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Return of the Poisonous Ones : Son of a Batch
We're Baaack!
Yes, this is merely another transparent attempt at messin' with HP's moderators and the highly touted QAP system. Actually, this is a place where friends can chat without going on the forums and getting embroiled into another hopeless discussion. Lucky for me as I am serving an indeterminate forum ban according to the powers that be.
Anyway, I'll slop along and get to the faux tale so we can begin chewing the fat without the page taking forever to load. So without further ado I present:
A Witch In Honeysuckle
I'd never heard anything about there being a witch in this part of the country until I was in the fourth grade at Honeysuckle Elementary School. Of course, this was in 1960 when I lived a ways out in the country.
Unlike many of my classmates, I didn't get to hear the latest news as it made the rounds through the many gossips and other busybodies whose job it was to surprise and sometimes frighten the locals.
My name is Ricky Moss, only son of Kathy and John Moss who operated a small farm not far outside of town. Having never put too much stock in anything supernatural--although the swamps and bays of this South Georgia country was indeed conducive to such tales of ghosts and other malevolent creatures--the story of the witch pricked my imagination enough to want to see her with my own eyes.
"She's almost too awful to look at," Katie Jones gasped "all humped over with her head crooked to one side." She was cute with her blond hair and blue eyes, but I would only notice this a few years later. Tommy Gray--a short chubby boy with red hair--agreed with Katie. "She flashed her evil eye at Joe and Becky Thomas last Saturday while they were in town. They said it was all clouded up and creepy lookin' and scared the heck out of 'em both."
I thought about what the other kids had said about the witch all day during my studies, mulled the information over while half hearing the teacher drone on about history and other subjects. I had to have a look at the witch of course, simply had to. I questioned the Thomas children about what time of day they'd encountered the witch last weekend and made my plans accordingly.
I suppose I wasn't the only curious 4th grader hankering to see the scary old crone in person, but not too close, of course. The alley along the railroad tracks and behind the storefronts--where the witch had been sighted last Saturday--appeared to be deserted shortly before 5 o'clock in the afternoon, but I saw movement and heard voices indicating otherwise.
Requisite poll
Do you take time for these polls?
The Encounter
There were several more of my classmates secreted behind the garbage cans and packing crates strewn along the narrow alley behind the stores. I recognized both Tommy and Katie's voices as I picked my own particular place to observe the witch in safety, but I stayed at my vantage point until the sun was almost down and the shadows had completely darkened the alley. It was only after I was almost ready to leave when I noticed someone moving along the narrow space slowly and with a strange gait.
Dressed completely in black, the figure passed right in front of the place Tommy and Katie were waiting. I could now see the stooped over form of an old woman, her head twisted at an odd angle as she leaned upon her cane during her passage. She only possessed one eye, the other was covered by a black patch held by a strap across her forehead. The ebony shawl she wore over her head obscured all but her face.
Yes, her face was covered in dark liver spots,. Moles and warts seemed to vie for space on her ancient visage as if they belonged there. Her teeth seemed to be placed at random in her mouth, her chin jutted out at an angle which never faced forward towards her destination. There was no doubt this was the witch we'd heard of, no doubt at all.
The Evil Eye
She seemed to know we were there watching her, sensed we needed to see her, to know there was such a creature after all. She stopped and slowly lifted the patch covering her eye, let us see the dead white thing which now occupied the worthless socket in her head. She drew a figure in the dust--a pentagram by the looks of it--then hurried on by, a cackling laughter in her wake was all we were left with. Other than the thoughts she instilled in us that day, that is.
The event affected all of us observers, but in different ways of course. I believe it bothered me more than the other kids at the time for a very good reason. The next afternoon, after we returned from church, I decided to confront my feelings by riding my bike down an isolated dirt road just outside of Honeysuckle's city limits. An old unpainted house sat just off the road among the trees, blending perfectly into the surroundings, almost invisible if you didn't know it was there.
After leaning my bike up against the small stoop, I approached the front door and gently rapped on it twice with my knuckles. In a few moments the witch herself slowly opened the door. Of course she invited me in for milk and cookies, witches always do that in fairy tales. This particular ruse always seems to work well getting innocent children inside of a witch's lair, and this time was no exception.
You see, I had known the witch all of my short life, had loved her as long as I'd known her. She was actually my great aunt and was no witch at all. My mother had long since filled me in on Aunt Millie's misfortunes in life. "She was once the most beautiful woman in these parts, " my Mom told me. "She seemed to have everything going for her, was married to a very handsome man who made her happier still. Until the accident happened, that is."
The Witch's Misfortune
"While she and her new husband were on a trip to Atlanta, a terrible train wreck took many lives, her husband's among them. Millie was horribly mangled and most believed she would never recover from her injuries. She did though, but not without having a disfigured body. lost sight in one eye, and sustained such horrible facial injuries which caused many people to look away when they beheld her."
So this was the witch of Honeysuckle. Millie still loved life and she loved me like I was her own. She kept me for my Mom many times when I was a small child. She loved to tell me stories using her voice to make all of the different characters come alive in my head. I finally asked her why she had began scaring the kids in the alley lately, why she dressed like, and acted as if, she were indeed a witch.
Everyone Needs Some Fun
"I suppose I just wanted a bit of fun for a change," she explained. "It began as an accident long ago when I encountered some children on my way to pick up my weekly groceries from the back of Mr. Jordan's store. I never went up front because my appearance seemed to disturb some people and I didn't want that at all. After that I dressed as I though a witch would, embellished my actions to add a little mystery to my appearance. And the adults know I'm only having some fun because I scared them too when they were small."
I promised to keep her secret around the other kids, and even to vouch for the veracity of the tales about her. Everyone needs to have a hobby of some sort. And as I said earlier, I loved this old woman. The old axiom, "Beauty is only skin deep" is wrong. It should read "Ugly is only skin deep, but beauty is to the heart." I can personally vouch for the truth in these words.
May this page and all who post upon it live long and prosper.
The prize is one of the ladies? Oh, good.
I love your title! It is wicked awesome.
Randy. Not fair! I want all of them.
Just saying hello so I will get sent email alerts :)
At this rate, Randy will have to write another one in a week.
What? So I voted up and across the board. Perhaps I am not as ugly as your auntie, but maybe more so. Witches are people too! Just loved this one. How can it be that it is a tender and loving hub? We have much to learn.
Figured I would say hi. Laying low again. Great hub randy ;)
Voted Up and across for an edifying story with a good ending. Thanks for this one!
You keep getting BETTER and BETTER.....and BETTER! Excellent story, Randy. Now, if you make a book out of each of this stories and PUBLISH. These stories are in the best-seller caliber.
"Ugly is only skin deep, but beauty is to the heart." Randy, that is such a refreshing and profound way to see true beauty. I love this story of yours. It is unique and quite interesting. You are a great storyteller.
PS: great photos
Fantastic story!
Morning Randy.
When you published this hub over seven hours ago, I was fast asleep in dreamland. It is so good to make a cuppa boot up my laptop and read such a great tale as this for breakfast.
We've all heard such stories in our childhood days that made the hair stand up on our backs and arms.
Great story voted up and sharing.
Randy, I just loved this story! You told it well, it flowed along with not even a hiccup. I sort of figured out she was related, but liked the way you did the big reveal. I voted it up and shared it. Now I have to watch the comments so I understand the first part of your hub before your story so it makes sense to me. Banned from the forums, can you imagine that! Look at the comic relief they are missing to liven up some of the most boring conversations ever witnessed on a site. Glad to see you.
Randy, I voted up and I shared it from here too, since awordlover has more followers than I do on my account. Good story.
Rachael O'Halloran
Loved it. :)
Great story with an awesome moral, Randy. I love your twist on "beauty is only skin deep". You're a fine story teller!
Like it.
Oh the poison just struck another hubber who was shy of posting a hub of his own. He finally got tired of some user named Deborah Sexton and her maniacal bullying and posted a hub about her and asking who she was. Of course it got unpublished when HP got a hold of it. I know it would not fly because HP caters to those who do the bullying and he used her name in the title. It did years ago and still does. Those who stand up against it surely end up leaving. Their biased crap is just that....crap and it makes them look bad and penalizes the victim even further. Great job HP staff. They wonder why they are changing what HP is all about and what they want from their writers. Many can see through that and they are blind as bats.
BTW I have all her nasty comments in a word document and I also have the hub that this person wrote about her in it's entirety. I learned to copy those things in word for future use. I also flagged her hub too as she is false and I let HP staff know that she was bullying. Like I said..they cater to that stuff here.
Sorry for the rant.......
BTW Randy, I shared your story on FB and on Twitter.
aa woz ere
Happy Weekend, all. Bubblews is a mess; like, what else is new.
Re: my Eye Adventure. The contract the provider I was sent to that they are trying to get me to sign essentially negates 100% of the conditions stated in the authorization letter. I really do live in the most corrupt County in America when it comes to private sector medical. I'm pretty sure things are not going to go well next week...
Heh, heh, good old Millie hamming up her reality for some fun!
Here I am battling with poor WiFi in a pub in a place called Ash, near Aldershot. I'm braving SE England for a meeting this weekend. This morning over breakfast, I was playing "guess my age" with the landlord. I guessed 67 for him, and he was pleased because he's 75. Then it was his turn. He guessed I am 38 and was flabbergasted when I told him I'd hit 60 in February.
Lisa woz ere too, but is now going to read hub:)
WA, you are indeed foxy! In which February were you 60? I was under the impression that you'd just celebrated 60th with daughters?
Sorry, just realised that you had said hit 60, not 60 in February. Reading comprehension *slaps self*
WTG on looking so young, WA! Saw something earlier that said Helen Worth (Gail on Corrie) was something like 63. She doesn't look it!
Feeling happier because just realised today Mum goes back into care for a week come Monday. Booked it ages ago and knew it was last week of March, but with all the days being the same, it just crept up on me. Nothing planned. Just going to sleep for a week!
I was very successful on the Atkins diet about 12 years ago, but have never been able to get back into it since. Tried and failed a couple of times. But last week I decided to try again because I am overweight with all this sitting around. I can't be bothered with all that water you're supposed to drink, so I haven't drank any. I also think fruit should be eaten when hungry, over nuts or cold meats or other 'allowed foods'. And I like potatoes, even though their high starch content makes them carb-rich. And Ok gin and diet tonic is probably less healthy than red wine, but who cares, it has no carbs.
I've lost 6 pounds already. Wey-hey! That's in 4 days. Feeling good...
Randy, I haven't yet got the results. I had an appt with the specialist set for the week after my first (missed) appt for the MRI, but then the Health Board phoned and cancelled it because the MRI hadn't been done.
At that time, they offered to put me in for April but I think I said to put it back to May (the specialists only visit once a month) because I thought they might take time re-arranging my appt for the MRI. I did not expect to get the MRI done just a week later, so I'm hoping the Health Board will now schedule me for the April clinic. No doubt my local GPs have the results, but they are a bunch of useless tossers who I would not believe if they told me tomorrow was Sunday! I'll wait for the specialist.
Ann, my cleaner, asked one of the local quacks for the results of her liver biopsy ahead of her specialist appt. He told her the report was very detailed and that he would leave it to the specialist to explain the details, but that she did not have cancer. She died of it just 3 weeks later!
Just a few hours away from Monday down here, Randy. Hope my satellite will be fixed this week. Drives me mad that I cannot access email. Will change password and write it down for the next time I am stuck on a phone.
Are you taking 3+3 each day?
Well, a worthwhile day. The Bubblews I saw today is a Bubblews I could become very loyal to. Meanwhile, the new week soon begins... Good night, Chet. Good night, David.
So cold I lit a fire tonight. Sad to see the end of summer. Still haven't found time to pick all the tomatoes and other foods that should already be picked, cooked and bottled.
The frost might beat me to the garden this year. :(
The dramas of past months are taking their toll on my energy. Can't really be bothered...
A long, long time ago, I can still remember how that music used to make me smile...
Stay tuned...
A brilliant hub and I now look forward to so many more.
Well, back from the docs. More visits to go. Mixed emotions. Here's my spam URL for the day, http://paradigmsearch.hubpages.com/hub/What-Is-Are... And I suppose there is some good news; as to AMD, wet appears off the table.
I am getting seriously annoyed with this unnatural cough/cold and am considering getting a beheading, as a solution. MIght be a little bit drastic, but I bet you it would really help clear the airways.
I reckon it should be easy to find some ppl in London who'd carry this out for me. Especially if they could video it and put their own spin on it.
Hmmm not sure, I was under the impression that they gave up on the practice some years ago. On the other hand it is becoming rather popular amongst muslim fanatics, and we're constantly being told about all the ones we have in London.
I have had good results with Kaloba, pelargonium extract, which is a traditional African remedy for respiratory conditions and available in Boots. In addition, I take Echinacea and high doses of zinc and vitamin C. All this does seem to shorten the duration of symptoms.
Right now, I'm experimenting with magnesium sulphate paste to get rid of a bramble thorn that has been in my finger for about 3 weeks. Someone gave me a little pot of it at the weekend when I whined about my sore finger.
Of all the things I tried so far, vodka was the most effective. I think the symptoms have gotten a bit better, but I am far from over it, and I am so tired…….
Over time, excessive amounts of vodka will deplete your reserves of B12 which can never be good. Have you tried Olbas Oil aa, my sister swears by it? Are you chesty or is it nasal congestion?
