The Random thought thread

[red750]

I know other states, particularly SA, have bottle return deposits, and it's fair enough that you get your deposit back when you return the bottle to those reverse vending machines. But we don't have one within kilometers of our place. We religiously place all our bottles and cans in the recycling bin, but that means we get ripped off for the deposit on the bottles. We go through a hell of a lot of bottles. We crush them so they don't take up as much space, but our bin is always three quarters or more full. The same would apply to country folk. I bet the stores don't remove the deposit for those people. The only place we can claim the deposit is at an over-the-counter collection at a newsagency.

[pmccarthy]

[old man emu]

Regarding cashing in bottles.

 

Years ago, tHat's how kids got money for ice creams when they went to the beach. Collect the bottles off the beach and up to the milkbar. Then there were the naughty boys who would enter the backyard of the milk bar, or corner Mum-forgot shop and raid the empties stacked there.

 

I'm really peeved off by my son and grandsons. They go through heaps of soft drink, juice and other containers that have a deposit on them. But they go into the recycling bin, The boys are too lazy to put the containers aside for cash in, and they reckon my son won't take them to the recovery site, which is only a five minute drive away. Then they expect to get given money on birthdays and Christmas so they can buy sports gear and video games.

[facthunter]

Easy come easy go. they don't know what  really Broke means.   Nev

[Jerry_Atrick]

On 08/11/2023 at 7:29 AM, red750 said:

When interest rates go up, everything gets more expensive. Pay more for goods, pay more GST. A loaf of bread $2.30 a couple of years ago, now $4.70. Even my el cheapo mineral water, 90c 12 months ago, now $1.20. It all adds up.

I think you have to think of inflation and itnerest rates in terms of primary and secondary effects (much like ailerons and rudder).

 

When the economy is humming along at around 2% inflation, interest rates generally don't move and demand more or less equals supply (at a macro level).  Prices are still going up by 2%/year, but no government would change interet rates. The primary effect of inflation is a rise in prices. There are many factors that go into it, and yes, interest rates are one, because businesses rely on short and long term finance to provide goods and services.. but it is not the only thing. The primary cause is at least theorised to be demand v supply.

 

When the inflation rate gets out of kilter, the central banks can do one of three things: Nothing, change the money supply (print money or take it out of supply), or adjust interest rates. Interest rates tend to be the first lever, but each of the three has the same affect - they try and distort demand.

 

Doiong nothing is the slowest way of addressing a change of inlfation (or deflation). Eventyually, thigs will get too expensive for people to buy; demand drops off, and then there is an oversupply (eventually) and inflation will eventuall fall. Using the money supply or interest rates are merely devices to speed up the change in demand. Interst rates are the fastest to implement. If one increases interest rates, as most people have debt that is not fixed interest (in Aus), it can quickly have an impact on the cost of their debt, and reduce the money they have available to spend on other things; The result is an accelerated drop in demand (slow down of the economy; cooling it down); there will be an increase in supply relative to demand and it will result in a quicker fall in inflation (not prices - but the rate of price increases) that if inflation were left alone to dampen demand.

 

Yes, with interest rates going up, business finance costs go up and as a contributor to their costs, they may pass on these to the consumer. This will dependt on the elasticity of demand and supply of the good or service; a good or service with high elasticity of demand (in other words, very discretionary - such as a luxury good) will find its inflation and even price drop quickly. One with low elasticity (necessity - loaf of bread) not so. So a price increase is very much a secondary affect of interest rates.

 

This is shown even in the current cost of living crisis. The inflation rate viirtually skyrocketed overnight, after which the RBA and other cerntral banks increased rates which has had the effect of slowing down the inflation rate.

 

When they screw up their monetary policy (such as printing money for too long as they did recently qwith overdoign quantitative easing), or keeping interest rates too low for too long, putting a lot more money in peoples' pockets, increasing demand,  it does have a direct consequence on inflation - yes

[red750]

I am not rich by any stretch of the imagination, but I consider myself fortunate. My only debt is a small credit card balance (less than $3000) which is being progressively paid down. My utilities (electricity, gas, etc) are paid in advance with small payments each pension day. When the bill comes, it is either Nothing To Pay, or only a small amount. All my other bills are paid by direct debit, and I ensure there is enough in the account to cover them. I am slowly building a savings account balance, and limit purchases to essentials. I don't eat out, drink or smoke. Haven't been to a movie or sporting event since before 2000. My home is fully paid for, so no mortgage. Price rises in the essentials is the only impact inflation and interest rate increases have on me. Many would say I have a boring life, but I am comfortable with it. No wife to keep happy. I socialise by attending the Men's Shed three days a week, mixing with up to 40 guys, and using this forum and Facebook.

