The totally off-topic thread

[Flying mermaid]

AAMI home were great.

AAMI motor were a complete debacle and I'm actively looking for alternatives (after 20 years with AAMI Motor).

we have been with AAMI motor for more than 20 years and always thought they were terrific. Never looked elsewhere and put all the kids with them. However when Dr FM was in an accident in May (not her fault), we were very unimpressed with their service levels. Suncorp bought them about 10 years ago and seem to be changing everything that we liked....

 

[Flying mermaid]

Out of curiosity, did those German lessons ever come in handy?

I can remember Dr FM's school German coming in very handy. We were staying in a tiny hotel in the Crimea in a place called Artek and wanted to let our waiter know we would be late for dinner, as we were gong on an expedition to Yalta. We were using an English- Russian dictionary and getting nowhere. Our waiter kept on getting more people to talk to us until we were like one of those comedy movies where there is a whole crowd of people talking and gesticulating but getting nowhere - I think they even brought a couple of passerbys in! Eventually it was resolved when the chef arrived who could talk German and Dr FM managed to communicate our information to him!

 

[Flying mermaid]

I remember the first winter we were in Canberra (1983). We had condensation on the inside of windows and used to sit wrapped up in rugs to keep warm. Maybe I've got tougher now (though I think it was a cold winter that year). We did buy a place in the September and had gas ducted heating put in a year or so later. The little Vulcan electric wall heaters didn't really do a lot.

oh snap - that's when we arrived - from Mt Isa so total shock to the system! We were renting a house near Manuka and it had really old wiring and no heating. We had a portable heater, but you couldn't use any other electrical appliance when it was on (i.e kettle, toaster etc), otherwise it would blow the fuses! Most miserable winter of my life and the reason why I became fanatical about insulation and double glazing once we built our own homes.

 

[Quickstatus]

Just finished my packing, only a 2 night stay in Adelaide, so HLO.

Dont take any kitchen equipment

 

[JohnK]

Another insurance company in the news regarding misleading practice. Where does it end?

 

[Quickstatus]

I remember the first winter we were in Canberra (1983). We had condensation on the inside of windows and used to sit wrapped up in rugs to keep warm. Maybe I've got tougher now (though I think it was a cold winter that year). We did buy a place in the September and had gas ducted heating put in a year or so later. The little Vulcan electric wall heaters didn't really do a lot.

Too early for the big white building on the Hill . That was 1988 I believe. Emits lots of hot air - no wonder you were cold


........

Another insurance company in the news regarding misleading practice. Where does it end?

Never - so long as they put the important stuff in the "fine print" and keep paying commissions

 

[Happy Trails]

I'm with Queenie.

I've always thought this scene desperately sad.
Four months away and barely a glance at her firstborn.

From around the 2:30 mark.


[h=1]Welcome Home! (1951)[/h]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3WHnMi3TJk

 

[Hvr]

Dont take any kitchen equipment

Or use Grinder

 

[JohnK]

Never - so long as they put the important stuff in the "fine print" and keep paying commissions

I never thought too much about insurance until I started working for an insurance company. What a sad culture. Quite depressing actually....

 

[VPS]

Boeing jet makes plane outline over America on Dreamliner test flight - BBC Newsbeat

Love this

And Robert Hardy has died - great actor

Obituary: Robert Hardy - BBC News

 

[Denali]

I will never understand people.

Someone asks me for something, its worth hundreds of dollars, and I say, Sure. Come pick it up, it's ready for you.

Their response is, Can't you bring it to me?

Why no. I'm not interested in loading up my car, driving out of my way to give you something you asked for.

 

[Cossie]

oh snap - that's when we arrived - from Mt Isa so total shock to the system! We were renting a house near Manuka and it had really old wiring and no heating. We had a portable heater, but you couldn't use any other electrical appliance when it was on (i.e kettle, toaster etc), otherwise it would blow the fuses! Most miserable winter of my life and the reason why I became fanatical about insulation and double glazing once we built our own homes.

When the boss arrived in Canberra from Vancouver in late 1990, she said her first winter here was the coldest she had been in her life.

Growing up in the old inner south in a monocrete house without any insulation must have toughened me up. Boy that place was so cold in winter and so hot in summer. Although I am again thinking about moving somewhere warmer in winter, but isn't excessively hot in summer.

 

[Bindibuys]

Dont take any kitchen equipment

And definitely not my Swiss Army Knife, forgot to move it to checked luggage in Darwin, so it got confiscated. New one arrived in the mail this week, it is staying at home. As per Pushka's comment - more warm clothing than I would normally pack.

 

[Pushka]

I will never understand people.

Someone asks me for something, worth it hundreds of dollars, and I say, Sure. Come pick it up, it's ready for you.

Their response is, Can't you bring it to me?

Why no. I'm not interested in loading up my car, driving out of my way to give you something you asked for.

Then the question to ask them is simply 'Why?'

 

[Denali]

Then the question to ask them is simply 'Why?'

Im sure the response would be a lot of whining but yet, its going to stay here until they pick it up.

Its like when I lent a family member a expensive piece of equipment. He picked it up in about 20mins because it was important to him but zero interest in returning it.

I just dont get people.

 

[Cynicor]

I would pretty quickly call these people out and excommunicate them. Probably explains why the only friends I have are very good ones...

 

[Bundy Bear]

I will never understand people.

Someone asks me for something, its worth hundreds of dollars, and I say, Sure. Come pick it up, it's ready for you.

Their response is, Can't you bring it to me?

Why no. I'm not interested in loading up my car, driving out of my way to give you something you asked for.

After that tone I would probably suggest you probably will show the same interest in returning it so the deal is off.

 

[Denali]

After that tone I would probably suggest you probably will show the same interest in returning it so the deal is off.

This stuff is for them to keep but its saving them hundreds of dollars by not having to buy it (edit: and they asked for it). But Im expected to deliver it? No.

 

[Bundy Bear]

I've never wanted to kiss a baby and refuse to do so. My immediate family has finished breeding and always understood. Other people, I don't care what they thought but always wondered why they wanted their precious child to be kissed by a non-family member.

I am with HVR on this one, can't believe it was so popular with some politicians I guess anything to get a vote.

The younger generation expect and want hugs. I've not kissed my kids on the mouth once they became grotlet kids at school. Cheeks only.

I was talking to a friend about this recently, in the past you would very rarely see anyone hug in public but now its become more socially acceptable.

Italians and some Arab countries it is more popular, but English it wasn't popular at all, and my family being mostly English it didn't happen with cousins and extended family.

Society goes through trends, in the 80s to see to men hugging might suggest that they were gay and with the AIDS around then no one would hug, but now there is some evidence to suggest that being touched in the way of a hug is good for you.

 

[JohnK]

It's Friday. Feels like a month has gone by this week.