GRIPES

[red750]

Certainly Medicare has paid most of my wife's radiation treatment ($23,000 odd), but the health insurance has covered the cost of the chemotherapy and hospitalisation. I have no idea how much that cost. It is welcome when she is discharged, and they say "Nothing to pay."

 

 As for life insurance, if I die before she does, it's all she will have to pay off any debts, and pay for my funeral. The alternative would be a Go-Fund-Me appeal.

[Bruce Tuncks]

I agree with Yenn Red. I reckon life insurance is like any insurance. If you have ordinary luck, you will get back one third of your premiums. Why pay? 

It is only the house I have insured. My plane was NEVER insured. It was just too expensive.

[Jerry_Atrick]

Without knowing the figures, it's impossible to say what is right. But ione thing to think about is how diffifcult it will be for your wife to make a claim should you pass before she does. I have no idea what thelife insurer's reputation is in Australia, but over here, they have a terrible reputation when it comes to claiming; they often refuse claims on the most thinnest of excuses and often fabricated ones at that. Every so often another case pops up where someone has had to take them to court to get them to pay up - and it can take a couple of years.. They end up getting costs as well as the payout,but they wouldn't keep doing it if, I guess, they saved more in the long run.

 

On that basis alone, if it is economic amd upi have the cash, I would consider pre-paying your funeral in case you pass before her. At least (subject to the company going broke), you know you have secured it and it is a weight off your wife's name. Having said that, I am sure there are horror stories about pre-paid funerals as well.

 

I have no idea on these things to be honest, so I may well be speaking absolute poop...

 

[Bruce Tuncks]

My mother did a pre-paid funeral, and I was aghast at the time.  "they will never pay out, said I".

Well, years later, when she died, they honoured the agreement properly and I was pleased to be wrong.

But my daughter had terrible trouble getting a household claim paid out. They denied paying out on a triviality and were taken to the insurance ombudsman. After a year, it was found in my daughter's favor and then, instead of paying out, the insurance company changed their grounds and refused again! Yes they finally paid, but gosh it was a hard job. Many people would have given up after nearly 2 years fighting over a few thousand.

But with respect to aviation, the repairers I know say the companies are honourable. Our club has never been stiffed. But the owners I know who are well-off do not in general insure because it is just a bad deal. If you can afford to carry a risk yourself, why pay somebody else 3 fold to carry it? And third-party risks are part of your membership to the federal body.

[octave]

In my opinion prepaid funerals are not great.  It does of course depend on what you are after.   My father died last year and had a prepaid funeral however there were so many things not covered that the mother either felt she wanted or was talk into.    It seems to be write a cynical industry.  I hate adverts where the sad widow is talking about her departed husband,  "Jim was a good, always did the right thing by his family BUT..........should of had a pre paid funeral.    It works on fear and guilt.

 

My wife and I although hopefully a few years away from that point have decided not to have a funeral or at least not a normal funeral.    It costs a little under $1500 to have a body cremated, this is what we will do.   This does not preclude some kind of privately organized get together.   My wife's parents have left their bodies to science (medical school) so much expense there. 

[Marty_d]

Here's an idea - there's a shortage of organ donors in Australia.

Perhaps the federal government could have a funeral contribution scheme whereby if you donate your organs you have your funeral partially funded (maybe, as Octave pointed out, half the cremation fee or $750).

[Bruce Tuncks]

That shows the problem Marty. You give your organs for nothing and the medico gets ten thou for the swap.

If they only paid a pittance they would be swamped with donors.  Alas this would put the focus on the next stage.

[red750]

Here we go again with the ratbag lefties. First, Merry Christmas became Happy Holiday, now Easter Eggs are Seasonal Chocolates. 

[nomadpete]

I don't see that a ratbag anything.

 

Its about time religion pulled it's oar out of these lucrative holidays, since the majority of public aren't particularly observing anything religious when buying stuff and partying on those occasions anyway.

[red750]

If it wasn't for religion, this wouldn't be an "occasion", it would be just another day. 

[old man emu]

Out with the old.

In with the new.

Mother's Day sales

begin next Monday for you!

[octave]

The notion that there is some kind of cultural war on Easter seems to be more in the minds of the angry old fear mongering conservative commentators.      If I was in the chocolate business I would definitely rebrand and leave the Easter bit out or perhaps have both brandings.  This would not be a matter of PC gone mad  but rather intelligent marketing. 

 

In terms of offending some sections of the community good business is built on your product being as inoffensive as possible.  However this is not the most important reason in business terms.      If I were in this business I would want to  maximize my customer base.    I would want to sell my product to Christians and atheists and others.  

 

Linking a product too closely to a particular religion reduces your customer base.

