James Taris

Don't miss the "Joke Of The Month" at the end of this article.

17 Apr 2008

Language Exchange

Well, after being in Shanghai for over 3 years (yes, it's been that long!) I've got back into my trading lifestyle with ... LANGUAGE EXCHANGE.

When I meet people here and tell them I've been in China since September 2004, they automatically presume I can speek fluent Chinese. But that's just not the case.

For 18 months I was writing and publishing books (18 in total) and then I began teaching English (at all levels: from ages 3-adult) in Chinese schools and English language centres (such as English First) where they didn't need me to speak Chinese ... just English!

Nevertheless, I recently became determined to master this deceptively simple language (yep, simple!) when I was fortunate to come across people offering LANGUAGE EXCHANGE. That is, I teach them English for an hour and they teach me Chinese for an hour.

I've already learnt about 100 words and a few very simple sentences. In fact, I have no problems asking for prices from sellers and can understand any amount, in Chinese currency, given to me.

My goal is to speak Chinese confidently, at a social level, by the end of the year ... and I have 4 LANGUAGE EXCHANGE teacher/students to help me achieve that goal.

Chinese will be my 4th language! (I speak English, Greek and some French.)

Zaijian (Goodbye),

And happy trading!

James
http://www.JamesTaris.com
JamesTaris@gmail.com

(UPDATE: On 17 April 2008, 15 months and 9 days after starting my diet, I weighed 76.4 kgs, 20.5 kgs less than when I started!)

How I lost 21 kgs
in 18 weeks
(obtained naturally: without any diet pills, packaged food plans, weekly diet consultations or exercise)

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LAST UPDATED: Thursday, 17 April, 2008
(writing from Shanghai, China)

The LETSaholic Twist - Everything you always wanted to know about LETS ... but didn't know who to ask. About the book Testimonials James, I contacted you earlier to order an e-book, The LETSaholic Twist. It's really a good book! Well,... we decided to order 20 books soft cover, to give away as a present to all the LETS groups that will visit our yearly LETS happening. ... Erik (LETS Vlaanderen - 8 Sep 2007) Dear James, I have read your book (The LETSaholic Twist) and found it a great inspiration! ... when you next come to England I would love to host you and have some help at giving our LETS group a boost. ... Katy (Dorchester, Dorset - 6 Jan 2008)

For More Information About LETS ...

All About LETS

LETS Songs and Poems

Link back to LETS-Linkup with BUTTONS, BANNERS & LINKS

James Taris' LETS Presentations/Articles

LETS Favours - Improving Your Lifestyle Through LETS (in 4 languages) as presented from Aug. 2002 to July 2004

LETS Changed My Life article printed in New Community Quarterly - June 2003 (Australia)

LETS Online presented Nov. 2001

Your LETS Image

LETS Literature and Stationery Designs ... Registration Form Membership Card Transaction Book LETS Brochure Trading Directory

A word from James Taris

HAPPY NEW YEAR
2008

Wishing everyone in the LETS Community a very Happy New Year.

Happy trading!

James

One day while he was at the track playing the ponies and all but losing his shirt, Mitch noticed a priest who stepped out onto the track and blessed the forehead of one of the horses lining up for the 4th race.

Lo and behold, that horse - a very long shot - won the race. Before the next race, as the horses began lining up, Mitch watched with interest the old priest step onto the track.

Sure enough, as the 5th race horses came to the starting gate the priest made a blessing on the forehead of one of the horses.

Mitch made a beeline for a betting window and placed a small bet on the horse. Again, even though it was another long shot, the horse the priest had blessed won the race.

Mitch collected his winnings, and anxiously waited to see which horse the priest would bless for the 6th race. The priest again blessed a horse.

Mitch bet big on it, and it won. Mitch was elated. As the races continued the priest kept blessing long shot horses, and each one ended up coming in first.

Bye and bye, Mitch was pulling in some serious money. By the last race, he knew his wildest dreams were going to come true. He made a quick dash to the ATM, withdrew all his savings, and awaited the priest's blessing that would tell him which horse to bet on.

True to his pattern, the priest stepped onto the track for the last race and blessed the forehead of an old nag that was the longest shot of the day. Mitch also observed the priest blessing the eyes, ears, and hooves of the old nag.

