Type what you're thinking about right now (11)

[Consolida]

^ I've stuck my lost and found animal groups on snooze setting so I can take a break from fretting about abandoned animals for 30 days. I feel slightly guilty but getting myself so upset isn't going to help anyone, least of all the poor animals

[Deer]

Originally Posted by Melangell

^ I have run out of things to talk about, I communicate with my husband via photographs of whippets in bow-ties on instagram. I am guilty of using my phone if I am out.

It seems like the nights are drawing in quite quickly, autumn always seems to start before I have got the hang of summer

When I see it though, I'm like what's the point? I'd be so awkward with that that'd I'd feel compelled to ramble on lol

[Deer]

I can't believe that some people really believe poverty isn't a cause of crime ???!!

[Merritt]

I hate when you see someone's name trending on Twitter and think they must have died, but then you check and they've just said a thing people like/hate and everything's fine. Today's was Kathy Burke.

[Schmosby]

Originally Posted by Deer

I can't believe that some people really believe poverty isn't a cause of crime ???!!

Are you talking about real poverty, where people are stealing to pay for food like in 3rd world countries or left wing poverty where people here have everything they need for free and are just stealing to pay for drugs or trainers?

[Schmosby]

I was just checking.

[Dougella]

Originally Posted by Schmosby

Are you talking about real poverty, where people are stealing to pay for food like in 3rd world countries or left wing poverty where people here have everything they need for free and are just stealing to pay for drugs or trainers?

How about one million people having to visit food banks in the UK. That's poverty (I expect you won't agree, but it is.) You should read Jack Monroe's blog about when she had to use a food bank, if you haven't already. She sold everything she could to get money together, she unplugged her fridge, she took out lightbulbs so she wouldn't be tempted to put lights on and use electricity, she didn't put the heating on for the whole of winter, the list goes on. The idea that there isn't genuine poverty in the UK isn't true.

[Schmosby]

"My worst year, I didn't have a tree, didn't have any decorations, I couldn't buy any presents, I had unplugged the fridge, turned the heating off, taken out the light bulbs" - Jack Monroe

"I just sat on my own and got drunk on cheap lager" - Jack Monroe

"Poor budgeting" - Schmosby

[Dougella]

^ You are so full of kindness and compassion....... She was unemployed and was doing everything she could to get another job but she hadn't been able to and she was relying on benefits. You would probably say good, benefits aren't supposed to pay for Christmas. Well ok, but they are meant to be there to make sure that people have light and heat and food.

[limey123]

Interview I feel went quite OK! Propranolol really helped too.

[Schmosby]

How can you believe she didn't have enough money for lightning when she clearly states she spent her money on alcohol instead?

Benefits for single mothers are even better than for non parents. I know single mothers living off benefits and they are having no money problems. They are able to have lots of food and presents at Christmas, one of them drives a nice car, the other goes out partying and goes on holidays.

Can you think of a reason why this person that buys alcohol instead of buying electricity might be having a harder time than these other people in the same situation? poor budgeting, was probably buying alcohol every day, my mum got into issues for the same reason while on benefits.

There is no compassion needed for people that choose to make their own lives bad. They can simply choose not to.

[Schmosby]

Good news limey

Fingers crossed.

[limey123]

^ Thanks!

[Dougella]

Originally Posted by limey123

Interview I feel went quite OK! Propranolol really helped too.

Well done!

[You Have 0 New Messages]

Thanks for the kind words all above. To those who wondered, she was my dog and best friend in the world, far better than I probably deserved. Endured some very hard times together, I doubt I'd have managed without as I have no one else.

I've had other dogs over the years, but she was a very special character. Part collie & lab I think and supremely intelligent, but in a cat like way. Sort of like "Yes I could fetch the ball, but why would I do that? You fetch it and I'll watch with my condescending eye as you bring it to me.", but also very loving on her own terms. That probably makes her sound untrained, but she wasn't in the slightest. She seemed to just know in any situation when to listen to me and when I could be comically ignored. For example any time she'd get into water for a swim, I knew I'd be there calling like an idiot until she finally decided she'd had enough and it was time for 'manservant' to take her home, towel dry then sprawl out in front of the fire.

[Dougella]

Originally Posted by Schmosby

How can you believe she didn't have enough money for lightning when she clearly states she spent her money on alcohol instead?

Benefits for single mothers are even better than for non parents. I know single mothers living off benefits and they are having no money problems. They are able to have lots of food and presents at Christmas, one of them drives a nice car, the other goes out partying and goes on holidays.

Can you think of a reason why this person that buys alcohol instead of buying electricity might be having a harder time than these other people in the same situation? poor budgeting, was probably buying alcohol every day, my mum got into issues for the same reason while on benefits.

There is no compassion needed for people that choose to make their own lives bad. They can simply choose not to.