Jeez, I'm shattered! On Saturday night we had my daughter's friend's nine month old (I think) baby overnight. Yes, my daughter has a friend who had a baby at 15, got pregnant at 14, I'd have died if that had happened to Hollie. Anyway, the baby was teething and particularly frightened of me, for some reason. Every time I went anywhere near her she screamed...I have the ability to frighten small children it seems!
We were both up with her practically all night, taking it in turns to rock her and panic about what, ultimately, was upsetting her. Then I noticed the bright red cheeks and the slavering. Kalpol was our savoir.
Babies are such hard work, I'd forgotten. I can't imagine what it must be like for a 16 year old girl trying to raise and cope with a baby. Fair play to the girl, she's also studying for four A levels at the same time!
You guys truly crack me up.
Well, this month is pretty much shot. Time is slipping into the future way to fast.
Indeed still need to produce much writing for Purveyor to pay the rent next month.
The translation agencies are really annoying. You know the one that sent me some work earlier this month, and then sent me some more work last week. Well now they're sending me forms etc to fill. Various agreement to sign, which is ok, but also another form in which they want reference! I've already done work for them ffs! Why do they need references?
Point them to this hub. I, paradigmsearch, do hereby declare that aa lite is a fine human being in her own right.
My goodness -- I came back to read the story again and am delighted to also read all the goings on here. This is like sittin' on the front porch in the summer time and all the folks chatting on and on. How fun. You have a way of opening others to having a good time, Randy. Para is right, aa, you ca get all your references right here. Lizard lady, Randy? What did I miss?
I've been meaning to send her a good gecko recipe I found...
Nah, but I've got one for blue snakes.
Speaking of snakes, I am not a fan of them. But I have to admit that one is purdy. And, no. Not a clue.
Thanks for clearing that LL comment, Randy. I love ghekos. I had an iguana once and really miss him. Every day when I came home form work, I had to go hunting for him. Once he was on the shelf in my closet and when I reached up to get a sweatshirt to put on, I felt a stinging slap from the iguana's tail on my arm. Apparently I had disturbed his slumber. I managed to catch him and returned him to the cage, a huge cage my son and I had built. Then I fixed Paco's (that was his name) dinner of chopped tomatoes, avacado and shredded carrots.
Where I live now, there are a lot of rattlesnakes and bull snakes on the little mountain behind my apartment. There is one bull snake that is very much respected. Evey one gives him plenty of space when he comes out for a stroll (or slide, I guess) -- he is about seven feet long. Bull snakes are not venomous but they do have a nasty bite.
Rants are allowed, huh? Maybe I can find something to rant about before long. One of them is how hard we have to work to get decent scores on a hub. Good grief ! It seems I spend more time on finding pics and quotes and stuff to enhance my hubs than I do on writing the hubs.
Another thing about snakes: did you know that if you have a pet snake, you may have to help them shed their skin? Yup ! You can put them in a jar of warm water if they are having trouble shedding. When the skin is loosened and easier to come off, you can gently rub the snake with a soft towel to help remove the skin. Even with rocks for them to rub against in their cage does not always work, so you have to help it out a little. Yuk ! Then you have to buy little mouses for them to catch. Just drop a mouse in their cage once in a while.
I don't like any snakes. We have rattlers on this mountain, but that is not all the ones that I have seen. There is one that I seen that is a worm snake or snake worm. Strange creature it is and went right into the ground under a clump of grass. I have seen garden snakes, garter snake and some other kind I have no idea what they were.
Hi all. @Phyllis the rants can get crazy. I am in an alternate reality right now. Being semi quiet and pretending to not exist. I am also apparently now into macaroni sculpture. Go figure.
Sorry it is has been so long Randy, I am just still laying low. Waiting for things to get done. Ill be around.
How do you catch a rattler? I have a friend who lives on Pinion Mountain not far from here who relocates rattlers. Seems like a risky thing to do.
You are incognito, Eppi? What ever did you do to cause this? Or is it hush for now?
#Phyillis, it's a long, long, and rather confusing story. Most of which we let rest. LOL The future will be interesting though.
#Randy, Hi. Good to see your doing well. I am still around. I read this hub most days. But I don't go anywhere else on HP, I don't feel that anywhere else is worth it. Aside from hubbers, hubs from here that is.
Other than that, im still working on things. Call it, a rebuilding. I,ll keep in touch.
Hey Randy, I really hope all goes well with the Doc. Your accident seems so long ago now, but of course it wasn't.
After I've finished my boring laborious writing tasks, I've been trying to behave like a normal person and not spend so much time on the internet. My son's home and it's great to have him here, I've also been spending a lot more time with my mum. After her fall it dawned on me that she wouldn't be around forever and that we should make the most of the time we have (sorry if that sounds a bit morbid!) Which is why I haven't been around so much, but I'm never gone for long :)
And another weird thing, my African wild dogs hub has had a surge of traffic from Bing today. Normally it receives one or two hits a day from Google, today it's had 23 hits from Bing and has made it to the 10 spot on Bing for the keywords African wild dog endangered facts. Not sure I've ever had a hub on the first page of Bing's results. Weird. Knowing my luck it will be awarded an EC now and forever languish at 0.
The internet is a weird place.
I let those snakes that I see have plenty of roooooom, if you know what I mean. We had a pile of mulch last year and my husband was spreading some of it and came to me and said that he killed three young rattlers. He thought that the sticks in the mulch should not be moving around. I once saw a black snake and almost grabbed it thinking it was a branch to pull up on coming out of the ravine that is next to our lot. Then I saw the head and went as far around it as I could. That was about 5 years ago and it has moved on or was killed or something last year because no one has seen it since. It used to sit in my neighbors tree across the street.
Izzy, how are you and how is your mom and you dog?
Thanks for the votes of confidence guys! But I don't think these ppl care about how good a gecko lady I am. I guess they care about how I am at translating, which they should know, given that I translated a couple of bits for them. They don't trust their own opinion, and need one from outside?
I've decided to ignore it for the time being.
Hope your doctor's visit goes well Randy!
Welcome to the Poisonous Clique Hubs, Phyllis. An iguana must be an amazing pet, my geckos are tiny (but very pretty). I would really like a panther chameleon, but am trying to resist any more reptiles, I don't want people to think that I am peculiar!
Good Luck Randy
The illustrious websitewithnoname boomed through the 35,000 visitors mark yesterday. As for the damsels around here, I generally approach them with caution. :D
I'm not getting notifications of comments here. They're not in spam folder either. Weird!
I'm doing as little as possible this week, just chilling out. Cat went missing again and turned up in neighbour's garden again, so she brought him back. Turns out she loves dogs and long walks, so Keil has found a new friend! She can't come every day because of work commitments, but she has taken him out twice so far! Great!
Randy, glad you're back. I successfully managed to hide, so all is well. Meanwhile, I'm starting to get enthusiastic about Bubblews again. As for hub traffic, I'm starting to wonder if summer has arrived early for me this year; not a good thing.
I'm in the middle of a boost in traffic. One hub has gone from 60 views a day to over 1000, and according to HP I earned a whole dollar more. Don't know what to spend it on!
Traffic came from a French website that linked it. Never seen a CPM fall so quick!
Meanwhile, back in the real world, I have never before witnessed such prejudice and bias carried by the media against the indy movement in my country.
I thought I lived in a pseudo-democratic nation. Seems not. This is a totalitarian state. I just did not know before.
IzzyM. 434 hubs... I'll never find it to put on my website and skim 10%. Oh, well...
I had a lot more than that Para,. I dedicated 3 full years of my life to this site.
Oh no worries! Just a bit pissed off that once again I tried to help a newbie on the forums, only for one of the regulars with a badge on his name reply seconds later, and for the newbie to then direct all further questions to him with no acknowledgement to me. That's rude!
You can always come here, Izzy. :D
Also pissed off because one of the pro-independence websites put an ad in the Glasgow Underground, paid for through contributions, including mine.
One day later, all the ads were pulled because they were 'political' which is apparently against the rules, but didn't stop Aberdeen City Council sending out No posters with their council tax bills.
This ad just said (to paraphrase) 'There are 37 newspapers in Scotland. Only 5 are owned by Scots. All are against independence, read the other side of the story here. www.wingsoverscotland,com "
It was deemed to be 'an attack on the press' (and thereby political) and pulled. Meanwhile they have since allowed a No campaign ad from 'Ordinary Man Productions' who slates the SNP, the Yes campaign, everything. Owner of the site is subsequently shown to be a millionaire multi-company owner. Hardly an ordinary man! And yet he is just another front of the increasing media bias,
The Scots are becoming very angry. The very least they can do is tell the world, as I am doing now.
So pleased to be typing on a keyboard again. Yaaaay! The lightning damage seems to be restricted to the modem and router plus my cordless phone. We've not touched the satellite dish and yet I am connected. That's lucky, because replacing the dish would have added even more weeks to the process, and I'd be cursing load times again. :)
btw, thanks for creating this new hub to accommodate my low-tech existence, Randy.
Thinking of the Scots, Izzy.
I've stuck a webcam in the gecko tank. It's not perfect, but it's not a complete failure either.
Anyone know how I could stream this to the world? DeviantArt does seem to have a webcam widget, but I imagine I would still need to set it up on my end. I imagine I'll figure it out eventually, but if you've done this before, any advice would be appreciated!
Hi Randy. Next thing on my list is to check my emails, but it is just fun to be able to load pages and respond to comments so I'm indulging myself for a while. lol.
I'm mentally crossing virtual fingers, Randy (Real fingers needed for typing, sadly)
Well I've figured out the streaming http://www.ustream.tv/channel/da-geckos
I must say it is all rather disappointing, because of the bright light, it's hard to get good pictures, perhaps a newer webcam would produce nicer results, this one is 5 years old!
aa lite. Do those things have any way to make the aperture smaller? Also, not sure if they even exist, but what about video lens filters?
Well I can lower the exposure (which I guess is making the aperture smaller?). There are a few controls in the software that I could play with. I suspect if I had a newer webcam it would have more controls.
But I think the problem is that there is a very bright 'spot' under the basking lamp, and darker surroundings, so the problem is equalising it so all areas show up more or less the same.
Problem is geckos also aren't doing very much, the angle of view is small. I could put the camera outside the tank, but I don't know if it will look good through the glass.
That sounds great, Randy. I thought they'd removed the entire heel bone (which sounded ghastly), but did they just remove broken bits and stick the bulk of the bone back together?
That is great news!!
That's a big difference in outcome. I couldn't imagine how you'd walk ... or even rest your foot if they'd taken the whole bone out. Sounds reasonable to expect you'll be back in surprisingly fit form within two or three months. :)
Randy, be sure to notify the local flora and fauna that you are soon to be back in business. After all, fair is fair.
Randy, that is brilliant news and I'm really pleased for you!! :)
aa, I think it looks fine, you can see it all clearly!
Excellent news, Randy!
aa, do you have audio streaming live as well? Noisy sex, private phone calls and defamatory comments about your boss could add some unexpected excitement if your tank is in the right place. lol.
Congrats to your recovery Randy, I have only just now logged in and caught up. This group can go 20 hours with no comments then 40 to 100 in just over 2 hours. Its a hard thing to keep on top of. I am busy tonight, clicking away, a little html here, a reincarnation there. You know, the usual thursday night. I will be back soon enough. If anyone who was busy before with trying to destroy me has a problem with that, well, I have a good come back but its not good here. Basically, deal with it. Your a grown up, deal with it like the rest of us.
AA, congrats on that feed its cool to watch, I wonder if it will create a new generation of Gecko enthusiasts?
LTM, congrats on being back at a comfortable computer, I know that I can't wait to get my own. Using someone else s still bothers me.
aa lite. Darn, I missed the streaming. Can you get them to play checkers?
That's going to go on YouTube para if they do. I would pay to see that.
Randy, yes, today I saw the doc and he told me I am improving. I had a patelectomy of 25% if that makes any sense. I did not spell it right but who cares, according to some, I make up having health problems. I feel that part of me is gone, to be frank but I will be more happy when I can walk with out assistance. I am off of the pain killers, so that is good.
I am going to keep you updated. I have to be honest, your injury sounded so grave when it happened. I am glad your on a path to recovery.
I got so bitter and resentful that a stranger hated me so much and did not know me. It hurt me in a way that few others have done but I am back now hopefully for good. However the person was or is finally over themselves and frankly can just leave me alone. I will be taking LTM's advice and leaving most of the personal stuff off of here.
yes, I heard a very good tv show quote tonight.
Everyone understands the nature of war. We also understand that victory depends on the cards that we have been dealt. Some, when faced with a bloody battle, simply give in. But for some, surrender is unacceptable. Even though they know it will be a fight to the death.
-Mary Alice, Desperate Housewives-
Obviously this is not a fight to the death sort of thing, but it is one where I wont be shut up by one dimwit. They actually told me that they are one of the regular people here, lol that is a way to divide and concur. They think that by making me think any person here could be an enemy I wont seek help from this group, they thought wrong. I simply shifted everything to the right by one notch, it means that they were standing on a solid ground and now, well, now they have nothing again. Like you said stick and stones, I am not afraid of any of that.
You can't keep a good Georgian down, he'll get up and start walking again sure as the sun rises. Liked the story much, kinda witchy with a Randy Godwin classic ending. Btw my friend, if you want and get a chance you have some comments from CM Hypno and Phyllis Doyle:)
That is excellent news Randy!
