How does ITV make a decision about who is an actual "celebrity". Goldsmith isn't famous or a celebrity. He is related to Princess Catherine(her name is NOT Middleton nor is it Kate,Kate Middleton, it's Catherine). ITV has a slogan for being the "Be Kind" channel. Yet they are paying a man convicted of Domestic Violence, who clearly has difficulties with integrity, as Big Brother simply wants controversy

I attended a school that began as single-sex + it transitioned whilst I was there. Initially, they tried co-ed with yrs.11+12. Then after 3 yrs they decided to go all co-ed. Prior to that, the boys in yr.7-10 were in Building A, girls in yr.7-10 Building C with Seniors in Building B. By my yr.10, it was all co-ed. Students changed. Many girls became giggly, focused on boys. Teachers paid more attention to boys in Science Math Geography Sport. Boys were unruly, disruptive. I vote single-sexed schools

@sallyellenjohnston   I agree with you. Girls certainly flourish better in a Single-Sexed School. They are encouraged more challenging themselves in areas such as Science, Math, Physics. In a Co-Ed School, it's the reverse. Even with Physical Education- Sport, there is a stronger emphasis on boys playing Sport, not only as Team players but also at Lunch time. In a Co-Ed School, girls tend to sit + chat, giggle over boys + compete for a certain boys attention, whereas in an All-Girls School, at Lunch time, you'll find girls are active, playing cricket, basketball, volleyball, football etc. When boys are around, embarrassment sets in. 

@rush Have you actually watched how they do live or basing your reply on this article. I've followed them for a while. They work exceptionally hard, every member of the family. The kids pitch in + milk cows, goats, till the soil, peel vegetables + completely love + adore one another. Hannah+Daniel both work long hard hours, homeschool their children. Their mindset is not one of privilege nor are they pretending to be poor farmers. Their success is not due to his dad. It's their desire to learn, thrive, to do it their way, themselves. They didn't set out thinking Daddy will back us if we fail. They're adults responsible for their lives. The critics are jealous + ignorant of their process + integrity. 

@laura__palmer  I understand what you're implying by saying that being a Stay at Home Mother, isn't a "career" as such, but many things are accepted as being a totally acceptable choice that are not careers. Many choose to "work" as a Retail Assistant - a checkout chick, as it was once acceptable to call a female working the register at a supermarket. Kids at school for Careers Day might not have a career in mind, but they might have a job in mind. Jobs + careers aren't the same yet one isn't put down for having a job over a career. Likewise, if a girl aspires to be a mom, surely she should be encouraged. It's a full-time job 24/7 + it encompasses multiple careers without the Uni degrees - nutritionist, therapist, conflict resolver, nurse, stylist etc. Even in 2023 we should be able to say to a person "good on you for choosing motherhood instead of choosing to be a hairdresser or dentist". No-one should be dismissed for their dreams + choices, which is what my gr.2 teacher did. Ironically, I became a Teacher + never had kids-medical issues prevented my dreams from happening. Maybe that's why I feel if a girl says that dream of being a mom I'm supportive of that dream 

@justpassing  exactly right. It's better to go with one's instincts than to regret it. If she sends her daughter + the man is actually grooming her by being the fun playful friends dad, the moment that the boundary line is crossed, is the moment her daughters innocence + life is changed irrevocably. A simple tickle that was fun that turns into a child not knowing why/how but the tickle starts to hurt, to cause panic, fear, where the laughter becomes words of no more, stop... Kids need to know to listen to their instinct. If the mom doesn't listen to her own, how will she teach her daughter to. Before playdates + sleepovers, kids must know Body safety rules, must know they can phone home 24/7 + that the friends parents can't tell them-its too late for mom to pick you up, she's asleep, try to go to sleep yourself. They need to know they can pick up a phone without explaining themselves to the host family. 

