"First World Problems" - Take time to smell the flowers?

Crazy Dazz · 09-08-2014, 02:45 AM

I often thank God that I was fortunate enough to be born in Australia. When you see the terrible things going on in other parts of the world, we have it pretty good. Not saying there aren't some things we couldn't do better, just that we have a lot to be thankful for.
There have been nights when we had pasta and toast for dinner, but my kids have never actually gone hungry.
We've lost a house to debt, but never actually had to live on the streets. (But spare a thought for those who have.)

But Gees Louise, I wish our governments (and some employers) would lighten up a little. Its hard to chill out and smell the flowers when somebody is chafing your *** over every petty little thing.
(I once got sacked because a workmate left his boots in the middle of the floor, and so I super-glued them under his desk.)

I'm not talking about serious problems of law and order that DO need to be addressed, but about hassling "law-abiding" citizens over trivial issues.
My neighbour put up one of those Marquee type car-shelters over his driveway. His driveway is against my fence, so I'm the only one that could possibly have been affected, but somebody else made a complaint and the council made him take it down.

superyob · 09-08-2014, 06:47 AM

You are right to thank God that you were born in Oz. (I often do the same, along with a request to keep my family safe.) I think people have it so good here, that some actively go out of their way to complain about all manner of trivia...

**Mont5.0** · 09-08-2014, 06:51 AM

Keep busy, then there aint enough time for the crap. Its people with to much time on their hands that cause issues.

NAK302 · 09-08-2014, 08:30 AM

we are born in a country where government tries to get every last cent from you for those trivial things and employs thugs to do it. this turns ordinary citizens into fine payers and criminals.
try and live in this "free" country without having to put your hand in your pocket for some permit, levy, tax, whatever, or try and provide for your family off the land without a government department having some law or legislation blocking your freedom. the time will come where the average Australian will not be able to afford to live here, especially when the IMF decide to increase our interest rates.
it's pretty hard to chill out when government has so much control over what you want/need.

blueoval · 09-08-2014, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GT-0733

we are born in a country where government tries to get every last cent from you for those trivial things and employs thugs to do it. this turns ordinary citizens into fine payers and criminals.
try and live in this "free" country without having to put your hand in your pocket for some permit, levy, tax, whatever, or try and provide for your family off the land without a government department having some law or legislation blocking your freedom. the time will come where the average Australian will not be able to afford to live here, especially when the IMF decide to increase our interest rates.
it's pretty hard to chill out when government has so much control over what you want/need.

Re-quoted for truth.

Free isnt necessarily free.

Crazy Dazz · 09-08-2014, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GT-0733

it's pretty hard to chill out when government has so much control over what you want/need.

and that's the thing isn't.
I have no problem with the government controlling things that need to be controlled, but when they start mandating how big your toilet flush can be, and how I use the water from my own bore, and how many cm I encroach the footpath with my car, then I reckon they've lost the plot.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GT-0733

we are born in a country where government tries to get every last cent from you for those trivial things and employs thugs to do it. this turns ordinary citizens into fine payers and criminals.

yep, I got a $160 fine the other day, because Tied up with the engines off in MY pen at a private marina, my boat is deemed to be "operating in Navigable Waters."

Trevor 57 · 09-08-2014, 08:38 AM

Being an older bloke I often reflect on life in Australia, no it is not perfect but it has to be one of the best places in the world to live

garcar · 09-08-2014, 09:23 AM

Entirely agree with all previous posts. We live a very good here compared to most other countries in the World. We share similar problems with other countries, but seemingly on a much reduced scale. Having travelled quite extensively over the past ten years or so, it is always nice to get back home - and that's a pretty good test in itself.

The world will never be a perfect place where everyone achieves equality, but people living in Oz go closer than most!

Franco Cozzo · 09-08-2014, 09:52 AM

As much as I like to ***** and complain about trivial things we have it pretty good over most places.

But that doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement.

nuthin' fancy · 09-08-2014, 12:34 PM

"Smell the Flowers"?

What if I have an allergy?

Someone may have sprayed the flower with a peanut based spray or fed with it with a gluten-based food.

What if the flowers are milkweed, how will be lactose intolerance respond?

When would I be then?