Mitch knew he had a winner and bet every cent he owned on the old nag. He then watched dumbfounded as the old nag come in dead last. Mitch, in a state of shock, made his way down to the track area where the priest was.

Confronting the old priest he demanded, "Father! What happened? All day long you blessed horses and they all won. Then in the last race, the horse you blessed lost by a Kentucky mile.

Now, thanks to you I've lost every cent of my savings - all of it!".

The priest nodded wisely and with sympathy. "Son," he said, "that's the problem with you Protestants, you can't tell the difference between a simple blessing and the last rites."

LETS Book, CD, DVD and Software Library

What books, CDs, DVDs and software are available on LETS?

This is a question I've been asked from time to time over the years, so now I think it's time to compile a comprehensive list of all the books, CDs, DVDs and software available about LETS.

If you have produced any of these LETS tools, or know of them, then please contact me at JamesTaris@gmail.com so I can include it/them in my LETS Book, CD, DVD and Software Library.

Please send me the details, link or free sample product (download or post). If you can also send me a product description and review, I'll include these as well for the benefit of my LETS-Linkup members and visitors.

Happy trading!

James

The three Goldberg brothers, Norman, Hyman, and Maximillian invented and developed the first automobile air-conditioner.

On July 17th, 1946, the temperature in Detroit was 97º. The 3 brothers walked into old man Henry Ford's office and sweet-talked his secretary into telling him that 3 gentlemen were there with the most exciting innovation in the auto industry since the electric starter.

Henry was curious and invited them into his office. They refused and instead asked that he come out to the parking lot to their car.

They persuaded him to get into the car which was about 130º - turned on the air-conditioner and cooled the car off immediately.

The old man got very excited and invited them back to the office, where he offered them 3 million dollars for the patent.

The brothers refused saying they would settle for 2 million but they wanted the recognition by having a label "The Goldberg Air-Conditioner" on the dashboard of each car that it was installed in.

Now old man Ford was more than just a little bit anti-Semitic, and there was no way he was going to put the Goldbergs' name on 2 million Ford cars.

They haggled back and forth for about 2 hours and finally agreed on 4 million dollars and that just their first names would be shown.

And so, even today, all Ford air-conditioners show on the controls the names "Norm", "Hi", and "Max".

Pay Anyone with Barter, Online Barter Resources

Press Release

NEW YORK - XO Limited ("XO"), today launched its new "pay anyone" feature, where members of any barter exchange can send barter dollars to anyone who has a mobile phone or email, even non-barter exchange members. The feature is designed to … CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

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This site is designed and maintained by James Taris.
and has been operating since 11th October 2001.

Please send corrections or updates to JamesTaris@gmail.com

James Taris web sites

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Rich-Bastards.com
Honey-BeeBooks.com
TheGloryOfAthens.com
TravelWithoutMoney.com
ChineseArt-ChineseArt.com
ShanghaiPhotoGuide.com
ShockProofMaterial.com
2pups.com

LETS-linkup
Update Newsletter

Register your email address here to keep up-to-date with all the latest additions to LETS-linkup and also make contact with LETS members from all over the world.

List of Countries

This is a list of countries with entries listed in LETS-linkup so far. You can click on their links to go straight to them!

THE WORLD:

AFRICA:
Nigeria
South Africa

ASIA:
India
Indonesia
Israel
Japan
Thailand

OCEANIA:
Australia
* New South Wales & A.C.T.
* Queensland
* South Australia & Northern Territory
* Tasmania
* Victoria
* Western Australia
New Zealand

EUROPE:
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Czech Republic
Finland
France
* Postcode 01-20
* Postcode 21-40
* Postcode 41-60
* Postcode 61-80
* Postcode 81-100
Germany
* Postcode 0-1
* Postcode 2-3
* Postcode 4-5
* Postcode 6-7
* Postcode 8-9
Hungary
Ireland (Eire)
the Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Slovakia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom
- England
* South West
* South East
* West Midlands
* East Midlands
* East Anglia
* The North
-Nth.Ireland
-Scotland
- Wales

NORTH AMERICA:
Canada
El Salvador
USA

SOUTH AMERICA:
Argentina
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Uruguay

We now have representation from every continent in the world! (... apart from Antarctica of course. Any suggestions on how we can get the penguins interested in LETS?)

