, Wheat, Honey etcetera - but to digress remember when milk would go off after a couple of days (note use by dates on it now!) Bread ... was stale after a day and sold at half price as "Day Old Bread"!

No money hand outs sway me I go from past experience n if they can actually look at the camera when talking cause if they can't dont trust them but I do wish they would ditch in person voting go online like the census

"The happiest man on Earth" by Eddie Jaku. "The Auschwitz Photographer" by Maurizio Onnis and Luca Crippa. "The Tattooist of Auschwitz" by Heather Morris. If those three accounts of the Appalling things that can be done by Human Beings to Innocent men, women and children - 6.4 million members of the Jewish religion and another 7.3 millions simply because they did not fit in with the beliefs of a Dictator and his collaborators - do not convince you that these monsters should be stopped then nothing will. Hitler described the Polish people & those of the Jewish faith as "Sub-humans, the "Scum of the Earth". The Russian Dictator, Vladimir Putin, has used exactly the same words to describe the Ukrainian People. He Must be stopped or he will, just like Hitler, exterminate them as well.

In this day and age, with the world's population as it is, people need to think hard before they bring another child into the world. I am a mother and grandmother who adores children, and I agree that they add so much to our lives, but many children are born to people who cannot offer a stable home with loving parents who are prepared to make the sacrifices needed to be a good parent. Rather have people voluntarily deciding they do not want to be fathers, than carelessly doing so, then regretting that decision. I do agree that a person in his very early 20s may occasionally regret their choice, but doctors do not do a vasectomy without questioning why the man wants one and ensuring he is aware of long term results of that decision.. Sometimes a vasectomy can be reversed, as suggested, but as long as any future partner is made aware of the choice that has been made, I feel a man is entitled to his beliefs and decisions about his own body just as a woman is.

I've lent money to my sons now and again. It's usually my idea to do it and often I end up telling them not to worry about paying it back. One example was my eldest son one day telling me he was going to get a solar system installed and how much it was going to cost paying it on a plan. Worked out double the cost so I said I'd give him the money and he can pay me back when he has that amount saved up. Then my other son needed money for something some time later and I gave him money for that. In the end I told them both not to worry about paying it back. I have a fair bit sitting in the bank. We don't need much to live on because our house is paid off. We aren't big spenders going on holidays etc and the money will be theirs not so far down the track when my partner and I are no longer here so I figure why not let them have some of their inheritance now. One thing I always do though. If I give to one I give the same to the other so there's no favouritism.

We've gone from paper everything to plastic to save the trees, now they are trying to reverse it back. We had an incinerator in our back yard, which alot of home rubbish was put into it & burned. They decided it was against the law & incinerators were removed. Maybe bring back the incinerator & maybe, we wouldn't have so much landfill like back in the 70's/80's. Like fashion, goes out of style but eventually comes back. Our Government needs to stop fixing things that aren't broke & working well with the planet & fix things that aren't working.

best solution. go learn some marshal arts, and put them to use, mind and body control, show what you know and they will think a bit differently

THEY SHOULD BE RESPECTED FOR THE WORK THEY DO BUT, THEY SHOULD REMEMBER THEY ARE PEACE KEEPERS NOT EXECUTIONERS AND TRY A LITTLE RESTRAINT AND IMPROVE THEIR TRAINING

I don't really have a problem with it....if that's what someone wants...it's a free country...for now...

This is a very sore point for me as my mother is in a nursing home and as you say they are usually under staffed but when they mandated the vaccine almost 30% of the staff left including the entire management team. It took ages to hire more staff and now the place is nothing like it was previously. The new staff don't really care about the residents and things go left undone and they have demarcation lines where only one person can attend to something. My mother was left with a UTI that went untreated for between 12 to 16 weeks and it was only detected after she had a heart attack and was transported to hospital. The infection was cleared in a couple of days but she now has a heart condition. With only 34% of staff having had the booster more will leave again with the new mandate. I don't for one minute believe unvaccinated people catch or spread Covid anymore than vaccinated people and I would much have preferred that the staff who had worked there for more than 20 years had been allowed to remain working there vaccinated or not. For some very odd reason people seem to have lost their minds over Covid and think that people in nursing homes etc. should be protected from Covid at all costs, even if they die from neglect. I don't agree. Of all the deaths in Australia in 2021 only 1% was from Covid. In 2017 almost 250000 people in Australia caught Influenza, and on one night 17000 were hospitalized because of it. Did you hear that on the evening news? My father fell ill and was admitted to hospital and after a week he was doing well and was about to be discharged but he caught the flu despite being vaccinated. Just after midnight on his 91st birthday he passed away. That wasn't on the evening news either, but if it had been Covid you would have heard about it. People should get a grip, stop listening to the alarmist news media and worry about the elderly and disabled being fed, washed and cared for rather than who has or hasn't had the "jab".

You find feminine products distasteful, Shirley? 50% of the population need, will need or used to need them! Mum bought me old-fashioned Modess when I was a kid - then I found out about more modern options & was incredibly thankful for them. My Nan never got the period talk, so she thought she was dying when it happened - a stranger had to comfort & explain it to her. That's outrageously unfair to a kid! Nobody wants to talk to their kids about condoms, either, but it's better than having your kid contract HIV, hepatitis, &c. Ads can prompt questions or provide a lead-in to further discussion.

