Global Goodwill Day 2018 December 25

 Global Goodwill Day.

December 25th The same day as Christmas.

This will be a parallel and alternative gathering for those who those who don't relate to traditional 

Christmas for several reasons. It's philanthropic and non religious. 

Visitors may be disillusioned , searching beyond the senseless consumption or gluttony. 

Welcome are people of any religion, non religious, or atheists. 

Also to those who are not around family, friends or relatives. 

This is a chance for people who don't fit into Christmas to come together in a social gathering. 

People can bring their own food, or just pass by to say hello. 

It's at The community hall in Kensington park on the corner of Edward Str and Day Ave.

12 noon - 4pm .

Local resident Yianni Zinonos is the founder of this idea he hopes will spread. 

Supported by Randwick councils Mayor Kathy Neilson, they have provided the space. 

Yianni's proposal mentioned his concern for local residents emotional and social well being, 

who feel left out of this Day. 

Some claim this is an "orphans Christmas "  but no Yianni explains . 

This is more for everyone else who doesn't fit in for whatever reason, but would still like 

Connect with others in a socially inclusive way on what can be an isolated day because 

It's a public holiday everything shuts down. 

For more information contact 

yianni@ihug.com.au

Why is traditional Fashion Pattern Cutting done by hand better than CAD

I have worked in clothing manufacturering  since 1984.

Studied  fashion technology in Sydney at TAFE. 

My main job for all these years has been freelance pattern making , 

assistant designer and industry consultant.  I have always made patterns by hand, 

on cardboard . I don't not do my work in CAD - that's Computer Assistant Design . 

Hand cut cardboard patterns are better for many reasons. 

 They can last for ever. I still use the blocks I created at college 35 years ago. 

Drawing  on paper is creative, artistic, intuitive, this  can be altered, developed , 

fine tuned, constantly reused . It's a 3 dimensional process.

The client can consult with me on a personal level. Developing new styles is about

Communication on a social and emotional level. It involves people skills CAD can't do. 

Computers can't consult and offer that feedback needed to do new things. 

  A hand cut pattern by scissors creates a sharp fine hard edge on the cardboard .

Patterns cut by CAD are flimsy, the cardboard is cut by a blade, 

the edge of each pattern piece looks like a knife had slashed it ,

so the patterns have rough edges . CAD patterns are mostly for global production 

or mass production because the information can be emailed overseas to be printed remotely. 

If you are making locally, and don't have your own CAD system it's cheaper to have cardboard patterns, because freelance CAD services make a lot of money each time they print out. 

Many cutters prefer to do their own markers to work around each specific fabric width or grain. 

Cutters prefer cardboard patterns so they can better economise the fabric yields. 

Cutters are the most qualified people to do this, not a computer program.

CAD printers and programs cost at least $18 000. They are expensive to maintain. 

CAD patterns loose their shape when they are scanned and digitised. 

They also loose accuracy  in the printing process. When the pen is drawing out the patterns

 on moving role of paper the patterns wobble out of shape.

 I have seen this in action by many clients who wondered by their products don't fit. 

We compared the hand cut work with the CAD on paper and found huge inconsistencies.

Maybe that explains so many bad fitting garments out there. 

Physical hand done patterns are ideal for local manufacturering. 

When  a client pays me to make patterns, they are a physical product that I hand over, 

they belong to to client. 

Patterns done by CAD are  intellectual in nature. They can get lost in cyber space, 

always reliant on the CAD owner - operator to print it out. 

 Many Designers  prefer CAD patterns  because they assume 

anything done by a computer is better. This is not true . There are many set backs . 

A cardboard pattern can by laid directly on fabric , traced out by chalk and cut out instantly . 

CAD patterns have to be printed out for each use. This is expensive and unnecessary. 

Apart from my advice , it's important to ask your manufacturer what they prefer ? 

That in many cases can be the deciding factor, but this is where the trouble starts. 

If you pay me to make your patterns as a physical reusable prototype, 

that pattern belongs to you, and you are in control. 

Unfortunately most clothing sold in Australia is made overseas. I think it's as high as 95%. This means traditional skills like hand done patterns are on the decline , but the knowledge is still important. 

Nothing is something

Nothing is something, it means many things.

To accept nothing is to control our ego, yet it feels like a loss. 

No one praises nothing, we never congratulate someone who has no plans or connections.

But sometimes nothing is the best thing to be or do. 

Nothing goes against the grain of development. 

If anything nothing may be politically left, than right wing. 

Those who do nothing are called leeches on society, but that could be due to lack of opportunity.   . We see nothing as lazy, but sometimes we just need a break from 24/7.

Doing nothing is seen as giving up or giving in. 

Yet doing nothing can also be a sign of  passive rebellion, the message being - 

I don't believe in all this and I will disengage. 

Nothing is the opposite of everything, it's not filled with frantic actions, addictions, consumptions, which are not good for ourselves or the environment. 

We are so afraid of nothing, constantly harking eachother every day, to  justify our existence 

With our questions and expectations of , what are you doing, what do you have ? 

