As the illustration below shows, there’s some good news (lost cost) and bad news (low speeds)…

Because of the high cost of real estate today, many people, especially those who are just starting their careers are deterred to buy their own home. Some are content to rent because it fits their current financial capability.

This is the purpose of the First Home Buyer’s Grant – to help these people start their life and move them a step forward toward independence.

The First Home Buyer’s Grant was first instituted in Australia last July 1, 2000. From 2000 until 2011 the grant stayed at $7,000, by the coming of 2012, the Australian government has announced that the grant will remain at $7,000, though some expect an increase due to the increase of home costs.

First Home Buyer’s Grant is made available to those who purchase a home that is worth at least $600,000. The purpose of this condition is to help invigorate the building of houses and boost the construction industry.

Though the First Home Buyer’s Grant should help first time buyers to more easily purchase their new home, some in the real estate market tend to think that many house prices are artificially increased to meet this minimum threshold. Because of this, some argue that first time home buyers seem to be disadvantaged.

Many potential first time home buyers will be dismayed by the current status of real estate prices. Because of the minimum threshold price increase, many argue that it would be better to purchase a house without the grant at a lower price, than to avail it and acquire a higher level of debt.

Addressing this issue, on January 1, 2012, the house price limit to be eligible for the grant was set at $500,000 to $600,000. This can help people get a discount due to the increase of the grant and the increase of the coverage. An average person can have benefits up to $24,000 due to the First Home Buyer’s Grant.

You can consult a home loan calculator to see detailed information about loans so you can decide if you should apply for a grant and get your dream home now or wait a little longer.

In many areas, the real estate market is softening and many are taking advantage of the situation as an opportunity to buy. With the First Home Buyer’s Grant and falling prices of houses these days, the timing might just be right for you. To own your own home and live the Australian dream.

Unfortunately not enough kids are reading these stories, understanding that graffiti can kill.

Graffiti is vandalism, costing companies, property owners or the public a fortune pure and simple.

What’s sad about these stories is that graffiti deaths are preventable – they can just stop vandalising property.

Hopefully this and other blog posts like it will save at least one future death.

It’s just not worth it.

Thematic Australian Map

The following were posted on an Australian Tourism Website and the answers are the actual responses by the website officials, who obviously have a great sense of humour (not to mention a low tolerance threshold) for cretins!

__________________________________________________

Q: Does it ever get windy in Australia ? I have never seen it rain on TV, how do the plants grow? (  UK ).

A: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching them die.
__________________________________________________

Q: Will I be able to see kangaroos in the street? ( USA )

A:Depends how much you’ve been drinking.
__________________________________________________

Q: I want to walk from Perth to   Sydney – can I follow the railroad tracks? ( Sweden)

A: Sure, it’s only three thousand miles, take lots of water.
__________________________________________________

Q: Are there any ATMs (cash machines) in Australia ? Can you send me a list of them in Brisbane , Cairns , Townsville and Hervey Bay? ( UK)

A: What did your last slave die of?
__________________________________________________

Q:Can you give me some information about hippo racing in Australia ? ( USA )

A: A-Fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of   Europe .
Aus-tra-lia is that big island in the middle of the Pacific which does not … Oh forget it. Sure, the hippo racing is every Tuesday night in Kings Cross. Come naked.
__________________________________________________

Q:Which direction is North in Australia ? (USA )

A: Face south and then turn 180 degrees. Contact us when you get here and we’ll send the rest of the directions.
_________________________________________________

Q: Can I bring cutlery into Australia ? ( UK )

A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do…
__________________________________________________

Q: Can you send me the Vienna Boys’ Choir schedule? (   USA )

A: Aus-tri-a is that quaint little country bordering Ger-man-y, which is Oh forget it. Sure, the Vienna Boys Choir plays every Tuesday night in Kings Cross, straight after the hippo races. Come naked.
__________________________________________________

Q: Can I wear high heels in Australia ? ( UK )

A: You are a British politician, right?
__________________________________________________

Q: Are there supermarkets in Sydney and is milk available all year round? ( Germany )

A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of vegan hunter/gatherers.