@tohappy2 How can @film_addict101 's advice be bad news. You're a single dad of 2 girls. The designated weird dad. If your eldest girl came home, told you her friend Susie wants her to sleepover but she is unsure because she has an "icky feeling" in her tummy whenever Susie's dad is around. You ask her to try to explain what the ickiness is about. She doesn't know, she says there's just something weird, strange, I don't know what it is. Do you tell her to go to Susies sleepover, that the dad is fine, he's probably just weird like you lol, or do you listen to her instincts + protect her. A simple Stay Home is better than a lifetime of Therapy after Abuse has happened. Weird can be safe, it can also be abusive. Instinct helps define the two

The reason we have an Inner Voice is because we are meant to listen to it, it's nickname is Intuition, Gut Instinct, "Icky Feeling". As a parent it is her sole responsibility to teach Alice about Body Safety. If I was this mom, I would simply not let Alice sleep over at Anna's house, nor would I encourage playdates at that house. I feel this man is possibly Grooming Alice by "playing with gusto" which indicates kids get excited + the lines of boundaries get blurred. Abuse only takes 5 minutes

I haven't had a chance to watch much of this season's The Block, for a variety of reasons not related to the show itself. What I have seen either via TV advertising previews or snippets of the show as it's airing, some of the rooms are impressive. The disappointing aspect is the dramatic histrionics that are either scripted in or are a part of certain contestants personalities. Given this coming week, it appears there's a bit of conflict happening as it shows the sisters ready to battle verbally with another female + it seems that there's two teams who have formed a friendship which surely is a good thing, but instead this is cause for upset with another team - which seems very juvenile to me. A week of playground fights that one sees happen with young school children, has again been amplified in adults on reality TV. 

I must say that I have never been confident in the kitchen, well, except for washing + drying dishes. I slay at that, given I’ve never had a dishwasher + I’m a Senior Citizen now. LoL. Since discovering Recipe Tin Eats (RTE) I have developed quite a repertoire of dishes that I enjoy preparing, eating + sharing with others. Whether it’s a brunch, dinner, dessert or a baked treat, it always satisfies the taste buds + the hips. Nagi provides helpful tips + detailed step by step photos with descriptions + often has videos too, which, for me, I find even more beneficial. She always add a little adventure story about the shenanigans that her gorgeous dog Dozer has been up to, with a photo of him either drooling by the oven, or gazing longingly at the dish that Nagi is preparing, or of him lunging enthusiastically into the surf of the Sydney beaches. I’m looking forward to buying her book that she has finally published. Whether you are a novice in the kitchen or relatively confident or just seeking some inspiration, I highly recommend her website, Facebook page, Instagram page or signing up for her weekly recipe emails. Yum Yum Yum 

Whilst it is true that most people know that The Crown + other such series that revolve around families whose true personal lives are an enigma to the public, are indeed made up from snippets of truth, yet the public viewers still tend to get lost in such drama series that the line between truth, reality, fact over fantasy, presumption, dramatic exaggeration + absolute fiction is so remote that it’s almost impossible to see where that line between fact+fiction sits. As said in FRIENDS by Joey to Chandler “Over the line? You’re so far past the line that you can’t see the line! The line is a dot to you”. In The Crown, The image+perceptions of the Royal family, historically + in modern day living is based on opinions, assumptions, inferences, biased suggestions, that we all end up taking snippets of information from articles, interviews, books, body language experts, historians, etc + meld them together, like a smorgasbord feast, taking a helping from different sources that we are left with a dish of ingredients that no longer represent their original form. Fact + Fiction no longer is separated, instead it’s piled together on that one plate called The Crown, it gets digested together that in the end we don’t know how to identify Fact from fiction. Chicken from Duck, Beef from Lamb, Characters from real People.