But nothing is a void of  silent empty space that's hard to face . 

Our souls sometimes need to stop and do nothing , to ponder or reflect in silence . 

To be calm we need to stop our crazy mind and think of nothing. 

Though invisible , nothing is really something because it is of deep value. 

Illness forces us to do nothing. Maybe death is the ultimate nothing ?

Nothing is not God, nor atheist. Those are something. 

We are rarely happy with nothing , but deeply empowered by being at peace with nothing .

Nothing means things we want  but don't have like succes or relationships , so this longing , this needing creates so much pain and anguish. 

Nothing is always there . 

Male Menopause.

When we hear Menopause, we think of women, but it's also a male thing too. I've been going through this  for several years. I believe male  menopause is more a physical thing, and mid life crisis is more a social condition. They are both entwined and experienced at the same time. The last thing on my mind was male menopause, it slowly crept up.  It's a condition no one anticipates or plans for. We don't deny it cause it's not acknowledged 

I'm 51 now. Looking back the first sign started 15 years ago, when my career in fashion industry was at a high. I was crazy busy , pushing myself to the maximum. My body had its limits. Until 36 I had no problems sleeping , you couldn't get me to wake up. Then the stress set in. I had problems getting to sleep and staying asleep. 

It was my body saying hey this is too much, but also that was my peak. 

At the same time my libido was struck. I had problems with getting and maintaining erections. Again due to stress my body sent a message. Looking back, if I wasn't so stressed those events would have been delayed by several years. 

As the years rolled on, I found I had less energy and strength. I used to go to the gym, do yoga, run the 4km in 30 minutes around centennial park. Those where my porn star years. 

But after 45, things changed . I simply didn't have the physical drive , my body was saying no, it said stop pushing me. My ego was saying one thing, my body had other plans. 

I was eating more due to less energy and exercising less. I became more plump, round. I was looking like a frumpy grumpy middle aged person. Welcome male menopause. 

I went from being a hot stud chased down the street to become a sacred cow that the public was shoeing away. Not nice. 

Male menopause is also connected to gravity. What goes up - our looks, stamina, energy , persistence, with time comes down or simply disappears.

It's also a welcome to mid life. I've realised fighting is not the way to go. 

When we hear the word menopause we think of frustrated middle aged women fighting the biological clock, rushing to have children at the last moment before their menstral cycle finishes. 

How about middle aged men wanting to have children ? I assumed being a man I can choose to have children naturally when ever I'm ready. I'm not physically comprimised the way females are, I will be ok.  I was wrong. This was hard to accept. 

Male menopause is all about physical limitations imposed by time and our denial to accept it. 

I went to the IVF clinic , had my sperm tested, they said it was pretty good for my age. 

The amount of people who want to have children with a guy almost 50 is greatly diminished.

Your chances are as slim as a menopausal female. 

 Why have kids with a 48 year old, when there are guys 20s or 30s instead ? 

So my dick isn't as hard, I dont cum as much, I'm not as motivated , my tits and arse are starting to sag, my waist is ballooning . My friends are on Viagra or getting facelifts, but look like plastic dummies. Others do liposuction, only to put the fat back on. I just want to retreat at home watch tv while I eat another box of biscuits. Im lazy and feel crap. Male menopause is not my friend but a partner that's here to stay. 

What's the solution? 

Stop acting like a 30 year old, and don't give up. Go slow, but keep going. 

Eliminate as much stress as possible. It's poison to health, our bodies and minds can't take it. 

At 50 we our bodies can't cope with the drug taking, smoking, drinking , bad diets, partying . 

This is our chance to start acting responsibly, with acceptance and dignity. The secret is too look like you're living it up, but to do it in a low key way. Why run a marathon if you end up having a heart attack ? Why have 5 drinks tonight when really 2 is all your body can cope with nowadays . Why eat burgers and fries when you can't loose weight ? It's about low impact sustainable living. 

If you don't have the energy to go to the gym, go for long fast paced walks instead. 

On a fashion level. It's ok to dress 10 years younger, but please stop dressing like you've stolen your sons clothes. There's nothing more embarrassing  seeing these old out of shape guys dressing like teenagers . They look like like sausages. Wearing tight kids clothes .  . When ever I see these guys I think ....they're in denial.  

Fast hard impact living is replaced by slow thoughtful sustainable actions. 

Don't give up. It's worse. I have all these male friends in their early 50s who used to be physically stunning. They had 6pak stomachs , now they look like Santa Clause. They look sad. You know that look, they've given up. They stopped making the effort now they're miserable, and won't be around for ever. 

Joy Hruby. A wonderful lady.

This story is about my experiences with Joy Hruby. 

I met Joy in 2001, I was studying film and media production. As a student needing work experience. 

community TV was a good option . Channel 31 in those days was  an  obscure channel people used to get without knowing what it was. The signal was weak or unreliable, reception was limited  to residents here and there . 

Community TV was around in Redfern since 1988. 

My dream was to be on TV. I enquired about CTV1, an underfunded grass roots set up. I had to find a program to work on that wanted me. 

