We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
1. Feel free to ask questions or make comments. Open to answering questions of the personal health/mental and other situations.
2. IF you're in the video/digital promotion or production business in some way, feel free to reach out to me publicly on here or if you'd like, privately.
3. I am interested in doing videos publicly to speak of all this. Already set a meeting at work. Variance and knowledge is IMPORTANT TO ME and others. Some people prefer privacy and silence. I do not. I'd love to speak and promote the truth, feelings and knowledge (or a lot of strangeness). But would love to do regular videos if wanted or necessary and NO ISSUES with comments and openness!
Was suddenly and surprisingly called to the oncologists a week earlier than they had planned. 4 hours with 5 different doctors and the surgeon who removed the staples from my head. Pretty good overall after 9 days.
He was very happy and positive with that. Says my speaking was excellent. I was surprising him well for health - recommended I go back to the gym regularly already. My intelligence? Very, very high since his surgeries on this topic often have far more concerning outcomes from the people treated. I was said to be shockingly good. But he did recommend some realism and expectations. Realistic is 18 months of probability. That's the likelihood. Not essentially how it will happen. Just pretty standard.
I mentioned I had 2 friends who i have - Glio Blastonoma - which both lasted 18 months. It's not assured, since there are now several things we can try and test. I said "I'm 100% in for anything immediately and I expect the best!" They like my attitude! But they also asked me to be a realist. I said fine - I've done that already. But I'm not going to just give up too easily. I'll expect more and try more for whatever can happen and expect!
I can head back to work already, technically. I will shift to 1 day a week for 6 weeks for now. After 6 weeks of radiation and chemo, I have to adopt some other tests and treatments that are merely "looks at what MIGHT help a little." I can work while having that. One will require shaving all hair off and adopting some electronic treatments long term. There are other things which I may engage, as well.
But the doctors, as happy as my push for happiness, positiveness, openness and anything good - they loved that I wasn't crying or upset. They were also "Let's just be open too about what reality seems to indicate."
I replied "fine - my brain is actually talking to me - and I'm fine with reality." They asked what I was being told by the brain. For the first time I repeated things that it keeps saying. They said it's correct - and that it's not terrible to expect even if the brain speaking may be driven by medication....doesn't mean the brain is wrong.
It rarely has been, of course, which is why I always loved writing and pushing attitudes some people even today are disgreeing with me about (incorrectly mostly).
So that's what we know for now. We shall learn more.
Boys came home, we've had some talks. We are being open and realistic. It will all be very, very hopeful and I am pushing myself hard already!
All the best and while 18 months will be expected, I'll love whatever we have. Always the best!!!
Knowing my probability is very short and I am taking things very specifically engaged, I had a very funny conversation with my 29 year old son about God and how "He" is managed and what "His"names are.
I reminded my son we've spent thousands of years of men misusing names and genders for God - and we've adopted a lot (all with the most positive and forward thinking views, of course) but that in reality God isn't male or female - we don't have a clue. LOL We don't even know if "HE" has a name. So many great names to raise, use and alter or employ. And not to be upset, angry or needing to revise it at all. Just fun to talk about it all!
I took many religious courses in college. Buddhism, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Muslim/Islam, etc. I remember the Judaism 2 were with a very good friend (sadly struggling with her name which I'll remember eventually) and watching her apply the standard Jewish restrictions on the spelling and length of the use of "God", "Yahweh" and other utilizations. She'd limit its use and spelling in notes and usage. I'd just use it! LOL. All great fun and use - lots of differentiations and conversations and so many laughs from time to time.
Of course, we had different lives, raisings and usage - but it was so enjoyable engaging these conversations (even if sometimes MAYBE we got a little too emotionally engaged in differences). In the end, it was always great love and learning.
It's even fun having jokes and conversations with my son - far less religious than even I was or am slowly adopting again. But I appreciate the views and outlooks. Life is a great way to adopt and learn why we may need or use religion. Or not need and use it. I am certainly non-judgemental. But always appreciative!!!
