Lacessit

If you want her to get them, you have to execute a will in her favor. If you don't, it will disappear into government bureaucracy, and it may take years for her to get the money back. If at all.

I have a Thai will and an Australian will. The Thai will leaves all assets in Thailand to my GF here, my Australian will leaves all my assets in Australia to my son. Specifying individual bank account numbers would be necessary if there are multiple legatees in each country. For single legatees, no.

Effectively, you are saying it is a lottery. Do I feel lucky? No.

It depends on the circumstances. I give extra to caddies and my regular massage lady, I know times are hard with COVID. There's a very old lady who walks between two villages, I stop and give her 100 baht every time I see her. She works at funerals cleaning up, and only gets paid in food. I've given my Thai GF what she has asked of me, and I get what I want in return. Compared to most in her village, she is on Easy Street. Back in the day, I was asked several times if I could help by buying an share in a bar or shop, or making a large loan. My response was I did not know the person asking thought I looked that stupid.

I would try physiotherapy before a chiropractor any time of the week. A chiropractor nearly killed my father, I've steered clear of them ever since.

I only had one MIL in Australia, about as repressive a woman as it is possible to be. My mistake in thinking the daughter would be different. My Thai GF's mother had passed on well before we met. My quasi-FIL passed away two months ago, a very simple guy who worked in the rice fields all his life. He loved pottering around in the garden, in his eighties. There's a saying one can pick their friends, but they are stuck with relatives. My condolences Rooster, for your loss.

Self-funded retirees get taxed at 15% on what the fund earns, and don't pay any tax at all on what the fund pays them. No matter where they are. I don't know what tax people on government pensions pay, or if it matters where they are either. I suspect it is not a level playing field for retirees. The sensible thing to do would be to exempt the OAP from any taxation, no matter where anyone is, then tax whatever else is earned from investments at 32.5%. However, it is difficult to find governments that do sensible things, as witness the recent AUKUS pact, reneging on a contract with the French as well. Or letting Murdoch get away with scamming shareholders and the ATO for decades.

Statistical populations of two and one. Ever heard of double blind testing with a statistically significant population of control and test groups? I'll grant you the ratio is good. However, I would point out posting a triglyceride number without the corresponding interval level unit of measure is quite meaningless. The Mayo Clinic is world-renowned for its excellence in medicine, you have some proof for the claims you are making? My doctor in Australia seems to be quite happy with my blood work. My BP is 110/65, resting pulse rate 55. When you get to 79, let's see if your figures are as good. Although you may not get there, as straight protein gives the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys a fair beating.

When I worked in Port Hedland, there was a guy there who had not put in a tax return for 15 years. He earned pretty good coin too. He explained he was on PAYG tax, and if the ATO was going to tax his pay packet before he even got it, they could go whistle for more. He was a surveyor, and moved around a lot. AFAIK the ATO never caught up with him.

I gave up smoking in 1983. I would probably not be posting if I had not. I don't care whether people smoke or not. I tend to move away from any smoking source, or get upwind of it. The statistics say a smoker is 20 times more likely to die of lung cancer than a non-smoker, which also ignores the excess deaths from emphysema, heart attack, and stroke. I'll take a bet smokers also influence the COVID death statistics. It is difficult to give up smoking. If a smoker does, they will reduce their chances of getting lung cancer to that of a non-smoker in 5-10 years. Their life, their choice.

Send us a postcard from the cardiovascular ward, please.

The age pension is included in taxable income. Basic single pension is $23,420. The tax free threshold is $18,000, so there's $5420 potentially taxable at 32.5%. Then there's the Senior Australian's Tax Offset, which may only be applicable if one is deemed resident in Australia. When I asked my regular accountant how much tax I would be paying if I was deemed non-resident, and whether the OAP component would be taxed, she said she would refer me to someone better equipped to give me advice. She's pretty good at her job, which shows how complicated it has become. Bureaucrats delight in complexity, it's what keeps them in a job.

There is an appeals process for this kind of situation. IMO it is the job of the ATO to determine your tax residency status, not yours. Collecting back taxes on a taxpayer due to their own lack of action goes against natural justice. As does taxing age pensions. We'll just have to wait and see.

Frankly, I don't know how a smoker can afford to smoke in Oz. It's why we are here, a pensioner in Australia that does not own the roof over their head is stuffed. Just paid the registration on my car, 1600 baht = $65. Probably ten times that in Oz.

Coconut oil is the most stable oil one can buy. There is an oil stability test called the Swift test, that I remember from 60 years ago. It consists of bubbling air through oil in a test tube, while being heated in a paraffin bath. The oil is tested for peroxide value periodically, which indicates when the oil has turned rancid. Most materials - beef tallow, palm oil etc. break down after 50 - 100 hours. Coconut oil could go for more than 500 hours without breaking a sweat.

I got one from my credit union two days ago. My advice would be fill out the form with the minimum information asked for. I am basing my continued Australian tax residency on having an Australian residential address, and a financial interest in that address. I understand the rules may change soon to only one criterion, being outside Australia for more than 183 days. What threshold are you below? Could you PM me please if you don't want to publish on this thread.

It depends on which test is applied. IMO Centrelink applied the 183 day rule, so far the ATO has not. I understand there is legislation projected that will eliminate all other criteria, and simply base everything on the 183 dau rule. Ironic, seeing the government banned Australians from returning to their own country for an extended period. My only remaining interest in Australia is whether the ATO starts taxing my age pension at 32.5%. I wouldn't put it past the b####rds. I don't have the platoons of lawyers Murdoch has.