Joys show " Around the world with Joy Hruby " was filmed on a Tuesday night. I remembered turning up to what was a mixed bag of odd people a cross between a pantomime and crisis centre. Being community TV means everyone was working for free, it served as a training ground for aspiring TV presenters or crew to eventually make their way into the mainstream. Until then I was doing extras work on  All Saints or Home and Away.

There was this crazy but endearing energy on the set of what was a storage space in the basement of the housing commission towers at Redfern. You couldn't get any more grass roots than this. 

I met Joy , she was this sweet wonderful lovely warm old Aussie lady from a bygone era. A tiny bit of a theatrical diva, Joy was a cross between Dame Edna and Gloria Swanson. Always calm and poised Joy spoke The Queens English in eloquent style ! 

I immediately felt liked and accepted. Joy later said when we met she wasn't sure but she gave me a go anyway. Joys attitude of giving people a go launched many careers, it also gave purpose to the idle , disadvantaged, or those like me starting out. 

There was a deep sense of community and connection between everyone, completely different people made instant friendships . 

From the beginning Joy allowed me to produce and present my own weekly 6 minute segment. 

For someone who was doing a media film course this was a huge break in humble circumstances. 

For several years I would find / organise guests  while pitching the ideas to Joy, then with her guidance interview them on the show . This was broadcast live to the local residents, that was CTV1, then put on a tape to be dropped off to channel 31 to be broadcast to the Sydney area as well. 

Joy was many things , she was the producer, director and star of her own show, but she also shared the spotlight with others. Every week she offered advice on how to present, or tips to improve  interviewing skills . This was an incubation of better things to come. For several years I cut my teeth, 

But at the same time enjoyed it. 

2002 after 9/11 was a turbulent time politically . Looking back now,  it was incredible to note that all those different independently produced shows by various radical groups , most with an agenda to push - where not censored , while at the same time there where a growing number of viewers watching  . There where anti everything shows. Anti Israel, anti establishment, anti corporate etc. there where shows that where pro anything the government objected to. So the plug was pulled. 

Community was shut down for a while, then the licence was put out to Tender. 

The new community station was TVS , that's Television Sydney, part of Sydney western universality campus based out at Penrith. TVS had new management but also involved many from the original channel 31.  Joy was on the new board . She pushed hard for me to have my own show, based on the fact I had 4 years experience on her show. The new board agreed on the condition it was to be a Greek Cooking Show !!!!  Joy had a huge influence on my life . 

Working with other students from film school we made a pilot show, which was approved by TVS, 

Then I did one 13 part series of a highly successful Greek Cooking show called "Greek Style " 

This TV series was then picked up by community TV channels in Melbourne, Brisbane , Adelaide and Perth. This was the most exciting era of my life. From the most humble beginnings I became a successful tv producer, presenter and celebrity ! 

All along Joy was supportive. Her show became a star factory, many of her presenters went on to create their own shows. This was a wonderful time for many including the grateful public who had access to real people creating independent shows, with no budget, no corporate or political interference . Joy was the proud mother hen. Her ugly ducklings became the new generation of black swans. 

In the meantime for 7 years I made lifestyle show " Yianni's City Life " a mix of cooking, interviews , fashion and events. In 2010 my show was in the best lifestyle program category in the Logies .

Joy continued to do her show in Botany, it was filmed in the garage of her tiny townhouse . As Joy grew elderly she allowed others to do more for her. There was a loyal group of presenters and crew who in the end took over. 

The only time I saw Joy angry was during the battle to stop the closure of community TV.

The enemy was the then communications minister Malcolm Turnball. He decided it was time for community TV to be online only ! 

How can it be TV if its not on TV ? Unfortunately the spectrum was sold to Optus and Telstra for billions of dollars...this was a sad end to a great era of broadcast community free to air tv. 

Through crowd funding Joy raised several thousands of $$$, this enabled her to keep producing her show for You Tube.  

Joy became frail at but was always in good spirits, deeply religious yet non judgemental. I remember once years ago mentioning how bitter some people become with time. Joys respond was "that's the easy way out " Joy kept herself busy, there where many people around her because she was this loving mother , aunt, or Grandmother figure . Joys children and their kids are equally similar. 

In the last few years Joy went into a nursing home, the first one " Sir Joseph Banks " around the corner from her home , Joy was able come home  every day for several hours . Then Joy got a spot at a very nice place at Rushcutters Bay -Elizabeth Lodge. There she had her own room with a pleasant view, the atmosphere there was happy. I visited Joy twice. About a week before Joy passed away I just had this feeling to see her. I popped in at lunch time, in the dining room , we sat together and ate a meal.  

Mentally Joy was in fine , we had in depth conversation, but she did look weak. Joy was planning her 90th birthday for Saturday July 1st 2017. 

Joys funeral at Maroubra was the happiest one I've ever experienced. I am Greek Orthodox and our funerals are so depressing ! Yes we where sad - but the day was a true celebration of a great person who lived more than most. Joy was well prepared for her departure she pre made a video dressed as an angle talking to us from heaven. The church was packed , then we all headed to the Yarra bay sailing club near her original home at La Perouse for the most Joy-us wake ! 

