Nice People Thread No. 14, all Nice and Proper

Doozergirl

kabayiri wrote: »

Our dog is small enough to struggle getting anything but her nose up to the level of the kitchen worktops.

She can't be that intelligent either.

She hasn't worked out where we keep the ladders and step stools (I won't say where here in case she can read ).

She hasn't even tried to fashion some kind of rudimentary zip wire to run from the dining table over to the kitchen area.

A proper dog

lostinrates

kabayiri wrote: »

Our dog is small enough to struggle getting anything but her nose up to the level of the kitchen worktops.

She can't be that intelligent either.

She hasn't worked out where we keep the ladders and step stools (I won't say where here in case she can read ).

She hasn't even tried to fashion some kind of rudimentary zip wire to run from the dining table over to the kitchen area.

Kiwi uses chairs as launching points, occasionally, but doesn't get on kitchen work surfaces. I have caught him on or descending from kitchen table a few times. Tbh, I find the audacity of it mildly amusing. I also know full well he could jump up there with no stepping point if he wanted, he makes incredible leaps when working.....astounding ones. He's not bright like dog dog though. Dog dog is also often bright enough to try and put the evidence of theft near another animal.....'nothing to do with me'.

They do not open doors/cabinets or fridges ( cats have broken a le cruset with oxtail in though once and a butter dish) so I just keep food off the surfaces or animals out of the room when food is in it.

Dogs out of the house might be one solution, but not if the animal's role IS that of companion. If its a companion then its not much good at it unless its with you!

ivyleaf

Spirit wrote: »

My Mum had said she did not want anything expensive andwould have a cardboard coffin. She changed her mind after seeing her best friend depart this world in a "cake box".

I've only seen one at an actual funeral (as opposed to looking at pictures in a brochure); it had flowers on it (I think they use some sort of transfers) and everyone said "Oh!" (in a good way) when they saw it. I didn't think it looked like a cake box They are pretty expensive though. Far dearer than a basic "normal" coffin.

kabayiri

ivyleaf wrote: »

I've only seen one at an actual funeral (as opposed to looking at pictures in a brochure); it had flowers on it (I think they use some sort of transfers) and everyone said "Oh!" (in a good way) when they saw it. I didn't think it looked like a cake box They are pretty expensive though. Far dearer than a basic "normal" coffin.

Looking at the bill for my parent's coffin I can only conclude it came fitted with extras like aircon; satnav; and decent ICE (In Coffin Entertainment).

It was the inconsistency that annoyed me with the FD. The wicker coffin I had sourced from a reputable online firm with good feedback was somehow inferior, without the FD even seeing it, and yet...when they managed to source an identical coffin this was somehow completely suitable.

I get it now. It's a business to them. I suppose those who are MSE savvy sort out all the details before someone passes away, but this does feel pretty cold.

silvercar

The Jewish way is far simpler. Most Jews who belong to a synagogue are part of their funeral expenses scheme, that includes burial plot and funeral arrangements. There is a requirement to bury as soon as possible, often next day, so there is administration in place to facilitate this. Coffins are standard and simple..though basic wood rather than cardboard. We belong to the largest synagogue group in London and the cost is £68 a year to be part of the scheme (though you have to be a member of a synagogue to join the scheme, so you couldn't pay £68 stand alone) .

kabayiri

I suspect for the non-Jewish community we will have to wait for Stelios to launch EasyCoffin or something similar.

Whenever I write or make comment on this I worry about being perceived as being miserly at just the wrong time.

It's not this. I'd rather every penny saved go to my fave Cancer charity.

Duanedarnell

Thanks zag. I am really loving this new thread.

Generali

vivatifosi wrote: »

We also had v big classes back then, but I'm not sure whether that was the result of mass immigration under the White Australia policy (an unpleasant component of Genererali's comment re Aborigines) or the norm. There were 50 kids in my class with two teachers and we were streamed within the class into five groups.

The school the Generalissimos go to is quite big for a primary (c600 kids) but then it covers 7 years. It's 1.5 classes per year, i.e. there is a single age class and a composite class for each year.

The school is informally split into 2 groups, K-3 and 4-6. Each child in 3-6 (I know) is expected to be a mentor or 'buddy' to a younger child. It's a brilliant scheme, amazing. The younger ones feel like they have a big kid looking out for them and that can help them understand school. The big kids get a sense of responsibility and a chance to give something back to the school community.

Community is something that Aussies are big on that I think many Europeans aren't especially the British. I think the only people I've ever heard use the word community in the Aussie sense in the UK are One Nation Tories and that's a sub-set of a minority party. Here it's almost impossible to vote against community: we paint schools, run sports teams and run the BBQ for charity at the local DIY shed.

michaels

Our DKs school (7 forms of 30 or less, and often less as it is next door to another school that is more popular and loses pupils to private schools at various ages) ahs had a buddy scheme like the one Gen describes at least since DD1 first went there 8 years ago. Being a church school there is even moe pressure to get involved in the fund raising than most schools. Personally I wish there was an option to make an appropriate donation (over and above the school fund donation that we are all expected to make already) and then not be pestered to particpate in fund raising every five minutes. DS and DD2 are well into their football which is pretty much a grass roots/community based thing and then there is always scouts/brownies where we are always being called on to give up our time either as helpers or to clean/paint/do the accounts and admin. And of course there is the institution which is the annual street party.

mystic_trev

I really don't know what's worse? The end of the World in just over eight hours...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/11916179/end-of-the-world-live.html

.... or knowing that due to the above I'll miss Taste of Poland week at Lidl's :mad:

http://leaflet.lidl.co.uk/c8aae815-371a-4692-a3be-217423c31340/?ar=12#/1