Brief hello and update! Good Morning! This may be long, but I spent a lot of time over the past few days having sports conversations and thinking about my growth and youth. So this may be broad and not overly specific in some ways. It's more of a combination of open conversations with friends who have happily swung by to speak and get together to see if I'm holding my head together and speech well.
I am slowly working on the reading, writing and updating. Will keep things as simple as possible. Some things are actually going way better even today than I'd expected! A few personal family and home things - oof. LOL. Frustratingly slow and asking help as words are struggled or forgotten, and I'm slowly reviving others which work!
Sorry if some of you have, or have families, friends or others who have had similar health issues like mine. I am not trying to make anyone feel bad or feel the need or desire to discuss. If I do speak about my situation in any way, I'm just happy to say what even others in my family have asked me to avoid raising. Mainly because I feel nice openly discussing as i need to work out the details! Hoping for great things as I may need to work through it all!
Such a pleasure as I work to recover! I will make one more statement that sounds mean but I'm not afraid to finish this finally, regardless of what anyone replies with. I make so few, but this is so overdue in my life and so damn annoying from the office. Zachriel, who I shall name once because I learned so much about his deep trouble, and his shit and his stupidity, who he is where he is from, his lies, his evil, his deepness that was often overlooked. I have no trouble if his mind is eliminated. He must go. His work is the most evil and I dug up so much about him in my online work, prior to my recent health issues, to know him, without exposing him, and I hope he finally got my recommendation to corporations who insisted delivery of my information. So many people opposed him and I agreed. I feel right to oppose his deep evil. I know he thinks I do NOT know who he is - but I do. I know where he is from, who he is, but I had to, due to the office, keep it all quiet publicly. That's how social groups handle this. But he fell into a range of BS that I had to keep raising because he is deeply evil in my POV and not afraid to lie and be an asshole as a person. So now I won't be the same toward his action. I'm sure someone or he thinks there is more information I don't know. That is incorrect. I'm far more intelligent than he ever knew or admitted. Far more connected, far more knowledgeable and he literally told me once I didn't know about him (or his group as he used to say) when I did. Corporate handling required ME remaining quiet...so I'm being as polite limited as I can. I know everything. He'll say I don't - and he should know he's lying if he doesn't realize it.
No more naming of him. He shall leave and we shall return to happiness and love without the truths I exposed about him.
Now I will share other information because that's my last negativity...I've had several things on a few issues I've had to pressure and move on the last few weeks and now I've told everyone I'm ending that.
Thanking Bird Dog so much! We had a great call, even though I (sadly for a few moments) forgot his name. But it did come back and things are working again.
I loved how he rewrote my original. I asked him to. I was honest and clear about the obvious troll you all know.
Part of my job, or was, is managing that a lot. I finally took time to look that thing up and learned more than he realizes. I know a lot but will keep it quiet. It is not accepted or agreed to by anyone. It must go. I was clear to Bird Dog with some of the truths.
It saddens me to take those approaches about truth when there are liars and evil people like the troll. That is all I'll add as I prepped that before my sudden personal issues. It is part of my online job, I'd put it off for fairness for years. I could not recently. His entries here are evil, pure and simple. He lies far too much and I raised the online responses at my office elsewhere to find it all out. Enough - it's over he must go, my management actually had known as he's more common than you may realize and they tried to be "fair" too much. It's over now.
For me - the move is 100% support and love for all of you and thankfulness of your support.
Here is MY situation.
Health? Amazing for a 61, soon to be 62 year old. My surgeon does the 3mm cancer removal from my left brain and says there is work to do to figure out what it is and what the likely length(s) are. We shall see. 1 year? 10 years? 20 years? We do not know. We shall see.
