So, last night I was told to come over to a friend's house because he had a surprise for me that involved some sort of "business" dealings involving his mother, and while I was a bit apprehensive, given my hatred of being surprised, I agreed, only to find out this "business" was an AMWAY recruiting pitch (and a very enthusiastic one at that!). Now, I should explain a couple things:
1) I am currently in Russia, and people here are desperate for chances to make money (my friend lives with his sister and parents in two rooms in a hostel in a rather unpleasant part of town), and AMWAY has recently come and put up shop, so to speak.
2) My friend's parents are really invested in this AMWAY stuff. They run off to 3-day seminars, buy all kinds of books, buy only AMWAY products, etc., etc.
2) I have no prior knowledge of AMWAY other than name recognition. Basically a blank slate in regards to the company before last night; no positive nor negative feelings.
After listening to what pretty much constituted a veiled attempt at a desperate plea for help, I want to do something to aid them in their quest for a life where they can at least afford to buy pineapple juice in a container instead of saving the juice at the bottom of cans of pineapple because their income together amounts to less than $100 per month. However, even after listening to nothing but praise for the AMWAY way (for 3 hours! IN RUSSIAN!!!), I have serious doubts about the average person's ability to succeed at this game (such as, "If 80% of people say, 'No,' to AMWAY, why? That can't be a good sign."), and I don't want to say, "Sure! I'll join!" if there's some piece of the puzzle I'm missing. This is where you guys come in.
What do you all know about AMWAY?
How do you feel about AMWAY?
Any experiences with AMWAY, AMWAY products, or members?
For those of you with pets, do you think your pets match your personality?
For me, some of my pets (my snakes) do. They're all pretty slow, and curious, and destructive (but sly). On the other hand, I have a chihuahua that I adore, but doesn't match my personality at all. I look incredibly silly walking her, and I'm ok with that.
I have autism, a brain-tumor and a learning disability, I had an IEP meeting at my college with the Center of Disabilties woman of the college. She said she couldn't do much, she just gave me extra time on tests and a calculator, she said I'd have to go into a Basic math class, but I would get NO credit for it towards graduation and in order to graduate I'd have to get into a higher math class and pass it just like everyone else. I still am required to be in Public Speaking, but I can't make eye-contact and I have panic attacks when I'm in front of people, they get so bad to the point I get so stressed out, I vomit and have convulsions.
She says I could talk to my professors about my disability, but whatever they want to do with me is their buisness and entirely up to them (and the thing is, most professors don't make time for their students, some don't even answer email.)
Is this legal? How would I find out? I feel like I am being discriminated against and cheated. Should I somehow find the dean and talk to him about it? Should I hire a lawyer? What should I do?
When you think of the days of the week, how do you picture them in your head?
Do you picture them in a perfect horizontal line one after the other as if on a calendar, or are you extremely strange like me and picture them in your head as if the days were going in sort of a circle, or something similar to a circle? I've always pictured the days of the week in my head this way ever since I was very young, even to this day. I don't know why, but it was always something that struck me as kind of weird.
One day in my ninth grade world history class, we somehow got into a conversation about this (don't ask). One girl spoke up and said she pictured the days of the week going in almost sort of a circle if she thought about them in her mind, just like I did/do. The teacher thought she was nuts, and the rest of the class thought she was nuts, but I knew EXACTLY what she was talking about and we got quite a laugh out of it. I guess it may have just been the way we were taught or something, but even still I really thought I was the only one. 0_o
I know this sounds completely weird, but I'm just wondering if anyone else out there knows what the hell I'm talking about. Or maybe I'm just a weirdo. Either way, I had to ask!
I should be sleeping and instead I made this poll based on a survey meme I got a looong time ago. Some options added or tweaked but basically it's just a rip off. Enjoy.
I had this roommate who left some shit behind, when she moved across country, that her friend was supposed to pick up but he never did. I've made three different attempts to schedule pickup times with him but he always cancels or doesn't show up or whatever. I'm getting tired of having this shit taking up space in my small-ass apartment.
So.. if you were in this situation: At what point do you just give up and get rid of it, rather than trying to do the nice and probably morally right thing (which is to follow through on your agreement to give him the stuff)?
