Noticed today that the toilet paper rolls shelves at the local Woolworths were fully stocked. No 24-roll packs, but plenty of 8-roll packs. Either everyone now has a house full of toilet paper, or the looney tunes have decided to practise their stupidity on something else.

Also ventured into Bunnings for the first time in a month or more for some plumbing necessities. Handed the cashier a $50 note and she practically scowled at me, even though she was wearing gloves. These days, I'll use cash over keypads every time.

Had to go to a plumbing supply house to get one part that Bunnings doesn't stock. Handed over a $20 note and the guy behind the counter yelled out to his boss: "Are we accepting cash?" Came the reply: "Yes, but put your gloves on!" (No scowl there.)

I remember a time when no-one would accept less than $10 for an EFTPOS transaction. These days most are just taking it for granted that all transactions will be on a card. I guess that most retailers now understand that it is less costly to do that than count money and go to the bank with it every few days, plus risk robbery by keeping thousands of dollars on their premises.

I usually use a card just out of convenience but occasionally I will do something like paying for petrol with a $100 note and it seems to put the console operator into a vapour lock every time.

I prefer cash for small transactions. I don't have a tap and go card, nor do I want one. I go to the ATM about once a fortnight for folding money.

There are still some small businesses that have an EFTpos minimum. Banks usually smack small businesses on fees -- which are primarily based on turnover.

The 'silent' cards will probably be consigned to history soon. Some banks are offering EFTPOS-branded debit cards with the tap-n-go feature. The latest fuel card for my work ute also has this now although it uses the slightly more secure tap-n-pin method.

Most shops in Toongabbie use card readers for transactions.
Cash is about dead, except for the paper and fresh bread shop.

As for people, Toongabbie is now a ghost town, about like it was in the 1980's.
People that used to inhabit the building apartments are gone, the streets around those are empty of cars. I think a large percent of the population were Malay, Chinese, Indonesia and so on on temporary visas and they left by plane after losing their jobs.
In my local circle we have two couples that did just that.
They were over here making more money in a month by working in people care and hospitality than the whole village would in a year.
About time aussies did those jobs.
We have farmers cannot get fruit pickers!
I'll bet there are plenty of dole bludging surfies laying on Bondi beach that could do the jobs!
I would round then up and ship them country side and they could work for the dole!!!

Anyway,
We can now drive into the main street in the day and park there!
Sometimes outside the shop we want!

The railway station in the "peak hour" in the morning is like it was in the 80's, 20 people or so get onto near empty trains.
Two months ago there would have been 3 ranks of "spot the aussies" getting on and packing the carriages out.

Supermarket in the mornings are pretty empty and easy to move about.

I wish it would stay that way!

Fred.

I noticed lots of toilet paper in my local supermarkets too. So, at least, that part of the lunacy has been dealt with.

As you know I use cash for everything. Nobody has raised an objection yet.

Actually I saw some a few days ago with a big "Recycled " on it? : Scary!

Recycled from something else, one would hope!


Can't imagine much of a market for used toilet paper ... no matter what the greenies think.

I saw a slogan once which applied to toilet paper: Be environmentally friendly, use both sides.

It sorta defeats the purpose of using toilet paper, doesn't it.

One novel way proffered for solving the paper problem was an improvised bidet using a chair frame with no swab & a garden sprinkler.

Ahh! such innovation.

When this first started I predicted that we will see the worst in humanity and the best. Well we have certainly seen both.
With all respect to the dead and the people who have lost loved ones as these people have endured unimaginable horror.


The thing that really shines in these dark times is the ingenuity and kindness that has been evident. Brewing companies making hand sanitiser to donate to charities for one thing. I was watching the news this morning and they reported on the local flower industry who went through bad times due to restrictions on weddings and funerals. Now mothers day is the best that the Australian flower industry has ever endured because of no international competitors. I wonder if our government is taking note. The restaurants doing home delivery. It's my guess that The real smart operators with quality products will say hey let's keep doing this alongside our dine in business .

Seems the recent full moon has energised a batch of loons:

QUOTE: Anti-lockdown and anti-vax protesters have caused chaos in Melbourne today.

Police have been forced to detain several people at Parliament House as they chant, “arrest Bill Gates”.The protesters believe coronavirus is a conspiracy and connected to 5G, and they’re against vaccinations and lockdown restrictions.

One woman, who claims to be a teacher, said she had evidence the virus was created in the 70s.

“They want to force a global microchip of humans and mandatory vaccination, it’s all written in the New Testament,” she told the crowd, according to the Herald Sun.

“We do not consent.”

Conspiracy theorists believe Gates is connected to the pandemic.

GTC
I genuinely wonder where these lunatics come up with this crap!
and shows where their being influenced from when they think bill gates has something to do with it.
and 5G pfft get real! making viruses with radio-waves!? it would do the opposite if anything.
I mean I wouldn't like to stand close to a full blown 5G transmitter for too long but for completely different reasons rather than a virus.

This garbage is dreamed up by the anti-vaxers to divert attention from their own weird agenda. The only true thing in the above comment was that Gladesville Hospital was full of nutters - I know, I worked there. I remember the time when a forensic patient bailed from Ward 29 and was dragged back in literally by no less than 6 coppers because they refused to take their medication. This was fed to him when they got him a single cell and held him down whilst the Dr calmed him down. Shame the joint is closed because such people are loose in the community now and they imagine all sorts of things.

When she was doing her Psych Masters as a mature age student, my late wife was assigned case study work at Bankstown hospital.

There would be the usual crop of regulars (typically claiming to be Jesus Christ or the Virgin Mary) dragged in by the coppers most nights to be "involuntarily admitted" to this purpose-built facility..

The case meetings the following morning often brought up some very funny statements as opinions were canvassed around the room.

Typical:

"Well John, what do you think?"

"I think he's mad"