Journal Entries
Low Day
Posted Sep 23, 2010
I'm a long way from home and today my daughter told me that she has had a miscarriage. Everyone in the family and friends knew she was pregnant and had started talking about the birth and making plans, even though it was very early in the pregnancy.
I'm just feeling a bit sad and lonely at the moment. I can't give her a hug but I have sent her a message telling her I love her, but I feel a bit useless.
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Latest reply: Sep 23, 2010
Cheese jokes
Posted Jul 7, 2010
I've heard a few recently and wondered if anyone out there had any to add
Here goes a couple:
Q What cheese is used to disguise a small horse?
A Mascarpone
Q What cheese do you use to lure Goldilox's three friends from the woods?
A Camembert!
Tip: say it out loud while holding a teddy and ask someone else to tell you what you said
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Latest reply: Jul 7, 2010
Visa, a promising sign
Posted Jul 6, 2010
I had an email from Oz today saying that someone has been allocated the case file for the visa application. I'm taking this as a "good thing" and hope that there will be more concrete news in the near future. Though I did hear that Sydney is colder now than it has been for more than 60 years! -4C someone told me.
I may have to get a thicker bikini...
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Latest reply: Jul 6, 2010
Swoopo! What a con, but cleverly done.
Posted May 27, 2010
Have you seen this auction site? Everything goes for a fraction of its true value, but there is a catch. What looks like a great offer is marred by the fact that you have to pay for your bids.
On some items the price goes up by 1p per bid - which initially seems great for bidders as the final selling price tends to be very low - however as you have to pay 50p per bid what appears to be a low price has in fact raked in a fortune for the company. It is in effect some sort of gambling machine which encourages people to throw their money away.
Imagine they have a computer for sale valued at £1000. They even say if you want to you can buy it now for £1,000.
They start the bidding at 1p so someone pays 50p for the first bid.
Someone else, seeing a computer for 1p bids again so it goes to 2p. The company has actually received 50p twice, once for each bid.
When the item for sale approaches the deadline for the auction people see that it is still only going for, say, £20.00 (that is 2,000 1p bids at 50p each!) so they think they will snipe at the very end, but the company has thought of that and so every new bid at the ends adds another 10 seconds bidding time. So there is a bidding frenzy and the price may go up to £50.00 which still seems like a massive bargain - except the company has received 5,000 penny bids costing 50p each. The bargain has cost the bidders £2,500 among them.
The psychology is the same as the person who thinks just one more coin in the gambling machine could bring the jackpot. "If my bid is the last I may get the prize! (presses BID button and spends another 50p) D'oh some swine has just bid after me and there's only 10 seconds to go, I'll bid again..."
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Latest reply: May 27, 2010
What will I need in Australia?
Posted May 27, 2010
So, I have got a job offer in Australia. Apart from the hat with the corks hanging off it, which I believe is no longer compulsory, what else will I need?
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Latest reply: May 27, 2010
Vestboy
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