Milk is illegal.
__________________________________________________

Q: Please send a list of all doctors in Australia who can dispense rattlesnake serum. ( USA )

A: Rattlesnakes live in A-meri-ca which is where YOU come from.
All Australian snakes are perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and make good pets.
__________________________________________________

Q: I have a question about a famous animal in Australia , but I forget its name. It’s a kind of bear and lives in trees. ( USA )

A: It’s called a Drop Bear. They are so called because they drop out of Gum trees and eat the brains of anyone walking underneath them.
You can scare them off by spraying yourself with human urine before you go out walking.
__________________________________________________

Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can you tell me where I can sell it in   Australia ? (USA)

A: Anywhere significant numbers of Americans gather.
__________________________________________________

Q: Do you celebrate Christmas in Australia ? ( France )

A: Only at Christmas.
__________________________________________________

Q: Will I be able to speak English most places I go? ( USA )

A: Yes, but you’ll have to learn it first

Today’s post is a list of the Top 10 Blog Posts of 2011 published by The Exponential Growth Strategist, Dr Marc Dussault.

Listed in no particular order since each one has its own merit based on who you are and what your area of improvement (focus) is, this short list of the best blog posts of the year will inspire you to get started on your New Year’s Resolutions for 2012 right away!

Don’t forget 2012 is a leap year, that means you have an extra 24 hours to realise your dream(s)!

How To Find Hidden Assets In Your Business

Belief Builders and Credibility Creators

Can one idea be worth $50,000?

Why spruikers will never go away

Mentor or Motivator?

Facebook Wall Of Shame Infographic

The more you do, the more you can get done

From ‘Just A Job’ To Finding Your Calling

Cinemagraphs: “Stills” that move

2011 Australian Masters Games Gold Medallist

• 31 Australians have died since 1996 by watering their Christmas tree while the fairy lights were plugged in.
• 19 Australians  have died in the last 3 years by eating Christmas decorations they believed were  chocolate.
• Hospitals reported 4 broken arms last year after cracker pulling incidents.
• 101 Australians since 1997 have had to have broken parts of plastic toys pulled out of the soles of their feet.
• 18 Australians had serious burns in 1998 trying on a new jumper with a lit cigarette in their mouth.
• A massive 543 Australians were admitted to casualty in the last two years after opening bottles of beer with  their teeth or eye socket.
• 5 Australians were injured last year in accidents involving out of control slot cars.
• 3 Australians  die each year testing if a 9V battery works on their tongue.
• 142 Australians were injured in 1998 by not removing all the pins from new shirts.
• 58 Australians are injured each year by using sharp knives instead of screwdrivers and finally:
• 8 Australians cracked their skull in 1997 after falling asleep (passing out) while throwing up into the toilet.

A bland blog like this is created purely for SEO purposes and that won’t be worth much in the long run. Sure the immediate SEO effect will be there, but without HUMANS going to the pages, STAYING on the pages AND coming back, it will die a slow death within the indexes.

Don’t forget that when you launch a blog, you’re doing it for the end game – to have a loyal readership that wants to hear from you.

Make what you have to say exciting, appealing and attractive. Go from Bland To Brand!

Otherwise your blog will languish and all your effort will be for naught.

If you’re going to put in 90% of the effort (writing the content), why not go the extra 10% and get the REWARDS?

Just ask yourself one simple question…

“Would I read and come back to this blog?”

The prime minister had requested a recall of the stamps following concerns that they weren’t sticking.

Australia Post recently suspended a recall of the stamps after the findings of a special Senate Committee were released.

The Prime Minister was told that the stamp was not sticking to envelopes and the enraged Prime Minister demanded a full investigation.

After a month of testing and spending of $1.85 million, a special Senate Committee led by the leader of the Greens, Bob Brown, presented the following findings -

1. The stamp is in perfect order.
2. There is nothing wrong with the adhesive.
3. People are spitting on the wrong side of the stamp.

There’s a new twist in the UK… everydaysale.co.uk is one of the UK’s leading independent discount voucher code websites with a unique ratings system and a large, ever-growing consumer audience. They offer amazing free discounts codes across dozens of categories, including computers, electronics, fashion, home and garden and health products.

