Twinky

Good one, Cara. I would be brilliant at that, actually. Just checked out the Society for Editors and Proofreaders (SfEP) website, which is informative. One more for my basket of services offered! Thanks.

Thanks, Linda, and OperaBuff. Good ideas. I can also think of cleaning ovens (on domestic kitchen stoves) which some people make a living at. Because nobody really likes cleaning the oven. I'm somewhat uncertain as to how to bid for a job, whether one-off or ongoing work (like cleaning or gardening or painting). Do you have any suggestions as to how to price? OperaBuff: yes, tending the borders is looking after the flower borders. One particular client (J & W) has a lovely big garden that has been loved by the couple there for 35 years. J is 88 and W is 94 now; she can still just about kneel to do the borders but he uses a walking frame. They have nice borders with roses, lilies, pretty flowers, round 3 of their lawns. They have a gardener who does "heavy stuff" like dig the vege garden ... but when he failed to do it, I dug over and prepared the seed bed over two visits. He is seen as clumsy ("got big feet") and hamfisted, and not to be trusted with more delicate stuff like the borders (which he has crushed in the past). I got my second client G from this one's referral. G has had two flower borders laid to lawn (by this same big footed gardener!) and the grass was sown before the soil settled and the level is horribly uneven. I am digging those out, removing deep-rooted pernicious weeds and levelling. I am also providing some extra soil to top the borders up to the correct level. J offered me the same rate as her gardener; and G said she would pay whatever J was paying. Both will give me referrals. G has made her living by doing what comes to hand for a long time but she is a pensioner now. She gave me some very good advice this evening.

Soul searcher, I did get a job, lasted two months. They hated me and I hated the job. Still, it was nice to have it over Christmas, made things a bit more relaxed and I felt able to put the heating on in the house. Currently I have had two back to back temp jobs, each for one month; the second finishes at the end of next week I think. It's been so nice having an income and it's my money and I'm not accountable to anyone for it. I have done a bit of chatting with the woman whose borders I tend; she has lived for years on bitty jobs as s/empd Whatever. She's older now (which is why I'm doing the borders) but she really enjoyed her working time. For me I have to raise enough to pay the mortgage each month; feed myself; pay the usual utilities; etc. So pin money it is not. I visited the local cemetery today, as a colleague had suggested grave tending. That's something else to check out. There were stonemasons there erecting a memorial and they don't tend "garden graves" but could be persuaded to give out business cards if I got some printed. Geisha, that's something that never occurred to me and well worth checking out. mstar1, that's just the encouragement I need. I am feeling more positive about this with every passing hour. Broken Arrow, glad this helps you too. All the best in your endeavors. I am sure you and I are not the only ones considering this.

There are many references to agreeing with the other side quickly, which prevents wasted time and effort and can put an end to a dispute before it gets out of control. Perhaps the scripture in 1 Cor 6 is an exhortation to deal with things that can be dealt with quickly - dealt with quickly! Don't litigate at the smallest thing. I have practiced in law and now work as a volunteer doing advice work. And I've often said to clients: they might have a case, but how much is the "head space" worth? Not to mention the time and money. How much is it really worth, the emotional involvement in having a fight with the next door neighbour or the ex-wife about some relatively insignificant matter (one ex-wife thing was when husband spitefully wanted custody of ... the sunbed!) I don't think 1 Cor 6 is a blanket prohibition on never taking legal action where there has been a serious wrong - an abuse, wilfully, by the other party. The "guilty party" (if you like) has abandoned Christian principles and (by TWI definition) has walked out of the hedge of protection (I don't believe that, particularly, just trying to think like TWI might). Abuse is allowed to flourish where it's not checked. Think of the abuses in the RC church, where nobody ever challenged paedophile priests - and the church itself just moved the abusers to new locations, where they were free to abuse. And abusees found themselves effectively gagged. I think we at the Cafe - and all TWIers - owe a debt to P@ul @llen, that he and his wife did take legal action against LCM, TWI in respect of the abuse suffered by his wife.

It can be good for some people to get to work. Take their mind off their problems. But for most people who aren't well, "proper" healing is needed. Most people know when they really are ill and need help. Ignoring the obvious (though a TWI strong point) and burying one's head in the sand simply gets sand in the ears. Ah! That's why people at TWI can't really hear what's going on...ears full of sand And also, working in a reasonable environment certainly does help keep one healthy. Healthy mind. TWI isn't any good at all when it comes to dealing with illness caused by worry and stress - which isn't surprising, since they are prime stressors and motivate through fear as much as anything.

Well now Camping is reported to have "made a mistake" and the date is 21 October. Actually he always said that something is happening in October - after the event of 12 May had taken place. False prophets...be not afraid of them. Be not afraid of laughing stocks, either.

