What's on your mind today?

[billy rubin]

mmm

hang in there.

[Asmodean]

Thanks. I'm fine though. Gloomy... Works for me.

[Recusant]

...So my mom's seriously ill and tomorrow, the doctors are going to start what I understand to be a last, desperate attempt at achieving any sort of favourable outcome - which in itself may result in death. Gets a person in a solemnly contemplative mood, it does. Of course, one could argue that that is my default mood to begin with, but still... Here it is. The circle of life in all its glory, in god's just universe - where those who want more life and have something worth living for die before they ever get enough, while those who have long since gone from drive to inertia trudge on and on because what else is there? And so, the generations come and go. The great events, once fresh in our collective memory fade away with the fading minds and bodies of those last people to live through them, then the last people to personally have known them... So forth.

Some set their footprints in stone, of sorts; this old power substation from the 1920s or that veteran car - its owner's pride and joy... None of those who designed and built it are with us today, but the signs of their passing remain, until eventually, even most monuments to the individual lives come and gone seize up their gears or turn to dust - imperceptibly, at first, but with the same result. Some are even helped along. The Buddhas of Bamiyan have stood the test of time - but not of blind faith. Just one example in a sea of examples and in the end, it all comes down to this - a legacy not yet forgotten, and a fitting conclusion to a mildly depressed Asmo's musings;

Well said, sir. Having lost friends and family and contemplating the continuance of that pattern, I am of like mind.

[Recusant]

On my mind?  There is this.  I like this place. It has become important to me.  I like the people who contribute whether I agree or disagree.   

Here it is October 23...It is Sunday,about 9 PM and there has been almost no activity on this forum.  Are you guys and girls all in church or something ?

 Could we attract some new participants from programs such as FFRF.  I sure do miss, Sandy, Pasta Chick, BP, Claire, Silver and the others who have come and gone. Harmonie where are you? Buddy are you out there? Where is our Cypriot friend? The young French lad?  We even had a Russian gentleman who came here a time or two.

Oh the list is long, those who no longer grace these pages. As for growing membership . . . Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, they make good money getting eyeballs and keystrokes. The competition is fierce. Every once in a while a perceptive and unusual individual finds us, and if we are fortunate they stay a while. Atheist discussion boards are splendid in my opinion. That opinion is not widely shared. On the other hand this place is approaching 20 years in existence, and so what if it is mostly a few folks grumbling and entertaining each other. There are worse things. 

[hermes2015]

Thinking of you in a difficult time, Asmo. Keep us informed.

[Magdalena]

...So my mom's seriously ill and tomorrow, the doctors are going to start what I understand to be a last, desperate attempt at achieving any sort of favourable outcome - which in itself may result in death. Gets a person in a solemnly contemplative mood, it does. Of course, one could argue that that is my default mood to begin with, but still... Here it is. The circle of life in all its glory, in god's just universe - where those who want more life and have something worth living for die before they ever get enough, while those who have long since gone from drive to inertia trudge on and on because what else is there? And so, the generations come and go. The great events, once fresh in our collective memory fade away with the fading minds and bodies of those last people to live through them, then the last people to personally have known them... So forth.

Some set their footprints in stone, of sorts; this old power substation from the 1920s or that veteran car - its owner's pride and joy... None of those who designed and built it are with us today, but the signs of their passing remain, until eventually, even most monuments to the individual lives come and gone seize up their gears or turn to dust - imperceptibly, at first, but with the same result. Some are even helped along. The Buddhas of Bamiyan have stood the test of time - but not of blind faith. Just one example in a sea of examples and in the end, it all comes down to this - a legacy not yet forgotten, and a fitting conclusion to a mildly depressed Asmo's musings;

I'm sorry to hear your mom's seriously ill. I can see how that's enough reason to go from "a solemnly contemplative mood"
[default mood, to begin with,
one could argue that of course] – to a "mildly depressed" one.

I sincerely hope the outcome is a favourable one.
Please keep us posted.

Maybe talking to us about it can help you go from your mildly depressed mood to your regular Gray, Grumpy, and Gloomy mood...Which works for you.
...Somehow.



~That beautiful pale blue dot. I like it.

[Asmodean]

The treatment is done. "It's too early to tell," they say, in tones that reek of platitude. Still, there is nothing to do but wait and see, so wait and see we shall.

Maybe talking to us about it can help you go from your mildly depressed mood to your regular Gray, Grumpy, and Gloomy mood...Which works for you.
...Somehow.

I appreciate the sentiment, but you don't need to worry about me - there is considerable strength beneath the hardness, so I can take an occasional barrage without cracking.

This particular one has been going on for a long time. Appears to be coming to conclusion now, barring some unexpected developments. I'm not one to hope against hope and a certain amount of fatalism in my attitude towards things I cannot control makes for a fine shield against the harsher realities of human existence.

Oh, there are some suitably-gloomy emotional considerations there; will my mom ever see home again? Will she even get to see a picture of the renovations she started once they are done? Will she get to grow strawberries in her little garden again? Perhaps - probably - not, and that's sad... And looking at the bigger picture, it will one day, perhaps one of these days, be my job to walk back her footprints with a broom, so to speak. End subscriptions and bank accounts, inform the government, the postal services, etc. Put a period at the end of the sentence that was her life. Such is the burden of being someone's child. Always was. After all, we have a word specifically for someone who has lost their parents - but not the reverse. That's... How it's supposed to be.