LTM I turned the audio off, but you are giving me some ideas…….
PDS they prefer chess.
I've switched the basking light off, and it looks much better, but obviously not a longterm solution.
I checked back. The aa lite gecko extravaganza is in full swing. I even saw him move. Alas, but then he departed.
The forums are once again less than inspiring. Let's hear it for Bubblews. Just a single post a day does make that balance grow. Have published several super-flash, flash fiction there now. Starting to run out of ideas.
Para, you ran out of ideas? How did that happen? I am considering bubblews simply because I may be able to see a dime or two. I have a dip shi" I should sue who is interfering with business on my blog. Since I moved HHF Wellness to a new URL though that stopped. At this point I can imagine someone who messes with me covering their mouth right now saying something obscene and saying, "damn she wasn't deleting content she was moving it". Maybe I can make a few bucks. I know one thing I believe in karma, if you pick on someone, your going to get it back 10 times what you put in. For that persons sake, lets hope I am wrong.
Eppie. I have often wondered how the high school bullies did in later life, probably not too well.
As to Bubblews, there is also the social aspect. I'd give it a try. :)
I met a highschool bully that I knew back then, and he was a drunk. LOL his wife left him for another woman, figures he couldn't satisfy her or something.
Randy, glad you are home safe and sound. I hope you did at least one deliberate, worthy spinout just for old times sake. :D
I know that feeling Randy, hydroplane and arriving home.
I am currently reading CS Lewis, The screwtape letters. Its very good.
The argument is that there is no singular devil. The idea being that if he (as in it) is opposite of God in every way then how can God exist and the Devil exist? If God exists then Satan (the devil) is in fact unable to exist, as he would need to not exist to fulfill the idea of Him being opposite.
Fascinating works, this guy could reason his way out of anything and his writing, though dated, does strike you in a special way.
CS Lewis also talks about the plastic representation of angles in history. We started with a Godly and stoic form, complete with large male organs and majestic wings, not to mention pecks and abs. Then we move to the portrayal by Raphael who shows them as chubby cherubs. Then it goes downhill till they are overweight non sex beings with slightly feminine features. He (the author) muses about what that might mean about our society. If we have progressively moved our view of angels towards a decidedly less attractive form, what then is the underlying motivation or need to do so? Did we start to feel a bit less important and therefore attempt to lower those above us in the divine pecking order? Who knows.
I remember when I used to be one with the car when I drove. Now it's just a video game with motion-sensors. I miss that.
Congrats on the news from the doctor, Randy! I'm finally checking in after at least a week of HubPages apathy, lol. Thanks for posting the new hub for us! Great story, too!
Happy Saturday all!
Glad you're home safe, Randy. You sound in good spirits. :)
My daughter has been offered a place at another sixth form college to study for her A levels, however... she is now deliberating the possibility of becoming a social worker and can gain a place at the uni via her current course. Problem is that she is really unsure about what she wants to do in the future and acknowledges the fact that she may change her mind again in a few weeks. I've advised her to accept the place and then make a decision before the end of June, if she decides to complete her current course of study as opposed to A levels, the college can offer the place to somebody else before it's too late.
Oh to be a confused teenager again!
Happy Saturday, all. Trying to decide what nonsense to engage in today.
Thanks, Randy!
Found a job (p/t) and self employed that I want to apply for, well, I don't really want to apply for it but want to earn extra cash for daughter's uni fund. If I get the job my part-time wage will pay for her accommodation (halls) and living expenses when she goes off to uni. I really don't want her to graduate with £50,000 worth of debt. Also, if I could pay for this I could bully her father into matching my amount which will help to pay for her course costs!
Randy, when bullying is used for good it is justified- and besides, she's his daughter too so I shouldn't have to bully him into it. If I do have to, however, he'll deserve everything he gets! :D
Crikey, just looking at the application now and it's blowing my mind. It's been years since I applied for a job! And then there's the references, as a complete recluse I only have my elderly neighbours to offer and lovely as they are they're not really ideal. Emmm.
OMG, if the comments on this and your other hubs were to be read Randy, we'd probably all end up in prison, or a straight jacket. Lol!
I'm just remembering the health care wing within one of Her Majesty's establishments and concluding that I'd rather self medicate. It was like a house of horrors. Truly Dickensian.
As for the food and more intimate pass times... I'd rather not go there.
Every time you see a women with nothing but a pint of vodka and a cucumber in the grocery store checkout line, you know...
Nice save... :D
Meanwhile, I'm seriously starting to wonder if my summer traffic pattern has arrived early this year. :(
WA, I know you love the harp so thought you might enjoy this if you haven't already seen it : http://blog.petflow.com/the-sweetest-thing-ive-see...
I have absolutely no idea what you and Para are talking about, Randy. Cucumbers, vodka??
I actually had hopes that my Putin-Alaska thing would go viral. I loved that title; I guess the content wasn't up to snuff.
Wonder if it's true Palin is getting her own reality show where she runs around with an AR-15 and cameo protecting Alaska from the Russ..?
PDS, my experience is to never write about hot topics (even satirically) as they happen. The big boys will always swamp you! If you insist upon writing hot potatoes you should develop your psychic side and get indexed several weeks before the media frenzy. If only I'd had known that Thatcher was about to croak it several weeks earlier, I could have just reiterated half the nation's feelings upon her death in a timely fashion!
Hollie (with a T), I wish I could come up with a good hub project to get inspired about...
"Amazing America"...an outdoor show. Drat, was looking forward to her in cameo and ghillie suit.
It's tough! The things that I'm interested in are either saturated or of no significance to others, that's life.
You have an advantage, however. Like aa and so many others you're tech savvy. You can read about new developments, understand and interpret them. You should capitalise on that.
Alas, nobody gives a shit about women as offenders, practitioners and survivors. And they certainly don't give a shit about declining species, unless you're Nat Geo and writing for kids. And nobody gives a shit about socialism and the long term message either. I'm boring.
I considered a new subject write: "Famous Castrati" but then thought better of it. :(
How do you pull a pretty one away from the TV on a Saturday night? Shucks Randy, that party animal got hunted out a long time ago.:)
So are you in Orlando yet, Randy? Enjoying your quick-loading phone internet? lol.
lol. At least you won't need it to view the comments on this hub. :) Mind you, if you're bored one day, try loading the last hub on your little phone ... then scroll down to the final comments. It was p-a-i-n-f-u-l.
Enjoy the sunshine. Still raining down here.
Another day draws to a close. As usual, got stuff done. But, as usual, not nearly enough.
Hey folks -- still going strong here you are. Saturday night and here I am reading instead of partying. My party days are actually gone by the way of the autumn leaves, though. Now it is much easier to read and write. Have a great rest of the weekend everyone.
I don't know why, but I find myself seriously irritated with the HoD today. I mean it is not that bad, but it really doesn't say anything! And the title doesn't make sense!
Plus, honestly, choice of free or creative commons pictures is not that limited at all, between pixabay, flickr etc there are masses of images you can use.
Plus, the writer DIDN'T ATTRIBUTE the CC pictures correctly! Which I thought HP was keen on policing for HoD, and is particularly ironic in a hub about free images for the net!
I think you're right about the HOTD's, Randy. At east I think that is the case with many of them in the last year or so. I never even bother to look and see what's been chosen any more. Sad, because not all of them fall in that category. But I've given up checking them out.
I think you're right. I guess after paying money for advertising to get new Hubbers, HP wants them to stick here and write. I just really can't believe that they can't find better stuff to highlight than their usual offerings.
I had the HoTD thrust into my face because I was forced to log in yet again. It appeared semi-literate from the first sentence: "but it may seem that you can't find a place for any" - what is that supposed to mean?
That phrase alone would stop me from reading further. It does not bode well for the rest of the content.
Oh, and the chap who keeps clagging up the forums with pointless and uninteresting news updates about himself for his FOLLOWERS drives me nuts!
I'm off, back to translating 12,500 words on pesticides in soil-free cucumber cultivation. Bleurgh.
I thought the title was rather problematic as well 'How to Write with the Limited Amount of Free Pictures'??? Actually one doesn't write with an amount of pictures, free or not. One writes with words.
That person on the forum is annoying. He's not the only one. People who keep shouting about getting their first payment, or getting 1000 views, or whatever also puzzle me.
Enjoy the pesticides. I should be writing another bit for Purveyor but he hasn't paid me for the last article. Last time this happened he had 'a lot on his plate' and didn't notice my request for payment. Really!
Actually my feeling is that isn't out there to scam me, he's already paid me lots of money, surely if he was going to cheat he would have done it by now. But clearly I'm not going to write more until I get paid for the last bit.
Did someone say cucumbers...?
Meanwhile, had fun at Bubblews today. Thought I'd finally written myself a viral post until I discovered there's another Arvind out there in Google Land.
I see HP stats are stuck again. That hasn't happened in awhile.
Looking forward to a productive week.
Today I learned that paragraphs are not necessary, and nor is a properly worded summary. I find myself missing Simone who insisted on fine-tuning.
OMG you're right LTM, today's is much worse than yesterday's. I was rather suspicious about it, usually when the summary is so badly written, it's often because the hub is stolen. Couldn't find anything on Google, but it might still be from printed text (in fact the wall of text writing suggests it might be a book). Mind you the text isn't great, and it has some mistakes as well, so maybe not.
My suspicion is that they don't actually read the hubs anymore, they just look to see that it has lots of pictures, a map or a poll, and there, it gets a stamp of approval.
25 hours and nobody has tortured HP about the stats yet in the forums. Amazing. It is interesting to watch and wait. Meanwhile, all is well.
Randy. Give the world my regards. I've got all sorts of errands that need to be done, but I just can't bring myself to go out there and do them. I've even turned the phone-ringer off. I hope I snap out of it.
"Despite she were a celebrated artist at her days" is totally illiterate. So this is the gold standard to which we must aspire? Thank heavens I do not rely on this site for anything. Much more of this and I will delete my account. It is far too embarrassing to be associated with such abysmal writing.
Sounds like an excellent place Randy! Enjoy yourself.
I imagine your email would be ignored by HP, but if you do, make sure you quote some badness from the hub.
I don't think it's just the insult of having these hubs promoted as being particularly good. If a non-member comes to the main HP page, they have a huge HOtD thrust in their faces, with the summary. I can't imagine a 'normal' person seeing this and wanting to have anything to do with the site again!
Randy. Nominate my Terrified-of-Goggle hub. :D
I'd resurrect my forum amnesty thread, but I don't think the sense of humor around here is the same as it used to be.
Got mother home after her week in Hell. It must have been Hell, because I only saw her twice and each time she burst into tears and asked to be taken home. All she'll say, when questioned, is that she doesn't like the staff. No worries, I have booked her into the other care home next time.
She slept on and off all day after she came home. I am convinced they had her doped to Hell, but when I checked the medications they sent home, she'd barely touched the sedatives.
I have a man (next door neighbour, actually- a retired Norwegian sailor) coming round tomorrow to fix my new saltire to the flag-pole. It's a big beast, 6' x 4' and will be visible to the entire town as well as the shipping in harbour. Yeah lol!
I don't feel as if I had a rest at all, which makes me think that I will probably never feel rested, or energetic again. That said, I am desperate to go to a ceilidh on Friday night, run by the Yes Campaign. My other next door neighbour, a wee old lady in her 80s, has said she will come and babysit Mum. I haven't been a night out in two years!
Speaking of the failings of the HOTD, what has really put me off writing recently is learning just how poor a writer I am. We feel good on this site if we can throw 800 words together without spelling errors, but I have been reading a lot of blogs and websites about the independence campaign because the only way Yes voters can get unbiased info is by reading them instead of the mainstream media. These articles are written by proper journalists, and it shows! They are miles better than amateur renderings.
So each time I think I could write something, someone else has already written it better!
Course, I might still write some articles that would allow me to link them, thereby giving them some link juice. Every little helps.
Hi Izzy. I am laughing at the thought of others trying to pronounce ceilidh in their heads while reading your recent post. I loved a good ceilidh at hogmanay. :)
Here's my end of month observations. 1) I am happy to have Amazon running via hp. 2) I will not be returning to EC. :)
Izzy, well those journalists are trained in writing well. It is not beyond the means of us mere mortals, but I bet you they edit their work a lot more than we do. Not just correcting typos but making sure it flows well etc.
I bet you we could write better if we put more effort into it, but is it worth it? For me HP is purely about the money, rather than 'artistic fulfilment', and really you do not need to write well to earn well!
LTM glad hp Amazon is working well for you. I am wondering whether to try it again. I am sure there was a glitch with my reporting, but maybe if I switch back on it won't happen again, you know like fixing computer problems, turn it off, turn it on again…...
You might be right about the 'turn it on again' idea, aa lite. I won't be turning on editor's choice again though.
I do find it a bit odd that you say you don't need to write well to earn well. I suspect that everyone would discover if they write better, they'll earn more. 30 great hubs will always earn more than 60 - or even 120 lazy hubs.
Well, I say that because I've seen some very successful articles (they were on Squidoo so you could tell they were successful) that were indifferent, both in terms of style and information. Also have a look at the top earners on HP, some of them really aren't that great!
Before the great fall of Squidoo, many of their most successful articles all started with 'If you're looking for a great blah blah blah, then you've come to the right place' it was like a mantra.