I believe that some can be both overweight and healthy. As a teenager, i was the "fat kid" and always picked on, but it was also during these years that i was at my healthiest. I went for 15km walks at least twice a week, i was quite strong, being able to pull/push carts loaded with up to 250kgs (bags of soil/fertiliser, etc), i was quite active as well, enjoyed playing soccer and squash as often as i could, i went bushwalking and worked on the farms of family friends (fencing, marking lambs, helping in the shearing shed, digging up paddock weeds by hand/mattock, etc) I don't think it is fair to tar all larger framed people with the same brush. Some overweight people can be quite fit and healthy, others not so much, while others are all overweight due to medication they need to take.

I hate unexpected visitors, especially when I'm not in the mood or feeling sick. The very last thing I want to do is entertain other people.

Having great music from the 60’s that was able to be understood,no swearing, lyrics made sense. Great TV shows that we’re funny,sometimes a bit naughty and no one cared. Having freedom to ride around the streets without some hoot running you over. No junk food except when you went to the local fish and chip shop or hamburger place. Going to the movies and seeing 2 films and a cartoon,news reel and having fun. Now you go to the movies 1 film,some junk ads,what’s coming and then home. That is why I have Fox on and Netflix ( free). And my mums cooking. She made Anzac biscuits that you needed to dunk so to soften up to eat

I worked in aged care for 45 years some of the staff are good but others are only there to get paid they have no empathy for the elderly I always said it would be over my dead body that my mother went into aged care but if there is no one to care for them in there home it makes it hard I moved home to be here for my mother and I am her full time carer she is now 97 and still heathy and on no medication

The advice here starts with a question:- Have you met each other in person yet or not? IF NOT, You do not know how well you would get on together once you do meet. IF you have only met online and communicated online, emails and by phone, it could be risky because people online often lie and mislead the other person into believing they will meet one day and have feelings for you, when in fact they have no feelings for you and have no intention of meeting in person. Too many scammers online. IF you have NOT yet met in person, use a "Scammer Test" which I have divised as follows:- 1) Write a list of questions to ask the person. Once you ask him/her write down their answers; then wait a few weeks and ask him/her the same questions again...If their answers are NOT the same as the first time then you know they are lying and it's a scam. 2) Ask them to send you a photo of themselves, wait a few weeks then tell them you would like more photos of them; then compare the photos. 3) Take step 2 further and ask him/ her for a video chat; so you can confirm what they look like and if they refuse or give excuses continuously not to do that, then its a scam. HAVING PASSED ALL OF THE ABOVE TESTS. How much does this person mean to you? Is the person worth waiting for? IF yes, keep the relationship fresh by being romantic online, if you both have cameras arrange a time where you can have dinner together online...Meaning each of you at your own home, on camera, eating together. Use emails / phone calls to tell each other about your day as if you were in a relationship face to face. Finds things to do online together which you both enjoy doing. Try something old-fashioned like writing long letters to each other and mailing them to each other by 'Snail Mail"...Everyone enjoys getting mail and the excitement builds up while waiting to receive and read the letter. IF you have never met in person; NEVER send the other person money or valuable items in case it is a scam. You said you've been communicating with your friend for over 3 years, but yet, the covid-19 pandemic has only existed for just over 2 years; therefore ask yourself and your friend why you never met in person BEFORE the pandemic hit the world. GOOD LUCK!

Am ex navy, no war service, still difficult just being away from family without the combat side of it as well, Politicians should do more for them post service, but they won't!!

Haven't ever seen them, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. God definitrly exists, and I haven't seen him either.

One, I am completely in FAVOR of adoptions at the county (government level in the usa) or you are just buying a baby (which is illegal in the usa - but not really enforced). Two, if you are adopted (in the usa) - you legally have the right (now) to (when you turn 18) find your biological parent (which does not translate - into any sense they are your real parents - because any two idiots (female and male) can conceive a child). Three, alot of kids (I was one) are better off cutting off contact with their real parents (biological father and birth mother) - as soon as possible - I was a teen runaway. The first things that are cut (funding) in the usa - is social programs and education. Last, Child Protective Service (CPS) is a social program - ran at the county level - a child is on a waiting list before CPS can look out for the child (hopeful, the child lives long enough to become eligible for CPS services). Other words, I am in FAVOR of adoptions (because between 1.6 million and 2.8 million kids become runaways EACH YEAR - an indication that most parents in the usa - have lousy parental skills).

Stop the corrupt leftists for sure. Facebook, Google etc shouldn't be allowed to fund the demorat/communist parties! Next they will fund Australian and UK Labor parties. So yes, ban funding altogether

Literature! There are so many books I want to read that I'll have to live to 1000 just to read what's on my list now! Some of my best friends are books.

I would change the pay-scale of politicians so that it became a job which only genuinely caring people get, not for the power and affluence as is the case now. It should be a position of caring for others, but at the moment it is a case that they seem to always put themselves first and foremost, (continually voting themselves increases in pay), not the people they supposedly serve. More people like the former president of Uruguay, President Mujica, who was said to be the poorest president in the world. He donated 90% of his salary to charity, chose to continue living in the farmhouse he shared with his wife, and drove an old VW beetle when he could have lived in luxury.