It was getting tough in 2006 and the workhouse still threatens us in 2011

HariboJunkie

castleton wrote: »

Birthday Newspapers - slightly off key,but finding old newspapers used as underlay in a house I moved to made me think. When my grandchildren were born ( 12/02/2009 +19/08/2011 ) I bought as many newspapers printed that day as I could get. I will give them to them on their 18th birhtday. Looking at the front pages of both the headlines on both days say how bad the Economy is.

We did this for our girls too and they are in the memory boxes ready to be handed over when they flee the nest.

kittie wrote: »

They didn`t hj. Most did but a significant number didn`t, perhaps for those it was drummed in more that people didn`t buy what they could not pay for. I was one of those that didn`t and neither did my 3 children and now I am older I couldn`t care less about more fancy technology like i phones etc. I stick with my old chunky mobile in my glove box for emergencies and my creaking laptop and that is as far as I want to go, I don`t want to learn about i pads, blackberries and twitter and so on. I don`t have a mobile phone contract or sky subs or dect phones and anything I don`t spend on those, I save

I know that Kittie, as my parents didn't either. My father in particular was always cautious and savvy (though he was very well paid and we never went without) but he didn't/doesn't believe in credit unless it is completely affordable. My apologies for not making that clear in my post.

Morning everyone :hello:

How are you Taurus?
SDG those puddings sound amazing.:T

I am bone tired today after helping OH with the logs. We are both wrecked but this wood, once seasoned will give us free heat and hot water for over a year so it's worth it. Every leaf has been composted, every small stick has been turned into wood chips for the hens and the small twigs are dring out in a huge bag for kindling. The light coming into the house is also much better and there is no further risk of the roof being hit by one of the trees in the next gale force winds.

The cupboard is finished and is a much more efficient use of space with shelves on two walls instead of deep shelves all over. It's possible to see and find what's there now and it forced me to have a clear out which is never a bad thing.

ETa re the links to alternatives to monetary systems. Hmm :think: While LETS schemes are nice in principal and may work well in the small and mostly affluent communities where they have been set up I really can't see it replacing cold hard cash. Same goes for Time Banks. Nice idea but not sustainable on a global scale.

[Deleted User]

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ceridwen

kittie wrote: »

I did have a kindle for christmas last year ceridwen but it is not complicated and costs nothing to run. I have 109 free books on it so far and not a cookery book in sight, some of the books normally cost £8.99 plus

I dinnae know the basics of how to use these - as no-one I know has one that I'm aware of....

Howzabout an Idiots Guide to Usage of Kindles (in words of not more than 2 syllables:rotfl:):

- Is it quick and easy to download books from t'internet (even for a techno-idiot..:cool:)?

- can one use them to read off a book anywhere wanted - at home? out in the wilds? etc?

- does the e-book stay in the "memory" of this device for ever more (ie not "wiped" after a certain timespan)?

- how big is that "memory"?

etc

Mrs_Chip

I have got a Kindle too and I generally don't buy books for it, I download titles from Gutenberg which are free (thousands of classics and all sorts of weird and interesting stuff). If you have not got wireless at home, the wireless is dead easy - if you go somewhere where there is a free hotspot you can download books in seconds. I have bought a couple of very cheap books from Amazon and they are delivered instantly. It will never replace books for me, but is a very good way to read stuff for free without clogging up the house with books (and great if you are travelling). I will not buy most new titles on principle, I think they are overpriced, and there should be some discount to encourage buying them electronically.

Oh, and one charge lasts absolutely ages, so no constant worry of it neeeding to be recharged.

Mrs_Chip

Sorry Ceridwen, I posted before reading your last.

I think I have answered some of your questions, but to recap:

Yes, dead easy, especially if buying from a Kindle-friendly site. Gutenberg is easy, you used the browser to go to the page you want and each book has links for the type of download - and the Kindle just 'does' it.

Yep- read it where you like, only prob for me is the lack of a backlight, but I just bought a booklight that fits it.

Yes, they stay, I don't know if any have a 'timeout' on them, but not as far as I know.

Someone else may be able to avise about memory, I don't remember (lol), but there is a library function I think, so you can put a book back onto PC to clear space, but I think there is space for many many books.

I have a Sony e-reader as well, of the two the K is lighter, feels slightly less robust but is far easier to use and manage (and I never thought I would say that!)

Mrs_Chip

Oooh, I forgot to say - you can use it to browse interweb too, in B&W and a bit squished (could try mobile sites) but useful for those desperate to get online whilst on the hoof and without other gizmos.

ceridwen

Thanks for that Mrs Chip:T. Some pondering on this coming up...

*************

Pondering in other directions - ie re the future of "barter type" arrangements such as Lets (as a substitute for the conventional Economy) - still googling for the name of the thing that multinationals (like Shell or was it ICI or both?) set up subsequent to LETS- as I cant recall it offhand.

Have found of interest:

www.referenceforbusiness.com/encyclopedia/Assem-Braz/Bartering.html

Cheapskate

kittie, does that code give 25% off clearance stuff, too, or just regular-priced things?

Thanks for the help (and the code)!

A x

TudorRose

I bought a kindle 2 weeks ago as I had longed for one for ages. Bought the one without 3g from Tesco & after endless hours on the phone to kindle support & BT I returned it to Tesco for a refund as the kindle is not sophisticated enough to deal with the new Home Hub 3 from BT.
Such as shame as I love reading & had been telling myself since before last Christmas that I didn't want/need one when really I did.
I expect the 3g version would work but I can't afford the extra £41.00 & I have a good BT connection at home so would be a waste of money to pay out the extra.

ceridwen

Hmmm....pondering re Kindle still going on....little thought clouds going up.....

Has anyone got this one - and what do you think of it?

www.amazon.co.uk/Kindle-Wireless-Reader-3G-Wifi-Graphite/dp/B002lVUWFE

hmmm...that link doesnt work - well its the 3G one on the Amazon website ...£152 ..(errr...ahem...if anyone is better at giving a functioning linkie than I am)....

EDIT: Its here as well:

http://www.kindle3g.org.uk/

(though I dont know how one removes those annoying adverts that sit over part of the text - and theres a long one on the left-hand side. So - if anyone knows the answer to that as well - would be appreciated - as the "overlaying advert" problem really bedevils a website I particularly like and am unable to read a lot of the stuff on it because of it...).