The people I'm talking about are not terrible writers, I mean the spelling and grammar is ok, but really they are not good writers. I think the choice of topic is way more important than writing ability. And quite frankly a lot of the topics that can earn on HP are not exactly conducive to great writing.
Lol it is April 1st! I signed up with this site called people per hour (never did anything there). Just got an email from them telling me that they're splitting into to sites according to gender:
'One of the latest insights that's come from our crystal ball is that the jobs that go astray and end up in dispute are almost exclusively of the opposite sex.
To solve this, we have decided to split our website into two. Much like we are accustomed to having Men's and Women's toilets and washrooms, from now on when you enter the site you will pick between MenPerHour or WomenPerHour.'
Stop the presses. My daughter just told me she is managing to walk unaided. In fact, after today's acupuncture session she had enough energy to go the beach and walk across the sand into the water.
Okay, so her carer would have taken her to the beach, but let's not underestimate the significance of any kind of improvement in a young woman who was told there is no hope.
3 months since death's door. 1 month since I came home. So relieved to know my confidence that she was past the worst was not misplaced. I had to laugh when she said she is 'impatient to not need a carer' and be able to do things for herself. Gently reminded her that would require making all her own meals and driving her own car so not to sack the carer just yet. lol.
The next big challenge is restoring her eyesight. Might be time to take her little sister for a visit. Perhaps a positive emotional charge might help get her eyes working. :)
That is tremendous news LTM! It's really excellent especially when you think back to how bad things were a few months ago when you had to rush to be with her. Being able to go to the beach alone and walk on the sand is completely different from being taken there by the carer!
Brilliant news, LTM!
lol. Sorry if I gave the impression she took herself to the beach, aa lite. That's a bit of a big ask at this point in time. Her carer must have driven her there and helped her make her way from the car down to the beach, but she made it across the sand to the edge of the water.
She did tell me she has to hold her carer much of the time still, particularly on a street (because she can't see the ground) and in crowds (because she can't see the other people), but if you give her a clear space like a big beach, she can walk unaided. No doubt she has an awkward gait, but that's okay. It still counts as walking.
It is difficult to walk on soft sand, so I am very pleased. She didn't tell me if she fell or not, but you can't really hurt yourself falling on lovely white sand.
Yes, it is a very different picture to when I was there and she only managed to take about four steps onto the sand - and those steps with me holding her up.
Now, if we can just improve her eyesight I'll be taking her back to the idiot neurologist who offered her no hope at all when we saw him six weeks ago so she can tell him how wrong he was! :)
Hi all, I want to first say, congrats LTM on that good news.
Also, I saw the HOTD today, I wonder if its not a joke. Come to think of it, its a joke most days. I am doing well. I was going to come here and tell you all I wont he lottery but I figured there is no point. The joke factor is lost in it.
I saw bing's news today, Nasa plans to land a craft on the sun. A spokesmen says "we plan to land at night, its far to hot during the day.". I am a ashamed to admit, they had me for a few sec.
I just got invited to a writers website, infobarrel. I know someone here can shed a bit more light on how smart that would be.
Thanks, eppie.
The hotd author is quite brilliant. Not quite sure why they chose that particular hub though ... unless it was April Fool's Day in the US at the time and they thought it was appropriate. It is April 2nd down here.
I know nothing about infobarrel, sorry.
That is ok, the infobarrel site looks legit.
I also saw this on the news.
Citing "a threatening wave of American nationalism," Russia has annexed Alaska. "It makes sense," said a bare-chested Vladimir Putin. "I mean, I can see Wasilla from my house."
The April fools jokes continue.
What is not a joke is the temps here. We still have a decent snow cover but yesterday was close to 64F That is open window season. I have started to germinate some columbines and foxglove. They should bloom in time for summer.
Wonderful news LTM! :) :) :) :)
That's great news LTM, and demonstrates the power of positive thought and action. :)
Thanks for sharing my excitement, everyone.
You just about captured the size of my grin, S&F!
Brilliant news, LTM! Am so glad to hear the corner has been turned. Little steps...
Yeah, sorry should have had 'ceilidh' is pronounced kay-lay and is a dance. Well not just one dance, but an evening of dancing usually to a fiddle or accordion band. I doubt very much if I can still dance (Scottish country) but hey I can prop the bar up and hopefully have a good blether with folk. Probably a good greet too seeing as the last ceilidh I was at both my parents were there, and the venue is the same place we held Dad's wake.
Got my flag put up today. It took Jahn about 5 minutes! It doesn't look as big as 6 x 3 which is what I ordered. Wish I'd unpacked and checked it first. Still looks great though. Jahn has a boat! It's a cruiser and I'm hoping to get a trip out in it in the summer. He's a really nice man. Would love to meet his wife too.
I got 7 sales on my own Amazon ID this month as well as the HP ones. Haven't counted yet how many I got, not a lot, but they are across different accounts. Must be well worth it then, adding the odd Amazon in-text link...
I saw on the news we have an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus. Don't think it was an April Fool either. Now that is scary! You just need to touch an infected person to catch it, and the death rate is something like 90%.
I heard on the news a few days ago there's a few African countries with current Ebola outbreaks. Hadn't heard about the UK.
I'm glad now that I didn't offer my pronunciation. I would have written kaylee. I guess that's my Aussie accent messing with your gaelic. lol. I'm surprised the Scots put up with me. :)
Ebola is not here!! No it's in Africa but had taken hold before the authorities realised what they were dealing with. They are desperately trying to contain it, but with intercontinental travel being so widespread, fingers crossed they manage. It's hit two separate nations so far.
Make that three nations, Izzy.
I heard on the radio they've started closing borders to try to contain it. You worried me when you said "we have an outbreak". I get it now. Global 'we'. Let's just hope it doesn't become a global outbreak.
I'm quite excited for the Scots, Izzy! I have quite a few yes campaigners following me on Twitter, prolly because I follow Tommy Sheridan! I follow them too, and it's interesting to see how the mainstream press are mainly ignoring the voices for independence (but no surprise, however)
I'm a bit skeptical about these global outbreak stories. I always imagine it's a bit of alarmist scaremongering, with an agenda of some sort. I'm pretty sure if it were real TPTB would conceal the truth from us.
Just learned yesterday that they (UK) stopped vaccinating kids against TB a few years ago. Now that is a really short-sighted policy when we are awaiting a pandemic of it! New strains of TB are antibiotic-resistant and it's only a matter of time..
The referendum campaign is being fought online and it's just brilliant! Am loving it. Not got round to using Twitter, but follow loads of different Yes pages on Facebook. Never before is an electorate going to the polls so well-informed. People are getting right into it, many of whom have no political backgrounds and never even voted before. 50,000 people so far have newly got theselves on to the voters roll. (People who pereviously didn't bother, or who got themselves removed when the poll tax came in and never went back. There are still another 400,000 missing but Yes is trying to get them to sign up. The grass roots movement is enormous! They come from al walks of life and from all political parties.
Come September, we really might find ourselves in the unusual situation where Britain's entire nuclear arsenal will be in a 'foreign country'!
I'm really quite fond of Tommy Sheridan. Have you seen him speak on independence? (Videos on youtube). He is a brilliant speaker and a great guy to get on your side.
Many years ago, Myself and a handful of others walked out of the SNP and joined Tommy's Socialist Workers Party. They were always pro-independence, but I didn't stay there long because I found their views on other issues to be too radical, with too much focus on minority rights and not enough on the common man in the street. I'll never forget how Tommy Sheridan first came to fame as the young man who had the courage to not only stand up against the Poll Tax ( in a direct contravention of the union of Parliaments, it was imposed on Scotland a full year ahead of England) but he led mass demonstrations against it, and prevented sheriff's officers from entering people's homes to seize goods.
I really like Tommy Sheridan, Izzy. And yes, I've watched his speech on independence. Quite brilliant, imho. He's a true socialist!
I can understand why you found his views on other issues quite radical at the time, but today, 2014, do they really seem that radical now? He has always advocated on behalf of the most marginalised; the disabled, the unemployed, ethnic minorities, gay people, older people, women. These groups make up our society, they are the average man and woman on the street. Tommy Sheridan inspired defiance throughout England when it came to the poll tax, and the Scots and Mancunians, in addition to other regions, stood together on this and beat Thatcher!!
I can't wait to say Coulson and Brooks go to prison, just as Tommy and so many others did because their hypocrisy. It will be poetic justice.
There are gaps in my knowledge, owing to have been abroad. Who are Coulson & Brooks? Dammit, it feels like starting over.
I believe in the rights of individuals. I believe in the rights of gay people being allowed to live whatever lives they choose.
I do not believe it is our right to allow gay marriage.
Tell you why. Marriage (while it is out of favour with heteros the world over) is to me a basically religious ceremony,
Depending on your religion, it is a promise to "love, honour and obey", and even when the wording is changed, it basically meant the same.
So while we are walking away from it, the gay community felt left out, or something?
What did they feel was missing? Civil ceremonies were legalized to allow gay couples to tie some kind of legal knot to alow each other to inherit or whatever.
Most heteros don's understand what martiage actually is, or the legal significance to their lives.
It is perfectly possible to draw up a legal contract now, so why change the whole 'mariage thing' for generations to come?
Don't get it at all.
Would really like someone to explain to me why there are gay scenes (before the watershed) on Coronation Street, Eastenders, River City, Emmerdale, and every other program they can squeeze it into.
Why? What is the agenda? I get it that you want the next generation to not feel marginalised when they have homosexual thoughts, but there is a strange age between 13 and 18 when such thoughts can be confused. Just whose agenda is beung massaged?
Not the young ones, that's for sure..
Izzy, I don't think you're suffering from depression in the way many refer to it. I think you're suffering from real life. If someone would just help you fix the circumstances of your life, I suspect the depression would not be an issue. You could probably cope admirably with the pressure if the pressure itself was not so extreme.
Perhaps you should write a hub about it and then send your local journo there to educate himself ... and put your story on the front page again. Then maybe the idiotic social worker might actually understand.
Don't forget to point out that anti-depressants don't get the housework done and won't make your mother less needy. All the pills can do is make you care less. That won't help your mum at all, and I doubt it would make things any better for you.
I don't wish ill to your mother, but I do hope you manage to find the strength to outlast this stage. Once the circumstances of your life change, you'll be able to live again (in the real sense).
Good luck, woman. Hope you get some real help with your real problem so your real life is not so depressing. :)
I think LTM is right Izzy. How you feel is a normal reaction to your circumstances. Which doesn't mean that it doesn't feel terrible.
Just heard from the Watford IT firm were Cousin was trying to get me installed. Apparently the project fell through, or got delayed or something. Anyway no chance of anything happening until May, and even then nothing is certain, and if there is it would be more 'on the freelance basis to which you are accustomed'.
Which actually would be excellent for me. If they want Polish text generated about computer games, then I can just write it here, send it to them and they can plug it in wherever it needs to go. No need for me to spend 2 hours+ a day on public transport.
I wonder if I gave them that idea with all my talk about my brilliant freelancing career.
Of course nothing is guaranteed and it might still come to nothing. But overall I am relieved. Which of course still means that I have the Big Financial Disaster looming. I've also ran out of excuses to go to the UAE to visit parents so will need to look at flights.
Izzy, Coulson and Brooks are former editors/Ceo of News International. At Tommy Sheridan's trial a few years ago he said his phone had been hacked and car bugged, no-one took any notice and Coulson swore under oath that he knew nothing about phone hacking. Since then Coulson has been arrested for phone hacking, amongst other things, and will have to face another trial after this current one for perjury (he lied, allegedly, at Sheridan's trial.
I think the point about gay marriage is that some gay people are Christians.
aa, if you're offered the work on a freelance basis that would be brilliant. I suppose only time will tell, but could work out for the best.
Sorry folks, I shouldn't have made that last post. Could you delete it Randy please?
I' m not ill because it is just circumstances.
We all have the right to feel down in the mouth and express it sometimes, Izzy.
As for my latest news, I had a meeting with the school principal yesterday and announced my youngest will be away from school next week because we are going on a trip. School holidays aren't far away but I won't be waiting for them.
We can't wait to go for a walk on the beach! :)
Do your schools fine parents when they take kids on holiday during school term, LTM? I remember when they introduced that policy here about 20 years ago. There was outrage! Trouble is, every airline and Holiday company raise their prices substantially during school holidays. If you ever see their pricing schedule, it is very easy to see at a glance exactly when forthcoming holidays are due.
Have a great trip! You deserve it! And be careful in that sea. I'm sure I heard something about new fatal shark attacks down your way, in an area not normally prone to them.
I am not aware of any parents being fined, Izzy. My situation is probably a little different to most, on a number of levels. For starters, they wouldn't want to try telling me I cannot take my child to see her sister, given the health issues.
In addition, I have home-schooled two of my children at various times and the principal is well aware that I am capable of making sure she doesn't fall behind academically. He was very understanding and accommodating.
As for the sharks, you're right. Recent fatal shark attacks on both the east and west coasts of Australia. I doubt I'll be out in the surf. The tv news stories are still fresh in my mind. :)
I need some prayers. My Dad is the last of the boys in the Lewis line. He has had heart problems for many years. He has had many stents put in. This time around he cannot have anymore stents put in as his arteries are too small and are clogged. He is going on Dialysis today supposedly for his kidneys and to wash out the dye they used to look at his heart. He is expecting to come out of the hospital today. They can do nothing more for his heart. That is all that I know for now.
