From The Experts

Articles written for the Seniors Discount Club by experts in all different fields!

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Ask Joy: Who said that laughter is the best medicine?

Note from the Editor: This article was kindly written for the SDC by retired psychologist/ member @Joy Straw. The aphorism ‘laughter is the best medicine’ has been attributed to the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament: ‘A merry heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit, dry the bones.’ This ancient wisdom might also hold true...

Replies: 4

Views: 2K

Last post Today at 8:55 AM by DLHM

Tech Talk with Dr Al: Dashcams – ‘Smile – You’re on Camera!’

Note from the Editor: This article was kindly written for the SDC by member Alan G, ‘The Tech Guy’. What is a dashcam, and why do you need one? A ‘dashcam’, or dashboard camera, is a camera mounted on your windscreen or dashboard, allowing you to keep a record of your journey on our crowded roads. It has the ability to record onto an...

Replies: 10

Views: 10K

Last post Thursday at 2:37 PM by Jest

Printing Web pages...

Ever wanted to print a web page but it is too long and there other are items you do not want to print? Add this to your browser extensions and when you want to print a web page select Print Friendly from the extensions, select the parts that are not wanted and delete them. Can also convert the web page to PDF PRINT-FRIENDLY AND its FREE Can...

Replies: 0

Views: 86

Last post Wednesday at 6:27 PM by RichParkin

Ask Joy: When Feelings are Overwhelming You

Note from the Editor: This article was kindly written for the SDC by retired psychologist/ member @Joy Straw. Further resources are available here. We can, at times, experience feelings that overwhelm us. When we get a dreaded diagnosis of a serious illness, when a sudden tragic death of a loved one occurs or when we see news stories that are...

Replies: 2

Views: 2K

Last post Sunday at 7:32 AM by Suzanne rose

Ask Joy: Negotiating Your Rights And Wishes

Note from the Editor: This article was kindly written for the SDC by retired psychologist/ member @Joy Straw. As we get older, there are many decisions that require us to voice our rights and our wishes. It is very often necessary to let people know what you want in order to save the pain of making decisions later when emotions become...

Replies: 2

Views: 2K

Last post Apr 15, 2024 by Joy Straw

Tech Talk with Dr Al: Robot Vacuum Cleaners – The Ideal Maid!

Note from the Editor: This article was kindly written for the SDC by member Alan G, ‘The Tech Guy’. Robot vacuum cleaners have a roller-brush and navigate around a room using an internal lithium rechargeable battery. When the battery becomes almost depleted, they ‘find’ their charging station and manoeuvre themselves into it. Reaching under...

Replies: 0

Views: 219

Last post Apr 11, 2024 by April Bradford

Ask Joy: Depression Versus Sadness

Note from the Editor: This article was kindly written for the SDC by retired psychologist/ member @Joy Straw. Depression is experienced in many different ways, but there are some similarities that can help to recognise if someone is struggling. Depression is more than sadness and has a negative effect on the way someone lives. The following...

Replies: 4

Views: 3K

Last post Apr 10, 2024 by Glaudelin

Tech Talk with Dr Al: Personal Vehicle Trackers – Not a Luxury, a Need!

Note from the Editor: This article was kindly written for the SDC by member Alan G, ‘The Tech Guy’. My first car was a 1933 Austin 7 that I called ‘Tinkerbell’ – certainly not worth stealing for a joy ride! However, when I was a student living in ‘digs’ in Battersea, it did get ‘moved’ at one point, and I still can’t understand why. My point...

Replies: 3

Views: 2K

Last post Apr 10, 2024 by Oitisme

Tech Talk with Dr Al: Home Maintenance for Seniors

Note from the Editor: This article was kindly written for the SDC by member Alan G, ‘The Tech Guy’. Most of us are aware of the importance of ‘preventative maintenance’ (PM), but it’s not only applicable to machines; it applies to our homes as well. My wife and I live in Queensland and have two air conditioners. One is a ‘ducted’ system...

Replies: 0

Views: 42

Last post Apr 10, 2024 by April Bradford

Ask Joy: More than Friends

Note from the Editor: This article was kindly written for the SDC by retired psychologist/ member @Joy Straw. ‘Make new friends, but keep the old, One is silver, the other is gold.’ These days, we’ve never been so inundated with deeply personal, visual and intimate exchanges between people. So, amongst all this openness, how do we find people...

Replies: 13

Views: 2K

Last post Apr 8, 2024 by IAN3005

Earning Extra Income With Election Day Work: The Tech Guy – Dr Al

Note from the Editor: This article was kindly written for the SDC by member Alan G, ‘The Tech Guy’. As we progress our little lives into blissful retirement, some of us get the idea that it would be quite nice to do something useful and possibly earn money for those few nights away somewhere. One possibility is to be involved in polling...

Replies: 6

Views: 3K

Last post Apr 7, 2024 by Rujam

Ask Joy: Making Changes — What’s Stopping Me?

Note from the Editor: This article was kindly written for the SDC by retired psychologist/ member @Joy Straw. This is going to be a short article because I believe you have all the answers already; we just need to unearth them. I was asked recently by several different people why it is so difficult for them to make changes in their lives. We...

Replies: 10

Views: 1K

Last post Apr 7, 2024 by MariaG

Ask Joy: Conflict Resolution – From the workplace to interpersonal conflicts

Note from the Editor: This article was kindly written for the SDC by retired psychologist/ member @Joy Straw. Conflict comes in all shapes and sizes. It can affect us at work, at home and in our personal relationships. How we go about resolving conflict is determined by the people involved, why there is a conflict and how it can be resolved...