He said "you can go to the gym after the surgery is repaired as you are encouragingly great shape! How were you against 45 year olds?" I told him I had won a lot in tennis this past summer against "better" 45 year old tennis players. More than even I'd expected. I ran the night of surgery for 7 miles online! Faster than 45 year olds! Suddenly the ONLY person who I couldn't understand (knew the English, but not the logic) was my wife! It had happened for 4 weeks first. Then the surprised issue on Friday Feb 2 and a hospital visit as a result from her with me leading to the study and surgery.... Anyone else? NO PROBLEM for 4 weeks. So odd and Feb 2 the doctors were speaking English and I just stared and said "Hmmm...it's English. I know the words. I cannot tell what you're asking me." Got the name, address, birthday, day lengths, car information, work names and information - so much correct! Health and wife info? English. No clue. LOL, so bizarre. 2 steroid shots - it all clears up till surgery!!!
Work? Lots of GREAT calls. NO issues. None, literally. My boss said "we know you have a few names and words you're working on - all good, though and you're 90% pushing the right words and the 10% are slowdowns to get them right - it's just us reminding you when you have to slow down." So I'm going to work to fix that over the next 2 months.
I am 100% happy, positive, loving, moving for the best. Except the obvious politicians who are liars and lying more for criminal reasons - I am open about that. My own friends (professors at several universities on politics) asked me to be nicer but all admitted I've had incredibly correct comments and truths even the media is hiding now (remember I've spent 38 years in various media over the years and know reality better than the awful things now active in modern media today that I've shifted out of content).
While one troll here has assumed I was a liar or stupid and even suggested it in its own way - I was happy to prove the downside of its input.
Several friends called me this weekend about our political, religion and sports calls (particularly the Super Bowl) and literally everything I said and they responded? "100% correct and great to know." I even helped many people win a ton of money at the Super Bowl because I made my expectations - and as I have always understood sports really well it all paid off! That is it for now. Love you all. Thank you all for your comments! Your love. I told Bird Dog while work has slown down and impacted my writing, I will write more as I recover. I'm adding more names and friends and I hope they add more as well!
All of our followers and readers - even many who rarely comment, but whether they do or not is meaningless. I just have enjoyed so many and am always happy with all of YOU!
All the best and as my health information becomes more and more available, I'll fill you in, but write about other things as well!
Some readers know Bulldog from our Urban Hikes. Good pal with a cool wife. We'll try to take out trolls, but we do not mind differing opinions.
My wife had a wonderful call with Bird Dog last week prior to my surgery. Short form news - I had 3 mm cancer tumor removed from left brain. I'm getting better. Good conversations, good improvement for now. Feeling healthy. Doing calls, texts, but I have small words, conversations and learning to improve.
Business, politics, history and other reading have been improving, accurate and on style. I have moved to positivity, facts, truth and honesty and goodness. Except for trolls on Maggie's.
My statement(s) for now are the doctor asked me to start writing more as time goes by. I will try to do so as I recover, as my surgeons are pushing. My intelligence, even my company said (as did many business partners) "holy crap - you've been AMAZING" because my work and knowledge has been amazing and my company will have a massive growth this year with the work I've done while I take a recovery break from stuff with them.
My long term life - we'll see what happens. I will reiterate I love all of you - you've all been great readers, thinkers, and followers for years and while business the last 3 years has kept me from writing a lot, I want to let you all know I respect all of you, when you've engaged the kindness and love and sharing.
All the best - we'll stay in touch! I want positives, goodness and love. No trolls, please.
If you don't love it, it would drive you crazy - and it certainly does.
Several states have either tried, and failed, or succeeded so far, to remove Trump from their ballots.
The best example recently was in Maine. Where an unelected official pushed this through, then had the temerity to explain their reasoning.
That reasoning is best described as a version of "I had to destroy democracy to save democracy." It's a classic trope and one which is often crafted in literal and legal fashions to make them sound smarter, better, and more caring for all. As if we want them to do this.
The person who did this claims, in a manner I have yet to really completely wrap my head around, that doing this was a method of getting "better leaders" and avoiding "election sabotage." Now how making Trump's candidacy and the right of people to vote for him isn't election sabotage must require some elaborate rhetoric, and certainly she tried very hard to explain it. Naturally, it's all nonsense and she's basically, in the most respectful fashion I can dredge, an idiot with few redeeming qualities to hold the office currently held.
