Misery Loves Company.

[labelwench]

It's ok to feel sorry for yourself you know.
If you ever deny that you feel like shit, then you will have big problem dealing with it when it really hits the fan.

I've decided its why we are here in life, to feel every possible emotion, not just the pleasurable stuff, but the not so pleasurable stuff as well, I say bring it on, for everything is for our experiencing, embrace deeply and don't be afraid of what you are experiencing.... really, try it and see, feel your darkest moments and see what happens.

What happens when you do that is remarkable.

Gee wizz, please excuse my awful grammar, but my grandad likes her.

I think I might write a book, but then I think what's the point

Write your book, Mel. I am just getting started on one about horses.

Here is the link to a site where you can design your own book and print just one copy if you want, or as many as you like. They even provide a venue for you to sell through them. You can choose from several sizes, softcover, hard cover or paperback and the prices are very reasonable. Everything you need to do your own book professionally at this site.

My hubby is doing one of his motorcycle journey that he took this summer to give as a Christmas gift to family.

http://www.blurb.com/

Free. No software to buy. Download to your computer and you are good to go.

[austintorn@aol.com]

If we think someone is a pain in the arse, what we're really saying if we're honest is something a bit stronger than that, like ....
( I think you are a 1st class f*king retarded idiot ) .... lets not beat around the bush here.

I have some ideas on why these insults can and even must happen, and it is a secondary effect of a primary, root problem of places whose definite aim is not maintained, making for a condition that results in this inevitable turmoil. That, plus thinking that insults can somehow demonstrate an idea that one has become attached to, plus the nature of idea debate poorly attended to, and also leading to no differentiating between the idea and the person, whether as a post originator or a responder.

I will write it up. It's not rocket science.

Other, more successful sites have ways to simply turn off the spigots that serve to eliminate discussion, and they occur within hours and eliminate the problem forever. Contrast that with years of nil but the same failures over and over, spurring very low traffic if not the complete fading away of the site. I fully understand the obvious that no one cares, at the top, and is absentee, but I do.

[austintorn@aol.com]

A forum is a good place for depositing knowledge. It is our mission to use it to our better advantage, so we can further our understanding of the universe and the TOE or not. It's not about people in general, its about their ideas, how simple is that.

That's good—knowledge, which deposit of which is done to best effect of its demonstration.

'Faith' is not knowledge but by definition and usage a wish or hope for the complete opposite—the unknowing—of unknowledge, until something can be shown for it, especially on a science-oriented site.

How simple is that it is about ideas, not people? Apparently not, when ideas are neglect, for one, nor even considered as neutral, but even going to the worst level of attacking the people themselves in lieu of either, a really big drop and flop in debate.

[austintorn@aol.com]

Science-based discussion sites have root and primary aims and rules (even for their religion sub forums) to insure that they don’t degenerate into useless non-discussion of outright preaching, mere pronouncements, and mere declarations, and the correlated secondary turmoil and insults, which is exactly and precisely why those sites prohibit that, and must disallow, too, to be complete. The spigots are obvious and can easily be turned off completely rather than excuses that continual micro-management is doomed due to constant reversion back to breaking the aims, this stretching over even years, and presumably forever.

When one signs up for ToeQuest, one sees promises and guarantees of it being a professional place, noting its rules that are stated to back this up. It failed, and that is why the mess, and the dearth of scientific content providers. Same unfollowed, different recipe; same result.

A place that says it allows no preaching in its rules then turns out to have preaching everywhere, in massive amounts, with the attendant insults of last resort for unbackable positions, even by much of its membership, some of whom put out tremendous amounts of this, with some who will not discuss at all in a discussion forum, too. This is the root problem itself: all the preaching that is not even supposed to be here in the first place. Anything that happens thereafter is thus completely deserved by the site that goes against its own rules in such a major way. The preachers should have been banned years ago, thus then it could not ever said be that TQ can’t check everywhere all the time as an excuse.

These contradictions in aim and purpose versus those same aims being dishonored in practice while at the same time even then honoring the disruptors of the aims by keeping then around forever leads to an untenable mire of no movement that can only lead to the death of the site and the lame “does-not-compute” kinds of hands-tied attempts at interventions that cannot ever compute, and even then try to find some way to rationalize keeping the preachers and the insulters over their identifiers that do have scientific content, so as to perhaps preserve the low membership such as it is. And TQ evens seems to act as if bothered when reports are made based on its very own rules and regulations, casting the reporter as somehow not supposed to be utilizing TQ’s own report options, and these reports are even only made for outright preachings and outright insults, not idea jabs that are fine when backed up, such as why ‘ego’ may be useful or not, when and if saying why, and not just a personal affront.