@cat   The podcast so far seems to focus more in the alleged hardships Meghan has endured her whole life. The guests, Serena W + Mariah C are just decorations of "celebrity badges" to get pinned + hashtagged when attention is required. To claim a fire broke out in Sth Africa, in a Housing Unit's nursery, one that was put out by a fire extinguisher in a room without smoke detectors seems strange. Given the facts- Hot summer day, British Commissioners Home, thatched roof mansion, 22 bedrooms, a home that had a fire in 2009 + most certainly was fire checked tightly after that. Plus the alleged heater did not spark flames, it spluttered smoke that ended up being dust from not having been used for ages. Reporters were at the HousingUnit as they were hoping to get photos of Archie yet they never heard any commotion re fire danger. It is sad that in order to be relevant MM seems to need to tarnish the institution + family that gave her global fame. She herself stated she wanted to be famous ever since she was little + the Royals gave her the key to the Palace + Royal Kingdom. Yet it wasn't good enough for her. She wants to be the one sitting with Harry on the THRONES in a coronation to becoming King + Queen of the World. Her home office she told us has two large chairs sitting next to each other that really are more like Thrones - her words.. that is a Freudian slip for sure. Ambitious yes. Respectful no. Racism no. Delusional yes. Determined to crush the Royals in order to make sure William + Catherine never sit on the thrones at Buckingham Palace yes. Jealous yes. Nauseatingly boring yes yes yes again

@cat  It seems you're determined to tarnish the Royals with the blackened racism brush without considering the source + the history of the millions of people who have met the Queen + her extended family. People from every culture have met with the Royal Family + despite the vast differences in cultural norms, religions, politics, gender, nationality, colour, race etc the Royals are highly respected for how respectful they are to everyone. The Queen, Charles, William etc have met with + formed honest relationships with Nelson Mandela, a man who truly knows what racism looks, sounds, feels like + he chooses to be a part of their lives. Why. Because they are not racist. You stated a white woman within the Royal fold has never experienced such public or private vitriol, well what about Sarah Ferguson. A British white woman who has been given the cruel hateful titles in the press for years- Duchess of Pork/ Toe sucking Duchess/ everything she said, wore, ate has been criticized. Meghan was the only person invited by the Queen to Xmas at Balmoral Castle prior to being a member of the family. The Queen never had her own children's partners at Xmas until they married each one yet Meghan was welcomed in. Charles walked her down the aisle to welcome her as his daughter-in-law. Meghan alters the reality, the narrative, the recollections, the language to suit her ambitious agenda. To claim a woman can't be ambitious in the Royal family is ludicrous. The Queen has been a working mother for over 60 yrs, putting service to others first. The very act of ambition one could say. P.Anne was held at gunpoint then once the attempted kidnapping was over she went on with her work, no fanfare or tears. England was happy Harry was marrying someone + were saddened to know he was leaving Royal duties behind him. Yet everyone wished them well. Any negativity has arisen due to the attitudes from H+M since then. Blatant disregard for Queen, Phillip, Charles, William has hurt everyone. Misinformation, untruths told to Oprah, The Cut on Podcast etc are the reason for disliking MM, it is not due to her being bi-racial, 1/4 African, 3/4American. Race has never been an issue. 

Such a shame the world of social media collided with the reality of the lives of Addison's family. Hopefully things are worked through and the healthiest outcome for all involved is reached. 

I haven’t watched any of The Block at this stage, so my thoughts are based solely on the photos provided here. The only one that I like is Tom and Sarah’s room. They have honoured the heritage, respected that it’s a country setting home + using the shade of green that they chose, is a relaxing one for a bedroom, whilst also bringing in the aesthetics of nature. I don’t like the boys room as it seems very bland, lacking depth and colour. The Bondi pairs room doesn’t translate a peaceful bedroom retreat in the countryside. I don’t understand having 5 or 6 vases clustered on top of the ledge above the bed. The other house with the green walls + beams, I’m on the fence with. The concept is fine but the beams seem very chunky given it’s a flat ceiling. If was a cathedral ceiling then perhaps the beams would make more sense. Dylan + Jenny’s isn’t too bad. Perhaps an armoire would suit it better than what looks like an IKEA flat pack wardrobe. I’m surprised at the lack of bedside storage for most of them + the size of each wardrobe. I always thought the judges used to reinforce that bedside units are meant to be at the same height as the mattress. These all seem quite low. I imagine grabbing a glass of water in the dead of night from my bedside drawers + I’d end up plonking it down clumsily due to them being too low. Mind you, I’d never be able to do one room in the time frame they have, regardless of how many trades are supporting them. Normally the first room challenge is based on a limit of $5K.  I wonder if they will be issued a set budget for each room from now on, as a way of supporting each team to financially stay on track + eliminating the ubiquitous “we won’t finish, we don’t have any money” cry that is wailed out every season by about week 4.