Tomorrow we are out of the official 6 week window from Nov 20 (the earliest the holiday season starts prior to Thanksgiving) to Jan 3 (the latest you can have a work day if Jan 1 falls on a Friday).
I don't remember when I started noticing it, because my days are usually pretty busy at work. At some point, I did notice other people started taking more time during that period, clients and partners started having more long lunches or dinners after work. There was always the obligatory office party, as well as invitations to client parties....
Basically Nov 20 to about Jan 3 is usually a big fiesta. I'm not complaining, it just isn't something I ever really thought about until this year because I have noticed more people taking time during this 6 week period.
Meetings were canceled, postponed, or otherwise put off unless absolutely necessary. Which was pretty common as the end of year approached. Some tasks have to be completed and goals met.
Which isn't to say nothing happens during the 6 week fiesta. There's always work, and I've seen it get pretty busy (this year a lot of firms were sprinting to their year end budgets - almost all coming up short). But it's definitely treated as a mild work period.
Many management comments will basically sound like "We really need to put in some effort these last few weeks to make the budget, but don't forget that the office party is on Tuesday Dec X and you'll need to get your self-evaluation in no later than the 29th of December. Have a great season."
I don't say this to be snarky - that's actually how it usually goes, and it can be a pretty good holiday season.
I always worked the week between Christmas and New Year - mainly because most people wouldn't, and it was an easier week. I remember taking those days to go to long lunches and see movies after lunch, then finish up at the office. Working from home takes a bit of that out of the equation, but I still did quite a bit of work last week.
Hope all of you, particularly if you share our points of view, thoughts, or opinions, have a great new year. Which isn't to imply those who don't should have a bad one. I don't wish ill on anyone at all. Some people just have bad years. I've had one or two along the way, and I've always looked for ways to flip that script. I am pretty good at that. There is always someone who injects themselves into your life and just know they have to in order to somehow make your life 'better' or feel like they somehow belong, and they aren't really welcome. They show up anyway and feel like they are doing a service. I work hard to be civil and cut those people out of my life as much as possible. You have to maintain positivity and those people are simply not positive. One of those people, recently, learned something about me which completely altered their view.
They had gone to HR not too long ago and had crafted a story, reporting me. After some angst, HR basically ignored it. That person treated me poorly for a while until taking the time to learn about me. The script has flipped. After a non-apology, I simply said "I don't spend too much time worrying about nonsense. It doesn't move me forward and I try to be optimistic. It pays dividends." Since that time, my work life has become immeasurably better, though busier.
We all have similar experiences and hopefully all of you will take Colin Powell's old comment (which is part of a list of 'rules' I try to employ) that "Optimism is a force multiplier."
Oddly, the list of 'rules' were given to me by one of the most negative, mean, people I ever worked for. I added that comment when another co-worker suggested it as a means of dealing with the list of rules, which are generally very good.
Whatever rules you live by - live well and benefit from them. Just remember, you're not here because you have to make other lives better. If you do, and if they accept it, great and good for you and them.
If all you do is keep showing up and you haven't read the room - maybe there's another room that's better for you and others. Find a way to be beneficial and live better in whatever way works.
A friend of mine recently described the upcoming year as 'tumultuous'. I won't disagree with that description. Despite that, we'll find a way to make it all a good one.
I once laughed at a M*A*S*H episode in which a British fellow was commenting on his military's focus on foot hygiene. It was amusing at the time, but over the years I've largely ignored my feet. To my dismay.
I was just over 30 when I had both feet operated on for bunions. That was a vast improvement, but it more or less ended my competitive volleyball days.
I was just over 45 when I suffered severe back trauma which I learned was related to tight hamstrings, and recently learned that was related to my feet.
At any rate, I had one bunion operated on again, it was a big operation, when I was 55. Today, as I inch closer to 62, I have a host of foot problems. Not good for someone planning on hiking the Camino de Santiago in the next few years.
