We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.
This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
Debate House Prices
In order to help keep the Forum a useful, safe and friendly place for our users, discussions around non MoneySaving matters are no longer permitted. This includes wider debates about general house prices, the economy and politics. As a result, we have taken the decision to keep this board permanently closed, but it remains viewable for users who may find some useful information in it. Thank you for your understanding.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
Nice People 12: Nice in Nice
Comments
-
I think the lack of international support is down to apathy. ISIS catches the public imagination, and Ebola does not. This outbreak could be stopped, with proper education and quarantine controls, but that's very hard to do. It can't be solved by sending in the marines or with bombing raids.
One concern, for example, is that people wash the bodies of the deceased before burying them. Then 3 weeks later the washers die.
Draconian quarantine regimes don't work because people won't comply voluntarily.
One concern is that more people will be killed by famine than by the disease.No reliance should be placed on the above! Absolutely none, do you hear?0 -
Luckily we are having something of an Indian summer here otherwise your weather comments might be a little galling. Our weekend is slightly ruined by the car not being up for a trip to legoland for which we have tickets to use by end of September and rapidly running out of days.
Seems odd that the RSL should take money off one type of gamblers and hand it back to those who choose a different form....
They really are amazing places. The restaurants almost always run at a loss: I can get a kid's 2 course meal with a drink for $9. In a country where the minimum wage is $23/hour plus 9% pension (super) that's pretty cheap.
They do a 'badge draw' each week where they draw out a member's number and they win a few grand. This Thursday the win is $25,000 and someone will get it (they automatically pay out when it gets to $25k).
There's also free-to-enter poker with a $2k prize each Sunday.0 -
Gen, presumably the loss leaders are there to get people through the door, because if you get enough people to enjoy spending time there, eventually some will get addicted to the pokies and the club makes its profit? Or have I misunderstood? How much does it cost to be a member?Do you know anyone who's bereaved? Point them to https://www.AtaLoss.org which does for bereavement support what MSE does for financial services, providing links to support organisations relevant to the circumstances of the loss & the local area. (Link permitted by forum team)
Tyre performance in the wet deteriorates rapidly below about 3mm tread - change yours when they get dangerous, not just when they are nearly illegal (1.6mm).
Oh, and wear your seatbelt. My kids are only alive because they were wearing theirs when somebody else was driving in wet weather with worn tyres.
0 -
I think the lack of international support is down to apathy. ISIS catches the public imagination, and Ebola does not. This outbreak could be stopped, with proper education and quarantine controls, but that's very hard to do. It can't be solved by sending in the marines or with bombing raids.
One concern, for example, is that people wash the bodies of the deceased before burying them. Then 3 weeks later the washers die.
Draconian quarantine regimes don't work because people won't comply voluntarily.
One concern is that more people will be killed by famine than by the disease.
What GDB saidDo you know anyone who's bereaved? Point them to https://www.AtaLoss.org which does for bereavement support what MSE does for financial services, providing links to support organisations relevant to the circumstances of the loss & the local area. (Link permitted by forum team)
Tyre performance in the wet deteriorates rapidly below about 3mm tread - change yours when they get dangerous, not just when they are nearly illegal (1.6mm).
Oh, and wear your seatbelt. My kids are only alive because they were wearing theirs when somebody else was driving in wet weather with worn tyres.0 -
In car at carboot. Got some bits ... Cushions!
Posh cushions ... Blue etc. Photo pater0 -
God give me strength.
Both parents here today. Non RP making trouble. Fir gave talking to. Usually works. I've been rather interested in the haybarn a lot of this morning. Coward.
Think I might go and do some weeding now, the borders look really bad.0 -
Gen, presumably the loss leaders are there to get people through the door, because if you get enough people to enjoy spending time there, eventually some will get addicted to the pokies and the club makes its profit? Or have I misunderstood? How much does it cost to be a member?
It's $5/year or $20 for 5 years.
The idea is that these clubs serve the local community and certainly they provide loads of great sports facilities. My belief is that getting people through the door is the fig leaf that allows clubs to run what amount to suburban casinos. The maximum jackpot for most pokies is $10,000.
If they provided a bank of pokies and gave a bunch of cash to community organisations it would look bad. Having restaurants and bands on at the weekend and a meat raffle and a netball court looks good and hides what they're really about.
Mine is a very contentious view in Australia BTW. Leagues clubs and RSLs are seen as pillars of the community providing much needed facilities to sporting clubs and ex-servicemen. I think that's BS.0 -
Gen, presumably the loss leaders are there to get people through the door, because if you get enough people to enjoy spending time there, eventually some will get addicted to the pokies and the club makes its profit? Or have I misunderstood? How much does it cost to be a member?
My recollection is that they're free to join (edit: or not...see above!) and also free to visit as a non member (but you can only visit if you don't live nearby - if you live within their catchment you have to become a member to get through the door).
I'm sure the meat raffle is a loss leader to get people in to play the pokies. The Aussie obsession with pokies is fascinating - even small independent pubs often have a whole room full of them. OH's mum often drives 40 mins into Brisbane to spend an evening putting coins into pokies in the Brisbane casino - I have no idea why as the machines aren't even interactive as far as I can tell, you just stick money in and press a button, stick money in and press a button.
Each to their own and she does accumulate loyalty points as she loses money; she loses so much money in the casino that we get to stay in the attached hotel for free when we are over there.0 -
This is the website of a Leagues club I was a member of until I moved out of the area:
http://www.wentyleagues.com.au/
You'll notice that they don't mention gambling despite it being central to their revenues. Pokies are great: no staff costs to speak of and huge payouts to the owner.0 -
chewmylegoff wrote: »My recollection is that they're free to join (edit: or not...see above!) and also free to visit as a non member (but you can only visit if you don't live nearby - if you live within their catchment you have to become a member to get through the door).
I'm sure the meat raffle is a loss leader to get people in to play the pokies. The Aussie obsession with pokies is fascinating - even small independent pubs often have a whole room full of them. OH's mum often drives 40 mins into Brisbane to spend an evening putting coins into pokies in the Brisbane casino - I have no idea why as the machines aren't even interactive as far as I can tell, you just stick money in and press a button, stick money in and press a button.
Each to their own and she does accumulate loyalty points as she loses money; she loses so much money in the casino that we get to stay in the attached hotel for free when we are over there.
I stayed in the only hotel (at the time) in Pokolbin, Hunter Valley that had a bookies (TAB) and pokies years ago. A bunch of guys met up there for a beer or two on the way home from work every evening.
One of them liked the pokies as well as the company so used to put in a bunch of cash and wedge the start button down with his debit card. That shows you exactly how much interaction is required.
A single pokie licence in Sydney costs about $400,000. Before the Sydney Olympics, people were buying up country pubs to transfer the licences to Sydney. Now to get these pubs open again there is a special 'community pub' licence which comes with a small number of non-transferable pokie licences for free.0
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply
Categories
- All Categories
- 352K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.5K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 454.2K Spending & Discounts
- 245K Work, Benefits & Business
- 600.6K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 177.4K Life & Family
- 258.8K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.2K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.6K Read-Only Boards