Whatever you are shopping for, you can check out the hot deals at http://www.everydaysale.co.uk/.

To use a voucher code or promotional code, simply go direct to the stores website, once you are finished shopping and at the check out point, enter the voucher code into the “voucher or promotional code” box and you could save up to 50% on your bill.

They give you a complete online shopping directory based on our unique online retailer rating system. They will also recommend to you the best online retailer in each category in terms of site usability, customer service, delivery options, as well as price.

By visiting everydaysale.co.uk before you shop, you can ensure you will find the most reliable shops and the best discount offers.

Pretty cool stuff don’t ya think?

Bob Hawke said it best in September 1983 after watching Alan Bond’s 12-metre yacht, the Australia II, sail to victory in the America’s Cup: ”I tell you what, any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up today is a bum.” And a stellar moment in the Australian tradition of ”chucking a sickie” was born.

Australian workers took an average of 10 days each in unplanned leave last year, including sick leave, carers leave and personal leave, according to a survey by Direct Health Solutions. Sick leave is estimated to account for three-quarters of this time, or 7.5 days a year.

So are we really sick one week in the year? It’s clear employers don’t think so. According to the survey, almost three-quarters of employers surveyed believe between 10 to 25 per cent of absences are ”non-genuine”. Employers also report two in three Australian workers regard paid personal and sick leave as an entitlement.

Employers estimate this loss of work time comes at a cost to the economy of $20 to $30 billion a year and have introduced all manner of ways to control it, including requiring medical certificates and employing the services of companies such as Direct Health Solutions whereby workers must ring a registered nurse to present their ailment before taking the day off.

So are we really a nation of layabouts? Or is the tradition of the ”sickie”, like our legendary relaxed, beachside persona, more myth than reality?

Three decades on since Hawke effectively declared his national holiday, the Australian workforce is transformed. We work longer hours, the longest in the developed world on some measures.

The invention of emails, smartphones and iPads mean we are ”plugged in” to the office for more hours of the day, while the number of hours spent at physical work, but unpaid, has also risen.

A study by the Australia Institute for its inaugural national ”go home on time day” last November estimated Australians put in more than two billion hours of unpaid overtime a year. This translates to a $72 billion gift to employers each year in unpaid work, eclipsing the $30 billion employers estimate they lose from workers claiming their sick leave and personal leave entitlements.

Perhaps Australians are just stealing back what time has been stolen from them.

But then again, maybe we really are sick. And maybe we’re so sick because we work so hard.

Almost half of Australians surveyed by the Australia Institute said work commitments prevented them from doing exercise. One in four said they were ”too busy” to see a doctor.

Indeed, a separate survey by the economic modellers Econtech for the health insurer Medibank Private has looked into the problem of ”presenteeism” – the opposite of ”absenteeism”.

Econtech estimates a $26 billion hit to the Australian economy from lost productivity from workers turning up to work while really sick.

Health experts this week revealed a fourfold increase in the number of Australians suffering the flu this month compared to last year. Baffled, they speculate it could be due to more people spending more time together indoors.

Some days it really is worth staying in bed.

Australian Cloud Formations

Major General Peter Cosgrove was interviewed on the radio recently.

Read his reply to the lady who interviewed him concerning guns and children.

Regardless of how you feel about gun laws you have to love this! This is one of the best comeback lines of all time.

In a portion of an ABC radio interview between a female broadcaster and General Cosgrove who was about to sponsor a Boy Scout Troop visiting his military Headquarters.

FEMALE INTERVIEWER:
So, General Cosgrove, what things are you going to teach these young boys when they visit your base?

GENERAL COSGROVE:
We’re going to teach them climbing, canoeing, archery and shooting.

FEMALE INTERVIEWER:
Shooting! That’s a bit irresponsible, isn’t it?

GENERAL COSGROVE:
I don’t see why, they’ll be properly supervised on the rifle range.

FEMALE INTERVIEWER:
Don’t you admit that this is a terribly dangerous activity to be teaching children?

GENERAL COSGROVE:
I don’t see how. We will be teaching them proper rifle discipline before they even touch a firearm.

FEMALE INTERVIEWER:
But you’re equipping them to become violent killers.