Does your answer change when you consider that selling it would make you about $400 and you will probably never run into him around town or anything?
Arg! I'm so bored... I had a few questions in mind that I wanted to ask, but I don't remember what they were.
I guess I'll just make up something...
So who here in TQC has a tattoo? I'm getting my first one in a few weeks. My friend, who is a tattoo artist, had a death in the family so he won't be working for a couple of weeks. As soon as he's ready to get back into it, I'm going to get one....on my left wrist. Does anyone have a tattoo in this spot? I was wondering how painful it will be. I might wait until my husband gets his forearm done to ask him how it was. It won't change my mind, I just want to be prepared.
Do you think its more important for a tattoo to have a significant meaning or to be aesthetically pleasing? I mean, obviously, it's best to have both. But which one, to you, holds greater priority?
For non-smokers: Do you ever wish that you smoked, to look cool or have something to do, or something? Disregarding the fact that its unhealthy/expensive. Is there a personal reason for why you don't?
For smokers: Besides the whole addiction thing, why do you like smoking?
1. When does a "guest" stop being a guest, and start being a "tenant"? I have a basement suite, which I rent out to a really nice woman. The day after signing the lease, and giving her the keys, she started seeing someone. I agreed to rent the place to a single woman, but it seems that the guy is here almost every night. Right at this moment, he's down there, and has been since Friday afternoon. That's 4 nights he's stayed over, and last week, he was here more than half the week as well. So what do you think - is he living here, too? (and yes, I did ask about the niosy sex they have a while ago - we talked about it, but they don't seem to be doing much about it - they think it's funny) I don't want to kick her out, but at the same time, I didn't sign on to have a couple down stairs.
2. Does anyone have any alternatives to a Christmas tree? I can't have a tree this year, because I have a hellion on 4 paws (my cat) who will destroy anything shiny or plant-like that I put up. But I have a 10 year old son, and my family will be here for the holidays, so what can I do to decorate? Are there tradions in other parts of the world for storing and displaying gifts? (If that makes any sense)
Edited to add: So, yeah, obviously something has to be said - I'm not out of line, going by most of these comments. So should I do it face to face, or put it in writing, just in case there's trouble down the line? Or both? Also, the number of nights he's stayed is now 5, and a full detail on WHY him being here is such a concern is in my personal LJ, here: http://dazeydevyne.livejournal.com/36421.html
I know some things blow up in the microwave. Like aluminun foil, tin cans, grapes...
Would an orange blow up in the microwave?
Husband-pet so wonderfully put my oranges in the fridge, though cold fruit makes my teeth ache. Would tossing one in the microwave cause a cataclysmic mess? I don't feel like testing it, only to have to be cleaning up orange juice for an hour.
:)
ETA: I devoured it cold. Sucking on a piece at a time wasn't SO bad. I think when I'm feeling frisky, and willing to clean up big messes, I will test how long an orange (peeled and not) can hold out in the microwave until it blows up. If at all. ;)
edit: mine are, in no particular order: driving, listening to music, singing in the car (what, don't throw things at me), being outside, LJ, TQC... lots of stuff. And being around friends.
1. I'm thinking about getting an exercise video, because my schedule is weird and I usually don't want to take the time to go to the gym, but would like a good way to get some exercise in for maybe a 30 min break or something while working. I guess what I'm looking for would be mainly cardio with some body-weight strength training. My room isn't very big, so preferably not something that would require me to do all sorts of crazy kicks or whatever :p
2. What are your thoughts on global warming?
3. Inspired by a conversation I overheard at lunch today: how long could you microwave a baby before it died?
4. I changed my lj layout yesterday. My journal looks fine, but my friends page looks horrendous. I'm using S1 Generator on a Sponsored+ account. I tried looking through the overrides again last night but I was tired so I figured I'll make somebody else do it. How can I get the background color to show up, and how can I make the boxes be... less stupid? The width isn't fixed on my journal, but they're readable. On my friends page, sometimes they're normal and other times they're so small I can't read all the text because the person's userpic is covering it. Any ideas? :\
Can you think of any synonyms for bitch-fest? I'm thinking more along the lines of people (both men and women) getting together to bitch than one particular person.