My new podiatrist had nothing good to say about the previous operations. He explained to me they were improper diagnoses of the situation and now there's not much chance any additional surgery will provide relief. He also pointed out something I'd known about but never took seriously. I don't use orthotics.
He did a scan, got me some, and I've got to say my feet feel much better. Not 100%, but at this point I'll take any improvement.
I also now spend a lot of cash for properly-fitted sneakers. I always figured if they fit, they're fine. Over the last year I've learned to take that a little more seriously. Hokas are the new brand - I'll let you know when I get them if they're "all that". At least you can get them sized for width, which is critical for me.
Take care of your feet. Don't ignore them or put off any care the way I have. Big mistake, and fixing what's messed up isn't easily reversible at my advanced age.
Boycott Israel. It's a great idea if you're angry at Israel for developing a strong economy and thriving culture. You may be upset at them for invading Gaza, and you can support the right for Palestine to have their own nation. Truth be told, Israel and the UN have offered Palestine a nation several times, and each time been rebuffed. Israel also isn't happy about returning to Gaza. Remember they removed all Israeli settlers, and the IDF, years ago with an understanding that it would be demilitarized. Funny how that worked out.
I was about 55 years old the first time I went to Disneyworld. I'd been to Florida and Orlando several times before, but never any of the theme parks. I'd been to Disneyland with my boys while I was in my late 30s. The comparison between California and Florida is stark. Not that Disneyland is bad, if you're into theme parks and Disney in particular. Orlando just offers so much more.
I'm not writing about Disney, though. What I found really intriguing was, when I visited Disneyworld, I was surprised to see how well it has adapted through the years (Disneyland still has work to do to catch up). I realized, upon visiting Epcot, what Disney's original goal was. At a time when long distance travel was rare, and still a luxury, he sought to bring foreign lands and foreign experiences to the United States. As authentic an experience as possible, whether from abroad or from entertainment. Disney hired locals from the regions represented in Epcot, and they continue to do so. In fact, when I was in Britain I met a former pub owner who was one of the first Disney had brought over to run the "authentic" English pub in Epcot. My Italian dinner in Epcot was served by a native of Tuscany.
I'm not a UFC fan, and I'm not a Bud Light (or even Budweiser) fan. I don't follow extremely violent sports like UFC, though plenty of my friends do. I also don't drink that much anymore, but Bud was never on my "oh, I really like that" list of products. Nor were many of their now subsidiary brands. I have lots of friends who only drank Bud. I use the past tense for a reason, since they no longer do.
The recent attempts by Bud to rehab their image, such as aligning with the UFC, reek of desperation. A friend had asked me if I felt the CEO was aware of the choice to engage this marketing disaster that was Dylan Mulvaney. I simply said "I don't care what they say otherwise, but ultimately yes, in my experience, the CEO had to be aware." I was then asked if I agreed or disagreed with that decision, and I simply replied "Given how much marketing drives my industry, and what I know about how it is engaged, I would have disagreed and warned against it." That said, I didn't really care one way or another. Budweiser tastes awful. Mulvaney barely registers on my radar and what little I know is that he is a annoying twit engaging in idiotic behavior which, if I were a woman, would be insulting. But I'm not a woman, I don't care, and his attempts at humor and "activism" always fell flat with me. My position on this debacle was one of interested but rather disengaged onlooker.
I am a Philadelphian, for the most part. I was born there, but I really only lived there for 6 years, only the most formative years of my youth. I spent 9 more years, a few hours north of Philly, in a region evenly split between Philadelphia people and New York City people. However, that split shifted as I lived there. More and more New Yorkers arrived, and today it's a pretty solid ex-NYC region. Given it is equidistant to both cities, during the pre-cable/internet days you had a choice of which games you wanted to watch on TV or listen to on the radio.
Of course, I opted for the Phillies. Not really a popular choice in my high school, but the team was amazing during the late 1970s. Even if they didn't win a World Series until I'd left for college, their teams were always in the mix. My father-in-law sent me this article, knowing my penchant for all things Philadelphia (I married into a Yankees/Mets/Giants family - talk about mixed marriages!).