Joy Hruby thanks for the great memories - see you in heaven one day ! Hugs 

Yianni Zinonos 

Sydney's future a Traffic Nightmare.

TSaturday 6th of August 2016, was the day of no turning back. It confirmed my future living Sydney is not going to be good. I spent most of the day stuck in traffic I've never seen so bad, yet I was only travelling short distances. Congestion I've never seen so bad. Despite taking multiple back street secret short cuts, everything lead to another pile up. I know this is only a taste of what's to come for all of us wanting to get from A to B. 

The first drive was from Kingsford to Newtown. When there's no traffic, it can take 15 minutes, yesterday it took 25. That wasn't so bad, but then dropping a friend from Newtown to AFL game at fox studios was another story, it took at least 40 minutes. It seemed everyone was out yesterday. You could of walked it. Every main road in both directions was one big slow moving car park. Welcome to the new normal. It took another 20 minutes to get to crown Str Surry hills to meet a friend for what turned out to be a very late lunch , then another 45 minutes to get from Surry hills back home to Kingsford near Kensington... Most of those 7 hours was spent in traffic driving short distances.

Living in Sydney is only going to get more unpleasant for all of us. Why bother leaving the house ? 

Maybe we need to do things locally, and plan only to travel, when we know there's no events on. 

This is what real estate agents won't tell you, and what we try not to think about . 

Adding to the problem is the light rail construction , which I think will be even worse when it finished.

If each Tram will really be 68 meters long, how will anyone be able to cross any Str in its path ? 

Where will we park if 700 parking spots are gone ? 

Yes everyone wants to live in Sydney , but the more apartments being built will only collectively lower

The standard of living for those already here like me !!!! 

Sydney may be set for a population boom of millions , but it won't be pleasant in many ways. 

There's very little we can do, especially with a Liberal state government hell bent on development 

With little social engagement. We will end up like London, silently packed like ants, exhausted , 

Begrudged by "growth " . Even the wealthy will suffer. 

Maybe in the future , leaving the tiny apartments we live  in will be done as avatars? We will leave

The house on a cyber level , not a physical one ? We might all be working from home online ?

Maybe when we need a doctor we will self care via you tube instructions video link ? 

Our food and meals delivered by drones ? Our social contacts will be on Skype ? 

Can't handle the traffic. 

Welcome to Cyber Sydney ! 

Gay marriage is important- but it's not for everyone.

As you may know I'm gay, out and proud. I'm happy with progress made on gay marriage lately, but most gay people I know aren't interested in getting married, though we want the legal option. 

Our laws are an international embarrassment, even lagging behind New Zealand. 

This hot issue is contested as political football everyday. Interestingly the Liberal prime minister 

Tony Abbott doesn't approve of, though his sister is Gay. As an ex liberal party branch member, I ran twice as a local government political candidate, I can tell you the Liberal Party has the greatest concentration of gay members than any other party. Hypocrasy is everywhere on this issue. 

Most of my gay friends, single or in relationships don't want to make the full legal commitment, they're just happy the way they are. Gay people have become as conservative as those they seek acceptance from. We want husbands, kids, mortgages, and suburban living while others arent kidding themselves by the white wedding while being in open relationships at the same time. This is an issue the mainstream community can't confront gay marriage seekers on because questioning the morality of minority groups is seen as a judgemental attack. Most committed gay relationships are not monogamous, that's the only way they stay together ! 

In the main stream, gay marriage will be big business for the wedding industry and divorce lawyers .  

I'm personally above wanting to walk down the isle of a church. I don't need to ask for God's acceptance, he may not exist ! Though I do believe Jesus was gay friendly.

Forcing churches or religions to accept us is like begging an abuser to be your friend, these institutions  become redundant in time anyway with their prejudice ways. 

Getting married also ties people up legally and financially in ways people are content to do without.

How many people end up in divorce ? How painful and expensive is that.

People ask if I will ever get married, but I can't even organise a date ! 

Equality is important, it will mean we can all be, for better or worse in the same box. 

The Cinderella Complex. Why are we still single ?

There have never been so many single people. I'm one of them, with lots of experience ! 

Being single is like being unemployed. The longer you're out of the relationship market, 

the harder it is to get back in there. Potential partners are suspicious of dating someone who's been single for too long. Why would they date us if one no one else does ? Do we have hidden problems? 

There's many great things about being single we refuse to acknowledge, such as our freedom to 

do what we want, when we want etc, also not having to be responsible for others, but most 

single people always feel this deep longing for some one special. From the day we're born, 

marriage and romance are drummed into us. If we're not committed there's something 

seriously wrong with us. Now in the era of marriage equality this even applies to 

gay people too ! I personally believe many of us enjoy being single to the point we won't give 

it up unless someone special comes along, but our standards and expectations of each 

other are so high, that person doesn't exist or they don't want us. On a financial and practical level

most singles manage well, we want a partner for the company and to fill our hearts. 