Let's say your significant other was framed for some crime, but there was no way to prove it except for his/her word. As a result your S.O. was sentenced to 5 years in prison. Would you wait for him/her to get out of prison or would you try to find someone else to start a relationship with while they were incarcerated?
What would you do if you found out one of your good friends was a card-carrying, active member of a hate group, even though they were still nice to you and your friends?
What are some things that you laugh at, that you probably shouldn't?
What are the effects on a cat if you smoke marijuana in the same room as it?
Edit: I'm serious here! I'm not planning on smoking around my cat. My friend's cat just died though, for no apparent reason, and they were always smoking around it in a very small room. I was wondering if that could have had an effect on it.
My school's brand new creative writing club is looking for a name that's a little more innovative than "Creative Writing Club". Puns make us happy. So do allusions to classic literature. Any reccomendations?
Also, after joining in on some Paris Hilton Hatin' a few posts down, I started wondering: is there anyway to be born so wealthy and not become a superficial idiot? If you were in that position, what would you do with your money instead of spending it on absurdly small dogs? Or would the environment you were raised in prevent you from spending intelligently? Do heirs like Frisco D'Anconia and Dagny Taggart* belong solely to the fictional world?
*Even if Ayn Rand's ideas are kind of crazier than an elephant on crack, at least they're skilled/.
Ability to heal completely, regardless of injury or illness, 10 people a year
168(78.5%)
Ability to administer a 'mental punch', which is the equivalent of a Hulk Hogan punch, 50 times a year. Distance is not a factor, as long as you can view the recipient
46(21.5%)
Brad Pitt wants to sleep with you. One time. How much would it probably take you to give in?
You get invited by your SO someplace new for lunch. You go through a series of doors, only to wind up on a tv stage. It's the Jerry Springer show! Your SO is there, and a few other people sitting in chairs. Your SO points to an empty chair, where you're meant to sit. You have no idea (yet) what the topic is. The camera's on you and the crowd 'OOOOO's when you arrive. How do you react?
Are there any "mistakes" that your parents are trying to prevent you from making? Have they made these "mistakes?"
Dad- Not going to college. Yes Mom- Premarital/extramarital sex. Yes to the first- I was conceived from premarital sex and she was conceived from extramarital sex.
So I just failed my driving test today - at the railway crossing I didn't look left and right long enough. Just because the crossing has been out of use for 15 years doesn't mean that a train might not come now, apparently. Also on the hill park I didn't angle the wheel enough.
Anyway, 1. How many times did you have to take your driving test before you passed? 2. How long did the test that you finally passed take? 3. If you failed the test, why? 4. Did you stop at a railway crossing? 5. Did you know you have to angle the wheel on a Hill park?
The next time I take it I will do the Japanese thing of stopping the car at the track, winding down the window and listening for a train.
EDIT : Wow, everyone's test seems so short. We are told to expect it to take an hour or so, they always allow an hour and a half per test. There is a list of about 50 required things that everyone has to do.
Assume the person is out of college or did not go to college. I am talking about a person that is perfectly capable of living on their own but doesn't for any number of reasons. And I know that in other cultures it is perfectly natural for children not to leave the nest.
I'm looking for some Jazz to download. Currently I've been listening to alot of Jamie Cullum and João Gilberto. Anyone have any recommendations for similar music?
What happens if you order something illegal (in your country) online from overseas? Once it gets to customs and they realize what it is, do they send it back to who sent it? Confiscate it?
In the case of child pron do they follow up with who ordered it/whose name is on the package and investigate them for any other materials?
Hi. I suck at writing formal email letters, please help. Is this all right? Basically, the reason I'm writing this. Is for class office, we're sopposed to have a letter of recommendation. Now, I don't find myself particularlly close with any of my current professors, so I am asking a HS teacher who is also an "advisor" / mentor. Otherwise it would be chill, but the shitty timing is pretty crappy. This week is a huge event for the club she's advises (which I was VP last year). And I know she's REALLY busy.
I just basically want her to just redate and mail/fax the letter of recommendation she wrote last year (for college applications). And, also, the short notice, I'm afraid is going to kill me. :(
I need to know how to make my iPod work on Windows. I just moved out of my moms house, where there's mac, and moved in with my dad, who only has Windows. Can any of you guys help me? I tried to look it up, but couldn't find an answer specific to my problem. Thanks :)
Edit Jesus Christ you guys, there you go. I know I forgot a question mark, but it was quite obviously a problem that had an answer I need. I didn't realize so many of you have so my sand in your vaginas. I'm sorry.
