Let it snow,let it snow,let it snow

[westgrandboulevard]

All that's missing is "I'm going to ask you to get up out of your seat".....

You could maybe start a thread for the terminally bewildered. They'll be queuing for refuge, right round the forum, and out across the internet....

[Jerry Oz]

Hah! Not one chance, Bub. 90% of the people on these forums are beyond help of any kind!

[westgrandboulevard]

You could be right, but that doesn't say much for our own chances.

And they're coming to you for help and advice........

[Jerry Oz]

Hmmm... Okay, I've got it! First, everyone will send $10 to me. Then, they will ask ten people to send them $10 each and of that amount, I'll receive $50. They will each receive a 500% return on their initial investment. Then, the second group of ten people will talk ten others into forwarding $10 each, of which they will receive $50, my lieutenants will receive $30, and I will receive $20. Then, that batch will talk ten others into

[Jerry Oz]

Wait... You don't suppose anybody here works for the Department of Taxation do you? If so, then that last post was just a joke. If not, PM me and I'll continue to tell you how I can help a lot of fellow board members fix all of the problems in their lives.

[144man]

I believe that's how the Ancient Egyptians financed the building of the pyramids.

[westgrandboulevard]

You learned that from your Mummy.

[Jerry Oz]

My mummy had it all wrapped up by the time I got there...

[westgrandboulevard]

I learned a lot at my mother's knee - and other low joints.

[Jerry Oz]

It you had to bend over it, it must have looked like the gallows as you approached it...

[westgrandboulevard]

No, I didn't have to do that - but one needed to beware of a certain look, which could curdle milk.....

[144man]

Talking of milk, just what on earth did the first person in the world who'd ever milked a cow think he was doing?

[Jerry Oz]

Since you went there, what horrible incident led to the discovery of cheese? And how many died eating the many variations of solid, old milk before a survivor decided that this one [[cheese) was actually quite tasty on a burnt piece of shredded cow?

[westgrandboulevard]

I often feel our forebears were, in many ways, much more explorative than the most recent generations in civilisation.

At the moment, very many of us seem preoccupied only with what we should not be doing....

[Jerry Oz]

Well, in those days you had minions to do the hard work. If they ate it and didn't die, then you knew that it was edible. As with everything: baby steps lead to a full on sprint when capabilities are realized.

And more to your second point, it's amazing that we are processing food to taste like food because we're convinced that the food we like is bad for us. "Cheese food product"? Fungus is being produced in the lab that tastes like chicken. Soy is emulating sausage [[to good effect, in some cases). I recently had pea protein manipulated to taste like ground beef for tacos.

[westgrandboulevard]

Unless there is an inherent medical problem - for example, an allergy to nuts - most food could be, at worst, unsuitable for some of us, but isn't actually bad for us.

On the other hand, excess of any of it may well be.....

[Jerry Oz]

In the end, if we expect it to be bad for us, it probably will be.

[westgrandboulevard]

Quite true - so we should only eat food we enjoy - and, hopefully, most of it will be considered good for us.

"A little of what you fancy, does you good"

[Jerry Oz]

Have you ever wondered why kids can take horrible falls and still jump up, laughing as if they barely noticed whereas adults can barely trip while stepping from the street to the curb without suffering a high ankle sprain? It's because we learn that some things can be bad and we place faith in that knowledge, to our detriment. Feed someone black licorice and later tell them that it was made from insects and most will vomit. Yet entire cultures eat insects as a dietary staple and reap marvelous nutritional benefit without so much as an upset stomach. People underestimate the power of faith.

[westgrandboulevard]

Yes, and I think the power of the mind is greatly underestimated.

Each morning, it's in our own interests to restore our mind at least to a default neutral setting, before we can be positive in our outlook.

That can make a huge difference to the way we perceive anything which happens during that day.

[Jerry Oz]

About two years ago, I started reciting a daily litany of my favorite scriptural verses and other phrases [[like doxology and the apostle's creed) when I first wake up or on my way to work. I still have rough days, but I'd swear that they're less bad because I start out with a more positive outlook.

[westgrandboulevard]

Anything which resets the mind and helps us keep faith with ourself and our core personality, is positive.

For some, like yourself, it is prayer, for others maybe just cleaning themselves, and putting on make-up.

Waking up with a deficit in feelings, makes the progress through the day just that bit harder to endure.

[Jerry Oz]

Yeah, but if the day gets too depressing, there's always the Soulful Detroit Clubhouse to pick your spirits back up.

[144man]

...and the stupid arguments on the Motown Forum to knock them back down again. Did you know the term "The Orient" was offensive [ref Supremes Rockabye your Baby thread]? I certainly didn't.

[westgrandboulevard]

Couldn't agree more. Of course "The Orient" is not offensive to at least the vast majority of people.

I know I have previously teased Jerry in using the term 'Brits' or similar, and said that I consider myself as 'English'.

That said, England is of course just a part of the larger land mass : Great Britain/ United Kingdom, which are the collective geographical names. On an even larger scale, I am also a citizen of 'Europe'.

There's nothing offensive in using any of those descriptions, any more than there is in use of 'The Orient'.

The member in question who made the remark is articulate, but also trying far too hard to appear worldly and, instead, appears very insular and small-minded.

I also note that the same forum member does seem to argue on almost every occasion with the opinions of other members - so I deduce that said member has their own agenda, targets only the perceived differences, and therefore intends to disagree with everyone else, simply as a matter of personal principle.

[144man]

I'm quite happy to enter into a reasoned debate with anyone...but always politely.

And sometimes I have even been known to change my mind.