When we're young, attractive, energetic, hopeful and horny, we make a go if it, and so do others 

in return. Guided by our quest for mr or miss right, we search and search. My advice to the young 

just starting out is to get into relationships as early as possible, because the young are 

still adaptable, get used to sharing, learn to  put up with other people etc. 

With romance or relationships luck is on youths side. 

Down track,  if single for too long, we become set in our ways, picky, fussy, like a shopper who can't make up their mind what to purchase. We may act like consumers but upsetingly be seen as undesirable products by those we seek. 

No matter how young at heart we are, time does terrible things to us, we become tired, neurotic, unattractive. We may wish for love but stop making the effort. 

One the biggest reasons middle aged people are still single is because we won't settle for some one our equal, I don't want to be with another average, frumpy, difficult person like me !!!!

The mirror we can't face is a confronting one, so we fantasise about some one attractive, younger, who will love us the way we are...well unless we're famous, powerful, generously wealthy, the chances are slimmer as we become fatter.... 

Everyday online I get approached by people wanting to date me, but when I look at them, I think are you kidding ? You're awful. How dare they even think I would be interested in them, and the same happens to me when I message people who block me, never get back, or just say "You're not my type."  Our souls become fragile. It's easy reject others but being rejected hurts. The singles scene is draining, it does my head in. Everyone is told to look for love online, but there's no romance or conversations, dating sites feel like online shopping. Many people are shy or private, they don't enjoy  putting their pictures or personal details up online trying to publicly hock themselves off like a used car.

There's so much pressure to be in a relationship. Everyone keeps asking, it's so annoying. We're made

to feel incomplete unless we're committed. Society favours the married, yet too many people are divorced. At least they give it a go.

If you're young and attractive, you don't have to want anyone, because everyone wants you, but if you're older, average looking and hungry for love, it seems a turn off to everyone in general. 

Society or the tax department doesn't favour single people. It's all about the mums and dads with

their kids, like they've gone to battle, they've made the ultimate sacrifice, they're more respected.

The ageing singles are silently overlooked, stockpiled on a shelf somewhere, invisible. 

Single people, aren't celebrated. We don't have national singles weeks. If single people said on TV how great it's to be on "their own" no one would listen, singles are seen as selfish, or not accepted amongst traditional family structures, we feel left out or are a threat to couples, we may try to snatch or break up the committed. Being single is a social crime. No wonder people withdraw. 

If we're single for too long, we set up our lives, homes, finances, it becomes harder to let someone in.

We worry about our security, what if they have nothing to contribute ? Will be be taken advantage of?

So we turn to chocolate, or booze to smooth our weary souls. 

I hope I meet the right person before I'm too fat, grey, old and bald. 

Be nice but not too nice. Advice on our manners....

Many days I feel the world is no longer a nice place. 

I can only talk for my home city of Sydney. 

Society is sadly becoming impersonal, full of selfish self centred or self focused people.

This is a polite way of saying - Arseholes . No wonder there's an epidemic of depression. 

People think they'll find solace in a pill that just numbs their half dead souls but, if you want 

to be happy you have to be nice to people, because what we give out is what we get back.

What was once considered civil behaviour has become just another commodity, that's traded for something else or bartered along the way in this competitive commercial environment.  Even though it's fake, shopping or spending money is the fast way to get strangers to be nice to you. 

Employees have to be polite to keep their jobs. Behaviour is economically modified. Then if you see that staff elsewhere they won't acknowledge, or they look straight through you. 

What ever happened to the days when people used to pass each other on the street and smile? 

If you do that now, people think you're weird or you may want something so they react with anxiety.

Too many people in Sydney look like they've sucked on a sour lemon, or sat on something painful.

In Australia we have this deep sense of entitlement. It comes from the loose welfare state. 

Ironically happiness is not our responsibility anymore, it's someone else's ! 

The wealthy are begrudged by high taxes, the have nots leech of the system, so people 

feel it's up to the government to pick up the social pieces, but politicians aren't priests. 

Trying to be nice is draining when I'm faced with zombies who's only love is their iPhone. 

Young people are the worse contenders. Why would they even think of being nice when 

everyone around them is either invisible or a nuisance? My words to them is, just keep 

ignoring everyone in the physical world, hug your iPad when you're lonely. 

Maybe people are so lost in technology, they've got not social skills. I believe empathy and 

compassion is lost in this emerging generation. I've tried to do the pep talks with younger people, 

but they just look at me like they're made of hollow wood... Well actually that's a compliment 

cause wood is a natural product.... They're made of plastic !!! 

With ageing manners become important. 

Life now is vision after vision after vision on Instagram. Technology stifled youths ability to develop 

deeper real life connections. The computers may be on but the users are shut down. 

Call me cynical but I've discovered many people are only nice if they want something, 

otherwise distant or dismissive. We're tinged with schizophrenia. 

Being too nice also makes us vulnerable to be taken advantage of by the not so nice. 

People complain they have no friends , but they've missed so many tiny chances in their 

day to day lives, busy looking at fake profiles online. 

I can't believe how much energy people put into avoiding each other. They like to ignore, but hate being ignored ! It's a power trip which tells us how insecure and fragile they are. 