Of course, some new preachers may arrive, and a la SciForums they can get put through the ringer constantly even about about putting nonsense sentences and/or not backing anything up. And then they are gone, over there.

And anyone gets gone if they don’t answer in a reasonable time, and these and for the preachers are usually permanent bans, although some are just for a month at first. And the sites have a very decent influx of new members. And, meanwhile, for threads that do go on, there are baloney detectors lit up all over the place, and any and all propositions can be contested or supported, as that is what a discussion forum really is. There is no enabling of rule breaking, for that would be totally counter to the aims of the sites, period, the end, a wholly opposite thing.

example, even of a rare, almost even ‘lenient’ case, by Fraggle:

* * * * NOTE FROM THE MODERATOR * * * *

This post was less than one hour old, when I was notified by a member that someone is cluttering up the board with woo-woo. My first instinct was to delete the post and give Sirius a temporary ban for trolling, which is a violation of the rules. However, I found myself laughing so hard as I slogged through the post, that I decided it is worth keeping for its entertainment value.

* * * * NOTE TO SIRIUS * * * *

I am letting this post stand for the reason stated above. However, you will be mistaken if you take this single act of tolerance as permission to pursue this subject any further. Any more posts along this line and you will, indeed, incur a ban. Every moderator has his own style, and mine features complete intolerance for antiscientific trolling, except when obviously in jest.

To focus on a few of the more preposterous bits of bullshit in this post: …

(He even expands on it)


Why should I expect any detailed response on my post other than some usual avoidance such as “Why don’t you leave if you don’t like the mess?”

Sure, I can leave, and then there will be even less scientific content, but does that really address the point. Other scientists are already long gone from TQ.

[melanie]

I worked 31 years at IBM. That was long, and enough for a pension.

I think you've made the right choice here.I would have done the same thing Austin.

My brother recently said to me on losing my job, he said don't worry about it, why work yourself into the ground and wreck your ageing body anymore than you have to.Retirement is meant to be a time where your in a position to reap the rewards of your life's labour - so the last thing you want is to find yourself at the end of your working life in a pretty bad shape, without good health we can't enjoy what we have worked for. He went on to say that most of us spend nearly all of our working live's just living for money, and by the time we reach retirement age, half of us are too knackered to enjoy it because we've worn our bodies out.Also, I've known people that from a very early age, have known exactly where they are going in life, knowing exactly how they want to spend their life, so they deliberately make plans to retire at the age 50 << now that's smart, but its rare, because most spend all their earnings before they've even earned it.Then there are other people who like to work until they drop, its each to their own.

Me, I've always been a worker, a doer, but i'm just going to have to surrender to the fact that i'm not getting any younger, and that nows the time to quit work before i do any more damage to my body.
Also, with the worlds debt crisis, and the economy being in a pretty bad situation with a double dip recession on the cards, and no hope of things improving much, and the thing is, there just doesn't seem to be any solutions to the looming crisis.
Jobs are extremely hard to come by as well, for example there are as many as 150 applicants applying for just 1 job.It's hopeless.

That's why i was so gutted when i lost my job, because it had taken me almost 4 years to find it, and i was picked out from so many others applying for it.We shouldn't have to live in a world like that IMHO There's definitely something wrong with this world.However, maybe the universe is trying to tell me something, OK i'm listening.

I QUIT .......hey you big wide money grabbing world out there did you hear me, i said I QUIT ........HA!

It's garden time for me... I've got 20 japanese acer trees in my garden, so they should keep me busy, that's as soon as i've recovered from my injury, that is.And that's another thing,my doctor said to me had i have done this to my self in my 20's i would have healed within weeks, but because i'm in my 50's its a different story, gee, growing old really sucks.

[melanie]

Write your book, Mel. I am just getting started on one about horses.

Here is the link to a site where you can design your own book and print just one copy if you want, or as many as you like. They even provide a venue for you to sell through them. You can choose from several sizes, softcover, hard cover or paperback and the prices are very reasonable. Everything you need to do your own book professionally at this site.

My hubby is doing one of his motorcycle journey that he took this summer to give as a Christmas gift to family.

http://www.blurb.com/

Free. No software to buy. Download to your computer and you are good to go.

Thanks for the tips Lorrina, and good luck with your book, i'm certain it will be an instant best seller. You're good with words and putting them in a way that is easily comprehensible to the average lay person reader.

As for me writing a book, i'd rather read books than write them, and if i'm reading them, i haven't time to write them.
My brother is writing a book at the moment, can't remember what its about, but its some Sci Fi stuff, he's into anything to do with cosmology and science, so we have a lot in common. I mostly read stuff from the internet, saves money, as buying books can get expensive. I've exhausted all the books in our local library...haha!