Sending you and your Dad all my best wishes, Debs. I saw your post on Facebook and had no idea what to say. Cherish what time you have left together. I wish I had spent more time with my Dad in his final months, instead of shutting myself away in my room writing. I wish I had sat down with a pen and paper and written down things he said, memories he shared. I wish I had asked him all the questions I wonder about now, when it is too late to ask him. Thinking of you x
Thank you IzzyM.
I had the most wonderful night out. Went to the the Yes Scotland ceilidh, but the dance floor was tiny, so only saw folk up dancing once.
The music was great, the entertainment was great, and although sat amongst a bunch of strangers, we were best friends by the end of the night.
They are still there now, but I had to leave to let my elderly 'babysitter' go home.
She is a gem! She came here this morning too to let me go to a carers' meeting, my first.
I've been thinking for a week or two that it might be a good idea to buy that bungalow Mum and I looked at last year. Get it upgraded and open it as a day care, but with occasional night care facility offered, should it be necessary. Better than using our home. So long as it costs me less than £800 a week to run, which is the cost of full-time care for Mother. Could obtain charitable status and do public fundraising.
It's meeting a need. Had folk approach me tonight again about the need for this type of care.
In the UK today, if an elderly person becomes ill through dementia or infirmity. their only avenue for permanent care is through a private nursing home.
This is free for those who have no money.
If they own their own home, it must be sold to pay for this care, even if they have an adult child living in that home who would be made homeless.
I am that adult child. I have done their bloody job 24/7 for free for a year, and it is affecting my health.
Cradle to grave free care is what my parents, and all the people of their generation spent their whole lives paying for.
These people were there at the start of the NHS and the promise was made to them.
More bloody lies.
I have no doubt things will change in a free Scotland, because the money will be there to pay for elderly care. But we have have a whole younger generation who do not know about how it was in the 70s, 80s and 90s when the care was provided for. I had folk approach me all evening (thanks to that newspaper article I seem to be the authority figure in elderly care. Must be effen joking but maybe not).
I explained time and again that there is an army of volunteers willing to help, but that perhaps I am not the best person to organise them, because I am knackered. Maybe this is a the push I need.
I need to have a purpose in life, otherwise I might as well be dead. This is my purpose...
Oh and on the good news stuff, learned tonight that the local Yes Campaign people have booked the same venue for the night of 18/19 September, with large screens bringing the election results as the happen.
I'll be there! Already booked respite week for Mother.
Just realised my post may be seem to be diminishing the posts about LG's father, or LTM's daughter. Sorry if it seems that way. that was not my intention.
Absolutely no problem here, Izzy. The world does not revolve around me. I enjoy reading everyone's news. :)
Best of luck to you and your dad, LG.
Well I posted on bubblews about my father. http://www.bubblews.com/news/2858575-my-dad
Update: They did dialysis on him yesterday. Today they are taking him back down to the operating room because his ports on his body are leaking and they need to fix that. He is hoping to go home today after that. It is wait and see for him.
Lady Guinevere, I hope your father is much better and healing. Take care of yourself and stay strong for him. Blessings to you and your Dad.
Good to have you back, Randy. I have been absent a little from here also. I have been busy measuring rattlesnakes. I am getting pretty good at it now. hahahaha
Sinuses! OMGosh, I have been having a bad time with that -- allergies I think due to this nice spring we are having and all the blooming stuff outside.
I've just fired an email off to the local paper for inclusion in their letters page. I re-read it twice, and it seems to be OK - ie not too stupid. I'm asking for the community to get back to being what it was, and shoved a few choice words in there about the advantages of independence.
We have a desperate lack of elderly care, but only mentioned it in passing because that has already been highlighted.
Everyone seems to want someone else to do something for them. But the community I grew up in did it for themselves.
So local people are having to travel 300 mile round trips for dialysis. Why don't we fund-raise and buy our own.
Where is the community spirit? Not everything is about money.
It was a 500 word email. I won't be popular lol.
Hello all, I am doing well. I think my life off line has made an improvement. I am only getting online to check email and then off again. I have read 3 books so far and have been healing. I hope everyone is well. I tried to read through the conversations here but there are too many. Some people I know and others I do not. Hope everyone is well, or if not their situations improve a lot.
I have not been to so many of my favorite URL's in so long. This has been of a personal choice, I needed to evaluate my life and how much time was devoted to the internet. It was an alarming amount. I wonder if I might see the day when we are all plugged into the damn things and downloaded forever. That is becoming more possible every day, sad to say. Well, im off again, I will be back some time to read the conversations I miss. I miss you all. Hope things go good for you.
A warm hello and hugs to you, Eppie, and to the kitties, too.
Awww, Eppie seems like a keeper.
Bless, hope everything works out!
There is this strange thing about online friends and acquaintances. They seem real. They are real, ad yet...they are not. Real enough for this conversation, but then again..
lol. A mother approached me in a store today with her 3 young children in tow. She told me one has an ear infection and another has sore eyes. I said, "Oh, I have a great idea for what you should do when you get home."
The family stood transfixed, listening as I spoke. What I didn't realise at the time was a whole crowd of people gathered behind me, listening to what I said.
I told the kids when they got home they should get their mother to take a photo of them. The kid with the sore ears should put her hands over her ears. The kid with the sore eyes should put his hands over his eyes, and they should teach their little brother to put his hands over his mouth.
Then they could print the photo out with the caption 'See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil' and hang it on their wall. I told them about the three wise monkeys and suggested they check them out on google.
It just about scared me to death when a woman yelled from behind me, "Oh! I thought you were going to tell them what to do to get better! That's why I came over!" "Me too!" another woman yelled.
Nobody in the store was being served because the staff had gathered around. ROFL, I had noticed a few people around the family I was speaking with but had no idea there was a crowd behind me as well.
The family had no chance of getting any health tips from me after that. I was so embarrassed, I just smiled and walked away,
Anyway, I'm telling you about this because Eppie and Izzy's comments reminded me of it. When we write on this hub - and elsewhere on the internet - we think we know who we are talking to, but there's probably an unseen crowd also listening in. :) Hello to those who are standing out of view. lol.
I have about 20 comments that have stacked up, and I am avoiding approving them and responding. I know I should be grateful for comments, but sometimes I just hate to deal with them. I never know what to say. I feel lame just writing "Thanks for reading and commenting!" over and over. I need to bite the bullet and get to them.
Yeah, I always wonder what they are tinkering around with when stats are stuck. My Amazon sales are going OK with the HP system but there are some crazy click numbers. Every day I get about 8-15 clicks and a sale here and there, but for three Thursdays in a row I got like 140-150 clicks and zero sales. Really weird. Always on a Thursday and always no sales. Seems like something is messed up.
Congrats on a million views, by the way! Did you make it?
Congratulation on 1 million Randy! I am contemplating trying out the HP program one more time, but I was so obviously ripped off the last time I tried it I hesitate.
Some ppl are reporting big drops in traffic. My traffic has dropped by a bit, but it could just be that the bitcoin hub which was very popular at one time dropped off to more normal views, rather than a big google attack.
I should hit the 100k today. A million seems a long way off, but it is nice to get a reminder that it is achievable. Doesn't seem that long ago I was at 50k. Congrats on the milestone, Randy.
Big congratulations, Randy on the 1M. I have not even reached 200K yet and 83K if that is views on one hub I wrote about my father. You are doing great.
Shall we paste one on for you? hahaha It should appear soon, I think, Randy -- then we can all partaaaay !
"Slim to none." Or maybe half past never.
Google has taken over the internet, sort of like a "heist".
Odds on when HP will comment on the 'Related Hubs' format? "Half past a monkey's ........."
I really dislike the 'related hubs'. I suspect their rationale is that they need to have single file stuff for mobile net users. But it looks pretty awful.
Google seems to be spreading its hate. Mind you I get about 5 views a day on my squidoo lenses (about 50 lenses), this after a year of squidoo trying to get back into G's good graces, so by comparison HP look like SEO geniuses.
Hmmm your hub swallowed my comment. Not that there was anything particularly interesting in it, I was just agreeing with you. But I wonder what I wrote to upset Big Brother?
WA, do you have special rates for projects that are 5000 words, or 10,000 words. Somebody wants to see if I want to 'collaborate' with their agency.
Also, I'm sure I've asked you this before, but what would be considered a reasonable no. of words per day. They also want to know about my 'capacity'. Surely that completely depends on the text. I'm thinking of saying 3000words/day?
Why is it that they always talk about collaboration? I do work, they send me money. I don't think that's collaboration? Is the word 'work' now considered rude in some way?
Aa, it absolutely depends on the content and how specialised it is/how familiar you are with the subject area and its terminology (medicine can be a bugger in that respect, I keep getting stuff that covers totally new ground and needs lots of research), and also on format: file type supplied and file type required, quality of OCR if relevant, use or not of a CAT tool (and how proficient you are in using such), whether you are overtyping or having to create a new document and, if the latter, whether you need to reproduce the formatting of the original, how complex that is, are there lots of tables, etc.
Many people use 2000 words/day as a reasonable estimate for a relatively experienced translator working in a specialist area and delivering high quality work. I use that when deciding for myself what capacity I have, because it gives me a bit of leeway to squeeze in some extra jobs for favoured clients if necessary. I do anything from about 1500 to 3500 words in a day's work, and sometimes a lot more, but in the latter case I'm also working long hours. Also, speed comes with experience and familiarity. When I started, I congratulated myself if I managed 1000 words in a day, although admittedly "day" at that time meant moonlighting at night after my working day as an employee.
As far as clients are concerned though, I simply say my "capacity" depends on the material offered, other projects in hands and other plans in general and that I will make the decision on whether I can meet a deadline for a proposed job on a case by case basis. I also point out to them that as a freelance, I do not consider myself bound to hold to standard office hours, thus I may be available for 12 hours on one particular day, but only for a couple of hours on another day, because I have made other non-work plans.
I do not give volume discounts as a rule and point out to the client that there is little point discounting on a 10,000 word project when I can simply accept several smaller projects being offered to me at the same time as their offer (which is often, but not always the case). I was prepared to make an exception to this rule for a good client, who was bidding for a 110,000 word medical textbook. All has gone quiet on that front though, and I must admit feeling somewhat relieved as I was a bit concerned about having to turn down most other clients for such a long period.
You must remember, though, that I have got to a happy place where I can afford to be bolshie with agencies that try to treat me like an employee, because I have many who value my work enough to put up with my quirks :) You have to decide how far you are willing to compromise.
Thanks very much, WA, yep I am well aware of my position as a beginner, and my sad inability to be bolshie. But you're guidelines are very useful. I can use 2000w/day are my 'average' capacity, but point out that it varies greatly depending on the material.
I might also offer a bit of a volume discount, just to get work. If I start getting work from them, and then start getting more agencies enquiring, I can always start saying no to the newer ones.
But hey, this agency (so far) is not asking for references and other idiotic stuff. Although one never knows how it will proceed.
Seems to me that the HOTD of today, about humours, should read the HOTD about how to write with pics, and the how to write with pics should read about humours -- bet they could come up with one doozy of a hub.
It is indeed puzzling Randy. Maybe my reference to SEO geniuses has tripped a filter?
Ha! It appears that the 's-e-o' is considered a dirty word in HP-land.
Catching a plane tonight. A bit unsettling to hear news about a cyclone up north. Further north than I'm going, thank goodness.
LTM, have a good and safe trip. Hope that cyclone stays further north.
Thanks, Phyllis. I see no advantage to being a backseat driver in a plane, so we'll just roll up at the airport and leave the flying to the experts. However if the flight is cancelled this time around, they'll get no argument from me. :)
lol, Randy. That's what poor internet connection does, it makes you miss posts on your own hub. Certainly not bad news. I am taking my youngest to visit my oldest, now that she's stronger.
She told me a week ago she'd walked on the beach unaided. Can't miss the chance to celebrate. When middle daughter heard we were going, she said she'd meet us at the airport when we land. We'll go to her place first (in the opposite direction) and then drive together to surprise their sister and go for a beach walk. How brilliant is that going to be???
I just hoped she hasn't become too full of confidence and terminated her carer before we get there because she still can't see, and I'm planning to come home within a week. :)
Sounds like the best walk on the beach ever. :)
This is awesome, LTM, for all of you to gather together. What a nice surprise this will be and fun for all. Enjoy your time with your loved ones.
Hi, S&F. I'll be looking out for the nice staff members at the airport who helped me get to my daughter last time. Might even take their photos and write a hub about how kind they were. :)
Thanks, Phyllis.
Took my eldest cat, Merlin, for his last visit to the vet this afternoon. He was nearly 20. It hurts.
Sorry to hear that WA. It must be very painful. 20 is an impressive age for a cat.
WA, sorry to hear about you beloved little Merlin. He must have given you a lot of love and good memories. My little Pom, Marvin, is 13 years old and I enjoy every minute with him. He is spoiled, but so very affectionate and a good little guy. Hope this time of healing brings many good memories back to comfort you.
Sorry for you loss WA, that's just a really sucky moment. Ive been there twice my self. Never ever gets easy.
Congrats LTM on HOTD
Ahh it really is one of our own with an HOTD today! Congrats WA. Never heard of silkie chickens before, they look lovely!