It's self defeating or just plain stupid being endlessly nice to the inconsiderate. 

The best revenge on the rude is to nicely ignore them. 

Renovating ? Now is not the right time.

Thinking of renovating ? Now is not the right time. Because of this crazy over fuelled property boom,

tradesmen are in short supply. I recently had work done on my house, it was a total drama just 

trying to find people. Everyone is so busy, the prices have gone up while service has come down. 

Its a problem trying to find reliable carpenters for less than $55 per hour plus GST. 

Also be careful when you hire someone,many advertise their services for say $60 an hour, they 

come see the job allowing you to assume they them selves will do the job, then they outsource 

the work to other sub contractors for $40 an hour, they make $20 per hour commission. 

So please ask who ever you talk to or meet, if they are actually going to do the work 

themselves or if they are sending out other people ? Are those other people direct 

employees or self employed.  

It's a good idea to get a tradesmans licence number to look up their work history on the 

"Office of fair trading. " or similar website. I've learned the hard way not to take people on just 

face value anymore, because there is value out there ! 

Few people know, late last year the laws where changed, a carpenter does not need to be 

licensed to carry out work for jobs less than $5000. This has left consumers surprised or 

vulnerable to problems with little protection. 

Hiring tradesmen by the hour is a never ending story. They want $60 an hour cash, 

plus an extra 10% in GST if you want a tax receipt. That's $528 a day ! Ridiculous !   

They start a bit late, finish a bit early, disappear some times for hours or long lunches. 

Very disappointing. Insist on an invoice before payment, especially for cash, other wise 

you'll never see one. Gone are the days of  days pay an honest day's work. 

I've noticed nowadays many trades people just want the money. 

One tradesman billed me $1600 for building materials, but only showed $800 in receipts. He claimed he spent that money, but I googled what was there and couldn't see that amount. Sometimes getting a list of what they want and buying myself at Bunnings then getting it delivered if it's to big to fit in a car

Is faster and cheaper all over if that's  ok with the tradie. I've been billed up to an extra 2 hours for the time it took to buy the materials....yes that's another $120... 

Another problem with tradesmen is they might start  a job saying it may take one week. You may think it's 5 days worth of labour, but it may take them 3 weeks to finish because they take on so many other jobs. They will come for one day, then again disappear for several days, then come back to do 2 days, then go away again. It's one frustrating delay after another. 

More problems, be careful with under estimates. You might be told it's 5 days worth of labour, then it may end up as 8-10. Tradesmen under quote time to get the job, then once you've started you're stuck. They don't care because they're in such high demand. 

Randomly looking for tradesmen online is like gambling or online dating, we really don't know 

what we will end up with. I try to find locals near my place who aren't too far away, because 

if they're not travelling long distances they may have a better chance of wanting to continue. 

Word of mouth is very important, or finding out who your neighbours use, but in such 

an impersonal world, who knows who our neighbours are ! 

We can blame this crazy property boom for all this. Every day I pray for a crash to bring 

some reality and balance back when it does happen.  

Sydney Sorry You're Sold. The true cost of overdevelopment.

I'm disappointed with Sydney, I was born here almost 50 years ago. I don't like where this 

City is heading. Every where cranes are digging up big holes then plonking massive apartment 

blocks, with no infrastructure to back them up. The traffic is getting worse, everyone wants to 

live here, hundreds of thousands new immigrants appearing mainly from Asia for a better life, 

to the detriment of us already here. 

This city like London has become a place for foreigners to park their money safely by 

buying real estate. Here we are comprising our environment for all these people who most 

of the time may not even be here. Prices are driven so high locals can never afford to buy or rent. 

People looking for affordability move out of the city, inconvenienced by distance, 

time spent commuting, car tolls, petrol etc. 

Sydney's existing inhabitants are suffering from short termism and bad planning. We the public 

have no say in what goes on now. The gates have been opened to overdevelopment, 

spurred by banks for profit, the government for growth. 

Growth used to be about about creating industry, now it's for the global movement of money. 

I live in Sydney's south eastern suburbs, 20 years ago a modest house sold for 200k, 

now they are 2 million ! No locals can afford these prices. 

Foreign investors have created this unrealistic, unsustainable market while 

the current government biased towards big business does nothing. 

I beleive we are in the process of creating a massive  Caucasian and European underclass in this 

country. Once everything is sold off, we won't be able to buy it back, unless there's a crash. If there

is a a down turn it may be one experienced by locals only, not by the foreign buyers who tend 

pay full purchase amount upfront. 

New rules need to be created. A 10% entrance and exit fees or capital gains tax to anyone buying property who has not a citizen or permanent resident.  This money would go into infrastructure, and fund affordable housing for those that can't get into the market. 

We have to ask our selves as a community if all this pollution, traffic, density, anxiety really is growth? 

Maybe for businesses, developers, banks, government, but it's not personal or community growth. 

40% of people won't live with Gay men.

 40% of the general population will not consider living with openly Gay men. 

I found this out by placing advertisements on the most popular share accomodation site Gumtree. 