Ham, it's an idea, but could be expensive. My local council has in its Recycle Centre an area where old TVs and computers and such like can be placed (separate from other stuff) and I believe that gets recycled, what can be. Socks, thanks for that - the "hobby" bit is in part why I would like to do gardens (I always build a garden, even if I live in a tiny flat). I like the way you word your final para ("...how difficult it can be for businesses to find maturity + skills + experience. A willingness to learn and the level of maturity to maintain a professional attitude are valuable assets."). My self-confidence took a huge dent during TWI days and prior to that I'd had to work for a man who was demanding, bullying and generally mocking of all his staff. Had to stay there two years and then stayed (in a different office) for another year. I'm somewhat lacking in that department (not that most can tell) and very "eager to please" which might come across as desperate. And three years out of work doesn't help. Self-employment could be just what I need. The more I think about it, the more attractive the idea becomes. There are many people out there with far less ability than I have, and they're not doing too badly. Thanks for suggestions. Keep 'em coming.

Thanks for reminding me - I did do that for a period in my WOW year, for a while. Washing shop windows was well priced. I also wondered about setting up ironing shirts - I know people who simply don't have the time. One of a string of like activities.

Manwich???

Fellow Cafe denizens, as some of you know, I’ve been without a proper job now for some time – in fact, over three years – despite having applied for hundreds of jobs and been interviewed for some of them. So maybe it’s time for me to do something for myself. Maybe I should be a self-employed Wotsit doing Whatever for Whomsoever. The thought is scary and exciting. I'm not sure if Americans are more enterprising or better at looking for "gaps in the market" or whether that's a perception...that might be accurate or not. Or maybe it's just that there are so many more people in the US! And it's a different market over here, with different regulations. But an idea is still an idea. I know some of you have started your own businesses. I work hard, do a great job, get on okay with most people - and as ex-WoW, ex Corps, whatever, can turn my hand to most things. Except using my prof quals is pretty much out of it because I don't have current skills or enough years of experience to set up on my own. I have a few ideas – like gardening or housecleaning or painting or being a virtual Personal Assistant or proof-reading – but I’d appreciate any suggestions as to the Whatever that you think I might be good at. (I note that one Spotter reported some enterprising people started up post-Rapture petcare - but that person probably doesn't have a lot going on right now...LOL) Only proviso: services provided have to be legal and decent! The start-up costs can’t be excessive – like purchasing very expensive equipment – and I will look for night-school classes in some of these to learn better or complementary techniques or skills, once decided. So in summary: 1. What do you think I could turn my hand to? 2. Who might be the target “employer” for any of these services? 3. What attributes would help me be successful? 4. What attributes would count against me? 5. What pitfalls might be encountered - if you tried something in a similar line? Would appreciate your help.

That's really on the ball, DogLover. Enterprising. Hope he didn't promise refunds if the event didn't happen. A fool and his money are soon parted....

It's now just after 1AM local time (00:08 GMT) on 22 January. I'm still here... No earthquakes in the UK. Hey, how's you guys over in the US of A? You still have a few hours to go... Anybody reading this, or have you all gone Camping?

This item even hit the staid Radio 4 news magazine that I listen to in the morning...the presenters do actually have a rather good sense of humour. As for me, I'm going to a farewell party tonight. My friend and her husband are emigrating to Cyprus. Nearly everyone there will be Christian, from the charity that I support and raise sponsorship for. My friend's husband is not, however, a believer. He, and the friend accompanying me, may be in for a surprise when most of the people there emigrate to some other place, without them. ...Or maybe we'll just enjoy a jolly good party and we will leave in the normal manner...on foot, taxi, car, etc.

:biglaugh: :biglaugh: Well done, Paw! Hilarious!! Did you invite them to draw up a chair and enjoy a Java? (edited to avoid inadvertent disclosure of ID of Cafe proprietor)

If these are ex-Wayfers, where'd they get that much money to invest anyway? D@ve & P@tty D3t3rs seem to have invested at least $45,000, not a huge fortune but not peanuts either. Or maybe that kind of money is easily come by in the US. And secondly...I do hope that the work that is described in the affidavit was better carried out than the typing in the affidavit, which contains quite a number of commonplace spelling errors. (eg weather for "whether", "principals" instead of "principles" and several other like errors). Such things make me wonder what other obvious matters have been missed.

I got to level 50 or 51 and about 3000 grains and decided to send the link on to friends who love word games. Mjy computer is working very slow and it is tedious to keep going. Useful studying Shakespeare for all the old words.

Well unfortunately GSC was down last night for a while. And we here are far from dead.

Oh bummer, it's back up and running. Are the dead alive now?