The one memory my father loves to share about baseball is related only tangentially. He had taken the family to Germany so he could attend a conference. We spent the last 3 days in Hamburg at the Hotel Intercontinental. I was getting the International Herald Tribune each morning, early, before anyone else was showered and ready for the day. I had to see how the Phillies were doing. They were about to make the playoffs for the first time in 26 years, after all. For me, it was an experience I had to indulge as fully as I could. I couldn't watch, or listen to, the games. We were too busy, but I was thinking about it constantly.
I remember when the situation in Ukraine began, we were assured the Russian claims of "Nazis" wasn't true. Since that original falsehood, the NYTimes has walked back the position slowly. But sometimes reality gets even more absurd than you can imagine. After all, when the Left, which once called Trump a 'Nazi', offers up a real Nazi for a standing ovation, you have to begin to wonder who the 'real Nazis' are. I've always known it is the Left, masquerading as they do as "anti-fascist" which allows them to behave in a fascist manner.
Point is, when you celebrate a Nazi, simply because he's Ukrainian and fought Russians in WWII, you confirm that you have created a self-perpetuating cycle of BS which is beginning to pile up. It becomes even worse when you utilize your media ties to block the information surrounding that person. The Left will say "but lots of German soldiers weren't Nazis." Soldiers, yes. Waffen SS, not so much. Let's just get a grip and call things what they are.
The cycle of leftist hypocrisy and lies is growing. We're just caught in their vortex.
For weeks, Mrs. Bulldog resisted seeing Barbie with me because she feared I'd have a negative reaction to the pro-female message, as some in the conservative media have. I assured her that not only am I not a conservative, but I have a sense of humor. One rainy Saturday afternoon, I finally got her to shift enough and we took it in. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's funny and the story is absurd in the extreme. Yes, there's an outlandishly Woke overtone of "men rule the world" as a message. It's only a part of the story. The main story really is much more subtle. Yes, it's partially about empowering women, but it's also a story about how Wokeness and Intersectionalism are dangerous, while individualism and self-awareness are critical. If you (like me) do not mind spoilers, then feel free to read on. I found Barbie to be funny, engaging, and intelligent, requiring an open mind and a willingness to engage absurdity to gain insight into deeper thoughts. Sadly for the scriptwriters, I believe they underestimate consumers and their own intelligence exposes the massive flaws in the agenda the writers hoped to push. It actually promotes capitalism (success of Ken's Mojo-Dojo Casa Home), civility and avoiding thoughts and behaviors which promote gender supremacy. Ken's hoodie, at the end, more or less sums up my view. Be yourself.
Barbie was just a comedy that tried to (poorly) push a leftist agenda and wound up undoing itself with other, better, themes while making me laugh hysterically. Ken, inadvertantly at the end, promotes individuality.
The movie begins by paying homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey and an openly ironic narrative describes how Barbie, the doll, "saved girls" and helped improve their lot in the world and in life by empowering girls to achieve. This was, arguably, the most inspired part of the production, because it parodies itself and, throughout the movie, it incorporates recreated scenes from classic films.
Is there an overriding theme or message to Barbie? Yes there is, but it is poorly done. What the theme may be, ultimately, is up to you, and I'm sure we'll all have different views. I did not see what they wanted me to see (I rarely fall for Hollywood nonsense).
I'll expand this and point out "Anti-Gouging Laws" are a form of sanctions and not only make strenuous situations more difficult, but they also create their own markets (among people willing to pay, pay cash, and keep their mouth shut). Lots of government agencies will claim they 'work' and cite a few specific and unusual examples and claim "victory." Pyrrhic, at best. The same is true with governments discussing sanctions.
International sanctions rarely work because of the point made in the title - they create 'black' markets. Russia's oil has sanctions against it? So what. Some country that doesn't care about the West will buy it on the cheap, then resell to nations that support the sanctions but are happy to play intermediary, and eventually it gets back to the West one way or the other. Either as refined product, or by markets elsewhere that undermine the larger market and disrupt supplies.