Initially the add title said "Share gay friendly house" would get 30 - 40 hits a day.

When I changed the add to say just "Share house " would get up to or over 70 hits per day.

I find this a very interesting Freudiant slip in 2015....especially when you consider most people

looking to share a home are in their 20s. It works both ways. I have lived with many straight guys,

I never found them homophobic but we couldn't connect on a deeper level. Most where happy to

talk endlessly about their romantic or sex lives lives, but became awkward of me discussing mine.

I do have a personal preference for sharing with gay men, because we have more in common.

I'm not offended by the results, but thought it was interesting enough to share.   

Fabric & Haberdashery store in Sydney is part of a charity.

If you're looking to buy or donate fabrics and haberdashery go to - 

112 Bowden Str Meadowbank Sydney. 

They are part of charity group Achieve Australia. 

Everything sold is given by the public, it's run by volunteers. 

There's a great selection of fashion and furnishing fabrics, patterns, buttons, 

trims, wools, needle craft needs etc. 

It may be a bit out of the way, but its well worth the trip every time. 

The fabrics are mostly in pre cut lengths, there's a huge selection and variety.

This place is ideal for dressmakers or crafts people.

You will also find many interesting or unusual prints. Some fabrics there are many years or

decades old, donated from deceased estates. The prices are so cheap !!!!

The staff there are charming and helpful, they also love a good chat.

There's a wonderful energy of community spirit. 

I'm happy knowing money spent goes to help a not for profit group run by volunteers.

The funds raised support people with disabilities. 

Open times. Monday , Wednesday, Friday from 9am - 2pm

And the first Sunday of every month 9am to 2pm. 

Are Psychics real ?

Are psychics real ? sometimes yes, many times no.  

I say this from personal experience both as a client or reader. 

We're all psychic and intuitive but some of us follow it  through. There are periods in our 

lives we have deeply insightful experiences. An interest becomes a hobby, 

we do readings for friends, then start working. That's what happened to me.

As a child I had vivid dreams of dead grand parents talking to me in my sleep, I could naturally sense

or feel things, I was born with intuition like others are born athletes. I had these hunches about the future, i guessed what happen next to the discouragement around me.   

Though psychics and Tarot readings are shunned by strict Greek Orthodox religion, Turkish coffee 

cup readings where widely practiced by old aunties. We drank the thick slurpy tiny coffees then covered the cup with its plate, instantly tipping it upside down then turning it 3 times. 

We'd eat home made biscuits or cakes while we waited for the ground coffee to dry, 

creating a dark brown picture around the white cup. 

The magic began, in a room of mainly women as the audience, my great aunt Joanna held court, as she slowly focused, we could sense her intuition at work in long silent moments she started to read meaning into the pictures. If we didn't believe her, she would show us the tiny symbols , saying

" Look there's a plane, you're going on a trip. " or "There's a key, you're moving house." 

or " Theres a heart you're going to fall in love. " 

The time frame was decided by how far up or down the symbol was from the base. 

Past events where to the left side of the handle, future to the right side . 

What a time machine, accessed by imagination.

As a teenager a friends mother talked of a psychic she visited. Phyllis made sure I was an adult before I could get a reading. When  I turned 18 with great nervousness I visited Rhona a respected clairvoyant. She started the reading talking about my past, then made predictions, many of which came true. 

Going to psychics makes us vulnerable to suggestions we may subconsciously act on if we don't 

know what to do or are lost for a decision. This is risky. I knew I was on the right track by physical sensations such as a gut feeling, or the hair on my forearm suddenly rising. Psychics  may be good at reading your mind but thats different to making accurate predictions. 

Don't go to a psychic if you're feeling cynical or play mind games, you will only be upset. 

Psychics are a random act of gambling with no guarantee of results -they are inconsistent. The first reading is usually impressiive. They can misguide or mess your mind. Psychics can be incredibly accurate or totally crap by being too general. That's the risk. 

In early 1990s before the Internet, after a long economic recession, people in dispair searching for something deeper created a demand for anything alternative.

New age shops sprang up everywhere, crystal healing was all the rage, with insense sticks or 

books about personal growth and development. Out the back in every dimly lit corner was a 

psychic, they drew in the crowds, shops made extra money by charging commissions

on the readings to cover the rent. Many in the informal "Spiritual" work force were paid tax free in 

cash, this attracted people on welfare, or who couldn't get other forms of work. 

I joined a psychic group filled with eclectic people.  We would meditate, then do different psychic exercises to develop skills while we read for each other. This was a gymnasium for our third eye. We did tarot, astrology, tried mediumship - that's contacting the dead. Psychometry is holding a small personal item like jewellery to pick up vibes or messages, photo readings, remote health diagnosis etc.  After several months my intuition and perception became highly developed. 

Within a year I started working as a reader in one of those shops, aged only 30 doing Tarot. 

It was mentally draining work. Most of the clients wanted to know about romance, career and health.

