Preparedness for when

moneyistooshorttomention

nuatha wrote: »

Look for the ones who are avoiding the job - they're certainly wiser than anyone who wants it.
I've known some seriously bright people, few of them could manage their own lives effectively, but they were/are capable of changing humanity's understanding of how the universe works. Raw intelligence can be blinding, its also lacking both common sense and practical application in many cases.

I think you probably have a point there Nuatha. I hadn't thought of it quite like that. But, now I come to think of it, some (many) of the supervisors in my main employers place were a bit "ahem...", but the one who was head and shoulders above them as a supervisor was a guy who was actually well up on the intelligence scale (the most intelligent one I had out of all of them by far I would say). However, he was quite definitely the one with most commonsense, most iconoclastic, quite definitely not conventional by anyone's definition - but he was a good supervisor/decent person/etc/etc

- and hadn't really wanted to be a supervisor in the first place and gave up that role as soon as he saw the chance to swop to another one:(

So - yep....could be a good way to "judge" suitability in other contexts too.

Frugalsod

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

FrugalSod

Hence why I said words about "if you are trying to the best of your ability" and allowing for if people are being handicapped by illness on the one hand or lack of jobs to apply for on the other hand. I certainly don't expect people to be penalised for their own illness on the one hand or not being able to find suitable jobs to apply for on the other hand - as neither of those things are their fault. I've been in both those positions myself - and that was the thing, ie I continued trying to the best of my ability (ie doing what I could to earn money allowing for those factors that weren't under my control).

It still makes no difference when the game is rigged from the start. The vast majority of employment law is so skewed in favour of the employer that you could be doing your best and you simply get fired. I have known people working who were good at their jobs terminated because they were coming up for their two year anniversary and would have become protected from such arbitrary treatment so they were booted out before they were covered.

This is a rigged game and until you appreciate it TPTB will continue to rig the markets and economy against you regardless of your efforts.

If you lost your job and struggled to find a new job, and because benefit offices have targets in terms of numbers sanctioned (to save money, and to avoid getting fired themselves) you found yourself risking being sanctioned how would you cope? People have been sanction for failing to attend meetings for which they did not know were planned, when no letter of notification had been sent. The reasons for being sanctioned can be pretty petty. How can you do your best when you are being set out to fail?

Mojoworking

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Obviously true. I do wonder what happens about people who aren't in elected "positions of power" (more a case of in a position of perceived influence in the community and all supporting each other - but not actually with official "roles" - and few have the courage to speak against them?)

But those people will wheedle and tweak to "get their way" around those who actually do have the "positions of power" officially.

I don't know the answer to that one...honestly cant think of a way to hold them accountable (as they don't have an official title/role they can be held to).

Hi I feel motivated to comment here. The only way to deal with this is to challenge the paid/elected person as to why why why and keep challenging it and immediately don't let things build up always question it. The self placed individual always absolve themselves as they are not responsible. Good luck and be cool x

[Deleted User]

Given the uncertainties in life in 2015 and presumably onwards, the unreliability of a system for support that until now has been the safety blanket for those who have needed it doesn't it make sense to go out of your way to aquire skills like knowing what is safe to forage and what isn't (just as an example), knowing how to fish, knowing how to mend/repair your clothing, shoes, the structure of your dwelling, even knowing how to garden so you can grow fruit and veg. If you have the basic practical knowledge you'll stand a very much better chance of being able to survive, certainly of achieving a better life from your own hands than having to be totally dependent on unreliable and possibly too easily removed payments from the government agencies. Before the welfare state I think life was certainly much harsher and harder for working people but they knew how to do things, knew how to make the best use of what they did have and helped one another to make as good a life as they could. They didn't live as long as most of us will but they certainly made the best use of the lives they did have.

Frugalsod

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

Given the uncertainties in life in 2015 and presumably onwards, the unreliability of a system for support that until now has been the safety blanket for those who have needed it doesn't it make sense to go out of your way to aquire skills like knowing what is safe to forage and what isn't (just as an example), knowing how to fish, knowing how to mend/repair your clothing, shoes, the structure of your dwelling, even knowing how to garden so you can grow fruit and veg. If you have the basic practical knowledge you'll stand a very much better chance of being able to survive, certainly of achieving a better life from your own hands than having to be totally dependent on unreliable and possibly too easily removed payments from the government agencies. Before the welfare state I think life was certainly much harsher and harder for working people but they knew how to do things, knew how to make the best use of what they did have and helped one another to make as good a life as they could. They didn't live as long as most of us will but they certainly made the best use of the lives they did have.

I agree with you entirely. Unfortunately life is heading in that very harsh direction. The ability to learn any form of bushcrafting skills are pretty remote for urban dwellers and the option to grow their own vegetables are pretty remote if there are few allotments.

Though as Greyqueen has demonstrated there are plenty of urban skills that people also need to acquire, even if they just avoid dangers.

I do think that people should invest in themselves via tools, now that could be a food mixer so they can make many more foods; a sewing machine so they can make and alter clothes; a knitting machine to make woollen items; a loom to make cloth; wood working tools to make other items; gardening tools to grow food. Once you have some of these you could use them to make life easier regardless of what is happening financially.

