Archive for November, 2008
Saving for a Rainy Day
An investor asks.
I have been saving money for a rainy day and it is raining today so I think I will spend it. Does the amount of rainfall in the UK explain why we are so poor at saving here?
2 lacklustre pieces of inspiration on “Saving for a Rainy Day”
Provide common sense...
Christmas celebrations a month early?
The wisdom of Christmas creep is questioned
Ignoring the issue of whether celebrating the mid winter festival called ‘Christmas’ is common sense, and the extent to which the myth cult called Christianity borrowed from Pagan and Roman festivals, I want to know if it is common sense to start celebrating / putting up decorations etc for a whole month before the event? This is 1/12th of the year early!
I do not think it is common sense as it reduces the significance of the few days immediately prior to the event, and the decorations get tatty. I hope you esteemed experts can advise.
4 lacklustre pieces of inspiration on “Christmas celebrations a month early?”
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Consultant K Says:
November 27th, 2008 at 10:07 amI think that is a statement and not a question. I do agree with your statement that we have stretched “chritmas” beyond what is sensible. What we do about it? Well live your own life and put your decorations up when you see fit.
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Consultant B Says:
November 27th, 2008 at 10:09 amCheer up and get a life you miserable old humbug.
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Consultant C Says:
November 27th, 2008 at 10:12 amI see we streched Christmas so much the inter-letter bonds broke and a letter fell out.
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Andy Buchanan Says:
December 12th, 2008 at 12:46 pmI am a Christian and I find it extremely offensive to hear Christianity referred to as a “myth cult”.
I wouldn’t refer to Christmas a “borrowing” from Pagan festivals. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus. The Norse/Germanic winter festival (Yule) was around in Europe before Christmas, and it seems that missionaries sent to that area superimposed Christian themes on to existing local holidays. Note that they didn’t impose a Christian holiday and require that people scrap Yule. Thus, like the Apostle Paul writing to Corinthian church about not requiring circumcision for new Greek converts, they recognized that the essential message of Christianity is to do with inward transformation and not outward signs — they did not require people to change their /culture/ just because they had changed their /faith/.
Thus I maintain that if you are not a Christian, why would you want to celebrate Christmas? i think the idea of having a big party and lots of merriment in the middle of winter when it’s cold and miserable outside is a great idea regardless of your beliefs, but if people don’t believe in the message of Jesus, why would they want to celebrate his birth? That said, I obviously think the message of Jesus is true and life-changing, so of course I would welcome and opportunity to share it with people.
The four weeks before Christmas is a season known as “Advent”, which serves a dual purpose as preparation for the birth of Jesus, but also, more importantly, as preparation for his second coming. It is a time for meditation, reflection, and preparation of our hearts and minds. Thus from a Christian point of view I totally agree with you that putting up decorations, etc. for a whole month before Christmas is somewhat at odds with the purpose of the season of advent.
Again, if you are not a Christian, I guess it’s up to you!
Provide common sense...
What to do with a year off?
A prospective layabout asks
I am about to embark in a break from work for a whole year but I haven’t formulated a plan or strategy for my time off.
What should I do?
5 lacklustre pieces of inspiration on “What to do with a year off?”
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A wit Says:
November 25th, 2008 at 10:50 amBecome a life coach ?
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November 25th, 2008 at 11:14 amMake a list of all the personal achievements you wish to complete in your year. For example, you may wish to:
Build a new kitchen in your home
Cultivate selection of interesting and unusual liverworts
Travel the Trans-Siberian Railway
Decorate your house
Watch bears catch salmon from a waterfall
Build a small chapel in your garden as a place for personal reflection
Breed exotic sheep
Swim with sealsSplit your list into things you need to do and things you want to do.
Order your two lists in terms of priority.
Estimate how long each will take, or how long you are prepared to give them.
Merge your lists, and selecting from the top of each until your year off is full.
Once complete, re-appraise your plan - make sure you have allocated enough time to having fun, and not too much to tiresome tasks.
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Consultant C Says:
November 25th, 2008 at 11:17 amBalls to all that - travel the world, or at least part of it.
No one has ever come back from peace-time travelling a worse person.
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Consultant G Says:
November 25th, 2008 at 1:16 pmLife coach’s advise and world travel are not mutually exclusive. If travel comes out top, then pack your bags and go to the places you have always wanted to see. Of course what you do once you get there, and what you make of it, are different issues. It may disapoint, but you may find what you are looking for.
However, I suggest you build that wall and finish your kitchen first as your Thai bride may not like the work in progress look. -
November 25th, 2008 at 2:57 pmENJOY!
Provide common sense...
Feline Flatus
A cat owner asks
My family has recently expanded to include two young cats. The youngest, just 13 weeks old, farts a great deal. She’s very cute, but is an awfully smelly cat. What can I do?
2 lacklustre pieces of inspiration on “Feline Flatus”
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November 23rd, 2008 at 11:00 pmI think you will find that if you keep the animals diet constant this issue should subside over the first 10days. It is to do with a change of diet.
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November 24th, 2008 at 6:06 pmThis is because your kitten’s digestive system is getting used to solid food instead of a purely milk diet.
It’s perfectly normal, but you may like to try him with some different food - are you using kitten-specific food? We had a tin of older cat food (1yr+) which we tried with ours because we didn’t want it to go to waste, and it gave him bad gas which he’d never had before. We switched back to kitten food and the problem went away!
Some foods may be too rich, or just not sit well in his tummy.
Provide common sense...
Birthday Bash
Someone has asked
Do I have to celebrate my birthday?
One pearl of wisdom on “Birthday Bash”
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November 17th, 2008 at 10:48 amNo, of course not.
Why not celebrate mine instead?
Provide common sense...
US = us ?
From the USA
Any common sense advice on which Party I should vote for in the 2008 US Election ?
2 lacklustre pieces of inspiration on “US = us ?”
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November 4th, 2008 at 8:14 pmFor the person you believe will do a better job is the way I tend to cast my vote!
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November 5th, 2008 at 10:30 amConsulatnt K,
Do you really cast your vote for the person someone else thinks will do the best job - that is the implication in your reply.
Provide common sense...
Rakes progress etc
Is this better then ?
Being a gardener in the temperate region of the northern hemisphere, I am currently spending much of my time raking up leaves. This to me is a pointless task as no matter how many I remove, more appear within a couple of days. Is there an optimum raking regime, or can I just leave (boom, boom) them there until all the trees around are bare, and save a considerable amount of time and effort ?
One pearl of wisdom on “Rakes progress etc”
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November 4th, 2008 at 2:55 pmNo the font is not better as the colour of the text, font and spacing are all wrong!
In answer to your question you are not better leaving (not funny) them down till all the trees are bare. It takes about a month, if not longer, for trees to drop all their leaves. If you do not clear them at least on a weekly basis you will cause damage to your lawn and many plants. Not that many plants have specifically evolved to cope with a dense covering of leaves.
December 1st, 2008 at 1:34 pm
No. Not not unless everyone is as stupid as you.
December 12th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Methinks Consultant C has no concept of irony.