I'm really sorry to hear about your cat, WA. When your pets have become part of the family it's awful when they're gone. Twenty years is a good age though and bears testament to the great care and good life he obviously enjoyed.
Sorry I meant to say, congrats LTM! And well done Hollie for being shortlisted for an interview.
I don't know if I mentioned that last month I became a co-admin of a fractal group on DA? It is hard work, believe me!
Thanks aa, I'm now pretty chuffed with the application I put forward! Congrats LTM, didn't read all the posts so missed your celebrations.
I think you did aa, but I've really not been around so much. Congrats. I'm not surprised, however, because they kept voting your fractals highly. That doesn't surprise me either. :)
Bugger, QT's on, missed it the last couple of weeks. I wonder which grumpy old sod they'll wheel out this week?
Rather enjoying the Maria Miller dissection on QT right now. 'damaged public trust'....I don't think so, you have to have some trust to start with for it to be damaged.
Exactly. And also, I think the fact that only Labour MPs were imprisoned needs further exploration! Why so? Surely if the CJ was working as it should, then offenders from each party should have faced the courts.
I'm really not fond of the suggestion that MPs should be tried by media, however. The audience seem keen on that idea. Can you imagine; trial by the Sun?
There's nothing wrong with being a slacker from time to time, Randy, 'tis good for the soul (and the foot) ! :)
Just an update: My dad seems to be doing OK for now. They have him scheduled for three dialysis a week. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday's. We are going to go visit him this Sunday. They live 2 hours away.
Here is an update on the girl that I am mentoring and that I have been an adult friend of since she was 12. Her story I once had on here but have moved it and is on Bubblews too. This link to the first chapter is in this link below. So are other links. http://www.bubblews.com/news/2941497-update-on-the...
I think it is because you are such a good storyteller that we are all anxiously awaiting your next tale. Sounds good - Yes?
"Tell me the tale I delighted to hear ... long, long ago ... long ago ... " that is from a very old song I used to sing as a lullaby to my babies ... long long ago.
Purveyor has flooded me with 30k words that he wants written. That would actually pay the rent, and the council tax, but I feel rather squashed the weight of it all.
And I'm procrastinating about sorting out gecko sitting for when I go to the UAE. 4 days to go!
So I have been avoiding it all, fractalling like crazy and generally spending my time on deviant art. But if anybody wants to be poisonous here, I'll be pleased to join in.
I switched to HP Amazon again on the 8th. I'm very annoyed with the reporting delays, but I sold 4 items the day after joining, so perhaps the glitch is not active this time? I can't understand how the counter delays happen. I guess it means they are still 'testing' uglifying our hubs with the 'related hubs', but I can't figure out why that would stop them pushing the views data to our accounts?
I'm back, Randy! Don't feel lonely. I have been amusing myself by taking a test to see if I'm clever enough to work for M15 and apparently I am. I scored 7 out of 8 in their first assessment and, apparently, I should consider applying for one of their intelligence officer roles. Lol.
Here's the test if you fancy having a bash. www.mi5.gov.uk/careers/investigative-challenge.aspx
Although, if BBC is to be believed British jails are about to be filled with the super rich who put their money in tax havens. You might want to reconsider your previous career!
Not for me, aa. Was just amusing myself. I've also just passed the listening exercise (eavesdropping, which they say is legally obtained information. Lol) I find that hilarious because they do not need permission from the courts or any kind of warrant to eavesdrop, so the description seems a bit off!
I doubt the super rich will end up in a NW prison. If they were to be convicted I'm pretty sure they'd be placed in some nice open prison in the countryside, taking art lessons and making wicker baskets.
Indeed Randy, at least I am! Lucky thing, enjoy your dip and have a fuzzy naval on me. :)
Howdy Randy, I'm just checking in...got an email from HP moderator named Marina the other day, I was VERY impressed to have got a personal message about some issues with a name attached to it.
See, one day I made slightly over $850 on ebay...I sold some damned expensive guitars, but then the person returned a few of them....and since the program's sales and earnings reports are very confusing, she took the time to write me and explain what happened. Still did well though, just not $850 well.
Well in a few days' time I shall be with lovely family, who apparently live in a community with a pool that gets cleaned by other people (hopefully the other inhabitants don't use the pool. In the last place they lived there was a pool on the roof, and it was basically deserted most of the time so it was almost private for me.
I just wish I didn't have to do all the gecko sitting arranging, cleaning, and packing to get there, not to mention the whole long trip. Where is beaming technology when you need it?
I never get adsense clicks. Only way I make anything here is ebay with guitars. Think I sold a lot of baseball cards one day, and maybe an electric drill....other than that, I only ever do good business here with guitars and ebay. Page impressions with HP ad program only give me about $2 dollars per day, 'nuff to buy Ramen and a can of clams ....
It's Sunday afternoon here, and Amazon reports from Thursday are pending. Not Amazon's fault either cause they updated their reports from yesterday. Not exactly confidence inspiring......
Hey all. My daughter's house is filled with laughter. I can hear #1 all the way downstairs. I couldn't have believed she'd be roaring with laughter again. Just wonderful.
I missed the walk on the beach today. Had to stay up on firm ground and watch the girls on the sand. I fell through a rotten board on an external deck the evening I arrived (before even getting to #1's house) and ended up in hospital with a leg injury.
Fortunately my middle and youngest were with me and able to rescue me. Swelling and bruising makes my leg look like 'a train wreck'. Couldn't lay my hands on any mobicosa so I've been forced to endure the pain and swelling.
Took me until today to finally get to my daughter's house and I've cut the visit short and booked a plane home tomorrow night, so I won't be spending much time celebrating. It is enough, however, to see her walking - actually walking! - and hear her laughing. She had the energy to join us for dinner in a restaurant after her beach walk, and then chat for hours.
Hard to believe. It has been only a few weeks. I don't know which of the many natural treatments can be credited with the improvement, but something is working so I'm encouraging her to just keep on with everything.
I have to go home though and get some mobicosa on my leg. Daughter's bottle is empty and the local stores are sold out. If I could think of anything else that could match it for reducing swelling I'd give it a go, but the ice and anti-inflammatories are just not helping. This could be the most expensive bottle of mobicosa ever, once you add the plane fare.
I see I received hotd. In hospital so I missed it. Wish they'd let me know in advance. There's a couple of typos I've been meaning to fix in it. Nice to be chosen again though. I am not complaining. :)
LTM, sorry about your leg, but the part about your daughter made this the most awesome post ever. I'm thrilled for her and the rest of your family. Wonderful! :)
Thanks, S&F. It is 1am local time and I just reached home. My husband met us at the airport with a bottle of the magic cream and my knee is already feeling less pressure. Phew.
One night and one day with my daughter convinced me that she is well enough to let go of the fulltime carer. She'll need some part time help, but has earned her independence!
From where I'm sitting, all is good with the world. :)
I have just noticed that two of the hubs nominated for this week's rising star award (in auto) have comments on them from me. I liked them both.
I also noticed another hub has dreadful spelling mistakes like 'to' when it should be 'too', and 'forth' instead of 'fourth'. Also surprises me (but perhaps it shouldn't) that another of the rising star hubs has unattributed photos.
I'm voting for Wicked Campers because I'd like to encourage new hubbers to write with humour (correct spelling for some of us, lol), use original photos, and create hubs that are different to the norm.
Anyone else voting? And if so, which one are you choosing?
Well, I feel like generally messing around today. Light-hearted stuff only. Bubblews is a mess, as usual. Tired of that. I'd felt inspired about making some money there today; I guess it is not to be. My HP traffic has improved, still nothing to write home about though.
Hi, all. Nice to see conversation on here picking up again. Like you say Randy, "she go up, she go down." I am doing much better, not impressed with the weather, Jason had a rough time fishing this past Saturday and he looks forward to it all year. I dont do that sort of stuff. He does though. lol. The weather is Windy today with some damage to trees and a few barn roofs. Then tomorrow more snow. God! When will it end? lol
I hope everyone is doing as well as they can.
Haven't posted in the forums in 2 weeks. Just dropped by there again now. Still nothing even remotely enticing.
Flying to the UAE tomorrow. Have been pounding the pavements of North London buying Polish food to take with me.
I agreed to do this short translation, despite the flying tomorrow, and she sent me a package for a translation software (trados)! She didn't say anything about that! Ok so I have it on my puter but props today is not the best way to learn how to use it. And she didn't send any translation memories with it so really I don't see what use it is.
Only 600 words, but what with the packing and cleaning and going to Gatwick at the crack of dawn tomorrow I am a bit stressed.
Great news about your daughter, and hope your knee recovers fast, LTM.
Aa, using a CAT tool in a non-power user way does not take too much learning. BTW, I've moved to MemoQ, far nicer! Have fun and enjoy the warmth in UAE.
I'm a bit inundated with work at the mo and also trying to do the 5x50 challenge. That involves either travelling 5K per day under own steam (walk, run, cycle) or doing 30 minutes of any other type of exercise for 50 consecutive days. It's Day 17 today and I am shattered as well as hungrier than I have been for a long time. I have lost 17 lbs since the start of the year and BMI is no longer in the obese range. Also trying to keep up the harp playing and was pleased when my very strict teacher said I had played my designated Grossi study well enough to graduate from nursery rhymes to starting work on a collection of simple Baroque music :)
17 pounds since start of the year sounds great!. I think I lost 5 kg in the past year. According to my expensive step meter I did more than 15k steps and more than 10 km today. I should be shopping for Polish food everyday (except eating the food might create problems).
I always felt thought that you were well beyond nursery rhymes with harp playing, but at any rate, congratulations!
Congratulations to you both, aa and WA. I'm glad I do not have to contemplate losing weight because it would probably never happen. I just love food to much!
aa, I always work on the knife edge because the stress spurs me into action. I leave everything 'till the last minute! Have a great time with your parents and a well deserved break :)
My last comment has been gobbled by Randy's filter, so, in a nutshell, congrats aa and WA and have a great time in Dubai! :)
My latest CW endeavor. http://www.bubblews.com/news/3004056-the-car-would... And HP traffic has seemed to stabilized at a new, but lower level. Oh, well. CPM still ok.
Travel safe, aa lite.
No problem, Randy! I know you don't censor :) Great news about your daughter, LTM. I hadn't read all the comments yesterday but I have now. You must be very relieved!!
Had a lovely evening with my mum, she made tea ( vegetarian to boot!) and we rifled through old photographs. I was such an ugly kid, it's embarrassing and my sister had the worst haircut I have ever seen on an eight year old!
When I say 'went for tea' I'm referring to an evening meal, Randy. The rest of the country calls it dinner, us Mancunians call it tea. Dinner to us, is lunch. I know, it's confusing! Lol!
Randy, your filter has just gobbled my last comment again :)
People call it tea in other parts of the UK too, Hollie. Whenever I hear people say "tea" for an evening meal, I always assume it means they are eating really early, somewhere around 5-7.30 pm. When I hear "dinner", I assume the meal is eaten around 7.30-9 pm. From that point of view, I tend to eat dinner most days! Of course, my assumptions are probably completely wrong!
We call it lunchthen dinner up here. Randy.
I cant believe the HOTD found copyright free images like the ones used. That and the attribution is a bit wrong. Just cause you say where it came from does not mean you have permission to use it.
Sometimes I wonder if anyone is even flying this boat.
That is the problem in a content mill, you fill content for a better database. You don't really worry much about what that content is. I dont regret leaving this crap behind. I would rather talk about real life and fun stuff here then leave all the HP drama behind. Not my cup of noon tea, lol. I actually had a cup of tea today, just not at noon.
I honestly believed that tea was a northern expression, WA. When I lived in north Wales I used to say I was having dinner at lunchtime and my co-workers gave me a blank expression! The only time I usually refer to an evening meal as dinner is when I eat in a restaurant. Food anytime after 7pm is supper to me.
I suppose the expression might not have transferred, Randy, because it's informal- possibly anyway.
The most interesting part of that Hollie is that we here in the north of the US say dinner as lunch or a formal supper. Much the same way you say it. This may reflect immigration patterns and integration with other societies, the 'pot got mixed" as our country migrated South and West. This led to the newer uses of some of the northern words.
Fascinating stuff none the less.
Us northerners need to stick together, Eppie. We share language on more than one level. Having said that, language often changes from one generation to the next though, doesn't it. And also accents, my mother pronounces certain words differently from me and my son and daughter pronounce certain words differently to either us. Although we're all Mancunians. Odd.
I love immigration and history. Their again, an example. When people from opposing cultures or cultures integrating into one another, work together or stick together, the political opposition forces can not derail the integration of the incoming culture. Immigration leads to booms in new industry, jobs, economic strides, and scientific advancements on every front. The unfortunate side is that often times the host culture is lost to the new mixed culture or, in the case of dominate invasion, the invading culture is overwhelming.
Sticking together is important. We here in the north US owe a lot to England, and greater Europe. While those in the south owe a great deal to the South American influences that shaped their culture.
lol, now im just talking and talking, told you this is my cup of tea.
For whatever its worth to anyone happy easter.
I am not feeling too festive this year but hey, I can be nice.
It's a very grey and misty Easter so far here in South Wales. Yesterday was fabulous, clear and sunny. I did get a bit of a shock though when I decided on shorts and vest for the Parkrun on the basis of all that sun. I left the house at 7.30 am, thought it a bit nippy, then the car told me outside temperature was only 5 degrees C (41 F)!