Plastic flowers for me, man.

cheap · 09-08-2014, 05:27 PM

We should ensure Australia stays that way, the world is generally in one huge mess and we need to be diligent so that the madness isn't allowed to take control here in Australia. People need to be wary of minority groups wanting to convert Australia and it's people into something which the vast majority have zero interest in.

superyob · 09-08-2014, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheap

We should ensure Australia stays that way, the world is generally in one huge mess and we need to be diligent so that the madness isn't allowed to take control here in Australia. People need to be wary of minority groups wanting to convert Australia and it's people into something which the vast majority have zero interest in.

Amen to that...

nuthin' fancy · 09-08-2014, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheap

We should ensure Australia stays that way, the world is generally in one huge mess and we need to be diligent so that the madness isn't allowed to take control here in Australia. People need to be wary of minority groups wanting to convert Australia and it's people into something which the vast majority have zero interest in.

It depends on the minority. Car enthusiasts are a minority.

Extremism is a problem everywhere around the world and it is extremists who cause the problems, not minorities.

Ford_The_Win · 10-08-2014, 12:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nuthin' fancy

It depends on the minority. Car enthusiasts are a minority.

Extremism is a problem everywhere around the world and it is extremists who cause the problems, not minorities.

Unfortunately, sometimes extremists form a large percentage of the minority. Recent and concerning data from British intelligence agencies suggest that there are somewhere between 250 and 300 million Islamic fundamentalists/extremists in the world. That is around 25% of the global Islamic population. It's a significant number whichever way you look at it.

nuthin' fancy · 10-08-2014, 01:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ford_The_Win

Unfortunately, sometimes extremists form a large percentage of the minority. Recent and concerning data from British intelligence agencies suggest that there are somewhere between 250 and 300 million Islamic fundamentalists/extremists in the world. That is around 25% of the global Islamic population. It's a significant number whichever way you look at it.

Show me the link to the facts.

What a load of rubbish.

castellan · 10-08-2014, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheap

We should ensure Australia stays that way, the world is generally in one huge mess and we need to be diligent so that the madness isn't allowed to take control here in Australia. People need to be wary of minority groups wanting to convert Australia and it's people into something which the vast majority have zero interest in.

Most do not care nor understand and then we have a new age Political Correct god we worship nowadays and it is this that governs all.

We have lost our true freedom of speech for a mongrel dog called PC and it's all down hill from there as it will destroy everything that our for fathers fought for. it's like we have a brat kid destroying his inheritance like a fool.

Many I know say that we are a very rich nation and then point to the 3rd world. I am not interested in hair brain points of views like that and it shows they have never ran a business because if they did it would be sure to fail with half wit comments like that.

superyob · 10-08-2014, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by castellan

Most do not care nor understand and then we have a new age Political Correct god we worship nowadays and it is this that governs all.

We have lost our true freedom of speech for a mongrel dog called PC and it's all down hill from there as it will destroy everything that our for fathers fought for. it's like we have a brat kid destroying his inheritance like a fool.

Many I know say that we are a very rich nation and then point to the 3rd world. I am not interested in hair brain points of views like that and it shows they have never ran a business because if they did it would be sure to fail with half wit comments like that.

That 'new age PC god' is only there because we allowed it to slither into the fabric of our society. Now, those who advocate for all manner of deviancy and abnormality have silenced the great majority. And somehow we let it happen...

GASWAGON · 09-08-2014, 06:43 PM

Oz is o.k for now but just wait until all the debt us westerners have accumulated has to be paid off......GFC 2 'Armageddon' is'nt that far away.

Work Horse · 09-08-2014, 07:17 PM

LMFAO how quickly a thread with, "Take time to smell the flowers" in the title, has the prophets of doom posting how bad things are.

Could all you; government is controlling our freedom, everything is bad and it's going to get worse, please point to examples of countries Australia should try and emulate?

Ironic much

Crazy Dazz · 09-08-2014, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Work Horse

LMFAO how quickly a thread with, "Take time to smell the flowers" in the title, has the prophets of doom posting how bad things are.

Could all you; government is controlling our freedom,

no, my point as mentioned in the OP is that Australia is a great place, and some people (including governments) need to lighten up about the stuff that isn't really important.
Eg when you consider that children die every day in 3rd world countries because they don't have access to clean water, somebody in Perth using an extra litre to flush their toilet doesn't seem to be such a big problem.

Work Horse · 09-08-2014, 08:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

no, my point as mentioned in the OP is that Australia is a great place, and some people (including governments) need to lighten up about the stuff that isn't really important.
Eg when you consider that children die every day in 3rd world countries because they don't have access to clean water, somebody in Perth using an extra litre to flush their toilet doesn't seem to be such a big problem.

