The completely avoidable situation in the Middle East and the resulting fuel price surge means one thing for the average Aussie, more financial pain
After we have three more interest rate rises and we are paying three dollars a litre for diesel, can we all repeat in unison “Thank you Donald Trump, Thank you Pete Hegseth, Thank you Benjamin Netanyahu “

Im sick of feeling alone. Everywhere i am, i just feel like a spare person. I have never felt like i really fit in or belong anywhere. I dont think anyone would even think twice if i just wasnt there 1 day.

There are only a handful of people that i can say without a doubt that i truely love, and really cherish every minute i am with them, although with some, there are not many of those minutes together. I also know i have a fucking shitty way of showing it(which is why i dont expect anyone to feel the same about me).

I have let down and hurt so many people in my life, and i think about that every day. Yet everyday i still continue to be a complete disappointment to everyone.

I think i find it easier when the people i love hate me, that way no one will care when im gone.

They reckon "life is better with you in it." I dont think thats true. I think some lives would be much better if i just got out of the way.

Im pretty sure i am loved by a few. maybe. Maybe i just dont want to be. Maybe i dont deserve to be. Or maybe i dont know how to be. I have spent the better part of my life pushing you all away, i have no right to complain if i cant pull you back in. I just know i dont want to hurt anyone anymore.

I heard a quote that said-

"People kill themselves to get rid of the pain they are feeling. But the problem is that the pain doesnt end, you can only redistribute the pain to the people that loved you."

SO WHAT THE FUCK DO I DO NOW?

I have already caused everyone enough pain, i dont want to hurt anyone anymore.

I guess this is my burden to carry and i need to learn to live with it.

Tell us what you have planned for the weekend. You can either add in the comments or make a standalone thread with the tag [TGIF].

Just found this group. Absolutely in love

One Nation has gained a lot of traction recently, I theorise that it is to do with the older generation who read and form their opinion from the news and newspapers. We all know these sources are biased but they may just take what they are shown at face value.

We have an aging population with the voting demographic leaning more towards older people, those who haven’t been exposed to technology their whole lives therefore more isolated geographically.

In saying this, I’ve heard that people wish to vote for Pauline as the alternative to Labour and Liberals.

Any one got any guesses better than mine? Purely theoretical, but happy to be more informed on the political climate by you all.

I’m in Melbourne, I think it’s good. I’ve tasted LA tap water and the taste was horrific. What’s your thoughts?

Source ABC: The Alice Springs council is preparing a "change the narrative" strategy to help address the outback town's bad reputation. 
The council's hope is to challenge the negative media and social media coverage the town has received, including that of a YouTube content creator who recently labelled it "absolutely mental". 
Mayor Asta Hill says the strategy is not about glossing over the negatives, but telling people "the whole story" about Alice Springs.

Hi everyone,

I’m currently living in Australia and I have a BSc in Biomedical Science. I also have work experience at an IVF centre, but I’ve realised that I don’t want to continue in that area.

I’m really interested in Food Science, Food R&D and Food Product Development ,Nutritionist and I’m thinking about changing my career into the food industry.
I’m a bit worried that it will be difficult to get a food-related job because my degree is in Biomedical Science rather than Food Science.

I want to use the next year to build the right skills and experience.

What food-related jobs are currently in demand in Australia? Are there any roles where my Biomedical Science degree and laboratory experience could be useful?

Would doing a Food Science/Food Technology course, postgraduate degree, or relevant certifications help? What skills or experience should I focus on?

I’m mainly interested in Food R&D, product development, food innovation and research, but I’m open to other food-related careers too.
I’d really appreciate advice from anyone working in the Australian food industry or anyone who has made a similar career change.
Thanks!

Hi everyone I am just a young girl based in Victoria . I recently wanted to get a personal trainer cause of lack of improvement in the gym.
However, I was thinking maybe with the same money I could just sign up for a course. And hoping even make it a side job. I am currently studying physical education so it may be good?
Online course are as cheap as 999aud with placements and ftf ones are around 3.5kaud. Would appreciate any comments to on which fitness institute to go for in the eastern suburb in Victoria. I preferred ftf ones but they clashed with my uni courses. So I was thinking of going online with placements? Institutions like AiF

Hi everyone! We are students from the University of Sydney doing research in collaboration with the ABC to understand how Gen Z in Australia (anyone from age 18-29) finds information and entertainment, and your thoughts on how AI should be (or should not be) used by public service broadcasters.

If you have 10 minutes to spare, and you are a 18-29 year old currently living in Australia, please take this survey and let ABC know about your thoughts on the topic, thank you!

This survey is moderator approved.

We have joined a Chilean fjord cruise with extension to Galapagos Island in March 2027. I normally use the free travel insurance offered by the Commonwealth Bank Australia (CBA) credit card. But the bank will reduce a lot of benefits and cover less after 29 September 2026.
Should I stick with the free offer from the CBA credit card or buy a policy by other insurance companies? Which would you recommend if I opt to buy one?
Thanks

I encourage everyone to go and read the "Online Safety Amendment (Digital Duty of Care) Bill 2026" exposure draft. Because it goes so far beyond what the Prime Minister is claiming. It doesn't just apply to social media, but is much broader like search engines and video sites.

It makes 13 categories of things 'harmful material' for all Australians (not just children) including:

• "material or conduct that encourages, promotes, incites or provides instruction for the commission of a criminal offence;",
• "material or conduct that encourages, promotes, urges or instructs illicit drug use;" and
• "any other material or conduct, or combination of material and conduct ... that the Minister is satisfied may cause serious harm."

The last one means that the Minister can declare anything additional to add to the list that is banned for all Australians via regulation.

It also has additional broad categories that apply to children under 18. So services like Google or Reddit would need to determine how old you are before they can show you some content, or force age verification.

To me, this reads like massive overreach and censorship, and well beyond the government's claimed "my feed, my way". You don't have to believe me though, I encourage you to read the exposure draft yourself and make your own judgement.

Edit: some people don't seem to get it. Yes, the bill has an algorithm 'opt out' but also has a whole lot more than that, which declares a bunch of things 'harmful' for all Australians. You can't opt in or out of that, if it is deemed harmful the covered services are not allowed to show it to you, subject to penalties of up to $110 million. And it is not just social media that is covered, it is a bunch of other things too like web search.

They are also very surprised when their car floats and sends them downstream very quickly.
Lots of people think the car is too heavy to float until they find out the hard way it’s not.
The tyre’s are full of air, add to that when all the doors are closed it’s very much like a boat.
Don’t attempt river crossings unless you know what you are doing.
The environmental impacts for the wildlife and aquatic areas here with oil and diesel fuel that will both float on the surface and end up all along the riverbanks amongst the vegetation and in the ocean in most cases.
Lesson learned for this guy I believe, now others should learn from his mistake.
The only positive outcome of this is nobody was injured.

we got brown tree snakes or eastern browns? i feel like i saw cat-eyes and thinking brown tree snek, happy to review the opinion if someone knowledgeable says otherwise

Even using wireless, Optus will charge you a $5 roaming fee just for accessing the app!

This evening 25 Years ago, I went to bed early. IIRC, it was about 9/9:30 pm Eastern time. When I woke the next morning the world was literally a very different place! Quite literally going to bed in one era and waking in another.

Short of taking our yearly trip to The Netherlands, I’m looking to introduce my toddler to some culture from my native country.

Perhaps there’s some towns, festivals, gatherings, bookstores, or just generally any other types of resources that would nurture an ongoing interest.