Around 35 C here. I forgot sunscreen lotion when I went swimming this morning, and am awaiting skin peelings etc. but so far it seems fine.
Just had semi traditional Polish fermented flour soup (made out of Knorr powder but actually pretty good). Vaguely contemplating going to the beach later today.
Had a tear full and amazing sunrise service. Feeling cleansed again, lol. Visited the cemetery for a tearful hello to someone I miss terrible. Now resting before the big dinner. Ham, sweat potatoes, macaroni and cheese, pie...oh I can not Waite!
How's your foot, Randy?
I'm pleased to have full movement back and the dark bruising faded quite quickly. Still more swollen than I would like but just a dull pain when I bump it instead of the intense pain I had before.
It certainly makes a significant difference if I use the gel at the time of an injury, instead of waiting days for swelling to take hold. I've been taking a couple of the capsules each day as well, to speed things up.
Made a mental note to carry a bottle of gel every time I travel ... lol.
lol. 5 C for WA and 35 for aa lite. Hard to believe we all live on the same planet. :)
T-shirt weather here during the day, but the fire is burning at night. Won't be long until our frosts set in.
Randy, Glad to hear your foot is healing. That was a tense few days when we first heard.
LTM, I always interested in the flip of seasons from here to where you are. Its such an amazing thing. Our April means new flowers, and the last push of school. Then our September is the new school year, and the first frosts.
This morning I actually had the privilege of hearing a pastor talk about the physical acts in the last moments of Jesus. The flesh tearing away and suffocation on the crucifix. This is only the second honest telling I have ever heard. Its nice not to be treated like a child in church.
Happy Easter Everyone!!
Can't have been much fun for any kids who actually were in your church at the time, eppie. Sounds like nightmare material.
Ya, and Im getting sick. So I needed a walk in the old cemetery to clear my head later. Truth is great but your right about the kids. It was pretty gory.
21 hours since updating the stats is stretching the friendship.
lol. It irks me when I make changes and then have no way of monitoring if there's any immediate reflection in stats. Perhaps I should be more disciplined about when I make changes ... but I still can't get my head around when that 'best time' might be. :)
Hello, all. Well, this forum thread has certainly been entertaining: http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/121427 . Twice I almost joined in, but sanity came to my rescue just in time each time. lol
And this forum thread has been highly illuminating: http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/121449 . I almost posted there, but decided to get paid for it at http://www.bubblews.com/news/3076542-doom-and-gloo... instead.
Meanwhile, I've been getting productive things done all over the place the last three days. I fully expect the trend to continue.
any muckrakers here want to stir up trouble in this thread
it's about to get ugly.
That hub looks like a good referral-income, money-maker; but I'll pass. :D
I wonder who irmisol really is?
He's probably made enough posts that I could figure it out now, but I'd rather spend that time creating another Bubblews 50-cent masterpiece. lol
What an absolute bloody scoundrel this person is!! He is purely and unashamedly using other people's fear and desperation to market his book and make money. And, we only have his word that he's actually overcome stage 4 cancer with his magic tincture and butter bloody sandwich. What a complete bastard!
Loved the way he quoted a scientist in the thread but no links to the study!
HollieT. No, seriously. What do you really think? :D
Randy. I'm off to catch up on the thread. Has anybody here thanked "k" yet? :D
Well, while Hubber Land is disembowelling Kelley E., I just spent the time ripping Yahoo a new one. Yep, on Bubblews. Nope, not posting the link; spam quota already reached for the day.
Thanks, K, wouldn't have noticed him otherwise.
I came here first Randy, then went to the thread and his profile. I was completely stunned, at least most other quacks just target minor illnesses but to put out that kind of garbage to the families of victims of cancer and the victims themselves, in order to generate money for his shitty book... well, that takes a certain type of person!
Yes, PDS, it has been said before that I'm rather cagey and should just say what I mean. :)
I followed the link cfin posted to Godlike Productions and someone in that thread called the the butter sandwich guy a "lying scam artist c**t." 'Bout sums it up, I guess.
Absolutely, S&F. Even in the comments of his hub, where people seem desperate and are looking for some kind of miracle/advise/hope? He gives silly answers and then says his book is available at a particular price for a limited period. What an absolute sleeze bag!
I wonder what the Federal Trade Commission and Health & Human Services would think about all this...
I've no idea but am not ashamed to say that I've flagged him to HP. I pointed out that he is using this platform to promote his book which gives false hope and makes unsubstantiated claims about how he can cure stage 4 cancer with a tincture and a sandwich, in just a couple of weeks!!
My guess is that somebody on that thread has already dropped the FTC and HHS a note.
On a cheerier, post Happy Easter greeting, I'd like to leave you with this link featuring bizarre historical photos. They're weird, hopeful and sad at the same time. http://luxemodo.com/40-bizarre-historical-photos/
Those were good pics!
I do not know where you all have been but William Kelley Eidem's article has been there for years and you all are just getting privy to it???
Kelly starting that thread was the equivalent of throwing a steak into a piranha tank. Those forums are becoming one tough town. And ditto the dtr thread.
Okay, you can dump on Eidem's hub all you like ... until you get cancer. Then when you start crying for a cure, I'll tell you how chillies may well be largely responsible for curing my husband's brain tumour.
It's not the only ingredient in his diet while we battled his cancer, but it was a very big one. Did it cure him? Don't know. Can't prove it. But I certainly recommend eating hot peppers to anyone who gets cancer.
I think his hub is great. It would be a huge disservice to people who can benefit from it if hp was stupid enough to take it down.
Funny how your perspective changes with experience. :)
Ok, it's official. The P.O.'s are on both sides of the issue. Thus, the P.O.'s can't be accused of ganging up on anyone. :)
lol. Most of my friends think I must be wrong about herbal medicine, until they are really sick. Including some with end-stage cancer ....
Personally I think if that hub has to come down, so should anything about chemotherapy. More people die after chemo than those who live. :)
Oh, Hollie. I just saw you flagged that hub. I'm so sad I could cry.
Can you prove it doesn't work? If not, you really should have stayed out of it. I have helped friends with end stage cancer regain health, and one of the key things I recommended to them was chillies.
Randy, there has to be discussion of serious illnesses on hp and everywhere else. I can't tell you how many hours I spent searching on the internet when I was trying to prevent my daughter from dying and mainstream medicine had nothing to offer.
I am extremely grateful for the information and suggestions I gleaned from the internet - all of them 'alternative' and seemingly radical. As you know, she's still alive and she no longer needs a fulltime carer.
And do you know what one of my driving forces was? The knowledge that something as simple as chillies can help overcome cancer. I was determined to find the chilli equivalent that could help her savage MS.
Won't mention what we think is making the significant difference - so quickly and effectively - because I can't prove it and don't want to give false hope - but the ingredients are available in a good grocery store.
If I am fortunate enough that she is restored to full health, I will certainly write about it online in the hope that it helps other desperate people.
Please don't encourage shutting down health conversations. We can't rely on doctors to have all the answers.
Well, I'm sorry LTM but I'm not sad that I've flagged it. Before my sister's kidneys failed she read an article in some magazine about cleansing her system (and kidneys) by committing to a diet of grape juice, water and eating only vegetables. The article targeted people like her who'd previously had kidney problems (and a biopsy) and were told that dialysis was a distinct possibility in the future. Consequently, and as her health deteriorated, she just consumed more grape juice and veges instead of seeing her doctor. The medical profession could not have prevented her kidneys from failing but they could have started her on dialysis before she was almost poisoned to death. If we had not insisted that she saw her doctor and stopped taking the advice of this quack, she'd be dead now!! So yes, we all have experiences, you are not alone there, and they teach us well!
I'm not opposed to herbal/alternative remedies, I use them myself and believe that there's a place for them. I think they can used alongside other forms of treatment where appropriate or when there are no other forms of treatment. I am opposed, however, to quacks like Kelly who make guarantees (in a rather tacky marketing style) such as cure cancer for less than the price of a cup of coffee with the sole intention of making money from his book. He makes guarantees which he is not qualified to make and then number of people who've been 'cured' by his quack remedies is dubious to say the least.
So I'm afraid that I wont stay out of it. I can't prove that his remedies don't work, but I can prove that another idiot making the same kind of claims almost killed a member of my family!
I respect your experience with grape juice and kidneys, Hollie and will store it in mind if I ever hear anyone recommending that. I fail to see however how every alternative treatment method can be tainted by one very specific unrelated incident.
Wouldn't that be a bit like rejecting every doctor and pharmaceutical as a result of the outcome of thalidomide causing birth defects? (Interesting to note as well that thalidomide is still in use for conditions other than pregnancy.)
It was as you say, 'another idiot' who almost killed a member of your family. And a completely different topic. I haven't read the book mentioned on the hub, but I will order it and read it before I make up my mind about the man himself and what he recommends. Chillies however, still receive my vote of confidence - for a reason just as emotionally charged through experience as your experience with the grapes and your sister.
I don't care whether I open a kitchen cupboard or a pill bottle, as long as what I use in a treatment has scientific backing. By backing, I mean a sufficient number of published clinical trials of acceptable design and quality, and preferably at least a couple of meta-analyses of the trial data, showing that the substance is an effective treatment for the condition in question.
The rub, of course, is that clinical trials are hugely expensive, so for the most part can only be sponsored by large, rich pharmaceutical companies. Said companies will obviously only sponsor trials of products that will potentially make them a huge profit. So if, for example, laboratory studies find that cucumber has some amazing effects, this will only get to clinical trial stage if a pharma company decides to produce and trial an expensive cucumber derivative.
Really, the whole structure of clinical trial funding should be changed, perhaps by having a "trial tax" on the profits of big pharma companies, on sales profits from pharmacies, together with government funding. Then trials could include all sorts of substances that have shown promise in laboratory studies. Trouble is, that would have to happen on an international level, so is unlikely to ever happen.
Without the trial data though, any claims or counter-claims are purely anecdotal and cannot be proved or disproved. I do not want the sort of censorship that would stop people talking about their personal experience. However, the prospect of making money will always make the worst scamming scum rise to the surface. There should be a law to make the selling of treatment advice for personal gain a criminal act punishable by extremely heavy fines and a prison sentence. If people were only permitted to publish and distribute such material on a strictly non-profit basis, the scum would quickly fade away.
But if you read my comment again, LTM, you'll notice that I said that I'm not opposed to alternative treatments, I'm saying that this guy claims he CAN CURE cancer at it's most advanced stage.
And it isn't an unrelated incident at all, people with cancer of the kidneys will often end up on dialysis, so whilst my sister didn't have cancer but another illness, there were bound to be other readers who did have cancer and like my sister may had opted for this one treatment as opposed to the other. And may have lost their lives in the process when the alternative may have saved their life.
What is to stop readers of this guy's article who have stage l,ll or lll cancer from abandoning other treatments altogether because they believe that this is a miracle cure? After all, if it cures the most advanced cancers then surely it will cure less progressive ones.
And that's my contention, Randy, the claims he makes. You'll notice that in the forums he simply gives a link to the BBC coverage. And as aa points out it was badly written and misleading. Had he been more honest about the findings and suggested that his formula *might* help, he believes that it helped him but there are no guarantees, then I wouldn't have a problem with it. People can then make a balanced decision based on what they do and don't know. For example, after my son was diagnosed with dyspraxia I read about study involving individuals with similar and the same developmental problems. A sample had been given high dosages of fish oil and a small percentage had shown some improvement in certain areas (memory and co-ordination, I think) But the findings were inconclusive and further research was required. However, based on the honesty of the study I decided to give my son fish oil capsules but was not expecting miracles. He did make a lot of progress around this time, but was also receiving physio and had just started using a playstation (I know, but the hand eye coordination thing) I have no idea whether the fish oil helped, whether the physio helped, or his progress was purely down to maturation. I do know, however, that I was not under any illusions when I doled out the fish oil.
Absolutely, like I said earlier I'm not opposed to natural/alternative remedies at all. Talking about cucumbers, I've been using cucumber oil serum on my scalp (psoriasis) and my son uses it when he has an outbreak of exzema. It's good stuff! However, I wouldn't suggest to someone with serious skin conditions that cucumber oil would cure their condition. I'd suggest that they just tried it, and see what happens.
The storm of the century on HP forums? Who knew. LOL While this whole situation was happening I figured PF would drop a poem or two about intant cures or something, However I was frankly shocked to see this http://hubpages.com/@poeticfailosophy After all this time I wonder why HP all of a sudden yanked him/her off the air? It is truly strange. I wonder how long till he/she returns?
Sorry to throw subject off I just know that despite my problems with the macaroni poet its still off to see a poison cliquer axed like that.
Granted PF was abrasive its still unsettling to see such a solid ban, and with no idea why.
eppie. Thanks for the heads up. I went and deleted the broken link to him on my website. As a side note, I would have sworn he had been here longer than 6 months; darned odd, that.
Yes that is odd para, but thats how this site and life in general are. Odd twists and turns are prone to occur. Perhaps he will rest the goofy profiles and just focus on being a writer and a kinder human. Still though we are all going to miss that one. lol I thought 6 months seemed short my self but hey, it was a busy and crazy 6 tbh. smh, wtf, lol.
Yeah, Randy, I know all about those " wise or witch women ." One tried to get my mother to drink a potion that smelled like turpentine. Obviously mom turned down her offer to solve "the 3 month problem."