Starting up a LETS group

It's now as easy as setting up an egroup.
To try it out, play the game...
http://www.openmoney.org
/letsplay

Ernie Yacub
(Comox Valley, Canada)
1 250 897 3916
http://www.openmoney.org

Another LETS Game

You can still download my game that shows how hour money would improve on capitalism and socialism. It's available free at http://hourmoney.org . Instructions can be downloaded from there also.

Bob Blain

School LETS

Here's an article from the UK where you can see how their government
and various researchers are in the process of exploring the use of LETSystems in the school system. This article is a precursor, laying out their concepts, with the possible benefits and pitfalls.
http://www.ippr.org/schoolets/

TimeDollars
(Edgar Cahn)

web: http://www.timedollar.org/

Money v. Barter

The economics of this current reality is about money: give it and take it.

The dynamics of bartering is, instead, the experience of abundance: giving as much as you can and receiving as much as you can for the simple purpose of sharing pleasure.

Kathie Wallace
(Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, Canada)

Poetry

Be who you are
and say what you feel,
because those who mind don't matter
and those who matter don't mind.

Dr. Seuss

The "Mother" of All LETS Poems

"Abolish Interest"
by John Turmel

LOYAL ENGINEER'S 1997 PETITION OF
RIGHT TO HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II

1) The day I got my 1997 Guinness Book,
Of Worldly Records, for my name, Turmel, I had to look.
I noted on same page, Elizabeth, Your Majesty,
Holds record among ruling Queens for Your longevity.
Perhaps P.M. of India, Morarji "wise" Desai,
Who holds a record on next page for age at work most high,
Imparted to Your Majesty the secret of his youth,
A secret I have verified as nature's greatest truth.

2) Your Majesty may not recall that during '50s tour,
In Hamilton, a child on father's shoulder, waving sure.
Your Majesty may not recall on Parliament's front yard,
On Canada's Centennial, a Cameron in Your Guard.
But Majesty should not forget in 1983,
At patriation of our constitution meeting me,
My soldier's bonnet now a hard-hat for "The Engineer,"
My rifle now a pauper's picket sign with message clear:

3) "Abolish Interest," reporters saw on Regal lips,
Which made well worth the effort of nine different picket trips.
I bring you joyful news of abolition in your realm,
Of usury but soon we'll need Your guidance at the helm.
Within Your Commonwealth have risen systems LETS of hope,
So paupers of Your Commonwealth with unemployment cope.
Parliamentary member in Australia, Maggie Deahm,
Said LETS is helping needy trade employment like a dream.

4) Four hundred branches serving fifty thousand Brits to date,
With branches new developing with funding from the State!
Two hundred in Australia where legislation passed,
Exempted needy from the tax on income LETS amassed.
With Councils offered Green, there is no need for funds to hunt,
Laws passed allowing councils to accept Green tax up front.
Within New Zealand are a hundred LETS to save the day,
With dozens more in Canada to pave the better way.

5) At end of 1994, six hundred LETS around,
At end of 1995, twelve hundred LETS abound.
Two thousand and five hundred at the end of '96,
It's doubling yearly exponentially, the world to fix.
Your subjets who have joined the barter LETS make accolade:
"The trade of goods and services more easily is made.
The program that is used to track our "trading work" accounts,
Is known around the world as LETS. To barter it amounts.

6) "Local Employment Trading System" is the name it got,
To run the banks' computers right, a way once vainly sought.
Greendollars are the currency used in a LETS account,
Without the interest that forces growth of due amount.
A member who is spending may go negative at will,
A positive goes to the one who makes use of his skill.
And though we use no money, we have found a way to trade,
A giant step in the reform of money has been made.

7) A butcher bought some pastry at the bakery one day,
And called the LETS exchange recorder. He was heard to say:
"Please debit 20 dollars Green from my account for cake.
A credit to account of baker, you, in Green, should make.
The baker took his family to the restaurant one night,
And called the LETS exchange recorder and was heard to cite:
"Please debit 20 dollars Green from my account for meal,
And credit the account of restauranteur in this deal."

8) The restauranteur, needing meat, had Green with which to buy,
And called the LETS exchange recorder to so testify:
"Please debit 20 dollars Green from my account for meat.
And credit the account of butcher. Circle's now complete!"

To read the balance of this verse and the remaining 20 (of 28) verses of Turmel's poem,
CLICK HERE