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Don't miss the "Joke Of The Month" at the end of this article. 8 Dec 2009 Wishing
You a
and
a For
me, 2009 will be the year I made a feature-length movie, Everything
is Possible, without any money ... At this stage the first edit is 90% completed, so after the next 2 edits (video edit and audio edit) I expect it to be ready for screening in the first quarter of 2010. Already I can see hints of bigger things to come out of this venture... And that's ther way it is with LETS. You never know where your LETS trades will take you: a new friend, a new contact, a new skill... Odds are that you'll get something positive, but unexpected, out of it. So in this coming year - the end of the first decade of the 21st century - allow yourself to be pleasantly surprised by offering to help your fellow LETS members. All I can say is that ... If it wasn't for LETS, I wouldn't have learned desktop publishing, web site design, travelled to 18 countries, written and performed a stage play in 10 countries, and honed my public speaking skills internationally. LETS is a gold mine of opportunity. Give it the respect it deserves. Merry Christmas, everyone. James JOKE OF THE MONTH KIDS IN CHURCH 3-year-old
Reese : A
little boy was overheard praying: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After
the christening of his baby brother in church, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One
particular four-year-old prayed, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A
Sunday school teacher asked her children as they ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A
mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5, and Ryan 3. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A
father was at the beach with his children A
wife invited some people to dinner. X-Files:
Mulder: We're too late: it's already been here. Scully: Mulder, I hope you know what you are doing. Mulder: Look, Scully, just like the other homes: Douglas fir, truncated, mounted, transformed into some sort of shrine; halls decked with boughs of holly; stockings hung by the chimney, obviously with care. Scully:
You really think someone's been here? Scully: Mulder, over here! It's... fruitcake! Mulder: Don't touch it! Those things can be lethal. Scully: It's OK. There's a note attached: "Gonna find out who's naughty and nice." Mulder: It's judging them, Scully. It's making a list. Scully: Who? What are you talking about? Mulder: Ancient mythology tells of an obese humanoid entity who could travel at great speed in a craft powered by antlered servants. Once each year, near the winter solstice, this creature is said to descend from the heavens to reward its followers and punish its disbelievers with jagged chunks of anthracite. Scully: But that's legend, Mulder -- a story told by parents to frighten children. Surely, you don't believe it? Mulder: Something was here tonight, Scully. Check out the bite marks on this gingerbread man. Whatever tore through this plate of cookies was massive -- and in a hurry. Scully: It left crumbs everywhere. And look, Mulder: this milk glass has been completely drained. Mulder: It gorged itself, Scully. It fed without remorse. Scully: But why would they leave it milk and cookies? Mulder: Appeasement. Tonight is the Eve, and nothing can stop its wilding. Scully: But if this thing does exist, how did it get in? The doors and windows were locked. There's no sign of forced entry. Mulder: Unless I miss my guess, it came through the fireplace. Scully: Wait a minute, Mulder. If you are saying some huge creature landed on the roof and came down the chimney? You're crazy! The flue is barely six inches wide. Nothing could get through there. Mulder: But what if it could alter its shape, move in all directions? Scully: You mean, like a bowl full of jelly? Mulder: Exactly. Scully, I've never told anyone this, but when I was a child my home was visited. I saw the creature. It had long white strips of fur surrounding its ruddy, misshapen head. Its bloated torso was red and white. I'll never forget the horror. I turned away, and when I looked back it had somehow taken on the facial features of my father. Scully: Impossible. Mulder: I know what I saw! And that night it read my mind. It brought me a Mr. Potato Head, Scully. It knew i wanted a Mr. Potato Head. Scully: I'm sorry, Mulder, but you're asking me to disregard the laws of physics. You want me to believe in some supernatural being who soars across the skies and brings gifts to good little girls and boys. Listen to what you are saying. Do you understand the repercussions? If this gets out, they'll close the X-Files. Mulder: Scully, listen to me: It knows when you are sleeping. It knows when you're awake. Scully: But we have no proof. Mulder: Last year, on this exact date, SETI radio telescopes detected bogeys in the airspace over 27 states. The White House ordered a Condition Red. Scully: But that was a meteor shower! Mulder: Officially, maybe. Two days ago, eight prized Scandinavian reindeer vanished from the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Nobody -- not even the zookeeper -- was told about it. The government doesn't want people to know about Project Kringle. They fear that if this thing is proved to exist, then the public would stop spending half its annual income in a holiday shopping frenzy. Retail markets will collapse. Scully, they cannot let the world believe this creature lives. There's too much at stake. They'll do whatever it takes to insure another silent night. Scully: Mulder, I --- Scully: On the roof! It sounded like... a clatter. Mulder: The truth is up there. Let's see what's the matter....