Ya, know... My former PF link was one of my higher-traffic posts; I have absolutely no idea why. Contemplating now doing a PP link. PP seems to be doing quite well. Check out the bio and the traffic accolade, http://hubpages.com/@poeticphilosophy . Trying to decide what the heck kind of intro to write for the link.
You bring a great point with the story in that a lot of these witch-women indeed had extraordinary knowledge of nature's ways and herbal-plant combo cures. Guess it was how they used that knowledge, for right or wrong.
One witch-woman that fell foul of some Tenn. folks in the early 18th century was found with a stake through her heart and buried at a crossroads by workers in the 1920s.
In reference to my previous post, I opted for a single hub instead.
And we now return to regularly scheduled programming. :D
Cabbage leaves have been used by women when they have unwanted milk after giving birth, Randy (True) Many herbalists believe that it also has anti biotic and anti inflammatory properties, which may explain the boy's recovery.
Indeed it is, Randy. Although it's true to say that doctors do have a cure for some forms of cancer, in that they can at least shrink or remove them. But not a catch all cure for everyone.
I expect they will, Randy. It's really pretty sad though, given the target audience. He could just be far more honest about the study and the findings, but I expect such honesty would not be conducive to book sales and $55 consultancy fees.
On a lighter note, I have an interview on Thursday! If I'm successful I'm still going to write for my current clients, but I can then save my earnings from my 'new' self employed position. Initially they were advertising for a social worker, I do not have a social work qualification because I qualified after the social work/probation route ceased and became two separate and distinct qualifications. Still working with offenders, YOI's and ex-offenders though, but the role is more about support than supervision, which suits me fine!
I've been out the game for a such a long time though, so I'm really swatting up on current practices, legislation and sentencing. Oh, and buzz words...one must be armed with lots of buzzwords at interviews! Lol!
I've just noticed how many times I said though in two paragraphs...though!
Please, please can I join you in being buzzed?
Wonder how aa is getting on in the heat of Dubai? I frequented Dubai airport once on my way to Sri-Lanka, it's ridiculously bloody expensive. I would love to take a walk round Dubai, the architecture looked stunning as we were landing!
People have to take responsibility for their own decisions, Holly. Fortunately most sick people have loving families to help guide them, just as you helped your sister.
I would hate to see the discussion ended because there are many people who don't have any hope of a positive outcome via mainstream medicine, particularly if their cancer is very advanced.
As I've said to people when I've suggested they might try chillies to help battle their cancer (along with other suggestions I've made), "I don't know if it will work but if you want to try and actively beat the cancer, you could try these things."
If you are dying from cancer, you don't have time to wait for a big pharmaceutical company to patent a product from a source that mother nature makes available.
I've seen success following the introduction of chillies and other simple dietary and lifestyle changes. I don't know which single element makes the greatest difference, and I don't really care. I don't even care if it is the placebo effect. If I was dying, I'd be happy to be healed by the placebo effect, as long as I was healed.
I will obtain his book and read what it says. If I end up agreeing with you that he's shonky, I'll certainly let you know. Meanwhile, I like to think he will continue to be able to raise the issue and discuss the topic with anyone who cares to ask.
, "I don't know if it will work but if you want to try and actively beat the cancer, you could try these things."
And that's absolutely a statement that I would support, LTM! Because we don't know, and there might be something in this. I'm certainly not opposed to alternatives. I'm a hippy without the Afghan coat. Lol! I just don't like the dishonesty, and promising a sick and desperate person a cure without any real evidence of said cure IS dishonest.
You're right, many people have families who will help and guide them when they can, and forgo the fee! But some people don't, and they're desperate. They deserve to be told about the may or may nots, they deserve honesty and the whole picture.
The Dr does not offer the whole picture which irritates me.
I do not post here often, because I am really not a very good conversationalist, but I like reading the posts to keep up with everything -- I enjoy doing this when I take a coffee break. I would be sad to see this group at such odds that it all ended.
The most simple thing to remember when friends disagree is that we each have a right to our own opinions whatever they are based on.
As for Eidem's hub and his profile, he seems too far over the line of promoting his work, which I thought is not allowed on HP. I only read the one hub and saw that all his hubs are about his book and claims -- I must say I agree with Randy on this particular hubber and his claims.
I also agree that many alternative medicines/home remedies do work for some ailments. I have been making my own liniments and other home remedies for years and they do work for me. If I write about them, I include a disclaimer that it may not work for everyone. BTW, does Eidem include a disclaimer in his hubs? I did not notice.
I wrote an article on the Granny Women of the Appalachians and firmly believe that these remarkable women kept many people alive back in the days when doctors were unable to travel deep into the mountainous areas. These 'Grannies' brought their tried and true remedies with them from their ancestors in Scotland, Ireland and other countries in the early days of settlement and passed on their knowledge to younger generations, to a daughter or granddaughter who showed the interest and ability of learning.
In those early days, the Granny Women and the Cherokee people traded knowledge about herbs, bark, roots and other plant parts for healing. The Cherokee are famous for their healing ways with herbs. The key to their healing is that they heal the cause, not the symptoms of a disease.
Okay -- carry on.
BTW - I noticed that most of the people who commented on that hub were 'unidentified persons', not other hubbers. And what does Eidem mean by UCLA? Is that the University of California Los Angeles or his own meaning? And where does he give references/proof to his claims?
I have another note of concern here. Do you know that it took me slightly over a minute to scroll back up to the top of this page to access the news feed? When will HP put a button on the bottom to go "back to top" ? Now another minute or so to get back up there.
We're not falling out, Phyllis. This is a safe place to air your viewpoint without being flagged, reported or banned. Which is why (other than this evening or when something else gets my goat) I usually only post here and not in the forums. :)
That is good to hear, Hollie. As I said, I really like reading all the comments here -- much better than the forums, which are rather boring now days.
We're a civilized group here. Meanwhile, the eyeballs are still rolling across the floor in the aforementioned forum as we speak.
Ya, Phyllis. I have gone three rounds on here with a few good fighters and though bloodied have come out on the other side apologizing and smiling. I just wish I had not burned favors with the hubpages team or I would have a real profile.
Para, as you what you said about PP and PF. I have always played with the thought they were one and the same. But no, were not going through that again. I also often thought writer fox was in that as a persona. That fact substantiated by the sudden disappearance of PF and WF from this thread.
Odd things at all times are what makes this site fun.
I have, totally switching subjects now, been playing with word phrasing my mother used in highly clever way the other day.
She said, 'a few spoonfuls of sugar, and some chocolate does not a good cake make.'
Its not dumb at all, its a very good word play. Not correct, but clever.
Its worth a mention here.
Also, to Hollie, LTM, Alaster, and Randy, I think that was who all was talking about this medical thing. I read recently that cyan pepper releases a certain set of chemicals that can alive nearly all symptoms of arthritis. The amount required would not change the flavor of your food. That is an interesting thing. I just wanted to throw it out there, its worth a mention.
Looks like another fuse has been lit... http://hubpages.com/forum/topic/121484
Sorry I don't have to read the whole 'alternate medicine' comments, I apologise if I say something already mentioned.
Some Big Cheese (possibly Dawkins) said that the only difference between alternate medicine, and established medicine, is that 'alternate' medicine hasn't been tested yet. If it is tested, and shown to work in clinical trials, it is not 'alternative' anymore. The problem is, as WA points out, what goes through clinical trials is highly biased.
The main problem I have with the chilli pepper hub is that it says the cure for terminal cancer is 'easy' and cheap, etc. All you have to do is go to his website, pay him $50 for his book and you will be cured!
I suspect LMT, that if you ever write about your daughter's experience, or your husband's experience, you will word it in quite a different way.
As to HP I think they stopped him linking directly to his website, and that is probably all they will do.
First, as to the whole idea of this new forum thread with the question of a TOS violation, I did find a few entries that may mean a TOS.
1. You may only use Hub Content to which You have the necessary rights, including (but not limited to) intellectual property rights regarding copyright, trademark, and trade secrets
--This author may have violated such when they wrote regarding the medical discoveries of other people, if that occurred.
2. Engage in behavior that is overly promotional, including excessive linking to any one site or domain.
3.Spam to promote Hubs or Profiles, including comment spam, forum spam, spam blogs, email spam, instant message spam, or similar.
4.Publish Hubs or Hub Content that are identical to, substantially similar to, or derived from other Hubs and/or content published elsewhere on the Web. This applies even if You are the owner of that content and/or have the rights to publish that content online.
5.HubPages reserves the right to withhold payment from You if You have, directly or indirectly, engaged in activity that is deceptive or fraudulent in nature, as determined by HubPages in its sole discretion.
Now, I understand that the above are subject to personal interpretation and may all be in fact found to be not violate, however if even 2 are violated that could be grounds for OP to banned from the site.
I'd opt for number 5, the OP is promoting his book and raising money based on deception. But that's just my opinion, fraud and deception are certainly open to interpretation.
Anyway, as I said in the forum I rest my case. Anyone who states that a person with cancer shouldn't bother to consult their doctor because they'll probably cure the cancer by themselves, by mistake, is a quack.
It doesn't take a genius to work out what the $55 consultation is all about!
You are right, aa lite, I would word it in a different way - but I would still suggest trying the chillies. Of course I wouldn't attract the numbers he has so the word wouldn't spread very far, and I wouldn't be prepared to set myself up as a target because I know what people can be like.
I'm just very sad.
Right fellow POs, am preparing for interview and have even decided to pluck eyebrows for the occasion. I was thinking about aa's recent interview and what to wear, thus, I have bought grey suit (pants) from charity shop because I'm not prepared to folk out £100 or so for a job which I may never get. It's very nice (Wallis petite), fits like a glove and conservative without being dowdy. All for £10. I have some black court shoes with a 2 inch heel, a nice white cotton blouse from M&S and a little broach which I'm unsure of because I might come across as too Ena Sharples!
Was also thinking about nice scarf but decided against because I'll probably wrap it all wrong, trip over it and make a fool of myself. (again)
Have decided to wear hair straight (because I'm naturally curly) and don't want to come across as wild (tee hee) Will wear tinted moisturiser on face because I hate foundation, mascara and clear (only semi shiny) lip gloss. And also tiny pearl earings.
Congratulations Hollie! Your clothes sound good (although I'm really useless about clothes).
Funny that you plucked your eyebrows, I've had them professionally threaded today.
I've never plucked mine. Maybe I should try that.
I'm useless with clothes too, aa. Although, I can do conservative and casual, problem is that I can't do the bit in between!
Threading looks painful to me, was it?
I don't normally bother with eyebrows and such. Mine are fairly fine so don't habour a mono brow or anything. However, on closer inspection, they did need a little tidying up :)
It is painful but is faster than plucking, which is also painful. I have to say I dislike somebody doing anything near my eyes more than the pain. Sadly I am genetically predisposed to lots of hair.
LOL para, your funny. I always got the impression you were a man. That and a rather older in age man, not old but at least middle to late middle aged. Perhaps a plucking would be in order but your not Montey Hall. If you were to belong to the rich and elite that may be a good idea but it looks far to feminine on a middle aged man. But if you can pull it off do so. lol
I don't necessarily find plucking that painful. Problem for me is that I have to wear specs to see where I need to pluck, which can be a massive problem as you can imagine!
I'm predisposed to lots of hair but on my head, it's really curly, frizzy and unmanageable. If I get the job they'll see the curly, unmanageable side of me later. Achieving straight, normal hair is a mammoth task for me. I usually pass :)
lol, eww. no offense, just eww. lol
Anyone that wants a good emotional song. Here it is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Cp6mKbRTQY
That is just fantastic. The message is interesting in itself, and the video is powerful.
I see a certain forum thread has escalated to the point of nuclear detonations here and there. Moderators circling...
They'll have to finish their popcorn first. lol
Meanwhile, looks like HP has essentially put the dtr thread to bed. I wonder what that new update is going to bring?
New update?, I vote money giveaways. Just saying.
Maybe they'll take away the Related Searches.
Seriously, good odds it will play catchup later. Leastwise, I've seen that happen to me a couple times.
Ahhh a bikini wax that's a completely different level of pain! I must say that forum thread is beginning to annoy me, especially with all the talk about 'science', and its many problems.
I did find Mr.fox's contribution very fun. Google is sending traffic, therefore the medical advice has to be right!
At the risk of awaking Hollie's (our very own Green Eyed Monster, LOL) ire, I'd like to report that the old trick of switching stuff (HP Amazon program) off then on again, seems to have worked. I'm now getting pretty good Amazon sales from the HP program (touch wood!).
I received an Amazon dollar cheque recently and have used Auctionchex to bank it here. It only cost me £1.50 fee (regardless of the sum or the number of cheques) plus postage to send the cheque in. Today, I received a cheque in £. Were I to have a lot of cheques to process (I wish!), I could have paid £3.50 to set up a bank transfer. After that, there would be no fees to pay at all. My bank would have charged a percentage, but minimum £10 to accept the US cheque!
I wish I had looked into things like that when I was paying in Amazon cheques. I lost about $25 from the last cheque (of around $300) that I cashed in my bank. I've probably lost $75-100 by now from Amazon earnings.
Still the HP program seems to be working normally now so I guess I wills tick with it.
My parents' have arranged for a cleaning company to send ppl to clean the flat a couple of times a week. They are coming later today for the first time. My mother and I have been tidying for hours, to prepare the flat for the cleaners!