Still haven't heard back about the time off for the October trip; unfortunately it looks like the other programmer wants to take time off in October, too! ARGH!
Anyway, I have THE ENTIRE WEEK OFF. Stay home, sleep in, do a few things here and there. Plan the house renos. Things to do in my own time.
Having headaches again. I really should try to nail down what they are and why I'm getting them.
I have superannuation. A decent chunk. I've been working since I was eighteen in jobs that paid solidly and which also did solid superannuation payments - at least 9% of my salary. Two years ago, I bought an apartment with my super, and have had some people living in there for a while - yes, paying my mortgage on the place.
I'm thinking of selling the apartment, buying a plot of land with a house somewhere more regional, and seeing if there's some people who want a long-term rent as low as I can make it. Frankly, with this job likely to be steady (hopefully) for the next 3.5 years, and the world looking the way it is, I'm more interested in providing low-rent housing for someone who wants to work the land, rather than making profit. (I mean, profit would be nice, but let's be real about it: I'd rather have arable land than apartment space going forward. I think that's going to be a lot more important than we used to think it would be.)
My financial advisor will not be happy. Also, I will only be able to work with what I have left from the apartment sale, because banks don't loan well in regional areas, to farmers/rural maintainters, and for things that aren't "a surefire real estate thing". That's something of a downer, certainly.
Inflation is a concern, as are high interest rates, and there'll a lot of scrutiny regarding anyone who wants a loan - and most particularly of anyone who wants a loan for a superannuation investment property.
But first I have to talk to my financial advisor. Next week, I guess. A few things are coming to a head in the coming months, might as well have that discussion with him now.
The Year The (Aussie) Media Lost Its Mind: basically, all Aussie media pretty much went bonkers right around the election - from March through to May. Reporting on all the stupidest things, blowing up the tiniest things for Labor, ignoring or dismissing or flat-out gaslighting when the Liberals fucked things up.
Even now we're still dealing with all the former conservative politicians giving their opinions. Today was moderate conservative former member for an area pretty close to me writing an opinion piece for the Guardian about how the Liberals doubling-down on "climate change is dumb, unions are dirtybadevil, we don't need no stinking moderates" is bloody stupid. But the last few weeks have been all these conservative ex-pollies being invited onto talk shows, opinion shows. political correspondent discussions to talk about plans that they can't implement because they're not in power, and to criticise points of form rather than anything of substance. UGH.
Anyway, speaking of fucked up political commentary, I'm guessing that the Aussie mob Juice Media got bored in the last couple of months since our election. They haven't got anything to really mock yet since parliament only resumed yesterday, so...they went for the SCOTUS. Oh yes, they did.
"Honest Media Ads: SCOTUS"
Another Aussie comedy act: Sammy J sings 'an ode to minimum standards' and it is freaking hilarious.
On a more serious note, if you want to see statemanship (stateswomanship?), then the inaugural parliamentary speeches for two of the new female MPs are beautiful
Sally Sitou (Labor, Reid) is from a background much like mine - family got out of China, made the jump to south-east Asia, and finally came to Australia - an uplifting story of hope, love, family, and a land of opportunity. And Monique Ryan (Independent, Kooyong) toppled the former government's treasurer (and alleged "crown prince" of the federal party) to the side, and her speech is absolute poetry.
Oh, and try this photo of the eight new 'crossbenchers' (independents, neither Labor nor Liberal) - eight women, standing at the table as they're 'sworn in' to the new parliament. An entirely new sight for the Australian parliament, for all that we were one of the first in the world to have women in parliament at all.
I don't expect supergreat things from the Labor government, but there are all kinds of hopeful little things happening right now and I will take the delight where I can.
May this parliament be the start of something more!
Finally, a video: I Know Victoria's Secret (flashmob)
Warning, it's a bit of an earworm.
All righty, I'm off to read the latest Nalini Singh that's just come out - started it last night, then fell asleep. I'm just so tired these days...
