Type what you're thinking about right now (11)

[anxiouslondoner]

^ what's happened Mellie?

[Tubbs]

Had a gig planned for this Friday but I'm now wondering if it'll be cancelled for Covid reasons, or if it's even a good idea to show up :/

[SpectralOwls]

^ I feel so bad for kids right now. Though the introverted ones must be happy at least...

[Chess&Junkfood]

Now it's not much


But I wanted to give all of the guests on the forum a present for Christmas


Although I don't like to leave anyone out


So if you are a member on the forum


Then maybe you can log out and become a guest yourself


Anyway, here is your present:





I only wish I could have given you something better than a set of bath towels


But what with being late and all


and also


I want to dedicate a song to all of you!


I would now like to dedicate a song to all of the guests on the forum!


Who I might add, are all fantastic!

And yes


A lot of sugar was consumed during this post!


But I still stand by the fact that I think all of you are fantastic!

[Consolida]

^ A set of bath towels sounds like a grand present but...erm...are we allowed to choose what colour we'd like?

That Beverley Craven song takes me back. Gosh time flies! She's 58 now

[Chess&Junkfood]

Of course I would be more than happy to exchange those bath towels for you, Consolida


But the problem is, I'm not sure how the forum guests would feel if I yanked back those bath towels from them


Although, as it's you!!!


But before I do yank back those bath towels from the forum guests


Who I might add, are all fantastic!


I think I might have come up with a solution


Give me a second, please, Consolida





It's all yours, Consolida!


Now it might look a bit similar to the coffee mug that I gave Dougella a bit ago


But I think that might be coincidental


As for Beverley Craven turning 58. Time certainly flies! It makes me appreciate that I am getting older! But great song

[Professor Willow]

I wonder how different the world would be if 'social media' had never been created.
My hunch is that people would be happier due to less focus on popularity, image and status.

[Consolida]

^ I remember the world before 'social media' well and although it was far from perfect, I often nostalgically think back to that time before the genie was let out of the bottle. Were people any happier though? I don't know

^^ Aww my very own personalised mug. Thanks Chess&Junkfood!

[SpectralOwls]

Chess&Junkfood I always love your posts so much! They make me smile.

[Chess&Junkfood]

Thank you so much, SpectralOwls! That's very nice of you to type that!


Isn't SpectralOwls great, everyone!


And thanks to your post


My ego has been inflated to new heights!


Yes, I have arrived!!!!!!!


I'm even inspired to start my own merchandise





You can't go wrong with a coffee mug





I think it's everything you could want in a t shirt






Words of wisdom. Need I say more



I would now like to dedicate a song to my newest fan!


The fantastic! The amazing! SpectralOwls!!!

[SpectralOwls]

@Chess&Junkfood I would buy your merch in a heartbeat! Then you can have the money for a warm jumper hoho!

@Lee Oh my God this song perfectly describes me!!! You know me so well. I LOVE MY DOG. T^T

You all are amazing hahaha <3

[Tonkin]

The worst thing about working for yourself/working from home is that, while you don't get that Sunday dread about Monday morning, you also don't get that Friday Feeling when it's almost time to go home.

[Mike.Kzov]

Originally Posted by Tonkin

The worst thing about working for yourself/working from home is that, while you don't get that Sunday dread about Monday morning, you also don't get that Friday Feeling when it's almost time to go home.

I don't think I'd have the discipline and organisation to work from home all the time by myself. I'm told there's more of a danger that work ends up taking up your evenings and time off too. The ideal for me would be like 2 days at home, 3 days in the work place with your team.

[anxiouslondoner]

^ depends if you find really tall mountains boring! It's pleasant enough, I did a rail trip through Switzerland and Austria a few years ago.

[Tonkin]

Originally Posted by Mike.Kzov

I don't think I'd have the discipline and organisation to work from home all the time by myself. I'm told there's more of a danger that work ends up taking up your evenings and time off too. The ideal for me would be like 2 days at home, 3 days in the work place with your team.

I don't have the problem of working in the evenings or weekends but I do have time management problems during the day.

If I work from home (not an shared workspace/office) then I end up doing stuff around the house rather than actually working.

So I try to do 2 or 3 days out, and 2 or 3 at home.

[SpectralOwls]

I'm thinking about how crappy America is.

I have a feeling what's happening to my work right now is a non-issue over there. My company outsources another company called Kronos to post up schedules, track clock-ins/outs, paid time off hours, sick time hours, tax info, etc. It went under a few days ago after being under attack by ransomware, so aside from our company making an internal announcement to us about it, Kronos has not mentioned ANYTHING publicly about what has happened. They've gone silent for days.

So, they have our Social Security Numbers and personal information potentially leaked, which in my case isn't the worst of it since i"m leaving the country anyways. :/ But having your SSN stolen means having your identity potentially stolen. Our system is WHACK.

Aside from that, now I'm extra worried that I won't be able to access my PTO for my final check as I'm leaving on the 26th. There are rumors that it could be down for WEEKS. -_- I have about 4 grand worth of PTO I want to cash out. Most likely I'll have to keep my bank account open so I can get direct deposit or something.

I just feel so freaking upset about our crappy cyberpunk dystopia. We don't even have anything cool like hoverboards, flying cars, or casual hologram technology. Instead we have Russians infiltrating our work systems because Jimmy wanted to look up porn at work. :')

[Tonkin]

Most rules are pointless and aren't worth following.