 

I am sure we have all noticed how early chocolate manufacturers start pushing eggs and rabbits etc.   I suspect leaving Easter off the name  makes it easier to extend the period over which poor quality overpriced hollow chocolate can be sold.

 

In terms of offence, I do have a couple of committed Christian friends (I a a staunch atheist) who are right behind the disconnecting of confectionary and crucifixion.     

 

[red750]

Why the hell is it that all other religions can have their traditions, but Christians must give up theirs for fear of offending somebody???????

[Bruce Tuncks]

The easter business predated christianity by many years. The christians just took it over. Same as christmas, which is really the feast of the winter solstice.

To see how recent christianity is, just consider the names of the days of the week. And why are there 7 days and not some other number?  There is a very good and non-christian reason.

Having said this, I agree with red about how the fringe lots get to be so easily offended. Andrew Bolt, who is admittedly a loony climate-change denier, was quite correct about the currently stupid "apologies to aborigines" from people who never did anything addressed to people who have never suffered anything.

[Bruce Tuncks]

Easter was the feast of new birth, as implied by the name. In northern europe, new buds begin to show.

[octave]

How is

33 minutes ago, Bruce Tuncks said:

The easter business predated christianity by many years. The christians just took it over. Same as christmas, which is really the feast of the winter solstice.

 

Indeed, so why the fuss when fuss when a chocolate manufacturer rebrands their product?  You could argue that they are simply taking back what has been appropriated by religion.  In any case the suggestion that there is a war on Christmas or Easter is a vast exaggeration.   If I was of a mind to I could put merry Christmas in lights on the front of my house, I can and do wish people a merry Christmas.   

 

 

38 minutes ago, Bruce Tuncks said:

I agree with red about how the fringe lots get to be so easily offended.

 

Are the fringe actually massively offended?  I mean I am not say no one is but it seems massively exaggerated.   I guess I am not sure which side of this debate is exhibiting the higher level of being "offended"  both the far left and far right seem to need to frame everything as a weapon in some mythical culture war.

[spacesailor]

Homo,s  offend me.

NO H in their GBLC , 

Yet they want to rule the world !.

AND

NO Christian floats in Sydney's G & L Maddi Gras.

spacesailor

[octave]

4 minutes ago, spacesailor said:

Homo,s  offend me.

In will pass that onto my sister but you know you would probably quite like her if you met her.

 

10 minutes ago, spacesailor said:

Yet they want to rule the world !.

Do they? I cant see any evidence for this.  Wanting equal rights in for example same sex marriage is not about taking over the world, you do not need to be paranoid about this.

 

12 minutes ago, spacesailor said:

NO Christian floats in Sydney's G & L Maddi Gras.

I think actually they do

 

 

Brad found himself 'living a lie' as a missionary. Now he celebrates his sexuality as a Peacock Mormon

 

 

   I would imagine that most Christian groups would not be lining up to take part.

 

The odd thing is the folks who proclaim  that  "people are so easily offended" are amongst the most easily offended themselves.     Perhaps folks on all sides should just chill out a little.   

[spacesailor]

I also have " same sex relatives ".

Expecting a Marriage invitation soon !.

But 

It's a choice between which couple will " tie the knot " first.

AND

They always try to Boss us around.

Youngsters AHH.

spacesailor

[Jerry_Atrick]

I feel quite offended by the above... I conisder myself a lesbian and proud of it 🙃

 

 

[spacesailor]

Don,tbe offended! 

I,t  just gets up my nose, when they Push their sexuality down my ,our throats.

Times Have changed, but Iv,e not seen ' the Reverend nile ' in the parade yet.

My nephew has only missed the last few parades because he was busy with his partner.

And he is into The wild life, full on. He was as Black as the ace of spades, when rescuing wildlife in the big fires. His partner almost disowned him. LoL

spacesailor

[Jerry_Atrick]

I wasn't really offended 😉

 

[Marty_d]

Why do the christians get to subvert the old pagan holidays (christmas was the midwinter festival, easter was the spring festival) by lying about when their deity was born, died and supposedly rose, but then get all upset when the new gods Profit, Capitalism and Mass Production subvert them again?

[nomadpete]

Because humans seem addicted to storytelling. Usually to conceal their own selfishness.

 

How else can people admire and covet rich, powerful individuals when deep inside, we know that the majority of rich, powerful people got that way by lying and cheating?

[Old Koreelah]

On 24/03/2021 at 8:07 AM, Bruce Tuncks said:

...my daughter had terrible trouble getting a household claim paid out. They denied paying out on a triviality and were taken to the insurance ombudsman..

We have the maximum sized excess, which means the premium is heaps lower. I’m happy to cover all the little things, as long as the insurance industry covers the big stuff.