Honestly, do I attract thick headed men? I'm pretty quick on the nuances, picking up the subtle wordplay but I swear, my males friends are just solid brick.
So who do you think picks up on subtle hints quicker, men or women?
Can you think of any movies that you absolutely LOVE but at the same time are very difficult for you to watch because they're too sad for one reason or another?
For me, my top choice is The Green Mile. I absolutely love that movie, but I can't watch it because everytime I see it I cry like a baby. It's too much for me, yet I really love the movie itself. Even still, I just cannot watch it.
Second runner up would probably be The Shawshank Redemption, but only for one part where the old guy kills himself. :( I can watch the rest of the movie but that one part kills me and I always have to leave the room and come back when it is over.
Do you have any feelings like this towards any particular movies? Maybe I'm just a big wuss!
In light of the fact that my boss is breaking up with her husband via email right next to me... what is the tackiest way someone has broken up with your or someone you know? Or the tackiest way you've broken up with someone?
Guys: say you see a good looking girl. You are about to strike up a conversation when you notice she is wearing a ring on her ring finger. Do you stop in your tracks and not bother pursuing her?
I ask because my boyfriend and I were having a conversation the other night. He ALWAYS gets hit on by girls, and they swarm around him like flies (he's a good looking, funny guy). When he asked me how much I get hit on, I was surprised when I really thought about it and realized the NO ONE ever really flirts with me or anything like before I started dating him. I would say I'm a attractive girl BUT I have a promise ring (that looks a lot like an engagement ring), and I fiured that this is the reason why guys don't bother with me.
Don't get me wrong, i dont care if i get male attention, my boyfriend's enough, but is my theory true?
Do any of you know how to get iTunes to display the songs of an album in chronolgical order (ie in the order they would appear on a CD) I listen to a lot of opera and musicals and listening to them out of order screws up the story line.
1.) Have you ever used AOL? If you have, what do you have to say about it? 2.) How many rude/ignorant/annoying people have you met on the internet? 3.) What was the first website you ever visited?? 4.) What do you normally do when someone insults you over the internet? 5.) What do you think of weird websites like 4chan?
Do you have any gross first-hand Fast Food experiences from working there?
By first-hand, I mean that it wasn't a friend telling you this back in high school, but you experienced a coworker pee in the vat of beans or something equally disturbing while you were working. Perhaps maybe confess to something you've done that's pretty disturbing.
Are you having issues with LiveJournal today? For example, it isn't posting most entries or comments for me. :(
Anyway, the questions I meant to post to begin with; What state/country/territory are you from? What amusement parks do you have in your state? Do you have a 'gambling capital'? Do you visit either of those places often? How far/close are they to your home? Where would you recommend a tourist visit in your area?
There are the 24/7 standards here in America: Super Wal*Mart, Denny's, and Perkins. Then there are a couple other restaurants and some gas stations that are open all day, all the time. But aside from those ol' late-night reliables, what places do you WISH were open 24/7? (Think: restaurants, stores, or random places, like a rollerskating rink.)
I am trying to become pregnant and my husband has to do a sperm anylisis(sp?) what does this entail? is there anything that should or souldnt be done before hand? ie: diet? sex? no sex? cold balls? warm? first thing in the morning? at night?
yeah I'm completely lost...and the nurse wasn't much help either.....
I want to make a DVD for my friends for Christmas. I already know how to use Windows Movie Maker to make the .AVI / .MPG slideshows, but need a program to put these all together. I've made Halloween slideshows, party slideshows, etc, but want a main screen on the DVD to access them. I need it to be able to have a menu that pops up when you put the DVD in, along with Thumbnails so you can choose which slideshow to view.
Do you know of any good, free programs that do this?
Husband is out of town unexpectedly, so I can either: a) do a mini-spa - body scrub, shave all of my places, hair mask, manicure, etc - in total private without someone else needing to use the bathroom or wanting to talk, while drinking the rest of the bottle of red I just opened...or... b) go to the movie by myself to see the semi-chick flick without the mocking glance and smirk of oh-so-masculine-boy. (there is likely to be just two or three people in the theatre, I'd basically have it to myself, which I LOVE)
What would you choose, if you were faced with those choices and loved both equally?