GENERAL COSGROVE:
Well, Ma’am, you’re equipped to be a prostitute, but you’re not one, are you?

The radiocast went silent for 46 seconds……..

We’ve all been young and daring, but I am sure you’ll agree it’s sad when a life is lost to something that is preventable.

Mark and I were speaking recently about the primary source or motivation for graffiti artists – significance. Society needs to find a way for artistically oriented youth to express themselves in non-destructive ways. As we can see with this tragic example, it costs us all way too much and in the end it’s really not worth it.

If you come across any programs that you think could re-direct their energy into a more positive direction, please place a comment here and I’ll make sure it gets the exposure it deserves.

Graffiti

In the early 1990’s Western Australian State Governments attempted to address graffiti proliferation using various methods and management models.  Despite this public concern continues to grow and so does the burden of state-wide graffiti removal costs.  A tougher approach, which focuses considerable effort on offender management and behaviour, has now been adopted. A State Graffiti Taskforce has been established to deal with the problem.

Graffiti removal costs have been estimated at up to $30 million dollars per year within Western Australia.  However, this figure is likely grossly underestimated due to the difficulty in obtaining an accurate cost largely to the nature of graffiti offences, its reporting and removal.

In 2005, the cost of criminal damage Australia wide, which included but was not limited to graffiti vandalism, was estimated to be $1.58 billion annually. This estimate is likely to be a conservative one given that graffiti vandalism, like other forms of criminal damage, is not always reported to police. It also gives no consideration to the social cost of graffiti vandalism; in particular the impact on perceptions of safety and public amenity.  It is evident throughout Western Australia regardless of the social, economic or cultural status of the community that its persistence, spread and visibility have served to heighten the public’s sensitivity to it as a threat against civic order and safety in their community

It is estimated that it costs Australians half a billion dollars a year to clean up graffiti. The police are fighting an ongoing battle and the Public Transport Authority has resources in place with 1200 cameras spread through the system at stations and platforms.

According to the government, graffiti costs the NSW economy and taxpayers more than $100 million a year.

Graffiti defacing both public and private property is one of the most visible forms of crime and costs the community around $200 million each year.  Graffiti has emerged as a key priority in crime prevention for Australian states and territories. Through its research, the AIC has identified key issues in dealing with this crime together with strategies to combat its incidence.

Existing research suggests that graffiti can have a negative impact on community perceptions of safety and public amenity.

Although the real amount of money spent by communities, private property owners, small business and public agencies each year to repair, replace, and clean up property defaced by graffiti vandalism has yet to be definitively documented in Australia, Graffiti Hurts-Australia’s research indicates that Local Governments alone across Australia spend approx $260 million annually on graffiti vandalism removal.

The real impact that graffiti vandalism has on the fabric of the community and society itself cannot be measured in lost revenue and business. Graffiti vandalism in public areas sends a message to the community that the places where they live and work and the public transportation they use are no longer controlled by the agencies responsible. Its appearance in neighbourhoods is often perceived by residents and passers-by as a sign that a downward spiral has begun, even through this many not be true.

Cleaning Up Graffiti

A 2009 report indicates that the City of Mandurah continues to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars each year cleaning graffiti and repairing vandalised property, with council statistics showing $250,000 being spent the last financial year. In the last six months alone the council has spent $120,000 removing graffiti from buildings and other structures and repairing parks and reserves.

A 2009 report states that last financial year the estimated cost of vandalism, including graffiti, to CityRail and other RailCorp property was around $48 million.

CityRail cleaning staff work tirelessly to remove graffiti every day so that trains can be returned to service, as quickly as possible. More than one million tags were removed from CityRail trains and stations last year.

In 2008, Hunter Valley businesses and government agencies were desperate for a solution to the growing graffiti epidemic which had cost almost $2.7 million in clean-up bills the past year alone.

The worst-hit areas were the Newcastle and Cardiff central business districts, where businesses say they spent a total of more than $1.5 million on removing graffiti tags and cleaning other damage.

Newcastle City Council spent $350,000 and Lake Macquarie Council $155,000 in the past 12 months to clean up graffiti.