If any-one wants to, I'll talk about the situation freely, but... It's cancer. It's a bit of a downer, as subjects go, an I have no inclanation to inflict it upon an audience not actively seeking that conversation. So if you want to talk about it for you - I shall, and to the best of my ability. You don't need to do it for me.

[Magdalena]

The treatment is done. "It's too early to tell," they say, in tones that reek of platitude. Still, there is nothing to do but wait and see, so wait and see we shall.

Maybe talking to us about it can help you go from your mildly depressed mood to your regular Gray, Grumpy, and Gloomy mood...Which works for you.
...Somehow.

I appreciate the sentiment, but you don't need to worry about me - there is considerable strength beneath the hardness, so I can take an occasional barrage without cracking.

This particular one has been going on for a long time. Appears to be coming to conclusion now, barring some unexpected developments. I'm not one to hope against hope and a certain amount of fatalism in my attitude towards things I cannot control makes for a fine shield against the harsher realities of human existence.

Oh, there are some suitably-gloomy emotional considerations there; will my mom ever see home again? Will she even get to see a picture of the renovations she started once they are done? Will she get to grow strawberries in her little garden again? Perhaps - probably - not, and that's sad... And looking at the bigger picture, it will one day, perhaps one of these days, be my job to walk back her footprints with a broom, so to speak. End subscriptions and bank accounts, inform the government, the postal services, etc. Put a period at the end of the sentence that was her life. Such is the burden of being someone's child. Always was. After all, we have a word specifically for someone who has lost their parents - but not the reverse. That's... How it's supposed to be.

If any-one wants to, I'll talk about the situation freely, but... It's cancer. It's a bit of a downer, as subjects go, an I have no inclanation to inflict it upon an audience not actively seeking that conversation. So if you want to talk about it for you - I shall, and to the best of my ability. You don't need to do it for me.

I'm sorry to hear your mom has cancer and that she, as well as you, have been battling it for a long time. I'm sure there's considerable strength beneath the hardness to help you shield against the harsher realities of human existence.
Most of us come equipped with it.

I don't know much about cancer, I haven't had anyone close to me suffer from it either, so I can't offer you advice or share my experience with you so that we can "relate",  but I can listen to you. We all need someone to talk to, that's why we come here. But we also need someone willing to listen, in this case, someone who is willing to sit with you through your gloomy days.
Why would someone do that?
—I don't know, just because.

I know I don't need to do it for you... Or for me. That's just something people do, I think they call it sympathy, but because of the distance, it's more of a passive sympathy, not an active one, all we can do is be here for you to let you know that you are not alone.

Oh, there are some suitably-gloomy emotional considerations there; will my mom ever see home again? Will she even get to see a picture of the renovations she started once they are done? Will she get to grow strawberries in her little garden again? Perhaps - probably - not, and that's sad... And looking at the bigger picture, it will one day, perhaps one of these days, be my job to walk back her footprints with a broom, so to speak. End subscriptions and bank accounts, inform the government, the postal services, etc. Put a period at the end of the sentence that was her life. Such is the burden of being someone's child. Always was. After all, we have a word specifically for someone who has lost their parents - but not the reverse. That's... How it's supposed to be.

Very moving words, Alex.

I, unlike you, am one to hope against hope, so perhaps later on you can tell us about the strawberries that are growing in her little garden again.

As you said, "there is nothing to do but wait and see." That's where things are at this moment.

[Magdalena]

... On the other hand this place is approaching 20 years in existence, and so what if it is mostly a few folks grumbling and entertaining each other. There are worse things. 

I agree.

[jumbojak]

I slept outside last night, right beside the fire pit. It was refreshing.

[Asmodean]

That sounds nice and relaxing. We seem to be in the middle of the rainy season, so it's mostly a lot of indoors, punctuated by running to and from cars.

[jumbojak]

That sounds nice and relaxing. We seem to be in the middle of the rainy season, so it's mostly a lot of indoors, punctuated by running to and from cars.

It was relaxing. Bit chilly when the fire burned down but quite nice. You can still see the dry outline in the gravel where I slept.

[jumbojak]

A channel I follow on YouTube just had one of their videos pulled for manual review and age restriction. The video was produced by Dr. Chris Raynor and covered the dangers and potential health problems associated with obesity.

[Tom62]

A channel I follow on YouTube just had one of their videos pulled for manual review and age restriction. The video was produced by Dr. Chris Raynor and covered the dangers and potential health problems associated with obesity.

I wonder why they did that. My wife is obese and she suffers a lot. High blood pressure, pain in her knees and other joints, not able to walk for more than 500 meters without a rest, etc.

[Asmodean]

Yeah, I've been meaning to have a look at LazerPig's take on alleged T34s in the Ukraine conflict... Also totally age restricted. Memo to myself: VPN over to a country where YT cannot ask for ID, then click on "Yes, I'm like really, really old."

Not trying to make light of a legitimate medical/health conversation (Or the Ukraine war, for that matter) - just... YouTube seems to be doing that sort of stuff absolutely everywhere - even in muh silly historical/tank videos.