Was just looking at Paw's "Recent Photos" thread and decided to have a look at the TWI website, such as it is. See if there were actually any photos of anyone. Heh heh, it's not accessible. Reverts to the Google homepage. Or click on a link and the following message is displayed: Probably just taken it down temporarily for some updating (goodness knows it needs it; the last extracts from Classes and Events are about 2008) - or could it be that they really have disappeared off the face of the planet?

ALERTS TO TERROR THREATS IN 2011 EUROPE BY JOHN CLEESE The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats and have therefore raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies nearly ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to "A Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was in 1588, when threatened by the Spanish Armada. The Scots have raised their threat level from "Pi$ed Off" to "Let's get the Bastards." They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 300 years. The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide." The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability. Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout Loudly and Excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides." The Germans have increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose." Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual; the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels. The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy. Australia, meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries" to "She'll be all right, Mate." Two more escalation levels remain: "Crikey! I think we'll need to cancel the Barbie this weekend!" and "The Barbie is cancelled." So far no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level. -- John Cleese - British writer, actor and tall person

Didn't someone post this before? Or maybe someone sent me a link to the video. Pretty good, huh? Dog clearly enjoys it. Knows all the moves. Positions both front and back legs appropriately. Dances a heck of a lot better than some people I know!!!!

I was just looking for something in Yahoo Answers and found this "question": "For Those That Deny That May 21st is Judgment Day - What's Your Proof?" There were apparently 27 answers but the moderators of that site have deleted the question. No doubt the answers asked the questioner ("Ascender") for his/her "proof" that 21 May is Judgment Day...asked more - or probably less - politely. I also found another question in Yahoo Answers. Why's Harold Campings saying that the Rapture will be on May 21st and Judgement Day will be on October 21st? Here's a link: Camping Looks like the questioner has posed the question a good many times in different forms. Some people have even answered it! One person attempted a serious answer!!

Yes, BA, and using the "you" form for 2nd person sing (probably started long ago as a sort of politeness or formality, to add distance, as some languages like Spanish still do) - using "you" also loses the comfortable intimacy of the real 2nd person sing (thee/thou) which was more laterly used for family, friends, people you know well or at least are familiar with. Helps you know status and standing, if you like, to use a TWI-type expression. Not sure that thee/thou was always reserved for closeness, but for a KJV equivalent it would be worth a look at Shakespeare to see when he used thee/thou and its other forms. Certainly he used it between intimates (eg Hamlet and his buddies) - and between people of roughly similar rank or from a higher person to a lower person; not sure that the lower person (the peasant, rascal, whatever) would commonly use it to address the duke, king, lord, etc. But then again - it's a literary device so may not strictly adhere to "normal" usage of the time, though it should not be egregiously different.

JAL is such a sad case. Needs to get out more. Needs to meet with CHRISTIANS who know what it is to BELIEVE God. I should so love to see some of these ex-Way leaders in really challenging situations...as a Christian in Afghanistan; as a peasant in some parts of Africa; in a slum in India; or even on a soap box - in Beijing. If they survived unscathed and their model for believing stood up after six months of that - they might have something worth teaching. Maybe they would realize how shallow they are now. If JAL survived, he could even have something to talk about.

EW Bullinger describes the Idiom of Permission in his book "Figures of Speech Used in the Bible." In my book on p.823 subheading 4: "Active verbs were used by the Hebrews to express, not the doing of the thing, but the permission of the thing which the agent is said to do." This link may help: FoS. Be aware it is a very big document. If you do a Find on permission, the fourth item is p.808 which I think will be the same as my book's page 823. It is not a TWI-thing, but TWI undoubtedly picked up on this Idiom and gave it their own idiosyncratic interpretation. You might find this link entertaining - do get down to the end: Dialectical use And this one: Yorkies Thee/thou/tha etc are pretty much out of use now except in rural Yorkshire and Lancashire, where they're still commonly to be found. These forms used to be much more common in Derbyshire (near where I was brought up) - tha'd be 'ard put to it, lad, to find 'm now. (= you'd find it difficult, young man, to find them now) Okay, seriously now: Oxford Online Dictionary In passing, I'd remark (and this is totally off topic) that under the heading no.4 above, it mentions Mt 6:13 from "the Lord's prayer" - "lead us not (ie, suffer us not to be led) into temptation." I have been pondering this phrase for a little while now but not actually got round to researching anythng about it. All I know is that God himself - does not lead us into temptation - not to test us nor to trick us out. Not no ways. So the traditional meaning (?) according to the usual words can't possibly be right. I'd wondered if that must be the Idiom of Permission but hadn't looked it up. Sur-pri-ise!!! Oh you've posted something else while I was putting this together.