The communist world had sanctions against many Western goods - but they were always available in communist nations. My father traveled to Russia with a suitcase carrying a few extra cases of Marlboros (he didn't smoke) and a few pairs of Levis. Always good to have the local currency (contraband) ready just in case. A friend who travelled to Argentina 8 years ago, where currency controls were in place, was directed to join a "currency club" where they got a "preferred rate of exchange". The official Argentine rate was so bad, many people set up these "clubs" where they'd exchange at a better rate, knowing they could get the currency out and exchange at better rates outside of Argentina.
There aren't many examples of sanctions working and doing what they're supposed to do. Usually sophisticated nations can find ways out of, or around, sanctions.
In the modern world, the claim was Russia's removal from the SWIFT payment system would cripple them. Someone forgot that the decentralized nature of the internet and cryptocurrencies made the hegemonic controls of a SWIFT system problematic. If you're going to cut someone out of the system - when might YOU be cut out of the system (for any variety of political reasons)? Russia isn't crushing it, economically, but the claims about how poorly it would be doing by now were clearly overblown and based on a poor understanding of modern economic interactions.
I posted on Monday about the death of someone I'd gone to high school with and the conversations it sparked, as well as the odd situation it presented due to the poor teen experience I'd had (and since resolved for myself), and the difficulty of finality when a relationship ends poorly.
Part of writing in a forum like this is to just 'get stuff out there'. Another part is to share ideas or feelings that may help others. Still another part is seeing what others share back.
Every single comment made is helpful and meaningful. While I haven't written for quite some time (I really need to fix how I handle time management), this was something I felt was good to share. I'm glad I did and thank you to everyone who commented. Maggie's is not just a forum to write, it's a place to share. One reason I like to post anonymously is because writing can be a way to draw attention to yourself, and that's not what I write to do. While some readers do know who I am, most don't. I like seeing what almost all our readers have to say (there is a rare comment I can't abide by...but free speech still rules my life). In this particular case - all were very useful.
Death and Birth are two things which bind us all. It's something we're all going to experience. The stuff in between? We're all going through stuff. Just stuff. My believe is sharing will help develop ways8: for us to bind together in better ways. So always trying to be open.
Mortality is a strange thing. We're here, then we're not. Our friends and family are here. Then they're gone. We focus a lot on things that impact us while we're alive, as we should, to make our lives more interesting and enjoyable. Outside of rare conversations on spirituality or religion, many people spend little time thinking about saying good-bye or preparing for what is inevitable, aside from taxes. It's a strange thing that death is actually one of the more important parts of life, after perhaps birth, and just like birth we have little to no control over when it takes place. We have some control over ourselves and our lives during the interim period between birth and death, though. Maybe that's the point?
Two things occurred in the last week which started me thinking about mortality and specifically my own mortality. They were both events which get most people thinking. First was a discussion with my in-laws about their end-of-life planning, as they have now both passed their mid-80s. Second was a notice that a classmate from high school had died, not someone I was extremely close with, though we had a relationship which had recently ended poorly.
I was recently on a webinar about Disinformation and what the media and governments are 'doing' about it. I found it both interesting and, in and of itself, misleading (in other words, it could have been classified as 'disinformation').
Parts of it were excellent, discussing the manner in which AI is now being deployed and increasing the ability to do "Deep Fakes" and other false narratives. Several examples showed how easy it is to make these. I believe there needs to be a way to identify and combat these, without question. And many companies are creating ways to deal with the threat these represent. I have no doubt it will be an 'arms race' of sorts, never ending. But the reality is there's nothing new here. Fakes have existed for years. Back when well-known entities weren't as recognizable or identifiable as they are now, many 'fakes' popped up to mislead, distract, and defraud the population. Lord Gordon Gordon and Princess Caraboo were capable of perpetuating large scale fraud. "End of the world" cults were incredibly common. Phlogiston was an accepted part of science, and even Boyle (whose laws I still use when scuba diving) believed in it. Phrenology was a 'science' well into the early 1900s, and eugenics was utilized widely well in the 1980s (primarily by the Nazis and the Soviet Union). So you know, follow the science.