She said she got drunk on cheap lager at Christmas, not all the time. That costs what, a couple of pounds, not enough to pay for weeks of electricity.

It depends on what benefits the single parents you know are on, whether they're in cheaper social housing and whether the fathers of their children contribute (and whether they're declaring that to the DWP). Maybe you'd like to ask all the people you know on benefits how they manage and then you can tell us and we can all have nice cars and holidays....

[Deer]

Eeee, someone is actually speaking to me on a dating site happy days.

I probably shouldn't speak too soon like.

[Schmosby]

^It's not surprising, you're a handsome fellow.

[Schmosby]

Originally Posted by Dougella

She said she got drunk on cheap lager at Christmas, not all the time. That costs what, a couple of pounds, not enough to pay for weeks of electricity.

4 cans of lager are around £3.50, but it would take more than that to get drunk, so at least £7 and that's just for one day.

"My name is Jack Monroe, and I'm an alcoholic", A little more Googling and all became clear.

I don't think my friends are getting any money from the dads, as they never really had an interest in being with the dads, they just wanted kids and for other people to pay for all their costs.

[Dougella]

^^ Yes, a good few years later she's now sober. But to say she was spending all her money on alcohol instead of essentials when she was on benefits wouldn't be accurate at all.
Why are you friends with these people if you despise them so much?!

[Mo34]

Originally Posted by limey123

Interview I feel went quite OK! Propranolol really helped too.

Nice one Good luck.

[Schmosby]

Originally Posted by Dougella

^^ Yes, a good few years later she's now sober. But to say she was spending all her money on alcohol instead of essentials when she was on benefits wouldn't be accurate at all.
Why are you friends with these people if you despise them so much?!

Well you don't know what is accurate, as you were not there with her, you are naively assuming she is telling the truth.

She says "I was on the dole, which led to a period of extreme poverty. Needless to say, I did not drink when I could not afford to feed myself and my son. I used the odd can of Sainsbury’s Basics lager in a stew or casserole, but I didn’t drink it. I want to be absolutely clear about that." and says "I just sat on my own and got drunk on cheap lager"

Seems to me she is being untruthful and given her being unable to support herself on an amount of money that many others can would indicate that the money was going on alcohol. That's the logical conclusion.

When did I say I despised them? quote me.

[Dougella]

^ Well, I know for instance that she said that on that Christmas her son went to stay with his Dad, so when she drank then her son wasn't with her. The rest of the time, most of the time he would have been at home with her. She went through different situations too, she lived in her own place to begin with, then she lived in a house shared with other people for a time, then she lived with a partner.

You just seem to be extremely negative about people on benefits, single mothers in particular. I just wonder why you're friends with people whose lifestyle you seem to disagree so strongly with.

[Deer]

Originally Posted by Schmosby

^It's not surprising, you're a handsome fellow.

I'm not too bad! About average and not too concerned about the way I look.

[Schmosby]

Originally Posted by Dougella

You just seem to be extremely negative about people on benefits, single mothers in particular. I just wonder why you're friends with people whose lifestyle you seem to disagree so strongly with.

My main issue with benefits is the benefits system, the people that are on benefits are not in control of the system. It's you guys here that tend to make things personal.

I do have a negative view of single mums on benefits, as they choose to have children that they can't afford and expect others to pay, which is a selfish negative behaviour. I don't think I was being particularly negative in this instance, all I said was "Benefits for single mothers are even better than for non parents" which is just a fact.

I have no problem mixing with people that behave in ways or have views I disagree with, If I wasn't I wouldn't still be here. Do you only have friends that agree with your views?

[Indigo_]

^ The trouble is, people have circumstances that change. A couple who are working and can afford to have children could at some point in the future separate and whoever has custody of the child may need the support of benefits as a single person. You can hardly give the child back when your circumstances change.

[Dougella]

^^ But you do tend to concentrate on criticising individuals rather than the system.
Ofcourse I have friends who don't have the same views or opinions as me, I don't have friends who I believe that their entire way of life is wrong though, which is what you seem to think of benefit claiming single mothers!

[Chess&Junkfood]

Originally Posted by limey123

Interview I feel went quite OK! Propranolol really helped too.

Well done Limey!

[Merritt]

David Berman of Silver Jews has died I'd been really getting into his stuff lately, especially listening to the Purple Mountains album a lot, really getting a lot out of how depressing it is while retaining a lot of humour and irony, it's really tapped into where I'm at personally. I'm hearing it was suicide, so I don't really know how I can listen to him sing songs like All My Happiness Is Gone, and Darkness and Cold, now. Some of the lyrics on that album basically amount to 'I want to kill myself' and now apparently he has. Bloody hell.

[limey123]

Thanks Dougella, Mo and Chess&Junkfood!

Update: heard a short time ago that it came down to myself and another candidate for one of the other jobs I interviewed for - and they got it! But it was close!