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Re: a suggestion or two

Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 11:22 pm
by Jude
sejintenej wrote: OK - I am ready for the men in white suits now....

Then I definately need some TLC from the Nuts team! I teach computing to U3A (Some of you may know of this massive group being of or above the admissable age) it's the University of the 3rd Age (you have to be 50 to join)


SWMBO wants to join but the two in our area don't seem to have choices of interest to me.

I think I am up to being able to use Word 2003 at 80%, 2007 at 40% (I need to buy the license as my free trial has run out argh!) A word to all who are used to word up to 2003 version - the 2007 version is radivally different, but oh so much easier to understand and use - you inset a table and the toolbars all change to things applicable to tables - colours, outlines, formatting etc.....
When SWMBO was PA to the head of IT for a large American group near home she usewd to get legal copies of all the major WP software tht they were considering and I had a licensed copy of what we ised in the office; my PC at times had 5 different such (programs at the same time mainly for evaluation.

Having been retired for 9 years I simply haven't bothered to update - this PC has Word 97 as part of Office 97. It does its job so why change it? I think in the UK we probably have Word 2003 or so on her machine and I'm not sure what is on mine.

As for the other problem, try searching around in "Dealing with Debt" under
http://boards.fool.co.uk/Boards.asp?fid=5008
This is a huge site about all sorts of financial affairs from personal debt problems**, tax, insurance to investment - in about 8 years I haven't found everything so you have plenty to look at as you lie there snug as a bug in a rug. (You may have to register but it is free and you decide if you want any emails or not)
** when he posts Carmensfella is worth reading)


I actually wrote a reply to this at mid day and the board hung!! So I lost the data I had written - and it is now very late and I want to go to sleep!!! So
1: who/what is SWMBO?? I am normally quite good at TLA - but this one has me puzzled
2: Finacial aid is only available to those who work - and if you work, then you have less debts, and amazingly the governemt will wipe out up to 75% of your debt IF YOU ARE WORKING.... My problem is I am UNABLE to WORK, and therefore I get no government assistance with my debts, so I am stuffed! Surely this is the wrong way around??? Anyhow - the debt is of my own making, I created it so I must suffer through it and sort it out. It will pass in time...
3: I started last September teaching various parts of Word 2003 - we are still finding new things!! However, 2007 Office IS FANTASTIC!! Yes there are a heap of changes, but when you do something like insert a picture, it then changes all the toolbars to everything to might want to do with your picture - 3D effect, shadow, colour frame, type of frame, format, size, everything you could need is there. When you insert a table you get the same - everything you could ever want to do with a table is there and as you scroll down it changes your table so you get to see the changes as you go...

No I am not paid by Microsoft - although I did a heap of beta testing for 3.1 and office 95 - a LONG time ago now!!!

Re: a suggestion or two

Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 11:37 pm
by Mid A 15
Jude wrote:
sejintenej wrote: OK - I am ready for the men in white suits now....

Then I definately need some TLC from the Nuts team! I teach computing to U3A (Some of you may know of this massive group being of or above the admissable age) it's the University of the 3rd Age (you have to be 50 to join)


SWMBO wants to join but the two in our area don't seem to have choices of interest to me.

I think I am up to being able to use Word 2003 at 80%, 2007 at 40% (I need to buy the license as my free trial has run out argh!) A word to all who are used to word up to 2003 version - the 2007 version is radivally different, but oh so much easier to understand and use - you inset a table and the toolbars all change to things applicable to tables - colours, outlines, formatting etc.....
When SWMBO was PA to the head of IT for a large American group near home she usewd to get legal copies of all the major WP software tht they were considering and I had a licensed copy of what we ised in the office; my PC at times had 5 different such (programs at the same time mainly for evaluation.

Having been retired for 9 years I simply haven't bothered to update - this PC has Word 97 as part of Office 97. It does its job so why change it? I think in the UK we probably have Word 2003 or so on her machine and I'm not sure what is on mine.

