How high should rating be before join some chess club?

Is parasitism only your mental illness or you have something more serious that led doctors to believe you're unfit to work with others? :)

I guess you assume he's deaf.

Some people on this type of benefit in Scandinavia make it sound very easy to get into the system. Just fool the doctor at one visit. However, it does not work like this. If the disability is not very obvious and permanent it will take several years to get permanent benefits. You have to be a very good and patient actor to fake your way into the system. Some manage, of course, but I belive that most people who claim that they fooled the system is actually disabled and does not want to admit it. Better a thief than a sick person. Says something about people I guess.

SpiritoftheVictiory: (SpiritoftheLoseriness) Yes, I have diagnos. You can find it in my profile. Right now I think I could work again, when the medicines are right.

Ok, ih7563: I have to admit I wasn't capable to  work, but my medicines was not right ones then. Now they are. 

Well, heck, after seeing some of your other comments I say you must be either very good at acting or you, indeed, have some issues.

If you indeed are incapable of working due to your issues, I am sorry if I offended you by my remarks and I sincerely apologize. I also hope you feel better and are capable of returning into society as a healthy, normal man. I think it is better to be healthy and normal and work and pay taxes rather than sick and having to rely on help of others. Again, if you are genuine about your condition, I do apologize and I hope you are gracious enough to accept my apology. I don't like to be mean-spirited and I certainly didn't mean to offend somebody who is already struggling.

I also have the same illness as Petrikeckman and cannot work. The state does not support me but my husband does.

It is better not to judge any-one until you have walked a few miles in their shoes.

@SpiritoftheVictory: It is a little hypophetical guestion can I work or not, because I don't have to and I'm not now working. The doctor's which means specialist, opinion was year 2006 that I'm not. I guess, his decision can not be took back. And who would give a job and what kind to man who has been many years without work? No, thanks. "Work" is a little absurd comception. What work? It essiantially to ask what work. Lots of working and consumption destroys nature and is reason for the climate change.

You're right. However, the OP's statements left the impression that he's milking the system and is proud of it and displaying it here to have fun. See post #45 & 46. It was only later that occured to me that even when he writes this provocatively, he might, indeed be suffering from a mental illness. That is because, he first writes provocatively, then goes on to say that he is ill for real (post #49). Also, please note that others might have had the similar impression (post #47 & 48). In any case, I have no problem to admit when I am wrong and apologize. I feel sorry for the guy.

Not sure the extent of your illness but I hope that you feel better too.

I have good days and bad days but I took early retirement on ill health grounds 20 years ago.

Well, gotta say you have a point there. We the Human beings do have a tendency to consume lots of stuff that we might not really need. Whenever I go to a local coffee shop, I often wonder how much effort & energy it takes to make a very sophisticated coffee-based drink. Think of all the resources & work that had to be made for growing coffee & getting it to the shop. How much water & energy (mainly cheap labor) it took. Then, at the coffee shop, the machines have to work on it, the baristas have to make it just right. So, if a pampered customer who had a bad day is unhappy about his/her drink, all of that gets thrown away and a new one needs to be made... and God forbid the customer is unhappy the second time around... The machines have to be washed, and rewashed every time so that there's a perfect, ready-made drink that will allow a pansy-behind, soft, pale, little 'man' feels happy about himself for a moment. :)

Needless to say that all that c#ap has a lot of sugar that will, inevitably and over time, lead to health problems. Now, a lot of effort & resoruces have to be spent to cure that little bi#ch, LOL! And here we start another cycle... All comes from that type of consumption - mostly needless consumption.

Now, comapre it with water. Go to the coffee shop, ask for water. They open the tap, pour your water in the plastic cup. You can recycle that cup and have your water beside you. If you wanna feel good, just drink the darn water. So, that's what I do for the most part. Nothing sophisticated, just good old water. :)

Good, you got my point :) And gave good example. Water is yes best when you thirsty, but little coffee is ok too. We afford it. Production industry is so effectiness nowadays. But see all those exercise equipments seen on TV-shop? Who needs them? Lot's of work and effort to trying to sell *hit.

I got diagnosis 1999. I was ill already before that and still worked and I even was working in information technology years 2001-2004, but I stopped to take medicines and went to psycothic maniac. If I take my pills I'm quite ok. Now I have much better medicines than before. Lithium was not good for me, but Deprakine and Lamotrigin are excellent.

My illness started in 1974 but not diagnosed until 2000. The daily medicine I take is Epilim. I retired in 1995.

That's pretty offensive, also who died and made you king?

In Finland we have a saying "Crazy people do lot of work, the wise survive with less" (or something like that). Do you have similar aphorism in other languages?

You don't have to be of a certain rating before joining a club - if you are passionate enough about chess and are willing to learn, you will have fun and will get better. Everyone starts somewhere - every single member of this site can tell you that.

When I started playing at my local club 3 years ago I was the third lowest graded player there, but I was never made fun of or made to feel inferior. I am now the third highest graded player there!

In Finland we have also saying (looks #60) "Vanha koira ei opi uusia temppuja" which means something like "Old dog does not learn new trigs". And I'm afraid that it make sense what comes to my chess skills. I just wanna enjoy playing not get too much stress about learning. I'm guite lazy, but anyway, I gonna yes join some club...someday. Sooner or later.

I agree, that was pretty offensive. And being offensive was the idea since the poster portrayed a scenario where we knowingly is milking the system while being healthy and fit. Only later did he say that he had serious issues. Upon realizing that, I apologized. I have no problem admitting when I am wrong - which presently seemed to be the case. And, I think we have some common understanding right now with the guy. So, it's all good. :)

You might be surprised how much can be achieved if you put your mind to it. You need to be determined to learn but also at peace and at ease. You can always say, well, worst case scenario, the proverb is right. But if you be easy on yourself, and not stress out over little things, you'll achieve some progress & improve your game. It's usually when you're overly stressed, you do poorly. When you're at ease, you do your best.

Think about this and this is true. Whenever you are moving chess pieces on the board they are not an extention of you. Whenver you are making a bad move, your piece gets killed, it's not your soldier or horse. So, I think separating yourself from the pieces is one of the hardest things to do. And hey, don't think I'm super successful in this either. Sometimes it does hurt my feelings when I do badly. However, when that happens, I tell myself that it's quite all right; and I, generally speaking, have always hated losing. But, recently, I am more & more comfortable with the idea. So, good luck to you in your endeavors, and I hope you do make some progress. And if not, it's ok. It's just a game.

1) Very honorable.

2) I think that's the right attitude.