What has life taught you?

[Finnegan]

All I have to say about that is that a 32 inch TV is hardly large!

Exactly, because by and large, he's pretty much right. As someone who's been on housing and JSA, I can clarify it was a pittance (not that I ever expected more) and I had no leisure money at all after rent, bills and food had been paid for.

I did know a lad with tax credits and child benefits who was pretty flush, he topped up by buying and selling gold and made more off that than you would off JSA in a month.

But for a single person, without dependants, on benefits? Skint doesn't begin to cover it. Keep in mind that dickheads like Lamby are bankrolled by mommy and daddy and live at home.

As for work programs for jobseekers claimants, I'm not having this argument for the millionth time. Especially given I've first hand experience working with kids on these schemes and, frankly, most of the people I've had rows over this with don't have a ****ing clue what they're talking about.

It's slave labour, it kills aspiration it doesn't inspire it, it doesn't do anything for your CV, it does nothing for your self esteem (which is exactly what a vast quantity of the unemployed need.)

Plus, if you want to start having jobseekers do public services for below minimum wage then you take the jobs off of currently employed workers for whom litterpicking, graffiti removal etc are jobs. You put these people on benefits and you repeat the cycle!

[Rincewind]

Well I know nothing because I have experienced it. Only those making the policies know what it is like.

[Captain...]

I don't know. Perhaps I'm wrong.

 

I'm frustrated that so many claim to really want a job... and that even a non-expert like me can see fairly straightforward jobs that need doing.

 

Take the graffiti as an example - it might not be the perfect example, but when we see graffiti which can be cleaned off spoiling the urban environment and then hear people saying they really want a job, I link the two.

 

Its frustrating that so many liberals insist that its not right that society insists these people who are being paid to do NOTHING, instead do these jobs? I just don't get the mentality that its ok to be paid to do nothing, but its not ok to make them work for their money, like everyone who has a job (which these people then claim they want) have to do?

 

There is a disconnect somewhere and that is very wrong.

 

If you refer back to the thread on this, most people have no real issue with people working and doing shit jobs to give back to society that is paying their way, as long as it is done properly, not open to exploitation, as the recent government work scheme was, not making people already doing these jobs redundant and exacerbating the problem, and if they are paid a fair rate. I also put the caveat in that volunteer work in the voluntary sector would count towards it and any work experience in the public sector or training schemes would also count towards the total hours. The aim should be to get people's skill set up, and make them employable not just to satisfy the bitterness of some people that they are getting something for nothing.

 

The Job Centre is shit at the moment and is just a pointless box ticking exercise, with employees rewarded for getting people sanctioned as much as getting them work.

[WhatsHisName]

Take everything that you read on the net with a pinch of salt

[The Doctor]

Envy is a sin.

 

You ever read the bible? Everything's a sin - wearing a cotton blend shirt is enough to get you a one-way ticket to a fiery pit. So saying envy is a sin really doesn't matter - wanting to take the money is a sin, wanting to keep the money is a sin, not giving a shit where the money goes is a sin, giving a shit where the money goes is a sin. You're ****ed every which way.

[Rincewind]

You ever read the bible? Everything's a sin - wearing a cotton blend shirt is enough to get you a one-way ticket to a fiery pit. So saying envy is a sin really doesn't matter - wanting to take the money is a sin, wanting to keep the money is a sin, not giving a shit where the money goes is a sin, giving a shit where the money goes is a sin. You're ****ed every which way.

Selfishness

 

?

[Rincewind]

Never ever take anyone on Foxestalk seriously. If you cannot laugh with them laugh at them.

 

 

Must be worth a plus.

[Captain...]

That honesty is the best policy, no matter how hard it is.

[Zingari]

Exactly, because by and large, he's pretty much right. As someone who's been on housing and JSA, I can clarify it was a pittance (not that I ever expected more) and I had no leisure money at all after rent, bills and food had been paid for.

I did know a lad with tax credits and child benefits who was pretty flush, he topped up by buying and selling gold and made more off that than you would off JSA in a month.

But for a single person, without dependants, on benefits? Skint doesn't begin to cover it. Keep in mind that dickheads like Lamby are bankrolled by mommy and daddy and live at home.

As for work programs for jobseekers claimants, I'm not having this argument for the millionth time. Especially given I've first hand experience working with kids on these schemes and, frankly, most of the people I've had rows over this with don't have a ****ing clue what they're talking about.

It's slave labour, it kills aspiration it doesn't inspire it, it doesn't do anything for your CV, it does nothing for your self esteem (which is exactly what a vast quantity of the unemployed need.)

Plus, if you want to start having jobseekers do public services for below minimum wage then you take the jobs off of currently employed workers for whom litterpicking, graffiti removal etc are jobs. You put these people on benefits and you repeat the cycle!

 

Spot on .

An ounce of life experience of the actual realities of the situation is worth a ton of self righteous preaching and bullshit propaganda. 

[Vlad the Fox]

Don't go bed with an itchy bum otherwise you'll wake up with smelly fingers.

[Alf Bentley]

Don't go bed with an itchy bum otherwise you'll wake up with smelly fingers.

 

Depends who the itchy bum is, surely? He/she may be perfectly clean and just have a skin problem....and you can always stay on your side of the bed...

[Parafox]

Jeez, are we back on topic now>

[Zingari]

Contrary to poular myth , good looks and physical attraction DOES matter.