Anyway, I have THE ENTIRE WEEK OFF. Stay home, sleep in, do a few things here and there. Plan the house renos. Things to do in my own time.
Having headaches again. I really should try to nail down what they are and why I'm getting them.
I have superannuation. A decent chunk. I've been working since I was eighteen in jobs that paid solidly and which also did solid superannuation payments - at least 9% of my salary. Two years ago, I bought an apartment with my super, and have had some people living in there for a while - yes, paying my mortgage on the place.
I'm thinking of selling the apartment, buying a plot of land with a house somewhere more regional, and seeing if there's some people who want a long-term rent as low as I can make it. Frankly, with this job likely to be steady (hopefully) for the next 3.5 years, and the world looking the way it is, I'm more interested in providing low-rent housing for someone who wants to work the land, rather than making profit. (I mean, profit would be nice, but let's be real about it: I'd rather have arable land than apartment space going forward. I think that's going to be a lot more important than we used to think it would be.)
My financial advisor will not be happy. Also, I will only be able to work with what I have left from the apartment sale, because banks don't loan well in regional areas, to farmers/rural maintainters, and for things that aren't "a surefire real estate thing". That's something of a downer, certainly.
Inflation is a concern, as are high interest rates, and there'll a lot of scrutiny regarding anyone who wants a loan - and most particularly of anyone who wants a loan for a superannuation investment property.
But first I have to talk to my financial advisor. Next week, I guess. A few things are coming to a head in the coming months, might as well have that discussion with him now.
The Year The (Aussie) Media Lost Its Mind: basically, all Aussie media pretty much went bonkers right around the election - from March through to May. Reporting on all the stupidest things, blowing up the tiniest things for Labor, ignoring or dismissing or flat-out gaslighting when the Liberals fucked things up.
Even now we're still dealing with all the former conservative politicians giving their opinions. Today was moderate conservative former member for an area pretty close to me writing an opinion piece for the Guardian about how the Liberals doubling-down on "climate change is dumb, unions are dirtybadevil, we don't need no stinking moderates" is bloody stupid. But the last few weeks have been all these conservative ex-pollies being invited onto talk shows, opinion shows. political correspondent discussions to talk about plans that they can't implement because they're not in power, and to criticise points of form rather than anything of substance. UGH.
Anyway, speaking of fucked up political commentary, I'm guessing that the Aussie mob Juice Media got bored in the last couple of months since our election. They haven't got anything to really mock yet since parliament only resumed yesterday, so...they went for the SCOTUS. Oh yes, they did.
"Honest Media Ads: SCOTUS"
Another Aussie comedy act: Sammy J sings 'an ode to minimum standards' and it is freaking hilarious.
On a more serious note, if you want to see statemanship (stateswomanship?), then the inaugural parliamentary speeches for two of the new female MPs are beautiful
Sally Sitou (Labor, Reid) is from a background much like mine - family got out of China, made the jump to south-east Asia, and finally came to Australia - an uplifting story of hope, love, family, and a land of opportunity. And Monique Ryan (Independent, Kooyong) toppled the former government's treasurer (and alleged "crown prince" of the federal party) to the side, and her speech is absolute poetry.
Oh, and try this photo of the eight new 'crossbenchers' (independents, neither Labor nor Liberal) - eight women, standing at the table as they're 'sworn in' to the new parliament. An entirely new sight for the Australian parliament, for all that we were one of the first in the world to have women in parliament at all.
I don't expect supergreat things from the Labor government, but there are all kinds of hopeful little things happening right now and I will take the delight where I can.
May this parliament be the start of something more!
Finally, a video: I Know Victoria's Secret (flashmob)
jaxwritessongs I wrote a song called Victoria’s Secret and I always wanted to be part of a Flash Mob. 👯♀️👯♀️ 👙 🤫 #victoriassecret #flashmob #bodypositivity #foryou ♬ Victoria’s Secret - Jax
Warning, it's a bit of an earworm.
All righty, I'm off to read the latest Nalini Singh that's just come out - started it last night, then fell asleep. I'm just so tired these days...
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