Recently, I was sent by my company to a class to learn how to improve my negotiation skills. I'm actually pretty good at negotiation. In the class (of 8 people) I scored 3rd highest - which I thought was "very good" but was told "those who do best are the ones who do the worst and learn the most." So maybe I wasn't as successful as I thought. In fact, I learned afterwards I'm more 'sales' than 'negotiator'. Useful skills in leading up to a negotiation, but sales can derail a negotiation (as I learned to my surprise).
I will never again confuse sales with negotiation. Which I have always done. I did not see them as fully separate skill sets - until now.
I always felt negotiation is a part of the sale. I learned the hard way it's not. Basically, negotiation is about firmness, employing the proper behaviors as called for within the context of the discussion, and doing what is appropriate.
Generally I don't care about this stuff...but at a lunch recently some coworkers spent a good portion of the time talking about Harry and Meghan. I simply stated I don't generally pay attention to the details of this stuff, all humans are flawed and hero-worship isn't something I go for, generally speaking.
That said, I am a huge Anglophile, which may seem odd as I'm of Irish/German descent. Of course, the Saxe-Coburgs, or Windsors as they care to be known as now, are German, so maybe it's that part that has my pay any bit of attention. Standing in front of paintings and statues of William of Orange or Cromwell (as I have many times on my visits) leave me a bit cold, but I can appreciate the history they represent. Even Churchill, whose relationship with the Irish is tenuous at best, is one of the few politicians I look up to.
Being an Anglophile doesn't mean I'm a royal-watcher or a fan of the monarchy. I've often joked they are the wealthiest welfare family on the planet. This is a bit of a stretch, of course. The family does generate quite a bit of income on their own, with their holdings, and as a result of tourism and fandom. It would be a significant impact to the UK economy to see the end of the monarchy. That said, even today children grow up dreaming of being kings, queens, princes and princesses. As a child, I remember talking of being an astronaut, a fireman, a policeman, etc. So royalty, as a child's dream, is certainly not as awful as one may think.
About 5 years ago there was a Political QQQ posted. Today I'll post another by the same person.
"How can an act done under compulsion have any moral element in it, seeing that what is moral is the free act of an intelligent being?" ~Auberon Herbert
I recently was in a heated debate with someone who called volunteerism a "Republican guilt complex", stating that government directed welfare was better and anything done voluntarily would never live up to overall needs as effectively.
I disagreed. I believe compelling people to do something doesn't make them good. Furthermore, it opens the door to corruption, destruction, and destitution. Politicians view the money collected as 'theirs' and they will do as they please with it. But you get to feel good. You 'did' something, right?
For weeks, Mrs. Bulldog resisted seeing Barbie with me because she feared I'd have a negative reaction to the pro-female message, as some in the conservative media have. I assured her that not only am I not a conservative, but I have a sense of humor. One rainy Saturday afternoon, I finally got her to shift enough and we took it in. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's funny and the story is absurd in the extreme. Yes, there's an outlandishly Woke overtone of "men rule the world" as a message. It's only a part of the story. The main story really is much more subtle. Yes, it's partially about empowering women, but it's also a story about how Wokeness and Intersectionalism are dangerous, while individualism and self-awareness are critical. If you (like me) do not mind spoilers, then feel free to read on. I found Barbie to be funny, engaging, and intelligent, requiring an open mind and a willingness to engage absurdity to gain insight into deeper thoughts. Sadly for the scriptwriters, I believe they underestimate consumers and their own intelligence exposes the massive flaws in the agenda the writers hoped to push. It actually promotes capitalism (success of Ken's Mojo-Dojo Casa Home), civility and avoiding thoughts and behaviors which promote gender supremacy. Ken's hoodie, at the end, more or less sums up my view. Be yourself.