Life Matters - Separate stories podcast

In our regular segment My Two Cents, we ask those questions you'd rather not answer about money.In this episode, hear how veteran rock and roller Mick Thomas of Weddings, Parties, Anything and The Roving Commission, makes his money decisions.

As Australia marches towards banning under 16s from social media, it's worth remembering that this idea didn't start in Parliament.It started as an online petition. Supported by regular people, calling for change.The digital world has supercharged petitions. For a long time signing an online petition was seen as the slackest form of activism, but with so many examples of real world results, is that still the case?

Last week, New South Wales' first public long COVID clinic announced it will close its doors at the end of the month.The clinic - at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney - has treated more than 1000 patients since it opened three and a half years ago.In a statement, St Vincent's Hospital said patients who had been visiting the clinic would continue to receive the same comprehensive care but "within well-established clinical frameworks and with specialist input available as required".The statement also said: "Patients currently under the care of the Long COVID Service will be contacted directly by our team in the coming days to discuss their transition and ongoing symptom management."But the clinic's closure is leaving many long COVID patients frustrated and angry... and unsure exactly how they will manage their condition, which is complex and can be debilitating.And as we approach the sixth anniversary of COVID first surfacing ... patients, clinicians and researchers are still grappling with some basic questions.Why are some people struck down with long COVID and not others? How can we better diagnose it? What treatments will help the most? And how can we ensure all Australians have access to this help?

If you're on any kind of social media, you may have seen this mythical dessert popping up everywhere. Dubai chocolate.  It's milk chocolate, filled with pistachio cream. But what's really remarkable is how much it costs - about $25 for a standard-sized block.There's the same excitement around Labubus, Ooshies, and even - if you were around in the 90s - the Beanie Baby craze.So, is something going viral enough to make it worth something? And what makes some trends reach fever pitch... and others fizzle?

Sad, sick, and lonely. The ABS "Measuring What Matters" report is out - and it's showing a pretty dire snapshot of the nation's wellbeing.It shows that you and I are living in a society that's more socially fragmented, less happy, and less healthy than it has been in years.So, what is needed to live a happier, and healthier life?

The way we think about risk for kids has changed drastically over a generation or two, moving towards a world with all the sharp edges and trip hazards removed. While the chance of harm is minimised, no one is ever challenged in environments with zero risk.Research shows that the benefit does outweigh the risk when it comes to risky play, and a new study includes a tool to calculate exactly where that inflection point is. 

ABC Radio National has launched its Top 100 Books of the 21st Century. Over the next few weeks, you can vote for the books that you believe belong on the list.We're asking some notable readers to tell us about the book that changed their life. This week, we spoke to former Play School host Simon Burke. Guest:Simon Burke, actor

From Tripadvisor, to True Local, and Google Reviews. Australians can offer opinions on restaurants, cafes, hair salons, mechanics, call centres... even your local school.Consumer decisions are now heavily driven by online reviews. And on the flip side, a business can live or die on the power of reviews.One study found 98% of Australians read online reviews before making a purchase.So, how much weight do you give online reviews when you're making a purchase, deciding where to eat, or planing a holiday?

Volunteering at school events is about building community spirit … but it's also about being fast, efficient, and able to work as part of a well-oiled machine at sausage sizzles and cake stalls.Letter-writer Mark is a longtime member of the parent committee at his kids' primary school. And he has a dilemma for the aunties.

What could happen if, rather than saying no to all the things that scare us, we tried saying yes? And we did that over and over again for a whole year?Virologist Kirsty Short gave it a go and found it helped her get in touch with what she really wanted in life. But, why is it that saying yes and no can be so hard? And are there ways to strengthen the muscles that allow us to say and do what we actually want?