The pay back from any of these should mean that you can cope a lot more readily than those that have not made the changes. Only today I have been discussing going on a holiday with a friend, yet even though he earns twice what I do he is too skint to pay for it today, and has to wait till the end of the month. Yet I can afford it today and yet I am not wanting to spend anything until I have finally cleared my credit card.

GreyQueen

Yeah, urban skills can be a bit different.

I do think a lot of people have been poorly-served by both parents and education, in that they know very little which is useful and can't even cook a simple meal, effect a basic repair to textiles or wood/ metal, or do basic DIY. I encounter people who treat an ordinary screwdriver as if it is some kind of hi tech piece of apparatus which can only be operated by a time-served tradesperson.

I think the future will be belong to the handy-person make-so-and-mender and that this kind of multi-purpose skill will be very marketable, as well as useful in one's own life.

We've had some jolly japes here recently (stabbing). Drugs, as per usual. Won't be fun when the methadone scrips dry up in a crisis.

Frugalsod

GreyQueen wrote: »

We've had some jolly japes here recently (stabbing). Drugs, as per usual. Won't be fun when the methadone scrips dry up in a crisis.

I heard from a junkie that Methadone is harder to come off than heroin. Though having an idea of how to help an addict go cold turkey might be useful one day.

[Deleted User]

Urban skills like knowing where is and isn't safe to walk, knowing areas that you avoid at all costs, knowing how to act or not to, knowing that if you walk with purpose and look like a person who knows where they are going you'll be a lot less likely to get mugged, GQs trick of looking as far out of the corner of your eye to be aware are useful skills that will help the countryman as much as the city dweller, skills like identifying edibles that are wild(weeds by another name that grow in built up areas too) and catching fish in the canal, being able to scavenge skips and knowing where and when the supermarkets discard their out of date food so you can go freegleing and skills that would enhance the lives of the countryman as well as the city dweller. There is a cross over point at which all experiences and knowledge are useful to someone. It's useless only being able to make something with an electric tools if you have no power because it is down or you've been cut off but anyone can use a manual tool with a little tuition. Knowing how to use an electric sewing or knitting machine but not knowing how to sew a seam or knit manually or to be able to cook using a food mixer but not knowing how to make pastry by hand, it's not too late for the 'how to' skills to be passed on to the younger folks who'll really, really need them in the future, about time us oldies did our bit and shared what we know isn't it? before we're gone!!!

1Tonsil

well, the latest plan was to use a Greek ferry to take migrants off Kos and ship them to camps set up in Athens and other spots on the mainland to register them and them give them prefab homes with air conditioning.

Now the police and port authorities say they think its not a good idea as many of the migrant are factions likely to fight with each other on board, putting crew and others at risk. They may have a good point there. Also that the ship can take two thousand and there are seven thousand migrants on Kos, all eager to leave and get documents. We will have to wait and see what happens next, as the ship arrives tomorrow. Saturday is a national holiday so very little is likely to be done re documentation at all. It seems that some of the scuffles which started the other day were a result of the migrants not wanting to have their fingerprints taken in order to be given ID documents.

Tonight is the big vote in parliament about going for the bail out, though its not due to take place till around 4am. How folks are going to think straight at that time in the morning beats me....or maybe that is the whole point. Many rows are brewing but it looks like the vote will go through. I cant see this government having a majority for much longer.

I stocked up my cupboards again today, just in case things fall apart without much warning. We still have the storms around, though nothing like as bad as southern Italy the last few days.

I only tell my close friends I am a prepper, its best to keep things close when times are rough. I do warn others about impending bad weather, earth quake warnings etc. The Greeks seem to stock up on pasta and other basics, as they have easy access to olive oil, herbs and fruit and veg. I doubt many of them have the money to keep prepper style stores in any large amounts.

I was going to watch a local group play for charity by the pool, but the heavens opened and we had an unexpected hailstorm!

moneyistooshorttomention

1Tonsil wrote: »

well, the latest plan was to use a Greek ferry to take migrants off Kos and ship them to camps set up in Athens and other spots on the mainland to register them and them give them prefab homes with air conditioning.

Now the police and port authorities say they think its not a good idea as many of the migrant are factions likely to fight with each other on board, putting crew and others at risk. They may have a good point there. Also that the ship can take two thousand and there are seven thousand migrants on Kos, all eager to leave and get documents. We will have to wait and see what happens next, as the ship arrives tomorrow. Saturday is a national holiday so very little is likely to be done re documentation at all. It seems that some of the scuffles which started the other day were a result of the migrants not wanting to have their fingerprints taken in order to be given ID documents.

Oh dear - re the factions likely to fight with each other. It strains credulity a bit to say "I've left a war zone - as its intolerable" in one breath and then proceed to start up a fight with a migrant from a different country in the next breath. :cool:. Either they want to fight or they want to get away from fighting - and "Make up your blimmin' minds" would be the foremost thought in my mind if viewing two factions likely to have a fight, even though they are no longer even in their home country...

As for wanting ID documents, without being prepared to give any identifying evidence (like fingerprints). Words fail me - except perhaps "Have cake and eat it".

The Greeks are having their patience strained to the utmost on this and just when they really could do without it - to try and help resolve their own problems.