I Think

Too many politicians apparently thinking, "If the nation can't be governed to my specifications I will see to it that it is not governed at all."

It has been entirely too windy around here all week. Made me cancel yesterday's planned broadcast of flea poison.

I have incorporated black seed oil into my regimen, plus tightening my diet. I had slipped on my eating habits, to the extent of indulging in lots of M&Ms and cookies and drinking four or five beers per week. For a person in my situation, such transgressions can prove deadly.

sonabitch
I posted here this morning and even saw the post on my thread before moving to something else. But the sprigging hamster ate it, apparently. No respect, I tell ya. Take my wife. Please. Four. It takes four hamsters to screw in a lightbulb. Three to spin the wheel, one to hold the bulb.

bastid!
Now the post is back.
Never mind.

I wrapped a resident's entire patio with solar screen yesterday. It was a compromise. Said resident had about four ragged white outdoor blinds across there and had been refusing to take them down. Most unsightly, particularly next to the office. My screen job is black and set back enough to be less noticeable.

Took Punky the dog for a ride to Burrows Park. Since I don't have A/C in the truck I thought I should indulge her before the weather turns hot.

Somebody wants an older couple to sign on for a trip to Mars. - Nope. My wife wouldn't consider it.

Tomorrow, my oldest daughter will be 39. In a week, my son will be 40. I would love to relive their childhood days, with a chance to be a better parent.

Stardust could well be the best pop song ever written.

Winter's final gasp? It has decided to freeze just slightly for Sunday morning. But many trees are practically in full green already. Others sport blossoms. I am amazed that one of my moringa trees, which is said to detest weather below seventy degrees, has never lost its leaves. I expect to be harvesting its bounty in two or three months.

I am convinced that most budget cuts ought to come from military and agencies such as CIA and FBI. And politicians and supreme court justices pay and benefits.

I pulled a stackable washer/dryer up the stairs Friday. Had help from below. My days of doing that are numbered.

Doing lots of rewriting these days.

Despite needing a restful weekend I got all the siding on the remainder of the back wall, excepting 16' of the two top courses, where additional work is required. Hoping to get the trim work done by weekend. Perhaps I can paint on Saturday.

Seems my interests and activities have become so self centered these days, I find it hard reaching out and connecting with others. It's likely just a phase. I am not feeling healthwise worse than before. My friends will just have to bear with me (or bare with me, if they so choose). This too shall pass.

There are various threads voicing dissatisfaction with a2k from time to time, two of which are new. The thing is, it was designed for members to police the forum, not to rely on moderators. So what we have is what we allow. If we place on ignore or vote down as a group the troll behavior, most of the truly objectionable aspects of the forums would improve. Ain't gonna happen, apparently. My ignore list includes a number of people I do not dislike. But my experience here is much smoother without their posts.

I had to take an online course on stress management for my job. Did it last night. We take prescribed courses every year. Fair Housing. Sexual Harassment. And more. It is an annoyance, but, I think, necessary.

I agree with your points. Forum hehavior particularly A2K's is an odd duck. I've been seriously considering absenting myself after these 10-12 yrs. Generally I feel the quality of interactions is not what it once was. I've become increasingly disinterested, with a few notable exceptions. When I have offered help and positivity, it is generally ignored.

Interesting that your company is being progressive as well as offering something useful (stress management).

I have nobody on ignore, but I can understand why some people think it the best way to handle things with certain personalities.

I often just gloss over some posts…and if they are aimed mostly at insults, I move on.

A2K is not a place to visit if you are thin-skinned. It takes a strong individual to stand up to the pounding some people can dish out…but once you show you can take it and return fire, the nonsense seems to stop.

I can say this in absolute honesty: There is not a single person on A2K that I would miss an opportunity to meet with in-person…and I am almost positive that even the people with whom I have had considerable disagreement, there would be a friendly, warm exchange…one that would be remembered fondly by both parties.

Can’t ask for a hell of a lot more than that!

Charles, I hope fate has a meet in store for us before one of us sheds this mortal coil.

I'll add my agreement to that sentiment ... towards both of you guys. I'd consider it a must-do for me. Hopefully the only thinking being shed around these parts is my dog Brady's infinite amount of fur.

I would definitely arrange to meet ups with you guys if I had the money. As for the members we've discussed here, I did mention I don't dislike most of them. There are perhaps two that I have no use for, but they will have to guess who they are.

Me too, Rags. I got to meet EdgarB for a short time one sunny day over at Dys' and Diane's. Roger was there too - he probably picked me up from my place. It was just a quick meeting in passing as Eb and Mrs. Eb were on a trip with x amount of time to get somewhere as soon as they could. We liked each other; he's a guy I've major respect for.

On meeting Frank (that agnostic golfer!!!), and Joe Nation (that amazing writer), I've only myself to blame for not getting in touch with them. Last, probably forever last, time I was in New York, I was still involved with the crones from abuzz and I couldn't handle all of that and do what I needed to do in NY (contact with a gallery one of our artists showed at and see the Met for the first time in decades and much more along that line)... so I didn't manage to contact Frank and Joe, and well do I rue that. Rue. Rue. Rue.

I did meet Roberta and Diane and Nextone then, as well as my friend PaolaL, love all of them. RIP, Paola.

That brief meeting was one of the highlights of my life, osso. And, I treasure the recent meeting with CI and PDiddie. Had I been free to make the choice, I would have moved to Albaturkey that year.

I understand.

There is so much curative power in garlic mixed with raw honey. I crush a couple of cloves and have the mixture daily now.

My income over the past year was more than the year I paid back over $600 of my Social Security money. Yet I was awarded a refund this year. I don't understand it, but it would be silly to argue about it.

I had been avoiding the religious/atheist threads, but posted an opinion or two on the Atheists Your Life is Pointless thread last night. Those threads are for the most exercises in futility, in my view. But the participants like what they are doing. I will voice no further criticism.

I'm thinking of reviving jjorge's taste some Irishness thread if I can find it.

I thank you for doing so, Edgar. And your remarks were well worth considering. I hope the people who were asking the questions do.

I don't think I made an impression there.

Well, I managed to survive digging holes at work yesterday and coming home to put up the final courses of siding on back of the house. Now I need some trim boards.

I still consider the President a conservative. I still believe that in the end he will opt to punish "entitlements" before taxing the wealthy or doing anything else constructive for the citizens who elected him.