The fact that you don't see the irony in what you have posted, is ironic.

JAJH · 09-08-2014, 07:40 PM

Yep, it always amazes me when people complain about how bad things are here in OZ, yet those same people are the first to go overseas to spend countless dollars in all those wonderful, 'exotic' places. I like to think we are actually blessed to a large extent living in THIS country. My wife and are I are currently caravanning across this big land of ours and I am always reminded of the freedom we have. We can travel to every corner of Australia with no border restraints, no currency issues, no internal or political conflicts and we speak the same language. Try travelling across some other countries like we do here and see if you can say the same. Let's just be grateful we don't live in a war-torn or communist country that is hell bent on destroying itself.

NAK302 · 10-08-2014, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAJH

Yep, it always amazes me when people complain about how bad things are here in OZ, yet those same people are the first to go overseas to spend countless dollars in all those wonderful, 'exotic' places. I like to think we are actually blessed to a large extent living in THIS country. My wife and are I are currently caravanning across this big land of ours and I am always reminded of the freedom we have. We can travel to every corner of Australia with no border restraints, no currency issues, no internal or political conflicts and we speak the same language. Try travelling across some other countries like we do here and see if you can say the same. Let's just be grateful we don't live in a war-torn or communist country that is hell bent on destroying itself.

you cannot travel to all corners of this country my friend. try getting into Arnthem Land without a permit. btw, they speak their own language there too.
my hard earnt dollars go a lot further in Fiji, which probably explains my "exotic" choice for holidays, instead of paying $2.30 per litre of fuel in the outback.

nuthin' fancy · 10-08-2014, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GT-0733

you cannot travel to all corners of this country my friend. try getting into Arnthem Land without a permit. btw, they speak their own language there too.
my hard earnt dollars go a lot further in Fiji, which probably explains my "exotic" choice for holidays, instead of paying $2.30 per litre of fuel in the outback.

Sorry GT, you can't come and set up in my backyard or in the middle of the MCG either. It doesn't mean we don't have the freedom of the country.

2011G6E · 10-08-2014, 08:23 AM

You know what my "first world problem" is?

It's that people exist who honestly think that people who live in first world countries apparently shouldn't be allowed to complain about anything at all, because someone, somewhere , is worse off than them.

Sorry, but a seemingly "minor" problem for me like the fact that our digital TV recorder box is starting to malfunction and will need replacing IS a problem...for me, a major one given the cost of the damn thing. However, for Mbuntu in a village in some god forsaken Ebola-riddled country in Africa, it would seem like I was being a whiny little ***** about something that doesn't matter.

His problems aren't my problems, and my problems will likely never be his problems. Does that mean we can each belittle each others problems? No! It just faces the reality that everyone everywhere are not equal, and that everyone has things in their lives that, to them are major or minor issues. However, if you compare everyone everywhere and their problems, then it starts to skew the scales and look strange.

I have a leaking tyre valve on the rear right hand wheel of my Celica...and I'm a long way from a tyre shop. That's a problem for me. Is it trivial? Am I wealthy enough to simply fix the problem when I can get to a shop? Yes. But it's still...trivial as it seems...a "problem".

NAK302 · 10-08-2014, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nuthin' fancy

Sorry GT, you can't come and set up in my backyard or in the middle of the MCG either. It doesn't mean we don't have the freedom of the country.

sorry mate, you missed the point and the irony from the poster's quote

nuthin' fancy · 10-08-2014, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GT-0733

sorry mate, you missed the point and the irony from the poster's quote

Too subtle for me, I still don't see it.

**tut0r** · 09-08-2014, 09:09 PM

Careful the rate we are going we are going to end up third world with the state of all our jobs going overseas and rising house prices...Well not raised recently but its not a good sign for times ahead. Getting work is harder and harder.

CoupeKing · 10-08-2014, 08:45 AM

Being Geographically isolated is great!

poppa smurf · 10-08-2014, 05:09 PM

wouldn't be anywhere else for quids, traveled far and wide, here and overseas, we have everything that can be found overseas and more.

the common theme stated from overseas visitors are

we are the friendliest
we have the best scenery
we have the easiest navigable and safest roads
everything is so affordable

I love the low population density, last trip to the kimberley we didn't come across another person for a week.

Australia is a fantastic place, it's mix of people a joy.........something not one of us should take for granted.