Much love + sympathy to the family whose little one died from suffocation due to a headband slipping down + covering her nose as she slept. Truly devastating. It is a trend we see often on Instagram etc, to have little ones sleeping with a headband, a hairbow + even the full on head turbans. Every time I see such a photo my brains tells me "danger danger". Likewise when babies are put to sleep wearing all their clothes. They can overheat + die or suffer from a stroke. It's not hard to strip them off to their singles vest + diaper or pop a little onesie on them instead. Many American nurseries are set up with the padded cot bumper surround. Another potential hazard. If a baby from birth to 3 yrs old squirms its way to the side of the cot they can easily suffocate against the padded side . Frustrating & devastating for all 

It is nothing short of a miracle that little Cleo Smith has been found, alive, seemingly without physical injuries, but goodness knows the depth of her trauma. The childhood PTSD that will impact her, which will change over the years when she becomes an adult, as small triggers can set off a memory that she will have buried or thought she had dealt with, only to discover that as an adult, adult PTSD is different to in her childhood. Her disappearance triggered off my abusive upbringing, which didn’t involve abduction, as it was parental abuse of all kinds. It also made me think about kids who went missing when I was a child. The Beaumont Children - 3 siblings on their way to the beach. Eloise Wooldridge, who was taken from her bedroom, through the window, age 8, she would be 60 now if she was alive. There are many teenagers who seemingly leave home due to conflict or abuse, & sadly, there whereabouts is rarely known again, with their friends and siblings ne’er knowing if they are alive or fell into the trap of an evil person. Hopefully, we will receive news one day that William Tyrell is found and is alive, 7+ years later. Indigenous children who are abducted or go missing, sadly rarely get the same media coverage, making it harder to find them and bring them home safely. Thank God Cleo is one of the blessed ones. 

I have been watching the show with great interest. I am not viewing it as a form of entertainment, I think it’s more of an informal documentary, where it allows parents and their children, the chance to reflect on how they behave and respond to situations. I think it’s a chance to open up dialogue, to determine if what parents are doing is really beneficial to helping their children grow in a healthy environment. It’s human nature to judge others, unfortunately, but watching these parents, listening to them, then seeing how their kids respond and then witnessing the parents reaction as they watch it in the studio, allows for a shift in thinking for both the parents, the rest of the group as well as the audience. Whilst it seems strange to assign one method as the best, I hope it encourages families to think, talk, discuss, make changes. Families that do smack their children do need to stop. The saying “a smack on the bottom is harmless” is anatomically incorrect as if it happens repeatedly over time it can actually cause injury to the child’s sphincter muscle, leading to problems with the bowel. I’m looking forward to this week, to see how the HomeSchooling family function in comparison to the nature lovers who don’t have a curriculum for their homeschoolers. It’s interesting listening to the child psychologist expert explain what/why/how things can impact a child’s growth. 

My niece is white Australian, married a lad from Sudan. He describes himself as shiny blue black skin colour, which is very accurate. They have 4 children. His family have broached the colour of skin topic with every pregnancy, as they were curious as to the possibility of a variety of skin tones. Some hoped baby 1,2,3,4 would hr white , whilst others wanted tan, or olive or shiny blue black. As it is, all 4 kids are different in every way. Talking about a baby's possible skin colour before birth is not racist, it's the same as talking about whether baby will have mom or dads eye colour, freckles, curly hair,left or right handed, flat ears or batwing ears .. simple curiosity, just as likely the same as a Royal family allegedly asking about baby's skin tone. Not racism. Simply Meghan + Harry masterminding more trash. Trying to Garner pity