tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021136853562413881.comments2016-08-29T13:10:32.942+10:00Life with GeckosKella Bhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17946233729341814984noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021136853562413881.post-39681887212649124592010-03-14T17:26:05.536+10:002010-03-14T17:26:05.536+10:00thanks for commenting guys.
phelan: medicare (aus...thanks for commenting guys.<br /><br />phelan: medicare (australia's government funded healthcare) isn't forced, it's just the default system, if you have private healthcare, which is what we call insurance, you can choose to get a refund from either your healthcare fund or from medicare. Most things are completely covered by medicare, except for dentistry (i don't know why). Private healthcare and state healthcare are almost exactly the same here. The waiting lists are the same, there isn't one queue for rich people and one for poor people, for example. The main difference I have found, through the experience of having both is choice, with private you can shop around for an obstetrician, for example. However, in an emergency, chances are your chosen doctor won't be available, so private healthcare doesn't mean anything in those circumstances.<br />Medicare is huge relief for families living on the pension (welfare). When i had my appendix out, as a teenager, it cost my mother nothing out of pocket, it was free for me to have surgery and stay in hospital for two weeks. Except for tv, that cost money to watch, so i had to read and do homework instead, lol.<br />In an emergency room, everyone is equal, everyone gets seen to in order of physical need, not ability to pay. Which I am led to believe is not the case in some american hospitals.<br /><br />Lindy: I think that Warren and Tyagi's research proves that people are not spending more on incidentals and luxuries than 30 years ago. For example, families may eat out more, but it is cheaper now, so actual dollars spent haven't changed. The same goes for other expenses. The main expense that has risen for families is the cost of homes, and Warren and Tyagi looked into the causes of this. They also looked at the fact that the vast majority of Sub-prime mortgages were second mortgages sold to people who already owned their home. They had good credit and could have been sold a proper cheaper mortgage, yet they were criminally sold a sub-prime mortgage. The deregulated lending industry has turned lenders into loan sharks.<br />So yes, if you need a 125% mortgage to buy a house in the first place you can't afford that house, but if you are between a rock and a hard place and your kid needs chemo, you are going to need a second mortgage and you are vulnerable to criminals in the industry.<br />Maybe you could write more about how your family survived with medical bills and mortgage payments on only one income, because that is the very thing that can send a family into a spiral of problems ending in bankruptcy, and that knowledge is obviously needed by many people.<br /><br />Dee: I hope things look up. Your story just happened to come to my attention as i was reading Warren and Tyagi, and they dispelled so many myths that i held. Especially the fact that Americans are greedy, living a lifestyle of debt and consumerism. It is easy to make judgements without knowing all the circumstances. For example, living with free healthcare, I had no idea that a heart attack could ruin a family, beyond the obvious fact of losing an income. It would never occur to me that someone would have to choose to risk their house in order to get access to treatment. <br /><br />Also anyone can go to any school, here, I have a choice of about 4 state and 3 private primary schools within a 3km (a bit more than a mile) radius, and if i chose to drive, my choices go up exponentially. They are all quality schools with not much gap between private and state, too.Kella Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17946233729341814984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021136853562413881.post-1542147147694379502010-02-01T05:28:45.218+10:002010-02-01T05:28:45.218+10:00Everything you said is true, but there is more to ...Everything you said is true, but there is more to the picture. The average home is much larger now than it was 30 years ago and much more expensive. Young couples think they should have homes as nice as the ones their parents worked 30 years to get. Most families eat out several times a week and have a vehicle for every licensed driver in the house. When I was growing up, we ate out several times a year (not counting the occasional Saturday burger).<br />Kids have multiple pairs of $100 sneakers, thousands of dollars in electronic equipment and buy their mountains of clothes at mall stores that charge high prices for sub-standard clothing made in third world countries.<br />Your jaw would drop at the quantity and quality of goods that are in our thrift stores.<br />I love the USA and wouldn't want to live anywhere else, but I can see where the old-fashioned values of thrift and independence have been replaced with greed and a sense of entitlement.<br />I had the premature babies, gave up the job for them and was still able to pay the medical bills and the house payment because we lived knowing that disaster can be around the corner and we needed to be prepared for it when (not it) it came our way.<br />If you need a 125% mortgage, you can't afford a home, period.Malindahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16417125068082873720noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021136853562413881.post-21601345183111009902010-02-01T02:00:19.460+10:002010-02-01T02:00:19.460+10:00Now we gt into some interesting discussion. First,...Now we gt into some interesting discussion. First, States differ in their rules when it comes to schools. In Kansas we do indeed have a map, we also have a lottery system that you can enter to get into the school of your choice via busing, or you can pay up to $100 to the school a year. That of course is only in the major cities, most towns only have one school. We also have very lenient homeschooling laws. You do still pay into a specific school with taxes. <br /><br />The State of Kansas has a Insurance program ran by the State. Called Health Wave. You do not have to be poor to have it, and pay into the system to use it if you make over the Sate Medium. Just about all our hospitals are ran by the Catholic Church, and you can make a deal to get you bill reduced, or forgiven. <br /><br />I have not had insurance since my husband was laid off 2 years ago. We pay all are doctor visits out of pocket. And because we pay cash, are doctor has reduced our bill, every time.<br /><br />Now I an not talk about how the other states do things. This is just Here in Kansas. We have a good system that people tend to abuse, but still a good system. I don't really want the Federal Government running all of the States, that isn't what they are for.I could go on and on about why I don't like the Idea of having a FORCED Universal Health care here, but I will just Say that the State is suppose to have more power over their citizens than the Federal does. That is how the system is set up. <br /><br />As for them knowing we were in trouble, sure I bet they did. Never waste a good disaster.Phelanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08250080326099834661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021136853562413881.post-29100311698008545072010-01-19T11:45:32.420+10:002010-01-19T11:45:32.420+10:00i like your work mum. i love your work mum. i love...i like your work mum. i love your work mum. i love you mum.