Random Thoughts

Winter is well on its way. We've had a couple of days where it was completely foggy in the morning.

It's the time of year when the kids at school come rugged up in beanies, gloves and scarves.

The girls seem to be taking the cold well, esp the little one.

J loves showering in cold water. If I use both the H and C taps, she shouts "Too hot!"

When I keep it at just C, she proclaims, "It's nice!"

Being raised to fear the cold, I wonder if I'm being a neglectful mom to let her have her way. But she seems to thrive on the cold. She refuses to put on a jacket for the daily school run, and if I didn't insist "No socks, no play" on days when she goes to daycare, she would hop out the house sans socks. Like this morning, which is 7 deg outdoors (14 indoors).

Was very pleased to pick up a black puffer jacket with fur collar at K-Mart. Price on tag was $55, same as one I'd seen in a Target catalog. But when I got to the cashier's, the display screen showed $38. :-)

Our favourite house guest has been with us for a week now. Love the adult company and having someone to bat ideas back and forth with.

Our Telstra mobile plans finally expired!

Got a courtesy call from Telstra telling us that we can do whatever we like in the last 30 days of the contract. So CA went to the 3 shop at the Plaza last night and signed us up on new plans with new 3G phones. He's got a Samsung and I've got a Nokia 6210 that comes with GPS function. Haven't figured out how to turn it on though! LOL



Am just waiting for our Yes Optus broadband plan to expire later in the year, then we'll hook up with Unwired. 9 GB for $29.95 pm was the deal we cut out from the papers. Incredible, compared to the measly 2 GB I get now.

What Am I Missing?

I'm on the SAL mailing list and just got their latest e-zine.

Let's see what I might be missing professionally...

THE SAL- NORTON ROSE LAWYERS & BANKERS DEBATE 2009
"Lawyers need Bankers, more than Bankers need Lawyers"

Resolution of Family Business Disputes

Recent Developments in Civil Procedure

Contracts with Network Effects - For Competitors, for Consumers, for Commerce?

Academy Bistro Lunch Promotion - Angel Hair Pasta with Summer Truffles

Am I missing anything?

Not much I guess.

Summer truffles? Think I'll pass.

How To Discourage Telemarketers From Calling You

I get calls from telemarketers several times a week because I am at home.

They're usually from a utilities provider trying to persuade us to switch providers, a vacation resort, a non-profit org soliciting donations via raffle tickets, or market researchers.

I'm more patient with market researchers and non-profits. If I have time, I try to help the researchers. With non-profits, I usually ask for the website address and say I prefer to make a donation directly, so that I don't inadvertently give out private details over the phone to a crook.

The worst ones are those that won't take "No" for an answer and keep trying to extend the conversation when I've made it clear I'm hanging up.

How do you deal with telemarketers who don't understand that "No" means "No"?

Some people I know pass the receiver on to another member of the family or even a friend who happens to be visiting. Some put the caller on hold indefinitely.

I usually say I'm not interested, and hang up. I have long got past feeling guilty about hanging up on someone who is just trying to do his job.

Recently, I tried a different tactic. I decided to put the pressure on the caller instead with a tactic my law lecturers would be proud of.

I call it the Education approach.

After stating that I'm not interested in the product/service, I ask: "How did you get my number?"

"From our calling lists. We buy information from other companies etc etc."

"Are you aware that my number is on the Do Not Call Register?
Do you know that it is an offence for your company to make an unsolicited call to someone on the Register?
What company did you say you represent again?"

The effect is instantaneous.

Straightaway, the caller apologizes, says he wasn't aware, he will let his company know and he won't call again.

And he hangs up.

Being on the DNC Register is no guarantee that you will never again receive unsolicited telemarketing calls.

But it certainly puts the caller on notice, and there is nothing like the threat of a legal penalty to discourage persistent telemarketers.

Note: Being on the DNC Register does not prevent certain exempted orgs from calling you.

Examples:

• charities or charitable institutions
• educational institutions
• religious organisations
• government bodies
• registered political parties
• independent members of parliament
• political candidates.

When Celebrities Misbehave

This week's scandal relates to a group sex incident involving the Cronulla Sharks and a 19 y.o. girl that happened in NZ 7 years ago.

Channel Nine presenter and Melbourne Storm coach Matthew Johns has been stood down indefinitely from Channel Nine after admitting his involvement in the incident.

The girl at the centre of the scandal is now claiming trauma and psychological damage.After the incident, she abandoned her studies, has been drinking and crying a lot and is now afraid to go out of the house.

Interestingly, her former work colleague tells the Nine Network that the girl boasted to her workmates about the incident and only reported to police five days after it happened. The colleague says she and others were disgusted by the girl's bragging and there was no trauma whatsoever.

Johns, after publicly apologizing for his behaviour, says the girl was a willing participant and he never abused her.