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A word from James Taris 21 Sep 2009 James,
HELP! Hi James Hoping you can be of assistance. Firstly, we have been members of our local area LETS since 1995. Unfortunately, area local area LETS folded and we joined up with another LETS system, farther up north. Due to the growing rate of interest from local residents from our area, a LETS system was reformed in our local area. We immediately rejoined our new and local LETS. When this new scheme was established some years ago, we signed up. Since this time, the rules, regulations, etc., have changed considerably. Earlier this year, new forms were sent out to members to sign. We did not sign this new form because we did not agree with a certain clause & sub-clause, namely bringing the balance back to zero with "cash dollars" if unable to do so with local LETS currency. Due to my ill health and my husband working full-time & caring for me, we are unable to offer our services to our local LETS community. Our account is stale and has been for a few months. We sent this Coordinator a reply to her email regarding renewing membership, as follows: I'm sorry but we no longer wish to be LETS members for now. Following the Coordinator's 2nd email, I sent a further reply: We do not intend to pay out in cash as we have not signed any documentation to this effect. We are now receiving emails from the Coordinator, see below: 1st email: I have just emailed you a copy of your current LETS statement which as you will see shows you with a balance of minus 467 "points". As a condition of membership your account needs to be brought back to zero to close it. Please let me know if you will be paying that out in cash or if you intend on selling goods or services through LETS to make the 467 "points" to bring your account back into balance. 2nd email: All members since the beginning of LETS have signed an agreement saying this. I don't understand why you are being like this, and frankly you are one of the last people I would have expected such blatant dishonesty from. 3rd email: Please let me know how you intend on bringing your account back to zero as per the agreement you signed when you joined LETS. James, as I have stated the original membership form did not indicate that cash dollars were to be paid to bring the balance back to zero. This new "clause" was introduced earlier on this year. We do not have any goods or services to sell at this point in time. Can you please advise how to resolve this issue. Thank you. Vera >>> Hi James Further to my below email, although we are not "active" in LETS, we are most certainly active in "FREECYCLE" and giving items away free. There is no charge. We are contributing towards our community but not in a LETS way. Things that might be our trash is somebody else's treasure and it's not worth putting items such as this on LETS. I hope you understand. Thank you. Yours cordially Vera >>> Hi Vera, I'm sorry to hear about the ordeal you're currently going through. My view of LETS has always been to offer a system of exchanging goods and services to the local members without the need for money. Whereas I can understand the logic, and good intentions, used for including a bring-your-account-back-to-zero clause in a LETS agreement, I firmly believe that these clauses kill any potential a group has for growing and flourishing in any community. Killed because it imposes a fear that, due to unforeseen circumstances, an account may not be able to be brought back to zero through trading and may result in a ... dare we say ... cash settlement requirement. My experience has always been that just as many people leave a LETS group with a positive balance (mine included) as those that leave with a negative balance. And even if an account is closed with a negative balance, the suppliers have already been credited with their points ... so why the panic? Nobody has lost anything and, heck, these are really only favours anyway ... members helping other members in a time of need. A better rule to impose would be that members can only trade to a maximum of "x" debit, and not allowed to trade any further, thus limiting the amount of debit any member can benefit from a LETS community. Your debit balance of 467 "points" is quite