octave

I think we need to distinguish between the teller at the coal face and the people who determine the rules and regulations. My wife many years ago was a bank teller and was once abused and called a "f****** Bi***" because she refused to cash a cheque. On another occasion, she bent the rules to help someone and she paid a price. The cheque did not have everything it was supposed to have. As a lowly teller, she simply did not have the power to override bank policy. Today I traveled to the city on the train and there was an announcement asking people not to abuse the staff. Over Christmas travelling by air, there was the same announcement. It seems more and more we are abusing the people at the coalface. Please don't brand bank staff as bastards because it almost certainly is not true.

Hey I resemble that remark!

A bank teller is not in charge of the bank. My wife used to be a bank teller and she has never heard of a teller doing such a thing. If this happened to me I would certainly close all my accounts at that bank.

I find it hard to believe that a bank teller for some mysterious reason would deny you a withdrawal. I also find it hard to believe that you did not stand up for yourself. Why would you just accept a teller denying you your withdrawal?

My experience is that joint accounts are set up as "either to sign" or "both to sign" My wife and I have a joint account where either of us can sign. If you were refused a withdrawal on your account it undoubtedly was because when you opened it you opted for "both to sign"

Adelaide to home (Melbs) Just a 1 hour flight but there is a backlog due to earlier storms in Melbourne. Apparently we have to circle for 30 minutes. Fine by me but can I have another miniature bottle of Shiraz????

Sitting in an aluminium tube in a relatively comfortable seat drinking Shiraz and travelling at 859km an hour at 36000 feet and connected to the net. Life is pretty f****"" good ehh?

I just read that Aus post delivers around 2.5 billion items a year. The majority of these are delivered reasonably efficiently. I can only recall 1 item not turning up and 1 item that took way too long (during covid). Perhaps I am just lucky or perhaps I just don't dwell on the few occasions when things don't go perfectly.

I only recently got the Auspost app. Before that I would receive a text. At the moment I am interstate. The app allows me to see if anything is coming and to say whether it should be left on the doorstep or left at the post office.

You can just log in on your PC and create an account. I have the app which means although I am away from home at the moment I can know if anything is scheduled for delivery. This is quite convenient and efficient.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/theaviationgeekclub.com/heres-why-australia-buried-23-f-111s-after-the-aircrafts-retirement/

I can't help posting a picture of my son aged 8 maybe. We used to take him to a gokart track regularly. The owner took a shine to my son. He used to get out a blackboard and teach him about the best line to take.

I think there are still motorsports events happening. My son 34 participate in his first event at the age of 15 at Sutton near Canberra in our old family Magna.Then many track days at Wakefield Park near Goulburn in an MX5. In Victoria he took part in events at Lake Mountain. Now he lives in NZ where amateur motorsport is quite popular. His motorsport club does several events a year where they have permission to close sections of public road. Motorsport is a great outlet in a relatively safe setting.

A start would be allowing people to go peacefully and at the time of their choosing, whether they have a terminal illness or not.

As I get older the fact I have less future life to look forward is compensated by the years of life I have already enjoyed. I have achievements and good times to look back on. Obviously I am not done yet but the future although still with potential to achieve things has less time and possibilities, I am fine with that.

The original post mentions cars and safety systems. My point is that modern safety systems are there to reduce deaths by accident but they are also there to reduce pain and suffering. You could argue for things like random breath testing solely from a standpoint of reducing injuries and suffering, the side effects may also be reducing mortality. The value of modern safety standards in not merely postponing death. The value of life is not just about life and death but the quality of living.

But pain and suffering are often averted or diminished.

That is a personal point of view. I don't think I was happier when I was 20, probably the opposite. Of course, when I was 20 I had much more of a future ahead of me and my back never ached and I did not need to take any medication but this does not mean I was happier. Modern concern for life is not just this binary dead or alive proposition. My grandfather died of asbestoses. Now we don't use asbestos. If asbestos had been restricted earlier he probably would have lived longer but the more important thing is he would have had to endure an awful death. Modern safety is not just about avoiding or delaying death but also quality of life and avoidance of unnecessary suffering. I like others here probably take one or more medications per day to keep me going. This comes at a cost to society. Judgments are made about what medicines society will subsidize and what treatments society will offer. For whatever reason society subsidizes the drugs I take that extend life but more importantly, allow me to live an enjoyable active life. Thanks, society, I am about to travel interstate to visit my 90 yo mother who is in aged care. Her care is subsidized by society and it would be much cheaper not to bother. The important thing to me is not how long she lives but whether she suffers. In traveling interstate, I know I can be pretty certain I will arrive safely at my destination because modern airline travel has become so safe. I might be unusual but I think in most aspects modern life is better. When my son was born the odds of him or my wife dying were quite small unlike in the past. In the past, we wouldn't even have been having this conversation with people we have not met in all corners of the country. Whether things are better or not now can be measured in many ways but whether an individual is happier now than in the past is a personal thing. I guess maybe I am lucky that I am pretty happy. Anyway got to catch a plane for a very safe and probably not too unpleasant flight.

It is probably worth noting that many phones with a "non replaceable" battery in fact can have a new battery installed either by a repair shop or you can do it yourself. I almost did it myself but scored a pretty good hand-me-down. Third-party batteries are available for most phones. The downside is that the replacement process involves a heat gun to melt the glue and a little bit of scalpel surgery. I am not sure if I could be bothered. The point of the new EU law is that the battery will have to be replaceable without special tools or expertise.

My son used to own a BMW5 2007, He replaced this with a Tesla 3 long-range. The BMW's empty weight was 1505kg by contrast the Tesla has an empty weight of 1844kg. The BMW of the same year as the Tesla (2019) is 1759kg Here are the empty weights of the top 10 selling cars in Australia. 1. Toyota Hilux 1475-1565kg 2. Ford Ranger (single cab) 1789-2431kg 3. Isuzu D max 2112kg 4. MGZS 1284-1610kg 5. Toyota RAV4 1550-1745kg 6. Tesla model y 1909-1997kg 7.Mitsubishi Outlander 1580-1760kg 8. Mazda CX5 1576-1765kg 9.Hyundai Tucson 1530-1810kg 10. Hyundaii i30 1210-1495kg Here are the heaviest passenger cars on Australian roads.

I could answer that but I would have to google it!

Here is a short explainer of the different types of batteries used in EVs and their pros and cons. https://www.keyence.com/products/marker/laser-marker/resources/laser-marking-resources/comparison-of-different-types-of-electric-vehicle-battery-cells.jsp

I think the minerals etc. should be covered by fruit and veg. I think the problem could be that many people don't eat enough fruit and veg. I am happy to drink rain or tap water.

I think it is fine to drink distilled water Side effects of distilled water: Pros and cons Aside from its flat taste, distilled water doesn’t provide you with minerals like calcium and magnesium that you get from tap water. Because you already get most of the minerals you need from your diet, drinking distilled water shouldn’t make you deficient. Still, if you’re going to drink distilled water, it’s a good idea to make sure you get your recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Depending on where you live, distilled water could be better for you than tap water. If your town’s water is tainted with harmful chemicals or pesticides, you’re safer drinking distilled. I think it is fine to drink distilled water