<br />from jAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021136853562413881.post-90066339961933785892009-10-01T14:41:45.224+10:002009-10-01T14:41:45.224+10:00There was another duststorm on Saturday night,i di...There was another duststorm on Saturday night,i didn't bother posting photos though, we couldn't see anything except a faint orange haze where street lights should have been.<br />it meant a rather sleepless night, hot and stuffy, with the windows shut and the taste of dirt in the back of your throat...Kella Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17946233729341814984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021136853562413881.post-64489496740516757812009-09-23T15:09:18.340+10:002009-09-23T15:09:18.340+10:00Found your blog through a link you posted on this ...Found your blog through a link you posted on this subject.<br /><br />Yikes! It looks like it is all over Australia! I was just at Tania's blog at <a href="http://outbacktania.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow"><b>Out Back</b></a> and it's been raining mud in Port Augusta (South Australia). The photos I posted at my blog (<a href="http://cluttercut.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow"><b>Cluttercut</b></a>) of Sydney were scary!<br /><br />We're even getting bad weather here in Dunedin, New Zealand, where I live. We've had a bit of hail, and pretty much non-stop rain for the last 24 hours - but that isn't too unusual for this time of the year for us!<br /><br />Thanks for posting the photos!Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15497683565965322222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021136853562413881.post-52180760634513108612009-05-13T08:45:00.000+10:002009-05-13T08:45:00.000+10:00I am frustrated by both Anna Bligh and Campbell Ne...I am frustrated by both Anna Bligh and Campbell Newman using reductions in GHG emissions as an excuse to build more politically popular infrastructure for motor vehicles.<br /> <br />The more roads they build, the more lanes they add, the more congestion they bust, the more it encourages people to drive. Is there anyway we can get a more robust means of GHG emissions accounting to counter the circular arguments presented by our politicians to justify more "congestion busting" roads?<br /><br />From BBC's annual report: <br /><br />In partnership with the Queensland Government, Council is developing a common, <br />intelligent, integrated road network management system to improve the coordination of the <br />city’s 7000 kilometre road network. A pilot of the traffic signals component of the project <br />was conducted at Indooroopilly in 2008 and demonstrated how traffic can be streamlined by <br />synchronising traffic signals on both Council and Queensland Government-owned roads. The <br />Indooroopilly pilot demonstrated a saving of approximately 3800 tonnes in carbon emissions <br />per year through the reduction of travel time. <br /><br />Do you think they took into account all the additional trips that will be made now that traffic isn't as bad? I doubt it.<br /><br />Rowan<br />Director<br />Carbon-counters.comrowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18412771136395670745noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021136853562413881.post-9660896782639758492009-04-25T16:43:00.000+10:002009-04-25T16:43:00.000+10:00hey thanks luke, keep up your work with cycling, c...hey thanks luke, keep up your work with cycling, check out transition.org for more info and to link up with likemindedsKella Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17946233729341814984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021136853562413881.post-90286862363971268922009-04-25T14:06:00.000+10:002009-04-25T14:06:00.000+10:00Thanks for your comment on Envirofuel and also for...Thanks for your comment on Envirofuel and also for your rebuttal. Sadly, most people don't go to that level of effort.<br /><br />In the two years I've been running Envirofuel I've come to agree with you, in the city context at least. So much positive change could occur if people were willing to give up their cars and begin to provide for themselves.<br /><br />Of course massive infrastructure changes are required before that becomes viable and we therefore rely on Government to facilitate the change. Having just spent a week in Canberra and having observed the masses of bicycle commuters there I've seen the changes good cycling infrastructure can make. I'm sure improvements in public transport would result in a similar changes in commuting habits.<br /><br />As a keen cyclist I am in the process of converting to bicycle transport and will probably be devoting what spare time I have to growing bicycle commuting locally instead of updating Envirofuel. As my knowledge has grown I've become disillusioned with biofuels and don't think the general public should rely on alternative fuels for everyday transport. The answer, as you say, is in changing habits and expectations, not in finding alternatives.<br /><br />LukeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021136853562413881.post-77873485825080863152009-03-18T12:21:00.000+10:002009-03-18T12:21:00.000+10:00Thank you for sharing, I just found your blog. Lo...Thank you for sharing, I just found your blog. Look forward to reading more!The Three Little Bearshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05293720770115453987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021136853562413881.post-821879617689017542009-02-05T03:35:00.000+10:002009-02-05T03:35:00.000+10:00I have taken a Intro to Permaculture class & l...I have taken a Intro to Permaculture class & loved it. We hope to keep those principles on our farm. We are also vegetarian & feel out of place at most gatherings. (We also seem to be the most healthy of anyone :-)<BR/>This spring (in Wisconsin) we will be planting 100 hazelnut bushes & 10 chestnut trees. Last year was 25 apple trees. Thanks for sharing on your blog.<BR/>BarbBarbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11100579796650378775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021136853562413881.post-30853860752493999842009-02-04T13:19:00.000+10:002009-02-04T13:19:00.000+10:00Thanks altadenahikerThanks altadenahikerKella Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17946233729341814984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4021136853562413881.post-74683352674950170542009-02-04T12:50:00.000+10:002009-02-04T12:50:00.000+10:00Well, you know, I'm not quite as gung-ho as you, b...Well, you know, I'm not quite as gung-ho as you, but admire your fortitude. I have a couple of raised beds and am doing everything from seed, and will just see how things go. Good luck to you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com