Australia

[Shamus_McFartfinger]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060213/od_af...DRpBHNlYwM3NTc-

 

Money really doesn't buy happiness, study finds

 

Mon Feb 13, 12:18 PM ET

 

SYDNEY (AFP) - Money doesn't buy happiness, and now there's a study to prove it. Australian researchers found that people in well-off Sydney are among the most miserable in the country, while those in some of the poorest areas are much more satisfied with their lives.

 

"Only at very, very high levels does money actually have any impact to act as a buffer," said Deakin University researcher Liz Eckerman.

 

"Money doesn't actually buy happiness and that's what was shown very clearly for the nearly 23,000 people we've interviewed so far," she told ABC radio.

 

The findings, collated since 2001, show that while there are no extremes of well-being in Australia, the happiest areas had a lower population, more people aged 55 or over, more women, more married people and less income inequality.

 

The survey assessed a person's satisfaction with their standard of living, health, relationships, life achievement, safety, community connection and future security.

 

Robert Cummins, a professor of psychology at Deakin who compiled the survey's scorecard, put the difference down to the higher cost of housing and high population density in cities.

 

"People in these rural electorates often have the advantage of additional disposable income since the cost of living, particularly housing, tends to be reduced outside the cities," he told The Australian newspaper.

 

Of the 150 national electorates surveyed, one of the nation's poorest, Wide Bay in rural Queensland, was among the happiest.

[lfcrule1972]

So is Wide Bay in your neighbourhood Shamus ?

[polopony]

If they would be willing to give me say $10 million I'd be willing to conduct my own independant survey What I know for sure is poverty sucks

[Shamus_McFartfinger]

So is Wide Bay in your neighbourhood Shamus ?

A couple of hours north of Brisbane. Gympie, Hervey Bay, Maryborough (near Fraser Island) etc. http://www.fraserisland.net/

[Shamus_McFartfinger]

If they would be willing to give me say $10 million I'd be willing to conduct my own independant survey What I know for sure is poverty sucks

Ain?t that the truth.

[dbminter]

While not on topic, really, just going with the title of the post, it reminded me of something I had wanted to post and didn't. So, I'll do it here.

 

 

You know? I wish Australia all the luck in the world at the Winter Olympics this year. It takes a lot of balls to enter into winter sports where, as far as I know, it only snows in a (very) few higher mountain areas. I believe they only did send 1 athelete, though, so, even they don't have high hopes.

[blutach]

Money isn't everything........

 

But it's way out in front of whatever is in second place

 

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

Regards

[Shamus_McFartfinger]

While not on topic, really, just going with the title of the post, it reminded me of something I had wanted to post and didn't. So, I'll do it here.

 

 

You know? I wish Australia all the luck in the world at the Winter Olympics this year. It takes a lot of balls to enter into winter sports where, as far as I know, it only snows in a (very) few higher mountain areas. I believe they only did send 1 athelete, though, so, even they don't have high hopes.

 

We sent more than one athlete. It snows in more places than you?d expect but nothing like it does in Europe, Asia or USA/Canada. Being stinking fooking hot in summer is about the only guaranteed thing over here.

 

http://home.iprimus.com.au/ozthunder/frost.htm

[lfcrule1972]

At least you get the heat - our crappy English weather is mostly grey mild drizzle in winter (occasionally cold here in the south) and almost never any snow and when it does it only settles once every 6-7 years.....

 

Still it is a lot colder in the north of England

[Shamus_McFartfinger]

Yeah. We do get the heat and we get it for about 8 months of the year. Winter lasts about 6 weeks. 36C here today. 11pm here ATM and it?s still 30C in my loungeroom. (It takes weeks for a brick house like mine to cool down as they are constantly being heated during the day).

[lfcrule1972]

Is that 30 C with air con on ???

[dbminter]

So, tell me. In Australia, do jolly swag men really sit beside billabongs? Are there lots of coolibah trees?

[Cynthia]

Learned something new today. Never could imaging myself that you actually had real snow in Australia.

[lfcrule1972]

@db - and all the wombats have waterwings too !!

[Shamus_McFartfinger]

Is that 30 C with air con on ???

 

Nope. But if I cool it down to something reasonable and then turn the aircon off, it?s back to 30C inside the house within an hour - even at night. 36C again today and 30C ATM (10pm). My family jewels are so sweaty I have to use tongs just to grab hold of the bugger.

[Shamus_McFartfinger]

Learned something new today. Never could imaging myself that you actually had real snow in Australia.

 

We import it from Sweden.

[lfcrule1972]

Thanks Shamus - I remember you posting along those lines in the old place That mental image, like the one of you avec waterwings is somehow stored away in my mind forever !!

 

What you posted about bricks holding the heat made me realise that's why the houses in Florida where my in-laws have a place are wood framed, and white plaster inside and out.... makes the place much cooler....

[polopony]

Shamus ,I'm curious about the temp rising so fast when the air is off, do you have insullation in the walls and a double layer in the attic /ceiling also double pane glass in the windows ? Brick is notorious for retaining heat during the day and releasing it at night .Being in the construction buissness I see it all the time the cavities around the windows with no insullation being a huge problem with heating/cooling ,doors that aren't hung just right or having no seals and 1/2 inch gaps at the saddles ,the energy people here will do an assessment on how to make the house more tight and effecient heating /cooling wise.

 

LFC the houses being wood framed, its just a whole lot cheaper and much faster to frame and a good crew can have a small house framed in a few days .Its really about speed when you have a payroll the faster you get it done the better your proft margin .Another thing to consider is the area real expensive areas you'll find brick and stone but they can afford it and it fits the neighborhood

[Cynthia]

Learned something new today. Never could imaging myself that you actually had real snow in Australia.

 

We import it from Sweden.

We will be more than happy to ship all of it to you...

[dbminter]

@db - and all the wombats have waterwings too !!

 

 

Actually, if that jolly swag man had had waterwings, he'd probably not have escaped the stockman and the troopers by drowning and turning himself into a singing ghost.

[Shamus_McFartfinger]

We import it from Sweden.

We will be more than happy to ship all of it to you...

 

We don?t actually get *real* snow as it has to be assembled before we can use it. One of the problems with buying snow from Ikea, I suppose. *cough*

[dbminter]

Okay, now, THIS wasn't funny! Got this piece of fishing, I guess, to try and get my information. i.e. one of the links goes to something that isn't a part of eBay. It says a bid I entered was cancelled. Which is strange as I've not bid on anything at all this year! So, I went by eBay proper and searched by the claimed cancelled item number. This is NOT funny, people! Whoever did it, fess up!

 

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...%3D50%26fvi%3D1

[Shamus_McFartfinger]

What? Where? Barry Humphries stamps? You?ve lost me.

[dbminter]

Yeah, right! You're so transparent! YOU did this to me! I KNOW IT!

[Shamus_McFartfinger]

You got me! Now if I only knew what I did I could take credit for it.