[westgrandboulevard]

I must say, when reading your recent posts on "Supremes Rock a bye your baby' thread, I fancy I can almost hear your fingers drumming in exasperation.

If it slips any more out of focus, shall we put good money on that thread being gone in , say, 24-48 hours...?

[[edit: and best also add to that : the 'Diana Ross worth the wait at the Meyerson' thread......)

[Jerry Oz]

I'm quite happy to enter into a reasoned debate with anyone...but always politely.

And sometimes I have even been known to change my mind.

I wonder if you ever changed your mind due to an immature and personal attack on your character by a stranger on a message board? That doesn't tend to work for me...

[westgrandboulevard]

I remember, from my youth, the catcalls from other school kids in the playground or on a street, and learning to deal with it.

They may now be so-called adults, simply strangers on a message board, but they still seem the same.....

[Jerry Oz]

But by the time you are calling people named and disparaging them for their contention in the debate, you know they are not going to suddenly agree with you. So what makes someone go to that place instead of simply agreeing to disagree? It has never worked, but some people take it as failure to realize that their opinion is not the only one that matters.

[westgrandboulevard]

I think the essential problem is that, deep down, they do realise that - and it hurts.

[144man]

I wonder if you ever changed your mind due to an immature and personal attack on your character by a stranger on a message board? That doesn't tend to work for me...

Never. It was usually Ms M [[much missed) who used to bring up valid points that I had never previously considered.

[Jerry Oz]

I have had my opinion changed by better arguments. I have also parted on good terms with folks when I was absolutely at odds with their points of view.

[westgrandboulevard]

If you can just keep on stepping, you can keep on smiling

[Jerry Oz]

Or, at the very least ask yourself why it is so very important to be right.

[westgrandboulevard]

It's important to feel comfortable with oneself, but not to the point of wishing to prevail over others.

When people start to feel uncomfortable with themselves, they soon feel the desire to start making others feel just as uncomfortable.

[Jerry Oz]

So, in order to lift themselves they must lower others? That would appear to be an illusion and self-deceiving.

[westgrandboulevard]

Yes, and in their hearts they've not moved on from the playground.

As you know, that sort of behaviour can creep into all areas when people are grouped together [[why, even here! Shock, horror....)

I expect you have experienced one or two people who could, in very short time, negatively affect the atmosphere at your work, if not checked....

[Jerry Oz]

More than that, I'm afraid. The worst of them not only poisoned the water at work, but he ruined a co-worker's life by selling things on his E-Bay account that he did not possess. Of course, when people decided that they wanted what they paid for, they went after the buddy, not the culprit. He wound up nearly $100,000 in debt and had to pay it back over the course of years. He had to file bankrupt and it nearly ruined his marriage.

Eventually, the crooked associate was nabbed and spent a year or so in prison and ordered to pay restitution [[which he never did). The two questions that beg answers were why he did something so stupid and why he thought that he would get away with it?

[westgrandboulevard]

I suppose it was a combination of being desperate, not knowing what to do - and maybe not too bright in the first place. Poisoning the water at work?!

You say it was the the buddy, not the culprit, who wound up nearly $100,000 in debt - ? How did the debt become so high??

[Jerry Oz]

He sold boxes of baseball cards that he did not possess to multiple buyers over a course of a couple of months. He used the money for his wife's breast enhancement, a new car, new computer and gaming equipment, and to pay others to do his work for him at work. Yes, believe it or not, he was arrogant enough to give people $100 to do his work for him, which sometimes was as much as he was taking home for that day's wages.

I'll never understand why he did it, let alone to someone who trusted him. I'd suggest that he was stupid to think that he could get away with it except it took a diligent postal inspector a great amount of effort to actually gather enough information to press charges. The other guy wound up filing bankruptcy even though the restitution was not capable of being discharged. Five years later, he still works as much overtime as possible to try to get on firm financial footing.

[westgrandboulevard]

I believe every word, but it's hard to immedately understand how he was able to assume another person's eBay identity [[if I have that correct).

Also, I assume, taking money for items he couldn't send, which, if not delivered, should have been picked up and reported to eBay by the buyers over two weeks, not two months...?

It sounds horrendous, rather like turning on another's financial tap, then walking away, leaving it running straight down an open drain.

[arr&bee]

Some fool tried to steal my identity,until i sent voice over to talk to em...well voice came back but i never heard from those other guys again.

[westgrandboulevard]

I had my face lifted the other day. Some b*****ds will steal anything.

[arr&bee]

Haaaaaaaaaaa...what's up west?

[westgrandboulevard]

All well here. I'm working with a vocal coach [[he shouts very loudly) on my American accent for this forthcoming movie...

[Jerry Oz]

American is easy to speak. Just say "ain't" and "y'all" until you stop giggling and you are halfway there.

And to respond to#792: He actually borrowed the account from the other guy, who was stupid enough to trust him. He tried similar schemes with two other co-workers, but they realized what he was doing and threatened to do bad things to him if he didn't stop and return money that they invested into what they thought was a legitimate partnership [[that he, of course, would manage). I wouldn't call him evil, but to say that there was no good in him is probably accurate.

[westgrandboulevard]

Depressing story. To be thought of as 'sensible and normal' in these times, I suppose one's competency and behaviour must simply need to fall somewhere between OCD and stupidity.

[Jerry Oz]

Naivete is something that is easily exploited. P.T. Barnum was right.

[westgrandboulevard]

The ability to trust wholeheartedly is one of the first things we're inclined to lose as we start to mature. Then life does indeed begin to resemble a three-ring circus!