And other councils in the Hunter Region have also had significant bills with Maitland and Port Stephens councils forking out $35,000 and $40,000 respectively to restore buildings attacked by graffiti vandals.

Moonee Valley acting mayor James Rankin said one way to tackle graffiti was to actively report offences so that they could be removed. The council allocates $113,0000 in the annual budget for graffiti removal costs.

The Australian Bureau oF Statistics report that 1 out of every 4 Australians commonly perceive graffiti as a vandalism problem.

While ratepayers are footing the cost for these attacks, businesses are also paying.

Hunter Business Chamber estimated the cost of graffiti to Newcastle businesses at more than $1 million a year and some Hunter Street businesses had been unable to get insurance because of repeated attacks by graffiti artists and vandals.

Cardiff Chamber of Commerce has calculated the cost to businesses in its CBD and say they spent about $670,000 in the past 12 months cleaning up graffiti.

Government agencies have likewise reported the high costs of removing graffiti.

Graffiti On Trains

RailCorp spent about $380,000 in the past financial year cleaning graffiti from its trains, stations and property in the Hunter Region.

Hunter Water spent $50,000 in the past year on graffiti removal despite setting up designated areas for graffiti artists to display their work.

Desperate councils are taking drastic measures to stop a $100-million-a-year vandalism scourge – including hiring private security to guard buildings overnight.

Ratepayers are being hit with six-figure graffiti cleaning bills and up to $350 per night for private security to guard potential targets.  Thousands more are being spent on websites, education, and “graffiti resistant” paint and tougher playground equipment.

The number of malicious damage incidents last year rose to 109,330 across NSW – a 13 per cent increase in five years. Sydney City, the western suburbs of Blacktown, Campbelltown, Penrith, Liverpool, Parramatta, Bankstown and Fairfield, and coastal cities including Newcastle, Wollongong, Lake Macquarie, Wyong and Gosford, are the hardest hit.

Sydney City spends about $3 million a year on graffiti removal, while Penrith pays $680,000 and Blacktown $700,000. Holroyd Council paid $170,000, The Hills spent $150,000 and Gosford spent $100,000.

All 152 NSW councils are investing in prevention, with Mosman City Council building a $120,000 vandal-proof fence at the Allan Border Oval and Manly City Council installing a graffiti-resistant playground at Seaforth Oval for $190,000.

Graffiti Eaters: Australia's Premier Graffiti Removal Specialists

US Graffiti Statistics:

City of San Jose, CA spent approximately $2 million in 2006 fighting graffiti.

Pittsburgh, PA (population just over 300,000) spends around $350,000 annually for graffiti clean up.7-

Omaha, NE spends about $100,000 a year on graffiti removal (population just over 400,000).

In 2006, the Tennessee Department of Transportation spent more than $240,000 on removing graffiti along its roads and bridges.

Denver, CO and Milwaukee, WI, with similar populations-just over 550,000-each spend about $1 million annually

In Houston, TX (population just over 2 million), the city earmarked $2.2 million for cleanup of existing graffiti in 2006.

Chicago, IL budgeted $6.5 million in 2006 for graffiti removal and Graffiti Blasters, the city’s removal program (population a little over 2.8 million).

Las Vegas, NV with a population of about 1.7 million spends more than $3 million each year cleaning up graffiti.

Springdale (AR)  paid more than $15,000 in 2007 to remove graffiti around the city. Graffiti appeared on buildings, bridges, drainage ditches, signs, traffic boxes, streets and sidewalks. The reported incidents of graffiti climbed to 454 in 2007, compared with 220 in 2006.

Seattle Public Utilities spent about $1 million last year for graffiti enforcement, removal, education and outreach, while King County Metro Transit spent $734,000 last year to rid buses, tunnels, park and rides and bus shelters of graffiti.

Graffiti In Los Angeles

One Graffiti Painter Can Create $13,000 Of Damage In A Single Weekend

CalTrans spent $2.7m cleaning up graffiti along the city’s freeways.-Amount of graffiti (7,622,234 square feet)

The Los Angeles Office of Community Beautification estimates that it spends more than $7 million annually for graffiti abatement and cleanup costs.

