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There are so many threads it's hard to keep up with everyone without jumping from thread to thread and sometimes you just want to chat about nothing without it being themed which gives it a limited scope.  

For those of us who haven’t got the time to search every thread looking for some conversation I thought it would be a good idea if we had somewhere to talk about anything and everything. Idle chatter with some gossip thrown in but without being "themed", like you would do if you did go out to a cafe.

So to start I'd like to say that I'm still looking for work but I'm getting really annoyed because most businesses just don't reply even if it is an advertised job.  If I just sent letters to everyone and anyone then I would imagine they don't feel obliged to acknowledge you but when they advertise a vacancy then it should only be proper to answer every enquiry.

The weather up here has been good the last couple of weeks with good rain and cooler temperature.  That’s it for tonight I’m off to bed now so goodnight and seeya soon.

Here all alone Pinky?  I'll have a black coffee with milk on the side.  I guess old habits die hard.  You could imagine if there were 100 or more regular active members all trying to post at once that you would need separate threads for every conceivable subject.

I'm afraid I can’t help with any hint on how to get a job.  I’ve had the one job for 25 years so my job hunting skills are rusty at best.  The weather has been good here also nice spring days which we haven’t had for many years.

I saw on TV the other night some ad for cheese which used a very young girl dressed up as an adult, this was similar to an ad for NRMA some time ago and I think that all these ads do is get paedophiles excited.  Talk about idiots who are supposed to monitoring these things.

I could not agree more with your last paragraph HotStuff. I see gorgeous little kids on TV getting their nappy changed or whatever, in their birthday suits and think 'I wonder how much the warped of mind paedophiles are liking this?' I go to the beach and see parents allowing their children to go naked, showering in public and playing in the sand and think... I know there is some pervert with a camera just lurking about. In this day and age we adults have to be aware of these low lifes in society and take measures not to encourage them or invite them to harm our children. I know it is an awful way to think but we have to do it for our kids health and wellbeing, even if they are not our own kids.

Quoted from SuziH

In this day and age we adults have to be aware of these low lifes in society and take measures not to encourage them or invite them to harm our children. I know it is an awful way to think but we have to do it for our kids health and wellbeing, even if they are not our own kids.

So what are we supposed to do?  Not take the kids to the beach or the swimming pools? Dress our kids from head to toe if we do go to these places?  Teach our kids to be afraid of everyone and everything?

Sorry folks but I couldn't disagree more vehemently...we're turning into a society ruled by fear - mostly fear of things that are highly unlikely to ever happen.  The facts are that most children who are molested are molested by someone they know...and the vast majority of those are by a family member or family friend.  So taking your kids to the beach is highly unlikely to introduce them to a paedophile.  And not taking your kids to the beach means they will definitely miss out on a part of childhood that they deserve to have.

Yes this is my hobby horse.  I am sick to death of the culture of fear that we are living in - heavily influenced by politicians and the media.  Fear is debilitating - to individuals and to societies.  

I agree with what you say B² and my concern is not with children being children but with dressing them up to look like young adults in public.  And I must admit that if I saw a photo of that girl in the cheese ad without knowing the circumstances I would naturally think she was a hotchick.  And that frightened me.

Advertisers are not stupid people and they know exactly what they are doing.  If I was the Child Protection Agency I would be looking very close at the people who run this ad company.

Anyone been to Dreamworld, Seaworld or Movieworld on the Gold Coast.  I'm lookin for a day out and don't know which one to go to.

Dreamworld is okay but Movieworld, which I went to about five years ago, was overly boring for me and is definitely for the pre-pubescent teen. I'm going to Seaworld for the first time this Christmas holiday.  By all accounts, Seaworld is the best destination.

But don't forget to take some sandwiches and bottled water because prises are criminal at these places.

I personally can't miss Dreamworld and Seaworld when I pop down the Coast (2 hours from my place). You have the rides but also the pleasure of seeing wildlife and Dolphin performances. Movie World is basically all rides and themes and no animals and very little entertainment.

Quoted from BSquared

So what are we supposed to do?  Not take the kids to the beach or the swimming pools? Dress our kids from head to toe if we do go to these places?  Teach our kids to be afraid of everyone and everything?


Yes this is my hobby horse.  I am sick to death of the culture of fear that we are living in - heavily influenced by politicians and the media.  Fear is debilitating - to individuals and to societies.  

Whaoh there BSquared. I think you over reacted there. I did not once say we should be afraid but we should be aware and not do anything to encourage these bottom feeders. I would never let my kids or grandkids go nude in public because I do not want one of these creeps to get their jollies off at any child's expense. This is also a bit of a hobbyhorse for me too and because these predators are brazen and more prolific these days I think that to a degree our actions, activities etc have to change to meet the danger. This is not fear, it is commonsense.
BTW wasn't this the Cafe where we just chat and make passing comment on things not go into a diatribe about what's right or wrong with today's society?

Nothing like a little passion, but friends do argue and argue on some sensitive issues, it's the nature of the beast.

I picked up some old Women’s Weekly from a used shop the other day from 1954 at $5 each.  I thought it would be good to give to my daughter as a portal into the world when I was born.  I especially like to look at the old ads.  I might scan some and post them at a later date.  The price on the cover is 9d (nine pence) each.

Check those waistlines girls.  

But it took 10 minutes to get the bra off!

Ah, yes, brings back many happy memories of groping in the dark behind the girlfriends back, trying to undo those damned annoying little hooks........