In an inspiring tale of a millennial pulling them himself up by his bootstraps, The Backburner spoke to Sydney resident Alex Cisneros who has become a proud home owner in Australia's tough housing market by simply throwing a brick through the window of ahouse. Cisneros says: "It might seem impossible to own a home in the current climate, but you can't believe everything you read ... It wasn't easy, obviously - there's a lot of work involved in finding a house that looks pretty good but also has owners that you could easily overpower " but the results really speak for themselves." (Read the full story here)
How to keep a dishwasher technician in business
"Interesting what your good housekeeping so-called expert says about not rinsing dirty dishes before putting them in the dishwasher," writes Brian Burton, of Pukekohe. "We recently had a repair technician working on another appliance and I mentioned that on TV they show filthy dishes being piled in without so much as a quick scrape. The technician roared with laughter and said those adverts keeps him in business. He reckoned he went to homes, sometimes multiple visits in the same week, to clean blocked drainage systems in dishwashers. 'I tell them rinse first then dishwasher, but they don't listen to me, so I just keep going back to fix and they keep paying for me to do so'. His take was that hot water taps and waste-disposal units were to get plates and pots ready for the dishwasher. The dishwasher is the final sterilisation, not the gunge remover."
"A 300ml jug of milk room service at James Cook hotel in Wellington? $9," tweeted Radio New Zealand host Wallace Chapman. "Richie McCaw milked a cow by hand to fill that jug, be grateful," quipped one follower. Another reckoned: "For 9 bucks I'd expect the porter to take the Gladwrap off, pour it into my tea, stir it and lift the cup to my lips."
Some use phone books for the correct purpose
"Obviously the Westmere reader who asks if anyone uses a phone book is completely unaware of an older generation who are not glued to - and reliant on - a smart phone," writes an Orakei reader. "We of the older generation certainly do use a phone book. While some of us may keep a phone in the bag for emergencies, the phone book is a must on the shelf. I wonder how this younger lot will cope with new inventions when they hit 80. Many of them have grown up taking it for granted that the world functions only for them. So calm down Westmere reader and realise that there are other people living very different lives from your own."
Good read:A touching read by Russell Brown about a funeral of a good man in Freeman's Bay and hope for a multicultural future.
Video: The best news bloopers from around the world in March...