It helps in many ways to be more attractive and not just to get more sex.

[Vacamion]

Contrary to poular myth , good looks and physical attraction DOES matter.

It helps in many ways to be more attractive and not just to get more sex.

Is this imparted with seething bitterness and regret or is it a double humblebrag?

[Rincewind]

Well it's true in some ways. Who's going to employ an ugly bird or bloke to meet and greet business clients or the general public. Looks should not matter but human nature is not like that

[Zingari]

Is this imparted with seething bitterness and regret or is it a double humblebrag?

   Neither really . 

 

i just keep hearing that looks are unimportant etc but my experiences tell me better looking people are more popular , make more friends , get on better in the workplace given similar abilities and personal attributes

Obviously you won't get by on looks alone ( except modelling etc), but I think it gives a person a distinct edge in life.

 

I  guess what I'm saying is that we aren't just judged on our ability and neither do we  just judge on ability . I think we subconsciously favour more attractive people, even if we aren't trying to bed them .  

[Webbo]

   Neither really . 

 

i just keep hearing that looks are unimportant etc but my experiences tell me better looking people are more popular , make more friends , get on better in the workplace given similar abilities and personal attributes

Obviously you won't get by on looks alone ( except modelling etc), but I think it gives a person a distinct edge in life.

 

I  guess what I'm saying is that we aren't just judged on our ability and neither do we  just judge on ability . I think we subconsciously favour more attractive people, even if we aren't trying to bed them .  

I depends how you judge attractiveness. Some people who people think of as good looking when you study them are nothing special, it's just that they have a self confident aura about them. It could be that that self confidence that makes them get on better in life.

[Vacamion]

I depends how you judge attractiveness. Some people who people think of as good looking when you study them are nothing special, it's just that they have a self confident aura about them. It could be that that self confidence that makes them get on better in life.

 

I agree.

 

We all know from personal experience that some days we are (compared with other days) looking better than normal and we think "Hell yeah" and go out into the world with a spring in our step and positivity in our souls.  Look better, feel better, react better.

 

That's why (usually American) self help courses tell you to keep reminding yourself of the positives, because a positive person is more attractive to others than a negative one, and will probably reap the rewards.

[Zingari]

I depends how you judge attractiveness. Some people who people think of as good looking when you study them are nothing special, it's just that they have a self confident aura about them. It could be that that self confidence that makes them get on better in life.

You could be right about that , and I don't really like admitting it but I'm sure I've favoured people merely on looks.

 

I'm sure I jump to the opinion that better looking people are more intelligent too. Somehow I seem to give them a head start in my opinions. Not so attractive people seem to have to earn it more.I doubt their abilities more etc 

I always think fatter people are more stupid , even though i've been wrong about them  hundreds of times. 

 

Maybe it's just me that's very shallow   

[Stadt]

You could be right about that , and I don't really like admitting it but I'm sure I've favoured people merely on looks.

I'm sure I jump to the opinion that better looking people are more intelligent too. Somehow I seem to give them a head start in my opinions. Not so attractive people seem to have to earn it more.I doubt their abilities more etc

I always think fatter people are more stupid , even though i've been wrong about them hundreds of times.

Maybe it's just me that's very shallow

Most people are shallow, they just rarely admit it

[Zingari]

Most people are shallow, they just rarely admit it

I know , it's just my way of putting the message across .

[Rincewind]

I won't go into details but I've had a skin/tissue problem since birth. It is not contagious but not pretty to look at. I've had fimgers pointed at me from toddlers. Oooh look at that man mummy.' I have tried to go through life that thinking it did not matter. Well it did to others .The majority of  people though have been fine but in certain situations (around food) it is understandable that others would have concerns.

I was asked once by a young woman what it was. She explained that she was a student nurse so I was happy to give her details. It is a rare condition that even I knew little about for years..

Girls have been OK with it. Mostly platonic relationships though. Females were more likely to see me as I was than blokes strangely enough.

I have always accepted it as part of my make up which might go some way to explaining my defense of some disadvantaged people.

If I was an Adonis type who knows I might have the same opinions as Moosebreath.

[Zingari]

Do you often feel you've been judged more on looks than ability Ken ?

 

It seems pretty obvious looks will enter into the equation in the affairs of the heart but that's not really what i'm talking about.

 

The point I'm trying to make is, however we may try to convince ourselves otherwise ,  I maintain we give an advantage to those we consider attractive .It's not just a sexual thing , it just seems to me that we are more  harsh when judging fatter , skinnier , short arsey, weedier uglier looking people than we are when we judge more attractive ones. 

 

And I don't care how many American self esteem building courses are undertaken , we'll still ( sub conciously) favour the attractive ones over the less so.

[MooseBreath]

I don't think it's how good looking you are naturally but more to do with how well turned out you are. Not many of the senior partners or board-level management at my place would ever be described as good-looking, but they are always well groomed and wearing proper clothes. Anyone can do that, so the advantage is yours to grasp.

The self-confidence gained from being good-looking probably helps a bit, but it can also work against you. I've seen plenty of good-looking women fall foul of serious bitterness from uglier colleagues which has ultimately held the pretty girl back, and I'm sure some blokes have experienced the same.

[Rincewind]

I went on one of thode courses and it helped my confidence but if I had the looks I may not have needed it to do it so yes my looks affected peoples first glance opinions.

Om BBC One Inside Out they are talking about hate crime and just showed a cross gender bloke who had been a victim of it.