And before you get self-righteous: YES it's POSSIBLE to do all of this with husband in town, but not PROBABLE...
do you boycott/hate something simply because everyone likes it? what do you think of people that do? what's the most petty reason you've boycotted something?
My school throws awesome dances, for the past six or whatever I've gone to, I've worn a dress or skirt. I'm tired of that, anyone have any good ideas on something nice looking that I could wear that isn't a dress/skirt? The setting is fairly casual, but I'd still like to look dressed up.
If it changes anything, I'm thin but with nice curves and of average height (and female) with short green hair.
ETA: This is a highschool dance, so there is a dresscode. :)
I was just watching Cnn and they had a story about how there is an "uproar" over the Happy Feet movie.
For some retarded reason, people think it is propaghanda because the penguins dont have enough food because of over fishing, and they refer to humans as aliens. One person also claims the movie has homosexual undertones.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?
I haven't seen this movie, but this just sounds pathetic.
Even if there are referrals to environmental issues, what's the big deal? Is it wrong for kids to be concerned about the environment?
Why are people wasting time going after a childrens' movie?
5 years ago my FIL purchased my BIL an acousting guitar for $100. I think it was a "Honey" or some shit like that.
After some family drama, the guitar ended up being in a closet for 3 years. My dad is currently using it. Today he tells me that he really, really wants his own guitar for Christmas. I asked him if he would like to own the guitar he learned to play on and he said that would be great.
After some debating (mostly me pointing out that my FIL was being an asshole about wanting to keep a guitar that sat in a closet for 3 years) he finally agreed to sell it to me.
What do you think is a fair price I should offer? Its 5 years old and doesn't have a case. He only paid $100 for it in the first place, so I was thinking under $50.
So you're really really tired right now, but alas, exam season is upon you and you need to study. What do you do so that you can really really concentrate for the next few hours?
Soooo... I'm in Arizona and I'm looking to rent a car for CHEAP for like a week. I'd rather pay per day rather than miles. Do any of you know any good car rental places and prices???
I am conducting a survey for a research paper in women's studies that I'm writing. If you answer this question, your response may or may not be quoted and/or referenced to.
the question: If you wrote a letter to your period (menstruation) what would it say?
1. What was the name of the show where a couple came on, and holographs were shown of other people, and the audience voted on which one was better looking?
2. What was the name of the show where, for example, someones food was eaten and they did DNA testing to find out who ate it?
Um, so I'm kind of new to the whole "not having health insurance" thing, and I am fairly sure that I have strep throat (It feels like strep, strep is going around, and a visual inspection of my throat reveals it to be a lovely beefy-red color). My panicky mother is sure that if I leave it untreated, I will die of rheumatic fever.
Is there some obvious way of reducing the cost of a doctor's visit? A free clinic is out of the question (ours is only open on Tuesdays, and I would feel guilty for usurping the resources of those who really can't pay). And the best I could see on the site for our local walk-in clinic was that their fees were "often cheaper than an emergency room visit," which isn't promising.
I will pay for an expensive visit to the doctor I went to when I had insurance, but if there's a better way, I'd love to hear it.
(I don't have much hope, but I posted this to see if I was stupidly overlooking something. I will not consider it amiss if you comment just to say, "Nope, you're fucked," or to gloat about your country's national health care system.)
Tomorrow my dad is going to try to make Alice Springs Chicken, like they have at The Outback, for dinner. I'm going to make some steamed broccoli to go with it.
What other fairly healthy, low-ish calorie, tasty, meatless side dish would go well with it?
for those of you who have some type of mental illness (i.e., depression, bipolar, bpd, etc...) -
1. how long have you been diagnosed w/this? 1a. self diagnoses, or professional? 2. are the holidays usually difficult for you? 2a. if so - how do you deal w/them? 2b. if not - how do you take care of that? meaning - what do you do to ensure that you don't mentally/emotionally lose it? 3. you can answer this or not - are you on meds? 3b. if so - which ones do you take, and have they helped?