small, actually, so I can't see why the LETS group should be so concerned about it. When LETS groups show a genuine concern for helping their members, and removing this ridiculous clause for cash settlements of debit balances, then they will see a much more positive attitude amongst those who trade and a non-threatening opportunity to those interested in joining the group. In the end, it's not my decision to make. This is something that the LETS group management needs to make, and for members to agree to and then abide by. However, if this amendment was made after you'd already joined the group and you never signed a contract agreeing with it, I don't see how they can expect to claim a cash settlement from you. My book, The LETSaholic Twist goes into much more detail in this and many other areas for creating a LETS group which can help members improve their lifestyles through LETS. I strongly urge you, and everyone else in LETS, to read this book and use these ideas for making LETS the global cashless-community phenomenon it truly deserves to be. Disclaimer: My opinion is solely my opinion and based only on the information supplied by the LETS member in the case above. The
LETSaholic Twist ebook is available for only $9.99 to each
LETS group, and copies can then be given FREE to all their members.
You can purchase your copy from this link: James Some of your responses: The Lets system was setup as a community organisation, this flies in the face of all community ideals. I am not sure where you are, but in Australia you would be a sitting duck for trouble with the Tax dept, with a clause like that in your rules ... Connie, Northern Suburbs Letsystem. >>> Jct: So don't quit. Keep your account in the other city. Maybe, someday, someone from that city will visit yours and you'll be able to earn some credits putting them up for 5 Hours per night. Start offering accommodations to the old group and no one will mind you being in the negative. Quit and you force them to do some arithmetic. Stay and all keeps going normally ... King of the Paupers >>> It
might be practical for many to "settle" an account
by "buying" >>> James,
I am appalled by the attitude towards your correspondent. JOKE OF THE MONTH FAKE FRIENDS FAKE
FRIENDS: Never ask for food. FAKE
FRIENDS: Call your parents Mr/Mrs. FAKE
FRIENDS: Bail you out of jail and tell you what you did was wrong. FAKE
FRIENDS: Have never seen you cry. FAKE
FRIENDS: Borrow your stuff for a few days then give it back. FAKE
FRIENDS: Know a few things about you. FAKE
FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that is what the crowd is doing. FAKE
FRIENDS: Would knock on your front door. FAKE
FRIENDS: Are for a while. FAKE
FRIENDS: Will take your drink away when they think you've had enough.
FAKE
FRIENDS: Will ask you to send this to 5 of your Friends, including themselves,
if you’re a “real friend”. 16 Aug 2009 ZERO-BUDGET FILMS It's not quite LETS, but this year I formed a group that makes films without money. Zero-Budget Films (Z-BF) is a film production group dedicated to offering acting and production opportunities to Shanghai residents. Z-BF aims to produce 2-4 feature-length films per year. This idea developed once I realised I'd travelled to 18 countries without money, published 18 books without money, and performed my play in 10 countries without money. Then why not make a feature-length film without money! The first project for Z-BF is called Everything is Possible, which is based on my stage play, The Glory of Athens. Even though I started shooting it on July 16 and expect to have it finished by the end of August, it's really a 12-month project, as I began writing the screenplay in January and don't expect to have it ready for screening until December - the film editing will probably take about 3 months. Anyway, take a quick look at the Z-BF web site. Both of these web pages have photos of the production in progress. You'll find me looking very different in each scene as I'm acting in 9 different roles. Z-BF
homepage Hope
you have a good laugh! CLICK HERE FOR EDITORIALS 2004 - 2008 CLICK HERE FOR EDITORIALS 2001 - 2003 This
site is designed and maintained by James Taris. Please send corrections or updates to JamesTaris@gmail.com
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