[facthunter]

Like my family after the war. We just did without. In Infants school most of the kids had NO shoes. No fridge No car, no washing machine, no Phone Green ration cards. I was selling newspapers at 13 years of age. We didn't know any different. Before the war was 10+ years of a depression. Cars were put on blocks during the war as you couldn't get fuel. A lot of people grew their own vegetables and fruit and had chooks and knew someone who had a Dairy. Can't recall any whinging.  Nev

[red750]

Yes. Today's softees can't handle it if there's no APP for it.

[facthunter]

WE are better off than about 98%of humanity. Living with less is an acquired and required skill. Some RAT will win the rat race. Leave then to it and take the False pressures off your self.  Nev

Edited November 10, 2023 by facthunter

[willedoo]

There's been times in my life where I've been flat broke, and I'll admit I've enjoyed them. A caveat to that is as long as the bills are paid. Having pressing bills and no way to pay them can be stressful. But if they are paid, the rest of it is fairly easy and can be an enjoyable challenge. It can become an art form trying to make a good meal from what's available. Certainly a few new oddball recipes get invented. It helps if you always have something growing in the garden.

 

Life is more real when you're broke and it gets the brain cells working on solutions. The satisfaction comes from being presented with a challenge and (hopefully) dealing with it successfully. It's an exercise in compromise, innovation, adaptation and discipline. There's also ways to help future proof against lean times. In the days when I carried cash and used it a lot, when I got home from shopping or whatever, the left over gold coins would always go in a jar. The $2 coins would fairly quickly grow to a few hundred dollars. I can remember raiding the piggy bank on more than one occasion. These days, cash is almost gone and I rarely see a coin.

 

Another big advantage is not being a smoker. In impoverished times there's no expensive addiction to feed. It must be hard for a heavy smoker who suddenly hasn't got the money for a packet of smokes.

[Bruce Tuncks]

We sure are well-off. I saw a list of demands to make the world into a great place. These demands included enough food and education and housing for everybody, just like what I grew up with. Gosh, thought I, We really lived in a great place at the best of times.

The next big thing is going to be real food shortages, brought about by climate change and over-population and resource depletion.

Enough gloom and doom, though....  We won't be around to worry in ten years or so.

[facthunter]

That should cheer us up.  Nev

[Jerry_Atrick]

Be that as it may, the reality is today's society is about material wealth and consumerism, and that is the way those large corps and power-lever pullers like it. Mr and Mrs Jones sets the standards and everyone wants to keep uyp because they superficially feel  good about themselves; they are a success; and they want to be envied by others, too. When it starts to go pear shaped and the regular paymetns and bills start piling on, they start to feel the pain; the normal pollies don't help them - those darned liberals are looking out only for the vulnerable or the wealthy. So they vote in someone who drops the vulenrable, because, you know, trickle down economics solves everything. When that doesn't work, someone comes in to drain the swamp and make it all better. And the lkeft-behinds, and some of the middle classes pile in.

 

During the 2016 and 2020 US elections, there were rednecks who were dependent on Obamacare, literally screaming for it to be dismantled at rallies for Trump. In the UK, the refugees and prisoners are having a smidgeon of rights protected under the European Court of Human Rights, and the government/press are attacking it as an affront to our soverignty, and you guessed it, the left behinds and some of the middle classes are calling for the UK to come out of the European Convention of Human Rights - they want to water down their own human rights! This of course plays into the hands of the large corps, press, and power-lever pullers.