Graffiti Removal cost LA County $30 Million (2007) Caltrans spent

MTA’s ”bomb’ painted on the concrete walls of the LA River cost $3.7 Million to remove due to the environmental hazards to the watershed.

$30, 661 was spent on surveillance cameras in San Fernando Tunnel that the city spent $36,000 on graffiti removal.

Graffiti Art Or Vandalism?

Graffiti Art Or Eyesore?

Sources:

Graffiti Hurts

Graffiti 911 Blog

If you’re looking at taking out your first income protection policy, there are 5 things to focus on whilst making your comparison:

#1 Are You Comparing Apples with Apples?
You’ll need to make sure that you’re comparing quotes for income protection policies with the same features. Make sure that you choose the same:

• Value type – whether Agreed or Indemnity Value
• Waiting Period – 14, 30, 60, 90, 180 or 365 days
• Benefit period – 2 years, 5 years, to age 65, or other options
• Included options – some policies include options in the base price that other policies ask you to add as an extra. For example, some companies offer superannuation guarantee contributions as part of the standard offering, for some you have to pay extra.

#2 Think About Your Entire Insurance Profile
Many companies offer a discount if you have three or more insurance policies with them. Grab a quote to determine your overall position if you were to switch your car and home insurance over to your new income insurance provider, and get the discount. This is usually around 10% – not to be sneezed at!

#3 Check the Difference Between Stepped and Level Premiums
If your potential policies offer both stepped and level premium payment options, make sure you get quotes for both. Level premiums offer much better value if you’ll keep your policy in the long term (usually 10-15 years or more); otherwise stepped premiums are better.

#4 Check How Much You’ll Pay in the Future
If your insurance is very cheap now, but will be exceptionally expensive as you age, it may not be the best overall value. Ask each company for quotes at the oldest age you expect to have your income protection insurance.

#5 Compare Retail with Superannuation-Based Policies
Many superannuation funds offer income protection insurance to members. You should compare both standard retail and super-based policies, as each can suit different circumstances.

While super-based policies generally offer a limited range of options, they can be cheaper for people who have existing health issues.

If you are looking for flexibility in your plan, or you are relatively young, healthy and a non-smoker, you might find the retail income protection offers better value.

Only 7% of rice is traded across borders. Only 7% of directors of S&P 500 companies are foreigners—and, according to a study a few years ago, less than 1% of all American companies have any foreign operations.

Exports are equivalent to only 20% of global GDP. Some of the most vital arteries of globalisation are badly clogged: air travel is restricted by bilateral treaties and ocean shipping is dominated by cartels.

So what are your thoughts about the world being flat and accessible to all?

Is it just globaloney?

Q: Does it ever get windy in Australia? I have never seen it rain on TV, so how do the plants grow? (UK).
A: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching them die.

Q: Will I be able to see kangaroos in the street? (USA)
A: Depends how much you’ve been drinking.

Q: I want to walk from Perth to Sydney – can I follow the railroad tracks? (Sweden)
A: Sure, it’s only three thousand miles, take lots of water.

Q: Are there supermarkets in Sydney and is milk available all year round? (Germany)
A: No, we are a peaceful civilization of vegan hunter/ gatherers. Milk is illegal.

Q: Please send a list of all doctors in Australia who can dispense rattlesnake serum. (USA)
A: Rattlesnakes live in A-meri-ca which is where YOU come from. All Australian snakes are perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and make good pets, especially The Taipans.

Bloody Big Dam Walk - Tell it like it is!

The reason we were there is because they have a Kangaroo sanctuary where young orphans are brought and cared for. Our favorite was “Buttons”…

Buttons - The orphaned Kangaroo at the Whistler Vineyard sanctuary

Here is a time lapse to give an insight into the incredible week-long construction of the Opera House cake. Watch as the monolithic, chocolate-brown structure transforms into the alabaster iconic Opera House. Like little worker bees inside a hive, this glimpse inside the Planet Cake kitchen shows how hard Paris and the volunteers worked, every step of the way. I

t is incredible to see a weeks worth of work in a short snapshot like this. It is a privilege to get a behind the scenes look inside Australia’s Number One cake kitchen, Planet Cake.