Replies: 8

Views: 1K

Last post Apr 7, 2024 by MariaG

Tech Talk with Dr Al: Before my Number’s Up…

Note from the Editor: This article was kindly written for the SDC by member Alan G. When I was at school, we were taught things like ‘The Romans invaded Britain in 55 BC’ and so on. Nobody ever explained how Julius Caesar knew that. What year was it for him? Neither was it ever explained why we had 12 months in the year, apart from the fact...

Replies: 3

Views: 2K

Last post Apr 7, 2024 by MariaG

Tech Talk with Dr Al: Bidet Attachments – A Convenient Advantage

Note from the Editor: This article was written by member Alan G. Bidets (pronounced Bee-day) have been around in Europe for a very long time. They are in the very best hotels in France, and it’s only fairly recently that the word has ‘got out’ that they may be very useful. I think the problem has been that we’ve mistakenly thought that they...

Replies: 14

Views: 3K

Last post Apr 7, 2024 by Gunpark

Ask Joy: Domestic Violence — How To Help

Note from the Editor: This article was kindly written for the SDC by retired psychologist/ member @Joy Straw. Domestic Violence is an enormous issue in Australia today, and we should all be working to help resolve it. ‘In the year 2021/22, 4620 women aged 15 years and over (average 13 women per day) were hospitalised due to family or domestic...

Replies: 10

Views: 2K

Last post Apr 2, 2024 by Jarred Santos

Tech Talk with Dr Al: Mobility Scooters – No Hoons Here!

Note from the Editor: This article was kindly written for the SDC by member Alan G, ‘The Tech Guy’. As we get older, it appears to be inevitable that our mobility becomes progressively more reduced. I’ve had ‘repaired’ meniscus cartilages in both knees – they simply cut off the split-away bit when they don’t consider you’re young enough for...

Replies: 0

Views: 249

Last post Mar 28, 2024 by April Bradford

Tech Talk with Dr Al: Artificial Intelligence – Do We Need It?

Note from the Editor: This article was kindly written for the SDC by member Alan G, ‘The Tech Guy’. What is AI? Having read many science-fiction stories when I was in my teens, I thought I was quite familiar with Artificial Intelligence. I understood it to mean the ability of a man-made machine to appear to have the intelligence of a human...

Replies: 0

Views: 109

Last post Mar 28, 2024 by April Bradford

Ask Joy: Caring For Yourself – The Importance of Self-Care

Note from the Editor: This article was kindly written for the SDC by retired psychologist/ member @Joy Straw. ‘Happiness is not something readymade. It comes from your own actions.’ — Dalai Lama Why is self-care so important? Self-care is more than just important; it is the foundation of the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of...

Replies: 1

Views: 1K

Last post Mar 22, 2024 by Veggiepatch

Tech Talk with Dr Al: Password Managers – Do We Need Them?

Note from the Editor: This article was written by member Alan G. Over the years, I have built up quite a large collection of passwords and have kept them in a special file on a removable SD card or thumb drive, using the same philosophy that most of us old fogies use: ‘You can’t really trust anybody!’ I suppose keeping passwords on a scrap of...

Replies: 9

Views: 2K

Last post Mar 21, 2024 by Jen77au

Tech Talk with Dr Al: Mobiles Phones for Seniors

Note from the Editor: This article was written by member Alan G. In this age of ever-confusing and often surprisingly frustrating technology, we often yearn for the days when we used to almost lie in wait for the postman to bring that all-important letter, card or parcel. We’d take delight in reading about the everyday doings of friends and...

Replies: 0

Views: 87

Last post Mar 20, 2024 by April Bradford

Why is gluten-free bread so expensive? A food supply chain expert explains

CGN089/Shutterstock Before the cost of living hit Australian families hard, a group of consumers were already paying top dollar for their staples. Whether it be gluten free, dairy free or lactose free, people with special dietary requirements are used to spending more at the supermarket checkout. A 2016 study from the University of...

Replies: 0

Views: 1K

Last post Mar 15, 2024 by The Conversation

Ask Joy: NIGHTMARES — When it’s more than just a nightmare.

Note from the Editor: This article was kindly written for the SDC by retired psychologist/ member @Joy Straw. Recently, I was asked for advice about nightmares. A person described violent, disturbing and repetitive dreams/nightmares. Resulting in constant terror on waking in a drenched bed. This left the person with a sense of dread after the...

Replies: 14

Views: 2K

Last post Mar 4, 2024 by Jest

Tech Talk with Dr Al: Video Security Doorbells – Is it really Avon calling?

Note from the Editor: This article was kindly written for the SDC by member Alan G. We all hope to be safe in our individual castles, especially as we get older and may be the only occupant. When the doorbell rings, we need to be sure that the caller is not some ‘n’er-do-well’ engaged in nefarious activity. The purchase of a doorbell that...

Replies: 3

Views: 4K

Last post Feb 29, 2024 by alan_mac

Tech Talk with Dr Al: Smart Watches – Narrow the Choices

Note from the Editor: This article was kindly written for the SDC by member Alan G, ‘The Tech Guy’. Considering investing in a smartwatch? This article can help narrow down the choices! Why do you need a Smart Watch? Apart from telling the time very accurately and that the time shown on the watch changes automatically when travelling...

Replies: 3

Views: 2K

Last post Feb 21, 2024 by Rob44

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