Johns' wife says his only crime has been infidelity, and only she has the right to judge him on that matter.

Rugby league commentator Phil Gould, a concerned friend of the Johns family, says he feared for Johns' wellbeing after the scandal broke.

He also had a message for all sporting celebrities and young people.

"Our players have got to understand it doesn't matter if you think you are in the right," he said.

"It doesn't matter if you think you have the green light, if it is perceived that it is OK to go across with this stuff it's going to end in dramas - somewhere sometime it will come back to bite you on the arse and we're all going to pay the penalty for it."

There have been varied reactions from online readers, which gives us a glimpse of what matters to people in Aus.

View 1
The girl was put up to it. She took 5 days to lodge a police report and 7 years to make a hooha. Now she has destroyed a family. "Poor Matthew Johns"; he's being made a scapegoat. So he made a mistake; doesn't everybody? He had the guts to confess. Let him move on. Give him back his job...

View 2
Serves MJ right; it's his karma coming back to haunt him. He betrayed his wife and children.

View 3
The sex culture in the NRL must stop right now. Women must stop being treated as sex objects.

So where does truth, respect and decency come in here? So many agendas and vested interests.

Meaningless! Meaningless! says the Teacher.
Utterly meaningless!
Everything is meaningless!

All things are wearisome,
more than one can say.
The eye never has enough of seeing,
not the ear its fill of hearing.
What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 1:2, 8-9

Until we accept that we are sinners and that we have no hope except in salvation by faith and grace through the work of Christ, we are doomed to continue messing up our lives and others'.

New Asian Groceries Store In Point Cook

A new Asian groceries store - Glory Asian Groceries - will soon open in Point Cook Shopping Centre near Coles.

It's owned by two Sg guys whose children go to the same school as Beth.

CA has been getting fishballs and tofu from the AG shop in Russell St in the City as the AG shops in Werribee tend to stock more Indian/Pakistani foods.

I'm looking forward to visiting GAG and stocking up our pantry with more Sg ingredients: Food Glorious Food!

Virtual Makeover

Are you renovating your home or building a new one?

If like me you struggle to 'see' the after-effects based on tiny samples, you will love the option that the Carpet Court Room Decorator offers.

Play around with colour schemes for walls, flooring and deco.

Choose from timber, laminate or vinyl floor covers and see how your dream home shapes up.

It's great fun!

PS. The only drawback is that there are only 8 colours/styles available per deco element - and none in creams and whites.

Grateful For An Ordinary Day

I'm feeling on top of things today.

Thursdays and Fridays are my at-home-with-J days. We have lots of snuggles and cuddles and TV time.

And of course, there's the challenge of her 2-hourly pantry and fridge raids.

The highlight was a silly conversation we had about Mr. Moon (who was still hanging around at 8 plus in the morning).

"Oh look! Mr. Moon is following us home. Should we ask Mr. Moon to join us for tea? What do you think Mr. Moon would like to have? A bikkie?"

"No, Jordanne eat bikkie," objected J.

"How about tea？ Can Mr. Moon have a cup of tea?"

And so on.

Then it was home to catch In The Night Garden and Playschool, J's favourite kids' programmes.

While she was happily occupied, I washed the toilets, cleaned the floor of the shower recess, vacuumed the house, changed the sheets and warmed up last night's leftovers (spaghetti with minced chicken) for lunch.

I even snuck in a bit of studying while J snuggled up against me watching NiHao KaiLan and repeating the songs and Chinese words.

Don't think about what you can't do
Think about what you CAN do!

Now that's advice we can all use.

Read through the next tutorial and am ready to work on my assignment now.

I even know what I'm going to cook for dinner.

Are You A Happy Mother Today?

I've basking in joy and gratitude since Friday when Beth came home with a present for Mommy which she strictly forbade me to go near till today.

Every year, the Heathdale Christian College Parents & Friends Association hosts a Mothers' Day stall where students can pick up small gifts for mom. The gifts are handmade and/or sourced cheaply to make them affordable for the students, who are encouraged to spend no more than $5.

My bounty this year includes:

• Home-cooked breakfast spread of bacon, sausages, eggs, tomatoes and toast
• Gorgeous framed canvas with little square collages made from twigs and leaves and other natural items from Beth
• Three cards from Beth - two made at school, one at home
• A card from Jordanne
• A little organza bag filled with potpurri from Jordanne (courtesy of Wyndarra Childcare Centre)
• Heaps of cuddles, kisses and 'I love you Mommy' from the girls

I am truly blessed.

Federal Government Okays Paid Maternity Leave

From Jan 2011, the Government will pay moms the federal minimum wage for 18 weeks.

The proposed scheme applies only to those who earn less than A$150K a year.

According to the Australian Fair Pay Commission, the current federal minimum wage is A$14.31/hr.

Perfect Gift For The Mother Who Wants Her Own Website