[melanie]

A place that says it allows no preaching in its rules then turns out to have preaching everywhere, in massive amounts, with the attendant insults of last resort for unbackable positions, even by much of its membership, some of whom put out tremendous amounts of this, with some who will not discuss at all in a discussion forum, too. This is the root problem itself: all the preaching that is not even supposed to be here in the first place. Anything that happens thereafter is thus completely deserved by the site that goes against its own rules in such a major way. The preachers should have been banned years ago, thus then it could not ever said be that TQ can’t check everywhere all the time as an excuse.

Personally Austin, I think the word ''PREACHING'' gets far too much rap to be honest, there's too much attention given to it,I don't think it is worth getting all heated up about.It's a stupid dumb word actually.My point is that I don't see anything wrong with posting what ever we know about the world and his wife on a forum, especially since we're just simply doing so out of a personal spontaneous desire to share with others.If people don't like what they read they don't have to read it, they can choose to participate in a thread or not.

And besides, isn't it up to the Forum's founder to decide what goes or not, what's hot or not?
I don't see Robert minding do you? this forum is called the ToeQuest Theory of Everything. To me that's saying EVERYTHING.

If its just SCIENCE your after, then why not find a science only forum?

Another idea Austin is that why don't you run your own Science Forum? your computer skills are good, so why not? I'm sure you'll have plenty of interest. i'll even join in if you want?

The thing is Austin, if your looking for professionalism .... this is the internet, you know, its only the internet where anon's of all groups pit there anon wits against other anon's these anon's can be just anybody, posing as a professional when there really nothing of the sort.


There are some very enlightened beings on this forum, and I happen to know your one of them, we should be proud of that, and be thankful for the information they supply. Some have been here for years, we should treat each other with love and respect, especially because we have crossed paths here at the TQ, don't you find that a wonderful gift?
Out of all the people in the world, only a handful hang around this neck of the woods, we should be a family, not at war with each other.

[melanie]

Why should I expect any detailed response on my post other than some usual avoidance such as “Why don’t you leave if you don’t like the mess?”

Sure, I can leave, and then there will be even less scientific content, but does that really address the point. Other scientists are already long gone from TQ.

Don't just leave because someone decides to act like an ass. If newcomers are being hostile to you, then they have the problem not you.
Remember you and i used to be hostile with each other once in the early days, but isn't that only because we didn't know each other.

If people are being nasty to you, its only because they don't really know you Austin, so fk em.
There's nothing wrong with your style of communication, or your posts, they're quite good actually, full of interesting content, especially your poems and videos, in fact I sometimes think people are jealous of you, I for one have grown to like you, and always enjoyed reading your writing..I know that we didn't see eye to eye once upon a time, but it was only because we didn't know each other, and i just didn't like it when we got personal with each other's ideas that's all, as long as we don't get personal, then we're ok.Now that I know who you are, i really like you as the unique person you are.

By the way, I've been reading the SciForum, and to be honest, i wouldn't touch it with a barge pole, they're all too much up their own ass over there, not my cup of tea, as for this TQ forum, its less serious, more laid back, and the people are normal.

And your lovely Austin, please make sure you always stay.

Also, i didn't know michael k p when i first joined the Toe, but now, what a wonderful warm human being, such a gentle loving caring man he comes across.
That's been a lovely surprise for me finding that out.A stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet, remember.

And lets not forget Robert, what a trooper cool guy he is, he let me come back to the forum after i'd been banned 5 times. He just knew i had something in me, he learnt to trust me.

[melanie]

I put them on 'ignore' from time to time, but may now leave it on forever. That, then, makes TQ look more professional to me, via this filter. That is a good way around, for now, for me, but I was also concerned about the general public and new prospective members seeing the place and then staying away.

Every relationship, including forum interaction is like a marriage, those that pray together stay together (metaphorically speaking )


Acceptance Compromise & Forgiveness is the Key.

[austintorn@aol.com]

When I was 40…

They met in Rhinecliff, a riverside country town that still had front porches with ceiling swings, and tables where grandmothers played canasta, rummy, and hearts. Angelina, an artist, drew Peter’s attention as she sketched dress patterns on an easel in the corner of the wooden porch of the old Victorian home.

Peter’s eyes wandered through the scene, and thence upwards toward the center cupola, that lone guardian of the town, with its three windowed view of past, present, and future.

Angelina watched as Peter’s sight passed along the roof lines to the neatly tiled slate by the down spouts; he felt the warmth of her attention on him and the inevitable culmination of their glances.

Following the green drain pipe, down past the first story, his vision crossed over to the porch railing, like a squirrel probing for crumbs, and made the steady gaze that neither of them dared to turn aside, even out of politeness. There was, of course, a certain attraction, born from the fumes of ancient times.