[Dougella]

^ Hmm, depends what rules you mean! We have to have traffic rules, and laws that say you don't steal and you don't hit people etc. I'm sure you don't go around violently mugging people

[Tonkin]

OK, maybe not most, but some. I was thinking more of rules rather than laws though. Is there a difference?

[indignant misanthrope]

had a lot of appointments with the mental health team at the hospital lately, they are trying to offer more support and I have been rejecting all of it. I don't see what good it will do I can only handle conversations with my psychiatrist any type of program where they try and organise a helper to spend time with me will just end in disaster so there is no point.

[Dougella]

Originally Posted by Tonkin

OK, maybe not most, but some. I was thinking more of rules rather than laws though. Is there a difference?

I suppose there is, laws are legally binding whereas rules are more like guidelines......maybe.

What are some rules that you don't like following?

I've noticed that we're sticklers for queueing in this country and to push in to a queue is really frowned upon. Whereas people from other countries pretty much just bundle to the front willy nilly.

[Dougella]

Originally Posted by indignant misanthrope

had a lot of appointments with the mental health team at the hospital lately, they are trying to offer more support and I have been rejecting all of it. I don't see what good it will do I can only handle conversations with my psychiatrist any type of program where they try and organise a helper to spend time with me will just end in disaster so there is no point.

Do they specify what you and the helper would do if you spent time together? Is it just someone to go for a coffee and chat with you, or would you be able to ask that they accompany you to places you might find difficult on your own? Like taking clothes to the launderette or something like that.

[Tonkin]

Originally Posted by Dougella

I suppose there is, laws are legally binding whereas rules are more like guidelines......maybe.

What are some rules that you don't like following?

I've noticed that we're sticklers for queueing in this country and to push in to a queue is really frowned upon. Whereas people from other countries pretty much just bundle to the front willy nilly.

Queuing abroad is a social nightmare! I've been a few places were people queue up in a nice line, then as soon as the bus arrives or the doors open or whatever, then they scrum up and bundle in.

It's like they've seen the concept of the queue but haven't worked out it's purpose.

Not sure which rules really, just like the idea of living somewhere where people don't just follow the rules blindly. I mean it has it's downsides for sure, but I probably prefer it to everyone being the same and following the norms.

[Moksha]

Originally Posted by Dougella

I've noticed that we're sticklers for queueing in this country and to push in to a queue is really frowned upon. Whereas people from other countries pretty much just bundle to the front willy nilly.

British people are still very polite, I find. I just had my booster, and was was struck by how polite and civilised everyone was. All I heard around me was “yes please” and “thank you” and “would you mind” and “no, after you” etc. I’m a firm believer that you create the world you live in. If you want people to be polite, you must set the example by being polite. I go out of my way to be as polite as I can.

[Tonkin]

I think that's mostly for show! It's just how British people talk. I mean, yes it is using polite language, but I think it's more to do with conditioning than any underlying virtue. Although I am cynical...

[Jen.]

Yes, British "politeness" always feels like a facade. Saying please and thank you in public means nothing when they're going home afterwards and calling each other ***** on Facebook. The public pretense is always hanging on by its fingernails too, you see it whenever a situation becomes slightly stressful: a train is late or there isn't much toilet paper left in the shop.

[Dougella]

^^ Yes, there's a lot going on beneath the politeness for a lot of British people! I don't think we're any more polite than people from anywhere else really either, other than we apologise for absolutely everything even when it wasn't our fault. Like when someone walks into us and we immediately say sorry

[Tonkin]

Yes, even when we say sorry like that, we don't really mean we're sorry.

It's just the done cultural thing to say sorry when we haven't done anything wrong in that situation, probably while muttering under our breathe what a F~@*&^$ C"$£ they are! Or maybe that's just me...

[Dougella]

^ Sometimes it's outright passive aggressive lol.

[indignant misanthrope]

Originally Posted by Nanuq

Aw, I wish you could give it a try. Would it help if you tried to quantify what would be an improvement in your life, even a small one?
I can be dismissive of help and I'm only really just beginning to understand that it stems partly from a sort of absolute thinking, so rather than looking for small improvements I've wanted a complete fix, which (whether for physical illness or mental illness) isn't always a possibility.

Originally Posted by Dougella

Do they specify what you and the helper would do if you spent time together? Is it just someone to go for a coffee and chat with you, or would you be able to ask that they accompany you to places you might find difficult on your own? Like taking clothes to the launderette or something like that.

unfortunately my mind is completely fixed and inflexible on this, there was a time when I would have accepted it but after things going wrong time and time again I feel no point to overburdening myself with things I can't handle.
I don't really have any aspirations on how to get through life better other than to live in a way where I am not bullied or harassed. a lot of people think that if I were to engage in social events or things that it would turn my life around but I have been down that road before, it offers me no satisfaction and afterwards I am stuck at square one again, along with them thinking I am wasting their time or I am not trying hard enough. I don't have much if any desires. I can't force myself to get enjoyment out of things I don't enjoy. I am really just looking for ways to cope with day to day things I need to do that are essential for living. support doesn't really work, I am pretty much inconsolable.

I definitely can't do anything beyond a professional setting/capacity, anything more like a friendship or anything that becomes in any way routine would be far more difficult to cope with and lead to all sorts of persistent personal neurosis' that the other person would find hard to deal with. i'd be setting myself up for failure. they seemed really disappointed I turned them down but I have no trust or faith this will work out.