As for the other problem, try searching around in "Dealing with Debt" under
http://boards.fool.co.uk/Boards.asp?fid=5008
This is a huge site about all sorts of financial affairs from personal debt problems**, tax, insurance to investment - in about 8 years I haven't found everything so you have plenty to look at as you lie there snug as a bug in a rug. (You may have to register but it is free and you decide if you want any emails or not)
** when he posts Carmensfella is worth reading)


I actually wrote a reply to this at mid day and the board hung!! So I lost the data I had written - and it is now very late and I want to go to sleep!!! So
1: who/what is SWMBO?? I am normally quite good at TLA - but this one has me puzzled
2: Finacial aid is only available to those who work - and if you work, then you have less debts, and amazingly the governemt will wipe out up to 75% of your debt IF YOU ARE WORKING.... My problem is I am UNABLE to WORK, and therefore I get no government assistance with my debts, so I am stuffed! Surely this is the wrong way around??? Anyhow - the debt is of my own making, I created it so I must suffer through it and sort it out. It will pass in time...
3: I started last September teaching various parts of Word 2003 - we are still finding new things!! However, 2007 Office IS FANTASTIC!! Yes there are a heap of changes, but when you do something like insert a picture, it then changes all the toolbars to everything to might want to do with your picture - 3D effect, shadow, colour frame, type of frame, format, size, everything you could need is there. When you insert a table you get the same - everything you could ever want to do with a table is there and as you scroll down it changes your table so you get to see the changes as you go...

No I am not paid by Microsoft - although I did a heap of beta testing for 3.1 and office 95 - a LONG time ago now!!!
SWMBO = She Who Must Be Obeyed what is TLA?

As you say it is late and my brain has ceased to function properly!

Re: a suggestion or two

Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2008 11:41 pm
by Jo
You'll kick yourself......

Three Letter Acronym(s) :)

Re: a suggestion or two

Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 8:06 am
by sejintenej
Jude wrote: 2: Finacial aid is only available to those who work - and if you work, then you have less debts, and amazingly the governemt will wipe out up to 75% of your debt IF YOU ARE WORKING.... My problem is I am UNABLE to WORK, and therefore I get no government assistance with my debts, so I am stuffed! Surely this is the wrong way around??? Anyhow - the debt is of my own making, I created it so I must suffer through it and sort it out. It will pass in time...
3: I started last September teaching various parts of Word 2003 - we are still finding new things!! However, 2007 Office IS FANTASTIC!! Yes there are a heap of changes, but when you do something like insert a picture, it then changes all the toolbars to everything to might want to do with your picture - 3D effect, shadow, colour frame, type of frame, format, size, everything you could need is there. When you insert a table you get the same - everything you could ever want to do with a table is there and as you scroll down it changes your table so you get to see the changes as you go...

No I am not paid by Microsoft - although I did a heap of beta testing for 3.1 and office 95 - a LONG time ago now!!!
Jude, first of all you are not alone; no doubt there are other posters there who have the same problems but there are also others there who know the ways around the rules to benefit you. Those people come from a wide variety of backgrounds - housewives, professionals, business people, (I am sure there is the odd tax man there!) and they are there because they are willing to help. I have met just a few of them and was more than impressed.
Try looking at the problem another way around; you do have a certain amount of income (far too little of course) so how about making it go further. You have found the porridge trick (I hope you are getting enough vitamins in thre right proportions) but there are posts there showing how to get quality in date food at half the listed price. OK so you go in looking for beef and you come out with something else. You will also get prior warning of the "specials" which are not even shown on the shelf markings. It is all to do with using less money on yourself and also with the examples of others who have been in the same pit.

You have learned to teach and have perfected your skills at U3A; have you considered one-to-one teaching as a business? Needn't be full time.

Some time ago, on another forum, active help (not money, just expertise, legal advice etc. ) was given to a young graduate who had the use of one thumb - no more, and a major airline caved in. The daughter of a forum contributor was seriously injured when hit by a car. There was active carrot and stick help and we were able to persuade / teach / bully her into walking again when the doctors said she would be bedridden for life. That was after she had to learn to eat for herself, read, write, speak again ............. Help is out there Jude, it is up to you to look and that is as good a place as I know.

Re: a suggestion or two

Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 12:25 pm
by Jude
Thanks David - but I am a vegetarian, I eat on the cheap already - I do buy cat food as I can't tell them they can't have their meals because I have spent all my money! Maybe now DD has gone back to Uni, there will be a less of a drain on my money in the foood and grocery department.

Other than going for food that is about to go off (and then it's probably only the stuff I would never normally buy) I don't see how I can reduce my food bills - I have dried Soya for protien - which is very cheap, I have tins of pulses - also protien and cheap, rice, skimmed milk, and so on - I am hoping that things will start to ease a bit - but has anyone else been hit with a REALLY HIGH FUEL BILL?????? I am really shocked at my gas and electric for this quarter - especially as the house was closed down for 5 weeks! I am going to have to check the meter and makes sure it is mine they are reading!!

Well off to scrub more cupboards and reline with lining paper for Pesach! Eeek it is almost apon me!