 I devised new ways to get the information from the Tarot cards. The more readings I did the 

better I got. We called the regular clients " psychic junkies " they went from one reader to 

another or came to the same one multiple times. They where good for business but bad for morale. Unhappy clients had little consumer rights, legally this was classed as mere entertainment. 

This is why referrals by friends or reputation is important, but while one phychic my be good for them, they may not be the as good for you. 

Being so young didn't help because everyone expected a grey haired grandmotherly type. 

After several years I lost interest. The shops I worked in exploited readers, they booked clients back to back with no breaks when it was busy, or we sat there unpaid all day when it was quiet. I felt like a psychic sweat shop worker. The commissions rose from a reasonable 20% up to a hefty 45% I got tired of feeling I had to sort out people's problems, many of whom needed to see a therapist instead. 

I tried seeing clients at home, but that was worse, having all these strangers on my personal space, they'd come over, dump their bad Karma, wouldn't leave, or call at all hours. I realised it was a huge responsibility doing this, I wasn't always perfect, on bad day it was a guessing game,  yet felt I was playing God for $50 at a time, so I backed out. After my awakening I had a cold shower and 

returned to my fashion work. 

Are psychics real ?  Some times yes, but more often they aren't. 

Gay Shame - why it still exists

Im gay -  I've been out to friends for 30 years, to family for 25, though everyone knew.  

It's 2015 but I still have to be discrete when travelling. I live in Sydney Australia, 

I know I can't wave the rainbow flag in many parts of the world.

Last year while travelling to the place my parents where born in the Greek part of Cyprus, 

it was exciting being there for their first ever Gay Pride.  

The northern Turkish occupied side of the island nation only a few months prior decriminalised homosexuality. I was shocked to find a massive demonstration protest march close by the gay pride crowd. These people where mainly religious church groups and conservative families. 

Massive banners saying gay people spread disease, separate the sexes, 

abuse children and have psychological problems. 

The protest crowd was fanatical in a way you won't see in other parts of the western world, 

but Cyprus is on the outer  edge of Europe only 50 km away from the Middle East, 

all through history part of its population was Muslim. 

A few blocks away was the Cypriot Gay Pride march. This was an incredible display of persistence

and unity.  The protesters where trying to do something so powerful -

They tried to make them feel Shame. That day it didn't work ! 

Despite political, legal, social progress, gay men on a personal , especially older ones 

still feel some sort of Shame for several reasons. 

Shame is a complex emotion we either create  within ourselves or absorb from society, family or our actions. Gay men don't talk about the shame we've  endured all our lives, it's a strong yet invisible 

emotion that's a touchy subject in the publicity driven Pride era. 

The shame starts when we're young, surrounded by maleness, our dads want us to become men,

male siblings might be competitive, the boys at school get aggressive. We feel compelled to prove our selves. Boys are taught you're not a man if you're gay, so we hide, don't feel comfortable in our skin, we can't accept ourselves, we hide in shame.  Many times shame is created through silence, it's all those things people don't say or ask. 

If people are cornered they say they accept us, with  the usual line of  "My best friend is gay." But if they're still uncomfortable, they don't ask us  "Do you have a partner?"  Or "Hows your love life?" 

Yet we are compelled to ask them about their lives. We secretly shame ourselves by pandering to

the whims of straight people in the quest for acceptance. 

If we sense we're not accepted by the energy or vibes people give off, we start to feel ashamed,

being discrete or cautious, this is how we're controlled. 

On the holiday last year to Cyprus, the only relative  who asked about my personal life was one 

Aussie born female cousin. At 49 everyone knows I'm gay, but they never ever ask about my life 

yet if I didn't ask them about their lives, there would be no conversation what so ever. 

When traveling to regional areas within Australian, I always find the gay population living in Shame or secrecy, sneaking around being annonymous There's not much Pride outside urban areas.

Back in the cities, Its funny all these obviously gay or camp friends claiming no one knows they're gay....as if it's no ones business yet everyone knows but they just don't care, again there's

an aspect of shame in not being open or honest. 

Gay men feel shame through a lack of  emotional acceptance on a personal level, even though society, and the law accepts is. Then we continue the cycle of shame by abusing each other on a sexual level

by treating each other as pieces of meat to be consumed for our narcistic desires of the flesh. 

Technology has helped gay men create even more shame. Casual sex may be a 24 hour all you can eat cyber instigated  buffet, but dating apps such as Grindr have made the whole process so instant, fast we've  become deeply impersonal , consumable, disposable. 

Even though mutually  consensual sex means less demand for prostituition, casual sex can still

feel exploitive for both people. Narcissim has little room for other people's emotions.  

Yes every day we see those gay couples walking down the isle, eager to tie the new knot, yet most couples I know in Sydney are all in opening relationships, that means more casual hook ups. 

I know this is a grey area, I'm not trying to pass judgment, I want to bring things to light from my own experiences. Gay men need to openly face each other ask ask if they are truly proud of the way they treat each other on the casual sex scene, or are they silently shameful ? Even though many are fighting 

for marriage equality, there is still home work to do in the dark corners on those saunas, sex clubs, or dating apps. We want full equality from society, yet our sexual interactions bind us in shame.