 

Since Brexit, for example, the current government has watered down environment protection laws such that water companies can spill raw sewerage into the rivers and oceans with only a slap on the wrist... And they do pump millions of litres of the stuff out.. I think on a daily basis, but the duration may be longer. They are virtually eliminating environmental protection for new gas/oil projects. They are watering down food standards.. Waiting lists for the NHS are higher than they have ever been; schools and hostpials are literally crumbling. The working poor (where people in full time work, but can't pay for basic needs) affects something like 4 million people - about 7.5% of the population; which means those who are not technically working poor, but nit much better off will be a lot higher.

 

This stuff does not happen overnight. It is the clumination of a long time of conditioning. People will get fed up and there will be a big revolt. Problem is there isn't really anywhere to hide this time.

[nomadpete]

Alright.

I may as well just slit my wrists right now and save the country the burden of my old age.

[red750]

As the eldest of seven, we didn't have a lot when I was a kid, so I guess I grew up going without a lot of things, and therefore I have never needed to have "the latest thing". That has carried over, and if I see something, I think about it half a dozen times then decide it's not essential. Facebook throws up ads for all sorts of "wonderful" things, but I don't have to keep up with the Joneses. I learned early that I don't need alcohol, cigarettes, constant entertainment, the latest fashions and so on. Fortunately I don't have withdrawal symptoms, and when I see guys who can't go two hours without having to go for a smoke, I thank my lucky stars.

[spacesailor]

'' The Reserve Bank is an Independant body entirely. No government controls it. ''

BUT

They jumped when Told to increase those interest rates , by some European or world  bank.

I have always said Our ' reserve bank ' is quietly spoken too by the other Australian banks .

Look at that HUGE windfall they had ( default mortgages ) when we had the '' recession '' we had to have . ( to fill the banks coffers ).

spacesailor

[facthunter]

When I am da King, space, I will introduce Honest STATE owned Banks the first thing I do...   Nev

[red750]

I just don't get it, I'm sorry.

 

Just watching this woman on TV going on about the problems "dealing with all her anxieties" etc. and the problems with the methamphetamines etc., that she had been on, and the difficulties she had had. She was discussing the addictions Matthew Perry had gone through before his passing. 

 

I'm 79, and think I've suffered as many problems as the next guy, but I have NEVER resorted to any sort of crutch to deal with them. No alcohol, no drugs, anything. Well, very rarely take a pain killer, then the most basic - Panamax. But the pain has to be very serious. Headaches, toothache, injuries, even cancer, etc., they will pass. HTFU. When I was in hospital, I was asked constantly if I needed pain killers, but I said "No". Mental or emotional problems? Yes, I've had those too, but the answer is not in the bottom of a bottle.

[facthunter]

Some personalities are more inclined to addictions than others. Most pain killers don't work with/for Me so I don't use them. I do drink too much but never alone. It's a with a meal thing.. Nev

[old man emu]

1 hour ago, red750 said:

I've suffered as many problems as the next guy, but I have NEVER resorted to any sort of crutch to deal with them

Seriously, I had a crutch to help me deal with Life's problems. I called it my beloved wife.

[willedoo]

I had a successful day today with two major achievements. I got a chainsaw going that hasn't had a run for two years and I tracked down where the termites were getting into the shed. In the search for the termites, I ended up in a deep dark room of the shed that hadn't been entered for a long, long time. In there I found a stack of T & G hardwood flooring offcuts. Surprisingly, they looked brand new as if straight from the sawmill, even though they date back to 1996. I guess the lack of light has preserved the natural colour of the timber.

[nomadpete]

Random thoughts.......

 

Anybody remember the Kings Cross Whisper?

 

 

 

 

 

Australia's purchase of the troubled F-111 jet fighter

"All problems with the controversial F-111 aircraft have been solved except one... The only minor problem remaining was to get the aircraft off the ground."
(Kings Cross Whisper, Issue No. 118)

[red750]

How come you can receive an email that is clearly spam, and most likely a scam, and when you try to reply telling them to P155 OFF, it fails as "suspected spam"?

[onetrack]

I use Mailwasher to handle my mail and I can bounce emails back to the spammers and scammers, making it look like my email address is invalid, or no longer in use.

[old man emu]

2 hours ago, nomadpete said:

Anybody remember the Kings Cross Whisper?

What teenage boy of Sydney in the Swingin' Sixties didn't try to get his hands on a copy?

https://www.australiaforvisitors.com/kings-cross-whisper.html