If that's what you believe, go for it. It may have some basis in fact, as some oils do contain minor amounts of cholesterol - less than 1%. Having said that, a statistical sample of one is not enough to be making conclusions. You should be using safflower oil, not sunflower oil. https://www.seriouseats.com/cooking-fats-101-whats-a-smoke-point-and-why-does-it-matter

I assume by GE you are referring to genetically-engineered oils. Here's a news flash - genetically-engineered oils are chemically indistinguishable from the naturally-occurring version. Canola oil on supermarket shelves is 99% genetically-engineered, I have not heard of mass poisonings as a result. All oils and fats are mainly fatty acid esters, principally triglycerides with a smattering of mono- and di- glycerides. The assumption because a chemical is carcinogenic in rats and mice, it is therefore carcinogenic in humans, has always been dubious. For example, dioxin is absolutely lethal to horses in very minor doses. We get exposed to dioxins on a daily basis via the foods we eat, principally fats. Obviously Paracelsus was onto something when he said the dose makes the poison, otherwise we would all be clutching our throats.

Belief is a marvelous thing. I have no doubt you believe you are better off on saturated fats, and you may be right. It's already known different racial groups assimilate food differently by adaptation to their environment, there's no other way to explain the Inuits, who live off a diet of mainly protein and fat. The Mediterranean diet has olives and olive oil as one of its bases, recommended by the Mayo clinic for heart health. Permit me to doubt the two presenters on the YouTube videos posted would make it onto A Mayo Clinic employment shortlist. They are fringe presenters, typical of what one can find on every form of social media. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/mediterranean-diet/art-20047801 The reason we are more sick than ever in human history is very simple. We eat too much. Statistically, most of the deaths in the current pandemic are obese people. The Japanese have probably the best record for longevity and good health - modest portions, fresh seafood and vegetables, very limited fat intake. Seafood is mostly PUFA's. As I have made it to age 78 ( soon to be 79 ) on what I think is a sensible diet, let me know when you get there on yours.

Then you are still classed as resident in Australia. Centrelink do know you are out of the country, they share data with Border Farce. I was informed about 3 years ago by Centrelink I was considered to be non-resident. Verbally, I have yet to see one shred of written information that explains or justifies their decision.

Are you in Australia? If Centrelink decides you are living overseas, no chance. Also no chance I would vote for ScoMo, the guy's as good a leader as I am good at neurosurgery. Greatest blameshifter who ever made it to PM.

Cooking oils can vary substantially in fatty acid composition. E.g. Palm oil is over 50% saturated palmitic acid, whereas canola oil is over 50% oleic acid ( unsaturated ) with only 7% saturated fatty acids. As a general rule, the more unsaturated an oil is, the healthier it is. There is also the taste factor. While it is not particularly healthy with 50% saturated lauric acid, IMO coconut oil is definitely the tastiest. Unsaturated oils are far more likely to turn rancid. I remember from my days as a trainee chemist doing stability testing, one could not kill coconut oil with an axe.

No problem with that. What does baffle me is how the word "black" can be regarded as offensive, when "white" is used all the time.

It’s been a year like no other. The oil price went negative, airlines were grounded, some forever. A single meat market in Wuhan, specializing in exotic meats for conspicuous consumption by wealthy Chinese, generated a virus which spread like wildfire. Countries went into lockdown, some stringently, some half-heartedly. The results are there for everyone to see. Millions became employed overnight. Some countries responded with support, others opted for benign neglect. Vaccines were developed at unprecedented speed. A would-be tyrant was rejected at the polls. Most if not all of us will say goodbye and good riddance to 2020. I’m in Thailand by choice and some good luck. Two weeks later in February, and I would still be locked down in Australia, contemplating slashing my wrists. A much more enjoyable life for me here. Having said that, there are some things I miss about my home country. I miss the wind. In Thailand, it seems the wind can’t get much above a gentle zephyr. I would rug up with about four layers of clothing in winter, go down to Gunnamatta beach with an offshore wind of 50-60 km/hr, and watch 10 metre waves pound the coast. Nature at its most primeval. I miss the wineries that dot the Mornington Peninsula, where one could have a light lunch and a couple of glasses of the local product, which most of the time was very good. Apart from Thai wine quality, I don’t believe Thais know what a cellar door is, or what it’s for. I miss my 2004 Mitsubishi Magna AWD sedan, IMO one of the most underrated vehicles ever produced. Balanced like a cat on dirt roads and wet bitumen. About a third the new car price of a comparable Mercedes. My son has it now, still plugging along with 300,000 km on the odometer. I miss the golf competitions I used to play. Par, foursomes, match play, Canadian foursomes. Here, it’s just stroke and Stableford. Boring. I miss the camaraderie of the Wednesday Boys. 15 – 20 of us, some real characters and nicknames. The Poet, The Farmer, The Whippet, Pistol Pete, Triple Treat. Best net score got a two-dollar coin from every other player, with an appropriate obeisance. Some really acid sledging during play, one of the best at my expense. A day when I was spraying my tee shots all over the course, but making pars because I’m holing putts from everywhere on the greens. Our group gets to the seventeenth tee, par 3, and I’m fretting about club selection, is it a 6 or 7 iron? One of my mates says “ Why don’t you tee off with your putter? It’s the only club you’ve hit straight all day”. I miss a Gippsland eye fillet steak, medium, with a Warby Ranges Shiraz. Followed by a King Island blue brie on water crackers. I miss grilled flake and chips,with a pickled onion on the side. Flake is also known as shark to non-Australians, very sweet fish, and filling. All the best to everyone on TV over Christmas, and may 2021 be better. What do you miss?