Merdeka Day

Selamat Hari Kebangsaan
Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!

Flag image from: www.fg-a.com/flags18.shtml

Millionhair, not Millionaire

Mingling with millionaire relatives is very demoralising for me especially so when it's a whole group of them. It often sends my already low self esteem spiralling downhill. It made me feel that personal ambitions of mine are unattainable. I don't like the feeling. I prefer my "millionhair" friends, we've got more in common; it makes me feel comfortable with who I am and puts me back in reality.

Single guy + married woman

Someone told me that he met somebody special. He even showed me a photo of her, a very beautiful young Thai lady. I felt happy for him and congratulated him. Then he told me that she is a married woman! I tried not to act shocked but my mind was saying "Doh!!!??!?!??!" He saw my heartshaped pendant and asked where I bought it from because he wanted to buy one for the lady. He told the lady what if her husband asks where she got the pendant from? She replied that she'll just say she bought it herself. Doh!!???!?!?!? I was stumped.

Cajun Nuggets

I tried Macca's new Cajun Nuggets last Sunday and boy it's certainly got oommphhh ... spicy and tasty, I'm LOVIN it. As with any spicy promo including KFC's spicy chicken, it is only available for a short period of time. So, what to do eh? It simply means that Mr & Mrs Oink Oink here are getting some again tonight before it's GONE.

<---- Photo © 2005 McDonald's Corporation, Australia

The Rich Gets Richer

I don't know what to think of the rich who earn millions of $$ a year ... yet pockets welfare! Below is an excerpt from www.smh.com.au

I also want to thank all you who have given suggestions on the door locks :) - much appreciated.

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Source: Sydney Morning Herald <-- link to full story
Wealthy parents grab $65 handout
By David Humphries
August 12, 2005

MILLIONAIRE WELFARE

- Family Tax Benefit part B introduced in 2000 for sole parents and stay-home mums

- No means test for a maximum benefit of $65 a week.

- In 2003-04, 31 recipient families each earned more than $1 million.

.Last year, million-dollar families numbered 76; the benefit was paid to 38,500 families earning more than $100,000

The Government has promised to review its non-means-tested family payment after figures revealed that more top-income Australians, including millionaires, were lining up for the maximum benefit of $65 a week.

Last year, 76 single-income families who earned at least $1 million a year received Family Tax Benefit part B, introduced in 2000 by the Howard Government to assist sole parents and stay-at-home mums. A year earlier, only 31 recipients earned at least $1 million.

The benefit, paid to the stay-home parent regardless of the working spouse's income, also went to 352 families who earned more than $500,000 last year.

The welfare lobby said the annual distribution of up to $130 million among 38,500 families earning more than $100,000 a year "could be much better spent on low-income families".

The director of the Institute for Private Enterprise, Des Moore, a former senior Treasury official, sees it as part of politics-inspired "welfare creep".

"Contrary to the idea that social security is supposed to be for people in greatest need," Dr Moore said, "it has been expanded under this Government to the point where social security as a percentage of GDP has grown by 3 percentage points since Whitlam."

The distribution of Family Tax Benefit B payments was revealed by the Family and Community Services Department in answers this week to Opposition questions.

Labor's welfare spokesman, Chris Evans, said yesterday that battling families faced "savage cuts to their incomes under the Howard Government's so-called welfare-to-work policies" while millionaires' row was "sucking even harder on the welfare teat".

Need to keep fit :(

I need to get fit again like in these stone age photos :(

Kingsford (previous apartment), Sydney 2001

Coronet Peak, Queenstown, New Zealand 2002

Where are my current photos? Alamak, too embarassed to show! I hope I get a little incentive to keep fit by reminding myself I used to weigh less, doh! For the record, I have put on 10kg since the above photos were taken ... *sob sob* No one's to blame, I had been overeating and lazy. So if I could pull myself together again and keep fit ... maybe I could fit into all my spring/summer dresses once more, hahaha, wishful thinking again ... great dreamer I am!!

Still busy, won't write much.

Door Locks & Bed

DOOR LOCKS

I notice that houses in gwai loh countries generally do not have door locks installed to the bedrooms. I can understand the logic but having been brought up in a country where door locks is a necessity to any home, I don't feel safe sleeping at night without being able to lock the bedroom door.

Since it is not standard practice to install door locks to bedroom doors here, our new home will not come installed with them. I am considering paying extra to have at least our master bedroom door fixed with the door lock. Will it be a good idea to install door locks to the rest of the bedrooms? Suggestions are most welcome, thank you very much.

BED

Thank you Papi & MrsT for your opinions, King size bed it shall be! As for the bed, maybe I should just settle for a more typical bed such as this ... a little bit of country style ...

or should I get an ensemble instead? Doh ... decisions, decisions ... too many choices = headaches.


I am taking a time out from blogging for now ... busy with some artwork. However, I'll be popping by my favourite blogs now and then.

TRACTOR PIC

I almost forgot, this is for MrsT ... me on the tractor ... New Zealand 2001.